I decided to move my blog to Wordpress (manampiring17.wordpress.com). This will be my last entry on Multiply (this is also posted on Wordpress)
When it comes to interpreting major events in life, there are two camps of view. One extreme camp, which is probably more popular than the other, believes in the 'Everything happens for a reason' - that things have been preordained to happen, by Destiny, to fulfill some kind of a Grand Design. The other camp, rightly not very popular, believes in probabilities. That a significant event, either happy or sad, happens just because it does - a probabilistic event. A disaster, a guy meets a girl, a pleasant unlikely encounter with an old friend - all just random happenings, and can be explained through probabilities. No 'reason', no 'design' - Life just, well, happens. Obviously, it is easy to understand the easy popularity of the first camp, but I am not here to debate which one is right, because truth be told, no one will really know for sure. The Destiny supporters will show how things 'fit' together, as if they follow a great script - pointing out to an invisible Design. The probability supporter will just say that this is mere illusion, that the human brain is apt to find 'cause and effect' and create narrative behind random events. (example: A disaster is caused by an angry God as punishment to evil doings). I am not here to settle which one is right and wrong. But I want to focus on a classic argument that the second camp's view results in a Life stripped of its wonders, because hey, how romantic can a 'probabilistic explanation' can get? Here, I would like to take the unpopular position with the Probability camp, and argue that Life is still wonderful, even when things don't happen for a reason. The most common mistake is to confuse 'explanation of something' with its wonder or joy. A simple example to start with: great constructions like The Eiffel Tower, or Liberty Statue. We know that men built them, and perhaps the blue prints are still preserved, but it does not mean that when we stand beneath them we cannot admire them as a great accomplishment? Or to take a less mechanical example. Let's take the human body. Science has explained a lot of bodily phenomenon, like every details of fertilization process and then pregnancy and most of what's happening inside the womb. But does it mean we cease to wonder the beauty of a birth of a new human being? I would use the same reasoning to view events in life. An unlikely encounter of a man and woman with matching personality, often described as "soulmates" by the Destiny camp, is probably, pun intended, another rare probabilistic event, without a Cupid hovering around to shoot arrows of Love. But does it mean its joy and pleasure reduced by any means? Not at all. "Explanation" of a romantic encounter is not to be mixed up with its "wonder". The latter can still be felt independent of the former. In fact, I would argue that the probabilistic view will result in a higher appreciation of a seemingly unlikely happy event! Here's why: When you believe in Destiny, you also believe that someone or something is running things for you. A wonderful event happens because it is 'meant' to happen - following a script. Isn't there some kind of 'entitlement' feeling involved here, because something out there is responsible to make it happen? I would say the value of the event is diminished somehow. But when you believe in probabilities, you will look at a wonderful event of chance and go "Wow, what are the odds?". And given that it is a slim chance, you would treasure it even more, because you know you cannot just rely on someone or something out there to ensure it happens again. The same argument also extends to sad and tragedies of Life. I would argue the people in Probability camp may bounce back faster than the Destiny camp. Because when disasters or sad events happen, if you believe in an external "writer" behind all things, you will wonder, WHY? What have we done to deserve this? And we embark on personal investigation: was it Karma? A punishment from the heavens? A lesson? Etc, etc. While people of the Probability camp will accept that there is nothing personal behind it, and that life has to go on. No one to be blamed on, and no 'investigation' required. Life happens, and sometimes bad things happen, out of random probability. In short, a probabilistic view on Life's events may not be romantic or make great story-telling, but in no way it makes us value the experience less, and it becomes less beautiful. In fact, we may hold on to them more dearly, and conversely with bad things, we are more ready to let go. To accept. So there you go, my (usual) stance on minority position of things. Partially because I sincerely believe in my position, but also I just love to challenge 'mainstream' thinking (read: be an annoying contrarian). Not to mention I just took Panadol Cold & Flu that may affect my thinking :D
Sebenernya udah ngantuk. Udah jam 11 malem, baru sampe rumah setengah jam yang lalu. Tapi rasanya wajib menulis 'blog' ini malem ini juga. Supaya jadi pengingat kelak akan hari ini dan signifikansinya. Supaya saya tidak lupa.
Kemarin, Minggu 6 Februari, terjadi kebiadaban atas kaum minoritas pengikut Ahmadiyah di desa Cikeusik, Pandeglang berjumlah 20an orang oleh seribuan "warga" yang buas. Rumah dirusak, mobil dibakar, dan jatuhlah nyawa 3 orang pengikut Ahmadiyah. Sebuah video yg diupload di youtube menunjukkan kebiadaban di luar akal - tubuh kaku tak bernyawa masih juga ditendangi dan dipukuli. Bahkan binatang akan berhenti menghajar mangsa yang sudah tak bernyawa :(
Saya bukan Muslim, dan saya hanya membaca bahwa Ahmadiyah dianggap menyimpang dari akidah "umum" Islam. Saya tidak dalam posisi membahas soal aliran agama karena saya bukan ahli agama.
Tapi bagi saya ini BUKAN masalah agama. Ini masalah penganiayaan sesama bangsa Indonesia karena keyakinan mereka, dan kegagalan pemerintah melindungi warga minoritas.
Respon terhadap insiden ini beragam. Tetapi yang paling membuat saya murka adalah komentar bahwa "Peristiwa ini terjadi karena salah kaum Ahmadiyah sendiri menjalankan kesesatan....". Yang tega mengeluarkan komentar ini tidak beda biadabnya dengan mereka di lokasi yang menendangi mayat!
Jika kamu mempunyai anak perempuan yang kebetulan berbaju seksi, terus anakmu diperkosa, bolehkah si pemerkosa dibebaskan dengan argumen: "Salah sendiri anakmu memakai baju seksi"? Dan tiba-tiba perkosaan itu menjadi justifiable, bisa dibenarkan, bahkan terpuji??
Betapa kejinya kalian yang masih tega mengalihkan isu penganiayaan menjadi "salah korban sendiri"... entah kalian gila atau nurani sudah jadi batu?
3 orang dibunuh dengan biadab. TIDAK PERLU berdebat soal benar-tidaknya agama atau kepercayaan mereka, ini sudah tragedi kemanusiaan di bumi pertiwi, dan terjadi dengan aparat yang hanya menatap.
Dan di dalam saat tergelap perikemanusiaan di negeri ini, lagi-lagi tampak percik perlawanan. Dari mereka yang akalnya masih terang. Dari mereka yang masih sayang akan nyawa manusia lainnya. Dari mereka yang masih "manusia".
Saya tidak ingat jelas siapa yang memulai, tetapi saya membaca di Twitter adanya himbauan di Twitter agar Senin hari ini 7 September mereka yang prihatin dan protes atas kejadian ini mengenakan baju hitam, atau atribut hitam. Hitam sebagai tanda protes, tanda empati, tanda berkabung. Berkabung atas hilangnya nyawa di negara beraza "kemanusiaan yang adil dan beradab". Berkabung atas matinya kebebasan berkeyakinan. Berkabung atas pengkhianatan negara atas warganya sendiri. Berkabung atas penghalalan darah manusia oleh manusia lainnya.
Teman saya @rayafahreza mengusulkan hashtag #SeninHitam untuk membantu identifikasi inisiatif ini di Twitter. Saya hanya membantu me-retweet-kan ajakan ini, karena saya mendukung sepenuhnya.
Dan saya terharu, karena #SeninHitam disambut banyak orang. Senin pagi sampai siang hari penuh dengan twit para tweeps yang bergabung dengan gerakan ini, minimal mengenakan baju/atribut hitam, dan kemudian mengupload foto masing-masing. Sebagian lagi datang ke Bundaran HI dan istana, menyatakan sikap dengan berdiri, membentuk rantai manusia.
Dari gerakan di Twitter, sampai di Bundaran HI dan Tugu Jogja, dari dunia online, sampai dunia nyata, semuanya menyatu menjadi teriakan, seruan, jeritan,
"Masih ada kami,
Masih ada yang menentang
penganiayaan terhadap sesama manusia,
apapun warna kulit dan agamanya,
dengan alasan APAPUN,
dan masih ada yang marah,
atas pemerintah
yang entah buta atau memang lemah"
Dan saya terharu, karena saya tidak sendiri.
Masih ada orang-orang baik di luar sana,
Yang belum menjadi degil dan keras hatinya, yang tidak mau menjadi bisu...
Sedihnya, masih ada sekelompok orang sinis.
Mereka bilang,
"Sia-sia saja apa yang kalian perbuat dengan #SeninHitam, tidak akan mengubah apa-apa".
Dan saya teringat kata-kata favorit saya sepanjang masa, dari Edmund Burke, seorang negarawan dan filsuf abad ke 18.
"All it takes for evil to win is good men who do nothing"
(Kejahatan akan menang cukup karena orang-orang baik yang hanya berpangku tangan)
Kepada kalian semua yang sinis, berpangku-tanganlah dan mencibirlah, maka kalian sudah berpihak pada kejahatan itu....
