About Me : between idealism and reality

About Me ….

My wishes, a constraint between idealism and reality side

By : Soeksmono Atmowardojo

I was born in the Capital City of Central Java, Indonesia in 1970s. The Semarang City at the time was so beautiful, especially you live at the hills. This city is so unique, having the hills and another side this city has the seaport. I lived in Semarang until 2000, then my life is always moving, and still moving.

I studied at School of Architecture of Catholic Soegijapranata, and graduated in 2000, I needed 7 years to finish it. Well, the smart classmates just needed about 5 years, so why did I need longer? Hmmm, I enjoyed being tour guide at the time, and making some business. I made friends mostly from any English speaking countries, and they influenced me how to think and how to behave, I am so grateful. I am so lucky that until now I still have good friends with them, some are Dutch.

After graduating I involved at some local NGO, empowering the marginal people to have their own happiness. I made some modules of micro business and micro finance. How to get up from the poverty and disablitiy. Sometimes the suffered people doesn’t know what they have to do, sadly I said most of them are pragmatical people, what they do is just easy to do, such as begging. I was happilly involving in community developmet, then I felt just “wake up” when I didn’t have any money in my pocket, another side I saw my friends bought new vehicles.

Idealism versus reality in life at mom’s hope. In 2002, I worked at one of local government’s companies, and I was also self employee drafter. I designed about tens home, interior, and place. So joyful having the profitable project at under 30 years old, then financial disaster came, I loved traveling all around the world, precisely just 3 continents, and almost 20 countries. I am rich with stories, adventures, and fun but none if I was asked for the asset, investment, or saving. What did I have? Oh Man ….

So confuse, my adrenalin up, when I was realized how much my debt. Calls came to me from any debt collector, oh GOD, what I have to do, I wondered the solution, I couldn’t handle it all. What I did was just praying and praying.

I still remembered when I found the job vacancy in the Kompas News, I applied the job and it needed almost 2 months for getting the job. I cancelled coming to United States even I had got the visa, for 5 years!!! Wow so wonderful life but anyway I obeyed what my Mom said, and she said please just work in Indonesia my son. And I said, “Okay Mom, I will go to Aceh then for paying my debts”. Yes Aceh in December 2004 got horrified disaster, it was tsunami. I flied there for new hope, I just felt it would be better to see gunned people then I had to pick the calls for debt collector. I lived in small town, about 6 hours from Medan, I choosen this place in considering near Medan if something (conflict) happen. I didn’t know, really didn’t know about Bireuen, the small town at all. I was so carefully to introduce myself to the local people, my mission was facilitating the tsunami’s suffered people to re-build their home and access to the donors. I was so succesful that I could finish my mission and make friends with them, besides now I have a step parents who live in remote area of Bireuen. I lived in Bireuen about two years, and closed to marry the Acehnese exotic woman.

Back to Java, about 6 months being a self employee architect, on one day somebody called me to get a job again for tsunami disaster at Pangandaran beach in 2006. My colleague asked me to be Urban Planner, to concept the CSP (Community Settlement Planning) especially for free zone of tsunami, it meant I have to learn the Disaster Risk Management. I really enjoyed this job, I could work at anywhere, and I felt that everyday is Sunday, see the beautiful beach every single day. I lived here in Pangandaran almost two years. I know this area so well, always in my memory. I enjoy working at community development, why? I feel I am paid for my idealism and my job. What I worry is just about the contract, the reality is sometimes difficult to get a job like this. On Friday in April, a close friend asked me to apply a job in the bank, and I asked, “what kind of job?” He explained the job is the answer for my reality and my idealism, it was a community development for the bank’s customer. Wow …. I said, “okay I am in”.

What I did at the bank, it was almost three years. I trained the traditional sellers about microfinance, operation, marketing, and humanity in manpower. The company asked me to form their mindset for being the strong business people. The concept was very good, and what I felt, I had to resign sooner.

Now I am blogger freelance, I am free, and another side I miss so much for working at community development, or being architect to design low cost housing. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you think that you have information for the jobs.

Cirebon, January 2015

Beautiful Sunday with my family.

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My blogs :

penaturis.blogspot.com

penaarsitek.blogspot.com

inspirasiumkm.blogspot.com

Call number : +6285322879799

My email : monocinde@gmail.com