Another Victoria's Secrets

I went to fX again yesterday after work (FYI the mall is designed by a friend of mine, Yosef from DCM.) Arrived by around 5 and had some time to went around the shops, then started meeting up with old friends, ex-classmates, and juniors at the closing of Fresh 'n Brite.

I met Aan at first, then came Iyank, Joe, Sunny Soon, Miko, Fenny and others, then we went to Pizza Marzano to have dinner. There Yasser and Aal came and then met up with Barry Carvey, Slamet, Felix and Garth. It was fun since it was some time since the last time I met them (not much changes from them I think.)

After dinner we went to .foodism and met up with more juniors and lecturers of DKV Binus. I just felt so much accepted there, even tho I've never graduated from Binus (only a year there) but I felt the warmth and felt happy. Another group I met in the last week, this time I walked in the middle of ska (Iyank with his fedora hat) and emo (Yasser with his boots and whitened hair) guys. Another new thing I experienced and I reallly love this kind of life. LOL.

I met up with Yoyo again last night, at Anomali Coffee at Senopati. His friend Fajar was reading Tarot for him and I joined the conversation. Fajar is a really friendly guy and he said some things about me (which were right) and we make an appointment for next meeting on Saturday so the discussion about tarot, magic and the superstitious stuff will be post later.



Then Yoyo started explaining his business idea which was the main reason I went to the cafe. But meanwhile the cafe owner, Agam came and sat with us and offered us menu test of blackberry cheese pancakes. We talked a bit and found him fun to be with and pretty much talkative (which is good as the cafe owner.)


The cafe itself was established in 2007 and have been succeed being one of the hottest spot in South Jakarta. 'Anomali' means irregularity. Something different. And that's exactly what you'll get when you first push open the door. The New Yorker 'loft-like' interior added up the ambiance, plus the mixing of an old piano, huge wood blocks at the ceiling, and new coffee roast machine... Smell the coffee beans and listen to jazzy tunes here till midnight. It enhanced the feel of being welcomed and you'll feel like you've been here a thousand times before. You really should try this spot!

I got these from an application at www.facebook.com and think it's kinda cool. Both of these names below mean 'victory' in female (as Victoria in English.)
Maybe I'll use my name into Daphna or Daphne in my next life. LOL.

Yesterday was AWE-SOME!!!
First I met up with Yohanes (more known as Sume, a friend I known from Tumpang '2000 and who was also my senior at DKV Binus) at Darmawangsa Square and we had lunch at Pizzas+ and talked about a lot of stuff, most of them were about work and business opportunity. He opened my eyes even wider to the working and designing world. I was so glad we got the meeting.


I got off the office by 4 (during the month of Ramadhan the working hour is 8 to 4) and was dropped off at BEJ by Pak Hadi (office's driver) and walked myself to fX to meet Yoyo again. I got there first and went to f3 where Binus DKV held an exhibition of the graduate's final projects called 'Fresh 'n Brite'. There I met my old friend Lauretta I knew from Antiokhia MBK 13 (year 2001). Then I met Mami (Mrs. Dyah), my lecturer.


[Retta, me, and her final project]

Mami offered me 2 jobs in interior business and introduced me to every person she met. I felt the mix of being flattered, proud and the can't-believe-this-is-happening-to-me kind of feeling. Even the KaJur (head of department of DKV), Mr. Lintang, recognized me and talked to me as if I was an important person!


[me, Mami Dyah and Retta]

One funny thing I experienced last night, that one of the lecturers, Mba Iwul (and a really young mother of 3) recognized me for my nickname 'RatuVictoria' from www.friendster.com as she's connected to Barry Carvey, my schoolmate in Binus. It's kind of weird, felt like a famous person that my name got ahead of me. And everyone in that exhibiton was really nice.

Mami asked me and Yoyo to join the lecturers having dinner at Red Duck at f4 and they were all talked to me as if I'm at their level. As if I'm one of them. As if I'm an expertise in the designing world. This is really an honor to me, an irreplaceable pride, and if someday I'm asked the most proud moment I've ever had, I'd refer to this!


