It has been 7 long months since my last post in this blog. Lots of things happened have come and gone undocumented . My passion on Asia never dies, really, however it turned out to be quite a hassle to maintain 2 blogs. So I learned my mistakes, and hopefully this time I could stick here some more time and post more thoughts.

Oh, I visited some countries in Southeast Asia this year and the trips were all fun. Here’s a sneak peak of my latest travel to Genting Highlands, Malaysia.

Colorful First World Hotel building, Genting Highlands, one of the most famous icons of Genting.

Apart from Malaysia, I was fortunate enough to visit Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam during a backpacking trip. I was supposed to document everything and post my thoughts on the countries I visited, but I am sorry to say I failed miserably. Well, there is always room to come back to revive this blog again. More posts coming soon. Meanwhile, enjoy a video of my last trip to Malaysia, sponsored by Resorts World Genting and facilitated by IDBlogNetwork.

In his lecture, Cameron began by praising Indonesia for becoming a model democracy among the Muslim world. Then he proceeded to highlight the alarming development as a result of the Arab Spring movement where some hardline Islamist movement rose to legislative seats in Egypt and now puts the country’s fate into an uncertain future. Yet when looking at Indonesia, Cameron continuously showered praises to the leadership of the Indonesian president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his predecessors of successfully transforming Indonesia to a stable democracy in over a decade; a quest which took Britain over seven centuries to do. Occasionally stressing his point in a good Indonesian pronunciation, “Indonesia Mampu Memimpin Dunia” (Indonesia is capable of leading the world), he hailed the corruption eradication efforts while at the same time challenging Indonesia to prevent further ‘corrosive action’ to the nation’s development.

source: jaringnews.com

Some of his remarks may be debatable and proved too good to be true, as The Guardian wrote in its column with a balanced sense of optimism and critics toward Indonesia; something I can honestly admit. The Indonesian viewers who watched the telecast offered mixed reviews of Cameron’s tale-like elaboration compared with the reality. Contrary to Cameron’s direct approach when his policies are questioned, our leader tends to be silent and let his ministers do the dirty work while posing himself as a victim of political maneuvers by his coalition members. We may have arrived in a democracy era, but such ‘ideal’ condition for the development is yet to mature at all levels of the administration. The feudal nature of the system allows leaders to enjoy special ‘worship’ from the subordinates and almost all of their policies are non-negotiable and untested.

It was also the first time for me to watch Cameron’s speech. I could see that he was very confident when delivering the lecture and yet not too aggressive that would raise people’s eyebrows. The way he structured his sentences, maintained good pose and direct gaze at the audience, and marked stresses in key points as a speaker impressed me the most. Not to be compared with Obama’s powerful and moving speech, but Cameron’s style was friendly in a sense that the audience could really sit and ponder his thoughts on a particular subject. How I wish my president was like him

Anyway here is a video of David Cameron’s public lecture in Jakarta on Thursday (14/Apr). Please let me know what you think.

1. Battery Life

GSM Arena puts the battery life up to 335 hours (3G). In reality? Between 36-48 hours. I only used it for calling a friend once and have been exploring the features ever since. I’m guessing the battery life is shorter because of the running applications at the background, but it’s still satisfactory because you can charge it every night and not having to worry about low battery life during your daily activities. But this can be a problem if you travel to remote areas where electricity is not always available. Nevertheless, I’m impressed.

2. Nokia Music

Smooth, very smooth. I transferred an entire album of Michael Buble and am impressed with the sound quality coming from the loudspeaker and earpiece. But I noticed that this phone doesn’t have a built-in FM Radio feature. Having a Mix Radio feature is nice but it involves a massive transfer of data that could cost you a lot — something that Nokia is kind enough to warn and suggests us to connect to Wi-Fi instead in order to use this feature. Fortunately I found a Radio Preset application at the Marketplace so listening to my favorite stations is not a problem. But the reception quality is a bit noisy.

source: www.windows-phone-review.com

3. Starter applications

Let’s see what I’ve downloaded so far from the Marketplace. Twitter; absolutely a fantastic addition to the ‘People’ feature. Foursquare; nice interface and surprisingly accurate — helped me a lot to reclaim 2 mayorships (Wohooo!). Facebook; a must for everyone and I’m very happy to have it although don’t use it much.

