THE JOURNEY HAS BEGUN

7, and it is dark

2012-01-19T08:55:00.002+01:00

When I woke up this morning (and stayed in bed till 7am), this what I thought I would post in facebook: "Going to EPFL at 7, and it is dark. It's 7AM or PM? It's AM! Seriously?"

IT IS.

For you who came from Europe, or other places with 4 season, maybe this condition is not weird at all. But for us, for example: me, who came from Indonesia (country near the equator), it is weird. If somebody told you 7, and it is dark, then we can safely assume that it is 7PM.

Back to my master education, I can say this.
"Therefore, we can put it formally. Given the time is 7, and the condition outside (bright/dark) we can decide whether it is 7AM or 7PM"

Well, but again, that is not true for summer/winter. In summer, both 7AM and 7PM are bright, and in winter both of them are dark.

Okay, I think I have to stop now. For me this difference is (one of) what makes our world interesting (and always interesting) place to live.

2011-09-29T12:08:00.001+02:00

This morning, I was searching about "Stanford". Yes, that Stanford.

I read this wonderful articles about getting into Stanford:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_get_into_Stanford_University

Some of the part that I would like to share (see the complete entry below):

So, you ask, who are these people who are admitted? Well, one girl I know is the national fencing champion and a biomedical researcher. Another is the 20th ranked junior tennis player in the world and has been recruited for tennis at Stanford. Another guy started a photography business to take care of his impoverished family and wrote a fantastic essay about the obstacles he has overcome. Another won first place in the National Chemistry Olympiad and developed an educational computer program that her high school will use for years to come. Another girl was her state violin champion, a chemistry researcher, and a Juilliard professor said her violin playing was possibly the best he'd ever heard from a high school student. Another wrote 3 books in 3 different languages and ran a fashion show to raise money to bring clean water to rural India.

Stanford (and for that matter Princeton, Harvard, MIT, etc...) are all looking for the future leaders of the world, and they are looking for signals that show them that you are this kind of material.

Then, when first semester of senior year rolls around, pour your heart and soul into that Stanford application, and maybe, just maybe, an admissions officer pouring through piles of essays, transcripts, and recommendations will stop at your application and think, This kid is destined for greatness: this kid is a Stanford kid.

==================
Again, this article is not mine. I've got it from: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_do_you_get_into_Stanford_University

First of all, there is no magic formula that can guarantee your admission to a school like Stanford. The admissions office receives applications from the absolute best students in the world, and all of them have stellar grades, astronomical test scores, pages of extracurricular activities, glowing teacher recommendations, and essays they've slaved over for months. The Stanford Office of Undergraduate Admissions says that about 80% of students have the grades and SAT scores for admission and the rest is up to activities, recommendations, essays, and the like. So, the question is, how do you whittle down that 80% of qualified students to the 9% who are admitted?

Many people are surprised when someone who has a seemingly stellar resume is rejected, like a friend of mine who was valedictorian, class president, NHS president, an intern for a corporate attorney, had 1000s of volunteer hours, perfect SAT score, teachers who called her the best student they've ever had, and a double legacy (her father went to Stanford for undergrad and grad, a huge plus for admissions). Nonetheless, she was rejected.

What people don't think about is that Stanford's admissions is a competition on a worldwide level. There are 36,000 high schools in America. That means 36,000 valedictorians, 36,000 class presidents, and so on. So, those trappings on her resume are wholly unspectacular, because everyone has them. You have to have things that no one in the world has, otherwise, to Stanford, you are wholly unspectacular.

Also, you should realize that Stanford isn't looking for the best students: they're looking for the best people, the people who will be the most successful in life, the people who will become rich and famous, and uphold and enhance the Stanford name. I know people who were admitted with 1700 SATs and GPAs that barely but them in the top quartile of their class - and no, they were not legacies or minorities. The reason they were admitted is that Stanford realized that they will become great, while many of their perfect-scoring valedictorian peers are destined for a life of anonymity.

So, you ask, who are these people who are admitted? Well, one girl I know is the national fencing champion and a biomedical researcher. Another is the 20th ranked junior tennis player in the world and has been recruited for tennis at Stanford. Another guy started a photography business to take care of his impoverished family and wrote a fantastic essay about the obstacles he has overcome. Another won first place in the National Chemistry Olympiad and developed an educational computer program that her high school will use for years to come. Another girl was her state violin champion, a chemistry researcher, and a Juilliard professor said her violin playing was possibly the best he'd ever heard from a high school student. Another wrote 3 books in 3 different languages and ran a fashion show to raise money to bring clean water to rural India.

Can there really be 2,400 people who have that sort of resume? No. Some are accepted with slightly less amazing stories if they are an underrepresented minority (black, Hispanic, or Native American) or they are a legacy (one of their parents went to Stanford). And some , like me, feel like the admissions officer must've accidentally put us in the admit pile when we should've been rejected. But really, what I think happened with people like me - people who didn't win any national championships, write any books, make any breakthrough research discoveries, overcome severe economic obstacles, or run half-million-dollar fundraisers - is that Stanford saw something in all those recommendations, essays, and short answers a sign of untapped greatness; there was something that made the admissions officers think that we are capable of doing something amazing if given the resources of an institution like Stanford. I can only hope that I fulfill their speculations.

