Back to work

I just returned from a business trip and started back to work today. It was a short trip, just 3 overnights, but I was surprised how much it wiped me out. I’d really rather not go on, but work is work and it pays the bills.

I’ve been very busy with working out the previous Audit Reports and Management letters. Also I’ve to do some thinking concerning the effectiveness and efficiency of the various industrial and business processes. The aim is a continual process of review and assessment, to verify that the system is working as it’s supposed to, find out where it can improve, and to correct or prevent problems identified.

Finally, I’ve been present at meetings with local colleagues, suppliers and customers and brought it to an end with formal signing of a quality agreement and related documents. All in all, this is keeping me quite busy, so I haven’t been able to blog much…

BizTrip

Travel is one of my favorite things to do, but business travel is in a totally seperate genre and not something that I get real excited about.

Yes, that's right, I'll be away for a few days on business. I should be back early Thursday or next week depending on some work related things.

I won't be completely M.I.A. I've my laptop with me, just might not have a mass of time. I'll try to open my blog in from time to time. Y'all take care....

Tastefully Chinese Breakfast

Breakfast is something we often ignore when talking about cuisine. Want to find out what Chinese people eat for breakfast? Chinese breakfast varies from region to region. Let's begin with the Cantonese-style breakfast Yam Cha, or Dim Sum which are popular in Chinatowns around the world.

Yam Cha, literally, drink tea, is what Guang Dong and Hong Kong people in particular do if they go out for breakfast in the early morning. But if a Cantonese friend invites you out to Yam Cha, allow plenty of time to enjoy it since it’s not to be rushed. Usually, it is a great way to spend a Saturday or Sunday morning.

Dim Sum are little snacks, usually steamed, deep fried, or boiled, and the variety is enormous, hundreds of them, mostly savoury. Like Ha Gao, a steamed wafer-thin rice-flour wrapping filled with baby shrimp or minced shrimp and some minced meat. The skin of rice-flour is so translucent that the ingredients can be clearly seen.

Another thing worth mentioning is that leaves, no matter it's Lotus leaves, banana leaves or maybe some other types, are used to wrap things in and steam or boiled for a very special flavour. A prime expression for it can be found in a kind of steamed fried rice with chicken wrapped in lotus leaf - fresh fragrance of lotus leaf.

Besides, there are also other savoury ones. If you have a sweet tooth, then the water chestnut cake, being one of the most famous, coconut snowballs, and thousand-layer sweet cake with egg topping are your best choices.

In addition to Dim Sum, there’s lots of different types of tea in China - black tea, green tea, oolong tea, chrysanthamum tea, etc, etc, and the green tea with Dim Sum is a wonderful combination to help the digestion.

However, Chinese-styled breakfast is much more than tea and Dim Sum. Noodles seem to be very common breakfast as well. The spicy and delicious noodles are very common breakfast. People in the North eat more wheat - for instance, steamed stuffed buns, deep-fried twisted dough stick, and various other steamed or fried snacks made from wheat flour.

Last but not the least, there is still a kind of typical Chinese food, which are always served at the breakfast table. Zongzi is pyramid-shaped and made of sticky rice wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. Before it can ben eaten, it needs to boiled in water for ages and ages. Zongzi can be both savory and sweet. The sweet ones usually have sweet bean paste stuffing and savory ones usually have ham or pork with chestnut and sometimes Chinese mushrooms and egg yolk.

As for Chinese breakfast, almost everything is cooked, and also hot. Usually, milk is boiled for drinking in the morning and everything is reheated in the microwaves before they are served as breakfast.

Source: Chinese Imperial Cuisines (China.org.cn), Yum Cha Restaurant Pte Ltd, Singapore

Never underestimate the art of packing

On top of jet lag, 10.000 miles away from home, first-rate hotel room and the thought of 24 meetings in five days, you don’t find where your underwear and socks are!

That’s why packing should be your number one priority. When your mind is at ease, and you've packed all the things you need, your entire trip will go a lot more smoothly. Think of the relief you'll feel knowing all you need to do is unzip the bag and lift out your clothes. Whoever said you can’t mix business with pleasure? Learn to pack right and packing for a business trip will become one of life’s little pleasures.

