Just learned from Life Rocks 2.0 that you can blog from within MS Word. This is a short post using the said method. Nice!
Don't know how to include the tags (the Insert Category button is grayed-out… well maybe soon I'll find out.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Blogging from MS Word 2007
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Letter Shaped Buildings on Google Map
Introducing geoGreeting.
What this website does is allows you to type greetings and see them transformed into letter-shaped building with images from Google Map. See a screenshot of my nickname above.
You can send the greetings by E-card or send an email with the link generated.
What this website does is allows you to type greetings and see them transformed into letter-shaped building with images from Google Map. See a screenshot of my nickname above.
You can send the greetings by E-card or send an email with the link generated.
My Humanitarian Work...A Reflection
[Update] This post won the 3rd price in the World Vision Blog Action Day Competition. Thanks...http://learnaboutpoverty.org/]
[Update 2] Here is the link: http://learnaboutpoverty.org/2008/10/22/winners-learn-about-poverty-blog-action-day-competition/
I don't know about you but there is a different sensation when duty calls you to work in emergency situation post disasters man-made or natural. And wow...Indonesia has many of those disasters.
Post referendum violence in East Timor, Indonesia led to large exodus of East Timorese to West Timor. I have just graduated from my bachelor studies and joined OXFAM GB on a water project in a resettlement village.
Then came the bad news no one wanted to hear. Several UN staff were killed by angry mob of thousands in Atambua, Indonesia. All humanitarian organisation left the area as UN slapped the highest security level - Level 5 on the whole West Timor area. Fortunately after a few years later most NGOs returned. The UN however had a limited presence due to the Security Level restrictions. This is when I joined UN OCHA that facilitates coordination of humanitarian activities.
As a junior staff I went to natural disaster emergencies such as Alor Earthquake and Eruption of Mt. Egon in Flores. But the most shocking event that affected the whole nation and the world was coming soon. It was the Asian Tsunami Disaster on Boxing Day 2004. My experience in Aceh will be the theme of this post.
A couple of days after the large earthquake that led to the tsunami on Boxing Day 04, I received a call from the UN OCHA Chief of Staff in Jakarta requesting my support in Aceh. As a junior staff, it was a dream call plus the opportunity to help others in need during emergency...The adrenalin rush!
I arrived in Aceh on 6 January 2005, almost 2 weeks after the disaster. My main task was to support the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), usually the first UN team on the ground for any emergency. Our line of work is coordination. Although still could be considered a junior staff in the UN system, because I was the longest serving Indonesian field staff working with UNDAC I was considered as senior by my work colleagues. Another great thing was that I worked with some of the best UN staff from all over the world. How about working hours? 07:oo AM - 11:00 PM for 2 months....Crazy isn't it? But it felt good working under pressure. My main task was coordination with Indonesian Government and help establish the humanitarian air service -originally called UN-Joint Logistics Centre (JLC) and later UN-Humanitarian Air Service (HAS). I got to see and experience rides on different helicopters and planes.
And when you think the emergency phase is over and you can relax......boom in March a big earthquake shook Nias and Simeulue Islands. I am off to Simeulue to support the coordination activities and from what was originally a 1 week deployment turned into a total of 3 months posting. Living in tents once again together with survivors of the earthquake was nothing new.
After returning to Banda Aceh we hear the news about the appointment of Bill Clinton as the UN special envoy for tsunami recovery. He visited Aceh 4 times, 3 of them with the capacity as special envoy. I didn't realise preparing for his visit was a big job, a month of preparation for a half day visit.
By 2006 there was an opportunity to have a post with more responsibility in a small city called Calang. It was completely devastated during the tsunami and only 2 buildings were left standing. It turned out to be my most memorable moments in Aceh. I was trusted to become the head of the field office leading a small team of enthusiastic staff and to be trusted as the UN Deputy Area Security Coordinator for the Calang area (unofficially - mentioned in the UN Security Plan but no official appointment from the UN Country Representative) was a big deal for me.
