Taking on Increasing Gas Price in Indonesia

Again, I am missing in action. However, I will start writing some of my opinion regarding serious issues. Possibly more related to economics. Here would be the first of many! I hope it would be useful!!
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On November 17th 2014, the new president of Indonesia, Mr. Jokowi, announced that the gas price is increased by about 30 percent. This decision creates mixed reaction from Indonesian people, some people agree and some people disagree. In this post, I would like to share some opinion about the new regulation.

Here in the U.S, gas price is decreasing. The gas price actually hit as low as $2.7/gallon which translate around Rp9,000/liter. And that is the price of non-led gas which is called "Premium" gas in Indonesia. Then why gas price in Indonesia is increasing? 

 I would mention that lower overall crude oil price has little impact on Indonesia's gas price because gas price in Indonesia has been regulated by Pertamina since forever. The reason why gas price could easily goes up and down in the US is because gas stations in the U.S. are managed by private companies and they need to compete with other companies' price to stay in business. Simply, the competition between different gas companies in the U.S. makes sure that gas price is adjusted to the crude oil price. 

Let's wonder if gas price in Indonesia is adjusted to the crude oil price: Well, we could have price change at least once a week. It could go up or go down, depending on the overall demand of crude oil in the world. Looking at the people's reactions toward increasing gas price, which only happen once in couple years, and the implication towards the economy, I personally do not think that our economy is ready to adjust our gas price based on world oil price. It is easy to criticize the government when they increase gas price while crude oil price is decreasing, BUT are you going to criticized the government when they keep gas price steady when crude oil price is fluctuating? 

Of course there would be some economic effect on the increasing gas price. One real impact would be rising inflation rates. Rising inflation rates means increase in overall prices - which means lowering the value of Rupiah, same amount of money a week ago would not be able to buy the same amount of goods compared to today. This issue leads to much criticism because many people feel the immediate impact of increasing goods' prices. However, the calculation has mentioned that the government will save up to $8 billion next year. 

The short term impact might be rough, but I could see that the long term result would be positive depending on how the government spend the $8 billion savings in the budget.

Living it Now

Hi readers!

Sorry for missing for almost two months. Transition back to college (junior year, yay!) is not as smooth as I thought it would be. Well, I guess I was just slacking off lil bit, but I am getting back to rhythm right now. On this piece of though, I would like to share some views about living our life now. Check this out!

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I had a very deep thoughtful conversation with someone (whom I call my partner - I promise I will introduce her to you all) about being insecure about life, from opportunities to relationship.

I told her that I know someone who is trying to pull away from anything that is called friendship. He does have a few meaningful friend. However, every time he start to make new friends, hanging out a lot with them, and getting closer, that is when he start pulling away. Why?
He told me that couple years ago he almost lost someone very close to him, and that thought of losing still linger in his mind. He just afraid that when he got too close with someone, in a form of friendship, then he will be hurt so bad when they finally say goodbye.

On the other hand, she told me she know someone who had lost a man that is very dear to her heart. She already lose him, yet at this point she realized that she should celebrate every moment with everyone close to her. She makes a bunch of friends, getting close with them. Then cried when she had to say goodbye to them.

These two very different story makes me think; which one of them is happier? My friend, or her friend?
Well, nobody could judge because they are the only one who knows their own happiness. However, I learn something from both story.

"That we have to live our life for now, for today and stop wondering too much about the future"

My friend might be happy, but how many great friendship he has missed?
On the other hand, how many amazing friendships that her friends already formed?

It made me realize that as people, we worried too much about the future that we are missing out stuff for now. From opportunities we missed because we are afraid to fail, relationship we missed because we are afraid of getting hurt, to happiness we missed because we are afraid to try.

Live your life the moment, and grab as much thing as possible today! Because now is when we live our life.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, 

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

 Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Stumbled on Words

On the second week of July, I had a chance to visit an orphanage on the slum part of Jakarta with my coworkers. We had a break-fasting event with the orphans and kids around the area. (p.s. This was a fasting month in Indonesia, so around 6 p.m, it is time for them to break their fast).

During the event, I was playing guitar to entertain them with some songs. I was doing fine until one of my coworker asked me to share my story since she thought that I could inspire them with my story – coming from a humble background and I could live my dream studying in the U.S. I usually love to share my story and to inspire, but this time was different…

Speaking in front of the kids, I couldn’t get my words out as usual. I couldn’t talk as passionate as I used to do.

At the end of the event, my coworker asked me: “Timmy, what was wrong? You seemed very unsettled during your sharing time.”

