tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47432566465665299552024-03-05T06:29:21.974-08:00Bits and Pieces of a Convertconvert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-32104318293187430222019-02-21T02:06:00.001-08:002019-02-21T02:06:30.055-08:00The Accidental PrisonersI have been neglecting this blog for more than 2 years. The last post I wrote was in 2016.<br />
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I thought I would never write again. The crazy hours of my work in accounting filled my brain with numbers and graphs. All forms of letters are reserved only for reports or texting in chat group and social media. I have forgotten the joy of writing.<br />
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A few weeks ago, an old friend asked me about the address of my blog. She said she wanted to show her friend about my blog. Honestly I was flattered but at the same time, I was super embarrassed. I have not taken care the blogspot for years, everything here is totally out-dated.<br />
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It feels weird to write again. I am not even sure if I should.<br />
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But then I remembered the many thoughts I had in my brain that were locked and left to dissipate into thin air. Many of them have the potential to make people laugh, making one less miserable soul. Many of them have the potential to inspire people, making one less pessimistic mate.<br />
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So today, I forced myself to write again, digging my noisy head to get an idea on what to write.<br />
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The freshest one that popped up is my balik kampung Chinese New Year trip to Bandung.<br />
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Going back to Bandung on Chinese New Year is an annual affair that I can't miss. While most of the time I was very excited to go back but there were times when I had to drag and force myself to book flights for this trip. <br />
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When I had piles of work to do, I hesitated to go back, thinking of all the accumulated work I would have to finish after coming back to KL.<br />
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When I gained many kilos, I had to force myself to ignore the "you look fat" remarks during reunion dinners and family gatherings. Just the thought of having to fake a smile and pretend I was not annoyed, is enough to delay booking the flight tickets.<br />
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But the last Chinese New Year was different. I was excited to go back home. It was a trip I had planned for months.<br />
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In the beginning of 2018, I reached the heaviest weight of my life. I was heavier than when I gave birth to my second daughter. I did many things to lose weight but for every 500 gr I lost, I always gained it back and sometimes doubled it within a week. My friend told me that it's the side effect of menopause. I blamed it to my husband who constantly asked me to accompany him for nasi daun pisang sessions. And as a good wife, of course I obliged to do it :)<br />
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I had my early menopause 3 years ago. Close friends and relatives who have known me for more than 20 years would know my lifetime struggles with hormonal issue, abnormal ovaries, irregular period, massive bleeding, etc. My doctor told me that my previous medical conditions would send me to early menopause and I should not be worry about this. He said many people have menopause as early as 40 years old. So I learned to accept the fact that I would have menopause in my 40's.<br />
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Although I accepted the menopause part, it was hard for me to see my weight climbing constantly every month. I didn't eat as much as I used to be. For years I didn't eat a full plate of rice or pasta or noodles. I ate less than half portion of carbs. I stopped putting sugar into my black coffee. I admit I had sneaked some mille-crepes or stroopwaffles with my black coffee in the morning but it was just once or twice a month. I also tried to walk with my husband to the park on weekend mornings. I even limited my nasi daun pisang (half portion) session to once in three months.<br />
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Despite all those efforts I kept on piling kilos into my body. My round face looked closer to the Chinese Prosperity God Julaihut. I hid behind the crowds everytime we had to take group pictures and selfie is the most taboo thing to do.<br />
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I felt hopeless and miserable.<br />
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But I was determined not to hear anyone told me "you look fat" on 2019 Chinese New Year. I was determined to go home without my Julaihut face.<br />
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Well, guess what?<br />
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I managed to lose 7 kg by the time I went back home. I spent money, time and efforts on this but it's worth every cent. It's such an exhilarating feeling to be able to fit into an old pair of jeans again. It's fun to go shopping at H&M and Uniqlo again (I just hated the boring designs at the plus-size shops). And it feels so nice to wear cotton T-shirt again (not the outdated loose tops).<br />
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The reunion dinner went as expected, seeing the same familiar faces, hearing the same noises from the Lion Dance and eating the same food at the same hotel.<br />
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On the Chinese New Year Day, we also had the same 100+ people in the house at night, kids still running around screaming and crying, the men chatting, drinking and gambling, the ladies laughing and talking about everything and everybody eating non-stop.<br />
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Throughout the night I was waiting for people to comment "you look slim".<br />
But nobody did.<br />
Til the last guests left at 1am, nobody said I looked slim.<br />
My hard work in slimming down went unnoticed.<br />
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I left Bandung on the second day of Chinese New Year. I didn't feel excited. I felt rather disappointed as no one noticed my hard-earned 7 kg loss.<br />
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When I reached KL, somehow I saw this one quote on my phone:<br />
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Suddenly I realized how stupid I had been. All those time I tried my best to lose weight just to "show off" and to avoid negative remarks from others.<br />
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I forgot that I needed to lose weight for my healthier self.<br />
I forgot that I needed to lose weight for my own happiness.<br />
I forgot that I needed to lose weight to avoid going to plus-size section.<br />
I forgot that I needed to lose weight so I can borrow my daughters' clothes.<br />
I forgot that I needed to lose weight so nobody told me I am fat.<br />
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I didn't hear anyone in Bandung saying "You look fat" during my one-week there.<br />
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It was an "Aha!!!" moment for me.<br />
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Mission accomplished. Big smile on my face. Ready for selfie.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-75667806955362547642016-05-06T19:37:00.000-07:002016-05-06T19:37:04.622-07:00Never Too OldShe got married when she was fifteen<br />
She was constantly scolded by her mother-in-law because she couldn't do laundry properly<br />
She once slept on the sidewalk street because her in-laws chased her away from the family house<br />
She worked more than 12 hours a day to help her husband support the family<br />
She gave birth to her first born when she was seventeen<br />
She lost her 19-yr-old eldest daughter to heart disease<br />
Then she also lost her 40-yr-old eldest son, also to heart disease<br />
She was hit by a motorcycle which left huge ugly scars on her leg<br />
She lost her husband when she was in her late sixties<br />
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Only a mother knows how terrible and painful it is to lost a child<br />
Every mother wants their children to outlive their lives<br />
Losing two children in a lifetime is too much to bear<br />
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She is a woman who has plenty valid reasons to be bitter and sad<br />
She is a woman who has gone thru hell and come back<br />
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And yet....<br />
She chose not to be broken<br />
She chose to smile and laugh<br />
She chose to be happy<br />
She chose to raise her six children to be successful<br />
She chose not to give up on life<br />
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She learned to drive when she was 70<br />
She learned to dance when she was 76<br />
She mastered tango and salsa when she was 77<br />
She danced 3 solid hours when she was 80 (on her 80th bday)<br />
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Her hair is always salon perfect<br />
Her nails is never without color or glitter<br />
Her dress is never black or plain<br />
Her face is always made up<br />
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She is still smiling everyday<br />
She is still laughing when I tell her I can dance better than her<br />
She is still complaining about my floppy hair<br />
She is still wearing bright flowery dress<br />
She is still doing her yoga three times a week<br />
She is still beautiful<br />
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This one-of-a-kind woman is my grandmother<br />
My mother is very fortunate to be her daughter<br />
My siblings and I are very lucky to have a living example of a fun grandma<br />
My children, nephews and nieces are blessed to have a loving great grandmother<br />
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Be good to your mother, your grandmothers, your mother-in-laws and the mother of your children.... You may not know the pains and struggles they hide from you... <br />
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Happy Mother's Day Everyone...<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-24700677166986791082016-02-25T21:09:00.002-08:002016-02-25T21:11:21.827-08:00InsultI went back to Bandung to spend some time with my family a few weeks ago. On the way back to Kuala Lumpur, the flight was delayed. Fortunately I brought my laptop with me so I could spend some time working on my second book project while waiting.<br />
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I had never imagined that I would be able to write and publish an ebook, more so a book on how to open a restaurant in Malaysia. I am trained as an accountant who is supposed to be boring and befriended with numbers. Typical accountants love numbers and hate letters. Yet, here I am making good friends with words and thesaurus instead of numbers and spreadsheet. </div>
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I remember the first time I entered the F&B world as an "Indon" accountant. Being an Indonesian in the land where most of their illegal immigrants are from my country is not that pleasant. While some Malaysians know about Indonesia and its people, a lot of people still have the thought that "Indons" are poor illegal immigrants who come to Malaysia because they can't find a job in their country.</div>
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When I walked into the office for the first time, a chef talked to me in Cantonese, thinking that I was a Malaysian Chinese. When I told him in English that I couldn't understand Cantonese and I was Indonesian, he gave me "the look". It's the look of insult. "Ooh, Indon," he said.</div>
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He asked me what position I was hired. I told him that I was an accountant, recently hired by the owner to fix the financial problem of the restaurant. He was surprised but didn't say anything because his assistants called him to the kitchen.</div>
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While I was working, my colleague ordered a plate of Spaghetti with Seafood and Olives from the kitchen for lunch. She was kind enough to share the spaghetti with me. When I tasted the dish, I could taste that the spaghetti was still raw, not cooked properly. I could see the white flour inside the pasta so it's definitely not <i>al dente</i>. When the chef went up and asked how the pasta was, I told him that the pasta was undercooked. I showed him the spaghetti and asked him to try. Without trying it, he said, "You don't know how to eat pasta. This is al dente in Italian."</div>
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It was my first day and I didn't want to pick a fight with a 28-year-old executive chef who had been with the company for four years. I let it go.</div>
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The next day, the chef came to my office asking me to order a jar of winter truffle. I could not understand him as his Chinese accent was very strong. It was very difficult to understand any English word coming out from his mouth. When I asked him to write down the brand he wanted, he became furious and asked," You Indon, go to school or not?"</div>
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I was beyond furious. I don't get offended easily but that remark really set me on fire. I could feel my face turning red. People can call me fat or ugly or unsophisticated or poor but I am most offended when they think I am stupid.<br />
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I tried to calm my tone and asked again properly the brand that he wanted. He repeated the same question, "You go to school or not? Until standard what?" </div>
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I don't display my certificates nor boast my degree to anyone but his insult just pressed my snob button. Since I was also managing the HR department, I read all the staff files, including his. I read his file that he finished his elementary education in Singapore then went straight to work in kitchens of several restaurants and hotels in the republic.</div>
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"Just so you don't ask me again, I actually finished my high school in Indonesia then completed my bachelors in accountancy in US before taking a master degree, also in US. So, if you think I don't know pasta or Italian food, you are so wrong. I had eaten pasta and cheese before you could even spell your name in English."</div>
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"So, please write down the brand that you want so I can order it. Or actually, do you even know how to write English?" I stared at him with burning fire on my eyes. </div>
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He was shocked. I could see he didn't expect my response. He then wrote down the brand of truffle he wanted and left.</div>
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I was also shocked. I never thought I would be able to speak as loud as that. But that moment, something in my brain lit up. I had to prove to everyone in the company that I was not dumb. I may be wearing high heels and lipstick but I can still kick some ass. I had to learn everything about the F&B industry and work very hard so nobody would insult me any more.<br />
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Although I was hired as an Accountant and Human Resource Manager, I volunteered to do other things in the company. Within six months I knew everything about the restaurant operation, from purchasing, costing, stocking, bar operation, arranging wedding and company functions to managing frauds.<br />
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When I looked back, I had to thank that young chef for pushing my button. Because of his insult, I pushed my self to excel in the F&B world. Because of his insult, I fell in love with the industry. Because of his insult, I forced myself to accept the challenge of (financially) managing a few restaurants at one go. Because of his insult, I could write my ebook on restaurant business.<br />
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After a few years working together with him, I understand better how chefs and cooks think. I understand why he was always grumpy. I understand why he was always irritated when things were less than perfect.<br />
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Fast forward to now, I made peace with that young chef. We became friends who could talk about food for hours. He knows that I am not "just an indon" but a woman who will kick his ass when insulted. I learned a lot from him. He taught me the difference between a cook and a chef. He made me understand the importance of discipline, hard work, attention to details, system, cleanliness and shouting in a restaurant. He even shared some of his recipes with me. I owe him my skill of making a perfect steak.<br />
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Thanks to the Food Network, the restaurant business looks glamorous from the outside. But when we are inside, things are not as glossy as it looks. Same thing with life. A girl may look pretty and glamorous from the outside. But she still farts smelly gas.<br />
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People say when life throws you lemons, make lemonade. I say when a guy throws you lemons, squirt them in his eye..!!<br />
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convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-41109303559641795702015-12-31T20:02:00.000-08:002015-12-31T20:02:48.469-08:00FireworksI closed the last few minutes of 2015 by the road side, near my old house, waiting for fireworks display from nearby malls. This has been our rituals since the kids were toddlers. Inem always the one who is very excited about the fireworks, comparing which mall displays the best fireworks.<br />
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This year, as I looked at the firework, a sadness crept into my soul... Something I didn't feel in the previous years. The faces of my friends who passed away in 2015 came up. As I looked at the brightly lit sky, I saw their faces, I remembered of their smiles, their laughs, our conversations.... and suddenly I missed them. I wondered if they could see the fireworks from their place too.. I wonder if the fireworks sound louder from their place... I wondered if they could feel what I felt.. </div>
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While everyone "ooohh and aaaahhh" at the firework display, my mind raced back remembering the unforgettable moments I had in 2015. Slowly, the sad feeling subsided. I had many sad things happened in 2015 but I also had a lot of unexpected blessings and beautiful moments.</div>
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Allah called back three of my friends last year but I met many new friends in 2015. New friends can never replace the old friends but I hope one day these new friends will be my "old friends" too.. Not just old acquaintances.</div>
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I attended my high school reunion last year and re-acquaintanced with my old friends. It is really fun trying to match names and faces of old friends. I have always been terrible at remembering names. It embarrassed me to forget the names of friends who used to be in the same class with me. However, the embarrassment turned into laughters as a lot of them were also as bad as me in the name game.</div>
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Last year I had a chance to meet, chat and laugh with a few of my BFFs who were separated thousands of miles away from me. The meetings reminded me that no matter how far apart we are, how different our lives are now, when we are together, we are still the same crazy talkative women who think too much about everything and nothing. </div>
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I also attended the wedding of my parents' BFF's son. My parents have been friends with them since their primary school days. I used to hang out in their house and have family vacations together. Their children become our best childhood friends. I admire and treasure this friendship. I don't see this kind of friendship everyday. When my father was unwell, he cheered him up. When my father was too lazy to exercise, he picked him up and brought him for a walk. Last month, one of his daughters even bought a user-friendly smart phone for my father. The other daughter came to our house to set up and teach him how to use whatsapp and facebook. (My parents love their Nokia phones. My siblings and I bought them Blackberry and iPhones but they are hardly switched on. We tried numerous times to teach them how to use smart phones but they insisted it's too complicated). My father listened to them and started using the new smart phone.<br />
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I feel so blessed to witness this kind of friendship.. I feel so blessed to have them in my life...: Ko Nam Seng, Ci Cen Mey, Nana, Fin2 and Raymond... You have touched our family's hearts more than you know. We are forever grateful.</div>
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I don't enjoy small talks and meaningless conversations with random people. I don't feel comfortable surrounded by acquaintances who may not remember me six months from now. I don't like attending parties where I know less than 50% of the party goers.<br />
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I need months and sometimes years to develop a friendship with someone. </div>
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Because of that, I take friendship seriously. I take relationships seriously.<br />
Because of that, my reflection of life in 2015 is about my friends and families.</div>
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Last night, after the fireworks died down, I saw the sky full of smokes. </div>
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This morning, I woke up to a bright sky.</div>
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Last night, I let go all the sadness I had in 2015. I said goodbye to the heart-wrenching, tear-jerking and heart-pounding experiences. I let them disappear into the smokes.</div>
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This morning I woke up to a brand new page of my life. I pray to Allah to grant us colourful pages in 2016. I hope Allah bless us with more beautiful and meaningful moments.</div>
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To my readers... This blog is not an open blog. You read this because you are my friends, either on Facebook or Google+. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for your friendship.<br />
