Notre Voyage de la Vie

Bienvenue a notre voyage de la vie!

2015-01-01T05:44:00.000+07:00

Feel free to browse through the Archives for our walk of life in the past months / year (on the bar at the left side of this page). If you want to leave a "trace" of your visit in this weblog, you're welcome to share your insights by Posting Comments. Kindly remember to type your name and e-mail address at the end of your comment. Many thanks!

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Buku 'Rahasia Sukses Berkarier Internasional (Rasberi)'

2010-03-14T22:34:00.012+07:00

We are very grateful that the book 'Rahasia Sukses Berkarier Internasional' ('The Secrets of Successful International Career') had been published by Gramedia publisher. Below is the excerpt of the book. For more information, please visit: www.arethaaprilia.com.

As it is written in Indonesian, at the moment it is only available in Indonesia. We hope that the English version will be available in the near future.

The secret and tips to having successful international career are revealed in the book titled "Rahasia Sukses Berkarier Internasional" ('The Secrets of Successful International Career').

Conventional methods such as looking for job vacancies information in the newspapers, and sending as many applications to various institutions without any strategies proved to be less effective in today’s competitive climate.

Did you know that based on facts and research:

- More than 70% of jobs filled by internal candidates (a.k.a the ‘insiders’)

- More than 50% of employees get the job has never been advertised

- 70% – 80% obtained jobs through networking, and only 5% got their jobs through job advertisements and job fairs.

This book introduces a variety of non-conventional strategies to apply for jobs at international institutions or companies, tips on having successful job interviews, tips to salary negotiations, and much more.

For more information, please visit: www.ArethaAprilia.com/en

* * *

Rahasia dan berbagai kiat berkarier internasional dikupas tuntas dalam buku “Rahasia Sukses Berkarier Internasional (Rasberi)” yang diterbitkan oleh PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama.

Metode konvensional seperti mencari informasi lowongan kerja di koran dan mengirimkan lamaran sebanyak-banyaknya ke berbagai institusi tanpa strategi terbukti kurang efektif di era kompetitif seperti sekarang ini. Tahukah Anda bahwa berdasarkan fakta dan penelitian:

* Lebih dari 70% pekerjaan diisi oleh kandidat internal (alias ‘orang dalam‘)

* Lebih dari 50% karyawan mendapatkan pekerjaan yang lowongannya tidak pernah diiklankan

* 70% – 80% pekerjaan diperoleh melalui jejaringan (networking), dan hanya 5% dari iklan lowongan dan pameran bursa kerja.

Buku ini memperkenalkan berbagai strategi non-konvensional yang juga membahas mengenai strategi melamar pekerjaan di institusi atau perusahaan internasional, kiat sukses menghadapi wawancara kerja, tips melakukan negosiasi gaji, dan masih banyak lagi.

Siapa yang wajib membaca buku ini?

* Para profesional dari tanah air, baik profesional mid-karir maupun fresh graduates.

* Para pelajar tingkat SMP, SMU, dan universitas yang ingin mempersiapkan pendidikan untuk kariernya di institusi internasional

* Pegawai Negeri Sipil (PNS) dan dosen yang berniat untuk memperoleh pekerjaan atau proyek pada institusi internasional

* Para guru, dosen wali, konselor pendidikan, yang berniat untuk membimbing murid atau mahasiswa/i mereka untuk berkarier di institusi internasional

* Para karyawan yang ingin mencari alternatif kerja lain untuk meningkatkan karier dan pendapatan

* HRD, manajer, dan pegawai institusi dan perusahaan internasional

* Ibu rumah tangga yang ingin kembali memasuki dunia kerja saat ini yang kian kompetitif

* Para orang tua yang peduli dengan masa depan karier anak-anaknya di era kompetisi global

Buku yang berjudul ‘Rahasia Sukses Berkarier Internasional’ ini sengaja disingkat menjadi ‘RASBERI’. Alasannya, selain agar mudah diingat oleh pembaca, juga karena buah rasberi (raspberry) sendiri merupakan metafora jenis buah yang asing, rasanya bercampur antara manis dan asam. Hal tersebut tepat sekali merepresentasikan fakta bahwa memiliki karier internasional merupakan pengalaman yang asing, terkadang terasa manis, namun tak jarang juga terasa asam, sebab cukup banyak tantangan yang harus dihadapi selama seseorang menjalaninya.

Segera dapatkan buku ini di toko buku terdekat Anda.

Harga: Rp 40,000,-

Kunjungi www.arethaaprilia.com dan dapatkan berbagai informasi yang dapat diunduh secara GRATIS!

Dapatkan pula updates, informasi lowongan dan artikel terbaru mengenai karier dengan meng-add

Facebook Page Aretha Aprilia (klik di sini).

2009-08-25T09:55:00.002+07:00

Here are some articles by Nuki, which were published in the international scientific journal Science Direct. If you wish to receive a copy of the full text article, you may contact us or go to the links as indicated at the bottom of each article.

Indonesian residential high rise buildings: a life cycle energy assessment

2009-08-04T13:45:00.001+07:00

Authors: Nuki Agya Utama and Shabbir H Gheewala

The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand

Available online on 30 July 2009 at Elsevier Science Direct's Energy and Buildings: an international journal devoted to investigations of energy use and efficiency in buildings

Abstract

This study evaluates the effect of building envelopes on the life cycle energy consumption of high rise residential buildings in Jakarta, Indonesia. For high-rise residential buildings, the enclosures contribute 10-50% of the total building cost, 14-17% of the total material mass and 20-30% of the total heat gain.

The direct as well as indirect influence of the envelope materials plays an important role in the life cycle energy consumption of buildings. The initial embodied energy of typical double wall and single wall envelopes for high residential buildings is 79.5 GJ and 76.3 GJ respectively.

Over an assumed life span of 40 years, double walls have better energy performance than single walls, 283 GJ versus 480 GJ respectively. Material selection, which depends not only on embodied energy but also thermal properties, should, therefore, play a crucial role during the design of buildings.

Keywords: Building envelopes; High rise; Tropical climate; Embodied energy; Life cycle energy

Click here for full text article.

Life cycle energy of single landed houses in Indonesia

2009-08-04T13:40:00.003+07:00

Authors: Nuki Agya Utama and Shabbir H. Gheewala

The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand

Available online 9 May 2008.

Abstract

Building enclosures contribute 10–50% of the total building cost and 14–17% of the total material mass. The direct as well as indirect influence of the enclosure materials plays an important role in the building life cycle energy. Single landed houses, the typical houses in Indonesia, have been chosen for this study. The life cycle energy of the house enclosures and energy consumed during their life spans shows intriguing results.

The initial embodied energy of typical brick and clay roof enclosures is 45 GJ compared to the other typical walls and roof material (cement based) which is 46 GJ. However, over the 40 years life span of the houses, the clay based ones have a better energy performance than the cement based ones, 692 GJ versus 733 GJ, respectively. The material selection during the design phase is thus crucial since the buildings have at least 40–50 years’ life span.

Keywords: Building envelope; Embodied energy; Houses; Indonesia; Life cycle energy

Click here for full text article.

Influence of material selection on energy demand in residential houses

2009-08-04T13:39:00.000+07:00

Authors: Nuki Agya Utama and Shabbir H. Gheewala
The Joint Graduate School of Energy and Environment, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, Thailand

Available online 12 September 2008.

Abstract

Utilizing local materials for improving the energy demand in the single landed houses in Indonesia is very promising, since it also entails less cost during production and transportation. Many possible scenarios have been proposed towards this end such as improving building craftsmanship, using double walls with cavity, double walls with bamboo in between and introducing less transparent glass.

The scenarios are tested in terms of the additional initial investment in terms of energy and cost and the benefits accrued for life cycle energy and cost. Energy and cost payback are computed to evaluate each scenario and a framework proposed for quick screening of building materials.

