Every year in my life, I managed to surprise myself by pushing my boundaries, conquer my fears, and be a better version of myself. In other words – “keeping my life interesting and worth living for!!!”
For me 2010 is the year of personal adjustment and intensive traveling. Well, I’ve never traveled so much in my entire life, like I did this year. In total I visited 12 places within the country either for work or leisure, such as: Tanjung Puting (Central Kalimantan), Cisarua (West Java), Bangka (Babel), Bromo (East Java), Medan (North Sumatera), Bali, Komodo Island (NTT), Yogyakarta (DIY), Lombok (NTB), Timika (Papua), Bandung (West Java) and Macan Island (one of the island in a thousand islands). And 2 countries outside of Indonesia, such as: Laos and Myanmar!
During my travel I met a lot of interesting people that in a real life I may not have opportunity to meet or even to engage with them. I also gained “inside knowledge” about the people, places or the countries that I visited and enjoying the beautiful-gorgeous-breathtaking scenery, right in front of my bare eyes just like the picture perfect in the travel magazine… OMG!!!
Although I’m not religious person – to be able to witness such exquisite beauty and the fact that I’m just a tiny part of the universe, it made me feels grateful and appreciates the life existence of God’s creation and I love Indonesia even more!!! VIVA INDONESIA!!!!
Of course 14 travels in a year could be overwhelmed experiences especially when I was juggling between work, relationship, my disease and personal adjustment living in the big city, like Jakarta! But it was possible … as long as you committed on it=)
In term of my personal adjustment living in the big city like Jakarta: I’ve to say I’m doing fine, means I know my way around the city (please bear in mind that Jakarta is huge place, so if I said I know my way around the city – it’s only related to South and Central of Jakarta, far from that I’m still lost =).
Finding “the right cycle of friends” that shares the same wild-craziness ideas and passion of life also helps me well-adjust to the city life. Even thought in the process of searching “the right cycle of friends”, I lost couple friend but I gained more friends in the end … What can I say; it’s a process of natural selection =)
If I may concluded my greatest accomplishment in adapting to big city life is that I managed to find a right compromise of the life that I love with the city that I lived in without haveto sacrifice my personal lifestyle and turned into the typical "big city lifestyle". Which I’ve noticed that most of them have tendency to lose their interest to explore the life beyond their box and that makes their life become more predictable. Hey, I only live once and being predictable is not in my life dictionary!!
Conquer my fears … For almost 2 years I lived with strange disease. It was started back in 2008 at my last day worked in Aceh and it keeps coming back ever since. Frequently out of the blue I got swollen left eye in my upper eyelid and it looks like someone beat me up.
Well, I tried to seek for professional treatment from several doctor but somehow none of them came up with accurate diagnose. That makes me gave up and tried my best to ignore it even though it was quite irritated me.
Until 4 months ago, I begin took it seriously when the Dr. said;”based on my CT scan result that I might got either inflammatory, mixed tumor or lymphoma”. The fact that none of these choices were better option, it scared the hell out of me! However I still managed to put everything in positive perspective and keep on searching for the right treatment.
In the end I just found out that I'm born with Atopy disease. Atopy disease is a genetic disease characterized by a tendency to be “hyper-allergic or hyper-sensitive” over certain substances. The irony part was I’m not even a sensitive person to begin with!! hehehehe....
The great part of my disease that the trigger could be anything, from: foods, dust, stress or the rapid changing of weather temperature - basically if my immune system was low the disease will appears.
Somehow I’m kind of think that my disease is like a blessing in disguise… Now I have a good reason to excuse myself over bad food, bad weather, or maybe bad man or people that I don’t like since I’m hyper-allergic =) …. So far there’s no cure for it, however according to the Dr. the person with Atopy disease could live longer by being more conscious with their body reaction.
The fact that I got this disease didn’t stop me from having a good time and traveling =)
Well, in general I’m quite satisfied with the whole year event was turned up in 2010 – I learn a lot and discovered so many things about myself =)
At the moment I’m still enjoying my unpaid holiday (in between contract) after my last contract was finished with OCSP (Orangutan Conservation Services Program). What is next for me? AMAZING RACE ASIA… I would love to be part of that race!!! …
Anyway guys,...
Keep on surprising yourself because you do not know the good things that you will gain out of it!!!! And try to live your life outside your box even so just throw the box away!!! (Quote from Mel Cee)
Once again thank you for your presence in my life and made my life becomes more colorful!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR and enjoy your New Year Eve!!!....
Kamis, 06 Januari 2011
Kamis, 16 Desember 2010
LIE WITH ME
DAMN YOU ERIC BALFOUR!!!! You’re not even the type of man that stands out amongst the crowd as a leading man. Although it won’t hurt my eyes either to see your sun-kisses skin that glows and looks divine against the sunlight, great abs, firm-rounded bottom and tall slender body. All of that just gives added value to your appearance.
However there’s something about you that caught and locked my eyes. It’s the way you expressed your deep emotional and passionate feeling through your eyes, the cracked smile on the tip of your thin lips and the gentle silently motion of your body. In unusual way it’s kind of get into my skin and gently moves deep inside of me; makes me connected to your pure howl of ecstasy, resentment and your pain in the same time.
You brought David (the character) come alive and capture my attention that makes me wanted your character even more. To see David satisfied his emotional connection of the unknowingly crave beyond his pure physical attraction to Leila.
And seeing Lauren Lee Smith effortless performances and natural beauty plays successfully portraying Leila – the sexually voracious young woman who connects with man through physical intimate. It really convinced me to stay and craving for more.
As cinematography point of view that I found it refreshing is how they selected vibrantly rich color of the golden summer for the continuous background of the movie from the costume selection, music and the movie setting which immerses beautifully in the each screen.
