Perempuan WNI bersuami WNA, siap2 terima diskriminasi hukum di Indonesia :(

Ternyata, jadi perempuan WNI yg nikah dengan pria WNA itu jauh lebih banyak bermasalah dibandingkan jadi pria WNI yg nikah dengan perempuan WNA. Ini ada sebagian kecil masalah utama (dari daftar yg lebih panjang):

1. Perempuan WNI tidak dapat mensponsori suami maupun anak anaknya yang sudah dewasa untuk mengajukan ijin tinggal di indonesia. Pada situasi dimana suami kehilangan pekerjaan di Indonesia (ia otomatis tidak memiliki ITAS dari perusahaan) maka suami dan anak anak harus pindah keluar dari Indonesia. Bila keluarga ingin menetap di Indonesia mereka hanya dapat memperoleh visa turis atau visa kunjungan sosial budaya yang masa berlakunya hanya dua bulan.
==> Karena saya 'hanyalah istri', meskipun punya pekerjaan, nggak boleh mensponsori suami WNA dan anak2 (WNA - meskipun anak2 kandung). Beda kalau si suami yg WNI, ia boleh mensponsori istri WNA-nya (anak2nya semua WNI).

2. Hak asuh bagi anak WNA. Seorang ibu WNI memerlukan ijin dari kementrian terkait untuk mendapatkan hak asuh bagi anak anaknya (WNA) yang dibawah umur. Setelah ijin keluar visa ijin tinggal harus diambil di KBRI di luar negeri
==> Mau marah nggak sih. Anak2ku yg masih pada balita itu, adalah anak2 yg aku lahirkan sendiri, hasil meregang nyawa sendiri. Masak utk mengasuh & membesarkan mereka, harus minta ijin dari kementrian bla bla?! Dan utk bisa tinggal denganku di Bandung nanti, anak2 harus minta visa dari KBRI di Den Haag?! Edan tenan.
Belom lagi soal si suami WNA dan anak2 (yg juga otomatis jadi WNA itu) harus minta ijin tinggal tiap taun! Ini pasti sumber income utama Dirjen Imigrasi ya.. jangankan jumlah setoran yg resmi, jumlah pelicin (yg lumrah di Indonesia) pasti bikin mereka kaya raya juga tuh.. *keluh*

3. Perempuan WNI kehilangan hak untuk dapat bekerja di instansi/ pemerintah RI, tidak dapat berpolitik praktis, dan tidak dapat menjadi anggota DPR-MPR.
==> Gimana nih.. berarti beneran, nggak jadi PNS. Emang statusku udah CPNS kasus sih... hehe.. Dan, jangankan jadi gubernur atau presiden, jadi rektor ITB aja nggak boleh nih ya :P

4. Suami dan anak anak (WNA) tidak dapat menjadi WNI tampa melepas kewarganegaraan suami/ bapak (walaupun negara suami/bapak memperbolehkan dwi-kewarganegaraan).
==> Nyebelin banget. Terus terang, lebih enak pegang ke-WN-an mereka (suami & anak2) sendiri sekarang ini. Sekarang mereka masih berhak dapat tunjangan2 dan asuransi2 kesehatan, dan segala perhatian yg manusiawi dari negaranya ini. Kalau jadi WNI SAJA, bukan hanya mereka akan kehilangan semua hak itu, tapi juga bakal dapat perlakuan diskriminatif dari "bangsa sendiri"/ sesama WNI di negara Indonesia.

..Dan masih banyak lagi peraturan yg bisa mengurungkan niat saya untuk pulang ke Indonesia. Untuk kembali mengajar dan bekerja di Bandung (cita2 punya usaha sendiri nih.. hehe..) dan membesarkan anak2 di dekat keluarga besar.

Tapi, untuk menuju kemauan, pasti selalu ada jalan. Saya masih bertekad untuk pulang, meskipun dukungan dari pihak peraturan dan hukum di Indonesia akan sangat memberatkan moral dan (jelas!) kantong. Jangan menyerah, sebelum mencoba..

