Twas the first blast

The title meant literally. On Saturday, 13th of December 2008, I had the effort of climbing a rugged hill just to get to a great view, in seeing... my first blast (shed a tear :) )! We almost missed on taking photos but we were prepared and that is sometimes good :P. In some sense it made many markings in my life.



It's a marking of:
- I get to see somthing blow up without a metal frame arounding, meaning a TV frame.
- Geez I have a lot of work starting from now, it's finally a working mine
- This probably means I'm an environmentalist on a mine for the day. Discussing processing stuff while waiting for the blast. Tomorrow could be usual. Not necessary an evnironmentalist, but just a worker somewhere out here.
- Seems like I'm still fit enough to climb this hill, although panting desperatly for more air in lungs
- I still have my stupid gut feeling to participate this ridiculous idea to climb up a steep hill and just take a great picture while getting my back burned. Not to mention great company! An silly bule. No regrets for sure!

Bt the way, that is something else I've learned while discussing things with Daniel, my company at the moment.
I like to follow ridiculous plans. It's intregiung. If it's a little absurd: I'm all for it! Too absurd: no thanks. Not absurd: I'll do it anyways with such low effort. Not absurd ideas tend to be less fun.

Back to the blast... Am I proud of it...? A part yes, I get to see such an enourmous effort that humans have been able to come accross. And believe me, not all people can see such an incident as one might say. It's a small event, but a blast is a BLAST.
The other part, it's not such a big deal. While in once place something is blown up, somebody probably is getting a nobel prize, while another is getting free meal ticket. You know what I mean?

Twas twas... looking forward to my next twas....

Were we ever prepared... to all those remoted...

Being in a developing county is sooo interesting. You see so many things change or even stay the same. There is sooo many problems that you can't even ignore and it keeps your mind open and working... at least to just complain.
I happen to say this because I found an interesting phenomenon latetly. the major resource industries are very interesting. Especially if you are working for oil, gas, and metals. Everything is built up to very high standars. I was just talking to a very good looking paramedic today from SOS International, and he we were just talking about emails. He was also complaining on how quite today was, not much people was wondering around. Tis Friday at noon, so probably they're praying or taking naps since it's a longer break I say, while checking out his goatee.And then we parted.

It came to mind that he isn't very use to a quite life, and so do most of the people working in a mining area. Mining are usually located in remote areas. You'll be lucky if there is a lively village around that you can visit. But in our example, we are just we. Now, the people in mining usually come from cities with the fortune of going to schools. So the loud busy lifestyle is what they are accustomed to. Yet, they have to work in the quite scene. Of course they teach you all the theoretical stuff in school, but did they ever teach the lifestyle to them. Were they ever warned about the life in the jungle, in the remote island, in the middle of the ocean?

I know they were taught about the manly-hood of it all. But I know that is definitely a third layer of necessities.
For the biology major like me, we are taught through field excursions, but we never actually was prepared for living in the wild. I personally think. Camping out hell yeah, we were taught that... and that was even rawly tought by my seniors and NOT by my lecturers, and I had the sense to join in the student unit. Maybe because my school in specific was in the middle of the city anyways. Maybe it would be different for the universities in the outskirts of the city. They do have a better field records then we did. But were we city kids prepared for such a quite situation?
I know for sure, some kids that grew up the the way smaller cities (which means all city except the capital of province) can bare more than the pure city kids. I've seen some examples. But shouldn't there be some kind of precaution principle to let them know what they will face... not just business tricks up their sleves?
I ask this because I clearly can not stand people complaining about remote areas while they now this was a risk to start with. Benefits are what you bosses promise you, and not a default...

My point is, there should some hint to what we are dealing with. I probably am out of my core here, but hey I know everyone else was never prepared for this kind of work. A lot of my friends in other site are bored to death dealing with more then 3 weeks of work in the natural field. We all say that we would love to work in a natural environment, far from polution and noise, but who knew you couldbn't bare to be far from friends, family, internet, cellphones, and Kentuky Fried Chicken? Everyone has their perks, and you won't know it untill your stranded.

There's this... and there's that...

