How to Drive In Indonesia

To operate a motor vehicle in Indonesia, you must understand the transportation gestalt in an entirely different way. Definitions that you thought were above redefinition will immediately be redefined. Please pay attention.

The Road:
Includes not only the paved portion of the highway, but also what others might call the verge, the curb, the sidewalk, the front yard and the roadside restaurant. The paved portion of the roadway is generally one lane wide. Not one lane in each direction, but one lane.

Respect:
All animals are granted the greatest respect in Indonesia. It is presumed that, being highly evolved creatures, chickens and dogs and the like know how to sidestep a Mitsubishi going 78 mph on a fog shrouded road during a national religious holiday.
This same position of honor is granted to small children, men with 30 pounds of hay on their heads, unattended oxcarts and elderly women in mystic trances. Slowing or swerving to avoid these beings would cause them dishonor.

Lanes:
These colorful white and yellow markings wish a hearty Selamat Datang (welcome) to every traveler. They have no other function.

Passing:
The national sport of Indonesia. Observant motorists may encounter the vertical triple (passing three vehicles in one acceleratory movement), the horizontal triple (passing a vehicle that itself is in the process of passing a vehicle), or even the rare double-double (passing a vehicle at precisely the same time that another vehicle, coming in the other direction is also engaged in the act of passing).

Tailgating:
What to do when not passing.

Being Passed:
An insult not to be endured. The greater the differential between your vehicle (say, a Boeing 747), the great the potential loss of prestige. The owner of the less powerful vehicle must always do everything in his/her power to thwart the attempt to overtake.

Seat Belts:
Absolutely unnecessary. Not only are they not worn, they are not even provided. Passengers are fully protected by the horn.

Lights:
Rapidly blinking the headlights can mean many things, including "OK to pass now," "dangerous to pass now," "get out the way," or "may you find the thread of gold in the linen of existence. "It takes years, sometimes entire lifetimes, to learn this subtle and intriguing intuitive nonverbal communication skill. Generally, however, you have about three seconds.

The Horn:
When sounded loudly and frequently, the horn sets up an invisible energy barrier protecting the vehicle and its inhabitants from all harm. The faster the vehicle is going, the better the horn works. This is the central concept of Indonesian motoring.

Accidents:
Rare. Usually the result of a malfunctioning horn.

Adapted from: An article by Jon Carroll, San Francisco Chronicle

Don't Ever Stop Dreaming Your Dreams

Don't ever be reluctant to show your feelings

when you're happy, give in to it.

When you're not, live with it.

Don't ever be afraid to try to make things

better you mightbe surprised at the results.

Don't ever take the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Don't ever feel threatened by the future, take life one day at a time.

Don't ever feel guilty about the past what's done is done.

Learn from any mistakes you might have made.

Don't ever feel that you are alone there is

always somebody there for you to reach out to.

Don't ever forget that you can achieve so

many of the things you can imagine.

...It's not as hard as it seems.

Don't ever stop loving don't ever stop believing,

don't ever stop dreaming your dreams.

A Day at Platform

An activity starts 5 o’clock when hang Tuah crew one by one wake up. Each going into bath room for cleans and freshens up. After take shower I get my sajjadah for dawn prayer. In Hang Tuah someone can pray in their room either in musholla. Finish praying, dinning room will be full of crew for taking breakfast. All crew who wake up in the morning will not drop the chance to take breakfast. Why? Becouse of the menu! There are so many menus you can choose, bread, green bean with black sticky rice, milk, and fried rice. Some times also served “nasi uduk” and “ketupat sayur”. For someone who like to smoke, they will go to smoking room after breakfast, to get some tar and nicotine flow inside their neck.

Approach six o’clock in the morning, all crew will go to meeting room for morning and tool box meeting. In the meeting we evaluate all activities from yesterday, do some coordination to do a job plans. Usually this meeting will take one to one and one half hours. The unique think from this meeting, we in Hang Tuah always the meeting with stretching! Yes stretching, like stretching before us going for the exercise. And last but not least we also toast after the stretching. After meeting finished all crew go for their works that have planned before.

