Origena

Thank You Jesus

2011-03-31T20:08:00.001+07:00

Oh hi Marzo....
soon you will leave in some hours
So I won't let you away without a trace here.

Here's your mark!

Oh, I should use this occasion to thanking Jesus too for saving my Mom's life.
Well, He's The Savior, but last February my family and I experienced IT

Thanks You Jesus Christ!!

Tips on Present and Party

2010-12-23T06:02:00.002+07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Now let’s talk about gift ideas, cause Christmas is the season of giving, right?

There are hubby, wifey, kiddos, auntie, better-half, pumpkins, you name it, and when it’s time to do the mathematics on the spending......the number can drain our pocket, that if didn't not shop wisely and smartly.

Here I present you my latest discovery...Pier 1.

The site look is very festive. I love the look of its icon, penguin tied with ribbon is a very adorable present, but that’s an impossible gift. Besides, there are many possible and much affordable gifts waiting all over this site. Oh..here one, I really love this sexy look of this tartan ruffle apron..

Browsing this site is really like entering a comprehensive Shopping Centre, there are section of seasonal, candles & fragrance, dining, gifts, home accent decor, toys and many more. It also has The Idea Room where you can get fresh ideas on how to decorate your Christmas dining table. Very elegant idea, attaching a big red ribbon around a dining chair.

Thinking of hosting a Christmas or New Year’s Eve diner party? Say Hallelujah...cause this site also offers a quick but handy tips on how to go from the planning stage to party time that will satisfy everyone, and wow, it’s quite detailed I might say.

But the gorgeous set of tableware really steal my attention. I don’t know about everyone, but to me a pleasing tablewares will somehow add “delicacy” on the food they serve and of course light up the atmosphere:-D

I could go on and on talking about so many jolly things I see in Pier1, but you better see it by youself and save up to 25% on your holiday gifts shopping, but hurry...

Don’t forget that you can do philanthropic thing with Pier 1 just by liking Pier 1 imports on FaceBook and they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots for every fan they have, or until this December everyone can can support Toys for Tots by dropping off an unwrapped toy and/or making a cash donation at the register. Give some love.

Feed Two Birds with One Seed

2010-12-22T20:30:00.000+07:00

What do you think about mlm? yes, that multilevel marketing.
Some will sneer cynically, like me, sometimes :-D

However, lately I come across with this brand many times when I do blog-hopping in MP. I received a lot of offers too.
Finally, as I'm a curious person, about two weeks ago, after I made a search on the net about the brand and read a good review about it, I decided to order some from a friend of my relative.
They're very affordable, so nothing to lose if the items that I buy are not like I expect. Fortunately, they're as I expected.....affordable and good in quality. It's great to find something that can help me cut back my expenses :-D

Yesterday I've made up my mind, I contacted a person that I feel can help me understand this mlm thing. We're gonna meet tomorrow, Well, why not I become a member, if I will use the product often :-D and why not I choose the right person to be my upline, so I will know to tweak this quizzical mlm thing :-D

No, I won't say kill two birds with one stone :-D

How Warm is you Christmas?

2010-12-21T20:57:00.001+07:00

Christmas is coming..Christmas is coming..and so is.......the winter season in some parts of the World.
I read that the winter weather blasts Europe with its snow and bitter cold temperature.
Australia, which normally has a warm summer December, this year has been mocked by the strange weather that swaps the warm summer Christmas to cold winter Christmas. I hope the people have prepared themselves with some heat max hand warmers to cut the chill factor.
Winter and snow could be wonderful, or.....dreadful if not prepared.
Some fun and wonderful things I could relate with winter and snow are snowball throwing between friends *love this* :-D, making snowman, and skiing. I never make snowman yet and I regret that I didn't take the offer of a friend who invited me to join him skiing in his village in Trieste when I actually had the chance.

Here in my part of the world, winter never ever comes, and so no snow ever shows up during Christmas. We have a much warmer Christmas than people in the USA, Europe and with exception, Australia this year.
Still, Christmas in our country is usually marked by a cooler weather than the usual. This is because we have a lot of rain and strong wind during December. At home, old people like my parents whose feet get cold easily during night time, are usually looking for foot warmer.