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I wish you all a very Happy New Year... </div>
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I wish you 365 days of happiness...<br />
May God bless us all...<br />
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convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-38719935515562141692015-04-19T01:28:00.001-07:002015-04-19T01:28:23.912-07:00Telegram from HeavenI had a very bad food poisoning last week. I have had several food poisoning before but never this bad. This time I had tummy ache for 3 days. It was so painful that I cried every time the spasms hit me and it hit me every 2 minutes.<br />
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After I went to the doctor twice, finally the pain subsided but my body was very weak. I couldn't even walk. I spent my days on bed, exercising....<br />
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Yes... Exercising....<br />
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I exercised my fingers and brain by texting, chatting non-stop on <a href="https://telegram.org/" target="_blank">Telegram</a>. <br />
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My high school friends are planning to have a reunion in December. Because of this, a dear friend set up a whatsapp group to gather some ideas. However we had more than 100 people, so whatsapp can't accommodate our needs. We migrated to Telegram that allow up to 200 members in a group. While most of them live in Bandung, some of us live in Jakarta, US, Malaysia and China. Telegram really suits us well. <br />
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Initially we tried to remember which friends were which. Remembering 200 people that we met 25 years ago was an ardent task for us..... the 40+ years old who always forget where we left our keys. If I can't remember what I ate yesterday, imagine trying to remember a friend whose front teeth were missing when he was in high school or a friend who sat next to this so and so. Those are the descriptions they gave when I asked them who is this guy and who is that gal.<br />
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Some uploaded blurred old high school pictures (and their current looks) but I still can't remember a lot of them. I only remember some friends who were very naughty in class. I remember friends who always cheated in the exam and got caught. I also remember friends who used to be punished by teachers for always came to school late.<br />
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Although I don't remember some of them, I managed to chat and re-acquaintance with them. The chat was mostly in Sundanese, mixed with Bahasa Indonesia. After a day or two, we got so comfortable with each other. We felt like we never parted. The chat room was ON all the time. When I had to sleep, I would wake up to see 1500+ unread thread. If I didn't open the chat overnight, the thread can fetch 4000+. There were always people chatting about something all the time. While the morning shift greeted us good morning at 5am, the night people stayed up and chatted til 3am.<br />
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What started as a reunion plan transformed into something else. We forgot the topic of reunion and chatted about something else. The topic varied from discussion about children, love, education, food, happiness, our teachers, health, medicine, adult stuffs (you know what I mean), business, money, doors and sink, and so many other things... YES, we did talk about doors and sink...!! I don't know why but we chatted about doors and sink for 2 days..!! And to make it worse, none of us is in the construction business.<br />
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Chatting with old high school friends made me smile and laugh more often. It eased my tummy pain. It killed the boredom of staying in bed 24 hours. It rekindled a lot of great memories. It added my knowledge about doors and toilet sink (or <i>wastafel</i> in Bahasa Indonesia). But most of all it confirmed my belief on the importance of friendship in life.<br />
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When we chatted we forgot all the superficial manners. We ditched our titles and social status. We poked fun at each other. We called each other names. We exchanged crazy silly impossible ideas with each other. We argued about small stupid things. But most of all, we made each other happy....<br />
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All of us have responsibilities at work and home. A lot of times, we work so hard to please our employers, to please our husbands/wives, to tend our children, to take care of our parents, etc etc.... But we often forget to please ourselves. Many times we don't have time for ourselves. <br />
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Chatting with my high-school friends has given me the break I need, the crazy laugh I crave and the warm feeling I lust after....<br />
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I am blessed to know that I have friends who are as crazy as I am... Friends who are as passionate about food as I am... Friends who can tell each other off without hard feeling....<br />
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To <a href="https://telegram.org/" target="_blank">Telegram</a>... thank you for providing free friendly platform for friends to chat...<br />
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To my friends at Telegram.... thank you for making my food poisoning days bearable... thank you for accompanying me when I can't sleep at night... thank you for the laughs (lots of them).. and thank you for saving my money... (with you,, I don't need any botox..!!)<br />
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Have a great week ahead...!!<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-38433917367918808212014-09-07T21:43:00.001-07:002014-09-07T21:43:16.692-07:00Perfect LoveI listen to Mix FM every morning when I drive my daughters to school. For the past one week the topic was about finding the perfect wife or husband. Whether it exists and if it does, where to find this extinct species?<br />
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A woman wants to have a perfect husband who can provide her with a big house (or houses) that shelters many luxurious cars that her friends will envy. The perfect husband should also tell her how beautiful she is and how much he loves her everyday. Not to forget the occasional "surprise gifts" during her birthdays and anniversaries to show how romantic her husband is. She also wants to have perfect children who are beautiful, multi-talented, well behaved and treat her in a godly manner. A recital with philharmonic orchestra will be an added bonus to her life.<br />
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A man wants to have a perfect wife who never ages a day over 25 years old. His wife should have a miss-universe body with angelic face who cleans the house, feeds the children, sweats and cooks in the kitchen for hours yet still maintain the whole beautiful look and smiles when the husband arrives from work. She should also be as good as Monica Lewensky behind the closed door to make him satisfied. She is also expected to be a dutiful daughter-in-law to his mother and siblings while taking care of his cats.<br />
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Is there such a perfect woman or man?<br />
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When I was young, I did have a list of criteria on what kind of husband I wanted. Believe me, the list was longer than my grocery bills. I searched high and low to find the perfect man who could fit the list. Most of the men I met could not even pass the first 5 criteria on the list. My mother told me that I would never find a husband with that list so I should settle for less.<br />
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Did I settle for less? Almost... But NO.<br />
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I persevered and finally found the guy... I married him after meeting him for only 15 times. Yes, I know it was crazy but I was very certain that he was the one.<br />
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Is he perfect? No<br />
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But he is perfect for me. He passed beyond the first 10 in my list. He fits more than 90% of my list.<br />
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Is he a rich, super romantic and sophisticated guy? Definitely no by most people's standard.<br />
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When I met him, he didn't drive sophisticated European car. He didn't even have a house and still stayed with his parents. He didn't send me flowers or chocolates or romantic cards. He didn't take me to fancy restaurants on our dates. Instead, he took me to a <i>warong</i> with rusty zinc roof near Batu Cave to have Thai-style steamed fish (siakap, to be exact) on our fist date in Malaysia. It was a really hot day, eating really hot spicy food by the road side. We had teary eyes, runny nose and sweaty body.<br />
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Definitely not rich. Not romantic. Not sophisticated.<br />
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But he is perfect for me. <br />
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Why? <br />
(My friends used to ask me : What do you see in him?)<br />
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He makes me laughs. <br />
He creates thousands of butterflies in my stomach every time he touches me.<br />
He makes me shiver.<br />
He respects my privacy. <br />
He gives me freedom.<br />
He understands me.<br />
He drives me nuts with his cool. <br />
He awes me with his intelligent.<br />
He amuses me with his knowledge.<br />
He doesn't bore me. <br />
He loves my family. <br />
He loves his family.<br />
He loves food.<br />
He nurtures me. <br />
He shares the same passions with me. <br />
He listens when I talk (and he tells me when I talk too much..:)<br />
He is (brutally) honest. <br />
He is a law-abiding citizen.<br />
He is a hard-working man.<br />
He is humble.<br />
He is a man of principle.<br />
He is respectful towards my friends.<br />
He is clean.<br />
He doesn't wear flowery shirts with more than 10 colours.<br />
He doesn't chew loudly when he eats.<br />
He doesn't swear.<br />
He doesn't gossip.<br />
He doesn't shout when he talks (on the phone too).<br />
He doesn't hurt people.<br />
He doesn't judge.<br />
He doesn't flirt with women.<br />
He doesn't show off.<br />
He doesn't pretend.<br />
He doesn't have stinky breath.<br />
He is not possessive.<br />
He is not a fanatic of anything.<br />
He is not demanding.<br />
He is not complicated.<br />
He is not amused by beauty without brain.<br />
He is not afraid of cockroaches (It is very important because I am terrified of cockroaches. He can make my life less scary when there is a cockroach nearby).<br />
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Most importantly : He is a man of religion. He is afraid of Allah. He lives following guides from Allah and he guides me to be a better person.<br />
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In a way... He completes me (stealing the line from Jerry Maguire)<br />
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I am writing this out of my guilt for forgetting our anniversary this year (again... for the countless time). Last April, I only realized it was our anniversary when I was filling up a membership form for my friend. When I dated the form, I wrote 09/04/2014. The date made me thinking... hmmmm... I think there was something that I needed to do on the 9th of April. After a few minutes, it hit me. It was the 14th anniversary of my marriage to the man who has shared countless nasi lemak, nasi kandar, kari kepala ikan, nasi daun pisang, laksam, soto, assam laksa, steamed fish, botok-botok, nasi timbel, bakso, baso tahu, harkau, siomay, durian, pulasan, pie tee, char kuey teow, hummus, mandy, nachos, enchiladas, chimichangas, palak paneer, roganjosh, appam, pho, tomyam, somtam, miang kham, briyani, thosai, chapati and many many delicious things in life with me.<br />
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Although it's been months since I forgot about that date, the guilt feeling lingers as I had promised myself to never forget the important dates of our lives.<br />
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Fortunately, I never forget his birthday... (coz we have the same birthday... so one less date to remember)<br />
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For my readers who are still searching for the right guy or the right girl, don't give up and don't settle for less because you only have one life to live. The perfect man or woman does not exist BUT the perfect person for you does exist.<br />
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Thank you for reading and have a great week ahead.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-50216805175870093952014-08-04T23:50:00.000-07:002014-08-05T02:58:35.280-07:00Orang GilaWhen I was in high school, I remember there were a lot of <i>orang gila</i> or mentally ill people roaming around my house. Most of them talked to themselves, laughing, crying or screaming, oblivious to their surrounding. All of the them walked barefoot with torn and dirty clothes. They slept under bridges or pedestrian street and ate food from garbage bins. Kids and <i>tukang becak</i> used to make fun of them... some even bullied them by asking them to dance or open their clothes, revealing their private parts.<br />
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I used to be afraid being near them as some can be quite violent when they were upset. One of my friends was chased by this orang gila when she was walking to my house. She was traumatized badly. I still remember the name of that particular orang gila.. Her name was Kenoh. Actually nobody really knew her name but we called her Kenoh. <br />
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At that time I didn't know about mental illness or schizophrenia.<br />
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When I was in college, I watched <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Beautiful_Mind_(film)" target="_blank">A Beautiful Mind</a>, a movie based on the life of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZY9tZyueZj4" target="_blank">John Nash</a>, a Nobel Laureate in Economics who suffered schizophrenia. Quoting from wikipedia, schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by abnormal social behaviour and failure to recognize what is real. Symptoms include false beliefs, unclear or confused thinking and auditory hallucinations.<br />
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The movie talked to me and opened my mind about <i>orang gila</i>. I started to think differently about them. I started to understand how they feel. I started to have a special place in my heart for them. I felt guilty when I thought about how I used to feel about them. I felt angry remembering how people made fun of them. I was angry at the family members who neglected them and let them roam the streets.<br />
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Thirteen years ago, I had an unforgettable experience with a schizophrenic man. He was my staff who worked for me in a supermarket that I ran with my husband. He was a hard working and honest store supervisor who I could rely on. I had no idea of his illness when I hired him and he didn't show any strange behaviour for the 2 years he worked with me. His name is Z.<br />
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One fine morning, Z came to me and asked if he could talk to me in private inside my office. Initially I thought he would like to talk about his work or staffs. But he told me everything was fine with the store. He said he wanted to confess about something. I had a mixed feeling when he said that. Did he steal something? Was he not happy working with me?<br />
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"I was instructed to kill you," he said.<br />
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I was speechless. It took me a good 2 minutes trying to digest what he just told me. Thank to Allah, I was calm. Instead of panicking, I asked him who asked him to kill me and why.<br />
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He started to cry. He told me that for the past few years, he had a friend who followed him everywhere he went. This friend looked exactly like him and told him to do a lot of things. This friend made him smart. This friend helped him doing things that he thought he would not be able to do. This friend was invisible to others. He loves his friend so much because he made him stronger. But the friend was very possessive. He got angry very easily. When he was angry, he could be very violent.<br />
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"Lately my friend asked me to burn your supermarket and kill you because I spent too much time here," he said. "I told him that I can't do that and he was very angry. He pushed me and knocked my head to the wall. He has done that several times. When that happened, my wife locked me in the room alone."<br />
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"He always came at night when I felt sleepy. Now I am scared of him. I have not slept for the past three days because I was afraid he would come and drag me to kill you."<br />
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"You have been very good to me. I care for you and I don't want bad things to happen to you. That's why today I come to tender my resignation. To save your life."<br />
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I had a long talk with him. I told him about this movie A Beautiful Mind. I asked him to watch it. I also asked him to go to a psychiatrist. <br />
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To cut the long story short, I accepted his resignation and I didn't see him any more. One year later, he came to the shop to see me. He looked healthy without the blood-shed eye. He told me that he went to a psychiatrist at a government hospital. They managed to shoo away his friend in a friendly goodbye. He lived a peaceful life selling fruits in a small village. His wife and children were very happy because he never hits them any more.<br />
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Tears streaming down from my eyes... I was so happy to see him living a normal life. I thanked Allah for saving me..... and for the beautiful experience with a schizophrenic man.<br />
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This experience has enriched my life in a very special way. I see <i>orang gila</i> with a different light now. I wish their families understand and treat them. I hope people will stop harassing and making fun of them. They suffer enough battling with their inner voices. They don't need more suffering from other people.<br />
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I think everybody has a bit of schizo in their mind. Sometimes we do have false beliefs and get confused. Sometimes we hear voices in our mind.<br />
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I am glad to know that someone set up an FB page on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/skizofrenia/?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">Komunitas Peduli Skizophrenia Indonesia</a>. I joined the page today hoping I can help them in one way or another.<br />
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I dedicate this blog to all the schizophrenic out there. You are not alone. You can live a normal live too. Don't give up.<br />
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PS : Last year, my lady masseur told me that her 24-yr old son had an imaginary friend. He started hurting himself by slashing his hand with a knife. I told her to seek a psychiatrist treatment but sadly, her husband and her believed that he was possessed by<i> jinn</i> (supernatural creatures) and brought him to a <i>dukun/bomoh/ustadz</i> (shaman, a traditional healer believed to have spiritual power) instead. He is not healed until now, getting even more violent. She confines his son in a room to avoid hurting his siblings. They still refuse to go to a doctor as they believe doctors can't communicate with <i>jinn</i>. It breaks my heart but I can't force them to do things they don't belief.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-26778312049787868312014-07-13T23:49:00.000-07:002014-08-05T03:01:10.835-07:00Islam vs Christianity?When I told my mother that I wanted to marry B and converted to be a Muslim, my mother was stunned. She didn't say a word. For a good 5 minutes, she struggled to find the right words to say no but the only thing that came out from her mouth was, "Are you going to be one of the terrorists?". <br />
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Growing up in Bandung as a minority Chinese, I witnessed and experienced a lot of hostilities, discrimination and threats from the Muslims. Walking home from school to my house I had to ignore men shouting "Cina, <i>Amoy</i>, <i>kafir</i>" almost everyday. Some of them tried to touch parts of my body that I had to run very fast. My parents told me to never fight back or I would ignite a riot. My mother's friend had her shop burnt down by the Muslims just because she caught a person stole from her shop and scolded him. The thief went out from the shop, shouted to the public that the lady insulted Islam. The mob came so fast and burned down the shop. The fire raged to the nearby shops. At the end of the day, 6 shops were burnt down. Police didn't do anything and the event was not reported in the media. Everyone, except the victims, ignored the fact that it was against the law to destroy someone's properties.<br />
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I can remember vividly when my mother's shop had to close for a week. Muslims threw stones to shops that belonged to the Chinese. We used to live behind our shop so we could see from the peephole how the people vandalized the shops. It was a scary sight. They chanted "Allahuakbar" every time they threw huge stones to the shop. Again, only those living in our area knew about this as no media reported the event.<br />
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Going to church on Christmas Eve was very risky. There had been a few occasions where Muslims threw molotov bombs to the church compounds. Church care takers would extinguish the fires themselves as they could not rely on the authorities to take actions.<br />
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Since my mother is a Buddhist, I often had to follow her to a temple the night before Chinese New Year. We often heard explosions from molotov bombs and Muslims shouting racist remarks. Before they threw the bombs, we could hear "Allahuakbar".<br />