Prepare yourself. Little details such as where you’re going and how long you’ll be there.

Check the weather before you go. Play it safe, take an umbrella wherever you go for a start, unless it has never, ever rained where you’re going. Always bring a sweater or sweatshirt even if you’ll be in Asia.

Pack that casual wear. You may argue that the entire trip is work-related, but you never know when you’ll find a spare hour or two or may’be the weekend.

Make an itinerary of everything you’ll be doing. It’s important to know exactly what your schedule is and anticipate the type of atmosphere you’ll be in.

Make a list. You might think that lists are unnecessary. But what happens when you leave something behind? Make life easy for yourself. Spend a few minutes thinking about all the things you need on a daily basis.

Raid the closet. Coordinate your outfits, clothing essentials and optionals. Choose suits or outfits that can be used with one pair of shoes. Choose exactly what you’d like to wear each day and write it down.

Take a check. The flight tickets; credit cards, including frequent flyer cards; passport; money; the laptop, plug and adapters and other essentials accessories.

Secure yourself. As a business person you’re a prime target for criminals, so don’t spotlight yourself any more than necessary.

If you’re traveling straight to your hotel room after the flight, consider wearing casual clothing during the flight, such as jeans and a sweater instead of business wear. However, if you packed your suit inside a checked bag, you may want to wear another suit anyway. Not having a suit to wear to a business meeting could be disastrous.

At least, don’t leave the actual packing for the morning of your flight. Pack the night before so you’ll know whether everything fits in the bag. You should lift your bag or bags to determine if they’re light enough for you to carry. Life will be easier when you can pick up your bags and walk out and hail a cab without any assistance. If you’re expected to immediately meet with a client or go to a meeting, you’ll find it especially helpful to have an unobtrusive, lightweight bag that you can shove easily into a corner…

Summer Event Clothing

A good look for a man for a summer event is a white silk shirt, white trousers and beige shoes. And for a woman, take a gypsy skirt and pair it with a structured shirt and beige shoes for a unique look, but don’t follow a trend to closely.

Some rules you would do well to observe:
- Avoid patterned or dark underwear under white linnen.
- Never wear black shoes with all white.
- Accessories can say more about you than the outfit; check shoes, glasses, bag and watch.

Source: Miu Miu - D & G - Gucci - Richmond - Versace - Prada

Dutch Taxes

It’s not a 1 April fool but it’s time again for me to have my taxes sorted out before the first of April to The ‘Belastingdienst’ (Dutch Tax Collector).

It's nice to live in a country that actually gives some of the money it collects in taxes back to the population. Like any normal country a lot of this money goes to normal things like infrastructure and defense but unlike many other countries a large amount goes into the Health Care System, Education, Environment and Social Benefits. It shouldn't therefor come as a surprise that the Dutch Health Care System is one of the best in the world. Accessible for everyone and affordable. Education can be had by all till the age of 15 (by law you have to be in school till that age) and those who want to go on, to for instance University, can do so at a reasonable costs. Costs you should easily be able to compensate when joining the workforce a few years later. And for those unemployed or unable to work we have some of the highest Social Benefits.

On the other hand, the Dutch Government certainly do know how to collect their forms of tax here; For example:

· BTW (Belasting Toegevoegde Waarde), the Dutch VAT, with the exception of food and medication which is 6%. With the exception of potable water which is 19% again. Known in the UK and most other (former) commonwealth countries as VAT and called sales tax in the US and Canada.
· BPM (Belasting op Personenauto’s en Motorrijwielen), that clocks in at a staggering 45.2%. There are slightly different formulas for petrol and diesel engines, but what it amounts to is that between 56.5% and 65.8% of the price is tax.
· Motorrijtuigenbelasting, the tax on passenger vechicles and motorbikes. The amount you pay depends on, whether you have a diesel, petrol or LPG vehicle, and the weight of the vehicle.
· Assurantiebelasting, car insurance premium tax at 7%.
· Overdrachtbelasting, if you buy a house, you have to pay a transfer tax at 6%. If it were newly built, you have to pay BTW at 19%.
· Onroerende-zaakbelasting, property tax that is broken down into two parts. The owner’s part (is the owner of the property) and the user’s part (is the person who lives there). If the owner and the user are the same person, that person is responsible for paying both parts.
· Eigenwoningforfait, is a tax on living enjoyment based on the assumption that you will derive pleasure from living in property that you own.
· Succession tax, should you inherit money, a major chunk goes right into taxes. The testator has already paid income tax and everything else on it while (s)he was alive, but now that the money changes hand, the revenue service makes off with another part of it, for no apparent reason.
· Dog tax, if you own a dog, you pay tax. For no apparent reason, as the dog has no income of its own.

