“…Semaikan benih, dan bumi akan memberimu bunga. Mimpikan impianmu sampai ke langit, dan ia akan memberimu yang kamu cintai…” (Kahlil Gibran)

Temen-temen yang tgl 9-Agt-2008 sempet dateng ke Gd. Jend. Sudirman, Secapa TNI-AD kemaren mungkin ngedapetin tanda mata berupa bibit bunga matahari (mudah-mudahan gk ampe dimakan karena ngira kwaci).

Ternyata temen kantor si akang, namanya Andri Kurniawan aka Cipto langsung  nanem bibit itu dan sekarang setelah 5 bulan berlalu, tinggi nya udah -+ 1 meter dengan batang yang udah kokoh, trus bunga mataharinya sudah bermekaran (liat foto di bawah).

Priyo yang sekarang lagi semanget berkebun, mau mulai nanem bibit bunga matahari itu. Ntar kl dah mekar, kirim kita fotonya ya…

Dece sendiri nanem 9 bibit bunga matahari di pot di ciomas. Dari 9 itu cuman 6 yang tumbuh. Dan ketika mulai meninggi-+20 cm, cucuran air hujan bikin bibitnya mati. Sekarang lagi coba nanem lagi di pot yang sama. Mudah-mudahan kali ini berhasil memekarkan bunga matahari. Kalo ini berhasil, pengen ngebibitin lg bunga matahari. Budidaya mode: on

Oya., buat temen-temen yang sudah menanam bibit bunga matahari tersebut, boleh kirim fotonya ke imel rifqi or dece, ntar kita pasang di web ini…

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KLASIFIKASI
Kerajaan : Plantae
Divisio : Magnoliophyta
Kelas : Magnoliophyta
Ordo : Asterales
Familia : Asteraceae (Compositae).
Genus : Helianthus
Spesies : Helianthus annuus
Nama jenis : Helianthus annuus Linnaeus

One day I wake up and just want to make my hubby proud.

Most days I wake up and wish I could just make up my mind already

Happy new year all! Wonder what’s in store for us this year hm.

Yes, there was a time as an artsy fartsy student when I had bright blue streaks in my hair. Oh what times! The sad thing is that I have no proof XD! I cant understand to this day why I didn’t get around to taking any pictures of myself when I had it. See closed-minded people who only know me as the timid and quiet girl would never even begin to picture me as the rebellious blue-haired type. No proof! How could it be..

Well, the adventure began when Rosemary (one of my indo college friends) revealed to me about the not-so-known but absolutely free way of getting a haircut and or colour. IN MELBOURNE WHERE SALONS CAN COST YOU AN ARM OR LIMB!

Now theres this quite prestigious beauty school in Flinders Street, where their students need “models” (oh la, not that glamorous mind you), I would call them “victims” rather. For live exams, their students need to find real people that they must bring to the class to work on in order to get a final mark and pass. So Rosemary, who one day realized that I had been constantly nagging her about my overdue long hair and boredom throughout the semester, suggested to me that the next time her salon-college-friend would need a “model”, she’d put my name on the list.

So there I was one day after getting a call, sitting in front of a mirror in this exact room, waiting for my hair makeover. The person responsible for the future damage was an indo girl, who needed the beauty school diploma in order to get her a PR (Permanent Residency). Shockingly the girl already had finished a 3 year bachelors degree in design, but the field of design stupidly doesn’t qualify enough points for an Australian PR. And amazingly, the fields of hairdressing and pastry education do. So if you can make a hairbun or a croissant, you can stay in Aussie

She asked me what I wanted, in front of her examiners, and I said some strong cool highlights. What colour? Blue.

It just came out, not premeditated, but out of purely what my mood was liking at the moment. Blue, of course, was actually the most damage one could do to one’s hair. Because in order to get that blue into my jet black hair strands, she needed to bleach my hair completely white, and then dye the blue on top of that. Her examiner was thrilled at the project. Cause surely the perfect candidate whose hair strands are thick enough and capable of such torture would be Asians (or to be more precise-Indian or Melayu Asians).

So, I came home with 2 wide streaks of Blueyness in my hair that afternoon. One near my side fringe and the other almost to the back. She passed, and I looked rad.

The girl also asked me if I was willing to have my hair cut too for her next exam. OK, said I. Why not.

