It all started 2 months ago. I read an article on The Age Melbourne Magazine about a guy who survives a week without a single penny. So there my journey begins, trying to find some social experiment to try. So I followed that guy, trying to spend $0 for a week, but failed miserably. So after a month of finding something to try, on the eve of 10th of August 2007, right after Mika warned me not to go to the loft, I lost my phone.
I treat this misfortune as an opportunity to do my social experiment – 1 month without a mobile phone. Now the hardest thing is that this incident took place right before kafe art. This compounds my problem, due to the necessity nature of a cell phone in event planning. First week without a phone, combined with kafe art makes my life an absolute hell. Luckily I’ve backed up most of my contacts online (Thank you google) so I was still able to make contact to a lot of people.
Now, the second week is OK, nothing is going on. I’m starting to get used to not having a mobile phone. After all, I did go through an era where not everyone have mobile phone and still managed to survive. In this second week I learn to communicate via email and responding them as soon as I read them. There were time where there is multiple email messages, but once again thanks to google, it organizes them into conversation that is so simple to read. The third week… I’m 100% used to it. I realized that a mobile phone is not a necessity; it’s just another luxury item. One of my workmate got his first mobile phone 2 months ago after 27 years without one. So it’s not really a necessity. The world around us makes us think it’s a necessity, but it’s nothing more than an overrated luxury.
Fourth week, the final week, another observation is that people can’t take other people’s word. People always try to call to confirm appointment, and if they can’t contact you, they leave you. I must say my only bad experience was with watching Ratatouile, I promised that I’d come and watch movie, but I was running late due to serving nature’s call, but I did my best and came 5 minute late, but I was ditched. I remember back in SMP, we would wait for the other party to show up before watching a movie because we have confidence in the other party’s word. Has the world now become such dependent on mobile phone, that even if the other party already said that they are coming, the words have no values unless they can contact you?
Now my analysis for the matter is that we don’t really need a mobile phone if only we can trust someone’s words. When you said you’ll be there, please be there. Don’t change plans in the last minute if the reason for changing it is not satisfactory. I realized that it is hard for some of you to contact me and I do apologize, but it’s all for the sake of experiment. I also apologize for coming in late when I already promise to be there on time. Just to inform you I now have a mobile phone and keeping the same number.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
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hahha........ Ari... I remembered that month, you without mobile phone. I remembered waiting for you one nite, and you were bit late I think, did I ditch you? I can't hardly remember, I probably waited impatiently, till you appeared. Did I?
ReplyDeleteBut do you ever realise why people always call to confirm, though we just made that 'meeting' a day before the D-day. Oh.. sorry I think I have to paraphrase my previous sentence into "do ever realise why INDONESIAN people always call to confirm, though we just made that 'meeting' a day before the D-day".
I think its in the culture man...... just say 'yes' now and think about it when the day comes. I don't know too much about other cultures but the only culture that I can compare 'em with, is people in melbourne, aka Australians.
To be honest, I was born as an Indonesian, and that 'yes, now!!' attitude sticks in me. I always call to confirm everything!!, everywhere!!. I said yes and sometimes cancelled in last minutes. Then I came to Melbourne, become friends with the locals, understanding their culture and trying to adapt to their way of thinking. I fall in love with them, they are very open minded and straight forward people, you can just be yourself and don't have to fake your attitudes to impress people, do what ever you like, without being judged. I just love them......
Well, back to the 'power of words in making appointments' .. I realised that confirming meetings with friends and all, making sure the nite before that they are DEFINITELY coming, those sort of thing, are only an Indonesian thing. I used to treat my Australian friends like I treated all my Indonesian friends, I called them in to make sure that the meeting is still on and stuff. Then after a while.. I realised it is not in their culture to call in to confirm an 'unimportant friends, catching up' meeting. they say what the meant, they meant what they said. That's it, that easy.
Even a friend meeting that they made 1 month before, they don't have to call in to confirm, they will be there on time, on that day, just like they said.
so how can we change our 'call to confirm' mindset and ' say yes now - coz we felt bad if don't' attitude into a 'power of words' ?? It's in our blood, I tell you brother... though we don't do it or try not to do it... that fear of someone cancelling at the last minute, is very traumatic... well again this is all based on my experience and people that I met, so I don't generalise people.
yes very traumatic, unless I have an official confirmation.
so, do you think it would be possible for us to trust someone else's words, if we can't even trust our own?
Hahahahaha very true... I always try not to pike on an appointment unless something really urgent comes up. Even then, I try to let them know in a couple of days in advance. If the appointment is in the same day. I'd probably already know whether I can fulfill the request on that day.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is any problem with 'yes now coz feel bad if we don't' attitude the problem arise if you say 'yes now, but if there's something more interesting comes up I'll pike' mentality. I call that is being disrespectful. Another disrespectful thing to do is double booking your appointment and see what you feel like doing on that time.
I can understand the trauma of having somebody piked. especially when you are organizing the event and there are limited amount of people. (thats why I gave a deadline for addition or removal of people for camping :) ) It is much easier when everything is fixed.
Now I always think that if somebody piked, its their loss. not mine... its easier to think like that.