Thursday, December 14, 2006

Quotes from Hitchiker to Galaxy: The Movie

I like the books, and I enjoyed the movie. They are simply entertaining...

"Arthur Dent" (when the mice want to take his head):

"Fine. Fine, take it. Because my head is filled with questions and I can assure you no answer to any one of them has ever brought me one iota of happiness. Except for one. The one. The only question I've ever wanted an answer to - is she the one? The answer bloody well isn't forty-two, it's yes. Undoubtedly, unequivocally, unabashadly yes. And for one week, one week in my sad little blip of an existence, it made me happy."


"The Book" (when it tried to explain about love):

"The Encyclopedia Galactica, in its chapter on Love states that it is far too complicated to define. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of love: Avoid, if at all possible. Unfortunately, Arthur Dent has never read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."


"The Book" (about the Point of View Gun: the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy):

The Point of View gun conveniently does precisely what its name suggests. That is if you point it at someone and pull the trigger, they instantly see things from your point of view. It was designed by Deep Thought, but commissioned by a consortium of intergalactic angry housewives, who after countless arguments with their husbands were sick to the teeth of ending those arguments with the phrase "You just don't get it, do you?"

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Birthday Card

2006 birthday's card from my wife...
In the cover, there are a man doing windsurfing, and a word: Husband

Paksi dear...

For the man who
plays hard,
takes risk,
and loves life passionately

From the
woman who
passionately
loves him
with all her heart

Happy Birthday

Beby


"Countdown to Anniversary"

Thursday, December 07, 2006

The Nearness of You: Singapore

Jalan-jalan summer tahun lalu. Hmmm tepatnya istri kerja, terus gue jalan2, yang ada males ngapa2in nunggu istri di hotel tanpa ......
Selalu senang pergi ke Singapur, nggak butuh visa, tapi fiskal tetep, terus sante2 ajah, karena orang Indonesia juga banyak, makanan yang enak dan lain sebagainya. Apalagi ada Arya dan keluarga (si kembar pasti udah gede banget yah sekarang). Karena istri kerja pasti nginep pertama di MHotel di Tanjong Pagar, hotel buat bisnis, jauh dari tempat turis, tapi relatif tenang, dan dekat dengan tempat makan. Selain itu tempat tidurnya enak bener deh, konsep minimalis, cuman suka penuh ajah, jadi susah diperpanjang, hehehehhe. Pokoknya saik deh...

Tapi gue keilangan kamera disini, ng...., ah nggak boleh ngumpat terlalu banyak kata istri, hehhehhehe. Ini dua foto yang gue temukan, yang lain ilang bersama kamera, sial emang Marche. Tapi yang penting sempet jalan2 bareng, makan ataupun belanja ataupun pergi tanpa tujuan.


*Ini di MHotel, biar keliatan hotel bisnis dikasih Bulls satu, jadi nggak usah jauh2 ke NY atau Chicago, kalo mau foto bareng banteng, huehhehe...



*Leyeh-leyeh di tempat Arya, pokoknya males2an, nggak ngapa2in yang penting bareng...

Countdown to Anniversary
In a Sentimental Mood: B B'day

Sekitar sebulan lalu istri merayakan ulang tahunnya, dan gue nggak mau ngitung ini kali kebarapa gue nggak bisa merayakan bersamanya. Pada hari tersebut gue merayakan sendiri, karena temen2 pada sibuk, Boston dan sakit. Sehingga gue merayakannya 4 hari kemudian, seperti yang sudah tertulis di blog sebelumnya.

Istri gue merayakan ultahnya di kantor dengan bekerja seperti biasany, untung ada temen2 kantornya yang baik dan membelikan kue untuk merayakan ulang tahun istri gue. Guys and Gals at the B's office, I owe all of you one.

This is the pictures, although it's hard for me everytime I see them (I wish I was there).


*B dan temen2 kantornya yang kebanyakan cewek


*I hope you wish for you and for me


*Kue sederhana yang berarti buat gue

Thanks

"Countdown to Anniversary"
On The Sunny Side of the Street: Lintang/'Tang

Adek cewek gue yang paling cantik (gue cuman punya dua adek, satu cewek dan satu cowok sih, hehehhehe) baru ajah menjalani ujian thesisnya, dan lulus dengan perbaikan kecil (nggak penting deh, heheheh).

SELAMAT ATAS TELAH LEWATNYA UJIAN AKHIR
UNTUK GELAR MASTERNYA


Sampe ketemu lagi di Indonesia...

*Wawancara ketika Lintang baru memulai studi masternya.

Student profile: Lintang
Course: Master of Engineering Science (Engineering Management)

Country: Indonesia

Previous school/university: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology

Why did you choose to study Engineering Management at the University of Melbourne?

After finishing my undergraduate degree I worked in the plastics industry for 2.5 years. I was initially employed in the maintenance department and then moved to product development. I realised very soon that management skills in this industry (and I'm sure in all industries) are essential in achieving outcomes. Engineering Management is a course which I know will help develop these skills and lead to good career outcomes.

What is the best thing about your course?

What I really enjoy is becoming aware of the research that is currently being done in the Engineering Management field. When you are working full time you are very much absorbed in your immediate day-to-day work issues. When you study you gain knowledge about a much broader range of issues through reading journal papers and hearing about the experiences of other engineers who are working as managers.

I have really enjoyed the guest lectures which have mainly been given by people from industry. They give you real life examples of management problems and issues. It is also very interesting learning about areas which I am not as familiar with such as sustainability, marketing and consulting.

