EMAS Internal Newsletter 3rd Edition, January 2014 January theme:
“New Spirit”
Honoring Mothers through a Targeted Maternal Health Service Celebrating Mother’s Day in North Sumatra
A Full Plate of Fun
Celebrating the redesigned website
The Spirit of a Great Place to Work EMAS Jakarta team building: fun & sensible
Contents Editor’s Note Imagine every personality is an eight-digit password. None of us would have exactly the same combination of letters and/or numbers. Even if the same combination happens, such occurrence is low in probability. Therefore, the word ‘unique’ is being used in password rule, and to remain unique, each password should have different combination of letters and/or numbers.
Honoring Mothers through a Targeted Maternal Health Service Celebrating Mother’s Day in North Sumatra A Full Plate of Fun Celebrating the redesigned website
Imagine three people on a sailboat with three different personalities. The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word ‘personality’ as “the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual’s distinctive character.” So, three people on a sailboat would have three different combinations of characteristics or qualities. Applying the password rule, each of the three people is unique.
The Spirit of a Great Place to Work EMAS Jakarta team building: fun and sensible The Beginning of Friendship Dr. Riyanto Santoso Windesi, a gemstone Hobbyist
We make a room for differences because we value uniqueness, but we also make a room to take off one or more attributes because we value companionship. Oscar Wilde once wrote,
Improve Your Online Meeting Experience GoToMeeting how-to
“Ultimately, the bond of all companionship is conversation,”
On the Intersection of Tradition & Modernization Yustina Sari’s year-end family trip to Seoul
and according to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word ‘conversation’ suggests an exchange of news and ideas. We believe that sharing news and ideas forms a powerful bond between us. Three people on a sailboat with three different personalities would not survive the biggest storms—nor would they have a pleasant sail— if they do not value both their differences and companionship. In other words, they would not succeed unless they create socialemotional ties (bond-red). Conversations between them, the sharing moments, would determine their success.
EMAS Internal Newsletter 3rd Edition, January 2014
Mentor Anne Hyre
Theme: New Spirit Cover Photo Suyanto Yosef
Contributing Photographers Suyanto Yosef Dr. Riyanto Santoso Windesi Margaretha Marcia
Production
Team
Editor in Chief Kristina Grear
Photographer Hartono Rakiman Syane Luntungan Cindy Rahmaputri
Editor Hartono Rakiman Cindy Rahmaputri
IT Support Fransiscus Dian Wijanarko Suyanto Yosef Hery Purnomo
Graphic Designer Cindy Rahmaputri
HR Support Hermawati
Address Tempo Scan Building 21st Floor Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav. 3-4 Kuningan, Jakarta Selatan 12950 Phone +62 21 2920 1500 Fax +62 21 2920 1501 Email info.emasindonesia@jhpiego.org
facebook.com/EMASIndonesia @EMASIndonesia www.emasindonesia.org
Highlights
Honoring Mothers through a Targeted Maternal Health Service Celebrating Mother’s Day in North Sumatra Photos & Text: Hartono Rakiman
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Highlights Every December 22, Indonesia is celebrating Mother’s Day. As we may know, everyone would do something special for their mothers to honor them during the day, such as to write a poem, create a drawing, or do the housework for them.
Special celebration was carried on in North Sumatra commemorating Mother’s Day. December 20, 2013, EMAS-USAID set up a talk show on saving the lives of mothers based on a real case happened in Aras Kabu, Deli Serdang, North Sumatra.
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Highlights
Highlighting the achievements of Puskesmas Aras Kabu implementing EMASUSAID interventions—mentoring, system improvements and coordination with referral hospital, the RSUD Deli Serdang—and to raise awareness about USAID’s support for North Sumatra, the talk show presented Mrs. Yusni, a mother who had experienced a life-threatening complication, her mother and healthcare providers of Puskesmas Aras Kabu and RSUD Deli Serdang who had helped saving the mother’s life, midwife Pitnawati and Amsari. In front of more than 150 audiences and a number of journalists, on behalf of the U.S. Government, the U.S. Consul General, Kathryn Crockart, stated that the U.S. Government is investing US$ 55 million to save the lives of mothers and babies in Indonesia through the EMAS Program. The Government of Indonesia and the U.S. Government have been collaborated to have a healthy next generation. “I have two daughters. The oldest is three years old, and the younger one was born here in Medan. So, I do know how to pay attention to pregnancy,” said Kathryn. Moderated by Evodia A. Iswandi, EMAS Deputy Provincial Operations, the talk show took place interactively. She opened the event by reading a local poem called Pantun Melayu. Ms. Evodia was born in North Sumatra herself, thus she is familiar with the local language and gestures. She delivered both the poem and talk show very well. She was also good at throwing fresh jokes, but at the same time keeping the audience on track; to pay attention to Mrs. Yusni’s case.
