My other two cents

It is still a very busy month, I need to concentrate on the schooling program for the twins. Yet, I managed to write some more articles for wikimu.com.

Pondok Seafood, Wisata Kuliner Santai Bersama Keluarga
I am not really a culinary visitor. My favorite answer for eating out is usually "terserah..." means "up to you..." I wrote this culinary visit mostly because of the interior aspect of the restaurant. The sunken table surprised me, I knew the design "sunken bar" for swimming pool...but this is the first time I saw a "sunken table" approach. The overall of the design approach does help improve the quality of services.

Louis Braille, Membukakan Dunia Melalui Tulisan
Sometimes an older news unwritten can just popped out when I read another article. Louis Braille's day should be celebrated on January 4th, but Eric Shackle's article "Feb 12: A Date to Remember" made me wrote this article. I mixed it with the news of "celengan untuk sahabat" (piggybank for a friend).

Arjuna Ireng yang Dinanti-nanti
Arjuna is the name from the Mahabharata epic which also means bright, shining, or white. Yet, "Ireng" in Javanese dialect means black, or dark skinned. As a handsome hero, Arjuna is also very popular between girls. Indonesian girls would say that they are looking for their Arjuna when they are searching for the right Mr. X as their soul mates. This "Arjuna Ireng" is also very popular between woman and girls in my neighbourhood for his needlework services. I was a bit astonish that this simple man, without a high education can made up such a memorable "brand name". Supported by his humble and good service, he is surely offering his "brand name" as a quality service. As we, in Indonesia, are facing the general election...I think it nice to note down how he managed to link his "brand name" with his services. Hopefully those candidates, either for legislative or for the presidential run, will also remember that they are bearing their own name (or political party's branding) in exchange with their services after being elected.

Kontroversi Puyer dan Suara Hati Ibu
The controversy about compounding as a medical treatment made me write this article. This is a personal sharing after reading all the comment for an article that ask the media to stop stirring the controversy of compounding in wikimu.com. Treatment and medication are something that we, parents, seek for the best of our children. And of course we do need a good and trustworthy source of information. Yet, that is the real problem for us...to know which source of information is trustworthy. Doctor as one part of medical services are sometimes being commercial, not to mention the hospital. It is understandable as they are to think about marketing and income...but on the other side they should also remember the ethical code of their profession.

Searching an expert that we can really trust, and whose really going to help us seeking the best treatment is a real trial and error. It is so helpful to have the internet around. I've got a lot more of information about dyslexic problem from a mailing list, the moderator has her own blog; Julia van Tiel in multiply, and Gifted-disinkroni.

There are a lot of ideas popping up in my mind, yet I do need to make priority right now. My father is going to be operated this Thursday, my twins need a lot of support to pass their first grade, my eldest son needs a lot of supervising especially in his study and his online activity.

If I'm only thinking about myself, then blog is really worth writing. Yet, if I am thinking about sharing I think Citizen journalism is a better form. I hope that citizen journalism website and the mainstream media can enhance each other stance. It is worth noting that for some printed media they are becoming more interesting to read after their inquiry into blogs and citizen journalism websites. Citizen doesn't always have time to dig deeper into what they want to know, then it is the media who will provide it. How would they guess their audience's need? For a far bigger community...search the cyber world, attract them...and be engaged to your readers.

Jakarta Biennale 2009

Time is still my main obstacle to be able to go to places of my interests. A lot of events passed by without my ability to visit it...The event of Chinese Indonesian Heritage is one of my regrets.

I was lucky my appointment with my obgyn finished earlier than I thought so I can visit the Jakarta Biennale 2009 on its first public day. I would love to meet the artist the next day, but it was still too precious to wish...I still have a lot of duty to do...

Surprisingly another friend from wikimu already visited the exhibition, and he has some pictures about the exhibits that I mentioned in my article. So we collaborate our pictures...I'm not a very good photographer.

Yet, I'll share more pictures and my comment on the exhibition in this blog later.

Reporting the Kuark Science Competition 2009

It's easier to report as a citizen...
I don't try to contact the contact person from Kuark Magazine, but instead I just write all the interesting thing that I saw there. Perhaps as news it is not as complete as the journalistic news in the media, but it would worth sharing for parents, students, event organizer, and the Kuark magazine itself.

additional note (July 2009):
It is interesting to see that from all those students who win medals, from the first level to the third level (see the report here), only one student from Jakarta. There are some from Bekasi and Tangerang, but others are spread from Java to Bali. Outside Java and Bali, there is one from Medan, and several from Pontianak. Yet, the absolute medal only goes to one student in the first level from Pontianak, and one student in the second level from Surabaya. It should be an interesting fact for the National Examination (Ujian Negara).

Children can write poem too

Children can write poem too, and it would be nice to develop the talent through the event presented by the French Cultural Center (CCF). The winning poem will be performed together with Le Mime Bizot from France...an interesting offer!

Promoting Intisari

I've known Intisari for a very long time. My mother is still collecting her old Intisari from the 70s. Last month a reporter from this magazine e-mailed me asking an interview about my being a citizen reporter. He said he would focus on Ohmynews.com, so I was surprised to see that he is also writing about wikimu.com in his article.

Actually on the front page there is another article that took my interest...an article on Pusat Informasi Majapahit. I was collecting some news on Majapahit Information Center, so it gave me another view of the problem there...that's why I bought that magazine.

