Redirect You NUS Mail to Your Personal Email Account

Do you find it bothersome to have another email account from school to the fact that you already have your own personal email account?

But the school email account is the portal where you get all the information on school, though some information might be just spam from the school regarding stuff you don’t actually need.

You might find this method on one of the orientation programme, but the NUS Web Mail is already receiving some email regarding to school as of its activation, so if you rarely check it out, you might miss some important information.

So here's some easy steps to redirect the email from NUS Web Mail to your personal email.

STEP 1.

Visit this site:

https://exchange.nus.edu.sg/

STEP 2.

Click on the Green box on the bottom that says, "Email Redirect"

a dialogue box will show up asking you to enter you login information. Put your user name followed by the domain (NUSSTU\) for student.

Then a dialogue box like this will show up,

Put your personal email address in the box provided and then click save.

There's an extra option whether to keep the original email in the NUS Web Mail or not, The best option is to keep it, but since the capacity of NUS Web Mail is so small, you might still have to check it regularly like monthly to make sure that the inbox is still capable of receiving another email.

Now your NUS Web Mail is connected to your Personal Email address and you all your NUS Mail will be redirect to your personal email. You don't have to miss out on everything, included all those annoying mail about school.

If you want to keep it tidy, then make a special folder on your email for NUS Mail and make it automatically redirect to those folder.

How to do this??

by using the Filter feature on your email.

Google it, since those kind of information are available on the net.

:D

Lakum Diinukum Wa Liyadiin

Kalo pas kita lagi Sholat berjama'ah, pernah ga kita memperhatikan?

Sang Imam membaca niat kemudian ber-takbiratul ikhram dan kemudian bersedekap, 
Sedari permulaan ini, bisa kita lihat ada orang yang bersedekap di depan pusar, ada yang di depan ulu hatinya dan ada juga yang agak turun di daerah perutnya.

Kemudian sang Imam mulai membaca Al-Fatihah,
Ada yang basmalah-nya di lantangkan, ada yang basmalahnya disunyikan.

Kemudian setelah membaca Al Fatihah,
Ada imam yang memberikan jeda untuk ma'mumnya membaca Al Fatihah ada Imam yang langsung lanjut membaca surat pendek.

Kemudian sang imam siap-siap untuk ruku',
Ada Imam yang mengangkat tangan untuk bertakbir sebelum ruku' dan ada juga imam yang tidak.

Lalu setelah Sujud, sang Imam duduk di antara dua sujud,
Lihat posisi kaki masing-masing orang, ada yang bertumpuk, ada yang bertumpu kada telapak kaki kirinya saja sementara kaki kanannya ditekuk.

Kemudian sang Imam lanjut berdiri untuk raka'at selanjutnya,
Ada yang bertakbir seraya mengangkat tangan, ada juga yang tidak.

Setiap sholat selalu ditutup dengan Tahyat sebelum salam,
Ada yang langsung mengacungkan jari telunjuknya, ada yang menunggu bacaan syahadat, ada juga yang mengacungkan jari telunjuknya dan digoyang-goyangkan.

Kemudian Sholat itupun ditutup dengan Salam ke kiri dan ke kanan.

Luar biasa, kita mengerjakan ibadah yang sama, tapi dalam pelaksanaannya begitu banyak perbedaan yang terjadi. Namun daripada kita membahas perbedaan-perbedaan tersebut, mengapa kita tidak fokus kepada satu persamaan dari semua perbedaan tersebut.

Apakah ada yang bisa menebak??
Persamaan di balik semua perbedaan tersebut adalah, "MEREKA SEMUA MELAKUKAN IBADAH SHOLAT..."

Tak hanya masalah Sholat,
Ada yang tarawih 8 rakaat, ada yang tarawih 20 rakaat dengan metode dan tata cara yang belum tentu sama pula. Ada yang dua rakaat salam, ada yang empat rakaat salam. Tapi dibalik semua perbedaan tersebut, persamaannya adalah, "MEREKA SEMUA MELAKUKAN IBADAH SHOLAT TARAWIH..."

Apalagi dalam hal hubungan kita antara sesama manusia, banyak sekali paham-paham di dalam Agama Islam yang nampaknya satu dan lainnya berbeda. Mari kita kembali ke judul tulisan ini, "Lakum Diinukum wa Liyadiin" yang artinya "Bagimu Agamamu dan bagiku Agamaku." Ini adalah ayat yang sering kita gunakan untuk menunjukkan toleransi umat Islam terhadap umat beragama lainnya.

Namun, pernahkah kita menggunakan ayat tersebut untuk sesama saudara kita kaum muslimin?
Terkadang kita sibuk mengkritisi sesama saudara kita yang sama-sama mengerjakan ibadah untuk Allah swt. Kita terlalu fokus pada perbedaan diantara sesama saudara kita sehingga hal tersebut memecah belah pesatuan umat muslim. Sementara banyak saudara kita yang mengaku muslim, namun tidak mengerjakan kewajiban-kewajibannya. Kita lebih fokus mengkritisi apakah basmalah dilantangkan atau disunyikan sebelum membaca Al Fatihan dalam setiap sholat.

Daripada kita sibuk menghabiskan energi untuk mengkritisi hal tersebut, mari kita habiskan energi kita untuk mengajak saudara-saudara kita yang belum melakukan kewajibannya. 

Qur'an jelas memerintahkan kepada kita, "Dirikanlah Sholat dan tunaikanlah Zakat"
Kemudian, kita dengan sotoy-nya sibuk mendebat bagaimana tata cara yang benar untuk melakukan kedua ibadah tersebut, sementara ternyata kita sendiri tidak melakukan dua hal tersebut, karena kita sibuk mendebat orang ini salah dan itu salah. 

