Wonder(ing)1

2004-09-14T23:00:00.000+08:00

closing time

2004-08-06T17:31:00.000+08:00

Apa lagi yang kurang? Bukankah saya punya segalanya?

2004-08-01T18:25:00.001+08:00

Been meeting some people these last weeks,

Minggu lalu (Jul 25) aku ikutan nyambut tamu2 dari Peace Boat Voyage 46th di Singapur (http://www.peaceboat.org). Lumayan, it was really fun to bring those Japanese ladies sightseeing around Singapore.. kita -anak2 United Nations SMU plus yg sukarela ikutan- nyambut mereka di Harbor Front lalu satu mahasiswa dipasangkan dgn 1 orang jepang, dikasih bekel $50 trus terserah deh mo dibawa kemana2 ajah. Aku sama 2 freshie yg rada2 ribet dan cranky dan Lili tmn setanah air jalan bawa 4 tamu.. Tujuan pertama ke Chinatown, mereka seneng bgt ngeliat Indian temple di sana, minum kelapa, trs Little India, Thai Express restaurant, dan berakhir di War Memorial Park untuk upacara Olympic Truce, ada api dari Hiroshima-Nagasaki lho! Aku diajarin joget Macedonia hehehe... Tamu2 yg kami ber4 bawa adalah 3 orang ibu2 sekitar umur 50-60 taunan, sama 1 perempuan muda sekitar 25th: Yoshie Iwasawa namanya, seorang video editor di salah satu stasiun TV di Jepang sana. Takako Yajima. Seorang ibu dari 2 anak yg sudah dewasa, suaminya sudah pergi lebih dulu beberapa tahun lalu. Selalu membawa boneka beruang yg dia namai Pi-chan (meet pi-chan!! he is my son!!). Ada kesepian yg menusuk dari senyumnya waktu nunjukin foto keluarganya waktu masih lengkap.. Entah apa alasannya ngikutin tur 3 bulan ini.. Ootaki Chiyoko, seorang guru ikebana. Kecil lucu dan pake kacamata yg 2 lapis item putih dan itemnya bisa dibuka itu lho. Noriko Katayama. It was a fine day :-) Oh ya, sehari sebelumnya ketemu sama mahasiswa2 Indonesia laennya utk bikin kepanitiaan Indonesian Art Festival 2005. Nice to know you friends!!! =))

Lalu minggu ini ketemu sama Aynun Najyb di Suntec CT, ikutan seminar Securities Investors Association Singapore... Haha... Gila bener deh ni anak 1. Seneng deh ketemu prospective partner in crime! Menarik.. menarik... Pokoknya hari2ku menyenangkan deh.. Gak ada alasan untuk mengeluh!

2004-07-17T18:47:00.000+08:00

Mungkin bagiku mereka adalah sahabat. Sejenak aku merasa begitu dicintai. Rasa bahagia yang berbeda. Senyuman, gurauan, pelukan, ciuman. Segalanya berlimpah untukku di sana. Untukku.

18 hari di India terasa begitu singkat. Mungkin benar bahwa baik atau buruk terkadang tak bisa dipastikan sebelum kita jalani sendiri. Berangkat dengan berat hati, keluh kesah berkepanjangan kepada seorang teman dari Malaysia.. 11 Juni 2004. Segalanya terasa begitu berat, meninggalkan Jakarta lebih cepat. Ada penyesalan bahkan rasa bersalah. Even when I met my friends in Changi, I felt alienated. I didn’t know many people in my group, and I wasn’t close to those that I knew, except Suyi the Malaysian girl. But okay anyway I was in the point of no return, I had to go. We took Srilankan Airlines. I don’t remember much about the 4 hours flight to Colombo, guess I slept my way through. The only thing that I remember is that Drew Barrymore’s 50 First Dates was shown in the craft. Changi. Colombo. Bangalore (baca: beng-ge-loor).

Di Bangalore malam hari, Kirti menyambut dengan sukacita. Kirti was my classmate in some courses so I knew her quite well. She’s our Indian Liaison for this project. She went to India a few weeks earlier. She lives in Delhi and had to take 2 nights train to Bangalore. Quite refreshing to receive such a warm welcome, she had her hair dyed, and she brought peach roses for us. Okay, the weather was nice that night, cool and windy. Langsung ke stasiun kereta api, di sana ada kamar2 yang disewakan untuk 1 malam saja, tak boleh lebih. Namanya “retiring rooms”. Seram sekali, jalanan penuh laki-laki berkulit hitam, dan di dalam stasiun banyak orang bergeletakan. Banyak kulit pisang bergeletakan juga. Rupanya pisang populer di sana. The room was okay, bau rokok dan antiseptik, tapi boleh lah, gak ada komplain. Shared the room with Eleanor and Suyi. Kita makan malam di Comesun, di stasiun… I miss that restaurant.

The next day we went to Krishna Temple. Ini sih objek wisata… masih baru gitu. Ingat Vishnu-Shiwa-Brahmaji, 3 dewa umat Hindu ? Krisna ini titisannya Vishnu. Masuk ke dalam candi kita harus lepaskan alas kaki, kamera dan tas tak boleh dibawa masuk… lalu jalan kaki berkelok2 menyusuri tempat2 ibadah. Lalu dahiku dipasangin kuning2! Keren. Lalu kita ke candi laen, entah apa namanya. Kebetulan pemuka2 agamanya lagi pada mandiin patung. Nggak terlalu terpukau, mungkin karena Borobudur begitu megah.

