TIGblogs - <:3)~*'s TIGBlog http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/ What's on the minds of young leaders from around the globe? en-us Rain hasnt stopped,ordered another latte,look wht the barista did! :D [Flickr] http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/7213619 lt;:3)~* posted a photo:



Rain hasnt stopped,ordered another latte,look wht the barista did! :D



lightbox.com/photo/eNb6iDX

]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2012 04:02:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/7213619 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 Untitled [Flickr] http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/7124627 lt;:3)~* posted a photo:



Untitled



lightbox.com/photo/ozj81a9

]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 07:02:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/7124627 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 Here comes the new mommy and baby :D [Flickr] http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/7213621 lt;:3)~* posted a photo:



Here comes the new mommy and baby :D



lightbox.com/photo/8JgdM5NhTN2hQk7IsD1s5Q

]]> Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:02:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/7213621 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 Corruption and Me http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/6863157 this piece I wrote in JG back in November.



I had to renew my passport, so i asked a fellow reporter where to go if she wants to renew hers. She gave me a number of an official at one of the immigration offices in Jakarta and said that the man was "assigned" by the Justice and Human Rights Ministry to take care of passports for reporters.



"Interesting," I thought. I wasn't aware that reporters have a special window at Indonesian immigration offices.



The next day i called this person and told him that I need to renew my passport, he then told me to go to another person, Bobby (not his real name), because turned out that he had been recently transferred to an island outside Java.



So i went to the Immigration office to see Bobby. I passed through the door that has a "Staff Only" sign on top of it. I asked around for Bobby, a young man in his 30s sitting quite in the middle of the room. From that brief glimpse I assume Bobby is the guy the others go to for signatures.



I told him that I am a reporter and the previous immigration guy told me to see him. Bobby nodded, told me to fill in some forms, ordered me to give him copies of my IDs, including my press card.



Afterwards he told me to come back an hour later to get my photo taken and pay for administration.



One hour passed, I came back and Bobby gave me a piece of paper that shows me how much I have to pay. What struck me is this handwriting (presumably Bobby's) on that piece of paper: "Press, please help".


At that point I felt something nudging my conscience. The last time I heard the phrase "Please help" was during the hearing of Southeast Asian Games graft scandal. Witnesses from local government testified that the Secretary of the Sports and Youth Ministry, who has already been convicted, told them, "Please help this company." Referring to a certain private contractor.



I seek console to the fact that even with the supposedly "powerful phrase" I still have to wait for several hours before my passport interview and photograph. Sitting in the waiting room I thought to myself, "Hey I'm just like anybody else here."



When that's done I asked the official who took my photo when my passport would be ready.



He said, "Oh, that you have to ask the person who helped you. There must be a person downstairs that assisted you, right?"



So I went to see Bobby again and he told me to come back a couple of days later.



To me, this whole "help" and "assistance" thing could only lead to one logical response, that I have to "give back".



So I frantically asked a number of reporters from different media. From the most distinguished one I got the reply: "We do give gifts to the officials who helped us. Not money, mind you. Gifts, like toys for his kid, or cakes."



I also recently knew that this distinguished media also bribe officials in order to get their hands on certain "classified" documents :D



Anyways, on the supposed day that my passport is ready, I decided to get Bobby (and his friends) some "gifts". So I went to a supermarket near my house and bought two bottles of sweet syrup and a big tin of assorted crackers coz hey, it was almost Lebaran. A glass of sweet drink and crackers for Lebaran is a perfect companion!



Once again I went through the doors that said "Staff Only" and found Bobby. He told another officer to get my passport from a stash of others belonging to fellow reporters, police officers and of course, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials.



After I signed a proof of receipt and Bobby handed me my passport, I gestured him to the plastic bag I've been carrying around. The one filled with sweet stuffs for lebaran.



What I didn't expect was his response:
"Hey, you know that we're not allowed to receive anything."
In just that split-second I see myself in the defendant's chair, admitting to the honorable panel of judges that I have given Bobby two bottles of sweet syrup and a tin of assorted crackers for helping me get my new passport :s



So yeah, there I stand in the middle of the Immigration office's bustle and occasional curious glances from visitors, extending my hand awkwardly towards this public servant who is looking up at me from behind his desk and stacks of documents.