Hari ini, masih ada orang-orang baik yang melawan,
Hari ini, cahaya itu berwarna hitam,
Dan hitam menjadi harapan yang menyilaukan
(terima kasih untuk semua penggagas #SeninHitam, dan semua yang sudah berpartisipasi dalam bentuk apapun. Kalian semua inspirasi saya)
Saya cinta negeri ini
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini
Saya cinta negeri ini, yang kaya raya alamnya
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini, yang biarkan perampok menjarah kekayaan ini
Saya cinta negeri ini, yang indah nian tersohor ke seluruh penjuru dunia
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini, yang biarkan si serakah merusak hutan, tanah, dan lautan, tinggalkan bopeng di bumi dan darah di samudera
Saya cinta negeri ini, rakyatnya ramah dan senang menolong sesama
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini, yang biarkan koruptor merampas jatah si miskin
Saya cinta negeri ini, penuh ragam budaya dan kepercayaan, bagai mosaik indah warna-warni
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini, biarkan si biadab keji aniaya mereka yang berbeda
Saya cinta negeri ini, tempat saya mencari penghidupan dan cinta,
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini, biarkan ketidak-adilan dan kezaliman timbulkan air-mata dan ratapan
Saya cinta negeri ini, selamanya
Tapi saya tidak cinta pemerintah ini, dan bertanya kapan tirani berhenti
OK, I have not finished my Egyptian trip account for quite some time, and now the protest in Egypt reminds me to finish it. Not to mention some of my Twitter followers keep asking about it. I need to get them off my back.. :D
(continued)
So many of us left the perfume shop with handful of perfume oil promise to drive their women crazy/turn their men to black stallions....
As we waited to board our buses, I found this bus belonging to different group of tourists
 I could already imagine the advertising slogan for the bus company: "It Is A Miracle If You Get To Your Destination!"
We then proceeded to the famous market Al-Khalili near dusk. Apparently a must see destination in Cairo, it is a large compound of traditional market that sell stuff. And I mean a LOT of stuffs. From shisha, souvenirs, lamps, shoes, bags, jewelries, and a lot others. Even colorful belly dancer costumes. If there is really an Aladdin lamp you can probably find it here.
 (click to enlarge: clothes seller)
 (click to enlarge: lamp sellers. Really love the beautiful intricate design)
 (click to enlarge: those things hanging at the top are...shoes)
 (click to enlarge: a corner at El-Khalili market)
 (click to enlarge: a policeman walking out of a mosque nearby after praying)
I don't like to shop. And I hate haggling. So I was walking just around, taking pictures, waiting for my colleagues to finish wasting so much energy trying to bargain with Egyptians. Oh, have I told you that the sellers are quite aggressive? The men would come so close to you that you fear you will be raped, and always open with standard line: "Come my FRIEND, I have special price for you".
Unless I follow you on Twitter, don't you dare call me 'friend', and now get off me!
Anyway, after I felt bored walking around, I decided to put my butt down at a local cafe. As a coffee addict, of course I ordered "local coffee - STRONG". I really wanted to know how tough these Egyptians are with coffee.
So they gave me this small glass with thick black coffee. It was really small, see the photo below:
 (click to enlarge: the coffee relative to my Blackberry)
Now, the coffee was SO THICK, with viscosity probably close to mud. It tastes strong, and I gulped it quickly. It wasn't that bad, and I was wondering whether Indonesian "kopi tubruk" was more macho than this wimpy coffee althoughsoonafterIcanfeelmyheartbeatfasterandboywhatafunnyfeelingIwashavingandpeople suddenlywalksofastandIfeelfasttoo.....
No seriously, it was friggin' strong.
That was the end of the day's activity, and we went back to hotel after that.
The following morning was the last day of our trip to Egypt. The last tourist spot is the Citadel of Saladin. As a fan of Robin Hood lore, I am always fascinated by the figure Saladin, the leader of the Muslim army during the Crusade. He is always portrayed as a brilliant commander, and a man of honor, well-respected by his enemies (I love Saladin's portrayal in Ridley Scott's Kingdom of Heaven)
As we arrived at the Citadel, I was struck by its magnificence. It stood up fiercely, a fortress that seemed to say "Bring it on!" to any would-be invaders of the past. Very, very beautiful indeed. I stood there taking so many pictures and was in awe. (click to enlarge: The Citadel wall from the outside)
But the real treat lies within the mighty fortress, and that is the Mosque of Mohamed Ali, built in the 1800s. It was a HUGE mosque, and a beautiful indeed.
 (click to enlarge: the beautiful Mosque of Mohamed Ali - notice the small people at the bottom to see the scale)
 (click to enlarge: The place for wudhu - with gorgeous details. Too bad it is not in use anymore)
 (click to enlarge: the interior of Mohamed Ali Mosque)
 (click to enlarge: the dome)
The mosque has 8 domes of various size. What is amazing from the guide's explanation was how the dome served as advanced sound system of the past. The prayer leader can utter prayer and it will be echoed by the domes and would reach all corners of the mosque. Very impressive indeed.
No matter what your belief is, I bet no one can stand inside the mosque without feeling at awe, like you are truly in the presence of something Bigger. I have never been to Vatican, but I suspect the feeling would be similar.
We finished the visit at around noon, where we had to head to the airport for our flight back to Jakarta. As our bus left the compound, I still admired the mosque and the Citadel - great man-made structures that brings the sense of The Divine.
 (click to enlarge: Mohamed Ali mosque - one last look)
En route to the airport, we made another stop at another "Chinese" restaurant that served another bad food again. Seriously, while the sightseeing in Egypt had been wonderful, the food had been consistently BAD, whether local cuisine or this fake Chinese food.
As I munched on the terrible food, I remembered how the Pharaohs or so OBSESSED with the after life. They erected giant pyramids as tombs, made very sophisticated religion and rituals around death and afterlife, and invented mummification. I started to wonder whether this bad food business in Egypt had been around since Pharaoh times. With this kind of food, no wonder they might have said "Screw this food - I'm moving to the after-world!"
Overall, it was a great indeed, thanks to Lowe my employer who had made this trip possible. I cherished the experience and the memory. Now as I watched the unrest of the Egyptian people on the news, I can't help feeling worried and hoped the crisis would soon be over....
So that's all - my not-so-short account of the Egyptian trip! Thanks for all those who have been reading :D
(continued) Seeing all the glory of ancient Egypt civilization makes me wonder: How could such advanced civilization in ancient times failed to maintain supremacy to present time? (If you come to Cairo, you will see big cities in Indonesia look more progressive). If you have an head start, like 3000 BC, surely you have advantage over other civilizations? This demonstrates an important truth in life - the past does not guarantee or determine the future. Past glory does not guarantee future glory, and same case with past darkness. Things just change. So if we have a dark past - it really means nothing about our future. And if we had past glory - it was no assurance of future success.
This realization should bring both relief AND cautiousness. Because we know every moment presents an opportunity! [Now, for those VERY SERIOUS about learning how great civilizations collapsed, I would recommend "Collapse" by Jared M. Diamond. It is a massive book - but very convincing reconstruction of the collapse of several ancient civilization. And the message to mankind today is rather grim.] From Egyptian Museum we had (another) bland tasting lunch by the Nile River. By this time, even the chili brought from Indonesia started to lose its effect. We really had ENOUGH of this shitty meals. WE ARE INDONESIANS AND WE ARE ENTITLED FOR DECENT FOOD!! Anyway, we finished our lunch without much incident, and proceeded to "sponsored trips" to local perfume shop and papyrus shop. Every tour involving travel agents are bound to this experience - where business owners pay the agents to bring guests to their shops.
First stop, the perfume shop.
We were divided into small groups, which then led to separate rooms. My group was greeted by um, overweight Egyptian named Husein, who quickly introduced himself as "....not the Saddam 'Husein'" (har har). He started by saying that he was the 8th generation of perfume and glass-making family there, that for more than 400 years they have been doing this business.
