Who I want to be in the future is to become an agricultural engineer.
And that was my first ideal profession (aka "
cita-cita"). Written officially in my elementary school yearbook in 1992.
Years and years later, I finally made it. Graduated from engineering school. But it was not agricultural, it was civil engineering instead. And it was not as smooth as toll road that we, as civil engineering students, designed in the subject of Road Construction. It happened in the second semester that I wholeheartedly decided to move to electrical engineering. It was not because I like electrical engineering but rather because I
hate civil engineering assignments and calculations that drove me crazy enough during the first 5 months.
I proposed the program transfer very seriously as I intended to meet the Rector in Gedung Pusat. Unluckily, Professor Ichlasul Amal's secretary did not permit me to have a meeting with him as he likely to be very busy. The thing I should already know of how to meet no. 1 man in this university moreover in 1998, in the reform era when my university led the reform with its high profile hero, Amin Rais. As I thought that I had to do this thing quickly I did not want to wait until Prof. Amal available. I then tried to meet the Vice Rector. From the meeting with him, it was concluded that the key for this transfer was approval from the Head of the program in which I proposed to be transferred to, in this case it meant the Head of Electrical Engineering department.
The meeting with Head of Electrical Eng. dept was very short. One statement from him that made me clearly understand that there was no way for me to run away from civil engineering nightmare. He said briefly, "It never happened before we accept student from other department to our dept, except one. It was when an architecture student who by accident got his right arm broken". 5 years later, I had my bachelor degree in Civil Engineering without any of my two arms broken.
From agricultural to civil and ever dreamed to be in electrical and ended up 'back' to civil engineering. Now it's time to enter the workplace.
My first job was as a wireline engineer. And it's actually really related more with electrical engineering! Haha! But I didn't live long there as I find out that I couldn't cope with the job and lifestyle. Working with (errr.. for!) SchlumBURGER made me live like a slave. This company that does not sell burger as I told you before, however taught me first lesson in after-school world: "MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING".
My next job that is still embedded in my KTP and passport until now is as bureaucrat in the Ministry of Dreaming (because we're always dreaming of a better Indonesia, as I told you so). It is funny that I actually never dreamt about being worked for the government. Never ever crossed in my mind even once that one day I will work in this not-so-hip workplace for my generation when I was in school. But here I am now and get the lesson number 2: "EVERYTHING NEEDS MONEY".
So, it's a good combination actually from the two 'joke' lessons I've got there. The two jobs actually give a deeper meaning for me that I don't get in school class. The two jobs are so different like water and fire. The first is becoming my obsession since the company successfully stole my heart with their presentation in uni when I was still in my 3rd year while the later never even being my wildest imagination. The Burger offered me a relatively very high salary but that money never stayed long enough in my bank account. In fact it went to trips, stars hotels and fancy restaurants as rewards that I and some junior engineer friends thought were worth it for our hard work. Oscar, a friend in Melbourne uni asked me about working in Dreaming. As I explained to him everything I know, I later figured out from words I said that somehow I did not find something significant to complain about working there. Although the money is not that big compared to Burger but one of the good things is that I can save some of it.
Being in Melbourne for almost 2 years, I've been doing some part-time jobs that include being a salesman in the market, delivery man for automotive supplies, dishwasher in a restaurant and a labour! Yess, it's really a labour job when it comes to rough job like setting up the stall in the Victoria market, or putting down all boxes full of T-shirts from one big container before taking off the "made in China" labels from each T-shirt then folding them up and putting them neatly in warehouse. These are such jobs that I appreciate to happen to me. Really an experience to make me give more respect to others with such professions. Although I can never compare the same labour job here in Australia with one in my country since the payment for one day here can be equal to one month in Indonesia.
Right now I am willing to graduate from this Master program very soon. Being surrounded by people, both colleagues and guest lecturers, with NGO backgrounds, I might think to jump into another field of work. Is NGO becoming my next stop? Hmmmm.... Sounds right for humanity.
Or Rifkinity?
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