Start Blogging Again?

Huff.... I wish I had time to add up some updates. Errr, maybe soon. I think I have to rearrange this blog first. Yeah, wish me luck.

Obama as a Hope: My Personal Perspective

I’d like to comment a lot, definitely. But, the words seem to suddenly spread about in my mind because of my excitement. So maybe I can’t clearly describe what I exactly feel.

Yes, this is me, one of those Indonesian people who do feel the happiness and pride as most of American voters do. Obama won! And that’s the climax of the long long journey after the historical speech of Martin Luther King, Jr.—inspiring person who led people to struggle for civil rights. And that’s also, just the beginning of all. Many more things remain to be fulfilled, realized, and done. We’ll wait and see; sure, we better actively contribute with our own way—as the world inhabitants.



Some people are still skeptical facing this moment. Some still wonder why the world people outside US celebrate the election result in other country, when there are more tragedies happen in their own lands.

To answer it, I just want to say:

I’m sure, even though there’s no significance (which I think it’ll relatively be); however, US will not be as pathetic as it was (under Bush government). US will not be the same anymore. People believe in change that Obama has said during the campaign, change US to have a better political attitude with true dignity, to change the world’s perspective of America. Hopefully, we all can really prove that together.

Not to ignore, I don’t really take care of some people’s skepticism about Obama. Whatever it’ll be, we already know one thing for sure, Obama is the source of inspiration. He is the hope and the spirit, more than American Dream, he’s a reflection and epitome of what we—inhabitants of the world—want to see.

I’m not being naïve here. I’m just one of those who are inspired. It’s just what I feel, simply like that.

Obama Won! Local newspapers:







P.S. Honestly, I'm still confused by my own irony because, this far, I have no idea about Indonesia Election 2009. I'm still thinking of the one who really is capable to deal with Indonesia's current and future challenges. I haven't found the figure yet. Of course, I'll vote because it'll be my very first time to participate in Indonesian democracy, nationally. Hopefully there will be the one who can fulfill what Indonesia needs, not only as a president, but also an inspiring character, for me and all Indonesian people.

The Death of Music Industries

Maybe it’s a laugh when you read the title of this post. I know, it sounds hyperbolic and exaggerating. But, hell yeah, no one can deny that’s possible to happen, so people start anticipating that weird possibility.

Don’t be too high, just look around. We’re in this era of downloading free-of-charge play lists of mp3. Though you may not do so, I bet everyone has ever copied songs from a friend’s iPod, mp3 player, CD, and any portable storage. Forget the Napster—that’s very old story, it’s everywhere today. Just googling, then you’ll easily find hundreds of sites offering you easy-and-free-downloads.

Dude, before the economy breaks down, music industries have already faced the recession few years before. CD-selling collapsed, everyone just goes digital! Honestly, this idea literally came when I was listening to my new play lists which, you know, were downloaded from some websites. That’s why I’ve been wondering, is there really a time we’re going to have the death of music industries? The time where there would be no one can make money from composing music for public consumption. Many people now are burdened to pay for new songs. So, the only option in the future would be just listening to the old nostalgic songs because no one is going to be ‘profitable’ musician? Or, the only way for a musician to get paid would be only by live-performing on stage? Well, I can’t figure out.

I start thinking, err, guessing actually.

What is the best way to solve it?

There should be technology that can stop free-downloading system on the internet. People still can share, but only for private property. But then, I think, even if someone could do so, I think it’s hardly a solution. Technology keeps improving to the higher and higher advancement, it’s inevitable, and it has no limit. Yeah, it should be like that, because, when technology can limit technology, so it is the technology itself which is going to an end. Complicated, huh? There would be a strange ‘competition’ for those who’re anti-free-downloading and those who are not. Again, will it be that complicated? That is exactly complex and seemingly endless chain of mechanism. Or, there would be software that can prevent free uploads and downloads?


