~phobia & bomb!

An interesting Readers' Digest Challenge - September edition.

1. Automatonophobia = fear of ventriloquist dummies
2. Bibliophobia = fear of books
3. Ecclesiophobia = fear of church
4. Aulophobia = fear of flutes
5. Selenophobia = fear of the moon
6. Venustraphobia = fear of beautiful women
7. Logizomechanophobia = fear of computers

Sister said younger nephew, Okta, is better. He wants to play now but still does not have good appettite - yet. Her new worries now is that the 1st child, Dodo, might catch the measles as he wants to be around Okta all the time!

BREAKING NEWS:

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JAKARTA : At least seven people were killed and nearly 100 injured in a car bomb explosion outside the Australian embassy in central Jakarta Thursday, hospital officials said.Doctors at Jakarta's Metropolitan Medical Centre, close to the scene of the explosion, said four dead people had been received at their facility and at least 99 injured.

Mardiono, a medic at the morgue of Jakarta's Ciptomangunkusumo general hospital, said three unidentified bodies had also been sent there from the blast scene.The blast at around 10:30 am (0330 GMT) prompted the immediate evacuation of the embassy and caused a sharp drop on the Jakarta stock market.ElShinta radio station quoted a witness saying a police truck and a taxi in front of the embassy had been blown apart and the high steel fence surrounding the building in the Kuningan business and residential district was damaged.

A guard's post in front of the embassy was also destroyed.An AFP reporter at the scene saw burning debris in the road outside the embassy, roughly 100 metres (109 years) from the perimeter wall, as emergency services tried to extinguish flames and tend to the injured.A nearby multi-storey commerical block was left windowless by the blast.The Australian foreign ministry in Canberra said the explosion shattered windows in the embassy compound and damaged cars, but there were no immediate reports of injuries among embassy staff.

"The explosion shattered windows in the area including some at the Australian embassy and cars have been damaged," she told AFP."The embassy has been evacuated in line with established procedures," she said, adding that it was too early to determine whether the embassy had been targeted by the blast, she said.The Australian government of Prime Minister John Howard has warned Australians to avoid travel to Indonesia due to the threat of terrorist attacks by Islamic groups linked to the Al-Qaeda network.Both Australia and the United States last week raised new warnings urging their citizens and officials to avoid Western hotels in Jakarta following fresh concerns they could be hit by terrorists.

The warnings reminded citizens to defer non-essential travel to the Southeast Asian archipelago.Australia, which joined the United States in invading Iraq last year, has also been on alert for possible strikes ahead of national elections to be held on October 9.The Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah group has been blamed for several high profile bomb attacks in Indonesia including the August 2003 attack on Jakarta's Marriott Hotel and the October 2002 bombings on the resort island of Bali.The nightclub bombings in Bali killed 202 people, including 88 Australians.- AFP

Random

Sister went to doctor again last night, Okta has got morbili / measles !

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Measles (morbilli): Characterised by high fever, coughing, common cold, eye irritation, exanthema (or a skin rash) and possible serious complications such as pneumonia or encephalitis
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Hope he'll recover soon ..

Another birthdays 2 days ago = colleagues, Free lunch instead of cake :)

Rafii = wish he was 29

Ady=26 y.o


Has anyone seen fruit called Kecapi? This is my first time to see! It is said that the fruit must be squashed by door to open OR can just use knife - we chose the latter. Descriptions: nothing to swallow, just chew, taste the sour juice from the fruit and throw all.

Chinese medicine

Sister decided to use the antalope/deer horn here for treating treating Okta's (10 months old) fever today. Hopefully he will be better - it is breaking our heart to see her child unwell.

Hot weekend

It is not what you think...! Saturday and Sunday were extremely sunny and hot. Traffic was horrible too because of the Car exhibition at Senayan, good thing that i stayed in :)

Sister's birthday on Sunday. We gave her the a neclakce, and she loves it ... her younger son is still sick, and this is breaking her heart -- hope he'll be ok soon.

Went for dinner last night with the gals: Erni, Candra and Voni.

The delicious fish soup!


Candra looks happy with his spicy fried noodle...

This is Voni's meal of the night, Kwetiau


No picture of Erni's meal as she did not have a healthy choice ... ..


