Marrakech (Part 2)

If there is one word to describe the owner of Riad Zara, it must be A-N-G-E-L.

Monique is the angel. She is a French mother, at her 50's, having lived in Marrakech for 3.5 years. Grenoble origin, she runs the maison d'hotes herself (with a couple of aides), whilst her kids live in France.

The first two days Dita was ill. It was Monique who helped us call the doctor and volunteerily take us to the hospital. She even stayed there with us whilst Dita was going through all the procedures. I felt God has sent us an angel. If it was not for her, we could not imagine what could happened during that difficult time.

If I could, I would tell and shout to the world of her kind and warm heart. In such a restless world, you hardly find anything like this. You don't even know that sincere heart still exists. We hardly know each other, yet she poured her compassion and sympathy like a mother to her child. Immediately, we felt like she was our mother in Marrakech.

She did not only do this to us, but every guest we met at Riad Zara showed their satisfaction of her personal approach. It makes a difference. We also had Christmas dinner (big dinner indeed, with 7 rounds!) together with Monique and her family (they came to visit her for the Christmas). We felt like one big family. They even loved Nadia so much.

We know "thank you" is not sufficient to express our gratitude to her, her family and her small team. All we know is that sincere hearts still exist. Merci beaucoup, Madame Monique. You have inspired us with your simplicity and unconditional love.

Marrakech (Part 1)

***Dec 22-26, 2007... You can find some of our photos here***

Dusty and smelly. That's my first impression of Marrakech. But quickly, it was turned around by the lively Jemaa el-Fna Square and the mazes of local souks (markets).

Medina (old town) is the heart of Marrakech. Most of the tourist happenings take place there. Narrow alleys, mostly for pedestrians, horse and donkey carriages and, of course, flies... I mean, motorbikes! Oh yes, they are like flies roaring all over you. You feel like your life depends on them. Sometimes, I think they run too fast and at times you don't know where they are heading to. Amazingly, during our stay, we did not see a single accident! It must have taken quite a skill to ride a motobike there!

The dusty, muddy and stoned-path alleys reminded me of the old poor parts of Jakarta, like Karang Anyar or Pasar Minggu where I used to visit my Grandpa at Eid (when I was a little kid). Strolling through, I enjoyed watching local people. As dirty as you can imagine, but it is less disgusting than, say, India (sorry, no offense). At least, I did not see any human dirts or perhaps there was a few trashes. The pink houses are also trademarks of the old town.

Jemaa el-Fna Square was our first place to hang out. Always busy day and night, weekdays and weekends! Orange juice stalls and snake charms during the day (I don't enjoy watching snakes, though). Traditional musicians, food stalls, belly dancers... at night. I have never seen such a variety in a square before in my life. Very lively.

The mazes of souks... a place to practice your bargaining skills. Oh, I enjoyed it a lot. It feels great when you can get a stuff at the price you think is reasonable (although you never know whether it's a good value). In general, the merchants are more 'friendly' than those in Istanbul, for example. You can bargain hard without them getting upset (that's a good start). You can even come back after a while and continue your bargain... and they still welcome you in a friendly attitude. Talking to our fellow guests at Riad Zara, I think we bargained much better than them (of course the white people are not used to it). We take advantage of two things: being Indonesians and speaking French (oh, this is a good thing about Moroccons... they speak French as well as they speak Arabic.) The variety of the stuffs are also interesting. From conical spices, glass-stained laterns, leather, local cactus silk to colorful carpets. If you want to explore the whole souks, you need at least two days. You'll never get bored, unless you are not an art person.

Couscous and tagine are of course authentic. I had been skeptical with them, but the local tastes changed my perception. I just loved them! We tried different restaurants. They tasted somehow slightly different. Still, you loved them all. And don't forget the hot sweet mint tea. Though I found it a little too sweet.

Historical monuments... there are a few. We did not have much time to visit them all, but I think we visited the highlights, like the amazing Medersa Ben Youssef (Quran school) and Palais La Bahia. The landscape and decorations reminded me of Andalucia (Southern Spain), which is just their neighbor. Riding a horse-carriage is a good way to get introduced to the old and new towns. Only 10 euros for one hour. Not bad at all. Plus, Nadia liked it very much.

Indonesians... please note: you do not need a visa to enter Morocco! Isn't it amazing? Gee... for the first time in my life, I don't need a visa to travel outside South East Asia countries with my Indonesian passport. It was very unfortunate we did not have a chance to try one of the hammams nor did we visit the Atlas mountain area for a day-trip. I heard Fez is also nice. It is probably a good reason to come back.

The Masterplan

Polyclinique du Sud, Marrakech (Marroco)
Sunday, Dec 23, 2007

We came here for our Christmas break. We came here to enjoy the city, the food and the culture. Like any other vacationers, we came here with a PLAN... our vacation plan.

A plan is still a plan. But God holds every key to His masterplan. This is what I have believed since I was a kid. A man can always make a plan in his life, but it is up to God if He would give you the privilege to make it happen.

Today, in Marrakech, God once again showed us His power and His masterplan.
He had given us the joy of keeping the fetus for two months in Dita's store, but then He eventually decided to take it away from us. As painful as it could be, Dita and I could only pray, down on our knees. We were of course disappointed. We just lost our unborn baby. We lost our miracle. We cried. Yet, we were not mad at God. Who are we to be mad at Him? He has given us a lot in our lives. Now if He wants to take it back from us, He has the ultimate power to do so. We don't. It hurt (even until now...), but we both are believers. Everything we have on earth belongs to Him. We believe that.

Now we advance with our lives....

We also would like to thank our families and friends for their supports from a distance. Even though we are apart, their words are meant the world to us in that particularly hard time.

Rest in peace, our unborn baby
Merry Christmas, baby Jesus

Only for a time
I must not learn to call you mine
Familiarize that face, those eyes
Make future plan that cannot be confirmed
On borrowed time
On easy terms....

("Easy Terms", Blood Brothers)

December News

Hello all

It's been a while since our very last news (and I have not updated my blog since Oct 29!). Both, Dita and I have been extremely busy. Here are some updates from the gloomy Paris:

1. I started my Executive MBA mid Nov (in fact the pre-course had commenced a month before), as some of you may have known. It is a 13-month program. My new routines: work during the day and hit the books from 9pm (and all weekends) to as long as my eyes allow me. I think I'll be a coffee addict in a few weeks time! But of course, I always try hard to spare my time with Dita and Nadia, although it means we'll have less free time in the weekends. Details of the school and program will come soon in my blog.


2. Dita has started searching for maternelle school for Nadia (here it starts at the age of 3) for Sep 2008 (assuming we'll still be in Paris by then).
   If we don't start the enrollment now, chances are we'll end up with no place. We are eyeing a private Catholic school, St Joseph, 10-min walk from our place, having surveying some public and private ones. And... St Joseph is French-speaking.


3. Christmas is just around the corner. You can feel the ambience around Paris. Parties are lining up this month. We have booked ourselves for a short trip to Marrakech (Marroco) Dec 22-26 (trying to get out of the Parisien gloomy weather). No ski trip this year. No plan for New Year yet. Most likely, we'll be in Paris. What are your plans?


4. Nadia is as ever cheerful as you all know her. She is becoming more and more articulate now with a lot of Indonesian and French words, phrases and tunes. She's got teddy-bear theme on her Christmas tree at home. Little Einsteins (Petits Einsteins) are still her favorite tv program. Unfortunately, her hair has not yet grown as much as her eyelashes :-). Her swimming lesson continues, which she always look forward to.


5. Last but not least, we are expecting our second baby (Insya Allah, in July 2008). Dita is doing fine until now. No morning sickness whatsoever (as yet). Pls pray for us.

Once again, we apologize for not having been in contact with most of you for a while. We promise we'll do.Take a good care and talk to you soon.

PS. Karim - it was nice seeing you in Paris. Thanks for the visit. Wingky - what a shame! Next time you'll have to stay over.

Bisou

Nadia, Dita & Novel (Les Parisiens)

The Lone Violinist in Calendar 2008

So, one of my photos is finally published on the Schlumberger's official Calendar 2008, for the month of August to be exact. Of course I was surprised and excited, as this is the first time that my photo is being publicly recognized and published.

The photo itself was taken at the Place des Vosges, Paris, in the sunny afternoon of summer 2006. It is not uncommon to find street musicians in this lively square every weekend. Then again, I was there in the right place and at the right time. The violinist had just begun his 'gig' with his first tune when I was walking past him. Luckily, there were not many people yet around him, so I could take a shot of him with the columns without any other people behind. Seconds after, people started gathering around him. Had I been a few seconds late, this photo wouldn't have been here. Talking about photography of the right moments again....

Nadia and Her First Halloween Party

Click here for the photos.

