OH @ a Hotel’s Lobby

Di suatu siang yang relatif panas akibat garangnya terik sinar matahari untuk standar suhu bulan November yang seharusnya lebih adem daripada saat ini, tapi semua itu tidak terasa sama sekali di area lobby berpenyejuk ruangan sentral di sebuah hotel berbintang lima di seputaran Jakarta Pusat.

Terlihat di salah satu sofa duduklah seorang lelaki yang tampak matang usia dan ramah karena selalu tersenyum dan beberapa kali terdengar tawanya pecah, sedang asyik berbincang dengan seorang perempuan berambut pendek sebahu yang mengenakan pakaian serbahitam, tapi pastinya kalau dinilai dari bentuknya bukan seragam dari kantor manapun.

Lelaki : Eh, jadi nih kita ke Warung Kopi kondang itu?
Perempuan : Ya sudah, hayu’ atuh.
Lelaki (sambil bangkit berdiri dari sofa) : Tapi bentar dulu ya. Gue kebelet pipis nih.
Perempuan (ikut-ikutan bangkit dari sofa) : Oh, kalau gitu kita barengan aja. Kebetulan gue haus nih.
Lelaki (berhenti mendadak) : ... ... Eh ?!?! (lalu tawanya kembali meledak)

Twitterer lazim menyebut pengutipan semacam ini
– dalam versi yang lebih singkat – dengan akronim OH.

Where Art Thou, Angela?

Minggu sore kemarin aku dan Dia bertemu untuk makan malam bersama. Pilihan lokasinya adalah salah satu mall di kawasan Senayan, Jakarta Selatan, karena Dia berencana exercise di gym terlebih dahulu sebelum kami bertemu.
Sebenarnya menurutku agak lucu saja, membakar kalori di pusat kebugaran, dilanjutkan setelahnya dengan makan malam dengan sama sekali mengabaikan perhitungan kalori. Bisa jadi, kalori yang masuk lebih besar daripada yang dibakar beberapa waktu sebelumnya. Ah, tapi Dia tentu sudah sangat tahu dan menyadari hal ini serta tidak membutuhkan aku untuk mengingatkannya.

Malam itu kita memutuskan makan malam dengan menu Italia.
Aku memesan spaghetti dengan saus pesto, sedangkan dia memilih pizza dengan banyak jalapeño serta saus pesto. Sebelumnya kita berbagi salad nicoise bersama, tapi Dia sempat sebal karena hanya ada satu anchovy di dalam salad itu dan aku yang kebetulan mendapatkannya. Tentu saja, Dia tidak sebal padaku, tapi pada tempat makan ini yang ”These guys are sooo cheapo!”, klaimnya.

Seusai santap malam, Dia bilang ingin cari makanan sehat dan mengajakku makan yoghurt di Sour Sally.
Aku tidak suka rasa susu dibasikan ini, dari brand apapun, jadi aku bilang saja, ”No thanks, but of course I will accompany you. It’s just I won’t order anything.”
Sebenarnya Dia sudah tahu ini, tapi dia pantang menyerah mengajakku makan makanan yang aku sama sekali tidak tertarik untuk mencobanya, antara lain sushi dan sasimi. Yang jelas-jelas kutahu, Dia bisa menghabiskan ratusan ribu rupiah dalam sekali makan di restoran Jepang.

Anyway, jadilah kami masuk ke Sour Sally.
Busyet, penuh banget! Orang-orang sampai membentuk antrian sangat panjang hanya untuk memesan yoghurt. Apa sih keistimewaannya?, batinku. Waktu itu Dia pernah memintaku mencoba mencicipi salah satu Sally’s specialty, dan hueks!, aku tak suka. Jadilah saat itu Dia mengantri sementara aku menikmati suasana ruangan.

