Quote of The Day

"A smile is happiness you'll find 
right under your nose."

- Tom Wilson-

ABC

Stop chasing numbers just because it's the easiest way of measuring, and stop overrating words of compliments just because it's nice to hear. What matters the most is to enjoy a journey where both our heart and mind feel good about it, no matter how small.

Quote of The Day

Quote of The Day

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear.”

- Ambrose Redmoon -

And This Came Out Of A Kid

I forgot who this kid was specifically, but he's basically a very smart kid who was interviewed on TV.

Reporter: "You refuse to take an IQ Test. What is your reason?"

Him: "If I find out that I have a high score, I'm afraid I would develop a sense of arrogance and that I would feel smarter than others. If I scored low, I would feel that I'm not good enough and that would discourage me. I just want to enjoy studying without the burden of an IQ score."

PROFOUND.

Quote of The Day

"Celebrate a hot sunny day with ice cream. Celebrate the rain with a cute umbrella. Life's worth a daily celebration."

- Diana Rikasari -

Quote of The Day

"Have the courage to admit that what we think is good enough might actually become better if we put just a little more effort into it."

- Diana Rikasari -

Universe

The world may be moving faster than us, but it doesn't always mean you gotta rush to catch up. As long as we're rotating in the same direction, enjoy life in our own speed...:)

Unbranded top, Forever 21 skirt, Up wedges

Btw, this is just too sweet. Toooooo sweet.

Tick Tock Tic Tac Toe

I'm a believer of "passion", but at the same time, I do think that "passion" should be balanced. I disagree with the thinking that if you're into arts, then you don't need to study maths. Or if you've managed to run a business even before you graduate, then there's no point of finishing school or university. Life should be balanced. Like day and night. Like fiction and fantasy. Practice goes well with theories. Sometimes, we abuse the idea of "passion" that we neglect the fact that in life, it's not always about you. And even when it's about you, you need to be complete. Don't use "passion" as an excuse to miss out on other things life has to offer. Don't just live in your own passion-bubble and not touch other worlds. Be out there and stay current.

Mango oversized sweater, leather skirt from Pakistan, Marks & Spencer socks, Up wedges

Check out my new batik edition for Up! And if you shop this January, you might win this huuuuuuge Up wall clock....shop shop! :)

:)

Lately I have been a bit "away" from the virtual world, either from my blog, my Twitter account, Facebook. There's been a lot of contemplation going on inside my mind. I dunno. The internet can be scary at times.

Internet is a masterpiece. It has allowed us to cross-express and cross-trade almost everything one can imagine. There's no more limitations and boundaries to have a voice in this world, to be heard, to share, to receive and even learn. Internet however, is a platform. We don't hide behind it, we run on it. We are on the front line, our names, our identities, our lives. Therefore, the 'human' factor is and shall always be the main content. Not fake names, not false information, not pretentious statements, not mis-lead assumptions and fights that happen because we trust what is said on the internet by people we don't even know more than we trust our loved ones.

I often find people who treat real life and internet as two different worlds, therefore show different personalities too. Why? Internet is also "real life", you know? At least for me. What I say & portray on my blog is exactly who I am in real life. So this is me. Raw. Internet helps us to reach those who can't be reach physically. And at the end of every reach, there are real life humans. Whatever you say or write on the internet, the world can see, the humans can feel. Have a heart. Even on the internet.

Bedside Lamp

Hi, guys...how are you doing? :)

I really feel like writing right now, but I'm not really sure what to write about heheh. S is asleep already (such a baby!) while I'm awake checking emails and just randomly browsing this and that. Life after marriage is.... enjoyable! I'm so happy that things are just as it is, only more peaceful because S is always around.

You know, the power of praying to God is really really powerful. Never be afraid to ask God what you wish to achieve in life, for God always listens and makes them come true if it's for the better. But then again, you really have to believe that God will always give you the best, even when the best is what we think isn't and not what we asked for. Don't just "work hard", but "work very very hard", and let things unfold naturally. Our job as humans is to try our best, aim as high as we can, but leave the results to God. This is the only way to feel complete and peaceful. "Complete" because we live with a mission, "peaceful" because we're letting God lead the way.

