In Search of Valuable Goods 3/23/2006 06:27:00 PM

Last Sunday, I watched a National Geographic presentation on TV about diamonds, “Diamonds of War” to be exact. It happened that diamonds were used as commodity to fund war in some African countries, such as Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Democratic Republic of Congo. The program basically contained in-depth investigation about “diamond business”, since it was mined in Sierra Leone to the diamond shops at Antwerp. Aside from the interesting topic and good presentation, there’s one thing that amused me, the words coming from one of the sources. He said, “Why does a piece of pebbles means so much.” And it strikes me. Why? Why does it mean so much? Why are people willing to kill others to get it? Why do people risk their life in search of it? And the main question is: What makes something valuable?

Is it the scarcity? Probably. It happens that for 70 pounds of soil being dug, one could only get one pound of diamonds. It shows that diamonds are difficult to find, which is probably why it’s so valuable. On the other hand, water is very valuable for people living in the desert (or Gunung Kidul, if I want to choose a place nearer from home :>) because water is hard to find there. Or in another case, Asian people who were used to having rice as main course would appreciate how valuable rice was when they stayed for some time in Europe.

Or is it because its’ usefulness? That’s possible. Fossil fuel would be a perfect example. Explorations are performed in all parts of the world, from the depth of the forest to the depth of the sea, in order to find the black gold and its counter part. Since the emergence of Industrial Revolution in the 19^th century, fossil fuel has become the main energy source (actually, it’s the sun; but you know what I’m talking about :>). Motor vehicles, electricity for homes and industries, just name it. The majority of them would collapse without the supply of fossil fuel. In that sense, fossil fuel could be categorized as one of the most valuable commodity.

Or is it the social consensus that tells us whether something is valuable or not? Maybe. Money, for example. Money is simply a piece of printed paper (or coin, yeah, whatever). It’s published by the National Bank. Fine. The government declares that it can be used as a means of exchange. Whatever. The point is, everyone believe that it’s valuable because the authority says so; although it’s only a piece of paper. Money is valuable due to social consensus, because everyone agree that it’s valuable.

To sum it all up, there’s one thing that determines one valuable or not. OUR IDEA ABOUT IT. Where do we get the “idea”? Sometimes, it just comes naturally. But most of the times, we learn from our surrounding (society); we learn what’s valuable and what’s not. Still confused? Imagine yourself as Robinson Crusoe, or Tarzan, or whoever you wish to be; just imagine yourself as someone who lived in a remote place far away from the “modern” world. You lived a simple life, needed nothing more than food, clothing, and shelter. Then, one day you saw a piece of gold for the first time. How would you react? Amazed, maybe. But would you suddenly come to a realization that it’s valuable? I don’t think so. Now you’ll probably get the idea what “idea” is (:>).

It’s ironic how people kill others only for the sake of diamonds (such in the case of “Diamonds of War”) or destroy mother nature in search of some piece of metal (Indonesia, sadly, has been a witness of that occurrence). Seriously, some people need to set their priorities right!

Author’s Note: Thanks to Rizki Chrisnadia and Lucy Indriani for the inspiration. Cheers!

Pop the Question! 3/18/2006 08:06:00 PM

Children. Ah, so pure, innocent, and.... annoying, at times. Annoying when they don’t stop bugging you with various questions, or the same question over and over again. It’s amazing to see them getting very interested about the simplest matter. I remember when one of my brothers was around three, he really liked animal illustrated books and miniatures. He always asked my parents to tell him the name of each animal over and over again. Sometimes, my parents seemed bored of it (even me, a six year-old kid, felt the same way), but he never did.

We were once like that, curious and enthusiastic about everything. As we grow up, the attitude is slowly disappearing, though. For most people, at least. Once amazing and somewhat mysterious world had become too familiar to us that we eventually lost our interest in it. And when our curiosity towards our surroundings is disappearing, the fewer questions are asked about it.

Truthfully, thinking isn’t actually fun. It takes a lot of effort and energy. The more curious one is, more questions are asked. The more questions asked, more thinking is needed. That can be pretty exhausting. Not only that, it often brings unpleasant consequences. And human instinctively always try to avoid the unpleasant, which is why it’s normal for feeling reluctant to think.

