I’m currently living at home in Tangerang. It’s a commercial city in the local metropolitan area of Jakarta. My city went from rice fields and factories to modern office buildings for major international businesses.
They usually say that in Tangerang, everyday they build something new. It could be just about anything. It could be a shopping mall, an apartment building, or a place of recreation. I’ll never get bored in here.
I feel when Bucha happened in Ukraine still a lot of people were shocked and outraged. But somehow this extreame achievement of the human race to formulate human rights and at least try to defend them is withering away....
True, but students are vulnerable to being expelled from university for being involved in public protests. Public universities in my country do so in order to discourage students from protesting the government.
I’ve lost faith in the social power of public protests myself. I’ve basically stopped believing in democracy. Most protests these days are driven by politicians seeking to topple the government or other politicians.
When growing up my parents taught me to stand up to bullies. (We're talking about verbal abuse and manipulation, not physical bullying.) Following that advice as a kid led to mixed results yet it's stuck with me into my adult years....
Your bully is not bullying you because you’re ugly, or because you’re a nerd, or because you’re an idiot. They’re bullying you because you have no friends. Any person with no friends are vulnerable to bullying.
People keep telling us to ignore them, but it’s not so simple when you don’t have much to distract you. The bully feels more comfortable bullying the kid with no friends because nobody is looking after them.
I’m a victim of bullying in school. I’m not necessarily a nerd, and my looks aren’t much less than average. My only weakness is having no friends. So, the easiest way to escape bullying is by making more friends.
I can relate. I’m a huge fan of public transportation. I love exploring different places using a public train. One of the things that I liked doing with public transportation was to intentionally make myself get lost.
I was once robbed on a public train from Jakarta on my way home to Tangerang after visiting my friend. Since then, I’ve become more careful not to take a public train to places that seem dangerous or unsafe.
In what subtle (or significant) ways has your hometown changed since your childhood?
Why don't people care about human rights anymore?
I feel when Bucha happened in Ukraine still a lot of people were shocked and outraged. But somehow this extreame achievement of the human race to formulate human rights and at least try to defend them is withering away....
Alternative to bad parental advice: "Stand up to bullies"?
When growing up my parents taught me to stand up to bullies. (We're talking about verbal abuse and manipulation, not physical bullying.) Following that advice as a kid led to mixed results yet it's stuck with me into my adult years....
What do you do to cheer yourself up ?