Important Conference

WICOE
(Women In Charge Of Everything)

is proud to announce the opening of its
EVENING CLASSES FOR MEN!
OPEN TO MEN ONLY
ALL ARE WELCOME

Note: due to the complexity and level of difficulty, each course will accept a
maximum of eight participants
The course covers two days, and topics covered in this course include:

DAY ONE

HOW TO FILL ICE CUBE TRAYS
Step by step guide with slide presentation

TOILET ROLLS- DO THEY GROW ON THE HOLDERS?
Roundtable discussion

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAUNDRY BASKET & FLOOR
Practicing with hamper (Pictures and graphics)

DISHES & SILVERWARE;
DO THEY LEVITATE/FLY TO KITCHEN SINK
OR DISHWASHER BY THEMSELVES?
Debate among a panel of experts.

REMOTE CONTROL
Losing the remote control - Help line and support groups

LEARNING HOW TO FIND THINGS
Starting with looking in the right place
instead of turning the house upside down while screaming -
Open forum

DAY TWO

EMPTY MILK CARTONS;
DO THEY BELONG IN THE FRIDGE OR THE BIN?
Group discussion and role play

HEALTH WATCH;
BRINGING HER FLOWERS IS NOT HARMFUL TO YOUR HEALTH
PowerPoint presentation

REAL MEN ASK FOR DIRECTIONS WHEN LOST
Real life testimonial from the one man who did

IS IT GENETICALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SIT QUIETLY
AS SHE PARALLEL PARKS?
Driving simulation

LIVING WITH ADULTS;
BASIC DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
YOUR MOTHER AND YOUR PARTNER
Online class and role playing

HOW TO BE THE IDEAL SHOPPING COMPANION
Relaxation exercises, meditation and breathing techniques

REMEMBERING IMPORTANT DATES
& CALLING WHEN YOU’RE GOING TO BE LATE
Bring your calendar or PDA to class

GETTING OVER IT;
LEARNING HOW TO LIVE WITH BEING WRONG ALL THE TIME
Individual counselors available

--------------- borrowed from xanga, but it's bloody good!!

Another Saturday in J-Town

Those who follow this blog would get a glimpse of my frustration and realisation that there simply just isn't enough things to do in this town. An urban concrete with layers of tiny streets filled with people and cars, Jakarta offers few options of entertainment. However, a few days ago I was reminded how Jakarta can be a small melting pot for people. At a friend's BBQ (whom I also just beginning to get to know...) I met a bunch of interesting people, Indonesians who spent a number of years overseas, some expatriates working in this town. Everybody had different backgrounds from counselling psychologist, bankers, marketing people, security specialist, doctors, the list goes on. The party started in the afternoon and continued until dark skies enveloped our BBQ pit. Names registered, faces remembered and until next time.

Indonesia Unite

In the light of the recent Asia Cup 2007, I thought I'd show my country a little support by going to a live game at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium. It was my first time hearing the national anthem being sung by more than 10,000 people. It sent chills through my spine.

We lost the game 0-1 to Korea; a World Cup's semi finalist team. Two countries with different level of experience and skill. We stood no chance, but everyone in that stadium was hoping for a miracle. In a sport where everything is possible, the crowd chanted, "Indonesia, Indonesia, Indonesia..." We knew we sucked, we knew we would most likely lose, but we were not going to go without a fight. It was a moment to be proud.

Last Saturday's Wedding

It's wedding-vaganza month/weeks/god knows... Not only I have numerous wedding invitations sitting on my desk, there are various wedding talks around me. In the office space that our company shared with our partner, there are 3 more weddings coming up. I see heads shaking over budget, arms flung out in exasperation, and more wedding preparation talk.

The thing about a wedding, in Indonesia at least, is never for the bride and groom but more the families coming together. For once and hopefully the last time,... two families have a say(s) on what is right, what is appropriate, what is customary, what is presentable on the day of the union. Indonesian weddings almost always invite many people, family, relatives, acquaintances, business partners; regardless of economics. A wedding is for EVERYONE. People dress up, throw in envelopes with money inside in the closed basket provided, sign their name in a guest book, eat and have their photos taken. There is music, photographers, videographers but (in most cases) no alcohol.

A typical Indonesian wedding consists of something like this:
1. Guests arrive at some sort of function hall beautifully decorated with flowers and pictures of bride & groom everywhere (read: pre-wedding photos)
2. Bride & Groom arrive and take their place on a stage
3. People starts lining up to congratulate or eat the food
4. Food is served buffet style
5. Friends & families take photos with the couple

Last Saturday, a co-worker got married and a whole bunch of us went. Here are some pictures of the event.

A Little of Cool

This morning my co-worker IM-me and said that he has something important to discuss with me and would like me to call him. Hmm...

