Square Peg in a Round Hole

Posted Senin,21 September 2009 by antondewantoro
Categories: Non-Category

“ Square peg in a round hole”- this simply means that the person we are talking about is not suited for the job he is doing. He may be a bookeper who really wants to be an actor or a mechanic who likes cooking. Unfortunately, many people in the world are “square pegs”; they are not doing the kind of work theyshould be doing for one reason or another. As a result they probably are not doing a very good job and certainly they are not happy.

Chosing the right career is very important. Most of us spend a great part of our lives at our jobs. For that reason we should try to find out what our talents are and how we can use them. We can do this through aptitude test, interviews with specialist, and study of books in our field of interest.

There are many careers open to each of us. Perhaps we like science. Then we might prepare ourselves to be a chemist, physicist, or biologist. Maybe our interest take us into bussines world and such work as accounting, personnel management or public relations. Many persons find their place in government service. Teaching, newspaper work, medicine, engineering-these and many other fields offer fascinating careers to persons with talent and training.

Taken from: English 900-Collier Macmillan

Merencanakan Masa Depan

Posted Senin,17 Agustus 2009 by antondewantoro
Categories: Non-Category

Tags: , , , , ,

Dalam film Forrest Gump, hidup itu bagaikan sekotak coklat, kita tidak akan pernah bisa merasakannya sebelum membuka dan memakannya. Bagi saya, hidup itu bagai naik kereta senja utama, kita kadang tidak bisa memperkirakan siapa rekan seperjalanan kita. Kali ini rekan saya cukup istimewa, seorang bapak-bapak yang dilihat dari tampangnya sederhana saja, namun ternyata beliau luar biasa. Mas Wiji begitu saya menyebutnya, seorang bergelar master IT dari sebuah universitas di Malaysia. Status kami sama-sama karyawan swasta namun soal pengetahuan dan pengalaman beliau ini jauh lebih berisi dan yang pasti gemar berbagi meskipun saya waktu itu statusnya adalah orang asing yang baru saja dikenal.

Dia adalah penumpang yang membayar penuh namun tidak kebagian tiket duduk, kebetulan bangku di sebelah saya kosong,  dan duduklah dia di samping saya. Awalnya kami saling diam cukup lama, dari Jakarta sampai lewat daerah Cikampek, saya pun asyik membaca novel Misteri Soliter pemberian adik saya. Kereta penuh sesak, penumpang kebanyakan kelaparan karena biasanya dari tempat kerja langsung mengejar kereta , namun cuma ada penjual nasi goreng restorasi dan pop mie-kopi yang kelarisan. Awalnya saya dan Mas Wiji ingin memesan pop mie untuk sekadar ganjal perut namun ternyata sudah habis, akhirnya dia memesan kopi dan saya tetap setia dengan air botolan yang entah benar aqua atau bukan. Tampaknya rekan seperjalanan saya ini ingin merokok semenjak tadi namun khawatir kalau menganggu sekitar, saya pun ikut mengeluarkan rokok untuk menemaninya dan meminjam koreknya. Dari sinilah cerita panjang lebar mengenai berbagai hal dalam pekerjaan dan kehidupan dimulai.

Khusus menyangkut kehidupan, ada hal yang cukup menggelitik saya yaitu kenyataan bahwa saya pada umumnya kurang merencanakan jalan hidup saya.Hidup saya ini bagaikan Srimulat yang mengalir begitu saja ndlewer-ndlewer tanpa skenario yang jelas. Padahal hanya skenario yang baiklah yang bisa mengubah cerita menjadi sebuah film yang baik. Bahkan menulis sebuah wacana singkat pun perlu kerangka karangan bukan?

Berencana bisa menghemat banyak hal. Karena memperkecil peluang gagal, maka berencana akan menghemat waktu untuk mengulangi  pekerjaan akibat kesalahan. Beberapa hal bahkan mungkin tidak bisa diperbaiki setelah sekali saja dibuat dengan salah. Berencana bisa menghemat tenaga, waktu dan pikiran sehingga secara umum menghemat sumber daya hidup kita sendiri sehingga sisanya bisa kita nikmati dengan lebih santai untuk hal-hal yang benar-benar kita sukai.

Hal pertama yang lupa saya rencanakan adalah kelanjutan dari pendidikan saya. Memang dengan gelar S1 ini saya sudah bisa mendapatkan pekerjaan layak sesuai bidang kuliah saya dulu. Hal-hal yang dulu belum saya kuasai selama kuliah bisa sambil lalu saya pelajari sembari bekerja. Namun saya yakin dengan meninggikan jenjang pendidikan saya maka saya akan dapat melihat dunia dengan lebih luas. Akan ada ide baru dan relasi baru jika saya mau meluangkan waktu untuk belajar lagi. Belajar bukan semata-mata untuk mengejar karir tapi belajar untuk mengagumi kecantikan sang pengetahuan itu sendiri.

