Just coming out…..

From:
Lim, M. and Padawangi, R. (2008), ‘Contesting Alun-Alun: Power Relations, Identities, and the Production of Urban Spaces in Bandung Indonesia’ International Development and Planning Review, Vol. 30 (3), pp. 307-326.

After being closed for almost three years, in early 2007, the alun-alun – the main square – in Bandung1 was finally opened to the general public. In front of thousands of people including the Mayor of Bandung, Governor Danny Setiawan opened the square and renamed it Taman Alun-Alun Masjid Raya Bandung Jawa Barat (Main Square Garden of the Grand Mosque of Bandung, West Java). The new alun-alun, as described in the opening speech of the Governor, would be the centre of growth and
development in the city, and is meant to be central to the social, economic and cultural interaction of its people (Disinkom, 2007).
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This is the end-of-semester open letter I wrote for my students in the JUS494 Science, Technology and InEqualities class.
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Dear all,

Yes, finally we reached the end of the semester. I declared to resign from teaching you all. The class of JUS494 will also resign very soon, well, after you submit your final paper, of course!

Unfortunately, inequalities haven’t resigned yet….
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Since I’ll have a big trip again in less than 10 days and next week there’ll be thanksgiving holidays, I decided to finish all teaching activities (except for grading) this week. I added 5 sessions to 2 sessions I had this week. Super-tired, but I am happy the class is finalized. There’s one session left on next Tuesday, but that’s gonna be a wrap-up and closing session. We’ll have a little party — eat and dance, perhaps, hehe.

My students presented the summary of their research papers this week, from Tuesday to Thursday. Surprisingly (or actually not too surprising) almost all of them did great. (more…)

Alternative Imaginations (AI), a new research cluster I established with some colleagues at Arizona State University, invite you to our first seminar.

Alternative Imaginations - a project of the Consortium for Science, Policy & Outcomes

Rethinking Knowledge Systems
seminar series
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Forgive me for not really posting anything thoughtful in the last … several months. I’ve been in a not-so-good shape lately.

Meanwhile, this is — again one of some quick reflections — my posting on dangdut, I wrote it sometime ago. Please find below an original writing of mine. The edited (and cut!) version of it is published in the Jakarta Post on November 10th, 2008.

p.s. Indonesian version of this posting is published in November edition of Madina magazine.
p.s.s. the context of this writing is very Indonesian. sorry for non-Indonesian readers…

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My first dangdut encounter… in Pittsburgh

As Indonesia, of course I know dangdut, a genre of Indonesian popular music. But just like many young and educated Indonesians, I am not a dangdut fan. However, born and raised in Dayeuhkolot, suburban area of Bandung, I caught myself growing up with this music. (more…)

It is an Election eve and I am sitting down at the International Lounge of Los Angeles airport, on my way to the P island, aka B, via Taipei. I just finished my ‘election fun homework’ — which is part of my office’s activity. In my answer sheet I predicted that Obama will win the Election with 353 electoral votes, against McCain with 185. Obama will also get more popular votes, my prediction is he’ll get around 7.5% margin of victory. So, once I come back to the US next week, that country will have a new president, President Obama!

Meanwhile, a friend of mine sent me this link. It’s an interesting map. Of course, it’s easy to predict that the majority of the world is for Obama. But it’s interesting to see the red areas — Cuba, Algeria, Iraq, and Congo! Oh!!

Again… another weekend rambling. I’m in the midst of finishing an article and packing and preparing travel documents and daydreaming…. so ….this is one of those incoherent thoughts. I actually did a little more coherent writing on Dangdut, but I’ll keep it for later.

In my last posting I might sound like bragging, but, really, it wasn’t the point of my writing (therefore you have to read until the end — thought it was long!). In fact, there, I spoke about ‘talent’ at ease because I do think talent isn’t something I can brag about at all.
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I love music. I enjoy listening to and playing it. But, most of times, I play instruments by ears, not by reading music-sheets. I can read notation (for singing, for playing a melody in instruments) but cannot play complex repertoires by sight-reading. I would rather listen to the tune and then play it.

Most of times, I only need to listen to the music once or twice to be able to play it. I can write down the notes by listening to the music. (more…)

Nuclear energy has become one of some major focuses of discourses around alternative energies (to oil). It was even mentioned several times in the presidential and vice presidential debates in the United States. In addition, nuclear technology has also gained a political importance and been discussed in relations with the world politics with its association with Iran and North Korea.

Since the days of Hiroshima and Chernobyl, so many images of atomic and nuclear explosions emerge in the media — news, movies, books, comics, etc. But, in reality, how much do we know about this technology? Aren’t our perceptions about this technology very much socially and politically constructed by media portrayal of it? How could we judge — protest and support — the establishment of this technology without having enough basic knowledge? (more…)