Another Victoria's Secrets

I was feeling quite unwell today. Not physically, it was more emotionally. Perhaps it was my monthly mood play. But at least I decided to go to church, and I found that God always fulfills His promise: But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and these things will be given to you as well [Matt 6:33]. Because I planned to go to the church by myself but then Livia said she's coming, too. So, I sat beside her and her friend at 5 p.m. mass in Cathedral.


The funny thing is when Ian came with his friend and they sat beside me so we were all sitting there together. It was pretty much funny for me--the way Livia and Ian stared at or commented at each other--I couldn't stop giggling. But then after the mass we went to PT. Rasa to eat ice cream.

Then Livia's friend went home then Livia and I went to Po Ka Tiam at Jl. Pasirkaliki to have dinner. Ara was already there and we ordered some dim sum there. Irma and Yanto came by and we had some fun time together, since it had been a moment after our last meeting.

Today Dad and I built up a bed and put it in one of the storage room, using the space for a guest bedroom. Then Mom decorated it with matching bedside table, table lamp and a curtain. The result is so lovely. The cozy small chamber sized only 1.5x2.2m and it can now be used. Perhaps we'd redecorate the other room soon for my cousins who are coming this Lebaran.

The image above was my friend's artwork. Siong Cen was my schoolmate in Maranatha who came from Medan and is now working in Bali. The artwork below, is belong to Eko Yagami, another schoolmate who is now lecturer in the same campus. There are more of my friends' artworks in Deviantart, but these are my favorites so far.

Vancouver is a coastal city, inhabited with 560,000 people and also said to be the most comfortable city to live in by the Economist magazine. Indeed, the city is not only comfortable to live in but also being a reference of Canada as the renewed natural resource user. Vancouver leads in the developed technology using. Vancouver has 100 years-plan to live in green and clean. The city also leads in the use of electricity from water energy, which now supplies 90% of the total energy.

Other than that, Vancouver also implements the developed technology; garbage storage with solar energy can now found in the entire city, in size the same of regular garbage storage, but can keep it five times larger the amount of garbage (which makes the city needs less garbage trucks with emission on the streets.)


Green City No. 1
Reykjavík, Iceland

Reykjavík is a small city on the list, with only 115,000 souls living here from overall 300,000 souls in the whole Iceland. But its result to the world worth thumbs up. Iceland plans to free its dependent to fossil fuel in 2050 to become a hydrogen economy. Now, Reykjavík (and the whole Iceland) gets the energy for heat, hot water and electricity all from water energy and geothermal source--which both can be renewed and free from glasshouse gas emission. Some vehicles also use hydrogen, including three city buses.

by courtesy of Uncle Pat.

courtesy of Uncle Pat.

Rp 185,000,000.- per night


This room is located on the bridge that connecting two towers of Atlantis Royal Towers in Paradise Island, Bahamas. In other words, you will get the view of the hotel, marina, and even the island where The Atlantis hotel is located, without being disturbed by anything. The room with ten bedrooms has decorations in red, black and gold.. and mostly, of course, gold! You will even get personal servants and chef that will come through a special servant door, so they will never disturb you. The room is so luxurious you will never want to leave it.


8. Palms Casino Resort - Hugh Hefner Sky Villa
Rp 400,000,000.- per night


This villa is located on floor 34 in Fantasy Tower in Las Vegas, Nevada. This Hugh Hefner's villa is completed with all the needs to be the king class of a Playboy! Open aired jacuzzi, media room, dining room and bar, and of course king size of bed that can be rotated. So far this is the most expensive room in the world. This room is indeed named after Hugh Hefner and is completed with all the needs to be a Playboy, but doesn't mean you'll be surely accompanied with Playboy Bunnies!
by courtesy of Uncle Pat.

Lately I've been chatting with an old school fella and we've been discussing about the destiny. He believes that when there's love, one can do anything to make it come true to be with the one they really wants. I am agree, that love needs effort, too (remember that it's not bell if it doesn't ring--and so as love isn't love until it's told.) But I'm pretty certain that in this world there are other things such as Chinese horoscope, astrological zodiac, palm reading and other supernatural stuff.

I knew some people with 'extra talents' or what people say as the 'sixth sense' to know some secret stuff normal people don't. One can see the future, one can read the tarot card (it's learnable, but still need more talent than skill to do that), the other can chit-chat with and ask God for questions and will be given answers right away. I dunno how but they're true.

So, I've been learning that--although many refuse to believe--these superstitious things are true. They become sin when one make them the gods of one's life and use them to guide life. I believe when are used in a good way, in an equal measurement, and in the right place, they can help us a lot on directing our ways in life.

The simplest thing--and the most complete information to get from--is to learn the Chinese horoscope. They divided every elements of time in 12 and characterized them in 12 animals. And also separate the characters in 5 elements (air, water, fire, earth and metal. (Perhaps Jostein Gaarder really got me here. I'm now talking about numbers like he'd been talking about ones in the solitaire card deck. I've been reading Maya now.)

Okay, you can learn about them later but what I'm trying to say is that they're really working. I've been doing a little random experiment with those people/couples I know and how their relationship (with their spouses, mostly. I haven't do one with work/luck/other things) is doing based on what  horoscope is saying.

I saw many married couples who are said to be 'match' doing very well in life: nice family; good kids; great fortune; love for ever and ever... and those who aren't: broken family; damaged kids; continual quarrels; either bankruptcy or bad luck in businesses; and divorces.