There are also communal taxes, which are calculated and applied locally. You pay environmental tax to cover the costs of sewage treatment and waste disposal, except that in some cities you again have to pay separate waste disposal rates on top of that.

Then there are special duties. Some goods (especially fuels and alcohol) carry a special duty that can amount to 50% or more. Ostensibly these duties are intended to discourage the product from being overused. Heavy taxes at the gas station and at the liquor store will help conserve energy and fight alcohol addiction, or so we are told. And the beauty of it is that BTW (VAT, sales tax, what have you) is paid over these special duties as well. So we're paying tax over the taxes we pay.

And, while reading the text and complaints, please do remember that The Netherlands is one of richest countries in the world, that the Dutch - after Sweden - pay the highest taxes in the world and the fact that the government here levies taxes hardly makes it unique…

Rules to be relaxed on RI citizenship

The House of Representatives and the government have agreed to ease procedures for people from other countries in acquiring Indonesian citizenship or permanent resident status.

The decision was made during the deliberation of the citizenship bill recently, legislator Boy. W. Saul of the Democrat Party said Friday.

"Basically, we agreed to ease the procedures for foreigners, who believe they are entitled to Indonesian citizenship or permanent resident status," he told reporters.

The move is expected to boost foreign investment to Indonesia, the legislator said.

Legislator Bomer Pasaribu of the Golkar Party said that the people affected by the regulation would be "those who can improve the country such as researchers or investors".

"To get Indonesian citizenship, they are required to have permanent resident status first -- just like other countries," he claimed.

The permanent resident status will be regulated in detail by the government, possibly with a presidential decree, according to Bomer. It will also be stipulated in the bill on immigration, which is due for deliberation later.

Foreigners, who are married to Indonesians, can be "given a chance" to get the status regardless of gender, he added.

The existing law does not allow Indonesian women to sponsor a non-Indonesian husband for permanent resident status. At present, foreigners can only be sponsored by companies that employ them here.

Permanent resident status only lasts for five years and is subject to extension.

Non-Indonesians can only apply for permanent resident status five years after they are given a limited stay permit.

Justice Minister Hamid Awaluddin has said that the government had made a "breakthrough" for foreign residents, so they could enter and stay in the country. He added that it was done in a bid to woo investors.

The country's citizenship law -- created nearly five decades ago -- has several articles are today seen as discriminatory toward Indonesian women and their husbands and children, in the case of a local woman marrying a non-Indonesian.

The committee also agreed upon "limited dual citizenship" for children of couples with different nationalities, as well as for children of Indonesian couples born in countries that apply the principle of ius soli ("right of the soil").

Countries that apply ius soli, such as the United States, automatically give citizenship to any baby born in the country.

Indonesia applies a limited form of the principle of ius sanguinis ("right of the blood"), however, Indonesian law only recognizes the father's nationality, not the mother's, as other countries with the same principle adhere to.

Source: Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, 03/11/06

White

It's spring, and it's time to lighten up. White symbolises innocence and silence, white goes well with almost any color.

For women, white dress has been 'in' since last year at spring time. This year, it's no exception. However, it is also 'in' for a man to wear a white suit now! It is a clean, bright and fresh look for the warmer seasons.

So, if you are going to a party or to an unformal place, do go in white...

Source: Versace

Can a Long Distance Relationship work?

Dedicated to all people who are wondering if their long disctance relationship has a chance to work.

I've had a lot of friends crash and burn with net relationships, on the other hand, people who are willing to invest more time into a long distance relationship are more likely to succeed. I’ve to agree with the majority and say that long distance relationships work. You will never know if it will work unless you try.

It sounds clichéd… If you really love a person, you’re both committed to each other and stay faithful, time and distance are nothing…
There will be ups and downs, sometimes you might just want to end it because it hurts so much being away from one another, as long as the both of you’re determined to make it work, it will. It is difficult, but it will work if you just believe...

