[Why do I decide to suddenly write about the topic of being single and being married? Well, a very dear friend of mine has lost his confidence in that sacred institution known as marriage. He is not the first person I know of who holds that view. What made him different was that he was…
Today’s the awaited Eid al-Fitr, the celebration after fasting during Ramadan. I woke up early and prepared for the prayer in Masjid Al-Ihsan, a mosque nearby my house. I ensured myself to have breakfast, even if only a cereal beverage, as it’s a recommended act of “break-fasting” the day. It is forbidden for Muslims to…
Today marks the end of Ramadan of the Hijri year 1428. Tomorrow, my family and I will be performing Eid prayer together in a nearby mosque. Not unlike the previous Ramadans, certain events also surround this year’s Ramadan: Millions of people from many metropolitan cities in Indonesia perform a “ritual” exodus (mudik) to their hometowns…
Yes, my colleagues and I went to work today, despite the holiday status of Independence Day. Well, it wasn’t really a workday. We went in because of the independence day ceremony. This is due to our company status as a state-owned corporation. Other private houses would let their employees sleep the weekend off and reduce…
Indeed, it wasn’t just me. The news confirmed that what I had experienced was indeed an earthquake. As I expected, the epicenter was relatively close at 110 km (about 70 miles) from Jakarta, precisely at 75 km (46 miles) northwest off the coast of Indramayu in West Java, at a depth of 286 km (178…
Today, I had the opportunity to tour the World Bank. The tour is organized once every month, the first Thursday of the month. My friend from St. Louis, Fari Nasution, and I met up at the IMF Center for the tour. Fari had also moved to DC from St. Louis, precisely one week earlier than…