Keywords: Building fabrics; Environmental performance; Material properties

Click here for full text article.

Self-sufficiency in the provision of Indonesian construction materials

2009-08-04T13:35:00.001+07:00

Authors: Nuki Agya Utama; Robert Kodoatie
p. 956-963
10th DBMC International Conference on durability of building materials and components, 2005

Abstract

In line with the plan of the Indonesian government to build and develop the infrastructure as well as building a million houses for middle low incomers, the provision of local construction material is strictly prerequisite. The purpose of building up the infrastructure (i.e. roads, dams, power plants, drainages and ports) in addition to mass houses is providing the job opportunity and increasing the public services demand.

The use of sustainable construction materials in Indonesian construction business is still considerably low, whereas the use of local material is rare. Business purposes with economical benefit considerations remain to be the major issue in the local construction firm. Java as the most developed region in Indonesia customarily supplying woods for construction purposes from the tropical rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, even though the use of these material are more durable but in the other hand its energy consuming and lack environment awareness.

Furthermore its construction sand materials had been largely taken from the beach area, which brings about a number of serious environmental degradation. Likewise the construction material for Borneo, Sumatra and Eastern Indonesia most of the advanced production for material supplies such as cement, pre-fabricate concrete, steel and finishing material are mostly coming from Java region. This article aims to generate the knowledge vis-a-vis the possibility of self sufficiency and sustaining its construction material durability within local construction firm throughout the country.

Click here for full text article.

Farewell with UNEP Bangkok

2009-07-15T12:41:00.032+07:00

Our lives in Bangkok of almost four years, and of which nearly three years I had been working with UNEP ROAP, is finally coming to an end. As mas Nuki received a job offer as Research Associate at Kyoto University, we decided to move to Japan. With this decision came the consequence that I must leave my job at UNEP. It was not an easy decision, but at the end of the day, family is bound to be the most important aspect of our lives and long distance relationship in this regard, is not an option.

Breaking the news to my supervisor Mr. Henk Verbeek was not easy, but he was very supportive and completely understood our decision. As the news spread and more people knew of my leaving, my really kind colleagues had arranged a farewell party for me at the office, which was, as long as I've been working at UNEP, I've never seen a party with such a spread: pizzas, Thai delicacies, fruit platters, were made available from the tables' corner to corner, and it was a surprise for me because apparently some colleagues had arranged this without me knowing.

I was also informed that some colleagues who are working on the other office block was supposed to be in a teleconference with UNEP headquarters in Nairobi at the time of which my farewell party was organized. They were very thoughtful enough to postpone the teleconference one hour after my farewell party! And another surprise was that some colleagues in Nairobi was informed about my farewell, and my former colleague Emily Park, who used to share an office with me in Bangkok, called me all the way from Nairobi to 'protest' that I didn't tell her about my leaving. :)

The farewell party was opened with a special remark made by our UNEP Regional Director Dr. Young Woo Park (pictured below).

And then after my supervisor Henk Verbeek delivered his witty and delightful remarks, it was my turn to deliver a speech. I started with thanking everyone and mentioning colleagues who really made a difference to my work and career at UNEP. I ended my speech with a poem as follows:

May you always have work for your hands to do.
May your pockets hold always a coin or two.
May the sun shine bright on your windowpane.
May the rainbow be certain to follow each rain.
May the hand of a friend always be near you.
And may UNEP remain filled with wonderful people like you.

Here is the picture of some of my colleagues. (Left to right: Serena, Lud, Maria, Clementine, Stefanos, Satwant, and Subrata)

Left to right: my supervisor Mr. Henk Verbeek, Serena, and I

And after all said and done, we enjoyed the food while... listening to our Regional Director singing karaoke! Yes, it was the first time ever we have karaoke in UNEP office. My kind colleague Lita brought her karaoke set and we had a nice time singing and listening to our colleagues sing! :)

So now, as I write this I'm already in our new place which is located in the border of Kyoto and Osaka. Although distance may have set us apart, I believe that we will meet each other again, if not sooner then perhaps later. I will never forget my time of working with UNEP.

I am pleased that the project that I coordinated, the Asia Pacific Forum for Environment and Development (APFED) Showcase Programme, had been regarded as a 'highly successful programme' by my supervisor in his memo to our partners and colleagues that informed them about my leaving.

I was also honoured to be awarded the "Certificate of Appreciation" by the UNEP Regional Director, as recommended by Mr. Verbeek, 'for outstanding performance as Coordinator of the APFED Showcase Facility'.

Thank you Henk and Dr. Park, for this honour.

SRI LANKA: Beyond My Expectations

2009-06-24T22:29:00.005+07:00

It was another mission trip that I had to take, and at that time Colombo was my next destination. The mission was to attend and deliver presentation at the APFED Workshop on 14 - 17 October 2008.

At first I was taken aback to learn that the flight will be leaving Bangkok on the ungodly hour of almost midnight. Entering the check in lounge, my back was patted by someone, who is no other than my former supervisor at UNEP, who was at that time working in an institute in Japan. As we landed in Colombo airport at around 2 am, we were greeted by some familiar and friendly faces - of whom were our partners of the project that I was dealing with.

On our way to the hotel in Mount Lavinia - a suburb out of Colombo in which the meeting was going to be held and where we will spend the nights, we were stopped by the policemen, who were asking us questions pertaining our purpose of visit and requiring us to show identification in the form of our passport. It was cold outside that whenever the car windows were opened, we could feel the crisp air and the thin breeze. As we could show our true intentions of visiting Colombo to attend a meeting, these kind policemen let us go.

As it turned out, Sri Lanka was one of the most beautiful country that I have been to. I was also given the courtesy to have a city tour around Colombo city by my old friend, who was a former partner of a project that I dealt with when I worked at UNEP. The city preserves the old colonial buildings that are truly mesmerizing. Whereas the hotel that we stayed in, Mount Lavinia Hotel, is a very well-maintained colonial building, which used to be the home of a Governor General back in the colonial days. There was a romance story behind it as well, because the hotel is a legacy of the colonial heritage that stands as a monument to the forbidden love of the Governor with a local dancer.

The hotel is facing the beautiful view of the beach, and is merely 12 km from the Colombo city centre. During the coffee breaks of the meeting, the participants were hanging on the terrace that faced the beach and swimming pool. Here is one of the pictures taken during the breaks.

(Right to left: Ikuyo Kikusawa (IGES), Henk Verbeek (UNEP), Tomoko Noguchi (IGES), and myself).

HaLLoWeeN in Bangkok

2008-11-06T15:35:00.005+07:00

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on October 31. Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, ghost tours, bonfires, costume parties, visiting haunted attractions, carving jack-o'-lanterns, reading scary stories, and watching horror movies (source: Wikipedia)

Akhtar's school arranged the "Trick or Treat" rounds in Sukhumvit area, in which the kids were asked to chime: "Trick or treat ... trick or treat ... give me something sweet to eat...!"
And then the people in the neighbourhood will be giving away candy or all sorts of candy to these kids, who were dressed in various kind of costumes. For Akhtar, we dressed him as a Vampire. }:)

Special thanks to my colleague from UN-ESCAP, Zhendai, whose son Jia Jia is attending the same school as Akhtar's, for taking and sending the pictures and video files, which I compiled as one video file below.

A trip to the UN Climate Change Secretariat - BONN, Germany

2008-10-11T20:33:00.008+07:00

Amid this year in late July, I was invited by the UN Secretariat for Climate Change (UNFCCC) headquarters in Bonn, Germany. It was indeed intense 3-days, as the travel took almost one whole day, and then I spent the next day browsing around the town of Bonn with my good friend Bhava (who was also kind enough to offered me place to stay at her cozy apartment), and the following day the meeting with the UNFCCC staff members, and left Bonn a few hours after the meeting.

