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Memory Transcription Subject: Vani, venlil exchange program participant
Date [Standardized Human Reckoning]: 2136-08-30
After staying with Johan for some time, I had become accustomed to sleeping on his thin mattress. It was surprisingly comfortable, and I have been sleeping soundly through the night. Whenever we had our breakfast in Johan's van, we ate the meal replacement blocks. Despite their lack of variety, I had grown to appreciate their convenience. They allowed us to quickly and easily nourish ourselves.
Before we go out for the day. I composed a letter for professor Ratni about the requirements for the classes I have to attend to become a surgeon. My concern in particular was the issue with lab practice classes.
We spent a night on Dream Island so I could visit the aquarium, the last destination on this artificial landmass. Although I was hesitant about being surrounded by water, I decided to give it a try. We arrived early and found an empty food court near the entrance, where we sat down at one of the tables. As we waited for the aquarium to open, Johan pulled out his pad and began typing on his keyboard with a furrowed brow, lost in concentration.
"Oh man, we have an emergency at work." He muttered.
"Perhaps, I can go inside by myself," I suggested.
Johan looked unsure, but he finally spoke after raising his shoulder slightly. "Well... what's the worst that can happen?"
"I have everything I need for a solo adventure."
"Okay, first let me establish a geofence on your tracker." He said while fiddling with his pad. "I will be notified if you're going past the border."
The human then took off his wristband and put it around my wrist.
"Next... we're switching the account on that watch to yours." He slid his fingers over the pad and tapped something. I felt the wristband vibrate for a second and his eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa… those daily stipends have piled quite high."
"I have been living on your money, I should pay you back," I suggested.
"Ah, don't worry about it!"
I could tell from his expression that Johan was being truthful. He did not have any issues with paying for my living expenses (in my defense, they are mostly food). There are some similarities in the social class between venlils and humans and by now, it was obvious to me that Johan is not squarely in the middle class, but rather a bit higher in the social rung.
"Alright! To pay for something, all you need to do is to bring this device to a scanner. You can put a limit on how much can be deducted from your balance without confirmation. Right now, I'm setting it at 100 ringgits."
"I presume your people also price gouge tourists? I need some guidelines on prices in that case."
After giving me some pointers (drinks are usually around 10 and a meal around 30) Johan's pupils moved up to see something past me.
"Oh look... I think you're going to get a Vani privilege again." I turned back to see the direction Johan was looking at and found that a human was approaching us. I could tell what he was here for, because he wore a blue fabric (the association of the color blue with water seemed to be something universal) with the aquarium logo on it.
"Hi." The human greeted when he reached a conversational distance.
"My name is Fikri, can I interest you in a free tour?"
"Yeah but... the aquarium isn't open yet?" Johan said.
"For the public, yes. But for a private tour? That can be arranged." He grinned a knowing smile.
I hopped down from the chair. "Guide me, human."
"Excellent!" The human looked like he got what he wanted. "Follow me!"
I looked back at Johan, and he nodded his head while showing his thumb.
I did not need to scan my wristband at the gate. Fikri presented his instead and gestured for me to go in. After going through a short corridor, I found myself in a large hall. What appeared before me was something I have never seen before. A giant curving glass structure, towering several meters above me, gave me a glimpse of the vibrant ocean life behind it. Schools of colorful fish swam around in it and at the bottom, in the middle of this great expanse of glass, I spotted an entry that leads into a glass tunnel.
"What is the chance of the glass cracking open and drowning us all?" I asked.
"Near zero," He said with confidence. "Those glasses are several centimeters thick.
The human tour guide gestured for me to follow him into the tunnel at the bottom of the aquarium, and I stepped forward. The clear curving surface of the tunnel allowed us an unobstructed view of the massive aquarium. As we walked through the tunnel with all sorts of aquatic creatures swimming around us. The beauty of it all banished the dread of standing under several thousand tons of water. Here under the tunnel, I could see the coral in person at last. There were also some tentacled sessile animals.
They wriggled harmlessly until I saw one of them eat a small fish.
"Oh, that's a sea anemone." Fikri noticed my stare, though perhaps not the horrified feeling building inside me. "Next to jellyfish, they are perhaps the most simple predator in the sea."
"What do you mean simple?" I asked. These anemones looked more like plants than animals.
Fikri explained to me how the anemone's nervous system worked and I found it hard to believe that predation happened without any brain. When he finished explaining about the sea anemone, a bobbing bowl-shaped animal with tentacles extending from its bottom passed us by.
"Ah! That's the sea jelly that I mentioned before." He pointed toward the pulsating animal. It looked so frail until Fikri explained that these things are predators that give out painful stings to stun their prey.
"How can such simple creatures eat more complex ones?"
"You've been in the botanical gardens... right?" Fikri probably has seen a photo of me there. "Didn't you see carnivorous plants?"
Fikri reminded me that even creatures with no nervous system, like carnivorous plants, were able to catch prey and digest them. This led me to the dark realization that predation did not necessarily require sapience or even sentience.