A bit earlier than the tradition, but still everyone had a great time last Friday at the Halloween's Sweets Hunting. Strolling the streets of Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, kids were wearing different themes of customs. Mostly students of St Mary Mount school, where Lana (first daughter of Ronny and Hana Hendrawan) is enrolled.

Nadia and Naia (Lana's sister) were also enrolled, not to the school itself, but to the Halloween party. Along with the other kids and the parents, we all knocked on the doors of the 13 participating houses for a 'trick or treat' in a cool fall evening.

Nadia as a little orange pumpkin, Naia as a little red devil, Cici Lana as a little princess... they were all so cute in the customs. And of course, the parents participated too. Mama Dita as a 'spider' sorcerer, Mommy Hana as a Zorro Woman ("Rozzo"... called Lana) and Papa Novel as an old witch, equiped with long grey hair and a broom. Papi Ronny came late from Rotterdam. Tante Dewi, as one of the host, joined us for a dinner after with illuminating skulls on her head.

Everyone had a really good time!

The Strike... Second Day of Catastrophe

The strike really stroke me this morning. 2h15 to get to the office compared to the usual 30 mins! What a record!

Today, they prolonged the strike. Not quite as pervasive as yesterday, but since people were anticipating that things were to get back to normal, everyone went out in the morning rush hours. The result was a catastroph. I had never seen so many cars in the street in front of our place before. People went to different directions, left, right, straight.... Chaos. Some were anxiously waiting for the bus who never arrived because of the jam. I could see the tense on everyone's face.

Me, I was determined to go to the office by Velib' this morning. No bikes left at the station near my place. I ran to the next station nearby. Nothing. The third one, zero! No, not really zero. There were 3 or 5 bikes in each of those stations, but they were all out of services. Flat tyre, broken chains, etc. Hhmmm... even Velib' employees were at the strike too.

So, I kept on heading east hoping to get a bike in the next station. No result. Went down to metro. 8-minute waiting time. Then the next one would be in 31 minutes! Needless to say, the platform was packed, packed, packed! I decided to get out and wait for a bus. Ten minutes passed. I could see my bus in the distance, without any sign of moving closer. The traffic was really bad. So, I kept on walking until the next bus stop (still hoping for a bike). Finally, I got on the bus until I realized it was a bad idea, as the bus was moving too slowly. There was no way I would reach the office in time for my 10 o'clock meeting. I got off at the next stop and took another bus to the different direction, which is my home direction! "Yes, I am coming back. This is not worth all the effort. Better work from home again."

Reached home. Drank a glass a water. Dita mentioned tram might lightly interrupted. Well, that was the only transport means I had not tried. Walked 10 minutes to the tram station down south. Look what I saw on the way... rows of bikes at the Velib' station near the tram station! Anyway, I was too late for a bike now. Besides, my tram was approaching. I was relieved! Finally... I reached the office after 2h15!

Whilst walking from the tram station to my office, I saw someone put chain lock around a Velib' bike, so nobody but him would be able to use it! Nasty....

Nadia et Le Bebe Nageur

It has been a few weeks since Nadia restarted her swimming class. Restarted... because she had taken baby swimming lessons in Oz before when she was still 6-month-old.

Now, we have a new routine every Sunday morning. We intentionally chose Sunday class, so we can go to the pool together. Also, Dita and I can take turn swimming with Nadia. The pool is in Porte d'Orleans area, not very far from my office. It is a small pool, special for baby swimming classes and not open for public. There are about 10 toddlers in our class. Mostly French.

Taking Nadia for a swim is always a fun experience. She is always excited and not afraid of waters. She was so used to waters back when we were still in Oz. Then there was a period when we hardly took her to the swimming pool because of the move, etc. Before we began with this Sunday swimming class, we had taken her again to a public pool once in a while. It took her a little while before she got familiar again with the waters and the old Aussie techniques.

I am personally a little disappointed with this Sunday class. Perhaps I put my expectation a little too high. Dita and I had set our standards based on our experience in Oz. Over there, swimming lessons for babies were so much fun and well structured. Babies and parents (mostly mommies) were encouraged and praised a lot. Swimming always come along with popular kid tunes, like Humpty Dumpty, which Dita is still using it with Nadia until today. She is still using the techniques she learned from Oz.

After 4 classes, I have not yet seen any progress on the way the instructor teaches the class. All she and her assistant have done is just let the parents do whatever they want with their toddlers. The only good thing is that they provide some toys and floaters (at least they are quite well equipped). And I had asked the instructor in the beginning of her teaching plans. She said for the first few weeks she would let the kids get accustomed to the waters, before starting to teach them some techniques. Some of them kids are a little younger than Nadia and never took a lesson before. Makes sense.

But for how long? I don't have the answer yet. But last week, my doubt about their teaching ability was growing even more, after seeing her assistant teach the parents how to hold the toddlers in the waters. The technique was okay. It is just the method. This shy assistant was trying to lead the class, whilst the old teacher was trying to encourage people to sing a French song whilst swinging our babies gently! Yet, she could not pick a single song or perhaps she did not know much of the French kid songs. Until... suddenly Dita started with Fais Do-do.... and the other parents (and they are French!) follow!

Another funnny thing. Two weeks ago, the teacher asked the parents to encourage their toddlers to jump to the waters from a slider. She gathered everyone around and explained the tricks. Of course, she would start with an example. She picked a boy called Matthieu, about the same age as Nadia, who always comes only with his daddy. The teacher said, "Let's start with Matthieu. He will show you how to do it. If he can do it, there is no reason why your toddlers cannot do it." The teacher seemed to know Matthieu and his daddy pretty well. I was thinking,"Perhaps he has taken the lessons for a while." Voila, everyone was eagerly watching Matthieu in action. One second, two seconds, five seconds... he did not move from the slider despite of her daddy's encouraging words. Instead, he reached out to him, did not dare to jump off. It wasn't a proud moment for the teacher, let alone the daddy. Poor Matthieu. The role model failed. Then came Nadia. She crawled up the slider and... wooossshh!!! She jumped to the waters in no time! Everyone clapped. Ever since, the teacher has picked Nadia to lead the way and Dita and I are being the proud parents. Ahahaha....

Nadia and Potty Training

It's about time for a potty training. Dita had uncontinuously tried it on Nadia several time before, without any satisfying results. This time, she is more determined than ever to give Nadia a toilet training.

The result of the first day today was pretty good. Dita uses a very encouraging method by giving one sticker to Nadia for every successful pee or poop. Today's result: 3 stickers! Two for pees and one for kaka (poop). What an achievement to start with! More importantly, we feel Nadia is big enough to digest the process and to say it when she feels like doing it, of course, before it really comes out.

The only disappointment of the day was when she was peeing on the couch. Ahh! We think she was just being lazy to move, whilst her favorite Les Petits Einsteins was on the tv. Never mind. Slowly but sure, we are getting there! Bravo, ma petite! Bravo, ma femme!

La Greve, Rugby et Les Separations

La greve aujourd'hui. Une grande greve. Le plus grande depuis que je suis arrive a Paris.

It's a strike day today all across France for all types of public transportations, which include trains, metro, bus and tram. Not totally paralyzed, as those companies, under the French law, are still obliged to deliver minimum services to public during the strikes. The reality was the guaranteed services were way too minimum for people to do their normal business, i.e. below 20% of the regular service, which means people would have to wait more than half an hour for your transports. Yet, some transportation means, like tram, were completely dead! Bus services were not at all guaranteed (and I did not see a single bus crossing our street today).

This is the largest strike since I arrived in Paris. There had been some small strikes here and there with no significant impact on most people. But this time, I myself got affected too. Although I could have opted to use Velib' (bike) as an alternative solution to go to work, I decided to work from home, instead (fortunately I did not schedule any meeting today). Better stay away from the troubles. Lucky enough, I read from the news that the number of Velib users doubled to 27,000 this morning, which could mean tough competitions to get one bike, unless you started your day really early. My biggest worry was that unable to get a bike on the way home. That would have been a disastrous long journey home. This afternoon, I saw quite a long queue on the Velib' station near where I live.

The worst is yet to come. It seems the Labour Union may prolong the strikes until tomorrow. We'll see....

What triggered the strike? The new French government under Nicolas Sarkozy has recently announced the plan to change the retirement plans for a special regime (group) of public services employees who work in areas that are considered dangerous, e.g. train or bus drivers, gas or electricity workers. Under the current plan, that group of employees are eligible to opt for retirement as early as the age of 5o. Now, Mr. Sarkozy would like to erase this privilege for the sake of egalite for everyone, which means they would not have any choice but to retire at 65, like everyone else in France. In addition, they will change the way they calculate the pension plan for those people.

