een patates met mayonnaise

Mau ?

One for the road

Me and an Audi TT just outside of Andy's Utrecht apartment in June 2009

Filial responsibility

One could not but feel a more august parental responsibility for special needs children. With uncertainties around the children's capability to be an independent mature adult, the need for a special financial planning for the children is more urgent.

My dearest wish is that the future needs of such children becomes recognized by all the stakeholders, government and private organizations alike. It is my understanding that in some western countries, there exists a special insurance policy designed to provide some financial security for the children when they grow up.
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Of perosotan

Looking at price of a perosotan, slightly above Rp. 1 million. To be installed at the front yard. Made of steel of course..

Should be good for Zaky .. Gives him an exercise area .. Improve his sensory ability ..
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Of Hubris and Diana

Bought plenty of hardcover and kids' books this morning. Stopped by at Periplus at Pondok Indah Mall 1 and enjoy the up to 80% discount there.. Had earlier, a few weeks ago, bought "bon voyage" a very revealing collection of black and white photo essays of holidays in years past.

Believe that the programme will end in March.. Now if only they also discount those Merc magazines :)
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A Walk in the Park

We went to the city park at Bumi Serpong Damai this morning. Zaky was initially sleepy but quickly picked up pace the moment the W-202 hit the toll way. He was a little bit reluctant to hit the park but later enjoyed the experience, I think. He ran often without encouragement and we can see in his eyes that he is enjoying himself. There is also that intent of demonstrating to us, a feedback loop, regretfuly not always existing with autistic children.

On the way back, stopped over at Ibu Ani's. Her observation brought less than good tidings. She suspected that Zaky may have a little too much venol, hence his black eye bags..

A roller coaster ride of emotion, today.
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Schooling options

We're now studying school options for my autistic son. There are a few in Jakarta who proclaimed themselves as school, but I have just been informed that it is unlikely any of the school are properly certified by the education ministry.


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Blackberry users are not "autistic"

I often hear people hear illustrating as "autistic", those who are fascinated with certain electronic gadgets, the blackberry amongst them. Can I just say that this is an insult to autistic people and parents with autistic children. Please use the term sparingly and do not denigrate its meaning by confusing it with blackberry users.

It is heartbreaking that -as I found out today- educated people are still not aware of what autisms are and what challenges are being faced by autistic children and parents and also siblings of autistic children. Our lives are already difficult enough. Please do not make it more by your ignorance and disrespect.
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My only son was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder a couple of years ago. It was a devastating news to swallow and we continue to try figuring out how to live with it and how to ensure the best possible future for him.
I am writing to seek some ideas from the readers as to what do they know as the practical and realistic expectations for a special needs children's future, and for autistic children in particular. Is anybody out there aware of vocations most suited for autistic adults ? Realistically, what can be expected in terms of independence once the children reaches adulthood ? What skills should be taught and what are the challenges which need to be overcome ?



Thank You

All the President's Men

As the ranks of the unemployed widened, one person is more prepared and more protected by American regulation than, say, Joe the Plumber. As Barack Obama takes the oath of office on January 20th, George W. Bush receives his pink slip and join his fellow countryfellows. If one needs further evidence of his august stature , look no further than his transport immediately after the inauguration. The Toxic Texan will be traveling back to Dallas onboard USAF 29000, the VC-25 aircraft which -if he were still an american president, will receive the call sign "Air Force One"- is hardly sitting in coach with his legs pressed by the passenger in front and fearing he will lose his luggage.

When your last job was "leader of the free world", life could be a lot worse. Unlike the common people who had to be vigilant to thieves and the odd house burglars, former US presidents are accorded Secret Service protection (George W. Bush becomes the first former president who does not receive life-time protection. A new bill was passed recently, limiting protection only up to 10 years after living office). Unlike the average Americans who may have to find a new smaller house (after their McMansion was foreclosured), Mr. Bush can raise donations from the public to build his presidential library (where as tradition is a fairly big complex and where tradition dictates, he gets to build a replica of the Oval Office). The federal government also pays him an estimated USD 200k per annum plus expenses to run his office and pay for his staff. Some presidents even get to keep their daily transport (Reagan, his Air Force One and Marine One , plus his motorcade; Clinton his Cadillac One).

It does not stop there. Unlike their normal compatriots though, when it comes to future employment, the group is spoilt for choice. No "work" (of the traditional definition is involved). Presidents easily are paid a minimum USD 50k for making speeches. Then there are also directorships or other board appointments in well known companies.

