December 25, 2009

Happy Christmas !



What does Christmas mean to you ???

I say, it is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overflow with blessing rich and eternal, and that every path may lead to peace.

To all my friends everywhere you are, wish that you have a wonderful and blessed christmas !

December 9, 2009

Ujian Sejarah

[with KontraS team, for I always admired their spirited fight for Human Rights and against corruption]

Di Indonesia, keadilan hanya terlihat di atas awan. Kita sering terbuai untuk meraihnya dari ketinggian, tetapi lupa menanamnya di bumi kenyataan.

Di negeri ini kita sering merasa sudah bekerja keras membangun pemerintahan yang bersih tanpa korupsi. Namun, itu membutuhkan pemimpin negara yang berani. Hampir mustahil suatu bangsa dapat menjumpai keadilan jika terdiam melihat kepemimpinan pemerintahan bergerak sebatas visi, pengetahuan, dan kompetensi tanpa keberanian. Akibatnya, mandat suci negara-hukum tak berdaya dalam menghadapi mafia dan hamba-hamba hukum yang korup.

Saat menerima laporan Tim Independen Verifikasi Fakta dan Proses Hukum atas Kasus Bibit Samad Rianto dan Chandra M Hamzah atau Tim 8, Presiden menyatakan kasus ini sebagai ujian sejarah. Juga saat menerima laporan Tim Pencari Fakta Kasus Munir, Presiden menyatakan kasus Munir sebagai ujian sejarah. Apakah kita telah melewati masa kegelapan menuju negeri demokratis, menghormati hukum dan hak asasi manusia?

Ujian Sejarah

Benar, ini ujian sejarah, yang tidak berhenti pada penerimaan laporan, tetapi pada tindakan. Pada kasus Bibit-Chandra ditemukan ketidakwajaran dalam proses hukum, tetapi justru terus muncul keraguan. Bahkan, Presiden belum berani memastikan ada sanksi bagi pejabat yang bertanggung jawab atas proses hukum yang dipaksakan. Hal ini mengundang pertanyaan, adakah hubungan kepentingan kuasa dalam rekayasa ini sehingga Presiden ragu memberikan sanksi? Apakah tak percaya kepada tim yang dibentuknya sendiri?

Presiden pernah meminta pihak-pihak yang disebut dalam rekaman Anggodo harus nonaktif dan mengancam untuk menuntut siapa pun yang mencatut namanya. Namun, kenyataannya?

Juga belum terlihat keberanian strategis untuk reformasi institusional dan reposisi personel. Memberantas makelar kasus di semua lembaga penegak hukum tak cukup hanya membuka pengaduan dan gugus tugas baru di bawah kepresidenan, tetapi bagaimana memastikan tindak lanjut atas laporan berbagai lembaga pemantau korupsi, terutama yang dibentuk konstitusi dan undang-undang, seperti Komisi Yudisial, kejaksaan, dan kepolisian. Tanpa tindakan nyata, pembenahan aneka lembaga hukum, termasuk organisasi profesi advokat, hanya menjadi ilusi.

Ujian Terdekat

Ujian terdekat adalah apakah Presiden akan mendorong penuntasan kasus korupsi Masaro, Sistem Komunikasi Radio Terpadu Departemen Kehutanan, dan proses hukum atas Kepala Bareskrim Susno Duadji dan Lucas terkait dana Bank Century. Apalagi, perhatian publik kini terfokus pada masalah Bank Century, penyebab polemik cicak-buaya. Bukan sekadar pencairan dana Boedi Sampoerna, tetapi kebijakan pemerintah kepada Bank Century.

Pengambilalihan bank ini pun menjadi skandal. Mengapa?

Pertama, Bank Century merupakan bank kecil. Adanya dampak sistemik seperti disampaikan Bank Indonesia sebenarnya diragukan karena hanya segelintir orang yang kehilangan uang dari penjaminan simpanan LPS hingga Rp 2 miliar.