[me, Mba' Iwul and Bu Mita]

After the dinner Yoyo and I were separated from the lecturers and met Yoyo's friends Ayse Hamid (who turned out to be an ex-colleague of Ferdie at Ogilvy) and Frans Hambali the senior photographer at Creole Coffee. They are in advertising/photography business and this really expanded my mind even more. Since Sunday night when I met up with Joey and friends I've been meeting up with cool people, important persons, building my own network in this huge metropolitan city. I felt this is so amazing since I call myself a newbie in the city.

This is one of the reasons why I say networking is one of the most important thing in building your career/business. And this is why I love networking and meeting new people. Cuz it always followed with new experience, knowledge and opportunity. Believe me, it's fun and beneficing!

One proof that friendship really don't need commitment: my hang out schedule last night with Diana and Lita. They were schoolmates in elementary school and were best friends back then... until they went to junior high and lived each lives on their own. But we arranged the meeting to bring back the old times and it turned to be more than okay.



I arrived at about 6 with Maya's family (means her husband and 9-months-old Marsya) at Senayan City and met Diana at Debenhams. I accompanied her browsing face treatment products around the mall and I found myself so much comfortable with her. Lita arrived by around 7.45 and we went to Urban Kitchen to have dinner. The girls chat about a lot of stuff they needed to catch up with each other for the years of absence. I enjoyed the company and really glad that I have those girls around me.

After dinner we went around Zara and window shopping at some other brands and it was so much fun to try on clothes and shoes and look at the new collection for autumn/winter in those fancy stores. I love those winter fashion and really wish I could go there like Diana.


By the end of the night Diana dropped me home and I found so many similarities between us. We draw, we design, we learn French, we like about the same fashion, we love seeing new people and in touch with people, we read almost all the same books, and many other similarities. We don't make any commitment or any effort to become friends. It just happened because we found the 'click'. We don't force anything because we are in the same frequency.

I had a slightest thought that maybe Lita has her own ideal of finding best friend because I am so similar to Diana in taste and lifestyle. But it's really nice that they are friends because somehow it just completed the 'system' and the fact that we both know Lita just bound us even closer.
I really thank God for my girls and the chances that I have to spend the quality time and to know them better.

Maybe most of you have passed this but never go inside. This huge comfy exclusive boutique food court at 5th floor, Senayan City, has several fancy food brands and many groovy seating areas up to 450 seats in it. The concept was brought by 5 young entrepreneur who rented some blocks there, turned it into a new complex of food stalls and rent them out to 12 famous restaurant brands, 3 of bar, coffee bar and beverage & juice bar, and an ice cream booth . And that's what made this kitchen special.

Some of the food you'll find in Urban Kitchen are Hot Chocolate by Chocalot, Sushi by Sushi Groove, Noodle by Mangkok Putih, and also Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese, Italian, American food and many others!

At least I met them again, my new friends I know from Joey. They fetched me last night after I went with Tendra to the Plaza Semanggi to buy a pair of tartan shorts and a pair of old-school-Converse-like boots, and watched the Babylon A.D. at the 21.


William was behind the wheel and Yanuar was to his left and there were also Joey and Diana, and the 'newcomer' Chydie, a friend of Diana's. The meetings of this circle always bring me something new, each with different ways.

Yanuar is the graphic design expert, while William has all the answer about philosophy and business stuff.
From Diana I can learn more about French culture and can practise more French language cuz she's leaving in about 10 days to Paris for 4-5 months.
Chydie has knowledge about fashion, make-ups and photography. She also has some cool tattooes which made the 3 of us (me, Joey and her.)
And from Joey, well, I got a lot more than what I got from the other 4 ( shouldn't really explain it here, should I? LOL)

Although we always meet up at late hours (last nite they fetched me by 10 p.m. and dropped me home at around 4 a.m.), I'd still prefer to go to expand my knowledge and network. I really like talking with them and I'm always looking forward for our next meeting cuz I really need these kind of people to feed on my brain and collecting all the positive thoughts.
This gank is really fun!