Ada beberapa wajah yang cukup familiar sedang menikmati yoghurt-nya Sally. Dari spesies model yang wajah-wajahnya sering terpampang di berbagai majalah mode dan gaya hidup nasional.
Tapi saat itu aku lebih disibukkan dengan pemikiran, kenapa ya orang-orang jadi seperti mengantri sembako hanya untuk mendapatkan seporsi yoghurt? Lalu aku mencoba mengabadikan antrian tersebut dengan kamera telepon genggamku.
Dekorasi toko ini quite nice, didominasi warna putih dan hijau muda, memberikan kesan cerah dan bersemangat. Kalau saja tercium bau karbol di udara, aku pasti berpikir sedang berada di salah satu sudut di sebuah rumah sakit bertaraf internasional. Dindingnya yang sengaja dibuat beraksen tembok batu-bata yang tidak diplester cukup unik, termasuk deretan kata yang huruf-hurufnya ditempelkan timbul di tembok, jadi aksen menarik untuk desain interior sebuah toko di mall.
Desain karakter Sally yang berkepala seperti kentang gepeng juga sebenarnya cukup lucu dan menarik. Iseng kuraih salah satu selebaran dengan gambar Sally di counter, ternyata di baliknya terdapat kuesioner untuk feedback bagi para konsumer. Tak ada kerjaan, kuisi saja kuesioner itu buat mencari kesibukan sembari menunggu antrian yang mengingsut seperti siput. Toh, Dia masih di tengah-tengah antrian.

Selesai mengisi kuesioner baru kuperhatikan ternyata Sour Sally ini dibawa masuk ke Indonesia oleh group Mitra Adi Perkasa juga. Wow! Bisa jadi Sour Sally ini akan menjadi salah satu kisah sukses lagi bagi food and beverage franchise yang dikelola oleh MAP setelah Starbucks, Cold Stone Creamery, dan tentu saja, Burger King.

Kulihat Dia sudah akan mendapatkan giliran memesan, jadi kusiapkan lagi kamera telepon genggamku untuk merekam momen-momen ketika Dia sedang asyik memilih pesanan yoghurt-nya.
Saat sedang asyik memotret, kulihat gadis muda ini sedang memperhatikan keasyikanku memotret ke arah dirinya. Tapi aku tidak terlalu memperdulikannya, sampai beberapa detik kemudian kudengar dia dengan nada ketus berkata pada temannya, ”Yuk kita nungguin di luar aja. Males gue di sini.”
Dengan ekor mataku kulihat cewek itu menarik tangan temannya dan mereka bergegas keluar ruangan. Sempat tercetus dalam pikiranku, jangan-jangan cewek itu mengira aku sedang memotret dia diam-diam, lantas jadi bete atau marah (kenapa ya??) pada ketidaksopananku (ah, masa sih??) dan bergegas berlalu.
Karena merasa tidak melakukan hal apapun yang salah, aku sih tidak terlalu memedulikannya.
Lalu Dia yang sudah selesai bertransaksi menghampiriku, ”Hey, what’s up?” tanyanya. "Nothing,” jawabku.
Lalu kami menempati salah satu meja sambil menunggu yoghurt pesanan Dia selesai dibuat.

Tak lama kemudian salah satu pelayan di balik pick-up counter berteriak, ”Angela!” Jadi makin mirip suasana di apotik saat menebus obat, pikirku. Untung tidak ada bau karbol.
Lalu si pelayan berteriak lagi memanggil nama itu. Masih tidak ada yang menyahut.
Setelah panggilan keempat atau kelima, dengan heran si pelayan bertanya pada temannya, ”Ini yang mesan kemana?” Temannya yang sedang sibuk dengan cash register machine, menjawab dengan sambil lalu, ”Ga tau. Lagi keluar sebentar kali?”

Lalu nama Dia dipanggil. Kami melanjutkan obrolan sambil Dia menyantap yoghurt-nya yang tandas ludes dalam sekejap, barangkali hanya dalam waktu kurang dari 5 menit.
Saat kami beranjak meninggalkan Sour Sally, sempat kuperhatikan antrian pelanggan masih sepanjang seperti saat kami baru tiba tadi.
Lalu mataku tertuju pada pick-up counter dan kulihat satu papercup berisi yoghurt yang terlihat seperti sudah mulai mencair karena sudah terbiarkan cukup lama di udara terbuka.