After walking for what felt like a hundred meters I felt more at ease with the scenery around me. When I started to enjoy the scenery the clear tunnel came to an end and we descended through an ordinary tunnel. The change in scenery was abrupt, I felt a bit disappointed to leave the underwater view behind. My excitement was reignited when I saw that the concrete tube led into yet another clear tunnel.
"Is there another aquarium?" I asked the tour guide.
"We're in the open sea right now. Just to the north of Dream Island."
A projectile-shaped fish caught my eye as it swam just above us with bleeding prey in its maw. After seeing the beautiful but mindless flesh-eating machines of the Earth's sea, the sight of a complex predator with a brain gave me a strange sort of relief.
"Wow, you're so lucky to see a Great White Shark. They don't usually come near the tunnel."
"That fish looks huge… I know some earth predators can eat a human. Are sharks the same?"
"Sharks are more in danger from humans than we are to them. Before it was completely banned, some humans used to make a dish out of their fin."
Predators eating predators? Everything on Earth kept refusing to behave in the proper natural order. "Why did you mention the fin specifically? You did eat the rest of the shark. Did you not?"
"No, that's one of the reasons we banned the practice." There was a hint of embarrassment when the tour guide said that. "Luckily, the shark population has rebounded." He said it like it was something to be proud of.
"So just like the wilderness on dry land. The sea of Earth is filled with dangers too."
"What does your sea look like?"
"We don't have corrals, most of our sea is filled with underwater plants and marine animals that feed them. Some of them are bony like your fish, and some others have no bones in them." He gave me a pitying look as I explained.
The tunnel in the sea doubled back into another ordinary tunnel, and after walking through the bottom of the aquarium again, I found myself in yet another hall. There was a corridor to my right if I was inclined to go through the tunnel again. After taking a picture with me and asking me to sign a release form I parted with the tour guide.
Just like the amusement park, the aquarium is made in such a way that our path out went through the gift shop. My eyes were drawn to a section showcasing water sports equipment and among the items displayed, I saw devices designed to keep people afloat in water. I purchased inflatable vests and a toroidal device called a lifebuoy to put around my hip. When I walked out the exit gate I felt invincible.
With a newfound confidence, I approached my human who was engrossed in his work.
"I have finished visiting the aquarium," I said to him. Johan was sipping a drink when I approached him.
The human took a look at me, sputtered, and coughed. He nearly spilled his drink all over himself.
"You're supposed to wear those to enter a body of water."
"You can never be too prepared," I said.
A notification appeared in my field of vision. It took Professor Ratni surprisingly little time to reply to my inquiry.
"Dear Vani,
Certain isolated locations in this country employ remote surgery practices similar to those used by your people and we use virtual reality to train for these practices. While we do require you to attend in-person assessments approximately once a month, virtual reality is an acceptable alternative in the interim. Moreover, if you allow our universities to share your study progress, you may choose to perform your assessments at any one of the twelve universities that can administer your weekly sample.
If this sounded "too lax" for you, it is because we also require a clinical clerkship at the end of your study. I am afraid that for this you will need to stay in one locality for at least a semester.
Regarding the headset required for virtual training, you will need a custom one, as a human VR headset would not fit your head and eye position. The Bandung Institute of Technology can assist you in producing a custom headset. I suggest discussing the possibility of visiting that institution with Johan.
Best regards,
Ratni."
"Bandung huh, that's my alma mater." Johan mused after I told him the content of my mail. "Let's go there!"
Memory Transcription Subject: Vichak, venlil school principal
Date [Standardized Human Reckoning]: 2136-08-30
During our break paw, my mother and I decided to have a picnic outdoors. There were still some leftover plants that Chef Timür gave us and we made an earth version of Kandul called "Burrito". The resulting dish was quite out of this world.
I also received a reply from the human psychologist. Mom asked me to read it to her out loud.
"Dear Vichak.
Thank you for your inquiry. I appreciate your interest in the topic of mental health. I have had the opportunity to engage with your brother, Vani, both in person and through correspondence. I commend you for teaching Vani the nonverbal language of your people, which bears similarities to the sign language used by humans. If you are interested in learning more about sign language, I can refer you to my linguistic colleague who can provide you with relevant materials."
"Huh, interesting," mom commented. "So the humans do have body language too."
"In the context of human society, the terms 'predator' or 'predatory' are used to describe individuals who manipulate others to their disadvantage. However, such behavior is not a condition in itself and is often the result of underlying conditions or factors.
Regarding the concept of 'predator disease', it is worth noting that humans have identified numerous conditions that can be characterized as such. Interestingly, this approach is not entirely unfamiliar to your people. Vani has mentioned that a faction within your medical community is working on a more nuanced and equitable approach to addressing 'predator disease.'"
"Yeah, it makes sense now." Mom had moved on to her second Burrito. "There is a difference between n little Vani and that student of yours, what was his name again? Radaklit?"
"Radaktil, mama."
"I wonder who is in this faction? Please, continue, Vichak dear."
