It's Friday, Woohooo!!

Some of you readers would ask, why this song?
First because I like it, and also because it's Friday.

	Mousse T Vs. Hot 'n' Juicy - Horny .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

See and hear the complete dance track below (which also include track from Madison Avenue - my other favorite!).
Let's boogie everybody!

Outdoor Valentine Dates (Because Mall is so Passé)

Yes, thank you Garfield for noting it down :D

Malls are indeed essential for (some of) us, in fact I remember the first thing I noticed when I move in to Bali (and one of the things that leave me quite freak out) was the lack of, ahem, proper mall which in turn means lack of proper bookstore. This is of course my biased opinion as my so-called proper bookstore means a LARGE ones with huge collection of Agatha Christie and Enid Blyton and Eoin Colfer and a proper Anne Rice section. Yes. I'm a freak.



However, I would like to encourage you lovebirds and other assortment of lovestruck people to AVOID mall this upcoming Valentine and hit outdoor instead. No, I'm not making a conspiracy against mall, I love them. I devoted to them still, especially those with grand bookstores. It's just something that I learn recently in Bali, that being together with someone (you loved) counts more when you do it outside (i.e. blend with nature) than when you do it in the mall/enclosed space.

Let's face it, in the mall/enclosed space you have to share your affection with many people, all in the same small space. Imagine whispering sweet words to your partner's ear during movie, only to find the person sitting behind you making, ahem, films of their own or the couple next to you state his undying love to each other. Or imagine walking hand in hand with your loved ones only to find yourself caught in the middle of Alays (yes, they will be there flocking the malls, another reason why you should avoid malls at any cost!). Or imagine holding hands with her on romantic dinner table only to find the waiter comes to you with the sour look of "God! How many pinks and silly lovebirds I have to endure for the day??" Outdoor it is, love. Outdoor it is.



If you happen to be in Bali or other small cities, outdoor dates are easy and relatively lower in cost than the indoor ones. A suggestion for Bali Valentine Date, do tourists stuff and enjoy it: Start your valentine day with a trip at the park (e.g. Bajra Sandhi or Puputan Badung) with playing and do sport together. Frisbee is one of the suggested game, even though you're there with the lover and not the dog, it sure brings out the sweat and lots of laughter. Then, get some delicious Balinese cakes for breakfast or even go for a full lunch/brunch/whatever at the local market. If you're nowhere near a local market, just pack up some stuff before you go and have a picnic in the park. Hit the beach at sunset, explore it and feel every wonderful things with all your senses, the sand on your feet, the splashing waves, his beaming face. And close it with dinner for two in an outdoor restaurant, or just plain fun at Angkringan! Not really romantic? It depends. Romantic for me is spending quality time JUST with my loved ones, it's about who I share the day with, not where I share the day.



Happen to be in Jakarta or other big city? Go to the park like Menteng park etc. Visit the Old City part of the town (where the buildings were made not later than 1950s) or visit the museum. Eat in a comfortable old-style dining spot, or the street vendor (there are plenty good spots such as Blok S). Get a bike tour if necessary (I know lots of major city offered bike tour now). Happen to have some extra money in your poscket? Kidnap her and sail to Pulau Seribu for a day in the sun. There are so many things that you can do with your loved ones without including the mall, and yes, they can be really budget friendly too. Some ideas to ask around to: @wisatakeluarga, @backpackseru, @infojakarta, @infojogja, etc. They usually know the best location in town, and the most affordable one. So plan it well.

Bottom line: do something different outdoor this valentine, blend in with nature and appreciate the colors in it, the life in it. Feel and taste the un-modern part of your surroundings. If ever in doubt, again keep this mantra for you: It's not what or where you share the day, it's whom you share the day with. Besides, if your partner willing to do crazy or uncommon valentine activities with you, you can be sure she/he'll stick "in sadness and in sorrow, in gladness and in joy". Happy Valentine's day everybody!

Wafer UBM (Wafer Kampung!)

My Favorite! I can't believe when I found this in Bali! (okay, I actually first found this on my friend's work station hehehe)
This wafer is a personal favorite when I was just a little girl not so long ago. Trust me, it's not THAT long. It's sweet and nice, but I love it most for its sentimental value. I can still remember how I used to buy this from small warungs (grocery shops) when I come home from elementary school. I hardly found these wafers anymore since I enter Junior HIgh School, and I already forgot about it ever since, at least until the blessed encounter in Bali (okay Mrs. T, okay... Blessed encounter on your desk LOL).