Mengenai keluarga saya memang memiliki sebuah rencana namun baru sebatas rencana untuk menikah. Bagaimana kami akan menjalaninya, akan beli rumah dimana, bagaimana pembagian tugas dengan pasangan, bagaimana menuju kesejahteraan, masih jauh di luar perencanaan saya. Padahal ini sangatlah penting untuk menjaga kelangsungan dan kelanggengan hidup berumah tangga. Banyak pasangan yang bubar jalan karena tidak memiliki perencanaan yang matang.

Masing-masing dari kita tentu punya perencanaan dan gaya merencana sendiri-sendiri sesuai dengan tujuan hidup kita. Saya belum bisa memberikan sebuah contoh kasus dalam hal ini karena saya pun seorang yang masih payah dalam berencana. Yang pasti apapun tujuan anda yakinlah bahwa itu akan membawa pada kebahagiaan. Saya teringat sebuah iklan asuransi di Afrika dimana seratusan orang memulai lari dari titik yang sama dan menempuh arah tujuan yang berbeda –beda dan ketika sampai tujuan semuanya merasa tersenyum puas. Begitulah seharusnya dalam kehidupan kita, kita puas dalam mencapai tujuan kita masing-masing. Dan tak lupa dalam mencapai tujuan itu kita memerhatikan semua detil sekaligus melihat secara global dan berencanalah dengan baik.

Berikut ini beberapa hal yang saya sarikan dari hasil mengobrol dengan teman duduk saya di kereta:

1. Selalu Bayangkan Hal-Hal Baik

Bukan berarti pula kita tidak mempersiapkan hal-hal buruk. Namun dengan membayangkan hal-hal baik dan meyakininya, maka hal baik itu nisacaya akan datang sebagai berkah untuk kita. Saya pun tidak pernah membayangkan berada di titik dimana saya berdiri saat ini, namun karena pernah membayangkannya makan saya ada disini dan dimana tujuan berikutnya pun sudah mulai ada dalam pikiran saya.

2. Asumsikan Umur tidak Panjang

Ini berkaitan dengan sikap selalu waspada siap sedia.  Asuransi bisa menjadi salah satu pilihan perencanaan yang mana jika kita mati setidaknya tidak terlalu merepotkan orang-orang yang kita tanggung karena akan mendapatkan sejumlah dana sebagai pertanggungan. Namun yang pasti banyak-banyaklah menabung sehingga ada yang bisa kita sisakan jika kita tiba-tiba dipanggil.

3. Bersiap juga Jika Diberkati Umur Panjang

Sebaliknya jika kita diberkati umur panjang kita pun harus siap sedia. Berumur panjang jangan sampai menjadi beban orang lain, siapkan dana secukupnya untuk pensiun.

4. Rencanakan dalam jangka panjang, menengah, dan pendek

Jangka panjang mungkin bisa jadi merupakan rencana kita hingga pensiun tapi bisa juga sekedar rencana lima tahunan (Program repelita jama Soeharto bisa dituru lho).

Rencana jangka menengah kita buat dalam satu tahun yang mana kita harus sudah tahu dengan jelas  apa yang ingin kita kerjakan setahun kedepan. Rencana menengah bisa dipecah setiap tiga bulanan untuk dikaji ulang dan disesuaikan dengan perubahan kondisi lingkungan sekitar

Rencana jangka pendek adalah rencana mingguan yang bisa dijbarkan secara detil untuk menentukan tidakan kita secara harian.

5. Pandang ke atas, ke samping, dan ke bawah, harmonisasikanlah!

Kadang orang-orang  di sekitar kita menghambat jalannya rencana kita. Kita perlu memandang ke segenap penjuru. Baik orang-orang yang lebih tinggi dari kita, lebih rendah, apalagi yang sejajar memiliki peranan penting dalam terlaksananya rencana kita. Hubungan yang harmonis diantaranya bisa memuluskan rencana kita.

Selamat Berencana!

Waduh, saking asiknya ngobrol saya sampai lupa menanyakan email rekan duduk saya tadi. Padahal lumayan kalaubisa lanjut diskusinya. Susah juga mencari rekan diskusi yang cukup menginspirasi. Ah, tapi sudahlah saya akan bertemu berbagai macam orang lagi dalam hidup ini dan semoga saya bisa membagikannya dengan lebih lengkap dan menarik kepada pembaca sekalian.