How will your course help your future study plans or career?

In large organisations you deal with many people, both internally and externally - having management skills will greatly improve my ability to do this. I know I will also feel more confident in a managerial position having the theoretical knowledge to back my decisions

What do you enjoy most about your Australian life?

I love living in Melbourne - especially being able to walk around in a safe and clean city. I've also enjoyed meeting new friends in Melbourne. Really, it makes my life here in Melbourne great for both studying and fun.

What activities/clubs have you participated in since your arrival?

I have participated in 'Group Fitness' classes at the Sports Centre. These are classes such as Body Pump, Thai Box and Body Balance. Body Balance is my favourite as it is a mixture of Thi Chi, Pilates and Yoga which really helps you relax.

I have also recently been elected to the University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association (UMPA). This groups reviews the University's policies on postgraduate students. At the moment it has just been meetings but I hope that it will give me an opportunity to contribute.

What advice do you have for other students from your country coming to study in Australia?

Study hard, work hard and play hard!



*Adek cowok yang paling ganteng dan adek cewek yang paling cantik

*Heh, adek cowok gue satu2nya, gimana ceritanya nih... Hehehhehe
Lirik Lagu Lucu

Waktu lagi liat multiplynya temen adek, Rosa Bate, dia punya playlist, hanya tiga lagu, nah salah satunya Crash in to Me-nya Dave Matthews, langsung dengerin. Ternyata lagu terakhirnya, if you are not the one OST-nya Maid in Manhattan, okeh juga buat gombal2an, apalagi saat gue sangat rindu dan berdebar2 menghitung hari untuk pulang dan ketemu istri. Ini buat kamu istriku, heheheheh.

If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call?
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?

I never know what the future brings
But I know you are here with me now
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with

I don't wannna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed?
If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?
If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?
If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?

I don't know why you're so far away
But I know that this much is true
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I'm praying you're the one I build my home with
I hope I love you all my life

I don't wanna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away
And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today
'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right
And though I can't be with you tonight
You know my heart is by your side

I don’t wanna run away but I can’t take it, I don’t understand
If I’m not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?


*emang lagu cinta yang mulai dengan pertanyaan berbahaya...
*udah kapok masang klip atau lagu2 yang main pas masuk ke halaman blog, jadi yang belum punya lagunya klik link ini ajah yah


"Countdown to Anniversary"

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Simple Closure


*My Younger, Much Younger, Friends and me

Friendship is something I consider a gift (you can check how I treasure my friends on my previous posts). I have very good friends, which I already consider them too close. These friends have endured the test of time, we went through a lot of things to much, all the sin, all the good deeds, all the sadness, and all the joy, we did it together. These are friends that I sometimes take it for granted. In the sense that whatever I do, good or bad, wright or wrong, they are still my friends. Hell, if time can not take that friendship, who can take it away from me. Of course I have the benefit of long interaction with them that make us too close. There were two periods of time that I enjoyed these benefit, in (junior) high school for six years, and in undergraduate for six years (don't ask!!!). So, greetings for all of my very good friends out there...


*No Look Style 1


*No Look Style 2

Here, in this blog, I will talk about friends that I picked up along the way, or the other way around. Since, I study in the foreign countries, like Korea, and now USA, I arrived with basically no friend (How I wish all my very good friends in Atlanta, Raleigh, Denver, and Delaware, study in Urbana-Champaign, huahahahah). Therefore, I have people that I know, but not a very good friend. Then, because of common language, common interest, or others, we've become close, and in a foreign countries I can instantly be a friend with a stranger with common language. They have been very helpful to me. Also, because the nature of our study, well my study to be exact, they are leaving Champaign-Urbana before me. I don't have the benefit to have long acquintance with them, but we became close. Champaign Beyatch was the previous example.


*The Three on the Left


*The Three in the Middle

Nowadays, I have younger, much younger, friends. They are Ardi and Windy. I know Ardi almost one and half year now. He has been my roomate for this semester. He's the one who always keep his cool, no emotion whatsoever, when he's happy he keep his calm, and I never see him show his sadness. Well sometimes he looks mad, but that's it, he still keep his boyish look, and smirk here and there. He was always planned, seems now what he's doing, and funny most of the times. His decisions are sometimes, or often, ackward to me, but maybe we are just different, or maybe that what happen if you stay in US, everyman for himself. For example, he only wash dishes that he used, he seldom take the trash, and he eats rice with fork, when there are spoon around, hehehhehe.


*I and Ardi, not many times you can catch Ardi laugh his heart out


*I and Windy, most of the times windy smile like this

But he was the president of Indonesian Student Association in Urbana-Champaign. So, he is an organizer, he even organized Indonesian Cultural Night that went very well. He almost always has reason for something that he does, the reasons are not always logic, but hey, even I sometimes feel reluctant to loose a debate. In short, when I hang out with him, it was like the time, when I hang out with my friends in high school: a lot of work with almost no emotion. He will graduate this semester, he will go to new work place in New York in January. He will pursue his dreams, and along with that he will have bigger burden ahead. Hopefully, he will stay healthy, he's a skinny guy, and he was sick many times, even my wife worry about him. Therefore, for him, at best I can say, he's still in the journey to the manhood, and still lack of compassion, where compassion matters only if you show them.