See the writing below? It was produced in Sidoarjo, East Java, Indonesia. It's only 50 cent (with current IDR/USD currency rate) and you got 10 packs of small wafer, each packs contain 2 slice of wafer. Thank God I don't have to buy it at Sidoarjo, just need to stroll down a few houses to buy it in a warung near my office.


Open up and yum yum yum!

A taste of (old) Bali in Sanur Pejeng

I honestly don't know why people in the city (e.g. Denpasar) prefer the generic Capcay (Chinese style vegetable stir fry), Ayam Goreng (fried chicken), or Western-style Cream Soup for their wedding menu. What's wrong with local Balinese food?? Okay, actually I (think) I know. It is more affordable, way easier to make, and it's not easy to get ruin. Plus, you can just warm it up so menu for "lunch reception" can easily be menu for "dinner reception". Another reason is that (sadly) some people thinks it's just not fashionable. And even though the people that held the event might think it's ok to have Balinese food, the guests might think otherwise, thus the western-whatever-style menu. But is it really unfashionable?



True that Balinese food can be difficult to make and quite time consuming. The curse of living in (big) city is that you (or anybody else) don't seem to have enough time to do things beyond our scheduled life. In the old Bali days, when somebody held an event such as Pawiwahan (wedding) or Ngaben (cremation) all the men gathered to cook for the event and all the women help with the Banten (ceremonial offerings). It is a perfect measurement of how your community think of you. A rich or well known family might end up of getting little or even no help at all if they act snobbish and never help on other family's event(s). Like wise, an average or even poor family can get mountains of help if they always help other family. Of course, this tradition is becoming extinct as, like I said, nowadays everybody concern about their own business. Now we got caterings, and people who sells complete Banten, so why bother? Especially that more and more people seemed to be more appreciative on how rich you are, not how nice or helpful you are. It's an awful disease caused by commercialism and easy money (good thing some people are immune!).



That's why when I got the chance to visit the lovely area of Sanur Pejeng in Ubud for a relative's wedding I was literally enthralled. (yeah, I finally manage to get in the heart of UBUD!).It was a feast for the senses, especially for my poor tasting bud. After countless fast food servings and mass-made dishes in the polluted city, it really is something to eat real Balinese delicacy in the cool surroundings of Ubud, with thick forest trees and the sound of river nearby, sat in the antique Bale with moss that crept on the rock. Did I mention the ingredients was fabulously fresh? And no, it wasn't even an insanely lavish or difficult feat like a whole Babi guling (suckling pig) and stuff. It was really the kind of menu that a common household would prepare, and that my friends, makes it even more superb.

The menu (for 2 days set of food) was an array of Telur Pindang Kecap (egg broiled in sweet soy sauce - 1st pic above), Sayur Kacang Panjang (String bean in turmeric and and a dash of coconut milk), Shredded Duck (I don't know how they cook it, but it was awesome!), Sayur Nangka (jackfruit in pork broth), Gulai Ikan (fish in coconut soup),the Famous Sambal Matah with ground nut as a twist (see pic. of Sambal Matah without the ground nut on 2nd pic above. It was so delicious it was gone from the table before you know it), Cucumber and soy bean (I think it was like a kind of pickle thing. Whatever. It's GOOD), Satays and many other dish. But my favorite was Bali Style Babi Kecap (pork stew in spicy soy sauce - see pic below). The pork fat was literally melt in your mouth, and as they use really fresh produce (I wouldn't be surprised if the pig was butchered just the morning before the event) it tastes so sweet and succulent. The only thing stopping me from rising up and getting another portion (okay, several) is definitely not my diet (it's a rare feast, baby!) but the relatives and guests that presents that day. It sure wouldn't help my eligibility rating to eat pork like a pork-to-be LOL.



All in all, I am so thoroughly happy to attend the feast, umm, the wedding I mean (U & B, if you're reading this I'm REALLY happy for both of you. I really do!). I kinda wish that one day original Balinese feast will return to their rightful place of honour on reception table, perhaps even as a symbol of wealth. I mean, which Balinese wants Lobster and Caviar anyway, it's not even native Balinese food (not that I object, but then again I'm Batavian hehehe). I think most Balinese will be surprised to know how expensive their daily dish could fetch when it is served in fancy joints/restaurants exclusively for foreign tourists and even more when it is serve in foreign country even though it tastes so-so or lame . Trust me, a plate of Babi Guling can costs way more than a KFC complete package in Balinese Warung in Jakarta. And darlin', it aint even taste good. So, if you're in Bali and stuck with a mass-made hamburger in your hand, start looking for a genuine Balinese dish and enjoy the feast.

