Trivia for "Friends"

* Courteney Cox was originally asked to play Rachel, but she asked to play Monica instead after reading the parts.

* Jon Cryer was originally offered the role of Chandler Bing.

* Jon Favreau was offered the role of Chandler Bing.

* The role of Monica was originally offered to Janeane Garofalo, but she turned it down.

* Jami Gertz also turned down the role of Monica.

* Other titles considered for the show were "Friends Like Us," "Six of One," and "Across the Hall." "Insomnia Cafe" was also considered.

* The golden frame around the peephole was originally a mirror which one of the crew accidentally smashed. But because it still looked good they decided to leave it there.

* Ursula Buffay, Phoebe's twin sister, is a waitress in the TV show "Mad About You" (1992). Fran (Leila Kenzle) and Jamie (Helen Hunt) visit the coffee shop and mistake Phoebe for Ursula in one episode of Friends.

* Three cast members from "The Simpsons" (1989) make guest appearances in the series: Dan Castellaneta, Hank Azaria, and Harry Shearer.

* Columbus State University has a paleontologist called Dr. David R. Schwimmer.

* Emma was played by twins - Cali Sheldon and Noelle Sheldon.

* Because of a bet between Matthew Perry and Bruce Willis on the set of The Whole Nine Yards (2000) (which Perry won), Willis appeared in his two-episode guest role for free.

* Rachel's favorite flowers are lilies.

* Joey's seven sisters are Veronica, Mary Angela, Mary Theresa, Gina, Dina, Tina, and Cookie.

* When Matt LeBlanc auditioned for the role he only had $11 dollars to his name. When the cast got their paychecks, the first thing that Courteney Cox bought was a car. Matt LeBlanc bought a hot dinner.

* Joey's pick-up line, "How *you* doin'?" was ranked #4 in TV Guide's list of "TV's 20 Top Catchphrases" (21-27 August 2005 issue).

* A Soviet propaganda poster on a wall of #19, with two people over a book, says in Russian: "To build, one must know. To know, one must learn." An antique-looking advertisement poster on a wall of #20 says in French: "Toys and Boxing-day presents".

* Rachel had a nose job during her time at college.

* In Chandler's and Joey's room there is a poster with boxing kangaroos which says "Kangaroo Boxer" in Russian.

* In the last few months of shooting Friends, Courteney Cox became pregnant, but, seeing as Monica wasn't supposed to be able to have a baby, they covered up her pregnancy by making her wear baggy clothes while shooting the show so no one could tell.

* In the first couple of episodes Chandler and Joey's apartment number was #4 and Monica and Rachel's apartment number was #5. However, in the later episodes, they are 19 and 20 respectively because the producers noted that 4 and 5 corresponded to apartments on lower floors and the Friends' apartments were higher up the building.

* The first and last episodes are the only ones in the entire series that do not begin with "The One...". The first episode is called "The Pilot", and the final episode is called "The Last One". However, the first episode has a different version of its name, namely "The one where it all began (The Pilot)" "The One Hundredth" also doesn't perfectly fit this pattern.

* James Michael Tyler was actually working in Bourgeois Pig, a coffee shop in Hollywood, when he got the part of Gunther. He kept his coffee gig for the first four seasons of Friends.

* Gunther was not originally a speaking part.

* Leah Remini auditioned for the role of Monica.

* June Gable who plays Joey's agent, June Gable, also played a nurse who delivered a baby for Leah Remini (who originally auditioned for the role of Monica) in the episode where Ross and Carol have their own baby. Joey assisted his future agent by being the breathing coach during labor.

* Lisa Kudrow was terrified of the duck that showed up in Season 3.

* Courteney Cox added Arquette to the end of her name after her marriage to David Arquette between seasons five and six. Her father, Richard L. Cox, died in 2001 and during the midst of the ninth season, she dropped the Arquette in her father's memory.

* Matt LeBlanc's character 'Joey Tribbiani' plays Dr. Drake Ramoray in a fictional version of the NBC soap opera "Days of Our Lives" (1965). In real life, Jennifer Aniston's father, John Aniston, plays 'Victor Kiriakis' on the real Days of Our Lives.

* As with most sitcoms, episode titles are not shown. As a joking reference to this, the official names of Friends episodes take the form "The One where...” (or similar).

* Is filmed on the same soundstage that was used for the filming of the sitcom _"Full House" (1987/I)_ during the last two seasons (1993-1995) of it's eight year run (1987-1995). The pilot of "Friends" was shot on stage 33 (the same stage as "Living Single" (1993)) at the Warner Ranch, and the first season was shot is Warner Bros Stage 5, now the home of "Everybody Loves Raymond" (1996)) from 1987-1995.

* At one point, Jennifer Aniston was shooting this series, Bruce Almighty (2003) and Along Came Polly (2004) at the same time.

* 30-second commercial spots to take place in the final ever episode sold in the UK for £1.2 million (approx $1.8 million), the most expensive commercial slots of any TV program in England with the exception of sports.

* The first member of the cast to get a role in a Hollywood film was Marcel the Monkey.

* Before the show was cast, the main love interest was intended to be Monica and Joey.

* Jennifer Aniston agreed to return for the series' 2003-04 season, which was the series' 10th and final season, only if production on the show would be finished by January, 2004, so she could focus on her film career.

* At least three performers, 'Bruce Willis (I)' , Christina Applegate and Paul Rudd have guest-starred on episodes of the show after doing a film with one of the regular cast members. Willis and Applegate won Emmys for their guest turns.

* The theme song performed by The Rembrandts became a #1 single on the American pop charts.

