Happy Independence Day of East Timor

It is 28^th of November (2015) today here in the States, but half of 29^th already back home in East Timor now as I am writing this entry. The 28^th of November is called the proclamation of Independence Day. Celebration of the day is regularly festive.

The celebration happens to be in dry season or known summer in the northern hemisphere society. The heat in summer makes the spirit of nationalism becomes fiery. East Timorese are proud when they celebrate the day, they chant, they laugh, and even they still have the memory of hardship, and revolution.

When I woke up today’s morning, I opened my window. I looked out from the window, I saw a leafless tree. The branches no longer have leafs because all have been swallowed by the fall season.

I saw crystal splashes vine around the three branches. It gives a more relaxing and cooling spirit to think about the fiery celebration that my fellows were and are celebrating back home given the humidity and hot weather at this time.

These crystal splashes come to mind to write. I want to connect the purity of the water drips to balance all negative spirit of pessimism, adversity, hostility, corruptive, self-righteousness, etc.

The purity of water-like spirit can balance those negative things. I hope, as the country gets older, Timorese learn to be more honest, and kinder in each one’s attitudes and behaviors as pure as the water splashes on the photo. This is one of the core principles of the independence is about. 

Happy 40th of Independence!

**I hope this gives you an inspiration       

Get the Safety Vigilance Reminder Out For All of Us

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It is sad to hear it, predetermined and planned killing, again in Paris, France. What I am trying to put in here is not that I am interested to write as if I am an international observer. Instead, we are now highly mobile or easy to go anywhere as opportunity for it is open for many of us.

Such an incidence is no longer just for people who are perceived as the target; everyone in the group is target. It sometimes happens in places about which we are so passionate to visit. Hence, vigilance is an indispensable psychological skill that everyone should have when one visits places that were used to have very good reputation of security systems.

New York City in America, Paris in France, and London in England, to name a few, can never be trusted for having perfect security systems that could lead us to be ignorant. It is, to my own understanding, our own vigilance that makes the security becomes close to perfect in a place where we are in.

I am thinking to write this down because as the more I travel the more friends I make. That leads me to know many friends around the world. They live in places that could have such incidences like the one happened in Paris on 13 November, 2015. I would like to get this reminder out for all of us.

I also particularly target the reminder to my fellow countrymen who are also so mobile within the European continent recently. Even though in a few amount, they are agile, and curious people who often end up in places where insane people may potentially plan to target for killing innocent people.

The point is be mindful when we go to crowded places, at the very least, for one's own individual safety; more than that be mindful for the collective safety in the place where we are in. That is how human is created for in this universe.

**Hope this gives you an inspiration

Cudidado ba Feto Bonita Falso Iha Facebook!

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Hau nia post ne’e mosu tanba iha loron hirak liu ba hau simu mensagem lohi ten sira dala hira tutuir malu. Ate hau tau iha hau nia Facebook. Belun diak ida husi Inglatera, fo comentario no share ninia involvimento ba hodi hakarak hatene barak ba lohi ten sira nia lalaok. Nia fo informasaun barak no hau buka tutan tan fali mos hatudo katak lohi ten sira nia maneira ne efetivo tebes. No, wain hira hau le, matenek nain sira dehan, lei nungka sei bele hafraku sira, só liu husi habelar informasaun mak bele. Tan ne hau ketik halimar tuir mai ne,e. 

Uja internet ne’e ita contente tebes wain hira bele descobre mundo ho tur deit iha meja, hemu café, AC hu tan, rona musica; ida ne parte moris diak nian. Ba mane hotu, san tan quando koalia ho feto bonita ida, nudar mane, hanesan criatura nebe agresivo nebe mai ho nia identidade sexo mascilino, hakarak los koalia ho feto keleur, hakarak telfone, ida ansi liu mak hakarak hasoru. Ida ne nudar caracteristico mane ninian. Liu-liu ba sira nebe klosan.

Maibe saida mak akontese wain hira feto oan nebe mak ita chat ba ne’e naukten ida? Ou nia termo diak liu maka ‘lohi ten.’ Lohi ita ho nia “rayuan” atu sai doben. Kuando ita monu ona ba sira nia maneira bosok, ita sei sai vitima ba nia. Sai vitima tanba saida? Tanba ita monu ona ba nia manobra domin, nia sei husu osan ba ita, no osan ninia montante ne laos kikoan. Tuir ema babain koalia iha media katak sira husu atus ba atus to milliaun ba milliaun.

