Seputar Hari-hari: February 2014

Friday, February 21, 2014

Tintin, singkatan, dan bahasa Indonesia

Hari Minggu lalu saya beli buku komik Tintin di Amerika untuk keponakan. Iseng-iseng saya baca beberapa halaman untuk membandingkan terjemahannya dengan koleksi saya yang versi bahasa Inggris. Lumayan kaget juga waktu melihat penulis teksnya menggunakan singkatan seperti dlm, yg, unt, tdk. Buku yang saya pegang adalah terbitan Gramedia cetakan kelima (Januari 2012). Sungguh sayang komik sekelas Tintin menggunakan singkatan-singkatan seperti itu, apalagi buku tersebut diterbitkan oleh penerbit sekelas Gramedia. Menurut hemat saya, hal ini tidak mendidik anak-anak sebagai pembaca buku tersebut. Saya sudah cukup pusing membaca sms keponakan saya yang sering menggunakan singkatan (yang jelas tidak sesuai kayadah EYD), apalagi ejaan juga sering salah (padahal sudah kelas 3 SD). Saya sempat menduga, apa mungkin singkatan-singkatan tersebut sengaja dipakai untuk menghemat tempat karena ukuran komiknya lebih kecil dari terbitan Indira dulu. Apabila ini alasannya, sungguh sayang. Penghematan kertas seharusnya tidak mengorbankan pendidikan anak-anak.

Waktu saya duduk di bangku SMP dulu, guru Bahasa Inggris saya mengingatkan agar jangan suka mencampur bahasa Indonesia dan bahasa Inggris. Beliau menggunakan contoh yang masih saya ingat sampai sekarang, yaitu singkatan TVRI. Kebanyakan orang (termasuk saya waktu itu) mengucapkannya: ti-vi-er-i. Itu salah karena ti-vi adalah pengucapapan TV dalam bahasa Inggris. Kalau mau semua bahasa Inggris, harusnya diucapkan ti-vi-ar-ai. Sejak itu saya selalu mengucapkannya te-ve-er-i.

Sekarang di TV banyak reporter yang wajahnya cakep dan berpendidikan tinggi (saya rasa mereka minimal lulusan S1), tapi bahasa Indonesia mereka tidak bagus. [Meskipun bahasa Inggris mereka jago.] Mereka sering membaca berita dengan menabrak titik, atau menaikkan nada (seakan-akan ada koma di situ) meskipun itu akhir dari kalimat. Yang paling bikin risih adalah penggunakan kata Cina dalam bahasa Inggris. Mereka mengucapkannya 'Caina', meskipun mereka sedang membawakan berita dalam bahasa Indonesia. Saya pikir mungkin alasannya karena ada perubahan makna [peyorasi] dari kata 'Cina', tapi tetap saja risih mendengarnya karena saya selalu ingat kata-kata guru Bahasa Inggris waktu SMP dulu.

Kadang saya suka nonton film Perancis dan saya angkat topi -meski saya jarang sekali pakai topi- karena mereka mengucapkan DVD seperti ini : de-ve-de; karena di Bahasa Perancis pengucapannya memang harusnya juga seperti itu. Di Indonesia hampir semua orang mengucapkannya di-vi-di.

moved from http://my.opera.com/tulipe-noire/blog/2012/02/18/tintin-singkatan-dan-bahasa-indonesia

Custom Clearance à la FedEx

I pre-ordered a DVD on an online store in France 3 weeks ago. I usually buy from Amazon, but this store has the special edition, so this time I bought from them. The item was released on Nov 19 and sent on the next day via FedEx.

