Another Victoria's Secrets

Apparently I didn't skip Easter as I planned. I skipped the three holy days but went to the Easter mass anyway. I went to 5 p.m. mass at St. Stefanus Church at Cilandak and instantly fell in love with the architecture of the church. It's a small but intimate church, with joglo architecture and island-styled Altar. So they put the Altar in the middle of the church and the people sit around it. It's very Javanese and looks so modest to me. I think I'm going back more often to this church. I simply love it!

I've just registered my blog to participate on Big Blog Exchange. Now I need as many supports as you can give me by clicking this link http://www.bigblogexchange.org/blog/546002 and vote with your email account. You can submit the vote as many as your email addresses. 


I hope I can win the 10 days life exchange with other passionate blogger on next June by winning this competition. Any vote would be highly appreciated. Thanks before, folks! XOXOXO~

This is actually the holy week for Catholic and Christian people, but I don't feel like it. I think I'm skipping Easter this year, the one thing I've never done in my whole life. I just don't feel like it.

Maybe because my heart is so weary now that I don't feel like doing anything or meeting anyone, including my close friends, even though I am currently staying at Serpong, a 15-30 minutes drive to Jakarta.

It's actually torturing me, because meeting friends had always been a very good healing treatment to me for years; but the series of events that happened lately in my life had been so weird I couldn't tell anyone about it--no one would understand, let alone give me an advice for solution--that I feel so distant to people right now.

I also realized this since a long time; that people change. I change, all the time. And my situation had never been so complicated before, nor the references I've read/heard/watched before. I just feel so lost and alone at this moment--and I tend to pull myself out of the crowd, even to be more lonely, in this kind of situation--, and hoping that things will get better soon.

I know that the best way to deal with difficult times is to surrender to Him, but I am also a human who have feelings. Perhaps I shouldn't feel at all because emotions are deceiving. Maybe it's just because of the PMS--I just hope, O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless not...

I was thinking about a little change while I'm in Jakarta and went to La'Candra salon at Jl. Gaharu I, Cipete. The hairdresser told me it's best to tint my hair a bit brownish so that's what he did. This is the result of 2 hours of experiment and I think I kinda like it. What do you think?

Check out on this art of Nelson Mandela below!


This art consisted of 50 meters high laser-cut steel plates set into the landscape, representing the 50 years anniversary of when and where Mandela was captured and arrested 1962 (prior to his 27 years of incarceration).


Standing at a particular point (presumably at the spot where people are standing at the photo above), the columns come into a focus and the image of Mandela can be seen.


The sculptor is Mario Cianfanelli of Johannesburg. Brilliant, isn't it?


via KSTB mailing list

I finally came back to Jakarta and celebrated my birthday with family. It wasn't a big celebration whatsoever but I was just glad that I could meet my family again. I had some meetings with people for both my ongoing project and my leisure time also, and tho I already missing my place in Bali so much, Jakarta is always a home to me.




Rachelle had been asking me to come by to her place for months and I thought last Friday was a good timing. Bobby, her husband, was at home so we had a little catch-up thing in a very limited time we had before midnight. It's always nice to see how our dear friends are happy with their new lives, but to me it's kinda weird to see them particularly being couple and the fact that they're married now. I need to get used to many things, really.


On Saturday we went to Bandung to sign yet another documents in front of a notary. This was necessary for the sale of our old house on Dad's name and since he had passed away, our signatures were needed instead. We had lunch at Hartwood before going to Muara area, then went straight to Jakarta and stopped by at Rest Area KM 97. It was a really nice trip tho the traffic was shitty but it was our quality time as family that counts.

We stayed the night at Aunt Lena's house and had all her children gathered there along with Tantri (Lauren's girlfriend) and Saphira (Hizkia's girlfriend). This just added more quality to our family-day, and I feel so glad that I have my family around who love me so much. I hope you all are experiencing the same love as I have. Bless you all!

I was discussing with a friend about relationship tonight. It's about a person who changes and pissed off the friends/other group members. This happens when people (could be friend or spouse) we've known for ages/spent so much time with us change suddenly while we are still the same/expecting the same.

