Cerita seru dan kocak dari Jafar
0 Comments Published by Muhammad Rizqi Siregar on Monday, October 09, 2017 at 11:25 PM.
Investing in Aceh - Part 1
3 Comments Published by Muhammad Rizqi Siregar on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 at 3:09 PM.
Enterpreneurs seek opportunities. If they can't find any, they make one.
- Anonymous
More than a year has passed since the tsunami struck coastal areas of Aceh. So many things were damaged, lost of infrastructures, uprooted community. Acehnese people wellbeing was in danger, their lives were shattered. However, we'd never let our brothers and sisters walk alone, would we?
The response from International community were amazing. I remember one of my colleagues in Aceh said, "I have been in many humanitarian responses before, but I've never seen so many organizations like today in Aceh." That's true. First few months were very busy with tsunami relief operation. You could easily spot trucks of National Army (I can't forget one with a doll in front of the truck and tagging written in large fonts "Hantu Laut" - sea ghost) carried dead bodies in body bags, UN and NGOs vehicles, as well as helicopters to transport goods to remote areas. So many people with so many resources, poised to rehabilitate the massive damage.
To date, the response has shifted from merely humanitarian response to recovery and rehabilitation. Some investors have seen opportunities in certain regions and the executions are only about the time.
Aceh is known to have many potentials. I can name some here: its rich natural resources i.e. natural gas, uranium, timber, potential location of seaports and so forth in addition to recent fast growing economic (though it's much affected by the rise in household income due to quick revolving money from aiding organizations). However, it's lacking of human resources and regulations.
Obviously, Aceh has complexity of problems. It was also the area of conflicts for more than two decades. It won't be too surprising if the Government doesn't function appropriately, thus regulations required to safeguard investments are not in place.
Now, there may be some questions arise:
The response from International community were amazing. I remember one of my colleagues in Aceh said, "I have been in many humanitarian responses before, but I've never seen so many organizations like today in Aceh." That's true. First few months were very busy with tsunami relief operation. You could easily spot trucks of National Army (I can't forget one with a doll in front of the truck and tagging written in large fonts "Hantu Laut" - sea ghost) carried dead bodies in body bags, UN and NGOs vehicles, as well as helicopters to transport goods to remote areas. So many people with so many resources, poised to rehabilitate the massive damage.
To date, the response has shifted from merely humanitarian response to recovery and rehabilitation. Some investors have seen opportunities in certain regions and the executions are only about the time.
Aceh is known to have many potentials. I can name some here: its rich natural resources i.e. natural gas, uranium, timber, potential location of seaports and so forth in addition to recent fast growing economic (though it's much affected by the rise in household income due to quick revolving money from aiding organizations). However, it's lacking of human resources and regulations.
Obviously, Aceh has complexity of problems. It was also the area of conflicts for more than two decades. It won't be too surprising if the Government doesn't function appropriately, thus regulations required to safeguard investments are not in place.
Now, there may be some questions arise:
- Is it beneficial to invest in Aceh? In which sectors? Which regions?
- Regarding the regulations, what types of interventions can be done by investors?
Making money online?
4 Comments Published by Muhammad Rizqi Siregar on Tuesday, June 27, 2006 at 6:33 PM.
When I write this blog, querying “making money online” in Google.com results in 250,000,000 pages. What an amount?
Glad you say so.
Many of us have lost in the quest of quick fortune. Who don't want to enjoy easy money, with less work, less time and at home? Unfortunately, many of these offers are fraud.
What I have been seeing from these kind of millionaire-mentoring are mostly fraud. I don't say all of them, I said mostly. This is a new marketing model for intangible products, namely tips and trick, hints and much more. I bet most of them revolve around these categories:
- Paid survey, research or focus group
- Paid to read e-mails and such
- Online data entry, which will lead to Google's marketing products, i.e. Adwords, Adsense
- High Yield Investment Program (HYIP), usually using alternative micropayment/electronic currencies such as e-gold, storm pay and so forth
- Pay per click, pay per view and alike
- Other affiliate programs
Not to mislead you, I need to say that several programs like those from Google's do pay. What you need to be aware of is third party promising information to suddenly blow up your Adsense account with money. Tips and trick, if not used against Google's policy, will do good. But still you need to see if the information is worth the margin profit you have from your earnings minus your subscription to such information provider.
HYIP is mostly gambling. You can't lose profit or some of your principal, because if you do, you lose it all. I merely don't recommend this one for a stable income generation.
Online survey has wide range of segments. I would recommend this option, provided that you have made a thorough research on some providers. This applies to pay per click and such as well as affiliate marketing programs. In addition to affiliate marketing, beware of pyramid scheme, because it won't last long. If not others, you'll be the one who suffer.
I prefer business opportunities in real life, with online support as means of communication. If you really can spot things to sell, just to give you rough idea, you can run a brokerage service. Many trade leads can be found over the Internet, or you can join forums such as Alibaba, Electronic Commerce Europe and much more.