Of course, I don't think you suppose to trust the horoscope like it's your life-guide. Because when one is said to be another's perfect match, it appear that they don't always end up loving one another. And the unfair thing is that when a couple love each other so much they could be compared to Romeo and Juliet, they're not always match for each other in the horoscope stuff.

So, it's getting more complicated here (yeah, people are simply complicated.) If I watch old Chinese movies, I often saw people are getting married because their parents had seen their compatibilities and set the marriages. I've always thought they're so wrong because marriage without love is such a nonsense. [Please remember the Chinese horoscope matching things aren't include with the character compatibility--they're too wide in range for a year. It's more in the astrological zodiac, the four temperaments, the nine enneagrams, etc.]

I think the root cause of broken homes, divorces and torn hearts is this horoscope-matching thing, despite there's love or not. Maybe there are no one to blame for such ugly things; they just don't match with each other. Perhaps they'd been pushing it too hard to get married.

I'll tell you this: some of my friends here in Bandung in ages of 20s are already--or on the way to be--divorced. And I saw this little thing that caused it: they needed to get married before the age of 25 or other silly reasons made from the { neighborhood / tradition / family's pressures / ... }*. They didn't think far: that there are a lot more than love needed in a marriage.

People sometimes forget that they have a different { personality / habit / character / interest / perspective/ purpose / principal / ... }* with their partner. And they don't see the compatibility, either. I'm not saying that we gotta believe in that horoscope thing--but if they choose to ignore those important little elements that built us human, it's their fault if the relationship is not working.

Ah yea, you'll say I'm too much a thinker, too high an idealist, too weird a rationalist. Believe it or not, I've seen so many things falling down and I've been there too [pushing my emotion to a guy who wasn't my destiny--it was such a hard time] and I don't like it. I'd really want to suggest you to at least take a peek on those supernatural-psychic stuff before you step on to the next level of your relationship, but of course, they're all your decision to make.

Maybe you think if you'd listen to me, you'll end up being single all your life. Hey, no--I mean, look at me: I'm happy with the man I love with our character compatible and the business started getting on ever since we dated. He's not my 'perfect match'--because I've been told who 'the matching person' was and I didn't come even near to an 'impressed' word onto him. But I'm happy and being great with him. It's stressless and the journey for both of us feels so light to bear.

There's no need to find the best match for you. I'm just saying that find at least one who match one of your elements: whether the Chinese horoscope, astrological signs, the four temperaments ... whatever. Don't be too lovey-dovey couple that you forget all the logical things [or I'm being illogical by concerning the supernatural stuff here? But the four temperaments or nine enneagrams or other similar stuff aren't supernatural... Oh well, I'm just saying to think before you marry!]

Don't make hasty decisions based only by { lust / curiosity / anxiety / pity / ego / ... }*. They'd just drain your energy and drag you into burdened life. Trust me, it'll bring your life hard to bear and your heart troubled. I really do hope I won't see any broken homes/divorce anymore, especially among my friends.

I just believe that when you find your soulmate, the way will open up to you without any complication. Even the heaviest problem would seem tiny. And both of you may live happily ever after. You'll end up so sweet then! ^_^


*) check one or more or fill the blank as you wish. I bet there's at least one of the things I mentioned there.

This is my 500th post and I'm celebrating it by putting some cute girls picture here. I went blogwalking again and found this cute ladies in picture from decor8. The artist is Brett Manning a.k.a. Brettisagirl. Or you can also find her works at etsy, or simply click on her website. How cute do you think these girls are?

It had been three days since I left Ara to go to Jakarta and today we spent all day together at my place. We watched movies, browsed the internet, and played a game. It was fun, actually, since the game for Mac is different with the one for iPhone . The latter is more similar to the cardboard game. But both are fun to be played.

Oh, by the way, it was 09.09.09 and I'm wishing you 09 wishes for love, fun, health, wealth, success, beauty, luck, dream and joy. God bless you all and may you enjoy my blog's new look!

A friend of mine, Yasser Rizky, designed an installation for Versus Magazine at FGDexpo 2009 . He was my senior back in the university and had been lecturer there. I really like the giant fonts (you know I always have something with typography.) Salute for him!

Firstly, I want to say sorry about the inconvenience if you tried accessing my blog for the last 12 hours. I've been editing and adding some cool stuff here and there and here now is the result.

I was blogwalking to a friend's site and found a link to this supercute blog upgrader site. So, I think why not? I've been pretty bored with Paramore's album cover as my background for the last three-four years. So, I'm done with pyzam and I hope this little change will add up more writing spirit for me and great mood for you while visiting. How do you like it? Please tell me what you're thinking!

Last Sunday I went to Jakarta with my parents by car. We arrived at our apartment by around 4.30 p.m. and had a quick rest before having to go to the church. We attended 6 p.m. English mass--this time with Ben, too--at the Canisius chapel. It was my first comeback to church again after two months of absence. And that was great (always love the mass services of the St. Peter Canisius International Catholic Parish.) 

Last night Ara took me to Gianni's Coffee and Cafe at Jl. Cihampelas for a special dinner date. We ordered sausages and apple roll for dessert. I had the veal bratwurst with BBQ sauce while Ara had the lamb with black pepper sauce.

Dad went back from Jakarta last night and he brought a late birthday gift for Mom: a pearl white HP Mini netbook! It's just soo cute! I love looking at its white patterned cover and the pearly keyboards. It's totally adorable!