more than a handful of troubles

satu tahun sudah.

2012-01-25T03:27:00.002+11:00

i believe acknowledgement needed to be put into how i manage to still be sane after 365days in this hell hole.

please refer to this post http://cerita-usang.blogspot.com/2010/11/end-beginning.html for further understanding.

just so you know, the first year celebration was a blast!! beer, beef and besties was served!

im so ready for another year!.

boo yaah!!!!

in limbo

2012-01-25T03:14:00.001+11:00

they say that writing can also cured troubled hearts. or at least this is what i hope to happen to me.

i cant seem to shake of the feeling that i will continue to be in this state of feeling that im in now. mostly because i, sort of, predicted that the end result will never be a win win situation.

although my identity is unequivocally blatant about who i am and where i come from, yet my self-belonging towards tribal or race attributes remained neutral, or so i believe. i am always in between. between cultures, between religions, between paradigm and sometimes between men (ha ha).

the condition of "being in between", provided me with a semi-objective point of view on things and a victim for most things. i dont really get accredited on any occasions simply because i walk it but cant talk the talk.

vague. i know.

but i am trying to get at is that, how do you deal with the thoughts and assumptions inside your head from this condition. to be an extremist or a fundamentalist only translates into clarity, yet being "in limbo", like me, translates into endless adjustment and no-clear-cut answers for every occasion.

im talking about being trapped in a modern world, where you are no longer captivated in one small tree or one small village or even one small nationality and cultures. your travels and experience transcend way beyong simple virtue of doing things where you only adhere to one set of wisdom/norms/rules/dogma.

again, how do you go about it?

alternative one, you pray. when in doubt human pray. ask for guidance from the divine. and hope for the best.

two, you learn from experience of the elderly. with respect and admiration towards their journey. we learn to avoid their mistakes and advance on their tips and tricks.

three, you repeat steps one, two and three.

in my case, steps one, two and three lacks one thing. in the event that step one and two collides, which one triumphs?

we are taught to learn from the elderly, listen to their advice, but never to cope when their judgements are made from obsolete considerations towards today's challenges.

we are taught to believe in God, yet when things collided between humans, we dont preach the teachings of God but simply execute human laws. human rarely forgive and love or live life like Gods. we immidiately draw the line on how human errors are not acceptable therefore it needed to be punished especially when it doesnt concern us personally. in the event that it does affect us, our errors are not acceptable.

we learn so many things, but none on how to bridge those differences between what is real and what we really feel.

for some lucky riders, their life are clear cut, they are thought that way. but for me, it used to be, but no longer. i have been exposed to a hostile community, a bullying society and a rigid, conventional traditional values in the midst of my modern and democratic life-long education.

my question remains, how do you go about when values - you are taught to believe - collided? which one prevails?

especially when both play a fundamental role in shaping who you are today.

do holler when a bell rings.

A wedding in September

2011-09-18T02:52:00.001+10:00

Supposedly the inauguration of two love-birds into holy matrimony.

Dont get me wrong, it was a spectacular event for the newlyweds, but not so much for the guess particularly those who were families of indo-chinese decendants.
Let me just say, i too, before should be blamed for judging and throwing comments at the event. My apologies, but today i managed to shed a light into my small brain and realized that it was unnecessary.

I should start by declaring that it was not a typical indo-chinese wedding, since it was not a seated-dinner arrangement and there were no chinese dishes whatsoever yet it was, IMHO, a fabolous party.

1. The food.
Hail to PePeNERO for serving some of their finest food for the wedding. As a guest, my pallate was amused with the range of pizza, pasta, salad, bread, calamari and fruits provided, not to mention an open BAR of liquor boooyaaaaaaaaaaaah that will keep on being served until midnight.

For me or those big fans of cucina italiana, the food is heaven and you simply cant ask for more of what's being served. But not with the indo-chinese relatives, they first complained for not being able to find rice, and then moved on to tasteless food, in their humble opinion.

2. The Venue
Im not much of a wedding-goer, but this is my first time attenting a wedding in a classy, decent, delicious italian restaurant considering that this is an indo-chinese wedding, this wedding is AWESOME. I must say i didnt think that this was possible.

Indonesians do away with Balai Kartini, Hotel's ballroom, garden houses, beach party, but Italian resto? decent italian resto, open bar?? get real.. this doesn't come around that often. Some of my friends envied me for going to this wedding, cause they know they too would have a good time.

Again the guests complained on how there were no chairs and there were tired of wearing high heels. hmm.. yuhu.. i recalled the MC announcing numerous times that there are tables and chairs outside (for smokers) and upstairs. Plus, there were a bar and a bar stool. Look around much?

3. The Bride and Groom
Now this would be what i called typical Indo commnet, not just Indo-chinese. They would say something like this: "hmm i believe the previous boyfriend was more handsome" or "eeekkhh i prefer the previous girlfriend" or "OMG look at the make-up, it's so last year" or "the dress could be use for curtains".

4. The Questions for Singles
A slight derogation to the focus of the wedding, this is just something ordinary in any Indo or probably any wedding. A question asked to those supposedly miserable singles "when will you tie the knot?" or "what are you waiting for?" or "your wedding next month".

5. The Guess
You can hear and see people wander the room to check who is there and who is not there and continue to ponder on why he/she is or is not there. Thus, make comments as to why one close to the heart (in their opinion) or one close to home (speaking demography) is not invited.

The story between the lines are these:
We often forget that it is not our wedding, regardless of what culture we are in (be aware that im not a big fan of ridiculous proceedings), weddings are about those being tied in holy matrimony. It may also be a celebration for parents who have been raising them, but the star of the show is the bride and groom. When you are the star, the odds are ,most of the time, things are going to be decorated, tailored and presented in a way that suits your preference and not others - family or not, chinese or not.
So dont be baffled by the fact the things does not suit your preferred dietary restriction, the fact that people do stay and drink till they drop, the fact that you dont like any of the things being served does not matter, it's their show.

Again, it is THEIR wedding. As much as I want to invite the whole world, and pick a venue that can fit the whole world, it is not ours to say, it;s theirs, the bride and groom. All decisions I believed has be tailored to suit their financial abilities and preferred options; unless mom and dad are the ones paying :P
Unfortunately, i live in a society that needs to invite each and every one even those with the slightest connection be it blood or acquaintance. The irony is that, everyone agreed on how expensive weddings are here, and yet, even when the resources are not sufficient, they still insist to have the so-called "INDO wedding" meaning inviting everyone within 5km radius from home and work, oh dont forget relatives whom you have never heard or seen before but surely exists cause you uncle from your father's second cousin daughter's second wife is still alive. It is believed to be extremely rude not to invite everyone but no consideration on who should be responsible to pay for it all.
Dont even think to rebutt me with the argument of "BEP" (break even point) when you invite the big guns. Meaning you might make a profit even when you invite and throw a MEGA party. Jeeezzz, weddings are not meant to be a business (maybe for Wedding organizers) but not for the bride and groom whose goal is to celebrate their love.

Last but not least, stereotypes and typical questions. I know culture, norms and habits only change slowly through a couple of hundred years, but do we really need to uphold all the ridiculous things that evolves around it just for the sake of not being the talk of the town?
I can guarantee most will say it is not an easy thing to do (being different, going against what is considered normal) but when will it change if it does not start with us?

The bottomline of my experience tonight was that why cant people do away with us being ourself? is it so hard to just ignore or even pretend that we like everything they did cause we know it meant a lot for them?
And we are expected to care about those we barely know, how is this possible, when in our daily life where all of the interactions and experiences actually matters, those so-called relatives or acquaintences are never present?
Humans dont go living their life only of memories of how their parents won the war and how his fellow platoons save their lifes, we go on living and sorting who-is-who is our life by going through life with them, not the other way around.

Let there be more weddings like this (venue, food and choice of music wise) without the miniscule, ignorant, narrow-minded guests.

Cursed

2011-06-05T02:26:00.002+10:00

how would one realizes that they are being cursed?

do they turn ugly? do they stumble into a mud pit accidentally? do they go broke after 2 games of poker? or do they got their heart broken? or do they just simply cant feel and be happy?

even when one feels that they are being cursed, one would think what got them cursed? what did they do to get it? what did they say? what didnt they do?

what would be worse? to always feel cursed or to suddenly realized that we are being cursed after believing that we are born with luck and blessings?

the things that i've come to feel and realize brought me to the notion that my luck cease to exist, and that i've always been cursed but i was led to believe that i was blessed.

Pertama

2011-01-22T22:15:00.002+11:00

one of the first entertaining conclusion i came up with at my new office.

#1 whoever get a seat close to the air con (split air con) needs to be aware, you are put there for a reason. it's usually because you would most likely still be working (or waiting) by the time the central air con is turned off.

end. beginning.

2010-11-17T20:34:00.006+11:00

I have been wanting to post this piece since last year. As events occurred and as the process rolled. But i just could not do it. I have to many burden and fear of how this might turn out.

It all started with fear of doing nothing. fear of being left behind and fear of not being where i want to be. So i left and went straight to where it was comfortable, thinking that even if i got stuck there, at the very least, I chose to be there.

We make plans, the universe (or God or some prick) altered your plans.

It turns out, what I have become is nowhere near enough. A year goes by, another 6 months flies.

Throughout this journey, I enjoyed the stay, the environment, the people. I even tried all different kind of things to get me by. Old things, new things, all in the hope of finally reaching another level in life where your path is clear and that you do not need to look for anything else.

You were tempted by new opportunities, swayed with what the future holds as you venture through new horizon. But still, it was all just a phase and there is not future behind it.

At one point, I reached rock bottom. A place where i thought i would never be in. A place where nothing you do works, no matter how hard you try or fight for it.

What is even more unnerving is that you found out why all time, people pass you by, opportunities pass you by and you would be left thinking where the hell was I when all this are happening.

Up to here, I've been praised, put down, encouraged, discriminated, alienated, motivated and provoked.

I decided not to wait any longer. But i also do not know on where to go and where to start again.

The fear that i left behind came back haunting.

I decided to let everything go as it wants to go. Come what may... Que sera sera...

accompanied with persistence I tried everything.

yes. everything.

even those i said i would never tried.

i have lowered my expectations and put my ego aside. prepared of what may be.

The first attempt of an impossible scheme gave hope, as i manage to get a bit of my self-confident back, but the next phase was a bust!

The second try of an impossible scheme managed to gave me going all the way to the last battle. I said to myself, i better start writing all this down, but i still cant. the fear of dissappointment lingers causing me less and less quality sleep.

Finally, the day came. the day which made my mom doubted my achievements (although i am still waiting be convinced that this is an achievement).

I got in.

the second scheme pulls through, after being said to that if i were to get in, that i am either incredibly good, or incredibly well-connected; after having to convince myself that it may not be all that bad and that i may not be all that stupid; after having to hide the fact that i am not busy with anything except running schemes; after having to take up marketing and sales gig.

Gosh... now i can finally exhale...

Just so you know, the end of this leg of the race in my life is the beginning to a maybe dark, twisted, despicable place that i have to go through for the rest of my life.

I can only hope that I can stay sane and focus on what is important.

ps: i got a fortune cookie as i was waiting in vain for the announcement, it says

"You are offered the dream of a lifetime. Say yes!"

Flight passengers: an observation

2010-10-19T20:12:00.005+11:00

This is my observation. a mere conclusion of the attitude of people within an aircraft during my visit in 2010.

Mostly the attitude annoys me but i've made peace with it.

My conclusion is passengers from Jakarta to Sumatra are more hostile and aggressive compared to those going to cities in Java.

Example 1: PoS (Passengers going to Sumatra) never turn off their phone unless they are told by the steward/stewardess to do so. PoJ (Passengers going to Java) most of them follow the instructions. only few of PoJ waited to be told to turn off their mobile phones.

The same thing happens after landing, in a plane full of PoS, as soon as the plane touches the ground, specific mobile phone tunes roared. But with flight going to PoJ, i didnt hear any.