"Communicating my message through the First Contact was quite challenging due to the obstruction posed by the Venlil half of the committee towards my communication with your medical professionals. However, with the advent of direct messaging, I was finally able to establish contact with Vani's necrology professor, who then introduced me to Professor Baslik of Krata from Charniv, currently teaching at the University of Charok.
Due to differences between our species' psychology. The need for a revolution in your medical society needs to start with you. I suggest that you establish a rapport with Professor Baslik to lay the groundwork.
Of course, you are still free to message me. I can ask my colleague in Children's Development if you need some insight on how we humans teach our children.
Regards.
Astra."
"Hm, Charok... huh." Mom mused. "That's just next door to us."
"Yeah, It would take me less than tenth of a claw to reach the University of Charok."
I put a note in my To-do to contact Professor Baslik later. The other mail was more important.
"Now mama. Guess what the other letter is from?"
Mom's ear raised to a pleasant angle. She had finished her second buritto now. "It's from little Vani isn't it?"
I gave an affirmative ear and head tilt.
"Would you be so kind as to read it for me?"
"Greetings Vichak.
I am pleased to inform you that I am still alive. Contrary to popular concerns, predation by humans is the least of your concern when living on earth."
That brought me a bit of relief.
"It is the non-sapient predators that you should be wary of. Some of them have even been recorded to attack and eat humans."
And that short relief evaporated just like that.
"On the other hand. Earth is not filled with wilderness. In the city, you are completely safe from their wildlife. However, one must be wary of human criminals in cities, just as one would be cautious in our society. To avoid any danger, it is advisable to avoid secluded places, especially during the night."
"Oh yeah, the earth has a day and night cycle. I always wondered what that feels like." I said to mama. "The garden colony you went to has that, hasn't they?"
"Yeah, at night you can lie down on the grass and see the stars above without freezing to death. It was... a humbling experience."
I continued to read again.
"One of the biggest adjustments I had to make is adapting to Earth's longer cycle of life. A single human day is equivalent to six of our timeclaws.
Regarding your request for pictures of my time on Earth, I have come across something arguably better. The humans on Venlil Prime have developed an application called the 'Earth Network Archive Navigator' that can browse the human planetary network. While I am unable to provide you with a direct link to the application, you can search for it using its name.
"Oh let me look for it" Mom pulled out her pad and began typing on it.
"Johan explained to me how this works. According to him, the humans have established servers on Venlil Prime, which are designed to replicate and store a version of an Earth-based website, whenever anyone attempts to access it through this particular application. Although the duplication process requires a considerable amount of time, once a copy has been created, other users can access it directly from the server located on Venlil.
Please note that this application is only capable of opening publicly accessible pages. Therefore, pages that require user authentication cannot be accessed. However, for our intended purpose, this limitation is adequate. The humans have developed a publicly accessible website where they regularly post photographs of both myself and my human.
If you wish to stay informed about my activities, please copy and paste the following string into the ENAN."
A string of text in human writing appeared in the next line. I guess it's not surprising that this human-made mailing application can display it.
"Mama, I think you need to download the mailing client too. The website uses human text."
"Hm.... okay." She tinkered with the pad again to open the application repository.
"I intend to remain on this planet for the foreseeable future. However, I do hope that one day in the future, I will be able to return and visit both you and mother dearest.
Alternatively, it would be my pleasure to welcome you both to my new home, should you be able to make the journey.
With Respect
Vani."
I ate my portion of burrito while mom was setting up the mailing client and ENAN. After forwarding Vani's letter to mom, she quickly managed to open the human website.
"Well, would you look at that? The website is opened without delay. Perhaps someone before us already tried to open the website?"
We sat together to see the gallery of pictures shown on the website. It showed Vani, almost always accompanied by his human partner in the exchange program. Most of the pictures were taken candidly while they didn't notice. There are staged pictures too. It seems that a lot of human establishments marked his visit as something they can advertise.
One thing that caught my immediate attention is the apron and foot gear that my brother wore. I wondered if he wore those fabrics to blend in with the human. Vani somehow didn't look out of place amongst the crowd of predators. Speaking of crowds, human cities also looked extremely dense. I have heard about their social nature but the photo made me see how social they are.
"You know, mama. Somehow they didn't trigger any fear response in me anymore."
Over time, my perception of them has shifted. Initially, I saw them as nothing more than vicious beasts, lurking in shadows, waiting to pounce. But, as I observed them more, it dawned on me that they were not so different from us after all.
"Perhaps your brother has colored my perception." We looked at a photo of Vani and his human enjoying something wrapped in what looked like flatbread. While Vani has his permanent slight smile, the human looked amused. "But I think these predators have proved themselves."
The Voyager exhibit came into my mind again. Beneath their fearsome exteriors lay a layer of vulnerability and loneliness. I began to see them as peculiar, yet relatable individuals, who were simply looking for people out there who are willing to talk with them.
Next

