No one will ever mind to say that reading a 15,000 lines of Homer’s The Iliad epic poem is exhausting and for some degree of people, a real waste of time. The duration and the complexion The Iliad has, is probably the main reason young people hate classics. In the rapid modern world, we are expected to do everything as quick as possible and the less the time used, the more benefits will come. “Therefore, reading a long, complicated, often allegorical method of The Iliad is simply irrelevant for today’s people,” a confession from one of my friends, who actually loves reading literary works (and can also, this far, be my own confession).

Story matters

But it was not until I heard a book entitled An Iliad written by an Italian Alessandro Baricco, in a bookstore, did I take my words back. I would, as for any book I wished to put in my reading list, immediately look for the review and what people, who had owned the book said about it. Finding that some of their comments were encouraging, I got it. Baricco’s offered a new way of reading The Iliad by turning the lines a la Homer to an entertaining prose. He does not only eliminate many parts of the work, but also adds it with the sentences of his own (of course in a proportional amount of words) and to my surprise, creating the new point of views of the characters. Instead of being a knotty sort of poem, An Iliad is more like a private journal written and experienced by the witnesses of the Trojan War, in which the story is set. And reading it is a guilty fun.

 

 

 

 

 

Then what is the point of comparing the two kind of Iliad things? It was I who actually longed for a classic work of the Greek literature. I chose the book because of its majestic story; the Trojan War itself is of course still in debate whether it has ever existed or not, but its value in literature is irresistible. It is not about Homer or Baricco (some scholars even as doubted that Homer really created The Iliad as Shakespeare to his plays), or whoever may write the next versions or translations, but it is the storyline blended with the rich themes of heroism, love, family and humanity, which counts more. I eventually could not stand not to read Homer’s after reading Baricco’s and I put it in a positive way.

 

I believe that everyone reads Gone with the Wind, but does anyone know Margaret Mitchell? I don’t think so and I myself thought it was written by John Steinbeck the first time heard the story. Silly, but sometimes I know the work before its author. Sophie’s Choice is always considered one of the 21st century’s masterpieces, but I never knew that it was written by William Styron.

 

Author matters

Then what I wanted to say after having a work of Steinbeck’s caliber with me? Steinbeck is one of the greatest American novelists and praised worldwide. The mere fact is enough for me to believe that his works also share his greatness and appraisal. Yes, and any teachers of Literature will have obliged their students to read Steinbeck’s works. Everyone knows The Grapes of Wrath, a novel which recounts the Great Depression for the massive agricultural failure in the United States in the 30s, for example.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meanwhile East of Eden is believed to be his ultimate novel, in which all his thoughts and supreme ability in writing are embedded. He said that he "had imbued the novel with everything he knew about writing and everything he knew about good and evil in the human condition." But, I didn’t even read any review of the book before deciding to buy it (it was the largest amount of money I had paid for a novel). Surely it was the name of Steinbeck’s that had persuaded me to get the book (and it’s not my fault). I thought it was a lifetime guarantee that East of Eden was as great as Steinbeck himself. I don’t care about the story (I knew The Grapes of Wrath after reading Steinbeck’s biography afterall) but it was the author that concerned me more.

 

Steinbeck goes along with Jane Austen, for a cross continent example. While I personally don’t think that The Northanger Abbey or Mansfield Park are worth read, many people tend to classify it in the basket of masterpieces, because it was written by Austen’s hand. The same pattern walks hand in hand with many works I had read before, on behalf of Hemingway, Pramoedya, or even Dan Brown. And I firmly believe all people in the world will read any of J.K Rowling’s novels in the future after the success of Harry Potter series.

 

Cover matters

Then, what about the outfit? Everytime I turned to see the big sale bookshelves full of promising and juicy discount up to 70% in a bookstore, I usually disgusted it and gave a cynical look on how cheap and unqualified the books would be on there. But, I found things quite different when I caught a book entitled She is Me by Cathleen Schine on one of the shelves. It's not that I really meant to buy a forever-in-the-shelf book, but the cover gave a catchy look into my eyes. I never knew who the hell Schine was before, and I never recounted in my memory a book of such title. The phrase of "don't judge a book by its cover" abruptly seemed irrelevant to my case and I hastily grabbed the book, then got it paid in the cashier.

