I am a fan of Barack Obama. He's a great orator with a good sense of humour. He is also a very charismatic fellow and most importantly, he seems genuine. There's a certain sincerity when he speaks. The fact that he ever lived in Indonesia is also quite an endearing factor to me. On top of that, he honored Sir Paul McCartney with Gershwin Prize and was, in turn, endorsed by the ex-Beatle, so what's not to love about Obama?
I watched Obama quite a fair bit on YouTube, from talk shows with Ellen, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel, etc. to the speech he made in many parts of the world, including Indonesia. He can talk about anything and he knows what he's talking about. He's knowledgeable and so talented that he can go impromptu. His speech, from his choice of words and the way he says them, is very eloquent. I don't speak well, let alone make a speech, so he's like a role model to me.
Dreams From My Father. |
In a Netflix show hosted by David Letterman, a book called Dreams From My Father was mentioned. It occurred to me that I never really read about his life before. I got curious about his autobiography, so I ordered one from bookdepository.com. It turned out to be quite an interesting book and an eye-opener for one who had never visited the USA.
First of all, I found that America is a very confusing country. Colours really matter there. The country adored and gave us people like Michael Jackson and Michael Jordan, but yet most of Black people were treated differently. I mean, as a Chinese who grew up in Indonesia, I could understand the discrimination to a certain extent, but the African Americans seem to have it worse.
The second part of his life, when Obama finished school and moved to Chicago, was very American. I'm not sure if I understand it well, but he was like a community worker or organizer that gathered the Black people for rallies and good causes. There were few moments when he showed his talent in making speeches, but he was yet to become Barack Obama that we know now.
The book did a good job in telling the colourful life of Barack Obama. He was not born rich. He was one of us, as Indonesia would always be part of his life. He was once young and wandered around, too, trying to figure out who he was. Then we had the eight years when he was a president. On a personal level, it is good to know that a left-handed man could achieve so much in a right-handed world! Last but not least, after reading the book, I'm also wondering if I should visit Hawaii or not!
The Colbert Report - President Obama delivers the decree! It's funny!
As if this isn't complicated enough, Obama was born to a Kenyan father and a white mother. He was only half-black. During his formative years, he was raised by his mother and maternal grandparents, but the color of his skin is dark, so he couldn't be white. As a result, he had his fair share of hardship. But he was really loved and while he never really had a father figure, it did help that his mother's side didn't bad-mouth his father.
I especially liked chapter two that told about his time in Jakarta. It was the 60s, a different era, and it was interesting to see it from Obama's point of view. Imagine a black kid running around, chasing kites on a muddy kampong road. Who on earth who would have thought that this kid would be the 44th president of the United States? One interesting part from this chapter was when his mother recognized the laid back nature and poor education in Indonesia wouldn't be good for his son, so she sent him back to Hawaii.
Presidential Medal of Freedom, featuring Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, Bruce Springsteen and many more.
The second part of his life, when Obama finished school and moved to Chicago, was very American. I'm not sure if I understand it well, but he was like a community worker or organizer that gathered the Black people for rallies and good causes. There were few moments when he showed his talent in making speeches, but he was yet to become Barack Obama that we know now.
The last part of the book was about his time in Kenya. Barack only met his father once in Hawaii, when he was around 10. His father died of a car accident roughly a decade later and Obama eventually visited Kenya to meet his family. This story was like an adventure by itself, very African this time. His father was a highly educated man that was once successful but then fell from grace. Barack have many siblings in Kenya as his father had a few wives. He learnt about his ancestors and heritage. The story of his grandfather and father was then beautifully told like a folklore by his grandmother.
Obama addresses the Muslim world in Indonesia.
The book did a good job in telling the colourful life of Barack Obama. He was not born rich. He was one of us, as Indonesia would always be part of his life. He was once young and wandered around, too, trying to figure out who he was. Then we had the eight years when he was a president. On a personal level, it is good to know that a left-handed man could achieve so much in a right-handed world! Last but not least, after reading the book, I'm also wondering if I should visit Hawaii or not!
Ulasan Buku: Mimpi Ayah Saya
Saya adalah seorang penggemar Barack Obama. Dia seorang ahli pidato dengan selera humor yang elegan. Karismatik pembawaannya dan yang lebih penting lagi, dia santai dan tampil apa adanya sehingga ucapannya terdengar meyakinkan. Fakta bahwa dia pernah tinggal di Indonesia juga menjadi daya tarik tersendiri. Selain itu, dia pernah memberikan sebuah penghargaan tertinggi di bidang musik pada Paul McCartney yang kemudian berbalik memujinya saat menerima penghargaan. Seorang presiden yang disanjung oleh mantan anggota Beatles! Apalagi yang kurang mengagumkan dari Obama?
Saya terkadang menonton Obama di YouTube, mulai dari acara yang dipandu oleh Ellen, Stephen Colbert, Jimmy Kimmel dan lain-lain. Saya juga menyimak pidato resmi yang ia sampaikan di berbagai belahan dunia, termasuk Indonesia. Dia bisa berbicara tentang banyak hal dan dia menguasai topik yang ia bicarakan. Pengetahuan dan talentanya memungkinkannya untuk berbicara panjang-lebar tanpa naskah. Pidatonya, mulai dari pilihan kata sampai nada bicaranya, sangatlah berkesan. Saya tidak pandai berbicara, apalagi berpidato, jadi saya sungguh mengidolakannya.
