About my illness...

Some people wonder what my illness is that keeps me from doing activities normally in the last few weeks. Okay so here is the complete chronology for the curious ones:

• At the end of last September, my back is injured because I had an car accident in Cipularang toll road. That injure was really painful. I barely can walk. But I did try to attend my office as usual, but only lasted one day because at the next day, I could not wake up at all from my bed. So after 3 days lying down in my bed, I decided to go for treatment. I went to alternative massage treatment my mom suggested me. Well, the treatment really helped me at that time eventhough I almost fainted in the process. At least I can walk with less pain. But I still felt pain in my back when I did any movement so I went to neurologist. And I receive physiotherapy treatment several times before the pain became less and I felt I can let it heal by itself
  
• Two months after the incident, I felt my injure was almost cured. Finally I could bend my back and made both of my palms reach the floor. I'm so glad at that time, thinking I would be able to do exercise again. Well, I'm not a totally behind-the-desk officer, because I love sports too much ^_^. But again, the decision to do exercise seemed too soon. I attended basketball field in my hometown while I had a chance. And after a few shots, a 3-point shot made my injure start to growing pains again. This time, I went to Siloam hospital and got 4 injection there. I didn't know the medicine doctor injected to my body, but it's like miracle! Soon afterwards, the pain I felt was becoming less and less. The doctor also suggested me to do MRG test and prohibited me to do any sports activities at least for a month
• One month later, when I had the MRG result, I visited the doctor in Siloam hospital again. He told me that my back bones are looking good. But he showed me that there is an indication of Herniated Nucleus Pulposus symptom. So he prescribed me some medicine and gave me some advice of exercising that can help relieve the symptom. And he also prohibited me to do any sports activities again for another 1 month.
• One week ago, when I was in Bandung - celebrating for new year holiday - my neighbor invited me to playing basketball with them in their garage. Well, it was an offer I couldn't refuse eventhough I still remember the doctor advise of not to do sport activity. But since this was not the actual game, I think it's okay to practise a little bit anyway (I'm a bad boy, am I :P?). It's really good to know my body can move like it used to be. And knowing I can make 10+ consecutive free throws really make me happy. I also notice my feet were stiff because I couldn't do crossover as quickly as I used to be and my stamina also decreased a lot. But I believe with a few workout sessions, I think I can overcome these.

And so here I am. Still in recovering from my back injure but it's getting better and better. The time when I can unleashed my desire for playing basketball again is getting near...

So good to feel alive ^_^...

The quest for ultimate network engineer continue...

In less than two weeks time, I will retake JNCIS-M exam which is about to expire in the end of the month. Being suspended for JNCIP-M make me have to wait at least 6 months before I can have an opportunity to take the lab exam again. Once I have told that actually I will be able to pass this exam because I have planned to sacrifice my holidays for doing lab practice. I have said that there is enough time just to pass the deadly test. But if I think about it again, I must say that my boss decision is wise.

The reasons are these :

First, soon we will enter ox year. My chinese horoscope is goat, which means I am a mortal enemy for ox. So in this years, my luck will be hard to get. I can't depend of my luck nor my intuition in this whole ox year. Yet, I have to master all and make myself really confident before taking any exam.

Second, while I may be able to pass the exam, it means as small things to me. Except extending my JNCIS-M and taking me to new level, there are no other meaning. Now I think it would be better for me for learning many things about networking before enduring any test. Not because it's fun, but there are something more valuable than mere certification: reputation. Building a good reputation is really hard. Have one means that you are recognized as a responsible and professional network engineer, not only because you're certified, but because of the skill you possess.

Certification is valued "empty" if you have only knowledge for passing that certification only. That's why I reject the idea of studying only testking or pass4sure for passing the exam without having the knowledge. While I cannot prohibit such things to be used, I believe testking or pass4sure on the wrong person will bring only misery for the person instead of fortune.

The good person will study the material and then testking or pass4sure for helping him pass. But this is sounded not right, isn't this? I said good person for a "cheater". Well, the point is it is not considered as a cheating if you learn it before you take the real exam. Because in the real exam, any questions can be asked.

The idealist one will only learn study material and have his own conclusion let him pass the test. Actually, passing the test without using any testking or pass4sure is possible. I have proven that more than once. Of course my adrenalin was increasing when I took the exam and ended it. It made my heart beating fast when I saw the final score and thank god I always passed despite my scores as low as hell.

Debating about testking and pass4sure versus study material is like debating about open book exam vs closed book exam. Which one is better? I think both are good considering that in the real world there are no such thing like closed book exam. In real world, we are free to study anything we wish to accomplish our mission. Closed book exam only evaluate one thing : the capability of one person for remembering something. That's it.

So what is the situation making someone considered as cheater? Someone can be called a "cheater" if he/she only depends on testking/pass4sure for passing the test and then he/she stops learn about the field of exam he/she has taken. If a "cheater" realizes his/her weakness and then study real hard to bring him to the same skill level as expected, then he/she have become the true network engineer.

But that doesn't mean he/she can be said as ultimate engineer. To be an ultimate engineer, someone must possess not only knowledge, but the spirit of keep on studying new technologies by himself/herself. An engineer who always depends on others to teach him anything cannot be called as an ultimate engineer eventhough he/she has high skill. Ultimate engineer will never give up if they encounter any hardship, but use any obstacles they meet as challenges to make themselves better and better. That spirit differs them from ordinary engineer.

And even I still learn how to acquire that kind of spirit. And I think before I can be such an ultimate engineer, I will be retired first.

Just realize something - I'm not young anymore. There will be time when I have to pass the stick to my younger colleagues - hoping someday they can be an ultimate engineer and be success in their own journey...

Condolence for Palestine

I'm very sad because this new year's celebration is ruined by Israel invasion to Palestine. Therefore I would like to express my condolence here for any innocent victims died in this stupid war. It's not war triggered by conflict between religions, but this is war for Israel greed. Israelians always claim that the land where Palestine people live is belong to them based on old document or their bible (I'm not really sure, artifact perhaps).

So they declare their country, Israel and start to expand their teritory with support from major european country and USA. If the expansion process is done in peace for example by holding some voting taken from all people live in the area for deciding whether they want to be a part of Israel or Palestine, I think that's okay. But if the expansion process is done by firing weapons to innocent people in order to get rid of small group of people who rising their weapon against, then it's completely wrong!

What Israel has done right now is mass murderer and genocide. This is not war anymore. Because as civilized people, we even know there are rules in war! USA should punish them instead of Iraq because if what USA has been searching for so long is Weapon of Mass Destruction, the it's right there. The Weapon of Mass Destruction has been proven not exists in Iraq inspite of false claims by USA. The real Weapon of Mass Desctruction is lies there, in every Israelian soldiers' soul who dropped boms and rockets to Palestine civilian people.

For every Israelians, and every other people in the world who support this barbaric action done by Israel now, I should congratulate them as they have conducted the most sin in the world. They are nothing but some uncivilized people who hunger of other bloods and tears. Some people just can never learn that peace can be achieved without conducting wars. Maybe they're just too idiot that they don't understand the word P-E-A-C-E at all.

Shame on you Israel.