Shame on me or Indonesian education system?

I've been systemizing my unorganized photo stack of around 3500 from the past year into folders and keywords. It's going well so far. I'm at around the halfway point. 

Then i got to the stack of picture from the Dallas museum of Art that I went to last summer and spent time to read the plaques that I took pictures of. They had a permanent (I think) exhibition with Indonesian cultural objects. The plaques that accompany each objects was... fascinating to say the least. It gets me thinking: why was I not taught this in elementary / junior high school? Why did I just learn more about Irian Jaya in a single plaque explaining an Irian house doorpost than the whole time I was in Indonesia? Am I just missing out on something when I lived there or something really is broken here: I learn more about Indonesian culture in TEXAS rather than in JAKARTA.

The picture is not the best since I'm not allowed to use flash and my lens is sloooow. Here's the doorpost in question and it's phallic imagery that depicts vengeance for death of a family member (no, I'm not joking).

So they actually traded other stuff (an ivory spoon) for spices in Malacca too? I thought only Europeans want spices.

Many of these objects concern beliefs other than the eacknowledged five. Are they perhaps discouraged by the government because we're only allowed to be one of the five religions?

Where do people buy light other than IKEA?

My current town, halifax, doesn't have an IKEA because we're poor, and I need a cheap lantern (not 40$++ and NOT a desklamp). So I ran to a hardware store (Canadian Tire) and got these stuff:

Tracing paper, lamp base, 230 watt lamp, extension cord, plug, insulation foam

Since I'm an architecture student, tracing paper and foam are plenty, so those are free. Bought two of everything else since I want to make two lanterns. Total damage: 27$. Ouch. At least that's after the tax... WHY ARE plugs so freaking expensive? 0_o They're just plugs 0_O

One of the bulbs came out dead and the one that is good turned out to be too hot / bright for my room, so I'll prolly go back tomorrow and return them for a new and weaker pair.

Result for nao sitting on my buffet:

Now I can worry a bit less about lens fungus since my lens are getting some light.

Before

And after.

Moral of the story: IKEA is cheap

New question arising: Why is IKEA so cheap? Is my labor such a liability that it's actually cheaper to buy a finished product at IKEA than for me to make one myself with the raw ingredients?

Instant phood again xD

Been working on my abandoned photo stacks lately. The number is over 9000! Well, no. Actually it's more like 3000. I've done around 500 now =.=;; Not in the mood to cook lately but I had the realization that I'm probably just lazy ^^;

The picture is basmati rice and seafood instant package which somehow magically taste good 0_O; might be competitor with barbeque eel for the best instant food that there is? xD I'm eating it with some Franc Cabernet right now. THe Franc Cab isn't as fruity as the gehringer one I had a while back. Still good though xD