With Abucik in Sigli

Gaetano's Finger in Dupont

One of my farewells. I came late, Gaetano was jokingly upset :) Such a nice time.

Same Busy Tokyo

My third visit to Japan. Still amusing and always exciting.

San Fransisco Fiesta

This was one of my best holidays ever. San Fransisco is such an amazing city. It has everything for everyone.

I went there on mid April, 2010 with Gabby-my Aussie's friend and Pratibha-my new South African friend. We had such wonderful times together. Our trip involved red-eyes flight, a lot of hilly walking and a lot of yummy eating.

Imogen

One weird day...met Imogen out of the blue in Aceh airport.

My Sisters

In front of Obama's house

Trying to take Kak Muna's photo. It was a very fine day.

Kentucky Derby 2009

It was a bright sunny day but chilly - cant understand how these ladies remain to be so cool and relax...

Strengthening the ASEAN Secretariat’s International Assistance Coordination Capacity in Myanmar to Support Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Efforts

The Challenge

The Heart

The Soul

Test of Character

The Energy

The Sweat

The Hard Work

It's been a long long climb!

The Guy Who Gave Me Hard Time When I Was at School

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Dewey

Weird Feeling

Dear God, I have been asking myself lately whether or not I am happy. I have my faith, and even though I am not that smart but thank you God I graduated and I have a good job. Again, thank you God, I have a wonderful family and I have many caring friends. I also have a "kind of" boy friend. I even have a nice bed to sleep on with many shocking pink stuff around it. I dont think I have reasons not to feel happy.

But hey, what is it then? I still feel empty inside.

Dear God, life is so weird sometimes. I dont know what it is but I feel like there's something missing in my current life. I cant really spot what it is. Never feel this way before.

Perhaps, it's my piano that I miss. As far as I can recall, playing piano always makes me happy. May be I should retake my piano lessons so that I can indulge my passions. Perhaps, I can feel happy again.

Dear God, it seems the more I get older, the more complicated life turns to be. Age seems to always complicate the way human thinks about simple things. Why is that?

See, I dont even understand what I am thinking right now. I think I do miss my piano badly. I miss playing Traumerei, hikss. See, back then, when I still had my piano, I could just easily open and play it to feel better. See, you dont know what you get til you lose it. I want my old life back!

I wish I would never grow older so things could stay as it was. I wish I could always be a young teenager without having to deal with these whole grown up things...like paying rent and credit cards or working or cooking or whatever.

By the way, my life time favorites are Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven and The Swan by Saint Saens and all pieces from Chopin. Bear with me...I am feeling restless tonight. I dont know what I am saying and I also dont know what I am thinking. I just feel like writing non sense stuff tonight.

I'd better go and pray! Good night people!

My Boys

Sunday morning in my house. They came after Shubuh to have breakfast together. Hervil wanted to give presents to my boys. So, I bought them new shoes and new praying clothes. It's such a priceless moment to see their happy faces when they received the gifts. These kids are good kids. They were very shy and very very polite. They asked me if I pray in American language when I am in the US…LOL! So cute!

My Cousins (Fauzi, Reza and Anisa)

This picture was taken at Cengkareng Airport in Jakarta. My cousins sent me back to Aceh that day after my visa interview. We had so much fun together even though I only stayed with them for one night. I wished I could spend more time with them before they grow older.

Mie Bakso Isaura

Note: Mie (Noodles) and Bakso (Meat Ball)

This Mie Bakso has been there since I was at the kindergarten. You may not believe this, but the taste is still exactly the same. The only difference is the price! Nowadays, in Aceh, the price for one bowl of Mie Bakso can be more expensive than the price of one "nasi bungkus". Can you believe that?

Finding a mattress in Washington, DC with little money and without a car

I arrived in my apartment on Jan 17, 08 and found out that my aerobed which I have been using for the past 2 years was dead. I then decided that I probably needed to buy a "real" bed this time. My dead bed was a queen size bed, and I wanted to go with the same size. The reason is that when I have one friend stays over, my girl friend can share the bed with me. And also, it's nicer to have a bigger bed so that my "Orang Utan" boy friend also can sleep peacefully next to me.

Wondering how my duckas are doing...

Can someone check them for me? They are located in the pond behind Barrister Court in Little Rock.

Clinton School Graduation December 14, 2007

In his biography, The Boy From Altheimer, William H. Bowen—for whom the University of Arkansas Little Rock School of Law is named—said that Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton had a framed quote in his office that read: “The way to save your soul is through public service.”
In his book Dean Bowen added that public service was also the way to save a community’s soul.