I asked readers of wikimu to read the article about citizen journalism in Intisari. It's not due to my being interviewed as an example of a citizen reporter (I prefer the word reporter than journalist...), but because I'm happy that citizen journalism in Indonesia would be interactive with conventional media and in the long run will give benefit to all the citizen, our country, and perhaps to the world.

An experiment with title

This is an experiment using a provocative title...using the Javanese dialect together with the English language "Over Sek..." sounded like "over sex", while actually the title is talking about the age of a woman over seket, or over fifty...

It received a lot of readers, while actually there is no important thing I shared inside...

Support WWF...be one of its supporters!

http://www.wikimu.com/News/DisplayHomeImage.aspx?id=711

Barack Obama everywhere

The 44th President of the United States, Barrack Obama, seems to take the global attention. Face Bookers are talking about him, medias are also talking about him...and some person who look like Obama are also showing up, from Miami (a Cuban immigrant), then from Honduras, and also from Indonesia...Ilham Anas. I found him through the daily journal for children "Berani", but on the internet amazingly I found him in the Vietnamese VN Express' news, and another blog shows the Malaysian newspaper, the Sun.

Hopefully the idea of change can be taken into a real account, then there would be more little Obama around the world...kids who would brave enough to dream about changing the world into a better world. It won't be just a resemblance of physical appearance, but the most important thing of all...the same vision of change!

A lot of expectation came on Obama's shoulders to carry on. A friend's blog also share his expectation or even how the world expects a new leadership style from Obama.

In another media, the Chinese lunar New Year made this media calculate his chinese horoscope. In an article "Year of the Ox Looking Very Un-Bullish", it is even predicted

"The new U.S. president is not having good luck this year. His honeymoon will only be short-lived," said fortuneteller Alion Yeo, predicting Obama may even face impeachment in his first year in office. "The Year of the Ox looks slightly better and less dire than last year, but it will still be bumpy."

Luckily, there is another opinion on that...

But Malaysian numerologist Weng Shi Ming suggested Obama's birth year would offset his bad luck. Weng said the symmetry of 1961 is "the perfect mix of ying and yang," rendering Obama "immune to the effects of 44."

I don't really want to know what his horoscope might say, but I do know that we do need to pray for him so the dream for the changing world can be taken into a reality, at least a new step into a better future...

A New Approach in the New Year

It seems a bit tiring to maintain both citizen journalism and blog, they are a bit different for me. CJ is my way of sharing news, while my blog is my online diary of being a citizen reporter. It would be easier for me to blog, but the value of the news would be a bit different... I would perhaps just write down all the new experience of life. But, then I would not be digging into more comprehensive information on the topic.

I wrote about my battling mind in seeking the essence of being a citizen reporter, in "Pewarta Warga: Pencarian Jati Diri (1)", and "Pewarta Warga: Pencarian Jati Diri (2)". Am I being more citizen or more journalist? Actually I've never thinking of myself as a journalist. I'm a citizen reporting through a citizen journalism website...

Time is the only obstacle right now. Having no assistant at home made it more difficult to work on articles these days.

Stepping into 2009: My End of the Year Reflection as a Citizen Reporter

Ending the year 2008 means that I've been diving in citizen journalism for almost two years. My end of the year reflection is about my being a citizen reporter. There are three part of articles; Refleksi Seorang Pewarta Warga di Penghujung 2008, Pewarta Warga: Pencarian Jati Diri (1), Pewarta Warga: Pencarian Jati Diri (2)

Yet, no time to translate it into English...And still no time to continue into the next article Pewarta Warga: Mencari Media yang Tepat.

It is still the same song about time management...
There are so much in my head...
Ready to pop out..
Blowing away my head into the horizon of the cyberspace...
Yet so many commitments are still awaiting me...
So real...so urgent...
Clinging to me not to loose me into the cyberworld...
Keeping me sane enough to realize my duty today...

Majapahit, the bitterness approach of reviving glory

Good intention is not always going the right way. Majapahit, the name came from the bitterness of the fruit named Maja. Yet, the good intention to revive the glorious achievement of Majapahit came through the wrong path.

It is nice to have the internet storing articles from the past edition. I found this article dated back from 2005.

Deserted historical site of past glories

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 08/27/2005 10:31 AM | Life

Evi Mariani, The Jakarta Post/Mojokerto, East Java

Archeologists dream of turning Indonesia's biggest excavation site in Trowulan, East Java, into an education center and tourist destination as interesting as Borobudur and Prambanan.

Believed to be the center of the Majapahit kingdom from the 13th century to 15th century, the site reveals not only the past glory of Majapahit's ancient terra-cotta art, culture and political system, but also the roots of Javanese trade and agricultural history.

In 1985, a number of archeologists completed a book containing a master plan for the 99 square kilometer site.

Over the last 20 years some progress has been made at the site. However, the government has failed to play a major role in the project, leaving the site largely undeveloped. Although the government did form an agency to salvage the site, the agency was unable to accomplish much because of a severe lack of funding.

Research from 18th century

Research and restoration work at the Trowulan site dates back to the 18th century. The results of the first research were published in Raffles' History of Java in 1817.

History shows that the first work at the site was initiated by A.A Kromojoyo Adinegoro, the Mojokerto regent who in 1914 found the remnants of Candi Tikus (Tikus Temple).

Adinegoro also pioneered the development of a museum to house the Majapahit artifacts found in Trowulan. The museum, located in the town of Trowulan, has more than 84,000 pieces from all over East Java.