Do you guys have enemies? Having enemies in life is such a sad thing. Even though I don't hate anyone, I know that there are people out there who hate me. Therefore, I am an enemy to them, while they aren't to me. I often feel sad when I think about this, but then I realized that if I'm an enemy to someone, it doesn't always mean that I'm the bad one. It might be that that someone is the one having issues in dealing with life and reality. If you hate someone, doesn't that mean you have no room in your heart to forgive? Or no space in your mind to tolerate & compromise? Therefore, those who be-enemy others are the ones not owning big hearts, and that's even sadder.

Oh well, this is such a random post. Good night, guys! Love you, all...:)

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

S: "Can you get that for me?"
Me: "Can YOU get that for ME?"
S" "You get it! You're my wife!"
Me: "You get it! You're my husband!"
S: "Yeah but you're my wife."
Me: "Yeah but you're my husband."

Ahhhh I know I'm so annoying...:D

Why Are Flowers So Lovely?

I like being happy, staying happy, and dreaming to be happy all the time. Not that I reject reality that life can be sad too, but life becomes simpler if I just keep it that way....:)

Zara t-shirt & blazer, Forever 21 pajama trousers, various brooches, unbranded hat, Payless shoes

For The Better

So many times have I met people who are very surprised to see me after such a long time, and they start talking about how I was so much skinnier and unattractive back then, and that they see that I have at least taken better care of myself today. But they don't stop there. They keep on talking about the old days, and emphasize on "oh you should have seen her back then", as if my present does not entertain them as much.

Why do we keep referring to the past, if what matters is "today" and how we have progressed? I am not ashamed of my past, of how I looked, of how much weirder I was back then. But do we really need to keep rewinding? Everyone grows! :)

Every human being goes through phases of not looking that good, looking better, gaining weight, losing weight, having pimples, gotten rid of pimples, ugly hair, better hair, was lame, now cooler. Well some people are just very lucky that they've always been the pretty ones and remained the same. But hey, not everyone is that lucky! We all grow, and it's all normal. But I notice that some people enjoy more on highlighting the less-good moments of someone, as if it's just a better story to tell and share.

Remembering our own past can be useful to remind ourselves of how far we've progressed in life, but pointing out the less-exciting past of other people continuously out of, I dunno, jealousy (?), really makes you look like you're living in the past and not wanting to move on. Or that you're stuck and not progressing yourself so you feel the need to take down someone else so that you feel better.

We. All. (Should). Change. For the better...:)

PS: It's Keenan's 2nd birthday todayyyyyyy! Yayyyyyy!!!

Words

I noticed something today. That some people, enjoy killing other people's dreams, or visions. Although unintentionally, they actually do through their very few words and innocent faces. We shouldn't sweat the small things, but small words, we should. Words carry real meanings, hence the presence of dictionaries. Never think that words are just words. They really affect one's world.

And words can also cure. They can be the birth of life-impacting innovations, of big changes for the world. The impossible and possible happen from a mindset. And mindsets, are developed through the words we speak and we tell to ourselves. When others speak about impossibility, I prefer closing my ears. When I believe, I believe. Have faith, friends..:)

Quote of The Day

"Go out there. Explore. Don't just live in your own bubble and hate the world."

- Diana Rikasari -

Quote of The Day

"If you stay true to who you are, you'll eventually
(I promise) stumble across the right path."

- Whitney Port -

Shades of Life

We often hurt the joy of life by saying, "the grass is greener on the other side". But green comes in many shades, to accommodate each of our likings and suitability. So be comfortable with our choice of shade, as dark green is not always better than lime green.

Sweet Seventeen

Happy Independence Day, Indonesia.



Can I ask you guys something? What are the things that make you proud of this country? Aside from food, batik and our rich natural resources?