Reach 9 o’clock in the morning, all works will stop and all crew will take a first coffee break. The menu for coffee break also very delicious and various, such us roasted bread with various jam that can be choice which is vanilla, strawberry, peanuts, and so on. But the main menu for this coffee break is “indomie” with hotdog, egg, “krupuk” and vegetables.

After break all back to work again, continue for their target. For operators, they should maintain the export to give customer demand fulfill. For maintenance team, they will do preventive maintenance and troubleshoot equipment that not working properly if occurred. All crew is working till twelve o’clock. Then all go to changing room to prepare for lunch. For lunch, the menu so various such today us, fried chicken, stir fried vegetables, and sup. For dessert there is papaya, pie, and all others cookies, also ice cream! “Nyam … nyam …. How Delicious.

After lunch, for smokers they will continue to smoking room and watch TV. Others will have chit-chat about the work or other topics or they go to their rooms to take a nap. Yes a nap, you can do that until one o’clock before start to work again.

After wake up from a sleep and get noon prayer all continue their work again. This time I am continuing my job by checking, PLC and SCADA system. It should be check to ensure all data and communication are running very well. Teng… teng… teng, it’s already three o’clock afternoon. It’s time for second coffee break.

On the second coffee break the cook served bread with hotdog inside and fried banana. I prefer to take a fried banana, get some roasted bread peanuts jam, and ssssrrlup… warm tea. After take afternoon prayer activities continue. This time the activities already slow down, almost all work had been finished. Also this day there would be a presentation from doctor about personal protective equipment that support for healthiness.

The presentation last till six o’clock in the afternoon. It’s time for dinner! Hmmm the main course for dinner is sirloin steak. After taking dinner I go to musholla for set prayer with others, and then go to my room for take shower.

Then after all crew have freshen up there is a presentation again. This time from office employee give us presentation about sustainable development. We also gather in meeting room for this presentation. This presentation takes one hour.

After the presentation it’s time for each to spend their own time by their interest. I prefer to watch on television. Hey there TROY movie is played. I haven’t seen this movie. Then I watched the movie for about one and half hour.

After watched the movie, I logged in to a PC to read email and make some report that and this and made some plans for works tomorrow. Uupss… it’s already eleven o’clock near midnight. So, I did Isya’ prayer then went to sleep. Zzz… zzz…zzz.

Hang Tuah, 20 November 2005

The Owl

Like ordinary day in Hang Tuah when all personnel doing their works, some folks suddenly approach me and then he told me that he saw an owl in platform, at glycol re-boiler skid exactly. With full of curiosity in my head, me and my friend go outside to where the bird seen before.

When arrived at the location, I saw an owl with mixed brown-white feather stand at a manual block valve. The owl itself approximately has thirty centimeters tall. For information, this has not happened before. Me and my friend got wonder, where this owl came from. Actually there so many birds have come here but not this kind of bird, an owl. Usually only sea bird from nearest coast of Natuna Islands arrived here for taking a rest before they continue they journey.

“I think it would be nice if we documented the owl by taking its picture”, I suggested to my friend. He Agreed, he said. Then I went back to Living Quarters to get digital camera.

I took the picture from different distance and angle. The closes distance between us and the owl was 1 meter. When we move around the owl his face always follow us. It’s amazing that the owl can turn his head almost 360 degrees.

After taking picture I downloaded the picture and published in this blog. I wonder what other kind of bird will come to the platform.

Hang Tuah, 18 November 2005

Affiliate Programs. What is it ?

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Happy Idul Fitri 1 Syawal 1426H

Dear My Friends,

It is a privilege to deliver our best wishes and extend a message of friendship and respect to you all as we welcome the holy celebration of Idul Fitri. Over the last month, during the holy month of Ramadhan, we have been learning more about the art of patience and maintaining professionalism. We have also observed the empathy and compassion shared to those less fortunate than ourselves which has been implicitly demonstrated in these devotions.

