It's been a while...(PART 02)

Plaza Tunjungan....

This mall is used to be my favorite place for hang-out, either alone or with friends. Alone, I could browse the stores there for hours....without buying anything....hehehe...

It's a nice place, where you could find things in wide-range prices. From cheap ones till the branded ones. And there are many places where you can just buy coffee and snacks and talks for hours with friends.

For some time now....hmmmm, almost a year, I think.....I didn't have any desire to go there. With friends nor being alone.....

Reason 1, it has become too far away for me. Especially as now I work at home, and Plaza Tunjungan is in different district. I live in the West part of my city, and Plaza Tunjungan is at the city central. To go there means I have to go through one big, crowded main road....yikes!!!

Reason 2, as Plaza Tunjungan is also quite famous among my city fellows, find a nice parking place is quite tricky. If I choose to ride my motorcycle (it's quicker and more efficient), I have to park outside, in 5 minutes walking distance to the nearest entrance plus another 3 minutes walking to the mall back-entrance. If I drive my car, then I have to calculate correctly when I should arrive to be able to find a nice parking space. Otherwise, I have drive round and round, up and down the parking building....makes my foot ache and my head dizzy....hahaha...

Reason 3....maybe the biggest one....because once I spent many hours browsing this mall with one of my favorite friends. Those hours were very impressive that I can't walk around the mall without remembering and feeling lost, now we may not meet again.... But I knew that one day I will be able to visit Plaza Tunjungan again...I have to, because after all it's one famous mall in my city....hehehe...

So, here were I....the second day of my Christmas vacation, Dec 26, 2014. My sister wanted to meet someone and then go to cinema watching EXODUS: GODS & KINGS with my other sister, my nephews and me. And she preferred Plaza Tunjungan.....oh, alright, no problem for me....hehehe...

And it was really no problem, since we didn't do much browsing...hahaha...we just sat at the food court, talking while waiting for the movie begin...hehehe... I'm survived!!! And Plaza Tunjungan is still a marvelous place after all...:)

It's been a while...(PART 01)

It's been a while since my last post. My time has been fully occupied by the laundry work. I usually start at 6am and stop all the work at 9pm. I use the time remaining for doing the book-keeping, arranging tomorrow's work and playing game... At the beginning, I used to open my blog and tried to write. But my brain had been already too tired to think, so I just stared at the blank screen.....hehehe...

This year, I has started to work more professionally. It means I take time for vacation. The first vacation I took was on last August, during our big Moslem Holiday, Idul Fitri. I closed my business for a whole week. Most of my regular clients didn't mind, because they also went for vacation themselves....as I said, it was the biggest public holiday here at Indonesia. Of course, after the vacation I was very, very overwhelmed with the laundry volume I had to work on. Apparently, everyone went home bringing all the dirty clothes from their vacation and sent it to me....hahaha.... It had taken me two weeks of hard work before everything was back to the normal pace.

This month, I take another vacation. My laundry business is closed since Dec 25, 2014 till Jan 4, 2015. Originally, I closed the business only till Jan 1. But then I noticed that Jan 3 is also a public holiday. So, I gave my employees vacation till Jan 4. This time, many of my clients surprised....this is quite a long one for them. Well, it is....hehehe...

When I was still an employee, vacation on Christmas and New Year was a dream. Mostly, I only had a half day on Dec 24 and continued till Dec 25 for Christmas, and another half day on Dec 31, continued till Jan 1. So, it had been quite awkward because my family gathered together and I still went to work. So I promised myself, when I have my own business, I will make sure that I'm able to take vacation whenever I want. The first two years I dedicated all of my energy to build my business. I closed the business only on Sundays. This year, with the clients quite so many which I'm no longer able to handle myself, I start to build a professional work-system, as I have to also concern about my employees' welfare. So, I started to take vacation on public holidays.

And this is it.....the Christmas vacation day-2.....hehehe...