Kembali ke Blog sebelumnya tentang kisah Sapi Betina, Lakukan saja dulu.... masalah mana yang benar, kita bahas nanti setelah kita lakukan ibadah tersebut. Sudah sholat belum? masalah mau mahzab Hambali, Syafi'i atau Hanafi, itu urusan nanti. Yang penting kita kerjakan dan kita kerjakan dengan cara yang menurut kita benar dan sesuai dengan apa yang kita ketahui.

Eh, merasa benar itu ga ada salahnya, selama TIDAK MENYALAHKAN ORANG LAIN....
Setiap apa yang kita lakukan dalam beribadah, harus kita yakini kebenarannya. Dalam artian, kita punya landasan hukumnya baik itu Al Qur'an atau Hadits Nabi Muhammad saw agar kita tidak terjebak bid'ah atau salah tata cara. 

Nah, masalah ternyata ada hadits lain yang berbeda dari apa yang kita ketahui, maka kita berpegang pada yang kita yakini saja. Biarkan orang lain melakukan sesuai apa yang mereka yakini. Selama keduanya merasa benar, namun tidak saling menyalahkan, maka ga ada masalah toh. 

Kok kita tuh kadang bisa toleransi ama umat agama lain, tapi toleransi ama sodara sendiri, susahnya ampun-ampunan. 

Berdebat itu secara syari'at tidak dianjurkan. Lalu bagaimana cara untuk mencari kebenaran?? Diskusikanlah dengan orang tersebut, bertanyalah dengan cara yang baik-baik dan tanpa saling menyalahkan. Luar biasanya kadang sesama muslim men-cap saudara sesama muslimnya sebagai kafir.

Hey halooo... selama masih mengucapkan syahadat, melakukan rukun Islam dan percaya pada rukun Iman, maka pertama dan yang utama, dia adalah saudara kita sesama muslim. Jika kita merasa dia salah, kita ingatkan. Namun jangan sok mengingatkan, namun landasan kita juga lemah. Yang akan terjadi adalah debat kusir yang ga berguna. 

Jadi ingatlah, toleransi juga harus kita terapkan pada saudara kita sesama Muslim. Jika ia ingin berpegang pasa mahzab A dan kita mahzab B dan ternyata memang ada perbedaan dalam tatacara beribadah kita, maka mari kita kembalikan pertanyaannya, "Apakah ibadah yang diperintahkan itu telah dilaksanakan?" Jika iya, maka kesampingkanlah perbedaan itu dan kita sebagai sesama saudara harus saling bersatu padu.

Kalo QQ melihat Jalan Kebenaran tuh ga sesempit kaya rambut yang dibelah tujuh. Rambut aja udah sempit, gimana lagi kali dibelah tujuh. Jalan yang lurus itu bisa aja kaya sebuah jalan tol dengan delapan jalur. Ada juga kalanya mungkin agak berkelok-kelok dikit. Namun jika ujung jalan tersebut yang menjadi tujuan kita adalah sama, maka perbedaan itu tidak lagi menjadi halangan. 

Kalo kita bisa sholat kemudian meyaksikan perbedaan tersebut terjadi di hadapan kita, namun pada faktanya kita semua bisa menyelesaikan sholat tersebut tanpa ada adu pendapat... maka itu adalah indahnya perdamaian...

Islam adalah rahmat bagi semesta alam.
Mari kita mulai dengan Toleransi kepada sesama saudara kita, kemudian kita perluas dengan toleransi kepada sesama manusia, karena pada akhirnya, "Bagimu Agamamu dan bagiku Agamaku"

Kita semua sama-sama mencari, nanti di ujung perjalanan ini, barulah kita bisa mengetahui siapa yang benar dan siapa yang salah. Namun sebelum itu, pantangan bagi kita adalah MERASA YANG PALING BENAR!!! Selalu ada ruang untuk kesalahan, karena kita hanyalah manusia biasa yang berusaha menafsirkan makna-makna ilahiyah.

Wallahualam bisshawab


Image Source:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2M4kTHaD1ZRDD2c-hVU1wVLMkmZE96PAy1xVxBTqrkwU6OUujURNgcTVyBcuvzCXVNn0XEN_WCR9zIGqcjBFlZlBcsbJ-GfNzop5Q9tMrnMBEtGOUTyTfkrWImqXTekFDId2W2KxBLnmn/s1600/bigstock-Colorful-raised-hands-The-con-45953353.jpg

Jangan Banyak Bacot...!!! Kerjakan Dulu....!!!

Q.S. Al Baqarah

67. Dan (ingatlah), ketika Musa berkata kepada kaumnya: "Sesungguhnya Allah menyuruh kamu menyembelih seekor sapi betina". Mereka berkata: "Apakah kamu hendak menjadikan kami buah ejekan?" Musa menjawab: "Aku berlindung kepada Allah agar tidak menjadi salah seorang dari orang-orang yang bodoh".

68. Mereka menjawab: "Mohonkanlah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami, agar Dia menerangkan kepada kami; sapi betina apakah itu". Musa menjawab: "Sesungguhnya Allah berfirman bahwa sapi betina itu adalah sapi betina yang tidak tua dan tidak muda; pertengahan antara itu; maka kerjakanlah apa yang diperintahkan kepadamu".

69. Mereka berkata: "Mohonkanlah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami agar Dia menerangkan kepada kami apa warnanya". Musa menjawab: "Sesungguhnya Allah berfirman bahwa sapi betina itu adalah sapi betina yang kuning, yang kuning tua warnanya, lagi menyenangkan orang-orang yang memandangnya".

70. Mereka berkata: "Mohonkanlah kepada Tuhanmu untuk kami agar Dia menerangkan kepada kami bagaimana hakikat sapi betina itu, karena sesungguhnya sapi itu (masih) samar bagi kami dan sesungguhnya kami insya Allah akan mendapat petunjuk (untuk memperoleh sapi itu)".

