my own little world

:: moving ::

2007-02-03T02:36:00.000Z

I'm moving..

Please visit: http://misskritz.blogspot.com :)

:: the 1st day (270906) ::

2006-10-03T11:32:00.000+01:00

Finally I have a chance to post again. I´m still in Malaga at the moment, waiting for the plane back to Barcelona. This will be my travel journal as I write everything down every night on my mobile.

1st DAY (270906)

It is great to get a direct flight from England to Spain, especially if I only need to depart from Bournemouth Airport which is 10 mins from my flat.

My hand lotion had to be left at the airport because of the security procedur. Yes, I forgot to take that out from my bag.

Panic #1: When the plane just took off, I realised that I didn´t bring my my camera charger...hiks! I´ve prepared 2 memory cards, but they´re useless afterall. How sad I am. I´ll use my mobile camera more often.

Because we (me & Davina) flew with low-budget airline, we landed at Girona Airport from where we took a bus to Barcelona City and arrived 1 hour later. The bus fare is €24 for return journey.

The easiest transportation in Barcelona is with Metro (similar to tube in London). We arrived safely at Hello BCN hostel.

We were welcomed by good-looking receptionist...Great first impression!!! The hostel is clean and full of international people. It was Barca´s away match that night, so people were busy watching football.

Because we were very tired, we decided to have dinner at a restaurant near our hostel. It wasn´t a great food, but at least it´s better that just having a fast food. We went to bed early, so that we have enough energy to start our ´Spain Tour´ the next day.

to be continued...

:: hola espana ::

2006-09-27T13:52:00.000+01:00

All my bags are packed...I'm ready to go!

I'm leaving for Spain...c u in a week! (well, as always..hehe)

I'm posting this via my e-mail & it works! yipiiiii

:: am I a good blogger? ::

2006-09-25T23:54:00.000+01:00

Do you know how to be a good blogger? I mean to keep posting everyday?

I think I need more will to keep posting more than just once a week. I have a lot of ideas in this small brain of mine, but I always get confused which one I shall write first and at the end, the idea's gone with the wind.

I've been blogging for almost two years now, but I didn't write much. I ever thought that probably my life is not interesting. Is everything I do is just a ritual activity or task? I know it's not. Even everyday there is always a new thing happens and there is always my 'first'. I'm sure there should be something I can write.

Sometimes when I am on the bus or maybe when I am walking down the street, I find many interesting things and get ideas what to post that day. Then when I get home, it's just gone...hiks!

Any suggestions? ***

:: last week ::

2006-09-18T23:39:00.000+01:00

I know it's been 10 days since my last post.

I've submitted my dissertation last Monday. Thank God it's done!

I've been over excited ever since, just hanging around in my bed.

Last week was crazy. After I submitted my project, I had to pack my stuffs to have them shipped to Indonesia. I didn't have time to sleep or even take a breath. The boxes should have been in Birmingham on Tuesday, so that I must put my room in boxes just within a night. Yeah literaly it's the room which was packed. I sent everything I had and now I feel like I'm just a tourist.

I'm trying to survive only with 1 long coat over the autumn. I hope people will understand and not get bored with my appereance cos I may wear the same jumper and long sleeves t-shirt for a week..hahaha

On Wednesday, I went to London to get my passport back. I applied for a Schengen Visa to Spain and since I was granted, I am officially a low-budget or even no-budget traveller!!!! Well, I will be in Spain only for a week, but money is always the problem for a student. Yeah, I will become a backpacker. I even wanna bring my rice cooker+abon so that I can cook and have meal in the hostel. Cool!!!

Finally, on Thursday I can take a breath and enjoy my freedom. As always, the end is the beginning, so I welcome myself into the real world and wish for a good job.***

:: counting the days ::

2006-09-08T19:53:00.000+01:00

Here comes the deadline

Three more days

stress...excited...happy

ps: wish me luck! :)

:: sebel ::

2006-09-04T04:15:00.000+01:00

Saya lagi sebel dengan keadaan yang membuat saya sebel sama orang, padahal disertasi lagi masuk masa injury time.

Karena sebel sama orang, saya merasa jadi kurang berkonsentrasi. Nyebelin kan keadaan kayak begini.

Orang ini aneh. Beberapa hari lalu sms saya bilang kalau saya sombong karena ngga pernah bales sms dia hari-hari belakangan. Lah wong dia juga udah lama ngediemin saya karena katanya sih sibuk, banyak acara.