Ida ne karik ita balun rona hanesan babain. Sira nebe mak iha konyesemeto adecuado karik senti katak sei nungka bele monu ba manobra. Sira mos karik hanoin hau repete saida mak ema barak koalia bebeik. Hau nia intesaun laos atu repete, maibe habelar. Hanoin! Ema sira laiha konyecemento hanesan ita boot vulnerable tebes. Sira nebe foin uja Facebook bele sai vitima tanba seidauk akustumado ba parte at husi internet ne’e. Ate, ema matenek nain, osan barak mos bele vulneravel. HANOIN! alat ida ema uja hodi hamaus mane mak “FETO.” Ba ita nebe mak dehan, “ah…la hetan boy,” husu hader nafatin.

Temptasaun nia nivel as no intensivo tebes nebe presija deskobre. Presija ita konyese sira nia maneira par bele educa ita hotu. Ida mak, hau ema metan, hela iha foho, babain ba deit to’os mas derepenti feto inan ida, mutiiinn beee lotuk - body gitar, haruka mensagem ida mai dehan, sayang, Dear, Love.” Oh, ne halo kaben suli deit. Fuan la tahan hodi lakoi atu responde. Quando ida ne mosu, uja ita nia skill basico nudar humano hodi tetu, karik ida ne’e “rejeki nomplok?” Iha mundo, ema ida husi entre milliaun 200 mak foin hetan rejeki hanesan ne'e. Maibe ema ne’e laos ita bo’ot.

Sira nia maneira ida seluk mak, husu ita nia ajuda tanba feto oan ne agora iha susar no terus nia laran. Ita hatene, ema Timor ne ninia fuan ajuda malu kroat tebes. Katak, gosta ajuda ema ho forsa no osan. Feto lohi ten sira babain tane liman, tanis, konta nia susar para ita bele tanis tuir. No fim tanba ita mos senti kasian demais, ita bele monu tama sira nia lasu hodi foo san. Iha mos maneira seluk mak sira bele uja wain hira tuan ne fraco ona hodi hamaus ema.

Karik ita nia alin sira foin uja Facebook ne’e laiha osan doit ida nusa ita tengki tauk? Hau sei hanoin wain hira caso iha ida iha Ministerio Defesa k saida ne’e uluk uja osan estado nia mak haruka ba Mane ida iha Inglatera. Ida ne hatudo katak, osan rasik laiha maibe, oportunidade atu uja ema nia osan iha, ntaun buat ne bele akontese wain hira deit.

Hanesan hau dehan, ema sira nebe iha konyesementu adecuado mos bele vulneravel. Halo nusa? wain hira hau le feto lohi ten ida nia mensagem iha facebook, Facebook hatudo hau nia friends se se deit mak kolega ona ho feto lohi ten ne’e. Iha neba dehan “Mutual friends.” Ne significa katak feto lohi ten ne’e add ona kolega balu no sai friend. Nia sei bele uja maneira oi oini. Hau la hatene motivasaun tanba saida ita aseita hodi sai nia friend. Maibe bai-bain, profile iha, no bonita ne’e hatudo katak ema ne’e realidade iha duni. Mas ita la hatene katak nia hafu hela ita par trasa ninia maneira lohi ita ne. 

Tanba ne’e tuir lolos habelar informasaun ne laos deit atu fo hatene ba sira nebe mak new comers iha internet maibe be hafanu mos ita sira nebe tuan tia ona halimar internet.

**Espera katak ida ne’e bele fo inspirasaun.   

  

Do advisers deserve super high salary?

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I was a kind of pushed by the newly heated topic on Facebook these hours about public office consultant salary to write down this entry. Literally, it opens my eyes, truly, as wide as the Atlantic Ocean. I have heard of such a level of salary, but I have never seen that type of elitist list.  

As a human being, I am eager to be in that position, of course. Who does not want money receiving $ 11K per month? Of course no body. Based on this ideal, I would argue that none of those mentioned advisers, who are in the published list, deserves any blame from us. They are just ordinary people who were looking for a job, they got it, and now they are sustaining their life. Instead, my take is whether they deserve it.

My personal experiences and anecdotes. Have you ever seen an adviser who acts like the actual boss in public offices? I have seen and worked with some. Some national and international advisers in Timor act like they are the boss, so you imagine what they would do. Treating an adviser like a boss is making him/her not deserve a special salary. They may come to the office at will. They would expect making instruction rather than being instructed to do jobs. The system has become acute that no body can revolutionize it. One thing to remember is, for example, the relationship between an adviser and a boss is not random. You background check them, they are from one coin with two sides. How can a boss treat an adviser like a real adviser? Although working with such a challenge, bosses and advisers can still overcome their special relationship that hinders their productivity if they value professionalism and, most importantly, the national interest higher than anything else they hold.