As the sacred month of Ramadhan ends and arrival of the holy Idul Fitri, we encourage everyone to remain cautious, paying special attention to their safety, especially those who will celebrate Idul Fitri with their family out of town.

On behalf of me and my family, I would like to take this opportunity to pass on special wishes to all my friends, a blessed Idul Fitri and may peace and happiness be with all of you, always.

Selamat Idul Fitri 1426H.
Minal Aidzin Wal Faidzin. Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Bathin

Diving Ship Vessel Near Platform

DSV or Diving Ship Vessel is a ship that special for diving activities in deep sea. Usually it could accommodate for diving job that reach a sea dept 100 to 150 meters.

DSV is equipped with pressurized chamber. Pressure in the chamber can be control as a desire. This chamber used by divers to adapt with dept sea environment which have high pressure environment.

So if there is a diving job activity in dept sea, the divers first have to lockdown in the chamber, then pressure in side chamber will be increase step by step to the level where they going to dive. If they want to do a job in 100 meters sea dept the pressure inside the chamber have to increase to the same pressure as pressure in 100 meters sea dept slowly without endanger the diver live inside. It could be take a week to reach a desire pressure.

After the pressure has reaches the desire level, the divers inside the chamber could dive to desire level of sea dept as planned.

Before diving activities start, the chamber will be drowned into the sea until reach a desire dept e.g. 100 meters. After arrived in such dept, the chamber door may be open and divers can go out to open sea dept and do they task. Can you imagine how difficult those tasks, but don’t worry the have been trained very well.

When the picture taken, the DSV have a job near field that I on boarded for installation new subsea wells. The divers have tasks to install subsea control unit for each new wells.

To go to surface, divers back to chamber. After that, chamber will be rig up to the surface. Like when they enter the chamber, they have to wait go out from the chamber immediately. Why? Because the pressure different is so high and they could die if they do. So to do that, pressure inside the chamber has to decrease slowly till reach atmospheric surface pressure approximately about 1 atm. This also takes times because it needs to decrease slowly without endanger the diver inside.

When pressure reach 1 atm, divers may go outside the chamber safely.

Hang Tuah, 05 September 2005

Friends ...

Teman adalah hadiah dari Yang Di Atas buat kita. Seperti hadiah, ada yang bungkusnya bagus dan ada yang bungkusnya jelek. Yang bungkusnya bagus punya wajah rupawan, atau kepribadian yang menarik. Yang bungkusnya jelek punya wajah biasa saja, atau kepribadian yang biasa saja, atau malah menjengkelkan.

Seperti hadiah, ada yang isinya bagus dan ada yang isinya jelek. Yang isinya bagus punya jiwa yang begitu indah sehingga kita terpukau ketika berbagi rasa dengannya, ketika kita tahan menghabiskan waktu berjam-jam saling bercerita dan menghibur, menangis bersama, dan tertawa bersama.. . Kita mencintai dia dan dia mencintai kita. Yang isinya buruk punya jiwa yang terluka. Begitu dalam luka-lukanya sehingga jiwanya tidak mampu lagi mencintai, justru karena ia tidak merasakan cinta dalam hidupnya. Sayangnya yang kita tangkap darinya seringkali justru sikap penolakan, dendam, kebencian, iri hati, kesombongan, amarah, dll.

Kita tidak suka dengan jiwa-jiwa semacam ini dan mencoba menghindar dari mereka. Kita tidak tahu bahwa itu semua BUKANlah karena mereka pada dasarnya buruk, tetapi ketidakmampuan jiwanya memberikan cinta karena justru ia membutuhkan cinta kita, membutuhkan empati kita, kesabaran dan keberanian kita untuk mendengarkan luka-luka terdalam yang memasung jiwanya.

