Tomorrow is the big day - Tokyo, Tokyo, Tokyo... Yay! Really can't wait.
Actually, everything has been good lately. But - and there is always a but - this tiny little thing, that is still bothering me, and it just won't go away.
Ah, I wish everything could go back to the way things were.
Anyway, I don't want to give it too much thought. I am going to Tokyo tomorrow. It's still very surreal, and I will probably not really believe it until I arrive at Narita. It's been so many years since I've been there... It feels a little bit like going home.
Tokyo, here I come...
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Unsent
Hey you,
It was a Friday. The day I first thought that you were special.
Then, on a Wednesday, I realized that there was some sort of connection, something I couldn't quite explain yet.
It was another Friday night when you first made me wonder.
There have been many Sundays in between.
On a Monday, you surprised me.
And the Thursday after that, the surprises had become routine, but didn't fail to amaze me anyhow.
Several Wednesdays in a row have been enchanting.
There was one particular conversation on a Saturday that really made my day.
Special days, so many special days, but nothing special ever happened on a Tuesday. So it must have been a twist of fate that everything ended on a Tuesday. The only day nothing ever happened.
I should have watched out for Tuesdays.
It was a Friday. The day I first thought that you were special.
Then, on a Wednesday, I realized that there was some sort of connection, something I couldn't quite explain yet.
It was another Friday night when you first made me wonder.
There have been many Sundays in between.
On a Monday, you surprised me.
And the Thursday after that, the surprises had become routine, but didn't fail to amaze me anyhow.
Several Wednesdays in a row have been enchanting.
There was one particular conversation on a Saturday that really made my day.
Special days, so many special days, but nothing special ever happened on a Tuesday. So it must have been a twist of fate that everything ended on a Tuesday. The only day nothing ever happened.
I should have watched out for Tuesdays.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Piece of Mind: Fighting AIDS, and Ignorance
It was World AIDS Day on Tuesday and for the whole day, I wore a red ribbon, the global symbol to show solidarity with HIV-positive people and those living with AIDS. Many of my friends who saw the ribbon either asked me about its meaning or said that they had completely forgotten about World AIDS Day.
It was then that I remembered an incident earlier this year when, during lunch in a crowded shopping mall, the female friend I was with told me about the death of a mutual male friend. Even though he hadn’t been a close friend of mine, the news shocked me, because he had only been in his late 20s.
When I asked how he passed away, my friend said she wasn’t sure, but there were rumors that he had had AIDS.
Then, she leaned over and asked in a low voice, “Do you think I should get tested?”
“Why?” I asked. “Did you ever have sex with him?”
She shook her head, shocked by my question, and then said: “But you know, whenever I met him, we shook hands.”
When I explained to her that she couldn’t catch HIV or AIDS through a handshake, she was surprised and said that she had always thought that just a short touch was enough to spread the virus.
When it comes to HIV and AIDS, it seems that Indonesians know very few facts. Which is more worrying because, according to the UNAIDS agency, there are around 270,000 people throughout the country who are infected with HIV, and 8,700 people have died from the disease. It has been described by some experts as a ticking time bomb.
Still, awareness campaigns have either not been efficient enough or are still lacking in number, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people in Indonesia who don’t know the basic facts about HIV and AIDS and how to prevent infection. They should also know that they don’t need to be afraid of socially interacting with HIV-positive people, and instead of treating them with misplaced fear, should show them some common courtesy and respect.
Moreover, I was startled by an article in this newspaper on Monday that said some hard-line Muslim protesters were demanding that the government implement Shariah law to prevent the further spread of HIV.
“In Jakarta, more than 200 female demonstrators urged the government to close down brothels and ban condoms, which they said encouraged ‘free sex and unhealthy behavior.’ One banner read, ‘Prostitutes, drug users and homosexuals are the agents of immorality,’ ” the report read.
The demonstrators also demanded that programs providing free condoms for male and female prostitutes be ended.