* The characters' full names are: - Rachel Karen Green - Phoebe Buffay (in "The One Where They All Turn Thirty" 7.14, she says that never knew her middle name since she had never seen her birth certificate and her twin sister, Ursula, had sold it to a Swedish runaway) - Joseph Francis Tribbiani Jr - Chandler Muriel Bing - Ross Eustace Geller - Monica E. Geller (her exact middle name is never revealed throughout all 10 seasons).

* Out of the six friends, Chandler is the only one to not have any siblings. Rachel has two sisters, Monica and Ross are brother and sister, Phoebe has a twin, and Joey has seven sisters.

* After Rachel left her fiancée, Barry, at the altar in the pilot, her best friend Mindy then became engaged to Barry. Mindy was played by Jennifer Grey. Both Jennifer Aniston and Jennifer Grey played Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Grey played her in the movie, Aniston played her in the television series.

* The creators of the Portuguese show "Gato Fedorento" say that the inspiration for the name of the show was the song "Smelly Cat".

* Spanish voices of the main stars of the series are dubbed by Concha Valero (Monica), Albert Mieza (Ross), José Posada (Chandler), Alicia Laorden (Rachel), Daniel García (Joey) and Alba Sola (Phoebe).

* Chandler's parents, Charles and Nora Bing, were named after the favorite Thin Man series character Nora Charles; one half of a very famous movie detective couple of the thirties.

* The opening credits sequence in which the stars dance in a fountain was shot in Warner Bros LA lot at 4am. The water was kept heated through a pump. The group was given the words to the Rembrandts song but it was not playing in the background because the song had not been recorded. Jennifer Aniston is the only cast member seen lip syncing in the opening credits, and this can only be see on the opening credits of 'The Pilot'.

* In the opening credits to 'The One After Vegas', all of the names in the opening (actors and crew) were changed to have "Arquette" at the end of them, a gag on Courteney Cox-Arquette who had just recently married David Arquette.

* The final episode aired on 6 May 2004.

* The role of Emily was offered to Patsy Kensit but she politely turned it down

* James Michael Tyler, Elliott Gould and Christina Pickles are the only non-Friends who were in all 10 seasons. 'Maggie Wheeler ' had a voice-over role in the episode where Chandler and Monica make Valentine gifts for each other in Season Six, but she had no camera time for the entire season.

* First choice for Rachel was Téa Leoni.

* Whenever Tom Selleck made his initial on-set appearances, he received standing ovations. These would render his entrances unusable, prompting the need for later re-shoots without the audience.

* No Friend ever made more money doing the show than any others. They started out making $22,500 per episode and ended up making $1million per show. All negotiations were done in unison. Kudrow said, "The six of us are far stronger than just one person."

* The original idea for the show was going to focus on four characters with Phoebe and Chandler in supporting roles. In the early stages the creators toyed with the idea of Chandler being gay. They changed their mind when they met Matthew Perry. They did, however, insert many jokes about Chandler having gay mannerisms (not knowing about sports, loving show tunes, etc.).

* In the pilot Barry's surname is Finkel. In later episodes, his name has been changed to Barry Farber.

* The refrigerators in Monica's and Joey's apartments actually worked. Monica's was filled with water and other drinks for the cast and crew. Joey's was usually virtually empty, unless the inside of the fridge was going to be seen in a specific scene.

* Joey's address is 90 Bedford St. Apt. 19, New York, NY 10014.

* Monica's address is 90 Bedford St. Apt. 20, New York, NY 10014.

* Phoebe's address is 5 Morton St. Apt. 14, New York, NY 10014

* Gunther didn't have a name until the middle of the second season.

* Courteney Cox is the only regular cast member to not receive an Emmy nomination for their work on the show.

* Joey's (Matt LeBlanc) picture on the wall of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy is a still from the short Leave 'Em Laughing (1928).

* The artwork in Central Perk is changed every three episodes.

* Joey's statue of a white dog was originally given to Jennifer Aniston as a good luck present from her best friend when she started acting. She offered to lend it to the show for the episode where Joey became rich and bought a lot of stuff. After that episode, the producers decided to keep it.

* On the set, Matt LeBlanc was known as "LeBlanc" by all the cast and crew, and Matthew Perry was known as "Matthew" or "Matt". This was started by the crew to avoid confusion. Additionally, David Schwimmer was referred to as "Schwim" among the crew.

* Occasionally, NBC would air "Super-sized" episodes of their most popular sitcoms, including Friends. These episodes would run 40 minutes including commercials (or just around 30 minutes without). In syndication, a majority of the "Super-sized" episodes were cut down to fit a 30-minute time slot, except for the rare case where there was both too much plot info essential to the episode or series, and there were enough deleted scenes to make a two-episode story arc.

* The orange couch used in Central Perk was found in the basement of the Warner Bros. studio.

* For almost the entire first season, there wasn't a street outside of Central Perk, just a painted backdrop. They made the window a little blurry and put many plants in front of the window to hide it.

* Monica has eleven categories for towels.

* For all the cliffhangers they had to remove the audience then continue filming so that nobody knew what was going to happen.

* Chandler's father's gay Las Vegas burlesque show is named Viva Las Gaygas.

* Phoebe's alias name is "Regina Phalange." Phalanges are the small bones that make up the hands and feet.

* Elizabeth Berkley auditioned for Rachel.

* The story line of Phoebe having her brother's babies was thought up when Lisa Kudrow announced her real-life pregnancy. However, as she was not big enough to be having triplets, and the show was shot in "TV time", the costumers had to pad her to make her look bigger for the show.

* There have been eight Oscar winning actors/actresses who have appeared on Friends. Charlton Heston, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Helen Hunt, Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Robin Williams, and George Clooney.

* When dubbed and aired in the Czech Republic, the Czech voice actors would say their names out loud every time one of the six particular actors would appear on the screen with his or her name superimposed.

