My story, your story, our story!

Wishes?

2012-01-16T22:23:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Eve for this pic!

Hello all!! Happy super-belated CHRISTMAS 2011 and NEW YEAR 2012, happy GRADUATION for all of my classmates and happy early CHINESE NEW YEAR! ^^

and I would like to say my farewell to the so-called ~~Long Distance Relationship~~! :))

Meet my lovely mister and me! Taken at my grad ceremony. ^^ This is definitely one of the happiest moment in my life.

I had a very tiring but super AWESOME month of January so far. I got to meet my mister! We had a really nice vacation in China, we spent some times in Suzhou, got the chance to go to Beijing and Shanghai for a while, and the best part was he managed to attend my graduation ceremony in which I gave a speech in Chinese, haha, pretty awesome, right? I never imagined I would be able to stand in front of so much people and giving a graduation speech and the hardest part is not using my own mother language.
Here are some of the photos from Jan 5, 2012:

This is my super mom and me. :))

All the Indonesians graduates from batch 2006 and their fams, I'll upload more on my facebook later. I miss you all already!! You all are the BEST!

My favourite aunties from the church: left is auntie Jenny, a very happy and fun auntie, centre is auntie Gloria, an amazing cook!, she has 2 adorable daughters Elli and Edna, I miss you all!

On January 14th, we had the "Heaven or Hell: Prom Night", all credits to batch 2007 and the rest of the juniors. I should really say I am very impressed of what these 19 students can achieve together, you guys are amazing! Thanks for everything, thanks for the efforts, thanks for the amazing yearbook, thanks for the memories. I have to agree with Sylvia's post though, this year prom was not as personal as last year's was. But the event itself was fully organized, superb! Congrats to all people involved during the prep, sure thing it's everything but easy. I feel very lucky to have friends like you all, i love you all and I do hope we will cross-path again in the near future! All the best for your internship year 2007! God bless!

Well, I am back in Jakarta for now. I am very happy! I am meeting my mister for dinner later this evening. :)) I am currently staying at my sis' place (kost-an).

I can't just sit down and do nothing though, I need to start looking for a job while waiting for my certificate. My original plan and it is still my plan for now, I will apply for a job (in any kind of field, read: other than medicine), hopefully I get a job SOON so I can get more experience in how to deal with people and get the knowledge of what work life is all about exactly. Then I have to go through all the long procedures in order to apply for adaptation program if say I want to pursue my medical career. God helps me figure this one out. In Him, there is nothing impossible, in Him wishes do come true. :) So don't be afraid, dream big, make wishes, PLUS the efforts!! and let God works!

Waiting.

2011-12-20T21:06:00.000-08:00

Can't you believe it? Just 4 days to Christmas! About the Christmas dinner, it's been decided, we'll go to Secret Recipe on Sunday evening, which means I gotta make the reservation sometimes this week. I'm going to Christmas Eve service at SIF (Suzhou International Fellowship) church to meet some friends there, then later for the evening I'm going to celebrate Christmas with Marcus and auntie June (they host a meeting every Saturday 4 PM at their house, the regulars are Janesya, Jenhan, Melisa, Swaroop, Pradeep, and me ~ 4 Indonesian and 2 Indians, all med students), we are going to order in the food from various restaurants. ^^ For the Christmas morning service I'm going to the Catholic church, but most of the people I know will be gone for holiday though. -_- This will be my last Christmas in Suzhou I guess (kecuali apabila Tuhan berkehendak lain, hehe).

Besides the Christmas celebration (party and everything), we shall not forget about the true meaning of Christmas, me myself sometimes got too excited with the mood for celebration till I forgot about what actually the real purpose of Christmas itself. It is about the birth of Jesus and everyone present during the birth of Jesus (i.e. Maria, the shepherds, etc), it is about joy for the savior has born, we need to spread the good news, just like the shepherds did. ^^ Let us make the the time to read about the birth of Jesus on the bible (Matthew or Luke) and spread the good news, let them receive the good news also. :)

P.S. Just 2 more weeks till I get to see my mister! thennn I'm hoping to say goodbye to LDR!


I miss this! Let's go there again! Make bunch of new even-more-memorable memories. ^^ This photo was taken in Lembang, Bandung.

Bible verse of the week.

2011-12-16T05:47:00.000-08:00

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
2 Timothy 1:7

For now, I really have no idea about what my future life will be, am I gonna be a doctor? (I certainly hope so, I pray to God to be with me every step of the way since it's gonna be a long wayy before I can finally get my license and practice) I doubt myself so much sometimes I think other people have more faith in me than me for myself, how ironic. -_- Am I strong enough to endure whatever comes next?

Sometimes we may feel insecure or afraid for reasons we can't share with others. We may feel so alone, so sad, and so down we don't even know how to live another day (kedengarannya emang lebay but it happens once or twice in life), we may have so much fears inside us or we may have so much doubts about ourselves or what future holds for us. Whatever it is that makes you feel this way, fear not, it WILL pass. Just know that you are NEVER alone. Hang in there! Pray, surrender yourself completely to God, and let God works. Know that God is always there, He has great plans for each of us, the obstacles we face in our life will only make us stronger and become a better person in the future, and all is for the glory of His name only.

Am I afraid right now? YES. Am I nervous right now? absolutely YES. But I have my faith in Him, I believe that God's plan is always good. Is my journey gonna be a smooth one or a bumpy one? I have no idea, hahaa, but I rather have a bumpy one with Him guiding me throughout my journey than a meaningless smooth one.

In the spirit of Christmas, let us pray for one another! :) Let us pray for Christmas full of blessings for everyone with no exception. Mari, mari berdoa dan berbagi berkat untuk satu sama lain.
I also would like to pray for one of my junior who had been hospitalized since last Sunday. May God's healing power come upon her so that she can be healthy again. God heals every illness she still has in her mind and body. Amin.

