Miscommunicated or plain ignorant?

I know I haven’t been blogging for months and had no intention to unless my laptop’s disc drive is in a better condition (loads of pictures to be transferred from my camera and mobile phone but limited memory at disc C – later on to be transferred to disc D). So, what makes me return? Well, here’s the story:

Yesterday morning at around 11am I went to my local council library to get my daily dose of newspaper reading (and I’m still not used to reading online news – that’s why I hardly read Kompas.com, apart from the sometimes stupid remarks by other readers and too much advertising). While I was reading, a guy of African descent came and asked for a library card. I’m not sure whether he was asking for library membership or a new card.

The librarian who served him asked for his proof of residence, which can be a letter (bill etc.), and proof of his identity, meaning something that has a photo of that particular person and his/her identity. I’m not sure whether the guy didn’t understand what the librarian was saying or he simply wanted a shortcut to get his library card. He asked the librarian to call his ‘boss’ (given in a name card) to identify him.

Asking someone else for verification of identity is outside the rule, so she refused to do what the guy asked. She said that she needed a photo ID for verification. Here, things started to get repetitive. The guy insisted she must call his ‘boss’. And she kept saying the same thing.

When a postman came to deliver mail to the library, the librarian excused herself to get the mail. Soon after, the guy kept repeating the same thing. The other librarian, who was on the other side of the counter, chatted to a patron saying that she had told him like 5000 times.

The guy kept on insisting saying that his ‘boss’ could verify his identity but the librarian said even if his ‘boss’ could identify him, she wouldn’t know it was the real ‘him’. Then, the guy started talking in a threatening tone.

A patron came into the scene and asked him to leave because the librarian was already acted very nice to him but he refused to cooperate. He replied that it’s none of her business. The librarian thanked the patron (I believe for standing up to her) and the patron left the scene (though she was still in the library). The guy also thanked her (I believe for cooperating with him yet he didn’t want to cooperate with council library policy).

When the librarian got fed up, she said that she wouldn’t call his ‘boss’ but rather the police. The guy then started complaining about the library and the council. After I finished reading the papers, I left the library hurrily because I was scared the scene would turn bloody.

A few seconds after I left, the guy walked out of the library as well. He later complained to his friend who was sitting down, smoking at the bus stop outside the library.

He wanted people to cooperate with him but he refused to cooperate with council’s policy. Which part of photo ID did he not understand? Did he know that if he got a preferential treatment, then all other people (ratepayers) should also be treated the same as him? Which in turn will lead to chaos if it’s not done properly.

The same thing for me, I refuse to believe that all Indonesians are corrupt. Those corrupt Indonesians who destroy the systems should be punished heavily for what he/she did. Whether he/she feels ashamed about it is another story. What matters is that this corrupt behaviour should not be normalised which later on will become a culture.

If you don’t follow the rule, too bad, you should be punished (watched ‘Contagion’ yet?). If you do follow, good on you. But if you don’t follow, was it because of miscommunication or you were simply being ignorant?

Miscommunication – sorry, shit happens; it can’t be helped if this occurs
Ignorant – this is a disease and should must be killed

P.S.: I may not be the smartest person in this universe but I want to live my life with integrity & dignity, so if you try turn me into a bad boy and I turn your invitation down – that’s too bad!

On the way to Rundle Mall

This is my third post on my very short trip to Australia’s fifth largest city.
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From Victoria Square, I crossed Flinders St then walked on the eastern footpath of King Williams St. I really love the layout of Adelaide city! See the city map and tell me whether you love it or not.

I’m not sure whether walking on this side of King William St was a good decision because I can’t see Adelaide Town Hall from afar. But I must say my only picture of the Town Hall (above) is among the best shots of Adelaide I’ve taken. If that’s ugly, well, I’m only an amateur photographer. Though I think it’s a good picture with leafless tree in the foreground telling you the season of the year.

I have no idea what’s the purpose of the Town Hall. This is because Brisbane’s City Hall is under renovation ever since I arrived in this country so I have no idea what’s the purpose of town/city hall. The only city hall I’ve ever passed in Indonesia is Surabaya’s City Hall which I must say has an exclusive feeling (which I believe is not the purpose of a city hall). Meanwhile, Singapore’s City Hall, I believe, is only a name of an MRT station.

Oops, did I mention Perth’s Town Hall? I almost entered that building once because they were having exhibition. Apparently that exhibition was an exhibition on chairs. Forget it! Let me make my way to Swan Bells Tower, I thought.

Adelaide’s roads are wider than Brisbane’s or Perth’s, I must say. Cities that have wide roads are believed to be old cities. Is that right? Is that a tram or a bus in the picture? If Brisbane is planning to reintroduce tram in the CBD, I don’t think Adelaide St is wide enough to accommodate trams (unless the tram line is to be extended into the Valley, there’s no other choice).

Adelaide doesn’t have many skyscrapers. And apparently the 132-metre tall Westpac House at the corner of King William and Currie St is Adelaide’s tallest. Well, at least they have a more relaxed height restriction on building than my hometown (no higher than a coconut tree). I say “Keep Adelaide unique!” You don’t need skyscrapers to show off the world that you’re a great city. You’ve proven me so! Old buildings in the City show how Adelaide people love their heritage. Just like this.

As much as I love skyscrapers, I don’t wish my hometown to be the another typical Indonesian metropolis. If Mataram or Kupang wants to go ahead with tall buildings, do as you please but not my hometown. Perhaps Denpasar should be the ‘Adelaide of Indonesia’. 😀 Population growing? Why don’t we stop the population from growing? Do we have enough food to feed them? Do we have enough land to shelter them? Do we want our Denpasar to be congested just like Indonesia’s largest city? Don’t make Jakarta’s problems ours!

