AbigaiL's Little Diary

After 3 Months Off

2011-08-25T13:51:00.005+08:00

Thursday, 25 Aug 11, 1.52pm at home
Dear my diary,
It's been 3 months since I last wrote my diary. Time really flies so fast! My baby is already 6 months old now. We already moved to our own home, finally! By the way, we're still in Hong Kong. Life after having baby and taking care of home renovation have really made me busy. Without realizing it, I'm already 30 years old now. At this age, I'm contented with what I have. I have a wonderful little family, and finally I have a home sweet home! Moving from place to place, from country to country, is really tiring. I've settled down now, in Hong Kong; a country that I never have expected that I would be living in till I have my grey hair. The feeling of settling down is so great! I can make my luggage empty, I can buy the things that I like without worrying that I will need to throw it away when we move later. Anyway, I'll post the pictures of my home after everything's fixed.

I just realized that I have not uploaded any picture of my baby Wesley in my diary. Here is the picture of my Wesley. :))

-Abbie-

First Time Leaving Wesley

2011-05-27T06:55:00.001+08:00

Friday, 27 May 11 6.39am on the bus

Dear my diary,
I'm on the bus on the way to airport now. I'm flying to Australia, to Sydney. My hubby is already in Sydney since 2 days ago for business purpose. I got flu and coughs these last few days, I'm so worried about my Australia trip, I'm so worried about my baby too. My kind-hearted mom in-law is here in Hk to take care of Wesley, I feel much better with her existence since I can't really trust my nanny. This morning I couldn't even kiss my baby good bye because of my cough and flu :(( This is the first time I get separated from my baby. I'll be away from him for 11 days. He was smiling at me and kicking the air when I said bye-bye to him from far. The smile that will accompany me to Australia for 11 days. Although I'm very happy that finally I can have holiday again with my hubby after the delivery, I feel worried and sad leaving my baby at home. Please be good at home, always be healthy, my baby. Jesus, please continue blessing and protecting my baby, don't let anything bad happen to him. Bye-bye, baby. Mommy will be back soon.

-Abbie-

My Baby Wesley

2011-03-15T13:05:00.002+08:00

Tuesday, 15 Mar 11, 1.07pm at home

Hi my little diary,
I am now at home with my baby and my nanny. My dear hubby is in Korea this week for business trip. My life has been quite settled down now. The first 6 days in hospital when my baby was born are very very meaningful to me. I had a chance to experience what a real mother truly feels.

On 22 Feb 2011 at 11am I had a c-section. I arrived Matilda Hospital at 9.30am. After we finished the administration stuff and some other preparation for the surgery, me and my hubby went into the operation room (read: I forced my hubby to join me in the operation room). My parents were waiting for us outside. The operation room was not scary at all. The doctors and the nurses welcomed us with smiles on their faces, they played cheerful songs, and the room temperature was just nice, not too cold, not too hot.

Around 10-15 minutes after my half body was numb, my baby was out! I heard him crying, and I saw him in my doctor's hands for the first time. This was the best moment I've ever felt in my life. I was crying because I was too happy. I will never forget this moment. The nurse then put him in my arm for few minutes before he was brought to the nursery room. My hubby and my baby were both gone after that, leaving me alone with the doctor who was still busy closing down my lower tummy. I used this time to close my eyes and pray. I really really thank God for giving me an opportunity to be a mom and to experience this best moment in my life. We name our baby Wesley Jenssen Wong.

Five nights and six days I stayed in hospital. I slept with baby Wesley every night. Wesley is very easy to take care. He doesn't cry even when he's hungry or in pain, he only gives signs if he needs something. This is the reason why I didn't let him sleep in the nursery room. Because the nurse didn't even know if Wesley was feeling uncomfortable. I really treasured these first 5 nights I spent with him. It's priceless! I even forgot the pain I had on my lower tummy. My courage to take care of my baby made my pain went away so fast. I started walking and bathing my baby on the next day. Now I know what kind of love moms give to their kids. It's the love that I never felt before.

-Abbie-

Last Day with My Belly Friend

2011-02-21T11:49:00.001+08:00

Monday, 21 Feb 11, 11.35am at home

Dear my diary..
Today is the last day my baby stays in my womb, today is also the last day I have a family of two. I know my life will be totally changed after my baby is born. Will my life be better off after this?

My parents and brother are in Hk at the moment. My dear hubby is also taking paternity leave for almost 2weeks. I have my beloved family members around me now, I feel safe and warm.

Diary, please pray my safe delivery tomorrow at 11am. Hope the baby and me will be safe and sound.

- Mommy-to-be Abbie -

Last Weeks of My Pregnancy

2011-02-10T12:21:00.006+08:00

Thursday, 10 Feb 11, 12.20pm at home
Dear my little diary,
Time passes by so fast. It is now already second month in the year 2011. I am still pregnant now, yes, very pregnant which means my belly reaches its maximum size at this moment. I have started my count-down, it is only 12 days to my baby's delivery day. We have scheduled the c-section on 22 Feb, at that time my baby will be 38 weeks old. My body is already so fat and heavy but my baby's weight is still so light. This is not fair! Why do all the fats just stuck in my body and never go down to my baby??

At this time, I am having dilemmas:
1. About My Privacy
Right now I am enjoying my me-time and quality time with my hubby so much. I know that once the baby is born; my time, my focus, and my money will be all about my baby till the day I leave this earth. Am I exaggerating too much? No. This is the fact, it's just that some people unconsciously/happily do it so they don't feel the burden at all (Group 1). However, some other people feels burdened but they are afraid to say it out loud since it is unethical to do so (Group 2). There are also a group of people who don't want this commitment so they choose to be free like a bird for their whole lives (Group 3). I have firmly chosen to be in Group 1, having baby has been my dream since many centuries ago. It's just that I don't feel I am prepared and ready enough to welcome a motherhood life. *Are you sure you are not in Group 2?* Hush! I will be ready when the time comes.

2. About My Body
Sometimes I get jealous when I see other girl with sexy body, perfect make-up, elegant dress, and high-heel shoes walking so confidently. Look at me now! I am fat with bumps everywhere (not only tummy bump), darker skin, cellulite everywhere, wearing auntie dress, flat shoes, and hardly able to walk straight (plus a beep-beep warning "Stay away, I can collapse anytime!"). What a contrast! In this situation, I wish time can go faster so I can go back to old-me soon. However, when I have quality time with my baby, I feel that I will miss this baby bump some day. How I wish I can make the time going slower so I can enjoy my pregnancy time longer. Sometimes I feel confident walking in the crowd with this out-of-shape body. It's just that I try to avoid having meal in restaurant alone because it makes me look like a fat pig even more.

3. About My Baby
I really enjoy every movement that my baby makes inside my womb. The feeling is so priceless! I like carrying my baby wherever I go, I like talking to my baby whenever I like and waiting for a response from him. It's quite sad to know that the time is almost over. But at the same time, I can't wait to see and hug my own baby!

In these 12 days, I will really use my time to enjoy these last moments of being pregnant because:
1. I will have no excuse to eat a lot after this.
2. I will have no excuse to sleep and be lazy by saying my baby needs me to rest.
3. I will have no excuse that I am dumb and forgetful because of pregnancy brain fog. Once I am dumb, face it, it's a reality.
4. I will have no excuse that I don't look good now because I am carrying a baby boy (my feminine hormone and my baby's masculine hormone crash). So, once I look ugly, yea, that's me, accept it or not.
5. I will have no excuse to nag my hubby to do some house-works and go to fancy places because the baby wants to eat something good.

-Pregnant Abbie-

01/01/11 at 11.11am

2011-01-01T11:11:00.005+08:00

Saturday, 1 Jan 11, 11.11am at home

Dear my little diary,
Today is the first day in the year 2011. Last night I just stayed at home since my hubby was not feeling well and my baby bump is already too big and too heavy to walk around in the crowd. So we decided to cancel the dinner with friends and just had a simple dinner at home.

At 9pm, after my hubby took his medicine, he fell asleep on the sofa and moved to bedroom at 11pm to continue his tight-and-sound sleep. I was also dragged to bedroom to watch movie using my laptop. At 11.58 midnight, I started to hear noise from outside, that was when I realized that the counting down started. I ran to the window and opened my bedroom's curtain but I saw nothing special happened. Exactly at 12.00 midnight, the noise was so loud as if the whole HK people screamed at the same time. And I saw some colorful fireworks came out from some buildings in Central. The ship that was passing by my apartment also released its horn.

It was 12.00 midnight and few seconds, I whispered softly to the only one who was still awake and moving "Happy new year, my baby! This is the year when you will be born". My little one responded me with some little kicks. Yes, he kept moving and kicking to keep me awake before the new year and stayed quiet few minutes after the midnight. He was smart enough to know what's happening, huh? *Or, he just didn't want to spend his first old-and-new-moment sleeping like his Daddy?* Oh, and get well soon, my dear hubby!

Once again, happy new year! ^.^

-Abbie-

Last Day in 2010

2010-12-31T08:55:00.003+08:00

Friday, 31 December 2010, 8.55am at home

Hi my dear diary,
Today is the last day of this year, it's morning in HK. I always feel sad on the last day of the year. The year 2010 is the year that I am already familiar with, the year that has revealed my life's mystery box. This year almost ends in hours, leaving me alone with another year; the year 2011. For me, the year 2011 is a brand new year that is still like a stranger, the year that forces me to face my unpredictable future, the year that challenges me to learn more and do more. I know, I should think positive, year 2011 has been waiting for me to give me a better life, right?

I will turn to 30 years old after the new year. I will no longer be in 20-something. What have I achieved? Not too much. Well, I have a husband, an expected baby that will be born in less than 2 months, an expected nanny for my baby (Does this count?), a finally-newly-bought-apartment in HK that we will be living in, in 6 months time, and a job. Excuse me, can I call it 'a job'? As you know, I have been working at home, doing some import-export business but not in a big scale. Sometimes I just don't feel it like a job since I do it at home.

Year 2010 is like preparation year for me, I will start to have a real family life in year 2011. There are lots of things I need to do after the new year; new baby and new home. I really hope I can do better in 2011, especially in that 'job' thing.

Happy New Year, diary!

-Abbie-

My First DSLR Camera

2010-10-25T14:15:00.007+08:00

Monday, 25 Oct 10, 2.17pm at home

Hello diary..
I just bought a new camera few days ago. It's my first DSLR camera! My old pocket Sony camera was broken last year so it's a good chance to upgrade my camera to a better one. I love my new camera so much now! However, I had an unpleasant experience when buying this camera.

I bought it in a shop where I used to buy electronics stuff. I know one person there very well and he always gave me very good price. On Saturday, me and my hubby went there to buy other things and suddenly we wanted to buy a camera. The person whom I know was not there, the other salesman who said that he knows me serving us. This salesman talked so much till we fell in love with this camera. He also kept pushing us to buy accessories for camera. Me and my hubby were like hypnotized by this salesman. We just bought all that he recommended. We swiped the card, signed on the receipt, and we did not check on the stuffs we bought at all! We said thank you and left the shop.

Soon after we left the shop, I had a bad feeling. I told my hubby that I wanted to ask other shops about the price of the product we bought. Some of the shops gave us cheaper price. We already felt cheated but we were still fine. On the way home, we kept saying that this was our first time buying expensive camera so we deserved to enjoy some luxurious, to console our guilt. It worked, we were happily carrying our new camera home.

At home, I quickly checked on Canon website to learn more about the real price and I was happy since I bought it around US$100 cheaper than the suggested retail price. I opened the box and saw the camera, this was when I felt there was something wrong. The box and the camera show different product series. I quickly googled it and found out that actually both are the same product, one is the international product name and the other one is the Japan's one. Mine is the Japan version. I felt relieved. Then I inserted the battery into the camera and saw the language was all Japanese! The manual book and the warranty card were all in Japanese too! The worst part is, the warranty card says 'This warranty is only valid in Japan'. The shop indeed said that it has 1 year warranty with the shop, but not with Canon! We just suddenly remembered it after we were home. This is really not funny at all! I know some Japanese words but it literally means that I only know SOME words. We are very stupid in operating camera so we desperately need the Manual book. We also bought the camera bag for US$50, the bag with no brand name, the bag with awful appearance, and the bag that we did not even look at before buying!

At that night, we were so pissed off and we decided to come to the shop again for a product exchange. We wanted the international version with English language and with authorized warranty from Canon. However, we slowly changed our mind. My hubby ate one bowl of kuaci (Sun flower seeds) to gain his patience. I carefully checked on websites on how to get the English instruction book. I got the English manual book when my hubby finished half bowl of the kuaci, one problem was solved! On the manual book, I also found how to change the language in camera to English, and I managed to change it! Two problems were solved, my hubby just finished his whole bowl of kuaci. The kuaci-method worked well. He was really in a much more patient mood. About the warranty issue, we decided not to bother, we just pray and hope that my camera will be fine. We knew that we can't argue with that salesman, we already agreed and signed the receipt which actually showed the product name of the camera that we bought. The shop also told us about the shop warranty and we unconsciously agreed with that (The salesman said 'For any problem with the camera, come back to this shop, we will solve the problem for you, 1 year warranty, no need to worry'). Perhaps we paid US$100 cheaper for this reason. We take our lesson, this is HK, we should be more careful about everything, don't trust people easily.

Yesterday I spent half day to learn how to use the camera. I followed the step-by-step instruction on the manual book but I could not move forward from section 'Take picture with Auto Mode' which is the very very most basic step! You know why? Even with auto-mode, the pictures that I took were always blurred!! I kept changing the setting but I still couldn't fix this blurry problem for 4 hours. I fixed and cleaned my short-sighted glasses many times to check if my eye-vision was already worsen now. I was wondering if my new camera had short-sighted vision like me because the pictures turned out good when I used it to take picture of an object which was nearby. Does my camera also need my thick glasses? Soon after thinking about this, I tried to fixed the lens of the camera and suddenly I heard a sound *click!* when fixing the lens. Yes! I can take clear pictures now! :D I am happy enough to take pictures without blur, the next step is learning how and when to use the other modes. Phew! Long way to go..

Bye, diary..

-Abbie-

20 Weeks on 20.10.2010

2010-10-20T11:37:00.006+08:00

Wednesday, 20 Oct 10, 11.38am at home

Hi little diary!
Today is a special day since it's October 20th. People write it 20.10.2010, cute isn't it? Yea, it is also a special day for me since today is exactly 20 weeks of my pregnancy. I am half way through, everything is doing fine so far. I was just back from my 10-day Indo trip. I got to eat the Indonesian food that I craved but the feeling is different. As soon as I reached Indo, I did not feel like eating anything. It is also weird that I couldn't sleep more than 5 hours in a day in Indo, I woke up very early every morning. I feel so exhausted easily although I practically did nothing in Indo. After I came back to HK, I slept a lot for days like having a serious jetlag. Is it because of my age? Or because of my pregnancy? Or because of the development of my laziness? Or my baby likes HK more than Indo?

My belly started to show, my weight started to increase, my body started to grow. When I was younger, I was always wondering how the pregnant women wear pants. Do they wear pants below their big tummy? Do they wear pants at big size so they can put the pants up on their super big tummy? Now I have started experiencing this feeling and I still can't make up my mind on wearing my pants below my tummy or on my big tummy so I keep pushing it up and down whenever I feel like it.

My pregnancy is so far so good, I can feel the baby's movements now! This is the highlight of today. This is an amazing experience to know that there is something alive inside me! I have become crazy since then, I keep talking to my baby whenever I want to eat, shower, or go somewhere. I feel like having an invisible secret friend that only me can see! I love this feeling so much, I think I am gonna miss this feeling after my baby is out of my womb. What the book says is right, second trimester is the time when a woman feels the best. I am enjoying the moments now. I have actually created a new blog to write letters to my baby since his world began. I don't want to miss one of the precious moments of my life.

During the pregnancy, I am quite a strong woman beside the fact that I fainted several times due to no reason. I still can do normal activities like usual. And, for now, I have decided to look for a job after the delivery later, I really want to work and earn money! *What???* I wanna write it here so that I won't ~~pretend to~~ forget in the future. Well, this plin-plan-me is acting up again.

Diary, next month me and hubby will have our last 'honeymoon' to Bali, Solo (my home town), Singapore, and Thailand. Yea, only these kind of countries will accept pregnant lady. I have been rejected when I applied for a visa to a certain country. It has been my dream to go to a country with initial 'NZ'. Too bad, this chance was missed. Sad? Yes. Disappointed? Very! But I am sure there must be a good purpose for me why I was rejected, right? Anyway, there will be 7 flights all together during this 15-day trip, please pray for me and especially my baby that we will be fine. Yea yea, 7 is my lucky number. But I am really scared of getting on the plane now. I like living with my feet standing on the ground. Since this will be our last 'honeymoon' before the baby time, I wanna go to this trip and make the fullest out of it. Every moment in life is precious!

-Abbie-

Today is 9-9-10

2010-09-09T21:34:00.004+08:00

Thursday, 9 Sep 2010, 9.34pm at home

Hello diary..
Long time no see! Well, at least I still keep my promise, I told you that I don't like skipping month so I still write at least 1 post in a month. The title has nothing to do with the contents. Now I am alone at home, my hubby is having dinner with his colleagues. I did not plan to write diary today actually since I have nothing to tell you but I am sort of missing my little diary recently. I am now wondering why I feel like I have nothing to write, few years ago I always had 'something' to say. I know that 'something' does not always mean something important but at least I always had a topic to write about. Many things happen in my life but I always classify an event as 'unimportant' or 'private & confidential' to write about. I think those are the two main reasons.

Anyway, my pregnancy is now 3,5 months old, I have passed the first trimester safely, thanks God! But recently I am still struggling with the last bit of nausea. Before this, I really really hated vomit so much, I never experienced vomiting in my life. I didn't like the idea of my mouth to be both entrance and exit door for the food. I treasured food as much as I treasured my life. I loved eating! So, I wanted my mouth to be the entrance door only for my food. There is another proper exit door, right? I was thinking, how could I continue eating my food with my mouth after I throw up? But now, after I experience the turbulence and the storm that happen in my stomach, ~~I am kind of addicted to it~~I like it if I can vomit. Today I ate a big bowl of ramen in Ajisen and a big glass of bubble tea right after the ramen. I wanted to pamper myself. On my 30 mins way home on the bus, the turbulence in my stomach started. My ramen was all out! My stomach was feeling so good after that. My tongue enjoyed the ramen but it did not have chance to be fats in my body, isn't that cool? Ok ok, I know that I should not think that way, but I can't help not to think of my soon-to-be-fat body.

In the next 2 weeks, I will hopefully know the gender of my baby. I am really looking forward to that day. *What is your preference?* Hmmm.. honestly I preferred baby girl initially but now I prefer to have baby boy, but sometimes I still like to have baby girl too whenever I see cute pretty small girl. The feeling is like when I have to choose to have ramen or crispy chicken curry rice for lunch, I want both but I can't finish both. *Was this your experience this afternoon before you had your big bowl of ramen?* Yea yea, you're right. Luckily, having girl or boy is decided by God so I don't need to choose myself, you know I am a 'plin plan' girl.

Finally I have a confirmed booking of the hospital, diary. HK is crazy, expectant women need to reserve a bed in a hospital as soon as they are 9 weeks pregnant and put HKD 20,000 deposit because the bed is always full. The private hospitals for maternity in HK are now already fully booked till April 2011. The late comers will not be entertained. Crazy, right? The crazier thing is, we can't even choose the room category now, we are just guaranteed a bed, the room category will be known on the admission day like a Christmas gift surprise, Tadaa! If the available room category is lower than our expectation, then we just need to endure it. If the available room category is higher than our expectation, then we need to pay more according to room's price!

Diary, next month I will be going back to Indonesia, yoohooo! This is an occasion that I have been waiting for since ~~many many~~ 3 months ago. I don't know why I am still attached to my home country so much.

It's getting late at night now, diary.. see you again!
*Hmm.. you indeed have so many things to talk but you said you had nothing to tell?*

-Abbie-

Craving for Food

2010-08-04T09:37:00.001+08:00

Wed, 4 Aug 10, 9.37am at home

Morning, my dear diary..
My days have been upside down recently. My morning sickness is quite bad these last few weeks. My nausea is very bad although I don't throw up because I really hate throwing up. I feel that there is always 'emping' in my mouth, it tastes so bitter! If you want to know, the food that I hate the most in this world from the day I was born till the day I will die is Emping!! Emping is an Indonesian cracker, I don't understand why people created this kind of snack to be eaten. Even when my dad was trying me to do a barter for 1 small pack of emping with 1 car, I rejected him in 1 second without any regret! And now, that emping is always in my mouth 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the last 3 weeks. Can you imagine how many cars I will get? No, I mean, can you imagine how torturing is that? My head is spinning all the time. I still force myself to do my usual activities. I force myself to cook sometimes but at the end I really can't eat my own food. Amazingly, I can eat well when I eat out.

Now I am really craving for Nasi Gudeg. I keep searching for a restaurant that sells Nasi Gudeng in Hong Kong but I can't find it. :(

Then I found one video in youtube about how to make Nasi Gudeng at home. It looks quite interesting, it just needs some efforts and practice, and I think I can do it. I can make the krecek and the opor ayam, the only challenge is the jackfruit but I learned from youtube that I can replace 'daun jati' with the teabag to make the jackfruit and and egg red. But, I am not sure if I will still want to eat later after I finish cooking because I can't eat my own food now.

Three nights ago, I had a very sad dream till I woke up crying out loud. In my dream, I saw my little sister eating this 'Cabuk Rambak' with banana leaves. She offered me hers, but only 2 pieces left so I asked her to buy a new portion for me. After 10 mins, she came back with different food, not Cabuk Rambak. I asked her to go and buy again. After another 10 mins, she came back with another different food again! I was sooooo angry. Then I decided to go and buy myself. I saw a 'simbok' (old lady) with her Cabuk Rambak sitting in the corner, I quickly ordered 1 portion. This simbok slowly served my order with her hands while talking to the other simbok who was sitting beside her. And the more they talked, the conversation was getting hotter, her hands stopped moving, she completely forgot my order. My other brain realized that I was about to wake up from my dream since I could feel my hubby's movement on the bed beside me. I didn't want to go back to reality without tasting the Cabuk Rambak. I was angry with the simbok and I screamed while crying "Cepatannnnnnnnnnn Mbokk!! (Quickkkk!!)" and... I was left laying down on my bed crying and kicking my blanket. I heard my hubby said "Hey, wake up, it's just a dream, it's ok, it's ok" And I replied "I knowww, that's why I don't want to wake up!" Yes, back to reality, no Cabuk Rambak, no simbok, although my nose could smell the aroma of Cabuk Rambak but the emping flavour was back in my mouth again. I should have just eaten the 2 pieces left from my sister's, I regretted so much. I never know that craving for food can be this bad.

People say after 3 months, the ~~emping flavour~~ morning sickness is gone. So, it's another 3-4 weeks to go. Aja aja, Abbie!

-Abbie-

My 3rd Wedding Anniversary

2010-07-08T09:25:00.007+08:00

Thursday, 8 July 10, 9.25am at home

Dear diary,
Yesterday was my wedding anniversary. Time flies so fast, it has been 3 years since we got married on 7 July 2007. I want to write it here because yesterday was an unforgettable day for me.

I got a special present yesterday. It is so special till my tears fell down on my cheeks. I am sure that the gift is prepared by God to be given to us on that special day. Yes, it is our wedding anniversary's gift! I was so touched and amazed how God is so sweet to me. HIS touch is so personal. HE pays attention to every detail of my life till HE even remembers my wedding anniversary. Well, for me, my wedding anniversary is such a big event. But for HIM, HE must have lots and lots and lots of other couple's wedding anniversary that HE needs to remember. But in fact, HE remembers mine! You know what, I am now crying when I am writing this. I am so touched on how HE treasures my life although I often think that I am just 'another human being' that HE happened to create. I was wrong! HE takes care of our lives more than we take care of our own!

So many ups and downs in life, I always think that everything happens for a good reason. You know that I am a person who always think positive. But, yesterday I learned something deeper: We are very precious in God's eyes! HE is watching everyone of us from above. Yes, EVERYONE of us, NO EXCEPTION!