Then, I wonder if in the future, with the advancement of technology, people can make their own songs. So, the song-composing is just a hobby or art to please oneself, no more for commercial. Is it weird thought?

Just to make it short, I get to my conclusion. Music industries would change and adapt, significantly, to their new mechanism. We just can analyze it, but we can give no guarantee for what it’s going to be, what it’s like in the future. Slowly but surely, music industries are preparing for the great revolution.

And, just to get you questioning, can you imagine living in the world with no new songs released? Just get it, take it seriously, or just have fun with it. I don’t say for what or whom I stand in this case.

Humble

It really is an effort when I’m trying to just sit down in front of my PC and starting to type the characters on keyboard. You know, when I was seemingly on hiatus it means that so many things happened during the last two-short-months, so then I can’t have a good time to release what’s there on my mind. Many of them are important to tell, I think. But, of course, that’ll be kinda outta date. So I’ve decided to share what’s currently important, and here, I will preferably use my sense than my science, my feeling than my critical point of view.

And if I’m not mistaken, it’ll be the second time for me to talk about….the annual Ramadan—Moslems’ fasting month.

I now realize more and more that as the age’s getting more modern, year after year, the spirit of religiosity decreases in general. Fasting, for most people today, is just a formality. I can’t see even an effort from my surrounding to create a more religious way in their daily activities during this year’s Ramadan. Sorry for being a little skeptical, but honestly I desperately wish that what I thought wasn’t true. I think I’m now just being a little more subjective because I do not feel the spirit of Ramadan though. You know—I’ve been adapting in new college life.

Anyway, I’ve just learnt the old brand new thing on this year’s Ramadan, humbleness. It’s a simple thing. I don’t want to judge others, so I better say that it may be my only problem that sometimes it’s really hard to keep or just be humble.

What do I mean by being humble here? Yeah, it may be just that ‘humble’—state of being modest. More than that, staying humble is more than smiling to others or being lovely and sociable for the others, it takes your entire energy because we may not realize at the time we lose our humbleness. Humble means we have to always step on the ground, realizing our essence as an ordinary human being. For some people, it can be very easy—yes, that easy.

But, when you have been already trapped in the world of achievement pride, competition, or social prestige in this so-called-the-era-of-commodity, you are sometimes ignoring who you are when you think it shouldn’t be you. Not to neglect our own power or ability, we—or I, specifically—must always stay ‘sane’ not to be the victim of our own ambition, obsession, goals, and self-pride. It all becomes clear when we correlate it to our natural existence as a God’s creature, which means that above all we stand for our own destiny and everything has been basically orchestrated for us. We therefore don’t know what the future holds for us and our friends. As a conclusion, I’ll always try to always realize my very nature as a human being when I start ‘flying’—forget to hit the ground.

Then, to recap, I’ll shortly explain what happened lately.

August. I was welcomed in university, passing through that chain of junior-treated-by-senior activities and ceremonies (I’m not talking about bullying). There’s contradiction indeed on my mind, but this time, I decided not to criticize this ‘colonial imitation’ because I’m sure that it’ll decline naturally as the time goes by, and it’s proved bit by bit. Hmm, this August I celebrated 63rd anniversary of Indonesia. It simply reminds of my last year post about independence in which Miss Julia from Venezuela left a comment there. Sorry for not responding back then, Julia. Now, the more I observe political atmosphere in Venezuela (esp. from her blog), the more I identify what’s been happening in Venezuela nowadays is nearly similar to what’s happening in Indonesia during 32-long-year-regime of repressive Soeharto that had created irony between national economic growth and the awakening of agriculture and the success of limiting the population growth and a smiling charismatic leader’s face and collusion-corruption-nepotism-networks and fake prosperity and structural poverty and the absence of free speech. My assumption may be wrong, but that’s my so-far-analysis.