We have to remember that we are unique. Each of us have different character, taste, dream, idealism, etc. Sometimes we meet along the way and stay together for some time. But nothing is eternal except for God, so do we humans. Even we're in a long friendship or even marriage, we are still a person; a character, a soul. We still need to grow and expand. We need to change in order to be as perfect as the image of God.

Sometimes we forget this and let our humanity limits things, including to limit our friend/spouse to grow. We all change eventually. Some friends/couples change and/or grow together, some apart. But nothing stays the same, and Paulo Coelho once said something like "we are never the same person we were a minute ago". I think it's true, because we grow each minute of our lives, without realizing it.
Sometimes people gets divorce or friends became stranger because they don't understand this exact formula of life--well I hope you know it now that you are reading this post.

I got the image I attached above just a few minutes before the discussion with my friend, as if it was shown to me for the discussion itself. I'd also quote the lyrics from Az Yet's song "Hard To Say I'm Sorry":


In order to keep the love alive between friends or spouses, we need to give each other some space. Solitude doesn't mean that you don't love each other anymore; it's giving a chance for our loved ones to develop themselves. Like in the movie Sex & The City 2, Carrie and Big found a way to keep their relationship fresh: to have a 'day off' at Carrie's apartment for some me-time (I think it's a really good idea and solution for couples).

So, back to my friend's problem, I'd say: we need to stop demanding things from people. People will change eventually, so let them be. We can love them by letting them grow the way they are supposed to and be better. As friend/spouse, we should warn them if they are becoming out of control or getting involved with serious negative things; but as long as they're still in the safe zone--even if we see it as a negative thing--just let them experience the process.

We need to do stupid things once in a while to know wiser things. We need to fall to learn to get up and stand higher. Doesn't mean that we should always fall, but we all have different paths and processes, so just go with the flow. God is very creative He doesn't like to have uniformity among us. He has so many different ways to teach His children, so let Him. Don't limit God's power, let Him work on us.


I wish you all a happy Palm Sunday and be ready to get into the Holy Week. God bless us all!

It's gonna be my birthday soon and I don't really have any plan to celebrate it, but I've been spoiling myself with some pre-birthday gifts I ordered from Periplus.com and the stuff arrived few days ago. I was really excited, and the package came with a calendar pillow which I filled with the Styrofoam beads like in the beanbags.


A friend is also giving me a pre-birthday gift tho it's still day away to go. I've been wanting these kind of boots for months because my old ones are damaged and I didn't bring them to Bali. And this pair is the most perfect one that suits my legs so much. It's made of dark grey suede with rubber bottom. I superlove the gifts and feel superblessed. Thank God!

Last Tuesday was Nyepi (silent day) in Bali, a new year of çaka calendar when Hindu-Balinese people celebrate the victory of goodness against bad things. During the day we aren't allowed to 'speak' loudly, to walk on the streets or to light any lamp. But I needed to work on some stuff so Ana and I booked a hotel room nearby called Desa Nyima (before it was Nyima Budget Inn).


I instantly fell in love with the place for it is beautifully made by used/white-washed woods and Kunci tiles and many greens in the garden. It's the interior-architecture's latest trend in Bali now, I can say. I love how tropical-vintage it looks like and just simply love being in the scene. So I could  already imagine how happy I would for the season being in the place.



Then we found that we would be stuck for two nights with a group of European guys and two other guests, so we went to the poolside to get to know them and found that Frenk and Joep came from Holland; Bert is from Belgium and Carlos from Germany; they are all backpacking and met in Bali (except for the first two ones who are friends from work back then).

After we checked in we went to the supermarket to buy some supply for the next 48 hours being stuck then went home to bring our stuff. Dewi joined us chilling at the hotel that evening, watching movies on DVD and then went out for dinner at the junction of Merta Agung and Mertanadi. There were also the ogoh-ogoh parade going on our way so we didn't have to go to the market to see it.


