Foreign Prophecies

"They Called Themselves the K.K.K." by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

>> 28 April 2012 – book

Most of us today would probably identify KKK as an anti-Christian cult in some action movies. But the truth remains that just like other extremist groups that exist today, this hate group was born out of a dissatisfied "losers" in the post-Civil War era. These bigots then attempted to answer such deficiencies with hatred towards "others", akin to the way some German politicians gave birth to the Nazism using Versailles Treaty as an excuse.

The book, however, does not attempt to give a voice to the culprits. Rather, it portrays them as a dark spot in our history that must never be forgotten. Because, as a famous politician said one day, history is bound to repeat itself if we forget. May such a culture of hate and terror be extinguished one day.

Verdict: 6 out of 10 stars

British Ambassador to North Korea: the Unluckiest Diplomatic Post Today

>> 25 April 2012 – commentary, politics

Karen Wolstenholme must have done something terribly wrong.

She is in what is probably the most unfortunate diplomatic post in the world: to become the British ambassador to the hermit country of Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Instead of an honour, it sounds more like a punishment, especially since she used to have diplomatic posts in popular "vacation spots" such as Vienna, Den Haag, and Paris.

Granted, as a foreign diplomat, she must have been given access to what most citizens of North Korea consider a luxury, such as three meals a day, basic sanitation and running water, and access to internet. She might even be allowed to play golf with some top North Korean government officials.

However, it is still a shitty job: there is no denying that.

Not only she can't speak out against the regime (otherwise risk deportation/expulsion), she also has little freedom to travel anywhere in the country without proper authorisations.

"The Piano Teacher" by Elfriede Jelinek

>> 21 April 2012 – book

I have never understood why this book is so popular that it gains the title of classic. There is hardly any salacious scenes as those so-called top-notch reviewers say, and instead of putting those scenes into her real life, the author Jelinek has linked most of the story with odd Freudian fantasies of the main protagonist... Such an uneasy combination, I say.

For you ordinary mortals out there, don't waste your time reading this book. I read it until the very last page, hoping to find any redeeming quality that I may be able to put here. But rest assured, there are none.

"The Piano Teacher" is, in short, a complete disappointment and an utter waste of time.

Verdict: 1 out of 10 stars

Why Animal-Lovers Tend to be Kind-Hearted

>> 18 April 2012 – commentary

Milan Kundera once said that

True human goodness, in all its purity and freedom, can come to the fore only when its recipient has no power.

In her fourth work of Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling also put these words on Dumbledore’s mouth,

If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.

Indeed, when we decide adopt pets and decide to take care and nourish them, we have shown God and society that we are capable of love towards even the littlest of God’s creature. Even when we receive nothing in return from them.

I own a domestic shorthair cat myself. I also adore others out there who have pets of their own, especially cat- and dog-owners. Often they are busy, working parents with full-time jobs and several kids, but they still manage to find time and energy to bathe and walk their pets too.

Animal-lovers are indeed amazing people. If you are one, I give a pat on the back for ya!

Your love towards your pets (and vice versa) is called unconditional love, and perhaps it is the only type of unconditional love there is.

"The Lunatic Express: Discovering the World Via Its Worst Buses, Boats, Trains, and Planes" by Carl Hoffman

>> 14 April 2012 – book

What does it feel like traveling 50,000 miles across the globe on what statistically appear to be the most dangerous flights, boats and buses?

Ask Carl Hoffman.

His book “The Lunatic Express” piqued my interest as I browsed its cover flap and found author Hoffman summarizing the dangers of sinking in an Indonesian ferry. And guess what? He took one of the most notoriously and statistically dangerous ferries from Jakarta to the strife-stricken city of Ambon (I have taken an Indonesian ferry myself, and “safe” and “comfortable” were not among the first adjectives I’d use to describe that experience).

Having worked for National Geographic for decades, Hoffman is accustomed to the occasional dangers and quirks posed by the demands of his job. However, in a style reminiscent of Elizabeth Gilbert’s travels in “Eat, Pray, Love,” Hoffman tries to search his soul while simultaneously taking a break from his crumbling marriage by seeing the world via some of its most inconvenient, filthy, and downright scary methods of transportation.

All the flights he jotted down have been banned from entering European Union airspace, as he dubbed them “flying coffins.”

What a whacky way to travel, no?

My main critique of “Lunatic Express” are the missing legs of the journey. Having written in detail about the discomfort of taking the Peruvian bus, or getting acquainted with fellow passengers on Bangladeshi ferries, one could not help but wonder how he could have intentionally neglected to mention anything on his flight from Peru to Kenya, or from Vladivostok back to Los Angeles, for example. It would be entirely excusable if he had written that he had taken some safer flight, but Hoffman skipped such a disclaimer.

In certain chapters, Hoffman may also seem to be contradicting himself by complaining how much he misses home and how his travels have separated him from his (ex? current? He doesn’t really say!) wife ... even though it is obvious from the very first chapter that he says that this journey is 100 percent of his own volition.

On the whole, however, “Lunatic Express” was a rich travel narrative over five months. The author Hoffman deserved a movie-remake much more than Elizabeth Gilbert did. It would make a gripping Anthony Bourdain-esque thriller.

Verdict: 9 out of 10 stars

This post is republished in The Jakarta Globe on 17th of April, 2012.