Archive for November, 2008

Culinary Diplomacy

Thea November 27th, 2008

In a phone conversation with SBY, Obama said that he’s missing nasi goreng, bakso and rambutan. All of those local delicacies were a part of his childhood while living at Jakarta, Indonesia with his family.

Food is memorable, especially when it’s unique, special and of course delicious. It has a “special” capability to melt the situation. The relationship also can begin from a dinner banquet. Diplomacy occasion is not complete without serving the guests with dinner or lunch.

USA and Libya have been involved in unfriendly relationship for years. But last September, another story happened when USA foreign secretary visited Libya and met the Libya president, Moamar Kadaffi. They met in a comfortable situation. Kadaffi served his honored colleague by asking her to look around to his kitchen. Leeza (nick name of USA Secretary of State) was accompanied to have a look at the kitchen and of course tasted Iftar, the Libya delicacy. The success of kitchen diplomacy marks the milestone of USA-Libya relationship.

In 2003, Govt. of Thailand launched program Thai Global Food which aimed at reaffirming the international culture to its appeal. 8000 Thai restaurants around the world were up and it didn’t only introducing Thai food to foreigner but also attracted them to visit Thailand. 15 million tourists are recorded coming to Thailand every year.

According to a source, Diplomats in Washington have pointed out from time to time that restaurants are often the only contacts that most Americans have with other cultures. See, it has a magnificent role. Some say that meal time is the best one when you want to discuss about sensitive things, in sense it’s the moment when people share the same dish and ignore differences for a while.

Maybe our govt, can learn form Thailand. We can encourage entrepreneur to run Indonesia restaurants abroad and make it easier for them to import local ingredients from Indonesia. So, Mr. Obama won’t meet any difficulty when he wants to memorize his childhood through the Indonesian delicacy.

Active Listening

Thea November 23rd, 2008

In our daily life, we’re often engaged in conversations with our partners, friends, couples, or opponents. Have you ever, in that conversation, felt that you’re dominant over your counterparts? You talk much more than them and listen less.

This happens with me. I talk too much and I realize that it’s one of my weakness. I have been trying to talk less and listen more, especially in certain occasions. Two years ago, my tutor in an official training shared his experience to be an active listener.

Active listener is that involves in active listening activity. Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding. When talk to somebody, we often don’t listen to them attentively. We’re often distracted and not focus. The conversation doesn’t get our attention.

Becoming an active listener is not easy, but of course we can learn step by step. According to several sources, I share several steps:
1. Pay attention to others’ behavior and body language
2. Listen attentively what others say and feel their emotion
3. Having heard them, then paraphrase their statements
4. We need to ask clarification sometimes
5. State you view (if you want to) but after they say all thing

Active listening has several benefits such as avoid misunderstanding, makes us to listen to others attentively, and cause people to be more open up. This strategy is used widely to scrutinize cross-cultural conflict but in every day life, it’s very useful to improve the quality of relationship between us and our nearest persons.

Countless Blessing

Thea November 20th, 2008

Last night, we cruised the street along our way home, accompanied with rain. We’re wet at home.

When can we afford a car, dear?

I don’t know. We have to save our money first.

But when the money is available, there will be another need waiting.

Hmmmm…we have to be grateful of what we have now. We have shelter (though there’s a leak in the ceiling), we have rain-coat (so we weren’t wet at all). Thanking to God as there are a lot of people who aren’t as lucky as we are. 

Can we list blessings God has been giving to us? It’s countless. Once again, thank you:)

It’s Hard and Tough; The Life in the Street

Thea November 17th, 2008

What people say about life in the street was hard, proven yesterday, and I became one of the witnesses.

I was taking angkot to a beauty center near Ragunan from my home. It was a hot day. The street wasn’t full, nor empty, unlike work day. When the angkot approached to the Jatipadang intersection, it lapped a small bus (Kopaja). Succesfully doing that, abruptly it was hit from the back. The kopaja hit the angkot I was in.

Then, it can be predicted. The angkot driver was mad and got off the vehicle. While checking the damage, the kopaja driver shouted unpleasant words toward him which of course evoked his emotion. The angkot driver challenged the kopaja driver to get down but it was useless. Shortly they were invloved in fierce arguments. It was as hot as the day, causing people sweat alot and angry easier.
The angkot then continued the route. The driver said that he would take a revenge to the kopaja driver, which happened having the similar end terminal, accordingly Ragunan. I was terrified within the vehicle and said to him” Sabar ya, Bang. Sabar”. I suggested him to be patient. But I didn’t know if he took it. Like I was clueless if the fight would really happen after that in Ragunan.

Oh yeah, it was really hard there, life in the street.

Run a Business and Enjoy Much More Time

Thea November 14th, 2008

Being raised by a mother, who’s a career woman, as a daughter I wanted to follow what my mum was doing. I was dreaming as a career woman as well. I think it’s a natural because I was living in an environment where I looked up my mum as a role model.

Building pathway there, I studied hard while keeping choose the career option suitable for me. I found what I wanted to be when I was in a senior high school. Diplomat, i thought, was cool after reading  a story about an Indonesia ambassador.

Okay, the fact that I am not becoming a diplomat didn’t make my parents disappointed. Instead they could really understand that finally I indeed never wanted to be there. Many considerations why I never applied to that institution. And now I am working in telco company, a new field for me which doesn’t make me inferior but on the contrary gives challenges for me.

