Kesayangan

Duduk di Business Class dalam pernerbangan jarak jauh ternyata amat sangat nyaman dan gak ngebosenin. Selain perbedaan tempat duduk, service dan menu makanan yang lebih ok daripada kelas ekonomi, kita juga dimanjakan dengan fasilitas entertainment yang 'meriah'. Meriah karena selain banyak jenisnya, juga banyak pilihannya. Selain musik, games, internet, telepon (yang dua terakhir gak free of charge, of course), tentunya juga tersedia film-film. Semua itu bisa kita akses di monitor dan remote control (yang sekaligus bisa dipakai sebagai alat komunikasi telepon) yang tersedia di bangku masing-masing penumpang kelas bisnis. Bayangkan, ada lebih dari 10 games, 500 lagu/musik, dan 500 film yang bisa saya pilih untuk saya nikmati. Jadilah pada saat semua penumpang (termasuk hubby) tidur lelap, saya jadi orang 'norak', satu-satunya yang dengan penasaran browsing alat entertainment itu, sampai-sampai saya lupa tidur, dan buku yang sudah saya siapkan dari rumah pun gak tersentuh (*grin*)

Abis puas browsing isi peranti entertainment yang cukup canggih itu, akhirnya saya memutuskan nonton film. Nggak ragu-ragu saya langsung mencari satu film yang saya belum sempat tonton dan ingin sekali saya tonton, Music and Lyrics. Kenapa dari sekian banyak film yang bagus dan berbobot saya memilih film itu? Pertama, karena film itu pasti ringan, cocok buat saya yang sebenarnya sudah sangat lelah saat itu. Kedua, karena si aktor pemain utama di film itu. Yep, film itu adalah film terbarunya si Hugh Grant.

Dia bukan idola, saya pun bukan big Hugh Grant fans. Cuma suka. Entah kenapa. Kenapa ya?? Aktingnya biasa banget. Tampangnya pun gak cakep-cakep banget. Filmnya, semua drama. Gak variatif, dan membosankan. Kelakuan aslinya pun minus abis. Tapi saya ingat, dari beratus-ratus patung lilin artis film di Madame Tussaud Hongkong, saya memilih berfoto disebelah patung lilin Hugh Grant (kalo bukan nge-fans, norak kali ya ;p). Yaah... begitulah, apa daya saya terpikat sama mata sayunya dan aksen inggrisnya yang kental, dan charmingnya, dan tidak peduli sama apa kata orang lain dan dunia tentang cowok satu ini.

Sekarang tentang film Music and Lyrics. Drama komedi, ringan, secara keseluruhan biasa aja. Banyak keganjalan dan kekurangan sana sini (cieeh .... ). Tapi yang bikin menarik dan mengagetkan adalah ternyata aktor kesayangan saya ini bisa nyanyi dan nari di film. Meskipun narinya norak-norak gimanaa gitu, tapi jadinya bikin film ini menarik dan enjoyable. Dan satu hal, dia benar-benar menyanyikan semua lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dia di film ini. Acungin jempol! Suaranya gak heboh banget, tapi not too bad lah. Lagu paling norak (tapi lucu) yang dijadiin lagu pembuka film ini sempat stuck di kepala sampai seminggu (dooh!). Tapi ada lagu yang enak juga, nih ada liriknya. Intinya, Hugh Grant tetep jadi salah satu aktor kesayanganku lah (*grin*).

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I've been living with a shadow over head
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
I've been lonely for so long
Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on

I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Just in case I ever need them again someday
I've been setting aside time,
to clear a little space in the cornners of my mind

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I cant make it through without a way back into love

I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
I've been searching but I just dont see the signs
I know that its out there
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Not just somebody to get me through the night
I could use some direction, and I'm open to your suggestions

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I cant make it through without a way back into love
and If I open my heart again
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end

There are moments when I dont know if it's real
or if anybody feels the way I feel
I need inspiration, not just another negotiation

All I want to do is find a way back into love
I cant make it through without a way back into love
and If I open my heart to you
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
and if you help me to start again
you know that I'll be there for you in the end

*Way Back Into Love - Ost Music and Lyrics*

Cerita Dari Balik Balkon

Hari ini menjelang sore langitnya kelabu. Bukan karena mau turun hujan, matahari bersinar cerah. Dari balkon selatan apartemenku bisaku lihat lautan bangunan putih-kecoklatan, antenna, dan piring satelit.

Bisa kudengar cicit burung bersahut-sahutan.

Bisa kudengar pula dentang lonceng gereja bergaung indah di telinga, nyaman di hati. Ironis betul. Hampir tak pernah ku dengar lonceng gereja di tempat ku tinggal sebelum ini.

