The 5W1H of the day
Written on my last day in my then-project.
A good press release should be able to answer the 5W1H questions: Who, what, when, where, why, and how.
It also has some must-have elements, like the logo, time and date, quote from spokespersons, boilerplate, and contact info.
So below is my 5W1H for the day. Click the pic for larger image.
Take good care.
To our dear child:
[Bahasa Indonesia]
A friend has uploaded the poem below, taken from a website titled parent's wish. Beautiful.
To our dear child:
On the day when you see us old, weak and weary,
Have patience and try to understand us.
If we get dirty when eating,
If we can not dress on our own,
Please bear with us and remember the times
We spent feeding you and dressing you up.
If, when we speak to you,
We repeat the same things over and over again,
Do not interrupt us. Listen to us.
When you were small,
We had to read to you the same story
A thousand and one times until you went to sleep.
When we do not want to have a shower,
Neither shame nor scold us.
Remember when we had to chase you
With your thousand excuses to get you to the shower?
When you see our ignorance of new technologies,
Help us navigate our way through those world wide webs.
We taught you how to do so many things,
To eat the right foods, to dress appropriately,
To fight for your rights.
When at some moment we lose the memory
Or the thread of our conversation,
Let us have the necessary time to remember.
And if we can not, do not become nervous,
As the most important thing is not our conversation,
But surely to be with you and to have you listening to us.
If ever we do not feel like eating, do not force us.
We know well when we need to and when not to eat.
When our tired legs give way
And do not allow us to walk without a cane,
Lend us your hand. The same way we did
When you tried your first faltering steps.
And when someday we say to you,
That we do not want to live any more, that we want to die,
Do not get angry. Some day you will understand.
Try to understand that our age is not just lived but survived.
Some day you will realize that, despite our mistakes,
We always wanted the best for you
And we tried to prepare the way for you.
You must not feel sad, angry nor ashamed
For having us near you.
Instead, try to understand us and help us
Like we did when you were young.
Help us to walk.
Help us to live the rest of our life with love and dignity.
We will pay you with a smile and by the immense love
We have always had for you in our hearts.
We love you, child.
Mom and Dad
I love you too, Mom and Dad. I am so sorry for my ignorance, disrespect, rudeness, selfishness, thoughtlessness, thanklessness, and impatience.
In memoriam: Pak Lukman
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Yesterday a colleague and friend, Ahmad Lukman, passed away. He was just 32 years old, a father of one cute son. He had been unwell for quite some time and the condition had gotten worse during the last several months.
Yet he was full of spirit. He was a diligent worker, was a great person to chat with about everything, loved reading books, and was an activist in his community.
He had lived a full life. And he never complained about his life or about his illness. Of course he said things about how he felt, but I don't consider that as a real complain (or as another friend put it, the most unfortunate person in the world syndrome). He was a strong person, with an eternal smile on his face.
All I could think of as I was heading for his house last night was: he has done well in this life. Perhaps much better than many of us.
Salaam, buddy. You really did well. We'll help take care of your family for you. You need not worry about anything.
MMD - Meditation to know self
[Bahasa Indonesia]
On Dec 24 2007-Jan 1 2008, I attended an eight-day meditation program called Meditasi Mengenal Diri (MMD, loosely translated to Meditation to know oneself), facilitated by Hudoyo Hupudio in Mendut monastery, Central Java.
MMD aims to free oneself from attachment. The rules are simple. The only ‘task’ we have is to be aware. To be aware of all our thoughts and actions. The only thing requested from us is not to bother anybody else. Simple, but not easy.
My days were full of ups and downs, full of various ridiculous thoughts to physical sensations, such as sore back and itches. But I was determined to discipline myself and not to give in to the sensation, thoughts and boredom.
Time flew, relatively speaking. I started to enjoy the meditation sessions. This so called enjoyment in itself is a golden trap. Mr. Hupudio reminded me to be careful, “Be aware that you are enjoying the meditation, until the time you feel neutral about it.” How cunning our brain is.
