Eventually Everything Connects

Thanks to this durian lady. Without her, I may not remember I had a blog to continue.

"Sis!"

Sounds like I'm going to shop on an online shop, right? But that's how we call her, Fransisca Callista, that is her name, at least that is what I read on her Facebook. 

2014

By that time, I still had no idea why I joined this ICVR (International Conference of Village Revitalization) and ICDS (International Conference of Design for Sustainability) in Temanggung, Central Java, a place I even never know existed on this island. All I can remember was that I had a huge curiosity on sustainability, and I still had no idea why this urge had never left me since I entered my university life. This was the reason I took Sustainable Design class in my interior design majoir, and this was the main point that brought to ICVR & ICDS. It never crossed my mind that a simple conference registration form had successfully brought my memory back to 2011, a year of crazy decisions.

2011

As I write this down, I recall that interior design was never truly my calling, but sustainability always had, since 2011. People said that finishing high school is nice, because afterward you can just choose to learn only what you love, in a simpler classes, in your own major of passion, which worldly known a university life. I remember applying a sustainability-related majors in some public university in Indonesia, I also remember granted a full-scholarship abroad for an environmental design major, the only thing I loved back then. But since I never granted the permission to leave home too far, so I browsed for a closer one, and I found one here in Surabaya, a city up north just two hours away from my home at Malang. Why interior design? Trust me, simply because it was the only major under The Art and Design Faculty which did not sound so hard, and I need only to pass a surprise drawing test (which I had no idea it was exactly the test day when I submitted my form). If I pass the test, my parents are going to pay for me, to draw people's houses all day long, for four years, and I will get a degree for that. Seriously, why the hell not?

2016

This year I met this Sis once again. Unexpectedly, exactly in the same place where we first met last two years ago. I guess the love of sustainability has brought us back again. We had helped Spedagi built up this Pasar Papringan with other volunteers, a market as a village responsibility and as a bamboo forest revitalization. We had shared many things during the event and Sis told me one day, "Promise me one thing before you go home. Follow your passion, keep sketching, explore sketchbooks, share what you have, make a blog, whatever! Try everything you love. And if you have your blog published, make sure I have the link". Now everything is starting to make sense, the puzzle is completed. Joining that conference was the best thing ever. Because it led me to this Sis. Because it led me to realize that eventually everything connects. Guess what, it led me to this old blog I had since 2007. 

That day I wrote as an escape from my crazy life. 
Today I am writing this down, not to escape it again. 
As life is crazy anyway, so I will write anyway.

SBY.07.03.2016

#laviniaelysia

Nobody's Child

Your children are not your children.

They are the children of Love, as you are to you parents'.

Your children are not your children.

They might come through you, but they are not from you.

Your children are not your children.

They might be with you now, but they might not be tomorrow.
Your children are not your children
They might be around you physically, but their souls are not yours to keep.
Your children are not your children.
They are souls of the upcoming, where you can never visit or dream of.
Your children are not your children.
They will learn from you, but force not them to be like you.
Your children are not your children
They will need your love, so they can learn to love others.

Your parents might no longer living together.
That is not your fault as a child, nor theirs as partners.
Your parents might no longer living together.
That does not mean they do not love you as fully.
Your parents might no longer living together.
That might make you choose whom to live with, but not whom to love differently.
Your parents might no longer living together.
That might make you think and feel, or learn and grow.
Your parents might no longer living together.
That does not mean you cannot see each other, separated does not mean forgotten.
Your parents might no longer living together.
That does not mean they hate you, nor they hate each other.
Your parents might no longer living together.
That means they need sometime alone, like you need sometime together.

You are you parents' legacy.
No matter what they do in the past, their future is you.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter who you are today for them, you are also their history.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter whom you look alike more, you are half of each of them.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter if they hate you, maybe you must have reminded them of someone they loved.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter if they love you in different ways, focus on the love, that what matters.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter if you must go far away, that way they learn the value of family.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter if they have far gone, their souls live in you forever.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter how you hate them, you must love them unconditionally.
You are you parents' legacy.
No matter how they hate you, remember that you were their proof of love.

