Dear wifey - Shawshank Story

Dear Bunda,

Yesterday in your special day I miss to email you. In the morning we were discussing in the gtalk. Until evening in hospital my back pain so hard. Let just share something for today as a replacement for yesterday.

Let talk about movie, about The Shashank Redemption. It is considered as the best movie all time by many people. I will not make a poiler in case of you havent see the movie yet. But the general moral that want it to be delivered is about hope. When we have a hope never stop to act for that. Although it might be hard and nee so long time. The philosophy that is really applicable in human life.

In life human often easy to lost hope. Usually after facing a failure or even before make a start yet. When we can got everything without effort usually it will feel sour because lack of sence of fulfilment. For example When we want much money then we can get without any effort will sound great at the beginning. But we will realize that we will feel empty and even become more and more thirsty. One of real example is corruption. Seems like a great deal to be rich. But maybe in factual they will feel empty. Btw the example is little bit too heavy this time.

Let see to another side of the coin. Making a hope with a real effort. According to Maslow, the most important human need is not wealth but it is a selft actualization. This feeling can be gained mostly by achieving something. Ok hopefully this will not get you confused for now. In conclusion never lost hope when dreaking something. But we have to realize that hope might be need high effort and time. At the end all of the proccess will always give satisfaction to most inner part of us.

Dear Wifey, Say Love with Code

Dear Wifey,

This must be the uglist gift from a man to his wife. But believe that I put all of my effort to build this. I will enhance that as well. Btw you are my trigger to create many new things. Hopefully our startup or business idea will be nearby here. :-*

Happy birthday sweetheart wish u all the best and always have a blissful life. :-*

Dear wifey - Trance Story

Dear Bunda,

For this last one year actually most of time I just listen state of trance episodes from Armin van Buuren. What the mean of episode in here is every week armin will remix and compile several latest trance tracks from various DJ (including himself) into 90 minutes show. Every episode play usually more than 20 tracks. Woth so that much amount it difficult to remember which one is good track and which is just ordinary and which that I dont like. Oh ya, trance music also divided by vocal trance and just trance. Vocal trance means there will be a singer. Other than vocal trance whole remix will consist only electronic instrument plus sometime conventional instrument as well.

I haven't read about Armin so much. But compare with other star from for example rock music, Armin live style could be considered clean. No drugs no free sex life (I consider this because he has married with one daughter 1 year old that he mention often in his show). Even after succesful hit by often selected as a best DJ, he one time decided to finish his abandoned law degree in university. And really finish.

I actually doesn't mean to show a form of fanatism. But I can see a stromg consistency that is shown by Armin with releasing a new episodes everyweek. While for myself even sometime a hole happen whem releasing email to you.

Trance different with other genre many trance lover said trance music has soul. So in following years ahead whem we drive our own together maybe most time trance music will be played from car audio. But don't worry, trance is different with conventional electronic music who just noissy. Trance have melodies.

But now for the first time after sometime I am listening Just Feeling by Maroon 5 several time in a bus.

That's all some short sharing about trance for today.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Unproven Tips to Recover Mood

Dear Bunda,

This recent days I am in the full mood. I enjoy coding in office. I am happy coding "bebas" in home as well. Even not done yet I have make a progress for one of several my "to have done" motivation letters. In spare time I was so enthusiast reang books that I lend from library, books that I have, kindle or so many books in my lovely-but-note-so-lovely-as-you galaxy note. But I understand that mood always swinging up and down. Utilize properly when it is on top. And handle properly when it is down. Several things that I can suggest are playing imagination, refreshing and writing.

Playing imagination mean set your expected output and imagine detailly how it is. By having clear view about your output of target we can have some extra power to rerise our mood. Yes of course this theory is easier to talk but not so that easy to do. But I have do it. I always imagine how I feel, where I am, what I can accomplish when get some scholarship. Sometime this work well to boost my mood to write the application.

Refreshing is the act of to get refrehment. Refresh is clearing somethimlng stuck. The method is by doing something different than what wr usually did. Most common example is traveling. Hopefully your visit to Austria this weekend can give a full refreshment for you. Other example of refreshing could be watch movie, shoping :) and sport!!.