 Sacramento, Sierra Nevada 

vibe

Who will save you now? / / The Ambitions of an Aesir

Leaked documents reveal Alfheim global-plot as series of operations active and on standby leak to the public"

Reuters (International) Issued January 1st, 2068 - 12:00 Sacramento, Sierra Nevada
SACRAMENTO - The world is in a state of shock following leaked documents from what appears to be a Free Italian Sympathizer, who leaked classified documents from within the Alfheim's strategic command. Alessandro Cascati the Italian who was reportedly arrested some time after the leaks first hit open-air, had acclaimed himself as a true Pacifist amidst a sea of warhawks within the Imperial Archives of the Alfr Empire. Alessandro Cascati who experienced the Gothic War firsthand, including the loss of his sister, had worked for sometime as a "Data Archivist" with the Ministry of Defense before he was convinced to "flip" and begin leaking credible military documents. These documents, first handed to Reuters as part of a larger international release appear to outline a series of Alfr military operations and plans. The full document can be seen below,

Plans Awaiting/Recieving Approval;

• Operazione Gemelli - UASR Surrounding; on either coast, enemy formations will quickly advance up coastal roads as to cut off aid and support from both Nusantara and the USA (India) on the east coast, and from Brazil on the west coast, with the goal being the quickly subduing of resource rich areas such as those of the Congo, more strategic ports such as those in Dakar, Djibouti, and Mombasa. The IRA will also be destroyed, with aquatic invasions into the Somalian and Kenyan regions from the Caliphate used to avoid humiliation in the hills of Ethiopia once again.
  • APPROVED BY ALFR; FUTURE PREPARATION // DELAYED UNTIL 2072 - created 02/64.
  • Delayed due to requirements for mass cobalt import and storage due to supply cutoff for war, as cobalt is guaranteed in current trade deals.
• Operazione Gente - Failed 2RR Coup; if armed forces are not convinced of new government, Valkyrie units make their way in via airdrop and port strikes, civilian death is to be avoided, and leaders will be invited away from protection for assassination, as to cause chaos and prevent organization.
  • PLAN ON PERM. STANDBY - created 06/62
  • Based on Salvatore failure.
• Operazione Gotico - Alfheimr Civil War, oppose bordering forces; Italian units to guard border, and to prevent opposition forces from forcibly entering, declare neutrality immediately, and will seek to ride out the war alone; if with Lohengrins, state keeping of deals, try to gain autonomy for Italy
  • PLAN ON PERM. STANDBY - created 11/61.
  • See Inconcepibile for support bordering forces. See Rivenditore for both sides’ forces bordering.
• Operazione Inconcepibile - Alfheimr Civil War, support bordering forces; Italian forces are partially released from Italy to fight on frontlines - priority given to supporting forces, rather than fighting, as to hold a foundation for our allied forces, also make hard deals during the war for support
  • PLAN ON PERM. STANDBY - created 11/61.
  • See Gotico for oppose bordering forces. See Rivenditore for both sides’ forces bordering.
• Operazione Retaggio - Russian Invasion; launch offensives into grasslands around eastern side of Vistula, to move north and seize Kaliningrad whilst trapping forces west of the Vistula, forcing breakdown of organisation; next moves towards Daugava + Dnieper rivers, and then begin to force peace with Russia + Eden for significant land gains in Eastern Europe
  • APPROVED BY ALFR : NEAR FUTURE PREPARATION - created 12/65.
  • See Serpente for further detail.
• Operazione Rinvio - Brazilian Coup; after showing that the Brazilian brain chips can be hacked, we wish to take back control of Brazil from the GIGAS, by taking ‘samples’ of those afflicted with the brain chips away, reverse engineering the tech, and using internal agents to begin to help rifle up the population for revolt; ultimately, resulting in a neutral or ACTOR-aligned government is preferred
  • APPROVED BY ALFR; IN PROCESS - created 04/64.
  • Unrelated to Gemelli.
• Operazione Rivenditore - Alfheimr Civil War, both forces border Italy; try to declare independence for Italy, and fight off both sides, making sure to make deals with the winning force once the conflict is all but decided; use forces to try and keep out incursions, and make sure to keep neutrality at all costs until bordering only 1
  • PLAN ON PERM. STANDBY - created 11/61.
  • See Gotico for oppose bordering forces. See Inconcepibile for support bordering forces.
• Operazione Salvatore - 2RR Coup; bribing of senators within consulate as well as army leaders will be used to bring the 2RR back under our control in a soft coup, with the army receiving generous budget increases in return for apathy towards the opposition government
  • PLAN ON PERM. STANDBY - created 03/62.
  • See Gente for further instructions.
• Operazione Serpente - Eden; forces from Trieste peninsular, Danube valley, and Macedonia will envealop Eden forces from 3 sides. Emphasis given to Danube valley forces, with Macedonian forces supported by coastal support from Black Sea from Caliphate; pincer movement used to encircle and cut off inland Eden, and prevent aid/weapons from passing through.
  • APPROVED BY ALFR : NEAR FUTURE PREPARATION - created 01/66
  • See Retaggio for further detail.