*His signature smile, please find another one dude, hehehe

The other one is windy. I know her for only four or five months. At first she seemed poise, she keep her stature. She always telling things that make me think that she wanted to be seen as a grown woman, full with determination: A woman that know what she wants, and almost sure that she can get it. But it never fooled me, hehehhehe. After all, she's just a young woman that just graduated from undergraduate, with all the complication, about career, relationship, and others. Of course, in no times, she showed her true self.


*Not her signature smile, but sweeter

It seems just yesterday, when she wanted to go to the health centre to give her health report at her first days, alone. She said she just need the direction. I offered her my company, because the health centre is not too far from my office. She said, "No, thank you". I offered her again, she seemed hesitant, and I just told her to follow me. I took her there, and gave some tips so she doesn't need to take shots. She told that all have been taken care, "no problem". Then, she came out without her usual poise look, and told me, "Paksi, I have to take the shot, and I'm scared." Huahahaha, well, that's it for her poise attitude. She turn out has an emotion like roller coaster. But she's a kind loving person, always taking care of other people. She usually show her emotion and compassion in a natural way. Now, she will go in February if she decide to pursue her study in Chicago. For her, I can say that she's a girl who is trying hard to get a grip, in order to reach her womanhood. Hopefully, she will stay healthy, because she look fragilel.


*Hey, it's me, Windy, sitting on the sofa

As we usually did many things together, I know a lot about both of them. Whether they tell me or not, I know mostly what they've been through. As the oldest I should give something for them. I'm not a good judge, therefore I don't judge easily. Also, I'm not a good consultant for helping them to make a good decision in life. My wife is, but I'm not. Sometimes, I gave them my experiences that I picked along the way, and I still have some moral advice that mostly come from my wife. But most of the times, I'm only a clown and a good listener (even in silence). The best suggestion that you can get from me is "If you know what you want, and you know the consequences, just do it, you're already grown up, right or wrong, good or bad, you are the one who will live it for the rest of your life." But I can promised whatever you do, I will always be your funny friends.


*Hey, It's me, Ardy, eating on the sofa

We have a good dinner last night to celeberate their good news. It was on me, hey, they're the one who should treat me, hehehe. Also, It was a belated birthday celeberation for my wife birthday (They told me to give you their thanks my dear). And last but not least for my closure of our togetherness, before they leave Champaign. I wanted early, because my last experience, if I wait until the last time, I will not have time for a good dinner with my friends.


*Them on the CTA Bus

So, there we were in Outback Steakhouse (we're coming with Illini Taxi, and we had a nice lady driver), enjoying our steak in the smoking section. No appetizer and no dessert, we just simply had three plate of steaks, three glass of ice tea, and three wine glasses with a bottle of red wine, Wente Syrah (if I'm not mistaken). We had a chit chat about our togetherness and their future, with smile and laugh. Suddenly, I gave our closure for our togetherness, and everybody listen and smile, or try to smile. We're waiting for our taxi to go back to our apartment. The night was mild, and not so cold. Then, like always, we arrived in front of 1004, where we usually enjoy our sofa and watch the TV, where we sometimes eat together, where we often become a host for our guests, where we just stay there because we have nothing to do, where we start our journey, and so on. Again, in front of 1004, Windy gave her warmest hugs to me, and ardy. Wispher exchanged. Finally, we seperated, the one who almost always stay in 1004 for a sleep went to her apartment, the one who almost always stay a bit for a chit chat or a movie went to the office, the one who always stay for awhile before go to sleep early went in to the apartement, he closed and locked the door. It's been a wonderful night, thanks...

I wish both of you have a good and happy journey ahead.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Letter of Statement for Applying Job
by James Muray in 1867 for a position with the British Museum.
(Taken from "The Professor and The Madman")

I have to state that Philology, both Comparative and special, has been my favourite pursuit during the whole of my life, and that I possess a general acquintance with the languages & literature of the Aryan and Syro-Arabic classes--not indeed to say that I am familiar with all or nearly all of these, but that I posses that general lexical and structural knowledge which makes the intimate knowledge only a mater of a little application. With several I have more intimate acquintance as with the Romance tongues, Italian, French, Catalan, Spanish, Latin & in a less degree Portuguese, Vaudois, Provencal and various dialects. In the Teutonic branch, I am tolerably familiar with Dutch (having at my place of business correspondence to read in Dutch, German, French & occasionally other languages), Flemish, Germand, Danish. In Anglo-Saxon and Moeso-Gothic my studies have been much closer, I having prepared some works for publication upon these languages. I know a little of the Celtic, and am at present engage with sclavonic, having obtained useful knowledge of the Russian. In the Persian, Achaemenian Cuneiform, & Sanscrit branches, I know for the purpose of Comparative Philology. I have sufficient knowledge of Hebrew and Syriac to read at the sight of Old Testament and Peshito, to a less degreee I know Aramaic Arabic, Coptic and Phoenician to the point where it was left by Genesius.

NB: He wrote it in his thirtieth birthday, and he was turned down by the British Museum. Nevertheless, it was one of the best letter of statement. Later, he was the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, which is generally regarded as the most comprehensive and scholarly dictionary of the English language (taken from wikipedia).

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Siapa yang Menanggung Biayanya? (Lanjutan 1)

Artikel di Kompas tentang Biaya Penanggulangan Semburan Lumpur

Sampai saat ini General Manajer P.T. Lapindo Berantas menyatakan menanggung pengeluaran yang terjadi sampai saat ini, sekitar US$ 70.000.000,00 Kalau perkiraan di NYT benar, dan pernyataan General Manajer benar, dan semuanya dana digunakan untuk mengatasi lumpur, maka kemungkinan P.T. Lapindo Berantas harus mengeluarkan sekitar US$ 930.000.000,00 lagi.
Tetap semangat!

Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral meminta supaya pembicaraan mengenai masalah pendanaan dilakukan dalam forum yang terbatas dan tertutup, bahkan beberapa anggota tim juga harus meninggalkan ruangan.
Kenapa yah? Mungkin Pak Menteri mau nyumbang, cuman nggak enak kalo ketahuan.

Pada awal rapat rencana sudah dipaparkan secara baik, tetapi ketika ditanya mengenai masalah pendanaan oleh Polda Jatim, Ketua Tim Pelaksana diminta memilah perencanaan menjadi jangan pendek, jangka menengah, dan jangka panjang. Jangka panjangnya kayaknya panjaaanngg sekali.
Wah ini kesempatan kabur nih, karena kayaknya bakal lebih lama lagi penyelesaiannnya. Selain itu, proyek jangka menengah dan jangka panjang bisa jadi kesempatan untuk buat proyek baru nih. Hidup proyek!

p.
Cool Song

I just learned how to post a videoclip here. I was so outdated. Anyhow, enjoy the song...



I watched Man in the Moon movies that played by Jim Carey. It was a movie about Andy Kaufman. He's an idealist entertainer, who simply wanted to make people gasp. It is a good movie, for me, and this song about him was so perfectly fit. So, I like the song, I'm a fan of the group (REM), I like the actor, and I enjoyed the movie; it was a good combination.

p.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Siapa yang menanggung biayanya?

Artikel dari halaman depan New York Times (NYT)

Artikel di atas membuat gue tertarik pada kasus ini, karena berada di halaman depan NYT. Setelah itu gue mulai mencari-cari berita di Indonesia, untuk menjawab pertanyaan yang diutarakan oleh artikel ini. Sampai saat ini yang gue lihat dari berita-berita itu hanyalan proses masalah penanggulangannya yang, seperti biasa, berantakan. Penanggulangannya juga dilakukan oleh tim yang dibuat oleh pemerintah, tanpa gue lihat peran atau partisipasi dari perusahaan yang berbuat kesalahan. Sehingga, sampai saat ini, gue cuman bisa menjawab bahwa pemerintah, dengan dana pajak yang diambil dari rakyat, akan menanggung biaya yang dapat mencapai 1 milyar dollar, hampir mencapai 10 triliun rupiah (sekitar Rp. 10.000.000.000.000,00). Gue rasa masyarakat akan merasa malas untuk membantu, karena yang menyebabkan bencana ini bisa kabur.

Kutipan dicetak miring:

"Foreign companies, environmental groups and political observers are now watching closely to see whether the government will hold the company that drilled the well accountable for the costs of the cleanup, which could easily reach $1 billion."


Selain itu dari segi bagaimana perusahaan induk dapat melarikan diri dari kemungkinan tuntutan keungan juga menarik. Lapindo Berantas yang dimiliki oleh Bakrie Groups telah dijual ke perusahaan yang terdaftar di Jersey, Amerika (Lyte Ltd.) seharga 2 dollar, hampir mencapai 20 ribu rupiah (sekitar Rp. 20.000,00). Perusahaan 'bodoh' yang mau membeli Lapindo Berantas yang bermasalah ini ternyata adalah perusahaan yang pemilik sepenuhnya Bakrie Groups. Sehingga, bila Lyte Ltd. menyatakan pailit di Amerika, Bakrie Group kemungkinan besar tidak perlu menanggung biaya bencana yang disebabkan oleh Lapindo Berantas.

"But as the liabilities have escalated, Lapindo was sold — for $2 — last month to an offshore company, owned by the Bakrie Group, and many fear it will declare bankruptcy, allowing its owners to walk away."

"Lapindo’s parent company announced that it was selling Lapindo for $2 to Lyte Ltd., a company that is registered in the offshore island of Jersey. The majority shareholder in the parent company is the Bakrie Group, and the Bakrie Group is also the sole owner of Lyte, according to public documents."

"A concern now is whether Lyte, which has been renamed Bakrie Oil & Gas, will declare bankruptcy, which seems almost inevitable."

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Mr. Hendrarso, the senior elected executive official in Sidoarjo, the district that is at the center of the mud disaster. If the Bakrie Group does not pay, the Indonesia government will be left with the bill, government officials said."

Gue berasa mau gebukin orang ajah nih bawaannya.

Walaupun gue sebenernya mau percaya mungkin itu emang alam ajah yang lagi nyebelin, jadi bencana alam tersebut terjadi, tetapi sampai saat ini kok berat ke kesalahan manusia yah.

Semoga, sekali lagi semoga, yang mesti bertanggung jawab melaksanakan kewajibannya. Sehingga bukan masyarakat Indonesia lagi yang dibuat jadi lebih miskin, hanya karena ada yang mau dapat untung lebih besar dengan membuat sesuatu tidak sesuai ketentuan.

Semoga.

NB: Kalo ternyata yang semestinya bertanggung jawab dengan berbagai tipu daya dan muslihat bisa lari dari kewajiban, maka hanya satu yang dapat gue lakukan, seperti rakyat Indonesia pada umumnya: gue sumpahin loe semua.

Contoh: GUE SUMPAHIN MATI BESOK LOE SEMUA, BANGSAT!!!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Puisi Buatan Istri
* yang ini ngerti dikit-dikitlah, lumayan, hehehehhehe


KE MANA?

