Saat-saat menegangkan menunggu pengumuman 16 jawara ajang kompetisi Pertukaran Blogger Dunia atau The Big Blog Exchange berakhir sudah. 16 pemenang sudah ditentukan. Antiklimaks bagi Indonesia dimana pada regional Asia Pasifik, Indonesia adalah negara yang memiliki finalis paling banyak di posisi 25 besar regional (12 blogger) malah tidak mempunyai satu pun pemenang di ajang kompetisi yang diselenggarakan oleh Hostelling International.

Hingga tepat pengumuman diberikan, Aku dan teman-teman finalis yang lainnya masih sangat yakin bahwa setidaknya Indonesia akan memiliki satu pemenang. Bagaimana tidak, Indonesia adalah negara yang memiliki pendaftar terbanyak di sepanjang kompetisi ini. Jujur saja, bohong jika aku mengaku tidak kecewa. Namun aku sama sekali tidak membayangkan sebelumnya bahwa tidak ada satupun finalis blogger Indonesia yang gagal meneruskan perjuangan di ajang The Big Blog Exchange ini. Kekecewaanku tidak terpilih sesungguhnya tidak terlalu berarti dibandingkan tidak adanya blogger Indonesia yang dipilih sebagai pemenang.

Belakangan, timbul kabar bahwa tidak dipilihnya blogger Indonesia karena Hostelling International belum memiliki jaringan di Indonesia. Coba lihat gambar di bawah ini.

Benar saja, Indonesia memang negara yang belum termasuk di jaringan Hostelling International. Jadi, bisa saja mereka akan kesulitan mempersiapkan rancangan kegiatan pemenang jika tidak ada perwakilan di sini. Sepertinya, pemenang akan ditempatkan di salah satu hostel yang ada di jaringan Hostelling International. Apa jadinya jika peserta ditempatkan di hostel lain yang tidak ada di jaringan mereka? mungkin mereka akan merasa nama baik mereka sedikit ternodai. Namun, di sisi lain, hal ini terlihat bahwa mereka merendahkan Indonesia! Mereka menganggap Indonesia tidak ada! Indonesia tak ubahnya sekedar tim penggembira di ajang kompetisi dunia ini. Sangat memprihatinkan dan mengecewakan!

Baiklah, bisa jadi hal tersebut hanya dugaan saja. Namun, jika benar hal itu terjadi, maka kompetisi ini sudah berjalan tidak sehat sejak pertama kali diluncurkan. Niat awal mereka untuk menjadikan ajang ini sebagai tempat untuk mengenal kebudayaan negara lain ternodai sudah. Sepertinya, mereka belum banyak tahu tentang Indonesia. Bahwa Indonesia adalah negara kepulauan TERBESAR di dunia dengan memiliki lebih dari 17.500 pulau! Mereka juga tidak tahu bahwa Indonesia adalah negara dengan suku bangsa TERBANYAK di dunia. Terdapat lebih dari 740 suku bangsa/etnis di Indonesia. Mereka juga nampaknya tidak tahu bahwa Indonesia adalah negara dengan bahasa daerah TERBANYAK di dunia. Lebih dari 583 bahasa yang terdapat di suku di Indonesia. Indonesia adalah pusat kebudayaan dunia. Indonesia adalah negara yang memiliki kekayaan alam yang sangat banyak dan beragam. Sayang, mereka belum mengetahui itu semua. Sehingga Indonesia dikerdilkan, dikucilkan dan dianggap negara yang tidak patut diperhitungkan.

Walau begitu, dalam kesempatan ini, saya mengucapkan selamat kepada 16 besar jawara di The Big Blog Exchange. Siapa saja blogger yang beruntung itu?

