Weekend Thoughts

Living in a foreign country can truly makes you shock about the things that both 'you' and 'them' don't know about each other. I believe I've discussed these questions previously in one of my earlier posts, but I got some new input I just need to bring it back out there. Of course I have to let you know, again, that my beautiful pluralistic country, was as historical records mentioned was first influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism at its earlier stages. You see, it's an EFFIN MARITIME country, so people come by to sell or buy stuff, some decided to stay, or spread their beliefs, and by 16th century was dominated by Islam, because if you do read history, the Islam merchants during the golden age of the muslim world assimilate to locals and I guess it fits and so it became the dominant religion until today. And remember, when I say dominant, it means there are 5 other religions (Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddha and Confucian) officially accepted in the country. And the thing is, if this is not enough diversity, and I'm not saying that my country is free of troubles, discrimination, etc, there are 300 DISTINCT native ethnic groups with 742 different languages and dialects. And as wiki say: "A sense of Indonesian nationhood exists alongside strong regional identities." because we SIMPLY are.

And so of course not everybody will agree with what I'm saying here, but I think most Indonesian would agree, but here are some of my answers for the following questions, starting from the most striking question I have ever received while living here:

1. Indonesian use arabic writing, right?

.... no... I tried to learn arabic LANGUAGE when I was in junior and senior high, but it was so bad I got from 7/10 to 4/10 at the end of my high school. I can read the Quran, because most Indonesian muslims learn since they were little, and I can understand a little but mostly I read the translation in Indonesian/English. When I went for pilgrimage to Mecca/Medina, of course I didn't speak arabic. When I was in Egypt, no part of Quran helped me to find my way back when I was lost, because I don't know the language. If there's any cultural/religious influence in Indonesia, it would be the Hinduism influencing the words which we still use nowadays, some of their alphabets which are still learnt, we use roman language, I don't know maybe because of the Dutch???

2. (while during Ramadhan, muslim's fasting month) Your mom wouldn't know if you don't fast, so you can just not do it.

... i think i actually do it for myself ...???

3. Can woman sing in public in Indonesia?

Sure do. Check Agnes Monica, the way we adore Siti Nurhaliza, or I don't know, I mean although I understand where such question comes from, Indonesia is a country where women drive alone, go to work, become celebrities, plenty of us hold at least a bachelor degree, the underline is, Indonesia is uniquely Indonesia. If you want to compare us to other country, don't take middle eastern countries, take our neighbouring countries, Thailand, Vietnam, or simply fellow Asians, like Japan, South Korea, China. I think you'll see more similarities of culture and the way we see the world with these countries rather than middle easteners.

4. Praying (solat) is a form of military work out.

... what? Is it because we have to do it from time to time altogether? But I've never felt like I'm doing some sort of gym work out when I do the praying??? If any, praying is a form of lowering yourself in front of the almighty God, and reminding yourself that no matter how rich, or successfull, or influental, you're just a mortal human being who is as unimportant in this vast universe. So why are you being proud about yourselves?

5. What does the Imam in Indonesia say about issue xxx?

What Imam do you mean? Are we referring to the same thing? SO HERE'S THE THING. THERE IS NO PRIESTHOOD IN ISLAM. Imam means 'leader', and in my stupid perspective of a regular Indonesian, Imam means the guy or if there are only woman, the woman who led the jamaah (group) for praying together. Because you know, you can do it alone, or together. How do you choose an Imam? Usually someone older who knows more of the verses of the Quran because you're supposed to read some verses while praying. There is usually no particular imam in different mosques. Especially when you try to go to mosques in Indonesia. My dad was imam once in a prayer because he looks older than the other guys there. I was an imam once in a prayer because I'm such a snobbish pretender who seems to be good enough to be an imam. If you refer to Imam in I don't know.. Iran? Or maybe some middle eastern countries also have it? I have no IDEA that one can be a religious leader?? In Indonesia, we have PLENTY of religious groups, who rather than trying to control the government are usually there to provide guidance or a deeper understanding on how to do this or that, depending on who you are more believe in too (for example, I'm inclined to the moderate, Muhammadiyahs which is an Islam religious organization who was there for almost a 100 years already). They are usually comprised of people who are basically Islam religion scholars. Or religious academician. Not a priest. One of the reason why I decide to hold this religion is partly because simply, there's no priesthood. It's saying, if one do and dedicate themselves hard enough, she or he will reach closeness to God.

