Are You That Busy?

This was a question raised by one of my best friends in NY through an email. It wasn’t just a regular question that we, sometimes address to people. I could sense a protest in the question. I could see where she comes from. I haven’t been so prompt in answering text messages and replying emails. The last email she sent me was rather important, but still I never reply to that to the point I write this post.

Let me see, am I that busy? I don’t have a 9 to 5 job in here. What I do during my stay in Jakarta is helping an NGO that works on issues of human rights. The work that I help with right now is a global campaign for the ratification of the Rome Statute. And this campaign involves a coalition with some organizations and makes me work closely with a few number of experts, designated government official and parliament members, as well as with international organizations (CICC headquarters in NY, ICC headquarters in the Haque, and Parliamentarian for Global Action in NY to mention some) as well as respective individuals. From Monday to Friday, ideally I would go to the office and work on everything that related to the work. Emailing people or organizations, dealing with budgets, organizing regular meeting of experts, writing letter for embassies and government official, reading through documents, proof-readings, translating documents and so on. In some days, I would have to attend meetings with many different people related to the work, organizing seminars or workshops, and talk shows. No no, it’s not as much work as it looks. I mean it is, but I don’t do all of them by myself and those work were not being tackled in every single day of the week.

Besides the work I do in the NGO, I also do other work that actually give me the main income. The job that I actually hate so much and I’d say that it is rather depressing for me to do (yup, that’s how much I hate it!). Translating and interpreting job. But as much as I hate interpreting, it pays really well. Just imagine, my three days of interpreting job pays me an amount of money that equals to a whole month salary of a project officer in an International NGO! Sometime even bigger. I guess I can’t complaint, can I?

Sometimes I spend my weekdays to have a long lunch with my girlfriends, or I even spend a whole afternoon just strolling in a mall with them. Some nights I spend chilling out with my boys (friends, not children ) in local bars or cafes. My weekends are pretty much the same. Either I spend them with my friends or just sit in front of my computer surfing the net (and yet I don’t reply to those personal emails from friends).

So, am I that busy?

I guess I am pretty busy but I actually know for sure that if I can get feet to wander around malls, my tongue to enjoy good food and beers in cafes, and my arse to sit for hours in front of my laptop browsing for news and shoes, then I should be able to get myself to answer those emails and text messages. What I really need is a little effort to keep in touch with and pay more attention to those who love me. And it takes a big will from my part. I have to reminf myself, that if I love those people, then they deserve the will.

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