Kedua, lemahnya pengawasan Bank Indonesia. Audit BPK 2005-2008 menunjukkan Bank Century sering bermasalah. Suntikan dana menjadi skandal karena dana LPS itu sebenarnya untuk mengisi kas Bank Century yang kosong setelah diambil pemilik bank. Andai itu tak terjadi, tak perlu diambil alih karena sudah mendapat pinjaman fasilitas pendanaan jangka pendek Bank Indonesia.

Ketiga, dugaan dana Bank Century untuk kepentingan politik. Ini semua harus dibuktikan kebenarannya.

Apa yang harus dilakukan?

Sebuah negara hukum pasti memuliakan kesetaraan bagi setiap warganya di muka hukum. Tak boleh ada yang kebal hukum. Supremasi hukum harus ditegakkan. Tak ada intervensi. Namun, negara kita belum menjadi negara hukum, masih dalam keadaan tak normal. Hukum berjalan pincang, direkayasa, dikorupsi, dan digembosi oleh hamba-hamba hukum sendiri. Ini adalah ujian berat sejarah.

Diharapkan, Presiden mendorong KPK dan PPATK mengusut penyalahgunaan keuangan negara pada kasus Bank Century. Fokus pertama diarahkan untuk menguji kredibilitas kebijakan dana talangan.

Fokus kedua, menguji apakah dana talangan itu digunakan sesuai kaidah keuangan negara, untuk kepentingan umum atau pribadi/golongan. Sejauh mana uang itu digunakan secara tak bertanggung jawab oleh pihak- pihak luar, Bank Century, aparat hukum, dan kelompok tertentu?Jika dugaan publik benar, skandal Bank Century adalah contoh bagaimana sistem keuangan kita tak belajar dari pengalaman krisis 1997. Bank bisa dirampok pemiliknya lalu dengan mudah negara mengucurkan dana untuk menalangi kewajiban bank.

Ini semua harus dituntaskan. Kepercayaan dunia kini dipertaruhkan. Kegagalan untuk menyelesaikan akan mempermalukan Indonesia di mata dunia, khususnya dalam melawan korupsi. Yang lebih tidak kita inginkan adalah kegagalan mengatasi ujian sejarah kali ini bisa membawa republik menuju kebangkrutan.

[Written by Usman Hamid, Koordinator Kontras]

December 7, 2009

My Fish Portrait





These are some photos that I took during my Ambon, Maluku, gateway on last Nov 25-30th, 2009. I went there to join an underwater photo competition organized by Forum Selam. I paid some amount just like everybody else. Unfortunately, I was disappointed with their unprofessional conduct. Without even noticing me, they didn't even put one picture of mine into the contest, while I never told them that I withdraw from it. They just suddenly announced the winner ! From a friend, one of the committee said that they simply forget to inform me !!! Do I deserve an apology from them here ??? They don't even bother to tell me that !

Aaah, however, these are some photos that I took during the first session with a theme as "fish portrait". Even though 'am not winning anything, but i did enjoy my dive trips in Ambon ! And really hope that all of you will like these. Hey, am just a beginner ! :)

November 17, 2009

The Story of Starfish


One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a boy picking something up, and gently throwing it into the ocean. Approaching the boy, he asked, "what are you doing?", the youth replied, "throwing starfish back into the ocean. The surf is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them back, they'll die."

"Son," the man said, "don't you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish ? You can't make a difference !"

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it back into the surf. Then, smiling at the man, he said, "...I made a difference for that one."

[Original Story by: Loren Eisley]

And I really wish that as 'am still alive, God will me give a chance to "give something back", to "put-things back", some goodness to the people around me. To the world where I live. To the community where I socialized with. I want to make a difference !

November 14, 2009

The Sun and The Moon



I love both the sunshine and the moon.

The sun is you. For you are like the sunshine and brighten my day, with everything that you do and all that you say. And I am the moon. For I sometimes dark sometimes shining. For I cold as dark. For I lost sometime when no light. But yes, one for sure that I will be cold without you in my arms to hold.

But as the sun and the moon that stay far from each other, and so we are, so far apart. You are there. And 'am here. Or for I am there. And you are here. But everyday and night, the moon is waiting and longing for the sun. Its weird but its real. For if no sun will come again to this lives, then no moon will ever comes.