Tujuan selanjutnya Lal Bagh Botanic Garden. Tidak keren sama sekali. Tandus. Tak seperti Kebun Raya Bogor yang selalu memberi kesejukan, kesunyian, kedamaian, keriuhan, atau sepi, tak ada kesan yang kutangkap di sana. Tapi lumayanlah olahraga lari2 naik bukit batu dengan kuil di puncaknya. Lalu kami ke restoran yg nyempil di sela2 toko. Kumuh, tapi anehnya ramai sekali!! Harus ngantri pula. Ternyata makannya lucu… Pertama kita disuruh duduk, disuguhi jus anggur-lemon. Lalu datang piring logam. Lalu lelaki2 pramusaji yg memakai cawat itu membawa ember logam yang ternyata berisi makanan, lalu mereka berkeliling menjatah tiap2 piring. Terus saja seperti itu sampai kira2 ada 15 jenis lauk vegetarian dan 2 jenis nasi, bubur, serta roti India (chapatti). Baru akhirnya kita disajikan es krim warna kuning rasa lucu. Itu pun masih ada tambahan rempah2 untuk dikunyah, dibungkus daun tembakau. Menarik! Setelah itu kita ke Commercial Street, tempat belanja di Bangalore. Salah satu teman kami, Aarti, ketabrak sepeda!! Kasian. Nangis deh.. Apakah tepat untuk berpikir menyelamatkan diri sendiri dahulu di saat seperti itu?

Jam 7 malam kami mulai packing dan nurunin barang2 (saya kebagian di lantai 3). Oh ya pemandangan dari retiring room ini cukup dramatis, bisa lihat stasiun yang sibuk, berbagai macam orang, dan monyet2 berjumpalitan. Monyet binatang suci di sini, tapi banyak yang mati gara2 kesetrum kabel listrik. Biasanya mereka bikin upacara kalao ada monyet yang mati, seperti upacara untuk manusia. Lalu kami latihan macam2 permainan untuk ngajak maen anak2 di panti asuhan nanti… Jam 9 malam naik kereta api.. Kita pesen sleeping compartment. Akhirnya ngerasain juga naik kereta yg ada tempat tidurnya! Selama ini hanya bisa mengagumi dari buku-buku. Alhamdulillah dapet di bagian atas! Terkenang waktu naik kapal laut ke Kota Baru, Kalimantan... Enak tidur di kereta. Sayang dingin sekali karena celah-celah keretanya nggak rapat. Tahu-tahu sudah sampai di Coimbatore (baca: kombatoor). Coimbatore ini beda provinsi sama Bangalore. Kita pilih naik kereta karena kalau naik bis pajak antar provinsinya mahal.

Dari Coimbatore kami naik bis menuju Coonoor (baca: kunur). Satu keengganan dari berpindah alat transportasi adalah ngangkut2 barang yg banyak sekali itu. Entah mengapa teman2 pada bawa koper super besar banyak2. Saya sendiri cuma bawa carrier gunung yg sengaja tidak diisi penuh. Bertekad tak mau bawa banyak2, packing list dipotong sampai nyaris 1/4nya. Sudah ada feeling bahwa orang2 Singapur ini emang pada paranoid aja, sampai nyuruh bawa roti segala! Canggih :-D 2 jam perjalanan yg menurut cerita berkelok-kelok menaiki gunung (lagi2 saya tidur), sampai juga di Coonoor. Di sana kami langsung berlari menuju stasiun kereta mainan (toy train). Coonoor sebenarnya sudah bagian dari tempat tujuan kami (Ootacamund/Ooty). Ooty ini tujuan wisata di daerah India Selatan. Wilayahnya dikelilingi gunung2. Kereta maenan ini kecepatannya cuman 40 km/h, terbuat dari kayu, jadi sengaja dibuat untuk menikmati pemandangan… Lahan, tumbuhan, perumahan, bunga-bunga, bahkan tumpukan batu, semua masih alami, bukan tak terjamah tapi mungkin memang sengaja dipertahankan. Strategi wisata mungkin, tapi terlalu alami untuk bisa dibilang demikian. Dan memang indah sekali. Kebetulan saat itu musim hujan, ada pelangi besaaar. It had been raining cats and dogs, tanpa henti… 42 hari terakhir! Dingin sangat. Kalau nggak salah rangenya sekitar 11-14 celcius.

Oke so we are now in Ooty. Dari situ naik bis lagi menuju rumah singgah yang kita tuju. Nggak tepat juga kalau dibilang panti asuhan, karena rata2 mereka masih punya orangtua, cuma aja keluarganya bermasalah dan nggak bisa ngasuh mereka. Jadi mereka ini sebenarnya masih bisa dibilang “beruntung”. No, it’s not them. It is me who is lucky.

It was quite surprising to see those kids who are very much diverse. Ada yg tamil (India Selatan), ada juga yg keturunan Tibet. Wah sulit sekali awalnya untuk menghapal nama-nama. Lobsang, Gombu Lham, Akila, Vimala, Jagadesh, Teresa, Thupten, Nima, Sangey Girl, Sangey Boy, Michael, Chaiten, Durga, Alex, David, Little Dolma, Big Dolma, Priyanka, Geetha, Bhagya, Rohini. Kunchok and Chockey.

---to be continued---

2004-07-03T17:51:00.000+08:00

So I'm back, meninggalkan India. Anganku tak akan pernah meninggalkannya.

