The Leave

Dear Readers,

The Indonesian Dream has taken a break since early April and will be back at the end of May.

Currently we are under construction and renovation.

Thank you for the emails and comments, and of course taking a time to read what we have to say.

The Indonesian Dream will see you in a month, and boy, can’t we wait!

Have a good month ahead.

My Relay of Olympics

I have abandoned updating this blog for almost a month.

Much has happened since I took my vacation on March 30th.

Olympics being the most recent, and upbeat one.

I have to say, I have no interest in sports. But huge sports events such as World Cup seems to attract me.

I don’t watch the matches, instead I just have the urge to know which country turns out to be a winner.

I have never followed a story on Olympics. Not until China was crowned to host the event. The third Asian country (if I’m not mistaken) to host such an event.

The Olympics Torch Relay is an exhausting one to follow.

Country after country, the torch bearer runs certain miles to symbolize the significance and unity of the world.

It was interesting to see the different ceremonies they perform during the relay, until these “Free Tibet” activists have to ruin all the fun and integrity.

Those who read my page knows my stand in the China-Tibet Issue. I support China.

That doesn’t mean I don’t support Tibet. Because after all, it is a part of China.

Protests have been held worldwide contesting the rule of China, and voicing their hopes for Tibet’s independence.

In my deepest level of consciousness, I still do not understand the fact on WHY do these people blame the China government for performing a crackdown on rioters that were targeting Chinese?

Is it a degree of dissatisfaction they have over the Chinese government for their horrible past record against Tibet?

If so, are they condoning the violence? And what exactly is their main reason for actually thinking that Tibet should be freed from China?

As I was watching the Indonesian news to report on the arrival and relay of the Olympics Torch on my country, I saw small demonstrations, again, for the Free Tibet campaign.

Just on a relative note, demonstrations in Indonesia have become such a norm in the Indonesian tradition that they are one of the most creative demonstrators, perhaps, that I have seen.

They would even stage a play, or put on costumes to get attention, and journalists love them because they give the best pictures for front-page.

And last but not least, Indonesian demonstrators (usually from NGO - Non Governmental Organizations) produce the most offensive, if not, vulgar (or even funny) banners.

On the demonstration, there was a banner that stated “Olympics and crimes against humanity cannot co-exist.”

I have to say: Yes it can exist, and yes it has been existing exactly like that.

But they did have a good point,  they just were on the wrong side. Crimes against humanity, the Tibet Rioters did just that. Police crackdown on these rioters, that is protection of humanity.

The Torch Relay was held behind closed doors in Jakarta, which I think it was a disappointment, giving the fact that the demonstrations were peaceful and very small.

My friends in Jakarta was excited enough to take a peep of the torch, but in the end they couldn’t.

It has also been reported that Indonesia and the Embassy of China have overestimated the protests. They thought the protests would be bigger.

Just this morning, I was happy enough to know that at least someone I like was carrying the torch.

Luna Maya - Indonesian Actress

Another Indonesian prominent figure who also carried the torch was Taufik Hidayat, one of the Badminton legends of Indonesia.

To end.

My writings of China and Tibet seem to be able to provoke some people.

I received a message through my Facebook profile. A man who seems to be ‘obsessed’ with the idea of Tibet being free and all spiritual. And apparently, someone who holds the boldest hatred for my idea.

He did not explain on what basis does he hate me, but he sure made it very clear.

I will update soon, once all my works are done.

April 8

It is the time when he died.

April 8, 2006.

It takes two years, a period in rehab, and series of denial for me to finally say it.

The scary thing about death is that it is not what you can’t do when a certain someone is off to the great beyond.

It is what you CAN do without that person.

It makes you do things that you could never imagine. Things no one would understand.

What stopped me from talking about it was probably my ego, or the fact I was hoping that time would make me forget.

In a way, it has.

Saving my last shred of dignity, I type it out.

To strangers.

Why? Because they don’t understand you, and that’s good.

I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell, both, I do not want to go.

One’s painfully peaceful, the other one is just too happening for me.

So I’m staying at a place where sins and goodness co-exist. Where it makes people like me feel belonged.

It has been two years.

Wherever you are, goodbye.