No matter how, you are my sunshine, and will always here in my heart. When I see you, I am glowing as you shine upon me. Like the sun on the moon across mountain and sea. And when our lips touched, it feels like a total eclipse, as we drift apart slowly on me, your light glows like the space between us, and my love grows on you...

Ayo Dukung Cicak Lawan Buaya !






"...Cicak kok melawan buaya..." demikian pernyataan Kabareskrim Mabes Polri Komjen Pol Susno Duadji, yang kini memantik perseteruan yang semakin memanas dan membuka konfrontasi terbuka antara kepolisian dan Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi [KPK].

Kekuatan cicak mungkin kecil. Kekuatan buaya mungkin lebih besar. Tetapi kini jutaan cicak mulai bersatu. Para cicak yang memiliki satu tujuan: cinta pemberantasan korupsi, dan menolak penggembosan lembaga anti korupsi dan gerakannya.

Mari, bergabung bersama para cicak lainnya. Bersama-sama kita selamatkan bangsa dari korupsi !

October 22, 2009

Don't Try to Be Perfect

"It's just not good enought; it's not quite right; I'm not good enough; nothing I ever do is just right...."

Familiar with those statements ? I do ! I did !

When I told my self that words, I always try to reminds my self that nobody is perfect, for we are always making mistakes, but it also make us keep learning to do things better. Just like a little child, she may need to falls over 240 times before she learns to walk. And no one expects her to walk immediately, even her parents. She just need to keep practise, and practise, and practise.

We are also just grown-up little girls who also need to keep practise our skills. So enjoy what you do, for it really is "good enough" in it self.

October 5, 2009

Seminar on Prospects for Government’s Enforcement of Human Rights and Rule of Law 2009 - 2014


Here is the Press Release from previous KontraS-IALDF Seminar in Makassar, South Sulawesi. As one of the program key achievement, here I'd like to posted here on my home too.

********

Seminar on Prospects for Government’s Enforcement of Human Rights
and Rule of Law 2009 - 2014, Makassar, Indonesia, 10 August 2009


On August 10, 2009, The Commission on the Disappeared and Victims of Violence (KontraS), with the support of the Indonesia Australia Legal Development Facility (IALDF) launched the book“Guidelines for Investigation and Monitoring” for human rights activists at a seminar entitled “Seminar on Prospects for Government’s Enforcement of Human Rights and Rule of Law 2009 – 2014” held in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia.


The seminar was opened by Usman Hamid, the KontraS coordinator, along the seminar’s speakers: Inspector General Dr. Aryanto Sutadi, the head of the Legal Division of the Indoensian Police Headquarters, Wiwiek Setyawati Firman, the director of the Human Rights Division in the Interior Ministry, along with moderator Abdul Muthalib (director of Legal Aid Foundation – Makassar). The seminar was attended by as many as 90 people, including members of the South Sulawesi police force, representatives from the regional Law and Human Rights office of South Sulawesi, members of the National Human Rights Comission from Central Sulawesi, victims from the agrarian conflict in Takalar, Sulawesi, and civil society representatives from across Sulawesi, Kalimantan, and the Moluccas.


The purpose of the seminar was to improve the relationship between the government and its citizens, including series on security issues in the protection of human rights, especially in monitoring human rights situations; and pushing efforts to institutionalize communication between citizens and the government. Through this program and book publication we wished to contribute our thoughts and experience in monitoring human rights situation in Indonesia.

KontraS coordinator Usman Hamid opened the program by describing KontraS’ work and its contribution to human rights monitoring in Indonesia, and its evolving strategies and tactics in response to a shifting situation. Human rights monitoring can be done in an open manner and in communication with government officials, shown by the initiative of Makassar Police Inspector General Mathius Salempang, who communicated directly with the victimized farmers of Takalar before the program began. Such land conflicts expose the serious shortcomings of the current legal system.

The program continued with the symbolic handing out of the human rights monitoring books to human rights activists by Usman Hamid to Basir Tutu Dengan Toro (a Takalar farmer), Wiwiek Setyawati Firman (Director of the Human Rights Division of the Foreign Ministry), Mardiana Rusli (journalist), Lia Marpaung (IALDF), and Meity Tangkere (Reigonal Law and Human Rights office of South Sulawesi).


