Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Penang: Pearl of the Orient
Putrajaya: Garden city, intelligent city

- With most of the trees and greenery newly planted in Putrajaya, a perfect time to visit the city is early in the morning or in the afternoon to avoid the scorching sun.
- Putrajaya Lake has hosted a number of international water sports events in recent years, yet attempts to swim or fish on regular days will result in extremely heavy fines.
- Two local artists can be found in front of the shopping complex by the lake. They do great sketches of tourists by request for a reasonable price.
- A dress code applies in Perdana Putra, Seri Perdana and Putra Mosque, meaning no T-shirts, shorts, singlets, sandals, or immodest wear for women. The mosque lends out shocking pink robes for free, but the rest do not.
- For transportation, you can take KLIA Transit train - a rapid transit service designed specially for commuters and airport personnel traveling between KL International Airport and KL Sentral, with three quick intermediate stops along key townships along the route - Bandar Tasik Selatan, Putrajaya Cyberjaya and Salak Tinggi.
- Putrajaya souvenirs can be found at Alamanda shopping center. With a retail space of 700,000sq ft, it is surrounded by lush greenery and water fountains, which make Alamanda a mall not to be missed. (Er Audy Zandri)
2010

Tapi kehidupan memang harus berjalan, siap atau pun tidak siap. Tapakilah tahun yang berjalan dengan langkah pasti, songsonglah masa depan dengan optimistis, begitu nasehat orang bijak.
Nasehat yang tidak salah, dan sudah pasti benar. Meski, dalam kondisi yang karut-marut dan pemerintahan yang unpredictable seperti sekarang ini yang tidak mudah meneropong masa depan dengan jelas. Tapi, lagi-lagi kata orang bijak, optimisme adalah bagian dari pemecahan persoalan – sementara pesismisme merupakan dari problem itu sendiri.
”Saya berusaha berempati ke hal-hal yang positif,” begitulah resep yang diberikan oleh Oprah Winfrey dalam salah satu episodenya. Sehingga ketika Halle Berry menerima Oscar, tidak hanya aktris kulit hitam itu yang bangga, tapi Oprah pun ikut bahagia. Juga ketika Barack Obama berhasil menduduki kursi presiden di Amerika Serikat, ratu bincang-bincang itu tidak bisa menyembunyikan rasa harunya.
Positif thinking itu penting, kata yang lain, yang tak kalah bijaknya. Beberapa teman yang membaca status saya di Facebook merasa iri, seolah-olah hidup saya asyik-asyik saja. Jalan-jalan terus, dari party yang satu ke party lain. Padahal jujur saja, itulah cara saya menerapkan positif thinking, yang tidak sekadar pikiran positif, tapi juga melakukannya dengan suka cita – yang ”sebelas dua belas” atau beda-beda tipis dengan hedonisme, bahkan dengan perasaan bahagia, feel happy.
Tahun sudah berganti lagi, apa saja yang sudah kita lakukan untuk kehidupan ini – minimal untuk diri sendiri? Mungkin ada mengalami hal-hal yang menyenangkan sepanjang tahun 2009. Atau mencatat prestasi hebat berkat konsistensi dan kerja keras. Ata menjalaninya secara biasa, atau tidak ada yang istimewa, bahkan justru banyak frustrasinya karena beroleh kegagalan.
Apa pun, kita seharusnya mempertanyakan terus-menerus apa yang sudah kita perbuat, dan apa yang kan kita lakukan selanjutnya. Tidak sebatas pada akhir atau awal tahun saja. Kita pertanyakan diri kita, tidak sebatas analisis SWOT (strenght, weakness, opportunity, dan threat) saja, untuk mencapai yang lebih baik. Bukankah Nabi Muhammad SAW pernah bersabda bahwa orang yang paling celaka di dunia adalah orang tidak mau berubah – menjadi lebih baik dan lebih baik lagi dibandingkan hari sebelumnya.
Anyway (tanpa busway), tahun baru adalah tahun yang baik untuk kita kembali merenungi kembali perjalanan hidup ini, apa yang sudah dan akan kita jalani. Kita hanya berharap bahwa tahun 2010 yang telah kita mulai ini akan berlangsung lebih baik dibandingkan dengan tahun 2009. Selamat Tahun Baru! (Burhanuddin Abe)
Monday, December 28, 2009
Sayang Bordeaux

Monday, December 21, 2009
Berpusing-pusing ke Negeri Jiran

Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Wine Tasting, Wine Dinner, Wine Party
BEBERAPA hari terakhir di bulan November lalu undangan acara yang bertemakan wine datang bertubi-tubi. Mulai wine tasing, wine dinner, hingga wine party. Asal wine bisa dari Australia, Amerika, Spanyol, hingga Prancis – bahkan berasal dari wilayah Bordeaux, yang dianggap sebagai salah satu penghasil wine terbaik di dunia.