The fact that they used less dialogue in the movie didn’t have any effect on how the storyline goes since they provided the voice narratives on Leila’s thought alongside the movie as guidance to Leila’s emotional maturity. And matter affect it’s kind of emphasized the uniqueness of each individual character.
“You have to wait until you uncover, you have to wait with someone naked, and you have to wait some more ….” (Leila’s monologue on love)
If you are curious about everything that I mentioned above, just watch the movie called ”Lie with Me” and please let me know what you think about (Eric Balfour) the movie of course! HAHAHAHA…..
Note:
Lie with me is the modern tale of love in degradation, the hatred in desire and a distortion of the pornographic thoughts. It’s kind of disturbing and arousing movie that you can’t stop to watch till the end. ”LIE WITH ME” won Genie Award (Canadian version of Oscars Award) back in 2006.
However there’s something about you that caught and locked my eyes. It’s the way you expressed your deep emotional and passionate feeling through your eyes, the cracked smile on the tip of your thin lips and the gentle silently motion of your body. In unusual way it’s kind of get into my skin and gently moves deep inside of me; makes me connected to your pure howl of ecstasy, resentment and your pain in the same time.
You brought David (the character) come alive and capture my attention that makes me wanted your character even more. To see David satisfied his emotional connection of the unknowingly crave beyond his pure physical attraction to Leila.
And seeing Lauren Lee Smith effortless performances and natural beauty plays successfully portraying Leila – the sexually voracious young woman who connects with man through physical intimate. It really convinced me to stay and craving for more.
As cinematography point of view that I found it refreshing is how they selected vibrantly rich color of the golden summer for the continuous background of the movie from the costume selection, music and the movie setting which immerses beautifully in the each screen.
The fact that they used less dialogue in the movie didn’t have any effect on how the storyline goes since they provided the voice narratives on Leila’s thought alongside the movie as guidance to Leila’s emotional maturity. And matter affect it’s kind of emphasized the uniqueness of each individual character.
“You have to wait until you uncover, you have to wait with someone naked, and you have to wait some more ….” (Leila’s monologue on love)
If you are curious about everything that I mentioned above, just watch the movie called ”Lie with Me” and please let me know what you think about (Eric Balfour) the movie of course! HAHAHAHA…..
Note:
Lie with me is the modern tale of love in degradation, the hatred in desire and a distortion of the pornographic thoughts. It’s kind of disturbing and arousing movie that you can’t stop to watch till the end. ”LIE WITH ME” won Genie Award (Canadian version of Oscars Award) back in 2006.
Kamis, 25 November 2010
TANTE M
Brought up by over barring mother, who is unintentionally (or deliberately) brain washing and feeding me with the voice of reason, since I was 3 years old, it gives me privilege to embrace and enjoy life without too much messing it up! Don’t get me wrong guys, I love my mom very deeply and I’m grateful for all of her hard works successfully brain washed me since I was little =)
So when most of the girls were having a hard time undergo the transition realized that there’s no Prince charming and Fairy godmother who are kindly and bravely enough saving Cinderella from the bad witches.
And it turned up that Cindi-fuckin-rella was freeing herself from the bad bitches with the help of Tyra Bank total makeover into independent-strong-well dressed woman who knows exactly what she wants and her right! As the result there are so many of Prince charming out there who just go “gaga” over her.
Of course in the reality Cindi-fuckin-rella and the Prince Charming were not just instantly happily ever after because life it’s full of ups and downs, so they need extra hard work to keep their marriage together! Obviously with the help of several marriage counselors and couple of affairs on the side =)
Since I learned this fact in my early childhood, I could pass my late 20’s smoothly without any major teenage drama, such as: brokenhearted, crisis identity, pregnancy, drugs or alcohols abused! Thanks to you, mom =)
But sometimes, having reasonable thought most of the time could be so tiring and damn boriiiiing….. Feel like living in sterile world!!!! Therefore to release a bit of “my sanity tension” from time to time, I created an alter ego. Well it doesn’t mean I have a crazy split personality though!
Like Superman created Clark Kent character in order to live among the citizens of Metropolis without arousing suspicion or Bruce Wayne created Batman character in order to disguise himself for the purposes of fighting crimes.
I created Tante M as my alter ego in order to get out of my comfort zone and help me dealing with my fears. Basically Tante M is adventurous side of Mika!!!
By having said that “Tante M” loves living in dangerous places, traveling to remote areas, get lost in translation, trying to learn and understand how the world works also daring to speak her minds openly and rationally where Mika character is more soft spoken and not trying to provoke others with what she has in minds.
Tante M character is based on my deeply admiration of Samantha character in Sex and the City. I had to admit that Sex and the City series become my bible to maturity and womanhood since it opens my eyes to different possibilities of embracing my womanhood and speaking my minds out loud.
I admired Samantha’s because of she knows exactly what she wants, how to get what she wants and she never accepted “NO” for the answer! However behind her “wild and firm” surfaces, she’s truly loyal to her friends and someone that her friends could count on. Samantha also has intriguing body language that I found it so classy =)
Of Course like Samantha’s, “Tante M” character is also sassy, classy and fearless lady who doesn’t like settle for less!!!
However unlike Samantha’s who is famous for her appetite to younger man or as a man eater. “Tante M” is more looking for intellectual intercourse and she's an adventure seekers who likes to challenge her-self to be out of her comfort zone and be more truly to her inner selves. Whereas some people need their friends, family, boyfriend, gay-friends, or girlfriends as their emotional safety net.
In order to transform to be Tante M, like Clark Kent has to take off his glasses then ripped out his shirt off or Bruce Wayne go to bat cave and transformed into Batman, I just need to unbutton couple of my shirt, shows a bit of “my hidden asset", let my hairs down, walk straight with my chin held high then lets the adrenalin rushes and kick in all over my veins and claws … MEAOOWWWW … All of a sudden I felt fabulous and transformed into TANTE M!!!!....
