Visa

“What’s in a name?” -Shakespeare

Well..he must never try to get a US visa. I got mine already YaY!

Posted in JouneyJournal | 34 Comments »

Medical Check Up & Immunization

Before departing to US, I have to complete a series of medical check up and immunizations. The reasons are to make sure that I wont bring any contagious disease, especially tropical disease, and to arrange health insurance.

Health and education is very very expensive in US just like in Indonesia. Not having a health insurance in US is frowned upon. Have you watched SICKO? it’s a documentary film about public health service in US by Michael Moore, the director of Fahrenheit 9/11. I don’t know if it really tells the truth but having watched the movie I think its better to prepare.

So, what did I do?

I had my medical check up in PRAMITA Yogyakarta, that consist tests of:
Excecutive physical examination, Complete Hematology, Routine Urine Test, Plano Test, Bunaurea Nitrogen, Oreatinin, Glucose, HBs Ag, Anti HBs, TPHA, VDRL, ANTI HIV, Amphetamine, Coccain, Cannabinoid/THC, PPD (Manthoux Test), Thorax PA, ECG / EKG.*I have no idea what those test are for but I’m thinking mentioning the weird name of the tests will make me look smart so I looked at the bill

The easiest way is to show to the doctor the medical form he/she must signed. He/she’ll tell you what tests you should take, just do whatever he/she said. It takes about 3 days to get the complete result. I’m healthy but my LED(Laju Endap Darah) is too high -still, dunno what that means :p

The next thing to do is immunization(Polio, BCG, Hepatitis B, MMR, TT, Meningitis). Ask a clinician because there’s a certain schedule we need to follow due to specific vaccine characteristics. I have had Polio and BCG immunization when I was little so I didn’t have to do it again. Actually, I had to show to the clinician my Kartu Sehat -record of immunization I’ve had when I was little, but my parents didn’t know where they keep it. I guess my mom dont think I will need it in future he he. Thank god the clinician’s very helpfull..thank you bu umi

PRAMITA only has Hepatitis B so I had Hepatitis B vaccine there and had the rest in RS. Panti Rapih, i.e, MMR and TT.

Because I’m going to study at Massachusetts, I need additional immunization - Meningitis. RS. Panti Rapih didn’t have one and they recommended me to go to DINKES DIY, I went there and DINKES DIY told me to go to ‘Pusat Pelayanan Kesehatan Pelabuhan’ at Ringroad Utara, I went there, I look around but I couldn’t find their office so I called them and turned out they’re running out of it due to musim haji. AArrgghh..

So, next, is to have the second Hepatitis B on June 23 and to search for meningitis vaccine… do you know where I can find any?

Note:
You want to keep your children’s Kartu Sehat (Records of Immunization) carefully and give your children a last name!

Posted in JouneyJournal | 31 Comments »

After The Sunset

I happened to watch “After The Sunset” between commercials last night when Lola Cirillo, one of the character, said this.

“The world is divided up between people who like to watch the sunset and those who don’t. People like you are never happy. You’re anxious, type-A, egocentric perfectionists who can’t sit still and die alone with a million bucks and a thousand regrets. The people who can relax, enjoy the sunset, hold hands at the end of the day… They’re the happy ones.”

is it true???????

I don’t enjoy sunset… a bit egocentric perfectionist… and I can’t just sit still when it comes to achieving my goal or things I believe are not quite right…

but I don’t wanna die alone with thousand regrets

anybody wanna watch sunset with me sometime ???

Posted in movie | 9 Comments »

This is where I stand

Bismillahirrahmaanirrahiim

I believe in Muhammad, SAW. I believe that he is a God’s messenger and he is a remainder. I believe that he is the last prophet and that there’s no more prophet after him.

I believe in Quran and that it must be the number one guidance for all Moslem and so I believe that Islam do not encourage violence and if Muhammad, SAW himself is just a reminder then there’s no single human being can act as a judge and punisher as it was stated:

[88:21]   You shall remind, for your mission is to deliver this reminder.

[88:22]   You have no power over them.

[88:23]   As for those who turn away and disbelieve.

[88:24]   GOD will commit them to the great retribution.

[13:40]   Whether we show you what we promise them, or terminate your life before that, your sole mission is to deliver (the message). It is us who will call them to account.

[3:159]   It was mercy from GOD that you became compassionate towards them. Had you been harsh and mean-hearted, they would have abandoned you. Therefore, you shall pardon them and ask forgiveness for them, and consult them. Once you make a decision, carry out your plan, and trust in GOD. GOD loves those who trust in Him.

Ya Allah, tunjukkanlah yang benar tampak benar bagi kami, dan kuatkanlah kami untuk mengikutinya….dan tunjukkanlah yang salah terlihat salah dan kuatkanlah kami untuk menghindarinya…..amin

Wallahualam Bishowab

Posted in Islam | 3 Comments »

Pre-Departure Orientation

Hotel Borobudur, May, 14-17 2008

me-zahra-cynthia-asri from Fulbright M.A program and two American grantees

The Fulbright Program is designed to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and the people other countries. So they send us to America and send American to Indonesia.