Example 2: Even before the plane came to a full stop, PoS would directly get up their chairs and take their bags and try to walk to the exit door. PoJ, although still tries to immediately take their bags and belongings, they at least waited until the plane has come to a full stop.

Example 3: PoJ does not push and shove you as aggressive as PoS does. But they all kinda disturb your smelling sense a bit.

I need to establish that this conclusion is not only derived from a one time going to Sumatra or Java on a plane. Among the unfortunate things I've come across this year, going places around Indonesia is the carrot.

These inconvenience might just happened because of my choice of "promo-ticket" strategy, but still, i like to think that most people have been on an airplane before and most definitely know how to go about it.

but hey... i might be wrong..

how about we incorporated field trips starting from elementary school level and up on how to behave in an aircraft: do's and don'ts!

You with me?

Culinary Hunt

2010-07-25T02:00:00.003+10:00

During the school holidays, I bumped into many, many, many (believe me there were many) playing zones, hunt games for kids, or just games.

I started wondering.. why dont I make my own hunt.
Instead of doing the old treasure hunt (since, really, there is no more treasure. it's all been dried up just like Indo's forest and natural resources); I decided to try.. again try to make a series of culinary hunt.

the rules are simple, I give hints, you guess...
capish?

Culinary hunt #1
one of my favorite dish. definitely meat. definitely buttery...
the color of the place makes you think "what has got into him when he decided to use this one?" it makes you think of hello kitty.
too bad i gotta wait till sundown to enjoy it, nonetheless, every meal always ( and i mean always ) made my day!!

ps: for now, the hunt sits in the capital city of west java..

When we express things

2010-07-03T21:20:00.002+10:00

in my spare time (read as avoiding and denying the reality of research proposal writing) i googled what people are doing. people namely past acquaintances, past memory, things and places of what is used to be.

then i bumped into picture that confirms newly acquired news. that it is true, people go to various length for acknowledgment and affirmation from their surroundings.

as I am also dwelling with ways to picture myself in further education, i am thinking, should i do the same? do i need to imprint my goals in real objects or places?

as for research purposes, i should, questions asking if you have any published materials hurts my eyes every time.

as for societal purposes, not today, not now.

as for you, i believe that whatever the purpose of your publication is, it would be nice to see it be done for good intentions, for once (hopefully).

ku tak tahu

2010-07-03T17:34:00.001+10:00

at this point,

any questions directed to me will be getting this sentence as a response:

"i dont know!!"

enam belas nopember nol sembilan

2010-05-24T04:15:00.001+10:00

something i found when i cant sleep.

im not sure on how to feel
not sure on how to respond.

but feels content that im not involved anymore.

but should i feel glad cause she's nothing?
should i feel glad cause she's miniscule?

his attitude is not of a gentleman.
you dont treat people like that.
you dont treat a lady like that, moreover when she's yours.

and for you madam, your disguise is clear as the sky on a bright day.
no matter how hard you tried to pull it off, you still save some for the rainy day.

looking forward to seeing you with no more denial for that day would be a day for truth to prevail.
dont let others suffer alongside of your being.
let them be free.
for they too deserve to have an admirer.

The Crater is not Tangkuban perahu

2010-03-11T20:55:00.014+11:00

a trip up the hill is just what i needed.

some say i've been goofing around, but i'll say i've spending my time wisely. :P.
And also i've made this trip up the hill as one of my wish list before i say goodbye to Bandung (not that i know when this will happen :P). you can find the post here.

The road was not too bad. although there was NO signs on where to go about Kawah Putih. Fortunate for me, i got myself a rental car with a driver that knows directions. So the journey begins.

The trip took us about 2,5 - 3 hours from Bandung. This mostly depends on the traffic since you would have no choice cause you would have to pass through a road that is narrow, hectic and filled with angkot and beloved indo bikers (this would translate into simplified example of Jakarta's traffic).

The topography is mostly like driving to Puncak - heaps of twist and turns - but with more rice fields scenery instead of tea plantation. The view changed from lines of houses into rice fields and a group of trees (which name i dont know but it has skinnly thin sort-of-peeling trunk) and my driver told us we were close when see this trees.

A gate and a line of so-called transporting vehicle took us to the crater and the view was what the French would call c'est manifique!

The day ends with a nice lunch at Sindang Reret - sundanese.

Enjoy the picts peeps!!!

the company.

this should be enough for now.. :D

IMHO

2010-02-14T17:30:00.003+11:00

the more i try to be something special, the more i see that i'm just acting like someone from your past!

in the still of the night

2010-01-24T05:55:00.002+11:00

when asked of what i wanted right now,
i stood blank.

when asked of what i need right now,
i scream from the top of my lungs.

when asked to see what i really deserve,
i again stood blank.

a promise i cant keep

2010-01-02T05:25:00.000+11:00

i tried but i dont think i could.

sorry...

and we're back at christmas...

2009-12-26T03:04:00.003+11:00

a very merry xmas to all of you..
cant believe it's been a year since Melb. how i miss my days there..
a brief recap of my xmas so far..

d-day minus 2 xmas cake arrives - a good sign. dinner with the girls, although the service sucked, the company was a complete opposite - lop u pul gals!. went home and got a new purse.

d-day minus 1 Christmas eve mass - managed to secure great seats, fully air con. the night ended with great dinner with ndut and bff.

D-day splendid day, good xmas food (ndut's cooking of course), excited about dinner... went to dinner, stuffed, a brink of smile while sipping caramel machiato, the night was ruined cause bike carashed onto my car from rear, leaving me with a broken backlight, displaced bumper AND a deepening hate towards motorbike riders. seriously guys, do you really think you have nine lives?

i havent arrived at my conclusion yet, since the weekend is still ahead of me. let's just see what xmas weekend brings me.. fingers crossed.

This goes out to the (senior) ladies

2009-10-15T04:43:00.003+11:00

I was on my way to my regular weekly basketball game with the boys, and found one amazing and exciting sight.

I found a basketball court filled with basketball players (of course) consists of senior ladies and gents. And by senior i mean those players are probably in their late 50's or early 60's.

I was like "YEE HAA" grandma!!!!

I had to sit for a while to hold my excitement and was actually entertained by their lay-ups and jump-shots. I even cheered (out loud) for them which ended up confusing them. But seriously. how often do you get to see senior's still dribbling it these days? Moreover, a bunch of senior ladies dominating a basketball court and kicking it like they didnt age at all. RARE indeed!

Come on people, lets just be reasonable, to find a basketball court filled with boys or men or grandpas can be classified as common, but grandmas? this is something else. i even find it hard to see other female players in my weekly game. this definitely made my day.

Now, dont get me wrong, i dont mean any disrespect towards them, in fact im filled with joy for knowing that even at that age, or when i am that senior one day, i can still rock a basketball court.

Too bad i didnt get a chance to take pictures. but im sure you get the gist. :)

reliving the dream

2009-10-06T05:58:00.004+11:00

i was asked the other day, of what i want this very moment.

gotta tell ya it took me a while to get to my answer but i know what it is.

(but sorry not gonna tell you). :)

however, my writing this post still has its goals, this post is here to state and realize that i have not given up on my dreams, yet i have learned how to compromise life and its obscurities. the very action that i thought would never came to my senses.

to some, i am still the same person with the same ambition and dreams, for others (less obvious observer) i am merely not myself for i have compromised some of my strategy.

my dear friends, fear not of what i have become, but be merry for what i have come to realize; for all of you are the very flavors that lights my path.

wish list

2009-08-20T17:17:00.006+10:00

i was going to name this post bucket list.. but i dont think that would be a wise thing. ha ha the previous movie only showed that those who has will die. and i dont think im dying soon. i believe so (God help me!!!).

so here it is... my wish list.. before i move and leave this city behind.

- perkedel bondon ==>Checked - Thanks to Gung Wa
- breakfast at cloud 9
- kawah putih
- batu karas
- wind chime

i think this should be enough (for now)..

Knocked me off my feet

2009-08-01T05:29:00.001+10:00

I see us in the park
strolling the summer days
of imaginings in my head.
And words from our hearts
told only to the winds
felt even without being said.

I don't want to bore you with my trouble
But there's something 'bout your love
that makes me weak and knocks me off my feet.
There's something 'bout your love
that makes me weak and knocks me off my feet
knocks me off my feet.
I don't want to bore you with it
oh but I love you
I love you
I love you.
I don't want to bore you with it

oh but I love you
I love you

I love you more and more.

We lay beneath the stars

under a lover's tree
that's seen through the eyes of my mind.
And I reach out for the part
of me that lives in you
that only our two hearts can find.

I don't want to bore you with my trouble
But there's something 'bout your love
that makes me weak and knocks me off my feet.
There's something 'bout your love
that makes me weak and knocks me off my feet
knocks me off my feet.
I don't want to bore you with it
but I love you
I love you
I love you.
I don't want to bore you with it

but I love you
I love you ...

by: Stevie Wonder.

a taste of heaven

2009-07-05T06:03:00.000+10:00

just found out i was deleted from my friend's friend list on the latest, newest, fast-growing online networking webpage.

geez, guess i cant say this day wont come and seems like we're not friends anymore.

eat that!

How to mend a broken heart

2009-06-22T17:00:00.003+10:00

i was going to write a long and sentimental post in this one. but decided that there's no place for nice and subtle approach at this point.

so here it goes. i know that you might not need nor want my opinion but lets face it someone has to give you the cold hard truth. we all know you've been hurt, BIG TIME, and you are trying to cope and deal with that hurt and although it looks like you are doing OK and still on top of you game, the truth is you ARE NOT.

what worries me is that you are missing on opportunities of being with the one you dreamed of. it has nothing to do with your giving your attention 24/7, it has nothing to do with you being loyal and faithful, but it has EVERYTHING to do with you showing you willingness to make IT happen and your willingness to FIGHT for it.

it is understood that your past experience has not served you right, this to me give all the more reason for you to not give up. even though it was rough, and it hurts but the only way to ever get close to loving and having someone to be with you is to give all you got NO MATTER WHAT.

a wise man used to say "they all started with strangers" so therefore you will never know which one will be yours.

in the end, i can only say STOP whining you frog!!! start proving that you are worth it!!!!

FYI

2009-04-27T00:35:00.003+10:00

there's nothing worse than having a bad food.

ups.. i was wrong...

BAD food and BAD service is the winner. nothing beats that.

as i was told when one wants to look for a delicious "nasi liwet" i should try this place located at dago area. the first experience was OK. although i was not a BIG fan of their signature dish, the atmosphere was a worthy trade. the second time, not so much.

i was certain that their signature dish does not suit my taste (exception should be noted for its tumis kangkung) and what's even worse is that the service, sucked BIG TIME. we sat on a gazebo (lesehan gazebo - where we sit on the floor) where some construction worker was throwing rocks - big rocks - next to us completely ignoring our comfort and supply of clean air. the waiter pouts every time we ask for things (this might be caused by their going-up-and-down stairs all day). but hey, isn't it their job to greet us and welcome our business?? and lastly, the rejection we get for wanting to move table to a more comfortable one was rejected, simply because we are lacking a person to fill in the chairs. that sealed the deal.

one thing for sure. i wont be coming back. unless im extremely drunk and someone had the energy to carry me through all those stairs.

HUH

to hear what is being said..

2009-04-06T18:23:00.004+10:00

Paolo Coelho once suggested that the universe will conspire to your needs whenever you need it too.

in my case. im contemplating on what the universe is trying to tell me. trust me it's not easy to be me HA HA HA. or im just a perfect example of an ignorant slash stubborn slash teach-me-how-to-read-it-ASAP person.

bottom line is that im bored. bored with work. bored with the same routines. but still not bored with Bandung. funny hey..

Then, how to solve this current crappy condition. My to-do list would look like this:
1. Decide what i want
2. Make a Plan
3. Execute plan
4. if plan doesnt work, go to step 2 and formulate plan B, D, Z etc...
5. without the intention of sounding like a religious bastard, praying is in order.