Let’s try to look at this from a logical point of view — Jakarta is becoming a modern metropolis, and more and more people of the younger generation are independent and free-spirited and don’t follow the same traditions or rules as their parents. In other words, sex before marriage is becoming more common, and this development seems to be a natural one and unlikely to stop.
To ban condoms would hardly lead to sexual abstinence. Unprotected sex does increase the risk of being infected with HIV and AIDS, however, so the demonstrators’ entire stance was a screaming contradiction in my eyes.
Banning condoms in order to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS makes as much sense as telling the Easter Bunny to deliver his eggs on Christmas.
Also, prostitution is one of the oldest industries in the world. Close down one brothel, and another will open a week later. I don’t support prostitution, but depriving sex workers of free condoms would just put them at higher risk of infection.
And what about the implication that homosexuals are, by definition, agents of immorality?
Really? I am sorry, but don’t we live in the 21st century?
I might not have the solution to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS in this country, but implementing Shariah law cannot be the way. Instead, there should be more information about the disease, starting in schools. This is not to encourage casual sex. That is a decision that each and every person should make for themselves. But it would help make sure that, just in case, safe sex is the way more people go. And that may also make the sharing of needles by injecting drug users less deadly.
Another friend of mine — an Indonesian — recently tweeted, “Make love, not war. After all, condoms are so much cheaper than guns.”
I couldn’t agree more.
(The Jakarta Globe, December 4th, 2009)
It was then that I remembered an incident earlier this year when, during lunch in a crowded shopping mall, the female friend I was with told me about the death of a mutual male friend. Even though he hadn’t been a close friend of mine, the news shocked me, because he had only been in his late 20s.
When I asked how he passed away, my friend said she wasn’t sure, but there were rumors that he had had AIDS.
Then, she leaned over and asked in a low voice, “Do you think I should get tested?”
“Why?” I asked. “Did you ever have sex with him?”
She shook her head, shocked by my question, and then said: “But you know, whenever I met him, we shook hands.”
When I explained to her that she couldn’t catch HIV or AIDS through a handshake, she was surprised and said that she had always thought that just a short touch was enough to spread the virus.
When it comes to HIV and AIDS, it seems that Indonesians know very few facts. Which is more worrying because, according to the UNAIDS agency, there are around 270,000 people throughout the country who are infected with HIV, and 8,700 people have died from the disease. It has been described by some experts as a ticking time bomb.
Still, awareness campaigns have either not been efficient enough or are still lacking in number, otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people in Indonesia who don’t know the basic facts about HIV and AIDS and how to prevent infection. They should also know that they don’t need to be afraid of socially interacting with HIV-positive people, and instead of treating them with misplaced fear, should show them some common courtesy and respect.
Moreover, I was startled by an article in this newspaper on Monday that said some hard-line Muslim protesters were demanding that the government implement Shariah law to prevent the further spread of HIV.
“In Jakarta, more than 200 female demonstrators urged the government to close down brothels and ban condoms, which they said encouraged ‘free sex and unhealthy behavior.’ One banner read, ‘Prostitutes, drug users and homosexuals are the agents of immorality,’ ” the report read.
The demonstrators also demanded that programs providing free condoms for male and female prostitutes be ended.
Let’s try to look at this from a logical point of view — Jakarta is becoming a modern metropolis, and more and more people of the younger generation are independent and free-spirited and don’t follow the same traditions or rules as their parents. In other words, sex before marriage is becoming more common, and this development seems to be a natural one and unlikely to stop.
To ban condoms would hardly lead to sexual abstinence. Unprotected sex does increase the risk of being infected with HIV and AIDS, however, so the demonstrators’ entire stance was a screaming contradiction in my eyes.
Banning condoms in order to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS makes as much sense as telling the Easter Bunny to deliver his eggs on Christmas.