The real advisers provide technical services. Their brains should be more “sophisticated” than bosses’ and regular staffs’ whom they advise. Some advisers complain that they do their best, but politic decides everything. This slot is where advisers demonstrate their expertise. They come up with complicated equations/engineering models/fact-based reasoning to explain which decision is reasonable and which one is not. They are sitting at the second row of the seat to provide numbers/ideas/opinions for bosses to inform or to negotiate with others. Advisers work with the existing system to improve, and innovate working systems, to solve problems rationally, and to transfer know-how.

These are what I see real advisers will deserve super high salary if they function that way. I don’t quantify to what extent those money spent have had impacts on the variables of public services in the country. But I would say, advisors’ expertise has not been tapped to the fullest. I am not saying to eliminate them nor decrease their salary, instead creating a management system in order to put them in the maximum function mode. Force them to work as how they are paid. This is what I cant see. 

Hope this gives you an inspiration. 

Being An African Just For 10 Minutes

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I have been Africanized this past two weeks through African songs. I participated in a musical performance with the very nice and lovable friends from Africa, who called me to take part in a kind of cultural exchange event. The purpose of the event was for people in the school community, KU to come to learn more about African countries. That day was dedicated for only three countries: Sudan, Nigeria and Kenya. When I attended the event, I did not feel like the event was dedicated for only these three countries. I did not see much difference between these three with the others, until I saw each country’s boundary drawn on the map showed on the large projector screen. That attitude comes up because Africa has such a unity not only because all nations sit on one main land (hope I am not wrong), but also having similar English accent (according to my ears), and one other note is their brotherhood is strong even they just know each other overseas. I found this similar to what I have back in my country. This makes hardly distinguishable in terms of nationality.

I took part in that performance because, first, I like music (particularly folk music or traditional music that has been incorporated into pop genre), and second they are my friends of course. But really, beyond that, Africa is rich of culture. I don’t know much about the other art, but musical art from Africa has a character. Songs are unique and distinguishable from any other types that we hear across the world. Not to mention its influence on the current world music taste like Hip Hop and Rap music. Dance moves even make them more typical and unique. I remember Waka Waka. 

I have been familiar to African songs beats back in my country. The way how African-typical music is heard in my country is not because of internet, or youtube. It is because we have some historical connection from two to three Portugues colonials in African that brought their songs in. Even though most songs are in Portugues language, their African thing is always there, like melody characters, and beats. So, that makes me feel like I can get the soul when I play an instrument.  

                           

I had no idea about the songs we played. They are in Swahili. One of the widely spoken languages in African continent. I learned that I need to, at least, learn Swahili basics if I ever plan to visit this one of the two continents that I have not touched my feet on. To practice Swahili here are few words to memorize right here and right now. Asante=thank you, Mimi=I, Hujambo=hello, Milele=forever, Habari=How are you. I learned these words from the songs that we played and I heard them from people talking. This has added my-only: Akunamatata.

**Hope this gives you an inspiration

Inaguração Projeto Infrastutura Luxo

Reitor universidade koa fita ba rehabilitação estrada sustentável

Bolu modelo Sana mak ne'e

Imagem iha leten ne’e ha’u bolu hanesan ceremónia inaguração nebé ha’u adora tebes. Ne’e laos tanba ceremónia ne’e luxo: ema bo’ot barak mak marka presenca, hahan barak, hemu wiskey, ou festa bo’ot. Maibe, tanba ninia simplicidade nebe mak tau prioridade as liu ba ‘isin’ duke ‘kulit.’ Isin tanba, obra nebe maka halo nia inaguração bá ‘koa fita’ ne’e remata keleur ona. Ninia qualidade diak tebes. Koa fita ne tan neing perturba público nia interese maske halao los iha fatin babain ema nungka mamuk. Evento ne’e acontese hanesa express, lori 20 minutos deit pasa ona. Ema fila isin tama ba ida-idak ninia baraka hodi halo servicos.   