SBY.24.02.16
#laviniaelysia

Nobody's Child (Photo by Lavinia Elysia)

A Trip to Temanggung

Mumpung baterai handphone masih ada, ingatan masih fresh, dan cerita terlalu unyu untuk disimpan sendiri.

Di stasiun,
waktu mau masuk pemeriksaan tiket ditanyain petugas.
"Tiket dan KTP-nya dek, eh udah punya KTP belum dek?"
Di kereta,
duduk seberangan sama 2 bule yang membaca novel dan foto-foto sawah sepanjang jalan. Sampai suatu waktu, mereka nggosipin saya pakai bahasa Belanda.
Bule A: "Itu anak di sebelah Japanese atau Inlander ya?"

Bule B: "Japanese, masa Inlander masih kecil berani naik kereta sendirian dan membaca buku Inggris?"

Saya: "Excuse me. I am Indonesian, and sorry, I understand Netherland"

Setelah itu kami jadi teman ngobrol sampai Jogja.

Di taxi,

ngobrol sama si supir.
"Eman sekarang ke Temanggung harus travel. Semoga ini Stasiun Temanggung dan stasiun kecil-kecil dihidupkan lagi, ada kok dek dulu, deket alun-alun situ. Sekarang banyak stasiun ditutup dek, lahan rel digantikan dengan lahan perumahan"

Di agen travel,
nunggu bareng tante-tante yang selalu akhirnya suka kepo dan ngobrol.
Tante A: "Saya mau pulang Salatiga, habis berlibur di Jogja"
Tante B: "Saya asli Jakarta, tapi lagi nganterin anak saya nih balik kuliah ke Salatiga"
Tante C: "Bukannya di Jakarta kampus lebih banyak dan lebih keren dan lebih menjanjikan?"
Tante B: "Anak-anak pada ngga betah tinggal di Jakarta, panas, mahal, sesak, ngga manusiawi, 1x naik tol sama dengan 1x makan

di Salatiga"

Saya diam dan mendengarkan saja.

Tante B: "Kamu nik, kenapa juga nggak nge-design di Jakarta? Daripada cuma ngajar di Surabaya dan nge-design pasar di

Temanggung?"
Saya: "Jawaban saya kurang lebih sama tante kok. Selain karena saya lebih suka main bambu daripada multipleks, saya juga lebih rela buang uang untuk makan daripada untuk tol"

#laviniaelysia #spedagi #temanggung
TMG.10.01.2016

What a Day

Graduation.

People said it is the end of a learning process. But remember, no it is not, it is just the beginning of another never ending learning process.

People said in class, you get taught the lesson first. Then you can practice next. But remember, from now on, you will walk, run, fly and fall first. Then you learn the lesson afterwards.

When I first finished high school,

I got accepted in one of the best university abroad under a full scholarship, for an environmental design course. I even booked a boarding house already.

But at the end, fate did not bring me there, but it brought me here, to Petra Christian University.

Being in a rush to choose a major on its last day of registration, I just chose Interior Design course simply because it was under the Art and Design Faculty, the only faculty that sounds fun and brings less headache.

The bonus was, I had no idea that the last registration day was also the day for an entrance drawing test, where others are so well-prepared with their drawing kits, while all I got was my one black pen from my registration form needs.

Luckily, that black-pen had successfully brought me here.

These four years has taught me about passion, integrity, honesty, trust, patience, perseverance and brotherhood. Here I learn that life is a journey, it has the ups and downs, it has the hills and the mountains, sometimes you have to go with the flow, but there are times when you have to stand for what you believe in, there are rainy days and also sunny days, and you have to get ready for any weather.

Thanks to Petra for giving me the opportunities to know various people from various background, nationality, and natures. Each of them has truly helped me on developing my personality and knowledge of life. Thank you too for each committee, each program, each class that I have been in.

After these four years, I finally understand why fate did not bring me abroad back then. Now I know why I should be here, now I can see that God works in ways we cannot understand directly, but slowly. Here I am today, I finished what I had started, thankfully in a good way.

