That Was Not What I Meant

A post by friend on Facebook shared a link of Sandy Sandhoro singing "Kompor Meleduk", a song originally sung by the late artist Benyamin Sueb or Bang Ben. My first impression of listening to a piece of my want-to-play-it-badly song being composed badly was making me a harsh comment about the song being played wrongly.

I said, the original song is more complicated than that song. Then, he said it was about time of me to judge a song not because it was a hard piece. Yeah, he was right. We were planning to play God Bless songs on stage where the crowd just plebeian listeners who wont even know what song we would play.

I might sound judgmental, but honestly I don't like that composition. What on earth was that song? The composer really don't get it. My other friend noted that I should have been listening to him when he sang the song in Rolling Stone Mags show. Well, sorry I wasn't there. Sandy Sandhoro might nailed it, but this song was not.

It felt like robotic with influences from many other songs. I can hear the Simpson ost. there, at least. I felt its playfulness in the beginning. But that was it. It was repetitive and to make it worse the composer suddenly lumping some Jazz soloing part in there with no depth in it. Not in a way that I, a mediocre listener with limited amount of music knowledge, felt like it should be there.

There is no way the original song is more complicated than that piece played by Sandy Sandhoro in term of musical notation. The cover was more rich and complicated. It was full of skill. But that's it. If it was the way the song played, I wouldn't want that to be sung by me badly. This song is special for me. It is one of the secular song that stays as my fave.

The emotion was gone. The playfulness of the song was gone. The song lost its meaning.

That's what I thought after I hear the song again. If you hear it closely, the original song was played with the emotion of a man who did a wrong doing. Bang Ben sung it like a man that was jokingly trying to not get panic. You know, when you are in a pinch then you have that one solution that you just laugh out of it. Not because it is the right thing to do, but it's just that it was the best solution you could think of.

This song tries to capture that. At least that's the way I interpreted the song. I don't know from what film this song was, but I can imagine that Bang Ben was panicking when suddenly the fire was getting out of hand. In that way, he then tell how he felt about the fire.

The gibberish poem about Jakarta's flood and the nonsense of something like cleaning your waterways. It's like the person knows he screwed up and in vindicating his pride, he play the role of a man with higher standard. Suddenly his morality becomes noble. This cheeky man suddenly playing saint. In a playful way, Bang Ben nailed the picture of man trying to have his way on this cruel world with becoming what the society held high.

Who would want a blame to himself? This man is already full of guilt. This man already panic. There is no way he could shoulder more blame. Can he be accepted by his family when that accident happens? Getting attentions was on his mind. He needs to shy away from the guilt.

To me a song is a story and this song is so deep that it moved me. I like how Bang Ben depicting humanity in a playful way. Particularly in this catchy song. I think he was expressing his agony about the world in a cheerful way. Joking about your bad life and have a laugh for it is a way of enjoying life.

That's why this song is so great. I want to sing it so that I might be able to capture this song whatabouts. It's not easy, I know. But I love challenge and this song challenge me to capture the emotion and play it well with joke. This is a fun song to play with. Not because it was a hard composition, but it was because it has its own charm of saying life is good no matter what.

I don't like music that just played, I want to play a song that have soul in it. I want a song that engraved with emotion, not just a plain chords. It should be engraved with the wish of the musician. May be it wasn't the author's feeling, may be it was someone else's feeling that get captured by the musician. Either way, there is something there to share and to connect to the listeners.

But, then again, it is just me of saying how music matters to me. It's alright to have a different point of view. Nevertheless, I have made my point.

The World IS Spinning

It is the job of military to keep the kingdom safe and it is the job of the a king to lead the people.

War is an issue of deprivation of humanity. But it made progress, it made innovations and sadly it was the thing that moved the world. Many technology frontiers are being advanced by war. With this merit, some capable people would say that war is not a bad thing.

War is the worst thing!

The problem is, how we will be ever there, a place in time where war is a history lesson and viewed as legendary? Nothing has ever accomplished to eradicate it. There will be wars one way or another.

