Friday, November 30, 2007

My Celebrity Look-Alikes

Yeah, yeah, I look VERY Asian indeed. Funny thing is that in the list of 10 people that they found similar to me, one of them is a GUY (an Asian celebrity) and there's also one blond celebrity. Weird!!! Try it! It's FUN HE HE HE HE HE...


Baby Blues, Finnish Humor, and Quotations

To you all mothers out there, have you experienced baby blues or post-partum depression? If so, how long did it last and how did you get through it? The reason I'm asking about this is because some friends have experienced this period of mood swing right after they gave birth to their babies. I'm just curious, that's all he he he he...

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Oh yeah, since Frasypoo's dishing out a list of Indian humor, let me share some Finnish humor. Helsingin Sanomat posted this long list, but I'll only write down what I've experienced or witnessed myself.


You Know You Have Been In Finland Too Long, When...


a. You don't think twice about putting the wet dishes away in the cupboard to dry. ----> Yep, that's VERY true indeed he he he...I don't dry my dishes with a kitchen towel unless when I want to eat and the plate is wet HA HA HA HA HA...

b. Silence is fun. ----> Too talkative people in Finland are considered "not the norm".

c.
Your coffee consumption exceeds 6 cups a day and coffee is too weak if there is less than two spoonfuls per person. ----> I don't drink much coffee unless when I visit my in-laws, 'coz I can't sleep if I drink too much coffee, but the Finns DO love their coffee SO MUCH!!!

d. Sundays no longer seem dull with all the stores closed, and begin to feel restful instead. ----> Well, actually some supermarkets are open on Sundays, but the other stores are closed. I used to think it'd be SUPER dull 'coz in Indonesia, all the malls are open on weekends (from 9 to 9 pm or 10 to 10 pm).

e. You no longer look at sports pants as casual wear, but recognize them as almost formal wear.

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Okay, I haven't browsed for quotations for a while, so let me see some good quotations that I can share with all of you:

Have patience with all things, but chiefly have patience with yourself. Do not lose courage in considering your own imperfections, but instantly set about remedying them - every day begin the task anew.
Saint Francis de Sales

If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down, but the staying down.
Mary Pickford

Rest assured there will be times when you fall flat on your face. It will seem as if the harder you pray, the more you attempt to trust, the more holy and devout you become, the worse your life will appear to be. Things that were going well will go wrong. Things that were not so well will blow up in your face. It is a trick! Do not be fooled by appearances! Hold on to the words, the phrase, the prayer, the little bits of trust and faith you can muster. You are not being tested! You are being fortified! Remember, you cannot fail! All paths lead to the same road. The road to peace, joy, and the memory of God's Unconditional Love."
Iyanla Vanzant



Image taken from www.heartlight.org

Movie Reviews

OK, so here are some movies we've seen lately.

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.

We saw it last night and it was great. At least not as dark as the Prisoner of Azkaban he he he he...I teased my hubby by saying that I'd tell him who died in the sixth book and what's going to happen at the end of the seventh book. I never read the books, but my friends who've read the books have told me about the ending he he he he...Hubby doesn't like knowing the ending, so I didn't tell him. I JUST LOVE TEASING HIM HUA HA HA HA HA HA HA...

Personally speaking, do you like knowing the ending of movies before watching them? Of course for thrillers or horror stories, it would be HORRIBLE to know the endings, but personally I don't mind knowing the endings of other types of movies he he he...

2. Blood Diamond.

Now this movie is really heart-wrenching. At the end of it there was this text "There are still some thousands of children soldiers in Africa". Oh dear...I think it's one of the most cruel things on earth: brainwashing kids to be soldiers. In the movie, they're also drugged by the crazy militants.
This movie also reminds me of humans' greed and political issues and what people could do to others when they are blinded by their own ambition. I recommend this movie to anyone.

3. The Invisible.

This movie is quite okay as you can't really detect the ending. One thing for sure is that by watching this movie, I realize even more the impact of parents and environment towards children. Plus the impact of the choices we make in our lives.

4. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End.

We saw it weeks ago, but we missed the ENDING!!!! Gladly later on hubby realized that there was still a continuation of the movie after the credits!!! Isn't it crazy? I thought the movie ended with the separation of Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner at the beach he he he he...Turned out they had a kid later on!!!! ;-D

London, Manchester, and Birmingham: Places to Visit

Ever since I saw London Eye on TV a year or two back, I've always wanted to go to London. Here let me show you a picture of the Millennium Wheel (or observation wheel). This is a spectacular picture, isn't it?


Image taken from here


And as you probably know, I'm CRAZY about The Phantom of the Opera. One of my dreams is to watch the show in a real opera house. Blur Ting has watched this show already and she highly recommended it to me. I know I can't possibly travel in the near future, but my dreams are going to stay alive until the day I die. So Phantom, just wait for me! ;-D

Image taken from here


While browsing for other tourist attractions in UK such as Madame Tussaud's Museum, I also came across Manchester United Museum in Manchester. Just the other day Livingsword told me that he was such a big fan of soccer and it reminds me of my brother. My brother is also a big fan of Manchester United, so I bet he's going to love it if he can visit the museum. (Side note: In fact, lots of Indonesians are HUGE fans of soccer!)


Image taken from here


Other than that, I also found something interesting in Birmingham. It has the most advanced planetarium in one of the museums called Thinktank-Birmingham Science Museum. My husband and I have always been fascinated by stars. That's why one day we'd love to buy a telescope just for fun. Anyway, here's a picture of the planetarium.


Image taken from here


Well, in the meantime, let me just keep on saving money so that I can visit those places one day. Dreams, here I come, one step at a time!!!

Sharing My Bday Gift from Max

Hi, everybody!

Just wanna share my bday gift from Max he he he...She said when she heard this song, she knew I'd love it. And I DID!!!! ;-D

THANK YOU SO MUCCCCCCCCCCCHHHH, Max, for this gift and for introducing me to another LOVELY song he he he...Enjoy iiiiitttttt!!!! ;-D




Can't Take My Eyes Off You

I just remembered something I haven't shared with you. During our long-distance relationship, I used to call my hubby once a month. One time I suggested singing to each other hue he he he he...and he said that he had to write down the lyrics first so that he would be able to sing for me on the phone. He had NEVER done it before and after he was done singing, he said he would NEVER do that again HA HA HA HA HA...

Wonder what he sang? He sang "500 Miles". Yeah, that classic song! He sang the WHOLE song as he had the lyrics with him when I called HE HE HE HE HE...I don't remember anymore what I sang for him, but it wasn't a complete song (yeah, I cheated HA HA HA...).

