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- Asep Haryono | I used to work at an Internet café. - Powered by Blogger
DICLAIMER.
I have dedicated this English version specifically to Mrs. Irina from Russia and also to my foster parent, Sandy Clement, from Duncan, Canada.
Looking at the title of my writing today, it does indeed recount my experience working as a guard for the internet café (cyber café) at Tanjungpura University, Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The events took place a long time ago, but there are several interesting things that I would like to write about in my blog as a record of my journey during my time as an internet café officer at three different locations between the years 2001 and 2002. It has indeed been a long time.
This story will start simply, from around the year 1999. At that time, my status was "unemployed," or rather, involved in many activities. The internet café at the Tanjungpura University Cooperative was already in existence. I was interviewed with another candidate. Fortunately, my competitor was accepted as a teacher, if I’m not mistaken. Accompanied by Deddie Jaya Kuning, I applied there.
At that time, there was news that in 1999, the Student Cooperative (Kopma) of Untan was opening vacancies for internet café guards to manage the Kopma internet café, and that information reached me as well.
This story will start simply, from around the year 1999. At that time, my status was "unemployed," or rather, involved in many activities. The internet café at the Tanjungpura University Cooperative was already in existence. I was interviewed with another candidate. Fortunately, my competitor was accepted as a teacher, if I’m not mistaken. Accompanied by Deddie Jaya Kuning, I applied there.
At that time, there was news that in 1999, the Student Cooperative (Kopma) of Untan was opening vacancies for internet café guards to manage the Kopma internet café, and that information reached me as well.
In short, I attempted to apply for the position as the guard of the only internet café available at that time in 1999. Upon investigation, it turned out that the internet café was a collaboration between the Pontianak Post daily newpaper and Tanjungpura University of the Untan campus. The Untan side provided the location, electricity, and building, while the Pontianak Post provided the hardware and software equipment for the PCs and other necessities. short,
This is the only photo I have from the time when I worked as a guard at the Internet café at Tanjungpura University in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia, back in the early 1990s.
The quality of the photo is not very good, but I hope you can still see me as I looked when I was young at the moment.
The person on the far left is me with friends from my English major.
This is a photo from the early 1992s, when I was an English major at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) at Tanjungpura University in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
I was sitting with John, an English tutor from the UK who was on an exchange program. This photo was taken in 1992 during a General English class in the English major at the Faculty of Teacher Training and Education (FKIP) at Tanjungpura University in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.
At that time, I had already been appointed by the student senate to deal with native English speakers as an escort or translator.
What my duties were at that time
The billing officer or internet café attendant (warnet/cyber café) plays an important role in maintaining the smooth operation of the business. Their main duties include operating the billing system, managing customer computer use, recording usage time, and accepting payments for the services utilized.
In addition, the billing officer is also responsible for providing customer service, assisting if there are minor issues with computers or internet connections, and ensuring security and order within the café. In some internet cafés, the attendant also handles additional services such as printing documents, selling food and beverages, or assisting with other customer needs.
Cleanliness and tidiness of the internet café area are often part of the attendant's responsibilities, especially in small-scale internet cafés. Therefore, a billing officer does not only function as a guard or cashier but also plays an important role in providing good service and ensuring that the café's operational activities run smoothly.
First time receiving a real salary beyond a student
The salary I received at that time, which was Rp250,000, was a significant amount for me, especially when viewed in the context of a student's life in the 1990s. This figure is certainly very different when compared to the current economic conditions. For comparison, the cost of re-enrolling in college at that time was still around Rp75,000, while the rent for my boarding room was only Rp25,000 per month. Thus, an income of Rp250,000 was not a small amount. In fact, that salary could cover various important needs for a student, including education and living expenses.
For me, as someone who was still living the life of a student at that time, earning Rp250,000 from a job as a billing officer or internet café attendant was extremely meaningful. Compared to the re-enrollment fee of Rp75,000, one paycheck alone was more than enough to cover that expense. Even after paying for education fees, there was still leftover money that could be used for daily needs. Similarly, the cost of boarding was only about Rp25,000 per month. Simply put, that salary was equivalent to the cost of boarding for several months.
Beautiful Memories
That's why I have always considered a salary of Rp250,000 in the 1990s to be a considerable amount. Not only because of its nominal figure, but because its purchasing power at that time was genuinely felt. That money provided me with financial independence and helped ease various needs during my college years. The experience of working while studying also taught me valuable lessons about responsibility, discipline, and the importance of appreciating every income earned.
At that time, getting a job with an income of Rp250,000 as a student was a significant opportunity and remains one of the experiences I remember fondly to this day. ===The images coming out of Gaza are heartbreaking bombed-out homes, lifeless children, grieving families. It’s impossible to ignore the sheer scale of suffering. And yet, the global community governments, institutions, and world leaders remain largely silent or ineffective. Why does the world seem so powerless, or even unwilling, to stop Israel’s brutal campaign against Palestinians? .
The Shield of U.S. Support At the core of this issue is the United States. As Israel’s most powerful ally, the U.S. provides billions in military aid, advanced weapons, and perhaps most importantly diplomatic protection.
The U.S. has repeatedly used its veto at the UN Security Council to block resolutions that criticize Israel or call for ceasefires. Without global consensus, institutions like the UN are left paralyzed. As long as Washington continues to defend Israeli actions, meaningful accountability is nearly impossible.
A Message From Asep Haryono
"Thank you so much for your time here. I really appreciate your precious moment here as well. Please leave any comment down below. Let me hear from you. Greetings from Indonesia"
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