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Monday, May 28, 2007
FREE ICE CREAMS and off to Salatiga
Finally our reward for winning the debate competition was transferred. And because of the odd sum, we decided to spend approx. 200 thousand rupiah to buy ice creams for all teachers! Yay! And so during lunch time I resumed my duty of food delivery service to the 3 teacher rooms, just like I did for the charity sale. The difference is that they get the ice cream for free :). In the end there wasnt any left and I had to buy my own chocolate ice cream during Business period (Business seemed brighter with chocolate taste).
And Im leaving for our Yr 12 Mission Retreat to Salib Putih, Salatiga tomorrow morning! Well, dawn it is to be precise. We were forced to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. How Hitler-y it is. And the problem was that we are required to be a light packer. Not that Im complaining, but it happens that according to my English teacher who spent years there, it's rather cold there. And I would have to find a way to stuff my sweater into the full luggage :(, plus towel and 4 bottles of bottled chocolate milk (if I get hungry during the night :p )
Packed the used shirt for working, and cant wait to meet up with my live-in parents and little children to play with (well, to be educated is the term used by the school), our so-called 'mission'; to change the lives of the Salatiga-ns (is this the right term?) with our simple presence in their village. Cant hardly wait!
And of course, we're leaving school for the week (school will resume as usual on Monday).
I bet the teachers at school will miss us. So long! Gee Im sooo excited! Cant wait to wake up to cool morning air, native food, another language I knew but never familiar, other smiles, and the act of having fun without any thoughts of the coming English and Maths assessments waiting courteously right after we got back.
This should be fun.
And Im leaving for our Yr 12 Mission Retreat to Salib Putih, Salatiga tomorrow morning! Well, dawn it is to be precise. We were forced to wake up at 4:30 in the morning. How Hitler-y it is. And the problem was that we are required to be a light packer. Not that Im complaining, but it happens that according to my English teacher who spent years there, it's rather cold there. And I would have to find a way to stuff my sweater into the full luggage :(, plus towel and 4 bottles of bottled chocolate milk (if I get hungry during the night :p )
Packed the used shirt for working, and cant wait to meet up with my live-in parents and little children to play with (well, to be educated is the term used by the school), our so-called 'mission'; to change the lives of the Salatiga-ns (is this the right term?) with our simple presence in their village. Cant hardly wait!
And of course, we're leaving school for the week (school will resume as usual on Monday).
I bet the teachers at school will miss us. So long! Gee Im sooo excited! Cant wait to wake up to cool morning air, native food, another language I knew but never familiar, other smiles, and the act of having fun without any thoughts of the coming English and Maths assessments waiting courteously right after we got back.
This should be fun.
Friday, May 25, 2007
Abundantly Irked
Case study: when your class has worked your asses off throughout the week for a charity matter, sacrificing our study time for nothing in return, late nights of preparation and endless confirmation, and it paid off in the form of a bigger return in the sum you wasn't expecting, is it wrong for us to celebrate and expres our joyful moment by enjoying ourselves?
The process: the defendant class announced the successful event from the school's loudspeaker to all classes, while cheering and screaming and laughing a huge "Thank You" for everyone who participated by purchasing and taking part in the charity event.
The outcome: a friend from another class offended your class of being a hick.
Further result: outrage the so-called 'hick' class. Resulting in a particular 17 yr old student of the 'hick' class confronting the offending student of her action.
Even further result: the confronted girl became pissed and called the confronting girl a hypocryte who was unable to keep a secret, which appeals to her disadvatage.
The big question: who's the plaintiff, and who, in the end, is the defendant?
The process: the defendant class announced the successful event from the school's loudspeaker to all classes, while cheering and screaming and laughing a huge "Thank You" for everyone who participated by purchasing and taking part in the charity event.
The outcome: a friend from another class offended your class of being a hick.
Further result: outrage the so-called 'hick' class. Resulting in a particular 17 yr old student of the 'hick' class confronting the offending student of her action.
Even further result: the confronted girl became pissed and called the confronting girl a hypocryte who was unable to keep a secret, which appeals to her disadvatage.
The big question: who's the plaintiff, and who, in the end, is the defendant?