I gasped for words and could only muttered something that sounds like, "It's for Lebaran".



Bobby accepted the bag, I smiled lopsidedly, shook his hands, and walked away, promising myself that I would use the regular person's way next time. Please remind me in 2016.
]]> Sat, 28 Jan 2012 01:01:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/6863157 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 What's on the fridge [Flickr] http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/6828361 lt;:3)~* posted a photo:



What's on the fridge



lightbox.com/wixzJxt

]]> Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:01:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/6828361 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 24 hours later.. [Flickr] http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/6690289 lt;:3)~* posted a photo:



24 hours later..



lightbox.com/Cinhxxr

]]> Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:01:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/6690289 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 quiet sunday http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/2196553


i want to end the do-nothing-ness by trying to write a blog post.

no ideas though :s



when at other days my head would be so full of ideas, but no time for writing a proper blog post. today i have so much time in my hand yet clueless..well, picky.. on what to write.



im trying to search my head for issues that got me so wound-up lately. but today i somehow found them less interesting. being in a cozy room at my parent's house has managed to isolate me from the outside world.

plus the hunger keeps distracting me from any form of deep-thinking :p



(time lapse: 45 minutes to read online comics)



hmm..still none..



well, i'm going to wrap it up by saying congrats to blogger.com with its nice addition on themes and background images and its very very easy-to-use layout tools.



i would temporarily use this one until the next spark of inspiration :p :p



oh, i need to read a good book. not the heavy type. any ideas?
]]> Sun, 15 Aug 2010 05:08:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/2196553 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 formspring.me http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/1830151 choose between a knife and a gun. what would yours be?

cyanide.. smells like almond :p

Ask me anything

]]> Mon, 18 Jan 2010 06:01:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/1830151 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 so this is the new year... http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/2196559


but then bad news struck n left me disoriented.



the newspaper has laid off some people.. one's a friend of mine.. ive just known her for a while.. less than 3 months.. feel terribly sorry for her and other people who got laid off.. as far as i know some has taken it well, im not doubting either that my friend is already running n sending out her CVs by now..



now i'm wondering if i should watch for my head too.. too bad.. maybe my old office would take me back :D *start updating CV*
]]> Thu, 07 Jan 2010 05:01:00 EST http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/2196559 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 hiatus.. schmiatus... http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/738803 ]]> Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:07:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/738803 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 Blur : Midlife http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/702085 ]]> Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:06:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/702085 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 so you want to be a gypsy? http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/678407 ]]> Mon, 25 May 2009 09:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/678407 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 days so long, when you're young http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/673549 ]]> Wed, 20 May 2009 09:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/673549 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 iseng http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/669661 ]]> Sat, 16 May 2009 05:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/669661 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 you gotta have i http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/662003 ]]> Sat, 09 May 2009 09:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/662003 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 ..yuu gottaheff ayyee.. http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/665853 ]]> Sat, 09 May 2009 09:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/665853 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 dear God, http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/661615 Sat, 09 May 2009 07:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/661615 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 Ulm's Veggie Strogatelle http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/657903 Tue, 05 May 2009 07:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/657903 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 Ulm's Vegetarian Strogatelle http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/659311 Tue, 05 May 2009 07:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/659311 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 more rawdy http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/656691 Mon, 04 May 2009 09:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/656691 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 rehab day 3 or where am i? http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/654747 Fri, 01 May 2009 02:05:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/654747 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 rehab day 2 or sticky chicken day http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/652523 Wed, 29 Apr 2009 09:04:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/652523 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 rehab day 1 http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/651383 Tue, 28 Apr 2009 09:04:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/651383 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 all hail everything shiny..! http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/649537 Sun, 26 Apr 2009 12:04:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/649537 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667 aawwww... http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/648313 Fri, 24 Apr 2009 09:04:00 EDT http://Ulmster.tigblog.org/post/648313 52.35 4.916666752.354.9166667