6. What about polygamy?

Historically, when Quran was sent down to the arab lands, woman is equal to possession. No rights, no voice, basically, just a thing. Quran came down to gradually tell people, hey women is as equal as men. The only thing that will differ you in the eyes of God, is HOW WELL you do the things I told you (practice prayers, fasting, zakat (giving alms), being kind, taking care of people who are less capable, educate yourself, basically, things that I think every religion thought). And so, I do agree that polygamy is allowed in Islam. But see to yourself how it's written in the Quran, that being polygamous is such a difficult responsibility, YOU WON'T BE CAPABLE, to really pull it through, so why bother, really? And that is basically what I stand for in this issue.

7. Is there separation between male and female in public spaces?

There's one train which have a special female wagon in Jakarta, made because plenty of men are perverts, so to protect the women from these jerks, they decided that the women get the comfortable, woman only wagon (of course they can also take the usual wagon if they like).

8. Why don't you go to parties?

BECAUSE I'M A FRICKIN CLOSETED INTROVERT WHO LOVES TO GO TO MOVIES BY MYSELF and lay around in my bed to read books or binge-watch tv series or eat ice cream. AT HOME.

You see, let me rephrase, I am an Indonesian muslim, with parents of two different ethnicities. I once heard a barbaric minded colleague told me that woman has nothing more but being good in kitchen and bed, and so partly to say fuck you to that person, I finished my bachelor, master, and well well, my phd. My parents encouraged me for my education. They were concerned as any asian parents that I weren't married till I was 30, but they never force me to get married. I enjoy plenty different pop culture since I was young till now, and generally Indonesian are like me. When I was in high school, I met friends who came from a more conservative background, but now I realize some of them are even more liberal than I am. I sang in a band when I was in high school. In front of both male and female friends. I sang. Yeah. My biggest problem is being better in academia rather than my pop culture life, because man I wish I can explain plant soil feedback much better than how I can tell you the various Marvel tv series which are out and their storylines. Sometimes I feel that my heart is broken whenever strangers, friends or collague describe my religion as a barbaric, closed minded bunch of people, when they see me there  truly, just thinking about when will I have time to watch the new X Files episode... Sure I pray, insya Allah, five times a day. I wear hijab since I was 12 (BY CHOICE!!), etc, etc. But it doesn't make me less human, right? Just for being different? Do I bother you? Don't I tolerate you with all our differences? We might not agree in all issues, but we mind ourselves right? And focus on the similarities and things we do agree so life will be a bit better place than what they already are? Hmm?

Double movie review! The Revenant & The Hateful Eight.

It's funny how two movies I watched two nights in a row, were actually in a way very similar, but also tremendously different? By the way, this is a full spoiler review, so beware.

So the Revenant was set up in 1823, South Dakota. Meanwhile the Hateful Eight was set up after 1865, but just right next to South Dakota, in Wyoming. Haha! Both films were shot during winter time, and because I watched them two nights in  a row, some scenes felt like a continuation of the earlier. There's one time in the Hateful 8, when a coach was passing by a riverside, and I thought to myself, isn't that the spot where Hugh Glass almost killed Fitzgerald in the Revenant?? There were cinematic scenes where both movies captured the magnificence of the heavy snowed mountain, and of course there's the blizzard. And the awfully similar scene (not saying that they're copying each other, but it just creeps me out a little of how I watched these one night after the other) of the Pawnee guy who helped Glass, playing around with the snow by opening his mouth and tasting the snow with his tongue. AND THEN! There it is, the diabolical (using Samuel L Jackson's character word) Daisy Domergue opening her mouth and tasting the snow with her tongue! Haha!

Anyways, so that's as far as one can get to similarities, everything else is a great divide. I have to say I almost didn't inform myself with too much details before getting to the cinema. I don't know whether that's more convenient rather than not, because I got confused at some points (like when I watched the Big Short and have no clue what a hedge fund company is!), but I sort of insinuate that the Revenant is a more man versus nature sort of film, while the Hateful Eight would be the typically filled with dialogue, Tarantino's movie. I didn't have big expectations for both, actually. For the Revenant, I always find it hard to engage that much to man vs nature type of movie. I guess, I still like better the collisions between human's life? Hehe. While Tarantino... after finding myself disappointed with Django Unchained, I sort of managed my expectation, especially when an office mate describe it, from her friend, that it's a movie which halfway is talking, and the rest was gore.

