What's so nice about this country,,,

Pick any places in Indonesia, drive a few hours in any direction, and then you will find people speaking in a different languages, have a different culture and custom, eat different foods and drinks and sometimes even different appearances, behaviour and religion...
But all of them will share one similarities : kindliness, friendliness, honesty, simplicity and if you smile to them, they will certainly smile back to you with a deeper one..
deep smile shows honesty,,,
Maybe we're all already lived in this environment since birth, and most of us will not even realize how great is this blessing upon our country. For me too, i just realize it lately -when my time to leave Indonesia is approaching- that we all should be thankfull to our God, because He puts us in the most diverse nation on earth, that we can experience a culture shock with just a few hours away from home, learn every philosophy from each different culture, taste local foods and drinks, meet with a lot of interesting characters, feels different weather condition and so on.. See how much that we can get from this country alone.. but somehow we just never can feel satisfied.

Weirds happened,,,

I just found this weird fact today, that actually i always did a blog post on the early days of the new month.. I've rechecked again all my blog post, and found that most of my post is written on 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th day of the month.. humm, maybe it doesn't have any meaning, or it's just a weird coincidence and you might think that there's nothing special about it.. but, this kinda thing(the weird, unexplained, or unlogical thing) is always excite me up a bit.. It can makes my head thinking and wondering out of way (which is could be good, especially because lately, my mind keep thinking in the same boring way..).. Could it be a sign that my mood or even creativity is affected by the lunar orbit?? or my biorithmic cycle that controls my spiritual quotions is on the peak position on the early month?? humm..

Anyway, still affected by this mistery-excited feelings i search trough the internet to find something about scientology.. just for your information, scientology is a new so-called religion (the weird one, but it became very popular after Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes declare themself that their religion is scientology), that beliefs that human minds is somehow inhabited by some alien spirit. And this spirit is not good to human, because it affected human's feeling, thinking, or way of life. So, the scientologist have some kind of a ritual to sucked up the alien spirit of human's body, to makes their mind returns to the original and pure state. Very weird right?? and if anyone would ask me what's the couse, maybe because this "religion" is declared by an author of science fiction novels. that's why..

But this scientology is somehow very popular now, and got a lot of follower.. Now the question is "How come, in any way, people will trust something that very clearly unrational like that, that comes from a science fiction novels author??" My best guess is that because people, how ignorant they are, is sometime will think about their existance.. like "what force is created them", "for what reasons", "is our life is being watch by some spiritual being". etc. And maybe, in the journey of searching the answer, they found the scientology, and suddenly feels very comfortable with it. Because in a lot of cases, the most comfort answer is sometimes by put a question to another person's shoulder and let them deal with it.

So, this case is can be seen like when in a class, your teacher asked something like "who finds america??" to you and, because you don't know the answer you just said "oh, don't asked me, ask Johny, he seems to know that.." Only, in this case, the question is like : "What is this force that created and look over to all of us??" and their answer is : "Well, don't asked me, ask the alien, they seems to know the answer".

A very relieving for some people. But yet, in the end, that such answer will not solve any problem at all.. because if human is created and looked over by the alien, then who created the alien??

or maybe it's so popular just because of Tom Cruise.. huff.. waddaya think??

Lost in Translations,,,

I've been using a lot of english lately, thanks to AIESEC who invites me to join their project. In this last three weekends, i even had to use english almost all day long.. I always kinda confident with my english, but somehow those activities is reminds me too, that even tough i can communicate well, it still needs a whole lot more energy to me if i speaks English compared to if i speaks in Indonesian or Javanese. My brain getting tired of arranging, or searching some words that i want to say..

The problem is maybe because i still "think" with Indonesian or Javanese, it's like my brain cells is communicate to each other using those language.. For example, if some of the "bule" asked me "How's your day?" i will capture the question first, then there's like some part of my brain that understands English try to translate those words into the language that all part of my brain does understands (wich is Indonesian or Javanese), and after that, my brain can do the process of searching the approphiate answer from the question. But, those answer that my brain comes up with is -unfortunately- in Indonesian or Javanese too, so, then i have to make my part of the brain wich understands English to do the translation works again before i can opened up my mouth to responds to that question in English..

So, if i communicate in english it can be said that i use double amount of energy. Very-very unnefective and wastefull.. But, as some of you might have found out, that the problem is actually can be solved with a very simple way : "make all part of the brain to understand English". because if all part of my brain had understand English, then i can speak up directly to the "bule" of what i wanna say.. i don't need the translation process anymore. It will saves a lot of energy, and furthermore can increase my respond time too.. i can be spontanious even if i'm using English..

