And I’ve got one thing (a pair) that came as a result of a “productive half day girls’ activity”: girl stuff’s consumption. Haha, I’ve tried to talk like my favorite Hollywood’s serial’s character, Dr. Temperance Brennan from “Bones”…but mine sucks huh? Okay, in simpler sentence, I ended up buying a pair of heels…very high heels. 10 cm!! I gotta be out of mind. Normally, the post-purchase-stress-syndrome’s main issue was the amount of money I have spent, but this time…it was the height. 10 cm…oh My Dear God.

My defense arguments were: I’m interested in having at least a pair of high heels, real and good one, these days; and despite the fact that the heel is 10 cm high, it’s surprisingly comfortable. The heels were stable, the material didn’t hurt my feet, and so on and so on..well, girls know when shoes are good or not on their feet. And when I tested wearing both feet, another surprise was that I could walk comfortably. My best friend was a very good supporter and counselor in shopping girl’s things from make up to shoes. Hehe. What about the cost? It’s on saleeee… My reasons are quite strong to encourage me to let the cashier swept my credit card on her machine, right??

But…by the end of the day, as a true A blood type person and my father’s half DNA carrier, I turned out thinking about my balance in the bank account. My best friend casually said, “Oh please…let by gone be by gone!” (she’s a B, by the way). Well, okay…I like the shoes anyway. Case closed.

***

I really thank God for today. For everything. I couldn’t thank God enough. And I won’t forget my will to live a humble life this year… Guide me always, God, amin.

Growing up does suck! But birthday has to be enjoyable. Should be the most cheerful day of the whole year, because it’s the day we remember how we’re lucky and was so blessed that God had let us be born into this world.

This morning, a line from a movie just popped up in my head. It was from Jennifer Anniston and Jason Bateman’s 2010 movie “The Switch”. There’s a line when Sebastian, Kassie’s (Jennifer Anniston) 6 year old son, told Wally (Jason Bateman) that he’s going to have a party for his birthday when they were in the zoo. Wally said (more or less like this, I couldn’t remember the exact line):

“You should enjoy your birthday party now when you still enjoy it. There’ll come a day when you’re not excited about birthday. You don’t want anyone to know your birthday. Because birthday reminds you of what you have or haven’t accomplished in life.”

I don’t know if I make some lines up, but more or less like that. Please do correct me if i’m wrong, i’ll appreciate it.

[source]

That man was right. I should enjoy my birthday while I still enjoy it.

So, I’m going to enjoy today

Happy birthday to me…

[source]

He came out 2 days earlier than expected and had to go through a Caesar surgery because he was rolled up on the umbilical cord. Although the surgery went well, he had to spent the night in the incubator, but thankfully this little baby is fine. He was 3.7 kg and 53cm when he was born. Big baby…

I just visited them today with my mom and father. And there’s a little debate on the name of the baby.

My brother actually had several options for baby name. There’s one thing my brother and his wife emphasize on, the last name of the baby. Well it’s actually a very normal thing to let the baby, especially since he is a boy, to receive my brother’s last name, which is also my father’s last name as his last name. But it turns out the other grandfather insists that the boy should have his name as well. But then my father started to share his proposal.

He said last night he had done a special prayer to ask God to give guide him with a clue of what name should the baby have. Then he got some ‘visions’ and started to sort some related names. He said, “Bukhari was the name that shone the most last night, and I had done the counting (of the letter) and it was the best. And I had consulted (on the name) as well. It’s the name of great Muslim people, the famous hadist scholar, and many others. It’s the most glorious name for him.” What my father meant by the counting here is the knowledge of Arabic letter counting. Did you know that every Arabic letter has its numerical value? I didn’t, until today. And I found the explanation on Google.

My brother and his wife and her mother were very welcome with the name. But then my brother said that he would add both grandfathers’ names as his last name. My father said don’t. “You cannot just add names, even though it’s parents’ names into the boy’s name. It would give the name different value. The only additional name after Bukhari should be Arifin Nur or Nur Arifin. Other than that better not to add anything. It’s not that I don’t like both parents’ names, it’s what I got from last night (his special prayer).”

Well, the problem is within that “Arifin Nur” or “Nur Arifin” is my father’s name anyway. I started to sense that my sister’s in-law’s father’s expression changed a bit. So I encouraged myself to speak up. Telling my father that in this era, someone shouldn’t have a single name. He should have a family-identity name, which at least his father’s name. My father kept saying no. He said, “I am just telling you what I have received the knowledge. However I know the final decision is on you two, I want you to please remember that giving name to a child is a very serious deal that the holder will bring and bear until the after life.”

