FAQ
Djunaedy is MY name
- Djunaedy, is it your surname?
No, it is not my surname - Then it is your family name?!
No, it is not either - ?!?!?!
Like most Indonesians, I do not have surname nor family name. Both Ery and Djunaedy are my names.
Culturally, as Muslims, we are required to put our father’s name after our names. (It is the names of our father, NOT his surname nor his family name). Officially, in birth registry or in police records, our full name are written in the form of “Name son-of Father’s_Name” or “Longer_Name daughter-of Four_Words_Father’s_Name”. But in ID cards or passport, only our names are written.
Find more information here on Indonesian names.
So, you will easily find Indonesian with a single name. In other cultures which cannot live without surnames, you will find interesting things. In Netherlands, single named person will automatically be given a new surname: “Onbekend” (which simply means “Unknown”). In Germany, the single name is repeated twice, and the second of the same word will be considered the surname.
I am a bit lucky, as my parents gave me a two-words name. When I am required to give a surname, I just give my second name. And everybody is happy. - But why then you named your children Djunaedy?
You can call it a cultural assimilation. Firstly, I am doing this in accordance with Muslim ethics to put my name in my children’s name. Secondly, it makes us easier to live in the countries where you are expected to have surname. - BTW, what Djunaedy means?
It is an arabic word that means “my little hero”.
Building physics
- So you are an architect?
No Sir, I am not. - Then you are a civil engineer?
No Sir, I am not. - But you said your research area is building science?
Yes Sir, I did. But I am not an architect nor a civil engineer. - And building scientist is a different species?
Sort of. As far as a building is concerned, there are four categories of people who are responsible for its existence. The first is the owner, which has a dream to build a building. The second is the architect, who is another dreamer who can translate a dream into sensible models (in the form of drawings and mock-ups). The third is the civil (structural) engineer, who decides whether the models can really be built.
The fourth group of people is the one who ensure that the building is habitable. If it is a house, then somebody will have a comfortable home. If it is an office, then everybody will be able to work in a productive environment.
The scope of expertise of this fourth group is called building physics, or in some part of the world it is called building science. Some people simply call it mechanical electrical works (M/E works, as they put it), but really it is much more than that. It involves multi discipline expertise like material science (to select a suitable building materials), mechanical engineering (for ventilation, air conditioning, etc), electrical engineering (think of those cables), lighting (this is obvious, unless you want to work with insufficient lighting), acoustics, hygiene, medicine and many more.
The people who has expertise in one of these areas, and knows bits and pieces of other areas, so that they can use the expertise to improve the building performance, then the person is a building scientist.
Food consumption
- Are you vegetarian?
Most of the time, no. - What is that suppose to mean?
It means, there are times that I need to be vegetarian. - And when are those times?
Look, I am a Muslim, and that goes with the food too. I have to consume what is called "Halal Food". It is something like "Kosher Food" to the Jews. To make it simple: I can only take meat (beef, lamb, poultry, you name it) if it is slaughtered according to Muslim rules (or Jewish rules, as I can consume kosher meat). Apart from that: strictly no pork and no alcohol. For more information on this, I have a section in my personal pages on halal food. - So you will have to miss those lovely birthday cakes we have from time to time at the coffee corner?
I am afraid so, because the cake will almost certainly contain gelatine, or other animal-derived ingredients. But I will certainly come to the coffee corner, for the coffee and to congratulate the one who has the birthday celebration.
Praying
- I saw you praying.
Yes, as a practicing Muslim, I have to pray five times a day. - Five?!
Yes, five. - When will you do your job, then?
Well, that’s a wrong conclusion. Firstly, our prayer lasts on average around ten minutes. Secondly, I have to perform only two prayers during office hours. In summer, it’s only one. So, I can do my job as anybody else could. - What should I do when I found you praying?
You can carry on your activity as usual. Just do not step in front of me (which should not be possible, as I am not allowed to pray while blocking the way of others, and I usually pray in the corner or facing the wall). You do not have to observe full silence during my prayer, carry on your conversation the usual way if you need to, but of course, do not talk to me. If you need to see me, please wait for me, or come back again later, I will be at your service
in ten minutes time.
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