In the last day, the head of the monastery joined us. He reminded us to always be aware of and to pay attention to every move, every second of our life, including the times when we feel bored or frustrated why we cannot meditate.
Our mind is used to searching, demanding, and getting. It is difficult for the mind to give and let go. Even when we think we do good deeds, the mind keep thinking “What do I get?” From getting recognition from other people, good karma, prosperity and peace, to heaven. The mind still demands something in return.
Or subtler still, we often think “I give so that I feel fulfilled.” There is still hopes. The mind is having difficulties in letting go.
Even when we meditate, we often hope for ‘progress’. So when we feel at peace, we are happy that we feel at peace. We feel we are progressing. There is still expectation.
The habit of searching, demanding and hoping are the result for ego. The mind constantly demands. This creates unease, restlessness and dissatisfaction.
To overcome this, we only need to pay attention, to be aware. The method is so simple. Each of us has the capability to attend to our mind and physical condition.
Our thoughts, desires and plans in the everyday life should be filtered. Is it a good thought? Will it hurt us, other people, or other being? Is it feasible or am I being too ambitious, pushing it too far, or wanting too much? All has its own portion. If it is good, then we need to be consistent, should be loyal in executing the plan.
Our everyday life is our meditation. So let this kind of attention be present, always. Attend to all our physical and mind movement, to the mind that keeps demanding all things to everybody, including to self, other people, and God.
Complete note (in Indonesian) is here. You can also read a friend’s experience of MMD (also in Indonesian) here.
Understanding autism
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Last weekend I helped my friends from MPATI (Masyarakat Peduli Autis Indonesia - Care for Autism Indonesia) in conducting a training session on public speaking for its pioneers.
About 15 people from all walks of life attended the training. Parents of autistic children, therapists, psychologists, and youth from Miss/Mr. Jakarta (I wonder if this is the correct translation of Abnon Jakarta). They came from Kalimantan, Solo and various places in Jakarta.
I can only say: Amazing people. People full of enthusiasm and commitment to share their understanding of autism and to help autistic children and their surrounding create a better future.
Thank you, Gayatri and DY, for allowing me to participate and for such a wonderful initiative. Thank you, MPATI pioneers, for your enthusiasm and patience.
Thank you, Mbak Lita of Maverick, for willing to help without any single hesitation. I cannot imagine doing this without your help.
I want to share the presentation of the training here. Unfortunately, it is still in Indonesian. Let me know if you are really interested and want to have the English version.
For more info, contact Ms. Tini or Ms. Reni at the MPATI Secretariat at
Jl Warung Buncit Raya 99, Wisma Yaqif, Jakarta Selatan. Tel +62 (21) 799 1508, hp +62 (813) 8074 1898 or e-mail yayasan_mpati@yahoo.com.
Happy birthday, Mom
[Bahasa Indonesia]
The only words I can think of are "thank you."
Thank you for, literally, everything.
I can dedicate my life to you as a payback, but it would still be nothing compared with all the things you have done for us.
How about a song for today? I think this one fits well.
Don't Forget To Remember Me
By Carrie Underwood
18 years have come and gone
For momma they flew by
But for me they drug on and on
We were loading up that Chevy
Both trying not to cry
Momma kept on talking
Putting off good-bye
Then she took my hand and said
'Baby don't forget
Before you hit the highway
You better stop for gas
There's a 50 in the ashtray
In case you run short on cash
Here's a map and here's a Bible
If you ever lose your way
Just one more thing before you leave
Don't forget to remember me'
This downtown apartment sure makes me miss home
And those bills there on the counter
Keep telling me I'm on my own
And just like every Sunday I called momma up last night
And even when it's not, I tell her everything's alright
Before we hung up I said
'Hey momma, don't forget to tell my baby sister I'll see her in the fall
And tell mee-ma that I miss her
Yeah, I should give her a call
And make sure you tell Daddy that I'm still his little girl
Yeah, I still feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be
Don't forget to remember me
Tonight I find myself kneeling by the bed to pray
I haven't done this in a while
So I don't know what to say but
'Lord I feel so small sometimes in this big ol' place
Yeah, I know there are more important things,
But don't forget to remember me
But don't forget to remember me
I will never forget. Promise.
