#PrimWMAdiary: My New Sisters

Assalamu'alaikum..

Piye kabareee para pembaca saya yang budiman?

Pasti kangen sama saya kan yaaa *ditimpuk*

Alhamdulillah, serangkaian acara Workshop/Grand Final World Muslimah Award (WMA) 2014 sudah berhasil saya lewati dengan sejahtera dan sentosa, cuma yaaa ngantuknya masih kebangetan nih. Ga kebayang saudari-saudari saya yang harus melintasi separuh dunia ini untuk terbang pulang ke rumah masing-masing.. Huhuhu.

Anyway, talking about my new sisters, until now I still feel surprised to know that we were together only for two weeks. Experiencing the closeness among us.. I almost think that we have known each other for more than two years.. We share a lot of stories - like really, A LOT. Even me and Tasneema share her father - haha, now I have a Bangladeshi dad, everyone.. How can I be more proud of them?

So, let me introduce you to my new sisters so you can also get to know them better. Kata orang Indonesia, tak kenal maka tak sayang. Who knows someday you meet one of them, you will experience their kindness by yourself. And if it happens, please tell them that I love them with every piece of my heart :)

[Ki-ka] Atas: Samaneh - Nisa - saya - Molina | Bawah: Hetty - Lulu - Imhe - Dina

[Ki-ka] Baris satu: Fatma - Bilqis - Tasneema | Baris dua: Masturah - Safitri - Gesti | Baris tiga: Elis - Lisa - Nazreen

1. Safitri (Indonesia) - the first finalist that I met in person. When I arrive in Jakarta airport, I couldn't contact somebody who should pick me up. Fitri and I have exchanged phone number and SMS some days before our arrival, and we should have arrived in near time. So I picked her to her terminal, and after then joining the other finalists who already waiting for us. She is a pretty girl, and way slimmer than in her photo (haha). She is on her way to be a doctor, and personally, I feel so sorry to her that I don't have any time to listen more to her stories. However, I do believe she has big dreams, and she is very determined in actualizing them. Fitri sayang, kapan-kapan main ke Jogja lagi ya.. Janji dengerin curhatmu bermalam-malam deh.. ;)

2. Masturah (Singapore) - the second finalist that I met at the airport, but we have talked on DM some weeks before. Another finalist who fired her boss to be at the final. But her sacrifice is much more than mine, for sure. Actually, at first I couldn't believe it that she is a teacher. She is very very stylish and I love everything that she wears along the workshop! She was my roommate in Bogor, and I admire her principles in life. Duh Mas, I will always remember #awakkatmane :D

3. Tasnima (Bangladesh) - the time I shook her hand, I know she has huge maternal feeling inside her (bahasa Indonesia = keibuan). See, she is an intern doctor! Not just a doctor, because she is also a henna artist and has angel voice too. So multi-talented! More, she is very humble. I think if I become her, I can be a very arrogant person because I have everything. But she isn't. She took care of every finalist, like her real sister. Especially if one of us sick, she always paid a good attention to us. No wonder she won Most Favorite Winner :)

4. Imhe Junyanti (Indonesia) - ini cewek cuuuantik, super!!! I think she is a little bit shy, when actually she has a big potential inside her. She is a muslimah model, dan karena dia adalah make up artist, dia suka gemes lihat alis saya yang berantakan. Hihihi. Imheee, cepet nikah ya Mhee, biar aku ada alesan main ke Makassar. Hihihi. 

5. Molina (Indonesia) - the first finalist that contacted me, waaay before we both announced as finalists. Alhamdulillah ya sayang, kita berjodoh ketemu di Final.. To see her, is like seeing younger version of me. Super active and still eager to maintain her scores. But she is better one, I didn't involved in any sport activity :p Moli, you are so lucky to join Final WMA in a young age. You can do much more, stay focus and keep moving forward!!!

6. Lulu Susanti (Indonesia) - aslinya pingin belajar lebih banyak dari Ustadzah satu ini, tapi apa daya waktu yang terbatas jadi mesti pinter-pinter ngatur waktu buat curi ilmu. Lain kali karantinanya mesti setengah tahun kali ye, LOL. She is very mature, and I admire her calmness in handling every situation at WMA. Indonesia proud to see you in Top 10, kak! Barakallah!

