A Girl Who Travels

Ahem a super hardcore code for guys out there haha 

A Month Away

So literally counting down the days now to my holiday. First time to go to other countries in South East Asia and solo tripper. Nervous! 

As Indonesian, I have to admit that I have a bit of sentiment towards Malaysia. It's a long story between the two countries, but I have nothing personal against anyone. I just hope they will treat me nicely :) 

Bigger thing I might need to worry about maybe the cruise to Halong Bay, we haven't booked any, as far as I know. A friend in Hanoi says she would help but I haven't heard from her for awhile. Worst case if we don't get a cruise for 2 days and 1 night cruise, we might just take day cruise. It means we have more time to spend in Hanoi. 

Oh so ready to get stamps on my new passport! 

Dream BIG!

They say "if your dream doesn't scare you, it's not big enough" and I'm feeling it right now. This dream is scaring the shit out of me...

Partly because I know my parents wouldn't like it, the rest is because it wouldn't be easy, it would take a lot of sacrifices. Financially, physically and mentally. I got you curious by now eh?

This thing I have been boiling in my head for more than a year is... I want take a career break and have an adventure namely "Working Holiday Visa in Australia" for 12 months. Yes, I have been thinking about it for quite awhile but when I found out that one of my friend finally got the visa, I can't help myself from remembering how much I want it! Plus now I have clearer view on how to get it and what's in store for me if I get the visa.

Obstacles:

1. Monstrous Parents, haha they're not that bad but they can be very discouraging, to an extreme level if we're talking about my dad. I have dropped the bomb, my step mom at first was supportive but once she talked to my dad... well you know. My dad is the type of parent who always (this is my perspective, maybe not always) thinks that his kids' ideas are ridiculous. I have won the battle of choosing my own major at university, wherein my younger sister lost, so I will win this one also! #determinated 

2. Money. You know what, in my language Bahasa Indonesia policy = kebijaksanaan, which actually means wisdom. But most kebijaksanaan is not wise! Just a backpacker saying. This visa policy requires people who want to get Working Holiday visa to have AUD5000. 

With two trip plans (which I have the tickets already) I am flat broke haha. I picture myself like a homeless man with a bottle of booze in his hand, all broke but have a stupid smile on my face XD

Lucky I have a friend who is willing to help me up by putting his money into my bank account until I get the visa and send it back to him, however it's not AUD5000 yet. So I'm still looking for a volunteer, anyone? :D

3. Age limit. This is the saddest and embarrassing one LOL. There is such thing as age limit for this kind of visa, which is once again NOT WISE for me (and some other old people), which is 30. I have to apply before I get to my 30th birthday next year. This year is my last chance, hope my parents understand that their aging daughter is just not (yet) the marrying kind and wants to have adventure before going back to behind-desk work. 

Spending time browsing while waiting for the right moment when I have BALLS to once again drop the bomb at my parents is most likely what I would do these days. You are welcome to disturb me with a comment saying you would love to lend me some money, I will send you a copy of my dad's ID so you know where to find him :P

Anywayyyyy aside from being all pensive about this subject, I am so stocked about my June trip! And my birthday! And oh oh oh I finally got drawn by this cool guy jab_comic from instagram, check this out!!!

I am so happy with this drawing, it is worth the waiting and the waking up at 4 am to get into the list of people he would draw. It's 11 pm here now, I might want to wake up early tomorrow for a swim if the weather will be friendly unlike today. So... cheerio! 

Bali March 2013 - Youth Exchange Mini Reunion

We were using the event of Cynara's, a friend from youth exchange program I participated back in 2005 who now lives in Germany, home coming to have mini reunion. Initially it was just the two of us, plus her boyfriend, who would meet up. Considering the awkwardness of meeting a couple (hehe) I invited some more of my youth exchange friends! 

The grandest thing is I've got to meet my best friends again, Herry a.k.a Bear and Sony 

Embarrassingly we call ourselves Power Puff Kids lol, this pic was taken at Blue Point at an awesome afternoon 

Besides these two fight partners, another ex participant joined us, a Canadian named Shane. He currently works in Jakarta and he always always has this cute love for Indonesia. Hence he is back here now. 

