This blog entry is a response from a book titled <<A Fortune Teller -Told Me: Earthbound Travels in Far East>> by a renowned Italian author and journalist: Tiziano Terzani. I greatly recommend reading his rich masterpiece, especially those who are interested in journalism, history, philosophy, globalization, Asian culture and spiritualism.
It is said that in America, it is necessary for one to be acquainted with two kinds of people: a doctor and a lawyer. For us South East Asians, a third kind is necessary: a fortune teller. Address him or her by whatever honorifics: soothsayer, dukun, bomoh, gypsy, Feng Shui master, astrologer, tarot reader, so on and so forth; As Terzani points out, these people who are able to abridge the information asymmetry with nonhuman ways still hold pivotal roles in the lives of many South East Asians today.
These people belong to a class of beings who have access to information provided outside their five senses, or at least claim to be, whether by the means of a third-eye, black or white magic, holy prayers, or even stringent and precise astrological calculations combined with readings of body parts (either the face, the palms, or the feet). Terzani, having been predicted to encounter a catastrophe if he opted to fly during the year of 1993 by a renowned fortune teller in Hong Kong, found himself exploring South East Asia without being airborne in search of these people: Primarily as a cross-reference to his maiden fortune-telling experience, and as time passed, rather for amusement.
Along the way, however, he explores how globalization took out the last of "virginity" in Asia, as he laments the process of modernization ultimately leading to uniformity and with that, plain dullness. He also explored the changing current belief systems held by Asians, which are laden with discrepancies, ironies, and contradictions. Yet, he found himself (along with an increasing number of Asian youths) more and more attracted to the traditional, old school mysticism, which still has a stronghold in the region: He claimed that in countries such as Singapore, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, such people are involved in high officials' decision-making and in counter espionage. Yes, wow.
His literature made me think of my own encounters with such holders of the 'God Eye'.
As a good South-East Asian, yes, I must profess I am acquainted with two such people. However, one is a teller, and the other (exceedingly rare) is rather a mentor and a teacher. Terzani made me think of how much of the future we can ethically know, and how much of the future we need to know. Is there such a thing as knowing too much of your own future? Does curiosity really kill the cat? It is instinctive for a man's mind to wander somewhere in the future, or somewhere in the past, but never in the present where there is happiness; Thus the rationale of not relying on them too much. I also believe that perhaps I have been told too much.
Another aspect is how accurate are these God Eye. As I compared and cross-checked projections of Terzani's future by these people, I could not notice big discrepancies and inconsistencies. Definitely, there are huge overlaps on his past, and there are significant convergence of his future predictions as well. (One must correctly predict the past in order for his future predictions to be taken seriously, even so, this is likely to be a form of logical fallacy). Let us take a prediction which many fortune tellers told him, which fact is easily verified. The time of his death. Mostly predicted that he will live up to at least 80 years old, if not 85 or even 90 and beyond. Wikipedia says that he died at the age of 65 due to colon cancer.
Thus, one actually questions how accurate and how true can fortune telling get. If the results may be inaccurate after all, why should we bother to have our fortunes told? Perhaps it is karmically negative (or a form of sin) to have our fortunes told, and thence, his short life? Or is it the possibility that future, as in streams of water, flows in infinite and numerous branches, so that the possibilities are endless but these people can only foresee a few? Is it necessary to have a large sample size (of prophecies) so that the sample is not biased, and its margin of error reduced?
God knows.
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Sunday, 21 July 2013
Travelogue.
Why do people travel?
Humans are essentially animals: They are nature's dynamic half. Try sitting still. Try not to move. At all. For a long time. You'll have problems.
For one, there is this term 'wanderlust' which coins the need for us to travel, the yearning of being in a place we've never been. Others travel to work, to meet other people, (ironically) to relax, or perhaps to reconsolidate their immortalized memories and scraps of nostalgia.
I had bits of every single one of these as I travelled to Bali and Surabaya for the past week. I relaxed, attended a wedding, met a friend, finished two books, set out on a culinary adventure, recovered from my flu, thought, reflected, and meditated during the trip.
