Why would people chop other people's heads off just because they were of different religion?
Please, spare my head..

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri.
Mohon Maaf Lahir Bathin.
And Glenn, thanks again for the beautiful and touching card.

Posted by hera at 4:05 PM | Permalinks | Comments   

Yesterday was my day off and I had a side job at a private TV station. It was my second time being asked to be a source, but it was my first time coming to its office, which turned out to be pretty lavish. The waiting room was similar to a five-star hotel lounge, with carpeted floor, comfy sofa, and everything. There was even a butler serving us food and beverages!
None of other TV stations I know have office like that.

I was brought to the make up room, to be made up, of course hehe. And a bunch of anchors were going back and forth inside, all looking dazzling! I mean, there was no single regular-look/mediocre-look anchors, all of them looked like they've been genetically enhanced with that slim bodies, and chic figure-hugging outfits.
I looked away, looking at the mirror, only to find my bulging stomach:( which I immediately covered with my hands.

Before entering the studio, The producer asked how many stars I would give for the film I reviewed. I said, 2 out of 5, as it was a crappy movie. Inside, I got nervous because it turned to be a live show instead of taped. But I knew what I was gonna say, so I got relaxed.

Turned out, my part was a very short one, as the show was more interested in people's opinion a.k.a. callers, who none of them have even seen the movie. At the end of my so-called segment, the host asked about the star rating. I swear he asked about the acting quality instead of the film as a whole. So I gave a three instead of 2. I even said 3 plus!

After it was over, the producer said "You said it was 2-star!". I was shocked and defended myself, saying that the host asked about the acting, not the film. But the producer insisted, and we got into a debate.
Yeah well, there goes my hardly 15-minute of fame, and my reputation (like there's any :P).

Posted by hera at 10:35 AM | Permalinks | Comments   

Forget my previous posting, I miss my iPod a lot! :(

Posted by hera at 4:59 PM | Permalinks | Comments   

My sister called the other day, saying that she had something to announce. I was, like, "not agaaain", thinking that she was going to splurge another family story.

But it wasn't. She said, "I know you're not gonna like it. I know what you're gonna say..blablabla.. But I'm gonna tell you anyway." Pause. "I'm pregnant."
I gave a loud shriek, and she yelled "I knew it! I knew it!!". I didn't really listen to her next sentences, because my mind was occupied with all the troubles she would face.

This pregnancy would be her third. She already has a couple of children, a 6.5 year-old boy and a 2.5 year-old girl. My husband and I have a nickname for them: Double trouble:)
They're both very cute and very bright, yet they're veeery active and highly energetic. Everytime we meet, they would greet us with high pitch sound and gave us 'friendly' punches, which as Joey Tribbiani put it, feel like we've been hit by tiny, but very real, bats.
And the punches wouldn't stop there. They would ask us to play and all, which always test our physical endurance with all the running, rolling around, and more punches and kicking.
Although, we would miss them if we don't meet for sometimes.

Also live in the suburb (ciee gaya hehe) both my sister and brother in law have troubles in finding times to meet the kids on weekdays. More problems come when the kids are sick. I got headaches just looking at them. Because if Radhi's sick, he would also infect Najya. So the virus or whatever the cause of the disease will go back and forth that it would take sometimes until both get completely healthy.

Finding good babysitter and maid haven't been easy either. My parents then often go all the way from Bandung to help take care of the kids.
Not to mention the money to finance the kids. I mean, geeez, having kids are so costly!! Especially now with the fuel price and other prices soaring high. I'm also concerned about how my sister's career have been jeopardized several times because she had to choose between career or kids.

Yet, with all the troubles, she casually thought of having another baby because "I don't wanna grow old and be alone".

Anyway, my sister is quite upset because everyone shared the same feeling as mine. My mom, for instance, said "Your sister (me) who just got married and you're the one who gets pregnant...again??". Ditto with her mother in law, and my dad, who imagined himself had to travel more to Jakarta to help with the kids.

At 33, most of sis' friends also only have 1 kid, only one or two who have 2 kids. Some of them even have just gotten pregnant with their first child. So, they were, like, so surprised and said "having three kids? in these days and age??".

My sister laughed all the reactions off, saying "Screw them all! Screw the so-called modern people! Kids are gift from Allah!". Whatever, man :D

The double trouble, however, were pretty ecstatic of having another sibling. Radhi said "If it's a boy, I want to name him Nokia!" before giggling and laughing hard. "Nooo, I want it to be a girl, and her name would be Princess Barbie," Najya said, also laughing and rolling on the floor.
Ah well, kids are funny like that. Maybe that's what gives my sister baby addiction.
Me? I'm not gonna say never, but maybe never, I don't know hehe.

