a bizzare interconnected world

Hey, I just want to share an interesting photo from New York Times online frontpage featuring the Iraqi football team who just won the Asian Cup 2007 in Jakarta against three-time champion Saudi Arabia. For those of you who follow our national team's struggle in the past 20 years to just pass the qualification group, winning the Asian Cup would be a huge thing.

Looking at that photo this morning is just an amazing moment for me thinking of our bizzare interconnected world today. Well it started from Captain Younis Mahmoud dramatic corner kick header that sealed the winning goal for the Iraqis. There is a great jubilant going on right now across Iraq as all people old and young, men and women risking their lives celebrating the victory. PM Al-Maliki had to order a full car curvew across Iraq to prevent the terrorist for blowing up people who are celebrating which they did before as the Iraq team progressing through the Asian Cup.

There is a deep joy inside me, a triumph of humanity against terror, it can keep us in fear but never always, from celebrating life. I am also proud that we can in our small way contributed to this globally interconnected historical moment.. a short moment that unites the universal human spirit, the Sunnis with the Shiites, people across the world who have concerns in that region, the Americans with the Iraqis, and even the Indonesians from all background who were part of the event that day live in Senayan or in warungs and in their neighborhoods.

But take a look at the screenshot photo I send you. It's the best part. Standing in front of the team in Senayan is FIFA's President Sepp Blater and AFC's Mohamed bin Hammam the bigshots in the world football. Next to them of course is our good looking President Bambang which I am not sure whether he is happy and smiling or depressed and worry (about his safety?).. an ambiguous man indeed... just like his presidency. But the funny part is his bodyguard to the right of the photo... hahahah that guy is really funny.. standing sideway 90 degree to the camera looking stern at his president... completely in contrast with the rest of the people... good job Mr Bodyguard !!! I am proud of you too showing the world we can be serious and focused when doing our job : ) Great photograph also.

the gravity of memory

I watched my second Michel Gondry's film "eternal sunshine of the spotless mind". The first one was "the science of sleep". Both are really good. Good enough to keep me up past midnight to type. This one is also the staple of Gondry's works of using surreal visuals to depict the non-linear and intertwining connection of memory (eternal) and dream (the science). So watching them in reverse of their release dates actually makes more sense.

But the basic story in 'eternal' is closer to my heart. It is about an incidental meeting of an introvert man with an impulsive woman. The introvert man got attracted to the out-going approach of the woman. The woman curious with the quiet but thoughtful and humorous man. The man didn't find anything that "he doesn't like". So did the woman. Life became beautiful for both. Until the proportion of their differences piled up and surpassed those early beautiful moments. The woman then would get bored with the bookish man and feel trapped in the relationship. The man will get tired of the impulsiveness and insecurity of the woman. Relationship grew cold and became tiresome. The woman would call it off. The man would let it go. Their live would go on and continue to diverge. However, both would now live in a new realm constantly under the gravity of their memories. That's the underlying story line in "eternal". A universal human romance problem indeed. Merci Michel.