MEMORY FOR THE FIRST TIME

                                Se[asang mata bola, Sundari Soekotjo


Everybody had a special memory – a sweet one – of the first time ever in a special occasion in a whole life. Some time come flash in our mind when lay down on bed, alone, watching Television or heard a special, old songs. It is interesting to writing it down, may entertaining you and the readers as well.

All special memories set in chronological order formed the colorful milestones as my Life Journey

I wish to share mine, make me wondered and amused too that it had been happened in my Life. Some of these experiences had been written down in my Biography book, 2008 edition or in the Blog www.jingga-senja.blogspot.com. Now I want to specify each one in one special topic.

FIRST KISS

When I was in the last year of Junior Economic high school at Sibolga town, North Sumatra, I had a close friend,  in the same school, my junior class, a black sweet girl, shorter then me. When I returned home from high school holiday outside of town in 1960, I visit her one early weekend at her home across the river of my home.

When the time to say  good bye, she saw me the way in the dark, till to the edge of the river. Suddenly, I was stunned when my lips touched by hers, just for a second. She was shorter, she had to hold me to reach my mouth. The initiative come from her, not me anyway.

I was shocked when met her again 28 years later in 1988, she was one of our guests when my family had a  big traditional banquet at my home across the river. She said :”Did you knew me?”, she said. I just smile.

It was happened in 1960 when I was 17 years of age.

AWAY from HOME

                                 Sibolga sunset

Not spoil son

I was not a spoil only son beside 5 sisters. Since childhood I try to achieved something better.When study in senior high school in 1959, the distance from my village is 110 kilometers away in Padangsidempuan town, southern part of North Sumatra province. Of course, my family longing for me, but I back home just once in a while, 3 months or more or in holidays. I start on my own, including to apply to Economic high school, my parent or sisters let me do it alone. This occurrence as a first mile stone for my life journey.

This is my first time  far away from home when I was young in 16 years old

BOARD a SHIP

Even though my Dad hold me – as only boy – not going to University far away in Java island, I insisted to go with my bosom student friend, Mr.Parlaungan Hasibuan. Ultimately my parent let me go, we say good bye to my family in 1962, drive a Bus to Medan to catch up a ship line from Belawan port.

We spend few days at Hotel in Medan and for the first time in my life stayed as a Hotel's guest before aboard the ship from Belawan to Tanjungpriok port of Jakarta. Say good bye to Sumatra island and become the 2nd mile stone in my life.
Since then, I visited home not regular yearly basis but depend on our class and the funds available as well.

This is my first time aboard a ship when I was 19 years old

THE First JOB
                                              Gajah Mada University, Yogjakarta

Writing and reading

Getting a piece of Graduate Certificate of Gajahmada Univercity was not the end, but the starting point to step in to working world. In 1968 was a transition period from Soekarno era to the new Government, Soeharto era, when Government institutions closed for a new recruitment. So I took a job in a small, family business magazine, monthly edition, named Tjakalsari, look like Readers digest – my boss, Army Colonel Komar aim to get Indonesian edition -, unfortunately failed.

This is my first entered a temporary job in magazine business when I was 25 years old

FIRST FLY

Leaving Magazine business, in the first month entered a Rubber industry in 1969, I was assigned to build a rubber factory at Jambi city, Southern part of Sumatra in the side of a wide river, Batanghari.  I fly along with my boss Mr.O.M.Simanjuntak by a small plane, Garuda airline, Indonesian flight carrier, landing at Sultan Taha airport of Jambi picked up by an old Jeep by a Notary, Mr. Napitupulu.
This is my first time aboard a plane when I was 26 years old.

ABROAD

                                                                Kuala Lumpur

When the factory building is on the process, in the beginning of 1970, I was sent abroad along with my Bos brother, Mr.Hutabarat senior and several executives from different companies in the country and one from Burma to a factory belong to Guthrie Sdn.Bhd, Port Klang, Malaysia to follow the training on the spot in a factory. I was  fly  by Garuda airline to Singapore before transferred to Malaysian airline at Changi airport.

