The Campaign Period

Every morning, on the way to the office, I see lots of banners with huge picture. But it’s not just some picture. It’s the picture of the candidates for mayor of this city. Yup, it’s campaign time!!

Actually, it’s not a campaign period. At least, not just yet. The official campaign period won’t be started until a few months to come, I think.

 

There’s a rule which prohibits this kinda action. It says that no campaign allowed before the campaign period (Which is usually a month before the election day).

But the candidates think that they need to be acknowledged way before that. It’s a popularity contest!! They need to be known by the citizen way before the election day. It doesn’t really matter what programs they’ve got, cos as long as they’re quite famous, the possibility on winning the election will increase.

So, how do they ‘deal’ with this rule, which prohibits them from campaigning them self?

They simply bend the rule..

Instead of putting the campaign banners, they put public service banners. Those banners don’t say “Vote for me!” or something like that, but it says, “Keep this city clean” .

The trick is, they write those words so small, as if it’s not an important part of the banner, and put a HUGE picture of the candidate. With this trick, the government can’t blame them for putting a campaign banner, cos it is NOT a campaign banner!! It’s just one of those public service messages … And the candidates will gain popularity.

Amazing isn’t it, how we can be so creative when it comes to bending the rule..

This morning, from a distance I saw a banner with the picture of a fat cute guy. And I spontaneously turned my head to see it more closely, and saying to my self, ”Who is this candidate?? I’d surely vote for him!!” After a while, and get a closer look at the banner, I realize it’s the picture of Mike from The Indonesian Idol, promoting some cellular provider.

Damn.

9.30pm at the office

OMG!! I ‘m still at the office at 9.30pm.. Unbelievable!!

I don’t actually have an urgent jobs to do, so that I have to stay at the office during this unbelievable hour. The only reason I stay here, is simply just because I can’t go home.

You see, the place that I stay is kinda far from my office. It’s about 45 minutes in a car ride. So, the manager picks me up every morning, and we go to the office together. And then, in the afternoon, I go home with him. It shouldn’t be a problem for him, coz practically we’re in the same direction anyway. And also, it’s stated in the assignment agreement, that within the assignment period, all accommodations will be taken care of by the company. That means, the hotel, transportation etc. will be provided by the company.

The problem is, this manager has to work over time lately. It’s the ‘monthly accounting routine’ paper work, a.k.a: finance report. And it takes him hours and hours of preparing everything.. While I’ve finished my works hours ago.

The thing here that keeps me wondering is that all the employee seems to enjoy working in these crazy hours. Or at least almost all of them. I still can see the secretary of the director, in front of her computer, typing -And by observing on how fast she typed , I bet she’s chatting on the internet-

This habit is actually encouraged by the Director him self. He just LOVE it when his employee work over time. He even once sent sms to a manager, saying “Why your staff don’t do over time?”

On my opinion, this kinda habit is not healthy.For both the company and the employee. For the Employee, that means they have less time to spend with their family. I believe that everyone need some quality time with their family. Despite the obligation to the slavery from the boss, He/She must spend some quality time for the family. It’s ok if you have to work over time once a while. But 4 out of your 5 working days, you have to do over time? Not to mention the weekend! Please.. Get a life!! For those who’s still single, would you rather spend your time at the office rather than hangout with your friends? If the answer is “YES”, that means you have a serious problem with your friendship (if you have any ..)

And for the company, do you really think it’s worth the extra expense by paying extra salary for the employee? (Although, I believe most of the employee think that the extra income they get from the overtime works is not that worthed either) Come on, don’t forced them to do overtime, unless it’s really necessary.

By the way, I really need to go home now ….

Me and the ball

Last weekend, a friend at the office ask me whether I have plans for the weekend. Well, since I’ve just assigned in this city, and I barely know anyone else except those guys in the office, off course I don’t have plans for the weekend (.. and all the sudden, the word ‘LOOSER’ just across my mind). As the response to the fact that I don’t have plans or the weekend, out of the blue, he said, “Let’s play futsal!!”

-Gasp- Futsal??

“Yeah. My friends and I regularly play futsal at weekend. Why don’t you join us?”