Now, i think im ready to rule the world :P.

although step 1 may look easy, i can guarantee you it wont be done briefly.

pray for me will ya..

Random stuff (1)

2009-03-25T17:53:00.003+11:00

i have no idea what this means (hope you can see the pict clearly). just in case you dont, Floor 15 was designated as the "ladies floor". i was there, at that floor. i might have missed the "idea" of the ladies floor, but it is still the same hall way. the same doors and the same settings as other floor. and there was no "gentlemen floor". The people staying at that floor are both female and male.

this might be a new genre or trend i dont get, but seriously, i dont get it.

aint we good?

Just ask

2009-03-18T03:15:00.003+11:00

Luke 11:9 noted Jesus, which said

"And i said unto you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

I must have got hit in the head to have remembered this particular biblical words of wisdom.

So, i started thinking. if this is so... can we just start asking and asking and asking and asking and asking? would all that we asked came true per se? for those of you who have watched bruce almighty the scene where jim carrey clicked on the "yes to all" button (which is granting everyone's wishes) doesnt give us any good either - chaotic in fact.

some might think that "asking" is the way to go. "seeking" is the path to finding. but what if by doing these actions, a.k.a living according to God, lead you to devastation and defamation of oneself.

i guess the answer would be on the intensity, purpose and ways of doing it.
the appropriateness and adequacy of your request and actions reflects who you are.

for those getting a slap on the face by this is, i shall say "It's about time!!!, look in the mirror, and evaluate."

Pentingnya cek air radiator

2009-03-14T02:12:00.002+11:00

we can never tell what's going to happen. but be sure of one thing. if you are, my friends, driving and using a car on a daily basis, be sure to check the water on you radiator. be sure to fill it up so that your journey and schedule for that day runs smoothly.

i was on my way to get the so-called best cheesecake in town when i found the car i was driving stopped and its ignition was not working properly. FYI, i was on a flyover exit and you can bet i was definitely blocking the way. the car behind me had been honking his horn since the car stopped. but once he saw me pushing the car to the road side, he immediately walk out of his car and gave me a hand - and so does two other very kind gentlemen on a bike which happen to pass by. it turns out chivalry still exist.

after assuming that there is something wrong with the car's battery, and after some friends franticly came to our rescue, it was found that the problem lies with the non-existence of water in the radiator - which is bad news for cars both automatic and manual. However, it was a relief that this was the problem instead of the battery.

the ignition worked after being cooled off. i get to go home but the plan to taste the so-called best cheesecake in town vaporred with the hot steam on the car's radiator.

the lesson thta needs to be learnt is that to ALWAYS check the water on your radiator before you even use the car and leave the house.

Random stuff

2009-03-08T20:36:00.002+11:00

aint we good? :D

While munching tempura

2009-03-08T01:23:00.001+11:00

Was reminded of how much i despise being stuck in traffic, especially when it ruined my plan to see jason mraz.

an interesting way to see life

2009-01-21T19:55:00.001+11:00

taken from some mailing list somewhere in B's inbox.

Seorang programmer mengirimkan surat berikut :

Yth. Customer Support,
Saya sgt membutuhkan bantuan. Baru-baru ini saya melakukan update program Girlfriend 7.0 ke Wife 1.0 dan diluar perkiraan saya ternyata program baru ini mulai melakukan pembuatan sub program Child 1.0 dan juga mulai memakan waktu & sumber berharga lainnya. Hal ini tidak dicantumkan di brosur produknya.

Sebagai tambahan, Wife 1.0 juga mengacaukan program lainnya, memasukkan dirinya ke dalam proses start up harian dimana secara otomatis memonitor semua aktivitas sistem layaknya sebuah virus.

Program saya lainnya seperti Hang Out 2.5 atau Saturday Nite Party 311 tidak lagi bisa berjalan & menyebabkan sistem menjadi crash setiap kali dilakukan. Saya mencoba menjalankan Lazy Saturday 5.0 atau Sleepy Sunday 4.2 namun juga tidak dapat dijalankan.

Sepertinya saya tidak bisa membuat Wife 1.0 bekerja di background sementara saya menjalankan aplikasi favorit saya lainnya. Saat ini saya sedang berfikir untuk melakukan uninstall program Wife 1.0 namun sepertinya tidak bisa.

Mohon bantuannya,
Programmer

Beberapa hari setelah itu, datanglah jawaban yang ditunggu-tunggu sang programmer :

Yth. Bapak Programmer,
Ini adalah masalah yang sering muncul dari kesalahpahaman yang mendasar sekali. Banyak orang yang melakukan update program Girlfriend 7.0 ke Wife 1.0 berpikir bahwa Wife 1.0 adalah tipe Utility & entertainment program. Sedangkan hal yang sebenarnya, Wife 1.0 adalah Operating System yang dirancang oleh Programmer kami di Heaven Unlimited Company untuk menjalankan semuanya.

Anda tidak bisa menghapus Wife 1.0 & kembali ke Girlfriend 7.0. Jika dipaksakan akan menyebabkan seluruh sistem anda berantakan.

Kami merekomendasikan untuk tetap menggunakan program Wife 1.0 & cobalah mengatasi beberapa hal yang anda anggap sebagai kesulitan. Beberapa tips dari kami jika ada suatu masalah, cobalah jalankan semua recovery program yang ada di folder C:\APOLOGIZE, seperti Say Sorry 8.0 atau Hug & Kiss 9.0. Walaupun banyak orang menganggap Wife 1.0 adalah sebuah program yang membutuhkan perawatan tinggi, banyak juga yang tahu bahwa program ini bisa menjadi program yang sangat menyenangkan. Untuk memperoleh manfaat maksimal program ini, anda dapat mencoba membeli add-on program seperti Listening 5.0 , Flowers 2.5 atau Chocolates 1.3.

Dalam hal apapun kami sangat tidak merekomendasikan anda untuk meng-install programm Secretary 1.0 (Short Skirt Version) karena program ini sangat tidak kompatibel dengan Wife 1.0 dan dapat dipastikan menyebabkan sistem crash.

Semoga dapat membantu,
Customer Service

OJ Xmas partee

2008-12-30T20:32:00.004+11:00

MERRY XMAS!!!! ha ha ha

i cant remember the last time i went to a xmas party and did krismas kringle (i dont know how to spell i know).

but this one is EXTRA special im with a new crowd, well not entirely new, but the PLace is new, the atmoshpere is new and im in Bandung again. Enjoyed the rain and free (for real this time) wi fi.

uhui...

beware guys.. im thinking Bandung might be the Place to Be!!!

here are the picts:

Santa Benedict!

Me and my gift!

Alex, Tante Gita and Santi.

J-town

2008-12-15T20:46:00.003+11:00

nothing like bitchin about the hustle and bustle in Jakarta.

yes party peeople, im home. been driving these past days with an expired driving license HA HA. but not to worry., im still sane, not stressing out, and keeping my faith that those idiots on the motorbike will eventually come to their senses and drive appropriately (read: not having more that 2 persons in a bike). seriously those families fit all of their members mostly 4 in a single bike. i worry for their kids not their parents.

furthermore, i have yelled at stupid people who think they can drive but obviously CANT. i gave him SH&T! ha ha.

im live from oh la la cafe mal puri indah. it does say up front "FREE WIRELESS hotspot" but it's not. i was only about to get myself a tea but they said that i need to EAT and DRINK to be able to use the internet. ck ck ck. isnt Jakarta beautiful.

Last (Melbourne) Supper

2008-12-10T02:46:00.005+11:00

cant believe it's happening. me going back home in less than 3 days.

i gathered my besties for dinner, a nice peking duck dinner at Old Kingdom. it was a treat and a memorable night. Thank you for coming out guys.

i just realized how much im going to miss Melbourne and of course you (crazy) lads. :P

Regrets

2008-12-07T01:59:00.005+11:00

if you like Frank Sinatra's My Way, you would see that in the lyrics it says "regrets, i had a few but too few to mention", this is one of my few.

today, i regretted telling a friend of mine the truth. my (overly) imaginative and paranoid self has put me away from being classified as a good friend. i did not think of you, i only thought of me.

all im trying to say is that, i know that i cant take it back. i SHOULD have known better. I am truly sorry.

i may not be the most religious person in the world, but will all that is going on in your life, i do believe that there will be a way out. Storm always ends, rain will eventually clear. you just need to hold on tight and hang in there.

i apologise (again).

Nduts reunited

2008-11-30T09:28:00.002+11:00

going to pick Ndut in less than 2 hours.

YeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

cant wait :) :D

The Graduate

2008-11-28T00:26:00.002+11:00

That's rite partee people. I am the Graduate! oi oi oi!!!

got my results just now. cant wait to meet the vice chancellor. and mom is going to be here in less then 72 hours.

La vita e Bella.

missing out 2

2008-11-23T21:38:00.001+11:00

the things that made going home that much harder.

- COLDPLAY concert march 09
- KINGS of LEON concert march 09
- PINK concer march 09

arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!

Hell Yeah!!!!

2008-11-20T00:18:00.004+11:00

a picture of me and the crowd on corporate box at south dragon game nov 13, 08. http://southdragons.com.au/default.aspx?s=photogalleries&galleryid=11673
i got the free corporate box tickets because i was wearing a jersey and was screaming and dancing to the music.

in the picture left to right : sexy lady, enrisa, daniel, dina, ME, you know the rest. :P

another year

2008-11-19T00:48:00.001+11:00

it is 00.52 am AEST.

Happy birthday to me!!

just got back from gold coast, the paradise. glad to be back. enjoyed my time in paradise.

details and heaps of pictures coming soon.

Plan B

2008-11-14T00:14:00.003+11:00

it was not until today i realized what has been interrupting my sleep. without exams and all i should be sleeping like a pig, but i wasnt. havent been able to get a GOOD sleep.
as i met Linette (a lady learning bahasa), i have come to realized that there's a possibility that ndut wont be able to get the visa in time to be here with the tickets i bought her and for my graduation. this is november and she is scheduled to leave jakarta nov 29th. the travel agent she's using suggest that it would take 10 days max to get her visa. this is if she gets her visa. today is nov 14, ten days means 24 nov. if rejected, another ten days would mean getting a refund on her ticket.

jesus christ, i have been screaming (on my emails) and telling her to get her visa application in since september, but no. she didnt listen. partly because my cousin and aunt are coming also, and the cousin admit that he has an inside connection and things will be done in a day. and then my aunt's son died, she went to medan, singapore and only GOD knows where else. bottom line, up until early this month, there was no way of knowing her whereabouts or getting her passport to be processed.
the other part was because she didnt listen to me. and because she figured nothing can go wrong.

well as much as i hoped NOTHING is going to go wrong, i need to come up with a plan.

so here it goes, if her visa is denied and she is not able to be here for my graduation, i will stay in OZ until january. the point is to postpone going back, get a job, earn some more dough. my visa expires 31 jan 09 anyway. and i inteded to say or new years in Melbourne at first, but since she was coming for graduation , i thought there's nothing wrong with going back together.
but now, if this happens, i just was to stay and earn some more money. or earn more vacation.

this decision can be or may well be considered as a punishment for her (and/or me), but i've made up my mind. it's not like i didnt remind her or anything. as for my cousin and my aunt, if they cancelled their trip, hey, more money to save or to spend on travelling.

im just sad, dissapointed yet hopeful it will not come to this.

i need to party!!!
ps: due to my frustration, another damage control measure was taken. a new haircut was done today. pictures coming soon.

Red Emperor

2008-11-10T00:22:00.002+11:00

one of the best Peking Duck in Melbourne.

i gotta warn you though, they sell by the slice. so dont get your hopes up or imagine anything like Half a duck or even a whole duck with a student budget. they sell per 2 pieces for AUD$15. ridiculous.

thank God it was DELICIOUS.

