The Similarities Of Hanoi And Jakarta

If you see yesterday's post you probably can deduce that it's taken in Vietnam. Well, I'm in Hanoi, Vietnam this week to participate in another Thomson Reuters Foundation's course. Cooperating with Vietnam TV Training Center, this time the foundation set climate change as the course's topic. 

I feel so fortunate that they picked me as a participant and that my office allowed me to go less than a month from the course in Italy. Dear kind editors (if you're reading this), I will write an article (or two) from this course.

It's my first time visiting Vietnam, but I feel like I'm still in Indonesia. There are so many similarities between Hanoi and Jakarta that I feel like I'm just going to the neighbor's house. The problem is the neighbor speaks a different language. But let's focus on the similarities first.

Here are some similarities I notice:

1. We share the same facial look and body figure

I've met at least three women who looks like my colleagues and friends. We're South East Asians anyway, so it's not a surprise. But I still stop in the middle of the road to get a clearer view of a particular person, to make sure that person is not someone I know. 

2. We have the same Asian courtesy

It's a common thing in Jakarta (or Indonesia) to bow a little while you're passing someone who is talking, or older than you. It's a way of respect. Well, I spotted that gesture too here. I'm a bit tempted to say,"Permisi (Bahasa word for 'Excuse me')", while doing that gesture in Hanoi:). 

They are also very polite to the foreigners. When I stepped out of the airport, the man from the hotel said we would wait for another guest. So I told him that I would sit on the chair nearby. After a few minutes, he approached and asked me to follow him, although the guest had yet to arrive. I guess he felt guilty to let me waiting there. Another proof was during the ride to the hotel. The driver lit a cigarette, so I opened the window because I couldn't stand the smoke. He put it off immediately. 

Also, no matter how busy/poor they look, people are still smiling here. Just like in Jakarta or other place in Indonesia. My lovelies, a smile may be a free thing you can give to a person, but it can be the most valuable thing you'll ever give in your life. So remember to smile, ok?

3. Street foods rule!

There are a lot of street food vendors in Hanoi. On the first day, I passed people having breakfast along the street. They sat on the short stools, holding a bowl of hot noodle and eating with their chopsticks. The food smelled really nice. 

I should try one of those foods before leaving, but I have to find one without pork. Now, this calls for some Vietnamese vocabulary. So yes, I must learn some local words.

4. Difficult to cross the street

The golden rule in Jakarta is you are not yet a true Jakartan when you haven't braved the streets. It's the same thing in Hanoi. Being a true Jakartan, I cross the streets of Hanoi like a pro:). I also see many motorbikes here, just like home:). Tips: always be cautious, look to the left/right, then cross the street while waving your hand.

5. The best thing is Hanoi and Jakarta are in the same time zone
It takes only five hours from Jakarta and Hanoi. And we have the same time. So I have no jet lag this time.

Anyway, I'm just curious: when you are traveling, do you find similarities or spot differences?

Have a nice day!

Where I Am At This Week

Hint: Notice the red flag?

Sans Surnom

"Can you send me your first name/last name?"

That was the question I heard when I had to attend a fellowship abroad. I hate to disappoint people, but here is the truth: I don't have last name. I have two names, but both are mine, not my father's or mother's name. For an easy reply, I usually tell them to use the second name (although it's not a family name).

Most foreigners are shocked to know about this fact. But let me tell you another surprising fact: most Indonesians go with only one name. The proof? Our first and second presidents only have one name, Soekarno and Soeharto. Even D only has one name.

So how do we differentiate one Soekarno or Soeharto from another? Well, we just don't, that's why there are so many Indonesians having the same names. But having a last name doesn't guarantee that your name is unique. For example, there are so many Mr. Smiths out there (oops, a fan of Matrix movies just pops out:)).

As a Muslim, I know that I should use my father's name, by adding "binti my father's name" behind my name. Binti means daughter of, while bin means son of, so if I'm a man it should be "bin (my father's name). But all my certificates and official identification letters already use my name, and adding "binti ..." will be too much of a hassle.

There are ethnic groups in Indonesia that apply the family names, though. For example, Batak people, Manado people or Maluku people. And through their last names, we can tell which region they come from.

Some interesting facts I learn about last names:

- Europeans and Africans put their last name behind the first name. Quite easy.

- Chinese, Koreans and Japanese usually put their last name first. For example: Mao Tse Tung, means we should call him Mr. Mao, not Mr. Tung. But due to the Western influence, many people start to put their last names behind. It's a bit tricky. Makes sure you get the right last name. Trust me, you don't want to make mistake in calling their names.

- Latinos use both their parents' last names, usually their fathers' name first, then followed with their mothers' name. So their last names are usually in the middle. Remember the Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez? Don't call him Mr. Marquez, but call him Mr. Garcia, or perhaps Mr. Garcia Marquez. But again, it won't hurt to ask how we should call them. Who knows, perhaps they prefer to go on first name basis.
- Updated: I recently met a woman from Myanmar. She said that in Myanmar, people don't have last name either. On the case of Nobel Peace winner Aung San Suu Kyi, she said that the Western media created that name because Suu Kyi is the daughter of former general Aung San. In Myanmar, people call her Daw Suu. Daw is an honorific for women, similar to Miss, Sister or Aunt. Aww, so glad to know that Indonesians are not alone on this no-last-name policy:) 

In a world where last names are required, I'm proud with the naming system we have in Indonesia. It's just so unique and unlike the rest of the world. And if anyone wonder how to call me, well, my first name is Tifa. You can call me Tifa:).

