Things I want to do after A-levels:

1. Rebond my hair, cut some stylo hairstyle

2. Return to Indonesia and take care of my grandparents & parents

3. Learn Indonesian traditional dances

4. Learn ballroom dancing

5. Learn Spanish

6. Go scuba diving

7. Go Bali and swim with wild dolphins

8. Tour the whole Indonesia

9. Write poetry

10. Catch up on sleep. Haha.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Been thinking about religion. Been thinking about the religious clashes that are happening all over the world. Don't really understand why there is a need for such conflicts to happen. Wouldn't it be better if we don't seek differences based on our religions? Somehow, I believe that all religions teach the same righteous values. There's no religion that's better or more sacred than another, but it's just what religion (or not) that an individual embraces. There's no religion that will teach you to do evil, to kill the innocent and to wage unnecessary wars. The problems that religions pose today, have nothing to do with the religion on its own, but I believe it's the interpretation and the institution that plays the largest part. Religion did not come to heaven by fax, and as humans who err, there will be times of misinterpretations and misunderstandings. If all of us could be more tolerant, then there's no need for all this turmoil for genocides, civil wars and such. Same goes for race. No race is 'higher' in position than another. We're all homo sapiens just the same, and the value of my life is the same as yours. No matter if you're the CEO of a large company, or a hungry street child, life is equally important.

Somehow, my experiences tell me that religion or race or nationality really shouldn't affect what we perceive of a person. You can be of the same religion as someone else, but if that someone else behaves shamelessly, then that person is shameless, even if you share the same religion as him/her. But if a person is righteous, he/she can have no religion and still be righteous. Like what the Dalai Lama said, you don't need to have a religion to be holy. Going for religious activities may not make u any more righteous than those who don't attend either. After all, it's the heart that matters. I'm glad to meet many people of differing religions, thankful that I'm able to appreciate them for who they are and not what they are. Thankful too, that I am able to get to know more about other religions. Proud to be Buddhist, still.

-The best diamonds are cut by diamonds. May adversity shape me into a better person.-