Merry Christmas 2008
Wishing You A Joyful Christmas!
Inge Santoso
Kid: Concentrate…See, I can do it! (Focus, determination, excitement and a hint of fear)
Mum: Look…no hand! You do it on your own kiddo. (Mixed emotion of fear, pride and excitement)
Photo taken Tea Plantation, Kemuning, Karangpandan.
I’ve been writing about Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar that was held in Singapore earlier this month. I really learned a lot from this seminar. If you live in UK or Europe, you have a chance to attend this great seminar in London. The seminar will be held on 3rd-5th April 2009 in ExCel London – UK. There is a special rate for applying before 31st December 2008. For more information, you can click here.
In the last few days, my sister and I have been decluttering our rooms. We are far from finish but as you can see in the photo, we’ve collected more than 10 boxes already. By this time next week, we will probably have more than 25 boxes ready for the garage sale.
Most of my stuff are electronic gadgets and sport equipments while my sister’s are clothes, hats, belts, handbags, accessories. Looking at our stuff, you can see how different we are.
How does this decluttering process make me feel?
I will keep you informed on our decluttering process and what we learn.
Learn and Grow!
I saw this at Changi Airport Singapore. It was so interesting and fun. I even ran around on the carpet to chase the e-fish HAHAHA
It is amazing to see how far technology has gone. It will continue to move forward at a faster rate. Are we up to it? This generation is demanded to learn more and faster just to keep up. We cannot afford to stop learning and growing.
Learn and Grow!
While waiting for my flight, I found this wood block print display at Changi Airport. There were several different wood block carvings. You took a piece of paper, put it on top of the wood block carving, then use crayons to rub…voila… wood block print. You can also use different colors to make it more interesting.
In the Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar, we were taught a simple and effective money management method using six different jars. They are: Financial Freedom Account, Long Term Saving for Spending, Education, Necessities, Play and Give.
Although most of the money is kept in separate bank accounts. The actual jar serve as a visual reminder. The jars enable us to have a physical experience, to see, touch, hear even smell the money.
When we were at the seminar, they sold six-jar-set with labels for S$25. I prefer creating my own customized jars :) Hmm…more beautiful and cheaper too. These amazing jars cost me less than S$10. Awesome!
If you want to learn more about money management, I can help and coach you. You can email me at ingesantoso (at) hotmail.com
I saw these recycle bins this morning at Changi Airport, Singapore. Compare those to the bins that I saw at Singapore Expo below. They are awesome, aren’t they?
When I was walking to the MRT station in Singapore, I saw this dog having a walk. From a distance I could see how the dog walked a bit funny, but when I got closer I was amazed to see that this dog wore shoes! The shoes were like black socks with rubber soles.
I am really curious about these shoes…are they worn for any health reasons or for cuteness sake?
Two days ago I went to Running Lab at Funan Digital Mall to find running shoes. The lady who served me there was very helpful and I found the shoes that fit me well. They were Asics Gel Evolution.
When I was going to pay for the shoes, I saw that there was a 20% discount for registered Standard Chartered Marathon 2008 runner. I told her that I was a registered runner and she told me to bring the confirmation slip to get the discount. I saw that there was a notebook computer next to the cash register, I asked whether it was connected to the internet. She said yes. I asked whether I could use it to retrieve the email containing the confirmation slip. She said that they had no printer, so I had to go back and print the slip myself and came back the next day to get the shoes. How inefficient! At the end, I left the store without buying the shoes.
At night I was browsing the internet and I found that Running Lab had another store at Velocity@Novena. I decided to check it out yesterday. I wanted to get a second opinion whether the shoes were really suitable for me. When I got there, the staff were busy helping other customers so I decided to see a New Balance store next door because I was attracted to it.
