How Tarot Cards Work

From: http://science.howstuffworks.com/tarot-card5.htm

Tarot-card Philosophy

How can randomly drawn cards have any relevance to someone's life and what's happening in it? What most readers say, the Tarot can enlighten you about the choices you have. The cards don't tell you what you should do or what specifically is going to happen in your future, but rather the possibilities, depending on the path you take. Let's look at some of the theories behind how Tarot cards could possibly work.

Synchronicity
Carl Jung believed that in addition to the repeatable cause-and-effect relationships on which the scientific world is so strongly based, there is also another connecting principle that does not share that cause-and-effect relationship. He called this principle synchronicity. According to Jung, synchronicity explains the guiding forces in the universe. Things we might see as coincidence are actually signs that can help us make decisions and guide our lives -- if we recognize them.

Jung believed that quantum mechanics could be a possible explanation for the phenomenon of synchronicity. (Quantum mechanics explains the relationships of particles and their random interconnectivity, with behaviors being probabilities rather than certainties.) There are those who believe that because the forces of quantum mechanics affect the reality of physical objects, Tarot cards might play the role of showing us paths and patterns and helping us understand the meaning in those guiding energies. Although, according to the principles of quantum mechanics, once you see the possible outcomes in the Tarot reading, you've changed the probabilities. While Jung did not study Tarot, he was interested in I Ching (another divination tool) and suggested that synchronicity could be an explanation for how I Ching might work for divination.

Projecting
Some say, it all boils down to your subconscious mind. Arguably, how we perceive things relies heavily on our subconscious, and there are those who believe that with Tarot, the subconscious projects its own interpretations on the Tarot cards. As a person receiving a Tarot reading, your interpretation of the cards is a result of the factors in your life that shape who you are and what you are about. The questions you have about your life (usually the reason for consulting the Tarot in the first place) are projected onto the pictures, so you define answers from what you see. In this way, the Tarot is useful in helping us tap into our subconscious to find answers that we might never consciously think of. The Rorschach inkblot test uses a similar principle to look into the subconscious. Whether you believe that Tarot cards hold any power or ability to shed light on your life, your problems or your future might depend on how easily you can open your mind to the idea of it. Many Tarot-card readers have differing ideas about how or why the Tarot works. In fact, some say we only need the Tarot to help us until we learn to get in touch with our "inner guide" on our own.

Tarot-Card History: Are They Really That Ancient?

According to Tarot historian Tom Tadfor Little, traditional playing cards were first seen in Europe in 1375, having been brought over from the Islamic societies where they had been used for centuries before that. These cards were not, however, Tarot cards. At this point, he says, there is no evidence to show that Tarot cards had yet been created, which goes against many claims that ordinary playing cards evolved from the original Tarot deck.

It wasn't until 1440 that the cards that were most likely the origin of Tarot cards were first mentioned. In a letter from the Duke of Milan, there was a request for several decks of "triumph" cards to be used at a special event. The letter differentiated triumph cards from regular "playing" cards.

It does appear, however, that the first Tarot decks were created as a game. There were four suits with cards numbered one through ten and also court cards that included a queen, king, knight and page. The deck also included 22 symbolic picture cards that did not belong to any suit. The decks were used to play a game called triumph that was similar to bridge. In triumph, 21 of the 22 special picture cards were permanent trump cards. The game spread quickly to all parts of Europe. People began referring to it as tarocchi, which is an Italian version of the French word tarot, around 1530.

In 1781, in France and England, followers of the occult discovered Tarot cards. They saw the symbolic pictures of the cards as having more meaning than the simple trump cards they were used for at the time. They used the cards as a divination tool, and occult writers wrote about "the Tarot." After this, the Tarot became a part of occult philosophy.

There are also those who believe that Tarot cards originated in Egypt. In some circles, they are thought to be the sole surviving "book" from the great fire that burned the libraries of ancient Egypt. In this theory, the cards are considered to be the hieroglyphical keys to life.

