tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100310122011-04-22T09:43:59.362+07:00anything from pizza to cakwe, from kangaroos to bears, and from diving to potato couch-ing. once in a while some moral outrage, but mostly chocolate-induced hallucinations. reporting from the country perennially topping the 'most corrupt' list.fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.comBlogger691100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-22181244870667943842008-08-23T23:52:00.001+07:002008-08-25T20:14:39.575+07:00

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-64265149955717697642008-02-03T21:35:00.000+07:002008-02-03T22:16:29.959+07:00

Soeharto, which had been president for three quarters of my life, died less than two weeks ago. I was slightly curious about the burial procession, after all it's never happened before in my lifetime that the country has to bury a former president. Otherwise, I had no emotion whatsoever over the whole episode. As unemotional as this article .

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-5600318221517039412007-12-10T18:48:00.000+07:002007-12-10T18:49:53.620+07:00

A video on wasteful packaging featuring Mike Constantine of Lush cosmetics, a favorite of mine.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-5566043843194946872007-11-25T22:20:00.000+07:002007-11-25T22:31:42.207+07:00

My respect for Indonesian Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari just reached zero upon reading this. I can't even explain, so enraged am I. This is the kind of people we have leading the bureaucracy, she who accuse others of being inlander, she who is a medical doctor but with no sensitivity for a patient's suffering, blablabla about national pride and what nots. Even daring to blame the patient

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-86289533944115157642007-11-24T13:50:00.000+07:002007-11-24T14:09:27.021+07:00

Gumati Cafe in downtown Bogor is one big sigh for me. I'll be honest and say upfront that this place has perhaps the best view in Bogor, even better than Cafe Daun especially at sunset and evening. The ambiance is not bad, with music and, on Fridays and weekends, traditional dancing and other entertainment. But the food and service leave lots to be desired.The menu is mixed Sundanese, general

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-47153314465996921142007-10-13T11:44:00.000+07:002007-10-13T11:57:19.960+07:00

The Alfred Nobel Foundation has just awarded the 2007 Peace Prize to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and Al Gore, for "..."for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change, and to lay the foundations for the measures that are needed to counteract such change" This is great news. Climate change is happening, that is sure enough,

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-23956220723960344722007-10-09T00:35:00.000+07:002007-10-09T00:57:22.707+07:00

Unlike many people who whine about the current traffic jams in Jakarta (most of the non public transport-users), I look forward to all the public transport improvement measures, esp the bus corridors. On Friday I had the fortune to be stuck in traffic and seeing all the construction going on, soon all the major thoroughfares will be criss-crossed with these public busses.As for all those whining

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-27862189120247470192007-09-12T19:27:00.000+07:002007-09-12T19:35:50.497+07:00

That is, per US Geological Services. Indonesian metereological service (BMG) still put it at 7.9 on the Richter scale. Indian Ocean tsunami warning in place. The USGS has a real nice wave travel time model here.But I notice that there's been a heck of a lot of quakes these last few days. Four today alone, and the day's not over yet. Three of them in Eastern Indonesia, albeit lower on the SR.Sigh.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-41501710320695204082007-09-11T14:35:00.000+07:002007-09-11T14:50:41.839+07:00

Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop cosmetics chain, died today after suffering brain haemorrhage.My first Body Shop product was bought more than 15 years ago, during early years of college. It was a small bottle of perfumed oil. I don't remember now it's exact name, something-berry, but I do remember the rounded bottle with its purple label, the content of which I remember using sparingly.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-37840398674888199462007-09-02T09:13:00.001+07:002007-09-02T09:18:34.404+07:00

Ah, a Bach violin concerto featuring Isaac Stern--courtesy of Yahoo via freshly-installed unlimited internet broadband--on a nice Sunday morning, with home-made pineapple jam simmering on the stove and perfuming the fresh morning breeze, oh joy!! Maybe I'll finish that report today after all....

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-46790481054535455532007-09-01T13:25:00.000+07:002007-09-01T13:29:21.411+07:00

bought new laptop since about a month ago and yesterday willed myself to transfer files etc. painful process. still not completely settled in terms of programs etc but have to start using it otherwise i'd just have more files to transfer.the laptop is nice, and technically significantly more powerful than my old machine. but this wide screen thing will need adjusting to, i don't like it (esp

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-19262370346381190752007-08-17T17:54:00.000+07:002007-08-17T17:57:31.805+07:00

I didn't. Word it, it's fabulous!Sooooo many places and soooo leeetle money!

