Under Pressure

I believe that stress is a result of our mindset; thinking that we have no option or way out from a problem. Nowadays, stress is associated with a lot of things, especially in the cosmopolitan city, Jakarta.  Every day, there are always people who mention how stressed out they are due to traffic jams, heavy work load, or an irritating client/  colleague. For women who are still single, the pressure is doubled by “When are you going to get married?” questions raised (by family and friends).

It’s understandable that city people then search for places where they can soothe their ‘pain’. From hip cafés to prestigious vacation destinations, their motto is ‘work hard, play hard’. A dear friend of mine would be restless if she doesn’t have any plans at weekends. Part of it is because weekends are ‘the catch’ of the week, something to look forward to every day at work…an escapism. Another part of it is because it is almost “challenging” to stay put and enjoy the stillness.

Going to fancy places can be relaxing indeed for recreation is necessary. However, if we can’t make peace and accept the daily traffic jams, heavy work load, irritating client/  colleague and/or marriage-related questions, we would remain stressful. Remember, nobody (and nothing) can hurt us without our consent.

We always have options; whether to live with it or leave from it. In any other way, life’s challenges will always be present. What matters is the choices we make on how we live our lives. It’s all right to be upset when something doesn’t come out as we expected, but don’t get too carried away. As happiness that will always come to an end, so does sadness. It’s what the cycle of life is all about.   

Perfect World vs Reality

In the perfect world, I would teach only the ‘good’ students

In the perfect world, I would get married to Prince Charming

In the perfect world, I would eat as much as I’d like without getting fat

In the perfect world, I would travel around the world with first class service and wear the prettiest dresses like Sarah Jessica Parker in Sex and the City

In the perfect world, I would live be an adored Queen in a magical palace

The perfect world does exist…in movies

In reality, I have students with all kinds of behavior (which aren’t always pleasant)

In reality, I’m still looking for a decent person whom I can spend the rest of my life with (with no guarantee of a ‘happily ever after’)

In reality, I love to eat, and exercise isn’t exactly my favorite thing to do

In reality, yes, I do occassionally travel (nothing posh…but I do try to make the best of it); as for pretty dresses, I do enjoy watching fashionable people, but my personal style is clean and classic with a touch of ‘today’ accessories

In reality, I’m nothing near a Queen…but I’m spoiled enough by having a household assistant who does my laundry, clean my space and serve delish food :9

In reality, life is like a book. On every turning of a page, each question asked in the past will naturally be unfolded along the journey. I realize that every experience gives a better understanding to who I am and why I’m here. Sometimes I’m too focused in the thing I ‘want’ that the bigger picture is outlooked …which is, in fact, the thing I ‘need’ (to grow). Thus, regrets are useless. Just like in a book; on each ending of a chapter, there’s always a new beginning. And I’ve walked long enough to learn that there’s no such thing as a ‘happy’ or ‘sad’ ending. My stories (and yours), both happy and sad, will be written unpausingly, until we finally exhale our last breath.            

A pinch of Katy Perry

A pinch of Katy Perry by itnarimuya featuring a cloche hat

Laid back summer

Laid back summer by itnarimuya featuring a lip gloss

Heartbreak is hard to heal

Heartbreak is hard to heal by itnarimuya featuring a brimmed hat

Inspiration from Sonia Choquette's "The Answer is Simple"

'Share your gift to the world’, a phrase that resonates in my head after I watched Spiderman. I believe that when I’m exposed to such line or phrase over and over again, it’s a message addressed to me.  

Noted.

According to ‘The Answer is Simple’, a book written by Sonia Choquette, your gift does not necessarily means saving the world from hunger or join Greenpeace. It can be as simple as lending a hand to your mom to clean the house, helping your nephews on their homework, or being true to your friends instead of talking about them behind their backs. It’s the simple things that’s done wholeheartedly that touch others and leave a mark that remain for good. Here are some of the things I captured from reading the book:

We can never ever share our gift if we don’t feel whole. That’s why, always always always give thanks. That way, we will always feel complete. Even if we can't find anything to be thankful for, thank your breathing...