Another important figure in the Trowulan restoration was Henri Maclaine Pont, an architect who in the 1920s found a large pond that is believed to have been a reservoir in a Majapahit irrigation system. The pond is now known as Segaran Pond.

In a 1926 book written in Dutch, Pont gathered information on the ancient irrigation system in Trowulan, which he found had canals.

French historian Denys Lombard wrote in his tome about Java that although the Trowulan pond was not as large as the water reservoir in Angkor, Cambodia, it showed that the Javanese were using hydraulic systems for agriculture since as early as the 9th century.

Pont also led an excavation project in the mid-1920s, finding a number of artifacts now housed in Trowulan Museum.

The restoration has continued slowly over the years. Of more than a dozen structures -- temples, gates, tombs -- only five have been restored completely.

The five are the water reservoir, Kolam Segaran, a spring temple, Candi Tikus, the Candi Brahu cremation temple, Candi Bajang Ratu gate and the gate to Candi Wringin Lawang.

Slow pace of restoration

There are at least three buildings, Candi Gentong, Candi Minak Jinggo and Candi Kedaton, that are in the process of being restored. However, a lack of funds has slowed the work.

The excavation for Candi Kedaton's restoration has been stopped for about a decade, while the excavation for Candi Gentong is going on, but at a snail's pace.

Other sites also have gone through some restoration. Sadly, the work, although paved with good intentions, has removed the historical value of some of the sites.

For example, a place called Pendopo Agung is believed to be the former main hall of the palace. But a newly built structure glorifying the East Java Brawijaya Military Command now covers the place.

There is no trace of the former palace. Instead, the walls of the modern hall is filled with pictures of Brawijaya military commanders.

Separately, the ancient tomb Sitihinggil was ""restored"" in the 1960s, when some donors helped locals construct a new, modern building right on top of the terra-cotta brick foundation.

Sitihinggil has been for decades one of the main destinations for spiritual visits to Trowulan. Another destination is the tomb of Cempo Princess.

Locals say these two places can get crowded at night, when people gather to pray.

They come from around Java to ask for blessings, good luck or love.

Indeed, while very few tourists visiting Trowulan for its archeological treasures, a reasonable number of visitors come to Trowulan for religious or spiritual reasons.

One of the main destinations for religious tours is Troloyo Tomb, an early Islamic tomb from the Majapahit period.

Due to the number of visitors the local administration, once again with good intentions, constructed a large complex with little resemblance to the Majapahit architectural style.

Indonesian archeologists, once upon a time, had a dream, a faded and deserted dream, as lonely as the town and the museum.

Then a president and a minister would like to come as the one who revived the glory. The Majapahit Exhibition in the National Museum was very nice, but they would like people to come to visit the site...

I don't know the process of making this dream come true...but suddenly...

Govt ruined Majapahit artifacts

The Jakarta Post , JAKARTA | Thu, 01/15/2009 3:29 PM | Headlines

The government admitted Wednesday the construction of Majapahit Park in Trowulan, East Javaa project initiated by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - has ruined ancient artifacts buried beneath the site, and announced a plan to relocate the park immediately.

Bowing to mounting public pressure, Minister for Culture and Tourism Jero Wacik told reporters in Jakarta that the decision had been reached after he and several senior archeologists and architects had spoken about the damages to artifacts of the ancient Majapahit kingdom on the site. "I swear, I never meant to destroy Indonesia's heritage by constructing the Majapahit Park. I just wanted to follow the presidential instruction to revive the civilization of the Majapahit Kingdom as our heritage and to introduce it to young people," he said.

The project, initiated by Yudhoyono in November 2008 to establish a public cultural center dedicated to the ancient Majapahit kingdom, which was at the height of its powers in the 13th century, is located on a 2,200 square-meter plot just north of the center of what was once Trowulanthe largest city in the kingdom.

A number of archeologists have said the park construction, which sunk support pillars into the ground, had destroyed ancient stones, walls and artifacts.

understand why the archeologists are mad at me. I'm also angry at the situation. This is human error and we have to fix it rather than blaming one another," Jero said.

"We have decided to relocate Majapahit Park to another area to prevent further damage to the artifacts."

Arya Abieta, a member of the team appointed to evaluate the damage, said the archeologists and architects working in the area had recommended that the park instead be developed on the edges of the historical site.

can use the area that has been heavily looted by locals. It will be safer than building on top of the remaining artifacts," Arya said.

The Trowulan site, located in Mojokerto, 70 kilometers southwest of Surabaya, East Java, was the site of tradition full-moon rituals during the golden era of the Majapahit Kingdom.

Long after the decline of the kingdom in 14th century, locals began to loot the palace and religious buildings, including Tikus Temple. Many artifacts have been stolen or destroyed.

"No one seemed to care much about this old city before the Majapahit Park project began. Now, every one seems to care, and this is good because we have to protect the Majapahit artifacts," Jero said. (naf)

As an architect my first reaction was asking "Weren't they doing the AMDAL procedure?", as they do need to go through AMDAL to start building on a site like Trowulan. The destruction is too precious if it is only to take public attention. The money spent should be quite a big sum already...why it is happened?

First of all, it is miscommunication. The owner of the project did not really know what they would like to present to the public. Then the architect chosen for this project worked as a drafter designing building without asking site inspection...or did a site inspection without getting the information on how precious an archeological site is...

Pusat Informasi Majapahit(PIM) was actually founded in 2007 according to this article from Mojokerto. Yet, between the two years of development into a very big leap of "the grandeur of Majapahit" in the form of a big project of "destruction".