The leaks have inflamed fears in some, such as the Eastern Union, Brazil, and of course the UASR of which each find themselves the target of possible Alfheim plans. Most notably of course has been in Brazil, where the Alfheim Embassy found itself firebombed and raided by a mass of protestors still enraged by ongoing foreign interference, with two Italian diplomats being set ablaze in the streets of Brazil and on live television. These killings, the result of the leaked plan suggesting an ongoing operation in Brazil have only been the first in a series of protests and assassination attempts of Alfr diplomats across Brazil, with Neymar personally involved in at least two reported killings of various ACTOR-related ambassadors. The act to coup the government, particularly given the ongoing chaos around Neymar and foreign-backers has led the Brazilian government (with the support of Neymar) to activating the Bandung Pact defensive alliance initiatives, with the Brazilian government raising the military force to high alert. First to answer the call and similarly terrified by this recent development, was the Nusantara League who immediately deployed an additional Carrier Strike Group (+1 to whatever is permanently based in the Atlantic) to the Brazilian nation.
Similarly across much of the rest of the world, confusion has become the norm as Alfr plans begin to register among the consciousness of the general public. Particularly with the possibility of a civil war within ACTOAlfheim, some governments such as the Sierra-Nevada Commonwealth or Himavanta have found themselves relaxed at the prospect of even further ACTOR infighting. With the Sierra-Nevada Commonwealth President going so far as to suggest that "so long as the Alfr keep fighting their own people, we'll have nothing to worry about". The same sentiment has not been shared across the board however, with the more astute in both GIGAS and the Bandung Pact still concerned over the possibility of more conflict hot spots. Nevertheless, the Italian defector has largely been hailed as a global hero having revealed secrets from within the European Empire.