Kala trus beranjak
Dari tiada menjadi ada

Ketika ada terpelihara
Namun tetap bagian dari dunia
Lekang pupus dimakan usia

Ketika tak sanggup menemukannya kembali
Terpisahlah dua anak manusia
Bukan maut yang memisahkannya
Bukan pula kematian raga
Hanya perginya rasa yang pernah ada

Ke mana perginya
Tak ada yang berusaha mencari
Dari ada menjadi tiada

Hanya mampu berucap doa
Inilah yang terbaik untuknya


11 Oktober 2006
(Tercenung mendengarkan kabar dari kawan lama)
The Traces of Her


*On Itunes


*On Mobile Phones


*On The Desk


*On Yahoo Messengger Window Chat


*On The Wall 1


*On Yahoo Messengger


*On Friendster 1


*On Friendster 2


*On Friendster 3


*On Friendster 4


*On Friendster 5


*On The Wall 2


*On Friendster 6


*On Friendster 7


*On Friendster 8


*On Friendster 9


*On My Mind.... On My Heart... Always...

I love you... Always...

Friday, October 13, 2006

Me, Myself, and Books

I love to buy books, actually I'm addicted to books. Almost any kind of books, from philosophy books to comic books (yes, comic is also a book). I don't read the entire books that I bought, maybe I read the introduction, but definitely not all the contents of the book, with the exception of very few interesting books.

Since elementary school, I like to be surrounded by books. Both of my parents, my mother and my father, have oollection of books that I can't understand until now, their books were about medical science or perinatalogy, and administration research. Most of the time, my parents gave books to me and my sister. We're not allowed to buy a lot of toys, but they always more lenient if we wanted books; we were also allowed to rent videos, but let's focus on books here. In addition, my grandparents from my mother side also like to give books to their grandchildren, any kind of books.

Of course, naturally, we accumulated a lot of comics's book, until our parents detected our craving toward comics. Then, they reduced comics consumption. Of course, we moved to novel, and we accumulated a lot of novels afterward.

We had so many books, we even opened a small library for our neighborhood, well actually my smart sister did all the work, but that was the first time I realized we have a lot of books. We rented our books for people in the surrounding area: Jalan Haji Jame/Gang Belimbing, Cilandak KKO. It was for a good cause, because books were relatively expensive at that time, and our neighborhood was not even in the average of middle income level. We were philanthropist at our young age :D. If my memory served, we rented our books for Rp 100.00 (or maybe Rp. 50.00) for couple of days, and we gave discount for our active customer. For the detailed, I have to ask my sister, if she still remember. We had our times and businesss was good, but we were bored easily, and we abandon our noble intention to spread our reading materials.

But good thing has to end somewhere; we moved to our current place. We moved to smaller place, but better ones, because the house is closer to our school and my mother workplace. I like to move to my current house, where my grandparents previously stayed. But it is not about the new place, it's about the process of moving. When the important things have to be packed and sent, books will be in the least important things. Of course, our parents promised to keep the books or sent the books later, but that day never come, until now (I'm married now, and my sister is ..., well no comment). The books were damaged, and I think even the scavengers doesn't want to take books that heavily damaged. It hurts me everytime I remember the books that I once had.

In a new place, we hardly had spaces to keep our books organized. We're still buying books, but we just didn't keep it like we used to be. The books were thrown everywhere, sometimes it was damped, in short the books were easily damaged. We're also occupied with our teenage problems, and other problems that demand our time. Again, books became the least important thing in our life. Therefore, although the books keep flowing, but the stock was not increasing like before.

Now, I'm still buying books like an addict. I'm lucky because my wife is also like to collect books, and she keeps the books in a mint condition. She even scolds me if I'm not careful with her books and also my books. We try too keep our books, although we don't have big spaces, but my wife try to manage it. In my previous office and my desk in UIUC, I have big book shelves, so everything is getting better for books. Yeah, I hope it will continue in the years come.

I'm always planning to have small library in our place.

Why I'm writing this essay? It was because I just bought the same book for the third time, and I'm asking to myself: Why I'm addicted to the books. So, maybe later I will tell you about the book that gave inspiration to this essay.

p.
Nobel Peace Prize and Economic Prize Winner 2006

My undergraduate years were filled with mostly Keynesian and some Neo-Classic economics of thought. Since I'm interested in economic development, I studied growth and development intensely. Therefore, I'm more or less familiar with the Nobel Economics Prize winner; at least I learnt their concepts. It is always interesting to see how they can develop such concepts that are simple but powerful. They are powerful enough to shape the development of economic thinking and economic policies.

Therefore, the easiest way to know about economics is to read the life and the works of the Nobel Economics Price winner. You'll see how their passion can turn into the leading concept in economics field. I'm not saying that I'm familiar with the entire winners, but I somewhat superficially know some of the winner's works.

Edmund Phelps is the winner for 2006 Nobel Economics Prize. I know his work, but mostly from the Paul Ormerod's book (The Butterfly Economics). The book criticize the NAIRU (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment). I'm more familiar with Phillips's Curve, but I read about this NAIRU concept hastily. One of the main reason for my negligence is in high growth developing countries like Indonesia, we don't really care about unemployment, because high growth will undermined the unemployment rate. In addition, in Indonesia, unemployment was still a vague concept, because our social structure, which require redefinition of employment and unemployment concept. But nowadays, this concept is very important for development in Indonesia. Edmund Phelps is, without a doubt, one of the leading thinkers in economic.