For more information on Tarot cards, Tarot-card reading and related topics, check out these links.

Sources

·         Aeclectic Tarot: Tarot Deck Categories, http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/categories.shtml

·       American Tarot Association, http://www.ata-tarot.com/

·       Crystalinks: Tarot, http://www.crystalinks.com/tarot.html

·       The Hermitage: A Tarot History Site, http://www.tarothermit.com/

·       Learning the Tarot, http://www.learntarot.com/course.htm

·       RealMagick, http://realmagick.com/main/home.html

·       Salem Tarot, http://www.salemtarot.com/contents.html

·       The Skeptic's Dictionary: Tarot Cards, http://skepdic.com/tarot.html

·       Synchronicity Times: What is Synchronicity?, http://www.ropi.net/st/what_is_synchronicity.htm

·       Tarot Certification Board of America, http://www.tarotcertification.org/

·       TarotMoon: Quantum Physics, Synchronicity and the Tarot, http://www.tarotmoon.com/articles/Quantum/quantum.html

Balada Kelapa Sawit

written by Rini Sucahyo[1] & Jamartin Sihite[2] - December 2008

Heran. Frustasi. Lalu prihatin. Sebuah artikel di rubrik “Opini & Editorial” pada Suara Pembaruan hari Kamis, 4 Desember 2008 yang bertajuk “Green Peace, Arogansi Kolonial”, telah memicu ketiga emosi tersebut dari kolom hati yang terdalam.

Diawali rasa heran karena ternyata masih saja ada yang berpikiran seperti ini. Keheranan itu berubah cepat menjadi frustasi kala menyadari bahwa pola pikir tersebutlah yang menyebabkan jutaan hektar hutan tropis kita, paru-paru planet ini, hilang tanpa bekas berikut keanekaragaman hayati yang terkandung di dalamnya. Dan masih jutaan hektar lagi yang ada dalam perencanaan untuk digantikan dengan berbagai bentuk lain atas nama pembangunan dan kesejahteraan rakyat. Keprihatinan terbit belakangan.

Tulisan ini hadir dari keprihatinan tersebut, dalam upaya untuk mengetuk nurani dan sekaligus membangkitkan potensi intelektualitas segenap putra bangsa agar tak lagi mudah percaya pada dogma yang tidak masuk akal, sehingga opini yang tercipta pun harus masuk akal. Semoga nurani dan intelektualitas masih ada.

Sawit dan Rakyat

Mari kita bicara dulu dari dampak sosial perkebunan kelapa sawit yang diklaim telah menyejahterakan lebih dari dua juta keluarga serta lebih dari dua juta keluarga lainnya melalui industri-industri penunjang usaha perkebunan kelapa sawit.

Mari kita tidak terlalu cepat melupakan bahwa dalam proses penggundulan hutan untuk membuka lahan perkebunan kelapa sawit, terutama perkebunan-perkebunan berskala besar, begitu banyak masyarakat yang telah kehilangan harta maupun nyawa karena konflik kepemilikan tanah maupun konflik-konflik lain yang berkaitan dengan perburuhan di perkebunan itu sendiri. Ekspansi perkebunan kelapa sawit juga telah menghancurkan sahaja kehidupan penduduk asli, berikut segenap kearifan lokal, tradisi dan adat istiadat yang pernah ada yang, suatu ketika dulu, sangat menghormati unsur-unsur alam.

Skema-skema sosial yang dibangun oleh perkebunan ini memang di kulitnya tampak cukup bertanggung-jawab dan sangat menggiurkan, bahkan mengharukan. Namun kenyataannya, kebanyakan skema ini tidak menguntungkan masyarakat sama sekali, melainkan melahirkan konflik-konflik baru. Masyarakat, yang sebagian besar mau tidak mau harus bekerja sebagai buruh perkebunan, memperoleh penghasilan kecil serta terus menerus berhadapan dengan berbagai bahaya dan resiko kesehatan. Lemahnya perlindungan hukum tambah memperburuk situasi.