Okay, now let's start with the Revenant. So I won't go to details about the story line, I guess lots of people have mentioned that already, and I've seen - wait, I just checked wiki and just realized that Alejandro G. Iñárritu was the one who made BABEL and 21 GRAMS??!! - the Birdman, which was shot and edited in such a way you would've thought that there's no scene cuts, this was done -- although of course not a full one shot movie, but rather super lengthy scenes with no cuts -- in somehow similar that makes it so familiar with the Birdman. I wasn't so engaged with the Birdman, I guess because there was plenty of talking and I watched it without subtitle (so I need to rewatch it), so I got lost at times, but the Revenant was filled with more silence, and well, nature happens and almost killed a man (as it killed many others). And plenty of the scenes are phenomenal, I mean talking about breakthrough in cinematic history, the intimate scenes where the breath of the characters covered up the camera, and Leonardo di Caprio's powerful acting (he lost his wife, yet AGAIN), and although I was expecting 3/4 way, would there be more conflict between the men?, I guess the aim was in the exploration of the nature itself. And for that sense, I think the movie works really well.

But one thing that kept on lurking at the back of my head, was about the Natives. When the trappers were attacked at the beginning of the movie by Arikara Native Americans, I kept on thinking, sheesh, these people, this was their land, and the Europeans stole it from them. It's like their last act of survival. They were the ones who knew how to navigate themselves in this vast continent. Yeah they fought with each other as well, but it was their home, taken away. The degrading part was also this. It wasn't highlighted so much, but in Fort Kiowa where the trappers gathered, around the fort, Native American women and kids lived around there, and the women prostituted themselves to the white people. It's so sickening to think that this is their only way for survival, by selling their bodies. And it's crazier to understand in the back of your head, how these tribes of people was degraded in such a way, that they didn't just lose their home, they also lost their dignity (and that's why I like the scenes when the Arikara chief leader spoke back in French and retorted back in his native language when ranting about how the Europeans stole everything; I like the scene when the rapist's balls were cut because I don't even want to think what Powaqa had to endure while under their captivity; and that last scene when the Arikaras walked past by Glass on their horses, the way they held their head high... I wish there'd be more movies about them. But at least, I'm glad they used real Native Americans as actors and actresses). Awesome, Alejandro G. Iñárritu.

Well... when the movie starts, I don't know, the Hateful Eight has that Tarantino flavor which I like a lot. I was at first a bit taken aback by the movie length (had to have a cup of coffee to make sure I won't fall asleep!), BUT the movie was so engaging right from the beginning that in the end I think it didn't matter if I drank coffee or not. I don't know, I know it's not everyone's taste, but the music score that they used!!!! The way it took time to get you into the melody of the music while taunting you with the seemingly never ending scene of a coach passing by, I love it! And then when the dialogues rolling in, and you slowly getting hints here and there who these people are, and you got so curious about what the hell is going on, you realized that this is one of Tarantino's finest work. I thought it's gonna be super boring since the dialogue was set up almost only in this one small house up in the mountain, but that's how you built tension!

Of course it's also really spook you of how many n****r word was spoken, or women being smacked in the face (but IT IS Daisy Domergue after all!!), or the demoralized acts that these people do -- you started to sympathize, but nope, you were thrown back to finally get the conclusion, like a review I read, that Tarantino had equal contempt to all his characters! (ah, by the way, the way people call Samuel L Jackson's character in the movie also reflects their political side during that time after the civil war). Jennifer Jason Leigh as Daisy Domergue was really awesome, I think she should get an Oscar, because she was all loose when playing her character! Gosh! I can't believe they almost cast Jennifer Lawrence, because if not we might miss this awesome piece of acting! AND SAMUEL L JACKSON!! He should at least be nominated for the Oscar together with Leonardo diCaprio. Seriously. 

In the end, I felt like it is one of Tarantino's solid, dialogue strong, tension raiser, best of movies. The music scores was really great. The trivia about how the guitar Kurt Russell damaged in the movie was a lend from a museum (and it's actually really worthy) and how the acting of Leigh was a reflection of that reality, and old Tarantino SMIRKED at it (this guy's really crazy!!), gosh! Of course per usual there's the gore, but you've seen Tarantino's movie often enough, so it's no big surprise. And you can imagine how this movie can easily turned into a play, rite? Hm hm hm! 

Oh one more thing. I don't know why, but when they discussed about the original hut owner, Mimmie and Dave, I had this image in my mind that she'll be the regular white cool, but, angry lady. But she was actually a cool, motherly black lady! Talking about how these things are so ingrained in your sub conscience. Tarantino must have done this on purpose! And also, I need to rewatch it, because I realized that Tim Roth's character, at first spoke in a rather forceful English accent, but then changed into a more relaxed 'common people' English? (I'm not sure if I'm correct here. Gotta rewatch or read something). That was so awesome, adding such swift change in the tone of the characters! And the New Zealand girl, when I heard her speaking, I was... wait, she's not American... Not British... She's somewhere from.... Australia?

And so, these were solid fine movies that I watched the last three days. Once I understood it better, I think I will make a review on the Big Short. Right now I just need to let out my thoughts on these two movies, especially this strange similarities!