Pikir saya sih ya, kalau dia sendiri ngaku kalo dia sibuk, ya jangan ngatain orang sombong dong. Gini deh, saya beberapa kali sms dia tapi ngga dibales berhari-hari. Ditantang begini, saya malah semangat. Sekalinya dia sms, ya saya diemin. Saya kan juga sibuk sini. Lupa apa kalo saya lagi dikejar 'garis mati' (baca: deadline, red.)? Saya kan juga gengsi.

Saya sibuk karena banyak yang harus dikerjain & dipikirin. Dia? Cuma sibuk acara keluarga & teman2 aja kok kayaknya ngga punya waktu untuk sekedar menyapa saya lewat sms. Padahal katanya lagu SMS lagi beken di Indo. Semua operator berlomba menawarkan sms gratis. Loh, kok jadi ngga nyambung?

Eh sekarang sekalinya saya ngorbanin gengsi dengan mengirim sms, malah ngga dibales juga. Ditelpon ke rumahnya juga ngga pernah ada di rumah. Ih nyebelin! Gengsi lagi dong saya sekarang.

Tau ah gelap! Malah bikin tambah pusying (terlalu pusing jadi harus pakai 'y').***

:: lucu & menarik ::

2006-08-26T18:24:00.000+01:00

Terdapat artikel di salah satu surat kabar atau majalah, terasa lucu dan menarik artikel ini.

Isinya sebagai berikut :

Suatu malam, seorang wanita tidak pulang ke rumahnya. Keesokan harinya, dia memberitahu suaminya, kalau dia menginap di rumah teman wanitanya.

Suaminya menelepon 10 orang teman istrinya yang paling akrab, dan hasilnya tidak ada seorangpun yang mengetahui akan hal ini.

Sebaliknya, suatu malam seorang pria tidak pulang ke rumahnya. Keesokan harinya, dia memberitahu istrinya, kalau dia menginap di rumah teman prianya.

Istrinya menelepon 10 orang teman suaminya yang paling akrab, dan hasilnya : 8 orang diantaranya memastikan kalau suaminya menginap di rumah mereka, dan.................. 2 orang lainnya bahkan mengatakan bahwa suaminya MASIH berada di rumah mereka!

Terasa menarik, seorang suami yang membaca artikel ini segera memanggil istrinya untuk membaca artikel ini, tidak disangka istrinya malah ingin mencoba apakah memang benar seperti yang ditulis di artikel ini.

Suaminya menasehatinya supaya JANGAN MENCOBA, tapi tidak berguna.

Istrinya mengangkat telepon dan menghubungi satu persatu teman akrab suaminya, menanyakan apakah suaminya bersama mereka. Dan hasilnya tentu saja..... Apa yang ditulis dalam artikel ternyata berlaku di seluruh pelosok dunia!

Yang parahnya, ada salah satu teman suaminya malah mengatakan suaminya mabuk dan sampai sekarang masih tidur di dalam rumahnya. Dan malah bertanya kepada istrinya apakah perlu membangunkan suaminya untuk mendengar telepon? Istrinya kaget dan tidak mau membuat malu teman suaminya dan berkata sudahlah gak apa apa.

Begitu istrinya menutup telepon, handphone suaminya langsung berdering. Begitu suaminya menjawab telepon, teman suaminya berkata : Dimana kamu? Cepat pulang ke rumah! Istrimu mencari cari kamu dari tadi, saya bilang kamu mabuk di rumah saya. Oh ya! jangan lupa minum sedikit bir sebelum pulang!

Hahahahahaha.............

(diambil dari kiriman surat elektronik seorang teman,red.)

:: i'm on the uni website ::

2006-08-24T20:34:00.000+01:00

Hey...

It's me on this and this

:: Red Arrows ::

2006-08-23T17:44:00.000+01:00

Red Arrows was back to Bournemouth. Royal Air Force presents its acrobatic teams annualy and being held at Bournemouth Pier. This year the show was a little bit dissapointed. They only performed for 15 minutes and the ending was not special as they disappeared without 'saying goodbye'. I only got two pictures of them, but better than none.***

:: flying time ::

2006-08-16T01:08:00.000+01:00

just stopped by to say:

"time flies!"

gosh.

this month last year:
i was at home
attended my best friend's wedding
trying hard to get an internship
catching up with old friends
etc etc

this month this year:
trying hard to finish my dissertation
trying hard to wrap my job as a student
trying hard to pass a phase of my life
trying hard to find out how the future will take me
trying hard to make my parents happy

time flies...that's all!

ps: this girl becomes sad when she realises that she might leave this bloody expensive country by the end of this year! -the end-

:: teror vs damai ::

2006-08-10T13:22:00.000+01:00

Ngga ada tempat aman di dunia ini. Coba tonton, baca & dengar berita.