The situation during the event

Then I told her:

“It seemed to me it is unfair to tell them that I come from the same humble background like them. I am very very fortunate to have both of my parents, complete family, access to clean water every day. I mean, look at them, some of them don’t have any parent, they don’t have access to clean water, they live in a dirty area. My condition is very fortunate if I compare it to them.”

It hit me that sometimes I kind of bragging about my humble background. I love telling people that I have very humble background, yet looking at the condition of the orphans; I am very very much blessed. That day I learned that I should always be more grateful for my condition.

The Slaps of Reality

A:” What would you like to be in the future?”

B: “I would like to be the next president of United Nation”

A: “Oh, you were young and naïve. I was like you when I was younger and I think you should not aim that high so it won’t hurt when you fail.”

I remember some times when I told people about my dream to be the future finance minister of Indonesia, people will always react. And there are two kinds of reaction: support or slaps of reality. The type of support I could get would be: That is a great dream, Timmy. You can do it and go for it!

And here I will talk about the slaps of reality…

I had a conversation with couple of colleagues during lunch time; I told them about my dream about being the finance minister. There was one surprising reaction: Oh, you are so young and naïve. I was like you when I was younger. Go ahead and pursue your dream. It sounded like a great support but I wasn’t because the sarcastic tone of behind the support.

After a year I could finally understand the reason behind the sarcastic tone.

I do realize that some people, when they were younger, they could conquer the world. Yes, I bet you are one of them. However, some of them become bitter because reality doesn’t turn out like what they dreamed of. On the other hand, I witness some people who actually surpassed what they dreamed of.

 The bitter people believe that reality is cruel and they believe that it happens to everyone. And that is where everything related. These people love to give the slaps of reality to younger generation with the justification as if someone is aiming too high; it will hurt when they fall.

I might be young and naïve, but I think people should stop trying to explain slaps of reality to younger generation. As humans, we are all a dreamer and nobody knows what will happen in the future. For whatever dream people dream of, support them even you thought it is impossible (And I think you should learn to believe that nothing is impossible). Don’t be those people who think they know what the future holds. And even you really really think it is impossible for someone to reach their dream, let the reality slaps them because it is not your job to discourage them.

My Writing Inspiration - Meeting with Mas Iwan Setyawan

Several weeks ago, I had a dinner with my friends and Sampoerna Foundation team. I was glad get to see my friends yet there was a really nice surprise during the dinner. I met with Mas Iwan Setyawan, the inspiring writer of 9 Summers 10 Autumns book (you can buy the book here: http://www.amazon.com/Summers-10-Autumns-Apples-Apple/dp/9792275959)

I could not deny that he is one of the most inspiring people I ever met. If you might have recalled, I keep writing because I would like to inspire my readers (read: http://chtimw13.blogspot.com/2013/10/my-pleasure-from-writing.html). Meeting him was like a reassurance for me that a story or a writing could change people’s live. 

The dinner with Mas Iwan Setyawan - He sat right across me!

His story was very touching; coming from a very very humble background from a small town in Indonesia, he made it big in New York through hard work, tenacity, and a will to achieve. He told me a story when his inspired reader finally achieved his dream to go to New York and took a picture with his book in front of Lady Liberty. He told me that it is not the fame that makes writing of the book very special, but the feedbacks he received from his reader. Deep in my heart, I might not have a book but I would love to inspire people as much as he is doing.

Currently Mas Iwan is running his own analytics firm in Jakarta which made me ask him a question, what encouraged him to come back to Indonesia?

“Because life in Indonesia is more meaningful, coming back to the place you were nurtured and inspire people. Living in a third world country means there are a lot more people needs help. And your life would be more meaningful when you are able to brighten people’s lives.”

His answer struck me deeply.

As a promise, I would keep writing with a wish that one day I will inspire at least one person to reach their dream.

Me and my friends and colleagues with Mas Iwan!

Can't Keep Hanging to the Past

Yesterday I had a nice conversation with my roommate in which led me to this idea. After participating in a Google Hangout event with Kompas TV we talked about how impressive our colleagues from high school are. Some of my juniors won gold medal in international science project,  some of my friends are enjoying overseas travel as part of the exchange programs, Model United Nation conference, or travel for free because they win some competition.

Their achievements make me very happy for them. I witness they reach their dream since high school, and even surpass it in which makes me look back....

I had a very successful run during high school, but during my first year at college I didn't do much other than studying. I did not participate in any kind of extracurricular activity nor joining any competition. All of those high school success did not help me much other than a good reminder that I can. I cannot keep hanging on the memories that I was very successful during high school and tell myself that I did enough.

