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Green Property Becomes GlobGal Requirement

Burhan Abe
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Green Property Becomes GlobGal Requirement

Environmentally friendly properties are now more than a requirement, green and energy saving properties have become a global trend that is revolutionizing the property industry and have become a symbol of technological progress as well. The green property industry began in the early 1990s with the related criteria starting in England in 1993 and was made popular in the United States by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) which issues a certificate called Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).

Soon developers began to apply an ecological framework in their properties. This was in line with the global demand for green and energy saving buildings which in the long term will reduce the exploitation of natural resources. “Sooner or later environmentally friendly properties will be the consumers’ main requirement especially in major cities and the property industry has an important role in developing such projects,” said Stephanus D. Satriyo, associate director for property and facilities management of PT Cushman & Wakefield Indonesia.

Well, how about developers here in Indonesia? Are they really concerned about the issue? Unfortunately not totally, because it is still under discussion. Moreover major tenants, like multinational corporations, are not demanding “green” buildings for their office space here.

Actually such major tenants are in a good bargaining position to demand a green building as they use huge spaces for their offices and pay a lot of rent. However, in Indonesia we now have the Green Building Council of Indonesia (GBCI) which was established in 2009 comprising professional construction service providers, developers, education and research institutions, professional associations and individual members concerned about the environment.

GBCI is a member of World Green Building Council (WGBC) with headquarters in Toronto, Canada, which currently has 64 countries as members and only acknowledges the existence of one GBC in each country.

GBCI conducts various extensive awareness and education activities for the public and provides Green Building Certification in Indonesia based on an evaluation standard that is uniquely Indonesian and is called Greenship. The construction of such green buildings in Indonesia will be sustainable ecologically, energy saving, economically efficient, competitive and socially responsible as a global citizen. In short such green buildings will greatly contribute to our sustained existence on planet earth.

However, as GBCI is only one year old it has not been able to do much. This is understandable as green buildings are comparatively more costly than conventional buildings. To obtain the green certificate there are numerous prerequisites. The construction must not damage the environment, the materials used must be environmentally friendly (conforming with the reduce, reuse and recycle principle), and be water and energy efficient.

Undeniably a small number of developers have started to construct green buildings and some offices and apartments are called green buildings although they only include a number of green aspects, such as a green area that is more spacious than the area of the building, the air conditioning is no longer centralized and the water is recycled.

Photo by Izuddin Helmi Adnan on Unsplash


Unfortunately in Indonesia there is no building that is totally green to date, because until now no building has been certified as a green building. The fact is there is no demand for green buildings yet. Moreover there is a misperception that such environmentally friendly buildings are costly and not feasible business wise. In developed countries the view point is totally different. Green buildings are not only supported and appreciated but have a high resale value.

Actually this trend is not limited to developed countries. In Mexico, India, China and Vietnam green buildings have already been constructed based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), initiated by the Green Building Council of the United States.

Absolut ‘Eatertainment’ at Benihana

Burhan Abe
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Absolut ‘Eatertainment’ at Benihana

Semua bisa dikaitkan dengan entertainment, sebut saja infotainment, edutainment, dan seterusnya. Ya, kata tersebut cukup sakti untuk memberi tekanan pada sesuatu tidak sekadar informasi atau pendidikan, tapi juga hiburan. Tentu tidak berlebihan kalau pengalaman berwisata kuliner kali ini saya sebagai eatertainment. Maklum, di sini tidak sekadar makan, tapi lebih dari itu, sebuah pengalaman yang menghibur. Sambil duduk di meja ala teppan yaki, sang koki juga mendemonstasikan keterampilannya yang tidak sekadar memasak.

Lokasinya di Benihana Restaurant, Grand Indonesia, East Mall lantai 3, Jakarta. Dari namanya restoran ini restoran ini jelas restoran Jepang – yang bagi lidah sebagian besar orang Indonesia sudah tidak asing lagi.

Makanan Jepang, yang juga disebut nihonshoku atau washoku, adalah makanan yang dimasak dengan cara memasak yang berkembang secara unik di Jepang dan menggunakan bahan makanan yang diambil dari wilayah Jepang dan sekitarnya. Sushi, tempura, shabu-shabu, dan sukiyaki adalah makanan Jepang yang populer di luar Jepang, termasuk di Indonesia.