I told the staff at New Balance store that I was looking for running shoes that accommodate my flat feet. He did a detailed analysis. He asked me to stand and looked at the feet from every angle, then he also asked me to walk on the treadmill to analyze my gait. He also examined my old shoes to see the worn out pattern. He was definitely more thorough than the people at Running Lab. Finally he recommended dark pink New Balance 1224 shoes. When I tried the shoes, they did not fit well because size 8 were a bit too tight while 8.5 were too big. The shoes were also a bit too wide for my feet.
I said to him that I was sorry that the shoes did not fit well and I could not buy from him. He said it was alright and he even took me back to Running Lab. He told the staff at Running Lab the shoes that fit me well as well as the size. Basically he just gave them the prescription for my need. Then he gave me his SAFRA member card number to enable me getting 30% discount on the shoes. Wow…I was so grateful and happy. Thank you for your help, RM!
Finally I bought the same Asics shoes with 30% discount instead of 20% discount!
What can I learn from this experience?
Learn and Grow!
One of my favorite eating place in Singapore, Marché Vivo City.
I always have a Caesar salad when I go to Marché because it was the first place that I ever ate a Caesar salad years ago. It is amazing that we often come back to the place that brings us good memories and we want to relive the memorable experience again and again.
This time, I had a new experience with Marché’s Chococino. Chococino is a hot chocolate with espresso. Yummy! You should try it if you go to Marché.
Another reason that I love going to Marché is the atmosphere. It feels like in Europe with lots of bare wood decor, wood tables and benches, and Bavarian style lamp. I also love the fresh vegetables, fruits, other ingredients being beautifully displayed. Awesome!
This afternoon I took this photo in the Velocity@Novena, Singapore. This was the first time in my life that I saw a bird inside a mall. First, I saw it in Burger King and again perching on the 2nd floor railing. I was fortunate to be able take this photo because the bird was not there for a long time.
Do you routinely back up your computer?
It is extremely important to have a routine back up of your computer. Losing important data such as your emails, contacts, photos, music, etc can be a very painful experience. I’ve had two hard disk failures in the past. I did not have a proper back up when the first failure happened, I felt so much despair losing those data. The second time it happened though, I was ready and restoring the files to a new hard disk was a breeze.
You can either back up to external hard disk, DVD or online back up services such as free Mozy Online. It is also important to have an off-site back up, in case of natural disaster like floods in your area. Remember to encrypt your data when you back up to DVD or external hard disk so that it is safe.
I usually do a weekly back up to an external hard disk, then a monthly back up to DVD and Mozy. I am going to do my back up today because it is the end of the month :)
When you read this post and you have not done any back up, please do it now!
Learn and Grow!
Faith can heal!
Yesterday someone at the office came to ask for some medicine. She said she had an allergic reaction to salted fish she had eaten during lunch. She said that she could feel heat and redness on her face. She was afraid that it’d spread to her whole body. Since the office did not have those kind of medicines, they had to buy it first.
When I heard her story and I saw that her face was not even that red, I told her that I might have the medicine that she needed. I went to another room and got a sugar tablet out of my mint container. I gave her the tablet and told her to take it with water straight away. I told her that it should work quite fast, and if she was still not well after an hour, then she could take the other medicine.
After an hour or so, other staff at the office told me that she was fine and she did not need to take the medicine. She said that she was feeling well after taking the pill that I gave her.
Hmmm…since she believed that the pill would work, it did! Her faith has healed her.
What a placebo effect!
It does not mean that you should not take your doctor’s advice or prescription, but it shows how faith can help you to heal better.
Learn and Grow!
These are some photos from The World Heritage Cities Conference Parade in Solo City, Central Java, Indonesia.
I was waiting on the side of the street since 2PM, the parade passed through at around 3:45PM. There were so many people lining up on the side of the street. Some people were climbing on the pedestrian bridge. I was glad that there was no accident there.
The most amazing thing that happened yesterday was about the weather. Before the parade, the sky was so cloudy. There were black clouds and it even rained for a few minutes. I was worried that it would rain and they’d cancel the parade. The person standing next to me commented that it definitely would not rain. He said that there were lots of shamans working to make sure of it. Sure enough the dark clouds started to move west and there were only thin white overcast above us.