7. Samaneh (Iran) - she just came like a thunder, hahaha. She is the clown, whenever she nears, we can just forget about our fatigue. To listen to her way of talking, I understand Indonesians might think she is a little bit impolite. But for me, no wonder she was chosen to be one of The Most Inspiring Muslimah. She taught us to speak up, and I believe it is very very important in an intercultural interaction. Sama, I wish I'm with you in Bali now :D

8. Lisa (Malaysia) - she is another petite finalist besides me :p I feel thankful to sit next to her at the train from Jakarta to Yogyakarta. I have a curiousity towards her, and after seven hours of chit-chatting, I admire her sincere heart, really. She is also very humble. At the train, we have to promote our friend, and I wanted to promote her more, but she keep saying, 'enough, prima.. enough.' Lisaaa, you will be a great doctor, insya Allah ;)

9. Dina Torkia (United Kingdom) - aaargh, I think I have to write another blog post, only for her - my roommate for seven days in Yogyakarta, before she left me alone to be with her husband (pfffttt). She is a very cool girl, not just because she is a celebrity - but much more than that!!! Everytime I think of her, I always giggle as she is very cute and honest. One time we were about to sleep at almost 12AM, and we were scheduled to wake up at 2.15AM. I said, "see you tomorrow" just like usual, but she said, "no, see you in two hours." Hahahahaha. Dinaaa, miss you so so much!!!

10. Nisa Bella (Malaysia) - a doll among us, really. She always look fabulous, and she is also smart! At the Grand Final, she doing make up by herself, and my make up artist said that she just did it like a pro. Nisa, Nisa.. please invite me to your wedding! I will come, insyaAllah ;)

11. Hetty (Indonesia) - the most elegant finalist among us. I think I never heard her laugh out loud like me or Sama. Hetty sayang, badai pasti berlalu. Allah tidak akan membebani hamba-Nya dengan sesuatu yang tak mampu ia tanggung. Cheer up, chin up, you go girl!

12. Elis Sholihah (Indonesia) - be careful, don't be misguided by her appearance. She is not 19 years old, she is ** years old! :p I know, she is very very cute, isn't she? And her heart, ohmy.. She has doing a lot of social project - which makes me embarrased of myself.. She is also an entrepreneur too. And a singer!!! Apa sih yang kamu ga bisaaa, El. Curi satu dong bakatnya, huhu.

13. Gesti (Indonesia) - you know, Allah gives the right thing at the right time. Gesti is one of the evident. She has became a semifinalist for two years in a row (2012, 2013) but she just made it as finalist at 2014. Alhamdulillah ya Gestiii, kalau kamu udah jadi finalis di tahun sebelumnya, kamu ga kenal aku lhoh, rugi! LOL. That's why I admire her for her persistence. She will be a great entrepreneur, I am sure! Never give up, sayang! 

14. Nazreen (India) - she deserves to be the Second Winner, what else can I say? She has a pure heart, and she has a lot of stories to share. That night, when we have to interact with the orphans, she tried to sing every Indian songs she knows - I think it was like a lullaby for them, no, Nazreen? Hehe. 

15. Bilqis (Nigeria) - she is very very very beautiful! At first I couldn't take my eyes off her just because her beauty. Unfortunately her tall body disturbing for me personally, hahahahaha. Bilqis, I hope we can talk more in the future. I can see that you are an intelligent person, and please send my regards to your husband. He is lucky to have you!

16. Fatma (Tunisia) - the winner! A very best representation of what so-called Miss World Muslimah, because she looks, talks, and walks - just like a princess. Same with Bilqis, I also hope to talk and get to know more about you. The world is waiting for your action, and I am ready to support you, sister!