I just read a blog of a friend. Well I don't know her that well but she had accomplished something big in the past few months. So I thought I browse her out and I found her blog.
She is an extraordinary girl I have to say. She did a lot of things and she accomplished much compared to many of us. But as I read through her blog, I can't help but not being so interested in her personality. I should, shouldn't I? I should be inspired and want to know more of this figure better. But I don't. I don't find her interesting. She's extraordinary but less interesting. Does that make any sense?
I had a small chat with siskha yesteday and we spoke of how we miss meeting passionate and interesting people. I have to narrow it down because there are a lot of passionate people that aren't very interesting to me.
So I thought about who am I really interested in? I'm interested with the uninteresting, turns out. The freaks and ghouls as Smashing Pumkins would say. I'm not interested with people that make 2 million dollars a month. I'm interested with people that eat spiders for fun. Well maybe to those that make 2 million dollars a month and eat spiders for fun. The wierd and unexplainable. The ones that make your face change it's expression. From a squint to a smile or a frown or even disgust. They are the interesting people for me.
I don't have to like everyone right? Just as not everyone likes me. But I am trying to accept everyone as they are.
One of my work collegues is so harmless and yet I don't like him. He tries too hard to blend in and some how that is just a turn off in any senses. And althought I feel guitly neglecting him, I feel better because I don't torture my self. I avoid him.
So I'm realizing that I have to admit this, that not all people are interesting, and even the interesing has their uninsteresting days... the world goes on, and so... as the cafe I went to one night would say. Oh that's life.

By the way, That's Life cafe is a small new cafe I went to last night. It's on Gunawarman road, from Sudirman, take a left at the KFC on the juction. It's on the left.
Coffee - average. Ice Caramel coffee is not bad. Cappucino: froth to light, and too milky.
Ambience - slick urban but humble by wood funiture. Doens't really describe the phrase 'that's life'. Well depends, what kind of life you have. My life definitely isn't represented in this cafe. Like the lighting though.
My idea of that's life is when everything is so complicated, disordered... that you just accept. I wonder if I can make that kind of coffee shop?

When there is so many options today, especially to those that can access it, why can't we find a suitable place in the end?

When you have a problem, you seek for an answer or at least, comfort. Talking and taking time to tell the story is as hard as it is, not to mention the considerations behind it. But when my fingers would like to talk, looking for another possibility of comfort, it's not possible even the world wide web can't help. How come, such an extended world can not even help the simplest problems.

Think about it, we've learned so much and can learn so much more, yet history repeats itself.

And when I know that it's so hard to upload an entry, why do I keep on trying?

why???

Why does Monday, come before Tuesday
Why do summer start in June
Why do winters come too soon
Why do people fall in love
When they're always breaking up,
oh why Why do we love if love will die

Why - Michael Jackson featuring T3

Why did I have to ask?

The remedy of stress no 1.

I often think that people only go on vacations because they hate their jobs and they really wanna get away from it all...

I proved myself wrong today. And I have to agree with Vira. There is nothing wrong on spending money for vacations. Especially if you work under stressful conditions.

Vacations recharge you.


I happen to be working on a beautiful remote island with many luxuries to enjoy. Typical mining luxuries but not the jetset stuff. We don't have dairy milk every moring with cereal of course. I happen to be sitting more in the office the past week and didn't have to exhaust myself through the dry and hot air of this island. But does all that make me happy? Not really... I say so because...


Today, I went swimming with some of my new friends from within and outside of the island. It was a lovely combination. 2 girls, 5 boys, which consist of 1 local girl and 1 local boy, a metalurgist, the paramedic, geologist, a welder, and myself the lazy environmentalist :P.

The water is crystal on every part except the front of our camp which is murky by sand. We went to beach with more friendly waves. And we swam, we borrowed 2 canoes from a nomaden villager, and had HEAPS of laugh because everyone kept on sinking. It's a small traditional canoe. The most funny one was the medic because he was a bit chubby. He always sank. And the best part was 4 out of 7 had loud laughs. Spontaneous laughter is so good because it's so sincere. So it was so much fun.

Coming back and after the shower... I realized I was recharged. I can do ANYTHING the day throws me tomorrow. I'm ready. And I realize, vacation really does the trick especially if you're with good company... till my next vacation...