The third method is writing. Writing is thinking. Brain have so powerful capability in process so many thought in our head in very short time. Because of so many things that happen in our mind not all of those things can be process properly hit instead many things are just lost because not getting attention. Writing is the act how we can compose that so many random thoughts in our head to more structural way. From this definition we can see that random writing is good method for brainstorming. But beside that, writing also can make us more understand to ourself and oftenly can help to get rid a boring feeling and bad mood.

Anyways those 3 tips just appear instantly in my head while writing this letter. The writer is not responsible for any harms that happen by using this suggestion.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Love Expression

Dear Bunda,

Time moves fast like usual. But don't know why they move faster on weekend :p like you said on facebook. It always feels lovely to see you sleep. And I never stop to feel gratefull to have you as my wife.

Dear wifey, I just want to express that I really love you so much. Most of time it hard to define and measure what is love what is "really" means. I maybe never give you a gift surprise. I've never made beautiful things like you often create for me. Currently most tangble expresssion my love only by this email. But ironically it is also someday written and someday not. But believe me, with all of that defficiencies I always love you, I've never stop to feel so grateful with you. I've never wanted anyone else other than you.

Dear wifey, it has been one year since we get married. It has been some month since the first time you left to Germany. Some weeks since the second time you went back to Germany again. But in very short time Insya Allah we will meet again. Hopefully I can learn how to express my love more to you. Spent many sweet time together. Derping around Singapore, eating nice foods, wathing movies in cinema or wathing on the bed from laptop. Discussing and take an action for business idea ;). Writing together and reading together. Jogging and swimming. We can add any more things on the list. :) I cannot wait also to build a plan for our journey for the next mid year. That's gonna be a great journey. Hopefully we can plan properly together and have everything goes smooth.

Dear wifey, sleep tight sweet dream. I will call you when the dawn come in Ilmenau.

Wait for me in Frankfurt several months from now.

PS: I love you

Dear Wifey - Making Wealth

Dear Bunda,

Since a long time a go, I always want to build my own business. I don't like bureaucracy. That's why, I've never imagine to work as public servant Indonesia. I don't like hierarchy. But in opposite side I always love creativity, freedom of work, opportunity to learn many new things and assessments of performance based on merit and task delivery.

Luckily I was "trapped" in software engineering world. The place where creativity and exploration is granted so much. Creativity cannot live with bureaucracy and rigid hierarchy. In many software company even worker can use any dress code. For experienced developer with trusted deliverability even can work from anywhere they want. Apart from the condition a developer that work from employer, software developer have a unique characteristic. Software developer can be full independent if they want.

Quoting from Paul Graham book, wealth is unlimited. Different with entropy theory that is believed by many people, Graham offer different statement. Entropy theory in sort way is everything in this world have consistent amount. In term of wealth then there is consistent amount of wealth in this universe. Wealth cannot destroyed or created. Wealth only transferred. In easy way it means when on person become rich, there will be one rich person that bankrupt. Somehow this theory is intuitive because when we speak about economy, everything in this world will have effect to the other things. But Graham doesn't agree with that theory. He believe that we can create wealth. How? Making something, he said. Btw, Paul Graham is a LISP programmer. LISP is very old but very sophisticated programming language. Beside programmer, Graham also very successful entrepreneur who apply his knowledge into a real well sell product.

In past time people will make a something for iron or wood for creating wealth. They create and sell. They create wealth. In this modern world, most people work as employee. They don't create anything. They transfer their effort and got fix salary as a substitution. But actually there are still many option to create wealth beside work for other people. One of hottest option which is also close to us is creating software. That's why even though most people said process of creating software as software engineering, actually it will more proper to mention as software craftsmanship. Because software is half of engineering but half of art also.

I remember that actually I have sent you an email about this business topic as well. Consider this as the sequel. Speaking about specific idea, actually I still don't have any specific idea about what kind of craftsmanship that will we build to create our wealth hopefully. But at least we can collect some clue what kind of thing that we can create. First it must be relate to internet. Second maybe relate to data processing. Today is information era. We interact with information every time. Even corporation also consider information as an important thing. Let add another criteria later.

For the closing I want to make a statement. Making wealth is creating a product that is needed by people. If not needed yet we have to find a way to make them need it.