Dec 1, 2009 11:42 PM At local FedEx facility JAKARTA ID
Nov 30, 2009 11:03 PM At local FedEx facility JAKARTA ID
Nov 28, 2009 4:38 PM At local FedEx facility JAKARTA ID
Nov 28, 2009 4:10 PM Delivery exception Business closed - No delivery attempt
Nov 27, 2009 7:07 PM At local FedEx facility JAKARTA ID
Nov 26, 2009 11:30 AM Delivery exception Held, unable to collect payment JAKARTA ID
Nov 26, 2009 9:08 AM On FedEx vehicle for delivery JAKARTA ID
Nov 25, 2009 8:08 PM At local FedEx facility JAKARTA ID
Nov 25, 2009 5:29 PM Int'l shipment release CENGKARENG ID
Nov 25, 2009 2:58 AM Clearance delay JAKARTA ID
Nov 23, 2009 9:37 PM At local FedEx facility JAKARTA ID
Nov 23, 2009 3:30 PM Int'l shipment release CENGKARENG ID
Nov 23, 2009 10:56 AM In transit CENGKARENG ID Package available for clearance
Nov 23, 2009 3:31 AM Departed FedEx location GUANGZHOU CN
Nov 23, 2009 12:19 AM Departed FedEx location GUANGZHOU CN
Nov 22, 2009 10:13 PM Arrived at FedEx location GUANGZHOU CN
Nov 22, 2009 12:29 AM Departed FedEx location PARIS FR
Nov 21, 2009 11:55 PM In transit PARIS FR
Nov 21, 2009 5:35 PM Departed FedEx location PARIS FR
Nov 21, 2009 5:10 PM Arrived at FedEx location PARIS FR
Nov 20, 2009 5:47 PM Left FedEx origin facility GENNEVILLIERS FR
Nov 20, 2009 10:33 AM Picked up GENNEVILLIERS FR
Nov 20, 2009 4:04 AM Shipment information sent to FedEx

(Why there are 2 international shipment releases?)

This morning (1 week after shipment), FedEx called. I have to pay Rp 290.000,- for custom clearance. They told me that the value of the package is EUR 38.24, which is not right because the price of the DVD is EUR 16.39 + shipping EUR 21.85. Far as I know shipping cost is not included in the tax calculation. The guy who called didn't know what was I talking about and suggested that I called the customer service. I did. The CS said that the sender declared the value of the package as EUR 38.24, which is more than US$50. And that is final, there is nothing she can do. I actually want to know if FedEx has read the invoice wrong. I asked to whom I could complain and she suggested to the sender. I have sent an Email to the store and now waiting for their reply.

I hoped this store didn't use FedEx in the first place. I had bought from them before and was pleased, although they had written my address incompletely (house number omitted) and the poor postman had to search around.

UPDATE Nov 28, 2009
I called FedEx this morning to make sure I didn't mishear. I realized that custom tax wouldn't have to be that expensive. But, yes, the charge is Rp 290.000,-. The details are: apart from PPH and PPN which is Rp 35.000,-, there are also handling charge Rp 100.000,-, admin fee Rp 50.000,-, VAT Rp 15.000,-, and admin bank Rp 90.000,-. I thought that courier's task is only to deliver goody. I place the order, pay the DVD + shipping cost, the store choose any courier to deliver, and I as the recipient, all I have to do is to sit and wait the package to come. I was wrong. I am very disappointed with this store who chose FedEx as their partner. Their website states that package to 'Rest of the World' (apart from Europe, USA & Canada) will be sent via Chronopost. I wonder who was the idiot who decided to send my package with FedEx. Satisfied or reimbursed, that's what they say. I'm certainly not satisfied, but will I ever get reimbursed? If you say, if you don't like it, don't use FedEx, but it wasn't me who chose. I feel like I'm being forced to pay for something I don't want. I don't mind paying tax to the government (and in this case, even though the shipping cost is added to the value of the item, the tax is only Rp 35.000,-) , but why should I pay FedEx for handling charge, admin, etc? Haven't they been paid by the sender? In the future, I will avoid every seller who uses FedEx.

UPDATE Dec 2, 2009
The package is still held by FedEx. I'm still considering whether I should pick it up and pay or not. If I don't pick it up, will they return it to France and will I get my money back? I can buy it again from Amazon. The store's CS replied that it's the tax I have to pay and I told her that it doesn't make sense if the tax is higher than the item's value.
The price of the DVD is EUR 16.39 (about US$ 24.75) - far below US$50 [Here, imported item costs below US$ 50 is tax-free]. This is not the first time I buy from overseas, but this is the first time I have to pay Rp 290.000,- for a DVD which costs Rp 234.000,-. Btw, FedEx sent me the invoice from the sender (and the bill of Rp 290.000,-) and it clearly states that the price of the DVD is EUR 16.39. FedEx's experienced staff apparently cannot read invoice, or worse: they read it wrong on purpose.

UPDATE Dec 3, 2009
After thinking it over, I decided to pick the package up. If I didn't, it would be months before I got my money back, and that was if the store ever returned my money. Another store in France reimbursed me with a French cheque which is useless here. I shake my head in disbelief. When I buy from them I have to make a bank-draft payable in France, but when they send me a cheque, why don't they give me cheque payable in Indonesia? And note this: I pay the store with credit card, so why not return the money to my credit card? When I think about this matter, money comes and goes so FedEx can have my Rp 290.000,-. However, bad impression stays forever.

UPDATE Dec 16, 2009
Receipt came yesterday and details were a bit different from what the CS told me. Bea masuk Rp 20.000, PPN impor 10% Rp 22.000,- Pph ps 22 impor 15% Rp 33.000,- so total for duty & taxes Rp 75.000,-. Plus bank charge Rp 50.000,-, handling charge Rp 100.000,-, admin charge Rp 50.000,-, VAT Rp 15.000,-. TOTAL Rp 290.000,- It's says on the shipment details that declare value of the item is US$70. I want to know what currency converter they use, if EUR 38.24 = US$ 70.

moved from http://my.opera.com/tulipe-noire/blog/custom-clearance-fedex

Bad online shopping experience

I have bought things via internet many times and most of them have arrived safely and I was happy with the transactions. There were a couple of times, unfortunately, when I didn't receive the item I had ordered. Usually in a case like this, the seller would give me back my money or send a replacement. There was a case where an eBay seller couldn't be contacted (luckily it was not much, only AU$10) and another case where I waited too long before made the complain so the case had been expired (another US$15 was gone).

Lately I have had another bad experience.

On February 4, 2009, I placed an order of 4 DVDs on Alapage.com. The 4 DVDs are (not their real title):
1. The Black Tulip
2. The Beautiful Star
3. The Collector
4. The Tunnel

I'd never bought from this shop before, but I'd been searching for The Black Tulip and couldn't find it anywhere. Alapage had it on back order, the availability was 5 - 9 days. I was not happy with the shipping cost, though, so to economize I added 3 more DVDs - for it was the same shipping cost either I ordered 1 or 4 DVDs (flat rate).

The status was as follows:
1. The Black Tulip - available in 5 - 9 days
2. The Beautiful Star - in stock
3. The Collector - available in 5 - 9 days
4. The Tunnel - available in 5 - 9 days.

I chose the option to send them all together.

The next day, I saw that another shop was selling The Beautiful Star at a cheaper price. I thought I could save €3. I thought I still had 9 days before the order was sent, that it was okay to cancel the order then. On February 5 I went to Alapage.com again and canceled the whole order to make a new one, which in the new one I replaced The Beautiful Star with another title: The Bleeding Mind. I successfully canceled the old order, anyway it was said on the bottom of the order page that I could cancel the order as long as it was not being prepared. I saw all 4 titles were crossed out. The nightmare started an hour later when I got an email from Alapage that I could not cancel The Beautiful Star. I supposed because it was on stock (the other 3 were on back orders). What troubled me was the expensive shipping cost. So instead of saving €3, I lost €30 instead. I emailed them that I was disappointed (it was written on their website that if I wasn't satisfied, they would send me back my money), but they said it was too late and the package was on its way. They suggested me to refuse the package and once they got it back, they would reimburse me. Truly, I cannot see the point until now. Instead of leading both parties into trouble, why not they just granted me the cancellation in the first place? Also, I dislike the fact that I cannot control what are in my shopping basket.

They said it would take 8 days for the package to arrive. In fact it took 3 weeks (but this was okay. Sometimes I was made to wait until 3 months.). On February 26, I went to the post office after getting a notice to pick up a package. The little box/wrapping from Alapage was not intact, because it had been re-wrapped by the Customs with a plastic bag. I told the clerk in the post office that I refused the package and would like to have it sent back to the sender because it was a 'wrong order'. I thanked him, went home and waited.

Meanwhile, Alapage could not meet my expectation to send the rest of the order in 9 days.
1. The Black Tulip - still waiting from supplier
2. The Bleeding Mind - in stock
3. The Collector - available after 2 weeks
4. The Tunnel - available after 1 month I waited weeks after weeks.

Finally, I saw that Amazon finally had The Black Tulip in stock. That was the movie I wanted the most and the reason why I ordered at Alapage instead of Amazon. I wanted to cancel the order on Alapage then, because:
1) I was unhappy with the Beautiful Star incident, and
2) the prices at Amazon were better.

