The Freaks

DATE: UNKNOWN

To most, it was a perfect world. Where people think alike, look alike, obey the harsh rules that they set themselves. A world of steel silver white, sinfully clean, unbearably cold. To a handful, it was the death of humanity.

"The Normals", which is what they call themselves, pursue their prey or "The Freaks" relentlessly. Their sheer number is enough to scare The Freaks to gave in and become one of them, their bright colors turn into dull silvery white, their shapes and size turn into average and, ah, normal. No longer the prey remember the lush of life, the joy of living free, they have become The Normals and thus a prisoner of themselves and their so-called society.

Those who were not willing to give up were overcome, got broken or got killed or killed themselves. The Normals have a no survivor rule, and apply it ruthlessly. Either the prey become one of them, or eliminate them. The victims did not lose their color and size and shape, but they just lay there dead like a group of butterfly after the storm. Beautifully strewn on the ground, but totally dead.

Even so, there are groups of people that can withheld the attack. These Freaks have better immunity, better strength, and equipped better. Their love for life and for themselves work as a talisman against the Normals. Their acceptance for differences and variety of all things in life were their weapon against the Normals, turning some of them into the Freaks. The hunted became the hunter.

It was one of the immune group of Freaks that was being cornered that afternoon. The lady boy, the fat chick, the womanish man, the lewd girl, the shy geek, 7 or 9 of them surrounded by hundreds of the Normals. Some of the Normals already got streak of colors or shape/size distortion thanks to the Freaks, they really put up a good fight. But the Normals swarm like ant, and closing in on them really fast after disposing their tainted. Soon they close all the gaps. The Freaks are trapped. They look at their surrounding. It was a sea of dull silver white. They look at each other and smile. Their color shines brighter, as well as the sparkle in their eyes and confident in their smiles, it was dazzling and outshine the dull color of the Normals. One of the Freaks grin mischievously and say, "Life is fun, love. Let's roll!"

The Time of My Life - A Survivor's Note

"I've been waiting for my dreams
To turn into something I could believe in
And looking for that magic rainbow
On the horizon, I couldn't see it"

We'll never know how toxic something is until we break free from it, or until we die from it.

It felt like an eternal winter for me: The forever bleak surrounding with occasional torrent rain and wind that howls through the dead trees. This is what my mental state is. But I am not unique. I believe anyone with a broken relationship walks (and trapped) in this forsaken state for a certain period of time. Some stayed forever.

The toll? Death of the soul. Got so used with unhappiness that they just stay there, unable to wake up and live their life, and watch helplessly as their world crumbles apart. I got trapped for so long that I no longer care whether I wake up or not the next morning; and I was forced to see my work, which I'm fiercely proud of, slowly destroyed due to my inability to focus, to wake up. I could've stayed like this forever (and forever actually means whatever short time I have left thanks to my reckless behaviour), but God intervene.

What we need to understand is each person has different strength and different burden. It is impossible to generalize and say: "it's just a guy/girl, get over it!". For some cases it probably is, just a hapless hopeless puppy love. Yet look deeply, observe closely, watch carefully. Your friend may have won the ticket to The Wood of Eternal Winter when you shrugged your shoulder and say, "She/he'll get over it.". And on the contrary, your stretched hands and open arms might save them from that wretched fate. You could be God's intervention, you could be their ticket out.

Yet in some cases, we sunk too deep to even notice our friends' effort to help us, or that future and sunny world outside that bleak woods do exist. I could've stayed there forever, if He didnt send someone that shatter my world. But He did, He send me someone that in an unthinkable way shook me out and show me my true worth. Yet I can choose. I can close my senses and reject it, stayed in my eternal winter forever, because another winter after the sun will be too much to bear; or I can accept my golden ticket and hope there will be no more winter. I choose to accept it.

There are so many people trapped in depression, in their own eternal winter. Maybe you or your loved ones are among them. And if not, maybe you can be their ticket out. Of course, it will be up to them to use their ticket out or not; but at least you have given them the chance. And maybe one day, the wood of eternal winter will lay abandoned, as all people happily gathered in the land of eternal sunshine. One day, some day.

"Until I let go, gave in to love
Watched all the bitterness burn
Now I'm coming alive, body and soul
Feeling my world start to turn

And I'll taste every moment and live it out loud
I know this is the time, this is the time to be
More than a name or a face in the crowd
I know this is the time, this is the time of my life
The time of my life"

The Time of My Life - David Cook

Problem Girl

And when the kids on the street say
What's your problem girl
And the weight of their smile's just
Too much for you to bear
When they all make you feel
Like you're a problem girl
Remember
You're no problem at all
You're no problem at all
- Problem Girl by Rob Thomas

And yes, he's right. People who does not fit into the mold that others made so, ah, perfectly, do not always mean they have a problem. Sometimes it's just because they're simply...different.

And what is normal anyway? It really does not matter if you do things un-normal/differently as long as you do not disturb others. While an act of using your underpants outside like Superman may sounds outrageous (hardly anyone do that), shouldnt the act of getting your fancy clothes by means of embezzlement and tricking people be more disturbing (so many people do that)?

