Fragaria Vesca - And the story goes...

Forgotten...

2012-01-28T11:24:00.001+07:00

Hola! How's everyone? :) It's been a while yea.. I'm completely forgot that I have this blog, like seriously. Twitter really took all my attention away from this sweet little blog. Or maybe it's simpler and easier for me to say whatever I wanna say, anytime, anywhere. But lately, my updates there are also reducing day by day. I'm not updating as intense as before and well, I am getting busier day by day, or simply, I got bored.

Anywayyyyy.... I'll give you guys a lil surprise(s) later on, so stay tuned sugarpies! See ya guys in a bit.

XX

“The memory has as many moods as the temper, and shifts its scenery like a diorama.” ---George Eliot, Middlemarch : a study of provincial life.

Photos du jour

2012-01-21T13:33:00.000+07:00

I feel like sharing lots of images today! :)))

I want an iPad 2. I want the 4S. I wanna buy new book(s), the whole kinokuniya, if it's possible :p I want a DSLR-herewegoagain!-I want new boyfriend blazers. I want MacBook pro. I need more shoes. Oh, I simply want everything.

Okay, excuse my random babbling above. I am in a vague mood at the moment. Not sure what I really want, not sure what am I gonna do. I have 4 days for CNY's holidays and it's like heaven! I should use my time wisely, but I feel like doing nothing. I want to spend my weekend and my holiday by lazying all day and playing games. Browsing, downloading, watching videos on YouTube etc. Simply enjoying my free time and myself. I really want to avoiding malls at the moment/read: Forever 21, Grand Indonesia/But, I'm pretty sure I'll ended up stuck in there for the rest of the day, because right after posting this thread, I'm gonna take a shower then rush to GI. :p

Hopefully, I won't be spending half day in GI just to get in and out of the F21's fitting room, fitting another boyfriend blazer(s)! Or hanging around Starbucks. Finger crossed. I've had enough. Got three boyfriend blazers within these two weeks. Seriously, I need to do saving! All my salaries went on boyfriend blazers, books, eyeliners-oh, yeah, I am an eyeliner junkie, but I don't do make up! I was too lazy to put them on, but thankfully, now I can spare my time to at least put those eyeliners on-and the rest, Starbucks. Imagine, by the end of November until today, I guess, I've been to Starbucks like more than 60 times. Crazy. Now I know why I'm broke. LOL.

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, stop what you are doing, go grab your A5 Apple device and prepare to receive the gift of liberation....

Anyway, are you a iDevices user? A regular visitor to Redmond Pie's site? You must be familiar with the sentence above and you must have heard the news. Apple A5 Device is officially Jailbreakable today, and they've released it, unfortunately, for Mac user only at the moment. I don't own any A5 devices but I am soooo excited and can't wait to get my hands dirty, by tweaking my work-mate's iPad 2 or, maybe, still maybe, within this week or next week, I can feel the 4S on my hand, launch the Siri and of course tweaking it :p Finger crossed.

Here's the link if you guys want to JB your A5 devices, mac user only! For windows user, let's wait for a little longer and we'll see you in a bit. Have fun and enjoy! :)

See ya!. Ciao.

Just living is not enough... one must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower. ---Hans Christian Andersen

Nothing and Everything

2012-01-17T10:40:00.000+07:00

The pic above has nothing to do for the entire post. I'm just killing my time browsing around to find cute pics over the internet at the moment. You know, I'm quite miss those silly times that I spent the whole day facing my lappie, doing nothing but wasting time, read this articles, that articles, news, people's blogs, browsing fancy stuffs and pics, listen to my iTunes' playlist, watch videos on youtube, movie trailer, editing and designing, download icons, musics, arts and design stuffs etc. Simply doing nothing, but everything to me. :p

Anyway, I don't know what the hell am I doing right here, right now. Typing this line in my comfy room with Pringles, mineral water and Pocari Sweat as my companions on weekday. Am I trying to ruin my diet or my career, or well, both? But hey! Everybody has secrets, and today I don't feel like sharing any bit of it, not even one clue for ya, sorry. :p Started to feel insecure with this blog that I shared for public /read:myworkmates/. Moreover, it's not called secret anymore if too many people know about it, rightttt? :p

Okay, I gotta go now. One thing for sure, I am here for ~~one~~ two purposes, one, to update my blog, two, the secret thing I've mentioned above :p Oh well, don't get it wrong. It's not kind of secret that you've been thinking. Some people close to me know about it, though, but I just don't feel like sharing it for public. Youknowthereasonwhy! Just as I always said, ask then I will let you know. In person for sure. :D

I'm out~

Spend the afternoon. You can't take it with you. ---Annie Dillard

.One Day.

2012-01-13T05:43:00.000+07:00

-------------------[Dexter smiles as he listens to Emma's voice message unaware that she has been killed after being struck by a truck whilst riding her bike]-----------------------

Emma: Hey, there. Just to say I'm running late but I'm on my way and I'm sorry for being so snappy this morning. Just wanted to say you're a fine thing Dexter Mayhew. I love you very much. Okay, there you go, lucky you.

The best scene! My favorite. :)

Watched this movie nine days ago to be exact. I've bought the book but haven't got chance and time-duh!-to read it. This is definitely my kind of movie. It is now and would be my all-time favorite movie. Love every parts of the movie, the characters, the song, everything! except the fact that she died in the end. Another tragic love story. So sweet, so true, so lovely and grieving. :')

To be honest, I am not one of Anne Hathaway's fan. I actually dislike her, but I do love her in this movie and yes, hereby, I announce that I am a fan now. :)

Well, I guess that's enough said. Wait till I read the book and I'll write the review here, can't promise when I will do that though. But it doesn't matter I guess, because, I know I'll love the book and you know that I would give a good review about the book, not because I love it, because we all know that the book is good and of course because I love it. :p

Ian: I never noticed it before, but it was always there. Just waiting, lurking. I used to hate you too. Quite violently actually,Dexter. No! I'm sorry, but only...because she lit up with you, just in a way that she never did with me and it used to make me so angry because I...I...I didn't think that you deserved her. Can I say this?
Dexter: Yeah, go on.
Ian: She made you decent, and in return, you made her so happy. So happy. And I will always be grateful to you for that. And on that bomb shell.
[he laughs]
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Emma: I don't want you thinking I'm bothered or anything about last night. I don't want your phone number, or letters or postcards. I don't want to get married to you. Definitely don't want to have your babies. Whatever happens tomorrow, we've had today. And if we should bump into each other sometime in the future, well that's fine too. We'll be friends.

Whatever happens tomorrow, we've had today ---David Nicholls (Emma Morley), One Day.

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T23:44:00.000+07:00

Happy New Year, sugarpies! :)

How's your NYE? I had great night, great companions, great place, foods and drinks. That's enough said. Anyway thank you for being such a wonderful year to me, 2011, so long~

Now it's time to say hello to the new year! Hopefully all great and wonderful things will happened in this year. Don't feel like blogging at all, but it's new year! At least we have to post something here, right? So here it is.

Good Night people! I'll see you guys again soon.

P.S. 2012 resolution, keep on track on everything! :)

Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. ---Hal Borland

Welcome to Midnight!

2011-12-31T12:17:00.000+07:00

Re-blog. Bold and ~~cross off~~ what you’ve done :)

Since the start of 2011 I’ve:

Gotten a new piercing.
Dyed my hair.
Ended a relationship.
~~Started a new relationship.~~
Been on a long car/bus journey.
~~Passed an exam.~~ (seriously, eh? NO MORE EXAM FOR ME! :D )
~~Met someone who’s now an important part of my life.~~
~~Cried on someone’s shoulder.~~
~~Had a massive fight with a boy/girlfriend.~~
~~Received flowers.~~
~~Had a Valentine.~~
Written a letter using pen & paper.
Gone to see a therapist. (Almost!)
Been prescribed medication by a doctor.
~~Read a really good book.~~
Gone to the zoo.
~~Spent too much money on unnecessary things.~~
Traveled by train.
~~Cried over a member of the opposite sex.~~
~~Spent the day out in the sun getting a tan.~~ (Got tanned, but not spending time like what you think!)
~~Slammed a door out of frustration.~~
Had an anxiety attack.
Babysat for a friend’s child.
Had a BBQ
~~Gone bowling~~
~~Seen a film at the cinema in 3D.~~
~~Gone on a date.~~
~~Been the only sober person on a night out~~
Helped someone home after they had been drinking.
~~Stayed up all night.~~
~~Talked on the phone for over two hours.~~
~~Supported someone who’d received bad news.~~
Watched some sort of live sporting event
~~Read an entire book in one day.~~
Bought a DVD the day it came out
Eaten McDonald’s more than four times in a single week.
Cried as a result of exam stress.
~~Met some incredible new people.~~
~~Gone to great parties. (birthdays/tea parties don’t count)~~
Fallen backwards off a chair.
Broken my glasses.
Worn a watch for the first time in years.
~~Cried over someone in my past.~~
~~Spent hours aimlessly browsing the internet.~~
~~Cried over a film.~~
Gone out of my way to avoid an ex-boy/girlfriend.
~~Fought with someone in public.~~
~~Been in a relationship for a year or longer.~~
~~Cried in front of someone I adore.~~
Lost one of my closest friends.

(Source: vilecreature)

2011... full of memories. Incredible great and bad things happened, but after all, it has been a great year for me, how about yours? :) Hoping for a better year ahead for everyone!

For last year's words belong to last year's languageAnd next year's words await another voice.And to make an end is to make a beginning.---T.S. Eliot, "Little Gidding"

Feliz Navidad!

2011-12-24T11:35:00.000+07:00

Countdown to Christmas! One more day to go. I changed my background music to Christmas Carols Medley from Boston Pops. Enjoy :)

Here's another Christmas day to be spent alone, in this big city, with no families and companions, can't feel the warmth and the joy and even the theme of Christmas. Seems pathetic but, that's the truth. But hey! It's almost Christmas time! Everyone should be happy and enjoy the day and the holiday, right?! :)

Dear Santa, can you lend me your reindeer to fly me to home, where all the family, love, joy, warmth and blessing gathered all around? Nahh, no worries. I know you can't. You need your reindeer to send Christmas gifts to every good child around the world, maybe I am not "good" enough to get a Christmas gift from Santa, or well, I am not child anymore, or simply it's because no snow in Indonesia, so yeah :p

Anyway, whatever happens, I still love Christmas time. I'll find a way to enjoy my day and be merry and be happy.

Have a blessed day and enjoy your Christmas' eve, butterflies! I'll see you guys again on Christmas day! :)

Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home. ---Carol Nelson. /in my case I am not at home---sigh/

We All Complete - Book Review: Never Let Me Go

2011-12-11T13:22:00.001+07:00

Finally, after all of this time, I managed to get this book done. What a touching story. I cried in the end, because it's a tragic story I should say. Not only a tragic love story, but also a tragic and terrible truth of their fate. When I read this book, I learned a lot of new vocabularies as Kazuo used uncommon words-pardon my bad and limited vocabularies in English as it's not my first language, till I have to say something that would embarrassed me like this on my own blog, but I am telling the truth :) and it might not be a problem for you :)- Anyway, at the very first time I read the book, I can see that Kazuo used a strong words and it somehow made me think, this was a heavy ones. That bad thought of mine, enough to make me lose the interest in finishing the book. But Thanked God, something inside me keep on telling me to finish it, at least for "something's-or I can say someone's-sake". Haven't read his book before, so I don't know it's his style in writing or it's just on this particular book only.

Then I found out, the more I read it, the more I started to understand the storyline and of course, Kathy's feeling. It's hard for me to put down the book once you've started. I keep on going on and on and when I reached the last page, the last paragraph, I was hoping for more lines there to read. It was such a very sad ending. Personally, I don't like a book with sad ending, but this one is worth to read.

I've watched the movie too, and my suggestion based on what I've experienced, you should watch the movie first then read the book, or else, you'll be disappointed. I love movies, but I prefer read the book first, because by reading, we can imagine things and the stories, characters and the possibilities are endless. You can imagine anything, then after that, you watch the movie and see if it suits to your imagination or even higher or worst. You must have heard or read about me always looking for spoilers and I love it when people tell stories about movies they've watched in such details from beginning till the very end. Yeah, it's simply because, I want to imagine them first, then I want to see the reality fits to my imagination or not. It's weird I know, but that's me. When I read a book, I always want to know how's the ending and I might be cheating by turning to the very last page to know what's going on at the end, somehow, it will makes me more excited in reading the whole book. :p

Well, back to the Never Let Me Go, why I am suggesting you to watch first, because you'll get disappointed with the movie if you read the book first. It was a short one and they put not too much details in the movie. I can see some missing parts and important moments that they should put in the movie, but they didn't. Bur still it's a beautiful piece, so just watch and read it :)

I found a quite long good review about the book and the story and because I am too lazy to type it down, so here they are.

Never Let Me Go is a novel about Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. They are three students who reside in Hailsham, a boarding school. Or at least that is what is said in the outset. But soon enough, the reader realizes that this is no ordinary boarding school: teachers are called guardians, and students are encouraged to produce poetry and art but nothing else. There's an interesting method of economics in the school, where they get to buy other people's artwork using tokens. There is also a character only known as Madame, who collects the most beautiful pieces produced by the students, hoarding them in a secret gallery.

Later on, other crucial facts are slowly revealed to the reader. Slowly, the reader learns that the students are there for a purpose, a purpose that perhaps is advantageous for the greater society, but definitely not for the students themselves. This slow-moving revelation is the crux of the novel, something that I am highly tempted to reveal here, but opt not to. I'd leave that to the reader to discover.

But no, the focus of the novel is actually not on this dystopian and dysfunctional fact. Instead, the focus rests on the social dynamic between Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy. Early on, Kathy is one timid girl, who seems to be more of a follower than a doer. She is content with observing her surroundings instead of doing things. Ruth is one feisty girl she befriends, and Tommy is a boy with a temper, but things lead to Kathy and Tommy being close to each other.

Upon hitting puberty, Ruth and Tommy decide that they like each other, and so they become a couple and have plenty of sex. However, it is obvious to the reader that old pals Kathy and Tommy are better suited for each other. Ruth is the anti-heroine; I just couldn't make up my mind whether I liked her or not. She does things that preclude me from totally thinking that he is the antagonist. After all, it is the society as a whole which is the antagonist in this novel; Kathy, Ruth, and Tommy only have different ways of dealing with the obstacles that are presented in front of them.

As Never Let Me Go progresses, the characters leave the scene one by one. Ruth becomes the first one to go . As she lay dying, she convinces Kathy and Tommy to be a couple, after all, they are compatible with each other. She admits that it was her life-long goal to antagonize the two apart, her reason being that otherwise, she would feel quite lonely. She reveals information that would potentially give them reprieve from the ultimate end that they all are facing. To make a long story short, this is a story about the social and emotional dynamics between three people, between a love triangle, as they navigate their short life here on earth, knowing that sometime in the future, there will be an end.

With respect to the novel, I am actually glad that I picked up this book. I don't think I can say anything negative about it. I loved the way that it was written: the narration was subtle, and it felt like it was a narration that slowly embraced my whole being as I read the book. I remember feeling the same way when I read my very first Ishiguro, when I picked up Nocturnes. It was just a style of narration that was addictive and intoxicating.

With respect to the structure, I appreciated this style where things were slowly revealed to the reader, and the reader's task was to piece things together and string the clues together so that they would make sense as a whole. As much as the topic sounds like science fiction, where the characters exist in a dystopian alternate universe, it wasn't presented as science fiction. Instead, this felt more like a psychological thriller, in which the conflict rested completely within the minds of the three main characters. I guess this is one exception to the stereotype that sees science fiction as all about gadgets and other hype, and lacking soul and emotional impact.

Overall, I loved Never Let Me Go. This is one book that will linger in my head for the days to come. I enthusiastically give it 5 out of 5 stars.

If you wish to read it from its original website, you can find it here.

Here's another review about the movie-story, taken from IMDB.

The film begins with onscreen captions explaining that a medical breakthrough in 1952 has permitted the human lifespan to be extended beyond 100 years. Subsequently, the film is narrated by 28-year-old Kathy H. as she reminisces about her childhood at Hailsham, as well as her adult life after leaving the school.

The first section of the film depicts the young Kathy, along with her friends Tommy and Ruth, spending their childhood at Hailsham, a seemingly idyllic English boarding school. It is subtly revealed that the film is set in an alternate twentieth century. One of the teachers is fired after telling the pupils of their fate: they exist to provide donor organs for transplants. They will be nurtured to adult age at which time they will be available for "selection." After their third "selection" they will "complete" before they can be selected for any more procedures. Some "complete" after their first, though, while others survive through four or more procedures. Tommy is emotionally angry and is teased by the other boys. Kathy falls in love with him.

In the second section of the film, the three friends, now teenagers, are rehoused in cottages on a rural farm. They are permitted to leave the grounds if they wish. They do not question the ethics of their situation. At the farm, they meet other graduates of similar places. Kathy, Tom and Ruth are clones who are fascinated by the idea of finding the original people that they were "modeled on". Kathy and her friends are questioned about rumours of the possibility of "deferral" - which allows couples several extra years before being "selected" if they are in love and can prove it. Tommy reasons that the art gallery at Hailsham was intended to identify clones who have a soul. Tommy and Ruth become sexually active. The lonely Kathy applies to become a "carer" - a clone who is taught to drive and trained to give post-operative care to others, and given a temporary reprieve from selection as an exchange for supporting and comforting donors as they are made to give up their organs. She has become a carer by the time she hears that Tommy and Ruth have split up.

In the third scenario of the film, Kathy has been working as a carer some years later. She has watched many clones "complete" as their organs are donated; their deaths are referred to as "completion". She reunites with Ruth, who is frail after two donations. Ruth has been keeping track of her and Tommy. She helps Kathy arrange their reunion. Ruth admits that she did not love Tommy and seduced him because she was jealous and afraid to be alone. She is consumed with guilt, and has been searching for a way to help Tommy and Kathy. She believes that Tommy and Kathy would qualify for "deferral." She gives them an address, that of "Madame" who would visit the Hailsham and select works of the students' art would be worthy to go into the gallery. Ruth "completes" on the operating table shortly afterward. Tommy explains to Kathy that he has been creating art for the past several years in hopes of a deferral. He and Kathy drive to visit the Madame. There is no such thing as deferral after all though. Tommy's artwork will not help them.

The film ends after Tommy has "completed." Kathy is left alone. Two weeks after losing Tommy, Kathy is notified that her first "selection" will take place in one month. Contemplating their childhood, she speculates whether their fate is really all so different from the people who receive their organs; "We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through or feel we've had enough time."

I come here and imagine that this is the spot where everything I've lost since my childhood is washed out. I tell myself, if that were true, and I waited long enough then a tiny figure would appear on the horizon across the field and gradually get larger until I'd see it was Tommy. He'd wave. And maybe call. I don't know if the fantasy go beyond that, I can't let it. I remind myself I was lucky to have had any time with him at all. What I'm not sure about, is if our lives have been so different from the lives of the people we save. We all complete. Maybe none of us really understand what we've lived through, or feel we've had enough time. ---Kathy, Never Let Me Go.

Excusez-Moi

2011-12-11T00:09:00.001+07:00

I've always had reasons why I showed up this late. I was about to blogging this morning. As yesterday I went to Christmas Celebration with my work colleagues, one of my colleagues took lots of pics as he was in charge for documentation, so I sent message to him to send some of those pics to my email as I am going to blog about it. I was too busy enjoying the celebration and chatting in between and worried at the same time how am I suppose to go home, because the party location was too far from my residence and well, of course, not forgetting to camwhoring with my close friends, that I forgot to take other pics. :p

Anyway, he converted the RAW files into JPEG this afternoon, then he's off to his choir rehearsal. I can't wait for any longer. I want to blog so badly, so here I am, babbling about this and that. I'll just blog about yesterday's celebration later on when I've got all the pics, patient, k? :)

This post is written yesterday, but I felt asleep, before I had a chance to press the publish button and I am way too lazy to edit the words, so yeah.. read this thread as it still Saturday, not Sunday, okay? :p

See you guys again soon :)

It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission. ---Grace Hopper

Fallen Angel...

2011-12-09T05:08:00.001+07:00

Two days in a row, it still early and I felt asleep just like that! Pheww... I must be very berry merry tired inside and outside, body and mind. SIGH. I had a bad sleeping time already, and now it became even worse. I slept around 9 pm and woke at one or two in the middle of night. Feel so fresh with only three to five hours sleep. You must be wondering what the hell am I doing at that time. Well, thanks to the internet for always be there accompanying me whenever I need it.

Now that I've already put "Need You Know" - Lady Antebellum's lyrics, I should say, I heard this song a lot, and it is soooo me. I decided to change my background music now.

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin' at all..

It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now.

For the whole lyrics, click here :) Enjoy!

The promise given was a necessity of the past: the word broken is a necessity of the present. ---Niccolo Machiavelli

Never Let Me Go

2011-12-06T20:18:00.001+07:00

Currently reading the novel. I was reading it from 2 months ago, but haven't got a chance to finished it, since, again, I am working. But no worries! I'll finished it ASAP! I can't wait to read my new books that I bought at Kinokuniya on last Sunday. Anyway, I was in a weird state at the moment. I got these butterflies in my stomach. That's not enough said, I know, but psstt.. I want to keep this for myself, sorry, fellas! Well, I won't share it for public, but if ya curious, you can ask me and I'll nicely tell you :p

When I think of that moment now, standing with Tommy in the little side-street about to begin our search, I feel a warmth welling up through me. Everything suddenly felt perfect: an hour set aside, stretching ahead us, and there wasn't a better way to spend it. I had to really hold myself back from giggling stupidly, or jumping up and down on the pavement like a little kid. Not long ago, when I was caring for Tommy, and I brought up our Norfolk trip, he told me he'd felt exactly the same. That moment when we decided to go searching for my lost tape, it was like suddenly every cloud had blown away, and we had nothing but fun and laughter before us.

The line above, which is narrated by Kathy is taken from "Never Let Me Go" page 169. One of my favorite paragraphs from the book. Now you're guessing why I took it and posted it here. Go, and figure it out yourself as I won't tell ya! *lipsaresealed* :p

I am leaving you with big question mark marked on your face. Need to get back to the book. See ya alligator!

I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the water moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold onto each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart. That's how it is with us. It's a shame, Kath, because we've loved each other all our lives. But in the end, we can't stay together forever.― Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go

Souvenir d'Enfance

2011-12-05T20:46:00.001+07:00

Just got home from work and I am so damn sleepy and tired. But I've made a promise, so here I am, posting something to get back on track, by regularly updating my blog, even I don't know what should I write here. I am totally blank. I don't feel like sharing things that happened at the office. It simply gives me headache and tense. It was stressful. That's enough said.

Anyway, currently, in my busyness, I started to feel boring with my routines. I don't know, I feel plain. Maybe It's because I am too tired. I am tired but I don't feel like sleeping and resting, yet I don't feel like going out for refreshing. I simply don't know what to do. Ahh.. maybe I am just not in a good mood at the moment. I better get outta here, before I change my mind and delete everything that I already typed here.

P.S. Internet runs slow tonight, it's a sign for me to get back reading Never Let Me Go, a novel by Kazuo Ishiguro. I can't wait to read my new books that I bought yesterday at Kinokuniya Bookstore. That place is heaven, by the way. Never get bored to visit that bookstore over and over again, and pssttt... it's one of the most memorable places in town! :p

Ciao, fellas~

Memory is an abstract painting. It doesn't present things as how they are, but rather as how they feel.---Unknown

Need You Now - Lady Antebellum

2011-12-05T05:12:00.001+07:00

Picture perfect memories scattered all around the floor
Reachin' for the phone 'cause I can't fight it anymore
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

Another shot of whiskey can't stop looking at the door
Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before
And I wonder if I ever cross your mind
For me it happens all the time

It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk and I need you now
Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

woah woaaah.