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-40835406814080895902007-08-11T15:08:00.001+07:002007-08-11T15:38:15.782+07:00

Lush provides me with my favorite bath and skincare products (when I can afford it), and checking out what's new, I read their campaign against wasteful packaging. In which staf strip. Naked. In stores. Seriously. Only had their aprons on. Check out their No ifs just butts campaign, hillarious.It's a serious message which will definitely get across. Though I wonder if it's going to make any

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-75951456773020486642007-08-10T13:23:00.000+07:002007-08-10T13:32:28.826+07:00

Is basically what priest and philosophy professor Magnis-Suseno told the Bakries' Freedom Institute. I am not one for placing a stigma on people just because they're related to bad people, but it's infuriating how the Bakrie people be so casual about the destructions and hardship they have caused so many people. And more infuriating is how other people still treat the whole clan as if they're

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-45462453166466487422007-08-09T23:16:00.000+07:002007-08-09T23:23:58.588+07:00

Around this time last year the mosquito attact was terrible. This time they're back and it's even worse. So after a few weeks of having the fan on all night, we resorted to something more effective, though somewhat unpleasing to the eye: mosquito net. Living in a hill station, mosquitos were never a problem the 25+ years I've been living here; so houses are not set up for it. So now our bedrooms

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-694303501951687752007-08-03T02:02:00.000+07:002007-08-03T02:11:11.779+07:00

But there ain't been much amusing me in the last couple weeks, until yesterday when I found you could create The Simpsons avatar of yourself, and this one, quoted in a World Bank Report, allegedly said by a president of Coca Cola: "When I think of Indonesia--a country on the Equator with 180 million people, a median age of 18, and a Moslem ban on alcohol--I feel I know what Heaven looks like".

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-53235730104170737322007-07-23T23:29:00.001+07:002007-07-24T00:08:17.453+07:00

Today I had to go to the Jkt Stock Exchange Building, after postponing for a week due to recurring demonstrations, hooliganisms etc. I didn't know there would be a demonstration today (wouldn't have gone had I known), but the building apparently hosts the offices of Nike (the shoe maker) and today the laborers were at it again.Anyway, I knew something was up when the first taxi I hailed, as I got

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-63806974681734748012007-07-22T12:19:00.000+07:002007-07-22T13:13:19.646+07:00

What, another post? She's on a roll! And procrastinating from something else but that's another matter. It's just that in the last post I mentioned the word 'lazy' which started me on another train of thought.The concept of 'lazy' is one that often surfaces when ascribing backwardness, one that is often volleyed between ethnic groups in Indonesia. I don't ascribe much meaning to it though, since

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-42988175548037233382007-07-22T11:56:00.000+07:002007-07-22T12:19:37.305+07:00

I had a little run in with the people here, it's different perspectives I realize. I mean, their sense of crisis is a camera gona AWOL for a few hours (not even stolen), and attribute lower intelligence, laziness, etc etc to the people (partly) responsible for the incident. I find these name-calling bothersome, especially from otherwise obviously educated and travelled people. But that is a fact

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-10068297641590750932007-06-01T12:42:00.000+07:002007-06-01T13:04:42.526+07:00

Indonesians are tolerant? That's full of BS--people infringe inconveniences on each other all the time with no regard and respect to others' comfort and privacy. That is, people practice intolerance with each other all the time, and condition is mistaken for tolerance. People who need privacy and personal space are regared as individualist--can not be tolerated.Cellphones going off in theatres,

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-58373354069473065872007-05-24T19:54:00.000+07:002007-05-24T21:02:25.085+07:00

When it was first announced early this year, Indonesia Reef shook the local diving community. And why not?! This event is going to be the first large scale, volunteer-based, effort to monitor the condition of Indonesia's coral reef, from the western-most ecosystem in Aceh, to systems in Cendrawasih Bay in Papua. Long awaited, activities will start June in Komodo.This is an exciting project that