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Growing up in those situations, I could understand my mother's reservation. She always wants her children to be good people. She told us millions "Don't do this" and "You have to do this" so we could grow up to be the kind, polite and good people who won't embarrass them. My mother told me that if I did something bad, it would reflect bad on her as a mother. Although she has a lot of good Muslim friends, she lived to witness that there are more bad Muslims than good Muslims. We used to have very bad impressions when people say "Allahuakbar". We grew up believing that the God of the Muslims was an evil who instruct His followers to hurt people.<br />
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Before I converted to be a Muslim, I read a lot of books about Islam and I had countless discussions with my Muslim friends about the religion. I also learned about the history of religion and how the teaching evolved from Judaism to Christianity to Islam. I read the English and Indonesian translation of the Quran twice to understand why Muslims behaved in such violent ways and why Muslim women were (presumed) oppressed. It surprised me to find how easy it was to read and understand the Quran compared to reading a Bible. After I read the Quran twice, I couldn't find any verse in the Quran that asked its followers to destroy churches and hurt people.<br />
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In fact, I found a lot of similarities between the Quran and the Old Testament of the Bible. Both acknowledge the same God. Both require their followers to worship only the God (Allah) who created the world, the God who was worshiped by Abraham, Moses (Musa), Daniel, Noah (Nuh), Joseph (Yusuf), David (Daud), Jesus (Isa) and the other prophets. The first instruction Allah gave to Moses in 10 Commandments (of Bible) : I am the Lord, thy God (Akulah Tuhan Allahmu). The second instruction : Thou shalt have no other gods before Me (Jangan ada Allah lain di hadapanKu).<br />
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Both books teach about the importance of kindness, charities and being respectful to parents. Both books require their followers to obey the teachings of the prophets so that they can live peacefully in this world and hopefully, in the afterlife.<br />
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After countless discussions and a lot of readings, I found it easy to convert to Islam. I thought that the teachings were simple. Most of the rules and regulations specified in the Quran make sense. They are necessary to bring orders and to prevent chaos in this world. If everyone follows the teachings, we would be living in peace.<br />
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But when I started to live as a Muslim, I found it extremely difficult to be a Muslim. My life turned upside down. It was not as easy as I thought.<br />
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I was told that I could not enter a church anymore. My sister got married in a church. How could I not join my family to witness the most important moment of my sister's life?<br />
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I was also told that I could only pray to Allah in Arabic, a language that I couldn't understand and master. When I was a Christian, I used to "talk" to Allah several times a day, in a mixed language of Sunda, Bahasa Indonesia and English. Now, I had to learn Arabic first before I could pray and talk to Him. It would take me years to do that.<br />
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I was also told that as a married Muslim woman, I was not allowed to have male friends. I should keep a distance with male friends. I grew up with a lot of male friends. In fact, when I was in college, I was constantly surrounded by 10 boys everywhere I went. Since I was the only girl in the group, they were like my "body guards". They were my best buddies. Now all of us are married and lead separate lives, but they are still my good friends. One of best friends is a male friend whom I met when I was in high school. Until now we still text each other, exchanging stupid jokes or updating where to get the best<i> sup kepala ikan or sambel terasi</i> frequently. He is one of the very few friends who still call me "Nong" (which means forehead). Every time he calls me Nong, I am reminded again of my younger days when friends used to tease me for having shiny broad forehead. It was a bitter sweet memory from my high school. Thanks to that Nong nickname, I learned how to conceal my broad forehead by having a hairstyle that has a fringe. Nobody really notices my broad forehead anymore now. So, I can't imagine ditching him as my close friend.<br />
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Someone also told me that I should never go to clubs or hotel lounge to dance and enjoy music anymore. I should only listen to religious songs (nasyid) instead. I grew up with Indonesian, Chinese and English music. I remember my parents playing music from The Beatles, ABBA, Theresia Teng's and Chicha Koeswoyo when I was young. I enjoy the beats and the happy lyrics of those music. In my teenage days, I started to love Bon Jovi, The Police, Air Supply, Chrisye, Titi DJ and Madonna. I was glued to MTV when I was in college. I was never exposed to <i>nasyid</i> music. Because of that I can't enjoy <i>nasyid</i> music at all. I can't appreciate Middle Eastern music either because I can't understand a single thing from it. I believe every one has his/her own taste of music. A taste is not something that can be forced. I love durian tremendously but I can't force my Iranian friend to eat it. She could throw up just by smelling it. I believe taste is very personal, be it in music, food or fashion.<br />
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Although my husband, B, always reassures me that I am doing OK as a Muslim convert, I still think that I can't never be a good Muslim. He told me so many times to ignore what people say and just concentrate on the teaching of the Quran. A lot of things that the Muslims do are not based on the Quran but based on the cultures, traditions and habits of the people which are <b>misinterpreted</b> as Islamic practices. <br />
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Last year on my birthday, a dear friend gave me this book:<br />
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When I read the book, I felt my burden was lifted. I was not alone. Imran was born as a Muslim in Pakistan but grew up in England. Even as a born Muslim, he had the same confusion about Islam too. We share the same doubts and questions about the practices done by the Muslims. Both of us struggle to be the "real" and good Muslims. Both of us believe that we should enjoy our lives instead of despising simple pleasures and treat them as the worldly sins. Both of us like Simon Templer from The Saints. Both of us were born in the month of September (as well as B) which make us introverts who prefer to "talk" with our writings instead of our voices.<br />
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In his book, Imran reminded me the importance of seeking knowledge and the dangers of having blind faith. By seeking knowledge, we can understand and appreciate our religion better. AlQuran clearly mentions the obligation of every Muslim to read and seek knowledge (in verses 96:1-5, 17:36 and many more verses).<br />
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The Muslims who burned my mother's friend's shop should be ashamed to call themselves Muslims. The Muslims who chanted "Allahuakbar" before hurting people are ignorant human beings who don't practice the teaching of Islam. Those who said that I could only pray to Allah in Arabic forget that Allah is the Great and the Mighty who can understand all languages. He even hears and understands the unspoken whisper in our hearts. Abraham, Noah, David and Jesus didn't converse in Arabic and yet, they are the messengers of Allah.<br />
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Those who said that I could not enter a church forgot that in the early days, a praying hall is used by people from all religions. Muslims, Jewish and Christians used to share the same place to pray.<br />
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Many Muslims make an effort to recite the Holy Quran during Ramadhan every day, with the goal to finish the whole Quran just before Hari Raya. While it is a commendable act, I know a lot of them recite it without knowing or understanding the meaning. If only they understand the meaning, they would know that the religion never asks its followers to destroy or hurt people.<br />
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This posting is a bit heavy compared to my previous postings. It took me a long time to write this post as it is rather sensitive. I apologize if any of you find this post as offensive. I never intend to hurt or insult anyone or to appear like holier than thou. It is just another ranting of mine.<br />
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Thank you for reading my blog. Have a great week ahead, my friends....<br />
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PS : please share this blog if you know anyone recently converted to be a Muslim. I hope this blog can help her/him ease the transition.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-61678056421056045642014-06-26T18:00:00.000-07:002014-06-26T18:00:00.295-07:00My First Fasting<h3>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">One Week Before Ramadhan</span></b></h3>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Fourteen years ago : </b><br />
<br />
I was super nervous<br />
It was my first time spending Ramadhan in Malaysia as a Muslim..<br />
Would I be able to fast?<br />
What if I couldn't make it?<br />
Would I feel very tired?<br />
What should I do during the day?<br />
What should I wear?<br />
What if I passed out when walking in a mall? ( I have very low blood pressure)<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Now 2014 :</b><br />
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I am super excited<br />
I am looking forward to detoxifying my body and soul<br /><b><br /></b><br />
<h3>
<b><span style="color: #38761d;">During Ramadhan</span></b></h3>
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<b>Fourteen years ago :</b><br />
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I was confused....<br />
I felt awkward.....<br />
I felt scared...<br />
I fought hard to wake up for sahur....<br />
I traded sahur for 3 more hours of sleep<br />
I looked at the clock every 5 minutes and wonder if the clock was broken<br />
I broke my fast like a greedy elephant and felt sleepy afterwards<br />
I tried so many restaurants offering Ramadhan Break Fast Buffet in KL<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Now 2014 :</b><br />
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I am super excited because my daughters are joining us in fasting<br />
I am looking forward to have real sahur with everyone in the house<br />
I am looking forward to checking out Bazaar Ramadhan near my house<br />
I always run out of time in preparing the food for breaking fast. I think the clock moves too fast.<br />
I control my food intake when breaking fast<br />
I feel energized<br />
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<h3>
<span style="color: #cc0000;"><br />After Ramadhan</span></h3>
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<b>Fourteen years ago:</b><br />
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I lost 3-4 kgs<br />
I felt very healthy and energized<br />
I could wear my old jeans and kebayas<br />
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<b>One year ago:</b><br />
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I lost 0.5 kg..<br />
I felt hmmmmm....<br />
I had to buy new kebayas and baju kurung (couldn't fit into any of my old ones)<br />
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<b>2014 : LET'S SEE....</b><br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-67801908879230679152014-06-12T22:52:00.000-07:002014-06-12T22:52:20.760-07:00The Men in My LifeI never really write or talk much about my father. Although he is very close to my heart, I still feel our relationship is separated by a wall, albeit a thin one. He used to be very fierce. My sisters and I were scared of him. I remember he released his doberman and locked the main gate when I came home at 11.10 pm, just 10 minutes late from the 11 pm curfew. I also remember hiding in the maid's room eating <i>bakso</i> with my sister because he despised junk food. He would lecture us for hours about the dangerous preservatives (formalin : used to preserve dead bodies) used by several suppliers in making beef balls and noodles.<br />
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Other than for being fierce and discipline, I remember my father as a very adventurous young man whose hobbies include archery, hunting, deep sea fishing, diving, cooking, reading, playing ping pong, hashing and listening to music. When I was in high school, I learned how to shoot using rifles from him. He taught me how to look into the small lens and aim for the target. We used to practice shooting coca cola cans behind our house. As a young girl, I didn't know or care if it was legal for me to use rifle. I enjoyed every minute I spent with him shooting those coca cola cans.<br />
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My father is an animal lover. We used to have a few bats, snakes, chickens, dogs, birds, monitor lizard, tortoises, fish and wild cats as pets. Before he went to work, he would spent his mornings greeting, petting and feeding his pets. He loved watching animal program on TV and recorded them using VCR. My siblings and I were so bored whenever we had to watch TV together with him as he could watch the same program over and over again.<br />
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My girlfriends knew him as a very funny guy. He used to crack jokes or pranks when my girlfriends were in our house. But most of my boy friends think that he was the fiercest father on earth. He was very protective of his daughters. Whenever our friends called us on the phone, he would sit beside us and listen to all of our conversations. If we talked more than 10 minutes he would pretend that he needed to use the phone for something important.<br />
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Although he was very protective, he was not as conservative as most of my friends' parents. My father is the person who first introduced me to Jack Daniel, Hennessy X.O and Galliano. He poured the JD into a shot glass and asked me to smell and taste it. I remember how awful it smelt and how horrible it tasted. He then told me everything I needed to know about alcohol. He told me that alcohol could make me drunk and behave irrationally. He also told me that if a guy gave me a drink, I should smell it first before drinking it. I should decline the drink if it smells like that.<br />
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A few days later, together with my mother and his friends, he took me and my sister to a discotheque. He showed me how a disco looked like and how people behaved there. I still remember the name of the discotheque, Studio East. We listened to music and danced together. In between our dance, he showed me how men lured women by giving them alcoholic drinks. He also showed me that men could spike a drink to make women drunk or faint. He then told me that whenever I wanted to go to a disco, he would give me money to buy my own drink. He told me to never allow anybody to buy me drinks at a disco and to never leave my drinks unattended. I remember his words until now. It is one of his best advice.<br />
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Now my father is not as robust and lively as he used to be. While he still enjoys animal channel, he doesn't own pet anymore. He prefers to stay home and meditate compared to going to thick jungle of Batu Gajah to hunt for wild boars. He is more interested in reading and watching Chinese history than spending hours on the boat to catch some tunas or barracudas. He transforms into a totally different person.<br />
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It took awhile for my siblings and I to get used to this but we welcome the changes with open arms. We definitely welcome his less fierce attitude. He doesn't sit next to us when we are on the phone anymore (he increased the TV volume instead).<br />
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When I remember the 40+ years I know him, I can't help but admire him. He really knows how to enjoy life to the fullest. He lives a very balance life, sharing time between work, family, friends and his personal enjoyment. He works hard and plays hard too. He always has time for everything. I wish I have enough time for everything too... <br />
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I never ask him how he manages his time but after years of observation, I know why he always has time to do what he wants to do. He is very discipline and he knows how to say NO. When he works, nobody can disturb him. My mother never calls him unless there is an emergency. When it's time for him to eat, he would say no to anything else. He would eat without being disturbed. When we were on vacation, he totally shut down from the rest of the world. He didn't call the shops to ask about his business, he didn't call our house to ask if everything was OK. His mind was in a total vacation mood. When he takes afternoon nap or meditates, nobody can disturb him unless someone is dying. When he said that we would leave the house at 7 pm, we should be ready at 6.50 pm. If we were late, he would leave without us.<br />
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My experiences with my father have prepared me to live a peaceful life with my husband, B. He is very similar to my father in terms of discipline and knowing how to say no. B can't tolerate being late. He is also very strict on the house rules. My daughters sometimes complain about this. I kept telling them that it is for their own good. <br />
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Read what they wrote on the Father's Day card :<br />
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Both my father and B are the most important men in my life. Both taught me so many things about life. Both have helped me live a richer life, full of interesting experiences. Both have made me eat healthier food and avoid junk food (although I still sneak out and eat some bakso and gorengan when they are not around). Both cringed when I kill a fly or mosquito. They prefer to "shoo away" the insects instead of killing them.<br />
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Both also have made me run in high heels to avoid being late.<br />
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Let's celebrate all the great men in our lives. Happy Father's Day..!!<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-28352466954970081542014-05-09T00:12:00.000-07:002014-05-10T19:57:10.687-07:00My Tiger Mom Who Sent Me Away..I used to think my mom is a dominant female who likes to force things to her children. I used to hate her when she forced me to wear yellow dress and perm my hair. I hated her when she forced me to learn Mandarin. I hated her when she forced me to do anything. The more she forced me, the more rebellious I became.<br />
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One of the highlights in my life is when my mother "forced" me to take a 3-month summer course in Paris when I was in my early 20s. I was mad... I was not a kid anymore and she had to force me to "have a vacation".<br />
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I was very reluctant to go as I didn't speak a single French and I didn't feel the need to take those courses in Paris. I could take the same courses in San Diego (where I studied last time) and spend fun-packed summer with my friends. <br />
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I didn't understand why my mother insisted that I had to go to Paris. After a lot of arguments, finally I relented... (as I usually did). I registered with University of St Paul to take International Business Marketing and Comparative Business Law in Paris.<br />
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I was lucky that one of my classmates from Thailand interested to take the same courses with me so I could share an apartment with her. I also had an Indonesian friend who enrolled in the same program but chose to be in London instead of Paris. <br />
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The three of us left San Diego two weeks before the program to indulge in our shared passion of travelling. With <strong><em>Eurail pass</em></strong> and a few Lonely Planet books in our hands, we travelled to Innsbruck, Salzburg, Vienna, Zurich, Nice and Cannes by train.<br />
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I had never been to Europe before and I was BAD in history and geography thus I didn't know what to expect. At that time we had no internet, so we totally relied on our trusted Lonely Planet books to arrange the hostels and restaurants. <br />
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I was exposed to a lot of crazy experiences during my 3 months there. <br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/ZxrCsI" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBoZMSVQz72n3aNe-yaX4aXfnLndlDC8EHI7RwQCw7F0FZPv0DzjUbFMHlSZqrcFekR3nv8FXLuNF20DI2VQenqwhkdeBO0-AWOD5HKBO_LWewbb6bC9GB-yJeCiyo0Lw-YOYjTYFoN-I/s1600/eurail.jpg" /></a>As we traveled on a tight budget, we stayed in various youth hostels. It was the first time I had to share a bedroom with 10 strangers on bunk beds. It was also my first time sleeping at 10 pm during vacation because all light was switched off at 10 pm. It was my first time experiencing "common shower". I don't really remember where it was but I was shocked when the hostel operator showed us the shower area. It's just an open area consisting of 20 shower heads... no partition, no door. <br />
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It was the first time I saw 20 women walking around naked... Live..!! <br />
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I just couldn't do it... I just couldn't display my fat to anyone in an open space... I felt too self-conscious... The next morning I forced myself to wake up at 5 am when everyone else was still snoring just so I could take shower alone and spare my audience from a heart attack. <br />
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(<em>This experience has saved me from an embarrassing moment when I went to a locker room of a gym in Jakarta a few years later. I acted cool when a westerner walked naked from the shower in the changing room. Had I not experienced it before, I would probably grab a towel and try to cover that woman for fear of catching a cold..)</em><br />