I guess most of you are familiar with the expression, “What you know can’t hurt you”. I guess there’s some truth in it. The more we think, the more we know, it’s more difficult for us to feel comfortable because there are so many things to be concerned for. If the amount of people who live in poverty all around the world doesn’t intrigue us, it will be easy for us to live a happy and peaceful life since their poverty has nothing to do with us (or so it seems). On the other hand, if we question the reality, it will certainly make us uneasy at times. If we don’t bother to think about the possibilities after life, we will probably feel fine with our life. People who DO bother to think about the possibilities after life certainly don’t have that privilege. For those who believe in the afterlife, the uncertainty of it is nerve-wracking, will it be better or worse than the state of living? It’s no difference for those who don’t believe it. The belief that there’s nothing after life can make them desperate since it basically implies that their life is meaningless. The logic is, if death is eternal, even hundred years of life means nothing compared to eternity.

Our quality of life is better thanks to people who are brave enough to ask questions and work hard in order to answer it (Philosophy 101, everyone?!). All developments are started by a simple act of asking a question. If there weren’t for people who were “crazy” enough to ask the most fundamental, yet mostly ignored, questions such as what life is, what truth is, what knowledge is, we might not be able to enjoy the comfort of cars, water heaters, television, and other modern devices which can’t be separated from our daily life. We owe them a lot for forming the basics of scientific methods, which brings us this far.

Living in a somewhat “modern” life, it’s more difficult for us to start such revolutionary changes like they did long, long time ago. At the same time, living in “modern” life also consumes our time so much that we often forget to look around and contemplate about anything. Or in other words (borrowing from Blur’s lyrics, no copyright infringement intended), “You’ve been so busy lately that you haven’t found the time to open up your mind and watch the world spinning gently out of time”. We actually have the curiosity, it’s just not channeled in the “right” way. “Right”, in the sense that the curiosity doesn’t make us a better and wiser person. For example, celebrity marriage makes us enthusiastic while we couldn’t care less about our existence.

My point is, we are human beings with reason and logic. That’s what makes us different from other living creatures. With that condition, is it normal if we live like, say, animals---living day by day only by instinct? Is it normal for us not using our reason and logic to see ourselves and the world around us?

René Descartes once said, “I think, therefore I am”. And what is the best way of thinking than asking questions? So, pop the question!

The Egocentric Youngster 3/18/2006 08:06:00 PM

Have you ever felt angry not knowing what you’re angry about? Have you ever felt that anything just makes you sick? Have you ever felt as if you’re being eaten away? Have you ever felt like you’re going to explode? If you never felt that way, it’s very unlikely that you would understand anything I’m going tell you now. I’ve been feeling angsty for..., well, for the past year. Not teenage-reject-angsty-kind of-type, it’s more like a Radiohead-maniac-angsty-kind of-type since I listen their songs everyday for the past year. I feel like I can really relate myself to the songs, the situations and the feelings which they portray.

One of my recent favorite song (that is, the song which I play on my MP3 player all day long if I have the chance to, the one I keep on humming, and the one I make reference to) is Stop Whispering, which not so “recent” in terms of the date of release since it was released in 1992. The things that keep running on my mind every time I hear the song are these: grown-ups (I don’t consider myself as a grown-up although I’m 22) preach all the times, they think they’re so wise that they never listen to younger people, young people (I consider myself as one of them) feel uneasy about a lot of things yet never bother to speak out their minds because it’s useless nobody listens anyway. Interestingly, the songs that I enjoy the most at recent time, the ones which seem to mirror my feelings, are those with similar sense as Stop Whispering. They all have somewhat egocentric theme, such as Million Dollar Question, Lurgee, Burning Out, Long View, etc. The funny thing is the songs were written when Thom Yorke and Billy Joe Armstrong were in their early twenties, just like me at this moment. God knows what’s inside their head when they wrote the lyrics. Could it be that my thoughts on the song isn’t so much different from what they had in mind when they wrote it?