Happy Birthday Ka Candela! ^^

2011-12-14T06:22:00.000-08:00

Found this pic somewhere from the internet. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KA CANDELA. ^^ Hehe..
Many happy returns, God bless you!

Ideas for Christmas Dinner?

2011-12-14T06:08:00.000-08:00

I am still thinking for ideas on how to spend my last Christmas here? Hm.. I would really love to spend it with my friends here, one of the idea is to have a Christmas dinner together. However, I am still looking for the perfect place.
Secret Recipe? They have this amazing chocolate cake "Chocolate Indulgence". If you never try it, you definitely have to!! It costs 20 yuan for one quite-big-slice of this delicious cake.


My favorite 'Chocolate Indulgence'

I was planning to have my Christmas dinner at this restaurant but I am not sure anymore now because I had too much of this cake already, hahaha. The food is just so-so, but I think I will still consider this as an option.

I don't feel like celebrating Christmas by eating at a Chinese restaurant, somehow it's not so Christmasie. So maybe I'll cross out the Chinese food restaurant option.

Pasta perhaps? I miss PEPeNERO so badd, although I've only been there for like twice, both with my mister. ^^

My mister suggested steak. Hm.. A good idea for... a candlelight dinner for us though. Hahahaha.. Not sure for this one since there will be at least 16 people with limited budget (read: pelit, ahahaha, maklum anak kost semua). I wish there are more good restaurants here in Suzhou just like in Jakarta!

Lists for Christmas dinner place options:
- Secret Recipe
- Mister Pizza
- Papa John's
- ~~Yang-yang (Chinese food)~~
- TGI Friday
- Casa Zoe (Mexican Food)
- Korean Food

Update for last Saturday, December 10, 2011.
I had this amazing Christmas dinner at a church friend's house, her name is Auntie Gloria, she is an amazing cook! She prepared everything by herself, I so wanna be a great cook like her in the future. ^^ Anyway, last Saturday she prepared turkey (usually she has to prepare for 2 days to cook turkey, but this time because she was so busy she only prepare it for 1 day), ham with honey mustard sauce - super delicious!!, penne pasta, IKEA meatballs (I wish we have IKEA in Indo!), boiled buncis (I don't know the English word for buncis), and one of of her guest brought Vietnamese rolls, uu, too bad I am allergic to shrimp. The best part is the dessert, I LOVE dessert, auntie Gloria made blueberry pie and apple pie, and we ate it. Aaaa, I was so full that day! I wanted to have some more pies but there was just not enough space in my belly. -_- Thank you so much Auntie for hosting such a wonderful Christmas dinner!

All the yummy food!


The kids (the girls on the right are the adorable and cute Elli and Edna, auntie Glorias	's daughter)

This pic was taken from last time I had dinner at her place. Left: most delicious apple pie , Right: home-made chocolate cake

Too bad I didn't take any proper pictures for each delicious food, hiksss, adding camera to my wish list.

Nostalgila..

2011-12-09T01:36:00.000-08:00

Since it's almost the end of the year, looking back to the beginning of the year 2011:
1.) January 2011: hmmm, I can't even remember how I spent my New Year's Eve, hahaha. But, I'm guessing I spent it with bunch of friends here in Suzhou. Nothing special, justtt that I started my Internship training (all those Med chinese class, practical class and case studies). Oh yaa before the training was my senior's graduation and prom! (batch 2005 was the first batch with 12 Indonesian students majoring Clinical Medicine in Suzhou Uni)
And another thing was I cut my hair short, and had a perm curl which lasted for about 2 months.

Here are some pic from back then:

Everything was so white! I wonder whether I'm going to experience something like this again before I'm going back to Indo.

East Camp Dorm, the left building: mostly Koreans, the right one (no AC, hot water): Chinese students' super cheap dorm


Me and the snow, near the building where the internship training was held

2.) February 2011: still training, short CNY holiday then had a small exam before starting the internship, finally the beginning of my internship, first department was Ob-Gyn, first week was horrible, I remember I tried so hard to fit in, struggled with the language and everything but finally got to enjoy every seconds of it. I love my Ob-Gyn rotation. :))

3.) March, April, May 2011: more internship thingies. Spent most of my time in the hospital except Saturday and Sunday. My last Spring in China! Definitely gonna miss all the beautiful flowers.

4.) June 2011! Probably best month of the year after December. ^^ I got to go back to Jakarta and meet my family and my mister! I got to attend mister's sister's wedding ceremony. It was beautiful and such a memorable one. #ilovewedding I love the gate-crashing part, hehe. I also got to meet my baby niece, Chiara. :))

It's me and my mister in front of the Cathedral! ^^

Meet my baby niece.

5.) July 2011: Baddd because I miss home so badly! I got the taste of freedom, love, hahaha aga lebayy. The point is I really really miss everyone back home. The weather was not so friendly either and by this time I have started my rotation in the Internal Medicine department.

6.) August 2011: ...

7.) September 2011: Finally, I went to Huangshan! aka the Yellow Mountain. Cheers!! It was amazing, the weather was great. I always love travelling, it's just hard for me sometimes to find the right time (such a lame excuse yahh) and the most important is that I must save up a lot first. Hehe. If you guys ever have the chance to go to Huangshan, you definitely have to go! Just make sure to spend the night at the peak to make sure you don't miss the sunset and sunrise scenery, both which unfortunately I haven't experienced yet.

8.) October 2011: Peds rotation. 2 months before final exam.

9.) November 2011: Study, study, study!!

10.) Last but not least, DECEMBER 2011: final exam ~ practical (Dec 3, 2011), final exam ~ theory (Dec 6, 2011), I'm just glad it's all OVER. tee hee! Isn't it the most wonderful time of the year? ^^

Thanks GOD for such a wonderful year!

P.S. I have some trouble uploading photos because of the connection. -_- Going to upload it next time or maybe after I'm in Jakarta, because as you know, here in China I need to use proxy to open several websites.