HYIP is mostly gambling. You can't lose profit or some of your principal, because if you do, you lose it all. I merely don't recommend this one for a stable income generation.
Online survey has wide range of segments. I would recommend this option, provided that you have made a thorough research on some providers. This applies to pay per click and such as well as affiliate marketing programs. In addition to affiliate marketing, beware of pyramid scheme, because it won't last long. If not others, you'll be the one who suffer.
I prefer business opportunities in real life, with online support as means of communication. If you really can spot things to sell, just to give you rough idea, you can run a brokerage service. Many trade leads can be found over the Internet, or you can join forums such as Alibaba, Electronic Commerce Europe and much more.
The art of uncertainty
0 Comments Published by Muhammad Rizqi Siregar on Monday, June 26, 2006 at 2:17 PM.
Do you realize that we are living in uncertainty? I do.
When we cross the street, we know that there’re risks of getting struck by a car, bitten by dogs or so. But we’ll never know until it really happens. We keep on crossing, probably in anticipation, or become more cautious. It’s uncertainty.
When you drive your car, you frequently roll the steering to avoid bumps with others. Doesn’t matter how good you are in driving, your sight is always limited due to angle. You can only predict the timing to roll it and how much effort you work on the steering as per your past experience so that the angle your tires make is wide enough to change direction of your car.
We derive many things from uncertainty; we know the Law of Chaos, we have Calculated Risks. We also have Russian roulette.
That’s the uncertainty. I think it’s beautiful, because it makes variations. It initiates what we know about changes: Everything changes; what won’t change is the change itself.
When we cross the street, we know that there’re risks of getting struck by a car, bitten by dogs or so. But we’ll never know until it really happens. We keep on crossing, probably in anticipation, or become more cautious. It’s uncertainty.
When you drive your car, you frequently roll the steering to avoid bumps with others. Doesn’t matter how good you are in driving, your sight is always limited due to angle. You can only predict the timing to roll it and how much effort you work on the steering as per your past experience so that the angle your tires make is wide enough to change direction of your car.
We derive many things from uncertainty; we know the Law of Chaos, we have Calculated Risks. We also have Russian roulette.
That’s the uncertainty. I think it’s beautiful, because it makes variations. It initiates what we know about changes: Everything changes; what won’t change is the change itself.
It happened 4 years ago. It’s a true story, indeed.
I walked crossing the street quite in early morning in Georgetown, Penang Island where many Chinese reside. Not many vehicles were on the street that time, only some trishaws and motorcycles I could easily count.
Since these Chinese people are used to have dogs as their pets, I carefully watched around in anticipation if there were dogs around. Ugh, I hate dogs! I am used to be bitten by dogs, and that does hurt. For animal rights’ activists and dog lover out there, my apologies, but I also have my rights not to be bitten, don’t I?
But thank God, I safely arrived at the other side of the street, sat in the cafeteria and asked for a cup of coffee. With less sugar for sure (I like it the most with less than half tea-spoon of sugar or not all).
I looked around. I enjoyed this cafeteria, especially in the morning. The atmosphere was nice and the cafeteria looked clean. Good decoration, too. The most important part, I was the only customer, as they just opened. I don’t really like being in the crowds.
The waitress, later I know that her name is Peony, delivered my coffee along with two aluminum pots, each for sugar and cream, all in one container. I watched her putting down the cup carefully and stood there while I poured the cream, stirred it well and left the sugar pot untouched. Not only dogs, I hate sugar too!
I laid my palms around the cup and felt its perfect warm. The coffee smelled good as I pulled the cup up and gasped. “What a perfect morning,” I said to her. She’s Chinese, aged 19 or so, looked fresh and young.
“Good coffee to begin the day.” I added and smiled.
I sipped my drinks and all in sudden everything changed. It tasted like hell! Err… not really like hell… it was like wastewater. It tasted different, too sweet for me. Somebody clearly made mistake. Somebody wanted me to die with diabetes, probably. That was HUGE mistake that ruined my cozy morning. Good!
I didn’t finish my drink. I lost my mood. I was about to pay the drink and leave the cafeteria when the young waitress I smiled to suddenly asked, “Are you going that soon? Is there anything wrong with your coffee?”
I took a deep breath. I almost answered, “This is too sweet. Sweet like this does kill, lady.” But I didn’t. I saw her; nervous and faint. Weary. I lied “No, it tastes nice. It’s different but nice. Perfect. I just have to catch a meeting.” I believe that I saw metamorphose that time; her face slowly changed color from pale to reddish.
She giggled, and said “I thought the coffee still tastes like wastewater like I used to make… If not too sweet, it would be too bitter. I am the worst coffeemaker this cafeteria has ever had, but I keep trying. You are the first who says my coffee tastes good.”