Ida seluk tan maka inaguração ne’e lao hanesan festa ceremónia ema kiak nian. Público mai rona reitor universidade ninia palestra badak ne’e ho hamrik deit, iha loron matan okos; laiha ema ida (ita nian karik) maka tara salenda ba reitor ou ema dignitários seluk ninia kakorok wain hira sira mosu iha fatin. Ida seluk maka, ema la oferece aihan bo’ot ou luxo. Laiha koa dosi andar ou rabenta tinto botir. Público consume deit dosi bolo, pan cake. Pan cake ne’e ninia modelu ou forma ita hare hanesan sana, maibe la bo’ot no la belar hanesan ne’e. Imajina, han bolo mak be hemu laiha, sa tan kamat rua dala ida, bolo belit iha kakorok dada is la diak hotu.

Estrada Transformado 

Ceremónia hanesan ne’e acontese ba projeito físico nebe ho orçamento 11 milhões, pois aumenta tan 600 mill? ‘Fonte ne’e dehan.’ Ouh, então ne’e ita balun admira wain hira tutan hamutuk buat sira nebe maka acontese iha Timor. Baku fila deit lia fuan nebe hau temi iha leten. Karik ita comprende kedas saida mak bai-bain ita halo iha Timor quando compara ho saida maka hau conta hela ne’e.

Parte luxo mak ida ne’e. Perspetiva luxo husi ema ne’e ninian, maibe karik ita considera hanesan la moderno ida. Primeiro mak, inaguração ne’e halo ba projeto ida bolu dehan infrastrutura sustentavel. Projeto infrastutura ne’e haforca estrada no systema drainagem. Objetivo maka atu halo drainagem sira lao ho sustentavel; laos deit uja sumente no besi hodi facilita udan ben halai lalais maibe mos imita systema natureza. Componente natureza nian hanesan du’ut, kuda ai barak nebe abut bele susu be lalais no abut bele kaer metin rai ho força. Hirak ne’e sira considera hanesan projeto luxo tanba, agora rai nebe ita hela la diak liu maske ita uja sasan moderno deit. Karik ida ne’e ita considera laos luxo iha ita nia rain. 

Besi at mak ne'e

Segundo luxo maka, bis bestua ida bolu dehan KU Trolley ne’e maka tula reitor universidade nian mai fatin ceremónia. Bis bestua ne’e ema cuidado los hanesan osan mean bo'ot iha comunidade universidade ninian. Iha fatin ceremónia nian, público hotu hotu hateke bestua ne’e matan naklosu hanesan feto ran ida hare mane klosan bonito ida liu ba  ou mane klosan ida tolan kaben wain hira hare feto metan midar ou feto mutin ida liu iha ninia oin. Ema barak husu hakarak sae fali hanesan ne'e do que bis ida nebe mak sofer buti deit butão odamatan loke ona. Sira considera ida ne’e hanesan recurso luxo tanba valor istoria nian nebe sei nugka bele hetan wain hira sira failha preserva. Bestua ne’e sai mai halo operacão iha tinan 1910. Ne'e transporte primeiro ba escola. Tanba ne iha valor as tebes.

Istória ne hatudo licão mai ita katak, atu sai sociadade nebe mak desenvolvido ita la presija tengki moris hanesan ema rico. Halao sasan ho simplicidade, liu-liu tuir capacidade ita nian, ne furak liu do que ita halo buat nebe mak força la too maibe dudu deit. 

 **Espera katak istória ne’e bele fo inspiração

Lain Kali Jangan Ngeblog Kaya Gitu Lagi ya Mas

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Saat pagi tadi (hari Jumat), waktu US bagian tengah saya bangun dengan penuh semangat karena ‘it is a weekend.’ Hari yang agak rileks kalu dibandingkan dengan hari-hari lainnya di awal minggu. Sebenarnya ada undangan dari teman untuk datang ke acara BBQ di block sebelah tempat tinggal saya. Tadinnya saya sangat ingin kesana lebih awal. Lumayan makan gratis; makanan di rumah jadi buat besok lagi. Tapi saya langsung bilang ngeblog saja dulu, nanti baru nyusul, soalnya ada sesuatu yang mau saya curahkan ketika pagi-pagi buka mata saya baca sebuah tulisan di blog seseorang. Mudah-mudahan saya tidak terlambat supaya bisa makan gratis.

Bukan tensi juga, tapi sedikit bertanya-tanya ketika saya baca blog tersebut yang isinya antara bloggernya itu iri hati, sakit hati, kurang informasi atau memang sengaja. Intinya dia berada di antara salah satu kategori, kombinasi dari beberapa atau bahkan semuanya. Saya masih ingat banyak orang-orang bijak selalu berkata bahwa orang yang beriman, berpendidikan dan berwawasan luas (civilized people) hampir tidak pernah merendahkan orang lain berdasarkan kelemahan karena secara alamiah, semua manusia dan bangsanya masing-masing mempunya kekurangan dan kelebihan. Bahkan kelemahan-kelemahan pun biasanya dinilai secara subyektif atas kepentingan tertentu, jadi tergantung dari sudut apa anda menilainnya. Tapi itu ‘akh…sudahlah’ coba baca lebih dulu bloggnya di sini supaya tau what the heck I am talking about.

