I always curious on how illegal immigrant in this country (I am talking about the USA) be able to live and work in the United States.

Of course I didn’t dare to ask. I think it would be inappropriate to do and I don’t think any other polite ways to ask them. Still, I am curious as hell.

Then I met a friend of mine who is now moving back to Indonesia. Her decision on why decided to live the country where other people willing to give up anything so they can have a little taste of America is another story.

Firstly, how she got the visa. Everyone knows that after 9/11, it’s almost impossible to get tourist visa, especially if you’re coming from third world country, and some rumor suggested it also applied to people who are coming from “Muslim” country.

Let’s put aside the ‘potential terrorist’ attack, but based on many people experience it’s extra harder to come here if you have empty passport alone. So, I guess before you decided to come here, better go somewhere else first, make sure it’s a rich country.

(Don’t blame me if that doesn’t work, though)

Of course the passport thing only one out many things you need to do. It seemed that US government has gotten smart over the years, they learned that many people come here pretended to be a tourist, but never leave the country.

So, how come my friend manages to come here? For her case it’s mostly luck I think. She had empty passport, but still got a tourist visa for her and her toddler son at the time.

She said she owed that to her son. When the embassy officer at the embassy asked what she would do in the US, her son immediately answered (without rehearsal a day before, she promised), “I want to meet Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck…”

She guessed that the embassy believed that was really their purpose and granted them the visa.

So, she finally flew to the USA.

My next question is how to get a job? In my experience, it’s always required to have social security card. They ALWAYS asked for that. She said she got the fake one. As simple as that.

Still, I wasn’t satisfy. Was that really that simple?

Then she said something that she didn’t really care for church anymore. She lost me this time. I don’t see the connection between my question and her replies.

She said it’s hard to take the preacher seriously because it was the church who helped her (and many people) getting the fake SSN. So, they actually had connection with what she called “mafia” that helped her getting the card.

So, I asked who identity she was using, and she thought it could be some dead people.

So, she got a job and live the American life. The next step is to get Green Card or Permanent Resident. I don’t remember correctly, but I think she mentioned having a lawyer helping her.

She actually went to couple of interview with immigration where she had to make up story. I think she said that she needed the asylum because she couldn’t go back to Indonesia since there were riots on the place where she lived.

She said being a Christian has a little benefit because then you could say that it’s hard to be minority in your country and you got threatening from majority because of what you belief.

Wait, as far as I know, there were Muslims who were also illegal here. In that case, how they got their green card then? Well, they could be just saying that they’ve been forced into jihad.

However, she didn’t manage to get her green card because she had to go back to Indonesia due to personal reason.

I always wanted to share this story, but always forgot to do so. However, lately there has been lots of news report about the new and controversial immigration law in Arizona and it made me think about her story.

I always wanted to visit the land of Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and all those Disney character as I was a HUGE fan since when I was little. And yes, I’ve been dreaming on going to Disneyland probably 20 years of my life. It started by reading the comics and seeing the parade on christmas day on TVRI (Indonesian television).

So, few days ago, we decided maybe it’s time to pay a visit. All seemed set.

Then the day before our trip, I was at outside my work place when suddenly something “strange” coming down from the sky. First I thought it was only rain because the weather was damn cold at the same time. No, it wasn’t rain. It’s actually ice in small pieces and there were lots of them. I could see people running to the store. Some of them opened their umbrella and I could heard the loud noise of those ice hitting the top of their umbrella. It also hit all the top of the cars on the parking lot.

It seemed I just experience my first hail!

So, I started to have second thought about our Disney trip. I knew that experience will be mostly outdoor, so was that wise to go during this weather? I didn’t want to be freeze or the worst part was getting another hail while taking their fun ride.

We finally decided that Disneyland trip maybe wasn’t a good thing to do right now. So, instead we decided to catch a snow!

I saw a snow before few months ago, but only few ice laying in the ground near Julian. That’s it. I was hoping we could see those even in bigger size.

Julian is our destination. Just like Disneyland, it also only take around 1-2 hours to go there. First, Adam called some business place there to ask if they have snow. They said they did.

So all set. We head off to Julian. The weather was actually getting warmer so we didn’t really have expectation that we were gonna see lots of snow.

When we entered the Highway 79, I started to see snow. It was more than I saw last time but not really in a big size. I didn’t mind though.