Guess I'd rather hurt than feel nothin' at all

It's a quarter after one I'm all alone and I need you now
And I said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now
And I don't know how I can do without
I just need you now

I just need you now (wait)

Ooo, baby, I need you now

Current favorite song. Can't stop listening to this song and can't help to not put this song on repeat :D Should I change my background music to as well? What do you think? To be honest, I am too lazy to tweak the codes and find the song on YouTube :p But if you want, I'll change it :p

Random Babbling

2011-12-04T21:57:00.001+07:00

Did you still remember my post about getting a DSLR? Well, last month, I attended the inauguration of our new office building. My work mate, who is also a wedding photographer, brought his DSLR and I finally got my hands dirty by played around with it. I snapped some normal pics using his DSLR and some pics with blurred BG. I quite satisfied with the result and he also said that's not bad for a newbie.

Actually, I took many pics, but I deleted it right away, because I didn't really like how it turns out. This is the only one left. Tell me what do you think, will ya? :) No photoshop, no edit, except I resized it to fit to my blog's pixels.

I love the result that I focused on one flower and blurred the background and the other :))

P.S. I will definitely get one for myself, if it's possible, next year, around February to April, you won't see any grainy/noise on my pics anymore :p

I never question what to do, it tells me what to do. The photographs make themselves with my help. ---Ruth Bernhard

Hello My December

2011-12-03T23:13:00.001+07:00

Man! Imagine!! Less than a month, 2011 will be over soon. Sometimes I forgot how time can flies this fast. So sad but so happy to give this month a warm welcome. I just love December, because it means, Christmas is near. I Don't have to explain again, why I love Christmas. Everybody loves it, I bet.

Anyway, last week, I went to Starbucks with my housemates and this is also one of reasons why I love Christmas. It's Starbucks Christmas Handcrafted Espresso Beverages!! I am not a big fan of coffee, but I like coffee and I'm dying to taste Starbucks Tofffee Nut Latte, but I change my mind right after I saw how tempting Cranberry White chocolate Mocha on the menu list.I should say it was delicious. I just love it! My girls are also love it. I'd love to have another go, next time I visit Starbucks, but I guess, I still want to have Toffee Nut Latte, so maybe in the near future, I will be visiting Starbucks quite often ;D

I also tried one of Starbucks Holiday Food 2011, Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake. It was okay. If only the pie is salty, it will be more delicious, in my opinion. I was more into Raspberry Temptation, which is a vanilla sponge cake with raspberry jelly on the top plus white chocolate drizzle, layered with cheese butter cream, but it doesn't look too appetizing and since you know that I love to take food pics, so, I chose Blueberry Cream Cheese Cake, as the Barista's recommendation.

It was 9 something when we finished our coffee time and decided to leave. Instead of going home, we headed to Centro Dept. Store to participate in Midnight Sale. I've got a special deal for my favorite Boyfriend Blazer. You know how much I love Blazer and Coat, right, and when I saw it, I was like, OMG!! I want it!! I tried it, and it fits perfectly. It costs 700k something IDR, normal price, but because it's midnight sale, they gave 50% off plus another additional 10% off if you have Centro member card. In the end, I only paid 328.000 IDR, cool, right? Wait until you see the pics yourself. You'd say, I made a good decision by grabbed it. It's worth every penny :)

Invio semi coat-blazer.

Oh, yeah, before I forgot, a week or two, before I bought the blazer, I also got another Boyfriend Blazer from Forever 21. It's quite cheap too, only 400k something. Sadly, not many sizes and colors left, I want the khaki color, but no s-size anymore, so I grabbed the black one. Now that I open my wardrobe, there are so many black blazers hanging there, but hey! As my dear friend always say to me, you'll never get too much black blazer, right? You could use it to any occasion, formal and informal, from a wedding to malls, simply anywhere :)

Forever 21 Boyfriend Blazer.

I just love them!! My favorite blazer ever! I won't stop finding another ~~one, no, two~~ or well, three :p with different colors and models. These are pretty much my style and will always be my favorite style in dressing, so yeah, you'll see me wearing these kind of outfits very often. I'll just mix and match with different tank tops, pants or even with mini dresses, etc etc. I don't know, we'll see :)

One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don't clean it up too quickly. ---Andy Rooney

All Brand New

2011-12-03T18:36:00.001+07:00

No doubt that I am such a bad bad bad blogger. Period. No need to comment. I've got enough with bad thoughts inside my head, like my left brain is quarreling with my right brain, that I should change this bad habit. I am and was freaking busy within these few weeks, but it's not like I don't have time at all for blogging, I'm just not in the mood. Lately, I am out of words, as you can see, I rarely update my twitter as well. Beside the fact that I am not in the mood, the signal in my new office-oh, yeah, we've moved to new office building now, I'll tell you more about it later on-is bad like you're in the middle of nowhere and can't reach for any signals. It just sucks. So, I won't bother to tweet something unimportant. I'll tweet when I feel like tweeting.

To be honest, I don't feel like sharing about office stuffs here, because sometimes it gives me tense, but yeah, not much I can share here anymore, since I spent my weekdays in the office, so, start from now on, you'll read many words related to office and work. Please get used to it :)

Anyway, we've finally moved to our new office building. Everything is new, the desks, the phones, drawers, etc etc. Not everything that new is good, though. The new office made some of us must put a lot of effort to reach it. First, the place is a little farther than the old building, a little, note that, but hello, this is JAKARTA! an inch different would makes a BIG difference and would takes a LOT longer to reach that place. As for me, to reach the old building, I just need to catch a bus and stop at the 5th station and take some walk to enter the building. It's located in the middle of one of the busiest district in town, but accessible from anywhere. I just love the location and this area, because it close to my residence. I took 8.00 am bus and I won't be late for office, how cool is that, right? :D

Now, as the new place, is still located in the other side of the busiest area in town-which is part of the town that I dislike-our building location is isolated, our building is the first building after a large area of what we used to called "jungle" in the middle of town. It's a large area of bush. Do not image it, I might be exaggerating it :p But for real, it's so far. We need to take a long walk from bus station to reach this place. I always ended up sweating hard! Fiuhhh!! I don't like it. Feel like I wanna take a shower again and again. I want to stay fresh when I reach my office, not with my outfit stick to my wet skin. :(
Anyway, I rarely put my feet on this part of the town, simply because I don't like it and not too many malls here, so yeah, I don't have to explain more.

Second, the signal thingy that I've told you before. The signal in this area is sucks to the max. This is bad because it drained our phone juices. I need to bring my charger(s) to office, like freaking everyday. SIGH!!

Third, no canteen, no food court, no mini-mart available in our office building, yet. Imagine, we have to bring our lunch, or call for delivery order, junk food, plain and boring, or else, you need to-again-take a long walk to the other building to get a-not-so-delicious-food-yet-sooooo-freaking-expensive. Okay, 3 reasons are enough to make a conclusion that "new" doesn't always good, right? Agree or not, that's the fact.

The only positive side is, the more you walk, the more calories you burn, the healthier you are, right? Good for us, free treadmill, free sauna, good for your diet, because you can't easily get food to eat. I loose some weight, and gained another weight, as I am tired of too much walking, so, I ate a LOT, and the air conditioner in the new building is so damn freezing! Makes you hungry almost all the time, not working for me though, but still it's not good, not good, because it makes me freezing to death and sleepy. Sigh.

Enough talking about new office building. I'll see u again on the next post. I am so in a mood for blogging now! So, let's create more threads :D

Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation. ---Oscar Wilde, De Profundis, 1905

Sunday Afternoon

2011-11-13T10:16:00.001+07:00

Sorry, I didn't come back yesterday as promised. I came home early, yesterday, around 8 pm or something, can't really remember, but it's not late for sure. We went to Ambassador mall, ate noodle as my dinner then went to window shopping then headed to carrefour. I bought some fruits, soap and daily stuffs there. Not many, but enough to make me broke to the bones. I have to seriously started to control my expenses as for now, I am no longer get money from my parents, so I literally living on my own, well, yeah, they still pay my room-rent here, but I'll take care the rest.

Anyway, I'm sick, literally sick. Sick in body and mind, head and heart, inside and outside. Terribly and seriously ill and sick. I don't know how to put this into proper words that doesn't sound pathetic, but that's the truth. That's the reason why I didn't come back here yesterday, but I was not sleeping and get some rest either :p So, what the hell am I doing in my weak condition? I was worrying ~~you~~, er no, there's a bloody lizard on my room. GEEZ!! I knocked my friend's room to help me to get rid this small nasty and disgusting creature out of my room, but I was out of luck. She was wearing earphone and heard the music with max volume. MANNNNN!! I thought she's already felt asleep, but I still can heard noise comes out of her room so I texted her. By the time I've got a chance to talk to her about this tiny lizard, she laughed at me so hard before she's agreed to help me, but it's nowhere to be found anymore. SIGH.

It's kinda late, by the time we finished searching in vain, and I was damn sleepy, so I decided to go to sleep in worry. Sleeping in worry doesn't bring any good at all. I slept at 1 something, then wake at 2.30 am or so and I stayed awake till morning. Now I've got influenza, headache, ~~heartache~~-errr, oopps.. typo and not typo ;p-panda eyes, sore throat and cough is on its way coming. Everybody tell me to take some meds or at least vitamins, but I hate medicines, drugs, anything similar stuffs, you name it! So, I just need to lay down and take some rest hopefully I will be recovered. Not in the near future for sure... But hey, let's hope... After all, you are my only drug and I am addicted to you :p ---ignore this line! LOL---

Still wanna share many things and story, but let's be selfish for a while, good or bad, happy or sad moments, I'll keep them for myself, at the moment. I don't feel like sharing them with you guys, not this time, sorry. But if you, you and you wish to know more, you still can ask me personally and I'd love to explain :p

I'm out~

Nobody has ever measured, even poets, how much a heart can hold. ---Zelda Fitzgerald

Quick Post

2011-11-12T15:57:00.001+07:00

I was about to blogging but my housemate knocked on my door and asked me out to accompany her to do grocery shopping at carrefour, so yeah, I'll see you guys tonight, if I don't get home too late :p

See ya soon, Alligator :D

P.S. Dear Steffi, sorry, I'm using your husband as one my fave quotes :p

Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit. ~Peter Ustinov

November and The Quotes

2011-11-02T06:05:00.002+07:00

Good Morning! It's bloody 5.13 am-while I started typing this-and I'm already wide awake from 4 something in the morning. Last night I could sleep well, I can say, but still, I am so so sleepy because of woke too early. Anyway, what the hell am I doing since then? Well, I browsed around and find some interesting quotes on twitter, from The Love Stories. You must have heard about it, right? Well, yeah, I was the one who creating the logo for them :) This account is worth to follow! Let me tell you that once again. You can find many quotes that suits you the most, no matter what is your mood at the moment, believe me. So, what are you waiting for? Click the follow button right away, if you've already had a twitter account, simply follow this link :)

Anyway, here are what I've found this morning. I just love and can't more agree with the quotes. Couldn't help myself for not re-post the quotes here, even I already RT-ed them on my twitter account. :D

THINGS HAPPEN FOR A REASON... they really do. You may not understand it at the moment, but in time it will all make sense to you!

Remember: Don't make any decisions when you're ANGRY. And Never make any promises when you're HAPPY!

You'll never have EXACTLY what you want, but in the end God always gives you exactly what you need to make you into the person you should be.

The only thing in life that is worth waiting for is Love. Wait for someone who makes you smile when you're at your saddest. It's worth the wait! Love can't always be measured by how long you wait. Its about how you understand why you're waiting.

People have many different meanings for love but one thing is for sure. Lust is the desire for the body & Love is the desire for their soul.

Umm, I can do this all day long, but I have to stop now, as I'm going to late for work if I don't go for a shower now. Here's the last quote for you, my favorite, at the moment. Hope you guys get inspired by the quotes and have a good day to all of you. :)

The greatest gift you can give to a special someone is your TIME. Its like you're giving the portion of your life that you can never bring back.

Oh, before I forgot, it's November! Time really really flies. I couldn't believe that beautiful and lovely October has ended. Kinda sad, because it was such a great month to me. Almost every good things happened in October, well, some bad things also happened too, but, in the end, everything that has happened only brought happiness and goodness for me.. it was such... ahh.. you can mention all good words for this month :) But yeah, as time goes by, life also goes on. Everything happened for a reasons and well, maybe it's meant to be ended this way, to me, to add another sweet,beautiful and memorable moments and memories to my life's history. Hopefully, November, treat me right and good the way October did, will ya? :)

A promise people break the most: I promise I won't hurt/disappoint you. ---The Love Stories.

P.S. I never promise anything quite like the line above. I just promise that I would give my all to make those people I love the most in the world happy, whatever it is. Hopefully, it wont hurt/disappoint them, especially you ♥

:)

Positive and Negative

2011-10-30T11:01:00.000+07:00

Hello people and my abandoned blog. I'm so so so sorry for disappear for quite some time. I miss blogging so much, and there's so many things to share here, but time is the main problem. Could hardly find time to do it, since I'm working. It has been 2 weeks for me working as an accountant-sigh-Well, I'm sigh-ing not because I am not grateful with the job, but you know why. Even I don't really like being an accountant, I still grateful to had a real job, finally. It's tiring but well, I quite enjoyed it, maybe it's because I was stuck in boredom for quite some time, so it feels great to finally working, or well, it's maybe because I am newbie, so there's not much I can do at the moment, yet. I don't know how it will be after I work there for a month or so. With "not too many" things to do, already makes me so busy, so we'll see. But yeah, it feels good to be able to do something "useful" with my time and making some cash out of it.

There are positive things and negative things too, regarding to this working stuff. Let's talk about the positive first. I sleep earlier and wake earlier too. Good stuffs, eh? Wait until you hear the next thing, and think a-gain. I think I had insomnia, you already knew that, righ? I usually went to bed around 1, 2, 3 etc etc in the morning, but 10 or 11 since I'm working, then I woke earlier, like too early to be true. I always woke around 1.30 or 2 or 3 am and I'll stay awake till 5 then off to bath. This panda eye is getting darker day by day :( And you know, the worst thing is, so, we had new neighbor-the room next to mine is occupied now, and it has been occupied like 3 weeks or so-and let me tell you, this neighbor is no ordinary neighbor. It's super duper annoying neighbor, kind of a-neighbour-from-hell. Seriously. She couldn't stop singing all day long and turn her radio/music on to its max volume. How annoying!

Can you imagine, on a beautiful Saturday morning when you really really need to sleep more or let's say you need your quality sleep, no need to wake "too early"-actually I couldn't sleep a little later than before because I used to go to swimming in the morning with my house mates, so yeah, I do really need an extra one to two hours in my sleep time but she ruined those extra hours!-She used to wake around 4 or 5 am then she turned her music and started to singing like a professional-BATHROOM-singer! Then she could get in and out from her room over and over again and slammed the door shut as she pleased, like no one else stay in this little house and they're all still sleeping or half awake, just like me. Like it or not, I have to wake up! Man!!It's Saturday and I woke at 4 or 5 in the morning?!? Then I have to prepare at 6 and go swimming at 7 am!! You've got to be kidding me! At least I could still be sleeping till 6 am!! Why don't you just kill me right away! I have an alarm clock that no need to be adjusted but will ring and call you to wake up at 4 or 5 am, everyday, interesting? Let me know if you need one, I'll send it for free!

Come on, dude!! Where's your good manners? Geez!! You're not staying here ALONE. There are times when I feel like rushing out and bang on her door and shout at her to shut her f*ckin mouth. But I won't do that. I am not willing to put such a big effort to deal with people that has no brain at all. Simply because it's useless and I am not here to get enemies. Silently I pray, hopefully God will hear my prayer and send some extra brains for her to think! How nice, I am, right? :p

Okay, another positive things is, it feels like back to school again, which is good feeling to me. One of my favorite moments in life is high school moment, and now I feel like having it again, how cool is that, right? :) I woke early, said my morning prayer, went to bath, had some breakie then walked to bus station. What a healthy life. I feel so blessed to be able to do such routines. On the other hand, the negative side are, I don't like when it's about to go-home-time, they would tell me to stay a little later. I hate working overtime. I don't like it, even if they double pay you for that-which unfortunately, not in this company-It has nothing to do with the money or me being lazy. I just found out that nothing is good coming from a tired mind and body. To me working overtime is useless, moreover if you're not willing to do it at all. It's not productive at all.

I just don't get it why some companies always tell their employees to work overtime. That's why I prefer working at banking industries. The job descriptions are clear, you only do your job and no need to worry about other things. Dressed and work neatly, and most important, on-time working hours. Some of these people in the office, talking, eating, joking, chatting, do this and that-well, it's okay, as long as you keep your job's done. I have to admit, I did these too, sometimes, but mostly I did it when I have no more works to do, or when I got bored-while they're working then they took overtime because their job hasn't finished yet and for overtime payment sake and people would look at them that they're diligently working and very loyal to the company and to their job. SIGH. Why people are so fake? I prefer to skip my lunch time to get the job finished instead of working overtime. Sometimes I think some companies are too stupid to let their employees to work overtime. They have to spend extra cash for the work that actually could be done in office-hour but people are corrupting the time. I, myself, prefer to bring my work home and but of course I will still get the extra payment for that rather than spending hours at the office till it's late. Maybe it's simply because I am a woman and I haven't got any car, yet, but taking public transportation and it's uncomfortable for me and it simply not safe for a girl to come home late, especially here, in Jakarta. I think working overtime is okay as long as you've been working that hard but still there are so many things need to be done right away, and the office-hours are just not enough. That's what inside my head, this is personal opinion, so please, don't argue me.

LOL!! This what people mostly do, but not me, of course :)

Another positive and negative effect at the same time is all about well dressed for work. I love working outfits. Like seriously like it. If it's okay, I'd love to dressed like that for not only at work. :) The positive is, I love the outfits, it makes me even more enthusiasm in the morning to go to work. The negative side is, I need to renew my wardrobe as I do not have many work outfits, so, I went shopping and this is bad. LOL :p
Shopping, shopping and shopping will definitely burn a BIG hole on my pocket! SIGH Not good, not good.

Please remind me to do saving! Or seriously I'll get broke to the bones! :(

Well, save the other stories for next time. I'm leaving now. Ciao~

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. ~Eric Fromm

Quick Post!

2011-10-20T13:02:00.001+07:00

Not much I can say.. I'm so damn busy and tired. Don't have many times to hanging around here anymore. I miss that moment. I miss my daily routines. I miss reading. I miss wake up one day on a very late afternoon. I simply miss everything... Sigh.

I'm out~

P.S. I'll upload pics later on, as I can't upload anything from iPhone =\

Letting go is the best way to hold on.

Happy iOS5 day, everyone!

2011-10-12T23:13:00.002+07:00

My JB-ed iPhone Homescreen with iOS 4.3.1 :)

I should blog about this tomorrow morning, right after I install the iOS 5, to give you some reviews about it, but yeah, currently, I don't know what to do anymore beside waiting, waiting and waiting for the whole day for this iOS. I'm currently reading Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, but it seems like I can't concentrate, so yeah, I put it down and decide to blogging.

To be honest, until this moment, I'm still unsure whether I should upgrade it right away or not. I might get new awesome features and yet loosing all of my pirated apps and tweaks, since it's currently unjailbreakable-or let's say, tethered JB-But yeah, I guess, I can't wait for any longer anymore. :)

Anyway, it gave me headache, every time I saw my iTunes. I don't know what the hell is wrong with it, but until now, I can't access to iTunes store. It always showed a white blank page. SIGH. I've un-installed and re-installed it, loosing everything, but it stays the same. Can't opened iTunes store, can't backup anything etc etc. I have no ideaaaaaa at all. A friend of mine suggesting me to upgrade my laptop, which is means, I have to re-formatted it. Hoahhh!! I don't know what to do. Let's just wait for the freaking iOS 5 out first and we'll see if I am be able to download and install it to my phone.

Okay, let's get out of here and waiting again. iOS 5 is around the corner. It will be arrived in any minutes now.

Ciao~

Stay hungry, stay foolish. ---Steve Jobs

Sanctum

2011-10-11T23:56:00.000+07:00

This is way too late, but I've just finished watched this movie. It's about an underwater cave diving team experiences a life-threatening crisis during an expedition to the unexplored and least accessible cave system in the world. A friend of mine said that it's based on true story. Well, the movie was okay, but I'm here not suggesting you guys to watch it or give a good or bad opinion about it. It's just because couple hours ago before I watched this movie, my house mate was telling her 3 days trip as backpackers with her boyfriend. Such a great experience, she said. That's why I am so excited and I came up with this post. Anyway, we decided to make plan to hiking to mountains, rafting and doing others adventures! I just can't wait to make it to reality. I love doing such things, you know, but haven't got chances to do that. And of course, old story, permission not granted. SIGH.

But you know, mum and dad, we've grown up a bit, I suppose, so, we can take care of ourselves. Don't worry too much, okay. I will still let you guys know, when I'll be going to do such things, with or with your permission of course. :D Hopefully permission granted and we can make it in the near future, as for now, I still have pretty much free time. Finger crossed.

Some stories are true that never happened. ---Elie Weisel

The Librarian

2011-10-10T11:09:00.001+07:00

This definitely my favorite song. It will become my all-time-favorite songs ever. Since I downloaded it three days ago, I just can't stop listening to it. I put it on repeat, on iTunes, iPod, everywhere!. Do you remember when visited my blog, there's a BG music there. Now that I've put it down and didn't write the code somewhere else as back up, I'm not so sure if I can add a BG music on my blog again. I'll try to browse around and figure something out.

Ciao.

LAURA JANE SCOTT - THE LIBRARIAN

I know the distance it takes to sail around the world
I've done it many times on seas of Van Gogh green
and every night with certainty the stars
descend around the hull like fireflies
it's no surprise I'm here tonight
holding out hope for a change in the tide

Painted windows on the skyline
sail me off this empty island
I'll be home before you know it
I'll be home before you know I'm gone

I know the secret waves
that lap around the world
the mermaids sing of them
as they brush their hair with coral
where every lighthouse sends a beam like
Roman column to a city down below

And this I know
to plunge down and breath
is more than possible if you believe

Painted windows on the skyline
sail me off this empty island
I'll be home before you know me it
I'll be home before you know I'm gone

lalalala...(x8)

I know the distance it takes to sail around the world
I've done it many times behind my knotted desk
in quite service too

the stories I collect
until it's time to close
and go home for the night
without the pirates without the sirens
without the love notes in bottles at sea
waiting for someone
waiting for someone, like me

Painted windows on the skyline
sail me off this empty island
I'll be home before you know it
I'll be home before you know I'm gone
(x2)

UPDATE: I decided to put MixPod player on my blog, because I'm giving up in finding the HTML code for invisible background music for blogger, so yeah, this will do. The track is taken from YouTube, so the buffering is quite fast. Moreover, with this MixPod player, you guys can have a full control to the song. Feel free play/pause/stop it, if you find this song is annoying while reading my blog. :) Let me know if you are having issue with playing/stopping the song.

UPDATE 11.52 AM: I'm currently updating the lyric. The lyric that I found and copied here is sucks. Too many typo. Now I'm listening to the song over and over again and correcting the words. :) Let me know if I misheard them. :)

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ---Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Not an Ordinary Day.

2011-10-09T21:57:00.001+07:00

Hello my abandon blog! How are you? I should update this blog often. As someone very dear to me said that this blog I have it as my diary, isn't it supposed to be filled everyday? So true. But my mood easily changed from time to time and it's hard to keep back on track, but I'll try my best to update it everyday. Just pray for me.

I had great times within these few days. So many things happened. Good and bad of course. But I don't feel like sharing it here. I saved it all for myself, it was too sweet and too sour to be true, sorry. All I can say, it's only another day to be remembered. Today, I feel so blue. Nothing's bad happened, don't worry. But "something" really happening at the moment. Something's wrong inside me. Can't really explain what happened to me today and yesterday. I cried a lot since last night. I feel blue. Not in a good mood and I'm literally sick. Got a massive headache in the morning followed by stomachache then in the afternoon, gastric. I lost my appetite and I feel like I am not who I really am. That's enough said.