Anyway, I had a great day yesterday. My hubby wanted to give me surprise by knocking off from office earlier but office work kept him till late. It is really ok, I am more than satisfied with his intention only. We had Japanese dinner and we watched 3D Shrek movie. Yes, it was just a simple outing that a couple should do but I did treasure the moments, because I know that every beautiful moment in my life is what God has specially prepared for me.

Usually every morning before my hubby goes to work, he always gives me 3 kisses; one at the left cheek, one at the right cheek, and one on the lips. This morning he gave me 3 kisses as usual then he opened the front door to leave. When he was about to close the door, he came in again to give me one more kiss. He said "One additional kiss for the one inside", he smiled and left. This is very simple but I want to remember this sweet moment forever too.

Thank You for Yesterday, Thank You for Today, and Thank You for Tomorrow! ^.^

-Blessed Abbie-

Oh I am still as clumsy as before...

2010-06-26T13:17:00.004+08:00

Saturday, 26 June 10, 1.18pm

Hi Diary!
Today is Saturday. Today is such a cloudy day, the clouds are very low and dark. It's the best time to just sleep and relax at home. Suddenly I miss those moments when I write diary and express my feeling in it. So, I opened my little diary and started writing again.

I had a bad experience yesterday. I planned to go to China embassy to apply China visa for my husband yesterday around 4pm but I failed. I prepared all the documents, passport, etc the night before. Everything was all ready. Yes, I had no problem with the documentation. Around 3pm I took shower and got myself dressed up and ready to go. I took one of my favorite handbags from my cabinet, opened the dustbag, put the China visa application form, my hubby's pasport and his ID card in the bag. Then I grabbed my mascara, eye-lash curler, hair comb, and powder and put all of these in my bag. I didn't have time to do full make-up at home so I planned to do the eye-lash part on the bus. I thought that everything was all in then I opened the front door and closed it carefully. My front door is same like the door in hotel's room, once it's closed, it's locked!

After I heard the 'click' sound from the door meaning that it was properly locked, I opened my bag again to check if I have brought my wallet and my mobile phone. And at that time, thunder was in my head! *Dank!* I didn't bring my wallet and my phone! The worst is, my door key is always inside my wallet! So, I was like in between of nowhere. I couldn't go in, I couldn't go out. I couldn't take bus to ask for help since I didn't have bus card and money. I couldn't call somebody to help me too because I didn't bring my mobile and there was no public phone around my area *even there was, you had no money to call* yea, right! Key, mobile, and wallet are my traveling package and I forgot to bring all of them! Good job, Abbie!

I went downstairs, went out to the street, looked at how everyone was doing. People were busy doing their own activities. I was jealous. Me, I was like in invisible cage. I had my mascara and hair comb in my bag, but they couldn't help me. Then I went in again to my apartment lobby. I ~~gave signal~~ talked to the receptionist that I needed to borrow phone. My hubby's China application form really saved my life! I did fill in the form the night before including his phone number. Can you believe that I don't even remember my hubby's phone number? Even after that incident, even until now, I still have not managed to memorize his number. Anyway, I called my hubby finally and asked for his help. There were options that he gave me:
1. Borrow money from the receptionist to take bus to his office
2. Take taxi to his office and he would wait for me there to pay for the taxi fare
3, Wait for him to come home
I crossed option #3, I rejected option #1 since I don't like borrowing money from people that I don't know. Only left with option #2. But, there was a risk for option #2, how if I arrived earlier while my hubby was still not there? The taxi driver would be !"#$%&'() at me. And I would be ~.~# at the taxi driver.

Finally I still took option #2 and luckily my hubby was there before me. Fyi, this incident is not my first time. Exactly the same incident happened when my hubby was in Korea for 2 weeks and I was soooo nervous since I had none to call to. Fortunately the security guard was so nice for calling Key Repairman to come to open my door. Phew! Since then, that key repairman's name card is always in my wallet because I knew there would be a second time, and I was right! *But you also left your wallet so how can you contact that repairman??*

-Clumsy Abbie-

Aya-chan is a history...?

2010-06-07T08:00:00.009+08:00

Monday, 7 June 10, 8am at home

Dear diary..
It has been so long time since I last wrote my diary. I just cleaned my apartment, I am feeling much better now with a neat and clean apartment. The last 2 days were my turbulence days. I felt like my life was a total mess. You know, I have been doing online selling using facebook this last 1 year, I named my online shop Aya-chan. I was so attached with Aya-chan till she has become part of my life, my habit, my job, my hobby, and my baby. But last weekend, I arranged 3 shipments as the last shipments for Aya-chan. Yes, something bad happened to Aya-chan last Saturday, suddenly Aya-chan's account on facebook is gone, yes it's GONE. I can't login to the account anymore and when I searched the page using the search function... the page is just not anywhere to be found. It's gone. Disappeared. Untraceable. Unsearchable. Like never existed before. I did contact facebook admin, but still no response.

I know that I can't keep my online shop forever since more and more competitors are going in now, the market will be saturated soon. And I know that one day I must leave Aya-chan. That's why these last few months I did search for other business opportunities and I have been working on that while I still tried to find time to keep Aya-chan running. But it is still so sad when it is time to say good-bye, especially when it is done forcefully.

Many people say that I still can start Aya-chan again anytime on facebook. No, not now perhaps. I wanna use this as a sign that I need to move on. I have been struggling if I had to leave Aya-chan these last 3 months but everytime I just couldn't do it due to many reasons. Now the time has come. Aya-chan is not dead. I'm doing another project now which I call Aya-chan Baby. Aya-chan was gone on the same day, when I was creating a new page for Aya-chan Baby Wholesale. Can you believe it? Is it really a sign that I should just focus on one thing at a time? I just want to think positive now, I just want to believe that everything happens for a good reason, God's reason. So, I need to go on and on and on. Aja! Aja!!

Anyway, a short history about Aya, Aya-chan was created by my elder sister. She is good in drawing. She is good in design. She is good in art. My sis first drew Aya-chan as a picture of me. She called her creature as Yaya-chan initially. Yaya is my childhood name, only my closest people call me with that name. But I changed it to Aya-chan because I don't want many people know that this Japanese girl in pink kimono and with hair bun is a picture of me. I really thank my dear sis for her great creation. Aya-chan will never perish so long as I shall live, because I am the Aya-chan! *Wow, it sounds like "I am the Iron Man!" at the end of Iron Man 1 movie*

-Abbie-

Jumpy Abbie

2010-04-27T19:29:00.004+08:00

Tuesday, 27 Apr 10, 7.33pm at home

Diary,
I just fell sick again, two times falling sick in two consecutive months, and both happened on the third week of the month. I really hope it will not happen again next month. I suffered a lot when I was sick, the whole body ached, my head was spinning, my throat was so painful, my nose was completely blocked. I went to see doctor 2 times last week because of my "kyasu-ness". As a result, both doctors gave me 2 sets of medication. I think I overdosed myself. My illness is gone now, but the post-effect is: my heart beats so fast since yesterday and I easily got shocked over small little things. What I mean by "small little things" is not only small noise.

My mobile phone is now set to vibrate. Even my heart can't take the noise/movement of the vibration. My laptop is also now set to mute all the time, but I am still jumped whenever there is an alert popping up on my screen from MSN/YM that somebody is online or when somebody says 'hello' to me in MSN/YM. My heart can't take the blinking windows at the bottom of my screen too. One of the things that makes my heart beats fastest is when I wash dishes and my slippery hands can't really catch the bowl properly. And the funniest thing that make my heart jumped is when I check my inbox and I see there are new emails in the list and those new emails are in bold. The bold fonts make me shocked! Haizz.. I am tired of riding on roller coaster these two days. I stopped the medication yesterday but I still have this jumpy feeling. How to completely remove this feeling? I am really feeling not alright.

Now you know how my condition is, if you write a comment on this post, that means I will receive new notifications in my email, and that means..... I will be in a condition of placing my left hand on my chest while my right hand is trying to click on the word "Inbox".

My hubby is on the way home now, he will be opening the door in the next 15mins but I don't know the exact time. This is very frightening! I should finish this diary soon and prepare my heart before he suddenly "krrkkk!!" puts the key inside the keyhole and 'grrkkk!!' opens that big dark brown door.

Bye diary...

-Jumpy Abbie-

Sleepless...

2010-03-25T07:09:00.001+08:00

Thursday, 24 March 10, 6.35am at home

Morning diary..
I guess this the earliest diary I have ever wrote so far. I used to be a sleepy head. So it should be written down on my diary that I woke up very early this morning, around 4.30am. I forced myself to go back to sleep but I couldn't, so I was just out from my bedroom and started playing with my iPhone.

These last few days I have not been feeling so well. My head is so heavy, my back bones are so painfull, I also have a fever. I usually sleep a lot when I am sick. And I did sleep a lot on my first day of falling sick. But it's weird that I couldn't sleep today, it feels like my head keeps thinking, my brain keeps working, till it hurts so much. Yes, since I do my own business, I can't sleep as soundly as before. If I can have a very good sleep, I will be really happy.

I'm not sure if it's insomnia? Or does it have something to do with my aging? Or is there really so much thing in my brain?

While I am writing this diary, I get sleepy again... It's true that thinking makes me awake and sleepless... But thinking also makes me tired and sleepy...

Let me have a short rest again, diary.
*You are still a sleepy head*

-Abbie-

On a Cab

2010-03-18T09:28:00.001+08:00

Thursday, 18 Mar 10, 9.12am at home

On the cab that I took last time:
Taxi driver: "Where are you going?"
Me: "Take me to this place" [showing an address on a paper]
Taxi driver: "Ok!"
............[on highway, silent]...........
..............[still silent]...............
Taxi driver: "Are you Japanese? Ohayo?"
Me: "I am Indonesian"
Taxi driver: "Ooww Korea? Annyonghaseyo!"
Me: "No, INDONESIAN"
Taxi driver: "Ahh, ok ok. India!"
Me: "I-N-D-O-N-........."
Taxi driver: "Yes yes I know, INDIAN! Good morning!!"
Me: "Yea, morning.."

Sometimes we need to learn when the right time is to give up.

-Abbie-

Cupcakes for Dad

2010-03-05T14:24:00.002+08:00

Friday, 5 Mar 10, 2.27pm at home

Hello diary!
Yesterday was my father's birthday. I sent these cute cupcakes to him. This is my first time giving a cake to my dad. I always thought that my dad didn't like sweet cake and he didn't like childish gift too. But I was wrong! He liked it so much! He still can't eat sweet cakes so much, but he liked the fact that I gave a surprise cake to him on his special day.

Happy Birthday, Daddy! ^^

-Abbie-

The Power of Bleach!

2010-03-03T18:32:00.008+08:00

Wednesday, 3 Mar 10, 6.33pm at home

Dear my little diary,
I am really glad that I still can see you, diary. You know what, I almost died just now. In the bathroom. Yes, stupid me almost died in my bathroom. Alone. Naked. While cleaning the bathtub using bleach. Not funny. Not so elegant. I never know bleach had that kind of strong effect. I know that bleach can remove stains, bleach can whiten white clothes, and I know bleach can kill germs. If I didn't know that bleach can kill germs, I would not have used bleach to clean my bathtub.

It was started when I had to clean my bath curtain this morning. I put the curtain in my white toilet sink, put some drops of bleach in the water, and left it for few hours. After few hours, my curtain was perfectly clean, and so was my toilet sink! I was amazed how my toilet sink could shine so brightly. Then, a brilliant idea came into my mind. I wanted to use bleach to clean my bathtub too. Initially I used the same method, I filled up the bathtub with water and put almost half bottle of bleach in it. But I failed! The bathtub was slowly emptied, yes, the lock button did not work well.

This evening, when I was about to take shower, I still wanted to try another method to clean my bathtub. This is where the accident began. I closed my toilet door and toilet window (of course I closed all the door and window, I was having shower!), then I started to pour some drops of the bleach on my dry bathtub, mixed it with detergent, and started to clean it using brush! Woohoo..!! Brush! Brush! Brush! I was happily brushing my bathtub till suddenly my head was dizzy, my stomach was so hot, my nose and my eyes were so painful, my chest was heavy, and I started to have difficulty in breathing. I stopped brushing. I hardly could move my hands and my feet. I didn't have energy to walk out from my bathroom, so I just turned the water on, let the water clean up all the bleach by itself while I was sitting inside my bathtub in panic. Then I slowly could breath again.

I am fine now, here I am writing diary. I still am alive! Ha Ha Ha!

-Abbie

*The bathtub is now half-white. There will be another attempt, I guess.*

My 29th Birthday

2010-02-19T11:49:00.007+08:00

Friday, 19 Feb 10, 11.49am at home

Dear my little diary..
Today is my birthday, my 29th birthday! Old, huh? After my 29 times of birthday, I forget about my own birthday sometimes. I was touched by what happened last night. I got a surprise from my hubby at midnight. I know it is so cheesy to write it here, but I really don't want to forget that moment. A beautiful moment that I thought would never happen again after 2.5 years of my stagnant marriage life.

Last night we went to bed around 11.30pm. As usual we had a chat on the bed for a while before going to sleep. Usually my hubby falls asleep few minutes after he hits the bed. But this time was a little different. He kept talking till at one moment he checked his mobile phone checking the time. It was 12.04am. He said 'Happy Birthday! I was waiting till 12 to say happy birthday to you' then he kissed me 3 times (this has nothing to do with magic or superstitious thing like what you imagine). Then he said 'Let's sleep'. Yes, he is that type of person, a very realistic guy. It was 12 midnight, he needed to wake up early for work the day after, so he needed enough sleep no matter what happened.

His back was on my face. I said 'let's hold hand'. You may think this is funny but it has become our habit to sleep with our hands together. He said 'No need, I need to sleep now'. I insisted 'please.. just for few minutes'. Finally he gave up, he gave his right hand to me. It's really for 3 minutes then he released my hand and he was back to his sleeping pose with his back in front of my face. I was sad. He didn't even give his hand on that special night. But I was too tired to complain.

When I was about to fall asleep, suddenly there was a loud noise. My hubby said something that I really forget now. What I remember is, he gave me something.. something inside a paper bag, wrapped with ribbons. Inside my dark bedroom, I couldn't see what it was. But I really recognized the paper bag and the ribbons especially. I didn't want to turn on the light initially. I wanted to enjoy that surprise and that excitement moment. Finally, one word was out from my mouth 'Dior!'. Yes, I really fall in love with Dior till I can recognize the paper bag by just touching it. *Do you fall in love with Dior products or with Dior paper bag?* I turned the light on finally, yes it was Dior! Dior Clutch!

We had a short chat again after that. He is not the type of person who will just sleep no matter what happen on that night. Although I have married him long enough, sometimes I just can't guess what's inside his mind and his heart. He gave me his right hand again for me to hold, then he fell asleep. I forgot of being 29 years old, I was so so happy till I had a hard time sleeping again after that.

Have a nice day, diary! ^0^

-Abbie-

'Colorful' Indonesia

2010-02-05T08:58:00.012+08:00

Friday, 5 Feb 10, 8.58am at home

Hi again, diary..
Just want to drop some photos about how 'colorful' our Indonesia is. ^^

-Abbie-

Being a Wanted?

2010-02-05T08:04:00.005+08:00

Friday, 5 Feb 10, 8.04am at home

Good morning, my dear diary..
It's Friday again! I woke up this morning, brushed my teeth, said bye bye to my husband who's going to work (I mean, he was the one who said bye bye), turned on my laptop, checked my emails, and opened this diary. It's all because I received some emails from my friends who dropped comments in my previous posts. I feel touched that they still care reading my little diary in the middle of their busy schedule. Some of them also kept asking me to write again. I am not sure if they really like reading what I write, or they just need to know what I am doing, or they like reading my posts to kill time before going to bed? Anyway, whatever their reasons are, they are my motivators. And here I am, writing diary again.

I had a dream last night. Quite scary dream. In my dream, I was a wanted. No, I was not sure if I was a wanted. I just knew that I was chased around by some people who wanted to kill me. I kept running. I kept running. The building where I was running around in suddenly was bumped by a big ship and started to go down. *Now thinking about a big ship... how can a big ship bump a building which stands strong in the middle of the city?* That was just a dream! Anyway, I kept running, trying to escape from the building, and from the killers, and suddenly... a hand was on my mouth, there was a guy who wanted me to shut up before I made noise. I was so shocked! This guy whispered on my ear 'Why are you breathing so loud?? Your noise is disturbing my sleep!' Yes, it was my husband's hand and my husband's voice in real life. Then I woke up. End of my dream. I should have explained to him that I was running, that's why I was breathing so loud. I am not some kinds of Piglet or Porky Pig.

Time to go to work now. I mean, time to close this diary and open my other site *facebook??* I really work, ok? Not play-play, ok?

-Abbie-

New Year Brings New Life

2010-02-04T12:00:00.006+08:00

Thursday, 4 Feb 10, 12.01pm at home

Hi Diary!
How are you doing? There must be something happening to you too recently? Yes? No? Well, it's because there are many things happening to the people around me, my friends and my relatives. Many of them are getting new bf/gf, getting engaged, getting married, getting pregnant, getting bonus, getting salary increase, getting new jobs, getting new home, etc. Life is so happening! This new year really brings good life to many people around me. I am really happy for them, really, deeply.

But now I started to wonder what I am doing now? *You are writing diary*. Oh yea, thanks for reminding me. I mean, I need a breakthrough! *Yes you had one! You just quit your job!* Yea, right, that's my major accomplishment of my life in 2009! *That's what you wanted!* Yes, I wanted it so much. But I need to dress up and put some make-up sometimes. *What???* You know, working at home doesn't encourage me to dress up at all, not to mention having shower. My everyday uniform is pajamas and white socks. My everyday accessory is my thick glasses. If I have a maid at home, probably I will be more encouraged to dress up. Now I feel ugly, I feel fat, I feel stinky, I feel stupid, I feel like a stupid fat ugly stinky auntie, clear enough with my description?

You know what, I started looking for job again now. Yea yea, you can laugh now. I know I am very plin-plan (indecisive). Don't blame me for being plin-plan, it's because I was born as Aquarius! Aqua is water, my mood swings like how the water flows. Seriously, it's because I'm still looking for my true identity! I really admire people who have clear occupations as doctor, or pilot, or even soldier. They don't need to think who they wanna be anymore. As for me, it's too late to be a doctor now. I can't be a pilot too as pilots can't wear thick glasses. Soldier? I easily collapse when I have to run chasing the bus for even 5mins. Anyway, I feel that I can do my own business as part time job now, that's why I wanna use my spare time to do other useful thing (I mean, beside cooking and cleaning).

Diary, there are so many things that I can't tell you right now. But when the time comes, I will tell you, I promise. Hopefully this new year brings me new life too! *What new life for you? It's been more than 1 year in HK, are you addicted to moving country again??* And it will bring new life to you too, whoever reads my diary! ^.^

-Abbie-

Random Things in January 2010

2010-01-29T07:50:00.006+08:00

Friday, 29 Jan 10, 7.50am at home

Dear my little diary,
Today is my first day writing diary in the year 2010. Today is January 29th. I know, it's almost end of January and here I am writing my first post of this year now. I am not sure whether I am not in the mood of writing or I have nothing to talk about or I don't want to reveal my personal life now, I just don't feel like writing anymore, at least, recently. Today, I wanna force myself to write.

As you know, I have been working at home since December 2009. It's officially more than 1 month since I quit my office work. I spend most of my time on managing my online shop. Hey, have I told you about my online shop? Yes, I sell fashion and anything pretty and cute on facebook and on website. If you have spare time, you can have a look at my cute shops; www.facebook.com/ayachan.store and www.aya-chan.net. I started selling on facebook since July last year. Since the number of transactions are getting more and more, I couldn't manage it manually. So, I created this www.aya-chan.net website!

Well, the purpose of this website was actually to automatize the ordering process. I wanted to encourage my buyers on facebook to go to my website to put the items on the shopping cart themselves so I can just process the orders accordingly. However, my products are getting more and more too, I can't update the products on facebook and on website at the same time. So, stupid me is doing double works now! When there is order from facebook, I update the product on the website first, then create a user from my admin system, then buy it online from the website myself using that new user account, then I can process the order. *Wow, so busy!* Yea yea.. but hey, the website is now getting more traffic now since I advertise it on some online forums. Ok then, I admit, the real purpose is to help me managing the post-ordering since I can check and change the order status one by one from the admin page; who has paid, who has not paid, item is delivered, item is not delivered, etc. Otherwise, I will be so confused if suddenly somebody is asking me the status of her order. Yes, I am selling to Indonesia market and this is how it turns out. They like to be served like kings, suddenly they appear and ask me if the goods have been shipped without mentioning any order number. And I can't ask them 'Who are you?' or 'What did you order?' since it doesn't sound so professional. Aya-chan is my first project. Now I am trying to work on another project. I really hope it can take off soon.

About my feeling of working at home? Errr.. honestly, sometimes I need a break to go out and see another God's creatures, I mean, I need friends/colleagues to talk to. My home is my office now, so every time I go back home, I feel like going to office. People are usually tired of working, they really miss home and their beds so much. But for me, if I am tired of working at home, I really wanna get out of my home, even if I just go out to minimarket near my home to buy eggs or tofu for 10mins, I will feel fresher when I am back.

Diary, tomorrow is my husband's birthday. I don't know what I should prepare for him. This will be his 7th birthday with me, we have gone through so many ups and downs. I really wanna do something for him. Do you have any suggestion, diary?

-Abbie-

p.s I don't know what title I should put for this post. The contents are so random. Hmm.. Ok, I got it!

31 Dec 2009

2009-12-31T09:26:00.003+08:00

Thursday, 31 Dec 09, 9.26am at home

Hello diary..
Today is the last day of this year. The last day of 2009. I have been praying for something these last few years, and this year I managed to make that dream comes true. A dream to change something. Yes, I managed to change something hateful to be something hopeful. I should be happy about this achievement but I am not. When it used to be so hateful, I was so hopeful. Now it has become so hopeful, too hopeful, and it is so hateful to me. It's not that I demand more than this. It's not that I change my mind. It's just that I force this to happen too much and it does not turn out well now although I got what I want. I forgot that everything happens with a reason. And I never expected that the reason turns out to be something so hateful. It hits me back! I am so sad, I don't want it anymore. Something that I have been praying for years, suddenly I don't want it anymore..

A lesson to learn this year: Never force it to happen with our own strength. I know this. I always know this. But it's not easy to implement it in my life. Seems that my brain and my emotion control my acts.

Tomorrow will be a new year. Tomorrow will be a new day for me. I wanna leave everything so hateful in the past. I wanna be a person who always has hope and faith.

Happy New Year 2010, Diary..

-Abbie-

Last Day In Office

2009-12-16T09:44:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, 16 Dec 09, 8.48am on the bus

Hello my little diary..
Today is my last day going to office, this will be my last post on the bus on the way to office too. Today should be a happy day for me, I should be happy today, but why am I sad now? I guess the answer is only one: I already get used to this lifestyle. My colleagues have been my family in HK. This job has been my life since I moved to HK one year ago. I had nobody here, I had no expectation, when I first came to HK. This job gives me life and confidence. I really wanna dedicate this post to thank this company who has been employing me this one year, one month, and six days. But, if I turn back the time, I would still choose to resign. I will have no regret, I need to move on with life.

Yesterday I already had my farewell party with my colleagues. I have passed the job to my team mate. Today will just be a relaxing day for me. I brought all the used-newspapers today, I wanna give these to a grandma who collects used-newspapers every morning near the bus stop. Usually I give newspaper to her once a week since my husband buys newspaper only once a week every weekend. But today, I grabbed all of our "newspaper collections" that I usually keep for emergency purposes. This will be my last chance to help that old grandma.

Yesterday when one of my colleagues asked me "Will you just be a housewife and work at home? Won't you feel bored if you work alone?" *Tink!!* This sensitive question again!