And so I came back to that room a few weeks later for the haircut, and got a shaggy. And met another guy (also indo), who asked if I could be his model for his hair dye exam when my blue streaks had run out. Blue would have to be the least durable colour to have in your hair, it’s semi-permanent and washes away after a month or two.

OK, said I. Why not. Let’s make it purple next.

So that was the story of how I once had blue hair in my early 20s and then had purple hair when I attended my (now) sister in law’s wedding.

Okay, this is the thing; there was this day when I was really astonished when I found out for the first time that Rifqi had taken off his ring. Why was I shocked you may say? You’d think that since 15 years of coming home to indo after 6 years growing up in england that I’d no longer have culture shocks rite? Nop! Turns out still, i find myself gasping at peculiar differences. See all my life, and I mean naively all my life, it had been cemented in my brain that when you’re engaged/married you never take off your ring. The only reason you’d take it off is if you’re in a bar and you intend to appear single and looking for a one night stand. That’s why in western movies sometimes people lose their ring when they’re in the shower, for say, as they don’t take it off even when they’re washing themselves. The ring is like the extension of a body part, people!

So I was shocked when Rifqi casually revealed to me one day that he takes off his ring immediately whenever he’s home. I couldn’t believe it! My thoughts were racing, is the ring not a strong symbol of our bond-i was honestly a bit hurt? Then he told me that people everywhere do it. His (already married) sister and husband do. Everybody does it-he says. I simply had not noticed this before. I still couldn’t believe it that “everybody does it”. So I sms’ed my friend Dinda who with her husband Alan are madly in love and married over a year. “Do you and Alan take off your ring?”-I text’ed. Sounds like a private question to me but if this really is a casual behavior in indo then I was sure she wouldn’t mind me asking. “Yeah, sure we do, we keep the ring on our bedside table.”-she replied. Shock! So slowly it sunked in to me that it is true..

So now this is how we do it, Rifqi takes off his ring right after he comes inside the house alongside his watch, and I still never take off mine. (Well, I did once try to adopt this culture and took off my ring when I wanted to take a shower, but then I forgot to wear it after and didnt remember about it until the next day -dangerous!)

That’s why Rifqi’s ring is still rather shiny and bling bling. And mine has become rugged and not quite so bright

Kejadiannya ketika kita baru landing di cengkareng pulang honimun episod 2. Kita lg nunggu di konter taksi express, nunggu taksi express yg mo nganter plg ke ciomas. Suasana bandara sangat-sangat hiruk pikuk. Penjemput yg menjemput sodara/rekan yang baru mendarat..

Terlihat ada salah satu penjemput yang menjemput keluarganya… memberhentikan mobil plat merah yang dikenadarainya di depan tempat parkir (konter) taksi-taksi. Salah satu anggota keluarga yang dijemputnya adalah perempuan berusia lanjut yang menggunakan kursi roda. Ternyata dibelakang mobil plat merah tersebut, ada 1 taksi yang ingin masuk ke tempat parkiran konter taksinya. Merasa tempatnya dihalangi, si taksi membunyikan klakson berkali-kali. Mobil plat merah tetap tak bergeming, menunggu anggota keluarganya yang menuju ke mobil tsb.  Konter taksi tersebut sebenarnya tidak terhalangi seluruhnya, ada celah yang bisa dimasukki taksi  untuk bisa parkir di konterny, tetapi memang agak sulit jika mobil tersebut menghalangi.  Akhirnya si sopir taksi mencoba memarkirkan taksinya, tapi dengan cara menggerung-gerungkan taksi tsb ketika akan parkir.

Sopir mobil plat merah menyadari hal itu, tiba-tiba turun dari mobilnya menuju taksi. Sopir tersebut sepertinya anak/sodara pemilik mobil plat merah tsb (dari tampangnya gk kyk supir dan sepantaran lah ama rifky)  sambil jalan dia berkata-kata dan menunjuk-nunjuk ke arah anggota keluarganya yang berkursi roda, ingin agar si sopir taksi mengerti dia sedang menaikkan anggota keluarganya yang berkursi roda. Supir mobil plat merah terus mendekati supir taksi yang masih di dalam taksi nya, lalu buk!!! dia menonjok si supir taksi melewati kaca taksi yang terbuka.Petugas konter taksi dan sekurity bandara berhamburan mendekati dan melerai aksi koboi-koboian tsb.