I received a call from my sister who was worried that I’d be drenched by the rain because it was raining so heavily where she was at. She was only about 4 kilometers from where I was. I told her that it was not raining and the parade went smoothly. She also commented that the shamans were powerful in moving the rain to other part of the city.
Believe it or not…
Anyway I had a great time watching the parade.
Learn and Grow!
Congratulations to Adi and Imelda!
Your new life has just begun and may your love for each other grows with each passing day.
If you want to see more photos, you can go here.
Today is Blog Action Day and the topic this year is about poverty. I am joining other bloggers around the world to write about poverty.
What can I do to help and make a difference?
As a teacher and coach, I usually seize the opportunity to talk about personal finance with my students whenever the opportunity arises. I see a need to teach them about personal finance because:
I have a 3-hour seminar about personal finance for young executives, students and teenagers. It is called “The Secret to be A Billionaire” (Billionaire is the new standard for wealth here in Indonesia because almost everybody is a millionaire ha ha ha) I use some of the basic principles written in the book “The Automatic Millionaire” by David Bach and combine them with other financial tips from various sources. I talk about savings, basic investment strategies, reducing debts, giving and shifting beliefs about money.
I want to be given the opportunity by various universities and schools in Solo to give this seminar to their students, so I can help and make a difference by equipping the next generation with better financial knowledge and skills. I hope that by learning about personal finance, they can become catalysts for breaking the vicious circle of poverty.
Learn and Grow!
Inge Santoso, B. Com for Blog Action Day 2008
In his 80s, my grandpa is still very healthy, mentally sharp and full of spirit. He is a role model for a fit and healthy body.
Happy Birthday!
Last night was a moment of great relief and a start on the path of new, higher level of love, happiness and joy. There is a new air of openness, togetherness, love and acceptance.
Recent unfortunate events in our family lives have brought some stress in each of us. The problems came in from different directions affecting several areas of our lives, such as my recent health problem, costly investment in a collapsed MLM business, and a recent hit on our financial portfolio due to the decline in financial market. These problems seemed to have taken toll on our emotional well being. Stress was hanging in the air, yet we were afraid to bring it up because we were afraid that we would open a Pandora box of pent-up negative emotions that we would not be able to handle.
Last night, we finally had our family talk. This family talk is what we’ve been avoiding but also what we’ve been waiting for…what a mixed emotion! What we were afraid of did not happen at all. What we thought of opening a Pandora box of negative emotions turned out to be opening a door to heightened feelings of love, acceptance, forgiveness and freedom. The release of negative feelings such as fear, anger, guilt and hurt brought us feelings of relief, peace and freedom.
Fear not. The truth will set you free!
How do I feel about everybody now?
I am so proud of my dad who has the courage to lead us into having this family talk. By taking the initiative, he has proven himself to be a courageous leader. By talking more openly about his feelings as well as listening to ours, he has shown himself to be a gentle and passionate leader. Finally he leads with his mind and his heart!
I am also proud of my mom who finally lets her feelings out in the open without feelings of fear or guilt of upsetting other members of the family. She has carried her burden so well all these times being the guardian of our emotional well beings. It should not be her responsibility to make us all happy, yet she manages to do it with her big and humble heart. It is time for her to put her burden down and it is time for us to be more responsible for our own feelings. She really is the glue that binds our family together during our emotional turmoil. She always makes herself available to listen and encourage us.
I am very proud of my sister who becomes a great passionate leader herself. She is so mature, independent and courageous. She faces her problems and challenges head-on, solve those problems with decisive actions. She develops her leadership skills combining the best of both worlds – the courage and decisiveness of dad’s and the emphatic heart of mom’s.
Thank you all! I love you all!
Finally, I am proud of myself for being a difference maker. I am an enthusiastic learner who love to share and empower others with what I have learned. I am passionate about personal development and growth. I have a great passion in teaching and I love to see how my students become better people in many areas of their lives. I am most happy and satisfied when I see the twinkle in their eyes when they have an AHA moment…it is like opening a door to unlimited power and endless possibilities.
