The Indonesian Dream

 

The Indonesian Dream

            I wake up at 5 a.m. like usually. Shortly after that I go to the bathroom then  my family and I do the daily prayers in the morning that is called “salat subuh”. While my mom is preparing our breakfast, I am getting ready and get dressed with my “green and white” uniform. I want to comb my messy hair but unfortunately I can’t see my face in the mirror because I am too short. Then I move to my little brother’s room to comb my hair and get my self ready and tidy. I kind of look nice too!

            Today I am getting ready with my uniform not to go to school, meet teachers and friends and also meet math, science, and friends, but today I go to school with parents to attend the graduation and parents meeting. Finally I will graduate from elementary school. Seems like I am happy to get rid of this “green and white” uniform and be ready to turn it as “dark blue and white” uniform. In Indonesia, the elementary school’s uniform is usually “red and white” but my elementary school is a private-Islamic elementary school which has different uniform but actually we’re all the same elementary school’s kids. We have the same academic potential like others in the public elementary school with their “red and white” uniform. And after all we have the same dreams as our parents and teachers have taught us since when we were in kindergarten.

So anyways, I was 12 years old that time in the 6^th grade. The elementary school in Indonesia is 6 years long. During those 6 years, I can tell I am such a bright student. You know what, from the 1^st grade through the 6^th grade I’ve never been below the top three of the class ranks. I am always in the top three. Yes I am a top three kid even one of the best in the entire school. I have never got beaten with my other classmates in the top three. Once I had never beaten from the 1^st rank in the class from the 3^rd grade through the first semester of the 6^th grade. It is enough to show how bright I was.

In this graduation day, which is also the last semester and the last school report card. I finally got beaten by my friend from the first rank in the class and I went down to the 2^nd rank. The ‘competition’ is finally over between me and my friends who want the 1^st rank position.

Two months later I finally get accepted in the best public middle school in my city. I have passed through the selections to enroll that school. The school needs 200 new students and I am the 125^th rank in the selection. This time I finally realize that many others that have smart brain like I think I was. Then it turns to a different story. Yes I am not an elementary school kid anymore. Now I attend to the best middle school in the entire city. However, I am not anymore a top three ranked kid like I used to be. Here I meet a lot of others that are smart and I can’t compete them. Everything has changed and I feel like I am the dumbest kid in this school. I feel underestimated all the time and I feel unconfident all the time watching other smart brained kids. I never constantly get good grades like I used to, now it is lots up and down. My parents have no idea about what is wrong with me and neither do i.

            I can tell that is the darkness during 3 years of middle school. Regardless, I have made friends and at least I already know a little about what is it supposed to be done in school besides grades.it is also all about friendship and the knowledge about life. I grow up mentally sometimes and still like I am the smallest kid in my ages. I eventually learn and realize that I don’t need to worry about grades, but worry about the process I get the good grades at school. And I realize I don’t need to be neither the smartest kid in the class nor a basket ball player who is always famous and girls like it. I believe I can do something else but what?

            The three years of middle school from the 7^th grade through the 9^th grade finally come to the end with the epic national examination. We are tested with final examination in the 9^th grade with the following subjects : Science, Social Studies, Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian Language), math and English. I just want to tell you that I am so good at English since I was in the 6^th grade. Then I get good grades in the national examination although my grades are not included the best in the school but I am happy for it.
            I decide to go to the high school out of town. I finally decide to go to an Islamic private boarding school. Deep in my little heart I want to make my parents feel proud of me and not disappointed anymore because of those dark 3 years in middle school. Study out of town and far with family makes me become stronger and more mature. I start to dream and not a common dream. I have big dreams like I want to come back as a top three ranked student in the class like I was 4 years ago. I want to join some competition and win some competition. The biggest dream I have is going abroad to study. Soon in the first year of high school I still have much difficulties to be the top three ranked student in the class but I feel I get better in something else. I start join competition like English debate and I have won 2 English debate competitions which is good for me. Now I know what is potential in my self. Then I am chosen as the vice leader of the student body in my school. Now I know my another potential thing is. I finally get my self back on track. I have helped my school to get prestige by joining and winning many competitions in city, and province level. I finally can give something for this school that helps me to come back and inspires me to dream big. I am not yet finished with that. In the second semester of the second year of high school, I join exchange student selection. And I really wish I can pass the selection and then my dream will come true to study abroad and make my parents really proud of me.  The selection takes almost 1 year an a half. And thanks God I finally did it. I have passed the regional level selection then I deserve to go to Jakarta to attend the final national selection to get the scholarship as an exchange student in the U.S.A.. I always tell my self “Don’t give up, dream big, do something big, you can do it, Radiv!”. I’ve got many support and I’ve been preparing and studying for this exchange student selection. In January 2010 I am officially selected as the national candidate of the exchange students and will represent Indonesia in the United States. I feel honor because there are 8,000 contestant and the only choose 125 students to finally can go abroad. I feel what I’ve done these 2 years to come back is worth it. I can finally make my parents proud of me again. One more time I did it! But its not the end of everything. I still eagerly want to do more to reach my dreams. The Indonesian dream. Now I am in the United States as the Indonesian exchange student. I am the young ambassador of my country. I will have 11 months of study in the United States. Adjusting, learning different culture, language, different kind of people, and food. I have done a lot of things in the United States even it makes me feel so “American” sometimes. I can see the world wider and realize that people in the world have many differences but still have many similarities as well. I still have big dreams and I will make them true like I have done. I hope I can inspire others especially youth to not give up. I wish I can inspire others to dream big and do something big because you will regret if you do nothing while you are young. I hope after reading this story you learn something and finally start to dream and believe that what you’re dreaming of will come true if you really do something and never give up.