Before entering a real work-world, I never paid attention about career option in non-formal path, being an enterpriser, for example. I have several friends who build successfully their business. And even I get envy with my husband who has more flexible time than me.

Chatting with a friend several days ago, she gave me an enlightenment about working as enterpeneur.  She elaborated several advantages working at home (she owns an online boutique). The best advantage is having much more time with children at home, which is the most precious one.

I share similar idea with her. Looking the condition I am facing now, the time I have with my husband is limited due to my work thingies. Even it’s only 8-5, we think it doesn’t really worth except for weekend. Just can’t imagine how much time I can devote to my children later, if I remain working this way:((.

My husband keeps encouraging me to start up a business. It’s not easy for that who has a labor-mentality like me:D. I have to learn with him and my other friends who are in their way to build a business and dare to leave their nicely-paid job.

What about you, my deary fellas???

My Blind-Route Daddy

Thea November 10th, 2008

It’s been more than one year my dad has been being assigned at Bandung, but he’s still blind-route.

One and half year ago, not long after he moved to Bandung, we (my mum, my brother, my granny and I, visited him for the first time. Enthusiastically he took us around Bandung. At that time his knowledge about that cool city wasn’t  much. He had to rely with some instructions from his friends at office. However, we did understand as he’s just knew barely about Bandung and its confusing routes:D.

Several months ago, again I visited my dad. With my mum, we had several itineraries there for my wedding preparations. We hunted clothes material and souvenir for siraman. Still, my dad’s knowledge didn’t improve. It took several loops to leave Pasar Baru Bandung to his favorite restaurant. He drove while keep wondering if it was the correct route he took. My mum and I just laughed at a man we both loved. My dad didn’t change. He is still a nice man even when getting lost:D.

Last weekend, for the first time after married, my husband and I came to see he again. He was so happy and overwhelmed knowing that his daddy’s girl would be visiting him. He promised to take us wherever we wanted. His offer of course was irresistible, too good to be ignored. Lucky us to have him because Bandung was rainy almost all day. And the similar thing did happen again. We got lost with dad. Many people to ask for direction to train station. When taking us to the flowery hill at Lembang, he took wrong turn. Ugghhh.

in car, he said this to me and my hubby

I never go anywhere. I go to the office in the morning and back to home after five.After that, i choose staying at house rather than going out.

That’s how he defended his poor knowledge on the route. it’s reasonable as it only takes a minute for him to go to the office. He resides at home in one neighborhood with the office. And he is often accompanied by a driver once going anywhere.

Afterall, my dad is a nice companion for us. He drove along the way without hesitation. He didn’t mind taking us to FO for shopping. Sometimes he still insisted us treating us for lunch and didn’t mind at all if we wanted to spoil him.

Next time again….jangan kapok ya Dad:)

Our New Habit

Thea November 5th, 2008

There’s a moment that my hubby and I always wait for. Before going sleeping, we never miss our ritual, reading magazine and book. My hubby longs for time reading Tempo, his fave magazine and I will be drifted in my reading. Now I am reading a popular book about Nokia.

We know that reading in sleeping position isn’t good for our eye’s health. But we keep doing it anyway. I have been doing it since I was a child and Thanks God I don’t have any problem with my vision.

My hubby says that it’s one of the best moment, reading a book which eventually takes him to the sleepiness. There’s prominent change on his habit. Before married, he often sleep after 12 PM. But now, the maximum threshold is 9 PM because there’s a nice reading waiting. Good habit hun:)

Facts about Electoral College

Thea November 4th, 2008

  1. In US election, instead of electing president candidates, the voters give their voice to choose the electoral college.
  2. Electoral college is a group of people who will vote for the president.
  3. Electoral college consists of 538 representatives from 50 states.
  4. The composition of electoral college is 435 of house of representatives member and 100 of senates.
  5. And from where the other 3 votes? It’s allocated for Washington DC, the capital of USA.
  6. Party convention or voting at each party are the common mechanism of choosing the electoral college.
  7. It’s required at least 270 electoral votes for a president candidate to win the seat.
  8. Electoral colleges are in independent position to choose the president candidate, however they are usually firm in their commitment to a certain candidate.

My Due-Date Tasks

Thea November 1st, 2008

After cancellation of some overseas and local business trips (do i sound so pathetic???), I have to manage several tasks at my office. They are:

  • Preparing the Socialization of International Roaming to the CRM and CAM division in our regional offices. The roadshow should be completed before the end of December.
  • Catching up with NRTRDE agreement with our roaming partners who are ready going live after 1st Oct 2008.
  • Accelerating the roaming coverage at New Zealand, including the GPRS with the existing operators.
  • Ensuring that by the end of the year, we will have had more than one 3G roaming partners in Spain. Why? Because this will be highlighted by our directors who will attend GSM Congress at Barcelona next February. This task includes managing end-to-end process performed by our IREG engineers and Billing engineers. Let do it better guys.
  • Preparation for next year. Gosh…my target will be doubled. Next action, making list of blank spot in Europe, Middle East and some countries in South America.

What about now? Completing target in Q4, if possible before December as many of our counterparts in Europe will be on their Christmas holiday. Jiayou….!!!