Kisah ketegangan antara sebuah perusahaan kelapa sawit asal Inggris dengan masyarakat adat di daerah Manis Mata, Kalimantan Barat pada pertengahan 2002, hanyalah satu dari banyak sekali konflik serupa di Indonesia. Setelah berulang kali menyatakan penolakan terhadap kelapa sawit, penduduk Desa Terusan tak berdaya saat buldozer kontraktor menghancurkan hutan dan ladang mereka. Namun ketika buldozer menyentuh daerah sakral, yaitu pekuburan adat, masyarakat pun naik pitam. Mereka berhasil menyita buldozer dan menuntut agar denda adat dibayar. Baru setelah perusahaan Inggris ini diambil alih oleh perusahaan lain yang menjanjikan pendekatan baru, pertempuran sengit bisa dihindari. Namun sayangnya, janji inipun tinggal janji. Hanya sedikit yang dipenuhi. Selebihnya, seperti biasa, berakhir dengan jalan buntu.

Pembukaan lahan dengan cara membakar hutan juga menghasilkan konsekuensi sosial tersendiri, di antaranya adalah polusi dan gangguan kesehatan. Belum lagi efek yang ditimbulkan akibat penggunaan pestisida. Kesehatan perempuan, terutama sistem reproduksinya, adalah hal yang paling dirugikan akibat pencemaran lingkungan dengan pestisida ini. Racun pestisida yang menyebar melalui udara, tanah dan air ini merupakan pencetus timbulnya kanker, penurunan tingkat kesuburan perempuan dan gangguan sistem kekebalan tubuh. Di Sumatera Utara, kasus keracunan pestisida ini terbukti menyebabkan keguguran. Kalaupun kehamilan dapat dipertahankan, racun juga beresiko bagi embrio bayi dalam kandungan.

Intinya, kita tidak mungkin menutup mata, apalagi menyangkal, bahwa industri kelapa sawit di Indonesia adalah satu sektor ekonomi kita yang paling banyak dan paling sering didera konflik. Jadi, mari meninjau secara kritis. Apa benar sawit menjadi agen distribusi kesejahteraan? Sawit menyerap tenaga kerja, tidak dibantah. Tapi mari lihat kembali siapa saja yang memegang usaha sawit. Bukankah sawit banyak dipegang pengusaha dan banyak di antaranya adalah PMA? Apa peran rakyat selain jadi tenaga kerja? PIR? Ada berapa luasan PIR? Sekali lagi, ini generalisasi yang kebablasan. Janganlah menggunakan jargon lama atas nama rakyat dan kesejahteraan.

Sawit dan Lingkungan

Mari kini kita beralih pada dampak lingkungan yang menurut artikel “Green Peace, Arogansi Kolonial” itu merupakan rekayasa dari LSM-LSM asing yang ingin kembali menjajah kita. Betapa naifnya jika kita percaya pada klaim ini. Lebih naïf lagi jika kita percaya bahwa kita sudah merdeka. Kemerdekaan dari Belanda dan Jepang ternyata menjerumuskan kita ke dalam penjajahan lain yang disebabkan oleh sempitnya pola pikir dan keserakahan kita sendiri. Kita belum merdeka jika kita belum menyadari fakta di balik setiap pilihan kita. Industri kelapa sawit ini adalah salah satu contohnya. Sebuah fakta yang menjerumuskan.

Sangat menyentuh ketika dikatakan sawit menyerap karbon. Tidak bisa dibantah karena sawit adalah tanaman. Yang jadi pertanyaan adalah apakah pembukaan hutan gambut dan hutan alam menjadi kelapa sawit bisa diartikan bahwa peran sawit lebih baik dari hutan sebelumnya dalam perubahan iklim? Ketika hutan gambut dibuka, ada berapa banyak karbon yang lepas ke atmosfir? Tak hanya karbon, ada berapa banyak gas metan yang lepas ke atmosfir?