The M.A Candidate

The Pre-Departure Orientation was great.

The hotel was great, the food was great, the candidates was great. I love the speech that is very casual and never last more than 5-10 minutes-so America. Most of the session was used to mingle and share.

We finally get the chance to meet AMINEF staff(pak piet, adeline, isye, ratna) who assisted us through it all- to them my hugest thanks.

I even had time to go to Blitz and watched Narnia at the first day and went to Inul Vista for karaoke at the second day. At the last day, we planned to hang out at PLANGI after we took mas Tomi put his stuff to his apartment but we were too exhausted and we’re all end up falling asleep at mas Tomi’s couch

My flight back to Jogja was at 14.45, which was delayed off course, but AMINEF bus took us to the airport at 10.00 so we had to wait like about 5 hours at the airport That one’s not great.

The candidates will be spread out across USA, I am lucky enough to have so many candidates in Massachusetts even though we’re not gonna study at the same university. I found a friend to share flight with coz we’re having the same place and time for pre-academic program. YaY!

Posted in JouneyJournal | 11 Comments »

ToA an TC

I had just signed the “Fulbright Program Term and Conditions of Grant” and “Fulbright Foreign Student Program-Terms of Appointment and Special Instructions” and sent it to AMINEF. It basically contains information about financial and benefit terms, duration of stay, revision of term, renewal, revocation, suspension and termination of the award, visa, contact information, role of IIE, report and arrangements I should make, and my rights and responsibilities.

I will receive monthly stipend and fund to purchase books and computer. My tuition’s free, provided by Northeastern University. Fulbright will cover all fees, my health insurance, international travel. My grant duration is one academic year and it’s renewable only if I show satisfactory academic performance.
So, I’m short of like Fulbright’s employee whose job’s to study

By the way, I find this-Rights and Responsibilities cool:

“Grantees are private citizens retaining their rights of personal, intellectual and artistic freedom as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States. All recipients of Fulbright academic exchange awards shall have full academic and artistic freedom, including freedom to write, publish and create. Pursuant to the Act, as amended, no award granted by the FSB may be revoked or diminished on account of the political views expressed by the recipient or on account of any scholarly or artistic activity that would be subject to protection of academic and artistic freedom normally observed at universities in the U.S. The FSB shall ensure that the academic and artistic freedoms of all persons receiving grants are protected.”

Posted in JouneyJournal | 6 Comments »

shopping time

Getting scholarship gave me lots of excuse for shopping Don’t worry, most of them I really needed. I think

So here’s my shopping..uhm, no, my preparation..no, shopping well, preparation list so far:

A very huge(29) traveler bag I can also use it as a cabinet when necessary. It’s so big that I’m too shy to carry it from the department store to parking area so my dad did it for me while I did more shopping with my mom
*love you dady..love you..love you..

Many many many clothes I think I need to buy lots of clothes because It’ll be hard for me to find long sleeves clothing, besides clothes are more expensive there(isn’t it?). If I bought them here I wont have to shop for any more clothes there” *honestly, I dont think I’ll be able resist buying any more clothes there

Digital Camera Off course. I want to document everything besides, I want my mom & dad & friends know that I’m fine there. They’ll miss me

Glasses, just in case I need one.

Winter suit. it’s hard to find it in Jogja. I intend to buy a mountain jacket, which is also designed for extreme weather, for a change but detty said it’s not fashionable. It’s true actually, I don’t wanna walk around downtown looking like someone who’s about to climb a mountain. So, she’s in charge to find me one
btw, detty’s so excited. She’s even more excited than I am. Asking me a lot of questions. Busy reminding me to bring this and that. hi..hi..I felt like I have a wife.
*I miss her already.

(to be continued..)

:: How many are on this posting? 10. Meaning: I’m very very happy when I wrote this *make it twelve

Posted in JouneyJournal | 7 Comments »

Sci-Fi

I watched midnite show at 21 last saturday- Ironman. When it comes to US military technology…dilemma oh dilemma. On one hand, I so against any kind of war and those military technology makes war even more advance, but on the other hand, isn’t internet was originally developed for military purpose? Yet, it give us so many advantages (and disadvantages) today.

But when it comes to Sci-Fi movies????? I’m so NOT against that

The cycle they created is great. To make a Sci-Fi movie ones must have advance imagination and also knowledge about recent available technology but once the movie’s on screen they inspired people to dream and think about how to actually build such technology.

I saw very interesting user interface that Tony Stark used to create his ‘costume’. You’ll see it too in Minority Report. Btw, that guy is so genius- oh!, and he went to MIT(dear God, let me be one of its PhD candidate :D) -oh! . Perhaps, they were inspired by the tangible user interface that Prof. Hiroshi Ishii developed at MIT Media Lab.

I watch a documentary show about The Terminator on Metro TV on Sunday afternoon. Developing the movie takes a lot of knowledge in robotics technology and also military vehicle that they had to visit places in which most advance technology were developed- you know, like NASA or Pentagon. Off course, In the movie, the technology is way more advance because they’re predicting technology of the future.

