off to a crackin' start

So, yesterday was the first day of O-nine.

If I were back in Jakarta, the order of day would predictably be:

family quiet time right after midnight
church service at 6
breakfast at 8; get ready for 'the rounds' with extended family
set off around town for 'the rounds'
come back home for quiet dinner
relaxing time (e-surfing/reading/chatting)

However, with differing residential constituents and geographical location, 09 day #1 becomes more akin to:

extended family heart-to-heart talk/quiet time
breakfast at 10-ish
lunch at 12-ish
set off for shopping or movies (I went for the latter) (with Dad
walk back home
quiet dinner at 8
relaxing time

Since my mum had been asking me to spend some quality time with her, I initally asked her to come along, but she honestly and tactfully declined due to the fact that she almost always fall asleep in movies (they aren't her thing.) She suggested me to ask my dad, and I did (we haven't had much quality time together, either.) We went here, as it was pretty close to home and we could get back home easily on public transport. The cinema was pretty packed, and the queues made me wonder if we would ever get the tickets in time for the next showing.

(We did.)

We went to see this hilarious movie. Which he liked... but it had boring bits in the middle, so he inevitably dozed off. I felt bad for him falling asleep whilst in the cinema. Somehow I persuaded him to stay to watch another movie, and he was kind/gracious enough to shell out the fare for two tickets yet another time (with the inherent risk of the movie could be boring he could fall asleep once more), so we went to watch one from a different genre.

The second choice of movie unnerved me, but I'm glad it turns out to be so good my dad didn't fall into winks at all. I didn't even bother to look at my watch and check the time. It was that good.

So, afterwards we walked home... and the rest is, readers, as has been outlined above.

Hope you have a good time with your family ^__^

Edelweiss

I'll start my work placement here on Monday.
(Unpaid, more likely, but since I won't have to travel far it means commuting would be less of a pain.)

My sister misses me more than I do. Maybe it has something to do with my inclination to be emotionally detached. She herself seemed to think that it was because she had never lived in 'anyone else's house'. Other than that, it sounds slightly funny to my ears that she needs to register herself to a new kelurahan (what's that in English?) as she had moved away and legally started a new family with her husband.

I also went to check up on my two-week-old nephew, courtesy of my cousins' :)) It's a boy; the name's Raynier. He's quite collected, he nurses a lot, and he pees a lot (it's a baby.) I think I'll be seeing more of little Raynier in his current form before I leave for London.

In the entertainment scheme of things, my homework (to-watch) list grew longer with the addition of this series. Also, I had been quite clumsy to manage to forget where I kept my MemoryStick adaptor!

This is my first step towards killing the writer's block.
So folks, that's it for now ^__^

P.S. my dad is watching The Sound of Music next door, hence the title.

Under the Sea

The deed is done, my sister is married!
Officially this signals the start of my 'true' summer holiday... which, in light of holiday homework, becomes non-existant.

This also means that no longer shall I be 'shielded' from incessant go-betweens, marriage offers et cetera. So, does that call for a hurrah to speed dating...?


On a note, I managed to meet up with this lady, who turned out to be a pleasant and well-versed young woman to converse with yet has enough insanity (cam-whorship?) to match my cousins'. Thank you ^__^

I need to get my thoughts together as this blog sorely needs a few well-written posts! So, adieu for now :))

Won't Go Home Without You

Here I am after nearly a four-week hiatus. My sister's wedding preparation is chugging along alrightly (if things were to proceed uninterrupted).

From the viewpoint of someone who will go through a wedding once, it can seem like a mayhem and I can somewhat emphatise with brides-to-be who exploded due to a nearly ineligible typo or some other types of nearly indistinguishable imperfections.

On the other hand, how monotonous it would seem from the viewpoint of those purveying these bridaled goods. Day in and day out, one could meet couples who'd demand that every stitch is aligned just perfectly so with a 0.1mm tolerance or whinge about the smell of a certain range of body moisturiser on a regular basis... whilst all of them think that "this only happens to me once". Which is why I'd probably be happy (happier?) doing something 'monotonous' like workwear rather than something as chaotic as bridal wear.

Many say that they get nervous when people close to them get married. Oddly, it appears to be quite natural for me apart from when I first heard that my sister was about to get married to a guy she had repeatedly turned down (hasn't the case always been a hundred 'no's and one final 'yes'? ;p ) She didn't feel overly fluttery, too. I don't really feel anything weirdly special is about to take place in the next 24 hours. Well, apart from the over-zealous salon/spa visit routine that is...