Currently, it rained heavily outside-I hate it!-and me with a very bad bad mood, sitting there on my comfy bed on my favorite corner, with iPhone on hand typing this line would bring no good at all. So I'm leaving now. I don't feel like blogging at all, but I need to update things here so this is it.

Hopefully I'm getting better tomorrow. Pray for me, will you.

P.S. I miss everyone dear to me. I miss home, family, friends, all of them and most important, you and you. Rain surely bring no good to me! I don't even know what am I typing and what am I thinking right now.

I'm out~

P.S.S To my dear friend, if you read this line, Still remember Johnny Depp's quote that you've told me this evening? Now I don't even know which one is the 1st and which one is the 2nd.

When we were children we were grateful to those who filled our stockings at Christmas time. Why are we not grateful to God for filling our stockings with legs? ---G.K. Chesterton

A Day Worth Remembering

2011-10-06T13:45:00.000+07:00

Today, is a happy yet the sad day. This morning while Indonesia time and date was already 6th October, my mothly anniversary, which is still 5th October in Cupertino, California, one of the most innovative man in the world died. He's my hero and my inspiration. The man who changed the world and really make this world to be a better place to live and to enjoy with his masterpiece gadgets, which are known as the most innovative and awesome gadgets ever invented! He is of course Steven Paul Jobs, a.k.a Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple Inc. Steve Jobs, the mastermind behind Apple's iPhone, iPad, iPod, iMac and iTunes, has died "peacefully," surrounded by his family members at the age of 56.

It's just a day after they announced the iOS 5 and the iPhone 4S. Maybe he's already knew it's coming, that's why they've chosen 4th October to announced it.

Anyway, I have no more words to say. I've had enough split everything out to my twitter account this morning. This blog post is dedicated to him. May he Rest In Peace and hopefully, Apple will keep shinning even without Steve. I know he is watching from up there, and please, send all your creativity, imagination, brilliance, passion and energy as well as your genius ideas to the people in the company, so they can run the company well and create a good stuffs out of it.

My deepest condolences goes for you and your family.

P.S. Now, I'm thinking to have iPhone 4S for Jobs' sake. :D

Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. ---Steve Jobs

Sleeping Draught

2011-10-02T10:32:00.000+07:00

As my promise, the next post will be all about Pottermore. So, have you ever brewed any potion on Pottermore, before? How it was? Well, I've brewed couple times and sometimes I succeed while sometimes I failed because of the site error. Actually it's not too difficult brewing the potion, especially when you've tried couple times. But as you know, the site is in beta so there are too many bugs and errors that made me failed in making potion, because sometimes the ingredients can't be picked and sometimes the site is responding too slow, that caused there's a couple seconds delay when you grabbed some of the ingredients that would make you ran out of time then the potion failed.

Well, since starting yesterday, I've always succeed in making potions-Thanked God-then, I'd love to share some tips and tricks and of course, the ingredients and the recipes. As for me, when I am making these potions, I read all the steps carefully, read them again and again till I memorized it and can make it without even read the instructions anymore. LOL. Yeah, my house-mate said that I was like memorizing and studying like it was a real subject and like I'm going to have a potion exam tomorrow! :p

Silly isn't it? But yeah, I found that it was fun. It's like you're really a students of Hogwarts and Prof. Snape is going to give you detention or take your house points away from you-well, literally, it is, if you melted your cauldron, it will costs you lots of Galleons and House Points for sure!-if you failed. Okay, no more talking, here's the first tips for you, you need practice, practice and practice before you can really mastered them. The more you give it a try, the easier for you to remember all the steps and the bigger the chance of successfully making the potions. Here's homework for you. Read this carefully and memorize it! :p This is Sleeping Draught Recipe. Good Luck! :D

Sleeping Draught Recipe.

Effects: Temporary Sleep.
Time: 100 minutes (Using Pewter Cauldron-Bought at Diagon Alley for 15G').
Reward: 11 House Points.

Ingredients:
1x Valerian Sprigs, 1x Flobberworm Mucus, 1x Lavender.

Part I:
Add 4 springs of Lavender to the mortar.
Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to the mortar.
Crush into a creamy paste using the pestle.
Add 2 blobs of Flobberworm Mucus to your cauldron.
Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to your cauldron.
Gently heat for 30 seconds. (Tips: just stay away from the red button-High Temperature button-watch your temperature while clicking the blue and yellow button alternately!)
Add 3 measures of the crushed mixture to your cauldron.
Wave your wand.
Leave to brew and return in 100 minutes.

Part II:
Add 2 measures of Standard Ingredient to your cauldron.
Heat on a high temperature for 1 minute. (Tips: click red button until it turns green then just clicking the blue and yellow button alternately! Don't let it crosses over the minimum or even the maximum line!)
Add 4 Valerian Sprigs to your cauldron.
Stir 7 times, clockwise.
Wave your want to complete the potion.

More Recipes to come! Stay Tuned and once again, Good Luck, Mates! :)

If you love two people at the same time, choose the second one, because if you really loved the first one you wouldn’t have fallen for the second. ---Johnny Depp

Hello October!

2011-10-01T14:27:00.000+07:00

Can you believe that September is gone? Yeah! it's time to wake you guys up because September has just ended. Today, I have to make a quick recap of my September, not the recap of the stories, but well, September has been a great month to me and I hope October will be even greater.

I am so excited about this month. Why? Because there will be so many good things that will happen in this month. Let's say, iOS 5 and iPhone 5. These two are more than enough to satisfy me at the moment, and psstt... many more good things to come, I can't spoil the fun by telling you what are those, just yet. Wait and see. This is only the beginning. :)

Well, I should finish this October's greetings here. As the following thread(s) that I'll post in couple minutes ahead are all about Pottermore. Have a great October everyone and enjoyyyyyy :D

Enjoy when you can, and endure when you must. ---Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Lost in Mind

2011-09-26T09:19:00.000+07:00

I am such a bad bad blogger. Or whatever you wanna call me. I don't know, don't feel like blogging at all. I'm in a vague mood. Not sure what I want at the moment. Some things also happened beyond my expectation both in positive and negative ways. I could hardly sleep well at night. Insomnia wins. I'm thinking too much, but nothing of them is really worth it. Not for you, but for me. Many excitements and also boring phase in between. I was thinking and imagining things too much, but I couldn't really thinking nicely and in proper way to make a good decision for almost everything. I'm sucks in making decisions. I sometimes need advices from my closest people in my life, while sometimes, I ignored their suggestions. Now I'm thinking what's the point of asking an advice while I don't even listen to them?-I mean, I listened to them, but I didn't do exactly as what they've said, even if I know it's a good advice!-

I'm in a distress, I guess. I don't know when I'll be back to my old-self again. Back to the real me. I guess, I'm just too tired with all of these. I almost giving up, but every time I want to quit, something or somehow someone came over and changed my mind-thanked for that-but vice versa. Sometimes, when I think I should give it one more try then something blocking my way and those someone-yeah, those. I've many "someone" in life-gone with the wind, so no one supporting me.

I need this to calm my mood :p But I don't want the calories! :p

I know God has plan for me, I think I shouldn't think too much, and get some rest, take care of myself and my health, try to sleep earlier, having some fun, do things that I like, enjoyed life while I still can fully enjoyed it, and do not regret things that happened, gratitude, pray more and we'll see if I'm getting any better in couple days ahead. I know I will, if I could do those things. :)

I'm out~

You have to walk carefully in the beginning of love; the running across fields into your lover's arms can only come later when you're sure they won't laugh if you trip. ---Jonathan Carroll, "Outside the Dog Museum".

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. ---Eric Fromm.

Applications Review :)

2011-09-21T14:16:00.000+07:00

Oh boy! Have I ever told you that I've got Adobe Photoshop Plugin to reduce grainy/noise called TopazDeNoise? Well now, After I upgraded my Adobe Lightroom 2 to Adobe Lightroom 3.3, well, I will probably ~~leave my Photoshop Plugin behind~~ or I'll rarely use it. This new Lightroom is bloody awesome. Not only it can reduces grainy/noise but also maintains the details when the photos is zoomed.

Well, reducing grainy is a take and give process. To get the result of clear photo with less grainy, you'll somehow lose the quality/details of the photo. But it's not a big deal, as you can't really notice the different in quality unless you compare it side by side or zoom the photos. Sometimes, after you reduce noise on photo, your photo will looked a bit blur, but I prefer a bit blurred pics rather than grainy pics. It's personal taste, you know. Well, here in Lightroom, you can always adjust it, see how much you want to remove the grainy and the cool thing is, you can always adjust how much you want to keep the details. That is how it works. So, you'll get a good-free-from-grainy-pics with a good details too!

Here are the example. You have to click the photo to view it in a larger version, or else you can't really tell the differences. :)

Original photo. Taken with iPhone 4 in low light, no flash.

With LR 3.

With Perfectly Clear Photoshop Plug-in.

With TopazDeNoise Photoshop Plug-in.

Here for comparison side by side. Click to enlarge.

Well, Perfectly Clear is automatically sharpen the image and brighten it. It's a smart apps, if you busy, in a rush or too lazy to edit the brightness and contrast of your photo, I suggest you to use this. It will makes your life easier in a single click. Well, you can adjust it to your personal taste of course, but why bother to do that when the apps can do it for you, right? But to me, it doesn't really "clear" the noise on photo, considering the name is Perfectly Clear.

For Topaz DeNoise, you can also adjust it manually, how much you want to remove the grainy but, it always blurred your photo badly, I can say-well, after compare it to LR, but I still don't mind-especially when you want to reduce the noise on a pics that full of words, you can see and compare it here. That's why I sharpened it again, that how I usually edited my photos. Removed the grainy first, using Topaz DeNoise then sharpened the image or if it's too dark, I applied perfectly clear first to get a brighten photos and remove some of the grainy, then re-applied Topaz DeNoise to make sure no more grainy left then sharpened the image. Pheww... need some extra steps to make my photo looks nice and good for my eyes to see and yours too, hopefully :) Imagine, if you are DSLR user and you used these great apps on your every photo. I believe all of your photos would be even nicer to see than seeing it with our own eyes! :D

Anyway, if you don't really have "good" eye to see the differences, it's okay, just forget it or else, you can always try these apps and decide which is the best and suits you the most. Maybe, you love the interfaces of one apps more than another or whatever. It's not a final, that LR 3 is the best, you can always apply with all of those apps in your photo and who knows, you'll get nicer result, right? :) For me, LR 3 is producing the clearest photo with better details, and less blurred results in the end, compare to others. Umm... I also want to make a correction for my words above. I will still using my old plugins, since my laptop is running slow if you open several applications all at once, and mostly, I edited my photos on photoshop, well, maybe I'll be too lazy to open LR first then edited more on PS, but, yeah I don't know. When I'm in a mood, I might be want to use all of them. We'll see. :p

Oh, yeah, if you don't have PS because you find out that the apps takes a lot of spaces in your computer or laptop, well, you should think twice for not having LR, because it's quite light, especially for a smart apps. :)

I tried different pics to get different result.

Zoomed 1:2

There you go... I hope with this little review from me could brighten your day and your photo of course! :D

A good snapshot stops a moment from running away. ---Eudora Welty

Vague

2011-09-18T21:15:00.000+07:00

Finally, I've done creating my new social media icons on my blog, what do you think? I guess it suits my blog and I just love wooden base on my icons. Unfortunately, Deviantart icon stays the same. Yesterday I was creating these icons in a rush, so I couldn't finished it in time, so, I'll guess, I'll be using the old icon of Deviantart for quite some time. I don't know. I could finished creating it in 5 minutes, but I don't feel like doing it, so yeah :p

Anyway, these few days, I guess my mood for blogging is gone with the wind. I don't feel like blogging at all, but I want to update something here. I simply don't know what to do. Well, at the moment I'm downloading Adobe Lightroom 3, gonna upgrade my Adobe Lightroom 2 soon. So, internet might be slow, I gotta go. I guess I'll see you guys again with the review of Adobe Lightroom 3 and more edited photos to comeeee :D

P.S. I don't know why I choose to go with this title, I just like the word at the moment, so yeah, stop wondering, it doesn't mean anything :p

Between saying and doing many a pair of shoes is worn out. ---Italian Proverb

High Tea

2011-09-17T12:04:00.001+07:00

One of Mum's Tea-set Collections. The plate was somehow missing or misplace, so I replaced it with other set.

Heyyy sugarpies! How's life? I'm busy at the moment, busy with my photo editing :p You know, since I found the filter that I've talked about on my previous post, I can't stop snapping more and more and of course, editing the pics! I've joined Flickr like ages ago, but I never upload anything there. I created the account just to fave people's photos that I love. Now, I started to upload my edited photos there. Click here to view :)

Well, I'll see you guys again pretty soon, as for now, I need to tweak my layouts and add link to my Flickr account and of course, Pottermore, to create an easy access for me and for you guys, if you wish to add me as your friend on Pottermore, adiós a mi amigo :)

P.S. Oh Geez!! It's raining mannnnnn!! Hate hate hate. Enough. I'm out.

The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken. ---Samuel Johnson

Bokeh!

2011-09-15T01:38:00.000+07:00

You know how much I want to own a DSLR, right? Now, I'm gonna think twice or four times to buy it. Why? Well, first, it's big and heavy and I'm pretty sure that I don't want to bring it with me every time I go to some places, especially malls. Instead of that, I'm thinking to have Lumix GF1, which is pretty cool. It has all the goodness in DSLR and it's small, much lighter and easy to bring it to anywhere. When I checked the price, I was like, dude!! It has the same price as DSLR! Oh la la! Why all good stuffs are expensive? @.@

Well, I can afford it, if I start to do saving, but I know, I want to upgrade my iPhone 4 once iPhone 5 is out. Now I am so confuse! Geez! I believe I won't get it in the near future, so, we'll see later. As for now, I'm pretty happy with my iPhone 4's camera, I took all of my pics with it. The camera is good and I love it, but phone camera has a limitation, but you can always do something to reduce its limitation with bunch of great photo apps on iPhone. I have some recommended apps, but I love my pics to be sharp, crisp, less grainy/noise and I love my pics to be blurred on the background or has bokeh in it, it's just lovely if it has the shallow depth of field, which you can get it by focusing in one thing/angle then blurred the rest or the background and sometimes these great apps are not enough, we need other photo apps to make all photos that taken with iPhone has the same result or at least to get the closest result to the one that taken with DSLR-result, note that, not the quality!-But hey, see this and this, be prepare, you'll be amazed. They said, it was taken with iPhone 3GS!

Anyway, for me, that app is the one and only, you guys must be familiar with it, yeah, it is Adobe Photoshop. I've been using this app like more than 6 years already and it's getting better and better and I love it even more! Still remember my last post about the Photoshop plugin? You can read it here, if you want :) Yeah, that Photoshop Plugin is love and today, I found another one.It's called BOKEH 2, product from Alien Skin Software. I don't wanna talk much about it, you just go to the site and everything that you need to know is there. I can only give you one word for this filter, it is another LOVE! :D

Now that I already got these two babies installed beautifully on my Photoshop CS5, all I wanna do is capturing more and more and then editing. This also makes me think twice to get a DSLR. I know, it's not simple, you have to take pics from your iPhone, then transfer it to you lappie/com, then have to edit it on Photoshop, whilst you can get slightly the same result with iPhone apps, edit it in a minute or two then you can upload it anywhere. But to me, it is never the same. I like the hard way-I personally don't think so- :D And I want and make sure the pics that I share to you, especially here in my blog is nice and beautiful. After all, even I already can blogging right from my palm on iPhone, with the new blogger app for iOS, I like blogging from my lappie a lot, more than from my mobile devices, so, like it or not, I have to transfer the pics out of my phone first, so, it wouldn't be pain, to take extra steps to make my picture a lot nicer :)

Here are my experiments using the filter, what do you think? :D

Click to enlarge.

These for comparison side by side with the original pics :)

So, what do you think? These are pretty much exactly how I love my pics turned out when I snapped with my camera, nice isn't it? :D Anyway, it's almost 1 am now, I gotta go, see you tomorrow!

Nighty-night.

The world just does not fit conveniently into the format of a 35mm camera. ~W. Eugene Smith

Official Blogger App for iOS - Quick Post

2011-09-13T09:45:00.001+07:00

Hello guys! Finally, on 8th september 2011, blogger release its official blogger app for iOS. Finally after all of this time! I've been waiting this like forever :)

I've just installed it and now I give it a try. All I can say, I love it. Love the simple interface and the most important thing, there's an option for uploading pics! This is love! Phew! I really really love September! So many good things come at once! Thank you for the sweet and beautiful September, Jesus :)

now, let's see if my h3 hastag is working or not :)

P.S. I found that it's kinda disappointing on the labels section.. There are no listing of our previous labels that we usually used, I hope they'll fix it soon :)

More on Pottermore

2011-09-12T21:56:00.001+07:00

I hope you don't get sick with my updates about Pottermore again and again and again :p Anyway, I am so excited and feel so lucky to be able to explore Pottermore site as a beta user. Even there are few bugs and errors, I still very grateful to have a chance to enjoy it. I might be saying this like hundred times that the site is awesome, brilliant, great etc etc, it's simply because I really really mean it. Seriously. I'm out of words to describe how's great the site is. Currently, we can only access the book one, which is Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone. I finished read the story, and additional stories and information that J.K.Rowling added in well, let's say, 6 to 7 hours. Even you have finished read the book, the story, there are still many things to do there, like practicing spells, making potions etc etc. Two days ago, I explored the site with my dearie's laptop, I guess, his adobe flash or something on his laptop is need to be updated. Because after what I've experienced today with my lappie, it was way more awesome than before, as I keep all stuffs and applications on my lapptop updated to the newer version, or, maybe they made some tweaks within these two days, which is GUH-REAT!! :D

The site is addictive. I warned you. But if you a trully potter fan, you'll love the site to the bones. It's so hard to find some time to resting your eyes after seeing the screen for hours! Seriously, its like magnet. You can't leave it, there are too much good stuffs in there waiting for you to explore. Psssttt... let me tell you this, it's almost 9 pm, right now, and I've just finished my breakie, lunch and dinner at the same time an hour ago. I simply forgetting everything, eat, bath, even pee! :p I also find it's so hard to leave the site even for a minute! I don't know, if I am be able to blog about this awesomeness or not, if my internet is not dead. Hell yeah, my internet is dead from 6 p.m until couple minutes ago. Currently I'm stay online with internet tethering from my iPhone, which is good and bad at the same time :p Good because at least I can stop for a while and blog about it and do something else, bad because I need my heroin ASAP! :p

Not much I can say after this. I can't find any words or better way to describe it, so, I took some screenshot while I was exploring the site this morning, I'll share them to you. After all, a picture is worth a thousand words, right? So, enjoy! :D

Open your bank account at Gringgots and then you'll be ready to explore Diagon Alley! :D

You'll get your first 500 Galleons here, seems much, but it won't be enough if you don't spend it wisely, because there are lots of things to buy and really catch our attention :D

Here's my first stop in Diagon Alley, Flourish and Blotts :)

Unfortunately, Knockturn Alley can't be access at the moment.

Olivanders! Oh yeah, are you thinking what am I thinking? Yess! Magic wand! What's more exciting than this one? :DDD

Tradaaaaaaaaaa.... Here's my wand. Vine and Phoenix Feather Core, 11¾ inches, Quite Flexible :)

Okay, I guess this is enough... or you want more spoilers? :p Well later then, okay? As the internet is back now, I'm going to dig in more and more to Pottermore.

Till we meet again :)

Love endured, but trust had been broken between her parents, and Minerva, a clever and observant child, saw this with sadness.... Minerva never forgot how much her mother cried, when the letter of admittance into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry arrived on Minerva’s eleventh birthday; she knew that Isobel was sobbing, not only out of pride, but also out of envy.

P.S. That's my favorite lines from Professor Minerva McGonagall's Childhood story, new from J.K.Rowling.

Po.. Po.. Po... Pottermore!

2011-09-12T01:02:00.000+07:00

I'm currently exploring Potternore. The site is surely heavy and getting heavier day by day, as I can see a new interfaces there, new stuffs and animations etc etc. It takes a while to refresh and open some links though, maybe it's because of my connection too, whatever it is, while that, I can type two or three sentences here. I'm so good at multitasking, in some case... Tee Hee :p

Well, I came home today, from our pedicure session, movie time and dinner around 9 p.m. What a great day I can say. Now I am too sleepy already, this is rare, especially when I'm so excited about something. Perhaps, I'm too tired. Well, I guess, the world also wants me to take some rest, because suddenly the site is down. I'm about to upload new pics that I've promised, but eyes wont cooperate so, see you tomorrow! Adios.

If you wish to forget anything on the spot, make a note that this thing is to be remembered. ---Edgar Allan Poe

New Domain - Quick Post

2011-09-11T13:09:00.004+07:00

Hello there! I've just bought my new domain this morning and I just love it. My new blog address is www.claustrawberry.com :D Make sure you type it right, but the old link will be still working nicely, but I guess all of you will also love my new address, it's simply shorter and simpler and memorable, do you think so? :p

As you can see in the title, this is a quick post, I'm in a hurry at the moment, we're going out to catch up movie this evening and before that, we're planning to go for pedicure so, I gotta go now. Hopefully we'll have enough time to do it. Anyway, I just can't stop myself for not updating things here. I'll see you guys again tonight, perhaps?

Thanks for visiting anyway and I'll see you guys again very soon.

XX

Choices are the hinges of destiny. ---Attributed to both Edwin Markham and Pythagoras

Joyeux Anniversaire

2011-09-10T23:19:00.000+07:00

Hola! this post is dedicated to my beloved mum and youngest brother. Both of them celebrate their birthday today. What a day. Dad sent me their picture while had a delicious dinner made by mum couple minutes ago, they looks so happy. I feel the joy and really wish I could be there to celebrate their special day. Anyway, I've told you on last post that September is surely a great and lovely month, right? I've just got an email from Pottermore said that I can access the site now. Early access as a beta user is LOVE! The site is EPIC, unfortunately iPhone's internet is in turtle mode, so yeah, I have to be patient.

The site is currently in Beta, the access is limited. We can't really access to all of features yet, and I experienced some bugs and errors, but all I can say for now, the site is cool. Can't wait till they release the full version of the site. I just can't wait to experience the magical site of Pottermore fully with its awesome features.

Hopefully, by Monday I'll be hearing another good news, finger crossed. Well, as I planned before, I made a No-Bake Chocolate Tart this morning. It's yum! I took some pics while I was making the tart, will post more review about it and the pics tomorrow, as for now, the internet is too slow for me to upload loads of pics here anddddddd.... I'm going to explore to Pottermore again so, see ya aligator!

Be an angel to someone else whenever you can, as a way of thanking God for the help your angel has given you. ---Quoted in The Angels' Little Instruction Book by Eileen Elias Freeman, 1994

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-09T12:23:00.000+07:00

Today is my boyfriend's mum birthday. I've got the honored, invited to a small dinner party tonight to celebrate it with his big family. Tomorrow, my beloved mum and youngest brother are also going to celebrate their birthday. And the day after tomorrow, it's the most memorable date and the saddest day for all of us to be remembered, 9/11. September surely is a massive month, right?

Another thing that I am excited about this weekend, I'm gonna bake some cakes again! Well, to be precise, I'm gonna make non-bake chocolate tart. I just can't wait till Saturday, which is tomorrow to make this chocolate tart. It's also my first attempt, but it's a piece of cake! So, I'll succeed. Pheww.. if only I born from a very rich family, I could celebrate my dearie's mum birthday today in Jakarta, then I'll make this cake and then fly to Medan tomorrow to celebrate my mum and bro birthday and bring this cake to them, it will taste delicious, I believe, then I'll be back again to Jakarta on Sunday, to watch Captain America-which is already premiere today, thanked God-with dearie and some of his colleagues.

If only, I could get my dream and permanent job this month, it will be another great news and I'm gonna love September more than other months. Well, let's see. Finger crossed.