Bagaimana bisa kita mengharapkan seseorang yang terluka lututnya berlari bersama kita? Bagaimana bisa kita mengajak seseorang yang takut air berenang bersama? Luka di lututnya dan ketakutan terhadap airlah yang mesti disembuhkan, bukan mencaci mereka karena mereka tidak mau berlari atau berenang bersama kita. Mereka tidak akan bilang bahwa "lutut" mereka luka atau mereka takut air", mereka akan bilang bahwa mereka tidak suka berlari atau mereka akan bilang berenang itu membosankan dll.

It's a defense mechanism. Itulah cara mereka mempertahankan diri. Mereka tidak akan bilang: "Aku tidak bisa menari" Mereka akan bilang: "Menari itu tidak menarik." Mereka tidak akan bilang: "Aku membutuhkan kamu"Mereka akan bilang: "Tidak ada yang cocok denganku." Mereka tidak akan bilang: "Aku kesepian"Mereka akan bilang: "Teman-temanku sudah lulus semua". Mereka tidak akan bilang: "Aku butuh diterima" Mereka akan bilang: "Aku ini buruk, siapa yang bakal tahan denganku..". Mereka tidak akan bilang: "Aku ingin didengarkan" Mereka akan bilang: "Kisah hidupku membosankan..".

Mereka semua hadiah buat kita, entah bungkusnya bagus atau jelek, entah isinya bagus atau jelek. Dan jangan tertipu oleh kemasan. Hanya ketika kita bertemu jiwa-dengan-jiwa, kita tahu hadiah sesungguhnya yang sudah disiapkanNya buat kita. Berikanlah makna di dlm kehidupan Anda bukan hanya untuk diri Anda sendiri saja melainkan juga untuk membahagiakan sesama manusia di dlm lingkungan kehidupan Anda.

Berikanlah waktu Anda dgn digabung oleh rasa kasih! Seorang sahabat sama seperti satu permata yg tak ternilai harganya. Seorang kawan bisa membuat kita ceria, membuat kita terhibur. Mereka meminjamkan kupingnya kepada kita pada saat kita membutuhkannya. Mereka bersedia membuka hati maupun perasaannya untuk berbagi suka dan duka dgn kita pada saat kita membutuhkannya. Maka dari itu janganlah buang waktu yg Anda miliki, janganlah sia2 akan waktu yg sedemikian berharganya. Bagikanlah sebagian dari waktu yg Anda miliki untuk seorang kawan. Pasti waktu yg Anda berikan tsb akan berbalik kembali seperti juga satu lingkaran walaupun terkadang kita tidak tahu dari mana dan dari siapa datangnya.

Mulailah kita awali dgn membagikan waktu kita sejenak dgn menforward artikel ini kepada semua kawan atau sahabat yg membutuhkannya. Dgn ucapan I care about you!

Healthy Life Tips

BOTOL PLASTIK

Mungkin sebagian dari kita mempunyai kebiasaan memakai dan memakai ulang botol plastik (Aqua, VIT etc) dan menaruhnya di mobil atau dikantor. Kebiasaan ini tidak baik, karena bahan plastik botol(disebut juga sebagai polyethylene terephthalate or PET) yang dipakai di botol2 ini mengandung zat2 karsinogen (atau DEHA). Botol ini aman untuk dipakai 1-2 kali saja,jika anda ingin memakainya lebih lama, tidak boleh lebih dari seminggu, dan harus ditaruh di tempat yang jauh dari matahari.Kebiasaan mencuci ulang dapat membuat lapisan plastik rusak dan zat karsinogen itu bisa masuk ke air yang kita minum. Lebih baik membeli botol air yang memang untuk dipakai ber-ulang2, jangan memakai botol plastik.

