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IMAJI Nation •

Pandora and the Human Curiosity

When it comes to cautionary myths, the story of Pandora is perhaps the most well-known, yet also the most misunderstood story of all. Pandora was a mortal woman who was blessed or cursed, with an innate curiosity by the gods in Greek mythology. Aside from her curious nature, the gods also bestowed upon her a box, locked shut, not meant to be opened by a mortal. Pandora grew into a woman with a thirst for knowledge and an eagerness to learn about the world, and it was not long before she started
IMAJI Nation •

The Railway Platform

Today, we stood side by side on the railway platform as we let the sound of the wind echo between us. It was only three years ago when we would also wait for the train at the same spot, except we wouldn’t let silence fill the space. I never knew silence could be this loud. I can sense the invisible questions and hesitant words filling the air so clearly; I wonder if you can hear it, too.

The sky is getting dark; I remember you would always lend me your raincoat whenever it rains when we got hom
IMAJI Nation •

Hometown Ghosts

There was a ghost at the corner of the turn just before the house I grew up in. It was on Sunday afternoon when I went back to my hometown after a while that I tripped over it.

I have left too many ghosts here. I can feel them haunting me as I move through the all-familiar dense grids and grey backdrop. It is unpleasant yet familiar, manifesting in well-known faces I haven’t greeted in years and vines that grew in places I used to visit. At night, I saw one of them on the window of my childhood
IMAJI Nation •

Population: 1

Inspired by: The Lonely City by Olivia Laing

(https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/feb/28/the-lonely-city-olivia-laing-edward-hopper-andy-warhol)

There is something about solitude that makes me fond of them, like a familiar scent that reminds me of home. In its stillness and coldness, there is something independent that draws you in, giving you a taste of freedom like nothing else could, a tenderness that holds you tight as no one else would. You learn to greet them like you would to a neigh
IMAJI Nation •

Lady Bird: Love and Attention in the Coming-of-Age Genre

Adolescence is a messy, fragile, and confusing stage of our lives. It’s an age when you are no longer a child but still do not feel like an adult yet. We associate this stage with the typical characteristics of teenagehood: a stage filled with dilemmas and the need to express yourself and prove your worth to the world. All this is perfectly captured in the 2017 film Lady Bird by Greta Gerwig.

Lady Bird is a drama-comedy film that centers around the main character Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson
IMAJI Nation •

Misrepresenting Women in Film: the Damsel in Distress, the Femme Fatale, and the Angry Black Woman

Nowadays, many people are already aware of the importance of representation in the media. Giving more exposure to the underrepresented can help break stereotypes that often limit individuals. With this rising awareness, we notice that more actions are done to provide diverse representations in the media. However, it is important to reflect on the ways certain groups of people have been represented in our society, one of which is women. Though women have always been present as important character
IMAJI Nation •

Reflections on Solitude and Loneliness

For most of my life, I believe in the power of solitude. I hold on to the “just me” way of life, internalizing everything that happened to me without ever expressing it to anybody. The “just me” way of life follows the rule that if I keep everything to myself, I would be safe. If I don’t trust other people, I will not be betrayed. If I don’t depend on others, I can never be disappointed. If I withhold love, I will not be heartbroken. The vulnerabilities that come with being seen and judged by pe
IMAJI Nation •

A Love Letter to Spirited Away

There is nothing like being stuck in a one-year pandemic that further encourages one’s escapist tendency. The obligation to isolate yourself from the outside world aggravates the feeling of being stuck in a dark hole with little knowledge of how to get out of it, something that I’ve always had with me since I first went through puberty and started having inclinations towards rebelliousness.

I grew up in the same city where I was born, a metropolitan city with an urban lifestyle that detached it
Balairungpress •

Mengusut Penanganan Kasus KBGO Selama Pandemi di Indonesia

Kasus Kekerasan Berbasis Gender Online (KBGO) mengalami peningkatan jumlah kasus selama pandemi. Pada Catatan Akhir Tahun (Catahu) Kekerasan Terhadap Perempuan 2021, Komnas Perempuan telah mendapat laporan peningkatan kasus yang drastis di tahun 2020. Peningkatan kasus ini mengindikasikan minimnya keamanan dalam dunia siber.

Meskipun peningkatan drastis akibat pandemi, belum ada perlindungan hukum yang tepat untuk menangani kasus KBGO. Berangkat dari hal tersebut, BALAIRUNG berkesempatan untuk