Memori-memori menyesakkanku. Mendesak untuk keluar namun memori ini ternyata bukan untuk dideskripsikan. Mungkin aku terlalu bodoh. Ya, aku terlalu bodoh. Desakan ini terekspresikan dalam sinyal-sinyal positif.. dalam senyuman. Ternyata perjalanan ini mengajarkanku ilmu lain dalam institusi bernama kehidupan. I'm glad I took the chance.

I've seen another part of the world and most ready to see more!

2004-06-10T12:16:00.000+08:00

Gone for India. Will be back June 29th.

The journey is just about to begin. Promise you to take the small notes of things and thoughts as your souvenir.

Catch you all soon.

Peace upon us.

2004-06-10T12:13:00.000+08:00

2 main principles of economics:

1. Optimization: Each person tries to choose the best alternative available to him or her.

2. Equilibrium: People’s actions must eventually be consistent with each other.

Interesting, eh? I'm striked.

2004-06-08T23:27:00.000+08:00

Dinda di sini! After a while...

Kesunyian tak selamanya berarti kedamaian, keselarasan, atau kenyamanan.
Bahkan untukku. Kesunyian kali ini berbeda, kesunyian yang menenggelamkan.

Sabtu malam tinggalkan Jakarta menuju tanah perjuangan, langsung disambut apartemen yg kosong dan super berdebu. Nyoba kontak beberapa teman tapi tak ada yg di singapurapura... semua pulang kampung ke negeri masing2. Akhirnya ngerasain gimana hidup seorang diri.. Funny how I change according to situation. Waktu di jkt sempet agak paranoid gara2 ketularan bokap kecanduan tayangan misteri (Paleo, ukauka, uji nyali..)sekarang bisa tenang2 aja sendirian.

So however, I'm fine. Been loading my stuffs ke carrier kesayangan, untuk ke bangalore. I'm losing my confidence, rasanya begitu tertinggal dan belum dapet sense of unitynya untuk kegiatan ke india kali ini. Sama sekali. Will try my best to focus and contribute. Hope I can get the right direction. This is something new and this most likely will be a story i will tell my grandchildren. Will keep you updated once I get back. Wish me good 18 long days..

Berminggu-minggu di Jakarta, sedikit banyak melihat the real business world in the country. Bagaimana koneksi ternyata harus diakui sangat penting dalam berkompetisi. Bagaimana ilmu yg didapat dari segala pendidikan bisnis seringkali lebih seperti lelucon. Kita kayaknya emang harus belajar dari bebek. Di permukaan terlihat tenang, membuat ngantuk dan lengah orang yg melihatnya, but peddling like a devil under the surface.

Usaha untuk menentukan arah masih juga belum ada titik terang. Sementara saya nikmati saja disorientasi ini.

Oh ya, saya punya hamster sekarang, namanya Karamel dan Lolipop. 2 biji luculucu. Dibelikan dia di jatinegara. Karena 2 hamster senior ternyata cerdik cendikia, berhasil membuka pintu sangkar dan kabur dengan suksesnya...

2004-05-05T18:52:00.000+08:00

Keliling Blok M pasar, beli tas keren 22rb, kemeja antik 19rb, sendal aksi 10rb, hairdryer 5rb... Berpelesir mengitari pasar berbasah keringat mencari harga miring kualitas bagus (it's not about the song, it's about the singer..)sambil menggerogoti arum manis -waktu saya kecil, namanya "rambut nenek"-. Kapan lagi bisa seperti ini... Only in Jakarta, my dear, only in Jakarta..

I've re-discovered the joy of reading newspaper since I'm back here.. It's just different compared to Straits, Today, etc..

---By the way, GPA sucks. S***w it.

2004-04-18T11:16:00.000+08:00

Can't believe that I am home. Can't believe that my dad is snoring right now, next to myself.
Can't believe what I went through yesterday...

What he did was sweeter than any dreams I've ever had in my mind.. He is better than any sweet dreams. Sweetest thing.

2004-04-16T11:16:00.000+08:00

About yesterday, the day when it's over.

Celebrated it with SuYi, had sushi buffet that covered our lunch dinner and breakfast. What a sinner I am.. I have never felt THAT full before.

Last nite, more people thought that I resembled one of the girl on TV today. Hmm... funny.

I am going home tomorrow. I'm just glad that I'll get to meet my sis and bro, and my a. And of course the food feast. Other than that, the feeling is.. mixed. Hope I won't catch a heart attack.

2004-04-13T00:02:00.000+08:00

I always leer on the ladies who gazes out the window of the bus with teary eyes, or those in the MRT. Foolish them. I learnt my lesson today. Karma is once again on the stage. Spent LOTS of money on him today, but it was worth it. Someone out there, you've got me going crazy. Love you.

2004-04-11T22:18:00.000+08:00

I feel helpless. I am helpless. I've got to see you again..

2004-04-11T19:04:00.000+08:00

My best nap ever. Jendela dibuka, bantal dan guling dibawa ke sofa, dan tertidur ditemani suara hujan...

2004-04-10T11:02:00.000+08:00

Been staying back in campus til 12 at night these last 2 days, with funny cutie vietnamese girls to keep me company. Darn kiasuism.

2004-04-08T22:23:00.000+08:00

Eugh... turns out that nothing much I can report about the talk. It was not so inspiring whatsoever, maybe I just hate motivators.

2004-04-08T11:44:00.000+08:00

Hmm karena Najyb bertanya, maka saya coba menjawab.