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Highlights
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Highlights
The story about midwife Pitnawati and Piolina saving Mrs. Yusni’s life was being retold; she had been suffering from eclampsia resulted from an untreated high-blood pressure during pregnancy. Eclampsia can lead to kidney or liver damage, or even death, and is the second leading cause of maternal death in Indonesia. The second highlighted key point during the event was that maternal and neonatal death is preventable. However, many mothers and babies are not as fortunate as Mrs. Yusni and her son, Ayusni Daffa. EMAS-USAID, through emergency drills and other key practices, encourages everyone to improve the quality of emergency care and to be prepared to handle a critical case. Confident and well-trained midwives, doctors and health facilities mean more mothers and babies will be saved. The talk show went well until the end, and the overall event was the great work of EMAS North Sumatra in collaboration with the local partners, the U.S. Consulate General for North Sumatra, the USAID Indonesia and EMAS Jakarta. It receives wide publications from the media. On the same day, the RRI Pro 1 North Sumatra Radio Station, and TVRI North Sumatra TV Station on the next day, on-aired a live interview with the U.S. Consul General, Kathryn Crockart. Online publications: • “Konjen AS Kunjungi Puskesmas di Deli Serdang” by Antara Sumut • “AS Bantu 55 Juta Dolar untuk Selamatkan Ibu dan Bayi di Indonesia” by Berita Sore • “AS Memperingati Hari Ibu di Indonesia” by Starberita
Hartono Rakiman
Communication Manager Hartono.Rakiman@jhpiego.org
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Highlights
A Full Plate of Fun
Celebrating the redesigned website Text: Cindy Rahmaputri Photos: Hartono Rakiman, Cindy Rahmaputri
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Highlights
In this online era, website is one of many important tools to connect with people around the globe. Not only for business purposes, such as of a company, organization, or community, websites are becoming a trend among professionals and creative workers to market their individual skills, such as of a graphic designer, programmer, translator/editor, etc. User experience (UX) is the key factor of a web creation — or any products or services. Both developers and users are getting more critical when referring to UX. UX involves a person’s behaviors, attitudes and emotions about using a particular product, system or service (Wikipedia). Nielsen Norman explains: “The first requirement for an exemplary user experience is to meet the exact needs of the customer, without fuss or bother. Next comes simplicity and elegance that produce products that are a joy to own, a joy to use. True user experience goes far beyond giving customers what they say they want, or providing checklist features. In order to achieve high-quality user experience in a company’s offerings there must be a seamless merging of the services of multiple disciplines, including engineering, marketing, graphical and industrial design, and interface design.” Talking about web creation, UX involves user interface (UI) and usability. UI is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs, or the system by which users interact with machine (Wikipedia), and is obviously an extremely important part of a design (Nielsen Norman). Meanwhile, usability is a quality attribute of the UI, covering whether the system is easy to learn, efficient to use, pleasant, and so forth (Nielsen Norman). To keep up with today’s trend (simple and elegant), EMAS’ website has been redesigned. Not only that the site’s front end (the actual web pages) has had a new look, it is now equipped with a more user-friendly Content Management System (CMS). With the new CMS, hand-coding is no longer needed during any content uploads, such as articles, photos and videos.