 (click to enlarge: 'Husein', the perfume maker) Now, I want you to have a bigger picture of the situation - here we are all ADVERTISING people, are sitting here listening to this perfume-seller trying to make us part from our money. Surely we are a superior race that masters the art of conning people to buy stuff they don't really need, no?  (my ADVERTISING colleagues at the perfume presentation - like sheep to the slaughter) "Husein" turned out to be a very effective salesman. He first explained how his oil-based perfume is superior to commercial alcohol based perfume: the oil does not evaporate. He also went at length how some of his perfumes were made by flowers unique to Egypt. But the real kicker was when he started explaining different types of oil he has: One oil was claimed for men "to make women crazy" (seriously, do we need anything else to make women CRAZY? They already ARE!!) Another oil was intended for women "to make men behave like a HORSE all-night-long". (come ON....Do I look like a sucker to you?) At the end of his presentation, "Husein" pulled off the classic TV-Media trick: "You can buy individual bottle for $30. But if you buy a box of four, just pay $100, and I will give you FREE beautiful glass bottle for the oil. If you buy the BIG PACK for (I forgot), I will give you not only the glass bottle, but another FREE aroma-therapy glass kit!!" At the end, I reckon about 70% of my group made the purchase. GUYS!! WE ARE ADVERTISING PEOPLE!! WE SHOULDN'T FALL FOR THIS!! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU IDIOTS??!! (I actually bought a bottle - BUT THE SMALL ONE!! And I shared with a colleague who bought the box of 4, so I saved $5 OK?!). From the perfume shop, the Suckers Groups continued to Papyrus shop. Papyrus is paper made of leaf through some Egyptian process. It is famous because it is very strong and long-lasting (the ink does not fade like on modern paper).  (click to enlarge: some of the items for sale at papyrus shop) Just like the perfume shop, we were made to watch some demonstration on papyrus-making process. I was not really paying attention, just checking out the price-tags of the papyrus products, and they are expensive. Very few of us bought anything in this shop - I guess most of our money has been ripped off in the perfume shop.  (click to enlarge: the lady in papyrus shop, explaining the process of making the papyrus paper. "...and with this sharp knife we deal with our husbands who fool around...")  (click to enlarge: the procession of the dead according to Egyptian myth - painted on papyrus. Anubis, the Jackal head god will take the soul to the weigh, where one's heart is weighed against a FEATHER. A righteous man's heart will weigh less than a feather, and will be carried to "heaven") (to be continued)
Si ganteng menatap si cantik melirik Dia mendekat Dia membuka jalan Dia memperkenalkan diri Dia menebar pesona Dia terpersona Dia terpikat Dia tambah mendekat Dia tambah mendekat Dia penasaran dengan dirinya Dia terpikat dengan misterinya Mereka jatuh cinta Mereka ke langit ketujuh Mereka memiliki dunia Mereka menemukan dunia baru Mereka bercinta Mereka tambah mengenali satu sama lain Dia bertemu ketidak-cocokan Dia menjumpai ketidak-serasian Dia mulai ragu Dia mulai bertanya Dia mulai emosi
Dia mulai gusar Dia mulai menjauh
Dia menangis Dia mulai menghilang Dia mulai membenci
Dia mengucapkan selamat tinggal Dia mengucapkan perpisahan Dia melanjutkan hidup
Dia bersenandung kembali
(just a break from my trip to Egypt series!)
Recently my friend just had a divorce. And then I had a discussion with another friend who lost faith in marriage.
So, is there still a case for marriage?
I have met the two extreme camps. The majority of the pros refer to religious instruction, that marriage is mandated by religion, and failure to do it may lead to sin of adultery. Few other pros point out the benefits: companionship, (legal) children, and stronger economic power (for double income couples).
But I also have met the growing number of marriage skeptics. They point out to so many marriage failures, or the "fake intact marriage" just to please society, or for kids' sake, although the couples are unhappy. To them, marriage is an obsolete idea, a relic of dark past when people were ruled by social norms, not common sense.
I find myself in the middle position. I think marriage can work for SOME people, but not for others. I believe that for the right people, marriage can be a spiritually enriching experience, and also a healthy environment to raise kids. The fact is, there are a lot of happy couples out there.
But just because many seem to enjoy marriage's many benefits, it also does not mean that everybody HAS to do it. I have known many people that are just not suitable to it - for different reasons. Some have the personality that thrive better alone. Some others have other callings that demand a life without commitment. And many other reasons.
Please bear in mind that "marriage" is not the same with "relationship". For the non-marrying type above, I believe they can still have healthy and satisfying relationships.
My principle is, just like with many other aspects of human lives, there is no such thing as "One Rule Fits All". I find that naive and also totally disregards the differences of individual personalities and conditions.
So for those who still believe they are up to it and want to go for it, I understand today's anxiety when seeing the troubled marriages.
With regards to failing marriages, people always tend to have hindsight, trying to come up with reasons and ways to prevent bad marriages from happening. To prevent marrying people with faults, there have been tips written on: how to spot a cheater, a wife-beater, a lazy-ass husband, the mad credit-card spender, etc, etc. Not only avoiding the wrong people, there are other strategies developed to ensure safe 'n smooth marriage: from financial agreement, child-raising rules, how to deal with in-laws, etc, etc.
We treat marriages like a Boeing jumbo jet: before take-off, make sure we check all the maintenance boxes, ensuring that it is flight-worthy, and off we send the plane to the sky safe and sound.
The irony is, the same reason why planes crash despite all the most rigorous maintenance and preventions probably also explains why marriages crash. despite all the best preparations at the onset.
Because the truth is - we know absolutely nothing about the future. Absolutely NOTHING. But one thing is certain: there will be change. Change can be external, e.g. changes in family, in community, in economy, and also internal, e.g. personal outlook, spirituality, life principles, etc. All marriages start with a pledge to commit - whatever the situation will become. Yet we see over and over again so many marriages end despite all the best intent to keep the commitment.
So what can I say to the bride and groom to be? Stop trying to have total control of the future. You just can't. Give up on the illusion of control, and you may actually gain more focus on the present. Just try to do all the right things, your parents' advices, stay out of troubles, pray if it gives you strength. You just have to go through it.
So that's my two cents on the subject. That I still believe that marriage works for some. And that no one can completely prepare and guarantee an everlasting marriage - it requires faith to do it.
In the end, I wish you happiness and self-fulfillment, married or single! :)
From the Alexandria Fort, we traveled back to Cairo for another tiring 2.5 hours. My colleagues were falling asleep on the bus when we reached Hard Rock Cafe Cairo for our official company dinner.
The company dinner has been a ritual on all company outings. It's really a normal buffet dinner with performances and door-prize winners. New employees who just joined the company this year must create a group performance to entertain the seniors. It's like the typical university initiation, without the emotional abuse.
Since we are an advertising agency, naturally we expect people to push their creativity when performing, which naturally means pushing one's limit of embarrassment, like below:
 (click to enlarge: one of these is an anomaly - can you guess which one?)
There are other incriminating photos of the dinner that cannot be published to protect the integrity of my colleagues. Let's just say we had lots of laugh and many doorprizes were won (a colleague of mine won an iPad - bloody lucky gal!)
The following day, we started with the famous Egyptian Museum. It is one of the largest museums in the world, which houses ancient Egypt artifacts, including Pharaoh coffin and mummy. According to the guide, this is THE FIRST museum that was built for the purpose. He said there had been museums in Europe before the Egyptian museum, but they were all built for other purpose and later on converted to museums. Well, I just believe everything he says - I didn't have internet connection at that time to verify the claim :D
Unfortunately, before we got off the bus, came the announcement that NO PHOTOGRAPHY is allowed in the museum, even no-flash photography. Most of us the group expressed the disappointment. Some said "What a loss!" ("Yah, rugi amat")
This is a curious statement ("rugi amat"). The greatest pleasure of visiting a museum is a personal experience, to see with your own eyes the wonders of the past. In this case, no pictures should not be a big loss (although you can argue you want to see them again). It reminds me of the typical Indonesian characteristic. How many of us were disappointed about the camera-regulation because we cannot make photos to impress others?
In my line of work I have been listening to countless Indonesian consumers. And I have learned that to us, often an item or experience has little value for our own enjoyment. Instead, it brings value when it sets our status in the eyes of others. I wonder if this is similar situation with the museum experience. People want to take pictures at the museum so they can "share" with others, and it becomes more important objective than the personal viewing itself. Maybe.
 (click to enlarge: The entrance of Egyptian museum. It is a HUGE 2-story building. Very impressive - the photo somehow fails to capture the grandness of the building).
 So off we went into the museum. Our guide (pictured) acts as museum guide as well. Too bad we only had 2 hours to view the exhibits. With the limited time, he helped us focus on the really important exhibits. We walked through the ground floor exhibits quickly, looking at sarcophagus (huge marble box to put the dead) and tall (probably 3 meter high!) statues of past kings/nobles.
Here's an interesting trivia. How to tell whether a statue was built when the person was dead or alive? From his left leg and his, uh, for lack of better word, "goatie". If the person was still alive during the making of his statue, he would not have a goatie, and he would stride forward with his left leg. Why left leg? Because the heart is on the left side.
The main exhibit is on the 2nd floor, where the mummies and the tomb artifacts are stored. Let's start with the treasures: ALL ARE GOLD. Gold necklaces, gold bracelets, gold toys, gold chess, goooooold everywhere! This is probably the largest gold stock up I will ever see in my entire life. I even tried to think of "Ocean Eleven" plan to pull off! And you know what hurts even more? When the guide told us that during ancient Egypt times, gold was NOT considered precious. It was just "nice shining metal" and that's it.
I was born in the friggin' wrong era.....
The ultimate exhibition on the second floor is King Tutankhamun's sarcophagus, coffin, and mask - ALL GOLD. At the center was the golden mask that was worn by the King Tut's mummy. Before walking into the mask exhibit, the guide told us to "stare at the eyes for 20 seconds, because the King died young and restless, and he wanted to say SOMETHING".
Right.....
I have been in advertising long enough to know an "advertising" when I hear one.
Nevertheless, I joined the queue and stared at the eyes. Hey, keep our mind open, no? Here's the pic of the mask I snatched from the internet
 So I stared straight into this young King's eyes...trying to block out interfering minds, trying to listen....
....and then, suddenly I SAW it and HEAR it.....the eyes seemed to move a little, and I thought I heard a voice saying:
"Quit standing there like an idiot and move out - people are queuing!"
Naah, the King didn't say anything. Like I said, another fun tale to make tourists feel they get their money's worth.
