Think your job / study stress you out? - DON'T !

I spent my day with pleasure strolling down the city of Amsterdam, doing some last minute shopping for our beloved ones back home. As I came back, I went straight to my laptop and get connected to the web. There are several e-mails from some Londoner and Parisienne friends which brought me a very satisfying smile on my face. Soon after I find myself with a series of forwarded mails sent by my good friend Yusea, and the subject of the e-mail caught my attention: "NASA predicts Worldwide Holiday on Feb 1, 2019".

The contents were in fact: "We have about 15 years more......... so enjoy today as much as you can. Coz NASA predicts worldwide holiday on Feb 1, 2019 ... as the world is scheduled to end."

As sceptical as I usually am, I turned down the information and striving to have more confirmation by google-ing. I landed to several URLs that made me so overwhelmed with the extensive coverage of this issue. For instance NASA's website http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/asteroid_scare_020729-1.html covers both pros and cons as a response of this rumour. It was written, "Asteroid 2002 NT7 was discovered on July 9 and last week was determined by NASA to have six chances in a million of hitting Earth on Feb. 1, 2019."

I glanced out from my window to search for some inspirations. No one knows whether those six chances will be the biggest chances, or the contrary. Only GOD knows.

Then I came to think, here I am, fussing every second of my life about thesis, plans, career, family, and all those superficial 'life-oriented' schemes. Little did I know that, who knows, an asteroid will whack the world tomorrow, and ... bam, that's it! I'll miss out all the good things in life which I should've enjoyed when I'm still alive.

So let us think again... you think that your job or study stress the hell out of you? Don't sweat, 'coz we'll all end up dead anyway.

Armageddon (?) 

Asteroid attacks 

"Back off!"

Journey through time: World War II in France

For mas Nuki's birthday in late 2004, I got a present for him to remember. I made a reservation for 2 days in Normandy, as he's got this huge obsession of the World War II history and always have the urge to go to that particular historical place, which is 3 hours away by train from Paris.

It was a good timing, and yet he really didn't see this coming. It was so pleasing to see his eyes sparkled as I gave him the vouchers.

Down below you can see the journey in Normandy and Bayeux. It's more than anything to see how he enjoyed it, and I'd like to share this with you all.

German bunker ruins at the D-Day landing beach. 

Move! Move! Move!!! 

"I'm ready to fight, bring it on!"

Whatever it is... a bird, a plane, a superman, ... just Attack!!! 

In the train on the way to Normandy. 

Finally in Normandy!!! Yeah, the D-Day beaches... we're finally here! *see how sparkling his eyes look?* 

Cute European house... it looks like a doll house, don't y'think? 

"Hey enemies, here I come!!!!"

"Honey, I think I'm gonna rest my feet here for a while... will you go and get the amunition?" :-D 

Powerful tank on my hand! ;-P 

mas Nuki conquers the tank! 

As I browsed through the neglected collection of my old photos, my eyes stumbled upon several pictures that are worth to be shared with you. The Indonesians would refer it as "dibuang sayang" (pity if thrown away - or so). The pictures are presented in un-organized order though. Here goes...

Indo-Dutch lady. :-P 

with Ibu Titiek - a PhD sandwich program student who lectures at IPB and becomes the "mother of all Indo-students in Wageningen". 

Enjoying the fresh and crisp scenery.  

Keukenhoff bed of flowers. 

Scene taken from my room up the 16th floor of Wageningen flat. The sunset is distracted by the 'scratched' sky of plane emissions. 

Breakfast for late-birds at our apartment facing Chao Phraya river view. 

Chill out after lunch time with other interns @ the UN. 

Green garden of UN Regional Office of Asia Pacific - Bangkok. 

Rumah Gadang (?) as the UN garden decoration with all the green plants to soothe everyone during lunch time. 

Rainbow on a drizzly afternoon: a view from our room at Juldis River Mansion apartment. 

Farewell and birthday cake for me and Josefin: a surprise by UNEP'ers and Sophie (so sweet of them).