It struck me that Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali are all distinctly Indonesian, but with differing characteristics. Of course, you'd argue, that the heavily collared CBD workers of Jakarta would contrast with aloha-and-shorts tourists laden in Bali; That the rustic, seemingly pre-colonized scatters of buildings in West Surabaya would be starkly different from Bali's cornucopia of resorts laid atop of infinite white sands.
You'd be very right! However, I discovered these differences behind the wheels of the car I was driving. Bali is abundant with pleasantly long and winding roads which are sandwiched by pleasant sceneries on the sides, but mostly are single lanes.. thus making overtaking a slow car a difficult if not impossible feat. In Surabaya, drivers are a little bit more rushed than Bali but more relaxed than Jakarta, with the characteristic one-way roads and detailed signposts (I think it is the only place I've ever been with a sign under the traffic lights that read: "Turn left according to the circumstances ascribed by the (traffic) lights"). And oh, Bali had a highway built on top of the sea. Yes, a sea, but it hasn't been opened as our mr President hasn't officially cast his blessings on it.
They say people remember roads better when they actually drive the car. I have a hunch saying that I am driving past these roads too quickly, but hopefully they'll remain by my romanticized nostalgias..
I've to stop soon. Good night:)
Truly Indonesia's Finest.
Humans are essentially animals: They are nature's dynamic half. Try sitting still. Try not to move. At all. For a long time. You'll have problems.
For one, there is this term 'wanderlust' which coins the need for us to travel, the yearning of being in a place we've never been. Others travel to work, to meet other people, (ironically) to relax, or perhaps to reconsolidate their immortalized memories and scraps of nostalgia.
I had bits of every single one of these as I travelled to Bali and Surabaya for the past week. I relaxed, attended a wedding, met a friend, finished two books, set out on a culinary adventure, recovered from my flu, thought, reflected, and meditated during the trip.
It struck me that Jakarta, Surabaya, and Bali are all distinctly Indonesian, but with differing characteristics. Of course, you'd argue, that the heavily collared CBD workers of Jakarta would contrast with aloha-and-shorts tourists laden in Bali; That the rustic, seemingly pre-colonized scatters of buildings in West Surabaya would be starkly different from Bali's cornucopia of resorts laid atop of infinite white sands.
You'd be very right! However, I discovered these differences behind the wheels of the car I was driving. Bali is abundant with pleasantly long and winding roads which are sandwiched by pleasant sceneries on the sides, but mostly are single lanes.. thus making overtaking a slow car a difficult if not impossible feat. In Surabaya, drivers are a little bit more rushed than Bali but more relaxed than Jakarta, with the characteristic one-way roads and detailed signposts (I think it is the only place I've ever been with a sign under the traffic lights that read: "Turn left according to the circumstances ascribed by the (traffic) lights"). And oh, Bali had a highway built on top of the sea. Yes, a sea, but it hasn't been opened as our mr President hasn't officially cast his blessings on it.
They say people remember roads better when they actually drive the car. I have a hunch saying that I am driving past these roads too quickly, but hopefully they'll remain by my romanticized nostalgias..
I've to stop soon. Good night:)
Truly Indonesia's Finest.
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Inspire.
Inspiration comes when one is not looking for it.
When one sits on an edge of a paddy field, a jade-coloured rug full of life force. Wind breezes by every now and then, gently caressing these scrawny but beautiful creatures, reminding one of timorous waves waltzing across the ocean.
When one drives by an empty street in the middle of the night, accompanied by a favorite music sung by the radio, at a speed fast enough to keep drowsiness at bay, but slow enough for the reflexes to manoeuvre should a stray motorbike cut across.
When one stands barefoot in a shallow sea, waves warmly massaging one's limbs, with one's eyes savouring the scene where mountains meet oceans, which is once said as having belonged to the heavens.
In these moments, an Epiphany.
Or.