I've seen many peace pursuer giving up the hope to stop war. But I would like to share a theory of mine of how to pursue dreams without ever burning out -- or at least get the fire on again.

Stay Faith In Your Circle

I believe in the words from Bible that suggests us to stay faith in little things before we are entrusted in bigger ones. It offer a basic wisdom in believing an ideal. It gives panacea in walking the dream. I believe it was like the words used to say in MTV, "Think global, act local."

There is no way a man would change the world. It needs a collective of people with the same desire. Fortunately, it doesn't require a total of population. It only needs few that could stay true to the cause and keep influencing people to do it. It needs people to dream high.

To dream high means that we have to realize that the road takes more than our lifetime. That's what I have realized in the very beginning of my dream. Nothing is new nor rocket science, that trick is what keeping me keep true to my dream.

To have a conscience about the height of our dream will ensure us to not forcing ourselves to achieve the dream in one go. We will see that our lives as one of the contributors.

Now, think about the narrowest thing that we could do with our dreams. Then, share it. Expand your responsibility, but don't be greedy. There are things that we can't do outside our circle. Don't try to fit those in yet.

It is just like an RPG, the main character can't kill the boss dungeon yet.  We have to go leveling up, solve many side quests and find some companions along the way. There is this excitement when we discover some new sites and clearing some dungeon.  We should not forget about this excitement.

To have a belief in a high dream is a tricky matter. The problem to achieve it is not the problem to hurdle but the heart to bear.

---
Inspired by the graphics novel Maoyuu Maou Yuusha - "Be mine, Hero" "I refuse!"

Facebook Parenting, Parents and Kids and Teh Internet

I've watched "Facebook Parenting: for the troubled teen for a long time. But, an article by Forbes discussing a parody version by Barely Political made me took a moment to think this seriously. This problem is deep.

At first, I don't take this seriously because I don't think it is possible to have college while having senior at school. But, after a little searching, I found out that it is indeed possible in US, especially in suburban and community college. He isn't bluffing! That program is especially made for children pressed with hard times.

I respect this man's proposition. He might have a hard time and hard earned lesson to establish his life. He might the type of person that want to have his hard earned money spent well enough for his family. He might be the type of people that work hard so that his children might not having the hard way like him.

Not that I'm trying to feel great, but that's what happens with baby boomers generation. We are so much spoiled by our parents that we have lost some of ability to survive alone in the society. So many things taken for granted that we beginning to lose a sense of thankful.

Baby Boomer Gets Bombed

I have seen children like this, spoiled by parents ended up living with a hard life. They are "domesticated" by their parents ability to fulfill almost all of their desire that they don't need to have basic rules for the society. They were protected and never have any hardships.

This kind of kid would grow into adults and get a family of their own. Some of them would sank their spouse with their family. I have seen a family that was once live well enough but ended up moving constantly trying to hide themselves from loan sharks. Another family forced the female spouse to take all the job responsible while the male would turn to his parents for additional.

And this is the problem that makes another broken family. Their children would inherit pain and they would lost their sense of parenting. They might ended up grow up as a troubled kid, living in the fear of having relationships with others. Afraid of making other bad example and getting hurt.

And this broken family would cause another problem. Some kids would go into other cheap loves. Either they having a gay older friends or having free sex with friends. Some would lost in a community of addicts. Worst, many would ended up wanting to kill their disabled parents.

What a troubled world, children who were "domesticated" often get blames for their inability. Yet, nobody have ever studied them and seek for what is wrong with them. This cruel world would never asked about how come they became like that. Nope, this is a jungle and this domesticated people are doomed.

A Hard Lesson About Life

Remember when I say we? I too belong to the baby boomer generation. My parents are people of the hard working class. I even doesn't have any sense of how troubled our financial status when we were having hard times especially in the late 90's when economic crisis crashed Indonesia.