Jadi ceritanya begini... Kan saya ambil leadership and teambuilding course, di mana proyek utamanya bikin suatu community service bersama 5 rekan lainnya. Ada dua proyek yg kami berhasil dapatkan, pertama ngecat youth center di AMK sepanjang liburan kemaren (yg dapet sertipikat itu..) sama ngajak maen anak2 yg "bermasalah" di suatu Sec. di Yio Chu Kang.

Mo nostalgia dikit ah, waktu saya seumur mereka -14 taun- saya lagi sibuk2nya ngurusin majalah sekulah, maen teater, nyiapin EBTANAS, dan bakat nomaden-otonom-soktau sudah kentara, suka berkeluyuran dengan teman2 yang pada saat itu mulai berpacaran nginep di rumah temen nginep di sekolah dst dsb. Anak ABG yg sangat sok aktif dan suka tertawa tidak jelas dah pokoknya. Good 'ol days... :-)

Bedanya sec.2 sama SMP kelas 3... entahlah, sekolah sepertinya jadi poros hidup mereka.. sepatu harus putih, di beberapa sekolah bahkan kunciran rambut mesti seragam. Perbedaan utamanya yaitu anak2 kelas 3 SMP di Indonesia gayanya lebih "tua" dari sec.2, kesan saya sih SMP 3 lebih bebas dinamis (although still debatable in terms of productivity). Mungkin tuntutan memang lebih tinggi di negeri ini, there are CERTAIN steps that they believe must be taken in order to excel with excellence in life. Pengartian dari sukses (going to a seminar about "the meaning of success to you" this afternoon. Adinda will be reporting tonight about it) cenderung lebih homogen di sini, terkadang saya rindu akan diskusi diskusi kantin bersama teman2 lama, tentang nilai2 kehidupan seharihari, diskusi yang mungkin naif dan terlalu teoretis namun tak ayal memperkaya. Singapurapura... di mana orangorang mengurung diri dalam citacita, dan kesepian bersama. I feel cold. Do you?

2004-04-07T21:04:00.000+08:00

Huh hari ini aneh! Saya bolak balik Orchard 2x gara2 lupa bawa dompet, udah gitu lipgloss kesayangan jatuh dan hilang entah ke mana pula... Kebanyakan dosa pasti nih X-(

2004-04-06T21:02:00.000+08:00

Sigh.. I am a loser once again. When people start to speak big words, I'm chickened out.
"Better be silent and thought as a loser than speaking up and clears all doubts about it" haunts me too bad.
Need to sharpen up. Can't let this feeling to kill me. Hello, I am Jane!

2004-04-06T17:14:00.000+08:00

Went to the last game session in Presbyterian Sec. School. The kids were quite fun to play with, now I know that Gobak Sodor/Galasin is called Defending game here. Dog&Bone, Blow Wind Blow, Whacko!, Captain's Ball, Police&Thief. Leadership course is (perhaps) not that bad afterall :-) Sec.2 students are very much different with anak2 kelas 3 SMP. VERY much.

After a quick makeover, heading back to school to get some food and I have to be in the seminar room within 2 mins. Will catch ya back soon. It's not the end. Not yet.

2004-04-05T19:27:00.000+08:00

Turned out that I am just a girl afterall.
But the dream to be a wonder woman still lingers there!!! (someone whispers "yea rite.. keep on dreaming". Oh, just my conscience.)

2004-04-05T12:56:00.000+08:00

Pemilu di Singapura tertib dan lancar. Senang juga ngeliat orang2 berkemeja menyempatkan datang sambil menggendong anak di Senin pagi demi negara... Ada juga sih mbak2 dengan baju minim dan rambut pirang ngeceng sambil pemilu :-D Pemilunya computerized, yg jaga mahasiswa2 dan petugas KBRI, walau nyoblos sih tetep aja pake paku. Antrean seperti ular naga panjangnya bukan kepalang, jalanan nyampe ditutup tapi anehnya cepat banget, karena tertib kali yaa.. trs TPSnya enak gitu di dalem kedubes, berAC. Sebenarnya agak menyesal gak sempet riset sebelum memilih, ya sudahlah, semoga gak salah pilih.

2004-04-04T14:35:00.000+08:00

Was daydreaming in the seems-to-be-endless bus trip when a thought came ablaze. Aku ingin ketika besar nanti punya rumah di dekat pasar tradisional. Tentang bus trip ini, sesekali aku suka jalan2 ke Toa Payoh untuk ngisi stok kulkas karena di sana supermarketnya lebih murah (wet market susah ditemui di sini).

Buat teman2 yg pgn perlu sesuatu dari Sin, saya mo pulkam nih 2 minggu lagi. Hubungi di MSN vodafone_10@hotmail.com atao alvaliant di Y!Msg. ....Adinda! Jgn lupa bawa ulekan pas balik.

Besok ke Embassy, pemilu pertamaku senangnyaa... Selasa mao ke kampus ikutan seminar CEOnya PSS (Ernst&Young Indonesia). Tumben2 lho yg dateng dari Indonesia... Sepertinya seru :-)

2004-04-04T14:23:00.001+08:00

Funny how you are either a girl or an auntie here. (Or a boy and an uncle if you -poor you :-p- happen to be male).

2004-04-03T22:00:00.000+08:00

Pempekku yg pertama yg aseli buatan sendiri benarbenar sendiri...
Oh inikah yg disebut bakat?? :-o

2004-04-02T23:12:00.000+08:00

A life full of luxuries.

2004-04-02T21:15:00.000+08:00

Hari ini suxes ngerjain PR bersama Ledy lalu ke Bugis cari gratisannn!!