Nonetheless, it can be broken down to two essentials: Freedom of and/or from judgement, and conversion of energy.
Chiefly, however, I have to introduce my recently acquired (or realized) pattern of thought: Creationism. I'll have it explained in greater details in my 《world views》post later, but to simply put it, my inner world revolves around a dogma summarized by a question: what sort of outer world are my thoughts, words, and actions creating?
I discovered that I was being judgmental. Albeit I count myself as part of people who judges less, I discover I judge two people very harshly: The girl(s) I attach romantic interests and affairs to, and myself.
The former is perhaps a form of self defense mechanism, an iron wall, a coffee strainer. The latter, however, meant I wasn't able to accept myself the way I am.
A few hours ago, I was queuing with my mom to buy some medicine, and she has almost finished the transaction when I discovered a chewing gum I wanted to buy. I took it, held it out in front of the cashier, but the impatient lady behind me was handing her tiny cream and telling the cashier that it was the only thing she was buying (mbak, ini aja barangnya. ini aja barangnya.) I immediately replaced the gum and exited the store with my mom.
Perhaps I was afraid of offending the rushing lady or I was afraid to be seen as jumping the queue. Either way, as I walked along the densely populated streets of Kuta, I immediately blamed myself for being so timid. There and then I caught myself judging, and told myself that it is alright. One instance does not determine another. There is impermanence, randomness, and unpredictability.
I remember judging myself as being sensitive. It is nothing more than allowing other people's words to hurt you. Now, no more. For one, neither your own nor other people's adjectives shall suffice in describing you as a whole person. One instance doesn't determine the rest. Otherwise, you can always take it as a compliment;)
Don't judge and bar yourself from being judged. Start from thyself!
The other lesson learnt is that if people go into great lengths sending bad, negative, or dark energies to you, either through their minds, speeches, or actions, one of the best elixirs would be by saying thank you. When said with intent and meaning, gratitude does not only neutralize these harmful wavelengths, they transform these into beneficial, positive energies.
Positive thinking is but a powerful cliche.
Believe that you have the capacity to tame even the roughest seas, to protect yourself from the most malicious black magic, and to create your grandest dreams.
For a faith as small as a seed, where correctly held and applied, can move mountains.
-Truly Indonesia's Finest.
When one sits on an edge of a paddy field, a jade-coloured rug full of life force. Wind breezes by every now and then, gently caressing these scrawny but beautiful creatures, reminding one of timorous waves waltzing across the ocean.
When one drives by an empty street in the middle of the night, accompanied by a favorite music sung by the radio, at a speed fast enough to keep drowsiness at bay, but slow enough for the reflexes to manoeuvre should a stray motorbike cut across.
When one stands barefoot in a shallow sea, waves warmly massaging one's limbs, with one's eyes savouring the scene where mountains meet oceans, which is once said as having belonged to the heavens.
In these moments, an Epiphany.
Or.
Nonetheless, it can be broken down to two essentials: Freedom of and/or from judgement, and conversion of energy.
Chiefly, however, I have to introduce my recently acquired (or realized) pattern of thought: Creationism. I'll have it explained in greater details in my 《world views》post later, but to simply put it, my inner world revolves around a dogma summarized by a question: what sort of outer world are my thoughts, words, and actions creating?
I discovered that I was being judgmental. Albeit I count myself as part of people who judges less, I discover I judge two people very harshly: The girl(s) I attach romantic interests and affairs to, and myself.
The former is perhaps a form of self defense mechanism, an iron wall, a coffee strainer. The latter, however, meant I wasn't able to accept myself the way I am.
A few hours ago, I was queuing with my mom to buy some medicine, and she has almost finished the transaction when I discovered a chewing gum I wanted to buy. I took it, held it out in front of the cashier, but the impatient lady behind me was handing her tiny cream and telling the cashier that it was the only thing she was buying (mbak, ini aja barangnya. ini aja barangnya.) I immediately replaced the gum and exited the store with my mom.