 

This should have explained my incosistency in choosing a reading material. It was not surprising that I found 30 first pages of She is Me was as boring as waiting in a dentist clinic queue, and it was enough to ensure me to put it off until I have guts to read it again. Moreover, the Internet reviews for this book never reached four stars. Take it literally, don’t judge a book from the cover!

 

Though I can say that I love any kind of writing, still the three aspects revolve around my mind when standing on a bookstore. To read is, for me, to feel and experience it. Reading a book with a thought possessed by the enourmosity of the story may somehow be engrossing; reading a book with a thought occupied by the fame of the author may be fun, but sometimes I lost in the middle of the reading progress because things didn’t fit my expectations; and reading a book with a thought that the catchy cover would automatically turn the story catchy too would be devastating, believe me.

Berbagi Suami
Originally uploaded by ivanatm

It was a rainy day, which saw the end of my final examination session in English Department. Pioneering the contestant of compre, friends gathered around the corridor, waiting for the result. Thank God, I passed it through with an A+. Certainly the next thing that could happen was the guys dragged me into the car and forged a conspiracy to ask for a treat.

Though it was already three o'clock in the afternoon, they said a lunch would not hurt. We went to the roasted fish-specific restaurant called Lubuk Idai. We had the special menu, of course, the fish and shared some stories. People asked me how the condition in the examination room was, how I did manage to answer the questions, and then the tips and tricks to linger alive.

Any occasion would not be as cheerful as when the camera was there. Unfortunately, I had the camera phone with me. Though the result was not so good, compared to the digital camera, some precious pictures and moments had been captured. Look at Firman, who was in his utopian dream of having poligamy; and he, who really meant it when we were having discussion concerning patriarchal attitudes. At least, five ladies in his side were more than enough.

Things have been just fine this far. Graduated, got a job (don’t have to think very hard for the sake of the future), granted a very nice working atmosphere, and a bunch of amusing partners; I could hardly expect for more. Thus, the fact that I am working without payment for several months could somehow be forgotten for a while. If the ultimate goal of my working here was for money, I would severely be punished by the reality a civil servant must face.

I lived under the roof of a rent room I paid monthly. Not the best place in the world, but still it could please me with the facilities, environment, or the other dwellers, who also live-and-pay in there. Alone as I am in this great, crowded, polluted city (but promises many dreams to reach), I could never deny the moments when I missed home. Well, it is hard to get a good friend here; life is just too short to living with a wrong choice. 

Not really in to it, but..
The first time they explained my job description, I was not really in to it. I was placed in the Law and Cooperation subdivision, which surely dealt with the making of constitutions. While I had spent almost four years mastering English literature, then I found the fact that my occupation afterward had nothing to do with literary theories. I just put my self forward in the level of theoretical implementations into papers; I had not yet devoted myself into the real practice. That’s why I began to realize that my understanding on them would fade away through times.

The workload in the office was so heavy that I didn’t even have time to compose any writing at all since my staying here. Before the entrance of this Department, I thought I would be able to extend the amount of my writing, specifically the pop culture ones. However, I could not manage it. The last five days, for example, I got extra times in the office, filing the documents, attending the meetings, and managing the law-making of Digital Broadcasting in Indonesia. There is no position in the office (anywhere, except in the Translation Bureau) of being a translator. Translation was only the side effect of the job descriptions.

I should condemned the fact that my lectures in university did not have a really strong connection with the works I had in the office. That’s all there is to it. I knew it perfectly that a graduate of English Literature could only apply his or her knowledge into practice by being a lecturer, then. Some friends of mine had traced the path and continued their master either in Literature or Linguistics. Surely I had good faith in them as the next generation of English Department in my university.

Yet, one of the greatest things in this office was its working atmosphere. I really had to thank God to have taken the Apprenticeship program in the seventh semester, for then I didn’t really have to adapt very hard with working partners; how to deal with the so-called ‘seniors’, the ‘old school’ employees, bosses, and partners, or how to be a multitasking worker. The welcome was fairly good, for they did not put us under the label of ‘newcomers’, but instead introduced us with the rules of the war, explained the procedures, showed our desks, and directly gave something to work on. At least there was a moment when I realized that I had been put in the right place and thanked God for it.

Indonesia ended its blockade of websites carrying a controversial anti-Islam film and apologized to the public on Friday after a string of angry complaints and accusation of censorship.

Access was restored to YouTube, MySpace and other prominent sites by the country's main Internet service providers, who barred them this week at the government's request. "Access to YouTube and several other sites has been re-opened after Internet providers received overwhelming protests from users," Heru Nugroho, of the Indonesian Internet providers' association, told AFP. "We discussed the complaints with the ministry and they agree with us."