What I wish Nokia would have: WordPress and Tumblr. I’m a blogger and I love updating my blogs from a device; especially during traveling when I don’t have time to write but love sharing some pictures. So far I only found WordPress Comments Manager application but that is not enough.

By the way here is another shot with Nokia Lumia 800 that I took at a friend’s birthday party using Night Scene feature:

Happy Birthday Mbak Rika ^^

More reviews coming soon.

I told you that I am not a gadget freak and would limit my interests to a few basic features. They are: camera, browser, social network applications, and the map. Here’s a quick review of what I have found:

1. Camera & Touch Screen

I fell in love with the ClearBlack AMOLED 3.7″ screen that beautifully matches the rest of the body, making it look smooth and elegant. The response when touched is amazing, key menus can be opened with a light touch and the screen quickly displays new functions. A friend of mine commented that the transition between menus is smooth; something that I overlooked before. But what probably attracts me the most is the 8 MP camera with Carl Zeiss lens which enables the user to take pictures with a quick touch and instantly shares them with the rest of the world. Here are some pictures that I took when attending a function with the Mayor of Depok City last weekend:

Heavy traffic jam in Depok, Indonesia (taken with Nokia Lumia 800)

Tried the portrait orientation but the camera lost its auto focus (Nokia Lumia 800)

Back to landscape and the auto focus worked well. Let's stick with this one for a while (Nokia Lumia 800)

Indoor shot. Looks clean (Nokia Lumia 800)

Deep discussion session with the mayor (taken with Nokia Lumia 800)

You may say that the image resolution is standard. It is no surprise since DSLR or digital cameras generally have better resolution and more features. However compared to other phones with the camera features, I must say it is exciting to capture images with Nokia Lumia 800. The object looks clean and the capturing process takes faster than the blink of the eye; enabling us to quickly capture interesting moments. But I had a slight problem when trying to capture images with portrait orientation — the camera seemed difficult to adjust the auto focus and I always lost it even after 4-5 times trial. In the end I just gave up and stuck to landscape. Maybe this is something that I need to consult the manual later.

What I haven’t done with the camera is taking pictures of nature and night shots. I shall try the latter when attending a birthday party tonight.

2. Browser

I never liked the Internet Explorer; but that changed when I experienced the smooth and fast performance of the browser in the Nokia Lumia 800. My favorite websites opened less than a second and I am amazed with the stable connectivity this phone has to offer. Even Youtube streaming was flawless; something rare in the place where the internet connection is still developing.

Cool browser (Nokia Lumia 800) - source: europe.nokia.com

3. Email & Social network applications

I started with the basics: Email, Twitter, Foursquare, and WhatsApp (the latter is to keep in touch with ‘that gadget’s’ fanatics). The email works fine and I love how it looks on the phone although sending a message can be a hassle since I am not used to texting with the touch screen keyboard. It took me a while to configure the Twitter application because I couldn’t respond to tweets and mentions using the standard Twitter application in <People> menu. I finally downloaded the application from the Marketplace (free of course) and am overall satisfied. The timeline responds quickly and the stream runs almost real-time. WhatsApp is also nice, although there is nothing much you can do with this application except texting.

But Foursquare scores high; supported with GPS facility, Nokia and Foursquare allows me to pinpoint my current location in a flash and identify the surrounding locations accurately. Never again I would be biting my fingers while awaiting for Foursquare to process and checkins can be now be done in less than 5 seconds. Now that I have a high advantage, it’s time to reclaim all those lost mayorships!

Foursquare in Nokia Lumia 800 - source: nokiadistrict.com

4. Nokia Map

I am so grateful for the powerful GPS that is embedded in this phone; locating where I am would be quick and accurate with the Nokia Map.  I had no problem downloading the map of Indonesia, although the coverage of the map in rural areas of the country remains to be seen as I am still planning to travel in coming months. But so far the map works perfectly well and I am assured that getting lost would be the last thing to happen when I roam the streets and kampongs of Jakarta.

***

Many things have been done with this cool phone in the past week, yet I am still not over with it. The music player has not been touched and I look forward to try it out. I also need to check out other cool applications from the Marketplace to really maximize the Nokia Lumia 800 experience. Will be posting more updates and reviews soon, so please come back.

