Another Victoria's Secrets

I completely forgot about the seminar when I went to church on Sunday. Putu texted me and reminded about "Inter Marriage" so I stayed there during the sessions at midday till 4 p.m. The speakers were three priests and a married couple of 32 years. The couple came from different religion, but then the husband being christened.

So based on what the seminar gave us, I took notes of some points as followed:

• From all religions, only Catholic allows inter marriage, besides the Islam men (Islam women must marry another Islam).
• Only Catholic takes marriage "seriously", which means it can happen only once in a lifetime and no divorce is allowed.
• Any marriage of a Catholic with another Church (mixta religia) needs a "permit" from the Church and the holy matrimony (Sacrament) can be given. 
• Any marriage of a Catholic with other religion (disparitus cultus) is legit, but the Sacrament can not be given. Instead, a dispensation will be given from Bishop.
• If marriage of a Catholic with other religion / Church is not taken care of with the Church Council, the Catholic party is being called "murtad" or is kicked out from Catholic Church membership. So consultations and some documents need to be done before the wedding. 
• Any marriage of a Catholic with other religion / Church oblige the children from this marriage to be raised and taught by Catholic teachings, and the party with other religion must make a pledge of this before God.
• Once someone gets out from the Catholic Church, six months of catechetical needs to be given before Church can accept him/her back. This is required to prepare one to re-enter the Church with complete heart and mind.
• Inter marriage is a policy set by Catholic Church to adapt with modern world, to show its flexibility to the changing of time. Yet, it is not suggested because it is too risky due to its "once in a lifetime" rule. 
• Several cases are considered for divorce, especially when the marriage was troubled from the first time or not done legally in Catholic way. Nevertheless, to take care of this, one need not only to consult with priests or Bishop, but to translate all documents into English and send them to Vatican to be processed. This can take months or years, so avoiding trouble would be best done at the beginning.
• If someone gets divorced after a legal Catholic marriage, one needs to ask for amnesty to the Bishop to re-enter the Church. If one doesn't do that, their rights to all Sacraments are taken, including the Eucharistic Sacrament. Before the amnesty, one is being ex-communicate with the Church.
• No Catholics are allowed to be married twice in a lifetime, except if the husband/wife of first marriage died or several cases appears. But once one is divorced, one should not marry again. So, be wise with your choice of this lifetime partnership!

These are what I got, and I want to share with you, in case you didn't know. I hope I put these clear enough, or you can just ask me on the comment box below.

Anyway, Ka Darmo won a bottle of Ralph Lauren "Rocks" perfume from the question-and-answer session and he didn't like it so I brought it home. It's so nice because my own perfume is running out and I also like the smell. So, the luck was mine, I guess :)
Thank God!

I saw a dead body this morning, on my way to the church. Two men fell off from a four story building (I don't know from which floor they fell) and when I went pass it one of them was lying still with blood all over his head and body while people still tried to shake the other one--which I assumed to be surviving.

I kept on praying for both of them, may God give him peace and rest the soul or the cure for the other. But at the rest of my journey to the church, I was asking myself, what if it happened to me? What if it was me who fell down or got the traffic accident while I was driving?

Well I think I am ready and all set. I am already feeling contented in all aspect of my life. I never really chase for money and world's glamour things. I never really want to be some world famous designer or whoever people always draw attention to. I never really want to have a family of my own either. Myself here now is enough, and Ilham's love completes me. Besides, all of my family and friends love me so much. I wouldn't really want anything else actually.

So maybe, if God decides to take me now, I am all ready. Even from last year, I already felt so ready for that. It is my boyfriend and family who I think wouldn't be ready... and also my life task here isn't done yet (if it's done, I wouldn't be here now).

I know most people would find this post too provocative and find it uncomfortable. But due to my experience and knowledge, I had never ever seek for secular things in priority. I care more about what God thinks of me--whether I deserve a home there in Heaven or not--and about the people in my surroundings. So I don't care if I die now, because I am feeling ready.

It's just that God takes people who weren't ready more than taking away those who are. It is because God still needs me and those who are ready to do His works on earth so He extends my stay here, being alive. I know that my goal is to enter His Gate of Heaven. But before that, I know there are still so many things to do, and I hope I could do my best for that. Amen.

Bali is famous for its night clubs and night life, especially in Legian street and Seminyak area. Ever since I moved to Bali, people thought that I am living such a glamorous and hedonist life. Well, you got me wrong, people. I didn't move here to spend money or live the high life. I haven't even touch any night club yet (well, except for the gay bar that one time. LOL.)

