Saturday 28 July 2007

It's hard to get focus!

Time is running but I could not think straight...
I've got my time packed with activities...
I do need time to slow down and get the puzzles together...
God is looking at me, asking me to be patient to wait for His time...
Duties are more important to be finished...
Kids are more important to help at this very moment...

Wikimu…yang Asyik itu Komentar!

Wednesday 25 July 2007

Hari Anak Nasional: Temukan dan Kembangkan Talentanya!

Education for children is not only from formal school system. As parents we are struggling to help our children build a better chance of towmorrow. There are also children without parents (or with poor and marginalized parents). The responsibility to provide a better life should be shared between the government and the citizens. Our responsibility to find the children's talents and help them use and develop their talents to build a better life.

Ngontrak di Tanah Sendiri

While I became more and more Jakartanese, I was not blinded that the native Jakartans feel that they are renting a place in their own land. I used to live among native Betawi before moving to Serpong. Eventhough I should consider myself as a resident of Banten, I still answered "Jakarta" when asked by foreigners where do I live.

Reading the article in Kompas made me think of fellow Papuans who wrote for wikimu.com. I also think of Dayak people, and the whole Indonesian peoples. The globalization is opening a door to outsiders to come in. While I am (sometimes) still considered as outsiders (too) in the eyes of some Indonesians because of my racial back ground, I know that the answer lies in the chance for education. Economic back ground became important when the chance for good education is limited only for those who can pay for it. It is time for the government to think seriously and try even harder to provide free education for Indonesian children without any discrimination.

Bakmi GM yang Khas Jakarta

Noodles...one specific type of noodles that I really like is GM. "Pangsit goreng GM"...yummy! This article in bahasa Indonesia is a part of my overview toward a family business in Jakarta that I happened to know a bit!

Wednesday 18 July 2007

Indonesian heritage glitters at Seoul's national museum

After long time of being just a reader of the Jakarta Post (having letters to the editor published), this is my first article published in this English daily in Jakarta. Citizen Journalism does give me self confidence and motivation to keep on writing. If reader's letter is short now I have the chance to write my indepth opinion on something.

Berbagi Ilmu dalam Acara Kopi Darat Wikimu.com

This is an article about wikimu.com's gathering in bahasa Indonesia.

“Kenalkan, Nama Saya Joko…alias Jogja Korea”

This is an article about how I met a South Korean citizen reporter in Seoul who speaks bahasa Indonesia fluently. I was attracted to write about Indonesian migrant workers, but I do need more research on it. It was really a coincidence that I met a group of Indonesian migrant workers in the airport in Jakarta, and then in Seoul I met a person who is running a shelter for Indonesian Migrant Worker (in Yongin, South Korea). This article is in Bahasa Indonesia.

Toward a Better World (part II)

The new title is OK, but to show the continuation of the related article I post this under the old headline.

Borobudur, the forgotten wonder of the world.

I prefer my own title, I also missed the picture of my old post card.

Friday 6 July 2007

Another change in my blog

From my journey to Seoul, I do think it is important to make a compilation of my articles in my blog. But I do not want to paste in anymore.

I'll link the article into my blog. Those article with bahasa Indonesia could be seen from the title, and those in English could also be seen there. Just click on the title and you'll be linked to the website. I limited myself (for the time being) to contribute only for wikimu.com and english.ohmynews.com. I'd like to write for Panyingkul.com, but may be I should revisit my hometown so that I'll be able to produce one for them.

I do know that I should put financial issues more seriously in my life. I do need to utilize them for good reasons, so I do need to search for it. God gives when we do ask! If I usually asking only for my daily bread, I'll ask more from now on...

Toward a Better World (part I)

Citizen journalism in my opinion

Going to Seoul was really a step to take me further into Citizen Journalism. I’ve got a lot of ideas to write, I’ve got a lot of experiences to analyze.

I’ve noted that I am still in the old habit of using conventional camera. I tried to make only important clicks. I regretted now as I do have a lot pictures badly taken. If only I did take more pictures…

I also acknowledge how I should try to see things in different way of perspective. Friends from the Forum, especially those who love photography, showed me how different they took the angle of photo and it work really nicely. I could see things with different level of enthusiasm through their pictures. I do not even notice the water fountain in front of the hotel if I didn’t look into Nair’s pictures. He caught it so lovely and attractive. We can beautify an object. I know that I should take photography more seriously.

I was interviewed by Hoshi from The Jakarta Shimbun yesterday. Talking with him made me collecting some other thoughts I do have on citizen journalism. I do think citizen journalism should walk hand in hand with mainstream media. We are not going to achieve anything if we are to compete with the mainstream media. We need to value the study and experiences that the professional journalist had endure. I’ve read that more journalists were killed on duty this year. I’ve also notice that the BBC journalist was freed after being kidnapped in his duty. It’s a hard work that citizen might not take the risk, especially with the low remuneration on the work produced. But citizen could be caught into that kind of risk by accident and having the channel to voice it out will make it a hard news.

Finance is also the other problem, to make a deep and thorough investigation a journalist need resources of money. A journalist also needs to be powered with communicative tools to be able to send their news as soon as possible. It would all costs money. Journalist can have himself financed by joining the mainstream media.
But being independent from the mainstream media is also freedom. An independent journalist is free to cover whatever subject he or she likes. We do not have dead lines, all to our own choice. Of course this freedom followed by the risk that your hard work could be rejected by the mainstream media. You do not have the privilege to cover the story they do need, or to discuss the angle of the subject that you’d like to point out. In this base, citizen journalism is giving you a wider chance to voice your thoughts. I’ve noted that they could publish the same topic written by several contributors. Citizen journalism websites are also giving the chance to opponents to view their perspectives. Citizen Journalism gives a contributor more freedom on topic.

Hoshi pointed out that Indonesia do have four citizen journalism websites, it is something incredible. I do hope all of this four could gain their readers and survive. Survival of citizen journalism website is something that I do need to know how. We’ve been talking about it in the Forum, but I do think I need more entrepreneur’s skill to understand how to make it survive and even profitable. I do hope that these websites can survive the cyber world. It is a good way of teaching democracy to Indonesian people. It is also a good source for professional journalist to seek more clues or more perspectives on subjects. It is also better than a standard questionnaire to see what readers like to read.

I think Indonesian mainstream media will still lead on the news, but the citizen journalism websites can give more hues to the mainstream media’s topic. Kompas is building its loyal readers from childhood with pages of Anak and Muda. Media Indonesia is giving a lot more spaces into citizen’s opinions. They even have a TV program in Metro TV titled “Bedah Editorial”. Then they gave more spaces in the printed edition to voice citizen’s ideas.

We are not going to be freed from printed version (even OhmyNews is now having their weekly printed for free). In Indonesia we are now having more and more free printed magazines, they are depending on advertisements. I do think that this kind of media is the future of conventional media. Citizen Journalism and conventional media are going to complement each other in building a better Nation, in watching a better government and voicing people’s voices.

Where are the citizen journalism heading? Where am I going to? Let it flows like the water flows to the oceans!

Tuesday 3 July 2007

Komentar : "Jang Baribut Lai"

This article is in bahasa Indonesia published in wikimu.com
The title was change by the editor as they feared the reaction from readers.
I know I should be writing about Seoul, but it is instinctive reaction after reading news in Indonesia.

Dari Wikimu.com Terbang ke Seoul