Chinese New Year is in the Air...

in particularly in China Town...



A news from the radio told us that during the consecutive three days of heavy downpour (last week) many stall owner in Chinatown suffered due to the unavoidable "forced" shut-down. The reason was no other than the water and wind that had mercilessly splashed into their stalls and wet the products. For only-God-knows how many incenses they have burnt (just kidding) - no superstition intended - we had a preety good weather during last weekend. Well, it brought the crowd back to Chinatown... and I mean, a real crowd!! We rubbed shoulder (literally) with only-God-knows how many people last Sunday. The air of Chinese New Year emanated from the shops, from the red and gold, from the fragrant food, from the sweet scents of chinese tea, from the reverberating sound of sellers, buyers and the clarion chinese music...

And as Singaporean tradition that has never ceased... Lim Chee Guan's bakwa (the celebrated fragrant barbecued meat - mostly pork and for Indonesian, it's dendeng mahal) reaches its peak during this season!! It has never missed the long queue.

As for this magnificent acrobatic act, it wasn't in Chinatown.. This picture was taken in Marina Square.

PS: pardon me for the not-so-good quality of the picture. Firstly, I am not a good photographer (not even a photographer - without good) and secondly, I didn't bother to queue (really!!) to get the best spot for a snap...

Nice pair... =)

What a nice pair... =) This pleasant sight was seen in Harbourfront on Sunday 15 January 2006 (yep, nice pair on a nice day)

Temanku Siaran...

Aih aih gak nyangka di hari Senin ini akhirnya gua denger juga temen gua yang cute and imut, Fika di radioooo...

Selama ini dia siaran di RSI (Radio Singapore International) bagian bahasa Indo, which is a short-wave radio which means dengan segala keterbatasan gua, gua ga bisa dengerin. Walaupun gua pernah di"interview" di RSI dan suara gua melayang-layang di udara, tapi gak nyampe ke kuping gua *ihiks*

So today gua lagi buosen banget. Rada-rada sakit perut *biasalah* terus jadi ga bisa konsentrasi belajar (belajar coding gitu lho, mana ngarti aye?), bosen, ngantuk, laper dan bener-bener bukan suasana yang kondusif untuk belajar dengan semangat yang berkobar bak api olimpiade yang tak kunjung padam (ini judul buku Lupus jadoel bukan sih?). Temen gua suggest gua untuk denger lagu kenceng-kenceng terus ikutan nyanyi *heeehh??? di kantor gitu lho*.

Akhirnya gua bermain-main dengan radio, berkelana di Nokia HP gua. Biasanya kan cuma berkisar di Symphony92 FM dan Gold90 FM (emang ada yang bilang selera radio gua ga sesuai umur) akhirnya tadi sempet coba dengerin radio Prancong bentar, nangkep setengah dari berita yang hendak disampaikan oleh pembawa berita penuh sengau itu, dan yah.. setengah yang kedengeran itu rasanya yang ga penting-penting soalnya gua ga bisa menarik benang merah dari rangkaian kata-kata yang gua mengerti. It's like tous les jours *tuuuuut* avec *tuuut* beaucoup d'authorite *tuuuuuut* .... *tuuuut* .... *tuuuuut* ..... *tuuuut* .... yah silakan lanjutkan sendiri, capek ngetiknya.

So nyampe lah gua di RIA FM... dan yang pertama kedengeran tuh ketawanya si Fika ituh!! Gelo, ngakak banget. Khas banget deh, ga ketemu di jalan, ga lagi kerja bareng, ga lagi ke kamarnya, ga lagi ke mana, ga di radio.. itu ketawa ngakak emang ga ilang.

Lucunya lagi, sempet-sempetnya dia lagi siaran bales SMS gua.. hahaha multitasking amat lu, Fik!!

Dia suruh gua dengerin sekarang, 5-6 pm will be all Indonesian songs.... dia bilang, in case I miss them.. Well, honestly.. I've lost any connection with any Indonesian songs, singers, band, musician and what-not.

Yah, terima kasih Fik, at least sekarang gua jadi tau dikiiiittt...

Stay tune!!

See the Sun!!

Finally... we can see the sun again!!

After few days of getting wet in this land. I believe many have problems with laundry (spare them with dryers).