Anyway, my posts have been quite boring to you recently since I'm very serious writing diary now. Let me tell you one lesson if you want to order food from a restaurant in Cantonese. I usually eat fried chicken ball with rice in Taiwanese restaurant near my office.
Me: "Ng goi, sei ye.." (Excuse me, I wanna order)
Waiter: ".........." [running around ignoring me]
Me: "Ng goi, sei ye!! Oei mai!! (Excuse me, I wanna order, take away!!) [I have to shout it loudly]
Waiter: ".....mei ah...?" (....what...?) [this is what I can catch so far]
Me: "Hai, oei mai" (yes, take away) [I thought she asked "oei mai ah?"]
Waiter: "......MEI AH....???!!" (....WHAT..??!!) [she is angry...]
Me: "HAI, OEI MAI!!" (YES, TAKE AWAY!!") [I still thought that she asked "OEI MAI?" and expected me to say it louder]
Waiter: "..........." [she looked at me with writing pose and one of her eyebrows was higher]
Me: "Kai gau fan" (fried chicken ball rice) [when she paused, it's the perfect time to say it]
Waiter: "...yam ah..?" (...drink..?)
Me: "Ng yu" (I don't want) [this part is smooth]
Waiter: "....cao....!!" (....go...!!)
Me: "......." [I shaked my head, I wanted to order, I didn't wanna go!)
Waiter: "....cao... Oei mai??" (...go... Take away..) [aha! This part I know!]
Me: "Hai!!" (yes!!)
Finally we finished the conversation and I managed to order Kai gou fan. Since I always buy Kai gou fan almost every day, when the chicken ball is finished, the auntie will shout "Kai gou fan mo le!!" right in front of my face even before I enter the restaurant. She recognize me now as the chicken ball lady? I will miss Kai gou fan in the future after I stop working... And that auntie..

I am reaching office now, talk to you again, diary!

-Abbie-

Live Life to the Fullest!

2009-12-11T09:20:00.001+08:00

Friday, 11 Dec 09, 8.29 am on the bus

Dear diary,
I will officially stop working at my current company on next Wednesday. I really look forward to that day, but at the same time, I feel nervous too. For the last two weeks, honestly I have been afraid to go back to my housewife life. I still can clearly remember how desperate I was when I was in Japan becoming a housewife. I don't like to be a useless person although I must admit that I'm not-too-usefull person too. Well, I guess this time will be different, I mean, slightly different. I know I will still be called housewife - a wife who stays at home, because I don't know what else I can be called. Apartmentwife? Flatwife? Anyway, that will be my new title, but my jobs will not be the same.

You must be wondering, if I don't want to be a housewife, why should I quit my job? Yea, that's what I'm wondering too. Am I crazy? No. Ok, yes.. A bit. What I'm feeling now is "my blood is boiling". *Isn't it winter in HK now? Are you still in HK??* Yes, I am still and will be in HK forever ever after! It has been officially decided, confirmed and endorsed by my husband.

Anyway, talking about my "boiling blood", if I can describe it using simple words, I feel that I can't live my life like this anymore. I am 28 years old now, turning to 29 in 2 months time. And, what have I done so far? What have I achieved? Ok, to make it simple, what is my best achievement in my life? Do you want to know my honest answer? You are right! I managed to find a guy who wants to marry me! That's my honest answer. My career life doesn't make me proud, I know I'm too dumb, I mean, not-that-smart to climb up the corporate ladder, so I should not waste any more time by just sitting dumbly in the office and waiting till my hair turns grey and my time is up! This corporate life doesn't fit me. I need to go out from my comfort zone, I need to take a brave step to at least try doing something else while I'm still young, do you think so? *you are almost 29, you are not young anymore* Haizz... Diary!!

I'm on the way to office now, I wanna enjoy these last 4 working days in my office. I will capture all these last moments and remember it in my mind, perhaps when I'm older *next year??* I wanna go back to this kind of life again. We never know what's going to happen in the future, so just keep praying, grab any opportunities in front of us, and do the best! Live a life to the fullest!

-Abbie-

Diary on iPhone

2009-11-25T09:15:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, 24 Nov 09, 9.07am on the bus

Diary!
Finally I managed to find blogspot application on my iPhone! Yea yeah, you are right, after more than 6 months I got my iPhone. I know I'm slow, but better late than never, right??

This is my first post of diary from the iPhone application. It's so easy! It's like sending SMS using a phone! *now you have no more excuse to not write diary!!* Let's see how it looks ^^

Oh, one big thing I wanna tell you today. I resigned last week! I will officially quit my job next month! I'm so excited to do my next business! I will update you again soon.. *now you absolutely have no more excuse not to write diary since you will have more time starting next month!*

-Abbie-

Two Projects

2009-11-11T08:57:00.003+08:00

Wednesday, 11 Nov 09, 8.57am on the bus

Morning diary!!
Surprise! I'm writing again now! ^^
Yea, I love writing actually, I love telling stories, I love entertaining people with my stories! But I guess, this diary is getting thicker and older now. Its contents are getting more serious too as my life is no longer simple. My brain only can think about serious issues *finally!* now. Many things happen recently, I just want to summarize them into 1 important point: I am currently in the mid of doing 2 big projects. *what a real summary!* Ok, let me elaborate more;
- One is a project in my personal life
- The other one is a project for my career.
After all, what woman wants in life is only accomplishing these 2 projects, agree?

I have been living in HK for more than 1 year but we are not moving to anywhere again now. This "moving around" issue has been settled now. I guess I will just live in HK for the next 5-10 years. I wanted to say 'forever' since we have no plan to move at all, but we never know what's gonna happen, right? So, I will just put '5-10 years' for now.

Haiz.. Time to rush to office again now since my bus is almost reaching office..
Talk to you again soon, diary!

-Abbie-

*Hey, isn't your explanation too brief for your "Two Projects" title??*

Autumn in Europe

2009-11-09T08:56:00.005+08:00

Monday, 9 Nov 09, 8.56am on the bus

Dear diary,

It's Monday again. I don't know how many Mondays passed by without me writing diary. I'm doing fine recently, not as busy as before. I just had an amazing Europe trip for 10 days with my hubby. Do you know why I call it "an amazing trip"? It's because the tour is only for HK people or at least for those who can speak Cantonese. Yes, I have been living in HK for more than a year now and I still can't understand Cantonese. Perhaps some simple words are understood but not the complicated ones. *what do you mean by simple words?* Well, it's something like "good morning", "how are you?", "sorry", "how much?", "what time?", and "on your left/right hand side", "toilet break", "get down from the bus". The last 3 phrases I learned when I was in Europe. It's amazing how I could learn Cantonese faster when I was out of HK, isn't it? Of course! It's because the tour leader kept talking in Cantonese! Not only talking, he kept singing old Cantonese songs using microphone on the bus to entertain the grandmas. You know, most of people who go to Europe are old folks and honeymooners and we are not under either category.

Anyway, my Europe trip was fun after all! I love the scenery! And I especially love the colorful leaves autumn!! You know that I really wanted to see autumn leaves so much since last year, right? Finally I could enjoy autumn in Europe! Although the leaves in Europe were not as pretty as the autumn leaves in Japan, I'm very satisfied now. Europe gives me different feeling about autumn, not so much about the beauty of the autumn itself, but the combination between old buildings and yellow autumn leaves really can make anyone falling in love all over again.

See you again, diary!

-Abbie-

September Now??

2009-09-11T08:50:00.004+08:00

Friday, 11 Sep 09, 8.51am on the bus

What date is it today? 11th?? What month? September??!! Oh My God!! I feel like I have been in other world for few months, leaving my dear diary unattended. I am back now. I love my diary so much and I am not leaving you, don't worry. Lately I have been very very busy with my new business and my traveling. I am having hard times to manage time now. I really thank God that finally my own business can kick off, finally!! I have been waiting for this day. It's not about the money that I can earn, but it's a great feeling that you can do it without anyone's help. I always have low confidence in doing things, I always feel I am a stupid clumsy girl, I always don't dare to make further steps. This time, I still do it with low confidence, I did not think it's gonna make it, but God is good! He opens up a way for me!

I wanna start writing diary again now. I don't wanna miss this crucial moment in my life. My life is going to change now. I wanna build a new life for me, and a real family! I am really looking forward to it! ^.^

Diary, I am reaching office soon. See you again! *when???* Soon la, I wanna write about my stories in August. I don't like skipping month! Can I change the date in the diary backward? *you wanna make it as if it was written in August?* Please.. Please.. Only this time, ok? No? Why? Not fun anymore? Hmm.. Let's see..

Got to go now, see you diary! ^.^

- Abbie -

My Holiday In Korea

2009-08-05T09:41:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, 5 Aug 09, 9.41am

Hello diary,
I am back in HK again after few days break in Seoul. Just dropping by to upload some pictures when we were in Korea. One of my life missions: go to Nami Island with my husband, has been successfully accomplished! ^^

And you know what? During our day tour, we met another Indonesian couple who were in their honeymoon in Korea. I'm glad to see them! We got along well easily. Here is our picture when we had lunch together.

This dish is called Dakkalbi, which means chicken BBQ. Looks yummy? Yes, it is! When we finish eating the meats, they put our rice onto that pan, and mix it with the remaining sauce and fry it for a while like making fried rice. Then, we can eat the rice. That is how we supposed to eat but we did not eat like that. How can we eat the salty meat only without the rice? So we asked the waiter to serve the rice together with the meats so we can eat rice and meat at the same time. The Koreans thought we were two weird couples. We didn't care, we have been raised up in rice-and-meat-to-be-eaten-together society, so we prefer to keep this tradition.

-Abbie-

Summary of July

2009-07-30T08:37:00.003+08:00

Thursday, 30 July 09, 8.38am on the bus

Hi diary,
It has really been more than one month since I last wrote my diary. Yea, before this month ends, I need to write at least one post. Recently I have been busy with my new business. This is my first time I really can make money from a business, not just receiving monthly salary from a company. The feeling is so different! Now I respect money more than before, earning money is not that easy! At the same time, I feel so excited and rewarded when my hard work is paid off. All the tiredness is suddenly gone. I really can work 20 hours a day with less sleeping now. Now I know the feeling of a hard-working Chinese business man. The feeling is just "it's never enough!" ok ok, I know, I should manage time properly and the most important thing is "do not love money too much!". I got a dream of tsunami one night. In my dream, I didn't save my life right away when the water started to come, I went back home to get my Gucci bag, my Dior wallet, and my iPhone!! In rush, I grabbed a BIBLE instead of my Gucci bag! God reminded me! Yes, He reminds me again and again. I had dream of that tsunami is not only that 1 time but 3 times! 3 times in this month only!

This month is month of July. I celebrated my second wedding anniversary in this month. This should be the month that I thought I would look forward to have so much. I have gone through 2 years of marriage life. It's not about the celebration does matter now. The feeling is different now, no longer have that lovey dovey feeling. My feeling is more into "Needing him" now. I am stepping into a higher phase of life, I guess.

Diary, I will be flying to Seoul tonight to visit my husband. He needs to be stationed to work in Korea for 2 weeks. God is always good, I have been wanting to go to Korea with hubby but every time our plans were cancelled because of different reasons. And this time, we really can go to Korea! With less money too! Isn't that great?

Diary, need to go to work now, see you next month!
I promise I will come back writing diary regularly next month ^^

-Abbie-

Having Short Hair

2009-06-12T08:33:00.010+08:00

Friday, 12 June 09, 8.35am on the bus

Good morning my diary,
It has been several days since my last post. It's because I wanted you to really read the meaning behind that chicken love story illustration and understand it well. *Halahh it's just because you're lazy to write!* Well, honestly I have been busy struggling with my new hair! It's so hard to maintain hair above shoulder, especially when I wake up in the morning. I am not sure if my sleeping pose is not so ergonomics or it's the problem with my hair or both? Every string of my hair goes to all different directions they can think of in the morning. During the day, I have to sit with my head straight otherwise my hair will happily lean on my neck and it will be in that shape till I wet it with water. On the bus, I can't put my head on the head rest too as its shape will be as flat as the bus' head rest. Yesterday when I had birthday lunch with my friends, I thought that I had done all my best to keep my hair in good shape, but I was shocked when I saw my own photo which my friend took candidly. My hair looked like duck's lips from side, not even chicken's lips! *Hey, it should be duck's tail, not lips* Whatever. I am so frustrated! I really regret that I cut my hair this short, I thought maintaining short hair was easier. I was wrong. My hair is thin, its shape easily changes. With one blow of wind, my hair will go to the same direction where the wind blows to. With one drop of water from the rain or from neighbor's laundry, my round hair will suddenly be flat and will never come back to its original shape till I hairdry it again. My face looks rounder too with this short hair. Everything just doesn't feel right. I have been writing diary in the past 20mins now, I bet the duck's ~~lips~~ tail is back.

I write it here so I can remember "Do not ever cut my hair above my shoulder again!" Short hair just doesn't look good to me although I like short hairstyle. Never mind, I will wait till it grows longer! *Of course you will wait, where can you go without your hair??*

-Abbie-

Chicken Love Story

2009-06-05T23:52:00.008+08:00

Friday, 5 June 09, 11.52pm at home

Hello diary,
Just dropping by to upload these pictures. *Who took these pics?* Me. Why? Is there something wrong? These chickens are so interesting. Look at their love life!

[A guy is chasing a girl] === [The guy and the girl are finally in love]

[They are having kids] === [The girl is now afraid to lose the guy!]

This is an illustration of a relationship between a guy and a girl, before and after marriage.

Anyway, those chickens are actually for salt & pepper. I bought them in Bangkok last week in the airport. I took pictures of them to show you how cute they are, never had intention to create that stupid chicken-love-story.

Good night, diary!

-Abbie-

Having Haircut in HK

2009-06-05T08:25:00.008+08:00

Friday, 5 June 09, 8.28am on the bus

My diary..
I just got a haircut last night. What was I thinking till I went to saloon out of the blue? Yesterday I finished work quite early, around 7.15pm I had arrived my neighborhood. I felt like I should use the time doing something. So, I went to a shop near my home to buy a shower curtain. My current shower curtain is no longer decent to use. At the end, I got a nice shower curtain with cute flower prints on it. I finished this mini shopping at 7.30pm and I still had time doing something else. Fyi, usually I arrive home around 8.15pm. That means I still had 45 mins free time, right? Then I saw a hair saloon just in front of the shop that I went in. That's when the idea of cutting my hair came along.

My last haircut was on weekend few months ago. You know, I don't wear contact lenses on weekend. The hairdresser kept asking me to take off my glasses as the glasses' hangers on my ears disturbed his work. Then I took my thick glasses off and put it on again whenever I had chances. Hey, how can we act blur when somebody is doing something with our hair? And I didn't act blur, my sight was really really blur without my glasses! This is the reason why I prefer having having a haircut on weekdays when I have my contact lenses on.

I actually planned to just trim my hair a bit and enjoy the hairwash and the head message. When I told the hairdresser on how I would like to get my hair cut, we had some disconnection problems and missing-in-translation problem during our conversation. So, here I am now with short hair, above my shoulder! The last time I had this short hair was when I was in Uni in Australia, which is about 6 years ago. I don't like having short hair because of my chubby cheeks. It's ok, at least there is a change in this year, I am also kind of needing some hair make over. Plant is growing, so is my hair.

But, I don't like the way how the hairdresser cut my fringe hair! He was asking me something when he was about to cut it, and I just said "ok ok". I trusted him! After one cut, I screamed "Not that short!!", he looked scared and said "Oh ok" and he gave up cutting the rest! My fringe hair still needed some modeling, come on! And I didn't want to ask him to continue working on my fringe hair as I was afraid that we would have another disconnection problem while we were talking. So, now I am having a very short fringe hair at the center of my head and long-uncut-fringe-hair at the side. I struggled so much on this weird fringe hair this morning before going to work. I changed my hair path, it looks better now but not so much better. I gave up, I brought hair clip to clip my fringe hair up and the clip is gonna be there till it's getting a bit longer.

-Abbie-

Kunci Pembawa Heboh

2009-06-04T12:37:00.003+08:00

Thursday, 4 June 09, 12.37pm in office

Hello lagi, diary..
Kali ini aku harus menulis diary dalam bahasa Indo karna post kali ini sangat berbahaya, dapat mengancam pamor namaku di kantor untuk seumur hidupku!

Begini ceritanya. Dua hari lalu, sekitar stengah 7 malam saat aku mau pulang ke rumah dari kantor, aku ke toilet terlebih dahulu. Di kantorku yang sekarang, toiletnya berada di luar. Jadi aku harus mengambil kunci toilet dari dalam kantor untuk pergi ke toilet. Pada saat di toilet, Ron menelponku. Kami asik berbincang-bincang di telpon sampai2 aku lupa mengembalikan kunci ke tempatnya, melengganglah daku pulang ke rumah dengan kunci toilet masih di genggaman tangan. Aku berjanji dalam hati, aku bakal membawanya besok ke kantor dan mengembalikan ke tempatnya semula pagi2 sebelum teman2ku pada datang. Tidak ada yg salah kan? Dan semuanya akan baik-baik saja.

Pagi harinya, aku lupa menaruh kunci toilet kembali ke tempatnya! Teman2 sudah datang ke kantor. Aku baru sadar di siang hari pada saat teman2ku mulai membicarakan hilangnya kunci toilet wanita! Aku kebingungan, panik, tapi tetap memasang tampang tenang dan berlagak pilon pada saat salah satu temanku dengan hebohnya menceritakan kejadian hilangnya kunci. Rencanaku, aku akan diam2 mengembalikan kuncinya saat malam hari tiba, saat semua temanku sudah pulang. Kemarin malam, aku lupa mengembalikan kuncinya lagi!

Pagi tadi, aku membawa kunci toilet di dalam tasku. Aku berangkat pagi2 supaya ada waktu untuk diam2 menaruhnya kembali ke tempatnya. Sayangnya, aku tidak mendapatkan kesempatan! Pagi hari yang biasa kantor masih sepi, pagi ini sudah penuh ramai. Lebih hebohnya lagi, beberapa petugas keamanan gedung datang. Kulihat manajerku sedang berbincang-bincang dengan muka serius dengan si petugas keamanan gedung. Aku bertanya kepada teman yg duduk di sebelahku. Ternyata manajerku sedang melaporkan akan hilangnya kunci toilet wanita! Mereka akan mengusut tuntas kasus pencurian kunci toilet wanita tersebut karena hal ini dianggap membahayakan keamanan para wanita yang berada di gedung ini! Beberapa temanku sibuk berbisik-bisik dan saling menuduh, siapakah pria di kantorku yang diam2 mencuri kunci toilet wanita untuk dapat mengintip masuk ke toilet wanita. Terdengar beberapa teman wanitaku mengusulkan untuk melaporkan hal ini ke kantor polisi saja.

Aku benar2 tak menyangka, kasus kehilangan kunci toilet bisa berdampak seheboh ini di HK. Apa yang harus kulakukan sekarang? Sudah terlambat bagiku untuk diam2 mengembalikan kunci ke tempatnya sekarang. Petugas keamanan sudah mengerahkan kru-nya untuk mencari kunci di seluruh gedung, jadi tidak mungkin diam2 aku menjatuhkan kuncinya di toilet atau di lorong atau di lift, kan?

Hanya satu yang bisa kulakukan sekarang. Perlahan-lahan, kupindahkan tasku yang berisi kunci toilet dengan gantungan besar dan khas ke dalam laci meja kerjaku, dan kukunci rapat2. Aku akan membawa pulang kunci ini, dan menyembunyikannya selamanya.

Jika Anda membaca post ini, dimohon bungkam seumur hidup Anda. Tolong jangan laporkan aku ke pihak yang berwajib, ya? ya? ya? Aku tidak ada tujuan mencuri, tidak ada tujuan untuk mengintip toilet wanita (kalo itu kunci toilet pria, Anda bisa punya alibi lebih kuat), dan tidak ada tujuan untuk menyakiti para wanita di dalam toilet. Aku cuma.. kelupaan mengembalikan kunci. Mohon maaf yang sebesar-besarnya kepada pihak keamaan yg sudah direpotkan, dan kepada teman2 wanitaku yang sekarang selalu berdua (mengajak teman) kalau ke toilet. Maappppppp...

-Abbie-

My Phuket Trip

2009-06-03T22:56:00.021+08:00

Wednesday, 3 June 09, 10.56pm at home

Hellow my diary,
I'm in HK now. It's not that I had a long holiday! I was back from Thailand last Sunday, it was only 5 days trip. But I enjoyed it so much!

I experienced another type of life. I mean, I'm a land-creature; a living creature who usually lives on the land. When I was in Phuket, I experienced living like a fish. We were brought to another island by boat. When the boat stopped somewhere in the middle of the sea, I went into the sea with my mask, snorkel, a life jacket, and a pair of fins on.

That was my first time swimming on the sea. I did go into the sea years ago when I was playing banana boat, I did go into the sea years ago when my the boat that pulled my parachute was suddenly off in the middle of the sea so I had to voluntarily fly down into the sea with my big parachute while seeing the boat's driver trying hard to switch on the machine again. And for your information, I can't swim!

Luckily somebody invented 'life jacket'. Luckily I could borrow and wear life jacket! It's really a jacket that saved my life. The first time I jumped into the sea, the fins were really bothering me. My left fin was so big and heavy, I felt that it was going to fall off soon and be drown into the deep blue sea. I found out later that actually I was given a wrong size for my left fin, one size bigger than my right one. I had to struggle with my loose fin while I was already under the water. My feet had to keep moving so that I could keep floating on the water. But I also couldn't move my feet so much since at the same time I had to slowly take off my fins. I tried my best with all my swimming styles; frog's style, dog's style, whatever style to keep me floating. I managed to take off my left fin. The right fin was suddenly so tight as the water came in. And.... suddenly.... I'm sleepy now. Bye diary, let me continue this posting tomorrow, ok?

Good morning diary, I am on the bus to office now. Ok, where were we? Oh yea, the fin! Finally I managed to get rid of my right fin and put them back on the boat. I was so scared of swimming far away from the boat, I kept holding the boat while my mask and snorkel were already on my face. I felt like an orange nemo on the land. My hubby dragged me to the water. My legs kept moving, I was panic, I couldn't feel the land, yea that's 3m deep of sea! I was tired, salt-water came into my snorkled-mouth, I thought I would die there like a salted fish. But, I was floating! I wasnt drown! Yea, I was wearing life jacket! Stupid me was wearing life jacket and saved.

The next part is the most beautiful part. I was ~~swimming~~ floating here and there with my face down so I could see all the fish and all the beauty of the sea! The water was so clear. I was enjoying that different type of life. A life under the water. A life under the sea. The part that I like the most is; my hubby was holding my hand when we were snorkeling together, we were enjoying the beauty of the sea together. You may think that this sounds so silly and childish but I really love that moment. Because that was my first experience to be under the water with him. You will feel something different when you are under the water with your loved one. A couple should stay still in a good and bad time, in health and in sickness, in richness and poorness, in hot and in cold weather, and this time; on the land and under the water. It's a new experience. I wrote it here so that I can remember forever this very first moment. I enjoyed this trip so much! ^^

-Abbie-

Snorkel

2009-05-24T15:56:00.004+08:00

Sunday, 24 May 09, 3.56pm at home

Hello good afternoon my diary..
Today is such a raining and cloudy day. It has been raining since yesterday. The dark sky keeps appearing and disappearing as it likes. But I'm not as moody as the sky today because... because... I'm excited thinking about my next holiday! I just bought snorkel few days ago. You must be able to roughly guess where will be my destination. Yes, I'm going to the beach. I'm going to Phuket. I'm going to Thailand next Wednesday! I need some refreshments, I need some good food, and I need some massage! Thailand is the best place that is able to fulfill those three needs at the same time!! I am really looking forward to that trip!

See you again, diary! ^_~

-Abbie-

Jonjing Shoes

2009-05-21T21:43:00.010+08:00

Thursday, 21 May 09, 9.43pm at home

Hmm.. diary, you must know what I am going to talk about by just seeing this picture. I call these shoes as "jonjing shoes", meaning "not-at-the-same-height shoes".

Here are some information you need to take note about these shoes:
1. These shoes are a pair of shoes.
2. The left and the right shoes are exactly same design and same quality.
3. The left and the right shoes were bought at the same time with the same height of heels.
4. The left and the right shoes were always used by the same person whose left and right legs weight the same (or should be the same).
5. The left and the right shoes were always used together at the same time and same fequency.
6. The left and the right shoes were always used to walk to same places.

