How Technology Has Affected Kids These Days

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Advanced technology is rapidly improving these days. All of our daily needs are mostly available on the Internet. From connecting to your friends through social media, buying things you love from e-commerce sites, or getting deals on the group buying sites. Gadgets such as Blackberry and iPad have also been a common thing in a household here in Indonesia.

There has been this chain of message going on in my Facebook feeds and BBM since yesterday:

When I was a kid, I didn’t have a laptop, iPod, Blackberry , PS3 or iPad. I played outside with friends, bruised my knees, made up adventurous fantasies and played hide and seek. I ate what my mom home made food and KFC was a treat. I would think twice before I said “no” to my parents. Life wasn’t hard, it was great and I survived. Kids these days are spoiled. Re-post this if you appreciate the way you were raised. I think we were happier kids :)
Kids these days lost something – Appreciate on

Most of the kids nowadays are playing with their Blackberries, swiping their fingers to play Angry Birds on their iPads, not only they lost what we got by playing around in our backyards, socializing in real life instead in front of a screen, what is most frightening is that most parents didn’t really control what contents that their kids are seeing every day.

I think that if we can manage to use this technology to parents advantage, and make them learn something new, also dividing a great deal of time between playing with technology and without it, it wouldn’t be a problem. What do you think?

Albus. Severus. Potter.

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So I have watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, twice, the second time today. It was the best of the series, yes. But still, as an avid fans of Harry Potter, and a reader point of view, it was quite disappointing. Here is why:

  • Where is the BOOM? – When I knew that Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was going to be separated into two parts, I was overjoyed because I’d get to watch the ‘full-of-magic-spells’ war in the second one. I was expecting World War type of battle, yes it seems to be with lots of people in both sides, but the actual war only got like 15 minutes or even less! I was expecting more BOOM here and there, but I was left disappointed.
  • Awkward Kisses – Hermione and Ron kissed after they got wet over the water blast from destroying the Horcrux. I was like “Really? An intimate kiss? Now?” – and again when Harry and Ginny kissed at the stairs.
  • Dumbledore Should Go To Hell – together with Voldemort. This is the perspective that the movie maker made for us to believe in. From what I read in the book, Yes, Dumbledore did all that for the better good, but he isn’t evil!
  • Fred and Bellatrix - both dead with an anti-climax, Fred was supposed to be fighting a great fight before he died, and oh, add Remus and Tonks to the list while we are at it. Bellatrix was also easily defeated.
  • Elder Wand – this is the most important part that was falsely made, at least from my point of view. Dumbledore did not die because of Snape or even Malfoy. He died because of the Horcrux Ring’s curse, Snape tried to help with his healing potion but it can only delay his death, when it is time for him to die, he told Snape to make it seems like Snape is the one killing him so Voldemort will think so as well. In the end, Voldemort wasn’t able to use the Elder Wand to its full strength and from what I read, Harry Potter did not break the Elder Wand into two and threw it away.
  • Length of the movie – this movie should be the climax, should be the one we will overjoy with after watching it, yet it failed to do so for the reader of the book. The length of the movie was about 120 minutes, the question is, why they are not making it longer and putting in more details?
  • Albus Severus Potter – he’s like Ashton Kutcher in his younger days isn’t he? and oh, Ginny looked soooo old, even older than Hermione! and someone also mentioned that “Harry Potter sons is both a programming language name – JSP and ASP”

All in all, the greatest series of all time(for me, at least) is finally over, it was a 14 years journey, with the first movie made in the previous decade(2001). J.K. Rowling has published a website Pottermore and a Twitter account @pottermore to satisfy our need for Potter craving in the future. Next up, Transformers?

So I have watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, twice, the second time today. These are my comment: 

Reject. Rejection. Rejected.

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In life, we face rejection from people. Even we, ourselves, reject some things that we don’t like, or what we think are not good for us. Rejecting something/someone is easy most of the time, but at the other end of the table, being rejected is tough.

Being rejected is like being shot down, whether it’s your ideas, your proposal, your dream. All we can do is really try our best again, again and again. Because success came to those who tried the hardest. I’d like to share my experience myself. Graduating from senior high school, I always wanted to go to overseas to study for my degree. Most of my friends already applied to Malaysia, Singapore, Australia or even United States of America. Honestly? I’m full of envy.

