{EAV_BLOG_VER:655994800ff61fc3} Last weekend I had the opportunity to take some guests to visit London’s Richmond Park.  Richmond Park, at almost 1000 hectares (2500 acres) is the largest of thenine Royal Parks in London. But that’s not all that is unique about it.  What’s so unique about Richmond Park is the strong herd of 650 deer in it!  The special thing about this herd of Deer is that, not only they are free-roaming, but they are also very tame!  So much so that [...]

Today is a special day for me … it’s the day I was born ! Cue the fanfare and confetti ! So, first of all, let me take this opportunity to say that I’m really grateful to be given yet another rich year that was full with all possible things I could ask in life, good things and especially bad things, all working in harmony and contributing in shaping this person, that is yours truly. [...]

Last week, my home country (Indonesia) was holding its Legislative Election (to elect local MP) and if everything goes according to plan, we are going to have the Presidential Election this summer. Since we do election every 5 year, this year’s election is the third election I would’ve experienced since I’ve been abroad. The thing is, I didn’t vote on both previous occassions. On the first one, I’ve just arrived in the UK, still fresh, [...]

When I left Wallstreet Systems (WSS) at the end of 2006, I didn’t think that I would be back working with them again.  But yet, here I am, sitting in their new office, surrounded by my old collegues (most of them are still here).  It’s been a strange feeling, as if I had never left.  Indeed some of my collegues has been saying that they considered me having had a (very) long holiday everytime my [...]

Yes, SQUAT, as in Squat Down Funny enough, this seemingly trivial little fact was only made aware to me recently.  I guess when you take something for granted, you don’t really care about it, until somebody point it out to you.   I am talking about Squatting Down.  Yes, the trivial exercise that most of us seems doing without even think.  But I recently learned that apparently there are two types of Squatting.   The [...]

Some of you might’ve known that recently I was made redundant (that is 3 weeks from today). Not many of us could’ve predicted what is happening today, and the ones who could, most of them just turned a blind eye away from it (damn those bankers!). Unfortunately, the recession is real, is here and is definitely not getting better very soon. And, again, unfortunately I am pretty much in the ‘thick’ of it. The funny [...]

Today is Monday the 2nd of February 2009, and London is snowing! I can hear other people from colder countries say ‘meh’ in unison  But if you know London, you would know that snow is really rare let alone one with 20 cm thick. So, I took a liberty to record it this morning  In a way it’s quite beautiful, although as the UK has never been prepared for this kind of snow, troubles are [...]

Err … what ? Hell No ! Tea … you wouldn’t understand the ‘extend’ of the Brits’ obsession for drinking Tea until you actually live for a while in this country. I didn’t realize how much drinking tea were so integrated to the British life that, like football, cricket and rugby, it had become part of the culture, probably more than those 3 sports combined.  Nor little did I know that tea can have so [...]

I would like to take a bit of your time to tell you about this group that I joined recently. ‘Blogger Peduli’ (Bloggers who care in English) is a Network of Bloggers and Blogger Communities, whose main concerns are issues regarding places in Indonesia where Natural Disaster strikes, the people who are victims of these disasters and how to aid them.  This non-profit community will, fore and foremost, provide news and information on and about [...]

Ask any Indonesian to make a line and he will stare at you as if you ask him to take off his clothes! We have been taught (usually by bad experience), that queueing is futile and actually won’t get you anywhere.  Any opportunity to jump the queue must be taken whenever possible, and nobody will complain or even get upset, because everybody is doing it! Ok, maybe I am too exaggerating , and I’m sure [...]