Helloo December! ^^

2011-12-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year! ^^ I have so much to be thankful for, but firstly I would like to say that I am officially done with med school, well, at least for now! 5.5 years, oh I'm so DONE!
I still have many things before I can actually practice medicine, but still I'm just so grateful now that I finally finished the first step. Thanks to everyone who had been very supportive throughout my study in here. Thanks God, without Him I'm nothing.

I am looking forward to go back to Jakarta! But before that, I can't wait to see my mom and my mister! Yes, that's right they are coming here for my graduation ceremony. Mom is coming on Jan 1st, my mister is coming on Jan 4th.

Hopefully, I will have more time to take care of my blogs. I have way too many blogs to maintain. -_- *my bad* and plus I really need to improve my blogging skills.

HELLO DECEMBER, HOLIDAY SEASON IS HERE!!!

Things to do before leaving China:
- Pack my things then send everything back to Indonesia (esp. BOOKS! -_-) I love my books but they are just so heavy and it will cost a lot.*sobs*
- Selling stuffs -_-
- Spending more time with friends here
- Finish my C.V. !! ASAP!
- and the list still goes on..

Lomo!

2010-11-25T21:10:00.000-08:00

I've been so unproductive despite of all resolution I made just a few months ago. I think I am being eaten alive while I am living here.. The bad energy, all the dramas. Or is it just me? Fuhhh.
Anyway, today I woke up late because I slept at about 3 am, I was waiting for a call from my mister, it's very hard to make the time even for a short phone call now he is so busy with his job, and me with the exams coming. :(( Enough whining. Back to the title, today I'm going to finish my film roll in my Fish Eye!, I think I still have 3 more shots, and then I'm going to find a place to develop the film. As soon as I get the result I will post in on Facebook and I hope I can post it here also.. Hope that will make my day a little better. Ciao!

JAKARTA!

2010-07-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

Hurray! I'm back to the oh-so-annoying-city-with-all-the-traffic yet still lovely city, JAKARTA! :)
So, yesterday I took the morning flight to Jakarta from Shanghai with 5 of my Uni friends. I love the new Garuda airplane (I can play mini games/watch many movies/listening to music, hehe..), Airbus 330-300, except for the fact that their seats color are an ugly dark brown, I prefer the old colors.
Everything went well. :) Thanks God for everything.

I was so excited to see my mister. :)) I landed in Jakarta at around 3.20 PM. Despite of the very long queue at the immigration (there were so many people!! - I realized that this is the season of 'naik haji', because it's almost Ramadhan), I managed to keep being patient. :p (Ada satu ibu-ibu yang hampir menyelak barisan kami, tetapi untungnya teman si ibu masih lebih tahu aturan. Urgh..)
and then FINALLY! I get to see my mister!! :)) I said goodbyes to my friends and walked to the parking lot with my mister. He brought me lilies! :)) So very sweet of him. He also brought me little koala and kangaroos he got for me when he went to Oz 2 months ago.

From the airport, the traffic was bad, but still it's Jakarta, no place like home. My mister is so kind, he took me to eat one of my favorite food 'sate ayam' in front of RSPP Pertamina, yummy!! We planned to go to Komsel yesterday, we picked up Amel and Jerry first at Ranch Market then went to Bintaro (Rika's house), I am so happy meeting new people, and all of his friends. :) They are all very good people. Komsel went great! We sang praises, read bibles, share things about our life in which Jesus created so many miracles, keep on blessing us, I love everything about yesterday.
I should mention this too, Rika is a very good cook!! She and couple of Komsel people help her cook this delicious baby potato, vegie and chicken, I don't know the name of the food, but it was simply very delicious and healthy too. I guess I really need to start cooking, I want to be able to cook all of these delicious healthy food and eat it. Haha. :p Rika also has 3 puppies, very very cute puppies!! I'll upload their photos later.
So, that's basically how my day was yesterday. :)) I arrived at my house at around 2 AM, poor mister had to go Bandung in the morning, he didn't get much rest. Get well soon hunnie! :)And I'll see you tomorrow!!

See mister, it's so true that yesterday was anything but an ordinary day! Praise God! :))

Last but not least,.HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA! I love you much. :))

VIVA ESPANA!

2010-07-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Congrats Paul the Oracle Octopus, congrats Spain!! ^^

Source: Yahoo! Sport

Oren Lavie - Her Morning Elegance

2010-07-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to share this video I found several months ago I think. Do enjoy! It is one amazing stop motion video.

Birthday Present.

2010-07-10T23:41:00.000-07:00

Meet my birthday present from my parents: (well actually, it was more like I chose the gift for myself and asked my mom and long story to be short she agreed!) Hurray! ^^ Makasi papa dan mama. *hugs*

My new Pink Lomo Fish Eye No.2

I'll be experimenting much with her during the holiday. Got my mister to teach me several basic things about photography. :p Oh and by the way, I bought 2 toy cameras also. One is aquapix, the other one is called disderi 3 lenses. As for now, I know so little about photography, but I'm ready to explore the world with my new several pairs of eyes. Teehee. :p

My aquapix looks almost exactly like this one, but mine is with pink waterproof box.

This is the disderi 3 lenses, can't wait to try them out!!

ALMOST HOLIDAY!

2010-07-10T09:19:00.000-07:00

4 days, 2 more exams! 4 days before sate ayam, sate padang, gado-gado, ketoprak, rujak, pempek, tahu, tempe, ikan dabu-dabu, sayur asem, batagor, mie baso, and many many more, delicious Indonesian food, really irreplaceable, yummy!! and I can't wait to see my soon-gonna-be-brought-into-this-world baby niece, 'Chiara Vianney Hartono', and last but not least my family, friends, and my boyfie. :)) Hope everything will go on smoothly (for exams, for my sister, for everyone!). God bless us all.