Perhaps I was afraid of offending the rushing lady or I was afraid to be seen as jumping the queue. Either way, as I walked along the densely populated streets of Kuta, I immediately blamed myself for being so timid. There and then I caught myself judging, and told myself that it is alright. One instance does not determine another. There is impermanence, randomness, and unpredictability.
I remember judging myself as being sensitive. It is nothing more than allowing other people's words to hurt you. Now, no more. For one, neither your own nor other people's adjectives shall suffice in describing you as a whole person. One instance doesn't determine the rest. Otherwise, you can always take it as a compliment;)
Don't judge and bar yourself from being judged. Start from thyself!
The other lesson learnt is that if people go into great lengths sending bad, negative, or dark energies to you, either through their minds, speeches, or actions, one of the best elixirs would be by saying thank you. When said with intent and meaning, gratitude does not only neutralize these harmful wavelengths, they transform these into beneficial, positive energies.
Positive thinking is but a powerful cliche.
Believe that you have the capacity to tame even the roughest seas, to protect yourself from the most malicious black magic, and to create your grandest dreams.
For a faith as small as a seed, where correctly held and applied, can move mountains.
-Truly Indonesia's Finest.
Saturday, 13 July 2013
10 year plan!
Alright,
Allow me to make myself clear here. I uploaded such a plan and passworded it not because I am attention seeking or anything, just that I wanted to set myself a reminder of my possible plan in the next ten years or so. It'll serve as a good device to discriminate against those who actually read or don't read my post;)
Okay, as I turned twenty a few weeks back, I'll hit 30 in ten years time (simple maths yeah)
I have thought about some things to achieve, and as such I am prepared to answer the three questions myself on another blog post(s). Of course, I am far from understanding my own life purpose; much less living my own personal legend. It is very possible that my aspirations are still unaligned with my higher self's, at my current state of being. Nonetheless, I shall make a bold attempt to try and make this 10 year plan anyway, which will hopefully serve as a guideline and a motivation. At least, it will be interesting to look back at this in years to come, right? ;)
Okay, here goes something..
A little bit too ambitious of me, perhaps. But if my higher self wills it, then nothing can stop these from happening. On one hand, a little bit too concrete, on another, a little bit too ambiguous. It's alright. I'll do my best:)
For the World, for the Light, for the Universe.
-Truly Indonesia's Finest
PS: password available upon request. Will warn you first, you might find the content tl;dr lol.
Allow me to make myself clear here. I uploaded such a plan and passworded it not because I am attention seeking or anything, just that I wanted to set myself a reminder of my possible plan in the next ten years or so. It'll serve as a good device to discriminate against those who actually read or don't read my post;)
Okay, as I turned twenty a few weeks back, I'll hit 30 in ten years time (simple maths yeah)
I have thought about some things to achieve, and as such I am prepared to answer the three questions myself on another blog post(s). Of course, I am far from understanding my own life purpose; much less living my own personal legend. It is very possible that my aspirations are still unaligned with my higher self's, at my current state of being. Nonetheless, I shall make a bold attempt to try and make this 10 year plan anyway, which will hopefully serve as a guideline and a motivation. At least, it will be interesting to look back at this in years to come, right? ;)
Okay, here goes something..
A little bit too ambitious of me, perhaps. But if my higher self wills it, then nothing can stop these from happening. On one hand, a little bit too concrete, on another, a little bit too ambiguous. It's alright. I'll do my best:)
For the World, for the Light, for the Universe.
-Truly Indonesia's Finest
PS: password available upon request. Will warn you first, you might find the content tl;dr lol.
Wednesday, 10 July 2013
Mutual Interdependence
I'll begin by saying this: it is good to be back.
In Beijing, I sort of strained my body, and I promised him to rest adequately. I failed to keep up with the promise, and now he is forcing me to (by the means of a slight flu).
