Archive for the ‘friends’ Category

Lazy London Brunches

I took this picture sometimes in mid 2008. I was assigned for training camp in London for a month, and in one of the Sunday me and my friends were going out strolling the London sidewalk. As time for lunch arrived, we got separated (after all its near impossible to find a restaurant who can host 16 people unplanned), me and several others went for Chinese restaurant and after quick meal, I get out to visit the others. It was then I spotted several of them sitting near this pub window, and instinctively, I took out my pocket and shoot this picture.

A year passed, and I almost forgot about this picture, till I browsed back my archive looking for a nice pic to decorate my new apartment, and I was struck.

This picture might not be greatly composed, but each time I look at it, it makes me smile I as my memory jogged down the lane. Now looking at it again and again, I realized it wasn’t such a bad picture, in fact I love it that its candidness captures the plight of joy that they were having.

The terminology of Shopaholic doesn’t seem to apply to most men, and so I will understand your surprise in finding the word “shopaholic” on the title above.

But afraid not, I’m not about to start rumbling about psychological analysis on men spending nature, but instead introduce to you to an online shop and a newly setup blog that run and managed by my dear friend Mira and Cynthia.

It would be a classic for me to introduce the girls’ blog and shop by telling you the story and the nitty gritty  behind their venture, but of course I won’t give you the satisfaction of proving you right (since you can read about it anyway on their “about” section), nor that I would make you happy by pretending that I know things about women’s fashion.

So what I would recommend you to do is simply visit their blog (www.shopaholicjakarta.com) and their online store (www.shopaholic.us.com) and find your self what they have to offer. Enjoy and happy shopping !!!

p.s. Girls, you’ll be better judge than I do. Boys, you can make your girls significantly happier by acquiring some of the items on their shop

Yesterday was my birthday.  And like any of my previous birthdays, it was full with greetings and wishes from my beloved family, dear friends and colleagues.

Like any other birthday, it was also full of festive occasions, lunch out with team mates, and dinner with best friends. There were also some surprises from my girlfriend and friends along the day.

But what surprise me the most, are the gifts that I received yesterday.

It’s all started by one phone call in late morning, right at the peak moment at the end of the year drowsiness. The voice on the call introduced her self as an admin from Ace Hardware, enquiring whether I’ll be home to receive the delivery. Pretty much clueless, on what was happening I asked, what delivery that she talked about. She explained that she has in her possession an oven toaster and a gift wrap, to which I responded, “I’m not ordering something from Ace, could there be some mistakes ?”

“No sir,” she said,” this is exactly delivery for you, as ordered by…” and behold, my girl friend act with her usual wit, has bought me, a dream machine that will superbly complement my apartment, an oven toaster. Needless  to explain, those of you who familiar with kitchen and cooking, will know how an oven can make your life easier and healthier, imagine of cooking French fries without oil ? Just spread it evenly on the pan, and toast it !!! It will be ready in 10mins.

Now the next gift, would have rather long story.

As many of my friends already know, and complains to me about it, I am one of those person who resent Blackberry,  don’t even start to ask why ? Because then you will incite a thesis long explanation on why I resent BB. Anyway, because of this resentment, and knowing that all my friends have been complaining in many occasion on my attitude towards BB, I have no doubt that, they will buy me one for my birthday (knowing for sure that there is no chance I will buy it myself).

So when they handled a box, reasonably heavy and beautifully wrap, I kind of said to my self, this is it, my penultimate end of blackberry resentment, because, no matter how I hate the stuff, there is no way, not even a single way, that I will disrespect a gift that my dearest friends have given me. And whilst slowly dismantled the wrappings, layer by layer, I imagined how my days going to be with a BB in my pocket, texting, and browsing, without the slightest care with the real worlds that surrounds you. Slowly, but surely, at those minutes, I fell into state of acceptance, that I will join the club of virtual autism, that have walked the earth for the last one year.

Alas, I could never been more wrong then that. As the box opened, and the plastic unwrapped, I carefully laid my hand on the soft, beautiful, smooth black colored fabric, a super 150 wool suit, that so soft, it felt almost like a silk. A fabric so perfect and so proper to be turned into a black suit or dinner jacket that I have in mind for my beloved cousin wedding next April.

I couldn’t help by wonder, at that time, out of everything in this world that could be turned and wrapped as a gift, my friends have pick for me a beautiful clothes that I can turn into a suit, almost like knowing for sure that I would deeply, deeply, appreciate and love it. And they were right. This piece of clothes, are the best gift I have ever received from them. It was very thoughtful, considerate and sincere, that I couldn’t wish for better gifts that night.

They could be selfish. I mean if my prophecy turned out to be correct, and they did get me a BB for my present, I will still be happy and they will be happy too, because then they can have me in their BBM anytime. But such selfishness is non existence in our friendship, as they have proved. Instead they gave me, something that I have never thought, never expected, never asked, and yet I very much valued, appreciated, loved and cared for. Fair to say, it was one of the best gift from the best of friends ever.

This makes me think, maybe, just maybe, if I have to swallow my own spit and get my self a BB like they wants me to do for almost a year now, it will be for the most right and unselfish reason.

Just want to let you now, I just added link list of blogs on the right side of these page (akhlis, devishanty, glistersandblisters, hning asia, omglolwtf). These blogs are authored by my newly found friends on the blogger community. They were young, creative and very productive, and each of them offers a unique and interesting perspective.

Naturally, their pieces are very colorful and much enjoyable to read, which is why I visit their pages almost daily.

Now I would love to entice you by summarizing their idea in short sentence, but I feel that whatever comments that I write about them, will never do them justice. And to this affect, I encourage you to visit them, and see what they offer.

For other blogger friends who want to exchange link, I would be very happy to do so, just let me know

Cheers !!!