71. Musa berkata: "Sesungguhnya Allah berfirman bahwa sapi betina itu adalah sapi betina yang belum pernah dipakai untuk membajak tanah dan tidak pula untuk mengairi tanaman, tidak bercacat, tidak ada belangnya". Mereka berkata: "Sekarang barulah kamu menerangkan hakikat sapi betina yang sebenarnya". Kemudian mereka menyembelihnya dan hampir saja mereka tidak melaksanakan perintah itu.

Apakah ada yang familiar dengan Terjemahan Qur'an di atas?
Sepenggal kisah kaum Nabi Musa di Surat Al Baqarah ayat 67-71 yang kalo ga salah sih karena kisah inilah, surat kedua di Al Qur'an dinamakan Al Baqarah yang artinya Sapi Betina. 

Dari dulu QQ selalu bingung kenapa contoh ini tuh dijadikan contoh kaum yang buruk, padahal menurut QQ bukannya malah bagus ya kalo kita meminta kejelasan tentang suatu ibadah sebelum kita lakukan agar terhindar dari kesalahan dari ibadah yang akan kita lakukan.

Tapi beberapa hari yang lalu, QQ merasa mulai mengerti kenapa kaum nabi Musa ini menjadi contoh kaum yang buruk. Kaum nabi Musa adalah Bani Israil, merupakan kaum yang cerdas dan berakal. Kunci dari memahami terjemahan tersebut ada di kalimat terakhir di ayat 71, " Kemudian mereka menyembelihnya dan HAMPIR SAJA MEREKA TIDAK MELAKSANAKAN PERINTAH TERSEBUT"

Jadi kaum ini tuh banyak tanya karena ternyata mereka sebenarnya mencari-cari cara untuk menghindar dari amalan tersebut.
Dari sebuah dialog yang terjadi beberapa hari yang lalu,

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

QQ : "Eh, Khatib Jum'at tadi bilang soal ini udah hari ke-14 dan udah berapa juz Al Qur'an yang dibaca?"

Bunga (sebut saja begitu): "Apa tujuannya mengaji? kan itu artinya mengkaji... jadi kalau cuma dibaca aja apa maknanya? kalo ga dibahas dan dikaji lebih lanjut?"

QQ: "Tapi kan perintah Allah ke Nabi Muhammad SAW adalah, IQRA' atau bacalah..."

Bunga : "Yah, kalo semuanya sedangkal itu... ga maju-maju kita.."

Tapi ternyata ibu Bunga ini tidak mengaji Qur'an selama bulan puasa.

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

Dialog hipotetikal kedua,

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

QQ : "Eh, Taraweh dimana malem ini?"

Fulan (sebut saja begitu): "Bingung aku, biasanya taraweh 11 rakaat, tapi disini 23 semua mana ngebut-ngebut pula bacaannya..."

QQ : "Yah, itu khan dasarnya dari perbuatan sahabat Nabi SAW"

Fulan : Aku sih maunya, yang 8 rakaat dan bacaannya santai aja, da buru-buru..."

Tapi ternyata si pak Fulan ini tidak sholat Tarawih di setiap malam bulan Ramadhan.

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

Banyak contoh dialog lainnya yang bisa saja terjadi dalam hidup kita.
Seperti contoh di kisah Kaum Nabi Musa tadi, perintah yang diterima sebenarnya sederhana, "Sembelihlah seekor sapi betina." Namun kaum tersebut terus menerus bertanya ini dan itu sehingga perintah yang sederhana itu menjadi sangat kompleks. 

Masalahnya adalah, ketika zaman itu, Nabi Musa bisa berkomunikasi dengan Allah swt secara langsung sehingga bisa ada kepastian. Jika di masa kini, apa yang bisa kita pegang?
Jika kita bersikeras bahwa IQRA' maksudnya adalah mengkaji, membahas dan memahami kemudian mengamalkan, maka kita tidak akan pernah membaca Al Qur'an.

Jika kita dibingungkan oleh jumlah rakaat dalam shalat Tarawih, kita takkan mengerjakan sholat tarawih. Di masa kini, yang kita pegang hanyalah dua hal, Al Qur'an dan Hadits Nabi saw. Jadi ketika suatu perintah tidak di-detail-kan di Qur'an, maka kita bisa mencari referensi lanjutan dari Hadits Nabi SAW. Hanya saja, beda perawi terkadang menghasilkan detail yang berbeda. 

Dari Aisyah ra, Nabi mengerjakan Tarawih sebanyak 8 rakaat dan 3 rakaat Witir.
Dari Sahabat Nabi, Tarawih dikerjakan sebanya 20 rakaat dan 3 rakaat Witir.
Sanadnya bisa dikatakan sahih dan terpercaya, namun yang mana yang harus kita pegang dan kita ikuti?

Siapa bilang hanya satu yang benar?
Apakah keduanya bertentangan dengan Qur'an?
Kita diperintahkan untuk memperbanyak ibadah di bulan Puasa, jika memang sudah ada sejarahnya dan dikerjakan oleh Nabi dan Sahabat, maka bisa saja keduanya benar dan sekarang tinggal kita hendak mengerjakan yang mana.
Jika kita punya tenaga lebih dan 23 rakaat masih bisa dikerjakan, mengapa tidak?
Jika kita merasa capek, berhenti di rakaat ke-8 dan sambung 3 Witir, kenapa tidak?

Intinya adalah, dalam ibadah yang kita lakukan ini, Jangan banyak bacot dah!!!!
Selama kita punya landasannya, kita laksanakan saja. Jangan jadi kaumnya nabi Musa yang men-delay sebuah perintah dan hampir saja mereka tidak mengerjakannya. Sementara kita sekarang malah banyak yang mendebatkan makna sebuah perintah dan malah akhirnya tidak melakukan perintah tersebut.