It is such a shame, though, that I had to attend the scholars reunion in such a condition. My friend asked me how I was feeling like, and I told him that I felt akin to having smoked a bit of weed (no, I have never tried it before, but I do imagine it is what it feels like) Thus, I had to decline their offer of staying over in Ancol's Taman Puteri Duyung. :(
I will be most probably leaving at the 19th of August latest for the United States, and thus I have over a month here. It is very fortuitous, hence, to have the opportunity to meet these friends:)
我想介绍一下他们，在新加坡上中学的时候，他们不是我的同学（男孩）就是我的住在同样宿舍的朋友（女孩）。我记得那时候我们六点就不能出去宿舍，感觉十分无聊。当时，我们不得不一块儿打发时间，因此我们的友谊变成特别深，对我来说，有些朋友好像我的兄弟姐妹。可是，我们毕业以后真可惜没什么机会见面，也没那么保持联系。在我的心里我知道，他们必然改变，跟之前有不相同的方面。我也知道，我不可能重温旧梦。于是，我只希望我们见面的时候还是算好朋友。。
They are crossing the crossroads at this moment of time as well. Although most are going back to Singapore, some spread their wings even further, to the likes of United Kingdom and the United States. And it'll be difficult to see their faces once more.
I lost one and gained another. They are different but are the same at the same time; I still suck at talking to the girls (really, I have no idea what is there to be talked about), there are still plenty of jokes I don't get, but deep down they are still very caring and fun.
Perhaps, it is I, who have changed too much. Or them.
Nonetheless, the most important thing is still the fact that we share common memories. We underwent our first two years of hardship in Singapore together. The fact that it has happened, living in the same hostel, playing the same hostel games, fighting against the same lousy hostel rules and the stern and unforgiving hostel manager, are all what matters. You guys are the ones who genuinely comprehend what bearing the word 'scholar' meant.
Nothing on our journey shall be able to change our first dreams.
Thank you, my scholar friends. It has been a pleasure knowing every single one of you, even with all the quirks and the idiosyncrasies. Shall we meet again someday. And when the day comes, let's relive our camaraderie once more.
-Truly Indonesia's Finest
In Beijing, I sort of strained my body, and I promised him to rest adequately. I failed to keep up with the promise, and now he is forcing me to (by the means of a slight flu).
It is such a shame, though, that I had to attend the scholars reunion in such a condition. My friend asked me how I was feeling like, and I told him that I felt akin to having smoked a bit of weed (no, I have never tried it before, but I do imagine it is what it feels like) Thus, I had to decline their offer of staying over in Ancol's Taman Puteri Duyung. :(
I will be most probably leaving at the 19th of August latest for the United States, and thus I have over a month here. It is very fortuitous, hence, to have the opportunity to meet these friends:)
我想介绍一下他们，在新加坡上中学的时候，他们不是我的同学（男孩）就是我的住在同样宿舍的朋友（女孩）。我记得那时候我们六点就不能出去宿舍，感觉十分无聊。当时，我们不得不一块儿打发时间，因此我们的友谊变成特别深，对我来说，有些朋友好像我的兄弟姐妹。可是，我们毕业以后真可惜没什么机会见面，也没那么保持联系。在我的心里我知道，他们必然改变，跟之前有不相同的方面。我也知道，我不可能重温旧梦。于是，我只希望我们见面的时候还是算好朋友。。
They are crossing the crossroads at this moment of time as well. Although most are going back to Singapore, some spread their wings even further, to the likes of United Kingdom and the United States. And it'll be difficult to see their faces once more.
I lost one and gained another. They are different but are the same at the same time; I still suck at talking to the girls (really, I have no idea what is there to be talked about), there are still plenty of jokes I don't get, but deep down they are still very caring and fun.
Perhaps, it is I, who have changed too much. Or them.
Nonetheless, the most important thing is still the fact that we share common memories. We underwent our first two years of hardship in Singapore together. The fact that it has happened, living in the same hostel, playing the same hostel games, fighting against the same lousy hostel rules and the stern and unforgiving hostel manager, are all what matters. You guys are the ones who genuinely comprehend what bearing the word 'scholar' meant.