That's all my random tought for today.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - A Writer

Dear Bunda,

I always like writing since a long time a go. I am easier to express myself through writing. That's why, I've never forced to write something, especially to write love email to you.

I cannot trace exactly when is I started this hoby. Since I was living with patuo in Jakarta from my 2nd grade to 4th grade of elementary school, I've started to love reading and writing. At that time I start to read magazine like bobo, kuncung and tabloid fantasi. I started to love sending some postcard to that magazine. I even sometime sent a letter to my mom in Jonggol. At that time we didn't have phone line. Handphone was still something we never imagine.

I still remember my formal writing that I've ever wrote. A short story. Because I like read Bobo magazine, somehow I like read a short story. On my sixt grade I wrote a short story for my school assignment. My first formal short story. I still remember the title. "Antara Jakarta dan Ottawa". This is the story about two childhood friend who meet again in adult time after so many years separated. They meet in Ottawa, Canada. Even since my 6th grade I had been so obsessed to go abroad. That short story was one of way of me to express that willing.

For that writing hoby, my mom one time give me a very special gift. A typewriter! Again, at that time computer is still not common. With that typewriter I wrote several stories and sometime a poem. I also tried to send some of my writing to magazine. But there was never any of them published yet. Maybe because I still not put my best effort yet. That typewriter accompanied me until about highschool. When the ribbon ink already run out, I usually buy new one to a bookstore. At that time the closest bookstore from my home is either in Gramedia Bogor, Gramedia Bekasi or Karisma in Lippo Cikarang. So sometime I dedicated to come to one of that place just to buy new ink ribbon for my typewriter. In emmergency, actually we can do some work around by pouring liquid ink to the ribbom. But this method is work only for temporary. The ribbon of my type writer was also special. It have two colors. Red and black. So we can type with red or black color. There are so many stories with this type writer. Maybe I will share again sometime later.

Like I always make a bullshit to you, I always one to publish my own writing either novel or a reliable technical book. Hopefully I can turn this bullshit to not bullshit anymore. I know you must be saying about nike shoes. :)

That's all for now.

PS: I love u

Dear wifey - H-1

Dear Bunda,

Time flies. It has been more than 1 year since the first time we met. And it almost exactly 1 year we have married. H minus 1. It is like a dream. Although mostly we spent time away from each other since married. I hope and I believe our heart will be always close.

This time 1 year a go I was still in office. Little bit nervous I wathed the clock oftenly. I have to make sure arrive at the airport ontime because considering Jakarta's traffic always never lovely. At the same time I coordinated my parents and sisters, to make sure they arrived at airport ontime as well. Around 5 PM I went out from office. Went downstair through elevator while bringing our memorable red luggage. I stop the taxi from loby and ask the driver to go to airport. At the sametime my mother seems panicked, because dad have problem with his bike when on the way home. The bike tire hit some spike. I just ask mom to calm down and hire taxi instead from Cileungsi. Anyway it was understable to be panic. Friday evening trafic of Jakarta is so so not lovely.

After some hours finaly I arived at aiport. Almost at the same time with mom and dad. And not too long sisters also arrived using damri from campus. We head directly to checkin counter. Feel little relieved because at least we were not late. After checkin and drop baggage in the counter we were heading to inside terminal. The funny thing was after such hurry and a lot of worries for being late, at the end we had to face that the flight delayed for more than 3 hours. So you have to wait alone in Surabaya at that time. After very boring waiting finally we got the plane. Take off and after some hours touchdown in Surabaya. It was almost midnight. Thankfully you already book all our car to Jember. Although I still remember you handover our luggages to wrong driver which you thought was Cipaganti driver.

We spent our time on back seat of the car. Deep think, light talk. And today, it has been exactly one year after that events. Many years still wait us in forward. With a lot challenges and dreams wait to chase. Just with you. Thank you for accepting my proposal. Thank you for accepting for to be my wife.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - The Train (2)

Dear Chubby,

I forgot whether I have share this story or not. I have tried one time long distance train in Indonesia. Argo Bromo Anggrek. The train was departed from Gambir Jakarta to Gubeng or Pasar Turi (I forgot) in Surabaya. I had traveled on 2007 the first time I visit Surabaya for IMCC event. The great feeling when travel by train is, it is never interupted. On the train there is no intersection. No traffict light. Almost no passer by. Train have main priority. More priority will be granted for executive class train. Because other train have to wait executive to pass. From what I know from Jakarta to east java, most of the line is still single line. That's why all the train have to take part one by one to travel through the line.