Imported Love For Indonesia
Something bugs me these few days. Each and every day, I've been confronted to degrading comments over my highschool peers' plan to stay away from Indonesia by never coming back to this country, their home country, because of 1 simple reason: they hated this country.
Then again I read how expats found Indonesia so beautiful, and fell in love with it that they managed to live here. Almost every expat teachers (whom I happen to gain the privilege of knowing during the time they taught here) in my school tells the story of their vision: how to make a difference in this so-called God forsaken country. They admitted it plain and square, they love this country. Even with its set of problems along with it.
But then our own people were disgraced of admitting their nationality. Discouraged to come back to their home country to make something out of themselves. True, they wont have to deal with Indonesia's abundant issues. But it will remain there, for as long as they fail to realize this. What's the use of gaining more security and living at ease with higher living condition and wage level, when you can be here, living a bit less glamorous, and do something to deal with the problem?
I prefer to stay.
What's the point of living in the place where your present doesnt make a real difference, where you can make a difference in a place that needed you the most. It's OK for you to pursue the highest and best education posible from all around the globe, however you tend to forget that we need you back here in the future.
From my own experience, my friends actually bad-mouthed Indonesia. Well I admit that I too dont admire it, but certainly I would like to take responsibility of my own nation. After all, if we dont do it, who will?
It's a bit shameful to see how these expats feel more love and connection and curiosity of Indonesia than Indonesians. Even more when they know more and we have to learn it from them (like what I felt when this afternoon my Australian English teacher explained to me the meaning of an Indonesian protest banner with some native words that even I dont know the meaning).
Then again I read how expats found Indonesia so beautiful, and fell in love with it that they managed to live here. Almost every expat teachers (whom I happen to gain the privilege of knowing during the time they taught here) in my school tells the story of their vision: how to make a difference in this so-called God forsaken country. They admitted it plain and square, they love this country. Even with its set of problems along with it.
But then our own people were disgraced of admitting their nationality. Discouraged to come back to their home country to make something out of themselves. True, they wont have to deal with Indonesia's abundant issues. But it will remain there, for as long as they fail to realize this. What's the use of gaining more security and living at ease with higher living condition and wage level, when you can be here, living a bit less glamorous, and do something to deal with the problem?
I prefer to stay.
What's the point of living in the place where your present doesnt make a real difference, where you can make a difference in a place that needed you the most. It's OK for you to pursue the highest and best education posible from all around the globe, however you tend to forget that we need you back here in the future.
From my own experience, my friends actually bad-mouthed Indonesia. Well I admit that I too dont admire it, but certainly I would like to take responsibility of my own nation. After all, if we dont do it, who will?
It's a bit shameful to see how these expats feel more love and connection and curiosity of Indonesia than Indonesians. Even more when they know more and we have to learn it from them (like what I felt when this afternoon my Australian English teacher explained to me the meaning of an Indonesian protest banner with some native words that even I dont know the meaning).
Monday, May 21, 2007
Snob Effect
John's reply intrigued me.
True that the law of supply and demand will certainly determine the price of a good or service, in ceteris paribus matter. True that maybe the case for goods with natural scarcity problem. For example, oil is expensive because the Aggregate Demand for it (considering the incredible growth of China and India) exceeds the Aggregate Supply. As oil supply is considered as limited in a sense that it takes centuries to produce it, price tend to go up, making it seemed to be an 'exclusive' commodity.
What I meant before is the type of goods and services that is influenced by artificial scarcity created by brand producers to get people to buy their ridiculously HIGH price because of the 'exclusive' brand.
Think of it like this, there's no shortage of leather to create a Gucci handbag last time I checked. But why is the price of a handbag so miraculously high?
I dont think the market interaction of supply and demand is actually the driving force behind the high price of the handbag. The producer had in fact put a constraint on the supply of handbags so that again, Aggregate Demand exceeds Aggregate Demand, causing the price to rise through your ceiling.
And This Is Indonesia.
True that the law of supply and demand will certainly determine the price of a good or service, in ceteris paribus matter. True that maybe the case for goods with natural scarcity problem. For example, oil is expensive because the Aggregate Demand for it (considering the incredible growth of China and India) exceeds the Aggregate Supply. As oil supply is considered as limited in a sense that it takes centuries to produce it, price tend to go up, making it seemed to be an 'exclusive' commodity.