Also, prostitution is one of the oldest industries in the world. Close down one brothel, and another will open a week later. I don’t support prostitution, but depriving sex workers of free condoms would just put them at higher risk of infection.
And what about the implication that homosexuals are, by definition, agents of immorality?
Really? I am sorry, but don’t we live in the 21st century?
I might not have the solution to curb the spread of HIV and AIDS in this country, but implementing Shariah law cannot be the way. Instead, there should be more information about the disease, starting in schools. This is not to encourage casual sex. That is a decision that each and every person should make for themselves. But it would help make sure that, just in case, safe sex is the way more people go. And that may also make the sharing of needles by injecting drug users less deadly.
Another friend of mine — an Indonesian — recently tweeted, “Make love, not war. After all, condoms are so much cheaper than guns.”
I couldn’t agree more.
(The Jakarta Globe, December 4th, 2009)
Friday, December 04, 2009
Black Gives Way To Blue
I don't wanna feel no more
It's easier to keep falling
Imitations are pale
Emptiness all tomorrows
Haunted by your ghost
Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I'll remember you
Fading out by design
Consciously avoiding changes
Curtains drawn now it's done
Silencing all tomorrows
Forcing a goodbye
Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I'll remember you...
(Alice In Chains)
It's easier to keep falling
Imitations are pale
Emptiness all tomorrows
Haunted by your ghost
Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I'll remember you
Fading out by design
Consciously avoiding changes
Curtains drawn now it's done
Silencing all tomorrows
Forcing a goodbye
Lay down, black gives way to blue
Lay down, I'll remember you...
(Alice In Chains)
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Seattle Sound Makes a Comeback
While kids these days grow up listening to R&B and electronic music, back in the early 1990s, it was the Seattle sound, or grunge music, that attracted masses of followers, thanks to bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden.
Even though the grunge movement was short-lived, overshadowed by Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, two of the most prominent Seattle bands, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, much to my delight, have recently released new albums.
While I was a relatively normal teenager — not angry or angst-filled — I could relate to the sounds of grunge music far more than to the clean pop of Michael Jackson and Madonna, or the heavy metal of Motley Crue and AC/DC who dominated the charts at the time.
These bands’ lyrics spoke to me. They addressed the hopes and fears of my generation, the disorientation of being young, not knowing what will happen in the future and unsure of which path to follow. I also liked that grunge bands didn’t care much for following trends, performing on stage in torn jeans and flannelette shirts, stage diving instead of performing choreographed dance moves.
But when the star of grunge music fell almost as quickly as it rose, fans of the genre found themselves at a loss. I have always been a fan of Pearl Jam, and it seems like I made the right choice. Pearl Jam outlasted the other Seattle bands, managing to remain constant in the popular music scene.
Formed in 1990 around frontman Eddie Vedder, the band was initially overshadowed by the success of fellow Seattle bands like Nirvana and was sometimes criticized for being a hanger-on, taking advantage of the grunge explosion at the time.
But Pearl Jam’s iconic debut album “Ten,” released in 1991, was proof enough that this band was anything but a fleeting star. And while many of their fellow Seattle bands were tangled up with drug problems and saw their members dropping like flies, Pearl Jam persevered, without selling their souls to the music industry — boycotting the overpriced sales of concert tickets and frequently refusing to produce music videos for their songs.
Over the last two decades, Pearl Jam has released nine full-length studio albums. The latest, “Backspacer,” hit the shelves in October and is, at only 37 minutes, their shortest album ever. It is also more upbeat and optimistic than Pearl Jam’s former albums. Even though most of the tracks may fall in the rock and pop category, rather than fitting the classic angst-filled grunge style of their previous recordings, “Backspacer” makes for enjoyable listening.
It starts off with the straight and cheerful tracks “Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some” and “Johnny Guitar,” before taking on a softer sound in “Force of Nature,” and delivers some of the band’s most touching ballads with “Just Breathe” and “Speed Of Sound.” Throughout the album, Vedder’s deep vocal range remains the main attraction of Pearl Jam.