Wiwik Setyawati Firman discussed the topic of the Development of National and International Human Rights Instruments and the role of the Foreign Ministry in their development, protection, and fulfillment of human rights. In the last five years the Indonesian government has ratified several international conventions, invited UN Special Rapporteurs on Human Rights Defenders and on the Prevention of Torture. Indonesia has also played an active role in the UN as a member of the controversial UN Human Rights Council and the UN Security Council. Wiwiek Setyawati also explained the Foreign Ministry’s role in receving reports on the implementation of human rights in Indonesia, which is clarified and submitted to UN bodies.


Meanwhile, Police Inspector General Aryanto Sutadi discussed the topic of human rights principles in the context of the Indonesian Police’s work. Sutadi described the Indonesian police force after the fall of Suharto, where the people demanded a more professional, humane, and human rights-observant police force. He explained how the police support this role by their orientation towards the people. The police have been working to change the former paradigm though the changes have not been complete. The police continue to work towards internal reform on issues such as accountability. According to the Indonesian Police, every year around 320 police are fired because they have violated human rights principles. The publishing of the Kapolri’s “Rules Regarding the Implementation of Human Rights Principles and Standards for the Indonesian National Police” is one measure of the respect of human rights and opens space for the participation of the people in observing the work of the police force and this right becomes natural.


Usman Hamid from KontraS had several citizens to open the Challenges and Opportunities in the Role of Civil Society in the Observation of Human Rights. He said that in the post-New Order era, the political conditions are still in a transitional stage and have new institutions (The Constitutional Court,the Judicial Commission, the Ombudsman Commission, the National Human Rights Commission, the National Committee on Women) so that politics are more open and accessible. The repressive attitude of the state is expressed through regulation, and its targets are already under control where violence is decreasing. Hamid explained that the type of violence/violation of human rights has changed from the government to individuals, groups, mass organizations, and large companies. There are many aspects of these issues that can be improved through policy, so that the people can also fight for their social political and economic rights.

From the discussion, a worry emerged from civil society organizations about cooperation with state institutions. However both the speakers and attendants saw these as opportunities that can be used to increase coordination and cooperation with the new government. The new government of course has much work to do in relation to its initial commitment to the protection of human rights. The attendees hope that this seminar might result in the creation of a space to communicate and cooperate between both civil society organizations and state institutions as part of the responsibility of the country protect human rights.

The program closed with the distribution of plaques by KontraS and IALDF to the presenters.

September 17, 2009

Masih Adakah Tanah Air bagi Kami ?


"Kami tidak mampu membeli sepatu yang kami buat. Kami tidak bisa memiliki baju yang kami jahit. Kami tidak bisa merasakan rumah yang kami bangun. Apa disini kami punya tanah air ?"

Namaku Sunarsih. Sih, begitulah Mas tejo kekasihku memanggil. Umurku genap 25 tahun bulan September ini. Hanya itu yang bisa kuperkenalkan. Karena memang cuma menjadi kekasih mas Tejo saja yang bisa kubanggakan. Pekerjaan? Awal bulan September 2009 lalu, aku resmi menggangur. Genap 1 tahun aku bekerja di salah satu pabrik garmen di Kawasan Berikat Nusantara Cakung yang menjadi tempatku mengais nafkah. Mereka memutuskan kontrak kerja denganku.

Insert:

“Yah…baru 2 minggu kemaren dipecat. Lha begini ini nasibnya buruh outsourcing. Mau protes ga bisa karena sudah jadi kesepakatan. Tapi sekarang kalo ga lewat begituan juga ga bisa kerja. Pabrik itu pinteran mbak. Kita diputus kontraknya pas mau leberan. Biar ga bayar thr. Jadinya ya tetep aku ga bisa pulang kampong.”