In 1995, the Prime Minister back then, Alan Juppe, touched the same issue which resulted in a huge strike and demonstations on the street. People managed to make him step down. Will it be the same this time? I personnally doubt it for several reasons (I am not trying to be political here). Firstly, Sarkozy has a good reason by arguing that he was eligibly elected to lead this country for a change that was eagerly wished for by his voters, which means most people had approved this plan during his presidential campaign. Secondly, according to the survey, 65% of the French say that the strike this time was not well justified, which means that privileged group of employees receive less supports from their fellow countrymen than they did 12 years back.

Enough for the strike. Back to rugby. Tomorrow, France will play Argentine again to aim for the 3rd place. Last week, the England made Les Bleus look like a team of kindergarden kids (perhaps it's too much of an exaggeration). A huge disappointment, to be exact. They did not play as well as they had when they beat All Blacks. Far below par! Anyway, England also had to thank the incredible Wilkinson for the win.

Back to Sarkozy. While he was faced with a big strike today, the rumor of his separation from his wife, Cecilia, had been the headlines of the week. Historically, they had been separated before for a little while. The media speculates this time may be the end of it. It started with the facts that Cecilia has disappeared from all official protocols for the last few weeks. Anyway, who cares? I put it here because I noticed an interesting phenomena. Madame Segolene Royal (the female president candidate from the Socialist Party) also parted her way from her husband, not long after her loss to Sarkozy. What the hell is wrong with those politicians? If they cannot even keep their families together, how could they boast about family values at their campaigns? Better yet, why should they even be allowed to lead a country?

Les Bleus... Incroyables!

If there is a saying "Nothing is Impossible", last Saturday Les Bleus proved it right. Alright, I underestimated them, so did everyone else. The previous seven consecutive defeats from All Blacks did not seem to bother them. Trailing 3-13 in the first half only stimulated their fighting back spirit. I have to admit it was the best rugby match I have ever seen so far... And the best game ever played by Les Bleus. They were discipline. Their defense was like a wall which made All Blacks frustrated. Their sudden attack strategy proved to be extremely effective this time. In addition, the player selections in the first and second half were brilliant, thanks to their coach. 20-18. Chapeau pour Les Bleus!

Next... England in the semifinal. England also made a miracle last week after beating Australia who was another big favorite, 12-10, without any try. Jonny Wilkinson, once again, was the hero of the match. Now, both underdogs were on the cloud nine. England, as the defending champion, will not give it up so easily. France, on the other hands, has learnt their lesson from the beginning of this world cup. Besides, they will take advantage playing in their own home.

Regardless, I think we will witness another world-class game again tonight. Allez, Les Bleus!

Rugby WC 2007: Did Les Bleus Blow It?

The Rugby World Cup 2007 is half way through, but it seems that everyone has already agreed that All Blacks (the nickname of the New Zealand team) is the strongest contender to lift the trophy from the defending champion, England. No doubt, they are now rank #1 in the world. From the four group matches completed in the last three weeks, All Blacks has demonstrated their true class. They prove to be too solid for the other four teams in the group, technically and physically. Their intimidating Haka proves to be effectively too 'frightening' this time.

What about Les Bleus (The French team)? As a host, I have to say the French did not do a good job. Why on earth did they arrange France vs Argentina as the opening match? Didn't they learn that Argentina is one rank above France? Didn't they study the statistics from their previous six matches whereas Argentina won five of them? Or perhaps they were so blindly over confident that their team could overcome the Tango at home.

As everyone has already known, the result was a disaster. The nervous France was humiliated in front of their own public and President! 17-12 for the Puma Argentina! So disastrous that now France has no option but playing NZ in the QF next week.

I say the French blew their best opportunity to advance to the final. It is still not understood why the two best teams in their group would have to meet in the opening match? Learning from FIFA World Cup, usually the two strongest teams in each group face each other in the very last qualification match, hoping to be a decisive one, in order to determine who will finish as the topper of the group. If the French organizers did it just to serve a good level of match in front of the French public and Nicolas Sharkozy, they could have chosen Ireland whose ranking is notably below France. And Les Bleus would have had a better chance of saving their face! Besides, Les Bleus would have had several easier matches in store to play around with their team formation and strategy, cast away their nervious start, before eventually playing their best game against the Argentine. Chances are they might not have been humiliated and they would have topped their group... and they would not have had to play NZ that early.

Anyway, it is now too late for Les Bleus. They will now just need to weather the storm and expect for the worst, because on their last two friendly matches in Paris and Marseille this year, All Blacks mercilessly did not give any chance to Les Bleus. Not to mention, next week they will play in Cardiff (Wales), whilst Argentina will play their QF match in St Denis, Paris. So much for the screw-ups! Say goodbye to their dream best scenario. Bon courage, Les Petits!

Les Chateaux et Val de Loire

***I had had this blog drafted since Nov 06, but never had a chance to finish it until today***

There are many things in France you can easily get impressed with. One of them is the magnificence of its chateaux (castles), which I believe there are hundreds (or maybe thousands?) of them all over the country - small, grand, public or private. Amazingly, the most impressive ones seem to be concentrated in Val de Loire, around 150 kms south of of Paris, which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for Les Parisiens. It has easily become one of my favorite weekend getaways too. By far, I have visited that valley three times, including the recent two visits in August and September last year, and you may guess it is still counting....

If you happen to travel to France, I strongly recommend to set aside some time for a visit to the valley. The surroundings are very picturesque with many castles along the Loire river (don't mix it up with Loir without an 'e'. The latter is a smaller riverbank nearby).

Here is the top 5 chateaux out of several that I have visited by far in the order of my personal preference. I do not mean to detail the histories behind them. If you are interested in more information, just click on each chateau name, it will take you to its official website.

1. Chateau de Chambord

I think Les Francais would agree with me if I say that this castle definitely stands out to be the most impressive one and, peut-etre le plus grand (the largest) amongst the others. I have visited it twice and never seemed to get enough of its spectacular architecture and its collections. The landscape in the surroundings is simply breathtaking! Be prepared to take zillions of pictures.

In some occassions, the chateau is also well-known for its children-friendly events, such puppet shows (les guinols) which are very popular in France.

My first visit to this castle was back in the fall 2002 with some colleagues from a SLB training course. The second time was quite recent with Dita, Nadia and my parents-in-law where we had really a good time pique-niquing with 'nasi campur' as the menu. Oh la la... eating 'nasi campur' overlooking le chateau de Chambord! I think it deserves being in the Guinness Book of World's Records! I don't think this had ever happened before in the history of human life! Ahahaha....

2. Chateau de Versailles

Frankly, I have a vague memory the details of this chateau since my last visit was back in the Fall 2001. But the sparklingly goldish and colorful interiors still stick to my mind until now. Simply, it's worth all the penny you spend on the entrance. It reflects the luxurious life that was once lived by Louis XVI, the so-called Le Roi Soleil (Sun King). This is why I dare to rank it number two on my list.

Another impressive thing I remember about it is its huge, neatly designed and well maintained garden with a couple of fountains and a little lake. In summer, you will find many picque-niquers laying on the green grass. In winter, it is all white, covered with snow. Still a nice view to admire.
One thing for sure, the chateau is not one of those in Val de Loire area. The once kingdom's political capital lies around 20 kms southwest of Paris. If I may give a tip, the best way to avoid the ticket queue at the gate is to purchase the entry tickets at the RER station, instead. Like this, you will save a lot of time, particularly during the peak seasons.

3. Chateau de Chenonceau

It is probably the second largest chateau in Val de Loire. I rank it in the third place, mainly because of two reasons. Firstly, it was uniquely built on the river Cher, hence, the atmosphere and the view are different from the rest. Secondly, the garden is well designed and simply charming.

The only drawback we experienced during our visit was that the flow of the visit was not well organized, i.e. it was not so obvious where to go next after one display. Consequently, during the peak seasons, you may see the crowds going in different direction. Very close to a chaos.

Other than that, the green yards outside the chateau gate, next to the parking lots, are used a lot in summer for pique-nique.

4. Chateau de Cheverny

This is one of the privately-owned chateaux in France. One obvious reason why this symmetrical chateau is not to be missed is its amazing interior: the paintings, the furnitures.... Definitely, the best amongst the rest on my list.

Interesting enough, this chateau has inspired the creator of Tintin, Herge, to create the Marlinspike Hall as the home base for Tintin and his friends. Encouraged by this relationship, a permanent Tintin exhibition has been opened for those who like this comical character (comics are very popular in France amongs kids as well as adults).

The lawn outside the chateau resembles a huge green carpet which diligently well maintained. Do not forget to visit its garden where you can enjoy different kinds of vegetables, herbs, fruits and flowers. Next to the garden is the kernel of the hunting hounds.

5. Chateau de Fountainebleau

The town of Fountainebleau lies around 65 kms south of Paris which makes it a perfect weekend getaway for the Parisiens. Apart from the chateau itself, the huge forest that surrounds it is another reason for them to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the capital.