Morality, I believe, is the operating system that God installed on us. It is there to help us navigate ourselves in life, between basics of right and wrong. Norms, on the other hand, are human made rules. It is made to ensure the humans' social pack get along smoothly, so it's different from one human group to others. Killing a person is morally wrong (the proof is that only very few percentage of people can do it without haunted by guilt), but it is accepted (and done) as a norm in some culture e.g. Honor Killing.

So yes, people can say I'm a problem. Yet I simply live with my own rules and uphold universal moral values [most prominently: thou must not hurt others]. So yeah, I'm probably different, but I refuse to be categorized by people or even by myself as "problematic". No, I'm no problem at all. Happy Sunday :)

The Starfish Story

"There'd been a storm, and tens of thousands of starfish had been washed onto a beach. A man walked the beach, saddened to see all the dying creatures. Up ahead, he saw another man. The man was tossing starfish back into the ocean.

"You can't save all these starfish," the first man said. "What does it matter?"
The second man turned to the first. He leaned over, picked up a starfish, and cast it into the sea.
"Well," he told the first man, "it mattered to that one.""

As beautifully illustrated on the story above, we cannot save everyone but the ones that we do save will be grateful for what we do. I cant save everyone in the world, or make everyone happy. I dont think I can even save anyone from anything or make a person happy all the time. Shit happens. But I can try, and hopefully I can make your life worthwhile.

Just like the story goes, what I do probably can't make a change to the world, nevertheless it can make a change (no matter how small it is) in your life. So stay, and allow me to make you smile, to make your life a slightly wonderful one. Allow me to make you happy.

NOTE: the starfish story is taken from a Yahoo article. Read the whole inspiring story here.

You Look Best When You Smile

You look best when you smile
It was like the sun shine through the cloud
Like the rainbow after the rain
Like the warm spring wind after the harsh winter
You maybe not a beauty queen
And definitely not James Bond
But seeing you smile fills my heart with gladness
Making me feel the world is such a beautiful place
So smile, angel. You'll never know who you might saved with your warm, honest smile
Cause you look best when you smile

- This note is dedicated to all that read this article. Smile, gorgeous ;) -

Karena Senyuman Anda Begitu Berarti

Saya suka senyuman: baik senyuman yang saya lakukan sendiri maupun milik orang lain, bahkan senyum yang tidak ditujukan bagi saya. Senyuman yang tulus, yang otentik itu benar-benar ajaib.

Senyuman ramah penjual bakso, tawa lepas mereka saat saya nyengir dodol dan mengambil belanjaan saya yang tertinggal, padahal saya mengalami hari yang buruk dikantor namun semua senyuman itu membuat hari saya jadi menyenangkan. Yup, senyum itu menular. Begitu pula kebahagiaan dan rasa senang yang ditimbulkannya.

Saya harap anda bisa tersenyum dan bahagia saat membaca ini, karena saya pun menulis ini sambil tersenyum senang. Jangan pelit senyum ya, karena senyuman anda begitu berarti :)

Hari Ultah yang Hebat!

Pagi ini gerimis. Saya sampai dikantor jauh sebelum jam buka kantor, dan kantor saya masih tergembok
dengan manis. Saat saya menelepon teman yang memegang kunci, hujan turun dengan derasnya. Saat berteduh di motor tiba-tiba alam memanggil. Buru-buru saya melarikan motor ke pom bensin terdekat. Mas-mas yang ramah menunjukkan saya lokasi toilet yang untungnya bersih. Lega deh hehehe. Langsung saya meluncur kembali ke kantor yang kali ini sudah buka. Untungnya kue yang saya bawa terlindung plastik rapat sehingga tak basah sedikitpun walau saya bawa kelilingan ditengah hujan. Dan untung juga saya pakai celana pendek, walau sedikit kena luntur kemeja saya (kemeja saya biru, celana saya putih) paling tidak saya tidak kedinginan kena basah hujan. Belum jam 9 tapi menurut saya sejauh ini hari ultah saya kali ini awesome!

Terdengar biasa saja? Bagaimana kalau begini: saya bisa saja mengutuk cuaca yang tak bersahabat; bisa saja memaki teman yang
terlambat membuka kantor; bisa saja meratapi celana putih saya yang manis. Lalu apa yang saya akan dapatkan? Hari ultah yang menyebalkan, yang amat amat menyebalkan. Tidak, terimakasih. Saya ingin hari ultah yang hebat, yang
menyenangkan. Dan saya akan mendapatkannya :)

Outdoor Valentine Dates (Because Mall is so Passé)

Yes, thank you Garfield for noting it down :D

Malls are indeed essential for (some of) us, in fact I remember the first thing I noticed when I move in to Bali (and one of the things that leave me quite freak out) was the lack of, ahem, proper mall which in turn means lack of proper bookstore. This is of course my biased opinion as my so-called proper bookstore means a LARGE ones with huge collection of Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton and Eoin Colfer and a proper Anne Rice section. Yes. I'm a freak.



However, I would like to encourage you lovebirds and other assortment of lovestruck people to AVOID mall this upcoming Valentine and hit outdoor instead. No, I'm not making a conspiracy against mall, I love them. I devoted to them still, especially those with grand bookstores. It's just something that I learn recently in Bali, that being together with someone (you loved) counts more when you do it outside (i.e. blend with nature) than when you do it in the mall/enclosed space.