Regarding the lyrics, the band doesn’t seem to carry the weight of the world on its shoulders anymore, but turns to “lighter” topics like relationship issues.
When Vedder sings “Love ain’t love until you give it up,” in the feel-good “Amongst The Waves,” he sounds optimistic that better days are still to come.
The album ends with the acoustic “The End,” which could be interpreted as a reflection on times long gone, but hopefully is not as an indiction of what is to come: “The end comes near, I’m here, But not much longer.”
If Pearl Jam really did decide to retire from the music business, it would be a great loss indeed. Loss and grief, along with bitterness and self-hatred to some degree, are the main themes on Alice In Chains’ new album, “Black Gives Way To Blue,” released a couple of days before Pearl Jam’s “Backspacer.”
Hailed by many as seminal to grunge, Alice In Chains formed in 1987. After releasing three successful studio albums, the band, most known for their brooding, slow sound, accompanied by vocalist Layne Staley’s snarling-screaming voice, went into a hiatus while Staley struggled with a drug addiction. After 10 years he lost the battle and passed away in April 2002.
Without frontman Staley, it seemed Alice In Chains would never make a comeback.
But after 14 years, the band has produced a new album with William DuVall, a hardcore singer from Atlanta, Georgia, taking over as lead vocalist.
Fans have been looking forward to this with mixed feelings, thrilled that Alice In Chains is finally releasing new material, but scared that DuVall will not be able to follow in the footsteps of Staley. Their worries, however, are proven unfounded.
In terms of vocal range and delivery, DuVall is surprisingly close to Staley, and the vocal dynamics between him and guitarist Jerry Cantrell remain true to Alice In Chains’ old style.
Heavy, bleak guitar sounds accompanied by the snarling, but melodic, sounds of vocalists DuVall and Cantrell make up most of the album, and are especially evident in “Check My Brain,” “A Looking In View” and “Last Of My Kind.”
But Alice In Chains also reveals a softer side with their ballad-like songs “Your Decision” and “When The Sun Rose Again.” The highlight of the album, however, is the heartfelt title track, for which they collaborated with none other than Sir Elton John. What seems to be an odd choice made sense after the band members declared that “Black Gives Way To Blue” is a tribute to Staley who was a fan of Elton John when he was younger.
Alice in Chains did an overwhelmingly good job at sounding like, well, Alice in Chains, even without Staley — and with this, the band managed to keep his legacy alive.
(The Jakarta Globe, December 3rd 2009)
Even though the grunge movement was short-lived, overshadowed by Kurt Cobain’s suicide in 1994, two of the most prominent Seattle bands, Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains, much to my delight, have recently released new albums.
While I was a relatively normal teenager — not angry or angst-filled — I could relate to the sounds of grunge music far more than to the clean pop of Michael Jackson and Madonna, or the heavy metal of Motley Crue and AC/DC who dominated the charts at the time.
These bands’ lyrics spoke to me. They addressed the hopes and fears of my generation, the disorientation of being young, not knowing what will happen in the future and unsure of which path to follow. I also liked that grunge bands didn’t care much for following trends, performing on stage in torn jeans and flannelette shirts, stage diving instead of performing choreographed dance moves.
But when the star of grunge music fell almost as quickly as it rose, fans of the genre found themselves at a loss. I have always been a fan of Pearl Jam, and it seems like I made the right choice. Pearl Jam outlasted the other Seattle bands, managing to remain constant in the popular music scene.
Formed in 1990 around frontman Eddie Vedder, the band was initially overshadowed by the success of fellow Seattle bands like Nirvana and was sometimes criticized for being a hanger-on, taking advantage of the grunge explosion at the time.
But Pearl Jam’s iconic debut album “Ten,” released in 1991, was proof enough that this band was anything but a fleeting star. And while many of their fellow Seattle bands were tangled up with drug problems and saw their members dropping like flies, Pearl Jam persevered, without selling their souls to the music industry — boycotting the overpriced sales of concert tickets and frequently refusing to produce music videos for their songs.
