Pulang Kampung

Flying tomorrow morning, to the lovely home town, Jakarta. Yes, even though this town has been suffered from poverty, horrible pollution, the worst traffic jam in the world, flood, etc etc,... but still, nothing feels like home than my own home town. Look forward to catch up with family and friends, have full body massage, creambath, hair dye, eat indonesian favorite food, shopping,... and shopping :) Yay!

Kerja dan Sekitarnya

Ada berbagai macam alasan mengapa saya suka bekerja.

Pertama, karena saya belum punya krucil kecil, bangun pagi untuk bekerja cukup memberikan semangat dan alasan mengapa saya harus bangun pagi. Kalau tidak, mungkin bisa tidur sampe siang (maksudnya : siang banget!). Saya ingat pada waktu saya harus nganggur beberapa bulan, rasanya hidup gak ada tujuan. Bangun tidur, gak tau mau ngapain, lemes, bingung, ga ada semangat. Sambil nunggu hubby pulang kantor, sebenernya banyak sih kerjaan,... di rumah. Tapi kan bosen ya kalo tiap hari harus ngerjain kerjaan rumah, sendirian pula, ga ada temen yang diajak ngobrol dan nggosip. Mau jalan2 atau belanja, keseringan juga bosen, selain sendirian, juga 'bahaya' .. karena jumlah pengeluaran akan menjadi lebih besar daripada pemasukan (waktu buat belanja unlimited, tapi budget limited). Dan akhirnya lama-lama bisa gila karena kebosenan.

Kedua, bekerja = mendapat upah. Senangnya bisa mendapat penghasilan sendiri. Selain bisa bebas belanja apa yang saya mau, juga bisa membantu keuangan rumah tangga. Punya bargain power dalam keluarga, dan mandiri.

Ketiga, kerja = menambah ilmu, pengetahuan, memperluas wawasan, dan pengalaman.

Ke-empat, bekerja = nambah koneksi, kolega, teman (tapi juga mungkin nambah musuh) :).

Dari semua alasan yang positif diatas, tentu saja dunia kerja tidak selalu bikin 'senang'. Di setiap bidang dan tempat bekerja pasti ada saja yang membuat tidak puas. Wajar. Bos galak, bos tukang nyuruh, bos gak adil, gaji dibawah standard, tidak cocok dengan rekan sekerja, etc etc, yang kadang bisa membuat kita stress gak ketulung. Tapi kuncinya cuma satu. Apapun yang menjadi ganjalan, don't take it too personal (jangan terlalu diambil hati). Boleh lah ngambek atau upset sedikit, tapi tetep.. try to take everything easy, patient, diligent, and keep up the good work. Pekerjaan apapun, harus dikerjakan sepenuh hati dan sebaik-baiknya. Dan senjata pamungkas,.. cari pekerjaan baru.

Setelah sekian tahun saya bekerja di tempat yang sama di Jakarta, tiba-tiba saya harus pindah ke Australia. Nganggur awalnya menjadi masa-masa yang menyenangkan. Tapi gak lama lalu menjadi masa-masa yang membosankan dan menyebalkan. banget banget. Maka ketika akhirnya saya mendapat ijin kerja, saya langsung melamar pekerjaan. Untung saja tidak harus menunggu lama sampai saya mendapat pekerjaan. Pindah ke negara baru, tentu saja tidak dapat berharap banyak untuk mendapat pekerjaan dengan posisi yang sama seperti di Jakarta. Sudah tentu saya harus siap untuk mulai dari awal. Dari bawah. Pekerjaan pertama adalah menjadi administrative assistant di satu-satunya rumah sakit pemerintah di Darwin. Seru. Serasa ada di film ER atau Grey's Anatomy, lengkap dengan dokter ganteng dan intriknya. Tapi sayang ada satu 'nenek sihir' disana. Tiga bulan kemudian, ketika saya mulai bisa nyaman dan cukup mengetahui pekerjaan disana, saya mendapat tawaran bekerja di satu-satunya Universitas di Darwin, yang kemudian saya terima dengan senang hati. Pindah kerja berarti belajar hal baru, adaptasi dengan lingkungan baru, dan teman sekerja baru. Cukup menyebalkan. Tapi ternyata tidak terlalu sulit. Satu hal bekerja di universitas : santai. Menyenangkan, dan untungnya kali ini saya (pikir) tidak punya problem dengan rekan sekerja. Tetapi, disaat saya tidak berpikir untuk pindah atau mencari pekerjaan lain, tiba-tiba hubby mendapat tugas untuk bekerja di luar negeri. So, setelah 6 bulan bersenang-senang, saya akhirnya harus mengundurkan diri. Besok adalah hari terakhir saya bekerja disana (*sob*)

Punya hubby yang hobi pindah-pindah membuat saya otomatis ikut-ikut jadi suku nomaden. Mungkin karena dia punya banyak mole (tahi lalat) di kakinya kali ya (?).. Anyway, dengan demikian saya sadar bahwa saat-saat ini cukup sulit bagi saya untuk berkarir di satu tempat. Rasanya mungkin saya akan menjadi kutu loncat, kerja dimana-mana, temporary, dan siap-siap adaptasi dan keluar-masuk ke pekerjaan baru. Ehhm.... pusing kali yak.... ;p

Yaah... Semoga saya masih bisa bekerja di tempat yang baru nanti.