Indonesia's Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Muhammad Nuh, apologized for the blockade targeting the 17-minute Fitna, which splices images of terrorist attacks with quotes from the Koran and has provoked protests in several Muslim countries. "I openly ask the public's forgiveness for the inconvenience caused over the past few days by the blocking of sites," Nuh told journalists on Friday. "This was a consequence of a process designed to protect the state."

The government has faced accusations of censorship over the ban, and many small business owners said it affected their livelihoods. Internet providers said they would instead try to block access to individual pages carrying Fitna. Nuh wrote to YouTube last week asking it to remove the film. In a reply seen by AFP, YouTube owner Google said it would seek an "agreeable solution" but would not "unnecessarily block legal videos from Indonesian users."

"We propose that the ministry send a list of videos believed to be illegal, noting the specific web addresses. We will promptly review the ministry’s list and remove any illegal videos from display to Indonesian YouTube users," it said.

The Alliance of Independent Journalists said the blockade amounted to censorship, comparing it to "destroying a restaurant to kill a fly." But the minister Nuh used a different analogy. "This is like removing a tumor and giving the person a general anaesthetic," he said. "After the tumor is successfully removed or isolated then we are okay."

Nugroho said many Indonesian small business owners who use the sites to showcase their products had been affected by the blocking of YouTube and Multiply, a networking site. "Many of our users use YouTube or Multiply for their business," he said. "We will block direct links to the web pages that have the film. It's the film we are concerned with, not YouTube."

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has banned screenings of Fitna and barred the Dutch lawmaker behind it from entering Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation. Lawmaker Geert Wilders' film has sparked protests in several Muslim countries including Pakistan, Iran, Indonesia and Afghanistan since it was posted on the Internet last month.

*Adapted from The Jakarta Post Daily
Saturday, April 12, 2008.

Rancangan Undang-Undang tentang Informasi dan Transaksi Elektronik (RUU ITE) disahkan Selasa, 25 Maret 2008. Naskah RUU ITE diterima secara aklamasi oleh seluruh fraksi DPR RI lewat Rapat Paripurna. Setelah menanti sekitar lima tahun, Indonesia akan segera memiliki payung hukum di bidang pemanfaatan teknologi informasi dan komunikasi (TIK). Silahkan klik di sini.

Namun, tentu ada pro dan kontra. So, have your say..

*Direktorat Jenderal Aplikasi Telematika
Departemen Komunikasi dan Informatika
Republik Indonesia.

Spending the last four days with the lads was just yet one of the ways I recounted to ensure myself that I had some good friends to leave behind. Playing the songs that had goodbye lyrics was pretty helpful. It might sound exaggerated, but separation is always uneasy for me. Even I paid double to my barber and told him that it could have been the last time I got my hair cut in his small shop.

A trilogy doesn’t only belong to Lord of the Rings, but also to our hiking agenda in Batu Busuk (please don’t translate it as rotten-stone, indeed). I had been involved in the down-the-river rally, ad hoc, crossing the threshold of the wilderness and the unknown. A hero pattern had begun.

It was neither the quest for rescuing kidnapped princesses, nor the fight for slaying the dragons. It was simply crossing the river streams, conquering a new ‘land’ and establishing a small lot to get some lunch. If Harry Potter was motivated by the need of killing the Dark Lord, we were about to satisfy our own ids and kill the boredom. Joseph Campbell, who was celebrated for his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1956), introduced us the hero pattern into three treads: The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return.

The Departure ensued when the lads were gathering from all directions in Pasar Baru. I should have always stirred up early in the morning to get the place, unless witnessing the crowd marching forward and leaving me behind. When the girls began to share the equipments, food stock, and the surviving tools, the boys were trying to map the road ahead, although they had done some surveys down the Batu Busuk valley. Once everything was settled up, we were called for adventure.

It was not the most breathtaking journey in the world, but it was surely filled with some severe cramps and spasms along the road. There was no supernatural aid coming for help. Campbell’s pattern was rigid however, and not every quest should be conveyed toe-to-toe with his theory. In his attempt to conquer Troy, Agamemnon was assisted by Odysseus and Achilles; Hamlet mysteriously gained help from the spirit of his father to make revenge; Tin Tin might have constantly been accompanied by his loyal Snowy or the Captain; however, Antigone or Medea were without companions at all in their missions. Variations are the heart of the hero patterns.