All in all, its practically impossible to predict your chances at admission to a school like Stanford. My best advice is to get out and do something. If you come up with an idea for a new gadget, or you see something you'd like to change about the world, or there is some skill or art that you excel at and that you love, get out and do it! Starting building that gadget, start that fundraiser or protest, practice at that skill. Then, when first semester of senior year rolls around, pour your heart and soul into that Stanford application, and maybe, just maybe, an admissions officer pouring through piles of essays, transcripts, and recommendations will stop at your application and think, This kid is destined for greatness: this kid is a Stanford kid.

More input

While I respect the opinions above, please keep in mind that there ARE specific things you can do to have a great shot at Stanford beyond simply working hard.
It all comes down to the application itself and how you TELL YOUR STORY. Essays, short answers, supplemental materials, and teacher recs are all critical pieces of that story.
At the end of the day, any machine can score 2400 on the SAT and 5's on ten AP tests. But very few can really sound like a unique individual with distinct passions and specific goals in life. Get those messages across and you'll stand a great chance.

Even More Input

I am a senior at Stanford majoring in Economics, and I whole heartedly second (third?) the opinions above. I got in on a 1350 SAT (old score), 30 ACT and a 4.2 GPA (Salutatorian in HS class). I was also a two sport All-League Varsity athlete from a medium sized public school in California. The Stanford coaches knew who I was but I was not officially recruited, although I eventually ended up on the varsity team.

As you can see, my "numbers" were well below many of those who applied. From what I've gathered from the admissions office, the numbers are the deal breakers, the essays and recommendations are the deal makers. Stanford gets plenty of valedictorians and 2400's on the SATs. What I mean by this is that the average kid applying to Stanford has amazing grades, tests scores and extra-curriculars. The biggest thing is that its about your expressed ambitions, experiences, and recommendations, rather than your metrics. Ultimately, its not about how many hours you put in to community service, but rather what it taught you and how you hope to apply to those lessons to your future goals. It's not about how many clubs you're in, it's about which club inspired you to do something great while you were a sophomore in high school. Quality and depth are definitely better than quantity and a unique experience is definitely better than many generic extra-curriculars (NHS, volunteering, etc.). For you HS freshman and sophomores out there, I promise that you will be much better off, both in terms of college admissions and personal satisfaction, if you dedicate yourselves to a few core areas (grades, sports, businesses, non-profit, etc.) rather than trying to spread yourselves too thin. For you HS juniors and seniors, it's never too late.

Stanford (and for that matter Princeton, Harvard, MIT, etc...) are all looking for the future leaders of the world, and they are looking for signals that show them that you are this kind of material. Grades and test scores don't show them enough; plenty of hard-working kids can do that. You have to show them intelligence + hardworking + leadership material. There were many of my peers that had many more "bullet points" on their transcripts. I got in because I was able to express, through my essays, the fact that my problems as a high school senior were trivial compared to the challenges my parents had faced as a college dropout and a two time cancer survivor, respectively.

Finally, I want to emphasize that a dedicated student will do great things at whichever college they attend. If you do not get into your top choices, don't worry. Motivation and hard work count for much more in the real world (and grad school) than the crap shoot that is undergraduate admissions. Keep working hard and commit to doing great things. Good luck.

Even more

People who get into top schools can post the stories of how they got in at www.dreamschoolstories.com. I got into Stanford (my top choice) and wrote about it there. You can find my story under "From Austin, TX to Stanford". Good luck!

[Get Your] Erasmus Mundus [Done]

2011-09-11T09:41:00.003+02:00

Okay, it's September now. As usual, 'the war' will soon begin.
Do you think you want to get a scholarship to Europe?
Do you want to experience new cultures?
Traveling while study? And yet still get paid for your study?

What? still not enough? It's like you get paid for study (for Master or Doctorate) and traveling (at least two countries) in the same time.

The main thing the most important of all is: preparation. Believe me, whoever you are you can get it. The main language is English.

1. For master degree, check the website here http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/selected_projects_action_1_master_courses_en.php

2. For doctorate degree, check the website here http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/selected_projects_action_1_joint_doctorates_en.php

3. There are a lot of course offered, right? So, choose some. But this is the important one. Later your choice will determine whether you will get your Erasmus Mundus or not. Click the individual website provided for each course. Read the descriptions. Determine which ones you like the most. Read the requirements to apply (do you fit there?). In the end, you can apply for 3 different courses. So, narrow down your choice into 3 in the end. Tips: choose one that you are really like (even though you know that you have only a little chance), choose one course that you think your chance is the biggest there, and one more course is up to you.

4. Okay, so now we get 3 courses already. Take notes all of the thing required to apply. English test, such as TOEFL or IELTS? when is the deadline? Letter of Recommendation? Statement of Purpose? Graduation certificate? Academics Transcript? Curriculum Vitae? All requirements are stated on each course's website. Remember that each course has different requirements.

5. As the rule of thumb, personalize each application as far as you can. For example: it is not a good idea to use one statement of purpose for three of them, which means that your statement of purpose is a general statement of purpose. Tailor each statement of purpose match with the course description and your uniquness towards that course.

6. Apply for 3 of them! Who knows which course will accept you? Nobody knows for now (well I hope you will know it by May next year :)). So, why don't maximize the quota that European Commission gave you.

So, I wish you the best of luck, and see you in Europe!