Anyway, here's the recipe of the chocolate tart. I've got it from Alana Lowes's website, she is one of MasterChef 2011 contestants, top three. One of my favorite contestants from season 3. Other than she is so gorgeous, she really a good cook, especially when it comes to desserts, so I'm pretty sure that this chocolate tart will taste great and delicious. What a coincide, I checked her website couple days ago and I found out that we have the same date of birthday, which is 27th April, nice isn't it? :) Nothing is more exciting when you find that you have the same birthday with one of your idols. She is also one of those people who inspired me to cook, other than Nigella Lawson, Kylie Kwong, Adriano Zumbo, Darren Purchese, Heston Blumenthal and many many more. Oh yeah, and Callum and Adam and Matthew and Skye contestants from season 2, well, well, well, I have to stop now. LOL

Back to Alana's chocolate tart, I copied it here, to make it easier for me to access it, and as recipe collections for me. Let me tell you, my browsers are full of tabs and bookmarks already, so even I already bookmarked it, I still have to sort out which page I want to open. Bookmark doesn't really makes my life easier :p

Alana's No-Bake Chocolate Tart
Prep time: 25 minutes
Cook time: 10mins + cooling time (20-30 minutes)

Biscuit base
250grm shortbread biscuits
125grm unsalted butter
2tbsp golden syrup

Chocolate filling
450ml thickened cream
400grm dark chocolate (70%)
zest of 1 medium orange

1 pkt jaffas, to serve

Method

Grease a 26cm spring form cake tin and line the base with a round of baking paper.

For the biscuit base, place biscuits in the bowl of a food processor and process to a find crumb. If you don’t have a food processor, place biscuits into a plastic bag and smash with a rolling pin. Tip the crumb into a large mixing bowl.

Melt butter and golden syrup over a medium heat and then pour into biscuit crumb mixture. Stir to combine. The mixture should be the consistency of a thick paste.

Tip the mixture into the prepared cake tin and press out around the sides and base of the tin to form a tart shell. Place in the freezer to chill and set. Gently remove the tart shell from the cake tin and place on serving plate.

For the chocolate filling, place 300ml of the thickened cream into a small saucepan and bring to a light boil. break the chocolate up and place into a heatproof bowl. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and allow to melt, stir to combine. Stir through the orange zest and allow to cool.

Whip the remaining 150ml of cream to firm peaks and then gently fold the whipped cream through the cooled chocolate mixture. Pour into the chilled tart and smooth out. place into the fridge for 2 hours to set. remove from the fridge 30mins before serving.

To serve, place the jaffas into a plastic bag and lightly crush with a rolling pin and then scatter on top of the set tart.

handy hint: for an extra chocolaty dessert, use chocolate biscuits as the base.

That's it. I guess I wont be using the Jaffa, instead I'll use M&M's but we'll see. I guess a fresh strawberries will do too, since it's so chocolaty, a sweet and sour from fresh strawberry will be a perfect companion for this tart, do you think so? I also will replace the orange zest with lemon zest. I still have lemon leftover in the fridge and pssttt! I am a lemon fan now! Still remember about my first attempt on cheesecake, right? I put so many lemon zest in it, so my cheesecake tasted so lemony and fresh. Anyway, you can always experiment and replace this and that to get different results. The possibilities are endless! Do what you want. Well, if you want, you can visit her website here. Enjoy the recipe and have fun making the tart. Tell me your result, if you ever try it at home, will ya? :)

Chocolate is like medicine - but as with medicine, the key is the proper dose. Don't overdo it. ---Edward "Grandpa" Jones

Marauder's Map

2011-09-08T18:11:00.000+07:00

I solemnly swear that I am up to no good.
—Words to reveal the map.

This morning, I woke up at 7 a.m something. Pheww... it's kinda early, to think that I have nothing to do for the whole day, I could just sleep till noon. But , I am not that lazy even though I'm not kind of a "morning person". I should went downstairs to sink, wash my face and brush my teeth. Well, today is an exception. I grabbed my iPhone-as I always do before I get up from my comfy bed-then I jumped out to my four-level drawer and opened the bottom one. Grabbed out my Harry Potter Film Wizardry books that I bought on November 2010. I think it's not necessary to tell more details about the book with it's amazing and cool free stuffs inside, but if you wish to read that post, just click here :)

Well then I started to took some photos with my iPhone and find every cute stuffs that I have that would match with the book. You know Instagram, right? Yeah, Instagram is an iPhone app that enables the user to snap a photo (or take an existing photo from the phone’s gallery), enhance it with different cool effects/filters, share it on the various social networks, as well as on Instagram itself, which has quickly turned into a social network of its own. It's a simple photo-taking, adding filters to make them look retro and photo-sharing app that became so popular lately. I, myself had this app installed on my iPhone for quite a long time already, since the first time I used iPhone, but I barely use it. I took pictures then shared everything on my blog, Facebook and simply directly upload it to twitter. As now, I'm not so into Facebook thingy anymore, so yeah, I need new place to upload my photo, so, Instagram will do.

I used to upload pics to Instagram every single day and sometimes I could uploaded more than 10 pics in a day. Unfortunately, within these few weeks, I rarely upload new pics there, because, I couldn't find any nice objects around me and I wasn't go out as often as I always did so and I just too lazy rummaging through my drawers, closet and my trunks to find anything interesting and cute stuffs to be photographed. I also was busy watching MasterChef Australia and other cooking shows and playing games. LOL. That's enough said :p

Anyway, this morning, I captured couple things and I amazed. I know that I'm a moody person and mostly, everything that I do, depends on my mood, but still I amazed how good I am in doing something-it could be anything-when I'm in the mood. You know, if I feel like doing it, I have to do it right away and it will make a HUGE differences rather than I do it later when the mood and the good feeling is not really stay in me anymore or simply when it's gone.

So, here's what I've captured this morning. Perhaps when you see it, you'll disappointed because it may does not look as nice as I see it from my point of view, but hey! I'm not a professional photographer and I don't own a good camera, so I hope you can understand me.

This one is my favorite shot!! :D it's original, no edit, except I resized it.

I edited this one, just blurred the background.

So, which one do you prefer? :)

Well that's it.. if you wish to see more pics, just go to my Instagram :)

Ciao.

"Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business.
Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git.
Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor.
Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slime-ball."
—The Map's response to Severus Snape's attempt to reveal the Map's secrets.

Classic Baked Cheesecake

2011-09-07T15:38:00.002+07:00

I'm back, I'm back!! :D I've promised to tell more story about my first attempt on baking cheesecake, right? So, yeah, this morning, finally I managed to transferred out some photos from iPhone to my lappie. You have no idea how hard it was. That's one of the reasons why there are only few updates about what I was doing within these weeks, here. I've got a BIG issue with my iTunes. Ever since I updated it to the latest version, it started to act so weird. I simply can't access to iTunes store and worse, my iTunes won't backup my iPhone and iPod. It's also very difficult for me to transferred my purchases, from iPhone to iTunes and vice versa.

Anyway, thanked God, I still managed to backup everything manually, which is pain in the ass, let me tell you! Now, let's get back to business! Last week was a very long holiday, except the fact that everyday is holiday to me, since I haven't got any permanent job, sigh! I do really really need to get a real job immediately, or I'll die in boredom. Well, it's Idul Fitri, and holiday for the whole week! Yay!! Imagine, 7 days straight! How cool is that, right? In spite of the fact that everyday is holiday to me, I still excited with this public holiday, it is simply because everyone else is having full day off too and yeah, I have company. Nothing is good with having a holiday but you simply can't have any companions and stuck in boredom.

So I spent days in my dearie's home sweet home and baked this sweet stuff, Cheesecake! Yay!! I've planned this for so long, that is also one of the reason why I was so excited about this holiday. You know, I always love to bake and cook, but yeah, I never mention a lot about it here is because I thought nothing special about it, everyone can cook, well, at least you can boil an egg and instant noodles, right? :p And I am not a professional cook so yeah... Before MasterChef Australia and other cooking show became this famous and popular, I didn't know that there were so many good cooks out there-not talking about michelin star chefs, but damn good amateur cooks-, people who love and passionate about food and cooking, now yeah, they're spotted on, because of the shows, and I guess, it's my time to shine as well. I am not boasting about me being a good cook or something, but yeah, it's not a crime to share the food that I cooked and baked at least to satisfy my family, some friends and of course my own tummy here, on my little blog, right? :)
You may ask, why now? Or you may think that I just followed the flow, but hey, while I was still staying in my parents house, let me tell you, I am a big fan of movies, but I rarely watch TV, well, at least, I don't watch local channels, because I found out that it is full of bull shit and cheap drama series. If you find me, sit steadily and nicely on my couch for about two hours or so, in front of our television at home, it can be two things, first, I am watching DVD at the moment or, second cable TV, cooking shows programs. In other word, I just have time and chance to do it now. As simple as that.

Now, stop complaining and asking this and that, let's get started :)

I've always wanted to baked Cheesecake, it's simply because I love it, and it's too expensive, if you really want to have a piece of super yum Cheesecake. Then when I was watching MasterChef Australia Season 3, I saw Donna Hay baked her Classic Baked Cheesecake on Masterclass and man!! I know that we can found the recipe on MasterChef Australia's official website or on Donna Hay's website, but still, I grabbed my pencils and notebook, then I wrote down all the ingredients, step in making and of course some tips and tricks. It's quite simple and easy to make, so, I will definitely make it and I finally made it.

It's bloody yummy and creamy and very rich. Unfortunately, it's a bit grainy in texture, but I guess it's because of the type of my Ricotta Cheese. It's so hard to find it here, in my country. I only found the one that I used in baking my Cheesecake. No option. Well, another issues that I had, for the base, it was a bit undercooked in the middle, because of my dearie's mum oven is traditional oven, so I can't really measure if it's the right temperature, and because of lack of experience, I can't really tell if it's cooked perfectly just by looking-this is my first attempt, you know and I don't know how exactly it should be-and too sweet I guess. Next time I'll try to reduce the amount of the sugar for the base, or I'll just use salted butter, to get salted flavor for the base, just like my mum's best pie with cream cheese filling. Maybe I'll do some experiments to replace the Ricotta and we'll see if I can get those smooth texture.

Oh yeah, I don't know why, but my base was a bit stick to the baking paper even though I already used non-stick baking paper, well, the cheap one, though... 2000 IDR/piece, cheap isn't it? I know there are several types of baking paper, but they only sell one type, so yeah, I thought it would be fine, then I bought and used it. Maybe I should buy a better one next time. Other than that, it's so darn deliciousooooo! I couldn't stop eating it. If only I don't remind myself about how much the calories is, I guess I wouldn't stop. That is also the main reason I gained weight, sigh, but what a guilty pleasure! :D

Here's what you need. I copied the recipe from it's official website, which can be found by simply click here. There are a lot of recipes and sweet stuffs there, so make sure you pay a visit :)

Unfortunately, I didn't managed to take a pic of my creation. I was so excited to taste it, then I forgot to take a pic of it, so yeah... next time I'll make sure to capture step by step in baking my cakes, if it possible. I'm not kind of messy person when it comes to cooking and baking, but yeah, imagine, if it's possible to grab my iPhone with hands full of butter and flour, ummm... if only I am so good in multitasking, I'll still say, no thanks. :D

image is taken from MasterChef Australia Official Website.

MasterChef Recipes:

Classic Baked Cheesecake

Ingredients

Base
1/3 cup ground almonds (almond meal) (40g)
¾ cup plain flour (105g)
¼ cup caster sugar (55g)
90g chilled butter, chopped

Filling
330g cream cheese, softened
500g fresh ricotta
4 eggs
1 1/3 cups caster sugar (295g)
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
¼ cup lemon juice (60ml)
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1½ tablespoons cornflour
1½ tablespoons water

Strawberries and raspberries, to decorate

serve: 10

Method

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.

2. To make the base, place the ground almonds, flour, sugar and butter into a bowl. Rub mixture with your fingertips until it forms coarse crumbs.

3. Line the base of a 20cm spring form tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the base mixture in the tin and press gently with fingers until even and then smooth out with the back of a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes or until light golden, set aside.

4. To make the filling, place the cream cheese, ricotta, eggs, sugar, lemon rind, juice and vanilla in a food processor. Combine the cornflour and water until smooth and add to the cheese mixture. Process the mixture until smooth.

5. Grease the sides of the cake tin with a little butter and then pour the filling over the base. Tap lightly to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour. Turn the oven off and stand the cake in the oven for 1 hour, leaving the door closed. Refrigerate until cold and serve with fresh berries.

That's the recipe and the method. I also added measurement in grams just in case you guys don't know how much exactly is 1/3 cup etc. Below, you'll find some top tips that I've got from Donna Hay, in her show in Masterclass.

Top 3 Tips in making this Cheesecake

1. Prepare the tin and baking paper properly and make sure to grease the side of the cake tin with butter before pour the filling.

2. Remember to remove the air bubble simply by tapping the cake tin after pouring the filling.

3. Watch the temperature of your oven. Time depends on your oven but at least baked it for an hour on 150°C.

Well, that's it. Hopefully you'll success in making this super yum cheesecake, best of luck.

Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity. ---Voltaire

September!

2011-09-06T20:00:00.003+07:00

Well, hello there! It has been a while since my very last post. I've just upgraded to the new blogger and I found that the new interface is quite nice. It's simple and clean, I simply like it, so I guess I'll stick to this one. Anyway, I've just finished watching MasterChef Australia Season 3 and I can't believe it's all over. It's kinda late, I know, but yeah, it's Indonesia. It's pretty hard to watch this series, since I can't watch it from its official website due to the IP issue, for Australia's IP only. I've installed a program called "Real Hide IP" just to watch it, unfortunately, it's not working, so yeah...

I used to watch it from YouTube. There are kind people out there who uploaded these series, unfortunately, while I'm on Ep. 80, I can't watch it anymore. They suspended his/her account, so I can't watch it anymore. I was so frustrating because it was so close to the final, but the next video is nowhere to be found. Gahh!! If you follow my twitter, you must've seen those full of anger lines there. Thankfully, a very nice friend of mine on twitter recommend me to watch it on Dailymotion. Oh My God! I am so thankful for that. If it's not because of him, I wouldn't be able to watch the rest. Thank you so much! :)

Anyway, I promise I'll be back here as soon as possible, I have to go now, continue watching Junior Masterchef. I've watched it half way, then the same case happened. YouTube took the video down. I forgot I was on which Ep. so I'll try on Ep. 10 and let it buffering till 100% for a while, so I can enjoy all the videos continuously.

P.S. Pssttt.... Last week, I baked Cheesecake, it's so darn delicious. More story to come! So, I'll see you guys again pretty soon.

We welcome passion, for the mind is briefly let off duty. ~Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Mini Reunion

2011-08-18T17:05:00.001+07:00

Hey Ho! How's everyone? As you can see on my previous post, the title is "Girl's Date Part I", unfortunately, my bestie went back to Sydney two days ago and we didn't managed to arrange another meet up so yeah there will be no more part II :( I hope to see her soon, but it will be in Sydney I guess, because she's moving there and I don't know when she is coming back here. Gonna miss you much, dear! :'(

Our last meet up was two weeks ago. We met up with two old friends-Anthony and Hans-and had lunch at Korean Restaurant at GI called Han Gang. The food is delicious, but I think it's a bit pricey! Moreover something was wrong with Anthony's credit card, or the staffs at Han Gang didn't want to give us 30% off from credit card's promo, so we have to pay it at full price! Geez! I personally don't mind at all spending much on something that really worth it, but I just don't like the staff's trick!

Above is my favorite photo on this post. I just love that I captured it with perfect color tone, lighting and it's so smooth, almost no grainy and noise at all. I, myself could hardly believe my eye, that this was taken by me, with iPhone. The quality is almost like taken with DSLR!! :D

We ordered all of them and man! It looked not much for 4 people, but let me tell you, it's more than enough and it's so filling. We're all so full after had these, except of course those 2 boys! They ate a lot but still managed to eat dessert, large-piece of cheesecake, as Steffi and I just eat a small-cut. We bought it at "MAQUI'S" as a birthday cake surprise for Steffi. It was the most delicious cheesecake I ever tasted! Creamy and delicious, but I'm surprise that it's actually quite light. If only I wasn't that full, I might want to have another piece :p

Steffi, the birthday girl.

Back: Steffi-Anthony, Front: Me-Hans.

Every hangout(s) isn't complete without camwhoring pic! Here's our pic, taken in the bathroom as always, but don't worry, I know you've had enough with photos in this post, so I just upload 1 more pic. :p

Well, I promise that I'll just upload one more pic, well, I mean that is my camwhoring pic with steffi :p As we finished our lunch, I joined my house mates and continue our journey that day from GI to Senayan City and that means, ~~more photos to come~~! Unfortunately, suddenly Internet become very slow at the moment, now you can take a deep breath, because I'm not going to upload any pics anymore, so see ya again on the next post!

The tender friendships one gives up, on parting, leave their bite on the heart, but also a curious feeling of a treasure somewhere buried. ---Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Southern Mail, 1929, translated from French by Curtis Cate

Girl's Date Part I

2011-08-09T02:55:00.002+07:00

It's 9th of August already. Second week in August is nearly gone. Sometimes I forget how time could moving this fast. Anyway, last week was superb. Lot's of meet up(s) and it's all full with delicious food. At the moment, I'm avoiding the scales! LOL! but, hello, that doesn't change the fact that I've gained few kgs ever since I back to Jakarta! This is bad. Pheww!! Gonna get rid of it soon, I promise, and I'll keep this one for sure! :) Actually, this thread should be posted couple days ago, but, I'm not finish resizing all of the photos for this post, so I need to postponed it.

As I finished now, here they are :)

It was 4th August, I met one of my besties that has just came back from Sydney, Steffi. We met at GI. After our toured to Zara, which offer up to 90% off started on that day-we are so lucky or unlucky because we could burn another hole on our pocket again-till the end of the month and I ended up buying nothing for myself but bought some shirts and neckties for my dearie, we headed to PI to have Sushi Tei for our lunch. But the weather wasn't cooperative with us. It rained heavily with a very strong wind, so we couldn't make it to PI-it's the other mall which stands next to GI but there's no connecting bridge, from one to another, so we have to cross the road from outside the mall building-finally, we ended up eating at Waraku. The sushi was okay. Sushi Tei's unbeatable for sure! But hey! The food we ordered were presented nicely and beautiful. As the dishes came to our table, we're not hungry anymore! We're busy captured the foodies! That's us! First thing first! Photographed the food is rule number one and it's a must! :D

Sushi Rolls with salmon and avocado

Deep Fried Mashed Potato stuffed with Mozzarella Cheese

Chicken Teriyaki with Mushrooms

Well, after had our lunch and chit chat, around 4 p.m-oh yes, we stayed there for 2 hours, more or less, LOL-and thanked God, the rain has stopped, so we headed to PI right away to checked out Zara-again!-in the other mall, which has a bigger store than the one at GI. I found another cute necktie for dearie, so I bought it. I already gave him everything before I had a chance to take the pics of them, so yeah, just imagine them. :p

As soon as we finished our shopping we visited La Moda to buy its macaron but then changed our mind, and went to Bakerzin instead to had our evening tea-time and of course, macaron time!! :D

from up to bottom: Opera, Strawberry, Rose Water, Blueberry, Salted Caramel.

Unfortunately, today's salted caramel flavor was disappointment! I guess they overcooked the caramel, like they burnt it or something and it tasted bitter! Yikes! Others were delicious though! :D

Our journey that day ended with our camwhoring pics in the bathroom and a-must-visit-for-next-time beautiful restaurant with Paris theme. I can't wait to visit it! Not because of the food, but I can't wait to take some/read:lots/photos in there.

Anyway, as you can see in the title, it is "Part I" which means, there will be "Part II". I don't know when we're going to meet up again, very soon I guess, we've planed it. So, till we meet again, cupcakes! :D

There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today. ---Mignon McLaughlin.

Perfect Companion

2011-08-05T14:57:00.000+07:00

I started my August with making some new friends. On 2nd of August, my boy and I went to Central Park to had dinner and meet up with some of his friends. They’re all very nice and one of them, which named Merlina is actually come from Medan. There’s nothing happier for us, Medanese, to find a new friend from the same hometown and to be able to speak Hokkien and share nice stories and information about here and there. I had a great time. So, we ate at Nanny Pavillon. The place is superb. I love how they decorated the restaurant with garden style. It feels like you’re sitting at your backyard bench. It’s cool. Sadly, we too excited talking and sharing things, so we forgot to take the pics! Even there’s no pics of us, but don’t worry, this post is meant to satisfied your eyes with mouthwatering food pics, unfortunately, not your belly :p So, no more words enjoy the pics!

P.S. if you happened to visit this place, both in Central Park or Pacific Palace, I recommend you for its waffles and pancakes, as the main course that my boy and I ordered is quite disappointing. Even for my mushroom pasta, they gave a lot of mushrooms, but it tasteless.

That's all. Hope you enjoyed the meal :p

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ---Albert Schweitzer

Hey August!

2011-08-01T14:40:00.000+07:00

Unbelievable. August is here! It shows that time is running fast. I hope you guys had wonderful days back in July. My last few days in July were tiring but I had great and busy time. That’s enough said, why I didn’t write this post yesterday. On 30th of July, which is Saturday, date time is a must! Since my dearie is working now and he’s busy, weekend is always loved! Dating definition is now backing to common definition that people have always known, which is on Saturday. We went for lunch then movie then dinner! What a day! The best day in a month of July, I can say. It’s bloody tiring, but I love it. I started my journey with housemates from our residence to Plaza Semanggi. Headed there around 12 and arrived right away. Went there for window-shopping then had our lunch at The Cost. We always love to eat at this place. Simply because it’s cheap and they served yummy foods, but not the services! I hate it. We’re all hated it!

Dearie came around 2 pm, after sitting and had a chit-chat for a while, we decided to go to EX and wait there for our 3.45 pm movie on premiere studio, EX. Thanked God, we took off earlier. Imagine! From Plaza Semanggi to EX, which is very near, mostly it only takes 15 to 25 mins to arrive, and we reached there for almost an hour! The traffic was terrific! We stuck in our cab in the middle of heavy traffic. Jakarta with its heavy traffic is no surprise at all, but on Saturday, midday? It’s new to me! And you know, the worst, the bloody jam was only on our side. The other side of the road was 6-rows-of-free-way! I looked the other side of the road with envy. We thought there must be something blocking our way. It could be demonstrate or something, but we’re wrong. All those cars were about to headed to the same destination, ~~the one and only place to stop~~, or well, two places, which are, PI and GI! Geez!

Imagine!! All those people inside their cars were about to watch Harry Potter! Well, well, well, to our dear government, can’t you see it? People need their entertainment back! We need our Hollywood movies back! As simple as that! Don’t tell lies to us about how you guys there would eradicate corruption, collusion, nepotism and all those bull shit(s)! Give us our Hollywood movies back then people will stay calm and quietly eat all those bull-shits that you guys spread up in the air. Or whatever it is, I don’t care. I don’t give a damn about any of those, all I know is I want all those movies back to our cinema! Shallow thinking, I know, but who’s not agree with me? Don’t judge me, at this point, I am talking about our government and Hollywood movies not politics and our country’s economical situation! Well, at least, one thing for sure, I won’t buy pirated DVDs, if I could find all those movies in cinema. You have my words! It’s a well behavior, isn’t it?

Back to the topic! As we arrived-my boy and I, two of my housemate didn’t watch it on EX, so we separated our ways. They’re watched them in the other cinema, called, Hollywood XXI, but hey! They also experienced all those traffic and it’s so hard to find a cab that day! FYI, from Plaza Semanggi to Hollywood XXI is even more closer than to EX, but still they need 30 mins or so to arrived!-we have to wait for another 30 minutes before the previous show is over. Then the show began.

I cried again, for the second time I watched this movie. Anyway, the premiere studio was awesome! The sound was superb, the seat and blanket is just comfy. Hun is so agree with me. We’re definitely addicted to premiere studio and definitely will be back, soon. As soon as they screening all those Hollywood movies back to our cinema! Premiere studio, I am your new fan! Till we meet again. Enough said.

As soon as the movie ended, we headed back to Semanggi, because my boy parked his motorbike there and I need to buy groceries and new pillows. So we had dinner there. That’s all for this day, Saturday 30th July 2011.