When terminator was on screen they soon become a box office. It made the lead actor very famous- a governor now. Many people was inspired by terminator. Among them was a men who now owned a company which built the best robot that can grip.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge. For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world, and all there ever will be to know and understand.” -Albert Einsten

Posted in technology | 8 Comments »

scheme

Accepting the offer from NEU several days ago, I read the admission offer condition once again carefully. I’m shocked to find that before I can take CS G111-Principles of Programming Languages, which is MS core course, I have to take a Scheme test. Shooott.. !!!

Q: Scheme?!!! What the …
A: It’s one of the dialects of LISP (Lost In Stupid Parentheses, or Lots of Irritating Superfluous Parentheses :p), a sibling of Common LISP, which both I’m clueless by the way.

Q: Isn’t it old???!!! YES!
A: Originally specified in 1958, Lisp is the second-oldest high-level programming language in widespread use today; only Fortran is older. It quickly became the favored programming language for artificial intelligence (AI) research. Having declined somewhat in the 1990s, Lisp has experienced a regrowth of interest since 2000[wikipedia]

So now, I have to start studying. Hiks. I haven’t even packed yet. That’s not fair. My fellow Fulbrighter are all happily excited about their departure and I have to worried about those stupid parentheses already????

*Don’t tell daffe. He’ll say “Come On! you’re paid $ xx,xxx, you shouldn’t complain man” ha..ha

Anyway, about the course. It’ll be thaught by Prof. Mitchel Wand. He, together with Friedman and Haynes, is the author of “Essentials Of Programming Languages” published by MIT Press, which will be the text book for the whole course. Btw, I finally got the free e-book! *SSSssssstttttt

I have finished it…..It refers to table of content, foreword, and preface :p

It is said that the book uses different approaches. Let me quote a paragraph for you
“Consider again the basic idea: the interpreter itself is just a program. But that program is written in some language, whose interpreter is itself just a program written in some language whose interpreter is itself. . . . Perhaps the whole distinction between program and programming language is a misleading idea, and future programmers will see themselves not as writing programs in particular, but as creating new languages for each new application” bla..blaa.blaa..

What do you think it means? I have a feeling that instead of learning how a program(application) is built, I’d be studying how a programming language(interpreter) is?

I’m scared.. help..help..

Posted in computer science, myCourse | 2 Comments »

Pre departure

Disclaimer: Due to many questions I got about Fulbright Scholarship(M.A program) -regarding the process, time line, interview, testing, etc, I wrote this posting. Since you’re willing to study abroad, I assume you have no problem with English. This is meant to be a personal note(based on my experience). The experience of each candidate each year might or might not be the same. I hope this will help. If there’s any additional question you need to ask, feel free to contact me.

Cheers!

Arround April 2007 :
Submitted application that include completed application form, a study objective, a letter of reference (from UNY Rector: Prof. Sugeng Mardiyono, PhD) and copy of TOEFL score(ITP TOEFL test taken in AMINEF).

July 6, 2007 :
Initial Selection. I was requested to send a copy of identification card (KTP), academic transcript and diploma of undergraduate degree (S1).

July 25, 2007:
Interview notification and request to provide a personal statement (AMINEF provide the guideline).

Friday, August 3, 2007 (14:00 p.m.) at Ruang Sida Mulyo, Hotel Santika Yogya:
The Interview, lasted about 20-30 minutes.
The interviewer:

• Mr. Michael E. Mcoy(AMINEF Executive director) -american,
• Prof. Dr. T Jacob -in memoriam (Anthropology UGM Emiritus Professor, UGM Former rector, Fulbrighter) -Indonesian,
• Prof. Bana Kartasasmita(ITB Mathematics Professor, AMINEF Board of Management-Chair Manager, Fulbrighter) -Indonesian,
• 2 Fulbright senior researcher from US doing their research in Indonesia (I forgot their names but they’re kinda cute :D) -both American.

Since that was my first scholarship interview I was extremely nervous

October, 10 2007:
Notification as an Alternate Candidate. Requested to rewrite the Study Objective and Personal Statement, this time with guidelines, and university preferences. Since then the agenda was hunting for 2 more letter of reference. Got it from Rudy Hartanto, MT (research advisor), Herman Dwi Surjono, PhD(Head of Computer Center, UNY), Lukito Edi Nugroho, PhD(my former lecturer)

October, 26-29 2007:
Taken GRE and IBT test(Test fee, airplane ticket, hotel, meal and transportation during the test was free and organized by AMINEF). Score? Don’t ask!

December 2007:
Submission plan from IIE(Submission was taken care of by IIE on my behalf, each candidate have one staff to assist)
Huge thanks to Jordanna Berres-Paul who is responsible for submitting the university application on my behalf.

Febuary, 26 2008:
Notified as a Primary Candidate.

March 26, 2008:
Admitted to College of Computer and Information Science, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.

April, 2008:
Accept the Offer, signing Terms of Appointment for Pre-Academic program.

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May, 14-17 2008 at Hotel Borobudur, Jakarta
Pre-Departure Orientation Program

Medical Check Up

Granted a Visa

Posted in JouneyJournal | 25 Comments »