Begin from the beginning of the day. Before running errands and distracted by anything else...close your eyes, breathe deeply and feel the peaceful sensation and give thanks (for your wholeness, for your functioning heart, your hands, your eyes, your nose, your legs, the chance to live another day). Nothing is ever too urgent. Nothing can hurt you. Enjoy the now.  As you have grasp calmness, slip in with your daily activities, nice and easy.

Don’t fight the flow of life. Learn to listen to your intuition, even if it doesn’t make sense. For instance, you suddenly have the urge to have avocado juice this afternoon. Follow it...you’ll never know, maybe you bump into an old flame and reconnect J

At the end of the day, take out your little book of gratefulness...and note down at least 3 things you’re grateful for that day. The effect is miraculous...you’ll feel like the luckiest person on earth. Seriously.

Picture courtesty of Claire HM (http://www.flickr.com/photos/clairehm/4794380000/)

I, myself, have been skipping the routine for quite a while. However, I intend to pull it together again. Why? Because acquiring peace of mind is something that values more than anything in the world. I realized that i’ve been too occupied with work and been stretched way too far from the spirituality realms that makes me feel good no matter how chaotic life can be.

Being detached from the inner pilot frustrates me, because everything is so overwhelming...it's like having nothing to grasp onto. 

I trust that the best things in life are ones we feel – physical and non-physical. And I believe, the moment we feel completely safe and comfortable in our own skin is the moment we can start sharing our gift.

The Facebook Drama

I posted a new profile picture on Facebook the other day: a manga avatar that wears a cat mask, holding a popcorn bucket, as if watching a movie screening. A philosophy lies behind the post. Heck...everyone wears a mask, especially in Facebook. I’m 100% sure that I’m not the only one who un-tags an ugly looking picture tagged by a friend, right?

I think Facebook is all about creating an image. Like I said before, X on Facebook (and other social media network) and X in real life is most likely different from one another. So, there...I’m putting on my mask and post my happy-go-lucky holiday pics. Little do others know that I was a bit uptight during the holiday because I was afraid I’d be short of cash, got into a small clash with my bestie and was overwhelmed from getting lost on a bus trip. Oh well...a big smile was all it took to make it on Facebook. Haha...  

I noticed that Facebookers on my timeline regularly post pictures of their holiday or the time when they visit a new resto or such and such. I used to think that the gesture is a show off, it’s like saying: “Hey, my life’s better than yours. My days are filled with fun and parties, yours isn’t *stick out tongue*!” And, yes, I’ve had my jealous moments. Not to be a downer, I reminded myself that whatever people share on Facebook, it’s simply a tiny part of them. Surely, they don’t share their stressful moments at work, bad hair days, awful mom-in-laws or when dealing a difficult child. Heck, if they do, I would click ‘unsubscribe’ instantly.  

Then, it hit me...’twas an ‘aha’ moment. Why should I even bother to be jealous? It’s what Facebook is all about. Indeed, it wouldn’t be much pleasant to have a friend posting negative statuses or worrying images. Facebook is a social media to share our personal “good stuff” that makes us happy & glued to the computer at the first place. If we get too attached, then it’s another story. It’s not their fault that they met the right one before we do, it’s not their fault that they can experience Europe while (at the moment) we can only experience domestic traveling....neither it’s our fault.

It’s the ‘little me’ inside that says, “You’re not making enough money, that’s why you can’t go on fancy vacation” or “You’re messed up, that’s why you can’t get a boyfriend to last longer than a semester” all the way as we browse on those pics. It’s nothing personal...it’s just the way of a social media network. Be happy for their happiness. Don’t be too hard on yourself...you are perfect as you are, here and now. And the least thing you need is envious stares and other Facebookers approval to be grateful of your perfection.

Cheers!  

Jakarta's Governor Election 2012

Today (11/7) is the Jakarta’s Governor Election Day. Since my house is mapped as non-Jakarta, I’m not entitled to make a vote. Today’s election result, however, may give an impact on the politics and development of the area I’m living in. The event has successfully raised names (even unfamiliar ones who suddenly pop up  without a trace of capable track record whatsoever) and stirred arguments in social networks.