Memang Indonesia itu sudah maju. Analoginya itu seperti orang dewasa sudah harus lebih terdepan di banyak hal dalam kehidupan. Anak kecillah yang masih perlu tuntunan, perlu bantuan kiri-kanan-atas-bawah bagaimana untuk bisa belajar menuju kehidupan yang lebih dewasa dan baik. Saya anggap saja anda sudah baca blognya dan tau bahwa saya setuju dengan apa yang si blogger itu bilang Indonesia masih dalam tanda kutip menjajah Timor Leste. Memang banyak hal yang tidak bisa kita rubah dengan mudah dan dalam waktu singkat, apalagi dalam dunia dimana arus pergerakan barang, orang, jasa, dan informasi layaknya berkecepatan SINKANSEN (kereta super cepat ala Jepang). Hal ini membuat keseragaman atau keumuman dari beberapa aspek kehidupan semakin tidak jarang terlihat di satu pulau ke pulau lain ataupun dari satu negara ke negara lain.

Selebihnya ada dua fakta yang membuat Indonesia dengan Timor Leste itu kelihatan seragam seperti yang disebutkan si blogger. Memang keduanya tidak bisa terpisahkan hanya dengan alasan politik. Fakta geografis membuat keduannya banyak kesamaan. Coba bandingkan rumah anda beserta pekarangannya dengan tetangga anda, pasti banyak kesamaan. Yang kedua, Indonesia menjadi penguasa di Timor Leste selama 24 tahun. Dalam kurung waktu dua decade lebih itu, apa sih yang tidak mendarah daging? Dari mental korupsi, bahasa, model bangunan, makanan, selera music, sampai keturunan generasi. Saya sendiri pernah jatuh cinta sama seorang cewe keturunan, dan suka dengar lagu keroncong, dan dangdut. Kan bukan mentang mentang Timor Leste sudah merdeka jadi tidak boleh jatuh cinta sama itu hal, kan? Nga bisa Brai…. Kan itu manusiawi. Sama halnya juga kalau banyak teman-teman dari Indonesia yang gila akan barang bikinan orang luar. Saya cuman mau bilang saja kalau we have so many things in common, tentunya. Jadi si blogger itu saya anggap tidak ada instink social yang tajam karena dia tidak tau bahwa kesamaan itu bukan karena Timor Leste tidak mampu tapi semuanya itu terjadi karena ada alasan. Kalau banyak baca, pasti ngerti!

Kekurangan Timor Leste memang masih banyak. Mulai dari pengiriman anak mudanya untuk belajar di Indonesia. Jujur saja memang Timor Leste masih belum mempunyai fasilitas yang cukup dan memadai untuk mendidik semua anak-anaknya di dalam negeri untuk mempersiapkan kebutuhan sumber daya manusia di masa depan. Tapi kita harus juga ingat bahwa ilmu itu tidak mengenal batas geografis, politik, ideologi, agama, dan hal tertentu lain. Jadi siapa saja boleh mengejar ilmu sampai kemana saja. Kata pepatah “Tuntunlah Ilmu Sampai ke Negeri China.” Kalau orang Belanda mempunyai pola pikir seperti si blogger, pasti tidak ada sarjana jebolan Belanda. Bayangkan, kalo Jerman kikir ilmu, Habibie mungkin pintarnya biasa biasa saja. Belum lagi America dan negara- negara Eropa. Jadi sekolah di negeri orang itu bukan berarati orang itu mengemis namun ada unsur simbiosis mutualismenya, sangat normal. Si blogger saja yang nga pernah tau. Saya sendiri punya banyak teman dari Indonesia yang orangnya super dewasa sekarang belajar di US. Andaikan si bolgger baca blog saya ini: coba baca informasi mengenai programa beasiswa ini, siapa tau kamu dapat beasiswa ini dan bisa bersekolah di luar. Asik kan, bisa dapat pendidikan yang saya bilang di atas ini.     

