Smokin' Sumatra!

Patriotic Smokers

Most of the conversations in Sumatra followed a set pattern. With usual greetings accompanying a beaming smile, an eager looking Indonesian queries, "What's your name, Mr.?". Without waiting for an answer his hands move around his pockets and picking the most valued possession - a packet of Cigarettes. He offers, "Cigarette, Mr.?" Upon receiving a negative response, either his eyes bewilder with an excitement spotting an alien (and probably thinking),"How can a man be a man without smoking". Else, you gain a rarely respectable nod, "Wow!!! how the hell you resist such a divine pleasure." Most of the advertisement billboards on the roads also address tobacco lovers, either enticing the new pack or pleasing the veterans. Given this penetration of tobacco in an around, it is not surprising and indeed heart breaking and absolutely shocking to spot about 10 years old kids smoking their adolescence with every inhaled puff on a scenic beach or equally scenic lush green landscapes.

I could not stop but to rake the topic during the chat with Joe - a paragliding enthusiast, with whom I could strike long conversations on my way to Bukittingi from Padang. He offered a rather cynical argument,"Guru, one has to understand smoking in Indonesia is a mandatory national cause for every Indonesian man. This is how men demonstrate patriotism in Indonesia." I did not get his point immediately and naively asked,"Smoking demonstrating patriotism. How?" And  the logic he presented can be extended to all the smokers and alcoholics the world over. He argued,"Cigarettes attract most tax and contribute the most to the national exchequer* and more the Indonesian men smoke, more they contribute to the national exchequer and towards the economic growth of the country." So to all the smokers in the world: Keep smoking your lungs out, keep contributing to the patriotic national cause but please, please do something to keep those adolescent kids out of the dirt. Any ideas? Meanwhile, a few screenshots...

Lush Green Sumatra Landscape

Lush Green Sumatra Landscape

Canyon in Bukittingi-Indonesia

Islands close to Armanis beach - Padang-Indonesia  

Paragliding: A classy adventure

Thanks for the surfing goof-up on the 2nd day morning, I had a chance to spend the entire day with the gliding enthusiasts in Indonesia. I have already been sold on being a gliding pilot after a single gliding session with Peter, thanks to Tomas and NBH. This one was the more adventurous of the two. In glider plane, you are inside a gliding plane feeling at home while in paragliding you are out in the open sitting on your harness. The take off and landing are very crucial and in between it looks like driving a car where the fuel (Thermal heat from the atmosphere) is not in your control making it more tricky. Nevertheless, with a proper precaution, it is certainly an enjoyable sport providing many more entertaining views. Waiting for my turn, I had an enjoyable time playing out with my lens taking a few gliding shots... 

Joe- paragliding enthusiast; Unfortunately, his  glider could not take off on the day

A long zoom shot -  Paraglider enjoying his ride

Landing on the Armanis beach

I climbed the hill twice desperately waiting for my turn and the weather spoiled the party every time forcing me to live on one thing, Hope. Unfortunately, the nature was unkind yet again when I traveled to Bukittingi for climbing Mt. Merapi. The active mountain was erupting and it was forbidden to hike. But then, there is always next time, a new day and a new opportunity. Hope is a good thing, good things do not die!!!    

Finally, Minangkabau architecture - a unique view in Smoking Sumatra!!!

Minangkabau architecture - the big house roof structure

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* For those interested in Economics of smoking: Although the detrimental effects of smoking are well-known, the world over it has never been banned by governments. For One, smoking does contribute a great deal to the exchequer and secondly, with larger life expectancy today, it saves governments a lot of investments in old age homes as most smokers get smoked out sooner than later.  

"Holiday Credit" - a worthy experiment?

Apparently, working in the month of December* (applies to all holiday seasons) generates mixed feelings. On a tragic note, there is always a feeling that holiday time is not optimally utilized. Being in nature (rather brainstorming in the nature) is always preferred than brainstorming on a desk, any disputes? On a better note though, with a very few in the office (read no bosses :p), the work environment is much more relaxed giving time for more coffees and more radical thoughts and laughter. And with no immediate pressure of deadlines a.k.a. sliding, one can work quite leisurely spend time exploring untouched long thought ideas...

In my Singapore experience, the pressure cooker corporate environment might actually turn worse (read hostile) for a few, specially on a Business (One u think money, you always think of money) front. There are a few souls who are not lucky enough to take holidays when they desperately desire. Now, for me, emancipation's top item in a corporate set-up is freedom to plan your holiday and in no circumstances it can be traded off for money. But then there are bills to pay and other societal pressures and hence the compromise. Worst still, there are few who have to soak their souls in the office even when they are on an official holiday. Totally appalling!!! Pity, huh!!! But then what is the solution, any way out?

Talking to colleagues Roshan and Merugu over coffee on a cloudy evening I believe, "Holiday Credit" - a credit on the lines of carbon credit that lead to Kyoto protocol could lead to an acceptable solution. Holidays have to be fairly monetized just like carbon credit monetizing carbon emissions. The set number of holidays provided by an employer can not have an equal weight and only a trade on them can lead to an optimal valuation. As an example, the vacation during the holiday season should obviously be valued much more than the vacation during the other times. And the demand and supply in the market should lead to an optimal value for holidays. This way, one can borrow/buy holidays finding a replacement for one's  work and the seller (money making souls) can be adequately compensated for her sacrifice. 

Most importantly, an avid traveler - yours truly, can plan loooong vacations (e.g. Antartica, Arctic, Himalaya and the endless list) in lull periods and compensate with spending time in the office during holiday season compensating for the colleagues if required. If there is any term called "team work", the Holiday credit would certainly fructify it. At least, it should be an experiment- worth a try. What do you say?   

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* Recounting, this is only second December since 2006 that I am actually working...