However, regardless the cold weather that anyone may experience during this season, I know the spirit of Christmas will always keep us warm..........in heart :)

Meanwhile...here is another drawing that I make for my Christmas digi-stamp project :))

A cuter Mrs. Santa Claus!!...I will make a card with it later or tomorrow :)
Hope you all like her...ehmm...I mean...my drawing :)

Just Us being Nosy On one Afternoon

2010-12-20T19:55:00.000+07:00

One of things that sometimes I do with my old friends when we meet, and when one of us brings a lappie is to check our other friends' current lives through facebook. We're so nosy, I admit that unashamedly, and facebook feeds nosy people needs :-D..that's why I don't have my profile there :-D

Sometimes, our finding is surprising :-)
Like that afternoon, we found out one of our old friends has a current profile picture of him and a pretty woman in seemingly their wedding ceremony.
Our little quick scan through his wall then proves us that it's their wedding, a second marriage for him.
That's not the surprise, though he was just back to the singlehood in a short time, probably just a year or so.
The surprise is........the pictures of his ex-wife are still all over his albums :-D
They seem head over heels for each other in those pictures, and some comments are very intimate :-D ...well...his ex is a hottie.

Wondering what his new wife thinks of the fact.
Is it for the sake of their kids only? So they know daddy still not forget their mommy, or........the love might has gone but the lust stays? :-D
Anyhow, if that can comfort their children....and maybe the new wife has a big heart.

Here comes Mrs. Santa Clause...are you naughty or nice?

2010-12-03T22:31:00.000+07:00

Here's another confession, and I hope it won't upset many people :))
I don't like Santa Claus.
He's stolen Christmas day from the Holy Baby, Jesus :))
But yes, it's easier to draw Santa Claus' image and to use the image on a card than to draw Jesus.
Still, cause I don't like the popularity of Santa Claus....
I decide to use Mrs. Santa Claus' image :-D
It's the first digi made from my Christmas project.
Ooh...but don't you think she's too young to be Mrs. Santa Claus? -you might think so.
Well, this is her look when she was young :-D

I enter her to these following challenges..
Challenge #45 Christmas Punches on TotallyPaperCrafts
Challenge #108 Christmas Cuties on OneStopCraftChallenge
Tip #12 Anything Goes Challenge on TopTipTuesday

Here's the recipe....
Stamps:
Digi stamp by Ouli
Snowflakes by HeroArts
Punch:
Doily lace Martha Stewart border punch
Die Cuts:
Decorative Flourishes set by Sizzix
Baby Face font set by Cuttlebug
Paper:
Patterned Paper by DCWV

Hope I won't offend Mr Santa Claus if he read this :))

My Confession

2010-11-20T00:33:00.000+07:00

Christmas is coming, and I think it's fun if I'm welcoming the Holy day with making some Christmas digi stamps. This one is inspired by the memory of my childhood....believe it...or..not....
I was too angelic, that's why I never got the part as Maria...ahahah...*devil's laugh*

ps. what's the memory of your Christmas childhood?

The Smell of Christmas

2010-11-07T21:37:00.002+07:00

What is the smell of Christmas to you?

I smell rain, cause we always likely to have shower from the skies :)
I smell cookies, cause we always prepare some jars full of cookies to keep our guests merry :-D
I smell plastic Christmas tree, cause since more than ten years ago we've stop using real tree.
I smell Joy, cause that is what Christmas all about....the Joy to the World :) ...I hope people who are affected by the current natural disasters in my country - Wasior flood, Mentawai Tsunami and the eruption of Merapi Volcano - will find their Joy again soon too. Pray for them please.

But why does the card that I make depict a girl wearing winter cloth standing on a snow covered land? Well, because Joy is also there :-D.

The card uses stamps set of Asian Frames CL275 and of Three Christmas Dolls LP156 from Hero Arts, Baby Face Die Cuts from CuttleBug, Essentials #9 Prima Marketing, Doily Paper from Royal Lace, washi paper, and a thick paper. Colours are with copic markers and Bright Blending Chalks from Inkandikado.

Anyway, I enter this card for these following challenges:
Anything Goes of Dottie's World
Holiday Die Cuts of Caardvarks
Christmas Tradition of Sir Stampalot Challenge

So, what is the smell of Christmas to you?

I Won A Name Challenge

2010-11-01T06:34:00.002+07:00

My first post in Novembre is a good news, cause last late October I finally won something from ❤craft world❤ :))

DaisyDoodlesStamps was looking for the right name for its new set of stamps. The set looks adorable, and so I joined the challenge.

I named it TravelBugs, I thought it sounds cute and would fit the cuteness of the doodles in the set.
And I won!! :))
I received the set as soon as I sent my email to Jules.