Kemaren orang dikejutkan dengan bom di Colombo, Sri Lanka dan pagi ini mereka kembali dikejutkan dengan teror di bandara-bandara di Inggris, terutama ditujukan kepada pesawat-pesawat yang akan terbang ke Amerika. Kalau yang hari ini sih saya sih cuma tertawa saja, sambil tetap berdoa. Paling ini karena perang di Timur Tengah. Akhirnya yang ada hanya saling balas antara negara-negara yang setuju & tidak setuju.

Beberapa hari lalu ketika saya diundang makan malam oleh teman-teman saya orang Venezuela & Colombia, kami membahas keunikan negara masing-masing. Salah satu dari mereka (Toni) punya keinginan berkunjung ke Indonesia & juga negara-negara Asia Tenggara. Pastinya sih dia pengen ke Bali dan tempat-tempat eksotik lainnya di Indonesia. Teman saya yang lain (Oswaldo) malah bilang kalau dia agak takut ke Bali karena pasti jadi sasaran bom teroris.

Toni tidak setuju soal itu. Dia bilang kalau di mana pun bisa jadi sasaran tetoris seperti contohnya di Madrid (2004) & London (2005). Banyak orang selama ini mengira kalau tinggal di Eropa lebih aman karena damai dan tak ada gangguan. Namun akhirnya orang terkejut dengan kejadian di Madrid & London tersebut. Bahkan menurut Toni, di Bournemouth pun bisa juga tiba-tiba ada bom terutama karena saat ini lagi ramai & banyak orang berlibur. Saat itu saya protes & agak kesal sama Oswaldo. Seenaknya menuduh negara saya ngga aman.

Ketika bom di London tahun lalu, saya pun jadi berpikir dan bertanya. "Kok sudah jauh-jauh saya ke sini, masih juga dihantui bom." Masyarakat di London yang awalnya sempat trauma naik tube & underground, akhirnya pun pasrah dengan kenyataan. Ketika ada bom di Bali tahun lalu, saya baru pulang berlibur dari sana dua minggu sebelumnya. Teman saya yang juga dari Bali, malah baru mendarat di Soekarno-Hatta ketika itu. Toh pada intinya kita memang tidak pernah kapan bencana itu akan datang.

Satu-satunya cara agar belahan dunia mana pun aman, hanya dengan perdamaian. Namun kayaknya hal itu bakal lama terwujud. Beberapa pemimpin negara masih ingin menjadi nomor satu dan menjadi penguasa dunia. Tidak lagi ada pengertian dan keinginan untuk memahami rakyatnya yang ingin hidup tenang. Kita sebagai rakyat kecil & orang biasa, akhirnya hanya bisa banyak berdoa saja agar perdamaian cepat terwujud. Amin!***

ps: For Indonesian in the UK, please visit Pengumuman KBRI

:: unlucky ::

2006-08-09T22:59:00.000+01:00

Yesterday
"I am thinking to buy a used bike! I'd use that to go to the Uni & for work."

This morning
I got an e-mail:
"I have a female bicycle in my possession that needs a new home FREE OF CHARGE. It was left to me by a friend who left Bournemouth after her studies. Please see the attached photo of the bike and contact me if you are interested (lock is included)."

then...
"Hi..Is the bike still available? Thanks, Astrid"

then...
"I'm sorry Astrid, somebody asked for it before you. Kind regards, Vegard"

*sigh* unlucky!

:: terjawab sudah ::

2006-08-07T12:14:00.000+01:00

Memang bukan manusia namanya kalau mudah puas & tidak penasaran!

Gara-gara laptop saya jebol, saya harus rebuild semua dr awal supaya dia sembuh 100%. Seperti sekarang nih, enak banget. Udah enteng, ngga lemot & cookies berfungsi kembali. Senang! Bahkan mentang-mentang udah enteng, saya mulai install software-software penting. Untuk yang kurang penting ditunda dulu deh demi kelancaran disertasi saya.