The chateau, in my opinion, is on par in terms of its Renaissance interior decorations with those of Cheverny. Perhaps, some people would think otherwise. The lawn is vast and remind me of that in Versailles. Hence, if you have limited time in Paris or France and have to choose between the two, my recommendation is go to Versailles instead.

When the weather is nice, you will see people strolling and biking in the forest or just lunching and relaxing in the fine restaurants or cafes in this town. Historically, the forest of Fountainebleau was where the kings used to go for hunting.

And of course, there are a few more amazing chateaux, like Le Clos Luce (the place where Leonardo da Vinci spent his last years) in Amboise, or Vaux-de-Compte which I have yet to have a chance to visit.

Vueling: The New Flying Experience

The so-called budget airlines are mushrooming in Europe. Names like easyJet or RyanAir has quickly become household brand names in the region. But are they really cheap and, more importantly, safe?

Personally, whilst preparing my pleasure trips, I always check out the fares of such airlines prior to eventually making comparisons with some regular airlines, such as AirFrance, Lufthansa, and so forth.

As many of you already know, the main competitive edge of this phenomena is supposedly their cheap (or at least cheaper) fares. In order to enjoy this privilege to the maximum, it is imperative that we make a booking as early as possible. But are they really cheap? The answer is yes and no, depending on the airline companies.

Let me give you some examples. RyanAir is probably one the cheapest. However, although they publish their one-way fare as low as 10 euros on their website, be very careful with some hidden fees, as it does not yet include VAT, handling fee, credit card fee, etc, etc, etc. At the end you may end up paying 6 or 7 times or even more than what they publish. The same situation applies to easyJet. In my opinion, this one is even worse. Sometimes you will end up paying as much as what the regular ones charge you. At the end, I have always given up easyJet.

The best and the fairest by far, IMO, is Vueling, a Barcelona-based budget airline founded in 2004. Quite recent. I have flown them four times to date. All of them were satisfactorily on time and convenient. The timetables are pretty reasonable, not like RyanAir or easyJet whereas most of time you end up flying early morning or late evening. Whilst booking online, you can also select your own seat numbers without any additional charge! Try it with RyanAir and easyJet. You will have to pay extra to get the boarding priority, and still without seat numbers!

One of the reasons why they can push the fares down is the airport fee. To do this, the companies will choose the cheapest terminal at the airport. As a result, you will have to fly from Paris Beauvais for RyanAir, which is about 1.5 to 2-hr from Paris (and it's not even Paris!). So, if you fly from Paris to Milan which only takes around one hour flight, you may end up spending 5 to 6 hours in total, including check in, luggage collections, etc! easyJet flies from Paris Orly, which is my favorite airport due to the proximity to my place (20 minutes when the traffic is alright). Unfortunately, Vueling takes off from Charles de Gaulle, the main Paris airport. 40 minutes from my place! And of course, they choose the old terminal (terminal 1) to reduce the costs. Last time, I flew Vueling from Madrid Barajas Airport, they taxi their A320 towards the end of that bloody long airport! For those who have not been to this airport, be prepaped for a good long walking exercise. It was not too bad after all, unless when you are late, then you had better be a good sprinter.

What about safety? Hhmmm... never heard of anything worst by far with some of them. So far, I could see the aircraft conditions where I had been were much better than some of the regular airlines in, say, Indonesia or the Middle East area.

But then again, the choice is yours. Some of the companies like SmartWings, SkyEurope or AirBerline claim to be budget airline companies, yet it seems their definition of 'budget' is somehow different from that of the rest of us (if you know what I mean :-0). One more thing... I am sort of waiting for a France-based budget airline which does not exist yet. Maybe it's a good business opportunity.

I Can't Be Your Saviour

I can see the sadness in our eyes
No matter how hard you try to hide it
I can see despair in your smile
No matter how smart you try to disguise it

The more I see you
The deeper the pain I feel in my heart

Where are you?
Where is your lost soul?
Where am I?
Did I ever abandon you?

I can't be your saviour
I will never be
Or I choose not to be
But for now allow me to pray
Wishing it will be okay

Jack Bauer and Civil Liberty

Whilst reading an article on The Economist, "Is Torture Ever Justified?", my mind went right away to our phenomenal, yet controversial '24' hero, Jack Bauer. A fictional character that has mesmerized millions of viewers across the globe. A man with nine lives, as I always call him, because no matter how hard he has been tortured by his enemies, he is somehow still alive, maybe forever, until the producer (in this case, Kiefer Sutherland himself) does not feel like filming another season of '24' anymore.

Yet, this is not about Jack Bauer being tortured. It is the other way around. If you are a '24' addict, like myself (or at least I used to be), you must have noticed how many times Jack has heartlessly used torture techniques to extract information from his enemies, even to his own brother in the latest sixth season. Did he ever manage to get the information that could save thousands of lives? Most of the time yes, simply because he's Jack Bauer. But, in the real world, is any form of torture legal? The answer according to that article is NO!

Apparently, the international treaties such as the Geneva Conventions, the UN Convention against Torture and the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights ban on torture or any cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, even in times of war. This may remind us of the scandal of Abu Ghraib in Iraq about a year or so ago, which resulted in the verdicts for the US armies who got involved. If only Jack lived in a real world, he would be spending years in the Guantanamo Bay.

More interestingly, in the last year's BBC survey, over 40% Israelis and Iraqis allow a certain degree of torture, whilst the majority of Europeans are against all torture. The real question is whether torture is the most efficient way to extract invaluable information? Can it be justified at all, considering people will say anything to stop the pain and the interrogator always runs a risk of getting unreliable information anyway? I believe the answer is still no, even six years after the deadly 911, the treaties are still unchanged.

La Petite Chanteuse

Today, finally, we managed to capture Nadia singing some of her favorite songs. Hair covered and half naked, as she was about to take her regular evening bath. You may also notice her taking a bow at the end of some songs. Sorry for the bad quality as I took them using our compact camera. Hope these five videos will make your day. Enjoy!

Video 1: Nadia sings "Rocket Needs a Home" (from Les Petits Einsteins).


Video 2: Nadia sings "Ode to Joy".


Video 3: Nadia sings "Fais Do-do" (a French lullaby for the kids) with a mad singer and a little dance.


Video 4: Nadia sings "Fais Do-do" medley with another song which she learned from her Halte Garderie.


Video 5: Nadia sings "Fais Do-do" whilst playing a 'drum'.

10 Things about Paris/France

Alright, we have been living in Paris for over a year now. For some people, living in Paris is like a dream comes true. Hhmmm... is that really the case? I dare to say I am so lucky to have had this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Like they say, opportunity never comes twice. I have lived in different cities before. Some has plus, some has minus. You'll never get all that you want. I guess I have compromised since long ago. Now, I try to enjoy Paris as much as I could, of course, with Dita and Nadia.

Back to what we've experienced by far, I would like to list down 10 things I like and I dislike about Paris or France. Please note that this is purely based on my personal opinions as a stranger living in Paris. You may or may not agree with me. And please note the word 'dislike', which I carefully chose, because in my opinion 'dislike' is softer than 'hate'. I would not opt of 'hate' in this case, because there is really nothing you hate as long as you are ready to compromise. Moreover, the list below is displayed in random orders.

10 Things I Like about Paris/France

1. The diversity of its landscape and the countrysides. Beauty!
2. History - so rich, particularly the monarchy prior to the Revolution.
3. Food - diverse and good standard.
4. Wine - oh la la... and they are cheap! Alsace wines are my favorite.
5. Public transportation networks - think twice before you buy a car.
6. Parks in the city - maintaining the air quality and giving more options for the kids.
7. A whole year exhaustive list of events: concerts, kids, opera, ballet, ....
8. Weather not so extreme - summer is not as humid as Dubai, winter is not as terrible as Moscow. No complaint.
9. Tourist attractions - historical monuments, museums, theme parks, ... Love them all!
10. Safe - well at least, if you avoid certain arrondisements.

10 Things I Dislike about Paris/France

1. The language - still struggling.
2. Bureaucracy and paperworks - when will they learn to have them all electronically? OMG, cheques are still used all over the place!
3. Lousy customer service - "You can wait until I'm good and ready" attitude.
4. Dog shits on the trotoir - hell to the dogs!
5. Snobbish people - not everyone, but when you come across one, you feel like punching them!
6. Smelly guys in the bus/metro in the summer - Isn't France famous for its eau de toilette? Yes, of course, and I think it was invented for those guys who only take shower once a week!
7. Gloomy summer - at least this year.
8. Strikes on the public transports and access to metro - not handicapped nor infant friendly
9. Expensive (living costs & tax) and small (accommodations) - I thought everything is just overpriced.
10. D.I.Y - oh, how I missed the cheap labours back home....

In the end of the day, we have started to get used to our lives and routines here. Now, Paris is our home until... God knows when.

Luciano... Bravissimo!