Let's face it, in the mall/enclosed space you have to share your affection with many people, all in the same small space. Imagine whispering sweet words to your partner's ear during movie, only to find the person sitting behind you making, ahem, films of their own or the couple next to you state his undying love to each other. Or imagine walking hand in hand with your loved ones only to find yourself caught in the middle of Alays (yes, they will be there flocking the malls, another reason why you should avoid malls at any cost!). Or imagine holding hands with her on romantic dinner table only to find the waiter comes to you with the sour look of "God! How many pinks and silly lovebirds I have to endure for the day??" Outdoor it is, love. Outdoor it is.



If you happen to be in Bali or other small cities, outdoor dates are easy and relatively lower in cost than the indoor ones. A suggestion for Bali Valentine Date, do tourists stuff and enjoy it: Start your valentine day with a trip at the park (e.g. Bajra Sandhi or Puputan Badung) with playing and do sport together. Frisbee is one of the suggested game, even though you're there with the lover and not the dog, it sure brings out the sweat and lots of laughter. Then, get some delicious Balinese cakes for breakfast or even go for a full lunch/brunch/whatever at the local market. If you're nowhere near a local market, just pack up some stuff before you go and have a picnic in the park. Hit the beach at sunset, explore it and feel every wonderful things with all your senses, the sand on your feet, the splashing waves, his beaming face. And close it with dinner for two in an outdoor restaurant, or just plain fun at Angkringan! Not really romantic? It depends. Romantic for me is spending quality time JUST with my loved ones, it's about who I share the day with, not where I share the day.



Happen to be in Jakarta or other big city? Go to the park like Menteng park etc. Visit the Old City part of the town (where the buildings were made not later than 1950s) or visit the museum. Eat in a comfortable old-style dining spot, or the street vendor (there are plenty good spots such as Blok S). Get a bike tour if necessary (I know lots of major city offered bike tour now). Happen to have some extra money in your poscket? Kidnap her and sail to Pulau Seribu for a day in the sun. There are so many things that you can do with your loved ones without including the mall, and yes, they can be really budget friendly too. Some ideas to ask around to: @wisatakeluarga, @backpackseru, @infojakarta, @infojogja, etc. They usually know the best location in town, and the most affordable one. So plan it well.

Bottom line: do something different outdoor this valentine, blend in with nature and appreciate the colors in it, the life in it. Feel and taste the un-modern part of your surroundings. If ever in doubt, again keep this mantra for you: It's not what or where you share the day, it's whom you share the day with. Besides, if your partner willing to do crazy or uncommon valentine activities with you, you can be sure she/he'll stick "in sadness and in sorrow, in gladness and in joy". Happy Valentine's day everybody!

How to be an Angel

Sebenernya saya juga ga tau gimana caranya.

(Post ini dibuka dengan buruk ya... hehehehehe)

Saya kepikiran aja sama topik ini setelah dapat SMS soal per-angel-an dari temen saya. Dia merasa terbantu oleh best friend nya and call her an angel. Saya juga sering banget manggil orang-orang yang bantuin saya "Angel". Nah, jadi kapan seseorang dianggap "angel" dan kapan nggak?

Buat saya, seseorang yang membantu saya itu sudah pasti "Angel". Bukan berarti dia sepenuhnya suci, bersih, dan sebagainya lho. Seorang teman yang membantu memberikan job saat saya lagi ga punya duit buat saya Angel, walaupun (konon cerita) dia dianggap jelek oleh sekelilingnya. Sebaliknya, seseorang yang hapal mampus kitab suci tapi tega ngeliat perempuan ngangkat-ngangkat kursi etc untuk kegiatan kampus tanpa ngebantuin jelas bukan "Angel" buat saya. Kayanya perbedaannya jelas ya?

What's so special with helping other? Apa sih yang spesial banget tentang ngebantuin orang lain? Easy, kita selalu punya pilihan untuk ngebantuin (atau ga ngebantuin) orang lain. Ini konsekuensi logis Manusia sebagai mahluk sosial. Saya ga terlalu ketat soal agama (baca: ga terlalu waro/peduli bahkan), tapi saya sepenuhnya percaya Tuhan, dan saya percaya manusia adalah anak Tuhan, ada bagian dari Tuhan dalam diri kita. Saat kita memutuskan menolong orang lain, itu Tuhan yang menolong, atau lebih tepatnya manusia sebagai Angel/Malaikat/utusanNya :)

Jangan ngebayangin harus seperti para orang suci/santo yang berkorban, rela mati demi sesuatu. Menolong orang itu mudah kok. Mulai dari ngasi kursi di bus, bantuin ibu-ibu naikin barangnya di angkot, hal-hal kecil aja sih sebenernya. Makanya saya suka banget di Jakarta, banyak kesempatan bisa nolongin orang.

Buat saya ini bukan masalah ntar dapat pahala atau gimana, like I said, saya juga ga terlalu percaya Surga-Neraka. Klo kata orang bule: what goes around comes around, apa yang ditabur itu yang dituai. Saya asik-asik aja ngasi kursi di Bus buat ibu-ibu tua/hamil karena saya berharap saat mama saya di posisi ibu2 itu, akan ada yang ngasi kursi ke beliau. Saya asik-asik aja ngebantu ngedorong gerobak sampah pemulung yang nyangkut karena toh ga nyusahin saya. Apa yang bisa saya lakukan untuk orang lain, selama ga nyusahin saya dan orang-orang sekitar saya, biasanya sih saya lakuin. Tapi ya itu tadi, selama ga ngerugiin saya dan orang-orang sekitar saya. Bodoh namanya menolong orang tapi sengsara sendiri. Jangan egois lah, kesian kan orang2 yang sayang kita.