Then, how can i manage to train English to my brain?? Simply, by made "my brain cells" to communicate to each other by English all the time. You know, like when i'm humming, thinking, or wondering about something, i will use English now instead of Indonesian or Javanese. And i hope after several weeks doing these, all part of my brain will be fully acostumed to English, and doesn't need any translation process again.. Well, hopefully i can done that before the end of the next month.. ;)

Music is a Poetry Wich Have a Background Scenery Made From a Musical Instrument Composition,,

this one is a poetry:
Carry this picture for luck, kept in a locket
Tucked in your collar, close to your chest
Make it a secret, shown to the closest friends
And meet me at quarter to seven
The sun will still shine then at this time of year
We'll head to the inlet, and we'll share a bottle there
(Carry This Picture - by. Dashboard Confessional)

And this one is a music :
--G---------------------C---------------A7
carry this picture for luck kept in a locket
-----------------D-------------------G7
tucked in your coller close to your chest
------------C-------------------A7-------D
make it a secret shown to the closest friends
-----G---------------------C
and meet me at quarter to seven
--------------------A7-------------------------D
the sun will still shine then at this time of year
-------------------G7----------------------A7------D
we'll head to the inlet and we'll share a bottle there
(Carry This Picture - by. Dashboard Confessional)

So, music is not just a bunch of people playing a musical instrument. To me, music is about how to express our feelings trough the lyrics and then try to imitate that feeling's situation with a musical composition. Music is a poetry. . a poetry wich have a background scenery made from a musical instrument composition.

Between The Palestinian, The Israeli, and The US,,,

Israeli military agression has been going for more than ... days now. but yet, no one have come to solve or -at least- made any improvement to stop the conflict. You might think that what's hapened for Palestinian is very unfair.. But unfortunately, that is the reality,, any chances that Palestinian might have to stop the agression is somehow had blocked by the US.


just for your information, i'll show you some of the explanation why the world is seems to neglect Palestine :

Q : Why the United Nations(UN) can't do anything to stop Israeli military agression??
A : Because everytime UN wants to make a decission that will contradict with Israel, it will always "veto"-ed by US

Q : Why Arabian countries don't do anything to help Palestine??
A : Because the most powerfull Arabian countries like Egypt and Saudi Arabia are now allied with US. Iraq and Afghanishtan who have significant army are already teared up by the previous war. Iran is still suffering from a long term economic and weaponary embargo. While Hizbullah troops in Lebanon don't have any diplomatic power, and therefore don't have rights to commit an attack. Other country like Syria and Jordan might be vocals, but they don't have a sufficient economic and military power to confront with Israel.

Q : Egyptian has a history to defend Palestine from Israel military agression on the "Six Days war" and "Yom Kippur war". Why do they seems to be quiet and let all that bad things happened now??
A : Egypt is no longer ruled by Anwar Sadat.. Egypt present president Hosni Mubarak are now allied and have a very close relation with the US. US goverment is now spent not less than 2 billion USD per year as an aid to the Egyptian goverment to keep this "good relationship".

Q : Hosni Mubarak have ruled Egypt for more than 25 years now. And he was proven to betray his people by makes friend with the US. So, why Egyptian people still elect him as a president??
A : US always said that Egypt is a democratic country, and Hosni Mubarak is elected democraticaly. But the truth is not like that.. there's a big amount of evidence that proved that the election is rigged. Hosni Mubarak won because he have the money and power to supress the opossition. Therefore, he will always win the election. (US is shown a very clear example of a double standard here...)

Q : Saudi Arabia once embargoed it's oil supply to US and that has made US had a depression era without oil. Why Saudi Arabia doesn't use it's "oil power" again??
A : Oil market is not a free market. And US whose now consume more than 60 percent of world's energy is in control of the oil market and prices. Therefore a country like Saudi Arabia that depends it's income on oil alone, are very weak and vulnerable. If Saudi Arabia made a conflict with the US, it's main income resources can be troubled too.. in short: Saudi Arabia depends almost all of it's income from oil (it's second export is second hand furniture and electronics?!?! wheww), and the main buyer of oil is US. That's why Saudi Arabia doesn't want any trouble with it

Q : Why Indonesia doesn't do anything to stop Israeli military agression??
A : Almost the same thing as in Saudi Arabia.. Indonesia's main export market is with the US, while indonesia is only ranked 20th from all the US's economic partners. So, our bargain power is -unfourtunately- very very weak.. We can provoke our goverment to make a confrontation with US, but will we still think this way if we started to loose our job?? or if the comodities price are doubled???

huff, that's a hard reality, but that is the reality..
Well, what do you think?? is there any other chances? please.. feel free and don't hesitate to suggest, comment, or deny me...