After dinner, we decided to have a quick visit to traditional market - it was 8.30 pm. The market is busy with loading vegetables ...

birthday cake

Yesterday was our colleague, Mercy's, 32nd birthday!



Delightful strawberry cake, www.dapurcokelat.com, for everyone!

Essential 55

I watched a nice program about teaching by Ron Clark on how to be a good teacher, a good parents. He published a book called Essential 55 -- it is a 55 simple rules in communicating with his students, of course, with help from parents.
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Here are some of the ideas that he says are essential for kids to learn:
Make eye contact
Respect other; ideas and opinions
Do not save seats
Say thank you within three seconds of receiving something
When you win, do not brag; when you lose, do not show anger
Do your homework each and every night without fail
Do not talk in a movie theater
Be the best person you can be
Always be honest
If you are asked a question in conversation, ask a question in return
Perform random acts of kindness
Learn the names of all the teachers in the school and greet them
If someone bumps into you, even if it was not your fault , say excuse me
Stand up for what you believe in

Special thanks!

A big THANKS to my BEST buddy, Derix who helped me with tag-board (see chat box on the right) & other technical problems, you are the smartest~!

breast cancer INFO

More on Breast Cancer click HERE ....

Common Risk Factors Associated with Breast Cancer

Age.

The risk of breast cancer increases as a woman grows older. About 82 percent of breast cancers occur in women age 50 and older. The risk is especially high for women age 60 or older. Breast cancer is uncommon in women younger than age 35.

Personal History.

Women who have had breast cancer and women with a history of breast disease (not cancer, but a condition that may predispose them to cancer) may develop it again.
Family History. The risk of getting breast cancer increases for a woman whose mother, sister, daughter, or two or more close relatives have had the disease. It is important to know how old they were at the time they were diagnosed.

The Breast Cancer Genes.

Some individuals, both women and men, may be born with an "alteration" (or change) in one of two genes that are important for regulating breast cell growth. Individuals who inherit an alteration in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene are at an "inherited" higher risk for breast cancer. They also may pass this alteration on to their children. It is very rare—scientists estimate that only about 5 - 10 percent of all breast cancers are due to genetic changes. One out of two women with these changes are likely to develop breast cancer. Women with a family history of breast cancer are encouraged to speak to a genetics counselor to determine the pros and cons of genetic testing.

Having an Early First Period.

Women who begin menstruating before age 12 are at increased risk of developing breast cancer. The more menstrual cycles a woman has over her lifetime, the more likely she is to get the disease.

Having a First Pregnancy After Age 25 or 30.

Although early pregnancies may help lower the chances of getting breast cancer, particularly before the age of 25, these same hormonal changes after age 35 may contribute to the incidence of breast cancer.

Having No Children.

Women who experience continuous menstrual cycles until menopause are at a higher than average risk.

POSITIVE LIFESTYLE CHOICES

Decrease your daily fat intake.

Increase fiber in your diet.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables.

Limit alcohol.

Stay active.

Don't smoke.

From the National Breast Cancer Awareness Month Campaign.

BREAST CANCER

First, You Ignore

In some cultures, there's no word for cancer. In others, women believe the disease is God's will. Jeannette Batz Cooperman, PhD, uncovers a slew of reasons women don't fight it.

When Harold Freeman, MD, set off around the country to find out why people of different races and ethnicities weren't getting cancer care, he assumed he'd hear about financial and geographic obstacles. And he did. What he didn't expect were the numbers of Americans who, for a variety of cultural reasons, wouldn't want screening or treatment anyway.

African-Americans

African-Americans have the highest death rate from breast cancer of any racial or ethnic group in the country. In part because they're not getting diagnosed early enough. Fear keeps many from seeking screening. There aren't any African-American Nancy Reagans or Olivia Newton-Johns to reassure black women that you can lose your hair and it will grow back or lose part of your bosom and emerge just as sexy, loved, and confident as ever. Religion is also an effective barrier in some communities, according to medical anthropologist Deborah Erwin. Twelve years ago she heard an elderly woman announce, "If God wants me to have a mammogram, he'll tell me!" Erwin decided then and there to work through the churches. Katherine Jahnige, MD, community outreach coordinator for the Siteman Cancer Center and director of the Witness Project in St. Louis, points to the Christian tradition of "claiming," which, in biblical terms, means you can speak something into reality (for many believers that translates into: Talk too much about breast cancer and you'll get it).

Latinas

Latinas over 40 are the least likely of any group to have mammograms, according to the Society for Women's Health Research in Washington, D.C. The biggest obstacles are lack of insurance and legal documentation, but some barriers are emotional. Sister Concha De La Cruz, a 62-year-old nun and pastoral minister for the Hispanic community of St. Louis, remembers growing up with other Mexicans in hot, dusty, Spanish-speaking El Paso. "Many Mexican women do not trust doctors to this day," she says. "They prefer to use herbs. And there used to be a culture of extreme modesty—'Nobody can look at me, nobody can touch me.'" For her generation, in fact, virginity was such a fragile treasure that even a doctor's gynecological exam was shunned lest it compromise a woman's purity. "That is changing," Sister Concha says with relief, although some women do confide in her about husbands so macho they don't want their wife's breasts examined. Sister Concha sighs heavily, remembering how her own father refused to take her mother to the doctor. "He was extremely jealous. If the doctor wanted a follow-up appointment, he would say, 'Well, the doctor's fallen in love with you.'"

Asian-Americans

Asian-Americans often forgo mammograms because they don't see breast cancer as a threat. Back home, that may be true: Rates across Asian countries are extremely low. But according to the National Asian Women's Health Organization, by the time an Asian woman has been in the United States for one decade, her risk of breast cancer has increased by a whopping 80 percent. Katherine K. Kim, PhD, professor emeritus of nursing science at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan—who herself recovered from breast cancer decades after emigrating from Korea—has researched other barriers that impede Asian-Americans from getting screened and treated. There's a real fear of social stigma—the worry that should a woman be diagnosed with breast cancer, her husband will leave her or the community will shun her. Kim also found that extreme modesty often plays a large role—many of these women are too embarrassed to undergo an examination.

Muslims

"The idea of prevention is pretty Western," says Bogomolov. "If you believe your life has been preordained from the moment you were conceived, the disease is either going to occur or it's not. All we can do is show that the interventions being offered are on their life path. Barbara Bogomolov, who directs refugee health services for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, is strategizing how to reach her observant Muslim patients from countries like Afghanistan and Pakistan who find mammography an affront to their understanding of body modesty. One idea: Train those already permitted into their homes—for example, nuns who teach English—to talk about mammograms and breast health. Another plan is a mammography van completely staffed by female technicians who will stress that mammograms are necessary to keep a woman healthy and pure before Allah.

Native Americans

When Jackie Nolte, who is part Cherokee, was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago at the age of 54, she found herself angered by the prospect of chemotherapy. "I could not give the white people my hair," she muttered. At Las Fuentes Health Clinic, Gynecologist John Molina's Native American patients remind him daily that what Western science calls fatalism is, to them, simply acceptance. "Breast cancer doesn't even faze them," he remarks, "because they feel that whatever happens will happen." So screening carries no urgency. Intense modesty makes it unlikely that these women would ever perform a breast self-exam, says Molina. "They don't even like talking about breasts much less feeling them." He adds that Apache, Hopi, and Navajo women will see healers before medical doctors. "What finally brings them into the clinic is pain. By the time you get pain, it's an advanced cancer." While the incidence of breast cancer among Native Americans is lower than that of other groups, the mortality rate in some parts of the country is higher, according to available research. Molina suggests that health care providers might do well to learn who the healers and elders are in the community and work through them.

Jeannette Batz Cooperman, PhD, has written for the Utne Reader and Glamour.

thanks

Special thanks for JB, click here to see this nice guy, who inspired me to make this amateur blog. Thank you, thank you!

sleepy

Morning all~! It is a lovely day - let's go back to sleep zzz...zzz...

I am still considering whether to get a camera phone or not? Especially, after I bumped into a small group of traditional dancers - my 1st time to see it LIVE - last night at the local market after my quick swim.

pro:

enable me to take interesting pictures anytime and upload to my blogs.

con:

I might get mugged - as snaps of interesting photos are normally from unexpected places…

job & sleep

Woke up feeling tired -- been like this for the past few days! I need my old 9 hours sleeping pattern back....