The comment from the IAI Jabar mentioned in an article in Kompas.com is also worth noted, sometimes the project owner in Indonesia did not really respect the architect. It's the mentality of "I've got the money...and you should provide the drawing I need a.s.a.p..."

If there is one thing that I really hate here in Indonesia, then it is the reason "human error". Airplane crash, car accidents...all blamed to the human error, and now this project... There are human errors, but unprofessional error. The real owner of that project should be the archeologists and the local government of Mojokerto. The investor could be the Ministry for Culture and Tourism, and as the investor they should know why they are investing in that site...and how to get their investment worthwhile: by keeping its function!

Then come the unprofessional approach towards the project. Instead of digging into its function, those who involved in that project prefer to remake the grandeur of Majapahit by making a new grand building on the top of its spirit.

We don't want to blame anybody, and it is sad that the person who leaks this story should be removed from his post. But we should learn not to make a silly human error...

I was fascinated to see those bricks taken from Trowulan in the Majapahit Exhibition (unfortunately my photos are gone...perhaps it was gone when the virus came into my computer)...they were intact! Big sizes, and solid, not one of the red bricks we are seeing these days.

Perhaps it is just like what Christina Kreps,an American museum curator, said about Indonesian museums. Sometimes we do not value our artifacts as we think that they are common things, we do have it at home...use it, so it is not that "precious". I think that would be another story if we are talking about gold, perhaps that is why Rudy Badil talk about gold in daily Kompas.

Another reading:
http://www.pu.go.id/index.asp?link=Humas/news2003/ppw130109bcr.htm (bahasa Indonesia)

Obama has an interesting background

It seems that the Uncle Sam's new president has a very interesting background. I've just read this article from Yahoo News:

Obama's half brother performs in China
By WILLIAM FOREMAN, Associated Press Writer William Foreman, Associated Press Writer – Fri Jan 16,

SHENZHEN, China – The news release didn't say who Mark Ndesandjo was. Nor did the posters and e-mails promoting the concert Friday in this southern Chinese boomtown where he played piano to raise money for orphans.

But the 200 or so people who showed up for the fundraiser at a posh hotel resort knew the man in a Chinese-style brown silk shirt was the half brother of President-elect Barack Obama. They had a rare encounter with Ndesandjo, who has been dodging the media since his family ties were made public last summer.

For the past seven years, Ndesandjo has been living in Shenzhen, a freewheeling city just across the border from Hong Kong. The announcement for his piano concert identified him as a strategic marketing consultant. He also helped start a chain of eateries in China called Cabin BBQ.

Ndesandjo has a thin mustache, shaved head and a gold stud in his left earlobe. He slightly resembles his half brother, and shares the same trim, athletic physique. He speaks Mandarin, is a vegetarian and practices Chinese calligraphy.

And he said Friday that he has just finished a novel called "Nairobi to Shenzhen," but as yet has no publisher.

Ndesandjo apparently wants a low-key life separate from Obama. No one mentioned his family when he was introduced at the charity concert and cocktail party sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in South China.

During brief remarks on stage, Ndesandjo mentioned that he would visit the U.S. in a couple days, apparently to attend Tuesday's presidential inauguration. He said if he didn't make the trip in time, he would embarrass his family.

And he told the crowd that chamber president, Harley Seyedin, was fond of the president-elect. Ndesandjo added, "I like my president, too!" That was the closest he came to mentioning Barack Obama.

Ndesandjo's reluctance to play up his famous relative is extremely unusual in China, where people commonly name drop and use their connections to advance their interests. In China, relationships, or "guanxi," with powerful people are golden and rarely wasted in winning new business or opening other doors.

As his Chinese wife watched, Ndesandjo began his performance with a Chinese tune called "Liuyang River" followed by what he said was "Chopin's First Nocturne." His third and final piece was a jazz tune by Fats Waller called "Viper's Drag."

He played with passion, at times hunched over the keyboard or rocking back with his eyes closed and lips slightly parted in expressions of ectasy and agony.

His Chinese friend and restaurant business partner, Sui Zhenjun, said he has known Ndesandjo since he arrived in China in 2002.

"But it wasn't until July when media reports started surfacing about him being related to Obama that I found out they were related," he told The Associated Press. "He called and told me."

Ndesandjo declined to answer questions from the AP at Friday's concert. He wouldn't confirm basic details about his past or discuss his relationship with Obama.

He uses the surname of his mother, Ruth, the third wife of his father, who died in 1982. He was born in Kenya and moved to the United States when he was a child.

Footage from a Chinese TV news show posted on Youtube shows him practicing calligraphy at home and teaching children how to play the piano, praising them in Mandarin and English.

On Friday, he said he had visited a Shenzhen orphanage shortly after arriving in China and saw rows and rows of sleeping babies while a harried staff of two nurses tried to care for them.

"One child with big black eyes seized my finger and would not let it go," he told the crowd.

After the charity event, Ndesandjo chatted with friends and shook hands as he slowly walked out of the venue pursued by journalists hoping for a comment. He slipped into an elevator and continued to ignore questions as the door slowly closed.

So Obama is representing the new world, the world without border where family ties come between continents...

I pray that he'll be given wisdom and lots of luck, so hopefully we are going to a peaceful track...

Apakah Manusia Selalu Berubah?

