2008

Happy New Year to all!

it's been a while since my last entry. what better way to start blogging again, than to start blogging about the new year :-)

Ok..., on resolution. the buzzword around the change of the year was "carpe diem". in so many different ways i was reminded to seize every day of every minute of every second of life. "if you are still given life to enter 2008, then there is a cause to your life"...though this is not new, the problem is i guess finding your cause or finding your muse....for me, i kinda know where to go and what i want, but unsure if it is anwering what i should do...(get what i mean??)

so, here's to finding your muse...or finding yourself (hopefully before the middle of this year..hahhaha...) cheers!

***

what have i been up to? at the end of this year, i participated for the Conference of Climate Change in Bali. working for a local-independent-daily newsletter to report on negotiation and surrounding events.


the main event was the international negotiation that is the Conference of Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. however it is not everyday they have plenaries including from the meetings of the parties (CMP) and from the subsidiary bodies. on those occasion were there is no worth following plenaries, we get to participate in other events: side-events, parallel events, exhibitions, etc.

what is also interesting with the conferences in Bali, is that there is a lot of fieldtrips. i made sure i got the best of this opportunity. on friday, i took a fieldtrip to Serangan which is close to Sanur beach, Bali. Serangan is a fisherman village, where they are starting to grow (and have a plantation) of coral. yes, ... human can actually grow coral.

friday nite, we went out for dinner with the team. then attended the NGO party, then tryout Bali's club. we had little time to sleep as we were sceduled for another fieldtrip to Les Village, Tejakula the next day at 6:00am. (fyi, though the event was in Nusa Dua, our hotel was in Kuta about 30 minute drive, hotels in nusa dua and near nusa dua was full!)

the good thing is (i think it was a good thing...), that Tejakula is about 6 hours drive from nusa dua. all the way from nusa dua to tejakula we efficiently manage our time by sleeping all the way there and all the back..hehhee. this is the gang (see picture). Tejakula is also a fisherman village, and is also growing coral. they actually have a program to adopt coral. Me and my sis have 3 baby corals here, and while i was there i planted another baby..


that was the first week of the conference. on the second week around the middle of the week, we went for another fieldtrip to nusa penida island. it was a project by the ministry of energy, government of indonesia, for a village that self provide their energy. the project is new with solar panel on one location to desalinate ocean water for drinking. about 8 wind turbine around the island, but i think less than half are currently operating. also they are starting to plant jatropa as biodiesel. then more solar panels. to tell you the truth we only saw what the government (as host) wants us to see. i just hope that after the events, they continue to work on it. our government is known to stall projects then actually not finishing them.
here's the treat...everywhere you go you get to see scenic views like this. don't mean to brag, but Indonesia IS SO beautiful.

***

after the conference, we left for Lombok early on the 15th. our first stop was gili.


after 3 days in gili, we took a roadtrip over the Lombok mainland, including Malimbu Beach,

Kuta Lombok,

Sembalun Lawang, at the foot of Mt. Rinjani,


and Mataram, the capital, visited the local pottery and weaving industry.

Flew back to Bali, stayed one night, and the next morning three traveled to Ubud, and two, including myself left for Tulamben, North East of Bali.


altogether this was my long awaited holiday :-)

***

what's in store for the new year? i have plans here and there, but can't tell you now..you just have to wait for me to blog about them..hehehhe....

wish ya'll happiness for the new year! and hope to see you (any of you) soon...cheers!

PS: more pictures here and here.