Sebagian besar ahli kuliner berpendapat masakan Jepang mudah sekali dibedakan dari masakan negara tetangga seperti masakan Korea dan masakan Cina. Walaupun demikian, sejumlah makanan Korea dan Cina juga mendapat pengaruh dari masakan Jepang, atau sebaliknya.

Di Jakarta, dan kota-kota besar di Indonesia, kita dengan mudah mendapatkan restoran-restoran Jepang, mulai darirestoran mewah hingga restoran cepat saji, bahkan kelas kaku lima.

Benihara, yang dibuka 5 Mei 2010, tentu golongan yang disebut pertama, apalagi lokasinya yang berada di mal paling mewah di Jakarta saat ini. Dibandingkan dengan restoran Jepang lainnya, venue ini tergolong unik, baik makanannya maupun desain interiornya. Benhana di Jakarta agaknya memiliki desain interior terbaik dan termegah di dunia, karena berhasil menyajikan inovasi tema ‘perkampungan Jepang asli’. “Konsepnya adalah BenihanaVillage,” tukas Kevin Aoki putra Rocky Aoki, pendiri Benihana.

Beinhana memang restoran franchise, yang uniknya bukan berasal dari Jepang, tapi Amerika Serikat. Benihana Jakarta, selain menyandang predikat desain terbaik, juga merupakan satu-satunya restoran di dunia yang memiliki tiga konsep sekaligus, yaitu restoran, bar, dan lounge, dengan total luas area 1.400 meter persegi.

Sohornya merek dan kesuksesan Benihana tidak terlepas dari hasil kerja keras dan semangat Hiroaki “Rocky”Aoki sebagai pendiri Benihana pertama di kota New York, pada 1964. Saat ini Benihana telah memiliki l02 cabang yang tersebar di 18 negara, seperti Amerika Serikat, Kanada, Argentina, Romania, Rusia, Inggris, Dubai, Jepang, Thailand, dan lain sebagainya, menjadikannya sebagai salah satu perusahaan restaurant-franchise tersukses di dunia. Salah satu buktinya adalah restoran ini termasuk satu dari sedikit restoran yang tercatat sebagai perusahaan publik di Wall Street, Amerika Serikat.

Rocky berhasil menciptakan transformasi kultur dalam restoran Jepang, dengan cara mempersiapkan bahan makanan di meja teppan yaki, untuk kemudian dimasak langsung di depan tamu oleh para chef, yang sudah mendapatkan training khusus tentu. Chef berkarakter fun dan entertaining menjadi salah satu kriteria utama, karena restoran ini menyajikan aksi akrobat sambil memasak, selain interaksi personal dengan pelanggan.

Business Potential in Hotel Industry

Burhan Abe
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Business Potential in Hotel Industry

New hotels in Indonesia are mushrooming, especially in Jakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Semarang, Yogyakarta, Bali and other big cities. Hotels, from five-star to non-star and boutique hotels, can easily be found along the main streets of these cities. Transportation Ministry decree No. 241/H/70 defines a hotel as a commercial entity that provides services in the form of accommodation, food and other facilities, meeting the requirements of comfort. The form, the arrangement, the interior, the decor, the equipment and the facilities of the

hotel building, and the accommodation, sanitation, hygiene, aesthetics as well as security and safety generally provide comfort. The rooms provide privacy on top of comfort.

The categorization of hotels based on star ratings is officiated in certificates issued by the Director General of Tourism once every three years. They are classified in five groups, marked with stars. The highest has five stars while lowest has one. Non-star hotels are referred to as melati (jasmine) hotels.

It can’t be denied that hotel accommodation is inseparable from tourism. Hotels are the main tourism superstructures, meaning that their survival depends on the number of incoming tourists. If we view tourism as a building, the hotel sector is the pillar.