Now, let's move to the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2006. Surprisingly, at least for me, the winner is also economist, and I know his work from my undergraduate class. Dr. Mohammad Yunus is the inventor of Grameen Bank; it is a microcredit/microfinancing for people who can not get credit from the conventional bank. His work was copied by many countries, even his concept is included in many economics' development books, like Leading Issues in Economic Development by Gerald Meier. I studied his work in the development class. At the time I learnt about his concept, microfinancing is one of the leading policy in Indonesia, and in many developing countries for helping the poor. Furthermore, when I became a field researcher, I surveyed the impact of microfinancing to the people. It is a very well known concept and practice for me. Of course you will not see the Grameen Bank in American Economic review, Journal of Political Economy, or even in any "serious" economic discussion, but microcredit was spreading to help the poor in the world. It was not about the concept that might be exist before Grameen Bank (which I doubt it), but the practice that makes people believe in microcredit.

I'm very happy to see Dr. Mohammad Yunus as the Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work in economic for the poor. Well, I think he should also win the Nobel Economic Prize As a bigheaded economist I would say, this is one of the example if we work economics problem, peace can be achieved simultaneously. I hope more "economist for the poor" will be rocognized in the years ahead.

p.

Wednesday, September 27, 2006

BLLAAAHHHH

Kok bisa lupa yah konsep expected utility dari probabilitas, lupanya pas ujian lagi, biasanya inget. Gue kayaknya udah mudah crack under pressure nih.

SIIIAALLL!!!!
(*nggak boleh terlalu banyak ngomong yang tidak senonoh, seperti ngentot, kontol, tai, memek, dan lain sebagainya, karena bisa ditegur nanti)

Well, life goes on...

p.

Tuesday, September 26, 2006

Word of the Day: Memory (with a long list of definitions)

Memory (OED)

I. Senses relating to the action or process of commemorating, recollecting, or remembering.

1. a. An act of commemoration, esp. of the dead; = COMMEMORATION n. 2b. Now hist.
b. to make memory of: to commemorate; to preserve a record or memorial of; to record, mention. Also without of, in clauses with as. Obs. (arch. in later use).
c. in memory of, to the memory of: so as to keep alive the remembrance of; as a memorial to; as a record of. (to be) in memory: for a memorial (obs.).

2. a. The action of remembering; recollection, remembrance. Now chiefly in from memory (also by memory), in memory.
to draw (also take) into (or to) memory: to recollect, remember. to have memory (of): to recollect (trans. and intr.); also to have (of) (someone) in memory. out of memory: forgotten (but cf. sense 4a).
b. An act or instance of remembrance; a representation in the memory, a recollection.
c. A person or thing held in remembrance.

3. a. The perpetuated knowledge or recollection (of something); that which is remembered of a person, object, or event; (good or bad) posthumous reputation. Also (occas.) in extended use (as in quot. 1917).
b. [After classical and post-classical Latin bonae memoriae (2nd cent. A.D.), post-classical Latin sanctae memoriae (3rd cent.), beatae memoriae (4th cent.), freq. in inscriptions; also Old French, Middle French de bonne memoire (1298).] of blessed (also happy, famous, etc.) memory: used formulaically after the name of a distinguished person with reference to the actions or character which distinguish him or her in recollection; hence also used (often humorously) after other people, events, etc.

4. a. The length of time over which the recollection of a person or a number of persons extends. Chiefly in beyond (also past, out of) (the) memory (of ); similarly within memory, etc. through all memory: for all time (obs.).
within living memory: see LIVING ppl. a. 3.
b. Law. [After Anglo-Norman temps de memoire.] time of (legal) memory: time since 3 September 1189, the beginning of the reign of Richard I of England, fixed by statute of Edward I in 1275 and 1293 as the date before which documentary evidence was deemed unnecessary to prove a claim. Cf. time immemorial, etc., s.v. TIME n. 30.

5. The fact or condition of being remembered. Now somewhat arch.
The phrases given at sense 1c may in fact belong here.

II. Senses relating to the faculty of recalling to mind.

6. a. The faculty by which things are remembered; the capacity for retaining, perpetuating, or reviving the thought of things past.
to commit (or commend) to memory: see COMMIT v., COMMEND v.
b. This faculty personified.
c. Psychol. Modified by a preceding adjective or noun, esp. one designating the faculty or the bodily process with which it is believed to be connected.
d. The capacity of a body or substance for manifesting effects of, or exhibiting behaviour dependent on, its previous state, behaviour, or treatment; such effects; a state manifesting this capacity. Freq. with conscious metaphor.
e. The capacity of a body or substance for returning to a previous state when the cause of the transition from that state is removed.

7. a. The faculty by which things are remembered considered as residing in the awareness or consciousness of a particular individual or group. Freq. with preceding word or other contextual indication of the extent to which the faculty is developed or the field in which it is most active (cf. sense 6c).
b. Law. [After Anglo-Norman de bone (also seine) memoire.] In the language of wills, etc.: of (also in) good (also perfect, safe, sane, sound, whole) memory.
c. [Prob. after Anglo-Norman and Middle French revenir a sa memoire.] to come to (one's) memory (again): to recover from unconsciousness, to regain one's senses. Obs.
d. A device or facility functioning (as part of a computer, etc.) in a manner analogous to that of the human faculty of memory, spec. such that data or program instructions may be stored and then subsequently retrieved when required; (as a mass noun) capacity or facilities for storing data, etc., in this way.