We went to see the mummies, which was pretty impressive. If you pay attention, you would see that even the eye-lashes are preserved, for more than 3000 years!. According to the guide, until now even modern science could not replicate the ancient Egyptians' mummification result. Some parts of the process or ingredients used are still a mystery.
Ancient Egyptians believe in the afterlife. Unfortunately the custom believe that the wives and even pets of the king could accompany the dead in afterlife. So if a king passed away, the wives and pets would be killed and mummified also to accompany him (and for the wives, to continue serving their husband in the afterlife).
Now that SUCKS, doesn't it? I don't think today's women would take that "your-husband-died-so-you-should-join-him-too" advice. Not to mention stuck with washing, ironing, and cleaning for the husband for eternity.....
On second thought, I think I am happy to be born in the 20th century....
(to be continued)
 We were continuing the trip to port city of Alexandria. We made one stop at a resto/shopping complex for toilet stop and also quick souvenir/snack shopping. (Picture: at public telephone in the stop area).
The cars in Cairo are very much like the ones I saw in Pakistan (see earlier post): dented and scratched all over. I guess the Egyptian drivers share the same rule with the Pakistanis: "You still get plenty of space if you ain't bumpin' it". I wonder if these people bother with all-risk car insurance coverage.
During the trip, the guide explained that Egyptians did not want to be called or referred to as "Arabs", despite sharing the same Arabic language (with different accent). "We are Egyptians, NOT Arabs" he said. I must admit I wouldn't distinguish the two - so now I know better. Which reminds me of how Pakistanis see all Asians as "Chinese". We never like generalizations being applied upon US, yet we naturally do it to other people or cultures we are not familiar with. This is why I appreciate trips and encounters with people of other races/nationalities - we learn more about them.
After around 2.5 hours of bus ride, which would have been boring had I not bring my iPod, we arrived in Alexandria. It is a rather pleasant port city, with old architectures that had the influence of Europe culture (Greek?). It has a different vibe than Cairo, as if you are in a different world. Perhaps it is comparable to Yogyakarta in Indonesia?
 (click to enlarge: old tram - but still running - on cobblestone road)
We went to the first sightseeing object: The Pompey Pillar.
The Pompey Pillar is an impressive single pillar standing amidst ancient ruins. I'm not quite sure what it's about except that the Romans built it, and that there used to be 400 (four hundred!!) of these pillars in the past (said the guide). Now, this pillar is 30 meter high (including the pedestal) - so go figure how magnificent the sight of a structure with 400 of these. Unfortunately, the whole temple was vandalized in 4 AD on religious basis (I am always saddened by beautiful ancient sites destroyed in the name of religion).
 (click to enlarge: Pompey pillar, with two "mini" Sphinxes)
The Pompey Pillar is situated in an ancient ruins. The site looks like a major excavation work is still happening. You got fenced areas, ancient half-rubble walls, exhibits of pillars and marbles with hieroglyphs. The sky was perfect blue, making pictures look awesome.
 (click to enlarge: me examining hieroglyphs. Using dictionary, it reads: "Quit standing next to this pillar looking like an idiot")
 (if you are too DUMB to understand how TALL a 30 metre pillar is, click to enlarge: notice the people at the bottom of the pedestal. Now go figure how the ancient Romans did it!)
 (click to enlarge: I found this angle with the sun right behind the pillar. Please tell me it looks cool? Please pretty please?)
 (click to enlarge: there is a HOLE leading to some subterranean complex underneath. I was actually pretty scared I would fall into the hole. It is not a fun headline to read: "INDONESIAN NOSY TOURIST WENT INTO ONE HOLE TOO FAR)
 (click to enlarge: me sharing the mini Sphinx mysterious stare)
 (click to enlarge: me doing Reza-skidding-against-the-wall pose. Imagine this wall is more than 2,000 years old! I feel like Indiana Jones!Or is it 'Indonesia Jones'?)
 
(click to enlarge: left: me beneath the shadow of site sign, doing, uh, possibly illegal activity. Right: me and partner in crime Din Sumedi, Executive Creative Director of Lowe Indonesia)
We left the site and went for lunch at a restaurant near the sea. The food, again, was hideous. I understand it is supposed to be a fresh fish food, but it just tasted bland.
 (click to enlarge: what is WRONG in this picture?)
Fortunately, our travel agent knows very well what could happen when 100 more Indonesians were together and did not have a decent meal. So they were ready with chili sauce in sachet and immediately distributed them across the tables. Yup, we are all Indonesians indeed - a noble, friendly, subdued people who will run amok at lousy food. But throw some chili sauce at us and we will be quiet again!
 (click to enlarge: The Mediterranean Sea view from Alexandria)
 (click to enlarge: fisherman boats at Alexandria)
From the restaurant we headed to a fort by the sea nearby. We weren't really entering the fort, just looking around and taking pictures around. I was bored immediately. Some of my colleagues noticed that stray cats there were fatter and looked better than Indonesian stray cats (too bad I didn't take picture). But I wonder if beauty is in the eye of the beholders. Perhaps Egyptian cats will actually go crazy over OUR cats?
 (click to enlarge: The fort at Alexandria. Grand and beautiful - overlooking the sea - ready for invaders during ancient times)
We finished at this site at around 4 pm, as we needed to return to Cairo for our dinner party at Hard Rock Cafe Cairo.
(to be continued)
After the Nile cruise dinner we went straight to hotel. This would be my first night in Egypt, and by Zeus I was dead tired. Even the belly dancing failed to revive some more energy.
We stayed at Pyramids Resort Hotel. Nice building and nice swimming pool. The rooms however felt like we just time traveled to the 80s. And you can't lock the bathroom door, which is nice (and we share bedrooms, two people in one room). Oh well. As I touched the bed at only 9 pm (or 2 am Jakarta time) I fell asleep instantly.
 (click to enlarge: the hotel's pool at night)
I woke up after 7 hour sleep and felt like a million Egyptian Pounds, the local currency. On the breakfast buffet, next to the bread section, I found: FIG JAM! ("Fig": buah ara)
Woow, cool! An authentic Middle-East fruit! All this time I only know the fruit from bible stories, have never touched it with my own hands, and here can I finally spread it on bread for jam. With the enthusiasm of a smile child, I generously spread it on my toast, open my mouth, and had a big bite - all anticipating the heavenly taste of this exotic fruit....
What. The. Hell. Is. This?
I can't really describe how awful the taste was. I only recognize something "sweet", but the rest resembled a combination of strawberry, a hint of honey, and F1-car tires. I stopped eating my fig-jam toast and grabbed strawberry jam instead, a truly internationally recognized "breakfast taste".
If this fig jam is what Middle-Eastern men eat for breakfast EVERYDAY, no wonder there is always war in this region. I would have a bad mood too if I start the day with THAT.
To be fair, it's not all that bad with the breakfast experience. I discovered Hibiscus/Rosella juice which tastes rather nice - At first I thought it was Pomegranate juice that is currently the 'hip' thing, but it's different.
After breakfast, we set out for the port of city Alexandria, 2.5 hour bus trip from Cairo. During the journey, I just realized what a really DESERT country this is. Outside of habitable cities, Egypt is just desert, endless sea of sands everywhere. (click to enlarge: typical view on the road to Alexandria)
This was when I made a note to myself: don't take Indonesia's green for granted. You can't really appreciate Indonesia's lush tropical forest until you have something to compare it with. And seriously, we don't want to live in a barren, dry desert like that. So take global warming seriously, people, and protect Indonesian forests.
Along the way, in the middle of the desert we passed "The Smart Village". It is a large IT complex, like Silicon Valley in the US, where all IT multinationals settle. According to our tourist guide, it is the largest IT complex in the whole Middle-East.
 (click to enlarge: "The Smart Village")
My paranoid mind can't help wondering whether this is just an evil plan to isolate and concentrate the nerds ("Hey, let's send all the nerds to the desert!"). Scary thought, but possible - never forget what the Nazi did! It could happen to all of us nerds!
We observed another interesting thing about the local's flats. Most of them are NOT finished. In fact, majority of housing buildings are still in bricks, not plastered or painted. From the tour guide we discovered the reason: apparently an unfinished building is NOT taxable. So people save money by deliberately living in brick-only building.
 (click to enlarge: the typical unfinished buildings in Egypt)
It is interesting that people always try to find loophole in tax system. And the government seems to be just comfortable with this strategy. So you will see LOTS of these unfinished buildings everywhere - which is unfortunately not really a pleasant sight.
This "It doesn't count if it's not finished/completed" rule is really interesting to apply in other aspects of life. I wish we could go to the restaurant and don't have to pay if we don't finish a meal. Or we can apply it in romance? "It is NOT flirting unless our lips meet"? :D
(to be continued )
From the airport, we went straight to lunch. For the first meal in Egypt, we went to......*drums roll*.....a CHINESE restaurant! No kidding. A Chinese restaurant named "Four Seasons", which caused an uproar among us because many think we were going to Four Seasons the hotel (suckers!).
I do not know for sure the real reason for this. Usually it is about space. It is hard for travel agents to find restaurants that serve decent yet affordable meal and at the same time accommodate 100 people group.
