Being a Mature Person

At first, I thought that being a mature person means that u can’t be fun anymore as too many restriction in life, like don’t do this and that since it won’t bring a good implication and stuff. I mean like a mature person usually think too much before they act. They give a huge consideration for the long term. Meanwhile I am a spontaneous person, I do whatever I feel like doing and let’s just think about the consequences later on. So I don’t like to be classified under the definition of a mature person.

However, I came out into conclusion lately that being mature doesn’t mean that you can’t have fun anymore. I’ve shifted my definition about being mature. In my redefinition, a mature person is a person who knows how to handle problems wisely. When the problem comes, a mature person knows how re-act the best. As the result, the problem that occurs usually brings more value to him/her and the surroundings.

I’ve realized that I didn’t act mature lately. For the last couple of years, I’d been spoiled by getting many things I want easily. It has turned me out to be an arrogant person. So when it didn’t happen as they way I expected, I became so depress. This is where the big problems start.

When facing a serious problem, I know that I can’t only depend on my own understanding, I should seek it through God's wisdom. Moreover, when I depend on other people to solve my problems, the result turns out worse (or even worst). Frankly speaking, I never want to shatter my relationship with those in my inner circle (whom I care the most) by getting them involve too much with my own problems. In fact, the root of my problems is actually in my head. It is about me. It is about how I see the situation and how I opt the opportunities around.

One thing that I learnt from the difficult situation I am having at present is: when u r close to God, u know how to handle your problem wisely. In other words, being closer to God makes you a much better person, a more mature personality. I feel like God is teaching me now how to surrender to Him. And how to feel grateful for whatever I am having right now.

I am now taking steps to get a more intense relationship with God. I think He is just dragging me out, to make me come back to His shoulder. Indeed, when you identify yourself with your relationship with God, nothing in this world could make you feel really despair. Hence, outside God’s willing, nothing is under control.

Lots of Love,

O.

Srilanka and India Photos (posted)!

Did I tell you guys that I went to Srilanka and India last month?
Yes! I went there last month and it was greeeaaat!
I loved it! So much!
I was saturated at office and I really really need a gateway. Thank God, the trip rescued me!

I'll tell you the full story of the trip on the next post (I hope I won't forget it or If I do please remind me).
I was there from 10-22 May 2012. I'm looking forward to come back again to India as I haven't explore the country that much, especially the northern part (it got glacier there!!!!)
So here is some snapshots of those two beautiful countries.

Click here:
Srilanka and India Travelodge 2012 Album 


Hope you enjoy and have a nice weekend.


Lots of love,


O.

Ada Apa dengan Pemerintah?

Beberapa hari yang lalu saya bertugas menjaga booth kantor untuk Pameran Pekan Lingkungan Hidup 2012. Menjaga pameran merupakan tugas rutinan tambahan dari kantor. Biasanya pekerjaan yang harus dilakukan adalah membagi-bagikan segala jenis publikasi yang terkait dengan isu Perubahan Iklim guna mensosialisasikan kebijakan Perubahan Iklim serta definisi Perubahan Iklim itu sendiri kepada masyarakat. Untuk itu, saya juga dituntun untuk bisa menjelaskan tentang Perubahan Iklim kepada para pengunjung yang hadir. Nah, disinilah tantangan mulai muncul, kebanyakan masyarakat (termaksud pengunjung yang hadir dalam pameran) sudah pesimis dengan segala tindak tanduk pemerintah. Lebih parah lagi, ada pula masyarakat yang sama sekali tidak percaya akan keberadaan isu Perubahan Iklim dan menganggap isu ini hanya permainan politik pemerintah belaka. Padahal perdebatan isu Perubahan Iklim dalam kancah global bukan lagi soal apakah Perubahan Iklim tersebut exist or not, tapi bagaimana Indonesia bisa mengatasinya dan menjadi pemimpin dunia untuk isu tersebut. 

Jadi pembicaraan antara saya dan para pengunjung berkutat pada hal berikut:

Saya : “Jadi pemerintah Indonesia sejauh ini sudah bernegosiasi di UNFCCC, blablabla...”

Pengunjung 1 : “Ini apakah kebijakannya sudah jalan? Atau masih sekedar wacana aja?”

Pengunjung 2 : “Sebaiknya yang diperbaiki bukan cuma iklim Indonesia, tapi juga iklim korupsi..”

Pengunjung 3 : “Di daerah saya, Kalimantan, ada berbagai macam permasalahan lingkungan yang tidak diperhatikan oleh pemerintah. Saya bingung sebenarnya pemerintah di daerah dan pusat itu koordinasinya seperti apa?”

Pengunjung 4 : “Apa sih bedanya upaya mitigasi dan adaptasi Perubahan Iklim?” (this is the only not pesimist question asked)

I wonder why most of the Indonesian people has a pesimist view over the government? Dalam hipotesa awal saya, ketidakpercayaan pada pemerintah datang bukan secara tiba-tiba. Kekecewaan akan janji-janji pemerintah yang tidak pernah terealisasi menjadi faktor pemicu awal. Pasca 14 tahun reformasi, pemerintah tidak menunjukkan jaminan bahwa ia dapat menggiring masyarakat ke arah sistem perpolitikan yang lebih baik. Pemerintah dianggap gagal menyerap dan mengakomodasi aspirasi dan harapan masyarakat yang sangat tinggi. Sistem birokrasi yang tidak fleksible dan budaya korupsi yang telah mengakar kuat yang tidak juga mengindikasikan perubahan menjadi faktor utama yang membuat masyarakat menjadi apatis terhadap pemerintah. 

