Dogs truly are a person's best friend no matter what the circumstances. I wonder who received the bigger share of the donations?
Showing posts with label Meaning of Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Meaning of Life. Show all posts
02 July 2008
13 June 2008
Still Missing My Dogs
Although the days pass into weeks and the weeks pass into months the sense of loss has not really started to recede. It is hard to lose something that has been such a great and fun part of your life for so many years in a mere heartbeat! Chockie has been gone now since 6 December 2007 and I still think about her everyday! Unyil has been gone since 12 May 2008 and I still think about her everyday too!
I trust they are both keeping each other company in puppy dog heaven and are having the time of their lives, so to speak, and enjoying each other's company once again!
As I was rummaging through boxes to find a paper that I want to publish, I came across these two photos. I asked the better half (a.k.a. "the missus") to scan them and send them to me. The original photos are prints and not digital. I might add I stopped looking for the paper when I re-discovered the photos.
I am sure the better half is doing it at least as tough as I am. We miss our dogs!
22 May 2008
Insecurity...Personal Musings
I have been wondering over the last few days about all manner of things as there are some big decisions to made over the next couple of weeks, particularly about the future direction of my life and by default the future of my better half and the kid (who will not be on the scene until late November but nonetheless affected by the decisions made now).
My position has not really changed over the last couple of weeks and I just do not see myself in Indonesia past the end of the year. The "big" meeting of the other week seemed to go well. I was asked to supply a bullet point outline of where I see things going over the next couple of years, which I did, but have heard nothing in return about that. So, I am not sure that this is a good thing or a bad thing.
I have been looking around and asking questions of people, as one does when you are making life changing decisions, about what I am worth and how hard is the hard ball I should play on this. It would seem that I am worth a lot more than I am currently working at. However, all these things are subjective and in the end you are only worth as much as someone is prepared to pay you. It is with this in mind that I do not think that I will be able to wiggle my true value in my current circumstances. So, much so that I must admit that I have not even broached the subject of what value I feel I am worth.
As is the way in Indonesia (and most other places as well) this is a negotiation and one that I am not particularly keen to start. Therefore, we are doing this merry little dance of going round and round in circles as I wait for them to make an offer so that I can gauge what they think I am worth and they in turn are waiting for me to see what I think I am worth. Ultimately, nothing happens.
The work stuff aside...the insecurity relates to things that are way into the future! Like am I going to be a good father. Others are more current and relate to things like am I being a good husband in terms of staying in Indonesia and working for so much less than I could be earning in Australia. Am I being a good husband and providing the life that my wife deserves? These questions enhance the feeling of needing to make a change in order that I feel that I am doing the things that I want to be doing and doing them right.
Sometimes I just feel that I am too selfish and only look at the little picture. So, in this time of serious re-evaluation I continue to lean towards going back to whence I came and perhaps answering some of the insecurities that I hold.
My position has not really changed over the last couple of weeks and I just do not see myself in Indonesia past the end of the year. The "big" meeting of the other week seemed to go well. I was asked to supply a bullet point outline of where I see things going over the next couple of years, which I did, but have heard nothing in return about that. So, I am not sure that this is a good thing or a bad thing.
I have been looking around and asking questions of people, as one does when you are making life changing decisions, about what I am worth and how hard is the hard ball I should play on this. It would seem that I am worth a lot more than I am currently working at. However, all these things are subjective and in the end you are only worth as much as someone is prepared to pay you. It is with this in mind that I do not think that I will be able to wiggle my true value in my current circumstances. So, much so that I must admit that I have not even broached the subject of what value I feel I am worth.
As is the way in Indonesia (and most other places as well) this is a negotiation and one that I am not particularly keen to start. Therefore, we are doing this merry little dance of going round and round in circles as I wait for them to make an offer so that I can gauge what they think I am worth and they in turn are waiting for me to see what I think I am worth. Ultimately, nothing happens.