Nothing on our journey shall be able to change our first dreams.
Thank you, my scholar friends. It has been a pleasure knowing every single one of you, even with all the quirks and the idiosyncrasies. Shall we meet again someday. And when the day comes, let's relive our camaraderie once more.
-Truly Indonesia's Finest
Sunday, 7 July 2013
最后一次。
Sorry for writing the title in Chinese, but I guess it is simply befitting to do so given that it is my last day (night) in Beijing. Apologies for the broken, crass, unbeautiful language too. It's just that I feel that for now, speed is of the essence. I will edit it later (if I feel like it hehe)
It's impossible for this single post to cover the my 4 1/2 months of journey here, but I'll give it a go nonetheless. Let us begin with statistics to offer the ending. Over the period of time, I made numerous friends and acquaintances: a large number of Indonesians, a few Chinese, and some internationals. They are mostly from my class, but the spread is amazing, ranging from Switzerland to Kazakhstan.
These people are responsible for bringing me to a bar for a first time. I ordered an Irish Coffee, thinking that it would be a big cup of coffee with diluted, weak alcohol. Instead, it came out to be a small cup of concentrated liquor with a shot of espresso - I barely drank half of it. It was that evening too I had my first taste of cigarette: It is no different from swallowing a bunch of needles. The initial sip sucks as well, but the aftertaste gets a little interesting. Apparently they come in different flavors.
My bigger aim is definitely to learn mandarin, and although I feel that I still have a long way to go, it's not too bad now;) I am fortunate enough to have quite a few guardian angels looking after me, ample opportunities to shop and taste fantastic food, and to visit new places. There are definitely breathtaking sites, be it nature-related or history-related ones. I learnt quite a few lessons about living in Beijing as well, let me share some:
1. There are dumb ways to die in Beijing. Like seriously. Buy a life insurance before coming here.
2. A surgical mask is always handy to have in Beijing. We don't need to discuss about the amazing levels of pollution, it will protect your poor nose from crowded subways in the Summer or the fantastic restrooms here.
3. When crossing Beijing roads, never trust the traffic lights. Trust your surroundings, trust the speed of the car across the road or the one coming to you. To make it more convenient, look for seasoned locals with reasonable walking speed and just copy their exact move.
Having said such, I discover that Beijingers are often very nice, warm, and reasonable people (except when they try to sell stuff). So don't hesitate to stop by and ask a stranger any questions. They are exceptionally good at directions as well. Just mention that you are a 老外 and they will pardon you of whatever you lack, especially the lack of "er"s in your Mandarin. Hahahaha.
Moving on, my language partner also told me some stories about how the game is played by students seeking to enroll in universities, of how it is perfectly acceptable and reasonable for students to pay to receive a recommendation letter from the professors working in the institutions of their dreams.
Looking at the general picture, I discovered that Chinese ideals and cultures do exist. They are a bunch of nationalistic and patriotic people, but they are pragmatic at the same time. Exceedingly practical until it bleeds sometimes. Babies with holes in their pants. Urinals without covers. Generation gap exists, as in everywhere. Virtue and Confucianism still pretty much intact, but there are apparent conflicts with today's materialism and sheer pragmatism. (well, isn't this pretty much happening everywhere these days? haha)
I must profess, there are still some businesses undone, some things unsearched. I guess it was simply not the time yet, I shall grow and focus into the state of being before I can reach that point and meet these particular people. Whatever I did, are doing, or will do to arrive there were, are, or will be rendered useless, but nonetheless, I will keep doing it anyway, until I can stop doing and start being. And only then will everything be paid off.
I also learnt, through the hard way, the necessity to differentiate between gold and worthless alloys. I spent a good four and a half months chasing what I thought to be gold, feeling down, stressed, emotional, and all the unnecessary stuffs and sacrifices, only to discover the gold to be a worthless alloy. Only to discover the metal to be lackluster in comparison to the gold I discovered a few days before my last day here. The gold perhaps is the most golden so far (does this make sense?) the first one to receive a double A score based on my charts ;) Although only disappointment awaits as I have to separate myself from them, it has been pleasure knowing them though. Thank you:)
I'll stop here. My 紧张 roomie has hit the hay. I feel like doing so as well, but I am afraid that I still need to clear up my finer points. See you in Jakarta!