After 2.5 years in Aceh, I decided it was time for me to leave...Fortunately a study opportunity arise with a scholarship from AusAID and here I am in Sydney.
BUT...when you thought there was no more emergency...one came up in the form of flooding in Aceh Tamiang. It happened during the Christmas holiday period. I was called up by the UN Coordinator to support as the Logistics Manager (where are all those fine UN WFP staff when you need them?) So as some people celebrated the Christmas Day....I was on a helicopter with a couple of tonnes of food supplies for the affected area. After a month in the disaster area it was time for me to leave as more staff have returned from their Christmas and New Year break.
I flew out of Aceh with great memories and experience. I enjoyed the adrenalin rush working in emergencies. Some people call us "disaster junkies" and there's even a Facebook Group. I will certainly do this type of work again in the future...
OK enough reflection....back to uni study.....
Post referendum violence in East Timor, Indonesia led to large exodus of East Timorese to West Timor. I have just graduated from my bachelor studies and joined OXFAM GB on a water project in a resettlement village.
Then came the bad news no one wanted to hear. Several UN staff were killed by angry mob of thousands in Atambua, Indonesia. All humanitarian organisation left the area as UN slapped the highest security level - Level 5 on the whole West Timor area. Fortunately after a few years later most NGOs returned. The UN however had a limited presence due to the Security Level restrictions. This is when I joined UN OCHA that facilitates coordination of humanitarian activities.
As a junior staff I went to natural disaster emergencies such as Alor Earthquake and Eruption of Mt. Egon in Flores. But the most shocking event that affected the whole nation and the world was coming soon. It was the Asian Tsunami Disaster on Boxing Day 2004. My experience in Aceh will be the theme of this post.
A couple of days after the large earthquake that led to the tsunami on Boxing Day 04, I received a call from the UN OCHA Chief of Staff in Jakarta requesting my support in Aceh. As a junior staff, it was a dream call plus the opportunity to help others in need during emergency...The adrenalin rush!
I arrived in Aceh on 6 January 2005, almost 2 weeks after the disaster. My main task was to support the United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC), usually the first UN team on the ground for any emergency. Our line of work is coordination. Although still could be considered a junior staff in the UN system, because I was the longest serving Indonesian field staff working with UNDAC I was considered as senior by my work colleagues. Another great thing was that I worked with some of the best UN staff from all over the world. How about working hours? 07:oo AM - 11:00 PM for 2 months....Crazy isn't it? But it felt good working under pressure. My main task was coordination with Indonesian Government and help establish the humanitarian air service -originally called UN-Joint Logistics Centre (JLC) and later UN-Humanitarian Air Service (HAS). I got to see and experience rides on different helicopters and planes.
And when you think the emergency phase is over and you can relax......boom in March a big earthquake shook Nias and Simeulue Islands. I am off to Simeulue to support the coordination activities and from what was originally a 1 week deployment turned into a total of 3 months posting. Living in tents once again together with survivors of the earthquake was nothing new.
After returning to Banda Aceh we hear the news about the appointment of Bill Clinton as the UN special envoy for tsunami recovery. He visited Aceh 4 times, 3 of them with the capacity as special envoy. I didn't realise preparing for his visit was a big job, a month of preparation for a half day visit.
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| From My Pictures |
By 2006 there was an opportunity to have a post with more responsibility in a small city called Calang. It was completely devastated during the tsunami and only 2 buildings were left standing. It turned out to be my most memorable moments in Aceh. I was trusted to become the head of the field office leading a small team of enthusiastic staff and to be trusted as the UN Deputy Area Security Coordinator for the Calang area (unofficially - mentioned in the UN Security Plan but no official appointment from the UN Country Representative) was a big deal for me.
After 2.5 years in Aceh, I decided it was time for me to leave...Fortunately a study opportunity arise with a scholarship from AusAID and here I am in Sydney.