I smiled. She’s such a childlike girl. And pretty, too…
I dated her a week later and we remained good friends until now – but the experience clearly told me it’s always good to be nice.
I walked crossing the street quite in early morning in Georgetown, Penang Island where many Chinese reside. Not many vehicles were on the street that time, only some trishaws and motorcycles I could easily count.
Since these Chinese people are used to have dogs as their pets, I carefully watched around in anticipation if there were dogs around. Ugh, I hate dogs! I am used to be bitten by dogs, and that does hurt. For animal rights’ activists and dog lover out there, my apologies, but I also have my rights not to be bitten, don’t I?
But thank God, I safely arrived at the other side of the street, sat in the cafeteria and asked for a cup of coffee. With less sugar for sure (I like it the most with less than half tea-spoon of sugar or not all).
I looked around. I enjoyed this cafeteria, especially in the morning. The atmosphere was nice and the cafeteria looked clean. Good decoration, too. The most important part, I was the only customer, as they just opened. I don’t really like being in the crowds.
The waitress, later I know that her name is Peony, delivered my coffee along with two aluminum pots, each for sugar and cream, all in one container. I watched her putting down the cup carefully and stood there while I poured the cream, stirred it well and left the sugar pot untouched. Not only dogs, I hate sugar too!
I laid my palms around the cup and felt its perfect warm. The coffee smelled good as I pulled the cup up and gasped. “What a perfect morning,” I said to her. She’s Chinese, aged 19 or so, looked fresh and young.
“Good coffee to begin the day.” I added and smiled.
I sipped my drinks and all in sudden everything changed. It tasted like hell! Err… not really like hell… it was like wastewater. It tasted different, too sweet for me. Somebody clearly made mistake. Somebody wanted me to die with diabetes, probably. That was HUGE mistake that ruined my cozy morning. Good!
I didn’t finish my drink. I lost my mood. I was about to pay the drink and leave the cafeteria when the young waitress I smiled to suddenly asked, “Are you going that soon? Is there anything wrong with your coffee?”
I took a deep breath. I almost answered, “This is too sweet. Sweet like this does kill, lady.” But I didn’t. I saw her; nervous and faint. Weary. I lied “No, it tastes nice. It’s different but nice. Perfect. I just have to catch a meeting.” I believe that I saw metamorphose that time; her face slowly changed color from pale to reddish.
She giggled, and said “I thought the coffee still tastes like wastewater like I used to make… If not too sweet, it would be too bitter. I am the worst coffeemaker this cafeteria has ever had, but I keep trying. You are the first who says my coffee tastes good.”
I smiled. She’s such a childlike girl. And pretty, too…
I dated her a week later and we remained good friends until now – but the experience clearly told me it’s always good to be nice.
I want to get within myself and write. I really, really want to write.- Garth Brooks
And so the story goes. To tell you frankly, this is my first time blogging. I want to know me deep within, so I write. That simple, isn't? Writing a blog, for me, is something like writing on a diary. I can re-read it later, reach back in time and grab the memories. I can later grasp my breaths in happiness or otherwise but that doesn’t matter.
Oh, I do hope that anyone who reads this blog can benefit a thing too, even at smallest significance level. Or good reading, though I can't guarantee that too.
By the way, the phrase “Horas, bah!” is a unique "Hello" expression in Batak's culture. It represents free Bataknese soul; quite against common codification of cultures in the Archipelago that mostly are superficial. You may disagree, but I feel that it's unnecessary to explore the definition of “Ulos” and such to pertain my hypothesis; suffice that your surprise by a greeting “Horas, bah!” from a Batak you don't even know about will eventually be followed by warm hugs. Or friendly thumps on your shoulder. Or a threat that runs out money in your wallet...
For those - who, I believe, comes here by accident or lost pace in overwhelming amount of blog accounts out there - my grateful thanks to have time reading this piece of writing. Do come back often, please.
p.s. Frankly speaking, I expect more people set foot (or mouse click?) here. I want to be heard.
Happy reading!
Oh, I do hope that anyone who reads this blog can benefit a thing too, even at smallest significance level. Or good reading, though I can't guarantee that too.
By the way, the phrase “Horas, bah!” is a unique "Hello" expression in Batak's culture. It represents free Bataknese soul; quite against common codification of cultures in the Archipelago that mostly are superficial. You may disagree, but I feel that it's unnecessary to explore the definition of “Ulos” and such to pertain my hypothesis; suffice that your surprise by a greeting “Horas, bah!” from a Batak you don't even know about will eventually be followed by warm hugs. Or friendly thumps on your shoulder. Or a threat that runs out money in your wallet...
For those - who, I believe, comes here by accident or lost pace in overwhelming amount of blog accounts out there - my grateful thanks to have time reading this piece of writing. Do come back often, please.
p.s. Frankly speaking, I expect more people set foot (or mouse click?) here. I want to be heard.
Happy reading!