Ngomong-ngomong soal puas & penasaran, sampai sekarang saya masih penasaran sama penyebab ngambeknya laptop saya. Beberapa hari lalu sempat berpikir untuk download & install Google Earth karena pengeeennn banget lihat rumah saya di Jkt. Pas saya buka websitenya, saya baca-baca dulu installation note-nya. Dan ada kalimat yang tiba-tiba 'ring a bell'.

Google Earth is a broadband, 3D application that not all computers can run.

Notebook computers older than 2 years old may not be able to run it.

Arrgghhh itu dia tuh penyebab laptop ngambek! Laptop saya kan sudah 2,5 tahun umurnya.
Jadi, memang sebelumnya saya sempat mencoba meng-install Google Earth. Nah pas lagi in progress tiba-tiba blue page appeared, laptop mati sendiri & sejak itu ngambek lamaaa banget.

Terjawab sudah kenapa tiba-tiba dia tiba-tiba ngambek.***

:: help me ::

2006-08-02T19:52:00.000+01:00

My laptop is half okay.

It was checked at the Uni yesterday. They said there were no virus or any worrying things, maybe just because too many installed programmes.

That's fine, so I deleted some unused programmes, but it still takes around 30-45mins to start up.

What's wrong with it actually? Anyone can help?***

:: broken laptop ::

2006-07-31T21:23:00.000+01:00

my laptop's crashed..hiks!

need to use library's PC to upload pictures & keep posting! :(

:: high demands for air-conditioning ::

2006-07-28T01:06:00.000+01:00

hahaha...This is what happens in a country where its people & the energy suppliers are not used to face the hottest month! =)

Sweltering Soho hit by power cuts

The giant illuminated signs in Piccadilly Circus went out

Power cuts at the heart of London's West End have left thousands of people without electricity on one of the hottest days of the year.

Businesses have been urged to switch off air conditioning, Oxford Circus Tube station had to shut and tills and lights went off in shops.

Power is being cut off in different parts of Soho for four hours at a time.

Energy supplier EDF said four faults had hit the network, compounded by high demand for air-conditioning.

Power has been rationed and there were three scheduled four-hour power cuts starting with Carnaby Street in the morning.

Some of the affected companies evacuated their buildings because it was becoming too hot inside, and many employees went home.

Piccadilly Circus's giant illuminated signs and traffic lights went out, and Oxford Circus Tube station was forced to close for an hour at lunchtime.

The station re-opened thanks to London Underground's back-up supply, a Transport for London spokesman said.

Emergency teams

EDF said its emergency teams would work through the night to fix the problem - caused by faults at two substations, and on two underground cables.

Thirty EDF vehicles are in the area, advising customers.

"We do understand how much disruption these interruptions have caused but stress this is a highly unusual sequence of faults, " a spokesman said.

"Our emergency teams are doing everything possible to restore normal supplies as soon as they can."

He added that the faults were not thought to be weather related, but things had been made worse by the high demand on the power network due to the hot weather.

Jace Tyrrell, of the New West End Company, which represents businesses on Oxford Street and Regent Street, said it was too early to say how much the blackouts had cost shops.

"This is bad news for business and bad news for shoppers in the West End," he said.

"We are very disappointed on behalf of businesses. It is even more disappointing for shoppers who turn to stores to escape the heat."

The rolling power cuts could be repeated on Friday if the problem is not fixed overnight.

They come just three days after EDF announced its second raft of price hikes this year.

From Monday it will charge 19% more for gas and 8% more for electricity - rising to 9.1% for customers in its northern region.

The energy giant blamed the increases on soaring wholesale fuel costs.***

Source: BBC

:: you've got a friend ::

2006-07-20T22:43:00.000+01:00

I once read an article about the meaning of friendship.
It is said that if we want to know how deep our relationship with our bestfriend is, find it out during difficult times. It happens to me now.

I can not deny that I still care about my soulmate.
A couple of days ago he texted me saying that he needed someone to talk to.
I called him and he told me a very worrying problem.
I was speechless, but wanted to cry at that time.

I am crying now.
I am sad because he is sad.
I am worried about him being worried.
I hope he can manage everything and find a way out though I know it happened because of his own attitude.
I want to meet and accompany him now.
He really needs someone by his side to get through this phase of life.

If he did not text me, I would never know how strong our friendship is.
We are still a good buddy after all.
Be strong my friend. HE will make a way for you.***

:: duka anak negeri ::

2006-07-20T15:14:00.000+01:00

Saya sedih
Saya berduka

Untuk kesekian kalinya negeriku diterjang gempa bumi dan tsunami.
Dari Sabang sampai Merauke perlahan dihempas bencana.
Lagi-lagi korban mayoritas kaum menengah ke bawah.
Kasian mereka yang tidak bisa menyelamatkan diri.
Terjebak dalam kesengsaraan yang semakin menghimpit.

