Emonikova`s English page is available now :)


So, I got some letters from my friends, they a little bit complain because my blog basically written in Indonesian Language 🙂
Ok, fine… so mmm I have an old blog in tumblr, I decide to make it as my English blog (or you may find some Japanese and France there, I am learning on it).
While it is very super easy to update everything on Tumblr, I think I`ll update that more often than this blog 🙂

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So, where is the link page?
Have a look in : http://emonikova.tumblr.com

And for my Indonesian reader… don`t worry, I`ll keep writing in Indonesia (of course) and as usual waiting for you suggestion, comments, and even complaints 😀

Thanks for make me keep  writing! 🙂

Why Indonesia [probably] will fail in Implementing “Paid Plastic Bag” Policy? : A Casual Economics Review


Caution: It will be a long article, so I draw some illustration. However, still boring but mmm maybe not in a deathly level 🙂

Happy Earth Day, Planet Earth!
Earth Day special, I want to look like a real “Green-Economist” and based on some requests I will write about Paid-Plastic Bag Policy in Indonesia. I don’t want to stress you with crazy creepy economics terms, so I tried my best to make it as casual as possible.Ah! And sorry, in English… while I want to do “more” with the Indonesian version.

Well, here the news! Based on a paper written by Jambeck, et al (2015) [1], Indonesia became the second biggest plastic waste contributors in the ocean, just below China which was in the first place. Is it serious problem? Definitely, yes! Indonesia already experienced a huge drop in fish harvesting because of unsustainable fish-catching (e.g. using bomb, poison, etc), climate change, and now: waste, to be precise plastic waste. The details summarized in the graph below:

Every book, including history books, noted that environmental problem usually happened in lower-middle income countries which try to transform their economic structure. But who want to be trapped in the same trap? Indonesia also learns from the past.  We love popularity but not as plastic waste contributor in this blue planet! Then, started from February 2016, Indonesia tries to implement “paid plastic bag” policy in 22 cities. Such an out-of-dated policy for some countries, but it is very new in my lovely country. How the policy works? In brief, you should pay 200 IDR (around 2 JPY or 0,02 USD) / plastic bag every time you do shopping in any modern retail stores. 

Then what happened all around Indonesia? Lots of people reject this policy. Of course if I am a policy maker, I will realize that my policy will gain some critiques and that’s not my business to please everyone. My jobs are increase people wealth and create environment sustainability. Haters always gonna be haters, but haters sometimes give their most objective critics, so let’s analyze their critics points.

After 2 months, there is no significant reduction of plastic waste in Indonesia. Probably, it is even more plastic waste than anybody can predict!

I remember, once in television, my favorite writer Arswendo Atmowiloto said “Indonesia people made their own economics theories.” As economist I will give standing applause for this quote. Leave your economics textbook, because it is beyond our imagination.

To counter this point I just can say: This is too early to judge that this policy totally failed. Still 2 months! What you can do in 2 months? Like a baby, they just already started to see his parent clearly. In business terms it still “test the water” part.

But, can that point come true? unfortunately, I should say  “Yes”.

I have several reasons:

First, we haven’s accustomed yet. No further explanation needed.

Second, There are no efforts from the shops to reduce the use of plastic bag. If today you go to any random retail store or supermarket in Indonesia and buy something there. Maybe you will find the cashier simply totaling your groceries plus your plastic bag even if you only buy a can of cola. “Oh, but I don’t want to use plastic bag” upss… sorry, but it’s already counted.

Third, Indonesian never really interested in collecting small change. Huh? Is it related to the topic? I will give you long explanation for this one.