2004-03-31T18:38:00.000+08:00

Uhui.. LTB is down!!!

2004-03-29T23:09:00.000+08:00

My dear friends, here is a little piece of advice for you. Don't ever take leadership course. EVER.

2004-03-29T10:19:00.000+08:00

A few weeks have passed by since the Thursday I attended a CEO Talk of OCBC chief executive David Conner on Quality Management (teori handing over.. that blank spots that you have to be aware when you split employees into divisions).. Passionate man he is. He mentioned about OCBC's intention to spread its arms to South East Asia..by mergers, acquisitions, or any other strategies.

Well, as published in The Business Times online 5 hari yg lalu, OCBC acquired 22.5% stake of NISP Bank, paying 47% premium of harga penutupan kemaren. OCBC ini salah satu top performers di Singapura, selain DBS dan UOB (2 bank ini nggak punya major stake, tapi cabangnya ada di jakarta, kalo Temasek Holdings -parent company dari public co.s here in Singapore ada stake di BII n Danamon). And they are aiming for more. Kevin Scully, managing director of NetResearch Asia, said yesterday that OCBC was paying a high price, given that NISP is trading at 2.5 times its book value, although this is partially compensated by NISP's higher return on equity of 18.8 per cent. FYI, return on equity is net income/stockholder's equity yg kira2 terjemahan kasarnya dari tiap dolar investasi berupa saham+retained earning, net income yg berhasil dijaring 18.8 cents. Which is quite good.

He said: 'Compared to its other banking peers, there is higher risk involved for OCBC as they are going into a less mature market where the banking system might still not be robust enough.'

OCBC, however, has mitigated the risk by buying into a conservative bank which has a low non-performing loan ratio, good cash-flow and high return on equity, he said.

Lalu bagaimana implikasinya ke ekonomi Indonesia? Well I guess foreign investment is always encouraged. Kita lihat saja perkembangannya.

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Today is going to be a long... day! 8.30am (well... roughly. I was late by 20 mins hehe) to 6.45pm, ditambah reflection essay 3 lembar. But I am perfectly fine! In fact this starts to be exciting. Terimakasih untuk seorang sahabat! Dan those certain people out there.. Your support really means a lot. :-) k I'm off for lunch### Aneh, baru 2,5 jam lalu makan indomi telor kok udah laper lagi ya?

2004-03-28T14:51:00.001+08:00

Tanpa maxud mengkritik, karena aku memang bukan ahlinya kalau sudah urusan kreatifitas, tapi negara mini ini -mengutip Mbak Saskia, I've disclaimed that I am not the whizz- kok agak sedikit kurang kreatip gitu yah? Terbukti dari iklan yang garing2 (ada 1 lelaki berambut keriting keribo mirip marcel mirip juga maradona bertahi lalat yang seperti tompel -upss- yang selalu dipasang di most commercials around. Gak tao namanya siapa yg pasti dia2 juga. Atau iklan berupa percakapan! Get real, this is 2004. Atau seperti biasa mengangkat isu transgender, lelaki yg berperan sebagai wanita. Atau mempermaenkan orang2 yg kebetulan punya substance gak tepat berlebih di tempat yg nggak tepat. So you really think its funny huh?? Is it? Is IT?? Garing.). Itu tentang iklan di TV, tapi gak terlalu mengganggu karena I don't watch TV anyway (kecuali American Idol hehehe). Kalao di media cetak.. hmm coba kita soroti di iklan2 lembaga pendidikan aja ya, mereka hobi banget pasang gambar mahasiswa yg tersenyum cerah ceria atau dengan mulut sedikit terbuka sebagai ekpresi excitement sambil loncat kaki ditekuk ke belakang rambut berkibar (kebayang nggak sih? hehe), pakai jargon bahwa lembaga tersebut "different", beda. Bahwa dengan bergabung di lembaga tersebut, siswa akan ngerasain "hidup", yg nggak sekedar tugas2 sekolahan (padahal... perlu tablet anti-stress juga akhir2nya). Di SMU juga begitu.

Mungkin negara ini emang lagi berusaha membentuk citra baru. I'll talk about a very popular slang, kiasu later. Singapura emang bisa dibilang model country. Cukup menarik juga kalau ngamatin strugglenya, dibingkai dengan keterbatasan ini-itu dan scarcity sumber daya di sana-sini. An expat-heaven as they might say, terutama orang2 eropa senang sekali jadi residen di sini. Excellent transportation system, strong law enforcement, serba teratur, strategis, quality control yg ketat di segala bidang, dan harga2 tergolong murah untuk mereka dibanding remunerasi yg mereka terima sebagai seorang european di negara ini (fyi, foreign talent dianggap superior di sini karena taraf kreatifitasnya dianggap jauh lebih tinggi dibanding Singaporean yg dull boring kurang artsy kurang greng dst dsb --masalah kultur sodara2). Foreign students di sini kayaknya ada tendensi mau gak mau juga jadi ikut2an lari ke retail-therapy untuk de-stress atau sekedar ngisi waktu. Ahem.. well I'm starting to lose my point, nanti deh di sort out lagi, sekian dulu info hari ini, gotta run for the Leadership presentation prep, yes this is Sunday. How kiasu we are :-)

2004-03-25T21:18:00.000+08:00

AIESEC bawa berkah! Udah berapa hari nih pesta tempe, bakwan, cemilan2 ina, nastar sodara sodara! Comms class is down. 4 more to go.. doakan ya :-)

2004-03-21T20:14:00.000+08:00

Here comes the end of my 5th last week. 4 more weeks to go. Phew.. I somehow enjoy being busy :-)

Sentosa is not THAT special. Well it might be, if you come there with your beloved one. You know la, the lanterns, colorful boats, and the faithful merlion. But other than that, it was pretty much superficial. Anyer is way better. But AIESEC Global Village was fun. Tentu sajaaa keripik tempe, keripik nangka, kacang, nastar, lemper, kurang fun apa coba? :-D Ahem my global friends, nice to meet you all.. homeworks and projects, I am back!