It’s Sunday and yay! It’s a busy day. I had two busy Sundays in the month of July! Okay, this post is quite long already, so let’s skip my first busy Sunday, and let’s back to yesterday. It’s one of the most memorable days that I spent with my boyfriend’s family. We went to Tarzan Photo Studio for a photo-shot, yesterday. They-my boy and their family-picked me up around 12 pm then we headed to Tarzan Photo Studio at Roxy Mas right away! Arrived there at 1 pm then all we have to do was waiting, waiting and waiting. Bored-to-death! We’re behind schedule, but still we have to wait!

Geez!! I can’t imagine, if we arrived there on time, how long it’s going to be. All of them were working inefficient way. Two people can work on the same thing while no one service another one etc. We had to wait for a very long time and it took a very long time too until the makeup thing is finished. There is also couple of family there, I guess arrived earlier than us, who has been waiting like, umm, forever. I can see in their faces that they also hate waiting like this. I guess they thought if they arrived earlier, they’ll get served first. Poor them. Thankfully, the system is, first booked, get serve first, no matter if you are the last person arrived, so they did us first. I can imagine, if they postponed it a little longer, my face would be the same as those people, I saw earlier. By the way, I love the makeup! But still, the time that wasted for waiting with barely empty stomach was pain in the ass! I almost burned a hole in my butt as I sitting there for like 3 hours without doing anything! I used that time to take some pics and thankfully, it worked to kill the time.

Finally at 4 pm, we went into the studio room and being photographed. And finally when everything’s done, we choose which photos we’d like to printed out, while finally, I stuffed my belly with delicious fried kwetiau that his brother bought for our late late lunch. Unfortunately we could only choose 3 of them. I quite satisfy with the result when I saw it digitally. I can’t wait for another 2 months till they finished it and printed it on canvas-for their family portrait-.

The activities that day ended my life’s journey in July. So long July, till we meet again, next year and well, hello August! Please be nice to us!

Oh, my friend, it's not what they take away from you that counts. It's what you do with what you have left. ---Hubert Humphrey

Confession of a Shopaholic!

2011-07-29T17:40:00.000+07:00

Why oh why today I feel like blogging again and again and again! I’m so in a mood ;) Well, I’m going to make a confession, I’ve been back to Jakarta for 3 weeks and you know what, I’ve spent too much on buying things! I’ve just checked my bank account through internet banking and goodness! I can’t even write down the number I’ve spent within these 3 weeks! Shopping was really burned a hole on my pocket, I need to do a serious saving, or else, I’ll be broke to the bones! *sobsob*

But HOW? I don’t have any idea, at all. Moreover, see, tomorrow I’m going out, for a date-a movie, lunch and maybe I’ll join my housemate for a dinner, well, I don’t know, we’ll see tomorrow. I just couldn’t believe, how easy I spent on something way too much, while couple months ago, I could resisted the temptation of buying this and that, for iPhone’s sake!

Let’s blame the Jakarta Great Sale event, you know, three days after I back in town, I went out with my Medan’s friend, Ellen to TA and Central Park, new mall, located right next to TA. It’s opened for quite a long time, but I never had a chance to pay a visit, so yeah, we went there. Starting with looked around for every corner of this new mall, then had lunch, then *small voice* we decided to do window-shopping, but hey! Zara’s off up to 50% what a great deal!

How could you resist that temptation? You tell me! I know if I didn’t decide to go out on the first place, I can avoid of me buying so many things that actually I don’t really need, but yeah, I’ll be stuck 24/7 stuck in boredom, and stuck in my room just like what is happening to me now! I need a fresh air, so it’s not a crime if I decided to go out, once in a while, right or right? :p

here's the Zara dress that I bought :)

Well, then we tried this and that. I ended up bought a dress and long-sleeve blouse. Here’s an excuse, I gave my Zara sweater to mum, because it’s oversized to me, so, I need a replacement, make sense, to you? :p That’s why I bought that long-sleeve blouse, with an extra-gift to myself, a dress. It’s lovely, and actually it’s quite big to me it’s “S” size already, they don’t have the “XS” anymore, but I love the dress so I took it. :p

I came home with stuffed belly and two pieces of clothes but my total spending that day costs me more than half of my monthly allowance! Then the weekend came. I went out with my housemate, two days in a row, Saturday and Sunday. To satisfy our desire in culinary hunting, we had our lunch at “Kopi Tiam Oe”. The place is small, designed with oldie theme. The interior design didn’t impress me much, but the food is superb! Everything that we ordered tasted so good. I might want to come back here to taste another menu. Sadly, if you visit it by lunch time, you can only ordered foods on “lunch” section on the menu, so does if you come at brunch time or dinner or even supper time.

The prices are very reasonable, quite cheap, I think, because the portion is big and food tasted delicious, but looks less appetizing. Anyway, right after that, we went to PI, EX and GI. We had an issue while finding cab that’d took us there. It’s quite hard to find a cab and the taxi driver was very rude! Okay, forget about it! I’m not going to discuss it here. It gives me tense!

Here we go again, shop till drop!! I don’t know, for what I can remembered, I only bought this little things and another little things, but in the end, it costs too much on me. SIGH!! We also went to Casablanca to buy some DVDs and some more things and oh yeah! I finally got my portable cutlery set with reasonable price. On Sunday, we ate at Sushi Tei, to satisfy our sushi-craving! Oh yeah, I also did a macaron-hunting while I visited these malls. Thanked God, this little cutie French biscuit is hard to find, or else, I’ll ended up broke to the bones just to buy this little stuff! The price is killing! It’s damn expensive! SIGH!! But I just can’t stop buying them, every time I went to somewhere and I see these macs! :D

Well, the story of “Claustrawberry the shopaholic” is not ending here. Two days ago, I went to GI, PI, EX again. You know why! To buy my Harry Potter movie tickets and black shoes. I was trying to find a black heels or Zara pumps, but I couldn’t find something that makes my heart fall for them. So I decided to buy it at Charles & Keith. No more sale and discount! HIKS!! So, I bought it with normal price which is quite expensive! Well, okay, I’ve told mum about this! This shoes is for work, so it’s okay, moreover, dearie with his kind heart pay it for me. FYI, I’m not kind of girl who loves to ask something from my boyfriend, or ask him buying this and that for me, and he said take it as a gift from his first salary and because he said he never buying me anything, I have to accept it! Are you kidding me, honey? I don’t need that, dear! And who said so? You already gave so many things to me, the precious one, which are your caring and love to me ;) but I guess, for this time, I do really really need it, so I’ll take it. Oh darling, thank you so so much for this! I’ll pay you once I have an extra money, next month, it’s few days away! Won’t take too long, besides, his birthday is near, so I’ll prepare something special just for you. ;)

Hmmm… enough for my confession! Please forgive me, for being such a shopaholic.. LOL :p Btw, one of my besties, Steffi is in town! We’re both are alike, or maybe she’s worst *sorry dear, if you read this* :p We’re going to rock the malls next week, thanked God it’s new month. I don’t know what is going to happen! As we already planned to go out for shopping, food and macarons hunting, movies and a lot of meet up to chat and take bunch of pics etc. :p I do really really need to find job! So, I can do all these stuffs with no regrets! :p

Shopping is a woman thing. It's a contact sport like football. Women enjoy the scrimmage, the noisy crowds, the danger of being trampled to death, and the ecstasy of the purchase. ---Erma Bombeck.

Over the Edge

2011-07-29T11:23:00.000+07:00

Hola! How's life recently? I hope you all had a very great time, unlike mine. Life’s currently flat and I’m stuck in boredom. Thanked God it’s Friday now-I thought yesterday was Friday, you know! How silly!-I always love weekend, since my dearie and all my friends are working now, so they’ll be free during weekends. And that’s the only time, I can really enjoy my day. And here’s the good news, for all movie junkies or let’s say potter freak, today’s a historical day for Hollywood’s film industry in Indonesia! You should remember this day. After banned-Hollywood-movies policy in Indonesia, finally today, you can watch a good movie in Indonesia. Yeah, and you as a potter freak should be proud! It's simply because they are finally screening “Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows” movie as a warm welcome to Hollywood movies! I doubt if it's not because of "Harry Potter" they'll still postpone showing us a good movie. Anyway, how are you, Kung-fu Panda, Pirates of Caribbean, Fast Five, etc etc? Welcome back dudes! After this Harry Potter movie, they've scheduled for these dudes and friends to be screening soon! Geez!! I’ve been waiting for this like foreverrrrrrr!-yea, with lots of "rrrrr"!-

So, the question that you should ask to me is, am I going to watch it today, on prime time? Sadly, no. My dearie is working, so like it or not we have to watch it on weekend. Did you still remember my sayings about this final harry potter movie? Well yeah, I’m going to watch it on premiere studio. You have my word. Stayed in Jakarta for more than five years, I never watched movies in premiere studio! Never ever! Imagine! Anyway, tickets’ on hands, and this is my first time so, mind my “kampungan” behaviour :p

I’m more excited to know that I’m going to watch it on premiere studio, rather than the fact that I’m gonna watch the last chapter of Harry Potter Series or the movie itself. I already read the book, I already watched it, so there’s nothing could surprise me anymore, so all I hope is the studio will be beyond my expectation. Or well, just don’t expect too much, since, we didn’t managed to get “the best seat” which is in the middle of the screen, but on left corner, thankfully, it’s on top, the very first row, which known as row “A”.

color edited :)

Every single person in this country is thirst for good/read:Hollywood/movies, no wonder the theatre(s) in couple weeks ahead will be flooded by thousands of people. It’s like you found an oasis in the middle of desert! I can imagine. Therefore, I should thanked God, that we could get the tickets, on second day, good seated, I can say with only queued for 20 mins or so.

Catch up with you guys later on, gotta go now, as a bad news for me, my vesca acted weirdly these few days. Safari browser, which is my favourite browser, is not working until now. I’ve uninstalled it! iTunes also doesn’t work properly. It can’t backup my iPhone’s data. My CPU performance is also reach 100% in fact there’s no any program running, well, I have like 6-7 programs running in background, exclude my anti-virus and other supporting programs. Usually it worked nicely, and I’ve turned them off for good, but still... And worst, my lappie fan’s sound is very noisy everytime I opened skype or iTunes or more than two tabs on my browser. OMG!! I really really don’t know what to do with this laptop. I’ve tried to uninstalled unused programs and other unimportant things, but it stays the same. I’m giving up! SIGH!!

Maybe it’s the time for Macbook Pro :p I don’t know... We’ll see...

Let's not forget that the little emotions are the great captains of our lives and we obey them without realizing it. ---Vincent Van Gogh, 1889.

One Step Closer

2011-07-26T12:31:00.000+07:00

Can't tell how nervous I was within these few days. I nervous and worried at the same time thinking whether am I going to pass my verbal and numerical reasoning test or not. You know how I-am-so-not-into-accounting, right? But this is the very first time in my life, I feel like I can deal with it, and I'm going to find a job based on my background education, which is accounting, and the only job that I love is working in a banking industries. I’ve just received an email said that I passed the test. What a relieved! Thank you so so so much, Jesus, My Lord. I couldn’t be happier than this. I want this badly, and this means so much to me. ~~Means a lot to me~~, umm no, it means everything to me. You know, by the time I visited the building for the test, I was in love with the atmosphere already and I know, I’ll be fine and I’ll be doing great things in there. And voila, thanked God I passed.

Okay, this does not a 100% guarantee that I could joined the team, the whole process is still a long way to go, but this is big. This is the first step, if you failed on your first step, you have to say goodbye for the rest, so yeah, this is big and important. At least, I’m one step closer to it and I’m thankful for that. I am so grateful for this great news and hopefully, everything that’s good will follow smoothly. You know, I almost lose all my hope, but this brings my confidence back and raises my hope again.

You don’t know how excited and grateful I am at the moment. Thank you so much for all the good wishes and prayers from all of you, my all-time beloved people in my life, especially my dear Lord, Jesus. I’m still waiting for the next great news, but all I know is, I’m not going to waiting in vain and I won’t be disappointed in the end. Finger crossed.

There is nothing so well known as that we should not expect something for nothing - but we all do and call it Hope. ---Edgar Howe

Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows - part II

2011-07-19T05:52:00.000+07:00

Has just finished watching the last chapter of Harry Potter series. It was really a great movie. It’s pathetic to know the fact that I’ve watched it on my lappie, downloaded the pirated version with blurry picture-thanked God, it still acceptable and actually it’s pretty clear for a pirated version, I still could see the death-eaters, which means, it’s not too dark for our eyes to enjoy the show-not in the cinema as I planed year ago, that I’m going to watch it on Premiere Studio at EX. Fuck to Indonesia’s government and all of those crazy silly banning Hollywood movie policy! What a shame, me as a potter mania, watched it this way! I’m going to watch it again tho, once they screening it on the cinema, because if the rumor is true, this movie is on its way to the theater. I don’t know, we’ll see.

Talk about this movie, the final battle was bloody awesome! I found out that David Yates shouldn’t make this “short” :p three parts, if it’s possible, but I guess I couldn’t wait for 3 years for that. LOL. Anyway, I’ve read the books, so, I already knew the story line, but still I shed some tears when Severus and everyone else died. Moreover, it’s sad to know that this is the end, the final of everything. Sometimes, I still hope that next year will be another potter series, or well, could you remake them or added an extended version or whatever it is, just gimme some more!! :D I believe everyone out there wanting the same with me.

Now as I already watched it, it makes me want to re-watch it again on cinema so badly. Gosh!! I just can’t wait anymore!! Anyway, once they release the blu-ray version, I’m going to buy the complete series and we’ll see if I can find a perfect time to watch them continuously. :D

Well, all I have to do now is just patiently wait till it hits the cinema and then, another wait for Pottermore. I also can’t wait for this one. I’m 100% sure that it’s going to be awesome just as the books and the movies. So, have you submit your email(s)? If you haven’t, well, you better hurry up! :D

Do not pity the dead, Harry, pity the living. Above all pity those who live without love. By returning you may ensure that fewer souls are maimed and fewer families are torn apart. If that seems to you a worthy goal, then we say goodbye for the present. --- Albus Dumbledore.

Memories...

2011-07-19T01:32:00.000+07:00

I'm here to keep my promises. Let me tell you this, on this post, you’re going to see bunch of pictures and of course fully report of how I spent my 2 months in beloved hometown.

Back to two months ago, a day before I went back, I wasn't that excited to going back. Seriously, like I don’t wanna leave this metropolitan city just yet. But as I’ve told you before, I have to go back for my sacrament confirmation, so yeah, like it or not, ready or not, I have to go back. You know, no matter how good and beautiful and nice other cities were, hometown is always be a place that you’d always missed and you’d definitely love to comeback, to enjoy togetherness with family and feel the warmth, enjoy your childhood memories and more...

That’s exactly what I felt. Once my plane landed and I stepped my first step to Polonia and breathed the fresh Medan’s air that night, because it rained that night and thankfully it stopped right an hour before I landed, I had this fabulous feeling inside me. Can’t tell you the exact feeling, but deep inside you, you feel like, well, this is home. It was a great feeling you know, to be back to see beloved people in your life, great best friends, I don’t know, I’m crying while I’m typing this. I miss my little hometown so badly. It only my second day here, but I feel so alone here, literally. Now that I’m already here, right here in my room, alone, I wish I’m in this condition in Medan. This feeling is just the same feeling that I used to felt 6 years ago, when the first time I went to Jakarta to study, left all things behind.

Sometimes, when I didn’t do anything while I’m still in Medan, I feel bored, for staying alone at home, doing nothing and simply can’t do anything, but it’s worse in here. At least, there, you with your family at your home, not just like in here, alone and you know no one. No company at all. I simply miss all of my 2 months routines in there. I’m currently imagining my home. Every corner, rooms with all furniture in it. Can I just bring home everything that’s good in here, in Jakarta and everything I love in here to Medan? If it’s not because of this and that, I’d love to be back, for good.

Anyway, enough for being such a cry-baby, here’s a recap of my 2 months activities in my hometown.

The very first time I hang out with my besties and some old friends was in LEKKER, located at Multatuli, Medan. All I can say, this place is superb, it’s a great place and food, of course with great companions. In the end, I just found out that this place is owned by my old classmate’s brother. How cool is that, right? No pics for this, because I've posted it before, if you really want to re-read it again, you can simply click here :)

Then couple days later, I went to DOME at SUN plaza with two besties to had a lunch and gossipin time and of course shopping time. It was a great time, I can say. We haven’t done this kind of activity like ages. So, yeah, we really enjoyed it.

I also went out with my old friend, Rosy. I mostly hang out with her, while I’m in Medan. You know, we never that close before, but these days I found out that we’re quite click to each other. We shared our thoughts about people, life and everything else. It’s always been a very nice talk with her. We went to Ya Kun Kaya Toast, Steak and Stuffs, Bakerzin and The Traders, not in a day of course. I really had great time with her.

Food at Bakerzin was delicious. Unfortunately, the fish & chips that I had at The Traders was a disappointment. Rosy's grilled salmon was fantastic and beautiful, tasted so good.

Well, I still have many pics of beautiful, delicious and tasty food pics, unfortunately, this post is way too long already and too many pictures in one post is not good, so we have to separate this post into two parts. I'll see when I have a mood to upload the rest of them, as for now, I have something else in mind to share to you :p Stay tuned, sugarpies :D

In everyone's life, at some time, our inner fire goes out. It is then burst into flame by an encounter with another human being. We should all be thankful for those people who rekindle the inner spirit. ---Albert Schweitzer

This Fear is Killing me

2011-07-09T11:37:00.000+07:00

Have you ever felt such great fear of something that you don't even know what was that? Currently, I'm in a situation like that. Well, what I mean here is not fear of something like ghost or unreal things like that, but something that you don't know what it is but somehow makes your heart beating fast and you worried about it.

I don't know what the problem really is, I have no clue. All I can do is just guessing this and that. Hoping that it isn't real, or worse, it worse than what I thought. Here I am now, focusing on what am I trying to type and split everything out of my head into this paragraph and wondering really hard what on earth is going on and hoping that everything will be all right.

Silently I pray... Oh, God... You know what's going on right now. Whatever it is, I hope you give Your best to them.

Amen.

Prayer may not change things for you, but it for sure changes you for things. ---Samuel M. Shoemaker

I heart Photography

2011-07-08T18:09:00.001+07:00

Well, I've been in love with photography, cute and beautiful pics since long time ago. Can't tell when is exactly the day I started to waste my time to browsed around the internet to see these lovely pics. All I know is I heart it for quite a long time already. Unfortunately, I don't have any good equipments for taking such a beautiful scenery, gorgeous food and stuffs and everything that I could see and snap it into pics. I simply don't have any digital camera, until now. Thanked God, now I have my iPhone 4, the camera is pretty nice and that's one of the reason(s) why I upgraded my 3GS.

Now that I already had my iPhone 4, I started to took more pics than before. I did take bunch of pics using my 3GS and it was awesome except the fact that after 6 p.m, I couldn't get any nice pics anymore, but grainy and full of noise pics. I hate that tiny little grainy and noise on my pics. I love sharp, crisp, clear and some nice-blurry on the background of the object. I know if I want this, I should get a DSLR. Well, I'll get myself one, but not in the near future for sure, that's why, I need to find apps for my iPhone that will supporting me in taking good pics from my iWhite.

There are bunch of great yay and nay apps on iTunes store but sadly haven't found any good apps for noise/grainy removal or reduction, except the one that I have to pay, and I don't know, I just don't want to pay for that. Why? First, it's because, I JB my phone, so, I think skeptically, that I already JB-ed it, it means I could get everything for free and it feels good when you can have almost all expensive apps for free, so, no way you could force me to buy them. Second, it's maybe I'm thinking of my DSLR. Currently I'm starting filling up my piggy-bank. So, the more saving that I did, means one step closer to the DSLR. Well, I, myself don't know until when I could stay this way. The temptation of buying those apps, especially, new apps and they are not available yet on installous is very big. You know, at the moment, I am so proud of myself, to have such a way of thinking so that I could do (ehm) saving, or let's say, not wasting more money on these apps. :p

What a relieved, today, an hour or two before I start typing this, I found a gorgeous plugin for my Adobe Photoshop CS5, it's called DeNoise. I don't have to explain what's the function. You can tell by its name, right? And what's good about it? Start from now on, you won't see any grainy/noise on my pics. Seriously, if I'm not too lazy to edit them first and reduce or remove the noise/grainy if it possible before I post it on my blog or anywhere. Tee Hee :p
I should say that luck is my very best friend today. I've been looking for this kind of feature and apps for ages and sigh, all I have to do is spending a lot of money on them, if I really want to get them, but today, I've got this product, worth $79.99 for FREE!! Imagine!! :D The result was great and lovely. Every grainy pics that I edited with this plugin turned out great and just like you snapped them with DSLR or well, at least digital camera. Impressive, isn't it?

Anyway, I decided to get myself an external macro/wide-angle lens for my iPhone 4, or maybe I need a tripod for my iPhone. I'm not so sure yet, but, I guess, it's possible in a few weeks or next month maybe, you're gonna read a review about it here, on my blog. We'll see... :D

So, I guess I gotta go. I want to do some more experiments with my new plugin. You'll see the difference that I've talked about, in one condition, if I am be able to upload them here, as you know, old story, internet issue.

Update!! Internet being so nice, I could upload these, with quite big size, even after I resized them. For details, full view, please, simply by click the pics above-will be opened in new tab-and tell me what do you think :) On the first pics (3rd) one, actually I love that app, unfortunately, as you can see, it took with small size around 50-200kb with dimension: 480*640 px and 720*960 px (if I set it to HD quality) and you can't really took pics with it at nighttime or in a low-light situation, because it doesn't support iPhone 4's flash-well, to be honest, even me rarely use the flash, tho-. Anyway, it's a bit blurry after I applied the plugin, but I can deal with it because it makes my pics even nicer, especially on food pics, it makes the food looks yummier :D Buh Bye Grainy and Noise :D

Till we meet again, fellas!

Ciao.

There are always two people in every picture: the photographer and the viewer. ---Ansel Adams

Simply, I'm not okay...

2011-07-06T14:09:00.000+07:00

iTunes currently plays this song. That's exactly how I feel. Now I put it on repeat.

Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you

Do you ever wanna run away?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on, turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming

No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like, to be like me

To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark
To be kicked, when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down
When no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

Do you wanna be somebody else?
Are you sick of feeling so left out?
Are you desperate to find something more
Before your life is over?

Are you stuck inside a world you hate?
Are you sick of everyone around?
With the big fake smiles and stupid lies
Well deep inside you're bleeding

No you don't know what it's like
When nothing feels alright
You don't know what it's like to be like me

To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark
To be kicked, when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down
When no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like
Welcome to my life

No one ever lies straight to your face
And no one ever stabbed you in the back
You might think I'm happy but I'm not gonna be okay

Everybody always gave you what you wanted
You never had to work it was always there
You don't know what it's like, what it's like

To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down
When no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like

To be hurt, to feel lost, to be left out in the dark
To be kicked when you're down
To feel like you've been pushed around

To be on the edge of breaking down
When no one's there to save you
No you don't know what it's like

Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life
Welcome to my life

No more to say. I'm out~

It is such a secret place, the land of tears. ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

Depressed and Despair...

2011-07-06T10:13:00.001+07:00

It's early, I know, but I can't help. I'm in a middle of a HUGE situation right now. I don't know how to put these into right and proper words without adding some/read:lots/of my emotion and anger in it. All of these situations make me stressed and it simply ruined my mood and day. I don't know how to face it anymore.

Anyway, you don't have to read this if you don't like or whatever. I just have to get these out of my head, or else, I'm going crazy real soon, well, I'm half way there...

You know, I don't wanna be in this situation either. You're not the only one. But what to say and to do? I know me very well, even you're one of the most closest people in my life. I know what am I capable on and what I don't. You just can't push me like this. You said that I don't take this thing seriously, you've got to be kidding me. That simply means, you don't know me at all, even we're so close. Don't you know I always see them with a jealousy eye? Envying their situation and all those stuffs? You just don't know me. This is hard for me too. I know why you acted this way, it's all for my own goodness, but I don't like the way you treated me, the way you pushed me that hard, though I don't know if sweet words are working for me or not.