Posted by hera at 10:36 AM | Permalinks | Comments   

A friend did a work once with his colleague. Later on, to his surprise, the colleague pitched the project by herself and got it, without even bother to tell my friend. Sure, he didn't want to get involve, but wouldn't it be nice just to be recognized? Just for courtesy's sake.

I thought about courtesy again when last month, I sms-ed another friend to wish him a happy birthday, but there was no reply. I didn't really think about that, but around a week afterwards, that friend sms-ed me "You're going to new york? Damn you! I'm so jealous!". I teased him "Oh, I'm going to New York and you send me message but you didn't even bother to reply to my birthday wish?". He said "Hey, I'd be broke if I answered every birthday wish sent to me."

Sometimes a week ago, it was an old friend's birthday, and I called her several times but no answer. So, again, I sms-ed her birthday wish while trying to call her again but to no avail. Just this morning, out of the blue, she sms-ed me and asked how much I spent for wedding expenses.

Before you pass any judgment on me, I'm well-liked by my friends and as far as I know have quite good relationship with them:) So, don't even think that they did not answer my birthday wishes because they hate me.

I sent birthday wishes sincerely and out of affections for them. I'm not being demanding, but at least have a courtesy to say thanks. It's, like, standard of politeness, especially when you live with a so-called 'eastern value'.
To my friends, if you read this, no hard feelings, I still love you, guys:)

Posted by hera at 5:06 PM | Permalinks | Comments   

It's been a month since we moved to a new house in the galaxy far far away...:) We love it so far, no complain. Well, except that we have to wake up really early (by our standard), which is still an agony.

For instance, if I had to be in some place by 9 a.m., I had to catch the 7.30 bus to be able to make it on time, with the traffic and all. Which means I have to be at the terminal at 7 at the latest so that I can still get a seat. But on Mondays, since everyone is rushing for meetings and all, traffic jam is twice as bad, so I'd better catch the 6.30 bus, which means I must be at the terminal at 6!

I'm no morning person, so it's been quite a struggle for me to wake up as early as 5 a.m.. Thankfully, my reporting assignments aren't always in the morning. Hubby, on the other hand, is working 9 to 5, and the whole waking-up-early thing has managed to wake the beast in him :D He's one of the most patient guys I've ever known, but he's turned a little bit cranky ever since we moved here. Not pms-induced cranky ala me, though. But sense of humor definitely gone in the morning.

We have yet to fully adapt with the 'morning sickness', which successfully makes us look like a couple of pandas, thanks to the dark undereye circles caused by lack of sleep. But then come the fasting month. Yes, we're pretty much agnostic, but the devout Muslim upbringing have left us feeling a but guilty if not fasting (although, things are different with daily prayers and eating pork occasionally hehe).

The hardest thing is the pre-dawn meal or sahur around 3.30 a.m.. Oh, maaan, it's so tough! And it's twice as hard because there's no longer any religious reason to do it, you know. But we want to do it, really. For health reason, yes, and because it's a good mental exercise to resist, whatdoyoucallit, worldly desires. There are so many good childhood memories during fasting month as well that it's just hard to abandon it.

But man, sahur is hard. It's like buah simalakama. If I skip it, this unfit body -- thanks to a few years of smoking (have quit now), air pollution etc -- will start to have migraine and nausea around noon. But sometimes even if I ate sahur, I still get those headache and nausea. Maybe because I cut more sleep.

We don't have any solution yet, but now we don't push ourselves too hard to fast. I mean, if we make it to sahur, we fast, if not, we don't. We're pretty certain that we can resist such bad worldly desires even without fasting. We're pretty sure that we're good people with good hearts. Aren't we? hehe.

Posted by hera at 11:26 AM | Permalinks | Comments   

Sure, it's great for holding so many songs, the design is so slick and clean, and it makes you look cool (loves the look of admiration from people :D -- well, I'm that insecure). But somehow, this bloody thing fails me many times. It often hangs, or works slowly, the battery easily runs out. And just now, it crashed just like that.

I'm no techno savvy so I don't know why it's troubled. An IT staff at my office, however, said that carrying iPod around is like carrying a hard disk, it's sensitive to movements and shakes. So, no wonder it's easily troubled.

iPod mini seems fine, though, as friends who use it don't complain at all, except for the limited memory. But this 20GB type and above seemed to be too sensitive. I heard the newly launched iPod nano is also troubled that someone even got so upset he made a special website (or was it a blog?) about its flaws.

I know I shouldn't have complained, since got the iPod as a birthday present from my best friend. But I just hate hyped and overrated things.

Posted by hera at 2:28 PM | Permalinks | Comments