Dreams From My Father. |
Di acara Netflix yang dibawakan oleh David Letterman, Obama sempat menjawab pertanyaan David tentang buku berjudul Dreams From My Father. Lantas terpikir oleh saya bahwa saya belum pernah membaca tentang kisah hidupnya. Karena penasaran, saya memesan otobiografi Obama lewat bookdepository.com. Buku ini cukup menarik dan membuka wawasan saya tentang Amerika, terutama karena saya belum pernah ke sana.
Pertama-tama saya merasa bahwa Amerika adalah negara yang sangat membingungkan. Warna kulit benar-benar bisa menimbulkan perbedaan bagi mereka yang hidup di sana. Bayangkan sebuah negara yang memuja para bintang seperti Michael Jackson dan Michael Jordan, namun negara yang sama juga memiliki perlakuan tidak adil bagi rata-rata orang kulit hitam. Sebagai orang Tionghoa yang besar di Indonesia, saya bisa mengerti tentang diskriminasi, tapi sepertinya orang Negro di sana lebih parah nasibnya.
The Colbert Report - President Obama delivers the decree! It's funny!
Jika ini masih belum cukup rumit, maka bayangkan pula nasib Obama yang terlahir dari ayah berbangsa Kenya dan seorang ibu berkulit putih. Dia cuma setengah hitam! Dari kecil hingga beranjak dewasa, dia diasuh oleh ibu dan orang tua ibunya, tapi Obama berkulit gelap sehingga dia tidak bisa menjadi warga kulit putih. Alhasil, dia terkadang mendapat kesulitan karena warna kulitnya. Syukurlah dia mendapatkan kasih sayang yang cukup. Meski dia tidak pernah memiliki seorang ayah, keluarga ibunya tidak menjelek-jelekkan Obama Senior yang meninggalkannya dari sejak kecil.
Saya suka bab dua yang menceritakan pengalamannya sewaktu hidup di Jakarta. Ini adalah pertengahan tahun 60an, ketika Soekarno baru saja tumbang. Menarik rasanya bisa melihat Jakarta tempo doeloe lewat sudut pandang Obama. Saat itu dia hanyalah seorang bocah kulit hitam yang berlarian mengejar layang-layang di jalanan kampung yang berlumpur. Siapa yang menyangka bahwa anak kecil di jalanan Jakarta ini kelak akan menjadi presiden Amerika yang ke-44? Satu hal unik dari bab ini adalah ketika ibunya menyadari bahwa kehidupan dan pendidikan Jakarta yang terbelakang itu tidak baik untuk masa depan anaknya. Obama pun dikirim kembali ke Hawaii.
Presidential Medal of Freedom, featuring Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, Bruce Springsteen and many more.
Bagian kedua dari hidupnya bermula ketika dia menyelesaikan pendidikan dan pindah Chicago. Kisah berikut ini sangat bernuansa Amerika. Saya tidak sepenuhnya memahami apa yang dia kerjakan. Profesinya saat itu adalah sebagai koordinator yang berbicara dengan para warga kulit hitam di Chicago dan menggalang massa untuk perubahan dan perbaikan taraf hidup. Ada beberapa peristiwa dimana kemampuannya dalam berorasi mulai terlihat, namun dia masih belum sepenuhnya menjadi Obama yang kita lihat sekarang.
Kisah hidup yang terakhir diceritakan di buku tersebut adalah saat dia berada di Kenya. Barack hanya pernah bertemu sekali dengan ayahnya di Hawaii, saat ia berusia 10 tahun. Satu dekade kemudian, ayahnya meninggal karena kecelakaan mobil di Nairobi. Sebelum ia melanjutkan pendidikan di Harvard, Obama akhirnya memutuskan untuk mengunjungi kampung halaman ayahnya. Bagian ini bagaikan sebuah petualangan yang kali ini bernuansa Afrika. Ayahnya juga lulusan Harvard, sempat berjaya di posisi tinggi di Kenya sebelum akhirnya jatuh miskin dan terpuruk. Barack memiliki banyak saudara tiri karena ayahnya memiliki beberapa istri. Di Kenya, dia mencari tahu tentang asal-usul leluhurnya. Riwayat kakek dan ayahnya pun diceritakan kembali oleh neneknya dalam ulasan yang menyerupai kisah legenda setempat.
Obama addresses the Muslim world in Indonesia.
Buku ini memberikan gambaran tentang hidup Obama yang melintas benua. Dia tidak terlahir kaya, namun dia bisa dikatakan sebagai salah satu dari kita, terutama karena Indonesia akan selalu menjadi bagian dari hidupnya. Suatu ketika di masa lalu, dia juga seorang anak muda yang berkelana mencari jati dirinya sebagai orang kulit hitam. Bertahun-tahun kemudian, dia menjadi presiden sebuah negara adidaya selama delapan tahun. Secara pribadi, saya merasa senang dan terinspirasi karena ada orang kidal yang begitu sukses di dunia yang didominasi oleh orang-orang tangan kanan. Dan... setelah membaca buku ini, saya pun berpikir, bagaimana kalau misalnya liburan ke Hawaii? Haha!
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