Until this day I have no ability to sweep my floor. If I have ever given a chance to have my own house, it would ended up as a garbage dump. I, too, have a hard time to do dishes. I'm having a great trouble to have initiatives to help out. Such insensitivity.... Gosh, this post is beginning to be a reflexive post for me.

Of course, with this inability, I should have a downfall long time ago.

Fortunately, or not, I have a great environment to simulate the world. In my time of adolescene, it was so common for a school fighting another school. It was a common case when we would read newspaper and found students hijacking buses. It was a common thing for teachers regularly checking bags searching for dangerous weapons.

I remember a story from my friend, there was a school where students secretly made bows for shooting people. I remembered in when I was in a train. A frightened kid was taking his shirt and hidden by passengers. And if that was not enough, the train was stopped an students carrying katana swept the train looking for their "enemies".

If you would remember, there were many stories of students attacking students. The most notorious was the failed attack of deliquents from a school that was repelled by locals. They were slaughtered because of trying to attack a school far in Bogor.

In such horror, I learned to respect people. It was rude to look into the eyes. Any provocative words could ended up in fight to the death. And stay away from people with red eyes, they might be drunk and most likely looking for trouble. Heck, I remember one student got caught and got beaten really bad yet he was still laughing. He then cried in pain when the drug torn off.

Fast forward these days....

It is common for a kid to speak blatantly. One thing that made me stop visiting LAN games area (Warung Internet a.k.a Warnet) was the foul mouth of them. An elementary kid would swearing like it was nothing. They would made provocative comments on the chat and made many cheats on gaming like nothing.

If it was in the old days, they would be dragged outside and getting "interviewed". Time has changed and people just want to have fun. We might be bother by their words, but we are so full with the game and we started to be forgiving.

After all, who would want to be a scumbag who yelled a child? Brawling with an elementary is not an elegant.

Troubled Kid and Protective Parents

I remember, there was a time when someone dared to yell back. Trying to teach a lesson or two. Unfortunately, things get serious. The child ran to his parent and then his father came with angered voices and yelled the poor person. *SIGH*

These kind of parents. Never take enough time to check their children and making wild guess by judging their children blameless. This kind of parent is a harm to society.

I remember a child so daring that the child yelled at the teacher. This child exploiting current education system that place teachers equally with students. The kind of education of the West that making spanking a serious crime. I have read that some teachers getting trouble when trying to discipline their students with spanking.

And many teachers ended up trying to save their asses. No one dared to do that thing again. With save stance, they usually take a silence. Not even once tried to fix this bad behavior.

I'm not against the new approach. But, guess what? It flawed! And here's the reason:

The teacher was educated to become educators with Japanese/Asian education style. This type of education is putting the teacher above the students. They should be the source of knowledge. They are the patronage that should be followed. Punishment is a tool to teach.

Now, this new value, which is a good value in that students and teacher equal, making the way of old teaching obsolete. This disruptive new mechanism unfortunately aren't communicated into our educators. This in the end make the education system greatly flawed.

If that wasn't bad enough, there is another thing that bring sadness. Many people regarded as education's patron decided to make their children home schooling instead of fixing the problem. Why?

School is a melting pot. It isn't just a place to have formal education. It is supposed to be a place where children learn many things. They would learn many different personalities and face many obstacles. In those things, they would learn to fit in.

And now, the school becoming harder and harder. Bullies would made scenes. Children making their own world. This world is becoming more and more a Neverland. The music and pop industries amplify them. And  the digital world justify them.

The Lost Of Respect

Why do we respect a person? Because the person is superior in things.

Today's children are unimpressed by the lack of ability of their parents to grasp emerging technologies. They have vast access to information. Many things that was hard to have can be easily get nowadays with the help of forums and search engines. Their ego are also nourished by the way they could owning (beating) adults in online games. The anonimosity making them stand uncorrected.

This false protection eventually will makes them pay dearly one day. I mean, do they expecting their parents would be there to support them forever financially?