Note for pictures:
telur pindang kecap was taken from resepmasakansabina.wordpress.com
sambal matah was taken from http://resepmasakanindonesia.info/
bali style babi kecap was taken from http://serdadoedapoer.blogspot.com/
My mum forbade me to get picture of the food in the reception table as it was quite impolite (and I agree), and I was so absorb in tasting everything I didn't remember to take any picture of the food in my plate. At least until it's already half empty. I may be foodies through and through but I sure am a dreadful food blogger hahaha.

Bhinneka Tunggal Ika yuk!

Hari ini Purnama, dan murid-murid sekolah (negeri) di Bali yang beragama Hindu memakai baju adat ke sekolah untuk mengikuti persembahyangan Purnama bersama. Lovin' it!

Saya sudah pernah cerita betapa saya suka baju adat Bali dan persembahyangan Hindu Bali, dan buat saya ngeliat berbagai warna, model dan bentuk baju adat yang dikenakan anak-anak sekolah ini benar-benar menyejukkan mata. Untuk anak lelaki, ada berbagai jenis udeng, kain, kemeja adat; untuk anak perempuan ada berbagai warna dan jenis kebaya, kain, selendang. The combination is endless!

Saya ga pernah suka seragam (pasti semua juga sudah ngeh hehehehe). Seragam buat saya terlalu mengikat, dan saya beruntung sampai saat ini saya ga pernah kerja/kuliah di tempat yang mewajibkan saya memakai "seragam" atau "baju resmi". Saat SMA pun saya bersenang-senang dengan seragam saya, tweaking here and there, nambahin aksesoris ini itu (termasuk menyablon logo Slank di baju seragam hehehehe), pokoknya showing off my personality. Makanya saya suka ngeliat variasi di Bali, tiap bulan ada 1 hari yang anak sekolahnya bebas dari seragam dan bisa memilih baju adat mana yang ingin mereka pakai.

Kalau dipikir-pikir, kenapa tiap daerah ga membuat seperti itu ya? Bukankah menyenangkan sekali dan sangat Bhinneka Tunggal Ika?

Di masa sekarang, dunia seolah terbagi menjadi "Aku", "kamu", dan "mereka"; ga ada lagi "kami" dan "kita". Seolah dunia terbagi menjadi "Islam", "Kristen", "Hindu" dan sebagainya. Ada beribu jenis/cara/pemahaman Islam, ada berbagai gereja Kristen/katolik, bahkan Hindu dan Buddha pun memiliki berbagai bentuk/sekte yang berbeda. Jadi apa yang ngebedain sih sebenarnya?

Saya yakin banyak pembaca yang ga setuju sama pandangan saya, tapi buat saya lebih masuk akal "perbedaan suku" daripada "perbedaan agama". Agama itu pilihan, urusan seseorang dengan Tuhan yang dipercayainya. Banyak orang yang dulunya Hindu pindah ke Islam, Islam ke Kristen, Kristen ke Buddha, dan seterusnya. Like I said, itu urusan mereka dengan yang "diatas". Tapi suku dan ras? Mana bisa kita memilih: "saya ingin lahir sebagai orang Bali", misalnya. Ga bisa kan? Pasti Tuhan punya rencana sendiri kenapa saya terlahir sebagai orang Bali, kenapa orang yang saya taksir terlahir sebagai orang Batak (hi Choky, yeah I love you!!), kenapa teman baik saya terlahir sebagai orang Kalimantan.

Masuk akal kan kalau kita bangga akan suku dan ras kita, karena pasti Tuhan memutuskan itu yang terbaik buat kita. Berpikirlah "Saya bangga dengan ras/suku saya.", tapi jangan membanggakan "Ras/suku saya lebih baik dari yang lain!". Itu mah kaya Nazi yang mengagungkan bangsa Arya, padahal mereka cuma menang cakep/bersih aja.

Jadi apa yang bisa dilakukan?? Gimana kalau mengusung sesuatu khas suku kita? Misalnya berbaju kemeja yang terinspirasi baju bodo, atau scarf bermotif songket? Something simple dan kreatif aja, ga harus pake headdress minang yang sedemikian besarnya ke kantor hehehhe. Sayangnya nggak ada hari "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" sih. Mungkin saat hari Kartini tanggal 21 April? Ga usah beli baju baru atau yang heboh-heboh, seadanya aja. Baik cowok maupun cewek bisa ikutan kok, cuma perlu kreatif saja. Mau ikutan? :)


Photo courtesy of Charlottines - Flickr

Galungan Dec 2010 Part 1: Flower Power!

My long awaited holiday is over.. Sigh... But I still need to tell you how it goes ;).