What I meant before is the type of goods and services that is influenced by artificial scarcity created by brand producers to get people to buy their ridiculously HIGH price because of the 'exclusive' brand.
Think of it like this, there's no shortage of leather to create a Gucci handbag last time I checked. But why is the price of a handbag so miraculously high?
I dont think the market interaction of supply and demand is actually the driving force behind the high price of the handbag. The producer had in fact put a constraint on the supply of handbags so that again, Aggregate Demand exceeds Aggregate Demand, causing the price to rise through your ceiling.
And This Is Indonesia.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Hmm
So what do you think is better:
1. Having your answers regarded as the best, but with less mark.
2. Having your answers regarded as not that perfect, but with higher mark.
Sorry, there's no 3rd option (for the current case studies). I happen to experience the first one, and some people actually told me I should have aimed for the 2nd option. Simple reply: What's the use of high marks when you know that you havent done your best?
1. Having your answers regarded as the best, but with less mark.
2. Having your answers regarded as not that perfect, but with higher mark.
Sorry, there's no 3rd option (for the current case studies). I happen to experience the first one, and some people actually told me I should have aimed for the 2nd option. Simple reply: What's the use of high marks when you know that you havent done your best?
New Vocabulary
I accidentally found this very interesting term in my Economics textbook's Glossary when frantically learning as much as I can for Monday's assessment:
Snob effect refers to the situation where individuals desire a good or service because if its exclusivity, i.e. where demand for a good or service decreases as it gains more users.
A perfect term for Indonesians.
Snob effect refers to the situation where individuals desire a good or service because if its exclusivity, i.e. where demand for a good or service decreases as it gains more users.
A perfect term for Indonesians.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
A Charity Sale
I cant believe I wasted my 1 day holiday for nothing.
Designed the 12-4 Charity Sale brochures to be distributed tomorrow to the people of IPEKA, and read the latest Shopaholic novel. In a day. The problem is now Im more hesitant than ever to complete my Business reading for tomorrow's quiz :(
So this Charity Sale is basically designed because we feel that our class's money is not sufficient to be donated during our Mission Retreat on the end of this month. So we came up with a practical solution: make a bazaar to raise more funds.
Tomorrow we'll bring our adequate wardrobe, accessories, dolls, etc to be accumulated and priced for Monday. We decided on doing something more profitable at first, washing cars, but the school rejected the idea and wont give permission to use school's lot and water.
What a thrift.
So we hope this goes well and all the effort that we put into this pays off :)
Designed the 12-4 Charity Sale brochures to be distributed tomorrow to the people of IPEKA, and read the latest Shopaholic novel. In a day. The problem is now Im more hesitant than ever to complete my Business reading for tomorrow's quiz :(
So this Charity Sale is basically designed because we feel that our class's money is not sufficient to be donated during our Mission Retreat on the end of this month. So we came up with a practical solution: make a bazaar to raise more funds.
Tomorrow we'll bring our adequate wardrobe, accessories, dolls, etc to be accumulated and priced for Monday. We decided on doing something more profitable at first, washing cars, but the school rejected the idea and wont give permission to use school's lot and water.
What a thrift.
So we hope this goes well and all the effort that we put into this pays off :)
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Villagers in Big Town
We had an interesting discussion in Bahasa Indonesia class today. The teacher brought up a newspaper article, a brief essay of one opinion regarding the people of Jakarta.
It says that we, people living in this so called capital city of Indonesia, are basically no other than plain villagers. Quite the contrary to our proud laments that we're urban, metropolist society.
It outlines basic habits on Jakarta-ns:
1. We drive like there's no one else in the street, as if we're still back in the village, where no one else has a car and we do, where there's no street lights and signs telling us what to do. In Singapore, when drivers see red light blinking, they stop abruptly. It's the law. In Jakarta, the light turned red, we speed up pass it. We feel that we're just 'advised' to stop.
2. We dont que. Just like in villages, where everyone are close, they share things, mainly to their 'people', those who they know. Here, when told to que to get something, we rushed infront to get what we want, and leaves what we dont want for others.
