2008-05-20 - 7:35 p.m.
I've just found out that my article was rejected by a journalism site.:| I'm still thinking about what to actually write for my next. Who knows?*shrugs* Maybe I'll get lucky this time. (Or you can say that the last two typed sentences are my favourite words - like a joint quote.:P)
Last Saturday, I finally got a rare chance to chat with my pal Al - after what seemed like a very long time.:) Al and his future wife weren't feeling well. That's the thing with completely unpredictable weather these days. You can get sick easily if you don't take care of yourself very well.:|
Al and Mads - if you guys are reading this, I hope you're feeling better now. (And this also goes out to my good friend Carl in Solomon Island. You know who you are, buddy.;D)
Anyway, surprisingly - Al said that I'd seemed calmer and more relaxed than I used to be sometime ago. (Really?:O) I know that I've consciously told him that I won't give a shit about unfairly special treatments for my sister and her snobbish future hubby D.G. at home.:P No, because now I have more important things to worry about. My future job, my writing career, this country's bleaker future...:|
"Is it because of your new job and...him?"*big evil grin*
*smiles shyly and blushes*
I don't know.:) Maybe.*shrugs* All I recognize coming from myself these days is just a strange mixture of emotions. Excitement and anxiety at the same time. Everything still feels relatively new to me.
I hope everything goes well - according to plan. God help me, please...
June 3 is getting closer than ever.:D I can't wait for Nick to come.
Right, how was my Sunday activity with Hani?:) It was a bit unusual, but at least we still managed to have fun.
Actually, I've wanted to write something interesting. Since Hani told me that she and other independent human rights' activists were having a rally against government's suicidal policy with raising the oil price for the people at National Monument - I decided to join them on early Sunday morning.
But I started the day a little awful.:( First of all, I woke up late. (Hani said it would start at six, and I was still at home at 6:15!*blushes*) Luckily, Hani texted me, saying that it might start a little late.
Then Mom almost didn't let me go. She was afraid that things would've gotten rowdy and chaotic there.
Of course, she finally let me go after I'd promised her I'd watch out and be very careful. By the time I arrived, it was already almost eight!
It turned out that I could write a lot about what happened on a day. First of all, the place was already completely packed with visitors. (Hundreds, thousands...no, maybe millions!:O) The Sampoerna Foundation was also holding a large event to celebrate "The 100th National Awakening in Indonesia" on May 20th. There were lots of large tents, a stage for musical performances, food and beverage stands, etc. There was a band playing and people were chattering, both equally loud. I heard them yell: "Education for a better nation! Help our children to reach for a better future!"
Yeah, right.*rolls eyes* I don't mean to sound bitter, sarcastic, and apathetic here - but I've learned the real truth about my own country hard enough. How many children - especially THE GIRLS - out there who still can't go to school because it's too damn expensive?:( How many people out there who still can't afford (proper) meals three times a day? How about the growing numbers of the jobless and the suicidal these days?
And just what the fuck's the government been doing for real lately?*scoffs* True, they're just making things worse with more corruption and stupid, stupid, STUPID bylaws! Grrh!!:x
(And I don't care if they'll arrest me for publicly posting this.:| Please, don't get me wrong here. I still love my country, but I'm so sick of having to live in fear and uncertainty like this!)
Anyway, here's a clear irony:
The Sampoerna Foundation held that event to promote a better education for better generations in the future, but look what happened around Monas area. Trash, trash, TRASH!!!:x People kept littering and littering until I'd bet that it would take more than a week to clean it.:O Imagine that. The (so-called) more educated people were doing that. How ironic. They weren't even taking the warning sign ("...fined Rp 5,000,000 for littering...") seriously. If someone nicely reminded them, they'd just either ignore or say something like: "Do-gooders are ruining our fun!" or "We have the trash-collectors do the job for us. We pay taxes for that too, remember?"
Yeah, right.*scoffs* Whatever.*rolls eyes* If only they were sensitive enough to notice the stressful look on the trash-collectors' faces - even before they started their pitiful job. If only they knew that those people got paid less to pick up trash littered by those with higher salary.
If only they cared enough...
National Awakening my ass!:x People are still the same. They don't give a shit about each other. Moral education is only a memorized, written theory - barely practised. They all think it's okay, because (it seems that) everybody else is doing it. (So why can't they?) It's the mob versus the "sane minority". Unfortunately, they see the "sane minority" as "weird", "crazy", or even "total freaks". The jerks always gang up for comfort in their insecurity, justification for all their actions, and (so-called) confidence. Figures.*rolls eyes*
Well, shame on all of you, people. I bet you go home and tell your children to behave well and study, only because you're the (so-called) grown-ups and that you can. What else can I say here? Even hypocrites can still give crystal-clear examples as lessons. Ha-ha.
Anyway, I finally met Hani and the others by the southeast gate. She admitted that it wasn't really effective, but at least it was still a struggle. I wasn't paying much attention to what they were all yelling on stage in turns, but the press release they gave me was clear enough. 30% female candidates in the political parties for the government is a must to fight for women's rights for a decent life.
Not much we did after that. Mbak Bina had to leave early, so Hani and I went with Hani's friend Barir to have lunch at KFC in Sarinah. Barir left after that. Hani and I visited The National Museum nearby and Istiqlal Mosque. Hani's sister Ragil joined us after that. The three of us had chocolate sundae at McD in Sarinah - again.
After that, I went home - and am still confused about what else to write besides all of this.
The Author
