Photography Hobby

Photography has been my hobby since grade 11 at Pangudi Luhur (name of my school) Senior High School. SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera that I have is the e 500 Olympus. Every brand has the majority of its own including this Olympus that have a dust reduction system in it. Nikon have a good focus as a majority for example if the picture gets bigger the picture is not break, Canon brand have the color detail as a majority and all of the other brands also have a majority that any other brands do not have. I think all of SLR camera is same in case of quality. SLR camera that are winning in the market is Canon and Nikon. Before I overcome this SLR camera I am using the pocket camera that are only adjusting the zoom, and the focus have already adjust by itself automatically. For the SLR camera we have adjust by ourself like its zooming, focusing, diafragma, shutter speed, iso, and many more with lots of photo techniques that we have. The lighting problem can be solve by using the external flash (another attached flash) so that can be more clear for the observer to look at. The Internal Flash (Flash that have already attach at the camera) attached to my SLR camera is not clear enough, the lighting sometimes to shine or to dark and the focus also takes time. Flash is also the key on taking a picture, for example like if we wanted to photo a model we must consider the photo angle, lighting angle and other photographer tricks so that the photo will become marvelous. So, lots of SLR camera techniques that we have to learn if we wanted to be a professional photographer.

Every time I go out including going to the school I always bring the SLR camera with me also all of the camera equipment. For example like the lens cleaner, lens filter, and I bought 2 lens including the lens that have attach in my SLR camera. Cause sometimes there is an incident or something important just going on and I do not have my SLR camera on me, I feel so sad about it. For the external flash I do not have it until now, just the internal flash. Every big event at my school I always take a picture for my own memory for example like every 17 of August (Indonesia Independence Day 17 August 1945), Music contest, Extracurricular, Social Analysis, and many more. My Extracurricular at my school is Nature Adventurer Group. I always have an expedition at my Senior High School to the Gede Mountain and Semeru (the name of a beautiful and big mountain at Indonesia). When it was long holiday at grade 11 I had an expedition to the Ujung Kulon with my Nature Adventurer Group. If this Group having an expedition I always bring my SLR camera with me. I begin to like taking a landscape photo because of the first expedition. At Ujung Kulon I was only taking a picture of the beach, cause the Nature Adventurer Group had never been to the middle of Ujung Kulon and it is because of the one horn Rhino. The photo at the beach of Ujung Kulon was very beautiful, and because of this marvelous landscape I become energetically for the very long walk. We are divided into 2 groups and that is north group and south group and it was estimated by the guidance of our expedition Tour Guide about 4 days including the relaxation time at each camping area until we meet at the end. I always taking the sunrise and sunset picture so detail.

At the Semeru Mountain also the same expedition created by our Nature Adventurer Group. At the time I was at Grade 12 and this was my last expedition. Our Group go with an Hercules Airways (It’s a trooper plane that were very cheap) from Halim Airport until the Airport at Malang (Malang is name of a city close to the Semeru mountain and I also forgot the name of Malang airport). When we landed at the Airport we all go straight to the House of our Nature Adventurer Group there (My friend have a house at Malang so we are realy lucky). At the house we are preparing all of the items and dividing all our logistic for tomorrow’s big expedition. At the morning we are picked up by 2 truck in front of the house and we go staright to the Semeru Mountain basecamp at the surface. Before we reach the destination we stop by at the middle of the road cause there is a beautiful landscape and I do not what the name of this valley, but it takes 20 minutes at this place and I take lot of picture cause it is very beautiful. After that we go on to our destination and just about 30 minutes we reach the base camp. Obviously we are not reaching at the surface of Semeru Mountain but we have to debugging the forest and big field until the surface of Semeru, so it’s a long way to go. It is estimated about 3 days to debugging until the destination.