The most beauty when ride the train is scenary. From Jakarta the train departed at night. Almost cannot see at all because outside just dark with some random lights. The train keep heading to east. Pass Bekasi, and what I remember somewhere in central Java. It was around dawn time. Since it was an executive train, it is not stop to often. It just stop for a while in very big station only. And no one except passenger can enter the train. No seller, no beggar and no amateur singer.

Start from that are somewhere in central Java the sun has risen little bit. At least I can see something outside the window. I can see the life. People who start their activity. Go to rice field, student goes to school, public servant goes to ofice. Some use bicycle, some just walk, some public angkot seems so crowded, some use old motorbike, some simple car passing suround. The train keep moving. Pass the city, some small village, rice fields, mountain, a lot of nice thing. Most of the passenger just still sleep. It was Ramadhan, I didn't eat anything, just some simple bread for Sahur.

Some few hours later the train arrive. At the first time in Surabaya. All passengers alight from the train. It was so hot.

To Be continued.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - The Train (1)

Dear Chubby,

I always love riding the train. Even in least development country like emmm (Indonesia) I like the train. Of course in Indonesia I will consider only above economy class of train. Because economy class seems so scary.

In Singapore trains are everywhere. Intercity. We call it MRT. In central area most of the line is put under the ground. So we cannot see anything outside. Except when we stand in most front of undrived automatic train like circle line. From there we can act as a train driver and see dark tunnel in fron of us. Out of central are some of the line will be above the ground. From there at least we can see some view. Mostly man made view. A bulding, a road or some cars. There are not too much interest from the train in Singapore except the people itself. The people that busy with their own business and become more and more less to talk each other.

To be continued :)

PS: I love you

Dear Wifey - Happy New Year

Dear bunda,

Little bit sharing about hijri year. Hijri year is started when first time Prophet Muhammad hijrah to Madinah. This hijrah is important factor for islamic dakwah at that time. Since Mecca is becoming not too safe. Prophet have to move to another place to gain new Islam strength. In Madinah Prophet start to lead the muslim using syar'i law. That's why many verses that is released when Prophet in Madinah many relate to life law while when still in Mecca many verses relate to Tauhid.

Unfortunately, different with gregorian new year, Islamic new year sometime is not considered important to some of muslim itself. From that reason of beginning this new year is good to choose as a starting point for some of our life resolutions. How we also have to hijrah to be better.

Since sometime, i often like to write a resolution. Usually I did in gregorian new year, on my birthday, in Aidul Fitri or sometime in this Hijri as well. Usually I have long list resolution detaily. For now let just make a simple hope, for our marriage will be never lasting. And happiness will be always with us. Please always stay beside me. Hold hand each other. Embrace and cuddle. Share and story telling each other. Laugh and always play even how old we are. Keep chasing the dream and catching it. Before next year, hopefully we already have proper shelter to live in. In some beautiful place on earth. Where we will growth our children together.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Random Thought

Dear Bunda,

Singapore is always feel nice. Everything is in order. No trafic jam. Less criminal. Much comfort. Actually if later we will rich enough, staying in this country will be a great choice. Because even though if we are boring, we can just do a short flight to visit some exotic travel site in Indonesia. But let see, maybe in few years from now Jakarta will be improved. That's gonna be cool when Jakarta will have their own MRT system. Reliable bus. No beggar no pengamen no pak ogah. Let see.

How is in Ilmenau? There is must be no mall. No MRT also for sure. Maybe there are some snow there. Beautiful castle perhaps? I always wonder europe. I always curious to touch natural ice by my own hand. Hopefully in couple of months from now we can make plenty of saving and secure saving of course for our plan future, for emergency saving as well and to do some adventour with you.

Time is fast but sometime slow, depend of with whom wi spent it. For me most of time, time is slow. Because you are far a way from me. But mathematically we will meet again very soon. For another adventour. For another enermous love. For another share and story. For another laugh and happiness.

I will wait you in couple of months from now. The scenario is slightly changing. But our life movie must be will be a very great movie.