Swine Flu Pandemic and Human Extinction

Posted Selasa,14 Juli 2009 by antondewantoro
Categories: Non-Category

Tags: , ,

In 1680, a bird species that could not fly called Dodo, extinct from the earth surface. This is probably the first human concern of its surrounding that any living being could face the same thing as well as human. An environmental conscious maybe built in our ancestor’s mind due to this fact. From this moment onward up to now, we believe that so many species already gone or being threatened. Sumateran tiger or single tusk rhino in Ujung Kulon probably good examples that just happen in our backyard.

Why these species are gone? Are they no longer needed in to imbalance this ecosystem? Probably they just simply too weak to stand on this fierce natural competition. I believe that this mother nature always find a way to keep all in balance state as long as everything goes naturally as well. When there is dry, she pours the rain. When there is birth, some are passed away. There are positive and negative polar, yin and yang that keep all things in correct order.

But why human seem too superior among other creature on earth. Meanwhile others facing extinction, human population increase in geometric series manner. In year 1000 there were only around 300 million human on earth. This number was triple fold in 1800s into 1 billion. Now in year 2009 more than 6 billion human become world inhabitant, and this number keep growing rapidly. Is this a sign that we are really needed by this earth so that all in this universe seems support us to keep growing?

This nature seems do not really like us actually. So many pandemic diseases were struck us such as malaria, cholera, and leprosy but we can successfully beat them all by medical inventions such as penicillin in 1928. We even can move into advanced biological engineering such as tube baby and cloning which can lead us to break the infertility barrier that prevent any human from its basic need which is reproduction. No wonder that our headcount keep growing in even extreme manner. The two world wars and a number of other wars in this century do not prevent us to keep breeding.

However, now a number of new disease type are found from AIDS, SARS, Avian Flu, up to the latest strain of viral disease called Swine Flu. Are we will again find a comprehensive way to wipe out these disease or this is a sign of the human end? I believe these things just a way that nature has, to keep the balance and select the best to keep standing on this earth. Hopefully, I considered as fit enough to stand and selected to continue the creation scenario that God already write long before. And so billions of other human do.

This frightening fact of Swine Flu Pandemic has already knocking our door. At least 50 people already confirmed Swine Flu positive in Indonesia. The worse thing is that in my office a Malaysian worker was suspected. A formal warning email already broadcasted internally. All employees recommended wearing mask during working especially for those who has flu symptoms. Even for more serious flu symptoms they suggested to directly go to Suliati Saroso Infection Hospital.

But let us not worry too much so that affecting our daily live. Once again this is just a way to meet natural balance. Remember, human population is already far more growing unnaturally like a cancer cell in this earth skin. However, once again I hope that I want to be fit enough to survive this turmoil. It is indeed a selfish thought, but I bet you are the same. I also believe no matter how big any pandemic disease strike us nowadays, human being is still far from extinction.

Mask as Swine Flu Prevention

Mask as Swine Flu Prevention

The Black Swan of Me

Posted Jumat,19 Juni 2009 by antondewantoro
Categories: Economy

Tags: , ,

On a lazy afternoon before working hour finished, I joined a gathering in our office’s smoking room, which we usually call it as gas chamber of torture. Usually we just do chitchat with very light topic to take as light as Sampoerna cigarette. Then one guy joined in the gas chamber, start to smoke, and throw a heavy topic as heavy as his big fat body. This big guy talked about the rise of China and India as two new economic and technology super power.

For China, it has always mattered, even when it was at it’s weakest and most vulnerable. Not so surprising that today’s China does not only matter a great deal. Whether you like it or not, China is on center stage and under a hot limelight.

On the other hand, India, despite its huge and diverse land, population, and cultural heritage, it was never really a great influence for world economic in so many decades. India was always associated to troubles such as poverty, suicide bomber, natural disaster and so on.

Nowadays, India is the most appealing powerhouse for Information Communication Technology (ICT) outsourcing in the world. It also world’s second largest manufacturer after China. Also it has put some of India’s top businessmen on the world’s richest chart. You can find Ratan Tata or Mahindra name there.

These phenomena were never considered before and we call it as black swan phenomena.  People were thought that all swan have bright white color. There is no single black swan in this world, but actually there is.

Currently I’m reading Globe Asia magazine which main headline is Indonesia’s 150 Richest. I see most of people on the list are Indonesian Chinese descent. It is probably prove of a say that Indonesian Chinese is only 7% of all Indonesia’s population but they hold almost 70% of Indonesia economy.