Clevedon

I've been to this place, a historical house at East Gresford, NSW, called Clevedon. Stayed there for a few weeks a couple of times, and I enjoyed it very much. I amaze with the history of the property, how peaceful and beautiful it is ... so I thought I wanna share it with you.

Historical Victorian Home, Clevedon

History of Clevedon,


Clevedon was first settled by George Townshend when he bought the property in 1836. James McCormick arrived from Ireland in 1833 with his wife, Ellen and 3 year old daughter, Mary. Mr McCormick worked for George Townshend at Trevallyn for some years before he started buying his own land which included Clevedon.

Mary McCormick married Edward W Doyle in 1862 after he arrived from England in 1986. They had two children, Joseph McCormick and Edward James Sarsfield, and it was for Edward James Sarsfield that Clevedon was built in 1898 after his marriage to Lillian Kathleen Robertson in 1895. Edward james Sarsfield Doyle died in 1903, aged 34 after surgery for appendicitis on the kitchen table at Clevedon.

There have been three substantial houses on the original Clevedon property - there is no trace of the first, the second homestead can still be seen to the right of the current house facing the river (minus its top storey, which was sold during the 1930's and was moved to Trevallyn and is now know as "The Harbourage").

Clevedon served the Gresford Community as a hospital between 1929-1953 and 1956-1984 and many of the district's residents have strong links to Clevedon in its days as a hospital.

After 1984, it was lovingly and carefully restored to its present state and now sits on 82 acres backing on to the Allyn River with vineyard, orchards, and gardens.

The current owners live in the house and have built two modern, high quality Bed and Breakfast units with a Craft shop and Tea Rooms to cater for the growing tourist market visiting the scenic peaceful Gresford area and the Barrington Tops.

House of Clevedon

Bed and Breakfast at the top storey

Garden near the entrance

Another garden spot around the house

Bushes of flowers at the back gate

One misty morning in Clevedon

Scenery around the property

Living animals around the property

Iseng Lagi

Just another 'busy' day at work. This is one of the thing I did. I know i'm being naughty here. But I can't help it. So fun, so curious, and could not do this at home last night as the internet went so slow.

What the...! Jet Li ??!! :D
Jet Li, Richard Gere and Denzel Washington are all my fav and... they are hot! Are they really look like my hubby, dont you think ??

Anyway, Happy Valentine's day my dear hubby, and everyone too! :)

Cuma Iseng

Tried few times, with different photos, and the result were the same.
Crazy. Hmmm.... wish I have Alba's body too!

Weird Oz Town

Have you ever experienced someone whistle at you when you are walking in public? or men staring and making comments and noise at you? It's common in my home town, and other Asian countries, where the men are usually looking down to the women, where apart from country's modernization and development, their traditional value of men and women are still can't be equal. Whilst it called street harassment, people still arguing whether this is also called sexual harassment. Anyway, I don't want to be so serious discussing harassment here.

It's just, interesting to experience it in this country, which can be called as a Western country. To be precise it happened only in town I live now, Darwin (as I've been to other town). One time bunch of men whistled at me, or other time they stared and smile at me, the worst was they tried to make conversation. Whilst sometimes the men were 'hot', but still, it's annoying, inappropriate and rather scary! and that was the most shocking thing I've ever think would happened here.

Darwin is quite unique compared to other big town in Oz. My friend sent this to me, which is very true. Other facts about Darwin:

• The best parking space is determined by shade instead of distance.


• Hot water comes out of both taps.


• You learn that a seat belt buckle makes a pretty good branding iron.


• The temperature drops below 32c and you feel a little chilly.


• You discover that in February it only takes two fingers to steer your car.


• You discover that you can get sunburn through your car window.


• You develop a fear of metal car door handles.


• You break a sweat the instant you step outside at 7:00am.


• Your biggest bicycle wreck fear is, "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and get cooked to death?"


• You realise that asphalt has a liquid state.


• Farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to prevent them from laying hard-boiled eggs.


• While walking back barefoot to your car from the beach, you do a tightrope act on the white lines in the car park.


• you catch a cold from having the air con full blast while you sleep during the night.


• You learn that Casuarina Square isn't a shopping centre it's a temple to worship air-conditioning.

Ah well,.... time to leave this town is now ticking......

Only News

Open my eyes Lord that I may see wonderous things..... Psalm 119:18

Yesterday,
was when Andrew got a (big) news.
A news, which,
made our hearts beat so fast of excitement,
bring big smile in our faces,

will lead us into a big change (again),

will be a great new adventure for us,

will bring us to the door of seeing and travel to the part of world that I never thought I'll see,

will give me headache and stress for couple of months.

Andrew was incredibly purely happy and excited. Didn't worry about a thing!
Me too, but whoever knew me would know it would be combined with other feelings, which this time is sad and worry. Sad that I'll be more far away from Jakarta. Sad to leave job and friends in Darwin. Worry about hundreds of things about the new place, the pack-up, etc. Am I a real woman or not?! :D

But I believe everything happens for a reason, and that He always be in our side and give the best for us. I will try haaardd to no to worry too much.

So, what's the news? It was that hubby have to start working in Amman in May and that we're moving and staying there for at least 2 years. That's all....