Adsense

2011-09-10T13:08:00.000+02:00

Hey, I have just started using my adsense account :) Well, actually I have applied for it since a long time ago for this blog, but google reject my application. Now, that I have developed my website, I tried to apply it again. It turned out that google approve it! Now as you can see there is some ads also in this blog. How about my earnings? Not, bad. Yesterday I've got 3.95$ (estimated earnings). Okay, then hope that I could have a side job as a successful adsenser and share my adsense experience with you guys.

Acknowledgement

2011-08-28T16:37:00.005+02:00

As I have just finished my master thesis, if somebody asked me "what is your most favorite part of your thesis?" I will answer right away: "My acknowledgement." (what?)

Yeah, my acknowledgement. You see, almost every part of my thesis have been read and reviewed by my supervisors, which in the end have to be revised. Sometimes the reviews are too details, up to words to words basis.

However, this is not the case with my acknowledgement. My supervisors did not touch it. When I offered my acknowledgment to be read, he said "No, Tri. That's your privacy".
Wow, it means I can be creative :p Okay, then. Let's get it on.

Tri's original:

========================================
I would to say thanks:

To Prof. Thomas Eiter, who let me work with him and his group on such an interesting topic. Every meeting with him is always exciting and encouraging, and every word from him is always insightful.

To Thomas Krennwallner and Minh Dao-Tran, together with Prof. Eiter they made such a great team to support me from the beginning 'till the end. I cannot imagine finishing all the works without them.

To Peter Schueller, who always there to help me with dlvhex system.

To Eva Nedoma, secretary of our groups; who always eager to help with office and bureaucratic matters. Every morning before anybody comes, she also makes sure that we have enough coffee and milk in our kitchen.

To all of my partners in crime in the third floor: Tran Trung Kien, Carmine Dodaro, Xiao Guohui, Patrik Schneider, and Umut Oztok. I cannot imagine spending my time in the lab without you, guys. All of our jokes, discussions, lunches, and even stupidity, made me 'alive'.

To all of my friends and colleagues for their understanding, support, and encouragement during my 'thesis mode'.

Finally, to my wonderful mother, sister, and families back home who always believe in me.

- Tri -

========================================

See my complete master thesis here.

Sächsische Schweiz

2011-07-31T18:01:00.000+02:00

Want the English version? See below the Indonesian one.

Kadang2 aku merasa aku ingin sekali menjadi menteri pariwisata. Kok bisa?
Ini berawal dari acara hiking sewaktu aku masih di Dresden, tahun lalu. Bulan November 2009 kalau tidak salah. Kita hiking di sebuah tempat yg bernama Saxony Switzerland. Dinamakan seperti itu krn tempatnya di Jerman di daerah saxony, tapi tempatnya mirip Switzerland (suasananya maksudnya). Sungai Elbe mengalir dengan tebing curam di sisinya. Terlihat bagus sekali. Pemandangan alam yg akan membuat kita berhenti sejenak utk menikmati keindahannya.

Nah, ceritanya ini hikingnya tidak jauh beda sebenarnya dengan di Indonesia (kecuali utk landscape-nya tentu saja). Kita melewati areal hutan. Mendaki. Berjalan melewati semak2. Berhati-hati. Namun ada satu hal yg terlihat sangat berbeda. Areal hiking ini benar2 dirawat. Utk beberapa daerah yg curam, mereka menyediakan step2. Tanahnya dibuat sedemikian rupa sehingga menjadi seperti anak tangga. Besi utk berpegangan pun disediakan. Jalan2 utk melewati tebing batu yg sempit pun disediakan. Ibarat petualangan alam, ini adalah hal2 yg mgkn dilakukan petualang profesional. Tapi ini tidak bahkan kita2 yg cuma mahasiswa pun bisa menikmatinya, sekretaris jurusan, professor kita, sampai asisten2nya waktu itu. Dalam perjalanan, kami pun tidak jarang bertemu dengan kakek2 atau nenek2 (dalam hati, "hah?").
Bahkan yg lebih gila lagi, di atas, saya sempat melihat ada org dengan kursi roda. Dienkzzz.... bagaimana pula ini bisa terjadi??? Ditambah ada restoran di puncak tebingnya (???) mikir ga bagaimana mereka transport kebutuhan restorannya ke atas? Pakai helikopter? pakai elevator rahasia? (heaaa... imajinasi mulai bermain di sini :p ) Ga tau deh...

Hihihi... oke, skrg kalau dibandingkan dengan Indonesia. Oke lah, kita bisa yakin bahwa keindahan alam kita tidak kalah. Bahkan hampir semua org setuju bahwa untuk Indonesia, kekayaan pariwisata dari keindahan alamnya hampir tidak terbatas. Laut? Sungai? Air terjun? Gunung? Hutan? Bukit? kecuali gurun, dan grand canyon, mgkn kita punya semuanya. Bahkan, mau salju? daki sana ke puncak Jayawijaya, hihihi... Hanya saja seberapa akses yg kita berikan utk semua itu? Sangat minim sekali. Tidak jarang kita tidak tahu ada obyek wisata ini atau itu. Jangankan utk wisatawan, kadang2 orang di dekat daerahnya saja tidak tahu :p