Over the last two decades, Pearl Jam has released nine full-length studio albums. The latest, “Backspacer,” hit the shelves in October and is, at only 37 minutes, their shortest album ever. It is also more upbeat and optimistic than Pearl Jam’s former albums. Even though most of the tracks may fall in the rock and pop category, rather than fitting the classic angst-filled grunge style of their previous recordings, “Backspacer” makes for enjoyable listening.
It starts off with the straight and cheerful tracks “Gonna See My Friend,” “Got Some” and “Johnny Guitar,” before taking on a softer sound in “Force of Nature,” and delivers some of the band’s most touching ballads with “Just Breathe” and “Speed Of Sound.” Throughout the album, Vedder’s deep vocal range remains the main attraction of Pearl Jam.
Regarding the lyrics, the band doesn’t seem to carry the weight of the world on its shoulders anymore, but turns to “lighter” topics like relationship issues.
When Vedder sings “Love ain’t love until you give it up,” in the feel-good “Amongst The Waves,” he sounds optimistic that better days are still to come.
The album ends with the acoustic “The End,” which could be interpreted as a reflection on times long gone, but hopefully is not as an indiction of what is to come: “The end comes near, I’m here, But not much longer.”
If Pearl Jam really did decide to retire from the music business, it would be a great loss indeed. Loss and grief, along with bitterness and self-hatred to some degree, are the main themes on Alice In Chains’ new album, “Black Gives Way To Blue,” released a couple of days before Pearl Jam’s “Backspacer.”
Hailed by many as seminal to grunge, Alice In Chains formed in 1987. After releasing three successful studio albums, the band, most known for their brooding, slow sound, accompanied by vocalist Layne Staley’s snarling-screaming voice, went into a hiatus while Staley struggled with a drug addiction. After 10 years he lost the battle and passed away in April 2002.
Without frontman Staley, it seemed Alice In Chains would never make a comeback.
But after 14 years, the band has produced a new album with William DuVall, a hardcore singer from Atlanta, Georgia, taking over as lead vocalist.
Fans have been looking forward to this with mixed feelings, thrilled that Alice In Chains is finally releasing new material, but scared that DuVall will not be able to follow in the footsteps of Staley. Their worries, however, are proven unfounded.
In terms of vocal range and delivery, DuVall is surprisingly close to Staley, and the vocal dynamics between him and guitarist Jerry Cantrell remain true to Alice In Chains’ old style.
Heavy, bleak guitar sounds accompanied by the snarling, but melodic, sounds of vocalists DuVall and Cantrell make up most of the album, and are especially evident in “Check My Brain,” “A Looking In View” and “Last Of My Kind.”
But Alice In Chains also reveals a softer side with their ballad-like songs “Your Decision” and “When The Sun Rose Again.” The highlight of the album, however, is the heartfelt title track, for which they collaborated with none other than Sir Elton John. What seems to be an odd choice made sense after the band members declared that “Black Gives Way To Blue” is a tribute to Staley who was a fan of Elton John when he was younger.
Alice in Chains did an overwhelmingly good job at sounding like, well, Alice in Chains, even without Staley — and with this, the band managed to keep his legacy alive.
(The Jakarta Globe, December 3rd 2009)
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Unbelievable
I can't believe that I am actually and really going to Tokyo for christmas, together with Natalia. I haven't been there in so long, it feels like a dream. Thank you Natalia, thank you sooooooo much.
I can't believe that Marcel actually sang a cover version of "Fuck her gently" at his wedding. That was pretty awesome.
I can't believe that today was the first time in around four weeks that I have seen Randhy. That's way too long for us not to see each other. Have to stop that and get back to meeting once a week again.
