Review

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

the taxi drivers


Hello everyone!!

Now I would like to share some stories about the taxi drivers. Why? Because I think these people are good people. 
When I first moved to Jakarta 4 years ago, I've used taxi a lot. You know, because of the safety things. 
So since that time, I've been hearing some of good stories of how these people had struggle their life for. Most of them are not the original Jakarta inhabitant. Like me, they're having their own hometown. I usually asked how long they have been in Jakarta, and I always shocked when I heard their answer. They have been in here for a long time. Usually they come to Jakarta to gambling with their fate, trying to be a successful people, to be happy, to be better than what they already are, but in the end they're ended up behind the steering wheel. Even so, I have a high respect for these people. They're not giving up, they're still fighting their life. They’re still trying to make their family as comfort as they can be. 

There is one taxi driver that I can't forget until now. He said a lot of things that makes me realize how lucky my life is. He's a father of three girls. During his life, he has been driving a taxi. But with that status, he somehow can manage the better life education for his daughters until they're all can taste the university chair on one of the greatest Indonesian State University, UI. One of his daughters even made it to Japan to taste her higher education with scholarship. At that moment I salute to the daughter for having that huge spirit. But then I realize that they wouldn't made it without his father, a person that taking a good care of their expenses, a person that picking up them with his taxi, a person that love them. With those three wonderful daughters, somehow this man still can give his best advice for me. He said that I have to love my mother more and more faithful to my religion. He also can predict something! The day I go on his cab is the day I fell in love with that boy (the boy I’ve always talked on my words), and he knows it, he said that I will get married young and with the person from my college. I don't believe in fortune, but well we still can hoping it will become true if it’s a good thing right?

So back to the taxi drivers story...I still amaze on how these people running their life. I ask about their experiences also while driving a cab along Jakarta, and again, I get amazed. Sometimes they get a passenger that doesn't want to pay, instead of get angry, they're letting it go and permit that passengers enter their home with relieved. They’re also sometimes get the drunken passengers that will throw up on their car and get gone with their freakin small brain without even giving any extra money for the taxi driver to cleaning his car.

Few days ago I take a taxi after going out with my wags friends, and guess what?? I get amazed again. He has been coming to Jakarta since 1969, hoping to studying at STAN and become a tax employee, but as he said "gagal maning,gagal maning". So he ends up driving a taxi. He tells me about Jakarta history, how's people around here change, how's trees being cut and how we’re having lack of good air, how's the government starting to be care about themselves rather than their citizen. He's a smart man also, he knows almost all big airport and harbor in Indonesia very well. 

Another taxi driver I found amazing is the driver from taxi I ride in when I am in Singapore. He's an old man, he's 71 years old and he's still driving a taxi! When my uncle asked why he's still working instead of staying at home he said, “In here, we don't work, we don't eat." That's an amazing spirit I heard from such an old man. And we had that spirit in here also, in Indonesia from our taxi drivers who spends their time almost all day long to earn money for the life of their family.

So, what I meant from telling this story is that: they're still exist, some people in this mean city that fight their life through the road and steering with unfinished spirit and smile even though they're know that they're not having as much as others people did, but they're still thankful for it and put on their smile.
Thank you sir drivers wherever you are, you've giving me many motivations and inspirations to live this life more gratefully. It's a shame that I don't know your name, but still thank you.

o yes, a little advice : trying to know your taxi driver more when you riding on a cab. who knows you'll get an amazing story that can inspire and motivate you ;)

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