The Renovation

Huff,
the long weekend has been full of excitement. we are doing a renovation in our home. the primary objective is to create a "mini boutique" in the livingroom. yes, we are doing this as the first step prior to setup a true store downtown :)

besides of the livingroom, my bedroom is also "upgraded". i now have a working table, which was previously used as a dining table :))

checkout the pic below, its my new livingroom :)



we are having a Grand Opening, more details available here. I welcome you all in my home :)

Lookout! Nagrek Driver in Action!

we travel to Jakarta through the south route. last 2 years, we select the north route (pantura), so we think its okay to select south route for now. i myself has traveled through this route using motorbike. well, apparently, the south route is not just another "ordinary" route. the area named "Nagrek" has its uniqueness :)

Travelling through Nagrek is very challenging. the path is inclining 45 degrees, the road is bumpy, and full of heavy vehicles (bus, puso, double-trailer, container trucks, etc). those trucks moved very slow because of the heavy load. danger will happen if the trucks don't have enough power to climb, engine will shut down, so do their brakes. one said that, brakes system in diesel vehicles relies on its power source from the engine. please correct me if i'm wrong.

so, there is was, becoming a Nagrek driver for over an hour. I race with the trucks. I had to keep my RPMs high, so that I can make quick maneuvers any time if I have to overrun the trucks, or if something happened with the trucks in front of me. The adrenaline is high along the route, so I passed Nagrek without I even noticed.

travelling through Nagrek consumes many energy, and very stressful. so we prefer it would be better to take the pantura route. I also think timing is essential. if you travel from Yogyakarta in early morning, avoid the south route, because it will be dark when you reach Nagrek. most of the heavy vehicles travel at night, so you will need to compete against this.

so, next time you meet me, I am a "certified" Nagrek driver :)

The Harsh of Jakarta

my first day of vacation in jakarta was not a good one. after a full 12 hour drive from Yogyakarta, i had not get enough rest. I slept only probably 1 hour, because Lala was "rewel", tired. after shopping full day long, i got stuck in a full traffic jam. i was somewhere near "three-in-one" restriction area, so everyone is trying to get into a "safe" alternate routes. it was a very very very very very very very terrible traffic jam. i experienced the worst frustration ever. i think everyone frustrated and loaded with anger.

at that moment, i remember that this was one of the reason why i don't want to live in jakarta. i made a commitment that i will never travel if i had never been there before. trust me, you don't want to get cought in jakarta's famous traffic jam.

jakarta is really not suitable for living. jakarta is only good for a short vacation or shopping. a consultant once said, jakarta is worth living only if your earning is rp. 15jt monthly :)

"Teroris Juga Manusia"

i could not find the proper english-version of "teroris juga manusia". LALA has always been a "terrorist", especially in the afternoon until midnight :) she always play-around on many things (also destroyed many stuffs), interact with her parents, and so on.

checkout the picture here. it was taken on yesterday morning, when we were in gadjah mada, accompanying Bunda LALA (she is selling the bags). during the period, LALA is very happy wondering around, seeing many things. Of course, as I expected, Lala became tired (so do I) and fell asleep in my lap (=pangkuan).

at that moment, the "terrorist" turned into an angel. Embracing Lala suddenly lifts all of the fatigue within me. My feeling turned into happiness as I see her face sleeping beautifully.

thats it. I cannot describe feelings well enough in english. so i hope you get the picture :)

Not Quite 2 Years Old

checkout this pics. is a 2 years old child can show such pose?

Another Bad Presentation

I done it again: another bad presentation.
I have done many many presentations, even to foreigners. but I still get nervous on each presentation.

On my Business Communications class, I was the only one who conduct the presentation in english. but because I'm not preparing myself well enough, I did it badly. My voice are trembling and mumbling, I can't even control my breathing. One plus point, no other did it in english besides me, but I should be better next time.

Tips on Taking TPA Exam

I am very grateful that my revised TPA (Test Potensi Akademik) score is 593,86. The passing score is 500, so I passed the test. I was lucky that my score was above average. But as always, there is some fellow who achieved over 600. Gosh, how could he have done it...

ok, actually this is the score for my second TPA. I joined the TPA Score Improvement program held by MM GMU. there I got quite some useful tips and strategy on how to complete the test successfully. Here is some of the most useful tips:
1. Memorize the fraction list, and the procentage equivalent. eg: 1/8=0,125=12,5%. memorize it from 1/2,3/5,1/6 and so on until 8/9. trust me, this is VERY USEFUL.
2. Memorize the square of prime numbers. most preferebly, memorize ALL of the squares from 10 to 30. you will surely benefit from this when you're dealing with sequencing problems.
3. Problems repeated. Bapenas don't have the time to recreate new problems, so you will most likely find similar problems as you would find in many TPA guides. You should AT LEAST exercise every types of problems. You will definitely get at least two benefits: First, enhanced ways of problem solving, and secondly, of course the answer to the problem :)
4. Although you wanted to achieve more on your arithmatic part of the test, don't oversee the rest of the test. What will help you boost the score is the first (verbal) and last part (spatial) of the test. You will MOST LIKELY encounter very similar problems in TPA guides (a 100% match). so searching for the answers would be invaluable.
5. Lastly, don't get overexcited on solving for one problem (especially arithmatics). If you can't finish it in 1 minutes, GUESS IT. My mentor said, random guessing is not good. You should be consistent in guessing answers, stick to one choice (eg: A) for the unfinished problems.

For the #1 and #2 tips, if you're able to finish the first part of the test, write down EVERYTHING you have memorized on the problem sheet. this greatly reduced the time to recalling the numbers. You simply just flip the paper and got the numbers. On my first attempt of test, I don't do these tips. This is why I failed. hope you will be better than me.

