Novan's journey

What's next after AdSense?

2019-02-11T19:34:00.001+07:00

It turned out to be that my AdSense account had been suspended for "invalid traffic", whatever it means. It could be someone (could be me or someone else) clicking multiple times the ads on my blog, generating or receiving automated or bot traffic (I am definitely not that sophisticated), or several other reasons that are beyond my comprehension technically.

I do remember that they sent me an email in 2012 I think, saying that my account was suspended due to inactivity. So, the only way was to post regularly. Alas, it became too burdensome. So all my three blogs were practically abandoned in the past few years.

After reviewing those pages of explanations on Google AdSense, I decided that it is almost or nearly impossible to reinstate my account.

Browsing on the internet, I found that actually there are many other services to replace AdSense. Let's try them one-by-one.

But the bottom point is, I need to regularly update my blog.

Let's see how it is going.

Happy New Year 2019, Gong Xi Fa Cai

2019-02-11T18:07:00.000+07:00

Happy New Year, may we have a prosperous year in 2019.

Gong Xi Fa Cai. Happy Chinese New Year, the Year of the Pig.

It has been awhile since I last updated this blog. Well, three or four years is rarely awhile ya :)

Always wondering whether people still do read and write blogs with the presence of apps like Line, Telegram and WhatsApp, or social media like Instagram and Facebook.

No promises, just trying to update my blog now and then.

Hoo haa

2015-12-13T22:23:00.001+07:00

Oh no, the year of 2015 will pass anytime soon and I haven't updated my blog.

Too many promises, too many broken.

Yet, still make more promises to be broken.

Hoo haa.

Another attempt

2015-03-27T22:27:00.001+07:00

After being abandoned for quite some time, I will try to revive this blog. Finger crossed.

Full team at my cousin's wedding party in Bandung. Taken on June 7, 2014.

2013-07-16T22:18:00.001+07:00

Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan. 2006

2013-07-16T22:16:00.000+07:00

Shooting range at the Indonesian Navy Headquarters, Cilangkap, East Jakarta.

2013-07-16T22:12:00.004+07:00

Sydney International Airport. 2009.

2013-07-16T22:10:00.001+07:00

Browsing Ginza. 2003.

2013-07-16T22:01:00.002+07:00

Me and Mario at the Corporate Panasonic Center in Ariake, Tokyo. 2003

2013-07-16T21:41:00.000+07:00

Wah, it turns out to be quite difficult ya to maintain this blog regularly.

It's been more than a year since my last post.

Is it me or is it something else.

So many journeys have been made.

So many memories.

No traces.

Gone.

.

2012-04-27T23:14:00.002+07:00

A Buddhist temple in Tokyo

2012-04-27T17:56:00.001+07:00

Shall we start again?

Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia

France to lure more RI tourists

2008-09-04T10:15:00.001+07:00

France is expecting more Indonesian tourists as the tourism board and the private sector, including airlines and retailers, step up efforts to promote the European country.

Maison de la France, or the French Tourism Board, for example, recently launched a sales kit into the Southeast Asian market so that travel agents can better sell France.

"We expect travel agents can use this kit to give detailed information to prospective guests," the board's Southeast Asia director, Frederic Meyer, told The Jakarta Post recently.

Meyer was speaking during a tour, which also included Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, where professionals from France met with their Southeast Asian counterparts in order to better sell France.

The workshop with media was held Thursday, while the meeting with travel professionals was held Friday.

In another effort of the French to tap into the Indonesian market, Galeries Lafayette has just launched a map of Paris in Indonesian.

"I have just got the maps from the printers. This maps will be distributed by travel agents to guests who are leaving for France," said marketing and promotion manager Asia Caroline de Maisonneuve.

Both Meyer and de Maisonneuve said it was quite difficult to track the number of Indonesians visiting France due to the presence of the Schengen visa scheme.

"But we know that there at least 13,000 to 14,000 visa requests per year, so there could be some 40,000 Indonesians visiting France," Meyer said.

De Maisonneuve said it was also difficult to track the number of Indonesians visiting Galeries Lafayette stores because there was no specific records unless customers used credit cards or applied for tax deductions.

Gerda Lascombe, international sales manager of Printemps department store, estimated that Indonesians ranked 15th on the number of guests visiting the up-scale establishments.

