Jakarta's Under Water World

Jakarta is recovering from its worst flood in national history. About 70% of its area was covered with muddy water, mainly came from its thirteen rivers that run through the city. Yes, thirteen, one three. Imagine if everyone one of them is filled with rubbish, households and industrial wastage that are being dumped everyday. Then imagine they do it for, let's say 5 years. When the raining season comes, people will worry more about the flood than the crime rate. It is actually a cycle, a 5-year cycle. Yet there are not enough efforts to prevent the seasonal flood (it sounds wrong but hey it is what happen here).

During the disaster, the city was forced to halt its daily activities. Everything and everywhere was flooded. Commercial areas, shopping malls, offices, and of course people's houses. How high was the water? some might start to ask. Well, I'll give one example in an underpass, with 5.5 m height. The flood almost touched its ceiling, only leaving about 20 cm from the top. Some worst area, the flood covered up to 7 meters height. Some lucky citizens only got the muddy and thick water up to their ankle. Then problems started arise from it, starvation, not enough medical supplies and evacuation area, including the poor health and sanitation, and the most critical one is the inadequate amount of clean water. The floods have forced the closures of several main roads across Jakarta, electricity and water supplies remain cut in large areas of the city. Some major rail lines and some roads have been closed. Most schools also stayed shut, as forecasters warned that more rain is on its way.

Thousands were forced to flee from their houses, leaving their belongings behind. Many even haven't got chance to take any single thing. Between the 2nd to 4th February, there was nothing I could do except watching the news. Can't really go anywhere. I had to take emergency day off from work. I'm a bit lucky as we live near the outskirt of Jakarta and it's higher than the capital town. So heavy rain wasn't a problem.

A week after the flood, more problems arise. Diseases started to spread. Diarrhoea and dysentery are the main threat including illness spread by rats. It was clear that there was an epidemic in most refuging area. It took another 4 to 5 days before the condition become a bit better. However, the government was facing a renewed criticism as it hasn't done enough to prevent the disaster. Then we watched people started to blame each other. The people blamed the government for the inadequate programs and plannings to anticipate it. Within government, people also started to point their fingers on others. Of course some politic parties took this moment to discredit the current government and expose their inabilities to provide what their people need.

Aside from the blaming and the pointing fingers, we should really re-assess ourselves. Have we done enough? Do we start the "do no litter campaign" from ourselves? Have we built enough awareness among ourselves? In my opinion, it's not someone's fault, but everyone's fault. I do feel guilty for those little rubbish I threw on the roads. Tissues, ATM receipt, shopping receipt, candy wraps, etc, those little things I admit threw away on the streets. Eventhough many said if the government could fix its east flood canal and west flood canal, the flood won't be a problem anymore. At least it won't be this bad.

So, rather than trying to find the scapegoat, let's adjust our behavior and consciousness that flood is harmful. Houses, properties, and even our lives are at stake. Everyone should do something -no matter how small it is- or else in five ears the flood ravage one day might become a tourism commodity if we don't do anything about it.

"Small deeds done are better than great deeds planned".
Peter Marshall

Movie Muncher Mark 1

Ok, I want to make something different. From now on, any post that discuss, share or a review of a movie would be titled "Movie Muncher". The number will continue starting from number one. What I expect and hope from this is people could read information or even discuss the movie on subject. And perhaps, the viewers might get a recommendation of what movie is good. Some movies might be a little bit too old, but I'm sure not everyone has watched them. Ok, here we go.

The first movie I would like to share is The Sentinel. A story behind the daily basis work of a Secret Service Agent. Starred by Michael Douglas, Kiefer Sutherland, Eva Longoria and Kim Basinger. Douglas is a veteran agent who has been on duty from the Reagan's era. He is old but he doesn't loose his touch. Suddenly, his job was getting complicated especially when his love life got into the line. He had to prove that he is the good guy who is trying to stop the bad guy from killing the president of the United States of America and his marriage. While on the other side, Sutherland is an agent that adore rules, strict and always play by the book. The two were racing against the time, to stop the bad guys and to prove someone's innocence.

Overall, the movie is good. It shows the common procedures of Secret Service agent, how they work or organize the daily schedule of an American president. Storyline is average, simple plots and good characters especially Basinger. Even you might forget about the movie pretty fast, however you could enjoy every bit of it while you are watching it. Rating: B-

Next is Crash, a movie of inter-related of some characters in L.A. It shows how prejudice, stereotyping and racism still exist and strongly affect our everyday life. People treat others based on skin colors, physical appearance ignoring the dividing line of social status. Being Afro-America, being Hispanics, being Asian, being Mediterranian, and so on. That is our status. People are labelled and marked with invisible stain that focus more on our accent rather than your nationality status in your passport.

This movie quite a stirring. It brought 3 Oscars, another 37 wins and 56 nominations. The storyline will show how explicit we could be sometimes. How prejudice directs us away from compassion, and stereotyping that tears a society apart. Starred by Brendan Fraser, Terrence Howard, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton, Ludacris, Don Cheadle, Sandra Bullock, and Ryan Phillippe. Full of dedicated and talented movie stars, this movie surely would bring something different. And you might start to re-think if the shop-attendant of the exclusive boutique you visited last week, served you based on your accent, your expensive clothes or simply on your nationality without any prejudice. Rating: A+

Have a nice weekend, everyone. Happy Chinese New Year for those who celebrate it. Gong Xi Fa Cai. Xin Nian Kuai Le, Wan Shi Ru Yü. Zhu Ni Shen Ti Jian Kang, Gong Cuo Shun Li.

"Our thoughts are unseen hands shaping the people we meet. Whatever we truly think them to be, that's what they'll become for us."
Richard Cowper

Newly Wed

Phew.. All those plannings and discussion had met its end. Our preparations took about a year. It includes the early reservation for the ballroom, decoration design, to pre-wed pictures. Everything went well, no major problems arose. Couple things were going off the schedule but it's not a big deal tho. Now I'm a married man, joining the oldest club in the world lol. Can't say much tho as it's only a change of status. We've known each other quite a while. We know what our other half feels, thinks, likes or dislikes. We would like to thank everyone that participated in our wedding reception. Friends, families and close relatives who had spent time and effort in helping us to held such a wonderful reception.

Special thanks to our friends Zarija and his sister Anuskha Stankovic from Perth, Western Australia. Also to the notorious Michael Kleger aka znacke from HK (ok, he's originally a Swiss-German) hehehe.. The pictures are half developed, including the video coverage. I hope I would be able to share some of them here.

"Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place."
Zora Neale Hurston