2004-03-19T23:46:00.000+08:00

She can kill with a smile, she can wound with her eyes,
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies,
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child but she's always a woman to me
She can lead you to love, she can take you or leave you,
She can ask for the truth but she'll never believe you,
And she'll take what you give her as long as it's free,
Yeah she steals like a thief but she's always a woman to me
Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants,
She's ahead of her time

Oh, and she never gives out and she never gives in,
She just changes her mind
And she'll promise you more than the garden of Eden
then she'll carelessly cut you and laugh while you're bleeding,
But she brings out the best and the worst you can be.
Blame it all on yourself cause she's always a woman to me.
Oh, she takes care of herself, she can wait if she wants,

She's ahead of her time
Oh, and she never gives out and she never gives in,
She just changes her mind
She is frequently kind and she's suddenly cruel,
She can do as she pleases, she's nobody's fool,
But she can't be convicted, she's earned her degree,
And the most she will do is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me.

2004-03-19T23:23:00.000+08:00

Ternyata ini rasanya... Terimakasih untuk dia :-) Ke mana saja saya selama ini..

All about APXLDS 2004 Singapore, AIESEC. Hectic, messy, but fun. Somehow di luar dugaan.. hmm this is interesting. Oh ya, met the delegates from UnDip and UnPad. Sound familiar?

2004-03-17T22:00:00.000+08:00

Went to this Wee Kim Wee talk by a 26-years-old security technology analyst of Microsoft today. Jhonathon Cervelli. A graduate from U of Chicago who successfully made me ponder through all the things that I've left behind. He drew a comparison between education in USA and Singapore, well it wasn't easy because they are in fact very different in so many aspects. One point that is nailed on my mind now, "...going to college was a chance for me to reinvent myself."

2004-03-15T18:04:00.002+08:00

A few days ago, a Chinese footballer, a shining star, had to end his newly begun journey. He was struck by lightning while he was practicing in Jurong stadium. Such a tragedy. Untuk semua, harap hati2 kalo main bola pas ujan2...

Talking about rain, I love to feel the raindrops touching my head.. I walked in the rain today, when I missed 3 bus stops and had to walk to the chinese household store to buy a wok (wajan). I kinda had this stupid wish that the rain would purify my mind ~_~

Okay, so these 2 days I was busy with the open house 2004 in campus. We tried to fundraise for India Trip, to lower the cost for everyone. I wore vietnamese dress on the first day, with a white-purple flower on my hair.. Made me look like Storm of X-Men :-D We sold kacang puteh and ginveras in different colors. I'm not really a good sales person hehe. We managed to generate $1200 including cost of goods sold, and won the 3rd best booth prize for $500. I felt awful that I had to tell people that the money will go to the Indian orphanage.. hh... God knows.

I wanted bad to go to this Leadership seminar by AIESEC, which will attract tertiary students from 16 AsPac countries, but the ticket costs $30. I don't think I can afford it so I'll volunteer for AIESEC for 3 days.. at least I can see from afar.. although I won't be a part of them :-)

I found a song that describes most women very beautifully... try Billy Joel's Always A Woman. Love it!

2004-03-08T18:53:00.000+08:00

Sudahlah. Akui saja.
Aku lebih butuh makian daripada kata sabar itu.

Today was okay. Talked for the 1st time in micro class.
Got some e-mails from my dad, i'm glad that he's the one who becomes my dad.
And he certainly not just a face whom i happen to call "dad".

2004-03-07T20:15:00.000+08:00

"Kak, di sini ada semprotan nyamuk lho!"

Addina. Nama yg nggak kreatif karena cuma derivasi dari nama kakaknya. 7 tahun kelas 2 SD sangat dewasa hobi nonton katakan cinta. She's somehow everything I am not... kreatif lucu smart dan cantik. We are alike in some ways that we tend to be shy and norak at the same time. dan Adikku yg takut sama "semprotan nyamuk" alias fogging yg biasa diadain RT pas musim demam berdarah kayak gini. Takutnya ekstrim sampai tiap ada semprotan nyamuk dia wajib ngungsi jauhjauh... Kangen juga sama bocah kecil manis manja itu =)

Came to UNSA (United Nation Student Association) yesterday, and I'll be selling kachang puteh -kacang tapi nggak putih, sejenis snack india- in the open house next week. I'll also be wearing a traditional costume. Maybe vietnamese ao dai if I can fit to Duong's dress, she's so petite so... harus puasa kali nih biar muat :-D

Menu hari ini sup ayam, bakwan udang, 1 sugar roll, dan 3 batang coklat.

*sigh* belajar lagi ah. mo ujian nih tentang saham this tuesday. Plus I have to review about chinese leadership parables. Gotta mug!