Sekarang kesibukanku membantu mas Tejo berjualan gorengan di dekat pabrik tempatku bekerja dulu. Mungkin memang beginilah garis yang diberikan Tuhan padaku. Menolak dikirim bekerja sebagai pembantu rumah tangga, tahun 2003 aku bertolak dari kampungku di Sragen, Jawa Tengah ke Jakarta. Jadi buruh memang tujuanku. Sebenarnya apapun pekerjaanya asal halal dan tidak menjadi pembantu, akan kujalani. Akhirnya, kamar kos berukuran 2 X 3 meter inilah yang menjadi pelabuhanku selama 5 tahun terakhir.

Insert:

“saya ga mau jadi pembantu. Pokoknya ga mau. Nah, saya lari dari rumah karna mau dikirim ke Surabaya buat jadi pembantu. Ikut sama saudara saya yang sudah duluan kesana.asal saya dari sragen.”

Cintaku akan mas Tejo sudah mentok. Hanya dia saja lelaki yang mau menerima aku apa adanya. Yah…aku sudah di vonis tidak bisa punya anak. Apa coba yang bisa disebut lebih kejam bagi seorang perempuan, selain tidak bisa merasakan keajaiban mengandung dan melahirkan. Tak bisa membawa kehidupan baru. Semua itu berawal dari aksi protes kami, para buruh pabrik sepatu ternama di KBN Cakung tahun 2004.

Insert:

“Siapa yang ga mau protes, 2 bulan gajian Cuma separo. Dibayar dengan perjanjian bersedia menandatangani PHK massal tanpa menuntut upah PHK. Itu kan gila namanya. Kami ini kan masih manusia, lha wong hewan ajah kalo dipotong jatah makannya ngamuk kok.”

Waktu itu suasana di pabrik memanas. Kebijakan pengusaha disambut unjuk rasa besar-besaran selama 3 hari. Di hari terakhir, pimpinan perusahaan berjanji akan memenuhi semua kewajiban. Melunasi gaji yang tertunda selama 2 bulan dan memberikan uang PHK sebesar 1 bulan gaji. Ternyata lagi-lagi janji tinggalah janji. Saat hari pencairan uang tiba, janji itu menguap. Semua direksi lenyap dari pabrik. Kami kalap. Kami masuk ke pabrik. Buruh lelaki menduduki pabrik. Buruh perempuan kembali ke rumahnya mengambil peralatan sehari-hari. Di pabrik tempat kami bekerja inilah kami membentangkan spanduk dan tidur disana. Disinilah awal perkenalanku dengan mas Tejo.

Insert:

“wah…waktu itu semangat sekali kita. Pabrik sudah kayak rumah sendiri. Kita masak, makan, minum dan segala macem ya disitu. Siang malam diskusi soal rencana selanjutnya. Tapi hari ketiga kita disitu, mulai ada orang-orang berbadan kekar sekirar 20 orang. Mereka ngancam kalo kita terus disitu kita semua bakal babak belur. Kami tidak takut. Lha wong jumlah kami lebih banyak.”

Memasuki hari ke tujuh suasana bertambah tegang. Pagi hari, belum lagi kami sadar, satu truk preman lengkap dengan pentungan bersepatu tentara masuk ke ruangan tempat kami tidur. Mereka mengobrak-abrik semua yang kami punya. Kompor, piring, gelas baju, semua jadi sasaran. Kami yang belum solid dan sama sekali tidak terhimpun dengan baik jadi kocar-kacir. Para preman kemudian mengumpulkan para perempuan di tengah ruangan yang dijaga ketat. Entah kenapa mereka kemudian menyeret sahabatku. Yah…mereka mengambil Rina yang berdiri tepat di sebelahku. Mungkin karena Rina berparas ayu. Kala itu aku merasa sangat beruntung memiliki wajah yang biasa saja.

Insert:

“waktu ngambil rina, mereka ngacam kalau kami berani macam-macam, Rina bakal tidak selamat dan kondisinya bisa lebih buruk dari Marsinah. Mereka juga mengancam kalau siang itu kami harus pergi dari sini.”