Now the question is; how can the right shoe have lower heel than the left one? Or; how can the left shoe have higher heel than the right one? You can choose which question you are more comfortable with.

Ok ok, I admit, these are my shoes. These white jonjing shoes are my shoes! Happy now? For the last few weeks, actually I had been feeling not so comfortable in walking. I thought one of my leg was suddenly longer than the other (or shorter than the other?) which made me slightly limping. I could not run so fast too with my floppy running style. This now explains why I came late to office most of the days recently.

I did not realize it till just now. I put those shoes on the floor near my home's entrance door and I went to kitchen to prepare dinner. My hubbie was looking at my jonjing shoes with one eyebrow higher than his other and asking me "How could this happen?". Not trying to be his echo, I spontaneously responsed "How could this happen?"

It's time to dispose these shoes now. I should write point number 7 then.
7. The left and the right shoes will be thrown away at the same time by the same person.

-Abbie-

The Sun Shines!

2009-05-21T08:37:00.003+08:00

Thursday, 21 May 09, 8.40am on the bus

Dear my diary,
I am back in HK now. I am on the way to office. It is raining outside. The sky is dark. The weather is hot and humid. But it seems that people don't really care about the rain and the weather. They still do what they have to do. They bring umbrella to protect themselves from the rain. They sometimes run to avoid the rain as much as they can. Yes, this is what humans should react. Problems come and go, problems are part of our lives. There are only two ways; face it with an 'umbrella' or avoid it while you can. Many things happen in life, we still have to move on with life because time doesn't stop ticking, because everybody has a future that we should look forward and treasure.

Diary, I am really glad that I went home. Miracles happen when we believe, and I had good quality time with my family! I wanted to go home since months ago because I missed my family so much. Although the reason of coming home this time was not for holiday and not for having fun, I am still glad to have chance to see my family in bad time, this is what family is for, right? We can stay strong when we are together.

The sun is shining brightly now, the rain has stopped, the dark sky is no longer there. Yes, it's now time to go back to real life, back to routines, back to office, and back to work!

-Abbie-

See you again, Ama..

2009-05-14T07:41:00.005+08:00

Thursday, 14 May 09, 7.45am on the bus

Dear diary,
I am on the bus now, but not going to office this time, I am going to airport. I am going to Indo. I am going home, diary. My grandma just passed away yesterday afternoon. I was so shocked when I heard this super bad news because I thought she was doing well after the surgery. Actually her condition was ok after the surgery, she was put in ICU for the next few days. She was conscious few times and just suddenly her condition was worsen and she's gone. The only thing I feel relieved is, I know that she's gone with Jesus. She's gone right after the pastor prayed for her.

I am so sad. I am sad not because I want her to keep alive. I know that whatever happens is under God's plan, and I personally think that this is the best for her. She's gone few days after she got baptized, she was still so clean and God didn't let her to commit any sin. Her diseases were very complicated so she was so in pain. This is why I said that it's the best that she's gone now, to a much better place where there is no pain, no cry, no loneliness. The thing that makes me sad is I do regret that I can't keep my promise to accompany her, to stay with her. She was a lonely person. She lived with her only maid in her big house. What she needed was only an accompany. She was so happy when Chinese New Year comes since all her children and grandchildren come and gather. Yes, I admit that we all come and gather but the exciting reason was not to meet my grandma, we love the gathering because we can see all the relatives, all my cousins. But the main topic was never about her. Now we are all gathering again, all my big families, and for the first time and the last time, we all gather for her. Whenever I think about this, my heart hurts so much!

Life is short. Treasure your time now to be with the people you love. We are all now like having a holiday for 80 years at a place called Earth. When the holiday is over, when the plane has arrived to pick us up, it's time to have a real life, a real eternal life. I don't want to say good bye to my grandma, but I prefer saying "See you again, Ama!" I did mean what I said, I will see her again soon in heaven!

-Abbie-

My First Credit Card

2009-05-12T08:37:00.008+08:00

Tuesday, 12 May 09, 8.40am on the bus

Good morning, diary!
I am happy! Finally I got my first credit card, the very first one in my life! Well, when the world is now having economy problem because of the credit card, when people start avoiding/reducing their usage of credit card, I just got my first credit card and will start using it. You know, it was hard for me to get one although my salary is considered enough to apply one.

Ok, I tell you the story. On one fine day, I went to the bank to apply for my credit card. When I saw the details and the requirements, I was quite confident to aim for the gold card. One week passed, I received a letter from the bank saying that I should show them a copy of my employment contract. This was normal. When I submitted my employment contract, I asked them:
Me: "If my gold card application gets rejected, can you just automatically reapply it for a normal card?"
Bank officer: "Sure, you can"
Me: "I mean, can I be automatically considered for a lower card?"
Bank officer: "Yes, of course, you will still be considered for lower card if you reapply it"
Me: "So, can you reapply my card after it gets rejected?"
Bank officer: "Sure, you can. Would you be interested in some financial planning and insurance....."

That was my never-ending-conversation with the bank officer. Another week went by, I received a thin letter from the bank again. You know, thin letter means there was only one piece of paper in it, there was no card! Yes, it was a rejection letter and I was not automatically considered for a lower card.

On another one fine day, I went to the bank again to apply for a normal credit card. No gold. No silver. No platinum. Just a simple normal card. Again, I had to fill in all the forms! No exception! They should have had all my details by that moment, why should I fill in the same forms again? But, I still considered that as normal after I knew what's happening one week after. One week later, a piece of letter came again. Same letter. A letter from the bank saying that I should provide my employment contract! Have they lost the copy of employment contract that I gave them last time? Why should I go through the same process again? I was not giving my employment contract at that time because of 2 reasons; first, it's because I was really fed up, and second, it's because I really lost my employment contract since the last time I gave them! It's all their fault! I'm not a tidy person, I always forget to put the things back. So, I gave up, I didn't continue the application process. And another week passed by, another letter came again. It was not a letter with credit card, ok! It was just a reminder letter that I should produce my employment contract. I ignored the letter. I used to live for 28 years without even a single credit card and I lived well. I was sure that I would live well too without credit card for the rest of my life.

No, I was wrong! When I bought LV bags in Paris, I had to borrow my friend's credit card. I needed a credit card! There was only one way. Suddenly I remembered that I had a husband. He got a credit card and he could apply a sub-card for me! And yeap, this is how I managed to get my own credit card finally. A platinum card. With my full name written on that card. With my signature written at the back of the card. Ok ok, I remember, it's a sub-card, not based on my own merits. I'm not sure if I should be proud or ashamed of myself, for getting a credit card at the age of 28 years old.. and it's only a sub-card!

-Abbie-

Burgundy Snails

2009-05-07T22:04:00.009+08:00

Thursday, 7 May 09, 10.04pm at home

Hellow yellow diary..

I just took a shower. After taking a shower, I went to my kitchen and saw this burgundy snails. I bought this in Paris. I bought this because I like the shells of the snails. Cute, isn't it? Do you see the can below the shells? Yes, this can contains the snails. For your information, these snails are not toys, these snails are not living snails, these snails have died, these snails are edible, these snails are uncooked so need to be cooked. How to cook this? This is the part that I like the most.
• Insert a snail into each shell, then push a small amount of butter in the shell.
• Put on a snail dish and put into a hot oven at 210°C for about 10mins.
• As soon as the butter is bubbling, remove and serve immediately.
It's advisable to clean the shells after use and keep them at a safe place. The shells are reusable! This is interesting!

And this is how the snails look like after having 10mins sauna in a hot oven.

I wanna make a confession! The picture above is not how my real snails look like. My real snails are still uncooked and still sleeping soundly inside the can. I just grabbed a picture from the Internet just now just to show you how this Burgundy Snails dish should look like.

I have not cooked my snails yet because honestly I don't like eating snails. I like chicken meat the most among all meats in this world. Now I'm thinking of cooking chicken meat with some teriyaki sauce maybe and insert the pieces of the chicken into the shells. Hopefully the dead snails won't be mad as their shells are borrowed by chicken.

Now my question is; why this dish is called Burgundy Snails? From what I know, burgundy is the name of a color, dark red color. These snails are in green color, why is it called burgundy then?

-Abbie-

Holland vs Indonesia

2009-05-06T08:22:00.011+08:00

Wednesday, 6 May 09, 8.24am on the bus

Morning my diary,
I am feeling great today. For the last two days, I always woke up with heavy eyes and came to office late although I ran all the way from bus stop to office. However, today I woke up with fresh body and mind. About coming to office late? Let's see, I'm still on the bus now.

Diary, finally yesterday my grandma managed to have surgery to remove her tumor, the surgery went well! It was indeed a miracle from God! God really gives her chance to have a 'brand new' life. I am really really grateful and thankful for everything happened recently.

About my Netherlands' trip, I wanna keep my promise to tell you my story. It is actually no longer a hot topic now since few days have passed, I feel like writing executive summary for my thesis now. Anyway, my home country used to be Holland's colony for more than 350 years according to a subject that I learned in my high school, that subject is called History. This is why I find this country amazing! *Why? Tell me 5 good reasons!*

Ok, let me try if I can get 5 good reasons:
1. Holland has wonderful tulips!! *What does the tulip have something to do with Holland's 350 years colony in Indonesia??* Exactly! They used to live in Indonesia for hundreds years, why couldn't they plant tulip in there? They could use all those years to create special tulip which can live in hot country, right? Possible, right? *Please la, don't let your stupidity shown up la*

2. Holland and Indonesia are sharing same language for certain words. Previously I only knew some words they were sharing, e.g baskom (water bucket), knalpot (muffler), and pispot (pee bucket). After I went there, I know some more words like zegel (stamp), spoor (train platform), loket (counter), gratis (free), kantoor (office), etc. Amazing, isn't it? You don't think it's amazing? It's just normal??? I think some funny Indonesian/Javanese words could have been Dutch too, something like keteg (armpit) or phekog (stupid) or endog (egg). Hey, who could ever think that 'spoor' (in Indonesian: sepur) is Dutch?? I always make a joke of the words 'nunggang sepur' (riding a train) as it sounds so kampung. You will never know that 'nunggang' could have been Dutch too! My late grandma used to say "Holland spreken", I thought she wanted to say "Holland spoken" in her Javanese accent. But I was wrong! She knew Dutch! Don't ever undervalue Javanese, this is my conclusion.

3. I used to eat bread with butter and chocolate beads for breakfast at home. My mom made it for me. I never knew that it was originally from Holland! Those chocolate beads are very rare to get, not every country has those.

4. Holland loves orange so so so much! I mean, not the orange as a fruit. It's orange, a color. I love orange color too! *So?* I'm Indonesian and I love orange, can you see the connection? I also just heard that carrot was originally not in orange color, it should be in green or white or pink or whatever. Those Dutch people changed the color to orange! Can you believe it? No? Ok then.

5. And the last one... and the last one... let me think.. let me think.. ohh yes! Holland is popular with its wooden shoes. Indonesian/Javanese also has its traditional wooden shoes although the design is different, this Indonesian wooden shoe is called 'klompen' or 'thekleg'. Hmmm.. these funny words might be brought from Dutch too.

Diary, I've arrived office. I came too early today, I didn't need to run. The office was still dark, so I was the one who turned on all the lights! I was the earliest today! *What time did you arrive office?* It was around 9.19am. *And you were the earliest???!!* I'm feeling great today!

Time to get back to work now..
See you again, diary..

-Abbie-

Feeling Down

2009-05-03T13:00:00.004+08:00

Sunday, 3 May 09, 1.00pm at home

Hi again diary,
I wanted to make this post together with my previous post but I guess it doesn't feel right with my smiling pictures with the flowers since I'm feeling so sad now.

Diary, I actually have lots of interesting stories that I wanted to tell you about my journey in Amsterdam but I have no mood to tell you right now. My grandma is still sick in the hospital. Her operation is always delayed and delayed and delayed for more than 5x due to her weak condition. This morning I was so so so sad thinking about her. I always believe that everything happens for a reason, for a GOOD reason. Her always-delayed-operation should also have a good reason. Her doctor said that her living chance after having an operation is just 50%, not even 51%. God, please give her another chance of having a NEW life.. Miracles can happen when we believe, right? This is my will. This is my prayer. This is my wish. This is my desire. On the other hand, I exactly know that YOU know the best of all.. let YOUR will be done, not my will.. but, if possible, can YOUR will be the same as my will, God?

The Swine flu has been a hot topic every where in the world now. I was kind of scared of shaking hands with strangers when I was in Netherlands too, but that was part of my job since I was in the exhibition and I needed to meet lots of people. After I came back to HK, everyone here seems that they been ready for this virus. Many people in the service industry are now wearing masks, they keep cleaning and cleaning everything in the public area to prevent the virus. I am also now starting to keep myself clean *by taking shower more regularly now?* Yes! But more importantly, by believing that HE always protects me, and HE always protects you too! Diseases are always there but we will be protected, that's promised!

-Abbie-

Keukenhof, Amsterdam

2009-05-03T11:51:00.005+08:00

Sunday, 3 May 09, 11.51am

Hello diary,
I just came back from Amsterdam 2 days ago. Again, it was a tiring trip. My seat on the plane was not upgraded to business class although I did try many tricks to get it upgraded. Well, on the way back from Paris to HK, I actually got my seat upgraded for free! That's why I tried the same method again by checking-in late and dressing up neatly and professionally. But, I was not successful this time. It's ok, there is one thing that I will not regret from this trip. I'm glad that I have chance to visit Keukenhof, the biggest tulip park in the world, in Amsterdam! The timing is so perfect, the tulips were blooming so beautifully. It's a rare chance to have come to Amsterdam at this right time! Here I put some pictures of the amazing tulips.

Fyi, I did not bring my tripod, and I was shy to ask my friend to take picture for me. I also did not dare to ask strangers. So, don't ask me how I managed to take those pictures.

-Abbie-

Living below the Cloud

2009-04-25T16:51:00.006+08:00

Saturday, 25 Apr 09, 4.51pm at home

Hi again diary,
Now the sun is shining. Yes, and I finally did my laundry, no more excuse. Here I took another picture for you when I happened to go into my bedroom and I saw them... doing this...

-Abbie-

Living above the Cloud

2009-04-25T11:23:00.008+08:00

Saturday, 25 Apr 09, 11.23am at home

Hellow diary,
I woke up this morning under a very dark sky. I went down from my apartment to buy breakfast. It was not raining but I sensed that it would rain so heavily today so I did not do my laundry today. 30 minutes after I finished my breakfast, the sky was much darker than before! I saw very dark black cloud hanging outside, so near, so close, till I could see it, till I could feel it on my hand. I felt like living on the sky. Living above the cloud. A city above the cloud!

Here I took some pictures of the view outside from my bedroom and from my balcony. You can hardly see what's outside, right?

My two teddy bears were so amazed seeing nothing from my bedroom's window!

I was so amazed seeing nothing from my balcony, that's why I took this picture!

Now, the dark cloud has slowly vanished. The sky has been slowly cleared up. The sun has slowly been shining brightly. I've gotten my normal Saturday back and the question now is; should I do my weekly laundry then?

-Abbie-

The HK Typhoon

2009-04-21T22:28:00.003+08:00

Tuesday, 21 Apr 09, 10.28pm at home

Hi again, my diary..
I just had my shower and dinner. Today's dinner is pineapple rice without the pineapple and not-so-green curry seafood mixed with chicken, potatoes, and some broccoli. I tried to make thai food but ehmm... there is always room for improvement, right? I actually bought the pineapple in a can but I forgot to buy the can opener, that makes my pineapple rice without the pineapple. It sounds like ice tea without ice, or sate lontong without lontong. And about my not-so-green curry, it's because I put too much water in it and I did not want to waste my green curry paste so I just added coconut milk and salt and hoped that it would turn more green but it did not. Since there's so much soup, I needed to put more stuff inside so I put the potatoes and broccoli in. And yes, I know! Seafood can't get along well with chicken. It's ok, at least my hubby said "Wow, it tastes like sayur lodeh that my mum usually cooks!" Can I take this as a compliment?

Diary, the wind is blowing very strong outside. I'm not sure if this is already typhoon no 8? Or if it will turn to no 8 tomorrow? According to my employment agreement, if the typhoon level reaches no 8, we are allowed not to come to work and this kind of thing usually happens quite several times in a year. Now the problem is, how can I measure the level of the typhoon? I don't want to get stupidly stuck somewhere on the way to my office while all my colleagues are still sleeping tightly and soundly at home, enjoying extra holiday because of the typhoon. I also don't want to be the only one who is still sleeping tightly and soundly while all my colleagues already start working. So I asked my colleague and he answered with something very logical "Watch the weather forecast the night before and see if the forecaster says that the typhoon will reach no 8 tomorrow. In the morning before leaving for work, watch the news again to make sure. Usually the newspaper tells us too. The level of typhoon can be measured by colors too; yellow, red, black......" He also explained to me how the wind moves from south to north, or east to west? Whatever. He explained to me very clearly and technically but the problem now is; I dont understand what the forecaster or the newspaper says in Cantonese. Should I just assume it by looking at the color that my colleague mentioned? I'm not sure if he was referring to the color of the sky? Let's see if my guess will be correct.

Time to sleep again, diary..
The wind is still blowing so strongly. But, the living still must sleep.

-Abbie-

p.s You should be able to guess who that colleague is ^^

About My Grandma

2009-04-21T08:39:00.007+08:00

Tuesday, 21 Apr 09, 8.40am on the bus

Hi again diary,
Lately I have been thinking a lot for my grandma. She is still in hospital until today and her condition seems getting worse and worse. My mum said that my grandma is very thin and weak now. She is the only grandma I still have. Her disease is very complicated perhaps because she is already old, around 85 years old, so some of the organs are not functioning well anymore. Honestly, I am not very close to her since she lives at different city and she doesn't talk much. Whenever I am in Indonesia for holiday, I always make some time to visit her but I never stay overnight at her house. I only visited her for few hours and whenever I was about to leave her, the same question that she always asked me "When are you going to sleep here? Please stay here with me for few days", but the way she asked me was with smile and did not sound so serious. So, I also always replied her the same answer like a template answer "Next time ya". Again she replied me with the same question "When is that next time?".

Now I am writing it here, this really makes me sad! I never keep my promise, not even once! She is now in hospital and is having operation on 29 Apr. We did not agree on having operation for her because her condition was too weak, we have been waiting for her to get better so she can have a surgery. However, her condition is not getting better, it's getting worse till she is cornered to have a mandatory operation now.

The only good news that I received about my grandma was; she was baptized last Saturday! Now she believes in Jesus, now she loves Jesus, now she believes that Jesus will take away her pains and bring her to the place where Jesus lives after this world. I really pray that her operation on 29 Apr will be done successfully. I really pray that she will be given a chance to have longer life so that she can experience a life after she follows Christ. I also really pray that I will be given a chance to stay with her and take care of her, just once will do. I feel like going back to Indo now but I can't! Exactly on that operation day, I will be in Amsterdam for another business trip. I am not excited for this trip at all!

Diary, please help me pray for her..

-Abbie-

It's Gonna be My Real Little Diary

2009-04-17T08:47:00.005+08:00

Friday, 17 Apr 09, 8.50am on the bus

Morning my super-little diary,
I'm on the bus on the way to office now. This is my first time writing diary using my iPhone. My diary now looks super cute and super little from my iPhone. Now I really feel like writing a real diary, not a blog post! You know what, I used to admire those people in movie who can take note every detail of every event on a small book and bring that small book and pen in their pockets wherever they go. *Are you admiring detectives??* No! those people who write diary on the park, on the bus, in toilet, wherever they find there is something interesting! Isn't that cool? Now I have this small diary that I can bring wherever I go. From now on, I wanna write more detail about my life, about what I do, and about anything that I see as interesting. Each post may be much shorter than my usual post, but I really wanna try it. Lets see if I can do it regularly.

Diary, I am reaching office soon.
Bye bye my cute little diary..

-Abbie-

Nothing

2009-04-15T22:17:00.004+08:00

Wednesday, 15 Apr 09, 10.18pm at home

Dear my lil diary,
I have not taken my shower yet. This is the real me. Every night after I go back from work, I have dinner, clean up the dining table and the dishes, and just play Internet till my husband shouts at me to take shower. Ron is now busy watching movie using his own laptop, so he doesn't really pay attention to ~~my smell~~ me. Soon he will finish his movie, so I better hurry up writing this diary.

Actually...
There is nothing special to report this week.

That's all I need to write here.
Good night, diary..

-Abbie-

All About Paris

2009-04-11T15:43:00.009+08:00

Saturday, 11 Nov 09, 3.43pm at home

Hello diary!
I was just back from Paris yesterday afternoon. That was a super tiring trip! Lucky that my seat on the plane on the way back to HK was upgraded to business class for free! So, at least I could sleep more comfortably on the plane. But still, last night I slept for 12 hours, the longest sleep in my life ever! I really feel sorry for my husband who already arranged for a one-day trip today to Lantau island. This morning around 10am, I heard he was telling me something excitedly about the trip, about the crystal cable car, about the factory outlet, and about the food? or the walk? I don't really recall it now since I was still in the middle of my reality world and my dream world when he said that to me. I couldn't really move my body, I couldn't open my eyes, and I fell asleep again after that. He kept entering the room to check if I have woken up. I'm really really sorry for ruining his plan because I slept too much like a pig. Can we arrange the trip again tomorrow or Monday? Please...

Anyway, my Paris trip was great! I had fun with my colleagues. The picture above was the first picture that I took when I was in Paris. When I was having my hot French Cappuccino and croissant as breakfast while I was searching for good places from the Paris Guide Book. I wanted to take picture before I sipped my coffee and before I ate the croissant actually, but it was so tempting till I couldn't resist and just realized it when the coffee was half-finished and when the croissant has been fully eaten.

I visited some nice places but this Eiffel picture is my favorite picture among all. I always wanted to touch Eiffel Tower with my own hands to make it more real. I know it sounds not too elegant but that's really the desire of my heart. I did enjoy the French food, quite amazed with the well organized menu; appetizers, main course, and desserts, at the beginning. After few days, I felt tired of waiting for the complete food to be served. Maybe you don't agree with me. Yes, I like a proper fine dining too! But the fine dining that I had in Paris was really too much longer than what I expected. Especially the first dinner that we had. We entered the restaurant at around 9pm and finished the complete course at 12.30am. Wasn't it too much of waiting? The restaurant was empty, we were the only customers at that time, and we were only 6 persons! And because that was the first day in Paris, we were so tired and some of us even fell asleep in the restaurant.

In that restaurant, I felt that my upper lip was swollen and numb! That was right after I sipped my coke light. I urgently warned all of my friends for not drinking this French coke light as it's too strong. I asked one of my friends:
Me: "Look at my lips, can you see it's swollen?"
Friend: "OMG, it's swollen so big!"
I was so panic, stopped drinking coke light, and gave light massage to my upper lip during the dinner. Maybe my lips were not so metropolis. Right after I reached the hotel, I looked at myself in front of the mirror. I just realized that my lip was not numb, not swollen at all. My lip was just dry because of the cold weather! It feels like numb because of the dryness. Now I'm wondering why my friend said that it's swollen so big? That was the shape of my lip at a normal size!

From this trip, I discovered something interesting. The buildings and the subway stations in Paris are all old. The subway stations' floor is still made by black stones. The ceiling is also like ceiling in a cave with some water dropping from the ceiling too sometimes. The train is also old, there is no automatic door so we have to open it manually by hand. Lift and elevators are seldom found since they only use stairs. It's very different with HK subway with shiny ceramic floors, elevators everywhere, and automatic doors for the train. The whole city looks old till I can call it 'classic'. Classic is artly and beautifully old. Now I'm looking at the buildings in HK from my 45th storey apartment's window. Yes, they are old too. *Classic?*

I'll tell you more about my stories next time, I'm tired and sleepy again now.
See you again, diary..

-Abbie-

Leaving for Paris!

2009-04-05T16:04:00.005+08:00

Sunday, 5 Apr 09, 4.04pm at home

Hi my little diary,
It's a bright Sunday today. I just finished cooking for my hubbie's meal for the next few days after I leave. I did cleaning for my home, and finished all the laundry. I did my shopping too! You know, last Friday after work, I went shopping for clothes! It's been a long time since I last shopped for clothes. I didn't intentionally want to buy clothes actually, it's all because I need some formal clothes for my Paris trip. I need to dress more formally and professionally as my work requires me to do so. And I don't want to look like a country woman who's just out of the chicken farm.

