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communism

#1Pic1Day: Agama Tradisional | Traditional Religion (Mongolia, 2009)

Traditional Religion (Mongolia, 2009) Buddhism was the main religious tradition in Mongolia, affected every aspect of life of the nation, including culture, politics, history and economy. Tibetan Buddhism spread massively in Mongolia during the 16th century. Seventy years of communism in the country during the 20th century has led to decreasing impact of Buddhism tradition among the Mongols. In recent years, though, Mongolia has witnessed the revival of Buddhism. Temples have seen more visitors flocking, and there are more youngsters choose to be monks. The government has decreed Buddhism as “traditional” religion. Recently, Buddhist leaders in the country have been struggling hard to survive amidst aggressive Christianization programs by foreign missionaries. Agama Tradisional (2009) Agama Buddha pernah menjadi tradisi religius utama di Mongolia, memengaruhi setiap aspek kehidupan di negeri itu, termasuk kultur, politik, dan religius. Penyebaran agama Buddha Tibet secara massal di Mongolia terjadi pada abad ke-16, dan sempat meredup selama 70 tahun komunisme di negeri itu pada abad ke-20. Dalam beberapa tahun belakangan, Mongolia mengalami kebangkitan kembali agama Buddha, ketika kuil-kuil kembali ramai, dan semakin banyak generasi muda yang menjadi biksu. Buddhisme ditetapkan pemerintah sebagai agama “tradisional”. Belakangan ini, organisasi dan pemuka Buddhis di negara itu harus berjuang keras [...]

February 3, 2014 // 4 Comments

#1Pic1Day: China Today (Beijing, 2013)

China Today (Beijing, 2013) Rapid modernization and development has drastically changed the face of Chinese cities. During the Cultural Revolution, one could be beaten just to wear something regarded a little bit too fancy, like a red shoes with flower decoration. But today, Beijing youngsters are too keen of world fashion and world-class branded stuff. Naked models on billboard are not out-of-place either. The China today is already very much different even compared to when I came first time to Beijing in 2000. China Hari Ini (Beijing, 2013) Modernisasi dan pembangunan yang begitu cepat mengubah wajah kota-kota di China secara drastis. Pada masa Revolusi Kebudayaan, orang bisa dipukuli dan dihajar hanya karena tampil cantik misalnya dengan sepatu yang ada hiasannya. Tetapi hari ini, generasi muda Beijing menggilai mode pakaian dan produk merek dunia. Model yang tampil telanjang pun sudah bukan hal yang istimewa. Hal ini bahkan sudah sangat drastis perubahannya dibandingkan dengan ketika saya pertama kali datang ke Beijing pada tahun 2000. [...]

January 30, 2014 // 0 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Communist Nostalgia (China, 2010)

Communist Nostalgia (China, 2010) Rapid development in China has brought this country entering the world of capitalism. Modernity and materialism cannot be separated from people’s live nationwide. Nevertheless, in last few years, we fill the arrival of nostalgia wind, especially towards the peak of communism under Mao Zedong, where people were equally poor and equally happy. There are some popular thematic restaurants in Beijing offering a journey through time machine, going back to Cultural Revolution era. Visitors seem to attend a general meeting with all other comrades, spectating shows with songs and poems of that era. The restaurant waiters and waitresses also dress in the uniform of Red Army and Red Guards, addressing each visitor as “Comrade”. Nostalgia Komunis (China, 2010) Pembangunan di China yang teramat pesat membawa negeri ini memasuki dunia kapitalisme. Modernitas dan materialisme tidak bisa terpisahkan dari kehidupan di seluruh negeri. Namun demikian, dalam beberapa tahun terakhir muncul kembali kerinduan yang semakin kuat terhadap zaman-zaman Revolusi Kebudayaan, di mana semua rakyat masih miskin tetapi mereka merasa lebih bahagia. Salah satu bentuk nostalgia komunisme adalah munculnya beberapa restoran tematik yang mengusung tema Revolusi Kebudayaan, di mana pengunjung seperti menghadiri rapat akbar para kamerad dengan pertunjukan yang khas pada [...]

January 29, 2014 // 0 Comments

#1Pic1Day: Pemujaan Mao | Mao Worship (Tibet, 2005)

Mao Worship (Tibet, 2005) Inside house of a Tibetan family nearby Kailash, pictures of Mao Zedong are placed together with Buddhist statues and symbols at the worshipping altar. Pemujaan Mao (Tibet, 2005) Foto-foto Mao Zedong diletakkan bersama dengan patung-patung Buddha dan simbol-simbol Buddhis di altar pemujaan di sebuah rumah keluarga Tibet di dekat Kailash.       [...]