The work stuff aside...the insecurity relates to things that are way into the future! Like am I going to be a good father. Others are more current and relate to things like am I being a good husband in terms of staying in Indonesia and working for so much less than I could be earning in Australia. Am I being a good husband and providing the life that my wife deserves? These questions enhance the feeling of needing to make a change in order that I feel that I am doing the things that I want to be doing and doing them right.
Sometimes I just feel that I am too selfish and only look at the little picture. So, in this time of serious re-evaluation I continue to lean towards going back to whence I came and perhaps answering some of the insecurities that I hold.
16 May 2008
Food for Thought
The following are all attributed to the Buddha
A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.
A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden.
A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.
A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.
Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
A dog is not considered a good dog because he is a good barker. A man is not considered a good man because he is a good talker.
A family is a place where minds come in contact with one another. If these minds love one another the home will be as beautiful as a flower garden. But if these minds get out of harmony with one another it is like a storm that plays havoc with the garden.
A good friend who points out mistakes and imperfections and rebukes evil is to be respected as if he reveals a secret of hidden treasure.
A wise man, recognizing that the world is but an illusion, does not act as if it is real, so he escapes the suffering.
All that we are is the result of what we have thought. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him. If a man speaks or acts with a pure thought, happiness follows him, like a shadow that never leaves him.
An insincere and evil friend is more to be feared than a wild beast; a wild beast may wound your body, but an evil friend will wound your mind.
Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who said it, no matter if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.
Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.
Do not overrate what you have received, nor envy others. He who envies others does not obtain peace of mind.
Believe - The Buddha Way
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions only because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
-- Gautama Siddharta
-- Gautama Siddharta
09 May 2008
25 Reasons Why You Owe Your Mother...
Something that came into my inbox today which I thought was worth sharing!
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
And my favorite:
25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE. "If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."
2. My mother taught me RELIGION. "You better pray that will come out of the carpet."
3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL. "If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"
4. My mother taught me LOGIC. "Because I said so, that's why."
5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC. "If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the store with me."
6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT. "Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."
7. My mother taught me IRONY "Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."
8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS. "Shut your mouth and eat your supper."
9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM. "Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"
10. My mother taught me about STAMINA. "You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."
11. My mother taught me about WEATHER. "This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."
12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY. "If I told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"
13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE. "I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."
14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION. "Stop acting like your father!"
15. My mother taught me about ENVY. "There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."
16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION. "Just wait until we get home."
17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING. "You are going to get it when you get home!"
18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE. "If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."
19. My mother taught me ESP. "Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"
20. My mother taught me HUMOR. "When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."
21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT. "If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."
22. My mother taught me GENETICS. "You're just like your father."
23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS. "Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"
24. My mother taught me WISDOM. "When you get to be my age, you'll understand."
And my favorite:
25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE "One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you!"
07 May 2008
A Rock and A Hard Place
The big meeting I am destined to have with the big bosses has been put off again until Saturday (10 May 2008). It is destined to have because it is one of those sooner or later meetings that cannot be avoided.
Thankfully, it is not one of those HR or accountant type meetings that my blog colleagues GJJakarta and Greenstump wax so lyrically about! Yet, I am sure that there are some hard yards to be hoed throughout this one...
I am hearing various things about the meeting but none of it from any of the direct participants in it. The beauty of hearsay is that it is just that hearsay. It is great to see that all sorts of people are hearing tid bits and then putting their own spin on it! So, I am invariably somewhere between a huge frackin' pay rise, improved benefits, and conditions and totally fracked! (for those of you who are not avid watchers of Battlestar Galactica, frackin' is the space aged way of saying fucking -- sorry Ma but I have already eaten all of the soap so there is nothing left to wash my mouth out with!)...