How business is done !!!

Well, actually it's never been my habbit re-post somethin.. but heyy, this jokes is really funny and inspires me, that i think everyone 'll have to read this..
enjoy :)

In That Case... OK!

One day, a father talks to his son
Father: "I want you to marry a girl of my choice."
Son: "I will choose my own bride!"
Father: "But the girl is Bill Gates's daughter."
Son : "Well, in that case... OK."

The next day, father approaches Bill Gates.
Father: "I have a husband for your daughter."
Bill Gates: "But my daughter is too young to marry !"
Father: "But this young man is a vice-president of the World Bank."
Bill Gates: "Ah, in that case... OK."

Finally, father goes to see the president of the World Bank.
Father: "I have a young man to be recommended as a vice-president."
President: "But I already have more vice- presidents than I need !"
Father: "But this young man is Bill Gates's son-in-law."
President: "Ah, in that case... OK .

Love means to commit,,,

Few days earlier, my love-banged friend asked me a very classic question: "what is love's actually means??" Something that very cliche, but yet, no one can give an exact answer of that question. Everyone have their own oppinion.. and maybe, that is what makes love is so difficult for some people. When two people are in a relationship but had a different perception about love, then it will not going well.

Few years earlier, maybe i'd just can say i love you to anybody whose got an atractive appearence for me. But if love is that shallow, so why there's people who can stayed with his couple forever if his couple is not a physically or materially attractive? or even when a lot more better man is propose her over??

Like many other, i've been trough a lot of obstacle in every relationship i've had.. Some obstacles are too big.. sometimes it even can made me quit and gave up on it however hard i'd try to mantain. So now, as the time goes by, i can realize that actually the only thing that can bend a man and a woman together together in a relationship is not "the hang out together", "the funny stories", "the teasing to each other", "the shoulder to rely on", or all other good and bad times together, but the awareness about how he and her are commit to the same way. If they both are commit to their relationship, then there is nothing more to expect..

I believe in this enormous world, there's thousands of girls whose lot better and a lot more fits to me than my girl i'm on now. But, when everytime i'm on a relationship i still looked over a better person, then when is this going to be over? And if she thinks that way too, i don't have a chance to get her either.

So don't bother to complain with your couple's pluss' or minuss'. If you have think that he/she can be the one for you, so just go for it. And the most important thing: commit for it. Whatever will happened, you're in a relationship with him/her. There will be no such thing like don't fit to each other anymore.
And for me, that's what is love actually means.. a commitment to a relationship.

Social ride,,,

I remembere when i attended the Opera software seminar a few weeks ago, the speakers (a web evengelist) said that the most visited website in Indonesia is friendster.com. almost 40% of Indonesians whose online, are log in to friendster.com. He shows his astonishment on why Indonesians can be so enthusiastic with social networking site.. One of the most logical answer that i can think that time is, because basically, Indonesian are a very social people. It can be seen in everyday life, especially in the rural area. They usually are very interested on what's happening on other people's life. So, when friendster arrives, i think some of that "way of life" is somehow also applied there. A lot of people wants to stay connected with the old friend, and wants to know what's happening, or what's the latest news about them..
For me (or everybody else like me) who have moved settlement, a social networking site is also like a social saver. Maybe we don't recognized it, but right now i can feel like if there's no site like friendster in that time, i maybe have already loose contact with all my highschool friends..
Right now, we also have a facebook..still less popular in Indonesia compared to friendster actually, but this site's member growth is amazing. Couple of months ago, when i asked about it, nobody have an account there, but now, everybody started to thinks that friendster is so out-of-date. Right now, we can see that almost everybody that likes social networking site, have a facebook. And they are logged in and updated everything in their facebook account almost everyday.. there's always something new in facebook nowadays. Otherwise, friendster is became more and more boring and less people are logged on. It started to loosing it's social value. Because What's the use of a social networking site if there's no people to socialize there?? So sorry to friendster, it's very usefull in it's time, but now, facebook is on the way.. i'm pretty sure that in less than a year, facebook will overwhelmed friendster as the most popular social networking site.
So, if your main reason to use friendster is to connect with all your friends and relatives, i think now is the time to grab up and moved. Because everybody are already (or will be) in facebook right now, and i'm sure you don't want to loose the train and left alone in the old shack..

my December(2),,

There's no such thing like a dream that is too great.
One of my favourite books is "The Secret". Wich mention that the most important thing that you need to do to achieve everything you want is by "dream" it, "feel" it, and "be sure" that it will happen. Set a possible deadline, and stay focus!!
This year is terrible, but i don't wanna regret it. It's a bad history, and from that, i can learn something.. I've wasted my time..

the most important thing is what will happen next year. And i expect MUCH on it.