1. Jeremy Fowler – Kanada

Jeremy adalah blogger yang berjuang melawan kanker. Dengan meraih 1417 dukungan dan menempati posisi 4 besar dunia, Jeremy terpilih sebagai pemenang mewakili negara Kanada di Regional Amerika Serikat. Blog Jeremy sesungguhnya sederhana, namun ia menarik perhatian para juri dengan kisah perjuangannya melawan penyakit ganas tersebut. Alasan juri memilih Jeremy adalah, “Jeremy’s poignant motivation has touched not only the jury, but also a vast number of bloggers around the globe, who continue to find his blog inspiring and motivational. Travelling and exchanging lifestyles and scenarios can really change not only your life but also the attitude of people around you. Jeremy’s struggle against cancer is a symbol for what everybody of us wants to change and overcome.” Di ajang ini, Jeremy akan tinggal sementara waktu di Malaysia.

2. Kisty Mea – Singapura

Salah satu keunggulan Kisty adalah desain blognya yang bagus dan foto-foto yang terlihat menarik. Di ajang ini Kisty akan berkesempatan untuk tinggal sementara waktu di Inggris. Juri memilihnya karena, “We all know that laughing and smiling is a universal way to understand other cultures, and Kisty’s blog certainly made us all smile. The graphics she uses, and the way she decides to put together her posts are really inspiring, creative and full of personality – which is exactly what we are looking for in a BBE blogger. We love her simple, yet engaging layout and we think her well written posts are full of inspirational tips, interesting information and lots of personal, witty anecdotes. We look forward to welcoming Kisty on board as one of our bloggers, and we can’t wait to see how she presents her exchange.”

3. Camie Juan – Filipina

Sejak awal, Camie Juan sudah mendapatkan perhatian dari juri karena tampilan blognya yang bagus. Di blognya, Camie banyak berbicara soal fashion. Di ajang ini ia akan dikirim ke Jerman. Adapun juri memilih dia karena, “Of course, we would love to have a ‘wild spirit’ in the 2013 Big Blog Exchange, especially one who is so open to travel and who expresses her experiences on her blog so passionately and with such enthusiasm. The passion, creativity and flair Wild Spirit has shown during the competition stage has impressed us a lot, especially with her specially designed graphics and beautifully written articles. With her ambition of becoming a ‘citizen of the world’ using the power of blogs, we would love for Wild Spirit to start to fulfil this through the Big Blog Exchange project.”

4. Rafael – Brazil

Salah satu blogger yang memang layak jadi pemenang karena dia mampu memadukan tulisan dan gambar dengan baik. Di ajang ini Rafael akan mempelajari kebudayaan Perancis. Alasan juri memilih dia adalah, “Reading 360meridianos blog, you can really grasp the fact that travel is a real passion for the contributors! Their travel reviews, tips and posts are easy to follow, well written and are accompanied by high quality photographs. Above all each post has a personal touch when writing about experiences in different parts of the world, which allows us to engage with the writer’s personalities. Their motivation is aligned with what the Big Blog Exchange is all about – to learn about cultures and to share your experiences, whilst educating the world.”

5. Liesbet Maroye – Belgia

Bisa jadi Liesbet terpilih karena motivasinya yang cukup kuat. Liesbet beruntung sekali karena terpilih untuk mengunjungi Afrika Selatan. Juri memilihnya karena, “Her motivation and enthusiasm in becoming one of the 16 immediately embraces you when you visit her blog. Her motto: “Nothing is impossible” is particularly inspiring, especially within the content of the Big Blog Exchange. The high quality writing style and vast amount of attractive and descriptive photos makes for easy, engaging reading – in addition to her blog’s easy, simple yet effective structure. The personal passion for travelling and hostelling is very apparent, and although understated, Liesbet’s blog is very professional looking, with an inside look into her culture. We love how she made a countdown on her blog in aid of the winner’s announcement date and similarly, we thought the recent ‘Big Blog Exchange syndrome’ post on her site was very clever and equally, very creative.”