September. Welcome to the totally new classes! I was beginning to study the complete package of introduction of economics. My first impression was…the theories I studied was somehow capitalist and liberal. Very American. It’s Ok, as long as it still makes sense and could be analyzed in a scientific point of view. Moreover, I’m not basically an ideological-minded—you know what I mean; I do have my own principles. Besides, that liberal system is still the best system this far which brought USA to the highest standard of living, just compare to communism that made Russia collapse.

October. Yeah, yeah. Ied al-Fitr. One thing differs greatly from the preceding years is that now I’m one of—the part of those who do mudik—the people who hold the Indonesian tradition of going back to the hometown as it’s getting closer to the D-Day of Ied al-Fitr.

My family decided to create handmade ketupat, not bought it...yeah I did enjoy working on it, though I wasn't really able to do, LOL

This is the first ketupat I could make, yeah, the first and the only one,hehe. It's not that easy to do, esp. for a beginner like me


And, this is (almost) the second, not successful.

Last but not least, let’s go humble. Keep ourselves humble.

Miss Universe’s 5B (Beauty, Beauty, Beauty, Brain, Behavior)

It’s not too serious. It’s not a hard-topic. It’s not that important or significant, but just keep reading anyway!

I’m not a big fan of beauty pageant indeed, but I love watching beautiful girls parade on TV. It’s a pleasure. Literally, I like both watching and participating in various competitions. Other than that, I do watch Oscars, the Apprentice, Movie and Music Festivals, and so on.

Not to be pretending as pageant expert, at first I’d like to ‘permit’ if it’s going to sound a bit feminist (yeah, you can’t get this issue behind when you’re talking about beauty pageant). It may be just another old review among pros and cons and debates up on this topic. But, unlike debate competitions, the motion won’t be “This house believes that beauty pageant is degrading to women”, it would rather be “Is there really 3B (Beauty, Brain, Behavior) in beauty pageant? Or it’s just a business thingy? Especially Miss Universe?”

But, why do I only focus on Miss Universe? Ok, ok. I know there are many beauty pageants made for women all around the world. Let say, Miss International, Miss Earth, Miss World, Miss Chinese International, etc. Even, heck, there's Mr World. Why I concern only about Miss Universe is simply because it’s the only beauty pageant I can watch on TV. Besides, it may be the biggest and most popular beauty contest held in the world (though I don’t see any difference between Miss Universe and other contests, maybe one thing that differs greatly is because it’s TRUMP’s—you know that).

Let me explain why I bring up this topic today.

First, I like surfing on MissUniverse.com to see the annual contestants’ photos and interviews. I’m always impressed by their photogenic appearances and sometimes their answers to the standard given questions (my favorite is Miss Latvia Universe 2005 Ieva Kokorevica). This show also widens my previous perspective about the definition of ‘beauty’. I do love to see various beauties of different cultures and backgrounds.

Miss Latvia 2005, Ieva Kokorevica

Second, since the first time I watched Miss Universe (I remember it was Miss Universe 2000 in which Miss India Lara Dutta deserved the crown), I always thought that they—the contestants—were really beautiful and smart.

Lara Dutta, seconds after crowned

Third, I used to believe that Miss Universe did the motto ‘Beauty, Brain, and Behavior’ to judge the contestants until the day before I watched the latest Miss Universe 2008 Live from Na Thrang – Vietnam. It was so bland, I thought. I just then realized that the only variable existing in that contest was only ‘beauty’. Why? To get into Top 10 from Top 15 they just need to wear swimsuit. Then, to get into Top 5 they just need to dress up in evening gown. And finally, to be the Miss Universe you just simply answer a question that I used to think it was brilliant but I then understood that it’s just kind of silly question. Again, why? Yeah, I just realize that there’s actually no intriguing question. The judges just give them classic questions that are often given in previous contests.

Here they are the list of my most hated classic questions frequently asked in beauty pageant that make me very bored;

#1: “If you had times in your past that you could change, what would that be? And why?”
Dude, there’s only one correct answer, yeah, ONE correct answer: “I love my beautiful life, what has happened in my past is what makes me here today. I would not make any change to my past.” That’s it. If the contestant gives that answer or its variants, she’ll be quite safe, and vice versa.