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One morning in Zurich I woke up with a heavy head and lots of red dots in my face. Muay and Inne, my travel companions, were surprised and brought me to a clinic inside a local university. The nurses ran some tests on me and brought me into a small room. I was left alone for a good 20 minutes until Muay came sneaking into the room and told me to run away. I was shocked and scared.. She told me that I had chicken pox and the nurses said that they didn't have any chicken pox case in Switzerland anymore. <br />
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Based on the regulation, they would need to deport me back to my country.<br />
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I quickly ran away from the hospital. We were running like fugitives. I had never ran like that in my life... My friends checked me into a hotel at Geroldswill, a suburb of Zurich. Chicken pox is a normal illness in Asia that usually goes away untreated within a week. We didn't know that it was a rare thing in Switzerland. <br />
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Inne and Muay continued the trip without me and my father came to stay with me. (Coincidently he was attending a seminar in Lucern, a few hours away from Geroldswill). My father took care of me throughout that 1 week. <br />
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At that time..... I became his little girl again. <br />
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He put lotion on the chicken pox marks all over my body, he bought us food and we watched TV together without understanding a single German word. After my marks almost disappeared, we took a TGV train to Paris together.<br />
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It was one of the best times in my life... Had I not had the chicken pox, I wouldn't experience those beautiful moments. Now at my 40's, I notice that it was the one and only time I had a private time with my father, just the two of us.<br />
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During my summer course in Paris, Muay and I decided to spend our weekends travelling to the nearby towns. <br />
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When I read the Lonely Planet guide on travelling to South of France, the book mentioned that the best way to enjoy the trip was to use a bicycle. Muay rented two bicycles for us to go from Loire Valley to Mont Pres Chambord to see some castles. I had rode bicycles a million times before but I had never saw or touch any bicycle with gear. Just a few pedals and I tripped... I tried again and I tripped again... After several attempts I managed to cycle slowly. Not too long after that I fell down again, this time almost ran over by a car. It was one of the scariest time of my life.<br />
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Just when I almost cried and pulled my hairs crazy, a small red car pulled over. A girl came out from the car and asked us in English if everything was OK. I told her the problem with my bike and our plan to go to Chateau de Chambord. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chateau de Chambord</td></tr>
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She laughed saying that even if I could ride that bike, it would take us 2 hours to ride there as the place was quite far. She offered us a ride in her car. She folded our bikes, put them in the trunk and asked us to go inside her car. She said that it was better for us to go to the chateau tomorrow as the day was getting dark. In the meantime, she offered us to stay in her house. <br />
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So, we spent our evening with Sabienne and her sister, Nadine. Both of them were very nice. They were beautiful French <em>belles</em> in their 20s who spoke fluent English with cute accents (I always looooove the accent).... They took us to the garden behind their house to pick vegetables for our dinner.<br />
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Over dinner we got to know each other better... Nadine told us that she travelled to US a few years back and was lost in a highway. A kind couple helped and sheltered her until she could contact her friends. Because of that experience Sabienne and Nadine had always tried to help "lost travelers" like us. This experience is one of the most unforgettable experiences in my life. I felt blessed to have met Sabienne and Nadine who helped travelers in need without prejudice. After that time we became penpals for a few years. I always remember their generosity and kindness... This experience has touched me so much that I named my second daughter Nadine. <br />
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At the end of my 3-month program, I left Paris with two certificates and countless valuable experiences. The certificates are useless now but the experiences that I got from those 3 months are priceless. <br />
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I met so many interesting people, increased my knowledge in geography (and bicycle), learned that it was impossible for my tongue to pronounce French words correctly (even after drinking Perrier everyday), found out that I could really run very fast when I needed to (being a fugitive), bonded with my father, and at the same time I found out the domino effect of kindness from Sabienne and Nadine. <br />
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I thank my mother for forcing me to go and explore the world...<br />
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Being a mother, I learn the importance of "Tough Love" from my mother. She didn't mind if her children hate her when she instills tough love. She only concerns for her children's well being and their futures. Whenever I have to discipline my kids, I can feel the pain... I hate to see their faces when I discipline them... It breaks my heart when I see them cry.. But I am reminded by my mother. Has she not disciplined us before, we would definitely grow up differently...<br />
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I won't be able to travel like that anymore now. With 2 growing kids attached, traveling means theme parks and kid-friendly places. I can't travel carrying a backpack anymore. I have to check in at least 2 heavy luggage full of children stuffs, medicine and snacks.<br />
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Although I still need to run like a fugitive to catch a plane, the chance of seeing 20 naked women walking around is pretty slim now....<br />
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Siiiggghhhh.... the good old days are gone......<br />
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<h3>
<em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Happy Mother's Day everyone..!!</span></em></h3>
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<a href="http://amzn.to/ZxrCsI">Guide to European hostels</a>convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-592741314075978902014-04-21T00:11:00.000-07:002014-04-21T00:12:41.725-07:00Acid AttackAs I am writing this post, I have been ill for three days. I am in bed with pounding headache and nausea. While the pain in my stomach is really irritating, the one I can't stand the most of is the feel of boredom. I can't stand staying in bed doing nothing but my head and stomach ache every time I try to do something that require some movements. I tried to do my work but my brain just refused to cooperate. So I am trying out my luck with writing. Let me share with you what I did over the weekend.<br />
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My sister and her family visited us last week and we decided to go to Johor for the weekend. After driving for three solid hours, we finally reached our first destination : <a href="http://www.premiumoutlets.com.my/center-information" target="_blank">Johor Premium Outlet</a>. Everyone decided to forgo lunch and do some shopping instead. While I don't really enjoy shopping, I did enjoy the look at my daughters when they find something they liked. I liked to see the excitement of my nephews going from one shop to another looking for the best bargain. I love the happy and satisfied look of my husband when he came out from a shop with shopping bags. Not to mention the smiles from my sister's face when she described the value-for-money treasures she bought on the 2nd floor.<br />
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While everyone enjoyed their shopping, instead of visiting some boutiques, I spent my day visiting toilets, purging like I were 3-month pregnant. I didn't know why but I purged everything I ate. I felt terrible... My stomach was on fire, my head was spinning and my body was shivering... I felt worse than when I was carrying a baby.<br />
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The next day, instead of enjoying the rides at<a href="http://www.legoland.com.my/" target="_blank"> Legoland</a>, I tried to survive a taxi ride to a nearby clinic. After some Q & A, pressing and knocking some points on my body, the doctor asked me, "Do you eat a lot of spicy and oily food?" I can only confess yes.<br />
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He told me that my stomach lining is thinning due to years of acid erosion. I am a carnivore who love fried and spicy foods. When my father told me to eat less chilies, I ignored him. When my husband told me to eat more steamed food instead of fried food, I shrugged it off. When my husband asked me to prepare salad for dinner, I sneaked out some chicken or seafood inside the salad. Not a day in my life that I didn't eat meat. Meat, oil and chilies are very acidic and I was addicted to them. I am paying for my addiction now.<br />
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The doctor advised me to "clean" my body from excess acid for at least a week, followed by strict alkaline diet. I searched the net about acidic and alkaline foods and it gave me more headache.<br />
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Below is a simple list on acidic food that I have to limit or even eliminate in my diet:<br />
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Alcohol<br />
Artificial Sweeteners<br />
Beef<br />
Black Tea<br />
Carbonated drinks<br />
Cheese<br />
Chilies<br />
Chocolate<br />
Coffee<br />
Chicken<br />
Eggyolk<br />
Fried food<br />
Noodles<br />
Preserved food<br />
Sausages<br />
Sugars<br />
Syrup<br />
Vinegar<br />
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Now... I know why I get the headache.. It's the list..!! It has almost everything I love... How I am supposed to enjoy life when I can't eat anything nice? Only fruits and vegetables are alkaline..!<br />
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I had an avocado for breakfast this morning (thanks to my sister for bringing the creamiest, fattest and tastiest avocados from Bandung). I can't think of any appetizing alkaline food for my lunch and dinner yet. Just thinking about the fate of my beef and chicken in the fridge increased the pounding in my head.<br />
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How am I going to survive this...??<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-28705122655429346152014-03-24T19:27:00.000-07:002014-03-24T19:27:50.532-07:00Four Letter WordsMy heart sank when I heard the Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that MH370 ended in South Indian Ocean. Although the SAR team has not found any physical evidence such as debris or raft, we are told to assume that there is no survivor. The harsh weather and its remote location suggested that it is nearly impossible for anyone to survive.<br />
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I am no expert in aviation, geography or technical matters but deep inside my heart, I refused to believe that it is the end. I have no friend or relative on board of MH370 but like a lot of people, I share the same anguish, sadness and bitterness with the friends and relatives of MH370 crews and passengers. <br />
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I am still in a denial mode. <br />
I am still hoping that the image sighted by the satelite do not belong to MH370. <br />
I am still hoping that even it they are the debris of MH370, maybe the flight didn't crash but land on sea.<br />
I am still hoping maybe there are survivors floating on rafts waiting to be rescued.<br />
I am still hoping some of the passengers were washed away into a deserted island like the TV series "Lost".<br />
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HOPE is the four-letter word that I live by for the past few weeks. I still want to hold on to it.<br />
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As a Muslim, I believe that our time on earth is pre-determined by Allah. No one gets out from this world alive. Everyone will die. When, where and how we die is not up to us. It is the sole prerogative right of Allah, as our creator, to determine the details of our deaths. As human beings we can't understand why bad things happen. With limited wisdom and knowledge, it is hard for us to understand Allah's plans. <br />
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I am writing this blog with mixed emotions. My eldest daughter, Amber, flew to Beijing last Sunday for Student Exchange Program with her school. There are 10 students and 16 teachers from Sekolah Kebangsaan TTDI 1 in that program. It was with a heavy heart when I told Amber that everything would be OK. Although I told her it's gonna be alright, deep inside, I was worried. It is her first time going abroad without me. It's her first "sleepover" in a foreign land.<br />
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I saw her nervous during the last briefing at school. She asked me, "What if the flight disappears like MH370?" I told her that there are more road accidents than flight accident. "Everyday there are thousands of people killed in road accidents. This MH370 case is unprecedented and it's very rare." I also told her, "When you are scared and nervous, just pray and talk to Allah. He will be with you everywhere you go. You also have 2 angels who follow you all the time, one on your right shoulder and another one is on your left."<br />
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She nodded. I could see that she was calmer.<br />
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After the bus left from school to LCCT, my mind raced. Her question "What if the flight disappears like MH370?" lingered. Yes, what if it happened to her? What would I do?<br />
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Last night after I watched the press conference by the Prime Minister, the question popped back. What if...??<br />
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I couldn't sleep thinking about it. <br />
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I am aware that Amber and Nadine are not entirely mine. They are "loaned" by Allah and will be taken back one day. When I thought about the "what if", my mind didn't think about the time they are taken back by Allah. I had images of Amber screaming, being scared and panicked..... and I was not there. If I were in the flight with her, I would hold her hands, hug her and prepare us "to go" and meet our creator together. But she is alone... Who will comfort her? Who will calm her? Who will take care of her during emergency landing? Will she be able to put on oxygen mask herself? Will she be able to put on the life jacket and inflate it? Will she get cold when the plane land on sea? What if she washed away to a deserted island? Who will take care of her? Will she be found? If she were found 10 years from now, will she remember me? Will she suffer?<br />
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I know it sounds crazy.... But I couldn't help the images from rushing into my head. I am not sure if other mothers ever experience what I had experienced as a mother. There were nights when I couldn't sleep thinking about hundreds of what ifs. It began when I was pregnant with Amber. I had hundreds of negative "what ifs" that kept me worried all the time. In reality, all the what ifs never happen but I still entertain the thoughts. There were nights when I cried myself to sleep thinking about those crazy thoughts. I know I shouldn't think like that, so I tried to push the thoughts away from my mind. Over the years it gets better, I seldom cried myself to sleep anymore...... until I heard the disappearance of MH370. All the what ifs came back happily, occupying and terrorizing one side of my brain.<br />
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Last night as I was putting Nadine to sleep, I was reminded of the words I told Amber before she went on board the bus. She is constantly accompanied by two angels and Allah will always be with her. I have to trust Allah completely. As hard as it is to accept that there is someone else who loves Amber more than I do, I have to acknowledge that as her creator, Allah loves and knows her much more than I do. This thought calmed me.<br />
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At 2 am, the teachers sent messages in the group whatsapp that they were in Beijing. They sent pictures of the children walking in the airport. At 7.30 am they sent pictures of our children, all dressed up and ready for <i>kompang</i> performance at Chui Yang Liu Primary School. Later in the evening, Amber sent me messages about her first experience making dumplings at school canteen. She also sent messages when she arrived at her host family's apartment.<br />
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I slept with a smile knowing that she is well taken care of.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-58355754007914621652014-03-16T21:00:00.000-07:002014-03-17T18:56:31.417-07:00Living on The Prayers Like most Malaysians and the friends & families of MH370 passengers, I am glued to TV everyday at 1.30pm and 5.30pm for live Press Conference on the investigation updates of MH370. I have stopped reading FB threads, whatsapp, blackberry messengers and internet "findings" on the MH370 for a week now. If I can get daily updates from credible sources who directly involved in the investigation and who truly care about this issue, why bother reading others?<br />
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I am saddened by the mysterious disappearance of MH370 but I am very irritated, angry and MAD by irresponsible individuals who created unfounded news and circulated them on the internet, whatsapp and blackberry messengers. Some even made fun of it by saying it was an alien abduction with images from Alien movies. There was also circulated news that links the event to religious matters, citing it as God's punishment. I read one of the circulated news from blackberry that said "This event was predicted by Pastor this and that". Some even said "It's the sign that the end of the world is coming, God's promise is being fulfilled'.<br />
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While I am MAD with the irresponsible people who created those articles, I am equally furious with those who circulated them. Don't they think whether or not the articles bear truth? Don't they investigate first? Are they that naive (or STUPID)? Don't they even think for a second about the feelings of friends and relatives of the passengers in MH370 before circulating them? Are they really that blind and ignorant? Are they really that heartless?<br />
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Not a day that I don't pray for the safety of those on board MH370. Not a day that I don't ask Allah to give strengths to their families and friends. Not a day that I don't ask Allah to give guidance to the Search and Rescue team to find the MH370. And to know that there are still people out there who make jokes, spread Photoshop-ed images of MH370 findings and circulate unfounded news really makes me sick.<br />
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Fortunately I am comforted by the genuine supports given by 25 countries to find the aircraft. My heart warmed when Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, the Malaysia Defense Minister, said that he was willing to share sensitive military data that might compromise the country's security, as long as we can find the aircraft. He trusts the 25 countries for not misusing the shared sensitive data in the future. Other countries also share their military radar data to locate the aircraft. Those 25 countries has been helping each other, giving whatever resources they have (manpower, money, information, tools, etc) to locate the aircraft.<br />
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I am also overwhelmed by the prayers and supports given from people all over the world regardless of race, skin color, religion, social status and nationality. It shows that there are a lot of people who care about the total strangers who were on board of MH370. After all we are one big family occupying the same mother earth.<br />
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Please keep on praying for the safe return of MH370.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-17173371350348074192014-02-24T18:30:00.000-08:002014-03-17T18:56:48.637-07:00I am going to Hell (?)An old acquaintance contacted me a few years ago... Facebook and Blackberry Messenger (bbm) had brought back my long lost friends and acquaintances again. The last time I met this friend when I was in my teens, when I was addicted to hair gel and hair spray that could make me look like I was just electrocuted by lightning. I remember the hard work to get my hair "stood up" like porcupine. He remembered me as a "cool girl" who loved to dance. <br />
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Growing up in the 80's, being cool means wearing Madonna's style fishnet pantyhose, sporting huge spiky Cindy Lauper hair and falling in love with Simon Le Bon. Going to a disco means having a very good exercise, dancing non-stop to the beats from Cameo, Culture Club and INXS while trying to keep the spiky hair stood up. It was purely dancing... no drugs and alcohol involved. My parents allowed me to go to disco almost every weekend as long as I would be back home by 11pm. I must say I really enjoyed those days when disco was just dancing..... nothing else. But of course, when I look at my teen pictures I couldn't help but wonder if I had misplaced my brain.<br />
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Since we had not any contact for the past 20 years, we updated each other's lives. He told me that he got married and moved to another city. I also told him that I got married and moved to Kuala Lumpur. When he asked me which church I went to in KL, I told him that I was no longer a Christian. I told him that I married a Malay guy and converted to Islam. He was very surprised. After a long pause, he diverted the conversations into general things. I could feel that he was not comfortable.<br />