BUT...when you thought there was no more emergency...one came up in the form of flooding in Aceh Tamiang. It happened during the Christmas holiday period. I was called up by the UN Coordinator to support as the Logistics Manager (where are all those fine UN WFP staff when you need them?) So as some people celebrated the Christmas Day....I was on a helicopter with a couple of tonnes of food supplies for the affected area. After a month in the disaster area it was time for me to leave as more staff have returned from their Christmas and New Year break.
I flew out of Aceh with great memories and experience. I enjoyed the adrenalin rush working in emergencies. Some people call us "disaster junkies" and there's even a Facebook Group. I will certainly do this type of work again in the future...
OK enough reflection....back to uni study.....
Monday, October 6, 2008
Floriade 2008 Canberra Day Trip
Thank God it's the mid season break and the fasting month has ended for some of my friends. That means it's traveling time. This time is to Canberra...and it was Friday, 3 October 2008.
While the idea behind the trip is to see the Floriade 2008, the largest flower show in the southern hemisphere, but come one....a bunch of guys going to see flowers. Most are in the trip just to get away from Sydney for a day. The girls in the trip were excited and so they should. There were flowers everywhere.
For me it's just about nostalgia. Going back to a city I called home 15 years ago
Arriving in Canberra just in time for Friday prayers for our Moslem friends.
Followed by lunch in Civic. The Civic has changed a lot since the last time I was there...We had locals guiding us...Firman and Zadat????
We went to the Parliament House for photo op. Some friends did the "Jetstar" style photo with yours trully as the photographer. I was using my friend's Nikon D80. Damn...I have to get one of those DSLRs....
After that we went to Mt. Ainslie for a quick look at Canberra from the Lookout. Nice but I was getting windy and cold....so back down to the War Memorial...
Our day in Canberra ended with dinner at a small Turkish restaurant in Yarralumla. After that we went back to Sydney.
At the end of the day, the cost for car rent and fuel is $31/person. Cheaper than by bus...GREAT DEAL!!!
All photos courtesy of Aji, Valen and Adhi
While the idea behind the trip is to see the Floriade 2008, the largest flower show in the southern hemisphere, but come one....a bunch of guys going to see flowers. Most are in the trip just to get away from Sydney for a day. The girls in the trip were excited and so they should. There were flowers everywhere.
 |
| From Canberra Spring 2008 |
For me it's just about nostalgia. Going back to a city I called home 15 years ago
Arriving in Canberra just in time for Friday prayers for our Moslem friends.
 |
| From Canberra Spring 2008 |
Followed by lunch in Civic. The Civic has changed a lot since the last time I was there...We had locals guiding us...Firman and Zadat????
We went to the Parliament House for photo op. Some friends did the "Jetstar" style photo with yours trully as the photographer. I was using my friend's Nikon D80. Damn...I have to get one of those DSLRs....
 |
| From Canberra Spring 2008 |
After that we went to Mt. Ainslie for a quick look at Canberra from the Lookout. Nice but I was getting windy and cold....so back down to the War Memorial...
 |
| From Canberra Spring 2008 |
 |
| From Canberra Spring 2008 |
 |
| From Canberra Spring 2008 |
Our day in Canberra ended with dinner at a small Turkish restaurant in Yarralumla. After that we went back to Sydney.
At the end of the day, the cost for car rent and fuel is $31/person. Cheaper than by bus...GREAT DEAL!!!
All photos courtesy of Aji, Valen and Adhi
Kupang Waypoints/PoIs in Google Map
Just made a small collection of PoI (Points of Intrerest) for Kupang, NTT, Indonesia that can be viewed in Google Map
See the preview below
View Larger Map
The points can be downloaded in KML format and used in Google Earth or your favourite GIS software
See the preview below
View Larger Map
The points can be downloaded in KML format and used in Google Earth or your favourite GIS software
Wordle....Fun with Text
With Wordle you can have fun with text
(disable No Script because it works on JavaScript)
You can see paste a bunch of texts or put you blog and see how it turns out.