Now, I already had a bad feeling as we walked into the restaurant because I did not see a SINGLE Chinese. All the staffs were Egyptians. And sure enough, the food was ANYTHING but Chinese. From a distance it may resemble something like Chinese food, but the taste doesn't. Anyway, we were all tired and hungry so we just ate like wolves. Besides, we thought that the food was only gonna get better from there. (We were wrong).
From lunch, we went straight to see the Pyramids and Sphinx. It was really a magnificent spectacle. And you can't really appreciate the size of it from afar.
 (click to enlarge: The pyramid doesn't look THAT big from a distance, right?)
As we approached the pyramids, I thought "Is THAT it? Not really a big deal". Perhaps it is the simplicity of the shape, or just me being tired after sleepless flight, but my eyes fooled me. These pyramids are HUGE and built with stacks of huge blocks. See photos below for perspective. (click to enlarge: Notice the relative size of a person to a SINGLE block).
 (click to enlarge: Cropped section of previous photo. Got what I mean?)
I bet everyone who ever came close to the pyramids can't help wondering: How on earth did ancient Egyptians do THAT? With no technology and only slaves. No wonder people come up with hypothesis that aliens built all these.
Oh, and I think being a slave SUCKS. Not only a slave had to haul all these heavy stone blocks to build the pyramids, I was also pretty sure slaves in Egyptian time were not given access to basic human needs, like cable TV or internet access.
The Sphi nx - the lion with a human head, on the contrary, was NOT as big as I expected. It sat smaller than a pyramid. And the nose was missing. According to the tour guide, there was no satisfactory explanation behind the missing nose. Some of the myths behind the missing nose are: ancient Islam army (does not make sense - why only vandalized the nose?) and Napoleon army shooting cannon at it (also does not make sense, the whole head would have been demolished, not just the nose).
I guess mankind would have to settle with no real explanation for the missing nose. My own theory: an ancient king really had a bad nose and had been verbally abused for it. One day he couldn't take it anymore and just decided to take it on the poor Sphinx.
As we finished with the pyramids, it was sunset time. We set off for Nile cruise dinner. The Nile river was VERY important for Ancient Egypt civilization, and now has also become a major tourist attraction. Nile cruises are basically restaurant on a boat - where you have dinner as the boat make a round trip along the river.
 It was quite a pleasant experience. The river was calm. And as the night approached, you start to see the night life along the riverside started to come alive. You could also see how contrast the structures in Cairo can be. On the same riverside you would see old, battered building standing side by side with glittering 5 star hotels.
 (click to enlarge - the view from Nile cruise boat)
The food was pretty bad. It was a buffet, with weird tasting rice (possibly cooked with olive oil). The meat was also pretty bland. Now thankfully, the travel agent has arranged belly dancing for dinner attraction. ("Hey, the food is pretty bad. Let's throw a belly dancer so people are distracted!")
 (click to enlarge - THE PICTURE - not some other body parts!)
This is my first time seeing a belly dancer. I was amazed by what a human belly can do. Seriously. I never saw a belly VIBRATES like that. I go to gym regularly and I see women with kick-ass flat and strong abs, but this one is on a higher level. And, the dancer was not only able to control abs muscle in incredible way, she also could move her breasts up and down at will! Seriously, I personally did not see the show erotic (not sure about my other male colleagues who seemed to drop their jaws on the floor), I was just amazed by what the human body can do. Heck, if an Egyptian woman can move her belly like that, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that the men could build pyramids.
(on second thought, what if the aliens who built the pyramids were ALL belly dancers? Me want to meet THAT kind of aliens!)
(to be continued)
So I finally set my foot on Egypt, thanks to my office who arranged the outing for all the employees. Egypt had always been mystical to me - the ancient civilization, the pyramids, bible stories, etc. So I set out leaving Jakarta Friday evening excited like a little boy.
The flight was one of the longest trips I have ever done in my life. With Emirates, it was 8 hour flight from Jakarta- Dubai, followed by 3 hour transit in Dubai, and then another 3.5 hour flight Dubai-Cairo. My biggest problem with long-haul flight is I can not sleep on airplanes. So to anticipate this, just as we reached cruise altitude on the flight bound to Dubai, I gulped 2 Antimo tablets.
(yes, the recommended dosage is one tablet for adult, but I needed to make SURE I will get knocked out).
Now, things went according to plan. I soon felt drowsy and fell asleep. All was great.
Until after only two hours snooze, something hit me in the nose. A smell. So powerful the smell that two tablets of Antimo cannot stop my brain from waking up.
It was unmistakably the smell of toe. As the lights in the plane went out, somebody took off his shoes, releasing ungodly foot odor and rendered my Antimo-plan completely a failure. From then on, I could not sleep again. Antimo vs. Toe odor: 0-1. People, PLEASE, if you are ever on a flight, do NOT take off your shoes if you know you have smelly toes. It is truly a crime against humanity, I tell ya!
We arrived in Cairo Saturday afternoon, near lunch time (Cairo is 5 hours behind Jakarta). I felt like a zombie, having been deprived of sleep. The weather was warm, yet dry - so you would find your body is not sticky like in the tropical humid Indonesia.
Now, my office has prepared an interesting accessories for the whole group. It is a practical thing that you can wear, at the same it becomes a group badge, making it easier for the tour leader to spot you, in case you have the tendency to wander off and get into trouble.
We got a kaffiyeh!
I was excited by t he thing. Cool! Yasser Arafat, intifadah warriors came to mind when I get this 'authentic Middle East fashion statement'. And later on during the trip, I learned that kaffiyeh is truly useful, more than just a "Hey, look at how hard I try to blend in" statement. In the barren and sandy climate like Egypt, you can use it cover your nose. Against the blistering sun that can give your backneck nasty burn, you can wear it around the neck. Hey, if you are ugly, you can just cover your whole face with it, leaving just a small opening for your eyes, and bad-boy loving chicks will fall for you.
So just as we were about to leave the airport, I eagerly wrapped the thing around my neck, ready to blend in among the locals, like a chameleon, a secret agent, Jason Bourne, whatever...! And as I walked out of Cairo airport building and started to look around, it hit me.
None of the locals wore kaffiyeh. They just dress normally in t-shirt, jeans, suits. Some visitors from UAE or Saudi did wear the traditional long white one-piece with kaffiyeh over their heads - but they were visitors. The locals could not care less with kaffiyeh.
In other words, our group looked like complete idiots.
(Although to be fair, most of female colleagues and some of the guys did not wear it - sparing them from funny stares of the locals).
(to be continued)
We are going to Egypt tomorrow. The whole office! I'm excited because I will finally see The Land of Ayat-Ayat Cinta, the movie!
Just kidding. I think the movie sucks. I didn't read the book though, so perhaps the movie does not do justice to the book - as the case with most movie adaptations. But we are digressing....
This is the 3rd time our office does outing overseas. And it is really not an easy effort. My office has roughly around 130 employees, and on outings we bring along our "Office-Boys". It is a Herculean task that will surely bring headache to travel agents. Like arranging for Visa or finding restaurants that could cater to such large group of people. Not to mention advertising people consist of egomaniacs, schizophrenics, psychotics, and many other types of mental disturbances. So yeah, managing our group is probably not far from herding cats.
So naturally, the question arises: "Why bother?". And the next logical question: "Why don't just give out cash bonus?".
My boss gave his argument for "outing" over "cash bonus", despite all the troubles, which I find interesting. This is what he said: "I understand it is much more convenient to give out money, and perhaps it is preferred by many people. But I want to give these people experience, not just money".
He has a point. When we give out money, most people would buy things. Few might save or invest or spend it on children's education - but mostly will buy "stuff". The guys will buy DVDs, toys, videogames, while the women will scramble for clothes, bags, or shoes like there is no tomorrow.
Studies show that "experience-related" purchases bring more happiness than stuff (http://www.livescience.com/culture/purchase-happiness-experience-100304.html). Apparently when we buy stuffs, we are more prone to "comparison" with other people's possession, and hence feel inadequate or jealous. Experiences, according to the studies, are more enjoyed on their own exactly because they are harder to compare than goods/stuffs.
So yes, a company outing is indeed troublesome, and money seems more appealing. But how many of us would actually make a trip to Egypt, even with sufficient money in hand? And the irreplaceable experience of going with a bunch of loonies to a faraway place, to do silly things, play stupid pranks, take corny pictures, have a good laugh with your colleagues once in a while?
The latest gadgets, or laptops, or home theater, or designer shoes, or bags, can't bring you memories of togetherness, of time spent with your friends.
So yes, I believe in this trip. Even if we have to take pictures at "Ayat-Ayat Cinta" set! :). Will write again when I get back!
(Now I need to pack enough Antimo to knock me out during flights. I can't sleep on the plane!)
Kemarin saat kedatangan Presiden Obama ke Indonesia, dunia Twitter Indonesia pun kembali ramai. Ada banyak topik yang dibahas, termasuk becandaan ngawur khas warga Twitter di Indonesia, tapi satu topik menonjol karena popularitasnya. Begitu populernya sampai Yahoo! News, Washington Post, dan media-media asing lain mengangkatnya.