6. Rosario Lamastra – Argentina

Secara tampilan di blog, Rosario hampir sama dengan Kisty dan Camie. Kini, Rosario sedang bersiap melakukan perjalanan ke Selandia Baru. Juri memilih dia karena, “Seeing the world through art and capturing that through the lens of a camera is a gift to share’ is something that Rosario has implied in her motivation and has shown through her blog. Her stories are written well, with pictures to capture the imagination of the reader. Her blog is simple in format, but colourful and entertaining in design, and we have loved reading about her experiences. We really enjoyed Rosario’s video, which was well edited – and well thought out, giving us a real indication and a real feel for her hometown. We look forward to seeing how her creative flair is brought out in the BBE project.”

7. Katherine Kearsley – Selandia Baru

Katherine juga memiliki motivasi yang kuat. Didukung dengan tampilan blog yang menarik, dia dipilih untuk melakukan perjalanan ke Argentina. Dia dipilih juri dengan alasan, “Katherine mixes all her interests to create a blog that is inspiring, engaging and easy to read. We love how she writes and photographs her experiences, quite literally ‘kap-cha-ring’ (capturing) them as though you were sharing the experience along with her. We loved reading about her afternoon tea visits (where our mouths watered over the delicious looking cakes), as well as her posts about her travels and we think she is going to make an excellent Big Blog Exchange traveler.”

8. Andy Andersen – Amerika Serikat

Dari awal, Andy sudah banyak didukung oleh blogger lain. Termasuk blogger Indonesia. Dia memiliki motivasi yang sangat kuat dalam menjalani membangun blognya. Karena itu pula juri memilih dia. “Changing the world one backpacker at a time”: this mission stated on Andy’s blog heading explains the ultimate aim of travelling better than many words. Changing through travel (especially travelling in a certain way that is the way chosen by backpackers) is slow, is not frenzy, it takes time. But it can really be very rewarding and effective. The image of the slow ride of camels on the background of the writing brilliantly conveys the impression of this slow but continuous and steady development. Same as diplomacy that is not a sudden and violent event, but can bring priceless results. Little slow things can make great changes , and bloggers can contribute a lot to.” Selamat bersenang-senang di Spanyol, Andy!

9. Chee Ching  – Malaysia

Dia terpilih karena menurut juri dia kreatif. “Chee Chingy is a frequent poster with a very unique and creative flair in the content she creates. The result is a blog very personally expressed blog that undoubtedly sticks out in a sea of other photograph focused blogs. Well written content sprinkled with her creative illustrative interpretations of daily experiences and a touch of heartfelt humour, we have ourselves a winner, for sure. We are really looking forward to seeing how Chee decides to document her Big Blog Exchange experience through drawing and blogging.”

10. Nitzan Arad – Israel

Bingung mau berkata apa tentang blogger satu ini, karena apa yang ia tulis sangat sulit dimengerti. Namun juri memilihnya karena, “From the moment the wallpaper of this blog loaded, you have the feeling you are in a different country and you get a first hit of a culture you would like to know more about. Nitzan expose you to different topics and undertake a journey of personal growth. She is very passion about travelling and she finds herself inspired by meeting and learning from different cultures. She would love to exchange her passion with a blogger that will discover her country. I am sure she will be a great participant in The Big Blog Exchange.”

Diganti

Karena tidak bisa mengikuti seluruh rangkaian kegiatan, Nitzan dari Israel mengundurkan diri. Ini dia pengganti Nitzan yang juga dari Israel. Hmmm… di suatu sisi mungkin untuk memudahkan rencana yang sudah dibentuk. Tapi menyisakan satu pertanyaan sendiri. Jika tidak ada wakil Israel di posisi 25 lainnya apakah The Big Blog Exchange tetap memilih peserta dari Israel? walaupun tidak masuk kualifikasi penilaian?

Ali Krap

juri memilih Ali Krap dengan alasan ini, “From the moment the wallpaper of this blog loaded showing a well-worn leather chair, I felt I wanted to settle in and make myself comfortable following Ali’s adventures. I was drawn into her tales of travelling around remote villages of South Africa and recognised in these the power and importance of travel to not just provide new experiences but also to change perceptions as much as change of surroundings, expose yourself to different cultures and undertake a journey of personal growth. Ali manages to avoid the inherent narcissism of personal blogs by tackling bigger picture concepts, e.g. such as questioning the lasting meaning of sustainable tourism in day to day life. The recommended music choices for each post were novel and I had not encountered them used in that way before – I loved it! I liked her real traveller photographs and obvious immersion into the experiences she has had. I am sure she will be an excellent participant in The Big Blog Exchange.”

