The Geek’s Chronicle part 2

The Geek’s Chronicle

Part 2: Car Driving Lessons

Six steps to learn how to drive in a geek way:

1. Dreams about it. Imagine you get in the car, feel the seat, the steering wheel, the gear, the clutch, the throttle… until you comfortable with it
2. Observe… watch the steps when you are in a car with someone… memorize the steps…
3. Get comfortable with the car… sit in the driver’s seat, feel the steering wheel, adjust the seat… do it for days until you have the feel… until you can reach, change and do anything even with you eyes close.
4. Start the engine, feel the sound, the power. Play with the throttle, the clutch and the brake…
5. Hit something… make your moves… hit a ‘rambutan’ tree until you broke the bumper, got stuck in the holes, make someone shout and honk you….
6. And just drive the car like you already have the skills… good luck.

Back there in the early 90’s, Eddy’s family is among the few which own a car. It was a 15 year old Peugeot 204. Dark red, big car, all manual and loose parts. Having the driving lesson all by himself, Eddy learn it through hard way, learning from the mistake.

First try, he scratched his father’s car. That happened when he is learning his first lesson. To move forward and backward. His father didn’t say a word about it.

Second try, he hit the ‘rambutan’ tree. That happened during the turning and reverse lesson. The rear bumper got wrecked. Still, his father didn’t say a word.

Third try, he almost hit an old man. The man shouted and curses him until he lost from his sight.

In the last try, the car ran out of gas. Eddy had to push that heavy big car on his own to the parking lot in the middle of the night. The car won’t start when his dad need to use it in the next morning. Since that, Eddy thought that he didn’t have the chemistry with the car. Every time he try to drive it, something happen. He gives enough trouble to his father. So Eddy stop the driving lesson with half skilled.

……

It took three years for Eddy to continue the driving lessons. And this time, he just drives the car like he already can drive. And this time, he did it without committing any mistake. However, Eddy became an illegal once in a while driver for about another five years before he got his driving license.

The Geek’s Chronicle part 1

The Geek’s Chronicle (Part 1)

Eddy

An ordinary guy, Eddy was born to an average family in late 70’s. Grown up in a small village located in the northern countryside, his life is surrounded by the nature. Even though he has no problem hang out with his friends, Eddy prefer to spend his free time talking to the wind, listening to the sound of nature, enjoy it like the music of his life. He can spend hours watching a big, dark green scorpion in its own habitat. He treasure the shining armor, the strong flaws and the venomous sting at the end of its tails is an amazing art. Tracking a bird going out from the nest on the coconut tree and come back later with the food for the babies are the wonders of the nature. His life is full of wonderful experience with nature. It’s like having a national park with so many amazing creatures around him in the village.

This village is located along the hill on its eastern side. The villagers have their rubber plantation on the lower side of the hill and there are green woods on the higher side of the hill until the peak. There also paddy fields all around the village. From that we know that the villager’s main economic activities are farming and rubber tapping. Back in the 70’s, 80’s, and also 90’s, the nature has so much to offer to them. With some efforts, free fish from the river and ponds, fruits from the jungle, vegetables, herbs as well as the timber for building the house and barn, all are available to them. Like every other village’s culture, the villagers live as one big family. They are together extending helping hands in every activity such as building a house, organizing wedding ceremony and etc.

Having an elder brother, an elder sister, a younger brother and a younger sister and both of his parents are still around, he considered himself as the most fortunate guy. However, like the sitcom ‘Malcom in the Middle’, being in the middle between four siblings doesn’t promise enough love and attention for Eddy. He is too young to hang out with the elder brother and his friend. And Eddy is not the type who can get along with girls activity to join his elder sister. His younger brother is still too young and close to his younger sister. The parent is too busy sweating their muscles to feed the family. Eddy love to spend his free time, being in his own world, the fantasy world and accompanied by his surrounding.

The girl next door

There is a girl live next door. She is few years younger than Eddy. There is something about this girl that Eddy really admires. She has big round eyes, small cute little nose, sweet refreshing lips and the killing smiles. Eddy doesn’t really bother about the look of this girl but his heart melt because of the beauty inside this girl that he really likes. Being inward and shy, Eddy keep this feeling for this girl to him only. He created his own version of this dream girl into his fantasy world. A girl with full of love devoted to him with no chance of being hurt, a perfect love in a fairy tale, his fantasy.

In reality, seeing her smiles can really make his day. A few words with her, his like flying, accidentally touch her is a mind blowing experience. It is the happiest phase in any love relationship where everything is perfect.

Will this dream come true? Only time can tell.

Storytelling

Last week, i attended a talk by a professional story teller 'Kiran'. Its about how storytelling have been a medium for the nations in keeping their identity, their legacy and knowledge and pass it down for generations. Storytelling is a powerful technic to inspire peoples, to built hopes, dreams as well as to show loves and cares. Storytelling also nurture creativity, kindness, building integrity and self confidence. Somehow or rather, this powerful tool which help nations survival is slowly vanish. Storytelling culture is replaced by new technology activity like audio and video entertainments, internet surfing, video gaming, and so on.
This trainer put efforts to bring this culture back into society, families and even into the corporate world. To make storytelling interesting, its must be delivered from our heart. We should speak clearly, and let the audience feel the story through our intonation, face expression as well as body language. If we keep practice and redevelop this lost culture, storytelling will become an important element in building our future generations as it used to be again. I would like to start telling stories in this blog. Anyone would like to read?


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Sent using a Sony Ericsson mobile phone