This is my first time going abroad to Malaysia and overnight at Singapore, I was 27

MEET MY WIFE
                                                      Bandung aloon2, 1977

God had set in advance who will be our soul mate. It was fate that I knew my mother in law first then my wife. When I studied at Gajahmada University in Yogjakarta, Central Java, Rauli Pasaribu – then my wife - study at Junior high school at Yogjakarta too. Even I stayed in the same city, stayed in a dorm with her uncle, I never met her. When she moved away to Senior high school  far away in other city, Bandung, West Java, we (including her uncle) try to meet her in a Catholic dorm, unfortunately we were not allowed to enter the dormitory.

Not until 7 years later, when I was worked at Rubber factory at Jambi city, I met her mother, happened a Car workshop owner, where my company Jeep fixed regularly.

When 1970 Christmas holiday, she return home to Jambi city and stunned to saw a nice girl , the daughter of car workshop owner.

This time is the first met her and got married in 1970,  I was 27 years of age

FACTORY MANAGER

Graduated from Banking mayor then assigned as a Rubber Factory manager needed a hard works, supervised 6 senior managers who managed 6 departments (Production, Procurement, Finance, Technique, Laboratory and HRD ) while my ages quite young 28 years. I praised myself could run a modern facilities with my economic background. All products were for export with a standard quality tested in company Laboratory first before cross checked in Government Laboratory as well.

I was quite young and had blessed with 2 toddlers, then aware of my kids future, we decided to leaved the good pay check board a small ship to the capital Jakarta, unemployment for a while, just few months before entered State own Bank, Bank BRI.

I spent 2 years run this rubber Factory in Rantauparapat town, 5 hours drive from Medan city to the southern part of North Sumatra province.

In 1971 for the first time as a Rubber Factoryfactory manager in my age 28 years

MY FIRST KID
                                                            Monas garden, Jakarta,1973

I hold my wife’s shoulder walking around back and forth in a guest room of a Mrs.Sembiring, a nurse's house to faster baby deliver, expecting on April 12, 1970 late at night. We pray a lot, hopefully the time deliver sometime before midnight, before the day turn to 13th.

After spend a long time exercising walking back and forth, we had to wait sometime and back home. Then at dawn was the 13th day, I had to run fast from my house to nurse house when the liquid emerged. A dog run after me made my step run faster. Ultimately, delivery taken place at 13th not at nurse home but in General hospital at Rantauprapat town, East of North Sumatra province, when I run a Rubber factory.

My first daughter, Vera Maryati born when I was 29 years old

VICE BANK BRANCH MANAGER
                                                      Bank BRI Kupang

Spend a quite short period of time, 2 years and half in Job training period, in 1978 Bank BRI management promoted me as a Vice Bank BRI Branch manager at Kebumen town, Central Java, as  programmed to covered the shortage of many branches belong to Bank BRI all over the country.

Not only working experiences quite short, for me it was the first time as a Government officials as a Bank executive with a lots of facilities such as company car along with a driver and housing after lived in rent a small house and take the Bus to work.

This is my first job as a Bank executive, in 35 years of age

BANK BRANCH MANAGER

Never ever imagine in my life that one day will seated in a high ladder in Government office as a Bank branch manager ( in 3 Branches). Took quite a long time, 4 years as a Vice branch managers in two Branches (Kebumen, Central Java and Kupang, in Timor island) and 7 time as an acting Branch Managers.

My first branch is at Atambua branch, bordered with Timor Leste country in 1981 in my age 38 year

THE FIRST HOME
                                              Recent home, Kelapa Gading, Jakarta

Since married in 1970 with 4 children, in 1982 in 39 years old it was the right time to have our home sweet home. Still fresh in my mind when followed a training in Jakarta, had the opportunity to visit a friend’s house in Kelapa Gading real estate in North Jakarta. I had interested to indent a small house and paid for the down payment..

We signed a loan from Citibank, Jalan Sudirman, Jakarta to paid it full and pay installment monthly basis from my salary. We had to save a lot and pay the installment in the first place before buy something else.

My first home was in Kelapa Gading,in 1982 when I was 39 years 

I share above stories may encourage readers to work and achieved the dream and reach better then my experiences and share to others as well.