Shane and I at Tanah Lot

This is one of the guests of honor, a friend of Sony, a new friend of mine named Jimmy but you can call him Jimbo :) 

At the gate of Tanah Lot, the guy on the right is the other guest of honor named Ivren. Sony is on the left. 

My Bear 

Cynara and me, at Potato Head Seminyak. That place was cool, they have these beds that looked kinda like couches and you could hanging out there, sad for us a couch could only fit 6 people. There was 8 of us. 

The reunion! I hope we can do it again soon, I don't mind the same venue :P 

Party of Eight! 

The ceiling of the Potato Head, I wonder why they didn't just name the place as The Windows.

They make me look short, darn! 

The Girls! (glad I had girls moment, most of the time I was with the guys urgh lol) 

More of us in front of the reason why they should name it The Windows! 

Outside view

That's me welcoming you to Monkey Forest, Ubud

My guys and me, there on the floor

Whatcha looking at?! 

Crrrrrazy roots, I say

I like how Shane was admiring the trees at the background lol 

Walking along the little creek 

The monkey should've climbed higher :( #jaim

Tegalalang Rice Field, Ubud. The boys had fun climbing up, me not so much 

The end of the journey :) See you soon Bali! 

Let The Office Posts Started

Nothing fancy about my job, I'm just a secretary for a legal department which consists of me, 5 men (4 of them with law background) and 1 male intern. That makes me the prettiest one in the office, no matter what (except the days I wear jeans, sneakers and polo tshirt - I look like a dude too).

Every morning (with an exception on days when my boss is on his leave, we try to skip this) we always have 3-4 hours meeting. Looking from the duration, we don't always talk about work. I work with funny people who are constantly teasing each other even about work.

When I say funny it's not just hilarious funny but weird funny too, all of them have kinky notion about most of everything. Hence I have to be careful of what I say, else they'd corner me with their "interpretation" of my words.

My boss is a funny technology challenged man. He most of the time sounds like he's mad about things, but that's just how he talks. This is what happened yesterday:

Boss: hey look at this *pointing at his iPhone* isn't it a middle finger?
Coworker: nah that's a thumb
(He came to me to show the text)
Me: doh sir, that's a thumb.
Boss: now how do I get that kind of sign?
Me: download the emoji bla bla
Boss: hush hush just get me that (handed over his iPhone)

Then days before when I was sick:
Boss: what's wrong with you?
Me: dizzy, guess it's my anemia
Boss: that's the memory loss right?
Me: ..... that's amnesia

Nice try boss!

Indonesians and Sunglasses

I reckon some time after wearing contact lenses, my eyes get quite sensitive. I started to feel blinded by lights. I, since then, wear sunglasses a lot. By a lot means I have lots of them :D

The thing is Indonesians think sunglasses as something FANCY. They... We... associate sunglasses with celebrities. I guess back then it's an expensive thing and only certain people can buy it. But dudes, that's far in the past yet I still get the bad influence from that era even from someone I know. Like one day on lunch break we went to the mall by public vehicle, an intern girl at my office said "wow you look like a celebrity, taking public vehicle" DOH.

That's nothing compared to this one hot day when I decided to go swimming. I didn't bother to wear my contact lenses cos I was going to swim, it was blasting hot outside so I wear my prescribed sunglasses. As I walked into the hotel I knew it would be too dark to wear sunglasses but heck it was just short walk to the pool, why bother to change to glasses. So I walked to the pool... noticed people were looking at me, sat at the usual corner and as I was getting ready to swim I heard giggle and a girl said to her friend "is she blind?" and more giggle. I stood up and glared at them. "Are you retarded to think a blind person could walk by the pool?" said my glare.

Moral of the story, some Indonesians choose to squint their eyes blinded by the sun. Some are normal....

Balikpapan Gulf

Sometimes good things happen unplanned, or not well planned, just happen. Last week on March 2nd, with just a little of organizing, me and other 8 people went to Balikpapan gulf.

I was curious about this place, and here are some of the pics of what I saw.