So, closure:
Seandainya saja, seandainya, kita sediakan lahan promosi yg tepat, minimal menginformasikan ada tempat wisata ini, itu. Set up aksesnya. Hampir di setiap bandara atau terminal waktu saya bepergian selama di europe mereka selalu ada peta utk pariwisata. Bagaimana kalau kita jg lakukan hal seperti itu? Terlihat sangat sederhana bukan? Namun efeknya bisa besar. Hanya mgkn perlu meeting, set up designnya, udah tinggal cetak dan letakkan brosurnya. Aku ingin di setiap bandara/terminal/stasiun terdekat terdapat peta tempat2 wisata dan ada transport ke situ. Lalu disediakan manajemen yg tepat utk tempat pariwisatanya, mulai dari loket, pemeliharaan, fasilitas toilet, tempat makan, tempat beristirahat, penyelenggaran event2 tertentu, atau bahkan website utk daerah itu. Aku ingin melihat Indonesia lebih baik lagi.

Hihihi... okay now the English verson

============================

It's true that I wrote the English version based on the Indonesian version, but this is not word-by-word translation. I read the Indonesian version, then think and wrote in English. Don't worry, more less they have the same content, only with a slight modification and sense. If you have just read the Indonesian version, you can also read the English version below. It will give you a slightly different feeling. There are some Indonesian word that cannot be really translated literally to English, and there are some ideas that sometimes could be presented better using Indonesian, or English.

============================

Sometimes, I feel like I want to be a minister of tourism. Huh?
It all started from the hiking event that organized by my faculty, back when I was in Dresden, Germany. Around November 2009. The place called Saxony Switzerland, because it was in Saxony area, Germany, but the environment is just like when you are in Switzerland. Elbe river in the middle with cliffs on its sides. It was very beautiful, really such a breath-taking view.

Okay, the hiking part is not so different compared when I did it in Indonesia. We walk across forest, climb, and be careful. But, there is one thing different. This hiking area was really well-care. For the steep part, they provide us steps. They made they ground so that it acts like a stairs for us. Irons for our hands to hold are also provided. So it's not really dangerous after all. I can imagine that actually if we want to do this kind of stuff and see the beautiful view, we must be a professional climber. But not. We are just normal students, professors, his secretary, and research assistant. Even I met some grandpas and grandmas (huh?)!
What even more surprising is that I met a handicap people with a wheel chair in the top. How can they get here? - I said to myself. The surprise is not stop there. There is a restaurant on top of the cliff. How can they transport the restaurant needs? Helicopter? Underground elevator? anyone, please tell me :p

Okay, let's compare to Indonesia. Well, we know that Indonesian also has a very good nature. Many people agree that Indonesia has many tourism places with a very natural beautiful view. Beach? Ocean? River? Waterfall? Mountain? Forest? Hill? maybe except for desert and grand canyon, Indonesia has it all :p Even actually if you want snow, you can climb Jayawijaya peak (but, of course I've never did it, I saw and feel my first snow when I was in Germany). However what about the access that is given to them? So minimal. Even there is a case when the people nearby do not know about the places. So bad.

So, closure:
If, If Indonesia provide a good marketing, at least an informative advertisement (the simplest advertisement). Setting up access to the places.
Almost at every airport or terminal in every city when I was traveling in Europe, I can always look for a map or a guide about the places of interest on that city.
What if Indonesia also doing something like that? It looks so simple isn't it? But might had a huge effect. Just set one meeting, set up the content and design, then print it out and put the brochure or advertisement. I wanna see in every airport, bus terminal, or train station in Indonesia there is a guide map or information about tourism places in that area, what can we do, what can we see, what events are held, and how can we get there. Then, provide a good management on that place. Started from the ticket counter, maintenance, toilet, place to eat, rest, events or even website for that particular area.

In the end, I wanna see a better Indonesia.

I don't know

2011-07-30T20:34:00.000+02:00

Hihihi... as the title suggest, I do not really know what should I write :p

Actually there are a lot of things that I should do, but so little time. Let us discuss it one by one:
1. There are a lot of experience that I've got from my life here in Europe. I believe, that could be an interesting book :p, but let see.
2. Again, but this is not from my life, it is from my education. My master study in computational logic is a kind of unique study that I believe not many knows it in my country back to Indonesia. I should documented it too. Again, a book? Let's see (again???)
3. I love to do data mining and machine learning stuff. But, not as no.2, this kind of study has gained its popularity in Indonesia. However, there are still a lot of support that need to be given for the development of the field itself.
4. I love to play in many data mining challenges. But due to the excessive work that my thesis gave me, I do not really have time for that. So sad.
5. Starts from next October, I will move to Switzerland. There are some materials that I should read in order to know the field of my future professor well (prof. Karl Aberer).
6. And of course my thesis, my presentation and poster (yeah here in Vienna, in TU Wien, each student that doing his/her thesis should also create a scientific poster for his/her work).

Hmm... what else? and stay cool, of course :p
And let's hope that the list does not increase or ... let it increase by other stuffs?

- Tri -

Thanks

2011-06-16T16:01:00.001+02:00

So, I have just been into one (short) summer school in Lausanne for last Tuesday-Wednesday. One of the presenter (lecturer) passing his recent book around.