As human, we couldn’t live alone. Unless you’re stranded in a remote island like Robinson Crusoe, it’s very unlikely that you would voluntarily choose to live alone (not only in a sense of distancing yourself from others, but also providing all your needs by yourself). We’ve always been a member of society ever since we’re born to this world. Hence, our everyday struggle for acceptance. Dressing up according to the latest trends, studying hard in order to get good marks, sucking up to your superior, those are just a few examples. People’s opinion DOES matter. But in this point of my life, my thought on myself, rather than others’, concerns me more. That’s why I’m not bothered by my spending an extra year at college (the only reason for being sorry for it is because my parents have to pay more). If I was too concerned about people’s opinion, constant nagging from family friends and relatives, asking me when I’ll graduate, would be more than enough to get on my nerves. Right now, above all else, I’m more concerned about what I’m going to be, what I’m going to do, what I expect from myself; the questions that often frustrate you and can make you feel pretty angry and disturbed most of the times. Overall, a bunch of very egocentric thoughts, just like the songs that I’ve been recently listening to.

An article I’ve read a few days ago stated that it’s usually the “educated” people who are being more egocentric. The writer mentioned that the initiation which marked one’s completion of formal education, known as “graduation”, is a pointless, not to mention a waste of money, ritual. He also said that holding a graduation ceremony brings no good and only increases one’s selfishness. But I’m starting to talk outside the context here. The guy is basically criticizing people for being such selfish b****rds who think of nothing but themselves (only, not in so harsh words). And I, being one myself, is going to say that once in your life, you really need to be a selfish b****rd. For once in our lifetime, we should think deeply about our true essence of living, our true-self, not us as a member of a society or in relation to other people. And THAT, in my opinion, is an egocentric deed that needs to be done. Only when we’re able to do that, and find the answer, that we would be able to move on and live our life happily, and in the end, being able to give something to others as well. Of course, the questions need to be answered. If not, we’ll end up spending a meaningless life (the perfect song that I think describe the situation pretty well is “No Surprises”, another impressive work of Radiohead). Do you think rich people who earned their wealth by stealing and cheating (money grabbing capitalist would fall perfectly in to that category) are happy because they’re rich? I don’t think so. They may think that they’re happy, but only in the conscious level. They’re so lost; they think that money can buy happiness.

So, is it wrong to be an egocentric youngster?

Preserving the Past 3/18/2006 08:00:00 PM

I've mentioned in my earlier writing that I enjoy watching historical documentary program. One of those is "Treasure Seekers", which tells about legends, personal quests, archeological expeditions and explorations. I remember in one episode, an archeology professor (whose name I couldn't recall) said that in the beginning of the 20th century, Sanskrit held a place similar to IT does nowadays. "Similar position", in the sense that they both attract so many people to learn them.

The widespread interest towards Sanskrit cannot be separated from the emergence of archeology in mid 1800s to early 1900s. Some of the most prominent archeological discoveries were made in the early 1900s, such as Macchu Pichu in Peru (1911) and King Tut's tomb in Egypt (1922). Explorations in search of remnants from ancient civilizations had been made for years; most of them were driven by the explorer’s romantic notion. Prior to the 1800s, it used to be very difficult to gain funds needed to undertake archeological explorations because most of them were often based on legends (that might never happened), therefore there's no guarantee that the expedition would be successful in finding something of worth. Due to large amount of profitable archeological discoveries (whether in terms of economic or historical value, the publicity surrounding them, etc) made in that period, more fundraiser began to show their interest and started to fund archeological expeditions.

Indonesia hadn't been immune to archeological explorations either. In the first half of the 20th century, archeologists had made some interesting archeological discoveries in Indonesia. The most famous was the discovery of the prehistoric human fossil, Megantropus paleojavanicus, by von Koenigswald in the 1930s. Of course, archeological expeditions in Indonesia in the early 20th century were performed by Dutch archeologists. The native inhabitants (or inlander, as the Dutch colonial used to say) were unconcerned in that kind of activity. Being the oppressed side in a Dutch colony, it's more important to find (or even beg for) a decent job to feed yourself and your family, like being a low-ranked official for the Dutch colonial government, instead of digging the earth to find objects from the pasts which had nothing to do with their present life. The funny thing is, it remains to be the case, even today.