The image below is from generated from this blog.
(disable No Script because it works on JavaScript)
You can see paste a bunch of texts or put you blog and see how it turns out.
The image below is from generated from this blog.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
DONCASTER 47 Base Camp...
Thank God for Doncaster 47 Base Camp...
No matter how efficient you thought the arrangements were made between UNSW, AusAID, and "their contractor" ADS in Jakarta, I managed to arrive in Sydney with no place to stay.
In comes the friends from Doncaster 47 Base Camp...(Anton, Irfan, Andika). I was invited to stay there temporarily...I almost overstayed my welcome staying there for a month.
Now the Base Camp has a new interior with a new Base Camp manager, Aji
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| From RANTHERxtra...My Story |
No matter how efficient you thought the arrangements were made between UNSW, AusAID, and "their contractor" ADS in Jakarta, I managed to arrive in Sydney with no place to stay.
In comes the friends from Doncaster 47 Base Camp...(Anton, Irfan, Andika). I was invited to stay there temporarily...I almost overstayed my welcome staying there for a month.
Now the Base Camp has a new interior with a new Base Camp manager, Aji
UNSW AusAID-INDO BBQ Winter 08
Yes....it's that time again when AusAID Scholarship Recipients from Indonesia at UNSW gathers to have a social BBQ. The event is also held to "officially-sort of" welcome new students to UNSW. The date: Saturday, 30 August 2008 and the location: Coogee Beach.
It started well with Valen, Arif, Mike and myself arriving early (around 9 AM) at the beach to reserve the BBQ place for our group. Around 15 minutes later came the Doncaster team: Aji, Adhi, Zahid and Didi (guest from Timor Leste)
Where's the meat???
Silvi, in charge of the meat for BBQ, arrived a bit late so the early arrivals have to settle with crinkle cut french fries reheated on the BBQ thingie....
Photos courtesy of Adhi and Aji (thanks bros)
Fortunately, Silvi arrived soon enough and we had a fun day...
The usual round grass meeting
And the compulsory group photo
Next year I'll be back home so no more BBQ for me...
It started well with Valen, Arif, Mike and myself arriving early (around 9 AM) at the beach to reserve the BBQ place for our group. Around 15 minutes later came the Doncaster team: Aji, Adhi, Zahid and Didi (guest from Timor Leste)
Where's the meat???
Silvi, in charge of the meat for BBQ, arrived a bit late so the early arrivals have to settle with crinkle cut french fries reheated on the BBQ thingie....
Photos courtesy of Adhi and Aji (thanks bros)
 |
| From BBQ Winter 08 - Coogee |
Fortunately, Silvi arrived soon enough and we had a fun day...
 |
| From BBQ Winter 08 - Coogee |
The usual round grass meeting
 |
| From BBQ Winter 08 - Coogee |
And the compulsory group photo
 |
| From BBQ Winter 08 - Coogee |
Next year I'll be back home so no more BBQ for me...
Friday, August 29, 2008
MERDEKA !!!!
Now this should be on 17 August but it has been busy couple of weeks...
Anyway how did you celebrate Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia (our Independence Day)?
Flag raising ceremony? Nice but (no offense)....boring!
Guess what....we went to see the "INDONESIA BISA" concert by Ahmad Dani and his gank (Dewa 19, Dewi-Dewi, The Rock Indonesia, Mulan). And there is Jessica Mauboy (Runner-up of Australian Idol happens to be half Indonesian). The concert was held at the one and only....my university UNSW
Check-out the promo of this concert
Hiduplah INDONESIA RAYA!
Anyway how did you celebrate Hari Kemerdekaan Indonesia (our Independence Day)?
Flag raising ceremony? Nice but (no offense)....boring!