This morning hubby left me a VERY sweet note again. I want to SQUEEZE that guy SO tightly in my arms right now...He wrote the note in Finnish (I requested this so that I could learn more Finnish), but the English translation of it would be something like this:

"Morning, Love. Today's the last Friday of the month, or should I say 'again'? Time does fly so fast, but my love for you only grows with time. You're the best. I don't know if I can go home for lunch, but I'll see you when I see you. Love you."

On a sad note, I just received an email this morning from my missionary friend, Daniel Huisman (his name is on my blogroll) that his beloved sister died two days ago. She had been suffering from cancer for a while. :-((((

Then I also received a message from my close friend yesterday about one of her acquaintances. She's married and she has a little boy (around 2 years old, I think). Her Dad has glaucoma and Parkinson's disease and he's lost one eye already. She just found out months ago that her son's autistic (it can cost A LOT for the child's education 'coz in Indo there are no benefits like in Finland for example). And that's not all. On top of that, turns out that her husband's got tumor and they don't know yet how acute it is.

This reminds me how fragile life is. I told the above story to my hubby last night and said to him, "Health is PRICELESS." It seems to me that ever since I moved here, I'm reminded again and again about cherishing everything I have.

I'd love to share this song with all of you. I ADORE the "refrain" part 'coz it feels SO fragile..."Can't Take My Eyes Off You" by Damien Rice.

I LOVE gazing at my hubby - sometimes it bothers him, but I just LOVE watching his gorgeous facial features...mmm...and I wanna remember EVERY single thing about him...I wanna make the most out of the time I still have left with him. I don't wanna live my life with regrets. Enjoy the song and remember how fragile life is...


Sweet Sweet Romance

Romance. I think everyone knows the importance of romance in a relationship. However, not everybody is romantic enough for his/her partner.

When I went MyLotting the other day, I read a discussion where a woman complained that her new boyfriend wouldn't say "I love you" to her, even though she had said it first. Apparently it was awkward for him to say those words or even wrote them down. But after she explained how important it was for her to hear or read those words (in SMSes), he started improving himself in that department. Sweet!!! ;-D Don't most women love romance?

I read this romantic game for couples which I'd love to share with you. I can imagine playing it with my hubby, especially since I love to see the twinkle in his eyes whenever I say something sweet to him.

My hubby and I also never said sweet words verbally before we were together. Both Finns and Indonesians aren't big on saying sweet words like that. My parents never said those words to each other, but ever since I was a kid, I had this deep wish of being able to be romantic to each other with my future spouse. It definitely took some effort, but it's all worth it in the end. Now I'm getting everything I want from a relationship, but hey, wouldn't hurt to learn new romantic ideas to spice up our lives, right? *wink* There's always room for improvement, anyway, and I want to make the best out of everything.


Speaking of relationships, I remember when I broke up with my first boyfriend. It wasn't easy to get over a break up even though I knew the relationship couldn't last and even though I knew he was wrong for me. However, I think what's most important from a "failed" relationship is the fact that we learn from it, don't you think so? I think that we can learn more about ourselves when we're in a relationship (any kind of relationship for that matter, but particularly from a romantic relationship).

Hmmmm...back to romance...maybe I should send this link to my hubby via email so that he would remember to ask me out on a romantic date every once in a while. ;-D After all, I heard from lots of people that having a date with your wife or husband even after years of marriage is one of the most important aspects to spice up romance. For those of you who've been married long enough, do you remember to have a date every once in a while with your spouse? And does it spice up your relationship?

Thursday, November 29, 2007

My Birth Tag

Trinity has decided to tag me to do this meme since I'm the birthday girl HE HE HE HE HE HE...

But I'm not going to tag anyone specifically. If you want to do this one, go for it he he he he...

Here's the rules:

1. Pick the month of your birth.
2. Bold the 5-10 things that most apply to you
3. Strike out everything that doesn't apply to you.
4. Place the list of all the months under a cut.
5. Tag 6 people from your friends list to do the same.

Since I was born in November, here's my result:

NOVEMBER:

Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.


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JANUARY:

Stubborn and hard-hearted. Ambitious and serious. Loves to teach and be taught. Always looking at people’s flaws and weaknesses. Likes to criticize. Hardworking and productive. Smart, neat and organized. Sensitive and has deep thoughts. Knows how to make others happy. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Rather reserved. Highly attentive. Resistant to illnesses but prone to colds. Romantic but has difficulties expressing love. Loves children. Loyal. Has great social abilities yet easily jealous. Very stubborn and money cautious.

FEBRUARY:

Abstract thoughts. Loves reality and abstract. Intelligent and clever. Changing personality. Attractive. Sexy. Temperamental. Quiet, shy and humble. Honest and loyal. Determined to reach goals. Loves freedom. Rebellious when restricted. Loves aggressiveness. Too sensitive and easily hurt. Gets angry really easily but does not show it. Dislikes unnecessary things. Loves making friends but rarely shows it. Daring and stubborn. Ambitious. Realizes dreams and hopes. Sharp. Loves entertainment and leisure. Romantic on the inside not outside. Superstitious and ludicrous. Spendthrift. Tries to learn to show emotions.

MARCH:

Attractive personality. Sexy. Affectionate. Shy and reserved. Secretive. Naturally honest, generous and sympathetic. Loves peace and serenity. Sensitive to others. Loves to serve others. Easily angered. Trustworthy. Appreciative and returns kindness. Observant and assesses others. Revengeful. Loves to dream and fantasize. Loves traveling. Loves attention. Hasty decisions in choosing partners. Loves home decors. Musically talented. Loves special things. Moody.

APRIL:

Active and dynamic. Decisive and hasty but tends to regret. Attractive and affectionate to oneself. Strong mentality. Loves attention. Diplomatic. Consoling, friendly and solves people’s problems. Brave and fearless. Adventurous. Loving and caring. Suave and generous. Emotional. Aggressive. Hasty. Good memory. Moving. Motivates oneself and others. Sickness usually of the head and chest. Sexy in a way that only their lover can see.

MAY:

Stubborn and hard-hearted. Strong-willed and highly motivated. Sharp thoughts. Easily angered. Attracts others and loves attention. Deep feelings. Beautiful physically and mentally. Firm Standpoint. Needs no motivation. Easily consoled. Systematic (left brain). Loves to dream. Strong clairvoyance. Understanding. Sickness usually in the ear and neck. Good imagination. Good physical. Weak breathing. Loves literature and the arts. Loves traveling. Dislike being at home. Restless. Not having many children. Hardworking. High spirited. Spendthrift.

JUNE:

Thinks far with vision. Easily influenced by kindness. Polite and soft-spoken. Having ideas. Sensitive. Active mind. Hesitating, tends to delay. Choosy and always wants the best. Temperamental. Funny and humorous. Loves to joke. Good debating skills. Talkative. Daydreamer. Friendly. Knows how to make friends. Able to show character. Easily hurt. Prone to getting colds. Loves to dress up. Easily bored. Fussy. Seldom shows emotions. Takes time to recover when hurt. Brand conscious. Executive. Stubborn.