After a while, it’s still hard for me to swallow those words. Moi ? Playing futsal? Do I really look that straight, so that anyone could actually believe that I play futsal?? I know I’m not sissy, but I don’t think I have that look to be a sport maniac.

Futsal is the miniature of football. Same rule, same ball .. only in a smaller field. And they actually believe that I would play? Lemme tell you, I don’t! I’ve played with different kinda ‘ball’ (usually double balls .. though I’ve been with the single ball once..), but not with this one. But.. considering I have nothing to do at the weekend anyway, I just thought ‘What the hack. Why not!’ So I decided to go with them.

And then finally, weekend. They picked me at 7pm, then went to the futsal field. They usually play at 8pm (I dunno why they pick that unusual schedule.. coz I usually don’t do sport on weekend night..). Then we play the game.

Those boys can actually play.. They play real good actually. And about my self.. well, let’s just say I bring cheers to the field. Actually .. I was just pretty much sitting by the field, and watch them play.. just trying to be a good member of the cheerleader team .. Ha..ha..ha..

You actually think that I would sweat my self on the Saturday night?? Hell, never!!

I practically just watched them playing. But it wasn’t my favorite idea of watching a sport game.. Coz, actually, I might still enjoy watching a sport game, if only the players are in my standard rate. Cute, with a little bit of fat .. (or a lot of fat .. I don’t mind that either). But these guys are skinny!! Most of them are the skinny sport maniac kinda of guys.. And I have to watch them running around the field, sweating…

Thank God, the futsal arena is in a mall building. After a while, I just can’t help my self not to shop around.. Or at least, a window shopping pleasure.. So I just left them, with a promise to came back in an hour .. I said, I need to buy groceries..

So I was back to the old pleasure.. Cruising around the mall.. and started to realize that ‘me and a sport ball just can’t go along together..’ Ha..ha..ha..

A ‘2 months escaping’

It’s been 2 months.. I’ve spent the last couple of months in Makasar. A long way home .. A very long way..

The reason why I got here, is because of the assigment I’ve got from my company. It’s a 3 months assignment, to work on our software at the client’s company. And I never realize that 2 months is such short period. Geez.. two months already??

I kinda miss Jakarta. With all the crowds.. The glitters of life.. But I also kinda like it here. Such a small town, reminds me of my hometown.. (Ok.. my town is actually smaller..).

This place is actually “caught in the middle” – if you can say that. It’s not a big city. We don’t do those crazy things like we’ve always done in Jakarta .. (Hangout till midnight, Shopping @ Zara (like my friends always do, when there’s this big sign there saying “50% off!!”). Well, we do have hangout places.. but it’s more like “kopi tenda” instead of coffe shop. I haven’t been in any club here, but there’s no 24 hours hangout place …. (What am I gonna do, if I can’t sleep @ 2 am then? Watch tv? Read a book? )

Why I called this place “caught in the middle”? For God sake .. They have the same crazy traffic jam.. Unbelievable.. Every morning, when I have to go to the office (arround 8 – 9 am), we have to drive for almost an hour .. For most Jakartan, they’ll probably just say “It’s ok!! I have to drive for hours just to get my office” Well, That’s true. But wait till you have to go home in afternoon.. If I leave the office at 5 pm, I’d probably get home by 7 pm.. (or 06.30 if I was lucky..) That’s why we prefer go home at 7.. The traffic is quiet better .. But that means, I’ll be home arround 8-ish..

I haven’t been arround much. Just went to the beach yesterday.. and arround the place I stay (it’s a quiet nice guest house) And (not to forget) THE MALL .. (off course). It wasn’t exactly a mall. (Gosh… I miss Senayan City .. EX .. ). It’s more like a department store .. with all the Hypermart, Carefour and Ramayana … Do you know what I really miss about the mall in Jakarta? It’s the people.. You can dress up what ever you feel like, and no one will stare at your butt crack (in case you wear those super big pants of yours …) – although actually, I kinda like staring at that big fat butt crack ^_^ – But in here? If you feel like sharing that belly button view of yours (and wear the super up-tight shirt), plese do. But beware the consquences.. Coz the whole mall visitors will be paying attention to you .. (including the security guy …. which I don’t mind, off course)

I’ve still got one more month to go … We’ll just see what’s gonna happen then..

– to be continued –