Map with dig through the Earth

I was working on my google map when I realize they also have one cool application, called Dig a hole through the Earth. so I added it to my map and tried it out.

It's interesting to see where we would came out should I dig through the Earth from my front yard. The app showed that we will came out in the middle of nowhere in COLOMBIA!!!
To be precise, we will came out at the mountains near the city or village Chalara (approximately 3.2 miles). Also the nearest highway is 64.
At least now I know that I should consult to my cousin who is an experienced climber if I want to dig through Earth and pops out at some Colombian mountains.

My regards to the people of Chalara!!!

Places on my google map

Gosh, doing the map on google is much more exciting than I previously thought...OK, so now there are some places that I already put in my version of Jakarta map, here goes the list so far:

1. my home
2. my studio
3. House of People's Representatives (DPR)
4. South Jakarta central post office
5. Cilandak Town Square
6. Two other music studios
7. Five food stores
8. One cafe
9. TVRI
10. ITC Fatmawati
11. D'Best
12. Three Shell gas stations
13. Two churches
14. Two automotive workshops
15. Three hospitals
16. Four Pertamina gas stations
17. Java-Bali power grid
18. An air force base

That's all so far, I'm still working on it and if you want your place to be added in my map, contact me with your full address and the characteristics of your rooftop. Email it to wildstix@gmail.com

this is the map

Meddling with google maps

I'm just starting to create my map at google maps...since I'm a newbie in this kinda thing, there isn't much about my map but I keep working on it.
It's a map of Jakarta, the city I live in. So far I've added the description of my home, studio and ohoooo...the house of people representatives also known in Indonesia as DPR building. I'm yet to create paths and other things.

To see my current works on the map you can visit my map here

Electricity crisis

Aaaahh yes...living in Indonesia has its own advantages, chaotic traffic, snob-minded society and if you're lucky enough, you could watch on TV a corruptor is being dragged like a 5 year old kid by the authorities to a car to be apprehended. It's hilarious.

But the best thing in Indonesia is, the electricity crisis at the capital city, Jakarta! Several days ago we learned from the media that from July 11 to July 25, 2008 there will be a partial shutdown to all region of Jakarta because the electric generators are unable to maintain the output. It has got to do with the neat and excellent job of the electric company, Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN), yup no doubt about it!

Meanwhile, my friend, Jever has finally released his first single, an adaptation to the late Chrisye's famous piece, Kisah Cintaku. The single can be bought through importmusik.com or go straight to his import page www.importmusik.com/artist.php?aka=0220000541

I recorded and did balancing to his songs, so I'm proud about the release.

For my band...I've resolved to option that should my band mates fail to prove their further interest, after August 1, 2008 Academie of FarSide will go through another transformation.

but before that....THE OUTAGE!!!!!

Snobs, forgive them

I subscribed to one of the largest online Indonesia music community/forum and I've posted there for three years with no problem. But lately I got using more and more of the F word. Though I used them to comment on the subject matters, some people really get pissed of me as if I was directing the F word at them.

For an example, one guy, who's post got my pretty harsh comment, replied that I shouldn't underestimate him because of his opinion and no need of being so excessive. This guy clearly didn't understand since I tried to wake them up from being so naive.
If I must tell you...this guy post a reply that suggest the best drum setup for the rehearsal studio and performance for a minimal budget. He suggested to get the starter type of Sabian cymbals and Tama drumkit, then he continued with "TAMA + SABIAN = mike portnoy" (this is the reason for my F word). It was clear that his suggestion very misleading. Again, I'm not underestimating anyone, but this guy must learn some more before he could give a good and appropriate suggestion without being easily offended by a mere F word.

Well, that was just another day for me in an online Indonesia music community/forum.

