new year 2009

adieu 2008

So, it's 15 to midnight and the 2008 is about to end (well, according to GMT +7, Jakarta time). I'm at my desk, having the fifth cup of Tong Tji jasmine green tea (don't ask!!), writing this entry (which is my last entry for the year) at home. I just finished watching (again!!) Cloverfield (the last movie I watch in 2008. Aren't you just glad it wasn't Bridget Jones part i and ii?), without any doubt is my favorite movie of the year.

Anyway, 2008 was quite a messy year for me. I don't know, maybe it's a leap year, or maybe it's me having bad lucks, I found the year quite ... messy. I planned so well early this year and somehow, I didn't get to do so many of them. I failed to return to CCF, I failed to travel (the idea which I was so excited about before) and I failed the katekisasi class in my church (I mean, seriously, how can a person fail such thing, you asked? I KNOW!!!). The thing that bothers me the most is how I got emotional and moody. Sometimes it affected many other things, like works, friends and family, maybe.

The other day as I went through facebook, I checked many of my old friends' profiles. Some of them were married, having babies or going aboard to work or study. I felt that I've been gone for so long that I wasn't there to celebrate with them (well, I did receive an invitation or two .. HAHAHA, SORRY, I KNOW!). I started to realize that I wasn't really a good friend. I believe it's something I have to work on next year. (fingers crossed!)

(5 minutes to midnight) I guess it's only fair to mention good things as well. There were weddings (Marsella's, Sandra's), babies (Shirley's and Suster Wati's, yay!), new friends (yay!) and Mammamia! the movie! (HAHAHAHA).

I hope next year will be a better year and I will be a better person. I definitely would like to go back to school, be much healthier (working out, eating healthier), travelling and be wise in spending money.

So, to all of you, happy new year 2009! Blessings.

old chang kee

Old Chang Kee sells mostly fried snacks. My favorite will be Squid Balls and Crabmeat Wrap on Stick. If you check their website, they seem to have a lot of choices, unfortunately, the one in Taman Anggrek (which is the only Old Chang Kee stall that I know so far) does not provide all the choices listed in their website. (Darn, I want those Crabclaw on Stick!!! Groks).

getaway

So last week, I went to Gunung Geulis for an office gathering for 2 days (18-19 December 2008). Although It was a difficult night for me, since I was disconnected from the world. I must admit it's quite interesting and fun. I took a lot of photos. Not so good, I shall say.

christmas

Merry Christmas 2008!

one art

One Art is a poem written by Elizabeth Bishop, an American poet. She lost both of her parents at a very young age. I first knew this poem from Curtis Hanson's movie, In Her Shoes. I really like this poem and I hope you do too.

-

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture I love)
I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

my version of the 20 saddest break-up songs

There is a legend saying that Gloomy Sunday, a song written in 1930s, inspired hundreds of people to kill themselves. Come to this point, we all might have to agree music does have the ability to evoke our emotions (or it really depends on the listener?).

A couple of weeks ago, Yahoo!Music published the 20 most heart-breaking songs of all time. Since I'm not familiar with most of the songs that made to the list, I decided to make my own list. I haven't really yet finished it, the 20 most saddest break-up songs. If you have any suggestion, I would appreciate it.

Nothing Compares 2 U: Sinead O'Connor, 1990
Singing about a fresh break-up ("7 hours and 15 days"), the inability to move on , her self-destruction ("go out every night and sleep all day") and how everything reminds her of her lover. Written by Prince, O'Connor sang her (unfortunately) only hit that makes the world believes she just lost the love of her life.

Walk Away: Ben Harper, 1994
He sang how another day without that person and how much it hurts that he has to be with someone else. Say no more, Harper's just trying to kill us.

Still Reminds Me: Anggun, 2000
She cut her hair, she painted her room, she got a cat and a new lover, still everything reminds her of her lover. Anggun sang "Still Reminds Me" and put us all in one gloomy mood.

We Belong Together: Mariah Carey, 2005
Taken from her come-back album, The Emancipation of Mimi, "We Belong Together" suggests how Bobby Womack and Babyface remind her only of her ex-lover. Maybe its overplay has made the song not so destructively sad, still Mimi manages to make us cry a tear or two.