'Just let me sing with Sting if the world is going to end'
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Tika Panggabean is always one of the boys, or at least on stage and in front of the camera. Since becoming part of the hit comedy troupe Project P while an undergraduate at Bandung's Parahyangan University in the early 1990s, Tika has set herself apart from the men in the troupe with her fruity laugh and wicked impressions. Now 30, a popular emcee and providing the vocals on Project Pop, the group's foray into music, Tika tells us that life is not, after all, always a barrel of laughs.
Question: If you had the choice, what would you be doing now?
Answer: Going around the world, traveling.
Q: What makes you tick?
A: Studying and working, it makes my thinking always open, and increases my knowledge.
Q: Which trait do you most like about yourself?
A: I'm a ... well, it's not nice to judge ourselves! But I'm friendly.
Q: And deplore?
A: I always waver.
Q: Whom do you admire?
A: My grandfathers, both of them, because they had a great zest for life, they had principles and they stuck to them. From entertainment, I like Bing Slamet, because he was multitalented, he could do everything. He is a real Indonesian legend.
Q: What makes you angry?
A: If I'm lied to. Even if it may hurt my feelings, just tell me the truth. I hate being lied to so much.
Q: When was the last time you were angry?
A: Last week, because I was so annoyed, we had to do a shoot, and I was on time, and all the rest of the group were late coming from Bandung. I was angry, and I got it out, but that's it, what else can you do?
Q: What characteristics do you dislike in others?
A: People who are cynical, and have negative thinking. Jealousy.
Q: What do you think makes people cynical?
A: Because they're jealous, they can't do something, so they're envious of people who can. Or they can do it, but they can't be bothered. So, they say, "he's only a success, because of luck". That's jealousy for you.
Q: What makes you laugh?
A: A lot of things. Especially if I've worked all day, and I'm so tired, that everything, even things that aren't funny, will make me laugh.
Q: And cry?
A: A lot of things, too. I'm a sentimental person. Like if I see an old man at the side of the road, it can make me cry. But most of all if I see a dog being ill-treated, even in a film, I start crying. I can't stand to see dogs being hurt.
Q: If there was something you could change about your appearance, what would it be?
A: I really don't want to change anything, I accept what I have from God, but if I could, I'd love to have longer eyelashes. My friends say to me, "Where are they, were are your lashes?" Oh, and at the same time, make my eyebrows a bit thicker!
Q: What makes life worth living?
A: Family and friends. Because of them, I want to work harder, become a better person. I don't live by myself in this world, and they are what is important. They are what make me motivated to survive.
Q: Do you have a favorite song?
A: Can I name two? My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music, and Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by the Police.
Q: And movie?
A: The Sound of Music, and While You Were Sleeping.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Seafood, tempeh and mi bakso (noodle and meatball soup). Don't forget the tempeh.
Q: Do you ever worry about your weight?
A: I have, meaning when I was in junior high school, during puberty, when everybody was thin and I was fat. I wanted to look like them, slim. But now, I think, this is the way I am.
Q: But if there was a magic drug to make you thin overnight, would you take it?
A: No, because the instant way doesn't work. You've got to diet, do some sport to work. Oh, so cliched (laughs).
Q: What is the cost of popularity?
A: Our freedom, of course. Even if we're walking down the street, people shout something, or in the mall. I have to smile and say something. And privacy. We have a new boyfriend, people will say something, or you go out with someone, and it becomes a big issue for weeks.
Q: What will you do say, 20 years from now?
A: I want to be in the home, maybe not on the screen, already as a housewife, the mother of several kids (laughs). Just simple, I've never dreamed of being a millionaire. But, then, I don't want to be just at home doing nothing, but maybe be behind the screen.
Q: How would you like to be remembered?
A: As Tika ... Oh, I'd be lying if I said I only wanted to be remembered as a great entertainer. I also want to be known as someone who once lived on this Earth.
Q: What would you bring with you to a desert island?
A: My dog, my Walkman, because I can't live without music. And a knife, or some kind of tool, to help me cut things up, like the fish I'd catch. The dog would keep me company.
Q: If the world were going to end in 24 hours, what would you do?
A: Ask for forgiveness from everybody. Oh, that's a big cliche, isn't it? But, for fun, let me meet the Corrs, Sting and Julie Andrews before the end. So I could sing with them, just once sing Every Little Thing She Does with Sting, and get a photo together with them all.