“It’s a cat, it’s a cougar … no, no it’s TANTE M!!!" HAHAHHAHA……
So when most of the girls were having a hard time undergo the transition realized that there’s no Prince charming and Fairy godmother who are kindly and bravely enough saving Cinderella from the bad witches.
And it turned up that Cindi-fuckin-rella was freeing herself from the bad bitches with the help of Tyra Bank total makeover into independent-strong-well dressed woman who knows exactly what she wants and her right! As the result there are so many of Prince charming out there who just go “gaga” over her.
Of course in the reality Cindi-fuckin-rella and the Prince Charming were not just instantly happily ever after because life it’s full of ups and downs, so they need extra hard work to keep their marriage together! Obviously with the help of several marriage counselors and couple of affairs on the side =)
Since I learned this fact in my early childhood, I could pass my late 20’s smoothly without any major teenage drama, such as: brokenhearted, crisis identity, pregnancy, drugs or alcohols abused! Thanks to you, mom =)
But sometimes, having reasonable thought most of the time could be so tiring and damn boriiiiing….. Feel like living in sterile world!!!! Therefore to release a bit of “my sanity tension” from time to time, I created an alter ego. Well it doesn’t mean I have a crazy split personality though!
Like Superman created Clark Kent character in order to live among the citizens of Metropolis without arousing suspicion or Bruce Wayne created Batman character in order to disguise himself for the purposes of fighting crimes.
I created Tante M as my alter ego in order to get out of my comfort zone and help me dealing with my fears. Basically Tante M is adventurous side of Mika!!!
By having said that “Tante M” loves living in dangerous places, traveling to remote areas, get lost in translation, trying to learn and understand how the world works also daring to speak her minds openly and rationally where Mika character is more soft spoken and not trying to provoke others with what she has in minds.
Tante M character is based on my deeply admiration of Samantha character in Sex and the City. I had to admit that Sex and the City series become my bible to maturity and womanhood since it opens my eyes to different possibilities of embracing my womanhood and speaking my minds out loud.
I admired Samantha’s because of she knows exactly what she wants, how to get what she wants and she never accepted “NO” for the answer! However behind her “wild and firm” surfaces, she’s truly loyal to her friends and someone that her friends could count on. Samantha also has intriguing body language that I found it so classy =)
Of Course like Samantha’s, “Tante M” character is also sassy, classy and fearless lady who doesn’t like settle for less!!!
However unlike Samantha’s who is famous for her appetite to younger man or as a man eater. “Tante M” is more looking for intellectual intercourse and she's an adventure seekers who likes to challenge her-self to be out of her comfort zone and be more truly to her inner selves. Whereas some people need their friends, family, boyfriend, gay-friends, or girlfriends as their emotional safety net.
In order to transform to be Tante M, like Clark Kent has to take off his glasses then ripped out his shirt off or Bruce Wayne go to bat cave and transformed into Batman, I just need to unbutton couple of my shirt, shows a bit of “my hidden asset", let my hairs down, walk straight with my chin held high then lets the adrenalin rushes and kick in all over my veins and claws … MEAOOWWWW … All of a sudden I felt fabulous and transformed into TANTE M!!!!....
“It’s a cat, it’s a cougar … no, no it’s TANTE M!!!" HAHAHHAHA……
Sabtu, 20 November 2010
RELIGION
Religion is eight letters of word that never has been the subject of interests in my family discussion, it is not because we explicitly tried so hard to avoid it but somehow it wasn’t our main concern.
While the other parents were busy ordering their children to pray every day and ask them go to the mosque or church or temple etc (it depends of their religions). My mom was busy teaching us the reality of life and the life survived techniques (her famous 10 commandments) since she beliefs what important is to create the heaven on earth!
When I asked my mom why she never brings up the religion issues or ordering us to pray, my mom simply answered: “religion is something personal for everybody and because It’s so personal only you and god who knows it”.
I was unsatisfied with my mom answer and I asked her again: “How do I know what kind of religion that’s suitable for me?’’… My mom replied: “Don’t worry, God will shows you the way when you are ready”. Honestly that answer didn’t help either just gave me more confusion than the clarity.
For a while I forgot that issues and I didn’t bother to ask or find the answer since again it wasn’t my main concern, until my mom was turned 45 -- Out of the blue, she found gods in the comfort of Christianity but the nice thing was she never inquires or preaches us the words of Christianity and she keep it for herself, just likes she said “personal”. Then I realized I guess my mom was right all along!!!
Since I was a child, I always 100% beliefs the existence of the higher power out there that creates, assists, and protects mankind from any bad things happened even though at the moment I’m still trying to create the heaven on earth.
As for religion, I always think religion is like vehicle; their task is only assisting mankind to reach their destination in safe and comfortable way.
Some people like to use Mercedes Benz because their luxuries interior, so you can pamper yourself in the painless journey. Some people choose Volvo, because their safety reason. The others like to ride BMW because of their speeds limit, so you can reach your destination in a fast way. Again it’s about personal chooses.
Out of the vehicles that they offered in the market today, I preferred to use my two legs as my vehicle since God creates 2 legs in mankind as basic tool to reach their destination and while I'm walking; I give myself a time to engage and appreciated my surroundings. I also rely on my own strength, I become close with my inner-core, self beliefs!!! Unlike using a vehicle -- sometimes people is attend to more focus on the technology or benefit of vehicle offered and they forget the real function of the vehicle in the first place.