The medical utensils had always there for the first aid, though. Titin, for example, could have gasped heavier for her leg injury, if Pono wasn’t there to help. Pono was the aid herself, but was surely not the supernatural one. Next, the forest was stepped with a brawny determination. In average, every hiking had always been graced with the presence of no less than twenty people. Heavy bushes and the hissing of the snakes couldn’t have done better than just annoying. Nobody scared.

When we were approaching the river, it came the time to cross the threshold since beyond the stream was something unexplored. The Strongs of the group would create a ‘human-fencing’ system by stretching their arms to one another and help the Weaks pass the river. Though it was proved successful, some used the method to snatch the rare opportunity of being close with the ones they care or love. Hala!

Having finished with the boundary things, we came in the second phase of the expedition: The Initiation. There were the roads of trials lie ahead. Crossing the river was not without pain. Jagged pebbles and prickly materials under the water were more than frustrating. I found my toes wounded in the first hiking because I was not used to be in such a situation before. Renal’s nail was torn apart from the shell. Half of the participants had nothing to argue since they all experienced the same painful kind of adaptation in the Newfoundland. I had also witnessed big lizards lurking from behind a tree and the goddamn brown leech sucking my blood.

The series of trials had transformed the ‘heroes’ in some major ways to become tougher to continue the journey. It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends. The Ordeal has been established. The selfishness and pride had been transformed into modesty and humbleness. At the end of the journey we found the place to rest and prepared the merrymaking. Finally, prize had come to hand as the lads swimming in the river and greedily making involvement in the gala lunch. The crown was for Barbarossa, the jouissance was for us.

The final stage of the journey, The Return, corresponds to the conclusion. The heroes then occasionally tried to decline the comeback. The hiking was stuck in the place where great moments were shared and everybody was hesitant to return. The refusal was a kind of direct impulse now that the heroes had reached their mission. Because the essence of the return was to be ready to live the daily life and function in the society again, we found it hard to move.

But we surely had to progress. The return would automatically be the reversed version of all the stages, from crossing back the river stream with all its difficulties until climbing the valley up to the forest. The last nemesis to fight was the exhaustion and fatigue, and we won. Sometimes, however, things could have turned roughly. And this far, some of the participants have ever collapsed; I broke my breath and was attacked by the bronchitis asthma once arrived home.

But we declared ourselves the Master of Two World, where the Batu Busuk life and thesis-making classes intertwined to one another; it had been the third time I join in the hiking, not to mention that it could have been a tetralogy in a short period of time.

The journey is a map
While the story of the Journey first manifests itself in the ancient myths and legends, it is still around us today. It is the basis for almost all of the books we read, plays we act and hikings I march. Even our routine activity from getting up from bed, going to work, and coming back home was a kind of hero pattern. There is a hero within ourselves.

We also see it in television in the forms of The Simpsons, The Matrix, Lion King, Harry Potter, or Samurai X. The journey gives us a means for understanding and benefiting from these fictional adventures. Even if the characters aren’t real, the journeys they take and challenges they face are reflections of the real journeys and challenges we all face in life. If we understand the hero pattern, we will be better able to face difficulties and use our experiences to become stronger and more capable. The pattern can help us achieve wisdom, growth, and independence, and carrying out the journey helps us become the people we want to be.

*Dedicated to my hiking companions.

Begin with a simple syllogism: Soeharto is human. Human dies. Soeharto dies. This page is dedicated to ex-President Soeharto, who passed away on 27 January 2008. Complication on his ilnesses saw the 86-year old man's death in RSPP. Through all the strengths and weaknesses in his governance, we mourn still.

Serial Harry Potter resmi berakhir. Di Indonesia hal itu ditandai dengan diterbitkannya edisi terjemahan ke dalam bahasa kita 13 Januari lalu (versi aslinya memang sudah duluan terbit bulan Juli tahun 2007). Namun, yang menarik untuk dicermati adalah fakta bahwa minat pembaca begitu besar terhadap Harry Potter. Peluncuran versi Indonesia yang dilakukan di Gramedia, Matraman, Jakarta disertai oleh konvoi komunitas-komunitas penggemar Harry Potter yang rela antri jam 12.00 malam demi mendapatkan buku tersebut!