Santorini, anyone? :))

2010-05-22T07:12:00.000-07:00

Have you heard of Santorini before? It's a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the southern Aegean Sea about 200 km southeast from Greece's mainland.
Santorini.. One of the place on my vacation list. Hihi. If only I live in Europe!!
Here are the photos I got from wikipedia, yess, I googled Santorini. :p

Just hearing the name of Santorini, I feel like I am hearing the sound of the sea, the peaceful environment, easy breeze of summer wind. For me, it's just simply adorable and I really wish I could go there sometimes in the future? :P Ahaha.. Dream big! ^^

The Wheel of Life

2010-05-17T09:07:00.001-07:00

Here come another storm in my life. I've been so anxious about waiting my HSK result to come out.
Turns out I haven't pass level 6 yet so that means I have to re-take the test which will cost me another 250 yuan. :(
So sad, unbelievably sad.. But, I need to look on the brighter side, I need to stay positive.
I'm planning to re-take the exam next month, June 20th, it's almost the end of semester, and I really need to prepare for my other exams as well.
Extra work! Less american tv series will help, I will start to watch Taiwan tv series instead to practice my listening.

So anyway, the old HSK (the one that I took 3 times already) has 4 parts, I screwed up the listening part of my last HSK. The scores for the other 3 parts actually is already inside the range of level 7. But due to my horrible listening ability, it got me into level 5 only. And even worse my uni will hold the old HSK exam no more. They got the new pattern which is utterly absurd, can't really explain it in detail. Singkat cerita it is much more expensive and much more complicated. It's always about the money here.. Money, money, and money. Argh.. ~_~ I have to go to Shanghai this Friday to register for the next HSK (they still have the old pattern guess, gonna ask about it tomorrow by phone).

More current events in my life:
- I applied for a Chinese Govt Scholarship sometimes around last week, the school will choose the winner, and they will announce it at the end of this month. I really hope I can get it. *crossing my finger*
- I moved to the new dorm last weekend (4th floor which is almost the same as 5th floor), the shifting made my whole body ache, especially my feet. Still in the recovery phase now. :p

In need of a cup of comfort and big plate of encouragement. Jiayou Lilli!!

Hello, hello! It's time for a change.

2010-04-27T02:45:00.000-07:00

Much things happened in this past few weeks. I given my HSK Exam last April 18th, the result will be out in about 2-3 weeks I guess, I just keep on praying that I'll pass level 6 this time so I will not need to give another try. I had enough with HSK, but still need to improve my Chinese! I haven't been so diligent about this one. My Chinese Proficiency Level is just like my life, there's time when it is really good, and there's also time when it is really really bad..
Other than HSK, my life has gone back to its usual routine, classes in the morning, nap time in the afternoon, then I have more classes, finally come back to my dorm and just spend most of my time in front of my laptop.
I need to remind myself again and again to focus on the goal! GRADUATE and become a GOOD DOCTOR, not just a doctor. And in order to do so, I need my Chinese both speaking and writing ability to be ready for next year's internship.
I still have no idea what I'm gonna do after, well, first on my list after I graduate is to continue my study, I just pray that God will make the way, I pray that everything will go on smoothly. It is true what lots of people said that being a doctor is a never ending study. Everyday there is always something new, something to learn. God help me, I want to study diligently because I don't want to have any regrets in the future. I want to do my best.
Anyway, in the midst of uncertainty and doubt, there's always something to be thankful for. I thank God for the weather, finally a nice and warm weather. :) I thank God because I'll be back to Jakarta soon! Haha. Not that soon actually, just for a bit of encouragement. :p I'll be going back to Jakarta on July 15th (papa's birthday), I'll be spending my summer holiday in Jakarta and mostly in Bandung I think, my sister is having her baby. :) See? I still have some things to be thankful for. Hehe..

This is one of the spring scenery that I really love. It's in my campus ground.

One more thing, I decided to leave my glasses in its box for a while, I am wearing contact instead. I am trying to get use to it now, I almost buy the one with colors, but finally I got myself 3 pairs of Acuvue Clear contact lens. I really want to try the green color though!! I tried brown ones, and it makes my eyes bigger, I love it, but I really want to try something new and I hope it will be a good change for me. I think I am in a state where I want a lot of things in my life to change, a good change of course.To be continued..

2010-04-11T02:57:00.000-07:00

"When you're struggling with something, look at all the people around you and realize that every single person you see is struggling with something, and to them, it's just as hard as what you're going through."

~Nicholas Sparks (Dear John)

2010-04-04T21:47:00.000-07:00

Langit di luar memang cerah adanya

Tetapi apa boleh dikata, yang ada di hati hanya kebimbangan dan rasa hampa

Langit di luar memang cerah adanya

Tetapi apa boleh dikata, urusan hati membuat cerah berubah menjadi mendung senja

Malam Minggu di Negeri Orang

2010-04-03T07:33:00.000-07:00

Kalo biasanya ngabisin waktu di Jakarta sama teman-teman, sama keluarga. Bagaimana dengan di negeri orang? Jauh dari teman-teman, jauh dari keluarga.
I really don't have that much friends here, my besties are all kinda busy during the weekend, so here I am alone, writing, I usually spend my weekend in my room, watching movies or tv series, but today okay I had enough I guess, I really could use some fresh air outside my comfort zone inside my dorm room. I changed to something warm, put on my shoes and walked to the nearest bus station (which is 20 minutes walk from my dorm), ugh.. Naik busnya sendiri aja cuman 5 menit.. Kadang-kadang kangen Indo yang biasa naik bus di mana aja. Hahaha. :p

I went to In City Mall, satu-satunya mall yang kayak mall Indo, yang lain ampir semuanya kayak ITC, bersyukur banget begitu mall ini akhirnya buka di Suzhou. Why do I love this mall? Because it kinda feels like home, hehehe. Anyway, today I craved for a vanilla cream puff by beard papa.

Recommended "cemilan pagi/siang/malam" yang lumayan mahal. Hikss.. Karena mahal jadi ga bisa sering-sering beli.. It costs 7 yuan for vanilla cram puff (the cheapest one), hihi. I never try the green tea flavour, it costs 9 yuan, maybe I'll try it someday?