Mungkin benar bahwa IQRA' itu seharusnya tak hanya membaca, namun bukan berarti kita tidak diharuskan untuk membaca. Jika membaca saja tidak, bagaimana mungkin kita bisa memahami lebih lanjut makna Qur'an?
Jika kita menunggu membaca Qur'an sampai kita lancar bahasa Arab dan paham asbabun-nuzul-nya, maka kapan kita akan membaca Qur'an?

Sebuah contoh lain, Zakat.
Zakat harta adalah 2,5% dari penghasilan kita, namun pada tahap tertentu kita bingung. Apakah 2,5% dari penghasilan bersih? apakah 2,5% dari penghasilan kotor? ataukan 2.5% dari angka lain?
Lalu kemudian, karena kita terus menerus bertanya-tanya tentang hal tersebut dan tak kunjung menemukan jawabannya, lantas kita tak pernah berzakat?

JANGAN BANYAK BACOT!!! KERJAKAN DULU!!!
Jika sebuah perintah sudah jelas, maka kerjakan dulu...
Jika sudah kita kerjakan, baru kemudian kita pertanyakan lebih lanjut, baik itu dengan bertanya pada orang atau googling di internet tentang apa makna ibadah yang kita lakukan.
Mengapa kita berpuasa? mengapa kita Sholat? mengapa kita Zakat? mengapa kita mengaji?
Apakah kita akan terus menerus mempertanyakan maknanya dan melupakan kita dari mengerjakan esensi perintah yang diberikan kepada kita?

Jangan sampai kita terjebak dengan sifat PROCRASTINATION alias suka menunda-nunda.
Kalo kita terus menunggu suatu ibadah menjadi jelas sejelas-jelasnya, maka akan butuh waktu lama sebelum kita melaksanakan ibadah tersebut dan kita akan kehilangan peluang untuk mendapatkan rahmat dan barakah dari Allah swt. 

Menutup tulisan kali ini, mengutip penutup dari surat Thaha ayat 135,

"Katakanlah: "Masing-masing (kita) menanti, maka nantikanlah oleh kamu sekalian! Maka kamu kelak akan mengetahui, siapa yang menempuh jalan yang lurus dan siapa yang telah mendapat petunjuk"

Jadi tiap orang boleh punya versi tentang ibadah yang mereka lakukan, selama itu memiliki landasan dan bukan bid'ah atau mengada-ada, maka sesungguhnya kita tidak tahu yang mana yang merupakan kebenaran sejati. Allah swt melihat sebuah ibadah tak hanya sampai kulitnya saja, namun jauh ke dalam hati yang ikhlas dari hamba yang melakukan ibadah tersebut. Jadi kita semua sama-sama menanti, kelak akan kita ketahui, siapa yang menempuh jalan yang lurus dan siapa yang mendapat petunjuk.

Namun selama kita berpegang pada Al Qur'an dan Hadits Nabi Muhammad SAW, insya Allah kita berada di jalan yang lurus.

Semoga kita tak lagi hobi menunda-nunda ibadah...

Disclaimer:
Similar event, purely coincidental :D Image Source:
http://duffmcduffee.com/content/uploads/2014/01/ahh-procrastination.jpg

Leading Dangerously

Every time I watch a heroic themed movie, I always pissed off if the main actor were captured and interrogated with his beloved one under the threat. Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible 3 where he cry over the rabbit's foot, and even til the end, I don't know what the heck rabbit foot is. Then in the movie Olympus Has Fallen, The president was worried sick about the safety of his son. Heartlessly pragmatic side of me directly thinking that, is love a weakness??

Why does the hero always threat with his beloved one?
Where in Naruto, they always told us that "Being in love with somebody is always make you stronger because you want to protect them so much."
But in the reality, sometimes we're not that strong and in the end we make our beloved one falls in danger because they got involved in our line of duty.

Being a leader is a dangerous thing. One module learns me that it has several dimensions of danger where attack is included. Why? Basically because leading means that you're going to have to move a certain people from their comfort zone in order to make a better place for all, and guess what?? they won't be happy about it and they will try as hard as they could to take you down and reclaim their so-called comfort zone with you out of the picture.

It hits me so hard, I always thought that if you have a good heart and lead with honesty, you'll be safe along the way. In life, to please a lot of people is almost impossible. If you want to erase a gang from its existence in order to make peace, you can bet that the gang won't go down without a fight. 

The problem in this fight is that it's no longer about you. It's about your family and your beloved ones. Well, you can take my life but please don't take the life of my beloved one. Not that I'm not appreciating my life, but there's a possibility that I put a price a bit lower on my life compare to the greater good. 

If there's a question that, "If I die, the world will certainly become a better place, will you die?"
I will gladly say yes.

But I think the world doesn't work in that simple way, I wish it did. 
Well, threat can come from anywhere and to everyone that we dear most. I ask myself, If I ever find someone that I care most, while I still pursuing my dream of become a leader and I can sure you that what I'm going to do is gonna make all the bad guys try to kill me, I think if I truly love someone, would I ever put that person in the line of danger with me?

I ask my self that question several times and I always think that I might not be strong enough and I might give my "cerberus" code to the bad guy and the world will be in a nuclear war. Ok, the reference that I made might not be generally understandable. hahaha...

I am strong, but If the life of a person I care the most is in danger, I might be weak and give the whole world in order to keep them save. 
Should a leader spent their life in solitary, alone like a lone wolf ??

Well, It's kinda sad....
But instead of loving just one or two people, once we are a leader, we are loving and be love by the whole nation.

So, this is not a caveat or in Indonesian term, "Ngeles", If one time in the future, I run for president candidacy as a solo, single, alone. This is the reason!!!!
Unless I'm sure that I'm strong enough to protect the one I love.
Instead of loving just one person, I choose to put that aside and love all my people instead....