Anything “historical” in general still fails to attract most Indonesians nowadays. The past formed the present. Any events that had occurred in the past, whether it took place yesterday or centuries ago, bring consequences to our life today. Unfortunately, most people don’t realize that. For them, the past is passed; therefore it’s often considered as being completely separated from the present and had no influence in their daily life. Without historical consciousness (the consciousness that the past does affect us), it’s impossible to understand the importance of preserving the past. Incidents like the destruction of historical sites for commercial uses (real estate developments, office buildings, etc) or historical objects sale to foreign collectors showed just how indifferent most of us are in that area. When I said “preserving the past”, I’m not only referring to preservation of historical objects in their physical form (you know, buildings, statues, things like that) but the preservation of meanings as well: why and how past events managed to happen, the importance of those events, and what we learn from them. Historical objects are representation of the past; therefore the consciousness to preserving them will emerge if people have realized their meanings.

If you randomly picked a high school student and asked them what the most boring lesson is according to their opinion, I’m quite sure most of them would pick History. And who can blame them for that? From my personal experience, it looked as if that the main aim in learning History was simply gaining as much information (dates, events, historical figures, etc) as possible so that you can pass the exam; nothing beyond that. The main objectives, which are to analyze why certain events had occurred, what impact it brought (in short-term or long-term), and most importantly: learning from the past in order to avoid the mistakes made by our predecessors so that we could be a much wiser person, seemed to be (or intentionally?) forgotten. With that kind of teaching methods, how do we expect the younger generation to take interest in History?

First step towards History comprehension might not be started from school, but there are other means of encounter with History. For example, the recent trend amongst the retail and tourism industries in my hometown is recreating and/or restorating old-fashioned building, mostly the Victorian (?) and art-deco buildings. In order to make the atmosphere more “antique”, the interior are designed to resemble the period in which the building belongs to and most of the times, old photos that portray my hometown in the past are displayed. By doing that, they have brought sentimental and romantic feelings about the past for present generation, and that could lead to more interest towards History. So, I’m optimistic. We’ll probably be able to learn from the past anyway, someday.

Finding Your Place in the World 3/18/2006 08:00:00 PM

Ethnicity is a big issue, here in Indonesia. It’s natural, considering that Indonesian archipelago consists hundred thousands of islands and with that, consists of thousands ethic groups. Asking people about their ethnicity is a normal question, in the sense that it’s not considered offensive or anything. For most people, it’s probably not difficult to answer in which ethnic groups they belong to. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been the case for everyone.

Myself, for example. I was born in West Java and have spent all my life there. On the other hand, my parents originally come from East Java. Like majority of people who come from East Java, my parents are Javanese. Because my parents are Javanese, their children—including me, of course—should probably be considered as Javanese as well. The problem is, I never feel that way since I live in West Java, which is dominated by Sundanese culture. To make it short, I feel more like a Sundanese than a Javanese. So, am I a Sundanese or a Javanese?

The explanation above is just a foreword. What I’m trying to pour down in this piece basically is my views on the issue of ethnicity. What does belonging to a certain ethnic group really mean for people?

Ethnicity, What Is It?
In anthropological perspective, ethnicity refers to selected cultural and sometimes physical characteristics used to classify people into (ethnic) groups or categories considered to be significantly different from others. People who live in different parts of the world have different physical appearance, that’s completely normal in regards of the differences in natural conditions they must face. At the same time, those people also develop different culture as another tool for survival. That’s why physical appearance is used as means of ethnic classification. Of course, there are people who are similar in physical characteristics but have different culture. So differentiate ethnicity based on physical appearance can be hard to do most of the times. In the end, the basic of ethnic classification is cultural characteristic.

This is where it gets exciting. Or confusing. You decide. Culture is learned. It’s not something that is passed from generations to generations in genetic codes. In other words, it’s not “hereditary” in biological sense. Culture isn’t hereditary; therefore ethnicity isn’t hereditary as well. The “interesting” part (which I’m dying to tell you), ethnicity is considered genetic most of the times. Of course, in most cases a child is socialized in the same way as his/her parents therefore made him/her accepted his/her parents culture as his/her as well. Socialization happens every time someone is in contact with his/her surrounding though, not just through contact with family members, but with the community: neighborhood, school, etc. Through these contacts, a child can adopt a different culture from his/her parents. If that was the case, was the child still considered to have the same ethnicity as his/her parents? I believe that the answer to the question is: NO. Just check out the later part.

