Indonesia, Land of Contrast

This morning I was flabbergasted. I was reading on Indonesia’s prime national newspaper, in their stripping continuing story. First, it was a lesbian story. Second, today it articulated an explicit kissing act between women. It means it will be read by no less than three million Indonesians.

If you’re not familiar yet with Indonesian people psychographics, here’s a quick look. Indonesia is by far one of the countries with the most populated religion devotee and practitioners. Indonesian people are so into family, both nuclear and extended. Ethnic group bonding is also strong. People are timid, not expressive, and love to conform. For short, this is where traditional values are implemented at their best.

And then try to explain these events happened in Indonesia:

• Never a homosexual person hazed for his/her homosexuality
• When a homosexual couple walks holding hands, people politely try not to look, then only softly chuckling on them after the couple walks out of hearing distance
• Lesbian girls can go away with their public display affection since girls do over each other here, we Indonesian girls touch other girls a lot, with or without certain intentions
• Transvestites are regarded as good entertainer, their manner of speaking is copied as the cool people manner of speaking, their constant appearance in national TV comedy shows is highly in demand
• A lesbian story with overt women-to-women kissing act goes to three million pair of eyes to read and (so far) no one protest.

All I can say is, although we Indonesians are largely traditionalists, we tolerate oddities, as long as it is enjoyable to watch. Yeah we know how to have fun!

And with all these, as a lesbian, I can’t ask for more :)

99 Coins of Gold

Once upon a time, there was this very rich king. He was so rich he could buy anything under the sun. And he lived his life doing so, spending anything to his liking. Yet, he always felt he was still missing something. He often stared out the window, under his gold-and-diamond-made-of dome, just feeling empty inside. Then one the king saw one of his servant, the servant was doing some cleaning. He whistled and hummed so happily, his face was so elated. The king was intrigued, than asked the servant what made him looked so happily fulfilled. The servant answered,

"I have everything. I'm healthy, I have a very good job, I have enough money to bring home, I have a small but nice house, I have a beautiful wife who loves me, I have two wonderful daughters who love me as much. That's why I'm so happy".

The king was amused with the answer. Then the king went to see his chancellor. He said,

"One of my servants seems to be so very happy. I wonder what can make him loose the feeling."

His chancellor said, "Your majesty, tonight, put a sack filled with 99 pieces of gold coins in front of his house. Then tomorrow morning you will see his happiness fade away."

The king was bewildered, but his chancellor asked him to just do so. So the king followed the advice, and at night he put a sack filled with 99 pieces of gold coins in front of his servant house. Morning came, and the servant's family found the sack, and they were thrilled to found those glittering coins inside. Then they counted them. But soon they were shouting to each other,

"Hey where's one more coin? There must be 100 coins in it, why there are only 99 of them? Wife, where's the one coin?"

"I don't know, it must be you who lost it!"

"No I don't. Well woman, you must be the one who slipped it somewhere!"

"Well I didn't, it must be you, you're getting old and less aware, husband!"

"No I don't! It was you, all women are the same, incapable and useless! Maybe it's your two daughters who lost it!"

"We didn't loose it father! And don't speak to mom like that!"

"Why you two..."

And they were bickering and bickering bitterly all morning while arduously tried to find the one lost coin, to no avail. Then the servant had to go to the palace to work. And out of custom he did his chores with fuming face, no happy whistling and humming. The king noticed this and asked him,

"Why are you looking so unhappy today?"

"Your majesty," the servant sighed, "this morning I found a sack filled with gold coins in front of my house. It should be 100 pieces of them, but my stupid wife and daughter must loose one of them, so there were only 99 left. Uh you just can't trust women, they are sooo unreliable, lazy, and ..." and he went on nitpicking his family. The king listened to him, and suddenly he knew his question had been answered. The king went to see his chancellor. He said to him,

"Yes finally I know what caused this feeling like missing something, this constant emptiness in my heart. It was the attitude of being ungrateful of what I have, and busily searching for the things which are actually never meant for me. It's like my servant who busily searching for the nonexistent coin and abandoning other precious things he has, it is ripping all the joy that already inside him. So from now on I will be all grateful and enjoying everything I have, and stop worrying about things which actually never there, never meant for me."