I can't believe that I am listening to THAT song over and over again, and it just makes me feel so... so... so... I don't know the word... so "oooooooooohhhhh" but at "aaaaarrrrrrgh" at the same time (did that make sense? I don't think so...)
I can't believe that Marcel actually sang a cover version of "Fuck her gently" at his wedding. That was pretty awesome.
I can't believe that today was the first time in around four weeks that I have seen Randhy. That's way too long for us not to see each other. Have to stop that and get back to meeting once a week again.
I can't believe that I am listening to THAT song over and over again, and it just makes me feel so... so... so... I don't know the word... so "oooooooooohhhhh" but at "aaaaarrrrrrgh" at the same time (did that make sense? I don't think so...)
Giving a Damn About ‘Gone With the Wind’
It has been 70 years since Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable enchanted moviegoers as Scarlett O’Hara and Rhett Butler in the film adaptation of Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone With the Wind,” and their story remains popular today. To mark the anniversary, the film has been rereleased as a three-disc Blu-ray set that not only offers improved sights and sound, but also features eight hours of extra footage, a 52-page hardcover book on the movie, a CD soundtrack sampler and art prints from the original film. A less hefty but remastered version comes on DVD with additional commentary by art historian Rudy Behlmer.
The first time I saw “Gone With The Wind” was in junior high school after my mother purchased it on VHS. It was dubbed in German, and even though translated movies sometimes fail to deliver the true atmosphere of the film, I was hooked on the story of Scarlett and Rhett, set against the backdrop of the Civil War that led to the abolishment of slavery, the downfall of the proud South with its rich plantations and its inhabitants’ struggle for survival after the war’s end.
Critics have deemed the film to be unrealistic, especially in its depiction of slavery. In “Gone With the Wind,” there are no evil masters lashing their slaves, house servants seem to be part of the family, and life on the plantations is peaceful and happy. But then again, the book is fiction, and the film an adaptation of that novel, not a documentary.
What intrigued me most about the movie was its beautiful and strong-willed heroine. Scarlett rebelled against the role forced on women at the time, while trying so hard to be a true lady, a Southern belle. She’s forced to grow up quickly because of the war and taking responsibility when no one else is capable of saving her family.
When I watched the original version in English several years later, I turned into a real fan of the movie, as Scarlett comes across even more snappish, and her catchphrase “Fiddle-dee-dee” is twice as good as it is in German.
Rhett’s sarcastic comments such as, “I’ve always thought a good lashing with a buggy whip would benefit you immensely,” also sound much better in English.
Many people with whom I have talked about this movie say Scarlett is a spoiled brat, a bad mother and an unbelievably selfish, to be politically incorrect, bitch.
The first time she gets married, she does it to spite Ashley Wilkes. The second time, she steals her own sister’s fiance so they won’t lose their beloved plantation and home, Tara. The third time, she marries because her Rhett is rich and can give her whatever she wants.
True, all this might make her a bitch. But it doesn’t make her less fascinating.
After all, she learns her lesson in the end: Having chased soft-spoken and dreamy Ashley — who I always thought was a weakling — her whole life, she finally realizes that it was Rhett who she truly loves, but she was only too stubborn to recognize it. By the time she does, it’s too late. Rhett has had enough, and tired of trying to win her over, he packs his bags and leaves.
“Rhett . . . if you go, where shall I go, what shall I do?” she cries out.
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” he replies, delivering one of the most memorable exit lines in movie history. The phrase tops the American Film Institute’s list of the best 100 movie quotations in US cinema.
I have both read and watched the sequel “Scarlett” even though my instincts were screaming at me not to. I should have listened. Frankly my dear, reading Alexandra Ripley’s sequel was a waste of time. But it was nothing compared to watching the 1994 miniseries of the same name. Seeing Timothy Dalton standing in for Rhett, and Joanne Whalley ruining the legacy of Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett left me deeply unsatisfied.
