Mbak Rita

What we can do for Ibu Mardiyem? It’s already too late. She was passed away last December, after endlessly fighting for her dignity as a human being, and a woman, that had been robbed by Pacific War (1941-1945). Ibu Mardiyem was a “Jogun Ianfu” survivor from Indonesia. And about Jogun Ianfu itself, people tends to translate those Japanese words as “comfort women”.

Comfort women..? Oh please, that term must be invented by men, right? I mean, it doesn’t even refer to the subject itself; those women. Instead it refers them as object, as the “comfort” for the Japanese soldiers in war. Those girls from the abducted lands, such as Indonesia, The Philippines, etc, were being kidnapped and sent to the barracks where they had the horror in their life, being forced as sexual slaves for the Japanese soldiers 

Years, and decades, after the nightmares that never ever left her, the late Ibu Mardiyem fought endlessly for her stolen life, asking simply for an apology; from both states; Indonesia which had failed to protect her and Japan that had officially ordered such inhuman act of slavery. But she accepted nothing.

After the Tokyo Tribunal and Den Haag final decision in 2001 that put Japanese Kaiser and its military top brass as guilty, there was an offer to give an “atonement money” for the jugun ianfus.  And there we had another humiliation; for every Caucasian, mostly Dutch, Jogun Ianfus,  they’re willing to send an atonement money of four millions yen but only its half, two million yen, for Asian ( Indonesian) Jogun Ianfus. (WHAT THE*%#!! The money is not color blind?!!!).

Sadly, the apology would just be given if the women ‘re willing to take the money first.

Honey, for the heroes, dignity has nothing to do with money! That’s why Ibu Mardiyem refused the money, because she wanted mostly to have the apology, period.  

It’s very clear for me, who is the hero, and which ones are the cowards. May you rest in peace, Ibu Mardiyem.

Photo : Ibu Mardiyem (left) and Mbak Ninuk Pambudy from Kompas Daily, pictured last year by Wawan H Prabowo/Kompas Daily, Jakarta

Actress Lydia Pratiwi was sentenced in jail last year, she got about 15 years in prison after proven guilty in Gonggom Hutagalung murder. Months in prison did make a change in her appearance. A couple of days ago Lydia was interviewed and abracadabra, now she has a brace. Wow, Indonesian prison must be very complete and luxurious with such trendy dental clinic inside. Cheers Lydia! 

Oh no, it’s already midnight and there is still another Suharto show on TV!

Gee, for the last ten days my TVs (all of them, about 9 national stations) aired the ailing former President Suharto almost every hour, night and day. I don’t know what is happening with those producers and editors who treated Suharto’s news with such hyperbolic coverage. I mean, surely, he deserves getting our attention and pray (oh course, Indonesian considered as a good and religous people…:-)) but not that much! Come on!

I am so sick watching that green blanket almost every hour everytime I happened to turn on my TV. And then a continuous scene starred by his head doctor, Mardjo Soebijandono, who addresses the press in daily basis. The news can’t stop here, it would go further, reporting the chaos in Pertamina Hospital (RSPP) where Pak Harto is treated, including a news about pickpocket in his VVIP floor (can you imagine of having a breaking news about capturing a pickpocket in a national channel?), and of course the long queue of his supporters.

Yeah, you can even easily find a report about elementary school children praying dramatically for Soeharto’s health.  Hopefully those adults who ordered such children take action in front of tv cameramen had also already told them to pray for floodvictims around the country, the twister’s ophans, those recently landslide victims in Papua, and hundred millions of other very ill Indonesians. In short, this media circus makes viewers, I mean me, sick! 

My partners in crime, Nicky and Bos Gondrong, have warned me of a nausea for too much watching Suharto’s news on TV. “Better turned it off during this week,” Nicky said.  “Except on 2 pm, time for Bondan Winarno’s gourmet show,” Bos Gondrong smiled. Yeah, we are surely not Suharto’s men, we prefer gourmet show instead. 