However, as we driving higher to the mountain, the more snow we saw. Then we finally saw this big field that, as you can see, covered with snow.

Then since it’s almost evening, we decided to continue the trip even higher in the mountain. This time the snow was getting more and more and deeper. However, the weather wasn’t as freeze as I thought it could be. I only wore one coat and no gloves at all.

I post more pictures of the trip here

My Oscar Prediction on Kompas

I thought they won’t publish it since someone already wrote it first. So, I didn’t even bother to check until I saw on my “traffic” website that someone visit this site from Kompas.

If you want to read it just click here. It’s in Indonesian, though.

I am so proud to be Indonesian! I always thought that we’ve always behind in everything but NOT lately! So, western countries especially the almighty America better watch out!

Remember when not so funny movie, Fitna were all over websites and making news all over the world? Well, somehow my country able to FORCE the biggest video uploading and sharing website, YouTube to take the video out or… No more YouTube in Indonesia.

First, I thought there is no way YouTube would be afraid of this threat, but I WAS wrong because after Indonesian goverment blocked the site, YouTube finally gave up and deleted the video. Bravo, my goverment!

And now, after YouTube, WordPress also done the same. After a very offensive cartoon were published on one of it’s blogger’s site. Indonesian government reacts and… bam! The website is gone! I didn’t even get a chance to view it.

Apparently, now if you find something that offense you while you browse, read, watching TV or whatever just asked your beloved Government to do what they do best; censoring, threatening, blocking, or whatever you like to call it and hey they’ll do that for you! Especially if you have the same “vision” as them and usually just agree with what they want or believe. In other hand, what has been decided by majority are usually the best ways and no one SHOULD be questioning it. So, I bet you’ll be happy to live under the rule of this amazing government.

So If you see something on TV that offend your pure little heart, you don’t even need to change the channel or simply turn it off, they WILL do that for you. If it’s on internet, don’t waste time to go to other website, again you DON’T have to! Because our kind government will DO anything so you don’t have to see things that might offends your heart and turns you into a big fan of anything that against them.

So, if you think you part of somewhat called minority, or an inspiring artist, poet, or just some small and random people who likes a little of freedom of speech and believe it’s part of the human rights. Too bad and I felt sorry for you!

While I am in this topic you might wanted to take a peek to this Indonesian latest law. It’s pretty hilarious (so at least one positive point comes from that), but it just show that Indonesia is more powerful than ever. I mean, how come a very funny law like that can be passed?

It seemed that somehow no matter how people think of how ignorance the Indonesian government is STILL they ARE SO DAMN STRONG…. HAHAHA! Even stronger THAN America and other western country (who believed by many are the strongest among others). I bet they government WON’T be able to come up with such thing and be STRONG as MY government.

Finally, just don’t try to mess with Indonesia! Merdeka!

According to Indonesian Matters, Indonesian’s ISP has blocked some websites that show the short documentary movie Fitna by the Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The reason behind it is because the message carried by the movie is anti Islam.

So, here’s the list of the website that can no longer viewed in Indonesia still according to Indonesian Matters :

* Youtube.com
* Myspace.com
* Liveleak.com
* Rapidshare.com
* Multiply.com
* Video.Google.com
* Themoviefitna.com

Wikipedia wrote : Fitna is a 2008 short film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders. The film explores Qur’anic motivation for terrorism, Islamic universalism, and Islam in the Netherlands.

I haven’t watched this movie, so I don’t really have opinion about that. What concern me the most is the freedom of press in Indonesia. I just can’t believe there isn’t any word from them. This is not about pro or anti the movie, Fitna. Forget about that for a while. This is about the freedom that Indonesian finally almost have after the fall of Suharto. If the government can do this, imagine what they can do in the future. My poor Indonesia…

I’m glad I can still watch YouTube from here. It’s like one of the best site ever. I know many Indonesian choose using Friendster over MySpace but I know many of them also have Multiply. Wonder what they think about this.

UPDATE: Indonesia has decided to unblocked YouTube but they still blocked all the link that direct to the movie itself.

I stated before that I didn’t hear anything from Indonesian press about this matter, but actually they did. Jakarta Post newspaper on their editorial said that the ban “sent a disturbing sign that the president and his advisers are not only dumb, but also dangerous. It shows a mindset that takes us back a decade to the era of censorship.”