While the other parents were busy ordering their children to pray every day and ask them go to the mosque or church or temple etc (it depends of their religions). My mom was busy teaching us the reality of life and the life survived techniques (her famous 10 commandments) since she beliefs what important is to create the heaven on earth!
When I asked my mom why she never brings up the religion issues or ordering us to pray, my mom simply answered: “religion is something personal for everybody and because It’s so personal only you and god who knows it”.
I was unsatisfied with my mom answer and I asked her again: “How do I know what kind of religion that’s suitable for me?’’… My mom replied: “Don’t worry, God will shows you the way when you are ready”. Honestly that answer didn’t help either just gave me more confusion than the clarity.
For a while I forgot that issues and I didn’t bother to ask or find the answer since again it wasn’t my main concern, until my mom was turned 45 -- Out of the blue, she found gods in the comfort of Christianity but the nice thing was she never inquires or preaches us the words of Christianity and she keep it for herself, just likes she said “personal”. Then I realized I guess my mom was right all along!!!
Since I was a child, I always 100% beliefs the existence of the higher power out there that creates, assists, and protects mankind from any bad things happened even though at the moment I’m still trying to create the heaven on earth.
As for religion, I always think religion is like vehicle; their task is only assisting mankind to reach their destination in safe and comfortable way.
Some people like to use Mercedes Benz because their luxuries interior, so you can pamper yourself in the painless journey. Some people choose Volvo, because their safety reason. The others like to ride BMW because of their speeds limit, so you can reach your destination in a fast way. Again it’s about personal chooses.
Out of the vehicles that they offered in the market today, I preferred to use my two legs as my vehicle since God creates 2 legs in mankind as basic tool to reach their destination and while I'm walking; I give myself a time to engage and appreciated my surroundings. I also rely on my own strength, I become close with my inner-core, self beliefs!!! Unlike using a vehicle -- sometimes people is attend to more focus on the technology or benefit of vehicle offered and they forget the real function of the vehicle in the first place.
FLYING TANDEM GONE TERRIBLY WRONG
“What will you do if your tandem partner is weighted you down and there are no safety parachute left to safe both of you?! ... Free falling together or cut her lines and safe yourself instead?”
In my 10 years of flying tandem or solo -- traveling with partners or buddies or by myself, ALMOST never EVER I had terrible experiences until recently when I was traveling in Myanmar.
I always called myself as responsible budget traveler with a lot of attitude and style, which means even though I travel with specific amount of budget to spend, however ... in the same time I keep maintaining my certain standard of style and conveniences, as well as ... being responsible by do not give a burden to the other fellow travelers and do not leaving a foot print to the places that I visited besides a tons of great pictures, good times and little souvenir for beloved people back home.
Just like my travel motto that I quoted from my close friend: “you can be cheap but not easy or you can be easy but never be both”
So when Vero (my friend who is working in Yangon at the moment) informed me about Myanmar’s situation and condition, from visa regulation until the country restriction likes; there’s no ATM machine, we can’t use credit card or western union and avoided talking politics to local peoples because you will never know whom you will be encounter along the way. There are so many undercover government secret agents among society.
Consequently I did my home work by prepared myself to act like ordinary traveler who just want to have a great time and counted how much budget that I will be need to spend. Based on my past experiences traveled around South East Asia for 10 -15 days, we only need around 5 million IDR excluded flight ticket of course.
The original plan was traveling with Vero for a week after that I will continued the trip by myself for another week.
We decided to start our journey from Mandalay (because of Thaung Byone Festival “The biggest gay festival in South East Asia” .... Ehm, sounds great huh? a bunch of gay guy, party, and booze).... Then Bagan (the city of thousand temples and pagoda’s), Inle Lake (the romantic getaway over the lake view) after that I will continued by myself to Kalaw (famous for tracking destination) and Ngapali (simply the bitch areas ... Upsh I mean beach area).
Somehow along the way, my other friend here in Jakarta is interested to join the trip, which is fine by us (Vero and I) ... given the fact that we thought, we “knew“ this girl and again “the more the merrier!!!”
Unfortunately WE WERE TOTALLY WRONG!!! … First of all: we absolutely don’t have any ideas how this girl will behaved outside her comfort zone, secondly: the more can be crowded and suffocated, especially when the person that we were travelling with dumped all of her financial and emotional baggage on us without prior notice, it just felt likes, we’ve been “ambushed” that leaves us breathless and speechless.
Although before the trip I did brief her rule of Mika’s 101 famous back packing travels (To whom that might interested to have the manual … it’s available now in GRAMEDIA!!! Hahahhaha….) -- things that we will dealing with, all the reading material concerning the places that we’re going to visit as well as the list of the things that she needs to pack basically I look alike travel agent that make sure that everything are set and done before the trip.
Again unfortunately she didn’t even bother to read all the things that I sent her because she thinks she can always rely on us (Vero and I ... Well, I love you but I love me even more ... so think again!!!)
All of a sudden Vero and I trapped in situation like we were traveling with a “big baby” where we had to take cake and constantly reminded her things that she needs to do since she can’t think for herself.
Seriously if I could choose -- I feel much better traveling with actual baby because somehow in the back of my mind I’m fully aware that baby was meant to be annoying and craving for a lot of attention so at least I will well prepared myself for it (read and watch nanny 101, I guess) but “big baby". OMG, I don’t think so!!! Unless, I got paid… Honey, please read the first manual of Mika’s 101 famous back packing travels –“you can be cheap but not easy or you can be easy but never be both”.
Anyway here are the best parts… She did not only corrupt our mental with her lack of inability to act and think in the same time but she also messed up with our traveling budget, because of her unorganized plan to change her flight ticket back to Indonesia earlier in the last minute that costs her the price of a new flight ticket plus she even didn’t bother to check her financial situation and again rely on us (borrow our money which we only brought just enough for ourselves).
