The Post You Write When You Missed Too Much Things

I've been missing Yogyakarta so badly. I hate being stuck in this boring old town for months. No decent bookstores, no appropriate malls, no delicate cafes, et al. Well I loved meeting my family, I loved meeting my old peeps, visiting my schools, but that's all. I actually like the peaceful feeling I got whenever I'm home (not to say I am highly devoted to it); it keeps me sane, keeps my feet stay on the ground.... But then again, it's been too long. Pretty much too long. I love to be sane, but to be insane makes me feel more alive. I missed the feeling of being hurried by deadlines, I've really got used to the term deadline now that it's disappearing for some moments out of my head, I feel weird. Life's been too safe.

And the thing about Yogya is, there's always something surprising in every corner of it. The unique cafes, the cheap-but-oh-damn-delicious foods on angkringan, the cool beaches, the huge-and-all-25-percents-off bookstores, et cetera. Yogyakarta is simply fascinating. That kind of town which people would yearn for.

Ah. These are some pictures I captured in one of my favorite cafe in town, Nanamia Pizzeria.

I looooove the paintings they put on the wall!

My Guess wallet, a gift from S - My BusyBee (by Golly it can't stop buzzing!) - And the cool National Geography camera bag (which is officially S' but I took it anyway :p)

My favorite oreo-blended milkshake, and the blurred menu, too bad

And here's the one behind the whole I-miss-Yogyakarta-rants ;)

ANYWAAAY, good thing is, I'm going back to the town this Friday! Yay! Fasting month is almost over and college will be started soon... Euh I'm actually not sure whether I really want to leave this peaceful, comforting home, and back to the whole living-alone-and-suffer things or not. Oh, look at this indecisive bitch! You can't even decide what you want, can you? Pffft.

Okay shall we change the subject then?

What book(s) do you currently read? Me, Bloomsbury Edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (I can never get bored re-reading this!), Stephen Hawking's The Grand Design , Ika Natassa's Antologi Rasa, and (still) The Reader. The one I mentioned latter was, to quote Eliysha, gross. G-r-o-s-s. I stopped reading it on the first part. (To know why, start reading it yourself)

Antologi Rasa - Ika Natassa

Light and deep on the same time. Very amusing. Finished this on one night ;)

Rowling's great mind series finale in two version - Indonesian and British

So by the way, it's 2AM now on my timezone, and I am, surprisingly, sleepy. (yay?) One thing left I've got to say: I missed my Grizzly Bear already... He's been leaving to Solo and we're separated by miles away till college started. Jeez, don't blame me for seemingly acting like a dependent spoiled brat, I used to see him everyday. ;(

Have fun in Solo, love

Okay, that is it. I've been blabbering too much, no? I wish I haven't bored you to death.

all pictures were taken by Canon EOS 450D

All rights reserved.

One Inspiring Story of Forever Greatest CEO

A true story by Vic Gundotra:

One Sunday morning, January 6th, 2008 I was attending religious services when my cell phone vibrated. As discreetly as possible, I checked the phone and noticed that my phone said "Caller ID unknown". I choose to ignore. After services, as I was walking to my car with my family, I checked my cell phone messages. The message left was from Steve Jobs. "Vic, can you call me at home? I have something urgent to discuss." it said.

Before I even reached my car, I called Steve Jobs back. I was responsible for all mobile applications at Google, and in that role, had regular dealings with Steve. It was one of the perks of the job. "Hey Steve - this is Vic", I said. "I'm sorry I didn't answer your call earlier. I was in religious services, and the caller ID said unknown, so I didn't pick up."

Steve laughed. He said, "Vic, unless the Caller ID said 'GOD', you should never pick up during services."

I laughed nervously. After all, while it was customary for Steve to call during the week upset about something, it was unusual for him to call me on Sunday and ask me to call his home. I wondered what was so important? "So Vic, we have an urgent issue, one that I need addressed right away. I've already assigned someone from my team to help you, and I hope you can fix this tomorrow," said Steve.

"I've been looking at the Google logo on the iPhone and I'm not happy with the icon. The second O in Google doesn't have the right yellow gradient. It's just wrong and I'm going to have Greg fix it tomorrow. Is that okay with you?"

Of course this was okay with me. A few minutes later on that Sunday I received an email from Steve with the subject "Icon Ambulance". The email directed me to work with Greg Christie to fix the icon.

Since I was 11 years old and fell in love with an Apple II, I have dozens of stories to tell about Apple products. They have been a part of my life for decades. Even when I worked for 15 years for Bill Gates at Microsoft, I had a huge admiration for Steve and what Apple had produced.