JULY:

Fun to be with. Secretive. Difficult to fathom and to be understood. Quiet unless excited or tensed. Takes pride in oneself. Has reputation. Easily consoled. Honest. Concerned about people’s feelings. Tactful. Friendly. Approachable. Emotional temperamental and unpredictable. Moody and easily hurt. Witty and sparkly. Not revengeful. Forgiving but never forgets. Dislikes nonsensical and unnecessary things. Guides others physically and mentally. Sensitive and forms impressions carefully. Caring and loving. Treats others equally. Strong sense of sympathy. Wary and sharp. Judges people through observations. Hardworking. No difficulties in studying. Loves to be alone. Always broods about the past and the old friends. Likes to be quiet. Homely person. Waits for friends. Never looks for friends. Not aggressive unless provoked. Prone to having stomach and dieting problems. Loves to be loved. Easily hurt but takes long to recover.

AUGUST:

Loves to joke. Attractive. Suave and caring. Brave and fearless. Firm and has leadership qualities. Knows how to console others. Too generous and egoistic. Takes high pride in oneself. Thirsty for praises. Extraordinary spirit. Easily angered. Angry when provoked. Easily jealous. Observant. Careful and cautious. Thinks quickly. Independent thoughts. Loves to lead and to be led. Loves to dream. Talented in the arts, music and defense. Sensitive but not petty. Poor resistance against illnesses. Learns to relax. Hasty and trusty. Romantic. Loving and caring. Loves to make friends.

SEPTEMBER:

Suave and compromising. Careful, cautious and organized. Likes to point out people’s mistakes. Likes to criticize. Stubborn. Quiet but able to talk well. Calm and cool. Kind and sympathetic. Concerned and detailed. Loyal but not always honest. Does work well. Very confident. Sensitive. Good memory. Clever and knowledgeable. Loves to look for information. Must control oneself when criticizing. Able to motivate oneself. Understanding. Fun to be around. Secretive. Loves leisure and traveling. Hardly shows emotions. Tends to bottle up feelings. Very choosy, especially in relationships. Systematic.

OCTOBER:

Loves to chat. Loves those who loves them. Loves to take things at the center. Inner and physical beauty. Lies but doesn’t pretend. Gets angry often. Treats friends importantly. Always making friends. Easily hurt but recovers easily. Daydreamer. Opinionated. Does not care of what others think. Emotional. Decisive. Strong clairvoyance. Loves to travel, the arts and literature. Touchy and easily jealous. Concerned. Loves outdoors. Just and fair. Spendthrift. Easily influenced. Easily loses confidence. Loves children.

NOVEMBER:

Has a lot of ideas. Difficult to fathom. Thinks forward. Unique and brilliant. Extraordinary ideas. Sharp thinking. Fine and strong clairvoyance. Can become good doctors. Dynamic in personality. Secretive. Inquisitive. Knows how to dig secrets. Always thinking. Less talkative but amiable. Brave and generous. Patient. Stubborn and hard-hearted. If there is a will, there is a way. Determined. Never give up. Hardly becomes angry unless provoked. Loves to be alone. Thinks differently from others. Sharp-minded. Motivates oneself. Does not appreciate praises. High-spirited. Well-built and tough. Deep love and emotions. Romantic. Uncertain in relationships. Homely. Hardworking. High abilities. Trustworthy. Honest and keeps secrets. Not able to control emotions. Unpredictable.

DECEMBER:

Loyal and generous. Sexy. Patriotic. Active in games and interactions. Impatient and hasty. Ambitious. Influential in organizations. Fun to be with. Loves to socialize. Loves praises. Loves attention. Loves to be loved. Honest and trustworthy. Not pretending. Short tempered. Changing personality. Not egotistic. Take high pride in oneself. Hates restrictions. Loves to joke. Good sense of humor. Logical.

Blue Tea Meme


Amber tagged me to do this meme. It looks SO interesting, though it took me a few days of pondering before I could finally write this down he he he...

Rules:

It’s more fun to be in classes with friends, so include one class from the person who tagged you that you’d also like to take.
Tag five other bloggers.
Write down 5-10 courses you would take to fix your life.

Okay, here goes:

1. An intensive Finnish course is the number one in my list he he he...I'd love to master this language since I'm also interested in becoming a Finnish citizen. However, to do that, I have to stay here for 4 consecutive years first and then pass the national Finnish examination. Plus I'll get a better working opportunity once I master Finnish. Plus I'll be able to converse nicely with my beloved parents-in-law HE HE HE HE...

2. A photography course (plus how to tweak your pictures using some kind of photo editor). I'm interested in learning more tips and tricks so that I can maximize the use of my digital camera. For example: how to set my camera to take GREAT pics when it's pitch dark outside yet there's full moon in the sky, how to set my camera to take great PICS of moving objects. Plus, who knows maybe I can sell my photos later on, right? There's no harm done in learning new things, anyway.

3. A First Aid Kit course. I'd love to learn CPR and learn more practical theories so that if something happens to me or my loved ones (or perhaps kids in the future), I'll know what to do.

4. A Course on How to Be More Assertive and How to Discipline One's Thoughts. I'd love to take control of my thoughts, especially when my OCD strikes he he he he he...I can obsess over something and it takes sheer will power and 100% focus to stop it. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail. Plus I'm a shy person, so I tend to be permissive. I'd love to learn to be more assertive in life. ;-D


5. Webmaster: This is a course I am going to take with Amber and Dawn (Twisted Sister) as I am fascinated with all things web-related.

I'm going to tag:

I Want to Visit Spain!

Ever since two friends of mine visited La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, I've been drooling over their holiday pictures. La Sagrada Familia is really an amazing piece of artwork. You can view the pictures of this magnificent building in the above link. I can't believe that the building was first built in 1882 and it is still unfinished. Do you know that it's only expected to be finished in 30 to 80 years from now? Goodness!!!

I've also seen pictures of Magic Fountain, which I also want to visit, as well. Imagine watching a HUGE musical fountain with amazing display of lights! Must be breathtaking! I'm daydreaming of going there with my husband one day, perhaps to enjoy our second honeymoon. It would be SO much fun!!!

Anyway, I didn't know that Picasso was born in Malaga, Spain. Did you know about this? Unfortunately I'm not a fan of Picasso's paintings since I'm more interested in impressionism. How about you? What kind of artwork or paintings do you like best?

Gorgeous 29th Birthday

First of all, I wanna thank EVERYBODY's well-wishes for my birthday. ;-D

A special THANK YOU to:






This sundae is from Crystal for me he he he he he...THANKS, Girl! It's SO YUMMY he he he he he he...