Again, these poor "domesticated" people would eventually forced to grow up against the world. It would be interesting how many people would be in a lot of trouble in few years to come. Japan have NEET as a problem and I'm intrigued of how Indonesia would having our own version of that.

I wonder, why people don't have sense of responsibilities these days, especially media people. Parents are bombarded with the need of giving their their children flourishment. These days I failed to watch any ad that include a functional family raised a good child.

For example, these days I only see milk ads with the theme of kids becoming super kid. Is there an ad of milk where they promote communication as a real parenting and the milk is the addition? CMMIW.

Once again, when children have a great growth in their thinking, they do need special attentions. In the past, geniuses are using special classes. People with greater ability that needs special attention was having extra care from their teachers. These folks are having special priveleges. Now, these kind of people are alot these days. These bright people need special attentions.

How many prepared to be having a child bombarding them with questions? How many people could lead their children to have better communication? Heck, how many people ready to teach their children to have respect to others?

Intriguing....

The Journey Goes On


As the person who gets into youth ministry, I have a mixed feeling about this. I believe that each of us would have a time in our lives to become a deliquent. But, what I see is the age of a person becoming a real adult is getting older and older these days.

I don't want to further discuss this into details. I'm afraid of unwisely disclosing any of other's personal information. But, I wish to discuss with you who read this.

1. How do you earn your child their respect?
2. How do you communicate your children about digital gap between you and them, and still having their respect despite you are inferior?
3. How do you "undomesticate" them?

Given and Give

Asking question is like sharing to others. When you are asked back:

"What kind of setup you have?"

and you tell some proprietary craps that could not be disclosed, then you shouldn't bother to ask in the very beginning.

Not that it would just wasting someone's time, which it is. It's just that kind of model does not work. Do you think that person knows Voodoo magic? Do you think he is a prophet?

If we are trying to ask people about something, it means that we are ready to disclose some information. It possess the threat of information theft yet also a possibility of making people do the work well. So, it is best for both interests to open the necessary data for the other person that being asked could assess some answers.

So, if you want an NDA, pay a consultant. Yet, that also pose the same threat and you are also depend on trust. You could only believe that those who you would disclose information have noble integrity.

And it died

Once we have a compassion, then came people that took begging as a profession. They are wealthy enough to have a house or two. Some even have their own houses for rental.

Now, we see them as a filthy. They were no longer need to be respected. They were seen as syndicate. Be it a blind man, a women with her child, nor the child; none of them needed to be respected anymore.

And then with the sour feeling, we tried to neglect them. We tried to bury the feeling. We defined those weren't really in needed.

Look, a man was robbed. Meh! Not mine.
Look, a boy resting on the street. Meh! It's just an act.
Look, a lady getting harassed. Meh! Don't want trouble.

Look, a heart is dying. Meh! Not needed.

And I often ask, "are you satisfy with the way you are?"

Awkward Racism

There are moments when we would find ourselves joking about other nations/races. I don't know, jokes about racism is always comes natural. I think everyone might engaged on at least one conversations about it.

We often joke about other race that not there. But, only Russel Peter that could pull it out on public without being cast. For us, we are deemed to have those jokes when no person from the race there.

Now, what happens when there was one?

... [That moment of awkward silence] 

I was with my friends on a coffee shop discussing about the richness of our diversity. You know, only in Indonesia many different races could blend well. I guess we owe one from the good ol' dictator, H. M. Soeharto. My generation was raised in a forced cultural blend. Some of us, like me, couldn't talk fluently in our racial language.

And then, we talk about Malaysia. My experience in Malaysia showed a little fear about how far this country could stand united. When I was in a commuter, I found people being clustered. Oddly, I found left side a Chinese women with hot cloth and at the right a Melayu women with hijab. I see none of them interacting. Weird, I felt like standing in between two worlds.

The situation is different in Indonesia. People with different racial trait would blend well. I can see that Jakarta is the melting pot. Like my friend said, we only have one language: money. Ha... ha... ha.... Sehr interessant!


