"i still can't believe that they decided to move in together. they've just been together for like, a month. even monica and chandler moved in together at season 6!" - over shiraz and cheese, the terrace
"but he's five years youngers than me. that's like, he was just born when i entered elementary school." - mezzanine, rutherford house
"my exams will finish on the 4th or 5th...do you wanna have lunch..or something after that?" -text message
friend #1: "he's been hurting you and you're still nice to him?"
friend #2: "because i don't want to be the bad one you see. i want to be the good person. the bigger person."
friend #1: "um...."
friend #2: "well, literally i am, but." - mezzanine, rutherford house
friend #1: "so have you been to burma?"
friend #2: "yes in 2005. by the way, you should call it myanmar, politically correct."
friend #1: "i can call it anyway i want to. the media calls it burma."
friend #2: "but you're a southeast asian, you should call it myanmar." - over dinner, the terrace
friend #1: "i really want to drink that wine. but those girls are sitting in front of me."
friend #2: "so?"
friend #1: "because i know them and i don't want them to be all judgemental about me drinking alcohol."
friend #2: "yeah but you're just being judgemental about them being judgemental if they see you drinking that wine." - fujiyama restaurant
"this ostrich tastes like beef. i feel scammed." - the chameleon, intercontinental
"i really shouldn't have come to the dinner. what makes me feel blah is the fact that how i can still be affected seeing the two of them together - and i really didn't see it coming. that it can still upset me. shucks." - mezzanine, rutherford house
October 14, 2008
September 30, 2008
the eid
it's 12.51AM of 1 shawal and usually at this time i already slept with an extremely full stomach of all the glorious eid dishes.
or sometimes i tried really hard to sleep but i couldn't - the masjid next to our house do the takbir for one full night. sometimes i wish their speakerphone got broken or something.
and by 5AM dad would wake the four of us and he would be this extremely annoying if by 5.15AM we are still in our bed. he always said that we might not get a praying spot at the masjid. dad, we live next to the masjid, there's no way we could not get a spot. i never argue that with him by the way. it's taken for granted, we always leave the house by 6.15.
oh yeah, do you notice that it's always sunny in the morning of 1 shawal?
after the eid prayer we would do the sungkeman, a.k.a the javanese way of showing respect and asking for forgiveness. it's always solemn when we do it to my mom and dad. but my sisters don't really take sungkeman with me seriously. disrespectful lots.
and mom and dad will give us the eid pocket money. but i've stopped receiving mine since i got my first job.
then we'd go to gramps' house and see mum's 100+ relatives or so. jakartans breed like rabbits. but it's always fun. they are the most kind-hearted people ever.
around 4pm we usually head back home but stop by first at some supermarket to buy 'travel-foods' that is, chips and chocolates and the likes, for the overnight drive to my dad's hometown of cepu.
at 8pm my dad the obsessive-compulsive would make sure that our suitcases have been put in his car. he always drives his red toyota land cruiser to cepu, his pride and joy, the car that is. i remember that he really wanted that car since 1996 or so but can afford to buy it only in 2004.
when we were still kids mum used to make lemper, sandwiches and other snack foods for the trip. 'to save money' she said. but most of the time we ended up not eating those foods and opted for chips and chocolates. she stopped making them when i was 17.
back to the land cruiser, we have a sort of seating arrangement. driver seat = dad, front seat = mum or me, middle seat = anita/mom or me, back seat = attika/ade. it's obvious that age determines where we sit. i am usually in the front seat when dad needs help with navigation/the map, or when the air conditioner gets too cold.
we sing a lot in the car. like a lot. or we play the 'read the sign' game. so we read aloud every sign that we see on the road, the winner is one who can say it the most. it is through the sign game that we know that the wasgitel tea stands for 'wangi sepet legit kentel'.
at 2.30AM (or anytime my dad feels like waking up) we will leave the house to cepu. my dad is the best driver ever. we leave the house that early to avoid heavy traffic. the jakarta-cepu route that is usually 12-14 hours by car can be done in just 7-8 hours.
this year same thing will happen. exactly same thing but without me.
and i will never see eid the same again.
or sometimes i tried really hard to sleep but i couldn't - the masjid next to our house do the takbir for one full night. sometimes i wish their speakerphone got broken or something.
and by 5AM dad would wake the four of us and he would be this extremely annoying if by 5.15AM we are still in our bed. he always said that we might not get a praying spot at the masjid. dad, we live next to the masjid, there's no way we could not get a spot. i never argue that with him by the way. it's taken for granted, we always leave the house by 6.15.
oh yeah, do you notice that it's always sunny in the morning of 1 shawal?
after the eid prayer we would do the sungkeman, a.k.a the javanese way of showing respect and asking for forgiveness. it's always solemn when we do it to my mom and dad. but my sisters don't really take sungkeman with me seriously. disrespectful lots.
and mom and dad will give us the eid pocket money. but i've stopped receiving mine since i got my first job.
then we'd go to gramps' house and see mum's 100+ relatives or so. jakartans breed like rabbits. but it's always fun. they are the most kind-hearted people ever.
around 4pm we usually head back home but stop by first at some supermarket to buy 'travel-foods' that is, chips and chocolates and the likes, for the overnight drive to my dad's hometown of cepu.
at 8pm my dad the obsessive-compulsive would make sure that our suitcases have been put in his car. he always drives his red toyota land cruiser to cepu, his pride and joy, the car that is. i remember that he really wanted that car since 1996 or so but can afford to buy it only in 2004.
when we were still kids mum used to make lemper, sandwiches and other snack foods for the trip. 'to save money' she said. but most of the time we ended up not eating those foods and opted for chips and chocolates. she stopped making them when i was 17.
back to the land cruiser, we have a sort of seating arrangement. driver seat = dad, front seat = mum or me, middle seat = anita/mom or me, back seat = attika/ade. it's obvious that age determines where we sit. i am usually in the front seat when dad needs help with navigation/the map, or when the air conditioner gets too cold.
we sing a lot in the car. like a lot. or we play the 'read the sign' game. so we read aloud every sign that we see on the road, the winner is one who can say it the most. it is through the sign game that we know that the wasgitel tea stands for 'wangi sepet legit kentel'.
at 2.30AM (or anytime my dad feels like waking up) we will leave the house to cepu. my dad is the best driver ever. we leave the house that early to avoid heavy traffic. the jakarta-cepu route that is usually 12-14 hours by car can be done in just 7-8 hours.
this year same thing will happen. exactly same thing but without me.
and i will never see eid the same again.
September 25, 2008
August 25, 2008
we die to each other daily
we die to each other daily. what we know of other people is only our memory of the moments during which we knew them. and they have changed since then - t.s. eliot, the cocktail party
why do we choose this path and not the otherwise.
maybe we both are not capable of taking that risk.
maybe we are not great lovers after all.
what is it that really scares us.
what is it that distance us apart.
i live, and die to you, daily.
why do we choose this path and not the otherwise.
maybe we both are not capable of taking that risk.
maybe we are not great lovers after all.
what is it that really scares us.
what is it that distance us apart.
i live, and die to you, daily.