3. We care only for our well being without thinking of the larger picture: we litter. The basic principle is that we're comfortable, get rid of those that distort our comfort, what we dont need. We tend to think that preserving the natural environment is for others to think, and we may just throw everything away. How if there's no away?
The list goes on. By the end of the class, I was ashamed. For declaring something that we thought we were, and finding that we're not. Maybe we're not ready for living in big cities. Maybe we ought to pack our bags and drive back to villages, where we belong, according to our acts. Maybe we're just plain villagers, playing the role of urban society with flashy clothes, but rotten beings nonetheless.
It says that we, people living in this so called capital city of Indonesia, are basically no other than plain villagers. Quite the contrary to our proud laments that we're urban, metropolist society.
It outlines basic habits on Jakarta-ns:
1. We drive like there's no one else in the street, as if we're still back in the village, where no one else has a car and we do, where there's no street lights and signs telling us what to do. In Singapore, when drivers see red light blinking, they stop abruptly. It's the law. In Jakarta, the light turned red, we speed up pass it. We feel that we're just 'advised' to stop.
2. We dont que. Just like in villages, where everyone are close, they share things, mainly to their 'people', those who they know. Here, when told to que to get something, we rushed infront to get what we want, and leaves what we dont want for others.
3. We care only for our well being without thinking of the larger picture: we litter. The basic principle is that we're comfortable, get rid of those that distort our comfort, what we dont need. We tend to think that preserving the natural environment is for others to think, and we may just throw everything away. How if there's no away?
The list goes on. By the end of the class, I was ashamed. For declaring something that we thought we were, and finding that we're not. Maybe we're not ready for living in big cities. Maybe we ought to pack our bags and drive back to villages, where we belong, according to our acts. Maybe we're just plain villagers, playing the role of urban society with flashy clothes, but rotten beings nonetheless.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Sweet, SWEET SEVENTEEN
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
A Quarrel
I had a quarrel with a racist bastard in my class this afternoon during English period. That bastard was being an ass by lamenting Catholic songs, deliberately changing the lyrics to some obnoxious, subtle and perverty lines. No body said a word, not even the other Catholics in the room.
When he started to laugh his ass off, saying on how boring and funny and other bad things when he sat in a Catholic sermon the previous week. And I got pissed. I yelled at him for being a freaking racist and people like him are the ones who cause war for their ignorance. He called me a dog, yelling on how what he says is none of my business. I called him a villager. People with no education. I was furious.
Later I saw on his MSN nickname: I hate that bicth in ma class.
Right after that I changed my nickname: Cant believe I made friend with a racist pig. No wonder he doesnt have any friend.
And Im not just making it up. Everybody is too disgusted by his fake-hip-hop South American style that no one even care what he's doing, let alone befriended him.
Whatever.
When he started to laugh his ass off, saying on how boring and funny and other bad things when he sat in a Catholic sermon the previous week. And I got pissed. I yelled at him for being a freaking racist and people like him are the ones who cause war for their ignorance. He called me a dog, yelling on how what he says is none of my business. I called him a villager. People with no education. I was furious.
Later I saw on his MSN nickname: I hate that bicth in ma class.
Right after that I changed my nickname: Cant believe I made friend with a racist pig. No wonder he doesnt have any friend.
And Im not just making it up. Everybody is too disgusted by his fake-hip-hop South American style that no one even care what he's doing, let alone befriended him.
Whatever.
Monday, May 07, 2007
Casual Labor
Working (casual) seems to be one hell of a fun time :)
Saturday, May 05, 2007
Bad Mouth
I've said some terrible things this week, things that I wish I could undo but I cant.
To my teacher, Mr Da.G, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say :( . Read him an apology yesterday, and he smiled so beautifully in sincerity.
To my friend Aud y, I didnt mean to offend you by saying that in front of the silent class. Thanks for telling me you were offended by it.
To my friend Nad ya and Og re, I didnt mean to shout to you guys for talking throughout the Economics class. It's just I was trying to hear Mrs Tjia's explanation to my question. I know I havent apologise to both of you directly, but I hope I can learn to live with the fact that people will chat as much as they like during classes and it's up to me to sharpen my hearing and concentration ability to follow the lecture.
