Another Victoria's Secrets

women-only home spa

Actually I'm still on my recovery phase from the typhus + dengue fever combo I got last month. But last Tuesday I felt fit enough so I decided to go on a trip to Mengwi. The next day I got so limp, weak and exhausted. I tried ordering a home massage from Go-Massage application but couldn't get any masseuse. I really needed a massage so I browsed online for another option... which led me to Wangi Spa, a home spa only for women.

I ordered for an hour of full body massage and another half hour of reflexology. Within an hour after my phone call, a masseuse came with her massage kit: a big stone bowl for hot water feet bath; a plastic box containing portable speaker, aromatherapy container, lotions and oils; a mattress and its cover; and a hot water flask.

She started by giving me a disposable panties and a batik cloth to cover my body while she lit the aromatherapy candle and play relaxing music from the speaker. Then, she washed my feet in the stone bowl. It's like having a reflexology parlor in my very own room. I then laid on the mattress and she started the massage. It was a perfect 1.5 hours as I expected it to be, and even better from other massage centers because I don't have to ride home after. The best thing is that I could fall asleep right after the therapy!

After it's all done and my body was all refreshed, the therapist even gave me a bottle of jamu kunyit (turmeric drink). The prices are IDR 135,000 for a 90 minutes body massage and/or reflexology, while a 60-minutes body scrub is only IDR 85,000, plus the masseuse transportation. I'm super relaxed and refreshed after the therapy and definitely would be their loyal customer. You should try it!

via slodive

"The people you know, you'll know them for life," Dad used to tell me when I was in junior high school. I had some problems with the people in school; bullied and vilified. Junior high school in Bandung was the toughest school years for me, despite the fact that I hated my family's decision to move to Bandung in 1992 from my huge-but-warm Jakarta, the city I always call as home.

My Dad's words are the first to hit me in the past month, as people from the past keep on coming back to my life; my ex, his friends, my junior high schoolmates, and even my neighbour in BSD City I haven't keep contact since last year. I went to Jakarta for a 'recovery' from the typhus + dengue fever I had, and after I was strong enough to go I revisited those people.

Some people, tho, belong to be in our life forever. Like my schoolmates/old neighbour/family friend The Setiawans. I guess my childhood in Bandung felt much better and easier to bear by having them. When Andrew got married in Bogor I went there with Mum and Aunt Lena and it just felt like home to me; the warmth of family-friendship from the four brothers I consider my own.

Then I had my last week in Jakarta full of meetings (and spared me no rest at all) with my muay thai fella, a few of junior high friends who are in Jakarta, my colleagues in Brilio.net, my new friend Zia from Cosmo Girl, my ex's friend, my elementary schoolmate on his wedding, and my cousins. While there are so many new people in my life, the people I've known but lost years ago are coming back.

"Life is like a moving wheel," Dad also said. "Sometimes you're on top, the next you're at the bottom. That's why you should never despise people. One day they're annoying, the next day you're the one who needs them. You don't wanna be the one to beg for their mercy in your difficult times."

I'm keeping my old man's words by heart and I think they keep on proving their values in my life. I was bullied and vilified in junior high school. Alienated for being different in my high school. Ignored for being minority in my years after graduation in that town I've left for good. But the people I knew from my 20 years in Bandung kept coming back and they all offer nostalgia to what I better leave behind.

As I'm meeting these people from my past, I see my past reflected. I see how different a person I've become, how different my life values had changed. And somehow, there are people who keep bringing pain, bitter memory I don't think worth fixing, the past I've learned so much from but better to be left behind. There are people I better exclude from my life.

Life works in such funny way that you could never understand and you keep learning from it. For the past week I've been visited by another old friend from Jakarta. He's the guy I've always enjoyed talking with, the one who first showed me the greatness of being Indonesian, the one who always gives me different perspective on seeing things, the one who I can always rely on when it comes to friendship.

It's been more than 3 years since the last time I met him, and before that perhaps another few years. But every time we meet, it feels like years had never went between us. I guess that's what distinguish true friends from acquaintances. In life, especially after 30, we tend to be more selective when it comes to friends. You'll just know who your friends are by recognizing what you feel when you're around them.

via venturesafrica

Most of us are packing for traveling, but there are times when we need to pack for hospitals, and here's the list of what you should bring to stay for your recovery:

1. Clean, loose and comfortable outfits for 4-5 days
2. Underwear
3. Facial wash
4. Facial towel
5. Basic make up, to make you look (and feel) fresh!
6. Toothbrush, toothpaste and mouthwash
7. Dry shampoo
8. Comb or hairbrush
9. Body towel, although you aren't likely to be allowed to shower with an IV tube attached on your hand
10. Slippers/flip-flops, opt for easy-to-wear footwear
11. Socks for sleeping, in case you need extra warmth
12. Easy-to-digest snacks, in case you get hungry between meals or if you don't like the meals they serve
13. Big bottles of mineral water, because you'll need to drink a lot
14. Book for reading, writing or coloring
15. Insurance card and number

Surya Husadha Hospital Denpasar--view from my room

This was my first time ever hospitalized. It was all began Sunday night last week, July 24, that I went home from meeting some Bandung friends at Canggu. I was shivering and my body got high fever. I slept it over and the next day woke up so heavily with terrible headache, nausea and ache all over my body. I had a masseuse came over for a whole body massage, then got Mom's friend, Tante Sisca, drove me to a clinic for a check up.