I understand why my father was so eager on being involved in giving the baby’s name. He never got this chance with his other grandchildren because he’s on the mothers’ sides. He had to respect the husbands’ decisions. So now it’s his turn to be on the father’s side. And just like all the fathers-sons out there, father always expects more from his son than from his daughter, and my father and my brother’s relationship is as complicated as other fathers-sons out there.

My sister in-law’s mother agreed on adding the Arifin Nur, but the parents looked hesitated. Then my brother asked for my opinion. Thankfully  I got an idea.

“What if we do it the Malaysian people way? To make it fair, the baby won’t hold both granfathers’ names. Instead, he will hold only his father’s name. Most Malaysian people write down their bin or binti on the certificate, while we Indonesian usually just use the full bin or binti on two occasions in his or her life: on the wedding ceremony and on the funeral. So let’s do it the Malaysian way. It’s a win win solution, in my opinion that it won’t change anything on the counting (I took a quick glare to my father), and the baby still has his family-identity name.”

I was glad my brother and sister in-law looked relieved by the idea.

Then it was official, inshaAllah agreed by both families, that the child’s name is Bukhari (to be nicknamed Hari) and his registered name will be including the “bin” my brother’s name. Bin in muslim Melayu-race people’s names originally from Arabic “Ibnu” which means “the son of”. So if someone’s name is Harry and his father’s name is Hasan, so it will be Harry bin Hasan.

The original debate was a real debate and took longer than my summary. But it was already tiring to be involved in the debate, so I’m not gonna waste more energy to make a tiring writing.

And I almost burned down my mom’s kitchen that I forgot I was boiling a pasta for my dinner. Thankfully someone saved my cooking. Burning on the edge, but the pasta are mostly edible though they’re overcooked. :p

But my week started with a senior colleague tried to bring me down without any rationale reason. It was very surprising that he thought my twit was about him! I swear I didn’t know anything until my Editor twitted that there’s a surprising e-mail for me on Sunday night. It was almost midnight when I read it. I had no idea what he was talking about until I read the whole twitter mention that it ended with that senior colleague said that we were talking about him. So I opened my inbox -note that it was my business e-mail inbox- and found that one of my Friday morning twits was posted as a title of an e-mail…from him.

In the body text, he thought that twit was about him -which mentioned no name at all, and frankly speaking that twit was absolutely not about him because basically I didn’t think that he and I had any problem. What surprise me the most was he Cc-ed the e-mail to two of my managers. Hilariously, he was making it a very big deal that he would want to bring it up in a managerial meeting?? And who did he think he was telling me what to twit on my twitter account??? I’ve got a security blocked accound and the freaking fact was he was not even my follower. And there’s only one person retwit that twit, she was my high school friend, whom I 100% confident that she and him had no link at all. So the conclusion was…he stalked me!

As a colleague I took his action as very offended and unprofessional. First thing is, I didn’t even know that we had any problem, which might be different from his point of view. Second thing is, that’s my personal twit! Personal thing! If the condition was those two cc-ed managers were my followers and they read the twit on the twitter, it was not a problem. That means I have  let them see my personal life and twitter is a public place. But the situation is different. I’m not the kind of person who mix personal and professional life, especially with bosses. There’re some colleagues who are also friends, but I never make friends with bosses. And that person has spread out my personal life in a professional realm and dragged out my bosses into it…through stalking on my life. What a creepy character.

It’s been along time since the last time I got very very angry. No one knows how angry I was because with all the energy i have, I tried to hold it so no one would ever ever see me so angry. I felt like I could yell at his face in the morning or even punch him on his face, but my rationale told me not to. I couldn’t lower my level into the same level as him. I’m way smarter than that.

In short story, I replied his e-mail to let him know that I’m not an easy person for him to bring down. In football, if I play on the premier league, he’s just on the third or fourth level league. In Indonesian football that means he’s just playing for Rukun Tetangga level (neighborhood level).

And I don’t want to talk about him anymore. So enough here.

Back to my sickness.

Maybe after the combination of anger and rain shower on a windy night after meeting, I broke down with a fever. And I couldn’t wake up from the bed the whole day next day. I really hate it when I got sick. And the only solution for my sickness has always been my doctor. He’s been my doctor since I was a kid, and I never got recover sooner with other doctors, so it has to be him. And yeah, today I ‘m feeling better. I could get off my bed without feeling dizzy or caused the temperature up again. I could watch TV with my nephews and I could go online!