2004-03-05T22:05:00.000+08:00

Jumat pagi masak salmon goreng sama sambel kecap. Belajar belajar belajar (tapi nggak ngerti) lalu sorenya bertemu Maureen, Kaymei (senior2), Weicong, Yuhong (duo ajaib), Su Yi (mantan roommate), Vedica (Indihe) dari Economics Society untuk ngobrolin e-publication. Nostagia dengan Su Yi dan Jin (malaysia2 nih) di luar library, makan, ngeprint formulir STB Ambassador lalu pulang and here I am.

2004-03-05T22:01:00.000+08:00

Thursday, March 4, 2004. Business Block Seminar Room 6. 17:30.
CEO Talk: National Kidney Foundation’s TT Durai

I attended this talk because it’s just interesting that for the first time, they invited an NGO for this event. CEO Talk is a weekly talk in my university, held by the Business School. They usually invite CEOs and chairmen from major companies like UOB, OCBC, NTUC Fairprice, etc. The NGO sent a full team, from the chairman to the accountant. It was quite enriching to see a successful model of Singaporean NGO. This NGO mainly provides dialysis for kidney failure patients at a lower rate. They are output oriented in terms of they will lower the rate if the patient progresses either in measurable or not measurable rate such as they have to contribute by finding a job, support their family, score in exams, get a boyfriend, and so on and so forth everything under the sun that can show that he/she is determined to improve. I caught this unsympathetic tone at the first time, perhaps because the speaker has an aggressive style with respect of comparison to other NGO people. However, with the success rate of 93%, this NGO has something to offer. The basis of their institution must be very solid to be able to offer $100/month dialysis that actually costs around $3000+. They have they own TV show that generates A LOT of money every financial year. They have no pity to patients who beg for pity. Their patients have to show that every dollar injected for their healing will not be futile. And they are very strict about this. They operate the NGO as a business entity. Don’t ask me about the border between profit and non-profit organizations, please. They are pretty sour about this, citing what the CEO said, “if people donate their money to our foundation instead of the other NGOs out there, it’s not our business.” Intinya nyalahin LSM2 laen kenapa nggak cukup taktis untuk bisa jadi seperti mereka. They are just concerned about the sustainability of their foundation. I believe that NKF’s system and vision work well because this is Singapore. Singapore is a model country. It’s the closest thing to utopia of “righteous” bureaucracy. There is something in its people that yearns for perfection. Kapan ya Indonesia bisa punya yayasan2 yang bener2 membantu rakyat, dalam jangka panjang bukan cuma jawaban instant, tanpa ada personal agenda dibalik semua itu? Dan ketika yayasan itu tercipta, seperti apa model yg bisa diimplementasikan ke kondisi negara kita yang extraordinarily kompleks?

Ndengerin seminar sama Eleanor, ketua UNSA. Dia nih salah satu kandidat yang pengen dinda (tanpa D) jadiin sebagai guru. Kapan2 deh diceritain. Di akhir acara ada lucky draw HP Motorola, sayang nggak menang.

After the talk, I realized that some folks sit and think, others... just sit. And I believe I’m the latter. Hehe.

(Went to Toa Payoh in the afternoon. Bought Rejoice, the cheapest shampoo that I could find. Dapet gratisan sample sabun beautain, I love freebies. Beli mangga thailand yg di-markdown 3 biji $1, sama es cincaoo).

I’m having a hard time this semester. I think I’m myopic and hypermetropic at the same time. I need to see things that I don’t see, semoga ada seseorang atau sesuatu yang tidak segan menegur ketika dinda tidak cukup bersyukur.

2004-03-04T14:21:00.000+08:00

Adinda is currently suffering a severe boredom. What an irony considering the pile of works that needs to be done by next week.

2004-03-03T18:47:00.000+08:00

Today I learnt once more how it feels when your heart melt.. You just can't help smiling.

About yesterday.
My Financial Accounting result is not that great. 9/14. Very bad indeed. Accounting can be very confusing especially because it was in English maybe. Well I had an LTB meeting in the morning, we were going to do a presentation about Transactional Leader: Al Capone. Had FA class in the afternoon, we delivered a presentation on TT International Ltd. I covered the stock quotes and ratios/parameters of the company. Maybe later I should post here on how to read a stock quote. It's actually very simple just to read but the intrigues behind are quite confusing. I'm a dead meat.

About today.
Left in the morning for math for econs class. Got only 25/100 for the midterm. Damn lousy. Oh well it's over anyway.. Can't mourn about yesterday. Went to the library, did some homework, met Stephanie saying that she doesn't want "him" to be the president of Indo Club. Well, neither do I, someone has to stand up and propose for the leader position, anyone but "him". Anyway she's going to HK next semester. Had Leadership and Team Building (LTB) after that, the presentation was okay, Suraj was so funny. I am tired, have to boost up my energy by taking Tolak Angin every nights for the last 3 nights. Ended the classes at 4.30pm (Mukthar wasn't there so we didn't have TA session) and went straight to mushalla then went to Food Haven, sat there to eat some nice stuffs with the canteen lady, had a good chat with her. Agenda for tonight: finish math h/w, read LTB learning journal materials, read some microecons slides. Heck, that book's covers are really too far apart! Tomorrow I'd enjoy going to Toa Payoh to get some grocery and shampoo. Need to topup my EZLink card anyway...

Haha... just realized that I've contributed to the cyber world another dull blog! :-D

2004-03-03T08:56:00.000+08:00

Random act of kindness can always brighten your day. Received one from a Greek lady today.
Maybe I should pay it forward. Start by listening to my prof instead of being lost in the internet will do.

2004-03-02T11:16:00.000+08:00

Tarzan!