#2: “What is the happiest moment to be a woman?”
Though the contestants still have opportunity to create a unique answer to this question, it would be just other poetic and dramatic words. Don’t the judges have other creative questions?

#3: “Is there still any discrimination to women?”
Yup, that feminist question. I don’t need to give any comment.

I still agree that Miss Universe isn’t a fool. But, is she really smart? Well, guys, it’s debatable. *LOL* However, they’re all somewhat gorgeous.

I like how the crowned Miss Universe 2008 Dayana Mendoza answered when she was given a final question by the judges, she was asked who she thought life was easier for - men or women, then she answered:

“God made us to share and have differences.Men think that the faster way to go to a point is to go straight,” she said. “Women know that the faster way to go to a point is to go to the curves.”

Dayana Mendoza

Finally, it’s just a show. You and I don’t need to be that serious. I’m still enjoying the show. Keeping my eyes on beautiful and sexy girls coming from all around the world to represent their country really is a pleasure. Just like Mr. Trump, don’t you?

There's my only suggestion, please show more cultural beauties.

Moving to the Next Phase (and Graduation at a Glance)

Fellas, my high-school-silly-yet-worthdoing-phase was officially over on the last June 21st. It’s a breathtaking moment that did make me relieved. Obviously, I’m not going to tell you minute by minute about the ceremony and what was going on in every second of my farewell day because I think that’s kinda out of date, wasn’t it? Picture may tell more than my words *wide smile*.

Here are some of my graduation moment. Look at my innocent face *sigh*.

At first, I thank my younger sister for giving me a great book for so-called-desperate-thinker like me *LOL*. But, yeah, I sincerely thanked her.

Unthinkable ideas for unthinkable thinker, hehe... It's good and fun

Before I start, this is the list of what I was doing couple weeks ago:

1.June 8 – 20: preparation for the evening stage show. Been decorating with bottles and colorful clothes.

2.June 20: watching and enjoying the show and took part for a while at the last moment *frown*.

3.June 21: closing ceremony, officiated the third graders as alumni of SMA Taruna Nusantara. Packing all the goodies, yeah, let’s go home! Not to forget, I found my name on the internet as an accepted applicant in University of Indonesia. Great. *moment of victory*

4.June 22: the first time for me to vote! Yihaa, it felt great and a bit awkward. Realizing that it was my historical moment to be officially and politically involved in Indonesian democracy. I voted for governor and its vice of Central Java, though I then knew that my choice didn’t give a damn in the end of the result. Forget it.

5.June 28: went back to my former school for a while, taking and certifying my graduation certificate.

6.July 2: re-registration at UI Depok, errr…, Accounting - Faculty of Economics, I’m coming!

7.July 5: went back to my former school (again!), legalizing the national exams certificate, plus some nostalgic stuff.

8.July 9: verification of tuition fee at UI Depok, preparing discussion task and assignments (sucks) for new students with Mr. Iandre, Mr. Ryan, Ms. Laura, and Mr. Adani. Looking for a room to stay for at least one semester in Depok. I got it, but hopefully I could get the better one as soon as possible.

9.Now, creating new blogspot post you’ve been reading, trynna tell you my last experiences this far. Trying hard to make it effective, as short as it is.

Goodbye balairung TN...
Welcome balairung UI...@#@$%$%^&^&*%$@!! *Dunno what to say*

Yeah, you know, my next stop is UI Depok. It does mean that I’m going to be welcoming Jakarta. Yeah, that Jakarta. That stinky air. That paradox. That irony. That unregulated crowd. That plasticity (like my TN sister said). Jakarta’s plastic—fantastic yet pathetic. I love big cities, but the well-regulated-ones actually. And it seems like you could hardly find that in Indonesia. Yeah, we (specifically, I) must conquer it, and make that dreams of ‘tidier Indonesian cities’ come true.