Sunday, June 29, 2008

Pengen Nasi Timbel!!!!

Gw dari dulu ampe skarang masih craving dan kangen ama makanan satu ini: Nasi Timbel:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/colloidfarl/21371578/
http://images.google.com.au/images?q=Nasi+Timbel&ie=UTF-8&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&resnum=1&ct=title



Abies, jamannya dulu pas gw masih di bandung, orang tua usahanya restaurant (sunda, european, etc). Dan fave gw adalah ke rest sunda nya, dan this is on my top list. Nasi Timbel.

Ampe skarang, belum kesampean.

Hiks .. x(


Kenapa gw tiba2 kangen nasi timbel?


I really have no idea ...


Gw juga kok kayaknya engga nemu ya yg jualan nasi timbel di jkt?

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Shaafazka Development Update

Within 2 months period:
11 weeks 4 days, Monday, 23 April 2008:
Weight: 6.504kg
Length: 60.5cm

Gross Motor Skills:
-. Head wobbly while sitting

Handskills:
-. Hands partially unfold. Genggaman tangan udah lebih kuat. Briefly holds rattle.
-. Swipes aimlessly, fascinates on hands - understand that hands are actually extensions of her body. Malah kadang suka "jebew" sendiri kalo tangan na "ilang" tiba2, karena dia swinging aimlessly, dan engga taunya "ilang" dari pandangan na dia (padahal mah tangannya ada sebelah nya) ... pas dingelirik ke kiri/kanan, tiba2 diem lagi, dan dibawa balik ke tengah ... haeueauhe ...

Language Skills:
-. Makes louder sounds.
-. Cries louder.
-. Visually connects to parents. Holds eye contact.
-. Ketawa nya udah lebih gede / terkekeh-kekeh sometimes (hmm, apa niru babeh nya yang ini? heheheh)
-. Cries when put down.
-. Sucks fists and fingers, and quiet herself down by doing this.
-. Getting abit more ticklish.
-. Ketawa kalo pipinya dimain-main-in (makanya tambah mbem, babehnya maenin pipi na terus ... hehehe)


Wassalaam
Abu Shaafazka

Green Stool

Punten topiknya agak2 ... hmmm, agak2 lah pokoknya.

Shaafazka kemaren malam sempet excreeting green stool. Agak2 khawatir, karena engga pernah lagi in the last months or so. Kalo pas awal2 lahir, iyalah, emang beda, karena selain mainly fed on colostrum, also discreet liquid dari air ketuban.

Anyway, ngecek2 di internet:

http://www.babycenter.com.au/baby/dailycare/yourbabyspoo/
http://www.babycenter.com.au/baby/breastfeeding/greenstools/
http://au.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20071216212409AAqBPCA

Summary:
1. 'If your baby's stools are green and frothy she may be taking in too much lactose (the natural sugar found in milk), which happens if she feeds often, but doesn't get the rich milk at the end of the feed to fill her up. It may also be caused by overfeeding or underfeeding, or is a sign that your baby has a stomach bug.'

Make sure your baby finishes feeding from one breast before offering her the other. If the symptoms last longer than 24 hours, consult your health visitor or GP to try to find the source of the problem, as it may be due to a food sensitivity, medication or your feeding routine.

2. If your baby's stools are nearly always green and if he is not gaining weight well even though your milk supply seems fine, then it could be that he is getting too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk. As the foremilk is more dilute, with more lactose and less calories, it stimulates your baby's digestive tract to move the milk along too fast producing green, often explosive, nappies!

If you are taking him off the first breast before he comes off spontaneously, try waiting until your baby finishes the first breast to get enough hindmilk before offering the second breast; it may even be that he will only need one breast per feed. Ask a breastfeeding counsellor or infant feeding specialist to check that your baby is properly latched on and that he is managing to extract all the calorie-rich hindmilk.


Anyway, emang kemaren2 latching nya agak susah, i.e. Shaafazka minum ASI nya males2an. Hari ini sedikit "dipaksa" agar dia mau latching and stay on feeding for couple of minutes biar dapet hindmilk nya itu tadi.

And alhamdulillah, her stool is back to normal again ... heheheh


Wassalaam
Abu Shaafazka

Monday, June 23, 2008

Yahoo Mail?

