Live!

Fasting

2009-09-02T11:25:00.003+07:00

Fasting month is here (22 Aug - 21 Sep 09).

Found a good article from anandamarga site about yogic fasting.
i decided to try this, and i SUCCEDDED :D

===

Question: What's so good about fasting? How long does it last?

Answer: Fasting is one of the secrets of long life.

Your body, and your digestive organs in particular, are required to work and work without any vacation. You know that you require rest from your work or your school from time to time.

In the same way, your digestive system needs a rest from time to time.Periodic fasting provides the rest for your digestive system. It allows your digestive system to recuperate from the rough treatment that you may have given it by overeating or eating the wrong foods or eating at the wrong time.In addition fasting also provides an opportunity to eliminate many toxins from your body.

After fasting, you should take some lemon water with a bit of salt. This drink helps to flush the digestive system, eliminating waste material that might otherwise remain in the body if you didn't fast.

Fasting also helps you to keep a balanced mind inspite of the attraction of the moon on the fluids of your body. That is why our fasting system is timed in relation to the moon. The eleventh day after the new and full moons is the time when this attraction is very strong. If you fast during this period, then the emptiness of the stomach pulls down liquids that would otherwise rise up in your body under the attraction of the moon.

Finally fasting also gives you a chance to save some time and use that time for spiritual pursuits. In order to eat, you may have to spend time shopping, cooking, cleaning and of course eating. If you fast, you can use that time to do meditation, to read or some other valuable pursuit.

This system of yogic fasting has a duration from sunrise to sunrise. You begin at sunrise on the fasting day and eat nothing. If your body is strong you can also refrain from drinking anything.On the next day, you can break the fast with lemon water, as I have mentioned above, and then with fruit and other suitable food.

Some people think that fasting is difficult. If you prepare yourself for fasting it is not difficult. Prepare yourself physically by taking enough food and also plenty of liquids the day before. Prepare yourself mentally by deciding the night before fasting: "Tomorrow is fasting day, and I am not going to eat anything." If you take this mental determination prior to the fasting day, you will not be hungry during the fasting day.

If you don't make a prior determination, during the fasting day you will start to think "Maybe I should eat, and fast another day!" Decide beforehand and you will be able to complete your fast.All in all, fasting is one of the best practices for maintaining physical, mental and spiritual health.

I highly recommend it.

food allergy

2009-07-28T10:39:00.001+07:00

swollen lips >> one of the signs of food Allergies

Food allergies occur when a sensitive person eats, inhales, or comes into contact with even tiny amounts of certain foods or food additives. These allergic reactions can be very mild or may be life-threatening.

Food allergies are becoming more and more common. There has been an increase in severe food allergy cases in the last 10 years, mostly driven by peanut and tree nut allergies.

In adults, the foods most likely to cause anaphylaxis are peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.
Symptoms tend to occur just after eating. They may include reddening of the skin, hives, itchy skin, swollen lips or eyelids, tightness of the throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing, coughing, vomiting, or diarrhea.

www.bing.com

2009-06-04T08:32:00.001+07:00

new search engine is launched :)

www.bing.com

new sites

2009-05-19T13:26:00.002+07:00

after the invasion of www.twitter.com, few new sites to click:

www.tumblr.com >> to make a minimalistic blog ~ you can leave short comments just like in twitter.

http://www.wolframalpha.com >> new computable search engine -- interestiiiinggg...

happy surfing!

problem?

2009-02-23T14:42:00.002+07:00

The definition for word = PROBLEM = something that comes with a solution.
If there is no solution, then that is NOT a problem.

>> quoted from Ajahn Brahm on one of his mp3 file talks ~~

"You should cherish everything even if you don't possess it"

2008-10-23T09:58:00.003+07:00

"Fragrant Rice" / "Dao Xiang"

lyricsComposer: Jay Chou
Lyricist: Jay Chou

If you have too many complaints towards this world
When you fall down you don't dare to continue walking forward
Why must people be so weak, depraved
I ask you to turn on the TV and see
How many people bravely try hard to continue walking for their life
Shouldn't we be content with what we have?
You should cherish everything even if you don't possess it

I still remember you said your home was the only castle,
you continue to run with the fragrance of the rice and the flowing river
Smiling, the dreams when you were young, I know
Don't cry, let the fireflies lead you to escape,
the eternal dependence of the folk song in the country
Just go home
Go back to the happiness at the very start

Don't be so easy to give up, it's just like I say
For dreams you can't achieve, switch it for another and it'll be fine
Put some colour into your life, firstly paint the colour you like on love
Come on and smile, merit and fame aren't the goals
Let yourself be happy, this is what you call meaning

The paper airplane from my childhood, it's finally flown back to my hand now
That so called happiness, running barefoot in the fields chasing crickets and getting tired
Picking fruits without permission and getting scared from being stung by bees, who's sniggering?I lean on the scarecrow while being blown by the wind while singing while sleeping
Oh oh, if the sunshine sprinkles on the road then I won't be afraid of being broken-hearted
You should cherish everything even if you don't possess it

I still remember you said your home was the only castle,
you continue to run with the fragrance of the rice and the flowing river
Smiling, dreams when you were young, I know
Don't cry, let the fireflies lead you to escape,
the eternal dependence of the folk song in the country
Just go home
Go back to the happiness at the very start

Ajahn Brahm

2008-07-20T15:02:00.001+07:00

http://www.ajahnbrahm.org/ajahnbrahm.org.au/Home.html

Reza Gunawan...

2008-05-26T15:20:00.002+07:00

Aku adalah penggemar berat koko Reza Gunawan.....

for more, click links below....

http://www.rezagunawan.blogspot.com/

http://www.truenaturehealing.net/html/schedule.html

Is Sungazing good for you?

2007-12-16T09:35:00.000+07:00

More on "Sun gazer":

http://www.solarhealing.com/sungazing.htm

http://www.rawpaleodiet.org/sungazing/

Amy Winehouse Lyrics - Love is a losing Game

2007-08-07T16:48:00.000+07:00

Artist: Amy Winehouse Lyrics
Song: Love Is A Losing Game Lyrics
Submit New Amy Winehouse Lyrics

For you I was a flame,
Love is a losing game
Five story fire as you came,
Love is losing game

One I wish I never played,
Oh, what a mess we made
And now the final frame,
Love is a losing game

Played out by the band,
Love is a losing hand
More than I could stand,
Love is a losing hand

Self professed profound
Til' the chips were down
Know you’re a gambling man
Love is a losing hand
Tho' I battled blind,

Love is a fate resigned
Memories mar my mind,
Love it is a fate resigned
Over futile odds,

And laughed at by the Gods
And now the final frame,
Love is a losing game

Robin Thicke

2007-06-07T13:19:00.000+07:00

Anyone heard of this name? His songs?
This song is for his lovely wife..... sooo sweeettt.......

Album: Evolution of Robin Thicke

The lyrics:

LOST WITHOUT YOU

Tell me how u love me more
And how u think Im sexy baby
That u dont want nobody else
U dont want this guy
u dont want that guy u wanna
Touch yourself when u see me
Tell me how u love my body
And how I make u feel baby
U wanna roll with me u wanna hold with me
U wanna stay warm and get out of the cold with me
I just love 2 hear u say it
It makes a man feel good baby
Tell me u depend on meI need 2 hear it
Im lost without u
Cant help myself
How does it feel2 know that
I love u baby
Baby youre the perfect shape
Baby youre the perfect weight
Treat me like my birthday
I want it this way I want it that way
I want it Tell me u dont want me 2 stop
Tell me it would break your heart
That u love me and all my dirty
U wanna roll with me u wanna hold with me
U wanna make fires and get Norwegian wood with me
I just love 2 hear u say it
It makes a man feel good baby
Im lost without u
Cant help myself
How does it feel2 know that
I love u baby

Buddhism

2007-05-21T16:29:00.000+07:00

Interested in Buddhism?

forestsangha.org

Top Smile Savers & Spoilers

2007-04-12T15:56:00.000+07:00

Posted Tue, Apr 03, 2007, 10:02 am PDT
m
Somewhere in America right now, a student's science fair project is demonstrating cola's ability to eat through tooth enamel. It's not pretty. But soda isn't the only food that does a number on your grin. Here are some of your smile's worst enemies -- and best friends.
m
THE ENEMIES LIST
Soda, fruit juice, and sports drinks
Not only are they sugary, they're acidic, and that creates a perfect home for the bacteria that cause cavities and gum disease -- especially if you tend to sip on one or another of these drinks all day (who, us?). Acid-neutralizing saliva just can't keep up.
The realistic fix - Nobody's saying go cold turkey but for all-day swigging, choose water. Reserve these pick-me-ups for once-a-day use. And buy some straws -- sipping through them (try this trick) shrinks teeth-exposure time.
m
Sticky stuff
We're not just talking gooey caramels or fruit rollups. Bread, crackers, chips, sweet rolls, and other refined carbohydrates are nearly as likely to cling to teeth as a Tootsie Roll -- and they hang on for at least 20 minutes. Not good.
The realistic fix - Try to say no to sticky sweets and carbs when you can't brush afterward. Alternatively, slosh some water around in your mouth or chew a stick of sugarless gum that's sweetened with xylitol. The gum helps remove sticky food particles from your teeth, and xylitol curbs cavity causers and increases healthy saliva.
m
YOUR SMILE'S BEST FRIENDS
Cheese, please Eating a bit of cheddar (or whatever) at the end of a meal helps protect teeth. It stimulates the production of cleansing saliva, plus the calcium in cheese helps harden teeth.
m
Crunchy things Crisp apples, celery and carrots are nature's little toothbrush alternatives. Not only do they help rid your mouth of food particles but their rough, fibrous texture actually scrubs away as you chew, slightly brightening your smile.
m
Have a cuppa Drinking tea after eating can help destroy the germs that cause cavities, gum disease, and phewy breath. That goes for both green and black teas.
m
Shiitake mushrooms These delicate, delicious flavor-boosters contain lenitan, a plant substance that's anything but a lightweight: It fights both tooth plaque and the bacteria that live in it.

All GooD Things CoMe To an End

2006-12-25T10:05:00.000+07:00

good tune!

ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END by Nelly Furtado

Rubik's Cubes

2006-11-10T16:46:00.000+07:00

Rubik's Cubes - sexy or unsexy?

Post long holiday

2006-10-30T09:24:00.000+07:00

Stay at home today. Think i've got COLD :( hate to be sick .....

who is Deepak Chopra? His new book: LIFE AFTER DEATH

outsourcing

2006-10-08T09:45:00.001+07:00

outsourcing : womb ..

Flashmob

2006-09-19T21:38:00.000+07:00

The term lightning-accumulate, usually however English Flashmob (flash - lightning; mobilization - also Smart mobilization ("more intelligently human being-accumulate ", lat. mobilis - mobile) and/or Smart Mobbing designates a short, apparently spontaneous human being-accumulate at public or halfpublic places or purposeful collective Buhrufen with political meetings with those the participants usually personally do not know each other. Flashmobs are organized over Weblogs, groups of messages, E-Mail chain letters or by mobile phone. Although the origin idea was explicitly unpolitical, there were meanwhile already Flashmobs with political background.

Click here and here.

a n g e l

2006-09-05T17:24:00.000+07:00

A n g e l - by Robbie Williams

I sit and wait
Does an angel contemplate my fate
And do they know
The places where we go
When we're grey and old
cos I have been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when Im lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel the love is dead
Im loving angels instead
m
And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether Im right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life wont break me
When I come to call
she wont forsake me
Im loving angels instead
m
When Im feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look above
And I know Ill always be blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
She breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
Im loving angels instead
And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether Im right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life wont break me
When I come to call
she wont forsake me
Im loving angels instead
m
And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether Im right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life wont break me
When I come to call
she wont forsake me
Im loving angels instead

cooking class...

2006-08-28T15:45:00.000+07:00

After reading my blog, my sweetest friend suggested that i should "update the damn thing more often" -- well, i take that as a genuine remark to motivate me :) t h a n k y o u

Let's start a new hobby in cooking - click here

Long weekend : 17 - 21 Aug 2006

2006-08-21T15:01:00.000+07:00

What did i do on this long weekend [read: stranded in Jakarta]:

m
1. Wed., 16th Aug--> still trying to get ticket Jakarta to Palembang for 17/18/19 Aug. Got a ridiculous price for 1 seat on 19 Aug to Palembang, however NO SEAT on return flight!