Quote of the Day

2008-11-05T18:53:00.003+11:00

"my ex(s) are not my friends" by Buncit.

good ya mate!

Quote of the Day

2008-11-05T18:53:00.002+11:00

"my ex(s) are not my friends" by Buncit.

good on ya mate!

Satu Tahun

2008-11-05T14:18:00.000+11:00

dedicated for the dearest Sonti Girsang.
since im not that much of a writer, here is a piece by Santi Hendrawati, my dearest Mom, for my dearest Aunt. May you rest in peace.

Mama ….
Di sekolah kami diajar Guru menghitung hari
Satu tahun ada tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari
Di rumah, Mama juga selalu mengingatkan kami
Satu tahun, ada tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari
Setiap tahun, sampai kapan pun, kata Mama, akan selalu sama
Satu tahun ada tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari.

4 November 2007 - 4 November 2008
Kami hitung, ada satu tahun, Ma …
Tetap ada tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari
Hanya saja, tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari tahun ini, tidak sama lagi
Tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari tahun ini, harus kami lalui
tanpa Mama di sisi kami lagi.

Sampai hari ini, Mama…
Masih rasanya kami tidak percaya
Sulit rasanya kami cerna
Mama demikian cepat mendahului kami
Sungguhkah, Mama tidak lagi bersama kami?

Kami rindu tawa Mama
Kami rindu canda Mama
Kami rindu teguran Mama
Kami rindu debatan Mama
Kami rindu pendapat Mama
Kami rindu hiburan Mama
Kami rindu semangat Mama
Kami rindu ajaran Mama …

Sungguhkah Mama tidak lagi bersama kami?

Tiga ratus enam puluh lima hari tahun ini. membuka mata kami
Begitu besar sosok Mama dalam hidup kami
Begitu mulia limpahan kasih Mama bagi hidup kami
Begitu tinggi harapan Mama kepada kami
Begitu sabar Mama membimbing hari-hari kami
Begitu dalam wibawa Mama di mata kami

Sungguhkah Mama tidak lagi bersama kami?

Tidak, tidak, Mama …
Meski Mama tidak kasat mata lagi
Mama tetap ada di hati kami
Mama tetap hidup dalam jiwa kami
Mama tetap nyala semangat hidup kami
Mama tetaplah obor pemandu hari-hari kami
Terima kasih Mama …
Kami percaya Mama bahagia di rumah Bapa
Kami yakin Mama senyum melihat kami,
Bapa, Abang, Adik, saudara dan semua kerabat
Berkumpul, berbagi, berdoa, rukun-rukun sebagai keluarga

Selamat beristirahat, Mama …
Sampai jumpa di suatu saat nanti.

Dengan Sayang dan Cinta kami,

F R E E

2008-11-04T04:08:00.002+11:00

ALAS..
no more essays..
no more examssss

for reaaaaaaaaaaaaal!!!!

ye haaaaaaaaaaaa

note to self: thank Fahim for a lovely, adventurous, educational evening. Lov ya Man!!!!!

just dropping by to let you know im did my last exam. hi hi

on that point Sir!

2008-10-31T01:42:00.006+11:00

this is the first day for all of you. i have decided to make this blog public (meaning you dont have to log in or be invited to see it). the very reason i did it at first was because i dont think that im ready to be heard or seen by the outside world or i was not ready to hear what they think of me.

guess what, a recent political move by the Indonesian government was enough get me all worked up 3 days before my second exam. i usually let nothing affect my mood simply because i need to stay focus. but this one did it. i changed my status several times in a day on FB (which is not usual), i googled the exact wording of that controversial bill and cursed the doings of so-called beloved representatives.

in order for me to get my thoughts heard, i need to be out there (read: start releasing restrictions on my thoughts).

however, i need to warn you that this blog, my thoughts, my stories, my cursing, is only a glimpse of who i am. nothing like seeing things in its true form - in the real world. thus i fully realized that i am letting myself be vulnerable to scrutiny by making this public, but i also free my beloved friends from the obligation of logging in their username and password (grudges that i attend to so many times yet nothing was done about it), and i get to share my thoughts and frustration of how stupid it was to just let that bill pass without further consideration.

there are several major effects that this bill brought into my life:
1. i now understand my people dont want to live in indo after they lived abroad. why people stay away from Indo.
2. i need to brace myself for the real world.

i was going to elaborate on the very details how stupid the bill is, but since i've read enough and had enough of it, im sure you can read that somewhere else. so im just going to elaborate how this affects my life and how i see Indonesia and how disappointed i am.

a very good friend of mine decided to never go back to indo. numerous reasons. i could never see why she would take such an extreme measure since i thought how can you not want to go back to where you grew up. she always told me that it's all fucked up and there's no use fighhting for a betterment. she tried living in indo after living for around 4 years in melbourne and found herself deteriorating and frustrating over little things - the things that has always been there.
i originally take that as an excuse. simply because she had found her soulmate here in melbourne.

how does this relate to the porn bill that i immensely oppose? living here in melbourne is an eye-opener for me. i came to realize the very use of following the rules and being aware of the consequences that is going to hurt you (or at least you pocket) at times of disobedience. for example, when you do not puchase a valid metcard (your tickets to melbourne transport) you will get fined, if you get caught. the fine starts from AUD $160 and it is multiplied when you get caught again and again and again. at one point, if you get caught without a valid ticket you can be fined up to AUD $1000 - FYI, as a comparison this can get you a trip to fiji for a week. Now, most of you will probably say that 'we have rules and regulations and fines in indo too'. I agree that we do, but no one actually enforce it to the fullest extent or money overules it when it does happen.
a very common issue of enforcement.

i never realised that knowing the rules would be so important and to just agree to any bill can contributes towards an invasion on your life and privacy. of course there is no such thing like respecting privacy in Indo, simply because we are not accustomed to it. it's all collective all jolly goody big family comes first before you. the greater good will prevail and the minority shall subside.

the porn bill does not put forth any amount of money you will have to pay just in case you get caught, but worse. the bill provides you with a very broad intepretation of what porn is, so that basically almost anything that arouses you can be assumed as a form of pornography. you can see it here http://www.lbh-apik.or.id/ruu-pornografi.htm.

what is worst is that it allows investigator to go through, copy your file, computer file and other kind of media telecommunication in the name of investigation. correct me if im wrong, but the very notion of having the bill was to prevent child pornography and its impact on the lives of indonesian children and probably parents. now how does invading a private space, your space, my space, your personal files has to do with preventing this? in the case of sicko paedophilias, it might work. nevertheless, a clear definition and parameter as to how these investigation can be done was not provided just as the broad definition of nudity. lets say if i were sitting down with my laptop in a cafe and some undercover cop "smells something fishy" from the way i laugh (making sounds) and decided to raid my laptop and found the Naylin Paylin video; would i be considered a criminal for having those? forgive me for my curiosity for the famous Sarah Palin, but am i guilty for just having those even without the intention of selling or seducing anyone?

i have come to realize some Indonesian law does not in any way appreaciate what is in our head or our rights as human being. we, indonesians, are just so dumb that our gov needs to control what is in our head. a very 'noble' quest that serve no one any good. we, Indonesians, need to be reminded of how hard life can be in an interfaith marriage by the "only those who have the same religion can marry" policy.
i was so dissappointed to see that the very representative that i voted passed this ridiculous bill, because i realised that the application of this bill can invade my life, my privacy.

guess what, i was probably overacting. a friend of mine slap me on the face and said "gracia, havent you got used to this by now? they always do that. we are surrounded by stupidity. they always figure out more ridiculous way of protecting children, citizens, intellectual property, yet, no real enforcement will come into play. a mere rhetoric"

Ironic.

i've travelled overseas to be able to enrich myself with the hope of bettering my country (and to travel for sure!!) only to find that i have been cut short. how can one not want to stay here? - in the developed country - and never go back. despite the past stigma of discrimination and bad policy attitude towards immigrants, privacy is still respected. a typical case of brain drain, all those who have the ability and opportunity to escape will and have used it to stay away from indonesia. leaving it with less and less gifted human resources. im not saying that there is no more brilliant people, but can you imagine how far Indonesia can progress with most of its educated and talented people working together? a milestone.

Indonesia has about 230 million people (cia factbook, 2008). how many is educated or hold a degree? for what i realised, only few lucky ones gets a chance to experience tertiary education abroad and sadly most are not so looking forward to go back.

man, this posting is long and still i feel that i still have more to write. but i need to stop now. there's no use prolonging this agony further. bottom line, my views of Indo changed (yes deb, im admitting that), i am not so keen of going back as i was before. However, i must go back. for what? mostly because my contract with AusAid said so, or i will have to pay them back, which is not an option. because i want to see my mom. because i still hope that progress is not a utopic idea. and because by staying away would leave my country with less and less ingredients to move forward.

this is, at least, how i stand at the moment. who knows my government will come up with even more "genius" ways to keep me away from going back.

wish me luck

2008-10-23T18:03:00.001+11:00

done with essays. No More essays for me at least until i decided to take on another degree which would be highly unlikely to happen in the near future. the brain damage from this one will not wear off until at least 2-3 years or more.

2 more exams to go before i see the vice chancellor and get my degree..

need to focus. but cant seem to stop procrastinating. draft of updates are coming, just cant really squeeze it now.

Ganbatte!!!!

missing out

2008-10-16T02:25:00.003+11:00

these are a list of concert that i wont be able to see because im going back in dec.
- Alicia Keys
- Kylie Minoque
- Simply Red
- Eric Clapton - yes.. "THe Eric Clapton"
- Jordin Sparks

sigh!!!

the feeling after

2008-10-15T02:17:00.003+11:00

this time yesterday, i could barely open my eyes to finish my last major essay. But now. im wide awake. shit. i got nothing to write anymore simply because i finished it and im too lazy to read it more than 2 times.

cant believe, im this awake. i should be snoring by now. especially knowing that my exams in two weeks. yikes.

got several feedback on my previous ASSignments, some good some could be better. but all in all, i must say, this semester is one of the best semester in Monash.

ps: i want a WetSuit.

nutty sugar high

2008-10-11T02:42:00.001+11:00

think happy thoughts...

think happy places...

think happy people...

think happy things!!!!

Photo of the Day!

2008-10-09T16:52:00.003+11:00

Si buncit n sushi.

i was goin to post an uglier version of the pict, but the owner forbid me to and offered me this version instead. not the original pose that i wanted, but you get the idea. What i love about the pict and MISS the most is the look on her face when she nailed that sushi. Nothing looks better than success. She said the sushi tastes like sushi - i was like " Da? *&^%$%" ha ha ha.. im sure it was great.

tinggal satu lagi

2008-10-07T19:41:00.003+11:00

this has been one of those moments when im just being my extermely-lazy-self.
it all started good, me borrowed heaps of books and read the part that i think can be used for the Massive research essay. but since last friday, i've lost the will to be diligent and especially after getting feedback from my intl institution n orgn essay.

i feel that no matter how hard i try, im still behind. still dumb. still lacking that X factor.

the feedback was not that bad, but it puts me off for sure.

need to start writing. need to get this massive essay done. it's goddamn 60% of the assesment.

sigh!

Online Chat

2008-10-02T19:48:00.003+10:00

you might think is post would just be another silly convo i did online, IT is NOT.

i was just amazed by the Monash Uni Library. I just used their Library Online chat and actually got a librarian answering my questions. IT was really cool, Man! never seen anything like it. HA HA.
im such a geek.

unfortunately she could answer my question coz there was not any 'Endnote specialist" on duty today, so she's gonna get back to me tom via email. HA HA again.

how cool was that?

things im gonna miss when i go back to indo.

today - 3 oct 08 - i got a call from the librarian explaining the answer to my problem. how cool is that? definitely gonna miss this. btw, problem solved.