* Of all the titles, the Friend's names appear individually as so: Rachel (21 times), Ross (19 times), Joey (13 times), Phoebe (10 times), Chandler (9 times), and Monica (7 times). Also, Ross and Rachel appears 4 times, Joey and Rachel appears 3 times, Monica and Chandler 2 times, and Ross and Monica appears once in the episode titles.

* The original plan for the season 9 Thanksgiving was to bring back Reese Witherspoon as Jill Green, however Witherspoon was unavailable so the writers re-wrote the role as Amy Green and cast Christina Applegate in the role.

* Except for Monica and Phoebe, all the friends have kissed each other, though one kiss is fictional (Monica and Joey in "The One With The Truth About London"), and three of the kisses appear off-screen (Rachel and Monica kiss to retain their apartment, Chandler kisses Ross at Joey's birthday party before making out with Joey's sister, and a long-ago kiss between Ross and Monica is revealed in The One Where the Stripper Cries).

* Matt LeBlanc, who plays Joey in Friends, admitted the exit interview in the book ‘Friends...Til' the End’, that he had a crush on Jennifer Aniston who plays Rachel. He said "Now I had a little crush on Jen in the very beginning, but I think the whole world did too, so what are you going to do?"

* Matt LeBlanc showed up on the day of the audition with a large ugly cut on his nose resulting from a tumble and a land on the edge of a sharp toilet seat.

* Kathleen Turner revealed that "Matthew [Perry, who plays Chandler] still calls me Dad."

Doa Anita Buat Sang Dermawan...(05)

WAJAH Ny Anita yang semula sembab mendadak ceria. Ada senyum dari bibirnya nan mungil. Anita lalu bertanya kepada wanita yang mengasuh Muhammad khalif Akbar, "Sudah bisa ketawakah Bu?" Pengasuh itu mengangguk. Sembari menimang Khalif, Anita sedikit memberikan komentar. "Sudah gede betul ya!" Bahkan, dalam pertemuan mengharukan antara ibu dan sang buah hatinya, Anita sempat mengganti popok Khalif, bocah berusia tiga bulan.

Selang berapa lama, Abdul Manaf, ayah kandung Ny Anita, tiba-tiba masuk ke dalam rumah. Lelaki itu baru pulang dari kebunnya, tempat ia mengais rezeki. Melihat anaknya sudah berada di rumah, Manaf, tak kuasa menahan keharuan dan segera memeluk Anita. Semula ia tak percaya jika wanita yang ada di depannya itu adalah Anita. Seperti mimpi, katanya. Sejak mendengar kabar kedatangan anaknya, Manaf bergegas lari menuju ke rumahnya.
Air matanya tak bisa dibendung. "Anakku," teriak Manaf. Anita lalu berdiri, menyambut pelukan sang ayah. "Bapak...," teriak Anita. Keduanya larut dalam kegembiraan dengan air mata bercucuran. Sanak kerabat yang ikut menyaksikan pertemuan itu, juga tak henti-hentinya meneteskan air mata. Mereka tak kuasa menahan keharuan. Dengan isak yang masih serak, Manaf meminta maaf kepada Anita. "Maafkan Bapak, Nak... Bapak tak bisa membawamu pulang... Bapak tak punya uang Nak...Bapak hanya bisa berdoa kepada Allah... Setiap malam bapak selalu berdoa, sampai air mata bapak kering," tutur Manaf.

Kepada Anita, Manaf menceritakan bahwa uang yang hasil kerjanya yang ia kumpulkan tak cukup untuk membayar tagihan. "Bapak hanya bisa berdoa... dan berdoa dan berdoa. Saya bekerja di pembibitan Jarak, PT Japindo dengan upah Rp 35.000 per hari. Uang itu tak cukup untuk membayar tagihan klinik. Kebutuhan keluarga di sini pun sulit terpenuhi," kata Manaf kepada Tribun. Ia pun menceritakan perjuangan suami Anita, Ardi. Menantunya itu sudah berusaha mencari biaya pengobatan istrinya hingga ke Makassar. "Setelah 10 hari bekerja, Ardi hanya bisa mengirimkan uang 1,4 juta. Namun uang itu habis untuk membeli susu Alif. Jadi tak sempat dikirimkan ke Balikpapan.".

Mengumpulkan uang sebesar Rp 25 juta bagi keluarga Manaf yang keadaan ekonominya cukup memprihatinkan adalah sebuah keajaiban. Untunglah ada dermawan itu. "Saya hanya bisa mendoakan agar yang membantu kami dipanjangkan umur dan dilapangkan rizqinya oleh Allah. Amin...," kata Manaf sambil menyeka air matanya. Mendengar doa sang ayah, Anita mengamininya. "Sama seperti Bapak, saya juga mengucapkan terima kasih. Semoga orang yang telah menolong saya dimudahkan rizqi dan selalu diberi kesehatan oleh Allah," ujar Anita sambil terisak. Doa ayah dan anak itu benar-benar keluar dari lubuk hati paling dalam....sebagai ucapan terimakasih kepada para dermawan. Hanya itulah yang mereka bisa berikan, ketulusan dan keikhlasan hati dalam memanjatkan doa.

***

JARUM jam menunjukkan pukul 09.00 Wita. Seorang pria tiba-tiba datang ke Klinik Al-Afiat, Jalan A Yani Balikpapan. Pria itu membawa sebuah amplop berwarna coklat berisi uang tunai Rp 5 juta. Sayangnya pria itu menolak menyebutkan identitasnya. Dia menyerahkan uang itu kepada Ambarwati, petugas kasir di klinik Al-Afiat. "Ini uang untuk melunasi biaya perawatan dan pengobatan Anita," kata Ambarwati menirukan ucapan hamba Allah. Itu berarti biaya perawatan dan pengobatan Anita di klinik lunas.

