Jakarta Bombing on Two Luxury Hotels: Marriott and Ritz-Carlton

I am vacationing in my home town when this morning, I received news about two subsequent bombings in Jakarta's luxury hotel: JW Marriott and Ritz-Carlton. Nine were pronounced dead and 50+ injured during this bombing attack. It's a sudden flashback on the previous 2003 bombing at JW Marriott where my friend was having a meal at Marriott and the bombing occurred (thankfully she is fine).

It's been 4 years since the last bombing in Indonesia had occurred and we are again reminded that this country may not be as safe as we had believed. Some says that this occurrence is related to the recent president election but again who knows for now.

Some pictures of this attack from an Indonesian website here.

*picture shown is courtesy from detik.com

Business Idea?

There are some arguments that said Business schools make entrepreneurs-wannabe to be scared to start their own businesses instead of prepare them. I can see that. When researching about starting an online jewelry site that sells bangles/bracelet to small wrist women (because i have a 5 1/4" wrist whereas an average size in US is 6.5") make me analyze the market (google trend, google search volume), create financial projections ( look into search marketing and potential click through to my website etc etc). And in the end leave me to conclude that there is too small a market for me to try.

Now when I start telling my friends/ fellow small wrist women about this idea, they say they LOVE and welcome the possibility to finally purchase a small bangle and would love to invest in my idea..

How about that?

I'm on to my next idea .. www.gotousschool.com which this time will not be bursted by too much over analysis..

update for my UCLA Anderson MBA blog

Yes I owe you guys a ton of updates.. i cannot believe that the last I update was before I went to business school and now I've graduated..

Well let's see where to start.. I went in to UCLA Anderson in 2007.. looked into going into i-banking, consulting etc and decided that I didn't want to do any of those. I somehow ended up in a top high tech firm and loved my summer internship experience there. I was doing finance in the firm and love the fast paced high tech world in comparison to my old job and I'm going to return to the company to work in August! Thank God for the job offer.. it has really been tough this year to get a job for MBA students. I wouldn't be surprised if only about 60% of the '09 graduates have jobs by now.

Another update is that I will be staying in US for a lil bit longer than expected before.. I was planning to return straight to my home country but decided to extend a lil bit in US.. maybe permanently .. we'll let you know..

I'm still pursuing my entrepreneurial interest and hopefully will be able to start something before I turn 30..

So that's the super short update that I have for now, if you have any question at all.. feel free to drop me a comment!

Cleaning Up my Closet

Okay 'tis bigger than my closet.. it's my whole room.. In my three years absence.. I had managed to stack all documents and stuff (3 years or 4 years old) in the drawers, cupboard, desk in my bedroom in Indonesia. Last weekend, I've decided to clean them all out.. guess what I've found : my acceptance letter to UCLA undergrad dated in 2003, my UCLA orientation binder from 2003, my junior highschool grade reports HAHAHA.. I have lots of junks there...

but it makes me nostalgic that hey once more I'm at the same turning point in my life where I'm going to US for school.. pretty crazy.. Also remembered that in 2003, before school started, I had decided to perm my hair ( a decision which I had just repeated a few weeks ago and I have been regretting ever since ).. bad hair day for the next 6 months!!!

Anyway, life's good! My last day at work today, will get my salary in hard cash (coz I have no saving account here :P) and hopefully not spend it all out in one weekend.. This weekend is going to be an interesting one though ;) I shall NOT update you guys hahaha ..

Happy fall!

Freaking out

Summer is going to end soon... ohhh... nooo....... In one hand I feel excited... school is starting, I'll be busy.. at the other hand I'm gonna leave Indo.. my friends and my family here :'( I can't believe I've been home for 3 months ..

It's been a really great and different Summer this year.. Met with lots of ppl, new friends, old friends, interesting friends, new found close friends.. Must say that I've learnt a lot from this summer (career wise, relationship wise, my point of view, friendship)..

Going back to LA in 2 weeks time!! Darn time fliess...

dya believe in Horoscope?

Libra

The Bottom Line

Unpredictable changes will make this day different from the day you planned.

In Detail

Today will start off like a cuddly lamb, but it could evolve into a growling lion before you realize it. Unpredictable changes will pop up throughout the day, which could send you down a much different path than you've mapped out. Luckily, these changes will create some amusing moments in your day, so you won't mind altering your plans too much. Expect someone to offer you an apology when none was necessary -- assure them that they don't need to feel bad.

Leadership

Had to go and see the company's big boss today because I had to ask for his signature in the acquisition document. I was supposed to get his signature by Thursday but had forgotten to ask for one document. So there I was, on a Saturday morning non-working day, going to the big boss' house to get his signature..

When I got to his place, he was surprised to see me.. he thought I would have asked someone else to get his signature (couriers or drivers - common in Indonesia) and the craziest thing happen.. he told me "sorry to have bothered you..."

And I'm like thinking.. hermmm this is actually my fault that I didn't know he need to sign this document on Thursday and I'm his employee who needs to get my work done so technically I should be the one who said sorry to bother him on a Saturday morning non-working day to his house.. and there he was... the big boss.. saying that he's sorry to have bothered me..

I told him no it's my fault.. but at the same time am very amazed with this kind of leadership. I've heard of his family's leadership style -pretty known family in Indonesia- who is famous as humble leader and who respect its employees. But hell.. this is beyond! If I were in his shoe, I would have thought nothing of my (going to his place to get his signature) act.. I would have thought: hell yeah you should finish this job and I would have never thought of even saying sorry ...

Maybe it's the influence of Eastern culture ( where ppl are really polite and saying sorry for everything -which I can never understand) but this taught me a valuable lesson - of respecting people who work for you and to be a humble leader.. I have the utter most respect to this family and its leadership style and will always remember this lesson.