Kemudian mereka pergi membawa Rina, kawan kami. Kami ketakutan dan bingung. Perempuan-perempuan mulai menangis. Tapi tidak denganku. Harus ada yang berpikiran sehat, ulangku pada saat itu. Rapat besar hari itu di putuskan kami tidak akan pergi sebelum Rina kembali dan hak kami dipenuhi. Apapun yang terjadi. Benar saja, menjelang sore, kira-kira jam 3, dua mobil truk pengangkut pasir masuk ke pabrik dan pereman berbadan kekar lengkap dengan pentungan dan sepatu tentara itu datang lagi. Tidak ada lagi perundingan. Komando untuk segera meninggalkan pabrik atau di hajar habis dikumandangkan.

Insert:

“kami teriak, kami keluar kalo Rina kembali. Habis itu ga ada ampun. Semua orang di hajar habis. Beruntung masih ada yang sempat telpon keluar minta tolong. Ga tau siapa orangnya. Ngeliat kayak gitu semua orang langsung lari ke pintu keluar. Tapi pintu dah ditutup. Ini sudah kayak perang. Rambut dijambak, saya masih bisa lari. Muka ditonjok, saya masih bisa diri tapi begitu pert saya ditendang keras banget,saya ga inget apa-apa lagi.”

Dan terjadilah peristiwa naas itu. Begitu membuka mata, yang ada hanya putih dan rasa nyeri di perut yang teramat sangat. Setelah itu baru kulihat Mas Tejo dan Rina. Melihatku sadar, rina langsung memelukku erat sambil menangis. Dia baik-baik saja, malah kami yang babak belur. Seminggu di Rumah sakit, kawan yang paling setia menjagaku adalah Rina dan mas Tejo. Kata mereka, darah yang keluar dari tubuhku banyak sekali. Mas Tejo juga yang menemani aku waktu dokter memvonis aku tidak lagi bisa punya anak. Bukannya surut, setelah itu dia malah melamarku.

Insert:

“Dia yang nemenin saya waktu ngadep dokter. Terus habis itu saya dilamar deh. Tapi sampai sekarang belum bisa nikah. Ga punya duit. Kami juga sepakat buat ga ngasih tau keluarga masing-masing kalo saya ga bisa punya anak.”

Sampai sekarang aku masih trauma melihat lelaki bertubuh kekar. Orang-orang yang dulu menghabisi kami masih sering berkeliaran di sekitar tempat kosku. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang dibayar untuk mengekalkan kekuasaan dan penindasan. Mereka adalah orang-orang yang rela menggadaikan nurani. Aku tidak takut jika aku sebutkan data lengkap pabrik sepatu laknat itu. Aku tidak takut, karena bagiku aku sudah mati bersama vonis dokter. Tapi aku takut akan keselamatan orang-orang yang aku sayangi. Orang-orang yang lebih dari sekedar teman dan sahabat.

Kami tidak mampu membeli sepatu yang kami buat. Kami tidak bisa memiliki baju yang kami jahit. Kami tidak bisa merasakan rumah yang kami bangun. Apa di sini kami masih punya tanah air????

Naskah Feature Radio VHRmedia.com edisi September 2009
Ditulis oleh Indah Nurmasari

September 12, 2009

Menatap Senja...

[Photo courtesy of Irma M. Setiono]

Menatap senja sore hari ini, teringat aku perkataan seorang teman...

"Sungguh malang nasip sang senja. Siang tak pernah mau menunggunya, sedang malam selalu meninggalkannya...sungguh malang nasip sang senja, waktunya teramat pendek, dan ia mati muda setiap hari...."

Aaah, kenapa segala sesuatu yang indah terkadang hanya dapat kita rasakan sesaat saja, dan sering begitu cepat berlalu, padahal aku masih ingin mereguk kemesraan bersamanya...

August 28, 2009

Christie Wants A Blog !

My 11 y.o. niece, Christie, has been asking me several time to make her a blog. She has been quite active writing and posting notes on her facebook's account, and though that it is time for her now to have her own blog home.