Sebagai informasi saja, gas metan adalah salah satu gas rumah kaca yang mampu bertahan di atmosfir lebih lama dibanding karbon dan setiap metrik ton metan setara dengan 23 metrik ton CO2. Gas metan adalah gas yang juga dihasilkan oleh perkebunan seperti ini, melalui penggunaan pupuk, pestisida dan berbagai proses penyuburan lainnya. Hasilnya, meskipun kelapa sawit memiliki kemampuan menyerap karbon, laju penyerapannya tidak seberapa dibandingkan laju emisi gas rumah kaca lain yang dilepaskan oleh perkebunan ini. Maka, ketika Indonesia mengkonversi lahan gambut dan hutan alam menjadi perkebunan kelapa sawit, sekali lagi, ada berapa banyak metan yang dilepas dari pembukaan gambut? Hal inipun menjadi salah satu penyebab Indonesia dinobatkan sebagai salah satu penyumbang terbesar gas rumah kaca di dunia.

Sawit dan LSM

Dan terakhir, mari kita tinjau tuduhan bahwa Lembaga Swadaya Masyarakat (LSM), terutama yang berasal dari negara lain, adalah agen neo-kolonialisme. Bagaimana dengan industri kelapa sawit sendiri? Faktanya adalah begitu marak perkebunan kelapa sawit bermodal asing yang menggunakan lahan negeri ini dan tenaga kerja murah di negeri ini. Bahkan perusahaan-perusahaan asing seperti berlomba-lomba membuka usaha sawit di bumi pertiwi. Atas nama pembangunan, sumberdaya alam dilihat sebatas keuntungan ekonomi tanpa mempertimbangkan aspek ekologis, sosial, dan budaya yang juga melekat di dalamnya. Perusahaan swasta menjelma menjadi mesin-mesin pertumbuhan ekonomi. Hutan berubah fungsi menjadi alat produksi dan reproduksi yang dikuasai oleh dan untuk kepentingan segelintir kelompok saja, termasuk para pengusaha sawit di dalamnya.

Nah, mau dikategorikan apa perusahaan-perusahaan ini? Secara akal sehat, bukankah ini yang namanya neo-kolonialisme?

Reproduksi struktur sosial, ekonomi, dan politik yang terjadi di negara berkembang terbentuk mengikuti kepentingan negara-negara maju. Hubungan ekonomi satu negara dengan negara lain, atau dengan sistem perdagangan dunia, kemudian menciptakan hubungan ketergantungan ketika beberapa negara kuat memperluas kepentingan ekonominya. Sementara negara yang lebih lemah berada pada posisi tergantung, hanya dapat mereplikasi apa yang terjadi dan dilakukan oleh negara-negara sentral tersebut (Dos Santos, 1970).

Kondisi inilah yang terjadi pada industri sawit di Indonesia. Tak berdaya. Bergantung sepenuhnya pada sistem perdagangan dunia, pada “diktator” baru bernama pasar. Sudahlah hutan rusak, spesies langka semakin punah, konflik sosial tak terelakkan, merugi pula.

Sepanjang yang kami ketahui, LSM lingkungan hidup memang menentang perusahaan-perusahaan sawit mengambil alih dan mengkonversi hutan alam karena dampak sosial dan dampak lingkungan yang telah dicontohkan di atas. Lebih dari itu, LSM lingkungan hidup berupaya mempertahankan hutan-hutan alam yang masih tersisa, demi menyelamatkan masa depan Indonesia dan juga dunia. Orangutan dan beragam satwa dilindungi lainnya, tidak diberikan status perlindungan karena mereka lucu dan menggemaskan, melainkan karena eksistensi mereka dibutuhkan untuk memastikan hutan yang sehat dan lestari. Tanpa mereka, tidak akan ada hutan. Dan tanpa hutan, punah pula kita. Sebuah keterikatan yang sederhana.