Kok gw engga bisa masuk yahoo mail gw ya?
Any maintenance issue w/ yahoo or something?

Dammit ...

I keyed in my user name and password as usual ... but just dont want to go in.


Tapi masuk email na ranie engga apa2. But she's on upgraded yahoo mail.
Gw masuk yang classic mode ... engga tau apakah ada beda nya atau engga.


Dammit.


Wassalaam
Sidqie

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Nappy Cloth di Jakarta/Bandung?

Salaam,

Ada yg tau tempat jual nappy cloth di Jakarta / Bandung ga?
Kakak saya nyari euy.

Masa mahal pisan di Jakarta, katanya nemu yang Rp1Jt-an per nappy?
Gile ... gw beli disini aja hargana Rp250,000-300,000 per 1 nappy (paket).

Nuhun sebelum na.

Wassalaam
Sidqie

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Moving ...

I'm moving or mirroring my writings about Shaafazka to: shaafazka.blogspot.com.

Just to make things easier for her to one day read the memoirs of her parents' experience since her birth.


Shaafazka,
This is our legacy to you my dearest.
We love you ...


Wassalaam
Ayah, Bunda.

BBC Planet Earth

This is a definitely must own documentary film ...

Very informative ...



Saving Time ... Lenses here I come ... :D

Salaam.

Yes, alhamdulillah. Since the start of the year, I committed to find some extra pocket money for my hobby. Photography.

Gw engga mau beli lensa, atau apapun pernak-pernik photography dari my main salary (karena engga ada uang na tea atuh da) ... tapi harus nabung dari kerjaan2 serabutan di fotografi ini.

Awal taun, ampe hari ini, gw udah dapet beberapa job lepas. Pre-Wedding, Post Wedding, Wedding Full Day Coverage. Hari minggu kemaren ada event coverage selama dua jam, business lunch on weekend.
Dan towards the end of the year, ada post wedding photo juga.

Alhamdulillah, target untuk beli lensa EF 100mm macro via ebay dikit lagi tercapai ... (or beli Strobist Kits via MPEX http://www.mpex.com/page.htm?PG=Strobist%20Kits)

Hmmmm ...


Ayo lah, akhir taun, mendekat ... biar gw cepet2 selsein project photo gw satu lagi ... huhuuuuu


Wassalaam
Sidqie

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Alhamdulillah ... again and again ...

Salaam.

Alhamdulillah, All Praise is To Allah.

Yesterday I received a call from the agency that tried to hook me up with an Energy Co's, but they said, I couldnt get an interview, coz they put more emphasist on analytic experience, than inventory management or contract negotiation experience. I said it's fine.
Within 2 hours, one of his colleague gave me a call, and said she's working with Visy Recycling, and there's currently a vacancy in their procurement dept. I said, yeah, why not?...
(http://www.visy.com.au/)

This morning, had a call from Courtenay (the agent for PMI), he's trying to get me across for Fonterra (http://www.fonterra.com.au/)

Lunch time, I went to Kabo Lawyers to pass them the DVD/Photographs (FYI, I did work for them last Sunday to photographing an event, for 2 hours), and Konfir // the owner/boss, asked me whether I can do the staff photography, to update their website, etc ... by next week.
And for this photography thing, I bumped into a friend of mine after work at JB-HiFi (I done wedding coverage with him couple of months back; he was the videographer), he asked me to pass him my resume (photography) along with sample photos, as a professional photographer in Sydney is looking for an assistant in Melbourne. For wedding photography only, and weekend jobs.

After lunch time, I received a call from IBM! ... Finally ... !!! I've been anxiously waiting for some update from them since 2 weeks ago.
Land myself an interview for next wednesday.

Subhanallah. Subhanallah. Subhanallah. Glory is to Allah.
His Rizq come from various places that we think is impossible.


Terima kasih ya Allah ...


And now, it is my turn to perform my ikhtiar and do'a. And tawakkal for the best decision from Allah. Insha Allah. Amin. Amin. Amin. (ps: Edo ... teriak aminnya beda pasti ... hahaha)


Wassalaam
Sidqie




It is OK to reject a job offer

Salaam,

It is OK to reject a job offer. For real man ...