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-14903327845916592422007-05-18T15:57:00.000+07:002007-05-18T16:14:22.403+07:00

I haven't been reading her blog for a while 'cause of work, so I just found out that Riverbend and her family is leaving--or has left--Iraq. I'll miss that voice out of Baghdad, but I hope wherever she is, God keep her safe, and that she knows she has friends all over the world who'll help her any way they can if she needs it. Let us know where and how you are.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-62067091263126736252007-05-11T12:34:00.000+07:002007-05-11T12:47:39.464+07:00

American Idol season 6 is my most-watched of the series. I've followed it more or less ehm, dilligentry starting final 12 (and intermittently prior to that). I never do that in previous seasons. And let it be on record I DO NOT wath the horrible Indonesian Idol.Anyway, it's been predictable so far, yes. My sister thinks it's the most boring American Idol ever. Yes well, she's in the US where

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-29992157264155194762007-05-01T21:59:00.000+07:002007-05-01T22:25:26.070+07:00

Right now I'm working on a study quantifying the economic costs of poor sanitation. Don't ask what it means, I don't know what I'm doing. A friend call it, 'studi WC'. That's actually an apt term for it. But honestly though, yesterday I found a piece of gem that makes everything, and I mean everything, make perfect sense. It is a quote found a dissertation about water management by farm

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-51635969080160973402007-05-01T19:13:00.000+07:002007-05-01T19:53:24.327+07:00

The issue of labor welfare is one of the most depressing for me. I first learned of labor welfare issues when I researched for an undergrad paper, oh about 15 years ago (!) The late 80s through early 90s was a watershed in labor's enhanced awareness of rights in Indonesia. Labor contributed to the rise of Indonesian manufacturing sector, the growth earned us the honor of being one of the Asian

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-160803627904989312007-03-30T16:18:00.000+07:002007-03-30T16:58:40.755+07:00

Chrisye, who has been a part of my life for more than 20 years, passed away this morning. Thank you for all the joys you have brought me over the years, and especially for Badai Pasti Berlalu, one of the greatest Indonesian albums ever! Rest in peace, we will miss you.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-14687095556576772102007-03-30T00:31:00.000+07:002007-03-30T00:51:43.002+07:00

I was a regular reader of Friskodude, a blog about travel and the bizarre in Asia. Sometime last year the blogs stopped coming, no reason given. I checked back periodically, but no Dude. Until today. He's been in prison for 8 months. For beating up an 81-year old lady. Who had tried to steal a newspaper from his porch. She wanted the crossword puzzle section. Banged her a few times w/ a

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-30549800431603435392007-03-18T22:02:00.000+07:002007-03-19T11:18:07.697+07:00

You've probably figured out by now that it's a long weekend and I am bored/have nothing to do/nowhere to go. So, here is a trivia for you. Spot the scorpionfish/stonefish in this picture taken from Weh:I'm not sure whether this is the Devil Scorpionfish (Scorpaenopsis diabolus) or the Estuarine stonefish (Synanceia horrida). I rather think it's the later, but I am absolutely sure it belongs to

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-34682062852761072562007-03-18T20:59:00.000+07:002007-03-18T21:55:24.890+07:00

I've only gone diving at Weh a couple of trips, for a total of 10 dives. And I tell you, there are people who go there again and again for several years, staying WEEKS at a time. *&5!$#! Europeans and their short work weeks and generous leave!To be honest, the reef ecosystem around Weh is not special, relatively in Indo-speak you see. On a scale of 1 to 10, with Sangyang oh about 1.5, Komodo

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-11640884216802766432007-03-18T20:31:00.000+07:002007-03-18T20:42:58.597+07:00

There's a few places offering wireless internet access in Bogor, here's a few.The best is the connection in Hotel Salak, it's fast but unsecured (no user ID or password needed). My brother, the cheapskate he is, sometimes just park in their lot and freeload on access (yes, it's free). I like their Rafflesia (sp?) Restaurant though, it's quiet during the day, the food and drinks reasonably priced

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-73564874489884617852007-03-18T15:39:00.000+07:002007-03-18T15:55:21.150+07:00