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by yuswohady
THE PHENOMENON
Dalam 3 bulan terakhir muncul diskusi publik yang menarik mengenai fenomena turunnya daya beli konsumen kita yang ditandai dengan sepinya Roxi, Glodok, Matahari, Ramayana, Lotus, bahkan terakhir Debenhams di Senayan City.
Anggapan ini langsung dibantah oleh ekonom karena dalam lima tahun terakhir pertumbuhan riil konsumsi masyarakat robust di angka sekitar 5%. Kalau dilihat angkanya di tahun ini, pertumbuhan ekonomi sampai triwulan III-2017 masih cukup baik sebesar 5,01%. Perlu diingat bahwa konsumsi masyarakat (rumah tangga) masih menjadi kontributor utama PDB kita mencapai 54%.
Sebagian pakar mengatakan sepinya gerai ritel konvensional tersebut disebabkan oleh beralihnya konsumen ke gerai ritel online seperti Tokopedia atau Bukalapak. “Gerai-gerai tradisional di Roxi atau Glodok telah terimbas gelombang disrupsi digital,” begitu kata pakar.
Kesimpulan ini pun misleading karena penjualan e-commerce hanya menyumbang 1,2% dari total GDP kita, dan hanya sekitar 0,8% (2016) dari total penjualan ritel nasional. Memang pertumbuhannya sangat tinggi (eksponensial) tapi magnitude-nya belum cukup signifikan untuk bisa membuat gonjang-ganjing industri ritel kita.
Kalau konsumen tak lagi banyak belanja di gerai ritel konvensional dan masih sedikit yang belanja di gerai online, maka pertanyaannya, duitnya dibelanjakan ke mana?
THE CONSUMERS
Tahun 2010 untuk pertama kalinya pendapatan perkapita masyarakat Indonesia melewati angka $3000. Oleh banyak negara termasuk Cina, angka ini “keramat” karena dianggap sebagai ambang batas (treshold) sebuah negara naik kelas dari negara miskin menjadi negara berpendapatan menengah (middle-income country).
Ketika melewati angka tersebut, sebagian besar masyarakatnya adalah konsumen kelas menengah (middle-class consumers) dengan pengeluaran berkisar antara $2-10 perhari. Di Indonesia, kini konsumen dengan rentang pengeluaran sebesar itu telah mencapai lebih dari 60% dari total penduduk.
Salah satu ciri konsumen kelas menengah ini adalah bergesernya pola konsumsi mereka dari yang awalnya didominasi oleh makanan-minuman menjadi hiburan dan leisure. Ketika semakin kaya (dan berpendidikan) pola konsumsi mereka juga mulai bergeser dari “goods-based consumption” (barang tahan lama) menjadi “experience-based consumption” (pengalaman). Experience-based consumption ini antara lain: liburan, menginap di hotel, makan dan nongkrong di kafe/resto, nonton film/konser musik, karaoke, nge-gym, wellness, dan lain-lain.
Pergeseran inilah yang bisa menjelaskan kenapa Roxi atau Glodog sepi. Karena konsumen kita mulai tak banyak membeli gadget atau elektronik (goods), mereka mulai memprioritaskan menabung untuk tujuan liburan (experience) di tengah atau akhir tahun. Hal ini juga yang menjelaskan kenapa mal yang berkonsep lifestyle dan kuliner (kafe/resto) seperti Gandaria City, Grand Indonesia, atau Kota Kasablanka tetap ramai, sementara yang hanya menjual beragam produk (pakaian, sepatu, atau peralatan rumah tangga) semakin sepi.
THE SHIFTING