Kita siy senyum-senyum aja ngeliat hal itu. Mencoba sedikit beranalisa, tampaknya si mobil plat merah memberhentikan kendaraannya tidak pada tempatnya. Hanya sekitar 10 meter dari tempat dia berhenti, ada tempat berhenti khusus untuk menaik/turunkan disable people. Dan tempat tersebut kosong loh….

Yang pasti kejadian kyk gini gk bakalan terjadi kl kita berlaku adil…Koq adil?? soalnya dulu waktu SD pernah belajar definisi adil: menempatkan sesuatu pada tempatnya.

Tak lama aksi koboi tersebut selesai, aktivitas kembali rutin seperti semula..taksi express yang dinanti tiba…pulang lah kita untuk menikmati honimun-honimun selanjutnya..

Cooking is a strange thing. Or should I say love is the stranger thing. I never really cooked for myself when I was in Melbourne. Look at a recipe? Never! All I really did was bake stuff in the oven and eat them over some tin foil so I could easily throw away the remains and not have to do any washing up.

Now living in Jakarta I’ve gotten into the habit of never asking help from our pembantu each time i’m in the kitchen, but only cause I just don’t like to work in the same room as her, and also cause i’m so darn irritated by how clean every little carrot should be that I’d rather do things myself. Here are my first attempts at Soto Ayam and Sayur Bayam (hey, it rhymes!). I also like to stumble my way and give a try at Cap Cay. I lub Chinese food, I just wish Chinese food would lub me back and gimme a break to finally get that maizenna sauce right!

Fortunately my hubby will eat anything I cook even though it’s black on both sides or doesn’t look like the product of a legitimate recipe. Did I say love is the stranger thing?

Funny things happened (again)…. hahehaha

Kejadiaannya hari minggu siang kemaren (100908) waktu kita “pulang” dari bandung ke jakarta. Berangkat dari rumah abis solat dhuhur jam 12.an, ternyata kita kudu balik ke kanayakan dulu bwt ngambil sepatu kerja rifqi yang ketinggalan disana. Di kanayakan cuman ngambil sepatu lgsg pergi lagi…next destination adl rumah temen kakaknya ranggi (temen aie), ni si akang punya “deal” dengan kakaknya ranggi. Menuju guntur sari kulon di buahbatu. Di jalan ternyata kepengen bawa sesuat, jadilah mampir ke primarasa…belibeli kue..di salahsatu spot turis jkt kl wiken di bdg. Lanjut menuju guntur sari kulon, disana ternyata si akang mengambil 3 jersey LiverpoolFC. 1 jersey home nya torres no.9, 1 jersey away, dan 1 lagi jersey home titipan radig wisnu, temen kantor akang. Yihaaa!!! neng dece dah senyum” aja sambil bilang jatah baju lebaran tuch…:P

Penuhlah city type Z kita dengan barang” dari bandung…langsung masuk tol bubat menuju jakarta… perjalanan disertai hujan gede banget 2x pula di tengah” cipularang. Dari sini cerita bermula..menjelang padalarang barat, dimana kartu tol kudu dituker, neng dece nanya punya duid bwt tol tak?! me gk megang cash gitu jg dece… cm sisa recehan” doang… huhu. Plan kita ntar mampir di rest area yg bertebaran di ruas tol cipularang. Ternyata sodara-sodara…. satu” kita masukkin rest area, gk ada atm di setiap rest area. Nemu 1 tempat atm mandiri di rest area km. 42, tapi belom aktif…unitnya masih disarungin.. lanjut ke rest area km.34, disini juga gk ada atm… kita ngitung2 duid seluruh receh di mobil di kantong di itung, total jendral cuma 28rebu! Nanya ke satpam setempat, dia ngasih tau kl 3km didepan ada pintu tol cikarang barat, dan disana dkt dgn ruko yang ada atm-atm. Masalahnya, dari padalarang barat ke cikarang barat kira2 30ribuan tarif tol-nya.. Akhirnya dengan memberanikan diri, kita keluar padalarang barat sambil berharap plang tarif tol di sana gk lebih dari 28rebu.. begitu didepan pintu tol dan sudah terbaca 30.000, lemas lah..mau gk mau bilang lah ke penjaga tol nya:

Akang: “mas, kita lupa bawa duid, boleh gk kita ke atm yg didepan dulu? mobilnya dipinggirin didepan deh”

Penjaga tol: (dengan muka kaget) “hae?!?! ya udah deh..gini aja…jaminannya apa?”

seneng bgt dpt respon begitu…si akang memegang cincin, tp dece langsung bilang, “kalo jam gimana?”

