Six Degrees South

Lockdown is reasonably endurable in Jakarta as there are literally thousands of food delivery options available.  Tonight was a completely vegan meal consisting of spicy tempeh skewers, kung pao tofu with organic brown rice, and vegan strawberry cheesecake with berry sauce. It was all very delicious and proof that vegan cuisine can be a tasty and healthy alternative.

My pace slowed considerably this month, down from 6 to 4 books.  That's what happens when you read longer books.  By far, the most important book I read was Amy Sohn's "The Man who Hated Women."  Every American who cares about women's rights should read this book.  It chronicles the era of Anthony Comstock (circa 1870-1910), a crusader who made it his personal mission to rid the nation entirely of what he considered pornography, as well as contraception.  He lobbied Congress and was able to get the Comstock Act signed into law.  Basically it outlawed all publication or transmission of any material related to sex and contraception.  Even worse Comstock was granted the power of a postal inspector, so he could personally enforce this draconian law. Sohn tells the stories of the various men and women (mostly) who Comstock viciously hounded, arrested, and prosecuted--ruining these progressive's lives so thoroughly that he drove several of them to extensive ...

If you are wondering why you haven't seen much activity on the blog for a while, it is because Jakarta has been under lockdown since the first of July.  Indonesia has had about the most dire COVID situation in the world during that time.  Though I have been vaccinated, Sinopharm only has a 70% efficacy rate and two colleagues I work with who had this same vaccine became fairly ill with the virus in the past few weeks. So, I have pushed my planned Bali trip that was scheduled for July to October and I am just sitting tight in my 17th Floor perch, except to pick up food deliveries or to run a very rare errand that can't be avoided. 

Jakarta looks so peaceful on this Sunday morning. This calm photo is actually of the deadliest setting in which I have ever found myself. It is hard to believe the COVID horror unfolding all around me. Cases exploding, no more hospital beds, so many are dying. Almost every member of my staff is sick or has loved ones in peril. Two co-workers are infected, even after having both Sinopharm shots. As I gaze out my window from my 17th Floor perch, I shudder as I contemplate how all this might end, sending wishes for health and life to all those around me.

This month I completed six books, my personal record.  How did I accomplish that you might ask. Was it improved and enhanced time management?  Certainly not.  Or maybe I completed an exceptional speed reading course?  Hardly. Then what is the secret of my reading success?  I can give it to you in three simple words. Read. Shorter. Books. And that's what I did during the month of June--and here are my brief reviews. *Ms Ice Sandwich by Mieko Kawakami:  a coming-of-age novella about a fourth-grade Japanese boy who has a crush on a young woman selling sandwiches in the local supermarket. Good, but nothing special. *Be Here by the Dalai Lama:  Meditations on how we stay in the moment in the midst of the demands and stresses of everyday life. Wonderfully insightful and highly recommended. *Men without Women by Haruki Murakami:  Stories about men who find themselves in fractured relationships with women.  More than anything, this is a collection ab...

These pictures tell the story. The first picture is at the campus opening (with students from both campuses together then) and the second is the current Naryn group now. Though only five years have passed, in many ways it is a lifetime ago. Just look at the faces, which back then, seemed a bit unsure, and still carried the remnants of childhood.  These remnants have completely disappeared and now we see men and women who are ready to go out into the world in full confidence, filled with knowledge, wisdom, and strength. I have never been more proud of a group of students than I am of the UCA Class of 2021.  They have had to endure more challenges than any students I have ever been associated with: the growing pains of a brand new university, community hostility directed against them, a hepatitis outbreak, personal tragedies, and now the effects of a terrible pandemic which so disrupted the final stage of their UCA lives (just to name a few). But they have done more than endure:...

Last post about Semarang. Any time I take a trip for fun, my staff checks to see if there are any current students and alums in the area. Luckily there are four current students in Semarang who were able to join me for dinner at the Spiegel. We had a delicious dinner and a nice time together chatting about SU. The Spiegel, housed in a building constructed in 1895, is one of the highlights of the Kota Lama renovation efforts.