My great date with the lovely ladies

I know I should have posted this lovely photos with lovely ladies yesterday, but I left the USB connector in my other bag, problem of being a woman with bag collections :)

It's time to reveal all the beautiful ladies... yes this one with Elyani in it (apologize for the bad quality photos as it was taken by my Casio Exilim camera:)


From left to right: Anita, me, Therry and Elyani.

And the date was at Cazbar, good food and great companions..

The first impression of these ladies was WOW... they were stunning and lovely, Therry with goldish top and white stripes pants looks young and chick, oh I really envy her long legs with white pants. I would NEVER EVER pull off white pants like she did. In fact, I never have white pants in my life. You can feel Therry's youth, happy and positive vibe.

Elyani look really young and I guess she's in her early thirties not over than 35, and I would die to have her fine flat abs, she's one of kind to have that fabulous body (I want the secrets!). Her simple black shirt and grey knitted bolero enhance her healthy and fit body. I was drowning at Elyani's calmness and maturity, she's calm like a lake but you love to be around it. I bet all of her friends will come to her if they have problems and asking for the best solutions, yes she's that kind of person. I admire that.

The best thing is, it wasn't feel like we just met for the first time, it feels like we were old friends catching up. We couldn't stop talking about everything and there was not awkward silent among us, amazing isn't it?

And agreed with Elyani, this "land coffee" is addicted.

Next "land coffee" would be in Sundanese Restaurant, anybody care to join us?

Questions of the week

Stolen questions from Elyani:

1. How long does it take you to get out of bed in the morning?
I'll say 2 seconds, cos right away after the alarm went on someone will open the curtains let the sun shining the bedroom and shake my body by saying "waktunya bangun".. how can one could continue laying in bed after that?

2. If you had an elementary school reunion, how would your classmates remember you?
I'm not sure about this, but I remember my classmates & schoolmates have special nick name for me, something related to my physical appearance because my boobs start to grow when I was in 4th grade.

3. When having an argument with your significant other, do you raise your voice? Have you ever given him or her the silent treatment?
Well, maybe a little bit of raising my voice but not too much cos I'm not a yelling kind of person. This is what I usually do after an argument: cry and then silent until I want to talk to him again, bad bad..

4. If you received mail at your home addressed to The Sexiest Person in the Neighborhood, would you open it or assume it is for your neighbor?
Of course it's for me, it's about time they acknowledge me! LOL

5. Do you consider yourself a hopeless romantic or romantically hopeless?
In between.

6. Are you an only child, first born, middle, or youngest in your family? Do you believe in the idea that birth order plays a large determination in personality?
I'm the youngest from 2. No, I don't believe that birth order plays a large determination in personality, because I'm more responsible and mature than my late brother.

7. What lesson did you learn as a child that still hold true?
Believe in yourself, eventhough no body believes in you.

Now, how about you?

Children feel 'hurt' on their national day

Article taken from The Jakarta Post

The commemoration of National Children's Day turned sour Wednesday with the government refusing to allow children to read out their demand for the establishment of a special ministry of their own.

The request is the last point of a six-point declaration, titled "Voice of Indonesian Children", drafted during the just-concluded 7th Indonesian Children's Congress in Bogor, West Java.

The restriction, viewed as a denial of freedom of expression, took place right under the nose of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who was among the state dignitaries attending the celebration at the Taman Mini Indonesia park in East Jakarta. It remains unclear if the President has been informed about the censorship.

Representatives of the children said the event organizers had forbidden them from reading out the sixth point for "political reasons".

The event was organized by the Social Services Ministry.

"We feel hurt by the restriction. What we know is that the declaration is just an expression of our ideas, so we should have been allowed to speak out," said Ajat Sudrajat, who was among the children who signed the declaration.

"We don't care if the ministry could only be established in the next 10 years or so. We just want to be heard."

Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah defended the restriction, but denied it was intended to disappoint the children.

He said he had talked to the children during the congress.

"I explained to them the condition of our country. It is impossible for the government to set up the ministry because it would increase the burden on the state budget.

"(The establishment of the ministry) is not that urgent. Maybe we can only make it come true within the next 20 years when our country's economy has improved."

He asked the children to stop complaining and demanding their own rights.

National Commission for Child Protection secretary-general Arist Merdeka Sirait said the restriction was evidence of the government's lack of commitment to addressing the problems that Indonesian children are facing.

"We urgently need a ministry that deals with children's affairs, as the government has failed to address children's problems, such as violence and child labor. There is no coordination among the related ministries in coping with the problems," he said.