This morning, I've started my packing, I put the essential things on my luggage, such as all the work-related things, passport, documents, and my new formal clothes, and I stopped. I stopped packing because I was confused what casual clothes I should bring, which type of shoes I should wear. Hey, it's Paris! The city of fashion! I don't want to wear a dress that is like 10-years-old behind for them although I have just bought it last Friday. And how about the shoes? Honestly, I already packed 2 pair of shoes in my luggage, and I will be wearing another pair of shoes later. I can't make up my mind which shoes I should bring.
1. I bring my high heel open-shoes (to match with my formal clothes)
2. I bring my high heel long boots (just in case it's too cold to wear the open-shoes since it's still Spring over there and it's too casual to wear sport shoes)
3. I bring my sport shoes (just in case I'm tired of wearing high heel shoes)

Now I'm also thinking if I should just take off my contact-lenses, wear my thick grandma-like glasses, remove my make-up, wear pajamas, just go to the airport for my midnight flight and be ready to sleep? Or, should I still dress up nicely just to get on the plane and remove my contact-lenses and make-up after that? Or should I dress nicely till the end?

Anyway, I just realized something. Whatever I will wear later, I will still look like 10 years old behind their fashion. There is no way I can match how Paris-women dress. So, just be myself and hopefully their latest fashion is back to 10 years ago so I will look on track. Hey, fashion always changes, right?

I'll try to be online when I'm there and tell you my experience in Paris! ^_^
See you diary..

-Abbie-

April Fool

2009-04-01T22:50:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, 1 Apr 09, 10.50pm at home

Dear my little diary,
I just had my evening shower. A long evening shower with hot water. I like showering actually. *Is there any hidden meaning behind the word "actually"?* You know, it's like a little kid when his mother asks him to sleep, he always refuses. But, once he falls asleep, he wouldn't wake up till the mother tells him so. I never say that I refuse to take a bath, ok!

Today is the first day of April. People call the 1st day of April as April Fool. I don't know why they call it 'Fool'. Why must we have a special day for fools? Anyway, we are already on the fourth month of the year 2009 now. Time indeed goes by so quickly, time never listens to the girls who scream "Stop ticking! My wrinkles are coming out!", time also never listens to the boys who yell "Stop ticking! Tomorrow is my wedding (read: prisoning) day!"

This Sunday I'll go to Paris for 5 days. The most romantic city in the world. I've been dreaming to go to Paris on my honeymoon with my loved one. Yes, I've been to Paris, 13 years ago, when I was young, when I was still 15, when I was still so excited to know what love was, the time when I decided where I would go on my honeymoon! But, life is not always smooth-sailing. Life sometimes doesn't go on like what we have planned and expected. *What do you wanna say??* Ok, cut the story short, I didn't go to Paris for my honeymoon. And this time... I'm going to Paris neither for my 2nd honeymoon nor for my holiday. I'll go there alone, without my husband, for work. *Does this have something to do with April Fool?*

I was very excited when I knew that I was going to Paris months ago. But now, I am so nervous of being on the plane for 12 hours. I am also afraid of being jet lagged. I feel like I have to do my houseworks. Who will do the laundry and the cleaning then? And how about preparing dinner for my hubbie? Suddenly I feel old and weak and sleepy and lazy. I feel like not going anywhere now. I know that I'm a house-person but I can't believe that I've turned to be a turtle who can't leave its house forever. I think I have started having air sickness especially when I'm on the bus *Hey, it's because you always play with your iPhone on the bus!*

Oh, about the iPhone, I can get the GPRS thing on April 6th since I have to finish my current voice plan contract first. It's ok, I can wait till April 6th.

Can you see the picture of my iPhone's red casing on my previous post? It's so beautiful, right? Yes, I love the casing so much since it really matches my elegant iPhone. However, that casing is already half broken now. Yea, you can guess it right. It's all because of my stupidity that already reached the max limit! Last night on the way back to office, I had nothing to do on my mini-bus. Although the mini-bus runs very fast, I felt so free and bored doing nothing on it. So, I took out the phone accessories with the word "Abigail" which usually was hanging on my old phone. I wanted to put it on my iPhone, then I suddenly realized that there was no place to hang it. I looked at the casing and saw the clips at the top right and left of the casing that grab the iPhone to stay still. I tried to insert the accessory in between the gab at the top right and suddenly "Crack..!". The clip at the top left was broken. I gave up. I put my iPhone back on my handbag.

This morning on the way to office, I was bored on the bus. Again, I took out my iPhone and my "Abigail" and wanted to try other method to hang it on the casing. And I saw the 2 clips at the bottom of the casing that grab the iPhone from the bottom right and bottom left. These 2 clips at the bottom have holes! Then I quickly tied the string of "Abigail" on one of the holes. I was so excited and kept tying it till I made a big knot. Then I tried to insert the iPhone back in the casing again and I was shocked when that familiar "Crack..!" was back! The knot was too big, the space wasn't enough for my iPhone to be in so the clip at the top left was broken. I really gave up. I put my iPhone back on my handbag and sit quietly till my bus arrived to my office. *April Fool is indeed for you!*

Diary, need to sleep now. I need to collect my sleep whenever I have time to sleep now to prepare for my Paris trip. *Are you a kind of camel that can collect water in its special stomach??*

Good nite, diary!

-Abbie-

iPhone

2009-03-27T23:40:00.006+08:00

Friday, 27 Mar 09, 11.40pm at home

Hi Diary!!
You know what? Finally I bought iPhone!! Yaaayyyy!! This is the phone that I have been wanting and dearing for the last 2 years. Today after office, I already planned to go to Mongkok to buy that iPhone after so much consideration for weeks. Just 10mins before I got off from work, my hubbie called me and he wanted to take me to buy iPhone! Maybe you think this is nothing, but it really means something for me. What I really worried most before buying this phone was about the money and how my hubbie would think. His action today made me so happy and less guilty ^^

Ok ok, these are the pictures of my new iPhone. I took picture of every step of the grand opening process.

Before I bought this phone, I was worried if my intelligent was not high enough to use this smartphone. Now I got the answer. Even before I had the chance use this iPhone, I knew the answer. Even before I had chance to play around with this iPhone, I knew the answer. Even before I turned on this iPhone, I knew the answer. Even one second right after I held this iPhone on my hand, I knew the answer. I knew that I was way too stupid for this super smartphone. You know why? I don't know how to insert the simcard into the phone! Hey, this is really the first time I don't know how to insert a simcard, usually I'm not this stupid. There is no information on the manual book. Maybe Apple assumes that the users of this smartphone are smart enough to own this phone. It's like "there is no guidance on how to insert CD into the laptop", right? It's ok, I'm browsing on the net to find out how to insert the simcard now. I'm now out to catch up what I have left.

See you diary.. I'm too happy to sleep now, but I have to sleep. My iPhone needs to be recharged for 10 hours before I can use it. So even I will not sleep for the next 9 hours and 59 minutes, I will still not be to play around with my iPhone. So, I better sleep now, I need to be recharged too for 10 hours.

-Happie Abbie-

A Blessed Day

2009-03-25T22:24:00.006+08:00

Wednesday, 25 Mar 09, 10.24pm at home

Diaryyy!!!!!
Ooopss.. sorry, did I scream too loud? I'm too excited to see you!
Today I'm happy because I was lucky in several ways today. Well, there is no 'lucky' in this world, but I'm blessed!

1. I managed to catch my bus in the morning although I had to run as fast as possible and the most important part is I did NOT faint! *You almost fainted!* NO, almost! I did NOT.

2. I still had time to go the bank to re-apply my credit card (my first credit card application was rejected, well, in this case I was not really lucky). I hope that the bank is touched by my persistence, my sincerity, and my loyalty so they will grant me a credit card, with the lowest limit will do.

3. I was not late coming to office this morning! This is the best part. My office hour starts at 9am but they give us 30mins tolerance so if we come at 9.29.59 is still ok. Every morning (since we moved to new office), we have to send email to the HR people to show our attendance and they mark down the attendance time based on what time the email is sent. In the old office, we used card to open the door and they marked down the time when the card was flashed. Since we are in new office now, there are some differences:
- It takes more time to walk from the bus station to the new office since the new office is further than the old office
- It takes more time to take two escalators to reach the 3rd floor and take a lift to go up to my office
- It takes more time to walk from the office door to my desk since we don't use the card to mark the attendance anymore now
- It takes more time to switch on the computer
- It takes more time to open the Email system
- It takes more time to write the email address and the email subject
- It takes more time to click the 'send' button.
- It takes more time to wait the email moved from the 'Outbox' to 'Sent'
Yes, I did think a lot on how to automatize this. I did try many ways to save time too! One of them is by not switching off the computer when I leave office in the evening so I can quickly send email in the morning. As a result, my computer hanged! And it took more time to restart the computer again! Now I don't use that method anymore, I do my traditional way to save time, which is..... wear sport shoes, and RUN!!! It has triple impacts; save time, exercise my heart, and cut down my fat.

Where were we now? Oh yes, number 4.

4. My mini-bus' fare was $12 instead of $14! Hey, I didn't cheat, that was the real fare and I don't know why the driver charged differently.

5. My mini-bus took me to the nearest stop so I only needed to walk for 5mins to reach my apartment. Usually he dropped me at the stop quite far from my apartment; around 12mins walk. I don't know what's the reason too, maybe because the driver wanted to buy the tofu-rice near my home. Hey, you must believe me, I'm telling the truth! I saw he was yelling "Tofu-fan!!" at the shop owner from inside the mini-bus when it stopped at the red light and one auntie came out from the shop giving him a packet.

6. Just now, my hubbie cut a dragon-fruit and gave it to me. I didn't mean to include #6 in this list but since the topic is relevant so I'm writing it here too. You wanna know the reason why I consider myself lucky for #6? It's because usually cutting the fruit is my job! Now he starts doing it himself. I must give him some credits here to remember this eventfull moment when I'm old later.

I'm tired today. Need to sleep now.
Bye diary...

-Blessed Abbie-

Indonesian Food

2009-03-22T23:00:00.005+08:00

Sunday, 22 Mar 09, 11.00pm at home

Hi diary,
I just finished cooking! Usually I cook at night for tomorrow's dinner. I just realized that I haven't posted the pics of my food for quite long time. Ok then, here is my food ^_^

Pork Ribs with Pete & Curry Prawn

Recently, the menu is mostly Indonesian food. I love Indonesian food the most! I'm happy that I can get some of the exotic Indonesian ingredients in Hong Kong, such as lemon's leaves, pete, tempe, red onion, even coconut milk from Kara! In this way, I love Hong Kong so much! *Are you sure the pork ribs with pete is Indonesian food?* Yes! Pete is the typical Indonesian food! My mom-in-law taught me how to cook that when she was here. *How about the pork ribs?* Errr... yea, Indonesian don't eat pork. Anyway, I don't care. The recipe is from Indonesia!

I feel refreshed after the weekend. I have enough sleep, I have enough rest, but one thing I don't have enough during the weekend. I don't have enough eat on weekend because my hubby watches my diet tightly and restlessly. He's really scared if I turn to be a fat ahjumma (old auntie) one day since I eat like pig. Actually I don't agree with his statement. Pig doesn't eat pork, but I eat pork.

Diary, I need to sleep now. Tomorrow need to go back to the battle again!
See you diary..

-Abbie-

p.s you know what, I feel like a crazy woman now. I keep covering my computer screen with my both hands whenever my hubby passes by. I'm really scared if he sees my writing here while actually he is not interested to read. Well, I'm just shy if he reads my secret diary.

New Goals for My Diary

2009-03-21T23:49:00.006+08:00

Saturday, 21 Mar 09, 11.49pm

Dear my little diary,
Now is almost midnight and I'm still awake writing my diary now. My hubby is watching soccer. He loves soccer. I hate soccer. That's one of the clear differences we have beside our famous "clumsy vs well-organized" character. Wanna know what's our clear similarity? It's so obvious! Can you notice that? We are both lazy. We are both house-people. We love the moments of just being at home, laying down on the bed/sofa, watching movies, eating, and sleeping. I'm glad that God gives me such a similar partner!

Today is Saturday. You can guess what I was doing today. Yea, I just stayed at home the whole day. We had dinner at sushi restaurant. *Are you still going to the same sushi restaurant every weekend??* Thank you. That's the question I was waiting for. I'm now proudly saying that we didn't go to that sushi restaurant we usually go to. Yohoo, finally my life's changed! My life's changed only for today. We will go back to our favorite sushi restaurant next week again because the sushi that we had just now was not good. That restaurant is selling Chinese sushi! The moment when I entered that restaurant, I felt something was wrong. The music that they played was Chinese song. The lighting was also too bright for a Japanese restaurant. And when the sushi came, hmm.. they put tomato sauce with the sesame seed (it's exactly like the sauce for siumay and jeungfun) on top of the Tuna Sushi, and the name's amazingly changed to Spicy Tuna Sushi. The other sushi that I ordered was Spicy Salmon Sushi. *Another tomato sauce and sesame seed on top of it again??* Errmmm.. No comment. No offense. Anyway, I'm always the one who wants to experience new food and new restaurants. My hubby is always the one who says "Don't play play, just go to our usual place". Well, this is our other difference in.... Ahh! My hubby just shocked me! He always screams and screams when watching soccer, especially whenever the ball goes in! Haizz.. I knew his habit of watching soccer, but he still makes me shocked everytime he screams so loud like there's an earthquake! Where were we just now? What were we talking about just now? See! He made me losing my concentration in the middle of this silent midnight.

Now is already 12.35am, I better go to sleep now. No, don't sleep now. I have to keep awake if I don't want to get awaken in the mid of my sleep because of his screaming again.

Ok, let's talk about something. Keep me awake, diary. Oh yes, starting from now, I wanna promise myself (not promise you as I don't want to get blamed by you if I can't keep my promise) that I will be active writing my diary again whatever* happen! (see the T&C of * below). Do you know what's the reason? It's because one of my good friends motivated and encouraged me to keep writing. She likes my stories, her sister likes my stories too, even her mother likes reading my stories too! I really want to thank all my readers here. I started this blog to record all of my life stories just for my own readings when I'm old. Now I've changed my goal! I want to keep writing this blog to make my readers happy, to encourage them when they are down, to share my own bad experiences so that they will not make the same mistakes as I ever did, to share how loving and great our God is, to inspire.. *Hey, how many goals do you have??* Wait, one more, no, two more... to inspire my readers, and to make money from blogging (hopefully)!

My hubby is silently and seriously watching the soccer. I can go to sleep now. See you diary.. remind me if I pretend that I'm too busy to write diary in the future. Well, sometimes an excuse "too busy" sounds so sweet to hear. We will suddenly feel that we are so important and needed by others. Maybe not for you, maybe just for m.. no, not for me too. I just heard this statement from... somebody, at somewhere.

Nitezz diary..

-Abbie-

* Except if Ron makes me losing concentration.

Things Happening to Me Recently

2009-03-12T13:13:00.005+08:00

Thursday, 12 Mar 09, 1.14pm in office

Hellow my diary..
Now is lunch time. I'm in the office, just finished my lunch. We just moved to our new office last Monday so I'm still in the process of adjusting my office life now. My new office is further than the old office from my bus station. So, my life has slightly changed:
1. I have to walk more
2. I have to wake up earlier
3. I have to skip showering (if necessary)
But, there is always a but. My new seat is much better than before. Because I have none siting behind me! I only have a white wall behind me that becomes a mute witness to whatever I do in the office. The only bad thing is, my seat is so near to the entrance door so people come and go just in front of me. Even the toilet keys are put on a table just beside my desk so I have a new position and a new title; Toilet Manager! However, I don't get any responsibilities following my new title. Well, actually nobody calls me with my new title, it's just my own creation. Ha Ha Ha! *Hellooo, are you.. by any chance.. having your own world now? Is it a symptom of autism??*

You know, I feel like a robot who's having the same life every day. I also always complain to you that I need "warmness". My dining table doesn't give me the "warmness" that I expected. Recently, the thought of having a real family life comes up. But, it's not as simple as that. Life is full of constraints. I'm also still not ready to give up my freedom now. Can you believe it?? It's been my dream since many years ago, and I've suddenly changed now! But, deep inside my heart, I know I'm missing something. I just opened my drawer now and I grabbed whatever food inside there. I'm eating my banana now. Whenever I feel that I'm missing something, I eat. And I'll amazingly feel contented. Magic instant solution, isn't it?

Yesterday there was something happening that shocked me. Nothing to do with the topic above. This is a brand new topic! I just don't want to create a new post specially for this topic. Ok, here is the story. Hmm, where should I start? It can be described easily with 1 sentence actually, or do you prefer 2 sentences? No, I think 1 sentence is enough, but must use "," to separate the sentences. *Just tell me what that is!!* Hey, hold your horses! Be patient! I'm measuring how long your intestine is now (meaning: I'm testing your patience). Actually there's nothing happened yesterday. I just want to create the mood, I just want to excite you, I just want to excite myself with something so happening in this sleepy office environment.. sorry, I'm just imagining things.. *Wake up Abbie, stop having your own world!*

Ok, I'll just list down all the things that were happening in my life:
1. My grandma is admitted into hospital now, praying that she'll be fine soon!
2. My jacket was wrecked using scissor by I-dunno-who in the office
3. I just realized that I'm so addicted to coffee now. I really can't live without drinking one cup of coffee in a day. I can't concentrate working without coffee. I can't go to toilet without coffee *Hey, you are the Toilet Manager, you have all the keys with you, why can't you go to toilet??*
4. I found a mini-bus that can take me home from office within 25mins (usually it takes 1 hour by bus), it's just that I have to really hold the hand rail tightly.
5. I bought a new shoes one month ago, and I broke that new shoes one week ago.
6. My parents are coming to HK in April if my grandma is doing better.
7. Edison Chen still looks handsome to me regardless whatever he did.
8. I've been transferred to a new company (still managed by same company group) and doing new tasks now.
9. Me and my sister are doing something new every day.
10. I want to monetize my blogs.
11. Some people asked me a direction on the street and I dropped coins accidentally to all over the place on the street and they ended up picking up coins for me, I'm so sorry..
12. I'm looking forward to my Europe trip in Autumn! (if the condition permits)

Ok, have to go back to work now.
Bye, diary!

-Abbie-

1 Year Older, again..

2009-03-02T22:44:00.005+08:00

Monday, 2 Mar 09, 10.44pm at home

Hi diary,
It's been really a long long time since my last writing. You know, I've been so busy recently. Just wanna update you, my life is still the same. I guess now I have reached a stage what people call 'a routine'. Everyday I wake up at the same time, everyday I take shower using same portion of soap and shampoo, everyday I run to chase the same bus, everyday I do the same job, everyday I meet the same people, everyday I pass by the same shops, everyday I walk the same route, and everyday I sleep at the same time too. I feel like a robot that has been set by my programmer to do the same things over and over again every day. I'm not complaining right now, not at all, not really not at all too. It's just that I feel like dejavu sometimes. This is life. Life is all about living your life. Living your life is all you need to do in life. *What are you talking about??* You see, you see, even now I talk rubbish using the same words over and over again! What a useless post.

Wait, I found one thing is different in my life recently. My age! I've become 1 year older now after my official birthday on 19 Feb, at 3.34pm to be accurate. There was no special celebration on my birthday but there is one important thing that I want to take note here so that I can remember it for the rest of my life. On my birthday, my hubby gave me a birthday card. Not a romantic card. Not a pink lovey dovey card. It's just a simple card from a husband to a wife that really touches my heart. The card has several stories drawn as a set of comic. The stories tell when he, as a husband, has many weaknesses and has disappointed me many times. I like the way the scenarios are drawn. Those pictures really describe how marriage life looks like. Not like a fairy tale story. Not like a doraemon comic. But it's just sweet and real as the way it is.

Now is 11.15pm, it's almost time to sleep now. The robot needs to sleep now.
See you diary and good nite!

-Still-the-same-but-older-Abbie-

Valentine...

2009-02-13T23:04:00.003+08:00

Friday, 13 Feb 09, 11.04pm at home

Hellow little diary,
Phew! It's been so long time since my last diary. Yes, I've been busy recently, night and day, day and night. Today is a black Friday; Friday the 13th!! When I heard from my friend that today is Friday the 13th, do you know what I first remembered? I suddenly remembered my diary! I started writing diary on the black Friday too! Not in February, but it was on Friday the 13th. That's why after showering, I opened my laptop, and I'm writing diary now.

Tomorrow is Valentine's day! Yea, everybody knows that. Everybody must be so happy and excited preparing for tomorrow. It's a love day, a day when people show love to their beloved someones. I said 'someones', not 'someone'. It means that Valentine's day is not only for couples or lovers. It's such a sweet day for everyone! *What do you want to say?*

This morning I asked my hubby:
Me: Do you want us to do exchange gift tomorrow?
Ron: No need
Me: Ok.
The conversation was ended just like that.

After office I went to shops to search for the best Valentine's gift for my hubby. In the middle of gift hunting, my hubby called me and asked me to go home quickly. I can sense that he already knew something. Then, finally I found something! I carried that thing inside a paper bag that can't be seen from outside. After I reached home, my hubby was there looking at my paper bag but he didn't say a word. I was relieved! When I was about to put that paper bag on my hidden place quietly, he suddenly appeared in front of me with a loud voice saying 'Aku ngga liat apa2 lho.. aku pura2 ngga tau apa2 lho..' (meaning: I didn't see anything, I pretend that I don't know anything)

You know what? I was quite disappointed. On his bday, I failed to surprise him because he already knew that and he even told me that he knew! This time is not that bad but why can't he just pretend that he doesn't know without saying that 'Aku pura2 ngga tau apa2 lho'?? It's so hard to give surprise after you get married. Now I understand why husband-wife don't give presents to each other. I thought it's because they already know each other very well till they don't need a present to represent their feeling. I think another reason is also because they are tired of getting spotted when they are preparing the surprise. It's ok, Valentine is all about love, not about the gift, right? Happy Valentine's day, diary..

-Abbie-

Tea Pot Set

2009-02-01T22:53:00.005+08:00

Sunday, 1 Feb 09, 10.53pm at home

Hellow diary..
Now is the first day of the month of February. I started this month by having this special lunch set at home this afternoon. I bought this tea pot set with the warmer using a candle in Shanghai. Hmm, I just want to keep a record on the first day when I used this tea set. *Why?* Because this tea set is so cute. *So?* So I love it so much! *Then?* Then I uploaded the picture here la. Ok, honestly, I saw this tea pot set for the first time when I had dinner at a Yunnan restaurant in Beijing. This picture on the right was the tea pot at the restaurant. Yea, I know what you are thinking. The tea pot in the restaurant looks so much nicer than my tea pot, right?

Ok, back to the story. On the same night when I met this cute tea pot for the first time, I was so frozen. Please take note, I did not say 'I was so cold', but I did say 'I was so frozen' and I really meant what I said. It was a bloody damn cold day in Beijing and my hands were REALLY frozen. You won't believe it if I tell you that my finger tips are now still a little numb because on that night I did not wear my gloves. We were on the way to find our hotel in the first night in Beijing. I thought the weather was not that unfriendly, I thought my sancham was thick enough to me, so I did not wear gloves and hat. But I was wrong. On that night, the outside temperature was around -8C and it was soooo windy. My hands were holding map and some other papers containing 'our lives' (I mean, the hotel confirmation, plane e-ticket, tour confirmation, and maps of other cities) so I couldn't hide my hands inside my pockets. My hands felt nothing till the papers all flew out of my hands by a strong wind unconsciously, till my hubby had to help me to pick all the papers with his purple face (read: angry but at the same time he knew that I was as clumsy as ever).

I thought I was going to die on that night. And I kept telling my hubby that I was going to die soon. I kept saying that I was frozen to death and please don't go so far away from me just in case I wanted to say my last message. You know what my hubby replied me? He said 'You are still talking so much, so you are not dying'. Yes, thanks to him to say this to me because his words had successfully boiled my blood and I felt warmer after that.