Review on 2012 (Part 3): Starting My Own Business

After did a thorough discussion with Mom and my sister, finally in the middle of year 2012 Mom and I braved ourselves to open a laundry. Well, actually it was I who needed to be brave...hehehe... 

It was a good friend of mine who moved into an apartment nearby which gave a big push to my decision. And of course the stars supported it....hihihi... They said that 2012 was a good time for my kind to open a business and it would be better something that related to water....THERE!!!...hihihi... Somehow, I felt that God had heard my plea and answered non-directly of course...(typical...hihihi...)

So, for almost six months now, I pick-up and deliver laundry to the apartment twice a week in the evenings. It's still quite overwhelming and need a hard discipline to pump up my energy till late nights.

At first, I thought that I had to get at least 30 customers before I resigned from my present job and fully involved into this laundry business. Because till now, it's still my Mom who does most of the jobs, like pre-washing, operating the washing machine, and supervising the ironing. I needed 30 customers to balance with my present salary.

But after three months doing the business, I could see that 30 customers is too high to achieve in a year....since I hope that I will be able to resign at least at the end of 2013.... Also, I could see that even having three regular customers at the time, sometimes the job was quite overwhelming. Several times, I had to help ironing the clothes after I was home from my regular job. So, I recalculated and decided that if God is willing to entrust me with 10 regular customers, then I'll hand in my resignation.

At the moment, my laundry business have 4 regular customers, and in the past two weeks we just got 2 new customers. Already SIX customers!!! I'm so ecstaticII! I really hope that my birthday wish will become true on 2013: to be financially independent....so help me, God....!

Review on 2012 (Part 2) : LEAVE THE YOUTH CHOIR

I'd joined the Catholic Church Choir in my parish since 1988....when I was still in the senior high school. At the moment, my parish was still very young and there was no youth community. The choir was builted to facilitate the young ages, so we could have at least one regular activity to meet and unite every week. At the moment, our choir didn't have a name. We simply was called St. Aloysius Gonzaga Youth Choir.

 

I had been through too many managerial changes while I was still an active member in this choir. And not just managerial. There was many changes in our members, too... Moving out of our parish because of the new job or living places, got married or even have a child.... Yes, our youth choir was no longer purely for single, unmarried youth. We became so solid, that marriage couldn't stop us getting together and training our voice.

 

This year, after suffering for a lack of active members for some time, the management finally was able to persuade the newer youth generation to join the choir which is now called AG Voice (AG is a shortened from Aloysius Gonzaga, our parish's name). These new members are averagely half of my age....makes me one of two eldest members in the choir...hehehe... The other one is also the long-time member like me. We're both the first generation of the choir....hehehe...

 

In the mid-year, the management conducted a change-over. At the time, I was almost a life-time songs coordinator. I handled the task since 1990.....22 years!!! So many times I asked each new management to find my replacement, but no one wanted the job....[sigh!]. In my point of view, it's a simple task. You just have to prepare and organize the songs for each assignment, make sure there's enough copies for each member, and file those songs.

 

Anyway, this time I insisted the management to also replace me. I just started my own business which for a while only runs in the evenings, makes me super-duper tired to attend any choir practices. Of course, I didn't say my real reason to them. I just said that it really, really didn't fair to left me behind one more time....hehehe.. So, finally there is one new blood who agree to takeover my task...hurrrrayyy...!!! And started the heavy job for me to compile all of those songs in my house in containers, ready to ship out to its new home.

 

Slowly but sure, I started to backout from the choir. I didn't join their weekend retreat out of town. Didn't attend wedding choirs on Saturdays. And finally skipped practices. At first, I only told them that I had something to do that evening. One week became two weeks, became one month and finally I decided not to join in this Christmas duty. Success!!!!!