Dear wifey - Morning

Dear Bunda,

I always love about live in rural area. In the morning everybody are busy. Children goes to school. Labour go to factory. Women go to traditional market. Ojek driver ride here and there picking many passengers. Chicken and duck also busy searching some foods on the street. There are no sophisticated thing like MRT or nice bus. There are some small angkot of course. There are no busy employee playing their smartphone on public transport. Some people will just use a standard handphone here. Only for sms or phone call.

How about morning food? Let's see some chicken porridge stall there. So many people queueing to get a bowl of breakfast. In another cart there is a rice cake vegetable a.k.a lontong sayur. The coconut milk plus rice cake and sometime some chicken plus fried onion at the top and some cracker is awesome choice in the morning. In some warung some student also queueing for another breakfast option. Uduk rice. This is a rice that is cooked with some extra coconut milk. Usually served with some sweet noodle, fried snack like bakwan, peanut sauce and cracker. Full of vegetable oil that is actually not too health. But its taste good anyway.

My favorite since childhood is uduk rice. I also sometime enjoy with extra snack, fried banana. When I was in school the lunch menu usually similar. Uduk rice plus fried bakwan. Sometime I think, how I can be smart with such unhealthy food? :) Of course these diets are uncomparable with recommended modern diets like less calory food, not too much vegetable oil, a lot fruits and veg, plus some milk and multivitamin. But for us we just have to satisfy with uduk rice or sometime chicken porridge. If sometime later we will live abroad, the thing that I will miss so much is this morning food and morning activity in Indonesia rural area. Whererever we live, that wil gonna be always sweet as long with you.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Dear Jakarta

Dear Bunda,

My yesterday statement is just kidding. Please don't take it seriously. I didn't write email yesterday because I was little bit lazzy. Hehe. I know you must be in hurry when you were in dusseldorf.

Dear bunda, going home to Indonesia without you are here is weird. There are not much fun and happiness in my mind. I still remember the excitement on Friday evening when I had to go back to Indonesia to meet you, while you was still in Indonesia. I will run so fast to the bus stop. Run again in MRT station. Run again in airport, just to make sure I will arrive as early as I can. But without you here I don't hurry at all. I took Saturday morning flight instead of Friday evening. Just walk normally. No run no fast walk.

The first time I arrived in Indonesia again is boring as usual. There are actually several enhancement in airport services. For example they have dedicated bus shelter for Damri. In that shelter there is a big LCD showing the bus schedule queue. So we can aproximate when our bus will come. At other side, in that shelter there is one special area for F*CKING smoker. I am sorry for my impolite word. But I hate smoker so much. The have to realize that every drop of smoke that is breath by other will make their suffer more in hell I hope. Sorry for being rough.

After wait only for a couple of minutes my bus arrive. I get on the bus. The bus start to move. In parking area of airport I saw something interesting. There is a car stop because have to pick up some people. Behind this car is another car that look impatient. The back start to horn several times and dim the front light indicating he don't want to wait. The girl from the front car who is in hurry pushing maybe her parent or grand parent start to shout. "Sabar!!!".

Sometime I went to a deep tought. Why people can be so impatient. Why people can be so rough? Why people can be so undiscipline? The worst thing from all of it, that people is from my country and even from same religion with me as well.

After the bus entering the main road, some familiar things start to happen. Traffic jam. Worst public transport system. It hard to imagine about how we can growth our children in city like this? Maybe we shall not. Look another city or better place? Not sure as well. Let just plan the best and let our God decide which one is really the best.

To be continued.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - The most important person in my life

Dear Bunda,

One day in a master lecture, the lecturer asked the students to write 10 most important person in their life. The list of people which student want to be with forever. List of people which they love most. Everybody doing what had been asked. Most of them will write mother, father, children, husband or wife, then some of close friends, etc until 10 count run out.

The professor ask to remove 5 from list. Who are the most important person? They start to remove close friends from list. Most of the student leave close family in the list which are parents, children and spouse.

The professor again ask to remove one. Students start to have vary decissions. But most of them will remove either one of parent or children.

Again the professor ultimately ask to remove all, except one person. Who is the only most important person in your life? The thing start so difficult. After hard decission, all of student start to decide.