August 20, 2008
what is really to worry about
benjamin paradza, a public policy student and a classmate of mine, delivered a public lecture today on the judiciary in zimbabwe. ben was a high court judge back then in zimbabwe. one of his court decisions did not please the leader, mr. robert mugabe. long story short, his life were threatened and he had to leave the country and enter new zealand as a refugee.
sometimes we indonesians see our freedom of speech, the freedom of a judicial system to make independent judgement and the capacity of us to exercise all of that without fear, for granted. and paradoxically, sometimes we worry that freedom of speech would lead us to only messy situations.
but what is really to worry about?
i personally trust that indonesians are capable of exercising a check and balance system - it might not be smooth, but it's there. the capacity of us for doing so is so fundamental, as it assures that everybody is heard and be heard, whether they like or not, whether they agree or disagree. and the fact that the state protects our freedom of speech, is something that we really should not take for granted.
i hope the state would never change their mind. i really can't think of the otherwise.
sometimes we indonesians see our freedom of speech, the freedom of a judicial system to make independent judgement and the capacity of us to exercise all of that without fear, for granted. and paradoxically, sometimes we worry that freedom of speech would lead us to only messy situations.
but what is really to worry about?
i personally trust that indonesians are capable of exercising a check and balance system - it might not be smooth, but it's there. the capacity of us for doing so is so fundamental, as it assures that everybody is heard and be heard, whether they like or not, whether they agree or disagree. and the fact that the state protects our freedom of speech, is something that we really should not take for granted.
i hope the state would never change their mind. i really can't think of the otherwise.
August 11, 2008
good to be back
long time no post.
i have been busy studying (yes you read that right) as next week my classes will start.
ahh..the thrill of postgraduate life.
it's good to be back.
i have been busy studying (yes you read that right) as next week my classes will start.
ahh..the thrill of postgraduate life.
it's good to be back.
June 9, 2008
percakapan jarak jauh tidak penting dengan bebeb
bebeb = adikku yg berusia 15 tahun (nama asli: ade)
berikut adalah percakapan hari ini yg tidak penting:
diana: beb masa besok aku mo ngopi sama cowok yg aku bahkan tidak begitu kenal
bebeb: apa? mbak diana mo kencan?
diana: enggak beb bukan kencan, minum kopi
bebeb: ciyyeehh kakakku sudah beranjak dewasa, sudah balig nyahaahhaaaahaha (bebeb = adik yang suka melecehkan kakaknya, diana = kakak yang tidak punya wibawa)
bebeb: emang namanya siapa?
diana: s-----h
bebeb: siapa? surap? urap?
diana: beb, jangan dibuat main deh, kayak nama kamu gak aneh aja kalo disebut sama bule, 'what is your name? what? eddy? edi?'
bebeb: iya jadi kak masa ada anak teknik yang suka sama aku...makanya kakak cepetan punya pacar dong, jadi ade juga boleh pacaran, yah yah
diana: aku bilang mama ah! hahahahahahaha (diana = tipikal kakak culas dan pengadu)
bebeb: kakak jangan bilang mama! nanti aku bilangin ke mama kalau kakak disana kerjaannya ---- ---- sama ----- -----
diana: halah kamu tapi kan gak punya bukti weeeekkk (sambil menjulurkan lidah, padahal jarak jauh, refleks yang aneh)
bebeb: punya sih! kakak kan waktu itu kirim fotonya di ym
diana: (terdiam menyadari kebodohan)
diana: ya udah deh aku gak bilang mama, aku cerita ke attika-chan tapi boleh ya
berikut adalah percakapan hari ini yg tidak penting:
diana: beb masa besok aku mo ngopi sama cowok yg aku bahkan tidak begitu kenal
bebeb: apa? mbak diana mo kencan?
diana: enggak beb bukan kencan, minum kopi
bebeb: ciyyeehh kakakku sudah beranjak dewasa, sudah balig nyahaahhaaaahaha (bebeb = adik yang suka melecehkan kakaknya, diana = kakak yang tidak punya wibawa)
bebeb: emang namanya siapa?
diana: s-----h
bebeb: siapa? surap? urap?
diana: beb, jangan dibuat main deh, kayak nama kamu gak aneh aja kalo disebut sama bule, 'what is your name? what? eddy? edi?'
bebeb: iya jadi kak masa ada anak teknik yang suka sama aku...makanya kakak cepetan punya pacar dong, jadi ade juga boleh pacaran, yah yah
diana: aku bilang mama ah! hahahahahahaha (diana = tipikal kakak culas dan pengadu)
bebeb: kakak jangan bilang mama! nanti aku bilangin ke mama kalau kakak disana kerjaannya ---- ---- sama ----- -----
diana: halah kamu tapi kan gak punya bukti weeeekkk (sambil menjulurkan lidah, padahal jarak jauh, refleks yang aneh)
bebeb: punya sih! kakak kan waktu itu kirim fotonya di ym
diana: (terdiam menyadari kebodohan)
diana: ya udah deh aku gak bilang mama, aku cerita ke attika-chan tapi boleh ya
May 21, 2008
microwave chicken and no surprises
oil price hits $129 per barrel today. are we in recession already? this one looks like it's going to stay pretty long.
i gain 1.2 kilos due to the excessive party foods and drinks and my sudden cravings on mince pie and chips on 10pm every night. dammit. i am not going back to THAT size anymore. i joined the campus gym yesterday but only for the group exercise classes. yesterday we did yoga and i couldn't do the boat position. my belly and thighs are so big they have a sense of gravity of their own. and now i am having stiff muscles. ooh shoot.
former jakarta governor (and the most respected one) - mr. ali sadikin died yesterday. may you rest in peace.
cooking raw chicken by just microwave-ing it turned out very simple and tasty too. i've seen my flatmate alice done it couple of times but was too reluctant to try it, as i thought that it is beyond the traditional way of cooking (fry, boil, grill, stew), and microwave, i thought, is just for heating purposes. my perception thus has changed. although my mother would so not approve cooking raw chicken using microwave.
i gain 1.2 kilos due to the excessive party foods and drinks and my sudden cravings on mince pie and chips on 10pm every night. dammit. i am not going back to THAT size anymore. i joined the campus gym yesterday but only for the group exercise classes. yesterday we did yoga and i couldn't do the boat position. my belly and thighs are so big they have a sense of gravity of their own. and now i am having stiff muscles. ooh shoot. i am overplaying radiohead's no surprises. and rialto's and good old smashing pumpkins. i miss the old-schools. they make me feel mushy and depressed and sorrowful and i like it.
May 19, 2008
on people who make fun of others and how i wished they were not like that
last weekend i went to the embassy for one of those gatherings. i haven't seen my fellow indonesians in quite a while so i thought that meeting a bunch of them could cure my homesick a bit. they cured it very well you bet - i don't miss indonesia anymore.
long story short, there were some people whom i just met, who started their first few lines of conversation with: 'mbak, why are you so big?' or 'why don't you diet?' do note that i just met these people and these happened in front of others as well.
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT. i have been living in wellington for four months and the people are nice and sweet and encouraging and not once i felt offended/discriminated yet the first offense i got is from my fellow indonesians. how ironic.
just like in most cases, i let that bapak-bapak laughed at me and their own jokes and let others to laugh at me as i responded jokingly and let myself be the object of bully although i wished the bapak-bapak did not make fun of me and the other people did not laugh at me and i did not let
myself to be the object of bully.
i seriously wished they were not like that. i mean, what can you truly expect when you put a
person down? what is the point of condescending someone -especially in front of others- other than to explicitly humiliate that person? and what did you get from that? a good laugh? can you really laugh on other people's misfortune/weaknesses? because yes i let you laughed at me and make me feel bad about myself that i could not live to your standards of normalcy and i might get a nervous breakdown of self-pity and self-loathe one day and you won't even know or care. so there are you happy now.
i have been fat for too long and have received too much insults so i have quite managed to let the insults passed. but i don't think that i will stoop down to their level and make fun of them in
return. although now i am seriously thinking of giving a comeback - for the sake of i don't get your jokes.
and i really wished that they were not like that. their attitude is a reminder for me of how
judgemental and nosy some people (indonesians) can be. and as long as you don't conform with the values they believe in, you will always be looked down on, through various unimaginable ways. i wish that they could be more civil. i wish that they could come up with better jokes.
long story short, there were some people whom i just met, who started their first few lines of conversation with: 'mbak, why are you so big?' or 'why don't you diet?' do note that i just met these people and these happened in front of others as well.