In a meeting the other day this topic came up briefly. The definition varies, but these guys have a quiz based on theirs, and I scored 50 on a scale of 1-100. The average is 46. I actually do better on this quiz this time than when I took it while living in the US a few years back. Seems counter-intuitive to me, since over there recycling and disposing of toxic waste (e.g. batteries) is

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1166541739950752142006-12-19T22:16:00.000+07:002006-12-23T12:05:15.273+07:00

Wish I hadn't read this http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0612/19/Politikhukum/3187053.htm. Statements like Yusril's bring out the nastiest in me every time. If I'm not too lazy about sending in an opinion letter, this is what I would write:Komentar Menteri Sekretaris Negara yang dimuat berkaitan dengan Komisi Kebenaran dan Rekonsiliasi (KKR) bahwa "Terhadap Westerling saja kita bisa melupakan,

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1163840888337260352006-11-18T16:01:00.000+07:002006-11-22T12:40:56.806+07:00

...to update the blog, anyway. 'it' being the new james bond movie, and of course the new james bond. already distinctly positive about daniel craig as the new bond from just watching the movie previews on tv, actually seing the whole movie confirms my instincts.my all time favorite is still the inimmitable sean connery, but craig comes a very close second. i was worried he'd emmulate one of the

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1160552199164179152006-10-11T14:31:00.000+07:002006-10-11T21:18:49.576+07:00

Somebody forwarded an article from Reuters, telling us that according to a report by Merryl Lynch and Capgemini, "At the end of 2005, Singapore had an estimated 55,000 high net worth individuals, holding assets worth $260 billion... A third of these individuals were Indonesians with permanent resident status in Singapore -- 18,000 in all -- with assets worth $87 billion."Tell us something we

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1158734941250730432006-09-20T13:40:00.001+07:002006-09-20T23:22:38.253+07:00

How to identify cities in IndonesiaScenario 1Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, then a fourth, and they start arguing about who's right.You are in Jakarta.Scenario 2Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along, sees them and walks on.That's Solo.Scenario 3Two guys are fighting and a third guy comes along with a pack of cards. A card game starts.That's Medan.Scenario 4Two guys

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1157571608664658302006-09-07T02:05:00.000+07:002006-09-07T02:40:08.726+07:00

maps tend to incite strong feelings in me. i was looking for one for a paper i'm working on, and came accross this one in a UNDP report.or those of you seeing this for the first time, it's the indonesian new guinea (papua). i now have it tacked to my bedroom door, underneath the map of germany (which has had to be re-tacked onto 4 different bedroom doors over the last 10+ years). i glance at

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1154704071114661092006-08-04T21:56:00.000+07:002006-08-04T23:37:05.480+07:00

Spears that is. I don't remember which glossy, but in it she said she was reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love", about a woman'stravels accross Italy, India and Indonesia. It's a fun book, especially since it's about 2 of my top 2 next travel destinations. But what's interesting is Liz' observation about the Italians: why it is that at the individual level Italians excel in many things,

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1151893514631189212006-07-03T08:58:00.000+07:002006-07-08T11:22:32.716+07:00

Typical guys, they think football talk will repel girls from the discussion, when it'a actually because they're talking abou the wrong teams. Coba kalo ngomoning tim Italia, Spanyol, atau Portugal gitu. Their names rolling off the tongue are already delicious: Lu-ca, Cristi-A-no, Ale-SAN-dro, Zha-vi, ooooh....Example of substitute goods are of course Totti dan del Pierro-dan bukan hanya dl urusan

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1150515206759047302006-06-17T10:30:00.000+07:002006-06-17T10:33:26.773+07:00

This little guy is diving at 3 years of age. Way to go! Ayo tante-tante, oom-oom--our future is under water, not on Mars...http://www.dotulong.net/2006/05/30/baby-scuba-diver-bali-indonesia/#more-136I think I met him last year in Bali Barat.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1150094672973596642006-06-12T13:34:00.000+07:002006-08-04T23:08:09.686+07:00

it really gets me everytime another bureaucrat talk about the 'tourism potential' of Indonesia! stop it already, yes we all know the whole country has got 'potential', what we need is a strategy to make visits happen!as a fulltime tourist (and aren't we all, in this world i mean?), especially one who especially looks toward the sea, it exasperates me that a weekend diving trip from jakarta to

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1149930511934052642006-06-10T16:03:00.000+07:002006-06-10T16:08:31.943+07:00

Germany 4 Costa Rica 2. A great start for both teams. I'm just a casual observer, usually will try to watch the 2nd half games of teams I'm interested in. Don't have the patience nor interest to sit through all 90 minutes of soccer games (well, actually, there's not a lot I'll endure for 90 minutes), but his 4-yearly event is such a world-wide phenomenon, you kinda get swept along...