In the last couple of days, after I reject an offer for PMI role with an agency, for a short time, I dont feel like myself again. I.e. hmmm, will the agent reluctant to offer me any more jobs. Et cetera.

Then, the information I get after a few days, made me feel abit better:

1. A friend of mine since I was in Uni, she told me that she received 2 job offers. She rejected one offer, and going to move to IBM Consulting.

2. One of my colleague in my current workplace, she's quitting her job next month. But she said, she recently rejected an offer as well. She wanted to make sure that her next move, will be a career where she can actually relates with the company, not just as a stepping stone. Hmm, I remember myself saying that as well ... anyway ...

3. Yesterday, had an interview with another agency, for Toyota role. Two roles that he's offering: 1. Senior Buyer and 2. External Logistics Senior Analyst. The former, is the original job I'm applying for, and the latter, he mentions that there's already a candidate for the job, but he may reject the offer to go with another company.

4. I had a call this morning from the agent that hook me up with PMI. What a nice surprise ... I thought I wont be hearing from him ... ever ... :D He put me across to a job he's currently working on as a Category Specialist Indirect Material and Services. But this is a 12 month contract, as the person is on Maternity Leave. He even mentions, since this is a contract role, the $$$ is even bigger than what PMI offer me. The annual leave, sick leave, etc, are still intact.


So yes, it is OK to reject a job offer. Dont worry that you wont get anymore calls from the original agent you work with. If you are a great candidate, they'll definitely work along with you throughout.


Here's some tips on how to reject a job offer:

1. http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2006/aug/23job.htm
2. http://jobsearch.about.com/od/careeradviceresources/qt/jobreject.htm
3. http://www.docstoc.com/docs/14879/To-reject-a-job-offer


Also couple of articles on how to handle counter-offer from your current employee:
1. http://www.careerperfect.com/content/job-interview-questions-counter-offer/
2. http://www.quintcareers.com/career_doctor_cures/salary_counter-proposal.html
3. http://www.quintcareers.com/salary_counter_proposal.html


Monday, June 16, 2008

Mati Satu ... Tumbuh ... Tiga ...

Salaam,

Kill off the offer from PMI.

Alhamdulillah, dapet telpon dari beberapa agency, satu untuk Procurement Analyst untuk company mana engga tau. Yg kedua untuk Buyer di Toyota! ... Phew ... gw pengen banget masuk Toyota, just for the fact that most of the Supply Chain innovation practices originated from Toyota.

Yg ketiga, dapet telpon konfirmasi dari National Foods untuk appointment next Tuesday.


Ya Allah, berikanlah yang terbaik. Amin.


Wassalaam.
Sidqie

Sunday, June 15, 2008

What's In Store ....

Ok ...

So what's in store for me next ...

I'm still waiting for IBM.
Going to apply for CSIRO.

And various of other things.

And, next Tuesday, I have an appointment ready with Stephen Bickers, General Manager Logistics in National Foods. Again, bukan interview, tapi hanya ngobrol2 for future opportunities with the company.


Wallahu alaam.


Wassalaam.
Sidqie

Messages // PMI

Text Msgs:

Last Week:
Mum: IBM still takes time. Gimana PMI? Mau try luck di IBM aja? Yg jd prinsip mam, its NOW or NEVER. Kesempatan tdk akan datang 2x. Jadi kalo Q ambil PMI itu hanya sebagai batu loncatan, cari pengalaman sesuai dengan bidang Q.

- ...
I didnt respond ...

This morning:
-. Mum: Gimana keputusan kerja? Nxt 3 years coba apply di Jakarta, tapi lihat sikon New Government or why not try to apply in Malaysia, biar mam deket nengok cucu.

-.
My sms to Ranie: Beib, I'm accepting the offer yah?


-
Ranie: Harta, jabatan, anak, istri, adalah ujian dear. Moga ayah, keluarga besar kita, lulus dalam ujian ini. Ada uang/ga, ya biasa aja. Tetep humble, hidup sederhana. Malah dengan datangnya bnyk harta, ujian dan pertanyaan di akhirat nanti lebih berat. N jangan lupa, harta yang sebenernya dari sedekah kita, dari penghasilan yang diridhai oleh Allah.