sharepointdesigner.co.za
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Highlights
To mark the launch of the redesigned website and to celebrate the couple-of-week hard work, EMAS Team Jakarta held an internal celebration on December 17, 2013. Some snacks and beverages were served accompanying the short presentation explaining the key features of the new-look site and how every functional team can benefitted from them. Everyone is expected to take part in the content enrichment, either articles, photos or videos, to make people more and more aware about saving the lives of mothers and newborns (EMAS-red). Opening the small party, Communication Manager Hartono Rakiman revealed all communication tools that have been and will be developed, such as leaflets, videos and infographics. Next, ICT4D Officer Eko Prasetyo delivered a presentation on SMSbunda and how it will support EMAS in the future. After presenting about EMAS’ website, KM & Communication Coordinator Cindy Rahmaputri explained about Sharepoint and social media, and before leaving the room, everyone was filling out a Feedback Form to give inputs and personal opinions about the website. These feedbacks will be very useful for the site’s enhancement.
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Highlights
A small fun game was initiated by Hartono to make everyone take a look closer to the web. Hartono had printed some sentences on some papers. He invited three people to take his challenge; pick one paper randomly, read the sentence out loud and find out on which page of the website the sentence is written. Each participant was given less than four minutes each to find his/her randomly-picked sentence on the web, and everyone was so excited giving directions, screaming and laughing at the same time. The fastest participant was Program Manager Fransisca Maria Lambe. However, all three participants, Sisca, Finance Officer Sesilia Setyaningsih and IT Manager F. Dian Widjanarko, will get special gifts from Hartono: portrait drawings.
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Highlights
Watch EMAS Web Launch on YouTube Reference User Experience The Definition of User Experience User Interface Content Management System
Cindy Rahmaputri
Knowledge Management & Communication Coordinator Cindy.Rahmaputri@jhpiego.org
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Featured
The Spirit of a Great Place to Work EMAS Jakarta team building: fun and sensible Text: Cindy Rahmaputri Photos: Suyanto Yosef, Syane Luntungan, Cindy Rahmaputri
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Featured
Last December 6, staffs in Jakarta were holding a staff meeting led by Chief of Party Anne Hyre. The meeting objective is to give off the key results of management retreat the earlier time. Anne summarize them in a schematic presentation titled “A New Way of Working.� Opening the presentation, Anne mentioned three key points of management retreat: 1) annual report preparation highlighted inefficiencies in systems/structures, 2) oneon-one interviews about management issues revealed common themes and 3) time to commit to making changes. EMAS is expected to be a great place to work, collaborative, decentralized, strategic and positive, also to have impact. To actualize these expectations, a team building event was then organized and taken place on January 7 at Anne’s house in Kemang. This was fun but somehow very touching, because everyone was given a chance to speak up. After Anne gave her opening, Deputy Provincial Operations Evodia A. Iswandi handed over one paper bag to each staff. She then asked everyone to pick one printed photograph of their favorite and stick it on the paper bag without explaining the purpose. After everyone got their photo stuck on the paper bag, every person should in random turn explain why they choose that photo. This was becoming a philosophical moment, because everyone tried to connect their pictures with their inner-self. Some pictures were depicting a deep relation between a mother and a baby, mother and children, the beauty of Mother Nature, spectacular fireworks in a lively nightscape, and so on. No one had difficulties in defining their inner-self portrayed in the pictures.
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Featured
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Featured
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Featured
Besides explaining the picture, everyone was given a chance to reveal everything they wanted to, such as their characteristics, family, former jobs, even life history and life-changing moments. This disclosure implied a what-so-called as ‘trust’ between team members — the cornerstone of a teamwork. Without trust, teamwork would end up in dysfunction or even failure. If the photo storytelling was philosophical, the life revealing went very sensible. Everyone got an inspiring story to tell, and somehow, it helps everyone understands one another. This was the moment when the background of one’s characteristic was revealed. Some were funny, some were touching and surprising, but everyone seemed enjoying and happy about the session.
From 10 AM, the storytelling of about thirty people finished at around 4 PM. After that, Evodia put everyone in groups of two and handed over a paper listing questions of achievement and resolution. Everyone must share the answers with their partner before sharing a one-sentence summary in a group of six. In the end, every group must present their findings to everyone; what they will do as a resolution to make EMAS a great place to work.