Truly Indonesia's Finest,
PS (Post Jakarta edit) I forgot to mention that through my four and a half months there I discovered how sometimes depressing it is to be an Indonesian (at the present day). Apart from the fact that we lie southern from Singapore, somewhere in South East Asia, most foreigners know little about us. Neither are the Chinese interested in learning Bahasa Indonesia (a stark contrast from popular languages such as Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, and of course English). It is high time for us to develop the long awaited and much needed soft power.
It's impossible for this single post to cover the my 4 1/2 months of journey here, but I'll give it a go nonetheless. Let us begin with statistics to offer the ending. Over the period of time, I made numerous friends and acquaintances: a large number of Indonesians, a few Chinese, and some internationals. They are mostly from my class, but the spread is amazing, ranging from Switzerland to Kazakhstan.
These people are responsible for bringing me to a bar for a first time. I ordered an Irish Coffee, thinking that it would be a big cup of coffee with diluted, weak alcohol. Instead, it came out to be a small cup of concentrated liquor with a shot of espresso - I barely drank half of it. It was that evening too I had my first taste of cigarette: It is no different from swallowing a bunch of needles. The initial sip sucks as well, but the aftertaste gets a little interesting. Apparently they come in different flavors.
My bigger aim is definitely to learn mandarin, and although I feel that I still have a long way to go, it's not too bad now;) I am fortunate enough to have quite a few guardian angels looking after me, ample opportunities to shop and taste fantastic food, and to visit new places. There are definitely breathtaking sites, be it nature-related or history-related ones. I learnt quite a few lessons about living in Beijing as well, let me share some:
1. There are dumb ways to die in Beijing. Like seriously. Buy a life insurance before coming here.
2. A surgical mask is always handy to have in Beijing. We don't need to discuss about the amazing levels of pollution, it will protect your poor nose from crowded subways in the Summer or the fantastic restrooms here.
3. When crossing Beijing roads, never trust the traffic lights. Trust your surroundings, trust the speed of the car across the road or the one coming to you. To make it more convenient, look for seasoned locals with reasonable walking speed and just copy their exact move.
Having said such, I discover that Beijingers are often very nice, warm, and reasonable people (except when they try to sell stuff). So don't hesitate to stop by and ask a stranger any questions. They are exceptionally good at directions as well. Just mention that you are a 老外 and they will pardon you of whatever you lack, especially the lack of "er"s in your Mandarin. Hahahaha.
Moving on, my language partner also told me some stories about how the game is played by students seeking to enroll in universities, of how it is perfectly acceptable and reasonable for students to pay to receive a recommendation letter from the professors working in the institutions of their dreams.
Looking at the general picture, I discovered that Chinese ideals and cultures do exist. They are a bunch of nationalistic and patriotic people, but they are pragmatic at the same time. Exceedingly practical until it bleeds sometimes. Babies with holes in their pants. Urinals without covers. Generation gap exists, as in everywhere. Virtue and Confucianism still pretty much intact, but there are apparent conflicts with today's materialism and sheer pragmatism. (well, isn't this pretty much happening everywhere these days? haha)
I must profess, there are still some businesses undone, some things unsearched. I guess it was simply not the time yet, I shall grow and focus into the state of being before I can reach that point and meet these particular people. Whatever I did, are doing, or will do to arrive there were, are, or will be rendered useless, but nonetheless, I will keep doing it anyway, until I can stop doing and start being. And only then will everything be paid off.