Tidak berlebihan jika kemudian kita menyebut Harry Potter sebagai sebuah masterpiece, atau karya besar. Sejak kemunculannya yang pertama, buku ini telah banyak memenangkan penghargaan, di antaranya Whitaker Platinum Books Award, Nestle Smarties Book Prize, Children’s Book of the Year Award, atau Scottish Arts Council Book Award. Saat ini, Harry Potter bisa disebut sebagai ikon budaya populer dalam sastra anak. Ia menjadi simbol bacaan anak-anak di seluruh dunia dan menginspirasi terbitnya buku-buku lain.

J.K. Rowling, barangkali, dapat disejajarkan dengan Charles Dickens, pengarang novel asal Inggris pada abad ke-19. Ia dikenal sebagai penulis yang produktif nan terkenal pada masanya. Rowling dan Dickens sama-sama lihai menciptakan karakter-karakter unik, baik sifat, rupa, dan nama mereka. Karya mereka juga mampu menjaring segala usia. Perbedaan mungkin terletak pada setting cerita yang digunakan kedua pengarang. Dickens lebih fokus kepada masalah-masalah sosial ekonomi masyarakat London pada awal abad ke-19, sedangkan Rowling memilih bercerita tentang dunia fantasi berlatar Inggris.

Mungkin karena itulah Rowling lebih bebas mengeksplorasi ide, menjelajahi dunia khayalan yang tanpa batas sehingga bisa menulis cerita Harry Potter sebanyak tujuh seri. Hasilnya, jika kita bicara penjualan buku dan animo masyarakat, Dickens ‘tidak ada apa-apanya’ dibanding Rowling. Namun, yang pasti, karya-karya Dickens telah menjadi klasik, kanon sastra, yang tetap dibaca sampai sekarang. Apakah Harry Potter akan mengikutinya? Tampaknya ia sedang berjalan menuju ke sana.

Sebuah anomali
Harry Potter telah menjadi bacaan wajib anak-anak di Inggris dan Amerika. Ia telah mementahkan pendapat banyak kalangan dan ahli pendidikan yang mengatakan bahwa buku bacaan anak-anak mesti tipis dan bergambar. Rowling begitu pandai membius dan menggiring fantasi pembacanya, sehingga anak-anak tidak memerlukan gambar sebagai ilustrasi cerita. Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix, misalnya, memiliki 896 halaman dan mereka rela antri panjang mendapatkannya seperti membeli sembako. Harganya juga tergolong selangit untuk buku anak-anak; rata-rata serial tersebut berbanderol Rp200.000 /eksemplar.

Di tengah riset-riset yang menunjukkan bahwa minat dan budaya baca masyarakat kita masih rendah, penggemar Harry Potter seperti ‘membungkamnya’ dengan minat baca yang luar bisa terhadap buku tersebut. Pembacaan dan apresiasi terhadap sastra di tanah air memang tengah mandeg dan minim, namun hal tersebut tidak berlaku bagi Harry Potter. Ia bahkan menembus segala usia; anak-anak, remaja, sampai orang tua pun ikut membacanya. Komunitas-komunitas penggemar Harry Potter bertebaran di mana-mana. Begitu banyak diskusi-diskusi online di Internet, sehingga banyak orang berinisiatif membuat website sendiri yang bertemakan Harry Potter. Tidak sedikit pula anak yang memimpikan dirinya ‘menjadi’ Harry, Ron, atau Hermione. Harry Potter adalah sebuah anomali.

Dekade lalu, anak-anak dan remaja mungkin suka membaca kisah petualangan Lima Sekawan karya Enid Blyton, Trio Detektif-nya Alfred Hitchcock, atau bahkan serial hantu Goosebumps-nya R.L. Stine, yang lumayan laris di toko-toko buku. Semuanya memunyai kesamaan, yaitu bercerita tentang petualangan. Harry Potter juga hadir dalam genre serupa, sehingga ia relatif mudah menjaring penggemar. Membaca buku cerita dan petualangan membangkitkan rasa ingin tahu dan penasaran akan isi buku tersebut. Inilah yang dimanfaatkan oleh Rowling sehingga anak-anak bisa menahan kantuk demi menyelesaikan bab Harry Potter-nya yang nanggung. Tingkat ingin tahu terhadap bacaan merupakan salah satu pemicu tingginya minat baca.