Here's my creation using one of the Travel Bugs, I use the airplane as my first creation with the set.
The printer in use almost ran out of ink, hence I had to trace the outline with pen, that's why the line is a bit messy, sorry Jules.

Recipe:
Travel Bugs Digi Stamps: DaisyDoodlesStamps
Sentiment Stamps: CL387 Hero Arts
Die cut: Architecture by Sizzix
Cardstock: Velentine by K&Co
Colours: Copic markers, Blending Chalk Inkadinkado, & Martha Stewart 'tear' Inkpad.

Anything Goes

2010-10-23T16:32:00.002+07:00

Kinda starting to enjoy my card making experience :) and yesterday I found a challenge with no specific requirement........anything goes! So I think it's perfect for me since I'm not yet used with sketch or anything 'technical' in card making :) ..yes....been less or more than a year and I still feel that I'm at beginner level :-D

I now own some set of stamps, and I'd been wanting to make something with this set of clear stamps from HeroArts particularly, but like most of my other set of stamps, this set had just lied in the box since the day I bought it, almost a year ago :)

I also use my favourite punch from Martha Stewart, it's the embossed button punch. I like it, because with it I can make buttons with various patterns or colours, including using any stamps to make pattern on button. Here I use the tree stamp from Hello Tree set.
For information, I don't use thread for the button but I use paper, I got the idea from Cardcreationsbylorraine youtube video.

Hope everyone like my entry for the Anything Goes Challenge held by Top Tip Tuesday :)

Supply:
HeroArts CL315
Embossed Button Punch Martha Stewart
Fancy Pants paper
Copic Markers, Karisma Berol Coloured Pencils
Scrap tulle ribbon
Metal embellishment

Double Happiness Card

2010-10-16T12:42:00.002+07:00

Once again Charmed Cards & Crafts is giving away a set of 72 Copic Markers as its blog candy!!
I never win any blog candy so far, and I can't wait to win my first one :-D
If I can win this, it will be wonderful, because I only have 11 copic markers so far, and that's including the blender.

I make this following card as a requirement for participating CharmedCraft's blog candy.
The good thing is the winner will be picked randomly by Mr. Linky's widget.....crossing my fingers now, and to anyone who come across this posting, wish me good luck please ;-)

The Chinese writing means Double Happiness, and I dedicate this card to Leet and Ed who are part of my special ones ;) Wishing you guys a double happiness forever.

Card recipe:
All stamps are from Hero Arts
Coloured with Copic Markers, AtYou Spica pens, and Gold Poster Color by Sakura
Papers in use including Japanese Washi Papers for lining and for clothes
Corners die Cuts by Sizzix
Punch (for lantern) is Double Loops Corner punch from Martha Stewart
Embellishment

Food and Factory Outlet Hunting Day

2010-10-13T08:33:00.000+07:00

Last Saturday I went out of town to Bogor for Food Hunting and
shopping spree with two friends, one of whom is actually a denizen of Bogor but only stays there during weekends because of the work is in Jakarta. These two friends like to eat out at restaurant new to them.

Bogor is an hour's reach by car from Jakarta and it is known as the city of rain because the rainfall is relatively heavy there. Bogor's temperature used to be much cooler than Jakarta's, but don't expect that in current weird world weather, you'll be disappointed. Btw, if you haven't been to Bogor, then visiting Bogor Botanical Garden is A must!! It has a great collection of very big trees, various plants, and better quality of air.

We're lucky there's no rain during our visit there, though it did have rain earlier in the morning as reported by my friend's Mom. Seems we had the mojo to stop the rain :-D
We first visited Venus Bakery which is famous for its mini buns called Roti Unyil, then we hop to a nearby shop for Asinan Bogor (salted fruits or vegetables). Finish from there, we stuffed our stomach at Gurih 7, a Sundanese restaurant with open spaces in nature concept. The foods there are ordinary but not disappointing.

photos by:alo7

As our stomachs were tamed and our energy recharged, we went for thrifty shopping spree at Factory Outlets :)) ...but we didn't really succeed and only got one stuff for each of us from three FOs that we visited.