Emang ga selalu lancar. Kadang saya juga bertanya-tanya, apakah iya ada faedahnya saya berusaha nolong orang, bikin mereka tersenyum? Sering banget orang menganggap saya punya motif-motif tersendiri dengan ngebantu mereka, ada juga yang berterimakasih dengan basa-basi alias ga niat, lebih sering lagi orang ga menganggap saya udah ngebantu mereka. Tapi once in a while ada yang bener-bener menyatakan dengan penuh niat bahwa mereka berterimakasih atas bantuan saya. And you know what, it makes life worth living once again. Hidup saya jadi berarti lagi.

Apakah saya Angel? You decide. Saya ga terlalu peduli juga sih apakah saya angel atau bukan. Saya cuma berusaha nunjukin ga susah jadi orang baik. Ga susah jadi Angel.

Nyalain "Kembang Api" yuk :)

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through



Saya suka banget sama lagunya Katy Perry ini. Baik clip maupun lyricnya nunjukin bahwa kita bisa bersinar, bisa lebih baik. You just gotta believe in yourself. Tapi sebagaimana firework, ga kan nyala kalau ga ada api :). Harus ada yang ngasi tau kita bahwa kita berharga, kita oke, kita bisa bersinar. Kalau nggak ya susah, ga kan bisa nyala kecuali pedenya emang over dosis.

Emang kadang kalau ga biasa dipuji pasti rasanya aneh/ga nyaman. Temen kerja saya merasa canggung saat saya dan rekan saya properly thank him atas bantuannya dalam proyek kami. Buat saya, saya wajib berterimakasih karena saat itu dia punya hak untuk tutup mata dan bukannya malah membantu saya. Saya memang royal dan keras dalam hal ini, baik dalam berterimakasih maupun pujian-pujian kecil yang memang pantas diberikan. Kalau mereka memang pantas mendapatkannya, kenapa tidak? Bukankah sangat menyenangkan untuk tahu kita dihargai, biar sekecil apapun. Bukankah sangat menggembirakan untuk tahu kita bisa membantu orang, biar seremeh apapun. Pujian-pujian kecil, senyuman ramah, dan kata "terima kasih" itulah yang akan jadi "fire" yang menyalakan "fireworks" kita. Kalau dipikir-pikir, kembang api memang dinyalakan dengan api kecil kan, bukan api unggun :)

Jadi jangan pelit ya ngebantu menyalakan "firework" orang-orang sekeliling kita, karena nanti "firework" kita pun akan menyala dengan indahnya...

Tiffie, BB, dan Kebanggaan Bangsa

Pasti semua sudah tau ceritanya kan? Ancaman pemblokiran BB oleh Menkominfo kita yang tercinta, yang tampaknya berpikir BB dipergunakan untuk mengakses pornografi dan sebagainya. Juga karena BB tidak punya data center, CS dan selengkapnya di Indonesia (sehingga ga bayar pajak), yang mana "melanggar hukum". Terlepas dari janggalnya tuntutan ini (klien-klien saya sudah pakai BB dari 2005, kenapa ga dari dulu-dulu diatur? kenapa baru sekarang setelah usernya 2 juta lebih?), yang lebih janggal lagi adalah justifikasi Mr. Tiffie: "Apakah kita harus selalu tunduk pada asing?". Well, bukannya selama ini iya?

Pendapat Tiffie ini sendiri di sampaikan lewat Twitter (punya asing). Apa salahnya dengan jumpa pers yang normal, dengan wartawan-wartawan lokal? Sebut saya bodoh, tapi saya ga mampu ngeliat kenapa kita "tidak mau tunduk pada pihak asing/bow to foreigners" dalam kasus BB, tapi tutup mata sementara Freeport, Newmont, dan beragam perusahaan milik luar negeri lainnya mengeruk dan merusak alam kita dengan hanya memberikan faedah yang minim untuk Indonesia. Kenapa kita permasalahin BB ga buka CS dan server data disini sementara TKI kita di negeri orang terlunta-lunta di kolong jembatan dan tanpa bantuan sedikitpun.

Ini memang hal yang berbeda, namun prinsipnya sama. Bukan hanya pihak asing seringkali merasa lebih superior dari kita, kita pun seringkali menganggap mereka memang "lebih" dari kita. Yang satu kelebihan harga diri, yang satu kekurangan harga diri. Apa iya mereka lebih baik? Apa iya kita lebih buruk? Saya yakin nggak.