Other than that, it's bed time for me at 7PM for a 2:30AM wake-up call (it's 5:30 now in Jakarta.) I need to pick up the make-up artist for a 3AM start to the day. Enjoy your time ^__^

Itu Aku

Despite the fact it's Day 8 of the Gregorian calendar year 2008, I feel no qualms on... fretting about the previous year. Blame the fireworks, fabric-hunting and globe-traveling for the lateness :}

With my general state of health back in check, I'm happy to start the year doused in work (save the untouched holiday homework for next week's presentation). When it comes to 2007, my mind inevitably comes to these...

Getting into a BA course
For most of February and March, my favourite pastime (other than doing schoolwork) included hand-wringing and UCAS form-filling. The pageant experience came in handy for BA placement interviews.

Spending summer
Didn't score a job at Maticevski, wasn't needed for costumes and sets. So, it was London for summer. The weather was good on occasions, the pay was kinda okay, made lots of friends, learnt lots of things (both academically and life-wise), felt lonely, went on a Sloane Ranger life... summer flew out of my window and painted my memory with vivid colours. Which reminded me, I did win something.

Moving out
So yes, I moved out of SW3 (who knows I'll be back?? living in my own property?? XD) It was like comparing Yve to Rumah Susun Kemayoran. But then, central London residential buildings on average are old and dinghy, so there weren't much shock involved. I was way too timid, and I'm glad to have friends who managed to send chills down the spines and make me pick up my acts. I still cringe whenever 'toilet' and 'elevator' come to mind, but other than that life's fine and my flatmates managed to make that place feel like home.
(Oh, and they took the TV out of my room too, thank God I have more space now.)

Being not ashamed of myself
Big homework starting from last year, and probably will last for a while.

The resolutions
No new year resolutions for me - I'm sticking to this. Deadline is less than five months away.

Socialising
Moving in with friends is like marriage - each found out about the dark sides of the others. It helps me to be less politically correct and more astute in expressing my views and preferences on many issues, some of them being nutrition and personal hygiene.

The BF question
Once and for all, I shall make it clear that I do not like to be hindered by anything or anybody while pursuing what matters to me. I am normal, I appreciate guys and occasionally I like them too. But if asked whether I'd leave my study uncompleted, please don't be suprised if a d'oh glare becomes currency of the day.

Desire to own...
Pantone colour fan, exquisite fabrics and the ability to fly private jet on demand (visa included.)

Well folks, I think these sum up a lot already. Have a nice day! :))

P.S. shopping in Dubai yielded reasonably-priced face wash and isotonic drinks, $40 Nintendo DS excluded.

Puzzle

Google is an amazing thing for ego boost.

I have done countless searches on names of people I know (myself included), and I have found amazing results. My sister handles tasks with relative ease/familiarity, my dad has extensive professional interests in health services development, my mom is a self-made career woman. Amongst those I keep in constant contact with - through visual and physical means - are TV personality, technology advisor, student animator, web developer, medical student, petshop business owner, various office-y people, teacher-in-training and beauty queen.

By the way, please don't sulk if you weren't mentioned - not being mentioned is not the same as being forgotten or seen with lesser value! 8O I'm mentioning these people in no particular order because their fields of profession give a profusion of colours to this post ^__^

Google can be intrusively disturbing - I have so far rediscovered my once-existing and non-functional email addresses, messages I posted that I have completely forgotten about, things I participated in that had escaped my mind. Probably the next time around my ICQ number would pop up somewhere on the WWW - I still remember the sequence number, but am not bothered to reactivate it (scary indeed.)

And yes, at times when I feel low and run Google searches on familiar names, I find myself smiling at myself. Odd perhaps, but definitely reassuring. Could this be a mobile charger effect? :D

Ah, just did these guys some publicity. Shout for me if you don't mind, but otherwise have a good day :))

Sashinobeta ryoute kami awanai pazuru wo
Okizari ni shiteta futari deau made
Nakushiteta nani ka saigo no kakera wo
Tori modoshite

Itsuka wasureteita tooihi no kioku
Kokoro no katasumi kasanetanara
Natsukashii keshiki kuchiguse dake wa sonomama

Tomadou you ni hitomi wo fusete
Tachi tomaranaide oikakete

(ba-thump)

With about 40 hours left to my first ever design interview, I'm reassembling my portfolio for a freelancing job at PromOcean. What got me interested to apply were two things: (1) it was a freshly advertised post, and (2) the company is part of the Li & Fung group. My mom had been nagging for me to find a decent holiday job, and given her preference for M&S and L&F, this one is a shot worth trying.

What lovely Marija (the person-in-charge) asked me for is also a useful pointer of what I need to do: an online portfolio. Sure, nothing beats a face-to-face interview, but an online portfolio is needed... especially if I'm applying for jobs located in far-flung places.

To break some good news, my mom had been discharged from the hospital. I haven't managed to give her a call, but I believe it's some good news she's heading home! Thanks for your concerns in the past few days :))

Alright then, it's time for me to get myself cracking. Take care!

Whenever Whereever Whatever

I have got quite a lot of things on my mind lately. I really don't like thinking and talking about it, let alone blogging on it, but I feel like I'm going to rot on the inside if I try to make myself seem invincible.

I'm quite disheartened to hear my mom isn't doing too well with her health. This came to me as a quite a shock as she's a woman who excercises almost everyday and looks after herself particularly well (albeit with a tendency of pushing herself too far at times). As far as I could recall, she's always the healthy one at home, save a few occurences when we had food poisoning a year ago (and another one in the States) which usually occurs after we eat too much seafood. For a lot of reasons, this hit to her health is definitely scaring me... my brain runs at a slower rate because of thinking about her. Despite these, I really appreciate my family's openness about what's going on, because I hate to think everything is going well and smooth when everything isn't.

(I'm somehow glad my sister is going back to Indonesia soon, as it means she can look after mom when she's there. She was planning to go back to be with our parents, and the timing couldn't have been more coincidental... I don't quite believe in pure coincidence but hopefully all turn out well.)

I'm currently staying over at my friend Magdalene's place for the Easter weekend. It gives the landlady at home some extra breathing space, and I'm kind of keen to have unlimited showers at Mag's due to the fact her water bill is already included in her rent rates (which are unlikely to increase.)

Mag's apartment is sunny and small, and wasn't exactly interior magazine-prim... it's her 'creative chaos'. Anne and I ended up cleaning up the whole place out of our own initiatives just to make our stay feel nicer... and Mag was definitely pleased when she came home to find her apartment to be pristine and clean (she confessed that the clean state was actually better for her psychological/mental health.) I then realised that staying with that clean-obsessed, clutter-clearing landlady of mine has definitely done something good in terms of making zealously good efforts to be clean and proper. I know I have complained before about how strict she could be with water droplets in the bathroom taps, but I'm glad for her disciplines. It's like living with the headmistress of a finishing school.

On the funnier, more vain side of things, I've got a friend who's going to JRP. She's got a pristinely clean skin thanks to her mother's cravings of avocados when she was expecting, and back in Melbourne I would love to have her kind of skin (even now I still want to.) Also, she's the kind of person you would last ask for lotions or creams. If her class instructor at JRP found out what kind of skin maintenance regime my friend keeps, she's so bound to be shell-shocked... ^__^

I'm heading out to church now. Take care and happy Easter! ^.^

Lead me on girl if you like
Take my heart and my life
Take of me all that you want
And if there's a thing that you need
I give you the breath that I breathe
And if ever you yearn for the love in me
Whenever, whereever, whatever baby
Whenever, whereever, whatever baby

Wish I knew if I could
Be the one that you would
Love forever and a day baby

Awesome

I've been working for three days now, and I'm glad I still keep my sanity intact whenever I'm driving myself to and from work. I'm also thankful God has been waking me up a couple of minutes before my alarm rings - yes, and He is telling me to go to bed now too! ^.^;

On Saturday evening, I went out to have dinner with my family. We decided to eat seafoods: my dad ordered fried fish, my mum ordered otak-otak (yum!), and I ordered mussels and a crab. Since my dad was allergic to eating crabs, my mum and I happily lapped the crab. And then... on Sunday evening, we started feeling unwell. We kinda suspect we got food poisoning from eating the crab, as my dad was the only one who was in a relatively well condition compared to both of us. Earlier in the morning, I didn't really want to go to work because of the food poisoning (went in and out and in and out of the restroom many times), but I argued with myself (get-moving-or-lose-the-job arguments) and dragged myself into work today. Luckily, I recovered. As for my mum, the last time I saw her a couple of hours ago, she was still unwell she took time off from work (which is rare.) Hopefully she'll get better by tomorrow.


Lastly, dear Ponky and Andri, thank you for the book! It's really awesome!! TTvTT Can't believe it... hehehe... thank youuuu ^^

Alright, going to bed now... take care. I've decided that I will be a civilised/courteous/well-mannered driver regardless of how silly or futile others think the effort may be. To change a society, one needs to change oneself. It's a challenging effort, but I'm sticking up with it anyway. At least I drive on my own, so when I get irritated I can always sing on top of my lungs without turning anybody else deaf ^^; Tee hee. Take care, good night, sleep well!

P. S.: I miss my Ban Ban, PK and ICM the most. My sister, you rank in later ^^ (we chat quite often anyway.) Hope you'll have better eyesight than me soon! Although I would still like to be the one with better eyesight... hehehe...

Maravillado estoy de ti
Maravillado estoy de ti
Santo Dios
De quien la gloria es
Maravillado estoy
Maravillado estoy

So Little Time

Well, there's kinda little time left for me to *enjoy life* (this is a phrase I coined to justify the sloth mode I'm getting into for the past few weeks.) On Sunday, I was asked whether I was still in studying in HSC or was already studying in university - the true answer was neither

Anyways, the new computer system has been hanging around my room for a couple of days by now. It came in late on Friday evening... something like 10PM?!?! Gosh, the flood was real bad that day. I was grateful it was raining heavily though - habits from dry-as-bones Melbourne?? Liked the rain though, it went well with yum cha at Plaza Indonesia (you now do have a reason to call me a sloth.) I went home just before 5PM, dropped my friend at Sunter (less than 5kms away from home), then drove home... and got into the house at several minutes past 7PM. It took me forty minutes to circumnavigate on the flooded roads! I chose one which was least flooded, but that road was still... flooded. People were dragging their legs through masses of water, which went past their knees and almost reached their thighs. I could hear water gurgling under the car; the sound made my hairs stand on its end. Bulu kuduk! It was definitely an eye-opener, if not a nightmare and reverse cultural shock rolled into one. And all these in the middle of the dry season. When I got home, I got quite a long lecture from my dad about being... being... more careful and strategic?!

This reminds me of home... yes, home in Melbourne. I miss hugging and kissing Bandit, especially since Brownie proves to be less of a companion and more of a guide-dog ignorant of its masters. Even though I don't like him that much, it's pitiable. He needs to be washed (which I will do if weather and time permit.) He needs to learn how to be cuddled. I miss my Ban Baaaaaaaaan... >.<

This is the new computer system (the PSC and CPU tower weren't photographed.) Like it heaps! The 17" flatscreen display and optical mouse are great improvements when compared with the 15" display and rollover mouse back in Melbourne. They were good though. Apart from minor power/frequency choke-ups, the screen works well. The rollover mouse? Well... I resorted to borrowing Yvonne's for the past few weeks. I'm determined not to go back to rollover mouse anymore ^.^ the only way is up and up to Wacom tablets. As for my dad, his point of view is that whatever he spends should become an investment. It's a view he's firmly establishing with me doing his requests to do brochures.

My sister just had her eyes operated upon last week! Now she's half-blind (but reading comics book... how can that be?), half trigger-happy (the drugs), and... I don't know what to say. Ponky without glasses was a rare sight so I can't really imagine her not wearing it. But then again, thick-rimmed glasses increases the smart/intelligent/wise look if one's applying for jobs. Better grab a normal pair even if your eyes are fine without prescriptions...

I'm going to Gunung Sahari tomorrow. This is not a mountain by the name of Sahari, but rather a suburb's name in Jakarta. What for? To buy a tambourine! ^.^ I went there last Friday, but missed it since the store was already closed. The maidservants who were looking over the place said it was a dressmaking business though, and not one selling tambourines. I am pretty sure *that* place was the one I visited back in early 2001. Hopefully. Amen ^^ There aren't many hours left till work starts. It'll start [most likely] on Wednesday.

It will soon be the end of one phase of life, and the start of another. Can this realisation be long overdue... by something like four months? Or even six? I am unsure of how the work will go about. I'm also on the list of several other prospective employers, but the prospect of some multinational corporation binding me for a two-year period and risk getting paid zilch for breaking the contract seems bizarre for me (if not overly constricting.) Will I like the work? (Well, yes, better than not knowing what to do.) Was I made for this work? (Don't know, although would like to shout 'no' the instance I know I wasn't made for it.) Do I commit myself to doing design? (yes...?) Will I go back to Melbourne, ever? (...yes.)

Sometimes there are only so little visible indicators of returning it seems vain to hold onto the hope, but hanging on the thread is better than not trying at all. I hope the thread lasts till the end.

It's funny that I feel homesick nowadays. I bat my eyelids and try to explain to curious probes why I end up *here* after being *there*. There are days I feel too angry to agree but too tired to explain. There are moments, especially when I go to church, when I miss the fellowship with my friends and dancing the most. Sometimes I feel I am being robbed of the joy of living I once experienced, but I also know the statement I just expressed isn't entirely true. At the end, no matter how hard one wishes to undo the flow of time, one will only lose it even more.

(Someone told me I'm getting ungrateful of my circumstances. I pray I won't be ungrateful of it anymore.)

Uni times were definitely one of the best times in life! Needless to say "assignments and final exams are evil because they reduce sleep time", I love the lifestyle. There are some things that made life at uni felt great:
1. Friends - indispensible.
2. Flexible hours - well, that depends on your timetable too, but you can cram a week's worth of classes into a little over two days (not recommended for those with short attention span.)
3. Fun - ...scav hunt :p regardless of it, outreach activities are fun and nerve-racking.
Can't think of other things... so let's call it the 3F joys of studying in uni. Tee hee ^o^

Last bit of news: I had my medical check-up on Tuesday last week. It was a bit extensive, and I had to fast for at least ten hours prior to the appointment. Needless to say, when I got there I was hungry (and tired and exhausted and a bit snappy - got caught in traffic jams.) Before too long I was called to have my blood sampled... went straight into the cubicle with the nurse... and I saw the needle she had with her. MY GOODNESS!! IT WAS BIG!! It was one of those needles with a clearly visible hole through it. My stomach churned when the nurse started 'preparing' my veins. I turned away, trying to ignore the pain, and I told her that I'm turning away and fantasising "some other things so that I won't think of it at all." I started visualising the Latin dance classes I went to a couple of months back, and got taken away with the music. The next thing I saw was two ladies standing over me with half-exasperated faces.

(You guys can pretty much guess what happened... 9__9;)

Anyway, that's all for tonight. I'm going to bed soon. Take care, sleep tight!

So little time so much to do,
I rather spend my days with you
So little time so much to do,
I rather spend my days with you
And if that day is not enough,
maybe we can stay in touch,
but I'm not making plans for tomorrow
For tomorrow never comes.

Moon River

Now that Blogger supports photo displays, I found no need to switch to MSN's Personal Space. Hooray! ^o^ Now, some vanity moments for me hehehe...

Nikhen's wedding was on Saturday night. There were me, Peter, Vanny Hartadi, Alex, Ichad and Annette who were present at the party. Peter was in the groom's family (apparently, doh.) Hartadi was Nikhen's best man. Vanny was made the maid of honour. She looked real pretty! It's a pity I didn't have a chance to take a proper picture of her to show around ^.^; Poor Nikhen and Stephanie... they looked like they could not stand another moment standing to greet incoming guests, or to proceed with 'items for the night'. We shared food in a bid to cut down on time spent queueing for food. Alex tried to figure out of "another way" to arrange party activities in a bid to have an enjoyable wedding party in Jakarta. I spent much of my time watching for my dress train, or gracefully smiling at whoever stepped on it before exerting an authoritative "excuse me, sire/ma'am/miss."

Forgot to say that I *almost* got the bouquet. The bouquet's ribbons were entangled in my finger when another girl grabbed it from my hand (or was it a shove?) Anyways ^^; I wasn't keen on demonstrating footy moves, so she ended up having it. It's not such a big deal since I have caught a bride's bouquet beforehand, but it was an attractive activity to get involved in because the bouquet came along with a one-million rupiah shopping voucher. Then again, that would not have been such a bad catch... hmmm...

Anyway, I love my dress ^.^ I love shopping. And I'd love Ponky to get her IXUS 700 as soon as possible... hehehe... mak is currently against giving you any extra shopping allowances! It'll be a while before my poor sister has a digicam on hand once again.

Today I also rummaged through the picture chest at home. I came across lots of photos, most of them recognisable. My dad was really head over heels about my mum! There were several albums filled with her pictures (both coloured and B&W prints), and in most of them she was unaware she was being photographed. It feels like I came across some evidence of stalking activities. The most interesting pictures I came across today, however, were the B&W ones from their uni days. He would make an excellent photojournalist. His pictures have this innocent quality to it... in a lot of those B&W pictures, most of its objects were not extremely aware of the camera's presence. I'll try to scan some of his pictures in the near future.

I'm also supposed to be getting a desk delivered to my place today. It was purchased on Sunday afternoon and was to be delivered at around 3PM max on Monday (which was yesterday.) It wasn't delivered at the promised time, though. The driver was sick yesterday, the car was coming in late today... I don't know what other kind of excuses will be coined up to me in the next 24hrs. Probably I should just cancel the transaction if it doesn't arrive in the next hour or two .\\//. feeling rather grumpy.

My room is starting to look like a hellhole. There are way too many things my mum keeps in it, turning it from a decent bedroom into a storeroom. At least two-thirds of the cupboards are filled with her dresses, sarong, kebaya and who-know-whats... Right now I'm trying to make a treadmill disappear into thin air so that the new desk would fit into my room without making it look overcrowded.

I'm planning of going to Mangga Dua tomorrow. I'll be driving an automatic car - yay! - I've had enough of driving a manual Kijang on a packed and practically lawless road. These are actually the first few days I have had time to take a break from my activities. There were exams till 20/6, driving lessons and portfolio preparation till 30/6, the interview at Cilandak on 1/7, and the wedding on 2/7. It feels good to step back, although I'm keen to start work within a week or so. AI sure is taking its time in deciding to employ me... -__-;

Yesterday I meet Punyet and DW (who happened to be in town). Both were in good shape. Punyet looked like a Myer salesperson!! ^^; (sorry, white shirt and black pants are synonimous to Myer's dress code.) I also managed to drag them home to have a small reunion-like meeting. It's a pity I forgot to take pictures last night >.<

All the best for those waiting for their results! And Ponky, if you want *thatthing*, you better send me *whatyouneedtosend* tonight once you receive it... you already know my plans for tomorrow. Take care! ^^

Moon river, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style some day
You dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way

Two drifters off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end
Waiting round the band
My huckleberry friend, moon river
...and me

Officially Missing You

Half of summer semester had just gone past the door.

About the handset, I got a medium to long-term loan for now. Yay, thanks D! ^^ Getting through a day without a mobile phone was quite nerve-wrecking. I had never thought that device would be so indispensible, especially since there was a stage when I shunned the idea of owning one. The next step to think about in this area of communications gadgetry is an upgrade, which narrows my choice to either the web-versatile Nokia 7270 or its analoguous sister Nokia 7280.

On Tuesday afternoon/evening's host training, I met Lujia. We did FA together last semester. She was a bit shocked (confused?) to see me in Melbourne, as she thought I would have proceeded to going overseas and essentially taking a gap year. Yeah, that reminds me of the whole moving-out and Ikea-shopping idea of taking a gap year. In the past three to four months my stance has changed considerably to a pointI was also at a loss of word to explain why I chose to do what I was doing. It was very confusing. It kinda reignited the interest altogether... with the exception of renewing the job-hunting session. I missed the one they held on this January's second weekend since it was interstate and uni was already starting (and packed with activities, too.)

Moving on to the next topic. I feel like an ungrateful, self-interested being. A couple of days ago I was offered a position by proxy to work back home ::points towards the north:: Quite shocking too, to sum it up. The insistence of staying here and studying art makes the whole rationally-thought, five-year life schedule goes awry. There is a sheet of paper on which I drew a vertical dividing line between 'positives' and 'negatives', then labelling the top bit with Melb and the bottom bit Indo. I am not homesick to going home up north, but I couldn't explain my reactions when I had to postpone/delay/turn down the offer. After all these uni offers, nyokap's graciousness towards me taking short courses and job offers, I still feel queasy in making a decision. I have made up my mind, yet at the mention of sweeteners (e.g. job offers) it kicks my sense of security as well. Especially with my dad getting old and no longer fit, it is a nagging question in my mind. Regardless of these, I'm still waiting for my Christmas present. There was an intention to classify it as overdue, but I believe He is always on-time: never too early, never too late. What an ungrateful girl I really am, keep asking for the world and more. Melancholy is still in my blood.

With my piggy bank progress, I make an attempt to drop some spare coins at the end of every day to fill it up with. It is growing slowly. The shopping list index plays a role in managing finances, as well as my sister's remarks that I should buy "only what you want to eat, not what is on sale." Hehehe, that is true.

OK, need to take a shower now, going to church soon. Take care! ^^

All I do is lay around, two years full of tears
From looking at your face all over
Just a week ago you were my baby
Now I don't even know you at all,
I don't know you at all.

Well, I wish that you would call me right now
So that I could get through to you somehow
But I guess it's safe to say, baby
Safe to say that I'm officially missin' you.

Nobody Ever (Only You)

Today we had lunch at Ming (again), the reason being Devi is leaving to work at some other place with an intelligent-sounding job description: macroeconomist. Don't get me wrong; it's good since economists are amongst the people who think the most. And then again, since I'm not inside that particular circle of people, I just read The Economist.

(That was a short commercial break ^^; )

My pariban Edo is staying over for the night, mainly to accompany my grandma. Side note: pariban is a Batak term used to refer one's marriageable cousin (of a different marga/house). Sweet Edo is about 9 years of age ^^ He's really cute and chubby; there is a picture of both of us, taken when he visited Ompung the other week. I also miss Tasia, my tall-as-a-model cousin. It was a surprise to hear her voice change, she sounded like a seventeen-year-old girl over the phone. It is no longer the chirpy tone she used to chatter in. By the way, she is just thirteen years of age and will be graduating from junior high just after her fourteenth birthday. I've been quite insistent in having her come over for Christmas under the pretext of "long time no see, I'm here - come and visit." Hopefully she'll come along this Saturday.

About this blog's shoutbox, I've decided to postpone its installation until I find one that is suitable. Really sorry about that, especially to Tiny and Yaki.

Yesterday I went dancing and was half-unconscious doing the steps. The cause? Backache caused by prolonged sitting on a dodgy chair (see short-sightedness). It boils down to this: do your exercise early in the morning, or do not tire yourself too much while working if you want to exercise in the afternoon. Being half unconscious (yet totally sober) while doing dance steps are really bad since you pose some health risks for your dancing partner and yourself i.e. stepping on his/her feet, being stepped onto, bumping or being bumped, and having to repeat the same moves a good couple of times. It makes the whole exercise less effective. Nevertheless, I had a good time learning, and the reversible skirt helps give that peripheral effect of dancing the stress away in Spain ^^

There has been a marked and rapid decrease in my appetite. I still feel hungry but just lost the willingness to eat. It's simply weird.

Looking forward to the dayoff on Friday. I'm in a state of financial near-bankruptcy, and going out on Friday would not help much to it. Just so happy that I will have a free 16-hour slot to catch up with rest and life. Oops, the F button on my laptop is somewhat unhinged. Looking forward to come home and fondle satin ribbons. Looking forward to toss Brownie at home. Looking forward for the day to be courageously honest to come.

Living here, for now, somewhat feels like being in a gilded cage.

I've never felt before this kind of freedom
like a child dancing in the rain
I didn't even know that I was locked inside a prison
and only You could break me from my chains

No-one but You knew where to find me
You gave me life I never had before

Nobody ever loves the way that You love me
Nobody ever saw what You brought alive in me
Nobody ever knew how lost I was without You
Nobody ever, only You.

I Like Bananas

The monkey family would be so familiar to this song. Bananas, bananas... to be honest, eating ripe mangoes in the middle of spring is actually very very good! As with previous springs, the nap quality's good as well.

We overdid the nap: me and my mum. I just woke up some 20-odd minutes ago, woken up by that "it's slightly too bright for 7:30 in the afternoon" feeling, and realised that we were supposed to be up by 5:30 and have an afternoon walk with the dog. My watch's off as well - in the sense that it needs a new battery. I'm not trying to blame anything other than me and my lazy head on overdoing the nap. My mum is still doing it though, and she needs a lot of rest while she's here, so let's leave her as she is.

Well, just want to drop some lines on the song; it was a favourite at PeKa. I don't know whether there is an MP3 of it lying around somewhere in the webspace. Please tell me if you find one. It's a never-ending song. If you know the song, please sing it! Anyway, here it goes. Take care!

I like bananas
I know that mangoes are sweet
I like papayas (PAPAYAS!)
but nothing can beat
the sweet love of God

Well, I was walking 'round a circle five miles an hour
Tryin' to find my way back to the Heavenly father
The world tasted sweet but soon it turned sour
and then I let God in and receive His power
(one, two three!)