If you are in fairy tale land and you believe that a man or woman can stick to one person while they are away then you are lost in a dream. True love can survive anything and everything that comes your way, good or bad. It can work so don’t give up if you’re in a long distance relationship!! A long distance relationship can be wonderful!!!

TGI Friday..

Yeah, it’s easy to say ‘Thank God it's Friday’ and kiss another work week goodbye. And believe me I do. Okay, a dose of lameness is probably not the best way to start the weekend. But see…

Saturday I’ll sleep out till about 8:30 am. I’ve invite my neighbour to a dinner. They’re from Indonesia. I want to surprise them with some typical Indonesian dishes and snacks. So on Sunday it would be a very good food and good conversation with good people.

After cooking, if still have a spirit I’ve the intention to clean my car. It’s a long time ago since the colour of my car was gleaming silvery... :)

It’s gonna be a busy but pleasant weekend.
Just like the rest of the country I love Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays but don’t like Mondays…

Child smuggling

An article concerning child smuggling make me sick. Child smuggling is meanly and despicable.

Some were abducted and smuggled out. Others were taken from orphanages. Some parents were forced or tricked into handing their children over. Other parents voluntarily sent them away, hoping they would be cared for, educated and returned home.

Some taken as babies and adopted by families that loved, cared for and educated them. Some of the children never came back and grew up not knowing their families, their language, religion or culture.

Why 'they' that called human can doing so cruel, smuggling children for illegal adoption, forced labour, or work in the sex industry? The lucrative business of child smuggling be doing well on base of supply and demand and as long as there are people who are willing to pay a high price for a child, the widespread practice of syndicates provide children or babies to them....

What is the defintion of love and being in love?

Menerima email dari seorang teman dengan ungkapan perasaan
...."Uhm.. ada pacar kan belum tentu juga jatuh cinta, cinta itu kan proses bukan? kalau ada rasa senang ya mungkin, tapi belum tentu cinta kan ya? iihh.. repot ya, definisi cinta itu apa sih? hehe... jangan di tulis di blog ya :))) "....

Jatuh cinta..???, I've been there for several times… apa sih definisi cinta itu?

Pertanyaan simpel ini sebenarnya rumit. Banyak yang gak bisa mendefinisikannya, karena cinta memang rumit. Dapatkah kalian mendefinisikannya? Mungkin cinta itu susah untuk didefinisikan....
Apa sih, arti cinta dalam pandangan kalian?

Cinta pertama, bukan pacar pertama, saat kita jatuh cinta pertama kali pada seseorang adalah kenangan cinta yang paling murni dalam sejarah perjalanan cinta antara pria dan wanita. Cinta kedua merupakan pengajaran, dan cinta yang seterusnya adalah satu keperluan....

Cinta itu adalah sebuah perasaan. Sebuah perasaan yang membuat manusia jadi manusiawi. Sama seperti rasa benci, rasa kangen, rasa sebal, rasa takut. Bedanya cinta lebih kompleks, semua rasa yang bertolak belakang bisa campur aduk dalam satu rasa cinta....

Banyak pria dan wanita yang telah menulis panjang lebar tentang arti cinta dan definisi yang tepat untuk cinta.

"Seorang pria nekat bunuh diri karena wanita yang dicintainya menyukai pria lain. Seorang wanita rela meninggalkan orang tuanya yang puluhan tahun dikenalnya hanya untuk seorang pria yang baru saja dikenalnya. Seorang pria tidak mengutarakan hatinya kepada sang wanita hanya supaya cinta yang ada di hatinya tetap tak berubah. Yang lainnya rela sang wanita dinikahi pria lain dan mengabaikan perasaannya hanya agar sang wanita bahagia. Seorang wanita rela mati bersama pacarnya karena cinta mereka tidak direstui oleh orang tua."....

