Places to Eat

Fix You - Coldplay

Fix You - Coldplay
When you try your best but you don't succeed


When you get what you want but not what you need


When you feel so tired but you can't sleep


Stuck in reverse




And the tears come streaming down in your face


When you lose something you can't replace


when you love some one buy it goes to waste


could it be worse?




Lights will guide you home


And ignite your bones


And I will try to fix you




And high up above or down below


When you're too in love to let it go


But if you never try you'll never know


Just what you're worth




Lights will guide you home


And ignite your bones


And I will try to fix you




Tears stream down on your face


When you lose something you cannot replace


Tears stream down on your face


And I




Tears stream down on your face


I promise you I will learn from my mistakes


Tears stream down on your face


And I




Lights will guide you home


And ignite your bones


And I will try to fix you.

Of Cancer

A
short message early in that morning from my sister deliver the
ill-fated news. One of our closest aunt has passed away after months
struggling from cancer. I was deeply saddened because it’s just no more
than two months ago she was bursting in tears hugging me on her
wheelchair when I visit her during my holiday. She could barely moved
at that time, her usually lively and cheerful self has gone.

 

Their
son Rafi, is often seen as a replacement son for my father and mother,
because I’ve always been away from home since junior high. He is about
my age and have a very pleasant demeanor about him. Always handy and
willing to help us and others, be it friends or relatives. For example
when my mum was sick while my dad was away, he always be the one who
took her to the hospital even late at night taking care of everything.
Especially during the passing of my sister, how he’s running errand
here and there helping my family. Don’t know how to thank him enough
for that. Sometimes I pity the fact that I am so far away from family
especially during these hard times.

 

I
remember the day when I reluctantly have to get back to Jakarta, my
late aunt and family (who live nearby our home in Makassar), woke up
early in the morning and then walk me to the car as we head to the
airport. I recall saying how we’ll meet each other again next year and
she replied with an Insya Allah remark. It’s happened that this time
God didn’t permit us to meet again. May she rest in peace, and God give
strength to her family in this time of grieve.

 

This
very morning Leysus - an Indonesian comedian has also passed away of
cancer. So did Bastian Tito, the author of Wiro Sableng yesterday. It
all made me realize once more how cancer is truly a deadly illness.
Like a bad luck or a stray of typhoon landed in our back yard. Lately
the media coverage has confirm my burgeoning suspicions about formalin
and all sort of hazardous preservatives addition to our daily food.
Usually when I bring this to any conversation, people would just
dismiss it as hearsay and unfounded rumor. Well, in the interest of
self preservation it’s always better for us to watch where and what we
eat and drinks, because we never know.

 

It’s
a shame and somewhat irritating really how some people lack respect to
other’s health and safety, and I fully support all the institutions who
finally investigate this formalin gate. I mean, for one, the package of
the substance has already marked with red skull and the word ‘danger’
typed in bold red, if it’s not complete ignorance then I don’t know
what else to call it.

 

It’s been one sad journal. A poem by John Donne
perhaps suitable at this moment, because although death is a certainty
to all, maybe we can take strength from the courage showed behind these
verses.

Death be not proud, though some have called thee  

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not so,  

For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,  

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill me.  

From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,          

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,  

And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,  

Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.  

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,  

And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,

And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,  

And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then;  

One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,  

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

Melanie's Wedding

Little House on the Prairie

Life isn’t just all about the
endings, is it? It’s a series of continuous moments, unless probably
when the judgment day has come. So when we see Tom Hanks and his son
finally meet Meg Ryan on top of The Empire Building, or when Hugh Grant
rush to the conference room and admits to Julia Robert about being a
daft prick, I really would like to know what’s next lie waiting for
them. Perhaps we can come back ten years later, are they squabbling a
lot? Are they still together? And so many other question ones can
conjure up their minds (But please none of those dimwitted sequels
around).

So when I got me a call the other day
from a lady with a nice voice saying that my loan application to their
bank is approved, I was overjoyed. I’ve been dreaming about this for so
long. Having a home of our own, albeit it’s a small one and situated at
about one hour from whence I’m currently working. As the Chinese would
say, a journey of thousand miles started with a single step. Well, this
is my single step forward.

It was not that easy applying
for the loan. Plenty of work papers need to be filled. The Primary Tax
Number for one and how to convince the previous owner to let us copy
his Ownership Certificate was just among several tricky things we face
along the way. Good thing the Bank’s marketing staff happens to know a
member of my wife’s family. We really received gargantuan amount of
help from him. Imagine, we’ve got our approval notice in less than a week.

My wife is such a great saver. If it
were up to me, we’d have end up with zilch amount in the bank, for I
was such a reckless spender. But thanks to her crafty and strict
expenses management policy, we had enough to pay half the House and
save some for renovation and furniture. Many people said that the price
really was a bargain, plenty of offers in the table, yet because the
owner is residing in Surabaya, it’s rather difficult for them to reach
any agreement. My wife flew all the way to Surabaya to convince the
family that we’re the right buyer for them. Kudos for her, she managed
to persuade them to come to Jakarta when the contract signing date
arrived.

It’s not all well and dandy though;
we still have to face the moving on thing, which is going to be a real
bitch. Facing several squabbles deciding what color to choose for the
paint, what kind of coffee table and sofas to fill the living room. How
to be more docile facing the commute every day from home to the office
is one of the daunting prospect lies ahead, and many more. Hopefully
that will not take the joy out of our new start, as I was saying, life
is a series of continuous moments.  

When I was a little boy, I loved to
watch Little House on the Prairie every Sunday for years. We have our
own little house now, and South of Bekasi is our new prairie.

Euro RSCG Portfolio

Lautandhana

I knew a guy who knew a guy who works in some investment management company. They need some sort of video presentation, so I was asked to make a bumper video with a little animation to present the company. This was shorter, the actual movie is about four minutes of company profile stuff. The music also more like an ambience ... so it's not as snappy and random as this. I bid them goodluck on tonight's launching.