Faktanya: orang asing di Indonesia (bahkan yang setengah asing, Chintha Loora anyone?) bisa mendapatkan gaji yang lebih tinggi dari pribumi asli. Layar kaca kita dipenuhi orang asing dan setengah asing yang bahkan ga becus bahasa Indonesia (I have no objection with Irfan Bachdim karena dia ada faedahnya, but I personally think Jack Hanafi sebaiknya dikirim balik ke Australia). Bahkan majalah wedding yang segmennya pribumi Indonesia selalu menampilkan mayoritas model bule, walau pemotretan diambil di Indonesia. Asal tahu saja, seorang fotografer dan model bule bisa mendapat 2 kali bayaran pribumi, walau hasil mereka sama atau bahkan lebih buruk dari fotografer/model pribumi ini. Fresh graduate lulusan luar negeri (walau hanya D3) bisa mendapat pekerjaan jauh lebih cepat dan dengan gaji lebih baik dari rekan mereka fresh graduate S1 lulusan Indonesia walau belum tentu mereka lebih becus kerja.

Sebelum anda menuduh saya dendam sama orang asing, I'm not. Teman2 paling dekat saya adalah orang asing, bacaan dan hiburan yang saya dapatkan mayoritas dari pihak asing (Yahoo, movies, books). Saya bukan anti orang asing, saya anti orang asing yang menganggap pribumi itu rendah, dan saya anti orang pribumi yang menganggap orang asing itu dewa. That simple.

Apa iya kita sejelek anggapan kita sendiri, seperti dalam cerita teman saya ini? Apa yang kurang dengan kecantikan khas orang Indonesia, kulit gelap nan berkilau dan senyum manis nan menawan? Apa yang kurang dengan kecerdasan orang Indonesia, yang di jaman dahulu kala sanggup membuat Borobudur dan Phinisi, dan di masa sekarang langganan menang olimpiade sains? Apa yang salah dengan masakan Indonesia, yang rasa nya jauh lebih beragam daripada masakan Eropa dan dengan kalori yang (saya yakin) jauh lebih sedikit? Apa yang salah dengan kesenian Indonesia, yang merupakan pesta dan hiburan bagi mata, telinga dan jiwa? We're good. We're really good.



Para pesimis akan bilang bahwa itu di masa lalu, negara barat lah kiblat maju sekarang. Mungkin dulu iya, namun dunia sudah berubah, sudah ga jaman penjajahan lagi. Pribumi Indonesia bisa dengan mudah mengejar ketinggalan mereka dari bangsa asing dengan berbagai informasi dan kemudahan yang ada sekarang. Plus tekad kuat dan kebanggan diri tentunya. Apa yang kita alami disini dan ga dialami oleh bangsa asing? Australia juga kebanjiran; Indonesia punya FPI vs Ahmadiyah, Amerika punya Westboro Baptist Church; Bank-bank besar Eropa hampir bangkrut dan penuh skandal seperti Century. Di masa ini bukan ras kita yang menentukan, namun pribadi kita sendiri.

Jangan menanggapi tulisan saya dengan sikap: "Yeah, bule sucks!", tapi tanggapilah dengan "yeah, we're good. And we're equal!". Karena memang iya. Kita mampu, kita sebenarnya setara, jadi stop melihat orang asing (atau setengah asing) dengan mata berbinar-binar, atau nempel/menjilat orang yang pernah tinggal atau kuliah di luar negeri. Jangan silau lah, kita bagus juga kok. Ga usah ngancam nge blokir BB cuma untuk nunjukin kita ga mau direndahkan bangsa asing, mulai aja dari diri kita sendiri. Have faith in yourself, banggalah menjadi seorang Indonesia :)

Notes:
- Saya ga pake BB, dan saya juga sebenernya ga suka BB hehehehe
- Thanks to Tracy P. atas izin nya nge-share notes dia
- Merah Putih by Pamanjee, Portrait of A Lady dan wanita yang sedang membatik (ga tau judul aslinya T.T) keduanya oleh Basoeki Abdullah

Galungan Dec 2010 Part 1: Flower Power!

My long awaited holiday is over.. Sigh... But I still need to tell you how it goes ;).

As you have probably read in my previous Galungan and Kuningan post, Galungan is a celebration of the Dharma (good) victory against Adharma (not good). Balinese Hindu celebrate it with various offerings and prayers, and all family (commonly) gathered to prepare the big day: the feast, the offering, and so on. It's almost like Christmas or Thanksgiving (but minus the presents and the turkeys) or Ied-ul Fitri (minus the fasting - thank God!).

For women, the preparation starts with preparing the offerings, which consists of flowers, fruits, dainty cakes, and various types of offering complementer made from young coconut frond (which is a piece of art itself). Making the frond arrangement is quite a task for me, but not shopping ;)

As I reside in Denpasar, the best place to shop all the flowers we need is at Pasar (market) Badung. This market is currently undergo renovation, but it still fabulously fantastic to visit especially days berfore a Bali Holy Day. The flowers are just everywhere! The sack that you see on the right below is flower petals of Rose Balsam or Bunga Pacah. Can't believe how many flowers needed for one sack, and there they trade it by tons. They also have shredded pandan leaves, all by sacks.



Also selling lotus flowers, hydrangea, ylang ylang, and sweet smelling champaka. You are welcome to buy it, even just for giving scent in your room. The price is about IDR 1000 per champaka, but it may fluctuates during (or near) Holy days.



Pasar Badung also have various food stalls, fruit stalls, anything you need for your praying and also daily cooking. Imagine going to farm market and multiply it to 10, that would sum it up, and it's only the seller on the outside of the building (Pasar Badung also have a solid building for Balinese Clothes seller, souvenirs and such). The surrounding, however, was well maintained as "old town" complex.