Adopting a Culture and Declaring Your Ethnicity
The world today still consists of many ethnic groups in the world these days even though history has recorded the disappearance or extinction of many ethnic groups and civilizations over the ages. They share different cultures which attracts anthropologists to study them. Interestingly, the main aim to study the cultures around the world isn’t to distinguish them one another but to understand the nature of being a human. Or to say it in other words:

“Anthropologists are interested to see the entire spectrum of behaviors, trying to learn the range of humanity¾all the ways that we can be human. By seeing humans in their every manifestation, and comparing those manifestations to each other, we can ask what is possible for humans and what is necessary for humans.” (quoted from Wikipedia)

This means, it’s not a big deal whether you’re an Indian, a Chinese, a Hispanic, etc. No culture is better than the other. Nobody is more humane than the other.

Why then, people still consider declaring ones’ ethnicity important? Simple. It’s because people are trying to find their place in the world. People have the needs to know WHO they are and what makes them unique¾without being entirely different from everyone else. Knowing the answers to those questions makes people feel better. So, in my opinion, you have the right to choose whatever ethnicity that you want. You can choose to be multiethnic. You can choose to be a member of an ethnic group that doesn’t even located in the same country as your homeland.

I have an interesting story in regards of that. A few years ago, I read about an American woman living in my country who was involving herself in traditional Sundanese customs. She’s able to sing Sundanese traditional songs excellently, she spoke Sundanese, and she even managed to adopt Sundanese culture in her daily life. She considered herself as a Sundanese and the society in which she lived in accepted her very well as a part of them, not as a foreigner who came from another country. Does that make her less of an American than her fellow countrymen/women? I don’t think so. I sincerely believe that she loves her native country, no matter what. Being “attracted” to another culture doesn’t mean that you don’t love your “native” culture or your country.

Related to the topic of “adopting others’ culture as yours”, it’s interesting how kids these days, in my country, tend to be less and less interested in their “own” culture and rather adopt Western pop culture. For this phenomenon, I have a totally different opinion. I don’t think that it’s OK. In the case I mentioned above (the Sundanese American woman), she adopt the Sundanese culture because she understand it well and feel intrigued by it. She understands Sundanese culture well. Contrary to that, most teenagers adopt Western pop culture just because they think it’s cool, trendy. They don’t understand the nature of it. The only reason why they’re adopting the culture is because everybody else (their peers) is doing the same. And nothing good comes from copying things without understanding their meanings.

The Answer
What does belonging to a certain ethnic group really mean for people? It gives them the idea of who they are, what they should socialize with others, and how they see the world. It gives you the idea of your place in the world. By the way, if you want to know, I’ve decided that I’m a Sundanese. I just feel like it.

Trying to be Honest with Myself 3/18/2006 07:59:00 PM

My last year at college. Hopefully. I should’ve (and could’ve) graduated this year. My mistake, I was too hesitant to decide a “somewhat important matter” (discussing the details just makes me distressed, so I wouldn’t). But at least it gives me an extra year to think deeply about my plan for the future.

I’m majoring in Pharmaceutical Sciences in college and as a consequence, I was expected to become a pharmacist. The funny thing about our education system here in Indonesia, after studying Pharmaceutical Sciences for around four years, one doesn’t automatically allowed to practice as pharmacist. You’ll get a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacy, but in order to be legally acclaimed as a pharmacist, you must take some sort of “professional education program” for two semesters. Technically, you can choose whether to attend the education program or not. Probably 98% of those who had received Bachelors Degree in Pharmacy continue to take the program. Since it’s a natural thing to do, people (family and friends) expect me to take the program as well, and that is where the dilemma comes from.

I know for sure that becoming a pharmacist is a very noble thing. I mean, you’re actually involved in people’s well-being! Unfortunately, I’m not into it. You may ask then, why on earth did I choose to study Pharmaceutical Sciences in the first place? Well, there are two main reasons and they’re the lowest motives one could have. The university where I study is one of the best and most prestigious university in the country. The point that attracted me was the “most prestigious” part. People show more respect towards the students of my university than other universities and it’s good to be respected. I know, it’s very pathetic. What is the point in getting somebody else’s respect? I mean, those who crave for respect clearly are people who lack self-confidence and/or those who don’t deserve to be respected (I think I fall into the first category, as a teenager). And there’s the money issue. Going to college means you’ll be able to have “a decent job” (a job that enables you to get loads of money, that is) after you graduate, that’s the common view here in my country. I wasn’t immune to that sort of view. In my country, it’s easier to get a job when you studied Pharmaceutical Sciences in college than, say, Physics. Ignoring the psychological test result which stated that I didn’t fit into medical-related job, I applied to Pharmacy Department in the university anyway.

