I have found out lately that this person - let’s say the name is
Copycat - whom I know through a friend, has been following my virtual
steps. Although to be honest, I think that this person has been doing this
waaay before I have entered blogospehere.

Being copied is one thing. Raised by parents who always teach me to watch my moves and be aware of social etiquettes, I
find Copycat is irritatingly has no manner. Several times Copycat did
something which drove me crazy, all small things, most of them are nonsense to others. But for a person who
pays attention to the greatest details and expects the best out of everyone, nothing escapes from my eyes.

Then we have drifted apart. I have no regret since I couldn’t find
anything in common with Copycat. Over the time, however, I silently confirm what I have been thinking about Copycat.

I moved to Blogger in October after Ecky’s suggestion. Before long I have found a new addiction, and also a new community. Copycat finds it shortly afterwards since we are virtually connected. Copycat goes to blogs and sites I regularly visit and leave comments just like I do. Copycat puts links on Copycat’s new blog (guess  what is the weblog publishing tool that is chosen for such honor?), all the links which I put on my Finally Woken. Being a true copycat, Copycat never acknowledge how Copycat lands in people’s sites. Usually when the first time a blogger leaves a comment in someone’s site, s/he explains how s/he is directed to that particular site. It could be a link from someone else’s blog, or an accidental finding when google-ing a specific topic. It’s like when I typed "copycat image" on Google, I’ve found two cute images which I considered best to describe what I’m writing. And when I put the images on this posting, I link the image back to the original sites.

Beside, I guess I’m lucky because Copycat doesn’t copy my design, creation, or my other intellectual properties. What Copycat has done so far, to my opinion, is copying me. It feels like Copycat has been trying to develop a world’s perception about Copycat. But you can’t copy a brand. You can’t change your personality to be someone else. You might try to be someone you’re not but it will make you tired, wouldn’t it?

Perhaps I’m overreacting. Perhaps I’m being fussy over nothing. But I can’t help feeling itchy although I couldn’t find which part of my body that is needed to be scratched. Maybe I need sharp claws from Tilly Cat, my original cat!

Note: big thanks to the copycat images which I copied from people who are talking about being copied, not cats. Click on the images to find the links to the original sites.

I just peeked at Ecky’s blog hen I saw she has the widget called Blogthings - What’s Your Blogging Personality. I didn’t know that blog does have a personality. So I went to the directed site and answered the questions, and here is what I’ve found about me:

Funny.

The other day I told Ecky that I’m very blunt so sometimes my words are too harsh to digest, but I always say the truth. People who know me well, know that and are not surprised. People who know me at glance, will either think I’m scary or rude, or combination of both. And the description can’t be more correct….

Patung, of well respected IndonesiaMatters, has published his/her version of Top 100 Indonesian blog, which consists of blogs in English, Indonesian, and the combination of both. Interestingly, he found 2 blogs in Javanese.

My Finally Woken blog in Blogger is ranked nicely on the number 61 in English category. Considering that the new blog is only over 1 month old, I’m quite proud of its achievement. It has attracted more than 3000 blogwalkers too (blogwalkers = nosy people who want to see what you write and  how you lay out your blog).  However when the English and Indonesian blogs are compiled, I’m not in the Top 100. I have to be satisfied enough in number 163.

The number one blog is Priyadi’s Place who writes in Indonesian. In fact the top 10 blogs are dominated by Indonesian blogs. The famous Wimar Witoelar blog, Perspektif Online, is number 7. The ex minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who sometimes participate on the discussion in IndonesiaMatters (some of the discussion was about him!), has blog which ranks 192. Ex Playboy model, Tiara Lestari, also has a blog and it’s well ranked on the number 30 (I’m sure many of the visitors hope they cold see her naked pictures in her blog). The great bloggers, whose sites I visit regularly such as Unspun, Indcoup, and Jakartass, are high up on the top 20. IndonesiaMatters itself is on number 3. See the complete list here.

This proves that blogs in Friendster are not well known outside Friendster world. Only your friends know about your blogs, and even that not all of them will read them regularly. So my decision to move to Blogger (which was based on the reason that I’d like to play around with the layout and Friendster is not as flexible as Blogger or Wordpress) was the right thing to do. I’ve learned so much in one month, from simply changing the color of the background, to be able to play around with widgets.

This also brings questions: what should I do with my Friendster blog? Should I close it? Should I continue what I’m doing now - posting the same topic in both Friendster and Blogger? Should I write different things for different blog?

Because I’d like to reach the final decision by new year 2008, I’ve got less than a month to decide. If anyone has any ideas or suggestions, don’t hesitate to let me know, ok!

I received Eastern Promise newsletter update
this morning. Something caught my eyes and I stopped scrolling when I
nearly reached the bottom page. I blinked. Again. And again. Probably I
was dreaming. But no. The half-naked lady picture was still there.

