Let It Be Played Again
Muhammad Abdullah Aziz Muslim (INA YES to USA YP 16–17)
“City of stars
Are you shining just for me?
City of stars
There’s so much that I can’t see
Who knows?
I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you…”
That’s been a week after i watched a musical-typed movie called “La La Land”, but those iconic song lyrics from the movie kept playing in my head, day by day, again and again. Even when i’m writing this, i could still barely hear them somewhere in the back side of my mind. Oh i should’ve been crazy for being so this addicted to that easy listening song. I don’t remember how many times i’ve gone to movie theater and felt this typical additive effect of watching a movie that i didn’t expect that their songs would stick onto my mind that serious for certain period of time. That’s silly but still funny for me. Before La La Land, i have watched various movies such as Shining, Arrival, The Accountant, Suicide Squad and Fantastic Beasts since i’ve been living in United States for six months. Yes, six months. A half of a year and more than a half of my given time to stay in this fabulous country as an exchange student from way far away southeast Asian country called Indonesia. This makes me feel so long not to be stepping on the land where i was being raised for 16 years. As a matter of (interesting) fact, i’d tell you that my sense of being able to eat spicy -in indonesian definition that means way hotter- food, is fading away as my tongue starts getting used to less spiced, differently tasted american foods compared to what i eat back home. and by that reality, i realize that i need to start practicing myself to eat more challenging, chayenne added foods so i wouldn’t burn my tongue when i go back home cause my mom out there loves cooking really spicy foods!
Anyway, my 6 months for living in United States were (still) ‘lit af’ like most of exchange students try to describe theirs after learning american slangs from their american peers. That was simply because those 6 months were not only about immersing myself into my surroundings, but also letting the values of being a six months exchange student to immerse in my soul which was so meaningful and priceless.
Back to November, where gratitude was expressed in a special day called Thanksgiving Day, i got a chance to be a part of a family fist in my beloved host grandma’s house. That’s the first time i had a thanksgiving celebration where foods and happiness were mixed, becoming a special color of the day in my exchange year that i would never forget about. Thanksgiving Day also made me realize that there were a bunch of things i needed to be openly thankful for, such as having a chance to sit together in that warm family fist, having a supportive host mom and dad and the source of everything, which was having a great chance to be an exchange student in United States. However, those weren’t the only things i said thanks to God. When November was going to its end, when trees were completely brown and branchy with more thick coats put on and various scarfs surrounded necks, i thanked to God that sadly it’s time to say goodbye to autumn and excitedly welcome the first time, most awaited season for me all the time, which was winter!
Experiencing winter for the first time is the coolest thing i’ve ever found in nature as a tropical boy whose land is literally just about sunlights and coconut trees. But, as the time passed by, the winter perpetually brought down the temperature seriously, ‘till i realize how uncomfortable it was to just open my eyes or to breath normally in the frozen fresh air like -24°C! That’s one of the things i found really challenging in dealing with snow and all the things it brought. But no matter what, snow was somehow enjoyable, moreover i realized that i still couldn’t assure myself whether i’d have another chance to enjoy this natural (some people call it cursed, lol) gift or not in my life.
Speaking about gifts, this reminds me of a still fresh memory of participating in tolerating the Christmas celebration with my host family on December 25th, 2016. In that opportunity, i had believed that the difference of belief surely shouldn’t give the people a barrier in respecting and tolerating each other’s religion. In that celebration, i found that the beauty of tolerance and respect lied on the willingness of every person to build mutual understanding to one and another in responding to differences that exist between them. As a part of family member, i was given some gifts that i really liked! Those were a 50 set of pencil colors, one set of 12 water pencil colors, 6 artist shadowing pens and a casual art tools holding case. Oh i loved them so much, my host mom knew the best for me. That’s so sweet and made my first direct tolerating participation of Christmas celebration became more meaningful and memorable.
Finally, everything i’ve been experiencing so far were so astonishing as i discovered more and more new and interesting things here. This half of the journey of being an exchange student not simply results in the happiness of seeing the last falling leaves of the autumn, enjoying the snowflakes of the winter, eating the turkey in Thanksgiving day nor the tolerance in Christmas celebration, but personally more to how i respond, value and appreciate those things as a way of learning and improving myself. I could feel that most of parts of me are changed, evolved positively. I learn so many life principles and values through enjoying every single hour i have in this great opportunity as an exchange student. Then, I know that i just still have 4 months left, but i’ll ensure that i would make every each of them counts wonderfully! I’ll be more happy, be more open, be more wise, be more grateful. I wanna be the best i could be so then this experience would be the most influential memory that i would always keep as a priceless treasure in my soul, in my mind and in every steps i would take in my life, wherever and whenever i am. I want it to be like those movie soundtracks that keep singing in my head, reminding me of every scenes and moments i’ve been falling in love with in every seconds i spend in it. Oh God, i pray to you to let it be played again, again, and again. Let it be my life song that would always make me strong and believe in myself in the rest of my life. Let it be echoing in my head, rhyming in mind, singing in all the days i have in this moment of living
I pray to you to let it be played again, again, and again.
“City of stars
Are you shining just for me?
City of stars
There’s so much that I can’t see
Who knows?
I felt it from the first embrace I shared with you…”
