My 2 Cents

Actually hate is a strong word,maybe the more fitting word would be Loathe or Detest. Nah, Just kidding.He3x. I guess the perfect words would be not really like. The reason I don't like Oprah is because with all the money she has, and all the people she's helped out, she's never helped me. All I want is for her to loan, not even give, just loan me enough money to study at The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) so that i can finally have direction in my life. So that I can be somebody, have a career, and not just wonder around place to place teaching and holding part time jobs because salaries of full time jobs here are too inhuman to take. That's why i always change the channel when I see Oprah on TV, it reminds me of how rich she is and how not so I am. Pretty lame huh? Sad? Pathetic? I know.

    I just realized something though, I am not unlike Oprah myself; So it turns out. As I was driving to the mall to watch a movie, I stopped at a traffic light because it was red. A messy little boy wearing dusty raggedy clothes stood outside my car window with his hand out and palms open asking for some money, i gave him about 200 Indonesian cent (equivelant to 2 cents), not much I know but that's what people usually give here. 100, 200, 500 these are the coins available here in Indonesia, actually 50 cents is also available but they usually toss it back at you if you give them that. Anyway, instead of saying thank you the boy yelled out, "Please give me money to pay for my school monthly tuition, it's ten thousand rupiahs." I just kept closing my window, and waved him off. He stayed for a while and knocked on my window, i kept put my hand up as saying sorry kid. Then he left, all the while i kept thinking should i give him the money. I'm no Oprah but I do have 10 thousand rupiahs (1 dollars 10 cents) in my wallet. I'm in the black now with debts and bills to pay, but I can actually spare 10 thousand. As the traffic light turned green and I went on to the mall, I kept thinking about what I did.

    I felt kinda sad really, not only for that kid, but also for realizing that i'm not much different than all those rich people whom I hated so much. People who I thought were cheapskates who cringe when they hear the words borrow and money in one sentence. People who had the power to change people's lives by educating others and giving them a better life but were too cheap to do so. I'm no different, i just don't have as much. From that day I promised myself to at least listen to someones plea and not just wave them off, and if I can help, I will. If I can't at least I can say I'm sorry but i really don't have the "power" to help.

It just goes to show,you should be careful of who or what you hate, you might just be one of them.

I heard the Nipponmaru recently sailed into the port here in Jakarta. Nipponmaru is a ship which carries a group of young adults from the south east asia region + Japan around from one south east asian country to the next.The purpose is to establish an understanding of each other's culture.

To many, it will be remembered as a time when they traveled to many countries, made a lot of friends,and got a lot of life experience.A beautiful memory that will last a lifetime.

To me, it will always be remembered as a time i got screwed by the local government.

Back in 2004. After 2 long days of trying to prove myself worthy. And actually winning a ticket as first place. The government decided to give my seat away, probably to some spoiled brat which happens to have a father or mother as a government official.They didn't even tell me they gave my seat away, not until i called and asked anyway. After winning, and waiting for a few months for an announcement on what I had to prepare, I decided to call them and ask them when things were gonna start rolling. Only then did they tell me, "Sorry but you're not going." No reason, no explanation. A hard pill to swallow but that was the only thing I could do, just swallow it. Up to now, It still bites everytime that ship sails across my mind.Yes, pun intended :P.

Six years ago, I tried to enter the faculty of computer science at the prestigious University of Indonesia.

I failed.

Five years ago I, being unhappy studying physics at the Faculty of Science, I decided to try again.

I failed.

2006, The faculty of computer science at the prestigious University of Indonesia offers me a fully paid internship for a graduate degree in computer science.

I declined.*

*note: Not because i have a grudge of course he3x, but simply because i don't feel like computer science is my calling anymore.

No one ever told me what love is.
No one ever taught me how to love.

    But I know love
    And I know how to love
      
           To me you are Love
                And you will always be Loved.

M.Reza H.S. October 23, 2006. 09:15 pm.

Those words are becoming pretty much meaningless to me. Why? As many times as I've heard these words, the people that say them still wouldn't mind purposely hurting me. They hit, they scream hurtful words and they act selfish over such small and petty little things. Seems like the only person a person really loves is him/herself. And in the end I Love You basically becomes a greeting, like good morning and good bye which require the words to be repeated.

