Of Crossroads

Someone who shall remain nameless (pssst, unless you click on this link) tagged me the other day. The title in question is ‘What age do I wish to get back to, and why?’. Friendly word of caution, this entry will be very personal. I might bore you to death; quickly skip it while you still can.

Well, I haven’t heard anyone actually invented the time machine as of late, but if some one did, I would love it if they beam me back to 1994, when I was merely a skinny naïve 17 years old teenager.

In a classic Twilite Zone style, I’d like to correct a couple of choices I made on that particular year. 1994 was a major crossroad in my life, time of big changes and frequent soul searching. I might have wound up in a completely different place altogether in my parallel universe and here’s why.

Right after high school, frantic tests and college applications came thick and fast. I managed to complete the whole Military Academy tests and barely passed. I was already inside their camp and munching those horribly brittle rice and sandal like meat.

Two weeks have gone when I received the news that I got in STT Telkom’s list for Information Technology faculty.

Frankly, it was never my intention to become military personnel. It served plainly as an alternative just in case I didn’t get through anywhere. I was already disillusioned of living inside a dormitory for three years. Another four years would definitely drive me insane.

Therefore, I made up my mind and plead to flee out of the camp. Got me a good slap in return from a two star general no less. Darn it, I toughened my heart; even with a bruised cheek at least I got out.

Just to let you know, I was all alone during this period. My family was hundreds of miles away and communication was minimum at best due to pricey long distance call. I took a bus from Magelang to Bandung for the first time and process the administration to enter STT Telkom. There’s a horrific tale involving some transvestites when I stepped my foot in Bandung soil, but that’s another story.

I rented a room near the campus. It was so cheap I had to sleep on top of the praying mat. To take a bath one needs to sweat first, drawing bucket of water out of a well. Because the fee to STT Telkom was rather expensive, I needed to cut some cost in other places. Those were some rough days.

Several weeks later, the newspaper listed names of people who got through the UMPTN. My name was among the fortunate ones. This was very dilemmatic for me, Architecture Engineering of ITB; a government-subsidized institution was a lot cheaper than STT Telkom. It’s not too shabby either way.

I was inclined to stay at Telkom knowing IT and Communication would be a hot property in the future. However, I sincerely doubt I’d enjoy sleeping on that dingy floor and showering with some dodgy water, as the well mostly covered with mildew and some sort of fungus.

Once again, I made a decision to take my money uptown and gamble towards the elephant campus of ITB. Found me a decent enough room and immediately meeting my soon to be best friends from class of 94. There, for six long years, I was succumbed by landscape sketches, rendering, and building designs. Truth be told, I was not very good at it.

As you probably have known, currently I am not working in the Architecture field at all. During the last nine years, IT has been my bread and butter.

Now what if and this is a big if, back then, I stick to military academy, or the IT Faculty of STT Telkom, where would I end up.

With the time machine given to me by this tag, I’d be able to go back and capture a glimpse of things that may have come to pass, shall I chose the other paths, the road not taken.

Perhaps, looking back to our past might encourage us to be thankful, for our own ‘here and now’.

PS:

• Told you it’s very personal, hope I didn’t put you off and you’ll still be visiting this site next time.
• As with the custom of tagging, I’ll pass this flaming torch to five other bloggers. Their name and address shall be posted in here in coming days. First, I need to confirm that they wouldn’t mind being tagged.
• UMPTN is a test to enter state-owned universities in Indonesia. A lot of luck involved in getting pass that.
  
• Here is the link of the page where I was tagged, if time permits please read it also, good stuff.