Rainy nights

Hujan rintik-rintik is expression in Indonesian meaning rainy days. 

I love being at home at night with rain falling around the house. It created an illusion that our house is a sole sanctuary. Cooling air. Peaceful and ever so quiet. Nothing can penetrate the serenity...

I always love this feeling as a child. 

Alone in my room, looking out the window. 

Barely can see anything beyond a few meters of rain curtain.

The white noise and soothing sounds of rain falling on the ground.

Feeding the ground to be fertile again tomorrow.

Tomorrow when we wake up in a bright new day.

Bright new days sunny and full of hope.

ROX Ragnarok Online Next Gen

 I spent a good part of my 2021, playing online RPG game ROX. 

Met a good community in Singapore, especially with my guild SG Forsaken.

Had argument (big one) in the chatting channel.

Met a few times over meals and ice cream with my guildmates.

Funny memory of "lucoa" getting non-sensical crystal during the gacha (after a terrible lifeshow dancing), was always hysterical.

The gathering of the old "uncle" like is funny.

I sat on my eyebrow embroidery, chatting with "aurice" who was trying to make people guessed his age. We said he is eighty, like a grandpa.

the casual flirtation with Chris, xiaogou, and with Faerion, syen, and fake-female Alice, PH gamers.

For now, I just want to recall the memory which seemed to start to fade away since I quit the game in June 2022.

In memory of Lucky

Memory and time sometimes is a scary and yet healing things. Given time, even the deepest wound can  heal. But you are often left with reminiscing the gentle memory of wonderful moments, and often we have the urge to collect them and secure them in a mental box, hoping to preserve it.

Today I want to remember Lucky, our first female robovski "robo" hamster. Agouti in color, H adopted Lucky during the depth of pandemic in April 2020. Her cuteness was beyond compare, and observing her antics kept us entertained during Singapore lockdown and subsquent time. 

Lucky was like ninja, she mysteriously scaled the walls of her enclosure, often find herself wedged in gaps between boxes, or even running around at our living room tamely. She in fact, scaled the wall, and somehow jumped to ManMan's enclosure barely a week or so ManMan being adopted. The mystery we have not solved even to this day. Since she and ManMan were united, she stopped her escapade.

Lucky was skittery at first, similar to typical temparent of robo drawf hamster. But soon enough, she was very comfortable with human touch. Jumping up and down H's thigh when he played with her every morning and evening. 

Lucky's favorite spot was being caress just over her neck, and she would contentedly sit and allowed herself to be pet.

Lucky loved mealworm and hazelnut. She had a very strong sense of edible and healthy food, including a good chunk of egg yolk. Lucky can peel sunflower and pumpkin seeds leaving a perfectly cutout shells.

Lucky survived until 5th October 2022 when I was away at business trip in San Fransisco. The week before I left for my trip, Lucky rested her head on my hand when I was trying to feed her, and feel asleep on my finger. I felt so sorry for seeing her weakened state as she appeared to be blind and limping through her enclosure. She also started losing her fur, starting from her head creating a bald patch, but later on past her 2 years of age, started to spread to the right side of her body. She also often shivered during her sleep, and often found herself looking for ManMan as sleeping companion, potentially for both warmth and comfort.

I am trying to console myself that Lucky has lived through a wonderful 2.5 years of life, in hamster age 140 years old, and was well loved. She would not have to suffer through the old age any longer. And yet of course, me, H, and my mom were sad about this loss. Mom even dreamt about Lucky again this week, and especially touched by her presence.

Rest in Peace, Lucky. Thank you for being a cute, wonderful pet of yours.

Lucky ~ March 26, 2020- 5th October 2022. 

 

Drip coffee

 

Sunset

 Such a beautiful sunset today

Tokiwaso the ‘birthplace’ of modern manga

K-Drama Romcom

Just finished watching "What's wrong with Secretary Kim". A very funny, romantic rom-com. I love the characters that are not shallow but have deep personality.

I love the playfulness as well as the journey the two lead characters discover love with each other, and navigating their relationship, as well as their first relationship. Being understanding, learn from others' friends advice, being smiling and lower tension to avoid argument repeatedly. It seems that they have more playful moments and tender texts than argument maybe 10:1 ratio.

