Another Victoria's Secrets

Goldi, Lauren, Ray, Hizkia, Saphira, Angel, Oom Kus, me, Mom, Aunt Siska, Tante Shelley, Aunt Agnes, Aunt Lena, Aunt Dewi and Oma. Minus my sister here.

My beautiful birthday aunt and her kids

My aunt Lena's birthday was three days earlier but she celebrated it on my brother's birthday, on June 27th. Too bad he and my cousin Manuel couldn't make it to Jakarta so we should celebrate it without them. We went to Sarang Oci at Bulungan for the occasion and had our family's favorite Manadonese dinner feast there (FYI, their bakwan jagung is the best!)

We own the Spincity!

After dinner, by Saphira's idea, we all headed to eX for the last time before it's gonna get tear down soon (the building was designed for a maximum 10 years use only). We had some bowling games at Spincity and it was really a great family bonding thing for all of us. Even Mom and Aunt Agnes had their throws. And I managed to smooth my throw after my disappointment game with my cousins last year.

Look, I'm gonna hit a strike! --Nah.

This really isn't an important post for you, but I had a great time that night, to have (almost) all the family gathering and having fun together, and it's not just cooking, eating and talking but to play some game we all like and enjoy about. I think it's more important to do stuff like this more than just gathering, because the fun is way different. It's the active and enjoyable fun, and it really brings the closeness in each of us. I suggest this kind of family game time for at least once in 1-2 months. What do you say?

via deviantart

My brother is on his approach to some Pisces girl and he asked me--being a Pisces and a sister--for guidance. While I think being with a Pisces girl is never that hard, but still my brother always finds difficulties when getting to know with Pisceans and this had been going on for many times now. He, being a Cancer, still cannot get what's in a Pisces mind and heart--while Pisces-Cancer should be a very compatible combination.

So I think maybe I have to post this for you guys who wants to be with a Pisces girl: don't worry, they will give you signs. Pisceans believe in love at first sight and (trust me) their intuition is super-sharp, therefore they'd know in just seconds whether it will be a lifetime of love and partnership or a lifetime of friendship. It's just either one.

You'll even know it on your first date--if not, the latest is on the third. If there's a flirting etc going on then it's a green light for you. If the conversation goes smooth, great and fun about everything but not about your relationship or about you personally, then you're already friend-zoned. And it's for a lifetime. So save your next moves and just be friends with her. We Pisceans are so great being friends with our opposite sex.

A Pisces is actually very easy to handle--by the right person. If you find difficulties on understanding a Pisces then you're not the right person for them because they will always give you hints about what's going on inside her mind, her heart, her world, even her fantasy. She is really that open, wide as books, only if you're the one they trust upon.

Pisceans really are romantic. They will send you songs according to what she feels/thinks about herself, you or your relationship. They will create poems, songs, short stories, artworks, buy you things... anything that could express her feelings toward you. If she never does any of the things above then don't waste your time. She is not a person who could fall in love in time. She falls at the hello and falls fast, but it's not gonna be a fast-ending story. A love from a Pisces lasts a lifetime, even long after you breaks up with her.

Only, if ever she walks away there ain't gonna be a second chance. She's a keeper, as she also keeps her exs as friends. No matter how much she loves a man, once she decides to get over him, it's over as lovers. You may stay best friends for life, but not romantically or sexually ever again. That's why a Pisces falls hard and gives everything when you're together--sometimes overwhelming--because when she decides to move on it means she has nothing left to give you. So never take her for granted.

So, I hope these clues could help you get along with a Pisces, because as I said earlier: she's really easy to be with if you're the guy her heart chooses. If you find it different with what I'm saying here then just back off and find other girl to be with. A Pisces doesn't waste her time on getting to know someone for months or years. It's either now and forever, or not at all. So, good luck with your Pisces!


PS. Sometimes a Pisces could wait to be with you, too. When the situation isn't right at first time, she'll live her life till time decides for you to meet with her again. But do not mistaken this with the friend-zone stuff. Either first meeting or first meeting after some time, the rule still applies: she'll show you signs whether it's a yes or no.