Yummy!

Hikss. I miss my mommy, my family, studying abroad makes me want to hug them more, whenever I get the chance. I miss my boyfie too. Huuu.

Turn Off Your Lights. :)

2010-03-26T06:27:00.000-07:00

Saturday, March 27th 2010 - 星期六，2010年3月27日

20.30-21.30 WIB

20.30-21.30 北京时间

2010-03-22T02:25:00.000-07:00

"The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which becomes at times almost insupportable."

~Victor Hugo

By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North

2010-03-11T20:22:00.000-08:00

2010-03-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

After a week with no sunshine, finally! ^^ There is nothing better than the warming sun in a cold windy day..

Welcoming the sun, welcoming SPRING TIME!

Kecelakaan Mobil di Menteng

2010-02-28T01:12:00.000-08:00

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Tentunya teman-teman sekalian mendengar tentang kecelakaan mobil di Menteng yang terjadi pada tanggal 27 Februari dini hari lalu, kecelakaan naas tersebut menyebabkan 3 orang penumpangnya yang semuanya masih remaja meninggal.

Walaupun tidak mengenal salah satu pun dari korbannya, saya turut berduka cita sedalam-dalamnya. Semoga keluarga korban ditabahkan, dan juga kepada kedua teman yang masih dirawat di rumah sakit diberi kesembuhan dan kekuatan mental dan fisik.

Kecelakaan yang dialami sudah sangat berat dan ditambah lagi dengan kesimpangsiuran berita yang ada menurut saya adalah suatu hal yang menyedihkan. Tidak bisa terbayangkan apa yang dirasakan semua yang pernah mengenal korban, terutama pihak keluarga. Semoga Tuhan memberikan penyelesaian yang terbaik dari semua yang sudah terjadi. Rencana Tuhan selalu indah walaupun sering kali kita tidak dapat memahaminya.

All we can do is to let go and let God..

Kejadian ini kembali mengingatkan kita semua untuk menyetir dengan berhati-hati dan mengenakan sabuk pengaman. Selain itu, bagi kita semua, semua yang pernah mengalami masa remaja,dan masih mengingatnya, mungkin hal ini juga bisa jadi suatu pembelajaran untuk kita di mana kita harus bisa lebih menghargai hidup. Kita tidak pernah tahu apa yang akan terjadi di hari esok, so we better start to do something good today..

Bold the sentences

2010-02-28T00:25:00.000-08:00

Bold the sentences that you have done.

i’m loud.
i’m obnoxious.
i’m sarcastic.
i’m cocky.
i cry easily.
i have a bad temper.
for the most part, i don’t like people.
i’m easy to get along with.
i like to fight.
i have more enemies than friends.
i’ve smoked.
i’ve smoked weed.
i drink coffee.
i clean my room daily.

my appearance

i’m shorter than 5’5.
i wear makeup.
i wear a piece of jewelry at all times.
i wear contacts.
i wear glasses.
i’ve had braces.
i have braces.
i change my hair color often.
i straighten my hair often.
my ears are pierced.
i have small feet.

relationships

i’m in a relationship now.
i’m single.
i’m crushin’.
i’ve missed an ex before.
i’m always scared of being hurt.
an ex has physically abused me at least once.
i’ve told someone i loved them when i didn’t.
i’ve told someone i didn’t love them when i did.
i’ve been in love more than two times.
i believe in love at first sight.
i believe lust is more important than love.

friendships

i have a best friend.
i have at least ten friends.
i’ve gotten a phone call in the last 48 hours from a friend.
i’ve beaten up a friend.
i’ve been in a serious fight with a friend.
i can trust at least five people with my life.

experiences

i’ve been on a plane.
i’ve left the state/province.
someone close to me has died.
i’ve taken a taxi.
i’ve taken a city bus.i’ve gone bungee jumping.
i’ve made a speech.
i’ve been in some sort of club.
i’ve won an award.i’ve spent 24 hours on the computer straight.
i’ve been in a physical fight.

music

i listen to country.
i listen to some pop.
i listen to techno.
i listen to rock.
i’m one of those people who play songs repeatedly until i hate it.
i hate the radio.
i download music.i buy cd’s.

television

i spend at least six hours a day watching television.
i watch soap operas daily.
i’m in love with days of our lives.
i’ve seen and like the oc.
i’ve seen and like one tree hill.
i’ve seen and like america’s next top model.
i’ve seen and like popular.
i’ve seen and like house.
i’ve seen and like 24.
i’ve seen and like csi.i’ve seen and like everwood.

family life

i get along with both of my parents.
my biological parents are still together.
i have at least one brother.
i have at least one sister.
i have at least one step brother/sister.
i have at least one half brother/sister.
i’ve been kicked out of the house.
i’ve ran away from my home.
i’ve sworn at my parents.
i’ve made my parents cry.
i’ve lied to my parents.
i’ve lied to my parents so i’d be allowed out.
i’ve walked out when i’ve been grounded.

hair

i’ve cut my hair in the past year.
i’ve dyed my hair in the past year.
i’ve been blonde.
i’ve had black.
i’ve been red.
i’ve been medium brown.
i’ve been brown.
i’ve had streaks.
i’ve been light brown.
i’ve had purple/pink.
i’ve been blue/green.
i’ve gotten my hair thinned.
i use conditioner.
i’ve used silk therapy.i’ve used hot oil treatments.
i’ve curled my hair.
i’ve straightened my hair.
i’ve ironed my hair.
i’ve braided my hair.
i’ve had/want dreadlocks.

school

i’ve thrown something at a teacher.
i’ve yelled at a teacher.
i’ve been suspended.
i’ve had an in-school suspension.
i’ve been sent to the principal’s office.
i’ve walked out of class.
i’ve skipped an entire day of school.
i’ve skipped a whole month of one certain class.
i’ve failed a test.
i’ve cheated on a test.
i’ve helped someone else cheat on a test.
i’ve failed art.
i’ve failed p.e.
i’ve failed math.
i’ve failed science.
i’ve failed another class.
a teacher has called my parents.
i’ve been caught skipping.