We don't know how long will it last, though. The sky may look promising but you know Singapore weather is as capricious as an active chameleon.

So for those of you having the luxury of being outside, enjoy basking in it!!

And for the rest who have same fate with me, i.e. surrounded by 4 walls, ceiling and floor, make sure you go out from your building for lunch!! (though it's not guaranteed that the sky will stay the same by then...)

Thank you Lord, as I asked a good weather from you today, so that somebody can have a safe and pleasant flight back home. Amen!!

A Gigantic Butterfly

My lunch mate cum friend screamed and ran away when she saw this butterfly, leaving me in a state of shock (of her voice). I can't really understand why she can hug and cuddle her rabbits and screamed like anything when seeing a dead (but still beautiful though dark-coloured) butterfly.

For reference, the tile is 20 cm x 20 cm, so now can you imagine how gigantic it is? This is the biggest I have seen so far in human civilization area (zoo is excluded, though I haven't been to any zoos with butterflies).

This one was found in the staircase (DSI building). I guess it was hurled by the merciless wind (well, you know what the weather in Singapore was like in these few days) to the building's window, then was tossed against the floor. *oh oh kejam amat*

It was taken by using my Nokia phone hence my apology for the poor quality.

Looking Back – September, October, November, December 2006

I gather all the four together here as what happened within this period was the entanglement of lots of things.

I can’t really recall what happened when and how (funny, isn’t it? The most recent ones are the least that I could recall). I just know that it was rather a hectic period, though with the least frequency I am “seen” outside (i.e. in activities), people think otherwise.

These four months were full of mental and cardiac sports and challenges. A tiring one, and has somehow reduce the cheerfulness in me. So for those of you who have inserted some of the following words (and their synonyms): cheerful, sociable, talkative, friendly in my Friendster testimonials, you may wish to revise.

Without disclosing too much, let me just put it this way. I am currently going through a journey, whose result is still unknown and unpredictable. I am anxious from head to toe. When will the answer come? I don’t know, hopefully soon. Not soon enough so I can prepare myself for whatever outcome it may give and not long enough so I won’t go crazy of waiting.
For those who know what I am up to, thank you for your support and trustworthiness!!

PS: September was also the month when I started my new job, a decision that I have never regretted... yet. Hopefully I won't at all.

Wet Wet Wet

Today, Singapore is wet all day!! I mean, literally all day!

I woke up at 6.40 am, only to know that the city was drenched. Luckily, when I left to NAFA at around 8 it wasn't raining cats and dogs anymore. What with this heavy rain and some MRT Stations and Bus Interchange closure due to some terrorism emergency exercises, many students were late.

It kept on raining when I was inside the building, on my way back home, when I took a very short nap, when I went out again and took train to Chinese Garden, when I was waiting and waiting for a full 30 minutes for my friends (and I tried to kill a bit of the time by taking some pictures), when I walk to the flat, when we celebrated pretty #1's birthday, when I walked to the bus stop at around 9.30 pm, when I walked back home, until when I was rather insomniac and slept only between 1-2 am.

In other words, it rained the WHOLE day!! Non Stop!! Who are crying buckets up there?

Birthdays...

A knocking sound was heard on one lonely night. It was my first night in NTU, first night ever in Hall 11 as well. My roommate had the priviledge of staying with her uncle on her first few nights hence I was left alone unpacking my luggage in an unfamiliar room, in a foreign country.

It turned out that the knocking sound came from a girl whom I just knew few hours before, when we were just about to leave Changi and waited for shuttle bus which would send us (and many others) to NTU. Her roommate was also away, so both of us are just lonely girls who were still rather unsure of the days that would follow.

She is VJ (your initial sounds so cool, Vel!!) and she just celebrated her birthday few days ago (so for those of you who've forgotten, reach your mobile and SMS her!! Hehehehe). Through this entry, I just want to wish her the happiest birthday and may the coming year would bring more prosperity and everything good to her. It sounds mushy but at least I am sincere.

We have been together for almost 7 years, wow!! And I believe many many years will follow. Remember our "vow" last time (were made when we were in... 2nd year?) that we would spend our olden days in rocking chairs and knitting together!!!

