TPI - Reflections

Back from TPI.. =]

Anyway, first of all, I need to clarify this - TPI means Tanjung Pinang, a city on Bintan Island (yes, that Bintan Island super near Singapore that people go for spa or whatever.. =p lol..), not Taipei like what one of my friend Yuen Ting said. =x lol..

Day 1 - Sunday

Reached there at about 5pm local time, waited for a long time before my mum cooked the dinner.. =x lol.. It was a simple meal.. Let see.. Sambal prawn, meatball soups, steamed fish and sotong balls. Surprisingly there was no vegetable.. =p lol.. Actually, when I said it was a simple meal, not that simple also, because I could see that my mum was busy here and there.. =x But people, I got help her cook de okay?? Dont say I unfilial okay? =p lol..

It has been quite a long time since I had dinner with my parents. The feeling was great! =] All right Sharon, I admit I envy you for mum's cooking everyday okay?? =p lol..

Day 2 - Monday

When to the Indonesia's ICA to make my passport. When I reached there, I noticed the road outside the building was not properly done. It was in quite a bad condition actually, but surprisingly, there was an okay tennis court within the compound. I was like, "Got money to make tennis court, no money to maintain a proper road within the compound. =s Haiz.." Next, when into the office, I realised that people could smoke inside because it was not air-conditioned. So smokers and non-smokers were all sitting together.. I was thinking why not they at least asked those smokers to sit at one side and non-smokers to sit at the other side.. =x Then I went to take the passport photos, I realised that they took my fingerprints as well.. All 10 fingerprints were taken. This was one of the things that I was happy about - more high-tech machines were used, hopefully they could set up a database so that it could be used as a database to fight crime as well.. =]

The whole process took less than an hour (when I tried to apply for my passport at Indonesian Embassy, I waited for 2hrs =x). After that I went online for a while then oink until dinner time. =x Went out for dinner, somewhere near my house. Kangkong with some nice sauce, sambal prawn, fried sotong and sambal lebang fish! All nice nice! =] Oh yah, and lots of rice! =p lol.. I ate about 5 plates of rice?? =x lol.. and we paid only Rp. 120,000 or $16 only. =D

After that, we went home, just in time to watch <小娘惹>. Watched one episode liao, suddenly all lights were off. The electricity was cut off, as per normal.. =s After so long I still didnt understand why the authority was not able to generate enough electricity to meet the local demand. Haiz..

But the worse thing came after this. I saw a power generator in our shop this afternoon, then I was so happy that finally my parents bought a generator, so that we all could still have power supply even if the power supply was cut off.. But you know what, my clever dad only installed the cable such that only my shop at lower floors could use the generator, but not the living area at the upper floors, meaning even if we got the generator, we could not use it to watch tv and air-con and so on, then I was like -.-""" Clever loh.. =s And hor, other shops used generators le! Only my house dark dark de loh! Siao liao.. =s

In the end I went to sit beside my room's window, and noticed an uncle sweeping the floor. And I saw that uncle was sweeping the floor from 9pm all the way to 2am. When I moved my sight up, I saw an internet cafe that was filled with lots of youngsters. Then I was thinking, "How much wages that the uncle would earn? And what a contrast it was - a middle-aged uncle was sweeping the floor until 2am and a group of youngsters which was affluent enough to spend money without really worrying about money". In Singapore we still have Work Development Agency (WDA) to subsidize people for learning new skills to find new jobs, but such things were non-existent in Indonesia. =( Income disparity remains large I guess...

When the power supply was restored at about 10.30pm (2.5hrs without power supply, my mum said I was lucky, because normally it would last for 4-5hrs), I turned on the TV and saw Survivor - Gabon. I didnt know the finale was on Monday night, so i watched until Matty was voted out. Thought I didnt really like that Bob, but I must admit that he was worthy enough to win the tie-breaker match, for him to practice how to start the fire in that afternoon. Then I went to sleep, but I could not, so after some struggling, I went back and watched TV again, and the Survivor was still on. So I watched all the way till 1am local time (2am SG time) =x

Day 3 - Tuesday

Woke up and helped my parents looked after the shop for a while. While talking to other people was not really a problem, but because I had no idea about the price and size, so conversations were quite awkward. =x lol..

Soon, my mum told me that my passport was ready. I was quite surprised, it took less than 2 days for my new passport when it took close to 5 days to make the passport in Singapore. Later i learnt from my dad that my passport application was processed on a fast-track, because the application was submitted through a "大人物", thats why my passport took less than 2 days jiu done liao.

I was thinking though the Chinese formed a large, powerful group in my place and controlled the local economy, it was still a minority group within the country. So as a minority, the Chinese community was rather unified to protect their interests, which somehow has grown into a community which has a wide network that might allow it to sometimes work outside the official rules (which i was quite certain that it was why my passport was done so quickly). Of course, this also happens to certain affluent Indonesian as well.

But as it was a minority group, which fortunately (and also unfortunately) controlled significant economic interests in the country, to work outside the rules could be easily accused by the local Indonesians for being cocky because it was rich. This negative sentiment could be easily used and stirred up by some other Indonesians for their own economic or even political interests since the locals were generally less-educated and earned low incomes.

The government, at the same time, while I was not saying that they were really incompetent, has to take into account the demand of local Indonesians, and implemented some policies that while in name applicable to all Indonesians, but in practical only affected the Chinese community. For example, the new ferry tax would be increase to $70, while the ferry ticket itself was only $40. While its true that this rule was applicable to all, but as most of the passengers were Chinese, this rule effectively "punished" the Chinese community.

But sadly, such policies would only make the Chinese community distrust the local government even more, which in return would strengthen their community and I believed that this would make the Chinese community more vulnerable to such negative sentiments from local community and this vicious cycle would just go on and on and the conflict between the two groups would just getting more and more serious.

If only more funds are available for local education so that higher human capital can be achieved and both groups are willing to work together hand in hand, i believe the country will be prosperous in no time.

After that we went for dinner outside. Foodcourt setting - minus the air-con, light and cleanness, you know what I mean. =x All motorbikes were passing around the narrow road, I was thinking if you could travel from one end to the other, surely you would not have any problem on other main roads. =x lol..

Along the stalls, i saw lots of wild cats moving here and there to find leftovers, trying to cross the road that was full of bikes, looking for leftovers. They were really struggling hard to survive.

Finally we got a place to have our dinner. I had one plate of char kuay tiao, one place of rice with fried rice and one place of prawn cakes. =x Then I saw this young lady who was helping in her dad's stall. She was cooking a pot of soup, then still need to look after the fire, serve customers, wash dishes and when she was free, she sat down and writing things in a serious manner (I guessed she was doing some accounts or homework??). *respect respect*

After we done with the dinner, i noticed along the way there were youngsters helping out in stalls too. Not too sure whether they all attending school in the morning, but if they were, I really respected them, struggling between school work in the morning and still need to help out in the stalls at night. At the same time I really feel guilty, just spending money like water, and never really study hard when I have the opportunities to receive education in such a comfortable way.

Slacking is such a luxury to them.

Went to bed on 9pm, but was rolling on bed till 1am, thinking about this. =x

Anyway, throughout my days there, I was bombarded by the fighter jets - mosquitoes. Now I have plenty of mosquito bites on my hands and legs. =s

Last but not least, I missed my gf. Glad i finally back to Singapore to see her again. *lurves* =]