I love the pretty Kim Mi-So, her gentle and bright smile. Her cute furious stares, as well as her patience. Her passion to serve others, while trying to discover her path, she made decision but she is flexible and not rigid with her way and her manner. She is accessible and remains open to ideas.

As man, of course the Lee Young-Joun is the stuff of movie. He is rich, wealthy, successful, young, good looking with great body, but also very considerate as boyfriend, faithful, loyal, accommodates well with family and has a good friend.

3 grateful things today

1. Enjoying a bright blue sky day at Split, Croatia.
2. Meditating a realizing the reason why I hung on to relationship that is long over: because of my fierce loyalty and my fear of losing my “last hope” to have a family.
3. Opportunity to reflect on Ivan Maestrovic’s villa and museum at Meje, Split.
4. Loving the architecture of Old Town Split, the Diocletian Palace, Riva, the food at Konobs Hvarnin and Artichok, shopping at Green Market, museums, Nandroni Trg, bakeries and supermarkets. 
5. Explore freely the Klis Fortress, the view is fantastic and the only place where you can freely climb the walls, crumbling stone steps, the old church at the top, and the stone fortication that you can see the steep stone bluffs.

Fate

When I was young I had a mole at the corner of my eyes. Those naysayer said that means I shall often cry and live a fate in my life that leads to misery, tears, and hardship.


This morning I looked at myself a bit closer than I normally have... Probably closer than I had in the past 6 months due to life and work. I saw no mole on my eyelid anymore.


I wonder what those naysayer would say now.


I sometimes found myself believe in those signs. I sometimes found myself reading astronomy of the week column on magazine. I sometimes do that because it sometimes is comforting to grab those certainties to divine my day ahead amidst the life.


But today, I start to believe fate is in your hands. Grab everyday like it has the potential to make a better version of you. Grab it like a fresh new day, everyday. Everyday is a day of opportunities and potential, for what is going to happen today is decided today. Not before. Not by the column in newspaper. Not by the arrangement of the stars. Not by the mole that you are born with.

Twenties

What choices did you make in your twenties that most impact your life today?

At 22 I chose to pursue my Masters degree in Computer Science. That got me out of a small consultancy company, taught me the lesson of negotiation and unfairness in life, and got me some of the best friends in life. Most importantly it launched me on the path today.

At 27 I chose to be frank about my life's direction and chose to be vocal about my rights after working as contractors for 4 year's in capacity. I earned a lot of respect and admiration for standing up for myself.

Thoughout my twenties, I studied hard, worked hard, and spent very little. Avoided partying, clubbing, drugs, and time-wasting. I earned properties in Singapore and Jakarta by the time I was 30.

I studied Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Programming, Choir-singing, Japanese language throughout my twenties.

I learnt biking, swimming, driving, running, and scuba-diving in my twenties.

You are not such a big deal

This is the concept I learnt that changed my life. Whenever I encounter difficulties, or shy away from attempting something because I am too "introverted", or "my life is difficult because no one understands me", or "I cannot be successful in finding relationship because I am intimidating, successful, speak well, travel too much, etc", this is the dogma that I kept repeating in my head.

It helps.

It helps to break away from the box sometimes I found myself in. Or feeling sorry for myself. Or from being afraid to dance to the tune of life. The Oprah book What I know for sure that I have been reading has been good and affirmative as well. You don't need men to be happy or to validate yourself. First love yourself. And the greatest love you can give yourself is experience life in the fullest. Not afraid of failure. Just try. Experience. Live. And push the envelope while you fail or succeed. But the key is to live the live rather than focusing on the outcome.

I also tried to fix my relationship problem. By reading about new skills. About validating ourselves. That's the key message of the book I hear You, by Michael Sorensen. I am trying to practice that.

Finally I am learning new habit. Forming new ones, thru 5 Seconds rule.

Links to these wonderful books:

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life by Mark Manson
• What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey
• I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships by Michael S. Sorensen
• The 5 Second Rule: Transform Your Life, Work, and Confidence with Everyday Courage by Mel Robbins
• The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever by Michael Bungay Stanier

Holiday in Maldives

Wow, Maldives is really beautiful. The chain of atoll looks like emerald encircling blue-green water. So clear water and natural white sandy beach. Clear air that you can count stars and bright moon appear pure and serene. Bliss. Sun sea sand and coconuts make this paradise. After 10-day holiday it is amazing how much nothing-planned turned out to be full of delights and surprise.