But the medication effect made my taste dull. Everything seems tasteless for me today, not even a chocolate. the only thing taste better for me is only gandaria pickle. My relative made it and she said it’s very sour and bitter…for those who know how bitter and sour gandaria can be know what i’m talking about. But today for me this what so called very sour and bitter pickle taste just fine for me. It’s the only thing I could really taste today!

gandaria pickle

With my condition getting better, I’m ready to go back to work tomorrow and I know loads of works are waiting for me. It’s okay, I think i’m ready for that. Above all, I miss all the chats and laughter there…

Anyone wants to try gandaria? Hehehe…

It started out with my newly-wed friend made a review about her first night. OMG. Haha. But surprisingly, nothing was really exciting about her first night besides my other two friends kept bugging her almost the whole night through blackberry messenger asking “Have you done it?” “You did it already or not yet?” “Not yet isn’t it?” “How is it???” They all are very funny. But then the story got slowly but sure got more vulgar and almost descriptive. OMG -again-. And my other two friends kept asking about details while the respondent gladly explained everything in detail, too. Ooouuuggh. I really didn’t like the topic, but since the girls were very funny talking about it, I kind of….listening? haha, well, we’re all grown ups. My friend said, “It’s okay ki, it’s science! Something to learn about.”

The most funny thing was when my newly-wed friend told about how our already-5months-pregnant friend who lived in US gave her a brief of something I called the-science-version-of-kamasutra. Hahaha. She told her about what position she had to hold when doing sex, the timing thing, and which side she should lean to after the “climax” to get the preferable gender of the baby. Yeahh, it’s science. The science of how to make a baby .

*really can’t believe i’m writing this… (–.–!”)

And since we had so many meaningful-and-not-meaningful things to talk about, we even moved from one eating place to another. My friends were craving for this food: Chicken feet. Oughh. Really not my menu. But there’re always veggi in almost every eating place, right? So out of five of us, the four girls enjoyed this spicy chicken feet, while I tried a vegetable ha kau.

Oh, and look at how gorgeous the nails of my friend’s little sister are… This younger sister has been like our younger sister, and part of this ladies group since she always tags along us. These sisters are very funny and unique. I like their styles. This evening, the older sister got a tattoo on her back and the little sister got this beautiful art nail. I even like their mother, she really rocks. (Hi, Aunty! love you)

And I have something else to talk about.

It’s been a constant rainy days in Jakarta. And on last Thursday, we got a little storm, but caused quite a chaos. This is the situation in front of my working place right after the storm.

And this picture was taken the next morning, Friday morning.

Was a giant just passed by this place and stepped on those trees?

Jakarta is more sucks after the heavy rain. Not only the trees fallen everywhere (some even caused accidents), but also all kind of land transportation fail. Cars and buses were stuck on the street because of heavy traffic jam. Train’s got signal troubles. Taxis were mostly taken. This metropolitant city builds its metropolitant image like crazy with those fancy skyscrapers, but it forgets to improve the infrastructure system.

I decided to spend the New Year’s eve with my dad at home instead of joining my mom and my sisters in my eldest sister’s place downtown. And spending the day alone with my dad was like spending time in zen…very quiet and peaceful. But when he spent most of the night in his room, i was totally absorbed by the television and the couch. Some people might think i was pathetic, but i’m basically a loner so the activity and the situation was actually heaven. A neighbor’s daughter was celebrating birthday and they sent those parcels actually for my nephews. But my nephews weren’t at home, so i think it’s okay to eat them on my nephews’ behalf. hoho. It’s been a long time since the last time i enjoyed marble candies

Well, having plenty of time on my own brought me into a contemplation moment. I thought about alot of things, making plans for my life in 2012…But I didn’t make any New Year’s wish list or any particular prays since i had done that on Islamic New Year, but i do really hope that everything works well in the next 12 months.

But the contemplation moment didn’t last long. Someone on television distracted me. Haha. So i returned to the telly, enjoyed the show and the free snacks. And that young guy won an award. Don’t ask me why i’m interested in this actor in particular because i dont think i have any solid reason. His acting wasnt as best as other best actors yet, his face is not as handsome as other handsome actors either, not yet a big name he has, but if i’m going back to Korea soon and find any man like him…hmmm…i’ll consider something.

But i’m not gonna ask much to God because He’s been very generous to me, especially by answering my top wish list on 2011. So im just going to run my life well and humble in 2012… Recently i’ve lost one special item, my favorite and expensive that it made me very upset…but the incident taught me a thing: living a high style life doesnt suit me.

