My Friends

On this page, I feature you the profiles of some friends around me:

ZIKRY is one of my best friends who knows so much about me, maybe as much as 99%. He was actually my fierce rival in junior high school, whom I despised. At that time, to me he seemed so perfect: He was both clever and rich (He was indeed the son in a wealthy family).

Our rivalry turned to friendship as we started to know each other and found that both of us were actually alike: ambitious and intellectual. We always felt convenient to talk about any subjects with eachother. We could also always give good advices everytime one of us had problem. Then we started to hang out and spend our time together. To me, now Zikry has become a brother, whose willingness to always support me is undoubted.

IBHAM is also one of my best friends. He is an ITB Mechanical Engineering graduate and now is taking his Master in Business Administration in London, UK.

I've known Ibham since senior high school. We never attended the same class, yet at school he was well known for being excellent at Math and Physics. He was actively involved in the students' Islamic organisation as well. However, it was only after we met again in ITB that I began to know him better. We began hanging out together and discussing various subjects. I'm interested in Ibham because I think he has a wide vision for his future. He's interested in me as well, because he thinks I'm the sort of guy who has a broad knowledge and can give a lot of advices to him. Despite our distance now, we are still so close and contact each other.

ISNAN a.k.a TELETUBBY is one of my close friends. He is my only friend with whom I almost never discuss about serious subjects. Most of my time when meeting him is spent by laughing and joking about many things. He is indeed a funny guy. Being a graduate of Computer Engineering and a religious activist in his campus, Isnan is well known for being a very patient guy, who is never angry and always willing to help his friends. He acquired the nickname "Teletubby" since senior high school, when he started to become fat and like wearing baggy trousers. From behind, he was really like a Teletubby!

OKI is one of my friends. He is a Trisakti's, one of Indonesia's reputable private universities, medicine graduate who plans to specialise in midwife. Oki is the son of a retired Indonesian well known actor and is always trendy in his appearance. Almost never is he left behind in trying out the latest gadgets, so far I remember,

He was my vice president at the 3rd grade of senior high school, who always helped me in organising the class. Now, he is my playing friend, who still assists me, when our ex-class has a plan to hang out together or to hold an event. He was my friend who helped me several times too when I had romantic problems. Please don't be tricked, as beyond his innocent face is hidden Jakarta's always up-to-date gossiper. =P

SAGI is one of my close friends. He was also my playing friend and very loyal companion, who was always willing to accompany me, wherever I went. Now, it is due to our distant locations and busyness that we can hardly meet each other as often again. To me, Sagi is an amazing always-winning Karate guru, whose ability to grow in his difficult background makes me admire him very greatly.

STEVEN is one of my close friends. Don't be tricked by this guy's face! If you think he's a bookworm, then he's not at all! In fact, he's a street racer who likes modifying his bike and drinking. Almost to everyone, he appears as a bad boy. Only to me he appears different. It was after I found the other side of him, which is very logic and clever, he started to become my close friend. He's my great debating partner in almost every subject, from general to special ones, such as religions, Steven always becomes my company in hitting new unknown or distant places, when my other friends don't want or are too afraid.

FENY is my close friend whom I often call "sister". 2 years older than me, she was an Unpad's German Literature student who asked my help for her German final paper. Since then, our friendship continues. She was my only female friend who visited me when I was once afflicted by small pox. She is also a friend with whom I often discuss my personal problems. Always, she is energetic, cheerful, rational, and nice to talk with.

AMELIA is also my close friend. She was actually my rival in All Java's Students Political Debate Competition, held by the University of Indonesia. Despite that, we always chatted during the competition's breaks and our friendship continued since then. Sometimes I attended her choir performances in Bandung and several times we hanged out together. Although now we live and work in different cities, we still maintain contact. Amel is smart, dilligent, active (she is actively engaged in church choirs), and funny. This ideality always made me say when joking with her: Mel, I wish I could have a girlfriend like you! (are you serious, rief?) haha.

TOBIAS is my friend from Saarbrücken, Southeastern Germany. He was an exchange student in ITB's architecture department. It was really by coincidence that he was placed to stay in my boarding house by my deen. Not only did he become my friend, he also became my hang out friend, discussion partner in architecture, and my free german tutor 24 hours a day, 7 days a week =) Although Tobias doesn't live in Indonesia now, but still he visits Indonesia frequently, usually during vacations. Especially after he has an Indonesian girlfriend. Tobias loves Indonesia and dreams to build his own house in Upper Dago, Bandung.

KAMAL a.k.a THE DUDE is my friend from Hamburg, Northern Germany. He was the next exchange student placed in my boarding house after Tobias. My department quickly approved the placement after they found that I, the president of the class in which Kamal would also study, also stayed in that house. Plus, I had "taken care" of Tobias previously and I was able to speak German.

Kamal is of Iranian descent, but most of his time he speaks German more often than his mother tongue. It was with him I practiced slang German. Although Kamal adhered a not so favoured religion in Indonesia, but still he became my friend. Even we became close friends. Like me, he was silly, liked to joke and laugh very much. When talking, not only did we discuss about common things, but also about personal matters. Usually we maintained contact, but now this contact is disturbed for a while since he's working for his research in Cape Town, South Africa.

ANNE is my Swiss friend who works as an architect assistant in Lucerne. It was from pen friend our friendship developed. Now we are friends, where we often talk about our life and sometimes our personal problems. Several times a week we sms by using French, English, Dutch or German (Anne speaks almost as many languages as I do). On our birthdays or other special days, we also send presents to each other. I'm also familiar with Anne's boss (a senior architect). Once, I planned to do my architectural internship at his office in Lucerne, before it was finally cancelled due to a work permit problem. Anne's home is surely one of the first places I will visit, when I come later to Europe.

SITI FAIRUS a.k.a APAI is my Malaysian friend. She studies Real Estate Management in Johor Baharu. Our friendship began from pen friend, where she was my friend whom I often sent Indonesian music and films. With her I also often telephoned. Although we don't contact each other as often again, but still sometimes we send SMSes to each other and check each other at Friendster. Apai's attention as a friend is always present. For example, she quickly contacted me to ask what was happening, as she found out I had a problem with someone which once shook my life.