Perubahan iklim bukanlah dongeng. Bukan pula intimidasi dan rekayasa. Perubahan iklim sedang terjadi saat ini juga dan kita bahkan telah merasakan dampaknya. Udara yang tambah panas, penyakit yang kian aneh dan beragam, serta berbagai bencana alam. Kita tengah menuai panen dari kerusakan alam yang kita lakukan. Ini adalah era konsekuensi. Tidak sadar jugakah kita? Ingatlah, Ibu Bumi tidak akan pernah kalah. Dia akan terus bertahan hidup, dengan atau tanpa spesies yang satu ini: manusia. Tinggal kita yang bertanya, apakah kita mau terus bertahan hidup dan mewariskan bumi ini pada anak cucu kita dalam kondisi yang bisa dan nyaman untuk dihuni? Investasi terpenting kita bagi masa depan sesungguhnya adalah alam ini beserta segala isinya.

Dan betul sekali bahwa negara-negara barat sudah kehilangan hutan alamnya demi pembangunan dan industrialisasi. Nah, jika kita sadar dan tahu kebodohan orang asing yang sudah menebang hutannya atas nama pembangunan, mengapa kita mau diajak oleh para pengusaha sawit untuk juga ikut bodoh? Jika memang para pengusaha mau membangun perkebunan kelapa sawit di lahan rakyat, berkolaborasi dengan rakyat, atau membangun di lahan terlantar yang butuh direboisasi, tidak ada yang melarang. Tentunya dengan berpegang pada prinsip-prinsip lingkungan yang telah ditentukan. Tapi janganlah berkedok ketulusan palsu dan menyalahkan para aktivis lingkungan dengan jargon neo-kolonialisme dan nasionalisme agar bisa membuka hutan alam dan merusak lingkungan.

Akhir kata, hanya satu kalimat saja. Buruk muka, jangan cermin tetangga yang dibelah.

*****

---

[1] Konsultan Hubungan Masyarakat dan Komunikasi, dan Penulis Lepas, Jakarta

[2] Pemerhati Lingkungan, Jakarta

My Chosen Poem

In the middle of my French lesson yesterday, a group of advanced students suddenly entered our classroom, and one of them started reading a poem. Of course, as stupid beginners, we didn’t understand a word. We grinned and smirked at one another, then politely clapped as the reading ended.

But after that, another female student went around the classroom. She was carrying a wooden basket full of beautiful and vibrant pouches. It is the month of poetry she said, to celebrate “couleur femme” or the color of women. And so she offered each of us to take a pouch. Each pouch, apparently, had a poem in it, written on a carefully rolled colored paper. A poem… that we weren’t supposed to read until we got home.

Fine. So without thinking, I chose a bright green pouch and stuck it in my bag.

And when I got home last night, I opened the pouch, unrolled the blue paper, and started reading (and consulting my dictionary for translations). The poem I chose was surprisingly… errr… should I say… “accurate”? Yes, it accurately (and amazingly) describes the confusing emotions I’ve been experiencing this year… and the tiny speck of faith that I still have left. Tiny, almost non-existent… but it’s still there.

So, here’s my chosen poem, which I had translated into both English and Bahasa Indonesia.

*****************

Autour de moi, solitudes éteintes by Marie-Claire Bancquart

O brûlantes, arrachées
à elles-mêmes
par l’ordre ancien !
Mais je pense surtout à celle
de siècle plus lointain
qui écrivit :
Bel ami ainsi est de nous
Ni vous sans moi ni moi sans vous.
Au-delà de la différence
je choisis le grand héritage indivis :
bonheur de rues et de nuages
d’une musique, d’un seul mot peut-être,
parcourant la précarité de toute cette partition
qu’un jour nous cesserons de lire, vous et moi. 
Que demeure du moins, peut-être infime, le 
« Bel ami ainsi est de nous », 
cette voix d’union parmi la dissonance universelle !