What is the point of all this, you may ask. Stick around, more will be revealed.

The Facebookers

I still remember that moment when I realized the intrusion of Facebook, a social-network website, on my life. It was the moment when a Friend I haven't met for five years (but was on my facebook list of friends) knew my day-to-day, event-by-event , whereabouts- and recited every details when we met. It inadvertently felt I have a stalker- a compulsory accessory for being a celebrity- but hardly the nicest feeling in the world.

If you wish to become stalked as well, there is a way. Join Facebook ! For an-obviously- laudable purpose of writing this article, your correspondent decided to sign up and become a facebooker approximately six months ago.

If anything, becoming a facebooker has notified your correspondent that we are all equal : equally liking to do the same stuffs (can't wait for the weekends and long weekends is a common "status update") ; equally whining about the same problem (getting stuck in traffic, the rain pouring down). It is also enabling your correspondent to confirm one of his suspicion: that those non working ibu-ibu arisan are using their BlackBerry for facebooking !

Your correspondent could be wrong, but it does appear slightly unlikely that the ibu-ibu arisan will become BlackBerry's celebrity pitchman, advertising their product (a recent article in the New York Times discussed how President Obama is currently BlackBerry's best marketing spokesperson, for embodying the values of a great communicator and a networker. Imagine the slogan: "The President has to have this to keep in touch").

Indeed there is anecdotal evidence - I just like this expression, remnant of the old days as a management consultant-that the increasing visibility of BlackBerry devotees in Indonesia is linked to the willingness to keep connected and networked, to be able to find out what friends, colleagues are doing; to satisfy the seemingly insatiable appetite to find old friends (and old flames?). Plenty high school and university reunions have been facilitated by Facebook. It looks like that BlackBerry have suddenly found , in Facebook, the ideal partner to expand their market in Indonesia, well beyond the standard "surgically attached to their hip" professionals. Facebookers of the world, unite !

Fare well 2009, may you be better than 2008

Anybody who has been reading up on next year's forecasts- issued by the members of the commentariat- is unlikely to feel optimistic about 2009. A recent Rabobank forecast, for example, believes that the UK economy will shrink by 1.5 % and that unemployment will reach as high as 8.5 % (at the time this newspaper went to press, it is not certain whether the predicted unemployed include Gordon Brown).



The Indonesians amongst us old enough to remember the infamous Krismon surely now have that sinking feel of how familiar all of this is. However - there are probably lesser number of Indonesians now who remain optimistic that somehow, all of the doomsday scenario will come to naught.



Of course there is some basis for being a tad optimistic about the situation. In a survey by The Economist issued for the 10th anniversary of the Asian Economic Crisis in June of this year, it is quite robust in the assessments that our banks are stronger than before; that our foreign reserves are more plentiful ; and that our economy is not as reliant on foreign investment as before. In addition - in the words of a former ambassador of the court of St. James's to Indonesia - "Indonesia is a dissappointing country; it dissappoints the pessimists, but it also dissappoints the optimists".



For all our sake, may Indonesia be a very dissappointing country in 2009.

A View to A Kill

If the world is remotely like " Quantum of Solace", then Ford would not be reporting a loss in their latest quarterly report. In such a world, every secret agent drives an Aston Martin, every police force employs a Land Rover and every sinister character prefers the rugged Range Rover as the Bad Mobile.

Such is the power of product placement these days that your correspondent fails to find the Bond-ness of "Quantum". Afterall, none of the old formula remains. Gone are Q, Moneypenny and even the trusted "Bond, James Bond" routine. The ol' boy is no longer the last bastion of the upper class. He goes mass market by driving the - no surprise - Ford Focus and Ford Fiesta.

If this were not a 007 movie , would your correspondent even bothered? The sad answer is : probably not. Take out the franchise and what we have is pure and simple an action movie. And not a good one at that. The story are nowhere as good as Bourne trilogy for example (come to think of it, does the scene of our MI6 man chasing agent Mitchell over rooftops remind you of a similar scene in the last Bourne movie?).

If the direction continues like this, it is likely the License to Thrill need to be revoked. The franchise need to say No but with sufficient verbal dexterity to learn Never Say Never in coping with commercial pressures. After all, The World is Not Enough for too many changes On Her Majesty's Secret Service. One view of this movie is enough to kill the franchise.

Perhaps to make the point, the original 007 , Sean Connery makes an appearance as the Louis Vitton advert in the same week that "Quantum" makes its debut. Coincidence? I expect you to think, 007.