In Japan, I really hate 1 yen and 5 yen in my pocket. But the good news is at least here I can make ATM machine busy enough to count and save my coins. Also all groceries are in prices which need 1 yen and 5 yen nominal.
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In Indonesia? Nope! We even face difficulties to save our coins to the bank. Indonesia’s smallest nominal is 100 IDR. When I was kid I still can buy a candy with 100 IDR or using payphone, but today there are almost none with that nominal. So, if you have lots of 100 IDR coins, maybe you can keep it in your piggy bank, but it is also bring another problem. Once, my friend tried to bring her coins saving to the bank, she already counted that and she had around 500.000 IDR (around 50 USD or 5000 JPY) and this value is consisted by 5000 shinny 100 IDR coins!!! yes! around 5000 coins, maybe more.
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Money is money, she confident that Bank will be kind enough to accept her coins. She came to the Bank and TADAAAAA…Bank rejected it. With a sad face she just asked me “What should I do with this? Make it for weight-lifting?” Trust me, that’s a true story. If you don’t trust me you can read another story here [Indonesian only]

This physiological tendency  then used by some supermarket and convenient store to ask “Do you want to make donation with your small changes? “ and with a lazy tone, almost all of us just simply said “Ok” without even ask where that exchange will go (another reason why recently there are high report about “small corruption” by the cashier).

Thanks to “paid-plastic bag” policy, trend will be slightly changed then!
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If, for example, the exchange is 400 IDR, then an Indonesian see there are many things she already bought, of course it is rational decision for her to pay for 2 plastic bags than should donate it somewhere she never know. Even if she just needs one plastic bag, she still chooses to buy 2 plastic bags, one for her stuff, another one? Well… she will need it (although in fact no one ever re-use it, who need lots of plastic bag?). Even! If she don’t need plastic bag at all but then she heard the exchange will be, for example, 200 IDR! She probably say “Mmm…Oh okay, with one plastic bag please!” and she will feel she made a genius deal! How stingy Indonesian! Oh, no… that’s the most rational economic decision everyone probably take. In behavioral economics there is a statement that we, human, prefer something that gives exact utility for ourselves in the near future. We looking a way to fulfill our needs first before other people’s needs, even that’s a silly thing called plastic bag.

If this thing always happened then plastic industry will be so happy, yes! Why? 1. While there is no clear explanation where the money goes, let’s assuming it goes back to plastic bag producer, probably it can cover their production cost.  2. While demand of plastic bag are not changing (or even accidentally increased!) and there are no specific requirement from the government about plastic bag price, then voila! It is a great business for plastic company (sst… don’t say it to plastic company, please). I want to look cool here, let me draw you a curve to explain it.
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Using the curve above, assuming accidentally plastic bag demand increases (say because the price is very affordable and the increase of income of Indonesian) .Economy start in EQUILIBRIUM state and  give us price of plastic bag in in Peq and quantity sold in Qeq. If the demand INCREASE (D shifted to the right become D’) then Qeq become Q’. If government kept the price of plastic bag still in Peq,  capturing the opportunities in the market, plastic company will INCREASE supply  of plastic bag (S shifted to the right become S’).

In the other words, plastic company will produce more plastic bag to fulfill market’s need. It is also means an increase in plastic waste. It is undeniable. Of course maybe it is “too extreme” case. However, I want to show that as long as the price is below or same with equilibrium price, plastic bag still promising product for the plastic company.

So, what should we do if we want to decrease the quantity of plastic sold by the market?
Again, economist should draw a lot of curves!
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Assume we want to decrease Quantity sold until Q”, in economics one variable that can be modified is Price! Let’s make government firm enough to regulate the Price on P” which is above Peq. Supply curve always sticky enough to be changed (I mean we can’t force the company to reduce their benefit? Remember, in classical theory, company never care anything except maximizing their profit). But we, consumer… we sensitive with price :D. Consumer will think twice to buy that plastic bag, why should we waste money for such low quality plastic? Ewww…Go away plastic, our wallet really hate you! Right after that  comes into consumer mind, demand will decrease until D”. Plastic bag also will not profitable enough for the company and for sure they will decrease their production. What a news! we save the planet then!

Enough with curve,  still some points to explain.

Forth, “Monthly shopping” culture. If you go to Indonesia… you probably will see that people will buy huge amount of groceries! In our culture (based on my experience as 100% Indonesian!) we buy something for monthly needs. Here in Tokyo, I found that people buy groceries for weekly or daily so one small or medium size shopping bag will be enough.  I can show you how small Japan’s shopping bag is:

This is my shopping bag, I compare the size with B5 size book. Very compact (and fashionable). People can buy the bigger one than this, however the size is not really different with this one.

in Indonesia? Using shopping bag? Haha…No way!
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Once a high-middle income families go to supermarket they will buy everything! One sack of rice, 5 boxes of noodles, soap, cooking oil, sandals, clothes, pencil, hairdryer, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, everything! How many shopping bags do we need then? Even me, researcher on climate change field and also an economist, I will pay for plastic bag for this. While the plastic bags also cheap! Only 200 IDR… and based in the news I conclude that this price is below equilibrium price. Then we face excess demand of plastic!