*****************

Around me, loneliness is weakening by Marie-Claire Bancquart

O burned, torn off from themselves by the ancient order!

But I think especially of that

who centuries ago wrote:

Beautiful friend thus is us

Neither you without me nor me without you

Beyond the difference

I choose the large undivided heritage:

happiness of streets, and clouds

a piece of music, perhaps only a word,

traversing the instability of all this partition

and one day we will cease reading, you and me.

What remains at least, perhaps negligible

« Beautiful friend thus is us »,

This solid voice among the universal dissonance!

*****************

Di sekitarku, kesendirian meredup oleh Marie-Claire Bancquart

Oh terbakar, tercabik dari diri mereka sendiri oleh rezim kuno!

Tetapi pikiranku terutama tertuju pada dia

yang berabad lampau menulis:

Sahabat karib adalah berasal dari kami

Tak ada engkau tanpa aku atau aku tanpa engkau

Di atas semua perbedaan

Aku pilih warisan besar milik bersama:

kebahagiaan di jalanan, di awan

sepotong musik, mungkin hanya sebuah kata

menelusuri kerapuhan semua partisi ini

dan pada suatu hari kita akan berhenti membaca, engkau dan aku.

Yang tertinggal, mungkin hanya sedikit

« Sahabat karib adalah berasal dari kami »,

Suara yang teguh di antara disonansi universal!

no more KITKAT for me!

Have a break? from Greenpeace UK on Vimeo.

Nestlé tertangkap basah menggunakan minyak kelapa sawit dari Indonesia yang berasal dari penghancuran hutan dan lahan gambut, dalam produk seperti Kit Kat. Dengan begitu Nestlé ikut mendorong kepunahan orangutan dan mempercepat perubahan iklim.


Laporan GREENPEACE memaparkan bagaimana Nestlé membeli minyak kelapa sawit dari pemasok yang menghancurkan hutan seperti Sinar Mas. Sinar Mas, Produsen minyak kelapa sawit terbesar, yang terus membabat hutan dan lahan gambut yang kaya akan karbon dan rumah orangutan. Download laporannya di situs GREENPEACE!


Berikan pula suara Anda untuk hutan dan orangutan di sini.


Thank you so much and much love from the orangutan families!

Just Call Me Rini, Thanks!

Lately, more and more of my blog readers and twitter friends turn out to be a lot younger than me. And as they realize that, more and more of them call me “Tante”, which means “Aunt” in Indonesian. And of course, more and more of them got scolded (by me… HAHA), for calling me that.

Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that I’m one of those people who are ashamed of growing old. I’m not. I’m 40 years old. And in two months, I will turn 41. I’m not afraid to say it, I’m not ashamed to admit it, nor am I ever going to deny it. I cherish everything I’ve experienced in my nearly-41-years of life, good or bad. Well, ok, I cursed many times about the bad things that happened to me, but still, I’m not ashamed of my age, at all. This is NOT the reason why I don’t like to be called “Tante” or “Mbak” (sister) or anything. Unless you are related to me by blood, I’d prefer, very much, to be called… Rini. That’s my name. That’s what you should call me.

Moreover, I am fully aware that calling someone “Tante”, “Om” (uncle), “Mbak”, “Mas” (brother), “Ibu” (ma’am), “Bapak” (sir) and so on, are considered good manners out of respect for anyone older than us. At least, that’s what the Indonesian culture dictates. Every Indonesian kid had been taught this type of courtesy since they were very young. Culture is always good and must be persistently preserved. Right? Well, let’s talk about this, shall we?