And waking up on the 1st day of January welcomed by an all day pouring rain felt great! What a refresh and blessing..and of course what a great day to stay looonger under the blanket. This is what i call a very good holiday.

May 2012 be a blessing year for me and for everyone…

It’s rambutan season! *\(^o^)/* Well, I’m not a fanatic fan of this fruit, but seeing the trees with many fruits was so exciting. It reminds me of my childhood when we used to have rambutan trees on our back yard…before it’s (almost)all concrete

I don’t know if many people know this fruit. It’s what we called “Serri” something like a kind of cherry or berry. The red ones are sweet. I used to very fond of this fruit. My uncle in our hometown grows the tree in front of his house and I used to climbed it up.

And that’s my father picking up the serri.

Find the jackfruits!

And some avocados

My father spotted a sukun fruit across the cassava field.

The oranges…

The only two mangoes left after the season is over.

The coconuts was a surprise…

All my nephews, niece and our relative. Farrel on the left. Ryan and Catherine with the cart. And that’s big baby Rain…

And the coconut water for the soon to be born another nephew/niece My sister-in-law is 9 month pregnant.

The idea of marriage still gives me a chill,but there’s always happiness in weddings. Attending a wedding to another can be tiring these days, so i try to be selective. I’m just gonna attend weddings where the bride or groom has a special meaning in my friendships record.

Last month one of my oldest friends in history held an engagement event. From kindergarten to high school…we went to the same school. We were even table mate in year 11. And we grow up in the same neighborhood. We went to the same uni but thankfully different faculty.
Anyway, this engagement event was special and the family managed to hold it well within their current sudden hardship moments. My friend’s dad was going for a second surgery due to his stroke exactly the next day. The happiest person in that event actually wasn’t my friend, but her mom. Her mon had been waiting for so long for that day to come when a young fine man proposed her eldest daughter to marry him. I remember when her mom was crying on our friend’s wedding…she’s dramatically touched and almost frustrated that time And that aunty never believes me whenever she asks me (and she ALWAYS asks!) where is my boufriend and i say i have none. “Dont lie to me…just bring him down here. You should introduce him to me soooon.” And my response to that is always a smile
My friend, Eka, is the one in the middle on the first pic.

And yesterday night I attended the wedding of one of my fellow girls from Ural 28. We were strong girl scouts back then…sharing the hardships of high school time that not many people had been through in their lives. For Ural 28 we owe so much and the most precious thing after the amazing 3years of adventures is of course the life long friendship. We were the image of strong girls in our school when we were 17…shabby but gained a certain respect from others for our charisma….and look at us in our 25! Haha…no comment.
Rahma’s wedding was gorgeous but very intimate in the same time. Most friends were good friends in that event. And the food…hoho, i was too busy eating when the crowds telling me a minister was coming…ha! the president’s in-law. and the funny thing is…my friend’s wedding reminded me of that minister’s daughter’s wedding. Javanese culture for the ceremony and Palembang culture for the reception…complete with the long dancings. Coincident or they’re kind of related or something? Well…dont care,the chicken soup was too delicious to be ignored

ps. the extra lady in grey to my left in the last pic was my friend’s mom…just think this information is important to avoid any unexpected misunderstanding (if you get what i mean).

Dreams never be just ordinary dreams for her. Most dreams coming in her sleeps were clues, giving her blur or sometimes vivid previews about what will happen in the near future. They used to be very vivid when she was much younger and she thought it was fun. But as she grew, she found them tiring. Most dreams were clues about bad things.

She once asked God why she got those dreams when she had never even asked. Should there be a “mission” like in TV series? Or they just clues to be used by herself to prepare her heart and mind when the visions became true? She never knew. She just tried to live with it.

Then she found out that not everything came from God. She remembered the story in the Holy Book about Devils trying to overheard the Angels discussing the future (matters in human life) and then they got caught and thrown away by the stars. It made her realize one thing: probably…those dreams were not directly from God,but from the devils who wish to make her heart waver from God.

There are reasons why mystery should remain a mystery, she once said. It keeps you hold your hope up only to God and won’t blame life when things aren’t turning the way you want it.

The dreams eventually stopped. It’s been awhile since then. She never denies if sometimes she misses it though, but living with surprises is what she always wants. However, tonight, after a very long time, she said, I need the clues, need to foresee something to stop my mind from wondering about something. She said just this time. But she never dare ask God to give her back the “visions”. No, she said, i just need that one particular clue for one night. But she knew she has lost it all. She even rarely remembers her dreams these days. She just has to deal with it.

Well…she’s only human.