Rumour has it that the strongest candidate is the same person who governed the capital city in the last 5 years. Each of the candidates make their promises for a better Jakarta; all of which are too good to be true. I’ve been living all my life in Jakarta, and I swear the best period of government was when Soeharto ruled the country – sure, he’s had his flaws...but what the difference now? Politicians, Chinese mob, hipocrisy...same old, same old; even worse.    

I can’t lie, I’m pessimistic about the whole “election”. Let’s say that the so called clean-independent-candidates reach victory. I still don’t think that they’re strong enough to fight the mainstream politics...merrily polluted with corruption, collution and nepotism. We’re effed up.

Living in Jakarta is a hassle. It really is. The flood, sanitation problems, poor  transport, sprouting malls that literally eat up green spaces for water reservoirs. It’s sad, really. Knowing that each time I get out of the house, I’ll have to face traffic jams and possibility of either bag-snatchers, sexual harassments or pukes on buses. Huhu..

Of course, there are brighter sides of the Big Durian. Being the capital city of Indonesia, there’s nothing we can’t find in this city. Even Malaysians and Durians love to explore Mangga Dua, Asemka and Tanah Abang for affordable nifty clothes as well as quirky knick-knacks. And Indonesian food, they’re like no other. It’s the absolute homesick-factor for all Indonesians abroad. Vast and crowded, there’s everything for everyone.

It’s funny how the irony of love and hate for Jakarta orchestrate in my mind. To be frank, I dont give a sh*t on whoever wins. However, deep down I still that romantic hope that he who wins will actually make Jakarta a better place.  Luscious green parks, well-maintained public transports, condusive pedestrian walks and clean police officers, please? No matter how long it takes and how many more revolutions ahead, I hope I’d still be alive to enjoy it with my children (and grandchildren). Amen.

open for options

We all have our ‘highs’ and ‘lows’. It’s part of being human. Wise men said that the only constant thing about life: change. And I believe it’s true. I’ve read about it, seen it happened, and experienced it myself. One minute, we feel like our world’s fumbling down, the next minute we’re happily laughing all and about it.

Give thanks anyway…for the good stuff: the promotion, the fun vacation, the delightful delicacies; and the not so good stuff: the rejection, the heartbreak, the arguments. The not so good stuff may be a bit harder to swallow, but once we make peace with them and move on, the reward is priceless. It’s like stepping to another level of consciousness. Anyway, what is life all about but keeping our souls intact to God over our humanly-fears?

 

We must’ve had at least one ugly experience that’s glued so hard, it’s hard to be removed from our belief system. And it almost feels wrong that to not think the way we think, because we’ve been too attached to it. For instance, all our lives, we think of men as cheaters. Perhaps, we’ve experienced a few in our surroundings with similar characteristics. We get too occupied with that particular idea that it blocks our view that there is actually a larger picture in life.

It’s funny, really…‘cause I just figured an analogy for such concept through an experience of purchasing ‘hair-vitamins’. It all began when I got the chance to test a branded hair product made of Pracaxi, Argan & Maize oil – all of which are exotic oils extracted from many places throughout the world which work magically in transforming dull hair to magnificence. Also, it’s multi-functioned; can be used before (or after) blow-dry and before (or after) washing the hair. It smells so delish I want to give my hair a big wet French kiss :p Anyway, I fell in love with it and hoping to be able to purchase it one day. My hair is quite dry due to regular use of straightening iron and I feel that it’s necessary to have one of those to make my hair healthier and shinier. But the fact that the price is quite expensive hesitated me. Two days ago, however, as I was strolling down the alley of hair products in the supermarket, I saw small jelly-capsules labeled “Hair Vitamin”. It’s quite ‘down-to-earth’ compared to the exclusive oils I had in mind earlier, but I decided to give it a try. So yesterday, after washing my hair, I applied the capsule-contained oil on my hair thoroughly before using straightening iron. To my surprise, it smells great and give the shine and softness to my hair until now. Wow…I was really happy to know that opening up for more options can really boost my spirit.