MyCuteGraphics.com - Cute Glitter Graphics


And this one is created by Trinity for me. THANKS A LOTTTTTTTTT, Fellow Bandungese!!!!




Today is a day of reflection for me. I'm SO grateful for having been SO BLESSED. I've reached some of my dreams, I have a tender-loving-fun-crazy husband and a WONDERFUL new family (unbelievable parents-in-law), and SO MANY new friends here in the blogosphere!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Life couldn't be better than this. ;-D

And since you're all wondering about the mysterious package, I only opened it this morning he he he he...My first guess was that it was a book, but turned out I was wrong he he he...It's Harry Potter's DVD (the new Harry Potter) HE HE HE...So I guess tonight we'll be watching it together HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO HO...;-D

This morning when I woke up, I received two SMSes. One of them was from one of my closest friends (the heavily pregnant one, she's due in mid December) and the other one was from my mother-in-law!!!!!!!!! ;-D She and my father-in-law wished me a happy birthday and a happy life in this cold country he he he he...And she said that she was going to bake or buy me a birthday cake on Saturday. YUMMY!!! I was planning on baking something today or tomorrow, but turned out I didn't have to do that HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...

By the way, I joked to my hubby and said that for his next birthday, I'd wrap his gift weeks beforehand and put it in the living room HA HA HA HA HA...He said it would be cruel HI HI HI HI...LOL!!! When I first visited him in 2004, I was there for his birthday and I had wrapped his gift already naturally...but he couldn't stand it. He opened it a few days before his birthday HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...Ahem!!! ;-D

Okie dokie...I've just exercised and now it's time to shower he he he...Talk to you guys later!!!!

Additional info: Hubby just came home for lunch break and he said that at first he was thinking of buying me a birthday cake, but since his Mom was going to make it, then he offered to buy me kebab or pizza. I chose pizza he he he...so I'll have pizza tonight. YUM YUM...^_______________________________^

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Our Own Pikkujoulu!!!!!!!!!!

Today in our Finnish class, our teacher suggested us to meet sometime in a cafe prior to Christmas. It's going to be LOVELY!!!

I got my homework correction today and the teacher said I had done well for someone who'd only been here for 8 months. I was SO glad to hear it, 'coz I felt as though my progress had been too slow he he he he he...What's really crystal clear now is that I haven't really practiced speaking much. Since I don't meet too many people, I don't use much Finnish even though I probably know more Finnish grammar than some of my classmates. One thing for sure is that I'm going to force myself to practice more speaking. Maybe I should start it with my own hubby. Actually lately I've been trying to say some short sentences in Finnish. I should keep on doing that so that I don't need too much time to formulate those words in my head and that it'll become some sort of an automatic response. Yeah, worth trying! ;-D

I can't wait for the pikkujoulu party (a small pre-Christmas celebration). My Brit friend is the one who's going to organize it. I sure hope everybody can make it, though I'm not sure the boys are going to come with us (boys = my Brit friend's husband and eldest son). I guess it's going to be an all ladies eve he he he he...We haven't decided on a date yet, but it should be before December 17th since one of our Russian friends is going to visit her hometown again that day.

Gave my teacher a Christmas gift and she was SO happy to get it HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...She said she'd only open it on Christmas Eve (the habit here is to open gifts on Christmas Eve). I also gave something for my Brit friend, who totally didn't expect it. WA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA...I LOVE IT when I can surprise people in a nice way!!! *big grin* Those gifts weren't expensive, but it's the thought that counts, right????? RIGHT? You MUST agree with me. LOL LOL!!!

Ahem...when I got back home from my Finnish class, I noticed that hubby had wrapped my birthday present nicely. It's now sitting on top of our scanner/printer. I've decided not to touch it or go near it he he he he...

See, Fish, I can still control myself HE HE HE HE HE...I want to be surprised tomorrow. I don't wanna touch it and then wonder what it is and obsess over it during the night he he he he he...

Okie dokie...now let me spend some quality time with hubby he he he...Enjoy the rest of your day, everybodyyyyy!!! I'll surely enjoy mine THOROUGHLY, knowing that tomorrow I can open that mysterrriiouuussss package ha ha ha ha ha...

By the way, I had a funny conversation with my hubby earlier when he got back home from work.

Me : "Everybody's now DYING to know what's inside that box."
R2 : "Everybody? What do you mean by everybody?"
Me : "I told my blogger friends about your mysterious package, so now they're also dying to know what's inside of it."
R2 : (laughing) "Oh boyyyyyyyy..."

^__________________________________^

Blog Buddies Award


Dawn from Rusin Roundup share this award with me. THANK YOU SO MUCH, Dawn! I'd love to share this award with everybody in my blogroll who hasn't received this one yet he he he he...^________________________________^

Bloggerwave

YES!!! Finally I'm approved by bloggerwave! As you all know, I've been trying to find opportunities to earn some extra income online, and I found this site.

Just like the others, you need to sign up your blog to this site and wait for it to be approved. They're currently redesigning the website to make it better and more functional. There are no limits to how many posts you can write in a day and you can add up to 5 blogs. And as usual, payment is transferred via Paypal.

Boy, I can't wait to get opportunities to write! I really want to save money since I've been using my savings whenever I need to buy something here.

Money, here I commmmeeeee!!!

This is drawn from a hidden folder

The Mysterious Package Has Arrived!!!

Just wanna tell you that the mysterious package has arrived. It's packed really well with a cardboard box and there's no sign or label on the box except my hubby's name and our address, so I can't figure out where he ordered it. Dang! I'm SO curious! I try to shake it up but I couldn't really feel what was inside of it since the cardboard box is pretty thick. Oh well...I still have to wait till tomorrow 'coz my birthday isn't here yet he he he...

On a lighter note, this evening is actually our last Finnish class for this year's agenda. So it'll start again next year (dunno when yet). We have to register again. Our teacher's supposed to give us two more lessons next week, but she can't do it since she has to move to another place. They're having their house remodeled but turned out that it wasn't finished yet, so they had to move to another place until their house gets done. At least that's what I think she has to do.

Did I tell you that one of the three pregnant ladies in my class had finally given birth? She was 2 weeks late, so she had to be induced. Her baby girl was born 4.2 kilos. Such a HUGE baby!!!! I was born 3.3 kilos only. How heavy were you when you were born? I think these days babies are bigger than they used to be, don't you think so? ;-D

Plus when I was born, in my generation, babies were born with eyes closed and they only started opening their eyes when they were a month old (if I'm not mistaken). These days babies start opening their eyes right after they're born. Plus they have SO MUCH hair. I was born pretty bald. In fact, my hair was SO thin until I was 2 years old that my parents were worried about me.