“Hei! But who can beat custom and even culture?.” This one is a difficult part.
But I remember, I am such a bookworm, and can’t help with it. Every time I go to the bookstore, I can empty my wallet and buy a mountain of books, some of them are very thick. Then I realize one thing… here in Japan, no matter how heavy my books are, they will provide me with paper bags. At first I am really worry about it, and the only English sentence written there was “This bag made by recycled paper”. I thought it will be broken just 3 steps after I left the book store. However, I went around Tokyo bringing that paper bag with full books inside and it kept my books safe until home. I don’t know exactly about total production cost of “strong” recycled paper bag is, but if it is cheap enough I hope Indonesia can try to that’s one.

Fifth, No garbage separation policy in Indonesia. In Indonesia, you can throw any garbage anytime (and anywhere). Some places already try to separate garbage into organic and non-organic, however that’s “useless” because there are no separated garbage truck between organic and non-organic garbage. So, why Indonesian should separate it if then it will mix again on the truck? Why? Tell me…WHY!?

Hey! But why is it related to the number of plastic waste? Before answer that, let me tell you my story.

I am living in a town where there is no policy about paid-plastic bag. So, every time I buy my groceries (while I am Indonesian, I love to buy something for at least for two weeks ahead :p),  I get lots of plastic bag. But only in a week, there are no plastic bag left in my home.

Why? Because here, I am struggling to separate waste!  On “Recyclable garbage” day I should separated them into 8 type of garbage: Newspaper, leaflet/books/magazine, cans, pet bottles, card boxes, milk/ beverages boxes, food tray, and glasses jar. Assume there is a day I have all of these Recycled garbage types, then I need 8 plastic bags to separate them!

This is example from Meguro-ku (I took it from internet), in my place (Oota-ku) Recyclable waste should be separated into 8 types 🙂 different town, different policy but overall you should do lots of efforts for this. (photo credit: https://travelfoodguru.wordpress.com)

In another day, there will also “burnable garbage day” and “Non-burnable garbage” day… of course I need another plastic bag to separate them carefully. Bye plastic bag…
I can assure you that my home is free from any form of plastic waste.
I also can’t randomly throw my garbage without following the rule; the truck will never take your garbage if the garbage is not fit with the schedule. Such a hassle, but we happy because no garbage everywhere and ministry of environment  also happy while it is easier for them to process all garbage.
I think plastic consumption in Tokyo is higher than any other place in Japan, but the waste management is very good also so it is not such a big burden for Japan.

Back to Indonesia… as I told you before, we love buying something in huge amount for monthly stock, then we get lots of plastic bags and have no idea what we can do with them after that. Some people keep it and assume they will need it later; some people just throw it away. But in another month we do the same thing again… again… and again…

The story will different if Indonesia has a good waste management system. I think it is too early (and too crazy) to follow Japan waste separation system (they start to apply this system from Meiji period actually). Maybe try to separate organic and non-organic waste will be a good start. In that time, at least Indonesia can recycle the garbage better! Not only pile everything on the landfills!

To be honest! I think the main reason why there are lots of plastic waste in Indonesia is not only because we use so many plastics in our daily life, but also because government still have no idea what should they do with all of the waste!

Personally (really… this is personal thought), without any disrespect to Indonesian government efforts in reducing plastic waste, applying paid plastic bag policy before applying good waste management system is like learn how to make an airplane before learn basic physics. Or if you are an economist, it is like learn applied econometric before learn math. I mean, it is possible to work but will take time… so much time! It is possible, but somehow not efficient.

