Italian for Beginners: A Review

This is a book written by Kristin Harmel, a verrrrrry nice birthday gift from a verrrrrryyy good friend of mine. She told me that she picked the book at first because of the title. Huh??? She explained further: because I have an Italian friend....that's what made her interested. Hihihi...

At first, I thought this was a story about a language of love from an Italian's point of view. But I was wrong, because the main caracter was an American. Italy was the main background of this sweet story.

Cat Connelly, the American girl, was used to take care her Dad and little sister ever since her Italian mother passed away when she was still in the final year of senior high school. After her little sister got married and she herself just broken-hearted finding a seemingly perfect man  apparently still married and had children, her father insisted Cat to take a holiday.....a strange one, because she never took a leave from work even for any illness.

When finally she took her father's advice, a bad things happened that made her suddenly alone and without any place to go. A help from an Italian woman made her holiday getting better. Furthermore, finally she made a peace with her past and passed-away mother. Of course, the happiest ending was she also finally made a peace with the perfect man who actually was already a widower and who also Italian....hihihi... Finally, all was around Italian subjects.....hihihi....

I like the writer's description about beautiful places in Italy....made my dream of visiting Europe one day is getting stronger and stronger.....while it seems still further and further away....hehehe.... And it also awakes my old desire to learn about photography.....hehhhh, still such an expensive hobby. For a meantime, I'm still learning to handle my Yashica compact digicam properly.... It is quite complicated, I swear!!!! hihihi...

The Newest Book Collection of Mine

Lately, I have a longing to read Agatha Christie's books more and more. I couldn't sleep at night before read one book. I had re-read and re-read all of her books I had in my collection. Then, I decided to buy some new ones. I had visited three big bookstores in my city, but there were only a few of them available....and not the ones I'm interested in...:(.

Yesterday, while doing some errands for the office, I visited a new discount bookstore. There, I found three books that I never read before. Still not the one I'm looking for, but the synopsis made me interested. Finally, I bought one of them.

In the evening, on the way out of a mall, I found another two books of Agatha Christie. One book I couldn't remember whether I had read before or not, although the title was quite familiar. The other was among those first books of Agatha Christie I read. In the end, I decided to buy both of them.

So, after searching for almost a month, finally I bought three books of Agatha Christie in one day...(Yikes!!! hihihi....) And I'm still waiting to find the one I want most. Which one? The English title is AND THEN THERE WERE NONE. The Indonesian version is called SEPULUH ANAK NEGRO. When I finally get it in my possession, I'll tell you why I'm interested in it......:P

Taken with a Sony-Ericsson J108i Cedar

Be Careful What You Wish For

This is a title of an English novel written by Alexandra Potter, a birthday gift from a good friend of mine this year. Thank you, my friend, for remembering that I prefer to read a book using its original language....hehehe...

The book told us about a woman named Heather Hamilton who always wished for things...not just big stuff - like world peace or for a date with Brad Pitt - but little, everyday wishes, made without thinking. She thought that there was no way those little wishes of her would come true, but saying wishes relieved her upset mood in facing situations she didn't like. Until one day she bought a heather, a kind of good charm, from a gypsy woman. Suddenly the bad hair days stopped; a handsome American answered her ad for a housemate; and she started seeing James - The Perfect Man who sent her flowers, excelled in the bedroom, and wasn't afraid to say 'I love you'.... So many good luck happened on her, that of course she enjoyed it all....who wouldn't?...hehehe... But, then she started to doubt all of her good luck.....was it really what she needed? Until a bad event happened to her, that made her realized what she really wished for.....

Okay, this story is not a new thing for me. I've learnt for so long to be careful with anything I wish for. Not from my own experience, of course....hehehe.... I learnt from others' experience, from any folklores and from a movie called "BEDAZZLED". I even avoid so much making any wishes for my own advantages. I only make good wishes for friends and family, and I will wish it with all of my heart. Why don't I wish for myself? Because I worry that I couldn't handle the bad consequences from the wish. Because I hold on the theory of the balance in life. For each thing that goes up, there would be something else that has to go down. I don't want to be happy now, but broken down in the end. I don't even want to be happy on someone else's misfortune. Hmmmm....do I sound like a coward? hehehe....

Anyway, the book reminded me to carefully re-phrase a birthday wish for a friend who shared a same birthday date with me. In the end, just like in the "BEDAZZLED" movie, I just wished with all of my heart that this particular friend would be happy. Sounds a cliche, right? But its meaning is so deep.....hehehe....

And lastly, for all of my friends in this world, I wish you all a nice day.....

"Enthusiasm" Giveaway Contest

A week ago, a long time friend of mine who now lives in USA sent me an invitation to celebrate the launching of her first novel. As I was in a very low mood to write (does anyone notice that I barely write anything since last month? hihihi....), the first time I caught the condition to write at least three paragraphs about my reasons participating in the contest had already dampen my interest...hihihi.... Until the day when the author personally wrote to me about it......

Mbak Fida - that's how I call her - was once my colleague in the company where I'm working now. Ever since her move to USA, I've often been amazed with her progress. From creating a pretty garden around her family house, actively managing her personal blog, and now developing her skills in creative writing!! As far as I know, this novel is her third published writing, the e-book about prayers she taught to her daughter, then the second one about dancing, then a cookbook....ouch, that means this newest is her fourth....hihihi...sorry, Mbak.... Okay, don't ask me more details about that e-books of her, as I don't own any.....hihihi...just visit the abbottsbooks online store.

