Over the weekend I got a text message from my sister, she told me that Mom is hospitalized again. :(
It made me super worried.
Now I tried to call her as often as possible.

Yesterday, my GF and her family visited her. I bet Mom was so happy. I hope it would help a lot in her recovery process. Amiiin.

I'm scared!

Having only about two months to stay in the US, it has been an up and down feeling. Some regrets, some excitement.

I am excited to see my family, friends, and my cats.
I am excited to find job, and live as career man.
I am excited for the opportunity to grow, without the glass ceiling of being 'an alien'.

But,
there are some regrets.

I regret that I didn't try hard enough to speak English correctly.

I remember my friend reminded me "Come on Anggit, you should try to speak English correctly. This is the best place and time to exercise your english".
More often than not, I am just an outspoken guy. I say what in my head without thinking or forming it in my head before I say it. I was affraid if I have to think/form the words before I say it, I will lose my spontaneity.
He was right. Now I regret it. I knew I could've done it better.

I regret for all the time I let down my family & friends in the US.
I regret for not spending enough quality time with my family & friends when I have the choice to do so.
I regret for not using enough resources and access to information, books, and anything that I could have done to hone my skills and knowledge.

Sometimes, I'm scared for what I am going to go through in Indonesia.
It has been six and a half years I am in the US!!
Four of them I lived with my American family!
So many US customs/things that I found it unusual when I just got here, it became part of me.
I am comfortable changing my 'modes' of jokes, conversation, and the way of thinking when I am around my American family and friends.
I love the sport (football), the food (burger, steak), the crisp air during winter time, the snow, the squirrels, the beautiful spring and fall season.

I guess I am in my 'comfort zone' now.
It's scarry. Too scarry to move on from my comfort zone.

On A Mission.

So, I have about two and a half months before I go back to Indonesia. Now I have a mission that I've started couple weeks ago: Gaining Weight!
I know you might laugh or think that it is an easy task, but actually it is not as easy as it seems.
I have been overstuffing my self, doing some weight lifting every now and then, eating lots and lots of protein rich food, eating ice cream (including right now while I am making this blog), chips, fries etc. and yet I haven't seen much of a different.
and, please don't ask about weight lifting. I hate those things, so forget about seeing me like Sylvester Stalone. hehe..

wish me luck, everyone!

PLAN B

Looking at my past, now I realize how important plan B is for me.

When I was a kid, I wanted to someday work for IPTN. Yeah, make my own Plane and become Mr.Habibie's apprentice. :)
But now, IPTN is NO MORE. So, hehe.. there is no plan to that for now. Gotta go with Plan B.
Then,
when I finished my junior high school, I planned to go for SMA Taruna. A school that would give me free everything and moreover I will get paid for going to that school.
All went well, including the tests and all the paperwork. Then it came the National Test result came up. I got all six grades almost perfect, except Math!! just slightly below the requirement.
Oarrggghh!
So there it is, Plan B, I gotta go to Probolinggo I High School. Gosh! I was so skeptical about the school when I entered it.
Now, I am soooooooooooooooo grateful that I entered that school. It helped me getting my scholarship for an exchange program to US.

moral of the story, Plan B is not necessary bad when we have to use it. I may be good in the long run. so, make a Plan B.

"Halo?"
"Halo Chris! Jadi nih pulang nih hari ini?"
"Hehe ya iya lah!"
"Yakin loe? Excited banget dong?"
"Yaa.. sedih juga sih."
"Tadi malem kemana, dicari kagak ada"
"Bersih bersih, men"
"Ya udah lah.. tar ketemuan di Indonesia aja ya!"
"Loe gak dateng?"
"Gak, Men! Musti kerja nih.. mo ninggalin kios kayaknya gak enak"
"Ya udah, jangan. gak usah"
"Tenang aja, Men, loe bakalan sedih. Tapi begitu loe di atas lautan pasifik, pasti loe bakalan excited buat ketemuan ma keluarga n temen2 loe di Indo"
"iya. Good luck ya!"
"Iya Men, Have a safe trip. Good luck juga. Tar ketemuan di Indo yah!"
"iya!"

A new hope.

I don't know why, but people who called me to offer me for a job most likely happen on Friday. Now the same thing happened last Friday.

It was a guy who work for a staffing company calling me and asking me about all the things I wrote in my resume, and telling me about an open position in the Quality Control department in Caterpillar for a recent graduate with Industrial Engineering degree.

Everything went smoothly, as if I got the job already.
He also mention at least 40k/year for a salary, and asked me if that's okay. (Dang!! Should I say "no, that's not okay?" hehe)

Then he told me that it would be a two year contract and he asked me about my status and if I would be eligible to work two years.
Here it goes again! I had to tell him that I have only a year OPT.
so.. as usual...
he said he'll see, and will call me back in a week to give me up date.

Oaaarrggggggggghh!
Why of Why???!!

Speedy New Year.

Here is my new way to celebrate New Year: Get a Speeding ticket!
Yup.
Today, I just got a speeding ticket. At 9:30 in the morning. On New Year Day. 88 miles per hour on 60 limit.
Dang!!! That's 28 above. I don't know how much it will cost me.
Well, I guess my new year resolution is very simple: No more ticket. At least not for this year.

Happy New Year, everybody. I hope yours are not as bad as mine today.