Stop drooling. It’s not me, obviously. It’s the teaser or promotion of the upcoming calendar for Bugil’s, Eastern Promise (EP), Cazbar, De Hooi and One Tree bars. The girls in the calendar, are the barmaids.   

Bugil’s
has been producing calendar every year for several times now. Usually
they pick one theme and the barmaids will pose with skimpy clothes
according to the theme. Last year the theme was sport, so the barmaids
(which are now coming from not only Bugil’s but also from the other
bars) put some skimpy sport clothes on and posed as if they played
football, boxing, etc.

Usually
Stuart bought the calendar (he’s such a loyal customer, he bought
everything that Bugil’s sales, including T-shirts - he’s got many,
Bart’s Bule Gila
book - he bought one for himself, one for me, and God knows how many
for people he knows, and Stroopwafels - sometimes we still bought them
in Starbucks - yes, people, they supply stroopwafels to Starbucks and
other several coffee houses - even though we could buy the same thing
from Bugil’s/EP/Caz for much cheaper price). And usually when he’s back
to Scotland he would bring several for his friends here. Last year, he
brought at least 7 calendars back home, one must be sent by post
because the guy doesn’t live in Aberdeen.

It’s
a big deal for all guys here. First because you don’t get such
treatments from barmaids here like in Bugil’s, EP, or Caz, where
barmaids remember you, know you by first name, remember what your
favorite drink is, and put up with your tantrum/weird behavior/strange
fetish. In here you must fight to get attention from the barmaids, and
sometimes even though you stand right in front of them, frantically
waving your money at them, they will still be doing something else and
you must wait patiently to get served (try to shout and you’d be kicked
out). Secondly, the barmaids in Bugil’s group are much prettier.
They’re young (usually in their twenties), they have great bodies, they
are crazy, and they dress to impress (if they remember to put it on).
In here you’d get old grannies, grumpy young ladies, or worst, guys
(not to me obviously, guys barmen are such a sight for sore eyes. Ha!).
Thirdly, they’re trained to be flirty and overtly friendly to male
customers (Indonesian ladies are not big drinkers, therefore it’s
useless to put some George Clooney lookalike at the bar). So having
young, perky, pretty, friendly, sexy barmaids served you is like a
dream come true. Having them posed for you every month is like living
in heaven.

I don’t
mind with sexy calendars. After living in Scotland for several months
I’ve quickly found out that nakedness is natural thing and not a taboo
subject. TV shows will comfortably feature people being naked (I think
it’s a European thing. American TV shows, however, will show violence
in great details but won’t even show breasts, something that I think
Indonesian TV industry adapts heavily). The tabloid The Sun,
owned by the media godfather Rupert Murdoch, features top-half naked
girl everyday on page 3. And there is no age restriction to buy
newspapers, so teenage boys with raging hormones could buy it and drool
over the Page 3 models.

But half-naked barmaids is a different thing (from
the teaser put in EP website, clearly the girl doesn’t have anything on
her top half. Ok, she probably wore nipple covers - click here
for example how those things work if you have no idea what I am talking
about - during photo shoots, but they are not clothes. That’s something
girls wear underneath their clothes. And it still doesn’t change the fact that she doesn’t have her top on). Why does it bother me? Because the models are real.
They are not just some models we don’t know and can only dream of. They
are flesh and blood, only an arms-length distance, performing
submissive role (serving), and because it’s a service industry, they
will be extra nice and flirty to male customers. So having what guys
have imagined so far printed in glossy papers and hang them up in the
kitchen or bathroom is too close to reality.

Of
course for single guys it wouldn’t be a problem at all. I will
encourage all single guys to buy the calendar immediately. I would even
buy one for my brother, even though I’ve already bought him Pussycat
Dolls calendar.

If
your girlfriends/wives’ male personal training posing half naked,
parading their 6-packs in skimpy boxers, will you let the pictures of
those people you know, who spend at least one hour with your spouse
every week up close and personal, gracing your kitchen?

Note:
I can predict what’s gonna happen. After seeing the half-naked barmaid
ad above, most guys actually will ring Bart to order the calendar and
wouldn’t even bother to read my posting…. Typical!

It’s not everyday Donal Trump faces a rejection. But his plan to build a £1 billions (that’s Rp20 trillions or about one-third of Indonesia State Budget of Revenues and Expenditures!) golf complex and housing development at the Menie Estate in Aberdeenshire was rejected last weekend by Aberdeenshire Council’s infrastructure committee. It doesn’t matter that the
development could bring £150m to the local economy over the next decade
and creating 400 jobs. It doesn’t matter that the reason why Donald
Trump chose Scotland in the first place is because he’s half Sottish,
while he could choose some other place which would easily
say yes to whatever his proposal is.

I‘m sure
if this happens in Indonesia the local council will have voted yes even
before seeing and reviewing the proposal, just because he is Donald
Trump. So, should we suggest Indonesia to Mr.Trump?