-
My thoughts, and the last three days experience and research:
1. My istikharah and do'a: My heart inclined to reject the offer, but the package offered and career path, is sooo lustworthy.
2. I was a heavy smoker, during my early phase of life. And when I quit, I encourage people to quit as well, specially my parents. Isn't it naive to try to make your love ones to quit smoking, but you yourself, is working in a tobacco company? Not only that,
3. My research online, and I attended few lectures by Brother Yusuf Estes over the weekend, it all pointed toward for me to reject the application.


Isn't it foolish to go against what Allah have been trying to show me in the last few days?
Ada ayat Allah di dalam Al-Quran, yang, more or less, isinya begini:
Bisa jadi engkau menyukai sesuatu, tapi itu bukanlah yang terbaik dihadapan Allah.
Bisa jadi engkau membenci sesuatu, tapi dihadapan Allah, itu adalah yang terbaik.

Wallahu alaam.

Then I decided, to forego this opportunity for good.


---

Courtenay,

Apology for getting back to you really late.

The issue is still unresolved within my family.

As much as I wanted to accept the role, unfortunately, I have to decline PMI's offer. I am very sad myself, but, rather than accepting the role, in which it might creates alot of tension within my family and affecting my performance. I am letting this offer pass, and will patiently waiting for another opportunity to come by.

My apologies to Christine, and Daan Zoet who have spent their time and energy for the interview process. And my biggest apology is to yourself who have made tremendous effort in trying to match me up with the job. I hope this will not effect my relationship with yourself or Hudson Recruitment in general, for my future endeavour in job hunting.

Thank you again for your help and advice to date.


Regards,
Sidqie Djunaedi



-----------


Ya Allah, aku menolak ini karena Engkau, dan aku mohon ya Rabbi, berikanlan pengganti rezekiMu ini dengan yang lebih mengundangan RahmatMu, dan dibukakannya pintu Surga FirdausMu.


On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (may He be glorified) is that He said:

“‘O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another.
O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you.
O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you.
O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you.
O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you.
O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it.
O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.’”


Aku mohon, jagalah iman kami, keluarga kami, rezeki kami, dari segala sesuatu yang kotor dan haraam, agar kami bisa berkumpul kembali disuatu hari kelak, di dalam Surga Firdaus-Mu Ya Rabbi. Dengan keluarga yang kami cintai, dengan Rasulullah yang kami rindukan, dengan para sahabat yang kagumi keimanannya. Ya Allah, Janji Engkau adalah Benar. Aku mohon, lapangkanlah hati ini.


Wassalaam

Sidqie



Thursday, June 12, 2008

Hadith Qudsi

On the authority of Abu Dharr al-Ghifari (may Allah be pleased with him) from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) is that among the sayings he relates from his Lord (may He be glorified) is that He said:

“‘O My servants, I have forbidden oppression for Myself and have made it forbidden amongst you, so do not oppress one another.
O My servants, all of you are astray except for those I have guided, so seek guidance of Me and I shall guide you.
O My servants, all of you are hungry except for those I have fed, so seek food of Me and I shall feed you.
O My servants, all of you are naked except for those I have clothed, so seek clothing of Me and I shall clothe you.
O My servants, you sin by night and by day, and I forgive all sins, so seek forgiveness of Me and I shall forgive you.
O My servants, you will not attain harming Me so as to harm Me, and you will not attain benefiting Me so as to benefit Me.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as pious as the most pious heart of any one man of you, that would not increase My kingdom in anything.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to be as wicked as the most wicked heart of any one man of you, that would not decrease My kingdom in anything.
O My servants, were the first of you and the last of you, the human of you and the jinn of you to rise up in one place and make a request of Me, and were I to give everyone what he requested, that would not decrease what I have, any more than a needle decreases the sea if put into it.
O My servants, it is but your deeds that I reckon up for you and then recompense you for, so let him who finds good praise Allah and let him who finds other than that blame no one but himself.’”

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Rezeki Allah Itu Luas

Salaamz.

Online lagi di seek.com ....

Tiba2, jadi banyaaaakkk banget kerjaan di bidang Strategic Procurement.

I'll review my CV tonight, and will send them off.


