My father is a hero to me, Yenny says<\/p>\n
Zannuba \"Yeni\" Arifah Chafsoh Rahman, 25, a former journalist
\nand the second eldest daughter of President Abdurrahman Wahid,
\nfound time in her busy schedule as the presidential translator to
\nshare a light discussion with The Jakarta Post's Kornelius Purba.<\/p>\n
It is the first interview with public figures in our new
\nweekly column.<\/p>\n
Question: If you had a choice, what would you be doing now?<\/p>\n
Answer: I would like to spend a year just reading and writing.
\nThat is what I like to do.<\/p>\n
What do you like best about yourself?<\/p>\n
What is it? Let me think ... I am ready to take risks
\nsometimes without caring about the consequences. I think I have
\nalways been in a way like my father, not afraid, courageous. That
\nis what I like.<\/p>\n
What do you dislike about yourself?<\/p>\n
I worry too much, I worry too much about things. That stops me
\nfrom moving on sometimes. I worry about my life, about many
\nthings. About things which seem to be negative, and instead of
\nfocusing on the positive side, I just worry too much about the
\nnegative side. Sometimes I worry about my father, my family, and
\nas a result I do not do anything about it. Oh, no, no, as a
\nresult I worry instead of doing things; instead of fixing it, I
\nspend more time worrying. I worry about my worried side.<\/p>\n
Who do you admire?<\/p>\n
I really admire my father, he is a hero in a sense to me. He
\ntaught us many things, and I still learn a lot from him. I learn
\nmany things, and life with him is such an ongoing process, we
\nlearn many things from him every day. He is the one I admire.<\/p>\n
How about your mother?<\/p>\n
My mom is very strong in her own quiet way. And she teaches us
\nto be patient, and to believe in God. That is what my parents
\nteach us -- to believe in God. Try your best, but ultimately you
\nhave to trust God, because God will give you the best.<\/p>\n
What is your favorite attire?<\/p>\n
Casual, anything that does not stop me from moving ... (which)
\nallows me much freedom to move. My favorite colors are red and
\nblack.<\/p>\n
What is the latest book you read?<\/p>\n
I am still reading The Third Way by Anthony Giddens, I have
\nnot finished it yet. I am also still reading the encyclopedia of
\nwayang (shadow puppets). I look at it from time to time. The book
\nbelongs to my dad.<\/p>\n
What makes you angry?<\/p>\n
Ignorance and intolerance. Ignorance in the sense that
\nsometimes people just refuse to see the other side of a story.
\nAnd they feel satisfied staying in a limited frame of mind, and
\nnot exploring many kinds of views. That is what I call ignorance.
\nThe stubbornness to stay ignorant, that is what makes me angry.
\nIt is not just ignorance itself but the stubbornness. There is no
\nwillingness to learn more about something.<\/p>\n
What makes you sad?<\/p>\n
Many things makes me sad, like the condition of the nation
\nnow, people's unwillingness to accept each other.<\/p>\n
What is the most touching moment for you?<\/p>\n
Being with kids, and I love kids so much. There is a moment of
\ntruth when you are with kids. They reflect innocence.<\/p>\n
What characteristic do you dislike<\/p>\n
I think I answered it before, the unwillingness to listen to
\neach other. Pretentiousness because I cannot stand pretentious
\npeople. I find it difficult to try to be nice to people who are
\npretentious, (who feel) they are better than everybody else. And
\nthere are many people like that in the palace.<\/p>\n
What is the most memorable thing about your father?<\/p>\n
A moment or characteristic? The most memorable moments are
\nwhen he teaches us about life, and sometimes he cries. When he
\nspoke about his friends in Egypt, and the values he remembered
\nfrom that time (his college years), he cried. And when talking
\nabout the people he really admires, sometimes he cries.<\/p>\n
The funniest joke from your father?<\/p>\n
There are so many jokes. The jokes about Nahdlatul Ulama are
\nfunny because they are spontaneous. One still makes me laugh,
\nabout an NU ulema making a speech. He said he was proud of my
\nfather because not only was he a local figure, but also an
\ninterlokal (long distance call) figure ... Instead of
\ninternational, the ulema described him as an \"interlocal\" figure.<\/p>\n
What would you do if left alone in a desert?<\/p>\n
I would read and write.<\/p>\n
How do you view people in the palace?<\/p>\n
Sometimes they make me laugh. I have a guard who is from the
\nmilitary. Whenever I ask him something, he always replies: \"Siap
\n(ready)\", not just yes or no. I once asked him to answer yes or
\nno, instead of siap, and he replied: \"Yes, siap\".<\/p>\n
What is your favorite movie?<\/p>\n
It is My Best Friend's Wedding, because it does not have a
\nhappy ending. About movies, people think that there must be a
\nhappy ending, but in this film it does not happen that way.
\nBecause life must move on, that is why I like it. To laugh about
\nit, to have a good laugh about it.<\/p>\n
Do you worry about your weight?<\/p>\n
That is very normal, but I am quite satisfied with the way I
\nlook, because I believe what is inside is much more important
\nthan what is on the outside. The inner beauty.<\/p>\n
Would you like plastic surgery?<\/p>\n
For my knees, and my thumbs, too (laughs). You ask such funny
\nquestions.<\/p>\n
What is the price of being popular?<\/p>\n
Am I popular? It costs me my freedom, the freedom to be
\nmyself. My privacy, I don't have privacy anymore. And people
\nconstantly judge you, from their point of view. They just ignore
\nyour point of view. I do not like that I cannot do what I used to
\ndo. I cannot take public buses, I cannot use taxis, I cannot ride
\na motorbike. I miss all that.<\/p>\n
What job would you like to do?<\/p>\n
I love writing, so being an artist I suppose, painting,
\nwriting. Something which allows me to dictate my own life. I know
\nit would not pay much.<\/p>",
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