So yesterday, as we speak, the ultimate 17 wasn't just a something that counts, for my country is a history, great history, it's our independence. After 350 years + another 3,5 years of agony, torture, and suffer, it might be great that we've finally received an independence on 17.8.1945, right after the WW2 (hiroshima-nagasaki mega-bomb point). Maybe i'm too young to understand that (or to lazy to get myself a history book), history is important though; to know your real enemy in truth, to know exactly what country you really live in it, to know the grand-daddy of the cardinal-sin scheme, yeah...we must learn all of that.
I'm not gonna go nationalism-crazed right now, because the fact, my country cannot be something that i really joy-to-talk about. And...don't make me start about our politicians/govs agenda here, oh-my! I'm afraid that i'll be jerk around them, as i always says about my country these days as ripped-off-artist-ass-licker country, and i don't want to talk about the ripped-off artist part anyway...err...cheesy...emotional rage, right. But i want to share about something i really know and dealt with in these past years; architecture...in the heart and soul of the city itself, Jakarta.
Right, when all the power nation racing against each other to make themselves super-designed country/city, ours still struggle to keep waste disposes correctly. Our neighbor such; Singapore and Malaysia already stood their feet into urban-design wonders, sustainable city, green-movement and stuffs, and Jakarta as our home-state still far enough to compete those straight-A goodies. I always belief that Indonesia is much more nature/art/cuisine country than urban/modern/tech one, we must be proud for our self that we made our own unique and much real culture. But, as an architect who sees further to another country goals, this is desperate than ever.
As i took the snap-shot from Jakarta main city point it's always interesting, and also ironic. We just love our retro architecture with all straight line and vivid color, i've always want to discover more 'junk-from-the-past' that made this city looks like a mosaic of memories.
THIS IS NOT THAT FREAKKIN TOKYO OK?! Yeah...but we do appreciate small spaces just like those androids did, even better, and i bet Tokyo doesn't have the ever-loved durian stall right on the street, they only praised their own sweet red ichigo on-the-counter, the heck! Strawberries never ever be cute, OKAY??? They're just sour-patch fruit, even you guys try so hard to make the sweet-hybrid one, still SOUR, AND NOT CUTE FOR PETE SAKE, GOSH! And who says that we need good library with comfy couch to read, nah, the ice-tea box can do just well.
Do we still need a fence as our protector? Oh hell yes, especially when you reside in your most high-crimes neighborhood, fence-free clustered home everyone? No sir. Yes, we have the over-advertised-so-called-cluster-housings, but our society who live under uncertain safety like Jakarta (1998's horror, political-rad) have some of 'trauma' awareness, so that's why fence really matters here, lack issue of trust even with your own neighbor (and family feud). MRT/SUBWAY/TRAM we don't have...okay we have our busway, but it's sucks, believe me, but "bajaj" like the up-shot there was perfect choice if you want a ethnically feels on your transportation, well if you can tolerate the over-buzz-diesel-noise that almost make you deaf, you'll be just fine.
Let the red-white sephia-nized of our flag waving with it's pride. Yes, it's on the fence again, as i thought, architecture can be a awesome defence stuff for our country, metaphorically. Clustered of stocks represented the sound of empty stomach back when the pre-independence time, the dutch/japan regime was a true form of evil, and change the concept of architecture in the country forever. As we have a growing pains, we ignore the world fast movement, 'cause our people still need to fed rather than to 'live'. Chaotic is our urban design, and we don't need the architect-slash-preacher to tell them what to do. Some of those loser will called us as taking-for-granted people, as we love to waste our really wide and big space (suck that Tokyo!), we ripped the trace of land with nonsense everyday, but why not? Even the govs did that, capitalist wHOREshipper, so as architect what we'll do then, keep 'preaching' or just do the viva-la-vida rebellions act? The answer rely on each of us, so there; Happy Independence my beloved country, Indonesia!