I want to be just like them, but I guess luck isn't my best friend at the moment, and that matters a lot to me. I need more luck rather than everything else that you've mentioned before. I know it's wrong to think this way and just to rely on this Goddamn thing called luck, but I have no more idea about what to do. I can't think of other way, I almost giving up. Now I just resigned to it.

I know our situation and how bad it's gonna be, I really want to put my hands on it too, not much but at least I could help it, but how? Can't figure it out. Moreover, they weren't very supportive after I speak up what's inside my head, then what should I do? You tell me. I've been into couple of them, but it always ended up this way, I'm tired. I can't deal and struggling with something like this. Just because I don't have strong determination on this thing, you can say that I'm not thinking seriously about it. Or well, perhaps it's true, but not 100%. It's because I'm tired of all these situations. Rather on keep trying, I choose to giving up and let it that way, like whatever will be, will be. I'm depressed and in total despair...

Will you help me, God? I do really need those two, help or luck, or even better if I can have both.

Luck never gives; it only lends. ---Swedish Proverb

Please Welcome, July...

2011-07-01T15:34:00.000+07:00

Today's weather is crazy! It's so so damn hot from morning till afternoon, and now, while the sun is still there, it rains heavily. Anyway, I am so sorry for not updating anything, you know, internet issue. I have bunch of stories to share with thousands pictures to post, but as you know, here in my hometown, we don't have internet connection anymore. So, I am afraid we have to postpone it, till next week, I guess. Wondering how could I survive? Well, thanks a lot to my iWhite. The only thing that could make me exist and stay alive in this virtual world is all because of her. Thanks to some my cell phone's provider too, when you guys treated me so good-/EWW!!/-with your fast-speed internet!

Well, I think this is enough as a warm welcome to the month of July. Here's one pic, that I edited this morning to post on my Instagram-currently addicted to this social media-you know me, it doesn't seem right if you posting something without any pics, so, enjoy :)

*No worries, I have this patience with me. I will patiently wait till the pic is perfectly uploaded here, Oh, come on! It's just one pic! Won't be too much pain!* :D

UPDATED!! I simply can't upload any image(s) here. I've resized them to 67 kb-imagine!!-and I've waited like bloody half hour, but it can't be uploaded. So, See ya!

One moment of patience may ward off great disaster. One moment of impatience may ruin a whole life. ~Chinese Proverb

I Miss You...

2011-06-25T14:11:00.002+07:00

Took this with my beloved iWhite and edited it.. I'm just loving the result. Everything's done with the iPhone :D nice isn't it? Well, this is what I feel since morning until now.. How sad.. Hiks.. I always knew that I can't do LDR thingy.. But yeah.. This will end pretty soon, as I'm going back to jakarta ASAP.

Well, still talking about dreams, this related to so many people in my life, FYI. Anyway, I decided to put song lyrics here. I played this song all over again from morning. It's an oldie, my dad's but I love it.

You can't run away forever
But there's nothing wrong with getting a good head start
You want to shut out the night
You want to shut down the sun
You want to shut away the pieces of a broken heart
Thing of how wed lay down together
Wed be listening to the radio so loud and so strong
Every golden nugget coming like a gift of the gods
Someone must have blessed us when he gave us those songs

I treasure your love
I never want to lose it
Youve been through the fires of hell
And I know youve got the ashes to prove it
I treasure your love
I want to show you how to use it
Youve been through a lot of pain in the dirt
And I know youve got the scars to prove it

Remember everything that I told you
Well Im telling you again that it's true
When you're alone and afraid
And you're completely amazed
To find there's nothing anybody can do
Keep on believing
And you'll discover baby

There's always something magic
There's always something new
And when you really, really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through
The beat is yours forever
The beat is always true
And when you really, really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through...for you...

Once upon a time was a backbeat
Once upon a time all the chords came to life
And the angels had guitars even before they had wings
If you hang on to a chorus you get through the night

I treasure your love
I never want to lose it
Youve been through the fires of hell
And I know youve got the ashes to prove it
I treasure your love
I want to show you how to use it
Youve been through a lot of pain in the dirt
And I know youve got the scars to prove it

Remember everything that I told you
Well Im telling you again that it's true
Youre never alone cause you can put on the phones
And let the drummer tell your heart ehat to do
Keep on believing
And you'll discover baby

There's always something magic
There's always something new
And when you really, really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through
The beat is yours forever
The beat is always true
And when you really, really need it the most
That's when rock and roll dreams come through...for you...

Rock and Roll Dreams Come True

Do You Believe in Dreams?

2011-06-25T12:59:00.000+07:00

What is dream? Do you believe it? Is it true?

When talking about dreams, well, the one that you’ve had while sleeping, I bet many of you have the same questions with me. I’m taking this topic not because I’m going to explain anything about it here. But it’s because I’m as confused as you. Well, I’m kind of person who believe in such things called dreams, fairytales, not literally like a prince with white horse-white limo on this day or whatever! LOL-will come and rescue you one day. I mean, when I have a good and nice dream I do believe that something good is coming on its way. When I had a nightmare, I often wake up in the middle of night and find myself cried over that dream and pray, hopefully nothing’s terrible will happened, and mostly, good things happened and shoo shoo to the bad things. Thanked God for that. Well, you’ve got the idea.

Maybe it’s because of what I’ve experienced so far, makes me fairly believe, that dreams is something that going to happened, both, nice or bad dreams, well, not now, today or tomorrow, but it seems like it’s going to happened, we just don’t know yet for sure, when its coming, and I just hoping silently that bad dreams won’t become a reality.

In other words, you can say, for me dream is kind of sign. But not all dreams. Especially the weird one that we can barely remembered the beginning of our dreams and how we ended up dreaming it. To make it simple, dream that I mostly believe that it has something in it, meaningful and something is going to happen according to it or even vice versa is when I dreamed about love. You know, I’ve dreamt about someone was chasing me and try to kill me, death and some other terrible dreams, but when I woke up, I just think about it for a few seconds and voila. I forget about it. Hundred of those terrible dreams will evaporate just like that. I just think that’s just a dream. Just dream, means nothing at all. It’s another story when it comes to dream about love, not all love dreams, to be exact, it’s only working and well all that I care much when it’s about my closest family, friends, love of my life and certain people in my life for any reason I can’t tell you who are they. Call me weird, but yes, that’s me.

Anyway, I’ve been thinking really hard these few hours about this so called dream. Still I can’t figure it out, what is the meaning of my dream this morning, one thing for sure, I know that I miss you. I miss you that much until I never think of it before I went to bed-in fact that I always felt asleep with iPhone always on and out of its juice in the morning-somehow, I’m still right here, dreaming about the same person I used to dream before, long, long time ago. And oh yeah, this one for what I can remember is sweeter than the last dream that I had. I hate and love to dream about it. First, I hate it because I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I can’t really focus on some things that I’m doing especially if it’s kinda related with it, and last but not least, it makes miss you even more. What I love is, it’s only place where we can met, not literally, of course and you are so real in there, too real to be true. So close yet so far and the feeling that I get is like lasts forever. I’ve been thinking, I wouldn’t mind living in my dream forever, if it’s gonna be that nice, beautiful, warm with all good things in between.

Talking this much, I make 5 words-only-conclusion about it, I simply miss you, much. That’s all.

Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined. ---Henry David Thoreau

Testing again!! Pheww..

2011-06-24T06:36:00.000+07:00

Yay!! this one is the perfect resolution and size for my blog!! 500 px. Well that application is nice for posting pics directly to blog from iPhone but it can't be use for blogging, due to the characters limitation on the description section. It's more like a description / caption for your pics. Since I already wide awaken since 4 am in the morning and I can't sleep anymore, so here I am. Trying this and that because until now, I hate the fact that blogger didn't have any apps that would make us as iPhone user's life easier. It's kinda sad you know. Well.. in my opinion, this is the best application ever, named iBlogger. The one that I've been using and using now. The only thing that sucks is you can't upload any picture with this app. You have to use different photo uploader application if you want to post a blog with pictures on it. Kinda lame, isn't it?

Well, Well, Well... I'll be back in a while or not. We'll see.. :)

I want everything is just perfect starting from the pics, the content and my custom font as the footer?! Well, let's shed some sweat!! But I guess it's worth it :)

Quiz-ing Around

2011-06-20T16:03:00.000+07:00

I want that iPhone Charger Hole Protection Plug. A white one. Just perfect for my iPhone :)

Sometimes I'm happy. Sometimes I'm sad. Sometimes I enjoy while some other time I don't, but mostly, I am bored. I starting to get tired with all of these situations. All of these situations. Note that. Oh this just show how ungrateful I am, but what to say, this is what I feel at the moment, I don't know. I really need a LIFE. Feel so dead lately in boredom and everything else that I did and everything else that came into my life. Arrrghhh.... I can't really describing how I really really feel. Anyway, inspired by a friend who answered some silly questions and posted it on her blog, well, you wanna call me copycating or anything, whatever~ I ended up looking for a lot of questions for sure and answered it too. So, here's mine...

Are your parents married or divorced?: Married.

Are you a vegetarian?: Nope.

Do you believe in Heaven?: Yes.

Have you ever come close to dying?: I am, right now. Dying in boredom.

What jewelry do you wear 24/7?: Too lazy to mention what are them.

Are you eating?: Just finished my late lunch.

Do you eat the stems of broccoli: Oh yeah, I love it.

Do you wear makeup?: Sometimes, but mostly, no.

Would you ever have plastic surgery?: Nahh.

What do you wear to bed?: Tees and shorts sometimes pajamas.

Have you ever done anything illegal?: Oh, yeah.. feels good about it.

Can you roll your tongue?: Err, maybe.

Do You have a boyfriend or girlfriend?: Yes.

Do you believe in Abortions?: Weird Q.

What is your Hair color?: Black.

Future child's name, boy and girl?: No idea.

Do you smoke?: NO WAY!

If you could go anywhere in the world where would it be?: Paris first, then London.

Do you sleep with stuffed animals?: Nope.

If you won the lottery, what would you do first?: Buy all Apple products.

Gold or Silver?: White Gold.

Hamburger or hot dog?: HotBurger, eh? :p

If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?: Omellete.

City, beach or country?: Beach.

What was the last thing you touched?: Keyboard.

Where did you eat last?: My lunch.

When's the last time you cried?: Last Month.

Do you read blogs?: Absolutely, yes.

Would you ever go out dressed like the opposite sex?:Maybe.

Ever been involved with the police?: Nope.

What's your favorite shampoo/conditioner and soap?: Anything with strawberry scented.

Do you talk in your sleep?: Nahh.

Ocean or pool?: Pool.

What's your favorite song at the moment: Baby don't break my heart slow.

Have you ever had a cavity?: Yes and no.

Window seat or aisle seats?: Aisle, please.

Ever met anyone famous?: Often.

Do you feel that you've had a truly successful life?: Yes, I am and I will.

Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it?: Twirl.

What is your favorite sport to play?: Swimming?

Basketball or football?: Basketball.

When was the last time you went to the bathroom?: Couple hours ago.

Do you drive a stick?: Huh?

Are you self-conscious?: Maybe?

Have you ever given money to a bum?: Yea.

Have you been in love?: Yep.

Where do you wish you were?: Won't tell ya.

Who is the 1st person your top 8?: Him.

Have you ever ridden in an ambulance?: Nope.

Can you tango?: Can't.

Last gift you received?: Last Month.

What occasion did you recieve your gift?: Nothing.

Last thing you spent lots of money on?: Shopping and Foods.

Where do you live?: Earth.

Last wedding attended?: Yesterday, weird one.

Favorite restaurant?: Kiyadon.

What is your favorite kind of car?: Mini cooper.

Most hated food(s): That I dislike :p

Most loved food(s)?: Many.

Can you sing?: Yea.

Person on your mind?: Them.

What's your least favorite chore(s): Nothing.

Favorite drink?: Green Tea.

How long was your longest drive in a car?: Forgot.

Why do you do Myspace surveys?: I don't have Myspace.

Do you know who Nick Tyo is?: No idea.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When was the last time you had popcorn and watched a movie at home?
When I was a child.

How many alarm clocks do you use?
None. I use my cells.

What or who first got you into myspace?
Don't have one.

How loud do you play music when you drive?
Not too loud, please.

What size shoe do you wear?
Depends on the brands. Mostly 38-39.

Is it the same size when you wear sandals?
Sometimes.

Have you ever been out of the country?
Yea.

Where would you travel to if you could hop on a plane right now?
Paris and London. Can't be separated, no matter what!.

How many hours of sleep do you get on an average night?
4 to 5 hours, If I am lucky.

Are you a morning person or a night person?
Depends.

Have you ever been too scared to make the first move?
Yep.

Did you end up missing out?
Not really.

How do you determine whether or not someone is compatible with you?
Similarity between us, depends on the situation.

How long does it take you to discover this upon first meeting them?
I know it right away.

Which do you prefer: hicks or bikers
Bikers.

Would you ever consider climbing Mt. Everest?
No.

Have you ever been called a tease?
Forgot.

Are you a good kisser?
Err.. ask them!

Do you believe there is life out in the galaxy(ies)?
Maybe.

Are you allergic to anything?
Yeah.

Which is better: sugar or honey?
Honey.

Love or Money?
Can I have both? :p

Children or a successful career?
Successful career then Children.

Mountains or the Beach?
Beach.

Bonfires or fireplace?
Bonfires.

Would you ever go sky diving?
Maybe.

What is your biggest fear?
Can't tell ya!

Is there any way you could possibly prevent it from happening?
Yes and No.

Do you prefer gum or mints?
Gum, please.

Cameras or video cameras?
Camera.

Can you type fast?
Yes, I guess.

Where did you learn how to type?
Autodidact.

Do you prefer going to the beach at night or going for a joyride at night?
Beach at night.

Pens or pencils?
Pencil, mechanic one.

Blue or black ink?
Black.

Do you enjoy sushi (with or without the raw fish)?
Love!

If your house was on fire & you could save only one thing/item from your room, what would it be?
err, iPhone... Lappie... Clothes.. LOL.

Which parental figure do you respect more: your mom or dad?
Both. I am nothing without both of them.

Why did you choose them over the other?
Read my previous answer.

Why is the ocean blue?
Ask God.

Who really invented the internet?
I don't know, but I thanked you a lot.

Are you allergic to any type of food?
yes.

Do you prefer rap or rock music?
Classic, please.

Which movie(s) do you prefer: Lord of the Rings, or Harry Potter?
BOTH. PERIOD.

Pop Quiz: Is the U.S. currency backed by gold? (don't look it up you dork!)
???

Why aren't American's actively seeking alternate means of energy for transportation? (other than petroleum)
No idea. I am not an American.

Do you prefer the Jetson's or the Flintstones?
Flintstones.

The Simpson's or Family Guy?
Umm.. Simpson.

Full House or Family Matters?
Family Matters.

Salute your Shorts or Legends of the Hidden Temple?
No idea.

Xena: Warrior Princess or Hercules?
Harcules.

What is your favorite dog bred?
Not Bulldog for sure.

Are you afraid of reptiles?
kind of.

What is, in your opinion, your best physical attribute?
-

Do you think you have a good sense of humor?
Not really.

What makes you unique?
Being ME.

If you could change one thing you did/did not do TODAY, what would it be and why?
You'll never know what is that!

Have you ever played Texas Hold'em?
Nahh.

Do you enjoy sports? If so, what is your TOP favorite sport to play or watch?
Sometimes. I am not a fan.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
There.

Okay, I am tired and got headache. I'm out.

There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved. It is God's finger on man's shoulder. ---Charles Morgan

Let's Bake!

2011-06-14T12:40:00.000+07:00

Hello Sugarpies :D

I'm here to keep yesterday's promise. So are you curious what am I doing today and yesterday and what is going on tomorrow that make me completely busy as a bee? Well, since yesterday, we're all busy. Cleaning up the house, cooking and baking. My home smells good. First, because it's so clean and second, we can't stop baking. Imagine that. It's all just so so so good. Tomorrow is a big day for mum and dad. For us too, of course. That's why they're going to celebrate it with prayers and held a small party at home. It's just a small party, but, many friends and family will come and join the happiness. That's why we need to clean up the entire house and then cooked for the dishes and bake some/read:many/cakes and desserts.

Our maid cleaned up the roomie, dad and bro are also in charged. While that, mum and I were in the kitchen. We made rissoles, for hundred people, then there are so many leftover egg whites. God! It's heaven!! You know what am I gonna do with that, right? Yeah! Macarons! I used the leftover egg whites to make some macs. Thanked God. I made it. Yay!! So yesterday the weather was so great-it's damn damn hot and dry-I made 3 trays of macs-don't ask this is batch number 10 or 20 or even 50! I just can't count on it anymore. I already tried to make this cutie french biscuits for so many times with disappointing results, so I don't want to count it anymore-First tray was the best. Second tray was undercooked while the third tray was totally disappointment. All those trays comes from the same batter so I guess, it's the oven. I'm sure my batter is good enough or even perfect, I can say. I've been making the same batter over and over again, I can tell which is good batter or bad. So, I experimented with the heat of my oven. First tray, I used 200 degrees, cooked perfectly but the bottom is brown-FYI, I made pink macarons, with red and strawberry liquid essence-the "feet" showed up nicely but again, once I removed it from the oven, it felt down abit, but still in quite good shape.

I baked the 2nd tray with 150 degrees, ended up undercooked but the "feet" was nice and it didn't felt down once I removed it from the oven, yay! to that but nay to the colors and inside of the shell. It still undercooked, after I put them back in the oven with low temperature. Now, let's skip the 3rd tray. It breaks my heart. Same recipe and even same batter, but failed. SIGH.

I filled my pink macarons with white chocolate ganache, but I found out that the white filling is too pale, so I added pink food coloring a bit. That's all about my macs. Sorry to say, no photos of my macs, because it's gone to our stomach already before I had an opportunity to capture it. LOL.

Then, it was 6 o'clock in the evening when we started to make some fruit pies. It wasn't that hard to make this pie, but time consuming. We finished it around 8 p.m then baked them in the oven. We finished our baking session of the day at 9.30 p.m. then I went to shower, well, turned on my lappie to download my work and posted my previous post with remaining energies that left in me, then sleep tightly like a sleeping beauty, if I am not mistaken it's around 11 that I went to bed that night, only a few hour of my beauty sleep, I was wide awake at 2 something in the middle of night and can't sleep anymore till morning. SUCKS!!

Now here I am, with my panda eyes and heavy head, typing this. If you don't mind, I'll take some rest now, as I still have time for that. Thanked God my works' done and I'm not in charge on today's dishes. I'm so sleepy and still tired, but I'd love to bake some macs if I had a chance, but I'm afraid I won't have the chance, because we're going to bake another cake today and the weather isn't too good for the macs. Oh I love the busyness like this, but not my body, I guess. I'm out now...

It's a sort of bloom on a woman. If you have it, you don't need to have anything else; and if you don't have it, it doesn't much matter what else you have. ---James Matthew Barrie, What Every Woman Knows, about charm

Cutie Pie

2011-06-13T22:24:00.000+07:00

There is definitely something with the title, but, can we postpone it until tomorrow? As for now, I am so bloody tired already. I was so busy today and the weather wasn't really good it's pretty hot even it's raining now, I still feel stiflingly hot. That's make my day. Pheww... So, I'll see you guys tomorrow, yeah?

Good Night and Have a Nice Sleep everyone.

Sleep that knits up the ravelled sleave of care
The death of each day's life, sore labour's bath
Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course,
Chief nourisher in life's feast. ---William Shakespeare, Macbeth

Confirmation Needed

2011-06-11T10:32:00.000+07:00

The reason why I came back to my hometown is for my "Sacrament of Confirmation". You might wondering what is that, well, for a non-Catholic readers, here's a short explanation for you. Confirmation is usually received as a teenager, several years after making First Communion, the Catholic Church considers it the second of the three Sacraments of Initiation (Baptism being the first and Communion the third). That's it. Read the "teenager" word above? Actually, if you being born and raised in a good catholic family, you should received it when you still in first or second grade in your Junior High School. Well, yeah, it supposed to be received when you are entering your "teen" stage in your life, which means, I am way to late to received it. I am 24 now-25,if you use chinese-based-calendar, but well, let's count it with internationally-accepted-calendar, yeah, I know, I'm old, sigh-and it's kinda embarrassing to know, that you've already that old to receive this Sacrament. Well, take the positive side, better than later, right, and well hello, I am not the only one though. Some of them are even older than me. That's relieving.

Anyway, please, hold your tongue, don't ask me how come this happened to me, because I'm not going to explain it why. Period.

So after joined the classes, 2 hours classes every week after churching, for a month, I guess lesson learned. So, the day I will received this Confirmation is tomorrow. You know, I easily get excited or bored or even not interesting on something. In this case, I am way too excited. I don't know why. As a reminder for me and information for you, there will be more than 300 people who will received this Confirmation, and mostly they are teen and kiddos, I can say. Nothing good about them. I simply don't have many friends in there and won't make any friendship with them of course. Well, I do have some new friends, the same age, above and below of course, but I mean, I still stand on my own feet-Oh my talked about feet makes me sensitive and irritates me a lot! You know why! Or I'll tell ya later on about this little feet!-like I don't have close friends in that community, I can't talk to them about anything but this Sacrament and the event. Anyway, nothing's good about seeing these kiddos. Then I don't get it why I still get excited to deal with tomorrow's event. Maybe that's how God works. Something that you and I cannot understand much. But I am glad that I really looked forward to this event. I feel like God's Grace is with me now. It's not like I don't feel it before, but these days it's getting stronger, you get it. It's not something that you can really explain with words, it's something for you to feel.

Okay, that's all. We'll see how's tomorrow. And oh yeah, my mum and dad and some of their friends will held a charity bazar tomorrow, they are selling foods, snacks and beverages. Hopefully everything will goes well. All sales and profits will be donated to the church. I really wish to help them selling stuffs, I love doing charity stuffs and take part in it, helping people, etc, but they held this charity bazar because of my event is also going to be held tomorrow, the idea is to get the fund for donation as much as possible, so unfortunately I couldn't help them, but I'll see what I can do to help them tomorrow.

God Bless You all. Sending lots of love and prayers :)

Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance. ---St. Francis of Assisi quotes (Founder of the Franciscan order, 1181-1226).

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2011-06-07T18:09:00.002+07:00

Today is super busy day and one of the most important day in the year. Daddy's birthday!! Yay!! Mum and I already planned to held a small birthday party for him. So, we woke up very early to go to church, then after fetch my grandmum to dialysis clinic we'll buy some cake for him. Unfortunately, the plan is ruined because of something that I couldn't state in here, privacy, of course. So I went home and started to prepare some ingredients. As always, I responsible in dishes. :)

This afternoon I cooked 5 dishes in total for appetizer, main course and the dessert. My mum assisted me in making some dishes. First for the appetizer, we made Chicken Croquette. Made from mashed potato and finely chopped chicken breasts and Rissoles, but unfortunately, lack of time, so we couldn't finish the Rissoles. Then mum left me alone with our maid, because she has to fetch my grandmum, so I handled the main course all by myself. It was piece of cake actually, so I don't really mind. I cooked Aglio Olio Spaghetti, made with spaghetti of course, mushrooms, paprika, sausage and ham and smoked beef, garlic etc etc. The spices are way too many to mention. Then I cooked vegetables, you know, in our house vegetable is a must. Everyday has to be at least one vegetable dishes on our dine-table. We just love it :) I cooked vegetable stir-fried. I used carrots, broccoli and cauliflowers. Then cooked sesame honey fried chicken. Finally for the dessert I made soursop jelly. That’s all for our lunch. Unfortunately I couldn’t post any pics of them because my iPhone was charged, so yeah, now, it’s all gone into their stomach(s). Nothing’s left. LOL

Maybe I’ll post dad’s birthday cake, but not now, as we’re going to slice the cake tonight, but we’ll see :D

I am so tired now. Especially while I was cooking, I had to working too. Typing on my Vesca, then sent it right away because they say that I should send it back to them ASAP. And my mum is start to worrying my part time job. She was like,

“Are you going to do this every day? Oh come on! You should ask them, actually how many your “work” really is. As they say in the very first place you just need to do 4 works in a month, that’s why you accepted the job they’re offered and it’s been like you are working more than office hour”

I know why she said something like that. It’s because she care and love me that much-that's my mum :) and I bet every mum will just be like her, or not, whatever it is she's the only and the best mum ever! -or else I couldn’t accompany her to anywhere like every day and when I start working, I simply can’t do anything else, moreover, she’s got me still working until midnight for quite few times. Huff... I don’t know... I guess I’ll ask for more opinions from dearie and some close friends about this.

