Eid Mubarok !!

Today is Thursday September 17, 2009. Ied Fitri is on Sunday, just 3 days left of fasting days. Allah SWT loves me, right now, I got cough almost two weeks.

There were so many lessons I learned at Ramadhan this year. My nephew stayed for 4 days at hospital, made us, each member of my families felt blue and sorry. Look like that staying at the hospital close to big day celebrations becomes habit in my family. Before that, my friend got stroke in his 34 year age and many friends knew they in not good condition. Yeah...we appreciate health when we are sick. Before Ramadhan, in purpose to maintain good health, I avoid carbo and I feel that it works for me and kind of surprise me...I am not feeling hungry.....I try to eat more vegies and fruits. But this ramadhan, I was back to old habits cause I don't want to bother my mom with special request. I hope I can start my vegies and fruits habits after Ied.

This Ramadhan is also the right time to test your mental attitude. Fighting with motorcycle rider happened to me. It made me thinking and wondering that 'the right one is the one who brave and fool to make mistakes' (hahaha....). Then, Poverty still take my breath away...it is so sad when I see a little girl or boy sings at the bus, lives at the street inside the cart or abandoned child in the street. I can not do anything to help them.......

On the other side, Ramadhan make the friendship stronger. We broke fasting together and made us more bounded. For some friends, businesses are growing..busy busy busy ....

Eid Mubarok ! Happy Ied Fitri and enjoy holidays.....

The Ironi of Life

Living in the foreign country is like living in the heaven. Going back again after finished the study surely brings back again the reality of life, and we (not just me) realized that. We called it another type of culture shock, to adept with our own life situation. The most shocked situation is our take home pay will be reduced (well, the denomination is actually bigger but the currency is different...hehehehhe). It created a big adjustment for us. Some are complaining but this is the real life of us. Saving is only dream.

Another things are the crowded of motorcycle and the traffic jam. I got headache because of those and wondering how come I survived before this, then I remembered to forget all the traffic situation and try to enjoy it. Look at the new building, count the number of selected store or restaurant, find the number of the street, try to imagine the taste of the food (hihihihii...) are the examples of spending time in the traffic.

In the other way, I blessed that I am here. I don't need eight or twelve dollar to spend for lunch...only one to one and a half dollar with so many variance of choice, and with 8 or 12, I can treat my family and friends.

And talking about ironi of life, I was so sad when I saw some kids in the street and they were smoking!!!....what a waste .....It made me numb and cannot say anything. Then I realized (again) that I am in the reality of my life.

Back to Work

Wow..it's been a long time that I am not visiting this blog and someone reminds me to start again writing....and as well with my purpose to practice my writing, I must write again. Next goal is to publish my writing in any publications.

Since May 5, 2009, I went back to the office after being abandoned (I like the terms...) for almost 4 months. I was feeling secluded and isolated because with two others graduates, we were placed at the meeting room that so hot without proper ac. Fortunately (or unfortunately...), as a consequence of new member, We did not have any duties or tasks (haaaa......).

After a week, the authorities placed us in special task force with another 15 people (imagine the condition of room..). The three of us are pointed to responsible of them. To guide, to share, to direct and another thing tasks.

Then, meeting and meeting are became daily menu...(waks...), not so busy but so so.

On the other story, going home with the bus that take more than two hours is another exhausted experience. Two years I skipped this activities and it is quite hard to start again.....first week, I needed to treat my feet with salt and warm water, koyo and param kocok (wuahhhh.....). Back seat at the bus is always my favorite seat but I cannot avoid if the bus is old and I need to stand, the height of bus is less than mine so it was killing me with neckache. And that the reason why I can sit patiently in the bus stop to wait at least one empty seat.

Another thing, my salary is normal without any reduction per June 2009 (horaayyy..). Although if I compare with my forthnighly payment, it is a declined take home pay (pasti lah..) but it is better than January to April' salaries.

There are so many things to do that I must catch up that related to my organization: info, people, rules, habits, knowledge and I still feel left behind and need hard work.

After all, it is nice to go back to work after (let's me count.....) 4 years* (!!) not connected with the office.


PS: * Why 4 years? I just need 1 year for my programs but start from Mei 2005, I left my office then 6 (or more) months at IALF then another year back to Senen just to prepare my IELTS and went at January 2007, back again Mei 2007 for doing nothing and flied back at January 2008 and finished at January 2009......see 4 years (ok.... 3 and a half...). No wonder I am blank at the first meeting in my office..

Cinderela’s story: A story of finding the right shoes.

Well, as not like other Indonesians (again… I am not like any other Indonesians) and my friends who can easily buy their stuffs and things in common stores, I have a slightly different size (to who know my size hehehehhe keep quite please…..) and from the beginning of my new trisemester I just realized that I do not have any shoes that can fit properly for my graduation…..C’mon..should I wear my dress with my sport shoes or my slipper? Hihihih that’s my first thought.

Then, I made a complaint to my friends and they replied it by said you are lucky in Australia now, find the shoes with your size…(ehem special size actually). So…the hunt for the right shoes was started…..but it is not easy like everyone said…many stores I entered and no size of mine! together with my friend we hunted the shoes but we were looking for definitely contrary necessity…..that makes the shopkeepers got headache hihihih….. If I saw a right size shoes, whether the colour or the price was not right….or the other side….but never expect too much…almost gave up.

Finally, the search ended up when last week I found my shoes and just near to my place……even I considered it still quite expensive if I converted into my currency (always…..cheap taste…hihihih) because I bought two pairs, one for official events and one for casual one. And those were not the end of my shopping shoes, since the store is so close to my place, there is a possibility I can shop more……just everyone else to do…..(justification…..)