Oh one more thing, the cost for this score improvement program is Rp. 500.000. it is quite a lot of money. but the terms follows: full refund will be given for students who attend the program and passed the test. hehe, this is really challenging, the saiyan-super within me is overwhelmed with the spirit to pass the test... :)

As always, Tetap Semangat!

Edinia Prestise

The business has been moved to a newly created blog, named Edinia "Prestise". All updates on items are now available at http://prestise.blogspot.com

Looking forward to see you all there :)

Edinia is Back in Business

Bunda Lala has overwhelmed excitement on starting a new business. actually she already start doing this business since she was in college. and now, she's unleashing her power, fulfilling her long suspended dreams...

okay, now lets talk business. you can find the items (along with retail price) in the pics below. we already ship some of these items to Padang and Payakumbuh, her hometown where demand is high and the price is good.

special offer from Bunda Lala: items are subject to a maximum of twice instalment (= dicicil 2x). in other words, full payment can be made at maximum of two months. if you paid in full, you will have 10% discount :)

if you interested in some items, don't hesitate to contact Bunda Lala, and she will visit you and deliver the actual goods. You may contact Bunda Lala through YM by clicking here, or by phone 0818271094.

Bunda Lala's status is

enjoy :)

Lala and Her New Eyeglass

checkout the picture,

LALA is very happy with her new eyeglass. she proudly walked in the shopping area, showing her glassess.



fyi; the eyeglass lasted only 2 days. she always broke every stuff she owns :)

The Power of Statistics!

I can't describe you excited I am on Statistics. The feeling is overwhelming! I am enlightened by Statistics! When I studied one in college, I practically *hate* Statistics. But now, I LOVE STATISTICS!

I learned Statistics as one of the course in my MM study. The course uses the book "Statistical Techniques in Business and Economics", it was a great book. unlike other statistics book, this one presented statistics in a practical approach. I personally recommends this book!

despite of the book, among all other things, it is my lecturer who presents the best approach/methods for applying Statistics in common business usages. He is Drs. Catur Sugianto, M.A., Ph.D.

to Mr.Catur, thankyou for the enlightment.

The Photosession

since we need to send the most recent photograph of LALA to her grandmothers, so we decided to create our own photosession. the session took place in my favourite site: the macD bridge (actually owned by pascasarjana ugm). of course i have taken many photoshooting here also :)

the session was very exhaustive, very challenging. it is very hard to take a still photos of LALA which always running around. but i hope the pics here would be entertaining :)

Lala's Birthay

today, Lala is now 2 years old. time surely passed so quickly, Lala is a big girl now. please refresh your memory from the pics, see the differences now.

Lala's First Public Appearance

I don't have much time to write long stories, but i hope the picture can say thousand words.

btw; LALA did not won the contest :P

My Sister In Law

this is my sister in law (updated photos), this is her own request, i'm just doing the favor :)

The Legendary Tofu and Tempe

i am proudly presents, the Legendary Tofu and Tempe is back!

i'd like to write more why it is said as "legendary"... but later yah, in the mean time please enjoy the pics. :)

Sleeping Child

through these picture, hoping I could share my feeling of happiness... :)

Me and The Beast

the swiss delegates invited us to have dinner in Melia Purosani Hotel, as a gratitude to a good welcoming events. suprisingly, there is also a live show of "sendratari ramayana". ever since i lived in yogya, i had never seen this legendary show.

in the end, please enjoy the pictures of me and "the beast". the audience laughed out loud when i took the pose with them. i think a give a good and memorable ending to the delegates.

Certified Project Manager

Alhamdulilah. I finally succeeced in achieving the title "Certified Project Manager". although it is only a certification from Brainbench (and free!), the feeling of success is overwhelming.

I tried to prepare myself very well before the test. I study the official guide on project management published by The Project Management Institute. I probably has quite a number of experience in project management, but I tried have a comprehensive understanding on the official concepts. After comprehensively studying it, I can see "project management" in a much holistic perspective.

During the study, I sacrifice my holiday (and of course skipping the adventures with Lala), but the reward really worth it. Although my score is only 3,69 (max score is 5), but I am the 8th best achiever in Indonesia. Again, alhamdulilah.

Of course, certification only certifies my understanding of its concepts. True knowledge should be proficiently demonstrated in real world cases.

The Next Level of Sports

if you ever think that golf is easy, you are wrong :)
If you don't agree that golf is a sport, then you are wrong also :P

I have been playing this high-class sport for about 6 sessions in Hyatt's Driving Range. 6 sessions equals to 600 balls, and 6 hours of practicing. It is said, "practice makes perfect", now my techniques is getting better and better, and my rate of "good hit" is quite high (8 from 10 hit are good).

Actually, I am not good with sports requiring good techniques, such as basketball, soccer, badminton, etc. My body don't have the required agility.. hahaha. That is why I prefer fitness, jogging or bicycling. Golf, is one kind of sport which requires good technique. It was quite difficult to swing my own body, even I hurt my shoulder. Most It hurts my back, because I have to stand in a stiff position.

When I played golf, I always sweated as much as if I had jogging for 30 minutes or more. It is also surprised me, what has made the sweat even what I do is only standing and swinging. Anyway, I don't use sweat as my indicator. My preliminary analysis concluded that cardiovascular effects (recall the definition here) probably not as good as jogging. Of course, you cannot expect any muscle development by doing golf. But by doing golf, you will maintain (even increase) the muscle and skeleton flexibility.

Enough writing. If you don't believe me, then try it yourself :)