Saya tidak terlalu mengenal Marco secara dekat, saya hanya ingat dia mahasiswa cemerlang yang mendapat beasiswa ke Leuven. Pertemuan pertama kami adalah di pertemuan Arsitek Muda Indonesia. Saat itu saya masih mahasiswi tingkat akhir. AMI sendiri baru dibentuk rasanya.

Kemudian saya bertemu lagi dengannya ketika membawa teman-teman Architecture Study Group dari Indonesian Heritage Society ke Wisma Danamon (sekarang jadi Sampoerna Building).

Ada beberapa kali kami bertemu, atau sekedar percakapan lewat e-mail. Mungkin juga sekarang dia tidak ingat lagi nama saya.

Tapi saya benar-benar terkejut membaca tulisan di milis Penulis Lepas

--- On Thu, 1/8/09, Satrio Arismunandar wrote:

Subject: Marco Ketua Dewan Kesenian Jakarta Mengusir Saut Situmorang dkk
Date: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:53 PM

Jumat 19 Desember 2008 kira-kira jam 2 siang lebih. Saya Saut Situmorang, Wowok Hesti Prabowo dan Viddy A Daery masuk ke sebuah ruangan tempat diadakannya "mukernas" dewan kesenian se-Indonesia di hotel Sheraton Media Jakarta. Saya mendapat info bahwa mukernas tersebut akan membahas soal "dewan kesenian Indonesia" yang beberapa waktu dulu ide pembentukannya mendapat tentangan keras dari banyak seniman. Ide awal pembentukan dewan kesenian Indonesia tersebut, kata orang, berasal dari Ratna Sarumpaet dan dia hari itu akan memberikan pidato tanggapan atas idenya yang mungkin dia rasa dicuri orang itu. Sebuah acara menarik untuk ditonton, bukan? Di pintu masuk ruangan mukernas itu saya sempat disapa oleh seorang cewek yang bekerja untuk Dewan Kesenian Jakarta alias DKJ, yang merupakan tuan rumah mukernas. Di pintu masuk saya tidak melihat ada pengumuman "YANG TIDAK DIUNDANG DILARANG MASUK!".

Setelah
berada di dalam ruangan saya dipanggil oleh Iyut Fitrah kawan penyair dari Payakumbuh, Sumatera Barat. Dia minta saya duduk dekatnya. Saya pun pergi ke arahnya dan duduk di sebuah kursi di dekatnya. Begitu pula Wowok dan Viddy. Sambil ngomong-ngomong, saya bagikan jurnal keren "boemipoetra" yang segera saja beredar ke meja-meja para peserta mukernas. Saya juga melihat bekas adik kelas saya di Fakultas Sastra Universitas Sumatera Utara dulu, Jabatin, duduk di meja dekat saya itu dan saya pun menyapanya. Wowok kemudian berdiri dan mulai membagikan "boemipoetra" ke meja-meja di sudut lain ruangan. Saat itu Ratna Sarumpaet sudah berdiri di podium setelah
diundang untuk memberikan pidatonya.

Pada waktu itulah tiba-tiba saja terdengar suara seseorang berteriak membentak, "Wowok, keluar!!! Anda tidak diundang, keluar!!!" Begitulah kira-kira bunyi teriakan tersebut yang ternyata berasal dari mulut seseorang bernama Marco yang adalah ketua Dewan Kesenian Jakarta. Wowok merespon dengan mengatakan bahwa dia "diundang" oleh Ratna Sarumpaet. Ratna membenarkan waktu Sang Marco mengkonfirmasikanny a ke dia. Tentu saja peristiwa itu menciptakan suasana tegang. Para peserta pun nampak kaget heran kebingungan penasaran. What the fuck is going on? Saya yakin begitulah yang mereka gumamkan dalam gumaman mereka. Lalu tiba-tiba lagi suara tadi berteriak membentak lagi, "Saut, keluar!!! Saya tidak mengundang Anda, keluar!!!" Saya nyaris gemetaran mendengar bentakan yang kayaknya dikeluarkan pakek sinkang ala ilmu Auman Singa Kim-mo Say-ong Cia Sun dari kitab "Ie Thian To Liong" karya Chin Yung itu! Kemudian Sang Pangcu DKJ itu melambai-lambaikan jurnal
"boemipoetra" ke udara sambil berkata sesuatu seperti "Dilarang membagikan 'boemipoetra' di sini. Ini cuma berisi fitnah!". Untunglah berkat latihan Kiuyang Sinkang yang saya pelajari dari Bu Kie saya cepat memperolah ketenangan saya kembali dan segera menjawab Sang Pangcu DKJ itu, "Kalau benar jurnal 'boemipoetra' adalah fitnah, silahkan bawa kami ke pengadilan!" Di tengah-tengah keributan itu saya mendengar Ratna Sarumpaet berkata sesuatu seperti kenapa acara kesenian bisa jadi sekaku ini, atau yang mirip-mirip itu maksudnya. Lalu, entah dari mana nongolnya, seorang laki-laki bertampang sangar kayak "bouncer bar" di Selandia Baru sana mulai juga berteriak-teriak sambil berpidato di tengah ruangan bahwa dia akan membubarkan acara tersebut! Pokoknya penuh otoritas macam itulah. Saya gak kenal makhluk
aneh ini tapi Wowok kemudian di taxi mengatakan dia itu orang DKJ juga. Karena bosan mendengar retorika kekuasaannya itu saya berdiri dan mengajak Wowok dan Viddy untuk keluar saja dari hiruk-pikuk drama kekuasaan Dewan Kesenian Jakarta tersebut. Banyak juga ternyata peserta dari dewan kesenian se-Indonesia di situ yang keluar ruangan. Waktu saya mulai beranjak dari tempat duduk saya itulah Sang Marco, sambil tetap teriak-teriak, mendatangai saya dan tiba-tiba saja memegang lengan kiri saya. Tentu saja secara spontan ilmu Kiankun Taylo-ie Sinkang dari Bengkaw yang juga saya warisi dari suhu Bu Kie bereaksi cepat dan saya tampar tangan jahat yang penuh racun itu! Dia nampak kaget jugak rupanya, hahaha... Tapi dia tidak melakukan apa-apa lagi dan kami bertiga pun keluar dari ruangan pibu itu dengan penuh kemenangan.