This evening my teacher's going to review my homework. Yesterday she got to review two other homework. Let's see how many mistakes I did he he he he he...This morning when I woke up, I was obsessing over my homework already. I realized that there might be some mistakes that I should have noticed. Yeah, yeah, I have a tad OCD tendency ha ha ha ha ha ha...

Now I'd better study some more. Even though I won't have classes starting next week, I still have to force myself to study regularly. After all, we all know how easy is it for our brain to forget new words and rules of a new language we're learning if we don't practice is regularly. GAMBATTE KUDASAIIII!!!!!!!!

P.S. A close friend of the pregnant lady who gave birth, another pregnant lady, bought a card for her which each of signed he he he he...Then our Finnish teacher told us how to write sentences in Finnish to congratulate her for the baby girl and to say that we wish both of them are well. ;-D

Marital Bliss

Last night I had the best "nighttime rendezvous" than EVER before!!! It just kept on getting better and better and last night topped it all off. I never thought it could get any better than that! I think my mood was set right by some reasons.

1. Hubby warned me last night, "If you receive a package in the mail tomorrow, don't open it, OK?" HE HE HE HE HE HE...It must be my BIRTHDAY gift!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYY!!! At first I teased him by saying that I'd open it (I have a habit of opening everything that comes to our mailbox, except personal letters), but then I promised not to do it. I CAN'T WAIT to see what it is HUE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE HE...*big grin*

2. I had a talk with my Estonian friend prior to our Finnish lesson. I asked her if her hubby was Finnish and she said that her hubby had died already. Ugh...I felt SO bad asking about it. With broken English (her Finnish is WAY better than her English), she told me that it had been hard on them (she has three sons) at first, but since it happened 8 years ago, it wasn't so painful anymore. Then I asked her what happened. She said it was an accident. She said that whenever she thought about it, she felt sad, but she tried not to think about it so often nowadays. Her youngest son is only about 8 years old, so I imagine that he must've been just a baby when the accident happened! Goodness!!!

That conversation made me feel SO grateful that I'm still given another day with my hubby. I'm SO LUCKY to be able to love him and be loved by him another day. That really helped me set the mood for last night. I want to make the best out of my time with him. I don't want to regret not having given my best when the time's up. Tick tock tick tock...nobody knows when their time's up.

So far my marriage's started off pretty well. We haven't had any fights yet (differences, yes, but no arguments - bantering? Definitely! We love joking with each other!) I hope it's still going to be like this all the time until the end of it when one of us dies (or perhaps both of us die at the same time, who knows?). All in all, I never thought that being married could be THIS MAGICAL! There's just something amazing in serving each other equally and getting our love tanks filled up to the brim. My cup's still runneth over. I couldn't have expected a better life than this. THANK YOU, Lord, for having given me today to be spent with him!!! I've been SO blessed!!! ;-D

Today when I woke up, this song kept on repeating in my head...here let me share with you the lyrics of a song that I've always loved he he he he...Our English teacher in High School made us listen to this song and write down the blanks in the lyrics that she had photocopied for us, then she made us sing this song together he he he...I'll ALWAYS remember that lesson! ;-D


God Will Make a Way
Don Moen



God will make a way,

Where there seems to be no way

He works in ways we cannot see

He will make a way for me

He will be my guide

Hold me closely to His side

With love and strength for each new day

He will make a way, He will make a way.

By a roadway in the wilderness,
He'll lead me

And rivers in the desert will I see
Heaven and earth will fade

But His Word will still remain

He will do something new today.

Image taken from www.heartlight.org

Tuesday, November 27, 2007

My Brother's Love Stories

Since my brother's getting married in less than 2 weeks, I figured it'd be okay if I write down his love stories he he he...

As I've told you before, he had SO MANY FANS ever since he was in High School. Well, I think it all started even way before then, but the sporadic female fans started accumulating fast when he was in High School. He had many female friends, too, but the female fans were basically other girls. I would get envious every time Christmas came closer and he got MANY MORE Christmas cards and mostly they were from girls he he he he he...Side note: unfortunately Indo people've started sending Christmas smses than real Christmas cards.

When he was in High School, once I asked him how crazy his female fans were. He told me that one girl used to yell my brother's name in front of other students and say, "I love youuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" My brother hated it so much he he he he he...

Then one aggressive girl started coming to our house. It was SO obvious that she liked my brother SO much. She was his classmate and she knew that I had started becoming a private English tutor, so she found a way to ask my help with their English. I did teach them English one time, prior to their exam. Then on Valentine's Day she sent my brother a chocolate cake. Yummy!!! ;-D She also sent my brother a few letters. Nowadays his girlfriend often teases him about those letters he he he he...

Then when he studied at university, he had more fans than ever!!! A few girls started calling him, telling him that they found out about him from other girls in my brother's school. Don't ask me how they got a hold of our phone number. They wanted to meet him at a mall, and my brother's friends were eager to meet them he he he he he...

During this period of time, my Mom got really worried 'coz she didn't want my brother to give "false hope" to all the girls. My brother still hadn't picked a girlfriend yet, so all the female fans were still flocking around him like bees around honey.

When my brother was at uni, he also started going to church (the church where he is now a member of). There he met many more friends, including his current girlfriend. Back then I knew they were starting to be close to each other, since he asked me to go with him to the stores to find a birthday gift for her. I remembered that day clearly. In the end we found him a small white bag and once he gave it to her, she started using that bag whenever she went to the malls. Back then I still didn't know her well, but I spotted her once in a mall with that white bag he he he he he...

However, there came a twist in the story. My brother's current girlfriend is two years his junior at the university. When he was on the third year at the uni, there was this popular and intelligent girl who caught his eye. The girl apparently liked him, too. She graduated faster since she had had good grades, so she could do the thesis a semester faster than the others. She did the thesis on a company nearby our house, and whenever she was done with it, she would drop by our house. Now this girl was VERY popular at the uni, just as popular as my brother. My brother kept on saying that every boy thought that she was SO pretty.

Anyway, she started coming by our house and my brother would give her a ride home on his motorcycle. They started becoming closer and then my brother started taking him to his church. This girl's parents live in Central Java, so he never met them before. When the girl graduated from uni, she threw a celebration party and invited my brother. There he met her parents.

After graduation, the girl moved back to Central Java and found a job there. One time she invited my brother to visit her there, so my brother did. Mind you that this is such an INTERESTING thing since my brother doesn't really like travelling, especially ALONE! It's just impossible to think that he would do that on his own, but he did. He stayed at a hotel that she had booked for him. When he got back home, Mom asked him how it was going. My brother said that they just spent time together in the hotel (don't you dare think of indecent stuff, though!!! They're not like that!), talking. My Mom had already felt suspicious about it. I mean, if her parents really liked my brother, why didn't she invite him to her house, right?