Sekian curhat malam ini. Oh iya, peraturan2 itu saya kutip dari sini: http://www.aliansipab.com/Problem.htm [I'm just glad that mixed couples in Indonesia has an association that fights for their rights. For a balanced family life. I'll surely contact this association for future references]

It's a Bird...

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Comics & Graphic Novels
Author:	Steven T. Seagle, Teddy Kristiansen

What makes you pick up a comic book in a comic bookstore, flush through it and finally buy it? As for me, it's the cover and the whole appearance of the book (thickness, texture). Then it's the arts and the graphics that co-create the story - I have to like it since I will have to face it throughout the reading. Then the contents; the story itself - it has to be interesting since I want to enjoy it thoroughly. And get all my money's worth for it. This book, "It's a Bird...", has all of those mentioned above and it didn't take me long to decide - and I don't regret the decision.

Look, I don't like the books about superheroes anymore (not as much as I did when I was a little girl). What I like now, concerning superheroes, are stories about different ways to look at them, or about other kinds of 'superheroes' who wear no tight, flashy costumes. The phrase "It's a Bird..", the title of this book, rightaway associates to Superman, the all-time superhero. But instead of telling how Superman battles his evil vilains, this book places Superman in analogies with our (mere human's) daily lifes. This attracts me most. The way of thinking towards Superman in this book is truly refreshing. Moreover, it is a semi-autobiography. There's something deep and sweet - or perhaps, personal - about it. The author must have put a lot of him in it.

And the arts! A few lines and a brush of colors that can tell many tales. It's very impressive; I just love it. I guessed I've seen this style somewhere, and I was right - I've read "House of Secrets" by the same artist and author. The lettering (fonts) is also inseparable. Since the stories have several moods and settings, the arts and the lettering also go along with them, helping me getting into a relevant mood and knowing where I am (at the story).

Shortly, I enjoyed everything of this book. I hope I can find more graphic novels that I enjoy thoroughly as much as this one.


It's a Bird...
Steven T. Seagle, Teddy Kristiansen
(C)DC Comics, 2004
ISBN# 1401201091

Ca Bau Kan

Rating:	★★★
Category:	Movies
Genre:	Other

Tumben2nya saya bisa pergi nonton film: ke Asian Film Bites Festival [http://www.asianfilmbites.com] di De Balie, Amsterdam. Saya pilih utk nonton Ca Bau Kan [http://cabaukan.kalyanashira.com], saking rindunya nonton fim Indonesia yg bermutu di layar lebar. Dengan HTM yg murah (5 Euro), ruang teater yg sudah dasarnya kecil segera penuh terisi, kebanyakan oleh para pelajar Indonesia yg sedang sekolah di Belanda.

Secara keseluruhan, film ini tidak mengecewakan. Yang paling mengesankan adalah hasil riset dan detail yang ditampilkan untuk menciptakan suasana Hindia-Belanda di th 1930an. Hal lain yg sangat menarik adalah berbagai bahasa dan dialek "saat itu" yang diucapkan para tokoh yg berasal dari berbagai suku. Benar, perbedaan itu indah.
Ceritanya sendiri sangat menarik. Terkadang tragis, terkadang kejam dan dramatis, namun juga terdapat selipan humor (tanpa bermaksud melawak - humor di sini sering berarti kita mentertawakan refleksi diri pada film itu). Selain itu, terdapat banyak pepatah dari para tokoh di film ini yg patut direnungkan. Sutradara film ini, yg sebelumnya menggarap Arisan, telah mengangkat Ca Bau Kan dari novel dan mengemasnya dengan baik.