Back to business, I took a shot of what one of the offering complementer will be (Canangs). The case is made from young coconut frond, and it was filled with flowers, pandan leaves, sugar cane, banana, and stuff I'm not sure what it called in English (or even in Indonesia!). It's rich in meaning, rich in color, rich in everything. Balinese did a fine work for God ;).



Shopping for Galungan at Pasar Badung is really fun. I enjoy the sight of the old buildings and shops around, which combine really well with the noise and the sweet flower smell. What can I say, I'm a sensualist hehehe... If you haven't been there, go, and enjoy yourself :). Gajah Mada Town Festival is also a great way to get to know more about this fabulous place, and it is usually held on December 28-30. Who said shopping in traditional places is a nuisance?

I love you, Indonesia

Before I dive at Great Barrier Reef I gotta dive at Raja Ampat first,
Before I visit the Carribean Islands I gotta visit Mentawai Islands first,
Before I hike the mountains of Nepal I gotta hike Semeru and Bromo first,
Before I solemnly pray at Incan Temple I gotta pray at Prambananan first,
Before I touch my hand on ancient rocks of Stonehenge I gotta touch the ancient rocks of Tana Toraja first,
Before I see the world from Tokyo tower I gotta see my country from Berhala Island's Lighthouse first,
Before I hear Big Ben struck I gotta hear Jam Gadang struck,
So much things to do in my beautiful country, what do you want to do first?

If I win a lottery, the first thing I'm gonna do (after buying mum a decent house and pay off all my bills) is travel around Indonesia, and take a different friend with me on each trip. So more people will appreciate what a gorgeous and great country we have.

Don't get wrong. I do wish I can go abroad too, especially to work. For pure fun: The Louvre, New Orleans, San Francisco, Southern France, Greece, Turkey, so many places that I want to go to. But first, I gotta go see my country.

Indonesia is a great country, an amazingly beautiful and obscenely rich country. If she's a girl, don't imagine her as one of the regal Duchess of Europe. Imagine her as the native island princess: exotic dark skinned lady, naive yet full of faith, with rough looking yet priceless gold and precious rock jewelry all over her, and the smile always on over her face for she always have what she needs and much more.

I know lots of you don't believe this, especially foreign people. An under-develop country, which rely on foreign donor to keep herself alive? A corrupt country, which everything needs to be settled with bribe? A barbaric country, where most people are downright uneducated and illiterate? Why yes. That is the side of Indonesia. But we have another side of the story.

The policies which Indonesian government made are not entirely correct or even Indonesia-friendly. Corruption and bribe are plague everywhere, even in mighty USA or strict Japan. Uneducated? Well, we're working on it. We really do. You have to remember than Indonesia is a young country, a mere fledgling. We're enormous in natural resources (you might even use the phrase "Behemoth"), but this giantess barely learn to walk, let alone run. It took USA hundreds of years before they elect the first black president (Hi Mr. Obama, I love you), the monarchy in UK is hundreds of years old as well, and we're only 65 years old. We were overrun for almost 400 years by 2 Colonialist who cares nothing except making profits by bleeding us to death (in terms of resources and also literally our fellow citizen), now we have some capitalists piggy back and drained us as well. it's a small wonder we're everything you called us above.

But the people of Indonesia are also strong people. Tsunami, major flood, volcanic activities, whatever happen we simply move on. The people of Merapi already getting ready to go back to their destroyed villages. The people of Wasior already buried their victims and start to live their live again. And yes, we work hand by hand to try help those people, especially the army and PMI.

If we have the ability to run our own resources and tourism (with government that really cares about Indonesia and her citizen), if we have the pride and knowledge of how powerful our country can be, if we can gathered IDR 10,000 from each citizen of Indonesia and use it (correctly) to fund our education, I am at awe on how far we could go. Imagine that your self.

The knowledge (technical, medical, everything!) of Indonesian heritage is outstanding: Borobudur, Prambanan, various medication to cure any ailment, you name it. The courage and the pride that our Indonesian ancestor has shown is breathtaking. The beauty of our country is enough to make even the most daredevil adventurer stands speechless. Unfortunately, many people don't realize this, or choose not to realize this. That's why I wanna go around Indonesia, to first handedly experience its beauty and marvel.

Luckily, some people start to realize it and try to raise Indonesian pride. One of the active one is Get Lost in Indonesia (twitter @getlostisgood ), which promotes Indonesia's beautiful sites and ask Losteners (their followers) to post their new-found stupendous sites of Indonesia. Any sites of Indonesia that is, all is good ;). Another one that I've just found is @palingindonesia . This twitter account tweets anything that is "very Indonesia" or "paling Indonesia". From information of the Indonesian heroes (Bung Tomo, anyone?) to simply good culinary pictures, everything is all about Indonesia.

I hope Indonesian can be proud of their own beautiful country. I hope everyone can help to make Indonesia stays as a beautiful country. From as little as not littering to trying hard to prevent us from drained by "investors", your help and care is needed. Most of all, show that you love Indonesia, cause she'll grow prettier and stronger, and love you in return. I love Indonesia.

Let's Pray!