I did a small research over the internet and found out that Nokia Lumia 800 was first unveiled to the world during the Nokia World 2011 last October. It is Nokia’s first Windows Phone OS device and is dubbed ‘Sea Ray’. Just a few weeks after its release, Lumia 800 already got some positive reviews, most notably from What Mobile magazine who gave a 5/5 rate. The magazine even said that it is enough to worry rivals and make iPhone fans jealous! (check out Wikipedia for an overview).

But set aside those positive reviews for a while. What I’m really looking for in a phone is its good quality camera. And I wasn’t disappointed to read that Lumia 800 has been equipped with a Carl Zeiss optics 8 MP camera, plus a series of cool applications to share images to the world and stay updated. Here’s a picture of the Lumia when it arrived:

Nokia Lumia 800 sales package (taken by another device)

Don’t you think the image looks gloomy?! Well, I don’t blame you. The Lumia looked gloomy because it was taken by another gadget that prides itself a ‘smartphone’ but in fact the performance is a total disappointment. But let’s see the world through Nokia Lumia 800 and I’m sure you’ll find a difference.

Here’s my plan with the Lumia:

• Attending a community event this weekend and interviewing some people using the camera and recorder features.
• Testing the internet reception signals and stability from various points around Jakarta.
• Maximizing the Office application to do some remote jobs.
• Listening to Adele!
• Sharing pictures and videos through social networks.
• Checking out what’s hot in Marketplace.

And I’m open to any suggestion. Invite me over to your parties and I’ll bring along the Lumia to show (and brag) it to the iPhone and BlackBerry users. Will be updating more stories in a few days so please keep an eye on this blog.

For decades after Indonesia gained independence on August 17, 1945, the country has been using 3 time zones, GMT+7, +8, and +9 and are named Western, Central, and Eastern Indonesia Times respectively. Modifying the time zones is not something new; the latest one was in 1987 when Bali was moved from GMT+7 to GMT+8 to persuade tourists to spend one more day in the island. Prior to independence, Indonesia used 6 time zones during the Dutch era and a single time zone was implemented at GMT+9 during the World War 2 to conform with Tokyo. Since then, time zone changes were regulated mainly for economic reasons and the current plan is no exception. “Turning the country into a single time zone would lead to savings and better economic productivity,” Indonesian Economic Development Committee’s (KP3EI) spokesman Edib Muslim said and quoted by The Jakarta Globe. By conforming with its powerful Asian neighbors, Indonesia hopes to gain economic benefits because it would be in the same pace and trade time with key trading partners such as Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. A single time zone would also eliminate economic boundaries between western Indonesia and its eastern brothers & sisters as it would expand the trading time during the day.

Indonesia's current 3 time zones (source: tempointeraktif.com)

But this move, said to be implemented on August 17, 2012, and so far yields no negative response from government institutions, is met by harsh criticisms by the people especially social media users. One twitter user commented that all the government thinks is money and that the time zone change does not include the social cost element into the picture. As Andreas Harsono mentioned in one of his tweets, “the social cost of using a single time zone is about the use of electricity, business hours, resting hours, etc. It is equally important if we want to change it.” There is another concern whether Indonesian muslims could be affected by this new policy, although the Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali assures that muslims may change their habits with little problem as they measure the time for prayers according to the movement of the sun; not by time zones.

I myself have been used to seeing the sun rises at 6 AM and sets at 6 PM during my entire life and I imagined it would be awkward to see it rises at 7 AM. Plus this change means that I actually have to get up one hour earlier to do my activities.

The plan is currently under careful investigation and simulation by government institutions before a presidential decree could be issued. However so far the date for change has been set on our next Independence Day and the effects on our daily lives remain to be seen.

source: americanidol.com

Meet HeeJun Han, an American of Korean descent who made it up to the Top 13 with his melting voice. Serving as a Non-Profit Organizer as a way of giving back to the community does not deter him from developing his skills as a passionate singer. He came to the audition with a soothing rendition of ‘How Am I Supposed to Live Without You’ by Michael Bolton and made his way up quite smoothly even though he does not pose the strongest voice. His voice may not be perfect, but with a colorful tone and a funny personality, HeeJun is sure to win many hearts, and votes, of the American audience. It is so exciting to see how far he can go in this competition.

So once again, who says that Asians cannot sing?!!!

Watch his latest performance and please leave your comments.

And so Stevie Wonder became the most exciting highlight of the 3-day event last night singing his special hits “How Sweet It Is (to be Loved by You)”, “Overjoyed”, and “You and I”. Scores of the audience had lined up hours prior to concert and waited for about an hour inside the hall awaiting their star. But all of those were paid off with a fantastic performance.