 

I realize that I am sometimes rigid to options. Sometimes I'd say, "Fine, whatever" when my opinion is actually the other way around, but too lazy to argue. And when this ignorance-drama  I've been pulling seem to get me annoyed, I usually fume! And my friends and family would  react "WTH?"  Well, that's another story. In this case, apparently having an alternative apart from ‘what I had in mind’ can be fun. I’m not saying that we should settle for less than the best, but opening up and be lenient for other stuffs (that we’ve been resenting since we’re overly absorbed with a single item) can make life more exciting, too -  which includes grabbing the option to stay calm and take it easy when our desires aren't met. the way we want them to be. Why not make the best of our journey by taking a little bit of everything along the way?

image

These days, TV shows have been showing a lot of traveling and culinary journeys. When we take a glance of the hosts, they seem to be having the time of their lives. Going places, trying unique delicacies, all smiles. Why…who wouldn’t want to be in their shoes?

 

But when a culinary host whose tweets I follow on Twitter commented “It’s not always great, all the things you saw on TV” towards a person who said, “Lucky you, sir. All you gotta do is eat, eat and eat”, I realize that when ‘eating’ or ‘traveling’ has become a task, the joy would never be the same. In fact, I pity them sometimes, because they have to act as engaging as possible with the audience; no matter what. I even suspect that they actually throw-up the rest of the food tasted after the cameraman took a shot of that exciting scene (TV viewers would love to watch). 

Every person we know now is a branding for him/herself. And most of the time, what they show to the world (often through social networks) are their ‘happy’ selves. They don’t share a bit about their money anxieties, underpaid work situations, abusive mothers, and so on. There’s no use of doing so, of course. But all I’m saying is: nothing is ever as it seems.

Everyone has their own issues. Don’t judge them because they’re drop dead gorgeous. Don’t judge them because they’re cold and bitter. Don’t judge them because they’re heavy-weight travelers. Don’t judge them because they’re ‘not like us’. Simply drop all judgments, whether they’re “good” or “bad”, for each one has their own untold stories. 

feeling good in our own skin

The world today, where the image of 'beauty' is represented by thin, fair, long-straight-haired girls wandering in magazines and magazines, has all it takes to trigger even little girls by the age of 5 or 6 to say "I'm fat!" *sigh. The littlest girls have been bombarded by the idea of looking pretty is to have a 'Barbie' figure. Often, many of them eventually take it to the extremes and ended up having eating disorders. 

Some girls in China and Korea have even made it a trend to have surgery to make their legs longer, as they are of models (whose picture of legs are brought along during consultations with the surgeon, saying "These are the legs I want to have"). Sure, the surgery only takes about a couple hours or so, but the recovery can take like, 5-6 months. It also includes physiotherapy (a special therapy to actually "learn" how to walk again, due to the now extensioned legs).  

 
It's understandable to have a desire to be beautiful. Don't we all want to be praised and own the feeling of acceptance in our community? It is very normal. I used to be that girl. Why...I can even say that I still am sometimes. Looking at the mirror, focused on body parts that I feel too fat or 'unlike that girl on TV'. Us, girls, can be the meanest self-critics when it comes to our body.

However, after I had a surgery 6 months ago, I realized that things could've been worse. My legs may be double-extra-large compared to Gisele Bunchen's, but they still take me to places; unlike some people who are born 'disable'. My cheeks may be chubby compared to Victoria Beckham with her edgy cheek bones, but I can still chew my food; unlike some people who have no choice but to be fed with liquid food down  their digestive system. My hair may be wavy and (often) challenging to manage, but it's still there, unlike some cancer patients who have lost their precious manes due to chemo.

And even if I do have weight issues, maybe I should review my daily intake. Perhaps I eat too much fried, salty and sugary food, perhaps I feel that food has become a blanket of comfort whenever I'm stressed out, perhaps I have grown the habit of rummaging the fridge when I feel bored. Deep down, I believe that the body has the intelligence to adjust itself, creating a balanced proportion when I begin to realize that it's not hunger, but emotions, that got me chewing those food (for comfort) at the first place. Hence, before taking a piece (or two) of a scrumptious-looking food, I may need to ask myself, "Do I really need this food or it's just my craving for something to get my mind off my issues?"

