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the national identity thing
So, one time my dad was in Timor Leste, in a meeting that ran inordinately long because they had to translate everything from Portuguese to English. (The official languages in Timor Leste are Portuguese and Tetum.) "And after the meeting, we started chatting," said my dad. "And you know what language we were chatting in? Indonesian!"
The guy reckons that in five years or so, everyone in Timor Leste will be speaking Portuguese and most people won't even know Indonesian. The translator said, "Naw, man, the kids'll know Indonesian. How'll they watch their sinetron otherwise?" (Sinetron are like narmy Indonesian telenovelas with a lot of tears and screaming.)
Which is hilariously unsurprising but also not hilarious at all.
East Timor never really got the chance to develop a national identity. It was Portuguese for 300 years, and Timorese for like 10 seconds before we swooped in going, "MINE MINE MINE." Thirty years later, they can't get enough of our soap operas.
When Portugal granted East Timor its independence in 1975, it had a weak coalition government, and we totally took advantage of that. Before the Timorese knew it, they were Indonesian (or so we said). That is, if they weren't already one of the tens of thousands dead from violence, deprivation, and disease. And 1975 isn't so long ago. It's not even two generations ago. It was just roughly a decade before I was born, but I didn't know anything about this growing up. I didn't grow up in Indonesia, so it wasn't like I was subjected to its propaganda machine, but sometimes the best propaganda is no propaganda, is silence.
One time I was YouTubing Indonesia and came across this 1993 commercial and was really confused. Why the hell would Portugal care? Why was it picking on us? Well, Portugal was by far the strongest foreign supporter of Timorese independence. The Timorese cause was popular enough in Portugal that politicians would bandy it about to win public favor. As for the attitudes of other Western countries, well. East Timor had had a strong leftist party when Portugal left in 1975, and the Western neoliberal powers - fearful of a communist domino effect in Southeast Asia - supported the violent subjugation of East Timor by Indonesia. To whom they did pretty much the same thing 30 fucking years ago.
Timor Leste, here's to you making narmy telenovelas (or... something better) of your very own someday.
On an unrelated note: am I probably going to use part of my $25 iTunes gift-card to buy this?? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT.
INSTAVIDREC: Merlin/Will set to Telepopmusik's "Close" fsnkjfksajflkjsdflkjdfd I don't usually do vids, okay, but I am warming to them, especially if they're gonna be ABOUT MERLIN AND WILL BEING HEARTBREAKING. omg. Watch it, guys.
The guy reckons that in five years or so, everyone in Timor Leste will be speaking Portuguese and most people won't even know Indonesian. The translator said, "Naw, man, the kids'll know Indonesian. How'll they watch their sinetron otherwise?" (Sinetron are like narmy Indonesian telenovelas with a lot of tears and screaming.)
Which is hilariously unsurprising but also not hilarious at all.
East Timor never really got the chance to develop a national identity. It was Portuguese for 300 years, and Timorese for like 10 seconds before we swooped in going, "MINE MINE MINE." Thirty years later, they can't get enough of our soap operas.
When Portugal granted East Timor its independence in 1975, it had a weak coalition government, and we totally took advantage of that. Before the Timorese knew it, they were Indonesian (or so we said). That is, if they weren't already one of the tens of thousands dead from violence, deprivation, and disease. And 1975 isn't so long ago. It's not even two generations ago. It was just roughly a decade before I was born, but I didn't know anything about this growing up. I didn't grow up in Indonesia, so it wasn't like I was subjected to its propaganda machine, but sometimes the best propaganda is no propaganda, is silence.
One time I was YouTubing Indonesia and came across this 1993 commercial and was really confused. Why the hell would Portugal care? Why was it picking on us? Well, Portugal was by far the strongest foreign supporter of Timorese independence. The Timorese cause was popular enough in Portugal that politicians would bandy it about to win public favor. As for the attitudes of other Western countries, well. East Timor had had a strong leftist party when Portugal left in 1975, and the Western neoliberal powers - fearful of a communist domino effect in Southeast Asia - supported the violent subjugation of East Timor by Indonesia. To whom they did pretty much the same thing 30 fucking years ago.
Timor Leste, here's to you making narmy telenovelas (or... something better) of your very own someday.
On an unrelated note: am I probably going to use part of my $25 iTunes gift-card to buy this?? STAY TUNED TO FIND OUT.
INSTAVIDREC: Merlin/Will set to Telepopmusik's "Close" fsnkjfksajflkjsdflkjdfd I don't usually do vids, okay, but I am warming to them, especially if they're gonna be ABOUT MERLIN AND WILL BEING HEARTBREAKING. omg. Watch it, guys.
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I sort of commentficced this AU here (http://lassiterfics.livejournal.com/89256.html?thread=1452712#t1452712), but like I said, I forgot Arthur thought Will was sorcerer, so.
Sorry to do this again but: WHAT ARTHUR/MERLIN/WILL ON THE KINK MEME WHERE
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-Oh right, that friending things again. But seriously, every time I miss these things it breaks my heart. I needed that fic.
KINK MEME == PROMPTS ONLY. IN NEED OF LOVE. *hints* (and now that I look, most of them are Arthur/Will)
Arthur/Merlin/Will Arthur and Will try to fight for Merlin's attention and he persuades them to share.
Arthur/Will dub-con or non-con. Possibly with Merlin finding out and kicking Will's ass.
Arthur/Will Will's jealousy of Arthur turns to obsession. Could stick to canon or could be AU with Will not dying and maybe turning up in Camelot?
Arthur/Will AU when Arthur is young he is hidden in the small village of Ealdor (not sure if that's spelt right) to protect him from Nimeuh. No one knows his true identity, not even him. He becomes friends with Merlin but Will is really jealous. He's both jealous of Arthur's relationship with Merlin but is also attracted to Arthur and hates that he gives Merlin all his attention. Possibly dub-con/non-con or could end in a threesome maybe.
And this Gaius+Merlin comfort fic relating to Will's death: Patch up the Hole (totally gen, gawd I love this meme)
I would happily post some Merlin/Will or any other prompts you'd like. Just say the word. ^_^
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Have you read this other awesome Merlin&Will fic (http://penknife.livejournal.com/394916.html)?
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And no, I hadn't read that one. It was shiveringly awesome - thank you!
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I am down for all of your Arthur/Will sex-having impetuses. XD
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(Pssst - btw,
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Is the DW scene so active? I admit, I barely use my DW for anything.
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Not at the moment. We're hoping to change that, at least for this little corner. As for why we chose it, well, we just feel more comfortable over there. ^_^;;;
Several people joined today, so I guess there are folks who use their DW accounts.