After we found our hotel. We went to that Yunnan restaurant to have dinner and drink hot tea. The feeling of drinking something warm was so awesome! That is why I'm so in love with that tea pot. That tea pot saved me, that tea pot was my hero! It always reminds me that I'm still alive.

Once I returned to Hong Kong, I found out that my towel was still hang outside on my balcony. I deeply understand how my towel felt to be frozen to death. So, I quickly bring my towel in. You can check out my pictures in China at my other blog here. *Hey, are you just lazy to put up the photos here?* There are too many photos. *At least upload one picture in China here!* I already uploaded that tea pot picture, it was taken in Beijing, ok?

-Abbie-

Ron's Bday

2009-01-30T17:43:00.003+08:00

Friday, 30 Jan 09, 5.43pm in office

Hi my diary..
Firstly, Happy Chinese New Year! Gong xi fa chai! Hong Bao lai lai..
I'm back to HK again after my 7 days trip in China. Phew! What a freezing trip! I can't believe I can be back in HK again. I thought I would die somewhere, with blue face, frozen, and alone, in China. I will tell you my story in China next time when I have time, ok? Today I force myself to write diary because today is a special day! Today is my hubby's birthday! So, eventough I have to make my computer window so small at the corner of the screen, I still have to write diary today!

Well, there is no special celebration today. I remember last year I had nowhere to go and nothing to prepare for him since my leg was cracked so I couldn't walk and go out from my home. This year, I have my both legs, I can walk, I can do something for him. But.. today I have to go to my husband's uncle's home to pay his family a visit and to greet them a chinese new year. I have to go there today because they are not available on weekend. Hmm.. I have no comment. I have no complain.

Yesterday I bought a birthday gift for Ron. I spent hours after work from mall to mall to get a special gift for him. My brain had to work hard to think of what's good, usefull, meaningful, value for money, and must be liked by him. And finally I found one! I gave him the birthday card this morning before going to work. And I still have not given him the present. I wanted to give him surprise tonight after we return from his uncle's home. But.. he already knew what I was going to give to him this morning without seeing it. *How can he know it?* He even already knew the brand, the shop's name, and the price! Do you know how he knew it? Yes, my stupid me paid it using a debit card. My stupid me used our joined-account debit card to pay that present! The detail is all shown up on the internet banking. *What do you feel now?* Honestly, I feel so disappointed. I'm so disappointed that I failed to give him a surprise again this year. But I'm much more disappointed because I never expected that my stupidity could reach this far.

Anyway, I already put the gift on the bed with the flower and card on it this morning. I feel stupid now. When I reach home later, I feel like hiding inside the blanket and don't want to see his victorious smile. I know that he won't be surprised anymore. But I hope that he will pretend to be surprised later when he sees it.

Ok, I need to go now. It's already 6.14pm now.
See you soon, diary.. ^_^

-Abbie-

Looking Forward for China Trip!

2009-01-12T22:32:00.003+08:00

Monday, 12 Jan 09. 11.32pm at home

Good evening diary..
I'm eating endog bulus (big turtle's egg) now, an Indonesian snack. It doesn't really mean big turtle's egg, it's just a name, ok! I’m a turtle lover. I mean, I love watching Kura-kura Ninja and I like eating Gui Ling Gao (a Chinese pudding made from turtles’ house). Anyway, my parents-in-law are here till 21 Jan 09. They brought many nice foods from Indonesia, including sambel terasi, pete, terik, omo omo omo... just mentioning the names only made my salive drops on my *slurpp!* keyboard *getting a cloth from kitchen to wipe it off*

Diary, my hubby and me will be going to Beijing, Xian, and Shanghai next Thursday, 22 Janaury, for 8 days! Finally we are going to have our first just-the-two-of-us holiday since our wedding day 1.5 years ago! Well, I know, China is not a good place for honeymoon, especially seeing the historical China emperor, the great wall, and the tombs! Those are really wrong places! Hmm, maybe not. I saw in one romantic movie, when the couple were entering a mystic or horror place, the girl screamed "Ahhh!" and the guy said "Don’t be afraid, I’m here!". I will not do that, ok!!

We didn't plan to go to Beijing initially. We wanted to go to Korea and Jeju island. An island in Jeju which everyone calls a honeymoon island. We also have planned to go to Nami island, the island where Bae Yong Jun and the girl had a romantic story in Winter Sonata. Oh oh oh! But unfortunately the tour schedule is not matched with our schedule. For the China trip, we also will not join any tour package. It's free and easy tour! I’m quite scared because I cant speak Chinese properly. I took Chinese lessons many times for my whole life, on and off and on and off but still I’m not good at Chinese at all! Do you know how we came up with this solution finally? It was started with a simple conversation:
Hubby: "Is your Japanese better than your Chinese?"
Me: "Of course not! My Japanese is so lousy, I feel so stupid, I had a chance to stay in Japan for more than 1 year, I could possibly use this opportunity to learn Japanese but see what I did, I still can’t...."
Hubby: "Then, let’s go to Beijing without a tour!"
Me: "..eh?"

Please take note, guys make conclusion and decide something so fast and so easily using brain, based on facts and realities, there is no personal emotion involved! So for girls out there, be careful on what you say in front of guys!

This time, not me planning for the trip. Ron has planned everything from the plane tickets, hotels, maps, to city tours. I really look forward for this trip. I really look forward to experience Chinese New Year Eve in Beijing, the capital city of China. Beijing should be the place where the authentic and original Chinese celebration ceremonies are held, right? I know that shops and restaurants in China will be closed in the first 1 week after the Chinese New Year, that’s why I plan to spend time by walking along the Great Wall and seeing tombs of the last Emperors.

Let’s see if I can successfully climb up the Great Wall and scream "Wo Ai Chung Guo!!" with China flag on my right hand, and my other hand will be on my chest..
Let’s see if I will cry whole-heartedly in front of the tombs..
Let’s see if my heroic spirit as a Chinese will come out after my China trip..

-Abbie-

First Day in 2009

2009-01-01T13:34:00.012+08:00

Thursday, 1 Jan 09, 1.38pm at home

Happy New Year, my little diary!!
Today is the first day of the year 2009. The weather is very cold this morning. I started my day by waking up at 11.37am, had a cup of hot coffee and a banana, watched a Korean series "Happiness" episode 26 and now writing this diary. Not a good way to spend the first day of the year?

Yesterday night, me and my hubby went out to see fireworks at IFC after the Korean food buffet dinner with our friends. You see, the picture at the most left is the picture of IFC building before the fireworks started, this is the tallest building in HK, the building where Batman jumped off in his last movie. And, the picture at the most right is after the fireworks started with a BIG "2009" written on the building. There was countdown starting from 30 seconds with the digits written on that Batman building too! I joined the countdown from 10 seconds since I haven't learned number 11-30 in Cantonese. *How about pic in the center?* It's me and Ron in IFC mall after watching the fireworks, on the way home.

The fireworks also came out from the top of each tall buildings in HK. Nice view, isn't it? I think it would be nicer if we see it from far, from different island, where we can see the combination of the sea view, the buildings, and the fireworks. But, we did consider about how to get home after that, so we just watched it on the HK island itself.

It was a sweet experience to witness Old & New in HK, together with thousands of HK people. I do enjoy my life here although some complaints come out sometimes unavoidably.

Thanks God for all the things that happened in the year 2008 and thanks God in advance for the good things that will happen in the year 2009! Another life journey is about to start..

-Abbie-

Last Day Diary of 2008

2008-12-30T22:09:00.004+08:00

Tuesday, 30 Dec 08, at 22.10pm at home

Hello diary,
Actually I planned to write diary tomorrow in the office on 31st Dec 2008 but something happened today in the office so I have to write my last diary of the year today. You know what happened in the office today? Suddenly there was an announcement that there will be new seating arrangement for my team starting tomorrow! *What does the new seating arrangement have something to do with writing diary on the last day of the year??* You know that I have a strategic seat in my office where nobody can see what I'm doing behind my desk, right? Now I have to give it up! My new seat will be so open, without partition, and at the second row from the front! So, you know what I mean, right? You know, you know, it's not so polite to write diary (even just a little diary) during working hours. Talking about 'the second row from the front', suddenly I remembered my school days when my seat had been moved by my teacher to the front seat because I played 'cross-circle' too much till I forgot that I had to listen to the lecture, till I felt that the lecture was disturbing my concentration playing that cross-circle thing. Do you know what cross-circle game is? Hmm.. how to describe? It's a kampung version of sudoku.

I guess today will be my last day writing diary in the year of 2008. This is the first time I'm still able to write diary on the last day of the year. This is also the first time I'm still working on the last day of the year. Now I know how it feels.. it feels like New Year Eve is just another day but I'm still so excited to welcome the new year because year 2009 will be the year of my new phase of life! *What new phase of life?*

Tomorrow I'll be having dinner with my hubby and some other Indonesian friends at a buffet Korean restaurant in Causeway bay. I like Korean food soooo much, especially the BBQ one. I'm glad that I was still standing strong at the last Xmas buffet so my hubby still can ask me to have another buffet this time. Yeehaa! Diary, please remind me not to wear something too tight tomorrow morning. I also wanna see the Hongkong version of counting down event tomorrow at Times Square. Lucky that I managed to learn numbers in Cantonese because I don't want to be the only one screaming 'Happy New Year!!' when actually they have not finished the counting. I also don't want to be the only person who is still counting down with my electronic dictionary when other people have already been busy with screaming 'Happy New Year!', shaking hand, and hugging each other.

Ahh, I forgot to tell you my massage experience in Shenzhen! Ok, I tell you now in short because the title actually doesn't match this massage story *Who cares about the title??* You don't care, but I care! Anyway, my Shenzhen trip was good. I experienced a different life, I was served like a king/queen. Even there was somebody who gave me body scrub and apply the milk and honey to my whole body. Then, I went straigt to the steam (sauna) room to get the skin moisturized. After that, we were served with fruits and drinks. At night before sleep, I had 1.5 hours of full body massage till I fell asleep. OMG! I never had this kind of body treatment before for almost 28 years of my life. So, now I can feel that my body is lighter, whiter, cleaner, and... *slimmer?* I'm now ready to welcome 2009!

Have to sleep now.. see you next year, diary!
...and Happy New Year! ^_^

-Abbie-

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T17:18:00.007+08:00

Friday, 26 Dec 08, 5.18pm at home

Merry Christmas, my little Diary!!

Finally Christmas has come and passed. Yesterday I had Xmas dinner with my hubby's uncle's big family at Harbour City. It's very nice place to spend Xmas with the harbour view and the santa and all the food there. Unfortunately I ate too much last night, I ate lots of baby octopus, I don't know how many head of octopus I had eaten, till I had a hangover of seafood! I felt like I was going to black out, my whole body was so cold, my eyes couldn't see clearly, my voice was 'bindeng'. What made me strong was a whisper from my hubby, not a romantic whisper, not a love whisper, not an encouragement whisper, but a whisper of "Don't fall down, don't embarrass me, I promise I will never ask you out for a buffet dinner again if you fall down this time". So, I was still standing till the party was over. Ha Ha Ha!

Anyway, for the last few days, my hubby loves to drink ronde. He bought the ronde from supermarket and he made his own ramuan of the soup with water, ginger, and the sugar. I can't believe that he has this hidden talent as an 'abang ronde'. He made the ronde for me on Xmas eve, on Xmas day, and on boxing day. Three days in a row we ate ronde! Here is my Xmas White Ronde in 2008! ^_^

Diary, I'm going to Shenzhen now to have a massage. I'll tell you my story in Shenzhen once I'm back. Please pray for me that I will get the pigeon hole (the room for sleeping) and warm blanket tonight.
See you diary..

-Abbie-

p.s I don't get Xmas tree in the exchange gift last time, but I got cups set, socks, and a flower! 3-in-1 package, isn't it sweet? :)

X'mas Exchange Gift Today!

2008-12-23T09:37:00.002+08:00

Tuesday, 23 Dec 08, 9.38am in office

Morning morning diary!
Today is the last day, tomorrow I'll have a X'mas holiday till Sunday! Yipeee... but Monday I still have to go back to work, grrr..! This will be my first time to be still working during X'mas and New Year. Usually I always took leave before X'mas and returned after New Year. That's good, new experience in life, right?

Today there's a X'mas party in my office for my team. There will be a X'mas gift exchange too! I've prepared my gift. Yesterday I spent hours to get the gift. You know what I wish for X'mas. I hope that I'll get a X'mas tree, I already change my nickname in my msn "I wish I'll get a X'mas tree". My colleagues all are using msn, hopefully there's someone who's touched to give me a X'mas tree. In my previous post when I mentioned about X'mas tree, none's touched, none commented, hiks.. I really wish I'll get a X'mas tree! I'll choose the biggest and the longest box later..

I'll tell you what I get.. Please pray for me, diary.. ^_^

-Abbie-

My New Mini Stove

2008-12-18T14:03:00.007+08:00

Thursday, 18 Nov 08, 2.03pm in office

Hi again diary,
Today’s work is not as busy as last week so I have time to do my own things. You know, works all come at the same time and go at the same time too, like a group of birds that transmigrates to another place when winter comes.

Anyway, today I just want to share with you that I have finally invented a good formula how to be a good wife who takes care of husband during a busy time. Last time I didn’t realize that this method would work so well. You know what? I just bought a mini stove! A mini stove that can be put on the dining table! We managed to do BBQ using this mini stove last weekend and it really saved my time a lot since I didn’t have to prepare for the ingredients and didn’t have to stay alone-so-lonely in the kitchen to cook. My hubby was also happy as he didn’t need to listen to my ‘weekend ritual’. And the greatest thing is, he was so happy grilling the meat till he didn’t realize that he was the one cooking for me, not the other way around! He was so happy because he had a new experience of life and he had a romantic dinner too! I was so happy too! You know, I was so much happier than him! Again, as pepatah says “sekali teplok, dua kodok ketangkep”. This is not cheating, ok! It’s called maximization and capitalization. I will try cooking soup-so-called-shabu2 using that mini stove this weekend.

Yesterday when I was washing the dishes in the kitchen after dinner, my hubby came in while bringing a glass of white wine on his hand. We chatted about this and that and finally came into an encouragement topic.
Ron: “You should never give up, keep trying till you get what you want”
Me: “Like you?” [still washing dishes]
Ron: “Yes, like me. I never gave up chasing you and finally I got you, rite?” [putting his hand on my shoulder]
Me: “Well, there’s reason why I accepted you”
Ron: “I tell you honestly. Actually I also have reason why I married you” [with serious face]
Me: “Hueh??? What’s your motive??” [stopped washing dishes]
Oh diary! I wanted to scare him only. Nothing else. I regretted that I started this type of conversation. He might be wanting to tell me what’s really in his heart for years now.
Ron: “You don’t need to know. What you need to know is I married you”
Me: “I need to know!! Tell me! Tell me!!” [Now I know how that dragon lady felt]
Ron: “The reason is….” [stepped out from the kitchen, leaving me alone in the kitchen]
Me: “What????” [I was so nervous waiting for his answer]
Ron: “The reason is…. because I love you!” [laughing so BIG!!]
Me: “I don’t believe you! Tell me, Tell me, Tell me!” [….following him out of the kitchen]
*Hey, what did you expect to hear from him??* I am writing it here because I want to remember this moment forever.

-Abbie-

X'mas Tree

2008-12-18T09:40:00.005+08:00

Thursday, 18 Dec 08, 9.42am in office

Morning my diary..
Today I woke up a lil bit fresher than yesterday because I turned to bed earlier, around 11pm last night. But still, I'm not a morning person at all, I complain a lot every morning. My hubby treats it like 'morning ritual' so he can just ignores me. Yeah, we know each other better and better every day.

As I said, X'mas decorations are everywhere, including my apartment! This is the picture of my apartment's lobby. There is a big X'mas tree!

What I always dream for X'mas is having a X'mas tree at my home so that I can decorate my X'mas tree the way I want it to be. What I always wish to Santa is to give me a X'mas tree. What I always tell my friend when there's X'mas gift exchange is I want a X'mas tree, small one will do. Still, I don't have a X'mas tree at my home until now. I love X'mas tree so much. But I love orange tree with red packets (hongpao) hanging on the tree more than X'mas tree. Be realistic lah, if I have orange tree (with the hongpao of course), I can use the money to buy X'mas tree! As pepatah says: "sekali tapuk dua lalat kegeplak" or "sekali dayung dua pulau terlampaui" or "sekali makan dua piring sekalian".

Anyway, I'm happy that I have a X'mas tree in my apartment, although it's in the lobby. It's ok, better than nothing at all, right? ^_^

-Abbie-

p.s please feel free to send me X'mas tree if your heart is moved to give me a X'mas tree. Please feel free.. please don't hesitate.. please listen to your heart's voice carefully.. please.. pleaseee..!

New Roster

2008-12-13T22:04:00.006+08:00

Saturday, 13 Dec 08, 22.04pm at home

Happy Saturday, diary..

Below is my new roster:
- Friday nite: clean home
- Saturday morning: wash clothes
- Saturday afternoon: do my own business (it's really my own business, ok? not the menikyur, pedikyur, kukyur2 girl's business)
- Saturday evening: dine-out and groceries shopping day
- Saturday night: 'selonjor' time!
- Sunday morning: go to church (please take note, there's no more badminton)
- Sunday afternoon: cooking!!
- Sunday evening: iron clothes
- Sunday night: 'selonjor' time!

Now is Saturday evening and you must now what I was up to just now. Yes, I was just back from my dinner. Every Saturday I always have sushi dinner at the restaurant near my home lately. *Why always sushi?* Yes! Exactly! That's exactly what I wanna ask 'why always sushi?'. It's because my hubby likes sushi so much, no, no, he likes wasabi so much. He can't eat chilli, but he eats wasabi as if there is no tomorrow. So, for the last 3 weeks he always nagged me to eat sushi every Saturday. Well, we seldom ate sushi when we were in Japan, now we eat sushi once a week. That's human. We miss what we don't have, we ignore what we have.

Just recently I realised that there's a big difference between dating life and marriage life when it comes to Saturday-night-dinner.
- Dating life: the couple are busy with talking, holding hands sambil cekakak cekikik senyum dikulum, drinking the hot tea malu2, and also busy cleaning teeth with toothpick (always scared if there's a small piece of red chilli hanging happily on the tooth). The topic of conversation is about 'you and me' and 'me and you' and 'us'.
- Marriage life: the couple are busy enjoying the food or waiting for the food to come or complaining to the waiter if the food hasn't come yet. The hot tea and the toothpick will only be touched when they finish eating. The main topic of conversation is about the food and the waiters and the restaurant.

My hubby is now busy studying for the finance HK regulatory exam. He has been preparing for the exam since last month and the test will be next week. He has to pass the exam in order to be able to work in HK. Yeah, I know, I can't disturb him now, I am also scared to be so near to him because I don't want to accidentally clumsily knock his head.

Diary, now it's already late at night. You can refer to my roster what I do on Saturday night, right? Yes, it's time for me to 'selonjor'!

Nitezzz, diary..

-Abbie-

p.s 'selonjor' is laying down on the bed or sofa with both legs straight. *Haiya, you describe it using difficult words. 'Selonjor' means rest lah!* Oh yess! Rest, yes, rest!

Christmas 2008 is Coming!

2008-12-09T12:58:00.007+08:00

Tuesday, 9 Dec 08, 12.58pm in office

Hi my little diary!!
It's been long time since my last diary.. I miss you! *I miss you too!* The last few weeks were busy days for me, both at home and in office. At home, I was so busy preparing meals, cleaning home, taking care of hubby, and doing my own business. Remember? I'm still doing my own business now and it's even getting busier than before. I'll soon reveal it once it's ready, just hang on. In office, I was busy with... blogging?? Ehem, you know better than me. I was in the process of adjusting to my current lifestyle. I had been thinking hard to discover how to automatize my two roles; be a good housewife and be a good working woman too, with my limited 24-hours-in-a-day of time. And now I have reached into a conclusion, I have invented a very important formula, which is, I can't do well in both areas at the same time.. Sorry if I disappoint you, I still can't give the formula that you expected me to come out with.

Now is lunch time. Situasi kantor masih seperti biasanya, mister j masih juga makan dengan style uniknya, cewek2 yg lain masih juga duduk bergerombol ngerumpiin hal2 yg aku nggak ngerti dengan bahasa dewa mereka, beberapa cowok kepo juga masih suka mengintip2 layar monitor orang kalo pas jam makan siang termasuk ngintip layar monitorku sekarang! Hey, aku butuh privacy! Udah lama banget aku nggak nulis blog, baru sekali ini aja nulis di kantor (di bulan ini maksudnya) udah diintip2 gitu, gak seru ah. Tadi juga ada temen cewekku ngajak aku jalan2 ke mall abis makan, aku menjawabnya dengan jawaban ngambang sambil haha-hihi, biarin aja kalo mungkin dia ngira aku sejenis alien blo'on yg kuper. Aku butuh waktu pribadiku sendiri dong! My diary is missing me, aren't you diary? Selama beberapa minggu ini aku udah entertain dia tiap kali lunch time dengan makan bersama, jalan2 bersama, ngobrol bersama, sampe gak terasa skg udah bulan December nih! Gak terasa udah ampir new year, udah ampir taon 2009. Gak terasa umurku udah ampir nambah 1 th lagi, eh salah, gak terasa umurku udah ampir berkurang 1 th lagi! Gak terasa badanku mulai melar lagi akibat musim dingin.. gak terasa rambutku makin menipis lagi akibat... emm.. melarnya badanku mengakibatkan melarnya batok kepalaku juga kah?

Hey diary.. I learnt some new Cantonese words! At least now I can count numbers, I can say "I" and "you", I can say "good morning", "thank u", and "sorry", and the impressive thing is; I can listen to what they say (but I don't understand)! Isn't it so good improvement?

Anyway, Christmas is coming! Christmas decorations are already all over the city! HK is so nice at night, every time I cross the tunnel from Kowloon-HK at night, I can see colorful buildings every where! Every morning, I also can see colorful things every where! Hmm, it's jemuran.. Still, HK is so colorful during the Xmas season!! I will go nowhere in Xmas, I'll just stay in HK quietly, peacefully, faithfully, without complaint, enjoying the colorful pemandangan every night and day.. till new year comes, till they remove all the Xmas colorful decorations.. I'll still be here in HK, enjoying the only colorful decorations in the morning with smiles.. I'll still be here.. [taking a deep breath] yes, I'll still be here.. Full stop. Arghhh... GRrrrrRRRrr...!! *Did I hear you said "without complaint" just now?* I didn't complain, I was just GRrrrrRRrr-ing!

Ok, time to get back to work now..
See you, diary..

-Abbie-

In The Residence of Dragon

2008-11-21T11:59:00.004+08:00

Friday, 21 Nov 08, 12.00pm in office

Hi again, diary..
I was just back from washroom. I met that auntie again, not the auntie who sells siu mai, oww please! I met the auntie who cleans the washroom. Few days ago when I washed my glass and my hands, that auntie was mopping the floor beside me. Accidentally I dropped some water on the floor when I was reaching tissues. And I was so shocked when that auntie suddenly.....

Auntie: “!@#$%^&*()$%^&*!” [pointing at the floor with one hand, holding the mop’s stick on her other hand]
Me: “.....” [Looking at her, looking at the floor, looking at her again, I didn't understand what she was talking about]
Auntie: “#$%&*((^^$#$^&]!!” [getting angrier, she was pointing me by using her mop’s stick]
Me: “.....” [Looking at the floor, smiling at her, nodding my head signaling that I understand, at that time I understood that she was angry because I made the floor wet]
Auntie: “@#%*()*^$%#@!!!!” [I could see her face slowly changed to red and some fire started coming out from her. She thought that I was trying to make a joke of her, I was really not!]
Me: “Diu? Diu… pat? Diu em chui? em chiu?” [with soft voice, trying to remember how to say 'I am sorry' in Cantonese. I know “Dui bu chi” in mandarin means I’m sorry. But in Cantonese, I guess ‘Dui’ in Cantonese should be ‘Diu’, I know ‘Bu’ in Cantonese is ‘Pat’ or “Em”, ‘Chi’ is what? ‘Chiu’? ‘Chui’??]
Auntie: “!@#$%^&*())_!@#$%^&*()!!!!!!!!! [she completely had turned to a female dragon with fire coming out from her nose, buzzzzz...]
Me: “.....” [left the washroom].