I have seen her success and failures year after year, I have seen the twinkle in her eyes when she fell in love and also the tears when she was broken hearted. When her mood was up and also when it was down. When she reached her most productive days and also the days when she just wanted to laze around, when her things-to-do was endless and when she was completely idling.

We've been together in pre-exam fiasco and post-exam euphoria. The late night cramming and mugging, the early morning jogs. When we pledged for healthier diet regime and when we both agreed that "the more sinful, the better".

And what we can't forget is how we got lost together for few times!! I guess R, V and SBS just didn't go well together (luckily it's not like that anymore).

And our mischief conduct: only she and I know about this -> "seluas samudera..." Well, I believe you understand what I meant by that keywords...

I guess we still have many more.. But I am too sleepy to write them down here, it's pass my sleeping time and tomorrow is working day. Anyway, I believe both of us still remember them, our younger and more carefree days... =)

You know what song is playing in the radio now? Yes, it is "That's What Friends Are For"

Thanks for everything!! Bonne Nuit...

Happy Birthday!!

Today is the 70th birthday of the King of Rock and Roll (8th of January 1935)!!

I am not a fanatic fan of him, but still.. He is just too great to be missed!!!

PS: Do you know that he sings Gospel also?

Looking Back – August 2005 – The Revamp of Santa Ursula

On 9 August 2005, when Singapore was celebrating its anniversary of independence, I was attending a Sanurian Mass at no other than my high school, Santa Ursula, a green old colonial building in central of Jakarta. They were having a “school warming”, a blessing rite for the newly built level 3 and 4.

The style of the mass was similar to what we used to have before, i.e. decoration, opening, songs, drama, offering, etc. Only those who have attended this mass would understand what I am trying to describe here. It refers to Sanurians and alumni, and also students from Canisius, Pangudi Luhur, Tarakanita 1, Santa Ursula BSD and Santa Theresia who were invited when our batch made a public one on one Sunday in September 1998.

Well, I met lots of my old teachers, most of them have forgotten me (of course, I graduated in like, 6 years ago?) but some still recall though. One mathematics teacher even remembered a (rather embarrassing) punishment she had given me when my graduation was nearing (only few weeks before my final exam).

And of course, we tried to find out what the revamps are:
1. They now have air conditioners in classroom
2. They have radio broadcast room with the speaker (intercom?) in every classroom
3. The main function hall has now a touch of pink colour instead of all-green that we used to have before.
4. They have the additional level three and four which have different interiors than their precedence. The olden colonial interior is no longer prevailing. They use this simple, chic and modern touch on the interior. The ghost stories that we had will only stop at level two and they can’t go up further, simply because the backdrop and setting are just not right for the stories (in other words, it’s no longer spooky up there).
5. The have dance room which looks professional to me; with the floor-to-ceiling, edge-to-edge mirrors.
6. They have new gamelan room
7. They have new OSIS room
8. They have new male toilet (something which was very rare before, I mean the “seen” ones).
9. And many many more

About the toilet, I used to pity my male teachers should they have an “emergency” situation or the uncompromising nature calls as the male toilets were at one corner of the building which is not so near to the teacher assembly room at all.

I used this chance to walk down the memory corridor (sounds so romantic, eh?) and of course, visit my old classroom: 3 IPA 2!!! Oh by the way, they now use 10, 11, 12 instead of 1, 2, 3 (continued from primary school, junior high, and then high school).

PS: The picture above is at the older part of the building, level two (main function hall)

Looking Back - August 2005 #2

On Saturday, the two of us joined a city tour whose itinerary was as follow: Zoo, Dolphin Watching at Nelson Bay (which we didn’t see any and the cold and too windy boat journey was not very pleasant), sand boarding (which I like it very very much and would really like to have a replay of it!! Hmm, though few times I tasted the sands as they sometimes come in me in a literally mouthful), and visiting Port Stephen’s winery.