Di luar, seorang kawan dari Jawa
Tengah yang juga salah seorang peserta mukernas tersebut menghampiri dan menyalami kami. Oiya, di luar itu saya juga tidak melihat ada pengumuman, "DILARANG MEMBAGIKAN 'BOEMIPOETRA' DI DALAM RUANGAN!"

Bagaimana ya seandainya yang kami bagikan itu adalah majalah "Kalam" milik Teater Utan Kayu? Apa kami akan mendapat perlakuan yang sangat premanis, ketimbang Pramis, begitu? Siapa sebenarnya yang direpresentasikan Marco dan Dewan Kesenian Jakarta-nya di acara dewan kesenian se-Indonesia tersebut? Lucunya lagi, waktu dia membuat kericuhan di acara dewan kesenian se-Indonesia itu, tidak pernah sekalipun dia menanyakan pendapat para peserta mukernas soal "kehadiran" kami, apa mereka keberatan atau tidak! Menurut SMS seorang kawan yang juga peserta "diundang" acara, setelah kami bertiga keluar ruangan, para peserta dipaksa untuk "mengembalikan" kepada DKJ jurnal "boemipoetra" yang sedang dibaca
para peserta tersebut! Banyak juga, kata kawan tersebut, yang tidak bersedia "mengembalikan" jurnal keren kami itu, hahaha...

Oiya, ada yang bilang (saya tidak tahu benar atau salah karena saya sendiri tidak diundang juga, hehehe...) ada yang bilang bahwa para peserta mukernas dewan kesenian se-Indonesia itu dibawa Marco dan DKJ-nya makan malam di Salihara, hahaha...

Saut Situmorang

http://www.facebook .com/profile. php?id=554828232 &ref=name
http://sautsitumora ng.multiply. com/

-During times of universal deceit,
telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act
(George Orwell)

Apa iya Marco bisa seperti itu? Ada apa di balik kejadian ini?
Berjuang di dalam sistem terkadang memang menyesakkan, dan butuh ketangguhan lebih untuk tetap bertahan waras di dalamnya. Mungkin saya kurang mengenal Marco, tapi rasanya dia tidak memiliki sifat kasar seperti itu...

Sebenarnya saya mengharapkan lebih dari seorang Marco. Tadinya saya pikir dia akan meneruskan perjuangan pak Bian Poen dalam bidang tata kota.

Terlepas dari Marco, saya juga jadi bertanya-tanya ada apa dengan DKJ, sejak masalah lukisan yang heboh itu sepertinya masalah antara seniman dan DKJ tidak juga tuntas.
Kesenian Indonesia sebenarnya sebuah mutiara yang perlu diasah, dan diperkenalkan dengan profesional. Sayang sekali kalau akhirnya hancur hanya karena pengasahnya tumpul saling beradu.

Ketika saya bertanya dalam hati, apakah Marco demikian berubah? Orang yang tampak santun bisa berubah dalam kurun waktu yang berlalu? Atau memang manusia selalu berubah? Tergantung situasi dan kondisi yang melatar belakangi kehidupannya? Atau mungkin juga manusia justru tidak pernah berubah? Sejak dahulu bangsa ini terkalahkan karena politik adu domba. Kalau kita masih selalu mengedepankan pertengkaran dan bukannya komunikasi maka kita mungkin tidak pernah berubah...reformasi yang didengungkan bisa jadi hanya sekedar mengembalikan bentuk ke masa silam dimana pertengkaran dan ketidak-rukunan yang menjadi tuan.

New Year's Wish...is it for all?

An interesting e-card comes to my inbox today...touching, very familiar here in Indonesia...



If you can't read the reading on the wall, it is "Merry Crisis, and a Happy New Fear"

New Year for those who are living in Gaza is also another sad story...
I do hope that we are going to have a better future.
On the afternoon of December 30, 2008, I saw the rainbow over the mountain...
Rainbow is something rarely seen in the big city recently
The symbol of God's commitment to human kind...



Hope it is also offering hopes for the days to come...hopefully for everybody.

Stepping into 2009 (2): Family

One thing that is very important in one's life is probably his/her family. At least that is how it works for me.

My grandmother (from my mom) passed away last October, so this is the first New Year we celebrate without her. This year my parents went to Puncak, I joined them, and we came back after New Year. Before, we went out of town either before or after the New Year, as we were respecting her and would like to join together on the first day of the new year.

My parents usually go to the church on Christmas' eve, so we do not have that Christmas family dinner. I went with them when I was still living with them, although there were also times I went with friends. After having my own kids, I used to go for a children Christmas' mass in the morning, then joining the family Christmas' lunch. We don't have a special boxing day, it would be between Christmas and the several days after New Year. It depends on the ability to gather all the family members, especially those who are playing 'santa'. It's not that we'll see a santa costume, but there are some family members who always prepare Christmas presents...we call those who prepare presents for all of us as 'Santa'. It's not exchanging presents, but rather continuing the tradition of our childhood happiness in receiving Christmas presents. Children are the focus of this activity.

