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Lain padang lain belalang

Tadi siang advisor saya mengeluhkan salah satu bimbingannya, seorang mahasiswa dari negara kaya minyak, yang menurutnya lebih memprioritaskan pulang kampung daripada mengerjakan research PhDnya. Well, if you already have everything, can you still expect the spirit to fight :) ? In some cases yes, but mostly no ... Selain demi prestise, ngapain juga dia susah-susah mengerjakan research :D? Tidak seperti saya dan beberapa mahasiswa lain dari negeri 'susah' yang memang harus berjuang buat kehidupan yang lebih baik :p *cieeee ...*

Lain ladang memang lain belalang. Beda negara, beda pula karakter orang-orangnya. Well, mungkin itu salah satu keuntungan belajar di US, kita bertemu orang-orang dari berbagai belahan dunia. Selama bekerja di Jakarta, saya hanya memiliki sedikit kesempatan untuk berinteraksi dengan orang dari negara lain, itu pun mostly Asia - Singapore, Hongkong, dan Malaysia. Baru ketika di Pittsburgh, saya benar-benar bertemu dengan berbagai bangsa. Asik juga mendengarkan cerita2 dari mereka atau melihat kebiasaan mereka yang berbeda dari kita.

Kebiasaan orang-orang hitam contohnya. Kalau naik mobil, mereka selalu menyetel musik hip hop keras-keras (istilah saya sampai 'jedag-jedug'), kaca diturunkan, dan teman saya menambahkan, kursi mobil selalu ditarik sampai jauh kebelakang (menurut saya sih ini karena mereka rata2 tinggi2) dan nyetir dengan satu tangan. Kadang-kadang saya geli sendiri kalau teman saya (sesama orang Indonesia) menjemput saya dengan musik yang disetel keras-keras, serasa dijemput oleh seorang rapper atau penyanyi hip hop kulit hitam, hahaha.

Lain lagi dengan kultur orang Thai yang cinta banget ma rajanya. Sampai-sampai, waktu hari ultah rajanya, (lagi2 menurut temenku), status semua anak Thai di MSN adalah i love my king atau sebangsa itu lah :). Menurut temenku, saking sayangnya mereka sama rajanya, mereka akan marah banget kalo kita mbecandain rajanya dengan guyonan yang sarkastik.

Huehehe, emang lucu dan unik-unik. Well, mungkin di mata mereka, orang Indonesia itu juga lucu, menggemaskan, dan sekaligus menyebalkan karena jam karet :D *walaupun saya berusaha seminimal mungkin jadi jam karet :D* ... Nah, karena ini sudah hampir jam setengah dua malam, kita sudahi dulu posting kali ini.

Happy weekend everyone!

Comments

Anonymous said…
hihihihi.. kita punya pengalaman sama soal orang2 African American. Selain doyan nyetel musik keras2 di mobil dan buka kaca jendela (kadang2 ini ganggu juga sih..), mereka juga kalo lagi ngobrol suka kayak saling teriak. weh, kalah deh suku gw! :D
Anonymous said…
Mit, kayanya tergantung orang per orang...punya temen orang kuwait, ngambil phd matematik, rajin banget dan jarang pulang ke negaranya. Tapi memang sih, rata-rata yang dari negara kaya minyak itu, seperti yang Mita ceritain :-)
redwhitebride said…
menarik memang kalo punya kesempatan berbaur dengan orang2 dari berbagai belahan dunia. satu hal yang gw sadarin: stereotype (walau ditentang abis2an) itu ternyata sering bener, in most cases...

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