Catching up

Many years ago a good friend wrote to me, saying, "I'm so far behind in my work that I'm catching up with myself!" The image I had was of her running in a circle really fast, trying to catch up with...herself. You kind of have to have a wild imagination to see it...but it made me laugh, at least. Heheh.

That's how I feel with my blog. Dani is so good at writing everyday, sometimes even several times a day. Me? I get lost in thinking about what to write, especially when something inspires me, then something else pops up and something else, and something else...and suddenly BOOM! I have about a zillion things that I want to write but everything just gets clogged up. And so I write...nothing.

Well, Ijul reminded me that I haven't written for almost a month so here I am. Has it really been that long? Wow. Let me start from the end then...and eventually I'll catch up with myself, no?

Today I went to Kehati's new office. Very nice from the outside. Clean lines, glass, modern looking. Rather "corporate" too...a well dressed satpam in front (dressed in dark blue, not the usual white and blue), who was very courteous and polite.

On the door was one of those fancy keypad lock things, you know the one that looks like a calculator with a slit to swipe your magnetic key card in. Actually, a while ago they featured such keycard locks on CNN, and it turns out that you can practically open with any magnetic card! But anyway...not to digress...

Entering Kehati is still somewhat like coming home, there are still people I know from when I was still in my late 20s. Who were part of Kehati when it was first established, when Bapak was still on the executive board, I believe. On the wall in the meeting room is a drawing of him, I think because he as also a founding member, which doesn't really capture his essence, in my mind...but then of course as his daughter, I'm hugely biased.

What surprised me the most, though, was how such a beautiful space was so poorly designed. Instead of an open design that allowed people to actually see each other, the place is like a maze with cubicles that block people off from each other. I found myself getting lost just trying to go to the bathroom!

It reminded me of a book I recently bought (after much fuss, I must add), "Design Like You Give a Damn". The author, Cameron Sinclair, is a recipient of a TED Award, and in his acceptance speech he talks of how designers "have the opportunity - not responsibility - the opportunity to make a difference in this world." It's a very inspiring talk, and it made me see design differently.

Kehati, The Biodiversity Foundation, should take its name to heart and create a working space that is a living ecosystem. Where people can see each other and feel connected...as part of something bigger than themselves, yet still significant. This is my challenge to Kehati, actually. One can still have privacy, yet also be part of something of shared meaning.

This is also a challenge to other organizations who refer to themselves as environmental organizations. One that glaringly comes to mind is the offices of Walhi, The Indonesian Environmental NGO Forum. A friend recently visited their office in Yogya and was appalled at how un-environmentally-friendly it was. She lamented to me, "How can they convince others to care for the environment, when their own working space does not reflect the environment they strive for?" I totally agree.

I ask myself, who, then, is the environmentalist? The ones who speak loudly about saving the environment and protecting it, but fail to reflect these beliefs in their own actions? Or the one who quietly picks up her own trash, tries to reduce the use of plastics, turns of the lights and other electrical appliances (radio, tv, etc) when they are not being used, and appreciates and cares for the animals and plants in her immediate surroundings?

It is never black and white, of course. But I find myself being more and more conscious of doing what I say. It's harder than you think, you know. However, I recently saw an ad in a magazine that simply showed a pile of garbage with the caption "There is no 'away'." In other words, when you think you're throwing something "away", think again! Ultimately, there is no away...

Well so much for today's ramblings. There's much more to come. About listening with your entire body and soul, about gaining confidence from seeing others (either by watching TED or seeing a seaweed farmer standing in front of more than 100 people and sharing her life changing story), about being part of a process where you literally feel a shift happening, about needing rest so that you can have the energy to energize and inspire, about knowing when to be assertive and when to let go...

All will be written in their own good time...for now, I will join Spunky, Tommy, Pixie and Pica who have settled nicely in my bed. Now if only I can find a spot to squeeze into...