Just now, I entered the washroom again by carrying my glass. I was about to wash my glass when that female dragon suddenly entered the washroom in the shape of human. As soon as she saw me, she spoke to me with her dragonly language again, something like "ji shi" or something like that. She still looked upset. I put my glass outside then I went into one of the toilet cubicles in rush, waited inside there till she left. I was scared of her. She didn’t give me chance to repent for my sin, hiks..

-Abbie-

New Meal Style

2008-11-21T09:22:00.002+08:00

Friday, 21 Nov 08, 9.22am in office

Good Morning diary,

Usually for breakfast, I bring some bread or cake from home and I have it in office. I like having breakfast and drinking hot coffee slowly in the morning while checking my email or browsing the Internet (or blogging?). I’m having my coffee now and I just had my breakfast, a real heavy breakfast! You know what? Starting yesterday, my breakfast style has been slightly changed. I don’t bring breakfast from home anymore because I want to taste what the real HK breakfast is like. So, I bought breakfast at a shop near my office. Yesterday, I bought Siu Mai and Jeong Fan which made them cost HK$10. The portion was just nice for my morning stomach. Today, the Siu Mai was finished, only left the Jeong Fan. I don’t understand Cantonese but I could at least understand when the auntie said “Siu Mai wan le, wan le”. I was so disappointed because I just had a ‘fun breakfast’ yesterday but there is no more fun breakfast today hiks.. The auntie asked me “Jeong fan, 5 khuai jien? 10 khuai jien?”. So I said, “10 khuai!!” with super confident. I thought $10 portion is my morning stomach portion but it turned out to be sooo much because the price of Jeong Fan is much cheaper than the Siu Mai. Fyi, Jeong fan is the long-white-transparent-skin kind of dimsum but with empty filling, and there are some (at least 4) sauces and sesame seeds on top of it. So, it’s very ‘eneg’ if you have it too much. Next time I’ll buy $5 of jeong fan if there is no more siu mai. It’s a good lesson to learn, don’t be ‘nggeragas’!

For dinner, this is usually what I do. For simple meal (e.g fried egg, fried instant chicken drumstick, instant noodle), I can cook just after I reach home from work because my husband is still able (read: he has no choice other than) to wait. But for medium-level-of-complicated meal, I usually prepare the necessary ingredients a night before and cook it again on the N-night. My husband is also willing (read: standing in front of my kitchen door with yelling-stomach but he has no choice other than) to wait. For high-level-of-complicated-meal, I usually cook on weekend, put it in the fridge, and reheat it over and over again, and we can have it for the first 2 or 3 days after weekend depending on the “food quality”. My husband is so nice because he will happily eat the same meal for 2-3 days (read: quietly eat with no comment, but his meal portion is getting smaller and smaller from day 1 to day 3). Yea, I agree with you, I also pity him; I’m a very understanding wife, am I not? That’s why I give him these 3 options for his dinner menu “Which level of meal complicatedness do you want me to cook for you?” Again, he’s so sweet by answering my question “Up to you, for me it’s all the same” with no-expression face. Is there any hidden meaning from his answer?

Of course I’m more understanding than that. I also offer him option 4; for instant and fast meal, I ask him to have dinner near his office or take-away some food and eat it at home. But he’s tired of having the oily-pork-Chinese food all the time. So, it’s not my fault, is it?

-Abbie-

Pictures of HK Apartment

2008-11-17T10:09:00.005+08:00

Monday, 17 Nov 08, 10.11am in office

Morning diary,
Finally yesterday I managed to take some pictures of my little cute apartment after doing my weekly cleaning. ^_^

-Abbie-

Me [x] Bus

2008-11-14T17:28:00.006+08:00

Friday, 14 Nov 08, 5.37pm in office

Hello gello bello, my diary..
This is my picture with my colleagues when there was a bday celebration yesterday. Sekarang pertanyaanya adalah, yg manakah mister J?

Today I had lunch outside. When I came back, aku ngliat si dia lagi berdiri sandaran papan penyekat dengan 2 tangan di atas penyekat dan dagunya diletakkan di atas kedua tangannya, sambil senyum2 pula! Dia terus berdiri di situ, menguping pembicaraan 3 cewe di balik papan penyekat sampai 3 cewe itu bubar ke meja mereka masing2. Now I got the answer of the matter I was wondering last time. That is his ‘lunch-discussion’ style!

Enough about his life, now let’s talk about mine. Now I always take the direct bus from my home to office. The reasons are because I’m lazy to transfer to MTR and because I want to save money. The bus takes about 1 hour. What I’m talking about is not about how long it takes to take me to office. Now I’m more concerned about my stomach. My stomach is so uncomfortable recently after riding on the bus. The uncomfortable feeling has not disappeared in the morning and I still have to ride on the bus again. I sat on the lower deck of the bus, I saw people coming in and going out all the time, it made me dizzy. I sat on the upper deck, it gave me feeling like flying. I sat on the front row, I felt like riding a roller coaster because I had to wear my seat belt and it was quite a tense experience since the bus has no “moncong”. I sat on the last row, it was the worst! I think I have turned to be a crab that can only walk to the side, not to the front. I will try to sit “miring” on the bus in the future.

Tonight I will have a BBQ with my colleagues at a ‘Far Far Away’ place. The place is around 1 hour from my office. Yea yea you’re right, my home is 1 hour from office, that means ‘Far Far Away’ place is near my home?? A big NO!! That place is on the opposite direction from my home!! Ok, it’s ok, I’ll just need to be ‘munek-munek’ for another 1 hour. I think this is the only way to get me slimmer. Thanks God for Your creative method!

Have a great weekend, diary! ^_^

-Abbie-

Si Jay

2008-11-12T13:02:00.007+08:00

Wednesday, 12 Nov 08, 1.04pm in office

Hi diary,
Sekarang baru istirahat jam makan siang. Aku baru aja menyelesaikan makan siangku. Dua hari kemarin aku keluar makan bersama temen2 sekantorku tapi hari ini mereka pada memesan makanan dari luar kemudian makan bersama-sama di kantor. Jadi, aku pun memesan makan siangku.

Ada 1 hal yang membuatku terkekeh-kekeh siang ini. Kemarin siang, setelah aku kembali ke kantor lagi dari makan siang dengan temanku, aku bertanya basa-basi kepada 1 teman kantorku, sebut saja Mr. J. Dia orang yg sangat kalem dan pendiam.
Me: "Udah makan siang?"
Mr. J: "Udah"
Me: "Makan apa?"
Mr. J: "Oh, aku bawa makanan dari rumah hari ini karena ada hal yang aku perlu diskusikan dengan teman2 yang laen, jadi kami makan bersama-sama di kantor"
Me: "Oh, ok"

Tidak ada hal yang aneh, kan? Iya, memang itu suatu percakapan biasa. Aku juga tidak mencurigainya sama sekali kemarin sampai siang ini. Hari ini Mr. J juga membawa kotak makan siangnya lagi. Pada saat kami makan bersama-sama, Mr. J membuka kotak makan siangnya yang imut dan kemudian dia duduk di mejanya sendiri. Mejanya terpisahkan oleh sebuah penyekat setinggi kurang lebih 1.5m dari tempat kami makan bersama-sama. Penyekat itu membuat Mr. J (dalam keadaan duduk) tidak bisa melihat ke dalam ruang di mana kami makan.

Satu hal yang membuatku terimpress dengan kegigihan Mr. J untuk turut join dalam conversation kami dengan tenang adalah dia rela untuk mendongakkan kepalanya dan mengangkat kotak makanannya (yang imut) ke dekat dagunya (untuk bisa tetap makan) untuk mengintip apa yang terjadi di ruang makan dengan sesekali 1 tangan berpegang pada penyekat untuk mempermudah acara pengintipannya. Pada saat percakapan kami sedang seru2nya, dia juga tak mau ketinggalan segera berdiri (tak lupa tetap membawa kotak makanannya ke dekat dagunya) untuk tetap menyimak percakapan kami dengan sesekali ikut tersenyum. Sekarang acara makan siang bersama sudah selesai, beberapa orang sudah kembali ke meja mereka masing2 tapi masih ada beberapa orang yang tetap ngobrol di sana. Mau tau apa yg dilakukan Mr. J sekarang? Dia berdiri, dengan satu tangan bersandar pada penyekat, satu tangan memainkan mouse computernya, pandangannya terus beralih-alih dari layar computer ke ruang makan. Dia tetap tidak ingin ketinggalan gosip. Dia benar2 dapat menghayati profesinya sekarang sebagai seorang yang bekerja di bidang marketing.

Sekarang aku bertanya-tanya dalam hati, apakah itu yg terjadi dengan Mr. J kemarin siang? Itukah yang dia maksud dengan "Oh, aku bawa makanan dari rumah hari ini karena ada hal yang aku perlu diskusikan dengan teman2 yang laen, jadi kami makan bersama-sama di kantor"??

Kalau Mulan Jameela adalah makhluk Tuhan paling sexy, Mr. J sungguh makhluk Tuhan paling imut.

-Abbie-

Mulai Kerja!!

2008-11-11T10:40:00.004+08:00

Tuesday, 11 Nov 08, 10.40am in office

Hi Diary,
Hari ini aku terpaksa menulis diary dengan bahasa Indonesia karena ini menyangkut orang2 yang disangkut dan yang tersangkut. Sejak kemarin aku mulai masuk kerja. Teman2 di sini baik2, lokasi tempat dudukku lumayan strategis, nomer 2 dari belakang, dan ada penyekatnya di samping dan di belakangku jadi orang laen tidak bisa melihat kalo aku lagi chatting atau blogging, kerjaanku juga kayaknya bakal exciting. Ah, moga2 aku bisa betah kerja lamaan di sini.

Kemarin aku datang tanpa bawa gelas dan sendok. Ada water dispenser, kulkas, dan microwave di dapur kantor tapi tanpa gelas aku tidak bisa minum. Seandainya itu di rumah, I don't mind minum pake tangan seperti kalo lagi kumur2 sikat gigi. Tapi ini di kantor, aku harus sedikit menjaga image, apalagi di hari pertama kerjaku. Di kantor ini, aku satu2nya orang Indonesia, dan satu2nya orang asing, jadi aku tidak boleh memberi kesan bahwa orang Indonesia suka makan dan minum langsung pake tangan!

Hari ini hari keduaku, aku sudah membawa gelas sendiri dari rumah, plus sendok plastik. Aku tidak boleh mengaduk gelasku dengan "sendok naturalku" yaitu jari telunjukku. I told you, aku tidak ingin memberi kesan bahwa orang Indonesia suka kemproh2an pake tangan! Pagi ini, aku bawa gelasku warna hijau terang ke dapur kantor, aku membuat kopi. Aku masukkan 1 sendok kopi, 1/4 sendok krim, dan mana gulanya?? Aku tidak bisa menemukan gula dimana-mana! Pada saat yg sama, teman sekerjaku masuk ke dapur dan menyapaku. Dia juga membawa gelas putihnya yang bertuliskan "Coffee", mengisinya dengan air putih kemudian mengajakku ngobrol. Aku tidak bisa memperlihatkan gelasku yang tanpa gula. Aku pura2 hendak mengisi gelasku dengan air panas dari water dispenser dengan harapan dia segera beranjak pergi. Namun, dia masih dengan asyiknya mengajakku ketawa-ketiwi tidak mau pergi. Jadi, aku benar2 mengisi gelasku dengan air! Setelah gelasku penuh, aku baru sadar bahwa air yang kutuangkan itu air dingin! Bubuk kopi dan bubuk krimku mengapung tak karuan di dalam gelas hijau terangku. Aku berusaha keras untuk menyembunyikan apungan bubuk2 tersebut dengan sendok plastikku sambil tetap melayani obrolan temanku. Dan, pada saat yang bersamaan, pertanyaan yang paling kutakutkan terdengar dari mulut temanku "What are you making? Is that coffee?". Yea yea, aku harus mengakuinya bahwa itu kopi, aku tidak bisa mengelak bahwa itu adalah lemon tea atau jus jeruk dengan apungan bubuk2 itu. And I said "Yes!", pada saat bersamaan aku minum kopiku untuk menghilangkan apungan bubuk2 tadi, juga dengan harapan supaya gayaku ngobrol tampak lebih luwes. Kopiku rasanya benar2 "spectacular!" tapi aku harus tetap tersenyum di depannya. Dan kami beriringan berjalan menuju ke meja kami masing-masing dengan ayunan kaki yang kubuat selincah-lincahnya.

-Abbie-

First Night (INA)

2008-11-09T10:35:00.006+08:00

Sunday, 9 Nov 08, 10.35am at home

Good Sunday, diary!
From what I remember, this is the first time I write diary on Sunday this year. I seldom write diary on Sunday because usually my hubby was the one who used the computer and the Internet. My shift of using Intenet was only Monday to Friday, 8am to 7pm. That was my working hours, there was no service on Saturday and Sunday. The rest of the time was my husband's. But now, I can use Internet anytime for as long as I want! You know why? Because I've moved to my new apartment last nite! *So what??* Oh, I mean, my new apartment has a wireless network coverage so two laptops can have access to the Internet at the same time. I've become addicted to the Internet now.

Diary, I've shifted to my new apartment now! Yoohoo! Last nite was our first night in this new apartment. We slept so soundly last nite since we finally could sleep on our own precious bed and pillows. The last couple of days were really tiring days for me. Although the mover company helped to settle the things, I still had to unpack my personal items and put them nicely on the wardrobe. The only things I haven't done are ironing all the clothes, washing all the dishes, and buying some groceries.

My parents had gone back home now. And tomorrow I will start my first day of working in HK. There is an exciting as well as a nervous feeling. My home now is so much more comfortable than my Japan's home with all the Internet broadband and cable TV facilities but now I have to give up my occupation as a housewife. *What do you want?? You had been crying so hard to get a job, now you've found a job and you regret it??* NO!! I mean.. I mean.. ahh, you know what I mean, rite?

I can feel my lifestyle is starting to change. I don't know if I still have time to experience cooking for dinner. I don't know how to get food for breakfast. I don't know if Friday is still my groceries shopping day. I don't know if Wednesday is still my home cleaning day.

-Abbie-

p.s INA = In New Apartment

What's a real family?

2008-10-28T08:23:00.006+08:00

Tuesday, 28 Oct 08, 8.24am in MacDonnell Room

Morning morning, little diary..
The day after tomorrow, my parents will be here for one week. Yoohoo! I'm really looking forward to that day although I act cool like-nothing-happen on the outside. I don't know why, I still feel like a little child who needs comforts from parents. I really miss the warmness of the family when all the family members gather at home. People say that once we get married, we create a new family, a new small family of two. Yes, I have been married for one year and 3 months, but until now I still can't think that I have my own small family.

Whenever I think about 'family', the group I'm referring to is my family members in Solo, not us. When my pastor prayed for us before we left Japan "May God protect your family...", the first moment I caught was he was praying for our families in Solo, not us. Ok, now I noticed, I don't call my own small family with the term 'family', but I call it 'us'. Yes, it's just us. I know my life is great, it's really great; I have experiences to live in other countries, I have freedom to go to wherever I want and to do whatever I wish, I have enough money to buy whatever I need. But, human is never satisfied, human keeps searching for something that's missing. Yes, I'm missing something. I need that 'warmness', because I feel 'cold'. I need some 'dampness' because I feel 'dry'. I'm longing to have my own family, a real family, not just us.

I think this is the reason why I insisted to my hubby that I wanted to rent a bigger apartment, with proper dining table especially. I feel that a home should have a proper dining table. A home will look warmer with a dining table in it, it's a proof that people are eating there and they are living! A home is not a place for people to sleep in only. In my new apartment, there is already a dining table with 4 chairs. Since my apartment is quite small, my hubby wanted to take out 2 chairs. He thought that 2 chairs would be enough for us since only us staying in. I said NO!, I want to keep all the 4 chairs! 4 chairs make the home looks more like a home as if 4 people stay in that home. I know it's stupid and so funny, I also never thought that I would fall in love with dining table so much, but it shows that I really need that 'home warmness', desperately..

Hiks, what am I mumbling about now? I really wanted to start my diary with some good news and followed by my fun story on last weekend. But why it's ended up like this?? It's really not in my scenario! Who started this topic?? When did it start?? It really has spoiled my mood of the day already! Haiz.. Sorry diary, I'll tell you my last weekend story next time.

-Abbie-

A Sweet Sign

2008-10-23T19:20:00.009+08:00

Thursday, 23 Oct 08, 7.20pm in MacDonnell Room

Good evening my diary..
I just realised that I seldom write diary in the evening. These past few days I've been busy.. busy with.. busy with watching.. busy with watching Korean drama. The title is Women of the Sun. This drama is very touching, now you know me, rite? I won't be touched with a lovey-dovey drama anymore, I am only touched with drama that tells about love between sisters or mother to her child. Finally I finished the drama, just 30 minutes ago. Since my mood was not good after watching the drama, since my eyes were still in tears, I tried to stir my mood to do something more fun, and the only possible fun-thing that I could do was cooking! Yea, I know, I am such a boring person.

Tomorrow will be a busy day for me because I need to go to some places. There are reasons why I want to finish everything in one day, and not split them up in several days:
1. To save transport cost
2. To save make-up cost
3. To save contact lens cost since I'm wearing the daily disposable one.

Here is my tomorrow's schedule:
1. Go to immigration to collect my HK ID card.
2. Go to China embassy to collect our China visa.
3. Go to the bank to settle something.
4. Go to IKEA to buy some furniture
5. Go to my new office to sign an employment contract. Eh, have I told you that I got a job?

Yes, I just got a job last week and I will start working on Nov 10th after my parents go back to Indonesia again. I never predicted that I would find a job so soon, I know that God must be the one who worked behind the scene. One night before the interview, I was asking for a sign if this job was for me. On that night, we also had not decided on which apartment we were going to take but we were already eyeing for one apartment. So I was asking Him "If this job is for me, if that apartment is for me, let there be a direct bus from the apartment to the office. One bus will do". I was asking this kind of sign because the apartment is in Hong Kong island, the west side, the most west side of HK island where there is no MTR (subway). Whereas, the office is in Kowloon island, the east side, quite far away from HK island. So, I thought it's very unlikely that there was a direct bus which would depart from just in front of my apartment and stop just in front of my office. But, in fact, there is! There is only one direct bus. Amazing isn't it? So, on that night, I knew it; that apartment was for me and that job was also for me! And I really got that job and that apartment!! :D By the way, I will not take that direct bus to go to office because it will take forever to reach the office during the peak hour. I will just take bus and transfer to nearest MTR, it's faster this way. It's a sweet sign, anyway.

Thanks God, my life is moving on well.. and will still move on according to Your great plan!

See you again, diary..
...and have a nice sleep ^_^

-Abbie-

Badminton

2008-10-20T14:46:00.009+08:00

Monday, 20 Oct 08, 2.46pm in MacDonnell Road

How are you doing, diary?
You know what? My whole body is aching now. I can't walk properly, I have to use double energy to get up from bed or sofa, I can't flush the toilet using my right hand. It is all because I played badminton yesterday. It's been a long time since the last time I played badminton. Ron also complained when he woke this morning that his body all aches but he still has to go to office to work. And me, I can just stay at home, and be lazy for as long as I want. I thank God that I'm a housewife in the case like this. How wonderful life is when we don't need to go thru a blue-mondai-Monday, agree? This is the picture when we were about to go out for badminton. We were wearing same shirts, cute isn't it? We were still happily posing with no idea how painful our bodies would be after that.. We will be playing badminton every Sunday morning from now on. Remember diary, that's our activity on Sunday morning, ok?

We can dress up like athletes, we can walk like athletes, we can hold the rackets like athletes. The only slight difference is; athletes won't take picture in front of the mirror and rice cooker. *Can you guys play badminton like athletes too?* SShhhh!! Don't raise that subject!

-Abbie-

Kei Pho Na Khan

2008-10-17T08:46:00.005+08:00

Friday, 17 Oct 08, 8.46am in MacDonnell room

Morning lil diary,
Last night in my loneliness, I missed my niece and my nephew. I just suddenly miss them now. So, early in this morning, I opened their pictures and I wanted to upload them here.

These below pictures are me with my nephew, Owen Lee. This moment was the first time I met him, the first time I carried him. These pictures were taken on the first day I arrived in Solo, at my home in Solo. Isn't he so 'ipel-ipel'? His skin is so fair, he really resembles his dad.

Below pictures are my niece, Celine Lee. These photos were also taken on the first day I came at my home. You see, she was wearing pink Yukata! Yes, I bought her a yukata from Japan. Actually I also bought a yukata for Owen too, I regret that I had no chance to see Owen in Yukata. Celine was so happy and so genit in her Yukata. She's so pretty and genit, just exactly like her mom!

I miss them so much, oh my kei pho na khan (read: keponakan)!

-Abbie-

Journal of This Week

2008-10-15T08:23:00.000+08:00

Wednesday, 15 Oct 08, 8.23am in MacDonnell Room

Hello my diary,
I went to immigration on last Friday to apply for my identity card. I also have my mobile number now, yeeehaaa!! You know what, the mobile subscription here is very cheap! It is only around US$5 for a month and you can get 850 minutes call for free! 850 minutes!! Well, perhaps for some people 850 mins is not enough for one month, but for me who has no friend to call to in HK, 850 mins is really too much. I hope I can find cheaper plan with lower minutes but that is already the cheapest plan in this town. The amazing thing is, they have a special SMS package to Indonesia only! Wow, I have priviledge to be an Indonesian, finally..

Last Saturday, we continued our apartment hunting again. Honestly, apartment viewing activity is interesting. I really enjoyed it at first, but if we view too many apartments, then all the apartments look the same.

On Sunday, we went to church and got to know some friends. And yesterday we finally found an apartment that we both like, yoohoo!! We already signed the contract last night and we'll start moving in early November.

I have another news for you; my parents are coming end of this month!! Isn't it great? Then we are going to go to China mainland for a short trip. This will be my first trip to China, I never visited China in my life. China, here I'm coming...

My status now? I'm now starting to apply for jobs. Again, job hunting! I feel like dejavu. I have been repeating this process again and again, and still I can't find my 'jati diri' (identity). Or perhaps my 'jati diri' is to be a housewife?? That's why this time I won't expect too much to avoid a deep disappointment if I can't get a job here. If I have to be a housewife, so what? It's an honorable occupation, isn't it? But if possible, please give me a job, God. Pleaseeeeeee... *maksa-mode on*

-Abbie-

The Escalator

2008-10-09T08:35:00.009+08:00

Thursday, 9 Oct 08, 8.35am at MacDonnell Room

Good morning, my little diary..
This morning is such a bright morning! HK was always cloudy since I came, and today finally I can see HK more clearly under a strong sunshine. As you know, my current apartment has no windows, I mean it has windows, but I can't open them, so I can't dry my clothes outside. I have no choice, I just hang my clothes on the window since I really need to dry them. I think now I can understand why orang HK suka menjemur baju di jendela2 sehingga membuat pemandangan kota jadi terlihat seperti ehem.. seperti.. seperti itu. It's because they have no other choice! Rumah mereka bener2 kecil banget sampai balcony pun mereka gak punya!

Sabtu kemarin aku pergi liat2 apartment yang nggak ada balconynya, trus aku nanya sama si property agentnya "Gimana kita jemur bajunya?". Dia jawab "Well, there are 3 alternatives. Pertama, di situ ada jemuran baju (dia tunjukin jemuran baju tua di luar jendela, kalo mau njemurin harus melongokkan kepala ke luar dan ada resiko baju jatuh sampai ke lantai dasar untuk orang2 clumsy like me). Alternative kedua, beli mesin cuci yang udah ada dryernya. Alternative ketiga, beli jemuran baju yang berdiri, korbankan 1 ruangan untuk taruh itu jemuran, dan jemurlah pakaian di situ." Hiks. You know what, I tell you honestly now, concern pertama aku takut hidup di HK itu karena aku takut jemuran baju mereka!! You may laugh now. You may think I'm so unreasonable. Tapi bener2 jemuran baju mereka tuh mengerikannnn... rumah jadi terkesan berantakan, tua, kotor, dan horror! Kalo jalan-jalan di luar pun mesti sempet2in melongok ke atas, untuk jaga2 kalo ada ~~durian runtuh~~ baju jatuh. But I guess now I've been changed after my first week living here. I do the same now. Well, bathok (rumah) kura2 pun bertumbuh menyesuaikan tempatnya, begitu pula dengan cara pandang manusia, ya nggak?