Mak, so sorry I did not get the chance to see you today, but I believe you can see me, please know that I dedicate this day for you. Special thanks to Mama, Papa and Frans my bro, you three are my everything, I love you all no matter what. Also all family that came and help today, I love you all.

Thanks also to Maria Dwi Winarni who had always been around for whatever I choose, I could not be happier to know you are invited as my high school cumlaude-delegate today. To Reggy Hasibuan and Selviana Wijaya thanks for the guidance and trust so that UKM Debat can be developed and continued well now in Petra, and I hope will be so even though I am no longer around, since we all belive that debate is one good thing that will only continue as a positive catalyst.

Matur nuwun to all my beloved lecturers that I can never mention you one by one, I love you all also, thank you for these four awesome years. Yusita Kusumarini thank you really bu ya for all your lessons, both the classroom lesson and the life lesson, without you I will not be here as I am today.

And to whoever coming to congratulate me on the spot (esp. adek-adek, my students, HIMINTRA, INDEX, BEM, and Pubdekdok P3KMABA, Dempoers), or by prayers or by any kind of wishes all around this internet, I am hereby sending each of you my virtual-hugs, the tightest one!

P.S.

For #intra11

Congratulations ya rek! Now go to the world and do well, but more importantly, go to the world and do good.

See you all when we take our certification, or when someone gets married :D

Farewell, fare thee well, I wish you all well!

SBY.28.08.15

#laviniaelysia

Becak

Photo by Lavinia Elysia

Ceritanya lagi gerimis di Frontage, galau mau pulang:

"Pak, becak pak"
"Tindak pundi mbak?"
"Ten Petra pak, kos-kos'an"
"Nggih, monggo mbak"

Habis duduk, mencoba ngobrol:
"Pinten pak ning Petra?"
"Sedasa mbak, kayata biasa"
"Nggih pak"

Jalanan macet, mahasiswa pulang kuliah:
"Ben dinten macet nggih pak ten mriki"
"Nggih mbak, 6 taun biyen mboten koyo ngeten mbak, saiki akeh mahasiswa gadhah motor mobil apik-apik, becak'e sepi, embong'e rame"
"Nggih pak, wis jaman modern pak, ya ngeten niki pak"
"Nggih mbak, kula nggih bingung, lha kula kudu nyambut damel mbak"

"Nggih pak, kudu tetep semangat pak"

Sampai di kos, bayar:
"Niki pak, matur nuwun nggih pak"
"Cah Petra to mbak? Kok saged boso mbak? Asli pundi mbak?"
"Ya kudu saged pak, asli Malang mriki pak"
"Oalah mbak, podo mbak. Mboten gadhah motor mobil to mbak?"
"Mboten pak, mlaku mawon ben sehat pak"
"Oh nggih mbak, matur nuwun mbak, sukses mbak kuliahnipun"
"Amin pak, ben ndang lulus nggih"
"Amin, mugi sasampunipun mbak e lulus becak-becak dereng kukut nggih mbak"

Kesimpulan:
Mungkin saya emang nggak ingat kapan terakhir naik becak, tapi yang kali ini jelas tak akan terlupa.

SBY.20.02.15

#laviniaelysia

Dari Desa Untuk Dunia (From a Village, for a World)

Semua hal besar berawal dari hal kecil, seperti kota besaryang juga berasal dari desa kecil. Hiruk pikuknya kehidupan kota menimbulkan kerinduan akan tenangnya pedesaan dan menjadi inspirasi untuk menyatukan dua konferensi internasional; it's timeback to the village.