Hanya saja, sayang kualitas gambar pada layar tidak terlalu tajam (apakah ini khas film Indonesia? masalah keterbatasan teknologi?) dan laju film sedikit tersendat pada pertengahan masa putar, sebelum waktu jeda (ada 5 menit break, krn durasi film ini 120 menit). [--> Gangguan pada film ini 'ditebus' panitia dengan menawarkan HTM 2.50 Euro/ setengah harga untuk film berikut, atau 5 Euro/ setengah harga T-shirt Asian Film Bites yg dijual di meja depan]

Selesai nonton, saya putuskan utk mengoleksi DVD nya. Habis, jarang2 ada film Indonesia yg baik performance maupun appearance nya bagus, bermutu luar-dalam :)

NB. Hanya ada satu hal yg sedikit mengganggu. Kemunculan salah seorang tokoh yg tidak terlalu jelas bagi saya: anak muda Tionghoa yg sempat diserang anak buah Tan Peng Lian dari Tamim di Kalijodo. Yg lalu muncul lagi di Sewang dan membunuh anak buah Tan Peng Lian dari Tamim dan akhirnya membunuh si Tan Peng Lian ini. Yg lalu muncul kembali(?), jadi prajurit rakyat bersama Soetardjo setelah masa penjajahan Jepang. Siapa ini ya? Ada yg bisa menjelaskan?

Budaya orang Indonesia: Sombong tapi Kosong?

Hari Selasa (15 Feb) yang lalu saya hadir di sebuah mini-symposium di Eemnes (dekat Hilversum), di mana disajikan dua presentasi bertema "Desain untuk pengguna multi kultural". Yang saya tulis di sini adalah mengenai presentasi pertama, yg dibawakan oleh Johanna, lulusan Teknik Industri ITB (angkatan 96) yg mengajar di Unpar, dan sekarang sedang menyelesaikan S2 di Hogeschool Utrecht.
Penelitian Johanna adalah mengenai perbedaan usabilitly (penggunaan) produk oleh pengguna dengan latar belakang budaya yg berbeda; dalam hal ini Belanda dan Indonesia. Motivasi penelitian ini adalah banyaknya produk (terutama consumer goods) yg didesain dan diproduksi oleh Eropa dipasarkan ke Asia. Apakah produk2 tsb dapat dengan baik diterima oleh para penggunanya, dan dapat berfungsi seperti yg rancangannya? Untuk meneliti hal ini, Johanna mengadakan eksperimen dengan beberapa responden (wanita asal Belanda dan Indonesia) dengan food processor merk Braun (dari Jerman).
Johanna berkesimpulan bahwa memang dibutuhkan pengertian akan budaya setempat bila hendak memasarkan suatu produk ke masyarakat yang dituju. Banyak diskusi yg bisa keluar dari topik ini, yg salah satu point-nya saya ajukan di bawah ini.

Penjelasan mengenai eksperimen dan kesimpulannya memang sangat menarik. Terutama karena dari hasil eksperimen ini berbagai hal dapat diteliti lebih lanjut. Salah satu hal yg paling menarik adalah kesimpulan bahwa orang Indonesia banyak yg ragu menggunakan food processor tsb, sebab mereka tidak terbiasa membaca manual dan memecahkan masalah sendiri (independently); sementara pengguna Belanda sangat percaya diri dalam mengoperasikan produk tsb. Namun, dari hasil kuesioner, diketahui bahwa pengguna Indonesia lebih suka memiliki produk yang canggih, terlihat profesional dan rumit/ kompleks.
Nah, hal ini bertentangan, kan? Kalau disodori produk sederhana saja sudah bingung (karena nggak ngerti baca manual), gimana kalau diberi produk yg benar2 canggih dan rumit? Ternyata motivasi memilih produk canggih ini adalah "to impress people" atau hanya untuk pamer; hanya karena "appearance" dan bukan karena "performance" produk. Kalau menuruti pengguna yg seperti ini, bisa2 Indonesia dibanjiri produk2 dengan tombol2 palsu dan penuh dekorasi yg tidak fungsional dan hanya tempelan semata.
Apakah salah? Ya, kalau pada proses pembuatan dan akhir masa pakai benda2 tersebut hanya menambah sampah di muka bumi. Ya, kalau pengadaan produk tsb hanya utk memuaskan rasa gengsi orang2 materialistik.

