Obama V. Oom Bambang

Yesterday, I was talking to Dita's mother about Obama when my brother asked what we were talking about.

+ Did you see Obama's speech last night? I heard it was great
- Really?
+I didnt watch it. But it supposed to be great.
- Where was it?
+ At the convention.
-What convention?
+ Democratic party convention
-Huh??? Democratic party??? You mean Obama?? * start laughing*
+Yeah. Who did you think I was talking about?? * confused*
-I heard you said Oom Bambang *laughing out loud*
= Yes I heard Oom Bambang too...
+ I said OBAMA, not Oom Bambang. you guys...
- Hey, it's two against one

I hate Bandung

Well, OK, I hate Bandung's McDonald.

It started when we were watching the "panjat pinang" (Climbing Areca palm's trunk) near my place when I said McDonald sells Bubur Ayam (chicken porridge). I've been to several McDonald in Jakarta that sells bubur ayam, but I've never tried them tho. J wont believe it. So we made that bet.

Somehow we never managed to go near any McDonald in the big Durian. Then again I normally do not spend much time cruising the mall anyway.

When I told a couple of my colleagues about that bet, they told J it was true that McDonald IS selling bubur ayam. But J, skeptic as he is, still wont believe it unless he sees it.

So last Friday, when I was feeling a bit peckish we headed to a McDonald in Bandung. And there it was... on their menu: NO BUBUR AYAM in sight!!! J was smilling ear to ear when he saw it.

Oh well, a bet is a bet. Still need to pay the bloke tho:)

16 Agustus

It was around 9 in the morning when I had a phone call from one of my aunts. She told me about this event later on that day. Apparently, each year people are tracing the path of our proclamators back in 1945.

My mom, two of her sisters and I met at Museum Perumusan Naskah Proklamasi at Jl. Imam Bonjol. It's the place where on August 16th 1945 Soekarno, Hatta and some Pemuda's were gathering to drawn Indonesia's proclamation's text. Back then it was the house of Japanese Rear-Admiral Tadashi Maeda. I had goosebumps when I was alone in the room where they met Maeda the first time. There where only a set of yellow chairs & a table that reminded me of the living room of Sonneveld house in Rotterdam. From there we walked to Proclamation Monument at jl. Proklamasi, which was jl. Pegangsaan Timur back in the day when Soekarno announced our independence.

There were actually hundreds of people, young and old who participated in this 'Napak Tilas'. In front of the parade, 4 high school students were carrying pictures of Soekarno & Hatta, and 2 texts of proclamation. Then a bunch of students were carrying flags, followed by a drumband. Behind them were veterans, another group of students, and a group of people on old bicycles.

I was walking amongst these veterans, so I had a chance to chit chat a bit with some of the men. The ones I talked to were in their 80s but they were fit, so fit to the point that they complained that we were walking too slow it was as if we were walking behind a funeral procession! I said to them it's because those students are used to walk in the malls, so they walk in that pace. ;)

Upon arriving at Proclamation Monument, Halida Hatta gave a speech as a member of the family of our proclamators. After that there were entertainment from the younger generation in the form of dangdut! Ok, eventho I hate dangdut, it would probably still ok if they chose a better songs instead of some stupid cheesy love song. Some of the veterans went home because they thought that's not worth it. Too bad,that part really killed the whole thing.

On Insensitive small talks

Once, I told my father that I am wary about interacting with fellow Indonesian. I am so out of touch of Indonesian way of small talks, it makes me wonder if I can survive socializing in Indonesia. He assured me that I have nothing to be worry about.

I guess he didnt expect that I had to deal with the conversations I had after he died.

Amongst people who came to pay their respect to him, several spent some moment talking to me about him, how good he was, how kind he was, and how he kept talking about me to them. It was nice hearing the wonderful things he did, but it also made me sadder for the fact he's not around anymore.

However, it was with people who didnt know my father/family very well that I had my most difficult conversations. Some left me speechless.

Take my conversation with one of the neighbors, after we just buried my father. Keep in mind I had never have any conversation with her before in my life. When I sat near her she asked me to help her daughter getting a job. Before asking if I regret not being home for so long. I mean, I just buried my father only hours ago, and the last thing on my mind is her daughter. Besides it is none of her business if I regret it or not.

It is insensitive people like her that I cant stand & dont know how to deal with. Unfortunately, there are plenty of such people around, and sadly enough most of the time they think they are being nice.