Nevertheless Bonn left me with the impression that it is a very nice, family-friendly town. I would not mind being there a bit longer. The people were also very kind, in fact, I made friends with a woman I met in the train on my way from Dusseldorf Airport to Bonn. Bhava had warned me, that the airport is such a hassle, and somewhat complicated. So in the station, I saw this friendly-looking woman, reading a story-telling book to her daughter. I asked her for directions, and she was concerned that she dialled Bhava's number many times (to no avail, as she had left her apartment when we called her), and even she asked the information operator about the number of Bhava's neighbours (!)

Bhava and I, on the top floor of the UNFCCC Secretariat office

So anyway, it didn't work out, and she was left concerned. She gave me her phone number, in case I am in any trouble in Bonn. And she also told me to drop by if I ever be around her hometown (which was not Bonn). I feel so grateful, and glad to know that there are "angels" out there who would be willing to give you a hand when you're lost (literally speaking!)

The zentrum of Bonn downtown, Bhava and I took a very long walk around town (I just wished that there would be massage service in town - apparently they're very expensive, of course, and by appointment only)

UNEP-Tongji Leadership Programme - SHANGHAI and SUZHOU, China

2008-09-27T19:38:00.018+07:00

The UNEP-Tongji Asia Pacific Leadership Programme on Environment for Sustainable Development has been conducted annually since 2004, on a collaborative basis between Tongji University and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). The 2008 Leadership Programme was held during the week of 15-20 September 2008, at the premises of the UNEP Tongji Institute of Environment for Sustainable Development (IESD) in Shanghai, China, followed by a series of site visits to the eco-industrial city of Suzhou municipality.

This year 28 participants from 18 countries were selected, in which Aretha and Nuki had the opportunity to be part of. The Hanns Seidel Foundation and UNEP generously sponsored our participation and stay in China for a week, to pursue the intensive Leadership Programme that aims to build network and strengthen knowledge on the emerging issues on environment, especially in the Asia and the Pacific region.

During the intense weeks, we managed to make use of the night "session" more fruitful, by going to Shanghai downtown, do some shopping, and sight-seeing. We normally would went in a group of some good new friends, and would compare prices of the stuff that we bought, sometimes followed by delight of getting cheaper price, but sometimes with disappointment for having to pay more than what the goods were worth.

Nanjing Road, Shanghai downtown at 8:00 pm.

Modern as it is, with European/American/Asian mixed-designs of the building, Shanghai is a unique city which is worth a visit.

On the third day in Shanghai, we had the chance to do some more sight-seeing just the two of us, and visited the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, located in Pudong Park, which is the world's third tallest TV and radio tower, with 468 meters high above the ground.

The view from the top of the tower was unbelievably breath taking.

Following the session of lectures that were delivered by Resource Persons from Yale University, Griffith University, AIT, etc, and from private sectors such as HSBC and Bayer, we were brought to Suzhou city, an industrial municipality located 1 hour away from Shanghai. We stayed at the hotel provided by the organizer, which was at the heart of the shopping area and night entertainment in Suzhou.

Checking-in at the hotel in Suzhou

At the Exhibition of the Ecological Park in Suzhou, there were some interesting showcase of eco-friendly technologies with which the city was developed. Above picture is us sitting on top of the sturdy glass showcase of this eco-city modelling.

Mission to Davao City, the PHILIPPINES

2008-09-27T19:03:00.010+07:00

In July 2008, I was invited to attend the annual APFED meetings. This time the venue was in Davao city of Mindanao province, the Philippines. The plane from Manila took around an hour, and I was pleased to see the wonderful view of Davao from above, just before landing. It was indeed a beautiful afternoon, around 4 pm or so - my favourite time of the day.

The meetings were intensed 2-days, in which I had to delivered presentations on behalf of UNEP. It really was a good opportunity for me to again network with experts, people from the Ministries of Environment (and several Ministers), as well as NGO representatives from Asia and the Pacific region.

Somehow while I was there, some people mistakenly thought that I was a Philippino. Once they talk to me in Tagalog, I would respond, "sorry, I'm not a Philippino" - to their surprise. And later on they'd apologize, saying "but you look like a Philippino," which I would respond, "yes, and you yourself look like an Indonesian." That usually would break the ice. ;)

And then there was a representative from IUCN who said to me, "at first I thought that you were a Philippino," he added, "but after hearing your presentation, I knew at once that you are not. So which country are you from?"

Anyway, after the whole 2-days meeting, IGES had the courtesy to provide participants to join the field visits. That was in fact also an opportunity to talk to the person next to you on the tour bus about things that are not necessarily related with work. It made the connection more humane and personal, which I like better.

In front of the tour bus, left to right: Henk Verbeek (UNEP Senior Admin Officer), me, Ikuyo Kikusawa (IGES), Prof. Emil Salim and his wife, Mr. Hiroshi Nishimiya (used to be my boss at UNEP as Deputy Regional Director, currently holding position as IGES' Deputy Programme Management Office), and the representative of Ministry of Environment, Japan.

With Prof. Emil Salim, at the Eagles Conservation centre of Davao city. Prof. Salim is one of the APFED members, the only delegate from Indonesia, and we are pleased to have him on board.

A little observation on Prof. Emil Salim. He is considered as a world-renowned, awards-winning expert on environmental sustainable development. He is always active during the discussion sessions, with his point of emphasis on poverty reduction. He always puts forward the importance of the policy makers to take into account measures on poverty reduction, in front of the international audience before him. He is the former Minister of Environment, and is currently holding a position as member of the Advisory Council to the Indonesian President. I have only learned about him in my elementary school text books, and so grateful to have the chance to meet him in person at international fora like this.

Akhtar Avatara

2008-09-25T13:20:00.005+07:00

Looking at the previous posts, I got the warm feeling inside by looking at baby pictures of Akhtar. It feels like only recently he was still a baby. Now he has grown a lot and turned as a boy instead of a baby :)

Playing badminton with mom, dad, and the Indobangkoknoi group

Self-portrait submitted to the pre-school he is currently attending; Early Years in Sukhumvit, Bangkok.

When asked, what does he want to be? He would reply, "an astronout!". He said that he wants to go to the moon, and stars, and drop by the sun "it's so hooott... in the suuun...", he would add.

He is also fascinated with airplanes, trains, and all sorts of transportation. But he likes airplanes best, and his face would brigthen up by the prospect of all of us going to the airport. Sometimes he'd be a bit disappointed when we went to the airport just to pick up our family members who were dropping by Bangkok, because he wants to ride on the plane.

Riding (posing) on the Thai Airways mobile cart at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi airport

The last time we went on the plane was to go back to Semarang for our sister's wedding. The plane departed from Bangkok to Jogjakarta (by MAS), unfortunately the weather wasn't favourable and there were several turbulence, which made Akhtar's face a bit dimmed. Then he said, "I don't like airplanes, mommy. I don't want to go on airplanes... no more." But we tried to encourage him that the turbulence is due to the weather, and we went inside the thick clouds, etc. After landing, it seems that he had forgotten all about the sickening turbulence, and said, "I want to ride on the plane again! Let's go, Mommy!"

Akhtar and papa, mesmerizing the replica of an airplane at Kuala Lumpur (KLIA) airport

"Funky music on my earphones, mommy! Yeah... rock on, dude!"

Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC in Bali (CoP 13)

2008-09-25T13:07:00.003+07:00

Climate change is claimed as the defining challenge of the century. Given the importance of the topic, UNEP had put climate change on top of its agenda. I was pleased to have been given the chance to attend the conference as observer, in addition to my role to assist the UNEP Subregional Environmental Policy Dialogue, which was attended by Ministers of Environment from Asia and the Pacific (including Minister Rachmat Witoelar) and the UNEP Executive Director Mr. Achim Steiner.