As you have probably read in my previous Galungan and Kuningan post, Galungan is a celebration of the Dharma (good) victory against Adharma (not good). Balinese Hindu celebrate it with various offerings and prayers, and all family (commonly) gathered to prepare the big day: the feast, the offering, and so on. It's almost like Christmas or Thanksgiving (but minus the presents and the turkeys) or Ied-ul Fitri (minus the fasting - thank God!).

For women, the preparation starts with preparing the offerings, which consists of flowers, fruits, dainty cakes, and various types of offering complementer made from young coconut frond (which is a piece of art itself). Making the frond arrangement is quite a task for me, but not shopping ;)

As I reside in Denpasar, the best place to shop all the flowers we need is at Pasar (market) Badung. This market is currently undergo renovation, but it still fabulously fantastic to visit especially days berfore a Bali Holy Day. The flowers are just everywhere! The sack that you see on the right below is flower petals of Rose Balsam or Bunga Pacah. Can't believe how many flowers needed for one sack, and there they trade it by tons. They also have shredded pandan leaves, all by sacks.



Also selling lotus flowers, hydrangea, ylang ylang, and sweet smelling champaka. You are welcome to buy it, even just for giving scent in your room. The price is about IDR 1000 per champaka, but it may fluctuates during (or near) Holy days.



Pasar Badung also have various food stalls, fruit stalls, anything you need for your praying and also daily cooking. Imagine going to farm market and multiply it to 10, that would sum it up, and it's only the seller on the outside of the building (Pasar Badung also have a solid building for Balinese Clothes seller, souvenirs and such). The surrounding, however, was well maintained as "old town" complex.



Back to business, I took a shot of what one of the offering complementer will be (Canangs). The case is made from young coconut frond, and it was filled with flowers, pandan leaves, sugar cane, banana, and stuff I'm not sure what it called in English (or even in Indonesia!). It's rich in meaning, rich in color, rich in everything. Balinese did a fine work for God ;).



Shopping for Galungan at Pasar Badung is really fun. I enjoy the sight of the old buildings and shops around, which combine really well with the noise and the sweet flower smell. What can I say, I'm a sensualist hehehe... If you haven't been there, go, and enjoy yourself :). Gajah Mada Town Festival is also a great way to get to know more about this fabulous place, and it is usually held on December 28-30. Who said shopping in traditional places is a nuisance?

Indonesian Rice-Flour Dumplings a.k.a Kelepon!

Feel the texture of the banana leaves, and smell the fresh fragrance...
The triangle package is almost so tempting to break open, but you got to do it properly.
Like opening a package from your loved ones.. Slowly and whole-heartedly...



Pull the small stick that sealed the leaves together and voila... Kelepon!



Call me insane, but this Indonesian snack has always been my favorite. Kelepon, a.k.a rice flour dumplings with melted palm sugar center and finely shredded coconut topping. Yumm yumm yumm...! The first bite is chewy, and then the palm sugar burst in your mouth, with the coconut shreds for texture. So goody goody goody! Who needs English scones when you have these for tea??

The Impossible: Kutuh Beach

My friends from SA told me they're going to Koh Samui on their next holiday. It was really tempting, all the white sands and such, but I just found a better option: The impossible - Kutuh Beach. Why nick named impossible? Because it's rather impossible to get there (the road was quite a challenge!) and because it's simply impossible to forget...

Recommending a place to someone is always tricky. You'll never know whether it suits their taste or not. My heart went galloping all the way to this beach because it is really far from where we start. Thankfully my friend brace it like a gentleman should and didn't complain a bit for the whole one and a half hour drive (told you that was far!).But it sure paid off, when we're coming round the last bend through the carved hills and saw the beautiful Hindian Ocean spread above the cliff, it worth all the heat and back pain.



I must say that the beach have change a bit since the last time I went here, and now it has been touched by civilization. There are new villas development here and there, and a concrete sidewalk almost along the beach. Hate the villas, but the sidewalk enables us to drive our motorcycle right to the end of the accessible beach and enjoy the (almost) virgin view. No tourist, just us in our "ndeso"/village outfit and a couple of seaweed farmers. It's a real bliss.



My friend the adventurer quickly found a spot between the huge rocks where we can squeeze ourselves in to access another hidden beach. See the rock at the end of the beach on the picture above? There it is. I wouldn't dare to do so on my own, but I got my pride at stake that day, so off I go, jeans and all LOL.

And we found paradise.



The small opening on the rocks (left hand side) is where we enter. The hidden beach has everything you need: a semi-cave to shelter from the sun, jutting rocks to hang and dry your clothes (my jacket got all wet!), and best of all: no one else. Just you and the amazing view of the ocean.