Pasti punya cewek tadi, terdengar bisikan di dalam kepalaku. Dan karena dia merasa kau memotret dirinya tanpa izin maka dia memutuskan untuk pergi sebagai bentuk protes ketidaksukaan atas tindakanmu, demikian lanjut bisikan itu.
Hah? This doesn’t make any sense aja.

Orang-orang di Jakarta ini memang aneh-aneh, kadang tingkahnya sejuta dan yakin benar sendiri tanpa alasan logis yang jelas.
Well, in this case, let her be. By not picking up her order, that means it was her loss. Sudah bayar ini. Tapi heran saja, kok bisa ya dia pergi menghilang tanpa mengambil yoghurt-nya?

Sally must’ve been wondered ever since, where Angela went that evening after paying her order, leaving her yoghurt turned sourer on the pick up counter.

What If?

What about having some nice espresso brownies and vanilla latte or decaf cappuccino at Starbucks? What if you opened your papercup lid to cool your cappuccino faster, so when you drink it its froth stayed on your upper lip forming a white mustache? You still look cute with that silly soup-strainer and you made me laugh by making faces until my eyes watered.

What about kissing your tender lips inside the car while we’re in the parking lot? I was whistling “Young Folks” when you whispered my nickname in such husky voice I turned around and stopped, lips still mouthing O. Your sexy thoughts flashed in your eyes I can see you burning inside. What if I told you that only by looking at your wet cherry lips I knew that all I want to do was kissing you right there at that moment?

What about lying together side by side on this white beach sands eyes gazing at the blue cloudless sky? The sun just rose the wind brought the salty taste of ocean air. Turning my head looking at you, sleeping soundlessly your smile widened. What if it was not me who was running around in your dream would you tell me that honestly when you wake later on?

What about your promise to be back here by my side to celebrate your birthday privately, just the two of us? You knew too well I can not cook anything but instant noodles, yet I tried hard to prepare your favorite pasta just to make you happy, to see you smile cheerfully. Because no matter what others may say about it being tacky, all I want to do in this world is to make you feel happiness with me.

What if I never let you go to your office that day?
What about staying in bed and cuddling for a little bit longer that day?
What if I made love to you in the shower which would definitely make you to arrive late to your meeting?
What about taking alternative routes just like what you usually did everyday so you wouldn’t be stuck in the daily traffic on that highway?
What if you forgot to bring your cellular phone which you left on the coffee table, and then you return just to pick it up?

You would still be here beside me.
I would never felt this kind of shocked watching that news.
You would still call me at noon just to make sure whether I already had lunch or not.
I would still find you in our place waiting for me to return home after working way until late.
You would still need me to go with you to bookstores and coffeehouses on weekends; “Just for the atmosphere,” like you always said.

I would still have you, you would still love me, I would hugged and kissed you a lot, you would still demanding more.

We would still have – and love – each other.

I Wish I Knew When I’m Gonna Have Mood to Watch You

Never before in my life, as a self-acclaimed movie-buff, had I intentionally skipped a motion picture that had won many awards and rave reviews from critics and moviegoers alike.
Until the arrival of Brokeback Mountain, hitting huge on big screens worldwide.
But I can assure you, it has nothing to do with its gay-themed issue.

Pertama kali aku menyaksikan trailer film ini di akhir tahun 2005, yang berdekatan waktunya dengan premiere-nya di Festival Film Venesia, deep in my heart langsung kuputuskan bahwa ini film pastinya sangat bagus, dan tidak boleh sampai terlewatkan olehku.

But I tell you what. It was years ago. Because until this very second, aku masih juga belum menontonnya. Even though practically everybody I know already did, even the straight ones.

Why? You may ask. Apa yang sebenarnya terjadi?