To my little brother whom I called a technology-dumb kid just because you cant put your SIM Card into your handphone. but Im sure he didnt take it to his heart as he called me dumb-ass-technology-sister when I cant enter it as well.
To my friend's 'almost' boyfriend, Im sorry for saying that your present among our table during every teabreaks and lunch-es are annoying. It's just that we barely had a whole lunch time only for ourselves (PPGs) especially with you joining us every lunch-es. You're an OK-kid, but please start showing some shame by having a lunch just for you and your little friends and let us eat our lunch in peace.
Well this is all I could remember. This is a pretty long list for a week right after holiday, dont you think? Perhaps Im being overly selfish and a bitch for them, that I made a card on my wardrobe door saying:
so that I would start my day with those words in my head.
Moreover, my star sign told me that I'm being too selfish in pursuing my own dream that I failed to take into account people's thoughts and feelings. Perhaps I am. And this guilt consumed me, ruining my weekend.
I wish my life is somekind of a tape that I can easily rewind, pause, and play accordingly. But it's not. And I would have to live by it, sooner the better.
Although the thought that my life is a tape is indeed lamenting convinience. Let's start this week with a whole new me! The me with the clean mouth :)
To my teacher, Mr Da.G, I'm sorry, that's not what I meant to say :( . Read him an apology yesterday, and he smiled so beautifully in sincerity.
To my friend Aud y, I didnt mean to offend you by saying that in front of the silent class. Thanks for telling me you were offended by it.
To my friend Nad ya and Og re, I didnt mean to shout to you guys for talking throughout the Economics class. It's just I was trying to hear Mrs Tjia's explanation to my question. I know I havent apologise to both of you directly, but I hope I can learn to live with the fact that people will chat as much as they like during classes and it's up to me to sharpen my hearing and concentration ability to follow the lecture.
To my little brother whom I called a technology-dumb kid just because you cant put your SIM Card into your handphone. but Im sure he didnt take it to his heart as he called me dumb-ass-technology-sister when I cant enter it as well.
To my friend's 'almost' boyfriend, Im sorry for saying that your present among our table during every teabreaks and lunch-es are annoying. It's just that we barely had a whole lunch time only for ourselves (PPGs) especially with you joining us every lunch-es. You're an OK-kid, but please start showing some shame by having a lunch just for you and your little friends and let us eat our lunch in peace.
Well this is all I could remember. This is a pretty long list for a week right after holiday, dont you think? Perhaps Im being overly selfish and a bitch for them, that I made a card on my wardrobe door saying:
"Do you want to be selfish today?"
so that I would start my day with those words in my head.
Moreover, my star sign told me that I'm being too selfish in pursuing my own dream that I failed to take into account people's thoughts and feelings. Perhaps I am. And this guilt consumed me, ruining my weekend.
I wish my life is somekind of a tape that I can easily rewind, pause, and play accordingly. But it's not. And I would have to live by it, sooner the better.
Although the thought that my life is a tape is indeed lamenting convinience. Let's start this week with a whole new me! The me with the clean mouth :)
Friday, May 04, 2007
Star Sign
A classmate brought a teenage magazine to class today. In between doing our Maths exercise, loudly the chanted up the star signs at the back of the magazine, loud enough to distract me from my exercise and came to the source of mischief: the magazine.
When I asked what's all the fuss, Mich ael (well, he's that loud even when he sleeps) screamed that his star sign was incredibly a satisfying forecast for the month. Intrigued, I asked, "what about Aries? What does it say? Lemme see, lemme see!"
So I read it. And I couldnt believe my eye for the world. It was, spookily perfect for my current circumstances. Even the financial ("dont go near any shopping malls or you'll regret it") and general ("dont be too busy chasing your ambition, take a time off for yourself") even the love part was.. Incredibly scary.
Then Mar shall told me of how he often felt the same way. And he started preaching on how Astrology itself is a branch of science, and they must take into account a lot of factors before deciding what to write on those kind of magazines, so it's not like they're just writing what the feel like writing. And perhaps they're accurate indeed.
What bothers me is, so is all people born in the month of March-April with Aries sign is currently undertaking the same problem, situation and ambition like I am? How freaky.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