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2004-03-01T18:02:00.000+08:00

Me and my silly proxy theory. Skipped 2 classes today, studied at home instead. I'm taking communication skills and strategy course this term, which professor is an overly friendly malay chinese guy. I skipped that class today, and went to school in the afternoon for financial accounting meeting. Guess who I met on the way to the cafetaria? The last person in the universe that I wanted to meet. My overly friendly professor throwing a big grin to me.

2004-02-29T18:48:00.000+08:00

Sigh... the impeccable yet inconsistent human mind. God please help me here.

2004-02-29T10:05:00.000+08:00

Hm it's been a while. This week is a super packed one. Mon-Tue-Wed spent in Ang Mo Kio, Ling Kwang Youth Centre to be precise, painting painting painting painting. 1 gigantic compound, with around 8 rooms. On Thursday we had comms skills group rehearsal. Fri we went back to Ling Kwang to finish off everything, and we did. It was a great sense of relieved. One of my friend just couldn't stop giggling and I felt like joget2 that time! They issued us a certificate each so... I am now a proud certified painter my friends!! We ate McD everyday, cuz no other halal food around. Oh ya I went to Toa Payoh on Wed to look for a wok since I spoilt my friends', didn't manage to find one though cuz its way too expensive, $19 for a wok?? Had Indo gathering in Marche Heeren the next day, around 10 people showed up. We discussed about the possibility of establishing Indonesian Students' SMU Club, but it seemed that some people are not into the idea, or the person who voiced the idea :-p Made some new friends like Lady, Irene, William, and some girls that I can't recall. Beli roti diskonan pas pulangnya di Crystal Jade. Yesterday went to post office in the morning, to get my che-ez mini camera parcel. Wrote a letter for aa but then I decided not to send it and worsen everything. Then I went straight to school, had LTB meeting to discuss about Al Capone, ate in Food Haven, and off to home. Chat with aa in the afternoon, heard from ichsan that he had just had a football match.. And here I am in Sunday morning, waiting for aa to be online... Will go to school later in the afternoon, another meetings... And this week will be over. Soon.

2004-02-21T22:03:00.000+08:00

Hari ini 2x salah naik biss!! Pagi2 ketemu dengan comms group (all indians lho: aarti kirti suraj) we're going to talk about hostile takeover. And i'm totally blind about this subject. Rite I did a project on Indosat divestment (that long ramadhan night...) but still I'm totally blind. Went to Orchard but didnt get what I want (a pink mascara hehehe). Ke SIM ngambil kunci rumah trs pulang langsung panik blingsatan dan frustrasi, read some financial stuffs (finally I can read the stock article without being totally lost. achievement of the day), alhamdulillah Sandr0 online, berguru deh sama dia, makasih banget ya bang! Went to ntuc to buy bananas and pears, beli salmon diskonan lalu dimasak jadi tomyam modifikasi. Iya lah modifikasi, mana ada tomyam pake kol wortel dan sawi hehe... Met dian online, she said, "...kalo gak pusing, gak seru!".

2004-02-20T22:39:00.000+08:00

Teriring doa untuk saudara2 dinda di tanah air yg lagi dicoba dengan bencana banjir dan wabah demam berdarah... Semoga rantai cobaan itu cepat terputus.

I think its kinda dull to read bout my daily routines... but I feel the urge to write them. Thanks to Andre to remind me how reckless I am about my past. Today I woke up late as usual, 10 am, had prata and rendang as my brunch, plus muesli banana and milk. Left home around 13.30 after dzuhur, with some worn clothes to be donated but couldn't find the booth so I just left it in Malay Club store room. Had FA meeting with Wardah, John Cheng, Pauline Fang. Sweet people they are. Not much progress though, still tracking our way through. Considering to e-mail the company according the bonds and long term liabilities, and our respective TA (asdos). Asli deh financial accounting susah juga, its quite interesting though. Met Trung to fetch my Friends CDs. Left school after maghrib, missed the ministrial forum (sorry G!) and the faith talk. Well theres always something to sacrifice.

"Kak, jam berapa besok bisa smsan? Aku kangen nih, kayaknya semuanya juga kangen deh!" How cute :-)

2004-02-19T22:51:00.000+08:00

Overwhelmed. Totally overwhelmed. The so-called recess week is just round the corner but seems that it's just like another week, or even more packed. Can't go home, but anywayz I wasn't planning to kembali ke jakarta. Pursuing my soul education here! So this weekend will be full of meetings for various projects (our proposal for comms is rejected), the next week we'll be busy painting for community svc project and a formal presentation awaits. And today I cleaned the whole apartment, tried to find a cheap blender in Carrefour but wasn't my luck, promotion was over. Adinda masak rendang lho! Canggih nggak... So to sum up, loads of works to do, but well I'm enjoying my time!! Kata aa gym kita hanya akan jatuh karena diri kita sendiri hehe.. ngaco ah. Penutup: quote dari Mark Tan, seorang teman, mantan army, "Tough times don't last. Tough man do." Respect to everyone out there.

2004-02-17T21:29:00.000+08:00

What a dull day. But things can be worse... Quizzes results haven't been very satisfactory. Just 1 more exam 2mrw and this week agenda is all down. Next week is recess week but can't go back to tanah air due to all those projects... sigh. Watched Aa Gym vcd today, after reading his Qolbugrafi. Impressive. Truly impressive in deed.

2004-02-16T17:42:00.000+08:00

Skipped yoga today. Microecons starts giving me headache instead of a series of yawns.
Still in the midst of finding answers..