However, that time I had learn that it was impossible to cancel an order when the items had been in stock. So I didn't try it this time. I waited for 2 more weeks, lost my patience - also was afraid that The Black Tulip on Amazon would be sold out again, and on April 9, I canceled The Black Tulip on Alapage - so that they could ship the other 3, which had been available. So what was promised to be 9 days, could not be realized in 2 months. The 2nd package was sent to me on April 9, 2009. [This package arrived safely in 3.5 weeks.]

I finally ordered and got The Black Tulip from Amazon.

What about the 1st package from Apalage? 5 months after I refused the package, I emailed Alapage and asked them why I had not received the reimbursement yet. They told me that they had not received the package back and asked me to be patient. I almost gave up and said to myself that I must forget the €30. For me that amount is big. I was crazy enough to buy DVDs, CDs and books from overseas. Those things empty my pocket every month. So to lose €30 for something I didn't get is very depressing. About 2-3 weeks ago I tried to email Alapage again and this time they asked me to make a statement, with my ID card attached, that I never received the package.

UPDATE Oct 13,2009
Alapage had sent me a cheque of €30. I didn't know what to do because all this time, the reimbursement was sent to my credit card. (Note: I paid Alapage with credit card.) I went to the bank to ask for info and at first I was told that it could be cashed with $10 fee. I agreed, since it was better than losing all that money. Later, I was told again that to cash in a cheque from abroad, the minimum amount is $100. I was tired of this matter and decided to drop it and kept the cheque for a bookmark, but a friend of mine advised me to go on. I went to Alapage website but they were moving (it was said so on the website) and that there was no email address [when I hit the reply button in their last email to me, the address didn't work] and the only way to contact them was via telephone or snail mail. So I put the cheque into an envelope, accompanied with an explaining note, and posted it on September 29, 2009. Until today I received no news.

UPDATE Nov 18, 2009
I still haven't got my money back. I also still cannot contact them via email. The customer service is only available by phone. If a shop receives orders via website, is it right if it doesn't have any email address? And I will not call them by phone. It will be very expensive. Small shops in Jakarta give better service than Alapage.com. I have even lost "the bookmark".

A SUGGESTION: I was sure I had read the term & condition carefully on Alapage website. I must have missed the article that they only reimbursed by cheque. Another strange thing, if a shop receives payment by credit card, why not reimburse with the same method? Next time you order from a new seller via internet, make sure you know how they react if there is a problem and how they send you money back.

moved from http://my.opera.com/tulipe-noire/blog/2009/08/29/bad-online-shopping-experience

Things I made in my spare time

Cross-stitch: Gwyneth Paltrow & Jeremy Northam in "Emma" - framed
15" x 14". 19 colours. 14 counts

Cross-stitch: Jeremy Northam & Rebecca Pidgeon in "The Winslow Boy" - framed
16" x 10". 30 colours. 14 counts

Cross-stitch: Timothy Dalton & Zelah Clarke in "Jane Eyre" - framed
12" x 15". 18 colours. 14 counts

Cross-stitch : Tintin, Snowy, Captain Haddock & Prof Calculus

Bookmark: Hummingbird & Columbine Flower
The pattern can be found here

Little doll - The Black Widow

Little doll - Japanese Girl

Little doll - The Phantom

Little doll - Mr. Knightley
His hat was ruined because of his long trip. This photo was sent to me from Brazil.

This bag is strong enough to carry a couple of books and a mug

Little candy bags. I sold them for US$1 each (bag only)

A candy bag. The sign beneath the bear says "Embrace The Earth"

moved from http://my.opera.com/tulipe-noire/blog/show.dml/3253756

Little Mickey

Little Mickey is a doll that supposed to look like British singer Michael Ball. The hair is made by knitting wool and the curls are sewn one by one to the head. It carries a rose because Michael Ball has a recording called "The Rose". It was my friend Jackie Evans who gave Little Mickey its name. (picture of Little Mickey with Michael Ball by Lyn)

Most of the pictures on this page are taken by other people, because I hardly go anywhere. I made a bigger version which carrying a pink heart saying :"Love Changes Everything" - the first song of Michael Ball that topped the chart. This one wears a tuxedo. Later I prefer this one to be in photos, because it looks better.