The professor then ask one of his most brililiant student to reveal the answer.

"If I can only choose one, my wife is the most important person in my life." The student speak.

"Why?" The professor asked back.

"Friends are important for me. Parents and children are also important. But we cannot choose our parent either who are our children. God selects for us. In other side, we decide to whom we married with definitely. With careful and proper decission of course. That's why if only want to choose, I just want to be with my wife, forever."

The professor smile with that answer.

If I were asked, the answer will be similar. Because you are the most important person in my life. I love you with all my life.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Speaker Dream

Dear Bunda,

Have I ever told you that I always want to be a speaker. An engaging speaker. The closest thing that I want to speak about is what I am often doing, Software Engineering. Of course I also want to learn to speak about other things as well. Speaking about Islam for example. But now let me focus one by one.

In 2010 I attended Google Developer Fest in Jakarta. There are many speakers presenting many topics. One speaker resides in my mind until now and motivate me to be like him. His name is Timothy Jordan. His title is (if I am not mistake) Google Evangelist. Which means someone who really passionate with technology. At that time he spoke about social web platform. He introduce several protocol in exchanging social information like Atom, Salmon Protocol and pubsubhubbub (it's not typos, it's the name) protocol.

Ordinary speaker usually will speak using nice suite clothes. Tidy hair. Full manner talk. But IT industry revolutionize those things. Much speaker prefer casual style. Remember Steve Jobs who just using t-shirt when doing presentation. Or Bill Gates that often wear his famous sweater. So that Timothy Jordan. If we see him before going to stage we will think that he must be a band vocalist. He is quite short as westerner. He has colored his hair with a kind of emo style cutting. He use jeans and a t-short. There is an earrings in on of his ear. He looks more like a rookstar than a speaker.

Maybe he have a band but he is a truly a speaker too. He start his presentation by jumping several time in the stage. For another 45 minutes of his presentation, time flies. Every technical thing is explained with very easy way and sometime funny. Somehow what he did represent me. I want to see myself in such stage.

Since a long time a go I want to be a teacher. In general meaning, teacher is someone who share. The things that can be shared are such us wisdom, knowledge or maybe just simplifying the complex thing and not complicating the simple thing. Few month from now I want to see myself standing in one stage, speak and share. Hehe hopefully not a day dream

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Surprising Scenario

Dear Bunda,

Hal paling menyedihkan saat berjauhan adalah tak bisa saling menjaga secara langsung. Kita selalu bisa bicara, melihat dan bahkan bercanda. Tapi aku tak bisa menyentuh dan membelaimu apalagi di saat kamu sedang sedikit kurang sehat. Jika ada di dekatmu setidaknya aku ingin membuatkan kamu makanan dan minuman. Menyelimutimu dan memelukmu erat. Lekas sehat ya sayang. Makan dan tidurnya dijaga dengan baik. Pikirannya pun selalu dibuat riang.

Berbicara skenario kehidupan kita harus selalu banyak bersyukur saat ternyata (mengutip kata meme) "everything went better than expected". Saat pertama bunda berangkat kuliah aku tak pernah terbayang untuk bisa berkumpul sebelum dua tahun. Tapi ternyata tidak selama itu. Lebaran kita berkumpul. Insya Allah Februari tahun baru cina pun kita berkumpul lagi, merayakan tahun baru cina (loh!!). Hehe aku bercanda mengenai tahun baru cina. Memang banyak skenario-skenario kejutan menyenangkan yanh terjadi di hidup kita. Terkadang tak sabar untuk menunggu kejutan menyenangkan apa lagi yang akan datang? Pindah ke USA atau Finland misalnya? Jalan-jalan ke Jepang? Berangkat haji? Never under estimate our dream and never lower your effort and also never give up before trying (the last statement is from you).

Sampai ketemu dalam waktu kurang dari 4 bulan lagi. Nanti hubby akan selalu merawat bunda. Hubby rela menggendong gajah ke kamar mandi kalau bunda malas jalan (loh!). Hehe.