I guess some people are just meant to be as social gathering friend but it’s not as the traveling mate, because finding travel mate is like finding a good sport shoes, it has to be comfortable, affordable and you can rely on in any situation.
Thanks god,Vero and I shared the same habit of travel and dark sense of humor, so we could passed the days with laughter to ease our burden. I remembered one night in Bagan, during our last dinner (meanwhile the other” friend of mine” was sick and stayed at the hotel room) we joked around that this would be our last supper since in the days to come we have to really squeeze our budget, BADLY!!! and it did.
For the first time in my life I had to counted every penny of my money make sure that I had enough money for accommodation, transportation and the food. I never feel so poor, like I felt that day… Not because I don’t have money but because I lead my money in the name of responsibility and good conscious that ended up messing up with my traveling budget.
Back to the first question in my article: “What will you do if your tandem partner is weighted you down and there are no safety parachute left to safe both of you?! Free falling together or cut her lines and safe yourself instead?”
I’m definitely not going to free falling together, I might just send her back to Yangon earlier by 15 hours bumpy, dusty, bus ride with 40,000 IDR in her hand (just enough for taxi cost for bus station to Vero’s apartment) then ask her to refund her flight ticket from Inle Lake to Yangon so she can use that money to survive in Yangon before she is heading back to Jakarta.
Do I traumatize with flying tandem? Absolutely NOT!!! One bad experience can’t justify my future flying tandem. So far I had a great tandem partners -- they are not only well equipped with emotional and financial stability but also performed as my personal GPS, porter (umbrella boy), bodyguard and private donor or even sponsor =)
However thanks to her, I learned a lot from this trip, such as:
Lesson number 1: RESPONSIBILITY and GOOD CONSCIOUS are not meant to be together =)
Lesson number 2: How to get a grip of a person that you don’t like without losing your sanity. OMG, you don’t know how many ideas that I had…. Plenty!!! I even think to create a blog called www.get-a-grip-of-her.com
Lesson number 3: How to survive traveling with very tight budget without flashing “my two big assets”!!!! (Gee, that could be my next book title I guess! hahahahaha....)
Will I be traveling with her again? HELLO PEOPLE, didn’t I learn my lesson?!!! =)
Honestly with all the things that I’d been going through, deep down inside I still believed and think, she’s a nice person with a lot of potential to over! It just I don’t need to be the one who discovered =) I really hope she learns her lesson to be more responsible to herself and the people around her. Moreover I wish all the best for her in the future.
As for the other friends who might interested to join me in my next back packing adventure; (I was thinking next year will be Philippine, New Zealand or Nepal) ... Don’t be afraid, I don’t bite but I might ditch you in the middle of nowhere if you act like that! HEHEHEHEHE ....
Of course, you are most welcome to join me however bear in mind PLEASE be a responsible traveler by not leaving your footprint, emotional, and financial baggage behind because I can’t be your travel mate, babysitter, parents, or sugar mama in the same time!!!...
In my 10 years of flying tandem or solo -- traveling with partners or buddies or by myself, ALMOST never EVER I had terrible experiences until recently when I was traveling in Myanmar.
I always called myself as responsible budget traveler with a lot of attitude and style, which means even though I travel with specific amount of budget to spend, however ... in the same time I keep maintaining my certain standard of style and conveniences, as well as ... being responsible by do not give a burden to the other fellow travelers and do not leaving a foot print to the places that I visited besides a tons of great pictures, good times and little souvenir for beloved people back home.
Just like my travel motto that I quoted from my close friend: “you can be cheap but not easy or you can be easy but never be both”
So when Vero (my friend who is working in Yangon at the moment) informed me about Myanmar’s situation and condition, from visa regulation until the country restriction likes; there’s no ATM machine, we can’t use credit card or western union and avoided talking politics to local peoples because you will never know whom you will be encounter along the way. There are so many undercover government secret agents among society.
Consequently I did my home work by prepared myself to act like ordinary traveler who just want to have a great time and counted how much budget that I will be need to spend. Based on my past experiences traveled around South East Asia for 10 -15 days, we only need around 5 million IDR excluded flight ticket of course.
The original plan was traveling with Vero for a week after that I will continued the trip by myself for another week.
We decided to start our journey from Mandalay (because of Thaung Byone Festival “The biggest gay festival in South East Asia” .... Ehm, sounds great huh? a bunch of gay guy, party, and booze).... Then Bagan (the city of thousand temples and pagoda’s), Inle Lake (the romantic getaway over the lake view) after that I will continued by myself to Kalaw (famous for tracking destination) and Ngapali (simply the bitch areas ... Upsh I mean beach area).
Somehow along the way, my other friend here in Jakarta is interested to join the trip, which is fine by us (Vero and I) ... given the fact that we thought, we “knew“ this girl and again “the more the merrier!!!”
Unfortunately WE WERE TOTALLY WRONG!!! … First of all: we absolutely don’t have any ideas how this girl will behaved outside her comfort zone, secondly: the more can be crowded and suffocated, especially when the person that we were travelling with dumped all of her financial and emotional baggage on us without prior notice, it just felt likes, we’ve been “ambushed” that leaves us breathless and speechless.
Although before the trip I did brief her rule of Mika’s 101 famous back packing travels (To whom that might interested to have the manual … it’s available now in GRAMEDIA!!! Hahahhaha….) -- things that we will dealing with, all the reading material concerning the places that we’re going to visit as well as the list of the things that she needs to pack basically I look alike travel agent that make sure that everything are set and done before the trip.
Again unfortunately she didn’t even bother to read all the things that I sent her because she thinks she can always rely on us (Vero and I ... Well, I love you but I love me even more ... so think again!!!)