2. Thrus., 17th Aug --> woke up at 7 am, BREAKFAST, tv, LUNCH, nap, SNACK, tv, DINNER, tv.

3. Fri., 18 Aug --> BREAKFAST, to bank in morning, HUGE LUNCH with Norman, to FUJI to develop photos, SNACK, quick window shopping in mall, to gyn, DINNER.

4. Sat., 19 Aug --> Visited Norman by bus. The one-day-trip was fun as we keept on FEEDING ourselves for 4 hours... :) Back in Jakarta at 5.30 pm, perfect time for DINNER: Manado food - yummy!!

5. Sun., 20 Aug --> To mall to collect photos, snack: CREPES with banana, chocolate and cheese fillings. Simple DINNER: Fried rice and spicy rice noodle.

6. Mon., 21 Aug --> groceries in am. LUNCH, and we also bought food for our DINNER later (again, Manado food) ..

P.s.

I really look forward to coming back to office tomorrow - first time in in my 9 working years :) i wonder whether it has something to do with the slow, hopeless internet connection at home for the past few days?

? Lady in the water ?

2006-07-22T16:19:00.000+07:00

http://ladyinthewater.warnerbros.com/

Bellspalsy

2006-07-20T14:35:00.000+07:00

http://www.bellspalsy.ws/

Rattan addicts?

2006-07-19T13:54:00.000+07:00

http://www.kennethcobonpue.com/

lovely designs!

Stick with you..

2006-06-17T11:22:00.000+07:00

another sweet song :) for my gorgeous reader ..

Stick with u by pussy cat dolls.

I don't wanna go another day
So I'm telling you, exactly what is on my mind
Seems as like everybody is breaking up and throwing their love away
But I know I got a good thing right here

That's why I say (Hey) Nobody gonna love me better, I must stick wit u forever
Nobody gonna take me higher, I must stick wit u
You know how to appreciate me, I must stick wit u, my baby
Nobody ever made me feel this way, I must stick wit u

I don't wanna go another day
So I'm telling you, exactly what is on my mind
See the way we ride, in our private lives
Ain't nobody gettin' in between
I want you to know that, your the only one for me

Nobody gonna love me better, I must stick wit u forever
Nobody gonna take me higher, I must stick wit u
You know how to appreciate me, I must stick wit u my baby
Nobody ever made me feel this way, I must stick wit u

And now, ain't nothing else I can need
And now, I'm singing.. 'cause your so, so into me
I got you, we'll be making love endlessly
I'm with you, baby you're with me

So don't cha worry about
people hanging around they ain't bring us down
I know you, and you know me and that's all that counts
So don't cha worry about
people hanging around they ain't bring us down
I know you, and you know me and that's why, that's why I say

Nobody gonna love me better, I must stick wit u forever
Nobody gonna take me higher, I must stick wit u
You know how to appreciate me, I must stick wit u my baby
Nobody ever made me feel this way, I must stick wit u

Nobody gonna love me better, I must stick wit u forever
Nobody gonna take me higher, I must stick wit u
You know how to appreciate me, I must stick wit u my baby
Nobody ever made me feel this way, I must stick wit u

Thypoid fever

2006-06-17T10:24:00.000+07:00

I'm down with thypoid fever - today is the 7th day of my "resting-day" at home = 7th day of eating ONLY porridge 3 x 1 day = antibiotics 3 x 1 day + traditional medicine that contains the extract of the powerful Lumbricus Rubellus - shocking!

About the nuisance salmonella bacteria click here.

Bohemian..

2006-05-24T10:59:00.000+07:00

Excerpts of my conversation yesterday:
Guest: you look Bohemian today
mery: thank you

Results from googling "Bohemian":

****
From: hyperreal-ga on 01 Mar 2005 09:23 PST

1. a nonconformist writer or artist who lives an unconventional life
2. unconventional in especially appearance and behavior; "a bohemian life style"
3. Gypsy: a member of a nomadic people originating in northern India andnow living on all continents

4. a native or inhabitant of Bohemia in the Czech Republic
m

*****

m
From: eaglewiz-ga on 08 Mar 2005 17:29 PST

The name BOHEMIA (Boiohaemum) was coined by the Romans, derived fromthe Celtic tribe BOII, who were the iron age (700 BC to 0) pre-Slavicoccupants of what is now the Czech Republic.

Over the ages the name BOHEMIA became synonymous with the (much) more recent, modern day occupants of the Czech Republic (Cechy), who have lived therefor roughly 1500 years. The Czechs DO consider themselves to be true "BOHEMIANS" and the wordtransltes to Czech in Czech, but it is a misnomer from a Historical pointof view. (The iron age Celts in the area have long ago been displaced andassimilated by the Germanic Marcomanni, by the Romans... and finally by theSlavic peoples 300-700 AD.)

The pre-Slavic cultures of the Czech Republic dating back many millenia areonly known through archeological artifacts, and later from the history of theRoman Empire. The early historical records of the modern day Czechs... save for the legendof the three brothers Cech, Lech and Rus compiled by COSMO circa 1100 AD...were burned and destroyed by the 8th century marauding conquests of"The Holly Roman Empire" Written history of the Czechs begins circa 800, leading into the "Great Moravian Empire".

---The word Bohemian has also been attached to the unorthodox, wild, beatnic,anti-establishment intellectual, song and wine, life style of the "ARTISTIC"sub-culture in Paris. The apparent original connection was the ignorantconfusion between Czechs and Gypsies. Gypsies, of course being a totallydifferent nomadic nation with Romani roots, who traversed eastern andcentral Europe, including Bohemia and Slovakia.

---The Proud Bohemian \__-/
m

****

From: buddy12349-ga on 31 Mar 2005 19:28 PST

The modern day equivalent would be a hippy.

ChooSe to LisTen

2006-05-03T14:50:00.000+07:00

It is easy to get angry with those who criticize you.

But it is better to listen and to consider what they have to say. If the criticism is completely misdirected and unfounded, then you can simply let it go.

Yet often it can be valuable and productive to objectively consider what your critics are thinking.

The worst response to criticism is to become angry, insulted and defensive. For by doing so, you actually give more power and credibility to that criticism. Instead, listen carefully and appreciatively to what your critics have to say. Even if the criticism is decidedly negative, somewhere there are positive insights that you can gain from it. Don't let your ego prevent you from learning something valuable. Being receptive to criticism strengthens your confidence and can improve your competence.

Choose to know and understand what others think of you. Instead of getting angry and defensive over the words of others, choose to listen, consider and grow stronger because of them.

Note : Very wise words, easy to express but (rather) difficult to do.

Ayurvedic ...

2006-04-24T11:10:00.000+07:00

http://www.ayurvediccure.com/breast_massage.htm

Ordinary People

2006-03-27T13:55:00.000+07:00

Ordinary People by JOHN LEGEND

Girl im in love with you
This ain't the honeymoon
Past the infatuation phase
Right in the thick of love
At times we get sick of love
It seems like we argue everyday

[Bridge]

I know i misbehaved
And you made your mistakes
And we both still got room left to grow
And though love sometimes hurts
I still put you first
And we'll make this thing work
But I think we should take it slow

[Chorus]

We're just ordinary people
We don't know which way to go
Cuz we're ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we'll take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we'll take it slow

[Verse 2]

This ain't a movie no
No fairy tale conclusion ya'll
It gets more confusing everyday
Sometimes it's heaven sent
Then we head back to hell again
We kiss then we make up on the way

[Bridge]

I hang up you call
We rise and we fall
And we feel like just walking away
As our love advances
We take second chances
Though it's not a fantasy
I Still want you to stay

[Chorus]

We're just ordinary people
We don't know which way to go
Cuz we're ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we'll take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we'll take it slow

[Verse 3]

Take it slow
Maybe we'll live and learn
Maybe we'll crash and burn
Maybe you'll stay, maybe you'll leave,
maybe you'll return
Maybe another fight
Maybe we won't survive
But maybe we'll grow
We never know baby youuuu and I

[Chorus]

We're just ordinary people
We don't know which way to go
Cuz we're ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow (Heyyy)
We're just ordinary people
We don't know which way to go
Cuz we're ordinary people
Maybe we should take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we'll take it slow (Take it slow oh oh ohh)
This time we'll take it slow

singapore trip 4-11 mar 06

2006-03-17T16:56:00.000+07:00

Went to Singapore for few days with mom & my brother, Norman - it was FUN!

here is something from the trip -- Massage, anyone? xi..xi..

E coli bacteria in ice :(

2006-02-28T08:58:00.000+07:00

Girl's Science Project May Make You Rethink That Drink Order!

BiRdflU ....

2006-02-28T08:55:00.000+07:00

New Windows

2006-02-28T08:51:00.000+07:00

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/

Valentine Quiz

2006-02-02T09:33:00.000+07:00

Radio One - Jakarta:

Quiz:
Send your loving thoughts on
"What does your partner / spouse mean to you?"

to fax: +62-21-83707172 or email onelove@radioonejakarta.com

Deadline 14th Feb 2006

Winner:
- 1 night at JW Marriot Hotel - Governor Suite
- Romantic Dinner

The Scent of a Woman

2006-01-16T14:22:00.000+07:00

What a report!

Flouride exposure

2006-01-06T10:39:00.000+07:00

Flouride - good or bad?

Shall We Dance?

2006-01-05T14:52:00.000+07:00

A very interesting line by Mrs. Clark (Susan Sarandon) on Why People get married in film "Shall We Dance" :

"Because we need a witness to our lives. There is a billion people on the planet, what does anyone's life really mean? But in a marriage, you are promising to care about everything, the good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things - all of it, all the time, everyday.

Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness."

shocking!

2005-12-29T09:45:00.000+07:00

what a world we live in...

BIRTHDAAAAYY!! 30 NOW!!

2005-12-21T09:07:00.000+07:00

-----Original Message-----
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2005 12:01 AM
To: Mery Gunawan
Subject: songs come in all languages, love comes in all signs, birthday wishes come in all fonts

Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery?..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..
Happy Birthday, our dear Mery…..

u g l y

2005-12-20T14:40:00.000+07:00

Sugababes - Ugly Lyrics

When I was 7
They said I was strange
I noticed that my eyes and hair weren't the same
I asked my parents if I was OK
They said you're more beautiful
And that's the way they show that they wish
They had your smile
So my confidence was up for a while
I got real comfortable with my own style
I knew that they were only jealous cos
m
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
m
There was a time when I felt like I cared
That I was shorter than everyone there
People made me feel like life was unfair
And I did things that made me ashamed
Cos I didn't know my body would change
I grew taller than them in more ways
But there will always be the one who will say
Something bad to make them feel great
m
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
m
People are all the same
And we only get judged by what we do
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
So are you
So are you
m
Everybody talks bad about somebody
And never realises how it affects somebody
And you bet it won't be forgotten
Envy is the only thing it could be
m
Cos people are all the same
(The same, the same)
And we only get judged by what we do
(What we do, yeah, yeah)
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
(Yeah, you)
So are you
So are you
m
People are all the same
(Oh, oh, oh)
And we only get judged by what we do
(What we do, yeah)
Personality reflects name
And if I'm ugly then
(Yeah, so are you)
So are you
So are you

Birthday week :)

2005-12-20T10:09:00.000+07:00

Photos from our trip to Medan 9th - 11th Dec 06.

turbulance! shaaaakkyyyy....

walking in the rain, with plastic bag on our heads

traditional chinese singer - you will not see this in Jakarta or Palembang!

view from hotel room, can you see the golden temple?

Weekend -> 16-18 Dec
I've uploaded all the photos of my 'birthday week' that includes the gifts from my lovely friend, Alex :) BUT the site keeps on showing this message:

Forbidden / Temporarily Unavailable
The URL you have requested is either currently unavailable due to bandwidth limitations or is forbidden for you to access. Please try again later.

HELP!

love is in the air...

2005-12-14T15:28:00.000+07:00

i am having a Roti Boy bun - Yuuuummmmmyyyy!!!
yummy
adjective INFORMAL
1. tasting extremely good:
- I think I'll have some more of that yummy chocolate cake.
- There are some yummy-looking desserts over there.
2. sexually attractive:
- And tell her to bring along that yummy brother of hers.

Below is a beautiful quote from Roy Croft .