In the big scheme of things an increase in salary, benefits, and conditions might be enough to convince me to hang around but I have a feeling that this is not the motivation of my earlier posts. So, anyone who thinks the money will get 'em every time needs to remember that Beatles song about "Money Can't Buy Me Love"...If I have said it once I have said it 1000 times, it is about treading water and I am treading water! Not going forward, not going backwards, just not going anywhere at all and that is the problem!
I sometimes wonder whether after all this time I can in fact go home and settle in to what would be life in Australia. Yet, there are other times where I am so looking forward to it. I want my wife to be able to experience Australian life and I know that I want our kid to grow up in Australia. I had the best time as a kid in Australia and I would not want to deprive my own flesh and blood of those same opportunities.
So, maybe you can now see that it is not about the money. It is about lifestyle, it is about experiences, it is about moving forward and not about standing still! I actually really, really enjoy and genuinely like what I do at the moment, but I just do not see myself doing it for another 10 years. I am not challenging myself and I am not being challenged and something has to give. That "give" is going to be me having to challenge myself and to that end I have to make the move to move because my employers (the big bosses) just are not going to challenge me or allow me to challenge myself within the current framework!
My apologies for boring the hell out of ya with this little bit of personal musing!
The weekend is coming up so maybe I will be in a better mood tomorrow! Then again maybe not!
Thankfully, it is not one of those HR or accountant type meetings that my blog colleagues GJJakarta and Greenstump wax so lyrically about! Yet, I am sure that there are some hard yards to be hoed throughout this one...
I am hearing various things about the meeting but none of it from any of the direct participants in it. The beauty of hearsay is that it is just that hearsay. It is great to see that all sorts of people are hearing tid bits and then putting their own spin on it! So, I am invariably somewhere between a huge frackin' pay rise, improved benefits, and conditions and totally fracked! (for those of you who are not avid watchers of Battlestar Galactica, frackin' is the space aged way of saying fucking -- sorry Ma but I have already eaten all of the soap so there is nothing left to wash my mouth out with!)...
In the big scheme of things an increase in salary, benefits, and conditions might be enough to convince me to hang around but I have a feeling that this is not the motivation of my earlier posts. So, anyone who thinks the money will get 'em every time needs to remember that Beatles song about "Money Can't Buy Me Love"...If I have said it once I have said it 1000 times, it is about treading water and I am treading water! Not going forward, not going backwards, just not going anywhere at all and that is the problem!
I sometimes wonder whether after all this time I can in fact go home and settle in to what would be life in Australia. Yet, there are other times where I am so looking forward to it. I want my wife to be able to experience Australian life and I know that I want our kid to grow up in Australia. I had the best time as a kid in Australia and I would not want to deprive my own flesh and blood of those same opportunities.
So, maybe you can now see that it is not about the money. It is about lifestyle, it is about experiences, it is about moving forward and not about standing still! I actually really, really enjoy and genuinely like what I do at the moment, but I just do not see myself doing it for another 10 years. I am not challenging myself and I am not being challenged and something has to give. That "give" is going to be me having to challenge myself and to that end I have to make the move to move because my employers (the big bosses) just are not going to challenge me or allow me to challenge myself within the current framework!
My apologies for boring the hell out of ya with this little bit of personal musing!
The weekend is coming up so maybe I will be in a better mood tomorrow! Then again maybe not!
05 April 2008
Virtue Indonesian Style
The title of this entry might be a little misleading (but the photo isn't though is it?) as I really want to talk about chastity belts and the idea that a little padlock will do! I must confess the topic is inspired by a thread running over at Indonesia Matters (Patung I do not know you but you have way too much free time on your hands if you can find this stuff out! Keep it coming!)...but it is based on a story out of the mainstream media (Kompas)
Now, in most parts of Indonesia a good panti pijat (massage parlour) can get you a "full" body massage and if you are a seasoned connoisseur then perhaps you will know your way around to the "full service" massage joints. It seems though that the government has decided to crack down on these dens of sin and depravity by requiring the female masseuses' to padlock their gear including their panties in order to prevent men from taking advantage of the situation...perhaps some of you more familiar with these services might be able to add a little about the "happy ending" and whether this is a value add service that is offered rather than demanded!