We're just stoked. Eating our picnic snacks (soda and chips), smoking, talking a bit, but in the end we just silently stares at the huge ocean. The huge beautiful ocean. The water was nice too. It got dead seaweed floating, but it's still WAY cleaner than the other beaches which is full with plactic rubbish and other stuff you don't want to think about. Anyway, seaweeds not rubbish, it's quite natural ;).



There are several adjoining beach that can (almost) be access by squeezing through (a much) narrower and (definitely more) challenging path through the rocks, and we also explore there to gather sea shells (so childish, but it's fun!). There are several tracks that looks like snake's track and wild dogs footprints, so best beware.

It was so beautiful we were very reluctant to leave, but the tide's coming and there aren't any other choice. The path between the rocks that we came through was fast swallowed by the tide, and the waves splashing all over our clothes (and my previously dry jacket). It was quite perilous, so make sure that you bring a companion with you, and notably a dependable one.

I still dreamed about that beach for days to come. If you are ever in Bali, make sure to visit it. And visit it quick, before it is swallowed by the commercialism and villas developments, flocked by tourist and lost it's virginity. If you're there, please makesure you bring your rubbish home. Keep it clean, and keep it virgin :)

I love you, Indonesia

Before I dive at Great Barrier Reef I gotta dive at Raja Ampat first,
Before I visit the Carribean Islands I gotta visit Mentawai Islands first,
Before I hike the mountains of Nepal I gotta hike Semeru and Bromo first,
Before I solemnly pray at Incan Temple I gotta pray at Prambananan first,
Before I touch my hand on ancient rocks of Stonehenge I gotta touch the ancient rocks of Tana Toraja first,
Before I see the world from Tokyo tower I gotta see my country from Berhala Island's Lighthouse first,
Before I hear Big Ben struck I gotta hear Jam Gadang struck,
So much things to do in my beautiful country, what do you want to do first?

If I win a lottery, the first thing I'm gonna do (after buying mum a decent house and pay off all my bills) is travel around Indonesia, and take a different friend with me on each trip. So more people will appreciate what a gorgeous and great country we have.

Don't get wrong. I do wish I can go abroad too, especially to work. For pure fun: The Louvre, New Orleans, San Francisco, Southern France, Greece, Turkey, so many places that I want to go to. But first, I gotta go see my country.

Indonesia is a great country, an amazingly beautiful and obscenely rich country. If she's a girl, don't imagine her as one of the regal Duchess of Europe. Imagine her as the native island princess: exotic dark skinned lady, naive yet full of faith, with rough looking yet priceless gold and precious rock jewelry all over her, and the smile always on over her face for she always have what she needs and much more.

I know lots of you don't believe this, especially foreign people. An under-develop country, which rely on foreign donor to keep herself alive? A corrupt country, which everything needs to be settled with bribe? A barbaric country, where most people are downright uneducated and illiterate? Why yes. That is the side of Indonesia. But we have another side of the story.

The policies which Indonesian government made are not entirely correct or even Indonesia-friendly. Corruption and bribe are plague everywhere, even in mighty USA or strict Japan. Uneducated? Well, we're working on it. We really do. You have to remember than Indonesia is a young country, a mere fledgling. We're enormous in natural resources (you might even use the phrase "Behemoth"), but this giantess barely learn to walk, let alone run. It took USA hundreds of years before they elect the first black president (Hi Mr. Obama, I love you), the monarchy in UK is hundreds of years old as well, and we're only 65 years old. We were overrun for almost 400 years by 2 Colonialist who cares nothing except making profits by bleeding us to death (in terms of resources and also literally our fellow citizen), now we have some capitalists piggy back and drained us as well. it's a small wonder we're everything you called us above.

But the people of Indonesia are also strong people. Tsunami, major flood, volcanic activities, whatever happen we simply move on. The people of Merapi already getting ready to go back to their destroyed villages. The people of Wasior already buried their victims and start to live their live again. And yes, we work hand by hand to try help those people, especially the army and PMI.

If we have the ability to run our own resources and tourism (with government that really cares about Indonesia and her citizen), if we have the pride and knowledge of how powerful our country can be, if we can gathered IDR 10,000 from each citizen of Indonesia and use it (correctly) to fund our education, I am at awe on how far we could go. Imagine that your self.

The knowledge (technical, medical, everything!) of Indonesian heritage is outstanding: Borobudur, Prambanan, various medication to cure any ailment, you name it. The courage and the pride that our Indonesian ancestor has shown is breathtaking. The beauty of our country is enough to make even the most daredevil adventurer stands speechless. Unfortunately, many people don't realize this, or choose not to realize this. That's why I wanna go around Indonesia, to first handedly experience its beauty and marvel.