Yes, He Did

In the annals of The Economist, "The World in 2008" would not feature high in the powers of prediction. In the publication - published towards the end of last year- it strongly predicted that next president of the United States would be .. Senator Hillary Clinton.
President-elect Obama's victory has been received - rightly - with plenty of good will. Kenya declared a day of national holiday. Your correspondent just happens to believe the RI government can now feel proud to have one of its former students become "the leader of the free world" (and Hardiknas now have a living mascot).
It will really be interesting to observe the next days ahead. Some will know that one of the names being considered for the White House Chief of Staff is Rep. Rahm Emmanuel. Incidentally - for some of us who are political hacks, and we do exist- he is the model for the character of "Josh Lyman" in the NBC series "The West Wing". It is widely believed that the White House chief of staff is the 2nd most powerful job. It is tasked with giving recommendations for the President and in charge to ensure the cabinet toes the party line.
Other key appointments will be Treasury. Arguably this is one of the rarer moments of history whereby the post is probably more important than State.
As Indonesians, we should observe the extremly gracious concession speech as a model for our own 2009 election.

And the Winner is ...

Car? What Car?

Fully accessorized car....

Till Debt Do Us Part

The last time the words "crisis", "cabinet reshuffle", "drastic depreciation" were deployed in Indonesian politics, a president fell from grace. Ten years and four presidents later, my fellow correspondents might be waiting with glee for a chance to employ these in their lexicons again.
But this article is not about that rumour of a senior minister plotting to deport another senior minister (whose welfare not as equal). It is however about the current crisis , once thought only will engulf the U.S. Of A but not WOUSA (world outside the USA). In particular, this crisis is about whether indeed in our case, capitalism is at bay.
Unless you have been staying in a deserted island since early October, you would have heard whispers of pure poison about the rise and fall of capitalism and that the time of socialism is upon you. The Economist, that bastion of free market and democratic reform has predictably put a case arguing that infact capitalism should still be the preferred model, because it has been responsible for all the wealth creation that the world has ever seen. It has also argued that speculators , the favourite bad guy making the rounds these days are in fact not responsible at all for this crisis.
So should we in Indonesia flog capitalism at the next market and try our luck with Cooperatives?
Cooperatives in Indonesia - much to its acknowledged "father", co-proclamator Hatta's dismay- never really found the market equilibrium.
Even in the bad old days of the Krismon, we never looked back and continue to worship at the temple of capitalism...

Back to the Future

One more way to reduce pollution ...

Great Expectations

Jakarta, on one of the more beautiful days. My dearest wish is that this picture does not create such high expectations, bound to dissappoint would-be visitors ...

A change in the climate ?

Will the recent global market rout mean less money for the climate change fighting efforts ? At least this question was felt to be important enough that Messr. Sarkozy felt needed to be laid to rest at Thursday's announcement in Brussels.

The impact of the rout should not be understated. A recent special report suggested that a staggering USD 10 trillion of value could be wiped out between now and 2009. For comparison, this is 10 % of the annual US ' Gross Domestic Product.

There is a temptation to focus on wealth maintenance rather than health maintenance. Indeed your correspondent felt compelled to understand the answer to this question.

Though Mr. Sarkozy have confirmed that the funds earmarked to save the laissez fare economy will not result in less fund available to fight climate change, the details have not been immediately available. It is difficult though to comprehend that there won't be an impact. By now, the US have added USD 700 billion to their USD 435 trillion budget deficit, all in the name of saving the US economy. The UK have confirmed that it will spend GBP 250 billion to nationalize household names such as Lloyd's TSB and HBOS. The EU - old and new - does not want to be left behind and have pledged EUR 350 billion, also to nationalise troubled banks.

Our dear government meanwhile have indeed taken some steps. However at the time this newspaper went to press, there has been no discussion with regards to if less funds will be made available to fend off climate change. Upon closer inspection however - given the very low number of projects planned-the impact appreared to be unsurprisingly negligible.

The crux of the activities have not been expected to be funded or coming by the government. They have been expected to be a result of a change in the behaviour of each and every individual's. Plenty of these also did not require investment.

Therefore please continue to
* B2W (less pollution)
* Switch off the lights when you leave the room (less coal being burnt)
* Convert those energy guzzler light bulbs (ditto)
* Be as paperless at work as possible (be a tree hugger)
* Continue to print on used paper
* Don't send unnecessarily large attachments with your email (less use of your bandwidth, therefore less energy consumed)
* Design those houses who are easy on the sunlights
* Set those aircons on timers

Keep those ideas flowing in ...