If one time I got captured, yes, you can kill all my minister and me, but I will put the happiness of my people before me. You will never get my "CERBERUS" code....!!!!!!

Damn!! I watch too many action movies these days.


Image Source:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiPgspcJ0C69OqO_nid0OI2vtKUYq8ZzsdaTJEh69tGX9C3bmFao9bV3UW7fdTpplippL5HEp8-ljO5qZDhyPCX_d3zRt7E2R48AZ8uRBJzNWYQt-qlSdd2hfXKZL5MDp08IdbxlOjbBGl/s1600/danger-wallpapers_29840_1600x1200.jpg

Financial Management for the Shopaholic

Well, I should be an expert on this area because a part, like 1/6, of my bachelor degree is in this area, hahaha... but don't trust me with all your heart and soul in this, because basically it's just a sharing story that might be useful or at least you can take lessons out of it.
#Disclaimer

In a dialogue with a friend, named Ririn, we talk about how much is our saving. Surprisingly, all this years I thought that I had a poor financial management, but I managed to save more than her. Though when she reads this, she'll argue about her Europe and Japan Trip... hahaha...

Well, I'm an impulsive person. I sometimes wonder why I had all the stuff I have now. I had a keyboard (not for the computer) a musical keyboard back home and I can't play a keyboard. I had a Canon EOD 650D and I don't even take shoots on a daily basis. I had a 3D television but I don't watch it on a daily basis. I had a bike but I don't ride it. I bought a Violin and said that I want to learn how to play it, but I constantly feel that I have no time. The recent one is I bought a Whey Protein Milk and since I bought it, I haven't put my foot in the gym.

That's my consumption level, it's like crazy. So to deal with that, my financial management system is using the "FORCED" basis, not the dark force. I force myself to deposit part of my incomes to my saving account, so on a cash basis, I'm poor. As an asset, yes I'm not liquid because big chuck of my money is saved in the form of similar to time deposit. I keep deposit the money on a monthly basis, but I can't easily take the money from the account at any moment I like.

and my second basis is "FORGET IT". I treat my saving as my expense. Maybe that's why I love this saving process. I don't feel like I save my money, but I feel like I spent it and suddenly out of nowhere I have this amount of money after a certain time period. Maybe this is part of the psychological thing that called, alter the way you think. Instead of being a Shopaholic, I can be a Saving-holic... hahaha....

They said that with the increasing of the income, your expense will increase as well, for me, with the increase in income, my saving will increase as well. Because to keep myself from impulsively shopping, I keep adding up more and more 'forced' saving account and then I 'forget' about it. At some point, I really do surprise myself with the thing that I managed to do.

But the thing about financial management is that you have to find one that suits you very well. Some people can just easily put aside a certain part of their income and manage not to use it without any hassle. One financial manager whom I forget her name was, once said that you had to have an emergency funds four times of your monthly income and it had to be in a liquid forms, meaning that it's not in a long-term deposit form. So once you had an emergency, you'll be able to access it easily. 

The thing about saving is that it acts as a guarantee because you'll never know what the future brings. Well, at this time, my focus is in the shape of money savings, maybe if I had enough money I'll move to the savings in form of gold or stocks. but the thing about that kind of savings is that they need a big start.

So for a good start, instead of become a shopaholic, start to be a Saving-holic and make your saving system as fun as shopping. Let's think of every time you put some part of your money to savings, don't think of it's a saving as in you keep your money away, instead think of it as a shopping activity, which you love most. Think of it as you buy your future. 

Force yourself then Forget it!!!!
Happy saving....
:)


Image Source:
http://timobrienhomesblog.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/istock_000006007654medium.jpg

Loopholes in Movies

Few months back, I found Youtube channel named HISHE or How It Should Have Ended. It's a super funny channel because it kinda confirmed all the doubts in your mind after watching a movie. the best one of their work in my opinion is their version of How Lord of the Ring Should Have Ended, where they actually could do that and it can save them from the journey that takes three three-hours-long-movies by riding the great eagle and take frodo and then throw the ring in the volcano and it's over. Or the one about Harry Potter where they can actually use hermione's time travel necklace thingy and travel back in time, kill voldermort and they will save 7 book worth of adventure.

Not far from that, I found another channel named Screen Junkies which one of their creation titled Honest Trailers amazed me, where basically they give an honest trailer of past movies.

So, to those who already press ctrl+T for new tab and ready to google those two channels, I highly recommended, "NO... DON'T DO IT, YOU'LL REGRET IT LIKE SO F***ING MUCH!"

From now on, I will talk spoilers from the movie Godzilla, X-Men Days of Future Past and the series Tomorrow People season 1. Those who haven't watched the movie and planned to watch it, stop reading!!!

So, it start with God-f***ing-Zilla!!!
This is one of my highly anticipated movie. I know this movie because I read about it too much in The Detective Conan Manga and they sometimes told story about watching a Godzilla movie and the y consider Godzilla as the Hero.

Okay, the title is Godzilla, but the movie is hardly portraying a full frame of Godzilla. It's always tails, fins and the Godzilla swimming. Oh come on!!! the enemy can fly and the Godzilla is f***ing swimming???? and like super slow...!!!!

Watching this movie, I feel pity for humanity. I watched Transformer before and see how the army is so coordinated and sophisticated. But the army in this movie is so lame!!! That's why I hate this movie, because the human is weak, but they try so hard to make as if the human can defend themselves againts the monsters. This is imagination movie, so why don't you imagine a stronger army???

I almost bite my finger.

Then X-Men. Oh God!!! this is the one movie that I wait, because I thought after the last one, it will be over because Jane dead, Cyclops dead, Prof X dead, Magneto loose power. There's nothing more to tell, just one failed Wolverine spin-off.