PENGGEMAR SATE

Kalau Anda makan sate, jangan lupa makan timun setelahnya. Karena ketika kita makan sate sebetulnya ikut juga karbon dari hasil pembakaran arang yang dapat menyebabkan kanker. Untuk itu kita punya obatnya yaitu timun yang disarankan untuk dimakan setelah makan sate. Karena sate mempunyai zat Karsinogen (penyebab kanker) tetapi timun ternyata punya anti Karsinogen. Jadi jangan lupa makan timun setelah makan sate.

UDANG DAN VITAMIN C

Jangan makan udang setelah Anda makan Vitamin C. Karena ini akan menyebabkan keracunan dari racun Arsenik (As) yang merupakan proses reaksi dari Udang dan Vitamin C di dalam tubuh dan berakibatKERACUNAN YANG FATAL dalam hitungan jam.

MIE INSTAN

Para penggemar Mi Instan, pastikan Anda punya selang waktu paling tidak 3 tiga hari setelah Anda mengkonsumsi Mi Instan, jika Anda akan mengkonsumsinya lagi. Dari Informasi kedokteran, ternyata terdapat lilin yang melapisi mi instan. Itu sebabnya mengapa Mi Instan tidak lengket satu sama lainnya ketika dimasak. Konsumsi Mie Instan setiap hari akan meningkatkan kemungkinan seseorang terjangkiti kanker. Seseorang, karena begitu sibuknya dalam berkarir sehingga tidak punya waktu lagi untuk memasak, sehingga diputuskannya untuk mengkonsumsi Mi Instan setiap hari. Akhirnya dia menderita kanker. Dokternya mengatakan bahwa hal ini disebabkan karena adanya lilin dalam MiInstan tersebut. Dokter tersebut mengatakan bahwa tubuh kita memerlukan waktu lebih dari 2 (dua)hari untuk membersihkan lilin tersebut.

BAHAYA DIBALIK KEMASAN MAKANAN

Kemasan makanan merupakan bagian dari makanan yang sehari-hari kita konsumsi. Bagi sebagian besar orang, kemasan makanan hanya sekadar bungkus makanan dan cenderung dianggap sebagai "pelindung" makanan. Sebetulnya tidak tepat begitu, tergantung jenis bahan kemasan. Sebaiknya mulai sekarang Anda cermat memilik kemasan makanan. Kemasan pada makanan mempunyai fungsi kesehatan, pengawetan, kemudahan, penyeragaman, promosi dan informasi. Ada begitu banyak bahan yang digu! nakan sebagai pengemas primer pada makanan, yaitu kemasan yang bersentuhan langsung dengan makanan. Tetapi tidak semua bahan ini aman bagi makanan yang dikemasnya. Inilah ranking teratas bahan kemasan makanan yang perlu Anda waspadai.

A. Kertas.

Beberapa kertas kemasan dan non-kemasan (kertas koran dan majalah) yang sering digunakan untuk membungkus makanan, terdeteksi mengandung timbal (Pb) melebihi batas yang ditentukan. Di dalam tubuh manusia, timbal masuk melalui saluran pernapasan atau pencernaan menuju sistem peredaran darah dan kemudian menyebar ke berbagai jaringan lain seperti ginjal, hati, otak, saraf dan tulang. Keracunan timbal pada orang dewasa ditandai dengan gejala 3 P, yaitu pallor (pucat), pain(sakit)& paralysis (kelumpuhan). Keracunan yang terjadipun bisa bersifat kronis dan akut. Untuk terhindar dari makanan yang terkontaminasi logam berat timbal, memang susah-susah gampang. Banyakmakanan jajanan seperti pisang goreng, tahu goreng dan t! empe goreng yang dibungkus dengan koran karena pengetahuan yang kurang dari si penjual.Padahal bahan yang panas dan berlemak mempermudah berpindahnya timbal makanan tsb. Sebagai usaha pencegahan, taruhlah makanan jajanan tersebut di atas piring.

B.Styrofoam.