Ambarwati kemudian menerima uang pecahan Rp 100.000 itu dan memberikan selembar kuitansi. Semula Ambarwati hanya membuat kuitansi senilai sisa uang yang harus dilunasi Rp 3.334.100. Namun pria itu meminta agar semua uang itu diterima klinik. Alasannya, sisa uang sebanyak Rp 1.665.900 didepositkan untuk keperluan Anita jika suatu hari nanti memerlukan pengobatan atau perawatan dokter spesialis paru-paru di Klinik Al-Afiat. "Bapak itu meminta kami menyimpan uang senilai Rp 1.665.900 untuk kontrol ulang kesehatan Anita," ujar Ambarwati.

Total biaya perawatan dan pengobatan Anita, sejak 13 Maret hingga 15 Juni 2008 sebesar Rp 37.604.100. Namun pihak klinik mendiskon hingga Rp 15.420.000. Jadi Anita hanya membayar Rp 22.184.100. Hingga Minggu (15/6) dana yang disetor Tribun Kaltim ---yang terhimpun dari para pembaca--- sebesar Rp 18.000.000. Bila ditotalkan dengan sumbangan dari warga lain senilai Rp 18.850.000 dan masih tersisa Rp 3.334.100. Namun Senin (16/6), semua pembiayaan dilunasi bahkan dideposit.

Anakku Mana Bu.... Anakku Mana...? (04)

HUJAN air mata meledak. Semua mata menjadi sembab. Kami pun ikut terharu. Tak terasa, air mata kami ikut menggalir. Ada rasa keharuan yang begitu mendalam, hingga menggetarkan jiwa dan kalbu kami. Adalah Ny Anita. Ia masih muda dan punya segudang harapan meraih kehidupan lebih baik di negeri ini. Tak ada satu pun manusia di muka bumi yang mempunyai hak untuk merebut kebebasannya, membatasi ruang geraknya, apalagi menyangkut tali silaturahim dengan sang buah hati Muhammad Khalif Akbar.

Berkat kepedulian seorang hamba Allah yang tak mau disebut namanya --membantu biaya perawatan dan pengobatan-- Ny Anita Minggu (15/6) kemarin, akhirnya bisa berkumpul bersama anggota keluarganya. Hari itu, Kota Penajam Pasir Utara (PPU), seakan menjadi saksi bahwa masih ada manusia yang peduli, ringan tangan dan mau memahami tingkat kesulitan manusia lain. Selamat berbahagia Anita... Salam buat Muhammad Khalif Akbar... MAHA Besar Allah Swt... Bantuan sebesar Rp 19 juta rupiah dari seorang hamba Allah yang tak mau disebutkan identitasnya, telah menolong Anita. Anugerah Tuhan yang mengalir via uluran tangan seorang dermawan, mengantarkan Anita kembali bersama keluarga yang dirindukannya. Bantuan yang diserahkan melalui Tribun Kaltim, dipergunakan membayar tunggakan biaya perawatan dan pengobatan Anita. Belum semua. Dari Rp 21 juta yang dirinci dalam tagihan, baru terpenuhi 18 juta. Tribun telah menunggu di Klinik Al-Afiat Minggu (15/6) sejak jam 09.00 Wita untuk menyelesaikan administrasi. Petugas klinik baru bisa menuntaskannya, pukul 10.00 Wita. Selepas itu, mobil kijang Tribun bergerak membawa Anita mengarungi perjalanan panjang menuju kampung halamannya, La Bangka, Penajam Paser Utara. Beberapa barang bawaan Anita, seperti bantal, kasur, termos, dan rantang dimasukkan ke dalam ruang belakang mobil. Saat berangkat, hujan deras mengguyur. Anita yang duduk di kursi depan tampak kedinginan. Dalam perjalanan itu, ia menutup rapat kaca jendela. Telapak tangan kanannya menggenggam telapak kiri, lengannya pun dirapatkan pada badannya. Mungkin sedikit menghangatkan tubuhnya yang kurus kering. Sebelumnya, perawat melarang Anita terkena suhu dingin AC untuk memulihkan kondisi tubuhnya. Sepanjang perjalanan, tak banyak kalimat yang diucapkannya. Rombongan tiba di Pelabuhan Kariangau jam 11.40 Wita. Perjalanan mengarungi Teluk Balikpapan memakan waktu selama 1 jam 30 menit. Setelah tiba di pelabuhan feri Penajam pukul 13.30, Tribun kembali melanjutkan perjalanan selama satu jam ke La Bangka. Sepanjang perjalanan, Anita tak merinci lokasi rumahnya. Ia hanya menjawab singkat. "Masih jauh, sedikit lagi, atau sudah dekat.." Pukul 14.35, rombongan tiba di 'rumah' Anita, atau lebih tepatnya bangsal kecil yang dikontrak keluarganya. Anita keluar dari mobil. Ia berlari, sembari menggenggam koran Tribun Kaltim. Tanpa menghiraukan tanah yang becek dan licin, wanta itu bergegas menuju rumahnya. Di dapur rumah itu, ada seorang wanita yang selama ini mengasuh Muhammad Khalif Akbar, anak Anita. Wanita itu teperanjat. "Nitaaa...," katanya dengan air mata yang tak terbendung, sembari memeluk tubuh kurus Anita. Dalam sekejab, hujan air mata meledak. Dekapan itu begitu erat. Lalu, Anita dengan isak yang tertahan berbisik, "Anakku mana Bu?... Anakku mana?". Sang pengasuh yang matanya masih sembab, segera memberitahu kalau anaknya dititipkan di rumah tetangga. Sejurus kemudian ia memanggil tetangga yang sedang menjaga Alif. Lalu, terjadilah pertemuan mengharukan itu, antara sang Ibu dengan buah hati tercintanya. "Anakku.... Anakku..."