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Featured
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Featured
An intermezzo was hilariously amusing, when some “fashionable” ladies and gentlemen presented their self-modified t-shirts as if they were on a catwalk. They were very creative in presenting themselves as catwalk models, performing specific gestures, walks and expressions to support their t-shirt creations. Office Manager Syane Luntungan was the one behind the idea about t-shirt modification. She had handed over the sponsored t-shirts to every staff the day earlier and told us that we could do anything to the t-shirts to make it the way we wanted. As a result, some female staffs were able to transform their plain t-shirts into something awkwardly fashionable. The two female and male fashion show winners were Private Sector Manager Yustina Sari and Newborn Advisor Pancho Kaslam. With high-rhythmical R&B songs as the background music, Yustina stepped and moved her body like a Balinese dancer. She could even performed the dance’s most difficult parts: the eyes fearless stare and the neck fracture-like gesture. Meanwhile, with the same background music, Pancho surprisingly performed an entertaining moonwalk and hand-pointing gesture of former famed singer, Michael Jackson. Around 6 PM, everyone was leaving Anne’s house with a new spirit to make EMAS a great place to work, welcoming the 2014 and the days ahead.
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Profile
The Beginning of Friendship
Dr. Riyanto Santoso Windesi, a gemstone Hobbyist Text: Cindy Rahmaputri Photos: Dr. Riyanto Santoso Windesi
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Profile
Like flowers, colored gemstones come in every hue, tone and saturation. Both are born of Nature and evolve into something exquisite. But, unlike flowers whose beauty fades with time, the beauty of colored gemstones is everlasting. —The American Gem Trade Association
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Profile
Born in December 27, 1967, Dr. Riyanto Santoso Windesi is apparently a gemstone hobbyist. In Bahasa Indonesia, ‘gemstone’ is widely-known as ‘batu mulia’ or ‘batu permata.’ By the online Oxford Dictionaries, ‘gemstone’ (or gem) is described as ‘a precious or semi-precious stone, especially one cut, polished and used in a piece of jewelry.’ Back in the mid-1800, the terms ‘precious stone’ and ‘semi-precious stone’ were created to describe gemstones, which were categorized solely based on their rarity. Stones found in abundance were labeled semi-precious, and a stone that was rare would be categorized as precious. Diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds were classified as precious stones. All other stones were classified as semi-precious stones ( jewelryinfoplace.com). However, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission periodically considers banning the use of the terms altogether to reduce consumer confusion. The American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) has already added the following language to their Code of Ethics: “Members should avoid the use of the term ‘semi-precious’ in describing gemstones.” These days, a number of “semi-precious” stones, such as alexandrite, demantoid garnet, tsavorite garnet and tanzanite, can just as expensive as ruby and sapphire. Very fine tourmaline, spinel and aquamarine in larger sizes also command very high prices in the market. It is fair to say that we have now reached the point where the distinction between precious and semi-precious gemstones has become meaningless (gemselect. com). Dr. Riyanto started this hobby right after he finished his medical degree. He was assigned in a Puskesmas in Puncak Jaya District in Papua which was a conflict area. He saw soldiers wearing gemstones and became interested himself. From that day on, every time he goes somewhere, he will try to hunt for the local gems. The most interesting part of this hobby is that it connects him to people with the same interest. They will talk about or share information about the stone, or even give their collections for exchange. The conversations usually continue becoming friendships, and they keep exchanging information and/or collections. One funny story is when he was at the airport in Jakarta. A man seemed examining him until finally moved toward him and said, “I like your ring (refers to the gem), the one in purple. Can I exchange it with some money?” The man was insisting, and Dr. Riyanti had to explain that the ring aimed by the man is a gift from his late grandfather when he was one, thus he did not have any intention of giving it to anyone. However, they become friends until today.