 

Finally, I'm able to leave the choir, with no regrets at all. Someone is finally doing my old task. The new generation of choir has a good numbers of member and good voice quality...more than mine, I think....:)... One nice accomplishment of mine on 2012....:)

 

After on duty for Holy Saturday 2012

 

Review on 2012 (Part 1): SAD NEWS

Each time closing to the end of every year, I notice that there is an increasing number of people passing away. Either because of age or illness or natural disaster. We - that's my family - call it as The Calculation of Year End. When my own Dad passes away on November 2009, we remembered it and quietly took a humour in it.

 

This year, however, I received two sad news from my friends who lost their fathers. Last week, Stardust sent me a sms that her father passed away suddenly. This morning I read Mbak Fida's blog about the passing away of his father after being hospitalized for some time. So close to Christmas.....a uniquely family time...I can only hope that they will be strong enough to keep on moving and live, because I know they are strong persons....

 

 

 

 

Easter Week and Illness

I belong to a catholic youth choir which is always on duty for Holy Saturday and Christmas Eve masses. And it has became a joke between my friends - especially in Altos - that I'm always fallen ill close to the due date of our performance. Usually, I get caught by a bad cough...that makes me have to struggle hard between breathe, coughing and singing.

This year, as usual, I became very cautious when we reached two weeks before the Holy Saturday (April 7). After the general rehearsal at April 3, I was ready to congratulate myself. Because beside the sore throat due to the intensive practices we had, it looked like for the first time I would be able to perform in 100% healthy condition...... How wrong I was!!!!

During two weeks prior to Easter, the weather was changing quickly between cold and humid. I was on duty for playing organ during the Holy Thursday Mass. That was the first time I felt that the AC inside our church was too cold. In addition, I sat exactly under the AC vent. I went home that night feeling so frozen and cramp.

When I attended the Good Friday Mass the following day, I was so dismayed finding the AC was still too cold for me....even after I wore a shawl to warm myself. In the middle of the mass, I found out red spots appeared on both of my arms. Great, I thought, my skin began to cry out. After the mass, I checked and found out that the spots also appeared on my thighs. Great, sooo great - I said to my family - apparently I got the skin allergic thanks to the freezing temperature of the AC. Years before (on my university days), I got the same illness when I was assigned to stay at a little town during a very cold weather.

On Saturday morning, April 7, 12 hours before our performance, I still felt normal. I drove my family to visit Dad's grave early morning. Then went to have the car being washed, and also bought a special coconut for the skin rash. I started to feel worse by midday, feeling so weak...and the rash kept spreading all over my body. So, I took an anti-allergic pill and slept. I said to myself, if I couldn't wake up in time for the choir, so be it... Surprisingly, I woke up at 8pm, enough time to get ready and join my choir. Was I feeling better? Nope!! In fact, I woke up with a fever...that made me doubted whether I could make it. But with each step I took in readying myself, I felt that the fever went away. So be it....I wore the uniform, doubled with a shawl and went to sing for the Holy Saturday Mass. Of course, half way of the mass, I felt my energy being drained....that I had to fight hard to keep on till the end.

The illness stroke back on Sunday....as usual, after the important event has passed by.....hehehe... I began to have a high fever during the afternoon, that made my face very red according to my sister. She was worried that the skin allergic could be actually a Rubella (German measles). Haizzzzzz....I could have spread it to so many people if it was true.

So, on Monday morning, I went to a general practitioner near my house to make sure what my illness was. Apparently I had made the doctor confused..hehehehe... But after checking my condition, he said that it wasn't Rubella. Just a nasty skin allergic with complication. Thank God!!! But the high fever made me weak for three days and had to struggle for a week to regain my 100% condition.

Apparently, I still can't celebrate Easter without having sick.....hahaha...maybe next year...we'll see....hehehe...

Favourite Pastime: Browsing Malls!!!

A good friend of mine once told me this story about her Malayan friend. This friend of hers couldn't understand why Indonesian people so love spending their weekend at the malls. The parking lots are always full of cars and motorcycles. The indoor is always so crowded with people everywhere. And below is the reason I gave to my friend for a possible explanation.