Another annoying thing

A couple days ago I went to look for a keyboard controller to be new addition to my drumkit setup. I was sure to get the Oxygen 8 from M-Audio because of the company's high reputation in the field. So I was looking hi and lo for it, from one store I found out that M-Audio sole distributor in Indonesia is now held by Mila Music. Before going to the store I've done a survey about the price and found that the price shouldn't be higher than IDR 1,3 million.

I was shocked to know that Mila Music is putting the price higher than expected, IDR 1,4 million and if I rate it to US$ it will be like $150 something! The original Oxygen 8 price from M-Audio is $149.95, so if I agreed with Mila Music's price, I'll be screwed! I tried to reason about the price but they always said it was an exhibition price (cheap) and when I countered the statement they just implicitly told me that they are the only distributor and if I don't like the price I can go fuck off. I tried to except it and to understand the situation economically, so I asked to see the item and have it tested. It turned out they haven't put Oxygen 8 in their import list so it is not exist yet in Indonesia! What a service, great job Mila Music!!!

While the price was one thing, the guy of the store who talked with me was another. I was protested softly about the price and mentioned that I've seen other lower prices for Oxygen 8 then the guy snapped at me and arrogantly proclaimed that there are no other place that sell M-Audio other than Mila Music. I was pissed, but I knew it would be a waste to be pissed at someone like that, so I just walked out of the store. Promising myself I wouldn't go and buy from that arrogant, cocky store.

I think M-Audio should review their distributor in Indonesia and get another one that is more friendly, humble and most of all, not giving ripped off prices!

Rock on!!!

It's 4th of July and happy independence day to american people! God bless you!

aaaannd.......

My wife and I have just finished doing all the things for the jazz workshop I told in the earlier post. Thank God everything went well and despite of one or two quite fatal mistakes we made, our persistence in keeping everything on track has given us respect from the people we worked with, except our partner who seemingly each time drifting away from a respectful manner. Time to straight up everything, I promise that!

It's been a while since I had a smile on my face when talking about music. My band has been an excruciating pain in the ass, my partner (who is a music prof) is confusing me about how well know he is in the music scene and what or who is best in music.
The other well educated people that I knew also getting me the headache since every time they talk, no matter what the subject was, always leading back to another questions. I'm sick and tired of it! What I need is music and other things just as they are.

But now I'm in a good spirit because my long time dream will soon come to life. It's all coming together and it will start with a BANG!

What'll happen to my old band? Nobody knows...if my band mates are willing to work and expand their musicality then I could keep it alive, but if not...hey I got my own life and music dreams, just gotta cut the rope and move on.

I got a message for all the MDs of radios around Jakarta, Bogor and Bandung...how really nice people you all!

Tiring weeks

The last two weeks has been very tiring for both me and my wife. We were in the middle of arranging a jazz workshop for June when we both got sick and hospitalized. It took us the total of three weeks to fully recovers and during the time we didn't have the strength to contact the people with whom we worked with.

Days passed and finally we are fully recovered. We straightaway continued our work and contacted everyone in this project but only to found that everyone turns up on blaming us for not doing our job seriously. The venue for the workshop and the gig were unjustly cancelled and again everyone put the blame on us. I took all the blame and thank Jesus I was strong enough. Some of my friends who knew about this told me to tell the truth, but I don't think that'll work since empathy does not exist in the kind of people who knew too much.

Later on we got the plan modified and the workshop is still running as scheduled. But then again, I don't feel like doing this at all!
Besides our health problem, this workshop plan has met obstacles from the moment it came out as words. I've given my best opinion based on my observation of Jakartans and Indonesians in general to correlate to the idea. They are the biggest obstacle and the second is the incoming workshop instructor. He may a great music educator and composer but no one here knows about him and that would not compel people to come. To make matter worse, there's no single tag line about him that we could use for the promotion.

Since my words fell on deaf ears and our partner insisted to move on, all we got so far only problem after problem, headache after headache.

My wife and I will wait until this workshop over and afterwards, we just want to fly and do our postponed dreams.