An Eye-Opener 

Let me share a story first. When I was 17, I went to the United States of America for the first time. It was also the first time I traveled alone. I was going to finish my last year of high school there, and then I was going to continue my college education, also in the States. The first year in the States, I stayed with a wonderful American couple, Earl and Barbra Copfer. They had 3 children, but the first 2 kids had all grown up and left the house. The youngest was the only one who still lived at home. Her name was Tracy and she was my age. I was really grateful to be placed with the Copfers, because I instantly had a friend my age. Someone to watch MTV with, go shopping with, and discuss boys with. Hahaha!

When I first arrived, I didn’t quite know what to call them. My Indonesian upbringing had taught me to call them Uncle Earl and Aunt Barbra. But I knew I would be laughed at if I did that. So I used “ma’am” and “sir” instead. “Yes, ma’am.” “No thank you, sir.” But they laughed at me anyway! Then Barbra said, “Just call us Earl and Barbra.” Tracy also said so. Of course I felt uncomfortable, and for a while I still stubbornly called them “ma’am” and “sir”. Until a few days later, Tracy introduced me to her best friend, Jane.

Jane was two years younger than us. She had this doll-like, very pretty face, with long blonde hair. She was very cute. As she came in the house, Barbra was in the kitchen preparing dinner. “Hi, Jane!” Barbra said, smiling to Jane. Jane replied, “Hi Barbra! What’s cooking?” WHAT? This was a girl, younger than me and Tracy, and yet she called Barbra… just Barbra!

For a while, I just sat quietly listening to their conversations. Barbra asked Jane about school, boyfriend, music, etcetera, etcetera. The point is, they chatted just like a normal adult talking to a normal kid, using normal manners, discussing normal stuff that anyone normal in the whole world would discuss about. But they called each other BY NAME.

That day, I came to a realization. We don’t have to show RESPECT by addressing someone with a certain title. We show respect by the way we ACT.

Such an eye-opener!

Western Culture?

From then on, not only that I felt more and more comfortable calling anyone that I met in the States by name, making lots of wonderful friends, having such good times, I also promised myself that THIS was the CULTURE that I must apply back home in Indonesia.

“But that’s WESTERN culture,” you would say in protest.

Yes. It is Western culture. But so is MTV and V-Channel that you watch religiously every day. So is the way you dress sometimes. So is the way you talk sometimes. So is driving. So is smoking. So is drinking. So is hanging out at cafés, sipping iced coffee while enjoying an afternoon with good friends. There are SO MANY things from the Western culture that WE as Indonesians embrace whole-heartedly. Can you deny it? Just count how many things that you do, own, say, and listen to, actually came from the West.

And many of the things we embrace are not necessarily good, such as drugs and casual sex. Oh come on! Let’s not be hypocrites and just admit that. Some are not necessarily bad, but they are also… not necessarily necessary. Such as consumptive habits or shopping. Is that our culture? NO. This is also a Western culture. In our culture, in the old days, shopping only happened once a week. We used to have “hari pasar” or market day. It was the only day we could go shopping and we only shopped for things that we needed. Necessity only. But look at our country. Malls are appearing everywhere, more than schools and hospitals. Is that our culture? NO. Is it bad? Not necessarily. Is it good? Not necessarily.

The Seatbelt Story 

This leads me to another story. After 10 years living overseas (U.S.A. and New Zealand), I came home to Indonesia for good. It was a weekend, and I immediately got in touch with a few good friends for a get-together. My husband, Boy, was still alive then. So our friends picked us up to hang out and have a few drinks. (Western culture? Yes.)

A friend was driving, and two other was waiting in the backseat. Boy got in the back with them, while I sat in the front, next to the driver. Out of habit, I looked for the seatbelt and immediately buckled up. This was 1997, looooong before Indonesia formalized the seatbelt law. And just like that, everyone in the car, except my husband of course, suddenly stared at me with their jaws dropped to the floor, as if I was completely insane. And a few seconds later, they broke into uncontrollable laughter.