How to Find Leaders
A simple copy and paste from the toastmaster website.
Want to find leaders for your organization?
John Maxwell, Ph.D., is an expert on leadership and author of more than 30 books on that topic. In his monthly e-newsletter, Leadership Wired, he answers the question, “How can I be sure to hire the right person?”
To accomplish anything of significance, you must have the right people by your side. Finding a great hire often goes hand in hand with identifying potential leaders. Maxwell credits his friend Fred Smith with helping him arrive at these 11 questions to ask when looking for a leader:
* Does the person question existing systems and push for improvements?
* Do they offer practical ideas?
* When they speak, who listens?
* Do others respect them?
* Can they create or catch a vision?
* Do they show a willingness to take responsibility?
* Do they finish the job?
* Are they emotionally strong?
* Do they possess strong people skills?
* Will they lead others with a servant’s heart?
* Can they make things happen?
Good one.
Lesson learned from the funeral
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Last night I went to friend’s family funeral.
I was amazed by the condolence flowers his family has received and the number of people attending the funeral. I did not realize that his family was that popular and part of that ‘it’ society.
My respect grew tremendously for him last night. Not because I now I realize how well off his family is. But because how grounded he is despite of his family status.
It takes a lot of maturity, self confidence, and awareness to be as humble as he is. I am honoured to be his friend.
Thank you for the lessons learned. Peace and love for your family always.
Job: Homepage and News Country Editor for MSN
Homepage and News Country Editor (3x)
Reports to the Executive Producer
We're looking for someone who is passionate about their local audience, can pick out and follow a good story, and can meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
An MSN Homepage and News Country Editor will have the following responsibilities:
- Editorial Management. Identify the best stories to feature on the most highly-trafficked areas of the MSN Network; primarily on the homepage but also within Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger. Ensure this content is timely, accurate and locally relevant. They must be passionate about local, regional and global news and current affairs;
- Content updating and integration. Aside from the above, other Editorial areas need to be updated and kept fresh & relevant in order to engage the audience. Other duties help to ensure our pages are easily crawled by search engines. Duties can include updating news polls, maintaining a professional blog, updating search metadata, picking out and publishing editorial search highlights, selecting and publishing News Special Reports, and updating cross network assets;
- Establish, protect and put forth the Editorial Voice. The MSN Editorial Voice is to inform and also be provocative. It is important everything that we do editorially on the homepage and News channel is aligned with that Voice. We do not cover stories normally; we find a different way to approach a story that is captivating to our users. As we relaunch new media channels for MSN it is important that the editorial team can take this Voice and implement and extend this across many categories.
- Analysis & continual improvement. Part of our philosophy is to analyse the data we receive to continuously improve our message to our audience. We take advantage of the near-time nature of our medium so we are constantly reviewing how our editorial content performs so we don’t repeat mistakes, we can learn more about our users, and so we can build on the success of our “big-clicking” content.A Homepage and News Country Editor will scan the web for news that is relevant for their users with the objective of attempting to find content that will keep users on our homepage and channels as long as possible.
We are looking for three News & Homepage Country Editors. One editor each will be assigned to Singapore and Malaysia individually. The remaining editor will cover both Indonesia and the Philippines. All will be initially based in Singapore but should be very familiar with their respective markets.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor's Degree ideally in Journalism;
- Fluent in English and Bahasa
- 2-3 years editorial web experience in a large portal or media web site where display advertising is the main source of revenue;
- Passion for the Web, digital content, and customers;
- Strong communications skills;
- Comfortable with working with numbers, analytics & measurement;
- Self-directed with excellent organizational skills;
- Knowledge of and interest in local, regional and global news and current affairs;
- A true multi-tasker;
- Ability to set and maintain deadlines;
- Must possess excellent computer skills including proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word.
- Understanding of Web development technologies (i.e. HTML, XML, AJAX, JavaScript, …) is an advantage;
- Comfortable with image editing tools such as Photoshop
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience working with 3rd party content providers;
- Strong work ethic and a high level of professionalism;
- Creativity, intelligence, and integrity;
Interested? Email me at general.online@mac.com.