But suddenly the movie begins with Prof. X is alive, Magneto had his power back, Kitty suddenly can send people's consciousness back in time, Human torch (not Chris Evans) appear, some leader with super gun and absorbing other people's power, some purple chick with amazing power but STUPID.

Okay, I am able to make gateway to another dimension, why don't you just transfer all those sentinels to hell or on top of mount everest? oooooorr.... make a dimensional gateway in the middle of their bodies so they will split in two?? but she just use her power to move here and there. I love nightcrawler's power better, thanks... no need to add new cast.

At first I thought this movie is going to cancel all the other X-Men movies before this, that's why prof X is still alive, but in Wolverine's imagination, suddenly they refer to The Last Stand where Wolverine kills Jane.

In the movie they also find the mutant who can moves so fast. but why in the world they let him go in the middle??? if he's still with them, he can simply stop Raven from what she's about to do, without the Logan's drama of how suddenly he became unstable and scratch Kitty.

And then again, after prof X in the past meet prof X in the future brainstorming, why in the world Kitty is still holding Wolverine in the past???
Oh God!!!!

I pulled my hair so hard....

Tonight I finished the season 1 of the series Tomorrow People. Story about the next evolution in human race where people can have Three Ts, Telekinesis, Telepathy and Teleportation. This is another sample, why people with power can be so f***ing STUPID.

What my friend will always said, "That's where God is fair"
I would love to go deeper about the story, but I'm not sure a lot of people watch this series.

You know what, 3T reminds me of 3P, Prue-Piper-Phoebe and later, Paige.
Telekinesis?? Prue and Paige Alert....
Suddenly James can stop time, hellooo Piper alert...
It's like they're gathering the charmed one's power into one body.
The next is they can predict the future as Phobe can.

Long story short....
After like 16 episode of the Founder being the bad guy, and suddenly Stephen trust him and take his side, bring back his father back to live just to loose him again in the end. The Uncle Jedekiah who's always confused about being evil or being good, suddenly take John and John willingly to trust him again after all he had done to him in the past.

Another thing is, they have the thing called as "Primal Barrier" where the tomorrow people can't kill. When they do try to kill, they'll pass out due to the ringing in their head. But in the beginning, Cara crack a man's head open without having to go through the Annex Project.
You can't kill, but who say you can't knock out a people then teleport them to a top of a building and just kamehame them with the telekinesis power so they will fall from the top of the building or just teleport them to top of mount Everest and let them freeze to death.

Dang it.... I'm a good script-writer...!!!

Oh, damn it HISHE and Honest Trailer.
You guys have ruined all my movie experiences. No I can't sit back and just enjoy the movie without thinking about it too much.
Though sometimes I think that Imagination movies are just not think the plot through. They just looking for good effects and good story, but if we really think about it, so many loopholes in it and so many things that will keep us questioning why they chose this path where there's other path that is easier?

People are just willingly be stupid for the sake of good plot.
Oh God, I'm badly want to watch Maleficent this Monday... please make me able to enjoy the movie fully after so much movies disappointing me. I have so much list of movies I want to watch and I write them in a post-it note and stick them in my wall, but till today, I just haven't got the will to watch them for I keep guessing the end and the logic behind the storyline....

Aaaaaarggghhh......
Maybe I should write some scripts and make a movie.....

Is This the Taste of Rejection?

In this life, I think I've been blessed with an easy life. Well, I don't actually know whether it's really easy or I just hijacked my mind to think it that way. I can never think of the thing that make my life uneasy. In my memory, I can't remember the times that I have ever feel super-mad or super-sad. I do laugh and cry, but I think I can't remember that I ever cry in the last two years. 

Maybe I live way too long in my comfortable side of life that I don't want to get out. The story of my life before fifth grade is long gone because I can't remember the whole story of it, so if you ever came from that part of the memory, I hope you can introduce yourself once again to me, because I hardly remember, unless you've met me again after my fifth grade. 

I've asked about this issue to a psychologist, but he told me that as long as I'm happy in my present life, it might be normal though it may be a sign that there was a trauma that block my mind from remembering a bad thing.

I live my life quite easy after that. I've graduated from my high-school and entering the State-College of Accountancy on my first try. The school-fee is paid by the government and after that, I don't have the hard time of looking for a job because I directly join the Ministry of Finance of Republic of Indonesia and became a civil servant. 

In that time, I remember I had one rejection, but not actually a rejection because I did actually manage to through the qualification to continue my education through a scholarship back to the State-College of Accountancy to get a degree equal to Bachelor degree. But the policy at that time won't allow me to do so and based on the restriction at that time, I fail to continue my education. But a year after that, I tried again to join the University of Gadjah Mada in Yogyakarta and guess what, this time no rejection and I smoothly pass through the qualification, get a scholarship and I get my bachelor degree after two years.

The next is I apply for the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore after the office-policy allowed me to apply. Again, on the first try I pass the qualification and here I am without to many hassle and dazzle of life, no drama no tears. The story that keeps coming to me is about how hard is getting job these days, how hard is getting a scholarship especially an overseas one. 

Well, I never did go through the hardship of looking for a job, and I never knew how to handle a rejection very well because in my life, I barely got rejected. That's why I always believe in first try and I might never want to try for the second time. After graduating, I not only guaranteed having a job, but I was obligated to come back to my job because of the bound that bind me due to the scholarship. 

That take me back to the last message of the Leadership class regarding "Putting yourself out there and keep challenging your safe zone" as that is what "life" is all about. 

But if you really ask about what's in my mind, everyone that know me well will tell you that I'm empty in my head, like for real. I don't even know the name of my Minister two months after he's in position. So, No I'm not a super smart person and I hate math like very much!