LOVE

I Love you not only for what you are

but for what i am when i am with you

i love you not only for what you have made of yourself

but for what you are making of me

i lov eyou for the part of me that you brought out

i love you for putting your hand into my heaped up heart

and passing over all the foolish, weak things

that you can't help dimly see there

and for drawing out into the light all the beautiful belongings

that no one else had looked quite far enough to find

i love you because you are helping me

to make of the lumber of my life not a tavern but a temple

you have done it without a touch. without a word.

you have done it by being yourself

my companion and comforter, guide and friend

the one i love

Chocolate vs Falling in Love

2005-12-07T10:44:00.000+07:00

Below is an 'article' written by my sweet lovely creative friend, Alex, when he's hungry :)

Falling in a love is a bit like digestion orrespiration.
It's just another physiological function. Phenylethelamine (I hope I spelt that right) is a kind of hormone that acts as an 'upper' (just like a drug) and we feel happy.
But guess what? The same stuff is found in chocolates, although in very small quantitites.

So if you want to fall in love and still stay single and independent, you should eat a tonne of chocolates.
But then you'd have to visit the dentist often, and if the dentist was cute, you'd end up falling in love with him/her...and the whole thing would turn out to be an exercise in futility.

Moral? It's better to eat chocolates in small quantities so you continue to remain in love (though not as deeply) and avoid visiting the dentist...cute or otherwise.

So please tell your friends to start eating chocolates.

And just look at the bright side....unlike people often opposite sex,
chocolates don't snore,
chocolates don't leave the toilet seat up,
chocolates don't pick their nose, or
leave their clothes in a pile on the living room floor.

love dharma

2005-11-30T15:55:00.000+07:00

I'm reading LOVE DHARMA by Geri Larkin.

We can do this. We see that the other person, like us, has both flowers and compost inside, and we accept this. Our practice is to water the floweress in her, and not bring her more garbage. We avoic blaming and arguing. When we try to grow flowers, if the flowers do not grow well, we do not blame or argue with them. We blame ourselves for not taking care of them well. Our partner is a flower. If we take care fo her well, she will grow beautifully. If we take care of her poorly, she will wither. To help a flower grow well, we must understand her nature. How much water does she need? how much sunshine? We look depply into ourselves to see our true nature, and we look into the other person to see her nature... We can sit down, hold our partner's hand, look deeply at him, and say, "Darling, do I understand you enough? Do i water you seeds of suffering? Do I water your seed of joy? Please tell me how i can love you better".

Transgender Group - Korea

2005-08-04T11:15:00.000+07:00

Saw this group of 'beautiful-looking' transgender singers : "LADY" on TV last night. They can sing, dance and they are stuningly pretty!!

Woman, be afraid ... be veeeeryyy afraiiiddd......

Other side of the world Lyrics

2005-08-01T16:25:00.000+07:00

Long distance relationship?

Other Side of The World by KT Tunstall

Over the sea and far away
She's waiting like an Iceberg
Waiting to change,
But she's cold inside
She wants to be like
the water,

All the muscles tighten in her face
Buries her soul in one embrace
They're one and the same
Just like water

Then the fire fades away
But most of everyday
Is full of tired excuses
But it's too hard to say
I wish it were simple
But we give up easily
You're close enough to see that
You're.... the other side of the world
to me

On comes the panic light
Holding on with fingers
and feelings alike
But the time has come
To move along

Then the fire fades away
But most of everyday
Is full of tired excuses
But it's too hard to say
I wish it were simple
But we give up easily
You're close enough to see that
You're.... the other side of the world

Can you help me?
Can you let me go
And can you still love me
When you can't see me anymore

Then the fire fades away
most of everyday
Is full of tired excuses
But it's too hard to say
I wish it were simple
But we give up easily
You're close enough to see that
You're.... the other side of the world
Ohh.... the other side of the world
You're.... the other side of the world
To me.

weekend ...

2005-07-29T15:44:00.000+07:00

My friend told me that he and girlfriend are off to a lodge this weekend -- this is the link ... beeeeaaauuutiifuuuuullll!!!!

Shirley Bassey

2005-07-28T10:25:00.000+07:00

Bought the Platinum CD of Shirley Bassey - one of the tracks: "Diamonds are forever"

Lyrics:
Diamonds are forever
They are all I need to please me
They can stimulate and tease me
They won't leave in the night,
I've no fear that they might desert me
m
Diamonds are forever
Hold one up and then caress it
Touch it, stroke it and undress it
I can see every part,
nothing hides in the heart to hurt me

I don't need love
For what good will love do me?D
iamonds never lie to me
For when love's gone
They'll lustre on

Diamonds are forever
Sparkling round my little finger
Unlike men, the diamonds linger
Men are mere mortals
who are not worth going to your grave for
I don't need love
For what good will love do me?
m
Diamonds never lie to me
For when love's gone
They'll lustre on
m
Diamonds are forever, forever, forever
Diamonds are forever, forever, forever
Forever and ever

Chemical Romance

2005-07-14T09:08:00.000+07:00

Group: Chemical Romance
Song: Helena
Video music rating : 5 STARS !!

Insight...

2005-06-30T09:21:00.000+07:00

Learn to love the people who are with you at present.
Forget the people in the past and thank them for hurting you, which led you to love the people you have right now.
m
When you love someone, you'll do crazy things you can't explain, you'll deny the truth and believe in lies. When you love someone, you sacrifice, give everything you've got and don't think twice. You risk it all no matter what.
m
Everything in life is temporary because everything changes. That is why it takes courage to love, knowing it might end anytime...having faith will make it last.
m
Friends are not the one who laugh when you laugh and cry when you cry. They are the ones who make you laugh and stop you from crying.
Love is the feeling we fall in and out of, and every time we fall off, we learn to hold on tighter...hoping that next time, we may never have to let go.
m
They say when love knocks at your door, open it. But do you know that sometimes love enters through the back door and before you begin to notice it, it's on it's way out.
n
Have you ever loved only to let it go?..
Have you ever hated someone and loved him so?..
Have you ever missed someone so bad it made you cry?..
Have you ever seen someone left alone without knowing why? ..
True: Lucky is the man who wins the first love of a woman but luckier is the woman who wins the last love of a man.
n
Love is not the right word to say when you feel guilty nor the right word to say when you like a person but love really matters when we share our thoughts, our minds, and our hearts...
m
Life has a way of changing things but not the joy that friendship brings, for friendship is like the shining moon, makes each night a brighter one.
m
Love is not for beauty or color of the skin, but for a heart that is loyal within, for beauty fades and the skin would grow old but a heart that is loyal will never turn cold.
m
If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.
m
A love is easy to feel, so hard to explain; so easy to get, so hard to let go; so easy to spell, so hard to define...and yet everyone is still taking the risk. That's love !
m
We are all a little weird and life's a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in love in mutual weirdness and call it LOVE!
m
Never be afraid to fall in love. It may hurt a lot, it may give you aches and pain, but if you don't follow your heart; in the end you will cry even more for not giving love a chance.
m
If someone loves you, love them back not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and opening your heart and eyes to things you have never seen or felt without them.
m
The past is meant to be used as a tool for the future. Bad experiences indeed make you bitter but the lessons learned should make you better.
m
On letting go: it hurts to see someone you love happy with somebody else; but wouldn't it hurt you more to see that person unhappy...with you?
m
When you find arms that will hold you at your weakest, eyes that will see you at your ugliest, lips that will kiss you in both instances, and a heart that will love you at your worst, then you have found true love.
m
Someday, someone might come into your life and love you in a way you always wanted.
m
If your someday was yesterday.. LEARN
If your someday is tomorrow.. HOPE
If your someday is today.. CHERISH.

Bengali

2005-06-16T11:42:00.000+07:00

Today is my 8th day in Dhaka.

Traffic is not so bad here compare to Jakarta, BUT...the honking can cause nervous breakdown! I get used to being stared at now :)

Went for field trip on Sunday - Monday to Rasjhashi (unsure how to write the word?), anyways it was an interesting experience to meet the farmers...

Some words from the trip:
- Kudahafiz = goodbye
- Sushadu = delicious

With the Female Farmers

With Local People

Fantastic Four

2005-05-28T10:29:00.000+07:00

Another Marvel comic - movie: FANTASTIC FOUR - in Mid June 2005

Book Worm

2005-05-27T10:12:00.000+07:00

Books to read:

- He's just not that into you by Greg Behrendt

Editorial Reviews
From Publishers WeeklyIt’s a classic single-woman scenario: you really like this guy, but he’s giving mixed messages. You make excuses, decide he’s confused, afraid of commitment. Behrendt, a former executive story editor for Sex and the City—and a formerly single (now happily married) guy who knows all the excuses—provides a simple answer: he’s just not that into you. Stop kidding yourself, let go and look for someone else who will be. After all, as Behrendt sensibly puts it, "if a (sane) guy really likes you, there ain’t nothing that’s going to get in his way." If you’re not convinced yet, by all means read this smart, funny and surprisingly upbeat little book, full of q’s and a’s covering every excuse woman has ever made to avoid admitting to herself that a man just wasn’t that smitten with her.

- Five people you meet in heaven by Mitch Albom

- Tuesday with Mory by Mitch Albom

Happy readiiinggg.....!!!

AR 7

2005-05-12T09:37:00.000+07:00

Amazing Race 7 was on last night. Another unpredictable winners but I'm TOTALLY happy for the them! Uchenna & Joyce will get going with their baby plan :) good things happen to good people!

b a n a n a s

2005-04-13T09:47:00.000+07:00

you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again.

Bananas. Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression: According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make officialclaims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke

Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-pack! ed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives,

Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system. Overweight and stress at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady

Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensuretheir baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural moodenhancer tryptophan.

Smoking: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6 and B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recov! er from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.Strokes: According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine,"eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

Banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

PS: Bananas must be the reason monkeys are so happy all the time!

Fransiscan Brothers

2005-04-08T09:47:00.000+07:00

More about Fransiscan Brothers, and here.

On giving their last respect to Pope John Paul II yesterday, they had to queue for 18 hours ....Apparently the Fransiscan Brothers are famous for their patience.

Idol - Idol

2005-04-05T11:30:00.000+07:00

my Rob Thomas!!

His profile here

He is adorable than ever now - the way he dances :) yummy!!

The latest single: Lonely No More

unconditional love - mom...

2005-03-30T14:24:00.000+07:00

There is only one pretty child in the world and every mother has it.

---Chinese Proverb

Aikido

2005-03-28T14:29:00.000+07:00

My brother, Norman, had to witness a terrifying incident in the bus last week. A high school girl was molested by a group of guys!

Coming back home, he asked me to join the Aikido (self defense - highly RECOMMENDED for women) class instead of aerobics class.

More about Aikido; FAQ and more here

Introduction

Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba (often referred to by his title 'O Sensei' or 'Great Teacher'). On a purely physical level it is an art involving some throws and joint locks that are derived from Jujitsu and some throws and other techniques derived from Kenjutsu. Aikido focuses not on punching or kicking opponents, but rather on using their own energy to gain control of them or to throw them away from you. It is not a static art, but places great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement.

Upon closer examination, practitioners will find from Aikido what they are looking for, whether it is applicable self-defense technique, spiritual enlightenment, physical health or peace of mind. O Sensei emphasized the moral and spiritual aspects of this art, placing great weight on the development of harmony and peace. "The Way of Harmony of the Spirit" is one way that "Aikido" may be translated into English. This is still true of Aikido today, although different styles emphasize the more spiritual aspects to greater or lesser degrees. Although the idea of a martial discipline striving for peace and harmony may seem paradoxical, it is the most basic tenet of the art.

We could attempt to pigeonhole Aikido into a synopsis of X number of words, but that would not do it justice, so we leave the practitioner of Aikido to find out what Aikido is for themselves without any preconceived notions.

Diary: Woman vs Man

2005-03-28T11:10:00.000+07:00

WIFE's DIARY
Sunday night. I thought he was acting weird. We had made plans to meet at a cafe to have coffee. I was shopping with my friends all day long, so I thought he was upset that I was a bit late, but he made no comment. Conversation wasn't flowing, so I suggested that we go somewhere quiet so we could talk. He agreed but he kept quiet and absent. I asked him what was wrong. He said: "Nothing." I asked him if it was my fault that he was upset. He said it had nothing to do with me, and not to worry. On the way home I told him that I loved him. He simply smiled and kept driving. I can't explain his behavior; I don't know why he didn't say: "I love u, too." When we got home, I felt as if I had lost him, as if he wanted nothing to do with me anymore. He just sat there and watched TV; he seemed distant and absent. Finally, I decided to go to bed. About 10 minutes later he came to bed. I could not take it anymore, so I decided to confront him with the situation but he had fallen asleep. I started crying and cried until I too fell asleep. I don't know what to do. I'm almost sure that his thoughts are with someone else. My life is a disaster.
n

HUSBAND's DIARY

Today, Manchester United lost the match. DAMN IT..!!

lovely mondae

2005-03-21T11:36:00.000+07:00

A lovely monday!