8. art of memory [after post-classical Latin ars memoriae, memoriae ars, frequent in titles of works on mnemonics in the late 15th and early 16th centuries], mnemonics; a system of mnemonic devices.
The title page of Oratoriae Artis Epitomata, a work by Jacobus Publicius printed at Venice in 1482, is app. the first to mention memoriae ars. For an earlier use of ars memorie artificialis in a 14th-cent. Italian source see F. A. Yates Art of Memory (1966) iv. 90.

III. Something that perpetuates remembrance or stimulates the memory.

9. A commemorative account, a memoir; a record of a person or event; a history. Obs.

10. a. Something by which the memory of a person, thing, or event is preserved; a memento, a keepsake; a reminder. Obs.
b. regional (Newfoundland). A memorial wall hanging (see quot.).

11. A memorial tomb, shrine, chapel, or the like; a monument. Obs.

Memory: A Quote from "The Prayer of Owen Meany" by John Irving

"Your memory is a monster; you forget--it doesn't. It simply files things away. it keep things for you, or hides things from you--and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have memory, but it has you"

p.

Friday, September 22, 2006

Salah Jadwal

Di jadwal yang tertera di buku dan di internet tertulis 1.38, tetapi di jadwal yang tertera di halte 1.22. Bis selanjutnya 3.22...

NGENTOOTTTT!!!

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

*Kiriman dari Istri

KEINGINAN MELAKUKAN DAN KELAKUAN YANG DIINGINKAN

Ketika kau bertanya “apa yang ‘kan kau lakukan?”
Kau takkan menemukannya …
Ketika kau melakukannya kan timbul tanya
“Mengapa kulakukan?”
Pada saat kau tak melakukannya
Kau sangat menginginkannya
Ketika kau menginginkanya
Tak pernah kau lakukan
Lantas untuk apa kau menginginkannya …
Hanya sekedar menginginkan
Ataukah karena kebutuhan untuk melakukannya …

Manusia tak pernah lepas dari keinginan …
Ingin melakukan bukan berarti melaksanakannya
Dengan menginginkannya manusia terkadang telah puas
Bagaimana dengan dirimu?
Haruskah kau kuinginkan
Haruskah kau lakukan apa yang kuinginkan
Haruskan kuinginkan apa yang kau lakukan …

Kala batas antara keinginan dan kelakuan menjadi samar …
Ada banyak pemikiran …
Sampai pada suatu rentang antar dua noktah
Kau kan melakukannya tanpa kauinginkan …
Kau melakukannya karena diinginkan …
Apakah keinginanmu untuk melakukannya?
Apakah kelakuanmu sesuai dengan yang diinginkan …
Hmmmm … keinginan untuk melakukan …
Apakah sejalan dengan kelakuan yang diinginkan …

Andai kupahami … keinginan dan melakukan …
Jalan hidup ini tak sesukar yang telah kulakukan …
Sadar untuk melakukan merupakan bagian dari keinginan …
Keinginan tanpa dilakukan takkan bermakna
Sampai kapan kan kumenunggu kau melakukannya apa yang kuinginkan …
Takkan pernah terjawab …
Selain keinginanku telah kaulakukan …
Yang kaulakukan memang kuinginkan …

(Perenungan menjelang fajar dalam masa penantian)
September 6, 2006


*Renungan setelah membaca tulisan istri

Kucoba untuk membaca berkali-kali,
mungkin ada makna yang tersurat,
maupun makna yang tersirat,
dari tulisan istriku ini.

Ahhh, tapi maafkan suamimu yang bodoh ini,
ketika mencoba mengerti,
tetap tidak mengerti,
ketika mencoba lebih keras untuk mengerti,
malah takut salah mengerti.

Biarlah suamimu yang dangkal ini,
memakai tulisanmu untuk menyombongkan diri,
memakai kata-katamu untuk berdiri bangga,
sambil berkata "hebat yah istri gue, huahahaha"

Davenport Hall
19 September 2006
Weather Report

Finally, summer will be over soon. Well, I think summer is already over, because now in the midwest (Champaign-Urbana), the temperature drops to 50. Also the wind, gosh, it tortures me with the speed of 15-20 mph.

I've finally passed the summer, one of the hardest summer that I've gone through, because I usually spent my summer time (June-August) with Beby. The result of my work in the summer is also average, I hate average. In addition to that, my father was not in a good health this summer, until now actually. I hope he will be better soon.

On the brighter side, this cold temperature is a sign of winter that will come soon. Because I'm planning to return to my home at the mid of december, this will be a count down to my happiness, yeeeaaahhh baby yeeeaahhh, give me your best, you fucking weather.

Although, there is a lot of thing to do, I look forward to welcome this holiday season, with my wife, my family and my friends in Indonesia. See you soon everybody, Godspeed.

*Weather report brought to you by yahoo weather and me

Sunday, September 17, 2006

Paaarrteeehhhh

Okey, Friday, 15th September 2006 was the first official party at our place, it was a birthday party. I just knew Sandy less than a month (she's Driya's friend), and she already has the audacity to use our place for her 23rd party. That is what I called cool, she rocks...

Thank you for bringing your party to our place,along people, food and drinks (alcohol included). Happy 23rd birthday, have a wonderful life ahead.

Also, thank you for Airin and Erick, who came for the party and stay at our places.