"Seorang laki-laki rela bekerja seharian, bersusah payah memeras keringat sebagai petani, nelayan, guru, buruh, karyawan, atau lainnya, didorong oleh rasa cinta terhadap anak dan istrinya. Seorang perempuan, turut membantu suaminya mencari nafkah, merawat dan membesarkan anak-anaknya, membersihkan rumah dan menyiapkan makan keluarganya, juga didorong oleh rasa cintanya kepada keluarga. Seorang anak mematuhi perintah ayah dan ibu, merawat dan memelihara keduanya setelah mereka uzur didorong oleh cinta. Kita bersadakah, menolong dan membantu orang lain yang kesusahan adalah karena kita cinta pada sesama."....

Mereka yang tidak menyukainya menyebutnya tanggung jawab,
Mereka yang bermain dengannya, menyebutnya sebuah permainan,
Mereka yang tidak memilikinya, menyebutnya sebuah impian,
Mereka yang mencintai, menyebutnya takdir.

Love has never been defined because it means different things to different people. Love is a feeling, an emotion that can't be explained. Either you feel it or you don't. We call it 'love' because there is no explanation for it. It is not a rational, predetermined action. When you can't rationalize that feeling then you call it love....

Love is something you just have to feel but no need to understand. Kecuali kalau mau pusing sendiri. Sama abstraknya dengan surga - neraka.... :)



Pernah aku baca:
"CINTA ITU SEPERTI KENTUT", ditahan sakit perut, dikeluarin bikin ribut :)

Flipflops

Do you like to shop? So do I.
That's why I have collected Havaianas flipflops.

I didn't really egt the thing with them, why everyone was raving about them. They are so comfortable and I think it's because they have a really thick sole and don't get trodden down as quickly as cheap flipflops.

I've got 5 pairs, my favorite pairs are a pair with the colours of the Brazilian flag and a pair with a tribal motives, turtles, foliage and hibiscus flowersblack. These are the best flip flops I've ever had, absolutely fantastic but sometimes they are too expensive....

Lesehan

Lesehan, kalau diterjemahkan yaitu duduk tanpa kursi. Di Yogyakarta sejak dulu sudah menjadi hal yang biasa bila keluarga bersantap secara lesehan dan biasanya di malam hari.

Biasanya lesehan itu di emperan toko, tidak peduli yang makan, mulai dari kuli sampai menteri kalau mau makan harus duduk di bawah beralaskan tikar.

Sekarang lesehan yang merupakan budaya orang Jawa Tengah itu dapat dilihat di mana-mana, tak terkecuali di kota-kota besar di seluruh Indonesia.

Hidangan di lesehan ya masakan sehari-hari yang sederhana seperti, nasi uduk, nasi kebuli, nasi timbel, gudek, dan pendamping lainnya seperti ayam goreng dan bakar, bebek goreng dan bakar, sambel goreng krecek, tahu, tempe bacem dan sebagainya.

Ada satu menu special, nasi timbel, ini adalah makanan khas Sunda. Nasi timbel komplit terdiri dari nasi yang dibungkus dalam daun pisang kemudian dikukus membuat wangi baunya, lalu ditambah ayam goreng, tempe bacem, tahu goreng, ikan asin jambal roti. Ditambah pula lalapan terdiri dari daun selada bokor, terong, tomat, ketimun dan sambal trasi.

Sambal trasi dibuat secara dadakan dan disajikan diatas cobek yang berukuran kecil. Keranjang rotan dan daun pisang menjadi tempat penyajian nasi timbel komplit.

Yumi, yumi, sedap yah??
Apalagi kalau makannya ditemani dengan teh anget manis... :)

... hidup untuk makan atau makan untuk hidup?
... pertanyaan itu tak penting untuk dijawab
... yang penting nikmatilah hidup selagi hidup

No Time

Somewhere on a busily downtown street if you watch the people rushing around you. They all seem to have places to go and no time to stop moving.

A young mother sighs.
Her child screams next to her and there isn't a man with her that can help. You see something in that woman's eyes. Is it sadness? Looking around it seems as though no one notices this woman and her child. They have places to go and no time to look into the woman's eyes.

A little boy turns around in circles.
Is he lost? Where is his mother and father? You see the adults around him continue walking. They don't see the boy. He is invisible to them. They have places to go and no time to help a child find his way.

A worker stocks products onto shelves. The same motion over and over again. You can tell there is something on his mind. He isn't thinking about the products. Every movement he makes seems to be drenched with pain and stress. More people run past him. They don't see all of his hard work. They have places to go and no time to talk to a worker.