Okay, penyebab awal mulanya adalah seperti ini.
Bisakah kamu membayangkan ada satu orang tertentu, yang setiap bertemu dirinya, topik perbincangan dengan dirinya selalu tentang Britney Spears begini dan Britney Spears begitu, Britney Spears peed in the loo.
Yah, ga gitu banget sih sebenarnya maksudku …

It’s just, am not in the position of comparing Britney with Brokeback, though they were both cultural phenomena, at least in North America. Hanya ingin menganalogikan bagaimana rasanya kalau orang yang kebetulan intensitas frekwensi pertemuannya denganmu lumayan kerap, terus ngomongnya ituuuu melulu. Pengen nampar itu orang, ga lo?!

Jadi si orang ini ya, setiap kali bertemu dengannya dalam meeting di sebuah kantor BUMN yang berkantor pusat di Jl. Jenderal Sudirman, akan sempat-sempatnya menggeser kursinya sejenak menghampiri tempat dudukku, atau kalau misalnya ada waktu luang sebelum atau sesudah meeting dia akan secara khusus menghampiriku, lalu mengajak bicara tentang satu hal : “Gimana, Mas, sudah nonton Brokeback Mountain?”

Dan setiap kali jawabanku akan selalu sama: “Tidak, Pak. Belum sempat aja.”

Meskipun aku sudah berusaha menghindari beliau satu ini, dia akan tetap dengan gigihnya mencari peluang untuk menanyakan hal serupa yang itu-lagi itu-lagi. Yah seperti yang kutuliskan itu tadi di atas. Bahkan di tengah-tengah meeting dia sempat-sempatnya menghampiri cuma buat nanya satu hal itu doang. Penting banget ya?, batinku.
Dan kalau jawabanku masih saja negatif, dia akan terus mempromosikan dengan gencarnya. ”Saya nonton terus lho film ini tiap wiken sama istri di EX. Pokoknya saya akan nonton selama masih diputar di XXI” (istrinya ga bosen mampus apa ya?!). Bahkan ia sempat-sempatnya menawarkan untuk membelikan tiket buat nonton. Heh?!?! WTF?!

Andai saja Focus Feature tahu bagaimana gigihnya Bapak satu ini dalam menjualkan salah satu film rilisannya, pastilah mereka akan memberikan insentif sebagai ucapan terimakasih. Mungkin insentif yang pantas ya ketemu sama abang Jack dan mas Ennis.

Tapi terkadang ya, promosinya itu sampai di tahap gengges aja gitu buatku. Bahkan sepertinya rekan-rekan sekantornya, dan supervisorku juga, sampai took notice akan kelakuan si kucing garong ... bukan, maksudku, ya si Bapak itu.
Gila aja! Masa di kemudian hari ya, teman satu tim ku sambil senyum-senyum misterius begitu, mengusulkan diriku untuk secara khusus dihadapkan ke si Bapak ini kalau ingin mendapatkan project approval dari dirinya.

Ih, emangnya lo pikir gue apaan?!
Emang sih si Bapak itu judulnya adalah klien, tapi bukan berarti lantas situ bisa seenaknya nyodorin gue?!
And just for your information ya, gue itu selektif.
Plus, tarif gue tinggi!! (Ha! Ha! Ha! Teteubh!)

Anyway, mari kita kembali ke pokok inti perbincangan dari maksud tujuan utama disusunnya tulisan ini (belibet ngomongnya khas Pu-Ja).

Meskipun kemudian sekitar 1 tahun sudah berlalu sejak terakhir bertemu Bapak itu untuk urusan kerjaan, alias around year 2006, akhirnya aku tergoda juga buat beli DVD Brokeback Mountain (bajakan cap Ambassador, tentu saja!).
Tapi ternyata baru juga mulai nonton sedikit, ekspresi wajah berbinar si Bapak itu kembali terpampang jelas inside this picture of mind. Cengirannya yang khas sambil ngomong, ”Gimana, Mas, sudah nonton Brokeback Mountain?”
Langsung tombol Stop kutekan, lalu keping DVD di-eject dari player.
Am done with this. (And, perhaps) For good.

