 | Welcome to My World... | Apr 27, 2007 |
It doesn't interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.
It doesn't interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive...
I want to know if you can see beauty, even when it's not pretty, everyday, and if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of a lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, "Yes!"...
I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children...
- Oriah Mountain Dreamer, Indian Elder
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For Indonesian Language, please click My Home in Bahasa Indonesia
For other writings in English, please click My Other Home in English
From photobucket.com.
Not all who wander are lost... - J.R.R. Tolkien
  | Knock. And the door will open... | Jul 9, 2008 |
SOMEWHERE IN JAVA ISLAND...
19 Photos, 25 comments
Spring Colors in My Garden
34 Photos, 53 comments
We Met Again, Galena...
33 Photos, 33 comments
The "Wild, Wild" West
28 Photos, 9 comments
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 | Seek. And you will find... | Mar 23, 2008 |
Well, this is just my puppy love story. This is just a silly story when I was still in high school. Since my dear friend Upi just shared with me her high school story and asked me to share mine, I told her I... more
 | Ask. And you'll be given... | May 19, 2007 |
 I am not a big fan of Korean drama movies which usually are full of tears, unfortunate events, and illnesses. But this one - Jewel in the Palace - is really something. One fine day, out of the blue, Har bought it for me through the internet. I... more
 | The Colors of My World | Dec 16, 2007 |
 Because of my regular trips from U.S. to Indonesia via Japan, I always get stuck in either Osaka or Narita airports for two to six times each year. My leisure time at the airport is always spent by reading a book, strolling around the duty free... more
 | The Tones of My World | |
 | The Music of My World | May 9, 2008 |
When I was little, I thought the saddest thing in life was when you were left alone by yourself. When you were insecured, and unprotected. That might be the biggest fear of any child in the world. However, as I had grown up a little bit,... more
 | The Taste of My World | Dec 19, 2007 |
 In Indonesia, it is known as "Bubur Kacang Ijo", a very popular dessert, especially to be enjoyed when the day is cold and rainy. Very easy to make. I just used my "guesstimation" in measuring the amount of ingredients. Please just use your sense of ... more
 | The Friendships of My World... | |
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So, how is life in paradise so far? Ok, dont start talking about food, as I tried to loose some weight at the moment :P Im sorry I havent managed (blame my tiny brain!) to reply your post on my GB. Be patient with me, will you? In time, I hope you could give me a short smile reading this: Ala Carte Air (the frequent flyer would understand n love this!!! :p ) Attendant: Welcome aboard Ala Carte Air, sir. May I see your ticket? Passenger: Sure. Attendant: You're in seat 12 B. That will be $5, please! Passenger: What for? Attendant: For telling you where to sit. Passenger: But I already knew where to sit. Attendant: Nevertheless, we are now charging a seat locator fee of $5. It's the airline's new policy. Passenger: That's the craziest thing I ever heard. I won't pay it. Attendant: Sir, do you want a seat on this flight, or not? Passenger: Yes, yes. All right, I'll pay. But the airline is going to hear about this. Attendant: Thank you. My goodness, your carry-on bag looks heavy. Would you like me to stow it in the overhead compartment for you? Passenger: That would be swell, thanks. Attendant: No problem. Up we go, and done! That will be $10, please. Passenger: What? Attendant: The airline now charges a $10 carry-on assistance fee. Passenger: This is extortion. I won't stand for it. Attendant: Actually, you're right, you can't stand. You need to sit, and fasten your seat belt. We're about to push back from the gate. But, first I need that $10. Passenger: No way! Attendant: Sir, if you don't comply, I will be forced to call the air marshal. And you really don't want me to do that. Passenger: Why not? Is he going to shoot me? Attendant: No, but there's a $50 air-marshal hailing fee. Passenger: Oh, all right, here, take the $10. I can't believe this. Attendant: Thank you for your cooperation, sir. Is there anything else I can do for you? Passenger: Yes. It's stuffy in here, and my overhead fan doesn't seem to work. Can you fix it? Attendant: Your overhead fan is not broken, sir. Just insert two quarters into the overhead coin slot for the first five minutes. Passenger: The airline is charging me for cabin air? Attendant: Of course not, sir. Stagnant cabin air is provided free of charge. It's the circulating air that costs 50 cents. Passenger: I don't have any quarters. Can you make change for a dollar? Attendant: Certainly, sir! Here you go! Passenger: But you've given me only three quarters for my dollar. Attendant: Yes, there's a change making fee of 25 cents. Passenger: For crying' out loud. All I have left is a lousy quarter? What the heck can I do with this? Attendant: Hang onto it. You'll need it later for the lavatory. ** If you arent satisfied with this typical freq. flyer joke, let me know about the second joke posted on: http://coogeesika.multiply.com/journal/item/166/Bad_Mood_Gone_after_reading_these_jokes |
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Dearest ALL! Just arrived back home from 'the' concert... It was .. hmm.... Ultimative! Arived at 315 PM n had to stand til 1015 PM but felt all fit all great all excited n all amazed... Photos n story Coming up :)  Ps. I met also a bigger fan (look at her Top!) n we become friends, would meet up us again in September. Of course 1 ROW at the concert!!!  |
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 Dear Coogeesika, dear Katabelece, dear Laksmi and dear other interested MP friends,  G'day my friends!