I read this excerpt from acknowledgement of that book:
============================
To my wife ...., for all her love, support and patience while I wrote this book
To my son ..., for reminding me that growth takes time
To my family, without their support and help I would never have finished
To my students and PhD students, because teaching is the best way of learning
============================

At that time, I said to myself "wow, I want this kind of life". Well, I know that I am still not there yet. But I know that I want it :p

And in the end of his presentation, when I switched off his laptop, I saw his desktop (just a glance). A picture of his wife and his son, together in a garden (which I supposed could be their backyard) smile happily to the camera (I bet he is the one who took the picture :p). His wife hug his son from behind :) That's just something, isn't it?

Friends

2011-06-16T15:55:00.000+02:00

Friends is everything. Well, not 'everything' obviously, but, some how I realized
that I always been helped by my friends. And yes, I love them. I love them all.

I would love to chat with them. Make some stupid things to make them laugh (if they laugh).
But sometimes I also realized that I can be a jerk too :p (just too mean to them).

I know that a human being cannot live without others. And that's very true fact.
I don't know why, once, this week, I realized this fact when I open the door of my lab :p (so strange)
Either because my friends in my lab are just too damn good for me, or because I want to meet some friends that I did not meet for a long time.

Okay, I will close this post with:
In my lab, I and two other friends always laugh (and had a great time) everytime one of us say "anywho" or "anyhow". Strange?
Do you know why? [Yes/No] Yes
There is one of my thesis supervisor that (kinda) often come to our lab. And everytime he would to change the topic of his conversation, or just simply to end it, instead of saying "anyway" (that most of us usually say), he said "anywho" or sometimes (if you get lucky) "anyhow"
For us it sounds strange, and he always do that that make us realized that it is his trademark (to always said "anywho" or "anyhow"
Maybe 'anyhow' still acceptable, but anywho??? Come on....

Knowing exactly where to tap

2011-05-15T15:18:00.000+02:00

Yesterday, I bought a book entitled ":59 seconds" by Prof. Richard Wiseman. Well, I have not read the whole book yet, but there is something interesting in the introduction part (already).

Actually this concept was already in my mind since a long time ago. But then has been refreshed again by this book.

...
There is a very old story, often told to fill time during training course, involving a man trying to fix his broken boiler. Despite his best efforts over many months, he simply can't mend it.

Eventually he gives in and decides to call in an expert repairman. The engineer arrives, gives one gentle tap on the side of the boiler and stands back as it erupts into life. The engineer presents the man with a bill, and the man argues that he should only pay a small fee as the job only took the engineer a few moments. The engineer quietly explains that the man is not paying for the time he took to tap the boiler, but rather the years of experience involved in knowing exactly where to tap.

Just like the expert engineer tapping the boiler, ..., effective change does not have to be time-consuming. In fact, it can take less than a minute an is often simply a question of knowing exactly where to tap.
...

The song of today

2011-04-17T20:48:00.001+02:00

The spirit inside is amazing!

Mindset

2011-04-14T21:08:00.001+02:00

"Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." - Abraham Lincoln

Life

2011-03-05T12:50:00.000+01:00

Tri: would like to write something about his journey to Lisbon last month (on Feb 2011) but (still) found no time for it. Might be later. Let's see.

In the moment, I would like to share this quote:
"Live with no excuses and love with no regrets"

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass....

2011-02-13T08:40:00.002+01:00

Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass.... it's about learning how to dance in the rain.

YESUS & KOMPUTER

2011-02-05T14:41:00.001+01:00

Sorry guys.
This one, Indonesian language. I got this note from my colleagues that I found fascinates me.
But I provided the English translation below.

YESUS & KOMPUTER
Saat menciptakanmu, Aku tak pernah COPY-PASTE,
Aku membuat SETTING hidupmu indah, Aku MINIMIZE kelemahan & MAXIMIZE kelebihanmu
Semua yang baik, Aku INSERT ke dalam hidupmu, DELETE semua kesalahanmu, dan SAVE masa depanmu,
Aku akan selalu membawamu NEXT tanpa BACK dalam masa lalu, bahkan SKIP saat kecelakaan akan menimpamu
Saat kau perlu, Aku menyediakan HELP untuk QUIT dari masalahmu,
Aku selalu menunggu hatimu OPEN untuk Aku EDIT,
...Aku takkan EXIT dari hidupmu, sebab kamu adalah FILE Ku yang paling berharga.
The last but not the least : Let's CHAT, I'm always ONLINE...

English translation:
JESUS & COMPUTER
When I created you, I have never COPY-PASTE,
I made your life SETTING wonderful, I MINIMIZE your weakness & MAXIMIZE your strengh
I INSERT goodness into your life, DELETE every mistakes you have made, and SAVE your future,
I will always take you to the NEXT, without going BACK to the past, even SKIP when you will have an accident
Whenever you need, I will provide HELP to QUIT from your problems.
I always wait your heart to OPEN for Me to EDIT it.
... I will never EXIT from your life, because you are my priceless FILE
The last but not the least : Let's CHAT, I'm always ONLINE...

Quote

2010-12-29T21:40:00.000+01:00

Sometimes, this quote can be very true:
Don't look for the next opportunity. The one you have in hand is the opportunity.

White Christmas (again)

2010-12-28T11:54:00.001+01:00

So, one thing that I would like to say: during my stay in Europe, I realize that I like snow. Of course, as an Indonesian, I do not really have fun with the cold weather. But snow? That's different.

So, connect Christmas and snow, now you know what I want. Yes, I would like to have a white Christmas.