November 29, 2013 // 1 Comment

Garis Batas – Perjalanan di Negeri-Negeri Asia Tengah (Borderlines)

My second published travel writing book, on journey to Central Asian countries (The “Stans”). Indonesian language. Borderlines – Journey to the Central Asian States Everyday, Afghan villagers stare to “a foreign country” which is just a river away. They look at passing cars, without even once experiencing sitting inside the vehicles. They look at Russian-style villas, while they live in dark mud and stone houses. They look at girls in tight jeans, while their own women are illiterate and have no freedom to travel. The country across the river seems magnificent—a magnificent fantasy. The same fantasy brings Agustinus Wibowo travel to the mysterious Central Asian states. Tajikistan. Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan. Uzbekistan. Turkmenistan. The “Stan brothers”. This journey will not only bring you step on snowy mountains, walk accross borderless steppes, adsorbing the greatness of traditions and the glowing Silk Road civilization, or having nostalgy with Soviet Union communism symbols, but also finding out the mystery of fate of human beings who are always being separated in the boxes of borderlines. Paperback, 528 pages Published April 14th 2011 by Gramedia Pustaka Utama ISBN13 9789792268843 primary language Indonesian original title Garis Batas: Perjalanan di Negeri-Negeri Asia Tengah url http://www.gramedia.com/buku-detail/84515/Garis-Batas ————– Garis Batas: Perjalanan [...]

April 25, 2011 // 4 Comments

Murghab – The Dudkhoda’s Family

Boys of Murghab, in front of Tajik banner with the tricolor flag and coat-of-arms, of which important element is a snow mountain “Pamir will be better…. Pamir will be better….” – Dudkhoda My first impression of this 39 year old Tajik man was really not so good. this man tried to hug me and kiss me when I was sleeping next to him under the same blanket on the floor in the Kyrgyz restaurant in alichur packed by the Kyrgyz drivers. He also made me to pay his bills in the restaurant. But later I found that he had story worth to tell. He arranged for me a seat in the Kyrgyz truck, along with him, who returned to his home in Murghab. He was actually a passenger of the truck, not being able to pay the ride with money but offered the drivers a dinner in his hosue in Murghab. I came along with him, sitting along the way to Murghab (100 km) for free. Just near Murghab, there were two military checkpoint. The Kyrgyz drivers failed to do registration and they became easy target of the military man in the small dormitory. “Hey, brother, you should follow the [...]

October 29, 2006 // 0 Comments

Vrang – Life in Vrang

Green, peaceful, and lazy … Vrang Travelling in Tajikistan side of the Wakhan Corridor was as difficult as in Afghanistan side. Public transport was rare, the oil price got higher as the altitude got higher. It was 3.50 Somoni per liter of petrol here. No one was sure when the coming transport would come. And even when it came, it was often full, no space to share. It was indeed luck to be able to travel according to what one has planned. I was patient enough even though I worried about my short visa. Dr Akhmed was a doctor in Tughoz. I was waiting for transport to Vrang, 5 km away from tughoz, in his hospital. As the main doctor in this village, he earned only 50 Somoni per month. You would go nowhere with that amount of money in Tajikistan. But everybody was optimistic with his life. Working with little income was still better rather than begging on the streets. I have heard beggars in Jakarta could earn at least 60 dollars per month, about 280 Somoni, or 4 times higher than Dr Akhmed’s income. You need a lot of money and bunch of patience to travel in Tajikistan. [...]

October 25, 2006 // 0 Comments

Ishkashim – Peeping into Afghanistan

Afghanistan, seen from Tajikistan It is just separated by a river. But the live over there is a world away. Khorog and Ishkashim are connected by a stretch of a 106 km long asphalted road. It is a 3 hour journey with public jeep, but cost as much as 20 Somoni ($6). Despite of lack of money that people earn, everything in Tajikistan is very expensive as the country produces almost nothing remarkable but water and electricity. The road to Ishkashim as along the Panj river, with Afghanistan Badakhshan province at the other side. The river itself had not strong stream (as the temperature is already quite low at this moment) and was not wide at all. Afghanistan is just less than 20 m from here, but the life there is a world away. While we are traversing smooth road of Tajikistan with a jeep, the road over there is complete dirt road and you may observe Afghan travellers wandering the world on donkeys. When women passengers in our jeep in Tajikistan side sit aside the other male passengers, talk and sing freely during the journey, an Afghan woman completely covered by blue veil, wears long loose trousers, and passes [...]

October 20, 2006 // 1 Comment

Balkh – The Passed Past

The ancient civilization of Balkh “I am not a communist. I am a Muslim” – Khan Agha Arvin The present day tiny town of Balkh, 30 minutes away from Mazhar e Sharif connected by high speed highway, was before a glorious capital of the Bactrian empire. Today, for the locals, the name Balkh maybe more better translated as pilgrimage sites, where hundreds of holy saints’ mausoleums are located and pilgrims came for blessing and prayers everyday. One among the pilgrims was Khan Agha Arvin, currently worked as vice director of one of Afghanistan’s most famous high schools, Lycee Istiqlal in Kabul. I met him accidentally in the pilgrimage site of Rabia Balkhi, a great Persian woman poet who died in name of love. Arvin, now 47, offered me to go with him and his colleagues around the old town. Offering prayers in holy sites which populate the whole city of Balkh The city walls of Balkh, once walls which protected the great capital of the great empire, now was rubble of history. But for Arvin, the history was still alive. It was here, 12 years ago, when he struggled to defend the truth. 12 years ago, when he was a [...]

August 11, 2006 // 0 Comments