Let's put our petty differences aside and unite in Prayer, shall we? Just a few seconds, let us unite in thought and kind wishes for our fellow Human. For me, it's for Merapi victims, and also Mentawai, and Wasior, and other unfortunate souls that suffer from the nature's wrath or other human's foolishness (and evil deeds/thoughts). Feel free to choose yours :)

Mari mengesampingkan perbedaan-perbedaan ga penting kita dan berdoa bareng yuk. Hanya untuk beberapa detik, mari bersatu dalam pikiran dan pengharapan baik bagi sesama Manusia. Bagi saya, ini untuk korban Merapi, dan Mentawai dan Wasior, dan juga orang malang lainnya yang menderita karena kemurkaan alam atau kebodohan sesama Manusia (dan perbuatan/pikiran jahatnya). Silakan memilih anda mau berdoa untuk apa :)



Why pray? Because:
1. It's Free.
Even air won't be free for long (judging from the current pollution rate).
2. It doesn't take time or effort.
You just need to have faith and sincerity. No strenuous strain needed, and a minute is long enough if you're doing it right.
3. It's the best investment ever.
You pray = you care. You care = God'll care you as well. God care for you is better than any health insurance or Medicare or Wall Street Investing. You'll get health, happiness and wealth all in the same package with low premium: a simple sincere prayer.

Don't care what you believe or what you called God: Allah, Hyang Widhi, The Mighty one, whatever, as long as you're praying sincerely, it definitely counts, both for the ones you're praying for and also for yourself. So let's pray :)

I love you, Gentlemen!

Gentleman definition by Merriem-Webster: (1) : a man who combines gentle birth or rank with chivalrous qualities (2) : a man whose conduct conforms to a high standard of propriety or correct behavior.

Definisi Gentleman berdasarkan Merriem-Webster: (1): Seorang pria yang menggabungkan status kelahiran atau sosialnya yang tinggi dengan sifat-sifat yang sopan dan beradab (2): seorang pria yang tindakannya mengikuti standar kesopanan yang tinggi atau perilaku yang tepat.

Kemarin akhirnya saya bertemu dengan salah satu gentlemen saya, and I have to say it out loud: I love my gentlemen.
Saya selalu berpikir kalau mereka spesial, tapi setelah saya terdampar jauh dari mereka, saya jadi tambah menghargai apa yang mereka lakukan selama ini.

Para gentlemen disini bukanlah pacar saya (walaupun mantan saya adalah Gentleman sejati yang mungkin bisa bikin Pangeran Charles kalah hawa), mereka adalah teman-teman saya, dan teman-teman terbaik yang saya punya. Berdasarkan definisi diatas, gentleman adalah seseorang yang sopan, beradab, dan menghargai serta tahu cara memperlakukan wanita. Para playboy kelas kakap hampir pasti bisa berlaku gentleman (James Bond, anyone?), tapi playboy aja (apalagi yang kelas kampung) belum tentu bisa. Harus diingat bahwa wanita disini bukan spesifik berarti wanita yang menarik, namun semua wanita. Teman, sodara, adik, mama, they'll know what to do dan protect them anyway they can. Kedengarannya romantis banget ya? Bayangkan kalau punya satu teman dekat seperti itu. I got VERY lucky, I found some since High school and I have more ever since ;)

Jangan bayangkan gentlemen saya seperti VJ Daniel atau para Vampires (yang konon lagi ngetren) yang swooning dan smiling "what's up girl?". Jelas bukan.. I'll run if they do that hahahaha.... :D
My gentlemen are strong men. One is a playboy (yang dengan jujur mengingatkan "it's all for fun" - how I love him for his brutal honesty), yang lain spend the whole time talking with me dengan makian bertebaran (biasa, soal kerjaan ;p ). Ada yang ga bisa dilepasin dari hobi remote controlnya, ada yang ga bisa dilepasin dari kantor dan rokoknya, macam-macam banget deh. Tapi apa kesamaan mereka? They treat me right. Bukan karena saya cantik (jauh deh) atau seksi (apalagi), tapi karena saya wanita. Itu aja.

Dari jaman SMA dulu, dari hal-hal yang paling kecil. Saya selalu dapat seat di kendaraan umum, they make sure of that. Walaupun mereka jadi pulang lama karena nunggu saya dapat seat, but they did that nevertheless. Segala kepanikan soal pe-er, ulangan, atau kejar2an sama guru, semua beres ;). Saat kuliah temen-temen klub saya sudah siap untuk menghajar anak BEM yang bikin saya menangis kesal saat rapat gabungan (itulah bahagianya rapat dengan anggota klub bela diri di pihak kita :D ) dan saat kita bikin plan untuk walkout, yang mereka pikirkan adalah: "Yang cewek gimana? pokoknya yang cewek harus pergi duluan." The boys ready to stay behind and fight. Atau gentleman saya yang memarahi lawan balap liarnya karena cewek lawannya dibawa balapan dan terluka. Ada yang nemenin saya saat kerja di pameran sampai jam 2 pagi, ada yang datang sambil nyengir saat saya minta jalan-jalan tengah malam atau ketemuan walau rumahnya jauh. Ada yang nungguin saya malam-malam sampai pacar saya keluar kantor (mereka sekantor). Dan semuanya ga pernah protes. Saya bisa melakukan apa yang saya ingin lakukan, dan mereka akan tetap ada buat saya. Mereka ga pernah naikin suara (teriak) apalagi main fisik, dan mereka g mau saya sedih/sengsara, kalau bisa pasti mereka akan mencegah/membantu sebisanya. Bukan karena saya spesial buat mereka, tapi karena saya wanita. Dan wanita selalu berharga.