Luckily, some people start to realize it and try to raise Indonesian pride. One of the active one is Get Lost in Indonesia (twitter @getlostisgood ), which promotes Indonesia's beautiful sites and ask Losteners (their followers) to post their new-found stupendous sites of Indonesia. Any sites of Indonesia that is, all is good ;). Another one that I've just found is @palingindonesia . This twitter account tweets anything that is "very Indonesia" or "paling Indonesia". From information of the Indonesian heroes (Bung Tomo, anyone?) to simply good culinary pictures, everything is all about Indonesia.

I hope Indonesian can be proud of their own beautiful country. I hope everyone can help to make Indonesia stays as a beautiful country. From as little as not littering to trying hard to prevent us from drained by "investors", your help and care is needed. Most of all, show that you love Indonesia, cause she'll grow prettier and stronger, and love you in return. I love Indonesia.

Dove - Real Esteem

"Because every girl deserves to feel good about herself, and see how beautiful she really is."

THANK YOU DOVE FOR SAYING THAT LOUD!!!
Also see the Evolution, Pro Age Campaign, and Man Made Disabilty. All thumbs up for Dove!!!

Dove - Low Self Esteem is a Man Made Disability

A video to show that it takes, something as common as low self -esteem to disable you. Don't suffer at the hands of this 'illness'. You are beautiful, don't ever think otherwise.
Look in the mirror, what do you see?

Kudos for Dove advertising team for such brilliant ad! Also see the pro-age campaign and dove evolution, and best: Real Esteem.

Nilai Kecantikan

Surat dari cewek cantik yang ingin mendapatkan pria kaya yang dimuat di suatu majalah. Suratnya ditanggapi oleh seorang pria kaya dengan serius. Bagus kata-katanya dan jangan lupa lihat nama pria yang membalas suratnya.

Seorang gadis muda dan cantik, mengirimkan surat ke sebuah majalah terkenal, dengan judul: "Apa yang harus saya lakukan untuk dapat menikah dengan pria kaya?"

Saya akan jujur, tentang apa yang akan coba saya katakan di sini. Tahun ini saya berumur 25 tahun. Saya sangat cantik, mempunyai selera yang bagus akan fashion. Saya ingin menikahi seorang pria dengan penghasilan minimal $500ribu/tahun. Anda mungkin berpikir saya matre, tapi penghasilan $1juta/tahun hanya dianggap sebagai kelas menengah di New York . persyaratan saya tidak tinggi. Apakah ada di forum ini mempunyai penghasilan $500ribu/tahun? apa kalian semua sudah menikah?
Yang saya ingin tanyakan:
Apa yang harus saya lakukan untuk menikahi orang kaya seperti anda? Yang terkaya pernah berkencan dengan saya hanya $250rb/tahun. Bila seseorang ingin pindah ke area pemukiman elit di City Garden New York, penghasilan $ 250rb/tahun t ida klah cukup.

Dengan kerendahan hati, saya ingin menanyakan:
Dimana para lajang2 kaya hang out? Kisaran umur berapa yang harus saya cari?
Kenapa kebanyakan istri dari orang2 kaya hanya berpenampilan standar?

Saya pernah bertemu dengan beberapa wanita yang memiliki penampilan tidak menarik, tapi mereka bisa menikahi pria kaya? Bagaimana, anda memutuskan, siapa yang bisa menjadi istrimu, dan siapa yang hanya bisa menjadi pacar?

Si Cantik
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Inilah balasan dari seorang pria yang bekerja di Finansial WallStreet :

Saya telah membaca suratmu dengan semangat. Saya rasa banyak gadis2 di luar sana yang mempunyai pertanyaan yang sama. Ijinkan saya untuk menganalisa situasimu sebagai seorang profesional.

Pendapatan tahunan saya lebih dari $500rb, sesuai syaratmu, jadi saya harap semuanya tidak berpikir saya main2 di sini. Dari sisi seorang bisnis, merupakan keputusan salah untuk menikahimu. Jawabannya mudah saja, saya coba jelaskan, coba tempatkan "kecantikan" dan "uang" bersisian, dimana anda mencoba menukar kecantikan dengan uang:
Pihak A menyediakan kecantikan, dan pihak B membayar untuk itu, hal yg masuk akal. Tapi ada masalah di sini, kecantikan anda akan menghilang, tapi uang saya tidak akan hilang tanpa ada alasan yang bagus. Faktanya, pendapatan saya mungkin akan meningkat dari tahun ke tahun, tapi anda t ida k akan bertambah cantik tahun demi tahun. Karena itu, dari sudut pandang ekonomi, saya adalah aset yang akan meningkat, dan anda adalah aset yang akan menyusut. Bukan hanya penyusutan normal, tapi penyusutan eksponensial.