Stevie Wonder in Java Jazz Festival 2012 (source: pikiran-rakyat.com)

About Java Jazz Festival 2012

JJF 2012 is the eighth annual jazz festival that is held every March in Jakarta, Indonesia. Aimed to “bring the world to Indonesia”, JJF draws numerous international artists and showcases the talent of the Indonesian jazz artists during a three-day event that has become one of the largest jazz festivals in the world; having attracted 150,000 audiences last year alone. This year’s highlight includes Dave Kozz, Al Jerrau, Laura Fygi, The Manhattan Transfer, Herbie Hancock, Depapepe, and Stevie Wonder. Meanwhile the local talent includes Abdul & The Coffee Theory, Dira Sugandi, Dewa Budjana, and a special tribute to Bubi Chen. With a solid local-based audience and scores of dedicated fans flying in from neighbouring countries, Java Jazz Festival is the place where jazz finds home.

Dave Koz jamming with street performers (source: giewahyudi.com)

Depapepe (source: giewahyudi.com)

Aiko, the daughter of Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako was born in Tokyo. Aiko holds an imperial title of Princess Toshi which would be relinquished if she later marries a commoner. Under the Imperial Household Law of Japan 1947, Aiko may not ascend to the Chrysanthemum throne which is strictly reserved to the male descendants of the Emperor despite being the first born and only child of the Crown Prince.

November 15, 2005

Sayako, also known as Princess Nori, married a commoner, Yoshiki Kuroda of Tokyo. Under the same law that governs the rest of the female members of the imperial family, the only daughter of Emperor Akihito had to surrender her imperial rights and titles upon marrying the urban designer.

Does the issue sound intriguing for you?

You’re not alone. The debate whether a female member of the family should be allowed to ascend to the Chrysanthemum throne has been going on for years. During a hearing in front of a government panel in Tokyo yesterday (29/Feb), journalist Soichiro Tahara and Akira Imatani, a Teikyo University professor in medieval Japanese history, recommended the government panel to allow female members of the Imperial Family to retain their royal status after marriage although they marry commoner husbands. As quoted from The Japan Times, Tahara stated that times have changed and Japan has become a society that promotes gender equality. Such discussion resurfaced amid public concern that the number of the imperial family members is shrinking with males being outnumbered by females.

source: yeinjee.com

The journalist and the scholar promoted the imperial status to the female member even after their marriage to commoner husbands but also suggested to limit the roles and functions of the husbands. The overall purpose of this suggestion is to ensure the sustainability of the family and to create female branches of the imperial lines. This policy, if adopted in the future, would greatly benefit Sayako Kuroda as it would open ways for her to get her imperial titles and rights reinstated.

However when asked whether the descendants of the maternal lineage would be allowed to ascend to the throne, the two experts had a completely different view. “Japan has a history of female emperors, but traditionally the emperor system has never had heirs from a maternal lineage,” Tahara said in a statement. It was also unclear whether Princess Toshi’s possibility to become Empress was discussed, but the government panel will continue to have hearings on this matter from various experts with the Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimora signaled that such discussion would not continue forever. This shows that the authorities and policy makers are open to discussions on this issue although yet to adopt a more liberal approach.

However there is one issue that remains closed to any query; that is the possibility for the imperial family to marry foreigners. Never before in Japanese history that any member of the imperial family had the luxury of marrying foreigners and such intermarriage practice is still unthinkable. It remains unlikely that we will see some change in the future for this particular interest.

For me, it raises a key point that is unique to the Japanese: they are ready to embrace the transformation of the world as a modern society while at the same time retaining some of their cultural and historical aspects. Such cautious approach may be unthinkable to foreigners and one has to immerse him/herself in order to fully understand the puritan mindset of the Japanese people.

source: United Nations Photo

It is also important to note that this is the third democratic election in this one of the poorest countries in Asia and shows a strong democratic consolidation among the people and their representatives at the government / parliament. Ramos Horta is no doubt the most popular candidate for such position, considering his international fame and heroic diplomatic approaches in the past but people are also considering who would be the black horse challenger. I guess it’s gonna be anyone’s game. Will be updating more on this until after the election, especially since there is a good possibility that the second round will be held if no significant majority is attained during the first one.

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