The doctor gave me medication and had me rest for the next two days, only that my nausea got worse. I saw my skin turned red and my tongue was white. My sister warned me: it could be the symptoms of typhus. So I went back to the clinic all by myself that night and had the blood test. The result came out at 9 p.m. and it terrified me: a positive 4 (out of 10) for the typhus, while my Thrombocyte was as low as 121,000 (the normal amount is between 150,000-400,000).

first time got infused

So the next day, Thursday July 28, I went to Surya Husadha Hospital at 10 a.m. and registered myself in. I had to wait for the doctor at Observation Room, and after my internist, dr. Jaowenny Lolo came, I still had to wait until 4 p.m. until I got a room. It was a sharing room of 2 but I was alone that afternoon. At 10.30 p.m. a man (diagnosed with diabetes) checked in as my roommate, accompanied with 2 ladies who slept on the carpet they brought along. They were so loud, had a supper picnic in that room, and didn't stop talking until 12 a.m.

I woke up the next day at 6 a.m. as nurse woke me up for the blood pressure, blood sample and breakfast. And my neighbor was already so loud, which became worse as 3-4 more of them came at 8 a.m. and they literally didn't stop talking. I had to yell at them to shut up to make them silent because the nurse's warning couldn't silent them. Visiting hours start at 11a.m.-2p.m. but they seemed to be illiterate. Even more men came at 3 p.m. and I had to shout to them for the second time to make them quiet! What ignorant people they are!

waiting at the observation room

My mom and sister came at 5.30 p.m. on Friday and I thanked God for that, because I was so tired of doing everything by myself since Sunday night. My loud neighbor and his ladies groupie was moved to other room and I got my peace. At 12 a.m. that night I got an upgrade room for my own and I had better sleep since. I got my mom stayed over on the couch and it was really nice having her around.

I stayed in the hospital for a total of 5 nights until my platelet went back to normal and the nausea gone completely. The typhus bacteria (Salmonella typhi) infected my intestines and they said if the treatment isn't thorough, it can relapse and I really don't want that to happen so I stayed until doctor said I could go home. The most horrible things are to have the IV tube attached on my left hand and that I couldn't wash my hair.


But I was glad with the choice of hospital I got. Surya Husadha has the best, pretty and friendly nurses, and they serve yummy food (opt for the soft rice instead of the porridge!) and the room price is relatively affordable. Thank God that my office paid for an insurance to cover 2/3 of my bill there (I upgraded the room so I had to pay the difference.) But more or less my stay in the hospital was quite pleasant, I must say.

Plus, I got visited by friends. First, Andi, Nita and Adit who came on Saturday morning. Then, our family friend Nadya, her husband Cahyo and daughter Tori came in the afternoon. Both of the group really brought laughter and joy to my room and I felt much less sick. This is also the first time I ever got visited. Ever!

the coloring book Nadya bought to kill my boredom

I have some tips here if you get sick while you're on your own:

1. Listen to your body. You will always get alarm when you're too tired, hungry, or need rest. Don't neglect the signs and wait until it gets worse. Take as much rest and eat healthy and regularly to avoid hospital. (Now I can say this.)
2. Always check your symptoms via Internet: you might get sick without having to get high fever like I did. My highest temperature was 36.7C degree--not even 37C--so always be aware with the other symptoms and go to doctor right away. 
3. Be sure which doctor/hospital/clinic you're registered by the BPJS or which one your insurance would cover. If you can't drive/ride by yourself, take public transportation to get you there. Be sure your health insurance card, ID, and policy are within your reach and bring them in your purse.
4. Pack your stuff with change clothes and underwear for at least 4-5 days, toothbrush and mouthwash, face wash, socks and sweater (and eye mask if possible.) 
5. Bring snacks such as biscuit and big bottles of mineral water, in case you don't like the food they serve, get hungry between meals, and simply to hydrate yourself.
6. Bring book to read/write/color on because there will be times that you'll get bored but can't sleep. Or bring any distraction as you wish.
7. Always pay attention to the infusion (it's best if you have someone stay over to check it every once in a while, but then again you can't rely on people. Always check it yourself): nurses might get busy with other patients and you must check the tube all the time: don't let it get dry and don't let bubbles get in.

Being hospitalized is really sucks, but if you have to, just go for it. At least they take care of you with medication and healthy food. It's always better than having to take care of yourself, so always make sure that your insurance is active and ready to use. And most important thing is, keep being healthy and keep your environment clean!