According to Stephen Tan, CEO Singapore Exhibition Services, food and hospitality industries in Asia can enjoy sustainable growth each year. He made the statement in relation to the Food and Hotel Asia 2010 in Singapore recently. “There is wide business opportunity since developing countries in Asia enhance their international business activities. On the other hand, the development of budget airlines contributes to the increase in travel and accommodation demands,” he said.

Clearly, the hotel industry has grown very well, with many giant companies entering this luring business. Big names in the hotel industry have entered Asia, including Indonesia. Among them are Holiday Inn, Sheraton, Four Seasons, Kempinski, InterContinental, Hilton International, Ritz-Carlton, Mandarin Oriental and Ramada Inn. Local brands also aggressively work to build their own empire, from Mulia and Sultan to the Sahid Group, and many others. Both local and chain hotels offer facilities and benefits of their own.

Mandarin Oriental Jakarta, for example, offers 272 rooms, including 56 luxury rooms and six suites, which are not just spacious but also luxurious. All rooms have oriental and Indonesian touches. Each room is equipped with a computer and iPod connectivity, a minibar, a DVD player and surround sound stereo system. The rooms also have a marble bathroom with a rain shower and a separate bathtub.

The hotel is an old player in Indonesia. It has been in operation since 1978, but following a 20-month renovation, Mandarin Oriental Jakarta has emerged just like a new, grand, luxury, lavish and modern hotel, in line with its category as a five-star diamond hotel. “We hope the new facilities and interior offered by Mandarin Oriental, Jakarta will become an attraction for hotel guests. We will become the main choice for business meetings or at which to enjoy special culinary. What’s more, this hotel can become an icon that makes all of us, especially Jakartans, proud,” Mandarin Oriental Jakarta general manager Andrew Abram said.

Grandkemang Hotel Jakarta is another example. Even though it is not located in the central business district, it is situated in an elite area in South Jakarta, i.e. Kemang. Its modern hi-tech (retro) design offers friendliness to guests with full individual service.

Initially, the hotel built on April 24, 1974 was called Ginza Inn. Along with the development of Kemang, a residential area with many hospitality businesses such as cafes, restaurants and bars, this hotel developed rapidly and eventually changed its name to Grandkemang. It used to have 100 rooms, but after several renovations, Grandkemang now has 203 comfortable rooms for both travelers and long staying guests. All rooms are decorated in stylish simplicity with modern Indonesian artwork and furnished with fine fabrics.

Layout of Office Matters in Productivity

Burhan Abe
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Layout of Office Matters in Productivity

The productivity of employees depends not only on relations among colleagues but also on the atmosphere and layout of the office. If the atmosphere and layout provide comfort, productivity automatically increases. Previously it was sufficient to have office space and the related equipment but today, with the wide-ranging kinds of work, office design has to match the work, function and the personality of its occupants, while most important is the comfort factor.

That is why the interior design business, especially outfits that deal with offices, is enjoying rapid growth in Indonesia. This is also related to the fact that numerous office buildings are continuously being built in major cities, especially in Jakarta. Hence the office building sector obviously dominates property sales, which is a good sign for the interior design industry.

Today’s sophisticated technology has also brought many changes to the design of workstations, for example computers with slim monitors are now preferred. This type of monitor saves space because it can be attached to a workstation partition. To save energy, some companies have replaced conventional desktops with laptops. Such an initiative obviously creates a roomier and cleaner work space.

Many office owners interpret the function and comfort factors into a minimalist design that is more functional and transparent. “The emphasis is on more efficient use of space, which has an impact on furniture design and accessories,” said Helen Anggreny of Business Development Office Culture, which is an integral part of PT Cellini Design Center.

Office Culture’s first outlet opened at the Jakarta Design Centre in March this year followed by a branch at Ratu Plaza on Oct. 18. “The intention was to expand our market, especially in the CBD in Jakarta,” she said.

This company does not merely sell office equipment but customizes it further to meet each client’s requirements based on the office space and the design wanted. Many clients want today’s style for their office interior but with a personal touch. It is the job of interior designers, such as Office Culture, to meet the demand.

The interior design of an office is usually influenced by the shape and concept of its organization. A newly established company, for instance, has a simple organization as it consists of one director and a number of staff members. At this stage it is sufficient to have a simple and functional workstation, such as tables without partitions in a circular position, for easy interaction and information exchange.

