Day 89 : Besties Day 27.02.15

My bestie is coming to town and we had Sushi Tei moment during lunch. We shared a lot of stories. It's a nice catch up, that I am looking forward for more catch ups to come.

SP

Day 88 : Going Barca 26.02.15

The wait is finally over.
The winners of the Barcelona race has been announced by the email. So proud to find my name and picture on the email. I can't believe that I made it. And I just got to know that it is a regional competition, so not only am I gonna meet Citibankers from different cities, but I will meet Citibankers from Asian countries too. I am excited! :)
It's a proof that what seems impossible to be reached is not always impossible to happen. Because miracles do exists and blessings do happen. When the time is right, things will just fall into places.
1 month to go upon departure and I am super excited. ^^

SP

Day 87 : KTV!

Today's my boss's farewell party part 2!
Life is a series of meetings and partings.
This time it's a parting session with my boss. Learned a lot from this guy.
He's a cool yet funny and ridiculous guy, someone who likes to grumble about so many tasks yet always done what's supposed to be done in the end. Someone who has been so cool yet patient about his subordinates, and someone who is willing to learn about so many things.
We learn things from everyone we met, and I definitely learned a lot from this guy.
I hope our path will cross again. Someday.

SP

Day 86 : Je T'aime La Vie

I'm a big big girl
In a big big world
It's not a big big thing to stumble on to things sometimes

But I too too feel
That I do do will
Learn from it
Learn from it

Day 85 : Farewell Boss

It's my boss farewell party!
He's moving to Bandung soonn...
What a great leader he is. We will surely miss him. I just our path will cross again. Someday. Not in a status of subordinate-boss, but upgraded to big client-boss?! :D

SP

Day 84 : Hudson Got Presents

An interesting part of the day was having dimsum for lunch on a friend's birthday, buying Starbucks for 50% off on tumbler's day, and continued to waching "Dragon Blade" with parents. Sunday has always been a day well spent with dearest ones. :)

SP

Day 83 : TGIS

-Gym rat-ing and having lontong mie for breakfast with the gym buddies
-Shopping a vintage dress, which printing reminds me of the Caesar Palace Hotel in Vegas.
-Hanging out with Mom, which is a weekend favorite activity been awaited for.
-Meeting an old friend from Bali at Starbucks, which has weekend promotion for 58% off. 

Those are the highlight of my saturday which also summarizes my activities.

Thank God It's Saturday! ^^

SP

Day 82 : DV Look Alike

Taking a half day leave, just to have lunch with my girls and have some fun. It felt so good to hangout on a working day.
Something that is rare to get will be so much precious to cherished.

Was planning to blow dry my hair at a salon before going to a family CNY dinner, but can't make because of the busy traffic. So, I just bunned my hair to make it look neat and clean.

It was a good day spent with old friends and family. And the most memorable picture of today was seeing my friend wearing a cape look alike cardigan. Actually, it was just a casual outfit, tee with shorts and the cardigan as the outer. However, she somehow reminds me of the Darth Vader of the Star Wars. Lol

SP

Day 81 : Cliche!

Hello.. It's the beginning of the goat year and first of all... Ehemm *coughing to attract attentions*.. Gong Xi Fa Cai, everyone! Xin Nian Kuai Le, Sheng Ti Jian Kang, Wan Si Ru Yi! If any of you do not know the meaning, then here's the translation: 

Happy new year, everyone. Wishing everyone a good health and may everything runs your way. :)

It's the new beginning and I hope everyone is having a fresh start today. And just like any years that gone by, this year I do also think that this will be my year. I know it sounds so cliche, right?! However, let's just have faith on this. 

I started the day going to my grandma's house and having a family gathering there. And it's been a tradition in our family to having this Fa Cai Hao Shi dish on a new year. 

It is a common lucky dish served during CNY, which means "prosperity and good fortune". Fa Cai is a type of fungi that looks a lot like shiny black hair, and its chinese name sounds like "prosperity" in Chinese, whilst Hao Shi is dried/preservd oyster, which sounds like "good things".

It's only once a year rare opportunity, so I ate a lot of this dish. Apparently, a happy tummy made a happy heart! 