Have a pleasant day!

Under The Indonesian Sun

Indonesia has two seasons: the dry season (April - October) and the rainy season (October-April). The time of the year may say it's time for the rainy season, but the sun is always out there. Jakarta, and perhaps most part of Indonesia, is mostly hot and humid, so hot it feels like I'm in a sauna and so humid I can actually sniff the water in the air (Seriously, when I go to a four-season country, I'll have a mild nosebleed because the air is too dry for my sensitive nose).

The temperature here is usually around 23 - 33 degree Celsius. On the mountain, the temperature may drop a few degree below 20 degree Celsius. So I've never experienced winter with all the glorious white snow. I have to say that I'm a bit curious to see, touch and taste the snow.

I've been to several countries with winter season. But I always went in the spring/summer season. It was July when I went to Vienna, April when I went to Shanghai, June when I went to Beijing, (also) June when I went to Mecca and Madina, and September when I went to Seoul.

So when I landed in Rome last February, it finally dawned on me how blessed I am for living in a country when I can have year-long sunshine. It was only between 10 and 15 degree Celsius, and there was no snow. But  for me, it was very cold. I no longer care that I have never seen snow. What matters most is to stay warm. I'm a tropical animal!

Unfortunately, not all Indonesians are aware that living under the sun is a blessing. Many Indonesians avoid the scorching sun at all cost, fearing that the sun will darken their skin tones (fair skin is considered as the ultimate beauty). I was, or probably still am, one of those people carrying umbrella in a bright midday, but now I put it down once in a while. I still put on my sunblock lotion, but never use whitening lotion like many Indonesians do (because white is might, an advertisement says).

This week, I'll be away from my hot and humid city. I'll go to a place a bit north and have the 10 degree Celsius experience again. C-c-c-could you pass me the sun please? Brrr. 

While I'm not in Indonesia, let me humor you with several photos of me and my cousins, taken years ago during our vacation to Central Java's Kebumen, our grandmother's hometown. 

(left to right) Me, Lukman, Teguh and Dina. I just noticed that we hid our hands behind our back. I forgot what we held in our hands, but it's very likely the shells:)

 Whose shadows are these?

I had a joke with Teguh when this photo was taken. The photo turns out very good. We look like a couple, hahaha. Hmm, this photo is actually quite good for a pre-wedding photo idea.

Best pose ever: hands on your back

Looking ahead

Sea, sun and sand

In Bahasa Indonesia, we call the sun as matahari, or mata hari (or literally means "the eye of the day"). That Dutch exotic dancer and accused spy was definitely taking her name from the Bahasa word. Ah, I miss the sun already!

Ambition. Dream. Or Both.

My sweeties, how do you define 'ambition' and 'dream'?

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with a superior. He told me that I showed no ambition, no drive in my work. He wondered whether it was caused by my family background (I am the only child, with both parents worked, but they retired now and that makes me the sole breadwinner in the house). He further elaborated that he had been invited by big companies and government institutions to visit 60 countries (and six times going to France), thanks to his articles.

To be honest, I was a little bit taken aback with his comments on being ambitionless. No, not the part when he criticized my work. I admit that my writing skill is still far from perfect (it takes some time to express yourself when you're writing in a foreign language). But I do have ambition, I just don't flaunt it to public. 

As I sat in front of the superior, a question or two popped in the back of my head: do we have to have the same ambition? And even if we do have the same ambition, do we have to do the same approach to achieve it?

I do not think so.

Everyone does have an ambition, no matter how simple it may sound. I have a colleague who dream of running a chicken noodle stall, so he can wear white T-shirt, a Good Morning towel across his neck and shorts everyday. He often imagines himself standing behind the cashier, next to the beckoning cat figurine.

I have a college friend who works as a fishmonger in a market. If you're a regular reader to this blog, I'm sure you still remember her. While my friend Aneen is proud of what she does, she still has a dream of opening her own business one day.

Now, just because these friends don't fancy luxurious things as their dreams, it doesn't mean that they have no ambition and no drive. Every dream and ambition matters. As a colleague says, a dream is a wish that your heart makes (thanks for the lovely definition, ARY). The most beautiful thing about having an ambition or a dream is that you have this fire burning inside you. And no, I'm not talking about heartburn or menopause symptoms.

I do have the desire to travel around the world, meet many people and do some once-in-a-lifetime experiences. But does it mean that I have to do what the superior did?

I do not think so.

I prefer to save money and do my own traveling. Or if I have the opportunity, I will apply for a fellowship. And this is how I could go to South Korea and Italy. But no matter how far I go, I will always long for a place to call home. For me, traveling is simply a process, not a goal or an ambition.

If you want to know my dream, well, I want to grow my own food, or for easier meaning: I want to be a farmer. This dream may be the result of reading Laura Ingalls books when I was a kid. People may look down on farmer, but I think it is the most honest profession. The farmers take care of the earth and receive love from Mother Nature. Also, it is fun to play with dirt, soak under the sun and see the plants growing.

I don't know if I can ever fulfill the dream. So for now, I simply take great joy in everything that I do.

How about you? What is your dream?

Pick Your Cupid

Found in NY Times, via Swiss Miss

It's never too late to pick your cupid. So which is yours?  Have a wonderful Wednesday!:)

The Roman Brotherhood

This is us posing in front of IFAD building, photographed by Jessica. Thanks, Jessica!

Jorge took this photo of me during our night walk to Piazza de Spagna. Thanks, Jorge!