You made the world smile with your heavenly vibratto
You made the world cry with your angelic voice
No one will ever reach the level you once were
You were, are and will always be undisputedly the best tenor the world has ever known
Thank you for sharing God's gift with us
A dieu, Maestro
Rest in peace!

Streets of Bikes

On the previous post, I mentioned my first experience riding a bike (Velib') in Paris. This week, I managed to go to or from the office on a bike. Successfully!

The first attempt took me 25 minutes with 5 minutes struggle on a climbing road. Puuiihh!!! Hard work! As you can imagine, as soon as I got off the bike, I felt like flying. My legs felt stiff and I was sweating like hell! That first experience was sufficient for not repeat the same mistake. Teh second time I took another way, a much flatter terrain. It saved me 5 minutes altogether.

Coming back from the office is much faster due to the descending road. 20 minutes. Yet, there is always a problem of finding an empty slot at the Velib' station near my place. On my first try, it took me 25 minutes to eventually find one, which is located 10 minutes walk from my place. On the same day, I realize it was partly due to some technical issues in some of the Velib' terminals, including the ones closest to my place. Hence, people could not rent out the bikes from there. On the second attempt, it was not too bad though. I only had to wait for 10 minutes before the next person took out a bike from the station which left out one empty slot for me.

Velib' is a new system in Paris. The similar one has successfully been implemented in Lyon. So, there are always things to learn from the Lyonnaise, particularly managing the circulation of the bikes, so people would not find it daunting when it comes to finding empty slots for returning their bikes.

Over this weekend I noticed a lot of people were using Velib' service. I guess the program is getting popular amongst the Parisiens. For me, it's like a dream comes true. Yes, it's true. I used to dream of riding a bike or strolling on a roller blade to go to or from my office! Now I have the opportunity to do it, although I have to be extra prudent with the traffic. The good thing is polution is not such a bad thing in Paris compared to, say, Jakarta. I love it when I can smell a fresh Parisien air in the morning and watch the Parisiens starting or finishing their days from my bike. I like it when the air smells coffee or croissants from the cafes or boulangeries along the streets. So typical Francaise. Someday, I will miss all these, for sure!

Julien Doré et Moi... Lolita

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Mr. Julien Dore, the genius winner of Nouvelle Star 2007 a.k.a French Idol!

From his first appearance at the top 15, he has become my favorite, not only my favorite French idol, but one of my favorite musicians. That night, he did a magic and brilliant work with his original rendition of Like a Virgin. What do you think? Have you ever heard or seen anyone like that before? His voice has a wide range, from a low bass note to a high tenor, more importantly he has a good control of his voice. Always pitch! His musicality is just great. He has demonstrated that his genre is also broad, from pop, jazz standard to rock, the one which I think he enjoys most. He did it all with a style. His own style!

His stage performance is unique and brilliant. His body language is incredibly hilarious. He moves like a rubber ball. His originality is the reason why people like him.

Just recently, he released his first single, Moi... Lolita. A remake (I have never heard the original version myself) which is critically acclaimed. A lot of French people put their two thumbs up for his brilliant work. He sang this song twice during the competition and people loved it.

His rival on the final of Nouvelle Star is another good singer, Tigan. He represents the black community in France. To me, there is still a lof of things he needs to learn before he can become a professional singer. I often heard him open a song off key. His stage performance is, in my opinion, monotonous. So is his genre. The one he did best is the slow R&B. Out of his performances, I liked it most when he did a brilliant unplugged rendition of Billy Jean from Michael Jackson.

Yet, on the overall musicality, Julien is better than Tigan! Now, I am looking forward to Julien's first album and, of course, seeing him live in a concert. Go Julien!

Playing with Fishy

For the second time around, my photo was selected as one of the three winners of the week at the Schlumberger's weekly photo competition, called Around The World of Schlumberger, having defeated 83 other submitted photos. Excited? Definitely!

I have not submitted my photos for months. Been busy lately. Also, our Sony DSC-T1 compact camera was recently broken, dead, kaput... without any reason. All of a sudden, we could not switch it on. Fixing it in Paris was not an option. It would be bloody expensive, perhaps not less expensive than buying a new one. Besides, it is already 3.5-yo. Time to buy a new one. We decided to go for a Panasonic Lumix DMC-TZ2. Another compact camera. I still can't afford buying a big semi-pro camera, because simply I can't imagine myself traveling with a stroller carrying my huge camera, bulky lenses and sometimes handycam too. Too much hassle. I have given up that dream for a while. In the meantime, we are pretty happy with our new one. It is a good compromise. 10x optical zoom with a wide angle. More features and formats. 6 MB resolution. Shaking stabilizer. I think if you have a small kid like us, this one is good enough.

The good thing about having a compact camera is that it's C-O-M-P-A-C-T! I mean it! With it, you can always carry it around in your pocket and take shots of some moments which may only last for a second! Taking photos of a kid is like trying to catch a fly. You have to be faster than them, because they move so quickly. If you are not quick enough, there goes the important moment. Don't ever dream of expecting them to strike and hold a pose for a few seconds, like a model. It will never happen!

This photo in particular was taken during our recent holiday in Novus Villa Bali. With the help of the morning lights, I took this moment which surprisingly gave me a great light effect from the left hand side. The two frangipanis look glowing. The pond with a school of fish seems clear. Nadia was on the focus trying to reach the fishy.

To be frank, in the beginning I hesitated to submit this photo if only Dita had never encouraged me to. She saw it differently. According to her, the glowing lights look as if the photo was taken in a studio or something. She simply loves it. Then I thought I had nothing to lose anyway. The next thing was to find a title. Not just a title. I have always wanted the titles of my articles or my photos to be able to speak for the contents.

This photo has taught me a different dimension about the world of photography. I simply learn that a good photo can also be produced with a small compact camera. After all, I am not an expert in photography. I know very little about the techniques. Yet, I always love it when I produce a good photo for my eyes. Yes, for my novice eyes. It gives me a different level of satisfaction, even if it is only for my own collections.

For now, allow me to just enjoy my new compact camera and try to optimize its features in order to produce another good photo for the next competition.

Back to Paris... Back to Independence Day

We're back to Paris, after a great 2.5-week vacation in Bali, Jakarta and Bandung. Dita, Nadia and I sure had an incredible time reuniting with lovely families and dear friends (begajuls, edoeners, etc). As usual, it always seemed short, during which we had to juggle our time meeting people and sorting things out. You can see some of the photos here.

This is to update you all that we safely arrived in Paris on Wed, Aug 15, morning and were welcome by a gloomy and rainy summer weather (Summer this year has not been good at all). Nadia behaved really well throughout this long flight. She slept, woke up for the meals and slept again. Played a bit during the transit in Hong Kong. Upon arrival, she did not seem to suffer from a terrible jetlag. Her routine returned immediately. Meanwhile, Dita and I had to recover from it only after a couple of days.

The day we arrived in Paris, it was a public holiday, so we had a full day to cool of at home. Paris was so quite (well, at least in our non-touristic quartier). It was not a surprise for us. It has been a tradition that August is a vacation month for most of Parisiens (maybe Europeans too). Most shops are closed. Streets are quite. Buses, metros and church are empty. It feels good and weird at the same time. The next day I went to the office. It was also quite. The hustle & bustle of Paris are replaced by a ghost city. Yet, I love it! Less hassle. Less traffic (but of course, tourist attractions are always full, particularly this time of the year).

Having been surrounded by many people during her holidays, now Nadia found herself playing alone or with her Papa and Mama. Although she immediately felt home in her own place with her own toys, bed, etc, she seemed lost in the beginning as if asking where everybody has gone. The good thing is she did not lose her cheerful attitude. She is still as happy and smily as she always is.

In the morning of Aug 17, we celebrated the Independence Day at the Indonesian Ambassador's residence. Funny, it had been 16 years since I stood there in such a protocol and sang Indonesia Raya, our nation's anthem! It felt weird though, particularly, knowing that you do this in someone else's country. There were perhaps 200-300 people most of whom I had never seen before. Undoubtedly, almost everyone's goal that day was to taste Indonesian food too! What else do you think they came for, apart from singing Indonesia Raya? Ahahaha.... The food was incredible. Although, it was only two days ago that we returned from Indonesia wherein we spent time by eating, eating and eating, still the food they served tasted so good. Gado-gado, asinan, rendang, sate, lontong, es campur, etc. Yummy! We also made a new acquaintance with a young couple, Richard, whose father is from Madagascar, Anggi and their one-year-old daughter. By the way, I forgot to mention that I wore my batik for the first time in Paris! Some of the them would even think that I worked in the Embassy! Maybe I looked like a 'pejabat'. Ahahaha....