This blog post is a very special post for me. It is very emotional and personal. I hope you can learn something from this post and it will inspire you.
Feel the freedom!
Feel the love!
Feel the joy and peace!
Learn and Grow!
Inge Santoso, B. Com
Continuing from the previous post, this is my backpack for notebook. The backpack is a Victorinox. I like this backpack because it has side pocket for water bottle unlike my previous backpack.
What’s in the backpack:
If I bring only one bag, then I’ll put my wallet, mobiles, iPod and camera in the backpack.
Yesterday I added this photo to What’s in Your Bag Flickr Group. These are the basic things that I bring everyday. I also bring my Canon G9 (it is not in the photo because I use it to take this photo HAHAHA)
What’s in my Elle bag:
What’s in my tutoring bag:
Do you find this interesting? If you are interested to see what others have in their bags, go to What's in your bag? Flickr Group.
Learn and Grow!
Panoramic photo of the remnant after the fire on the empty lot near our house. We were not home when it happened two days ago. I heard the fire was big and it took three fire trucks to put out the fire.
An abandoned empty lot with lots of dry grass and bushes in searing summer heat has a high risk of fire. We do not know the cause of the fire, but it could be from many things such as cigarette butts, firecrackers, or trash burning. This morning I still saw two people burning their trash there.
I heard that the residents wanted to take a class action against the owner of the property for being negligence and endangering the neighbors.
Inge Santoso
A spark of creativity that influences others.
A few days ago, I saw on Channel News Asia that a Singaporean artist used instant coffee to paint. Her paintings are awesome. I decided to try and that was one of the paintings that I did yesterday. Do you know that you can still smell the aroma of coffee?
Learn and Grow!
Yesterday near my house, I saw some people flying a very long kite. It was amazing. The tail was about 60-70 meters long. It needed at least 6 people to fly it. These people travel from town to town to compete in kite flying competition. The biggest competition is in Bali where they fly huge kites at the beach where the wind is strongest.
We can learn a very important success principle from flying a kite. It is the principle of rising in the face of adversity. The stronger the wind, the higher the kite will fly.
In life, we often avoid or run from adversity because we see it as an obstacle that prevents us from getting what we want in life. We see adversity as a problem that makes things difficult for us.
Rising in the face of adversity challenges us to think differently. We see adversity as something that makes us stronger and better. It is the fire that forges the iron. Adversity also acts as a filter to let people who are really determined to succeed to rise above others. If we truly want to succeed, we should be grateful for adversity because it makes us sharper and it reduces competition. :)
Rise and Fly High!
Learn and Grow!
Rascal is a very smart and cute dog. I really enjoy his company while recovering from my surgery in Singapore. He followed me everywhere. When I was resting in my room, he also slept next to the bed. When I went to the bathroom, he waited in front of the bathroom door.
The funniest thing was when I was wearing particular track pants, he thought my pants were a female dog and he really went for it. Perhaps my pants had scents from our dogs in Solo. HAHAHA I had a video of it (censor needed for those under 18 years old)
Dogs are people best friends. No wonder there are so many recommendations to have a pet to relieve stress and depression. They can be so loving, accepting and devoted to you.
Lesson: Have a pet and learn about love :)
Learn and Grow!
I am sorry that I have not written a lot lately because I had a minor surgery last week.
That is the photo of my hand when I was in hospital last week. The IV drip was so cool. When the IV bag is almost empty, the alarm sounds beep beep beep and the nurse will come in just a few minutes. If the nurse wants to inject something straight to my blood stream, just open the blue cap and shoot.
This is the photo of hospital bed that I stayed for two nights. The bed can be adjusted in so many ways, up and down, head up head down, leg up leg down, etc. I actually played with it a bit before the surgery. HAHAHA
The blue color thing on the bed is the hospital gown. It was not as bad as I thought it would. Well, at least it covered my back completely, unlike in movies where they can see your backside.