I personally don’t mind at all, because, I don’t really have any “important” things to do at the moment-I did, but not every day-but yeah, I have to admit it, sometimes it bothers me much, because what is in the agreement in the first place wasn’t the same as reality and especially when I already made plans to pass the days and it will all be ruined. That sucks, but what to say... you need to be more responsible with your work, right? :)

Asking them so all thing will be clear is ever crossed my mind, but I always postponed it. I guess it’s not the right time-herewegoagain.LOL-I guess I’ll ask them by the time I get a steady job for me, so that I could arrange my time between my main job and my part time job. Well, I don’t know. But if my mum insisted me to ask them, then no other way, I’ll just ask them. I hope they won’t get me wrong, but I just want to make clear, my job is still like on our agreement or there will be another adjustment for that. Whatever it is I don’t really care much though. You know the reason why, right? I’ll just let it flowing. It’s not good to think too much on this problem-if you could call it, tho-I still have another important thing to consider. Just live the life as the way it is. Don’t sweat too much on stuffs like these... :)

Okay, that’s wrapped. Off to go now, will prepare our dinner, or maybe I’ll bake some macs again. See you again, and Happy birthday daddy!! Wish you all the best and great things in life we all love you and God Bless you always.

XOXO

Life is too short to hold a grudge, also too long. ---Robert Brault

Small Reunion

2011-06-06T22:48:00.000+07:00

Hey there!! Last Saturday I had a small gathering with besties and some old friends. It was a great day, great talk, great companion and great food also :) We meet up at lunch time at Lekker. When we were about to go home that day, accidentally I saw my very very old friends. We shared our desk together in junior high school, and can you believe it? He owned that place. Nice and nice business mate!! Good luck for you :)

Okay, I won't talk much, just enjoy the pics :)

The Girls

The Boys

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. ~Henry Ford

The Mood is Good :)

2011-06-06T17:28:00.002+07:00

I don't really know what should I share in here, but all I know is I'm so in a mood for blogging. I don't know, since yesterday my mood is so damn good. Nothing could ruin it. Today is a special day for me. It's our 3rd anniversary!! Yay!! Now you know from where the spirit comes :D

Anyway, these few days, every good things came in my way. I'm so thankful for that. If it's not because of my dear Lord, Jesus that always blessed me, family and beloved bf and close friends, it wouldn't be this great.

That's all. I don't know what to say anymore. I will updated this post again later on to add some pics in here :)

People who are meant to be together will always find their way back to each other. They make take detours in life, but they're never lost.

Macarons Tips & Tricks and How to Macaronnage

2011-06-03T19:51:00.000+07:00

FYI! These tips and tricks are not written by me! And this is bloody long post, full with important informations about macarons :)

I got it from here. After reading lots of tips and trick in making macarons, I found that this is the most complete tips and tricks. Very well described and easy to understand and I have a good feeling in following these tips from her :)

So, I copied and pasted it here on my blog, just for a reminder and quick search for me. For me. Note that. I'm not copycat-ing people's thread, then put it into mine and admitted it as mine. You know, I need a guidance when I'm making my macarons, and I always bring my iWhite with me, and read the recipes that I wrote down there. I have reasons why I didn't bookmark-I did and I also followed her!- :) the page and opened it anytime I need it. You should blame my provider. More than five times a day the 3G signal is disappearing and I just simply can't online at all, that's why by putting this on my blog, I can search this post-offline, of course-from my blogging application on iPhone. You get my point, right? So, all credits goes to Corry :)

A work in Progress

There are fabulous macaron sites out on the blogosphere. You only have to do a search on 'macaron' to find a multitude of information.

Some of my favourite sites are: Audax Artifex; Mercotte; Mélanger; Mowielicious; Syrup and Tang; Tartlette; Trissalicious.

Granted, they're not the easiest thing to master, but if you are prepared to experiment a little, use a little trial and error, a little patience and persistence, you will eventually make the most delightful little macarons. In the process, even if they don't turn out picture perfect, they will still taste fantastic.

Some useful information:

(from information I have compiled off the web in the last 2 years and from my notes that I made from a class that I did at Savour Chocolate & Patisserie School in Melbourne Australia)

Almond meal (ground almond)
The almond meal we buy in Australia is too wet and has a coarse texture. To achieve the smooth flat tops typically associated with macarons, first dry the almond meal. Leave it out on your bench, covered, for a few days. Alternatively, you can spread it out on a baking tray and place it in the oven at 150˚C (350˚F) for 5 minutes and then cool it down completely. This also helps release the flavour from the nuts. Make sure you keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn. Other nuts also work perfectly well for macarons, but taste different to almonds. You can substitute any nut flour/meal such as cashews or hazelnuts. You can even add in sesame seeds or poppy seeds.

Tant pour tant (French for half and half)
Tant pour tant is a mixture of equal amounts of almond meal (ground almond) and superfine (castor) or confectioner’s (icing) sugar. It is ground in a food processor into fine granules or powder. The fine sugar helps to grind the nuts and also absorbs the oil from the nuts. Most recipes state, that to get a delicate smooth macaron, sift the almond powder through a fine sieve at least twice. I haven’t found this necessary, as my food processor is quite powerful.

Egg Whites
Egg whites are usually aged out on the bench for 2 to 3 days. Place them in a glass container covered with plastic wrap and cut a small slit in the top of the wrap. This helps them to dehydrate. Alternatively, they can be microwaved for 10 - 20 seconds on medium high, which will give the same results. Egg whites must be at room temperature as they whip and hold better at room temperature. Dried egg white can also be added (2% of the egg white volume) to tighten and stabilize the meringue to give it slightly more holding time but this is optional. This is added at the soft peak stage. Three large egg whites will weigh approximately 100 grams.

Whipping egg white increases the volume and incorporates air. Because of its low surface tension and the stability of the surface, the egg white forms a foam. Start beating slowly, gradually increasing speed.

The stiffness of the meringue can be determined by it’s appearance, the height of peaks and the extent to which the point bends over when the egg beater is lifted out of the meringue, and also how it flows when the bowl is partially inverted.

Soft peak: When slightly whipped, air bubbles are large and the egg white appears foamy, transparent, and very runny. With more beating the bubbles become smaller, the egg white less transparent, whiter and still flows if the bowl is partially inverted.

Slip and streak stage: The egg white has soft peaks and it will hold the shape of a bird’s beak.

Stiff Peak: The egg white becomes stiffer as it is beaten and as the air bubbles divide and become smaller. The amount of egg white utilized in forming films is greater. The small air bubbles with fine cell walls are stronger and more rigid than a few large cells. The eggwhite becomes very white, begins to lose a little of the moist, shiny appearance, and is stiff and rigid. When the bowl is inverted, the egg white does not flow and remains in the bowl and the end of peaks stand up straight.

Dry: If the egg is left to stand, the watery fluid collects at the bottom of the bowl more slowly. With longer beating the eggwhite becomes dry, loses its shine and becomes curdled and patchy.

Sugar
Sugar increases the stability of whisked egg white. Either superfine (castor) sugar or confectioner’s (pure icing) sugar is used as the smaller particles assist with aeration. The best amount of sugar is approximately 4 (to 5) tablespoons per egg white.

Stabilising agent
Cream of tartar (an acid salt) is generally used to condition the protein of the egg white and also helps the structure providing tenderness and stability of the foam - 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white is used for this purpose. Lemon juice can also be used (1-1/2 teaspoons).

Colouring
This must not be oil based, as oil will destabilize the egg white. The Intensity will depend on the food coloring used. Concentrated food colouring has more intensity than powdered food colouring. The cooked macarons will be lighter than the uncooked macronage, so don't be shy adding a little more than you think is necessary.

Salt
Some recipes say to add salt. Salt decreases the ability of the egg white to whisk, increases beating time and also decreases stability. It is better to add salt to the dry ingredients if you are adding it.

Humidity
Humidity is the macarons enemy. Don’t make macarons on wet and muggy days. (!!!)

Types of meringue used in Macarons
There are three methods for whipping egg whites for macarons; the uncooked meringue methods - French and Spanish, and the Italian meringue method using hot sugar syrup. All methods should produce similar macarons. The most important things are learning how to macronner and getting to know your oven.

For small batches, French and Spanish methods are faster and easier.

The French Method
The French method deflates quickly and is too unstable for large batches. This method involves whipping raw egg whites to a simple medium stiff foam (soft peak) then gradually adding castor sugar (1/3 at a time) to tighten and stabilize the meringue (stiff peak stage). You should end up with a glossy meringue that can be turned upside down without falling out of the bowl. The meringue is then mixed with the tant pour tant for the macronage stage as documented below. The texture of the finished macarons is very tender. French macarons are baked at approximately 150˚C.

The Spanish Method
The Spanish method is very similar to the French method except that the macarons are baked at a higher degree (160 to 165˚C) for a shorter time (approx 9 – 10 minutes) and extra confectioner’s (icing) sugar is added and sifted into the almond/sugar mixture (tant pour tant). The extra sugar gives the meringue better structure. The down side is that there is a tendency to get air bubbles in the finished batter.

Italian Method
The Italian meringue method is better for large batches. The egg whites are whisked until the volume is approximately 8 to 10 times the original. It is then combined with a hot sugar syrup. The meringue is more stable and gives more consistent results than the French or Spanish methods. There is more scope for playing with the batter. You can divide the batter and add different colours and flavours. The batter is softer and shinier and you don't have to dry the piped macarons as long. It may seem a little difficult at first, as the meringue and the sugar syrup must be ready at the same time, but it really is very easy once you have tried it and well worth the effort. Italian macarons are baked at approximately 150˚C.

Italian Method
(I prefer this method and have not had a failure yet)

Preparing the Hot Syrup for the Italian method
Get the hot syrup organized first. You will need to use a candy thermometer. The sugar and water are combined in a small pan then stirred continuously with a wooden spoon over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. It is then brought to the boil. It isn’t stirred once it has come to the boil. The heat is reduced to medium and the sides of pan brushed down with a clean, wet pastry brush. This is to remove sugar crystals and prevent grain forming. When the syrup reaches 115˚C (soft ball stage), start mixing the egg whites using a medium speed.

The meringue
The egg whites are whisked until they appear foamy, then cream of tartar is added. Then it is whisked further until they reach the slip and streak stage and the volume is approximately 8 to ten 10 the original. It is important not to overbeat at this stage. Use a medium to medium-high speed to get a stable foam with uniformed sized air bubbles (speed 6 on Kitchen Aide). A small pinch of dried egg white can be added at this stage to tighten and stabilize the meringue.

Adding the Hot Syrup
When the sugar syrup reaches 118˚C, it is removed from the stove and immediately poured down the side of the mixing bowl into the whipping egg whites. Recipes I have read vary from 118 to 121˚C, so don’t worry to much if it goes over a little. Be careful not to get it on the whisk, causing splattering and possible burns.

[For the pics, see the original post, here I didn't post it because it's least important to me ] :D

The volume of the whipped egg whites visibly increases. Colour is now also mixed in. Mixing is continued at medium speed until the mixing bowl is cool to the touch and the meringue has thickened and reached a workable temperature of around 35˚C.

Adding the tant pour tant
Before folding with the meringue, the dry ingredients (tant pour tant) are first mixed with a small portion of raw egg whites in a separate bowl to form a relatively firm paste. This is continuously mixed with a whisk so it doesn’t ball.

How to ‘Macaronner’
(or mixing the tant pour tant and the meringue) - this technique is used for the Italian, Spanish and French methods.

The meringue is transferred to a large flat mixing bowl for the Macaronage stage. This is the most critical stage in mixing. The batter has to be mixed to just the right consistency where it is supple and shiny. If the batter is over mixed, too many air bubbles will be deflated. You'll end up with flat, cracked, tough and chewy macarons. Air bubbles are needed to expand with the heat in the oven. This pushes the top of the macaron up to expose the wet part of the batter. If stirred to little, the macarons won't have feet and they will have a peak on their tops.

You will need to do between 40 and 50 turns all up (sliding the spatula under the batter, then lifting and dropping the batter back on itself, always working in one direction and turning the bowl by 1/4 turns at the same time).

Use a spatula to first fold and deflate the batter, mixing the tant pour tant, one-third at a time, into the whipped egg whites. For the first few turns, work fast and be a little robust as you want to knock out some of the air as you mix the meringue and the tant pour tant together (it's different to making meringue for cakes where you have to be delicate). When you have the tant pour tant nearly mixed in (you don't want to knock too much air out either) slow down a little.

Change to a plastic baker’s scrapper and then fold more slowly.

As you work the oils from the almonds batter will become looser.

Within a few turns it will change from a dull gritty surface with ridges and lines to a smooth, shiny surface and to what is described as thick flowing magma. In reality, who has seen magma before? This basically means that when you lift and drop the batter back on itself, after waiting for about 30 seconds, the ridges slowly ooze back into the batter.

Your batter is now ready to pipe.

Hint:
If you see peaks after you have piped one whole row, it's not ready. Put it back into the mixing bowl and give it a few more turns. When piped, rap the tray a few times on the bench top to get rid of air bubbles. You can also use a wet finger to flatten out the peaks, but you will have under mixed macarons with possible rough areas on your macarons.

Piping
As the saying goes, practice makes perfect.
Spoon the mixture into the piping bag with a #11 - 1cm (1/2 inch round piping tip). The piping bag can be stood upright in a large jug. Silpat mats are preferable to parchment paper as the macarons are easier to remove. When using parchment paper, you may have to steam them off using a spray mist. If using parchment paper, you can draw 2.5cm rounds with a pencil on one side then use the reverse side.

The tip of the piping bag is held perpendicularly over the sheet to pipe the batter (which should be dropped rather than piped). Pipe batter into 2.5cm rounds across the tray stepping alternate rows diagonally 2.5cm apart. Pipe from the middle with the tip about 1cm (½ inch) above. The rounds will spread somewhat. To finish each macaron, the piping tip is flicked upwards with a twist of the wrist to finish or a reverse C can be used to cut off the batter then moved to the next position. If this is done correctly, there should ~~shouldn’t~~ be a nipple on the top, which will should flatten out relatively quickly.

After piping the first row of macarons, look back at the first one and see if the top has flattened out nicely. If not, scrape the batter up and mix to correct it (if under mixed), or add further tant pour tant (if over mixed) or start again. Even if the macarons are not perfect, they will still taste fabulous. When piping is completed, bang the baking sheets a few times against the bench to remove any air bubbles and even out the piped rounds. For the French and Spanish method, the piped macarons are then left to rest until they form a skin and are dry to the touch - about 20 to 30 minutes or more. Touch to see if they are dry and not sticking to your finger. The heat from the oven causes air bubbles to expand inside the piped batter, which pushes up the top dry skin of the macaron. This in turn reveals the inner wet part of the batter at the base and the formation of the “foot” of the macaron. If they are not dried out sufficiently, the batter will expand outwards and it will crack as it bakes. With the Italian method, the batter dries more quickly and they can be baked straight away (if you are game).

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Baking
Preheat convection oven to 150 - 160˚C or conventional to 160 - 170˚C. This is dependent on the recipe and method used and your oven. Note: But first, get to know your oven. Be prepared to experiment a little, use a little trial and error, a have a little patience and persistence as every oven is different. It will pay off in the long run. Convection ovens take less time and conventional oven take longer. Test your oven for hot spots. I use bottom heat only in my oven as the top heat browns the macarons too quickly. It is a good idea to do a practice run with only a few macarons and experiment with your oven to get it right.

Use an insulated baking tray (special double baking sheets that are ideal for macarons – I found mine in the supermarket and they were relatively cheap $14.95 AUD) or alternatively use two baking sheets (one on top of the other without a gap in between) and lay a piece of parchment or silpat on the doubled baking sheet.

Baking time may vary also. Generally, bake macarons for approximately 12 minutes but timing can be up to 17 minutes depending on your oven type and the size of the macarons. It is very important to keep an eye on the baking progress at the tail end of baking time to adjust as necessary. Open the oven and put your finger on one of the macarons. It should be firm with the slightest amount of give. If it wobbles, they require another minute or so.

Once baked, remove the tray from oven and leave the macarons to cool down on a rack before removing from the mat or paper. Don’t pull them from the paper. They should slide easily off the paper once cooled. If they don't place them in the freezer for a few seconds and they will come off more easily. You can also use a spatula, but be careful as the feet can tear. You can also Spritz with a spray water bottle between the parchment paper and tray. This causes steam and helps to loosen the macarons, but they must not be left for too long or they become too moist.

Finishing off
Pair up similar sized macarons, with one macaron turned face up. Pipe approximately a teaspoon of filling on to the turned up macaron, twist the pair together until filling comes just to the edges of the macarons. Place in a small paper cup cake patty to set.

Storing
Keep the unfilled shells in a container in the fridge and they will be more tender. Macarons can also be frozen either with filling or without. Freezing has a tenderizing effect but at the same time, the shells will be weaker than before being frozen. To defrost, remove the macarons from the freezer and place them in the refrigerator overnight. This minimizes condensation on the shells but also gives them a bit of shininess.

Equipments:
large flat mixing bowl
rubber spatula
bowl scrapper
electric mixer or Kitchen Aide
sugar saucepan (cheap nonstick supermaket type works well)
Candy/sugar thermometer
Insulated baking sheets - so bottoms of macarons don't burn and you get nice little foot.

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*** Added from comments that I read***

Do the folding 40 to 45 times while incorporating all ingredients (tant pour tant);
Use a hard pastry scrapper to slowly press down the batter 12 times (not 10 nor 15) to release excess air and to get the desired smooth, shiny magma surface.It is said that these specific, precise counts ensure that the right amount of air is kept in the batter.

It is best to use a convection oven to 150 - 160˚C (300 - 320˚F). Otherwise use a conventional oven at 160 - 170˚C (320 - 340˚F), but make sure you use insulated double baking trays so you don't have too much bottom heat.

Baking at a moderate temperature will help the air bubbles expand, the water to evaporate and the proteins to coagulate at an even rate. If the temperature is too high, the proteins will set too quickly and the water won't have time to evaporate.

Don't forget to bank your trays a few times on the counter before leaving to dry out.

Also, make sure your ground almond isn't too wet. Dry it out in the oven as per my tips and tricks suggestion.

You can tell when they are ready by opening the oven and putting your finger on one of the macarons. It should be firm with the slightest amount of give. If it wobbles, they require another minute or so - but don't let them brown.

It is so disappointing when their bellies get left behind on the sheet leaving an empty shell - but no, this doesn't necessarily mean they were under cooked.

Yes, you can stick them back in the oven if they are still hot, but 20 minutes is more than enough for them to cook, depending on their size. I'm assuming they are around the 3cm size and not large ones.

First of all, are you using silicone or parchment sheets?
This sometimes happens to me when I use the silicon sheets. Try parchment paper - (I use baking paper - we call it Glad Bake in Australia). Once baked, remove the tray from oven and leave the macarons to cool down on a wire rack before removing from the paper. It is most important that you don't pull then from the paper. They should just slide easily off the paper once cooled, Try turning the paper upside down and peel it away from the macarons. If they don't come away easily, place them in the freezer for a minute of so then they should just peel off.

The traditional method is to spritz with a spray water bottle between the parchment paper and tray while they are still hot. This causes steam and helps to loosen the macarons, but they must not be left for too long or they become too moist.

If they are extra chewy and sticky, you may be cooking them at too low a temperature. Try using a higher heat. I use a convection (fan-forced) oven to 150˚C (300˚F) for the Italian method and 160˚C (320˚F) for the French method. If you don't have fan-forced then use a conventional oven at 160 - 170˚C (320 - 340˚F), but make sure you use insulated double (double) baking trays so you don't have too much bottom heat. It will also depend on your oven. I have a Miele oven which in conventional mode uses bottom heat.

Duncan of "Syrup and Tang" has a great blog on macarons - one particularly on ovens and temperatures for macarons at - http://www.syrupandtang.com/201003/of-ovens-and-baking-and-macarons/.

The extra chewy, sticky texture may also have something to do with the recipe you are using. Duncan also has formulas on his site that may help you with regards to sugar egg white ratios. The ratio of sugar to almond and the amount of egg white used will determine the texture of the macarons. He uses 50 grams egg whites/67 grams powdered sugar/67 grams almond meal. I have personally found that most recipes will work as long as you get the macaronnage technique right.

I don't rotate my trays as they don't turn out as well in my oven, even if I rotate them. I generally only do one tray at a time on the bottom shelf. If you are doing 2 trays at a time, I would rotate them.

I guess I'll try Corry's recipes tomorrow! Wish me luck and hope the weather is with me tomorrow :)

Rapberry Macarons Recipe:

Ingredients:

For tant pour tant:
300 grams dried almond meal
300 grams castor (superfine) sugar
110 grams egg white

For the syrup:
300 grams castor (superfine) sugar
75 grams (ml) water

For the meringue:
110 grams egg white
3 grams dried egg white
pinch of cream of tat tar
a few drops of red colouring (don't be shy)

Raspberry Buttercream:
6 large egg yolks
185 grams sugar
125 grams corn syrup
425 grams (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup raspberry sauce (recipe follows)

For the Raspberry Sauce (makes 1 + 2/3 cups)
700 grams frozen raspberries
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2/3 cup sugar

[For more pics and step by step direction in making the raspberry macarons, see the original post, here ] :)

Citrus Macarons Recipe:

Ingredients:

100 grams egg whites (aged for 3 days)
75 grams castor (superfine) sugar
zest of 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of cream of tartar
green food colour with a few drops of orange food colour for highlight.

175 grams icing sugar
125 grams almond meal

For the Lemon filling:
50g unsalted butter
50g almond meal
100g confectioners (icing) sugar
200g lemon curd

[For more pics and step by step direction in making the raspberry macarons, see the original post, here ] :)

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Color Guide:
This color = Important note(s) to self!
This color = As a reminder to me! Especially when I want to make another batch so badly between unfavorable weather :)

Hey June!

2011-06-03T16:33:00.001+07:00

Six months to go and 2011 will be ended real soon, can you believe it? Anyway, I really upset, disappointed and feel like crying, as yesterday and the other yesterday and today, I tried to make my 5th and 6th and 7th and 8th batches of macarons and FAILED! I don't know what's wrong. I did the same way as I make my 4th batch, same recipe, method, everything except the 8th. And it ended up with a super terrible disappointment. Instead of macarons, it turned out to macawrongs! BIG Disaster!! But Thanked God, I still have this hope with me, with a strong determination to beat this macaron!

I will updating again about these cute french biscuits when I succeed in making another batch. Wish me luck. And oh, yeah! The oven, please be good to me! :)

As always, I played with the colors of my "succeed" Chocolate Ganache Macarons and I just love that it turned out great.

The mac, flavor, and the edited pics color :)

Anyway, June, be good to me, will ya? :)

Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering.
There is a crack in everything,
That's how the light gets in. ---Leonard Cohen

There is a crack in everything --- taken from the quote above.

That's true, but I don't want to have one on my macarons shell for sure! LOL!

I Love Macs!

