An Interview with My Parents

As I have said in one of my previous post, I am filled with curiosity. I am in the middle of my teenage years, and I am enjoying it (even the confusion and the tiredness... yes!), and I wonder about how my parents' teenage years may look like. I have seen a couple of their pictures when they were about a year or two older than I am now, but I cannot really conclude anything. ((I know I'm making this all sound so serious but I can't help it!)) Well then, here it is.

Dad

Me: What is your definition of your teenage era?

Dad: Amazing.

Why?

Yeah, well. They are... the music of the 80s, was... exquisite. Was interesting. There was no internet. No cellphone, not yet. So meeting (the fact that you had to meet people in order to talk to them, how special it felt) was more exciting than now, right? Because you cannot talk online. And I was, uh... a good-looking chap. ((Me: and I puke.))

What music did you listen to at that time?

All kind. ((Me: name them.)) Jazz rock. Mainly jazz rock and new wave music. 

Name your favorite artist at that time.

Well, duh. ((Me: Captain Obvious! Phil Collins?)) Yeah. He still is great.

Phil Collins in the 80s

What were your favorite things to do?

Riding motorcycle with my friends together, going to other town(s). Going to band practice for the school performance.

With whom do you usually do this?

School friends and my band-mates. ((Me: a bit obvious.))

What were your ambitions at that time?

To become a scientist. 

What kind of scientist did you desire to become? 

A physicist.

Imagining my Dad admiring these people in his teenage years.

Why do you love to band?

The girls like me. ((Me: *MEGA FACEPALM*)) School peers admire someone who bands. And of course, it was fun.

Who were your band-mates?

Oh! Rudi, Mamat, (he forgot some of it, but he tries to remember, he also asked for hints from my mother) Tantri. Rudi as the bassist, Mamat as the keyboardist, and Tantri as the vocalist. (He forgot about the guitarist, but he addressed him as 'unimportant') ((Me: DAD PLS))

What was the name of your band? 

Pujung. *laughs* Pujung Band. *laughs*

Now why in the world would you call a band "Pujung"?

Because "pujung" means "showing-off" in Banjarese. ((Me: I thought so.)) Nobody there knew the meaning, though. Everybody was Javanese.

Don't you think it's weird how you were in a band and you wanted to be a scientist at the same time?

Oh, not at all. Because you could be in a band and you could be a scientist. Both.

At that time, what did you like to wear?

The same as I do now. *laughs* ((Mother: he didn't change a lot. He was always "lazy".)) ((Me: as I thought.)) well, jeans and t-shirts.

How were you in school?

Good. I was good in Science stuff, and English, and Math. Except for... Chemistry. *laughs* and I was average in other things. I got 9/10 in both Physics and Math.

How did you pull of as 'good'?

I listen. (Quoting from 13 Warriors, his all-time favorite movie) ((Me: ugh)) I guess because I like (the subjects). They interest me: Physics, Math, and English.

And then after that, I think he got tired (he just got home from a long journey, and sorry if I was stubborn to ask him questions when he was tired). He said that the questions that I asked were enough.

Mom 

Me: What is your definition of your teenage years? 

Mom: Hmm... it's fun, and I had a lot of friends, and... I like gathering (with people), and going around with my friends, and I hung out a lot at my friends' houses. It was fun. I miss my teenage years.

I wouldn't imagine it to be something like this, though.

What is your favorite thing from your teenage years?

I like reading and doing sport (basketball).

What kinds of books do you read?

Novels. Mostly novels. Indonesian novels. ((Me: define a genre.)) Romance like Mira W. books; detective stories like Hercule Poirot, Esmara G.D.; V. Lestari; murders; and Sidney Sheldon books.

Imagining my mother being really into these books as a teenager.

Why do you really like reading?

I am just curious of (what happens next), the ending. When I know the ending, curiosity will not kill me.

What is the most memorable competition (basketball) you've ever had?

A lot; high school competitions... I played from when I was a freshman 'til I was a sophomore. By the last year I stopped. My team and I got into the finals of a competition in my sophomore year, but we never won. It was really hard to win because the competitors are tough.

What music did you like to hear at that time?

Oh, I don't really... I think jazz ((Dad: jazz? Pop!)). Oh, okay, pop ((Dad: ABBA!)) ((Me: stop intruding our interview!)) ((Dad: maybe you mean jazz rock.)) Okay fine, jazz pop.

What do you like to wear at that time? 

Pretty much what I wore today, a lot of jeans and t-shirts. Sometimes I also wear skirts. 

How did you do at school?

I was average.

What were your favorite subjects?

I had none. Everything is the same for me. But I don't like Physics the most. ((Me: a contradiction to Dad.))

What did you think of Pujung Band?

What is Pujung Band? I don't know! Who is Pujung Band? ((Dad: that's what we call our band.)) They have  got the best drummer (my Dad was the drummer). Well... your Dad plays jazzy things, you know. It was so-so. ((Me: *laughs*)) ((Dad: what? So-so?!)) I don't really know music.

What are your favorite food?
My mother's cookings. Oh wait, no, no, no, no. Oh yes, my mother's cookings. ((Me: make up your mind!)) And the cooking of your nanny's big sister.

How did you take care and do your hair at that time?
Hmm... back then my hair was ordinary, and then I did the shaggy thing, and I got huge curls when I was a sophomore at junior high, and then when the curls disappeared and I started to jog, I cut them short. Finally, when I started high school I cut them as bobs.

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I saw this as interesting, it was good way for me to envision how my parents were when they were in the times of their lives (other than seeing it through photos). It took care of my curiosity also. I felt happy because I got to know my parents better... and all the while, it also gave me inspiration of what I should do to make the best of my youth.