The JAPAN mission - Tokyo, Yokohama, Hayama

2008-09-25T11:07:00.007+07:00

Finally the time has come for me to be able to visit our counterpart's office based in Japan. I have mainly been working with the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES) and I was pleased to be invited to attend and delivered a presentation on behalf of UNEP at the meeting there. Their headquarters office in Hayama - Kanagawa Perfecture, is impressive. Not only that it was spacious, airy and with modern interior/exterior, the building also applied the notion of sustainable building by the installation of wind energy systems to provide electricity, solar lighting, etc.

Prior to attending the full-day meetings, at the IGES Headquarters office in Hayama, Japan.

Given that Japan is indeed an exciting place to visit, I had the courtesy to invite my mother to come with me on this mission. After a few days of back-to-back meetings, we extended our stay and had some extra days spent in Tokyo and Yokohama. As good ol'tourists, we did all the touristy things, such as visited the Tokyo Tower, all-modern Roppongi hills, Akihabara, etc, which were included in one of those full-day Tokyo tour services. It was all worth it, and we both had a blast!

Our feet on top of the Tokyo Tower

At Roppongi hills, from which Tokyo Tower can be seen from afar

A few encounters with eminent persons - CHENGDU, China

2007-11-28T15:01:00.001+07:00

Dear friends and family,

It has been a while since the last time we post any new updates on our life. No... we haven't got a sibling for Akhtar just yet, but we have some other news that might be of your interest.

As some of you know that after a well-deserved maternity break and several temp-jobs here and there, I had finally gone back and taken up a job at the UN Environment Programme in Bangkok as Programme Specialist since November 2006 up to now. I will continue to serve while mas Nuki is completing his Doctorate programme. I had been quite busy in the past few months with missions abroad, which was exhausting but also fulfilling.

The first mission was to Chengdu (China), in which I had to deliver 2 presentations about the programme I'm dealing with, which is a grant programme for environmentally innovative projects all over Asia Pacific. Every year we select 12 projects, and up to now we already have 24 projects in 18 countries. My duty is to monitor the implementation and disburse the funds.

So anyway, in Chengdu, I had the opportunity to meet Prof. Emil Salim, who is the only eminent person from Indonesia invited in this Asia Pacific Forum for Environment & Development meeting. I was quite nervous to deliver my presentation in front of him, in addition to around 30 other former and current ministers from Asia. But I am grateful that somehow it went well, that I got compliments from Prof. Emil and the director of institute at the UN University in Tokyo, saying that my presentation was "interesting" and that I "didn't look nervous at all" - although I knew well that I was, but did a nice job covering it up ;-)

Here is a snapshot of me in between 2 prominent people: Prof. Akio Morishima (founder of the Institute of Global Environmental Strategies - Japan), and Prof. Emil Salim.

And here is the picture of the former Minister of Environment from South Korea, Dr. Kim Myung Ja. Note that she is a prominent female environmental leader, and I am amazed by the fact that everytime she speaks in the forum, she always gets the attention and follow up from other participants, as she deserves.

And of course at the end of the day we had the opportunities to do a bit of sight seeing around Chengdu, and I got to see the Panda Centre with heaps of pandas which are really chubby, fluffy, and cute...

It was just sooo good to be out and get in touch with the nature after whole days of meetings and a series of presentations.

Ibu Cemerlang (Smart Mom) 2006 - Nestle infant cereal

2007-03-14T16:36:00.004+07:00

Source:http://www.sahabatnestle.co.id/HOMEV2/main/infant/main.asp?page=event&id=1236
Juara Ibu Cemerlang 2006: Aretha Aprilia Ibu Cemerlang 2006
Karena merasa memiliki visi yang sama dengan Nestlé, Aretha ikut pemilihan Ibu Cemerlang 2006 dan... menang! Menjadi seorang ibu adalah anugerah terindah yang dirasakan Aretha Aprilia. Untuk putera pertamanya, Akhtar Avatara yang kini berusia 11 bulan, Aretha hanya memberikan nutrisi terbaik termasuk asupan ASI untuk buah hatinya. "Saya berniat memberikan Akhtar ASI sampai dia berusia 2 tahun," begitu harapan Aretha.

Mantan Gadis Gemilang versi Majalah GADIS (1997), Miss Novotel (1998), yang juga mantan penyiar radio di Semarang ini tampaknya memang memiliki naluri sebagai seorang Ibu Cemerlang. Essay-nya tentang pengalaman makan yang edukatif membuktikan hal ini.

Untuk membuat Akhtar mau makan dengan lahap, Aretha menerapkan trik "medutainment" alias meals, education and entertainment. "Saya mengajaknya bicara, menirukan suara binatang atau bermain boneka tangan. Saya berharap, suasana penuh kasih sayang akan membuat Akhtar menyukai saat-saat makannya." Sekarang, Akhtar yang sudah semakin besar dan ganteng memang jarang sekali sulit makan. Selain asupan ASI, Akhtar menyantap Nestlé Bubur Susu rasa wortel, bayam dan labu 3 X sehari, ditambah juice dan nasi tim saring.

Ibu muda yang masih aktif menulis untuk media cetak dan di UN Bangkok ini sangat percaya bahwa nutrisi yang baik sangat dibutuhkan untuk pertumbuhan dan perkembangan anak-anak. Ia mendukung pemberian ASI eksklusif dan ingin sekali dapat bekerja sama dengan Ibu Ani SBY sebagai Duta ASI, mengkampanyekan pentingnya ASI ke berbagai lapisan masyarakat.

Selain itu, Aretha juga berencana membuat website khusus tentang nutrisi anak di internet yang bisa dijadikan sumber informasi bagi tumbuh kembang anak serta membuat milis untuk memfasilitasi informasi ini."Pasti menyenangkan bila ibu-ibu bisa sharing experience dengan sesama ibu-ibu lainnya yang memiliki anak usia 6 – 12 bulan. Saya sudah mengumpulkan bahan-bahannya lho," katanya ceria. Kita doakan saja, semoga cita-cita mulianya ini dapat terwujud dalam waktu dekat, ya!

Snapshots of the TV Commercial for Nestle Infant Cereal, broadcasted nation-wide

(courtesy of Toto Soemardjono, Director of the Nestle-TV commercial production)

And here is the VIDEO file of the Nestle TV commercial. Click "Play" to view it.

Akhtar is almost 1 year old... time flies (?)

2006-12-06T21:09:00.000+07:00

So here we are, back on the web again. I got a message from Nina and apparently she still checks our weblog and sent a congratulatory note to welcome me back in the 'blog world'. I really think that it's time to update it, after my last post dated April 10 (wow, it's almost 8 months ago!)

Akhtar is now almost 1 year old. The past 1 year had been such a turmoil, many ups and downs. I enjoy this great (yet life-changing) opportunity to be a mom. Akhtar now can say some things, funny words like "buaya" (in Indonesian, it means "crocodile"), because whenever he sees Animal Planet on TV, and there are some kinds of crocodile shows, we always point out to him that they're called "buaya". The funny thing is, sometimes in the morning, right after he wakes up, he says none other than "buaya" ... I hope he doesn't refer that word as his mom or dad! (although, he can already point to us and say "mama" and "papa", though).

Down below you can see his latest photos. Share with us what you think of him, we'd be glad to hear from you all!

2006-12-06T20:52:00.000+07:00

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2006-12-05T22:42:00.000+07:00

2006-12-05T22:41:00.000+07:00

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2006-04-11T11:11:00.000+07:00

2006-04-10T08:11:00.000+07:00

We went over to Sophie's apartment at one weekend to get Akhtar acquainted with her two sons: Meno and Pim. Sophie is Dutch, whom happily married with an Aussie. Sophie works at UNEP for the "Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction from Industry in Asia and the Pacific" project (www.geriap.org), while Andy is a P.E. teacher at an international school in Bangkok.

This is our 2nd time to visit this happy family. We enjoyed having dinner together, this time we prepared Indonesian meal for them: Soto daging, gado-gado, and perkedel daging.

2006-03-14T12:05:00.000+07:00

Jessica, our friend from London who now works for one of the international TV network based in Malaysia, paid us a visit while she conducted her task to cover a story in Thailand. She stayed at our place for a few days and we really had a good time having her around. We went to Suan Lum night bazaar to do a bit of shopping (for her) and to have a sort of 'Goodbye Dinner'. She's quite good with babies, and she can practically be a mother herself! Akhtar also seems to like her a lot coz she'd make funny faces, so we may as well call her the "fun auntie Jessica". :-)

Family Photo - at last!

2006-02-23T09:30:00.000+07:00

pHoTo cReDit: AnA & RoNNie (thAnX, guYs!)

Au BoN PaiN, aLL SeAsOnS

2006-02-23T09:17:00.000+07:00

Last weekend we went out to All Seasons place and met up with our friends, Ana and Ronnie Mercado. Their son is the same age as Akhtar and here are the pic of them getting acquainted:

When he's left alone in his 'ride', he seems content, too, just like what you can see on the photo below:

Akhtar's mummy likes to take his pictures in various angles, probably she's trying to be the next Anne Geddess. :-) Here's one sample:

Cast your Vote! :-)

2006-02-18T16:29:00.001+07:00

We were trying to take a photo of Akhtar for immigration purposes in which the Indonesian Embassy required us to have a few pictures of the baby with red background. Instead of running off to the photo studio, we came up with having a "studio" in our bedroom. As an old red t-shirt of mas Nuki's was laid down in bed, we put Akhtar on top of it and Aretha took several shots in sequence. Below are the sample of the pictures we successfully produced. Can you give us suggestion as to which one we should choose for his passport and birth certificate? Please cast your vote Now! :)

a.

2006-02-12T18:27:00.000+07:00

Above: That's what Akhtar looks like when he plays and mocks around with his mum and dad

Below: He likes to grab daddy's t-shirt when bathing, probably he's worried of drowning. :-D

A piece of reminiscence from London, UK

2006-02-09T20:50:00.001+07:00

I was browsing through our photo collections and found the one I posted here. This picture was taken at a restaurant in London right after the UNEP Advisory Board Meeting for Sustainable Consumption project was completed in September 2004. The food and even the beer served in this restaurant are all organic, in line with the idea of our project (and also my thesis research - coincidentally).

This image brought me some memories, thus I skimmed through the previous postings in this blog. Things have changed rapidly within less than 2 years time. Now our life is a bit more settled, though not completely. I miss travelling here and about, wondering when and where I can experience these feelings again.

Anyway, back to this picture again. Just for reminiscing reasons. From left to right:
Uchita (Sri Lankan, served as the director of Centre of Environment and Development)
Claus (Denmark, served as project partner, from an NGO called DCC - forgot what it stands for)
Villy (same as Claus)
Niclas (Swedish. He's one of my favourite people in the world! A terrific boss with such great attitude. He was the Project Coordinator and Officer of UNEP Bangkok and thanks to him I got to be here. Currently he's assigned to a new post at UNEP Paris).
Bjarne (forgot his nationality, but he's UK-based. He's the project partner from the NGO Consumers International, and the host for this event).
Adriana (Mexican but Paris-based, Project Officer from UNEP Paris)
Aretha (Indonesian,... don't know where to start with the tagline)
Priya (Indian, was born and raised in Canada, but also UK-based. She's a cool person and we stay in touch up to now. We even met up in a lovely Italian restaurant in Paris when she came over. Hope that one day we'll meet again).

Girls Night In !

2006-02-09T16:52:00.000+07:00

Last weekend my good friend Sarah - the Australian Young Ambassador that works for UNEP Bangkok, visited us and stayed over at our place. It seems to be so long since we see each other, albeit her visit in the hospital right after Aretha gave birth, which was 1,5 months ago.

It was good to catch up, especially since we couldn't get our daily dose of chatting like it used to be when we worked together at UNEP (we didn't actually work together, coz she's dealing with conserving the poor turtles while I dealt with shopping... um, I meant consumption... "sustainable consumption", more like). :-)

Sarah is one of my sweetest friend, she's very independent, witty, pretty (taller than most fashion top models as she is 179 cm tall! I wonder how the wind is up there!) ;-) She is also a determined person, and I believe her to be successful in all her future endeavours.

Anyway I've just got her e-mail and here's what she says:

"Hi beautiful Aretha = D Thank you soooooo much for having me over, I slept like a (um) baby!! So good to goss with you again, and to see your amazing motherhood skills in action...I am returning to Australia on 3 March to take up ajob in sunny Queensland, yay. Will have to meet you in the next few weeks before I run away! Lots of love, Sarah"

So here comes the part which I hate the most; goodbye! But it had been great to have known her, and although there's always be a "farewell" whenever there's a "hello", it's warming to know that a friendship is established and God knows what tomorrow has in store for us. We may cross paths again, hopefully!!!

Playdate with the Mercados

2006-02-01T14:31:00.000+07:00

Last weekend we came over to our friends' place, Ana and Ronnie Mercado. They came from the Phillipinnes, but already lived in Bangkok for quite some time now. We met the first time at the Maternity Class and apparently we have some common grounds, i.e. we have our first newborn sons, and they both were born in December. We also happen to live quite near, only about 10 minutes away, should we disregard the traffic.

So we had some nice chats, sharing of experience, etc. Kind of funny because it's the first time we (Nuki and I) had such an 'adult' conversation. You know, like the price of Pampers compared to Mami Poko, the frequency of baby's pee pee and poo poo, and also the forms of the aforementioned. :-) But seriously, we had some nice sharing of insights in regards to nursing and raising the baby.

Below are some photos taken during our playdate. In fact, it was more like a playdate for the parents rather than the kids! :-P

2006-01-31T17:21:00.000+07:00

Ana & Aretha: the new mothers in duty

Look at Mattie with his hands as though he's doing a hip-hop dance move!

And look at Akhtar staring at his mum with his curious looks.

Bonding with Daddy

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Papa Nuki and Ronnie: "Bouncy baby... bouncy baby, oooh... aren't you the cutest baby or what?"

Akhtar: "Gleeeba...goo..goo" (translation: "Can you please stop swinging me around? I'm getting a bit nausea here. Baw!!")

Matthew: "Goo...goo" (translation: "Same here, pal! And could I get back to my mum please? I think I need some drink. Baw!!")

First baby pal

2006-01-31T12:27:00.000+07:00

Nuki: "Hey Akhtar, say 'hello' to your new friend, Matthew!"
Ronnie: "Look who's there... your first baby friend!"

Akhtar (in baby language): Gaa... gaaa.. gooo... (translation: "Geez... what are those adults up to? I'm Akhtar, by the way. What's your name?")
Matthew: Goo... goo... (translation: "I'm Matthew, but you can call me Mattie. Nice to meet you! Do you wanna shoot some hoops when we grow up?")
Akhtar: Goo...goo ("I don't see why not!")

2006-01-30T15:51:00.000+07:00

Two plus one equals three ~ {2 + 1 = 3}

2006-01-24T10:45:00.001+07:00

One happy little family :-)

Introducing... our son, Akhtar Avatara

2006-01-16T15:41:00.000+07:00

We are happy to share with you that our first son had been born in Bangkok on 20 December 2005. He is a healthy baby boy, weighed 4,005 kg and 53 cm long. It was quite a journey, with 14 hours of labour and a bit of tensity in between.

Actually the birth was quite tricky. I got my water broke at 4 AM and off we went rushing to the hospital when everyone else was still snoozing. Greeted by the emergency room nurses, and within seconds we were ushered to the delivery room. At first we opted for water birth, but the baby was too big, therefore I had to give up the plan. However I got the opportunity to soak in the warm birth pool for pain relieve purpose though, it was quite a pleasant experience.

Anyway the contraction didn't get intense and painful before midday. After the fifth cm opening it got really painful, and at 6.39 in the evening the baby was delivered. I was very grateful that I didn't opt for a cesarean (C-section, as they call it), because the thrill for having the baby handed over to you for the first time - fresh from the womb - is priceless!

We named the baby Akhtar Avatara --> Akhtar is Arabic for "lucky" and "star", whereas Avatara is Hindi, which means "offspring". (In fact Avatara is the name my parents prepared for me when they thought that I would be a baby boy - the sonogram read my gender incorrectly). So by naming him that, we hope that he'll be an offspring that brings good luck and be as bright as the star (amen!).

2006-01-16T15:34:00.000+07:00

A few seconds after Akhtar was delivered to the world... still in the delivery room. The doctor handed the baby immediately for us to start bonding. What an amazing feeling!Thank God.

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Observant eyes

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Sleeping soundly in the baby sling

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Yawn!!!

2006-01-16T15:22:00.000+07:00

What sweet pucker lips! :-x
Whitish lips as a result of drinking milk in vast amount
(Got Milk?) ;-)

Counting Down the Days...

2005-12-07T13:24:00.000+07:00

It's December already, only couple of days before I'm due (Dec 15). Things are going quite slow at home, although we did quite some purchase of additional furnitures for the baby and a bit of redecorating.

We've spent Sunday afternoons attending Maternity Class at our hospital, spending some quality time with other pregnant mothers (and also the fathers) in addition to obtaining information about pregnancy, birth, and beyond. The class is conducted in English, and we happen to be able to make friends with the class attendees. There's Lori and Peter from America, who apparently gave birth to their first baby boy yesterday on Tuesday, Dec 6. There's Rony and Ana from the Philippines, who will due a week after me, and happen to live in our area. We're planning to keep in touch and probably our babies will attend the pre-school together!

It turned out to be quite a bonding between us couples, and I find it most useful to talk to the other pregnant women and talk about what we're going through. It's such a relieve to see that other people are experiencing the same things, i.e. insomnia, backaches, misery for not being able to drink coffee, even issues that may make others may frowned upon such as frequency (or lack thereof) to go to the loo. With these women, we can talk almost about Anything! I'm just glad we took this class, and would recommend others to do the same, especially if you're carrying your first baby!

Anyway, as I write this, I'm listening to some Christmas songs and carols, thanks to the info provided by my dear friend Rina about this amazing software which allows us to download MP3 songs for free! It's called LimeWire (www.limewire.com) and I've been addicted ever since, downloading (or as Rina puts it, 'pirating') songs and even my fave and fab TV show "Desperate Housewives". Anyway, I just realized that the baby might've come out as a Christmas Baby. I've always loved Christmas time! Not that I celebrate it for religious reasons, but it always give me a bit of thrill and warmth in my heart when Christmas comes or even when I think of Christmas.

Well, Christmas or no Christmas, it is indeed going to be a December to Remember!

2005-12-07T13:21:00.000+07:00

Group of couples on the maternity class at Samitivej Hospital.

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This is the room that we stayed in, at Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya. The huge Elvis poster made my Dad continuously sing Elvis' songs.

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Hard Rock Hotel Pattaya - by nite

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Hang out by the beach with my beloved mum.

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Cuddly-cuddly - sitting cozily by the Pattaya Beach

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This is our car, we call her "Jessica" - as in "(Honda) Jazz the Car". Hehehe... She had successfully took the four of us on our journey to Pattaya!

2005-10-27T17:13:00.000+07:00

At the doctor's waiting room, prior to meeting the doctor.

2005-10-27T17:03:00.000+07:00

Dining and breaking the fast at Cabbages & Condoms (funny name, serious stuff!) restaurant in Sukhumvit, Bangkok downtown.

Mothers' coallition to prepare our Baby Shower

2005-10-27T16:56:00.000+07:00

Prior to the Baby Shower, our kind and beloved Mothers came to Bangkok to help us prepare all the necessary things for the Baby Shower. Amazing women, I thought to myself. They've got heaps of work to do at home but still spare some time for us. Maybe it's the wonderful nature of grandmas-to-be (?) ;-)

So we picked them up at the airport, a bit late - kind of understandable coz they're women afterall, and women can't miss the good times of window shopping at the Duty Free! After that we went straight to the Samitivej hospital for my appointment with the doctor to check on the baby.

At nearly 6 o'clock, we went dining and breaking the fast at Cabbages & Condoms (funny name, serious stuff!) restaurant in Sukhumvit, Bangkok downtown. Here's an interesting fact: instead of after-dinner mints, they served nothing but the good ol' condoms! Well too late for me! Haha... But seriously, this restaurant was built by some people who are determined to promote healthy sex habits among Thais. As it turned out, the restaurant is a huge success and the safe-sex promotion still remains hitherto. Some of you wondered why we took our mums there? Simply because they serve nice food and great atmosphere with awesome outdoor decoration. Not for the free condoms, of course!

The Wedding

2005-10-27T16:55:00.000+07:00

In early September we went back to Semarang to attend Illa and Kemal's wedding (mas Nuki's sister). We only managed to be home during the weekend, since Aretha couldn't get time off from work and mas Nuki has classes to attend. Yet it was a nice celebration to be involved in, and we got to see our family and friends. Mas Nuki invited his friends over, while Aretha invited hers.

Being away makses us realize just how much we miss our home, family and friends. For Aretha's case, her friends Dhita and Agnes came to the hen's party (well not exactly like the western style of hen's party, but traditional the so-called "Midodareni"). It was a good timing as Agnes was about to depart to Korea for her graduate studies in the following week.

Then Shima came also at the wedding reception. It was quite a funny story, because Aretha was greedily tried to satisfy her cravings for Indonesian food with her family at the VIP room. She thought, maybe Shima won't be able to find her, but what can she do? A gal's gotta eat! :-) Then out of the blue, someone poked her shoulder from behind, and guess who it is? Yup, Shima! What a surprise!

Anyway the photos are posted below. Aretha was about 6 months preggers. It's already showing, isn't it?

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One happy family! From left to right: Mas Nuki, Aretha, the bride (de' Illa), Mama, and de' Vika.

2005-10-27T16:24:00.000+07:00

Posing in front of the flowery-decorated bride and groom's sitting area (actually supposed to be used the following morning, yet what a nice background it makes for our picture with our lovely friends; Dhita and Agnez).

Our Baby Shower!

2005-10-20T15:15:00.000+07:00

In Sunday last weekend, October 16, we celebrated Aretha's 7th months of pregnancy by having a Baby Shower at our apartment. There were around 20 of us, and our dear friends had made the efforts to attend the Shower despite the distance of our place from theirs. The Shower turned out to be a multi-national gathering with our friends from India, Nepal, Belgium, Nigeria, and of course; Thailand, and Indonesia. Our parents also helped us prepare the baby shower with traditional Javanese ritual with equipments and an array of food brought from Indonesia.

Unlike Western-style baby shower, Javanese baby shower requires real shower. Aretha was showered by her parents, mom-in-law and husband with a bucket of water filled with 7 types of fragrant flowers (her mom brought them from Indonesia).

After that she has to wear 7 types of Javanese costumes / batik in which each costume represent the wish to the baby for having specific sorts of character, for instance intelligence, devotion, peace, happiness, prosperity, good looks, etc, but most importantly, the symbol of the last batik signifies simplicity. Everyone are expected to express their disagreements for each costume by yelling out, “No” when the MC (Aretha's mum) asks, “Does this clothes suit her?”. Not until the 7th costume, which then the answer should be “Yes”.

Some interesting ritual is the dropping of 2 eggs beneath the Javanese clothes that symbolize our good wish that the baby can be delivered without major problems. In the old days, we believe that if the eggs don’t break, the baby would be a boy. Whereas if the eggs do break, it would be a girl. (Obviously, during those old days Sonograms were not yet invented).

Interestingly enough, during this rituals what happened was that the eggs didn't break (Believe it or not?!) ;-)

The next ritual is the breaking of the golden coconut by the baby's father that symbolizes our good wish that in time and after the baby delivery, the mother and the baby will remain safe and healthy. As you see in the picture below, the golden coconuts are craved with the character of Kamajaya and Ratih Goddess, which represent our wish for the baby to have their characteristics such as loyalty, intelligence, heroism, handsomeness, etc.

The next ritual is the making of rujak procot (a sort of fruit dish with spices), which symbolically done by the mother-to-be. The fruit for the dish consists of 7 types, which represent the 7th months of pregnancy.

Last but not least is prayers by the father and mother in-law. After the ritual finished, the guests were presented with a variety of Javanese/Indonesian food, including tumpeng (yellow rice) that are usually served during baby shower.

Prior to the closure of the event, three Javanese crafts were given away in the 'game' time. Aretha is playing the Javanese music on the tape, and while she has her eyes closed, the gifts were tossed around. She decides when the music stops, and when it does, whoever carries the gift is the winner.

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Changing batik clothes ritual - my mum in law behind me is fixing the batik, while my mum explain to our friends what the batik patterns represent.

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The baby shower isn't complete without a "Tumpeng" (yellow rice molded into mountainous shape).

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The guests listen intently to what my dad gotta say on his welcome speech (jokes and poems included, which kinda break the ice!)

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Mas Nuki and his PhD supervisor Dr. Shabbir (from India), who also attended the baby shower.

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The guests surrounding the Indonesian food served in the baby shower. "Enak!" (Delicious!)

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The 7th dress (kebaya) to wear. As part of the baby shower ritual, the mother-to-be is dressed up into 7 different Javanese dress. The photo shows the last dress Aretha wears for the evening.

2005-10-20T14:29:00.000+07:00

The golden coconuts engraved with wayang characters of Ratih goddess and Kamajaya [especially brought from Indonesia by our moms]!

2005-10-20T13:58:00.000+07:00

Just before the Baby Shower starts [early bird guests]

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

2005-02-24T05:47:00.000+07:00

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.

2005-02-24T05:44:00.000+07:00

Armageddon (?)

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Asteroid attacks

2005-02-23T07:30:00.002+07:00

"Back off!"

Journey through time: World War II in France

2005-02-23T07:30:00.001+07:00

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.

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German bunker ruins at the D-Day landing beach.

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Move! Move! Move!!!

2005-02-23T07:27:00.001+07:00

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

2005-02-23T07:25:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T07:17:00.000+07:00

In the train on the way to Normandy.

2005-02-23T07:16:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T07:15:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T07:13:00.001+07:00

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

2005-02-23T07:12:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T07:10:00.000+07:00

Powerful tank on my hand! ;-P

2005-02-23T07:08:00.000+07:00

mas Nuki conquers the tank!

2005-02-23T07:01:00.000+07:00

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...

2005-02-23T06:59:00.000+07:00

Indo-Dutch lady. :-P

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

2005-02-23T06:55:00.000+07:00

Enjoying the fresh and crisp scenery.

2005-02-23T06:54:00.000+07:00

Keukenhoff bed of flowers.

2005-02-23T06:53:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:51:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:50:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:49:00.001+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:49:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:45:00.000+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:42:00.001+07:00

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

2005-02-23T06:40:00.000+07:00

Enjoying nice Thai farewell dinner at "Cabbages and Condoms" (weird name, d'you think?) restaurant downtown.

2005-02-23T06:39:00.000+07:00

Farewell with our friends: (left to right) - Louisa (Australia), Apple (Thai), Aretha, Claire (Thai).

Rumah Susun Ramah Lingkungan

2005-02-23T06:27:00.000+07:00

This following article was published on February 19, 2005 (Retrieved on: http://www.suaramerdeka.com/harian/0502/19/opi4.htm)

By: Nuki Agya Utama

PEMBANGUNAN perumahan memang menjadi dasar kebutuhan masyarakat dan tuntutan pemerintah (daerah/pusat) untuk memenuhinya. Akan tetapi apabila pembangunan perumahan hanya berdasarkan target penyelesaian tanpa memperhitungkan faktor lain, pembangunan tersebut akan lebih bernuansa pemborosan dan merusak daripada memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat dalam jangka panjang.

Pemerintah mengalokasikan dana senilai Rp 3 miliar untuk subsidi rumah sederhana sehat tahun ini. Jumlah itu dianggarkan bagi 3.000 unit rumah dari total kebutuhan 13.000 unit di Jateng. Saat ini, pemerintah provinsi telah menyediakan Rp 700 juta, dan sisanya masih menunggu kucuran dana dari pemerintah pusat (Suara Merdeka11/2, 2005). Berita yang sangat menggembirakan tentunya, masyarakat kecil bisa menikmati rumah dengan harga yang relatif terjangkau, seiring dengan semakin beratnya memenuhi kebutuhan pokok sehari-hari, serta kemungkinan harga-harga naik karena kenaikan BBM.

Seperti dijelaskan lagi oleh Dinas Kimtaru Jateng, pemberian subsidi dilakukan pada pengembang yang mendirikan minimal 1.000 unit rumah. Pengembang yang akan mendirikan rumah minimal 1000 unit merupakan pengembang besar dan bukan kecil-kecilan, minimal Rp20 miliar diperlukan apabila harga satuan rumah Rp 20 juta, belum harga pembebasan tanah, bunga bank dan biaya-biaya lain.

Rumah sebagai tempat tinggal dengan kapasitas standar memang diperlukan, selain harga terjangkau juga memenuhi standar tempat tinggal bagi pemilik menengah ke bawah.

Penggunaan Lahan
Akan banyak sekali kebutuhan akan rumah sederhana di Jawa tengah diiringi dengan penggunaan lahan bagi kebutuhan pembangunan unit rumah tersebut. Dari 13.000 unit rumah yang dibutuhkan apabila satu unit rumah (tipe 21) memerlukan tanah minimal 36 m2 akan dibutuhkan sekitar 468.000 m2 lahan rumah. Belum lagi lahan yang dipergunakan sebagai lahan penunjang/infrastruktur, sesuai standar pembangunan perumahan 40% diperuntukan sebagai lahan terbuka, sehingga dari total kebutuhan lahan baru bagi perumahan baru adalah 1.170.000 m2.

Lebih lagi seperti yang kita ketahui, pembangunan rumah sederhana oleh pengembang tidak menguntungkan apabila tidak membangun rumah menengah dan mewah. Alokasi lahan bagi rumah bukan akan meningkat 3-4 kali lipat dari kebutuhan akan lahan bagi 13.000 rumah.
Perubahan tata guna lahan juga berlaku bagi lahan pertanian. Seperti diungkapkan Kepala Bidang statistik BPS Jateng, diperkirakan, sekitar 2 - 3 persen lahan pertanian di Provinsi Jawa Tengah setiap tahunnya berubah fungsi menjadi lahan permukiman atau industri.