Before entering and wine tasting, firstly I visited the restroom to clean as many sands as I could from my body. The long bus journey afterwards was rather traumatizing as everyone was sleeping except me and the driver (of course!), it was too dark to read a book and definitely I couldn’t talk to myself, my M&Ms finished in few minutes only… So I just enjoyed the view and relished every moment, reminding myself that “Oh my God it’s a holidaaaaayyy!!!” (And I badly miss that thought now)

Sunday started later than any other days. Only around noon did we leave to East Ocean to have our Dim Sum lunch. I had an appointment to meet with my ex-classmate in 2nd year of high school so it was.. hmmm 7 years ago? Well, we didn’t change at all so we could easily spot each other. Went for shopping in QVB, took a peep in Market City and Paddy’s Market. We attended a sunset mass at Cathedral of Saint Mary, which was really huge and still has the olden touch in the architecture (not like Cathedral of Good Shepherd) but too bad the sound system wasn’t fantastic. But still, I think there is something about Cathedral which differentiates it from others. It’s the “ambience” which is beyond words (maksudnya, gua ga bisa ceritain di sini gitu – bilang aja males hehe).

Another city tour on Monday, our destinations were: Blue Mountain (where we walked in a Rain Forest – enjoyed it!!) and… *drum rolls* Jenolan Cave. It was breathtaking, it was magnificent, it made you wonder about the great things that nature can do. I have never seen as many crystals as what I saw inside the cave all my life. And each one of them embodied thousand years of history. Some crystals create a lace-like structure until you doubt that it’s crystal, convincing yourself that it is really a lace curtain.

Upon reaching Sydney (yup after another few hours of bengong-ing in the bus while reminding myself “Oh My God it’s a holidaaaaaayyy!!”), we joined the rest of the group in a dinner at Pancake on the Rock. We decided to go during weekdays to avoid the long queue.

Our next day was started quite late. We only left the apartment when it was almost noon and took a train to Bondi for shopping. In case I forgot to mentioned, I like shopping in Australia as it’s more to my size. While in Singapore I used to grab size M or L, in Australia size XS and S are made for me. Bondi is where I got my desk easel (thank you, Yen!!) and a series of nine mosaic canvases (to which I haven’t done anything ‘til now). They had this big sale for canvases which made them really, really, really cheap. Too bad, I would fly back alone, it’s just too troublesome. In late afternoon, my “companion” (watch out, this word may have many connotations!) drove to her place in Wollongong. It is to Sydney is like Tangerang to Jakarta. That’s what I need to consolidate my holiday; quietude.

The breakfast that I had on the next day was probably my best so far! It was simply idyllic, fantastic, elysian, you name it. The ambience was perfect, the food was marvelous, the macchiato was what I need for, this Diggies at North Wollongong Beach is a valid reason for you to drive back to Wollongong whenever you visit Sydney. It was the “real” breakfast by the beach that I’ve found so far. Don’t compare it to Coffee Bean-ing or McDonalds-ing in east coast, you’ll find it so hard to blow up your imagination. Lucky us to go during weekdays, we didn't need to queue. According to my “companion” it may take a full 45 minutes (or more) during weekend to get a seat. Even so, the waiting time is very much worth it. Having been full of salmon, potatoes, eggs and some sausages (which was concocted very nicely, of course) we strolled along and play around the North Wollongong Beach. After going back and washing up, off we went to the shopping area. Continued by visiting one (and perhaps the only one) tourism spot in Wollongong: Nan Tien Temple. It was located in a vast green land with lots of greeneries. As I am from a Buddhist family (though I am not one anymore), the temple and everything inside were not so foreign for me. The day was ended by a sumptuous dinner at Collegiate, I had some dory fish with avocado and mango sauce, if my memory still functions as it should.

And finally, the day to bid goodbye came, it was a sunny Thursday. The morning was spent by playing with Boxy for the last time (buuuuut…. *drum rolls* Boxy is coming to Singapore in two weeks time!! And yes, he will stay here afterwards). At around noon, we left Wollongong and headed to Hurstville. After having lunch there, off we went to Kingsfordsmith Airport and not long after, I was already in Qantas Airline and 8 hours later, the prevailing humidity of this country again embraced me…

Good bye Sydney, you’ve made my August an august August!! (not a repetition here, watch out the upper and lower case: adjective and noun)

So Long, Farewell… Á Bientôt!!

See you soon, Boxy!

Looking Back - August 2005 #1

On 9th of August, Singapore celebrated its independence day (40th?). Some artists sang somewhere, with Taufik Batisah and Rui En singing this year’s theme song. I don’t really know as I was in Jakarta at that time.