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After three days, I received a text message from him. He asked me if I was not afraid of the God's wrath for converting to be a Muslim. He said that "as a good friend" he would pray for me to return to the right path. He believed that I would definitely go to hell for joining the religion of the terrorists. I told him that I believed I had chosen the right path and hopefully I won't be condemned to hell. I asked him politely not to talk about religion because not only it was a sensitive issue but everyone has the right to choose his/her religion. <br />
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Apparently he was adamant about his mission of "saving me from hell". He would text me verses from Bibles almost everyday. He also sent links to testimonials of Muslims who converted to be Christians. He emailed me articles about terrorists who blew themselves for jihad, oppressed Muslim women in Saudi, sighting of miraculous clouds that looked like Jesus (I forgot to tell him about the miraculous Adobe Photoshop) and so many other articles that he thought might help me come back to the (supposedly) right path. He mentioned that he sent all those things because I was his good friend.<br />
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In the beginning I tried to be polite by just ignoring his messages and emails. But after it continued for a month, I couldn't stand it anymore. I blocked and deleted him in my FB and BBM. I did feel bad about this because I didn't want to be rude. But a girl got to do what a girl got to do. Besides, I'd never felt that he was my friend. He never really knew me even when we were teenagers. We just said hello to each other when we met. After 20 years he suddenly appeared in my life, lecturing me about how bad my religion was and acting as if he was a very good friend who tried to save me from the burning hell. <br />
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If he were to lecture me during my disco days, I would probably think about it. But now, when I have tremendously reduced my contributions to the holes in ozone, shrunk my hair and thrown away the fishnet pantyhose, I can't possibly believe him. His lecture was just untimely.<br />
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And to say he did that because I was his good friend..... was such an overstatement. I refuse to say that he is my friend because like what William Shakespeare said :<br />
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On another note, I have a close friend who changed her religion from Islam to Christianity. She was born as a Muslim but as she grew older she learned more about Christianity. She said she found solace and peace when she converted to be a Christian. She never felt those beautiful feelings when she was a Muslim. As a friend, I respect her decision. Who am I to judge her? She is a beautiful, kind, helpful and hardworking person. For the 30 years I know her, I've never seen or heard her doing bad things to people or even animals. And yet, she also has experiences where her Muslim friends tell her to repent as she is a <i>murtad </i>and will definitely go to hell. Her "friends" also try to save her from the burning hell. They lecture her, send her articles about how wrong her Bible is, tell her stories about Christians who converted to Islam and how her children will suffer because of her deviation from the right path. Some even refused to befriend her again as she is now a <i>kafir</i>.<br />
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I believe one should educate itself about the freedom of choosing one's religion. It is a total disrespect to think that people from other religions will go to hell. I believe it's the prerogative right of Allah to choose which of His creations should go to hell or heaven.<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-10136403818486302792014-02-13T22:27:00.003-08:002014-03-17T18:52:59.017-07:00Making LoveGoing back to Bandung for Chinese New Year has always excited me. It's like an annual pilgrimage...<br />
I have to prepare my mind and body weeks before the departure date. Months before the departure date I have to control the stress level in brain, cool my emotion and the most important thing : lose some weight before I arrive in Bandung..!!<br />
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Those who read my previous blog would remember how I always get a greeting of : "You look fatter" during CNY reunions. While I am immune to this question now, I still need to lose some weights before I arrive in Bandung because I tend to gain a few kilos during my one-week-stay there. So if I don't lose a few kilos before I leave KL, I would definitely come back to KL like a balloon.<br />
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(just so you know.... I DID get that "you look so fat now" friendly remarks almost every day during my stay there)<br />
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This Chinese New Year holiday was super special because my sister came from Japan with her daughter. My parents were happy because the complete gang of children and grandchildren were there to enliven the house with non-stop noise from talkative daughters and screaming children, continuous mess of toys and shopping bags, and perpetual clutters of junk foods on the dining table. <br />
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The Chinese New Year day started rather quietly. My parents went to open their shops as usual and my children woke up a bit late than usual. My sister and I gathered at the dining table for our ritual coffee morning. By noon everyone was busy. We took out portable chairs, plates, bowls and glasses, arranged tables, put money inside angpao packets, fried the lumpiahs, cut the cakes, ironed the red dresses and prayed that it wouldn't rain that night.<br />
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6 pm... Everything was ready... The satays were grilled, the chaffing dishes were set up, my make-up was on and the fan was blowing. Everyone was ready to embrace the night.<br />
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I don't remember what time the first visitors arrived... But by 8 o'clock we had more than 100 people gathering in our house. My parents' siblings, relatives and friends came to the house to wish "Kiong Hee". <br />
Married couple gave angpaos to the singles. Adults chatted, ate, munched, poked fun, and laughed while the children ran around, dropped objects, fought, screamed and cried. The boys shouted every time a round of poker game was finished. The children screamed, ran outside and wave bye-bye every time an airplane flew above our house and ladies took pictures and posted on Facebook.... (wink..wink.. you know who you are)<br />
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The noise level was unbelievable. The whole thing looked chaotic.... It was a night when everybody talked about everything but remembered nothing....<br />
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The whole thing ended just slightly after midnight.<br />
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We were almost sad to see everyone gone. <br />
We need to wait for one year to meet again...<br />
I need to wait until the next Chinese New Year to hear "You look fatter" again...<br />
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Between now and CNY 2015, a lot of things can happen....<br />
Some of our relatives are old...<br />
Some of them are not well.....<br />
Some of us live very far away....<br />
We may not be able to laugh and poke fun at each other again next year...<br />
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When I remember those moments, I feel really blessed. Those are the real loves. Chinese New Year should be the Valentine's day for the Chinese...!! It is the day to celebrate the real love. <br />
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I truly believe that love is not about saying I Love You or I Miss You....<br />
It's more about being comfortable with each other<br />
It's about knowing that we can rely on each other<br />
It's about being happy even when my husband told me that I am fat like I was 7-month pregnant<br />
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Today is St Valentine's Day... Let's celebrate love in its purest meaning.... Let's love each other without boundaries... Let's make (literally) love...<br />
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Happy Valentine's Day my friends......<br />
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PS: I am addicted to this song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hT_nvWreIhg" target="_blank">"Counting Stars"</a> by One Republic. The words stuck on my head for weeks.<br />
I love the music... I love the lyrics.... (and the video sent chills to my spine as I experienced something similar to that long long time ago)<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Old, but I'm not that old </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Young, but I'm not that bold</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">(<i>this is me... not so old.... yet too old to be called young</i>)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">And I don't think the world is sold</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">I'm just doing what we're told</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">I feel something so right</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">By doing the wrong thing </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i>(I know it's wrong to eat Cheese Martabak at night but it felt so goooooood)</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #cfe2f3; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">And I feel something so wrong</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">By doing the right thing</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;"><i>(It is the right thing to eat salads everyday but my palate says it's soooo wrong)</i></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">I couldn't lie, couldn't lie, couldn't lie</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: red; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Everything that kills me makes me feel alive</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">(<i>my dearest junk foods (cireng, combro, martabak, batagor, tahu gejrot and their families) do make me feel alive...!</i>!)</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">In case you haven't heard or seen the video, click the picture below:</span><br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-41442218400241111862014-01-12T20:54:00.002-08:002014-03-17T18:57:29.153-07:00Delete and BlockI just had a very interesting weekend. <br />
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Last Thursday I felt very tired and my brain just refused to be filled with anything. That kind of moment has happened a few times lately. Whenever my brain sent me that strike signal, usually I would do something to relax and rejuvenate it by either going to supermarket or... peeking into my Facebook account.<br />
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When I signed into my FB, I saw there were messages in the "Others" folders. Most of the time I ignore the "Others" folder because those are messages sent by some crazy conmen that are not in my friends list.<br />
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Most of the messages will be from foreigners and sound like these :<br />
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Hello dear, I just couldn't help myself to be captivated by your profile picture. You look beautiful. (this is when I put Katy, my cat, in my profile picture..!!!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76g5fInObT13y73VcE8Q8BH2GtsTP3whDU5KbnIDSeibJqjo3lqPtk7JPDv3GS-vQ5O3PCmfGk5qfTvXIrb_godxlsdFTTJUfWstlv6W48xgkSVoDNWhZLbYELifgwsYfKJewQTXuSB0/s1600/catty+perry+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj76g5fInObT13y73VcE8Q8BH2GtsTP3whDU5KbnIDSeibJqjo3lqPtk7JPDv3GS-vQ5O3PCmfGk5qfTvXIrb_godxlsdFTTJUfWstlv6W48xgkSVoDNWhZLbYELifgwsYfKJewQTXuSB0/s320/catty+perry+1.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hi.. my name is General Geoffrey Norman and I would be happy if you add me as you friend. <br />
or<br />
Hello beautiful...<br />
or<br />
You look very angelic and nice. I am dying and I need to give money to someone who will use it to help people. I trust you and I want to transfer my U$21,500,000 to you.<br />
etc etc etc...<br />
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Last Thursday, I actually saw a message from an Indonesian guy. From the name, I remembered him as my ex-staff when I used to work in Jakarta. So I opened the message. He said Hi and asked if I used Blackberry. If yes, he would like to have my PIN. So I sent him my PIN. <br />
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When I tried to see his FB account, his picture was blurred so I couldn't him see clearly. Since he was not in my friends list, I couldn't see his photos and postings.<br />
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From what I remembered, he used to work with me for 2 years and resigned because he moved to another town to take care of his dying mother. He was a very serious and hard working accountant who would stay with me in the office until 11pm whenever we had to meet our deadlines. This was 20 years ago. So I was actually happy when he "found" me in FB. <br />
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We exchanged "Hello" and updated each other on our lives. Since I had a 3-day workshops on the weekend, I couldn't chat with him too long. I needed to prepare myself for the workshops.<br />
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On Friday morning when I was concentrating and trying to understand every word that my teacher said about iOS and Android App, this guy sent me a message in my blackberry. He wished me good morning and asked what I was doing. I wished him good morning and told him I was in a class so I couldn't chat.<br />
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Later that day, he sent me another message telling me that he thought I was beautiful.<br />
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I was like...??????? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tF3Cs0itmx3vhTn1YDvszuy_K4ckRSYYg-SG31jvecjg6LOf32vuoKL8yh0vQz6WaHRcisY7J6YEitlhL412ablp00yoxyhu973sCpjxeBqzI2Ypvwj5sZfXmmVoTa4MRl7EZlrJ5GI/s1600/images+of+confused+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tF3Cs0itmx3vhTn1YDvszuy_K4ckRSYYg-SG31jvecjg6LOf32vuoKL8yh0vQz6WaHRcisY7J6YEitlhL412ablp00yoxyhu973sCpjxeBqzI2Ypvwj5sZfXmmVoTa4MRl7EZlrJ5GI/s1600/images+of+confused+girl.jpg" /></a></div>
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I thought that this guy must be out of his mind. I used to be his fierce boss for 2 years and now he texted me that..??<br />
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I didn't know what to react other than telling him,"Thank you but I am still in the class"<br />
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The following day, I woke up to a message from him (in my blackberry) : Good morning my pretty lady... <br />
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Again... I was like...????<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrD0ymiRt5Woqs_MV29lF24TBtv2PIA03pF4rP8P7-T0srjoNBD3uQd0g9p806oZy82RvF1nDcjRsl-vSMw_Fl8eCGkGH8AlQGv7kzadPP88t91_3uqAO3hxVEKbB9l8fGH5SeCGT5Sk/s1600/images+of+confused+girl+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTrD0ymiRt5Woqs_MV29lF24TBtv2PIA03pF4rP8P7-T0srjoNBD3uQd0g9p806oZy82RvF1nDcjRsl-vSMw_Fl8eCGkGH8AlQGv7kzadPP88t91_3uqAO3hxVEKbB9l8fGH5SeCGT5Sk/s1600/images+of+confused+girl+2.jpg" /></a></div>
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I told my husband that I had a very bad feeling about this guy. There was no way he sent me those messages if he was normal. As always, my hubby dearest just shrugged it off. He told me that I attracted "weird people" in my life.<br />
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Last night, this guy texted me again.... He asked what I was doing. He also told me how much he missed me.<br />
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Helloooooo...??? Will you tell your fierce ex-boss that you miss her/him?<br />
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I didn't know what to answer....... But after several minutes I told him that sometimes I do miss our ex-colleagues too and I keep in touch with them via FB. At this moment, I tried to remember who his closest colleagues were. I needed to contact them to inquire if he was OK. Unfortunately I lost contacts with most of them. I only keep in touch with those who have FB account.<br />
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After exchanging more text messages, I felt weirder and weirder. <br />
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This morning he texted me again. He told me that he really really missed me. He told me that I looked like an angel (<i>bidadari)</i>.<br />
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Aiyoooooo.... <i>Cannot tahan</i> laaaa... I had to whack his head...!!! I was sure that he was not well. I needed to help him.. Poor guy, maybe he was having marital problem, maybe accounting made him crazy or maybe he swallowed some wrong pills.... I had to help him.<br />
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So I probed him with questions about his lives.<br />
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After ding dong ding dong here and there.... Finally he confessed...<br />
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We never met...!!!!! He never knew me before last weekend...<br />
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He is not my ex-staff. He saw my picture profile and contacted me. He happened to use the same name with my ex-staff. He also didn't know that I have a friend with the same name. He told me that he was "captivated' (AGAIN) by my picture in FB. The last time I checked, my picture was a blurred black and white old photo. How can someone be "captivated" by that picture...??<br />
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Aaaarrgggghhhhh...<br />
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Wasting my time. Definitely a conman.<br />
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DELETE and BLOCK...<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-67979136671758140942014-01-05T21:35:00.004-08:002014-03-17T18:53:59.423-07:00Girls' TripI went to Hongkong a few months ago to meet my girlfriends. It was the first time for the 5 of us to have girls trip together after we get married. I departed from Kuala Lumpur while some of my friends departed from Jakarta and Bali. We managed to take flights that arrived in Hongkong around the same time.<br />
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I met my girlfriends 18 years ago in Jakarta. All of us were single at that time and we were all looking for the loves of our lives. We were young, energetic, career-driven and full of lives. We spent a lot of diners after work and weekend lunches until each of us got married and lived in different countries. <br />
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The past 15 years of our lives were filled with travelling with spouses, changing diapers, looking for the perfect kindergartens, sending kids to schools, going to pediatricians, going to school concerts and everything around kids.<br />
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We didn't really have time for ourselves. We didn't have a chance to meet each other. We kept in touch occasionally using emails, sending pictures of our newborns, children birthdays and Christmas greetings. Then Facebook saved us... We updated each other using posts and pictures in Facebook until one day some of us decided to make their Facebook account idle.<br />
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During those years each of us changed... both physically (I am wider and heavier) and spiritually. I converted to Islam when I got married to a "foreigner", a Malay guy from Malaysia. It changed my lifestyle dramatically. I omitted pork and alcohol from my diet (replacing them with lamb and coffee instead). I don't drink margaritas or tequilas when I go to clubs anymore, opting for a simple Coke or OJ instead.<br />
While I am still enjoying Christmas lights, songs and atmosphere, I no longer put up Christmas tree in the house. I absorbed different culture and tradition in my new life as a Muslim in Malaysia. <br />
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All the changes in the past 15 years have changed the way I think, the way I live and the way I behave. It has shaped me to be who I am today. I feel that I am a different person from the person my friends used to know 15 years ago.<br />
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When all of us met in Hongkong, we spent hours of talking and giggling. We slept around 4 or 5 o'clock in the morning. We only managed to have 4 hours sleep everyday. We talked about anything and nothing. If you ask me what we talked about, honestly I don't remember. All I remember is that we talked non-stop..!!<br />
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Four days passed and it was time for us to go home, to go back to our families and resume our responsibilities as mothers, wives, daughters and daughter-in-laws. It was a sad moment, thinking that we wouldn't be seeing each other again for a long time. We made a pact to meet at least once a year now, travelling together again, leaving behind our roles at home and just be "girls" again.<br />
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After the travel, I realize that no matter how much each of us changed, real friends understand and adapt to each other. Real friends don't feel awkward after being devoid of personal conversation for 15 years. Real friends can still find a million things to talk about as if our world is still the same as before. Real friends don't judge. Real friends don't pretend. Real friends see us for who we are. For them, I didn't change that much and for me, they don't change either. We are still the same crazy loud girls who think that George Clooney is the hottest doctor in the world..!! We still think that mie ayam (chicken noodle) is the best remedy for stress and nothing can beat ice-cold Teh Botol during a hot sunny day.<br />
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This holiday is totally different from the normal holiday I take with my families. Although I had only 4 hours of sleep a day, I felt very refreshed after the holiday. When I have family holidays, usually I need a separate holiday after that, just to be alone and relax. Although it is called holiday, family holidays mean I am still on duty to make sure my kids are well fed and taken care of. I have to pack and unpack their clothes. I have to entertain the kids (and their father) and follow schedules that involve theme parks, malls and kid-friendly restaurants. Those holidays are all about the kids.<br />