The Anahata Villa and Spa Resort
[Bahasa Indonesia]
I went to Ubud last weekend for the healing power of ikhlas program, co-managed by True Nature Healing and Kata Hati Institute.
I want to tell you more about the program but I am waiting for the handout to be distributed by e-mail. I want to be as exact as I should be. So for the time being, I will share with you the beautiful place that I stayed in: Anahata Villa & Spa Resort.
This is the first paragraph the resort uses to describe itself.
“Nestled in the lush landscape of the Petanu River bank, Anahata is a world class Bali hotel villa. Surrounded by verdant tropical forest and restful waters, visitors to these Bali vacation villas experience the tranquility of a pristine environment with all the amenities of luxurious living.”
You can read more about the resort on its website. But I want to tell you something that is not written in the website or the brochure.
The name. According to the ever-dependable Wikipedia, the Anahata chakra is physically positioned at the heart region. Anahata is associated with the ability to make decisions outside of the realm of karma.
In Anahata, one is making decisions, 'following your heart', based upon one's higher self, and not from the unfulfilled emotions and desires of lower nature.
The wish-fulfilling tree, kalpa taru, resides here, symbolising the ability to manifest whatever you wish to happen in the world.
It is also associated with love and compassion, charity to others, and forms of psychic healing.
Wow what a great choice of name.
The people. I had the pleasure to meet Onie Djatmiko, the owner of Anahata resorts. She—and all her staff, and I do mean all—are so into servicing the guests. And if you know me in person, you know this is a huge compliment.
Can I have hair dryer? Certainly. How do you make this soup? Oh we do this and that. Would you like the recipe?
I left my empty bottle of mineral water on the bar table because I wanted to go the toilet nearby. When I returned, the bottle was already filled in with fresh water. 
“Your shuttle to the airport would not leave for another hour. Why don’t you have another cup of tea? On the house.” Enough said.
The river. Oh the river. The resort sits by the junction of two clean clear fresh rivers. The Balinese believes such junction to be a pure and powerful place, an abundance of energy. You have to be there, really be there, to believe it.
My favorite place, the river bank. Early in the morning (or all day, I don’t care). Alone (or with somebody else, does not matter).
Onie, you have one great place. Thank you for sharing.
Pics courtesy of the Anahata resorts.
I am.
[Bahasa Indonesia]
I am my parents' child. I am my siblings' little sister. I am my profession. I am my friends' friend. I am a follower of my religion. I am a citizen of my nation.
Multiple definitions for a single object. Strange.
I try defining me through my problems. But suddenly the problems feel unimportant. Insignificant. Not relevant. Not applicable.
I am nothing but blessed. And loved. And love.
I am you. You are me.Then the I, me, you, we, us, they, them, he, him, she, her, and it get confusing. It does not seem to make sense. Perhaps it is no longer relevant.
Why differentiate?
I am asked to imagine a room, the definition of "me", and to widen it. I imagine breaking the wall and see a green meadow under a bright blue sky.
I feel free until I realize my world is still limited by the ground that I walk on. I still put myself within a boundary. True freedom is still an illusion.
I spoke too soon. I am satisfied prematurely. The ego speaks yet again.
I picture the world only to see that I am the universe, the nature.
I step back to see me more clearly. But no matter how far back I go I still cannot see me. I am nothing.
I wonder.
I am grand but I too am a mere spec.
The duality concept gets confusing. It does not make sense. It is no longer relevant. There is no need to differentiate. No reason to.
There is no plurality. Pick a pronoun and stick with it. One is enough. We do not need more. There is never a need to have more.
I exaggerate, as always.
I want to travel through time. Then it dawn to me there is nowhere to travel through. I cannot see any other destination or dimension.
Present is the only time there is. One tense is enough.
I sit by the river and have an urge to play with the water. I put my feet in the water and move them around. Then I stop and realize that my feet are still moving without me moving them. The river does it for me. Now it makes sense. I smile without wanting to smile.