Di sisi lain, para narasumber dari luar negeri juga menyampaikan pendapat yang beragam sesuai dengan situasi dan kondisi lingkungan observasinya. Menurut Pitt Berkemeyer dari Jerman, "When it comes to the modern life, people in the city will try hard to come back to the village to get happiness, while people in the village will try hard to go to the city to earn money". Di sisi lain, Praveen Nahar dari National Institute of Design, India menyorot tentang nilai-nilai dasar sebuah desa, "Value base in village revitalization consists of knowledge base, skill base, and cognitive base", jelasnya.
Kyoko Okutani dari WWB Japan lebih melihat dari sudut pandang enterpreneurship dan kultur. "Entrepreneurship may make new things, but should not destroy the culture”. Sudut pandang dari social innovation disampaikan oleh Fumikazu Masuda, “Destination” host, Open House Japan, dan Professor of Tokyo Zokei, University Japan. Menurutnya, “Key concept for social innovation is based on 4 aspects called SLOC: Small (in scale), Local (not centralized), Open (to the people and society), Connected (with the rest of the world)". Tidak tertinggal isu turisme yang juga sedikit banyak berpengaruh dan mempengaruhi upaya revitalisasi desa. "There are 5 capitals relating to the tourism development: physical capital, human capital, social capital, natural capital, and financial capital," Daichi Iwase, Thailand.

Semua hal besar berawal dari hal kecil, seperti kota besaryang juga berasal dari desa kecil. Hiruk pikuknya kehidupan kota menimbulkankerinduan akantenangnya pedesaan dan menjadi inspirasi untuk menyatukan dua konferensi internasional;it's timeback to the village.

Semangat kelestarian dunia menjadi dasar dari pelaksanaanThe 1st International Conference of Village Revitalization (ICVR)dan The 9th International Conference of Design for Sustainability (ICDS). Dua konferensi yang berawal dari lingkup yang berbeda. Village revitalization berangkat dari kondisi keharmonisan alam pedesaan, sementara design for sustainability berawal dari metropolitan (Tokyo) dengan membawa beragam kompleksitas perkembangan desainnya.

Pelaksanaan dua konferensi tersebut berpusat di Desa Kandangan, Temanggung, Jawa Tengahsebagaidesa pertama di dunia yang menjadi tuan rumah konferensi internasional yang terlaksana pada tanggal 16-21 Maret 2014. Lokasi desa memang sengaja dipilih agar peserta dapat memperkaya rasa dan bersentuhan langsung dengan alam pedesaan.Program enam hari iniberhasil menarik perhatian peserta dari berbagai negara dengan variasi latar belakang usia dan pendidikan seperti mahasiswa, profesor, dosen, konsultan, desainer interior, desainer produk, arsitek, teknisi mesin, teknisi sipil, penulis, bahkan pembuat film.

Pembukaan dua perhelatan internasional ini memanfaatkan latar komposisi tempeh berlogo para pendukung acara di Tembi Rumah Budaya, Yogyakarta.Kegiatan esoknya berpusat di Bumi Langit Institute, Desa Mangunan, Imogiri, Bantul dipimpin oleh Iskandar Waworuntu.Agenda tersebut terlaksana dengan kesadaran bahwa permakultur merupakanesensisebuah desa, dimana petani memanfaatkan hamparan tanah untuk bercocok tanam, beternak, dan pemanfaatan produktif lainnya. Di sini peserta belajar bahwa dunia tercipta untuksaling menghormati dan melengkapi. Kegiatan hari pertama ini kemudian ditutup dengan makan siang hasil olahan permakultur dan diskusi tentang adab makan. Peserta mendapatkan pencerahan bahwa kesehatan makanantidak hanya dinilai secara fisik saat dikonsumsi tetapi juga secara spiritualdalamprosespembuatannya.

Seiring terbenamnya matahari, peserta tiba di Desa Kandangan, Temanggung lalu dibagi menjadi 3 kelompok untuk pertukaran 3 home stays setiap malamnya. Setiap malamnya para peserta akan menikmati suasana dan lingkungan sekitar bangunan Home stays berbeda-beda. Suasana di tepi pemukiman, di sebelah kolam dengan pemandangan Gunung Sumbing, serta di tengah kebun kopi yang akan memberikan sensasi berbeda dan juga memperkaya rasa serta keterikatan peserta pada suasana yang hanya bisa ditemui di pedesaan.