*The Invitation: That is our address


Birthday's Girl (Red)


The Party Continued... at Soma; The MBAs and myroomates (drama, drama, drama, hahahaha)


Birthday's Girl, The Day After (still in red and cry, I think, hehehehe)


*City's Folks in Our Village


*The Guests at Our Place


*One of The Tourist' Spot: The Almamater

PARTY ON DUDES!!!

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

September Ceria

Hari ini ada satu SMS dengan pesan bahwa dia sedang jatuh cinta, terus ada satu lagi yang bilang dia sedang jatuh cinta.
Ah senangnya mereka, pasti berjuta rasanya deh... Kalo gituh kirim2 lagu buat temen2 yang sedang jatuh cinta di bulan September, aahhh...

Vina Panduwinata - September Ceria

di pucuk kemarau panjang
yang gersang dan menyakitkan
kau datang menghantar
berjuta kesejukan

kasih ..
kau beri udara untuk nafasku (*luccmm)
kau beri warna bagi kelabu jiwaku

tatkala butiran hujan
mengusik impian semu
kau hadir di sini
di batas kerinduanku

kasih ..
kau singkap tirai kabut di hatiku
kau isi harapan baru untuk menyongsong
masa depan bersama

september ceria .. september ceria ..
september ceria .. september ceria ..
milik kita bersama

ketika rembulan tersenyum
di antara mega biru
kutangkap sebersit isyarat dimatamu

kasih ..
kau sibak sepi di sanubariku
kau bawa daku berani dalam asmara
yang mendamba bahagia

september ceria .. september ceria ..
september ceria .. september ceria ..
milik kita bersama

Sukses!!!

Monday, September 11, 2006

Percakapan Hampir Dua tahun Lalu

Dari hanya sekedar senior, sampai temen main dan jalan, roomate, disuruh temen Thailandnya untuk jagain Yudis, jagain mobilnya, dan lain sebagainya. Ini adalah percakapan pertama lewat friendster. Sekarang udah ngambil program doktor, kejar terus cita2, tapi jangan lupa sante, huehehehe.

Halo Paksi,

Email gw: yslamet@uiuc.edu; HP gw disini 1-217-
721-XXXX bisa sms ke indo and vice versa kalo
loe sms kenanya gopek per sms.
Kalo mau komunikasi biar gw aja yg telp loe ke
indo, murah bgt bayar $20 bisa dapat 4 jam.
Puaskan dibanding 100rb buat sejam.

Paksi, pada dasarnya hidup di kampung Urbana
ini cukup murah. Public transpornya gratis selama
punya kartu mahasiswa, tgl tunjukkin aja. Kalo
housing utk lebih lengkapnya lihat www.housing.
uiuc.edu. Krn loe mau dtg Jan ini lebih baik
masuk apart orchard downs, harganya cukup
murah dan pantas (cuman beda $20 utk 1 atau 2
bedroom). Gw asumsi loe mau bawa istri loe kan.
Orchard downs itu gampang masuk dan
keluarnya kapan aja, lain dgn apart2 swasta
lainnya yg mesti kontrak setahun. Gw kebetulan di
dorm (Daniels), tapi tempat ini sdh penuh. Kalo
tidak salah di orchard itu harganya sekitar $585
sebulannya belum termasuk gas (heating), telp
dan listrik - ditambah embel2 itu ya sekitar
$685an.

Paksi, kasih tahu aja loe mendarat dimana -
Chicago Ohare atau Champaign (CMI) nanti gw
jemput....... Disini anak Indonya byk juga apalagi
di orchard, kebetulan juga anak2 grad di orchard
pada seumuran loe semua jadi santai aja bawa
istri juga istri loe juga bisa punya teman:)))))

Btw, loe ambil PhD ya???? Congrats ya:)))

Yudis

Paksi wrote:
> Yudis..
>
> Gue mau minta tolong nih, mau nanya2 tentang
> hidup di UIUC nih.
> Gue rencananya mau dateng awal Januari tahun
> depan, kalo bisa mau nanya2 nih, tapi lewat
email
> atau telpon. Jadi gue minta email loe duong,
biar
> komunikasinya cepet, dan nomor telpon loe
> (HP/Rumah)
> Sebagai pembukaan, gue minta info tentang
> housing nih yang murah banget kalo bisa,
maklum
> budget student. Sama apa2 aja yang mesti gue
> siapin ketika nyampe kesana.
> Minta tolong yah bos.
> Terima kasih
>
> Salam
> p


Percakapan ini baru gue liat lagi pas gue mau apusin message2 frenster gue. Awal yang sederhana untuk sebuah persahabatan. Btw, dia ninggalin saudaranya disini biar apartemen gue tetep bersih, seneng deh, ada yang lebih seneng sih kayaknya, huehehehehe, beruntungnya temen saya, huehehehehe :D.


*Yudis dan Saudarinya "Windy"

Stay safe dude...
Here Comes the Pictures (2)
This series is about people who were there in August in Champaign Urbana.

You will recognized most of them, because they were mentioned in my previous post, but still I will put their pictures that are taken with my camera, hueheheheh.


*my new roomate


*me and the lonely street


*my previous roomate and now he's in NC State, GO WOLFPACK


*my ex-student in driving class


*My new roomate, the cleaning lady and my roomate's ..... (fill in the blank)


*my cook and my travel companion


*my ex-junior, and another MBA's friend

Well, there you have it, pictures of Champaign-Urbana people, who often times help each other out, share stories, share food, or just be there when we need them, in this far, far away place.

Keep rocking dudes...