Macy Gray is one of my favorite singer and her newest song (that I know about) comes on my top playlist now. Simply love her voice!

via hdwallpapers

I watched this movie on my own last week. I have always loved Sleeping Beauty among other Disney's princesses but never really thought about its villain until now. I kinda surprised myself that I actually liked Maleficent because its name (Snow White's villain has no specific name but Evil Queen and Ariel the Mermaid's villain is Ursula. I don't like the name Ursula) and its robe colors (black and purple) and that she could turn into a dragon.

via wikianocookie

Now that I watched the version that played by Angelina Jolie, you know I fell for this character even more. Perhaps because she is actually a fairy and once had wings (Evil Queen only has a mirror on the wall and became an evil old lady while Ursula is a fat underwater sorcerer--Maleficent got all the magic by nature). I got list of the whys I love this movie:

1. Angelina Jolie plays Maleficent--all of her sides: the happy, the hurt, the evil--so perfectly.
2. Her make up (especially the cheekbones) and horns are so similar to the cartoon version, up to her big black ring on her point finger.
3. Maleficent has wings! Who would've guessed that? She looks just so gracious with those huge wings.
4. Diaval the Crow is definitely a great additional character as human.
5. Everything was according to the cartoon version we've always knew, added with 'untold details'. Like: she has horns because she's born a magical creature; she's using a staff because she had lost her wings; and she's cursing Aurora because of her malice to Aurora's father. The only scene missing is when Prince Philip fighting the dragon--but I don't mind it at all.

via edgecastcdn

I also took some lessons from this great movie. Here's what I got (please add if you got more):

1. Never trust first love to be true love, let alone a first kiss. It's mostly an illusion, an imagination forced to be true, because true love is tested through time.
2. Any ambition will bring you down one day, although it gives victory for some time.
3. True love is a love felt and done, not the one just being said. 
4. Love comes not just in form of man-woman but true compassion we feel to others.
5. Love will always erase any curse, hatred and any evilness from the heart. Love is the only answer.

via screenrant

Now what do you think? Do you love this movie as much as I do? I don't mind watching this again and again, fyi.
;)

me, hizkia, clemy and mom

I went to Bandung again last weekend to finish some stuff. Mom and I departed from BSD at 7 in the morning on Saturday, picked up my cousin Hizkia and my sister Clemy at their places, then off we went to the flower city. We arrived at around 12, picked up my brother Bent and we went to our high school area for lunch.

We had lunch at RM Legoh at Jl. Sultan Tirtayasa 9 then had a meeting nearby at Sagoo, then another meeting at Jl. Kemuning. Then we went to Rumah Mode, Jl. Setiabudi for shopping and met some of mom's friends. We had dinner at Giggle Box Setiabudi then went to Cassadua guest house at Cibogo where we stayed the night.

clemy, mom, manuel and me

The next day we went to Dago area, had brunch with my other cousin, Manuel, at Treehouse, Jl. Hassanudin (the food taste was so poor I don't recommend anyone to come here ever again) then had another shopping at factory outlets around, met Saphira and went to her house, then we spent hours at Cuppa Time, Jl. Teuku Umar until Hizkia came.

clemy, bent, saphira, mom and me

We were supposed to leave the city soon but the news told us there were accidents along Toll Cipularang so we postponed our trip and had some porridge at The Kiosk Dago. At 10 p.m. we dropped Saphira, continued our journey to Rest Area KM 97 where we slept for about an hour. The traffic decreased to KM 83 so we drove again and exit at KM 84 via Jatiluhur, Purwakarta.

We entered the toll back at Cikampek until Karawang because there was another traffic ahead. We drove along the Kalimalang River until KM 20. I held the GPS and be the co-pilot while Hizkia, Mom and Clemy had their turns driving. We reached Clemy's place at 3.15 a.m. and arrived at BSD at 4 a.m. It was such a tiring long drive home, but we're glad we had each other to get thru all that.

messy garbage everywhere

From this trip, I felt even more disappointed for Bandung. Yes, it has more trash bags for garbage, but sadly the people are still not accustomed to put their garbage into it. The streets after the Car Free Day program was a mess with garbage everywhere. The fallen leaves stacked up, garbage piled on the side of streets everywhere, plus the disorganized hawker sellers made it even a mess. I think this town is still not ready to be a tourism destination as it is now.