Very nice Chit chat you shared us, Passiflor! Always with a lot of interesting points which drove me to think deeply. But let me first expressing my contentement to see that you have enjoyed you holiday in Thailand and back home safely even with that awful tanned colour !
I believe, Amy is still somewhere in Jawa as The Queen of the road and Ika has abundants and interesting pictures from her last visit in USA *hmm, after looking at her reportage's work, I've got the impression, I've been visiting USA "pour de vrai" :))). The National Georaphy' magazine should hired her for it. - Now you just posted some of very nice pictures from your journey, too. Did you have time to make some investigation about food crises during your holiday? LOL ... apparently, you prefer savoring exotic food there besides leasuring and wandering. But wait wait, morning glory you said ? bwa-ha-ha-ha, so poetic name for such a kind of dishes you ate, Passiflor. But, I remember Ika once has posted a very nice topic about mythos ..
And soon after you arrived home, you did a stock clearence with your numbers of contacts. You didn't strike my icon yet from your list, fyuh ! - What I can remark from your new pretty icon of " Passion flower" is multiped in 2 :)) perhaps this is your second year in Multiply and there will be 3 flowers for next year ? I must get used to it.
Ika is indeed the most talented in setting her page in artistic look, and manage her posting to be always attractive and sparkling with nice comments, she is really a good PR. - Hey, I'm not fuzzy with the colour, Passiflor. Well, it took me hours to decide one but once I choiced I don't change during the season. I don't even notice the existence of "Media Locker" in Multiply. Could you find out and let us know about it, please?!
Your reflections about Rice vs Meat is very interesting. The minimum act of awerness of our environement remains a wise way to let our planet healty for the future generation. However, I didn't say that we should be vegetarian, just a simple geste of reducing our consumption of meat and others (I'm strugling eternally for not to be an caötic consumerist in general). I still love beef rendang too, especially the one that my friend gave me recently which tasted very delicious. I can feel the coconut seed and some fresh leaves perfumed, it was exquisite! Dommage, It was only 250 gr !! LOL
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Owh let me get back to your 2 questions cited about Food crises   2/ How come that the price of grain (and rice and corn) is increasing to a level that Millions of people in poor countries can no longer afford rice, which is their basis food? Rice is the biggest single determinant of the poverty rate. The World Bank analyzed the issue and determined that the poorest twenty percent of society spend approximately 20 percent of their income on rice alone, and therefore rice price fluctuations make major impacts on the poverty rate.
The phenomenon as: Climate change, reduced availability of land for agriculture, growing populations in the poorest parts of the world, increased demand from a growing middle class in China and India, rising fuel costs and development of biofuels are among the reasons cited for food shortages and high prices.
Then hoarding and speculation have exacerbated the shortages in the short term. Rice shortages and prices have been especially volatile, with some major exporting nations like India and Vietnam putting export bans in place. Speculative investment of billions of dollars in food crops further spurs the price rise. Food panics are not new, but no quick fix is in sight with reduced high-yield agricultural land and increasing costs for water and fuel. Unless governments take action to minimize trade disruptions, market instability promises high prices of food for the coming future.
3/ What will happen to the world supply of rice if all the 2 Billion people from China change to eating meat in stead of rice?