Meanwhile, a company that has been established for some time usually has an organization that has developed further. The number of managers is higher and there is a larger hierarchy. Such an organization often requires more complex workstations. In this case, employees are accorded more privacy in their offices according to their rank or designations. The general or low level employees can probably be placed in rooms that have partitions in the form of cubicles while the head of the company gets a private, enclosed room.

However, nowadays more offices view transparency as convenient for information exchange and facilitating interaction. That is why many offices have got rid of partitions that separate tables. This concept of workspace has been applied in developed countries.

It is not surprising, therefore, that in developed countries most office equipment is portable. Workstations are not only minimalist but come in knockdown form. One company in Germany has produced a lighting system in the form of a lamp that is hung on a pole. This design fits an office that keeps growing. So when the office has to be moved, adding or reducing the number of employees, it is easy to take it apart and reinstall all the office equipment. Such a portable lighting design is advantageous as one does not have to tamper with the ceiling.

Link Unit is Still the Main Star until Today

Burhan Abe
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Link Unit is Still the Main Star until Today

LIFE insurance is a promise from an insurance company to a customer related to his or her death that ensures a certain amount of compensation to their heir or heirs upon the customer’s demise. The choice of what insurance product to purchase depends on the individual’s needs. Sometimes a customer chooses a product without a saving element or other types of insurance products, such as those that provide compensation for accidents, hospital care and so forth.

However, for quite some time insurance has been more than just protection but a combination of investment so it has become an attractive option. This type of insurance is quite different from conventional insurance. The insurance premium of this type of investment, which is often called unit-linked insurance, is used to purchase related fund units. So higher insurance premiums clearly mean more fund units.

A financial report of an insurance company published in the media is a good method to measure a company’s performance. Or we can learn about a company’s performance from the evaluations made by the media.

Obviously the specific characteristic of unit-linked insurance is its transparency, such as in the administration cost, cost of insurance, cost of investment and the movement of the investment value. All of these have to be crystal clear. Next to the movement of the investment value, which is available in most newspapers or magazines on the economy, the rest is usually included in the insurance policy.

There are numerous choices of unit-linked products available today, whether in rupiah or a foreign denomination. The various products are related to the stock exchange, fixed income instruments as well as shares. Of course, a customer can increase his or her investment in the top-up form. So in addition to the regular insurance premium a customer can invest further by paying more.

Indeed, it is not easy to pick and choose the right investment product in the midst of the numerous products available on the market. Compared with the entire range of insurance products, unit-linked products have become the leading star. Insurance-cum-investment products introduced in 1998 and marketed by no fewer than 16 insurance companies experienced an immense increase after just two years of their launch: 150 percent.

After more than one decade, unit-linked products have remained a dependable source of income for insurance companies here, especially from single or regular premiums. People have become more attracted to this type of product because the interest rates of deposits have remained flat for quite some time and these products appear more profitable along with the improved performance of the capital market.

Indeed, there is a close relation between the fluctuation of stocks and the growth in unit-linked products because blue chip shares are definitely preferred for this type of investment.

Choo Sin Fook, deputy president director/chief agency officer of PT Great Eastern Life Indonesia, said that unit-linked products are still highly attractive due to their better return on investment compared to conventional products even though there is a certain amount of risk.

“Unit-linked products are far more superior because they cover life insurance while other investment products like mutual funds are pure investment, and conventional life insurance products only provide compensation when a claim is filed,” he said.

Combining the Strength of Product and Marketing

Burhan Abe
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Combining the Strength of Product and Marketing

Most of the world’s young generation is undoubtedly familiar with G-Shock. These watches made by Casio Japan have become a trendsetter that not only tell the time but ultimately combine extreme sport, street culture, fashion, music and art. Fifty-eight-year-old Kikuo Ibe is the creator of G-Shock digital watches. “In 1983, I created the thick G-Shock and the most important thing was that it was shock resistant. It did not cross my mind then that the product would be a part of today’s youth fashion,” he said.