Harry Potter pun menyingkirkan anggapan bahwa anak-anak dan remaja Indonesia tidak suka membaca. Anak-anak sekarang ternyata sudah pintar dan tahu mana buku bagus, menarik, dan tidak ‘menggurui’ untuk mereka baca. Bukannya merendahkan kualitas buku dan cerita lokal, namun serial Harry Potter yang rata-rata 900 halaman, tanpa gambar, dan berharga ‘selangit’ dapat dibaca dan dinikmati oleh sebagian besar pelajar di negeri ini. Jelas serial tersebut bisa merangsang minat. Memang karya yang bagus baru bisa diketahui setelah dibaca, tetapi setelah lewat enam seri, ternyata buku Harry Potter masih ditunggu. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, seri terakhir misalnya, ludes sebanyak 15 juta eksemplar dalam 24 jam pertama!

Pasca Harry Potter
Namun, yang jadi persoalan adalah ketika Harry Potter sudah ‘tidak ada lagi,’ apakah angka-angka yang menunjukkan rendahnya budaya baca kita kembali mencuat? Menurut laporan Bank Dunia dan riset IEA (International Association for the Evolution of Education Achievement) di Asia Timur, Indonesia berada di urutan terbuncit menyangkut masalah minat baca anak-anak, dengan skor 51.7, di bawah Philipina (52.6), Thailand (65.1), Singapura (74.0), dan Hongkong (75.5). Laporan UNESCO mengatakan bahwa satu koran di Indonesia masih dibaca oleh 42 orang, padahal rasio idealnya adalah 1:10. Sejak reformasi 1998, jumlah tiras koran, majalah serta tabloid hanya mencapai 16-17 juta eksemplar. Sampai tahun 2007 saja, angka buta huruf di Indonesia masih mencapai 7.5%. Kita memang belum bisa menutupi rendahnya budaya membaca masyarakat kita.

Apakah anak-anak dan remaja Indonesia hanya mau membaca Harry Potter? Mengerikan kalau begitu. Serial Harry Potter telah berakhir, lantas apakah minat baca kita juga ikut berakhir? Anak-anak di seluruh dunia tentu mengharapkan Rowling menulis cerita-cerita fenomenal lagi. Namun, bagaimana kalau ia menyatakan ‘gantung pena’ dan memilih menikmati kekayaannya dalam waktu yang tidak ditentukan? Kita tidak bisa hanya menggantungkan minat baca kepada seorang Rowling.

Sapardi Djoko Damono, dalam suatu kesempatan, mengatakan bahwa literatur Indonesia untuk anak-anak terkesan memblokir kreativitas mereka. Anak-anak diberi teori dan bukan penghayatan. Mereka menjadi kurang kreatif, karena penanaman “diam, duduk manis dan tidak boleh nakal.” Imajinasi mereka dikekang dan setiap cerita dijejali dengan beban nasehat yang berat, sehingga mematikan minat membacanya.

Harry Potter hendaknya bisa menjadi tantangan bagi penulis cerita Indonesia untuk menulis kisah yang baik (tidak perlu fenomenal dan menjadi best-seller dunia), namun bisa menumbuhkan rasa penasaran dan merangsang minat, sehingga membaca bisa menjadi budaya. Setelah Harry Potter, lalu apa? Ya, terus membaca!

*Artikel ini telah dimuat di Harian Padang Ekspres, Minggu 27 Januari 2008.
*photograph by: Stephen Hird/reuters

Partai Barcelona versus Real Madrid adalah pertandingan ‘terpanas’ dalam dunia sepakbola. Perseteruan mereka bahkan sudah melampaui batas-batas olahraga. El Clásico, julukan partai ini, adalah pertarungan dua kerhormatan, bendera, bahasa, harga diri, politik, dan gengsi. Jika menggunakan ‘bahasa’ Madrid di Barcelona, dijamin Anda tidak akan dilayani; sebaliknya, jika memakai kostum El Barça di kota Madrid, dijamin orang akan melempari Anda. Begitu dahsyatnya rivalitas ini, sehingga setiap mereka bertemu di lapangan, tidak ada media Spanyol yang tidak mengupas tuntas pertandingan ini, sampai-sampai media nasional pun terbagai menjadi dua kubu: pro Barcelona dan pro Real Madrid. Berikut adalah 10 fakta (alasan) mengapa pertandingan antara Barcelona versus Real Madrid adalah partai sepakbola ‘terpanas’ di muka Bumi:

1. Lebih dari sekedar batas geografi

Liverpool vs Everton, Arsenal vs S