In Kupang

Kupang is the capital city of Nusa Tenggara Timur Province (funny when I try to translate it to English: "Eastern South East Nusa") about 4 hours flight eastbound from Jakarta. I was there for 2 days and not much I can say about the city.

Still very underdeveloped, lack of natural resources which lead to small budget and less capacity to promote development, it further complicated with refugee problem from Timor Leste, a newly established country which faces NTT Province directly in the east (formerly East Timor, a province of Indonesia).

Anyway, it is always nice to be able to visit remote areas of Indonesia. This weekend next destination: Banjarmasin, capital city of South Kalimantan province.

In Japan

For about three weeks, this is my morning routine: walk 20 minutes to Yoyogi-uehara station, ride the train on Chiyoda line and stop in Kasumigaseki station at the 8th stop, continue walking 15 minutes to Japan Fair Trade Commission office.

I am in Tokyo as I write, and have this training about competition law under the auspice of Japan International Cooperation Agency. Well so far, it did good. It just the weather that I.m not very fond of. This early May, the temperature range from 2 to 20 degree, but most of the time I really froze. It also very dry. Make my skin rough and extremely dried out.

Weekend is coming! So I don't have to worry about staying awake in class, which is a very difficult thing to do. I will go sightseeing this weekend! Yay!

Is Silence Golden?

Ask it to lawyers."Absolutely not!" perhaps the answer. How come the truth is revealed without voicing it up? How come justice is served without accusation and defense? This is a job that hourly paid, to research, to analyze, to conclude, and the most important, to convey it, to clients and counterparts. So how come silence is golden?

Ask it to politicians. "Hell no!" could be the answer. How come democracy prevail without votes? Without freedom of speech and speak up opinion? How come a system that rules by the people works without a clear common goals told by the people?

Probably I'm missing the context here. There must be a circum stance where silence is the wisest attitude. But what kind of circum stance? When you're facing a bad temper opponent? When you know nothing good to say? When?

I believe that eventually you have to speak up your mind in whatever circum stance. The method and time, off course, have to fit the circum stance. But you could never be silent forever! That is for sure.

Thus I reach a conclusion that silence is not golden. We mistakenly take it as a value when actually we're trying to avoid confrontation. There's nothing wrong with avoiding confrontation, but it is very wrong to abandon dialectica process.

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Living In The Fast Lane

Before we enter a new year, three cabinet ministers issued a joint decision to stipulate public holidays and collective leaves in the up-coming year.

Accordingly, everybody knew that February 7 is public holiday to celebrate Chinese New Year and the next day is collective leave day thus people can have four days holiday in a row.

But what a surprise! On February 5, those three cabinet ministers cancel the February 8 as collective holiday and consequently people have to to work as usual on that day!

Now I don't want to comment on how the people suffer from cancellation of their trips, vacancies, and any other activities planned beforehand. I only concern to what happen to me.

I supposed to go to Bandung and meet my folk. Due to February 8 is a work day, I received specific command to go to the office and prepare something for work. Then today is public holiday but I am unable to make the most of it.

Here I am, woke up at two o'clock in the noon, very lazy to clean up, still not take a bath, wash my face, or brush my teeth. Haven't take anything for breakfast (or lunch I supposed). I had a cup of milk tea and a budd of cigarette so far. Just rest my back against the bed and watch tv all days. When this hunger eats me up, I probably get out and look for something to digest or ... Probably not!

Sucks!

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Nice Pray

"God, please grant me a serenity to accept things I can not change, a courage to change things I can change, and a wisdom to know the difference"

Is it from Bible? Or there is also one in Koran? Possibly. Certainly I got it from a movie "Mr. Brooke". Cool! And exactly what I need.