I’d rather leave it to my own fantasy to see how Scarlett and Rhett reconcile — but that they will do so is a sure thing given her determination. It was obvious all along they were a perfect match, right from their first encounter at the Wilkes’ garden party at Twelve Oaks when Scarlett makes a heartfelt but unrequited love declaration to Ashley and catches Rhett eavesdropping on them.
“Sir, you are no gentleman,” a 16-year-old Scarlett protests.
“And you, miss, are no lady,” Rhett replies drily.
The real appeal of “Gone With the Wind” lies in watching Rhett and Scarlett, waiting and hoping for them to be united, a timeless love story in difficult times. Most of all, it is great filmmaking that sees two actors in leading roles who have portrayed their characters so beautifully that they seem to be one and the same.
This not only applies to Scarlett and Rhett, but also extends to the supporting roles: there is the unfailingly good and kind-hearted Melanie Wilkes, portrayed by Olivia de Havilland, and Scarlett’s loyal servant Mammy. Actress Hattie McDaniel was the first black woman to receive an Academy Award, one of the 10 “Gone With the Wind” received in total.
Even though Scarlett probably deserved to be abandoned, I’ve always felt sorry for her. And despite the fact that I am a sucker for happy endings, I like the open-endedness of the story, summed up in Scarlett’s fateful expression of hope: “Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to win him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”
(The Jakarta Globe, Saturday, November 28)
The first time I saw “Gone With The Wind” was in junior high school after my mother purchased it on VHS. It was dubbed in German, and even though translated movies sometimes fail to deliver the true atmosphere of the film, I was hooked on the story of Scarlett and Rhett, set against the backdrop of the Civil War that led to the abolishment of slavery, the downfall of the proud South with its rich plantations and its inhabitants’ struggle for survival after the war’s end.
Critics have deemed the film to be unrealistic, especially in its depiction of slavery. In “Gone With the Wind,” there are no evil masters lashing their slaves, house servants seem to be part of the family, and life on the plantations is peaceful and happy. But then again, the book is fiction, and the film an adaptation of that novel, not a documentary.
What intrigued me most about the movie was its beautiful and strong-willed heroine. Scarlett rebelled against the role forced on women at the time, while trying so hard to be a true lady, a Southern belle. She’s forced to grow up quickly because of the war and taking responsibility when no one else is capable of saving her family.
When I watched the original version in English several years later, I turned into a real fan of the movie, as Scarlett comes across even more snappish, and her catchphrase “Fiddle-dee-dee” is twice as good as it is in German.
Rhett’s sarcastic comments such as, “I’ve always thought a good lashing with a buggy whip would benefit you immensely,” also sound much better in English.
Many people with whom I have talked about this movie say Scarlett is a spoiled brat, a bad mother and an unbelievably selfish, to be politically incorrect, bitch.
The first time she gets married, she does it to spite Ashley Wilkes. The second time, she steals her own sister’s fiance so they won’t lose their beloved plantation and home, Tara. The third time, she marries because her Rhett is rich and can give her whatever she wants.
True, all this might make her a bitch. But it doesn’t make her less fascinating.
After all, she learns her lesson in the end: Having chased soft-spoken and dreamy Ashley — who I always thought was a weakling — her whole life, she finally realizes that it was Rhett who she truly loves, but she was only too stubborn to recognize it. By the time she does, it’s too late. Rhett has had enough, and tired of trying to win her over, he packs his bags and leaves.
“Rhett . . . if you go, where shall I go, what shall I do?” she cries out.
“Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn,” he replies, delivering one of the most memorable exit lines in movie history. The phrase tops the American Film Institute’s list of the best 100 movie quotations in US cinema.
I have both read and watched the sequel “Scarlett” even though my instincts were screaming at me not to. I should have listened. Frankly my dear, reading Alexandra Ripley’s sequel was a waste of time. But it was nothing compared to watching the 1994 miniseries of the same name. Seeing Timothy Dalton standing in for Rhett, and Joanne Whalley ruining the legacy of Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett left me deeply unsatisfied.