Other Boleyn Girl

I happen to be very intrigued by this movie that was sitting on the shelve of my housemate... Mama Mia. For lame reasons such as Natalie Portman, side by side with Scarlett not to mention Eric Bana (who was actually hotter then Brad Pitt in Troy) and historical settings, made me grab this movie and watch it in the middle of the night.

I liked it for 3 reason:

-it is based on a historical event. About the love affair of King Henry the VIII. It was based on a novel to start with but using data of history.

- its complexity about sisterhood, love and ambition. The story plot is great. How far can you go for power? Naive me would say, not far. But life is more complex and simple than that. If you were a peasant girl in the village all your life and suddenly had the chance to be the queen?? How far is far? And the plot goes on and on until the last part of the movie.
In addition, I adore Natalie's acting. Her fear seems real and she is amongst the very few that is believe to me. But it's not more than that. It's all the usual for every actor.

- last and definitely not least is Eric Bana. Again, this guy is hot!!! He is the kind of caucassian I like :P. The way his character longs for Anna (Natalie)... before... other things (no spoilers) is so yummy. I wanna be in Anna's position before ... he is very much (as Marie (Scarlett) woul put it) "tender"...
To add to this, I wondered if King Henry VIII was ever as good looking as Eric Bana was. I mean... he did have 7 wives in his periode, not to mention all the mistresses. So I googled... and... well you can see for yourself.


In the end, I definitely recomend you to watch this movie. Story wise, the plot is much exciting. Weight, not as heavy to taken too seriously because... basically the cast is hollywood beautiful. Now how can you take that seriously?

Joining the party

... I could survive for 47 seconds chained to a bunk bed with a velociraptor

Blog lama....

This is an old blog... hmm... I use to think like that???

http://www.mumunlagih.blogspot.com/

The best line

Working in Wetar sure has many ups to it, especially for me that likes the sea, nature and going out in the field once in a while. The downs is the forever trip that takes about 30 hours in total. But since I am an Indonesian individual, I can always make an 'up side' to everthing, even for the 30 hour trip.

To get to and from Wetar, I have to travel with a wooden boat for about 16 hours or less. Now how do I enjoy such a ride, especially if it passes a straight and is exposed to open waters with high waves for about 5 hours??? By discovering new beauty...If I happen to travel through an afternoon, I usually spend it lying on the deck and listening to music. Entering the sunset phase which to till now is always ALWAYS perfect I realized that the best line and the most perfect line is the horizon. And not any horizon, but the ocean one.

Nothing beats it! And you can't find any flaw just by looking at it. Even though we know its not even a clear line, it's still a great line to see. So exact and precis. And so very sharp. You can even ejoy it from a plan ride if you happen to cross an ocean. Yet it is basically optical illusion. Man, the Al Mighty is dang good.

The picture is actually a horizontal line from the beach out front from my camp complex. There is never a wrong in the ocean horizon. I guess it's another reason the stare at the sea.

Wait... Did you think that I was gonna talk about a pick up line???? Ck ck ck you people...

The government is wierd

Oh come on! This is just wierd.
There are two sets of regulations on drinking water limits. PP Lingkungan Hidup no 82 year 2001 for class 1 water and Per Men Kesehetan no 416 year 1990. Both sets are on drinking water, AND BOTH ARE DIFFERENT!
Give me a break government! Are you or are you not protecting our drinking water? (rhetorical I know!)

The bigger baby

I've never had the luxury of wearing a diaper when I was a baby. It wasn't popular back then, nor cheap. So my Mom had the priveledge of cleaning after me till I learned how (can't really remember when that was). She said that if she did have the resources, she would definitely use the diaper. It was sooooo hard just to clean up. She once left me alone to poop, she said one day the poop ended in my mouth... out of curiosity I guess... bleh!


But I guess I'm still the lucky one (that has to pay to the environment) because I still have the chance to. I wear diapers now. All the ladies out there... holler!

I wear pads when I get my period of course. I can't use a tampon. The idea tickles me much. But the hazard of wearing a pad is that it is prone to leak. Hence, stains that are hard to wash out. I especially dispise my periode when I'm travelling because I have to be extra careful in protecting my clothes.
When there's a lot, there is A LOT! And I'm on alert, but how can you be when you're asleep. So to prevent any 'markings' I use the SUPER HUGE LAURIER NIGHT that covers your whole ass. It's a pain to put on, but it's so worth the peace of sleeping. I'm less aware. But I seriously feel like a big baby. So this is what diapers feels like. But then I thought, what was lost without them?



