Dear Prof. Marleau:

Your e-mail above was delivered into my mailbox
on the first day of the holy month of Ramadhan.
Most schools in Indonesia are closed for a month,
but not universities and other workplaces and
offices. The real holiday that we celebrate - 
we call it the Eid celebration - will be next 
month after the fasting days in this holy month
are over. My two daughters are now both in college.
The eldest one, Rena, as you know, is now a senior
majoring Psychology in Bandung, while the second 
one, Dhika, was just enrolled this year, is 
majoring International Relation in the University 
of Indonesia located near the capital city Jakarta.
Only three of us now living in Makassar, my youngest
daughter (that you've never met) Muti is now a
4-th grader at the Elementary School nearby.
Since our two daughters are in Java, and our immediate
family are living there in Bandung (my mother in
law) and Bogor (my dad), then it would be easier 
for us to go there to celebrate the Eid next month,
rather than calling our daughters home to Makassar.

Regarding my dad's book, it would be easier for 
you to order it on-line through the Internet. 
My friend told me that the book is not sold 
off the shelf at book stores. You may try to 
click this:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1844012468/qid%3D1096509757/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/104-3911503-5659909
or

We hope you and Mrs. Marleau would enjoy reading
the story book written by a retired professor.....

My Toyota "Kijang" (meaning "deer" in Bahasa Indonesia)
is still my only car. It was a 1991, a bit younger than
your old Camry (I thought yours was a Cellica Sport Car?),
and the odometer shows a bit more than 200,000 km. 
Our home is very close to the university, so everytime
I have an 8:00 am class in the morning, I open my
garage door at 7:50, and still I am not late. It takes
me less than 10 minutes to go to campus. 

In our department, I am still taking care of the 
ADB(Asian Development Bank)-assisted project. 
It is a 4 year project until 2006, costs around
US$ 1 million, 40 % of it for the procurement of
laboratory equipment, another 40 % for staff 
development, and the rest is for civil works, 
program development, management, research and 
studies, etc. 

There are a lot of things to talk about in 
politics and other general issues. For the 
first time in the Indonesian history we 
directly elected our President like you do
in the US. Unfortunately, the elected President
is another (Retired) Army General...... Well, 
seemed that we did not have any other choice.
A couple of weeks ago, a bomb was exploded
near the Australian Embassy in Jakarta,
and just recently we heard that another bomb
was exploded in front of the Indonesian 
Embassy in Paris, France ...... The world 
is becoming more and more dangerous to live
in, isn't it?

I forwarded this e-mail to my two daughters.
They may still remember your dog Trooper.....
How is your grandson Marleau, Jr.? You and
Mrs. Marleau must have been enjoying him
very much.

OK, I thinks that's it for now, we'll keep in
touch.

Best Regards,
Rhiza Sadjad
rhiza@unhas.ac.id
http://www.unhas.ac.id/~rhiza/