After 3 days long march finally we reach the destination at the surface of Semeru Mountain. I cannot stop taking a picture at the long march beautiful view until I reach here. Now I realized that Indonesia is very beautiful in terms of panoramic view at the mountain, Cause now I can see it with my own eyes. This site must always be protected and also the existentialist so that lots of people known the Indonesian beautiful panoramic view from the Semeru Mountain. Not only at Semeru Mountain but also the Rinjani Mountain, Sindoro Mountain, Sumbing Mountain, Slamet Mountain and many more. We take a relaxation at the surface of the Semeru Mountain for about 3 hours to eat, drink and warming up. After that we were continuing to go up straight to the Semeru Mountain. To reach the mountaintop, it needs more teamwork, focus, strength, and spirit if we have close to the top and we have to grab each other. Because angle of the steepness is about 60 degrees and the object that we step on it is a sand, our feet is suck by the sand like a quicksand so it is to take another step. I beginning so desperate at this steepness condition but I have to go on or I will be a problem for everyone. It is hard for me also to take a picture in this beautiful panoramic view so I just take a few of it. After 1 and a half hour, Finally our group reach the mountaintop and it feel relief and very happy although the air is very cold. From this Semeru mountaintop I can see Agung Mountain (The biggest mountain at Bali), whereas the distance is very far. The small eruption is always happening in Semeru Mountaintop for every 10 minutes, but it just a smoke and not hazardous for us. There was a Soe Hok Gie stone in here and it’s inscribed about the magnificence view at this Mountain. After just about 1 hour here we go straight to our basecamp and were going back to Jakarta again bringing an unforgettable memory also lots of Semeru Mountain picture.

After this last expedition I am still continuing my hobby until now. The last picture portfolio that I have taken now is at Macau & Hong Kong, you can see some of the picture at this page and also the history of it. I just got some very bad incident not long ago, it is because of my Hard Drive (C :) is banished. So, all of the data or photo that I have taken have lost. Only a few can be saved but that is not enough and I feel very sad about it because my memory is lost forever. It is my entire fault because I am not taking good care of my Hard Drive. From now on I will always remember to save my data at the Hard Drive (D :) or it will be better if you have the external Hard Disk. If you want more explanation about the photo technique with SLR camera you can googling by yourself because there are many useful things that you can search from it. I am not expert at this.

Public Transportation

Public Transportation makes things easier for us to do any activity. Will be more simplify if this public transportation easy to reach from our house, office or any other important areas to build. This project is not only located at the main street but also the alleyway or pathway so that all of the people can enjoy this transportation. Prioritize the main street first before constructing the smaller road.

The project of a subway stations that have not been realized at Jakarta since now (Jakarta City is the main city to be prioritize first or the pilot of a project, after that we can build this project at another place). This project of the subway station can reduce the population of a private car and other public transportation because the subway not using the existing road instead of building underground that can be in use. The price is cheap because of the mass transportation that operates in the busy time. Many train outside the country like MRT (Mass Rapid Transit) in Singapore or MTR (Mass Transit Railway) in Hong Kong and Monorail in Malaysia, Seattle and many more.

I know this is hard to be realized but if these projects have already done majority the Jakarta society will change his transportation from the private car into the subway train station. This project will affect the CO2 emissions become low and help preventing this Global Warming problem. The subway train only using the electricity.

The problem now is that the placement of each station in all over the place, because the infrastructure is not properly build neatly. Fixing the entire infrastructure like the road or the pavement that has to be big for the installment of the station will simplify this project. As well as the fund problems that intervene this project and becomes late. This subway train project has been planned long ago. But this project is not realized since now because there is always an inhibition. The government money is better to be used for the Infrastructure in Jakarta or anything else that can help the society not for the satisfaction of a few people.

This project is for reducing the traffic that has been the everyday of our life. Reducing the private car in the surface and replace it only for the pedestrian. TransJakarta Bus that is using the existing road will not be a problem anymore. Until now TransJakarta Bus is being protested because they are using the existing road so that the other car and other transportation becomes more and more traffic. But if this project has been realized I think this Trans Jakarta will not be a problem anymore because the use of a car and other transportation is reduced.

The bus and other public transportation (besides the TransJakarta bus and subway train) for example like taxi or bus will automatically reduced by itself. The improvement or enchantment of a bus inside the city for example like metro mini, kopaja etc must be well regulated in the future days, because the bus driver stops the bus wherever he wanted to stop so it makes other people to be angry about it. But not all of this is the driver’s fault but also the people that are not waiting at the bus station instead of waiting at the prohibitory place. This problem is usual in Jakarta and should to be fix fast.