I realize that all the good stuff during high school was in my past - no longer a present, it is a memories - no longer a reality. And that is the wake up call for me.

I learn that in life, we need consistency or sometimes improvement. As a person, we should never had too much pride on what we had achieved because it will become memories. We should keep improving ourselves, to achieve more and more to reach higher summit.

On the upside part, knowing that all what happened in the past is just memories, never worries that you had bad high school, or bad college experience, because you can always achieve more. Never let bad past drag you down because it is the past not the present, and of course not the future. Even you had a dark past, your future is still white as snow. 

And one day we can sit and stop, where we are content with our condition, and tell stories to younger generation that we had not just great high school experience, or just great college experience, or just great working career. We will tell them stories that we had a great run in our life.

So friends, never let the past either drag you down or put you on too much pride. What is past is past, and let's focus to create great new memories and experiences in the future.

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”
― Søren Kierkegaard

Timing of Appreciation

This weekend, I am very fortunate to spend it on a very peaceful place in Bali. This is not the first time I visit this place, but this visit feels much more special because this is my first visit in the past year.

In this very peaceful place, I could breathe clean air, hear sound of birds, and away from noise and pollution. It hits me yesterday that I did not appreciate this place as much as now after three weeks working in Jakarta with its pollution, noise, and routines. This place means a lot more to me as I need time to be away from all of the craziness In Jakarta. And I realize that I should’ve appreciated this place more and more as I get older.

During my morning swim I realize that it is very normal for people to take many things for granted. Just like what I did to this place, I believe that all of us usually take stuffs for granted. These stuffs could be something tangible such as money, items, gadgets; it could also be intangible stuffs such as relationships and health. 

An old saying: “You don’t know what you have until it’s gone” could be very true for us. However at this point we could change it! Would you like to find out when it’s gone or right now?

I remember an episode from How I Met Your Mother about graduation googles. The episode mention that all the stuff we had during high school feels more special when we are about to graduate, it also relates about how we reminisce all good time with our special one when we are about to break up. Stuffs feel more special when we are about to lose it.

I believe that it is a part of human nature to take things for granted, but isn’t it better if we could start giving more appreciation on what we have today? Take ten minutes today, think about what you are taking for granted and start to give more appreciation to it. I bet that you will be a happier person just by doing that!

 

"We often take for granted the very things that most deserve our gratitude."
- Cynthia Ozick

Investing on Relationships (1) (WHILAL pt. 6)

Investment (n) - an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.

Every time we hear the word investment, it will lead us to the idea of money or wealth. However, does anyone familiar with the idea of investing on relationships? In which relationship here is not only limited on lovers; but also family, friends, coworkers, colleagues, and any type of relationship you could ever mention. The main difference of investing in relationships compared to other type of investment is that we do not need any assets to start it; we only need to put some effort to do it.

How do we invest on other people? The basic investment would be listening and giving some interest. Believe me that every person who we met today, either we met them in the school, public transportation, or even in the restroom, have stories to tell. Last summer, I had to use “ojek” service to go from the airport to the place I stayed. (p.s. “Ojek” is like a cab, but instead of using car to transport people, they use motorbike to do it, it is very common in Indonesia). We started a conversation, and he told me an interesting story that he has a daughter younger than me that was working on a scholarship application process. I assured him that as long as his daughter study hard, never worry about the money because someone else would pay for her studies. I have met so many interesting people just by listening and giving some interest. 

Me and my very good friend, Mike - Japan 2011. He lives in NY.

Did I invest on people by listening and give some interest? YES, I just did. By just listening to people story, I just made a new friend. I might not see him again, but I just assured him that he did not need to worry about his daughter, and I was inspired that an “ojek” rider wanted his daughter to get the best education. Win-win! Imagine that for at least once a day, we put small effort to listen to one person’s story. I bet you that you have no idea how much these stories could inspire you.

And that would be a short-term investment on people! Short term could be defined as to people that we might not see again, but we could never be sure! Because who knows that after years, we would be able to see them again?

Me and Mike's family during Christmas 2013 - Japan 2011 was the last time I saw him.

Does that mean that there is a long-term investment? Yes! And stay in my blog for the next part!

Leave comments below for any thought or ideas because I love to hear back!

If anyone wondering what is WHILAL, read this:
http://chtimw13.blogspot.com/2013/03/introduction-to-whilal.html

"Invest in the human soul, who knows it might be diamond in the rough."

- Mary McLeod Bethune