OZ outback

2008-10-02T00:52:00.012+10:00

A weekend on the outback was a treat for me from me. After finishing three 2500 words essay, i finally got a chance to escape from reality and went to Gippsland. I went to a farm at Sarsfield - Gippsland about 3 hours drive east of Melbourne. The farm was Majella's family farm and it was freakin gorgeous.

I forgot how big exactly the farm was, but it has its own tennis court, small pool for the kids - Majella's niece n nephews, trampoline, swing, two dams, bush, sheeps, flowers farm, grape farm, barn - for shearing and Jell's 21st party venue, lemon tree, advocado tree, a small experimental yard and a million dollar view.

Since Gippslands is pretty much a tourist destination, Majella and Leo - the Dad, took me around the area, I got to see Raymond Island, Paynesville, Lakes Entrance -favourite destination for fishing and Bairnsdale. We had lunch at Fisherman's Wharf and i ordered a really good Calamari while looking out the window and enjoyed the view of the Lake and Raymond Island - which is just across the water. One silly thing was that, if you want to go to Raymond Island, you need to go on a ferry, a ride that last only about 2 minutes because it was so goddamn close and there is no other alternative. The people living at the island doesnt want to built a bridge between Paynesville and Raymond Island, they enjoyed their ferry ride. Silly but unique.

Lakes Entrance

I went to church also that sunday, and was told that the St. Mary's Church at Bairnsdale had the same mural paintings as the one at the Sistine Chapel. It was OK.

It's comforting to realize the fact that i was out in the country but i was still in touch with technology and modern facilities. The comparison becomes clear when i compared Jell's farm to Simpang bage (which is pretty much my family farm up the mountains in North Sumatra). Everything at gippsland or at Jell's farm was modern. There are still flat screen TV, comfy lazy-boy chairs, modern kitchen utilities and modern bathroom.

While Simpang bage is 'Kampung' (village), literally. It has no modern aspects whatsoever, especially when my grandmother decided not to build rooms which made us had to sleep on the living room on the floor. See the concept of a 'rumah bolon' like the ones my family have at simpang bage is that everyone should sleep on the floor and be together. There's nothing modern about it.

This trip got me thinking and planning on renovating that house in Simpang bage. Seriously, the last time i was there, i had fun, though less comfortability in terms of accomodation, but if we can just give a little effort in making that house more comfortable and more modern, I can guarantee you that most of my family would love to go there and visit. It is indeed not far from lovely tourist attractions such as Lake Toba, Tongging and Brastagi.

The creme de la creme was when Jell made us Lamb Roast for dinner. Yeee haaaa.. my first OZ lamb roast. It was delicious, yummy and it is freakin easy to make. A Glass of red Shiraz perfected my dinner. Leo told me that the 2005 Shiraz was voted 2nd best on a competition (somewhere i cant remember). It was impeccable.

One thing i forgot to mentioned earlier. This getaway gave me a picture of what it would be like if my dad was still around. I would see him spending his days fixing and playing with cars, him doing nothing sunday afternoon, probably us having lunch in a fancy resto. I almost shed tears realizing that i had missed all that. But seeing how Jell and her dad's relationship i kinda get the idea and was amused by it.

In conclusion, I had a great time exploring the outback! Thanks Jell.. it was just what i needed.
Mom has requested that we go there when she's in Melbourne. Cant wait.

Dragons vs Crocodiles

2008-09-26T02:47:00.014+10:00

Daniel took me to a basketball game. it is said to be a dying sport in OZ, especially Melbourne. cos everyone;s into footy (australian rules football). i seriously dont get that game. trust me, i tried. i figure it would be a good experience for me to go see a real game in OZ, when i say real i mean: professional players, regular seasons, cheerleaders, hot dogs, mascots and a real basketball arena.

The game was between South Dragons and Townsville Crocodiles. the first half was kinda slow for dragons, they were behind by 20 points. geez.. but they managed to catch up on the second half, and lead for about 5 minutes in 3rd quarter and it's head-to-head till the end. Unfortunately, Dragons lost 89-91. those stupid players kept on trying to catch up by doing three point shoot all the time, a waste of time i'd say. they should have just drive-in and try to at least get a foul or dunk the ball in. they were like 6'10 and 6'8. how bad can you be when you are that tall?

The arena was awesome, not the best but it's decent (compared to the ones in Indo). although i must admit, that game was a bit dry in terms of hype and audience. seriously, it was like half empty and probably a game back in high school has more enthusiasm than that. Of course, my high school games doesnt really have sexy dancers slash cheers. i probably shouldnt compare it to NBA, but it made me realize how NBA has really turn basketball into not only sport but also an entertainment.

Luckily, the game got interesting and got me excited, especially in the last 5 minutes of the game. However, the noise, the rave and the ambience does not fulfill my expectation of watching a game in, say, first world country. Well, it is a regular season, and it;s not NBA i guess it's excusable.

Being true to my japanese-tourist disorder, i definitely took picts and bought myself a Jersey of my new Basketball Idol- Joey Ingles. HE saved the day, didnt manage to win it, but he is REALLY good.

might go the another game. next month.

when you are away

2008-09-24T21:46:00.003+10:00

i always knew that when you go away from home you are bound to miss events, food, friends and even your old room.

being in Melbourne for almost 16 months now, i have missed several birthdays, one too many weddings, dirty cheap food, sweating like pig in the middle of the night and the "ceriwis" talks show.

you eventually adapt and adjust to not having those around, and probably because you know that you are going to go back therefore you dont really feel like you missing out that much.

however, again, i hate being away when this event happens. Funerals.
this is the second funerals i missed since im away. not to say that i like and look forward to attending funerals but how can you get over the fact that you are away when someone you know and care passed away?.

i dont get a chance to say goodbye, i dont get a chance to be there for those being left behind, i dont get the chance to see them for the last time.

how do you cope with it?
out of all the things you missed when you are away, this is probably the most uneasy, difficult and discomforting feeling.

today, my cousin died. he left behind a wife, two toddlers and a bunch of family that cares about him. we may not be the closest cousin ever, but he is my cousin. we shared memories, histories, good and bad.

i used to hope that one day after all of the diseases that has crippled him, he would rise and get better and then he would provide me with the possibilities of meeting "Aksan Syuman" , he used to be Dewa's drummer and his buddy back in junior high school, my all time favorite guy. Guess this is not happening.

Rest in peace, Bang.

ps: i handed out my assignment, did tutoring and manage to survive my presentation - it wasnt that bad after all. i Didnt quit and i did get most of the votes.

on Nationalism

2008-09-23T23:54:00.004+10:00

i can never forgive myself for volunteering to do this presentation on Nationalism. i managed to get out of it last semester, but i cant seem to nudge it this time.

worst timing, first of all, i didnt know when it was going to be and it turns out to be the same day as my contemporary world essay. so much for careful planning.

second, i know nothing about nationalism, the ones i got talks about theories and theories and theories with limited or no examples. and my sources are the same as the one of my lecturer. i thought i can just get away with that, but i cant cause it's the same thing.

third, Pete gave me concerning comments on my essay which means i have to rearrange it more than i thought i should. Shit.

i think im gonna bail on the presentation. im not a quitter, never have been. but this time.. im almost there. shit.

....

2008-09-16T03:26:00.000+10:00

i still need that friendship manual. seriously.

Akhirnya...

2008-09-15T01:52:00.004+10:00

Max Brenner's Waffle Chocolate and Strawberries (on the side) with Vanilla Tea.

been craving for this the past three weeks.

Mmmhhh....

2008-09-15T00:51:00.000+10:00

a good friend of mine told me that i should just get a dumb-goodlooking-greatINbed bloke. He reckons i dont need a guy to take care of me, i should get one that just looks good and can give me great sex.

Ha Ha..

i smiled. but then again.. this might work.. :P

Essay(s)

2008-09-11T21:14:00.001+10:00

two down..

one to go..

and one MASSIVE research to go.

Ganbatte!!!!

I Say a little Prayer for You

2008-09-08T23:51:00.003+10:00

this is probably the best time to really say a little prayers for my beloved friends.

I know that you are going through some difficult times, i may not be the best person to give you advise and i may not be able to comfort you the way you need me to. But one thing is for sure, regardless of whether you believe in God or not, i am praying that things will work out fine.

if i am given a choice between painful-hard-nervewrecking truth and nice-comforting lies, waste no time my friends as i will always choose truth, no matter how painful it is.

i wished "he" had the guts to tell me the truth instead of leaving me in the dark. "He" must have thought that it was a heroic thing to do, to just let me believe that he was the bad guy, while i knew he was lying. I felt undermined for not being able to handle truth and not to be able to tell that he was lying to my face. But, that's the past. i have managed to let it go.

back to the issue at hand..
my dearest friends, i know that you may know this already but i just wanted to remind you that i am here if you need me, im just a phone call away, always have always will be.

Good Luck.

Girls Day Out

2008-09-07T21:21:00.023+10:00

no, this is not another concert.
6/09/08

this is actually the start of the spring racing carnival. No, it's not sack race, or any other independence-type of races, this is a Horse race. Yes, you dress up (with a fascinator and heels - high heels), you gamble, you drink all day long and you scream at your winnings. Thanks to Jell for organizing and getting all of us tickets.

There were 5 of us going: Jell, Jakub,Me, Phillip (Jell's first cousin), and Justin (Jell's tutor at uni - picture not available).

Since Jell is a member of the Flemington Racecourse, she got us tickets to the indoor viewing - level 4 and 5 Grandstand. So basically we are in level 4 looking over finish line, big screen and members area and we got a bar. One interesting scene is that level 5 has the same feature as level 4 PLUS a stage - live performances, a DJ and a dance floor. very very interesting concept i guess the oz just cant enjoy their day without music and dancing and booze.

the official name for this event is Young Members Cup - Decjuba Girls Day Out. it's at Flemington racecourse. this was just one day out of the whole spring racing season, you got derby day and the Melbourne Cup day coming up. I dont think i will be going to either of those, simply because the whole process of getting a dress and a fascinator for each and every occasion is just too much for me - not to mention the high heels. ouch..

My Fascinator..

The Look..

as you might predict, i couldnt hold on to my high heels for long.. so i went from these..

to these..
yeay.. barefooting.
ps: new $7.80 socks from IGA supermarket at spencer street. arent they lovely?

I was ready to soak my feet on warm water with sea salt but the night is young. the races ended about 5ish. so me and the guys decided to go for dinner. It's Polish Pizza and Vodka. I wasnt too sure about the place when i first heard it, but man.. you should really give it a try. The joint is called Renix on Ackland St, St.Kilda.

At dinner, Brad & Jo (newly engaged couple) joined us, also Phil's gf -i think- and Lene-Marie (Jakub's gf). so it's all one BIG happy family having dinner. We started with Nachos and Devil wings for entree which took so long to make and there was only 3 wings on the plate (wtf???). we digged in anyway. The Polish pizza was really good, the others are average.

i didnt really know what's so special about this place until Jakub brought us a round of Polish vodka, which was AWESOME. you really should try it, i doesnt have that bitter-weird after taste, simply a masterpiece. Jakub said it's because in the filtering they got some kind of grass in the middle that takes away the bitter-weird taste.

one polish vodka..

two cheery vodka..

three honey vodka...

four more polish vodka..

and you have majella rambling n calling randomly while trying hard to sit straight.

this is the night i tried more vodka than in my entire life, thanks to Jakub.
ps: more pictures of us at the pizza joint are coming soon, i didnt take out my camera at all at Renix, it was just too intense. :P

2 things on Thursday

2008-09-04T15:40:00.003+10:00

procrastination got me my fascinator today. it is a head-piece for the upcoming horse-race im going to attend. it's cute, at least according to me. pictures will come later, as i really, like really, need to start my intl inst n orgn essay.

and another thing, i got my flight itinerary today. manage to secure the same flight as "si ndut". so people.. look out.. i'll be going back on dec 12, 2008. geesh, i never thought that this is it, although i have to admit i have been waiting for the day i end my essay-writing-agony.

ok. that's it for now. need to get back to my essay (again).

hey world

2008-09-01T23:41:00.003+10:00

what can you do for the world? you got a lot of things to say (maybe a lot of actions and ideas) but nothing seems to work.
what can you do? seriously..