Berlinale numero 66!!!!!!

So now that I feel a little bit more relaxed after I've started my experiment (finally can move on into other projects!!), I would start it with the come back of the movie fever!

Rizki and I spend a lot of time watching movies, because we really really enjoy the cinematic experience. After he left for home, I just feel like I have to sort of distance myself a little to it because I will miss him (haha) and I also feel like I need to catch up with my readings. And so I read and read, and eventually surpassed my intended goal in goodreads, and my personal goal (to finish reading several books so I can finally start on Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath!). And because I need to get back to the mood of movie watching, I decided to catch up with some movies I've been wanting to see.

So last Monday and Tuesday, I watched the Big Short (a movie about the financial crisis in USA, 2007/2008) and the Revenant (wow the long shots that Alejandro Iñárritu took are awesome!! Will write about these two movies later). And tonight, I'll watch the Hateful 8 (before you guys judge me for being an irresponsible adult, I'll let you know, again, that I have a monthly cinema ticket in which I can watch as many movies as I want, anytime!). This Sunday, in terms of regular cinema movies, I'm planning to watch a special exhibition movie, about Goya (produced by the National Gallery), and then catch up Star Wars (need to re watch it before it went out of the cinemas!!) and ends it up with Deadpool in the evening. So, busy busy Sunday.

Now for Berlinale... it's so so so so hard to choose. My standard rule for choosing movies in Berlinale is:
1. watch non-English movies, because they'll be with English subtitle in the festival.
2. remember, English movies will be out soooon enough, no matter how tempting it is.
3. first priority is to check Japanese movie, if not Swedish (or countries up there) because I'm always a fan of Japanese movies and countries up there have such beauuutiful language.
4. if possible, find thriller, or heart warming movies from places you
didn't expect. i really can't go for experimental moviees hahaha (i always feel tired afterwards).

And so in the end, I ended up getting tickets for:
1. Boris sans Beatrice; a movie about a rich Canadian French guy whose life mysteriously changed because his wife fell into depression. It's a psychological thriller. Uh yeah.
2. Barakah yoqabil Barakah; a romantic comedy set in Saudi Arabia! And the tickets are rapidly sold, I guess people are really curious about it.
3. Ja, Olga Hepnaross; a movie about a psycopath serial killer in republic Checz back in the 70s. Thriller!
4. Den Allavarsamma Leken; a swedish classic period movie, about a couple who love each other but too poor to marry each other, met 10 years later and they got into affair. Uh yeah!
5. Woorideul; a korean movie about a new kid in school who feels kind of rejected by her school mates. I remember watching a very heart warming movie also in Berlinale (I think it was two years ago) about a sister and her younger brother whose parents died, and her younger brother didn't know yet, but she can't take the courage to tell him about it, and the struggle was so real, I cried. When I saw the trailer for this movie, I think it has a similar atmosphere, so I'm bought!

And there's one movie which Kriszta will get the tickets for: The Sand Storm, about a woman who had to endure a second marriage of her husband. Hmm drama!

And still I have four movies I still wanna go for but I'm holding myself back. Especially two, one is Sense and Sensibility, 1995, a special viewing to commemorate Alan Rickman. And I mean, S & S was such a beautiful, beautiful movie, from my favorite writer, but the ticket is a more expensive one, so I'm soo confused about watching it or not. Nobody wants to pay me for a ticket for this? Hahaha. And the other one is The One Below, so it'll be screened right after 'Ja, Olga Hepnaross', in the same cinema, so it's not a fuss to get to the cinema, and again it's a psychological thriller!! But it will be released in March, so I thought, I should just patiently wait!!

And a friend asked me, why am I so excited this morning about the rom-com, saudi arabian movie? Is it good? I have no idea. But it's just a general excitement for the overall Berlinale, I'd say. I'm excited this morning because I had to do the online buying again hahaha. I mean, it's just crazy, 2 minutes after the online tickets were released, they were all sold out!!! XD But now, after some years of experience, I think that mostly they always have extra tickets during the day of showing, so if you are dilligent enough to wait in the queue during the day of the movie screening, the great german system of course kept some tickets available for you to get. Hehehe.

So anyways, that's about it today, and the 66th Berlinale shall start tomorrow morning! So exciting! I was in Potsdamer Platz this morning to get the tickets, and the area was already transformed per usual into Berlinale atmosphere! The festival posters were everywhere, the ticket booth in Potsdamer Platz Arcade, the OVERPRICED merchandise, which yet again, I thought about getting, but no because they're too expensive and worth two movie tickets at least (damn capitalism!), but it's back, people! It's back!!