Then some time passed by and the girl kept on sending letters and birthday presents for my brother. They also spoke on the phone. Oh yeah, almost forgottttttt...back in the throes of romance between them, they used to call each other SO often each day. It was driving me crazy as he even turned the mobile on during his sleep, but whenever she called, he would pick it up no matter what. Love, oh, love...the things people do for love!!!

Anyway, I forgot which one happened first...but basically speaking, she told my brother that her parents wanted her to get acquainted with a guy that they had found good enough for her. My brother told my Mom about this with teary eyes. He said that it seemed that her parents didn't want her to be with him. My Mom comforted him by saying, "Well, probably because she's rich and she's already working while you're still studying. You've got nothing yet to prove to them and they want someone who's already got something for their daughter. Now you have to fight really hard for your own future. Prove to everybody that you can be a success, as well."

Starting then, my brother studied really hard and finally he graduated. He was still in contact with the girl via letters, but then he had started considering her as a friend. Then a church youth leader asked my brother why he didn't get closer to his current girlfriend, since they both had similar dreams. During that time, my brother was active at church, so he had also told his love story to his youth leader. Finally my brother's heart started to heal, so he started going out with his current girlfriend and they became a couple.

Even after that, the other girl kept on sending him a birthday present from Central Java and the occasional letter. Then one day came a wedding invitation. The girl was going to marry a doctor. She also wrote down a little note, saying that she would love it if my brother and girlfriend could come to the wedding and she would book (pay) the hotel rooms for them (the wedding was in Central Java). My brother's girlfriend got angry after reading the note. She said, "How dare her say those words? It's not as if we had no money to pay for our own hotel rooms. Anyway, I don't want to go there, but if you do want to go there, you can go there alone."

In the end my brother didn't go to the wedding. He only asked for another friend to bring the angpao (envelope with money in it) for the newlyweds. The weird thing was that even after her wedding, she still sent a birthday gift to my brother. She also wrote a letter to him, telling him that she was lonely there and that she missed meeting her uni friends. My Mom was SO upset by that. Mom told my brother NOT to tell his girlfriend about it, since it would probably upset her. And my brother kept his mouth shut and never wore the clothes she had sent him.

I think starting last year, she had stopped sending anything to my brother. PHEW!!! Now my brother can hopefully live happily with his future wife without any intrusion he he he he he he...I must say that Mom was right, though. If my brother had insisted on being with the first girl, then it would have been SO MUCH burden on him. I mean, it seems to me that the girl has rich parents. Imagine what will he feel like, having to meet their standards. His current girlfriend has a similar background with us (both our Moms are food sellers in traditional markets), so she's VERY understanding about everything. She never asked too much from my brother. Plus she's SO caring to my parents. I feel as if I had a younger sister. ;-D Plus she wrote an email to me the other day, saying that she missed me HEEEEEEEEE HEEEEEEEE HEEEEEEEE HEEEEEE HEEE...

Ahem...OK then now I'll have lunch and work on my homework. I'll visit you guys later. Hope you enjoyed reading this story he he he...

Compare Prices on Savebuckets!

If you're looking for something to buy, yet you want to do a price comparison first, then Savebuckets is worth trying. Whether you're looking for electronic gadgets, sports equipment, computer hardware, clothing, furniture, or even jewellery, you can find them there. What I'd love most about the site is that if you still feel that the product you need is too pricey, you can then fill in a form by supplying your desired price and email address. Then they will contact you if they've found a store that sells that product at the maximum price you desire. Easy peasy, isn't it?

Now maybe I should browse for handycam there and make myself drool...mmm...I sure do want a handycam one day. Maybe if I have saved enough money later on, I'll buy myself a handycam so that I can show everybody my video clips with a good picture quality and some sound. Yes, that would be really nice, wouldn't it?

Monday, November 26, 2007

Friendly Site Award!

Trinity has bestowed this award upon me. THANK YOU, Trinity!!! She threw a special gala to share SO MANY awards. It was such a BEAUTIFUL event! ;-D

This is what she said to me:

Amel is a cheerful and friendly, we are from the same city: Bandung - Indonesia but now she lives with her hubby in Finland and enjoying their winter there. Amel is a grateful, supportive, kind and many other reason that makes her deserve this Friendly Site Award!



I'd love to share this award with: Crystal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Saturday

I haven't told you about Saturday. When we arrived at my in-laws, turned out that my mother-in-law wasn't home. She had prepared some reindeer and dessert for us, so we only needed to boil the potatoes and warm up the reindeer. She was taking a computer course. It took 6 hours. I was pleasantly surprised to hear that. She still has a spirit to learn new things even at the age of 63. I kinda missed her 'coz she only got back home at around 5 pm.

When she got back home, she had a sauna right away since it was still warm in the sauna, then she went to have dinner. Then she asked me if I was going to throw a big party on my upcoming birthday ha ha ha ha...Arttu said no. And she said, "Oh, then perhaps she'll throw a big birthday party next year 'coz she's going to turn 30 next year." On the way home, I joked to Arttu, "I ain't turning 30 next year. I'm only going to turn 18. So I still have 12 years left before I turn 30." LOL LOL!!!

Well, I dislike big parties if it's MY own party. I don't mind going to big parties if it's someone else's party. I remember that 17 is an important age in Indo 'coz some of my High School friend threw a REALLY big party. Sometimes when rich people throw a HUGE 17th birthday party, I wonder how HUMONGOUS their wedding parties will be like he he he he he he...I was invited to several 17th birthday parties of my friends and it was quite an experience. Oh well...now I'm getting sidetracked!

Anyhow, then hubby said that Pirita's Dad was going to come over to have a game night as he was home alone. So he did came at around 9 pm and they had fun till around 4.30 am. Hubby went to sleep right away as his head lay down on the pillow and he snored loudly. LOL LOL!!!

Due to coffee, I only went to bed at around 2.30 am but I think I only fell asleep at around 3 am 'coz the boys (hubby and his cousin) were gaming outside he he he...I woke up groggily at around 10.30 am the next morning and the rest of the day went very very sleepily.

My hubby was also sleepy 'coz he woke up even earlier than I did. While watching "Breach" last night, he fell asleep for a while HI HI HI HI HI HI...Breach is based on a true story. It wasn't particularly interesting (except the fact that it was based on a true story), but what I found fascinating was the underlying concept behind it. It's about a man who looks religious and he's really loved by his family, but then he makes indecent tapes of his wife and he sells information to Russia. What bothered me was the fact that at the beginning of the story, the guy was REALLY convincing. He goes to church every day and all that jazz. It's just unnerving to see the real guy behind the mask. It makes me wonder about what kind of masks people wear every day.

I think in the blogosphere people are more honest than in real life, so I'm not saying that I'm suspicious of anyone here, OK? I'm just saying that the movie made me wonder about people in general. The movie reminds me that there ARE people that are REALLY good at hiding behind their masks out there and we shouldn't be too naive.