Akang: “Jam ini saya taro di bapak ya? ntar saya ambil ke bapak” (si akang nunjukkin jam-nya)

Penjaga tol: “ok deh sini”

langsung si akang buka jam-nya dan ngasiin ke bapak penjaga tol

Dece: Gileee deh, baru sebulan nikah si akang udah mau ngegadain cincin kawin bo.. 

Dari pintu tol cikarang barat ini, sebenernya keliatan ruko dan ada lah atm nya yang berkongsi dalam atm bersama. kita ke sana dan ternyata, di cikarang barat ini mo balik masuk tol nya lg harus berputar jauh pisan…

Sampey di depan pintu tol, kita parkirin mobil sambil bawa duid bwt nebus jaminan jam si akang. Dicari-cari pintu tol yg ada si bapak yg kita taro jam, gk ada… ampe didatengin petugas tol, mas mo kemana? dibilang aja, tadi naro jam tp lupa dipintu mana naro-nya.. si petugas masuk ke tiap pintu nanya” petugas, begitu ketemu dibayar lah tarif tol 30rebu itu…dan perjalanan dapat dilanjutkan aheihaehiaeih

fuihh… lega dan gk berenti2 nya ketawa kl nginget kejadian itu..huhu

sampey jakarta j5 langsung menuju kosan rifqi dulu di setiabudi V…ngeberesin baju2 yang tertinggal disana dan berbuka puasa. Beres berbuka dan solat maghrib, baru mencari makan yang searah pulang ke ciomas..pilihannya ke wendy’s pasar festival kuningan… berbuka dengan cheese n’ cheese??! yummy!!! apalagi ditambah keinget2 kejadian siang-nya

yummy hihi!!

Tentu sajah, impian setiap pengantin mah pas weddingnya selain sama sodara-sodara juga dihadiri oleh teman-teman terdekat. Nah dan yg frequently terjadi, di tengah hiruk pikuk mempersiapkan semuanya tuh, teman-teman yang sudah lama kehilangan kontak sulit dicari dah. Tapi dece bela-belain, biarin kalaupun ampe neror (hoho), pokoknya harus dapat tuh orang-orang yang ditelan bumi tersebut. Dengan bantuan spam message di facebook, friendster, dan teror sms dan telpon yg tiada henti minta” kabar atau nomer hp siapa pun yang kiranya bisa memberi petunjuk. Yah, skrg bisa dibilang nanti kalau suatu hari dece mengingat kembali persiapan nikahanku, udah bisa bilang puas karena ga ada orang hilang yang ngga diusahakan pencariannya

Teh Haryati: *CHECK*, mau ketemu malam ini, nih lagi nungguin
Woro: *CHECK*, anaknya udah gedee, tp blom ketemu neh, ngga jodoh waktunya.

Dewi PS: *CHECK*, baru melahirkan 3 minggu yang lalu. Ketemu di kantornya yg tyt skrg udah pindah ke jkt.

Tina: *CHECK*, anaknya tyt udah 1 tahun umurnya! dan skrg lg demen ngajar jd guru TK. cocok deh.

Marina: *CHECK*, ketemu di mcD juga pada suatu malam minggu, lg usaha travel agency nih dia, keren juga!

Ibonk: *CHECK*, mau nikah juga tp kepuyengan nanya budget ke semua orang.

Megia: *CHECK*, janjian pas dia jaga pameran di senayan city, sekalian nitipin buat Rosemary.

Olive Dameria: *CHECK*, baru ketemu kemarin dece samperin ke tempat les jepangnya di bdg. tyt september nanti dpt kerjaan baru di The Jakarta Post.

Decil: *CHECK*, nah ini tembus dgn teror sms jitu. ternyata udah ngga di Quasar, jd pantas jarang online.

Dan sebagainya yang tak mungkin ditulis satu-satu: *DOUBLE CHECK*

Datang tak datang nantinya, rasanya sudah bersyukur bisa mendapatkan kabar kembali teman-teman dan semoga ngga hilang lagi yah silaturahmi kita