My New Cost Efficient Shoes.

2010-02-27T20:30:00.000-08:00

I just got myself a new pair of shoes from NEXT in Shanghai last week, I got it from the damaged section goods, so they have special discounts for these goods with scratches or stained, etc. How about mine? Yeah, it has some scratches but I think it is still in a very good condition, that's why I bought it. I tried it also and it feels just fine.
The unique condition is that they have different sizes, haha. :p The left one is 37 1/2 and the right one is 37. My boyfriend laughed when I told him about this, he said that I probably is the only one who ever bought shoes with different sizes.

Because of the flash light, it doesn't look really nice, but actually it is one of those adorable shiny black shoes. I have a thing for shiny black shoes. :p Hihi. I can wear it to almost any occasions.

P.S. I love my new shoes. ^^

2010-02-27T00:29:00.000-08:00

There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstance permit. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results. 

~ Unknown

Chinese New Year Resolution Part 2

2010-02-25T22:19:00.000-08:00

6. Watch less TV Series! Or at least watch it only on the weekend. Let's count how many TV series I've been watching: ‘24’. ‘Grey’s Anatomy’-definitely my favorite!, ‘Criminal Minds’, ‘Private Practice’, ‘Heroes’, ‘V’, ‘Gossip Girl’, ‘Ghost Whisperer’, hmm.. I think that’s all, oh no, there’s more.. ‘House MD’, ‘LOST’, ‘The Forgotten’. TV series are getting better and better.

I used to watch ‘Lipstick Jungle’, but this series ended already. Not to mention ‘The OC’, ‘American Idol’, ‘ANTM-America’s Next Top Model’, and many Korean and Japanese dramas. I watched a lot, and still watching a lot of them.

Besides TV series, I also love watching movies.. I am a movie addict.. It’s one way to forget about the world and relax. But ~~sometimes~~, not sometimes, most of the times I become so attached and can actually feel the feelings of some of the characters. It can be quite depressing sometimes yet it can also make me feel so elated.

The good side is lots of them, they give me inspirations, they teach me how to survive the world, a lot of good quotes too.

7. Be a more people person. Socialize more, make time for friends, patients, teachers.. Be a pro-active not a pessimist!

8. As for my family, pray more for them, email them more. I can’t wait to see my sister’s baby be brought into the world. ^^

Happy Chinese New Year from the piglet family. 新年快乐!

Chinese New Year Resolution

2010-02-25T21:13:00.000-08:00

Since I didn't make any resolutions for January 1st New Year 2010, I have this resolution for Chinese New Year. :p Hihi..
1. I want to pass HSK (Hanyu Shuiping Kaoshi), it is a kind of TOEFL but for Chinese. I want to be able to pass level 6 or higher! I want to so I WILL! Amienn.. x) I will communicate with Chinese people more often than last year.
2. I want to have a better relationship with my boyfriend, actually this is our new year resolution. He always have this vision of having a relationship yang adem ayem, ga ada berantem-berantemnya. Sangat setuju, tapi entah mengapa sulit sekali.. Me with so much negativity (maaf ya, pacar) and him with his positive energy all around him. Sebenernya kalo kita ga jauh-jauhan adem ayem, begitu ga ketemu huuu.. LDR can be hard sometimes.. Thanks for being very understanding and patient with me.
I used to be a very patient and a very understanding girlfriend, unfortunately it is for the wrong man. I learnt my lesson. But it is affecting my new relationship. Some part of me want to let go and just be what I used to be, but the other part is so afraid of getting hurt it tells me not to lose myself. I think I decided to be the old me but a better version of course, I hope it works for us. It is so confusing.
Thanks to Mister, with his endless patience and love, I am who I am now, you make me love again.
3. Wake up early everyday, make time for God before going to classes.
4. Be more organized (nyiapin barang2 untuk besok dari hari sebelumnya) and rajin bebersih tentunya!
5. Rajin pangkal pandai! Read textbook everyday and learn something new everyday and try not to forget it.

To be continued..

The School of Ingredients.

2010-02-25T10:10:00.000-08:00

So, it was few days ago when I found out about this book. My boyfie texted me, said that he bought a book because it has my name on it. *Cute* Hehe. Turns out the title is different with the original one, it has been translated into Bahasa Indonesia, but I think the cover is nice.
I wrote this sometimes last year, but since I was not able to upload the picture at that time I postponed it, so now I will finally post it with the cover picture. ^^

The left one is the Indonesian version with my name on it. :p Hihi, and the right one is the English version.

I brought the book with me to China, my boyfriend gave it to me as a present. :p I asked him to write something inside it. I love having books as presents! :))

Hello from Shanghai Zoo!!

2010-02-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

I just got back from Shanghai, I stayed at a friend's house for couple of days. Shanghai is always great, it always reminds me of Jakarta, so crowded, tall buildings everywhere, and everything is just so organized in a way but very unorganized in another way. It is very easy to go from place to place, and you can find almost any famous brand, any delicious food there. If you know where to go.. :))
Too bad I forgot to bring my public transportation card ~ I think I left it back home :( , therefore I have to always prepare lingqian (coins) for the bus.
Anyway, I went to Shanghai Zoo with my uni friends here, and here they are the cuties.. ^^

Mr. Bear

Sleeping Panda (I think Mr. Panda forgot to bathe.. :p)

Mr. Polar Bear is missing his hometown

Spring Breeze..