Day 3 Singapore Trip April 6-9, 2012

The next day after the so-called ‘Outdoor Day’, we woke up at 10 am! It was our last day in Singapore, and also shopping day since we’re going to Orchard Road. We had breakfast in the kitchen with other backpackers: cereal, toast with peanut butter and jam, plus orange and apple juice. Slightly different to my previous experience at HangOut, at Wink we had to do things by ourselves, including washing the dishes after use. However, it was still great fun. Wouldn’t miss it for the world!

My first destination was Uniqlo, since Novi has been telling me to buy one of the jeggings. I got a navy blue one, while I got my sister a khaki one. It was nice, indeed. Then, Ayu went to Sephora, a make up store with loads of great variety of cosmetic kit and lotions. It was heaven for anyone who loves make-up. Urban Decay, benefit, Sephora, Uncle Bee’s, Bobbi Brown, Laura Mercier, whatever brands that are not available in Indonesia, you can find it here.

Since Ayu got a brunch-meeting with her Singaporean friends, I went around Orchard with Dora. We had lunch first at a food court in a mall, I had Chicken Rice. First, H&M, then Hang Ten at Lucky Plaza. Speaking of Lucky Plaza, the place was crowded by housekeepers from Indonesia and the Philipines. I went there to buy 5 polo shirts for my brothers in assorted colors. I like to buy stuff for other people, I guess that’s my soft spot :p

Anyway, afterwards, Dora and I reunited with Ayu. Dora had to leave early, so we bid ourselves a farewell. Next, we headed to Marina Bay Sands to watch Wicked. Beforehand, we had an early dinner at a food court. I had Chicken Guey Tiaw while Ayu had oyster omelette. De-li-ci-ous! I had no expectation whatsoever at first upon watching the Broadway show, but it turned out to be oh-so-spectacular! A marvelous ending for our Singapore trip.

We packed our luggages the night before we leave Singapore. Then, off we went to Changi at 5 am. The airport is magnificent. Lots of chocolate shops as well as duty free shops that sells perfumes which cost less than in Jakarta. No wonder everyone praises this particular airport. While waiting for Ayu returning from the washroom, I turned on the Osim reflexology massage machine and the aching feet started to feel better. Our Jet Star flight departed from Singapore at 8.20. So long Singapore…see you in another time!  

  

Day 2 Singapore Trip April 6-9, 2012

Our second day was intended for outdoor activities. First, we went to Singapore Botanic Garden and National Orchid Garden. We tried to take the bus, following instruction from www.gothere.sg, but apparently the driver did not stop in every single bus stop. The next thing we know, we got lost. Finally, we took a cab. It is unquestionably a beautiful place; looks a lot like Kebun Raya Bogor, but much cleaner and much better maintained. Many people brought along their dogs for a walk. It was a beauty, indeed. People sitting on the green grass while their dog fetch frisbees. It's a sight that as if appears from a movie fragment; nothing like I’ve seen in Jakarta. Colorful orchids, red, green, yellow, you name it. Pure gorgeousness.

Afterwards, we went to IKEA at Alexandra Road. We had lunch first. I ordered Swedish meatballs, while the girls had Salmon Gravad, and two plates of chicken wings to be shared. IKEA was nice, but to my least expectation, it doesn’t make much difference with Informa back home. Ayu bought a white wrinkled blanket, while I came out empty-handed; except for IKEA’s famous yummy vanilla ice-cream that costs only 50 cents.

The following destination was Universal Studios. Vivo City first, then the train to Sentosa Island. It was cramped with people of all sizes and colors. However, USS was such a humongous place that everyone still had more than enough space to walk around. First photo spot: what else, than the Universal Studios gigantic globe. Second was the Monster Rock theatrical performance. Frankenstein, Vampire, Mummy, and friends entertained the audience with their singing and dancing.

Then, we headed to the Madagascar site, where penguins, Alex the lion, Gloria the hippo and King Julien the ring-tailed lemur  danced to “You’ve Got to Move it, Move it…” Afterwards, we lined up for picture taking with each of the characters.

Next, we had a go on the Far Far Away castle, where we caught a sneeze out of Donkey in his 4D movie with everyone’s favorite ogre friend, Shrek, on their mission to rescue Fiona—who’s captured by the ghost of Frederick. It was heaps of fun, sitting on that simulator seat, getting wet and chills down our spines with hi-tech special effects.

Transformers 4D ride, The Mummy, Water World and Jurassic Park came following after, with loads of picture-taking along the way. I went on the The Mummy Ride by myself, ‘cause Ayu and Dora didn’t want to ride on rollercoasters. It was so much fun! It was dark and I was so mummyfied I wanted to do it all over again…too bad we didn't have much of time. When I walked out from the ride, it was raining cats and dogs…and my friends were nowhere to be found...plus, the rollercoaster ride didn’t allow us to bring a bag/purse to avoid any loss during the ride—so, of course, I asked Ayu & Dora to keep my bag secured with them. Imagine, no phone, penniless, passport-less. So, I told the USS person…described Ayu & Dora’s appearance, and he told me “The security camera caught them in the Mummy’s souvenir shop (the ride’s exit is through the souvenir shop). If you can’t find them, come here again.” And my oh my, was I relieved to see Dora! She was right across the souvenir shop, asking to the photo-ticket lady if I was ever seen there. We hugged each other like we haven’t seen each other for 5 years!

Since it was still drizzling, we bought ourselves a plastic raincoat that costs SGD 3. Based on the flyer we’ve got, the next show would be the Water World. We had to wait for 45 minutes, but it was worth it! The show was spectacular, with gunshots and explosion effects that seems so real, as if we’re watching a live action movie. The seating rows were divided in two sections for audiences’ convenience: green (where people can feel the water splashing) and orange (people who don’t want to get wet, well, stay dry). Preliminary to the show, the actors literally threw buckets of water to the audience in the green section and asked us to make some noise for warming up. They performed wholeheartedly and it’s hard to notice that it’s all an act. Two thumbs up!

We went to Jurassic Park afterwards. It's like rafting, but situated as if we’re in the Jurassic Park,where dinosaurs had the system broken and everything were in alarm-mode. The journey ended with the sight of an opened T-Rex mouth on top of our heads, ready to make us his feast. But finally, a gate opened in front and we’re finally released.

To wrap up our rides experience, we went to the Transformers ride for the second time. This time, there was no line and it was much more fun with water splash and warm temperature with red smoke when the screen showed a fragment where there was a fire explosion.

I did a little shopping for USS T-shirt for my nephews and was very intigued by the sight of so many cute stuffs. Apparently, they were having a promotion, 2 t-shirts for a free children’s skirt. Ah, a treat for Syifa, another niece of mine :)

We were starving...and out of the blue, Ayu decided to give us a treat at Hard Rock Café; great food and a live stage performance too! A 10 year old Singaporean Ryan performed on stage, killing us with “Sweet Child of Mine”. Thanks, Yu...a super rockin’ night indeed to end the fun day!

Day 1 Singapore Trip April 6-9, 2012

I just got back from a trip to Singapore with my bestie since junior high, Ayu. There, we were accompanied by Dora, Ayu’s friend who lives in Singapore. We didn’t get promo flight tickets ‘cause we just booked a week earlier. Long story short, we managed to get tickets in a quite affordable price (for a long weekend, so to speak), back and forth.

We departed from Soetta at 9.20 am, and arrived at 12.10 am (Singapore time). Next, we headed straight to Wink Hostel in Chinatown. It was a small-spaced hostel –HangOut was a lot better— but it was clean and quite nice. The shower room was similar to the ones we usually use in swimming pools and the toilets are always clean. After putting our luggages in our bunkbed-lockers, we went to Funan Digital Mall in seach of Ayu’s laptop. We got the chance to try on an egg tart in a small cake shop called Tong Heng, as recommended by a travel website in Chinatown. I also tried the curry chicken pie. Yummo!