NOPE.
I didn't came for such hedonism.

It is not to live luxuriously, either. I just disagree to anything that happened in my life back in Bandung / Jakarta, so I try to live the way I want it now in Bali, setting my own rules and habits. I also like it here because I know almost nobody here. I could simply start fresh.

I came here to start over.
I came here to live the kind of life I'd always wanted.
I came here to fix the wrongs in my life, to make it better and live it in God's way.
I came here to be alive and be on my own, which supposed to be happened like six-seven years ago right after graduation.
But late is better than never, anyway.

When I think back of my life lately, I found that Bali is perfect to me. When I was offered a job in Bali last December, I refused because I was scared that I would be lonely without friends, and afraid that the culture won't fit me, even though I've always loved Bali since my first visit in 1994.
I think it's just that I wasn't ready then, but now I am.


Bali Isn't All About Hedonism...

Bali is about finding peace, too. Although there are so many very strong unseen forces around the island, people here live in peace. Maybe the karma law which believed by the Hindustan, the island brings the positive and peaceful aura to all the people living on it--or at least for all the people I meet here.

Maybe I am not ready yet to live such a silence life in Ubud, but Kerobokan suits me well for now. It is less crowded than in Kuta area, not too much an urban city like in Denpasar, more alive than in Ubud and more comfortable than Jimbaran. It suits me well, who isn't settled down yet but also no more looking for secular fun.

But life here is so much fun to me. I don't need no alcohol nor disco songs to help me achieve my fun time. I don't need no mushroom nor weed to find my peaceful moment. I just need myself and some time alone, and sometimes the beach and sunset. I don't even need no other human to accompany me at the beach. I love my time with the nature and God, and sometimes a book.

The other thing is people don't care about what kind of things we are wearing. We don't need to be uniformed and people just won't bother. I don't need no fancy clothes nor fabulous make up to feel pretty here. I just need to be myself and bring my peacefulness along. People here don't judge by the look, social status, job position, religion or anything else. They accept us the way we are. I find these relieving and makes me comfortable with it.

And to ride a motorbike is such a common thing, which is the most practical vehicle in Bali, unlike in Jakarta or Bandung where either we are concerned about the pollution or about being underestimated for not affording to buy a car. I found it very comfort and easy to ride the motorbike--and enjoying it very much, especially now that I got the Fino.


You're Wrong About Him Too...

And people think that I am crazy to have a relationship with someone who lives far away in the city I just left behind. Hey, it is another way God wants to show me that His way is sometimes unpredictable. He could make use of something that is thrown away by people (those who are petty-minded) to be a blessing for some other (who have the faith), like what God said about Himself: "the stone the builders rejected has become the capstone" (Mark 12:10, NIV)

God gave me Ilham as a blessing, who is like a revelation to me, just like his name (ilham is Indonesian for "inspiration"). He proves me wrong that I thought there wouldn't be any living guy who could love me the way I dreamed of. Instead, he shows me love the way Jesus did, which is much better than what I expected before. He is the representation of Jesus's love and blessing to me.

I truly learn a lot of things from him, apart from the teachings of Islam religion which I knew only a little about. What he truly teaches me is to love unreasonably and unconditionally; he teaches me to think and act the way Jesus would. John 15:14 (NIV) said, "You are my friends if you do what I command."

Ilham always reminds me to focus on the purpose of we being together, not about the differences. I really don't feel we are different at all, actually. We are both humans who love the same things and praise the same God. We are both humans who are full of love to God, to family, to friends and to other people. We are both humans who love each other. So what's the difference in there, unless if it's human's made?

So my life in Bali isn't all about the parties and the hedonism and dating foreigner guys. My life in Bali is the more peaceful choice one can find here: yoga, closeness to God, proper work, make friends with people and nature, and the most important is: being close with inner self. I hope more people are experiencing the joy I feel now. May God bless us all, friends!

This is the blog I just found, although I've seen the cartoon (originally made by a Korean guy, Park Dong Seon) long time ago, the translated Indonesian version of it. Anyway, this is the English translated cartoon about the typical reaction of each blood type due to the author's version. This is so hilarious you guys need to visit this!

I went to Denpasar, today for work stuff. It was my first time riding a bike there, on purpose of finding a handycam for boss and the only place that have various choices is Remo at Jl. Diponegoro. So I went there. I found what I needed but I still got time to look for other things, that was why I got this new casing with me.