But in the end, when I think about leadership, passion and attention to detail, I think back to the call I received from Steve Jobs on a Sunday morning in January. It was a lesson I'll never forget. CEOs should care about details. Even shades of yellow. On a Sunday.

To one of the greatest leaders I've ever met, my prayers and hopes are with you, Steve.

I Need To Be Dragged Out of This Random and Boring Holiday

When I commit to myself that I'd post at least one post each day to this dearly e-diary, I thought that's gonna be hard for I nearly have no cool stuff to tell at all. I don't hang out very often, and even if I do it's only involving malls or boyfriends or one to five closest friends which is surely not an interesting stuff to write. But this, too, not gonna be very much interesting, I presume.

Anyway, I guess one of the most apparent reason of why I don't really enjoy my holiday is because I am somehow not very getting along with people. Even a somewhat-brain-and-personality-test stated that I am basically an introvert. It's kinda funny how people sometimes see me the other way around, though.

So, my holiday's still moving onward anyway, and it unconsciously bores me to death. You know, I practically love weekends, but I never happened to love long holidays. The unvarying, dull activities, constantly repeated everyday, gah! I never liked routines. Especially when it comes to boring exertions.

Well I admit at first I thought holiday's gonna be heavenly fun for it will require no shitty assignments, no need to set the clock to ring very early on the next day, no pressures of marks or lectures, no stresses for excess expense at the end of the month, and other sort of heavenly stuff as mentioned. Well it was fun though at first. I played with my brother lots of time, helped my mom cook (and it was kind of miracle how I can finally cook on my own!), hanged around with some friends, spent a zillion hour to watch movies and read books, had my boyfriend drop by to date at home... It was perfection! But when it came to repeat again and again within these 2 months that the repetition itself has even came to uncountable number, hell sure I got bored!

I thought if I could get some freelance jobs here but then as I searched I can't find any interesting offer to apply. Well what can I say? This city I lived in is so not-cool that I can't even find a more proper word to define the not-cool-ness of it!

Oh have I complained too much? Do any of you yearn for holiday, instead? If only we can exchange, dude, I would really love to.

Enjoy your day.

A Post You Better Just Ignore

At a certain point of your life, have you ever feel very low, very dishonor, very shameful that you just want to disappear? A point where you feel like all you have done in life is nothing more than bullshits, aimless and nonsensical. That certain point, where you feel like all you desire to see is yourself being killed, for your life has no means either to you or to everyone else evolving around you. That one of the worst point in life where all you want to do is go away and see if anyone would look over you, for you believe none would do. This point of life where you feel like everyone is being mean, dishonest and disappointing, that all you wish to happen is them getting away of your life. Have you?

Dude, I know it sounds so drama-queen. I know you never even believe such point exist, and you never even crave to know if it does. You think you'll never get to that point as you come to have eons of good people surrounding you, and life's been treating you very well.

Of how I come to know it is because I happen to see it that way. Neither did I think this point exist for a non-dramaqueen people like I am.

But it comes anyway.

And none would care.

Failure

Failure
[feyl-yer]
-n. Nonperformance of something due, required, or expected

As said, failure is (only) nonexistent of something you required, or expected, or wished, or wanted. It does mean you are lack of success, it does true that you fell to the bottom when you failed, it does signify that you don't deserve the thing you actually required. But then again, why should see that way? This is all the matter of your perspective, of how you see things.

Failure does not precisely refer to the word "unsuccessful". Not even in the dictionary. It is more like a condition where you are granted with abundant chances to try and do better. It is when you can value yourself and do self-improvement. And self-improvement is sure a crucial thing to embrace if you want to continue life in mirth. Failure, in any way, would inevitably exist for every step you take. And no matter how accustomed you are to it, you would still fall down when you failed; something unseen smashed you up and collided you to pieces. But pieces could assemble and strike back; thus there is still a huge chance to win the fight. Failure, does it indicate that you don't deserve the thing you think you did? What if, contrarily, you actually deserved something better? It may sound cliché and so not logical, but what if it is true? It's just you didn't look closer.

Failure, I guess, is only one of the uncountable blessings God bestows upon me, His way to wake me up from daydreams, to slap me in the face and see how would I react: encounter, or stay still to ask Him why He did that. It is His very simple way to evaluate whether I would still be faithful beneath the trials. He wants to see whether I could bravely learn from my mistakes, or hide in my tears instead.

It is His very humble way, to show me that He does care, He does look after me, and He does love me more than I think He will. I don't know, I just knew all that.