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1149879057598511422006-06-10T01:44:00.000+07:002006-06-10T16:16:03.336+07:00

Apart from the travel folder, there're two other picture folders in my computer that's growing rapidly: the baby picture folder and the RIP folder. Indeed it's that time in life where friends/cousins are breeding like rabbits; on the other hand, the elders in the family (grandpas, grandmas, uncles) and friends' parents are abandoning the flesh. The circle of life continues, and soon I will be in

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1149152739844107842006-06-01T15:57:00.002+07:002006-06-01T16:18:49.843+07:00

When I need to come up to Jakarta I try to do several things at once, starting my trip at sun-up (literallly) and heading back at night. That way I save several trips, and that's less money, energy, and most importantly, stress.Yesterday I had several business in the city, so I drove up w/ my mom who also had her stuff to do. I dropped them--my mom and the car--then continued on my errands.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1148718778230888232006-05-27T15:12:00.000+07:002006-05-27T15:32:58.243+07:00

the other day i was talking with a blue bird taxi driver. he's just been in the job for 3 months, having quit his last job as driver to a korean man. the reason he quit: stagnant wages. he got Rp825k/month, and a flat additional Rp3k/hour of overtime, working 6 days a week. he said the condition is inhumane, and he wouldn't want to go back to being personal driver especially for asian expats, he

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1146072824657019302006-04-26T22:43:00.000+07:002006-05-27T15:11:45.593+07:00

I was in Australia the last couple of months, mostly in Canberra. It's my first time in that continent, and some things were unexpected, including my dislike of the uniform, empty spaces of Canberra, after which the sight of Sydney came as a pleasing shock. The metropolitan chaos without fail bring a smile to my face: Chicago after Raleigh, and Boston after Kingston. But the chaos that is Sydney

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1137856575425519422006-01-21T22:03:00.000+07:002006-01-21T22:16:15.446+07:00

the naked traveler did a piece on people's sense of timing, which reminded me of a graduate class i had a few years ago in america. there were 6 students, each of different nationality. the american would arrive early--even before the professor--the dane right on the dot, the russian one minute late, the indian and the indonesian took turns being second-to-last, and the african last.it's genetic,

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1137558238802738972006-01-18T11:03:00.000+07:002006-01-18T12:02:28.363+07:00

Birong died about 6 months ago after living a long 10+ years. For a while we weren't ready for a replacement, but just before the new year we got Tora, 6 months old. He's got very sensitive hearing, barks at everything, jumpy and very cautious. The first couple weeks he was hiding, not wanting to come near us but now he's ok. Not really a playing dog, maybe a tracking dog.Turki, 2 months old,

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1136546439057292672006-01-06T18:05:00.000+07:002006-01-06T18:20:39.070+07:00

That's the title of a Korean tv miniseries airing 5 PM daily at Indosiar, the Indonesia tv channels. It's a Korean series that is "is based on the story of a real historical figure (Jang-geum) who was the first and only woman to serve as head physician to the King in the rigidly hierarchical and male-dominated social structure of the Joseon Dynasty" (more here). It's currently still in early

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1136370141841561792006-01-04T17:08:00.000+07:002006-01-04T17:22:21.860+07:00

that's not RI that i missed, it's DE! Almost as tiny. Actually, counting states I stopped over in (DE, CO, MI) that makes 20, but I'm not counting those I didn't spend significant time in.Well this has been a particularly useless entry, so to make it up, one of my favorite pictures from AK!