My old BB's rubber casing is getting very loose, so it's time to get a new one. I don't really like buying things I don't need actually, but I love this instantly, especially because the pattern and texture of the back side, and also the chromed border for each hole for the camera and flash. I am just so glad I found this one!

I started reading Bible again and browsed about Catholics in the internet and found this magnificent image of Jesus Christ. It took my breath away when I first look at it and couldn't let it go just like that. I think I have to buy the painting... later.

Below are the twelve promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary to encourage all Catholics to know and understand the benefit of practicing the Devotion and to encourage all to take up its immediate practice:

1. I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
2. I will give peace in their families and will unite families that are divided.
3. I will console them in all their troubles.
4. I will be their refuge during life and above all in death.
5. I will bestow the blessings of Heaven on all their enterprises.
6. Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and infinite ocean of mercy.
7. Tepid souls shall become fervent.
8. Fervent souls shall rise quickly to great perfection.
9. I will bless those places wherein the image of My Heart shall be exposed and honored and will imprint My love on the hearts of those who would wear this image on their person. I will also destroy in them all disordered movements.
10. I will give to priests who are animated by a tender devotion to my Divine Heart the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.
11. Those who promote this devotion shall have their names written in my Heart, never to be effaced.
12. I promise you in the excessive mercy of my Heart that my all powerful love will grant to all those who communicate on the First Friday in nine consecutive months, the grace of final penitence; they will not die in my disgrace, nor without receiving their sacraments. My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

I also browsed from the Arabic characters for Our Father and found these wonderful calligraphy. I am very interested on learning calligraphy like Athena did ("The Witch of Portobello", Paulo Coelho), but I don't think I have another time to learn it. For now, I'll be just the calligraphy lover.

I can never forget the thing a sister said in Cikanyere when I went to follow the retreat two months ago: "When you pray, ask God to add up your faith."

She was right.
At the moment I was still a tepid soul, but I can feel how God changed me to a fervent soul. And I can not wait to rise to the great perfection.

It had been almost two months since I settled down in Bali. I hadn't shop for any fashion stuff, so when I got the opportunity, I bought this pair of light brown wedges for only IDR 130,000 (after discount). What a bargain!

Who is this man? Why is he here? My life was completely perfect when I first came to Bali. But a week after that, this guy came along to my world and invited himself to join. I didn't really know him. I only met him once last November 21st.

I am currently reading Aleph, which is talking about reincarnation and the things that happened in our pasts. It talks about love at first sight. And just like Hilal who insisted to be part of Paulo's journey through the Trans-Siberian Railway, Ilham insisted to join mine. On this journey I planned to go thru alone, I got this company who makes me questioning a lot of things.

Not that he's unpleasant. He is fun to be with, in contrary. The thing is, he seems to be too perfect for me. He loves me exactly the way I want it to be, and he's there for me during my bad times. Even on the worse situation, he claimed that he's not going anywhere. (He says) he's gonna stay till the end. I really didn't know if such man with such heart still exists. I thought real gentlemen were already extincted long time ago with the end of black-and-white movie era.

But he exists. He's "here". And he's staying. In fact, he's coming here to Bali to be with me, planning our future together...

Wait.

This seems just too good to be true. Yeah, as I said before. I find it's kinda hard to believe that I have such a perfect boyfriend.

Not that he's perfect, either. Nobody's perfect, as everyone would agree. It's just that I got all my priorities of the guy type in him so I can put aside the religion difference or age gap with him. It's his strength that covers his weakness and makes me love him so much for being the way he is.

It's amazing how he can make me (or as Kenneth said "someone like me", as if it's such an impossible thing) commit to him while there are so many other eligible bachelors from all around the world here around me, especially when I am all alone and free in Bali, far from family and friends.

But I belong completely to God now. I surrendered myself entirely to God's plan and here I am in Bali, having a long-distance-relationship with someone I barely knew in Bandung. It's completely out of mind, but I know God led me to him and I can just follow His path. Whatever He say, it is whatever I am doing.

By the way, I was chatting with Sary this morning. We discussed about our relationships with these 'perfect' guys, apart from the different religions. Sary (a Moslem girl from Palembang) is having a Catholic boyfriend, so we are sharing so many similar stuff now.

She said, the older we got, the more complicated stuff we deal with in a relationship. I said it's a good one. It means that we are developing and getting more mature, getting a level higher in this school of a lifetime.

But I said to her, when we were young, we seek for partner who fulfills our physical expectation. The most beautiful sexy chick in school, or the most gorgeous senior jock... we cared nothing about character and focused more on the appearance.