Pinot Noir, The World’s Most Seductive Wine

PINOR Noir naik daun. Setidaknya, di Wine for Asia (WFA) 2009 di Singapura, misalnya, untuk pertama kalinya Pinot Noir Forum digelar bersamaan dengan penyelenggaraan event wine berkelas dunia tersebut.
Bertema “Pinot Noir Wine Styles – the Traditional and the Generation NEXT”, forum yang berlangsung pada 23 Oktober lalu membawa para peserta seminar, yang terdiri dari pebisnis, distributor wine, wine enthusiasts dan undangan-undangan VIP, ke sebuah sisi lain dari red wine.
Forum ini bertujuan untuk memberikan para peserta seminar pandangan dan nuansa dari perkembangan Pinot Noir di dunia. Lebih dari 100 pebisnis wine dari negara-negara seperti Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Cina dan Jepang turut berpartisipasi pada forum ini.
Adalah Pinot Noir, full-bodied red wine dengan rasa kompleks menjadi fokus para peserta seminar. Reputasi dari Pinot Noir memang selalu disejajarkan dengan wine dari Burgundy (Bourgogne), Perancis.
Hampir dari seluruh perjalanan sejarah wine mencatat sebuah landmark dari Pinot Noir. Sepanjang 50 km ke arah pegunungan Côte-d’or adalah di mana sejarah menjadi saksi dalam pembuatan vintage Pinot Noir yang telah dilakukan lebih dari 2.000 tahun silam.
Dalam forum elegan tersebut, sejajaran jenis dari kualitas teratas Pinot Noir asal wineries seluruh dunia difitur ke dalam sebuah vertical wine tasting, diskusi dan tanya-jawab yang menarik.
Sebagai moderator pada forum berkelas ini adalah Ch’ng Poh Tiong, seorang penulis wine ternama dari Wine Review. Menurut Ch’ng, Pinot Noir sebagai full-bodied red wine sudah menjadi pilihan para wine lover ataupun wine aficionado terlepas dari kepopuleran tradisionalitas Cabernet, Merlot, and Shiraz.
Sering Burgundy menjadi ikon daerah asal untuk jenis red wine Pinot Noir, disusul oleh Selandia Baru. Meskipun demikian, popularitas Pinot Noir di dunia vintage telah membangunkan konsumen Asia untuk mengeksplorasi gaya dan jenis Pinot Noir ke negara lainnya seperti Chile, Afrika Selatan, dan Jerman.
Seorang ahli Burgundy asal Perancis, Jean Pierre Rénard, hadir dalam forum ini sebagai lead speaker menjelaskan bahwa produksi Pinot Noir membutuhkan cuaca malam dan suhu udara siang yang bervariasi. “Ditambah dengan kondisi dan kualitas dari lahan yang subur, ini akan dapat memproduksi wine dengan rasa citra yang berkualitas,” paparnya.
Pinot Noir adalah wine yang terbuat dari variasi anggur hitam pilihan. Sejarah wine itu sendiri bisa ditelusuri kembali ke masa abad keempat di daerah Burgundy. Kebanyakan wine jenis Pinot Noir memiliki rasa yang berkelas jika di-harvest dan dikultivikasi di region Burgundy, Perancis, terutama di area sekitar Côte-d’or. Akan tetapi banyak daerah sejuk di pelosok dunia yang memungkinkan memproduksi Pinot Noir dengan keunggulan sendiri pada rasa, tingkat keasaman, dan tentunya kualitas yang membedakkan satu jenis Pinot Noir ke jenis lainnya.
“Pada dasarnya, Pinot Noir bisa diproduksi di seluruh daerah yang memiliki potensi untuk meng-harvest wine, kecuali di suhu panas. Negara-negara yang juga terkenal memproduksi Pinot Noir antara lain adalah Jerman, Australia, Selandia Baru, Amerika Serikat dan Italy,” jelas Jean.
