18th Moon Station

Gamed price

When going around in Jakarta, banners and billboards advertising properties are common sight. Seems like in this difficult time, the only segment you can rely is those who has excess money (lower class can just go to hell?).

One of the things in those advertisement is the statement that in xx days the price will go up. Say who ? The developers, and everyone will just follow their lead to pay.

The demand is created because many peoples are not buying home, they're buying investment and thus raising price is an important thing. I think it throws them into irrational mind and follow the lead from the developers that want to keep on bubbling the price of their products.

They raise the price by themselves and in the end they say it as if the value of the property itself raise up to magnificent proportion naturally. Making better housing even more out of reach for the common isn't it ?

[Add]

There's a column in the local business newspaper (Kontan) with a related issue. Is the property price in Indonesia bubbling ?

The writer, which I believe is far more experienced in business investment than the ignorant-me, think that it's not a bubble in Indonesia. At least, many peoples in Indonesia used cash payment instead of mortgage like in the west. The problem is how the house owner later use the property itself, because they could leverage and bubble the value themselves.

Although, being a business newspaper, I think there's also an interest to ensure and promote local investment so the idea IMO is giving a peace of heart that property is still a safe place to plant all those excess cash.

The short idea about developers keep on raising price of premium location without regards of supply and demand ends inconclusively within several paragraph before the end.

I still wish it would reach saturation point and spiral down for those who actually need the housing to live in.

Retro

Today, we’re checking an old title for re-release. The management seems to be trying to capitalize on old popular titles, those that are “true and tested” for lifeline. Well, the fact that the industry has changed also have part in it.

New titles are coming out like Soviet production line. Among it, the “quality” is getting less than what they used to be.
No, I don’t think so. But with so many coming at once, they have lost the closeness feeling. Back then, there’s only so much entertainment you can have and they’re your close friends. Now, they’re something off the shelf, regardless of quality.

Then from another field that became my hobby, camera. Retro camera design has been stirring the news, especially with Fuji’s new product.

What’s with that retro anyway ? Some that I’ve heard is…

Photo appreciation, am I doing it right ?

One of the question I often had to myself when about to finally find a comment for photo posted in the internet is... am I doing this right ?

Other than image critics which give (harsh, trolling or constructive) input to the photographer, appreciative comments often is about the character of the picture, composition of the picture, or how the photographer managed to capture a great or even perfect moment in that picture. About how deep the meaning contained and the sophisticated concepts, or techniques. It's about the man behind the gun.

Ciel is for CL

Finally she arrived :D
Not exactly “finally arrived” though because I have to pick her up in the post office and pay for the customs tax, which costed 25%. I’m quite lucky thanks to the dealer though, or else it would be far-far worse.

Yeah, next time it’ll be hand carry. I’m not buying anything funny above 60% of my CC limit anymore.