Okay, now it's time for me to visit your blogs and then do my homework again. Let me also write my 3BT post here he he he...

1. Found CHEAP oranges on a discount! So they're MUCH cheaper ha ha ha ha...Only €0.79 per kilo! YIIIHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!

2. Sold some beer cans and bottles, so I felt entitled to use the money to buy some frozen spring rolls. YES YES YES!!! I've been wanting to buy them, but they were expensive (today they're on a discount).

3. Bought two strawberry doughnuts. It was HEAVENLY!!!!!! ;-D
(OK, OK, I'm a food buff, so I talk about food a lot in my 3BT posts LOL!!)

4. Getting SO MUCH food again from my mother-in-law. She's really AN ANGEL HE HE HE HE HE HE...

5. Being able to spend time reading at her house while hubby took a nap. I LOVE having my me time! ;-D

6. Enjoying spectacular winter views on Saturday. Mmmmmhhhh...LOVE this place to bits!!!! ;-D

7. Hearing hubby tell me "You're the best" again. YUMMY!!!! *grin*

I Want One!

In today's digital world, taking pictures is made easy with digital cameras. However, since we don't necessarily print out every digital picture we take, what we need next is a digital photo frame. I found assortments of digital frames in the above website. All the frames in the site are compatible with a variety types of files (JPEG, DivX, MP4, WAV, etc.). You can also enjoy the movie clips you've recorded with your digital camera since the frames are equipped with built-in speakers. Other than that, the digital frames Card Reader can read different types of memory cards. Pretty handy, isn't it?

The digital frames come in different sizes, starting from 7" to 15". All you need to do to transfer the pictures to the digital frames is to plug your memory card to the frame. You can then pick the transitions between pictures and set how long your pictures are going to be displayed. Honestly speaking, I want one of those, please! *grin*

Anyway, the site offers worldwide shipping with affordable prices. If you're afraid of product damage, though, don't worry! By paying a small insurance fee, you can rest assured about your order. Best of all, if you order now, before December 1st, you can get a 5% discount!!! So if you've been thinking of buying one, hurry to the site! You still have a few days left!!! What else are you waiting for?

Sunday, November 25, 2007

5 Things to Look Back

Crystal has tagged me to do this meme. Since it seems easy, I'll do it right away. I'm actually SO sleepy right now. I went to bed at 3 am last night and hubby only went to bed at around 5 am. Last night was his gaming night with his cousin (Pirita's Dad). Right now hubby's going to cook pancakes for us HUA HA HA HA HA...YEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSS!!!!!

INSTRUCTIONS:-

1. Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given below.
2. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.
3. Don't forget to read the archived post and leave comments.


Link 1 must be about FAMILY
My Brother and I


Link 2 must be about FRIEND
Going to Different Directions


Link 3 must be about YOURSELF
Me, Myself, and I


Link 4 must be about YOUR LOVE
My Husband


Link 5 can be ANYTHING YOU LIKE...
A Reminder for Myself


I'm not going to tag anyone for this he he he he...Now I'm gonna help my hubby sprinkle some sugar on the pancakes and soon we'll be able to eat 'em. YEEESSSS!!!

Video of the Day: Casting Crowns

I LOVE this video and the song, so I just wanna share it with you. Enjoy "Praise You in This Storm" by Casting Crowns!!!


No Snowmaaaannnnnn!!!!!

Unfortunately yesterday it was -8'C and the snow was too dry. I tried making a small ball, but it didn't work AT ALL. So I gave up. I did try making a snow angel by myself, but I didn't take a pic of it 'coz the end result was weird as I had to get up by myself and thus I ruined a part of it ha ha ha ha ha ha ha...I'll try again next time and ask hubby's help to get up and take a pic of me while lying down on the snow, OK?

I saw a SPECTACULAR view of Sodankylä's river, though unfortunately I didn't take a pic of it as we were passing it by by car and there was no way I could ask my hubby to stop his car around that area. But I held my breath when I saw that view. It just makes me realize how WONDERFUL this place is. I've always loved the view around the river, either in winter or summer. Makes me feel SO peaceful. Mmmmm...

Anyway, here are some pics I took.

First pic: Took it a few days ago from our balcony. I was doing something with my computer and then when I was about to walk to the kitchen, I drew a sharp intake of breath when I saw this view. I LOVE the gradation of colours. White, baby blue, pink...mmmmm...



Second pic: Guess what time I took this pic? 3 pm!!! It was SO dark at 3 pm and there was a moon in the sky! I grabbed my camera right away 'coz I wanted to show it to you he he he...



Now these pics were taken yesterday near my in-laws' place.
Actually the SPECTACULAR view I was talking about consisted of the same kind of "sunlight" effect like that, but it was surrounding a frozen lake and some houses around it, so it was more breathtaking than these pics as I could see the view from above the bridge mmmm...My fave pic is the last one he he he he...the one of the frozen lake near the cabin. Let me show you a comparison with the last pic...the same spot, taken in summer.









Another Award for Me!!!!

This is definitely my rocking month (Mom always says that I'm the luckiest on my birth month) ha ha ha ha ha...I've just been given another award by Gage. THANKS, Gage!!!!!!!!!!




Stay tuned for more pics of Lapland...coming soon!!! I'll upload them tomorrow he he he...

For now, here's a pic of my homemade cakue (a kind of snack famous in Indonesia - people eat it with chicken porridge and chili sauce, but sometimes you can eat it just like that with chili sauce). Turned out my hubby LOVED it, too! I'm SO glad 'coz it took HOURS to make it - you had to leave it for approx. 5-6 hours after making the dough before you could cut them into pieces and then deep-frying it for a minute or two.



Good night, everybody!!! Sweet dreams...

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Everything You Need for Your Garage

I've never had a house with a garage, but one of my friends has one. When I visited her house, I saw some oil stains on her garage floor. How many times have you seen oil stains on garage floors? Probably more than once. Do you know that if you've just made a garage and the garage floor is made of concrete, it is better to coat it with epoxy so that it'll be easier to clean?

The above site has a HUGE variety of things to sell for your garage. If you need to make your garage neater, maybe you should consider buying garage shelving or cabinets. If you live in a country where its winter is harsh, then you may need a garage heater. If you don't have a garage, but you want to buy a gift for a friend or relative who has a garage, you can also buy a gift certificate there.