Jadi solusinya apa? Pertama, mungkin, mengubah attitude bangsa kita yg suka pamer ini. Gaya hidup "sombong tapi kosong" ini, menurut saya, adalah sumber korupsi yg utama. Nggak mudah, tapi bukannya nggak mungkin. Hidup sederhana dan secukupnya, sambil tetap produktif dan maju dalam berpikir (jadi bukan berarti 'nrimo' atau cepat puas).
Kedua, kalaupun berencana mendesain produk yg cocok dengan selera masyarakat lokal yg dituju, hendaknya jangan berupa tempelan pada produk. Kreativitas memang ditantang di sini, di samping pengetahuan mendalam ttg kebutuhan dan gaya hidup masyarakat lokal yg dituju sebagai pengguna.

Yohan's Realm

http://www.yohanhandoyo.com
Here's a Blog of my good friend Yohan, a multi-talented person. He dives, he wines and dines, he reads a lot, he writes brilliant reviews.. and more!

"MADJOE!" Indonesian Comics Exhibition 2002

http://komik.scriptmania.com/
This link now functions as an archive of an exhibition that I and some friends set up in 2002: "Madjoe!" Indonesian comics exhibition.
This image is a part of the image used for the promotional posters and postcards specially made for this event, arts by A. Thoriq.

you know you're FAT when..

just another sketch from my diary

It's raining like hell and I soon have to paddle my clumsy bike to the station..

Okay - this is just stalling before I have to go out and face that crazy wind and that falling wet cold rain. I just posted a couple of reviews for these graphic novels "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Samurai Executioner", both by the same creators: Goseki Kojima and Kazuo Koike.
Both books are delivering a very brutal and vulgar way of life of the Japanese in the Edo era. Yet they are not mere cruelty, since each action has a specific cause. This makes me realize, as a reader, that life in that era is not easy - its' full of traditional, feudal laws that are conducted strictly.
But as a reader I'm amazed by the rich information that comes from the arts. I can really see how the Japanese lived by then - either commoners or the nobles - their houses, playthings, food, occupations, and most interestingly, how they regarded one another. This makes me think, as a comic/strip observer and an Indonesian, that we (Indonesians) have resourceful cultures to be depicted as stripworks as well!

See, these Japanese are brave and honest enough to expose the black phase of their society. Novels by Indonesian great authors have, indeed, include this in their writings. But a graphic novel like this is what we lack of.
Therefore, herewith I would like to ask our comic artists and writers to seriously consider creating a classic saga like this. I have to stop writing now; the rain still remains terrible so I'll have to face it anyway. 'Til later...

Lone Wolf & Cub

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Comics & Graphic Novels
Author:	Goseki Kojima & Kazuo Koike

This is an epic about Ogami Itto and his toddler son Daigoro, who are choosing the path of hell in their mortal lifes. Itto, a highly skilled swordman and a shogun's second, became an assassin-for-hire right after his son was born in a gruesome situation. Itto, known latter as The Lone Wolf, should agree with the motivations of anyone who hires him before conducting the assassination; thus the stories are mostly valued by the morals at that time (the setting was the Edo period in Japan). Sword skills and craftmanship, conspirations and trusts, anger and passions, and many more, are expressed superbly in these series.
The beginning needs a bit of getting-used-to, to get into the atmosphere of that era. Once the readers are caught in the scene, the pace begins to vary, yet is still enticing. Towards the end, the suspense factors are accellerating, until the climax at the end of the story. Anyone who follows the saga from the beginning to the end would be emotionally moved by the final episode of these series.

Indeed there are countless brutal images, but the contents, the detailed artworks and the flow of the stories are just perfect! If there's any flaw, I think it's the behavior of Daigoro which sometimes seems surreal for a child of his age. However, all in all, these series can give you new perspectives of humanity and spirits of a true warrior.

Lone Wolf & Cub
Goseki Kojima & Kazuo Koike
(C) Dark Horse, 2000
ISBN# 1569715025

Samurai Executioner

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Comics & Graphic Novels
Author:	Goseki Kojima & Kazuo Koike

Another series that are worth collecting from the unbeatable duet Kojima & Koike, creators of Lone Wolf & Cub. The main character, Yamada Asaemon, would rightaway remind readers of Ogami Itto from Lone Wolf & Cub, since these two characters have similar positions.