For many people in Indonesia, spending pastime at malls is considered as a low-budget attraction. One could see everything in one place, from books till gears, all in a beautiful arrangement. Or see other people with so many kind of appearances. When you're hungry or thirsty, you could buy food and beverages from any kind of fast-food stalls or even eat at the fancy and classy restaurants. Or you could just walk around whereas talking to your friend(s). And the best thing is - especially in a hot season like now - you don't have to feel any hot at all, thanks to the cool air-conditioner. Most of malls in Indonesia provide a complete entertainment for the whole family, from children till the old people. It's no wonder you could find a large group of obviously one family entering a mall, complete with the nannies and nurses for the children.

And for the workers like me, there's no other time than weekends to do some shopping in a leisure time. Most of us spend the workdays working till 6-7pm. There's so little energy left to do some shopping after work. Besides, it's too close to the closing time for most of stores. At weekends, we could have a whole day to browse and shop, and maybe chat with some acquaintances we meet on the way.

So, my friend, that's why we go to malls at weekends! Viva windowshopping!!

Why I Love to Blog

Rules for the award:

* Put the award in a post when you receive it.

* Name and link to the blogger who gave you the award in the post.

* Write the reason why you love to blog.

* Pass the award on to other bloggers that you know.

* Name and link to your recipients in the post.

* Let your recipients know that the award was passed on to them.

I got this tag quite some time ago from Mbak Fida. Unfortunately, I had a writer's blocked syndrome....in other words, too lazy, hahaha.....so only now I could respond and write about it. So sorry, Mbak Fid!

I blog because I like to write, to express my thoughts and share it with others. But, I choose to be anonymous so I could feel free in expressing my opinion. Think it as one of my masks....hahaha....! Why I choose to write it in English? So I could keep my english skills exist, although only in passive way. I do have a thought to make a special section to practice my long lost French....but maybe later....hahaha...I have other things I prefer to be done this time...hahaha...!

So, finally, I would like to pass this tag to my great friend on and offline, Starlight.

My Intensive Driving Practice

I have been holding a car driving license (SIM-A) for over than 10 years. But I took the driving course only in five years recently. Don't ask how I could obtain the license without any course...hahaha...it's a common practice here.

Anyway, the instructor said that actually my driving skill were quite good, but I was lack of confidence. Of course I was! Hahaha....! I am more used riding motorcycle. I could see clearly the space around me and the motorcycle, that made me easily navigate my movement on the road. It is so much different from driving a car however small it is. I couldn't see the space on the outside of passenger seat. It seems so far away to glance quickly and back again watch the road ahead. I couldn't see the bonnet of my car, unless I crane my neck. I remember I became panic whenever there was a car coming towards my direction when I was just trying to pass another vehicle at my side. And my instructor kept asking me to calm down and drive on...hahaha...

So, for quite a long time after the driving course, I still wouldn't like to drive a car. Only occasionally at Mom's insistence when we go shopping together. Her reason was to prepare me in facing any family emergency that required me to drive the car as I'm now the only one who still live with my elderly parents. At the time, my brother still lived with us, and Mom was still quite healthy.

The emergency time came two months ago. Dad had to be admitted at the hospital just one day before three days before Easter. Mom had to accompany him 24hr, my brother has got married and moved out from our house, and my sister came home to celebrate Easter at home, as usual. Actually, it has been decided before that I would be driving and pick my sister at the airport. But at the time, I thought Mom would be able to accompany me, since I had been only several times driving to the airport before. Anyway, as nobody else could do it, I pulled up myself and drove to the airport and pick my sister up.

Now, imagine.... First of all, I had to come and vote as it was the election day. I had to wait a moment too long because I apparently was too early. Then, I had to go my office to take something I left behind the day before. After that, I raced to the airport since it was only 15 minutes to the estimated time arrival of my sister's plane. And it was my first time driving without supervision!