Dengue fever ordeal Pt II

Well, I promised to tell the rest of the story right? But after I thought about it, it's just too bitter for me to remember.


Two days after I got admitted, my wife was allowed to go home. My older sister also admitted to hospital on the same day as I was and the bed next to mine was then taken by my sister. We stayed in that room from Sunday and by Friday morning on May 30, we've been told that we can go home because our thrombocyte level have climbed. The info was right, for my sister but I got my blood taken again since my lab result was inconclusive.
By noon, the lab result concluded that my thrombocyte level still dropping and I couldn't leave hospital.

I was so angry and having nosebleed in the process. The thing with dengue fever is that you need to remain calm, but I was so angry, so upset that I kept on moving to express my emotions. It took me sometime to get a grip on myself.

On Saturday and Sunday, I felt that I'm strong enough to walk to the bathroom but the nurses weren't share my opinion and gave me strict order to stay in bed, reasoned that if I move to much I''ll be having a shock and could be fatal. I don't know if it was a paranoia of dealing with dengue fever, but I don't think that helped me a lot.

By Monday, June 2, my thrombocyte jumped up to 160.000 and I quickly asked my infuse to be removed. I went home that day and I felt aches in all over my body because I haven't used my muscles for 9 days!!!

My drumming is becoming very very poor, my hands and feet still felt numb, my coordination is messy...oh Lord, so many things I got to do to return my playing state to normal. Thanks to 9 days of hospitalization!

Seriously people, don't ever catch a dengue fever, it's not good at all!!!

Dengue fever ordeal Pt I

So,

As I promised, I'll share my experience of these couple of weeks. Sorry for the lack of pictures or videos, I really want to add them so everyone could see what I'm talking about, but I still haven't got my own camera or cam video. Without further intro, here is my story....


The last two weeks were hard for my wife and I; she was having high fever for two days and on the third day I’ve waited long enough and quickly took her to hospital. She was then diagnosed with blood dengue and straightaway admitted for treatment in hospital. She was hospitalized at Hospital Cinere.

I’m so deeply sad, but I didn’t let my wife see me sad or else she would become sad too and won’t recover quickly.
My wife was admitted to a 1st class, which has two beds for two patients. When we arrived, there was already another patient that from my observation is an old woman of a pretty wealthy family. Wealthy but still bound to the conservative mindset of a family, where image is much more important than fact…ah, what ever, most Indonesian people who consider themselves wealthy are actually trapped in “village” syndrome. “Village” syndrome is, “You can take a boy (person) out of the village, but you can’t never take the village out of the boy (person).”

On the first night in hospital, my wife and I received the first shocking moment. A nurse came and asked me, as the husband, if I agree with the medicine proposed for my wife. It was an antibiotic and the price really shocked me, it was 194.000 rupiah/gram (about US$ 21) and the dose needed for my wife is 2 grams/day, it means we’ll spend about 400.000 rupiah/day (about US$ 43). The dose will be given for 5 days and that will be 2.000.000 rupiah (US$ 217) in total just for the antibiotic.

At first I felt helpless. I don’t really care about the numbers if I’m paid in US$ or other strong currencies, but we are still living in Indonesia, where the capital income is low. We quickly called our uncle, who is renown, doctor in Malang and we found that there’s generic medicine, equal in quality as of the patented medicine, available. I ferociously countered the doctor, expressed my disagreement and asked about the generic antibiotics. Without further delay, the doctor gave us the generic antibiotic that cost only 15.000 rupiah/gram! So what the heck was that ripped off antibiotics???
As soon as the generic antibiotic administered to my wife, the effect soon visible and felt, so my uncle’s words are true, the generic medicine is as good as the patented ones.