2010-02-25T09:27:00.000-08:00

Happy Chinese New Year for those who are celebrating! ^^
A quick update:
I'm back in Suzhou after an amazing winter holiday I spent back home, I didn't get the chance or should I say I didn't make the time to update my blog during my exams period and the holiday.. The holiday I finally get to enjoy after the hard work of studying last semester.
I went back to Jakarta for a month, I spent almost 3 weeks in Bandung though, spent lots of times with my sister's family, and my boyfriend. The rest I spent with my parents and little sister.
So many things happened in just one month, some weren't really pleasant, but most of them are unforgettable in a very good way, memories I would like to hang on to.

I can't wait to start my new semester! I can't wait to meet you again. :)
Here are some of the precious moments, we take photos of moments we never want to forget..

@ Selasar Sunaryo, Bandung

A very beautiful gallery with a very cozy coffee place

@ Senayan City Food Court, Jakarta

A picture with high school friends, a small reunion

I encountered my past and really moved on

@ Skating Rink, Mall Taman Anggrek

We even went for ice skating after almost 10 years. :p We were supposed to go with some of my boyfie's junior high friends, but by the end of the day, it was only us.. :p Happy Valentine dear..

Our first Valentine, and the last day of my winter holiday, short yet memorable..

Merry Belated Christmas 2009 and Happy New Year 2010! ^^

2010-01-03T05:11:00.000-08:00

.Christmas Dinner at Mr. Pizza, Xindu Guangchang.

I'm just gonna make this very short because I still have bunch to study, I still have 3 more exams next week before I can finally enjoy my holiday in my home country. New Year here? One word: boring. Surely, the part getting together with friends here is great, but really nothing special for New Year, it was just like any other day. Lots of Indonesians here went for dinner in Dream Herb, Ligongdi, I actually want to share some things I observed that night, but maybe later.

One thing I wanna share about culture in China: Chinese people don't really celebrate New Year, the only thing they celebrate with so much decoration and participation from the people is Spring Festival (Chinese New Year), it will be on 14th of February this year. It is always fun, I kinda like it, the fireworks, firecrackers everywhere (not a fan of firecrackers though, the sound can be really deafening), lion dance, not to mention the Lantern Festival (falls on the 15th day of the first month Chinese Lunar Calendar), I have a thing for lantern. :p I'll post some lantern photos from last Lantern Fest next time.

My boyfriend went to Hong Kong last week, a trip I really wanted to take but unfortunately I had exam and I didn't get the permission. *Sigh

But, see the brighter side, I get to see everyone I really love in 2 weeks! I'm so excited about this one, but really getting pass the last 3 exams are just so hard..
God help me.

Christmas Wishes

2009-12-17T03:30:00.000-08:00

Have you decided yet? What are your Christmas wishes for this year?

Exam Fever

2009-12-17T03:27:00.000-08:00

I have 5 subjects in my syllabus for this semester. I have to study Internal Medicine (which is quite interesting though the content are so much); General Surgery (some are interesting, the rest are just okay, I had this one also in my last semester and I am still gonna have this subject in my syllabus next semester - 3 semesters in a row!) - theories are never that much fun if you compare it with practical classes, too bad I don't get too much chances to practice more, I guess I have to find a mentor for myself to teach me how to suture and other basic skills too; next is Radiology and Image Diagnostics which means learning how to read the X-Ray, CT-Scan, etc, classes are boring though, I skipped two or three classes for this subject, this is one reason I don't really enjoy Thursday this semester; the other two subjects are Traditional Chinese Medicine and Medical Chinese.

I had my TCM exam last week, so that means I still have 4 more to go! Medical Chinese will be on December 30, 2009 and the 3 will be on the second week of January 2010.
So little time, so much to remember. :((

Most of my friends will be spending their Christmas and New Year with their families, loved ones, friends without having to worry about exams. But this is just the way it is for students in China, we never have holiday for Christmas. Never.. Still, it's a blessing that we don't have exam on Christmas Day (it happened once to my senior).

I can't wait for next month, next year! HOLIDAZE..

Think Twice Before You Cheat.

2009-12-08T04:58:00.000-08:00

I completely agree with whoever wrote this statement, sounds funny but maybe we should take it seriously..

I guess you could apply this to medical study also.

If you cheat in medical classes,

you WILL kill people later.

For your own sake and everyone else, quit or learn the meds!

Source: http://svee.tumblr.com/

How to make cupcakes?

2009-12-08T01:07:00.000-08:00

Good evening people, I wrote this one last year, it was two days before New Year!! Happy Belated Christmas and God Bless You All.. =)
Here I am, sitting down in front of my computer, feeling a bit cold, trying to figure out what to write. After about an hour of thinking and browsing, I decided that I'll write something about cupcakes. We know about how popular cupcakes are these days.
I, myself is also a fan of cupcakes, I like its shapes (i LOVE the ICING!!, especially the Christmas edition), and I like how it tastes too. It's simple, adorable, and delicious.. So, here is the recipe:

Basic Vanilla Cup Cake Recipe
Ingredients
150g butter - softened
150g superfine (castor) sugar
175g self-raising flour
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
1. Pre-heat the oven to 350oF (180oC).
2. Line a 12 cup cake pan, with cup cake papers.
3. Crack the eggs into a cup and beat lightly with a fork.
4. Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes, until light and creamy.
6. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake cases.
7. Bake for 18-20 minutes until risen and firm to touch.
8. Allow to cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.
9. Allow to cool fully before icing.

Notes
Make 12 cupcakes

Source: Cupcake Creations

I want to eat cupcakes, it's too bad I still can't find any cupcakes here in Suzhou.
I plan to make it, but I have to wait until summer holiday I guess (6 months more), since here I don't have the appliances I need and I don't go back to Jakarta this winter holiday. I'll write some more about myself later.

T I M E

2009-12-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

To understand the meaning of one year,
ask a student who failed his exam

To understand the meaning of one month,
ask a mother who is given a birth to a premature baby

To understand the meaning of one week,
ask the editor of weekly magazine

To understand the meaning of one day,
ask a daily wage labor

To understand the meaning of one hour,
ask a girl who is waiting for her boyfriend

To understand the meaning of one minute,
ask the person who has missed the train

To understand the meaning of one second,
ask a person who survived the accident

To understand the meaning of one milli-second,
ask a sprinter who won a silver medal in the olympics

I want my own library..