During one session in the Leadership class, we did a meditation and we're imagining a story of travelling in a beach and hiking to a hill. During the session we were asked t o imagine a bag full of stones and every stone is representing the weight that weight us down in this life. Either I'm not concentrating enough or else, I don't know, but when I open my "imaginary bag", there's nothing in there, no stones. It's empty.

I feel like an empty headed person for real. 

So, back to the topic. Few weeks ago I apply two internship for the Institute of Water Policy and an Research Assistant job. I think, that's the first two job application I ever sent in my life. I experience a job interview for the IWP and I realize that it didn't going very well as I expected. Maybe the nerve finally get to me. 

a week later (approximately) I got my first ever Job-Application-Rejection, the IWP rejected me. The day after that, I got the second rejection from my Research Assistant application even before an interview process. DARN IT... two in a row for like ever in my life... hahaha...

But hey, it doesn't feel bad... and the world didn't collapsing over me. It does give me a lesson of life though, maybe life is not as easy as what I had in my mind and finding a job might be really hard out there. I am just so lucky to ever had a secure job in my hand.

It might feel like an in-denial person, but I do love my job and I can't see my self working in a hostile environment where it full of competition among the employee. One of the suggestion that I keep hearing is, "I'm not cunning enough"

But rather than seeing the world that way, I would prefer to see the world in my own way. In this moment, my career movement is might be slow and my salary might not be as big as those who worked in the private sector. My job is might not as challenging as those in private sector and the thing is, I'm not that hungry for that either. I have seen my light in the end of a tunnel and I decided to walk through that direction, as it is now. It might be slow, but I think I look that as building my foundation rather than keep complaining about it. 

So, I will keep pursuing my dream through the path that I've decided to go through long time ago and will adapting towards the evolving of the time. I might not ever applying for another job. But during my time here, I would love to taste a whole lot of another rejections from various organizations, so I can learn better to cope with rejection in life. Well, who knows among all those rejection I will find one job that will give me extra money during my time here.. hahaha...

But one thing I know for sure, Challenging your safe zone is always comforting to know that you had a cushion when you fall. Though this might be still not in the category of 'challenging your safe zone' but hey... life is for fun and don't make everything is about an effort to reach it, at some time we should just sit down, enjoy what we have at the moment and to actually thanking God for it...

Good things will happen to good people. So rather than keep pursuing the good things in life, I just focusing all my energy to be "The Good Guy" and surely good things will come to me... somehow, I choose to believe that....
:)


Image Source:
http://thelanternofknowledge.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/11866617_rejected_without_review_1.jpg

3 Stories of Life In the Office

Darn it, I should've study for tomorrow's exam, but my mind keep thinking about writing a blog. so be it....
(I might really be an ADHD.....)
 
Few years back, at several occasion I was trusted to be a speaker for a certain topic related to my work, especially financial and treasurer report. So, my main issue during the session must be lack of participation from the audience, so at several times, I always ran out things to talk about and to fill that gap, I tell them some stories, and these three stories are my favorite.

First story is the story of AN EAGLE AND A CHICKEN.

There's an eagle who always stay on top of a tree and he looks around, here and there he always there. There's a chicken who are coming from the nearest farm passing the same tree that the eagle stay. The chicken always wondering, "Ah, my life is full of hard work here and there looking for food, while the eagle is just standing there, looking around."

So he decided to talk to the eagle, "Hi Eagle, I always look at you and you look like have a good life, can I just sit around all day just like you??" ask the chicken.

"Sure, you may do as you please" said by the Eagle.
So the chicken decided to sit around all day enjoying the view under the tree and just relaxing all day just like the Eagle.

Then came along a fox and looking at the sleeping chicken under the tree, he run swiftly and ate the chicken.

What lesson can you derive from this story?
"If you want to look lazy all day and have relaxing job without having to work hard all day and all night, MAKE SURE YOU'RE IN A HIGH POSITION"
You may jealous looking at your boss, sitting in a room with a comfy chair and looks like doing nothing at all and you're the one busting your ass to do all the work. Yes you can at some point act like the boss, but make sure you're already in the position to do so. In life, there are roles that we suppose to play at a certain time and place. Not everyone can be the boss. 

 The second story is about A BULL AND A CHICKEN.

One day a chicken say to the bull, "I want to be strong like you and be able to climb that tree and reach the top position."

"Sure you can" The Bull said, "You can just eat my shit and gain all the nutrition from it to make your body strong so you can flip your wings harder and jump higher"

Hearing what the Bull said, the Chicken eat his shit right away and he suddenly feels the flow of energy going through his body and by an easy jump and one flap of wings, he can reach the first branch. So every day he eats the shit and jump even higher. One faithful day, he finally reach the top of the tree and scream so happily. From a far, a farmer sees that there's a chicken on top of the tree and he thinks that the chicken is about to runaway from the farm, the farmer took his gun and shot the chicken to death.

What lesson can you derive from the story?
"BULL SHIT CAN TAKE YOU FAR, but it can't keep you there long"
 Well, the lines might have explain it all. In both life and in your work, you might get some hints here and there to make your career path goes faster and easier, but nothing beats the real efforts. If you get too fast and too far, especially if you kick and punch the people around you, you won't stay long in your position, something or someone will eventually bring you back down to earth, possibly not in a nice way.

 The third story is about A BIRD.

 On a winter, one bird and his flock try to make his way to the warmer place. In the middle of the way, the bird feel cold by the breeze of winds and his wings frozen. He fell to the ground covered in snow. He feel even colder and he thinks that he's going to die. 

Then a bull coming, the bird cries for help, "Oh Bull, please save me from this snow, I'm freezing to death..."
The bull then turn his back and throw his shit upon this bird.