This is what I've noticed:
Office = time moves sloooowwwly
After office = time just flies QUICKLY!

My younger brother, Yanto, is in hospital - hepatitis A, more details - here. Today is his 2nd day resting there, he said he only feels slightly better. All rooms in hopsital are full, he's sharing room with other 4 patients - of course without aircon! I can't imagine how HOT in there ... Parents are still trying to move him to better room ...

The BRIGHT MOON on Mooncake festival (3 days ago).

"Job"

If you REALLY try hard enough to see the 2nd picture (center), you can see two tiny thingies between the lift & building - actually those are hands, they are cleaning each side of the HUGE building by hands!

Kabbalah

Ever heard of Kabbalah before?   Interesting that I watched Oprah show this morning with Madonna as guest, and they talked about it – Every person is responsible for everything that happens in life.  Let say … whenever we are happy or achieved something good, we will say that “ok, I did that” , however when we are down / sad or things don’t go our way, we tend to avoid / close ourselves and even blame others - while we really should be responsible for that as well.   Our happiness or sadness should not be determined by external factor – which I agree!   Now, keep that I mind, people ….

 

ponder....

A SOULFUL RELATIONSHIP

By Rev. Ronald McFadden

 

If you're not married, share this with a friend. If

you are married, share it with your spouse or other

married couples and reflect on it.

 

An African proverb states, " Before you get married,

keep both eyes open, and after you married, close

one eye".

 

Before you get involved and make a commitment to

someone, don't let lust, desperation, immaturity,

ignorance, pressure from others or a low

self-esteem, make you blind to warning signs. Keep your eyes

open, and don't fool yourself that you can change

someone or that what you see as faults aren't really important.

 

Once you decide to commit to someone, over time his

or her flaws, vulnerabilities, pet peeves, and

differences will become more obvious.

 

If you love your mate and want the relationship to

grow and evolve,  you've got to learn to close one

eye and not let every little thing bother you. You

and your mate have many different

expectations,emotional,

needs, values, dreams, weaknesses, and strengths.

 

You are two unique individual children of God who

have decided to share a life together.

 

Neither of you are perfect, but are you perfect for

each other? Do you bring out the best in each other?

Do you compliment and compromise with each other, or

do you compete, compare and control? What do you

bring to the relationship? Do you bring past

relationships, past hurt, past mistrust, past pain?

 

You can't take someone to the altar to alter him or

her. You can't make someone love you or make someone

stay. If you develop self-esteem, spiritual

discernment, and " a life", you won't find yourself

making someone else responsible for your happiness

or responsible for your pain.

 

Manipulation, control, jealousy, neediness, and

selfishness are not the ingredients of a thriving,

healthy, loving and lasting relationship! Seeking

status, sex, wealth, and security are the wrong

reasons to be in a relationship.

 

What keeps a relationship strong?

Communication, intimacy, trust, a sense of humor,

sharing household tasks, some get away time without

business or children and daily exchanges (a meal,

shared activity, a hug, a call, a touch, a note).

Leave a nice message on the voicemail or send a nice

email.

 

Sharing common goals and interests. Growth is

important. Grow together, giving each other space to

grow without feeling insecure. Allow your mate to

have outside interest.

You can't always be together. Give each other a sense

of belonging and assurances of commitment. Don't try

to control one another?

 

Learn each other's family situation. Respect his or

her parents regardless.

 

Don't put pressure on each other for material goods.

Remember for richer or the poorer. If these qualities

are missing, the relationship will erode as

resentment, withdrawal, abuse, neglect, dishonesty,

and pain replace the passion.

 

The difference between "United" and "Untied" is

where you put the "i"?

 

 

Sleep, fire

I had a fantazzzzztic weekend : sleep, out, sleep, eat, sleep.

 

Bought a gift for sister – her birthday this coming 5^th September.  Hope she’ll love it!  Oh, dear sister, in case you are reading this, sorry, can’t tell you what it is.  You have to wait till Sunday J

 

Couple of friends (Erni, Candra) and myself went to the food center at Ambasaddor mall for dinner.  It was half crowded (dinner time) until we saw a group of people in panic.  Everybody panicked!  We were quite far from the scene actually, it took us a while to finally realize that there was a fire incident there.  Candra was busy with her food.  Erni and I were still confused about what to eat at that time (so many choices, yet we could not decide!  Life is about choices, eh?)  The next thing we know, most of the shops were closed, people all run to elevator & lift (I personally don’t think fire and lift can work together?).    Erni’s private investigator instinct appeared, she checked out the scene and came back with the TRUE facts:  one of the tiny stove fell off and was quickly under controlled, some people left their food untouched, some did not even pay for the meals…

 

Recap

Ugh! I have typed a loooong story this time and when I hit PUBLISH BLOG, I got disconnected and all gone!