"The Indonesian average spending is some 500 euros, but this is only from recorded transactions," she said.

"We cannot track those paying in cash and not applying for tax deductions."

The tour also brought representatives from Rail Europe 4A, a joint venture of French and Swiss national railways, and Air France KLM.

Air France does not have a direct route linking Paris with Jakarta, but there is a daily flight to and from Bangkok and Singapore. Another option is using sister company KLM serving Jakarta with Amsterdam via Kuala Lumpur.

First published on The Jakarta Post on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008

That call

2007-08-21T23:05:00.000+07:00

It was Aug. 5, a Sunday. I was just having lunch at about 3 p.m. at the office when two of my uncles called me. They told me that my father was sick in Cibatu, Garut. They wanted me to go home a.s.a.p.

What?

I just called home (in Bandung) on Saturday and there were no signs that he was ill. I called home right away.

"Bapak is in Cibatu with mother and grand pa," said my younger brother Pitra.

I couldn't get my mom or my grand pa's home in Cibatu. After some more calls, my youngest uncle broke the news.

"Your father has just died."

.....

.....

.....

Finally I got my mom. She broke in tears telling the news over the phone.

While grieving for the loss, I thank God for taking him in Cibatu and not while driving home to Bandung. My parents were about to leave Cibatu when my dad felt a chest pain.

I was told later that it was a swift, sudden death. Most likely caused by a heart attack, presumably painless.

My mom said he could see that my dad's eyes dried up and she saw that final breath.

He was 65. We held the burial service on Monday morning at my mom's family funeral in Cibatu.

Innalillahi wa inna ilaihi roji'un.

Allahumaghfirlahu, warhamhu, wa afini wa fu anhu.

I'm in Changi, again

2006-11-29T22:21:00.000+07:00

Here I am again spending two hours or so in Changi waiting for my next flight.

This time bound for Nagoya to visit Toyota's plant and headquarters on Thursday. Then off to Fukuoka to visit Daihatsu's plant in nearby Oita on Friday. And some shopping. Saturday to Osaka for Universal Studio Japan before leaving for Jakarta via Singapore on Sunday.

Such a hectic schedule. I can't promise you that I will post something so soon.

See ya all.

Welcome to Baqa'a Refugee Camp

2006-11-19T19:19:00.000+07:00

Just came across this blog Welcome to Baqa'a Refugee Camp. It tells about the sufferings of the Palestinians under the heathen Zionist regime.

I wonder what makes the current Great Satan George Wacko Bullshit and all his predecessors pour endless stream of money for this worse-than-Nazi regime.

Once I read that the Great Satan's administration channels US$1.2 billion in military aid and another US$1.8 billion in economy aid to the heathen regime. Not so bad for a leading human rights abuser. Oh btw, the "never bite the hands that feed you" is not applicable as the Zionist regime has several times bitten the hands, if not fully chopped, the Great Satan's hands.

I wish Indonesia could someday exert its prowess by blackmailing the Great Satan's administration in the same way. Well the Great Satan has robbed us of our minerals, no?

It is just pathetic that SBY is willing to play a servant role to the Great Satan. The latest example is the Great Satan's visit on Monday with its excessive security arrangement made forcibly by the Great Satan's Secret Service.

Hmmm, isn't it interesting that Secret Service' abreviation is SS which was also the abbreviation for the feared Nazi special unit Schutztaffel.

Stopping by in Changi

2006-10-30T11:34:00.000+07:00

I have another hour before my flight to Bandar Seri Begawan. Thanks God Changi has plenty of free internet terminals. Food courts. Etc, etc.

While eating Double Rendang from Burger King, I managed to activate the International Roaming features of my Simpati prepaid card. I could send and receive sms but I cannot make any phone calls. Luckily I can receive calls. Got one from Barbara.

As for the Double Rendang burger, it's nothing like the good ol' rendang. Just the sauce/gravy I could recall of something rendang-like. But it;s more like those Indian curry.

I am on a two-week assignment helping pak Rikza and mds to shape up the editorial team of The Brunei Times.

I flew with Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta and will fly Royal Brunei to Bandar Seri Begawan.

It's gonna be a two-week of working hard. But rewarding hehehe.

See ya in Bandar Seri Begawan.