Mereka sih ngelakuin itu ke semua cewek (I think), tapi saya tetap menganggap itu sangat berharga. Bahwa kita ga perlu cantik, seksi, atau luarbiasa untuk dihargai, kita bisa tetap eksis kalau ada orang yang luarbiasa yang mau menghargai kita. Dimana saya berada sekarang, it's all about outer beauty, bukan inner beauty. Kalau ga cantik, ga oke, ga kaya, ga segalanya deh, jangan harap ditoleh. Padahal kadang cowok yang setting standar begitu juga ga pantas ditoleh. Menghargai orang ga butuh usaha banyak kok. Butuh hati yang besar aja. Setelah sekian lama depresi, akhirnya saya bisa maju. Saya bisa lebih menghargai orang lagi, karena para gentlemen saya membuat saya merasa begitu berharga. I love you, Gentlemen!

Love Indonesia? Let's Act!

For those of you that haven't heard the news, Indonesia was hit by dual disaster: a Tsunami in Mentawai and Volcanic eruption in Java. In regards to the catastrophe, I found the comment below in Facebook Page Get Lost in Indonesia. It's a great page, really, with great idea, too.



Okay, actually the minimum bank transfer would be IDR 10,000 instead of IDR 5,000. But the point is still the same. With the current currency rate, it's only about USD 1 or AUD 1. A small Bintang costs more than that, a hamburger costs more than that, you probably tip your driver or your guide 10 times the value. It's not really much. Some would probably say (not without proof) that it would go amiss, it would not reached the victims, and you're probably right. But like I said, it's not really much, is it?

Some would say that it's not Bali, it's not Lombok, it's not our problem. But Indonesia, despite of all her flaws and negative publications, is great and unique because it consist all the beautiful islands and places, including those that you've never set your foot before. And a catastrophe this big will surely make an impact in Indonesia as a country, and consequently other places like Bali and Lombok will feel the impact as well.



Yeah, I did my share :). I know that it's only IDR 10,000 (I couldn't afford more. IDR 20,000 means the whole family's dinner), but at least I try. This money and this persuasion, (sorry, article ;) ) is my contribution for my fellow Indonesian in Merapi & Mentawai. No matter how little your donation and prayer is, as long as you're doing it whole -heartedly it will definitely count. Love Indonesia? Let's act.

Cinta Indonesia? Mari beraksi!

Saya nemuin comment dibawah di Facebook Page Get Lost in Indonesia. It's a great page, really, with great idea, too.



Oke, sebenarnya sih minimum transfer BCA itu IDR 10000, bukan 5000. Tapi kalau dipikir-pikir konsepnya tetep bener sih. Buat pembaca blog ini, 5ribu atau 10ribu rupiah buat apa sih? Nasi bungkus seporsi aja bisa lebih dari 10rb. Segelas minuman di Starbucks jelas lebih daripada 10rb. 10rb juga jatah saya sekali makan siang disini. Kalau ibarat koin Prita, it also affordable.
Buat yang kontra, mungkin berargumen kalau sumbangan itu ga semuanya tepat sasaran, rentan diselewengkan, dan segala hal menakutkan lainnya. Tapi seperti saya jelaskan diatas, it is still affordable.



Jadi yeah, I did my share :). Cuma 10 rb memang (I couldn't afford more. 20rb adalah budget makan malam kita sekeluarga), tapi paling ga saya usaha. Uang ini dan artikel ini kontribusi saya bagi saudara2 kita di Merapi dan Mentawai. Sekecil apapun sumbangan dan doa tulus kita untuk mereka, itu tetep dihitung kok, tetap berarti. Love Indonesia? Let's act.

Dove - Real Esteem

"Because every girl deserves to feel good about herself, and see how beautiful she really is."

THANK YOU DOVE FOR SAYING THAT LOUD!!!
Also see the Evolution, Pro Age Campaign, and Man Made Disabilty. All thumbs up for Dove!!!

Dove - Low Self Esteem is a Man Made Disability

A video to show that it takes, something as common as low self -esteem to disable you. Don't suffer at the hands of this 'illness'. You are beautiful, don't ever think otherwise.
Look in the mirror, what do you see?

Kudos for Dove advertising team for such brilliant ad! Also see the pro-age campaign and dove evolution, and best: Real Esteem.

Prayer of the Day

Something that I manage to forget until recently...
I found this prayer in a bookmark from a Christian bookshop, and it has always been my favorite. But it was lost when I move to this place. So glad when I finally found it again.
I still can't do what the prayer ask all the time, but I'm trying hard cause it helped me a lot. Hope it helps you, too :)

If I can do some good today
If I can serve along Life's way
If I can have something helpful say
Lord, show me how

If I can right a human's wrong
If I can help to make one's strong
If I can help with smile or song
Lord, show me how

If I can aid one's in distress
If I can make a burdern less
If I can spread more happiness
Lord, Please show me how!