Anyway, a quick recap:

1. No gym for today, as I drained all my energy at the gym on Thursday = 1x in morning, 1x in evening. I was fortunate that I managed to arrive home!

2. My 2 friends apparently let money disturb their friendship. What a shame!

3. My younger nephew cried the whole day yesterday till he was weak and pale. My psychic aunt said a “spirit from supernatural world” played / befriended with him. Ok, for sure the spirit scared the hell out of the baby! Sister will go to Temple and pray for safety and protection today.

4. The homeless guy in front of hostel passed away on Monday because of alcohol binge! May he rest in peace.

5. The show “Sang Lelaki” (= the Male) was on Indosiar channel last night. The program was to choose the 'real' male - based on their talents (singing, acting, etc). This was the semi-final, the winner was chosen by the panel of judges (100 women). He will then go to the next round and compete with other 6 males to win the crown of "THE MALE" and prize (not sure what it is). Overall, the show was utterly horrendous!

Have a lovely-gorgeous weekend!!

test

test test

Egg?

Today's lifestyle news - brief translation: Woman who consumes 1 egg everyday is 22% likely to die sooner - this is due to the cholesterol level in egg that causes a heart attack.

"Dr. Yasuyuki Nakamura dari Kyoto Women's University mengungkapkan bahwa konsumsi telur terkait dengan meningkatnya kadar kolesterol seseorang. Itu artinya risiko terkena serangan jantung pun pasti terjadi.
Menurut penelitian yang dilakukan pada 9.300 pria dan wanita sejak tahun 1980, ketika beragam penyelidikan dilakukan, entah itu dari segi gaya hidup maupun pola makan, ditemukan wanita yang mengasup sebutir telur setiap hari 22 persen meninggal lebih cepat. "Dalam permulaan penelitian saja, angka rata-rata kolesterol wanita yang mengasup telur setiap hari sudah meningkat lebih tinggi sekitar tiga persen daripada yang tidak," ujar Nakamura, atas penelitian yang dilakukannya selama 14 tahun ini."

King & Tail

A friend of mine is having a conflict in his career life. He doesn't feel appreciated at work and is considering to take a new job offer - with LESS pay, NO benefit, NO car, NOthing (compared to his current job).

Excerpts:
me: "are you sure you want to take this offer?"
him: "yes, because for man - PRIDE is very important".
(me thinking : "but pride cant pay cost of living?")

His philosophy is: Become a king of rats OR tail of an elephant. He said he's experienced the former in his previous job, he's the tail of elephant now, and cant wait to live the life of king of rats again!

Experienced a problem with uploading photos in blogspot yesterday, fortunately i have derix to guide and assist my lack of html knowledge!

Discovery Travel & Adventure

Olympics: Badminton -- Single man, Indonesia vs Korea. Indonesia won the gold medal. I really thought and wished that Korea would win!!

Discovery Travel & Adventure is truly my favorite channel! I enjoy watching Globetrekker (www.globetrekker.com) especially with Ian Wright as the host.


MY Ian Wright ...

And starting few weeks ago, every Sunday, there is a new show "Surfing the menu" -- these two chefs are charming! Will the food taste as yummy if served by other chef? ;)

TV

Yippieeee...it's Friiiiiiiiday!!

Last night TV reports:
Badminton: China vs England - very good game! China won the gold medal... - very tense 3 set games. I like the supporters from both China & England, they were civilized and in order - something that we cannot get in Indonesia, i suppose?

Japan drama, Beautiful Life --> (review) - last nite was, apparently, the last episode. I've never seen the film before, yet I got carried away and cried till 11.30 pm.

Talking bout film, I enjoyed My Sassy Girl (Korean, with English subtitles) - very entertaining! Highly recommended.