K: Have you read that email JP sent us?
C: Nope, which one?
K: Our company is being sold!
C: Really? To who? (... At this point I began to worry)
K: Bono
C: Huh? (...very puzzled)
K: You know, the singer?
C: Yeah, of course I know who he is! But how? WTF?
K: You should read the email. I might misunderstand it...
C: Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
K: I don't know. No feeling.
C: Huh??

I scratched my head again, biting my nails whilst waiting for the email to be downloaded. There it was. A forwarded message from our CEO, who excitedly stated that we are now part of a group called Elevation Partners. One of the 5 Managing Partners is Bono. Yep. Bono, of the U2 fame. Cool Bono, who's not only a great rock star but also a great humanitarian who's working on poverty eradication. It's all good. GOOOD. KEWL.

So next time you talk to me and ask, "What's up with you today?"

C: Oh, I have a new boss...
?: Really? Is he or she nice? Is your position going to be in jeopardy?
C: Naaa, I don't think so. He's cool.
?: Who is he?
C: Bono.
?: What?
C: Yeah, U2-Bono is my boss...
?: (Speechless, in awe of coolness).
C: (Big grin on my face).

Bono is my boss. Well, not technically but in theory he is. I hear U2's "Elevation" in my head. It's cool. It's all good.

On Love

This is my final quote from Shantaram,...

"They'd lied to me and betrayed me, leaving jagged edges where all my trusts had been, and I didn't like or respect or admire them any more, but still I loved them. I had no choice. I understood that, perfectly, standing in the white wilderness of snow. You can't kill love. You can't even kill it with hate. You can kill in-love, and loving and even loveliness. You can kill them all, or numb them into dense, leaden regret, but you can't kill love itself. Love is the passionate search for a truth other than your own, and once you feel it, honestly and completely, love is forever. Every act of love, every moment of the heart reaching out, is a part of the universal good: it's a part of God, or what we call God, and it can never die."

-Gregory David Roberts-

Idyll Weekend

The weekend that just past was dreadful because it being 7.7.7 there were tons of event to attend: weddings(...and I hate going to them because they require such effort), parties, etc. It turned out to be one of the best weekends I've had, ever. Probably because I didn't go to any of the aforementioned above.

SATURDAY
I am a big Grey's Anatomy fan. Season 3 finished not too long ago and I finally got my hands on the whole lot. I started on episode 6, because I watched the first 5 episodes during my time in the US... and got sucked into the deep, dark, funny, disturbing drams of Seattle Grace Hospital. It was a day of Grey Marathon, junk food and the lot. The constant theme that keeps coming back to me is communication. It is such a simple word that requires creative action.

Communication is important to avoid mis-communication; a misinterpretation of intent; misunderstanding of feeling. One person must have endless ways of connecting to the different people, and its a constant learning process that can never be taken for granted. I can relate to Meredith when she shuts Derek out on things that matter, but talks to him about where she's going to be after lunch. Don't we all do that? We communicate the trivials and forget to speak about the personals, because it's so much harder to reveal our weaknesses to other people. Even if that person is supposedly your significant other.

It is easy for me to carry a full on conversation about everything and nothing with people, and yet it requires gianormous effort to tell a person I like that he has hurt my feelings. It takes time for me to say things out loud when it comes to how I feel about people I love. Oh well, I'm learning...

SUNDAY
Shantaram Brunch
Another great day that was originally planned to be a productive one; I think gym and grocery shopping and clock repair was part of the plan - only to be reduced to a long brunch at a bookshop cafe while I finised Shantaram for the second time, and a bit of grocery shopping. It was partly productive!

I gotta tell you though, that nothing beats that quiet Sunday afternoon sipping coffee reading a great book. My sense of fulfillment added when an elderly Indian man came up to me and said, "Hi, sorry to bother you... but I just want to say that I'm reading the exact same book and I love it." You know what they say about a japanese restaurant filled japanese? Yeah, it kinda felt like that. An Indian man reading a book about India? It's good. I know it's good; that is why I'm reading it for the second time... But it's nice to have that kind of validation. Nothing like being approved by the local.

Wimbledon Men's Singles Final
Roger Federer VS. Rafael Nadal. Need I say more? World's Rank No.1 VS. World No. 2. Both set out to break records. Federer was attempting 5 consecutive wins to equal Bjorn Borg's achievement, and Rafa was making an attempt at being consecutive champions of 2 Grand Slam tournaments: Roland Garros and Wimbledon, on 2 different surfaces. A surface that traditionally belongs to Federer.

Federer was a favourite. But when the first set lasted 56 minutes, an both of them were fighting for every single point, and Rafa took on the second set... you know that everything was possible. That made the match unbelievably amazing to watch. Strength, perseverance, focus, concentration, fighting spirit, agility, flexibility, endurance, strategy. Oh! Amazing! Did I say amazing! Oh. Oh. Oh. 5 sets of amazing tennis.

Federer set his record. He puts his name down as one of the legends.

And with that, I ended my ah-may-zeeeeng weekend with myself. Oh yeah, totally spend hours on end with myself. And you know what? It was one of the best weekends in my life.