Yesterday I went to post office to post some letters to Singapore. I took the hotel free shuttle bus. Hihihi.. I like free stuff. Near the post office, there is a supermarket too! I'm really happy to find a supermarket near my apartment which I can take free shuttle bus to. Isn't it so perfect? Well, actually the transport fee here isn't so expensive but free is still better than paying, rite?

After 1 week living in HK, I observe one difference between JP, HK, and Indo culture on how the people take the escalator.
In JP: they all stand on the left side, the right side is for those who want to walk up the escalator for quicker way.
In HK: they all stand on the right side, the left side is for those who want to walk up the escalator for quicker way.
In Indo: they all stand side by side, both left and right side. For those who want to walk up? Take a normal stair lah..

Talking about escalator, I remember one stupid thing happened to me when I was in Jakarta airport last week. It happened on the way from domestic airport to international airport, we had to take an escalator down. We saw one escalator and we just jumped onto it. But, the escalator was not moving! So my hubby who walked in front took the initiative to just walk down the escalator. I followed him. He had successfully finished his steps and was waiting for me who was still busy stepping down the escalator with my 9cm-high-heel-shoes. I had to make sure that my heels would not stuck in the small holes on each step of the the escalator because it happened many times before. So, I took my time walking down slowly by carrying my laptop bag on my hand and one plastic bag on my other hand.

But, unexpectedly, the escalator was suddenly on! I could feel it was moving! I still had 4 more steps to go. At first, I was happy that I didn't need to finish my steps, then suddenly I realized that it was moving up!! I was walking down and the escalator was moving up! Since it was just 4 steps to go, I put all my efforts to walk down faster but the escalator was running faster so I had to run faster too. I was so panic! I could hear voices from bapak2 porter airport yang duduk di samping escalator. They were cheerleading me "Ayo mbak, jalan lebih cepat lagi, lebih cepat lagi!" And another voice "Ati-ati mbak, nanti jatuh, sepatunya tinggi banget". And the other voice "Cepet dikit mbak, udah ampir sampai tuh." And some other voices like "Hiyaaa! Hiyaaa!" and "Ayo! Ayo!" and some bapak even stood up in front of me and tepuk tangan untuk menyemangatiku while I was still running down. I really wanted to see their faces and melemparkan pandangan mata sinisku ke mereka but I had to keep running, I had no time to even look at them. I was so embarrassed and I screamed at my husband who was standing downstair "Say, tolongin akuuuu!!" My hubby was just looking at me, dengan sesekali geleng2 kepala. I felt like a hamster who's running on the round wheel. And the bapak2 porter airport are like us who enjoy pemandangan hamster yang sedang lari2 dari luar kotak kaca dengan senyum2. Finally I finished my steps dengan diikuti sorakan si bapak2 "Hiyaa! Selamat mbak. Selamat mbak." I had no other choice than saying "Makasih" sambil senyum getir banget. I felt stupid. I felt clumsy. But it was totally not my fault, rite? Now I was wondering if one of the bapak2 itu dengan sengaja ngidupin escalatornya? Atau karena censor system escalatornya yang lagging? But why it happened just soon after my hubby finished his final step? Why only me became the victim?? Why my hubby is always able to maintain his charming image? And me always maintain my clumsy image?? It's not fair!

-Abbie-

Macau Trip

2008-10-06T10:32:00.007+08:00

Monday, 6 Oct 08, 10.32am at MacDonnell Room

Hi again diary,
Ron started his first day of working in HK today. This is the first time we stay apart from each other since we arrived in HK. We didn't have mobile number few days ago so we're really afraid to stay apart and to be lost in this new island like Tao Ming Tse and San Chai and accidentally lost our memory and bye bye forever. So, we even took turn to go to public toilet while the other of us waited outside the toilet. It happened once when we both went to public toilet together; when I went out to look for Ron, he wasn't around! I walked here and there to look for him, searched each of the shops near the toilet, still I couldn't find him. I was so scared, but I waited for him in front of the toilet for few minutes with angry face. And he came by bringing a restaurant's brochure from upstairs. And me wasn't angry anymore since he took me to eat.

Yesterday I managed to go to Macau to activate our visa, the Asia Las Vegas! We took ferry from HK to Macau. It was a quite heavy raining and typhoon yesterday so our boat was not sailing smoothly. We definetely chose a wrong day to sail. Ron spent almost the whole 1 hour trip by puking in the toilet. He should ask for half price ferry ticket refund since he was not using his seat. Me? I spent almost the whole 1 hour trip by sleeping soundly and tightly on my comfortable seat.

Arriving in Macau, we missed our city tour bus. Then, we took a public bus. That was our first time going to Macau, we really didn't know anything! Before we got onto the bus, I already confirmed the destination with the bus driver then we confidently took that bus. 30 minutes passed by, we were still not sure which stop we had to get down till finally the bus reached its final terminal then we knew that we had to get down from the bus. Celingak here, celinguk there, then we took another bus to go to our destination, Senado square. This time, we were sitting on the front row. I also asked the bus driver to let us know when it's time to get down. We managed to go to Senado Square! I'm really proud of myself although it took me 2 bus rounds to reach there.

It was a raining day.. we managed to eat their famous Portugesse egg tart and took some pictures there. Then, we took free shuttle bus to one of the hotel casino, called The Venetian Macao Resort Hotel. I was in Macau so I had to see one of their casinos, rite?

In front of the the St Paul's Ruins, In the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel.

This hotel is very luxurious, with its European Majestic look, and its Venice-city-replica. When I was in Macau, I felt like I was in Batman movie with all the big gorgeous shinning buildings around me. Many times I told Ron "Bener-bener kayak di film Batman ya". Perhaps you don't understand what I'm talking about, how can Macau be a Batman movie, rite? I understand that, because Ron also didn't understand what I was talking about although he was there!

When I was back to HK again in the evening, I felt like I was returning home from my journey to a new place. Suddenly I became familiar with HK although HK itself is also still very new to me. Whatever it is, it's a good feeling to feel that HK is like my home now, or it's because I've no other choice now? Anyway, we have our visa now so I can subscribe a mobile phone's plan now.

Diary, I need to go out to buy rice cooker and iron now. I prefer to cook and eat at home now. It's not that I've become like 'ibu2' who likes to cook so much! It's because it's very troublesome to find food near my apartment, it's also not healthy to eat outside all the time, rite? Ok ok, I admit that I've becomed an old auntie who likes to shop at supermarket who wears apron all the time, who likes to cook and prepare dinner for husband at home, satisfied now??

See you diary..

-Abbie-

MacDonnell Apartment

2008-10-06T10:02:00.005+08:00

Monday, 6 Oct 08, 10.02am at MacDonnell Room

Hellow diary,
These are the pictures of my current apartment. I'll be staying here for the next one month before I move to my real apartment.

Currently, I'm busy with the settling down issues, like searching for new apartment, finding nearest supermarket and places to eat, trying to figure out the bus route, buying this and that. Last Saturday I went to see around 8 apartments with our property agent. Some look good, but we still have to see more to decide.

Living in HK is not bad. It's not as scary as I thought. Well, at least I can communicate with them now with my oral language, not by my body language, so it's easier for me now. The living cost here is also much much cheaper if compared to Tokyo's living cost. The people here work very fast, that's what I like most about Chinese people. I'll seriously consider to live here for longer term. I don't like moving around, really..

-Abbie-

First Day in Hongkong

2008-10-03T11:15:00.007+08:00

Friday, 3 OCt 08, 12.15pm at MacDonnell Room

Hi Diary,
Finally I've arrived Hongkong last night. This is the first picture that we took in HK on the express train from airport to Hongkong city area. I'm now in my serviced apartment, browsing the Internet, trying to find out the bus route or MTR (train) route or whatever transportation for me to get out of this hotel. It's not an easy job, you know! I don't know the area here, I don't have a map, I don't know their nyap-yit-ngo-language. My hubby got his working visa issued few days ago, I also got my dependent visa issued too. So, today we'll need to go to Macau to get our visa activated. You know, we have to get out of this country and get in again. Haiz.. Let me continue my browsing again, diary.. I need to find out how to get to the Ferry Terminal to go to Macau today. Hopefully we won't get lost at nowhere later. By the way, I don't even know where Macau is. Is it part of China? Or Mongolia? Or Jengis Khan? Hiks.. I'm scared. I go where the wind blows. Anyway, you can actually see our scared-confused-faces from the above picture, rite?

-Abbie-

In Hotel...

2008-09-19T09:43:00.011+08:00

Friday, 19 Sep 08, 10.43am in hotel room

Morning diary..
Last night I couldn't sleep well again. Maybe because I'm not used sleeping in other place. I never imagined the hotel would be that great! I was kind of embarrassed last night. You know, I didn't take shower for the whole one day, I didn't put any make-up on my face, not even powder, so my face was kind of oily and the dark spots on my cheeks were so clear! I didn't comb my hair, not even once yesterday. I was wearing blue T-shirt, 3/4 jeans, and gray (the original color was white) shoes with one hole near my smallest toe. I was hugging a big paper bag of the leftover food from my apartment with my both hands. Can you imagine that? I was with Ron too but he was wearing his business outfit; long sleeves shirt and black pants and black shoes. I didn't realize that my appearance was that bad till I entered the lift and saw my own shadow on the mirror inside the lift. The lift was so elegant, so shining, so bright, but it got uglier suddenly because there was me in the lift! I looked so dirty, so ugly, so old, so ahjumma, so kampung! Two gentlemen took us to our room. I was even too ugly to be even standing beside the bell boys.. *_*#

Once I entered the room, I was so amazed! The bathroom is as big as my apartment's bedroom. I put the pictures here because this is the first time I stay in this kind of great hotel in my life! I didn't expect it because the hotel is arranged by the company. Perhaps this is also one of the reasons why I couldn't sleep well last night. I think I'm really being too kampungan now.

Before turning to bed, as usual, I took my contactlens off then suddenly I remembered something very very important. I forgot where I put my glasses! My thick grandma-like glasses!! With one contactlens still on, I was searching my bag, my luggages, everywhere but I couldn't find it. This morning, I just found out that my two SIM cards (Indonesia's and Singapore's SIM cards) were in my passport cover after searching them for like half day yesterday. So, I hoped that I could find my glasses in my food paper bag or in my soap/tooth paste bag but it was not in any of those. I have to go back to my apartment today to check. Hopefully it's still there. Or, is my glasses on the way to HK now? Oh please.. I thought I was smarter now that everything went smoothly this time. Hiks..

-Abbie-

Remembrance of Shinkawa Apartment

2008-09-18T16:40:00.005+08:00

Thursday, 18 Sep 08, 5.41pm at home

Hiii again diary!
That was not my last diary in Japan, I'm writing diary again now. I just finished my packing, cleaned my whole apartment, settled some changing address matters, bought tickets for my sofa disposal because nobody wants to take my sofa even for free, and here I'm now, writing diary again, in my empty apartment, with no table, and no chair. I only need internet connection and computer to write diary. Now I'm sitting on the floor, leaning on my spoiled sofa (yang giginya tinggal satu sekarang, aku tunggu giginya yang tinggal satu kok nggak copot2 juga), I put my laptop on a box in front of me.

Honestly, I have not taken shower since yesterday night. I planned to take shower after everything's been packed but I forgot one theory; once everything's been packed, that means my soap and towel have also already been packed. So I decided to take shower later in the hotel. What am I doing now? I'm waiting for the buyers of my washing machine, microwave, rice cooker, and curtains to come at 7pm.

Now I'm enjoying the last moment in this apartment. Apartment which has been a mute witness of my happy and sad days in the last 14 months. Apartment which has been our first home since we got married. Many stories happened in this apartment. Now I'm looking at my empty apartment, I remembered the first moment when I came into this apartment. It was as empty as now, it was as clean as now, it was as quiet as now. Only one big difference, my feeling! One year ago, I was so excited when I first came into this apartment, I was so excited to unpack my things, to arrange my photos here and there, and most importantly, I was so ready to experience my first year of my marriage life. Now, one year has passed, I had to pack all of my things again. There is always sad and happy feeling when we leave one place to go to another place, rite? I'm sad now that I'm leaving this place, this apartment especially. I don't know if I'll be able to go to Japan anymore for the rest of my life. Will I get excited after my arrival in my next apartment?

Anyway, bye bye my Shinkawa Apartment..

-Abbie-

Moving Day

2008-09-18T08:47:00.005+08:00

Thursday, 18 Sep 08, 9.48am at home

Hello again diary,
This morning is drizzling. The weather outside is quite cold, it's about 22C. My day yesterday was very tiring, I took some medicine and had a good sleep finally last nite. This morning I woke up with a fresh body and fresh mind. Good! Because today is my moving day so I have to keep my body fit.

Now, behind me, there are two men who are helping me packing. I've done my part yesterday, ok! So now is their turn to pack. I'm looking at them, they are very amazing! They work so fast, clean, neat, professional lah! My cheap items suddenly look precious if I look at how careful they wrap each of the item and put it nicely inside the box. I took picture of my home, the last picture before moving out, well, of course when those two men were out. Now, I'm sitting on my computer table, typing this diary again, utak-utiking the picture secretly without their notice. Since they are walking around behind me, I have to minimize and maximize my computer screen, of course I'm shy if they know that I praise them this much. ^_^

Tonight I'll stay in a provided hotel till Monday. My schedule is so packed till Monday so this might be my last writing when I'm still in Japan. On Monday, I will fly to HK first for transit, then Singapore for 2 night, then Jakarta for transit, then Jogjakarta, then Solo (by car of course). Phew, it will be such a long trip for us. There are reasons why we fly around like lalat, it's not that we like to fly that much.

Soon I'll have to give up my table, so bye diary..
See you again when I see you again..

-Abbie-

Packing Day

2008-09-17T11:17:00.006+08:00

Wednesday 17 Sep 08, 12.17pm at home

Hi diary,
This week I'm busy with packing and settling all the relocation matters. I can't sleep well last night and the days before and I think I will not have a good sleep for the next few days too. My mind keeps thinking, my brain can't stop thinking! I don't know what's my real problem. Is it because deep inside my heart I'm actually sad that I'm leaving Japan although I've been praying to be out of Japan all the times? Is it because of lots of things that need to be done regarding my moving to HK? Is it because of my fears of some uncertainties and all of the new things that I'll have to experience in HK? I guess, all of those are what I've been thinking about recently.

If you can peek what's inside my head now, it's a total mess! It's as messy as my house now. Yes, today is my packing day. The clothes, the books, the boxes, everything are all over the place. Just now I was 'pet-petan' (lil bit of black out), so I had to sit down for moments, drink water, and.. end up writing this diary! That's what usually happens when I don't have enough sleep at night. I have low blood pressure. People say that I need to eat more meat and drink more sugar, that's the things I like to be a low-blood-pressure-patient. So, I enjoy being 'pet-petan', a lil bit of black out is not a problem at all as long as I can eat more fattening food without feeling so sinful.

Anyway, today I'm packing my personal stuffs. Tomorrow, the mover will come to help me packing my other stuffs and doing dismantlement of my furniture, and get them all delivered to HK. Tomorrow is also the day when my buyers will come to pick up my appliances. Starting tomorrow, I'll have to stay in a hotel till Monday so I'll have to pack my belongings that I wanna carry in my suitcases since I'm going back to Singapore and Indonesia first for 10 days. Everything has to be finished by tomorrow and see what I'm doing now. I'm writing this stupid diary with my weak hands and my 'pet-petan' eyes.

Tonight will be my last night sleeping in this apartment. There is a sad feeling leaving this mini-mouse-apartment. I washed the bed sheet and the quilt cover this morning, a day before my official moving. There's nothing superstitious, ok! I washed it today so that I can put them in the box to be delivered by sea tomorrow, so I don't have to carry them in my luggage. *So, how will you sleep tonite?* Just sleep without bed sheet la, is it a big problem? I will get the curtains down too since I'm selling it to someone. I have no problem sleeping in a bedroom with no bed sheet, no blanket, and no curtains. What I need to do are just wear my contact lens off and turn the light off and I can't see anything.

I think I need to eat now.. yes, food is the source of my energy. I'm not really hungry now but I need to eat now and sleep. No, no, don't sleep, I still have so many things to do, aja aja! Fighting, Abbie!

-Abbie-

Time to Move On

2008-09-13T14:05:00.004+08:00

Saturday, 13 Sep 08, 3.06pm at home

Dear diary,
Recently I've been busy with many things, yes, I'm still busy learning my new laptop and I'm still busy doing my own business, and many more things like; I'm busy taking pictures of my furniture and my home appliances, and photoshopping the pictures, and uploading them on the Internet, then waiting for the emails to come, and replying the emails one by one, and making appointments for them to come to my home to see and pick my furniture up. Yes, I'm selling my furniture and all the electronic appliances!

We'll be going. We'll be leaving Japan on 22 Sep. We'll be moving to Hong Kong for good! My husband got a job there. I really hope, I really pray that this will be the best decision for us. It had been uncertain for many months, finally it's been confirmed. It's not that we like to move around, ok? Honestly, I really want to go back home, diary! I really miss home. I really miss my family. I really miss my home country. I really want to settle down, build a family, and have a happy simple life! But, I guess, now is not the time for me yet. I'm not sure what God's planning in my life. What I'm very sure is, our moving to Hong Kong is in HIS plan. This is the very first time I really heard God spoke to me, not audibly, but in my heart! Even until now, my heart is still heavy to go to Hong Kong, but I wanna try trusting in HIM!

Diary, please help me praying that everything will be alright. I'm really scared now. Again, new country, new environment, new language, new friends, and new home! I'll have a new life all over again. I guess, this time won't be as bad as last year when I came to Japan; last year I even had a new husband! This time, at least there's one thing that is not new so I don't need to adapt to so many new things at the same time. Phew, that relieves me.

-Abbie-

p.s Will I still be able to see the color autumn leaves in Japan before I leave?

New Laptop!!

2008-09-08T14:28:00.010+08:00

Monday, 8 Sep 08, 3.28pm at home

Hi little diary!
You know what? Surprise surprise! I bought new laptop! Last weekend I went to Akihabara with my hubby, the same electronic shop that I usually go, yes, the shop with the 'Pak Dengkek' song! I love that shop because the options are a lot, the price is low, there is pointo kado (point card) for every purchase of product, and because of their song! I feel like going back to my past, going back to my kampoeng, every time I hear that song. But, last Saturday was kind of weird, I didn't hear that song anymore, is it because they already changed the song? Or is it because I too concentrated on choosing laptop so I couldn't hear anything around me?

Anyway, after careful consideration of the product specs, and the designs, and the price, I chose this laptop! The N type of Sony Vaio! I like this model because it looks like Mac, but somebody said it doesn't look like Mac at all! It's ok, maybe my eyes have already been blinded by love. Fyi, I used to see my car in Australia as BMW, I told everyone that my car resembled so much like BMW, I bragged around saying that my car's eyes are exactly like BMW's eyes. You know what my car was? Well, ehemm.. *cekikik cekikik* it's Mitsubishi Lancer. :P

This is my first laptop that I bought with my own money, you know! The reason why I bought this laptop is to support my own business. The other reason is to use internet and watch movie all I want without any disturbance as I don't need to use my hubby's laptop anymore. I want to remember the first moment when I opened my laptop so I took pictures of the opening process. Please be considerate if I'm too overreacting. I'm too happy now ^_^

I purposely bought this Sony laptop here in Japan because people say that it's cheap to buy Japan local products in Japan. And, it's really cheap! The price is only 50% or less if compared to those available in countries outside Japan. But, now, I have a little problem here. Not a little, it's BIG problem for me! The operating system is in Japanese, the manual is in Japanese, the keyboard is the Japanese keyboard, everything is in Japanese! Now I'm trying my best to understand my laptop. We need to understand each other well to be falling in love, rite? For the Japanese keyboard, I guess what I need is just time to get used to it. For the manual book, I think I can roughly guess what it is since many computer terms are adopted from English, like kibodo (keyboard), maidokyumento (my document), konteropaneru (control panel), herupu supoto (help support), baku apu (back-up), deta rikafuri (data recovery), etc etc. For the OS, I'm now trying to get help from my friend to install the English OS, let's see if it's going to be successful. Otherwise, I'll diligently take my Japanese course again. Is there any Japanese course that will only teach me how to use konpyuta (computer)?

-Abbie-

Trip Okutama & Nippara

2008-09-06T13:45:00.006+08:00

Saturday, 6 Sep 08, 2.45pm at home

Dear my diary,
Last Tuesday, me and my hubby went to Okutama lake again and Nippara with our good friends. Yes, the last time we went to Okutama is almost one year ago. This has nothing to do with any annual ritual or what.

My friends in this photo are our good friends in church, here in Tokyo. They are leaving Japan this week for Indonesia, for good, to get married and to build a family there. They are very cute and funny couple. I'll really miss you! Although it's sad to part with you, but I'm happy for you. Congrats for both of you, and selamat menempuh hidup baru yah, beranak pinaklah dan penuhilah bumi ini..

Actually there are many photos that I want to put here and there are fun stories that I want to share here during our trip to Okutama and Nippara, but now I'm not in the mood of telling you anything and doing anything. You may just see my pictures during this trip here. You see, more and more friends are leaving me. I don't want to be left behind. Hiks.. hiks.. *sentrupp*

-Abbie-

Another Friends Had Left

2008-09-03T09:22:00.004+08:00

Wednesday, 3 Sep 08, 10.22am at home

Diary,

Two more persons had left Japan again. These are the members in my Saturday fellowship. This is the last picture that we took before they left for Philippines. One by one, my friends here are leaving me. Hiks..

-Abbie-

Gunma Egg

2008-09-03T08:46:00.004+08:00

Wednesday, 3 Sep 08, 9.47am at home

Hi my little diary,

Can you see these two pictures? It's egg! Yes, it's chicken egg! You see picture on the left, the egg on my hand is sooo big compared to the normal egg on the table, isn't it? I got this egg from my pastor's wife. She said that it's chicken egg from Gunma (a city near Tokyo). Eggs from Gunma are very big because each egg has two yolks and it's natural! I couldn't believe it, so I brought home one egg from her and opened it myself. You see, it really has two yolks in it! I'm wondering if the mothers of chicken in Gunma have twin genetics? Will the egg with two yolks can become two little chickens? Or will it become one little chicken with two heads? Or just one fat little chicken? Or can the egg become little chicken? Or it's just an egg with two yolks?

-Abbie-

Own Business, Finally!!

2008-08-29T09:41:00.005+08:00

Friday, 29 Aug 08, 10.42am at home

Hi diary..
Now is Friday again. It's so cloudy today. It's been cloudy and raining for the last few days. I hardly chose a bright day with strong sunshine to wash and dry my clothes! Finally yesterday I managed to dry my clothes.

Recently I've been busy with something. I'm so excited now! I'm working on my own now! It's been my dream to have own business and do something that I enjoy. You knew it, rite? But, I'm in overseas now, I kept thinking of what I could do from distance. And we found it! The important point here is: "do something that I enjoy like doing my hobby and make money". I wrote this down in Bulbo few weeks ago, remember? And now, my dream has finally come true! I have been working together with my two dearest sisters since 1.5 months ago, doing all the preparations, and now it's almost launched! I'm scared as well as excited to see the result. Will people like our products? Those are really our products, home-made products, hand-made products, products that we make from really scratch, products that we make from nothing! Honestly, I really proud of our teamwork, we have our own strengths and weaknesses and we complement each other. I proud of my sisters, and I proud of myself too! I can't believe it, from 'berandai-andai' becomes reality, from interest becomes job.

I wanna pray that we can do this business continuously.
I wanna pray that God will bless our product launch, in September.
I wanna pray that God will bless this business abundantly.
Diary, I'm so excited till I couldn't sleep last nite. :P

-Abbie-