Let nature take it course. Surrender. Watch wonder unfold.
Live from this on, he smiles and says.
The soul knows. The rest needs to digest.
JakartaDoYoga opens!
[Bahasa Indonesia]
I am so happy for my friend, Yusni. She’s just opened her yoga studio, Jakartadoyoga, in the heart of Jakarta, a life-long dream of hers.
I went there last Saturday during its soft launch titled “Walking meditation and yoga all day long,” in which she held a walking meditation to a near-by park, held a yoga session in the park and five other yoga classes at her studio during that day. A neat and appropriate way of launching a yoga studio.
What I love about Yusni, her studio, and all other events she holds is the fact that you feel like coming to your friend’s event,. You don’t really feel like there is any distance between the organizer and the participants.
And you can feel Yusni’s enthusiasm towards yoga. I come to the studio and feel that the owner of the place has put her heart and soul into preparing and managing the studio.
So, here’s to Yusni, her studio and all the yoga enthusiasts in Jakarta or anywhere else in the world. Kuddos.
For further information, visit www.jakartadoyoga.com, email studio@jakartadoyoga.com, or just drop by Jl Sunda No 7, 3rd Floor, Menteng.
Over one billion rups for ICT innovators
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Microsoft Indonesia and USAID-financed competitiveness project SENADA today launch iMULAI, a national competition and awards program for innovative solutions for business.
The program aims to promote the spirit and importance of innovation among Indonesian business entrepreneurs and support the establishment of Indonesia as a competitive, knowledge-based economy.
The competition, which will run until December 31st, 2007, is open for all Indonesian businesses (both start-up and established) and non-government organizations.
iMULAI will select three winners whose proposals show the most promising innovations and which promise the greatest potential impact on the information technology and communications industry in Indonesia.
Each successful innovation will receive over Rp145,000,000 in hardware and software business technology from Microsoft and Rp220,000,000 in grant financing from SENADA for innovation costs.
For more information, visit the iMULAI website.
Veggie lunch
I over indulged during the weekend. So now it is pay back time.
Here's today's lunch menu.
Nils, you would be proud to know that no animal has been harmed during the production or the consumption process.
Splinters of the universe
[Bahasa Indonesia]
[Once upon a time, my friend Hanny and I had our writer's block. Then we decided to write in each other's blogs instead.
So, ladies and gents, I present you Hanny as my very first guest blogger, whose blog is probably the only site I visit regularly.]
Dear Eva,
I know nothing about spirituality, meditation, or yoga, or those wonderful things that close to your heart. However, as agreed, let’s play Athena in The Witch of Portobello, and I’ll try to start talking about things I know nothing about.
About a year ago, out of nowhere, I decided to use the word ‘splinters’ when I’d like to go anonymous with my writings. I fell in love with the word in high school, when I found it inside a poem by Edith Sodergran, The Stars.
Edith is a poet who introduced Finland-Swedish modernism with free rhythm in her poems, and didn’t receive much recognition in her lifetime, but is now regarded one of Finland’s foremost poets…
Do you think Edith was ahead of her time?
Do you think she resembles Coelho’s Athena—The Witch of Portobello?
Anyway, I don’t want to think of it as a coincidence, but if you look up for the word ‘splinter’ in the dictionary, it means “a small, thin, sharp piece of wood, glass, or similar material broken off from a larger piece”.
What if the larger piece is the universe, Eva? What if I’m a splinter of the universe? What if we’re all splinters of the universe? We are, aren’t we?
So now it’s not that hard to imagine that we’re connected to each other in some way; that we’re capable of doing noble things; that our minds are magnetic and able to draw things we cherish closer to us; that we’re capable of revealing the secrets of the universe, one at a time.
And this, Eva, this is what I called spirituality.
Something that we’ve already had inside of us since birth, running through our veins and pumping our heart; but we kept on searching for it in those long and tiring journeys, only to find out that we’ve never losing it at the first place.
H.
[I didn't change a single letter, Han. I did not need to.
Beautiful, as always.]