Kalau untuk pembangunan fisik kota dan pusat-pusat hiburan Jakarta yang si blogger banggakan itu tidak pernah saya jadikan sebagai indicator apakah Timor Lester itu beradab atau tidak. Hal ini sangat tergatung pada penilaian masing-masing orang dan apa kepentigannya. Jadi, biarlah Jakarta punya gedung-gedung setinggi Burj Khalifa yang tersebar dari selatan-utara hingga timur-barat kota pun tidak apa-apa. Yang penting Timor Lester punya caranya sendiri untuk bagaimana bisa maju kedepan. Tentunya tidak lepas dari kolaborasinnya dengan Indonesia dalam bentuk apa sajalah.

**Hope this gives you an inspiration

Small Lesson of Construction Management in the US

Construction Site at KU

University of Kansas is making aggressive investments. There are multiple construction projects in two academic years (2014 – 2016). I say these years are “the year of construction.” There are many “road closed” signposts at several campus street corners. The road construction project is the one that causes a temporary bus route change, and my on-campus trail route, too. This is sometimes disturbing for some people where their regular destination spot is hilly. They may need to do a half circular or loop walk up to the hilly terrain. It is good for health though.  

But this kind of construction management has never bothered me when I compare it with what I have seen in other places. The construction working has managed to reduce the level of disturbance as low as possible. It manages to open alternative walkways for the closed ones. The temporary ones are paved and fenced to make sure the safety of passersby even though there are not many in summer. The most impressing thing is the affected bus routes remain as close as possible to the original bus stops. This should not make students feel disturbed as a little change the construction activity has to cause. This of course needs a careful project management and monetary cost. But, what else is more important than people’s live and convenience? 

Generally, construction projects in the US do not need a huge manpower to accomplish; technology has taken over most of it. We barely see muscular but skinny men shoveling sands to trucks, carrying rocks, and pouring mix by hands, for example, to a molded sidewalk or road pit. Construction times have been cut half than it used to be. Times saved from such methods are reallocated for careful planning and study. That will result in good quality outcomes. And most importantly, workers are enjoying their job rather than hating it because of too much pressures.

This is not really a novel thing though. It just a real experience that I feel like public interests such as safety and convenience should always be the priority in such a kind of activity. To be honest, I hate road closing thing that usually comes with traffic bottleneck, traffic jam, and traffic route diversion. Some small places usually have little to care about public interest or whatsoever. So having such a good personal experience gives me a hope that my habitat would have more of that good thing to happen in the future.      

**Hope this gives you an inspiration

Why the USA is the World's Largest Natural Resources Consumer ?

(Just from a minor aspect)

We hear this a lot around the climate change and environmental issues. The more people, the more stuff they consume, true. The US population is the third largest in the world, around more than three hundred millions, unless Indonesia has beaten it. Of course the quantity is counted. But, consuming natural resources is also attributable to one’s affluence, the level of quality of life.
  

Americans have “The American Dream” meaning that every American aspires to have a house sitting in a large acre of land, and with, at least, a car parking in the garage. The house is equipped with appliances that can’t run without electricity. The car runs for miles and miles to go to the destination. So we can imagine how much the natural raw material resources needed to establish that dream, given the population size.

In the community scale lifestyle, Americans, not all, have a lavish lifestyle that might not be wise and just for other Americans who are roaming around the street days and nights due to poverty, not to mention people in poor countries. In the more mobile community such as in college towns, the lavish lifestyle is conspicuous. We can see it by the time people moving in and out from the rental homes as the new academic year arrives. People are giving up usable furniture items in the streets, such as couches, TVs, chairs, and lots of other stuff. Those goods are thrown in front of houses expecting somebody else to pick them up and use them. Pickers come pick them up with trucks.

However, the other unpicked, most items look usable, will end up in landfills. They will be destroyed if not repurposed. Those usable items could be maintained, or just need a little efforts to collect and donated them to the communities or organizations who usually mobilize and provide such goods to the poor or people who are in need.

This is a lifestyle, however; some Americans, particularly students, as I observed this in a college town, might have enough money and might think that they are affluent enough to procure furniture anytime in the future. Such an attitude leads people to be reluctant to preserve the 'environment' by doing something from their ends. It also unfortunately leads them to be ignorant to other people’s living condition around them.  

We all know that things we use are sourced from nature. It’s been a heated debate about the anthropogenic global climate change. Whether it is true or not, I believe that our environment degrades and climate has changed due to the overconsumption of natural resources and enormous waste we generated. The US is the largest consumer. It does not mean that the nation has caused all the problem, but it contributes to it significantly. Thus, seeing such a lifestyle, I can assure that the title given for the US “the biggest natural resources consumer nation on earth" is undoubtable, just from this tiny lifestyle. 