Dalam forum ini, hadir juga wakil pembicara dari winery (lahan pembuatan wine) seperti Alexander Stodden dari Jean Stodden Winery, Jerman; Brandon Nash dari Dhall & Nash Fine Wine Limited, Selandia Baru, dan Edoardo Fassati dari Tenuta Mazzolino, Italia. Juga tidak ketinggalan kehadiran distributor dan eksportir wine dari California, AS; Vinum Export dengan juru bicaranya Steve Messinger.
Selandia Baru adalah salah satu contoh di mana popularitas Pinot Noir terus naik dari tahun ke tahun. Dengan suhu sejuk dan temperatur laut yang mendukung, di negara selatan dari Australia ini terdapat 11 daerah lahan produksi wine. Marlborough adalah daerah lahan produksi wine terbesar di Selandia Baru dengan kurang lebih 65 perkebunan wine dan 290 cocok tanam anggur.
Popularitas wine telah meningkatkan luas lahan produksi wine dua kali lipat di Marlborough; dari sekitar 2.000 hektar di tahun 2008 menjadi 4.000 hektar sampai saat ini. Hasil vintage tahun 2009 yang terbesar adalah, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, dan Chardonnay.
Marlborough memang terkenal dalam proses pembuatan wine secara tradisional. Sauvignon Blanc adalah vintage terbanyak. “Meskipun demikian, popularitas Pinot Noir menunjukkan angka kenaikan 9% dibanding tahun sebelumnya,” kata Brandon Nash dari Dhall & Nash Fine Wine Limited.
Daerah-daerah lain yang subur untuk produksi Pinot Noir di Selandia Baru adalah Wairarapa dan Central Otego. “Di Wairarapa, temperatur yang sejuk, curah hujan yang jarang, dan tanah subur yang dalam sangat potensial untuk produksi Pinot Noir. Sementara di Central Otego, tanah yang lembut agak chalky dan udara sejuk nan cerah merupakan aset untuk pembuatan Pinot Noir yang elegan,” jelas Brandon.
Pinot Noir yang diproduksi di daerah Tenuta Mazzolino, di lokasi pegunungan Corvino San Quirico, Italia memiliki warna merah batu ruby dengan rasa compleks yang intens dan aroma yang elegan. Menurut Edoardo Fassati dari Tenuta Mazzolino, jenis Pinot Noir ini siap untuk disimpan dalam cellar selama tahunan. “Rasa yang full, kaya dan balance dikarenakan proses aging yang lama.”
Sementara itu, Ch’ng sang moderator pada forum ini merasa antusias dengan adanya forum Pinor Noir ini bahwa sudah waktunya untuk para ahli mengedukasi publik tentang manfaat dan seni di balik wine drinking lifestyle.
Saat ditanya, apakah lidah orang Asia cocok dengan rasa sepet dari tanning yang terdapat di Pinot Noir, salah satu dari pembicara di seminar menjawab, “Survei menunjukkan bahwa sekitar 70% dari pilihan full-bodied wine yang dipilih oleh orang-orang Asia, terutama yang bermukim di Singapura adalah Pinot Noir. Para responden ini menunjukkan bahwa Pinot Noir adalah sebuah pilihan terbaik dari full-bodied red wine.
Lebih dari itu, wine drinking juga sudah menjadi sebuah gaya hidup baru dalam masyarakat Asia, baik tua maupun muda. “Ini sudah berlangsung beratus-ratus tahun. Semakin dunia berputar, kehadiran Pinot Noir di belahan bumi bukan hanya menjadi sebuah gaya hidup, tapi sebuah warisan tradisional yang diteruskan ke generasi berikutnya,” ugkap Ch’ng. (Aulia R. Sungkar)
Appetite Journey, Desember 2009
Monday, November 23, 2009
Kemewahan Berbalur Kecantikan di Jakarta Fashion Week

JUDUL di atas kiranya tepat untuk menggambarkan saat foto model Kimberly, berpose di depan sebuah mobil SUV Mazda CX-7, pada lomba foto Zoom-Zoom FashioMazda yang digelar 15 November 2009 lalu. Kecantikan wajah Kim, panggilan akrab Kimberly, yang merupakan ikon LT Pro Professional Make Up, terpancar dengan sempurna, apalagi dengan balutan gaun anggun karya disainer muda, Hadi Chandra, dan sang Mazda CX-7 yang menyiratkan kesan mewah namun tetap gagah.
