Book Review: The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Dissapeared

The story ended with our (Indonesian) President Yudhoyono, requesting the main character, Allan Karlsson, the 100 year old man who climbed out of the window and dissapeared, to help him make an atom bomb.

Did you see that coming? I didn't.

SBY is cooking a nuclear project with the help of 100 year old man!
Saya prihatin :(

I bought the book because of the curious title of course. The back cover didn't explain anything in terms of what the story is about. Even if there's a synopsis anywhere, it is very minimal. What the hell is this book about? Is it a mystery? Ghost story? Detective story?

Considering I was on vacation at that time, I thought I had the spare time to find out. And so I read it.

It turns out that the book is well written. With lots of cold and somewhat sarcastic European humor (if I may?) that I liked. So yes, the story is about Allan Karlsson, a 100 year old (Sweden) man who runaway from the old's people home on his birthday and find an adventure. He didn't know where to go and what he wanted to do, and just go where his feet takes him and what his gut told him. He ended up stealing a suitcase with lots of money in it, which belongs to a drug dealer. During his run, he picked up friends, including an elephant pet. I'm gonna stop right there cause surely, you don't want me to tell you the whole story, right?

But, what's surprisingly nice for me is, that the past of Mr. Allan Karlsson was also told in this book. And because his life takes place during WW II and Cold War, there was a lot of "history" content in it. In fact, in this fictional story, Allan Karlsson take role in the world's important historical events. For example, he helped Oppenheimer make the atom bomb that blew Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In fact, he accidentally met with important people in history, General Franco, Stalin, Harry Truman, Mao Tse Tung, Kim Il Sung and (little) Kim Jong Il. That was all fun for me, until he decided to go to... Bali.

Crap! What now, do I have to go all post-modernist and post-colonialist on this book?

Well I don't know if this is a post-modernist or post-colonialist take on the story, but how the writer describes Indonesia, really makes me sad. He describes Indonesia as:

Image of "exotic Bali". Many would only remember Bali
when mentioned about Indonesia. But some,
doesn't know Bali is in Indonesia.
Picture taken from http://intrepidberkeleyexplorer.com/Page21F.html

Bali (that's one)

Stupid woman (two)

Marries a bule tourist (yep)

Corruption

Corruption

Corruption

Oh well.





To sum it up, I'm just going to quote the book for you:

"...in Indonesia, everything was for sale, and so anyone who had money could get anything he wanted." (pg. 280).

Some Indonesian might be offended and threatend to take all Indonesian people to pee on Sweden and drown it (hot headed nationalist), some might agree with that statement (Indonesians who are in denial and just couldn't deal being an Indonesian I would say), some would be just sad. Like me. I'm just sad. Like, what could I possibly say? Corruption IS a problem here and that is something that I can't deny. But having the whole Indonesia reduced and described like that is just.... saddening.


Well, the story being, that the stupid Balinese girl who married the wealthy bule, bribe her way up to the governor chair (not so stupid after all), and then monopolize the hotel industry in Bali. After Suharto takes over, she decided she wants to retire and being offered a post as an Ambassador in France. Yep, might be a "familiar" story for us, yeah?

Also, at the end, the 100 year old man who steals the suitcase full of money and kill some people along the way, Indonesia is used as an escape route. Because it is SO corrupt there, that some outlaws plus an elephant pet can get in with no problem as long as they provide bribe money. And we provide charter planes too! No questions asked. And that's how you conclude the and resolve the story of this book.

But hey, don't we all do what the writer is doing? Don't we also "reduce" countries into just names and images and brands in our minds? Argentina is Tango and soccer, Brazil is Samba and soccer, Russia is cold and communist, Thailand is Phuket and transgenders and sex, America is New York and Carrie Bradshaw, or America is cowboys and horses (or Gipsy Danger for all of you Pacific Rim geeks out there).

I personally imagine New York when thinking about United States.
Americans are smart enough to nurture this images through pop culture.
Who hasn't watch Sex and the City? Please!

And do we think of how people would feel when we use these images to describe them and their nation and their country? Nation is an imagined community but nationalism is a power not to be underestimate. So perhaps we should be more considerate? Especially if it is a negative one.

And Sweden is just IKEA! xP

Review: Pacific Rim

Image courtesy of Dimas Subagio
http://apps.warnerbros.com/pacificrim/designer/us/

Yes! A million time yes for this movie!

Okay, I might not be the right person to review this movie, as I don't have a thing for robots, Japanese stuff, action and stuff like that. I'm just a regular movie goer.

However,...

When it comes to action movies, I have an allergic tendency towards weepy dramatic or lovey dovey scenes. You can probably guess then, that I hated Superman and Spiderman and love Iron Man. I also hated Fast & Furious 1, 4, 6 and absolutely love 2, 3 and 5. (or maybe that's too complicated to guess?).

Pacific Rim is just perfect.

1. Full action! The main character doesn't even kiss, but we know that they're.. you know... A lot of the good guys are dead, but there's no dramatic weeping. At all. And you know those scenes, where the good guy is on the edge of danger, but still make time for a dramatic dialogue? There are no such thing in Pacific Rim. HALLE FRIKKIN LUYAHH!

2. The movie does not let us ask questions and complain about the scientific logic (like what happend to TRON for me) by not trying to explain the scientific details. They don't even go there, and just let it be. Let it be. Don't even go there. Don't even question why are there this huge monster came out of the ocean, and how the hell do connect human minds to control robots and why. They just provide necessary explanation (minimum), and you can just enjoy the awesome action. Which are AWESOME.

3. For those of you who enjoys beautiful men on your screen, you will not be dissapointed. The beautiful Aussie father-son, and ahem, Charlie Hunnam who will make you Channing all over his Tatum (he looks like a beautiful version of Channing Tatum. Versi tampan dari Channing Tatum)

4. The girl. Right on for the Mako Mori character. She's perfect, and adding value to the movie instead of distraction.

So what? It's a 5 star for me. And yes, do watch them on IMAX if you can. The action matters.

Tentang JJS di mall yang diganggu todongan sumbangan :)

Bagi para fellow Jakartans, pasti pernah menemui para penggiat sumbangan, entah itu di trotoar, jembatan penyebrangan, di mall atau dimana pun, tapi mostly di trotoar, jembatan penyeberangan atau di mall. Entah itu UNICEF, WWF, Greenpeace, yang minta sumbangan soal anak-anak, penyakit, lingkungan, apapun lah segala masalah di muka bumi ini. Masalah-masalah yang mengerikan dan tidak manusiawi, akan tetapi apakah itu membuat kita para kaum beruntung ini boleh diterror di ruang aman kita? Warning, I am going to be such a selfish bitch in this post.

Gak usah ngomongin para pengemis dan anak jalanan lah ya, yang kalau kata salah satu teman saya mereka “nyari makan dengan cara gangguin orang makan”. Kita bisa nggak habis-habis ngebahas soal itu yang masalahnya berlapis-lapis kayak bawang. Saya mau ngomongin para peminta sumbangan untuk organisasi-organisasi penggiat kemanusiaan atau lingkungan yang lebih mapan.

Ok, nggak ada salahnya dengan mencari sumbangan, sumbangan itu dibutuhkan agar organisasi tetap bisa berjalan dengan kegiatannya. Tetapi masalahnya dengan menodong sumbangan di trotoar, jembatan penyeberangan atau mall adalah, Anda sebetulnya nggak tau siapa yang Anda todong.

Sebagai contoh, saya sendiri. Saya kerja di bidang kehutanan dan lingkungan meskipun perusahaan tempat saya kerja profit oriented. Terkadang, kami kerja buat NGO. NGO membayar kami untuk melakukan berbagai pekerjaan yang penting untuk menyelamatkan hutan di Indonesia (du du du du du du du…. :p). Jadi, bayangin ketika saya dihentikan oleh para penggiat sumbangan dari WWF atau Greenpeace, yang bahkan kadang orangnya bukan dari WWF atau Greenpeace sendiri, akan tetapi sales person yang mereka bayar aja, untuk DIKULIAHI soal keadaan mengenaskan hutan atau binatang di Indonesia (seriously?!) terus ditodong menyumbang (dengan pushy) untuk dana project mereka (seriously?!).

Terus gimana kalau ditodongnya untuk hal lain, seperti anak-anak, pendidikan atau kesehatan. Excuse lain yang saya punya untuk hal ini adalah, well, ada begitu banyak masalah di muka bumi ini dan saya udah memilih satu (atau dua, atau tiga). Tidakkah saya berhak untuk boleh nggak memusingkan masalah lain dan membiarkan orang lain memecahkannya? Bukan berarti saya nggak mendukung lho, tapi resource masing-masing orang terbatas, dan mau nggak mau kita harus set prioritas. Nggak mungkin kita mau memecahkan semua masalah di muka bumi ini.

Hal lain adalah, apakah project-project si NGO itu sesuai dengan aspirasi kita dalam memecahkan masalah? Sebagai contoh, waktu itu saya pernah ditodong NGO yang ngurus anak jalanan (atau anak-anak yang nggak diinginkan, something like that, gw lupa) dengan memberikan mereka tempat berlindung, sekolah, yada yada. Pokoknya dari speech si orang itu, inti masalahnya yang gw tangkep adalah: orang-orang nggak mau KB, dan bahwa project si NGO ini adalah taking care of irresponsible people’s shit. Yes, they need to be taken care of, tapi enak banget yah, dan tidakkah ini membuat mereka jadi tetap irresponsible? Jadi gw tanya, gimana dengan sosialisasi soal KB, apakah termasuk dalam program? Dia bilang enggak.

I know what you’re probably thinking, kalo nggak mau nyumbang ya udah yu, nggak usah nyumbang, ngapain complain panjang lebar begini sih! Well, kalau Anda adalah salah satu orang yang pernah disetop orang-orang ini, Anda akan tahu betapa nggak nyamannya situasi yang Anda hadapi.

Pertama: Anda harus berhenti dan mendengarkan kuliah, padahal Anda lagi buru-buru, sibuk atau lagi santai nggak mau mikirin masalah dunia, karena dari Senin sampai Jumat Anda udah sibuk mikirin masalah dunia. Kuliah yang terkadang Anda nggak perlukan.

Kedua: Cara nodong sumbangannya nggak manusiawi. Sama sekali tidak menerapkan prinsip free, prior, informed consent. Setengah dipaksa, Anda berada di bawah tekanan untuk menyumbang, dan berada dalam posisi awkward untuk bilang Anda nggak mau, dan Anda diminta menjelaskan kenapa Anda nggak mau menyumbang. Whaaaat?

Ketiga: kalaupun Anda berhasil menolak untuk dihentikan, udah pasti itu dengan cara yang nggak sopan. Anda dipaksa untuk kasar dan nggak sopan sama orang, dalam hal ini, si sales person tersebut.

Yep, yep, all petty little problems yang kita kaum beruntung ini harus alami. Kita yang bukan spesies orangutan dan kita yang bukan anak jalanan ini. Menghadapi 10 menit awkward moment di jalanan! Oh! :D

Ada banyak masalah dengan menyumbang. Kalau kita udah kenal dengan yang namanya akuntabilitas (yaiks), kita akan khawatir tentang; bener nggak duit sumbangan dipake buat project, bener nggak project memberikan impact yang positif, bagaimana cara saya memeriksa semua itu? Sedangkan ini adalah salah satu hal yang tidak pernah ditawarkan oleh para penodong itu: How do I check on you?

Jadi sebetulnya masalah saya adalah, selain metode pemaksaan yang diterapkan orang-orang sales itu, mereka tidak memberikan informasi yang justru penting. Ok, tolong kasih tau: uang saya ini mau dipakai untuk apa persisnya (kegiatan apa, dimana), kenapa project itu penting dilakukan, dan bagaimana saya memeriksa larinya uang saya dan juga performance Anda?

Metode memaksa juga buat saya sangat nggak asik. Bisa nggak sih saya cukup dikasih informasi, bagaimana caranya saya menyumbang yang paling gampang (dan semoga tidak berupa charge bulanan di kartu kredit saya), silakan menyumbang jika saya mau, kalau mau pulang dulu dan pikir-pikir silakan, dan tidak ditodong on the spot seperti itu. Saya pikir itu akan sangat mengurangi ketidaknyamanan orang, dan orang akan lebih ikhlas mendengarkan “kuliah” yang ditawarkan, dengan mengetahui bahwa kebebasan masih kita miliki dan tidak terenggut ketika kita dihentikan dan mendengarkan kuliah tersebut. (Tentunya ini banyak berhubungan dengan metode “target” yang diterapkan saat meng-hire orang-orang sales).

Tidakkah itu membuat semua orang lebih nyaman? Atau apakah itu mengurangi jumlah sumbangan yang dikumpulkan?

Bolehkah saya menyalahkan penjajah Belanda atas kurangnya partner Tango?

Menyukai dunia dansa-dansi kalau kamu perempuan, orang Jakarta dan bukan sosialita, dan ditambah kere sangatlah problematik.

Wait, sebetulnya menjadi atau menyukai apapun kalau kamu kere ya pasti problematik sih. Anyway, moving on.

Saya jatuh cinta pada dunia dansa, terus terang karena pengaruh mantan sahabat saya (yes, mantan and I don’t want to talk about it), yang suka nonton film  dansa  terutama Salsa. However, I always take obsession to the next level, dan saya berakhir menjadi junkie film dansa yang lebih akut dari dia. Apalagi dengan kemahiran ber-torrent, lengkaplah sudah. I’ve probably watch any dance movie (from Hollywood) there is in this world. Kami memulai obsesi dengan salsa, dan mempelajarinya selama beberapa bulan, akan tetapi obsesi saya yang paling akut adalah Argentine Tango.

Tidak, jangan berani-berani Anda mengira bahwa Antonio Banderas (Take the Lead, blah over dramatic)

atau Richard Gere (Shall We Dance, blah over dramatic)

yang menampar saya dengan Argentine Tango. Bahkan bukan pun Al Pacino (yang adegan tango dalam film Scent of a Woman-nya orang-orang hebohkan, not dramatic but he was blind in the story).

Sebuah film yang mungkin unremarkable, tapi sungguh membuat saya terobsesi dengan Argentine Tango adalah film Robert Duvall berjudul Assassination Tango. Mr. Robert Duvall dan terutama keanggunan isterinya Luciana Pedreza lah yang benar-benar memukau saya. Tidak ada dramatisasi berlebihan, hanya keeleganan yang memukau dan memicu rasa penarasaran dan gemas. Buat saya, film itu menampilkan Argentine Tango yang sesungguhnya, gerakan-gerakan sederhana yang tetapi menggelitik, bukan dramatisasi berlebihan. (bahkan stunt-stunt andalan memukau ala Argentine Tango pun nggak terlalu ditampilkan, tidak ada gancho, planeo, barridas, volcadas, colgadas, hanya basics, dengan embellishments dan SOUL).

Robert Duvall dan Luciana Pedreza dalam Assassination Tango

Kenapa dari tadi saya terus-terusan bilang “Argentine” Tango. Karena, bagi Anda yang belum tahu, Tango itu ada Ballroom Tango dan Argentine Tango dan keduanya sangat-sangat berbeda.Tapi saya tidak akan membahas sejarah, latar belakang dan perbedaan mendasar antara keduanya. Saya pikir sudah cukup banyak sumber internet mengenai itu.

Jadi setelah Salsa, tentu saja saya harus belajar Argentine Tango. Tapi berhubung saya kuper, pemalu dan enggak pernah dugem (maklum kere), susah banget ya cari guru. Sumber internet nggak membantu, dan satu-satunya petunjuk dari internet ke salah satu sanggar, setelah si sanggar ditelepon nggak membuahkan hasil. Entah itu sanggar bohong bahwa dia punya guru, nggak butuh duit, nggak butuh murid apa gimana, saya nggak ngerti deh. Sampai akhirnya setelah bertahun-tahun nggak nemu petunjuk, akhirnya internet mempertemukan saya dengan guru Argentine Tango saya sampai sekarang. Nggak, bukan bule, bukan Filipino, tapi pria Ambon. Yang hebat adalah, sama dengan saya, beliau tertarik belajar Argentine Tango gara-gara filmnya Duvall.

Masalah pertama selesai, dapat guru, mulai belajar. Masalah kedua, masalah yang sama dengan ketika belajar Salsa adalah cari partner.

FYI

Di Jakarta, kalau Anda pergi ke club pada untuk berdansa Salsa atau Tango, jangan harap ada laki-laki yang mau ngajak Anda dansa secara sosial (kecuali Anda ke sana sama teman laki-laki yang bisa dansa). Cowok-cowok yang ada di sana dan bisa dansa kebanyakan adalah apa yang disebut “Dance Instructor” alias cowok (atau cewek) bayaran yang disewa oleh club atau dibawa oleh pengunjung sendiri. Yes… jadi selain transport, minuman dan keberanian, Anda harus ngeluarin duit buat fee atau tip si dance instructor (plus transport, makan dan minum dia kalau Anda yang bawa dia). Welcome to a world where kere-ness is just unacceptable.

Faktanya adalah, begitu banyak perempuan yang senang dansa, tetapi begitu sedikit laki-laki yang senang dansa. Setidaknya di Indonesia. Atau mungkin juga di dunia. Terus terang, tugas cowok di lantai dansa itu cukup berat, sedangkan si perempuan cukup senang-senang dibawa dansa and act pretty.

Guru Tango saya, si spesies endemik langka itu, pernah bilang “pria Indonesia Timur itu harus bisa dua hal: perang dan berdansa”.

Cakalele, tarian perang dari Maluku
Sumber: http://id.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tari_Cakalele

Hmm…setelah saya pikir-pikir, not that I know much about it, tapi saya merasa lumrah mendengar pria Ambon, NTT, Timor-Timur, Papua, Manado bisa dansa (atau menari. Saya pernah lihat pria Papua menari secara live di depan kelas antropologi, and he was magnificent.). Tapi kalau pria dari Jawa, Sunda, Padang, Batak….not so much.

Fakta lain adalah, banyaaaak sekali dance instructor di Jakarta ini, berasal dari Filipina.

OK can I blame the Dutch on this one?  Really, it’s either they don’t have much dancing culture but even if they do, they won’t teach us inlanders, right? Pola penjajahan Belanda adalah memisahkan antara mereka penjajah dengan pribumi, atau mengutip Wikipedia “Mereka hidup terkait dengan subyek asli mereka, namun secara terpisah di bagian atas kasta rasial dan sosial yang kaku mereka mendirikan masyarakat Hindia.”  

Sementara Indonesia timur (dan Filipina), cukup “beruntung” mendapatkan lebih banyak pengaruh Portugis dan Spanyol I guess. Maka barangkaliiii, kultur berdansa dan menari lebih lekat bagi mereka daripada pria-pria di Indonesia bagian barat. I actually don't really know. Anybody have any thought about this?

why i can't dance Indonesian traditional dance

I dance Salsa, Bachata, Merengue, Jive and last but not least, Argentine Tango. But I can't dance traditional Indonesian dance. Not even one. Why?

For the last 11 days, I was participating in a leadership program, which allows me to explore Indonesian dance. We were suppose to perform lots of Indonesian dance, and that got me thinking why i haven't learn any Indonesian dance. My friends perform Indonesian dance in the inauguration night: Saman from Aceh, Indang from Minangkabau, and the most awesome one is Mask Dance from Cirebon. Oh Dayak dance is also super awesome. It follows the moves and sounds of the Hornbill bird which is very important animal in their cultural identity. I was also at first, participating in a simple Indonesian dance coreography performance for the closing session. I finally decided not to participate as main dancer in that performance anymore, mainly because the program is quite demanding and I feel that the practice would be too exhausting for me.

When I was given the moves and coreography, after 2 or 3 tries, I can execute it very very well. Seriously. Thanks to the Latin dance I'm already good at, my moves was excellent and smooth (even though my moves was salsa-like. Can you imagine my salsa hips during Papua dancing?!). And it's a coreographed dancing, so you just have to remember the moves. And so yes, the difference between Salsa/Tango with Indonesian dancing is that: Salsa/Tango has basic moves that you have to remember but executed according to the music and personal expression, while Indonesian dancing is coreographed.

So maybe that's why it doesn't seem so exciting for me. Because, you don't have to "conquer" a dancing logic (yes Salsa and Tango steps, required lots of logic), but you just have to "know the moves" (mind you, the moves can be very challenging and beautiful and exciting to conquer too). But, then it got me thinking again. Do you realize why it is coreographed in a precise way? Because, it is danced together. A group of dancer must execute the dance in a harmonious way (except for some solo dancing, or group dancing which can be performed solo). You can clearly see this in Saman and Indang dance of course.

Yes, Indonesian has a very strong communal and togetherness spirit. HAHA so that's why! I am very individualist and I generally hate people, so I don't like communal dancing. I am selfish. Hahahaa.

But another excuse that I have and another characteristic is that, almost all Indonesian dance is a performance dancing, while Salsa/Tango is a social dance (even though it can be made as a performance).

But seriously, I really do want to learn Indonesian dance. The problem is that I have limited time and money and therefore I have to decide priority. Based on purely technical and aestethic preference, I chose Salsa/Tango. If I have all the time in the world and can do anything with it, dancing is all I would be doing :)