The good side I saw is the many bike riders I saw on Sunday and biking-friendly facilities on parks and streets. Apart from that, I saw the town is getting more disordered than ever. Posters, banners, stickers are everywhere, the shops put all texts on their displays and made the street view looks so trashy. I think the mayor or governor of Bandung needs to put more attention and do more things about clean living and behavior to its citizens.

via grist

Who doesn't like free stuff? I do, too, especially when it's something I really want/need for the moment. I remember there were time when I got so many free stuff, like free pass to some club or free voucher/coupon for a dine-in and some free samples, goodie-bags, etc. But there are also some stuff in life not given for free.

As I wrote last month that I had this issue with a close friend that she wanted a free design from me.  She said she's been asking free services from her friends and it surprised her that I charged her for a simple business card design. Yesterday I got a free book binding fee and I felt happy, so I was asking myself was it overreacting that I charged her for my design service.

Then I thought, given something free and expect/demand something to be free is two different things. If something is given free for you, then it is your luck. But if you expect something free, especially when it is valuable, then I'd say it's being cheap.

So this friend was offended for I was being calculative to my own friends while I was offended for she was taking my designing skill for granted and for using our friendship to get free stuff. What do you think on this? I talked with her to get things straight and I hated that my prejudice on her turned out right. It's funny that I have more sense now to differentiate being generous and being an idiot.

I used to give everything I have for friends and family and for the people I care about. Her words made me think if I'm no longer that person. But as I see it, I still give things unconditionally when it comes to personal stuff, friendship and humanity. When it comes to professional stuff, I be professional too. And what she asked was a business card for her business. I thought it's right for me to put it onto professional side.

Anyway I feel that I lost more and more friends now, especially in the last one year. It's like they're being filtered if they're worthy enough to stay around me. Not by me, but by the power that surrounds me now. At first I felt sad to lose them, but after a while I guess it's great to have only the greatest ones around to keep than being surrounded by parasites. I value my friends even more now!

moi et Julie

 
I went to Balikpapan for a night with my friends two weeks ago and continued my solo trip to Yogyakarta. I was welcomed by Julie, a French gal who stayed at my house in Bandung almost 5 years ago, at the airport and we took taxi to her place in Demangan Kidul. We then went to the motorbike rental to rent a green Honda Beat.

rental price for Honda Beat is Rp 55,000 per day

We had dinner at Madam Tan then met Julie's colleagues at Institut Français in Sagan area and went together to Taman Budaya for 10Printemps Français. There was a show of hip-hop break dance by Pockemon Crew (I think I watched them at some B-Boys documentary 6-7 years ago). It was like a pantomime show by 9 men dancing so eagerly.

Pockemon Crew

I enjoyed the show so much and the surrounding made it felt not in Yogya but somewhere in France for everyone there was speaking French. At the end of the day Julie asked Arnaud and his Indonesian friends: Toni, Reza and Gibran, to hang out at this Cuban-something bar somewhere at Seturan. We drank beer with such Indonesian rice field background and local band performance. It's quite a different experience!

Gibran, Toni, Arnaud, Reza, Julie and me

riding the bike around the town

Kedai Kebun at Jl. Tirtodipuran

The next day, after a gudeg lunch at Yu Djum (I got free black coffee there!), we thought about visiting Museum Affandi but it was closed so we went south instead. We visited the North Alun-Alun, had a coffee break at Kedai Kebun Jl. Tirtodipuran (I love their food!) then went to South Alun-Alun to find a festival of colorful pedaling carts. We had one lap ride for Rp 25,000 (the price is up to Rp 35,000--you have to bargain cleverly here). It was so fun to experience such colorful night.

Odong-odong or Kereta Hias

Wayang play about Ramayana

After that we went to the Museum Sonobudoyo to watch a Wayang show at 8-10 p.m. for Rp 20,000 per person. It was a very unique thing to watch the dalang played all the leather 2D puppets with his two hands and how it looked like behind the white screen. I'd enjoyed it more if only I understand the language. But I got the main idea from the synopsis and have watched the sendratari (ballet) at Prambanan and kecak dance in Bali of the same story.

sack dolls dressed as politicians

It was not so late so we decided to visit Taman Budaya again for Art|Jog expo. We came just in time they open the exhibition room but it was just so crowded we could barely enjoy the artworks. It was interesting tho, with all the political theme they brought. And in my honest opinion it was much better than the Biennale I went earlier this year.