My first gingerbread

2008-08-27T22:51:00.008+10:00

Who ever thought that getting something at the beginning of class would made a difference to your usually-boring-class. Simon got me a gingerbread boy today as a token of appreciation of the bintang - indon beer - i gave him on monday. the class was not as boring.

i didnt expect to get anything back simply because i got an extra beer, since pete didnt show up. it was kinda cute, he gave me the bread with a letter, well sort of a note with quadrants that shows which one i should read first and signpost of which quadrant to go next. i was smiling all through the class. i didnt see it coming. i was going to ask him whether he enjoy the bintang, but didnt really think he would do something about it.

so here's the gingerbread, the blue background is the note..

he wrote in the note,
Dear Gracia,
I am sorry if this is not how you spell your name. if it isnt; you should consider changing it to the above. it's nice. please proceed to quadrant 2.

2) i would like to thank you for the beer. it was a lovely thought and appreciated very much. I had the beer with my dinner last night. i cooked. baked beans toasted-. quadrant 3

3) sandwiches with a side of fries - purchased - it was an international meal of sorts. in honor of the beer i decided to branch out and cook you something. -->

typically aussie: a gingerbread boy. it will look like the ones you buy from coles but it is not. i baked it. wrapped it. everything i did. Enjoy the lecture.

Simon

hahaha.. i cant stop smiling when i read the note. he insisted that he cooked the gingerbread and wrap it himself. with UNIQI packaging details at back. but the best part is that it's 97% fat free.. aouhhh.. how considerate... hiihihih

i greatly appreciate his efforts. it's nice to know that there are still people that appreciate your attention.
Thank you for the gingerbread simon.

even funnier, i almost got jakub cracking out loud during the presentation today, cause the back of the packaging has these written on it:
Q. Why did the computer go to the doctors?
A. It had a virus!

Q. What do you take before a meal?
A. A seat!

Q. Why did the chicken cross the play ground?
A. To get to the other slide!

Q. Why are fish so smart?
A. it's because they live in schools!

Q. What colour is a burp?
A. Burple!

ha ha ha ROFL.
it's been a fun night. now, i gotta go back to my essay.. yikes..

Relawan tukar bahasa

2008-08-27T14:23:00.003+10:00

I attended an Indonesian Banquet this afternoon. the banquet was dedicated to welcome new language exchange program volunteers and thank last semester's volunteer for their work. i got a certificate - it was kinda weird though, i didnt do anything.
i met their teacher, forgive me i didnt get his name, but he was very fluent in Bahasa more importantly Formal bahasa - bahasa indonesia yang baik dan benar.

he corrected me when i used the word "presentasi" and told me it should be "penyajian". im like hehehehe.. i know nothing about my own language. it's also funny that im writing most of my blog in English coz i believe i cant even write in bahasa properly. but studying here, i think im still far away from writing good english.

lemme try..

Jadi pertemuan tadi siang benar benar membuka mata saya betapa kemampuan saya menulis dalam bahasa indonesia yang baik dan benar amat sangat kurang. Dan juga kemampuan saya untuk berbicara dengan bahasa baku tidak begitu mengesankan. Lucu rasanya melihat ini semua. Saya terjebak di tengah tengah. Saya merasa lebih nyaman melakukan penyajian dalam bahasa inggris, tapi tidak untuk penulisan dalam bahasa inggris. Dan bahasa ibu saya adalah bahasa indonesia tetapi saya juga tidak terlalu bagus menulis dalam bahasa baku. Saya ada di tengah tengah atau lebih tepatnya tanpa kemampuan khusus.

bottom line.. im doomed as average. gotta work my ass off like.. really work my ass off.
i never knew that indonesians can also take indonesian class at monash. i always thought this is a ridiculous idea, but it's not. turns out translating and interpreting is not as easy as switching from indo-english and vice versa.

well it's too late now.
i cant wait to meet my new partner in tukar bahasa. hahaha.. and the private tutor job.
please ... please ... please .... call me soon?

ps: one thing i observed, it's amazing to see indonesian boast about themselves or their culture in front of oz students learning bahasa. you can see them suddenly being the expert and a proud member of the country whilst they might not know that much or care about it before. the most ridiculous part is when once the oz's trying to speak bahasa, these indonesian person replied in bahasa with fast pace and treat them like their own boys from the hood leaving the oz's in awe. hi..hi..hi..

Essay(s)

2008-08-20T06:45:00.000+10:00

one down

three more to go

sigh

independence day.. yawn

2008-08-17T19:02:00.002+10:00

happy independence day!!! said an sms early in the morning.

im like.. (yawn) heh?

i replied thanks. and went back to bed.

another day in a foreign land not attending the independence ceremony. should i feel guilty cause i dont have the patriotic slash nationalism spirit rushing through my blood. mmmhhh... dont think so.

but i do question my sense of nationalism. not saying that i might chance my nationality but do we need to really get up and yell our heart out just to be recognized as someone with great sense of nationalism? again.. dont think so.

a lil something for you to know

2008-08-15T23:40:00.002+10:00

FYI, i dont even know why i should post this comment or let alone triggered by it, but i just do. Gonna blame it on my PMS (ha ha).

But seriously, there's a comment in one of Indon mailing list saying that Jason Mraz concert was awesome like my previous post and then the Indon said Mraz's voice was even better than his CD, and the person wondered when will Indon singers would be able to do the same.

I am like? WHUATTTTT?????
as much as i am embarrassed to see a LOT of things gone wrong in Indon, having a good performer slash singer slash band who can really rock a live performance is not rare. Indon does have sleazy singers slash band doing crappy live. But seriously, like my previous post described, Jason Mraz's performance reminds me of Tompi's performance in Planet Hollywood [Girsang, 2008]. Gosh, I missed those fun times watching live performances in Bandung.

Hey, Take a look at performances from Tompi, Gigi, Dewa (regardless of Ahmad Dhani's attitude), Rio Febrian, Joy Tobing, Glenn Fredly, Mocca, /RIF (Hell YEAH!!), Rieka Roslan, Kerispatih, ParkDrive, Ari Lasso, and even T-Five to name a few. My gosh i've seen them all perform and they give me the chills. They all may not be as enchanting and charming as Mraz or Justin Timberlake or The Police, still Indon does have brilliant live performer slash singer slash band. Dont believe me? why dont you come out and play sometime, dont mind taking you to an awesome Indon concert.

Capish?!#$$^%&!!!!

ps: Happy birthday Bang Pal!!

MesMraz

2008-08-14T21:49:00.005+10:00

I was mesmerized indeed.

I made a quick decision to grab extra tickets from sash to go to Jason Mraz concert and it was AWESOME. I waited from 6.30 pm in front of the FORUM theatre, gate opened around 7.15ish, opening act started at 8.05pm. By this time i regretted not talking the booth seats coz my feet are killing me, i ended up giving up my spot near the stage and went back to grab a seat and rest my feet. Im getting old.

It was unbelievably entertaining, reminds me of tompi's performance in Planet Hollywood 2 years back. Another great LIVE performance and singer.

here's a glimpse of "You and I Both" - my favorite song -, pardon the taping, it's a bit far from the stage but you can hear n see him just fine, but not his face though. :P

Old Melbourne Gaol

2008-08-10T22:28:00.017+10:00

a tour that cost me $30 AUD on Friday 08-08-08. Lasted 50 minutes plus 20 minutes of photo session. really this is the shortest photo session time ever. seriuosly how can anyone get anything decent in 20 minutes? Ha ha ha.. this may just be my excuse for the lame picts i've taken. :).

overall, this was all a unique experience and kinda creepy coz Nunik saw a couple of "residents" at the jail - at the stairs and in one of the dark room. I salute my tour guide, it was full on 50 minutes storytelling, he must have been doing this for ages to be able to memorize and tell it like that. although the exercise he put us through going up and down the Gaol (again read it as "Jail") reminds me that i need to exercise.

This jail was designed to fit 180 convicts but was once filled with over 200 convicts. A 3 storey building . The largest cell size is probably about 3x3 m square - as big as my room now - they fit around 6 probably 10 convicts at once. You can find a blanket, bed matrass and a bucket for each of your "natural" needs euuuhhhh. The small cells is just as wide as my hand streching out. yikes.

It's amazing how people thought of a mechanism of torture to sculpt people's attitude in the search for a better community and safety for all. And capital punishment was considered the way to go back then, Australia for one has abolished capital punishment, Indonesia havent. But maybe when looking at those brute terrorist exists in the present day, capital punishment sounds just about right for them. As you can see below, they even have a replica of the hanging equipment used to hand Ned Kelly - the "so-called Oz robin hood" (Nunik, 2008). I didnt register myself into the ghost hut tour, simply coz im too lame to do it and seriously ghost? indonesia have more creepy ones i should say. He he he not that i can see them and i AM grateful that i cant.

So here you go blokes.. pictures...

Notice the Sheriff badge..

In a Ned Kelly mask..

a peak at the cells..

Hanging Equipment

The Whipping Facility and its tools

Ned Kelly mask, armour and revolver

Other torture instruments

Finally, the mediocre photo of the Hallway...

feel free to stop by and give it a try

2008-08-10T21:00:00.003+10:00

Another day of procrastinating. Supposedly i am to read journals (yes plural form) concerning WTO's Agreement on Agriculture and its impact towards Indonesia. But since i only got back home around say 3 am, i decided to sleep in and indulge myself in the need to prepare meals for the coming week. As i preconceived the situation where i will not have the time to cook while finishing the essay.

Been craving "kentang kecap a.k.a sweet soy potato" and been making stir-fry spinach. Here they are..

Other people would most probably say that their cooking was delicious, they just never knew they got the talent to do it. While me on the other hand, claiming those as ultimately delicious would mean that i am simply not being myself, my honest self. The "kentang kecap" is a bit salty, you can alter the taste with gulps on rice and the spinach is actually OK. Just ok though, not delicious.

But yeah, all is worth trying, it's not gonna kill you i assure. So if by any chance you are in the neighbourhood, feel free to stop by and give my little experiment a try. Not to worry, just in case you cant swallow, i got honey-lemon-chicken and chicken-breast-fillet-parmesan as a back up.
So what are you waiting for?

delapan delapan delapan

2008-08-08T01:24:00.003+10:00

Sebelum lupa.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMELIA!!!!
panjang umur, sehat selalu, banyak rejeki, pokoke semua semua semua semua kebahagian di dunia beserta mu di hari ini.

seperti judul di atas, jangan sampai tidak ada posting buat tanggal "hoki" ini. 888. katanya angka delapan bawa hoki karena rejeki kita gak putus-putus, muter terus ... semoga saya juga selalu hoki hoki hoki. ciciuw... (lah siapa yang ulang tahun, siapa yang minta doa!)

kembali ke rutinitas seorang mahasiswa,, reading reading reading,, more reading.. ended up in boredom already. and im nowhere near my word limit. yikes.

hayo tinggal satu semester lagi.. harus bisa, ayo jangan malas, masi banyak tugas tugas lainnya, GANBATTE!!!

sigh.

Blok M

2008-08-03T00:51:00.008+10:00

I finally got the mood to write about "Blok M", this is an Indo restaurant at Prahran (read it as Pran). Its name was derived from an area in Jakarta filled with busses, street vendors and street singers. The place you go to see the real "hustle and bustle" of Jakarta.

The owner's name is Sisco a.k.a Pa'e. I usually or say almost every saturday stop by there to have dinner and cheap karaoke cause the place has a stage with guitars and minimum sound system. Nevertheless, it was enough to entertain me (at least). I consider it as cheap dinner + karaoke, all for AUD $10. The most important past is that i get to sing my heart out. hehe.