Otherwise I will have to trot out the well worn ... "I heard from a 'friend'" explanation!
If you can, try and visualize all these massage parlour owners running down to the local hardware store and cleaning them out of padlocks, then running back to their establishments, and then once they get there trying to figure out how the bloody hell am I going to attach this so that the masseuse cannot get her gear off?
But better than a padlock is a real, fair dinkum, no questions asked, balls taking chastity belt. The technology might have been a little crude in the centuries past but as the above photo highlights, a good chastity belt can become a fashion item in its own right, particularly when it covers all the essential bits! Besides I also thought it was time to get a little risque with the pictures (hope you approve FriskoDude, you did say more pictures, right?)...
I am sure that vice is a problem in Jakarta but I would hope that before the government of Jakarta spends any more time on this or any resources on study tours both locally and overseas that they fix the potholes in the roads! Because while taking an ojek to work this morning my normally trustworthy and slow ojek hit a pothole and I think I jarred my spine, so I am going to have to go and get a 'healthy' massage to repair my aching back!
Simply, the failure to fix Jakarta's rapidly deteriorating roads ensures that these dens of sin and depravity are full with the victims of these woeful Jakarta roads...
Happy hunting for the perfect panti pijat...the padlocks are coming, the padlocks are coming!
Older...
Birthdays have a habit of creeping up on ya and then slapping ya about the head! "Time flies" does not really encompass how quickly the years can pass you by.
I remember the biggies! Hanging out to turn 18 so that I could legally walk into the pub and order a beer. The key word being legally! One of the hassles of being the hairiest bastard under 18 meant that I was the go to bloke when it came to walking into the bottle shop to buy the slab. Back in the day there was none of this drinking wine or spirits stuff, it was beer, beer, and more beer.
Turning 21 seems to be a biggie too but I am not quite sure why in the Australian sense I am not sure that I could do anything more than I could when I was 20!
Then there is turning 30...that generally is a WTF moment when you reflect on WTF have I done since turning 18?
As I approach the next big milestone of 40 (still a few years away yet though) I still get the sense that it is going to be another of those WTF moments.
Hence, the point of this post. I just had a birthday a couple of days or so ago and some things crystallized in my mind! I have been employed in the same place for the last five years and my salary no up up (well not at the same speed of my work being up up) and I am still position-wise treading water.
What does this mean? It means that I am thinking of pulling the Indonesian plug and heading back to my own country and taking the path less traveled.
A career change that will need some re-skilling and a little bit more education. I have said many times in posts on this blog and on other peoples' blogs that I am one of those expats that could be earning a lot more working back in my own land than on these here shores! I chose to be here and have enjoyed being here most of the time :) (not always miserable -- treespotter wherever you are)...
The reflection for me revolves around a number of points...I am comfortable in Indonesia and enjoy living here but not so much so that I am prepared to just tread water for the next 40 or 50 years! A change is as good as a holiday and I need a holiday!
The other thing that happened (probably worthy of an individual post) is that some low life coward poisoned my dog. I had two dogs, one which was poisoned in December and died, so it is probably the same low life numb nuts that poisoned my dog this time. This time I was a little luckier, as I was home and was able to call the vet a little bit sooner. My dog is a house and yard dog that only gets outside of the fence on a leash and usually late at night when there are less people around...Don't get me wrong on this point people bait dogs in Australia too but not generally in front yards!
I guess this means I will be having the big 4 - 0 WTF moment back in Australia somewhere rather than in this neck of the woods.
The beauty of the Internet means that I will still be blogging here at this blog location but will be somewhere else in the world doing it!
So, Happy Birthday to me!
Why was he born so beautiful, why was he born at all?