All of a sudden Vero and I trapped in situation like we were traveling with a “big baby” where we had to take cake and constantly reminded her things that she needs to do since she can’t think for herself.
Seriously if I could choose -- I feel much better traveling with actual baby because somehow in the back of my mind I’m fully aware that baby was meant to be annoying and craving for a lot of attention so at least I will well prepared myself for it (read and watch nanny 101, I guess) but “big baby". OMG, I don’t think so!!! Unless, I got paid… Honey, please read the first manual of Mika’s 101 famous back packing travels –“you can be cheap but not easy or you can be easy but never be both”.
Anyway here are the best parts… She did not only corrupt our mental with her lack of inability to act and think in the same time but she also messed up with our traveling budget, because of her unorganized plan to change her flight ticket back to Indonesia earlier in the last minute that costs her the price of a new flight ticket plus she even didn’t bother to check her financial situation and again rely on us (borrow our money which we only brought just enough for ourselves).
I guess some people are just meant to be as social gathering friend but it’s not as the traveling mate, because finding travel mate is like finding a good sport shoes, it has to be comfortable, affordable and you can rely on in any situation.
Thanks god,Vero and I shared the same habit of travel and dark sense of humor, so we could passed the days with laughter to ease our burden. I remembered one night in Bagan, during our last dinner (meanwhile the other” friend of mine” was sick and stayed at the hotel room) we joked around that this would be our last supper since in the days to come we have to really squeeze our budget, BADLY!!! and it did.
For the first time in my life I had to counted every penny of my money make sure that I had enough money for accommodation, transportation and the food. I never feel so poor, like I felt that day… Not because I don’t have money but because I lead my money in the name of responsibility and good conscious that ended up messing up with my traveling budget.
Back to the first question in my article: “What will you do if your tandem partner is weighted you down and there are no safety parachute left to safe both of you?! Free falling together or cut her lines and safe yourself instead?”
I’m definitely not going to free falling together, I might just send her back to Yangon earlier by 15 hours bumpy, dusty, bus ride with 40,000 IDR in her hand (just enough for taxi cost for bus station to Vero’s apartment) then ask her to refund her flight ticket from Inle Lake to Yangon so she can use that money to survive in Yangon before she is heading back to Jakarta.
Do I traumatize with flying tandem? Absolutely NOT!!! One bad experience can’t justify my future flying tandem. So far I had a great tandem partners -- they are not only well equipped with emotional and financial stability but also performed as my personal GPS, porter (umbrella boy), bodyguard and private donor or even sponsor =)
However thanks to her, I learned a lot from this trip, such as:
Lesson number 1: RESPONSIBILITY and GOOD CONSCIOUS are not meant to be together =)
Lesson number 2: How to get a grip of a person that you don’t like without losing your sanity. OMG, you don’t know how many ideas that I had…. Plenty!!! I even think to create a blog called www.get-a-grip-of-her.com
Lesson number 3: How to survive traveling with very tight budget without flashing “my two big assets”!!!! (Gee, that could be my next book title I guess! hahahahaha....)
Will I be traveling with her again? HELLO PEOPLE, didn’t I learn my lesson?!!! =)
Honestly with all the things that I’d been going through, deep down inside I still believed and think, she’s a nice person with a lot of potential to over! It just I don’t need to be the one who discovered =) I really hope she learns her lesson to be more responsible to herself and the people around her. Moreover I wish all the best for her in the future.
As for the other friends who might interested to join me in my next back packing adventure; (I was thinking next year will be Philippine, New Zealand or Nepal) ... Don’t be afraid, I don’t bite but I might ditch you in the middle of nowhere if you act like that! HEHEHEHEHE ....
Of course, you are most welcome to join me however bear in mind PLEASE be a responsible traveler by not leaving your footprint, emotional, and financial baggage behind because I can’t be your travel mate, babysitter, parents, or sugar mama in the same time!!!...
SERIES OF RENUNGAN BIATCH
I dedicated these words for all BIATCH out there who are just unlucky and will be get lucky in life SOON!.... YES, YOU WILL!!!!!
PART I....
Life is hard and we died, but before God tossed us to hell for the bad deeds that we did, have a little bit of fun and live the dreams!!!!!.... I know its suck, but that’s the reality of life!!! Sometimes we just have to eat it raw and shallow it quick ... just likes vitamin, boost our energy and increase our mental capacities.
The obstacles that emerges in our life, most of the time it likes the blessing in disguised! And by period of times, we just realized the hidden treasure that we supposed to gain out of it by connecting the dots!!!
The bottom line is, don’t be such a drama queen or king with the obstacles that may occur in our life ... because the best drama will be on screen where the players get paid and laid! Not off screen, unpaid and didn’t get any!!! That would be an epic of disaster!!!!!
So every times you’re feeling down: just put on your LADY GAGA face (poker face), chin up, boobs up (if you have boobs of course!) and walk straight ... then say this: "THE BIATCH IS BACK!!!!!" ....
Good luck guys and be adventurous with life!!
PART II ...
Behind the powerful man, there’s a strong woman standing!!!
Behind a strong woman standing, there's fabulous gay man support!!!
And to be a strong woman, you have to be a super BIATCH with a lot of attitude!!!
PART III ....
To be A BIATCH or NOT to be a biatch is a personal choice, which is a part of mankind privileges that given by god. But sometimes no matter how careful and well calculates we live our life; somehow the world induces us to be a biatch, to get things done! Because the minute we settle for less than we deserve, we get even less than we settled for and that would be A REAL BIATCH!!
Anyway guys when the time gets tough and we had to make a choice-- just remember this: there’s no good girl gone bad, just good girl found their inner BIATCH!!!!
Good luck finds your inner BIATCH!!! .....