Our visit to the orphanage yesterday was successful :) The 65 children are extremely happy with the school bags + milk + choc from us. The best program was the question & answer session and games -- full of gifts!!

It is so good to experience this whole thing, makes us realize how grateful we are in life!

And this morning, i got a present from my boss from his Hong Kong: a beaaaauuuutiffuuullll apron with chinese pattern :)

Wedding 5/3/05

2005-03-17T09:14:00.000+07:00

Yesterday was Pison & Alice's wedding in Novotel Coralia Bogor. Even though it rained in the afternoon, the wedding was packed with guests - it was a lovely-lovely wedding!

My favorite part is the holy matremony - the groom cried when he promised to take care of Alice through bad and good times -- I found it very romantic :)

-- 17/3/05 --

I FINNALY got the photo of me & the cutest bestman (ever!) on duty - 5 Mar 2005.

The make-up was horrific - I WAS a ghost!

Angels ...

2005-03-14T16:28:00.000+07:00

BLUE MONDAY

Robbie Williams
Angels

by Unknown

I sit and wait
there's an angel contemplate my fate
And do they know
The places where we go
When we're grey and old
'cause I've been told
That salvation lets their wings unfold
So when I'm lying in my bed
Thoughts running through my head
And I feel that love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

Chorus:
And through it all she offers me protection
A lot of love and affection
Whether I'm right or wrong
And down the waterfall
Wherever it may take me
I know that life won't break me
When I come to call she won't forsake me
I'm loving angels instead

When I'm feeling weak
And my pain walks down a one way street
I look aboveAnd I know
I'll always be blessed with love
And as the feeling grows
She breathes flesh to my bones
And when love is dead
I'm loving angels instead

Healthy Gums = Healthy heart?

2005-03-14T14:26:00.000+07:00

Research: Brushing, flossing might reduce risk of heart attack, stroke (Source: MSN)

Keeping your pearly whites and your gums healthy may be key to keeping your heart in good health, too.

Researchers have found a link between gum disease and increased risk for atherosclerosis, the build-up of plaque in the walls of the arteries that can lead to heart attack and stroke.

In a study published in February in the journal Circulation, researchers at Columbia University Medical Center measured specific bacteria that are known to cause periodontitis, a more severe form of gum disease, as well as other bacteria, in the mouths of more than 600 people ages 55 and older with no history of stroke or heart attack. The scientists also looked at the thickness of the carotid arteries, the two major arteries on each side of the neck that supply blood to the brain. Thickening of the carotid arteries can lead to stroke and heart attacks.

The results showed a clear link between the bacteria that cause serious gum disease and thicker carotid arteries, even when other factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes were accounted for, says lead researcher Dr. Moise Desvarieux, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

So how does what's in your mouth affect your heart? Theories vary. "Studies have shown that in people who have gum disease, the bacteria migrate to the bloodstream. So, down the line, that may lead to adverse events" like heart attack and stroke, Desvarieux speculates. The bacteria may attach to fatty plaque in the arteries of the heart, contributing to clot formation, according to the American Academy of Periodontology (AAP).

Another theory, adds Desvarieux, involves a hyperinflammatory response to the abundance of bacteria in the mouth. "People don't realize that there are no other places in the body where so many bacteria are in contact for a long period of time, which constantly stimulates the immune system." The immune system, in turn, may over-respond, creating hyperinflammation, which stresses the heart and blood vessels. Then there's C-reactive protein (CRP), a protein released by the body in response to injury or inflammation. Higher levels of CRP are a marker for increased heart-disease risk. Desvarieux says CRP levels are higher in people with periodontitis.

The research is just the latest in a slew of studies pointing to a link between bad oral health and a bad heart. But it's the first to show a direct connection to these bacteria, Desvarieux says. "In our population it was only those bacteria that cause periodontal disease - and not the seven control bacteria" that were associated with a thicker carotid artery. "That's pretty good evidence."

But it's still not a given that that trouble with your gums means a heart attack will strike. That's because researchers don't know yet which came first - the bacteria or the thicker carotid artery. Desvarieux is following up with the study's participants to determine whether, over time, those with the highest level of bacteria also have the highest level of stroke and heart attack - and if low bacteria levels are heart-protective. "The research is not at the stage of recommending changing practice," adds Desvarieux. "Having said that, though, it is hard to be against people taking good care of their teeth and gums."

Brushing upFinding the precise connection is important because gum disease is so common. At least half of Americans over age 55 have periodontitis, according to the AAP.
Because the main cause of periodontal disease is bacterial plaque - a sticky film that constantly forms on your teeth - it's essential to keep plaque at bay, especially the subgingival kind that's below the gums. Root planing and scaling - a nonsurgical therapy using fine instruments to clean the roots and break up subgingival plaque - will significantly reduce the level of oral bacteria for most people, explains Gordon L. Douglass, a past president of the AAP and a periodontist in Sacramento, Calif.

Just as important is regular brushing (twice a day), regular cleanings at the dentist (twice a year) and a practice many of us neglect: flossing. "Flossing gets into the spaces between the teeth and the gums. That will break up the bacteria and never let them get established," says Douglass. Even toothpicks can be used to clean between teeth. "Most periodontitis starts between the teeth," Douglass adds.

Medications, including painkillers, antihistamines, diuretics, antidepressants and high-blood-pressure medications, can cause side effects that increase your chances for periodontitis. If you notice changes in the soft tissue in your mouth or if food and drinks taste differently, talk to your dentist or see a periodontist - especially if side effects include a dry mouth. Explains Douglass, "Saliva buffers the effects of acid on teeth and adds lubrication to protect against gum disease. The drier the mouth, the more inflamed it gets, and it's harder to clear plaque from your mouth."

Free Internet telephony

2005-03-08T09:17:00.000+07:00

try this - it's free!

Paintings

2005-03-04T09:04:00.000+07:00

Belly dancer @ Lebanese Resto in Le Meridien Hotel.

Ok, the above photo was the opening of my Snoopy craze report below :)
Beautiful Snoopy paintings in J.W. Marriot Hotel - - F A N T A S T I C

It's Charlie Brown!

cooking is fuuuunn...

2005-03-03T14:17:00.000+07:00

My lovely chef, Jamie Oliver & his fabulous recipes!
Bon appetite...

girl's secret...

2005-03-01T15:38:00.000+07:00

Bananas are good for period pain
Its good to cry
Chicken soup actually makes you feel better
94% of boys would love it if you sent them flowers
Lying is actually unhealthy
Only apply mascara to your top lashes
Its actually true, boys DO insult you when they like you!
Its impossible to apply mascara with your mouth closed!
89% of guys want YOU to make the 1st move
Chocolate will make you feel better!
Most boys think its cute when you say the wrong thing
A good friend never judges.
A good foundation will hide hickeys!..not that u have any
Boys arent worth your tears
We ALL love surprises!!

More on Lunar New Year

2005-02-18T13:36:00.000+07:00

Chinese New Year: Origins & Celebration

Weekend = music

2005-02-18T13:25:00.000+07:00

Kelly Clarkson latest album : Breakaway has loads of good songs!

Some of the song that I love: Breakaway, Since you've been gone, Behind these hazel eyes ...

Lyrics: Behind these hazel eyes

Seems just like yesterday, you were a part of me
I used to stand so tall, I used to be so strong
Your arms around me tight, everything it felt so right
Unbreakable, like nothing could go wrong

Now I can't breathe, no I can't sleep
I’m barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces, can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

I told you everything, opened up and let you in
You made me feel alright, for once in my life
Now all that’s left of me is what I pretend to be
So together, but so broken up inside

Cause I can’t breathe, no I can’t sleep
I’m barely hanging on

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces, can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Swallow me, then spit me out
For hating you, I blame myself
Seeing you, it kills me now
No, I don’t cry on the outside anymore
Anymore

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces, can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Here I am, once again
I’m torn into pieces, can't deny it, can't pretend
Just thought you were the one
Broken up, deep inside
But you won't get to see the tears I cry
Behind these hazel eyes

Lunar New Year

2005-02-17T12:41:00.000+07:00

Big FEAST on 8th Feb 2005 welcoming the Year of Rooster

My lovely nephew, Okta - who was not in the family picture above...

1st Nephew, Dodo, singing his "wiggly-thumb" song...

This is my brother, Norman, with the cool Indonesian singer, Marcel and famous phsycic, Permadi :) Photo taken once we landed in Jakarta on Sunday 13/2/05.

updates 2004!

2005-02-17T08:53:00.000+07:00

Finally dowloaded all photos from 2004.

My mocca Birthday cake on 21st Dec 2004 from the girls :)

This is my office, in the corner, quiet, with a view to die for!

The best part of X'mas celebration in office, everyone got a present! This is what i've got = a DVD player! Yippie....

Thank you ...

2005-01-31T10:17:00.000+07:00

The Word of the Day **** Thank you very much ****

Afrikaans: Baie dankie
Albanian: Faleminderit shume"
Amharic: Betam amessagganalehugn
Arabic: shokran Gazillan
Armenian: Shad Shenorhagal em
Asturian: munches gracies
Azerbaijani: - C,ox sag^v olun.
Basque: Eskerrik asko
Bengali: Ozasro Dhanyabad
Bosnian: Puno hvala
Breton: Trugarez Vras
Bulgarian: Blagodarya vi mnogo
Cantonese: m goi saai; fei seung chi do jeh
Catalan: Moltes gra`cies / Molti'ssimes gra`cies
Chipewyan: Deygghar-ey marsi naynesthen
Cornish: Meur ras
Creole: Me`si plen
Croatian: Hvala lijepa
Czech: De^kuji va'm mnohokra't
Dagaare: Ba'rka' ya'ga
Danish: Mange tak
Dutch: Dank u wel
English: Thank you very much
Esperanto: Dankegon
Estonian: Ta"nan va"ga
Eurish: Grato mula
Farsi: Khay'ly Mo'teh'shaker'am
Finnish: Kiitoksia oikein paljon
French: Merci beaucoup
Frisian: Tige tank!
Galician: Gracinhas - Graciñas
Georgian: didi madloba
German: Vielen Dank
Greek: Efharisto' poli'
Gujarati: khoob aabhaar
Hawaiian: Mahalo nui
Hebrew: toda raba
Hindi: aapakaa bahut bahut dhanyavaad
Holooe: Chin To-sia"
Hungarian: Ko"szo"no"m sze'pen
Icelandic: Takk fyrir
Ido: Multa danki, dankego
Indonesian: Terima kasih banyak
Interlingua: Multe Gratias
Irish: Go raibh mi'le maith agat
Italian: Grazie Mille
Japanese: Arigato gozaimasu
Korean: Te-dan-hi Kam-sa-ham-ni-da
Latin: Gratias multas
Latvian: Liels paldies
Lithuanian: Labai ac^iu~
Luganda: [thank you very much]
Malaysian: terima kasih banyak-banyak
Mandarin: fei^- cha'ng ga`n xi`e / hen^v ga`n x&i
Marshallese: Kommol tata
Mazahua: me'ri po'kh
Norwegian: Tusen takk
Occitan: Merce' plan
Polish: Serdecznie dzie,kuje,
Portuguese: Muito obrigado(a)
Brazilian Portuguese: Muito obrigado(a)
Quechua: Yusulpayki askha
Romanian: Mult'umesc foarte mult,
Russian: Bolshoe spasibo
Serbian: Hvala lepo
Sesotho: Ke a leboha haholo
Sinhala: Bohoma. Sthuthiyi
Slovak: D^akujem vel^mi pekne
Slovenian: Hvala lepa
Spanish: Muchas gracias
Swahili: Asante Sana
Swedish: Tack sa* mycket
Tagalog: Maraming salamat
Thai: kob-khun-mark
Tswana: Ke leboga fela thata. Ke itumetse fela thata.
Turkish: c,ok te,seku"r ederim
Ukrainian: duzhe dyakuyu
Vietnamese: , Ca'm o*n nhie^`u
Welsh: Diolch yn fawr
Wolof: [Thank you very much]
Xhosa: Enkosi kakhulu
Yiddish: ich dank aych zeyer
Zulu: ngiyabonga kakhulu

Accents are represented by ' (acute) ` (grave) " (umlaut), ^ (circumflex), and * (ring)

Perfect....