First view at the sea in front of airport terminal

Day 0, Friday I had full day of work then went home at 6. Started count down at 4 while lunching with KS. Uneventful SQ flight, almost full. Arrived and met mom dad Henry whose Scoot flight was delayed by more than an hour. Waited another hour for our local guide to guide us to a comfortable SUV over 10mins ride to Hulmale. Our guest house is modest with haphazard service, we were allocated 202 and 302 on different floors. Feel asleep at 12am local time.


Day 1, Saturday arrived at Royal Island and spa. We took local domestic flight and was asked to standby at airport from 930 for 1115flight which was delayed by an hour.

Propeller plane ATR-72 used on the domestic flight

The flight itself is only 20mins and we flew low on propeller plane over rings of atoll atop Maldives archipelago.

Arrived and was ushered to a van towards local jetty. Was served coconut water decorated with a pink hibiscus. Went to Jetty at back and tried snorkelling. However, since it's the first day I was apprehensive and holding on to the rail to attempt to float without a life jacket.

Clear water and sea

Day 2 Sunday, Sunrise view relax by the pool in a group of 3-lounge chairs.

Sunrise on the Earth day 22 Apr 2018

Mindfulness

Landed in Milan, drove to Lake Maggiore. Chatted, had one on one, lunch by lake, and explored the summer town in frigid February. There is “Beast of the East” heading to Europe peolonging severe weather this winter. Before lunch I took a walk around the hotel Grand Dino, there is ferry operating that covers the lake. Beautiful and cold the town is with nobody around at the cobbled street. What a beautiful Lake Maggiore.

CNY 2018

Chinese New Year 2018. Went out for Buffet lunch at Oscar's Conrad Centennial Singapore. During the journey, and the long 2-hour buffet lunch, and subsequent train travel to Bishan to see Koko Ching Lien, and travel home, we got to chat. I realize how older Pa and Mom are. They are more sensitive, easily upset, and a bit..senile. I realize that I have not spent time at home lately due to travel and that worries me. Time passings like sand that is irreversible.

Koko Ching Lien looked a bit thin. And perhaps worry about Uncle Edy who is stubborn and having heart issues. He had a poor prognosis, and even was expected to life only 3 months... and turned out he is still dragging on, despite losing will to life. Koko has been very hard, and tough. She was sitting in the living room, without lights on but with company of a few young women, one is her god-daughter, and another pair of mother-daughter neighbor from China. We stayed for around 30 mins and chatted about life in Singapore and certain scam and recent child kidnapping in Singapore and China. Thanks for tradition like Chinese New Year we have the opportunities to visit our relatives home and say a few standard greetings but I suppose the art is in the fact of keeping in touch once a year, no matter how superficial the conversation is, the connection of relative and tradition is nonetheless kept alive.

My relative remarked on how fair Henry looked, and so is chubby me. We as a family looked radiant. "Thanks to all the nutritious food that Dad cooking", says me. "No... it is because we think positive and does not do harmful things to others, in action and in thoughts", added Mom. Henry was just quiet and walk agreeing along. I am not sure if Dad listens, given condition of his ear but I am happy Dad has satisfactory lunch at buffet which is his super favorite. At home, I quickly had shower due to humidity of Singapore - after my month-long business trip, I had troubles adjusting to. "Dad is so happy because every time we mentioned buffet, Dad eyes light-up like sparkes", teases me to Dad. Dad quickly mentioned "No no no,.." while shyly turning away to take a nap at his favorite spot, by the window.

Happy Mother's Day 2017

This Mother's Day, the Singapore version falls on the second weekend of May. I signed up for an exclusive Shiseido photoshoot with mom that took place at Park Royal hotel Pickering, Presidential Suite at 14th floor. The Shiseido team was pretty professional and thorough to make the experience enjoyable with mom. Upon arriving, we saw that the line to reception is very long, so we called Shaz a lovely lady from Shiseido who went to lobby to pick us up. The concierge of the hotel was very helpful too, so upon knowing that we have been waiting, he took us to the lobby - and because of this we passed each other with Shaz.