WHAT IS UP WITH THAT. i have been living in wellington for four months and the people are nice and sweet and encouraging and not once i felt offended/discriminated yet the first offense i got is from my fellow indonesians. how ironic.
just like in most cases, i let that bapak-bapak laughed at me and their own jokes and let others to laugh at me as i responded jokingly and let myself be the object of bully although i wished the bapak-bapak did not make fun of me and the other people did not laugh at me and i did not let
myself to be the object of bully.
i seriously wished they were not like that. i mean, what can you truly expect when you put a
person down? what is the point of condescending someone -especially in front of others- other than to explicitly humiliate that person? and what did you get from that? a good laugh? can you really laugh on other people's misfortune/weaknesses? because yes i let you laughed at me and make me feel bad about myself that i could not live to your standards of normalcy and i might get a nervous breakdown of self-pity and self-loathe one day and you won't even know or care. so there are you happy now.
i have been fat for too long and have received too much insults so i have quite managed to let the insults passed. but i don't think that i will stoop down to their level and make fun of them in
return. although now i am seriously thinking of giving a comeback - for the sake of i don't get your jokes.
and i really wished that they were not like that. their attitude is a reminder for me of how
judgemental and nosy some people (indonesians) can be. and as long as you don't conform with the values they believe in, you will always be looked down on, through various unimaginable ways. i wish that they could be more civil. i wish that they could come up with better jokes.
April 29, 2008
the austrian man
the austrian man who locked his daughter for 24 years and sexually abused her and have seven children with her is JUST_DISGUSTING.
this is insane.
this is insane.
April 27, 2008
the strapless bra
i went to one of the stores in lambton quay today to buy a strapless bra - i never have one before because my mum is so convinced that there is no strapless bra my size and my mum always buy me my bras because i am too ashamed to buy one myself because i am afraid that the store might not have my size which is quite true because i know my mum always go to this store in mangga dua to buy my bras and once i went with her and the store owner didn't even ask my size because the first few words that came out of my mum's lovely lips were: 'i want the biggest bra for my big daughter!' and as a typical indonesian response in that sort of situation, all the people in the store started staring at me for three seconds and then started laughing in which my mum then went kiddingly innocent by saying 'yes i've told my daughter many times to lose weight gak tau nih susah amat ngurusin badan' and people started to look strangely at me between pity and disgust. i do not want to go through that sort of humiliation again, ever.
so god bless new zealand because in this country there are bras and strapless bras my size. even if my weight was still 26 kilos higher there is also bras for that size. so i was quite happy. there is this particular strapless bra that i like which price is equal to the minimum wage in indonesia. what is even more ironic is that the bra is made in indonesia. heck the irony of export-import.
i practically spent another 30 minutes there just to decide whether to buy the bra or not and with due respect to indonesia's minimum wage i decided to buy it because how can i wear a nice-fitted see-through kebaya without a strapless bra, and i never have one before, fair reasons no. and this bra - it was a nice one, it fitted perfectly. although the cup is a wee too big. i think my boobs are also shrinking due to weightloss. seriously if i do ever reach my ideal weight, my arse and boobs will be like, vanished, i am flat as an ironboard.
so i walked to the cashier and holy smolly the cashier was a guy. it's the whole humiliation thing again but this time it was just me and my ridiculous fear of what-ifs. what if the guy who i don't even know thinks 'hah this fat chick is buying a strapless bra mhwahahaaha', what if the cashier guy thinks that i don't deserve a strapless bra. long story short i didn't buy the strapless bra. it is crazy how our fear can control our action.
i mean, why should i care at the first place. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS GUY. but at that point inside the store, i did care. i fear his perception of me (the fat chick). i fear the possibility of being humiliated (which is quite unlikely because my mum wasn't there with me). i fear that i can't stand the feeling of a stranger seeing the size of my bra.
this is one of those times when my self-confidence hit rock bottom. i should not kid myself - I AM STILL FAT. there is a huge volume of fats inside my body that needs to be shed. but now i am a much happier and healthier person. and yes sometimes reality hits me, and occassional ridiculous fears do strike. i do really need to know how to master my fears however. and bounce back.
i am going to go back to the store tomorrow and buy that strapless bra.
so god bless new zealand because in this country there are bras and strapless bras my size. even if my weight was still 26 kilos higher there is also bras for that size. so i was quite happy. there is this particular strapless bra that i like which price is equal to the minimum wage in indonesia. what is even more ironic is that the bra is made in indonesia. heck the irony of export-import.
i practically spent another 30 minutes there just to decide whether to buy the bra or not and with due respect to indonesia's minimum wage i decided to buy it because how can i wear a nice-fitted see-through kebaya without a strapless bra, and i never have one before, fair reasons no. and this bra - it was a nice one, it fitted perfectly. although the cup is a wee too big. i think my boobs are also shrinking due to weightloss. seriously if i do ever reach my ideal weight, my arse and boobs will be like, vanished, i am flat as an ironboard.
so i walked to the cashier and holy smolly the cashier was a guy. it's the whole humiliation thing again but this time it was just me and my ridiculous fear of what-ifs. what if the guy who i don't even know thinks 'hah this fat chick is buying a strapless bra mhwahahaaha', what if the cashier guy thinks that i don't deserve a strapless bra. long story short i didn't buy the strapless bra. it is crazy how our fear can control our action.
i mean, why should i care at the first place. I DON'T EVEN KNOW THIS GUY. but at that point inside the store, i did care. i fear his perception of me (the fat chick). i fear the possibility of being humiliated (which is quite unlikely because my mum wasn't there with me). i fear that i can't stand the feeling of a stranger seeing the size of my bra.
this is one of those times when my self-confidence hit rock bottom. i should not kid myself - I AM STILL FAT. there is a huge volume of fats inside my body that needs to be shed. but now i am a much happier and healthier person. and yes sometimes reality hits me, and occassional ridiculous fears do strike. i do really need to know how to master my fears however. and bounce back.
i am going to go back to the store tomorrow and buy that strapless bra.
April 26, 2008
things to do while in jakarta
it is still sixty-something days left before the trimester break to jakarta and i have figured out already what i want to do there. i am perfecting my to-do list each time before i sleep every single night - especially if i can't sleep. my brain works best for stuff like this.
things to do:
1 - go to bersih sehat
2 - go to malls (asians make the best malls ever - tacky yet addictive)
3 - have my hair done (another smoothing)
4 - have my hair cut
5 - have my eyebrows plucked
6 - see my nutritionist
7 - eat cow's brain, cow's lung, cow's tripes anykind of offal
8 - eat sundanese food (at that laksana restaurant which makes the best sambal, sundanese make the best sambal ever)
9 - savour poke sushi (poke sushi IS an institution!)
10 - eat congee and lots of congee
11 - eat satay (javanese make the best satay ever)
12 - visit asean secretariat
13 - visit inaya (and her soon-to-be newborn baby
14 - visit my nutritionist
15 - buy DVDs at mangga dua
16 - s.h.o.p
17 - make dinner for the family (mhwahahaha!)
18 - drive without having to worry of speed limit :p
19 - catching-up with the bestfriends
20 - play with nduty with language only i and ade and nduty understand
21 - indulge cable tv
22 - watch E! everyday
23 - accompany mum shop fabrics and gold and learn the art of haggling from her excellency
24 - buy a new sony ericsson earphone
25 - have lunch with dad near/in his office whenever possible
26 - jog/swim regularly to sustain the weightloss
27 - watch local tv also and figure out what this roncar ad is all about
28 - make a kebaya (why for independence day of course, and for other indonesia-related events)
29 - buy a nice dress for hari raya
30 - have afternoon naps with mum
31 - more etc.etc.
things to do:
1 - go to bersih sehat
2 - go to malls (asians make the best malls ever - tacky yet addictive)
3 - have my hair done (another smoothing)
4 - have my hair cut
5 - have my eyebrows plucked
6 - see my nutritionist
7 - eat cow's brain, cow's lung, cow's tripes anykind of offal
8 - eat sundanese food (at that laksana restaurant which makes the best sambal, sundanese make the best sambal ever)
9 - savour poke sushi (poke sushi IS an institution!)
10 - eat congee and lots of congee
11 - eat satay (javanese make the best satay ever)
12 - visit asean secretariat
13 - visit inaya (and her soon-to-be newborn baby
14 - visit my nutritionist
15 - buy DVDs at mangga dua
16 - s.h.o.p
17 - make dinner for the family (mhwahahaha!)
18 - drive without having to worry of speed limit :p
19 - catching-up with the bestfriends
20 - play with nduty with language only i and ade and nduty understand
21 - indulge cable tv
22 - watch E! everyday
23 - accompany mum shop fabrics and gold and learn the art of haggling from her excellency
24 - buy a new sony ericsson earphone
25 - have lunch with dad near/in his office whenever possible
26 - jog/swim regularly to sustain the weightloss
27 - watch local tv also and figure out what this roncar ad is all about
28 - make a kebaya (why for independence day of course, and for other indonesia-related events)
29 - buy a nice dress for hari raya
30 - have afternoon naps with mum
31 - more etc.etc.
April 25, 2008
i am broke (feat. help me mommy)
all these backpacking trips
and gourmet dinings
and autumn-wear shopping
do cost me quite a lot
i don't really check my account balance regularly
afraid that it might get fewer
and fewer everyday
but something inside me say:
of course it will get fewer
as i shop almost everyday
spending money
is one of my vicious circles in life aside
from overeating and self-deprecating
but something inside me say:
of course it will get fewer
as i shop almost everyday
whooppssie
how come i am now owning so few!
it is time to live on budget
but how
but how
tell me tell me how
but how
but how
and gourmet dinings
and autumn-wear shopping
do cost me quite a lot
i don't really check my account balance regularly
afraid that it might get fewer
and fewer everyday
but something inside me say:
of course it will get fewer
as i shop almost everyday
spending money
is one of my vicious circles in life aside
from overeating and self-deprecating
but something inside me say:
of course it will get fewer
as i shop almost everyday
whooppssie
how come i am now owning so few!
it is time to live on budget
but how
but how
tell me tell me how
but how
but how
April 20, 2008
is it just me or do you also think that cutaway heels are bizzare
the more i see them the more i am convinced that they are the most bizzare-looking shoes ever. ever. ever.
this one is from junko shimada.
this one is from junko shimada.
April 15, 2008
perbincangan YM #152313
tipikal perbincangan YM sehari-hari nomor 152313:
imbi: eh bo. ini adalah berita yan baru saja kuketahui
dayen: apahkah
imbi: daniel craig udah punya anak umur 15 tahun
imbi: what the fuck
dayen: wtf
dayen: tapi gak heran sih
dayen: he is such a hottie
imbi: IYAAAAHhh
dayen: gue akan menebar sperma dimana2 if i were him
imbi: *pingsan dengan perlahan
imbi: HUAHHAHAHAHA...u r such a promiskiyus
dayen: i am not promiskiyus i am just horny
dayen: *mau dong ditebar sperma sama daniel craig
imbi: TAI
imbi: ANTRI
dayen: wahahahaahahahahahha
imbi: eh bo. ini adalah berita yan baru saja kuketahui
dayen: apahkah
imbi: daniel craig udah punya anak umur 15 tahun
imbi: what the fuck
dayen: wtf
dayen: tapi gak heran sih
dayen: he is such a hottie
imbi: IYAAAAHhh
dayen: gue akan menebar sperma dimana2 if i were him
imbi: *pingsan dengan perlahan
imbi: HUAHHAHAHAHA...u r such a promiskiyus
dayen: i am not promiskiyus i am just horny
dayen: *mau dong ditebar sperma sama daniel craig
imbi: TAI
imbi: ANTRI
dayen: wahahahaahahahahahha
nasi ketan
dari kemarin kok otak gue mikirin nasi ketan melulu ya.
nasi ketan aku ingin sekali memakanmu. huuhuu
nasi ketan aku ingin sekali memakanmu. huuhuu
April 14, 2008
four size smaller and a catastrophe
as i was spending my friday afternoon watching a british reality tv show where two (stylish) women attempt to do a makeover someone's wardrobe and look - i glanced at my own wardrobe and sweet niblet i should get meself new clothes!
i actually didn't want to and plan to buy clothes back home in jakartaland - but i do realise these few weeks that although i love the feeling that i am shrinking, my jeans are getting saggier and saggier and there are times when i feel like i am dressing like ms.mcfrumpy or like those kids around the block who fashion jeans 3 size bigger, with hood and all.
so i bought several fashion magazines (ahh civilisation!) to sort of update this laid-back self and then went shopping and got myself a new pair of jeans (FOUR SIZE SMALLER) and a nicely tailored black tweed that would come very snuggly (and pretty) in wellington's windy autumn. i also bought red flats and a black maryjane. and a new haircut.
the haircut was a SERIOUS DISASTER. THE STYLIST CUT AT ALL THE WRONG PLACES HENCE MAKING MY FACE SEEM TO INFLATE. and bloudyhell haircut here is twenty times more expensive than jakarta. remind me NOT TO HAVE my hair cut by someone who doesn't seem to have her hair trimmed for ages.
all those money for this?!!!
i actually didn't want to and plan to buy clothes back home in jakartaland - but i do realise these few weeks that although i love the feeling that i am shrinking, my jeans are getting saggier and saggier and there are times when i feel like i am dressing like ms.mcfrumpy or like those kids around the block who fashion jeans 3 size bigger, with hood and all.
so i bought several fashion magazines (ahh civilisation!) to sort of update this laid-back self and then went shopping and got myself a new pair of jeans (FOUR SIZE SMALLER) and a nicely tailored black tweed that would come very snuggly (and pretty) in wellington's windy autumn. i also bought red flats and a black maryjane. and a new haircut.
the haircut was a SERIOUS DISASTER. THE STYLIST CUT AT ALL THE WRONG PLACES HENCE MAKING MY FACE SEEM TO INFLATE. and bloudyhell haircut here is twenty times more expensive than jakarta. remind me NOT TO HAVE my hair cut by someone who doesn't seem to have her hair trimmed for ages.
all those money for this?!!!
April 8, 2008
5km marathon training: week 1
as suggested by www.runnersworld.co.uk and with a bit of my own modification, below is my training regime week 1.
mon - rest day
tue - today i walked 2.5 hours nonstop
wed - run 1 mins, walk 1 mins, repeat 10 times
thu - run 2 mins, walk 4 mins, repeat 5 times
fri - rest day
sat - walk uphill to kelburn
sun - run 2 mins, walk 4 mins, repeat 5 times
mon - rest day
tue - today i walked 2.5 hours nonstop
wed - run 1 mins, walk 1 mins, repeat 10 times
thu - run 2 mins, walk 4 mins, repeat 5 times
fri - rest day
sat - walk uphill to kelburn
sun - run 2 mins, walk 4 mins, repeat 5 times
April 2, 2008
to the southmost part of the north island and everything in between
31 march 2008
04.15-05.00: woke up, made bed, fried those chips and fish fillets for picnic
05.00-06.30: went to wellington, fetched karl and levi at mcd newtown - i went to the wrong mcd, excuses moi i was half asleep. fetched livia at stafford. off we went
06.30-08.00: journey to featherston was magnificent. the sunrise is very pretty. the road however was scary. up-down the hills with the sea below. i just love driving. my dad loves driving
08.00-08.30: went to the henley lake at masterton to find out that they cancelled the morning hot air balloon show because the wind was too strong - wtf - we were so dissapointed
08.30-09.30: didnt know what to do we went to stonehenge aotearoa - its like a stonehenge - but the tacky version of it. so tacky that i insisted on seeing. road there was nice. hills hills and sheeps and cows. too many of them in fact that the air smelt bad. but when we arrived the stonehenge was closed and we just found out that you have to make an appointment first (but lonelyplanet didnt say that!). sucky dissapointment number two
09.30-10.30: sulking on our misery we went to greytown - a small yet charming little town that i fell in love with. the people are really friendly that even passerbies smile to each other (unlike wellingtonians - but we're still charming). we ate some french bread (i ate eclairs) at this french bakery where people queued. the bread was good. finally we went to schoc - an amazing chocolatier. they have really weird tastes like earl grey, lime chilli, rose, lavender, olive, geranium, pepper, basil and 47 other tastes. it tastes extremely good also! amazing. my favorite so far is rose. must_visit_again
10.30-13.00: went to martinborough to do some wine-tasting. i didn't take even a sip because i was driving boohoo. we went to four or five vineyards. some of them are free the other you have to pay between 2 to 5 dollars. not bad
13.00 - 15.30: went down to cape palliser. cape palliser is the southmost point of the north island. the road there is rather bumpy as it is gravel road (i feel sorry for the car haha) but the view is just amazing. the beaches are rugged and there is this sense of out of the world feel as you arrived. there is a seal colony. i saw some of them they were all sleeping (or just enjoying the sun). cute animals. i didn't climb up to the cape palliser lighthouse though. its like climbing up to the 11th floor. no thankyou
15.30-19.30: on our back we planned to go straight ahead to wellington but dina told us that the evening show is on so we went back to masterton. so yes. there were hot air balloons as we expected. they gave us balloons also. i felt so happy like a nine-year old
04.15-05.00: woke up, made bed, fried those chips and fish fillets for picnic
05.00-06.30: went to wellington, fetched karl and levi at mcd newtown - i went to the wrong mcd, excuses moi i was half asleep. fetched livia at stafford. off we went
06.30-08.00: journey to featherston was magnificent. the sunrise is very pretty. the road however was scary. up-down the hills with the sea below. i just love driving. my dad loves driving
08.00-08.30: went to the henley lake at masterton to find out that they cancelled the morning hot air balloon show because the wind was too strong - wtf - we were so dissapointed
08.30-09.30: didnt know what to do we went to stonehenge aotearoa - its like a stonehenge - but the tacky version of it. so tacky that i insisted on seeing. road there was nice. hills hills and sheeps and cows. too many of them in fact that the air smelt bad. but when we arrived the stonehenge was closed and we just found out that you have to make an appointment first (but lonelyplanet didnt say that!). sucky dissapointment number two
09.30-10.30: sulking on our misery we went to greytown - a small yet charming little town that i fell in love with. the people are really friendly that even passerbies smile to each other (unlike wellingtonians - but we're still charming). we ate some french bread (i ate eclairs) at this french bakery where people queued. the bread was good. finally we went to schoc - an amazing chocolatier. they have really weird tastes like earl grey, lime chilli, rose, lavender, olive, geranium, pepper, basil and 47 other tastes. it tastes extremely good also! amazing. my favorite so far is rose. must_visit_again
10.30-13.00: went to martinborough to do some wine-tasting. i didn't take even a sip because i was driving boohoo. we went to four or five vineyards. some of them are free the other you have to pay between 2 to 5 dollars. not bad
13.00 - 15.30: went down to cape palliser. cape palliser is the southmost point of the north island. the road there is rather bumpy as it is gravel road (i feel sorry for the car haha) but the view is just amazing. the beaches are rugged and there is this sense of out of the world feel as you arrived. there is a seal colony. i saw some of them they were all sleeping (or just enjoying the sun). cute animals. i didn't climb up to the cape palliser lighthouse though. its like climbing up to the 11th floor. no thankyou
15.30-19.30: on our back we planned to go straight ahead to wellington but dina told us that the evening show is on so we went back to masterton. so yes. there were hot air balloons as we expected. they gave us balloons also. i felt so happy like a nine-year old
19.30-22.00: we went before the fireworks started because i was getting sleepier and i didn't want to risk driving under sleeping influence. the way back was crazy. as we had to pass the zigzaggy road of wairarapa and it was raining so hard and the inside part of the window evaporated. so yeah. i vow not to drive through that hills if it rains
22.00-24.00: dropped livia at stafford. went to vieng's house again with karl and levi (hah i am so cheap i dont want to spend 4 dollars per hour for parking in front of stafford house) so i parked all the way at porirua
09.00: returned the car back to apex. i was so tired. and hadn't even started on the policy tools and practice assignment
(i finished it of course the next day at 3.30 PM with extrahard labour and two plates of indomie at night and the very few moments of grace)
wellington-kapiti-otaki-porirua
29 march 2008
9.00: fetched car from apex rental cars, check check, off i went
9.00 - 9.30: went to newtown, whatever bays around wellington city, driving's pretty good, i went too slow - but give me a break, newbies here, wonderful wonderful wonderful scenery, must go to these bays again sometimes (karl texted, 'diana we're at campus already')
10.00: karl and levi joined we went up to the kapiti coast
9.00: fetched car from apex rental cars, check check, off i went
9.00 - 9.30: went to newtown, whatever bays around wellington city, driving's pretty good, i went too slow - but give me a break, newbies here, wonderful wonderful wonderful scenery, must go to these bays again sometimes (karl texted, 'diana we're at campus already')10.00: karl and levi joined we went up to the kapiti coast
10.00-12.00: played at the kapiti coast or the coast of dead birds. when i stepped in i thought
those are feathers but they're actually dead birds. it was soooo disgusting (ewww and icky too).
the kapiti island in front of the kapiti coast is a bird sanctuary perhaps these poor birds got
carried away by a tide or something. beach was empty
we had lunch at the park in front of the beach. there were lotssss of ducks. and they were
following us because we had foods. the ducks that were inside the pond went up and crowded us. if they were in jakarta they wont be alive and directly made into tender roast duck instead hahahaha
12.00-13.00: went further up to otaki beach. cleaner beach. but reallly quiet
13.00 - 15.00: went down. passed lower hutt. (not a really impressive city). stopped at pak n save to use the toilet hehehe. went back to wellington
15.00 - 15.30: went to pipitea. met vieng and nak. tried to persuade nak to join. nak joined us to
oriental bay
16.00 - 17.00: went to oriental bay. persuaded nak even more to join tomorrow. dropped karl and
levi and nak at their houses. went back to pipitea
17.00 - 18.30: fetched vieng. went up to porirua. stopped by at new world to buy some food. went to chitt's house as his family came the day after. went to vieng's house. got honked by this lady because i didn't 'give way'. i hate give-ways. we don't do give-ways in indonesia
18.30 - 04.00: i lovee vieng's house. so cozy and spacious with amazing view. helped vieng cook. me cut carrots and potatoes and wasted quite lots of them hehehe. ate good laotian foods with vieng and chitt. talked nonsense until twelve. took bath and then slept. everything perfect.
March 31, 2008
i am so angry with the universe
throughout my twenty five years of living
i have crushes and fall in love but none reciprocate back
i can endure solitary feeling and the feeling of being unwanted
and build my self-esteem over and over and over and over again
and i know that tomorrow
i would probably be thinking of something else
like school assignments or what to have for breakfast
but tonight
tonight i am so angry with the universe
why do you make it so difficult for me to be loved by someone
i have crushes and fall in love but none reciprocate back
i can endure solitary feeling and the feeling of being unwanted
and build my self-esteem over and over and over and over again
and i know that tomorrow
i would probably be thinking of something else
like school assignments or what to have for breakfast
but tonight
tonight i am so angry with the universe
why do you make it so difficult for me to be loved by someone
March 26, 2008
on losing 20 kg
omg i went to the clinic today to do some weigh-in because i havent done so for the past few weeks (i got sick, assignments etc.), so i did. i was afraid that i might add more weight - but no baby, i shed an amazing 6 kg. hence in total i have lost 20 kg.
again, it looks like a HUGE figure, but please note that i am LARGER than an average human being, so.
it's still a long way to go.
nevertheless i am so happy (and feel so good about myself). (^_^) yeay!
again, it looks like a HUGE figure, but please note that i am LARGER than an average human being, so.
it's still a long way to go.
nevertheless i am so happy (and feel so good about myself). (^_^) yeay!
March 25, 2008
random wellington moments
most depressing moment 1:
when walking against the strong wind from the sea in a cloudy day while listening to all by myself from celine dion (i am a sucker for sappy songs). by the time i arrived at the waterfront i was almost crying if not for the many people there.
most depressing moment 2:
when walking uphill for miles to my friend's house at karori in the middle of the rain at 8PM with a suitcase and a heavy backpack - it was couple of days after the stafford house fire when we were told that we had to wait longer before returning to staffor. at that time i was hungry, all wet and tired. i couldn't remember whether it was tears or rain on my cheek.
most tiring moment:
climbing to the eight floor of staffor house and a hot day with heavy grocery. i feel like i wanna knock someone's head.
most studious moment:
not getting enough sleep 5 days in row trying to finish the assignments i've been postponing for a month (i know it's shameful). and i still dislike economics.
happiest moment #1:
all the dinners and the drinks and the movies and the late-night chat and the operas with the besties.
happiest moment #2:
losing weight hell yeah.
most homesick moment:when i was sick and i was longing for congee. terrible, terrible, terrible feeling. i didn't get the congee i ate indomie instead.
most impulsive buying moment:
when i found out that here in NZ they have shoes for size 11 and 12. and they also have clothes my size. and every time i see whittaker's chocolate.
most indonesia moment:
- when speaking bahasa indonesia of course!
- when eating indomie
- when browsing for indonesian thingy at youtube
most i-miss-my-family moment:
when skyping with my sisters and mum and dad for the first time. and dad was putting his hand on the screen trying to touch my face and mum shouted: 'ihh anak mama kurusan! coba liat perutnya'. *tears*
most mouth-watering moment:
- when eating the salmon fillet at fisherman's table - the BEST ever
- eating whittaker's chocolate yes we should support local product
- when eating lamb chops another local product we should support
most contemplative moment:
when sitting on the bench at the waterfront, bench at the beehive, bench at the bolton cemetery, bench at the civic square. don't we just love benches especially on a bright day while eating ice cream and reading books or folding that origami papers of yours.
ah yes. it has been an interesting first two months so far.
when walking against the strong wind from the sea in a cloudy day while listening to all by myself from celine dion (i am a sucker for sappy songs). by the time i arrived at the waterfront i was almost crying if not for the many people there.
most depressing moment 2:
when walking uphill for miles to my friend's house at karori in the middle of the rain at 8PM with a suitcase and a heavy backpack - it was couple of days after the stafford house fire when we were told that we had to wait longer before returning to staffor. at that time i was hungry, all wet and tired. i couldn't remember whether it was tears or rain on my cheek.
most tiring moment:
climbing to the eight floor of staffor house and a hot day with heavy grocery. i feel like i wanna knock someone's head.
most studious moment:
not getting enough sleep 5 days in row trying to finish the assignments i've been postponing for a month (i know it's shameful). and i still dislike economics.
happiest moment #1:
all the dinners and the drinks and the movies and the late-night chat and the operas with the besties.
happiest moment #2:
losing weight hell yeah.
most homesick moment:when i was sick and i was longing for congee. terrible, terrible, terrible feeling. i didn't get the congee i ate indomie instead.
most impulsive buying moment:
when i found out that here in NZ they have shoes for size 11 and 12. and they also have clothes my size. and every time i see whittaker's chocolate.
most indonesia moment:
- when speaking bahasa indonesia of course!
- when eating indomie
- when browsing for indonesian thingy at youtube
most i-miss-my-family moment:
when skyping with my sisters and mum and dad for the first time. and dad was putting his hand on the screen trying to touch my face and mum shouted: 'ihh anak mama kurusan! coba liat perutnya'. *tears*
most mouth-watering moment:
- when eating the salmon fillet at fisherman's table - the BEST ever
- eating whittaker's chocolate yes we should support local product
- when eating lamb chops another local product we should support
most contemplative moment:
when sitting on the bench at the waterfront, bench at the beehive, bench at the bolton cemetery, bench at the civic square. don't we just love benches especially on a bright day while eating ice cream and reading books or folding that origami papers of yours.
ah yes. it has been an interesting first two months so far.
March 19, 2008
cover picture (19 march 2008)
the dominion post puts a picture of two men holding an 'old jar lid' that turns out to be a rare medal.the jakarta post puts a picture of anxious-looking people holding tickets of adam air as they waited in front of adam air's office.
if you think 'how could a jar lid can be put as the cover picture next to the headline of technical recession' and think that jar lid stories should be at the saturday paper instead, then we great minds, think alike.
March 13, 2008
i learn to cook thanks to youtube
hi mum your daughter can cook something today and nobody got poisoned. my flatmate today said that 'hmm this is good' and took three more of the perkedel kentang made by...yours truly.
that never happened before. no one has ever taken the food that i cook unless i stuffed the food into their mouth. ahhh the tears of joy.
potato fritters a.k.a perkedel kentang a.k.a kartoffel frikadellen as our fellow indonesian students called it. they generously showed how to make good comfort food all the way from aachen germany. link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLi-xzy0zA
may they live long and prosper.
that never happened before. no one has ever taken the food that i cook unless i stuffed the food into their mouth. ahhh the tears of joy.
potato fritters a.k.a perkedel kentang a.k.a kartoffel frikadellen as our fellow indonesian students called it. they generously showed how to make good comfort food all the way from aachen germany. link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygLi-xzy0zAmay they live long and prosper.
March 8, 2008
homesick
so this is how it feels.
the awful longing feeling that sort of keeps you from doing anything. i should have known this and admit to myself that i am homesick - but it's just me wanting to look tough (this thing about me wanting to look tough is getting annoying day by day).
because i checked my skype every so often to see whether my sisters are online so i could just talk nonsense with them. or bug my office colleagues in YM for the newest office happenings.
or when i tried several times to make that sayur bayam or that bakwan which i failed miserably and it was frustrating because there are times when you just want to be reminded about how good the foods are back home. no matter how tasty the lamb chops or chocolate fish or pavlova here.
so then i went to a malaysian restaurant and had chicken satay for dinner but still the taste is different. they grilled it differently! they cooked the rice differently!
my only remedy now is indomie goreng (god bless pt.indofood sukses makmur) - the only food that i know how to cook correctly.
and then when i got sick all i want to do is eat bowls of congee made by abang tukang bubur mang gendut because it cures flu better than the overpriced medicine you bought.
i just want to speak and type in bahasa indonesia karena itu mengingatkan diriku akan AYAH IBU ADIK TEMAN KAKEK NENEK SAUDARA NDUTY PIM BAKMI AKUN MAIN KARTU POKE SUSHI GORENGAN CINTA LAURA MARTABAK MANIS TEH BOTOL DAN INDONESIA.