Bahkan ketika berita mengejutkan tentang kematian mendadak Heath Ledger tersiar ke seluruh dunia, dan semua penggemar film langsung mengenang kembali penampilan dramatis Heath di film ini, aku sama sekali tidak merasa tergelitik / terpancing buat menuntaskan menonton film western pertama Ang Lee ini.

Oho, jangan salah sangka. Am not homophobic at all. Hanya ya kembali ke soal itu tadi.
Kalau ngomongin soal Brokeback Mountain, jadi teringat lagi sama tingkah polah si Bapak itu, dan bagaimana begitu antusiasnya dia ‘berjualan’.

Barangkali, Bapak itu termasuk salah satu orang yang sangat berduka dan terpukul dengan kepergian Heath Ledger. Can’t blame him, sih. Namanya juga penggemar berat. Ya ga sih?

Eh, kebetulan malam ini lagi kosong.
Batal ketemuan dengan Bradley di Starbucks karena dia mau latihan choir dulu di St. Catherine (terus aku disuruh nunggu aja gitu? Whodoyouthinkyouwho?!).
Lagi males juga hang-out dengan Renata, Lesley, dan Fanny di Alessandro’s karena pasti nanti perbincangannya seputar le marriage, konsep yang masih jauuuuuuuhh aja gitu buatku.

Kayanya malam ini bisa nge-date dengan Michael nih? Sudah lama kubiarkan dia menunggu di kamar tanpa tersentuh sedikitpun.
Dan kalau pun mendadak malam ini masih teteup ga ada mood buat dia, ya nikmati saja penggantinya, Ian.

Yang jelas sih, I still could only wish the right time will eventually come when I really have the right mood to watch you, Jack and Ennis!

I Heart Starbucks (for sentimental reasons)

Somehow, Starbucks with its many stores have been some kind of private milestone to me – though milestone perhaps is a too strong word to be applied here. It’s because I remember things – special events and particular people – by associating them with any Starbucks store where the said events occurred.

It was a hot evening in June when I met Charles at Starbucks Plaza Semanggi.
He sipped on his cup of espresso while we talked practically about everything for hours, from the coming presidential election to Delon’s phenomenon on the first season of Indonesian Idol to a House of Sand and Fog, a critically-acclaimed film about the tragic life of an Iranian-migrant family living in the U.S. who tried to survive from bits and scraps.
That was when I fell in love with his pair of beautiful eyes and his brilliant mind, such an intelligent guy who at the age of 23, is pursuing his PhD degree on Southeast Asian politics. We met another couple of times, usually at the same Starbucks store until it’s time for him to go back to Australia.
It was in January, the night before my 25th birthday. Before he left, we hugged warmly in front of the same Starbucks that last night he was in town, while the sound-system from a nearby café blared Glenn Fredly’s Januari. Now come to think of it, such a strangely funny coincidence it was.

It was quite a cold November night when I met Renee for the last time at Starbucks CiWalk.
“I’m really sorry,” she said. “But my parents want me to continue my study in The Hague. My aunt has prepared all my needs there. She’s been living in Netherlands with her husband for almost five years now. Well, at least I’ll be safe in trusted hands.”
I remembered looking outside from the wide windows when she told me this, drops of rain blurred my view to the emptied car park.
“That’s alright. It’s for your own good,” I told her while reaching for her hands and holding them in mine, gave her my warmest smile and firmest assurance. “Beside, this is exactly what you’ve been dreaming of, isn’t it? And you surely wouldn’t want to refuse this scholarship. Better not to. You don’t know when you’re gonna get another offer.”
She smiled faintly. “Thanks. I really need your full support on this. I’m glad that you agreed with my decision.”
It has almost been a year now, she promised to return on this year’s Christmas holiday.

