Monday, August 07, 2006

GOLD MEDAL, ANYONE?

Andi Mallarangeng, formerly eminent politics analyst and currently spokesman of the president, appeared in the most popular variety show in Indonesia. He said, “Although PSSI –the national football association- did not participate in the World Cup finals, but Indonesia was the world champion in recent Int’l Physics Olympiad, with 4 gold medals!”. It was sort of “I’m Proud of My Country” campaign.

Well, good for you, Sir, because your “campaign” was surely heard by millions of Indonesians watching the show. Count me in. I don’t watch gossip shows, nor sinetron (unbearably nonsensical soup opera), nor Extravaganza, but by a chance I came across this interesting “campaign”. And by another curious chance, exactly five minutes later I stumbled upon an article: interview with one of the celebrated Int’l Physics Olympiad champs. (1)

Here are some facts:
He could deal with master degree level physics probs.
He spent 8 months in a special “quarantine” to prepare for the Olympiad, during which he couldn’t see his schoolmates.
He didn’t know what his dad’s major was. And didn’t seem to care either.
E-mails, online chat, blogs, and friendster were not a part of his life.
He didn’t recognise popular music groups like Radja or Samsons.
He didn’t even know the meaning of dugem. (2)

An intelligent boy, undoubtedly. A good, intelligent boy. A good, intelligent, DULL DULL DULL boy, perhaps.

Now don’t get me wrong. Don’t think that I’m being objective here. We’re talking about a boy of sixteen with an international gold medal, who showed up on the telly relentlessly. At sixteen! Let me be envious a bit, okay?

But on second thoughts, no I don’t envy him. He might be smart, but he sounded so geeky I couldn’t help pitying him. I believe in simple things, that children should run about in a park, play on the swing, laugh cheerfully, and be heartily happy. That boys and girls should enjoy their crushes, hang out with friends, be obsessed with various passing fads, and be foolishly happy. That this young whiz at physics should enjoy his adolescent days as well. That he doesn’t have to go dugem or so, but at least he shouldn’t be so socially ignorant. He has the right to be happy.

But on the THIRD thoughts, I don’t think I have the right to consider him unhappy. It’s just ridiculous to employ MY standards to measure HIS happiness. He didn’t say he regretted winning the gold medal. Nor that he wished he had been a brainless Mr. Popular. Maybe in his own way he was content with life. Maybe the wicked girl in me should mind her on business, ha-ha!

And maybe I should stop my ramblings here, saying how proud I am of those int’l gold medals for Indonesia; and all the three of us (the boy, the president’s spokesman, and I) will be happy. Yet is the quest of education merely about gold medals? Does the nation building emphasise on how many gold medals we obtain, or how good we are as human beings? Should I really be proud if my country gets all the gold medals in the world, but the youngsters who achieve them turn to people lacking empathy and interpersonal skills?

Again, I’m exaggerating. This is not exactly the case with the aforementioned gold-medal-boy. I’m taking it to the extreme: that sometimes we pay all our heed to physical (physics? ;p) achievements that we neglect things that really matter.

I’m proud of Indonesia, Mr. Mallarangeng. But I would be prouder if we could trounce the corruption, the ill-developed culture, the lies, the greed, the evil, the ignorance, the LACK OF EMPATHY. Shoot me now.

Note:
(1): Tempo Weekly News Magazine, edition No. 23/XXXV, July 31-Aug 6, 2006
(2): Dugem, short for DUnia GEmerlap, literally means "glittering world". Dugem is a very popular slang, referring to clubbing, hanging out in a fancy cafe, and other so-called hedonistic conducts.

posted by eloque @ 4:18 AM What Say You?: 1