Last year, one of my friends was also called back Home by her Creator. Her children are still very young, but we do believe that God has His own plan.

Another cyber friend lost his wife after 45 years sharing the up and down of life together. He used to put pictures taken by his wife in his article in OMNI. I used to admire those pictures...So we'll both be missing her.

Collected memories taken from those who were left behind made me realized how important to share the quality time together to be able to have unforgettable moments together.

Last month, my father was told that he had prostate cancer, stadium II. Luckily it is not spreading to the bone yet, but the gleason score is already 6...the upper limit for the low risk cancer. We are still discussing the best treatment he would take. We are also collecting information about treatment and side effects. The internet is really being helpful in gathering informations.

The special moment of this end of the year and the beginning of the new year was a wonderful family time together. Smaller family exactly, as my brothers did not join us.

Spending quality time together with family is something priceless in this era of financial difficulties, yet it would be something more precious than anything in the end.

When my grandma (from my father) passed away years ago, I was regretting my quality time with my family as I was busy with works. Yet, now...without full time work...it is still a struggling effort to provide quality time for my family (in Indonesia, the word family is always belong to the whole big family).

I do hope to be able to provide a better quality time with my whole family...Yet, first, as Reda Gaudiamo, a writer, said: "A healthy mother makes a healthy family, and a happy mother grows a happy family...". Hope that I'm strong and wise enough to be that happy and healthy mom.

(With prayers for my whole family, my friends, and also for those families in Gaza who are living far from happiness at this moment; Dear God please give us a wonderful family time together...receive our beloved family and friends in Your Eternal Love, amen.)

Stepping Into 2009 (1); memory of friendship

The year 2008 is going to say goodbye, and we are going to step into 2009. Even today is already a new year for my fellow Moslems,the 1430 H.

I'm still looking for the amazing internet to find my old pen-pals. When I was still in High School, I wrote to some foreign friends and some local pen friends. Mireille Fain (France),should be Mireille Siegel now, was the longest in contact...but I lost her contact about some years ago. Others are Nick Tsiotakis from Greece, Barbara Fiaschi from Italy, Zeila C. Facci from Brazil, Magda Majewska from Poland, etc. Thanks to IYS that I've got friends from all over the world (I do need to check names for those from the USA, Germany, and Finland)

Why I write this post? I can't contact a friend whom I met through the internet (Hi John, my e-mails bounced back...how are you?). Then I remember an old friend I've found recently by making a comment in someone's blog. The writer of the blog wrote about her French language teacher; my friend - a Philippine woman, I left a comment asking her whereabout. The blogger never answer, but my friend found that message while googling...amazing! She contacted me and we found each other again.

I'm also curious about what happened to Annie and Leon Pecasse. Last year I did not receive their yearly letter (or perhaps it was already two years?). I knew that Annie's health was already weak, but I did not even heard any news from them. My letter was unanswered, and e-mail bounced back too. The latest news I got from Mr. Google is a newsletter from May 2006.

I've been joining Face Book for some times but without really being busy with that account. Yet, recently my schoolmates from the elementary to the university also joined Face Book (or we've just found each other)...now Face Book is making me addicted! It's so much fun finding out old friends, hear their news...and become the witness of how small the world is (imagine my elementary schoolmate is the husband of a friend from the University...small world isn't it?). Sometimes it is just astonishing to know that people I knew also knew each other. Things that might probably not coming into our daily conversation came out in Face Book. Sometimes time (especially as a full time housewife) is not really free until a little late at night, so the only open schedule for chatting with my neighbour (who is also stuck at home with her "newborn" baby- which is actually about one-year-old now) is through Face Book at night...

The internet is taking me back into the memory of friendship. So, stepping into 2009 I do hope that I'll keep better communication with old friends through the internet...sharing just a couple of words but pertaining the feeling of closeness. Dear readers, I hope I'll be able to continue blogging, and continue being your friend...

Just a promise away...

There are a lot of things dancing in my mind
But sometimes it stay there unable to get out
It is being there reminding my promises...
Promise...promise...promise...

And the end of the year is now searching his way out
While the new year is peeking eagerly to come in
I'm sitting here unmoved
Fingers are dancing on the qwerty...
But nothing is really written down
Emptiness is coming as 2008 is slipping out of the house
Yet the sunshine of the new year is still behind the window
Resolution...resolution...resolution...

I'm looking forward to the new beginning
Look compassionately forward...
Eager to jump into new experiences
Promise to take care time as wise as possible...
Hoping it is not just a promise away...

Wishing You a Very Merry Christmas!

I wonder if those who say those words are also becoming Christian only by wishing us a very merry Christmas. I won't be converted into Islam even if I sincerely said "Mohon maaf lahir dan batin. Selamat Idul Fitri" (asking forgiveness and wishing good deed for the peaceful Eid Mubarak). For me the essence of forgiving each other is something beautiful and meaningful. Another Catholic friend is perhaps taking the same meaning as he added in his Christmas and New Year's e-mail (greeting) the word, "please forgive all the wrongdoing we had probably done throughout the year."

I found the 24th December's issue of the Jakarta Post is really worth reading and worth sharing. That is why I've made the article "Memandang Natal Dalam Perbedaan".