I was sipping my caramel frappuccino when Nino and Adrian, sitting side-by-side in front of me, their ice-blended coffees haven’t been touched, broke the surprising news, “We’re engaged now. You’re the first to know this.”
Surprised, I almost spilled out everything from inside my mouth as if I was swallowing some very hot beverage. Looking around us inside this Starbucks CiToS, somehow I found it as quite a relief that nobody seemed to listen to us.
“But …, how come? I mean, when? Would you tell your parents about this? Have you taken this into fully consideration? And would you guys get married? Where? In Finland? Norway? Or the Netherlands? I don’t think you guys ever will. I mean, geez …, that’s such a very big step!”
I have to pause a moment to take a deep breath. Somehow I just couldn’t refrained myself from asking and commenting on that surprising news.
Adrian gave a hearty laugh, “Relax, dude! It’s not that easy to get married with my boyfriend here, not even in those more liberal Europe countries. Beside, this is some kind of our act of passion. I love this amazing guy so much I don’t think I could live without him.”
I didn’t know what to say to them back then, so I just smiled. This happened last August, and it seemed that Nino and Adrian are the happiest dating couple I’ve known today.

I lost my Paris Hilton’s cellular-phone – the type she used in her debut feature film, House of Wax – on my way to meet William at Starbucks Taman Anggrek a week before last year’s Idul Fitri. It was my first experience on being a victim of J-town infamous criminal acts while traveling in a mean of mass-transportation, namely ‘Bis Patas AC’, and I still remember the anger I felt that day my hand shook while griping my iced cappuccino.

It was on Starbucks Trans TV when I first met Happy Salma in person and chatted a bit with her, an actress I respected for her admiration for Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s great works of writing. Most guys consider her sexiness as her most valuable quality, averting their mind from the fact that she actually has a smart brain to accompany her radiant sex appeal.

Starbucks Skyline Building is my top-priority choice for a meeting point when having late-night appointments. It was also the place where I accidentally dropped my tall-sized latte on my new chinos, and where my good friend Barry introduced me to his new girlfriend whom happened to be my first cousin’s ex-fiancé. Two such awkward moments I would really like to forget.

But my most favorite Starbucks store is the one at Sogo Plaza Senayan. It was where I spent hours chit-chatting with my best girl-friend Cindy, in our monthly ritual since the last quarter of 2004. We talked and laughed a lot, shared our moments of ups-and-downs (where she shown me her custom-made engagement ring by Tiffany, w-o-w!!), and promised to keep contact and still be good friends, like forever, even and especially after she left Indonesia for good.
By the time you read this, she’ll probably studying inside her classroom in campus, working her way for an MBA degree, or taking a good walk around her neighborhood, or entertaining some guests over dinner with her husband in their apartment in Gröningen.
I certainly missed spending times with Cindy and hoping that I will find someone new and as merry and enjoyable as her to accompany me in occupying the big bulky couch on the far side corner of that Starbucks store.

I don’t really care whether this story will win me any prize, since I just want to share what does Starbucks means to me, to the people who brought Starbucks into Indonesia, and into my life. And now that you’ve done reading, you know how I will cherish my bittersweet private memories with Starbucks, ... like, forever in my mind.

Not a Starbucks Addict

Being a self-acclaimed Starbucks addict, which many of my close friends would no doubt agree, I never thought I would find - well, online - these two guys : Mark Malkoff who visited all 171 Starbucks stores in Manhattan in one day, and Winter who has been on a personal mission to visit EVERY Starbucks stores in the world, who were by far outweighed my so-called Starbucks addict.

I guess, comparing to those two, using picture of me holding up a grande-size cup exposing Starbucks logo in full view as my Friendster's primary photo, or collecting 20 stamps in order to get Starbucks' limited 2007 time-planner (and by doing so spending US $ 65 for lattes in a single month), or setting up various appointments for casual meetings with friends at any closest Starbucks stores, or submitting a 3000 words essay on Starbucks Summer Writing Contest 2006, does not count as being a Starbucks-addict, does it ?