This dude really shocked me! He was fooling around by taking part in our picture :p

Funan Digital Mall resembles a lot to our Ratu Plaza. After checking out some stores, Ayu finally got herself two laptop series to opt from. Starving, we had a late lunch at KFC. Their fried chicken’s ok, but the cheese fries was awesome! It’s fries with loads of melted cheese on top and daun bawang on top. Love at first bite. It didn’t even bother me to complain, knowing their chili sauce tastes like sweet n sour-Bangkok-sauce.

After meeting Dora, Ayu settled the payment and we went back to the hostel to drop the laptop. We strolled along Chinatown and took loads of pictures around the peranakan-cultured buildings with colorful windows. Amongst the crowded lane, we paid a visit to Tintin Shop. It was a-ma-zing! Reminded a lot of sweet savory childhood. Oh, and we also went to a fortune teller. He told me that I should stop eating, at least an hour before going to bed, to avoid any problem in my intenstine. “You have good luck and fortune. And smart…very smart,” he said. I asked about love life, then he said, “You’re blocking love from coming to your life. Give it a try, interview those men and find which one suits best. You should get marry to a man whose birth between 6-12 (June to December), otherwise if you marry one who was born between 1-5 (January to May), he’ll boss you around. I’ll give you beauty and no man can resist you.” Then, without me asking, he told me that I should stick to a career: “teaching”. “You complain sometimes about work…you should choose a teaching job that enables you to travel, because you’re a traveler. You will go to Sulawesi, and many places…then you will be happy. Or you can open your own business in printing, photocopy, invitation, name cards…you will be rich.” Whoa, didn’t see that coming. Hahahah…   

After that, all three of us went to Bugis street. I just found out that the shopping place is a 3-storeyed building. 1^st floor was packed like crazy. Dora had to go early, so we parted at Bugis after no luck in finding a spot for dinner. Ayu and I went to the 2^nd and 3^rd floor. I got a cute blue cropped top and a blue striped-ribbon ring for Ayu. I also bought Prisal (my niece) the cropped top she’s been wanting to have. Before we went back to Wink, we served ourselves a decent dinner a full set of Kaya Toast at Toast Box, Bugis Junction – yes, toast…for dinner – which included toast with sarikaya jam & butter (oh Lord, it tasted heavenly…), half-boiled egg, and a cup of hot Teh Tarik (milk-tea). The signature Singaporean dish wrapped up our first day in Singapore.

money or experience?

When faced with a decision: money or experience, I would choose experience. Even though money is undoubtedly essential, I believe that experience is priceless; it can take me to places, connect with many people and broaden my knowledge. For me personally, it is much more rewarding than an amount of money that will eventually be spent for daily goods.

My deceased aunt (God bless her soul) was very strict with money; and she left this world without enjoying her fortune. She chose not to ever go abroad, underwent a diet (that made her reluctant to dine out-of-home) and created a set of boundaries that limited her own space (and the people around her). I never knew whether she's happy or not with her life; but gazing from her way of life, I choose not to follow her footsteps.

I am grateful that I can ladle as much experiences I can while still young and single *forget my whining the other day about being singled-out when most of friends are already married* :p At this point, I am grateful for my freedom (which is prolly envied by women my age who are already busy with their husbands and children that they don't have the luxury of experiencing "me time"). Point is, looking out won't serve any of us a peace of mind.

Speaking about experience, I have come to the realization that what matters in my life has nothing to do with fancy looks, getaways or multiple zeroes in my bank account. They are merely packagings. My past experiences have taught me a better understanding of myself. To name a few are braving myself to show up; trusting that everything is possible; and be content with myself, no matter what. I bet everyone has their own issues to overcome, and as years go by s/he will learn from experience. 

In the long run, I don't want to be recalled as the bitter aunt with numerous savings, but the happy-go-lucky one with a suitcase full of experiences