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This "girls trip" holiday is all about me. I felt free like a bird. I felt young again. I felt like I was transported back to the past where I had no worry and no responsibility (and no cellulite..).<br />
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I believe all mothers need this break. A break from duties. A break from being mommies. A break from being someone's wive. A break from changing diapers. A break from baby talk.<br />
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I am really looking forward to our next trip.<br />
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In the meantime I need to behave nicely and score A+ as a wife and a mother... I need to earn my next "exit permit" from the three creatures at home who work me non-stop, make me sweat in the kitchen, drive me nuts and spoil me with hugs and kisses.<br />
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Have a Happy New Year 2014...!!!<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-34217740162321244252013-11-25T00:00:00.000-08:002014-03-17T19:00:20.808-07:00Crushing CandiesI never enjoy eating candies in my life, no matter how pretty or handsome it is. I prefer chocolate a thousand times more than candies. I love the rich, creamy and bittersweet taste of chocolate. I feel less guilty when eating chocolate because international researches have proven that chocolate has high anti-oxidant and aphrodisiac agents. I can debate about why chocolate is better than candies for hours but this is not the reason why I write this post.<br />
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Today's post is about my confession of flirting with something not chocolatey.... I confess that I am now addicted to candy.... But not just a simple sweet candy. it is a special one called <a href="http://www.royalgames.com/games/puzzle-games/candy-crush/">Candy Crush</a>. If you don't know what Candy Crush is..... hmmmmm it's time to give uncle google a call.<br />
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Yes, it is very unlike me to play computer games, more so anything involving candies. But regretfully I have to admit that I am hooked now. I am a bit embarrassed of acquiring a new addiction knowing that I already have a long list of addictions. But this candy is insanely addictive.<br />
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I don't really play computer games other than the old-fashioned "serious" games like Freecell and Minesweeper. My kids used to tell me that I was such a boring person, spending my free time reading, cooking and writing instead of having something really fun, like playing games.<br />
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When my husband bought an ipad for us, I was not interested in it. Yes, it is very high-tech and looks pretty sleek but other than that, I don't really find it useful. (..well... I am not the type who judge something from its looks). I can't do my accounting work using ipad, I can't watch anything that has Adobe Flash and I have to be delicate while touching the screen. The fact that I don't have any chemistry with touch screen makes it even more unattractive to me.<br />
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But one day, my daughter managed to influence me to play Candy Crush. I declined the offer but she insisted that I might like it. Not wanting to disappoint her, I let her teach me how to play. I was a bit slow in the beginning. I couldn't understand how the points work, how to get high scores. I overly analyzed the game. When I asked my kids about the point system, they looked at me with a blank face.<br />
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"Mommy, it's just a game. Don't be too serious with it, just play laaaa....," she told me.<br />
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That's when it hit me... <br />
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Have I lost the fun in me? Am I really too serious now? Have I grown "old" that fast? Am I a boring middle-age-almost-menopause lady now?<br />
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NO NO NO..... I have to show my kids that I am not that person. I am still a fun person who can enjoy games that most "fun people" play. I have my reputation at stake now.... I have to play..!!<br />
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Then I started playing.. Every time I completed one level, I felt the a sense of achievement. I couldn't believe that I could complete all 33 levels within 3 days. Every time I completed 1 level, I shouted and showed off to my kids. When I reached level 35, I got stuck. I needed friends to help me. I panicked. I send requests to my Facebook friends to help me.... Only to realize that all those while I played using my daughter's account. None of her friends helped me. I couldn't advance to the next level. After a few days not crashing candies, I became restless... I needed my fix... That's when I knew my addiction was real. <br />
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I needed to beg my husband to let me buy the ticket to advance to the next level (because the ipad is using his account). It's only 99 cents but my pride was too high to ask him. I didn't want him to know that I acquired a new addiction. He is still upset that I had a rebound with my coffee addiction after being clean for a few months. But after a week without Candy Crush, I had to ignore my pride and told him what happened. Contrary to my initial fear, he said OK and didn't ask anything at all. So I bought the ticket, felt happy and started playing again.<br />
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When I hit level 90, my kids started to complain. They hated me for ignoring them. I spent a lot of time on the ipad that they had to settle for <i><a href="http://www.misedaap.com.my/product/">Mi Sedap Soto</a></i> for a few lunches. I felt so guilty....<br />
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Similar to what normal people will do, my guilt made me defensive...... I tried to justify my addiction. "You know girls, you can learn a lot of things from playing Candy Crush," I told my children. "Do you learn anything?"<br />
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My daughters gave me blank looks.<br />
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"When you play a game, you learn about perseverance, about not giving up and keep on trying until you succeed. While playing this game, you are actually trained to be patient, to think strategically, to concentrate and at the same time, to be caring. You learn to help others by giving tickets and lives to your friends."<br />
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I was surprised when I uttered those words. Wow... I am good...!! Now I started to feel less guilty. I am training my brain, man...!!<br />
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But actually it is true... Don't you think so? The game really taught us all those....<br />
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And I also learn a lot about life from Candy Crush Saga : you get helps from the least expected Facebook friends. I get tickets and lives from FB friends who don't really keep in touch with me. I even got lives from acquaintances too..!! It restores my belief in humanity... :)<br />
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However, the most important thing that I learned from Candy Crush is : when a man says "sweet, wonderful, fantastic", don't flatter yourself.... You can die just seconds after the Candy Man says you did FANTASTIC...!!<br />
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Have a great week ahead friends....<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-4622068781560165722013-10-06T18:41:00.000-07:002013-10-07T20:28:05.637-07:00Welcome to BandungBandung has always been home to me. I was born and raised in Bandung...<br />
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I used to talk in Sundanese dialect everyday...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7lMCmxx4d1fOuZ2OUNGJxAlmbFNjYvUiNAirU1w9AH8IbNjnPWpjoteL_I1kz-7QAmV5su1MWnhzg_bl5K7YmMasBdUBPapGVe-nfbGNQg35jJmjyQKgTAtlL7pb-tpq6VEpqAUTalE/s1600/cingcangkeling1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI7lMCmxx4d1fOuZ2OUNGJxAlmbFNjYvUiNAirU1w9AH8IbNjnPWpjoteL_I1kz-7QAmV5su1MWnhzg_bl5K7YmMasBdUBPapGVe-nfbGNQg35jJmjyQKgTAtlL7pb-tpq6VEpqAUTalE/s400/cingcangkeling1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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and having <em>Baso Tahu</em> (which for some reason, people from Jakarta change the name to <em>Siomay</em>), <em>Rujak Cuka, Pisang Bolen, Lotek, Jengkol, Genjer and Lalapan as</em> my snacks<em>.</em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQISEJtVF2yhpmYmoLzhB1nteVAvFb5-Bf4uNCb7vd37HIf97s0EAWmE0xj7XCwAxfLDdZ_OdCYwh3HYvCy5OGoAzsb9kFVlfsPMsaN5ZYslbHjwQDqqVrhZ9vL8vmRRQEGIYxYpWq88U/s1600/bandung+food.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQISEJtVF2yhpmYmoLzhB1nteVAvFb5-Bf4uNCb7vd37HIf97s0EAWmE0xj7XCwAxfLDdZ_OdCYwh3HYvCy5OGoAzsb9kFVlfsPMsaN5ZYslbHjwQDqqVrhZ9vL8vmRRQEGIYxYpWq88U/s320/bandung+food.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I carry Bandung everywhere I go. When I was in US, my Indonesian friends could automatically tell that I was from Bandung from my "kampung Sunda" accent when I spoke English (at that time I found it very embarrassing and tried to eliminate that kampong accent by speaking English with Indonesian accent instead, which Americans found it equally difficult to understand). <br />
<br />
When my husband married me 14 years ago, most of his relatives had no idea where Bandung was. There was no Airasia to promote and connect Indonesian small towns to Malaysia. Going to Bandung meant taking a 2-hour-flight to Jakarta followed by a 5-hour-drive from Jakarta to Bandung. A trip to Bandung would take at least 9 hours without traffic jam. With Jakarta's maddening traffic jam, it could easily take 12-14 hours. So yes, I would like to thank Tan Sri Tony Fernandez for connecting my Bandung to Kuala Lumpur with a direct 2-hour flight. <br />
<br />
Because of Airasia, Bandung grows to be one of the favourite holiday destinations for Malaysians. The flights increased from once a day to 5 times a day. Hotels, factory outlets and restaurants have been mushrooming at a very fast speed, providing job opportunities and improving the town economy. Pasar Baru store operators have been adjusting their products to cater to the busloads of Malaysian customers for years that some of them even accept Ringgit Malaysia as a mode of payment. <br />
<br />
When my husband's friends found out that he married a girl from Bandung, most of them asked him to tell them where to go and what to do in Bandung. Initially my husband would recommend places that we normally go whenever we visit Bandung. But after a few months telling the same thing over and over again, he asked me to help him making a list of places to visit in Bandung using Microsoft Words so he could just email it to his friends. <br />
<br />
Well, of course.... as a very kind and understanding wife.. (wink..wink..) I obligingly wrote a simple travel guide for his friends. Little did I know that my "travel guide" was circulated among his colleagues in the office. Now my husband claims the title of "Bandung Expert"..!!! (thanks to his supportive wife... (another wink...))<br />
<br />
Since Malaysia and Singapore school holidays are coming soon, I think about sharing this little Bandung Travel Guide with my readers. While it is not really a Lonely Planet, the places in the guide are places that are close to my heart..... the places I go when I visit my kampong. You are free to circulate the guide to your friends (and claim the title of "Bandung Ambassador")<br />
<br />
I share this guide to welcome you to my home. I hope you will enjoy Bandung as much as I do..<br />
<br />
<em><strong><span style="color: #274e13;">Wilujeng Sumping ka Bandung (Welcome to Bandung)</span></strong></em><br />
<br />
PS: Let me know if you need PDF file for this. Just tell me your email address on "comment" below and I will email the file to you.<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><strong><u><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">BANDUNG TRAVEL GUIDE</span>
<o:p></o:p></u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><u>TOURIST SPOTS:<o:p></o:p></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Gunung Tangkuban Perahu</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> – Active
volcano at Lembang <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opens
daily until 4pm<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Located
30 km from Bandung, about 45 minutes drive.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">At
the volcano site, go to the kawah and shop traditional souvenir (but please
bargain hard 70% off). You can also try the traditional delicacy such as
pisang bakar with cheese and chocolate, bajigur drink (hot mixture of gula
melaka and santan) or bandrek drink (shredded coconut in hot mixture of ginger
and gula melaka). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sari Ater Hot Spring
Resort <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Opens
all day but the best time to visit is after 5pm<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Located
near Gunung Tangkuban Perahu.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a hot
spring restort for a dip in sulfuric hot pool. You should bring your swinsuit
for this. It’s better if you can spend one night at the resort, relaxing and
enjoying the chill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The weather is cold,
so please bring some long sleeves, the temperature at night can drop to 10
degrees when it rains.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On
the way there (in the morning) you can stop by at Pasar Lembang. You can
sample fresh n cheap local fruits like raspberry, strawberries, blackberries,
avocado, and salak pondoh. You can also sample traditional delicacies
like ketan bakar oncom (charcoal grilled pulut with spicy soy bean paste) or
jagung bakar 3 rasa (sweet, salty and spicy). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If
you happen to be in Lembang area on weekend, go to The Ranch or Rumah Sosis
where children can go horse riding, rowing boat at the lake, go carting, flying
fox, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Trans Studio Theme
Park<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
largest indoor theme park in Indonesia. Located next to Bandung Super Mall, the
theme park is a hit for both adults and children.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<b><u><span style="color: red;">S</span><span style="color: red;">HOPPING SPOTS:</span></u></b></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><strong><u></u></strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Factory outlets:</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
1. Rumah Mode (Jalan Setia Budi), the most popular factory outlets combining
shopping, dining and massage in one place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Food outlets offer traditional Bandung street food such as Batagor,
Satay, Lotek, Siomay, etc.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.
The Happenning – next to Rumah Mode</span></div>
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3. The whole stretch of Jalan Dago you will find more than 10 outlets</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
4. The <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Summit</st1:place></st1:city>,
Heritage, Cascade (the stretch of Jalan Riau)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">5.
Jalan Soka : Moi (for kids, a lot of branded stuffs) and Carvieno(for party
gowns).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These two outlets are close to
the famous Prima Rasa Bakery selling Bandung snacks.</span><br />
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</span></div>
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<b>Shops:</b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong></strong></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
1. Jalan Cihampelas (jeans shops the whole stretch of jalan cihampelas, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
interesting to see and cheap clothes). If you want to buy cheap bags, go to
Toko Elizabeth. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.
Toko Yogya: Has few branches at Jalan Sunda, Jalan Diponegoro (near Jalan
Riau), CiWalk and in The Bandung Indah Plaza (Jalan Merdeka). Cheap and nice
children clothing but not branded.</span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>3. Pasar Baru :
5-storey traditional market (fully air-cond) selling vast variety of cheap
clothes, tudong, sulam, kebaya etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Make
sure to bargain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Favorite place for
Malaysians.</strong></span></div>
<strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></strong><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><strong><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4. Jalan Braga :
heaven for art lovers with street vendors selling paintings at very reasonable
prices.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to bargain.<o:p></o:p></span></strong></span></div>
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</span></strong><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Malls:<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">
<a href="http://www.paris-van-java.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Paris van Java mall (PVJ</strong> <em>pronounced PeVeJe</em><strong>)</strong> </span></a>mall.<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> One of the favourite malls for locals.<span lang="EN-US"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perfect for outdoor dining as they have varieties of local and international food outlets. </span></span></div>
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</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span> </div>
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">
<a href="http://www.cihampelaswalk.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Ciwalk Mall (Cihampelas Walk)</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for access to their website. <span lang="EN-US">Outdoor mall with good mixtures of interesting small shops and restaurants. Strategically located on the stretch of Jalan Cihampelas, famous for jeans. </span></span></div>
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</span></li>
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</span></ul>
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</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Bandung Trade Center (BTC)</strong> – selling very reasonable clothing, local brands.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s also good for wholeseller.</span></span></div>
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</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
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<span lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<ul><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Bandung Super Mall (BSM)</strong> at Jalan Gatot Subroto.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The perfect mall for kids because it has indoor amusement park with
merry go round, mini roller coaster and ferry wheel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></li>
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</span></ul>
<ol><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ol>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<u><span style="color: red;"><strong>DINING SPOTS:</strong></span></u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: red;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For muslims:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Be aware that not all Malay Indonesian are muslims, so a restaurant
owned and served by Malay may not be necessarily halal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The list below is for halal restaurants<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
1. <b>D'Palm Sundanese Restaurant at Jalan Lombok</b>. Order Gurame
goreng bumbu acar kuning, Gepuk (fried marinated beef), Tahu goreng, ayam
kampung goreng, karedok (local salad with peanut sauce).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
2. <b>Atmosphere Restaurant at Jalan Lengkong. </b>Serves local and
international cuisine. Very nice place and relaxing ambiance for dinner.
Sit outside for balinese style hut. Weekend nights are usually
fully booked.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
3. <strong>Kedai Nyonya Rumah at Jalan Naripan</strong>. Serves local and Javanese food </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
and snacks. Try lemper (pulut filled with chicken floss), kue bika ambon
and baso tahu (fish dumplings, tofu filled with fish paste, sort of like yong
tau foo but the sauce is peanut base).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The front part is just snack shop but go to the back of the shop for an
outdoor dining.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
4. <strong>Sushi Tei at Jalan Sumatera</strong>. If you get bored with Sundanese food, try
this Japanese rest. Very nice, Californian style sushi. Try their
Dragon Roll.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
5. <strong>Hawkers </strong>: Martabak San Francisco at Jalan Karapitan (after 6pm). Try
their special martabak asin (chicken or beef) or Special martabak manis (Big
apam balik with cheese, peanuts, milk and chocolate sprinkle).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">6.
<b>Kartika Sari at Jalan Dago.</b> Sells the famous Bandung Pisang Bolen
and all kind of kerepek.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">7.
<strong>Ikan Bakar Sulawesi at jalan setiabudi</strong>. Serves varieties of fresh grilled
seafood from Sulawesi island (Celebes). Located just before Rumah Mode outlet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Try the Sup Konro Goreng (Makasar’s sup tulang)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
8. The stalls at Heritage factory outlets: the pisang goreng is very good. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
9. <b>Sederhana Padang Restaurant at Jalan Pasteur and Jalan Riau.</b>
Extensive spread of <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Padang</st1:place></st1:city>
dishes. Very popular with Malaysian tourists, good food and reasonable
prices.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">10.