The commission estimated about 6.5 million children in the country were forced to quit school last year in order to work.

Speaking to about 15,000 children during the ceremony, Yudhoyono called on related ministers and regional administrations to take steps to implement the declaration -- minus the special ministry for children's affairs.

"Ministries and regional administrations should actively participate in implementing the declaration. This is also part of our commitment to address children's problems in the country as we have ratified the UN Convention on Child Protection," the President said.

Voice of Indonesian Children

On Tuesday, July 22, 2008, we, the children of Indonesia, declared in the seventh National Children's Congress that we:
1. Will aspire to be creative, intelligent, qualified children and be protected from all acts of violence, exploitation, abandonment and discrimination.
2. Will need protection from the dangers of tobacco in order to grow and develop as naturally as possible.
3. Will increase our understanding and be conscientious toward healthy lifestyles and our reproductive health to avoid the dangers of infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS and the use of drugs.
4. Will unite children living in underprivileged, border and isolated regions with the help of proper infrastructure.
5. Will voice our aspirations through the regional children forum that will subsequently be passed to the Indonesian National Children's Congress as a platform to share information and education on civil democracy at the earliest stage in order to build solidarity among children and the territorial integrity of the Republic of Indonesia.
6. Will call for the need for a special ministry for children's affairs to respond to children's needs.

The government should react wisely instead of banning children to read out their demand! We should take a good care of our children if we want them to build this country into a better one.

Poor people can't afford to be ill (part 2)

Received devastated news yesterday evening, Sam's driver passed away after being hospitalized for one week, the first diagnose was dengue fever but then doctor told family that the cause of death was complication of diabetes and liver infection.

He was a good guy, never complaint, and helpful. I think he's 40 something (I don't know his actual age) and he has 2 daughters around 11 years old and 5 years old. We didn't expect this kind of news as when we came visit him last Saturday he said his thrombocytopenia a.ka thrombocyt increased but not yet achieve normal level and he was apologizing to Sam for being ill and couldn't come to work, we said no need to apologize just take a good rest and we wish him to get well soon.

Yesterday morning his wife called Sam, crying that her husband is in critical condition and they need to put him to ICU, but the hospital won't proceed until they pay down payment.. Oh My God, people dying and the hospital insists to receive the down payment first, I can't believe it. This hospital is being a bastard.. I heard from his good friend that actually his was in critical condition since 1am but the hospital won't proceed without any DP, that's why his wife called Sam in such a rush asking for help. I know I'm not supposed to questioning God's will but maybe if the hospital gave him proper treatment and put him in ICU right away he will be ok, maybe... or maybe this is what God's wants for him, no question or what so ever.

The family wants him to be buried in Ponorogo, but the hospital doesn't provide the ambulance so the family should arrange it by themselves. When we abut then being an asshole (pardon my language) the hospital won't give any permission to ambulance that came from other agency, the hospital insists to use ambulance from their partners, which cost is twice more expensive from the previous ambulance. Geez... they're really trying to squeeze some money from people. The family doesn't have any other option than use the ambulance from hospital's partner because in Moeslem, the human corpse should be buried no later than 24 hours. I'm so proud of Sam because he willing to help the family, you did the right thing baby..
After all the paperworks done, we say good bye to him at 9.30 pm last night and probably they arrived at Ponorogo by now.

I wonder what would happen if the family doesn't have someone to help them :(

Good bye Pak Budy, may you rest in peace.

Poor people can't afford to be ill

Condition applies only in Indonesia.

Came across many articles about ill people who happened to be poor being rejected by hospitals or didn't get proper treatment just because they don't have money: here, here , and here (sorry all articles are in Indonesian). Shame on those hospitals, I thought hospitals supposed to be the place to help people, the place that you can count on once you're ill, no matter what rich or poor.

Being poor is not their choice, it's the condition made them like that, if they can change their destiny I bet they would.

My colleague told me story that her uncle's construction worker fell off the stairs and broke his bone, when they checked him up at RSPP, the hospital said that he has to wait for 2 weeks for the surgery... but... if he can pay more money to upgrade the class then the hospital can do the surgery ASAP, WTF...

I also heard stories that the hospital insists to receive certain amount of money at the registration/administration area otherwise they won't proceed with treatment.

Is it because government didn't subsidize hospitals or what?

You may find related articles: here, here, and here

What should those poor people do when they're ill?

Where should those poor people go when they're ill?

Sad, sad situation. I am really sorry for them :(

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What kind of animal would do such thing to an innocent women? Sick sick sick sick.... It is crazy world out there, but it is up to us to make a difference.