I’m glad that there are still people who aren’t let themselves be blinded and provoked by the movie and try to see that matter from the freedom of press point of view (*)

Good news for harry potter fans in US. Soon they will be able to experience the magical world of Harry Potter live in front of their eyes.

According to Washington Post, “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” is set to open at Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme park in late 2009, complete with the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the Forbidden Forest and Hogsmeade village. Sounds great, huh?

Will this effect the income of Disneyworld which also located at the same city? We’ll see about that. One of my childhood dream is to visit Disneyworld, but if I have to choose between that and Harry Potter, I think I’ll go with Potter. I wish I could go to both places though. Well, it’s still years away, maybe at that time I already become millionairre so I can go to both That would be awesome. (*)

Miss Japan, Rico Mori has just been crown to be Miss Universe 2007 which took place on Mexico. Not that I really care about this event, since I am not into pageant thing. Also, it’s own by Donald Trump, such an arrogant and annoying guy, but last year I got assignment to cover the pageant, and it was pretty good experience.

Last year, Japan made it to top two and also won the best costume, so I’m not surprise that they finally won this time. This is only the second time ever for them to be crown as Miss Universe.
Indonesia now sending their thirth delegation ever. Unlike the previous two, I didn’t really hear too much protest from FPI this time (some dumb organisation in Indonesia), which is good I guess.

Miss Indonesia

missuniverse.com

Agny Pragtistha Kuswardono was representing Indonesia. She did so much better in interview compare to our previous delegation, Nadine. Although, I found some of her answer was just bit too flat and nothing special at all. I didn’t surprised that she didn’t make it to top 15. Our only delegation who ever make it was Artika Sari Devi, which was also our first delegation ever (*)

After almost two months from my last podcast, I finally made another one. Well, I haven’t really done it yet, but hopefully I can tomorrow. This time it’s gonna be about Paris Hilton. Why? because that’s probably the hottest news in US lately. I think that Paris Hilton is pretty much known by Indonesian, so hopefully this time it will attract more listener seemed my last one was kinda failed. Oh, well. Just liked I stated before that it was all just about me spending my time by doing something more useful. I plan to tape that tomorrow and I hope I remembered to fix the audio from the last one, because it kept getting an error message. It was kinda upset me actually. I haven’t checked that site in a long time so who knows how long it has been having that problems.
Back to my podcast, mostly I wasn’t only talked about the jail sentences that Paris got for DUI last september and driving with suspended licence. Also, I include some mini biography about her. If you wanted to check the script I wrote, you are more than welcome to click here. By the way, it’s in Indonesian. So it’ll be useless if you don’t speak that language.

And this is my favorite :

I post some pix from our trip to Balboa park below. This time we went to the part that we’ve never been before. My first plan was to took the pix of the plane that flying so close (at least it felt like it) to the ground. I tried several time, but didn’t really satisfy with the result.

Instead, I had became more interested to the squirrels than all those stupid planes. Adam first saw one in the tree. I told him to take the picture. He tried not to make any noise or sudden move so he wouldn’t scare the squirrel. We were surprised that they actually not scare at all. I assumed because many people came to the park and feed them so they got used with the human’s present.

We then started to feed them peanuts that actually we were gonna eat for snacks. The other squirrel then came to join us. Adam made a video and post it on YouTube

Podcast

I finally have finished my first podcast ever. It’s in Indonesian because the purpose is to have listener from Indonesia. My plan is to podcast the most talk about news in the US recently, but also Indonesian listeners like to hear. This week, I talked about the massacre in Virginia recently. I tried to promote it by subscribing the link on Kompas, but they haven’t upload it yet. I hope they will, because soon the news will be out to date.
Now, I’ve been thinking about my next Podcast. I think I’m gonna do the one about Alec Baldwin’s shocking message on his daughter’s voice mail. I haven’t made my mind yet, because we never know what’s gonna happen tomorrow. I put my podcast in here. I wanted to have the name Berita Panas (hot news), but someone already took it, so I use Info Panas (hot information) instead.

More Stuff

This weekend we also watched a documentary called Planet Earth. Unfortunately, we didn’t watch from the beginning and also not in order. Hopefully, it’ll come out on DVD oneday. We also watched Fantasia and Fantasia 2000. Those were amazing. If I am in better mood, I might write about it. Now I’m about to make my delicious tea and having crackers for breakfast.