I am honestly support her on this, as I always encouraged her to keep on reading book as many as she can, support her by giving various kind of books that I think it might be good for a teen girl like her, and encourage her to keep practice more and more on writing. Reading and writing ! And not because she is my loving and only niece, but she is really good on both now ! Well, she is still "choosy" and seemed always preferred a kind of girly-book, but that's fine, and I like her writing style ! So I though having her own blog would be a great help for her to learn on writing and also expressing her self thru writing. But when I discussed this issue with my hubby, he is not agree with the idea, as he though Christie still very young to have her own blog, and because of some other reason that we should avoid her to be too expose to the cruel world out there ! What a super protective uncle she has !!! :)

I remember my self during my teen's life. I always had my own diary,... yes, with its own lock ! hahaha It helped my daily life alot as a teenager, whom sometimes can't just express what you feel as you want ! But thru writing, it helped me to see the world as a more simple nice one, and easy to deal with ! Well, life as a teenager is often very much different than life as either a child or an adult. It is a turbulent time, with everyday you may have different obstacle to face, and less wisdom and understanding on why or how.

So, should I make her a blog or not ??? :)

August 4, 2009

Happy Birthday, Christie !


To my loving niece Christie,

My wishes are silent but true,
Everywhere they will follow you
Luck and blessing are yours, wishes are mine.
I wish your present and future will always shine...just like you, my sweetie !

For I wish a very happy 11 y.o. birthday, and I love you so MUCH !!!
You are the most prettiest girl I've known in this life !

August 3, 2009

I Miss You Both, Pap & Mom...

Mommy, it's been six years now since you have passed. Yes, my wounds are healing slow, and I now rarely cry anymore, well, at least less than I used to, but still I have an empty feeling that I fear will never go away, specially since Papi left me too, a year ago. I wonder why you and papi chose on the month of August to leave me, you were gone on August exactly six years ago, and papi was leaving me too also on August a year ago ! August is just a sad month of the year for me !

So many thing happened in my life since you both were gone. Sometimes I lost my way, and just don't know where is the next stop, or should I just keep walking ! I really wish so much to hear your voice, your advices and your guidance, just like those days when you both were still with me. And when I feel down and depressed, I really wish I can just running away to you both, hide my self and cry on your shoulder, the only place that I can feel warm and save.

Mom and Pap, I remember you both today. Six years ago, my heart was crushed when mom left me, and it completely crushed when pap left me too a year ago. On this August ! It said that sometimes, tears say all that can be said, and understanding comes only with time. So hope that with my tears falling down slowly and a more little time, my wounds will finally healed.

I love you both, and miss you both everyday ! And I hope that you both are now found each other again, and holding hand together in heaven.

Bali Deep Blue


[Introducing Narcist Narcosist team : Retno, Hergun, and Lia :)]

[The first Mola that we saw at the Crystal Bay dive point]

[definitely not RCTI Commercial...]

[at the USS Liberty Wreck in Tulamben dive site]

[my underwater garden]

[We found the house of pygmy sea-horse in Tulamben]

Here are some photos during my weekend gateway with my buddy, Retno, on last July. We had six times dive at Tulamben [again at the USS Liberty Wreck], Nusa Penida [at Crystal Bay and PED dive point], Nusa Gede [at Toyapakeh point] and Nusa Lembongan [at Mangrove point]. All those dive points visibility were so good, 20-25m, with the air temperature around 25-27.

This visit was my first time seeing Mola, or, Ocean Sunfish. A giant fish which lives at 1,000 feet underwater, but during July to September every year, she will show up to the surface to have her "spa-treatment". Bali is well-known to have the biggest Mola in all ocean up to 3 meters long. I met her three times when I dove at Crystal Bay point at the depth of 17 meters, and the day after at the early morning at Toyapakeh point at the depth of 23 meters, and she was only about three meters away from me ! She is absolutely beautiful and elegant !

Another new experienced that I have during this gate-away, that I have my first time drift dive for 38 minutes at the speed of 4 knots. I was scared and thrilling, but it was very exciting experience !

Thanks so much to best Mola's guardian in Bali, for showing and sharing with us on those lovely Bali Deep Blue, Nicky Wirawan, and his team-mates, Asa and Pak Beddu, from Bali Marine Sport. Hope to have my another Bali Deep Blue experiences again with you, for you guys are the best !

'Till we meet again....with Mola and hopefully schools of Manta Rays ! :)