Repairing the infrastructure and build subway train will simplify the Jakarta society in doing many activities. Also the bus that have to be well regulated and other public transportation that always makes Jakarta to be traffic in all over the place. Imagine if all of the people are just a few using the private car it would be much better just for the pedestrian and other well regulated public transportation. Maybe in the future there will be a new invented transportation that more simplifies the Jakarta society. If this project has done Global Warming will be easy to prevent.

60 Hours at Macau & Hong Kong

On 10 April 2009 I begin my journey to Macau & Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific Airways. This is my first time flying with Cathay Pacific and surprisingly that we seated on Business Class. This is because of my mom's good relationship with all international airlines. She is working for BAR (Board of Airline Representatives) in Indonesia as Secretary General so that all foreign airlines operates in Indonesia knows my mom very well. Then we went to Soekarno-Hatta airport and got boarding passes for me and my mom in the Cathay Pacific counter. After 4 hours flying time which was quiet tiring to the destination, finally we landed at HKIA (Hong Kong International Airport). The airport condition and situation in Hong Kong compare to Soekarno-Hatta airport is very different in terms of size and services also the public transportation in HKIA is very neat and easy to understand especially for the foreigner like us. The first town I visited is Macau. We used ferry boat and the pier located near HKIA. From HKIA we transported by big bus to the pier. Macau is divided into 3 section, and that is Taipa, Coloane, and Macau Peninsula. Taipa and Coloane is in the same island. This two island is connected with 3 bridges. The name of the longest bridge called Friendship that ends at the Macau International Airport. The other two bridges are Sai Van Bridge (The first cable bridge in Macau) and Nobre De Carvalho. Coloane and Taipa is connected with a causeway. Causeway is a tunnel that located at the top of the sea.

According to the history of Macau or Ou Mun (Ou Mun = trading gate) at long time ago the boatman from Fujian and farmer from Guangdong is known to be the first people that have been landed in Ou Mun because the location is in the downstream Pearl river from Guangzhou (Canton). The harbour is a also a part of the Silk Road with many boat that bringing silk into Rome (experience-Macau.com).

In this place there is many artifact that I have visited from the Portuguese people in the Museum of Macau like the artifact in the picture beside. According to the history at the year of 1550, the Portuguese people reach Ou Mun, local called it A Ma Gao (A Ma place) for honoring the God of sea, with the God of sea statue at the front of the harbour. Time passed by and this place name becomes Macau, and with the Chinese people permissibility paper of Guangdong, building a city in such a short time becomes a front gate trading between China, Japan, India, and Europe. Macau is a special place.

At Macau I found a lot kinds of casino places, The total of all the casino places in Macau is 29. The most biggest and the favourite casino place at Macau is Grand Lisboa. The icon of a gambling place at Asia is in Macau, and the gambling place at Nevada, America is in Las Vegas. When I wanted to have a dinner at the Macau dining place, I founded that there is some people gambling at the restaurant and I distracted at the time because they were noisy. After that I asked the waiter in that dining place why this people is allowed to play at your dining place, and he said that part of their payment is defined for the society of Macau people where all the children school is subsidized by the government. And I understand now why this people is allowed to gamble at all restaurant. Seems that all of Macau people are used to gamble and it becomes their way of life. Every night the lights in Macau is turned on very bright and looks very beautiful and awesome. The people in Macau and foreigner people have already reserved for all of the casino tables. In all casino places is prohibited to take a picture and also a video cam because they stricly keep and guard the places from unauthorized people who will take a picture.

After I visited all of the casino places in Macau then I headed into the Venetian. This place is a 5 star hotel with 3000 rooms (The biggest hotel in Asia) and there is a mall with lots of famous and branded expensive shop such as Gucci, Giorgio Armani etc. There is also a casino on the second floor and it is crowded with people who is gambling at this casino. It is named Venetian because they designed the place same as Venetia in Europe (In Venetia the town is build above the sea and the building is separated with the sea). The skies is colored blue and also the clouds so it looks real like we were in the outdoor. The restaurant and luxurious shop also seperated by the man made sea so that we have to cross it with the bridge or boat. Tomorrow I visited the Macau museum that were lots of portuguese artifact like I said before in the third paragraph. The name of this museum is inscribed with Portuguese language. There is some unique item in this museum that we can buy for a present to my family in Jakarta.

