Welcome to Fraternal Conversations

In our pursuit to get-to-know each other well in community and in a way develop deeper knowledge of one another, FC: Fraternal Conversations is introduced as a venue where everyone can get an opportunity to know personal information about our confreres here in the community. FC: Fraternal Conversations is an experimental endeavor that would contribute in the SATMI blog interviews of confreres who are willing to share their stories and disclose data about themselves. Hopefully, these interviews would give the community the opportunity to know each other, especially the freshmen, those who rarely share and talk about personal information and those we hardly have the venue for fraternal sharing.






Monday, July 26, 2010

Have you ever met someone who could carry himself with such calm and gentle composure? Or do you have a friend who possessed such a good bearing? Or you may say that “This kind of stuff just doesn’t exist?” (taken from the movie “Twilight”). Well, I have encountered people like that who are very admirable. Here in our SAT-MI community, we have someone who is a quintessence of those qualities I have mentioned earlier. When I first met him, the impression that came into my mind was that this man is peaceable and gentle. True enough my impression is right as I slowly get acquainted with this person. Who am I referring to? I am proud to introduce to you- - - Fr. Efrem Bolly.

“Ikho”, as he is fondly called by his family and friends back home, is the eldest of the three male-children of Bernadus and Anna Missiati Bolly of Sumbawa Besar, Indonesia. Fr. Efrem, who still preferred to be named “Efrem”, was born on June 09, 1981 (I guess by this time, as you read this feature, you are already counting how old this priest is).

He finished his Kindergarten at SD 7 Sumbawa, his elementary education at SMPK Diponegoro and his secondary education at SMAK Diponegoro; in all these levels, he finished with flying colors. After his secondary education, he entered the minor seminary of the Redemptorist Congregation in Jogjakarta and completed his degree in Philosophy at Sanatha Darma University on August 31, 2006. Time did not stop him from his dream of becoming a priest; he pursued post-graduate studies in Theology in the same university before coming to the Philippines for some additional academic stints here in SAT-MI particularly. His continues studies did not allow him to have a work experience outside.

This time, we are about to peer into the very window of Fr. “Ikho” (wow, we’re very close! Hahahaha!) as he answers questions square-off. But to tell you, even before our interview commenced, he sat on the chair near his room with such ease and readiness. That’s truly a man of God! “Tara na!” join me as I interview him!

FC: Salamat Masam Fr. Efrem! Are you ready? (laughs)

Fr. Efrem: (laughs) Salamat Malam! Yes, I am!

FC: What do you feel this time? What are the prevailing feelings in your heart right now?

Fr. Efrem: Well, I’m excited because I feel very special today. . . I am happy and good also because I have just celebrated mass for the first time on a Friday evening!

FC: Well, congratulations because you are chosen to be the second person who will be featured in our FC column in our BlogSpot. You need not to worry because you are in the good hands! (smiling)

Fr. Efrem: (laughs!)

FC: Let’s shall begin! First question, what is/are your favorite hobby/ies? Something which you love to do or enjoy doing?

Fr. Efrem: I like playing Badminton and Soccer. . . I like playing music . . . playing musical instruments, singing . . . Oh I love to go to the beach!

FC: Do you have deep “longings”? Something which you like or love to do but you haven’t done yet?

Fr. Efrem: Oh I long to travel around the whole world. . . When I was told to go to Thailand to study English I was very happy because I realized that my longing was starting to come true. Then, when I was informed that I would be coming to the Philippines, oh how happy I was! (he speaks with passion!)

FC: Oh I see! Well, that’s pretty great Fr.! Now let’s proceed to the One Word Column. . . These are your likes and dislikes . . . Ready?!!!

Fr. Efrem: (laughs!)

Your favorite Food: Noodle. . . Tasty!

Your not-favorite food: Oily Food . . . cholesterol!

Your favorite Color: White . . . fit with my personality!

Your not-favorite color: Bright color/s . . . don’t fit my personality!