That was why, as teenagers, we were mostly disturbed more by hearty thingy and emotional problems with our partner. We usually get someone who is from our church or the same religion environment or from the same school, which is usually share the same family/education/religion background. Perhaps our parents like them so much or their parents match with us. Mostly, their friends circle are also ours, so it doesn't matter. The problem comes more from the unstable characters or true-selves as young adults.

But as we get older and experienced more, we learned that the cover isn't everything. The content is what matters more. That is why, as we seek more into the heart (and brain), the problems occurred came more from the outside, such as physical features, family, religion, friends/environment and so on. We have to fight against the current, and I think it's worth it if we know who we are and what we want.

We are not our parents, even though we were raised by their law and habits. But we are unique and independent. At the end, it is all between us and God. Parents may show the way, but the decision is purely our choice and responsibility to commit with. Of course, this case matters a lot in Indonesia, where you are not just gonna be married to your partner but also to his/her whole family too. I pity us for being in such condition, but that is the way it is.

Well, anyway, I just go with the flow now. I believe God leads my path and I shall not worry about anything. I know that He understand me a lot more than I do, so I believe that anything He grant for me now is everything that I need. When I don't worry, I receive a lot more of blessings and I just be grateful of it. Aren't you agree with me?

Okay. So I got the wardrobe already. And the sofa bed. I had the refrigerator I bought from Siong Cen delivered today. But my room is still empty. It limited my freedom that Mom said I have to stay on the element of wood or water and not to the fire or metal, for my element is wood. So here's the latest plan design I can think of, while still waiting to buy the remaining stuff slowly. I hope all will be done by the end of the month and gonna be cozy soon. iHope. :)

Yesterday morning, Asiong fetched me at 7 a.m. and we had rice porridge breakfast at Teuku Umar. Then we headed on to the north, way to the forests of Ubud. At first we made a stop at Tony Raka gallery, a place where Asiong made a lot of painter and artist friends. He was saying goodbye to a friend there, Ruth, who works at the gallery.

There was also an exhibition being held there, "Painting@Drawing". I love some of them, so I took pictures of them tho it was not allowed.








Then we went to Neka Museum, right in front of the old Nuri's. He took me on a trip around the museum and it felt like going on the Indonesian Art History class once again. From the classic Balinese painting to the modern foreigner painters, all were gathered in the museum. The ticket was IDR 50,000 per person.


We then had lunch at the famous Nasi Ayam Kedewatan Bu Mangku on the way home, then visited the Yamaha dealer for my bike about one hour later. I was so excited with my new bike, but I had to leave it at home because it still had no plate. Asiong took me to Warung Bunana nearby for a plate of Malaysian roti canai and teh tarik. It was so nice!

Yesterday, I bought my first motorbike. An elegant Yamaha Fino Classic, a modern automatic scooter with vintage touch. I was very happy and excited, not only this is my first vehicle ever, it is also classy. Look at the classic dashboard

At first, I was interested on buying Honda Spacy, because I rode on Honda Vario for a month before and was very satisfied with it, loving its every details, from the size, the weight, to its performa. But the budget was a little below it, so I was going to Spacy, with bigger compartment in which a helmet could be stored inside.

Then, I couldn't resist when I see Piaggio LX (the new automatic Vespa scooter), but the price was so high I had to live poorly for the next five years to get it mine. So, why not taking the second best of it? I was considering Scoopy, but besides it has a very small compartment, I think I see it everywhere here in Bali. So I was a little sick of it.

Then the idea to Fino came from a friend. I saw it, and instantly fell in love with it, especially for a more vintage touch than Scoopy's retro style. I really wanted the classic brown color, but too bad it doesn't enter the Indonesia market. So I went for the black.

Yesterday I had the scooter dropped at my place, but I still had to wait for the papers and license plate for another 4-10 days. I hope it'll come soon, so I can drive around the town with some class! LOL. I am very grateful that Mom is helping with this, and also I am so in love with the new bike. Thank God, for letting me have this beautiful ride!  :) :)

OK. You may say I'm a nomadic person, but I needed to move out. The idea came when I fell sick last Wednesday. I couldn't get off of the bed and my body was extremely exhausted. I guess it was because I was too tired riding the bike the whole 8-9 km per trip from the kost to office (and another 8-9 km for the trip home), and also got too much gastric acid. I eat late than my meal times so it hurt so bad.