Siapa/apa yang bisa disalahkan?
Sang Pencipta?
Posisi Indonesia yang sangat strategis untuk bencana?
Manusianya?
Pemimpin negara?

Tidak ada!

Ampuni kami ya Tuhan atas dosa kami pada alam.
Selamatkan negeriku dari bencana yang semakin parah.

:: back to reality ::

2006-07-18T16:30:00.000+01:00

After travelling for 2 weeks, here I am back to my reality in Bournemouth.

I visited family in Oslo and visited friend in Berlin. What a great holiday I had, everything was amazing; the view, the cities and the people. I really would like to write about my trip in my spare times. I can't promise when but soon I hope.

The weather in Oslo was nice, sunny and bright, but it was too warm and humid in Berlin.

It's 8 weeks to go to the deadline of my dissertation. Busy with interviewing people, doing some secondary research and writing the portfolio and the essay. Please wish me luck!***

:: internet addict ::

2006-06-27T17:23:00.000+01:00

Duh..ketika diri ini sudah sangat bergantung sama internet, begitu teknologi canggih itu hilang dari depan mata rasanya mau marah...huhuhu

Saya ini bisa dibilang computer addict dari jaman saya duduk di SD. Menurut ortu saya sih malah bagus karena setidaknya saya jadi betah di rumah. Kalau kata teman-teman, "Tinggalin aja dia di rumah. Kasih komputer+internet+game. Pasti nanti kalau kita pulang, dia masih duduk di posisi yang sama!" hahahaha...lucu juga kalau ingat komentar teman-teman dekat.

Saat ini di flat baru belum ada koneksi internet. Biasa deh namanya juga baru pindahan, banyak yang harus diurus dari hal kecil ngga penting sampai hal kecil yang penting. Bagi saya internet ini sangat penting. Terutama karena sekarang saya sedang mengerjakan disertasi. Setiap hari maunya research lewat internet. Untuk situasi sekarang, duduk di depan komputer bikin terasa lebih tenang dan ngga merasa bersalah daripada duduk di depan TV. Kemaren-kemaren saya masih tahan 2 hari sekali ke kampus untuk cek e-mail dan browsing, sekarang karena ngga tahan, jadi setiap hari saya ke kampus.

Saya juga senang browsing berita tentang Indonesia. Biasanya saya tahu berita melalui internet dulu baru dari TV. Kalau ngga salah, minggu lalu (21/6) ada bencana alam di Indonesia. Saya malah ngga tahu bencana itu di daerah mana, saya sebel banget internet di rumah belum bisa nyala. Di TV juga kurang lengkap beritanya.

Pernah suatu kali koneksi internet mati tiba-tiba. Langsung saya komplain ke customer service dan malam itu saya mati gaya di rumah karena kebetulan TV ikutan mati. Sialnya petugas yang benerin baru bisa datang keesokan hari. Bagi saya, rasanya hidup ngga lengkap tanpa internet. Kalau di Indonesia masih enak. Ada ngga ada internet, masih ada mall yang buka sampai jam 10 malam, jadi masih ada hiburan. Kalau di sini, ngga ada internet pilihannya ya nonton TV atau keluar ke bar. Nah kalau keluar kan berarti keluar uang. Itu yang ngga enak.

Untung sekarang lagi musim Piala Dunia. Ngga ada internet, ya nonton bola dong. Kapan lagi nonton bola saat matahari masih bersinar? hehehe...***

:: great match ::

2006-06-10T18:31:00.000+01:00

I just came back from work.
I watched England's first match while I was working.
I was amazed by the atmosphere at Showbar

The English were also nice this afternoon.
They were not as annoying as usual while they are in a pub/bar.
They seemed really enjoying the match and England beat Paraguay 1-0 as the result of the home goal.
However some of the fans were disappointed because they thought the players were not playing very well and did not use a lot of opportunities.

It is a great experience for me to enjoy the 2006 World Cup in England.
I can't wait for the next match.

Off to bed now. Need to work again tonight.***

:: love summer ::

2006-06-09T20:16:00.000+01:00

When summer comes it will come with its good and bad sides (for me).

