Meet Budi Pulunggono

Mr Budi Pulunggono, a native of Jakarta, Indonesia, holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing Management and works as a consultant in the Information Technology industry. Married and a father of two, Budi was keen to visit Singapore to find out more about study and work opportunities. His wife, Mrs Wahuni Kamila Handrica, had only previously visited Singapore’s tourist spots. They collected many personal experiences to further substantiate their appreciation of Singapore’s conducive environment for family life.

What was Budi’s Singapore Experience like?

“We feel very honoured to have had the chance to meet with several company directors and even the Assistant CEO of the Media Development Authority. We are also proud, why? We met three Indonesians during our visit to A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research who are senior public sector executives. So we could see that Indonesians could also show their intelligence and contribute to this well-planned country. In the future, maybe all media around the world will consider Singapore an international media hub.”

Highlights of Budi’s visit

Winning this Contest let Budi discover many lesser-known aspects about the Lion City. For an overview of living in Singapore, the Pulunggonos visited the eastside Joo Chiat district to explore public and private housing estates. Clean, litter-free streets lined with landscaped sidewalks and orderly, spruced up apartments confirmed their impressions of this clean and green city.

Singapore’s Progressive Education System
The couple was amazed at the progress of the Singapore education system over the years and the commitment and dedication of staff and students.

At Anderson Secondary School, they met the Principal, Mrs Poh Mun See, who shared about Singapore’s all-rounded education system and showed them school facilities including a computer lab with a showcase of students’ award-winning animation works, and an Innovation Room dedicated to nurturing creativity which had a display of a bicycle upside down!

At the National University of Singapore, a chat with Indonesian students gave a first-hand feel of what it might be like for their daughters to study in Singapore. They walked through safe and clean dormitories at Prince George’s Park Residences, home to many international students.

The Future of Technology and Work Opportunities in the City
Budi and Wahuni visited Fusionopolis, Singapore’s research and development hub set in a 200-hectare development called One-North.

At A*STAR’s Institute for Infocomm Research, Prof Lye Kin Mun, Deputy Executive Director (Research), showed them around displays of futuristic R&D technology at FusionWorld and STARhome, shared about A*STAR’s partnerships with the private sector, and introduced a few international researchers, including three from Indonesia who had settled in Singapore.

At the Media Development Authority, Mr Seto Lok Yin, Assistant Chief Executive Officer (Industry) opened a world of possibilities for the couple, especially for their daughter who is keen on digital media. They learnt about the proposed media hub Mediapolis and took an inside peek behind the scenes at the Asian Food Channel.

A Singaporean Food Experience of Many Cultures
A must-have foodie experience completed their Singapore visit. Apart from Budi’s quest for teh tarik (local milk tea “pulled” (poured) between two cups to create froth) and kaya (coconut jam) toast and Wahuni’s craving for durians, the couple also sampled a sumptuous local feast at the al fresco food spot Gluttons Bay beside Marina Bay.

Summing up the trip, it was, as they say in Indonesia, “hebat!” (great!). For more of Budi’s and Wahuni’s experience in Singapore, see the pictures and video of their visit.