Nah, rupanya pola konsumsi masyarakat Indonesia bergeser sangat cepat menuju ke arah “experience-based consumption”. Data terbaru BPS menunjukkan, pertumbuhan pengeluaran rumah tangga yang terkait dengan “konsumsi pengalaman” ini meningkat pesat. Pergeseran pola konsumsi dari “non-leisure” ke “leisure” ini mulai terlihat nyata sejak tahun 2015
Untuk kuartal II-2017 misalnya, konsumsi rumah tangga tumbuh 4,95% dari kuartal sebelumnya 4,94%. Pertumbuhan konsumsi rumah tangga ini dinilai melambat lantaran konsumsi rumah tangga dari sisi makanan dan minuman, konsumsi pakaian, alas kaki, perumahan dan perlengkapan rumah tangga, (goods-based) hanya tumbuh tipis antara 0,03-0,17%. Sementara konsumsi restoran dan hotel (experience-based) melonjak dari 5,43% menjadi 5,87%. “Jadi shifting-nya adalah mengurangi konsumsi yang tadinya non-leisure untuk konsumsi leisure,” ucap Ketua BPS, Suhariyanto.
Studi Nielsen (2015) menunjukkan bahwa milenial yang merupakan konsumen dominan di Indonesia saat ini (mencapai 46%) lebih royal menghabiskan duitnya untuk kebutuhan yang bersifat lifestyle dan experience seperti: makan di luar rumah, nonton bioskop, rekreasi, juga perawatan tubuh, muka, dan rambut.
Sementara itu di kalangan milenial muda dan Gen-Z kini mulai muncul gaya hidup minimalis (minimalist lifestyle) dimana mereka mulai mengurangi kepemilikian (owning) barang-barang dan menggantinya dengan kepemilikan bersama (sharing). Dengan bijak mereka mulai menggunakan uangnya untuk konsumsi pengalaman seperti: jalan-jalan backpacker, nonton konser, atau nongkrong di coffee shop.
Berbagai fenomana pasar berikut ini semakin meyakinkan makin pentingnya sektor leisure sebagai mesin baru ekonomi Indonesia. Bandara di seluruh tanah air ramai luar biasa melebihi terminal bis. Hotel budget di Bali, Yogya, atau Bandung full booked tak hanya di hari Sabtu-minggu, tapi juga hari biasa. Tiket kereta api selalu sold-out. Jalan tol antar kota macet luar biasa di “hari kejepit nasional”. Destinasi-destinasi wisata baru bermunculan (contoh di Banyuwangi, Bantul atau Gunung Kidul) dan makin ramai dikunjungi wisatawan.
Sektor pariwisata kini ditetapkan oleh pemerintah sebagai “core economy” Indonesia karena kontribusinya yang sangat siknifikan bagi perekonomian nasional. Saat ini sektor pariwisata merupakan penyumbang devisa kedua terbesar setelah kelapa sawit dan diproyeksikan 2-3 tahun lagi akan menjadi penyumbang devisa nomor satu. Ini merupakan yang pertama dalam sejarah perekonomian Indonesia dimana pariwisata menjadi tulang punggung ekonomi bangsa.
Tak hanya itu, kafe dan resto berkonsep experiential menjamur baik di first cities maupun second cities. Kedai kopi “third wave” kini sedang happening. Warung modern ala “Kids Jaman Now” seperti Warunk Upnormal agresif membuka cabang. Pusat kecantikan dan wellness menjamur bak jamur di musim hujan. Konser musik, bioskop, karaoke, hingga pijat refleksi tak pernah sepi dari pengunjung. Semuanya menjadi pertanda pentingnya leisure sebagai lokomotif perekonomian Indonesia.
THE DRIVERS
Kenapa leisure-based consumption menjadi demikian penting bagi konsumen dan mereka mau menyisihkan sebagian besar pendapatan untuk liburan atau nongkrong di kafe/mal? Setidaknya ada beberapa drivers yang membentuk leisure economy.