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1136299664897791302006-01-03T21:38:00.000+07:002006-01-04T01:41:31.156+07:00

My sister is on a whirlwhind winter-break-from-grad-school-nervous-breakdown trip across the US and oh I envy her. But here's where I've been in the US, and when I think about it I really shouldn't complain. Notice that AK and HI are on the map--a rare feat even amongst the natives ;-)If you want a map like this click here (thanks to Loucee for the tip). If you look closely though, in my map RI

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1136195504389237872006-01-02T16:35:00.001+07:002006-01-03T12:11:06.203+07:00

My sister and I adopted 3 small pieces of acropora to be taken care of by the fishermen/enterpreneur of Les Village in Kecamatan Tejakule, Buleleng District of northern Bali. They will be periodically cleaned of debris--flakes of sand and other particles--so that they'll grow quicker . Once they are large and strong enough to fend for themselves, the acropora will be moved to sections of the reef

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1135325088908701392005-12-23T14:50:00.000+07:002005-12-26T11:13:14.923+07:00

One reason to visit Indonesia is surely manggo season(20-30 cents a killoat height of season). Now that it's here I'm making blenderfuls of manggo lassi: mix plain yoghurt with manggo slices in a blender. Add a bit of water and some honey or syrup, and blend. Voila! Some rhum or sherry actually works well in it (maybe others but those two have become staples at our house lately ;-)

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1132756404010632052005-11-23T21:25:00.000+07:002005-11-23T21:33:24.033+07:00

The Senlis Council proposes to introduce licensed opium production in Afghanistan for pharmaceutical painkillers. Hey, that's a sensible and creative recommendation which at least merits further study, right? Wrong. I cite from The Economist magazine "While being politely careful to express their gratitude for a study that “offers an alternative option”, western officials are in private worried

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1132412198436606702005-11-19T21:23:00.000+07:002005-11-28T16:58:51.076+07:00

if you're there, you don't appreciate it enough. if you're away, you drool about it. and i've been drooling over my private bay: gilimanuk bay (or otherwise known in the diving world as bali's secret bay). i lived less than 200m from the bay, and my afternoon swims there were just fantastic. the bay overlooks a series of mountains in the west bali national park. on clear days the distant

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1131894568983404772005-11-13T21:57:00.000+07:002006-01-02T17:09:47.296+07:00

I am particularly proud of the achievements of these guys, even though I have nothing to do with them. To me, they demonstrate the best of private sector, community and NGO partnership, WITHOUT the intervention of the government (and their bureaucratic inefficiencies). Also, if you think the three pillars of sustainable development (i.e. economically viable, socially acceptable, environmentally

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1128451363234464552005-10-05T01:11:00.000+07:002005-10-16T18:57:20.360+07:00

Don't know why but the last few days I've been hankering for snow and some COLD weather. Maybe it's this dusty, hot place I am in, where heatwave passes over the hair of your arm sloooowly.Living in a tropical country, not one of us really know how we stand against the cold, but I did alright. Went swimming in the icy New England sea mid-October, where the only other person in the water without a

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1128103845217605842005-10-01T00:46:00.000+07:002005-11-13T22:42:41.376+07:00

you dive and meet these guys. and more. and the greatest feeling is peeing under the sea, feeling the warmth ooze out, and then relief. relieved. luuuv it.

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1125241616688840702005-08-28T22:02:00.000+07:002005-08-28T22:06:56.693+07:00

august 17 is the day my nation celebrates its independence. these past two years it's been an especially memorable day for me. last year: merauke, papua. for one full day the whole city came out on the streets bedecked in liveries, celebrating under a hot sun with dust flying all around. this was after a night spent in remembrance of fallen heroes. who said they want independence and freedom from

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1122093028540835852005-07-23T11:18:00.000+07:002005-07-23T11:30:28.546+07:00

after being confined to bogor a while, now on road again. wonderful. started with a 4-day diving trip in the komodo isles. using a wooden boat 26x6m, 5 people were serviced by 7 crewmembers. fresh seafood and giant bananas for meals, and wonderful diving each time with many, many sharks. lots of nudibranch which even i can find myself (usually other people will need to point out to me and after

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1116327303978713492005-05-17T17:46:00.000+07:002005-05-17T17:55:03.983+07:00

..with unruly hair, bare face, survival wardrobe and sensible shoes, there's a princess waiting for sephora. i first discovered this heaven in georgetown, washington, DC. since then, every visit to a major city is not complete without a visit to the heaven that is color, beautiful smells, and the joy of BROWSING without a perfectly made up brow inspecting your every move. in fact, that's all i do