"What the f*ck is this, I ask for help and you give me shit?" yell the bird angry as the bull walk away.
But as the time goes, the bird feel the warmth of the shit and it actually helps him in the cold of the snow. He sings so happily.

Then a cat listen sound of a bird singing, he came and he ate the bird.

What lesson can you derive from this story?
"Something you see as shit SOMETIMES might actually HELP YOU and while you're in a trouble and not yet get out of it, don't sing it out loud"
In our life, countless time we get shit from all around us, but wait a minute... take time to analyze it further, because the problem that you get in life might actually make you stronger and make you learn more about your life. With problems, you can learn solution and make you ready for the next problem that will eventually come to you.
And then, once you in a trouble, don't sing it out loud. Don't spread some gossip, don't tell everybody about it. Because those people can actually use that against you. Only talk to the people that actually can help you get through it.

Okay, there the stories go...
I hope you can learn something from them too and might actually help you in your life or in any problems you're facing in your life...
Change your view of shit or problem, because at some point in time, it might actually help you... but don't eat shit to get to the top... all right!!!!!!!!!!!

Bell-Curve: Compete or Co-exist

I suddenly remember what my marketing professor in my university once said, "Human beings in this world should try to co-exist in this world rather than to compete all the time."
and it also brought back a quote once posted by a friend of mine that said, "If you want to go fast, go alone. But if you want to go far, go together."

In my life I always hate group work because I realize that I cannot move fast inside a group, well it depends on who the group members are. By being in a group, I always believe that there's no longer "I" or "Me" there will be only "we" or "us". I don't like the most when in a group, people keep saying, "I" or "My opinion". And that also the very reason why I don't like group work, because if there're differences in opinions, then as a group, we have to sit together in order to reach a common perspective towards that certain things.

This is where the strongest part and the weakest part or a team work lies. As person, we can't be expected to know all the things in the world. We can only know so much and when we form an opinion, it will be limited to what we know. But on the opposite side, if we want to take a fast action, this will be a good measure to do it. But in a group, we are a collection of several people with different background and knowledge, and as a group we can complete each other, that's where with a group, we can reach a deeper level of understanding and it will make us even a better person because we learn to listen to other people's opinion.

There's a catch to it though, we need a group of open minded person who are willing to open their ear and mind to listen to what others has to say. If we imagine that we all have wall behind us, that is our knowledge, but there are a lot of holes in that wall. How can we perfected our wall if we prevented others to put a brick on that hole in the wall? Well, the thing is, firstly we have to realize that no wall including our wall is perfect. Each of us has a certain brick that can fill the holes that we have in our wall.

But in Singapore, there's a term named Kiasu.
Well, I don't know the exact meaning but the wikipedia said, it means "Fear of losing" so we try everything at our capability to win. Now, the thing about winning is that there can only be one winner. Now if someone said this to you, "There can only be one winner", my question to you would be, "Are you willing to help others???"

The question apply on the bell-curve system, "This year, only 20% of you will going to get A..."

Are you willing to help the other 80% to excel together?
In my point of view, Bell-curve system is good for a stupid-teacher-type-kind-of-thing. So if the teacher teach badly, it will only be fair to the student if the grade is distributed fairly among the students, because it's not fully the student's fault.

On a first sight, Bell curve will foster competition rather than co-existence. 
If we took this to the real world, bell-curve is actually similar to what happen in the real world. All of us are going to compete towards a certain position in an office, because there can be no two bosses on one place. 

I would like to offer you an alternative point of view. Well, basically it's based on my personality of a non-high-achiever. I found it super-weird for myself who aims to be a President. 

If we try so hard to be on top where we kick, punch and push other people that stand in our way, the top position will be a very lonely place to be. What for a high grade and/or high position if we only ended up alone up there? 

From a modern leadership point of view, "Leader nowadays not always have to be the one who stand in front of everybody. Now it more like a rafting in a rapid water where leaders are leading from the back."
All that matters now is working together and people that are willing to listen to you. If you stand in front as a leader but no one wants to listen to you, then it has no meaning at all. Or if you get an A in class but no one wants to be friend with you, it also means nothing. Pure competition will only bring loneliness to our life, but it doesn't mean that we can't be competitive in this life. We can compete with one another but one thing to remember in this life is that we can't exist without the existence of others, so try to have a peaceful co-existence with other people in this life.

If we find others are having difficulties in his/her life why don't we just lend a hand and help them out of their misery. Rather than we just walk pass by them and happy for their misery because we know we can excel on their cost. Instead of we walk that gate of success alone, why don't we walk out of that gate of success hand in hand together? There's no harm in that. If there's such a bell curve, and everyone has the similar score, perhaps... just perhaps, we all can get an A.

Together we can make a narrower distribution of score rather than a very wide of score distribution. Rather than the score range from 100 to 10, Together we can make the score range from 100 to 80 or 90. 

I really hate how the bell-curve applied and the education system who put ban on working together. Because individualism and the bell-curve are not supposed to exist one another. They can foster a highly competitive people who are "Kiasu" (pardon my term). bell-curve is suppose to value on the co-existence instead of competition. 

Well, that's just my opinion. I can't see the wrong in working together as long as the ultimate goal is achieved. No matter it's an individual assignment or more over if it's a group assignment. Now, if the thing that we want to measure is an individual ability, then the correct way is trough exam where we are contained in a room and working together is really prohibited. But as long as there's no contained room, why ban the 'working together' element...?

Well, my favorite is Individual Assignments, but working it together. So we share our knowledge but at the same time, it's an individual thing and if we are disagree at some point, we are still free to be an individual who holds dear to our own idealism.

But one more thing about idealism, always try to keep an open mind because our idealism has to evolved along with the change that happened outside of our own little universe.
So, instead of win alone, Let's WIN TOGETHER....!!!


Image source: 
http://dailytattoo.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/wrist-365-coexist.jpg