Lalu kupandang tanaman-tanaman kecil di ujung balkonku. Ada yang kering, bingung mau hidup atau mati. Ada yang segar, menari-nari bersama angin, ada yang riang memamerkan kelopaknya yang mekar indah, bersemu dicumbu lebah-lebah yang datang. Yang lain malu-malu bersembunyi dibalik kuntum mudanya.

Langit sepi. Tak berbau.
Aku terdiam, berusaha menyerap semua dalam ingatan.

Entah emosi apa yang akan timbul saat sepuluh tahun lagi memori ini tersentuh dalam otakku.

This Moment

Empty big house to wander around
Dinners, functions, parties, every night
Girls meeting, walks, shops at day time
Dress up, full make up, at all time
New people, new life style
Smile, listen, remember names, chit-chat, jibber jabber
Familiarization, adaptation,
Depressing news from neighbour countries
Excited and alive,
Thankful,
Tired,
Very tired
Exhausted, weak, no energy
I just want to have a rest
I just want to be left alone, at least for this moment.

New Home

After enjoying bit of relaxation and luxurious of the 5 star Hotel in Amman for 4 days, and slowly recovered from the jetlag, it’s time to move (again). This time is from Hotel to the apartment, where we going to live in for 2 or 3 years. It’s a huge and cool furnished apartment in West Amman. I meant it’s really huge! 3 big bedrooms, 1 small bedroom, and 4 bathrooms, 1 restroom, 2 living rooms, 1 big dining room, massive modern kitchen plus small dining area. I wish there was a swimming pool and gym too. ;p But as long as it has a cable TV, which has more than 100 channel I can browse, and has all my favourite TV channels and series, I’m pretty happy with it. Though it only has standard furniture (I doubt it will fit all of our stuff - ours are actually better), so it feels empty. But it also completed by white goods and AC and heater, which is super.

About the neighbourhood, what can I say….. pretty much the same like South Jakarta. Small local shops where I can reach in 3-5 minutes walk are pretty good. There are groceries shops, fruit and vegies shops, laundry, cake and pastries, bakery, kebab, café, Italian restaurant, and many more.

If I want, I can walk further, about another 15 minutes. I’ll reach a famous shopping area. Compared to Jakarta, this complex much more like Kota and Pasar Baru, where shops are spreaded in stand alone buildings and stores, where people have to wonder around in the open air before get into the shop. It’s a big complex, providing many things, from supermarkets to restaurants, from art and jewellery shops to shoes and boutiques, from bookstores to gym. I was thrilled to see few branded chain shops like CK Underwear, Zara, Geox, G2000, Mango, Bossini, Women’s Secret, Tony and Guy Salon, and Starbucks. Those which I even can’t locate in Darwin. ;p

Other than busy unpacking our suitcases, investigating more about the new apartment (such as trying to work out how the washing machine and dryer works – the manual is not helping as it is in German!), try to sit in every corner of the house finding the best location for me to sit and do my hobbies), and try to adjust to the new life style, all is good.

Hello from Dubai

Finally, we landed in the other part of the world. United Arab Emirates, Dubai! Arrived at 5.15 AM . From above, Dubai city looked dim and gleamed from the city and street lights. This view combined with yellow-orangey colour in the horizon from the sunrise. Nice! The Dubai Airport was massive. It huge and extremely busy! We even got lost at one stage. ;p maybe it was because we haven’t really awaken. And all the airport staffs seems busy and we had to queue in the information centre. However, without asking Information Centre we managed to get into the right place. The other thing about this airport is I could see lots and lots of Duty Free Shops. It’s like a mall! Was so excited, but I had to go to the hotel for half day check in. But I made it clearly to hubby that I want to look around the shops before we fly to Jordan this arvo. :D
I saw people from all over the world there and pretty crowded. And not surprisingly, I saw few groups of Indonesian and Sri Langkan who apparently are domestic workers. I was hoping I could see my ex-maid in Jakarta who resigned because she wanted to pursue her career as maid in Middle East.

We were not sure how the system works, but apparently as Business Class passengers we entitle to get a Limo for taking us to the Le Meridien Hotel. Yay! Well, here I am at the hotel, supposed to fresh up and sleep. I need it as I only had 3 hours sleep on the plane. Plus the time difference,… I am too confused to count how long I actually lost my sleep time. I don’t care, and I can’t sleep now. Maybe I’m too excited. I am officially in one of the country in Middle East!

I feel pretty tired and hungry now. We gonna grab breakfast soon. Till later!

Resmi

Akhirnya selesai juga packing semua barang-barang. Dari yang paling kecil sampe yang paling gede. Sebagian dikirim ke dunia antah berantah tempat kita nanti berdomisili, sebagian di simpen di gudang. Hari ini mulai bersih-bersih apartemen secara kita mau ninggalin apartement yang kita sewa selama ini. Peraturannya kita harus ninggalin apartment itu dalam keadaan baik dan bersih (which is fair enough). Karena kita dah cape 2 hari packing, akhirnya kita bayar professional tukang bersih-bersih. Tapi pas diinspeksi, dimulailah cerita amarah membara. Pertama si agent sama sekali ga ada ramah-ramahnya. Terus nilai ini itu masih ga bersih dan kita musti bersih2in lagi on the spot. Mulai dari finger print di tembok sampe minor spot di dalem cover lampu. Dia dah kayak ndoro dan kita bedua dayang-dayang. Hiih. Emang sih mungkin dia berasa punya power, karena dia masih pegang uang jaminan kita. Tapi apartemen itu jauh lebih bersih sekarang daripada waktu kita masuk 1,5 taun yang lalu. Untung Andrew cukup sabar. Yang pasti tampang gue pasti dah gak sedap dipandang. Ilang deh tuh manis-manisnya gue. :D Plus keluar deh sinisnya. Hmmm….lagi-lagi gak puas sama pelayanan dan sistim di Negara ini. Unbelievable. Gak tau musti kesel sama si tukang bersih-bersih yang katanya "profesional" atau sama si "bossy" agent. Tapi anyway, semua beres sekarang, mobil pun dah kejual. Officially gak punya tempat tinggal dan gak punya mobil. Resmi homeless dan jadi nomad.

Moving Distress

Do you know that moving house is the third most stressful things in life?? I've heard that, and it's damn true!

We are leaving Darwin on Monday next week. We are counting the day. Time is ticking. 6 more days! And the tension is getting high. Not that we did not know what to do from earlier time. Not that we are too lazy to do it earlier. But a lot of things just can be done on the last minute. Don't have a lot of choices.

That's what I am at now. Getting on the upper level of the stress. These are only few of things I have to do. Sorting everything we have..., decide and arrange which one go where; to our luggage or to international container or to storage (that's the hardest and the most time consuming). Start to clean our white goods, wash left over linen such as towels, bed sheets and table clothes, iron left over clothes (as many as I could - as they going to take our iron tomorrow), deal and finish other things such as bills, banking, car, etc.....

Tomorrow, they are going to start taking our stuff away. The home PC, which connected to the internet will be one of them. You know what's that mean, don't you? No more easy internet connection. No more online all day :(

But, don't forget .... I have Sitobi! So I hope I'll be able to touch 'net' world from public places, maybe from other part of the world.

So I guess see you all again soon! Be in touch, don't hesitate to drop the line. ;p

How Busy I am

Geeee........ I've been busy! Yes I'm no longer employed. But still... I have many things to keep me occupied, or I make myself occupied, to be exact.

Well, been busy attending Arabic lesson 4 hours a day, attending dentist and doctor appointments (so we can get clearance to go overseas), arranging this and that as part of moving preparation, and busy with Sitobi (of course!).

Other than that, I've made changes on this blog (see sidebar). It has new layout for my profile (see "About" section), and it has new widget called 'blog mood',which frankly I'm not really sure what's for (*wink*)... It should “reads” my latest blog posting and tries to figure out what my current emotion is and will display that mood immediately. Sooo, I'm expecting the picture of 'Moji Bear' will change (into other mood) every time I make a new post. I'll see if it's true.

Last but not least, I've also created a Photo blog ! Hope it will motivate me to be more creative with my Canon Ixus 850IS, which I bought about 2 months ago. Apparently this little pocket camera has a high technical spec that would be good enough for me to play 'pro'. I'm not expecting it would be as good as professional SLR camera, but I hope I can make beautiful-variety-uncommon photo with it, as long as I can use it properly though! I still need a lot of practice, improvisation, trial and error. Anyway, the link to get into my photo blog is on the sidebar too. In 'Gallery' section. Or simply click this. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Btw, any tips and hints about taking photo using Depth of Field technique with Canon Ixus 850IS would be good (pleeeaaaasee.....).

Ada Apa Dengan 11:11?

Di suatu pagi hubby keluar dari kamar mandi terus bilang, “sayang, berat saya 111.1 !!”… Sambil nguap, masih setengah tidur saya bilang “oooh,… bagus dong turun sekilo.” - Psst… jangan heran dia bisa seberat itu.. soalnya tingginya juga 2 meter kurang 2 centimeter doang. dan jangan heran dengan angka berat badan yang begitu detail, sebabnya adalah timbangan badan kami kebetulan adalah timbangan badan digital.

Anyway,… saya bukan mau ngebahas berat badan nih. Lanjut cerita,.....

Lalu dia bilang lagi.. “it’s double 11 again…” dan baru saya ‘ngeh’ dan menghela napas. Hhhh… lagi-lagi. Gak heran. Percakapan seperti ini sebenarnya cukup sering terjadi. Angka double 11 itu seakan mengikuti kehidupan hubby kemana pun dan dimanapun.