The sun is bright and it keeps smiling at us.
People have been waiting for this season for 9-10 months.
I have been dreaming about summer since I was back in the UK.

Perhaps you won't believe it.
I miss the sun.
Yeah right, I miss it.
I need the sun to keep my skin look tanned.
Cause I don't like to look pale.
Cause I don't like to have white or yellow skin.

Now, it's here already.
The sun is back in Bournemouth
People are also back in Bournemouth.
They look happy when it smiles throughout the day.
They come to Bournemouth with towels and beach stuffs.
Love the situation so much.

I love this season.
I love when the beach is full of people.
I love when people are happy and smiling to each other.
I love sun-bathing.
I love seeing good-looking guys walking around topless ;p
I love tanned skin guys ;p
I love relaxing at the beach.

So what is the bad side?

Too much insects.
Too warm during the night and no AC.
Laziness and no concentration on doing the dissertation.
(Well, I know the last two are only personal matters..hehehe)

Nevertheless, nothing is as great as summer.
Love it cause it will only come for 2-3 months in a year.

Come on people, please visit Bournemouth.
Trust me, you will enjoy summer here. ***

:: football ::

2006-06-02T00:07:00.000+01:00

Since I reside in England, I finally figured out how interesting football match is.
It doesn't mean I didn't like football before, but it is now something I can say no to at the end.
I know it may be such so men.
It is men's thing.
Women only know about shopping 'till they drop.
I finally learn about football from my best mate even though it took years to understand what offside is...hahaha

In England, football, rugby and cricket are some topics which can be used to break the ice, aside from the weather off course.
From my point of view, football itself is a tool of socialisation.
When you meet someone, instead of asking how s/he loves the weather at the day, you can also start talking about how great a football match was a night before.
I did that with a man from properties agent while I was driven to view a prospective property.

I was bored talking about how good the weather was that day, coz I think many people have known how bad the UK's weather is (actually).
He was suprised by the way I started the conversation, but then he seemed enjoyably talking to me.
We had good conversation after all.

There is an unusual thing for me though.
When I first arrived, I didn't know that if I can't watch football matches on TV for free.
I need to subscribe and pay more to a digital TV company in order to get them on TV.
You know, I used to get free football programmes in Indonesia.
For those who don't want to pay more, they just need to come to a pub or bar.
They usually have special programme when there is a match.
You just need to buy drinks, but this is not a good bargain for Indonesian students =)
My Indonesian friends often come to a pub for watching the match without buying any drinks.
They just want to enjoy the match for free.

Though I rarely go to a pub/bar just to watch a match, I always know whether the match has finished or not and who won it or not.
How?
When the match has finished, people will leave the bar/pub and sing or yell on the street.
Then I change my TV channel to 24/7 news station and there must be news on the finished match.
Easy rite?

That is why I finally find out how football is an interesting sport.
It is about the togetherness we have with friends, family & relatives.
I know there may be riots after the match, but it just happens sometimes here.
Trust me, the atmosphere is totally different when you are in a country where the citizens adore football.
There is something I can't even explain here why it is different.
Not like in Indonesia, when people prefer to stay at home when there is a match.

Now, I look forward for the World Cup to be started.
I can't wait for the atmosphere it may result here when the England team is at a field battle.

Let's find out who's gonna win this year! ***

:: java's quake ::

2006-05-30T17:49:00.001+01:00

27 May 2006

3.30am BST (British Summer Time)

I just finished working. I received 2 messages on my mobile.

"Those must be from my mum. I'll read them later at home," I talked to myself.

15 minutes later I arrived at home & decided to read the messages.

"Dear my beloved family, this news I got from Sono (mum's brother, red.). Our (grand)mother is well though she's got stomache. Please pray for those who have been affected --> Mbak, there was an earthquake and many things have broken. Thanks God, we are all safe!"

I was crying and still couldn't believe what I just read. I turned on my TV and visited news website to get more information about that. Wow, it was a terrible one and has affected thousands of family in Jogjakarta and surround. At first I thought it was because of the Mount Merapi, but it was not.

I straightly called my family in Jkt. They were busy with updating news and many plans to take my grandma to Jakarta. I tried to call my grandma but it was impossible. There were lack of electricity and telecommunication after the quake. Mum kept telling me to go to sleep and she would keep me updated with every news from Jogja. I could not sleep well after all. I still can't believe what I've watched & heard. I keep thinking about the affected people especially my relatives.

All I can do is praying for those who have been affected. May God bless them!

Be strong people! ***