My parents already told me it’s quite expensive, and we might or might not afford it, because at the same time my sister is also graduating from junior high school and he’s going to the best high school in town which is SMAK1 BPK PENABUR, Jakarta. I applied anyway, and I did get in, but in the end my parents said it’d be better if i don’t go to abroad. If i want to do postgraduate degree then i can go.

Filled with disappointment i applied to Bina Nusantara University. Always told myself that i despise private universities in Indonesia because of their lack of quality(my own opinion though). Basically because they don’t really put much quality and focusing on quantity.

And where does it got me? If i was at Malaysia right now, I’d be studying right now and knew nothing about startups. I wouldn’t be #StartupLokal apprentice, I wouldn’t be knowing all these great guys from Indonesian startups scene who inspired me day by day.

Another rejection? I applied for an ‘internship’ in a local news site months ago. BOOM! I was rejected. Days later, Willis Wee from Penn Olson mentioned me on Twitter said that a position for a writer there is available and he wanted me to fill it. Yup, and until right now I’m still writing for them and I’m happy that i have such a great mentor/editor/boss/friend in Willis. From then on, I am also appointed as Associate at East Ventures.

As people said, rejection is probably a God’s way of saying that it’s not great enough for you to have, I have a better plan for you. Keep going, and you’ll find your way!

Inspiration. Inspiring. Inspire.

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Everyone can be an inspiration, well why don’t we inspire people? With inspiring one,two,seven,one-hundred, to thousands of people – we can actually make a change to people’s lives. How?

Imagine your idols, the person you look up to, or the person you want to be. What they are like? They are enjoying what they do. They are doing their passion every single second of their life. They are smiling, maybe you thing it’s because they got paid a lot, but no, money doesn’t actually give you much satisfaction once you get to the top.

So, how can we do it you say? Start from small steps, start by finding things you love to do, what you are passionate at. For me, I love being an entrepreneur, I love the startups scene, I love reading & writing hence the reason I joined the local startups community #StartupLokal (an Apprentice now) and East Ventures(as an Associate) also a contributor for Penn Olson(one of EV’s portfolio)

I believe when you’re doing what you do, even if people are dissing you or you kept finding dead-ends, in the end you will get out of it and fulfill your dream. Money will and are going to follow great works. Believe it.

April, April, APRIL!

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It has been three months since I updated my blog. Yes, I know I have promised to update this blog regularly, hey, I even promised myself I would update it at least three times a week. Well, life caught up with me and so am I, but now I’m back and this time hopefully will be different. Once a week, at least.

So, what has been going on with my life?

  • I’m 19! I’m getting older, and hopefully more mature. A little bit different this year though, I didn’t blew my candle with my own family but my second family. Which is my friends! Here’s one of the picture(thank you Jeanette Jusuf, Fenny Natalia and Valentcia Trifonia !) :

Me and My beloved ‘sisters’

  • Academically, last semester which is the third semester i got the 4.0 GPA which is quite a surprise to me as I felt like it was going to be my worst semester to date. Yet, life surprises you! This semester, I’m in the Applied ERP class which is full of people that are far more dilligent than me, and now I’m having such a difficulty to catch up!
  • Profesionally, it is super great! Ever since I said yes to be the Project Manager of the #StartupLokal birthday, I get to meet the initiators quite regularly more than the others, which is a privilege to learn more from the four inspiring people. Then, i get to the point where Sanny Gaddafi, one of the initiators asked me to manage startuplokal.org because of my work at Inageek, and so I did, and people are quite satisfied with it. Time goes by and Willis Wee from Penn Olson approached me to write for them, and again so I did. Recently, Penn Olson got an investment from East Ventures and so I get to meet Willson Cuaca of EV a couple of  time and we got something in the motion!

So, these are what i can compile in the last 3 months. It supposed to be a lot more than this but hey, I probably can make a book out of it! Talking about a book, I do co-curated a book with Rhein Mahatma – #StartupLokal Kita. Do visit the site and buy it! See you all on the next update! :)

Resolutions? Let’s evaluate!

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We’re near the end of January, and how do you think the first month of the year went? Great? So-so? or ‘let’s just move to the next month right now!’? For me it went fast! So fast that i could not keep up with the pace of everything’s going on.

Most of my resolutions didn’t even going so good, for example i’ve made a resolution to be a regular attendee of the Sunday service at my church. Yet i have missed once, twice if you count the new year’s day service.