We went back to the hotel and decided to chill by the poolside, where the guys were hanging out and made some conversation with them. We ended up talking in group for hours till like 1 or 2 a.m. The Nyepi begins at 6 a.m. on the March 12 and ended on 6 a.m. the next day. So we needed to get at least two days booking at the hotel. That means 40-48 hours stuck with the same people in the compound.


Luckily I got myself surrounded with great environment and people. We had to cook our own meals for the day and night and of all the guys apparently three of them are chefs (which made Ana and I felt so bad about our cooking skills). We had the signal dropped for the last half of the day and also the first of next day so basically we were completely sealed in.


But it was more than okay to me and Ana. The night turned out to be magical for without any electricity and/or lights in the whole Bali island, the stars came out so brightly as if there was someone sprinkled the sparkling stardust on the black sky, which all look so close and could be seen with bare eyes. Me, Ana and the guys spent the whole night by the poolside looking up, mesmerized at our first stargazing experience.


I woke up at 6 a.m. the next day and both me and Ana went outside to see the first sunrise on the first day of the çaka year. We then had things arranged with the guys that after we checked out we went back to the hotel again and went with them looking for lunch by walking along the Seminyak area. We turned up to be walking all the way; 4 km to Kayu Jati street.


We decided to have lunch at a new Mexican restaurant for the others were still closed due to the Holy day. Dewi caught up with us and we had another 2 km walking to Seminyak beach by the sand. We had second lunch at the Warung Taris (because the portion before was too tiny), then walked back to Kayu Aya street, had some window shopping before finally went back home to get some nap.


We made it back to the inn at 8 p.m. and went together to The Deck at Jl. Petitenget where we met Dewi's friends; Priskilla and Hans. We had dinner, drink and played pool table till it was 12 a.m. then we carried on to Zappas at Kayu Aya, then we went home at 1 a.m. It was a really tiring but very fun Nyepi Day for me and Ana. So many great experiences; from new friends to watching ogoh-ogoh to stargazing. I am simply blessed!

My friend from Bandung, Luppi, is here since last Friday, and I gotta entertain her while she is staying at my place. We spent the few second days to take care of Ana who was sick for 3-4 days since the first day Luppi was here. We could go out on real holiday on Wednesday and traveled south to Uluwatu area with Rina (my elementary school mate from Bandung).


We went to Puja Mandala at Kampial area, Nusa Dua. The complex has five prayer buildings of five religions in Indonesia: mosque for Muslims, church for Catholics, vihara for Buddhist, another church for Protestants, and temple for Hindus. The existence of this complex proves that Bali is a peaceful place where religion difference doesn't matter. It's surely gonna be great if this can be applied all over the country.



We then went to Ana's interview place for her new job while we waited at a Kopi Tiam, then we fetched Devi and headed to Beachwalk and met Dewi and Muty who were going to watch movie that night. We had fun there till the shops closed and we went home past midnight for we also delivered the girls home one by one with so many girls talk and girls stuff between. Such a fun day..



The next day we headed to Ubud, just the three of us; Luppi, Ana and me. I was driving again and we stopped at Indus to enjoy the lush of forest and valley view from it, but was very much disappointed by the service there. We then moved to Dewi Sita street and had another break at Kafe Bunuté. We stayed there till 8 and headed back to Kerobokan.


I still have two more days with Luppi now, and enjoying a chill moment at Gourmet Café Petitenget this afternoon and probably gonna go to Bale Bali again tonight. It's so much fun to spend time with friends but I think I still need so much to learn about sharing, tolerating and compromising. I've spent too much time by myself for the last one year I really need to adapt with social life now. LOL.

As usual, I go out at night only on Friday. It used to be Tulip Restaurant but now it's Warung Bale-Bali. Well I go only where the crowd (read: my friends) go, and now Cia is working as part-time PR at Warung Bale-Bali so we all go there.

Every Friday night there's a really good acoustical band whose singer, Eka, just went home from the Voice Indonesia competition. She had made it to Group Giring but unfortunately couldn't go further. Too bad, because her voice is so beautiful and really entertained us. Well, I really hope I'll see you on Friday nite here if you visit Bali!