Itulah insiden "Salaman Pak Menteri". Tidak perlu dijelaskan lagi di sini detil insidennya karena sudah dibahas panjang lebar oleh online media dan teman-teman di Twitter semalem (dan sampai tengah malam loh!).
Saya pribadi tidak mempermasalahkan prinsip pak Menteri mengenai bersalaman dengan lawan jenis yang bukan muhrimnya. Itu adalah bagian dari kepercayaan beliau yang saya hormati. Tapi yang saya sesalkan justru posting twit beliau yang menurut saya tidak pada tempatnya. Twit pak Menteri mengesankan bahwa salaman tersebut terjadi di luar kehendak beliau, tetapi karena Michelle Obama yang, quote dari twitnya langsung, "nyodorin tangannya maju banget...kena deh". (Lucunya, ada video yang menunjukkan pak Menteri terkesan bersemangat menyalami First Lady of The United States)
Artikel Washington Post beserta klip video:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/09/AR2010110902287.html
Yang saya sesali adalah: perlukah twit bela-diri dengan menyeret sang First Lady? Presiden Obama dan istri adalah tamu kehormatan negara, bukan main-main statusnya. Haruskah Ibu Obama disinggung dalam twit pak Menteri, bahkan dengan tuduhan yang sulit dibuktikan oleh bukti yang ada?
Bagi saya, ini sudah bisa dikategorikan sebagai penghinaan seorang tuan rumah kepada tamunya.
Bayangkan seandainya saya sudah menikah, dan bertamu ke rumah orang lain bersama istri saya, dan kemudian saya menemukan salah satu anggota rumah mentwit jelek tentang istri saya. Wajarkah kalau saya marah?
Bapak Menteri yang terhormat, silahkan anda mau mentwit apa saja untuk membela diri soal "salaman" tersebut, tetapi janganlah menyeret seorang Tamu Negara terhormat di dalamnya. Saya mohon.
Saya jadi teringat kisah luar biasa Marcus Luttrell, yang sudah dibukukan berjudul "Lone Survivor". Luttrell adalah satu-satunya yang selamat dari sebuah operasi tim 4-orang Navy Seals di Afghanistan. Singkat cerita, tim pasukan elit ini diketahui posisinya oleh Taliban, terkepung, dan 3 rekan Luttrell gugur. Luttrell sendiri selamat lolos dari kepungan, dan dalam keadaan terluka ditemukan penduduk sebuah dusun suku Pashtun. (Catatan bagi awam: banyak sekali penduduk asli Afghanistan yang tidak ada hubungannya dengan kelompok Taliban. Mereka adalah petani/peternak sederhana yang hanya ingin hidup tenang, tidak ikut campur dalam konflik bersenjata).
Luttrell diterima oleh penduduk dusun tersebut, dirawat dan diberi makan. Yang lebih luar biasa, ketika Taliban mengetahui tentang persembunyian Luttrell dan menuntut ia diserahkan, seluruh penduduk dusun tersebut menolak tegas. Dan jika Taliban memaksa, sudah jelas ujungnya, pecah konflik antara penduduk dusun dan Taliban. Taliban pun memilih mengalah. Singkat cerita, Luttrell akhirnya ditemukan pasukan Koalisi dan diselamatkan.
Mengapa penduduk dusun tersebut mau melindungi dan menyelamatkan Luttrell yang notabene tentara Amerika? Hal ini karena mereka mempunyai hukum adat yang disebut "Lokhay Warkawa" - kewajiban untuk menerima dan menjaga orang asing yang sedang membutuhkan pertolongan. Dan tidak perduli apakah orang asing ini orang Amerika, dia harus dijaga, bahkan di bawah ancaman Taliban sekalipun.
Di sinilah saya melihat ironi yang begitu kontras. Di sebuah dusun Afghanistan yang jauh dari teknologi, ada rasa menghormati tamu atas prinsip kemanusiaan yang luar biasa. Tetapi di sebuah istana negara yang indah berkarpet, ada seorang Menteri yang tidak menghormati tamunya melalui posting twitnya.
Dan saya hanya bisa mengelus dada. Sulitkah kita menjadi tuan rumah yang baik? Bangsa yang konon memiliki budi pekerti yang luhur?
The TattooGot myself the second (and hopefully the last!) tattoo. True to 'Miami Ink' show, I will explain about the tattoo and THEN add some drama/story behind the tattoo....(HEY MIAMI INK PRODUCERS OUT THERE!!)The idea is a "tiger couple". I was lucky to have my colleague Alexander "Leky" Loppies draw the design for me (Guys, consider him to draw your tattoo design - he is awesome!). For the tattoo artist, I chose Nick Lim who did a great job with my first tatt (The Phoenix - a glimpse of it on the avatar). Tattoo sticks with you forever, so i really have to choose someone I am already comfortable with. If you choose the wrong hairdresser, you can just wait for your hair to grow back, or cover it with wig, No such thing with permanent ink, people! (Well, theoretically there is laser tattoo removal, which will cost you an arm, a leg, your dog, and probably your wife too...)  (click to enlarge: Nick is preparing the drawing)
The tigers were done on the back of the left calf. The one on the left is the 'male', and the 'female' is on the right. Leky drew it in tribal style, to match my Phoenix because I want a 'consistent' look of all my tattoos.
The original drawing does not exactly distinguish the male and female. It was my idea to designate the left one as the male, because it opens its mouth - looking more fierce and dominant. A great idea to distinguish the two further comes from Nick. He proposed the 'male' to be inked solid, while the 'female' would have 'shading' treatment - giving it a 'softer' look and hence more feminine. Great idea! This is what you get from an experienced tattoo artist like Nick! (click to enlarge: The artist at work)
For calf tattoo, I have to lie down on my tummy. The needle on calf does not hurt much, seriously. It only feels like someone scratches you very rapidly. After a couple of hours, the pain came not from the needle, but the cramps on your necks and shoulders. I turned my heads alternately throughout.  (click to enlarge: The 'male' tiger is done)
Lying on my tummy for such prolonged time, I actually can't help feeling a bit sleepy during the process. No, seriously, I am not trying to sound Chuck-Norris machismo here, but I suspect the body somehow adapts. As long as the pain level is constant, it is as if the body learns to ignore it. Also, the fact that just the night before I was having free booze might help. A LOT.
 (click to enlarge: The finished male tiger, and the still-outline female)
When the tiger couple was finally finished hours later, it was a great joy indeed to me. There was really no serious pain except the normal "ants-stinging" sensation all over the place. But to see a great work of art becomes a part of my body is a reward in itself.
 (click to enlarge: The final tiger couple)
The Story
Now I mentioned earlier that I need a story to make this 'Miami Ink' worthy right? So here it goes:
The tattoo is dedicated to my parents. They were both born under the Tiger sign - and this is the Year of The Tiger! So I guess I just I have to do it this year, one way or another.
And to have tigers symbolize my parents means more than just the Chinese horoscope. To me they truly are my tigers, determined, focus, and strong. My father worked damn hard to provide livelihood to all of us. He still wakes up at 4 and leaves for work at 6 in the morning. He insisted that his children must get good education, or else. He disciplined us hard - so we did not become lazy and spoiled (I almost never got toys when I was little - which perhaps explains why NOW I am still playing videogames :)).
My mother, despite her solemn personality, is a tigress herself. I never remember her complain about anything, or regret anything. She said that no matter what, she was proud of her children. She taught me to be independent emotionally, yet considerate of other people's feelings.
Interestingly, I checked on the internet, and found out that tigers are monogamous animals. A nice little coincident since my parents have been together for more than 45 years!
Now, why calf?
To me calf represents foundation and strength. We walk, we run, we jump, we reach up high using our calves. At the gym many people only focus on working out their chest, biceps, the visible upper body. But my trainer reminds me never to ignore the humble legs, because the legs (including the calves) support our overall body. No support, that six-pack and biceps are realy nothing but silly accessories.
So that's why I put the tattoo on the calf. It always reminds me that my parents were my foundation, my support, and my strength. They raised me and equipped me to become what I am now. I would never be where I am without them.
So here's to you mom and dad! I'm so blessed to have 'tiger parents' like you :)
(note: I haven't shown them the tattoo as I'm writing this. I already expect my dad to scream "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING HAVING ANOTHER TATTOO??!!)
"Who is Chuck Norris?"
This is the question I received lately after I shameless filled my poor Twitter followers' timeline with Chuck Norris 'Facts' (or 'Jokes' for the infidels who don't believe in him). MY initial response to this was "How come anyone not know Chuck Norris?? It's like not knowing The Bee Gees!!"
(if any of you actually ask 'who the hell is the Bee Gees?', please submit your address detail so I can hunt you down)
Of course, I eventually came to my senses and realize that today's teens no longer know Chuck Norris. Now I am not going to write about him - you can just google the guy. It suffices to know for you reader that he used to be a great action hero of the 80s. Karate blackbelt holder, and once fought Bruce Lee in a movie. He was known for kicking Vietcong ass in Missing in Action trilogy, a Delta Force operator able to (literally) shit missiles from his motorcycle, and he was Walker Texas Ranger - an ass-kicking modern cowboy.