**Hope this gives you an inspiration.

Made-in-Chinaphobia

My broken earphones (just the ones I have not dumped)

How many of your electronic devices or apps have broken lately? Were they broken because of your fault or was there something to do with the brand? Of course user’s fault is a primary factor. But, they may also be broken because of horrible low quality. I had fifteen earphones gone in two years. That means roughly eight each year, or four each semester. I could have got purchasing prizes more than somebody else. It sounds like I am a rich guy, no, not at all.  

I have a made-in-chinaphobia now, in the US. It is not because I am rich or do not buy made-in-china products, it is because I could not parry them in the US markets. I have tried to buy each of them from a different brand with variety of prices, company, made manual and online purchases. I have pretty much bought almost all brands that currently exist in the market, since each of them came from a different brand, but the results were still the same; they are everywhere. 

At least, one of an earphone’s components must come from China, either the box, cord, or other! I should recognize that China is invading the US markets like it does elsewhere; the demand for such low quality products over here is also increasing. Probably, low income people in the US is rising? It is not exactly known, but really, the market allows them to be here. I do not say that all made-in-china products are bad, some do have incredible long life span. But, not earphone.  Now, I have the fifteenth gone. Only my left ear can hear sounds. I am looking forward to buy a new one. I will come to buy the same thing; I hope not. 

I would not be surprised at all if I were currently in my home country. I would purchase a made-in-china thing consciously because there is no other option, they are pretty much everywhere. We are just end users, so that's all we can do. But, it seems like same thing happens in the US as well. 

** Hope this gives you an inspiration 

CASINO AND PROSTITUTES

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We know Las Vegas, Macau, Hong Kong, Beijing, or many other world class cities that have the gambling business culture. What usually comes with gambling is entertainment. Dancing, alcohol, and musics are inherent with gambling industry. Some of us usually see these things first on TV shows, particularly Hollywood movies. I recall movies like Casino, and Jacky Chan’s, Rush Hour, he fights in a casino. This gives us a virtual experience about the casino industry that we typically heard conservative, and religious people would not want them in their backyard. However, seeing this kind of environment gives us a different perspective. It tells us another way of life of other people in another hemisphere. Some folks  may put themselves incompatible to such a culture, but all we need to do in the US, and it is applicable elsewhere, is just abide rules, respect people, and do not forget to respect yourself. That’s all we can do for our self-preservation while out.

Visit to Washington DC

Washington Monument 

Coming to the US without visiting its capital is like leaving behind a curiosity unsatisfied. There are many reasons why; Washington DC as the Capital of the US is distinctively a pleasing city for those who try to pause to visit hustle bustle cities like New York, Chicago, and others; it is a city that offers America’s political history for visitors to learn, to experience, to even dissent on some events that the country has caused in the world. We, each of us, might have been indirectly affected by the US foreign policies or decisions at some point. It could be bad or good.

Thinking about Washington DC reminds me of my own country’s history that a US former Secretary of State made a decision to support Indonesia to invade East Timor. The decision was made down there, DC, and this is something to which I connected myself psychologically before landing my feet on its ground to explore more and more and more.  Nevertheless, I was not going there to probe. Instead, to see how Americans built a capital city in which federal government servants and politicians live and work.

A Personal Story to Reflect the 20th of May, the Restoration of Independence Day

  

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What reminds of our past is what relates to our past. It could be a person, an event, an object, or anything that pokes our mind. Every year, the 20^th of May marks our country’s, Timor-Leste, anniversary; the restoration of independence. The story of getting this full independent state is long and very long and also long, but here is a short personal experience related to that long chain that made me proud to be a Timorese, the super infamous and the most unheard of citizenship among the Americans' ears in particular.

As a person who is currently living outside of the country for a study mission, I always feel proud and excited by the time I bump into our diplomats’ traces who played their contributions from afar, overseas. The diplomatic front had a huge impact on our independence gain because we secured supports from lots of people around the world. Thus, this has always been my passion to learn what our diplomats did in the past that led to our festive 20^th May.  

Adeus Maun Ju

    

Foto: Hau hasai Maun Ju wain hira Nia ba visita
hau iha Nagoya, Japao.  

