これもCOOLPIX8400で撮ったけど、勝手に発光モードになっていたのか、えらい暗くなったため、精一杯記憶に近い明るさまで調整。

Today, I write about you.

Sometimes we need poetry to endure our most painful moments for it makes everything beautiful

Babel by Rebecca F. Kuang: English and Indonesian translation

Saturday's study log and reflections.

Jakarta on that Saturday was quite solemn, despite the news that has broken so many people's hearts. People—from high school students to middle- and lower-class workers, individuals to organizations and political parties—took to the streets (specifically in front of the House of Representatives at Senayan and the KPU - General Elections Commission - at Menteng) to protest recent political events that felt like violations of Indonesia's fundamental laws. The protests began on August 22, 2024, and continued on August 23 and August 24, although the last two days weren't as massive as the first.

As someone who studies Human Rights and a small portion of international law, what these masses of people did in Jakarta and other cities in Indonesia is solid evidence of how people in this country still love democracy and want it to remain the government's solemn system. The protests they voiced (and will keep voicing until their goals are accomplished) help to restore the checks and balances that the government of Indonesia seems to have forgotten, as they have become drunk with power.

Many protesters were hurt, and some even lost their eyes. It's heartbreaking that the cost of democracy is the blood of its own people who need it the most.

This massive event reflects what I've been studying these past two months in my EDX course: Human Rights, Human Wrong. I've learned how a government can be both the protector and the abuser of its own people. What happened in Indonesia is a clear example. This realization has deepened my understanding of the delicate balance required to maintain a just society and the courage needed to stand up against injustice.

I may not take part in the protest directly, but let me do my part by sharing the stories of people who came back home safely and how they cried about their friends' brutal abductions by police. Let me share the screams for justice of people who are moving en masse to regain the utmost power of democracy. Their courage and determination inspire me to use my voice to amplify their cause, ensuring that their struggles are not forgotten.

Let the government realize how easily they can gain power, and how easily it can slip away from their hands. Democracy is not just a system but a living, breathing entity that requires constant vigilance and care from both the governed and those who govern.

March is tough; hence, life still needs to go on.

Caffeine helps going through everyday shits Indonesian government throws at its people.

Caffeine intakes throughout the September ‘24.

milk and honey by Rupi Kaur

This book is so insufferable. I'm not saying this is not a good book, but surely not suitable for someone in mid 20s. If you are 17-19, then yes. But the chapter of 'the hurting' is depicting a childhood trauma of her upbringing, which perhaps most women can relate to.

But I do still need to be honest, my whole worlds crumble over the first chapter. The trauma she captured, surely is heartbreaking and soul-wrenching. I am not saying this because I'm a woman, but no one in this world, deserved to be violated that harsh and that young.

I'll be free. I have to be free.