Harapan bahwa kegiatan selama konferensi akan terus diingat dan memberikan pencerahan dan inspirasi untuk masa mendatang. Desa juga kemudian menjadi lebih semangat, sehingga upaya merevitalisasi dan mengoptimalkan potensi desa akan terus meningkat.Konferensi ini merupakan langkah awal yang membuka mata dan meningkatkan apresiasi. Sudut pandang apriori terhadap desa harus dihilangkan untuk kemajuan-kemajuan bersama yang mengagumkan di masa mendatang. Salah satunya adalah pemanfaatan bangunan yang digunakan sebagai home stay selama konferensi ini sebagai fasilitas revitalisasi desa di kemudian hari.

Setiap hari peserta menikmatimakanan dan minuman olahan lokal yang disajikan dalam anyaman kotak bambu tradisional (besek) yang bisa digunakan kembali.Keakraban peserta dengan alam dan warga diperkuat melaluitur sepeda bambu pagi hari (Spedagi) mengelilingi Dusun Kelingan dan dilanjutkan dengan konferensi di dalam tenda di bawah rumpunbambu, duduklesehan. Satu hal yang tidak ditemukan di konferensi lainnya adalah para warga yang baru pulang merumput atau bekerja juga turut bergabung mendengarkan presentasi di tenda konferensi.

Konferensi ini juga menarik perhatian Mari Elka Pangestu, Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Indonesia yangdatang pada hari konferensi, mengikuti tur sepeda bambu, menghadiri pertunjukan kuda lumping dan mengunjungi semua home stays. "Village's problem upon the modernity is on fund raising, marketing, and training", ungkap Mari Elka Pangestu, Menteri Pariwisata dan Ekonomi Kreatif Indonesia dalam sambutannya. Beliaumendukung ICVR-ICDS dan berharap acara ini membantu Indonesia meningkatkan hubungan internasional dan pembangunan desa berkelanjutan. Konferensi internasional ini diakuinyapaling berkesan baginya karena diselenggarakan dalam kesederhanaan desa serta melibatkan masyarakat dalam proses persiapannya dan selama penyelenggaraannya.

Bahasan mengenai revitalisasi desa dipaparkan dalam berbagai sudut pandang dari empat pembicara lokal dan lima pembicara internasional.Singgih Susilo Kartono, Magno Design Studio, Indonesia, merupakan salah satu pembicara yang juga menjadi penggagas terselenggaranya konferensi ini. Dalam presentasinya dia menyampaikan

"Now is the right time to think about how village can be a place for future living. Village has a lot of potentials to be a comfortable living place, and also a sustainable community, independent and good social structure. This momentum comes when development in information and communication technology opens the isolation in the remote areas. Village promises a better living quality for human and nature".Sementara itu, Gede Kresna dari Bali berpendapat, "Local products can have global quality". 

Eko Prawoto, arsitek, melihat desa sebagai kebahagiaan dan keluarga. "Village life is a happy life, a village means a family".Iskandar Waroruntu, founderdari Bumi Langit Institute, melengkapi pendapat tersebut dengan menyampaikan, “Everything in this world meant to complete each other, everything is created for a purpose”.

Closing ceremony di bawah rumpun bambu diramaikannyanyian dalam berbagai bahasa, baca puisi oleh anak-anak desa setempat, serta pertunjukan wayang godhong (wayang daun) yangdihadiri peserta dan dalam suasana yang hangat. Sama seperti "kelingan" dalam Bahasa Jawa yang berarti "teringat", ICVR-ICDS 2014 telah membekas dihati peserta, panitia,dan warga. Konferensi ini juga sukses membuktikan bahwa dunia dengan kompleksitas masalahnya membutuhkanpembelajaran dari hal kecil; pedesaan. Dari desa, inspirasi untuk menghargai keharmonisan hidup dengan alam diharapkan semakin berkembang dan bisa mewarnai kebijakan pembangunan desa di masa depan.

*Lavinia Elysia adalah mahasiswa desain interior Universitas Kristen Petra Surabaya

Resource: INDESIGN Indonesia/Issue 09.2014

Also published on: Spedagi Website




English summary:

1st ICVR & 9th ICDS

"Sustainability needs balance, between the social aspect, ecology aspect, and economy aspect".

1st International Conference of Village Revitalization & 9th International Conference of Design for Sustainability 2014, with the theme of "It's time back to village".
Being the youngest on the conference gave me so much to learn. Mastering local language and international language can actually bring you into a good friendship both with the local villagers and also the international people.