Several days before Christmas it was snowing in Vienna. But then I realized that in the Christmas day, Vienna had no snow (almost no snow at all). Fiuhhh... But, I was very grateful. Why?

I spent my Christmas day this year in Salzburg! I am so surprised that when I woke up in 25 in the morning: Snow fell down!!! and Salzburg was so nice at that time (I cannot imagine how beautiful Salzburg will be in summer). Well, I was so excited because on 24 evening, snow did not fall at all. And, yes, that was what I wished in the Christmas eve.

Well, I am thinking about writing my experience in Salzburg, but I decided to write it later. But I will give you the conclusion here. [Have you ever dreamed about something or someone but then when you got it or met him/her, it does not feel as good as in your dream? Yeah, it didn't happen for me and Salzburg.] For me, Salzburg is one of my dreamed city. And, it still be.

So, this was nice. I've got white Christmas twice in a row.

Quote

2010-12-17T08:33:00.002+01:00

"If you are going through hell, keep going." - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Something extraordinary

2010-12-06T22:10:00.000+01:00

Well, if you connect the word "extraordinary" in the title with my last post on my facebook, then you will conclude that I will speak about Samir Nasri or Arsenal or some topics about that.

Well, it's not...

It's about one of my professor in Vienna. I was pretty surprised that there is a professor that approaches you and then talk to you just like your buddy (note: the one that approaches is your professor, not you). Well, if you already know him, work with him, it could be. But this one, I knew him only from chat/talk several times during some random time.

So, today I was standing in the subway line. As usual. Wait for my U1 to go to Karlsplatz. I was busy with my earphone and my cell phone (sometimes it is difficult to set it when you wear your winter clothes). I did not pay attention to the subway that came. The subway stop (still did not focus). [Do you know when you do the same thing over and over again every day, you can do it even without thinking how to do it, and just automatically do it. Yeah, like auto pilot. And, that's what happen to me today during my way back: wait for the subway, go inside, take off, climb the stairs up, wait for the tram...]

Suddenly someone went out from the subway, approached me, and tapped me, and said "Hey, Abstract Argumentation ...".
I was surprised and said in my head: "What did you say?" before I realized that it's one of my Professor.
"Oh, yeah. When will it start?" I said while thinking "How did he remember me... even I already forgot that I've said that I am interested in his lecture". Well, Abstract Argumentation is the name of the lecture. Yeah... I know. It's weird. It's kind of a new field in Knowledge Representation - which is a field in Artificial Intelligence - which is a field in Computer Science.
"No, we will have it in the next semester. In the summer semester. Bye...", he replied. And that's it. He waved his hand and gone.
"Wtf???" I asked myself. This is one of the senior professor in TU Wien, and we have just had a little, informal, buddy-like conversation.

After that, I just cannot believe what just happen during my way back to my apartment. You have to admit that normally, with your professor (and this is the senior one), both of you will speak in the formal (with some awkwardness) manner.
Well, I think he's simply an extraordinary, not only as a professor, but also as a human being.

And... the name of the station is Karlsplatz

2010-11-21T23:02:00.002+01:00

If there is a station in Vienna that I would like to conquest, it should be Karlsplatz.
The station is rather complicated for a subway/tram station inside the city.

Get out on the wrong direction, get on on the wrong elevator, walk down to the wrong passage, you will end up in the completely different place. I mean, yeah of course you will end up not in the place that you want (because you wrong), but on the other station, at least you will still know in which direction actually you should take. But that's not happen on this station.

I just wondered when will I "own" this station (if you know what I mean).
Until last time, I get off from U2 (Subway U2). My friend looked confuse with her map.
I said: "Come on!".
"But which way we should choose to get out?", she wondered.
"This is my place. I own this place." In my mind: "Finally, I can say that!"

Yeah, finally I conquered it :)
If only you could see me during my first day in Vienna. I often get lost in this station. Just like what I explained before. Enter here, exit there. Completely different. "Where am I?", "What is that?", "Why am I in this place?", "Where is that building?" just a few sentences that usually just came right out of my mind.

Now? From Karlsplatz (the park) to the Oper (Opera house of Vienna, that also one of the exit of Karlsplatz station), from Oper to TU library (my university's library), from tram 2 to U1, from U1 to tram 2, U4, U2, anywhere you want, I could say "That way!".

Arrive on your embassy, what do you expect?

2010-11-12T22:41:00.003+01:00

Yeah, really. What do you expect?

Well, for me, after has spoken English and very bad German about a month or so, I hope I will be welcomed by a nice Indonesian words and conversations.

But, is it the case?

So, this is the story:
Finally, I found the Indonesian Embassy in Wien after approx. 2 week in Wien (in the middle of October). I opened the front gate, with a little “wow” entered the building (because the building is so different with the other building nearby that you can really tell that this is the real deal), opened the front door.
“Sachdel axcjdyt …. ?“ asked the lady in the receptionist. I cannot really understand what did she say.
“What?” I asked myself in my mind, “What did she said?” (well actually she spoke a very basic German sentence that I should know).

Then I saw this guy near her. He wear a nice suit and I can tell that he is an Indonesian. I guessed in that time I already showed my dumb face (because I cannot understand what the lady had just said) Then he said “Shheee sssaid: Whaat do you neeeeed?” (this one was really spoke in English), explained to me what the lady said like I really was a dumb guy.
I was still in my world, thinking “What are you two guys talking about”.