<strong>Kingsley at Jalan Bungsu</strong>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Serves the
famous Bandung delicacy Batagor (fried tofu stuffed with fish cake), meehoon
soup with beefball (baso) and varieties of kerepek.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #3366ff;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">11. <strong>Dago Pakar and Lembang area:</strong><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can only go to these restaurants when you
have a personal local driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s a
very different experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Only the
locals and tourists from <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Jakarta</st1:place></st1:city>
know these places, as no public transports go to those areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it’s really worth the trip… highly
recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span><br />
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<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://kampungdaun.co.id/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Kampung Daun</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Traditional outdoor Indonesian restaurant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A must visit at night. Serve both western and local food.</span></span></li>
</ul>
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</span><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>
</strong></span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong> </strong></span><a href="http://www.thevalleybandung.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The Valley</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> beautiful restaurant at night, up on the hill overlooking Bandung, western food.</span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b><br /></div>
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</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Sapu
Lidi Restaurant at Jalan Sersan Baiduri</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> (in front of
Ledeng Station). Very nice restaurant where you eat in a hut on top
of padi field. Lunch only. Served authentic Sundanese food.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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</span></ul>
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</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Sindang
Reret Restaurant at Lembang</span></b><span lang="EN-US"> (on the way to the volcano).
Food to order : Ikan gurame bumbu rujak, ayam kampung bakar, karedok,
sayur asem. <o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
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</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on"><span lang="EN-US"><strong>Congo</strong></span></st1:country-region></st1:place><span lang="EN-US"><strong> :</strong> A hilltop restaurant cum furniture shop with a<strong> </strong></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">nice ambiance and fresh air. Food is a mixture
of Indonesian and western.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nice for
traditional afternoon tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Located
near the Mountain View Golf resort.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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</span></ul>
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</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list 36.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span lang="EN-US">Bumi
Joglo :</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Dago Pakar near <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:country-region w:st="on">Congo</st1:country-region></st1:place>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Serve traditional Javanese food like
Nasi Liwet, Sizzling Satay.<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
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</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">JEWELERY SHOPS (DIAMONDS AND GOLD) :</span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoBodyText" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gold jewelries
are reasonably cheaper than KL with different and simpler designs. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toko Mahkota, Jalan Ahmad Yani 164 (Kosambi) in
front of Pasar Kosambi.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toko Bagus, inside Pasar Kosambi, Ground floor<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Toko Putera Mahkota, Jalan Ahmad Yani
(Kosambi) <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">4.
Toko Nan Hoa, near Pasar Baru<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></div>
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</span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Spas:</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>
</b><span lang="EN-US">1.
<a href="http://www.rogersalon.com/">Roger's Salon</a> at Jalan Dago. Located within walking distance to Factory Outlets so you can drop by to relax your tired feet after some shopping free.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
2. <a href="http://www.sangriaresortspa.com/index.php/section/theblissful/sub/spa">San Gria Resort & Spa</a> in Lembang, just before Pasar Lembang. Try the </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">boreh or coffee scrub. Interesting and nice experience.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US"> <a href="http://anatasalon.com/">Anata Salon</a> at Jalan Windu no 3, good for Creambath (Scalp & Back Massage), Menicure and Pedicure.</span></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l3 level1 lfo3; tab-stops: list 18.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://bersihsehat.com/bandung.html">Bersih Sehat</a> Massage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basic good quality massage with basic
ambiance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most locals go to this place
once a week for basic massage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<b><u>HOTELS:</u><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
Click on the hotel names to direct you to their websites @ Agoda. You will be able to see the rooms, facilities, etc from the picture galleries there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Please
book early as hotels are mostly fully booked on weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<b><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span><br />
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</span><br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Recommended hotels<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>
</b><span lang="EN-US">1.<strong> </strong><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/sensa_hotel_bandung.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Sensa Hotel</strong> </span></a>- </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Jalan Cihampelas no 160</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Phone: +62 22 206 1111 </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A zen-style new hotel with a perfect location. Located in the heart of
Jalan Cihampelas, a shopping paradise for jeans, bags and T-shirt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="color: black;">Walking distance to
malls, restaurants and shops.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Scrumptious breakfast buffet.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/geulis_boutique_hotel.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Geulis Hotel</strong></span></a>
at Jalan Dago. A cute all-suite boutique hotel located within walking distance to some of the Factory Outlets.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The
perfect place to stay if you plan on hopping from one factory outlet to another
as it’s located in front of the Factory Outlet stretch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
3<strong>. </strong><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/sheraton_bandung_hotel_and_towers_hotel.html?cid=1606928"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Sheraton Resort</span> </strong></a>A resort-style hotel located at a quieter area of Jalan Dago. </span></span><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
4.<strong> </strong><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/jadul_village_villa_spa.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jadul Village Villa</strong></span></a>
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
beautiful and relaxing traditional villa located north of Bandung. The only
villa that provides real Sundanese ambiance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
5<strong>. <span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/padma_hotel_bandung.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;">Hotel Padma at Jalan Ciumbeuluit</span></a>
</span></strong></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A
quiet and relaxing 5-star resort up on the hill. About 20 minutes from town but
perfect for couples without children. Beautiful, romantic ambiance with hill
backdrop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
6. <span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/hyatt_regency_bandung.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Hyatt Regency Bandung </strong></span></a>located conveniently next to Bandung Indah Plaza Mall. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
7.<strong> </strong></span><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/the_valley_resort_hotel.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>The Valley Resort at Dago Pakar.</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> A quiet 3-star resort on a hill of Dago, around 25 minutes from town.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/sangria_resort_spa.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>San Gria Resort & Spa</strong></span></a> at Lembang. A very quiet boutique resort perch on a hill with idyllic backdrop against padi field. Located in Lembang, the air can be chilly at night.</span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">9.<strong> </strong></span><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/holiday_inn_bandung_hotel.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Holiday Inn at Jalan Dago</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Located on the
mainstreet of Jalan Dago, it’s walking distance to Bandung Indah Plaza
mall.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The road in-front is very busy
especially on weekends.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/novotel_bandung_hotel.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue;"><strong>Novotel at Jalan Cihampelas</strong></span></a>
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Nice
4 star, location is OK but not walking distance to any shopping area.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo5; text-indent: -18pt;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US">Aston Hotel and service apt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div>
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</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 18pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-US">It has 3 branches :<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/aston_braga_hotel_residence_bandung.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Aston Hotel Braga</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">Located at the Braga
Citiwalk, the historic street full famous for its art galleries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/aston_tropicana_hotel_bandung.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: blue;">Aston Hotel Tropicana</span></strong> </span></a></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Located on Jalan
Cihampelas, right in the center of shopping activities, across Sensa Hotel.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0cm;" type="disc"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-list: l4 level1 lfo4;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.agoda.com/asia/indonesia/bandung/aston_primera_pasteur_hotel.html?cid=1606928"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><strong>Aston Hotel Primera</strong></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<span lang="EN-US">Located near the
airport of Hussein Sastranegara<o:p></o:p></span></span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">12.
For a budget accommodation, can try the chain of Royal Dago hotels (few
locations).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Small hotels with good
locations.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">13.
Guest houses : bungalow houses converted into hotels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Provide clean and basic accommodation with
homely environment. Recommended : de’ Tropis (pin bb 23BE7E5D) with the option
of arranging full transportation with personal driver.</span><br />
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</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CAR RENTALS:</span></u></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
1. Cipaganti Car Rental. Ph. 62-21-720 4766 or 62-21-7204616 (cover Jakarta and
Bandung). Check the time on its website </span><a href="http://www.cipaganti.co.id/"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">www.cipaganti.co.id</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
2. Tiara Travel. ph 62-22-601 1118 or 62-22-603 7737</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
The rate is around Rp650,000 to 700,000 per day (usually 8 hrs), depending on
what car you want, in Bandung only, inclusive driver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> G</span>ive Rp.20,000 to the driver for <span lang="EN-US">lunch. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**
The best way to enjoy <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bandung</st1:place></st1:city>
is by renting a car with a driver which will serve as guide as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taxi service in <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Bandung</st1:place></st1:city> is better than KL in terms of service
and honesty but inconvenience because of the quantity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Taxis mostly available in downtown area but
not in factory outlets or restaurants. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**
Tipping is customary in Indonesia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
dining, tip around Rp10,000. Tips for massage is Rp20,000.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">**
<span style="color: red;">Avoid travelling to Bandung on weekends, the traffic
jam is horrendous due to the influx of local tourists from Jakarta.</span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-58758960627204023252013-09-23T00:02:00.002-07:002014-03-17T19:13:10.256-07:00If I die...My guilt is building....<br />
My shame is increasing.....<br />
My craving is maddening...<br />
<br />
I neglected this blog for too long. It's the longest time ever... I can't believe I didn't write anything for 2 months..!!! I wonder if anyone misses my blog..?<br />
<br />
Last month I heard a very sad story about one of my neighbours. I don't know her personally and I have never met her but she taught me a very important lesson about life.<br />
<br />
This is the story:<br />
<br />
Not too long ago, there was a lady who lived in our community. She was married and had a mentally-retarded son. They lived in our neighbourhood for more than 30 years. Their immediate neighbours knew them but never really interacted or talked to them. Three years ago their son died. Their immediate neighbours didn't know that the son had died until several weeks later.<br />
<br />
Last year her husband also died and none of the neighbours knew about it until the people from the mosque came to the house to do some prayer.<br />
<br />
Last month the lady died and nobody knew about it until 2 weeks later. She died alone in her bedroom. Nobody knows whether she was ill before she died. Nobody knows if she was suffering before she died. Nobody knows anything about her condition prior to her death.<br />
<br />
When the police came to the house, the body was such in a decomposing state that they couldn't lift it without crumbling. <br />
<br />
The immediate neighbours felt very guilty for not being "busy body". Some of them said that the family was very reserved. Some of them tried to make small talks and conversations but met with cold stares. Because of them, they just minded their own businesses. The neighbours tried to be helpful by giving them the privacy they wanted.<br />
<br />
A few days after the incident, there were numerous stories about the couple, some are true and some are totally based on thin air. Then there were theories and statements made by people (some had never met the couple) on why they died alone.<br />
<br />
This incident has been a wake up call for me and my neighbours. <br />
<br />
When I die, how will people remember me? <br />
What kind of stories will be "aired" about me after I die? <br />
Will I die alone? <br />
Will people miss me when I die?<br />
Will I have a chance to repent?<br />
Will I have a fulfilling life before I die?<br />
Will I have the chance to ask for forgiveness and pay my debts?<br />
Will I have the chance to fulfil all my religious obligations?<br />
Will my children be OK?<br />
Will I die in an embarrassing state? (God forbid...)<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDoSHdJwnmnSJtGxN30T_tZrelQJvdB0P65KQtIavcvu8OpzEFCjNX7wAgVaX6pTVvZyR_tiuw1KxoiRJXuxc5z9Pdg6HSmrViFqj0IAM8huxVwGWomsW43CmXLNTsVnDLEyh4kYZpDQ/s1600/death+quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDoSHdJwnmnSJtGxN30T_tZrelQJvdB0P65KQtIavcvu8OpzEFCjNX7wAgVaX6pTVvZyR_tiuw1KxoiRJXuxc5z9Pdg6HSmrViFqj0IAM8huxVwGWomsW43CmXLNTsVnDLEyh4kYZpDQ/s320/death+quote.png" height="320" width="274" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Because of this incident, I made some planning to prepare for my death.<br />
<br />
Yes, it's a bit freaky.... planning for death... but I don't know when my "Big Boss" up there cut my lease on earth. It can be today, tomorrow, next year or 40 years from now.... <br />
<br />
Whenever it is I want to be prepared. <br />
<br />
For a start, I will try my best to be a busy body... who wants to volunteer..??<br />
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<br />
<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-8220591065199774992013-07-02T21:30:00.001-07:002013-07-02T21:30:05.597-07:00Cry cry baby...I started my teary moments last night when I watch the<span style="color: blue;"> </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4Fv98jttYA"><span style="color: blue;">"Attractions" audition for Britain Got Talent 2013</span></a> on You Tube. It was the most beautiful dance performance I have ever since. I had never cried watching any dance before but this dance had actually dug deep into my emotion and made me want to be a politician..!! I want to be a real politician who fight for the people, who will stop wars and who will ban skinny models making people like me feel super duper fat. But of course, with my loud mouth and blunt remarks, I would not last more than a day... (siiigghhh... my celebrity-wanna-be dream is crushed...)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/K-DoDIRtp10?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
This morning while waiting for my husband getting ready to go to office, I finished my reading on Habibie & Ainun, a book written by Indonesia's 3rd President about Love. I never knew he could write, more so in such a poetic Bahasa Indonesia language. I remember how he struggled speaking in Bahasa Indonesia without uttering some English words on TV. I used to know him only as the most techie guy in Indonesian government.<br />
<br />
Reading the book about his life and love story, I couldn't help shedding tears of happiness, knowing that behind such a tough techie guy, who made the first Indonesian aeroplane, lies a man who shares the same visions and aspirations with me. All he wanted to have was just a simple peaceful life in a countryside surrounded by his family. He wanted to spend his retirement travelling the world with his late wife, Ibu Ainun. But his dream was forced to go to different directions when he was asked to come back from Germany to serve for the people of Indonesia. His willingness to serve the country was bigger than his simple country life dream. Behind his boyish face lies a very kind, religious, soft and romantic lover who was so misunderstood by millions of Indonesian people. <br />
<br />
I am such a hopeless romantic that his book gave the same effect like addictive sad Korean dramas. I cried when he wrote about his sadness, I cried when he wrote about his prayer and I cried when he mentioned about his promise to Ibu Ainun. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWhEPGQk6_a3Eokqr1QWjh17uVzvsJ96bCkN1x3fVc3t12KwqtQOBvyBD5i4ylOHvi038L8FPUTdmhKgqWvJOcnFJlX4wktOKh6Id490z5UAOGB2PmYtVm4Z1dUEyZGjAiJA9TFxLr8I/s1600/habibie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcWhEPGQk6_a3Eokqr1QWjh17uVzvsJ96bCkN1x3fVc3t12KwqtQOBvyBD5i4ylOHvi038L8FPUTdmhKgqWvJOcnFJlX4wktOKh6Id490z5UAOGB2PmYtVm4Z1dUEyZGjAiJA9TFxLr8I/s320/habibie.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Every woman will wish to have a husband like him.... This is the real love story... Although the book has been made into movie, I still prefer the book. I always prefer books more than movies because of the deeper emotional impact of (written) words compared to actions (in movies).<br />
<br />
After finished reading the book, I saw someone's Facebook page posting a youtube video of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1RRNggnM6A"><span style="color: blue;">"Inside Malaysia's Shadow States</span></a><span style="color: blue;">".</span> I didn't know what to expect at all so when I clicked the video, I was surprised to find that the video is about revealing the corruption case in Sarawak. Initially I thought the video is about Sarawak tourism (I was thinking about going to Kuching for next holiday trip).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/_1RRNggnM6A/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_1RRNggnM6A&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/_1RRNggnM6A&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<br />
<br />
This brave guy from Global Witness has actually gone undercover and videotaped his conversations with the corrupts. I cried again.... This time not about love story... but cried to see how "cleverer people" easily take advantage of those who don't have access to knowledge. I cried when I saw how the Sarawakians who live deep in the jungle have been taken advantage of. I was so angry listening to the insulting remarks made by the self-confessed "cleverer (but super corrupted) leader" about his own people. And to make it worse, they are so proud of being able to "con" the people and the constitution...!!<br />
<br />
After three rounds of crying, I thought I had done enough damage to my eye bags but noooo.... I cried again... this time because of the haze outside. After a week of not-so-bad air quality, today the sky is grey and hazy again. This means that I had to close all the doors and windows at all time. This means that I have to switch on the A/C 24 hours again... It means that my electricity bill for this month will keep on increasing... It also means that I have to wash my car again.... It also means I can't go out buying nasi lemak from the roadside stall again... (who would want to have nasi lemak sprinkled with Sumatera's ashes?)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKkJDxTdfVFL-OYxj2YWZNB0o2bK7orJnzN2PbWjAHjKt-V5Fl9I2VtHPlC53Y2TEzocQRytqsmRZbp9qktWtar0XSUKqxLlhL8Prqx5uIKqm0emi85xy4gZqv3dPSJ4OwHFDIWtDMlQ/s235/crying+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnKkJDxTdfVFL-OYxj2YWZNB0o2bK7orJnzN2PbWjAHjKt-V5Fl9I2VtHPlC53Y2TEzocQRytqsmRZbp9qktWtar0XSUKqxLlhL8Prqx5uIKqm0emi85xy4gZqv3dPSJ4OwHFDIWtDMlQ/s235/crying+girl.jpg" /></a></div>