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Profile
As a gem hobbyist, Dr. Riyanto is thankful to be an Indonesian. “The country is gifted, blessed with a massive number of natural resources, including gems. So many potential places in Indonesia. Aceh, Bireuen District to be exact, is home to one of the biggest gem productions in Indonesia. When I was in Papua, I could easily find these stones in the river. Here in Banten, opal is easy to find. In Jakarta, the center of gem buying and selling is in Pasar Rawa Bening (Jatinegara), while the biggest gem countries in the world is Thailand and Burma,” he said. Dr. Riyanto later added that though the number of gem hobbyists in Indonesia was big, there was no significant support from the government. “Our country’s gem potentiality can actually be big in terms of business. It can be very beneficial for the mid-level industry,” he said. “Banten produces a large number of opal, but people barely know,” he added. Until today, Dr. Riyanto, who is also keen on photography, has collected around 100 faceted/finished and 45 uncut gems. One day, he wants to get gemstone outlets built in potential tourism destinations in Indonesia. His biggest passion goes to Raja Ampat, one of the best travel destinations in the world and of the biggest “gemfields” in Indonesia.
Q&A Q: How to start this hobby? A: Learn about gems to avoid fake gem products. Fake gems can even be found in Bangkok in Martapura. Q: If I am a newbie, what is the easiest way to notice the fake one? A: Most fake gems are plain, without accent. It is almost impossible to make artificial pattern. Q: Is there any special treatment to preserve gemstones? A: Chemical in gemstones is stable, so there is actually no special treatment. However, they can lose their shine, so better to polish or wash them with water regularly. Avoid other chemical substances, such as perfume. Q: How much does a gemstone normally cost? A: It varies. Can only cost Rp 10,000, but can also be millions.
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Profile
jewelinfo4u.com
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Profile
nashelle.com
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Profile
ofspiritandsoul.com
Reference
vermontgemlab.com
Gemstone Information – American Gem Trade Association Gemstone Information Manual Precious and Semi-precious Gemstones: Myth and Reality What Are Precious Stones? Asosiasi Pengusaha Emas & Permata Indonesia (Indonesian Goldsmiths and Jewelers Association) Potensi Batu Mulia Indonesia yang Terlupakan 2014-3 EMAS Internal Newsletter Page 27
HR Corner
Upcoming Birthday And what your zodiac sign says
1 January Maya Tholandi Senior Strategic Information Advisor Jakarta 14 January Verawaty B. Brahmana Admin & Finance Officer Medan 15 January Iwan Hermawan Office Helper Bandung 18 January Aswiny Mallipu Administrative Assistant Makassar
Important Happenings
Capricorn in 2014 Most compatible signs: Love: Virgo Friendship: Pisces Career: Gemini Lucky numbers: 43, 38, 27, 19, 8, 16 You will be seeing progress in interpersonal relationships, status, and emotional balance. Your outside life is just as busy, and you might have to struggle a little to keep your equilibrium. However, be careful with money. If a friend or relative is in serious trouble, help out as best you can but do not overextend yourself. You are mostly in the clutches of the aforementioned overheated work ethic, and it is taking you and your beloved away from spending quality time with each other. Take the time to get out, lock all the work distractions away in a box once in a while. Aquarius in 2014
22 January Suyanto Yosef IT Assistant Jakarta 27 January Didiek Hadiprabowo Provincial Team Leader Surabaya
27 January Dr. Irfan Riswan Provincial Program Manager Medan
27 January Siti Masyitah Rahma Program Manager Jakarta
30 January Fransiscus Dian Widjanarko IT Manager Jakarta
30 January Musdi Driver Semarang
Most compatible signs: Love: Sagittarius Friendship: Gemini Career: Virgo Lucky numbers: 43, 26, 42, 41, 25, 11 You may not believe you have all the answers, but this year you are going to have the right answers at the right time. If you go to others for advice, you may not be totally satisfied with what you’re hearing. You’re going to gain more encouragement for the more offbeat solutions you provide. Your friends may be amazed when advice you give.
