A Whole New of Generation

Hi! I've just finished watching Free to Play movie. It is documentary created by Valve. It is a movie that tell us about a journey of Dendi, Fear, and hyhy. They dedicate their life into DotA, a game. DotA is one of the most played team play game until now and those three tried to live their life to be the best within the world and get paid for doing it. Like every other team sport, to win the game, you need teamwork, sacrifice, and trust. Until today, gaming is not a viable career for almost any people I've ever met. They thought, game is a hindrance for their or their children to reach success. Is it what success looks like? Go to college, graduate, work at big companies, and then reach the top of the career? Gaming is only for fun? Playing games is childish? This movie answers all that questions.

Most of the communities think that game is a only a source of entertainment, but there are people believe that game is everything they ever have. They really dedicate them self to gaming even though they know it would be hard for them to make a living from it. They just following what they want really do in their life. I do really appreciate them. I know it was ridiculously hard to make a career in gaming as there are a lot of barrier like, parents, social pressure, and having no salary. Some people turned down gaming, some of them persist despite the dreadful condition. Those people, against all odds, keep struggle until they become the best of the world and proud of it. Why?

One thing I really admire from them is that they always has the courage to follow what they want to do. They have been so adamant about it until the point that they prepared to sacrifice a lot of things to make it possible. I believe that this determination is the things that makes us, humans, alive. Most people think that trying to reach their dream is impossible. They afraid that their action will hurt people they love. They afraid they will face defeat in their journey. Dendy, Fear, and hyhy comes from different backgrounds, but they face the same obstacles. Their parents forced them to stop, their families do not support them, they suffer loses more than your average gamer guy, and bleak financial future haunts them, yet they still persist. Why?

The answer is so simple yet so complex, until so many people do not follow the answer. They do it because they are happy doing it. They are happy to have a shot to be the best of the world at something. Dendi said that for him, the game is not just a game, it is everything. If I into the gaming ecosystem, I would put myself into Valve's shoes. I want to make a platform that could facilitate people on doing what they really want to do. 

From this movie, I learnt that it is not about what are you doing, but how intense is you feeling toward what are you doing. It is okay whether you are a working gamer or any kinds profession. The real question is that are you really satisfied with what you do? When you really fight for want you want, that would be the time that you will feel very lively. I hope you found what you really want to and dedicate your life for that. Thank you. :D

Intermedia is Racist

This is a story about one moment of my college life experience. This experience is about building a good culture in a team and I believe that a culture is one of the most important in every team even in business or non-formal organization. Since the fourth semester, I was elected to be one of the division leader of an organization. The division was called Intermedia. It was a division that handle every media that the organization use. e.g. Twitter, Facebook, printed newsletter, and website.

Our numbers were about 15 until we start promoted the division widely to the 2011 freshmen. The number grew until it reach 50 people as the member of the division. While Intermedia is only 15 people, we were very very close to each other. I were very close to each people at Intermedia, but it is indeed It was quite hard to maintain a good environment with 50 people. Even though the number of active member is around 30, still, it was a huge number. I'm afraid that they will make their own group. I know it was not wrong to built a group, but at least, I want all of them to be close. I want that they could could talk to each other seamlessly.

So, I start to be racist. I start to shout it to myself and senior member of the division. I called myself "cina" or "cino" and the senior members as their own race when we had our weekly meeting. It could be "batak", "toraja", or "jawa" depend on the person. :)). Since I close to the senior members, I'm pretty sure they would be okay. One thing that I afraid the most is that the freshmen will take the wrong message. Surprisingly, some of the freshmen start to laugh and tried to mock the senior members including me. Looking to the momentum, I tried to made jokes about my and their race. Suddenly, they laugh and I realized that their communication barrier is weaker.

The next day or meeting is merrier and merrier. It's not that everyone instantly close to everyone, but I can see that this division is alive. At least they could talk to each other freely. The racists thing keeps growing until every time we met, we mock each other race. :)). I frequently heard words like "SIPIT!" and "GLODOK!" towards me, but I found it very funny. :)). Until at the end of Intermedia Camp, we took photos based on our race. Here is the photo.

Jawa Race

Here's another one.

Cina Race

Here's another one.

Batak Race

This "tradition" still continue until this year Intermedia's camp. Oh, how I missed that moment. I'm very happy that I have been a part of this division. A division that made me understand that it is not about what division that made your college life meaningful, but it is how committed are you to a division. Back to the topic, so, it is very important to maintain a good culture to every team. It was fun after all. It gives me motivation for every time I want to met every one of them. It was a humbling experience to serve in this division. Thank you. :D