The perks of today is getting a lot of hong Bao (red packets), given by my family. A great beginning today was.

I gotta feeling it's gonna be a great year. 

Sadhu...Sadhu...Sadhu...

SP

Day 80 : CNY Night

It's the last day of the year of the horse, and we are entering the goat year very soon, in just a blink of an eye. How's this year been, everyone? I hope every each of you have a good time the whole year, but if this horse year hadn't been good, then do not dismay. There's always another year to a new beginning.

I am gonna go to the temple right after this, seeing the closure ceremony of the horse year. There's gonna be the Fu Lu Shou performance after the mass pray. For you who haven't known what Fu Lu Shou is, here's a little bit of informations for you:

Fu Lu Shou is commonly used in Chinese culture to denote the three attributes of a good life.
This concept of the Chinese traditional religion is thought to date back to the Ming Dynasty, when the Fu Star, Lu Star and Shou Star were considered to be personified deities of these attributes respectively.

Fu means Prosperity
Usually is depicted in sholar's dress, holding a scroll, on which is sometimes written the character "Fu". He may also be seen holding a child, or surrounded by children.

Lu means Status
Usually depicted in the dress of a mandarin.

Shou means Longevity
Usually is shown smiling and friendly, and he may sometimes be carrying a gourd filled with Elixir of Life.

Looking forward to seeing the three deities performance soon. 

Talk to you tomorrow, on the first day of the goat year, everyone! :)

SP

Day 79 : Get Inspired!

I attended an office training about relationship management this afternoon.

There was a subject I like the most about DREAM. Everyone should have a dream that would keep them going. And by having the dream, we should limit the time frame too. It's like what we would want to be in 5 years to come. What are we gonna be in 2020?
Many of my friends were asked the same question. Here are their answers:

"I want to be a Citigold customer"
"I want to buy an Audemars Piquet watch, that costs usd 40,000"
"My wife is good at cooking. I have a dream when my children entering elementary school, I want to help my wife setting up restaurant business for us."

There was a very inspiring life experience shared by the other branch's BM.
The first time he joined the bank, he started his sales career from the bottom. He was inspired by his supervisor at that time, 34 y.o. Young, smart, eligible guy with a VP title. He had a dream that he wanted to become a VP too by the time he reached 34 y.o, just like his supervisor. He even wrote down his dream on a book, which he called a book of dreams. He jotted down all his dreams in that book. He worked really hard, and every time he felt down, he remembered his dreams and he kept going.

As a result, he successfully reached his dreams. Not exactly the same age or target as he dreamed of, but 80% of the dreams were achieved.

Such an inspiring story it is. No hardwork betrays the result.
I remember somebody ever told me to manage my expectations. Hmm I think it's better not to keep my expectations low.
Let's dream big, everyone! :)

SP

Day 78 : Welcoming Abundance and Prosperity

Don't you think this cake looks pretty? I always love things decorated with fish on top of it. Simply because fish symbolizes abundance. We spell fish as "yu" in chinese, which is the short term of a phrase "nian nian you yu". It defines a life of abundance, a life that has not lack of anything. 

I wish my life to always be filled with abundance and prosperity. I know chinese new year is still 2 days to go, but by eating this cake, it is already a good start, isn't it? Well... At least because I said so, let's just make it happen then. ^^

SP

Day 77 : Lovely Sunday

What a total indulgence today had been. Started the day with a facial treatment, continued with a hair spa ritual together with foot massage. Such a relaxing day.

Then watching  "Kingsman" in the evening. The movie is just refreshing. 

I hope everyday can be relaxing just like today. 

There's a saying "You have to love yourself before loving another people."

I think I already love myself with enough portions of whatever things needed. 

SP

Day 76 : Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's day, everyone!

May everyday would be a loving day for everyone! Today I bought myself another charm for my pandora bracelet, a heart shaped charm as a valentine's gift for myself. :)

SP

Day 75 : Valentine's Lunch

Best thing for today was having dimsum for lunch with my 2 office besties. And I was the one paying for the lunch. They asked for a treat since I passed my Barcelona contest.

