Tumawag ako nung Christmas sa mommy ko, ang lungkot ng boses niya. Nag-alala tuloy ako. Kaya yon, pasko rito sa Singapore, mabigat ang loob ko. Malungkot. Balak ko nga, bumili ng baril at pab-babarilin ko yung mga walang kwentang tao na kakilala ko. Para wala nang pahirap at tapos na agad aang problema. Wala na ngang naitutulong, nag-dadagdag pa sa problema. Lahat naapektuhan eh.
this is my first christmas out of the country. my first christmas in singapore.
there’s not that much christmas cheer really. tumatanda na ako, di ko na na-enjoy ang pasko. parang parehong araw lang ito, katulad ng mga nag-daan ng mga araw – kisap-matang nawala. wow, ang gandang salita “kisap-mata”: “blink of an eye”… para bagang isang pa-profound effect to impress gentle reader. hehehe… amazing!
“it’s amazing whoop, with the blink of an eye, suddenly it’s alright”. sabi nga ni aerosmith. ang bilis talaga ng panahon. sana next year na, para pwede nang umuwi at mag-baskasyon.
merry christmas na lang, whatever it still means.
may pasok kami ngayon eh. what a bummer. pero half-day lang. yehey! bukas no work tapos balik sa 26. 9:30 na ng umaga – gusto ko nang umuwi.
“smelly no more”
– brand name of local singapore deodorant stick
Indonesia: 228,437,870 people, archipelago of 17,000 islands,Muslim 88%, Protestant 5%, Roman Catholic 3%, Hindu 2%, Buddhist 1%, other 1%, Javanese 45%, Sundanese 14%, Madurese 7.5%, coastal Malays 7.5%, other 26%
Jakarta reminds me so much of home. The heavy traffic jams, the sticky heat, the smoke from reckless super fast cars and motorcycles and the people. We share the same face and we share some words. Not long ago, our ancestors probably came from the same tribe of nomads who have been ruling the South East Asian seas. In spite of the poverty all around, we share the same smile.
I look out to the city from my hotel window and wonder: will this country of 200 million people rise up from the rut and shine like the rest of its neighbors? I really don’t know. Like the Philippines, this place needs a major deluge – A big flood or a major catastrophe: a volcanic eruption, a tsunami or a meteor strike perhaps. Like home, this place needs to rid itself of a generation of corruption, crime and poverty. Out of the ashes, we can start again. Of course, this is assuming that all the people we love to hate die in the first wave. If they don’t, they may be able to bribe some rescue worker and survive. This is dangerous because the viscous cycle of corruptor and corruptee starts all over again.
One thing I really like is food. Indonesian food is interesting and worth eating – hehehe. I like their Nasi Padang. It’s basically rice with a ton of different dishes that is brough to your table. You pay only for what you eat. Each dish is different, from spicy to very spicy. hehehe… Of course, there is their national pride: Indonesian Barbeque Satay with Peanut Sauce.
“Terimah KASIH” – thank you! A word I find effective when connecting with the Indonesians. It is the magic word; a password that open doors (“Buka Pintu”). A smile and a thank you is all you need to belong.
“Belonging” – I cannot even measure how important this is for me, a travelling salesman.
Batang Kaning Lamig 