It was cold and I can’t see any stars in the sky. The night was so ordinary and thanks to my hectic day, these muscles were so tensed and I felt very tired. I finally gave it up at 11.30 pm, sleeping, with a nightmare about having a toothache. Ouch!  

Previously, in the morning, I made a promise to myself to stay awake, learning some verses from the Holy book and contemplate a little, the way my beloved Grandpa used to celebrate the first dawn of Muharam.

In the morning of Muharram the first, today, the new lunar year in Islamic calendar, I feel a little guilty, thinking about how the city life has made me powerless and kept me losing chances in my own self searching. Sitting in the porch with my morning mug, I tried to escape from such feeling by reading some stuff. A friend sent me this simple but very interesting idea, “How about forgiving somebody in the past as a New Year gift for our empty heart?”.  Hmmm, speaking about somebody, well, it could be me, right? And the magic of Satu Sura hit me, yeah. That’s it! I will start this very new day of 1429 Hijriah with a self forgiveness, my only way to make peace with my own conscience. Wanna join me? 

Rumor has it that when actor Surya Saputra proposed singer Cynthia Lamusu on a live show—after winning the first prize of a local Dancing with Star program here—it actually was fully orchestrated by the broadcast, for the sake of its high rating. Ahhhh…why did they rudely say so? Can’t people just be happy of what happened that night? Come on, it was so sweet.  Even from the very beginning when Surya gave Cynthia a small box to open. She found no ring inside. Instead there was a box of tissue in it. Clueless Cynthia was amazed for a second and quickly Surya said, “You’re gonna need that, Hon” Watching that scene I was kind of carried away and said, “Ooooooooh….”

I mean, we get busier and pay only a little attention for our loved one lately. Just asked those guys in Jakarta’s streets, when was the last time they did something spontaneously romantic for their lovers, and  not to mention “in public”? So I was more than happy for Surya and Cynthia. What they did was like magic. So beautiful. Congrats Surya and Cynthia, hopefully your step will romantically encourage others to show their feeling  too. And yeah, I mean you too, Homer! Heh heh heh…!.

It’s always fun to watch the Jakartans’ lifestyle. People with a getting- more- serious- fashion-consciousness is a wide phenomenon here, not just in the female department only, but working hard too to the guys.Oh yeah, that’s for sure, Baby.

I saw them on the street and was kind of amazed with their various (male) accessories. One of the strong male accessories that captured my eyes the most is their beard. Gee, those jenggot are so high on demand   lately, among ten guys who walked across my seat, I can always find two

 with haired chin. I said “hair” because sometimes the beard is simply so tiny and very pirang ler only heh heh heh.  Those who are lucky with thick beard will find a way to make it more “kicking”. Yeah, look at   Pepi Empat Mata, a local comedian here, (left) who has long beard and made it a ponytail. A friend, who met me in the afternoon, put another fancy stuff, a green ribbon, for his beard (right).  Interesting, eh? So, who said that men are not so fashion oriented then?

Welcome to the new millennium, Baby!

             I agree with Margaret Mitchell, the author of Gone with the Wind, who used that sentence as an ending for Scarlet O’Hara’s  optimism, a very powerful closure for such an enormous but troubled life. Was that 2007 for us?

My partners in crime, Nicky and Bos Gondrong laughed to hear that.

 “You mean enormous catastrophe?” said cynical Nicky.  

“What memories that we had with 2007 so it deserved such romantic farewell?’ the sometimes-ok-most-of-the-times-crazy boss mumbled a little.

 “Yeah, it was heavy rain so the best tribute for 2007 finale was a long and peaceful dream,” added Nicky,” for sure,  I did that!”

Bos Gondrong agreed, he nodded his heavy head and yelled, “And without flood!”

Yeah, a good sleep without flood is indeed the best tribute because today many places here are still surrounded by the uninvited dirty water. When taking my first shower in newborn 2008 I closed my eyes and said thankful words because in other places near me people can’t have such a luxury of taking a regular bath. So, let me welcome you, 2008, may you live in a simpler and less complicated than your previous uneasy 2007. Cheers!

          Have a happier new beginning, Guys!