Yeah, you right. I don't get those guys because I set in my mind that I will be asked in Indonesian instead of two consecutive sentence in German and English.

Fiuuuhh... after back to the reality in several seconds finally I can answer: “Oh yes, I would like to register myself” (still in English).

Oh, come on. This is my embassy. Why am I still in the middle of English and German (it's not that I hate English or German but basically it's just I missed my language so much).

Finally, a man (this one really was from Indonesia, the guy in suit before turned out to be a Philipines) show up and greeting me in Indonesian. Finally......
“Halo apa kabar? Sudah lama di Wien” Yeeeiii... (okay, this one in English is: Hi, how are you? How long have you been in Wien?)

Finally, Eucharist in Indonesian

2010-11-06T22:29:00.001+01:00

Sorry, guys. This time, Indonesian again. I do not know whether I will have some time to translate it into English, but let's see.

So,,,

Sore hari, jam 17.00 acaranya dimulai. Jam 16.40 aku sudah siap. Dengan perkiraan waktu tempuh 10 menit pakai tram, bisalah datang tepat waktu (plus cari2 alamatnya). Keluar apartment, eh dompet ketinggalan. Balik lagi. Stelah itu, eh, baru ingat belum catat no.telp Romo. Kan lumayan tuh klo tersesat bisa telp.hihihi... Malas bawa peta soalnya hari ini =)

Pas udah di jalan, eh tram no.5 udah lewat. Ya udah, diputuskan menunggu tram no.5 berikutnya. Lihat2 kiri kanan, loh2, ini kok ada pengumuman kalo rute tram diganti. Ckckck... aku kok ya ga bisa memutuskan si tram ini nanti bakalan lewat rute yg aku butuhkan apa ndak ya... Akhirnya aku putuskan naek subway deh.

Pas di subway baru ingat: ya amplop, yg aku ingat2 adalah jalan ke tempatnya dari tram stop. Bukan dari stasiunnya subway. Untung deh hampir di setiap stasiunnya subway ada peta untuk daerah setempat. Fiuhhh... akhirnya sampai juga di tempatnya.

Sore ini adalah kali pertama aku gabung dengan KKIA. Lupa singkatannya apa, tetapi ini adalah perkumpulan orang-orang Katolik dan Protestan Indonesia di Wina. Senangnya... Pas hari ini ekaristi juga. Ya ampun, kuangen bgt deh denger suaranya Romo baca dialog2nya ekaristi, dan kita jawab2 juga dlm bhs Indo.hihihi...

Pesertanya: ya jelas org Indo. Kita yg Katolik n Protestan jadi satu di misa itu. Setelah itu? makan2 =) Menunya? Rawon, telur, cah tahu dan buncis, sambal, krupuk, dan tidak ketinggalan: nasi. Wah, puas deh =)

Setelah itu? Mereka pada latihan nyanyi buat perayaan Natal. Well, lagu pertama keren sih. Ada suara 1, 2, 3, dan 4. Lagu keduanya aga2 kacau. Cuman ya semoga ntar lebih baik lagi lah. Yg paling aku suka lagu ke-3 dan lagu ke-4. Yg lagu ke-3 itu "Go Tell It on the Mountain". Trus yg ke-4:
S'lamat S'lamat Datang.
Seneng banget rasanya mendengar dua lagu itu =)

Hmm... kayanya semangat natal klo gini udh terasa deh. Paling ga di sekitarku.hihihi...

BBBBounce....

2010-11-01T14:20:00.000+01:00

Do you know what the title is all about?
Yeah, that was the first song of one of the Bon Jovi's album. Well, from the album "Bounce".

It's still not change. Back to when I was a high school student, I like to solve my Physics (as "Fisika" in Indonesian) problem with Bon Jovi's song running through my ear. Not many of you know that I was crazy about Physics during my high school period. I like to solve Physics problem from high school level until undergraduate level which is required if I would like to participate in some Physics contest (and I won some of those!). The songs of Bon Jovi from the album "Bounce" and "Crush" somehow pumped the blood in my vessel to solve the problem (find the solution) faster, faster, and faster.

It's also the case with my recent work. Everything. From lecture assignment, small project (big project? I will have done that soon), writing a paper, read something "stupid" (no, it's "difficult" actually) and do some programming tasks. From many of them, "Bounce" and "Everyday" are my favorite. Never tired of them.

Today? I started to write this with "Bounce" and "Everyday" came from my laptop, through my headphone to my ear (and then to my brain?)

Have a nice day, guys!

Religious?

2010-10-17T16:10:00.001+02:00

Sorry friends, this one is in Indonesian:

Kali ini pengen nulis pake bhs Indo, deh. Semoga kali ini obrolannya rada ringan, dan pendek!

Well, selama aku di europe ini, satu yg paling menonjol bedanya dibanding Indonesia: Agama! Yup, hampir pasti kalo kita ngisi formulir pendaftaran, KTP, ato apapun pasti isian ini umum adanya. Tapi kalo di europe, enggak sama sekali. Mereka hampir pasti ga peduli kmu mau agama apa, ato bahkan ga punya agama.