Se mak nunca lakon Maun Alin iha nia vida moris? Hau senti laiha ema ida! Rona informacao lakon Maun, Amigo, Kolega ida nebe fila hikas ba Nai Aman Maromak, ita sempre senti hanesan iha falta buat ida ona. Wain hira ita hakarak atu hare, nia lakon ona. Wain hira ita hakarak koalia, nia nonok ona. Buat hirak ne’e maromak halo hotu mai ita ema. Iha moris, iha mos mate. Maibe tanba saida ita sei triste nafatin quando sasan ne akontese? “Hahalok.” Hahalok diak nebe Maun ida halo ba nia alin seluk no kolega seluk. Wain hira ema ida sai husi uma ba buka matenek, Inan-Aman, Maun-Bin Alin rasik fo tulun ho reza no suporta ho material. Maibe atu halao moris realidade nian husi segundos ba segundos, minutos ba minutos, oras ba oras to tinan ba tinan iha periodo balun, ema sira nebe hela iha kakuluk okos ida, horon ahi-tein is husi dapur ida, fahe kulsaun belar ida ba isin lolon barak, maka sai Maun Alin ona.

     

A Piece of Opinion

  

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It has been two weeks for the top leadership change at home. I say just “top leadership change” because that’s what happened. Lower tiers did not change so much. It is still reined by both the ’75 and later generations. That does not matter though because leadership change will be realized itself by going through a natural process, live must start and end as it is. Hence, people should not be hurry. The important thing is how this change could penetrate to the bottom line, where the process towards the betterment increments, builds up, and eventually visible in due course. To be realistic, gofers, drivers, and technical staffs must feel the vibration of the change because they are the micro entities within the system that should work properly in order to ensure a sustained change. Now, the question is will the new Prime Minister (PM) be able to increase his tremor from the epicenter?

           

Obama Terlihat Secara Langsung Tapi Dia Tidak Menoleh

  

Obama sedang berpidato

Obama mungkin sangat jarang dilihat secara langsung. Maksudnya, dia orangya super sibuk dengan orang-orang penting bukan cuman hanya di Amerika, tapi di seluruh dunia. Jadi udah taulah, pasti banyak kegiatan seperti rapat-rapat, ngomong-ngomong di tengah kerumunan orang “kaya orang Malaisie aja nih, saya.” Jadi, liat Obama palingan cuman di TV sama Internet. Maksud saya gini loh… emang susah dilihat karena jarang muncul di tempat masyarakat umum kecuali kampanye atau semacamnya. Ditambah lagi dengan ketatnya protocol dan pengawalan. Beda dibanding dengan pemimpin lain karena seperti di Eropa, ada beberapa kepala negara: Perdana Menteri atau Presiden yang pulang pergi ke kantor jalan sendiri baik itu pake sepeda, kereta api atau bis. Nah ini yang sebenarnya aku suka kalo para pemimpin di negara saya ngikutin gaya begini dan bukan gaya Obama yang super ketat itu.    

Wrap Up Story and Photos of The Homecoming Trip

Gedung Sate, Bandung.

     I feel like our campuses should have homecoming tradition. Homecoming is a typical US tradition, but it is worth to adopt because Alumni who are graduated from a university would usually like to come back to visit the university where they use to study and live if they miss it. I take the example myself that I missed Bandung so much after leaving the city for a half decade. Now, I am here and just wrapped up my homecoming, I call it, by putting the photos in this blog.

Ridwan Kamil’s Effects in Bandung

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     I did not know anything about Ridwal Kamil until my Facebook wall was flooded with news about his breakthrough policies on how to build the city of Bandung for everyone. He is not only a great initiator, but also an energetic and aggressive leader because he speeds up projects implementation schedules. He does not linger in deciding projects that are related public welfare. If I am not mistaken, he decided multiple projects within one year which rarely happened before. Projects were all meant to benefit the public, such as improving public parks, public transport systems, solving social problems like beggar and busker. In addition, he is so distinct and deserves to be touted as an excellent mayor because Bandung has been 100 years and so old, and during this time period, the development has been sluggish like a turtle walks. There have been multiple tenures in the mayor seat, even some of them had led the city for two periods. However, there was no significant progress had been done until his leadership.  

Air Asia

     Most people are afraid of what has hit the Indonesian Airline industry in recent weeks. Air Asia, an affordable airline in Indonesia crashed into the sea when on its way to Singapore from Surabaya, Indonesia. There are lots of people who lost their loved ones. It was reported that 162 people were in the plane. It was a big news until France’s and caused worrisome for those who will travel in the region to be picky when they travel. One might not be interested on my story here about the accident because thousands of instant news outlets around the World were reporting it, telling people what happened and went wrong. It makes this story sounds nothing; however, what would you feel if you found out that a plane of the airline you took last week to somewhere had just crashed?