I remember the biggies! Hanging out to turn 18 so that I could legally walk into the pub and order a beer. The key word being legally! One of the hassles of being the hairiest bastard under 18 meant that I was the go to bloke when it came to walking into the bottle shop to buy the slab. Back in the day there was none of this drinking wine or spirits stuff, it was beer, beer, and more beer.
Turning 21 seems to be a biggie too but I am not quite sure why in the Australian sense I am not sure that I could do anything more than I could when I was 20!
Then there is turning 30...that generally is a WTF moment when you reflect on WTF have I done since turning 18?
As I approach the next big milestone of 40 (still a few years away yet though) I still get the sense that it is going to be another of those WTF moments.
Hence, the point of this post. I just had a birthday a couple of days or so ago and some things crystallized in my mind! I have been employed in the same place for the last five years and my salary no up up (well not at the same speed of my work being up up) and I am still position-wise treading water.
What does this mean? It means that I am thinking of pulling the Indonesian plug and heading back to my own country and taking the path less traveled.
A career change that will need some re-skilling and a little bit more education. I have said many times in posts on this blog and on other peoples' blogs that I am one of those expats that could be earning a lot more working back in my own land than on these here shores! I chose to be here and have enjoyed being here most of the time :) (not always miserable -- treespotter wherever you are)...
The reflection for me revolves around a number of points...I am comfortable in Indonesia and enjoy living here but not so much so that I am prepared to just tread water for the next 40 or 50 years! A change is as good as a holiday and I need a holiday!
The other thing that happened (probably worthy of an individual post) is that some low life coward poisoned my dog. I had two dogs, one which was poisoned in December and died, so it is probably the same low life numb nuts that poisoned my dog this time. This time I was a little luckier, as I was home and was able to call the vet a little bit sooner. My dog is a house and yard dog that only gets outside of the fence on a leash and usually late at night when there are less people around...Don't get me wrong on this point people bait dogs in Australia too but not generally in front yards!
I guess this means I will be having the big 4 - 0 WTF moment back in Australia somewhere rather than in this neck of the woods.
The beauty of the Internet means that I will still be blogging here at this blog location but will be somewhere else in the world doing it!
So, Happy Birthday to me!
Why was he born so beautiful, why was he born at all?
23 March 2008
The Last Supper
The inspiration for this particular post is several fold. I have written recently on Tempo's decision to publish a satirical rendition of Soeharto and his family in a pose resembling that of the "Last Supper" (not in the above collection) based on a painting by Da Vinci (the first of the pictures above). For this little indiscretion Tempo apologized.
The second inspiration that brought this back into my mind was a posting on Carl Parkes' blog, FriskoDude, which had re-posted some of the pictures above from another blog by Jeremy Barker, Popped Culture. I would recommend both blogs to you, my loyal readers. Both are excellent in my mind and well worth a read.
The final inspiration is that it seems like an opportune time with it being Easter and all!
The point of this post is that a sense of humour is a wonderful thing and the ability to laugh at ourselves is useful outlet for us to come to terms with the idea that not everything in life has to always be serious!
I am sure that the depictions are likely to offend some. But my original point in my posts before is that the original by Da Vinci is the artists interpretation of how he figured the Last Supper must have gone down.
There has been endless debate about the imagery and the meaning of the painting, but when it is all said and done it is a piece of art. The other renditions of the Last Supper making use of pop culture highlight that if nothing else Da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper lends itself to myriad of interpretations.
16 March 2008
The Meaning of Life...
The Answer to the Great Question Of ...
Life, the Universe and Everything ... [is]
Forty-two.
-- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) Chapter 27.
Just in case any one was wondering or pondering your existence on this Sunday morning.
Life, the Universe and Everything ... [is]
Forty-two.
-- Douglas Adams (1952 - 2001)
The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1979) Chapter 27.
Just in case any one was wondering or pondering your existence on this Sunday morning.
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