2005-01-17T13:38:00.000+07:00

The Perfect Couple

Once upon a time, a perfect man and a perfect woman met. After a perfect courtship, they had a perfect wedding. Their life together was, of course, perfect.
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One snowy, stormy Christmas Eve, this perfect couple was driving their perfect car along a winding road, when they noticed someone at the side of the road in distress. Being the perfect couple, they stopped to help.
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There stood Santa Claus with a huge bundle of toys. Not wanting to disappoint any children on the eve of Christmas, the perfect couple loaded Santa and his toys into their vehicle.
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Soon they were driving along delivering the toys. Unfortunately, the driving conditions deteriorated and the perfect couple and Santa Claus had an accident. Only one of them survived the accident.
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Question: Who was the survivor?
Scroll down for the answer. Trust me, it's worth it.
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Answer:
The perfect woman survived. She's the only one who really existed in the first place. Everyone knows there is no Santa Claus and there is no such thing as a perfect man.
**** Women you can stop reading here, that is the end of the joke.
**** Men keep scrolling.
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So, if there is no perfect man and no Santa Claus, the woman must have been driving. This explains why there was a car accident.
**** Women, if you have read this too... stop reading here, this is REALLY the end of the joke.
*** Men Keep scrolling
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By the way, if you're a woman and you're still reading, this illustrates another point: WOMEN NEVER LISTEN!!!

game link!

2005-01-06T15:49:00.000+07:00

cool game link!

What Happens after you Find your Soulmate?

2005-01-06T15:06:00.000+07:00

By Susie and Otto Collins

What's your perception of life with your perfect soulmate?

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Joy, bliss, happiness--a life with no conflict and no major issues to work through?
Ward and June or Ozzy and Harriet with passion?

In our opinion, that just isn't the way it works. In our relationship, we are best friends--we have passion--we have joy--we are totally comfortable with each other and enjoy being together. Even with all this, we still have issues that challenge us and that "rock the boat."

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We hate to burst your bubble, but we believe that soulmates come together to help each other to heal, learn and grow. It's what we and others, such as Gary Zukav, call Spiritual Partnership. Some people, such as Gay and Kathlyn Hendricks and Kenny and Julia Loggins, refer to it as "Conscious Relationship."

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We also believe that you can find several "soulmates" in your lifetime. Wayne Dyer said that your soulmate can be the person who you can't stand but are in your life to teach you a powerful lesson.

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Carolyn Myss says in "Spiritual Madness" that we are here to heal the parts of ourselves that don't know God yet. We believe that Soulmates help us to heal those parts if we are willing to do the work and look at ourselves openly and honestly. Soulmates can trigger certain reactions in you that point the direction to what needs to be healed.

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So what happens after you find your soulmate?

Remember the Zen proverb that poses the question of--What happens before enlightenment? Chop wood, carry water. What happens after enlightenment? Chop wood, carry water. We feel this is a good analogy of what happens in relationships. You still must face your personal challenges but if you're conscious and awake, you can realize that you have a powerful ally to walk beside you on your path to enlightenment.

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Many of us are finding that perfect "Soulmate" and many are searching for one. We suggest that you look at the people in your life--the ones who challenge you, the ones who love you. Say of prayer of gratitude for these "teachers." When someone close to you "presses your buttons," look at what you can learn from the situation. What parts of yourself need to be healed? What feelings come up for you?

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Marriane Williamson has said that every thing we do is either an act of love or a cry for help. That's what a soulmate does for you--they are there to love you AND to help you when you cry for help. They also have the ability to "press your buttons" and this is for your highest good.

Tsunami...

2004-12-30T15:55:00.000+07:00

Mengapa Lempeng Bumi Bertumbukan?

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INDONESIA memang area gempa. Hal itu karena nun jauh di dasar samudera kepulauan di negeri ini, terdapat tiga lempeng, yakni Eurasia, Indo-Australia, dan Pasifik, yang bila bertumbukan akan menghasilkan gempa tektonik.

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Itu baru gempa tektonik, Indonesia pun kaya akan gunung berapi yang tercatat aktif dan yang belum ketahuan aktif tidaknya. Aktivitas gunung-gunung itu pun berpotensi menimbulkan gempa yang disebut sebagai gempa vulkanik.

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Bisakah kita yang tinggal di Indonesia ini terhindar dari gempa? Secara ilmiah, fenomena alam tersebut tidak bisa dihindari. Sebab, lempeng-lempeng bumi yang ada di negara kita itu merupakan bagian dari kerak bumi yang bergerak aktif. Pergerakan itu dipicu antara lain oleh air laut dan samudera. Perlu diketahui, 71 persen wilayah bumi kita ini terdiri atas laut dan samudera, atau dengan kata lain berupa air.

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Pergerakan lempeng-lempeng itu antara lain menimbulkan gempa bumi. Mengapa lempeng-lempeng itu bergerak dan bahkan bertumbukan? Lempeng-lempeng itu sebetulnya bagian dari kerak bumi yang terdiri atas berbagai jenis bebatuan. Pergerakan itu berlangsung terus selama berjuta-juta tahun usia bumi. Bentuk gerakan berupa lipatan, pergeseran, dan patahan. Setiap gerakan, menghasilkan antara lain benua, pegunungan, pulau-pulau kecil.

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Tentang pergeseran lempeng, pergeseran memang tidak bisa dihindari sebagai bagian dari evolusi bumi. Efek dari pergeseran itu adalah berupa getaran yang disebut gempa. Gempa terjadi karena ada perpindahan massa dalam lapisan batuan bumi. Kekuatan suatu gempa bergantung pada jumlah energi yang terlepas, saat terjadi pergeseran dan tumbukan.

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Pergeseran tersebut memang memungkinkan terjadinya tumbukan. Ada kalanya pergeseran itu menyebabkan perubahan bentuk yang tiba-tiba, sehingga terjadi ledakan dan patahan yang menimbulkan gempa hebat yang disebut sebagai gempa tektonik. Keadaan itu tidak bisa kita hindari karena memang bagian dari evolusi bumi.

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Hasil dari gempa dimaksud antara lain menghasilkan lipatan bumi. Bentuk dari lipatan bumi itu tidak serta-merta terlihat secara fisik. Sebab, untuk membentuk satu kali lipatan dibutuhkan ratusan juta tahun Tentang lipatan itu, sepanjang sejarahnya, bumi telah mengalami empat kali periode lipatan.
Itulah yang pada akhirnya menghasilkan pulau-pulau baru dan menghilangkan pulau-pulau yang pernah ada.

Karenanya, tak mengherankan, apabila diukur setiap tahun, suatu wilayah daratan ada yang berkurang dan ada yang bertambah.

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Tentang posisi Indonesia, ada yang menyebutnya sebagai efek dari lipatan Alpin. Lipatan itu merupakan periode lipatan bumi yang keempat yang sampai sekarang terus bergerak aktif. Secara geografis, lipatan Alpin membentang dari Eropa, Asia hingga Indonesia. Lipatan Alpin sudah dikenal sebagai kawasan yang tidak tenang secara geologi, karena pada proses pergerakannya selalu memunculkan gempa bumi dan gunung berapi.

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Tentang gempa yang terjadi di barat Aceh dan menimbulkan gelombang dahsyat tsunami, hal itu merupakan akibat dari tumbukan lempeng-lempeng bumi yang menimbulkan gempa tektonik di dasar laut. Bisa dipastikan, menurut NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), setiap gempa tektonik yang terjadi di dasar laut, akan menghasilkan gelombang Tsunami. Beberapa wilayah di dunia yang rawan Tsunami, biasanya dilengkapi dengan pos atau kantor yang dilengkapi pencatat getaran/gempa, seismograf.

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Selamat dari Tsunami
Bagaimana menyelamatkan diri dari Tsunami? Bagi masyarakat pesisir, atau yang tinggal di wilayah pantai, sebaiknya memang memperlengkapi diri dengan pengetahuan tentang gelombang dahsyat yang tingginya bisa mencapai 30 meter itu. Sebetulnya, Tsunami bisa diprediksikan. Ingat, sekali lagi, setiap gempa di laut, berpeluang menghasilkan Tsunami. Patut diwaspadai, bahaya dari Tsunami bisa berlangsung berjam-jam setelah hempasan gelombang dahsyatnya yang pertama terjadi. Itu karena sifat gelombang yang datangnya bergulung, tidak serentak satu kali hempas.

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Bagi Anda yang tinggal di pesisir dan yang menyukai wilayah pantai sebagai tempat berlibur, waspadai gejala Tsunami. Bila tanah tempat Anda berpijak bergetar, segera lari ke tempat yang lebih tinggi. Hal itu karena kita tidak bisa memprediksikan berapa menit yang dibutuhkan gelombang laut menjadi bergulung tinggi membentuk Tsunami.

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Kemungkinan Tsunami datang minimal dalam waktu lima menit setelah getaran yang dirasakan. Tetapi di kawasan Kepulauan Hawaii yang juga sering dilanda gempa vulkanik, karena banyak terdapat gunung berapi di dasar laut, Tsunami muncul sekitar beberapa jam kemudian. Kekuatan gempa di dasar laut yang besarannya lebih dari 6 Skala Richter, biasanya berpeluang menimbulkan Tsunami.

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Bagaimana apabila saat terjadi Tsunami Anda tengah berada di laut, di atas kapal? Getaran gempa barangkali tidak terasa karena kapal yang bergoyang-goyang, tetapi biasanya kapal-kapal pesiar dan kapal-kapal yang dilengkapi peralatan yang modern, tentunya dilengkapi alat komunikasi. Petugas pelabuhan biasanya akan mengumumkan bila telah terjadi gempa di dasar laut.

Untuk mengantisipasi Tsunami pada saat sedang naik kapal di tengah laut, Anda diminta segera mengenakan pelampung, terjun ke laut lepas, dan membiarkan diri Anda mengapung di atas air, pasrah mengikuti datangnya gulungan ombak. Jangan melawannya, ikuti saja arus ombak! Hal itulah justru yang memungkinkan Anda selamat.(Berbagai sumber/N-5)

You CAN take it with you

2004-12-29T13:16:00.000+07:00

This very interesting article is taken from Newsweek issue: December 27 / January 7: Periscope by Sonia Kolesnikov-Jessop

I dream of owning it all. A big condo. A silver Mercedes. All the latest gadgets. And I've just found out how to do it. The catch? I have to be dead.

My fater has always nagged me to sort out my affairs and prepare a will. Tend to my afterlife, he says. But i've put it off. Too creepy. Now another birthday has rolled by, and at long last I've decided he is right. It's time.

So it was that i delicately raised the subject with a few Singaporean friends. A revelation! Rather than morbidly worrying how to divide my meager possessions among my nearest and dearest, I can do what they do - revel in dreaming about what goodies I should take with me into the Great Beyond. You can't take it with you, as the old saying goes? nonsense. Taoists send off their dead with anything (and sometimes everything) they could conceivably require. yes, the Mercedes. And the color TVs with karoke, too.

Not really, of course. These are paper facsimiles of things - houses, cars, what have you - that mourners burn to send as smoke (along with you, the dearly departed) into the afterlife. I'd oftern seen them hanin in shops and assumed they were just toys, not paying much attention. Now I pass Mr. Nam's religious-paraphernalia shop with more care, realizing that I could be window-shopping for eternity.

Alas, Mr. Nam is something of a relic. Taoist (here) tradition is fast disappearing in Singapore. Blame it on the economy, perhaps, but only one in 10 funerals theres days is conducted along Taoist lines.

Most locals opt for the simpler Buddhist version: a few monks' chants with fruit and vegetable offerings. "I know people who have switched from Taoist to buddhist because they don't want to spend the money", another shopkeeper tells me.

Even in the afterlife, it seems, condos don't come cheap. The deluxe version (four meters long) can cost $800. (Two maids are "thrown in" to keep the ash and soot out.) It's also very clear that ancestors know their Nikes from no-name flip-flops. "People are quite specific about their choice of brand," says Mr. Nam, adding that Mercedes outsells BMW when it comes to the dead and that Nokia phones are preferable to Samsung.

