The graduation day is approaching quickly. It’s so quick, that sometimes i feel like it only leaves me two breaths short of death. Waiting for it, is supposed to be the happiest moment where i can feel so recharged by excitement – and not a little fear – to set out the career world which is already full by millions of recent frantic grads who at the same time trying to find some kind of handhold in this thing called, “real life.”
But then i realized that, the time to start thinking about life after graduation is. NOW!.
The earlier i stop thinking about college as a break from “real life” and start thinking about it as a stage of real life, the better. That doesn’t mean i have to start sending out resumes the first day of my freshman year, but rather that i should always be thinking about the arc I’ve been following in college and where it’s likely to take me – and how i can shape it to take me to the right direction in which I’ll be the happiest later.
Therefore, I’m considering about moving to a rural, regional or remote area for a relaxed and friendly lifestyle and a strong sense of community – and opportunities to do more than i imagined, soon after i graduate, far away from a dense population Island in Indonesia called, Java island. To work in wide geologist career opportunities in which some of those i may not be able to achieve in any of the big cities – Where mountains have been cut in half for new highway projects, the visibility of rivers surface water that starts to diminish as a result of the new dwelling developments. Traffic… Pollution … Those kinds of things?. Really?
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Oh, boy!
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Like one of my best friends, Eric, in one of chatting occasions said to me:
Eric : You need to get out from this comfort zone (Java island) soon!. Otherwise that you can’t expand your life as a junior geologist and ended up terribly like…
Pandu : Like what?
Eric : Wait.. Like this!
It seems that i need to get rid of these paranoias soon, but for now, I need to get some xanax perscription.
I have been enjoying living in a tiny house in Bandung for almost four years now with my cousin. I don’t own it, though, this house belongs to my uncle who some years ago asked me to stay here and help him by paying all the bills while he’s enjoying his busy life in Jakarta. And me, enjoying my total freedom living in his house.
The house has Two small bedrooms, a tiny toilet, and one kitchen that doesn’t look like a place to cook food at all. Last time, when i cooked an instant noodle there, this stupid rat which i told you in previous post, had taken over the stove as its house. It surprised me by jumping out from inside the stove showing its anger face as if it tried to kill me because I’d overstepped its goddamn territory. The good news is. There’s no fighting. Just me screaming.
When I was still living in a “kos-kosan” – Living in a house with a bunch of friends. I had to wear headphones while watching porn. Now I can let the “oooh… aaaahh”s come out of the computer speakers echo throughout the room. The house is sound-proof. I’ve checked. Even now I can drink some dried tea that’s filtered by my underwear. Making tea that taste of your underwear symbolizes total freedom, somehow. It has delicious taste as well. I’m sure of it.
After years of being too physically inactive. Last Tuesday, I tried out the Fitness program on my game console at home. Now, I don’t even need to go to the gym anymore.
It’s a fun game on which you can rely on getting a full exercise plan prof instructors made just for you. Once you’ve installed the program, your first step is to set up a personal profile. It requires you to enter : Your heartbeat while resting, and after doing some jumps, squats, push-ups, and sit up. I hoped the best from this game to form my physical appearance. Therefore, I worked out for hours and then sweat like crazy pig.
Sweating like crazy pig
After working out. I drank up my tea while laying down my bed. So, there’s a TV set placed directly in front of my bed. I usually watch news channels – just because, news is the only program I could watch on Indonesian TV channels. So-called infotainments had been accused by KPI (Indonesian Broadcasting Commision) for spreading false private life news to their viewers. And you know, making fun of old people has been the most non effective comedic techniques done by most of Indonesian TV channels nowadays and now they’re replacing funny clowns with poor “bule” travelers (“Caucasians”) who in urge to get some easy cash (to leave this country) by acting stupid and trying to make some jokes in Bahasa – which isn’t understandable. But i don’t care, I love watching foreigners humiliating themselves on national TV. It’s funny. While local TV dramas aren’t just abysmal, but they’re also capable on brainwashing audiences and turn them into a toad. I don’t want to be a toad. I rather be other animals with soft skin.
I was so tired from excessive work out and sleeping with the TV still turned on that night.
To cut a long story short. The next morning when I woke up. I couldn’t walk right. My thighs were too sore. The neck pain hadn’t subsided even a bit. I wanted to wear an old pair of jeans but my belly was barely fit in it. I couldn’t even sit properly. It’s useless. This time, i decide to keep a safe distance from that torturing game.
It’s been a month since the last time I blogged. I guess because life has been good and I have nothing to whine about. Two thousand and twelve has been the best year of my life so far and most of it because I have the greatest friends anyone can ever hope for. We spent time traveling together, lost trail in the jungle, doing BBQ at tiny garden at the back of my friend’s house with fireworks blazing in the background. I’ve also made friends with the rats. They can now take over my house only when I’m not in. I know this because they always leave some trails on the corner: their shit. One evening I drank up the coffee I left from the morning. It tasted funny and I realized that some rats had dropped its dropping in it.
But that’s ok. I shouted to them “You fucker!”. One of them made sound. I guessed it said, “Sorry. My bad.” Apology accepted – I still finished up my coffee tasted of their shit though.
Apart from all the good stuffs, there was one thing that bothered me all this time. A girl. I admit I always thought that girl crush thing was sort of a weird concept. Until it happened to me. You see, I have gotten hooked on this girl for almost a year. Some friends have been accusing me for being too cold and too slow on showing my affection feeling towards that girl I have a crush on – Especially when I’m enjoying myself too much on something else like, Playing games. The last time i told her that ‘I love her so much.’ It turned out to be the biggest mistake ever made. At that time, She wasn’t in her best mood, then she was really mad and showed me her answers by making needly tweeter updates which definitely slapped me in the face.
But, again that’s ok. For a while, it really annoyed me. But then I realized, you cannot prevent someone from making bad comments about you, right?.
I don’t really have time to think about love towards her anymore or just to make some time to discuss with the leader of the rat what they can and can’t do in my house. I’m just too busy with something else, now.
Indonesian movie industry had gotten many positive reviews from audiences, journalists and critics. You could always hear a new Indonesian movie date release press conference almost everyday on TV and radio. New statistic showed that the audiences had been flocking to the theaters to watch movies which were dominated by Indonesian films in the recent years. This was the moment where everybody agreed that our movies had a bright future that could play big part in Indonesia movie industry. Nothing but possibilities..
But that was four years ago.
The Indonesian movies are being viewed cynically by the audiences and critics now. Not only that the number of good movies have decreased drastically (in 2008 there could be two or three new movies released per week), but also if one appears on cinema you can barely hear any news about it at all. If you by chance noticed a movie that will soon be released on the cinema, you actually get the news from the gossip shows on TV that intentionally mass publicized by the producers to attract the attention of the audiences, like: a fight between players on the set filming, sexual abuse committed against the actress by the actor (who allegedly gay). Indonesian film has turned into a circus where the crowd is happening outside the tent. But as soon as the audiences enter the arena to watch the actual show, there is nothing entertaining but just an annoying, ignorant and boring show.
The late 1980s, when private televisions began on-air and showed a lot of great International movies to be watched for free, the Indonesian filmmakers were unable to compete. Many had argued that the monopolistic Practices done by Cineplex 21 group – the largest cinema group chain in Indonesia, at that time was the cause of the death of Indonesian films. Therefore, the film producers then tried to survive by creating a movie title that sounded ‘sexually exciting’, such as: Ranjang ternoda (Sperm stained bed sheet), Gairah Malam (A night with a strong sexual desire), Setetes Noda Manis (One drop of sperm that tastes like honey), and many other ridiculous titles. In the first place, it was a successful attempt, the anxious audiences began to flock into the theater. But after they watched and felt disappointed by the movies – which didn’t meet their sexual demand. The audiences were reluctant to watch the movies anymore. Well, i think that was the beginning of Indonesia movie industry nightmare.
The late 1990s and early 2000, the filmmakers had been equipped by a film buff who technically adequate to make a movie and know what the audiences wanted. In that year the movie began to pick up again. Despite the fact that many filmmakers in that year don’t really know the basic techniques and also abject with poor taste of making a good movie. They thought that a horror film is a film genre that all audiences wanted. The horror genre is a genre that supposed to be the most honest, the most entertaining without pretension. However, I believe that if the movie is made correctly, the horror genre will be a blast for our movie industry. Look at Thailand. Their horror movies have been imported to many countries and have put Thai language be recognized as world language. Even my maid is now able to say “sawatdee ka”.
After many years, they soon realized that the audiences had started to get bored with the horror genre, therefore the filmmaker tried another experiment by making a comedy genre films that exposing many sex scenes with stupid dialogue. They think they are funny but Those idiots don’t even seem to understand that they don’t have any sense of humor and don’t know how to make ‘sex movie’, because their movies aren’t funny and don’t make me, ‘erected’. AT ALL!.
The situation has repeated itself as in the early 1990s where the audiences watched the movie because they wondered by the ‘sexually interesting’ title and people went to cinema because of the rumors the producers making on TV. But when they finished watching the movie which then they realized as the IQ-lowering therapy and the blood pressure improvement program. Currently, it is difficult to convince people to watch Indonesia films again.
The cinema is now filled with waste products by people who think just because they can rent a digital camera and some cheap actors who could fake the way they open and close their mouth. Voila! They have become a filmmaker.
It’s so pity for other talented filmmakers who are able to create great movies but can’t sell their films because the audiences have lost confidence to watch any films anymore. Anyway the audiences should go to the ticket sales to ask their money back as the result of watching bad taste movies.
If they want to participate on an I.Q. reduction and an increasing blood pressure program, they can just watch free sinetron – soap operas on TV everyday.
Controversial films are those films whose possess the ability to anger us, shock us, disgust us, and more. They are called “controversial” because they often depict sex, violence, homosexuality, religious, political or race-related themes and content.
They usually push the envelope regarding what can be filmed and displayed what are considered taboo, immoral or obscene due to language, drug use, violence or other incendiary elements on the screen. Inevitably, controversy helps to publicize these films and fuel the box-office receipts.
In Indonesia, Islam has been the most dominant religion in the country for ages, with approximately 202.9 million identified as Muslims that makes it the largest Muslim population country in the world.
With the first country’s ideology principle, ‘Pancasila‘ stating: “belief in the one and only God”. A number of other different religions are practiced as well, such as: Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Khong Hu Chu. And their collective influence on the country’s political, economical and cultural life is significant.
Talking about the religion. There is one “don’t” you must not proudly exclaim in public when you are traveling there. Never say that you are. Atheist.
“Why?”.
Indonesians had historical traumatic experience with communists. The past national tragedy in 1966 was related to Indonesian communist party. Many Indonesians still consider communists as their enemies. In their mindsets, they always misinterpret atheists as communists, just because the past members of Indonesian communist party were atheist.
That is why its very common for Indonesians to ask about someone’s religion. If you say that you are an atheist or do not believe in God, they will think that you are a communist. Do not reveal the fact that you are an atheist in spite of it is actually who you really are. Otherwise..
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Last week, i was listening to my favorite radio program when i was stuck during morning rush hour traffic to Jatinangor, a city that is located 21 km east from Bandung – A capital of West Java Province, Indonesia.
I found that listening to radio is the best way to kill time on the road because those two crazy DJs from my favorite radio station always keep me accompanied along the way. They make me laugh and smile when they start dialogue or telling their listeners to stop the car and do morning exercise.
(The DJs tell the listeners who are stuck in the traffic to stop their vehicles and follow the morning exercise instruction on-air. Song : Justin Bieber dangdut remix.)
On that day, they started talking about some controversial topics in Indonesia modern society. It was the name of an Indonesian indie movie that i remembered before i parked my motorbike in the parking lot, turned off the radio program on my cellphone and rushed into the classroom to start my first day of the final exam week. I remembered the DJs mentioned, a few “controversial lines” quoted from that movie, that kept stuck in my brain for the entire week ahead.
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“Why did God create us differently if God just wanted to be worshiped in one way?.”
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At home after the exam, i was browsing the information about the movie. The film is directed by Sammaria Simanjuntak produced in 2009. It takes a controversial theme about the romance of different religions, which is a taboo subject for discussion in Indonesia. The story takes place in the year of 2000 in Indonesia, where at that time the country was suffering from the vigilante attacks and violence among Muslims and Christians, where the serious issue of the national disintegration was so obvious and became the first thing that the government must look upon, in the first place.
In my opinion this is a very smart movie that represents all minorities that exist in the relationship between two human beings that are considered taboo in Indonesia community – in terms of race, religion, and age, which eventually bring those two lovers into the negative public perception in their life.
The climax for the audiences is perhaps when they cannot seem to find out the real answer to the question at the end of the movie.
“Why did God create us differently if God just wanted to be worshiped in one way?.”
That movie does not leave us the answer to that question, in spite of the man main character answers, “That’s why god created love. so all the differences could be united.” – For me, that is not a satisfying answer that i expect. Well, i think at the end we have to find the answer ourselves.
The script creates multiple interpretations, but meaningful. Moreover, this movie should be understood through different perceptions of each individual which forces us to think out of the box in one moment to another.
The film is worth thumbs up. Despite that the players fail many times in expressing a state of simple thing – like being stunned for falling in love or happiness. But this indie movie can perfectly capture facial expression in a close-up pictures that successfully described deep seriousness in their expressions. It can be a unique reference to watch, especially for those who are interested in philosophical smart film to understand the differences over the brilliant script.
I am happy to watch this movie although i watch it two years far behind the release date. But as i have explained in the beginning. This film can probably anger us, shock us, disgust us because of its theme and contents.