As i went to Blok M recently, i realized that what's going on there is not as "all it cracked up to be" when you dont have 3 things. Yes people three THINGS. i dont know why, mentioning 3 reasons for everything sounds sophisticated (feel free to mock but it's true).

ONE. the crowd.
when you go to Blok M without your "entourage" you will be a minority, thus others in the restaurant would be the ones creating the atmosphere and laughing here and there, making you feel alienated in a way. When you got your "entourage" with you, you will be the one setting the atmosphere, thus making it more comfortable for you.

TWO. the food.
what you order is essential in making sure that your meal fulfils your expectation and actually satisfy your desire of good indo food. to be able to make sure that you get what you paid for, to my knowledge, there are only these 5 menus that you can order.
(1) Tongseng - higly recommended for those who loves spicy food, basically most indo does.
(2) Gule Bakar "LeKar" - it's not on the menu but it is definitely GOOD!

(3) Nasi Goreng Babat - they make it as spicy as you can handle it.
(4) Sop Buntut GORENG. notice the emphasis on the "FRIED oxtail", the regular version wont be as good. trust me - there's a reason why im overweight.
(5) Ikan Bakar - the chili will make you sweat and scream for more.
and if you are lucky, they might get "Kikil" on specials of the day. I was! ha ha.

THREE. the Band.
it all comes together when you have a band entertaining you all night long. as for me, it helps when i can entertain myself and others with my singing - i have always wondered what my life would be like on a stage HA HA..-

there people, the three essential elements that you need to have in order to guarantee your night at Blok M, without which it will not be the same, again at least that is what i felt today.

Tedy Hasyim part 2.

2008-07-29T02:09:00.003+10:00

haha..
i got nothing to do, wide awake. i decided to let you all decide whether my new hair cut is worth $30 bucks.

now people.. be honest. please ignore my facial expression, as i was trying to look "good" for the pic. :P

a taste of the old days

2008-07-29T00:58:00.004+10:00

after my first presentation of the semester i decided i should reward myself - this time it's pool. as usual the closest "decent" pool place is princess billiard at carnegie. AK, the usual suspect, is my rival here, yudi and anh (ak's vietnamese friend) tagged along.

while playing pool, some boys put on Craig david on the visual sound. i immediately started swingin my moves, damn! it's been a while. should have copied my hip hop mp3, i left it at home. really missing all those songs. really need to find a good club so i get jiggy with it. ha ha ha..

ah.. the old days, nine ball and hip hop music.

now, back to reality! another debate next monday. Ganbatte!!!!

Tedy Hasyim

2008-07-24T17:00:00.003+10:00

just got my hair cut. i hate it. i just waste 30 bucks for nothing. stupid me. well i thought i was going to get Tony as my stylist, but guess what due to my spontaneous impulse to cut it today, i got some chick instead.

and she is not that good. DARN it, i should have gone tomorrow.

well cant do a thing about it. i was gonna put up a pic of my new hair... but with this thing, i dont think so.

HUH.

i tell you.. never.. cut your hair at LianaJames.

i miss TedyHasyim. cant wait to get back home and get my hair done properly.

something something something

2008-07-23T00:57:00.004+10:00

while i was looking for the ultimate comments to be sent back home for icong's wedding, i bumped into a card that says "something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue". then i recall an episode from "Friends" when Monica wanted to get married in Vegas, she was also looking for all those things associated with that something something.

Now, as much as i think my knowledge on western culture is intermediate, i am clueless on this one. I dont know why all those things are needed in a wedding?

Care to enlight me?

At 1.39 AM. i got the answer. dont you just love the internet?

Berakhirlah sudah

2008-07-18T12:29:00.004+10:00

J: Hi Gracia.. how are you goin?
G: good! and you?

J: not that busy in the morning ya? oh, i also need to tell you since that it is not so busy anymore, we decided that we no longer need your help for monday. so today will be your last day.
G: oh i see. (blah)

seperti judul di atas, selesai sudah masa masa ku menjadi 'welcome girl' di student service centre hueheuheue.. but i havent taken a picture of myself working maybe later when gaby gets here. hiks .. hiks...

sebetulnya sih saya gembira tidak harus duduk dengan bosan lagi di belakang meja ini, gak harus menjawab pertanyaan2 bodoh orang orang dan tidak harus menjawab caci maki orang dengan senyum.. tapi... sedih karena berakhir sudah masa masa mencari seseuap nasi dan segenggam berlian. Cari dimana lagi kerjaan modal senyum dengan gaji lumayan di sini?

YEAY....

hiks...

and the picutres of my boring-overpaid-days.see how serious my work is.. ha..ha.. this is when i was checking out stevie wonder tickets..

and here are the ruler of the welcome centre. Me and Gaby.

almost there

2008-07-17T16:42:00.001+10:00

another day as a welcome girl, cant wait to get this done and over with.
extermely bored!!!

Billy is rockin OZ

2008-07-16T16:00:00.001+10:00

guess who's coming to town!! Billy Joel ladies n gents.

me gonna look for tickets this friday.. gonna get em hehehe..

care to join me?

Courtesy

2008-07-15T15:45:00.003+10:00

i dont know why this stupid thing still pisses me off. i cant help wondering why? what were they thinking? is this what the world has gone to be? to be honest, none of this is my fault or my doing, but i just cant help noticed how people can just be so FUCKING ignorant and rude. maybe im in the wrong place and the wrong time.

paid off

2008-07-11T00:21:00.002+10:00

my results are out. im happy, although for my intl law subject.. i am not so thrilled. im beginning to hate lawyers..

first my prize was not in the amount that was promised and now my grade. HUH.. but i guess the second one was totally my fault? haha.. i refuse to believe so, i work my ass off for that one. HUH. hehehehehe

look what i bumped into

2008-07-10T00:13:00.002+10:00

my horoscope of the day:

"Your intense energy may not appeal to everyone, but you should never try to hide it."

Hell YEAH!!!!!

blogging - new way of getting at things

2008-07-07T01:41:00.006+10:00

if you have the time, or simply bored with your live, have a look at the this

that is basically a blog posting from my junior in Parahyangan Cathollic University. the posting is considered provocative, a work of a genius simply because it honestly laid out what is really going on in my beloved campus - the politics they say.

what i would like to highlight is not the essence though, although it is genuis and absolutely entertaining and genius, i would like to highlight the use of blogs as an arena for a peaceful discussion, an open-minded sharing sphere. Moreover, a peaceful way of exercising democracy. Now, i dont know whether or not there are fights beyond the blog discussion. But so far, i am seeing this blogger and blog post as an improvement of how the younger generation are discussing issues amongst themselves peacefully.

This would signify how "old" i am. A dinosaur in using technology and internet to excel my abilities in writing and creating discussions. I am aware that my blog is limited, (too) personal and is limited to my life. I really do hope within time, i would be able to produce something that i am willing to share with the world, without being afraid of what might occur out of it. I am still a baby in terms of exposing myself to the world. In my defense, i do this because i have been hurt so many times the wounds are not even dry yet. nevertheless, i should not let this stop me, as they say "What does not kill you, makes you stronger".

As for my juniors, i am really proud of you all (too bad you wont be able to read this post) and i hope i can be as brave.

Tentang Kamu

2008-07-06T03:38:00.002+10:00

Adakah kau merasakan juga, cinta yang selalu hidup di jiwa ku....
Tak tau mengapa dirimu begitu indah, membuat ku slalu ingin di dekat mu.
-Tompi-

....

2008-07-04T21:41:00.002+10:00

they say a picture paints a thousand word. This is my comment on your complaints.

Welcome Girl

2008-07-03T13:33:00.002+10:00

Hail to the welcome girl!!!

yes, that's me for the next two weeks. I am starting my work again at the Monash Welcome centre. me sitting behind the desk, smiling and answering questions, giving out monash bags. Yeah, a really challenging job.

picture coming out soon. :D me at the work place, paying for my shopping addiction.

ADAM weekend

2008-07-01T00:35:00.005+10:00

another OZ debating competition i entered last weekend. no preparation, no practice, last minute team matching, gone down with a cold, won only one round and didnt even go to the last round. But i did get myself a taste of turksih dish and chinese noodle box.

im beginning to understand why young people are always the one with the spirit and energy, cause once you get older, you had enough, it doesnt seem to have the same take on you anymore. you are comforted by the fact that life is not about winning anymore, and there is more to life than winning. or maybe im just saying this to comfort myself from not being the eager-winning-biatch anymore.

as i look back to my joyous debating era, i can see that i was once an eager biatch that sets her heart on taking the world. and i had my partner in crime and i always had the better team and position. whilst here, i am no one, a newbie, with other newbie that is not exactly the top-debater-of-them-all. this all might just be my excuse to make me feel better, but seriously, now i know what it's like to look at me in a debating competition. im crippled without my wingman and my legacy. so this is how if feels to be on the other side of the coin.

as i went from one competition to another, i kinda enjoy being under the radar, i was given the challenge to proof that i am someone, or at least are good in something. but, the agony of going over the process endlessly comparing what you had and what you are going through raises its own debate in my head. why do i even bother? i set my heart on joining MAD (Monash Association of Debaters) this semester (checked) and got so irritated by the competition with a fellow indo debaters (whose name should not be mentioned), and finally settled with the agreement that im in it for the love and fun i had for debating and that it should not in any way bother me on whoever or whatever situation i might encounter during the process. so far, my effort should be rewarded. im still alive n kickin, not so thrilled about winning though - odd.

i am grateful for the chance i got, not everyone gets the chance to taste all the world has to offer - the good and the bad - What i need to work on now is how to put the bad as a lesson and a reminder of how i have lived a good life and is grateful for having it. Thanks for asking me to joing your team Jenny - Will, it was a pleasure to be in a team with you guys.

Melbourne city council

2008-06-26T12:22:00.006+10:00

Got a call last night, it was Wendy from HWD (health well-being and development formerly known as monash international student service unit) asking if i was available to come to uni to be involved in a discussion group concerning international students. i was going to say no since it is at 10am. but come to think of it, i might need to give out good impression for future reference. i mean, who knows?

i came across several things:
1. This was all done in the name of a program called 'Connect - Ed' short for connecting through education. an initiative by melbourne city council which is done by individuals outside of their work, so there's no pay and it is done outside their working hours. the idea was to enhance existing program or probably create new initiative to make Melbourne a fine education city that can make international student's experience worth while.

it is amazing how education is considered as an important economic force by Melbourne Council and more importantly these people are eager to make sure that there is a standard securing that every international student would have a good learning experience in Melbourne and not curse their whole duration of studying in Melbourne. i would have to point out that getting jacked off and exploitation might still occur but the awareness of the city to actually accommodate such need is a pretty impressing gesture. If only Yogyakarta or Bandung province officials would consider this, im pretty sure that we can increase the level of our education and quality of life.

2. Monash Parkville campus is crap. if you are going to study at monash, make sure you go to the bigger campuses. Or probably in my situtation you get to see less indonesians, which might be a good change.

3. Collectivism does do you good. Who ever thought that indomelb mailing list or other indo community mailing list would have a great deal of importance in your settling in Melbourne. i may not have benefited that much since i got Helen to help me with accommodation and all, but i found that other international students does not even have their own community mailing list or anyone to help them with what is really going on here. some just rely in the information they got from monash and the internet, while, we, indonesians, get seniors, temporary accommodation, advice, house, furnitures and even all freebies events all year long - sometimes even more that we might want and need. i might have taken this community for granted, but now i see the importance of its being and indonesians are very fortunate to have such forum (regardless of my involvement in it).