And so I treated them for Valentine's lunch. It feels good to share some lovee on lovey dovey dayy. :)

SP 

Day 74 : Event Day

There was a company event held today at Sheraton. Just before the event got started, we had dinner together at a porridge house at TP before the business got started. 

The event ended at 930. On my way to the parking lot, I came accross this 3 sheeps card board view. One of my friend said "This looks like us, friendship of 3. I am the left one, G the middle one, and you are the one on the right cos you are the smallest"

Lol

SP

Day 73 : Barcelona Moon

> Moon river... Wider than a mile

> I'm crossing you in style some day
> Old dream maker, you heart breaker
> Wherever you're going.. I'm going your way
>
> Two drifters... Off to see the world
> There's such a lot of world to see
> We are after's the same rainbow end.. Waiting round the bend
> My hucklebery friend moon river and me
>
> Two drifters... Off to see the world
> There's such a lot of world to see
> We are after's the same rainbow end.. Waiting round the bend
> My hucklebery friend moon river and me
>
Came accross this breathtaking picture of the Barcelona view at night.
Wondering that I might be experiencing this view too in a few months to go. :)

SP

Day 72 : Loomie

Got this loom bracelet from a kid as a present for me. So funny yet so cute.
It has brightened my day. ^^

Day 71 : Happiness is a Choice

Yes. Happiness is a choice. Every single day we are facing 2 options. We choose to be happy for things or be frowned for problems.

Buddha once said, "To live means to suffer".
Everybody got their own problems. Nobody is free from problems. There's just different portions for everyone.

So, I decided to be happy when I woke up this morning. And Yes...I felt happy.
Happy when I cherished a cup of coffee this early morning, happy to finish one task at a time along of so many tasks needed to be done, happy when a colleague told me that she is pregnant, happy for the sharing foods part, happy to savor a big bowl of watermelon while watching K drama serials at the end of the day, etc.

There were so many things happened in a day. Afterall, happiness is just a state of mind, isn't it?

For now, I am waiting for another happy tomorrow.

Good night, fellas! :)

Day 70 : Pinkish Cooper

Such a cute car I saw today on my way back from the gym. Posted in on instagram, and a friend said that I should use this car on my wedding day. I said nooo, I don't like small car. Feel so cramped.
I think if I use this car on my wedding day, my spouse should be on the other car, since it only fits me and my gown. Lol

Best moment of the day: Took my grandma to her favorite porridge house. :)

SP

Day 69 : Remembering Childhood

Tidak seperti malam minggu biasanya, yang selalu kuisi dengan jalan-jalan, nonton bioskop, atau hanya nongkrong di cafe yang lagi happening bersama teman-teman, hari ini aku menghadiri ulang tahun ke-16 salah seorang sepupu kesayanganku, Sidney. Udah gede banget nih sepupu satu ini. Semakin gede semakin suka dandan ala K-pop, dan semakin cantik. Iya donk siapa dulu tantenya! One proud auntie is heree :)

Tadi selesai makan, kita ngobrol-ngobrol dan foto2 bersama. Kebetulan restorannya bagus dan comfie, terletak di salah satu hotel baru di Surabaya, jadi betah deh berlama-lama di sana.

Ada 1 foto yang aku suka banget. Foto bersama dengan 2 orang sepupuku, yang notebene secara umur masih tidak terlalu jauh denganku, jadi aku paling sering gaul dengan mereka dahulu kala. Secara kenyataan, aku memiliki total saudara sepupu 12 orang, dan 10 diantaranya berusia minimal setengah dari usiaku. Can you imagine it?

Yup, this is the photo I'm talking about. Jarang sekali kita memiliki kesempatan untuk foto bertiga. Mereka adalah kakak-beradik, Adinda dan Rio, saudara sepermainanku jaman dahulu kala waktu masih kecil. 

Saat dimana mainan masih belum sebanyak sekarang, sehingga mainan Super Mario Bros di Nintendo beramaa mereka terasa begitu menarik dan menyenangkan. 

Saat dimana kita masih asing yang namanya hangout ber sama teman-teman di malam minggu, sehingga sleepover secara bergantian di rumah masing-masing adalah waktu yang kutunggu-tunggu di minggu-minggu tertentu. 