PS : I love you

Dear wifey - More Than Simply Java

Dear Bunda,

Did you know when my first interaction with Java? I have interested in computer since my childhood. Although I want to be a programmer since that time although I didn't know what is programmer do exactly. What I knew, that job seems so cool. And I always like be cool or at least looks cool. :p

I just interacted to them first time in junior high school. We were practicing use wordstar for word processor (this is kind dinosaur era of Microsoft World) and lotus 123 (great grandfather of Microsoft Excel) for spreadsheet and DOS (great great ancestor of Microsoft Windows) as operating system. You supposed had same experiences as well, otherwise then Jember is really far behind Jonggol. :p In high school is my first interaction time with programming language. I was learning Pascal and learning sometime with Visual Basic.

The real programming experience happened in university. We were programming from level to high level. Low level mean we were programming chip directly using machine binary language. In high level I were learning C language. And I was falling in love with it. All building block of modern computing can be said build by C and C++. C++ is classy and more sophisticated version of C. Let say for example, most operating system like Microsoft Windows, Unix family like Linux and Mac OS, include Android and iOS are built by C. Even higher level programming language runtime like Java itself is built by C. Most video game for PC and console like Playstation, XBOX, Nintendo are also built use C and its counterpart C++. C is fast. But C is difficult and not portable. That's why for other than mission critical system like operating system, flight traffic management, or system that have to be very fast people prefer to use more portable and easy code. Let's introduce Java, one of the platform that has boomed in more than 15 years.

My interest with Java is because it portability. We can run exactly same java binary in all operating system without need to recompile. Binary is machine code that can be understood by computer. Compile is a process to translate textual human code to machine code. Even Java can run in variety of devices. Mobile devices, GPS system, etc.

It was one day in 2007 when I saw one poster in my university announcement board. Indonesia Mobile Com Creativity Contest announcement in ITS Surabaya. I started thinking what kind of project that I can prepared for such contest? What kind of system that involve mobile and communication? After few days brainstorming with myself I decided to build SMS gateway system for praying time. The system will receive SMS query, parse the text and reply the requested data. The software will be installed in my server which connected to GSM modem that can receive and read SMS. Let's see by example. When user texting "Sholat Bogor", it will be processed by system and calculate 5 praying time in particular day for Bogor location. The calculation can be done using a kind of astronomical formula involving coordinate of requested city and some other special parameter. Calculation result then will be replied again to user through SMS. Btw that time is emerging time of SMS services in Indonesia. Just after I finishing the system, SMS premium services became so booming in Indonesia.

After gathering that system requirement I sent the proposal to contest committee. After couple of weeks, the committee announced participant who is invited to final, which mean have to build the system described in proposal and present it in front of judges. Although I'd never expect to pass proposal selection, I was one out of 10 finalist that is selected. Then I have to create the system.

First thing first is I have to decide which technology that I will use. The choice are between C, Visual Basic or Java. C is too complicated and too low level. It can be sophisticated but difficult. Visual Basic is not my style. VB is Microsoft minded and usually used by newbie not a geek programmer that just want to create windowed application in windows. I cross VB. Last option is Java. Actually that time I don't know too much about Java. I just know little bit from my basic in C. In syntax wise actually Java inherited many rule and syntax from C. But there is major paradigm shift that have to be learnt. C is procedural language. Java is object oriented. Don't get bothered with those terminology. Just imagine, Java is more conceptually difficult than C. After some consideration I decide to use Java.

It took only about 1 month to develop the system plus learn more advance Java at the same time. After the end of the month I finished the system and I went to Surabaya at the first time to present my project. I was not win anyway. The next year for the second time I was selected again for another contest. LCEN, Lomba Cipta Elektroteknik Nasional. I flew to ITS Surabaya again. And still not win. :p Btw those two project are always exist in my CV and my life milestone.

Few months later I was graduated with with thesis that is developed from baseline of my project in LCEN. RFID absent system using Java. After graduated I was still not sure what kind of job that I will live for. Most of my friends became teacher like what we supposed to do in our degree. But I want something different. I want to see the world. I want to start by being a young executive. I imagine myself use funky suite, shiny pantopel shoes, cozzy hair style and have office in beautiful building in Sudirman Jakarta. Later my wish granted after joining NFS for almost 2 years. But I've never use funky suite anyway. I prefer casual use jeans and simple t shirt.