Paris has recently introduced their bicycle program, called Velib. It is such a great idea to promote bicycles amongst its residents and more importantly it was launched a month ago just when I thought I would buy a bike for myself. Now I do not have to worry about buying one or finding a space to store it. I tried it for the first time a few days ago to go the the tram station from my place. Pretty cool. Now I use it (or I will use it more) for short distance trips, e.g. going to the gym, shops, etc. Perhaps, I will try later to bike all the way to my office. Not such a bad idea, as it may only take 30-45 mins. Dita may be using it soon to go to Nadia's daycare, yet she still doesn't dare trying it. It is so understandable knowing that Paris is not Amsterdam. There are only a few special bike lanes on the streets, i.e. cyclists will have to share with the other road users. Hence, being super extra careful is highly recommended for the cyclists. Maybe, they will prepare special lanes in all streets in the long run.

Lastly, I would like to share the good news which I received upon my return to the office. One of my photos (on the left) I submitted to the Schlumberger's weekly photo competition this year has been selected as one of the finalists for the company's official calendar 2008. I named it "A Lone Violinist". A rare moment of a street musician standing amongst the old columns and behind the afternoon shadow at Place des Vosges, Paris. I am very excited! I don't know with how many other photos I have to compete. Bonne chance pour moi!

Borobudur... Not Amongst the 7 Wonders?

Voila! They just announced the new 7 wonders from whoever version it is, which is obviously not being recognized by UNESCO. 100 million voters were believed to have selected the so-called new 7 wonders in the world. Yet, another disappointment for me.

Borobudur Temple is not and has never been one of them. It is not even amongst the 21 finalists! Since we were kids, we were made to believe that Borobudur was indeed one of the 7 wonders. It's a deceiving fact. Now we figured out that our school books were wrong (perhaps like they have deceived us for many of the histories of the country). Never mind....

Regardless, I am still disappointed with the fact that Borobudur is not on the top 21. I then questioned the selection criteria. What is it? History? Architecture complexity? Popular demand? In the fairness, Borobudur can easily beat some of the finalists. History... it's got it. Architecture beauty and complexity... it's got it. Popular demand... perhaps not. Why not? Hhmmm... maybe the Indonesian government did not pay much enough to the voting organization? Sounds political and sarcastic, but this is why once again everyone should question the selection criteria.

To put it this way, being in the top 7 would easily bring in the tourists to the country. How many of you have had a dream of visiting the 7 wonders before you die? I do. Now, if it's not part of the tourism marketing campaign, then what? Perhaps Indonesia needs a stronger Tourism Minister to negotiate. So much for being a nationalist today.

Roland Garros for Nadal

The third tennis Grand Slam will commence this Sunday in the famous clay courts of Roland Garros, Paris. Am I excited? Tell me about it! I have already got tickets for QF on June 5 (thanks to the SLB Committee Enterprise). Can't wait for the day. This is going to be my first visit to Roland Garros. Been to Paris Masters in Bercy twice. Wimbledon twice. Missed the Australian Open last year. But no RG so far.

Although I do not quite enjoy playing on a clay court myself or seeing people playing on it - it's slow - yet again, it's a Grand Slam for which every tennis lover will die to be there given the opportunity.

I bet Nadal would win it, despite of his recent loss to Federer last week. I think he will come back much stronger this time. After all, it was his first loss after 81 consecutive wins on clay! A record-breaking achievement! Still, Federer is his main challenger. The guy is incredible. Despite of no coach at the moment, he proved that no one could ever underestimate him.

The dream final is Nadal vs Federer. However, French Open is well known for its surprising champion. Many unseeded or low seeded players have won it before, simply because of its magic clay! Perhaps, it's good to see some surprises this year too.

Justin... Who? What??? I Can't Hear You!!!

Last night was Justin Timberlake's night. It was the second night of his concert in Paris. Needless to say, the house was full and filled up with teenagers (I felt really old!). The good news is I still saw a good portion of more 'mature' people amongst the audience. It proves Justin has a pretty good range of audience.

Dita and I decided to go to his concert just for fun. We knew little of his music, particularly on his recent album, FutureSex/LoveSounds (which is, in my personal opinion, less attractive than his first album, Justified). All we knew is that he is a good entertaineur and, in my opinion, is very talented. I started to notice this after he released his big hit, Cry Me A River. The song blew me away! To say the least, I had not heard such a sophisticated yet melodious song for a long time. And he deserves the grammy for that.

He proves he can write good songs, produce, sing and of course dance. Arguably, he is the most successful young pop star these days.

The concert itself was a show-off of his multitalents. The stage split Bercy indoor stadium into two, so everyone can see the performers from 360-degree angle. The dance was fine (I was not too much interested in it though). But there was one big problem... I could not hear his voice throughout the concert!!! Are we supposed to see a music concert or a dance performance? Frankly, I was disappointed with the bad quality of the sound system, at least from where we were sitting. The drum overpowered the vocals and the other instruments. What the heck was wrong with the mixing engineer? Did he not realize that? Was he deaf? Or was it done in purpose in order to 'hide' Justin's vocal behind the music?

Well, Justin is not Lionel. I realize that. I am not here to compare them in terms of their vocalities. What I heard yesterday was an acrobat of drumbeats and songs full of backing vocals (there were four of them), instead of Justin's vocal. I could hear a little bit of his voice during some slow tunes. Even so, the drum was still annoying in there! Why would he need the percussions when he was playing a slow tune on a piano? I bet no one could even hear the piano! At the end, my ears hurt!

What I noticed from Justin's music is it's black! Or he is trying to be black. His collaborations have always been with black musicians. His musicians on stage are mostly black. All his four fine backing vocalists are black! Don't get me wrong! I like R&B and I like black musicians. But Justin, you are not black! You can't deny that your voice lacks of 'blackness' when you are trying to interpret an R&B song. I agree you have written some good R&B songs, but your interpretations are still pop. All in all, I am not saying his vocal is bad. No, he's got a good one, if not mediocre. His consistent falsetto is amazing.

With musicians, backing vocalists and nine dancers, the stage was awfully crowded. There were times when you thought it was a noisy marching band parade with some pom-pom girls rather than a music concert. But still, the stage technology was incredible. The transparent screens, lightings and hydraulic stages were enjoyable. That is the difference between the current pop stars and the oldies. At least, I give them one credit :-)

The night was long for us. Frankly, we did not quite enjoy it as much as we did for Lionel. We left earlier, probably, one or two songs before the end. One of the reasons was of course to avoid the rush.

For all Justin's fans, don't feel offended with my review. I still admire his talents. I can assure you I would still like to listen to Justin's future music or simply see his videos on MTV, but not his noisy and drumbeat concert like last night.

Lionel The Legend

Event occured at Bercy, Paris, 15.05.07

Words cannot express how Dita and I felt after seeing Lionel Richie's concert a few nights ago. The man still can saaaang!!! That night, he simply brought the house down. I mean the whole full house down! He sang and sang. He teased you with some balads on piano, commanded the crowd....

I realize this is what differentiates the old schools with the contemporary musicians. The old schools sing live! Real singing. Out of 20ish tunes he sang, no one was played back. Real live throughout two hours of concert duration! I mean... how old is he now? (according to Wikipedia, he's almost 58!) Yet, what we saw that night was someone much younger in his energy and passion to the music.

Although it is not fair to compare him vocally with his 20's vocal cords (the time when he hit the high notes on Easy, for example, with little effort), overall his 'soul' voice was still there and lasted until he closed his concert with the well-known All Night Long, which reminded me of his oustanding performance at the closing ceremony of the 1984's Summer Olympics in LA. The song was just one of his anthems. I repeat... just one of them! Because throughout the night, the crowd sang along with most of his melodious songs, starting for The Commodores era until his recent album, Coming Home. To name the few (they are also my favorites): Three Times a Lady, Stuck on You, Ballerina Girl, Just for You, Penny Lover, and many more. To me, the guy deserves the title of the King of Soul! Those songs he wrote stick to your mind until you die!

I remember how I was introduced to his music. It was through my eldest brother, Manto, who was once a big fan of his. I was only 11 or 12 then. He used to have a complete collection of Lionel's albums which I used to 'steal' from him and listen to them without his permission! (ahahaha...) It's a pity, Manto was not in the concert with us. I wondered if he still likes Lionel like I always do. Although I have literally never been a big fan, I always enjoy listening to him, like how I love listening to Luther Vandross and all the other old-school alikes.

Lionel is a true legend. He has survived the test of time. Although at some point, he was missing from the industry for whatever reason, he proved that the traditional R&B music still has place in the world music map these days amid strong waves from what I call non-melodious music like what we can hear today. Now that he is back and everyone in the house loved him. The true legend obviously knows how to deliver a good concert and makes people feel good about spending their money for such an entertainment. He also knows how to communicate with and command the crowd. It seemed an easy task for him to command all the ladies in the house to sing Diana Ross's part on Endless Love. Such a joyful ambience! In brief, the concert was superb. The only disappointing part (at least for Dita) is that he did not sing her favorite song, Tender Heart (don't worry baby, I'll sing it for you 'live' when we get home! Ahahaha....)