Jika hanya (kecantikan) itu aset anda, nilai anda akan sangat mengkhawatirkan 10 tahun mendatang. Dari aturan yg kita gunakan di Wall Street, setiap pertukaran memiliki posisi, kencan dengan anda juga merupakan posisi tukar. Jika nilai tukar turun, kita akan menjualnya dan adalah ide buruk untuk menyimpan dalam jangka lama, seperti pernikahan yang anda inginkan. Mungkin terdengar kasar, tapi untuk membuat keputusan bijaksana, setiap aset dengan nilai depresiasi besar akan dijual atau "disewakan."
Siapa saja dengan penghasilan tahunan $500rb, bukan orang bodoh, kami hanya berkencan dengan anda, tapi t ida k akan menikahi anda.

Saya akan menyarankan agar anda lupakan saja untuk mencari cara menikahi orang kaya. Lebih baik anda menjadikan diri anda orang kaya dengan pendapatan $500rb/tahun. Ini kesempatan lebih bagus daripada mencari orang kaya bodoh. Mudah2an balasan ini dapat membantu. Jika anda tertarik untuk servis "sewa pinjam," hubungi saya.

J.P. Morgan

Many thanks to Monika Z. yang sudah mem-forward e-mail berisi cerita ini :D

Tourist Nyasar - part 1

Weekend ini ada dua anak Jakarta yang nyasar di Bali, dan membuktikan kalau Bali tuh memang menyenangkan! Acara weekend saya dan Ecy dimulai hari jumat sore dengan gossip ria di hotel (ok, not so Bali, but we haven’t seen each other in ages!) yang berlanjut dengan dinner di Warung Italia. Good food, great affordable price! Untuk fetuccini carbonara dan Gnocchi di Patate dengan porsi yang mengenyangkan, plus 2 gelas lemon tea cuma dibandrol kurang dari 80 rb. Yummmmm!

Setelah makan, kaki pun melangkah riang menyambangi toko-toko disekitaran Seminyak. Saya tahu ada banyak orang yang menganggap window shopping itu aneh, tapi buat saya ga ada acara yang bisa ngalahin window shopping dengan teman yang asik :D .

Kebetulan Ecy memang mau hunting pernak-pernik, jadilah kami berjalan2 dengan semangat,. Sayangnya kebanyakan toko disana sudah tutup (iyalah, hampir jam 9 malam gitu lho…) tapi beberapa toko yang kami masuki pun memiliki barang-barang yang lumayan bagus lho. Mulai dari pernak-pernik kecil-kecil unuk mengisi rumah, lampu etc, sampai baju dan aksesoris (belt kulit keren!), ada semua di kawasan seminyak. Namun harga yang dibandrol pun lumayan tinggi.

Setelah puas berjalan-jalan dan mata mulai mengantuk, kami pun balik ke hotel, namun dalam perjalanan ke hotel kami tergoda oleh Fo nya Body and Soul. Hasil godaan itu: Baju manis dan ikat pinggang keren, semua dengan harga terjangkau. Untungnya tanggal tua, kalau pas kesana habis gajian bisa berabe :p . Now off to bed! Lanjut besok yaaa…..

Thinking positive is....

A quote from a friend of mine:

berpikir POSITIF adalah "saat kamu berjalan & menengadah keatas & tiba2 burung menjatuhkan kotorannya tepat ke mukamu, dan kita tidak marah & tidak menangis tetapi bersyukur bahwa kebo tidak bisa terbang seperti burung"

Thinking POSITIVE is "when you walk and look up and suddenly a bird dropping fell on your face, you do not get mad or cry but be thankful that cows can't fly like birds"

Thanks for the hilarious words, El Roy!

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Have.Got.To.Read
Musti.Kudu.Baca!

Kata siapa orang sukses bisa sukses begitu aja? There's no such thing as HUGE miracle, baby. Adanya series of small miracle hehehe... Buku ini menjelaskan bahwa semua hal yang biasanya kita baca di buku/lihat di TV mengenai orang sukses itu ga (sepenuhnya) bener. Iya, mereka bisa sukses karena mereka tekun, kerja keras, berbakat, dan sebagainya. Namun itu saja ga cukup. Mereka bisa sukses karena berada dalam kondisi yang tepat untuk jadi sukses. Tahun yang tepat, orang tua yang tepat, sampai sekolah yang tepat.