Rp 19 Juta buat Anita...(03)

ALLAH Maha Besar, Allah Maha Mendengar dan Allah Maha Melihat terhadap apa-apa yang dialami makhluknya di muka bumi. Seperti doa yang dipanjatkan Manaf, ayah kandung Ny Anita. Doa itu dijabah oleh Allah. Sabtu (14/6) malam, markas Tribun mendadak didatangi seorang hamba Allah. Lelaki itu tak mau menyebutkan identitasnya. "Saya prihatin dengan penderitaan yang dialami Anita. Dimana empati kita semua? Ternyata di daerah yang kaya raya ini, masih ada manusia yang menderita dan kita cenderung tidak peduli serta cuek dengan kenyataan seperti ini," kata pria itu kepada Pemimpin Redaksi Tribun Kaltim Achmad Subechi, sambil menitipkan amplop sebesar Rp 19 juta rupiah.

"Sisihkan Rp 1 juta untuk biaya perjalanan Anita ke desanya. Sisanya bayarkan ke pihak klinik. Hari Senin nanti saya akan lunasi semuanya. Usahakan malam ini dia keluar dari klinik. Kalau pihak klinik tidak mau, kamu saja yang menjadi jaminannya. Saya benar-benar kasihan dan prihatin dengan keadaan Anita," tutur lelaki yang lahir dan dibesarkan di Kaltim. Mendapat amplop yang berisi sebesar itu, Achmad Subechi, spontan berdiri dalam menyalami sang dermawan yang baik hati. "Allahu Akbar.... Allah Maha Besar. Semoga shodaqoh bapak diterima dan dilipatkgandakan oleh Allah." Pria itu terdiam. Ia lalu berpesan kepada Achmad Subechi agar malam ini juga segera menutup semua biaya perawatan dan pengobatan Ny Anita yang totalnya sekitar Rp 25 juta.

"Usahakan malam ini dia keluar dari klinik ya... Antar ke rumahnya, biar dia ketemu anaknya. Nanti, kalau dia sudah sehat, saya diberi alamat rumahnya dan saya akan bantu Anita setiap bulannya agar beban penderitaannya sedikit terkurangi," pintanya. Mendengar penjelasan itu, bulu kuduk Achmad Subechi berdiri. Malam itu juga ia mengajak beberapa wartawan dan redaktur mendatangi Klinik Al-Afiat, di Jalan Achmad Yani, Balikpapan untuk menyampaikan amanah. Ketika berada di klinik, karyawan bagian kasir dan administrasi sudah pulang. "Kata Bu dokter, lebih baik diselesaikan besok saja. Saya sendiri juga takut Pak menyimpan uang sebanyak itu. Mau saya tempatkan dimana," kata seorang karyawati.

***

SABTU (16/6) hari masih pagi. Jam menunjukkan pukul 11.00 Wita. Seorang lelaki berbadan tegap dan berambut cepak, datang ke Klinik Al-Afiat. Lelaki berpakaian doreng tersebut menanyakan keberadaan seorang pasien bernama Ny Anita. "Mana pasien yang bernama Anita," tanya lelaki tegap yang belakangan diketahui bernama Hendra, kepada salah seorang karyawan klinik Al-Afiat. "Sebentar Pak duduk dulu, nanti dipanggilkan Anita-nya," jawab seorang karyawan klinik. "Ruangannya dimana? Saya mau lihat," tanyanya lagi.

Petugas klinik lalu memanggil Ny Anita. Tak lama kemudian lelaki berbaju doreng berpangkat mayor itu dipertemukan dengan Ny Anita di ruang tunggu berukuran 3 x 5 meter. "Kamu Anita?" tanya Hendra. Anita mengangguk. "Sudah berapa lama kamu disini? Anita sudah makan?" tanyanya. "Sudah Pak". Kedatangan sang mayor TNI AD itu ke klinik, tergerak setelah membaca berita di Tribun Kaltim berjudul: Derita Ny Anita tak Boleh Tinggalkan Klinik (edisi Sabtu/14/6 di halaman 1). Lelaki tersebut kemudian bertanya kepada seorang tukang ojek dan tetangga karibnya untuk diantarkan ke Klinik Al-Afiat.

"Jujur saya tadi pagi menangis membaca kisah Anita di Tribun Kaltim. Ternyata masih ada warga yang tidak mampu membayar biaya pengobatan karena faktor ekonomi dan saya sangat terharu. Saya dari rumah ke sini... dalam perjalanan, hati saya menangis.. Hati nurani saya tergerak untuk membantunya," kenang Hendra. Setelah itu Hendra menghampiri penanggung jawab klinik Al-Afiat, Ali Zaini. Ia ingin mengetahui duduk persoalannya. Harapan untuk menolong Anita tak kesampaian. Sebab, Anita masih mempunyai tanggungan. Hendra pun sadar. Ia bukanlah jutawan. Ia hanya abdi negara yang tergerak hatinya.

Sekian lama menatap Anita, Hendra kemudian mengeluarkan lembaran uangnya dan menyodorkannya kepada Anita. "Buat kamu, bukan buat bayar rumah sakit. Uang itu dari saya buat makan kamu," pesan Hendra. Anita awalnya malu-malu menerimanya. Hendra juga meminta sang tukang ojek untuk membelikan makanan dan minuman buat Anita. Setelah melakukan perbincangan panjang lebar, lelaki tegap yang merasa iba terhadap Ny Anita menjelaskan bahwa dirinya sempat berpikir negatif terhadap pihak klinik ini. Akan tetapi, setelah mendapat penjelasan dari pihak penanggung jawab klinik, Hendra akhirnya memahaminya. Karena itu ia berharap kepada para dermawan yang memiliki harta berlebih, mau membantu dan meringankan beban Anita. "Setelah mendapat penjelasan dari penanggung jawab saya bisa memahami. Saya ini orang Padang dan tidak punya hubungan apa-apa dengan Anita. Niat saya bagaimana Anita itu cepat sembuh. Kita hidup kan saling membantu dengan sesama. Jadi saya juga menghimbau kepada masyarakat dan pejabat untuk membantu warganya," tuturnya.