Well, that’s it…
I hope I give a friendly explanation about everything and give you some idea how to criticize this topic smartly 🙂

Good luck, Indonesia.
Good luck, all Indonesian.
let’s make Jambeck et al  revise their research result soon 🙂

=====================================

[1] Jenna R. Jambeck, Roland Geyer, Chris Wilcox, Theodore R. Siegler, Miriam Perryman, Anthony Andrady, Ramani Narayan,  Kara Lavender Law, Science  13 Feb 2015: Vol. 347, Issue 6223, pp. 768-771.

OVERLY DUMP WAY TO WRITE TO YOUR PROFESSOR [or Potential Professor] with some examples


“…And God…. tell us the reason, youth is wasted on their young!”(Lost Stars-Adam Levine)

Ok! This posting is quite important, let me write it in English. While if I write in Indonesian, I can’t control my emotion on it.

Sometimes my Sensei ask me to help him checking for  International Students application. Sometimes also some of my juniors in university ask me my opinion about their application. Some of them are really good.. but some of them, errrrrr 🙁 I almost got hypertension because of it. I have a nice friend who always become a “positive”person and said “Calm down, Marissa… they just need more information on it” but now… now…now… he is away. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA…. I am unstoppable now, so I made a resume of “Dumb ways to contact your professor”and because I love all of you (although I look like a godzilla sometimes), I will provide you an example about how to contact your Professor or Professor-be.

Yes… sit down there, I will explain everything to you. It is okay to do some mistakes, but never make too-dumb mistakes.

WHY YOU CONTACT A PROFESSOR?
There are millions reason why you should contact a professor. If you are student now, you may need to ask some questions regarding to your research. If you are “student-wanna-be” you may find professor who willing to accept you in his/her lab.

WHAT YOU SHOULD NOTICE?
1. You are in the position need the Professor! Not the other way.
2. They are not in your age! They are older than you (oh come on, I can’t believe I should write this one)
3. While they are older than you, and perhaps not as “hi-tech”as you are, kindly make everything as compact and as simple as possible. NEVER! give any difficult link, with crazy password and the password should be written in Cyrillic, Arabic, and Chinese character. Trust me, even me… I will not open it.

password-requirements
4. Please be polite… keep your manner on it.

Well, can you give us any examples?

I will… I will… what’s no in this blog… Welcome to our main menu Today
OVERLY DUMP WAY TO WRITE TO YOUR PROFESSOR (Or maybe your Professor-Be).

1. Don’t Overvalue your Skill…. I mean, would you mind please to be: HONEST

Trust me I found this cases several times. I understand that you really want to show that you are “outstanding”… that you are “Distinct” from any other candidates who may contacts your potential professor. But, it doesn’t means you should write everything “too-much” and “too-far”

For example:
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And please don’t be surprised if then the professor will try to “test” you like this (this example is only an illustration, sorry for any mistakes on Kanji, etc :p)
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What will be happens to you:

I am also surprised, because it is not one or two times then some student ask me the meaning of their e-mail. Gyaaaa… I am not better than them. It is fine if we just ended mourning about our stupidity on that field, but if you want to believe me… I also sometimes find someone who blame me “Are you sure you can’t translate it? What are you studying there then?”
Huh?

Okay…
Let me tell you, you can say “I am able to do XYZ” if you already passed some official test and gain any certificate on it. As my knowledge, Japanese for example thought that if you say “I can speak Japanese” at least you are in N3 or N2 level. If you still in “kore-kore” and “sore-sore” level, you still in my level… come here, join newbie club :’D

If it is still not clear for you…
Well… listen to me.
Not because you read Quran everyday, still with sooooo many error in tajweed  and so on and so on, doesn’t mean you can speak Arabic.
Not because you can say “Ich liebe dich” to your crush, you can say you able to speak Germany.
Not because you can use microwave, you are an engineer!

Okay, it is no use to explain about it too much.
Let me show you how to solve this problem… here a little example that may help:
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Remember, you contact for very important and busy person… please appreciate them. One wise way to appreciate them is also to ask for their solution and suggestion for your problems.
2. Don’t act like you are the busiest person in Planet Earth.

This is very common mistakes… and unbelievable also.

