Nov 18
(Picture is from stock.xchng.)
This is a follow-up to my previous posting, Layoff Everywhere. I have compiled five signs that might help to determine whether you will be laid-off soon or not.
- Your company’s stock price has dropped more than 90% since October last year.
- Management keeps saying “The fundamental of our company is still great. We expect to have an excellent growth next year.”
- Your company started to have all-hands meeting every week; but you have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about.
- Everybody at your office plays Solitaire or checks their Facebook everyday. It is a good sign that your company doesn’t have projects any more.
- Your coffee machine is broken and nobody cares to fix it.
If you are experiencing those signs above, prepare your RESUME right now!!!
Jul 09
(Picture is from stock.xchng.)
I have been asked several times about tuition fee at Indonesian universities. It’s not an easy answer. When I pursued my bachelor degree at the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM), I paid ~$20 / semester for my tuition fee. Yes, it was 20 bucks (not 20 thousands).
Well, it’s true that I studied at the university about 15 years ago. However, I believe the current tuition fee is still below $250 / semester (anyone from UGM to confirm?)
Why is it so cheap? Firstly, UGM is a public university. Private universities usually charge much higher tuition fees. Secondly, Yogyakarta, the city where UGM is located, is an inexpensive city to live.
Just to give you an overview, here is a list of my spending when I was living in Yogyakarta (again, it was 15 years ago):
- Room rental: $10 / month
- Food: $20 / month
- Transportation: $5 / month
- Entertainment: $5 / month
- Miscellaneous: $10 / month
Of course, the costs are 3-4 times more expensive now; but still they are quite cheap. Just for comparison, I can easily spend $20 for a dinner in Vancouver.
Jun 01
What is the relation between "the richest man in the world" and "the inventor of blue energy"? Both of them are from Indonesia. No… no… I’m just kidding. I’ll come back to this topic later.
Let’s start with another story first. Every day, each time I read news about my home country, Indonesia, I feel sad. The country is facing a lot of problems, politically and economically. The government has recently raised the fuel price, which makes many people unhappy.
The story continues…. Two "crazy" Indonesians have tried to make fun of the problems in the country.
The first person is Achmad Zaini. He claimed to have ~2,000 billion USD, which should be enough to develop the country for the next 36 years. If his claim were true, he is 30 times richer than Warren Buffett (the current richest man the world according to Forbes).
The second person is Joko Suprapto. He claimed to have technology that turns sea water into fuel. Wow… amazing, isn’t it? Even Indonesian president, SBY, has visited him and gave full support to his research. Unfortunately, it is just too good to be true.
Oh boy…. what’s next?