I start to achieve that wish by hunting in newspaper vacancy advertisement. I was sent about 10 application via pos. I was not aiming any particular kind of job because I also don'k know yet what I want to be. I usually just sent application to management trainee opening. Because this position is opened for fresh graduate and don't bother about our major background. I have invited sometime for interview. One of notable interview is when I went to Sampoerna office in Cikarang. I get the reference from university for position a kind of auditor for their new machines for cigarette. I was interviewed by a young chinese guy in Jababeka area. After about 45 minutes of interview I went home. I've never called back anyway.

I also had attended some other interview and test. I had attend chevron selection in UI. But never had any progress as well. Other important experiences is when I called for test in Mitrais, one of software developer house that have workshop in Bali. The position is Java Developer. Because I have some experiences in Java coding, I pass the selection gracefully. Written test and oral test. It was my first job offer. But that time I didn't take it because I want to have Sudirman job and I don't want to go to Bali.

From this Mitrais experience I start to know where I supposed to head. Software development. I start to exploring internet job board. I have known about jobsdb since I was in university, but just that time I started. And I was wondered, there are so much IT job at that time. There so many Java developer job as well. I also can save my money without need to send application via pos. But just via email. I sent some and got some interviews also. Finally I took one of job offer from PT Sistema Indonesia, which I spent time to work there form more than 18 months. My first job, my first java job. At least from that time I know where I want to go next. I was starting to imagine about abroad. But just in imagination, without ever expecting one day I will write this email for my wife, from abroad, because of Java.

Before closing have I told you, one day I applied position for management trainee. But later invited to training for forex broker. :p

Wow, I have written quite many. More talking than simply Java. I think this email supposed to pay all my email debt right? Hehe. I love you for all my life.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - Tea Holic

Dear Bunda,

I don't know exactly since when I like a tea. But must be have been sometime. Tea is the simplest drink we can ever imagine. Basically we just need dried tea leaf, some sugar and boiled water. For other drink, for example coffe, there are some complication in fundamental level when we want to create our own natural coffe. We have to prepare the coffe seed. Burn it in oven and then break it into very small pieces before we can pour some hot water to the glass. If you wander to some home furnished store in kitchen or pub part you can seen unimaginable price of coffe machine that has been developed for coffe freak that cannot live without warm coffe drink in the morning. Anyway I don't like coffe.

Let's back to the tea. Tea is very cheap. Just with quite small amount money we can buy a box of full tea bag. We also have various brand to choose. Sometime I wonder how come almost similar tea leaf turned into various flavour. After get the tea bag just put it inside a cup. Pour a hotwater and some sugar, we can enjoy a great drink. In rural area tea will be gergous prepared with some sweet like fried banana or if you know, gemblong.

Beside hot tea, my main favorite is for sure, ice tea. The preparation process is almost same, except we add some ice cube in last step. This is the cheapest drink I can afford at the time I was in my school in university.

Btw I just remember again, tea also have some different purpose. In village usually they don't have good water for drink. The water just not transparent sometime little bit brown. Most people then use dry tea leaf for the drink to hide this brown water.

When move to singapore and malaysia, when we speak about tea it will have some different meaning. If we order in food court just by saying "tea" we will get tea milk. If we really want only tea, we have to say "plain tea" or most time "tea 0".

Ok there is maybe some of mind sharing about tea.

PS: I love you

Dear wifey - An Interesting Chatbox

Dear Bunda,

When I stared to your skype chatbox this morning Singapore time, I remembered about something. About few month a go, there was one day when I was also staring to one chatbox. At that time was yahoo messenger chatbox, which I alsmost never use that again for almost one year. I stared to a message from someone who just I'd met. Someone which I am hard to believe that she has been my wife.

That message that day is about asking to meetup for a lunch, because you was nearby my office. But since I was going for Friday praying I didn't aware that message. I just aware when it was too late because you already went back to your office. That day was one of my darkest day that time ;).

It just hard to believe, we have know almost a one and half year. We have been get merried almost for one year. All those things are just feel like yesterday.

Honey I just want to say hopefully our small family will be always life in harmony. I won't change if it head to something not good. I want to be stay the same. As the beginning time we met. The only reason when I want to change is to be a better state. Better husband, better personal, better individual, etc. Other than that I just want to be stay the some. Same love like what it was.

PS: I love you