A Short Finnish Lesson

JANICE, this one is especially for you he he he he he...I'm just going to write some phrases here:

1. Hyvää joulua! = Merry Christmas!

2. Onnellista uutta vuotta! = Happy New Year!

3. Rakastan sinua = I love you.

4. Nimeni on ....... = My name is ...... (fill in the blanks with your own name).

5. Days of the week:

a. Maanantai = Monday
b. Tiistai = Tuesday
c. Keskiviikko = Wednesday
d. Torstai = Thursday
e. Perjantai = Friday
f. Lauantai = Saturday
g. Sunnuntai = Sunday

6. WC (Vessa) = Toilet

7. Apua! = Help!

8. Hyvää syntymäpäivä! = Happy Birthday!

9. Mitä kuuluu? = How are you?
Kiitos, hyvää = Fine, thanks.

10. Hauska tutustua = Pleased to meet you.

I hope that's enough for now he he he he he...If you wanna hear some Finnish pronunciation, go here: Finnish for Foreigners.

What's in Your Bag Meme?

Max and Angela tagged me to do this meme. At first when Max tagged me, I told her that I did a similar one already, but after some thinking, in that other meme, I didn't get a chance to take a pic to show you everything inside my bag. So, this is a picture of my bag (bought on sale for about €8) and what I put inside it. This is the bag I bring everywhere he he he...It's not too small and it's not too big. Perfect for me! ;-D




As you can see, I have my passport, a copy of my marriage certificate, an umbrella, mobile phone plus its casing (the casing's made personally for me by a friend of mine), sunglasses (I don't always bring them, depending on the weather), a pink comb, a pink wallet (bought in Indonesia), a pencil and two pens and an eraser (still with the price tag on it HA HA HA HA HA HA), a sanitary napkin with a funky package (bought in Indonesia), two lip balms, one lipstick, and two lip glosses, and the package with Y on it is my birth control pill package ha ha ha ha ha...I put it there to make sure that if we ever stay a night or two in some place, I won't forget to bring them.

There you go! Hope you're happy enough to see my bag and the stuff I put there. ;-D

First Letter of Your Name Meme

Crystal tagged me to do this meme.

Use the first letter of your name to answer each question. Must be places, names …nothing made up. You can't use your own name for the boy/girl's name question. If you get stuck, skip to the next one.

1. Famous Singer: Anouk
2. Four Letter Word: Arid
3. Street: ABC Street (in Bandung HA HA HA HA HA HA...)
4. Colour: Amber
5. Gifts/Present: A villa HA HA HA...OK, this is called "cheating", so my real answer is accordion.
6. Vehicle: Audi
7. Things in Souvenir Shop: Apple-shaped magnet
8. Boy Name: Arttu
9. Girl Name: Anastacia
10. Movie title: A Walk in the Clouds
11. Drink: Apple Juice
12. Occupation: Actress
13. Celebrity: Anthony Hopkins
14. Magazine: Apu (Finnish magazine HUA HA HA HA HA HA)
15. U.S. City: Austin
16. Pro Sports: Archery
17. Fruit: Apricot
18. Reason for Being Late to work: Aye don't know
19. Something you throw away: Anger
20.Something you shout: "Aiiiiiii carambaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" LOL LOL!!!

Boy, this is fun!!! I've had a few laughs doing it. I ain't gonna tag anybody, though. If you feel like this is an interesting meme to do, go ahead and do it he he he he...

Home and Car Insurance

I think other than health or life insurance, two other importance types of insurance are home insurance and car insurance. That is, of course, if you have your own car and house. If not, then you don't have to worry about both!

Having lived in a small alley in Bandung made my Dad insure our house for fire or natural disasters. If a fire started in one house, it would spread pretty quickly to the other houses. And since the fire truck wouldn't be able to pass by the small alley, it would take a while before the firemen could put it off. Dad always says, "It's much better to pay some money per year to make sure that if something bad happens, we're not going to lose everything. We'll get something in return for the loss." That's his way of taking care of my family.

And since car theft is also a big issue in Indonesia, when Dad still owned a car, even though it was an old car, he insured it. Of course he had to compare car insurance programs first to make sure he got the best deal. However, now that he's sold the car, he doesn't have to worry anymore about getting his car stolen! All he has to do now is keep on insuring the house.

Friday, November 23, 2007

Best Blogging Buddies Award

Juliana has shared this award with me. It's a new one for me, so I'm HAPPY he he he...THANKS, Jul!!!!



Delayed Gratification

My parents taught me delayed gratification ever since we were kids. I didn't realize it back then, naturally, but when we were adults, Mom used to tell us that ever since we were kids, if we wanted a toy or something, she would say to us, "Right now we don't have the money yet, so you have to wait until next month, okay?" Mom told us that actually they DID have the money already back then, but they wanted to teach us the value of delayed gratification. I find that this lesson has been one of the MOST important things I've ever learnt in life. Funny thing is that I don't recall any grudge or sadness that even from a young age, I had to wait to get something. I should remember this lesson so that I can pass it on to my children one day. ;-D

Anyway, as you all probably know, I used to work as a private English tutor for kids. Naturally most of the kids I taught had rich parents or at least had parents from middle-classes families. I remember one time I asked one student of mine, "So school holiday's coming soon. Where are you going to go with your family? Any special plans?"

He said with a derogatory tone of voice, "Euuww...we'll probably go to Singapore AGAIN. SO boring!"

I was shocked when I heard his tone of voice (as if her mother took him to the local ZOO over and over again). Right then and there I wish I could have told him that I had saved money for four years by being a part-time private English tutor while I studied at the university in order to be able to go to Singapore ONCE and that I had always cherished that one short trip. However, I don't think that he would have understood it anyway even if I had told him about it. I just hope that later on life'll teach him this lesson.

It's just crazy how SOME kids of rich parents really take money for granted (I'm not saying ALL because not all of them do this). They can get anything they want without having to wait, so they feel that they have the world in their hands.

One thing I dislike about being a private English tutor was kids who had rich parents who felt as though they could do whatever they liked since they thought, "Well, my parents pay YOU to teach me, so if I feel lazy to come over to your house, it's MY choice." Some of my students came to my house since they lived nearby, and some of them really didn't appreciate my time. They would sometimes call me 15 minutes or 30 minutes before their appointed time and say, "Miss, I don't feel like coming today. I'm so lazy, OK?" GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!! I had spent time preparing the lesson and writing down exercises and I had waited for them to come, and they could just do that to me? After a while, I got so upset that I charged them for the lost hour. I wouldn't have charged them if they were really sick or they had urgent matters, but if they did it just because they were lazy, I couldn't take it. I could've used that hour to do something else instead.

Plus the toughest thing about teaching kids was when they weren't motivated to learn. They weren't interested in learning English whatsoever. They just came to my house simply because their Mom told them to. This was by far the toughest kind of student to deal with. No matter how good I was, no matter how many lessons I gave them, if they wouldn't meet me halfway, everything I gave vanished like thin air.

Gee...I have rambled off topic again ha ha ha...I need to do my homework again: writing today's diary he he he he he...