the awful longing feeling that sort of keeps you from doing anything. i should have known this and admit to myself that i am homesick - but it's just me wanting to look tough (this thing about me wanting to look tough is getting annoying day by day).
because i checked my skype every so often to see whether my sisters are online so i could just talk nonsense with them. or bug my office colleagues in YM for the newest office happenings.
or when i tried several times to make that sayur bayam or that bakwan which i failed miserably and it was frustrating because there are times when you just want to be reminded about how good the foods are back home. no matter how tasty the lamb chops or chocolate fish or pavlova here.
so then i went to a malaysian restaurant and had chicken satay for dinner but still the taste is different. they grilled it differently! they cooked the rice differently!
my only remedy now is indomie goreng (god bless pt.indofood sukses makmur) - the only food that i know how to cook correctly.
and then when i got sick all i want to do is eat bowls of congee made by abang tukang bubur mang gendut because it cures flu better than the overpriced medicine you bought.
i just want to speak and type in bahasa indonesia karena itu mengingatkan diriku akan AYAH IBU ADIK TEMAN KAKEK NENEK SAUDARA NDUTY PIM BAKMI AKUN MAIN KARTU POKE SUSHI GORENGAN CINTA LAURA MARTABAK MANIS TEH BOTOL DAN INDONESIA.
February 17, 2008
on losing ten kilos in three weeks
i shed 10 kg in 3 weeks without me realising it.
must've been the hills of wellington and walking up to the 8th floor and my inability to cook.
of course it will still take decades to lose the remaining weights to turn myself into a human figure. but still - ten kilos.
must've been the hills of wellington and walking up to the 8th floor and my inability to cook.
of course it will still take decades to lose the remaining weights to turn myself into a human figure. but still - ten kilos.
February 3, 2008
when the apartment building was on fire
for real. it happened on 3 AM.
i was sleeping and this funny YET LOUD AND DISTURBING alarm woke me up.
bloody hell i thought it was the stupid ringtone of my mobile phone.
i went out to the dining room, almost the same time as my two friends - we thought it was a fire drill so i just wore my flip-flop.
but then ludy who left first came back and said 'there is smoke outside!'
i returned back to my room and grab my wallet, passport and camera (which i latter found out has no battery in it).
when i got out, the hall was already full of smoke.
we went down through the emergency stairs (anisa aidid: so this is what emergency stairs are for!).
when i arrived at the ground floor i mistakenly open the common room door and saw this thick black smoke but then stewart showed us the correct emergency exit.
i think we were among the last group of people who got out because after that stewart rang the fire/emergency bell immediately.
(there were two alarms ringing at the same time)
in an emergency situation i observed that:
1 - ludy only brought her apartment room key, sinh brought nothing but her USB which carries her thesis she has been working for the past 2.5 years.
some people managed to bring their notebook with them, some people were literally barefooted;
2 - during the 3.5 hours until 6.30ish we were all scattered in the street sitting.
some was trying to sleep (on the street), some were still drunk because of the sevens game. and others like me were waiting in agony and trying to stand wellington's chilli wind;
3 - if it weren't for the fire i wouldn't be able to see all of my apartment flatmates;
4 - it was an emergency situation we couldn't help to think of what to wear. i wore my fugly gray sleeping pants and my pink 'obellisita we love u' t-shirt. some people were in their bedrobes, a guy in his dinosaur pajamas, one wearing socks only, some were inappropriately clothed;
5 - sinh's early lunar new year dinner was supposed to be tonight, she has the ingredients for spring rolls and chicken all set in the kitchen :(
6 - the breakfast meal provided at the hall of the next-door church was better than my ordinary breakfast :p excellent chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon donuts!
we were told that the house might be closed for two days perhaps and we were given 5 minutes to take our essentials for the next 2 days.
climbing up to the 8th floor on slippery emergency stairs was not my idea to greet the sunshine. my room was smoke-smelling (damn i just did the laundry).
we were provided temporary housing at weir house - me and syuhada managed to stay at our friend's house, he has two vacant rooms.
my orientation starts tomorrow, i have my one-week laundry that i just washed yesterday and now smelling all smoke, i miss my flatmates, we're NOT going to have the lunar new year dinner tonight, i am not familiar with the streets heading to campus from this part of the town, and i forgot to bring my mobile phone charger.
gaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
i was sleeping and this funny YET LOUD AND DISTURBING alarm woke me up.
bloody hell i thought it was the stupid ringtone of my mobile phone.
i went out to the dining room, almost the same time as my two friends - we thought it was a fire drill so i just wore my flip-flop.
but then ludy who left first came back and said 'there is smoke outside!'
i returned back to my room and grab my wallet, passport and camera (which i latter found out has no battery in it).
when i got out, the hall was already full of smoke.
we went down through the emergency stairs (anisa aidid: so this is what emergency stairs are for!).
when i arrived at the ground floor i mistakenly open the common room door and saw this thick black smoke but then stewart showed us the correct emergency exit.
i think we were among the last group of people who got out because after that stewart rang the fire/emergency bell immediately.
(there were two alarms ringing at the same time)
in an emergency situation i observed that:
1 - ludy only brought her apartment room key, sinh brought nothing but her USB which carries her thesis she has been working for the past 2.5 years.
some people managed to bring their notebook with them, some people were literally barefooted;
2 - during the 3.5 hours until 6.30ish we were all scattered in the street sitting.
some was trying to sleep (on the street), some were still drunk because of the sevens game. and others like me were waiting in agony and trying to stand wellington's chilli wind;
3 - if it weren't for the fire i wouldn't be able to see all of my apartment flatmates;
4 - it was an emergency situation we couldn't help to think of what to wear. i wore my fugly gray sleeping pants and my pink 'obellisita we love u' t-shirt. some people were in their bedrobes, a guy in his dinosaur pajamas, one wearing socks only, some were inappropriately clothed;
5 - sinh's early lunar new year dinner was supposed to be tonight, she has the ingredients for spring rolls and chicken all set in the kitchen :(
6 - the breakfast meal provided at the hall of the next-door church was better than my ordinary breakfast :p excellent chocolate chip cookies and cinnamon donuts!
we were told that the house might be closed for two days perhaps and we were given 5 minutes to take our essentials for the next 2 days.
climbing up to the 8th floor on slippery emergency stairs was not my idea to greet the sunshine. my room was smoke-smelling (damn i just did the laundry).
we were provided temporary housing at weir house - me and syuhada managed to stay at our friend's house, he has two vacant rooms.
my orientation starts tomorrow, i have my one-week laundry that i just washed yesterday and now smelling all smoke, i miss my flatmates, we're NOT going to have the lunar new year dinner tonight, i am not familiar with the streets heading to campus from this part of the town, and i forgot to bring my mobile phone charger.
gaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh.
