Guebukanmonyet!

A research has shown that couples in which the wife is better looking than her husband live happier than those in which the husband is better looking than his wife.

Researchers believe that men place great value on beauty while all that women want is to have a supportive husband. This research really gives me a great insight on how to treat women and obviously answers my one-million-dollar question: “What the heck is that cute girl looking from a man like that?”

Now I know my friends and I were wrong when we used to say to a weirdo holding a beautiful woman’s hand, “Damn, you must be rich.”

What we should’ve said was, “Wow, you’re so supportive to your woman.”

James McNulty, the lead researcher, explains that the husband who’s less physically attractive than his wife is getting something more than he can expect to get so he’s going to work hard to maintain the relationship.

Meanwhile, McNulty explains, men who are more attractive than their partners would theoretically have access to partners who are more attractive than their current partners. It’s “the grass is greener” mentality that makes men are less satisfied and committed to maintain the marriage.

This research approves the fact that it’s men who don’t appreciate inner beauty.

A man would walk to a car dealer and say, “Wow that car looks so cool. I really like the exterior design. How much is it? I’ll buy one.” While a woman would walk to a car dealer and wouldn’t say much at first. A salesman approaches and says, “How can I help you? That car right there is a beauty.” She then answers, “Yes it is. But what about the engine and its interior design?”

So please, men, when I wrote that “Men Are Stupid” I really meant it. I do think that we are stupid and we need to stop being selfish and learn from women on how to value inner beauty better.

We need to be supportive. Although I don’t really know what it means but I guess it’s when our partners are in trouble we can be there to help them.

McNulty gives a clue on how to be supportive: Say, “Hey, I’m here for you; what do you want me to do?; how can I help you?” instead of, “This is your problem, you deal with it.”

Sounds easy right? Not in reality though.

Picture was taken from here.

As an elementary student in Indonesia Pelajaran Moral Pancasila (PMP) was my favorite. I loved it so much because the questions were so predictable. I didn’t have to study hard for every test because I just had to memorize all the things in the text book. When answering I added lots of unimportant things just to make my answers look long and sophisticated.

One of my all-time-favorite questions was that kind of question where I had to explain the nature of Indonesians. It was so easy because all my PMP teachers asked this kind of question all the time.

My answer would be like, “Indonesians are very nice people. We are tolerant, friendly, and helpful to others. That was the reason why the Netherlands was so much accepted when they first came to Indonesia, something that Indonesia would later regret for the next three centuries.”

But it’s sad to say that is not the kind of Indonesians I experienced in my six years of living in Jakarta. I didn’t see the nice and friendly Indonesians on the streets and at other various places. Everywhere I went I met people who were just too arrogant.

I’m not happy to tell you that after living less than two years in Washington, D.C. I’ve met more people smiling at me here than when I was in Jakarta. I know it’s not fair to compare Jakarta with Washington, D.C. since Jakarta is not just a capital city but also the center of business and economy.

I seriously think that Indonesians and people of Jakarta should smile more and be nice to others, even to people they meet randomly on the streets. I know it’s not easy since life is just so hard for most people in Indonesia. But smiling to others won’t make us poorer, will it? I don’t think so.

I still honestly think that most Indonesians are nice and friendly people. I remember when I visited Malang with my mother in 2003, people there were so warm, humble, and friendly. Maybe people in Jakarta can learn from people in small cities on how to smile more.

Jakarta with more smiles, will that be possible? It’s really up to us.

In my opinion, smiling is not a difficult thing to do. I don’t know if it is for some people. I know it’s not easy to smile when we’re sad, I’m not a smiling expert by the way. But, I know very well how Indonesians love to laugh so loud with their friends. I myself had the greatest time hanging out with friends in Jakarta and I know for sure how laughing so hard is part of our culture.

If we can be so much friendly to our friends, why not to other people too? You don’t have to laugh, a smile will be more than enough.

Having a dream to have a smiling society may sound funny but I do believe that Indonesians including people of Jakarta are the kind of people who love to be nice and friendly. It’s just the condition in Jakarta that’s just too hectic for most people: The traffic, the floods, the pollution, or the public transportation. All those things just make us forget how beautiful it is to smile

Seorang pemuda bernama Abdi bingung karena kedua orang tuanya terus memaksanya untuk cepat menikah. Ibunya selalu bertanya,” Kapan kamu menikah? Ibu sudah merindukan seorang cucu.”

Abdi bingung bukan karena ia tidak memiliki calon. Abdi bingung juga bukan karena ia belum siap untuk menikah. Abdi bingung justru karena ia sudah memiliki calon, tepatnya dua calon. Abdi bingung menentukan siapa yang cocok untuk menjadi istrinya. Ada Astrid dan Rani. Keduanya adalah perempuan yang baik hati. Keduanya rajin solat lima waktu. Keduanya baik hati dan suka menolong. Singkatnya, kedua perempuan itu memiliki hati yang sangat istimewa. Paling penting, keduanya mencintai Abdi dengan tulus.

Perbedaan mencolok dari keduanya: Astrid adalah seorang perempuan yang cantik sementara Rani adalah seorang perempuan yang kaya raya.

Astrid memiliki wajah yang begitu cantik dan tubuh yang aduhai. Sejak dulu Astrid selalu menjadi kembang desa dan karena kecantikannya Astrid sering kali dibandingkan dengan para artis sinetron ibukota. Sementara itu Rani adalah anak tunggal dari seorang pengusaha ekspor impor yang sangat sukses. Ayahnya sudah tua dan sebentar lagi akan mewariskan seluruh kekayaannya kepada Rani.

Abdi bingung memilih Astrid atau Rani. Abdi pun memutuskan untuk bertanya kepada Orang Bijak.

Abdi harus menempuh perjalanan yang melelahkan untuk bisa menemui Orang Bijak. Sungai dan gunung harus dilewati dengan berjalan kaki. Selama perjalanan udara sangat tidak bersahabat. Kalau siang udara terasa begitu panas sementara di malam hari udara menjadi begitu dingin. Abdi menghabiskan waktu tiga hari dan dua malam hingga akhirnya sampai di tempat pertapaan Orang Bijak.

Abdi pun segera menceritakan masalah yang sedang ia hadapi. Orang Bijak mendengar cerita Abdi dengan seksama. Akhirnya Orang Bijak berkata, “Mudah saja.” Baca Terus Donk!