Saat dimana pada suatu periode, aku sering banget berlibur bersama mereka. Liburan yang paling kuingat adalah liburan ke Bali, yang sebelumnya mampir sebentar di Banyuwangi untuk mengunjungi saudara disana. 

Yang tak terlupakan adalah soundtrack liburan pada saat itu. 

PP Surabaya-Bali, Bali-Surabaya, alunan lagu dari album boneka Susan mengiringi perjalanan kita dengan setia. Sehingga pada saat tidur pun, aku bisa mengingat lagu apa yang akan diputar selanjutnya saking hafalnya. "Susan..Susan...Susan...kalo gede mau jadi apa?" Hayooo ada yang tahu ngga ya lagu ini? Hehehe

Kalo diingat-ingat, jaman itu sudah kurang lebih 2 dekade yang lalu. Tak terasa waktu cepat sekali berlalu. Dari bocah yang lucu-lucu kecil, sekarang sudah menjadi bocah yang gede-gede tidak lucu lagi. 

Andaikan aku memiliki mesin waktu Doraemon, akan kuputar pagi waktu-waktu saat itu. Bukan karena tidak suka dengan kehidupan yang sekarang, tetapi karena kadang ingin sekali menyelami kehidupan pada saat dunia masih terasa begitu simpel dan ringan. 

Kalo dipikir-pikir memang benar, kenangan yang indah akan selalu membekas di hati.

Oleh karena itu, aku bertekad untuk menjalani kehidupan ini sebaik-baiknya, sehingga kelak beberapa tahun lagi, looking back time, aku bakal mengatakan bahwa masa-masa sekarang adalah salah satu masa indah yang pernah kualami. :)

SP

Sent from my iPhone

Day 68 : Treaty Friday

Banyak alasan untuk bahagia hari ini, selain karena hari ini adalah hari Jumat, makan siang hari ini adalah menu junk food dan ditraktir pula! Yayy...benar-benar jumat yang penuh berkah.

Salah seorang teman kantorku ada yang ultah hari ini, dan dia mentraktir kita makan siang hari ini di gerai burger yang baru buka di daerah tengah kota, dimana sebelumnya cuma ada di airport saja. Sekarang tidak perlu jauh-jauh ke airport, hanya untuk membeli charbroiled bbq chicken, karena fast food elite ini sudah buka 2 cabang lainnya selain di airport. #fastfood elite karena harganya cukup mahal untuk kelas makanan cepat saji.

Saat ini aku jadi teringat-ingat chatting lucu dengan sahabatku yang tinggal di Kediri tadi sore:

H: Sil, disini ada William Ford, makan disebelah tokoku

S: OHHH YAAA?! Wihh kok kerenn... Makanan apa sebelah tokomu?

H: Masakan Cantonese. Enakk poll wess. Kamu harus coba sini, langsung ketagihan.

S: Wihh kerenee. Fotoen poo! Dee ngapain ke Kediri? Shooting film tahh?

H: Silll!! Ini William Ford, temen SMA kitaa. Kok isa sampe Harrison Ford sehh

S: Wahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahah
Wihhh aku mikir Harrison Ford lhoo. Makae kok cek keren e sampe Kediri. Lol

H: #%**&@

Lucuu banget sampe ngakak, bahkan sampe nulis blog inipun aku masih ngakak.
Konyol banget yaa. Jadi bener-bener bayangin kalo Harrison Ford benera makan di depot Canton di Kediri gimana ya kira-kira?! :D

SP

Day 67 : A Try on Marrakesh Mint

Another day trying a restaurant and a new flavor of tea. This time it was a meeting with a pretty acquaintance. Life is a series of meeting. I love it! :)

Day 66 : Remembering the Past

I bought Kate Spade cases for IPhone 6 online the other day, and they finally come today. Yayy. Love them. They look pretty, aren't they? I love looking at bright colors and pretty printings, and been looking for this kind of cases since I used the other phones last time, but too bad there weren't none like this ones. Actually, this is also the trigger of why I bought Iphone. Looking for something new and a phone that can be dressed up with so many dresses. Oops I mean cases! Lol

