Me and my m***y room

Ladies, I feel shame actually to reveal this. But since I have no idea what to post, I will show you an embarrassing fact about myself.

When I reach home everyday, it is hard for me to leave my room unless I have another appointment. My room is not big, and although it has air conditioner, I rarely use it. And do not ask me how it looks like because I won't write how my room looks like. I think it is better if you conclude it yourselves after you see these pictures. Hehehehe.

Room Sweet Room

Tidy, isn't it?

it is used to be a table but now it is............

I won't give my personal comment on how it looks like. I let you judge it.... hihihi

So, through this post, I actually need someone who wants to clean my room voluntarily. Anyone interested?

Car Free Day in Bogor

What comes to your mind when I say Bogor?

After you mention all the foods and Bogor Botanical Garden, you perhaps will say "Angkot".

Yup, Bogor is not only known as KOTA HUJAN (rainy city) but also Angkot City. Every time I visit Bogor, Angkot will always be my concern. The "indigenous" people of Bogor told me that Bogor used to be a cool place, but not anymore now. Maybe since Angkots are everywhere which gradually warmed Bogor up.

Car Free Day in Bogor

In Jakarta, as pollution worsens,the local government initiated a program so called Car Free Day which usually commences on Sunday. Yeah, Sunday is the only day we can inhale a little cleaner air in Thamrin and Sudirman Area.

Bogor 10 KM, an event on car free day

When I visited Bogor last weekend. I had a chance to enjoy the same program. I just realized that Bogor has Car Free day as well on the streets surround Botanical Garden and the palace. Hundreds of people covered the street which distract those who use the street for jogging. I felt fresher there because no ANGKOT were found on the street.

Although it is a copy paste program, I do want such program to be proliferated in all big cities in Indonesia because urban people have less chance to inhale the fresh air. Besides,such program provides more space for urban inhabitants in doing their family activities. Remember, they deserve more space since most of spaces have been used for parking lot and building.

Watching the race

In fact, the program will not significantly give direct contribution towards pollution but at least the air is cleaner on Sunday morning which can be enjoyed by those who are starving for clean air. Hehehe.

Car Free Day in Bogor, feels to enjoy it again

Gosh, they are cool

I think they deserve to be the next idol. They have voice, look and attitude.



And I love this one as well



These siblings are really stars.... Can't wait for their next video in youtube. And can't wait any longer to buy their album.

Gift Exchange Party

This is the tradition in my office. Actually I have joined such event for three times including the one held yesterday (28 December 2009). This event is held annually at the end of December in my office. The purpose of this event is to praise the Lord of what have been achieved during the year and wish for a better upcoming year.

The rule of gift exchange is simple:

1. Each staff should bring a gift wrapped neatly using newspaper. The price of item to give should be affordable (in our case, the price shouldn't be lower than IDR 20.000 and not exceeding IDR 25.000).
2. Appoint a staff to act as a gift collector. He/She will collect the gifts then tag or number each gift. The gift collector is also assigned to write the number of each gift on small of pieces of paper.
3. Each staff who has submitted a gift, will then has a leeway to take a paper with number written on it. After all staffs held a paper and knew their own numbers, they can ask the gift collector to provide them gift according to the number they have. Ask each staff not to unwrap the gift immediately upon receiving the gift. Ask them to wait until all staffs holding their gift.
4. When all staffs have their gifts on their hand, ask them to unwrap the gift together. And you will find some unexpected and funny gifts

Food for all

To make this event more happening, we chipped in to buy meals. So we served ourselves with abundant food ranging from sate with lontong, pizza, cheesecakes, chocolate cakes, potato chips, corn chips, oranges and grapes. The party went smoothly and I was appointed to be the MC. The foods were all delicious, people were smiling and laughing. Some colleagues sang Christmas song and others mostly took pictures insanely. Yeah, you right, it's narsist moment.

One of a guy in my office received a pinky deodorant, another guy got pashmina. I got a plastic tissue holder. Pagit got a pencil case and Ayu got shirt and glass. A lady got a pillow Mostly, this year's trend are plastic and towels. Compare to last year, the trend has changed, last year's trend was umbrella. And I found no umbrella this year. :p

Show us what you got, dude

Although some staffs were on leave, but the party remained crazy, noisy but still under control. As an MC, I wished loudly that hopefully in 2010, our project still continues and our salary is raised. Others then followed my prayer by saying AMIIIIIIEEENNN. Yeah, a nice wish at the year end.

Sophisticated but Manual, hmmm???

Technology is supposed to make our lives easier. Heard this sentence many times, right? Unfortunately, this sentence sometimes deviates when it comes to real life. I will show you how this sentence is deviated in Indonesia.

Automatic vending machine... self service

I am sure not many of us are familiar with this machine. It is called Vending Machine, an automatic machine which will supply you with your desired drink after entering your coin into such machine. No need to worry, if you have no change, because vending machine will automatically return your money, when you enter the money which exceeds the drink price. It is really convenient and friendly used.

Unfortunately, we will find less vending machines in Jakarta. Only few places have vending machines, i.e. Vending machine at transjakarta shelters. Unlike vending machine I found in Japan and Singapore, these vending machines work traditionally.

How does it work?

1. Find the vending machine
2. After finding the machine, don't directly put your money into the machine because that machine doesn't work that way (it doesn't work practically as we seen abroad). But try to search a girl with particular uniform who sells the vending machine coupon. (It is easy, the coke girl usually sits next to the machine)
3. When finding the coke girl, give your money to her. And then she will insert the coupon into the machine, after that she will press the button of the drink you wish to purchase, then BINGO your drink comes. (yippieeee)

What is wrong with the above procedure?