Since Asaemon's occupation is a sword-tester for the Shogun (thus also a decapitator, as the swords should be tested on living beings as well), the first album emphasizes on the challenges and hardships of his job. Had the book been in color, blood-red would dominate the pages (the black/white arts of this album is already so powerful that I think coloring will only ruin the appearance).
The next albums (up to now, there are only three albums yet) are more varied in the stories. The episodes then reveal extreme conflicts and drama of life during the Edo period; all bringing the wisdoms of a warrior - a samurai, in this case. Keep in mind that the "Parental Advisory" sticker on the cover is not for nothing - the scenes are mostly vulgar and nerve-wrecking; very unsuitable for those under 18 years old.

Both the script and the artwork of this graphic novel have no flaw. Flow of events are nicely depicted so that you'll have your own 'movie' in your head. Japanese terms that can not be translated into English are explained in the Glossary section; which can enrich your understanding of the samurai culture back then.

Another winning point of this book is its format. It comes in a very compact size (very handy!) and has a simple cover design.

Samurai Executioner
Goseki Kojima & Kazuo Koike
(C)Dark Horse, 2004
ISBN# 1593072082

Hanging Out with the Dream King: interviews with Neil Gaiman and his collaborators

Rating:	★★★★
Category:	Books
Genre:	Other
Author:	Joe McCabe

This book gives me triple treats. Oh, wait, or is it quadruple treats? Let's see:
1. I like the size: It's in an A5 format, easy to hold and read everywhere. As a commuter I always bring a book to read in the train: it should fit into my already-full backpack, it should be compact enough so I don't have to disturb my fellow passenger (as by reading newspapers) and it should look good - which brings me to the second treat..
2. I like the design: Every page has black borders, so the book looks black all over: from top, bottom and sides. The cover has a black frame as well. So, black, my favorite color, is dominating this rare-looking book. A photo of Gaiman is at the cover; the overall color effect is greenish and moody (.. or dreamy?). It's like the color of an old wooden door once painted moss green but then bleached by weather, worn by time and use.
3. I like, of course, the contents! Gaiman is one of my favorite authors. He's unique in a way that he works superbly with various artists and media (illustrated book, graphic novel, animation, etc.), so it is very interesting to know how he deals with his also-individually-unique collabolators.
4. Well, I guess it's a quadruple treat after all: I like the illustrative information that comes with the contents. I've seen the finished works as novels, books and such, but in this book I can also see works in progress. Sketches and notes and scripts and such. I only wish there's more of these illustration in the book..

In a way, this book is a worthy collection for Gaiman's fans who like to learn more about the process, the struggle, the success: all the 'backstage' stories. This book happens to include interviews with my favorite artists (who collaborated with Gaiman) such as Dave McKean (it goes without saying..), P. Craig Russel (I like his clean, ornamental style, especially in "Ramadan"), Todd Klein (cool lettering!), Jill Thompson (I like her "Little Endless" a lot) and of course Yoshitaka Amano (he's truly one of a kind)!
The book has a friendly conversation atmosphere; it seems like I were also present during the conversations between McCabe and Gaiman and the others. Moreover, the book might inspire people who work in the world of comics and all related fields. They can see that comic/strip world is not at all about fun, fame and fortune only; in the contrary it requires a lot of hardwork, constant performance and full dedication.

Another personal note: Gaiman is a popular writer who keeps a close contact with his readers through his journal; it's very nice that he does that. I feel more attached to his works, by knowing what went on behind them - not only the business matters (publishers, distributors and such) but also the personal matters (family and friends, of whom Neil cares so much).


Hanging Out with the Dream King
Interviews with Neil Gaiman and His Collabolators
Joe McCabe
(C)Fantagraphics Books, 2005
ISBN# 1560976179

This is killing!

Please, it's my treat..