On 17th of August, it was my country Indonesia’s turn to celebrate its 60th anniversary of independence. This time, I was in Singapore. And if you see groups of people wearing red and white in Singapore, your guess of where they are coming from is most probably correct. Hmm, 10 years have passed since I sang in the Istana Merdeka (is it a presidential office?) for Indonesia’s Golden Year Celebration (in 1995, i.e. the 50th anniversary). I sang twice but this one I remember best as we were wearing uniforms (for thousands of choir members) and we had to sing more songs. Well, I was singing in choirs few times nonetheless as I mentioned before, I’ve forgotten how to sing now.

On 19th of August, I celebrated my own independence. After two years, two months and ten days I officially left the company. It wasn’t a tearful day, wasn't my happiest moment notwithstanding. I quite liked working there and could get along well with colleagues and also got some benefits of working there. If only I don’t have other goal (for which I am determined to aim) perhaps now I am still playing with printers day by day. They joked that they have now lost a female creature which is very rare in the department and that they haven’t got a chance to see me in skirts.

On 22nd of August, I took a flight to Sydney. On the next day, I took another flight to Gold Coast. Our first day was spent in Sea World and Shopping Arcades at Surfer Paradise area.

Movie World became our destination on the next day.

Dream World came next in our agenda (Giant Drop and Tower of Terror - see picture below). The entries of my trip to Australia stopped here (check out the links).

The next “interesting” thing was tarot reading session with a Peruvian lady. Not that I believe 100% in her, but hmm, it’s just for fun! A fun at a price though, but it was quite an experience. Of course I remember what she told me but, no no no I don’t think I would reveal it here *grin*. That day, we were not in the mood of taking many rides. We went back to the apartment early and then just walked around the shopping arcade after having a nice dinner at a pizza place. Surfers Paradise has this Wednesday night market along the beach. As the price was too astronomical for a market shopping, we went home empty handed. We ate another Baskin Robbins ice cream and went back to do some packing.

Next morning, a glorious one, we spent at the beach. I like it, beach-ing during winter. It was just different from what my previous sundry experiences. As beach is not favourite holiday destination during winter, the beach was almost completely ours. Ha ha! We then flew back to Sydney, took another train to Hurstville again. We had a sushi dinner at Makoto, then filling the cold night at Darling Harbour area with our boisterous voice and laughter. Went back for shower and then cruising down again to Double Bay, and waited for a full chilly 30 minutes outside Max Brenner before getting our seats. At 11.30 pm we started browsing the menu which is different from Singapore’s in Esplanade, and I like the Sydney’s one!! The hot chocolate menu is not as vast and in Singapore they don’t have croissants.

To be continued!!

Looking Back - July 2005

On the first day of this month, we had this small Sanurian Reunian at NYDC, Suntec City. The ages vary in like... 15 years of range? The noise... I better not explaining it.

We had it few times, which is always combined with food. It's very difficult in getting all of them however, hence the rarity. This one was arranged when I was in Bali so I didn't really know how did they manage to contact this number of people.

The record in terms of number (and event and everything actually) was in November 2002 (see below) when our "common mother", i.e. a strong brave wonderful woman who was our headmistress and has forged us from girls to women, came in a brief visit to Singapore, on her way to somewhere else.

Within this month, I also decided to leave "that" squeezing company after few weeks of tug-of-war. Not that I was being capricious, as I had my decision firm that my job in "that" company was not something I would like to continue in pursuing my career and not aligned with my final goal (which I don't feel like disclosing it now). The circuitous discussion was started and continued until they are tired of arguing. Only when I told them that for this point of time, all I got from this company is more than what I am going to get from the new place. So you can't try to compensate anything as you are simply on a better position, it's solely due to the incongruence between the job and my goal that made me resign. Then they kept quiet.

Talking in the present dimension, I have never regretted that decision. Enough said for now =).

Do you know the song "Find Me" by David Gates? That's what I am listening for now and always like it so much.

Looking Back - June 2005 #2

The next day we woke up, again happy, healthy and kicking as the previous day was ended by sitting around meja ajaib and the morning was started by another session around meja ajaib.

With the same group of friends, I went to Dreamland Beach which has literally made our jaws drop in awe and we had to regain their usual position manually. I mean, Oh My God it was simply not like, not even close, what we had seen before!! Dreamland Beach is not well-known for fellow Indonesians when compared to Kuta or Sanur. However, many people abroad especially surfers love this place so much which now we can fully understand why. It is not too commercialized yet, they don’t even have a proper hotel, only some village rooms that are rented out with very bare and simple necessities inside.