2011-05-31T11:19:00.004+07:00

Hello Sugarpies, how's life? Mine currently, flat, but not too boring, as I always get myself busy and have something to do, imperceptibly days are just passing me by. Everyday I cooked for the whole family, just like a good housewife. No I'm not married yet, but soon I'll become one, so that's why my dad is succeed persuade me to learn and practice to cook. Cooking is easy. The hard part is, decide, what dish you want to cook just with what you have in your fridge. First week is quite easy, you can find almost complete groceries in there, and you can cook anything with that. Second week is getting harder, because the groceries stocks are running out and you need to cook different dishes, or else people will get bored with your cooking.

I tried so hard to find easy but delicious recipes over the internet everyday, which is sucks, because you know I only can browsing through my iWhite and the provider is just acted like shitty! And it’s also difficult to even find simple recipes, especially when there’s a limitation in you. You’re simply run out of the ingredients. My mum only goes to the market once every two weeks, so, twice a month, to buy lots of groceries, but yeah, it depends on the situation of course. But I couldn’t ask her to buy every single little thing that I want to cook. But after all, I love and enjoyed cooking. Oh yeah! I will definitely be a great housewife one day! Come on marry me, my dearie, and I will stuffed your bellies with all delicious foodies. LOL :p

Anyway, enough talking about the main course, now it’s time for desserts. When it comes to desserts, I believe, people can’t really hold their saliva! :D Oh yeah! Who on earth could resist the temptation of desserts? I simply couldn’t, and I bet you trice! Are you on the same boat with me? :D But hold on! It’s not like I am making a creamy, full of chocolates and strawberries cakes or something, just yet. Tee Hee... But I was making macarons! Yay!!

I’ve always wanted to make it for quite some time. It is a pretty, cute and tiny French meringue biscuit that has a crisp shell and delicate on the outside but soft inside. Made with almond meals, egg whites and surely lots of sugar, sugar and sugar! It tastes sweet and yum! The ingredients are simple and easy to find and not too expensive, especially when comparing with the macaron price itself per pieces, or well, maybe the almond meals/flour ~~is a bit hard to find~~, umm no... impossible to be found in anywhere in my hometown, so you need to buy almonds and grind it with food processor or blender, manually. Don’t freak out! It’s not that hard to grind it. The machines will do and many people in all over the world are also grinding them manually :)

Okay, to make it short, I’ll just stop explaining more about this cutie biscuit to you. You can googling them. Even the ingredients are simple and easy to find, making them is another thing. You can find the recipe and with how-to-make video everywhere, and it looks no sweat in making them, but you are totally wrong! It’s not as easy as it looks. And sure thing is, you do need to sweating in making this little “bastard” :p and in the end, it might not turns out as what you expected.

In my case, I’ve tried 3 times and FAILED! I’ve tried browed around the internet, read so many online tips and tricks from the great patisserie chef, great king and queen of macarons to the common people, which have best luck in them, so that their very first attempt turned out so great with perfect “feet” on it. SIGH. I almost give up. Moreover, my mum wasn’t very supportive after we tried our 2nd batch and it failed. She also stopped buying me almonds, which simply made me can’t do anything else.

You know, sometimes, I have a very strong determination in doing something, which is good in one time and bad on the other time. So every day, I read more and more articles about anything related to macarons, from the true story till its myths, until one night, I slept with my iPhone turned on all night long, tried to load the content of dozen pages till its run out of its juice, on the next morning, while I was dreaming about these Macs!! Can you believe it? I want to be able to make it, a perfect macarons so badly! Seriously. I never that good in making cakes, desserts or anything else, just like my pro mum, but I am eager to learn to beat this Mac! So I begged her to buy me almonds again. I said that I will pay everything, the eggs, the icing sugars, almonds, everything! Because I know, I won’t stop until I get what I want.

And thanked Mum!! I was about to kiss my mum right away when she came home one day with plastic of almonds inside. I jumped, really, then this time, started to bake the almonds first. I did many experiments in making this mac. I tried my 3rd batch, all by myself, without any help from mum. I know it’s gonna failed because it didn’t dry after I sit them for 45 mins. It took more than two hours till it dried, and then I bake them. No sign of “feet” after 5 mins I put them in the oven. Oh, man! Another disaster! But this disaster didn’t stop me!

Here comes my 4th batch. I made them yesterday. The 4th batch was turning out quite well, but I am not satisfied yet. I don’t know what is wrong with it. I made one trays only. Half succeed and showed up with beautiful shells and perfect “feet” inside the oven, but the other half were failed, burnt, cracked and some of them showed up with no “feet” at all. After I removed the macs from the oven, some of them didn’t looks as nice as when there were still in the oven, but still okay. This Tiny biscuits gave me a HUGE headache! Seriously, Duh!

~~Here are some pics of my 4th batch  I made the original, without adding any colours, and didn’t have any chance to make its filling yet~~. [UPDATE: I'm not be able to upload any pics here! Blame the provider! I will update this post with more pics later on. I can't deal with this stupid connection and provider anymore. Gotta go now or else they're not going to eat anything for lunch! LOL!!.] My goal is making the macs, not the filling and the filling is really piece of cake. If you are too lazy, you can just stuff them with jam or melted chocolate :)

[UPDATE: Finally, here's the pics of my macarons :) Above: Plain Macarons Shells, Below: With Chocolate Ganache. ]

I read more and more tips and trick again and again, now I know, where did I go wrong and I’m going to do more experiments. I am very stubborn or what, I don’t know. All I know is I’m going to succeed in making them. I know I will, as long as I keep on practicing! So, will you excuse me now? I’m going to make another batch today, with its filling. Gonna filled it with chocolate ganache :) but before that, I’m going to cook for our lunch, first thing first.

Ciao.

I prefer to regard a dessert as I would imagine the perfect woman: subtle, a little bittersweet, not blowsy and extrovert. Delicately made up, not highly rouged. Holding back, not exposing everything and, of course, with a flavor that lasts. ---Graham Kerr

Tea, Jam and Bread

2011-05-25T19:23:00.000+07:00

I'm back. You know, I can't say that today is my bad day, since I didn't experience any "bad" things today. Everything just went good as usual. But, I why today I feel like, good thing doesn't came on the right time, but bad things are almost always came in a wrong time. That is simply why people would called it as a bad day.

What's wrong with today? As a matter of fact, nothing. No things are too "bad" for today-Thanked God, I still can have this gratitude in me- :)

Here's my story. I woke up this morning, a little too late than usual. I know my mum has woke me up before 6 am, but I couldn't get up from my bed, because I couldn't opened my eyes. :( More Precisely, my right eye. It stuck like there's a glue, glueing my eye. I simply couldn't wear my soft lens today. And it's discomfort wearing my old glasses. I rarely use it, because it's too heavy for my eyes and nose to hold it. Imagine, mine is -8.50 for the right eye and -9.00 for left eye. Imagine the thickness of the glass, although it has undergone a process of depletion, it still way too thick and heavy. A depletion process does make it thinner but not making it any lighter, note that.

Back to my glued-eye. I forced to opened my eyes and results of that compulsion are it's hard for me to see things clearly because my eyes are constantly watering, hard to breath because of running nose! SIGH! I don't know how many tissues already wasted today, not because of me having flu or something, but my nose is keep on running! Geez!!

Then, since yesterday, while I am home, I should cook for the whole family. For lunch and dinner. I know, we can just ask the servant to do that, but my dad said that I should learn how to cook, well, I can, but he said that it's better for me to get use to cook start from now on, for my goodness and for my future of course. Now with my eyes condition, can you imagine how hard it would be?

Oh yeah! It's damn hard to cook in my situation. Being in one of the most smoky places in the world with an irritated eyes, yeah, you should try it someday! Now, while I'm writing this, water keeps coming out from both my eyes and nose. Actually, it's so hard for me to face my laptop, but what to say. I have works to do and the deadline is tomorrow. Great. I guess I'll just reduce the brightness and hope everything will be okay. I can't stand it, seriously. *cries* :'(

I also can't stand watching TV so, it will be no more Master Chef Australia for today. Oh, btw, talk about Master Chef Australia 2010, my most favorite is Callum :) Followed by Matthew, Fiona, Skye, Claire, Adam, okay okay I have to stop. I'm out of topic! LOL!!

Anyway, what am I trying to say here is, I wasn't complaining, but I just want to say that whatever your condition is, if you sick, but still not that "weak" till you can't do anything else, just stop calling your day is a bad one, because God, never gives any bad days to you. Not even once. Everyday is a good and blessed day, remember that. It is all about how you're going to spend your day. It's all depends on you and how you'll see and overcome things that might come to you that day. If you failed, you'll just ruin your "good" day into "bad" one. It's all depends on us, how we see it with different point of view. When you have a problem, just think positively, and think that there are so many people that might be not as lucky as you and got bigger problems than yours. Appreciate what you've already had until this second and try your best to not complaining, and don't forget to have this gratitude in you.

Well, I still have much more to say, but I won't make this too long, save the words for next time. I still have a work to do, so, I am out~

Have a great and blessed day everyone! :)

P.S. Pardon me, if there's a typo(s), error, misspelling, etc. I can't face it too long to re-read and correcting the typos and hey! I am not a perfect person and English isn't my first language, mind my bad grammars or whatever it is!! *Cheers* :D

Every day is a good day to be alive, whether the sun's shining or not. ---Marty Robbins

Daily Motion

2011-05-25T11:03:00.000+07:00

This what is going to happened when you have something to write on but you didn't write it right away. My postponement made me out of idea about what to write, while I am so in a mood for blogging. And you know, the clock is ticking, while I'm thinking real hard about what to write. Now it's almost 11 a.m. I gotta go. Have to cook for the whole family. So I guess I'll be back later on to write again. Let's hope the mood stays this way :)

See ya!

Nothing that is complete breathes. ---Antonio Porchia, Voces, 1943, translated from Spanish by W.S. Merwin

Random Facts

2011-05-25T10:28:00.000+07:00

So, someone asked me to write about my passions, couple weeks ago. Well, talked about passions, it's a bit hard for me to decide, which I really really like, because as you know, passion is not just something you "Like" but "Love". I like many things in my life, I bet you too. But you know me, in some case I'm suck in making decision. I have to thinking real hard to decide on something, while sometimes, I decide everything without even thinking. So, today, I wanna share to all of you about them :) Here's what I wrote to her.

Here are some random facts about me. First, music is my life. I mean, I love music so much. I can’t really live without it, not literally, but that’s it. My favorite music style is random, depends on the music/song itself. But if you insisted me to mention one or two, it would be classical and semi classic for music/instrumental and pop-ballad for song. You must be wondering why I love them. To be honest, I also don’t know the answer for that, but for what I know, I am so into music since I was kid. My dad used to turn the music and song on, almost every night, maybe that’s why until now, I am so into it. Because of me loving the music so much, when I was a kid, I always try to find the tunes and how to play my favorite music which was and still Richard Clayderman’s on my toy piano. Because of me loving the music so much and I always find a way how to play it on my toy piano, I finally got mine.

You know, I used to hear music before went to bed, but now, I guess I can sleep without it. Well, even I love music, I don’t really keep the track to the latest music. I hear in here and there and if I like it, I’ll download it, so if you peek on my iTunes library, you can’t really find a new songs and music in there. Well you can, but I don’t always updating my lists.

If there is music in my life, so does the movie. I can’t really tell you why I love movies. I just love watching movies. I watched any genres, except horror, in this case, ghost movies and similar junk movies, but my favorites are way too much! Okay, gimme a list and I will choose, three of them, or four, or five, oh well, to make it clear, I just love almost all kind of movies. Maybe I am just not into some of them as much as I’m into the other. Once again, it’s all depends on the movie itself.

After thinking for a while, I guess I know why I love watching movies, because it’s the only entertainment for me. Well, I am a woman, I love shopping just like a woman in general. I love hang out and travelling, etc but what I mean with entertainment is like people love spending their times to clubbing, which I don’t. I prefer watching movies. I guess you get what I was trying to explain, right?

And you know what, I’m not like most people that hate and avoiding spoiler. I loveeeeee it. I always curious and want to know the whole story like every single detail about the movie even the endings before I watch it. I know, there will be no more surprises if we already knew it, but for some movies, I like to watch it that way. Sometimes for some movies, watching them are not only enjoying the movie itself, sounds, story or else, but it’s like I already knew the story and I have my own story, movies, how’s the characters and everything about it in my head. So, I just want to see a proof, it’s more like I wanted to know if the things inside my head are the same as reality or not.

So, I’m not always enjoying what I’ve watched. I am more into analyzing the movie, story, characters etc yet in the end, sometimes I don’t really get it. Sometimes I satisfied with the result, because its close or exactly the same as my thoughts or it’s totally different! Sometimes I didn’t. Yeah, sometimes. Weird me.

Another random fact about me, I love writing, literally and not. But to be honest, I’m not really good on it. When I was on my senior high school, I wrote a lot. Like five stories or more, about fictions, mostly cheap love stories, I can say, well, yeah five stories or more, but every story didn’t have an ending. I can’t find the ending, or either too much thinking about which one is the best, finally ended up with stuck in a half-way without ending. Instead of finishing them, I always started to write the new one. SIGH. I guess everybody knows that I am so so so moody person and I could change drastically in no time. The way I wrote is also depends on my mood. It’s not like when I am in a good mood I can write a good lines, but yeah, it’s gonna be worse if I am not. If I’m writing not in a good mood, mostly I’ll ended up deleting all of my writings, no matter it’s “good” or so – so, and particularly if the writings is not good, which mostly would be not good at all. And you won’t believe this. My mood is changing fast so does my personality. I could be in a mood for writing and not at all in seconds. The same thing goes to my personality. I could think and acted like a young adult-thinking the same way as people at my age normally thinks and acts, and vice versa. That will affect the way and the results of my writings. I have no idea how to overcome my bad behavior. Talking about writings, I don’t have any particular style in writing, I can write about anything. Mostly, I always write what I feel to write.

Perhaps, I can say, I love writing, it’s because I can hardly talk to strangers or new people. Well, I am pretty talkative and I love to talk, chit chat and whatever it is, but not to strangers or people that I don’t know well. And I am not kind of a spontaneous person. Many people I know said that they can hardly believe that I am so talkative, because when the first time they met me, I was very quiet, eventually they would think that I was arrogant and avoiding talking to the other. So, if people ask me directly, I can’t really answer them. That’s why I prefer everything that written and I love to write. I can talk to any strangers by “talking” with words.

Well, if you finished read it, you must have some questions in mind. Why I didn't mention anything about design? I have reason for that. I love designing and it's like in my blood already, but I myself can't say that it is my passion, to be frank, it is something that should become my main major and profession now-pheww!! what a confidence!- :p Because of some reasons, you may know why, or you may not know why. If you still don't get it, I will give you some example, like if you are a successful business man/woman, can you say that business thingy that you run is your passion? No, you can't. Because being a business man/woman is a choice and it depends on your skill about how to run your business and it's about your courage to speculation and dare to take the risk that you're going to be success or your business failed.

Another example, you can't say that an author or great book writers are also had this so called writing as their passion. For some of them, well, maybe yes, but not at all. See, how many talented writers / authors out there? They are super talented and prodigy like they wrote so many books about anything and they never run out of ideas.

From those example, I hope you understand, besides, hey! once again, I write what I want and I share what I want and it's all about me, okay, my decision is the only thing that matter, not yours, so do not judge me, please. And to be honest, talking about what I like, love and passion, I am not finished yet. This might be changed one day and the list will getting longer, I believe. As we getting older, we'll see things different way with different point of view. All of these are not a definitive and fixed benchmarking. Everything will change, so do I...

We welcome passion, for the mind is briefly let off duty. ---Mignon McLaughlin, The Neurotic's Notebook, 1960

Can't Live Without You..

2011-05-18T22:36:00.000+07:00

Yes, You. Let me ask you one thing. What is the thing that you can't live without? Yeah, just one. Uh, please, don't give me answer like, air, time, water, foods, money. etc. Other than those major stuffs, like, you can't really live without it, while the other can. That's it. So, what's that? Hmmm... me.. let's say...

....

Simple question, hard to answer. Not that difficult tho, but hard to decide, which one should I mentioned. Okay, to save time, I guess I'll just mention everything that I couldn't live without. God, Air, Water, Food, Money, Clothes, Shoes, what else? DUH!! Okay. I'm not going to talk about Major stuffs, so it's electricity. Followed with, Internet-Fast! and my gadget(s)-no need to mention one by one about this one! You get the idea! LOL- :p

You know, I've been thinking real hard these few days. If only I had to post this thread long before I'm thinking the way I'm thinking now, I would easily say that I can't live without internet. So, why now it's electricity? Think about it, without electricity, how could you read at night time, turn on the air con / fan when you feel so damn hot, charging your /read: my/ gadget(s), turn on the modem for internet etc etc.

I don't know why I should post this thread, but it's important for me. I used to back here some time in the future-in my case, it might be tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, five days ahead, or whatever, that's future tho-to re-read all of my posts, so I can compare, day by day, am I getting better in thinking about what's important in my life or vice versa. You know, the best way to know your progress in almost anything is not by comparing to others, because, as a human, we never satisfied about what we already had, so we need to compare to ourselves first, just like before and after, yesterday and today, today and tomorrow and so on.

That's all. I'm out of words, so I'm out.

P.S. I'm glad that I had a chance to post this thread directly from my beloved Vesca, with a BIG help from my iWhite :) Everything is just awesome! :D

God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" ---William A. Ward

Keep trying..

2011-05-17T09:38:00.001+07:00

Let's try again :)

And I'm wondering is it support my H3 or not?

This is bold and this is italics and this is
underline

And this is my personal tags!

P.S. I'm just trying to repost with different apps and see what will happened!

Testing again and again

2011-05-17T07:56:00.004+07:00

I've been using another apps that called blogpress, but somehow, it disappoints me. Because of the pics is way too small. Now I wanna try how if the picture is in portrait mode. In this apps, there are no option for that so I can't imagine how it will be like. I hope it turns great. Anyway, I hate the footer pics, so I deleted it! If only it shows just link, I'll keep it there :(

is it working?

P.S. My h3 tag isn't working with this app. So this line I added manually. Oh yeah, one more thing, the pics didn't showed up on the preview page when you viewed it with mobile site! Duh! How to fix this? :(

Another test post

2011-05-16T19:31:00.002+07:00

Hello! I'm so sorry for spamming but you know why! I'm currently trying the best apps for blogging plus uploading pics to blogger. I love posting from iBlogger but sadly I can't add any pics from there, so I need alternatives apps. I've tried ShoZu and it's pretty cool :)

For what I can remember, I've been using this app once, but I forgot why I uninstalled it.. That's why now I'm trying it again :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Test Post..

2011-05-16T19:08:00.002+07:00

I'm trying new application for uploading pics to blogger. It doesn't feel good when I can blogging but can't post any pics there.. hope this works nicely :)

This was the pics that I used to upload for my previous post, but I could make it bcoz blogger didn't allow me to upload any pics from iPhone! :(

In between..

2011-05-15T00:17:00.000+07:00

Hello!! how are you blogger? Did you guys experience anything when blogger's down? Yes, I did. good and bad. Let's start with the bad one, I lost two posts, I don't know if they're back already or not, because I don't have time to check my blog today. As I'm sooo busy packing and preparing everything. I have pretty much free time now, that's why I'm here. I'm currently at the airport, waiting for my delayed plane to my hometown. Fiuhh... Okay, I'll tell you guys later on about this!

Now it's time for the good news :) You know guys, I couldn't stop myself for not share my happiness here.. Well, finally I got you-know-what!! :D Can't tell how happy I am.. :D *BiG smile*

That's all.. now, I present to you, my very first post from you-know-what *winkwink*

P.S. As you know that I don't have Internet at home, I guess I'll posting much from my new baby.. :D *excited*

There is not a more pleasing exercise of the mind than gratitude. It is accompanied with such an inward satisfaction that the duty is sufficiently rewarded by the performance. ---Joseph Addison.

Source Code

2011-05-13T00:13:00.000+07:00

I won't talk much in this thread. As you can read my title, I have words for this movie. Worth. To. Watch. Period. You guys have to see this one! It's a-must-see movie! After these few months, finally there's a good movie in theater.

It's also surprisingly crowded when I visited the cinema this afternoon. No wonder! People needs their entertainment back! We all need good movies to watch, so please, my "dear" government! Consider and listen to your people. Don't be too selfish in running this country! This country belongs to anyone who lived in. Just because you guys run it, it doesn't mean that you owned it and you guys can do whatever you love to do!

Okay, I'll stop talking now! It's useless anyway.. Now all we can do is just hoping and praying..

Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together. What you have always wished for has finally come to be. You will look back and laugh at what has passed and you will ask yourself... 'How did I get through all of that?'

My Entertainment

2011-05-12T14:21:00.000+07:00

How are you, people? I hope you all in a great condition :) You know, yesterday, my boy and I bought so many DVDs, and we watched two of them. You know why I was buying it! It's because Indonesia's movie-tax issue isn't over yet. It's been 4 months for all of us who live in Indonesia can't enjoy any good movies that comes from, well let's say, big five movie distributors in the world, such as Warner Bros. 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount Pictures, Dreamworks etc etc. IMAGINE!! But uh, Thanked God, I still could survive with only watching them on DVD.

So, yesterday I watched I Am Number Four and RIO. It's kinda late, watched them just yesterday, but better than not at all, right? You have noooo idea how it feels. It feels so so so great and God! good. After these few months, didn't watch any movies, except korean dramas. Pheww...

Oh yeah, btw, I have something that gimme headache! A problem. Well, not quite a big one tho, but still, it makes me thinking real hard till I've got this headache with me. I will tell you guys later on, what's that, as for now, I'm going to cinema to watch Source Code! Finally! There's something that we can really watch... Okay, I don't know it's going to be good or bad, but rotten tomatoes rated it 4.5 out of 5 stars. I hope it will be great. Oh yeah, this movie is distributed by Summit Entertainment. If I am not mistaken, it is the same distributor of Twilight Saga. Good news for you who loves Twilight, because, likely, they'll screening it here, but yeah, we'll see..

Gotta go now... See ya!

P.S. The pics has nothing to do with the content of my blog, but whatever, can I have some cupcakes just like the pics above, please? :)

You give but little when you give of your possessions. It is when you give of yourself that you truly give. ---Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

Hello May!!

2011-05-06T02:51:00.000+07:00

I don't need to explain how I failed in writing my 27 posts. Old story. :p Anyway, stay tuned, I have something to post for you by afternoon, or let's say as soon as I finished it. :D

Btw, Today is our monthly-anniversary celebration. A month to go and it will be our 3 years anniversary. May God always bless us till our marriage :) That's explained why I put that picture above. Simple, but meaningful :)

Well, I guess I'll see you guys again... very soon... :)

To promise not to do a thing is the surest way in the world to make a body want to go and do that very thing. ---Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1876.

- 8th post -

2011-04-28T01:33:00.001+07:00

Pheww.. It's 28th April now. Couldn't make it.. hiks.. 27 is just too much! But hey! I will still continue the counting :D So here I present to you, my 8th post. :)

Recently, I've spending a lot of my times with my house mates, Marla and Ika. We spent our nights with gossipin-oh, yes. We officially jobless and don't know what to do to killing time, so gossipin will do-talked about this and that, laughed a lot in a very loud voices. Well, you know, sometimes, when I think about it, I started to think, did we interrupting our neighbors? Moreover, our room is separated with plywood, not a real wall that made from bricks, so we could almost hear everything! This is bad!! But when we talked and laughed that thought never crossed my mind. LOL.

Well,I really need to behave nicer. All of us actually. But sometimes when you are too excited, you tend to forget everything. Are you feel the same way? Anyway, I wanna change my bad habit, but I just don't know where to start. So, any ideas where I should start? :)

Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ---Chili Davis

- 7th post -

2011-04-27T20:32:00.001+07:00

Ahhh... I'm so tired. Facing this lappie and thinking what should I write. I started to think the 27 blog posts is a crazy idea. Oh why I should do some actions without even think about it first! LOL. Now I'm reducing my lappie's white-contras. Can't stand facing it for any longer. So, after this, I'll take some rest for my eyes, not really resting tho, because I know I will tweeting, which means, I'll facing my iPhone all the time, before I start to facing my lappie again.

So, I'll see you guys again later, k, k? :)