For example, something like this:

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Take your time honey… don’t even need to wait for the reply because you will not get any :p
What do you think?
Your professor is very busy, so much more than you!
He has so many conferences, journals, research deadlines, and maybe also so many missed calls from his family who keep asking why he doesn’t have time.
Oh come on….seriously!

Except you are in special condition, and you afraid you are not available soon when your professor try to reach you. Maybe you can write something like this

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Remember! You are in position “needy” not “needed”

3. Don’t be LAZY! and please be SERIOUS on it.
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The most important point you should show to you professor is: Your interest to study and how serious you are. That’s why you need to write them your research plan so they can check whether your field is “click” with him or not, furthermore it is also to check how serious you are to study, your mission is to make you “targeted professor” can think “Oh wow, this student is good… he even already prepare about what he want to do”

And just to let you know that: Your professor is not working in University Admission office! So, please don’t ask him to send you all university requirements and forms. Because what: 1.) Every university has a website, 2.) Your prof. probably also lost about admission system. He knows, but maybe not in details.
I am really sleepy… I will stop soon.
But there are several additional  questions, I usually got.. let me answer it in short:

1. I want to study abroad, but I don’t have TOEFL/IELTS. Why the university not accept me just because that small certificate?
“…. because, you will not speak in your mother language here. Seriously. ”

2. I see so many happy faces in facebook, study abroad must be easier.
“…. our life is not as beautiful as our selfies. Please don’t judge a person by his/her selfie”

3. Why my Professor not answer my e-mail?
“… just wait for abour 3-4 weeks, if no response just contact another professor. He may very busy”

4. Where I can get scholarship?
“…. There are lots of source of it, you can google it 🙂 ”

5. Why there are so many requirements to get the scholarship?
“…. excuse me, are you complaining? Come on… there is an institution which want to fund you to continue your study by FREE. Of course they will make very high qualification.”

6. I am poor, I am stupid, I can’t do anything…. can I continue my study?
“… I am also not come from rich family, I am also not smart, I have nothing except my dreams and people who really loves me. Once in my life I want to make them proud of me with reaching my dreams. And here I am now. Is it enough to answer you question? Listen to me… life is tough, we should strong enough to face everything!

7. What will I learn in graduate degree?
*Throwing the syllabus*

To close this posting, I humbly want to say you something…
Maybe it is important for you to look distinct, outstanding,  awesome… and what can I say? it is your right. But do you know what is more important? To be well mannered!
You smart, you rich, awesome, almost perfect… but you can’t show that you have lovely personality, then everything just become a waste.
Education, in fact, exist not for making you become The Almighty… or become an ego-centrism human. It trains your way of thinking… make you more humble when you realize how many people give their time to teach you, when you see so many people who are better than you. In the same time, it trains you to accept your self… to say “It’s okay myself you already did your best” while you will realize that you may very good in something but really moron in something else… that’s a process to make you realize that “Ah I need anybody else in this planet.”
Education maturing and nurturing your heart and thought.

And while you are still a “green apple” would you mind to show to your teachers, your seniors, your friends that you ready to learn from them and in one point of time you can become a sweet “red apple” and from you there will be a high quality of apple trees 🙂

 

Now… it’s back on you 🙂

Have a nice day 🙂

RIP my lovely cat… and a little note about why people should aware more about what’s around :'(


Why does my heart go on beating?
Why do these eyes of mine cry?
Don’t they know it’s the end of the world?
It ended when you said goodbye
-The End of The World, The Carperters-

Ask me about how does it feels when someone lose her pet
Ask me why nobita cried so loud when doraemon left him
Because I know exactly how does it feels.

So yesterday, my lovely cat died. If you are not animal lover you may not understand why I can’t stop crying. If you don’t know me and my family, you may say it is ridiculous a whole family crying just because their cat DIED. But trust me, for someone who already consider their pet as family, losing a pet is really the saddest moment in life.

A motorcycle hit my cat, and the driver even have no responsibility… maybe he only thought it was yeaaah cat =.= and surprisingly there were also some of my neighbor saw it, but no one even try to help or if they didn’t want to help they could tell my mom, I mean… everyone know that was our cat! Oh come on who’s care with animal….