Guess what....we went to see the "INDONESIA BISA" concert by Ahmad Dani and his gank (Dewa 19, Dewi-Dewi, The Rock Indonesia, Mulan). And there is Jessica Mauboy (Runner-up of Australian Idol happens to be half Indonesian). The concert was held at the one and only....my university UNSW
Check-out the promo of this concert
Hiduplah INDONESIA RAYA!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Another Code to Crack
So this is another code that you can crack....Crack this to reveal who I am
01001000 01000101 01001110 01000100 01010010 01001001 01001011 00100000 01010100 01001000 01000101 01010010 01001001 01001011
Good luck!
01001000 01000101 01001110 01000100 01010010 01001001 01001011 00100000 01010100 01001000 01000101 01010010 01001001 01001011
Good luck!
In the spirit of the 2008 Beijing Olympics...
Ni Hao...
Everyone must have enjoyed the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics...I loved it!
I've just found out how my name can be written in Chinese from a uni friend and also from Google Translate. So here it is: 亨德里克 or 亨里克
So what's yours?
Everyone must have enjoyed the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics...I loved it!
I've just found out how my name can be written in Chinese from a uni friend and also from Google Translate. So here it is: 亨德里克 or 亨里克
So what's yours?
Sunday, August 10, 2008
That's Me in QR Code
Have a look at the following image. That's a QR Code that if you can decode will tell you something about me.
What on earth is QR code, I hear you ask? It's a 2 dimensional bar code created by a Japanese corporation. It can be decoded from specially made software. See the explanation in Wikipedia.
So....have you cracked the code? Let me know...
What on earth is QR code, I hear you ask? It's a 2 dimensional bar code created by a Japanese corporation. It can be decoded from specially made software. See the explanation in Wikipedia.
So....have you cracked the code? Let me know...
My university is...
Not that I own it or anything but...UNSW is my current university. By the end of 2008, hopefully you will be looking at a proud owner of a new tail to my name, MEngSc (Master of Engineering Science)...Nice, don't you think so? (ha....ha....ha)
And to be exact, I am in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. (You would hope that the School has a better looking website...oh well...)
Pics of my campus coming up soon...
[Update] Here are some pics of my uni
"Unbreakable" clock
Quad Building
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
And to be exact, I am in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. (You would hope that the School has a better looking website...oh well...)
Pics of my campus coming up soon...
[Update] Here are some pics of my uni
"Unbreakable" clock
Quad Building
School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Find me here...
33°54'15.89"S 151°13'31.01"E
More about me....if you are familiar with maps then you should know what the strange numbers and letters mean. Yes....they are the coordinates to my current geographical address in the world. I've told you that I am in Australia and to be exact in Sydney.
A nice photo by my friend Anton Rahmadi
You can see where I live (my current "geo-address", I made up this word)...
Download Google Earth or use Google Map Australia. But you already know about this right? Use the "geo-address in one of these Google creations. Don't forget to check out the StreetView feature.
Good luck....do you know where I am?
More about me....if you are familiar with maps then you should know what the strange numbers and letters mean. Yes....they are the coordinates to my current geographical address in the world. I've told you that I am in Australia and to be exact in Sydney.
A nice photo by my friend Anton Rahmadi
You can see where I live (my current "geo-address", I made up this word)...
Download Google Earth or use Google Map Australia. But you already know about this right? Use the "geo-address in one of these Google creations. Don't forget to check out the StreetView feature.
Good luck....do you know where I am?
Blogging...What's the point?
Hey...do you have a blog?
A friend asked this question on our way to attend the Indonesia Day Celebration at Paul Keating Park, Bankstown (NSW).
Oh...just in case you haven't noticed, yes....this my first post in this blog. I am Indonesian and currently living in Sydney, Australia.
Back to the question...I have several other blogs but none of them serves like a diary, or something similar. So this blog is (hopefully) a way for my family and friends to keep up with my activities (or lack of sometimes) around the world.
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