After done admiring my new cases, I read this book "Koala Kumal" from my favorite author, Raditya Dika. In one of the chapter, there's a story about long distance relationship when he decided to continue his study at Adelaide. His girlfriend said that she heard of many stories that LDR are not gonna work. She said that she's afraid that at one point they might break up because they met someone else. Turned out, their relationship worked just fine for another 2 years, but the one who finally broke tre relationship was the girl, because that she finally met someone else. It's funny how things work and how someone broke their own commitment. The things that seems okay turned out to be bad. We will never predict the outcome of a condition, but as long as it is something that you really want to try and you can't stop thinking about it, then it worths the try. 

Just like me... Experienced the LDR twice. Happy at the first phases, just like when he sang me a song and playing guitar just before he departed, how he asked me to be his wife through sms. Sms was the only media that time, when we were in the same car with his parents on the way to sending me home. 

As soon as were were officially an LDR couple, worriness appreared in the middle of the relationship, when the reality wasn't happened as expected, just like when we didn't talk to each other as much as we used to be, and that was  when we finally realized that we weren't able to handle LDR, that finally led to a break ups at the end. Ironic, yes! But, that is life. 

Life is all about trials and errors, for each failure we experienced, for each wrong decisions we have made, we have to take full consequences of it, and when we finally able to stand up again, we will indeed stronger than before.

So, let's never be afraid of making mistakes. 

Let's cheers for the mistakes that we have made and for the mistakes we are about to make! :) 

SP

Day 65 : Immitation Game

Finally watched "Immitation Game". A based-on-a-true story movie about Alan Turing, a German cryptologist who successfully cracked the Nazi code using electronic devices, which is then developed as what we know now as computer. Because of him, million of lives had been saved from the Hitler attacks. 

Starred by Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing and Kiera Knightley as Joan Clarke, the only girl who participated in the secret project. It is a great movie. I love it. 

There's a remarkable quote from this movie that keep on going on my head :

"Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines of who do the things that no one can imagine."

I couldn't be more agree of this. Anyway, It is a recommended movie that everyone should watch. ^^

SP

Day 64 : Rainy Monday

Started the day with a new calendar a friend bought me at the States. I like this calendar a lot and already had it for 3 years in a row. I thought this year will not get this anymore, turned out my bestfriend bought it for me. ^^

Today hadn't been too busy. Was planning to hit the gym, but the it was heavily raining outside, so instead of hitting the gym, I went to a bookstore buying several books. 

At night, my friend sent me a box of Thai beef salad. It was her sister made it for me. I haven't eaten it yet. Plan to have it for tomorrow'a breakfast. I bet it would be nice. 

That's it for today. Just finished reading a book, and feel so sleepy now. Good night, world! :)

SP

Day 63 : Going Nostalgic

It had been a lazy day. Got a fever since yesterday, that had made me waking up a bit late at 11. 

The head felt dizzy, the nose got runny, the body felt uncomfortable. Thus, Mom took me for a body massage.

 Today I tried Ayurvedic massage. I was wondering what kind of massage it was. After having it tried, the difference was only on the oil it used. It was burned to make it warm. And not only the body that is massaged, but the head too. It felt comfortable, that I was feeling much better afterward. 

As a result, I was able to attend my friend's birthday party at night. Been a along time since the last time I met them. It was kinda felt nostalgic. 

So happy to finally meet them again.❤️ 

      

SP

Day 62 : When Saturday Comes

Got the day started with a glass of ice barley. Later on, had another meal at Sushi Tei in the afternoon, then went to Atom Mall, accompanied my cousin looking for a party dress for her birthday party. She's turning 16 this coming saturday. 

Witnessing the day she was born, it's kinda magical that she's turning 16 this soon. Seems like time has wings! Oh lala...

At night, went to my friend's house for a house warming party. It was a potluck party, so everyone got something to serve. I brought ayam bumbu rujak. Afterall, it was just a simple gathering with great friends, a happy time indeed. 

And that was all of my activities for what a saturday could bring. 

SP