How will you react to this line of the movie?
“If i become Christian, are you sure you still love me? I am dare to betray my god, how are you sure that i will not betray you later.”
I expected there would be two sides who would react to such line : the offended and the thinker. I honestly hope that this movie would not begin causing controversy almost at once because of what some religious sides considered to most of the script line as, “offending.”
Talking about how was my first day exam? Well, it was ill-fated, the questions asked mostly from the one lecture i missed and the one book i did not read. I am pretty much fucked up, eh.
Menggalau is an Indonesian word which means ‘feeling confused’
Five weeks remain in the year 2011. And here i am stranded in my room feeling gloomy as i have not accomplished anything so far. Well, i still have five more weeks to turn it around. But the major problem is i face it with procrastination.
Every. Single. Time. I know that i should be better about getting my ass to work, or quit my console games, or spend less streaming Youtube’s videos.
But every single time i am faced with the option. It seems like there is always a great reason to procrastinate this time. It even feels like i am building up some kind of quota, after which i will say, “Fine, I’ve wasted enough time this year, and hence forth I will only do important things!”. Does that day ever actually come? If so, how long before i realize that i start feeling like i deserve to “Next” my way into that third or fourth Youtube stream in a row again?
Take my blog as whole example. I post infrequently despite a swarm of viable topics buzzing in my head. I take ages to transform them from half-baked ideas to publishable post. Why? Procrastination. I am not lazy by nature, i am just fueled by weakness in the face of impulse and a failure to think about thinking.
I know that, i am already professional at procrastinating because i have clearly put my minds to it a long time ago.
I am exhibiting major avoidance tendencies today. Yesterday i ended up being a day of sorting and purging, it was a successful day. Today is a slower day but I am finding that I am getting myself into a thought pattern that if a day is not filled with many items on a to-do list then I am not accomplishing much. Really, that is ridiculous.
I just finished reading a funny comic blog post about Procrastination, it is freaking hilarious that somehow it opened my eyes widely that procrastination behavior is in fact does not only happen to me, but everyone!
But anyway, Five weeks still remain in the year 2011, and here i am stranded in my room feeling gloomy, and menggalau..
I have been attending film festivals for nearly three years now. It all started in my home town of Bandung three years ago, when iNAFFF (Indonesia Fantastic Film Festival) started to take place in Blitzmegaplex Paris Van Java in November 2009. Since that it has been one of my main stop for film festival, as it shows many great films in a film-loving atmosphere.
iNAFFF holds a really special place in my heart. I also greatly admire that it is just a nice, three days festival over a long weekend on 25th-27th November last week. For people of Bandung, attending this means a great opportunity to see some great indie thrillers from around the world that normally do not play in the town, and with reasonable prices too!. Only Rp15000 (USD 1.7) for each film during presale period, or Rp20000 (USD 2.2) during festival, we can buy tickets and see as many as 40 best ‘horror, thriller, sci-fi, fantasy’ films from all around the world to be screened this year.
To be honest, i actually have also seen some of films in advance. One film I just watched and blew me away is “The Yellow Sea”, which is an original and unique Korean family thriller-crime drama that had me hooked for its near two and a half hour running time.
As one of the movies that i really enjoyed watching at the festival was “Loft”, which is a well-acted, beautifully detective thriller from Netherlands. Loft is probably one of the best dutch movies I have ever seen. The movie is very exciting. During the movie i kept asking myself “who did it?” and till the end it was not certain who the killer is. But I must be honest, this movie is worth watching and probably the best movie in the festival. Except the twist ending, skip that, somehow.
The late night selections at the festival were also great; “A Lonely Place To Die”, which became the ‘surprise movie’ of the festival this year had attracted so many attentions and curiosity from movie fans, the ticket for this movie was almost sold out in just a few hours after the ticket sales were open, it forced the organizer to close the ticket selling during the presale period and reopened it one day before the screening. This is a survival thriller film starring the sexy Melissa George. The film received a positive feedback from audiences right after the screening.
And “Claypot Curry Killers”, which is a slasher film from Malaysia. Compared to “Macabre”, a slasher film from Indonesia, i think Claypot Curry Killer has all points to make you directly fall in love with, as the result of watching this, probably you might hate to eat any kinds of curry afterward. (I have warned you)
iNAFFF is a pretty big annual indie film festival in Bandung, yet it still somehow maintains its intimacy. It is still easy to connect with a lot of people with similar interests and passions here, and in previous years i have been fortunate enough to meet fellow film fans, filmmakers and industry folk who are as crazy about film as I am.
Nothing beats the experience of watching genre films on the big screen with fellow movie enthusiast.