Our next visit was Garuda Wisnu Kencana (well, it is a God in Hindu whose complete history I am not very familiar with). It is a statue which, upon completion, will be one of the tallest in the world and being on top of it will enable you to see the whole island and perhaps beyond. What have been done until today is just the upper torso and the head. It will later have the whole body and also the garuda with some pura-like structure below. My apology beforehand if this information is not exact.

After a brief visit to Four Seasons and checking out, I parted with them and joined another two friends in Hard Rock Hotel, where I would enjoy my second half part of holiday. As we stayed in Kuta, so my activity on the first night was just to stroll along the shopping arcade and ate at Warung Made alone as they went to a place which I wasn’t really interested to go (Kudeta and some other places). Hard Rock Hotel is too modern in design and not for those who intend to spend a quiet holiday. The band kept playing until midnight and the sound went all the way to every room. Not for me with “sensitive ears” hehehehe =D.

The next day we went for shopping in Sukowati Market, which went longer than I had expected. As I am not a big fan of shopping nor haggling, it didn’t leave much impression to me. Then we ate in this famous Babi Guling (something like roast pork, a Balinese special dish - suckling pig - is it how they call it?) Bu Oka in Ubud. Visited Tanah Lot, where I took a picture with a snake, a big one! It was circling around my neck, rather heavy, big diameter and was quite long. When I did this, my two female friends took a distance. I wonder why?

Wednesday was water sport day. Parachuting, jet skiing and banana boat-ing. Quite fun as it was my first experience in memory. My earlier attempts with my dad when I was too young is not counted as I can hardly recall. Ate in Ulam, another place famous for its Indonesian Food.

The rest of the days were just spent by strolling around Kuta and did some shopping. On Thursday a friend and I bid goodbye to beautiful Bali and we flew back to Singapore, leaving another lady behind to enjoy her longer holiday…

And I am flying back hooommmee.....

Looking Back - June 2005 #1

In the sixth month of 2005, I found the true meaning of blue. In Bali!!

As an Indonesian, it is such a shame that I have only visited Bali twice. Not that all Indonesian has to visit this Island of Goddess (Pulau Dewata), but it is a fact that many foreigners have visited the beautiful island more than what we have done.

So after ten years from my first visit, I again flew to Bali, from Singapore this time. The main agenda was clear, i.e. to attend a friend’s wedding (see picture above). But it seems like (and it was quite obvious, actually) that the peripheral agenda was more happening and waited for and obviously taking more space in the picture folder. *Bali gitu lho…. Baliiiii….. coba bandingkan Bali dan Singapore…*

I guess this posting will have more pictures than other entries. Despite the 2002 bombing, we still decided to go (no worry and fear at all honestly) and I am forever grateful that God still loves me enough to spare me from any misfortune and hence here I am, sharing some beauty and blue from Bali.

My flight was on Friday afternoon and I had an interview in the morning. I was fetched by my long-lost cousin whom I haven’t met for 2005 – 1997 = 8 years. Went out to his eatery to eat (he is one with the legacy of cooking my ancestor’s – from mother side – well known cuisine) and reached the hotel at around 11 pm.

The next day started with rafting in a river whose name I’ve forgotten. Then we (a group of four) went to a massage at Cozy (claimed to be one of the affordable best in Bali). As I have never been a fan for massage, spa and any other kind of relaxation hence for this time I was just thankful as it was in Bali hence without an escalating price. Next, Tirtha Uluwatu with the unforgettable monkey attacks.

Had nice dinner at Jimbaran Seafood (Ramayana) by the dark beach. Continued to Kudeta, a very well known place to eat, drink, relax even to people abroad. Owned by one local and three foreigners, this place can really attend to tastes of many cultures. It has an indoor table and chair dining place suitable for families, some bar areas, some outdoor comfortable couches, and some benches by the beach. It is vast, the service is good, the drink is nice but the ambience is what’s really, totally awesome. We left the place at around midnight, as on the next day we had a wedding to attend (and where I had to deliver a wedding speech). Alas, the next thing we knew was that we couldn’t just leave Kudeta as one of our car tyre sank in the sand. An abortive attempt from us and one of its officer continued until 1 am when I started calling my cousin, just to ask where and how can we seek help from police. He then came with his friends and also tried many ways but failed. Then he called a friend who has a four-wheel drive kind of vehicle and our car was literally pulled in many directions until it was back on track, hmm on a civilized track more like. It was 2 am, we were exhausted and yet glad and relieved that we could now go back to hotel. Yet, we still chatted until 4 am.