So far, there is no sign whatsoever from him to put his microphone down in the near future. So, I can still look forward to her new album and possibly seeing him live again. A bientot, Lionel! Thanks for such a brilliant concert!

Borat, The Queen, Chris Gardner and Ms Sunshine

I have just recently watched those 4 movies on DVD. Outdated, as some of you may say. The truth is I have not been to a cinema for a while. The last time was for Mel Gibson's Apocalypto. These are my personal reviews on those 4 movies with which you may or may not agree.

Borat... it's simply an overhype! Maybe I put my expectation too high prior to watching it, having read the reviews and the fact that it won the Golden Globe (am I correct?). I thought I was going to see a Michael Moore type of movie or a superbly hilarious movie at the least. Frankly, I was only laughing for the first 5 minutes. I watched the rest with some wrinkles on my forehead. I was disappointed and simply disgusted with the screenplay. The dialogues are so indecent! The script is too vulgar with a tendency to cheap and cheesy sex jokes. (Borat, be mature! If he could have ever made it more thoughtful, I think it would have been much better and enjoyable.) The scene I hated most was when he and Azamat were wrestling naked. Only one word can describe it: disgusting! It forced me to fast forward to the next scene. Needless to say, the DVD is now in the trash bin.

The Queen... I enjoyed Helen Mirren's performance here. Like many non-British audience, it was the first time I heard about her. In fact, in this movie, she succeeded in creating that royal character. Not an easy job to do, I guess. As a result, one can see "the Queen" throughout the movie. Brilliant acting! Well deserving for all the awards. Regardless whether or not the whole story is true, it is always interesting to see the life of a royal family. No matter how hard the Queen was trying to hide her feelings, the movie reminds us all that at the end of the day she is only human.

The Pursuit of Happyness... (No, it's not a typo! Happyness with 'y', instead of 'i'). For some people, it may be a simple drama inspired by the past life of Chris Gardner. But to me personally, there is a lot of lessons learned out of it . The fact that I always like movies based on true stories made it easier for me to enjoy and digest it. To me, it's more than just a short excerpt of Mr. Gardner's biography on how he struggled to be successful in his past personal and professional life (he is now the owner of an investment company and a sought-after motivational speaker in the US). As a father, I was touched by his strong determination and commitment to be a good father (and a good husband) even when he was broke. Trying to put myself on his shoes, I bet it was not an easy job. If the movie pictured him right, as an individual person, the guy has a full swing of the integrated character ethics in him and undoubtedly he deserves what he earns now.

Little Miss Sunshine... I would give 2.5 out of 5. Lightweight drama, in my humble opinion. A little too Hollywood. However, I must admit the screenplay is different. The author successfully developed a simple story to describe different characters in that movie. The ending is unexpected, though rather flat. Still, it's enjoyable.

Easter Gathering…A Day to Remember (08.04.07)

This wonderful article appears courstesy of and was written by Dewi Somaschini*
Event occurred in Paris, Apr 8, 2007

Easter is a time of love,

A time of death and pain undone,

So we may know the power of

The love that lives in everyone.

Each love we feel, unstained and free,

Redeems us--as with you and me.

Celebrating Easter far away from our families and friends in Indonesia may be the last thing to consider. Yet, it happened to us. Fortunately, we were not alone as we still have some Indonesian couples within Schlumberger here in Paris. Not many, but enough to build a familiar atmosphere around us. With the spirit of togetherness, we took a chance to gather and celebrate Easter Day at Devita and Nadia’s place on the fresh sunny day of 8th April.

(Photo L to R: Lana, Nadia, Sasha and Naya (Lana's sister). Orel (Sasha's little brother) refused to take a picture with the gals :-))

There were some simple Indonesian dishes served. The idea of potluck indeed made the variety of the dishes interesting and colorful. After having a nice lunch, we played with the children. Novel, Devita’s husband, organized the game. He went to the small garden downstairs to hide several chocolate eggs, leaving all of us upstairs, wondering where he might put all the treasures. The next ten minutes were the real party. All the children were excited to find the hidden eggs. Every time they found one, they screamed happily. Parents enjoyed their time as well, helping and guiding the kids to find and reach their goals. Pride was obviously seen on their faces when their little ones got something. It was so much fun. Eventually, the game was over and Nadia was the winner. The cute little girl had been able to collect ten eggs, followed by Lana (first daughter of Hana and Rony Hendrawan) with nine eggs. Yet, the real actress that day was Sasha Celine, first daughter of Monica and Claude. She bravely sang a song to win another chocolate sweet. The happy moments still seemed incomplete without small incidents, where finally some melted chocolate was all over the faces and outfits of some children.

The simple but meaningful gathering finally came to an end as the sun set on the west side of Paris blue sky. Leaving the house of Devita and Nadia after all the excitements, the children were smiling as they got not only a bundle of chocolate in their hands but also a bundle of joy in their hearts.

__________________

Dewi is the wife of Gianpaolo Somaschini, an Italian colleague of mine. Despite of our recent first encounter (seems years ago), we have received a remarkably warm friendship offered by the couple. Dewi always brings a joyful atmosphere to our gatherings with her hilarious tales and gestures. Her stories always put smiles on people's faces. (I always encourage her to join "Srimulat"!) I was told that she has also been a contributor for some of the Indonesian magazines. Are we glad to have met Gianpaolo (who speaks Indonesian fluently) and Dewi (who speaks Italian like a Sicilian godmother! :-)) in Paris!

A Gauche ou a Droite?

First round of French's Presidential election. As predicted, Nicolas Sarkozy from the right-wing's UMP and Segolene Royal, a socialist, will battle nose-to-nose on the final round. The next 15 days will be a tough journey for the two in order to win the supports from the 10 lost candidates. Although Sarko led by 5% in this first round, it does not guarantee anything for him to enter L'Elysee, the Presidential Palace, to replace Jacques Chirac (also from UMP).

Already, some of the 10 other candidates have expressed their supports for Segolene, who will be the first female French President if she is elected. Many fear Sarko is too droite and too liberal, like J.M. Le Pen, one of the candidates whose candidancy back in 2002 triggered a controversy and street demonstrations for days (At the end, Chirac mercilessly defeated him in the final around by 60% vote gap!). On the other hand, Sarko remains a strong candidate, thanks to his previous political records. He held a number of strategic posts during Chirac's terms (although the two do not get along), namely Minister of Finance and Minister of Interior.

May 6 will be the deciding day for France. Until then, all we can do is watch and see all the political manouvers from Sarko and Royal, and hope there will not be any manifestations in the streets.

Whatever the outcome will be, it may not have any direct impact whatsoever on me as a legal alien. I just feel fortunate to have the opportunity to witness a true democractic election in a history-rich country like France. Right or left wing, whoever will win, le peuple veut une meilleure France.

Liburanku (Sarah's Holidays in France and London)

An un-edited blog in Indonesian written by Sarah Bernadette Teja (10 y.o.)*
Event occurred: Dec 15-20, 2006

Pada tanggal 15 Desember 2006, aku sekeluarga dan omaku berlibur ke Paris. Keberangkatan kami dengan Singapore Airlines jam 6 sore. Sebelum masuk ke lounge kami harus check-in terlebih dahulu.

Setelah tiba di lounge, sepupuku Joanellie menelepon handphone mamaku. Joan hanya mau mengucapkan selamat jalan. Setelah menelepon, aku menunggu pesawat sambil makan sandwich dan donat cokelat.

Tak lama kemudian kami dipanggil. Kami langsung menuju pesawat. Saat masuk pesawat aku langsung duduk dan memakai sweater, karena di dalam pesawat terasa dingin.

Setelah semua beres pesawat langsung take-off menuju Singapore. Aku dan omaku menonton tv sambil makan untuk mengisi waktu di perjalanan.

Sekitar 1 jam 15 menit kemudian kami sampai di Singapore. Kami transit di Singapore selama 2 jam. Setelah 2 jam kami langsung naik pesawat menuju Paris. Pesawat yang kami tumpangi adalah jenis terbaru milik Singapore Airlines. Perjalanan Singapore – Paris memakan waktu 13 jam.

Di pesawat, setelah dihidangkan dinner aku langsung main games, nonton, dan makan lagi cup-noodles. Waktu sudah malam aku harus tidur.

Jam 4 pagi waktu Paris/Eropa aku terbangun, kemudian langsung mendapat breakfast. Beberapa jam lagi kami hampir sampai. Aku sudah mulai tidak sabar.

Akhirnya kami mendarat di Bandara Charles de Gaulle. Udara sudah mulai terasa dingin, sekitar 2 derajat celcius. Kami semua langsung memakai mantel. Kami akan dijemput oleh om, tante, dan sepupu. Tapi mereka terlambat datang.