December 9 Join: Kairuman, M&E Officer, Medan (North Sumatra) Panca Ruthindartri, Quality Improvement Coordinator, Brebes (East Java) January 1 Join: Astrid Adania Raintung, Acting District Facilitator, Serang (Banten) January 2 Join: Dr. Ubaidillah, M. Kes., District Facilitator, Blitar (East Java)
Joining Consultants: January 2 Dr. Andri Havyatra Lubis, Quality Improvement Coordinator, Serang Epi Karyawati, Administrative Assistant, Bogor (West Java) Heri Hermawan, District Team Leader, Bogor Sulfiati Syam, Administrative Assistant, Bulu Kumba (South Sulawesi) January 15 Emiliana Shintawati Setiawan, Program Coordinator, Semarang (Central Java)
Thinking outside the box will come easy to you this year - not that it is ever too hard. In fact, for you there is practically no box. Your ideas definitely look attractive. Your money situation looks good as well, but you may be a bit conflicted on how to manage it. Your relationship works, and will continue to work well. Just do not try to reverse-engineer it to figure out how it works. Source: horoscope.com 2014-3 EMAS Internal Newsletter Page 28
Your IT Assistant
Improve Your Online Meeting Experience GoToMeeting how-to Fransiscus Dian Wijanarko
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Your IT Assistant
Click here to login to GoToMeeting. If your computers do not have the GoToMeeting software, it will automatically download into your system, follow the instructions.
1
You will find the meeting schedule on “Upcoming Meetings,� Click START to start the meeting.
2
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Your IT Assistant Finish and enjoy the meeting!
Once you click the START button, the verifying email and password will show (see below picture).
3
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Fransiscus Dian Wijanarko
IT Manager Dian.Wijanarko@jhpiego.org
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Investigation
On the Intersection of Tradition & Modernization
Yustina Sari’s year-end trip to Seoul Text: Cindy Rahmaputri Photos: Margaretha Marcia
Forestry Library in Paju 2014-3 EMAS Internal Newsletter Page 32
Investigation On the previous edition, our “Investigation” section titled “Love, Life, Family,” brought out people sharing their holiday plans. Private Sector Manager Yustina Sari wrote: “Has been a dream for the last 2 years that our family will have a special Christmas moment in Korea. So this coming next month, this will happen!! So excited for some reasons: I will meet my daughter who studies in Korea, so miss her; we will have a Christmas Eve mass in the peak of snowy season, so holy and romantic; we will count down the New Year’s Eve with tong (Korean big bell), it’s a bonus! Then we will explore Korea which is rich and unique in culture, has beautiful scenery, performances, culinary and K-POP!” Seoul is an amazing combination of contrasts. While walking along the busy streets of downtown Seoul, you may suddenly find yourself at the gate of ancient. In the bustling city center, you can stop for a while and rest alongside a stream. Right after you step out of a modern shopping mall, you might encounter a vibrant traditional market, while as soon as you get off the subway, you can enjoy green forests and riverside parks. Whenever you turn to look entirely different landscapes and attractions catch your attention. As the hottest new trends are added to its long history, Seoul is becoming even more dynamic. Culture from the city is spreading beyond Asia and fascinating people around the globe. Seoul—where tradition and modernity, nature and high technology coexist—marking the beginning of a new urban voyage (visitseoul.net). According to visitseoul.net, sixteen of Seoul’s most interesting districts are: • Gwanghwamun • City Hall Area • Cheonggyecheon in Jongno • Insa-dong • Samcheong-dong in Bukchon • Myeong-dong in Euljiro • Namdaemun Market • Hongik University in Sangsu Station Area • Sinchon in Ewha Womans University Area • Dongdaemun Market • Itaewon • Jamsil • Apgujeong-dong and Cheongdam-dong • Samseong Station Area • Gangnam Station Area, and • Sinsa-dong Garosu-gil Area With this reference, Yustina’s trip began on December 21, 2013, until January 5, 2014. She visited some recommended attractions, some of them are the Gyeongbokgung (Palace), Jongmyo (Royal Shrine), Cheonggyecheon (Stream), Bukchon Hanok Village, Namsan Tower, National Folk Museum of Korea, Forestry Library in Paju, Nami Island and many more. Other things offered by the city which are very tempting are its shopping and culinary experiences. Different districts offer different attractions which are well-organized for tourism purpose. Supported with good infrastructure and transportation, these attractions are easy to access. Subway is the most comfortable mean of transportation to get access within districts.