I learnt that Chinese meat consumption is still 45 percent less than the average consumption in the US. An additional 277 million tonnes of grain would be needed to support China at parity with the US. That would take 68 million acres to grow. …and rising demand for grain in China, stemming from an increase in meat consumption, is overwhelmingly the cause of supply and demand imbalances in corn production.
Passiflor, I believe we are facing a very rough period now, because it is not only grain price's rising. The entire complex of commodities prices has been rising since aprox 2002. Energy (oil, natural gas, coal, uranium). Industrial metals (e.g., iron ore, copper). Precious metals (e.g., gold, silver). Agricultural products. Copper prices are not rising because of the UG99 wheat fungus, oil prices are not rising because of corn converted to ethanol (biofuel use is now aprox 1% of total liquid fuel consumption and they each have their trade-off!). Food prices would be lower w/o biofuels, but oil prices w/b higher. There must be a systemic cause at work.
To oversimplify, rising prices in some sectors are an early stage (or symptom) of inflation. But they are not inflation. Inflation is always and everywhere a monetary phenomenon. It depends on Central Bank policy, how they react to rising prices in the commodity sector. Easy monetary policy can cushion the shock. However, if we get rising wages ("wage inflation"), then rising prices spread through the economy. As in the 1970’s, during which real wages rose.
What happens If prices of commodities and imported goods continue to rise, but wages do not? We get deflation, as many households are unable to pay their bills and default on their loans. This contraction pushes businesses into bankruptcy, defaulting on their loans and firing their works. And so the effects ripple out through the economy.
Which is worse for a high-debt economy like ours, inflation or deflation? To grossly oversimplify… The 1970’s had the "great inflation". The 1930’s had deflation, and was the great depression. The government has tools to fight inflation and deflation. However, success is not necessarily easy, painless, or guaranteed.
Will our wages rise to keep up with the cost of living? The government has powerful influence on monetary conditions, but there are other factors. Globalization acts to cap wages in industries exposed to foreign competition (e.g., manufacturing, software engineering, call centers). High rates of immigration caps wages for affected workers (low skilled workers, computer programmers, engineers). The net result might be that wages fail to rise with inflation. That could be painful for us.
All I can learn from this: when we are in the period of inflation, the prices rise and wages do too (like in 1970's, so we can make some investments (LOL, in any term, it is not the case in France now bcs the wages do not rise since many years!) and during the period of deflation where the prices rise but the wages do not (like in 1930's, it was a great period of depression) then it's a time for saving, therefore many people must make a choice to live which means also, they must diminish their consumptions during this periods.
*well, perhaps what I perceive is mistaken, but all what I can see in the reality is not "La vie en rose" for the moment, but I still can have enough rice and smile :))
So, a system change is needed ( e.g less meat production, more local production rather than cash crops, local fertiliser usage, etc) Changes in practices (e.g. less water usage, less fertiliser, less oil dependency on production) and, the one that no one wants to talk about, population control and actual reduction. But this will take time, so we better all get used to very high prices and periodic shortages of various foodstuffs.
Fyuuuh ... it was so horrifying all these happenings, n'est-ce pas?!.
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Dans ce cas, let's talk about the "Tour de France" ... gya ha-ha-ha, please, don't ask me to cover this event. I'm not as talented neither passionate in sport as Ika. From the radio in the morning, it's more than enough to hear that so noisy competition since last 5th of July. I can't promise anything but I will try to let you know once in while about this race of the"Tour de France". (Tomorrow my daughters will see n support some riders passing in our region, yeeeeaah!)
I still remember about one French rider named Raymond Poulidor, the champion for his inability to win the Tour de France won him the nick-name in the press as the "Eternal Second." However in spite of this he was immensely popular with the French public, and was more often known affectionately as "Pou Pou". He entered the Tour de France 14 times since 1964 and finished 12 times and he was constantly in the top ten as underdog. By his time, there was not doping test and I believe he was a fair play champion, the proof is he is still alive.
(^.^)/~~~
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After a few weeks of holiday and some hectic business time, I’m ready to continue with the chit chat. Hello Donkeysan, thanks for your nice update. I just spent some time in Borobudur Temple and drove around some other cities in Central Java, like Semarang, Solo, Yogyakarta, and Tawangmangu together with my family and my two wonderful nieces, Inda and Vidi. We had such a wonderful time. We ate a lot! And, of course, we've gained weight. Ha-ha-ha! I will update you more on this trip later. Once again, thank you! From photobucket.com. |
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Dear Coogeesika, dear Katabelece, dear Laksmi and dear other interested MP friends,
After a few weeks of holiday and some hectic business time, I’m ready to continue with the chit chat. For my holiday I traveled around in Siam where I did catch up on behind sleep, walked a few hundred kilometers on bare feet and slippers while getting tanned, read some books, attended an international sports event, made Thai day-to-day life pictures in a very touristic area, did field research for our food chain topic, visited several temples, enjoyed the spicy food, beautiful nature, culture and very friendly people with their amazing smiles. You can expect to see an album posting soon.
On the plane, going back home, I thought about the purpose of multiply for me and decided that I had too many contacts (44) while I only communicate from time to time with maybe 10 of them. There are some who have interesting postings or albums I view sometimes and the rest is not interesting and is also not interested in what I post. Those have been removed and now I have 25 contacts left which are more then enough. For each new invitation accepted, I’ll remove 1 or 2 old contacts.
After having lived with the same icon for two years, I finally changed it this week and I’m not yet feeling comfortable with the new one. Does that qualify me as boring or loyal?
 
Coogeesika’s page is always artistic and changing weekly, including icon while Katabelece seems to go with the seasons and spends a lot of time on getting the right color combination.
I noticed some new functionality in multiply for uploading pictures and video via “Media Locker”. If any of you have experience with this, I’m interested to know; maybe I can use this too.
Now back to the interesting discussion of Katabelece about rice versus meat or the food chain issue. Don’t expect me to solve this after a short field research during my holiday but I’ll try to add some facts and thoughts. First some facts: Looking at people in the USA, there is a lot of overweight while you see mainly slim people in Asia. The exception is Singapore but only in the area of McDonald's. The people on the Tonga Island in the Pacific did live on vegetables and fish till 50 years ago and where healthy and slim. Then the big fish trawlers from Japan came and the local people switched from fish to cheap sheep meat from Australia. Now many of them have a health and overweight problem. Red meat seems to be even worse then white meat.
Besides the supply and price there is also the reason of health to be very careful with changing the food chain. To feed 6 billion people with as much meat as they like, there will never be enough space on earth to grow all the rice or corn to produce that meat unless we find a way to explore the planet Mars if there is water. Then the population controls the environment again. Maybe it’s time now to change this around and let the environment control the population.
This would have a big impact on my freedom and I’ll do anything to avoid this and started to change my eating habits during my holiday already by eating more from the beginning of the food chain and less from the end. Rice with vegetables and spicy herbs for lunch are good. I found a dish in Siam, called “morning glory” which is a kind of kangkun and tastes very good. I have no idea where the name came from and if it is a direct translation from the Thai name. Back at home I eat now two days from a beef rendang container in stead of one and try to have fresh vegetables every day. All to keep my freedom and avoid that I have to eat astronaut food.
Some may think that these small changes don’t solve the issue but if every one contributes a little, the result can be enormous, without having to give up much and still keeping my precious freedom and joy in life every day. Don’t take it too serious.
This summer is filled with great sport events; with just the European championship soccer closed, tennis at Wimbledon started last week, tomorrow the Tour de France and then the Olympics in China. If these all generate as much communication in multiply as soccer already did, thanks to Coogeesika, it will be a very busy summer. Will you cover the Tour Katabelece? I saw you started this already in your guest book. Then Laksmi can cover the Olympics maybe.
The quality is more important then quantity and that is what we clearly see his week with the new posting from Coogeesika about Nationality and form Katabelece about Culture Shock. I’m sure Laksmi will be back with interesting postings too after her holiday. I’ll try to get something out next week about Siam but have no idea what.
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Hello dear friends, yeah, yeaaaah.... I know I've been baaaaaad lately! I couldn't write these past few days. But, life has been soooooo interesting. Well, I have decided to quit being a mad person - that is the one who does the same things over and over and over again while expects to get a different result. Ha-ha-ha! Anyway, thanks for all your friendships, dear friends. I may not be able to write often, but all of you have been always in my thoughts. |
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I'm back and will try to continue the MP communication with all as before but be patient and don't expect a Chit-chat response or holiday picture posting this month already.
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Dont forget me either, dear Mbak Amy. Just tell me what to do, if you in needy of help from Germany. I feel helpless not knowing what to do, of course except telling you to hang on, wishing you all the best and keeping you BOTH close in prayers. |
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I will pray for you my dear Amy, I'm so happy that I can finally hear your voice which sound much better and calmed. I admire you more that you can imagine. Keep courage my dear and do keep in touch with me. All my symphaties will be entirely for you.
I love you, I will be there in any moment for you, I mean it ... keep courage and relativize the situation, okay?!
Receive my big hugs |
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I can't find a word to express how your call meant to me. I'm glad you are there... and I need your pray. |
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Amy, I will pray for you ... don't worry for us, just keep courage, I'll put my MP on all the day long. If you need any kind of support, I'll be there for you, I mean it. Big hugs for both of you. |
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Yeah! In order to be on-time to meet her, we took the sleeping train from Berlin to Malmo, Sweden, last night. We crossed the Baltic Sea My dear Amy,
I have no idea where you are now but I feel as I cannot wait this coming week-end, so excited! Everything's been setted, you will have the place to sleep once you arrive in our small town and I will be there at the time you arrive. Actually I was confused in choising the better place for you to sleep but finally, thanks to Passiflor I choised the first hotel *as he said he will take all the responsability in case it turns to the wrong way ... LOL ... * Well, all these excuses just to let you know that I'm so happy to receive you and meet you even in bref moment. I hope the weather will be good too. Do let me know what time you will be arrive, dear. The girls are very excited too, since so many many time I've been talking the creature named Amy ... LOL ...Anissa will be in the tough moment before Highschool Baccalaureat which will last the week after, meanwhile mademoiselle Inés will be halfly in holiday with her gank.
This morning I saw some beautiful Lilies in the garden, its fragrance do announce your present I believe. - Lys de France are smiling for you, my dear.
This year as it rains a lot especially in Auvergne, our cherries are all spoiled, dommage! But I have once photographed before "le déluge" and I think I will try to make Cherry pie for you from our own cherry last year ... LOL ...
I heard as well that Barak Obama represent the Democratic party and Clinton end historic candidacy, and finally support Obama. - "I'm in it to win it" with a more humble plea for party unity; - Manifique -
I send you my most warm hugs and kiss in waiting to meet you in person. Enjoy your trip. |
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I'm sure you need it to keep up with the speed and dynamics of your host Laksmi.
Yeah! In order to be on-time to meet her, we took the sleeping train from Berlin to Malmo, Sweden, last night. We crossed the Baltic Sea while sleeping, and took shower in the train this morning. Now, I'm writing on the X-2000 train from Malmo to Stcokholm. The internet is free for first-class passengers, but the speed is rather slow...
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my eyes half-closed in my hotel room in Offenbach Save your energy for next weekend. I'm sure you need it to keep up with the speed and dynamics of your host Laksmi. |
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What a great response you wrote to my simple question about the rice versus meat issue
Donkeysan and Katabelece, thanks! I am now writing with my eyes half-closed in my hotel room in Offenbach, a nice little suburb just outside of Frankfurt. My body is so tired but my heart is just refreshed! Sorry for not being able to write anything longer yet.
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Have a blast, dear! N the sunny weather greets you already! :) |
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Dearest Mbak Amy, How are you? Ready for your european holiday, esp. meeting the funky Katabelece? As for me, after dropping Bry at Ntascha off and letting hubby throughly examined at our local hospital, Im finally home now- but stil by offloading :D and feel very sleepy- at lesat my eyes ask me to close them since we arrived at the airport. Hope the postcards I wanted to send some friends reach them someday- as I asked a nice lady who works at the bookstore at JFK Airport to drop them in the city as its INCREDIBLY true that Keneddy Airport of New York City doesnt have either a post nor a mailbox !!! They have 50 planes on the take off track lining up at once though... Very ironic, isnt it? I hope Chicago does a better job on tourists like me who waits til the last mins to send her mails ;) I thought if I drop them off at the airport they'd be faster hehehe... Warmest regards, Uuuups, I forgot something:  Hope life treats you even better! |
 | Those in the Radar... | |
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