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Now.. tell me.... how not to cry...???<br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-75172253706932150452013-06-21T03:01:00.001-07:002013-10-06T02:19:05.141-07:00Some Love Affairs to Remember...Social Media like Facebook and Twitter have done excellent jobs in bringing people together, reuniting long lost friends and meeting new friends. While I am still struggling to "understand" Twitter, I am very comfortable with using Facebook as my medium of interactions with friends and relatives.<br />
<br />
Throughout the several years of using Facebook, I saw so many things Facebook can do to relationships. Facebook is like a double-edged sword : you can use it to your benefit or you can allow it to ruin your mood/reputation/life. <br />
<br />
Currently my Facebook is not as "intimate" as it used to be where only <strong>REAL</strong> friends and relatives know what's going on in my life. Afraid of being labelled a snob or "<em>sombong</em>" and not wanting to hurt or belittle others, a lot of time I have to accept acquaintances "adding friends" to my FB friends list although we don't really interact. A lot of "friends" in my Facebook list are actually acquaintances that will probably sit next to me in a restaurant but don't recognise me at all because we only met once or twice long time ago.<br />
<br />
Because of this I have stopped posting private status that gives hints about my life. I become like a celebrity who has to take care of her reputation. I even put a nice picture of myself (with make up on) in my profile which doesn't look like me at all. Some "friends" were shocked when they see me in real life.<br />
<br />
I may look like this on my Facebook picture:<br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZISULB4esW5mDm79m6TV9cGwjfajlaFtVku9MQCL7PXcBW4CqVaIBr3yRdzvx_glGFJwwkxnCpT0uy69XESNwiLznH52aXmiMhgoYeQFaK52OQfKGLyK7j7RlcjrU0X2dSZbcug8RQOw/s1600/woman+with+laptop+by+freedigitalphoto.net.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZISULB4esW5mDm79m6TV9cGwjfajlaFtVku9MQCL7PXcBW4CqVaIBr3yRdzvx_glGFJwwkxnCpT0uy69XESNwiLznH52aXmiMhgoYeQFaK52OQfKGLyK7j7RlcjrU0X2dSZbcug8RQOw/s320/woman+with+laptop+by+freedigitalphoto.net.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
But in real life, I look very much like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ia7YysyQEhN9DA1PUzsEMKZpUp-JQ4097gIUaEJlzSWy3pnWeUO-1Y9w_tkJcmGCkyRkG-uLhloAcFhzU4mSZWu-XinVwuplqmlHrbrfWKjyYO1DL8H28WLbjrPMC4BASEdAMn8ppwU/s1600/megan-fox-wonder-woman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Ia7YysyQEhN9DA1PUzsEMKZpUp-JQ4097gIUaEJlzSWy3pnWeUO-1Y9w_tkJcmGCkyRkG-uLhloAcFhzU4mSZWu-XinVwuplqmlHrbrfWKjyYO1DL8H28WLbjrPMC4BASEdAMn8ppwU/s320/megan-fox-wonder-woman.jpg" width="231" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(....hahahahaha... I wish....;)</div>
<br />
<br />
Thanks to Facebook.... millions of ordinary people get chances to feel like celebrities, show off picture perfect photos for people to see and being "checked out" regularly like Hollywood actors. <br />
<br />
In this post, I am not going to tell you how to handle paparazzi or how to pose perfectly on your Profile Picture or what to post on your status (to make your friends envious).<br />
<br />
One of the reasons I write this post is because I had friends whose lives had been altered tremendously because of Facebook.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>Friend # 1:</em></strong><br />
Single beautiful woman who needed a friend ended up being poorer $3,000 from helping out her "Facebook boyfriend" who "lost" his wallet while dating her. He needed to go back to "his home country" immediately because his mother was sick when someone "stole" his purse in one of their romantic diners. Being a good person, she "lent" her money to buy airplane ticket and pay for the hotel bill. The only thing is : she never saw the airplane ticket nor heard from him ever again.<br />
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She couldn't do anything else other than doing this:<br />
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<strong><em>Friend #2:</em></strong><br />
A woman met her old friend from high school. Both have been married for more than 10 years and have kids. One day the woman had a fight with her husband and at the same time the husband was tired of his nagging wife. Both confided in each other thru the Facebook inbox. After months of exchanging messages in the inbox, they became "very close friends". The cupid was very naughty and shot his arrows. They fell in love and had an "online and telephone affair". Some say it's not really an affair because they don't really meet and "do" it. <br />
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I looked up at some dictionaries and found out that <em><span style="color: red;">an affair means</span><span style="color: red;"> a<strong> </strong>romantic relationship, sometimes one of brief duration, between two people who are not married to each other.</span></em><br />
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Although they never met, they had behaved differently towards their spouses. Their changes of behaviours created some suspicions from their spouses. After awhile their spouses found out about their relationship. <br />
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Needless to say, things became chaotic and stressful. While neither of them leaves their marriages, the relationship between husbands and wives has been negatively effected and the children, as always, became the victims.<br />
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<em><strong>Friend #3:</strong></em><br />
A single young woman looking for a rich husband. She was approached by a "perfect" gentleman who swept her feet by his charming look, lifestyle and sweet words. After a few months exchanging hundreds of love messages, sms's and phone calls, they decided to "get married". They never met in real life. Her parents were "informed" about her decision to go to his country and marry him over there. Her parents felt suspicious and reminded her it could be dangerous. She was offended and mad for not being allowed to get married with the man she loved. She thought she was old enough to make her own decision. She was adamant about her wedding plan. She would go and get married even without her parents's consent. Her parents were so upset that they disowned her.<br />
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She withdrew her saving to make a passport, buy an airplane ticket and a wedding gown. A few days before departure, a lady from custom department called her that she had a package addressed for her. The custom could not release the goods because they found out that the goods worth more than U$40,000. The package contained gold and diamond jewelleries from a man from Canada. Her boyfriend name was listed as the sender. When she called her boyfriend, he said he wanted to give her a surprise gift as a token of love. He wanted her to wear those jewelleries when she meets him later. She was elated and touched on how "perfect" he was. The custom department called her again telling her that she needed to pay tax of RM10,000 to release the goods. <br />
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She withdrew some money and transferred it to the "custom department's personnel bank account".<br />
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Right after she made the transfer, she never heard anything from her perfect boyfriend anymore. His phone number was not active and his Facebook account was closed down. She was left with RM10,000 poorer, a useless wedding gown, a non-refundable airplane ticket and guilt/shame towards her parents.<br />
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Most of the victims I know are women... But I do wonder if there are male victims as well..<br />
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If you ever encounter any man who is too perfect to be true.. please beware.... (it may be your husband testing you..!!)<br />
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Happy Facebooking and have a great weekend..!!<br />
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PS : My husband doesn't have and refuse to have any Facebook account. Initially I thought he was a bit "technologically challenged" but now I think he just can't handle paparazzi as well as his wife...;)<br />
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all images are courtesy of <a href="http://freeditigalphotos.net/">http://freeditigalphotos.net</a> <br />
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-82792230572877658872013-05-13T03:26:00.001-07:002013-05-13T03:32:45.709-07:00Pitch BlackI was shocked and couldn't believe what I heard on the phone. My boss told me to ask everyone to leave the office immediately and seal the office. When I asked him why, he asked me to go to the rooftop and look around.<br />
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I ran to the rooftop of my office building and stunned... I saw smokes everywhere and thousands of people were on the street chanting something I couldn't hear properly. The mob looked angry and they were marching towards my office. <br />
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I ran quickly and asked the HR department to make a loud announcement, asking everyone to leave the office as soon as possible. My handphone rang and I could hear my boss's voice, "Please bring all our Chinese staffs with you and hide. I heard they are attacking Chinese and non-muslims. I am stuck near Tanah Abang and my car couldn't even move. Please be safe."<br />
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I walked out quickly from the building with my colleagues. We couldn't drive our cars out of the office garage as the street was jammed badly. We didn't know where to go but we just walked to avoid the incoming mob. A colleague from the IT department suggested us to walk towards a hotel. I didn't know his reason but nobody had any idea where to go, so we just followed him.<br />
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We managed to seek refuge at the nearby Pan Pacific Hotel at Jalan Thamrin. Somehow we felt that hotel was safe. The hotel had more than 20 security guards manning the lobby and the entrances. We saw so many foreign reporters and a lot of people like us, sitting on the floor with blank faces, trying to believe that they were dreaming.<br />
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For a few days after that I lived in fear. <br />
For a few weeks after that I lived to listen to horror stories of assaults, rapes and murders.<br />
For a few months after that I lived trying to understand what has happened to my country.<br />
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It's been 15 years since that tragedy took place but I can still remember everything vividly. <br />
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Today marks the 15 year anniversary of the dark day in Indonesian history that many tried to ignore and forget. But Chinese Indonesians who lived in Jakarta, Bandung and Solo on 13-15 May 1998 will never forget their experiences. Hundreds of churches were burnt, hundreds of banks were robbed, thousands of shops were looted, thousands of Chinese were assaulted, hundreds of Chinese women were raped and murdered. <br />
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Fifteen years on.... nobody has been charged, nobody has been punished and nobody has bothered to investigate who is the person behind the "movement". It stays like an open wound that was left untreated until it heals by itself, leaving a huge scary scar. While the wound is healed, the scar will always be there to remind us of that tragic 3 days.<br />
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So many theories sprouted. Some said it's the works of Suharto's son-in-law, General Prabowo, to topple him. Some said it's the works of CIA to destabilize Southeast Asia. Some said it's the student movements to end Suharto's presidency. Some said that the Muslims want to wipe out all the Christians from Indonesia. Some even said it's the works of George Soros to gain profit from the stumbling stock market.<br />
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Nobody knows which theory is true but I can attest that the tragedy happens because our people were easily divided and provoked to fight each other. The best war strategy is to "divide and conquer" or <em>de-vide-et-impera</em>. The strategy worked well when the Dutch colonized Indonesia for 350 years in the 1700's and I believe it still works well now too.<br />
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The strategy of "divide and conquer" is used not only to break a country apart but also to break friendship, family relationship and business relationship. <br />
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I saw this strategy being used far too often... I saw it during the last General Election of Malaysia. Certain politicians made some provocations to make the Malays hate the Chinese, make the Chinese hate the Indians and make the Indians hate the Malays. <br />
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I saw <em>"de-vide-et-impera"</em> at work and I hated it. It reminded me of the 1998 tragedy.<br />
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Fortunately there are a lot of Malaysians who can think with their head instead of their crazy irrational emotions. They choose to unite instead of divided.<br />
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The last Malaysian GE reminded me again on the importance of Unity. <br />
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Indonesia will have its election next year. I wish the people will be strong and not easily provoked to hate each other. This sad anniversary of 13 May 1998 should remind all of us not to believe everything we read and hear easily, not to be influenced and provoked to hate certain races blindly... <br />
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I wish for a society who can think before believing, who will think before speaking, and who will think before writing anything on FB wall..<br />
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I would like to take a moment of silence to remember the thousands of daughters and sons of Indonesia who suffered, traumatized, handicapped and died without justice.... <br />
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My prayer is with them... may God bless their souls...<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em>"When there is no enemy within....</em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><em><span style="color: #0b5394;">......the enemies outside cannot hurt you.”</span></em> <span style="color: #073763; font-size: x-small;"><em><u>W</u></em></span></span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14033.Winston_Churchill"><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: x-small;"><em>inston Churchill</em></span></a></div>
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4743256646566529955.post-23610748274902591002013-03-19T22:55:00.001-07:002013-03-23T20:42:00.944-07:00Don't STOP...!!!My eldest daughter is in a stage where she HATES (yes... hates with capital letters) School... She is in Primary 4 where the teachers started bombarding her with tons of homework and exams. Her sweet teacher turned out to be a super duper mean woman (she said), her bag is waaaay heavier than my grocery bags and her hours in school are longer than my working hours. This year she started her required co-curriculum activities at school. She participated in Puteri Islam, Chess Club, Theatre and English Club. <br />
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Just looking at her made me feel tired.... <br />
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I remember when I was in Primary School, I didn't have all those extra curriculum at school but my mother put me in Mandarin tuition which I hated very much... I hated the fact that I had to struggle to stay awake listening to Laoshe for one full hour in the afternoon instead of spending my precious time climbing guava tree with my friends. Now I hate the fact that I hated the Mandarin tuition because after all the years spent struggling in Mandarin tuition, I still can't speak Mandarin..!! What a waste of time... Imagine how many guavas I could pluck if I didn't attend that useless tuition..!!<br />
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My high school was even worse... I remember I used to stay awake until past midnight to study for exams and to finish my homework. My school started at 6.45am so when I left home at 6.15 in the morning I usually continued my sleep in the car until the driver woke me up infront of the school. I was an A-student during my high school years... but now... if you asked me something about whatever I learned at that time, I totally don't remember anything. I studied for the exams... after that.... everything was erased from my memory. Sooo... another waste of time, right? Why should I suffer staying late to study if I would forget everything when the bell rang?<br />
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At that time I studied because I had to... <br />
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In College, I studied hard because I wanted to graduate as soon as possible and I had a big responsibility to make my parents proud of me. I studied to score high GPAs so I could enter the job market easily. I studied because I had to... I never enjoyed it.<br />
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When I met my husband I was totally surprised.... He LOVES (yes, loves with capital letters) studying...!! He really enjoys reading "serious books". He has been thinking about going back to schools but he has not had the time yet....<br />
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I was shocked to know that there is actually a person who likes to be tortured by serious books and lectures and homeworks...<br />
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After many why's and how's, finally I understand why he loves learning.... He treats studying as learning new stuffs. He finds a lof of interesting stuffs that enrich his life by learning something new. <br />
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During his school years, he was never forced to study.... He had great teachers who made learning fun... He said he never really studied and he never felt tortured doing homework because everything was done in a fun way... He remembers his days in boarding school as the most fun time of his life, playing the whole day... But yet, he can remember all the chemistry, physics, history, geography lessons he got from his high school days...!!<br />
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There I was.... studying hard, staying late, tortured by the homework. Result : forget everything..!<br />
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His case : playing the whole day, having fun. Result : remember everything he learned at school. <br />
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He even knows that Burkina Faso is a name of a country in Africa..!! I thought it was a fancy name for a new branded handbag, I didn't remember I ever learned about Burkina Faso at school... (my high school Geography teacher would cry if he heard this)<br />
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IT'S NOT FAIR....!!!<br />
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Now that I grow wiser...(...ehhhmmmm...) I learn to love learning.... Since I don't need to have high scores or to pass any exam, I don't study because I have to anymore... I study because I want to learn new skills, I want to know new stuffs, I want to explore more interesting things...<br />
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I feel that I am living a richer life... all because of the new things I learn everyday...<br />
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Last year my friend asked me to go to this seminar on internet business. I was very reluctant at first because I had very little knowledge on IT. Technology scared me.... Internet meant emails and google. But my husband urged me to go... he even accompanied me to the seminar. I still remember him saying," Why are you so scared of learning new stuffs? You have nothing to lose... Just go to the seminar.... If you like it, you can act on it and if you don't, we'll have some nice <em>ikan bakar</em> around that area."<br />
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I was glad I went to that seminar.... It started my journey in getting intimate with internet stuffs. I even enrolled myself for a 9-month program to learn more... My life is indeed richer... I never thought that I would be able to build a website. Now I have my own website.... and... I even publish an ebook...!! It has been a very interesting and fun journey....<br />
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One of my obligations as a Muslim is to seek knowledge and spread it for the benefit of the humankind. <br />
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According to Al-Tharmidzi (Hadith 74), The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said : <br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;"><strong>The seeking of knowledge is an obligatory of every Muslim."</strong></span><br />
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<em>Confucious once said :</em><br />
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<span style="color: #674ea7; font-size: large;">I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.</span><br />
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If you are interested to know more about internet life (and business), I list down a few upcoming seminars that may help you start the journey.<br />
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<span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><strong><u>This one is conducted by the celebrities...!! The Seminar is in Bahasa Malaysia.</u></strong></span><br />
<strong><u><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"></span></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"></span></u></strong><br />
<strong><u><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><a href="http://tinyurl.com/cjr8rqg">Click here to learn more:</a></span></u></strong><br />
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<a href="http://tinyurl.com/cjr8rqg"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivgnDlZWTmP4-fjKMC1Ah5_FHSQsDPB_lsMHLoYcqSfOd6KLFQMDqshKercgARpUYLmgP9Zu2dedk8dMZqUSUlJ24wWUB7TthKJxTkZQ0sIWZ8talU_nY0rnOb42W_kRAsBjXUAA01pbM/s400/kru+masterclass+picture.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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or you can also try this one by Patric Chan. This seminar is conducted in English...<br />
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<a href="http://www.theinternationalplayer.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=889"><strong><span style="font-size: large;">Click here to learn more:</span></strong></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.theinternationalplayer.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=889"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTk2hA5zRGYNzgCgUgu9_HWme-JyJf4PBr-hP5qL9s0mZJQO6vkG14gXXkZUNu8_MQeOtLMz8-jP11ayLod-E1hGYyn_unHgP-I_uxPFytf-0niUZBY5_pnafRd9_JxOtlaLQP64aGNtE/s400/patric+chan+1.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />convert girlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03413115872025285825noreply@blogger.com2