2009-12-05T08:42:00.000-08:00

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!
How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!
When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library."
~Elizabeth in 'Pride and Prejudice'

When I have a house on my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.

I love books so much it's hard to resist not to buy some of them. The thing is books are getting really, really expensive.
Actually here in China, you can find cheap English novels in many places, it's fake of course, it looks really similar except for the fact that sometimes they made mistakes on some spelling of the titles and the color is a little bit different from the original. It's about 10-20 yuan each.
I bought one for trial, well, the content is exactly the same but still... the feeling is just different.
I prefer to buy the secondhand novels, it's not that bad really, sometimes you can even find the joy of having a secondhand novel, you get to wonder why the previous owner sell it, especially when you found a note on the cover or at the first page of the book.
Well, anyway, I am wondering what it would feel to be the owner of a library or a book store, do they read the books they are selling? Or will they become bored eventually?

I really wish I can have my own library in the future!

My "picture perfect" thought: sitting in the centre of my library, lying down, closing my eyes and just feel the perfect ambience, me, myself, and my books.

Ten Commandments for Blood Pressure Control

2009-12-04T21:43:00.000-08:00

1. Know your blood pressure. Have it checked regularly.
You can either go to the doctor to check it or just ask your family members to help you to check using the sphygmomanometer (digital one is more practical but less acurate). Keep a record of it.
2. Know what your weight should be. Keep it at that level or below.
Obesity is a big NO. I know it can be hard sometimes, okay.. not sometimes but MOST of the times not to eat those delicious foods. I will write more about this issue later.
3. Don't use excessive salt in cooking or at meals. Avoid salty foods.
In China, this one is really hard to do if you keep on eating outside, the best you can do is eat home-cook meal.
4. Eat a low-fat diet
Eat more veggies and fruits, less junk food. Try to eat in veggies restaurant, they have really interesting menu (looks like and tastes like meat but actually it's not, usually they replaced the meat with mushrooms). But if you really crave to eat in those famous yummy fast food restaurants, you can eat there once a month only.

5. Don't smoke cigarettes or use tobacco products.
Never do any good to your health, especially for your lungs. It's a risk factor for hypertension and besides you might develop a disease called COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) after smoking for more than 20 or 30 years. It's irreversible, one thing you can do to stop the disease from becoming much worse is cessation of smoking.
6. Take your medicine exactly as prescribed. Don't run out of pills even for a single day.
7. Keep your appointments with the doctor.
8. Follow your doctors advice about exercise.
You'll be healthy physically as well as mentally by doing so.
9. Make certain family members have their blood pressure checked regularly.
10. Live a normal life in every other way!
Be happy and manage your stress.

Normal Blood Pressure should be 120/80 mmHg or lower.
Hypertension is when your blood pressure is more than 140/90 mmHg.

Source: Netwellness, Consumer Health Information

"Picture Perfect"

2009-12-04T20:55:00.000-08:00

This is the book that inspires me for the title of my blog. I just bought it few days ago, I found it in the secondhand book store near my dorm.

I haven't finished reading it but I'll write about this book again later in the future. I guess after I finished all of my exams for this semester.

Welcome to my "picture perfect" world everyone!

Click to read more about Jodi Picoult ..

Have we love one another?

2009-12-04T19:48:00.000-08:00

Part 1
Remember the suicides that just happened at two famous malls in Jakarta? It was Monday evening when I turned on my computer and was about to check on my twitter. I began to notice the word ‘suicide’ on some of my friends’ tweets. I thought at first it was nothing but then I realized that everybody was talking about it, lots of them made speculations about the motives, some of them even made jokes about it.. What makes it worse was that the photos of the body were posted also. It was quite disturbing. Can you imagine if it was someone you personally knew? It’s hard already for the family to accept the fact that they just lost their loved ones and now thanks to us, we just made their burden become heavier.
My deepest condolences for the family and friends of the victim.

Part 2
Why did they choose mall? I guess they were crying for help, desperately seeking for attention. Would anyone try to stop me? Would anyone notice if I jump? Would they still remember me if I’m gone? Maybe some of us would think that’s really pathetic. We are all messed up, we all have our own problems, but is suicide really the answer? That’s just stupid. We all needed somebody to help us get through hard times, it can be our friends, families, lovers, or even strangers that happened to be around us. No matter how hard our problem is, there is always a way to solve it.

Everything happens for a reason and everyone is worth knowing.

Couple of days before this happened in Jakarta, it was Sunday after the church, I was helping with the Sunday school, the church venue is in the 4th floor of one international building here in Suzhou. The church ended late that day and the reason was a Chinese man committed suicide from the building. His body was still in front of the building, the police moved it and covered it though. We were told to leave the building from the back entrance. The feeling was really indescribable, I got goosebumps all over my body. It was a really weird Sunday for me.

And now the challenge is what can we do people? What can we do to prevent these things from happening again and again?
My “picture perfect” thought for today would be:
“Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.” (Rom 13:8)

Happy December!

2009-12-04T01:02:00.000-08:00

Finally, it's December already, here I am and again still in China.. Another Christmas away from my family, and all of my lovely Indonesian friends. One of my Indian classmate asked me about how am I gonna celebrate Christmas since it's our festival, right? (for the Christians and Catholics) Mmm, I said yes. But, really I still don't have any plans.. With the exams coming really really soon, it's amazing that I still have the time to make this blog. Hehe, this is me trying to escape from my responsibility as a student.. :p

This is my 'picture perfect' thought today:
I would really love to have my other side of the world, the world where everyone doesn't really know anyone. So, it will be a fresh start for everyone.
Here, I can be anyone I want to, this is my world, the world where I can share my opinions with the world and exchange thoughts with them, the world with no hypocrisy.

Okay, I think I really need to get back to my study now.