I feel overwhelmed by my impending work trip to Indonesia. Less than a week before I'm set to leave, I get thrown into a bigger pile of responsibilities. As if all my reading and research for the travel wasn't enough. Yes, I'm mentally stressed. Those two previous kooky entries was my way of relaxation. Shortlived, albeit.

One main fear about travelling to Indonesia is having to complete my tasks alone. Namely, the travel research work. It's definitely a challenge that I'm looking forward to. But my past experience and trip to Jakarta two years ago didn't exactly embed a sense of safety. No, nothing bad happened to me. I've just heard too many warnings about going out alone or without the family driver. Shows how much we take for granted here in Malaysia.

In any case, it's not to say that I'm not enjoying my research or not looking forward to going over. In fact, delving deeper into my first coverage destination, Bandung, is causing me to look condescendingly on Malaysia's own social culture. Or the lack of, rather.

When I last wrote my travel comparisons, saying KL feels soul-less, I hadn't read so deeply about Bandung as yet. Besides being known as the Flower City, it seems to also be a flourishing capital of social culture and intellectualism. The Paris of Java indeed.

If Indonesia has Bandung and Australia has Melbourne, (are there any other Asian equivalents?), what does Malaysia have that comes to par to a thriving liberal arts & social culture scene? Especially when everything and everyone is suppressed, and the local education system represses thinking. By the time anyone's allowed that, they're in their late teens, early 20s. Even then, it's a far cry minority. Those less endowed with monetary means resort to DIY end up being ostracized. Those who are appropriately equipped on the other hand, are labelled sn0bs. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

One good thing about our intellectual suppression though, is that compared to our brainwashed islander cousins down south (read: Singapore), Malaysians still have their own opinions and refuse to swallow everything the government says. Even if it is limited to voicing opinions in mamak stall talk or personal socio-political blog entries, at least we don't feign ignorance and leave the politicking to the government. Malaysia Boleh! ^_~