Kemudian, apakah itu menunjukkan org europe rata2 tidak baik? Tidak juga. Kebanyakan teman2 di sini juga pada ga punya agama (mereka lebih suka menyebutnya sebagai "tidak religius", dan yg beragama, dan mempraktekkannya sebagai "yang religius") dan pada dasarnya mereka juga org baik2. Klo dilihat juga di negara kita, krn semua beragama, jadi penjahat2 itu beragama juga donk. Nah, dlm hal ini yg jahat yg beragama.hihihi...

Gmn dgn toleransi? Well, ini yg ada dihadapanku sampai tadi malam. Aku dinner ama dua org tmnku. Salah seorang temanku (katakanlah si A) dilahirkan di keluarga yang dari pihak Ibunya, Katolik, dari pihak Ayahnya Islam. Kemudian (ini rasanya krn kurang kentalnya suasana keagamaan di rumah) dia tidak memilih masuk Katolik atau Islam, simply krn dia tidak mau mengecewakan salah satu di antara mereka (terakhir dia mengatakan kalau dia malah lebih tertarik ke Buddhis.hihihi... dasar). Temen yg satu lagi (katakanlah si B), dia ngakunya Katolik (klo ditanya) tapi dia ga mempraktekkan agamanya. Cuman mereka dua perfectly understand, kalo ada org yg beragama atopun yg ga beragama.

Satu cerita lagi, tmnku si A tadi sempat mengalami saat2 ditanya ama Ibunya ex-bf-nya "Agamamu apa?" (si A tau klo nih keluarga, adalah keluarga Protestan). Well, gmn si A mau menjelaskan semuanya? Bingung deh dia. Padahal si Ibu ini begitu baiknya sama si A, sampai pertanyaan ini keluar. Padalah juga sih klo si Ibu misalkan mengajak si A ke gereja, ya dia fine2 aja. Dia totally respectful sama si Ibu ini.

Oke, conclusion. Hidup di antara tmn2 yg beragama dan tidak beragama, dapat memberikan perspektif yg lain kepada kita. Hidup lama di Indo (yg agama adalah hal yg umum) bisa membuat kita berpikiran sempit ttg org yg tidak punya agama loh. Well, kenyataannya, terkadang org yg tidak beragama bisa lebih toleran, respectful, tidak membeda-bedakan, fair, care daripada org yg beragama. Aku selalu berpikir, misalkan aku tidak dibesarkan di Indo, tapi di Eropa, apa ya aku ini jadi org yg beragama. Lalu klo tmnku (yg tdk beragama) itu lahir di Indo, bukan di Eropa, apa ya dia bakalan tidak "tidak beragama"? Well, what about you guys?

Anyway, tetap bersyukur setiap hari atas apa yg telah terjadi dlm diri kita (termasuk buat aku: lahir di Indo.hihihi..) dan menatap hari esok dgn penuh harapan (krn untuk kita hidup setiap hari). Amin.

My first Erasmus experience in Vienna

2010-10-10T18:55:00.002+02:00

Well, what can I say. Vienna is located roughly in the center of Europe. With its high quality education and interesting city, there are a big number of exchange students here. Erasmus Student Network, or ESN, or Erasmus for short, is the organization that held many activities for these exchange students, from introductory activities, trip to ... (somewhere), dancing, DVD night, sport, party, and any other activities that could attract students' interests.

To make the story short, this was my first Erasmus experience in Europe. Well, that's basically because I didn't join any Erasmus activities in Dresden.

The first event for the newcomers called "First Contact" was held in the main entrance of the main library (???). No, no, no, I'm just kidding. That's just the meeting point. Actually, I imagine when I get there, there will be a lot of students already. But then, when I came there at 6pm (that's on-time), I didn't see any group of students near library. But then it turned out that many of them are late. Well, I guessed I forgot the fact that they come from many different countries, not only Austria or Germany (because usually German people come several minutes before or at least on-time).

Then from the library, we move to Nelson Bar. We sit, chat, and get to know each other there. It's nice. In my table, there are students from Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Germany, Indonesia (me), Vietnam (Kien, another friend of mine from EMCL). Well it's like Balkan and Asia =). Moreover, I thought, all of the students there are come from Europe, except me and Kien.

Fun conversation continue. It's interesting to talk to people from areas that are completely different from your origin. Even you can make a joke from the way you spell your friends' name! Most of them came to Vienna to study for 1 or 2 semesters (of course, they are "exchange").

Somehow I found this ESN and the Buddynetwork of TU Wien (TU Wien = TU Vienna, the place where I study right now, Buddynetwork is the student organization in TU Wien that handle all ESN activities (plus their own activities) in TU Wien) so eager to held events for the newcomers. This week, on Monday, they have "First Contact". Tuesday, they have "Welcome Evening". Thursday, they have "Welcome Party". Well it sounds funny for me right now, because the name of the activities are not different at all.

And then, yeah, you can guess, from that events, our network (as the new (exchange) students) grew rapidly. Once, one of our friend have a plan to go for a picnic to a place called "am Himmel" (it's so funny when you put it together in the email "Picnic am Himmel", it means picnic in the sky! The place was amazing btw). She started send an email to several friends on 1:42am, and the picnic supposed to start on 12am on the same day! First of course that you do not expect that a lot of friends will show up. Yeah, may be around 10 students is okay. But then, it turned out that more than 20 students participate in this picnic. Well, that's amazing.