And then, I remember about Sankaku Complex [NSFW] talking about how racist the Korean with black person. I remembered an incident in a flea market where people were running away when a black person showed.


So I said, "Korean also racists." Then, my friend with troubled face talked, "which Korean?" I think he tried to signal me about something.

I had an odd feeling about it. I looked behind and there was a Korean women standing behind my back. She would overheard our conversation. Although she appeared texting, I think she definitely overheard my voice!


Akward....

And I tried to make a brilliant comeback: [This is not the complete conversation, omitted here and there because of my memory, but at least this was the most part]

"I mean, The North Korean. You know how they bombed everyone. They bombed Japan. They bombed borders and no one fights back. Amazing, how they have millions of soldiers"

"And I think who is the name of the leader? Kim Jong Il or Un?"

"Kim Jong Un"

"Oh, yeah, there is a Tumblr about Kim Jong Un stares at something. Just like his father."

"Ah, I felt like we are like in Command & Conquer: Generals...."

And the rest of conversation in an attempt to avert my foolish mouth went on.

After the conversation stopped, either it was coincidence or not (I hope it was), the girl ran away into the Faculty of Culture. I really hope it was coincidence. I really really hope she wasn't misunderstood about us. I really really really hope that she was running away because it was cloudy and the rain was stopped momentarily.

I mean, I'm still afraid of our Korean fellow students would talk about how racist Indonesian just because she overheard my conversation. Well, this made me think of never talk about racism again in public. Especially when we are not in Comedy Central and we are not Peter Russel.

The temptation of making a fool of anyone else's race is quite high. I mean, who could resists to not discuss about story when Abed told Trey to be the first black guy who didn't die first in a movie? I honestly laugh at that first and then "huh?" A sudden realization about movies being like that.

I think we are anxious when facing differences. Some of us would shy away, some would mad and some would like to joke about it. I think to joke something that we fear is a way to defeat the fear. Like a saying: "I laugh at the face of death!"

I think laughing at the funny accent is a way for us to shut the alertness on our mind. To tell the mind, "hey, that isn't dangerous. That doesn't feel threatening. In fact, it is funny. Deal with it!"

Joking about others is also, I admit, a way to hide our inferiority complex. Feeling like a boss might comfort us. To make us proud as to heal against something that would threatening our pride, one of our prove of existence.

But the problem is about the person that being made fun of. What about him/her? Can the person stand a chance? Don't the person felt humiliated? Don't the person deserves to be acknowledge as a fellow equal?

I do feel sorry. I don't feel good either when I know that I might be hurting the person's heart. I wish I could tell her that we are just joking. Besides, don't you think Korean have adorable faces and Pop culture?

Well, I guess part of my tweeting K-Pop this evening might be a self-conscious of making apology. I don't want to be a bad person. I know I might be racist. But that's just because it is natural to be one. I wish I wasn't, but I know racism is in everyone of us.

I don't want to hurt people and their feeling. As a minority, I know how it hurt to be made fun of. I feel like a hypocrite, talking against generalization but making one. It was a joke and a bad one.

Oh, well, lesson learned.

The Truth Is Out There...

I have been wondering lately:

If DPR is house of people's representatives then how can people fired those that incompetent?

If DPR is open to people then why it has walls and fences that could stand zombie apocalypse?

If DPR is a house of democracy then why don't they let one of the yard become a place where people could shout instead letting them in the street in front of its gate?

This morning, I've been foked. In the midst of the jam, I asked to my self:

Why won't people protesting by not submitting to the police raiders that accompanying any car? Why don't we just not let them got through the traffic and let them get stuck with us also? I mean, they should eat their own dog food. To have the effect of their own shitty policies.

And one last question, why won't we force them to use public transportation at least once a week?

Is this kind of protest protected by law?

As inspired by many tweets:

"Naik Angkot diperkosa, naik bus dicopet, naik motor disenggol, naik mobil dibeset, jalan kaki ditabrak, tinggal di rumah banjir.... Jakarta keras, Bung!"

Happy traffic jam!