in the mood", Minggu, Mei 27, 2007

Miskin tapi sombong ;-)

ME : The Journal of Separation Science Vol. 30 Issue 6 2007 is
specially dedicated to China!
HER: Yes, I know. Amazing progress in science and research, isn't it?
They are really considered as a peer to the West. There are many
collaborations happening now with the Chinese.
ME : Hm... I don't know if they are truly considered as equal. Just a
few months ago, when we were having dinner together, my friends,
they are Dutch, said that the research quality in China is in fact
bad!
HER: Is that not a defence statement implying that they actually felt
threatened by this development?
ME : Well, in fact my supervisor in Zurich now still doesn't want to
accept any applicant coming directly from China or India. They
don't feel it's safe to hire somebody who has never studied in
Europe or US before.
HER: That's gross.
ME : It's not only her. Other staff members also in the same opinion.
Also people from my previous lab.
HER: But there have been many good Chinese scientists. Just look at
the papers, you find Chinese names everywhere.
ME : It's not about the people. It's the education quality that they
don't trust on. Most of these scientists with Chinese names are
actually working at Europe or the US, right? They probably even
did not born in China. Anyway, how many Chinese who has studied
abroad and has made good research actually come back to China to
work there?
HER: So, perhaps half of the good people are actually spread
everywhere. And in China itself? Perhaps it's not as good as what
it sounds.
ME : Well, I can't judge the real situation there. But like in
everything, illusion is created when you hear the same thing
again and again. Especially when you heard it from many "respected"
sources.
HER: But that's actually the way to be known. It's no use to do a good
work when you cannot sell yourself.
ME : So what people concern in the end is not the real quality of their
work, but the way to sell, to be known, to be admitted as having
quality. And by this, they are also deceiving themselves about their
worth.
HER: Don't be so complicated! What's the matter with that? It's the
world we are living at. It's human nature.
ME : Well, your motivation determines the way you are reaching your
goal. To me it seems there is so much focus on having been admitted
by the better West, that we are more trying to imitate what they
are doing rather than trying to find our own strength.
HER: But that's understandable. Our starting point in science is indeed
more backward than theirs. It's normal then that we are trying
to catch our lost.
ME : Do you really think we can compete with them in the same field,
while we have much less resources... well, much less access
to many resources actually, since it is protected by patent, etc.
First and foremost, this is not a fair competition to start.
HER: So... our quality will never be equal...?
ME : With the hegemony that the West is always better, we will
never stop trying to imitate and to be admitted, since they
always become the standard we are looking at. We have to study
them for things that can be useful, but we have to find our own
strength and work with it. ... And now I am asking myself about
what I am going to make, to work at.
HER: Well, you are a separation scientist...
ME : A student! I had training in separation sciences. But I know
one person who is good in separating truth from illusion.
He is my husband-to-be.
HER: I know how lucky you are. So... what are you going to do in
this near future?
ME : That's what I want to tell...

to be continued ;-)

in the mood", Sabtu, Mei 26, 2007

The Sterile Beauty

I was walking at the stone pier, along the side of Zurich lake where there were landmarks of water fountain and a giant lion statue. It was one of the nicest area here. You could have a walk along a small path with the lake at one side and a very tiny wood and open parks at the other side. There were small openings to the water in between plants and stones where you could just go for swimming. And there were benches everywhere, for you to daydream and to enjoy the lake view quietly, with ice cream stands nearby.

From the giant lion statue, you could have a direct view to Jet d'eau, the miniature copy of the water fountain in Geneva (it's a "miniature" because the one in Geneva is 90m height!), with the the city on hills as the background - the Uetliberg, the Zurichberg, and of course the towers of Fraumunster and St. Peters church at the old town. It was all beautiful, peaceful, very clean and..... sterile. On such a perfect day-for-picnic, things that I felt missing are people's noise and food carriages selling meatball soup and wedang ronde (glutinous rice balls with peanut fillings and ginger drink).

Once my good friend said, she did not wish our country changed to become like Europe. I could not disagree with her. Though the living standard here is perhaps one of the best in the world, why did I seldom see a group of people laughing madly and exchanging crazy jokes? The only drama that I saw on the lake today is a couple of ducks catching each other and quacking happily. It was a perfect beauty and peace on the surface. All sadness, envy, negative feelings; since the people are actually normal human; were hidden underneath. To me it's like a good life missing the life itself.

I am sure my country will not change like this. We have a different character. Warmer, less distance between people, even for the sake of hygiene. Well, perhaps not in big cities. Here on my canteen or food shops, all the assistants are wearing white gloves. Hygiene and protection is very important. I couldn't even borrow my colleagues' waterproof snow gloves because that's not hygienic. I missed my country so much just because of these matters. But when I was in my country on my last holiday and went to Carrefour, they were also wearing white gloves! New imported culture it seems, for whose concern I don't know.

Well, fortunately now, I still can go eating grilled corn on the street in my country :-) And like what my friend said, borrowed from the lyric of Yogyakarta, "Ijinkan aku untuk slalu pulang lagi ke kotaku..."