Age That I Wish To Go Back To

Thanks to Rima and GJ for this "assignment"...

I'm happy with what I am now but if I had a chance to go back to certain age I wish to go back to when I was 10, (not so long ago though lol), age when I already understood how to show and express love to my parents.

If only I knew that God will take my father away from me when I'm 16 y.o I will utilize my time to express my love to him and won't take him for granted.

My father & I share same star sign (Leo), so we always celebrate our birthday together, and our personality, interests, characteristic, attitude is almost the same. Being a copy of my father made me a daddy's girl, I was really close to him than to my mother. And when he passed away when I was 16 y.o I felt like my whole world has rumbled and I don't have someone to hold on to. I was crushed, smashed, shattered and broken-hearted, I couldn't stop crying for the whole week and I got fever for the first 3 days, my relatives said that I had black out at the hospital.

If only I knew that he will leave me forever that day, I will use my time to take care of him at the hospital instead of hang out with friends and pursue my extra activities in my high school.

Thanks to my mom and friends to company me thorough my mourn and help me stand up on my own feet. Life must go on, and I know he will always be with me in my heart and I'm sure that he knows I love him dearly.

I wish I go back to when I was 10 y.o because I wish I could maximize my time with my father.

And now it's time to pass this "assignment" to: Wenni, Miss Lai Lai, Tere, Anita, Elyani.

The rules are:
Title: Age That I Wish To Go Back To# Requirement: Write about the one age that you wish to go back to and why?
Tag Mode: 5 bloggers
1st - You list 5 bloggers you want to tag and link their blogs
2nd - Let the blogger you want to tag know they been tagged by comment in their blog or etc.

About us and them: A(n Almost) Lesbian Story

I should write this posting on last Friday as Anita & I promised to post at the same time just like Therry & Rima, but I caught up with something else and I still have jet lag from the long flight. So here is my side of the A(n Almost) Lesbian Story....

I remember the 1st time I met Anita was in Coffee Club Plaza Senayan (that place is like our second home where everybody knows our name), I was with my other good friends Asti, Prila & Melly, and Anita & Jenny came along after finished their shopping together.

And just like that one thing lead to another, after the 1st meeting we were having another hang outs with the other girls (Asti, Prila, Dinar, Melly), just like that we're so click to each others and we formed a cool gank as we always celebrate birthday together or just having coffee at where else than Coffee Club Plaza Senayan or party on Friday night which usually generated by Anita and we have special nick name for her "Party Organiser", because when she's around she always managed to get us together to have party somewhere.

My relationship with Anita is heading to the next level, yes.. we become closer to each other along the way. I started to read her blog and she also starts to read my blog, she's one of my (real) other than colleagues who blogs and her blog is so interesting to read. Melly & I used to say that Anita is the real writer, Melly & I blog just for personal satisfaction, Anita's blog inspired me to write even more but I'm not even half good as her, she's a real deal. I bet you all agreed with me ;)

And then we start to exchange text message on daily basis, not necessary important things to discuss just silly and fun stuff that we found it interesting. And this habit didn't stop when she moved to Scotland, I remember on the last day she was in Asia (Singapore to be exact), we text each other just like she's still in Jakarta until Sam reminded me that He's next to me and want to get some of my attentions too!

Anita & I have strong bond and sometimes we even want the same thing although we're 6 hours and 12,000km apart; books. Facebook quizzes also become one of prove on our similarity to each other, I know that quizzes are not supposed to be taken seriously but every quiz that we do we always got high scores, it seems like we're one person or soul mate, bizarre isn't it.

The last coincident or so we called it was when I shown her model of my bridesmaid gown for her event, reason why I show it to her because I'm afraid that it will be too revealing and the weird part was that she said the gown that she bought in Singapore has similar model with mine, among all gown models in this world we choose the similar model without any arrangement before hand.

I'm so grateful to have a chance to know Anita, Melly and the other girls (which Sam refers as the Gals), because they are meant so much to me. I can be myself around them and we can fill up the gap among us. The blogsphere also gave me great friends, although I haven't meet them in person but I can feel it that we can be good friends just like we meet in real life, thanks to late night chat Therry, and this other blogger that I can not reveal her identity for security reason and it's you. And Rima, I know somehow we can click when we meet up, foursome is not a bad idea isn't it? ;)

And other bloggers, I hope I can meet you all, just like Anita said next agenda is kopi darat, cos I value good friends, life is too short to have enemies.