If I may give a simple conclusion for this event, it will be that design coexists with this world, from the beginning of the making of the world, today where we live, also until forever. This conclusion was taken under my personal understanding of these simple words I conclude myself from the conference:

"Everything in this world is meant to complete each other, everything was created for a purpose,"
Mr. Iskandar W. (Bumi Langit Institute)

"Value base in village revitalization consists of knowledge base, skill base, and cognitive base,"
Praveen Nahar , National Institute of Design, India.

"Local products can actually have global quality,"
Gede Kresna , Bali, Indonesia.

"Village life is a happy life, a village means a family,"
Eko Prawoto, Indonesia.

"Entrepreneurship may make new things, but should not destroy the culture,"
Kyoko Okutani, Representative of WWB Japan in Flores.

"Village's problem upon the modernity is on fund raising, marketing, and training,"
Mari Elka Pangestu , Indonesia's Minister of Tourism & Creative Economy.

"There are 5 capitals relating to the tourism development: physical capital, human capital, social capital, natural capital, and financial capital,"
Daichi Iwase , Bangkok, Thailand.

"When it comes to the modern life, people in the city will try hard to come back to the village to get the happiness, while people in the village will try hard to go to the city to earn money,"
Pitt Berkemeyer, Germany, on "If Generations Change.."
"Key concept for social innovation is based on 4 aspects called SLOC: Small (in scale), Local (not centralized), Open (to the people and society), Connected (with the rest of the world),"
Fumikazu Masuda, Japan.
Thank you all for the lesson learned and brotherhood bond. See you all again soon!
Day 1 location: Tembi Rumah Budaya
Day 2 location: Bumi Langit Permaculture
Day 3-6 location: Magno, Omah Yudhi, Omah Tani, & Bamboo Forest

A Street and a Sketch

Photo by Maya Winata Lim

 Urban Sketching. What on earth are you?

You know that urge in your blood when you see something awesome, and all you can think about is to draw it down on whatever you have. That is called urban sketching.
I first know about this cool thing from a street, when I see someone sitting alone on the pedestrian, bringing his paper and pen. Wondering what he did, I tried to look more closely. He drew! Unbelievably quick and wonderful.

One morning,
one of my a lecturer, who somehow also know that I am in love with this thing called drawing, told me to join a community to do urban sketch in an old town area of Surabaya City. She even said, do not worry about transport, I will drive you there if you really want to.

Once upon a street,
we walked down the corner of morning dues along the pedestrian of De Javanesche Bank, Surabaya. People were getting busy choosing their best spots to open up the cases of surprises. Each sketcher with their own unique tools. All I had that day was my pen and one sketchbook of mine.

One upon a spot,
I had a little talk with some becak driver there (becak is a term for Indonesian traditional three-wheeled transportation, drove by one driver on the back).

"Podo nopo to kuwi mbak?" ("What are those people doing ma'am?").

"Nggambar pak" ("Drawing sir").

"Panjenengan mboten nggambar sisan?" ("Why do you not draw also?").

"Pertama kali ini pak, masih grogi" ("This is my first time sir, I am still lack of confidence").

"Wes rapopo mbak, dicoba wae, badhe ningali kula" ("It's ok ma'am, just give it a try, I really want to see it").

Once upon a second,
somehow that man has successfully brought up my spirit to try.
I took out that ordinary pen and blank paper of mine. I never thought that I would have to better than anyone else's drawing, but I just want to draw. I took a look around the street, drew stuffs that I saw, the moving vehicles, the laughing children, even some small water spots after the rain.

Once upon an hour or so,
a photographer came around and show me her picture of me surrounded by people. I remember teaching some of them about how to draw and why I draw. But I never expected that it would be this nice to share.

Once upon a lunch time,
we gathered up in a museum and had a little discussion on our sketches. I met new friends with same old reasons, sketching. We promised to keep in touch and keep sketching ahead. We called ourselves: Urban Sketchers Surabaya (USS).

SBY.15.05.14
#laviniaelysia

JMP Morning Street by Lavinia Elysia