Something that i've planned to achieve on 2009:

Improve my TOEFL score to 590.........................................January 2009
Finish my thesis.........................................................February 2009
Get a foreign internship deal............................................February-March 2009
Go on an international internship.....................................April-May 2009
Start to search a job opportunity in a multinational company....September 2009
Get a job and enjoying my steady income..............................November 2009

Well, maybe it's dificult,, but surely it's not impossible. And I WILL achieve it.

my December,,

It's December already..

I hate December. especially on this year.. To me December is always feels like a deadline for all the things i've planned to achieve in one year.

And this year, i still don't achieve anything.. even one..

This year have really spoiled me. I'm on my comfort zone..

Arghhh.. gotta STRUGGLE more and "get out" of this comfortness.

...
this is my december
these are my snow covered dreams
this is me pretending
this is all i need
... (Linkin Park - My December)

Been livin' for 22 years,,,

Today is my 22nd birthday.. well, nothing special actually. Its just like any other day,, except the fact that i'm receiving more text messages today and some birthday gifts (heyy, being 22 doesn't mean that you stop receving birthday gifts, right? :))

First present is from my father. Like usual, he asked me first what i want for my birthday.. I just lost my flashdisk few weeks ago, so i said to my father that i think i need a new one. Then, he said "Okay, i'll send the money, just buy yourself whatever nice to you". Erghh... kinda tragic actually, but its okay, i always prefer to choose my own stuff. And you know what!? after i checked on some computer stores around campuss, i found out that now an 8 GB flashdisk is only cost Rp.155.000.. Its the same price with my old 2GB when i bought it about a years ago.

Second is from my Mother and sister,, They bought me this very nice perfume, a Hugo Boss's Soul. it comes in a very stylish packaging.. My sis describe the scent as "spicy" ?.?
hehe,, a very nice idea.. i'm not accostumed to use one actually, but maybe they think that i'm now too old to just using a deodorant spray.

The special gift is offcourse from my girlfriend,, :). She took a day off from her work and comes to Malang this morning just to meet me,, We spend the morning, the noon, and the afternoon together.. something that i'm rarely get nowadays..
Before i ride her to terminal to go back to Surabaya, i have a chance to take this cute pict when she act like a japanese girls wearing a kimono, hehe,,
heyy,, she IS look like a japanese girl right..

Last but not least is a surprise present from a stranger that i met in my english course at TBI yesterday. So, that day is my first day, and when we're having a lil' bit of chit-chat, he asked me where's my school!! So, he thinks that i'm a highschool student.. Hohohoho,,
Well, okay, that's not a present, it's just coincident. But a very weird coincident, because its happened just a day before my 22nd birthday.. So, i think i can take it as a present from my Protector. Alhamdulillahi Robbil'alamiin.. :)
Younger than my age?? ?.?

Sempai's pride,,

This story began with my boss at CSN asked me to handle the adobe photoshop class. Heyy, i'm kinda newbie in graphic design too,, but OK, i still accepted it. I think this will give me a new point of view. It can force me to learn photoshop. And i'm feeling a little bored with all those programming things either.
The only problem is, that we in CSN still don't have any books or guidelines for this course's curiculum. So i gotta create it myself.
At first i'm very confused on how to create it.. I have a lot of books that have a lot of tips like how to use lasso tools, how to manipulate colors, how to separate channels etc. It's very nice and tidy, except a fact that actually after we read and practice on it, we still don't know how to create somethin'... So then i came up with these idea: "The best way to be good in somethin' is by doing it." So, i throw all those "how-to" books and started it with my own method. By give a small project every course meeting. Started with simple project and then improve the dificulities over time.
How's the result?? Well, i think it did it.. with practical method like that, after a course is finished, the students will be tough that they are not only just understand the photoshop's basic, but also feel like they have done somethin', -or in this case- have "design" somethin'.
Like in our 4th meeting. When i have to show them how to use a "texture manipulation tools" in photoshop like "Healing tool", "clone stamp tool", "dodge and burn tool" and "blur tool".

Instead of explain how to use those tools one by one, I make this picture enhancement project:
I have a nice oldman picture that i got from the internet, and with all those tools, i show them how to make the man on the picture looks "younger" and "brighter".

(Notice the wrinkles around the old-man's eyes, nose and mouth are gone)
Heyy, it works right.. With "directly" use those tools to create somethin', they have more understanding than just a theory. And off course it is a lot more fun.