“Hello!!! You’re back in Indonesia, Rin. No need for seatbelt. We’re all brave drivers here!” they said.

Did I listen to them and unbuckle my seatbelt? OF COURSE NOT!!! I glared at them and started a long speech about the importance of seatbelts. But they laughed even more. *Sigh* Yet I kept my seatbelt on. And I still do, every time I’m in a car, without fail, and without hesitance.

Is wearing seatbelts a Western culture? Yes. Is it good? YES, DAMN IT, YES!!!!! So why don’t we readily adopt such good culture instead of bad ones or needless ones?

A Culture by Heart 

So back to my original point of this long article, calling someone by name is ALSO a good culture. It is a culture that teaches us not to be pretentious. It teaches us to respect EACH OTHER, no matter how old or how young we are, by the way we act, by the tones we choose, by our gestures, by our expressions… by heart.

Remember, a culture is something that is created by humans. As part of the human race, it is therefore OUR RESPONSIBILITY to keep evaluating our culture, preserving the good ones and throwing away the bad ones, adopting other cultures that may enrich or improve our own.

And to all of you, the young people, our next generation, it is YOUR shoulders that I put my hopes on. My generation is getting old. I’m getting old. There’s no use in fighting their way of thinking anymore. Let them be. Let us be. We’ll be gone in the next couple decades anyway. Maybe sooner.

Do you remember all those years in junior high and high school when you were intimidated by your seniors? Do you remember “ospek” or this ridiculous “orientation and initiation period” as you entered college? Do you NOW experience pointless seniority in your office or school?

ALL OF THAT is a DIRECT RESULT of our so-called culture to “respect” older people. As if the young ones do need to be respected. As if they only exist to be bullied, stepped on, bashed, smashed, whacked, and thumped all over.

CHANGE IT! Let’s respect each other. Let’s start by calling each other by first names, no matter how old we are. Trust me, it is an effective method to change the “dogma” that was instilled in your brain. It is a method to change your behavior, your way of thinking, and your way of perceiving others. Very effective, and… VERY NECESSARY!

Don’t repeat our mistakes. Break the chain. Evaluate our culture and decide: which one worth keeping and which one is obsolete and has totally screwed us up.

So, my dear blog readers and twitter friends. Let’s start over. Allow me to introduce myself again.

My name is Meirini Sucahyo. I’m 40 years old. And you can just call me… Rini.

Thanks.

* Especially dedicated to:

·         Dwi            - a.k.a. @ruckuus

·         Ajeng        - a.k.a. @misskepik_

* And also dedicated to:

·         Lalla           - a.k.a. @LallaPratami

·         Feby          - a.k.a. @FebyMusbar

·         Farah         - a.k.a. @FarahMaulia

·         Eryka         - a.k.a. @erykayla

* And special thanks to Yuni a.k.a. @geeky_unee for “paving the way”

   HAHAHA *kisses Yuni in the mouth then spits*

The Anniversary of Death

“Nothing hurts more than meaning nothing to the person who means everything to you.” - Unknown.

It’s been a year.

Since I’ve died.

That’s right. Dead.

It’s been a year.

Since my soul has not functioned.

My body still moves, my mind still works.

My lips still smile.

But deep down, there’s only…

Emptiness.

It’s been a year…

even looking up at the blue sky hurts.

As all I see are visions of you.

Brimmed with so many confusions,

I can only speak in silence.

The pain is so real.

The hurt I feel could never be imagined.

It’s been a year.

Trying to destroy what has taken me over.

And I’ve failed, again… and again…

So I end up dead.

For a year.

You probably can’t tell.

You’re probably moving on.

Oh wait… you are moving on.

I know that for sure.

But I can’t.

I know you can’t tell.

But I can’t move on.

(yet?)

I still hope, you’d find me again.

Or at least stumble across again.

Stumble across me and my emptiness.

Before I drift too far.

And fades out. Forever.

Happy fuckin’ anniversary!