17. Naballah (Trinidad&Tobago) - I really really wish she joined us earlier.. Because her profile at web is so interesting, and I believe she is! Please talk more at our Whatsapp group, I am sure you will be easily involved in our conversation! ;)

Last but not least, I don't think I can thank Bu Eka Shanty and Puan Jay enough for meeting us. Subhanallah, may Allah bless them in every single day, and also grant them a place in Jannah - for their hard work to gather inspiring women in an event, just so we can inspire more and more young muslimahs out there. 

Bismillah, our 'duty' starts here! Wish us all the best! :)

Lots of love,

Prima 

High

Saya pernah ga lulus SMA.

Ups, ini bukan tentang Ibu Menteri yang satu itu.

Saya bukan mau bahas beliau, hehehe *penonton kecewa*

Sekarang, setelah delapan tahun berselang dari insiden yang memalukan keluarga itu, saya baru saja berpikir, apakah kehidupan saya akan menjadi lebih baik kalau seandainya saya lulus SMA dengan baik-baik saja?

We never know.

But, Allah is the best planner, indeed.

And I thank Him for giving me warning that soon, before everything is too late.

Saya adalah salah seorang murid yang pintar, tanyakan pada teman-teman sekolah saya, atau guru saya, mereka akan mengakuinya. Meski sebenarnya saya ngerasa kurang cepat dalam memahami materi pelajaran eksak, tapi saya lebih suka mengulanginya sendiri di rumah daripada ikut les atau bimbel. Toh nyatanya saya tidak pernah keluar dari peringkat sepuluh besar sepanjang sejarah saya bersekolah. Di kelas 2 dan 3 SMA saya juga bolak-balik peringkat satu atau dua. Bahkan saya bisa ngajari teman saya, dan juga memberikan les untuk siswa SD.

See how my life seems so okay?

Nah, MUNGKIN kemudian saya menjadi sombong. Menduga bahwa semua yang saya dapatkan semata karena usaha keras saya. I deserve it. I deserve to be the champion.

Lalu tibalah pukulan itu. Nilai Matematika di Ujian Nasional saya hanyalah 4,00 - tanpa saya tahu mengapa. Soalnya saya ngerasa bisa-bisa aja waktu ngerjain. 7 lah minimal, pikir saya. 

Terkejutkah saya waktu menerima kabar ketidaklulusan itu?

Sangat. 

Saya, seorang rahma (panggilan saya waktu SMA), yang gini ini?? Masa ga lulus? Malu-maluin keluarga (dan sekolah) aja. 

Lama kemudian saya baru sadar, ini salah satu bentuk kasih sayang Allah. Masih lebih baik dihukum di dunia, daripada di akhirat nanti. Iya kan?? 

He shows that He still care. Coba kalau saya dibiarin sombong, mungkin saya akan jauh dari rahmat dan ampunan-Nya. Hih, saya ga berani ngebayangin.

“Tidak akan masuk surga seseorang yang di dalam hatinya terdapat kesombongan sebesar biji sawi.” (HR. Muslim no. 91)

Saya ga sedang mencari sensasi. Saya percaya lulus sekolah itu kewajiban anak terhadap orangtuanya, kewajiban murid terhadap sekolahnya, kewajiban diri sendiri terhadap kesempatan menimba ilmu. 

Tapi begini, sekiranya kamu menemukan saya mulai sombong karena jadi finalis World Muslimah Award, tabok aja saya. Sms. Whatsapp. Bbm. Line. Mention. Kirim message di Facebook. Kirim email. Tolong ingatkan saya sebelum Allah mengingatkan saya dengan cara-Nya.

Mohon doanya, agar saya bisa mengemban amanah ini dengan penuh tanggung jawab :)

Lots of love,

Prima

#ThePrimUWRF: Simple Tips to Write Better

Okay, so, Island to Island adalah sesi pertama yang saya MC-in di UWRF. Congratulation for Andre Dao, Gillian Terzis, Maggie Tiojakin, Ninda Daianti, and Sam Twyford-Moore (chairperson), you are so lucky to have me destroying your session!!! *digebukin Kate* :)))

Sumpah, saya ga bohong, bahkan saya sendiri bisa mendengar suara saya yang bergetar saking groginya. Begini cerita lengkapnya...