Many years ago his parents gave him his first watch upon his graduation from high school. One day he dropped and broke it. Ever since then he wanted to create a rugged and shock resistant watch that had sophisticated technology and a casing that made it safe as well as stylish.

Ibe was so obsessed with the idea that he decided to drop a watch to street level from his third-floor apartment. “I did this numerous times until I was exhausted,” he recalled with a laugh. The result of the experiment is the sturdy Gravity Shock wristwatch, or G-Shock, with latest models launched frequently.

At the forefront of modern design and due to the proven results from Casio’s research and development (R&D) department, which is headed by chief engineer Kikuo Ibe, today G-Shock watches have transformed from the previously sport watches into fashion accessories that are must have items for those with a dynamic and adventurous lifestyle.

Ibe is amazed at the extent of the impact of his watches. “This is truly a collaboration of our colleagues in the media and distributors worldwide that has made G-Shock what it is today. I often say to myself, ‘Oh, shock!’,” he said while slapping his forehead.

He also did not imagine that the popularity of G-Shock would spread from Japan to the entire world. To celebrate the success of this legendary watch, Ibe’s company, which is a Fortune 100 company, is holding an event called Shock The World Tour that to date has visited 28 cities in 18 countries, including Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, Mexico City, New York, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Sydney, Bangkok, Madrid, Milano and Tokyo since kicking off in London on June 11, 2009.

In each of these lively cities the festive Shock The World Tour has presented the latest collection of G-Shock, noted musicians and DJs producing tunes that made everyone rush onto the dance floor. Shock The World Tour 2010 by Casio G-Shock also came to Jakarta on Oct. 6, 2010 at Golden Crown and was attended by Kikuo Ibe, who introduced a variant for female teenagers, Baby G & Sheen Ambassador, represented by the popular singer Sherina.

Photo by Nikolai Chernichenko on Unsplash

According to Ibe, Indonesia is an important market for the product due to its thriving economy. “The trend here is also favorable. That’s why I felt it was necessary for me to come here and communicate about the superior features of G-Shock even though the product has been available in Indonesia since 1988,” explained Ibe, who has visited Indonesia twice.

Ibe and the R&D team that are fully supported by the company never feel complacent about their creations. So they frequently and regularly come up with the latest types that contain the latest technology, such as watches that can measure the temperature and so forth while some of them run on solar power.

However, in a modest tone, Ibe said that product development is not the only factor behind the product’s success, because it has to be combined with strategic marketing. “The worldwide popularity of G-Shock is not only due to its uniqueness but also to its marketing strength,” explained Ibe, who has a team of 20 staff working under him in the R&D department.

Lamb Steak from Tasmania

Burhan Abe
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Lamb Steak from Tasmania

Banyak sekali ragam steak. Ada steak yang berasal dari daging sapi, ini yang paling populer, ada juga daging babi – tidak populer di negara-negara yang penduduknya mayoritas Muslim, seperti Indonesia.

Jika bosan dengan steak sapi, ada baiknya Anda mencoba iga domba dengan sedikit lapisan lemak ini mungkin bisa jadi alternatif pilihan. Dagingnya tidak kalah empuknya daging sapi, dan terasa lezat jika diracik dengan bumbu dan saus yang tepat. Memang tidak semua restoran steak menawarkan hidangan ini. Selain harganya yang sedikit mahal, pembuatan lamb steak tidaklah mudah karena membutuhkan kiat tertentu dalam mengolahnya, agar empuk dan bebas BB (bau badan) domba yang khas.

Pertama kali saya merasakan steak domba yang enak justru di restoran steak kaki lima yang terkenal di bilangan Jakarta Selatan dengan harga yang merakyat. Tapi yang tak terlupakan adalah ketika mengikuti acara Food Festival di Melbourne, Austral

ia, beberapa tahun yang lalu. Salah satu agendanya adalah makan siang bareng di tepi Sungai Birrarung Marr. Meja dan kursi ditaruh berderet memanjang, sehingga makan siang dengan 1.000 peserta itu boleh disebut sebagai World’s Longest Lunch!

Makanan yang disajikan seperti layaknya di restoran mewah. Nah, salah satunya adalah lamb steak. Ukurannya besar dimasak ala Mediteranean, selain menebarkan aroma harum yang tidak terlalu tajam, tekstur dagingnya juga sangat lembut dengan sensasi lemak tipis di sela tulang iganya. Sebagai pelengkap iga domba ini bisa disajikan bersama zuchini, tomat, atau baby potato. Sangat pas ketika berpadu dengan red wine asal Australia jenis Shiraz.

Pengalaman rasa yang tak terlupakan itu sulit untuk diulang, sampai kemudian Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta dan Classic Fine Food Indonesia mengundang saya untuk mencicipi iga domba dalam rangka promosi The Aurora Tasmanian Organic Lamb di The Steak House, Senin, 11 Oktober lalu.

Aurora Lamb adalah daging premium asal Tasmania, Australia. Daging domba ini berasal dari peternakan di sebuah wilayah di Tasmania dekat Cressy, di mana dalam pemeliharaannya domba-domba tersebut diberi makanan berprotein tinggi selama minimal 60 hari.

Setelah masa penyapihan, domba-domba itu siap dipotong untuk menghasilkan kualitas yang konsisten dan kelembutan untu setiap potongnya. Tidak ada hormon ditambahkan, tidak ada growth promotants, tidak ada antibiotik atau tambahan artifisial apa yang diberikan kepada hewan-hewan tersebut, sehingga daging tersebut layak dikategorikan sebagai organik. Asal tahu saja, Tasmania melarang modifikasi genetik hewan dan tanaman, sehingga domba yang berasal dari wilayah tersebut merupakan paling murni di dunia, menghasilkan kualitas dan kelembutan daging yang luar biasa.

Photo by Paul Hermann on Unsplash

Sumber dagingnya saja sudah terbayang kualitasnya, apalagi kalau ditambah dengan keterampilan Vindex Tengker, sang executive chef, yang menyiapkan lamb steak asal Tasmania tersebut.

Selama promosi (hingga akhir Oktober 2010) ini, para tamu akan dapat menikmati menu: Lamb Carpacio, truffle and haricot vert salad; Roasted Lamb Saddle Loin, Zucchini and Goat Cheese tart; Tamarind Glazed Lamb Rump, Couscous and Oven Dried Tomatoes; Pine nut stuffed Lamb Leg, dill potato gratin; Pistachio Crusted Lamb Rack, Lemon Aioli and Potato- Mushrooms Pave. Hmmm…

Berlokasi di lantai dua, Steak House adalah tempat yang ideal untuk pertemuan bisnis dan gathering yang nyaman berkapasitas hingga 84 tempat duduk. Untuk makan malam romantis juga memungkinkan, apalagi dengan menu Aurora Tasmanian Organic Lamb, dengan pilihan wine yang pas – pilihan master sommelier hotel ini. Bon appetit! (Burhan Abe)

Sophisticated Technology is Not Always Costly

Burhan Abe
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Sophisticated Technology is Not Always Costly

ONE day during a game of golf, Alvin Tumiwa suddenly felt that he could hardly breathe. Alvin, who works in the capital market, subsequently underwent a treadmill test and lung checkup in Jakarta and nothing was found to be out of order.

Suspecting that something may really be wrong with his health he decided to fly to Singapore for a thorough checkup. “After a series of tests, including a CT scan of the heart, I was extremely shocked to learn that 65 percent of my main artery is clogged,” he said. This is a serious problem that could result in the 48 year old having a heart attack.

Alvin is not the only Indonesian to rely on health checkups in Singapore, because the city-state has advanced technology in its hospitals. There is a large number of hospitals in Singapore that specialize in heart disease, and this year Alvin is one of the approximately 4,000 patients that have been treated with Singapore’s highly sophisticated technology.

According to Dr Lim, Director of Singapore Heart, Stroke and Cancer Center, medical science has advanced significantly, especially in medical scanning. The Multislice Computed Tomography (MSCT), for example, is highly recommended as a substitute for the invasive angiography. “The MSCT technology has been quickly accepted as an alternative for conventional angiography due to its capability,” explained Dr Lim, who in 1995 performed the first carotid artery stenting in Asia.

One of this new technology’s superior features is that it is able to scan the heart in a few seconds and produce a clear image of the problematic area.

According to Dr Lim, the MSCT produces a three-dimension scan as well as accurate information regarding the location of any blockage, its condition and measurement Based on such data, a heart surgeon can preplan up to a stage that has never been heard of before. “Thanks to MSCT, nowadays in the operation room we know what to look for, what to do and when to do it,” he said.

However, MSCT is more than a tool for surgery planning. One of its greatest advantages is that it is noninvasive. Dr Lim elaborated further that the level of complication for patients having an MSCT is almost zero, which is much lower than the conventional angiogram. “With a conventional angiogram, the doctor inserts a tube into the artery to discover the problem. In 15 percent of cases this procedure causes a passive or silent stroke,” Dr Lim explained. Apart from that the latest CT scanner emits a low level of radiation similar to an angiogram.

Besides being a safer surgery procedure, the S$2 million MSCT plays another important role as it is preventive rather than curative. “Most people that suffer heart attacks do not show any early symptoms for quite some time. So previously when someone had a heart attack, the doctor would attempt to repair the damage while today using MSCT we can take corrective measures before the heart attack occurs,” he said.

And it is not only heart disease that is treated using the latest medical technology as other diseases such as those related to beauty enhancement get similar treatment. The Vein Clinic, for instance, has for quite some time applied the latest technology to treat veins, from diagnosis to removing spider veins using laser and non-surgical treatment for critical varicose veins. The Vein Clinic is known for its service in vein solutions with the revolutionary Endovenous Laser Treatment (EVLT), a procedure that does not involve surgery.

Spider veins and varicose veins are the abnormal swelling of blood vessels. Besides being unattractive, varicose veins can be extremely dangerous because they may be related to one or more of the following developments: inflammation of vein, blood clots and skin ulcers.

L’Or de Jean Martell

Burhan Abe
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L’Or de Jean Martell

Sempurna! Itulah kata Jacques Menier, Heritage Director Martell Co, saat memberikan pendapatnya mengenai minuman cognac L’Or de Jean Martell. “Minuman ini adalah yang terbaik dan sempurna di antara minuman jenis cognac,” ujarnya pada hari launching L’Or de Jean Martell di Kempinski Hotel Jakarta, 7 Oktober 2010.

L’Or de Jean Martell adalah intisari dari Martell House sejak diciptakan tahun 1715. Campuran dari beberapa ratus eaux de vie, beberapa di antaranya sudah diolah lebih dari satu abad. L’Or de Jean Martell adalah puncak dari gaya Martell.

Beruntung saya bisa terlibat dalam peluncuran minuman premium asal Prancis tersebut. Bayangkan, di balik L’Or de Jean Martell terdapat sebuah cerita luar biasa: esensi utama dari keahlian selama 300 tahun di bidang cognac.

Sejak awal, prinsip akan penyempurnaan mendorong Jean Martell sang pendiri firmanya untuk mengawasi dan mengontrol setiap tahap dalam proses pembuatan minuman tersebut.

Hasil dari kerja keras ini terwujud dengan cepat dan Martell memperoleh popularitasnya di antara pecinta cognac: Major-domo Napoleon, para bangsawan Austria, para Tsar Rusia dan Raja-raja Inggris.

Ketenaran Martell membuat para pengagumnya semakin bertambah: “Eaux-de-vie kami adalah yang terbaik di seluruh kerajaan ini” (Jean Martell, 1721) -dan permintaan terus bertambah dari negara-negara lain. Melalui pengalaman selama tiga ratus, Martell terus menerus berusaha mengasah keahlian dan pengetahuan.

Kini keluarga Martell dengan bangga memperkenalkan L’Or de Jean Martell, hasil terbaik dari sang keluarga: penyulingan ganda dari eaux-de-vie termurni, kombinasi mempesona dari empat hasil perkebunan terbaik yaitu Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, The Fins Bois, dan The Borderies, serta pematangan yang lama di dalam barel kayu oak terbaik.

Jangan tanya harganya, pasti membuat banyak orang terkejut, USD 3.500 per botol. Isinya tidak lebih dari 700 ml – yang hanya cukup untuk 20 gelas. Ya, L’Or de Jean Martell merupakan produk dari seni yang unik, seni Martell tertinggi dan dikembangkan melalui kerja keras sang generasi penerus para cellar master.

Botol L’Or de Jean Martell merupakan sebuah permata yang dibuat dan dihias dengan tangan adalah karya terbaik seorang master pembuat kristal di Cristal de Sevres. “Bentuk yang abadi merangkum keunggulan yang dipegang oleh House of Martell,” jelas Edhi Sumadi, Commercial Director Pernod Ricard Indonesia.

Airline Business and Titanic Syndrome

Burhan Abe
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Airline Business and Titanic Syndrome

Stiff competition among airlines is indeed unavoidable these days. Leading airlines, which used to enjoy brisk business, now have to reorganize and revamp their business in order to survive, especially in view of the regional open sky policy coming into effect in 2015. The sad fact is that a number of airlines have gone bankrupt in recent years. In 2008, 32 ceased operations while in 2009 no fewer than 26 went bust.

Regionally, Singapore Airlines (SIA) suffered an operating loss of S$428 million in the first half of 2009, compared to its S$95 million profit in 2008. MAS is reported to have lost about RM 117.5 million in the January-September 2009 period while Thai Airways reported losses of approximately 1.57 billion baht in the first nine months of 2009. Vietnam Air is estimated to have earned US$14 million pre-tax profit in 2008 which dropped 42 percent to $8.1 million in 2009. Qantas lost about A$93 million in the first six months of 2009 but is expected to make a profit of A$50 million to $150 million for 2009/2010.

Another gloomy note is that some airline companies have had to merge in order to survive; for example Delta with Northwest, United with Continental, American with US Airways, Frontier with Midwest, Lufthansa with BMI, British Airways with Iberia, Vueling with Clickair, Avianca with TACA, Spirit Airlines with Air Jamaica, China Eastern with Shanghai Airlines and possibly Ryan Air with Aerlingus or Delta with JAL.

So what has gone wrong? We can ask the same question about the sinking of the Titanic. What really happened that caused the gigantic ship to sink? Did it run into an iceberg? Or was it carrying too many passengers? Or was the captain incompetent? Or was the ship’s construction faulty? Or was the crew substandard?

It could have been a combination of all these things. As a matter of fact, the entire world has undergone drastic changes spurred by new economic and global influences. People are changing and so are cultures. Likewise, airlines are experiencing huge changes.

Realizing this, Garuda Indonesia, for instance, keeps introducing changes. Even more so because previously Garuda Indonesia enjoyed a monopoly on the business here in Indonesia, but since early 2000 changes have occurred. On the domestic level, Garuda has to face competition from private airlines, such as Lion and Wing, while globally AirAsia is one of its aggressive competitors.

Therefore, to spoil passengers Garuda has launched “Garuda Indonesia Experience”, which is a service concept based on well-known Indonesians friendliness to boost its service level to a four-star rating. “This is our new service concept that combines friendliness that is uniquely Indonesian with safety and comfort aspects like clean toilets and larger passenger seats,” said the general manager of the Garuda Indonesia Medan branch, Muchwendi Harahap, as quoted by medanpunya.com.

Apart from that, said Muchwendi, specifically Indonesian cuisine is efficiently presented by the company’s professional human resources. “In short, we are a full service airline,” said Muchwendi, adding that Garuda plans to enhance its service to a five-star standard by 2012.

Indeed, full service airlines have to work harder than low-cost carriers, because service has to be a top priority, not price. That is exactly what Qatar Airways is doing. Headquartered at Doha International Airport, Qatar Airways currently flies to 75 international destinations and is one of five airlines in the world that has been awarded five-star airline status by Skytrax. Qatar Airways is a member of the Arab Air Carriers Organization.

Qatar Airways was established on Nov. 22, 1993 and commenced operations on Jan. 20, 1994. Initially it was owned by the royal family of Qatar, but in April 1997 a new management headed by Akbar Al Baker took over the running of the airline.

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