Our agenda for the next day was only to attend the wedding. The preparation was rather rushing as we still spent the morning chit-chatting around our “meja ajaib”. Why do we call it meja ajaib (magic table)? When you are not feeling well, unhealthy or tired just sit there, have a chit chat and some nibbles with us and the next thing you knew is that you are healthy, happy and kicking one more time!

So off we went to the wedding, join the solemnization in the very beautiful triangular chapel. The scenery was simply breathtaking I must say. The blue was really blue. It is difficult to explain, can’t really capture in a picture either, you have to be there to experience the “blue” (the colour, not the mood). The wedding was beautiful and the buffet dinner was sumptuous. It was an outdoor wedding, and the cliff and the sea became our background.

You can definitely only find it in Bali…

Looking Back - May 2005

As part of the whole Geminians population, I fall on the category who celebrates birthday in May. Our other half-population's birthdays are in June. Hmm pardon me, not half... two-third, more like.

Had only a small celebration this year (well, doesn't mean that previous years had more happening celebration either).

We started our long distance relationship (LDR - red.) one day before my birthday. Many fussed about it, except the two of us hahaha =D.

I had a simple dinner with four of my close friend - 4 girls and 1 guy are we. Another solid friendship which was first built up during our years in NTU. I thank God for that. What gift did I receive? They call it a "pleasure pack" *rada maksa emang... Vel are you reading this? haha*
comprising a pack of French Vanilla ground coffee beans from Coffee Beans and Il Divo CD which according to the giver it gives pleasure to our ears (as their music is marvellous) and to our eyes (as their handsomeness is clearly depicted on the album cover).

Comparing pictures taken on my birthday in 2004 and 05... man, am I ageing or what? *of course lah ya, namanya juga nambah setaon umurnya... lha piye tho?*

PS: My CD player is Kevin Kern-ing, gonna switch it to Il Divo though... =P
Fave from Il Divo: anu.. si gondrong, eh lagu-nya ya? Nella Fantasia.

Looking Back - April 2005

This month, I didn't really remember much about any extraordinary things happening. Was it the period where I was commuting between Singapore and Johor Bahru almost everyday for few weeks? I guess it was, calculating the time from that deadly deadline (see my previous post) until the parts coming in for production line.

Well, it was when I still worked for "that" squeezing company. Hahaha I really feel like it belongs to some kind of past tense and makes me start wondering, was I really there?

By the way, despite the fact that I am coming to my seventh year living in Singapore, I haven't even once "traveled" to JB. As for work purpose, it was a car-office-car thingy. The journey could be so boring and once I brought my laptop and typed an entry, check it out here.

Therefore, JB's "cheap shopping" (I don't like shopping anyway) and "good food" (Asian food - except Japanese - is not my favourite either) are still foreign to me.

This was also the month in which I watched a matinée show for "The Sound of Music" the musical. A bit of this, I watched it for the first time when I was still in a kiddo in primary 1. TVRI (Televisi Republik Indonesia - Te Ve Er I menjalin persatuan dan kesaaaatuuuuuuuaaaaaannn.....) aired it, still without any commercials - a good thing about a public (not private) TV station. Then during my primary 4's school end's holiday, my dad borrowed the laser disc (not the era of VCD and let alone DVD yet), whose borrowing period I asked to renew, and renew, and renew 'til school holiday ended. I owned the VCD now but had no much time to watch it either.

My friend and I (both are geminians - ini info tak penting sama sekali) liked it so much to the point where we can follow the dialogues, almost during the whole movie. Plus intonation. Plus accent. Alas, our voices are still nowhere near their singing.

So the last time I watched the show was in Esplanade, 17th of April 2005.

Want my honest opinion? I will opt for the movie though I didn't regret at all watching the musical.