My blog(this one) haven’t been updated as regularly as i want either, it takes time to make a writing and sometimes i don’t have or perhaps, i don’t care to write.

So what can we do to boost our mood and get going again for our goals and resolutions? Here are some tips that i know of.

  • Workout!

You already know that exercise is the way to a better body, but it has terrific mood- and energy-boosting benefits as well. For instance, both aerobic exercise and weightlifting have been found to produce endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals.

  • Eat!

Starting your day with a healthy and great breakfast with protein, complex carbs and fiber not only fuels your morning, it helps keep your blood sugar steady all day. Or if you couldn’t eat breakfast, eat a bowl of cereal+milk. You can also go out and eat your favourite food, either it’s steak or even a burrito it will boost your mood definitely and for the quickest mood booster? Chocolate!

  • Sleep

Getting not too much sleep can have a considerable influence on your mood and your ability to concentrate on the day. You can be both sensitive and anxious. Sleeping after you get into a bad mood is the immediate healing to your mood, but not your problem though.

I hope with these mood booster how-to can help us get back on track and yes, keep enjoying 2011! It will be a long, great year ahead!

Let’s rock 2011!

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We are four days into 2011 already! Time flies, and before you know it, it can be the end of the month already. What to do? What have you start to do at this start of the new year?

Resolutions, resolutions. Most people won’t even give a try or make an effort to write one, yet most girls have one thing in mind. Lose more and more fat! Resolutions are just going to be a resolutions if you are just saying it out loud without putting any effort to your resolutions. To make it better, make it into goals. Use the SMART system.(specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely)

Try something new for at least 2 weeks! Studies suggest that new experience(s) tend to make us happier. So if you want to start this year with a lot more laughter and happiness try things that you’ve never done before. For example, eat at those out of town steak place, or eat the hottest chili in town.

Read more, write more, and then read more! People says that we are what we read, and how well we write depends on how much and how often we read. Life is a never ending learning process. So, why stop reading? And to that extent, why stop writing? You can start your own blog, or nowadays, you can tumblr it or posterous it.

My point is, 2011 is going to be a great year, so why spend your time being all gloomy and stressed out? Enjoy it and have some fun!

Garuda fought back!

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Football or Soccer in USA, is one unique sport. It is a language, a language that everyone knows, a language that even people in the streets no matter how poor they are, they can use it, they can play soccer. Football is a universal language and today, we became its witness again.

It was an uphill task from the start, Indonesia lost 0-3 back in the 26th December 2010 at Bukit Jalil and we needed 3 goals or more to be the champion or at least push it to the extra time or even a spotkick duel. Early in the morning #GarudaFightsBack – a hashtag made popular by @pandji was already Trending by the time.

3PM and Senayan was already red, hell, even most of the parts of Jakarta was full of red shirts Indonesian. It didn’t matter if you were wearing original Nike Indonesian jersey or if it was a replica. We all wore red and white on our hearts, and as we all shout and chant ‘Garuda Di Dadaku’

The game was started with anxiety and expectations of no-less than 90-thousands attendance, full house it is and a Gung-Ho approach was what i saw this afternoon from the famous Alfred Riedl. Malaysia sat back with only Safee(#10), Idlan(#9) and Safiq(#8), the captain, upfront.

A penalty was given by the referee on the 18th minute because of Mohd Sabre bin Mat Abu handball. With all the country expectation on his shoulder, Firman Utina fired a weak effort to the left of the goal, and easily saved by the goalkeeper, Khairul Fahmi. After that, Malaysia weathered the storm by Indonesian attack force, effort after effort came to nothing, if there’s a big chance, Khairul Fahmi always there to safe the goal.

It was a heartbreaking-yet-superb goal by Safee, which just confirmed that Indonesia will need miracle to turn this back to Indonesia favour. Indonesia never gave up and in result, Nasuha(pictured) scored from a rebound after Fahmi pushed Bustomi shot aside. Ridwan wrote his name on the scoresheet after a great effort from the right side, he cut inside and shot with his weaker left foot.

There is no excuse, no lasers, no nothing. We lost and Malaysia fully deserved it. It’s not about what might have happened, it is about what will happen next. One thing for sure, Garuda fought back and won the game tonight, the effort will never be forgotten by us Indonesians and we will keep shouting #NurdinTurun .