Another Victoria's Secrets

Have you seen these bizarre animals before? I bet you haven't seen any of these by your own eyes!

Just for a thought: which side are you in?

If they say boys will always be boys, then I'll always be a little girl also. I am still a true believer of love and magic and fairy tales. In this Disney Dream Portraits series, famous photographer Annie Leibovitz took pictures of celebrities and turn them into Disney's classic characters. My favorite had always been Princess Aurora, but in these series I love all of the princesses!

.. although after we have moved out from the island.

1. The nature, of course, is like nowhere else. Especially if you live in urban life. You'll miss all the beaches and rice fields and forests and mountains like hell. The fresh sea breeze, the clear blue sky--and the stardust at night, the sound of crickets by fields and the flow of river nearby, the view of cows grassing and chickens pecking everywhere..
2. The freedom. Nobody will judge you for whatever you are doing. Be yourself and do your thing. Wear anything you want: bikinis or tunic, shorts or sarong cloths, flip-flops or boots; Bali is the place to express yourself. Even talking to strangers feel less charging. You can make new friends everywhere in Bali.
3. The culture. Nobody is doing the tradition rites in the city and sometimes it's peaceful just to see the offering rituals on the street every morning or afternoon. It's such an oasis to see the act of faith in the middle of traffic and busy world around. It's somehow shows us how we have to stop and have a minute with God in the middle of our business.
4. The security. If you've lived your whole life in a metropolitan city, you will find Bali as a very secure place, where you can walk alone at night or drive motorbike wearing sexy outfit without feeling threatened. Crime does exist, but much less than in the city. We still need to be cautious, but the way I felt it, Bali is still the most secure place I've been to.
5. The serenity. No matter where you live in Bali, near beach or in the middle of jungle, you will find inner peace and restore your relationship with God thru nature. You will find your true self with the help of the niskala force. Bali will definitely change you, or at least fill something to your heart when you leave.

I had never had interest on this kind of book before, but since I was introduced last year, it had been my bedtime story. As explained on the picture above, this Indonesian man wrote the book in Indonesian language about kung fu story in China mainland. But what really made this series interesting was not only on his wonderful way to describe the settings and martial art moves. It's actually in the messages.

I could say, we wouldn't need so many books in elementary schools to educate children. Just give them complete series of Kho Ping Hoo's books and kids could have strong good values as their basic in life. In this we can learn about life, love, norms, values, etiquette and even politics. If you don't like the martial art parts or the Chinese background settings, just skip it.

Focus on the story plot and the messages--I highly recommend this. It contains a lot of 'strange' wisdom--the one we never thought of before--and beautiful ways to see life from a different perspective. I guarantee you will love the books and craving for more after finishing one and you will never regret to have read this.
Try read!

I am in the mood of talking about religion now, I hope you don't mind. As you all know, I was raised with a strict Catholic value because my whole big family is Catholic and I went to Catholic schools, too. But in the way, I interacted with other religions, too. First, with Islam, which was my ex's religion, and also some of my best friends'. That was why I interested on getting to know more about it.

Soon after my relationship with the Moslem guy finished, I found Buddhism as something new to learn. I got this lessons from Supreme Master Ching Hai that made me a vegetarian for 8 months. It was as a practice on getting hold of my anger from the betrayal and I found it helpful at the moment. I liked the Buddha teachings for inner peace and peace with others. It was a great way of life. But not likely a religion to me.

Not long after, I went to Bali. Until that time, I could never understand the theory of gods and goddesses of Hindu. But in 2 years I could say that Hinduism is the closest religion to Catholic in so many ways, only Hindu was much older. If anyone said Hindu came from India, I'd say no on this. The name indeed came from Indus river, but the original teachings came from Indonesia, far older than any other religions in the world, way before the Judaism even existed. For the past few centuries, Bali is the only place that still continue this tradition to this day.

In my two years stay in Bali, I started to see things differently. To help you to understand, see it like this: the three gods in Hindu is similar to the Trinity in Catholic. The other things are pretty much the same, only differentiated by local culture and tradition; Catholic by Roman, Europe and Hindu by Balinese, Indonesia. It's just in the way we 'communicate'.

I picture the gods in Hindu as God's faces in different moments. When God creates, his character was pictured as God Brahma. When He destroys, He became God Shiva and when He cares He became God Vishnu. Gods and goddesses are just personification of God's many faces--or what's called the 99 names of God in Islam.