A couple holds hands.
They look at each other and smile. Is this look in their eyes love? You see a girl across the room watching them. She looks down at the floor as a tear rolls down her cheek. She watches them kiss and then she walks out the door. Did the happy couple feel her sadness? They have places to go and no time to see a girl's tears.

An elderly man walks slowly.
He seems to be in more pain with every step he takes. Finally he stops and looks around. He reaches for something on a shelf and then brings his hand back down quickly. He cradles his arm. Teenagers who could easily reach what is on the shelf walk quickly past him. They have places to go and no time to help a hurting old man.

A girl turns out her pockets.
She stands at the check-out in her dirty t-shirt and ripped jeans. The cashier asks if she has the money and she doesn't answer. Embarrassed, she looks at the people in line behind her. Nobody offers help. Most of them look at the floor or just stare blankly. They have places to go and no time to feed a poor girl.

A man screams into his cell phone.
A baby in a car-seat next to him starts to cry. He doesn't notice that he woke the baby or that a mother cradles it in her arms. He just continues screaming like he's the only person in the world. He has places to go and no time to hear a baby crying.

A lady holds 5 bags in her hands.
She almost falls over and drops one of her bags. After picking it up she continues toward the door. Before she can say anything the person before her lets the door slam in her face. They didn't stop to look, instead they continued walking. They have places to go and no time to hold a door.

- Why do we rush through life?
We have our own problems.
Our own desires and needs.
We all want to succeed.
Everyone seems to have everything under control.
Each of us has lost someone.
Been in love.
Felt lonely.
Laughed.
Cried.
Made mistakes.
Wondered why we're here.

- Would the world be different if everyone stopped rushing?
What if we noticed the people around us?
If we went out of our way to help other people.... would things change?....

The JERK in me!!!

Ever have one of those days?
Where everything you say and do are all out of Sync. You irritating your children and closest buddies. You getting on your friends nerves and leading to wrong interpretation and eventually distancing your friends?

Yeahhhh, may’be tiredness is getting to me or is this another of my lame excuses. Ironically, I’ve always been a believer of the phrase, “If you don't have anything good to say, better not say it”. Now, I find myself breaking this rule and I can’t even be a good listener.

To all these people, I would like to say SORRY...

Is It???

Is it the sound of her voice that makes my heart comes pounding into my throat and makes the blood rush through my head?

Is it in the smile on my face remembering something that she said and the way she said it? Is it the tingly feeling I feel in my fingers the first time I told her I was seriously thinking about her?

Is it a fact that a 30-year-old suddenly feels as awkward as teenager as she giggles at my most silly statements? Is it in the fact that another 30-year-old makes those silly statements to make me grin??

Is it in the way her voice deepens when she first said, “I really really adore you” in that charmingly hesitating way of her, as if worried how I might take it? Is it in the tongue-tied feeling I felt when I heard she say it?

Is it when our fingers gently brushed across the table at a coffee shop, when all your senses focussed on the person in front of you because the world around you has draw back into nothingness? Is it in the tenderness of her touch as she forgetfully tucked my hair behind my ears while she tells me about her day at work?

Is it in the way this petite woman runs across her living room to grab the phone when it rings before anyone else does because she thinks it might be me calling her? Is it in the warmth that burns in my face as she whispers sweet nothings in my ear across the line? And why do they call it sweet nothings, when it means everything to me?

Is it in the hours we can spend talking about nothing and everything?
Is it in the messages that she leaves on my messenger when I'm away so that instead of coming back to an empty message box & the first thing I see is her?

Is it in the trust that she inspired in me even before she meant anything more than what she is now?

Is it in the way she understands everything I have to say in a way that no one else has ever been able to? Is it in the way I can finish her sentences when she's hunting for the right words, and make her feel like she's understood in a way she's never been before?

Is it in the way we can bring our painful pasts to each other and have all the hurt soothed away? Is it the comfort that comes from the knowledge that I am safe with her? Is it in the self-assurance that comes from knowing that there are no expectations or alterations for now and hence we could never possibly let down each other?

Have I finally reached the harbour after all those wild, unpredictable years on a stormy ocean? And would anyone here know a right word to replace “It” here???