Okay, now about her newest publishing, "Enthusiasm"... I read the synopsis on http://www.fidaabbott.com/ (wow, Mbak!!! You now even got a website of your own!!!). It reminded me about her view in taking French Course when she still lived in Surabaya - Indonesia. So different from me, who took the course just for fun and broaden my knowledge. Mbak Fida took the course so seriously. She really practiced the language, even in conversation with her classmates. She said that she always took every course seriously, so she could make a living from it someday when she needed it. Always gives her best in doing something...that's the enthusiasm in Mbak Fida. Now, I really want to know how that big spirit in her had helped her in making a new life, away from home and her origin country. Different culture and way of living....added to the necessity of 24 hours talking in English....hahaha....scary thought...hehehe...! This kind of story would make a very long time chatting...hehehe... So, this way - read her book - would be preferable....so, I could read it in stages, and maybe skip one or two pages, or even chapters....hehehe...

What? I need three reasons to participate in this contest? Ouch! Those three paragaph wasn't enough? Oh, okay.... One more.... Hmmmm, what's the third reason makes me write this particular subject? Oh, yeah.....so I could get the first edition newest book of Ms. Fida Abbott FREE OF CHARGE!!! hehehe....everything free is so nice, isn't it? hehehe...

Now, that I had given the three reason why I want to participate in this contest, I would like to complain about the next rule of the contest. The winner(s) have to write a review about the book? The winner(s) have to participate in the next contest(s)? Yikes, Mbak!!!! I hope you will provide quite a long time to submit a review, if I'm the winner....hahaha....I couldn't guarantee to read a book ASAP....hahaha...it would depend on my mood.....hehehe...

So, anyone interested in reading more about the nice blog of this nice friend of mine could visit this link http://www.fidaabbott.blogspot.com/.

If you want to know more about the book of "Enthusiasm", you may visit http://www.fidaabbott.com/ or her online store http://www.abbottsbooks.com/

Once again, congratulation, Mbak Fida! Wish you success with your new book!!

TWILIGHT: Edward Cullen, Prince Charming and Reality

At the beginning, I never considered to take my friend's offer for loan and read the book. The reason is quite simple. The book is written in the first person style, it would make me as though reading some one's diary....yuck, a violence of private boundaries! Hahaha....!

When the movie is launched, the bombastic review won me over. So, I decided to watch the movie first, so it wouldn't ruin the imagination I usually build myself in reading the book/source. And yes, it is very good in my opinion. Furthermore, the book is five star, so I wouldn't mind to save some money and add it into my library. The catch in my present live and dreams is the love story which once again started to shake and push me into the boundary between dreams and reality.

Every woman in this world has their own of Prince Charming, so do I. And the characteristic of my Prince is so close to the stereotype of Edward Cullen. Mind me....not the Actor, but the Book's Hero! Not necessarily thin, but strong and tall, eagle's eyes, mature, dependable and wise, humorist, too....and many things I couldn't find the exact word to describe it. Like a fiction hero, doesn't it? Yep....I think the same whenever I begin to list everything my-Mr. Right-Guy should have. An acquaintance once said that I set up a too-high-standard to achieve it. So, what? I'm an idealist after all when it comes to give my heart...hahaha...!

Somehow, for sometime now I tried to be more realistic and more or less lessen up my standard, give a chance for someone who is really far-far-away-from-my-ideal and let him build a spider web around us (hilarious? horror? I myself don't know for sure....hahaha!) I even gave him a permission to meet me in the upcoming holiday, although I am also sort of hoping he couldn't get any accommodation since I only told him recently.

And then I saw this movie. Read the book. Hunting some pics of it for my computer's wallpaper. Whereas the man bombarded me with sms and night-calls. And I can feel a panic, restless feeling rise in me. Why should I waste my time and his, when I still couldn't feel any attraction to him. All I had done is fencing around any of his moves. Waiting for a better person, but also still clutch him in my sight. The idealism in me wake up and try to make me hold any move forward before everything go wrong.

So much things going around in my mind at nights for sometime now. As though it isn't enough with so much long and tiring practices for Christmas Choir, added to the more and more ill-feeling I have in my workplace situation. Now, all I want is that the holiday come soon, that I would get that job I was interviewed yesterday, and that I could really find a good reason to end this un-settled-relationship one way or other. Nope, I don't want to see that far into future. All I want now is the day get over soon, so I could go home, read the second book of Stephanie Meyer and go back into my romantic dreams....THANK GOD, IT'S FRIDAY!!!!!

Lesson from Harry Potter Adventures

Reading the whole series of Harry Potter Adventures, I wonder whether anyone noticed that :

1. Professor Trelawney's casual warning for Lavender Brown in their first meeting (Book 3) to watch out red-haired men proved right in the Book 6. At her sixth year, Lavender fall in love with Ronald Weasley who had very red hair and a close friend of Harry Potter. It was a brief affair, ended up in disaster with Ron finally acknowledged his real feeling toward Hermione and left Lavender broken-hearted.


2. Death Eaters who are so proud of their pure-blooded family and dismissed non-magician people and mud-blooded (magician who was born in fully non-magician family) actually worshipped and led by a half-blooded person. Lord Voldemort's mother was a pure-blooded witch, descendant of Salazar Slytherin, one of the famous wizards. But his father was non-magician. (Anyone could see the similarity with the history of Adolf Hitler and NAZI?)