A great loss

2006-10-19T21:00:00.000+07:00

Today I made another trip to Bandung hurriedly as my father-in-law passed away at 10 a.m. He was buried at 2 p.m. at Jatihandap cemetary.

Marhaban ya Ramadhan

2006-09-24T15:40:00.000+07:00

Welcome O Ramadhan.

Today, Muslims in Indonesia started the one-month fasting month during the holy month of Ramadhan.

We are not allowed to eat, drink and have sex from dawn to sunset. Doing these things will cancel your fast of the day. But conforming to this is only the lowest, mere physical level.

The true test is how to be calm, not to be angry easily. We must also take care of our mouth, eyes, ears, heart and the rest of our bodies. While gossipping will not cancel the fast, it will surely ruin it so you fast for nothing but hunger and thirst.

This year all Muslims in Indonesia start the fasting together. But I don't know yet whether we will end it together. An Islamic lunar month may have 29 or 30 days.

There are two ways to determine when a month is started or ended: Hisab or calculating and Rukyah or direct, visual observation of Hilal or the lunar crescent.

You can get more information by visiting Islamic Calendar.

Indonesia have witnessed several times different timing of starting and ending Ramadhan, depending on the way being used by particular groups.

For me, I will just follow the government's announcement.

They say difference is a blessing.

May we all be blessed during Ramadhan this year

TC 1008

2006-09-11T17:27:00.000+07:00

A monument made of a steam locomotive -- with TC 1008 registration number -- outside the south gate of Bandung train station.

Sorry no further info about the maker, make year etc. I will look it up and post it here.

I took the picture several months ago around the time when my son was hospitalized in Bandung in early July.

I had to shuttle between Jakarta and Bandung at that time before taking a leave.

Taking train is a convenient way of travelling despite the presence of Cipularang toll road enabling a two-hour drive by car. Especially when you don't have a car :).

Claiming my blogs with Technorati

2006-09-02T12:50:00.000+07:00

I have just claimed all my four blogs using Technorati.

My three blogs in Blogspot have embedded functions such as search and links using the advanced option. Unfortunately that's not the case with Friendster blog in which I can only use Post Claim.

I learned how to claim my blogs using Technorati when I bumped into Refleksi dan Blog Tutorial while I was browsing Blogger Indonesia A. Fatih Suyud Weblog. So, thanks to both bloggers.

Can't wait to claim my blogs using other engines. See ya

My new baby

2006-02-20T18:18:00.001+07:00

Yamaha Nouvo Z

I bought a Yamaha Nouvo Z on Dec. 29 last year. Why? Well, to offset the skyrocketing fuel prices....

The price is Rp 12.870 million (US$1,395) for cash. I took a one-year installment package with Rp 4 million as down payment and monthly payment of Rp 996,900. The dealer gave me a Rp 1 million discount so I had to pay only Rp 3 million of advance.

In total I will have to pay Rp 13,965,900 by the end of this year. Not bad a bargain.

Previously, I spent Rp 50,000 for taxi a day commuting home-office v.v. Now the same amount lasts about two weeks ....... ;)

(US$1=Rp 9230)

Rearranging postings

2006-02-06T16:58:00.000+07:00

Today I have just rearranged my blogs by back-dating my travel articles taken from The Jakarta Post. Previously they were posted not according to the dates when they were published.

Some of you may see it as cheating but it's for orderly sake.

You can expect some more back-dated postings.

How does it feel to be 33?

2006-02-05T16:57:00.000+07:00

Am I old? Am I young? It can be half empty or half full. Some say I got one year more while others say I got one year less. Suppose that I got 66 years in my life time, this year is already the middle of my life. I have 33 years more to go while last year I had 34 years to go.

Whatever.

And don't expect that I have party as I was stuck in the office uploading the website. What a way to celebrate my birthday.

Well, whether it is one year more or one year less, still plenty of things to do.

Web counter ready to record visitors

2006-02-05T15:56:00.000+07:00

This is just a small announcement that I have put web counter from Free Counter Plus to my Blogspot blogs. The counter is free but it carries a link to an advertiser. You can generate it randomly. Well, there's no such thing as a free lunch in this cruel world. :P

The good thing about this counter is that it has a (basic) site statistics. While the design is basic, it comes in several color schemes to match your blog design.

So, for those who have not use this webcounter, have a try.