Your Favorite TV Show (you can pick from your country): (scratching his forehead . . . thinking . . .) ah . . . ah I forget the name of that comedy show in Indonesia. . . it’s like what you have in the Philippines but I forget it . . . but I like comedy because I really enjoy and it relaxes me.

Your not-favorite TV Show: Horror . . . because I don’t like feeling tense!

Your Favorite Sports: Football and Badminton . . . our country’s favorite games!

Your not-favorite Sports: Cricket (I hope Surresh won’t get angry at me! laughs!). . . Not attractive to me!

Your Favorite Movie (now): AVATAR . . . it has a message and meaning . . . about respect to society and environment!

Your not-favorite Movie: (deep thinking, scratching again his head) . . . it’s in my head but I cannot name it! (laughs!)

You Favorite Book: Tarian Bumi. . . a nice novel about love overcoming cultural differences and traditions.

Your not-favorite Book: Canon Law . . . complicated and many things to memorize! (laughs!)

Your Favorite Author: Oka Rusmini . . . and I also like Karl Rahner!

Your not-favorite Author: uhhmm! Gladys Malvern

Your Favorite Icon: Tantowi Yahya- a TV host, a singer from Jakarta . . . very good speaker, entertainer and a good command in English!

Your not-favorite Icon: Osama Bin Laden . . . I don’t understand why they do terrorist activities and let other people die! (expression of his face is very serious and emphatic)



FC: Ok Fr. You have just successfully unloaded yourself by answering the first round of this interview. Now I will ensue to the second part of this interview which is based on the Proust Questionnaire . . . uhmm. . . Anyways, the questions are almost similar to the first set . . . ok here we go!

Fr. Efrem: ok! (smiles!)

Your Favorite Virtue: Discipline

Your Favorite Quality in man: Handsome and Responsible

Your Favorite quality in a woman: Caring

Your Favorite Occupation: Teacher

Your Chief Characteristic: Calm

Your Idea of Happiness: (tapping his forehead) is very complex! Happiness can be found in our heart especially being together with someone whom you love like family, friends or it could be God....

Your Idea of Misery: Failure and not in the mood!

Your Favorite Color: still white

Your Favorite Flower: Rose because the smell is very good and it symbolizes love and . . . romantic!
If not yourself, who would you be: (laughs! A bit perplexed!) uhmm . . . I couldn’t think of anything? . . . I still choose Efrem.
Where would you like to live: not in the main street of the city but near the city . . . where I can still gaze upon the beauty of verdant trees and nature....

Your Favorite Poet/s: Chairil Anwar

Your Favorite Composer/s: Ahmad Dany

Your Favorite Painter/s : Michaelangelo . . . very talented, smart and can create feelings through his paintings.

Your Favorite Heroes: R.A. Kartini, educator . . . because he is fighting the emancipation and status of women in Indonesia especially that Indonesia is still very much Paternalistic . . . (very passionate again, Very expressive in elaborating)

Your Favorite Heroine in real life: Mother Teresa . . . because of her strong belief in the power of prayer. . .

Your Favorite Heroes in Fiction: Naruto

Your Favorite Food and Drink: Noodle and Juice . . . Apple juice please . . . but please not ampalaya juice . . . although I haven’t tried it yet. (laughs)

Your Favorite Names: Efrem (FC: love your own ha?!!!), Fernando

Your pet peeve: Moody

What characters in history do you like and dislike the most: I like Mahatma Gandhi’s exemplary effort to promote peace and cultural respect . . . hmm . . . i don’t like David when he took Bathseba away from her husband Uriah . . . only that part that I dislike David because I could really see the influence of authority, money, power . . .

What is your present state of mind: fresh- not so occupied, not so pressured. . .
For what fault have the most tolerance: unconsciousness- because you cannot blame someone who is in that state. . .

Your Favorite Motto: I like what is written in Luke 11:9 “Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.”

FC: Ok, Fr. Efrem our interview is finished! In behalf of the FC Editorial staff, let me say thank you very much