I’d rather leave it to my own fantasy to see how Scarlett and Rhett reconcile — but that they will do so is a sure thing given her determination. It was obvious all along they were a perfect match, right from their first encounter at the Wilkes’ garden party at Twelve Oaks when Scarlett makes a heartfelt but unrequited love declaration to Ashley and catches Rhett eavesdropping on them.
“Sir, you are no gentleman,” a 16-year-old Scarlett protests.
“And you, miss, are no lady,” Rhett replies drily.
The real appeal of “Gone With the Wind” lies in watching Rhett and Scarlett, waiting and hoping for them to be united, a timeless love story in difficult times. Most of all, it is great filmmaking that sees two actors in leading roles who have portrayed their characters so beautifully that they seem to be one and the same.
This not only applies to Scarlett and Rhett, but also extends to the supporting roles: there is the unfailingly good and kind-hearted Melanie Wilkes, portrayed by Olivia de Havilland, and Scarlett’s loyal servant Mammy. Actress Hattie McDaniel was the first black woman to receive an Academy Award, one of the 10 “Gone With the Wind” received in total.
Even though Scarlett probably deserved to be abandoned, I’ve always felt sorry for her. And despite the fact that I am a sucker for happy endings, I like the open-endedness of the story, summed up in Scarlett’s fateful expression of hope: “Tomorrow, I’ll think of some way to win him back. After all, tomorrow is another day.”
(The Jakarta Globe, Saturday, November 28)
Monday, November 23, 2009
Human
It's the same old story, and yet, we never seem to learn from our mistakes. Well, I did learn from the mistakes I made in the past, but that doesn't prevent me from ending up in similar situations. The question is only how I deal with it this time.
Be strong, always. That must be the right answer. But then again - like the song - "I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does."
Be strong, always. That must be the right answer. But then again - like the song - "I am human and I need to be loved, just like everybody else does."
Sunday, November 15, 2009
One Step Closer
"Oh, I apologize for all the things I've done
But now I'm underwater and I'm drowning
Is it my turn to be the one to cry
Isn't it amazing how some things just completely turn around
So take every little piece of my heart
So take every little piece of my soul
So take every little piece of my mind"
(PM Dawn)
But now I'm underwater and I'm drowning
Is it my turn to be the one to cry
Isn't it amazing how some things just completely turn around
So take every little piece of my heart
So take every little piece of my soul
So take every little piece of my mind"
(PM Dawn)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
No Way Back
I am not really superstitious, so on a Friday 13th, I usually don't freak out or expect bad things to happen. Yesterday was no exception, and I had a relatively normal, even surprisingly nice day in the office. The heavy rain didn't stop Weny and me to get a taxi and go to Plaza Indonesia for sushi, and afterwards to Hard Rock.
All in all, a normal day.
But (there is always a "but" in my stories, as Donny would say) yesterday was also the day, on which three people told me that they might leave Jakarta soon.
And it is not just any three people. No. They are friends, good and close friends, and it makes me really sad to think that they might not be around anymore.
I have said so many Goodbyes in my life, too many to count. It doesn't get easier in time. It is always hard to lose a friend, to go on with your life without that particular person in it anymore. Of course, somebody moving away doesn't necessarily mean that the friendship ends. I know that - I have been moving myself so many times. But it leaves a hole.
It's just not the same anymore.
All in all, a normal day.
But (there is always a "but" in my stories, as Donny would say) yesterday was also the day, on which three people told me that they might leave Jakarta soon.
And it is not just any three people. No. They are friends, good and close friends, and it makes me really sad to think that they might not be around anymore.
I have said so many Goodbyes in my life, too many to count. It doesn't get easier in time. It is always hard to lose a friend, to go on with your life without that particular person in it anymore. Of course, somebody moving away doesn't necessarily mean that the friendship ends. I know that - I have been moving myself so many times. But it leaves a hole.
It's just not the same anymore.