What I want to contemplate on is actually the popular 'Chuck Norris Facts'
"Chuck Norris counted to infinity - twice"
"Dinosaurs once roamed the earth. And then Chuck Norris was born".
"Superman wears Chuck Norris underwear"
(www.chucknorrisfacts.com for more)
Those are only a few of thousands of Chuck Norris Facts circulating on the internet, and now making their way to Twitter as well (guilty as charged!). The formula is always the same: Chuck Norris would be depicted as doing outrageous feats because he is a supertough badass. And this is why I find them addictively funny. But I wonder, how did it all start?
According to Wikipedia, It all started off in 2005 as a joke in Conan O'Brien Show, and then it got bigger - with people around the world creating their own 'Facts' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Norris_facts). In time, I personally think the jokes become bigger than 'the person' himself.
So why does it become so big? Initially perhaps it's genuine, true adoration for the man. Like people in the villages describing their heroes with superhuman abilities, and the legend got bigger over time. But personally, to me the jokes become something more, something bigger than Chuck Norris. And I wonder if it has something to do with the feminization of men.
Today's men live a completely different lives from our predecessors. In the past men hunted for prey, we hunted T-Rex (DON'T lecture me on humans didn't live in the same period as dinosaurs did - I know!), we took wives by clubbing them in the head and dragged them to our caves. In short, men used to live MANLY life. But fast forward several hundred thousand years to present day - what do we get?
We no longer hunt sabretooth tigers. We wear wimpy clothes, we have wimpy jobs as accountants, and we go to supermarkets buying pantyliners because our wives tell us to. We are expected to be sensitive, to show emotions. And came that weird metrosexuals who put additional pressure for us to regularly bathe, put on gel, wax our armpit hairs, and wear deodorant.
So I wonder if deep inside, we feel we lack something. Deep inside we want to reconnect to the men of past - THE REAL MEN - who did manly stuffs and did not have to hold their girlfriend's purse or shopping bags.
And maybe, just maybe, this is why Chuck Norris jokes became so popular. Because through his jokes we project "the man" we all desire to be - strong, tough, feared, kick ass. "Chuck Norris" become that ideal mirage of a man, forever unattainable, but forever aspired to, and he exists within our imagination, even as we wait patiently holding our girlfriend's new shoes at midnight sale....
So there you go, my short thesis on why Chuck Norris becomes so popular. Either I stumble across a Noble-worthy theory, or as usual, I am just rambling nonsense. OF COURSE, nobody who thought Chuck Norris was nonsense ever survived for long...
NASA confirmed that the moon was once part of Earth, when they saw the marks of Chuck Norris' roundhouse-kick on its surface.....
"Mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa adalah janji kemerdekaan. Dan berbeda dari cita-cita, JANJI itu harus DITEPATI".
Dengan kata-kata ini, Anies Baswedan membuka presentasinya tentang program Indonesia Mengajar.
Hari ini saya beruntung mendapat undangan Syukuran Program Indonesia Mengajar dari Yayasan Indonesia Mengajar (trims kepada Najwa Shihab untuk "koneksi"nya :)). Saya juga beruntung melihat 51 Pengajar Muda Batch pertama program ini yang akan dikirimkan menjadi guru di daerah-daerah terpencil.
Sebelum datang saya hanya punya gambaran minim tentang program ini. Saya cuma tahu program ini mengenai "pendidikan di daerah", tapi tidak tahu detilnya seperti apa.
Sesudah mendengarkan penjelasan Anies Baswedan mengenai program ini, saya bener-bener kagum, tersentuh, dan juga terinspirasi.
Secara singkatnya, Indonesia Mengajar (IM) adalah program perekrutan lulusan sarjana (fresh graduate) berkualitas untuk ditempatkan menjadi guru di daerah terpencil. Dan "daerah terpencil" di sini BENAR-BENAR terpencil. Contoh: salah satu daerah tujuan program IM membutuhkan lebih dari 10 jam jalan air (perahu) untuk bisa dicapai. Sekilas mirip KKN (Kuliah Kerja Nyata ya, bukan KKN-nya peninggalan rezim Soeharto yang menyebalkan itu...), tetapi perbedaan dengan KKN yang "wajib" (di beberapa universitas), program ini murni sukarela, hanya bagi yang berminat.
Kita semua tahu wacana klasik: Indonesia kekurangan guru, khususnya daerah terpencil, dan kesejahteraan guru minim. Akibatnya terjadi efek negatif berantai: tidak ada yang mau jadi guru, kalaupun ada yang mau menjadi guru kualitasnya rendah, output siswa berkualitas rendah, dan daya saing SDM kita pun rendah.
Yang brilyan dari program IM ini adalah mekanisme yang memecahkan tantangan besar dari guru di lokasi terpencil: "motivasi". Dengan pendapatan rendah, dan horison waktu yang tidak jelas, sangatlah manusiawi bahwa seseorang menjadi discouraged, rendah motivasinya untuk menjadi guru di tempat terpencil untuk waktu yang lama.
IM mengaddress problem ini di akar dengan 2 solusi: dukungan kompensasi yang memadai, tapi lebih utama lagi: horizon waktu yang jelas. Program berjalan selama 1 tahun, di mana sesudah itu para Pengajar Muda bebas untuk pulang dan mencari kerja di perusahaan, atau kalau keburu 'jatuh cinta' (dengan profesi pengajarnya, lokasinya, ataupun kembang desa *kedip*), bisa tetap melanjutkan programnya. Tapi tidak ada paksaan. Dan nasib pun lebih jelas dengan periode waktu yang definite. Program ini juga memperkenalkan konsep rolling, bahwa guru di daerah terpencil tidak harus menetap berlama-lama, minimal dalam konteks mengajar SD. Yang penting (diharapkan) selalu ada supply guru yang baru setiap tahunnya.
Dengan ini, "motivasi" menjadi pengajar di daerah terpencil-pun menjadi terangkat. Dan kita semua tahu "motivasi" adalah energi dasar untuk manusia berkarya. Motivasi ini sudah nampak dari animo peminat batch 1 2010. 1383 sarjana mendaftarkan diri, dan hanya 51 orang yang lolos. Hal ini karena screening sangat ketat, mencakup prestasi akademis, leadership skill, dan banyak parameter lain yang diperlukan untuk menjadi guru berkualitas. Pada akhirnya, program ini mendapatkan tenaga guru yang motivated dan juga bermutu.
Kita semua tahu suksesnya program ini tentunya berdampak positif bagi desa yang dikunjungi Pengajar Muda. Tapi ada "efek samping" positif lain yang ingin saya soroti, yaitu efek bagi para Pengajar Muda itu sendiri.
Dengan kualifikasi begitu sulit untuk menjadi Pengajar Muda, saya tidak ragu sama sekali bahwa di bidang manapun yang akan mereka terjuni pasca program, mereka akan menjadi tokoh-tokoh pemimpin, leading figures, apakah itu bekerja sebagai profesional di dunia swasta, instansi pemerintahan, dan lain-lain. Dengan pengalaman mereka di Indonesia Mengajar, maka saya berharap mereka tumbuh tidak hanya menjadi pemimpin yang kompeten, dan kompetitif di persaingan global, tapi lebih penting lagi, tetap berakar (rooted) pada masyarakat Indonesia, khususnya mereka yang masih tertinggal dan berkekurangan.
Karena kita sudah punya cukup banyak pengusaha, profesional, birokrat, wakil rakyat, yang "kompeten", tapi sepertinya sudah buta dan kehilangan kepekaan terhadap rakyat kecil. Saya sungguh berharap "jebolan" program ini tidak tumbuh menjadi orang-orang seperti ini.
Di dalam website Indonesia Mengajar tertulis,
"Satu tahun mengajar, seumur hidup memberi inspirasi".
Tapi bagi saya, kutipan ini seharusnya lengkapnya berbunyi, "Satu tahun mengajar, seumur hidup memberi inspirasi, seumur hidup TER-inspirasi".
Selamat untuk 51 Pengajar Muda Batch 1 yang terpilih. Selamat bertugas. Banyak yang bangga dan mendoakan kalian. Salut juga untuk Anies Baswedan dan seluruh Tim Indonesia Mengajar untuk inisiatif ini - satu langkah nyata di tengah ribuan wacana tak bermakna para pemimpin dan wakil rakyat...
 (sebagian dari para Pengajar Muda Batch 1. Click to enlarge)
Untuk informasi lebih lanjut, kunjungi www.indonesiamengajar.org
(ada foto Bung Karno mengajar yang benar-benar membuat saya merinding, di sub-header 'Tentang Kami'. Lihat deh :))
How We See Them
I had this unforgettable experience having a workshop with my Pakistani clients.
It was quite a sizable meeting, around 15 people were present. The people were very nice and friendly. Well, at least they laughed at my jokes. Hey, any cultures that can appreciate my jokes are friendly enough by my standard (Heck, I've been in situations in Asia where NOBODY laughed at my jokes - and the problem is THEM, not my jokes, I tell ya....).
But eventually, we got into this situation where the local female clients got into heated argument. And they were so fierce that I thought "whoa - are all women here like this? Me likey!". It feels like I step into a lion's den, except that all the lionesses were doing the fighting, and the lions were all peace-loving vegetarians.