So I was looking for a new place last Thursday night after work. Victor, a friend from the church, accompanied me to search around Kerobokan area. God blessed us, we found this crib at our first effort. The guy who owns a warung where we had dinner showed us the small road right in front of the jail. It was a 3-meters wide paved road with nice surroundings.

This vacant room is at the front side of the house, facing north, with 3 x 4.2 sqm plus a 1.2 x 1.2 sqm shower inside. The room height is 3 meters, which made the room spacious enough for two. I paid the DP that night and went back the next day to pay the deposit for the first month.



Tante Siska came to my old kost last Saturday at 8 a.m. and helped me packing all the stuff. We then headed to Jl. Imam Bonjol to find suitable cupboard, which I got at the second shop we visited. It cost IDR575,000 for a three-doors. We then searched for curtain, which I found at the first shop near the new kost. I got the mint colored calico cloth and nice wood rail.

We still had to make the second trip because Tante Siska's blue jazz couldn't hold all of my stuff, but the second trip was easier and faster. She dropped me and the stuff at the new kost at 4 p.m. and I got Victor came not too long after that. He helped me with the assembling stuff and to clean the tiles with Porstex. It was quite a job!

It was hard to say goodbye to the first place that welcomed me when I came to Bali. I've known all the roads and the shops and every little things about Kubu Anyar (at least I think I knew it) and the friends and the hospitality of the house owner and his family. But I need to sacrifice this comfort zone to get into a more comfort I needed.

That was why I came back to the old place yesterday after 7 a.m. mass. This time, I was the visitor, since my old room was already occupied (even it was just a day before). It truly is hard to say goodbye, but I will still visit them and the new place brings me so much energy, especially when I am able to decorate it more with the style I want it.


I spent last night shopping at Carrefour and Ace Hardware, overjoyed for finding a cute dish garden and plastic fruit basket. I hope the place will turn out better next month after I paint it and put some niches on the wall. This is like the first place I truly own by myself! Thank you, Lord, for putting everything in the right places!

I know it had been a while since my last posts. Well you know, I've been busy here. Not too busy as how I used to in Jakarta, but definitely way busier than my last moments in Bandung. Anyway, life's been very good here. I am extremely loving the job at the office, loving my boss and all the surrounding that comes in it.

In church, I'd never been this active and involved for the last ten years. I shared about it in previous post. Over all, I am so glad to be where I am now. People said that it is hard to live in Bali, especially when you don't have any friend here. But I, thankfully, made friends easily here, guys and girls, just like two Saturdays ago when I decided to start doing yoga again.

I went to Prana and met the instructor of 9 a.m. class, Widya. Then, came inside Emma, a woman I've met before when I first came to Prana. So I ended up having lunch with Emma after class, and we had such a relaxing manicure-pedicure treatment at Kunti I Road. Then I spent the whole next day at her place, swim for two hours and had spaghetti bolognaise she made especially for me.

I may live far away from my family and the friends from my old life, but God never let me lonely. He sent angels to accompany me here, new friends in my new life. This reminds me a bit of a version in the Bible:

I did drained all of my money and savings to go to Bali and do exactly what He told me to do. I did leave behind my family and friends. I came to this island with nothing but faith. Yet, He completes me with my nothingness. Here I feel joy and fullness of my being. I never feel lacked because I have Jesus. I am never alone because He's here with me, either in form of friends or even in my solitude. I am full of Him!

Praise the Lord for He listens to our needs even before we remember to pray. Praise the Lord who gives us much more than we could ever think of. Praise the Lord for He completes us, especially when we least expect it. Alleluia!

I went to Bedugul a week before Palm Sunday, 24-25 March, with the group of Church Youth Organization (Orang Muda Katolik or OMK) of St. Fransiskus Xaverius. At first, I was silence and kept myself busy with Aleph, because I know no one there. But as we reached Bedugul Lake View at 7 p.m., I had managed myself to get to know several new friends in the bus.



The program for the night was the soul healing. The next day, tho, we started early at 5.30 a.m. for morning gym, breakfast, etc. Then we spent the whole of the second day with games, singing, praising God, some sessions, and then went back to Kuta at around 5 p.m. That was exhausting!


After that, I helped them to take part at the choir for Maundy Thursday, the 9 p.m. mass. We were dressed in white kebaya and the holy mass finished at around 11 p.m. It was exhausting, but I was happy to get new friends, around 80-100 young adults joined the recollection and active in OMK. At least I would always have companion(s) when I attend mass. Thank God I got friends here!