Upon arrival, we had our make up done and hair. Then photo shoot for 6 to 7 shots and then proceed with our lovely canapes with sweet and savoury decked in a 3-tier hi-tea arrangement.

Here is the result!

Cantucci

One of my favorite desserts from Italy is Cantucci with Vin Santo. It is a simple serving of a couple of cantucci (which is almond biscotti) with the sweet Italian spirit vin Santo. The spirit is called holy wine as it is the exact same type of wine used in Catholic mass to consecrate Christ' body in bread and wine ritual.

I love the fact that cantucci is storing well, especially in the humid Singapore weather. A bag of cantucci di mandorla that we bought from train station in Venice taste so good, in November, a full 3 months since the end of our vacation. Ahhh, the sweet taste of Italian holiday right at home.

Let’s bake!

Ming Lee's farewell

Spent Friday attending Ming Lee's farewell after cancelling my trip to Bangkok. Then yesterday a nice dinner party at Ming Lee's place well prepared by her and her husband Agustin. They are nice hosts, and very generous. They invited us to their house at Seletar, and hosting a dinner from 7 thru midnight with lots of wine, sake, and more wine.

I am now awake on Sunday afternoon typing this note while getting ready for my flight to Colombo. Laundry is on, vacuum my room, threw away garbage, and recycle newspaper. Also had packed, run 30 mins, and play a bit of game. So it's been a productive mundane weekend.

Now I am going to write about our holiday.

This is in front of Paris Nord train station, after train from Brussels

The following morning we explore the Paris around La Marais neighbourhood, this is Hotel Du Ville

Department store, closed on Sunday (boo)

Mom and Dad

Breakfast with croissant budget at a cafe nearby Pompidou

A nice church at Jardin Nelson Mandela that is under construction

This is the backyard of the Bourse

Vienna

I had a terrible jetlag, so it is 230am right now and I am wide awake. Might as well documenting my thoughts of the recent holiday before time and memories fade away...

Next up is Vienna, a well developed city. It feels wealthier, especially off our train which departed from Venice, which is another expensive city. The city is clean, I spotted the main sights around the compact area which I had researched throughout my trip.

Breakfast onboard the OBB train

Resting at OBB Lounge

In essence we spent the day around the Stephendom, travelling from Schwedenplatz U-Bahn (the metro stop), strolling towards south passing Fleichmarkt, Stephansplatz, around the Vienna Opera house and finally Karlsplatz. The St Stephens cathedral is of course majestic, but what I can remember is the stop for horse-carriage next to it. We also wander around the shopping street, and found Petersplatz where the magnificent St Peters church was a highlight.

Domkirche St. Stephan

Graben

Hotdog stand or Vienna's hotdog (Würstelstand)

In front of St. Peter's Church

The Baroque interior of the Church

We then stroll to the and Albertina where we stop to rest at the junction near the famous Sacher Hotel. Through a kirschy time-travel exhibition that depicts the old Vienna from Roman time. It looks interesting for history-buff we had the time.

We passed the large public square Heldenplatz where the old imperial Palace was.

Public square & gardens in front of the old imperial Hofburg Palace, with imposing statues

Heldenplatz

 Crossed to the east for Vienna Opera House (Wiener Staatsoper), arriving at Ringstrassen area.

There is tourist information centre where we rest, while Henry and Mom hunted some photo at Sacher hotel.

Velvet sofa at Cafe Museum

Sacher torte

Apfelstudel with vanilla sauce (divine)

Original "Wiener Schnitzel"
golden brown breaded veal cutlet, parsley potatoes, lettuce and cranberry sauce

Viennese mixed sausage platter
four kinds of different, typical Viennese sausages,
onion mustard, horseradish, gherkin and rye bread

The desserts bar

Omigosh

We then capped our trip via a superb lunch at Cafe Museum, a smart cafe on Operngasse with replicas of original Adolf Loos decor, a former hangout for Klimt, Schiele & others. It opened in 1899; although their desserts selection is very tempting, we selected Vienna's speciality. My favorite is the original Wiener Schnitzel (made of veal not pork) and Apple strudel (Apfelstrudel).

Karlsplatz