Pandemic Diary: That Lost Sense of Justice, Equality and Fairness

The last time I ranted about this mega wedding, I never thought the scale was increasingly insane.

And now all heads turned to the social media faux pas of our head of state and minister of defense. They were attending and serving as the witnesses of the bride and groom. That should not be an issue but their attendance was announced on the official Twitter account of the State Secretariate. Should this wedding go this far?

An archipelago of paradox

Way to go, mr President and his former enemy…

A lot of mixed messages we have found so far from Indonesian public officials, politicians, celebrities and public figures.

I almost cried but why should I waste this precious tear for those who don’t even think of laymen’s feelings like me?

Again and again we are faced with these shameless display of violation of justice and fairness and paradox.

Sometimes this is why I turn pessimistic but there are times when I just let this go and keep my head high.

Moving forward.

Pandemic Diary: The Philosophy of “Tahu Bulat”

“Bulat bulat lonjong lonjong

Tahu bulat dan kosong

Digoreng dadakan

Hangat hangat

Enak enak enakkk....”

That is exactly what you can hear around Jakarta when you see a motorbike with a small truck behind it, where a guy usually holds a spatula to fry round-shaped tofu in a huge pan.

They are mobile and moving from one spot to another, which needs lower business cost than setting up a fixed business establishment.

It’s a smart way to get away from the government and local ‘preman’ (an unemployed guy whose job is to offer a false sense of ‘security’ and charge money for this unsolicited service).

You can find these repeated voices of a man in narrow streets between tiny houses around the megapolitan.

The lines can be roughly interpreted as belows:

“Round and oval

Round and hollow tofu

Fried on the spot

Warm warm

Delicious delicious delicious…”

It is so hard to forget the lines even after hours.

Totally screw my mind and sanity.

I am not anti grassroot economy movement.

They are of course warriors during this economic malaise.

They are microbusiness folks that prove they can survive the pandemic storm.

But if you want to solemnly analyze the lyrics, they tell you something about what this nation is really.

They are round, which means they roll easily right and left, back and forward.

That is just the nature of a round object.

They swing too easily unlike boxes.

It’s a nation of inconsistency.

You can tell how the law treats justice seekers.

How the bureaucrats say something and what you find in reality is another thing.

They are also hollow, or empty deep inside.

This nation is looking for things to fill themselves in with something after they throw their own identities.

“Dadakan“, meaning instant, reflects the mentality of the people and the regime.

Everyone seems to be willing to be famous quick, make money quick on social media.

Hardly anyone is willing to give a full dedication to hard and smart work.

And everyone wants to make a huge sum of money without even paying for the cost. (*/)

Pandemic Diary: Terrorism amidst Pandemic

To what extent can you endure the pandemic effects?

With the overwhelming economic and mental effects, we definitely forget the potential of terrorism to tear this nation down.

But here we are, still struggling with the sluggish pace of vaccination, economic downturn, rampant unemployment, and getting hit by terrorist attacks here and there.

We heard this attack at a church in Makassar and then another silly and solo terrorist act committed by a 25-year-old female in the headquarters of Indonesia police.

No one was killed except the terrorists themselves but still they were just stirring fear and restlessness.

I have no idea what fear of Covid-19 and terror attack can do to our wellbeing. But of course that is nothing good.

What a pandemic life!