And here’s Rundle Mall.

You will notice this building if you’re entering the mall from Hindley St.

More to come from Adelaide.

(In & Around) Victoria Square

This is a special series of Apa Kabar Bram posts dedicated to my short visit to Adelaide. I’m doing whatever I can to promote this wonderful city even though I was there only for a few hours.
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I walked eastward from where I last stood in my previous post. At the end of Grote St is Adelaide’s Victoria Square.

Ah, failed photo! It was blocked by the tram. A blessing in disguse? 😀 The spires in the background, is that Adelaide’s Cathedral of St Francis Xavier? By the way, you could take the tram for free all the way to North Terrace.

From there I turned left where I encountered Adelaide’s General Post Office. Was I still in Australia or was I transported to some random European city? I crossed the road towards Victoria Square. There were flags of the Aborigines and Australia, a fountain and I must say this feels more like a park rather than a square. Alright, may be my definition of square was limited to those of Brisbane’s King George Square and Melbourne’s Federation Square. Hey, didn’t King George Square use to have grass on it (before the busway station opens)?

I like the GPO’s clock tower. It tells you the time and emphasises the time difference between South Australia and other states. But I wonder during the beginning and the end of Daylight Saving, anybody was really there at 2 or 3am to put the clock forward/backward?

OK, one last shot of the tram before I continued my walk to Rundle Mall. 🙂

Adelaide Central Market

It was June 29, 2011. I had just arrived in Adelaide after a 2.5-hour flight from Brisbane. I was on a 3.5-hour transit and rather than stuck at the Adelaide Airport T1 doing things that I could probably do in my last hour in Adelaide, I decided to give the city of Adelaide a visit. It’s my first visit ever to South Australia as well.

I approached the Visitor Information Centre on the lower ground of the terminal for a map of the city. The helpful lady asked where I was going. I said ‘Central Market’. She then tried to sell me coach ticket to Adelaide’s Hilton Hotel which is just located a few walks away from the market for $10. I was interested in buying the ticket but the schedule, which was 9.15 CST, didn’t fit my short visit agenda. Why? I would lose 30 minutes waiting at the Airport. I certainly didn’t mind waiting if my transit time was longer (5 hours). So I decided to take a taxi which is a more expensive option. 😦 (If my transit time is even longer i.e. 7 hours, I would take Adelaide Metro bus J1A/J1T/J2A which is even cheaper.)

The taxi driver was an Indian guy but I don’t really like him. I’m not a racist but he didn’t tell me that there is a $2 extra charge for taxi from the Airport going anywhere around the Adelaide metropolitan area. I’m a newcomer to Adelaide! I only figured it out after I read an Adelaide City booklet which I took from the Rundle Mall Visitor Information Centre. He dropped me off at the Gouger St side of the market.

My first impression: small city but I love it!

The weather in the morning was cooler than Brisbane but I still can handle it. This part of the City somehow reminds me of Ipswich CBD. Improve the public transport system and I wouldn’t mind settling down in Adelaide.

A weird place of attraction to begin my self-guided tour? I don’t think so. Just make sure you put away your cigarette butts! 🙂

Just first step inside and I encountered a café. Classy! There’s even an LCD opposite to the coffee place. You can’t find this kind of experience at Denpasar’s Badung Market, can you?

But as I walked further, my amazement turned into disappointment. No buzz. Almost no lives. Most of the shops are closed on Wednesdays. 😦 I guess it was the wrong day to visit the market. Even the Information Centre was closed. 😦 Though Coles next door is open. What’s the point of visiting another city to see the same supermarket I could find at Myer Centre or QueensPlaza? But I can’t force those independent retailers to open as I like. May be just wasn’t my lucky day (and I had even less luck when I transitted in Perth last year).

That doesn’t mean I’ve given up on Adelaide. One day I’ll come back and revisit the market during Market Day!

Well, rather than seeing closed shops until time’s up I’d rather speed up and go to Rundle Mall. There’s a surprise change of itinerary for me later on. But to make sure I have visited one of Adelaide’s icons, I took a photo of this.

And this (taken from Grote St). Here, I felt a more metropolitan feeling of the City. Chinatown Mall is to the right of the picture above. Behind me was a bus station and an Adelaide City Council library.

What surprise awaits me in Adelaide? Stay with me for the upcoming stories. 🙂

Trip report and a summary of my short visit to Adelaide as well as my continuing journey to Bali can be seen here.

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For more information on Adelaide Central Market and its opening hours, visit adelaidecentralmarket.com.au

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P.S.: In 1.5 year staying here, I managed to visit Darwin, Perth & Adelaide as part of my interstate visits (though each only took place for a few hours, not even half day!). But I haven’t managed to visit the southern metropolis of Sydney & Melbourne yet (though I’m more interested in visiting Canberra). Why? I don’t know.

Well, at least I understand these cities better than my fellow Indonesian friends in Brisbane. 😀

I blog, therefore I am a blogger

I know I haven’t been writing for quite a while here at Apa Kabar Bram. And I have tonnes of stories to tell from Jakarta to Mataram to Surabaya, Ambon, Adelaide etc. etc.

Now, I was just wondering whether to write those stories in this very limited time. I have assignments coming up as well as the state of my residence (moving out from my current place very soon).

Lots of things to do and this blog is yet another victim of many no-time-to-write-soon-forgotten posts ever since I started here at WordPress two years ago.

What do you think? Feedback from readers appreciated (not those who come here by search engine).