Fortunately we could find Kuning, our poor cat, and buried him in our yard a place where he usually play. I try so hard for not cry, but I can’t…. I cried a whole day in my lab… and it was getting harder when my mom sad that Item (Kuning’s brother) don’t want to eat anything! And keep miaw-ing in Kuning’s cemetery. Even I am not in Indonesia now, I can imagine how sad it is, and if we still have a heart it is impossible for not to cry :(.

It is not the first time happened.
Several years ago my brother’s cat, Temtem, died poisoned because some people try to kill rats and use high-doses of rats poison. It was pollute groundwater then. Yes! Massive death of rats happened, but in the same time some cats are also died, and some grass are dried it self.

Before I have Uning, I also have another yellow cat. It also died because an accident… again someone who can’t drive well hit my cat.

When I was in Senior High School, my family safe  a cat, very beautiful cat, we named her Kutchan. When we safe her, Kutchan was very thin, dirty, had traces of blows everywhere, and she lost all of her teeth. We guess that some people tortured her very much. She couldn’t breath well, but however after we take care of her, she can survive quite long but after that she got sick again.

As an animal lover, in my country, I felt that I have no place to complain! Where I should complain about groundwater pollution? Where I should complain about people who can’t drive and kill my pets? Where I should complain about the right for animal? Yes for animal…

Come on Marissa, it just an animal!

Exactly! But in the world with too much excuse, people will learn to make excuse again and again and not to find proper solution! Come on, it is like diving in football game.
And let me make it clear, if you think that animal life is just “a small life”….okay then, but can you appreciate “greater life” if you even never learn how to appreciate “small life”
You don’t need to be a vegetarian…
You don’t need to not eat anything…
What you should do is only do kindness to everything in this planet. I mean, we are human, as my knowledge is the most perfect creature in this planet. We have heart, we have brain, we have complete nerve system, awesome! Then please at least remember that God create human in this planet to take care this planet.

Arrrghhh…. what? You ask me when this planet will free from war and stuff? Hahahaha… don’t make me laughing. Even human exploit nature around them without thinking about further impact. Maybe some of today’s people already in the level where they even don’t know their neighbor can eat food or not today or not.

it is about
AWARENESS!
Why we are, as human, felt like we have everything in this world? We have no heart when exploit nature..
no guilty feeling when hurt animal…
If I become a tree, I will stop supply Oxygen for human…
If I become a bee, I will stop pollinate flowers….
If I become a cow, I will ask all of my friends around the world to stop supply milk and stop to eat everything….
Gotcha! You will die human!

To be honest, in my country, there is still lack education about how to care and love nature and environment. how to take care animal? how to love every trees and flowers? Even parent usually scare their kids and babies with animal when they don’t want to hear their parent. It makes some people scare and hate animal very much, in their mindset animals are such cruel creatures in the Earth… similar  story with trees and other creature.

if this happen again again again again again and again…
In the future, you will meet your grandchild… and they will ask you very interesting question “Granny, what is this green stuff and this fluffy cute thing” while they pointing the picture of trees and cat.
Hei… maybe you want that kind of future, but sorry… I don’t want to :'(

Monday is English Day…


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First of all thank you very much for become my blog reader… it such a pleasure that this blog has its reader :”D although majority are silent reader (huhuhuhuhu…)
However, I got a question and request yesterday.
“Marissa why you keep your blog in Bahasa Indonesia?” Simply because majority of my blog readers are Indonesian. I believe my blog reader comprehension in English are very good… but however it is always more convenient to read something in your mother language. And to be honest I am also not really confident with my English… I am not a native speaker, sometimes I still use google translate sensei for finding several words (Who said google translate useless? Hei! it is one of the greatest invention in this Earth :’D) , and please don’t ask me about grammatical error hahahha I do that very often.

But, well okay…let’s make it a little bit fair now. I decide to make Monday as English day.
Or at least when I thought it is interesting to be known by everyone, not only  by Indonesian, I will write it in English 🙂
Sometimes I am very abstract, I don’t want world to know about it hahhahaa, so when I am getting absurd, abstract, everything… I will keep my posting in Indonesian language.

Yeph yeph yeph…
Enjoy my blog then…. and please accept my smile from a corner of this planet.
have a great day good people 🙂