Bayangin, dia lahir pada tanggal 11 bulan 11, dan menurut yang ngelahirin, dia lahir pada jam jam 11 pagi. Gak heran kalau angka 11 jadi angka special dan dia jadi peka dengan angka tersebut. Secara dia ga percaya yang segala macem yang berbau gaib dan mistik, anehnya, sekitar 2 tahun belakangan dia sering sekali melihat angka double 11 (1111). Dimana-mana. Yang dibahas diatas cuma salah satu contohnya. Di saat lain dia bisa melihat jam digital, entah di mobil, di kamar, di komputer, di handphonenya yang menunjukkan angka 11:11. Kalau saya ada disekitar dia saat itu dia pasti bilang "look at that! (maksudnya liat jam), jadi saya dibikin jadi saksi kalo dia bener-bener liat angka. Lain waktu dia membalas e-mail saya dengan mengatakan “hey, you sent your e-mail at 11.11”… which is true! Hampir setiap hari, atau bahkan beberapa kali dalam sehari. Kadang intense, kadang hilang, lalu muncul lagi. Sampai sekarang.

Pada awalnya saya hanya ketawa aja dan berpikir kalau itu cuma kebetulan belaka. Tapi ketika kejadian itu terulang dan terulang lagi, saya mulai berpikir... what the .. ??!! Pertanda apakah ini? Hubby yang ga percaya sama yang aneh-aneh sih tenang-tenang aja walaupun merasa takjub juga tiap kali ngeliat angka spesial tersebut. Sedangkan saya mulai rada-rada freak out. Mulai mikir yang nggak-nggak, tapi gak berani nanya dan cerita ke siapa-siapa. Cuma mention sedikit ke adik saya, dan dia cuma bilang kalau ada temannya yang mengalami hal yang sama.

Sebelnya, mulai beberapa bulan yang lalu saya mulai mengalami fenomena yang sama. Lagi nonton tivi di kamar malam-malam, lalu liat jam digital yang letaknya disebelah tivi, terlihat angka 11:11. Di kantor, tiba-tiba pingin sms, dan jam saat itu menunjukkan angka 11:11. Saat lain, saya menerima telpon, lalu pas saya menutup telpon, terlihat lagi angka itu. Waktu lain …. Tiba-tiba saya ingin liat jam di komputer … dan jam menunjukan angka itu. Hah! Percaya ga percaya saya baru aja melihat angka tersebut di layar monitor pada saat saya ngetik kalimat sebelum kalimat ini!!!! How freaky is that ??!!

Akhir-akhir ini saya sudah mulai gak peduli, berpikir semua ini hanya kebetulan, walaupun fenomena itu tetap jadi makanan kami sehari-hari. Tapi ga bisa dipungkiri rasa penasaran gak bisa pergi dari kepala. Masih punya big question "Ada apa dengan angka 11.11" ? Tapi teteeep, kekeh gak mau cerita-cerita ke orang lain dan gak berusaha cari tau juga artinya apa. Hari demi hari berlalu, kadang pikiran saya bermain dan menebak-nebak sendiri. Nonton film yang ada sangkut pautnya sama nomer, misalnya film seri Number dan Lost sama sekali gak ngebantu. Malah bikin tambah parno.

Tapi sejak secara gak sengaja saya mampir ke blog seseorang (yang kemudian saya baru sadar belakangan kalau dia adalah tidak lain tidak bukan ... teman adik saya !), dan membaca salah satu postingannya, sekarang saya jadi tergoda buat sharing dan cari tau artinya. Seneng juga begitu tau bahwa ternyata bukan cuma saya dan hubby di dunia ini yang ngalamin 'penampakan' angka cantik itu.

Menariknya, ternyata angka yang bersangkutan tersebut 'katanya' ada artinya. Dari beberapa artikel yang saya temukan di internet, ternyata semua mengarah pada informasi yang kurang lebih sama, yaitu angka cantik tersebut ada hubungannya sama 'wake up call', 'spirit', dan 'angel'!! Artikel-artiket itu membahas secara misterius dan numerical tentang penampakan angka 1111. Buat yang tertarik, silahkan baca di sini, disini, dan disini.

Sayangnya hubby masih segan buat baca artikel-artikel ini meskipun udah saya kasih tau. Jadi saya gak tau apa pendapatnya dia. Emang pada dasarnya dia gak terlalu percaya yang 'aneh-aneh' sih. Hmm... tapi sapa tau ya kalo hubby itu the 'chosen one' secara tgl lahir dia persis bener angkanya. Sedangkan buat saya,..baca artikel-artikel itu bikin pupil mata saya membesar. Antara kaget dan seneng, antara percaya dan gak percaya. Yang pasti, merinding. Kalau dapet 'gift' seperti ini dan bisa digunain buat kepentingan orang banyak atau at least buat diri sendiri, kenapa nggak?

Ada yang ngalamin hal yang sama ??