This is my first stay in hospital and I hope it’s the last time too.
What did I learn ?
Learn and Grow!
A few days ago I had an injection on my left hand while getting an MRI. There was only a small puncture hole and I didn’t notice any bruises. It was good because I often got bruises when they took my blood in the past.
This evening before dinner while I was washing my hand, I noticed some dirt on my left hand, so I washed, I scrubbed and scrubbed, but it did not come off. It was only after awhile that I realized that it was not dirt nor stain, but it was a bruise from the needle puncture. HAHAHA No wonder I could not clean it!
Even if I had followed the instruction on how to wash my hand properly, I would not have succeeded HAHAHAHA
Smile…Laugh…Be Happy!
Learn and Grow!
While clearing old clothes for donation, I found this Popeye family sweater. It used to be my favorite sweater when I was in University. I considered it my lucky sweater and I always wore it during exams. I believed that wearing it would get me good marks. HAHAHA.
I also used to have a lucky bath towel that I used during exam week. I remember, one day my sister used that towel and then washed it during an exam week and I was so mad because of it. She tried to apologize by singing “Please forgive me for washing your kelincimu” (my towel has a picture of rabbit on it).
Although I knew that wearing the sweater and towel would not do me any good if I didn’t study for the exam, they helped me to create a favorable state of mind. Believing that I was lucky was more important than the sweater or the towel itself. It’s the belief that creates the reality.
What do you believe? How do your beliefs shape your reality right now?
"Whether you believe you can, or you can't, you are right" - Henry Ford
Learn and Grow!
When I was in Jakarta last week, I saw this traffic light. The red light and the green light are on at the same time. What would you do if something like that happens? My friend and I decided to see what other people were doing, and followed the crowd.
This small incident makes me think about decision making in life. How often do you follow the crowd instead of making your own decision? When you are faced with a choice, or even a dilemma, do you make your own choice or do you just follow what most people do?
Sometimes we are afraid to make mistake and to face the consequences of our mistake. We want to minimize the risk by following conventional wisdom or following the wisdom of the crowd. Although we know that the crowd is not always right, we often take the easy way instead of the right way. It seems that making a mistake on our own feels worse than making mistake together.
I remember an incident when I was still in primary school. When we forgot to bring our notes or textbook, the teachers often punished us together. I was nervous, afraid of being punished when I forgot my book, especially when I was the only one who didn’t bring it. When I knew there were other students, I felt relieved. Sometimes I even felt happy because we would be “punished” (ehem having fun outside the classroom) together.
I believe this world needs more people who make decision by themselves and not just follow the crowd. The greatest invention, discovery and legend is made by people who are not afraid to stand alone, to blaze a new trail and to do the right thing in spite of all opposition. I want to be one…Do you?
To be or not to be? It is your decision.
To do or not to do? Weigh the alternatives and make your decision!
Learn and Grow!
My cousins and I went to my grandfather sister-in-law’s house to visit. Her late husband used to be a famous dentist in Solo. This is a photo of his dentist chair and equipment. It’s an antique.
Comparing this antique dentist equipment and the latest in its field, we can really see how far the technology has evolved. Amazing!
Learn and Grow!
This is Candi Sukuh at dusk.
The main temple area of Candi Sukuh
The relief at Candi Sukuh
I visited Candi Sukuh or Sukuh Temple with my cousins who came to visit Indonesia. Candi Sukuh is located near Tawangmangu, a mountain resort in Central Java, Indonesia.
The first time I visited Candi Sukuh was when I was in primary school. My parents took me there when they used to bike a lot. I didn’t remember much about the temple because I was more interested in the surrounding scenery that was so beautiful.
This time while visiting with my cousins, we had a guide to help us understand more about the temple. It is very interesting because this temple has lots of sexual references but they are disguised by symbols. There is another temple in the area called Candi Cetho where the sexual references are displayed in full.
If you want to know more about it, please come and visit these two temples. Please get a guide to learn more about the site.
Learn and Grow!