Love or Brain

This time around I choose brain

There Shall No Third Request

This is what everybody should know, about me, I'm pretty impatient or to be specific this time I just want to say I don't like to ask someone more than twice.

Having to have to ask for the third time means the other person just doesn't have the intention to do or give you what you ask. Perhaps even they don't listen to you at all. Happens. But I nvr get used to being invisible. It hurts.

Nuff Said

Silly as it may sound, this cartoon movie is important to me. Something I really keen and .... (look below). Can you tell what's the title? :)

Recipe to be HAPPY!

Being content with what you have is not a dream, it's a do.

Being a better person is a homework :D
In my case, I just want to be smart, so I will try my best to go back to school (which has been a goal for some years now). Chayo!

More recipe to be happy is as below ;)

C'est La Vie

Life is a giant ball of action and reaction. I suppose. Balls!

Sometimes no-action is an action, people react to it. For example when a guy makes no action (no move), I walk away *grins* that's reaction.

*silly thought ends here*

Chula Dresses

This is a Saturday, one particular Saturday I just have to stay home because:

1. I don't feel well lately, having a horrible sore throat. I am rather a non-med person, but hey two spoons of cough syrup help already! 

2. Due to some trip plans its time for *wait for it* budget cutting. YAY! 

Seeing it from the bright side:: I can do some researches for the trips!

For the Vietnam trip, I have made some rough itinerary on which Bernice (my future trip buddy from the Philippines) laughed at and she said she would make the itinerary. So then this morning she emailed me a list of things she wants to do, which mostly are about none other than... yes gents, SHOPPING. I have a feeling I have to bring folded chair, Rollerblades and counterpain for my feet. I can't stand hours of shopping, my method is: "think of what you need, look around, get whatever you need or interested in, get out". 

Anyway, on her list Bernice has this Chula Fashion Showroom, which caught my attention. The google search brought me to their website, fabulous collection. I will just post some that I like the most, to show you a bit of my taste :) 

The first two are my fave! They have catchy names too, recycled bride!  
So gonna check their showroom when I get to Ha Noi and hopefully try these dresses on! If they're wicked expensive I hope I won't fall in love with them. I have horrible weak spot for dresses.

Now I think I need a tighter budget cutting, darn haha. Anyway, during the writing of this post, Eddie asks me to go to the beach... so ciao, to the beach I go. 

Belitung Trip October 2011

AHOY!

Yay we arrived at the... ummm what-a-hard-name-to-remember airport!

I suspect this was after dinner, first night 

Going up and down 96 stairs for few days was awesome!
But had to do that cos the restaurant with amaaaaaazing food was up there.
Don't forget to order ice jeruk kunci, cold sweet lime drink 

Our $25 cottage was wonderful! Its called Bukit Berahu in Tanjung Binga.
Forever thankful to a couchsurfer who recommended it 

This is our cottage's front yard ;)

Cooperated Levitation >.<
Tanjung Kelayang Beach

The Swag

Loon (a nick name I gave her) is my fave person 

Loon is the bestest in making cute funny face
Starting our island hopping by torturing Patricks! 

There we were... arriving at Lengkuas island. This is the main attraction of the island hopping in Belitung.

Human scale :P

That was a tall tower we climbed up 

Dutch's "left-over" :P 

Yes, it was a prison

Looking out from the window, grasping for air too... its pretty hot inside 

Precious!

The lighthouse's light, wish we could be there at night and see how it works (if it still works). You could actually spend a night at the island and rent one of the creepy rooms. You know, OLD.
We should have pics of them somewhere. 

You can't help but to love this person, right? I heart you!
Pulau Burung a.k.a Bird Island, called so due to the shape of the rocks which look like  bird 

Finally the fantastic four (read: we had someone forced to be a photographer! Our boatman hehe) 

Neat spot to rest

Gross bisou de moi :D

Tanjung Tinggi beach 

My fave silly faces!

As if... right? :P 

Citra, the mostly-behind-the-scene girl 

Ballerina, Kung Fu Panda and Yogi 

Kissing the rock for Ruci who couldn't come along *grins* 

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