Di brief yang saya terima, saya bertugas untuk memastikan bahwa semua penulis dan chairperson sudah tiba di lokasi sesi paling lambat 15 menit sebelum sesi. Susahnya, lokasi sesi itu kan digunakan untuk sesi-sesi sebelumnya juga, dan padat banget.. Bisa jadi kan panelis ikut di sesi itu tapi duduknya nyelip dimanaaa gitu. Terus, harusnya saya ngobrol dulu sama chairperson tentang pengejaan namanya (penting! Misalnya nih, jangan sampai Kate dibaca Ka-te, emang ayam?! :p) dan mungkin ada note yang harus saya sebutkan, diluar penjelasan sesi yang tertera di buku. Kabarnya, panelis dan chairperson akan berkumpul di Green Room, tapi kenyataannya...selama festival berlangsung, saya ga pernah ketemu panelis dan chairperson disini. Soalnya ya itu, panelis juga, chairperson juga, peserta sesi juga (ini kayaknya berlaku buat kak Ni Ketut Sudiani, hihi). 

Yang kedua, suasana sesi itu panaaasssss banget. Peringatan, buat yang mau datang ke sesi di Left Bank, disarankan mengenakan kaos lengan pendek dan hot pants saking gerahnya #eh

Mana saya ga bisa banyak minum soalnya kan harus in charge di depan terus. Serba salah deh. 

Kombinasi dari sesi pertama + kurang koordinasi + gerah membuat konsentrasi saya buyar yar, begitu saya bilang "Sam, time is yours." Tapi syukur alhamdulillah, saya sempat memperhatikan beberapa ilmu dari Kak Maggie.. Cuma Kak Maggie aja soalnya dia satu-satunya orang Indonesia (excuse: bahasa Inggris-nya paling mudah untuk saya pahami), maafkan saya ya manteman..... #DitabokPembaca

Kak Maggie ini kan sekolah Creative Writing di Amerika, nah saat itu banyak yang mempertanyakan, termasuk orang tuanya. Ini cuma nulis 'doang', ngapain jauh-jauh belajar ke Amerika? Iya kalau Teknik, Kedokteran, pokoknya eksak..

Menurut Kak Maggie, disinilah letak kesalahan mindset penulis. Dipikir nulis itu cuma masalah praktek, praktek, praktek. Padahal, kita ga akan pernah bisa nulis bagus kalau ga banyak baca!

#tertohok

Semakin banyak yang kita baca, tentu semakin kaya kita dengan perbendaharaan kata, plot, karakter, dan lain-lain. Pantas aja kalau kita sering kena writing block, wong pikiran kita ga terbuka dan pengetahuan kita kurang luas.

#tertohokLagi

Terutama nih, kita ga akan pernah nulis bagus kalau kita ga tahu, yang bagus itu seperti apa.

#HAYOLHOH

Kita kudu tahu tulisan yang best seller, pemenang Nobel/Pulitzer (berat nih..), atau paling engga, disukai pasar dan penerbit itu seperti apa.. Terus jangan cuma dibaca. Langkah selanjutnya, adalah analisis. Kenapa ya karakternya sifatnya A, B, C. Kenapa plotnya begini.. Kalau misal begitu, gimana.. Apakah akan mengubah cerita dan klimaks-nya.. Hal-hal seperti itu akan menjadi latihan yang sangat baik ketika menuliskan naskah kita sendiri.

Saya sempat tertegun lho pas mendengarnya. Soalnya bener banget tuh, kita pasti sering kepikiran, tapi ga pernah se-kreatif itu untuk menguliknya. 

Makanya, kak Maggie keukeuh, kalau kita mampu dan punya kesempatan, belajarlah menulis.. Like taking professional course. Percayalah bahwa menulis itu sebuah skill yang amat sangat dapat dipertanggungjawabkan, dan berprospek cerah jika mau dijadikan profesi. 

But, if you don't have that privilege now, why don't you practice the simple tips that I have shared?

Cobain, yuk! ;)

Love,

Prima

Pic from here.