Of course not all of my Moslem friends are in the reluctant group to mention "Merry Christmas", but some close friends who are apparantly stop doing it are also my reason to take this issue into a CJ website.

Another international citizen reporter was asking me the news of Christmas from Indonesia. Yet, I do not really have time to prepare one. The only story will be from my parents' church where I had my first experience joining mass performed by a priest in the costume of Santa. I don't think it will be interesting enough.

I think that's the different aspect of blogging and reporting. By reporting we are thinking about the value of news, the readers' target, etc. While for blogging there are no limitation...I can write a short sentence like "A very tiring Christmas" and upload pictures, or I can also mumbling thousands of words without the need to shortened it.

Marching Down the Memory Lane

I've made one picture article and two articles for this Marching Band reunion, you can read the Bahasa Indonesia in wikimu, here and here.
The English article took my other perspective, can be reviewed here.

I was involved in Drum Band since my junior high school, but I did not have the luck to be a real part of it. I was blaming my parents for that, but with maturity I know that I should be more persistent in persuading them to support me.

Seeing kak Budi and Mas Kir will always made me reflect back to the Youth Red Cross Drum Band (DB PMR Jakarta Selatan). That was my first time encounter DB, first time encounter GPMB. I did not continue joining the group because I was not getting the permission to do the long march from Jakarta to Bogor. My parents were afraid that I fainted (which was also a good reason actually). They said that they don't know my other friends from other schools in South Jakarta, we have waited for friends from my school to show up...no signs that any of them were coming (no cellphone at that time, hu...hu...hu). Unluckily my friends (from my school) arrived after we went home, so I'm the only person from my school who did not join the long march. I don't know why I did not try to keep joining the band even without joining their long march. Pride perhaps?!

Now, everytime I saw a marching band performance my mind will went back to the DB PMR, to my friends from that group who passed away. One of them is Olaf, the major of the group (the first generation of the group), he passed away in the military helicopter (or airplane?) accident quite a long time ago. The other friend is Sancoyo, he passed away while doing a volunteer job rescuing people.

Another encounter is the DB Tri Tar (which is now Korps Putri Tarakanita), and the old story came back with another reason to quit. This time is my bad remarks in Science class. My mother insisted that I choose science instead of my interest to the language class. Actually I did not really know where I should be heading, so I just follow her will. Yet, as the consequences I can't continue playing in the marching band...I need more time to study the Chemistry. Even after quitting the marching band my Chemistry was still singing do..re...mi...fa...sol...he...he...he...

Without entering the Science class (IPA) I wouldn't be able to enter the Architecture department, so there is always another reason to thank God for all the trail of my old days.

I was on my museum duty that Saturday, but because I knew that this reunion will be an event that would get a MURI recognition so my reporter antenna moved on. I went to there even without any entrance ticket. Thanks God (and friends he..he..he..) that I can come in and cover how they made the history.

My mom was a bit annoyed that I left my children with her from morning (because I had to be in my volunteer guide duty in the museum) until very late afternoon (for covering the marching band story), but sometimes it is a risk to take...(ha..ha..ha...I am being childish again).

Friends were very supportive, they were quick answering when I asked them for the pictures for OMNI (my pictures as not as good as theirs he..he..he...). Unfortunately the internet was not supportive, I was not able to send all the pictures that I would like to appear in OhmyNews International. Instead I just send one picture from my friend to the editor, and he was helping me uploading it later.

The internet connection, the price of the connection, and the capability of using the internet are some factors that would be important for the continuation of citizen journalism in the online media for Indonesian people.

I still have a lot of things in my mind, but stealing time is a real effort as I have no helpers at home for the last two months. Now I'm trying to be a super Retty ha..ha...ha.. Yet, this is a good way to calm down friends who live in other countries as they always think life is easier here with helpers around us. I should write about helpers tomorrow as we are going to celebrate International Migrant Day...

Keadilan bagi Mereka yang Berkemampuan Berbeda

Rabu, 03-12-2008 13:26:43 oleh: Retty N. Hakim
Kanal: Opini

http://www.wikimu.com/News/DisplayNews.aspx?id=11995

I wrote "Justice for those with disabilities" for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Indonesia signed the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol in UN, but according to the public relation manager of Yayasan Mitranetra, it is not ratified yet.

I was already aware about the lack of facilities for those with disabilities in 1990. I was preparing my final project for my graduation as an architect, and I had to prepare a presentation of an art museum. That time I was mostly focused on those with wheelchairs. It is a sad fact that our newly open wing in the National Museum did not have the access ramp for wheelchairs, and the stairs would also be a real struggle for visually impaired friends.

I think there are a lot of things we should all worked out together, but there are also some important issues that should be on the governments' shoulders. Public transportation and access into education are some example.

As I don't have much time to write lately, I slightly mentioned the environmental design approach as the example of how to make a man-made environment that's comfortable for human being both in aestethic and functional aspects. Urban planners and architects are also responsible to give their voices/suggestions about the facilities for differently able persons.

Writing is also helping me to search for more facts. I gathered the news about the CD selling in Pesta Blogger 2008 (Jakarta). 4.5 million rupiahs or 90 CDs were sold in one day, all donated to Yayasan Mitranetra (Friends for the visually impaired persons).

Media was also giving more attention to the differently-able persons, I hope that they will continue doing it. Writing this article for the citizen journalism website is my way to knock on the professional journalists to dig more into it. Cross my fingers...(as it seems that it is not a popular article).