Sukses = Usaha + kesempatan/kondisi yang tepat. Jadi kalau sukses bersyukurlah,karena kalau bukan karena kehendak Tuhan mungkin ga akan tercapai segenap kondisi yang bikin anda sukses. Jangan pake sombong... Sementara bagi yang belum sukses atau mengharapkan anak anda sukses, buku ini juga menjelaskan kriteria yang diperlukan untuk sukses, jadi tinggal di tweak/di atur aja sesuai harapan anda. Sekali lagi, walau kategori sukses itu bermacam-macam, semua tergantung Tuhan dan usaha anda. Selamat menbaca, dan Good Luck!

Life in Technicolor. Beautiful!

Pernah ga nyadar kalau hidup itu penuh warna banget? Bukan dunia yang kita lihat lho, tapi perasaan yang kita rasakan. Semua ada analogi warnanya, dan kayanya menyenangkan aja main analogi warna seperti itu. Ibaratnya kalau hidup ini kanvas putih bersih, pengalaman dan perasaan kita lah yang ngasi warna di kanvas itu, dan pada akhirnya membuat sebuah lukisan yang indah.

Kalau masih bingung apa sih yang sebenarnya saya omongin, ada baiknya ngedenger lagu dibawah ini, Technicolor Phase by Owl City, dari album Almost Alice. Lyricnya bisa dilihat disini. Lovely song....




Merahnya merah saat marah, lembutnya pink saat jatuh cinta, orange menyala saat bersemangat, hitamnya hitam saat disakiti, hijau muda segar saat tenang dan in control, semua warna bisa masuk di kanvas tersebut. Warna dominan bisa brilliantly bright kaya "Sunflower" van gogh, atau psychotic dark kaya "Starry Night" Van Gogh (maaf, saya suka banget karya dia soalnya!).

Pernah ngebayangin ga "lukisan" diri anda seperti apa, paling ga di tahap ini? Apapun itu, enjoy your life dan semua "warna" didalamnya. It's (your) life, it's bound to be beautiful :)

Warung Italia

Saya lagi craving ravioli di Warung Italia. Enaaaaak banget deh pokoknya! Well, buat pencinta makanan italia asli mungkin ga setuju sama saya, tapi di Warung Italia kita bisa makan makanan Italia yang enaaaak dan (paling penting) terjangkau. Atmosfer tempatnya juga asyik banget kok. Letaknya di kawasan Seminyak (jalan Kunti) membuat tempat ini ramai dikunjungi orang, tapi saat ga ada pengunjung, enak juga kok nongkrong ngeliat turis lalu lalang... *nggak ada kerjaan mode on*

Pastanya ada ravioli, fettucini, spaghetti, trus ada pizza, lasagna, dan jenis2 makanan italia lainnya. Untuk pasta dibuat perporsi, tapi untuk yang lainnya disediakan di buffet, diambilin :) . Harganya ga mencekik kantong kok. December lalu saya makan disana bersama sepupu saya yang baik (merangkap sopir hehehe) dan my newlywed best friend with his gorgeous wifey : 4 jenis pasta, 1 pan italian pizza, minum plus 1 gelas anggur, all for IDR 250.000. Definitely one of the best nights of my life! Oke, kapanpun saya kesana selalu terhitung best night seh.... Dan yang paling cihui, tax free. Senangnya! Review lain bisa dilihat disini.

Jadi kapanpun anda lagi main ke bali, pastikan temukan papan ini di Jln. Kunti, Seminyak untuk malam yang menyenangkan bersama teman-teman ;)

Belvedere Vodka - 1

I love ads. Especially liquors, they made their statement clear. Tantalizing, invigorating, seductive, cool, everything.
I stumble upon this Belvedere ads ages ago, and by now they had completely brand new ads. Nevertheless, I still kinda love this one :)

Caesars Palace Print Ads - Fantasies

Just like the Dove campaign, some advertisement doesn't need much to state themselves. This is my all time favorite. Precious.

Who am I?

The passion and impulsiveness of Lestat
The curiosity and eagerness of Alice
The faith of Sara Crewe
The lust and love of Ramses the Damned
The criminal yet sincere mind of Artemis
The bright and open-minded of Doraemon
The complex philosophy of Yuko
The obedience of Watson
The valour of Hastings
The honour of Greek Gods
The grandeur of Hindian Gods
The childishness of Tinkerbell
The endurance of Hobbit
The ambition of Nathaniel
The wittiness of Bartimaeus
The darkness of Hannibal
The vanity of Dorian Grey
And I walk through the beauty of Prague
Through the foggy mist of London
Through the wretched Grimpen Mire
Through the sands of Egypt
Through the primitive land of Jurrasic park
Through the untouchable land of Sumatra
Through the beauty of Rivendell
Who am I?
I am what I read.