I was also visiting the temple in Macau that were inscribed with Portuguese language and at that time there was so many people coming to the temple so I can not get inside the temple to take a quick tour. In front of the temple there was a traditional stage for watching traditional dances or other traditional music. I have travelled 1 day and 1 night at Macau after that I continue travelling to Hong Kong. On the journey to the Hong Kong at the bus I saw Dr. Sun Yat-Sen statue. Long ago Dr. Sun Yat-Sen were called the father of Chinese people (I am sorry if the photo is not so clear because I take the picture in the moving bus). Dr. Sun Yat-Sen ever make a chaos in Canton and he is been chased by the police. Because of that he flew to Macau and hide (If I am not wrong).

Outer Harbour, close to the New Yaohan Department Store is the name of Macau harbour (This is a Macau harbour that can connects Macau and Hong Kong). I continue my journey to Hong Kong with a TurboJET ferry that only takes 1 hour from Outer Harbour (the time also include the ferry preparation and baggage loading inside the ferry until taking the baggage at destination). At the Hong Kong harbour or Harbour City, at the side of Kowloon. From here we can take a taxi, bus, train/MTR (Mass Transit Railway). It was different name with Singapore that were MRT (Mass Rapid Transit).

According to the history on 1513, the sailor from Portuguese Jorge Alvares, being the first European man to visited Hong Kong. Hong Kong it was also a special place that was a part of China Republic. At 1 July 1997, Britain government given this land to undertake in a formal way to the Republic of China (Google - Hong Kong)

The sum of all the Hong Kong resident is about 7,5 million people and that was so many compare to Macau resident that were only reach 500 thousand people. The streets is full of people and there was just a few private car in here. Different with Indonesia that always use private car compare to the public transportation (but it is natural or fair because there is no recognizable transport, comfy, and easy to understand for the foreigner to get in like MTR or MRT), also with the pavement have to be big and cozy to walk around instead of using a car.

The first place that I visited in Hong Kong was the Disney Land. This place is very crowded with the people of Hong Kong and also the foreigner (maybe it was because of the Holiday i.e. Easter and long weekend). Every week at the weekend days Hong Kong Disney Land always showing a parade here to kindle all of the people, and it is interacting lots of kids here. But to be honest I am more enjoying the Dufan in Indonesia compare to the Hong Kong disneyland (But there is a new game here that was so awesome and that is the indoor jetcoster combine with the 3D simulation like in Dufan).

At the night I was thinking for shoping an item in Hong Kong that were cheap and many choices. I was confused at the time cause I do not know where is the place. Moments later, suddenly I saw a TKI (Indonesian Abroad Worker) in streets between the crowded people and I begin to approch her and ask where I can find a cheap item and many choices. She told me the place and that place name is Mong Kok, I directly heading to go to the destination but still I do not know where do I have to or with what transportation I have to get in. I asked again the TKI and said that she was willing to accompany me to Mong Kok, and I was thinking at the time because this lady is kind to me and wanted to help me so much. She told me not to take a cab because it will be very expensive compare to the MTR, and also the track that I have to follow. Until I finally reach the destination at Mong Kok, I gave her a lot of thanks (What a nice Indonesian people ^^). Mong Kok is not so different with the Glodok or Kelapa Gading (Indonesian place that are the same like Mong Kok - selling cheap items and strewn around) all of different kinds of item was strewn here and the price was also reachable.