No, seriously, all the male participants stayed quiet. And the looks on their face said "...I have kids to feed, I don't want to die now. Better keep quiet...".
But of course, this incident does not reflect Pakistani women as a whole. My client was a multinational company, so naturally those working there are highly educated with international exposure, women included. The majority may behave very differently. I learned that Pakistani women are supposed to stay at home, especially after the sun sets. The men do the out of home grocery shopping, very different from Indonesian women.
When we flew on Pakistan International Airlines, it was men who served us food. So no Singapore Girls' smile for us, I guess. (Although objectively, the Pakistani male flight were quite friendly, seriously).
How They See Us
OK, this is the amusing bit: To the locales all of Asians are "Chinese". It doesn't matter that my colleagues are Javanese and Padangnese, we are all "Chinese" :D. They really can't tell the difference of our facial features.
But isn't this a universal phenomenon? Indonesians often mistake Pakistanis with Indians, or Japanese with Koreans or Chinese. So the "generalisation" is truly a universal human trait, perhaps part of the attempt to simplify things in life.
When just landed in Karachi, while waiting for our transport, there were these little local kids watching us like we were aliens. Seriously. One kept saying "Japanese...Japanese...". Very cute. I feel like introducing samurai to him. Through the abdomen. (Those who haven't known me better - trust me, I was kidding).
But the most hilarious moment happened at the hotel in Lahore. Remember the previous photo with the doorman in Part 2? As my picture was taken with the giant, we noticed a local family was watching us. So I thought they were also waiting to have their picture taken with him. So when I was finished, I gestured to the father to take my place.
To our shock - his wife actually wanted to have her picture taken WITH US.
We just became domestic tourist's destination.
My every cheery colleague said "Hey, maybe they think we are some Asian celebrities".
Or maybe they thought they just found "the missing link" - that mysterious monkey-man that will prove Darwin's Evolution, rumored to still live in dark corners of Asia.....
I wasn't exactly thrilled with the incident. Really. Or maybe it is just the usual skeptical me....
Anyways, overall it has been a fascinating experience for me. Granted, there were bombs exploded on the last night we were in Karachi. But we can't have it all in life, really? Besides, it did remind me about our mortality. And the preciousness of life.... :)
Lahore streets
A conversation with a colleague in a rented car that goes through Lahore streets would go like this:
"Jadi besok kita meeting dengan...wo..WO...WOOOWWW....(holding breath)....iya, jadi besok kita meeting dengan client jam 10? Terus kira-kira mereka...uh...aduh..ADUH...AAAA!...(closing eyes)...".
Obviously, since I was traveling with female colleagues, I had to sit at the front, witnessing The Al-Fast and Al-Furious on front row.
To illustrate how nuts Lahorian drivers (seriously, can I say 'Lahorian'? Sounds like a species from Star Trek universe) really are: One time our driver gave the "MOVE IT IDIOT" headlamp signal and honked to....a police car. Seriously....a police car was going slow in front of us and our driver honked and high-beamed them. I was seriously scared shitless - I wouldn't mess with police force in my own country, would I really want to deal with foreign police with hyper-testosterone induced facial hair??
Surprisingly, the police car actually gave way to us. I was actually shocked. If I did this in Jakarta, I would get my ass kicked so fast I thought Bruce Lee came back to life. (picture: A variation of ricksaw that reminds me of "delman")
It is also common in Lahore for motorcycles to be mounted by 3 adult men. Have you ever seen 3 men, THREE ADULT MEN sitting on the same bike? It got really intimate, I tell ya. It is really "crotch-ass-crotch-ass-gas tank" formation. But hey, whatever works in your country, mate.
Food
We got the chance to eat at a local restaurant chain called "Barbeque Tonight". One word for the local food: "MANLY". They have mutton ribs, beef steak with huge serving that really makes Indonesian food wimpy. Everything is BIG. And everything is MEAT. With so much protein in their system, no wonder they are natural warriors and up for a fight anytime.
I especially enjoy their local bread "naan". It tastes like Pizza dough, with the right rubbery texture. Local will always dip it into some sauce, like mint or curry. Best of all, it looks like a Mujahidin bread straight from Rambo 3. After eating the bread, I feel like kicking Soviet's ass!
 (picture: various bread and meat)
 (picture: mutton rib - up close and personal. Doesn't it have "COME EAT IF YOU ARE A REAL MAN" look?)
Got milk?
Pakistanis are crazy about milk. They drink it. They make butter out of it. They have yogurt out of it (their yogurt Lassi is fantastic - imagine a thin liquid sweet yogurt - very refreshing. Oddly, they also have the salty version). In fact, they are the 5th largest milk producer in the whole world. And probably this explains Mister Big below.
 (picture: A doorman at the hotel in Lahore. To put things into perspective: I am 179 cm tall. So this guy is REALLY tall. Go drink your milk, people!)
Tea is also a must have in Pakistan diet. They are not coffee culture (yet). Coffee is still reserved to the city rich people, according to my client. But tea is all around the clock. Also, they DIP everything into tea. I wonder if they also dip their babies into tea....
(to be continued)
When I first told people that I was going to Pakistan for some meetings, these were the reactions I got:
My direct boss: "WHY Pakistan?"
My dad: "WHY Pakistan?"
My girlfriend: WHY Pakistan?"
My Twitter friend: "WHY Pakistan?"
God: "WHY Pakistan?"(OK, so I made up the last one...)
The only "Wow, you're gonna love it!" comment came from, surprise-surprise, the organizer of the meeting. So naturally, I thought the idea wasn't very much welcome by most people. Nevertheless, I went anyway, like a faithful employee who still needs his job to pay the loan.
Now, this is strict business trip. I don't get the "jalan-jalan" time slot like Indonesian's parliament members. So at the time I write I haven't got the chance to visit the tourist spots. These are just personal observations as I ride about the city in a rented car with a maniac driver. You know, trying my luck with "Eat, Pray, Love" travelogue thingy. So if you want better pics and detailed accounts, go to wiki.
Safety. The first thing that comes to people's mind when they hear about "visiting Pakistan" is: is it safe there? Understandably, people have all sorts of mixed-up imaginations that pretty much revolve around violence, chaos, suicide bombers, you know, all the nice stuff. "What the hell are you doing in Taliban land??" is one example. Especially, when your local client does provide an armed bodyguard to keep you company all the time around the city. And when I said "armed" I am talking about real FIREARMS, not pathetic baton or little vegetable knife!
 (picture: A bodyguard with shotgun that accompanies us in Karachi)
You will also see that every public place like restaurants, shops will have security guards brandishing AK-47 or shotguns. Seriously, if you want to scare shoplifters, THIS is the way to go.
Having said that, the overall stay in Pakistan (Lahore and Karachi) was pretty safe. Well, except the last day in Karachi when two bombs exploded within probably 1 mile radius from where we were shopping...
People: People with little exposure to the Pakistanis may mistake them as Indians. Actually from closer look, they look different. Some have notable hints of mixed Arab and Caucasian (Aryan?) look - with bright eyes, fair skin, high nose. But the true give away is how they move. While Indians give confusing head-shakes when they actually AGREE to something, the Pakistanis shake their head like majority of mankind does.
Overall, the people that we meet were very nice. I love the hospitality gesture of putting your hand on the heart with a nod (similar to the Westerners taking oath - but with friendly smile).
Streets. If I describe most Jakartan motorists as "IDIOTS", I would describe Lahore drivers as "SUICIDAL". While in Jakarta we have idiots who change lane/make a turn without even looking, here in Lahore people LOOK, SEE that we coming at high speed, and STILL try to drive across us. It is really constant game of "chicken".One can get a proof of this behavior from all the dents and scratches on most cars' bumpers here, even the new ones! I guess the rule for parking here is: "KEEP MOVING UNTIL YOU HIT THE OTHER CAR".
 (picture: a street in Lahore. On the left is a local "Bajaj"),
There is no "motor bebek" to be seen here. People all use real motorbikes here (flammable gasoline near your crotch is true sign of manhoon, I'd say). NONE of the bikers wear helmets though. And this is perhaps related to their food culture that I will explain later.
  The Pakistanis have their version of Bajaj, called "ricksaw" or (rick" for short). Obviously, it is NOT a Bajaj despite the resemblance. Bear in mind that India and Pakistan are not exactly the nicest neighbors to each other, with both having nuclears to wave at each other. So never call it a Bajaj!
This Ricksaw is an impressive feat of engineering. The driver can operate it with BOTH legs leaning against the 'dashboard', and I once saw TWO people sitting in the driver's seat. God know whether the other one is extra passenger, co-pilot, or a trainee! But in Lahore that does not have "taxi", these Ricks are the unsung heroes of moving about the Lahorians (can I write that?).
Karachi, on the other hand, does have "taxi", at least an attempt towards it. The models were really stuck in the 80s. I saw a Datsun taxi, a DATSUN, still running around in Karachi. I feel like I witness the hypothesis that beyond the blackhole, there is indeed "the other dimension", and this Datsun was once sucked through a blackhole and landed here...
(to be continued)
| |