11. Audur Osp – Islandia

Blogger yang satu ini concern menulis mengenai kota tempati ia tinggal. Dia dipilih juri karena, “This blog offers a warm welcome to those wishing to find out more about Iceland, its landscapes and cultures. The layout is dynamic, with the perfect balance of managing to engage the audience without looking cluttered. As she says, those who travel to Iceland will find a fascinating place with unique scenery. At the same time, by being part of the Big Blog Exchange, she would make her dreams true of leaving the island and discovering new places and cultures. A native of Iceland and advocate for the country, this blog provides an honest and realistic account of what to expect when visiting; what’s worth it and what isn’t. Audur has a sincere enthusiasm to share her country, and you’ll find her blog easy to navigate, informative, and piquing your interest in visiting Iceland. The Big Blog Exchange would allow her to open her world and lead her followers to another exciting destination.”

12. Claire – Perancis

Salah satu blog dengan tampilan paling menarik menurutku. Dia dipilih karena, “Claire is nothing if not candid and makes sure that each post is fun, engaging and insightful, providing a unique perspective and serving her readers’ best interests. Her wealth of content explores everything from travel to Facebook to the working world, and her thirst to be part of something larger than herself would serve the Big Blog Exchange well. The sentence she uses, “I pretend to be the change, rather than waiting for it to happen”, really summarises why she should be chosen – as she uses her blog as a chance to change attitudes. The Green Geekette is easy to read, nicely designed, well-structured and welcoming, and so we can’t wait to have her on board as one of our winners. “

13. Didintle Nistie – Afrika Selatan

Nistie mampu menunjukkan antusiasnya terhadap The Big Blog Exchange. Dia dipilih karena, “Like the Swedish garden that Didi has named her blog after, this blog is about growth and the hope that something will blossom out of the cultivation and nurturing of the soul and spirit. Didi has undertaken some similar experiences in the past through her involvement with the Youth Initiative Program. Her blogging about that experience was comprehensive, insightful and enjoyable to read. And it is more than evident through her blog that Didi is someone who connects with people from different cultures. This gives me confidence she will make the most of being part of The Big Blog Exchange. Reading her personal motivation for entering this competition made me want to swap lives with her!”

14. Sara Rodriguez – Spanyol

Sara banyak bercerita tentang keseharianya. Dia dipilih juri karena, “With a very clean, engaging homepage, balancing the perfect amount of photos and writing, Sara is a blogger with a purpose – mindful travel. She has created a portal for travellers to interact and learn from her experiences, offering a very personal perspective yet making it relevant to the masses. Her appreciation for the people she meets along the way is evident, which is what hostelling is all about. Her blog is well-organized and offers a wide variety of topics and posts whilst also being easy to navigate. Her written content and photographs are of very high quality, which really adds to the polished, visual feel to her blog. She shows originality by proposing every Friday a “Friday’s Pick”, a post dedicated to that specific day of the week. Her motivation is clear – to travel, discover new people and cultures and communicate it to her audience in her best possible way.”

15. Sophie Roberts – Inggris

Salah satu blogger yang beruntung karena mendapatkan wildcard walau dengan ‘hanya’ 3 dukungan suara. Alasan juri memilihnya adalah, “Sophie’s blog is all about taking on new challenges, which is exactly what the Big Blog Exchange will be. We love her enthusiasm, passion and creativity in each of her posts, and she has really perfected the balance between images and written content. We can’t wait to see how Sophie tackles her newest challenge – The Big Blog Exchange!”