As the day went on, it wasn't the end of my driving time. After picking up my sister, I took her visit Dad at the hospital. Then we went home. The pattern had created for the next four days. We drove to the hospital in the morning, and came home at the afternoon, then went to the Church in the evening to attend the three consecutive Holy days of Easter. Sometimes, I drove my sister to go shopping before visited Dad. Yes, it was my intensive driving practice! I drove around the city three days nonstop!

My right hand had become so ache from the unusual exercise. When my brother came home and gave his promise to stay for the weekend, I immediately got my hand bandaged to ease the ache around my wrist. The bandage surprised my choir friends when I came on duty for the Easter Mass. How couldn't they, when only at the day before we've met without it around my hand....hahaha...!

The positive result from the tiring period is the increasing of my self-confidence. Now, I dare to drive anywhere...well, almost everywhere. There are some places I'd rather avoid, like malls with a difficult maneuvers to park cars. Recently, I even dared to try the automatic car of my Boss's. The next target is driving out of town....hahahaha...since my sister has already hinted so many times to spend the next holiday at one of the cities close by.

My Second Award

Several days ago, I received this nice award from an old friend now resides in USA. Actually, I'm quite ashamed for receiving it, since at that time I had been inactive in blogging. And then I read this note just below the award pict....

To receive this award your blog must be exceptional in design and content; presenting us with new knowledge, a sense of style, or at times just giving us a smile!

Hayahhhhhh....it made me wonder which one had made her gave me this award....hahaha...! Design? No way, her blog is much better looking than mine. I'm still looking a better way to improve the lay-out rather than the standard ones (sorry, Blogger Team...hehehe...!). The content in my blog is also standard, only my opinion about anything come through my mind at the moment. Although I've been trying to develop two blog with different, special subjects.

Presenting others with new knowledge? Maybe. Because the more you read my writing, maybe you'll get a glimpse of a real me inside, other than what I project everyday in public. That would be counted as knowledge, right? hahaha.... And the readers would certainly get a sense of my personal style in viewing this imperfect world for my content and happiness in life.

Finally, it would be my greatest hope that my writing is able to make others smile. In joy and gladness, I hope...hahaha...not in sinister way. No matter how sad my story is, in the end I would try to make a joke. It certainly would help myself raise from the ashes again and get ready to face a brand new day.

So, thank you, Mbak Fid for giving me such award. It has given me an incentive to keep on trying and writing. Hey, I want to monetize my blog someday! hahaha.....

The Time Lapse

It has been quite long since my last writing. The workload, the intensive choir rehearsals added to my Father's illness had drained my energy and writing mood. Sometimes the stress had bubbled an idea to be poured and shared. But it had become a blank mind no sooner than facing the computer screen. In fact, I just checked that there were several unfinished materials in my files, that I no longer had any idea how to finish it. I don't even know why I wrote it at the first place...hehehe...

Now, I'm determined to go back on the track and start to write again. But......how hard it is!!! My brain is frozen still, locked. Too much raw materials in it has made me blank, jumping from one idea to another and another. But I must take the first step now......and will take another tomorrow. Hehehe...must get some sleep now, or I'll be late tomorrow and having I-Hate-Monday Syndrome all day.....hahaha...and it won't do any good for everyone.

So, welcome me back in circulation!

Summary of Year 2008

Okay, I cheated on the date and time posting! I had so much things to do since Christmas's Eve, that I didn't have time to be online. Whenever I had time to open my computer, all I wanted to do was reading the e-book of Twilight Saga. So far, I had re-read them more than five times only in a month-time....and there were four books of them!

Back to the main subject.... In the final week of this year, after accomplished my choir duty for Christmas's Eve Mass, I surprised myself with how fast this year actually had moved. It seemed barely in last month that I lighted up fireworks with my sister and nephew on New Year's Eve. This unreal thought almost made me forgot to buy some fireworks. I just bought it on my way home this afternoon, a little early than usual, since my sister and I had a lot of things to buy for my Dad's birthday party tomorrow.
Seeing how fast this year going on, I just thought that there was nothing good I had done during it, but let's see....