Jongmyo (Royal Shrine)
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Investigation
Gwanghwamun According to visitseoul.net, the Gyeongbokgung (Palace), built in 1395, was the main royal palace and heart of Joseon Dynasty for 500 years. The remaining halls include Geunjeongjeon, where official ceremonies were held, and the private quarters of the king and queen. The National Palace of Korea—which showcases royal culture—and the National Folk Museum of Korea—where the life cycles of Koreans in the olden days can be observed—are within its precincts. The location of the palace itself was determined to be an auspicious site according to Korean geomantic principles and the Korean Presidential Residence, Cheongwadae (Blue House—Korea’s “White House”). At present, it is home to numerous government agencies and foreign embassies. Built in 2009, Gwangwhamun Square has become a popular place for visitors. This is a 550m-long, 34-wide square constructed at Sejong-ro. Statues of the two most respected historical figures in Korea—King Sejong the Great and Admiral YiSun-shin—strand in the square. Cheongwadawae, or the Blue House, is the executive office and official residence of the President of the Republic of Korea. It is open to public from Tuesday to Friday, but visitors are restricted from entering the buildings, where state affairs are officially handled. It takes around 1 hour and 30 minutes to tour outside the buildings on foot.
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Investigation
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Investigation
Cheonggyecheon in Jongno Next visited attraction was Jongmyo (Royal Shrine). Built in Cheonggyecheon in Jongno, which literally means ‘a street with a bell,’ Jongmyo is a Confucian shrine where memorial tablets for kings and queens of Joseon Dynasty are kept and memorial services are offered. It is the world’s largest remaining single wooden structure built in the 14th century and was listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1995. Jongmyojerye, the memorial service offered every May since 1464, is one of the oldest ancestral rites maintained today, and was designated as one of the ‘Masterpieces of the Oral Tradition and Intangible Heritage of Humanity’ by UNESCO in 2001.
The area itself, Jongno, has a distinctive atmosphere generated from the combination of business and traditional culture. A jewelry shopping street here is selling real gem. In this area, a 5.84km-long stream called Cheonggyecheon was once a natural stream, but was covered with asphalt and used as roads. Then, in 2005, it was once again changed into an ecological stream after a restoration that took three years. It has attractions including 22 bridges, nine fountains and relics from Joseon Dynasty recovered during the restoration process.
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Investigation
Cheonggyecheon (Stream)
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Investigation
Samcheong-dong in Bukchon Bukchon is a small village of hanoks (Korean traditional-style house) located between Gyeongbokgung (Palace) and Changdeokgung (Palace). Today, families still make their homes in these 900 traditional houses. Members of the royal family and noblemen lived here during the Joseon Period. As it retains the city’s old appearance, it is a popular filming location for movies and TV dramas. There are a number of unique theme-based museums in this area. You can view unique artifacts and enjoy new hands-on cultural experience. In some other hanok villages, such as Namsangol, you can observe the housing culture of Joseon and then participate in traditional cultural experience programs almost every day, including a demonstration of a traditional wedding ceremony. Some Korean performances and royal buffet take place in some places, and at Chiseongwan, traditional cultural experience programs offer craft making, tea ceremony and traditional dance. Namdaemun Market The Namsan Tower, which is the best location from which to gaze down on the city of Seoul. Namsan, or the N Seoul Tower, is a 236.7m-high tower, which is the 10th highest tower in the world, built on the mountain. Visitors can be whisked up to the observatory by a high-speed elevator, visit the Teddy Bear Museum or dine at the restaurant in the sky lounge that revolves 360 degrees. This tower stands within the Namdaemun Market area, which was established during the Joseon Dynasty in 1414. It is the largest traditional market in Korea. With over 10,000 shops and street stalls, it takes a whole day to just look around the market. You can also enjoy the fun of choosing from a wide variety of delicacies in the many food alleys that share their long history with the market. Still in the same area, the Sungnyemun (Gate) is Korea’s National Treasure No. 1. The wooden structure was completed in 1398. Also known as Namdaemun (Great South Gate), this gate served as the main entrance through the fortress walls of Hanyang. It was partially destroyed by fire in 2008 and restoration was completed in 2012. The last thing to enjoy in this area is the Namsan Park which is formed around the 262m-high Namsan Mountain. It is the largest park in Seoul. You can stroll through its shady forests and look around diverse attractions, such as the Namsan Tower, Palgakjeong (Pavilion), Botanical Garden and National Theater of Korea.