4. i got laughed at when i came across sounding my concerns that yes, credit card can be considered a vital need if you want to easily travel and buy things, and getting a credit card is not easy here, since the bank always asked for a credit reference which most students dont have. this girl from mauritius misinterpret my concerns as i cant get a credit card here therefore i should have gotten one from back home or i should apply for a NAB debit card. Geez.. listen lady, my point was that i never realized that credit card is commonly used in Melbourne and or OZ, and therefore by not being able to get one would slightly stage an additional challenge in accesing cheap flights, accommodation, car rentals and other fringe benefit. I DO have my own credit card, but the currency is killing me if i have to use that all the time, it would be more convenient for me to get an OZ credit card. it's just easier. less hassle. And yes, There is such thing as DEBIT card e.g provided by NAB. However, not everyone uses NAB especially when they are going to monash that mostly deals with COMMbank or Westpac. The point that needs to taken into account is that living back at home, credit card is a tertiary facility that you dont even need to have but here, it is essential in facilitating you to get easier and cheaper access. Damn you undergrads.

if i may summarize my meeting today, it went from a hassle of getting out of bed, to a very interesting discussion and an eye-opener of how grateful ALL AUSAID students should feel to cursing an undergrad student who just wont really listen to others have to say.

as for the topics discussed, these are the things that a civilized nation are advanced in. they do research and actually care about the quality of life and even more how to improve it for foreigners. Yes, they are able to do this because they already have an establish system and infrastructure, but wouldnt it be good if third world countries, developing countries like mine focuses on improving these kinds of things? Well we dont really get that much of international students yearly, but probably we would have if we had really focus our attention towards making our education system better for us and for others.

My argument pretty much goes stale when the other side of my brain says 'how can you expect people to care about these things, when they can barely serve food on the table?" here goes the vicious circle.

Shut

2008-06-25T02:06:00.002+10:00

Seriously, do you think that will pissed me off? not a chance. Im too happy and nothing's gonna ruin it for me. You just dont mean that much to me anymore.

However, i should have kept my mouth shut. Geez gracia, havent you learned anything yet? Being honest does not always do you good.

Jessup Moot Court Winner

2008-06-23T00:02:00.009+10:00

Hard work paid off, we won the battle. ladies and gentlemen, i can now proudly pronounce that i have participated in the Jessup Moot Court competition in Monash Uni and WON. yeehaaa...
my international law and policy unit gave me an opportunity to try out for this year's jessup moot competition. the memorial submission will be counted in my second assignment mark and then we had to do the verbal presentation after all exams are over. the result of the verbal will not be accounted into our mark but there are prize money for the winner, ehm.. for me. This all happened in H2.22 Monash Caulfiled Campus, Saturday June 21, 2008.

i would also like to give my appreciation for alamo and mita for their help in making it all happen. Couldnt have done it without their help.

just look at my face, this was taken after my speech, which explains the blur effect from my still-trembling hands, thus i feel the need to take a pic after my speech. i look disoriented dont you think?

Just a little background for those who is not familiar with Moot Court competition, so it is pretty much like a debate but in a court setting, kinda similar to ally mcbeal and boston legal where there are 2 sides, one respondent and one applicant -my team was the applicant, a.k.a The Winner *cheeky mode on* - and we would act as so called lawyer and would have to defend our case pleadings and hope that the ICJ (international court of justice) rule in our favor. as in a debate we also have adjudicator, but in moot it's called judges. I went as first speaker for the applicant. can you believe it? i was never a first speaker, yet i won this one as a first speaker. really need to consider a carrier as first speaker.

below is the judges, andrew from Monash uni and Jadranka from Melbourne uni Law School. pretty scary eh.. but they are really nice (hahahaha i probably wont say this if i had lost).

too bad no one was able to take pictures during the speech, since everyone was pretty much caught up with preparation and rebuttals. but these are some picts i manage to capture on recess.

Let me introduce you to the team. Here are Pete and Jakub (the second speaker) - the Boyz -

and these are the Gals - Majella, G! (First speaker) and Sarah (the third speaker)-

and here's a pict of everybody, the winning team, our lecturer Alice de Jonge (in the red robe) and the respondent (the other team)
cant believe i can actually be happy after spending a saturday at uni, one of the best days of my staying in Melbourne. Even more so, i went all night long and didnt get back till 6am the next morning. so what happened was after the whole thing was over, we all went to tabaret across uni and grab some beers, had dinner at thai safron (my first real meal of the day) and went to jakub's luxurious apartment (in st kilda, looking at the st kilda marina) cause he wanted to drop his car and change clothes and then we all cruise to richmond and went bar-hopping.

Gosh, it was my first experince in a real OZ bar, no asian around, amazing. The first bar was called 'Post Office'. Loaded with tall people which makes me feel like a midget. The place was not too big, rather small i may say. The second one was Public house, still small, lots of broken glasses, no bogans yet. And finally, the last bar, Swan hotel. this is where i can see various socio-economic condition in OZ. the carpet was sticky, a bit smelly, bad acoustics used by the live band. The highlight of my night was when a guy - a drunk guy - asked me to dance. of course i said no, but since we were standing on the dance floor and he was dancing, he brushed my but. im like WTF? and no i didnt brush his but back, i stepped aside and let him slide. dont want to mess with a drunk guy, mainly a bogan.

Just when i thought the night was over, i was wrong. After the swan, Jell asked me to hang out at Damien's place and help him finish his red wine since he's going abroad soon. He got a really nice apartment, spacious and heaps of wine although he doesnt have the view of st kilda marina. Stayed there till 5.30 and went back home. I was going to take the first train home, but Jell wont let me, she was going to pay for the taxi. I didnt let her, we ended up sharing a cab. She said that if they are your friends, a true OZ, they wont let you go back home alone on that train. If they did, they are not your friend.

Some of the boys i hang out with always put forward the "equality" principle when it comes to taking a girl home. They would argue that you wanted emancipation and equal rights therefore you should not expect boys to take you home to your doorsteps. After yesterday, i can say that argument is just mere excuse for their laziness. Nothing to do with equal rights. At least a good friend, a gentlemen, would make sure that you get home safely.

I cant believe how i happy i am, i even dance when i walk. This is a good thing.

Another bliss in the midst of mist

2008-06-21T00:47:00.004+10:00

another weird weather in Melbourne, sunny, sunny, foggy, rainy, sunny and chilly.

housing problem solved. agreement achieved. might be getting a new housemate. not moving anywhere till the end. yihaaa...

might stay for a week in a service apartment early december 08.

sweet.

ps: had fun playing basketball today.

The Spirit Carries On

2008-06-20T00:03:00.004+10:00

Music by dream theater
Lyrics by john petrucci

Nicholas:
Where did we come from?
Why are we here?
Where do we go when we die?
What lies beyond
And what lay before?
Is anything certain in life?

They say, life is too short,
The here and the now
And youre only given one shot
But could there be more,
Have I lived before,
Or could this be all that weve got?

If I die tomorrow
Id be allright
Because I believe
That after were gone
The spirit carries on

I used to be frightened of dying
I used to think death was the end
But that was before
Im not scared anymore
I know that my soul will transcend

I may never find all the answers
I may never understand why
I may never prove
What I know to be true
But I know that I still have to try

If I die tomorrow
Id be allright
Because I believe
That after were gone
The spirit carries on

Victoria:
Move on, be brave
Dont weep at my grave
Because I am no longer here
But please never let
Your memory of me disappear

Nicholas:
Safe in the light that surrounds me
Free of the fear and the pain
My questioning mind
Has helped me to find
The meaning in my life again
Victorias real
I finally feel
At peace with the girl in my dreams
And now that Im here
Its perfectly clear
I found out what all of this means

If I die tomorrow
Id be allright
Because I believe
That after were gone
The spirit carries on

Hypnotherapist:
You are once again surrounded by a brilliant white light. allow the light to lead you away from your past and into this lifetime. as the light dissipates you will slowly fade back into con
Sness remembering all you have learned. when I tell you to open your eyes you will return to the present, feeling peaceful and refreshed. open your eyes, nicholas.

i always wonder why people put up lyrics on their blog, i used to think it's because they just dont have anything to write. Not anymore people. I just started mine. No i have things to write, this particular song slash lyrics is another step in overcoming my fears. There i said it.

ps: Buncit, since i've started dealing with my fears by making it public, you should too. it helps. this one is for us and others out there (not that they can read this since they got no access to my blog :P).

The world is on my side!

2008-06-19T22:14:00.007+10:00

After elaborating my "stance" on the housing issue, i decided that i should be rewarded. so finally i went shopping at chadstone and bought more that i expected. :D
but it was all worth it, or at least this is what i like to believe. i got myself a new pair of onitsuka tiger and a fossil bag :D yippie..

i've been drooling on these two items since 3 months ago or so. and they were all on SALE! yes people.. ON SALE. at first i was worried cause the shoes i wanted was no longer available but i now believe that when things are meant to be yours, there will always be a way for you to get them ahahahahahah

i had doubt when choosing to buy this bag or the eastpak one i had my eyes on. the store even gave further discount on the bag since i had already bought the shoes. having consulted several insipiring people i chose fossil hehehehhe *wink *wink. guess im getting more and more mature now, need more "grown up" stuff and less sporty things. although the onitsuka is sporty and young. just look at the color :P

what makes me even happier, despite the shitty melbourne weather and rain, is the fact that it felt like the world is conspiring towards my needs. once i got to the bus stop, the bus was there, i didnt have to look long for boots, the model was there, even when the size i wanted was not there the city store got it and it's already on hold under my name. fossil and onitsuka was on sale on items that i wanted. the bus home was also readily available, i didnt have to wait long. the train to the city was also there once i got to the station, i didnt have to wait. i might be exaggerating when i say this but it feels like everything was arranged in a way for me to make my way easily everywhere today.

the day goes on with nice convo with sylvi and anna at time out at fed square. sop buntut dinner at nelayan (freakin spent 10 bucks on this) and drinks at some bar on franklin with osh.

one fine day i may say.

ps: since i cant spill one tiny period section of today's journey here which i dont want to forget, let me just write down something to get back to this moment. - the things you DO to not forget him, yet again "wuuuh,, sounds great he3.." -

being happy for others does not always do you good

2008-06-18T00:23:00.004+10:00

knowing that your friend got a new job after months of unemployment is supposed to be a good thing. i am supposed to be happy for him. i am happy for him, really. but there's a small problem.
since my housemate is leaving for US sometime in the future, and since up until now we havent been able to get a replacement and a girl who was supposed to be the replacement bailed. shit. my other roommate - the couple - is thinking of moving out. only God knows when they are going to move out.

this was not an issue until two hours ago. i was told that they are thinking of moving out. shit. i cant move in the middle of the semester, it's when all my assignments are killing me. i need to know for sure what is really going to go down. i cant look for a house when im drowning in my assignments.
if i have to move i need to look for room 'stat'. and i dont want to wait until they got a place, i will be beaten by the newbies looking for home. trust me the competition is ugly.

or.. if i can get another housemate that we all agress, that my ass is safe at least until december.

ARGH!!!!!!

Which one am I?

2008-06-17T01:21:00.002+10:00

iF you were to guess, which big sister would i be?
(a) the cool sister
(b) the responsible sister
(c) the mean sister
(d) the i-dont-care sister
(e) the why-were-you-even-born-i-should've-been-the-only-child sister

or what?

Lagi lagi sukses

2008-06-15T23:00:00.003+10:00

sekali lagi saya persembahankan hasil dari hobi baru ku hehehehe.. mungkin tidak selezat di restaurant cina pada umum nya tapi boleh lah rasanya buat mahasiswa :D

Yang pertama adalah cah kang kung.

Yang ini adalah Garlic prawn ala udang goreng mentega

SATC the movie

2008-06-14T00:28:00.002+10:00

at last.. i can now say I watched SATC. damn right i DID.

i am inclined to agree with most comment that says that this movie was not 'all it's crack up to be' BUT i still think it's good. quoting some guy online "this movie gives a good closure to the series'.

i shamely admit that i did shed tears and didnt actually think that im that BIG of a fan. turns out im a HUGE fan :D

again, a sucker for feel-good-movies with modern cinderella tale.

wish all my bitches are with me, it would be perfect.

ps: i really think miranda was overdressed, as i remember she was this sleek-business-attire chick, i mean dress up, just not that much.