Dunia itu luas.
Rezeki Allah itu lebih luas lagi.

Kenapa gw mesti fokus ke area yang "abu2"?
Jika area yang "putih" jauh lebih banyak lagi?


Semua form ibadah kepada Allah itu haraam, kecuali ada kejelasan dari Quran dan Sunnah, bahwa itu halal.
Semua yang ada di dunia ini halal, kecuali ada kejelasan dari Quran dan Sunnah, bahwa itu haraam.

Wallahu alaam.


Regards,
Sidqie


Ps: this is definitely a reminder for myself, first and foremost.

Luv u dear ... coz of Allah

Bunda,

Makasih yah, udah dengan sabar ngingetin Ayah, if I'm slowly going "astray" dari panduan Quran dan Sunnah Rasulullah.

There are so many things to learn about life, and we have to face it bravely.
Together, insha Allah, we can do this.

Perbedaan pendapat between us, is what keep things going forward, and to have a more dynamic life in our house.

Do'a yang ayah minta dulu ke Allah, untuk memberikan seorang istri yang bisa menutup segala kekurangan ayah, is answered perfectly.


I luv you dear ... coz of Allah.


Wassalaam.
Sidqie



Istikharah

Salaamz.

Gw lagi menghadapi suatu dilema yang cukup akut :)

Keterima kerja di Philip Morris International hari Rabu lalu, bikin gw bingung jungkir balik.
I consult my situation briefly with my bestfriend and a true brother in Islam.
First, he asked me, how do I feel it in my heart? Karena Allah memberikan hati kita for a reason.

Kedua, he explained to me about the ruling of cigarette from Islamic perspective.

Ketiga, he adviced me to go and pray Istikharah. Mintalah yang terbaik.
Jika ini memang yang terbaik, minta mudahkan hati ini menerimanya. Jika bukan, minta dilapangkan dada untuk bersabar, dan PASTI Allah akan menggantikannya dengan yang lebih baik.
Ketika menolak untuk mengambil tawaran kerja ini, make do'a in your heart: "Ya Allah, aku menolak ini karena Engkau, dan aku mohon, berikanlan pengganti rezekiMu ini dengan yang lebih mengundangan RahmatMu, dan dibukakannya pintu Surga FirdausMu".

Keempat, alasan2 yang gw kemukakan untuk mengambil kesempatan ini memang valid, but then, wouldn't it be the same thing to say "gw drug dealing aja, karena uang nya akan lebih cepat menghasilkan, dan gw bisa keluar dari masalah gw lebih cepat lagi".
Or making this as a stepping stone for 2 years or so. Or being able to support my family. These are valid reasons.

Kelima, memang, kerja dimanapun itu, misalnya, di Oil and Gas company, kalo ditilik lebih jauh lagi dalam supply chain mereka, pasti ada juga mereka support company di industry yang diharamkan juga, e.g. Alcoholic and Beverages, etc. But this is more indirect effect, compare to actually working in the industry.


----

After I finished my conversation with him, gw tidur, dan bangun untuk shalat tahajjud dan istikharah. I made my do'a and have a conversation with my own self for a while.

And then, I jumped on to Internet, balik lagi ngeliat seek.com.

And I saw an opportunity with IBM, sebagai Category Specialist juga, mirip2 dengan apa yg gw apply ke PMI.

Is this the answer to my prayer?
Wallahualaam. Tp, I wasted no time, dan gw langsung apply at 3.30AM last night. Hopefully, at least, I get a call for an interview.

Gw juga lgsg email agent gw yang trying to hook me up with PMI, gw minta waktu lagi.
7 hari setelah gw dikasih tau diterima. That means, it'll be next Wednesday. Gw juga bilang, di dalam Q&A session dengan Head of Operation, I bombarded him with various strategic and environmental/social responsibility issues. There are several responses that made me feel unease // didn't feel quite right.


Ya Allah, jika memang pekerjaan ini yang terbaik, maka mudahkanlah. Jadikan hati ku tenang menerimanya. Dan terimalah taubatku dalam hari2 kedepan aku menjalaninya.

Ya Allah, jika ini bukan yang terbaik, maka gantikanlah rezeki ini dengan yang lebih baik, lebih banyak agar aku bisa membantu keluarga ku, gantikanlah dengan rezeki yang halal dan thayyiban.

--------------------


This is some research I've done on Smoking and Cigarettes:

http://www.emro.who.int/publications/EMROPublications/HealthEdReligion/Smoking/FT_AbdullahalMishad.htm

1. The Prophet PBUH also said: "God has sanctioned certain obligations which you shall not neglect; He laid down certain limits which you shall not exceed; and He passed over certain things in silence out of compassion for you and not out of being forgetful and these you had better leave undiscussed" (reported by Al-Bukhari, Muslim and Al-Daraqutni, as relayed by Abu Thaalaba).
The sharia as laid down by God for His servants, has specific purposes, namely: necessities, needs and supplementaries to help in meeting the requirements of sharia.
Necessities are components upon which the life and welfare of people depend, as they bring benefit to them and keep evil away from them. If one such component is missing, the whole life system is disturbed and chaos and corruption prevail.

Those components are: the soul (self), the mind, wealth, religion and honour. Clear-cut stipulations emphasized the importance of the soul, the mind and wealth, and the necessity of preserving and protecting them from harm. To destroy or violate them is strictly prohibited, and that is why when God created them He set definite rules aiming at the preservation and protection of those elements, as well as the prevention of the destruction or violation of them.

The soul is the being or the essence of life God says: Do not kill yourselves (4:29). God created life and enjoined marriage as the means for the procreation and survival of the species. To preserve life God called on man to earn a living (food, drink and shelter), and to keep it out of harm's way God prescribed retaliation (qissass), blood money and penance. God says: And do not with your own hands cast yourselves into destruction (2:195). And destruction here includes torture, poverty and fear. God says:

They only destroy their own souls (6:26). Man's life is of great value. It ought to be preserved and spared destruction. Survival is a human instinct. All laws, both divine and man-made, safeguard human life and declare it unlawful for a person to kill another or do harm to another unless for the protection of society. Sanctions are prescribed to penalize transgressors and deter others. Thus the right to live, the most important of all the prescribed rights, is established. The sharia forbids self-destruction: And kill not yourselves, for surely God is most merciful to you. If anyone does that in rancour and injustice soon shall we cast him into the fire (4:29-30). The Prophet PBUH says "And he who killed himself by falling from the top of a mountain would certainly fall in hell-fire". In the farewell sermon the Prophet PBUH says: "O Men, your lives and your property shall be inviolate until you meet your Lord".



2.
Wealth: is held by God on a par with children: Wealth and children are the adornment of the present world (18:46). It was graciously bestowed by God upon His servants: And we succoured you with riches and children and made you outnumber them (17:6), in men who take pride in wealth and children. God warns people against spending money on things that will harm them: O you who believe, let neither your riches nor your children divert you (63:9). That is by spending these riches uselessly and in ways that cause harm. Again He says: And know that your wealth and your children are but a testing temptation (8:28), that is, putting you to the test, for He will be asking you to account for the money you spend as well as for your deeds

(Click on the link above for further information)



Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Aaa ... Yah ...

Wednesday, 11.June.2008.

Yap, this is Shaafazka first word.
Barusan Shaafa baru aja diganti popok ama Bunda.
And I just finished my dinner.
Shaafazka lagi bawel mode on.
Ya udah, sekalian aja coba ajarin kata2. Kayaknya "ayah" satu kata yg paling gampang.

Then ... it just out, setelah beberapa kali nyoba. "Aaa ... Yah" ... it was really loud and clear.
Whoohooo ... Ranie and myself was just really surprised to hear.
Kemudian jadi less clear, but the words are there, inserted between her mumbling ...

Heheh ...
Shaafazka nanti diajarin yg kata2 yg lain lagi ya ... insha Allah.

And today Shaafazka is 2 months and 8 days.


Luv you anakku.


Luv you bunda.


Wassalaam
Sidqie

Monday, June 9, 2008

Keterima ...

Salaamz.


Just received a call from my Agent. Dia bilang, PMI mau take me on board. He's waiting for the letter of offer dari PMI, yang nge-detailin paket nya apa aja ...

Alhamdulillah, dalam satu sisi, coz my background and experience is worth it.
Bingung dalam sisi yg lainnya.


Wassalaam
Sidqie
::is currently on bingung mode::


In-House Vs Outsource

Salaam,


When one read the above title, one sees the concept as something that originated from the Managerial World; an investment decision, whether one would like to take the process onboard, or outsource it to external parties.

The final decision, of course, will based on rigorous and methodical analysis (e.g. Cost-Benefits, SWOT, Porter's Five Forces, Six Sigma Framework, etc) of the situation at hand, also the nature of the investment itself (e.g. If the process is imperative to gain Competitive Advantage in the market, and want to protect the Capability, then, in-house is on top of the list; If the technology is already widespread, and one would like to reduce the overhead and re-focus its energy on what it does best, then Outsource is definitely need to be considered).


This methodical approach can also be applied in our everyday dealings. We certainly can use the various framework in our dealings. The width and depth of the analysis, of course, will be different compare when it is use by company.

Let me give few examples from my personal experience.


1. Day Care Centres / Baby Sitter vs Stay Home.
Ever since Ranie and myself are in the ta'aruf process, this topic always comes on our conversation table ... until now.

Pros: Additional $$$ bring in onto our table + Ranie be able to apply her formal knowledge on the work field + time for herself outside the house
Cons:
Less quality time spend w/ Shaafazka.
Due to the extensive dealings with baby sitter since I was born, closeness w/ parents get affected in some way. We are working our way to improve the family relationship.

Concerns: The quality of 3rd party (Day Care Centres around our area or, if we're in Indonesia/Jakarta, the quality of Baby Sitters is more of a concern too).

(Current) Solution:
1.1 Ranie work only 3 days a week (starting on January 2009, when she returns from her 12 month maternity leave).
1.2 Thorough review of the Day Care Centres, checking the quality of the staff involved in teaching and caring the children, checking food products (halal food availability), opening and closing times, scheduling our timetable for drop-off and pick-up at the Day Care Centre.


Previous experience suggested that:
1.1.1 3rd party quality assessment is proven to be (quite) difficult. A baby sitter has been appointed to take care of me since I was born in 1981. To this date, she's still staying with my family back home, taking a role as a head-chef.
A number of experiences amongst friends and families, locating a trusted babysitter who have integrity, remain an extremely difficult tasks. Hopefully, sourcing a good quality Day Care Centre around my area, would not be so difficult.


Currently, we're currently "outsourcing" our food prepn, i.e: catering. In Indonesia, you may have a "contract" with 3rd party to prepare your food, i.e. house-maid. For simple reason, we simply have little time to prepare for the food, and Shaafazka requires a high level of attention these days. As time changes, hopefully, this condition will follow suit.


Gotta go back to work again.


Wassalaam
Sidqie

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Huah ... Done ...

Wuih ... alhamdulillah, tadi udah kelar interview sama Philip Morris. 3 jam!! ... Freakin out ... kirain bakalan kelar in 1hr or so, karena normalnya begitu, tapi, tadi dibagi 3 session:

1. 09:00 - 10:00 AM: W/ Daan Zoet (Head of Operation) + Kathy (HR) - Interview Only
Then he's off dulu, karena dia ada briefing session buat the whole operation dept.

2. 10:00 - 11AM: w/ head of manufacturing (Primary; who reported to Daan) + Catherine HR - Interview + Site Visit (Manufacturing Area, Secondary)

3. 11.15 - 12:30PM: w/ Daan Zoet, Q&A Session.


From the name, I can only assume that he's from Netherland? Anyway, ternyata dia juga pernah tinggal di Malang dan Jakarta, specifically di Kemang.
Dulu katanya manufacturing site nya ada di Malang, and then pindah ke Bekasi dan Karawang? I dunno. Terus juga, ternyata istrinya orang Indo. Pantesan gw liat, kok foto anaknya, kayak orang indonesia banget. Bingung ... :D Ternyata ...

Lah, ini Q&A session kok jadi malah nanya2 ttg personal ... hehehe ... engga lah. Ini ngobrol2 pas dia nganterin gw ke resepsionis pas all the Q&A session is over.

Well, we'll see how it goes.