On the second day, the old lady next to my wife was allowed to leave hospital and there were nothing really happened, except that my wife’s thrombocytes level drops to 53.000 where the normal level is above 200.000. It was a normal stage in blood dengue. Around 7 pm, a lady is placed on the bed next to my wife’s. She seemed pretty ill. My brother came and brought a bed cover and a thick blanket for my sleeping needs, since the air conditioner in the room is awfully cold! Make sense? I don’t know…

The third day, I abruptly awaken around 5.30 am by the nurse who came to take blood of my wife. I stayed awake then and checked on my wife, her body temperature climbed again to 38 degrees C and had mild headache. No need to wait for the blood test result, I knew her thrombocytes level has dropped again. Three hours later the doctor came and confirmed my suspicion, the thrombocytes level dropped to 45.000.
The doctor then gave strict order to my wife to stay in bed and only got to bathroom for solid secretion.
I went home for a bath, checking emails and buying apples for my wife. I got back to the hospital around 11 pm and after rearranging the stuff around my wife’s bed and set the alarm to 5.15 am, I went straight to sleep.

The fourth day, I was again abruptly awakened but not intentionally so. A nurse came very early to check on my wife’s blood pressure and body temperature. Although she tried came quietly, my ears and sense still could detect sudden her presence and when you’re in hospital waiting for your loved ones, your senses will become ultra sensitive!
It was 4.30 am! I was thinking something had happened, since the nurse came an hour earlier.
“Oh you’re awake, I thought I was quiet enough” The nurse commented when I woke up.
“Clearly you’re not.” I said back, a bit annoyed but I knew she was just doing her job and thank God she did!
One hour later the activities started, collecting blood sample, washing my wife, administers medicines, delivering breakfast and so on. I took refuge to my car since I’m still sleepy.
Around 7 am, I feel like having chicken porridge as breakfast and I found one just before the hospital main entrance. The writings on the chart was “Bubur Ayam Cirebon”, means Cirebon chicken porridge. Cirebon is a city 4 hours from Jakarta. I didn’t really want a specific porridge and looked around the area for a common chicken porridge. I couldn’t find any and I returned to the porridge chart at the hospital entrance.
After I finished off my porridge, I had a little chat with the porridge guy. I asked whether he came from Cirebon and he told me that he’s from Kuningan, another city 4 hours drive from Cirebon to the south. Funny eh? Just like an Indian guy selling an authentic Italian Pizza in New York!
I then returned to my wife’s room and tidied up several more stuff, the doctor came at 9.15 am and informed us that the thrombocytes level dropped again to 37.000. But as long as she remain calm, she’ll be fine.
Around noon, I checked on the recording project that was being mixed by my friend and found out that I made mistakes on the audios files, wasn’t really serious but they’ll have to wait until I’m free to bounce the audio files again, which is when my wife recovers. But after I rethinking about it, I decided to return home, working on the files and delivered them to my friend’s place. I didn’t return to hospital to take rest at home.

The fifth day, I woke up pretty late and my wife was calling from hospital, waiting for me. I quickly rushed to hospital and drove madly since I was worried about her. As I approached the hospital, my wife called me again and told that her thrombocytes have started to climb. I arrived a moment later and as usual accompanied my wife in the room.
There was nothing unusual that day, except that I felt more tired than ever. Around 3 that day, my body temperature suddenly climbed to 38 degrees C. I knew something was wrong and quickly went to my car to take a nap. Not long afterwards, my dad, sister and brother came to see my wife, so I returned to the room and asked if we can drive along, since my head was already spinning.
We returned home that evening and as I got home, I took flu medicine and went to bed straightaway. I took the medicine again around night and early morning, but to no avail.

The sixth day my wife in hospital, I myself got a high fever and that morning I took a cab to the hospital where my wife was admitted. The nurse quickly took me to the emergency and took my blood for a lab check. My mom came along later to help me in case I got hospitalized.
At around 10 am, the lab test read that I also got contracted by dengue fever and will need to be admitted for treatment. And so there was, I got hospitalized too and placed in the same room with my wife. It was the beginning of my 9 days ordeal in that room.


That's the first part of the story...I'll continue the story by this weekend...