1. Consumption as a Lifestyle.

Konsumsi kini tak hanya melulu memenuhi kebutuhan dasar sandang, pangan, papan. Konsumen kita ke Starbucks atau Warunk Upnormal bukan sekedar untuk ngopi atau makan, tapi juga dalam rangka mengekspresikan gaya hidup. Ekspresi diri sebagai bagian inhenren dari konsumsi ini terutama didorong maraknya media sosial terutama Instagram.

2. From Goods to Experience.

Kaum middle class milennials kita mulai menggeser prioritas pengeluarannya dari “konsumsi barang” ke “konsumsi pengalaman”. Kini mulai menjadi tradisi, rumah-rumah tangga mulai berhemat dan menabung untuk keperluan berlibur di tengah/akhir tahun maupun di “hari-hari libur kejepit”. Mereka juga mulai banyak menghabiskan waktunya untuk bersosialisasi di mal atau nongkrong di kafe sebagai bagian dari gaya hidup urban.

3 More Stress, More Travelling.

Dari sisi demand, beban kantor yang semakin berat dan lingkungan kerja yang sangat kompetitif menjadikan tingkat stress kaum pekerja (white collar) kita semakin tinggi. Hal inilah yang mendorong kebutuhan leisure (berlibur, jalan-jalan di mal, atau dine-out seluruh anggota keluarga) semakin tinggi.

4. Low Cost Tourism.

Dari sisi supply, murahnya tarif penerbangan (low cost carrier, LCC) yang diikuti murahnya tarif hotel (budget hotel) menciptakan apa yang disebut: “low cost tourism”. Murahnya biaya berlibur menjadikan permintaan melonjak tajam dan industri pariwisata tumbuh sangat pesat beberapa tahun terakhir.

5. Traveloka Effect.

Momentum leisure economy semakin menemukan momentumnya ketika murahnya transportasi-akomodasi kemudian diikuti dengan kemudahan dalam mendapatkan informasi penerbangan/hotel yang terbaik/termurah melalui aplikasi seperti Traveloka. Kemudahan ini telah memicu minat luar biasa dari seluruh lapisan masyarakat untuk berlibur. Ini yang saya sebut Traveloka Effect.
“Welcome to the leisure economy.”

The city is undergoing changes, that much is certain. But, I can't help noticing that all the parks, the beautification and the programs that he is implementing are very much geared to the student/middle-up population of North Bandung and its surroundings. In other words, people who are 'cendekia' like himself.
The train station area going south/westwards are still a god damn mess. Otista/Pasirkoja is disgusting, Kebonjati/Rajawali timur is still littered with run down matress shops interspersed with panti pijat plus-plus (coincidence?). Jalan Jakarta-Antapani-Arcamanik is unbearable, and don't get me started on ruas Sukarno Hatta dari Bubat - Kopo - Pasirkoja. Mau kondangan di Margahayu? foggedaboudid.
So, what's going on, Bandungers? I'm in half a mind to think that the Mayor is playing too much to his strength (affable personality and middle-up mindset) that he is either unable or just don't care about the grittier problems of Bandung. He plays a good game when dealing with the 'nice' and 'asik' people, biosfir this, taman jomblo that, tapi gebrakannya buat daerah yang bener-bener memerlukan kok gue nggak liat ya?