16. Tina – Jerman

Ini dia pemenang wildcard dengan 0 suara dukungan. Juri memilihnya karena, “We were not only enticed by the delicious looking recipes on Tina’s blog, but also her witty, well written content and her stunning photography. We love how she mixes food and travel, something that will hopefully be very insightful in her Big Blog Exchange journey – and how she mixes her interests together. She has a very simple but creative concept to her blog, and we love how her personality and flair shines through. We think she would make an excellent wildcard, and we can wait to see what cuisines she will be tasting, trying and (maybe) cooking on her travels.”

Itu dia ke-16 blogger yang terpilih di kompetisi The Big Blog Exchange tahun 2013. Beberapa fakta menarik terjadi. Misalnya saja, tidak ada satupun peraih puncak di masing-masing regional yang dipilih di ajang ini. Di blog TBBE bahkan ada blogger dari India yang protes keras karena blogger India adalah peraih posisi puncak di ajang ini dengan memperoleh lebih dari 2200 suara!

Dari 16 blogger ini, hanya 3 blogger saja yang belum membeli domain blog. Sehingga masih ada embel-embel induk blog di alamat blog mereka. Selebihnya, sudah mengeksklusifkan blog mereka sehingga memang tampak lebih personal dan menarik.

Regional Eropa paling berjaya di ajang ini. (Padahal regional Asia Pasifik adalah regional dengan persaingan paling ketat!) Mereka punya 6 pemenang! Kejutan yang benar-benar mencengangkan adalah dengan terpilihnya dua blogger wildcard yang sangat diluar dugaan. Aku tidak mengatakan mereka blogger yang buruk, namun aku awalnya mengira bahwa blogger yang sangat memiliki motivasi yang kuat atau blogger yang sangat istimewalah yang akan terpilih. Nyatanya? Silahkan kalian nilai masing-masing.

Di blognya, TBBE selalu mengatakan bahwa mereka berharap semua blogger yang terlibat di ajang ini tetap mengikuti perjalanan ke-16 blogger yang terpilih. Ya! Aku akan setia mengikuti perjalanan mereka. Aku sangat antusias untuk melihat, blogger mana yang mampu memanfaatkan perjalanan ini sebaik dan semaksimal mungkin untuk mewujudkan misi awal TBBE (dengan menuliskannya dan menyebarkannya sehingga menginspirasi banyak orang) atau blogger mana yang menjadikan kemenangan ini hanya sebagai perjalanan yang sia-sia.

Maaf, menurutku beberapa blogger yang dipilih hanya terpilih karena TBBE ingin dianggap telah memilih blogger yang bervariatif. Seperti blogger yang menggunakan bahasa negara mereka, atau blogger dengan spesifikasi tak hanya bercerita tentang perjalanan. (makanya ada blogger yang jago gambar atau jago masak yang terpilih, walaupun motivasi mereka mengikuti TBBE ini tidak terlalu terlihat atau bahkan ada blogger yang sama sekali tidak terlihat motivasinya, hanya sekedar mendaftar). Atau bisa saja mereka juga berfikir, “kita pilih saja yang tidak mempunyai dukungan suara sama sekali, agar terlihat bahwa kita memberi kesempatan bahkan ke blogger yang tidak punya dukungan. Motivasi mereka tidak ada? ah tidak terlalu masalah! yang penting blogger yang dipilih bervariasi!”

Ini adalah pertama kalinya aku mengikuti lomba dengan sistem voting. Sebenarnya, sudah jadi kebiasaan sejak lama untukku tidak memberitahu banyak orang tentang kegiatan perlombaan yang sedang aku jalani. Lebih mudah untukku menata emosi dikala gagal. Namun, dengan sistem voting ini berlangsung, mau tidak mau aku harus melibatkan banyak orang, dan… di saat aku gagal, banyak orang yang ikut merasakan hal yang sama. Mohon maaf ya 🙂 sungguh, tujuan aku menulis hal ini lebih kepada karena aku merasa Indonesia dianggap sebelah mata oleh mereka. Sekali lagi maaf.

Sekali lagi, selamat untuk para pemenang, dan tolong… manfaatkan kesempatan emas ini dengan sebaik-baiknya.

Salam dari Indonesia!