Now, here I am. Twenty-two, almost finishing college, but have no idea whatsoever about the future. Of course, I can take the easy way and do what people are expecting me to do: taking the professional education program, becoming a pharmacist, and working in the pharmaceutical field. But I know deep down that I will not be happy, not in the long term. The thought of ending up in a boring life and accepting everything that life thrown at you (“No Surprises” everyone?) is just dreadful. So, what do I want to do, then? Things that I love doing, that’s the answer.

Of course, there are certain things that I’ve been interested in since I was a kid. History, for example. I always enjoy watching historical documentary program on TV. You know, the ones about ancient Egypt or the 1965 coup d’etat attempt in Indonesia. It may not be in the same extent showed by my brother (who’s studying History in college, and have been fully dedicated to it since he was very, very young). But still, those things are more interesting to me than a documentary about, say, new drug discovery. I even wanted to be an archeologist when I was in third grade. Reading/writing, that’s another thing. Blame my parents for that. They bought and read me children’s books and magazines since I was three, so it’s only natural if I end up as a bookworm. As for the writing part, I have to admit that I’m not very good at it, simply because lack of practice. I wrote a lot when I was in primary school, I even wrote a play when I was in fourth grade (although it’s never performed). But basically, I like reading and writing just as much.

History – writing – reading. A job that would enable me to combine all those things would be perfect. Like being a “National Geographic” correspondent, for example (yeah, keep on dreaming mate!). Well, at least I’ve walked the first step. Being honest with myself. I hope I’ll have the courage to keep on going.

Wonderful World of Fictions 3/18/2006 07:44:00 PM

After months of waiting, the 6th book of the Harry Potter series ”Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince” has finally been released. While most Potter fans around the globe will soon find out what happen to the Wizarding World (in general) and Harry (in particular), I’m sad to tell you that I’m not one of them. I’m not saying that I’m not a Potter fan. On the contrary, I’m crazy about the book. I visit Harry Potter fansite almost everyday, I believed some of the most unbelievable theories surrounding the story (including the theory that Snape was actually Lily Potter’s brother, but of course I found out later that it’s not true), I read Harry Potter fanfictions, I discussed the book with fellow fans those just a few prooves that I’m really a Potter fan. The problem is, the price of the book. It is quite expensive in rupiah (the currency used here in Indonesia). If we order the book before its release, it costs 225,000 rupiah (about US $ 22.5). And I’ll tell you, twenty-two dollars is a lot of money for most people who live in a third world country like me (with that amount of money, you can buy 90 l of gasoline). Considering the fact, I decided to wait until the book is released in Indonesian edition because the price would be much cheaper then. But I’m not going to talk about the economic injustice in developing countries or something like that (I think everybody would’ve got the clear picture about the issue anyway). What I would like to write at this moment is fictional stories or fictions, and why I like them so much.

I guess most of you would’ve assumed that there’s no point in explaining the beauty of fictions since all of us like it anyway. Well, you’re wrong! Actually, I myself used to think that everyone like fictions. That is, until a friend of mine was startled when I told him that Harry Potter is one of my favorite book. “Never really like fictional stories,” he said. I wouldn’t blame him for that. He wants to be an entrepreneur and the books he read is somewhat ranging around management (“Rich Dad Poor Dad” and things similar to that) and personal development (“Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” and it’s kind). What amazes me that he NEVER REALLY FICTIONAL STORIES. How could he? I mean, there are lots of reasons to fall in love with fictions.

First of all, fictions can take you to places you’ve never been before and even places which only exist in our imagination. I’ve never gone abroad , but after reading “The Da Vinci Code” I could’ve sworn that I’ve been in France, visited the Louvre, and seen some of the greatest artwork in the world . I could hear monks who talked in Latin and saw them walking along the hallway inside a 14th century monastery in Italy (thanks to Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose”). And I couldn’t imagine there’s a structure more amazing than Hogwarts Castle. Just think of it. You can travel around the world (and beyond) with relatively small amount of money or even no money at all. I always wish to be able to travel around the world, but with limited cash I am satisfied enough just to imagine it. Thanks to the fictions, of course.