Tommorow I must be already arrive at the HKIA at 12:00am. I have 1 more place to go at Hong Kong and that was the statue of Bruce Lee that was located at the edge of the sea with the very beautiful view. In this place there was also a hand seal of all Hong Kong artist and it was located at the floor including Jackie Chan and many more like Chow Yun Fat also. This place can be for fishing and it can be a jogging arena also because the air was so fresh. After that I directly going to the HKIA and I thank God cause there is no problem from the first journey until I finally arrived at Jakarta again with 4 hour flight time. I hope this story of me in Macau & Hong Kong can be our learning object for all of you about the history and all of the facility in there. That was all Thank You ^^…

5 minutes for 5 years

Tommorow we are gonna determine the future of a nation for 5 years afterward. Let us pick the political party that you think is the most proper one to lead us. If you think there are no good political party at all, pick the bad party from the most rotten party. The point from me is do not be the white group, it means that we are not ellecting any political party at all because it is so many disadvantage for us. We do not have to be apathetic with all of the political party that will sit in the Indonesian Legitimatize Assembly or Indonesian leader nominee for 5 years afterward. See the track-record, the will to sacrifice for the society, and all other consideration that seemly fit to be the leader. Do not be embarrassed for the white group if the leader for 5 years afterward is not fulfilling the promise.

The disadvantage reason of the white group its because :

1. Do not wanna think
2. Dissimilar of the leader
3. Precious experience
4. Do not care

We do not wanna think criticized for what will be happening in the future or whose gonna lead that the most suitable to confront the problem we encounter in Indonesia. Just hearing from friends or maybe from the family itself that makes us to be lazy to think about the ellection. All of this problem its because of the good promising from the previous leader or president that not fulfilling his promise and makes the society becomes apathetic. So, if we wanna change our nation to be more gracefully and nation revitalization let us think more criticized who is the best leader. We have to pick because 1 voice is very effectuate.

The leader that are not match from our choices finally makes us embarrassed because we do not elect. Usually the leader that have a lots of promising having a lot of supporter. Because societies are lazy to think criticized and society are happy for the promises. The supporters are just from his political party itself or it can be the other factor (Other factor that I do not understand). This is just my prevision.

Precious experience is also importance. Whatever the result of the ellection, We are not feeling happy with it because we are not participating the ellection and finally we feel so embarrassed because we do not chose any political party. The last disadvantage reason to be the white group it’s because we do not care anymore about this nation, any leader that will be pick good or bad. Little nationalism feeling inside us for the growth of this nation.

Let us exploitative this historic moment for 5 years afterward, Come to the ellection place tommorow and sign the leadership of political party at regional level, Indonesian Legitimatize Assembly, society leadership of political party at regional level parochialism, and society leadership of political party at regional level city.

The white group is also a choice for all of you. Naturalness of pick in democracy life. But if you still love this nation, give us your voice. The voice that we have is the bad political party from the most rotten political party. Give us your attention and judgement for tommorow’s ellection. 5 minutes for 5 years!.

Kintamani Dogs

Balinese Kintamani Dog is founded in the Kintamani Batur Mountains, Island of Bali. Since 1988 PERKIN published the pedigree certification S.K. Head of PERKIN No. 11/KU/PP/III/1988 it is particular for Kintamani Dogs research white color specification. Although it is a temporary stated, Observed, and furthermore research (Pudji Rahardjo, MS. Anjingkita.com). If you wanted to see more about the more detail identity of Kintamani Dogs you can visit this website.

I have the male Kintamani Dog in my house with brown color, and black mouth. His name is Brownie. This dog is very brave, light footed, very fast reaction and always obedient. This dog is multifunction. It can be a guard dog or just for fun with the owner and he is also a rat killer in my house. But my Brownie has already died because some kind of disease. His stomach becomes so big like a female dog pregnant and he cannot urinate like something is stuck. I am very sad because this dog is very intelligent and always obedient to me. After this tragedy I come back to the Kintamani Mountains to find a new Kintamani Dogs and find a female Kintamani Dog with black color and brown color dog with black mouth same with my previous dog. After that I buy these two dogs, when I got home in Jakarta they have a puppies and now I have more than 10 dogs. Some of my dogs I transferred to my neighbor because it’s to many for me and now I have 7 dogs. (It’s very hard when I transferred the dogs to the neighbor because lots of my neighbor forbidden to kept a dog).

The color of the dog in my house has 2 kinds of colors. But actually there is 2 more color that Kintamani Dogs have. And that is:

1. The color of the feather is white and some red color right in the ear, feather in the back of the feet and in the end of the tail.
2. Black color flawless or the chest has some of white color.
3. Light brown color or dark brown with black mouth, society often calls it Blang-bungkem color.
4. The basic color is brown or light brown with black stripes, society often calls it poleng or Anggrek.