January 31, 2008
finally shall we
shall we do random ramblings, finally!
first of all - oh gooooooodddddd, am i cursed or what, the streets here are hilly and narrow and steep, my routines now involve walking for at least 15 minutes a day. a walk to the campus back and forth is 10 minutes; a walk to the nearest new world supermarket is, wait i haven't actually figured which one is nearer (the one in thorndon is probably nearer but the street is around 60 degrees steep which makes me feel like sir edmund hilary), anyhooo, it takes around 30 or 40 minutes back and forth; a walk to the beach is easy, also 15 minutes back and forth.
back home in jakarta i only do serious walking in malls and use my feet to walk only to perform other really normal daily activities, like, moving from my office room to the pantry to get more coffee, heck i even use the elevator/escalator whenever available and possible. i don't do walking to literally move from one place to another. we use car, our friend's car, taxi, bus, whatever but our own feet! i feel helpless :p
secondly - my cooking tasted like soil you've heard this already probably but it does_taste_like_soil. however now i am more creative in using soy sauce and pasta sauce and lately i am fond of garlic. so it still tastes like soil but now with a bit of soy/pasta/garlic-ish flavour.
not that i can't buy restaurant food (oh i can't on saturday and sunday because most of the restaurants are closed on those days but we'll get back to that later at number fourth), it just doesn't feel right hahahaha i mean here i am a student on a budget i have to live modestly (i can't believe i said modestly)
i think am losing weight ewww what a disgrace.
thirdly - despite my helplessness on walking and the good food that i can only eat in a limited amount, i L-O-V-E (all capitals) being here, so far so good. the weather, the view, my flat, the nice people of wellington, the smell of the coffee - they actually brew them - not using those instant coffees, the wines, the benches in the park that you can sit on for hours but don't feed the pigeons, and of course the beach.
so far my favorite moment is spending the afternoon in the beach watching the sun set accompanied by the inheritance of loss by kiran desai (soon to be replaced by macroeconomics in new zealand (......)). it feels eerily wonderful being alone.
fourth - contrary to us jakartans who gallivant around the malls on weekends, the people of wellington don't do that. most of the stores (and the restaurants) here do not open on saturdays and sundays, even if they do, they close earlier. my apartment is in the business district so i can really feel the difference - no smell of coffee, the chow mein cube and wishbone across the street are closed, no people around - even if there are, they are mostly tourists who are probably not familiar with the opening hours of stores in wellington.
fifth - somewhat related to shopping, i bought two pairs of woman shoes today (not sneakers), am so happy of being able to find my size, am a size 42-43, the size they have was 42 however, but it can still fit. you don't get a size 42 for woman in jakarta. another reason to love this place!
sixth - i've been reading my modules, am taking three subjects which are all mandatory: a) economics ewww, b) policy tools and practice and c) policy analysis and advising. the reading materials are thicker than blood ewwww again. there's going to be an NZAID student barbecue lunch tomorrow - must be interesting, would love to see other students as well.
click here for pictures!
oh and, i just found out that indonesians don't have to apply for a visa to enter fiji. am just saying.
first of all - oh gooooooodddddd, am i cursed or what, the streets here are hilly and narrow and steep, my routines now involve walking for at least 15 minutes a day. a walk to the campus back and forth is 10 minutes; a walk to the nearest new world supermarket is, wait i haven't actually figured which one is nearer (the one in thorndon is probably nearer but the street is around 60 degrees steep which makes me feel like sir edmund hilary), anyhooo, it takes around 30 or 40 minutes back and forth; a walk to the beach is easy, also 15 minutes back and forth.
back home in jakarta i only do serious walking in malls and use my feet to walk only to perform other really normal daily activities, like, moving from my office room to the pantry to get more coffee, heck i even use the elevator/escalator whenever available and possible. i don't do walking to literally move from one place to another. we use car, our friend's car, taxi, bus, whatever but our own feet! i feel helpless :p
secondly - my cooking tasted like soil you've heard this already probably but it does_taste_like_soil. however now i am more creative in using soy sauce and pasta sauce and lately i am fond of garlic. so it still tastes like soil but now with a bit of soy/pasta/garlic-ish flavour.
not that i can't buy restaurant food (oh i can't on saturday and sunday because most of the restaurants are closed on those days but we'll get back to that later at number fourth), it just doesn't feel right hahahaha i mean here i am a student on a budget i have to live modestly (i can't believe i said modestly)
i think am losing weight ewww what a disgrace.
thirdly - despite my helplessness on walking and the good food that i can only eat in a limited amount, i L-O-V-E (all capitals) being here, so far so good. the weather, the view, my flat, the nice people of wellington, the smell of the coffee - they actually brew them - not using those instant coffees, the wines, the benches in the park that you can sit on for hours but don't feed the pigeons, and of course the beach.
so far my favorite moment is spending the afternoon in the beach watching the sun set accompanied by the inheritance of loss by kiran desai (soon to be replaced by macroeconomics in new zealand (......)). it feels eerily wonderful being alone.
fourth - contrary to us jakartans who gallivant around the malls on weekends, the people of wellington don't do that. most of the stores (and the restaurants) here do not open on saturdays and sundays, even if they do, they close earlier. my apartment is in the business district so i can really feel the difference - no smell of coffee, the chow mein cube and wishbone across the street are closed, no people around - even if there are, they are mostly tourists who are probably not familiar with the opening hours of stores in wellington.
fifth - somewhat related to shopping, i bought two pairs of woman shoes today (not sneakers), am so happy of being able to find my size, am a size 42-43, the size they have was 42 however, but it can still fit. you don't get a size 42 for woman in jakarta. another reason to love this place!
sixth - i've been reading my modules, am taking three subjects which are all mandatory: a) economics ewww, b) policy tools and practice and c) policy analysis and advising. the reading materials are thicker than blood ewwww again. there's going to be an NZAID student barbecue lunch tomorrow - must be interesting, would love to see other students as well.
click here for pictures!
oh and, i just found out that indonesians don't have to apply for a visa to enter fiji. am just saying.
January 22, 2008
first pictures wellington
the first pictures taken in wellington can be seen here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dianadoes/sets/72157603772065286/ - not much since am still settling in so they're just the pictures of my apartment and the sorroundings. god i love the weather.
before picture, taken on 2AM when i just arrived
after picture, taken on 1 PM after i woke up and unpacked
January 13, 2008
on letting go
at this time of the day i might be reading the thick GMAT/GRE manuals trying to brush up my score so that i could get into america’s finest public policy school under the fulbright scholarship that i might have gotten. or i might not.
until recently i couldn’t quite let go the fact that i let go my chance of a fulbright interview because i already received an NZDS offer.
i could sign the NZDS offer and have the fulbright interview afterwards, and if i then got the fulbright scholarship i could decline the NZDS offer. it didn’t seem right although i thought it could be done.
i declined the fulbright interview and signed the NZDS offer because the NZDS offer came first, and, i want to be responsible for my own actions and for the decisions that I have made.
looking back now i think i should not have applied for the fulbright scholarship at the very first place. but curiosity kills, and as a human being we always want to push our limit and to raise the bar, and see how far we can go, and get what we think is best.
for all my life i always think that holding on to what i really want is what keeps me alive and strong – but i realised this is not how life always works. because sometimes the thing that we want is not necessarily the thing that we need.
keeping our options open means that we should be willing to let go of the things we have planned, to accept anything that is waiting for us. perhaps greater things. i should have known better.
until recently i couldn’t quite let go the fact that i let go my chance of a fulbright interview because i already received an NZDS offer.
i could sign the NZDS offer and have the fulbright interview afterwards, and if i then got the fulbright scholarship i could decline the NZDS offer. it didn’t seem right although i thought it could be done.
i declined the fulbright interview and signed the NZDS offer because the NZDS offer came first, and, i want to be responsible for my own actions and for the decisions that I have made.
looking back now i think i should not have applied for the fulbright scholarship at the very first place. but curiosity kills, and as a human being we always want to push our limit and to raise the bar, and see how far we can go, and get what we think is best.
for all my life i always think that holding on to what i really want is what keeps me alive and strong – but i realised this is not how life always works. because sometimes the thing that we want is not necessarily the thing that we need.
keeping our options open means that we should be willing to let go of the things we have planned, to accept anything that is waiting for us. perhaps greater things. i should have known better.
January 5, 2008
the futsal pictures
congratulations BEIF and well done BERC! :p
grab the pictures here in this link folks: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dianadoes/sets/72157603640437243/
please share to others as well.
enjoy!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