My mom definitely loves me, but I can't really tell if she loves me more or less because she had to clean after me. She could love me more because of the bond and effort to raise me without the diaper, but she could love me less because she could hate it so much. And so I though about all the new moms now that more or less can afford this un-environmental freindly device. Many are my friends. What are they missing by using a diaper? The story about their kid eating poop?

And what are the effects it brings to their kids? Would they love their mom more if there wasn't any diaper? Understanding the love and attention and EFFORT they put in to raise us?
I don't know?

But how ironic life puts girls at. If guys are to be born to wear one and probably end up with one, girls are born, grew and end with one. Well guys probably have to deal with accompanying their girlfriends or wifes or daughters to buy them, and there is always the accidental findings, upss... Does that actually define anything at all? Are we big babies? We cry more, but that doesn't mean a thing. In the environmental world, it be assured that girls are less friendly then guys.
Hmmm... how interesting a device can be. Many would think its all about baby years but as a matter a fact it's a life time experience. What do you know?!

Again singing Grunge

I think I have grown up is some ways. And so has some of the people in Jakarta. I'm refereing to those blokes that use to be music suckers in high school who thought the relationships with the opposite sex was a bit overrated and all that matters is
making a band that really says what's in your head and heart... and also rebeling!

This blabbering session is mainly insipred to my visit to a grunge venue I went to on one particular Sunday night.
It was called Grunge Gods from the sequence of Roockapalooza. Thank God there are people that still really like the old music for it's essence. I went there with Vira and Tari. Vira happened to grew up and really like the grunge era, I grew up in it and have a few vocabulary to it. I do happen to really really like this era, the songs has more meaning and memory for me then the other era... well... it's equal to the 80s maybe :P. Tari had to get the Grunge 101 that night.

The place: D'place. Kinda cute name for a place right? It was a small bar, the stage was behind the bar, way up about a meter high. A bit too small for those that perform and to enjoy music. The venue was filled with people that loved grunge. Some people had the time to get out their flannels to top their black shirt. Ahhhh yes... how I loved the grunge era. Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam are your usual band line up amongst the bands. And more additional groups.

What was actually interesting about this night was how we've already grown up. I tried to picture these people in those adolesent years. Probably still in uniforms or to the least, in college. That night wasn't so different. There was only a thin line between those settled and not. I can see many of these people are unsettled and probably working in the entertainment business but I can see most of them having the obligation of going to the office the next day. This is the generation that once rebeled to the system of fake images and absurd capitalism. And yet now we are living it.

We all can afford that 60000 rupiahs to get in to a gig now. Probably so easily. We can afford that additional beer when we are inside. And most of us are settled and coming back to our suburban house, to our children, and heading to the office with our credited vehicles. A friend said that these people probably are those that couldn't enjoy live grunge in their teenage years, and yet they are fans. Basically they aren't the true grungies, but love the music. And a true grungie person will not attend such gigs because there is no point either than nostalgic. I can't entirely agree with him, but he has a point. It applies to me too. I never had the resources to be in such gigs, and now I do. And yes, it was reminising, but what harm can it do either than reminding us of what we use to believe in and maybe still do?

Well for me, a job already states that I'm settled in someway. But basically, we are no longer the hot fire that once burned. I have to believe some of us are, but how much of us has an alternative life compared to others? In the end, has grunge really have an effect to the generation that once exist? We could actually observe the results today. What has it done to us? Is growing up meaning facing reality? And if we don't have that spirit have we succumbe to reality thus grown up?

Singing along to the songs of rebel, I can only hope that we are all still mad, we are still questioning about our world today, and we are still grungy. The spirit truely counts.

As for me, I'm still with my glasses, my sneakers and my braces... in some ways I still felt like I was in Junior high.

Why move?

According to the title of my blog, tis because at the moment, only my fingers that can do the talking. Stealing time from working in front of my computer while seamingly working is the only way I can blog.
Again.. why blog? No necessary reason, just expression, and maybe a reminder in the future. And since I can't connect to my friendster because my office server sucks, then I decided to move to blog.

So... let's blog.


And FYI, Pokka can coffee is awful. So not worth my 7000.