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1107705313295823002005-02-06T22:48:00.000+07:002005-02-06T22:55:13.296+07:00

I swear it's the coldest place I've ever been in Indonesia! The water is icy, and when I took a motor-cycle ride (in the early afternoon sunshine) I felt my cheeks froze. It's a breathtakingly beautiful place though, with a lovely (ice water) lake surrounded by hills on all sides. All around are coffee fields filling the world with the wonderful aroma that is Gayo coffee. There is a hardy local

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1107703966252294402005-02-06T22:29:00.000+07:002005-02-06T22:32:46.253+07:00

Medan is awful. I feel myself becoming rude and coarse here after a few day's stay. The people are descendants of merchants and farmers, a fertile ground for loud and brash behaviour. One must adjust oneself to fit in, i.e. not get pushed around. Of course, as elsewhere it is not without at least one positive aspect, and for me that's PORK. This is pork heaven: a mixture chinese and local

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1107268434786794662005-02-01T21:30:00.000+07:002005-02-01T21:47:38.033+07:00

I told someone I was going to Madina, and he was shocked. He thought I'd converted and gone to do Haj. FYI, Madina is Mandailing-Natal, a district broken off from the South Tapanuli of old. It borders West Sumatra, so it's in that limbo state where nothing really unique, everything's kinda bland. At least that's a first impression as you go pass it by on the Trasn-Sumatra. But stop and head into

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1106363819966361422005-01-22T10:10:00.000+07:002005-01-22T10:16:59.966+07:00

The first time I came to this medium-sized city in the south-western part of Sumatra was in 1996. I had just started my first big job after graduating from college, and had to do some field work for a proposal. I didn't see anything of the city, just whisked through it to go to the boonies. I remember little from that visit except the crappy hotel I will not stay in again, and the little souvenir

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1105709701419546222005-01-14T20:26:00.000+07:002005-02-04T00:15:57.500+07:00

These past few weeks I've been glued to the TV screen in an roller coaster of emotions ranging from shock, rage, sorrow, cynicism (is this an emotion?) but also pride and envy. Come again? I'm proud of those chick reporters our TV stations send over to cover the tsunami-hit areas of Aceh. You roll over the channels and women are looking back at you, showing you the destruction, the disfigured

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1105708486184764492005-01-14T20:05:00.000+07:002005-02-01T21:35:52.403+07:00

if one trawls through the ladies' shoe section of various stores in indonesia, one might get the impression that all shoe manufacturers in indonesia have decided to specilize in open-toe slingbacks and sandals catering to 'ladies who lunch'. which doesn't make sense since a) only a handful of ladies in this country fit into that category; b) 99.8% of the indonesian sidewalks are potholed; c)

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1105441170557506612005-01-11T17:41:00.000+07:002005-01-11T17:59:30.556+07:00

i started paying attention to american country music while on a project in AK. all the other assistants were all-american girls. well, not quite true actually since they're doing real amazing stuff w/ whales and algae in AK...but anyway they kept the radio hammering these country stuff and hummed to them, so what can i do except blend in (yeah i do this real well). but then i actually love the

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1105371052268581472005-01-10T22:27:00.000+07:002005-01-10T22:56:51.326+07:00

when i was younger, i LOVED detective novels. it's all i read, from enid blyton, nancy drew to the hardy boys, then agatha christie, hercule poirot, and the ultimate: sherlock holmes! a few weeks ago i'd purchased a set of paperbacks containing the complete works of sir arthur on sherlock, and have been re-reading them slowly, enjoying every delicious morsel of clues. how i'd love to be watson--

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10031012.post-1105202452422924482005-01-08T23:28:00.000+07:002005-01-09T00:25:06.083+07:00

i was never a blogger, until this week. acoke inspired me with his musings. the process to create one's blogspot is just too easy, so here goes. i wanted 'graycells.blogspot.com', but it wasn't allowed. thus frayedcells--fantarara's graycells. this reminds me of the time i finally got on the friendster bandwagon after for years ignoring the hype--another friend introduced me to it. it's pretty

fantararahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15568932305577597982noreply@blogger.com0