Namsan Tower
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Investigation
Samgyeopsal, Korean grill
Seoul, Korea’s capital and a metropolis with a population of over 10 million, beneath its surface lies the 500-year era of the Joseon Dynasty. It has five royal palaces where kings and queens used to reside, as well as royal shrines and royal tombs that have served as their spaces after life. Seoul is one of few cities where you can encounter long history and culture in the city center. Planning on visiting Korean too? They say it is easy to enjoy and learn about traditional Korean culture in Seoul. In just one or two hours, you can either be photographed in hanbok (Korean traditional clothes) with beautiful lines and colors or make kimchi firsthand. You should not miss the experiences of making special articles with hanji (Korean paper) and learning to play Korean traditional instruments. World-class art museums, historical museums where you can learn about the country’s past and galleries where you can see both global and Korean artwork showcase Seoul’s past and present as well as its arts and culture. Do’s and don’ts: • Be ready to travel in a non-English-speaking environment. Only a few people can speak English. However, road signs are English-written. • The best time to visit Korea is during the spring season (March-May). More attractions to witness, more beautiful scenery, cheaper stuff. • Avoid winter (December-February). The temperature is more or less -16 degree Celsius, and the wind blows very hard. The most iconic spot in Nami Island (Winter Sonata Korean drama)
2014-3 EMAS Internal Newsletter Page 39
Contribution.
Hello! We happily invite you to contribute to the next edition, by sending us your articles/photos/idea/criticism to: info.emasindonesia@jhpiego.org
You can write either in Bahasa Indonesia or English. The idea is that we are trying to create a room where everyone can share anything to anyone internally. Internal means that this newsletter is aimed for EMAS Team members only. External newsletter is still in development. If you have photos to be attached to your articles, please send them in the highest resolution possible. The newsletter will be published monthly (every Wednesday of the first week), so all articles and photos will go through the editing and layout processes on the last week of each month. So, please submit your contribution by the 15th, and it will appear on the next month’s edition.
Sneak Peek It is a short review about an upcoming project/event/product that you want the other team members to be aware of. If you are currently working on a specific thing and have scheduled a launch near in the future, you might want to share it with us. Your IT Assistant This section tries to solve your daily problems on IT and give updates about IT. The topic can be about computer, internet and technology that we are using on daily basis. If you need an information about one particular subject and you think that it will be useful for the other team members, please let us know. Investigation Like an old saying, “Something happens for a reason,” an investigation is made to reveal motifs/interests/trends. We might want to know what people have in mind when a particular subject is presented on the table. If you are interested in what people might think about a particular subject related to EMAS/office/current happening, please share it with us.
Sections: Highlights This section highlights current events related to or supporting our EMAS Program that might be useful for EMAS Team members. The topic is not limited or tied to one or two specific Functional Teams but opened to any team or anyone. If you joined or participated in an interesting event lately or are involved in an upcoming event, please send us your coverage (article and photos). The articles lenghth does not have a minimum or maximum limitation, as long as it excites curiosity. If you are not sure about what to write, contact us, and we will arrange an interview with you if the topic is relevant.
We also invite you to participate in our social media presence by giving Likes on EMAS’ Facebook Page or following EMAS on Twitter. We are currently in an effort to spread more words about EMAS to a wider audience and invite anyone to participate in the conversation. facebook.com/EMASIndonesia @EMASIndonesia
Featured Unlike “Highlights,” this section is not bound to a specific timing. The articles are timeless; can be enjoyed now or later in the future. Like “Highlights,” the topic is not limited or tied to one or two specific Functional Teams but opened to any team or anyone. You can share your idealistic thoughts about a specific issue that might be useful for the other team members. Profile The articles presented on this section are talking about one EMAS Team member per edition, revealing his/her hobby or interesting daily. Here, everyone can share his/her passion, which hopefully can inspire the other team members. If you know that the person sitting next to you right now has an interesting hobby/daily, please let us know, so that we can arrange an interview with him/her. If you yourself are involved in an interesting activities, we might want to interview you as well! 2013-2 EMAS Internal Newsletter Page 40
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