This is how I see the different Deities in religions: If the Supreme Being is one big round thing like the sun, for example, I see the religions as a 'point of view' that looking at this ball from different angles. This was why each religion has their own name and/or description of God and most of times it's simply different. Anyway religion is man-made. God, on the other hand, is divine.

I used to think that Catholic was the best religion in the world although I still take some teachings from other religions also, as long as it fits in my life values. But now as I know more, I start to think that religion is not that holy. What's holy and sacred is human's heart. Our intuition. Religion is a mere vehicle, but once you get 'up there', you abandon the vehicle and continue the journey on your own feet.

Actually the more I know about Hindu, the more I believe in Indonesian elder's power back in the ancient times. I still believe in Jesus Christ and Mother Mary as the figures I go to whenever I'm troubled and to give thanks to when I feel blessed. But somehow I believe there was still something greater hidden in this whole universe, waiting to be revealed. About this, only time can tell.

But let me tell you one thing: never be too attached to the things you know/were told. There are more that we don't know yet and are beyond our knowledge. Be open always and think with your logic. Sometimes we believe with emotion that made everything just personal when the truth is just in front of our eyes. We just forget to think clearly, blinded by emotion. In order to accept the greater, we need to empty our cups once in a while.

I went to meet Andi yesterday at Jakarta Coffee House, Cipete, then had dinner at Kedai Disto. Andi is one of the guys I met at Kopi Kultur, Bali, last year. At about the same semester by end of 2013 we all left Bali one by one, started by Bumi, Lika, Iit, Daniel, Andi, me, and Adit Meh just recently. It was kind of sad because what we had back there was a solid team although in only a brief moment.

This was my second meeting with Andi in Jakarta. The first one, last week, was a 'coffee chat with a stranger' at 1/15 and a dinner at Mas Mono. We talked about things out of our minds and some spiritual stuff we experienced since Bali. That was mind blowing. This time we talked for lighter stuff, about our experiences back there and about our passions.

Me and him, and also almost all of the Kopi Kultur kids, share the same passion: art. Either in literature (we have this Malam Puisi/Poetry Night started in Bali that is spread to other cities around Indonesia now), painting/drawing, music and--of course--coffee. It was really cool to find a society that embrace our interest, with the same passion and energy. That's what we could call as 'home'.

It also turned out that we mostly shared the same hang out spots in Jakarta before we met, like the same art galleries, same coffee shops, same street spots and same restaurants we went to. Especially when I talked with Andi, and he said it's also the same with Prissa and the others. It really is funny to know we could've known each other then but we were meant to meet in Bali.

A guy said, we used to work together in Bali in our past lives before--that was why this group came solid in this life incarnation as we are already stranded away on our own different paths now. It's sort of cool to see things from different angle and to know that somehow we're all connected to each other. We need only the right moment to reveal it.

From our long chats, I found the same post-Bali syndrome in all of us: Jakarta is way too busy, formal, stressful and urban for all of us. We missed the days we could wear only casual outfit and flip-flops without any eye judging. We missed the sound of animals and bugs and the calmness of rice fields or the flow of river and the sea breeze while we're drinking beer on the sands. Bali is such a magical place.

But we believe nothing happens as coincident. We all meant to be in Bali at approx. the same time and to meet in that one particular coffee shop and to go back to our own paths but we'd touch each other deeper than we thought it would be. We are connected stronger that we realized. And this is what makes us more alive somehow. The consciousness of living.

People are being too serious about their lives. This cartoon showed well how I saw life. But now my view has changed into something more complicated to describe here. At least this comic says something I want to share with you people..
What do you think about this?

Pick the door that looks the most appealing to you. This might reveal a few things about your personality. Let us know what door you picked and if the answer was accurate for you. 





1 - You are a fun individual that likes to keep things light and airy. You are all about nurturing others and appreciating the simple luxuries in life; such as your fine dishware, favorite candle or eating artisan bread from the local bakery. You most likely have a love for traveling and other cultures. You truly want the best for everyone and love creating a welcoming atmosphere. It is important to remember that if you ever feel that you need help or support, it is OK to just ask someone.