Fiction hero:
I started this year with buying the latest series of Harry Potter (the seventh book) despite my usual carefully budget planning. I just couldn't resist it any longer. The series became one of my favourites, no matter it's actually a children literature.
I made a high leap at the end of this year by falling in love with The Twilight Saga. And I did that deeply considering I read all of the four books in less than a month! Thanks to my friend, Starlight, who eagerly advised me to read it and loaned the books. A very cute love story, unfortunately it had made quite an impact in my eyes in regarding the almost-relationship I consciously let it built lately.

Career:
After so much years trying to hold on and placate myself that maybe stay-put was the safest and best way for all despite my restless mind, once again I reached the edge of desperation. I just had to get out from this suffocating environment. How? I don't know. I sincerely hope I would get the new job I was interviewed just before Christmas Eve. The big leap I just did was registering myself as a taxpayer! Maybe the tax value I'd pay isn't much, but listed as a registered taxpayer would give me a right to give my opinion on how my money should be spent by The Government.

Relationship:
I had so much should-be-good relationships during this year. But, sadly, one way or the other I finally could see a fatal flaw in any of them. During several lately months, I let myself drifted into a relationship that principally far, far away from my ideals. But, just like my friend said....who knows? Maybe it was me who wishes and dreams too high that almost unreal. And when all of it almost reached a beach...bammmm......Edward Cullen of Twilight came into my imagination! Everything back to stalled status. Hah! Now I have to find someone that could over him!

Okay, that's all I could think of now. I already have so much plan to do next year.
I need to set up a online group for my church choir. My sister wants me to set up a special blog dedicated for the progress of Indonesian women of today and she will co-host it with me.

And how can I do that all? In my working hour? hahaha......

Long Weekend Holiday

Yay!!! I got the permission to take an additional holiday and make it quite a long, long weekend! It would be happened after Christmas, between the Christmas Day and the Moslem's New Year. I've been eyeing this double holiday, because normally my workplace never close down on Christmas-new year season. It usually makes me a little awkward, since all of my family has an end of year holiday but me. Even my sister always take a leave from her job out of our town and come home. My being keep working make me couldn't take her sightseeing other than browsing and shopping at malls, and only in the afternoons after I get home from work.

This special long weekend holiday will be spent at Yogyakarta, my beloved city for holiday. Actually, it's a spur of moment. The idea had come suddenly only two weeks ago. And what a hard work we - my sister and I - had to endure to find an hotel fit in our budget! Many of them have been already full booked!!! Originally, I wanted so much to stay at this particular homestay caught my eyes when searched for accommodation for my colleagues during their assignment there. Oh, well, maybe another time! But, still, it is a beautiful place...at least, what they advertise in website...hahaha...!

My First Award

Special thanks and very warm hugs to one of my old friends, Mbak Fida, who had just given me a SPECIAL FRIEND AWARD a few days ago. It's my first award since I started this blog, and I really, really appreciate it.....I guess I'm human after all...hehehe....craving for compliments and sweet words.

Her name is Fida, actually. The word "MBAK" in front of it is an honorary expression commonly used by Indonesian-Javanese to call an elder woman. She was my ex-colleague years ago, before she moved out to another company and finally was captured by an american citizen (hahaha...sorry, Mbak....fall in love, dehhhhhhhh!), got married and resided in USA.

She has this fabulous blog, full with beautiful stories called http://www.fidaabbott.blogspot.com/. The beautiful artistic lay-out design of her blog inspired me to keep learn and build my own blog (uh....sometimes I just grabbed her application for my own use.....hehehe....sorry again, Mbak!). She always encourage me to keep on writing and blogging. So, thanks again, Mbak! It's a great treasure to have you as my good friend!