As for myself, I plan to go out with a bang, or at lease lots of smoke. I'll reserve the gaudiest offerings - full-size planes, yachts and cars with "chauffeurs." Already I'm advising friends on which little extras will keep me happy and entertained. Want my spirit protection - or, better yet, my gravelike silence on certain indiscretions? Put a little treat in the fire for me. From fine cognac to sexy red lingerie (you never know whom you'll meet) to Game Boys for those lonely nights, Nam's has it all - including such mundane items as cigarettes, cans of beer and spare dentures.

On the day I visited, he was jovially packing four large chests with $65 worth of gold and silver paper money. All of which would soon go up in smoke. He proudly pointed to the "customs" declaration banner, presumably to be collected by the proverbial bargeman over the River Styx, ensuring that the package gets to the right ancestors. "Bank of Hell" money had also been thrown in to distract evil spritis, who reputedly have a penchant for the finer things in life. It seems that even in death you must beware of thieves. The only problem: you have to pay for all this phony loot with real money, hard earned in the here and now.

rain rain

2004-12-20T11:32:00.000+07:00

Photos were taken few weeks ago, raining - Sunday afternoon.

Playing in the rain - fun, fun!

children are posing to the camera - action!

Apologize?

2004-12-20T11:06:00.000+07:00

Things a woman should never apologize for :

1. Never apologize for pursuing what makes you happy. Even if you need to quit your job, transfer schools, or move across country, always do what you really want.

2. Never apologize for using proper English. Keeping it real doesn't mean speaking Ebonics.

3. Never apologize for giving your best in a relationship that just didn't work out.

4. Never apologize for being successful. Only haters want to keep you at their level.

5. Never apologize for crying. Wear waterproof mascara and express yourself.

6. Never apologize for ten pounds you need to lose. People who truly care about you will accept you as you are.

7. Never apologize for being frugal. Just because you save your money instead of blowing it on the latest fashion emergency doesn't mean you're cheap.

8. Don't apologize for being a single mom. Babies are a blessing.

9. Never apologize for treating yourself to something special. Sometimes you have to show yourself some appreciation.

10. Never apologize for leaving an abusive relationship. Your safety should always be a priority.

11. Never apologize for keeping the ring even if wedding bells won't chime.

12. Never apologize for setting high standards in a relationship. You know what you can tolerate and what simply gets on your nerves.

13. Never apologize for saying NO.

14. Never apologize for asking for what you want in bed. If you don't, then who will?

15. Never apologize for wearing a weave. You bought it so it's yours.

16. Never apologize to your new friends about old friends. There's a reason she's been your girl from day one.

17. Never apologize for ordering dessert. Or more than one dessert.

18. Never apologize for dating outside your race. Just because you found Mr. Right across the color line doesn't mean you don't love your brothas.

19. Never apologize for not knowing how to cook. Even if you can't burn like Grandma you know how to order good take out.

20. Never apologize for your taste in clothes. It's your style.

21. Never apologize for changing your mind.

22. Never apologize for exercising your right to choose. It's your body and your right.

23. Never apologize for making more money than your man, you work hard and you deserve to get paid.

24. Never apologize for being you!

"KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND KEEP MOVING FORWARD"

health: sleep, bold

2004-12-15T15:28:00.000+07:00

My brother told me that our sleeping position should follow the earth magnetic axis : from North to South - this supposedly will improve body's circulation & health in general. However, this link says that the magnetic field is from South to North. ???

I am trying to find any info on the connection between coffee and baldness - still unsuccessful. It is said that applying coffee in your scalp will make hair healthy. In the meantime, you can read this very useful site about HAIR HEALTH.

AR 6

2004-12-09T11:03:00.000+07:00

Happy that I finally have time to update my blog. Super busy lately.

This favorite show on TV, Amazing Race 6, keeps me going on Sunday morning....

Have not decided what is the best team - but i do like the sisters, however they were eliminated on the 'hay fever' road block :(

My brother is staying with me while waiting for a job offer to show up. Hope good things will happen SOON!!

To grow old together

2004-12-03T09:15:00.000+07:00

On my wedding day, I carried my wife in my arms. The bridal car stopped in front of our one-room flat. My buddies insisted that I carry her out of the car in my arms. So I carried her into our home. She was then plump and shy. I was a strong and happy bridegroom. This was the scene of ten years ago.

The following days were as simple as a cup of pure water: we had a kid, I went into business and tried to make more money. When the assets were steadily increasing, the affections between usseemed to ebb. She was a civil servant. Every morning we left home together and got home almost at the same time. Our kid was studying in a boarding school.

Our marriage life seemed to be enviably happy. But the calm life was more likely to be affected by unpredictable changes.

Dew came into my life. It was a sunny day. I stood on a spacious balcony. Dew hugged me from behind. My heart once again was immersed in her stream of love. This was the apartment I bought for her. Dew said, "You are the kind of man who best draws girls' eyeballs. Her words suddenly reminded me of my wife. When we just married, my wife said, "Men like you, once successful, will be very attractive to girls."Thinking of this, I became somewhat hesitant. I knew I had betrayed mywife. But I couldn't help doing so. I moved Dew's hands aside and said, "You go to select some furniture,O.K.? I've got something to do in the company." Obviously she was unhappy, because I had promised her to go and see with her.

At the moment, the idea of divorce became clearer in my mind although it used to be something impossible to me. However, I found it rather difficult to tell my wife about it. No matter how mildly I mentioned it to her, she would be deeply hurt. Honestly, she was a good wife. Every evening she was busy preparing dinner. I was sitting in front of the TV. The dinner was ready soon. Then we watched TV together. Or, I was lounging before the computer, visualizing Dew's body. This was the means of my entertainment.

One day I said to her in a slight joking way, "Suppose we divorce, what will you do?" She stared at me for a few seconds without a word. Apparently she believed that 'divorce' was something too far away from her. I couldn't imagine how she would react once she got to know I was serious.

When my wife went to my office, Dew had just stepped out. Almost all the staff looked at my wife with a sympathetic eye and tried to hide something while talking with her. She seemed to have got some hint. She gently smiled at my subordinates. But I read some hurt in her eyes. Once again, Dew said to me, "He-Ning, divorce her, O.K.? Then we live together." I nodded. I knew I could not hesitate any more.

When my wife served the last dish, I held her hand. "I've got somethingto tell you," I said. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes. Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. "I want to divorce." I raised a serioustopic calmly. She didn't seem to be much annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, "why?". "I'm serious." I avoided her question. This so-called answer turned her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, "you are not a man!"

At that night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer, because my hearthad gone to Dew. With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company. She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. I felt a pain in my heart. The woman who had been living ten years with me would become a stranger one day. But I could not take back what I had said. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer.

A late night, I came back home after entertaining my clients. I saw her writing something at the table. I fell asleep fast. When I woke up, I found she was still there. I turned over and was asleep again. She brought up her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but I was supposed to give her one month's time before divorce, and in the month's time we must live as normal life as possible. Her reasonwas simple: our son would finish his summer vacation a month later and she didn't want him to see our marriage was broken. She passed me the agreement she drafted, and then asked me, "He-Ning, do you still remember how I entered our bridal room on the wedding day?" This question suddenly brought back all those wonderful memories to me.I nodded and said,

"I remember".

"You carried me in your arms", shecontinued,

"so, I have a requirement, that is, you carry me out in yourarms on the day when we divorce. From now to the end of this month, you must carry me out from the bedroom to the door everymorning."

I accepted with a smile. I knew she missed those sweet daysand wished to end her marriage with a romantic form.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions. She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. "No matter what tricks she does, she has to face the result of divorce," she said scornfully. Her words more or less made me feel uncomfortable. My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. We even treated each other as a stranger.

So when I carried her out for the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, "daddy is holding mummy in his arms." His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sittingroom, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly, "Let us start from today, don't tell our son." I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for bus, I drove to office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. We were so close that I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this intimate woman carefully for along time. I found she was not young any more. There were some fine wrinkles on her face.

On the third day, she whispered to me, "The outside garden is being demolished. Be careful when you pass there."

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I seemed to feel that we were still an intimate couple and I was holding my sweetheart in my arms.The visualization of Dew became vaguer.

On the fifth and sixth day, she kept reminding me something, such as,where she put the ironed shirts, I should be careful while cooking, etc.I nodded.

The sense of intimacy was even stronger. I didn't tell Dew about this. I felt it was easier to carry her. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger. I said to her, "It seems not difficult to carry you now."

She was picking her dresses. I was waiting to carry her out. She tried quite a few but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, "All my dresses have grown fatter." I smiled. But I suddenly realized that it was because she was thinner that I could carry her more easily, not because I was stronger. I knew she had buried all the bitterness in her heart. Again, I felt a sense of pain. Subconsciously I reached out a hand to touch her head. Our son came in at the moment. "Dad, it's time to carry mum out." He said. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had been an essential part of his life. She gestured our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face because I was afraid I would change my mind at the last minute. I held her in my arms, walking from thebedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly, as if we cameback to our wedding day. But her much lighter weight made me sad.

On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. She said, "Actually I hope you will hold mein your arms until we are old." I held her tightly and said, " Both you and I didn't notice that our life was lack of such intimacy."

I jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my decision. I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door. I said to her, "Sorry, Dew, I won't divorce. I'm serious."

She looked at me, astonished. The she touched my forehead.

"You got no fever." She said.

I moved her hand off my head. "Sorry, Dew," I said,"I can only say sorry to you, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of life, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I understand that since I carried her into the home, she gave birth to our child, I am supposed to hold her until I am old. So I have to say sorry to you."

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into cry.

I walked downstairs and drove to the office. When I passed the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet for my wife which was her favorite. The salesgirl asked me to write the greeting words on the card. I smiled and wrote, "I'll carry you out every morning until we are old."

"True" side of Horoscope

2004-11-29T16:18:00.000+07:00

"TRUE" SIDE OF HOROSCOPE

Capricorn (Dec 22 - Jan 19)
You are rather materialistic and it is fueled by your fears of financial disaster. This makes you complain about monetary woes, irritating many with your obnoxious attitude. You can also be a social climber, manipulating your way up the ladder; name- dropping all the way to the top. Once in a while, you'll have morbid thoughts about Death, something that scares you because you have no control over it. You tend to be obsessive about your mortality sometimes.
Advice:
Stop worrying about losing money, and you'd rid yourself of unfounded nightmares. Stop manipulating others and you'll be free to concentrate on attaining your goals. Get rid of your phobias and you'll be able to relax more and enjoy yourself.

Aquarius (Jan 20 - Feb 18)
You tend to be too idealistic and naive sometimes. Practicality gets thrown out of the window by you many times. Cool and aloof, you rarely want to deal with deep emotions. You like to give advice but don't like to receive it. And ideas and inspirations that you sometimes neglect or follow through with them are constantly bombarding you. Or else you are constantly shifting focus, giving people the idea with no staying power.
Advice:
Take time to explore your private feelings. Not all people see things your way. And just because you come up with ideas, don't expect other people to do all the work for you. Learn to trust people and accept advice.

Pisces (Feb 19 - Mar 20)
You are an escapist - you have this knack of avoiding issues if they seem unpleasant. You delve into past memories to escape your present woes. There is also a tendency towards alcoholism and even drug abuse - you are on a search for some kind of 'high'. You also love to flirt and too much of it may send the wrong, dangerous signals out to other people. Once in a while, a dark mood will descend on you and you become rather unsociable and withdrawn.
Advice:
Trust your instincts, but also be in control of your perceptions. Whenever the escapist tendency hits you, join a seminar or get a pep talk from a friend to get your perspective right.

Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 20)
A warrior at heart, you thrive on challenges and any strife and dramas, you are tempted to stir things up, just to keep yourself happy. You are also rather intolerant of mistakes and don't have patience for weakness or failings in others. And sometimes, you can be quite a snob as well you like to be seen at the right places or wear the right clothes. And you're also prone to bossiness. Your restless nature may make you quit a project suddenly if you can't sustain the interest.
Advice:
Get off your high horse and pay your dues before people will accept you. Learn to be more tolerant of others and try to see the other person's side of the story. If you believe in what you do, you can move mountains.