Setelah sampai di apartemen omku kami langsung membuka koper untuk mengeluarkan oleh-oleh untuk mereka. Sepupuku, Nadia umurnya 1,5 tahun sangat lucu ia bisa joget dengan lagu-lagu Perancis le Titou, Ray of Light, dan Nadiya.

Aku langsung lunch di Lafayette. Kami makan pasta fusilli, ravioli, dan yogurt. Gallery Lafayette adalah salah satu mall terbesar di kota Paris.

Dua hari pertama kita habiskan waktu di Paris. Kami pergi ke tempat-tempat terkenal misalnya Menara Eiffel, Musee Louvre di mana lukisan Monalisa berada, gedung opera, Gallery Lafayette, dan Printempt. Dari atas Menara Eiffel, indah sekali pemandangan kota Paris.

Hari berikutnya, kami naik Eurostar untuk pergi ke London. Paris-London hanya memakan waktu 3 jam. Naik kereta lebih praktis dari pesawat. Nyaman dan bisa melihat keindahan pemandangan. Kami akan menghabiskan 4 hari di London.

Sesampainya di London kita langsung bernostalgia, karena dulu kami sekeluarga pernah tinggal di sana selama 2 tahun. Setelah sampai di Hotel Copthorne Tara di daerah Kensington, kami langsung makan siang di Wagamama. Aku paling senang pesan beef spicy ramen. Setelah makan siang kami berbelanja di Kensington High Street. Aku dan mamaku belanja di Mark and Spencer.

Keesokan harinya kami pergi ke Chelsea Football Club di Stamford Bridge. Kakakku senang sekali karena bisa membeli souvenir tentang Chelsea. Kakakku dan papaku melihat stadium dan museum, tapi aku dan mama tidak ikut.

Setelah selesai aku langsung membeli doner kebab dan fried chicken. Selesai itu, kami langsung menuju ke Madame Tussaud.

Madame Tussaud adalah tempat patung-patung lilin tokoh-tokoh terkenal misalnya Christina Aguelira, Madonna, Marie Antoneitte, Louis xv1, dll.

Setelah itu kita pergi makan malam di Richmond yaitu Don Fernando la tapas, restoran Spanyol.

Besoknya kita ke London Eye, makan siang di Wagamama lagi, kemudian ke Harrods, dan pertokoan sekitarnya. Di Harrods kami membeli souvenir dan cemilan.

Sebelum pulang, kami berbelanja lagi di Mark and Spencer, dan GAP. Setelah puas berbelanja kami makan siang di The Muffin Man, restoran khas Inggris. Selesai makan kami segera menuju stasiun Eurostar untuk kembali ke Paris lagi.

Hari berikutnya kami pergi ke “Sacred Coeur”. Di sana ada gereja yang sangat megah, di atas bukit. Ada ukiran emas murni yang indah.

Makan siang di Chef Eugene, masakan Perancis Italia. Setelah selesai kami langsung pergi ke Champs Elysse. Di sana aku melihat Arc de Triompc.

Keesokan harinya kami pergi ke Eurodisney “Walt Disney Studio“. Kami melihat cara pembuatan film tentang kebakaran, gempa bumi, karakter mobil dalam film “Cars”. Setelah itu kami melihat Armageddon. Lalu kami pergi ke tempat festival pasar malam. Saat aku sedang melihat-lihat barang omaku jatuh saat memegang Marroon Chaud. Aku kaget sekali ketika melihat omaku jatuh.

Makan malam, kami pergi ke Bamboo Vietnamese Resto diantar omku. Aku langsung memesan Pho-chin. Enak sekali. Di Paris banyak orang Vietnam.

Sehari sebelum Natal, ada makan siang bersama di apartemen. Omku mengundang teman-temannya untuk datang. Kami mengadakan tukar kado. Malam harinya kami ikut misa natal di Katedral Notre Dame. Aku ikut misa berbahasa prancis.

Horee..! Akahirnya aku berangkat ke Alps (Chamonix, Mont Blanc). Alps adalah daerah pegunungan jadi di sana ada salju. Aku bisa main salju sepuas yang aku mau. Semuanya sudah siap-siap untuk pergi. Kami berangkat jam 6 pagi, dengan naik mobil.

Pertama-tama kami singgah dulu di Nevres tempat jenazah Santa Bernadette dari Soubirous berada. Kami berdoa dan memasang lilin, kemudian melanjutkan perjalanan. Setelah 7 jam kami baru sampai di hotel, di Chamonix, di kaki pegunungan Alpen. Hotelnya bagus dan bersih. Udaranya dingin sekali, sampai minus 7 derajat Celsius.

Makan malam, kami pergi ke Restoran La Chalette. Kami memesan fine dining.

Esok harinya, kami pergi ke La mer de Glace (1900m). Harus naik kereta untuk mencapai tempat itu. Sampai di sana, kami naik kereta gantung untuk pergi ke Grotto (goa di bawah gunung). Sayang kami tidak bisa pergi ke tempat yang lebih tinggi supaya bisa melihat puncak Mont Blanc dengan jelas, karena sepupuku masih terlalu kecil dan tidak diperbolehkan.

Setelah itu kami langsung makan siang di Satsuki. Menunya kali ini makanan Jepang. Sedap sekali.

Setelah makan kami bermain ice-skating. Aku bermain dengan sangat berhati-hati karena esnya tidak rata. Sayang kami tidak sempat bermain ski karena hari cepat sekali gelap.

Setelah puas main, kami langsung makan malam di La Impossible. Di sana kami makan cheese fondue dan fish. Cheese fondue bisa dimakan dengan roti baguette, kentang, dan daging.

Waktu di Chamonix sudah habis, saatnya kami pergi ke Lyon. Di Lyon kami pergi ke Basilika St Jean. Untuk pergi ke situ harus naik tram funiculaire. Dari atas bisa kelihatan pemandangan kota Lyon. Kami juga mengunjungi Basilika Notre Dame.

Makan siangnya di restoran french cuisine. Di sana aku pesan chonnel dengan nasi. Aneh tapi enak. Kemudian kami menuju ke tempat berikutnya, Beaunne.

Malam harinya kami sampai di Beaune dan menginap di penginapan ‘Bed and Breakfast, Demoiselle’. Tempatnya kecil tapi bersih dan cantik sekali. Makan paginya mengesankan karena semuanya ‘homemade'.

Kami pergi ke salah satu vineyard dan melihat tempat pembuatan wine, dan mencicipi wine. Lalu kami pergi ke Hospital “Hospice de Beaune”. Bangunannya indah sekali. Dulu didirikan untuk menampung orang-orang miskin yang perlu perawatan dokter.

Setelah itu kita makan siang di restoran Itali Plate du Jour. Setelah itu kami harus balik ke Paris lagi.

Hari terakhir kami pergi lagi ke Printemps dan Gallery Lafayette. Kami makan siang di Ramen Opera, restoran Jepang. Aku makan shoyu ramen, gyoza, dan nasi goreng.

Sore harinya aku masuk angin. Saat mama ingin berbelanja tas di Louis Vutton, di jalan Champs de Elysse, aku menunggunya di Haagen Dasz. Di sana aku memesan crepes pisang cokelat dan minum teh untuk menghangatkan tubuh.

Setelah selesai kami langsung balik ke apartemen. Di apartemen, tanteku menyiapkan spaghetti udang pedas (aglio olio), chicken wings, dan pizza pepperoni. Tak lama kemudian aku merasa lapar lagi. Akhirnya aku makan mpek-mpek Palembang yang kubawa dari Jakarta, oleh-oleh untuk tante dan omku.

Tiba saatnya aku harus pulang ke Jakarta. Pagi-pagi aku sudah sarapan nasi goreng pedas buatan oma. Setelah itu aku bersiap-siap dan pamit kepada tante, om, dan Nadia. Di dalam taksi menuju airport, airmataku menetes, mamaku meghiburku. Mama bilang nanti liburan bisa bertemu lagi dengan mereka.

Nah itulah pengalaman liburanku. Daag…….!
________________

Sarah wrote this article for her school's newspaper. She is one of my nieces who is celebrating her 10th birthday today (18-Apr-2007). It feels like yesteday I was carrying her in my arms as a little baby. She's definitely growing up. As a kid, I describe her as a smart, curious, active and enthusiastic girl. She likes to explore new things with her indulging bravery. She giggles, dances, cries like any other kids. But at her age, I have to admit that she has a remarkable self-confidence. I remember last year she sent us her beautiful picture in a traditional Javanese outfit which was taken on the same day she won the Best Outfit award at her school's Kartini's Day. Her Oma told us how confident she was when interviewed by a reporter from a national TV station after her winning.
Her visit to Paris with her Oma, Papa, Mama and Koko was much expected. We really had a good time (hope they did too), exploring different parts of France. It was so unfortunate that they only stayed for a couple of weeks. The good news is they can always come anytime to explore more. I hope next time we can go for camping or skiing together.