Bahan pengemas styrofoam atau polystyrene telah menjadi salah satu pilihan yang paling populer dalam bisnis pangan. Tetapi, riset terkini membuktikan bahwa styrofoam diragukan keamanannya.Styrofoam yang dibuat dari kopolimer styren ini menjadi pilihan bisnis pangan karena mampu mencegah kebocoran dan tetap mempertahankan bentuknya saat dipegang. Selain itu, bahan tersebut juga mampumempertahankan panas dan dingin tetapi tetap nyaman dipegang, mempertahankan kesegaran dan keutuhan bahan yang dikemas, biaya murah, lebih aman, serta ringan. Pada Juli 2001, Divisi Keamanan PanganPemerintah Jepang mengungkapkan bahwa residu styrofoam dalam makanan sangat berbahaya. Residu itu dapat menyebabkan endocrine disrupter (EDC), yaitu suatu penyakit yang terjadi akibat adanya gangguan pada sistem endokrinologi dan reproduksi manusia akibat bahan kimia karsinogen dalam makanan.

Reason Behind Failing

Bila anda mencari alasan untuk sebuah kegagalan, anda bisa temukan berjuta-juta dengan mudahnya. Namun, alasan tetaplah alasan. Ia takkan mengubah kegagalan menjadi keberhasilan. Kerapkali, alasan serupa dengan pengingkaran. Semakin banyak menumpuk alasan semakin besar pengingkaran pada diri sendiri. Ini menjauhkan anda dari keberhasilan, sekaligus melemahkan kekuatan diri sendiri. Berhentilah mencari suatu alasan untuk menutupi kegagalan. Mulailah bertindak untuk meraih keberhasilan.

Belajarlah dari penambang yang tekun mencari emas, ditimbanya berliter-liter tanah keruh dari sungai. Ia saring lumpur dari pasir. Ia sisir pasir dari logam. Tak jemu ia lakukan hingga tampaklah butiran emas berkilauan. Begitulah semestinya anda memperlakukan kegagalan. Kegagalan itu seperti pasir keruh yang menyembunyikan emas. Bila anda terus berusaha, tekun mencari perbaikan di sela-sela kerumitan, serta berani menyingkirkan alasan-alasan, maka anda akan menemukan cahaya kesempatan. Hanya mencari alasan, sama saja dengan membuang pasir dan semua emas yang ada di dalamnya.

( Sumber : Unknown )

Chopper Landed at Platform

It is very rarely chopper landed and stops for hours on Hang Tuah helideck. Usually the chopper landed just for about fifteen minutes only for crew change. Except that day, there is a visit from office employees who want to observe field condition for couple hours. The visitor didn’t stay for a night so the chopper had to wait for them. So while the chopper still on helideck for a while, I took a chance to take some picture with helicopter as a background of course.

This chopper is one of four choppers that service for crew change from Matak Island to oil and gas field near this island. It takes for about thirty to forty minutes to get to each field from the island. If you have a chance as mine to flight with the chopper in this area, you will see others small even tiny islands spread in this region. After fifteen minutes flew from Matak Island, there will be so many cargo ships, fishing boats, and some times cruising ships like Star Cruise Virgo. (Hmm when can I onboard that ship, I wonder!)

For many times I always want to bring my camera to get some pictures from heights inside the chopper, but like I usually do, I forget to do so! But something I always do when I am in chopper is sleep, he he he. Cause before that I already took flight from Jakarta to Matak Island for almost 3 hours and I have to check in at Halim Airport not more than 5 o’clock in the morning.

But for all reason, it’s so joyful to flight with choppers. But there is also bad feeling when fly with it. It’s very bad when in the middle no where at sea the weather become unfriendly… wadu … (pronounced with Bajuri accent). When before everybody busy with they dream in their sleeping suddenly all wake up and look around to all direction. Because when the chopper enter the clouds there will be little bit shaking he he he, fuih… and sometimes you will feel your heart beat become faster.

Hang Tuah 17 March 2005