Taurus (Apr 21 - May 20)
You are stubborn and like to hold onto things, not wanting to let go of anything or anyone. You are slow to anger, but when you do get worked up to a rage - everyone step aside! You also have a selfish streak and can be quite sneaky as well. And although people may see you as helpful and agreeable, you sometimes have an inner struggle wanting the approval of opinions. You also tend to be suspicious of others and question their motives.
Advice:
Stop being mean and try to be nice. Learn to forgive and let go of your past disappointments. Learn from your mistakes and have faith in yourself and others as well.

Gemini (May 21 - Jun 21)
Your devil-may-care attitude sometimes could bring harm to yourself - you tend to live on the edge sometimes. Many of you believe that you don't deserve success, somehow feeling guilty for it. You may give others too much of yourself sometimes that you lose yourself. ! You may be prone to suppressing emotions as well. And at times that makes it difficult for you to accept affection and love.
Advice:
Work at listening to others and don't be tempted to try dare devil stunts all the time. And try doing something for yourself and once in a while, in between, doing favors for others. You're human, after all.

Cancer (Jun 22 - Jul 22)
You can get carried away with emotions - your anger is overwhelming and your sadness can depress all those around you. You're also ultra-sensitive to other people's emotions and are affected by these as well. You tend to react before you think and then brood about what you may have done or said wrong. You are also prone to periods of morbidity,thinking dark thoughts. Feelings of insecurity creep in now and then,making you snappish or else you try to win the approval of everyone at your expense.
Advice:
Accept that you are hypersensitive to emotions and work with yours. Go with the flow and by doing the right thing, you set an example for others. Work with others and this will help build your confidence and open you up.

Leo (Jul 23 - Aug 22)
On the rare occasion you lose your temper, you can turn into a savage beast. You seem to need an audience as well, to help boost your confidence and ego, sometimes. Other times, you get caught up in the outward dramas of your life that you neglect what you're feeling inside.This results in a delayed reaction when emotions sneak up on you and you get hit with a whammy. You also tend to be proud and aggressive, cloaking these with your charm. When things don't go your way, you get impatient and may even throw a tantrum.
Advice:
Learn to spend some time alone with yourself and get to know yourself better. And learn to experience your emotions at the moment, don't store them up for another time. And know that not all means justify the ends.

Virgo (Aug 23 - Sep 22)
You have a martyr complex, feeling that you were put on this earth to do good work and not receive any credit for it. You tend to be ultracritical of yourself and others and you also worry about things that are beyond your control. A little pessimistic sometimes, you tend to be an intellectual snob. You bottle up all your insecurities and fears, and
hesitate to reach out for help. And once in a while, you become a busybody - that's when you also feel responsible for other people's problems.
Advice:
Modesty has its own limits - take credit for your efforts. Give yourself a break and know that you do not have to be successful in everything you do. Keep focused and don't get tangled in other people's affairs too often.

Libra (Sep 23 - Oct 23)
Your inability to reach a decision in matters of personal action are legendary. You like to weigh all the alternatives and hear every side of an argument - but this may take time and opportunities may pass you by because of it. You also like to expand energy on people who may not deserve it - You want to help the underdog. You are also sensitive to criticism and may take mild statements of fact very personally.
Advice:
Follow your instincts and act on them - stop sitting on fences. Don't blindly trust people, learn to be a little more discriminating in your offers of help.Learn to think for yourself and don't be swayed by persuasive tongues

Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 21)
You have a revengeful streak and a long memory for past hurts. Sometimes you're downright spiteful. When you suffer, you make sure others suffer along with you. Sometimes, you may even use deception to get what you want and to influence others to stay out of your way. You may even believe these untruths and unrealistic fears will grow on you. Once in a while, you may come across someone that just rubs you on the wrong side for no apparent reason and you make it your mission to bury him or her.
Advice:
Flight the negative emotions that arise in you, and resentment will not sour your life. Don't' give into temptation to tell lies, learn to conquer your strong tendency towards revenge and things will fall into place for you.

Sagittarius (Nov 22 - Dec 21)
You've got a big mouth and unwittingly hurt an insult people with it. You can even go to utter strangers and give unsolicited advice and comments. You also seem to enjoy verbal duels with others whenever you can. And you sure can make sore losers, even suspecting foul play if things don't go your way. You have a knack for confrontation and you can't resist being sarcastic. You also don't think too much of many people, because you have a mild superiority complex. Vanity is also a trait in many of you.
Advice:
Learn with whom you can be frank otherwise keep your comments to yourself.Discretion is the better part of valour. Curb your cockiness,and you can combine it with your concern for serious issues, aiding in your search for truth.

Holiday mode

2004-11-24T14:17:00.000+07:00

Today is the 3rd day in office after 10 days public holiday and I'm so in holiday mode...

Check this "Losari Coffee Plantation" -- would be great to go there! Anyone?

Mamma Mia!

2004-11-23T16:24:00.000+07:00

This is the musical show that I REALLY REALLY want to see but I can't :( as must take days off + fly to Singapore... - wish it was in Jakarta!

STORY
A mother. A daughter. 3 possible dads.
And a trip down the aisle you'll never forget!

Over 18 million people all around the world have fallen in love with the characters, the story and the music that make

MAMMA MIA! the ultimate feel-good show!

Writer Catherine Johnson's sunny, funny tale unfolds on a tiny Greek island. On the eve of her wedding, a daughter's quest to discover the identity of her father brings 3 men from her mother's past back to the island they last visited 20 years ago.

The story-telling magic of ABBA's timeless songs propels this enchanting tale of love, laughter and friendship, and every night everyone's having the time of their lives!

With more productions playing internationally than any other musical, MAMMA MIA! is the world’s No.1 show !

DANCING QUEEN
THE WINNER TAKES IT ALL
SOS
KNOWING ME, KNOWING YOU
TAKE A CHANCE ON ME
I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO, I DO
THE NAME OF THE GAME
MONEY, MONEY, MONEY
SUPER TROUPER
GIMME! GIMME! GIMME!
MAMMA MIA

Eye cream

2004-11-09T09:13:00.000+07:00

Do it now!

2004-11-04T09:55:00.000+07:00

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn’t suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched something on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gasp and stammer, "I can’t. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday; I had a late breakfast. It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It’s Monday."

She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because people cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie toilet-trained. We’ll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for! Our lives is a litany of "I’m going to," "I plan on" and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my "seize the moment" friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It’s just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you "want to," not something on your "should do" list.

If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry-go-round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask, "How are you?," do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie on your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head?

Ever told your child, "We’ll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow?

Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die?

Just call to say, "Hi!"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift...thrown away. Life is not a race.

Take it slower! Hear the music before the song is over.

Why yellling?

2004-11-03T14:31:00.001+07:00

Mengapa Berteriak?

Suatu hari sang guru bertanya kepada murid-muridnya; "Mengapa ketika seseorang sedang dalam keadaan marah, ia akan berbicara dengan suara kuat atau berteriak?"

Seorang murid setelah berpikir cukup lama mengangkat tangan dan menjawab; "Karena saat seperti itu ia telah kehilangan kesabaran, karena itu ia lalu berteriak." "Tapi..." sang guru balik bertanya, "lawan bicaranya justru berada disampingnya. Mengapa harus berteriak? Apakah ia tak dapat berbicara secara halus?"

Hampir semua murid memberikan sejumlah alasan yang dikira benar menurut pertimbangan mereka. Namun tak satupun jawaban yang memuaskan. Sang guru lalu berkata; "Ketika dua orang sedang berada dalam situasi kemarahan, jarak antara ke dua hati mereka menjadi amat jauh walau secara fisik mereka begitu dekat. Karena itu, untuk mencapai jarak yang demikian, mereka harus berteriak. Namun anehnya, semakin keras mereka berteriak, semakin pula mereka menjadi marah dan dengan sendirinya jarak hati yang ada di antara keduanya pun menjadi lebih jauh lagi. Karena itu mereka terpaksa berteriak lebih keras lagi."

Sang guru masih melanjutkan; "Sebaliknya, apa yang terjadi ketika dua orang saling jatuh cinta? Mereka tak hanya tidak berteriak, namun ketika mereka berbicara suara yang keluar dari mulut mereka begitu halus dan kecil. Sehalus apapun, keduanya bisa mendengarkannya dengan begitu jelas. Mengapa demikian?" Sang guru bertanya sambil memperhatikan para muridnya. Mereka nampak berpikir amat dalam namun tak satupun berani memberikan jawaban. "Karena hati mereka begitu dekat, hati mereka tak berjarak. Pada akhirnya sepatah katapun tak perlu diucapkan. Sebuah pandangan mata saja amatlah cukup membuat mereka memahami apa yang ingin mereka sampaikan."

Sang guru masih melanjutkan; "Ketika anda sedang dilanda kemarahan, janganlah hatimu menciptakan jarak. Lebih lagi hendaknya kamu tidak mengucapkan kata yang mendatangkan jarak di antara kamu. Mungkin di saat seperti itu, tak mengucapkan kata-kata mungkin merupakan cara yang bijaksana. Karena waktu akan membantu anda."

daily life

2004-10-25T19:06:00.000+07:00

Heard that it is common for women here to be harrased - ok, only bum ... WHAT? ONLY???
This will happen in rickshaw and taxi... this is scaaarryy!!!

We went to pizza Hut yesterday. As usual, there are so many beggars on the street, and they start to 'force' us to give money - very very disturbing...

oh, my fish fingers are here ..yummy!!

Dhaka, Bangladesh & Great Romantic

2004-10-24T14:23:00.000+07:00

Quick recap on my first few days in Dhaka.

Finallly arrived in ZIA International Airport at 9.15 pm on 20th Oct 04 with Biman Air.

In Plane:
1. There were only 5 woman in our Airbus plane (from Singapore-Bangkok-Dhaka)
2. Toilet: The men always let me go in first no matter how long the q is!
3. The food is YUUUUMMMYYY!!
4. Strict, tense, fierce atmosphere between cabin crews + passengers...

In airport:
Immigration: I get to q in Diplomatic Officer line - good to be different!

Look what i found :)

Artist: Tunde
Album: Altre Canzoni
Title: Great Romantic

Hey, so you threw your heart right in
and it turned out less than perfect
a losing streak is starting in your mind
you let yourself believe the pain
its never going to be worth it
don't beat yourself up
know that you were never wrong for wishful thinking
So now that you've lost the battle
should we just cross out your name and let you sink?

chorus:
You've got me feeling like the last surviving great romantic,
Just stop the dreaming and the world stops spinning around
You feel foolish cos love never turns out
like you planned it
stop believing and the world stops letting you down.

So you had to let it go
it clearly wasn't working
new love leaves you trembling
you hide behind the door
so unsure of what you used to know
so now you think your every move ten steps ahead and you are frozen
caught inside yourself
You're drowning as the anger overflows....

Chorus:

definitions

2004-10-18T09:18:00.000+07:00

OXFORD DICTIONARY'S LATEST DEFINITION OF THE FOLLOWING WORDS:

- Divorce : Future tense of marriage.

- Cigarette : A pinch of tobacco rolled in paper with fire at one end & a fool on the other.

- Lecture : An art of transferring information from the notes of the lecturer to the notes of the students without passing through "the minds of either"

- Conference : The confusion of one man multiplied by the number present.

- Compromise : The art of dividing a cake in such a way that everybody believes he got the biggest piece.

- Tears : The hydraulic force by which masculine will-power is defeated by feminine water power

- Dictionary : A place where success comes before work.

- Conference Room : A place where everybody talks, nobody listens and everybody disagrees later on.

- Classic : A book which people praise, but do not read.

- Smile : A curve that can set a lot of things straight.

- Office : A place where you can relax after your strenuous home life.

- Yawn : The only time some married men ever get to open their mouth. Etc. : A sign to make others believe that you know more than you actually do.

- Committee : Individuals who can do nothing individually and sit to decide that nothing can be done together.

- Experience : The name men give to their mistakes.

- Atom Bomb : An invention to end all inventions.

- Philosopher : A fool who torments himself during life, to be spoken of when dead.

- Diplomat : A person who tells you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip.

- Opportunist : A person who starts taking a bath if he accidentally falls into a river.

- Optimist : A person who while falling from Eiffel tower says in midway "See, I am not injured yet."

- Miser : A person who lives poor so that he can die rich.

- Father : A banker provided by nature.

- Criminal : A guy no different from the rest....except that he got caught.

- Boss : Someone who is early when you are late and late when you are early.

- Politician : One who shakes your hand before after.