Lomba foto yang merupakan bagian dari Fashion Photography Workshop bertajuk It’s All about Fashion ini digelar oleh majalah Reader’s Digest Indonesia bekerja sama dengan Mazda dan Neumatt School of Photography. Kegiatan ini merupakan rangkaian dari pesta mode Jakarta Fashion Week 09/10 (JFW 09/10) yang sudah dimulai sejak 14 November 2009 sampai 20 November 2009, yang diharapkan pekan mode ini dapat mengikuti jejak pekan mode lain seperti di Milan, Paris, Tokyo, London dan sebaginya.
30 fotografer amatir tercatat mengikuti workshop yang digelar sejak tanggal 7 November 2009, dengan materi seru seputar fashion seperti workshop konsep foto fashion, praktek langsung foto mini fashion show di Neumatt maupun fashion show “sungguhan” di JFW 09/01, dan di studio, yang menampilkan empat orang model papan atas Jakarta. (Burhanuddin Abe)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Banks face tight competition in credit card issuance

THERE is no doubt that the credit card business is getting bigger and bigger, as is evident not only in the increasing number of credit card transactions but also in the increasing number of credit cardholders.
Up until September 2009, BCA, for example, had about two million credit cardholders. The bank expects to see 15 percent growth in credit cardholders by the end of next year. "This year, we are aiming to net 1,000 new credit cardholders," said Henry Koenaifi, BCA director, during the launch of the BCA World credit card early in November.
He said the market share of credit cardholders in Southeast Asia has grown rapidly. It is estimated that credit card transactions in the region could reach US$55 million by 2015, and are expected to reach $11.2 billion in Indonesia.
Mandiri Credit Card VP Lila Noya is also optimistic. She said the number of Mandiri credit card customers had reached more than 1.5 million. "Bank Mandiri aims to finance at least Rp 10 trillion in credit card transactions by the end of the year," she said.
To realize this target, Bank Mandiri cooperates with various parties. Cooperation with small stores, supermarkets and hypermarkets contributes the most to credit card transactions, accounting for 50 percent. Cooperation with mobile phone operators like Telkomsel, Indosat and XL also sees high volume.
Banks make every effort to improve consumer credit. One of the main pillars of credit in this sector is credit cards, which are more widely used in big cities. The growing number of merchants, the high promotion budget, promotional programs and customer education has led to the growth in the usage of credit cards. Bank Mandiri is not the only state-owned bank that has aggressively entered the credit card market. BNI has also entered the business, targeting the upper-middle class. BRI, which is known as "the people's bank", has over the years tempted urban customers with its two for the price of one movie tickets for people paying with credit and debit cards.
Various programs are also conducted by private banks. BCA cooperates closely with merchants with interesting offers, as does Bank Mega, which has deals with the likes of Baskin Robbins, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Papa Ron's Pizza, Gelato Bar and other merchants in the city's culinary centers offering special discounts for Bank Mega Visa cardholders.
Bank Mega also teams up with retailers dealing in fashion, electronic and non-electronic goods, as well as travel. The bank's holding company, Para Group, holds 12 international fashion brands and runs Metro Department Store.
According to Irni Palar, Bank Mega's deputy head of card marketing, the bank's credit card division was established in 2002 and has aggressively worked on the market in the past two years. There are now more than 700,000 Mega Visa cardholders, making the bank one of the top five credit card issuers in Indonesia.
Irni said there is great potential in Indonesia's credit card market and that the business could be developed further. Most credit cardholders live in big cities in the western part of the country whereas credit cards are virtually nonexistent in the eastern part. For this reason Bank Mega is working on the regions through its branch in Makassar, South Sulawesi.
Bank Mega makes the most of its more than 200 branches nationwide to work on the credit card market in seven marketing areas: Makassar, Jakarta (two areas), Bandung, Semarang, Surabaya and Medan. While the holders of credit cards issued by other banks are mostly found in Jakarta, only 45 percent of Mega Visa cardholders live in Jakarta.
Foreign banks are also aggressive in the credit card business. Citibank, for example, is a trend setter in the credit card sector in Indonesia. Other foreign banks very active in this sector include HSBC, ABN Amro and ANZ, which often offer various programs to attract customers.
When it comes to credit card marketing, competition in the banking industry is obviously getting tight. Credit card promotions are common in shopping malls and offices, with marketers approaching every adult entering the buildings where they set up counters.
Banks compete to give the best service to win over customers. Credit card application forms can be downloaded from the websites of banks that issue credit cards. Banks are also willing to take over credit card accounts from other banks, offering a lower interest rate and other facilities.
They also offer rewards that can be exchanged with various merchandise or services in order to gain a greater credit card market share. Citibank, for example, has a reward program offering a wide range of merchandise and services, including a frequent flyer program in cooperation with prominent airline companies. With the various credit cards on offer, people can choose the right one to meet their needs. (Burhanuddin Abe)
The Jakarta Post, November 18, 2009
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/11/18/banks-face-tight-competition-credit-card-issuance.html
Friday, November 13, 2009
Which to buy, LCD or plasma?

IT is high time to leave behind the cathode ray tube TVs of yesteryear, because today's trend is liquid crystal display (LCD) and plasma display panel (PDP) TVs, which are easier on the eye. Plus, they have become more affordable.
Manufacturers have been rushing to meet the increasing demand for such products. PT Panasonic Gobel Indonesia, for instance, has pushed the sales of both its LCD and plasma TVs. "Our target for flat display panel *FDP* TV in Indonesia is to reach double digit figures by making available various products and variants at competitive prices," said Panasonic Gobel Indonesia vice president Rinaldi Sjarif at the launch of the company's latest LCD series, Panasonic Viera.
The demand for LCD and plasma TVs is not only increasing here in Indonesia, but also globally. This year, Panasonic shut down cathode ray tube TV plants, including the one in Indonesia, PT Panasonic Manufacturing Indonesia (PMI), due to lack of demand.
Now watching a flat screen TV is no longer a dream for many as they have become affordable. After the flat screen TV came plasma TV, which is popular as well. This super-slim TV has sophisticated technology with crystal clear high definition on a large screen. Almost all other TV manufacturers produce this type of television, namely LG, Sharp, Fujitsu, Samsung and Philips.
Flat plasma TV is third generation technology after the outdated cathode ray tube TV, which was followed by projection TV. The PDP module has a signal processing IC board, front filter, front and rear cabinet, speaker and set top box. Plasma TV remains an unattainable luxury for many people. Nonetheless, manufacturers continue to market their plasma TVs in Indonesia. Electronic City has a Plasma Counter Corner especially for marketing plasma TVs.
Korean plasma TVs currently dominate the market due to their high quality and lower prices compared to Japanese and European brands. Today, two Korean giants are involved in the plasma battle, namely Samsung, which is developing its light emitting diode (LED) type, and LG, which is developing its active matrix organic light emitting diodes (AM OLED) technology.
American research company DisplaySearch recently reported that LCD sales dominated global TV sales with 67.3 percent of the market in the second quarter of this year. Meanwhile, plasma TV has a 6.9 percent market share and cathode ray tube TVs have a 25.7 percent share.
The research company also stated that Samsung's market share was 23 percent within all flat TV types in the second quarter, while LG Electronics was in second place with a market share of 13.7 percent, followed by Sony with 11.8 percent, Panasonic with 8.6 percent and Sharp with 6.4 percent.
In March 2009, Samsung launched its latest LED-backlit TV and claimed it had sold 600,000 units as of June. Yoon Boo-keun, the company's president of television business division, said the company's target this year was to sell two million LED-backlit TVs or about 10 percent of the 22 million LCD TVs to be sold this year.
Yoon said that LED TVs save energy by about 40 percent compared to LCD TVs generally. "If every TV in the world switched to LED, we could save 13 million kilowatts of electricity - enough to supply all 39 million households in Germany," he told a global electronics fair in Berlin in September. However, LG has criticized Samsung. "Samsung's LED is just another type of LCD TV. They don't have the right to call it a LED TV," said one LG staff member.
On the other hand, LG claims that AM OLED is a real LED TV as it has a slimmer panel and faster high definition response. LG engineers claim that AM OLED TV consumes less than half the energy required by an LCD TV and has a faster response AM OLED is already used for mobile phones and other small gadgets. However, the production cost is still high and there are still hampering technological factors that make it unusable for more expansive usage.
Japanese manufacturer Sony launched an 11-inch OLED TV in 2007, and last month LG Electronics launched its 15-inch model. Presently, LG Electronics' sales depend on the superiority of its 42LH50 LCD TV, which is very slim and quite sophisticated. It can also be used to connect to the Internet. "With our commercial production this November we will soon dominate the OLED TV segment, which is the next generation TV for the world market," said Kwon Hee-won, president director of LG's LCD TV business division.
Indeed, the war among TV manufacturers is not yet over and is unlikely to ever end. Only those who can develop innovative technology can come out as the winner and produce the right variant at an affordable price. (Burhanuddin Abe)
The Jakarta Post, November 13, 2009
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/11/13/which-buy-lcd-or-plasma.htmlMore demands for Plasma/LCD TVs despite market's negative growth

DESPITE a 13.1 percent negative growth in units compared to last year's year-to-date sales results, the national consumer electronics (CE) market saw increasing sales in plasma TV, LCD TV, DVD player/recorder and camcorder product categories, a Q3 2009 consumer report from GfK said.
The report indicated a 5.5 percent plummet in CE unit sales between January and September 2009 as compared to the same period last year. Nevertheless, sales for flat LCD and flat plasma TV categories have increased by 48.5 percent and 69.4 percent respectively, most probably in response to reduced retail prices of said products, which had dropped between 29 and 34 percent within the year.
At the other end of the market spectrum, portable media players experienced the largest negative growth this year at minus 31.5 percent, followed by conventional (CRT) TVs at minus 12.1 percent (units). GfK attributed the main reason for the latter's decline to consumers' gradual shift from conventional to LCD TV. Another product with negative sales growth this year is the home audio system at minus 8.3 percent.
The two remaining CE categories, DVD player/recorders and camcorders, saw growth in unit sales by 6.5 percent and 7.7 percent respectively. GfK noted that Indonesia's improving economic condition had actually encouraged sales growth of electronic goods in the market. Comparing results from year-to-date 2009 to 2008, CE sales have increased by 7.2 percent and 4.9 percent in units and value respectively.
CE sales also grew by around 3 percent between August and September 2009. However, growth in Q3 2009 was still minus 13.1 percent in units compared to the same period last year.
GfK's Q3 2009 report provided growth comparison between consumer electronics, home appliance, telecom, and digital photo markets in Indonesia. The report recorded increases in product price in all markets except for telecom. (Andrea Tejokusumo)
The Jakarta Post , November 13, 2009
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
Beautiful and healthy ala spa

FEELING drained due to hard work that saps your mind and energy? Perhaps it's time to pamper yourself with a spa treatment.
Spa is an abbreviation of solus per aqua, which means health by or through water. However, it has developed to include massage and other salon and body care treatments.
While in 15th century Egypt the spa was part of the world of doctors and medicine, the modern spa is synonymous with the beauty parlor and provides body and health care in great comfort. Spas offer holistic treatments that cover body massages, body scrubs, whitening masks, aroma therapy, milk baths and music.
Spa treatments usually take between one and a half and two hours for massage, body scrub, bathing and soaking in refreshing spices. Spa treatments have a lot of benefi ts as they smoothen, tighten, whiten and nourish the skin, relax the muscles and detoxify the body.
The spa in modern times is an oasis for women and men who crave beauty and health. Spa treatments are not exclusively for high-income earners but are also coveted by many middle income earners, although most may fi nd them beyond their budget. Spa treatments have indeed become a new lifestyle.
Many spas have mushroomed in the country's major cities, including one established by the Martha Tilaar Group, which operate many branches through a subsidiary, PT Cantika Puspa Pesona (CPP). The company now owns 68 spa centers both in Indonesia and abroad, such as in Greece, Japan and Ukraine, franchised or owned by the company under the name Salon & Day Spa.
To appear beautiful, attractive and fresh is the dream of every woman and this is the platform on which Martha Tilaar's business is based. It is able to harmoniously unite physical and inner beauty using the ancient Javanese practice of combining physical treatment with meditation and bio energy, which encompasses aroma and other therapies.
The Martha Tilaar Group offers various spa treatments, such as body scrub malih warni (change of skin color), Dewi Sri Spa, Sekar Sari Spa and Dara Putih aromatic milk spa. "Apart from offering physical beauty, our spas also make the body fresh and more relaxed with aroma therapy," said one of the therapists.
Personalized service and a comfortable atmosphere are also offered by Reggia Spa Sanctuary, which is located in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta. It understands the unique and different needs of every individual and strives to meet their demands.
It specializes in the medical spa. It is very similar to most spas except that the therapists have basic medical knowledge. It is a solution for physical care using a non-surgical method and the world's premium brands, sophisticated technology and fi ve-star service to ensure customer satisfaction.
Unlike in the US and Europe, the medical spa concept is not very common in Indonesia. "Supervision by professional doctors is required to monitor a customer's condition during and after treatment to see the progress of the treatment and to provide solutions should there be problems," said one of the doctors at such a medical spa.
Beauty treatment ala salon and a la hospital is nowadays inseparable in some spas. It is part of today's lifestyle. This is also provided by Susan Waine, which specializes in obesity, which all women in the world fear.
Susan Waine provides the most effective service and solution for obesity. If you want to slim down in areas around the stomach, thighs and arms, Susan Waine has the solution. It has a sophisticated analyzing machine made in Italy that can precisely analyze the physical care required by a customer.
Supported by a computerized system and renowned French and Italian products, Susan Waine provides slimming solutions without pain, or drastic loss of excessive fat or fl uid. Clients do not have to live on excessive or rigid diets that can have a negative effect on their health.
A professional trainer will personally guide you during your fi tness hours using the latest equipment so that there is no risk of pain or sprain. Susan Waine also has various classes, such as aerobics, yoga, tai chi, Pilates, hip hop, salsa and gymnastics for pregnant women. After a class, a customer is pampered with sauna and steam facilities.
As a one-stop treatment center, Susan Waine provides the most complete services for customers in Jakarta. After a workout, clients do not have to go home with wet hair because Susan Waine has a beauty and hair salon as well. Through the hands of a professional therapist using renowned French brands, the customer is once again fresh and in high spirits. (Burhanuddin Abe)
The Jakarta Post , November 05, 2009
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/11/05/beautiful-and-healthy-ala-spa.html
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
Wine for Asia

50.000 Botol Wine dari 30 Negara

Event ini akan berlangsung dari 22 hingga 24 Oktober 2009 ini diselenggarakan oleh MP Wine Resources, gabungan kerjasama antara MP International dan Wine Resources. Di Suntec, yang makin populer sebagai gedung pameran di Singapura yang luas keseluruhan kini mencapai 5.800 meter persegi, hadir tak kurang dari eksibitor dari sekitar 376 perusahaan baik lokal maupun internasional. Atau ada sekitar 50.000 botol wine berbagai merek dari 30 negara.
“Kami bangga menjadi tuan rumah WFA 2009 dan kami menyambut baik seluruh pecinta wine, baik yang profesional, dari kalangan perdagangan wine serta para pelaku bisnis yang terkait di industri wine,” ujar Malcolm Tham, konsultan proyek WFA 2009.
Malcolm yang juga dosen di Science and Art of Wine dan International Wine Importer Course itu menambahkan bahwa event ini menyedot tak kurang dari 5.000 pengunjung dengan latar belakang trade dari Asia dan Pasifik, termasuk Indonesia tentu saja.
Banyak benefit yang bisa dicapat dari acara tersebut. Paling tidak seperti yang diakui Richard Lieu, Director – Trade Promotions California Wines, “Acara ini penting untuk mempertemukan penjual dan pembeli, dengan pasar Asia Pasifik.”
Hal senada diungkapkan oleh Eddy Sugiri, pemilik restoran The Peak di Bandung dan beberapa wine lounges di Bandung dan Jakarta. “Saya banyak belajar dari acara ini, baik dalam hal penyelenggaraan maupu ilmu tentang wine yang makin spesifik,” katanya.
Memang, WFA 2009 tidak hanya pameran. Lebih dari itu, acara ini menawarkan one-stop platform dengan penawaran-penawaran wine terbaru, kelas-kelas, dan tentu saja kesempatan networking bagi sesama pencinta gaya hidup, khususnya wine lovers.
Beberapa event khusus dalam WFA, antara lain “Penfolds Grange Vertical Tasting”, yakni mengenal Penfolds Grange lebih dalam, dan mengapa menjadi salah satu wine paling terkenal di dunia dalam cita rasa eksklusif. Pemandunya adalah Penfolds Brand Ambassador, Jamie Sach dan penerbit dari The Wine Review, Ch’ng Poh Tiong, yang telah mengadakan vertical tasting selama lebih dari 20 tahun meliputi periode 1983, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2002 dan yang baru saja dirilis, Spectacular 2004 Vintages. Inilah pengalaman sederhana, menikmati wine dari tujuh hasil panen terbaik yang pernah diproduksi, yang menyenangkan bagi pecinta wine!
Yang juga menarik adalah “Pinot Noir Forum”. Kelas ini berbicara tentang salah satu jenis wine yang populer di dunia, juga Asia tentu saja. Dalam beberapa tahun belakangan Pinot Noir telah meningkatkan penjualannya di Asia. Masyarakat Asia telah dipresentasikan dengan gaya yang berbeda dari Pinot Noir yang datang dari region yang berbeda di seluruh dunia, seperti Burgundy, Oregon, dan New Zealand. Pembicara utama dalam forum tersebut adalah ahli Burgundy, Jean Pierre Renard.