My name is Skip Rutherford, Dean of the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, welcoming you to our second graduation.

After 9/11, after the Tsunami and after Katrina, people across the world developed a new interest in serving and in giving. This commitment has been highlighted in many ways, including record applicants for the Peace Corps, Teach for America and Americorps. It also manifested itself in a new academic discipline that would be kin to—but different from—public administration and public policy.

President Clinton, Dr. Alan Sugg, the University of Arkansas Board of Trustees and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education collectively initiated the nation’s first master’s degree in public service. Deans David Pryor and Tom Bruce deserve great credit for its successful launch. A special thanks to President Sugg, Stanley Reed and the other members of the UofA Board for their commitment and confidence.

Attracting the best and brightest from Arkansas and bringing the best and brightest to Arkansas, this school is unique because of its emphasis on hands-on, in the field public service work. And you, the members of this graduating class, have elevated our public service commitment to a much higher level. Along the way you also helped develop our new Center on Community Philanthropy which has unlimited potential and could in fact help change the world.

You served on all six inhabited continents. You survived the Tsunami. You personally faced down typhoid and malaria. You confronted racial, religious and ethnic differences. You saw children and families in unbelievable living conditions and you experienced inequities in education, health care and financial resources.

But you didn’t shy away from the obstacles. In partnership with the Clinton Foundation, you built health clinics in Malawi; with our neighbors at Heifer, you helped develop dairy farms which could change the quality of life in Kenya and throughout Africa; you worked with the World Bank on disaster relief; you rescued young people whose lives had been chained because of drugs; you advocated housing rights in the Czech Republic and you thwarted child domestic laborers in Nepal.

But you also didn’t forget from where you came. Your work on various projects in the Arkansas Delta continued the commitment this school made from day one. Your efforts, in partnership with the Bowen Law School, to help revitalize the South Main Street business district and neighborhood will be of great long-term benefit to our city. Your commitments, individually and collectively, to City Year, the Thea Foundation, the Battered Woman’s Shelter and Our House, among others, keeps hope alive for many.

And through a friendly character named Flat Stanley, you assisted First Lady Ginger Beebe, in opening all kinds of possibilities for Arkansas elementary school children who’ve never dreamed of being at the equator, or flying across the ocean or seeing gorillas in the wild.

In the spirit of President Kennedy’s Peace Corps, of President Bush’s Thousand Points of Light and of President Clinton’s Americorps, you are their living legacy. President Kennedy asked what you could do for your country; President Reagan said to tear down that wall; and President Clinton said while our differences matter, our common humanity matters more….and we should all be building bridges.

Now graduates, it’s your time and your turn.

I hope what you’ve learned, what you’ve experienced, the people you’ve met, the connections you made, the diverse speakers you’ve heard, the opportunities you’ve had and the challenges and frustrations that you’ve faced, will all serve you well.

I wish you the very best now and in the future. And, on behalf of the Clinton School faculty staff, I congratulate you and your families on this special day.

James L. "Skip" Rutherford
Dean
University of Arkansas
Clinton School of Public Service

Jangan maen-maen dengan anak Pak Nurdin!

My sister is very cool. I cant thank Allah enough for making her my sister. She gives action to what she believes and cares about, and more importantly she is never afraid to speak the truth. Her passion about making Aceh as a cool place to live is a treasure. Yes, she's indeed very critical about many issues but her criticism not for no reason. I am so ready to be Governor of Aceh if she agrees to be the Mayor of Banda Aceh city. I understand if people think it's a nepotism. But she has all qualities I need to support my work. She's capable and as passionate as I am. What more can I expect???

This is a quote from my last chat with my sister about Ustadz di Aceh, yang cuma baca kitab kuning tapi tidak pernah baca buku lain.

Pelajar: Ustadz, kok Ustadz mandinya di mesjid? Kok kamar mandi di mesjid di Aceh semuanya bau, katanya kebersihan Sebahagian dari Iman?

Ustadz di Aceh: Namanya juga kamar mandi, ya "Bau" lah! Macam-macam aja pertanyaan!

Ok, I am supposed to finish my capstone report. I ll continue later :)

This is what I miss everyday

Nasi putih di tengah, tahu goreng, asam keu eung, ikan goreng, cap cay. Semuanya ala Mamak...Yummm