Perubahan fungsi lahan pertanian ini seiring dengan perkembangan penduduk yang semakin bertambah. Disebutkan lagi bahwa pertanian menyumbang sekitar 23 persen pada pendapatan domestik bruto (PDB) Jateng. Perubahan lahan hutan dan lahan subur lainnya menjadi perumahan sudah jamak terjadi di Pulau Jawa, seiring dengan semakin padatnya penduduk yang mendiami pulau ini.

Penambahan bangunan perumahan sangat diperlukan untuk memenuhi kebutuhan masyarakat. Pembangunannya harus memikirkan dampak lingkungan perubahan lahan menjadi lahan perumahan, kurangnya daya resap tanah terhadap air hujan, pengolahan limbah rumah tangga (RT), dan distribusi air bersih harus menjadi prioritas pemerintah dan pengembang.

Prioritas bukan melulu target pembangunan rumah secara kuantitas, kualitas rumah sehat juga harus memperhitungkan minimal-nya kerusakan lingkungan dan daya serap sumber daya alam akibat pembangunan tersebut.

Ke Atas Menguntungkan
Pembangunan perumahan ke atas (vertically) lebih menguntungkan dalam banyak hal dibandingkan pembangunan perumahan kesamping (horizontally). Pengembangan perumahan secara horisontal cenderung menggunakan lahan pertanian, hutan dan lahan hijau lainya sedangkan pembangunan rumah secara vertikal lebih minim dalam hal penggunaan lahan.
Sepuluh rumah tipe 21/36 memanfaatkan lahan sebanyak 360 m2, sedangkan pembangunan secara vertikal cukup 180 m2, atau bahkan kurang. Tanah terbuka secara alami membantu penyerapan air hujan ke dalam tanah, pembangunan perumahan secara vertikal, dapat meminimalisasi penggunaan lahan resapan air dari bangunan. Selain itu pengolahan air hujan untuk diolah menjadi air baku pada satu gedung lebih mudah dibandingkan pada tipikal perumahan yang ada sekarang.

Dilihat dari sudut pandang ekonomi, pembangunan perumahan secara vertikal jauh lebih mudah, murah dan cepat dalam pengerjaannya. Lebih mudah dan cepat, karena bisa memanfaatkan teknologi pre-fabricate untuk dinding dan kolom-kolom non-struktural. Lebih murah karena beberapa elemen bangunan seperti rangka atap dan fondasi hanya dibuat satu per sekian rumah.

Beberapa faktor lain juga mendukung pembuatan bangunan secara vertikal jauh lebih efektif dan efisien, seperti meminimalisasi biaya pembebasan lahan serta dalam beberapa kasus penggunaan tenaga kerja bisa diminimalisasi.

Sistem pengomposan limbah manusia dan limbah padat RT lainnya bisa diterapkan lebih mudah dan efektif pada rumah vetikal. Penerapan teknologi pengomposan limbah sebagai pupuk lahan pertanian baru-baru ini sudah banyak dikembangkan dan mulai diterapkan pada lingkungan perumahan. Teknologi ini akan lebih mudah diterapkan apabila rumah yang dibangun berbentuk susun daripada perumahan yang ada sekarang.

Penerapan pasif teknologi untuk pendingin ruangan juga menjadi lebih sederhana dan tidak memakan biaya apabila diterapkan dirumah susun. Sistem pendingin ruangan dengan ventilasi mekanik dan semi-mekanik serta penataan interior dan posisi ventilasi bangunan dengan memaksimalkan cahaya matahari sebagai sumber cahaya dan aliran udara sebagai pendingin.
Solar panel, sebagai alternatif sumber energi bisa dipasang di atap-atap bangunan rumah susun.

Dibandingkan dengan perumahan yang ada sekarang, solar panel tetap bisa digunakan akan tetapi pendistribusiannya akan jauh lebih mahal. Secara kultural, hidup bersosialisasi di rumah susun (vertikal) terlihat lebih sulit. Tetapi apabila kita sudah terbisa 1-2 tahun, hidup di rumah susun/vertikal akan jauh lebih mudah bersosialisasi satu keluarga dengan yang lainnya.
Sampai saat ini jumlah rumah vertikal masih amat jarang, beberapa rumah susun bagi penduduk miskin memang sudah dibangun. Akan tetapi rumah susun yang layak dan ditempatkan di perumahan-perumahan belum terlihat keberadaanya secara signifikan di Jawa Tengah. Rumah susun bukan juga diorientasikan kepada ekonomi lemah, tetapi juga menengah bahkan kalangan mampu.

Orientasi dan berpikir jangka panjang lebih jauh menguntungkan baik oleh masyarakat pengguna, pemerintah maupun pengembang daripada pemikiran jangka pendek. Jadikan rumah sebagai pelindung manusia dan sahabat lingkungan, bukan menjadikan rumah benalu bagi induk semangnya (bumi).(18)

- Nuki Agya Utama, ST, MSc lulusan S2 dari London South Bank University UK dan HAN University, the Netherlands.

Spending the weekend with our dear friends

2005-02-23T05:59:00.000+07:00

We spent last weekend with our friends as an informal "farewell" before we head back home next week. Firstly we met up with Anouska and Sergio at our flat (they surprised us by popping by!), then we went to Qq's room and met Hexy. Soon after we went to the 'centrum' by Anouska's car which was pretty squashy, but good way to keep warm in the -1 degrees temperature outside. ;-P

As we arrived, we headed straight to "The Tijd" cafe just nearby the city hall and 'de kerk'. We had nice chats and drinks while waiting for Sadath to come. Around 11 pm he came, and right after we went walking to the Mexican pub, about 750 m away from where we were (guys, correct me when I'm wrong!)
To our surprise, the Mexican pub had a special thing organized, which was an "African Night". It suited Hexy's preference alright. So he went on dancing with Anouska (whom eventually dragged me down the dance floor also!)

We finished off the rendez-vous at around 3ish in the morning. It was so weird to say goodbye to Anouska as she will have to go to Brussels for her internship with IUCN. I may not be able to see her again in the near future, but I always believe that we'll meet again somewhere, somehow. Not sure when, but we will. Then again, the internet is really effective for communication, although it's still nothing compared to interfacing with people. Yet with these thoughts in mind, I managed to survive the sadness (although I feel a loss to some extent, inside).

Anouska - if you read this, I'd like to say that you've been such great friend to me, you're nurturing and caring, and I even feel like you're more like a big sister to me here in Holland. Despite the un-memorable AMC 1 experiences, I get to keep a piece of memory with you. Thanks for all the kindness you brought me: bringing me the Dutch mayo to Paris (yum! hehe), lending me your scarf when we did a night-walk in Paris, helping me send the forms for internship in Paris while I was in Bangkok, helping me by phoning IND when Nuki tried to get his 'family reunification' visa, and many other kind gestures you have done.

Sergio - We're glad that you liked the gift... honestly we were impressed that you could point out where we live in Indonesia. ;-) Hopefully the next time you point out Java on the map is when you're on the island itself! Wishing you all the best with the education you intend to pursue and take care of Anouska, okay?

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The following day we went to Nijmegen with our friends (Tintin, Fitri, Qq - again! ;-P, and Satya). Just like the usual day-out filled with shopping! There were a huge shopping spree so we went nuts! The shopping day was topped off with a nice ride on the Rheine river while enjoying the buffet pancake.

It's a good deal actually, of which for 12.5 euros you get to eat all the pancakes within one hour (as long as the boat remains on the river). But then again I think that it's just a sneaky business strategy. The thing is, the first serve of pancake was fine, but as the boat drifted to the centre of the river, it gets pretty wavy and you're already feeling sea sick enough that you no longer feel like eating. When you insist to eat, you start to feel nausea! So all of us only managed to eat 2 plates of pancakes, and that's about all. Well-thought business, eh?

So anyway down below you can view the photos taken in reverse order.