I have no right to make any point that represents all Indonesians, or Indonesia as a country, because yes, I do spend almost all of my days only in Jakarta, and yes, this is just a personal opinion on how I solely feel as an individual. Everyday I witness ignorance all around, and it can get really depressing. Corruption is everywhere, and has somewhat become a culture. We talk about government officials being corrupt. But look around us. Even a parking attendant who clearly wears a uniform with the text "No Tipping" on his back still receives or demands drivers to give him tip. Even funnier when a parking space is hidden by parking attendants and said space will only be given to drivers who give them tip. I once had a debate on this, where the other argued that tipping parking attendants is 'okay' because it's simply a form of appreciation towards his 'help'. I believe, that when an institution has strictly enforced a regulation of "No Tipping", then we all should just comply with that. It's like a company not allowing their employees to receive gifts from their clients, because 1) it may cause bias and internal conflicts, and 2) it may grow into a (bad) habit. No matter the amount of money (trillions vs. Rp.2.000), corruption is corruption. It's about the mindset.



I have lost count on how many times my car has been hit by motorcyclists who ignorantly just speed away with no apology. Same goes to getting summoned on the road because traffic rules sort of change every now and then, but when I am willing to pay the fine, I am somehow "convinced" to just "settle" things in the illegal way. Then there are 3-in-1 car jockeys standing peacefully on the side of the streets just 10 meters away from a group of policemen. So what's right and wrong? What's legal and not? It seems fine to work out opportunities within the loophole in Jakarta’s traffic management policy, so why come up with the regulation after all?



I am always worried when I see people standing on the outer edge of the (door-less & boundary-less) elevated bus-stop exit/entrance point while waiting for the Transjakarta bus. It's so easy for someone to just fall down when being (accidentally) pushed by someone else on their back, because hey, there's no door or any safety guard, right?



Then seeing people getting punished / processed for expressing their thoughts on the internet, selling products online. What's happening?



I just wish things like these are not justified by 1) luxury, 2) the fact that there are many other less-fortunate people who go through worse things, 3) there are many other (more important) things to think about and take care of, and 4) people just need to make a living no matter how. Flaws are flaws, regardless the justifications and comparisons.



Good night, all...:)

Quote of The Day

"I've heard it said, that people come into our lives for a reason bringing something we must learn. And we are led to those who help us most to grow, if we let them."

- Wicked, "For Good" -

Two And A Half Cents

I really don't like TV shows that focus on low-income families and treat these families as somewhat entertainment-commodities. One of said shows would be "Jika Aku Menjadi". In this show, a guest star (usually a female) is required to live and work with a low-income family for a couple of days, and in between, she would cry and tell the viewers how sad she is to see how much this family "suffer" and struggle on a daily basis, and that she should be more thankful to God for having a better life than them. That boils me.



You see, doing such is no different than walking down the street and approach a random hawker and say, "oh my, your life is so tough. Thank God I have a better life". No matter how "poor" someone is or some people are, we should never belittle their status. I mean, seriously, you cry in front of someone you consider poor, because you're sad that he or she is so poor? Imagine how the poor person would feel. He/she will feel poorer, because someone is making it clearer for him/her that he/she is extremely poor.



I remember a guest star of the TV show giving her comments which more or less sounded like this: "I'm so sad, (cries), because he works so hard (cries), and it's so lonely here (cries). This man works every day picking up tree sticks and gets only Rp.10.000 a day, while I can spend so much for a single lunch (cries). There's no entertainment here, no shops, nothing. I always complain back in the city, while in fact there's so much entertainment there. We have cinemas, malls (cries). I can't imagine living his life".



And how does saying such a thing make that man feel any good?



Wouldn't it be much nicer if we actually made him feel better instead of poorer? Why do we need to emphasize on things he (currently) doesn't have and point out in front of his face that his life is "so poor"? Instead, we should appreciate his hard work whatever his "job" is, no matter how much he earns. We should remind him of how lucky he is, because he is given such good health and strength. We should tell him how much we envy his simple, humble life in the village, because life in the city is full of complexities. We should provide him the faith that he can make a betterment in life if he works harder. We should support him to never feel disheartened, for life, no matter what, works in many different ways. And we guide him with whatever knowledge or information we have, so he can be inspired. If this is done, then providing him (and his family) some cash at the end of the show as a capital for him to start a (better) job would be more relevant.



Helping people is not supposed to be done only by (giving) money. But by (giving) moral support. And respect.