- Doctor : A person who kills your ills by pills, and kills you with his bills.

Silver Fawn, racer, fasting month

2004-10-14T16:31:00.000+07:00

This is the colour checking - cool link ... try it out, try!

And this is my color checking result :)

----
You are Silver Fawn, who tends to give an impression of being difficult to grasp what you really mean.

People find it hard to know what you think and what you like, no matter how often and how much they talk to you.

Your mysterious atmosphere makes you look like a cold hearted woman, but all the more, you stand for femininity.

You are composed of both natural caution against men and passion for your own life.

A feudalistic ideas and passion for artistic things exist along side each other inside you, and are kept in good balance.

You are full of fantasist ideas, and tends to be rather dreamy sort of person. Nevertheless, your attitude towards life is extremely steady. You are not interested in real life, and you don't have many relationships.

You can show astonishing vital power when it comes to long term businesses. But you tend to withdraw into your shell, and be unable to bring out the trust you have among other people.

You should try and mingle more often with others.

Although you are very unique and have the mysterious atmosphere around you, you tend to get interested in natural and ordinary things.

You should create an environment at home, where you could make use of your personal interest and your life mission.After getting married, you will lead a steady life.

There may be a possibility that you may take an active part outside your home.

----

Pictures of racers to be ....

Note:
Fasting month starts tomorrow = office hours = 8 am - 4 pm :) loveeeelyyy!!!

Conquest ...

2004-10-13T14:02:00.000+07:00

Still in my conquest to find the GREAT ROMANTIC lyrics by Tunde.

JB sent me the link to Lighthouse Family lyrics - very nice of you, Thank you...., can't find it there though! Help...help....

-------

Tunde - The Great Romantic

The voice and soul of the Lighthouse Family, Tunde Baiyewu finds a voice of his own with his gorgeous debut solo album, ‘Tunde’, out October 25th, featuring the captivating first single, ‘Great Romantic’ out October 4th.

This debut self-titled solo album is written by Tunde with further collaboration from Grant Lee Phillips (former frontman of Grant Lee Buffalo) and Floetry collaborator, Sebastian Rogers. The album is produced by Mike Peden who has worked extensively with the Lighthouse Family and was the man behind The Chimes.

Going solo with his own material has always been a dream for Tunde and the new album is undoubtedly the sound of an artist exploring new territory as both a vocalist and lyricist.

Says Tunde: “For me, it was all about the songs. They reflect a lot of the stuff I’ve been through over the past four years, plus my Nigerian heritage is in there too. The lyrics are very personal. I think I’m doing things with my voice now that people won’t have heard before; it’s more expressive. Playing safe would have been… too dangerous.”

Highlights range from the first single, ‘Great Romantic’, with its anthemic and infectious chorus to the groove and hook laden, ‘Shouldn’t Be Like This (according to fairness)’. ‘Letting Me Down Gently’, featuring Catherine Feeny, is a sensuous and affecting song and just one of many of the stand out tracks on the album. ‘Anaesthetic’ is a powerful and personal song about grief which showcases Tunde’s vocal range and power of expression to stunning effect. ‘Our History’ is a soulful gem, while, ‘Miles Ahead Of Me’, manages to be sensitive and enervating all at once. Tunde’s voice has never sounded so rich and strong and emotive as it does on this album. From up tempo tracks like, ‘Cover Me’, to more introspective numbers like, ‘Can’t Make The World Disappear’, ‘Tunde’ is a rare treat; an intelligent, passionate album packed with classic songs, delivered in Tunde’s own unmistakable style.
--------------

For the past few days, I've been busy arranging my ticket for next wednesday 20th Oct.
Jakarta-Singapore --> Garuda Indonesia Airline
Singapore - Dhaka --> Biman Air

Problems:
1. No Biman Air sales office in Jakarta.
2. Cash only - and it is cheaper by Sin$30, good price!
3. Ticket can only be issued by Biman sales office in the city.
4. No time to go into city and collect ticket.

Then a name came up in my head. I contacted this fellow, Ed, whom I have never met before but he helped me with ticket arragement for my boyfriend last April. Guess what? He said ok that he will pay for me first, collect the ticket and send it to airport! Unbelievable eh? There is stll a nice person in this world!

Great Romantic

2004-10-12T13:49:00.000+07:00

I have been googling for the lyrics of Great Romantic by Tunde, vocalist of the Lighthouse Family. Zero till today...

Bought a cute play board... it comes with the chess & tiny buttons : SHE, HE....

Panasonic camera will be used by papa. I'll keep the tiny phone, it is my GREAT ROMANTIC...

Superman&Bali photos

2004-10-11T14:55:00.000+07:00

Superman "long time ago" star - Christopher Reeves passed away. He was on The Practice , guest appearance, two weeks ago ... We really don't know our future, do we?

Bali trip - 5 - 8 Oct 04
Tues, 5/10/04
Half day at work. Rushed to airport. Flight on time. Welcome to Bali :)

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel - before checking in.

Wed, 6/10/04

Left wing view from room ...

Statue of Bima Mencari Air Suci ...

Bali dancers -- love the dances, love the costumes!

Thurs., 7/10/04
Garuda Wisnu Kencana complex

The magnificent clay hill, the highest spot in South -- buildings are made of same material! look at the details!

The beautiful scenery at night time to see the foot of Bali island -- still lovely at day time....

Miniature of Garuda Wisnu Kencana Statue - suppose to be 140 m in height!

It is in slow progress due to lack of PRIVATE funding ...

Every piece will be assembled once done, currently only body & bird are ready...

Uluwatu

BEEEAUUUTIIFFUUULLLL scenery! it's 60 m above sea! breathtaking view!!

In front of Nusa Dua Beach hotel

Day time & night time

Fri, 8/10/04
Back to Jakarta :(

Bromo mountain, active volcano - taken from plane ....

"Hectic" week - Bali

2004-10-08T15:26:00.000+07:00

It has been a hectic week ..

Monday = can't remember what did i do,
Tuesday = documents for Directors' Meeting. Left office at 12.30 pm.
Tuesday pm - Friday am (just arrived this morning!) = in Bali - yippieeee.....

Photos will be uploaded next week. It is nice to be away from office and city life!

Brothers:
Norman, will come to Jakarta by end of October ...
Yanto is back at home now, after 4/5 days in hospital.

ok, now I have to keep up all the reading in JB blog - always amusing :)

mailing list & mooncake

2004-09-27T14:21:00.000+07:00

A useful link that I found on the Buddhism mailing list: alternative medication: Juice fasting is an advanced method of detoxification that speeds the elimination of toxins from the body - this method is called: Detox - juicing. Funnily enough, the advertisement on this page is McDonald "i'm lovin' it"- premium breast strips.

Today is the mooncake festival!
THERE are several stories about the origins of mooncakes and the myths and legends behind the Mooncake Festival.

One of the more romantic myths is that Chang-O, the most beautiful woman of Chinese mythology stole the elixir of life that her husband had obtained with great difficulty from the Royal Mother.

------
The story goes like this:

Long ago, the earth was in a state of havoc because there were 10 suns in the sky, and these were the sons of the Jade Emperor.

Rivers dried up, the land became barren, and many people died.
Seeing the death and destruction caused by his sons, the Jade Emperor took this matter to the god Hou Yi. The Emperor asked Hou Yi to persuade his sons to rise up away from the earth to end the catastrophe.

When Hou Yi asked the suns to leave the sky, they refused. Made angry by their defiance, Hou Yi, a great archer, launched arrows at the suns, shooting them down one by one until his wife Chang-O pleaded with him to save one sun to keep the earth warm and bright.
Knowing that the Jade Emperor was furious at the slaying of his sons, Hou Yi and Chang-O were forced to stay on earth.

Chang-O was unhappy, so her husband tried to win back her favour by gathering herbs that would give them once again the power to ascend to heaven. Chang-O remained angry, however, and ate all the herbs herself. She flew up to the moon, where she remains alone, living in the Moon Palace. The Tang poet, Li Shang-yin wrote the above verse on Chang O's sad story three thousand years later, and the story of Chang-O's flight to the moon has persisted since among the people of the world. There are several versions of this story, but this is the more popular version.

On the 15th of the 8th lunar month every year (this year it falls on September 24), when the moon is at its brightest and loveliest, Chinese people around the world look at the moon and remember Chang-O and her legend. The occasions is celebrated as the Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as
the Moon Festival.
-----

Mooncakes

Mooncakes became part of the Mid-Autumn Festival because during the Yuan dynasty (1280 1368 A.D.) when China was ruled by the Mongolian people. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (960-1280 A.D.) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set out to co-ordinate the rebellion without it being discovered. The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Packed into each mooncake was a message with the outline of the attack.

On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels succesfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644 A.D.).

Today, mooncakes are eaten to commemorate this event.

For generations, mooncakes have been made with sweet fillings of nuts, mashed red beans, lotus-seed paste or Chinese dates, wrapped in a pastry. Sometimes, a cooked egg yolk can be found in the middle of the rich tasting dessert.

What does this festival mean and when did it start?
asnwers:
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Sharing a mooncake with your family by dividing i into four pieces -- a tradition that Chinese believe will ensure a harmonious family. A festival for reunion The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the year according to the Chinese lunar calendar.

The custom of worshipping the moon can be traced back as far as the ancient Xia (21st century-16th century BC) and Shang dynasties (16th century-11th century BC). In the Song Dynasty (960-1279), people began to send round mooncakes to their relatives as gifts as an expression of their best wishes of family reunion. In addition to mooncakes, Chinese also eat taro, fragrant ``maodou'' (young soybean) and duck at the festival. At the end of a meal, people often have fresh lotus roots. Tonight the moon should be at its lowest angle to the horizon, making the moon appear brighter and rounder than any other time of the year.
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Unfortunately, the meaning of this tradition is fading away - full report.

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My friend shared her little secret on how to "find" a husband by following these steps during the mooncake festival:

1. Put a pail of water at the open space of the house i.e. roof or yard

2. Leave it there for 24 hours and MUST get direct moon & sun lights.
3. Bathe with water from the pail & make a wish - for a perfect husband :)

Woman...

2004-09-26T13:21:00.000+07:00

THE ONE FLAW IN WOMEN

By the time the Lord made woman, He was into his sixth day of working overtime.
An angel appeared and said, "Why are you spending so much time on this one?"

And the Lord answered, "Have you seen my spec sheet on her? She has to be completely washable, but not plastic, have over 200 movable parts, all replaceable and able to run on diet coke and leftovers, have a lap that can hold four children at one time, have a kiss that can cure anything from a scraped knee to a broken heart -and she will do everything with only two hands."

The angel was astounded at the requirements. "Only two hands!? No way!And that's just on the standard model? That's too much work for one day. Wait until tomorrow to finish."But I won't," the Lord protested. "I am so close to finishing this creation that is so close to my own heart. She already heals herself when she is sick AND can work 18 hour days."

The angel moved closer and touched the woman. "But you have made her so soft, Lord."
"She is soft," the Lord agreed, "but I have also made her tough.
You have no idea what she can endure or accomplish." "Will she be able to think?", asked the angel.

The Lord replied, "Not only will she be able to think, she will be able to reason and negotiate."

The angel then noticed something, and reaching out, touched the woman's cheek. "Oops, it looks like you have a leak in this model. I told you that you were trying to put too much into this one." "That's not a leak," the Lord corrected, "that's a tear!" "What's the tear for?" the angel asked.

The Lord said, "The tear is her way of expressing her joy, her sorrow, her pain, her disappointment, her love, her loneliness, her grief and her pride." The angel was impressed. "You are a genius, Lord. You thought of everything! Woman is truly amazing." And she is! Women have strengths that amaze men.

They bear hardships and they carry burdens, but they hold happiness, love and joy. They smile when they want to scream. They sing when they want to cry. They cry when they are happy and laugh when they are nervous. They fight for what they believe in. They stand up to injustice. They don't take "no" for an answer when they believe there is a better solution.They go without so their family can have. They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.They love unconditionally. They cry when their children excel and cheer when their friends get awards.They are happy when they hear about a birth or a wedding. Their hearts break when a friend dies. They grieve at the loss of a family member, yet they are strong when they think there is no strength left.They know that a hug and a kiss can heal a broken heart.

Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.They'll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you to show how much they care about you.

The heart of a woman is what makes the world keep turning. They bring joy, hope and love. They have compassion and ideals. They give moral support to their family and friends. Women have vital things to say and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN, IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH.