Mauritania - 2006 Print

One Thousand Ouguiya, Dated 28.11.2006 P13

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Namibia

[nuh-mib-ee-uh]

"ohhhh!! Namibia with an 'A'," I shouted as Courtney, Caity, Drew and I tried to name all countries in Africa (try the Africa country quiz for yourself). That was eighteen months ago during a weekend of "colleging" in Charlottesville as we joked about farfetched plans to visit the red dunes in Namibia. There is even proof on Facebook of us playing Geosense (another great geography quiz game). The caption on the photo is fittingly "Nimibia" with an "I".

A year later who could have guessed I would be so close? South Africa's Human Rights Day allowed for Omar and me to plan a long weekend to South Africa's northwest neighbor. Coincidentally it was also Namibia's Independence Day. Happy 21st birthday!!

The 18th of March, Omar and I flew into Windhoek, Namibia's capital, and stayed at the self proclaimed Elegant Guesthouse. We found the only lively place in town, the 'world famous' Joe's Beerhouse and finished the meter of beer (great place if you ever find yourself in Windhoek). In the morning we set out in our 4x4 to explore the country. Within ten minutes of leaving the city the roads turned to gravel and stayed that way the entire six hour drive to Sossusvlei (red dunes). Namibia is an enormous country and almost completely desert. It's also by far the most rural place I have ever been: no paved roads, no exits, no billboards, no towns, no farms, and, from what we witnessed, no rules. It was an amazingly relaxed place as well; we would pass fellow tourists about once an hour who pulled off to the side of the road to alleviate themselves or enjoy a beer.

Omar and our 4x4

Namibian countryside

Dirt road that goes on forever

We arrived to Sesriem, a small camping village at the edge of the dunes', in the mid-afternoon and headed to a swimming hole to cool off and wash off the dust. Saturday night, we stayed at the Sossusvlei Lodge which was nicer than two backpacking guys could justify but the all you can eat dinner made up for the extra cost. Although make sure not to mention you are American, that's double the price. The highlight was being able to try all sorts of game meats including zebra, oryx, impala, and kudu.

Sesriem Canyon swimming hole

Sunset from Sossusvlei Lodge

Zebra dinner

The national park gates to Sossusvlei open at 7:00am. The problem is that sunrise is at 6:24am. Yet, as all things in Africa, exceptions can be made (TIA). We conveniently found out that the guy at the front desk's brother happens to work for a lodge inside the park gates and can pass through freely. So, for $20 we had our guide for the day.

Julius, our new friend, met us at the lodge at 5:00am and drove us the 70km through the park to the "most photographed dune in the world," Dune 45. We hoofed it up the cold morning sand under a full moon making the first tracks on the perfectly smooth dune. The hike was excruciatingly painful, for every step up the sand would give away about 80% of the progress. Huffing and puffing we made it to the top and were in awe of the view. As the morning sun crept over the horizon it cast incredible shadows and illuminated the dunes. Low and behold, they are truly red... "not a crimson, but more of a Burnt Sienna, if you are down with the Crayola 64 pack" as I heard from another traveler.

Resting on Dune 45 and waiting for the sun

View from Dune 45 westward with full moon

Morning sun begins to cast shadows

Sunrise on Dune 45

Happy Campers

Red Dunes at Sossusvlei

Julius aka "Sundown" 
(He didn't understand when I started quoting Top Gun either but we found out later that his
 favorite movie is Snakes on a Plane and recited Samuel Jackson quotes instead)

Descending

Running down Dune 45

Edge of Dune 45 and lone tree

Dune 45

Dunes and Oryx

Walking in desert

Deadvlei

Deadvlei

After an amazing morning on the dunes we headed for the coast and were sure to fill up our tank before leaving civilization again. Another four hour drive through nothingness brought us to the Atlantic and a small German feeling beach town called Swakopmund. We explored the town, ate on the beach, got out truck stuck in the sand, and had a fun evening with at the local bar, Grunen Kranz. Omar and I mingled with the locals until a British tourist bus rolled up outside and brought the party. On Monday we headed into the dunes once again but this time on ATVs. The sand dunes rose from the beach and went on for miles and miles.

On the drive to Swakopmund

Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn on drive to Swakop (note dotted line on the ground)

Atlantic Ocean

Omar and I in the dunes on ATVs

Namibia proved to be a hidden gem. The people there were extremely friendly, the landscape unique and untouched, and, even in the arid desert, it was full of life. I recommend it to everyone if you happen to be in the area. Follow our trip in the map below:

View Namibia Trip in a larger map

New York City (for more than a day)

I headed back to New York City last weekend, for more than a day this time, as one of my work allocated fly-backs. After flying all Thursday night I arrived in New York on Friday around lunch.


There is an extra energy when you fly to the motherland or maybe it's arriving in the city that never sleeps. Either way, I don't get jet lag when I arrive back in America which is a good thing because Courtney rather ambitiously planned a group dinner on Friday night. A small group of us had a lively dinner at Essex in the Lower East Side and then grabbed some drinks and hit the dance floor at Piano Bar and Gatsby's. The best part of the evening was that I was able to blend my two worlds. My original roommate Mike moved from Johannesburg to New York in January and it was great to take him out in America as he was able to do for me in South Africa (not sure if he needed any help though, he seemed to be a big hit among Courtney's friends).


On Saturday morning I received a call for brunch from a rather hungover Drew. Lindsay, Courtney, Drew and I ate at one of our favorite spots: Extra Virgin in the West Village. It was a sunny March morning so we walked along the river... until we realized that it was March and we were freezing.


That afternoon I got "talked into" taking a yoga class. The 90 minute class may have been a little ambitious for my first time but I left feeling more connected with my inner person. And I left sore.


Saturday evening we had Drew, Lindsay, Sean, and Mitzi over to Courtney's apartment for dinner. It was a perfectly relaxing way to catch up with some great friends. ehh, relaxing might not be the right word... we spent the evening brainstorming business ideas, quizzing each other on world capitals, and debating whether pet dogs are commonplace in Latin America.


I completed my taxes on Sunday (woo hoo) and, even though I owe Uncle Sam money this year, I was nice enough to take Courtney out to dinner.


I boarded the plane back to Johannesburg on Monday night and had a long layover in Frankfurt. After working the South African hours in the airport lounge I took the train into downtown Frankfurt (stamp you very much!). The economic hub of Germany is a rather confused city. The tourist map would have you to believe you are going to see a historical city yet there is nothing older than WWII...duh. Seeing the German architecture and walking along the River Main made for an enjoyable afternoon and I capped it off with the largest German lager I could find.

Beer in Frankfurt

Traveling as much as I have over the past couple years can be disorienting. A plane is a plane, a cubicle is a cubicle, and everyone takes dollars no matter where you are in the world.... BUT THEN I boarded the plane in Frankfurt and looked across the aisle and nonchalantly said hello to my high school friend Omar (with whom I am travelling to Namibia next weekend) that I really got turned upside down.


It is unfortunate that our small world rendezvous hadn't come a few hours earlier as that beer would have tasted a lot better if I had someone to share it with.

Mengapa tidak berani membuat perjanjian tertulis untuk membayar?

Dalam dunia bisnis ada yang disebut mediator yang tugasnya melakukan bisnis jasa mediasi antara penjual dan pembeli. Mediator juga bertugas mencarikan pekerjaan/proyek untuk dikerjakan oleh pelaksana proyek. Atas jasanya, mediator umumnya mendapatkan professional fee: bisa berupa persentase dari nilai transaksi atau selisih dari harga jual dan harga beli-- besarannya tergantung kesepakatan yang disetujui dan dibuat perjanjian tertulisnya.

Mengapa perjanjian pembayaran profesional fee mesti dibuat tertulis?

Simaklah surat Al Baqarah ayat 282: Hai orang-orang yang beriman, apabila kamu bermu`amalah tidak secara tunai untuk waktu yang ditentukan, hendaklah kamu menuliskannya. Dan hendaklah seorang penulis di antara kamu menuliskannya dengan benar.

Islam mengajarkan agar dalam membuat perjanjian seperti hutang piutang sebaiknya dicatat. Hal itu lebih menenangkan dan tidak menimbulkan keraguan para pihak yang terlibat dalam muamalah itu.

Dan, proses transaksi bisnis itu akan menjauhkan dari timbulnya prasangka.

Seorang pemilik tanah yang meminta tolong perantara untuk melakukan mediasi dengan calon pembeli tanahnya, hendaknya membuat perjanjian itu dengan perantaranya. Berapa orang pun perantaranya, perjanjian tetap harus ada dan menyebutkan nama-nama mereka yang terlibat.

Seorang pebisnis yang meminta tolong dicarikan komoditi karena ia memiliki pembeli komoditi itu, harus membuat perjanjian dengan orang yang menolongnya mendapatkan komoditi itu. Janganlah kemudian mengabaikan hak penolong itu dengan tidak memberikannya professional fee.

Profesional fee yang anda berikan kepada yang membantu anda tidak akan membuat anda menjadi miskin dan usaha anda bangkrut. Insya Allah anda bertambah kaya dan usahanya bertambah sukses, karena berbisnis dengan cara yang disukai Allah.

Lalu, mengapa harus menunda membuat perjanjian tertulis dengan mereka yang membantu melancarkan bisnis anda? Apakah anda memang tidak berniat memberikan yang menjadi haknya? Atau anda ingin mengurangi besaran bagian mereka dengan tidak membuatkan perjanjian tertulisnya? Takutlah, Tuhan tidak tidur. Dia selalu mengawasi perilaku bisnis kita. (by Dana Anwari)

Pengantar Ponpes Nurul Huda

Ponpes Nurul Huda di dirikan untuk mencetak kader - kader cendikiawan Muslim - Muslimah yang menguasai Ilmu Syar’i, Sains, dan Tekhnologi, yang memiliki kemampuan life skill serta menjadi kader-kader Muballigh dan Pemimpin ummat, yang memiliki kepribadian karimah, Generasi mandiri, yang berwawasan IMTAQ dan IPTEK, dapat membimbing Putra-Putrinya kelak sebagai generasi Islami yang berguna bagi Agama, Masyarakat, Nusa dan Bangsa. Untuk itu Pondok Pesantren Nurul Huda berdiri di atas dan untuk semua golongan.

The Golden Derby

I found myself back at Soccer City just two weeks after the U2 concert for an event that could not have been more different. We were there for a soccer game, dubbed the Golden Derby. The game pitted the crowd and league favorite Kaizer Chiefs against their bitter rival Orlando Pirates (Premier League teams from the neighboring Soweto township).


Receiving any SMS that contains, "this will be the most authentic..." will have me out the door quickly. For all the griping in my last post, the Golden Derby soccer game was the real deal. For this event the massive stadium was filled with 80,000 passionate black fans and my eight friends. I was forewarned to be careful (which is a wise decision anywhere in Africa) yet the situation could not have been more welcoming.

Walking up to Chiefs vs. Pirates game

I joined Willem and six of his friends and we made our way toward Soweto, but this time on the city bus. The bus was at least triple capacity and filled with excited fans bantering at the opposition, singing team songs, and sounding their vuvuzelas (which was bad enough on ESPN, but in person...unbearable). After tailgating at the stadium for a bit, I scalped a ticket, and we headed into the stadium.


The Chiefs pulled ahead 1-0 in the first 10 minutes setting the stadium ablaze with screaming yellow fans. The score remained that way until the Pirates started pressing as time wound down. They finally netted a goal in extra time to even the score. The game ended in a tie but the Orlando fans acted as if it was the greatest win in their history.


Chiefs take 1-0 lead

If the bus ride to the game was three times capacity, then the bus ride home was fifty times. I would have a picture for you, but I couldn't move enough to get my phone out of my pocket. The match was incredible and probably the closest to a World Cup vibe I will get. The game remained the talk of the town for the following week and probably the biggest game of the year for the native community. It was truly a window into the local life in South Africa and an unlike any other!

Sudan - 2006 prints

One Pound, Dated 9.7.2006 P64Reverse

Two Pounds, Dated 9.7.2006 P65

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Five Pounds, Dated 9.7.2006 P66

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Ten Pounds, Dated 9.7.2006 P67

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Twenty Pounds, Dated 9.7.2006 P68

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(Ir)rationality and Relationships: New York for a Day

Of the many character traits I have been bestowed with (all positive), two that seem to come up often are rationality and spontaneity.


Those two were not able to coexist last weekend when I bought a last minute ticket to New York. After Courtney's obligatory, "you're an idiot," line I think she was rather excited!! One point for spontaneity.

I left after work on Friday on a 7:50pm flight and arrived at 7:20am (20 minutes early..bonus time!) putting the first leg's travel time at 18 hours and 30 minutes. The second leg departed Sunday morning at 10:40am and landed at 8:40am, 15 hours. For those of you keeping count, the outbound plus inbound flight times had me in transit for 33 hours and 30 minutes, while my duration in New York was 27 hours and 20 minutes. Zero points for rationality.

CP picked me up and dropped me off at the airport, so I think it's fair to count all my time in NYC. I told her I was to arrive and the rest was on her... 24 hours on CP. Sounds scary, I know, but we had a great time. We had brunch in the West Village, explored Tribeca, shopped in Soho, ate an incredible dinner at Marc Forgione, and Courtney even tried HOT coffee!! That in itself is a successful trip.

All in all it was a great weekend and the randomness of it made it that much more special. After exhausting all the movies offered by South African Airways I arrived back at work on Monday with a smug smile and listened to others talk of the typical weekend jaunts.

Zimbabwe 1 cent dated 1st August 2006

One Cent, Dated 2006 P33

Just out of curiosity.

We all know that the Zimbabwe 1 cent note dated 1st August 2006 was a hyperinflation note, which is now worthless in term of monetary buying power. However one has to agree that every banknotes issued do have some form of buying power, but whether this note can get you any goods or services in Zimbabwe back in 2006, only the Zimbabweans can tell. The reason I posted this message is that most low denomination notes printed usually come in a relatively small size, unless we we are talking about some very old notes issued in the early 20th century.

For this Zimbabwe 1 cent note, it has the size of 152mm x 78mm. This note is larger than the Australia $5 polymer (130mm x 65mm) or the Malaysia RM50 2009 print (141mm x 70mm) or even the Scotland Clydesdale Bank PLC £5 note (130mm x 70mm).

I wonder what was the reason of printing such a note in that size especially knowing the it would be worthless the moment the note is released to the public for circulation. Perhaps there is a simple answer to this! For me, I have no idea.

You can view the rest of the series here

Tanzania - 2003 to 2008 Issues

Five Hundred Shillings, ND2003 P35Reverse

One Thousand Shillings, ND2006 P36

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Two Thousand Shillings, ND2008 P37

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Five Thousand Shillings, ND2003 P38

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Ten Thousand Shillings, ND2003 P39

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