What was the most tragicomic thing to happen to you last year?

"In December 2019, I got a once-in-a-lifetime offer to perform at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival for a full month, March-April 2020. At the time, I was living with my husband and child — barely 2 years old — in an apartment in Jakarta. Because I was supposed to go abroad for a while, we decided to go back to our kampung in Java to spend time with relatives. Just a few days after I arrived, boom, pandemic, gig canceled. I was stuck in my kampung, and to make matters worse, my apartment's rent would be due in two weeks. I had to [hire someone] to clean up my apartment for me, and I have no idea why, but the entire time I thought: 'What if I had left my new underwear at my apartment and that guy had to pack it up?' I was mortified."

Sakdiyah Ma'ruf, standup comedian.

What was the strangest behavior you saw in 2020?

"I think people have been acting sufficiently strange. Consider the plight of the common person who neglects to wear their mask or wash their hands. It's not as if they don't take the pandemic seriously. Maybe a few months ago, they wore masks religiously and kept their distance from everyone, but eventually, they got desperate. I mean, I don't get what the government means when they call it the transitional social-distancing period. Transition to what? The afterlife?"

Dea Anugrah, writer

What was the happiest thing that happened to you last year?

"I think it was an opportunity to work at home. I had the chance to work but still spend time with my family. I'm at home, the kids are at home, so we're physically there for each other. For me, that was enjoyable."

Dian Sastrowardoyo, actor

What did you miss the most throughout 2020?

"I missed physical and spiritual liberation, then more ordinary things: my friends, long walks in Delhi, grabbing cold coffee from my favorite cafe, rooftop parties in the winter, music, dancing, crowds. I just love crowds and noise because I love conversations, laughter, dancing, desire, traveling and movement. I think part of why I moved to Delhi is because there is constant noise, which I love. You know, like [Scott] Fitzgerald wrote: ‘I love big parties, they're so intimate’."

Rain Chudori, writer

How did last year affect your faith in humanity?

"I was optimistic at first. I think we all were. We thought a pandemic would finally give a sense of crisis and form radical systems and habits — mutual aid, people's networks, you name it. But in the end, it didn't happen. I thought people would change and at least start thinking of each other at first, then Idul Fitri came, and that faith got thrown out the window. People barely changed. Just read [Slavo] Zizek's treatise [about the pandemic]. Did any of that happen? Well, at least we got some good books out of this mess."

Herry Sutresna, activist and hip hop artist

What book surprised you last year?

"A lot of books impressed me throughout 2020, but if I had to pick one, it would be Little Blue Encyclopedia (for Vivian), an experimental novel by Hazel Jane Plante. It's a funny yet poignant love letter from a transwoman to her deceased friend, written as an encyclopedia about a strange TV show called Little Blue, which Vivian, the deceased friend, absolutely adored. During the pandemic, I thought a lot about loneliness and social separation. I think this book encapsulates those two beautifully."

M. Aan Mansyur, writer

What was your favorite political blunder last year?

"My favorite political blunder last year has to be the myriad of statements made by officials underestimating the COVID-19 pandemic earlier in 2020. We lost precious time to prevent a pandemic, as bad as we feel now because of this. Politically, these blunders happened when the government was still consolidating its rule in its second term, with new faces coming into the Cabinet, so they prioritized stability and security early on in the pandemic. This meant that everybody was too busy bickering with each other, the public debate became heated and everyone stuck in the middle was forced to pick a side. It was a fiasco."

Edbert Gani, researcher

What was the biggest lesson you learned in 2020?

"When we're given time to pause and completely reorient our lives, I think we as a society began to realize how important health really is. Perhaps we've taken it for granted too long. But on the other hand, last year made it clear to us all that prioritizing health is a privilege. Some people can't prioritize their health and safety because they have to carry on working on the front lines. There are structural forces that mean they have to continue risking their lives, and it's clear that a lot of the systems that govern our daily lives aren't working. I hope 2021 will be a year of consolidation, new ideas and critical thinking. The pandemic made it clear to us that things aren't working. We need alternatives and people to push that agenda forward."

Rara Sekar Larasati, musician and academic

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