The procedure is logically funny in my opinion. You give money to someone and then he/she will insert the coupon to the machine then the drink will come out. If that is the procedures, what is the point to have a vending machine there. Why they do not sell the product directly without having machine standing there. I think it simplifies the procedures. Sorry for being to cynical.

Manual vending machine... a vending with mbak mbak

The price itself is higher than the same drinks sold outside busway shelter. Hillariously, many people buy drink from this traditional vending machine just because (I think) they want people to perceive them sophisticated or look cool. OH MY...... I personally would rather buy at "WARUNG" (street side vendor) which offers me lower price and simple trading procedures rather than choosing a sophisticated yet traditional machine called vending machine ala transjakarta. Again, sorry for being too cynical.

The second picture is taken from http://aulia-m.posterous.com/vending-machine-on-busway-shelter

A letter from Alison

As an international organization, we have many international staffs working in our project. They come and go. Honestly, the foreigners who work with us (us refers to "Indonesian staffs") now are not really close with us, compare to those who were here two years ago. One staff that I will never forget is Alison. She is now pursuing her Ph.D in Johns Hopkins University, USA.

Alison and Jen

Since she left, we did not have an intense communication, we just send email when we think we have something important to share. Just like when the earthquake happened in Padang, Alison sent us an email asking how we were doing in Indonesia.

Then, I got an email from her when I was in Kuala Lumpur. Just read it carefully:

Subject: Guess What Happened at Lunch

Slamat pagi samua,

I'm sorry I haven't replied to all of your e-mails. I keep meaning to sit down and write personal replies but, as usual, aku sibuk sekali.

Something happened this afternoon I thought you would all appreciate. I didn't have much time to eat lunch and it was raining hard so I went to a little sushi restaurant across the street from my school. I had never eaten there before because I'd heard it was more expensive than the Chinese restaurant only two blocks away, but it was so cold and rainy that I decided to try it. It was small and not fancy but very clean and pleasant and about the same price as most sushi in the US, so I placed an order for take-away and then sat down to wait. The waitress wrote down my order and then answered the phone. When she picked up the phone she starting speaking Bahasa Indonesia! I couldn't believe it so I listened for awhile to make sure she wasn't speaking Malaysian until I was confident that she must be Indonesian.

When she put the phone down I asked: "Dari mana bu?" She was so surprised she looked like she'd just seen a ghost. She called the cook to come meet me. The waitress is from Jakarta and the cook is from Surabaya. They are both young and married. If I understood correctly the waitress and her husband intend to return to Jakarta but I think the cook's family is hoping to stay in the US. I asked them: "Kalau saya kembali nanti bisa memakan gado gado atau rendang dan teh botel?" They laughed and said they don't have the ingredients but they have spicy chilis at home they can put in my food!

It was the first time I've met Indonesians in America and the first time since coming home that I've tried to speak bahasa Indonsia. It was really fun. I will definitely eat there again. Now, if only they served rendang or es buah I'd become their #1 customer.

alison.

I was so happy when I finished reading this email. Alison misses Indonesian food, and she felt so happy finding someone speaking Indonesian in US. Ahhh Ali, If you were here, I will treat you rendang, es buah and teh botol. Definitely.

Miss you, Alison

PS: Alison, I still have your heritage : a tennis racket, digital clock and lamp. Thanks :)

Batik-ing

October 2, 2009 has been declared by the President of Indonesia as Batik Day. And on October 2, I saw many people wore batik to go to the office (including me off course). What does it mean?? It means that Batik has been acknowledged internationally by UNESCO as the cultural heritage of Indonesia. It is a relief for us since our neighbor keeps trying to claim some of our cultures as their culture.

Happy Batik Day, Guys. See how charm we are on Batik... :D

It was friday when we celebrated the "Batik Day". Actually, many government offices have started to oblige their staffs to wear batik far before the batik day was declared by the president. But such October 2 was quite special day because the people who wore batik were more than it used to be.

Batik is not an obligation in my office although it is located in the government building. But still, some friends of mine wear Batik frequently especially on Friday following the government officials in our building. I personally do not wear batik frequently but I do have some batiks collection. some friends who do not usually wear batik try to have different look by wearing batik on October 2, and it made them be center off attention in our office. And they were inaugurated as the Best Dress of the Month. (Thanks for wearing Batik, dude).

Photo session in front of th sacred tree

To make the batik day more happen, we held photo sessions for the whole people in the office. And here are some pictures that shows us how batik really make us much more handsome/beautiful than we usually do. (It sounds a bit exaggerating, huh? Come on, just accept that we had better look on batik).

Me, surrounded by the Batik Angels

The government indeed succeeded to acclaim Batik as our heritage, but we have to remember that Indonesia has many heritages which are so potential to be acclaimed by other countries. If we do not continue keeping such heritages, we will lost them. We know that many things spread quickly nowadays because of a trend so called globalization but it is not an excuse for other countries to claim something which historically do not belong to them. And we do not fight for what we have, we will lose them.

My office neighbors... We are quite lho??? *wink wink*

How about those who did not use Batik on the Batik Day? Do not worry dude, the nationalism is not that narrow, not wearing Batik doesn't mean you do not care, right?. It is just that you lost your chance to be cuter during the Batik photo session, hehehehe.

When UNESCO declared officially that Batik is the cultural heritage of Indonesia on October 2, Indonesia people massively wear batik everywhere. Now my question is: what if UNESCO declared "KOTEKA" as our cultural heritage, will we (I mean the men) happily go to office wearing KOTEKA?? Wakakakak, I can't even imagine people put that on their p***s and walk proudly to the office. If it happens, I think I would prefer say I am sick and won't go to the office. Jyaaaaaah.

Are you ready for Koteka day?? (thinking)