One of the thing that people often don’t realize about fictions is that they tell you about real life issue. People often think that because it’s fiction, the story is not real thus not important. That’s probably why people underestimate fictions most of the times. I don’t know why they think that way because whether it’s a Nobel prize winner book or a folklore, most fictions always have something more than meets the eye. Even the most typical teenage drama have a certain message (the message usually is that being popular isn’t everything and being one isn’t going to guarantee any success later in our life) in it.

Another great thing about fictions is that they inspire you and make you a better person. I was obsessed with dinosaurs and even wanted to become a paleontologist after watching “Jurassic Park” twelve years ago (I dind’t even know what a paleontologist was before I watched the movie). Fictions can cause such a great effect on people. And I’ve heard lots of stories about people who suddenly changed their course of their wrecked life after watching certain movies or reading certain books. It shows how inspiring a fiction can be.

Fictions give you information about all kind of stuff. Sometimes it’s important and sometimes it’s not, but they are still worthy to know. For example, I found out that body heat is mostly released from the head---from a storybook I read when I was still at elementary school. Or that teriyaki is a Japanese modification of beef stew (which was introduced to the Japanese by the Westerns). Who knows if someday I’ll participate in TV game show and those sorts of useless information will be asked? It can determine whether I’ll become a millionaire or return home empty-handed.

Those are just few reasons that I can think about. Visiting those wonderful world of fictions, I dare not to imagine how my life would be without them. It would be more lame than it already is, I’m sure about it.

The Irony of Being Famous 3/18/2006 04:51:00 AM

A few months ago, I read an article on one of the most prestigious newspaper in the country about youngsters and their choice of career. I was startled to find out that most youngsters in Indonesia nowadays choose showbiz-related career. You know: movie star, model, singer, band member. And I realized just how much the world has changed ever since I was a kid. At that time, most children and teenagers wanted to be a doctor or an engineer. My amazement didn’t stop at that point; I was more shocked when I found out that they’re interested in a career in the entertainment business because they want to be famous.

Honestly, I think it’s very weird. Weird, because most famous people don’t really enjoy their fame. They moan all the time about the privacy they couldn’t get, about how the paparazzi always stalking them 24/7, things like that. There. That’s the irony. (Ordinary) people want to be famous while famous people hate being famous.

It’s relatively easy to understand why famous people hate their fame. Being famous means that people are watching and judging your every step. What you do, what you wear, who you meet, basically every aspect of your life. Of course, attention is desirable by every human being, to a certain extent. It mustn’t feel good if there’s nobody who cares about you. On the other hand, there are times when we want to be alone and it’s difficult to be “alone” when you’re famous. Even if it’s not the damn press or paparazzi, there will always be us, the common people that annoy you by asking for your autograph. And even if you’re not in the mood, you have to keep on smiling and give them your autograph, or people will accuse you of being a snob which will make people to dislike you, et cetera, et cetera. So, you see, being famous can be very stressful at times. Privacy becomes a very rare and expensive experience (sometimes they have to rent an island to have a normal holiday, faraway from the eyes of fans; can you imagine how much it cost to rent an island?). No wonder they hate being famous.

Now, the difficult part is to understand why people want to be famous. I guess the desire of being famous is something based on emotional judgment. Especially with the way TV stations bombard us everyday with reality shows (some offer instant path to fame) and showbiz news (how fun and glamorous the life of showbiz people is). The idea of fame slowly but sure starts to sink in your brain. The end result, being famous is just something you want although you can’t really explain with logics why you want it. Of course, there’s the money factor. Famous people, particularly those who are working in showbiz, tend to get lots of money. At least that’s the common opinion. Having a lot of money offers so many possibilities (in other words, you can buy almost anything with money), those that are to difficult to resist. But if it’s money you’re looking for, there are other jobs that you can pursuit. Being an entrepreneur, for example.

One of the most horrible story about fame is the life of Lady Diana Spencer, The Princess of Wales. Spending her life under the spotlight since her marriage with the British crown prince, she’s forced to look perfect for the public eye all of the times because of her status even when her marriage life was crumbling down which resulted in eating disorder as a way of consolation. In the end, she’s killed in a car accident which was caused, it is believed, by speeding in an attempt to avoid the paparazzi. She’s killed, literally, by her fame.