The first color of Kintamani dog it was white like the picture below, time goes by suddenly all of different feather start to be appearing. But I have not seen white Kintamani Dogs since a while and I find it so rare now in Kintamani Batur Mountains. According to the history Kintamani Dogs was founded because of chow chow marrying with a village dog in Bali and after that the color of the dog is white (if I am not mistaken). By the way if anyone wanted to buy a Kintamani Dog you should notice about different temperature because it can cause our dog to be losing some of the feather and it becomes baldy. All kind of dogs must be having a problem if the dog lives from cold place into the hot place like Jakarta, unless we know how to prevent it.

Situ Gintung Tragedy

Before i get into the Causes of Situ Gintung’s Tragedy I wanted to tell that i feel so condolence for the people or family casualty living at Situ Gintung and all of the people near the Gintung’s lake at Cirendeu. I hope the South Tangerang Cirendeu vilage people to be stable and tolerant for all the victim at Situ Gintung.

About the data of the victim at Situ Gintung disaster still in search because it is always changing day after day until now. The last data about Situ Gintung from yesterday newspaper (Kompas, 01-03-09) 100 people found dead, 100 people missing, 113 people injured, 2 people still in treatment, 450 people go out from Cirendeu. The other damages are house, public facility, cars, and many more.

There are 6 factors why the Situ Gintung’s watershed is broken down:

1. Watershed condition

2. Becomes recreation site

3. Many resident house

4. extreme rainfall

5. Postal site

6. Cutting trees

The Watershed condition is very weak. Because it is build since 1933 until now. 2 years before the tragedy people have already told the government to fix the watershed. The government also has predicted about this situation but no action (maybe because of the money problem and so on) so the watershed becomes broken down. The watershed broke down can be force majeure (something that we cannot predict and happens suddenly), but the fact is we can use the improved technology now and knowing this disaster before it happens.

The recreation site at Situ Gintung causes the content of water reduction. Many resident houses cause the no substantial quality of soil. The postal site also a problem due to the setup rules. Necessarily no house should be near the watershed or around there about > 200 m. That length is called the greenbelt, it means that only trees and other outgrowth in there for protection of Situ Gintung. But the fact is now all of the people are not obeying these rules and suffering the consequences now from this disaster. There should be a tree around the site but the trees are all cut down and become erosion that were fatal for all the people living near the watershed.

The criterion of Operation and Maintenance is not watched carefully & tightly. Suppose that Operation and Maintenance of a watershed should be watched far more detail and more carefully because it is so dangerous. If there is a leak that happens like at Situ Gintung it is very dangerous and it becomes a disaster. We must always check the water setup and must be suitable with the water capacity. If there is more water entering that Situ over the capacity we can know about it from the water leak in the spillway, Head of BPPT, Sutopo Purwo Nugroho sum up that the watershed in the spillway is the weak point of watershed broken down so that the watershed of Situ Gintung should be open wide. This all of the information that are not happening in Situ Gintung (accordance to SBY and Jusuf Kalla and Situ Maintenance people).

Besides we condemn on the governments fault that are not carefully taken care of. The ministry of public job tells that changing of climate change is also one of the factors that cause the Situ Gintung’s watershed to be broken down. (news.okezone.com)

So now that there is a climate change and makes the rainfall in this world differently day after day also at the Situ Gintung,”The ministry of public job Djoko Kirmanto in ITS surabaya campus saids it, Monday (30/3/2009). Situ Gintung can just obtain 1 million cubic of water, and when the waterfalls comes yesterday before the disaster in Situ Gintung, the capacity of water becomes 2 million cubic of water that makes it the watershed to be broke.

Like I said before about the Earth Hour and Nyepi days this thing must be protected also. So its not all of this problem is the government fault but all of us must know about this and always remember this tragedy. The people should not live near the Situ Gintung’s watershed for about > 200m and now the people have already suffer the consequences. So we must be more carefull about this situation in the next day and the to the government to be more anticipate. Cirendeu will be build again starting at May 2009 until September 2009. That's all from me thank you...