Confession from deep inside of my heart

When I saw the picture, I am surprised that you are not changed so much…I still can recognize you and suddenly all the memories came back and I cannot help my self to smile and laugh if I remembered at that time (while in back…song ‘heart of mine ‘by Bobby Caldwell played…).

People will say that I put too much on my expectation if I told this situation but I did it in purposes because I believe that this is only dream that never come true and I used it to encourage my self at least at the same level of your achievements. You are too good to be truth but I needed that. You were the reason I woke up early and eased my laziness if I felt reluctant to go for my lecture.

Believe it or not, you are one of many role models that I have. I planned myself to become just like you……fluent in English, graduated from advanced level of our internal institution, had a professional degree and title, strong and charismatic personality and combined with a bit of arrogant and high self confident while still in good looking and charming.

Wow…fifth ten years ago and how times flied so fast……..hihihihi..it seems I fall in again….


PS: dedicated to him and please my best friends who knew this story….stop laughing.

My Motto: Conquer yourself, Do not expect too much, Expect for nothing but be grateful for whatever you received it.

You must be wondering how come I can define and put a quite long quote for my motto of life and the reason why, but those are what I got from my experiences. No kidding. Those motto made me who am I now. Some people said I am too independent, highly self confidence and maybe some people thought that I am quite arrogant by stating that. But I am telling you, it is not easy to have enough confidence and independent, always look at positive side and optimistic but at the same time must put your self in other people position, humble, caring for other, not materialistic and comprehend other and also not judging others and always open minded.

First, conquer yourself means that you can do anything, there are no limitation of that but sometimes you (or in this case, myself) always make reasons not to do that actually can do. It also teaches you to comprehend and understanding more about yourself and found the way to reduce or erase the obstacles that come from inside you (or me) like if you always delay your tasks, you know you will involve in trouble if the due date come and maybe in order to conquer yourself, you (or me) will make schedule, try to finish the tasks a little by a little, make a preparation and hopefully the tasks will be finished on time. Furthermore, the motto gave me encourage to try everything (in positive things) and nothing wrong to try accept that you will gain your skills and experiences and trust me: practice makes perfect.

Second, do not expect too much, hmmm what can I say? This motto is really really helping me a lot to cover the reality. I never have so big difficulties. Life is sooo easy for me and I try to make as an easiest way to get the solution over my problems. Thank God, I think I am far from stressed and as a return, you will face the life more easily and hopefully life will give you back its kindness. The last motto is be grateful and that is not easy to do. We (read: me) are humans and like to make comparison with each other as a result you feel deficiencies for everything. I did that sometimes, but then I started to counting my lucks and kindness from God…(wow I got so many…) and then I feel safe and comfortable with what I have now.

Learning from your own experience is the best teacher that the adage said but for me, the bad or even the worse experiences should not be experienced by yourself, you can learn those from others and hope you never have those same situations. Being an observer to other people and trying to understand what the reasons behind others’ actions are my favorites. There are so many people that we can learn from them, put the bad ones and take the positive one. Never underestimate other people and take attention to common people and low ranks in the organization because we can learn more from them and they are sometime more welcome than higher ranks people or important people (of course..).

Well, hopefully my sharing can help others and tell you the reason why I became what I am now.

Ramadhan: The Blessing month

Time flies so fast and now is the 16^th day of Ramadhan, the first experience of fasting far from families, friends and familiar surroundings in Tweed Heads, Australia. Fortunately, this Ramadhan is in Spring (or still winter because is soo cold), the fasting time just like in Indonesia from 4.30 am to 5.30 (or around that), but there are so many differences in here.

First, I think I am the only one in my class that do fasting, so I still can smell good coffee in the class (my fortune heh) and all people still busy to do their lunch and their activities with food and drink and even just now in my university, we had fusion day that presented international student’s cultural that, of course, including to provide different tastes of foods from different countries (hiksss..). but never mind, I must survive.

Second, I missed my families (Bapak, Mama, my sisters and brother). Sahur is the most important time, it looks like we catch up each other and share our experiences and stories from workplaces or schools. Ramadhan is the time when my friends and I made appointments to break fasting together (Epoy, Yanti, Didi, Saumty, Dewo). But, in here, I did it my self (so empthy…) and for breaking fasting hiks..(gosh.. I am bored with my own cooking heheheh). Lucky me, at the first day of fasting, I was invited to join Mrs Fauziah and her friends at her restaurant (Ms. Fauziah is the frontier of Indonesian citizen in Gold Coast that owned Indonesian restaurant, Bali Hut that closed to Twin Town ..thank you mam.. It made me feel I have family in Australia).

Third, I missed adzan and all telly programs that accompanied us when we take sahur or break our fasting. Again, after eight months I never heard and missed a lot of adzan, we (Inca, bude and I) were invited to join breaking fasting at the 6^th day of ramadhan in Arundel Mosque close to Southport by Mrs Fauziah. We lifted BMW (what a fancy car...for real). All my thirst and hunger of adzan fulfilled and of course, my stomach (hihihi…) and not mentioned so many handsome men (ups..).

Fourth, this is a dangerous one, because the weather changed from Winter to Spring and this is my first experience of the weather, I must make adjustment of it and believe it or not, I always feel cold and when I am cold, I will feel hungry and because this month is fasting, I cannot eat or drink and then I feel dizzy and cannot think or study because after finished two classes on Tuesday, I got headache (well, I am not blaming the fasting month). The solution is I must study after breaking fasting but (again… making reason) I feel sleepy.

Basically, I missed ramadhan’s ambience in Indonesia where we celebrate Ramadhan together. Well, another question for me: where I should pay my “zakat fitrah” then (another homework for me).