Below is a list of what i consider to be oxymorons. Now for those of you who don't know, an oxymoron is a paradox, 2 contrasting or contradicting ideas.

Muslim Terrorists

Islam, the faith of muslims, is a religion of peace and love, not hate, anger and terror. The things mentioned about jihad and slaying non-believers because they are considered to be infidels are context based only. It was during that time when the non-believers were infedils and it was a time of war. And even then, they did not kill civilians, or innocent people. Only those who were directly involved in the war.
So Osama Bin Laden and all those muslim terrorists are oxyMORONS.

George Bush

He wants to ensure peace in the world, yet instead he's started at least 2 wars in the middle east. He also said he wants the US citizens to feel safe and secure, instead he makes them feel violated, monitored with no sense of privacy, and paranoid.

So George Bush is an oxyMORON.

Tom Cruise

Isn't he supposed to be religious and spiritual and all.I thought religious and spiritual meant you were supposed to be calm, wise, pious,patient and tolerant.Like that guy in the old Kung-Fu series, or those monks in the tibetan mountais.Then why is he jumping on couches, making judgemental claims of other celebrities and pouting when people don't do as he wishes, or when some people does things that are not to his liking?

So Mr.Cruise is an oxyMORON

Jessica Simpson

You all saw her in the Newlyweds, or at least heard about it. How "seemingly" dumb she was.Her mother said she has an IQ of 160. Now having an IQ of 130 is at the threshhold of being a genius, and Jessica goes 30 points beyond that threshold, yet she thinks buffaloes has wings?

So either she's an oxyMORON or she's a real MORON (From Webster's Dict. Moron: Very stupid person).

Do you know anybody who's an oxyMORON?

LAND OF oxyMORONS

Indonesia is a great place to find oxymorons.

The Indonesian Government

They're supposed to work for the people and in time of this never ending economical crisis, they're supposed to rally to get us out of it. Instead they rally to collect as much wealth as possible,which is even more than some might be able to imagine, before theire time in office runs out. They also speak of anti-corruption before they achieve office but when it's theire time to serve they take as much as they can.

So the people in the Indonesian government are a bunch of oxyMORONS
*At least most of them are

The Indonesian Police

They're supposed to serve and protect yet instead they scare and ambush. Waiting in little nooks and crannies for you to make a mistake so they can pounce on you for a quick buck.

So The Indonesian Police are full of oxyMORONS

Indonesian Teachers

They're supposed to educate, and clarify things that seem to be vague or unclear. Instead they confuse and clutter things that should be easily understood. Simply because they have too much of an ego and are unwilling to admit that they don't know something or that they are wrong.

So many Indonesian teachers are oxyMORONS

Even Sporting events such as Soccer Matches in Indonesia are oxymorons. Instead of bringing people together and uniting them, these events cause fights and riots.

Yes, this place is full of oxyMORONS. Drop by anytime, I'd love to show you around.

*Terms and conditions apply

Terms and Conditions:
1. Must be of high rank in military or government institutions.
2. Must have family who are of condition no. 1.
3. Must be extremely wealthy.
4. Must be willing to pay for services and protection.

That's how it should be written for the police force here in Indonesia.

Ever had one of those moments where you're stuck talking to people who can't stop "sharing" about how great things are going for them, how so many opportunities are knocking on their doorstep, or about how they know so many people and have so many important and rich friends, and all you can do is sit there with a smirk all the while feeling like a loser who can't seem to get a break. Well lucky me, i have that opportunity 5 days a week. It wouldn't be so bad if he would tell me how to get a break instead of just talking about all the breaks he's getting. Maybe i'm just being bitter or envious. Oh well, at least it pays the bills. 

You ever hear yourself speak? I bet you do, but you don't. Sometimes people don't realize that the reason they can't stop talking is because they like to hear themselves speak. Not because one has a great speaking voice, but because one feels like they know so much and want to be acknowledged as someone knowledgable and admired or liked for being so. It's such a narcissistic thing really. I've only recently realized that, I myself do that sometimes.Though undeliberatly, it does happen since it's such a thin line between trying to share with others what you know and all your experiences and boasting about all the things you've seen and done. It's really sickening to know that i can be so self-absorbed like that. I guess silence is golden. At least sometimes it is.