One month to go
[Bahasa Indonesia]
Remember that “a significant change in my life in the near future” I spoke about a while ago? Here goes.
I have decided to return to my natural habitat of freelancing. To become a freelance communications specialist (that is the title I give myself in my business card) once again.
And to be honest, actually, this time it is even more than that.
I have two passions in life at the moment (three if you include my family). One is communications. The other is natural healing and all that come along with it (meditation, yoga, spiritualism, etc).
In 2006, I concluded that I still love communications for communications sake. It would still be a thrill to work in the industry. BUT it has to be for a greater good. So I decided to focus on corporate social responsibility issues or development projects.
When the opportunity to be a full-time communications manager in a development project (which is my current job at the moment), I welcomed it with an open arm.
A year has passed. I have come to a different conclusion. It still does not feel 100% right. The soul is tired. The body is too. The brain is puzzled, struggling to find the reasons why.
Along came the Witch of Portobello. The book put me on the contemplative road whose existence was long forgotten. I knew I had to make a choice between the two passions.
Despite all the lessons learned, the social/professional network built, and the so-called impact made over the last year, communications is no longer fun for communications’ sake. For me.
I pictured myself marching on the career path of communications and I am not that fond of what I see. I do not foresee peace. (Granted, perhaps it is just my limited capability and subjectivity to see).
The choice is now clear(er). I will move into healing. I will for the thousandth time push myself into a new area beyond my comfort zone. To become a student one more time. I have met several teachers. I have signed up for two meditation courses in December. It is a start.
Like writing, communications should just be a medium for something greater, or, pragmatically speaking, a way to make a living for me. The focus will be on healing.
The choice is clear but not the road ahead. But that is OK. It is a process. I shall take it one step at a time. With guidance from Him. Or Her. Or something within.
I am counting down for the ship to set sail. Approximately one month from now. Deep breath.
Change of point of view
[Bahasa Indonesia]
It was late at the office. The room was getting dark. I kept staring at my computer’s monitor until it was time for me to go.
I turned around to look at the window, just to see how the traffic was. And I was in awe with what I saw. 
An orange sky above the darkened skyscrapers of Jakarta.
The view had always been there to entertain, yet the only thing I stared at until that moment was my computer.
Things we are able to see if only we change our point of view.
Teachers
[Bahasa Indonesia]
This month I have been blessed with encounters with two teachers. People whom I believe have earned their rights to be called teachers. People with such ample amount of knowledge and skills but still manage to be so humble, ordinary and willing to reach out.
Pak Budi. A craniosacral therapist. I was introduced by a friend. I went to his house one night where he held his meditation session. You could not really tell which is him because he just blended with others. The (about) 10 of us chatted for a bit and meditated. Pak Budi then answered all questions asked and even treated one participant. 
Pak Irmansyah Effendi. Founder of Reiki Tummo. I took several classes of Reiki Tummo several years back but never really got into it much. A friend YM me one day and said that there will be an alumni gathering with Pak Irmansyah as the speaker. Interesting.
I sat at the first row. The speaker had not arrived yet. Then this rather young guy with untidy hairs and blue-white Hawaiian shirt came and started to set up the notebook and laptop. A lady next to me said “Pak Irmansyah?” and he smiled. My god, that’s Pak Irmansyah? Wow. How come he is so 'ordinary'?
I thoroughly enjoyed both session held by Pak Budi and Pak Irmansyah.
On a 'sadder' note, I have “lost” another teacher this month. Pak Pujo who passed away late last month. I only met him once but he has left such a deep impression to me. His passing made me think about that only time we met. I am sad that I do not have the opportunity to meet him again but thankful for that one time we have met.
People with great wisdom and such humility. Those people have earned the rights to be called “teachers”. And I am thankful for the opportunity to meet them.
Judging by the number of teachers I have met in such a short time, I supposed it is school time again. I look forward to become a student.
For mom and dad
[Bahasa Indonesia]
God, forgive me and forgive my mom and dad.
Love and care for them the way they have loved and cared for me while I was little. Cross that. the way the have loved and cared for me SINCE I was little.
*hugz*
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