7 Months

"Masih akan ada 8 bulan, 9 bulan, 1 tahun, 7 tahun... Dan masih akan ada selamanya."

-S

66th

If you were a man, you must have had at least two grandchildren. Man, you're old!

picture source

Happy birthday, Indonesia! You may be old, You may be having the shittiest government ever. But this land I step on everyday, this land from where I eat, and drink, and learn all things eversince I breathed, is Your land. And this blood running in my veins, is Your blood.

I love You, Indonesia. I do and I always will. No matter what.

I Dream A Dream #1

1o years from now.

It was a sunny morning in July. I woke up from sleep with my husband beside me. It's him. The one I always dream to be with. Ah... He's turning 30 today. I already planned a surprise.

With my slippers on, I got up very quietly and took the presents and the cake I already prepared. I walked downstairs in my favorite PJ, and woke my son up. Malino was only 4 and he's handsome. A pretty combination of me and my husband. With that bold eyebrows of his Dad, high cheek-bone of his grandma, long eyelids oh his mom, and the cutest one was sure his curly little hair just like his Dad.

Well, Malino is a smart boy, he's not that kind of straight-A student in class, but he's smart. I already told him that his Daddy was going to have the 3-O birthday today, and he woke up in time. He yawned and asked if I already took his presents. I said I haven't, I didn't even remember if he told me to, thus he grumbled: "Mom, I've told you that last night when you tucked me in. Please, you're only 28 and you forgot nearly everything!" Jeez, this son.

Well anyway, his presents were a hand-made birthday card and a little box which I didn't know what's inside. We're getting ready, I lighted the candle, he brought the presents. We went upstairs and stepped in hush trying not to make any sound. Malino opened the door handle very slowly, and thanks God he's still sleeping like a baby. But Mal suddenly ran into him, by Golly that was out of our plan! He yelled loudly and shook his Dad, "Daddy! Daddy! Wake up! It's your 3-O birthday!" My husband woke up with his one-line-eyes fluttering trying to adjust the light. He smiled as he saw me bringing his favorite cheesecake tart. He then stared at our little kid who grinned widely whilst saying, "Happy birthday, Dad!" The next thing I knew was Mal screaming, "Dad I can't breathe!" as my husband hugged him so tight. I laughed.

It was one of the warmest morning in our marriage. ;)

Metamorphed

Whoa it's been almost a month since I last posted a blogpost! I'm such a lazy-ass during this holiday. Sleep and eat and shop and go for some treatments at the salon, and sleep and eat again, and more sleep and eat. By Golly, did I mention sleep and eat thrice? I know right, I should've did some exercise. I hope typing some words at my laptop could burn some excess calories.

You know, as I have nothing to do during these holy-days, I spent most of my time home to read and do online-shops. I am currently so much in love with wedges! If you used to know me beforetime, then you must have known that I was a diehard fan of sneakers, not wedges. But as I am no longer a chick, and I will even turn out to be a sophomore this year, I am kindaaa paying more attention to my look these days. I bought some pairs of wedges, some dresses (I used to always wear jeans before), some cute-patterned leggings, and etc. It feels like I am being metamorphed.

Anyways, for my favorite wedges online-shop, it's iwearUP, a brand that was formerly made by @dianarikasari. They got suuuuper cuteeeeee wedges! These are my favorite pairs:

Polly Floral Blue and Jane Batik-Mustard

I know they're so cute right! But too bad I've bought some pairs of wedges as I go shopping spree with mom as well, so these cute little pieces have to wait. :'(

By the way,

Throughout my times in Yogyakarta, I nearly have time to read books. I mean, real books. You know, I'm not a kind of straight A student so I pretty much avoid reading college textbooks. LOL. I've been seriously busy back in Yogyakarta, most of the time I had I used to attend lectures, do myriad of assignments, do my duty on some organizations I joined, and such. Even I rarely have a full day free on weekends. And at the night, it's quite impossible for me not to precisely sleep right after I touched the bed. So it's so hard for me to find times to read. I read sometimes, but none of the books I read were finished. Sad, I know.

Now as it is holiday timeeeee, I have bunch of free time to use to do everything I want to do! Yaaaayy! I extend my sleep time, I eat like a pig, I went to salon couple of time, I shopped much, and most of all, I read plenty of good books here! I bought a lot of comics, some light-story novels, some heavy-story novels as well, and I even re-read some Harry Potter series! That's awesomeee!

Anyways, this is what I currently read:

Bernhard Schlink - The Reader

It has been filmed anyway. But I haven't watched the movie so this is sure a good read to fill my oh-so-random holiday.

So, what do you do on your holiday time, loves? Tell me! ;)