Jakarta was flooded again!
I went to Jl. Sabang to have an early breakfast (or super late supper) with my friends last nite at about 1-2 a.m. and it was hardly raining in Center Jakarta around 12.30-3.30 a.m. After 3 hours raining it's kinda disappointing to find that there is still some streets flooded in Jakarta. It's about 25 cm high at 3.45 a.m. and we had to find a way to get to the car by not getting wet (and we succeed, LOL!)





It's quite a shame and a sad thing that our country still can not handle this flooding thing. But I'm not in the mood talking about our country. I am here posting this to ask your participation on helping the world to breathe better. Our world is now suffering and we should really do act something. I need not only me to do this thing alone but all of us, start by you, to please do care about the environment.

Start little:
Do not litter.
Recycle.
Reduce the use of electricity, water, plastic, paper, etc.
Reuse anything that you can use twice or more.
Plant something green in your garden.
Anything!!

Remember that every little thing can make a big difference. Fixing a bad habit (save energy, for example) can save millions of people and the world out there. Starting a new good habit (like separating paper and organic trashes into different bags and recycle what we can) can save even more!

LET'S GO GREEN, PEOPLE!

I went to the famous legendary Cafe Batavia last night with my new gank (plus a new member, Chydie) and I lovvvve the interior of this hundreds of years old building of Cafe Batavia. Look at those hanging lamps and colonial style of the tables.



Look at those old photo frames on the wall behind Yanuar and the draperies. So old, so mysterious, sooo cool!!
Check out the ladies rest room below:


LOVVEEE this old round aluminium sink! And all those photo frames on the wall!!

Another one which made my dream to go backpacking flames even more was the movie I saw last night at some local TV: Chasing Liberty by Mandy Moore and Matthew Goode. Check them out:

Jason Mraz Lyrics
I'm yours Lyrics

Dunno which came first: passion to travel the world or inspiration from Mr. A-Z, but everything seems like come in the right time now that I am resigning: Dad's invitation email to go with Jejak Kaki and Indonesian Geographic, this really cool book I found in Gunung Agung Book Store, and Mr. A-Z's video clip.



But I'm gonna backpacking before this year's end. I'm putting this post to remind me of the huge idea cuz I still have to break the 'me' I've been for the last 24 years and start to try the unpredictable risk instead of staying in the comfort zone I've always been in. Not an easy stuff, but I know I can!!

Right, I got bribed!
Not because of the HRD Manager who'd been treating me so good that I decided to take the offer (nah, not an offer at all cuz they ain't raise my salary nor give me any worth facility to stay) but it was because of Hendy (the other Visual Merchandiser) and the Logistic crews whom I care the most.

But I am still learning stuff here. By the end of August new collections came and I got this passion to take care of them and the fact that big bosses are gonna leave for 2-3 weeks abroad for shopping made me interested on going for another month, just to hang out a little longer with nice friends here.

At least by extending another month I get so used with my job and succeed handling it in more efficient and effective way. I have learned my lessons here but I don't wanna stay any longer here.

My manager kept on telling me to stay until at least 1 year working here to make it nicer in my CV. I said, life is too short to be spent only in one dull company. He said that I'm still so young I can get the experiences later and 1-2 year won't make a difference. I said this instead: " Sir, if I were to die tomorrow, I'd die curiously for I still haven't get out of this situation I dislike. But if I quit now, at least I can die gladly knowing that I had made an attempt to quit." (read my other blog.)

He laughed. It seemed that he didn't get me: this young lady here is trying to conquer the world with those ideals she had in mind, thought that life was easy. But it wasn't. Look at me: 36 with 3 children and still I don't know the reason I live... maybe that was what he thought when he was looking puzzled at me that afternoon.

This just add certainty on me to quit: people here aren't in the same frequency as me so I have to move on and find others that can help me develop my brain and feed my soul, not like people here, who--although all of them are nice--are 'standard' people in my dictionary (again.. my haughtiness show up and take control over my mind.)

So, gotta deal the boredom and all the jobs here til the end of month (Wake Me Up When September Ends!!) and I'll be as free as bird!