PART IV
A friend of mine once told me that you will get what do you need but it’s not what do you want, because what do you want sometimes it’s not what do you need.
The question will be how if what do we need, it is not what do we want?
To get a good answer of that question, I used my own experience as examples!!! When I was going up I always want to have a simple life like any other ordinary Indonesian girls; finished my studied, work in art department – have my own workshop if it’s possible, married to romantic guys (I always have fantasy of Italian man since I love the food, coffee, their culture, arts, the fashion and the mafia – I know it’s sound ridiculous, huh?), then having bambino’s, living in quiet place when there so much nature around so I could breath the fresh air every day and twice in a year travel to an exotic places for holiday.
But GUESS WHAT? Life thinks that is not what I needed!!! It turned up instead getting the romantic Mr. Italian guy, I got Mr. German that’s so straight and up front but he gave me a big space to grow – figured out who am I really is and that makes me realized, maybe I don’t need Mr. romantic guy after all, what I need is Mr. that could shows me the real me and accepted me the way I’m.
Concerning the work in the art department... I got better than what I could settled for!!!! I got opportunity to work in the art of communications which I could also help others along the way!!! worked as communication for aid agencies gives me an opportunity to disseminate a message for the unfortunates people that’s losing their voice, so they can be heard and rcognized!!!
In term of living condition and an exotic destination, I got combination of both and on the top of that, I got paid for doing something that I love!!! Again working for aid agencies give me chance to be in the area that most people never dreams of to visit like Afghanistan, Aceh, and East Timor!
Not forget to mention I met interesting peoples, friends and experiences different thing in the process and that was priceless!!!! How many people in Indonesia could have the same experience like me, maybe over 225 million of Indonesia peoples only 5 % of it have the same opportunity and being part of 5% of it, make me feel fortunate and blessed!!!!!
Regarding the bambinos or children, I guess at the moment I have to settle with a dog maybe gradually it will turn in to be baby! Hey, I still have a time ....
Back to the question, how if what do we need, it is not what do we want? my answer will be maybe what do you need is a part of what do you want after all, it’s just the Universe or God or the Mighty power channel it into a real thing, because sometimes what do you want can be so unreal and imaginary since we so caught out in the dream and forget to keep it real.
Anyway guys keep on makes the list of what do you want but make it real, not just imaginative, because that definitely is not what you need!!!!
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND REAL!!!!! ...
PART I....
Life is hard and we died, but before God tossed us to hell for the bad deeds that we did, have a little bit of fun and live the dreams!!!!!.... I know its suck, but that’s the reality of life!!! Sometimes we just have to eat it raw and shallow it quick ... just likes vitamin, boost our energy and increase our mental capacities.
The obstacles that emerges in our life, most of the time it likes the blessing in disguised! And by period of times, we just realized the hidden treasure that we supposed to gain out of it by connecting the dots!!!
The bottom line is, don’t be such a drama queen or king with the obstacles that may occur in our life ... because the best drama will be on screen where the players get paid and laid! Not off screen, unpaid and didn’t get any!!! That would be an epic of disaster!!!!!
So every times you’re feeling down: just put on your LADY GAGA face (poker face), chin up, boobs up (if you have boobs of course!) and walk straight ... then say this: "THE BIATCH IS BACK!!!!!" ....
Good luck guys and be adventurous with life!!
PART II ...
Behind the powerful man, there’s a strong woman standing!!!
Behind a strong woman standing, there's fabulous gay man support!!!
And to be a strong woman, you have to be a super BIATCH with a lot of attitude!!!
PART III ....
To be A BIATCH or NOT to be a biatch is a personal choice, which is a part of mankind privileges that given by god. But sometimes no matter how careful and well calculates we live our life; somehow the world induces us to be a biatch, to get things done! Because the minute we settle for less than we deserve, we get even less than we settled for and that would be A REAL BIATCH!!
Anyway guys when the time gets tough and we had to make a choice-- just remember this: there’s no good girl gone bad, just good girl found their inner BIATCH!!!!
Good luck finds your inner BIATCH!!! .....
PART IV
A friend of mine once told me that you will get what do you need but it’s not what do you want, because what do you want sometimes it’s not what do you need.
The question will be how if what do we need, it is not what do we want?
To get a good answer of that question, I used my own experience as examples!!! When I was going up I always want to have a simple life like any other ordinary Indonesian girls; finished my studied, work in art department – have my own workshop if it’s possible, married to romantic guys (I always have fantasy of Italian man since I love the food, coffee, their culture, arts, the fashion and the mafia – I know it’s sound ridiculous, huh?), then having bambino’s, living in quiet place when there so much nature around so I could breath the fresh air every day and twice in a year travel to an exotic places for holiday.
But GUESS WHAT? Life thinks that is not what I needed!!! It turned up instead getting the romantic Mr. Italian guy, I got Mr. German that’s so straight and up front but he gave me a big space to grow – figured out who am I really is and that makes me realized, maybe I don’t need Mr. romantic guy after all, what I need is Mr. that could shows me the real me and accepted me the way I’m.
Concerning the work in the art department... I got better than what I could settled for!!!! I got opportunity to work in the art of communications which I could also help others along the way!!! worked as communication for aid agencies gives me an opportunity to disseminate a message for the unfortunates people that’s losing their voice, so they can be heard and rcognized!!!
In term of living condition and an exotic destination, I got combination of both and on the top of that, I got paid for doing something that I love!!! Again working for aid agencies give me chance to be in the area that most people never dreams of to visit like Afghanistan, Aceh, and East Timor!
Not forget to mention I met interesting peoples, friends and experiences different thing in the process and that was priceless!!!! How many people in Indonesia could have the same experience like me, maybe over 225 million of Indonesia peoples only 5 % of it have the same opportunity and being part of 5% of it, make me feel fortunate and blessed!!!!!