red pasta at Milas

The next day we went to SunMor (Sunday Morning flea market) at UGM complex, then just chilled for the rest of the day at Milas, Julie's favorite vegetarian restaurant which serves delicious veggie meals. I had this tagliatelle Red Pasta and hadn't forget its taste even until 2 weeks later! The place is also great with bamboo bale-bale décor and small garden at Jl. Prawirotaman IV. I rate a five star for this humble restaurant!

via heiupit

via keranjangpiknik

After that we went to Indiecology at Sagan for my dinner then moved to a new beer house (it used to be Geronimo but I forget its new name). We chilled there till Nadya, my childhood friend's little sister, came with her friend Alfi. We drank till midnight and promised to meet again the next day.

crab + meatball zuppa at Zupparella

Nadya, Julie and me

Angkring Gareng Petruk

Monday morning, Julie and I went to UNY for her business then off to Zupparella, a small zuppa soup parlor belongs to Alfi. We met Nadya there too. Then we went to Institut Français again to kill time. After 5 p.m. we went to the bike rental to return the green Beat. We then went south, had early dinner at Angkring Gareng Petruk at Jl. Mangkubumi. It was my first ever experience to eat at the real angkringan in Yogya.

drama and circus at one show

After that we went to another show from the 10Printemps Français at Taman Budaya by 7.30 p.m. It was a collaboration of theatrical drama by Sha Ine Febriyanti and a circus-acrobat by David Bobée. The play was about a Letter to Theseus by Phaedra and it was packed so unique that all of the audiences were gathered on the stage, watching the play closely with some flashlight to spot the actors when the room became too dark. They used real water for rain drops and wind of letters. It was spectacular!

via tripadvisor

The play also marked the end of my trip. We went for another drink at Lekker Je, then I went with Nadya to stay at her house. She dropped me at airport early the next day for my morning flight back to Jakarta. I really enjoyed my solo trip because this time I went to new places and experienced new things about Yogya. And to have found that best friend would stay 'best' even after separated for 5 years.

Merci beaucoup, Julie!

I watched the "Who Wants to be a Godparent" from season 8 of How I Met Your Mother series and reflected on my relationship with my closest friends. The film shows that life with kids tend to shoo friends away from the new family. Yes, new parents can limit to know things about their friends only with urgency or importance of 8 and above, but hey, it's not just that you are missing your friends, but they are losing you, too.

I think what happens mostly in Indonesia here (especially in Bandung and Jakarta that I know most about) is like this. Friends start to lost contact once they got married, and more when they got kids. It's like they don't need friends anymore and their kids are the only thing matter in the world. It's like parents can only friends with parents. And when they befriends with single people, they talk only about their kids. I tell you what: it's what makes your single friends don't contact you anymore.

As long as I know, there is only one couple that I know who live their lives just as normal. They both work and they bond so happily and intimate with their 1.5 year-old baby. They keep their friends, still have their fun at beer garden and have romantic date just the two of them once in a while. This, I don't see in most of married couple with children around me. Too bad, I'd say.

See, you don't have to lose your friends once you decide to have babies. You can keep the friendship with a mutual relationship. Which means, don't talk too much about your babies and give more attention to your friends' stories. I guess this is the hardest to do for parents in Indonesia. I wish I wouldn't be that kind of parent if I have a baby one day. I wish nobody's gonna lose me just because I'm building a family.
:D

Funny the way we meet people in our lives. I had just finished my first book of the trilogy I planned and meant to bind the printed manuscript at the near photo copy parlor in the complex yesterday. The middle-aged man who operates the machine asked me what the book is about and I told him the main idea, which led to a half hour conversation about our nation's history.

We both agree that Indonesia--that refers to Java--is a way bigger nation than what we know now, and we agreed on many subjects about Nuswantara. It's just funny how we could meet interesting people in the least predictable place. Like when I first met my soul mate two years ago. It was truly a random and unpredictable one. At the end of our conversation, he gave the binding fee free for me. It was nothing actually, but he just created a friendship here.

Anyway, I am extremely happy with this first draft I've been working on for almost 2 months now. It's close to perfect for me, tho I still don't know what's the editor/publisher gonna say about this. But at least I've finished a book now, which had been my dream since 2003. Geez it took me 11 years to get it really done, but I don't regret any of the process because this book is way beyond my imagination. I'm working on the second one already now.

Please pray for this baby of mine to be born and shown to the world! :) :)