Ya Allah, Berilah Saya Rezeki (02)

TUBUHNYA terbaring di atas ranjang. Sesekali bocah itu menggeliat berusaha menggoyangkan tubuhnya. Tak lama kemudian suara tangis meledak dari bibirnya nan mungil. "Oh.... Dia lagi beol," kata Ny Meti. Tak lama kemudian, kain yang dipakai dilapkan di bagian pantatnya. Suara tangis pun berhenti. Setelah bersih, bocah itu ditimang-timangnya. Sesaat kemudian, Tribun melihat kedua mata Ny Meti berkaca-kaca. Dalam hitungan detik, air mata itu menetes membasahi pipinya saat ia menatap wajah Khalif yang ketika itu berada di pangkuannya.

Bayi yang ada di dalam gendongan itu bernama Muhammad Khalif Akbar. Ia adalah anak semata wayang Ny Anita, pasien Klinik Al-Afiat Balikpapan yang belum bisa keluar dari klinik karena belum menyelesaikan masalah keuangan yang melilitnya sebesar Rp 25 juta. Khalif tinggal bersama neneknya, Ny Meti, dan Akbar di RT 03 Desa Labangka, Kecamatan Babulu. Menurut penuturan Ny Meti, Anita adalah anggota keluarganya dari Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan (Sulsel). Sejak dirawat di Balikpapan, Anita menitipkan anaknya untuk dirawat.

Ia mengaku sejak Khalif dilahirkan baru sekali disentuh mamanya. Itu pun saat akan berangkat ke Balikpapan untuk berobat. "Mamanya hanya menyentuh anaknya pada saat ia akan dibawa ke Balikpapan. Karena kata dokter Anita nggak boleh dulu bersama anaknya, takut nanti penyakitnya menular. Saat dilahirkan pun anak ini belum sempat disentuh," kenang Meti. Kondisi kesehatan Khalif lumayan sehat, meski bocah itu kini jauh dari ibunya. Berat badannya yang semula hanya 2,6 Kg, malah naik menjadi 6 Kg. Meningkatnya berat badan Khalif, terjadi karena setiap hari ia disuplai susu formula. "Empat hari sekali ia menghabiskan satu kaleng susu ukuran 900 gram. Harganya itu sekitar Rp 75.000," ungkapnya.

Kendati kondisi tubuhnya sehat, suami Ny Meti, Akbar, mengaku bahwa bocah ini kerap menangis saat malam hari. Bahkan terkadang sampai pagi mereka tidak tidur karena terusik tangisan Khalif. "Mungkin kalau mamanya lagi pusing di Balikpapan, ia (Khalif) ikut merasakannya. Makanya sering nangis-nangis di tengah malam," ujarnya. Ayah kandung Ny Anita, Manaf, mengaku tidak mampu berbuat banyak untuk mengeluarkan anaknya dari Klinik Al-Afiat, Balikpapan. "Jangankan bayar uang perawatan, makan saja susah," jelas Manaf berkaca-kaca.

Tak lama kemudian, isak tangis meledak. Manaf sedih setiap kali memikirkan nasib anaknya yang masih berada di klinik. Sebagai buruh harian yang tidak memiliki penghasilan tetap, Manaf sering mendapat telepon dari Klinik Al-Afiat yang memintanya agar segera melunasi uang perawatan anaknya. "Saya sering dapat telepon dan diminta untuk membayar uang perawatan Anita. Tapi saya dapat uang dari mana? Makan saja susah," tuturnya terisak-isak. Manaf mengaku, setelah shalat magrib ia selalu menangis meminta kepada Allah SWT agar memberikan rezeki yang tak terduga untuk menebus biaya perawatan anaknya.

"Tengah malam pun kadang saya bangun dan langsung menangis. Saya berdoa, ya Allah berilah rezeki ya Allah agar saya bisa mengeluarkan anakku dari rumah sakit. Kasihanilah dia Yaa Allah," kata Manaf, sembari mengangkat kedua tangannya seperti orang berdoa. Ia pun tidak mampu menahan tangis dan langsung duduk. Suami Anita, Ardi, sehari-hari adalah penjual koran di Makassar. Beberapa hari lalu ia mengirim uang Rp 1,2 juta, namun uang itu hanya dipakai untuk membeli susu anaknya. Ia berharap pemerintah dapat memberikan bantuan supaya anaknya bisa dikeluarkan dari rumah sakit.

Kepala Dinas Kesehatan Penajam Paser Utara (PPU) dr Arnold Wayong menyatakan, dirinya belum bisa memutuskan apakah akan membantu Anita atau tidak karena persoalan ini harus dibicarakan dengan Sekkab Sutiman dan Asisten II Antung AR Sumagiri. "Senin (16/6) kami akan rapat dahulu" ujarnya. Menurut Wayong, Anita sempat dirawat di Puskesmas Babulu saat melahirkan. Ketika tengah dalam perawatan, ia tiba-tiba minta pulang. Setelah penyakitnya kambuh, ia lalu berangkat ke Balikpapan untuk berobat. "Tapi dia tidak dirujuk puskesmas. Tadi sudah saja cek juga melalui perawatnya. Dan dia tidak memiliki kartu surat keterangan tidak mampu (SKTM). Tapi saya akan tetap berusaha agar Ny Anita bisa kita Bantu. Mudah-mudahan Senin sudah ada hasilnya," janji Arnold.