Hal ini perlu diwaspadai karena ketidakpercayaan publik yang hampir mencapai titik kulminasi dapat menghadirkan tuntutan yang sangat tinggi untuk perubahan (social revolultion). Social revolution ini dapat lahir dengan dipacu oleh beberapa faktor yakni: (1) Common enemy masyarakat yaitu pemerintahan yang terlalu birokratis dan korupsi (2) Adanya collective awareness yang dengan gampang dipacu oleh keberadaan social media (dimana social media adalah sarana yang paling mudah diakses oleh lapisan masyarakat menengah sebagai lapisan terbanyak dari masyarakat Indonesia). (3) Kondisi ekonomi yang jatuh dan terpuruk. 

Namun untuk kondisi Indonesia sekarang ini, faktor pemicu ketiga belum semata-mata muncul. Sebaliknya masyarakat Indonesia masih dimanjakan oleh tingkat perekonomian domestik yang positif (terindikasi dengan peningkatan GDP yang signifikan selema beberapa tahun kebelakang). Hal ini bisa kita rasakan dengan tingginya tingkat konsumersime yang umumnya datang dari kelompok ekonomi golongan menengah yang terus meningkat persentasenya. 

Meskipun demikian, pemerintah harus segera waspada terhadap rendahnya tingkat kepercayaan masyarakat terhadap pemerintah. Reformasi seri ke II layaknya sebuah bom waktu apabila pemerintah tidak segera bertindak. Solusi dari dilema ini yakni dengan segera mereformasi struktur birokrasi dan keseriusan dalam merombak secara tuntas akar budaya korupsi. 

Olivia D. Purba

(Penulis adalah alumnus jurusan Hubungan Internasional Universitas Indonesia)

The Ex and Mr. Right

Travel Journal

I wonder why many people can’t take their exes as friends.

At first I thought it is due to these reasons:

1. They cant be friends as they still have feeling left (and sometimes the feeling will be always there forever)

2. They wanna forget the bad memories

But last time when I talked to my bestfriend about this topic, we agreed that people don’t really wanna keep their exes as friends as they are afraid of being hurt.

For me, I never want to lost contact with my ex (or even my flings) as I dont like to lost friends. I mean something that you started good should be ended up with good too. If they r really nice, or if you r really that nice, why bother to be friends? Your ex had ever been the closest person in your life, then why suddenly you both become stranger to each other?

Particularly for me, I wanna keep in touch with my ex as I cant bear the feeling of being lonely. Just like everyone else, I super hate the feeling of loneliness after the breakup things. Thus, I wanna keep them as my friends to at least ease my feeling. We might not meant to be together at present, but who knows in the future? People keeps changing, its a constant thing in life, either towards good or bad things. So... who knows u find ur ex as a more attractive person in the future? And that u actually meant to be together (but u just did not notice it before) =)

However, I talked to my office mates just now and they said that being lonely and to do all the things on your own is one of the important phases to be a more mature person. In fact, when you continue live your own life with them (exes) behind, you’ll certainly find a new pattern of life and sooner you’ll be just fine. It’s just a phase of life.

Anyway (still according to their opinion), you have to deal with the difference of the person whom you are going to get married with for the rest of your life. Thus, beforehand you should consider carefully whether he is the right person or not for you to marry with. If you think that it is not good since the beginning, just cut it off, stop it! You have your own intuition, it tells you clearly if the relationship is not going good since the start. Just listen to its little voice, you can feel like torturned when you are only messing around with Mr. Wrong.

I know you are not going to get married any sooner, but it’s better to have a serious relationship than waist your valuable time by fooling around.

So Dear Readers, good luck with the Mr. Right hunting! (plus it doesn't close the possibility that the Mr. Right is actually your ex? ;D )

Lots of love,

O.

Stop Consumerism

This might give a clear idea why u should not conduct consumerism.

Story of Stuff

Ps. this video was part of my university review task.

Pescetarian Shifting

I am now searching in the internet, trying to figure out how to be a Vegan.
I've been considering about being a Vegan since my first year in Uni.
However, I really want to bring it serious now for the environment, health as well as moral issues.
In fact, I dun really like eating meats (esc beacon, sorry guys the temptation is so high)
Though I like seafood so much and I want to keep eating seafood (my fav kind of food on earth).
If I am practicing so, it is not called Vegan, but Pescetarianism.

So here is the simple rule of being a vegan which I found on the internet

Back to 2010, when I was doing my summer study in US,
I got sick by eating too much meat that they offered.
I had to stay in the dorm and skipped the program for a day.
Anyway, it is horrible to know that they can eat a plate-size-meat decorated with a small piece of broccoli and some piece slide of tomatoes WITHOUT feeling sick. And the worst is they do it most of the time.

Anyhow, it's not easy to be a  vegan in my country, Indonesia, as not so many people practice it. Hence, I'll try my best.



Lots of Love,


Olivia

My Favorite French Song Lately

I heard this song for the first time when I was sitting in a cafe (or bar) with my friends,

and last night when I sit in my french course, my teacher played this song in the last minute of the session.

She said listening to the song is one of the best ways to learn language.

Since then I keep playing the song every now and then.

So here it is...

Pink Martini - Je Ne Veux Pas Travailler