Regarding the bambinos or children, I guess at the moment I have to settle with a dog maybe gradually it will turn in to be baby! Hey, I still have a time ....
Back to the question, how if what do we need, it is not what do we want? my answer will be maybe what do you need is a part of what do you want after all, it’s just the Universe or God or the Mighty power channel it into a real thing, because sometimes what do you want can be so unreal and imaginary since we so caught out in the dream and forget to keep it real.
Anyway guys keep on makes the list of what do you want but make it real, not just imaginative, because that definitely is not what you need!!!!
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND REAL!!!!! ...
Jumat, 19 November 2010
BEAUTY COMES IN DIFFERENT SIZES
As a person who used to be size 0 emphasized on used to be =) and recently stuck in size 8-10 (it depends on the brands, of course!) If people ask me, do I like to be back in size 0? Are you kidding me! Stupid question, can you ask me again? (HELL YEAH!!!!)...
But do I like to pay the price of beauty; by starved myself to dead and be a gym rat? .... Wait a minutes darling,I didn't sign up for that!!!! So I guess I just have to work on with what I've been given, that means "My finest asset" and I try my best to flaunt it =)
Living in size 8-10, makes me realized and learn so much about myself; how my body works and my personalities -- "my strength and my weakness". Somehow along the way I figured it out there are 3 ingredients of the art of beauty in different sizes;
1. Confident
I'm so blessed that I'm surrounding by a bunch of gay friends, that helps me practicing my level of confident and patienceness since most of them are professional firing squad that ready to shoot any given time, places and situation with their inner bitchyness and like professional squad they're HARDLY, never missed their target!!! I'm telling you if you can survived with their inner bitchyness, you can survive with almost anything eg: bad hairs do, make up, pimples, and wrong outfit etc
2. Recognized your finest asset -- work with that and try your best to flaunt it
That means you just have to know what is suitable for your body and personality; things that make you feel comfortable in the same time cute and sexy. Again if you don't have high level of confident, try to tone down the way your flaunted your finest asset because it just looks awkward and wrong in any possible way.
3. Smosing - smile and posing with your eyes (quote from Ms. J Alexander – The jury of the next America's top model)
The eyes are the window to your souls that shows your personality inside. By smosing, you're welcoming people to come, talk, connected with you and the rest is up to you... what you are going to do with these new people that comes into your life!!! They can be your friend,your network, lovers, affair etc
If you can mastering the art of beauty in different sizes, you will always feel beautiful without have to pay the price of beauty!!!!
Then again if Tyra Bank (The American top model, media personality, actress, businesswoman, the creator and host of the UPN/The CWreality television show America's Next Top Model) believes in short "petite" and plus size girls can be the next America's top model..... Why can we start believed that we could also be beautiful in our own size. The definition of beauty depends on the eyes of the beholder.
So plus size bitches out there,...Show me what you got....Work those bodiiiiii..... Flaunt it and keep "Smosing"(Smile and posing with your eyes)!!!!
I dedicated this article to all of bitches out there who don't feel beautiful because of their sizes!!!! Honey I love you, but you just have to stop obsessing with your sizes... either you want to work on it by hit the gym and straight diet or you just have to work with what you got and happy in the process... Cause .....
You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down, oh no
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today.... (Taken from Cristina Aguilera song lyric)
But do I like to pay the price of beauty; by starved myself to dead and be a gym rat? .... Wait a minutes darling,I didn't sign up for that!!!! So I guess I just have to work on with what I've been given, that means "My finest asset" and I try my best to flaunt it =)
Living in size 8-10, makes me realized and learn so much about myself; how my body works and my personalities -- "my strength and my weakness". Somehow along the way I figured it out there are 3 ingredients of the art of beauty in different sizes;
1. Confident
I'm so blessed that I'm surrounding by a bunch of gay friends, that helps me practicing my level of confident and patienceness since most of them are professional firing squad that ready to shoot any given time, places and situation with their inner bitchyness and like professional squad they're HARDLY, never missed their target!!! I'm telling you if you can survived with their inner bitchyness, you can survive with almost anything eg: bad hairs do, make up, pimples, and wrong outfit etc
2. Recognized your finest asset -- work with that and try your best to flaunt it
That means you just have to know what is suitable for your body and personality; things that make you feel comfortable in the same time cute and sexy. Again if you don't have high level of confident, try to tone down the way your flaunted your finest asset because it just looks awkward and wrong in any possible way.
3. Smosing - smile and posing with your eyes (quote from Ms. J Alexander – The jury of the next America's top model)
The eyes are the window to your souls that shows your personality inside. By smosing, you're welcoming people to come, talk, connected with you and the rest is up to you... what you are going to do with these new people that comes into your life!!! They can be your friend,your network, lovers, affair etc
If you can mastering the art of beauty in different sizes, you will always feel beautiful without have to pay the price of beauty!!!!
Then again if Tyra Bank (The American top model, media personality, actress, businesswoman, the creator and host of the UPN/The CWreality television show America's Next Top Model) believes in short "petite" and plus size girls can be the next America's top model..... Why can we start believed that we could also be beautiful in our own size. The definition of beauty depends on the eyes of the beholder.
So plus size bitches out there,...Show me what you got....Work those bodiiiiii..... Flaunt it and keep "Smosing"(Smile and posing with your eyes)!!!!
I dedicated this article to all of bitches out there who don't feel beautiful because of their sizes!!!! Honey I love you, but you just have to stop obsessing with your sizes... either you want to work on it by hit the gym and straight diet or you just have to work with what you got and happy in the process... Cause .....
You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down, oh no
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today.... (Taken from Cristina Aguilera song lyric)
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