And what about a stupid and lazy Javanese like me. My blood and my skin is belong to the biggest ethnic of this archipelago but they are usually also lies in the bottom of economic layer. Yes maybe we can name Aburizal Bakrie or Jusuf Kalla there as examples of Indonesian original that usually called pribumi, but the number is to few. Moreover, both JK and Bakrie are not Javanese. There is Sultan of Yogyakarta on the chart, but his wealth is inherited not as a result of business. Can I be the black swan by putting my name someday in Indonesia’s 150 richest?

Truly I do not mean to be racist here but I think if the biggest part of this nation, which is pribumi like me, can run as fast as their Chinese descent brothers, Indonesia could be more than what China or India achieve today.

Telecommunication Rush

Posted Senin,8 Juni 2009 by antondewantoro
Categories: Telecommunication

Tags: , , , ,

There was gold rush in 18th century where thousand of people made a massive exodus from east coast of US to the western part which later well known as the city San Francisco. All kind of human being, European Immigrant, Chinese, priest, and prostitutes took part in this rush.

Nowadays, telecommunication sectors can be considered as a gold mine since literally some of its consultants can be paid as much as 1 kg of gold bar a month or even more.  I even can keep some grams when ‘hunting’ it in Africa. That is why no wonder if European and Chinese vendor competing to sell their equipments. Malaysian and British operator workers make a deal in a hotel close to Jakarta harbor after a ‘relaxing massage’ by Russian or Uzbek lady, and in the meantime a famous priest is preparing a religious SMS content to be uploaded shortly. So many parties involved in the telecommunication rush.

In Indonesia, which technological infrastructure maturity is in doubt, telecommunication is considered as main driver of economy due to a very strong consumer spending. If there was a say by IBM that in the year 2000 should be 1 house 1 PC now even doubled in telco since 1 person can have 2 or more cell phone. People are willing to even cut more essential need such as food as long as they have some airtime credit in their cell phone.

However, this is not yet an indication of saturated market since vast network expansion opportunity is still possible to be projected. Telkom Group, as the largest telecommunication provider, only covers less than half of Indonesian population by its PSTN and cellular network which service is done by its subsidiary Telkomsel. Even after take Indosat, XL, and other smaller telecommunication operators, there still tenth of million potential subscriber and huge uncovered blank spots area throughout Indonesian archipelago.

Although there was a 23.4% profit drop booked by Telkom Group, but this is only small correction to balance rapid growing of this industry. Most of operators are now still busy digging their gold ore in a rushing speed off course. Therefore, vendors and subcontractor can maintain their profitable project that derived from telecommunication operator order.

Due to fierce competition, however, some small operators cannot bear to stand and grow weaker especially those who brought CDMA as their platform. As also happened around the globe, despite its spectral efficiency, CDMA technology is likely hard to survive. Only Bakrie Telecom and Telkom Flexi can grab telecommunication market to provide second cell phone of GSM cell phone customer. Sampoerna Telecom, Sinar Mas (Smart), and Mobile-8 are struggling hard to stay away from bankruptcy.

Beyond this voice mobile phone trend, expert always say that data communication will take over voice, but is it really to be happen in near future? I think people still reluctant to move from voice based communication method into purely data communication. Current 3G network expansion progress, which provide so many extended data service compared to second generation digital communication, is in a very slow pace. Operators also seems not very serious in providing data communication through its 3G network although Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) for 3G is higher than 2G. Hence, broadband wireless access (BWA) such as WiMax or LTE seems still a light years away from wiping out current telecommunication environment. Therefore, now telecommunication and IT worker are still digging in separated field of gold.

Speaking about gold, I remember there was a story tale character named Midas who can touch everything he wishes into gold. I think Midas was live into real somewhere in Nordic countries around 1990’s and bring his magical power into telecommunication and turn it into gold. On the other hand, in this decade, Chinese and Indian has also some magical power that turn those gold into some less precious stone and ore. They do de-Midas-ization. They can cut down almost all aspect in telecommunication industry from equipment, service, to manpower. Chinese is threatening all European telecommunication vendors so that even some are now already passed away such as Nortel and maybe the next one is Motorola. India can provide and enforce cheap manpower for telecommunication sector. Indian also now already considered as IT powerhouse.

Will the telecommunication rush era over? I hope there is another Midas born to change all back into gold. The BWA especially WiMax development is already deeply considered by government to have as much as local content in its technology compared to LTE solution which mostly developed by legacy vendors. By using more and more local content, I think Indonesian telecommunication sector can still be a rich field of gold due to its expansion potential.