Juga, jangan lupa, sommeliers terbaik di Asia diadakan di WFA. Diselenggarakan oleh SOPEXA dan didukung oleh WFA tentu saja, kompetisi best sommeliers pertama di Asia Tenggara ini merupakan inaugurasi event landmark untuk sommelier lokal maupun internasional untuk berkompetisi di level internasional.
Para jawara dari berbagai negara, atau pemenang dari kompetisi nasional sommelier di Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Singapura, Thailand dan Vietnam diadu melawan satu sama lain dalam pertarungan over blind tasting of wines and spirit, juga bagaimana menampilkan makanan bersamaan dengan wine. Sayangnya Indonesia, yang diwakili Suryanto dari Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta, kali ini belum berhasil menjadi juara.
Tidak hanya pengetahuan tentang taste. WFA juga membuat kelas dengan topik yang berkaitan dengan bisnis wine. Di antaranya “Wine Business Forum: Responding to the World Financial Crisis”. Di sini dibahas kaitan antara krisis finansial global dengan industri wine. Sementara topik “International Wine Importer Course”, melengkapi kemampuan bisnis wine-related untuk memberikan mutu terbaik bagi bisnis wine.
Profesional dan agresif
Boleh diakui, sebagai negara penjual jasa, Singapura sangat profesional dalam berbagai penyelenggaraan event internasional, termasuk WFA. Berbagai lembaga yang berkaitan dengan industri wine saling mendukung dan bekerjasama. Dua lembaga yang penting dalam WFA adalah MP Asia Pte Ltd dan Wine Resources Pte Ltd. MP Asia adalah bagian dari grup MP International (MPI) yang memiliki spesialisasi dalam mengorganisasi pameran, konferensi dan event spesial untuk beragam industri dan grup. Didirikan di Singapura pada tahun 1987 dan didukung oleh jaringan internasional, grup ini telah mengorganisasi dan menyelenggarakan sekitar 300 event nasional, regional dan internasional.
Sementara Wine Resources bisnis utamanya adalah mengorganisasi event wine dan pendidikan. Mereka berkolaborasi dengan Singapore Polytechnic dan Singapore Chinese Chamber Institute of Business untuk menyelenggarakan program tersertifikasi dalam industri wine dalm bahasa Inggris dan Mandarin.
Selain profesional mereka juga sangat agresif. Dalam pra event, penyelenggara melakukan kampanye di negara-negara penghasil utama wine untuk menarik para pecinta wine dan eksportir dalam WFA 2009. Mereka melibatkan berbagai pihak, sebutlah anggota wine bodies, asosiasi, dan agen di negara-negara utama penghasil wine untuk mencapai industri wine internasional. Di antara para klien, penyelenggara WFA 2009 telah bekerja sama dengan agensi-agensi seperti Austrade dan Sopexa untuk memasarkan event ini.
Penyelenggara juga melakukan roadshow di Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, dan Indonesia tentu saja, untuk menarik pengunjung trade ke ajang WFA 2009, one-stop shopping venue di dalam industri wine regional.
Mengapa Singapura serius, karena industri wine memang lagi naik daun di Asia. Berdasarkan riset industri ini, wine di Asia bisa tumbuh sekitar 10-20 persen per tahun selama lima tahun ke depan, bersama dengan China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapura, dan Korea sebagai pemimpinnya. Nilai konsumsi di Asia (tidak termasuk Jepang) bisa bertambah dua kali lipat, mencapai US$17 miliar pada tahun 2012 dan melonjak menjadi US$ 27 miliar pada tahun 2017.
Dengan menjadi tuan rumah WFA, Singapura ingin menjadi pusat influensial bagi industri wine di Asia, di mana hal ini membuat WFA 2009 sebagai wadah bisnis untuk produsen wine di Asia Pasifik. Itu sebabnya, tidak hanya berhenti di WFA. Setelah event ini, rangkaian seminar wine dan tasting tingkat lanjutan akan diselenggarakan akan diselenggarakan. Sebutlah event serupa yang melibatkan International Congress of Chinese Cuisine & Wine Symposium di Shanghai, China.
Tawaran lanjutan post-WFA ke Shanghai, China ini jelas menarik dan menjadi nilai tambah, karena peluang untuk melakukan penetrasi lebih jauh. Asal tahu saja, China merupakan pasar wine terbesar ke sembilan di dunia. Nilai impor ke China diprediksi bisa mencapai US$ 870 juta pada tahun 2017, meningkat hampir lima kali lipat dari US$184 juta di tahun 2007. (Burhanuddin Abe)