Archive for the ‘Modern Asian Culture’ Category

Anna Hazare, Savior or Destroyer of Democracy

My article in the Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rio-helmi/anna-hazare-saviour-or-de_b_950497.html

PARASIT DI “PARADISE”

Senja di persimpangan bundaran jalan arterial kawasan Kuta itu sedemikian ruwet sehingga mudah memahami kenapa julukan “Simpang-Siur” sudah lengket dari tahun ke tahun. Disini hampir setiap saat rame, dan sinar lampu stop-an merah berarti ‘jalan’ bagi anak-anak yg berbaju lusuh. Mereka menyusuri mobil-mobil mewah dengan tangan terulur, menunggu uluran kembali dari penumpang-penumpang yang berdiam diri [...]

Tahayul atau Peka?

Ternyata bangsa Indonesia masih saja lebih terpatok pada mitos-mitos kesaktian gaib ketimbang pada kenyataan. Contohnya, kini kita begitu sibuk mengkultuskan Mbah Maridjan, sampai-sampai jadi bahan laporan CNN. Padahal gara-gara beliau tidak mau turun gunung tak sedikit orang lain tewas, termasuk wartawan dan dokter yang jadi korban ketika berusaha membujuknya turun gunung. Contoh lain, [...]

THE SWEEPER

Almost every year I take a month or so off to attend a Buddhist teaching retreat in a monastery in the Himalayas led by Dagpo Lama Rinpoche. Not only is Rinpoche incredibly learned, he is a practitioner of exceptional quality and low key humility whose kindness is legendary. There is a gentle but firm discipline [...]

MIRRORS OF GLASS & STEEL

We all know that architects are the designers of civilisations, and that obviously they are also products of their time and culture. As such they are the ultimate mirrors. Throughout history mankind has built dwellings and constructions which reflect the state  of its collective psyche.
Integral to but less conceptually obvious than design are the materials [...]