Prof Dr Pompous Tw*t

Yesterday I was reminded of why I am pursuing this treacherous way of PhD focusing on Papua. I never wanted the title "Dr". I will never ever be a pompous academic who look down on 'the uneducated'. If I ever behave like that, please slap me hard!

I continue my education to PhD because I want to continue to see the world as something new with eyes of a child who see everything for the first time. No preconception, no prejudice. I want to listen sincerely, and I want to share what I have with others. I want to use my expertise to democratise knowledge.

I will continue to use everyday language and avoid big words if possible, because I believe that my work should be accessible to those outside my field, to those with or without university degree. 

To the professor or doctor who dismissed the idea of indigenous women can participate in a serious research before even listen, my message is: you are a sexist pompous t*at, your place is in a rubbish bin, and I respect the homeless drunk in the park ten times you! In fact, I respect a chimpanzee or an orangutan more than you! 

Papua, Indonesia and the world do not need any more arrogant Erupean to look down on them. 350 years under Dutch colony is enough. 

You call a participatory video project a vox populi. You know nothing about this, yet you dismissed this. Is it because I am a woman? Are you so scared of smart coloured women that you have to crush us like human kill spiders out of fear? I challenge you, you might be famous and have plenty of title, but your heart is as small as a single cell bacteria.

You will never understand how a single mother works two jobs while studying her bachelor degree and raising her son. You will never understand how the single mother with her son moved to a country 10,000miles away from anyone they know with only scholarship for a year ended up with two masters while working full time. Your son does not go to the best university in the world to study the most difgicult science as a result of years of struggle between studies, full time jobs and a family. You did not have to work night, sleep for one hour and rush to class only to work 10 hours shift again the next night. 

I will never be like you. People like you are the reason I am challenging the idea that knowledge can only come from the confinement of a university. I will continue to pursue a career in academia so that I can help those in need, the marginalised, the forgotten, and I do not need pompous tw*t like you in the world.