Recruitment agent gw ngakak pas tau gw interview ampe 3 jam.
Tapi dia bilang, kayaknya PMI mau get it over and done with, karena sebetulnya, setelah interview ama Daan ini, next step is an interview with the head of manufacturing.


Phew ... I'm just glad the interview is over and done with ...

Now, is just waiting for the result.


Wassalaam
Sidqie

Monday, June 2, 2008

Note gw buat loe ... yg mau nikah

Agak lucu emang orang2 ...

Ada yg mau nikah, udah siap secara financial dan mental, tapi belum nemu jodoh.
Ada yg udah punya calon, tapi katanya belum siap secara financial ...

This is for the latter ...
And this is for you ... *you know I'm talkin to you man ... * ... hehehe

Couple of things tips:
1. Prepare your budgeting. Liat keadaan financial skarang, identify unnecessary expenses that can be controlled and eliminated. And make a mock budgeting when you need to support 2 people in your household (not necessarily double all expenses, e.g. single food exp = 700 per month, and 2 ppl doesnt mean $1400, sometimes $800 or $900 should suffice etc Perhaps dengan dikurangi makan2 di luar, mulai masak di rumah, or "outsource" // catering).

2. Seringkali - insha Allah- , setelah nikah, pintu rezeki lebih terbuka lagi ... dan dimudahkan oleh Allah. I'll be glad to discuss my experience off-line regarding this matter.

3. The feeling of coming home to your own home, seeing your own wife ... dan apalagi kalau nanti diberikan rezeki Anak .... it just an amazing feeling. Iyalah, daripada pulang ketemu house mate yang cowok dan belekan dan belum mandi karena nongkrong di depan PS terus seharian, mending ketemu istri sendiri khan ... ?

4. Salah satu yg paling penting dan harus dipersiapkan: Mental. Lo harus berani untuk bilang ke orang tua lo, dan calon mertua lo ... "Saya mau menikah, dan insha Allah saya siap".
Another thing, you both need to understand dan be ready to start from scratch. Apakah itu dengan keadaan rumah yang masih kosong dengan perabotan yg "wah", mungkin naik sepeda ke kantor dan mobil diistirahatkan, dll.

Usahakan dengan segala cara, untuk mengurangi "investment" dari luar, terutama Yayasan Ayah Bunda, Yayasan Saudara Kandung dan Kawan Sejati (kalo ada). Karena dari situ, insha Allah, lo akan coba terus untuk maju dalam segi karier, negosiasi salary yang lebih getol, dll.


Jangan ampe nanti calon lo tiba2 di"transfer" ke temen2 berkategori yang pertama diatas. Gw yakin, banyak yang menanti dan dengan lapang dada menerima. Nangis darah lo nanti kehilangan dia ... hehehe ....

Untuk temen2 kategori yg lain ... ah, sudah, nanti aja dibahas off-line.

This message is for you ... and you freakin know who you are ... :D

Wassalaam
Sidqie

Sunday, June 1, 2008

"Sepi"

Assalamu'alaikum,

Keadaan rumah jadi "sepi" banget, kemarin baru nganter Mama (ibu na Ranie) pulang ke Qatar.
Kemaren pas rame2nya - awal2nya kelahiran Shaafazka - , yah, full house. Everyone from Ranie's family were here. But mum stayed with us for 2.5-3 months, and gave us a really helping hand in and around the house, and make sure that things goes smoothly in transition dengan kehadiran Shaafazka.

Definitely we'll miss her around.

Ada enaknya juga hidup berdekatan dengan keluarga, apalagi ketika hadirnya generasi penerus diantara kami. Terutama karena adanya dukungan moral.

Insha Allah, both Ranie and myself will do our best to raise Shaafazka. Untuk menjadi seorang muslimah yang tangguh, yang bertanggung jawab, yang mengerti tentang pentingnya kerja keras untuk mencapai kemenangan dunia dan akhirat.
Yang paling penting dan harus digaris bawahi adalah, mudah2an kami sebagai orang tua bisa menjadi pendidik yang terbaik untuk generasi penerus kami.

Insha Allah.

Our love to our family all around Australia, Indonesia and Qatar.


Luv u our lil one.
Do'akan kami yah 'Nak.

Wassalaam
Sidqie, Ranie.