2- You are clean and simple and don’t like any frills. You might strive to have a clean and perfect existence; but is it totally worth it? Don’t you feel that there is something missing? You are all about your personal achievements and you take pride in your work or career. Although you might be on track with your career path or have a few diplomas/ certificates on your wall, you need to spend more time on developing yourself as a person. Remember... the real you. Life is all about creating balance, surrounding yourself with color and creating memorable adventures. If you are finding that you have been taking the safe road lately, try veering off the beaten path. You might surprise yourself!

3 – It is obvious you are a quirky individual and very interesting to the people that you let into your life. You are good at many things... a “Jack or Jill of all trades”. You are an artistic individual that expresses yourself in many ways. You can make something out of anything and are not a stranger to your local thrift shop. You can basically make vintage “new” again. It is easy to get stuck inside the house or inside your urban bubble; but remember that you have to get out and connect with nature. It is time to come down out of the clouds and get grounded!

4 – You are an old soul that can be slightly dramatic. You are a very artistic person that loves to express yourself through writing, music, art or some kind of expression. You are a dichotomy; for you can be very open and friendly, yet closed and deeply private. You often have your guard up, keeping your thoughts and troubles to yourself. Although you might think that nobody will truly understand you, if you allow yourself to open up and share your feelings, you will feel so much better. Deep down you are not aright with any imperfections and you feel the need to come across as “the rock” in any group situation. Know that people are willing to share their feelings with you and want you to share your feelings with them.

5 – It is very important for you to fit in and feel as though you are a major contributor in every situation. You always have things going on, for being productive is what makes you feel at ease. Your busy-ness can sometimes cause the need for you to become more aware of what is really going on around you. What does your body want you to be doing? It is alright to relax on a Monday and simply just BE. Feel free to take some time to figure out what you really love to do. Possibly try some new hobbies or activities that are out of your normal routine. Explore being you, even if that means relaxing. Life is not just about how many muffins you can make in a single batch or how many fit-it jobs you can do in one day.

6 – You are a confident person with an eye for detail. You can come across as someone who is all together and exciting; yet you are just YOU on the inside. You care about your appearance and how the world sees you, yet the inside your home or car is probably a total mess! Your personality can be self destructive, for you could turn against yourself when the going gets tough. The life of a person who is a living a total contradiction... has got to be a difficult one. Remember to breathe and just relax. Life is not just about pleasing others. Truth is, the world isn’t always watching... Take time to reflect on who you truly want to be? What is it that you truly want to do?

7 – You are a simple minimalist that always has important things to do. You care for others and find your time anything but your own. You surround yourself with meaningful things, for you are very sentimental. Family and friends are very important to you and you would do anything for them. Not putting yourself first has made your life a safe and complacent one. What is it that can enrich your life today? What will make your life more colorful and enjoyable? Even though life gives you labels such as a mother, father, wife, husband, teacher, manager, etc; remember that your life is still YOUR life. Take a moment to decide what you want your future to look like. It is perfectly acceptable to want wonderful things to happen to you. Carpe Diem.

8 – Your fun and playful personality keeps you young and youthful. Although you are easy going, you tend to have lower self-confidence and anxiety about specific things in your life. You are usually unorganized; yet don’t even know where to start to help yourself to fix the messy problem. You are a proud individual but you need to learn to love yourself more. You need to take the time to find yourself through self expression. How are you currently expressing yourself to the world? Remember that there are people around you that can help you, but you need to let them know you are willing to receive help. Life is easier when you let people in.

9 – You are a quirky person that is always making things work. You are an amazing problem solver that prides yourself on your thrifty living. You like to live an uncomplicated life and usually get by with the basics. Why would you need anything else? You are very easy to please and love doing things for others. Whether it be fixing your neighbors toilet, building a bird house for your mother out of reclaimed wood or helping your friend find a great living room set at the thrift shop; you are always there to lend a hand. Remember that life is special. It is OK to treat yourself to amazing things. You are special too!

10 – You are one who truly appreciates stability and wholeness. You are a reliable person that takes pride in their love of quality and detail. Some might say “cookie cutter”, but you say dependable! You always know what you are getting because you have checked the consumer reports. You love safety and security in all parts of your life. You prefer not to have anything frivolous or extra, if you can’t see the use for it. Chances are you have some sort of creative side that you have curbed in some way. You might love scrap-booking, music or art; yet would never try to make it your career. You feel your problems are your own and nobody needs to be burdened with them. Just keep in mind that exposing your true self to the world (or your neighbors) is not a crime. We are all human.