I also learnt, through the hard way, the necessity to differentiate between gold and worthless alloys. I spent a good four and a half months chasing what I thought to be gold, feeling down, stressed, emotional, and all the unnecessary stuffs and sacrifices, only to discover the gold to be a worthless alloy. Only to discover the metal to be lackluster in comparison to the gold I discovered a few days before my last day here. The gold perhaps is the most golden so far (does this make sense?) the first one to receive a double A score based on my charts ;) Although only disappointment awaits as I have to separate myself from them, it has been pleasure knowing them though. Thank you:)
I'll stop here. My 紧张 roomie has hit the hay. I feel like doing so as well, but I am afraid that I still need to clear up my finer points. See you in Jakarta!
Truly Indonesia's Finest,
PS (Post Jakarta edit) I forgot to mention that through my four and a half months there I discovered how sometimes depressing it is to be an Indonesian (at the present day). Apart from the fact that we lie southern from Singapore, somewhere in South East Asia, most foreigners know little about us. Neither are the Chinese interested in learning Bahasa Indonesia (a stark contrast from popular languages such as Japanese, Korean, French, Spanish, and of course English). It is high time for us to develop the long awaited and much needed soft power.
Friday, 5 July 2013
of Crossroads and Intersections.
I really no idea what should I put on the title, but I need to sleep soon to catch my 黑车 to 龙井峡 tomorrow morning so I'll just start with the body first. hehe.
I would begin by being a tad whiny by saying that if life had a reset button, I've pressed it (and will press it) so many times. If people regard life as a journey, then you meet people at the crossroads as you get from one road to another. My time here seems as such; very fleeting, the kind of Beijing's summer rain which will suddenly cease with little warning.
Fortunately, when the button is pressed, not all is lost.
Although Beijing is just another crossroad, a rather short one, which didn't take much effort to cross, I need to say that I bumped into amazing people there. We were walking in opposite directions, and we had little time before the green man light starts blinking and turns into a red man. With a heavy heart we must carry on walking, shouting and crying our goodbyes, until we reach the road where we are meant to be.
A step out of the crossroad is a reset button pressed. I shall cross another road to resume my journey, and I will bump into others. Our roads may intersect again someday, we might be passing by the same crossroads, if we are lucky. During the time in between, although we may be out of touch with one another, and although the winds and the dirt of the roads change us as we walk, I pray that when our paths do cross again, we will still be good friends, as when we met each other for the first time. I pray that we will never forget our first dream!
Thank you for the amazing conversation today. The two of you have changed me in your own ways. The two of you are the first people I shared about the inner circle I aspire to live in. Kindly remember the three questions I asked today, and I hope as you continue walking, you will arrive at the answers. This post is dedicated to you, my beloved seksi pendidikan people. Anumodana! :,)
till we meet again'
Truly Indonesia's Finest
I would begin by being a tad whiny by saying that if life had a reset button, I've pressed it (and will press it) so many times. If people regard life as a journey, then you meet people at the crossroads as you get from one road to another. My time here seems as such; very fleeting, the kind of Beijing's summer rain which will suddenly cease with little warning.
Fortunately, when the button is pressed, not all is lost.
Although Beijing is just another crossroad, a rather short one, which didn't take much effort to cross, I need to say that I bumped into amazing people there. We were walking in opposite directions, and we had little time before the green man light starts blinking and turns into a red man. With a heavy heart we must carry on walking, shouting and crying our goodbyes, until we reach the road where we are meant to be.
A step out of the crossroad is a reset button pressed. I shall cross another road to resume my journey, and I will bump into others. Our roads may intersect again someday, we might be passing by the same crossroads, if we are lucky. During the time in between, although we may be out of touch with one another, and although the winds and the dirt of the roads change us as we walk, I pray that when our paths do cross again, we will still be good friends, as when we met each other for the first time. I pray that we will never forget our first dream!
Thank you for the amazing conversation today. The two of you have changed me in your own ways. The two of you are the first people I shared about the inner circle I aspire to live in. Kindly remember the three questions I asked today, and I hope as you continue walking, you will arrive at the answers. This post is dedicated to you, my beloved seksi pendidikan people. Anumodana! :,)
till we meet again'
Truly Indonesia's Finest
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