Saya Ingin Memeluk Khalif Akbar...(01)

BERAT badannya 32 kilogram. Tingginya sekitar 165 sentimeter lebih. Kondisi fisik itu tentu tak ideal seperti layaknya manusia normal biasa. Belum lagi betis. Jika dilihat sepintas, tentu tak lebih besar dari ukuran lengannya. Itulah sekilas gambaran Ny Anita. Saat ditemui Tribun di ruang tunggu Klinik Al-Afiat, Jalan A Yani, Balikpapan, matanya terlihat menerawang. Seakan-akan tak ada lagi harapan, karena di dalam benaknya ada tanggungan biaya perawatan sebesar Rp 25 juta yang harus ia bayar. Sementara, keluarganya tak bisa membantu meringankan beban berat Ny Anita yang semakin mengimpit akibat tekanan ekonomi. Di ruang tunggu Klinik Al-Afiat yang tak begitu luas, kira-kira berukuran 3 x 6 meter, wanita itu tampak terdiam duduk di kursi, sembari kedua tangannya dilipat ke bagian ujung lututnya. Lagi- lagi, matanya terlihat kosong. "Kamu siapa?" tanyanya kepada Tribun.

Saat ditanya bagaimana kondisinya saat ini, Ny Anita mengaku sudah agak sehat. "Lumayan... Cuman, saya masih belum bisa keluar karena pihak kinik mengharuskan saya melunasi segala tanggungan biaya pengobatan dan perawatan," ungkapnya. Jumat (13/6) pagi itu, warga Kecamatan Waru, Penajam Paser Utara (PPU), hanya bisa pasrah. Perempuan berusia 20 tahun tersebut mengaku tak diperbolehkan meninggalkan Klinik Al- Afiat karena keluarganya tidak mampu menebus biaya perawatan sebesar Rp 25 juta.

Anita dirawat di klinik itu sejak 13 Maret 2008 lantaran sesak napas akibat penyakit paru-parunya cukup parah. Penyakit itu timbul selang beberapa hari setelah ia melahirkan anak pertamanya di Puskesmas Babulu, PPU, 29 Februari. "Selang dua hari setelah melahirkan, penyakit paru-paru saya kambuh dan saya dirujuk ke puskesmas, lalu dirujuk ke RSU PPU. Sejak saya melahirkan sampai sekarang saya belum sempat melihat bahkan mengendong anak saya. Saya ingin sekali memeluknya," kenangnya. Putra pertamanya itu diberi nama Muhammad Khalif Akbar. Saat ini, Khalif dititipkan kepada seorang warga berasal dari Jawa yang ada di Kecamatan Babulu. "Saya titipkan ke warga asal Jawa itu karena saya anggap beliau seperti ibu kandung sendiri. Ibu saya bekerja di Balikpapan sebagai buruh warung makan di daerah Karangrejo."

Karena keterbatasan alat, maka tim medis setempat merujuk ke klinik di Balikpapan. Pihak keluarga kemudian berinisiatif membawa Anita ke Balikpapan untuk berobat di Klinik Al Afiat dengan uang pendaftaran Rp 250.000. Berdasarkan diagnosa dokter, Anita menderita penyakit tipus dan paru-paru. Karena cukup akut, tim medis merawatnya selama sebelas hari secara intensif dengan menghabiskan sebelas tabung oksigen. Biaya perawatannya tentu saja cukup tinggi. Sehari bisa mencapai Rp 580.000, dengan rincian biaya inap plus obat, oksigen, dan makan. Sejak ditangani tim medis di Klinik Al-Afiat, kondisi Anita berangsur membaik walaupun lengan wanita itu diinfus selama dua bulan. Begitu kondisinya membaik, infusnya lalu dicabut.

Seharusnya Anita bisa pulang ke rumahnya untuk menemui anaknya, Muhammad Khalif Akbar. Tetapi, karena ia belum membayar semua biaya perawatan dan pengobatan yang mencapai Rp 25 juta, Anita belum diperbolehkan pulang. Anita hanya bisa pasrah. Hingga Jumat (13/6) kemarin, wanita asal Makassar, Sulawesi Selatan, itu masih menginap di klinik tersebut . Itu berarti, ia sudah tiga bulan ia dalam pengawasan tim medis. Di sisi lain, biaya pun semakin membengkak. Hingga kini keluarga Anita belum bisa melunasinya. Ibunya, Ny Rosmiah, Rabu (11/6) malam kemarin, datang ke klinik secara sembunyi-sembunyi.

Sebenarnya, menurut informasi yang diperoleh Tribun, biaya perawatan dan pengobatan Ny Anita melebihi Rp 25 juta. Tetapi, karena pihak klinik merasa iba, maka ada diskon khusus buatnya. Ketika dikonfirmasi, Jumat (13/6), dr Sri Nurulita, dokter di Klinik Al-Afiat, enggan menjelaskan secara detail soal penanganan Anita. "Kami sudah memberikan diskon kepada Anita, namun keluarganya tidak punya niat untuk membayar," tegasnya. Hingga kini, keluarga Anita baru membayar biaya perawatan dan pengobatan sebesar Rp 250.000. Karena kesulitan membayar, pihak klinik lalu menyita handphone milik Anita. "Benar kami menyita HP Anita untuk menebus biaya perawatannya," ujar dr Sri.

Youngest Dad

Beaming with joy, checkout girl Siobhan revealed: "Getting pregnant was a total accident but I've been given the most wonderful gift of three little beauties. It's magical!"
And proud dad Dean, a schoolboy just a year ago, held Siobhan tight as he told us: "When I heard it was triplets I shouted ‘Yes!' out loud.

Dream
"We're only young, but we're going to be the best parents in the world."
Babies Shauny, 3lb9oz, Summer, 3lb14oz and Savanah, 3lb2oz, were delivered in that order by emergency caesarean section at Liverpool's Women's Hospital last Saturday.
Although nine weeks premature, all three are doing well in a special care unit—out of incubators and happily guzzling milk.

"We can't wait to get them home and care for them ourselves," sighed Siobhan as she gazed down lovingly at her instant brood.
The thought of wall-to-wall nappies and an end to carefree teenage years would be a nightmare for most kids their age. But astonishingly it's a dream come true for this determined young couple.

Until now Siobhan's only plans were to shop for clothes and maybe take a Spanish holiday. Dean's main concern was getting Grand Theft Auto IV for his X Box. Now he's saving for a triple baby buggy instead.

Refreshingly, they are determined to pay their way in the world and NOT go after handouts from the taxpayer.

"That's something we'd never do," insisted Siobhan who, until the birth, was making 45-minute bus trips to start work at 6am for Morrisons supermarket in Speke. "We've got lots of mates who just sit around doing nothing—some of them with kids already. But we're NOT after benefits or a council flat and as soon as my little girls are old enough I'll go straight back to work. I'm going to learn to drive to help get a better job."

Smiling Dean chipped in: "Me too—as soon as I'm old enough to get a provisional licence!"

Before becoming parents they spent their spare time playing pool and table tennis at a youth club or enjoying the occasional Chinese meal out. They don't smoke or drink.
Siobhan admitted: "I know people will say we've lost out, but we weren't doing anything we'll really miss. We've got great mums and a load of brothers and sisters— we'll never be short of babysitters."

She's been Dean's girlfriend for 18 months. Watching them care for their babies at the hospital is a revelation. These are no bungling kids. Expert nurses were happy to stand back and watch as Siobhan skilfully used a syringe to measure milk fed into Summer's tummy through a nasal tube.

"She was the heaviest and she's the greediest!" said proud Mum. And when it came to changing their tiny nappies devoted Dean was keen to take control, before kissing Siobhan tenderly on the temple. She said: "We've both grown up with lots of babies around, so we know what we're doing."
The new family will move in with Siobhan's mum Lynn, 48, at her three-bedroom council semi in Toxteth.

Lynn, who has three other grown-up daughters and now six grandkids, told us: "At first I was shocked by Siobhan's pregnancy. But they're old for their years and good through and through.
"Siobhan got a job straight from school and Dean's got his apprenticeship and is learning a trade. In this day and age, that makes them special. Three babies would be a struggle for any new mum, whatever age. But everyone will help and it'll be fine."

Perfect
Dean's mum Angie, 52—herself a twin with five kids aged from 10 to 30 and two other grandchildren—agreed. She said: "Dean's a good hardworking lad. He'll be a great dad."

The teenagers hugged and recalled the magic moment they first saw the scan that revealed THREE babies developing. Then Siobhan told of their dramatic birth early last Saturday. "Dean was by my side as the surgeon called out ‘Baby One!' and we heard her start to cry," she said.
"Baby Two and Baby Three followed and each was brought round a screen for us to see before being taken off to the incubators. It was just so wonderful, Dean and I couldn't believe it.
"We kissed each other and were so happy. Later we were able to touch them for the first time and picking up Summer, the biggest, was the most mindblowing, beautiful thing I could imagine. They were all so perfect and lovely.

"We both know coping will be tough at times, but we also know our little angels have been born into really loving families. And together we'll work to give them the very best life can give."

Handouts they won't be claiming
IF Siobhan and Dean had taken the easy route of milking the state, they could easily have netted around £1,600-a-month in benefits.
She would have received (per week) £52 income support, a total of £43.90 child benefit and £120.18 child tax credit. Dean could have claimed £52 income support. And the council would have had to house them at a cost of at least £500 a month. Instead trainee plasterer Dean is living on a pittance while he learns his trade. "I only get £30 a week," he said proudly.

"But it will lead to a real job so I can look after Siobhan and the girls properly."
Siobhan was also in full-time employment and intends to go back to work as soon as she can. "My mum's always taught us right from wrong," she said. "And that means getting a job."
Because she's so young, Siobhan didn't qualify for maternity leave so she's had sick pay instead. As a worker, she will not even receive the government maternity grant of £500—that's only for benefits claimants.

But the young parents will be getting ONE handout they didn't expect—a year's free nappies from the Morrisons supermarket where Siobhan worked.
General manager Neil McCarthy said: "It's not every day one of our colleagues has triplets."

Jesus cosmetics prove too cheeky for Singapore chain

Want to use Jesus hand cream? Well, you can't anymore. At least not in Singapore.
A Singapore-based retailer pulled a line of cheeky Jesus branded cosmetics from its shelves after complaints from irate Catholics, the local newspaper reported on Tuesday.
The cosmetics, called "Lookin' Good for Jesus", is made by American makeup company Blue Q. It was sold in three Topshop outlets in Singapore.

Wing Tai Holdings, which manages the Topshop brand in the city-state, pulled the items off its shelves late last month after some customers complained, the Straits Times newspaper reported.
"We don't want to offend our customers," a company spokesman was quoted by the paper as saying.

Reuters could not get a comment from Wing Tai as its offices were closed for the Lunar New Year holiday.
The Straits Times said Nick Chui, 27, a Catholic, spotted the items in a Topshop outlet and then wrote a letter to Wing Tai last month saying that the products trivialized Jesus Christ and Christianity.

"There are also sexual innuendoes in the messages and the way Jesus is portrayed in these products," the paper quoted Chui as saying.
Some of the products sold include, a "virtuous vanilla" lip balm, hand and body cream and a mirrored Jesus statuette. They feature a drawing of Jesus flanked by two adoring women and carry slogans such as "Get tight with Christ", "Get His Attention" and "Redeem Your Reputation and More".
Blue Q also carries other tongue-in-cheek items such as a "Believe in God Breath Spray".

In Singapore, about 50 percent of the population are Buddhists and 14.6 percent are Christian.