Went again for food hunting, and the next stop was Macaroni Panggang -roasted macaroni, where we ordered for a take away, a medium size of special Macaroni Panggang cut into half -paid additional charge IDR 3K for cutting it; one half for me and the other for C...we're being thrifty of carbo intake :-P. The special one is the one with additional mushroom other than slices of beef. This Macaroni Panggang seems to have become one of Bogor's prides recently, and its taste does satisfy the taste buds. Hope one day I'll be able to find its original recipe, like last time I got an Original Tiramisu Recipe from my Italian teacher.

Out of MP, we went hunting at two other FOs again, and again got each of us just one stuff. Since it's almost 5pm, we took off for a street hawker seafood stall which receives a good review on one of our national newspapers -Kompas. G said the stall opens at 5pm. We ordered "Crabs in Padang Dressing", "Fried Crabs with chilli" and "Steamed Blood Cockles", and half portion of steamed rice for each of us. As we're about to finish from there, the stall was starting to be overpopulated with its visitors. I didn't find anything special about the cooking there, and I was a bit disappointed and now I have a doubt if that is really the one mentioned by Kompas.

Controversy at Puteri Indonesia 2010

2010-10-09T02:27:00.007+07:00

I am one of the people who believe that the questions and answers session at events such as miss pageant are already prepared, and I knew I was right.
The 15th Annual Puteri Indonesia Beauty Pageant finally brings the proof when one of the contestants answers the question she randomly chooses.
The hint of controversy comes out from its shell when the contestant from Jakarta 4, Nadine, takes her turn on the first round of Q&A sessions.

Host: ....blah..blah... (sorry..I don't remember words by words but it's about).....what to do to with the children as the next generation...for their future....

Nadine: (she looks very confident at first, by beginning her answer with a specific term)...there is an enzyme....called....telomerase....this enzyme...err...telomerase....(suddenly her confidence free fall from the sky to the ground...she just can't continue what is the term she's just saying)

Until the short time for answering the question elapses, she's stuck in her bewilderment of getting the next words to complete her answer. The two hosts also join the awkwardness, lost in translation for some seconds :-D

However, despite the fact that she can't complete the answer, she gets away to the next round.
By that time I knew that this girl would win the Puteri Indonesia 2010.
I was cocksure because she dares to use that specific word, Telomese, but fails to continue.

The next answers by her on the following Q&A sessions are no better than on the first session.
Pity that the organiser of Puteri Indonesia still don't learn the lesson, Nadine Alexandra wins the title as Puteri Indonesia 2010.

photo credit Putri Indonesia website
I hope this time they train her better :-P
Just don't let people laugh in ironic, like when they're watching our Puteri Indonesia 2009 Qory Sandioririva saying "when you down, woman can make you up". Enough Nadine Candrawinata who thought that Indonesia is a city. We need someone like Artika Sari Devi or Zivanna Latisha Siregar.

Transportation is the Key to Freedom

2010-10-07T16:53:00.003+07:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of NMEDA. All opinions are 100% mine.

We have a wheelchair at home, but since a year ago it's never been in use because Mom is strong enough to use both of her legs to walk, after a long period of hospital stays. Mom was lucky because she's always had one of us, the family and also her private nurse, acted as her caregiver, helping her moving in a wheelchair. As for driving, she is happy to be also a dependent person, even in her youth days :)

That situation is different to independent people’s who have to be bound in wheelchair because of their physical limitation, either by their disability or by their age. They need to learn from experts and qualified associates on how to claim their freedom back and how to be able to get their personalised transportation.

They need NMEDA, the only association that promotes safe driving and equipment for disabled people. NMEDA is a non-profit trade association of mobility equipment dealers, drivers rehabilitation specialists, and other professionals who make possible people with disabilities to drive or be transported in special modified vehicles that suit individual’s need, because there’s no two people with a disability are identical.

If you live in the USA or Canada, and you need useful information on how to live independently with disability, you can contact NMEDA using dealer locator just by typing in your ZIP code. All NMEDA dealers have been accredited through the Quality Assurance Program (QAP), which is the only acknowledged accreditation program for the Adaptive Mobility Equipment industry.
Goodluck :)

This is What Happens When You Have Live TV

2010-10-02T12:14:00.009+07:00

Sarah Murdoch needs other better excuse for her mistake at hosting The Australia's Next Top Model rather than picking live television show as a scapegoat.

Watching it again on youtube, I think Sarah started to look tense at 2.30, then at 2:31 she looked like having her body there but her mind was elsewhere. Probably the operator had told her by that time about the mistake she just had made, but she lost idea of what to say. Poor her.

Some people think that it was purposely for publicity reason, that Sarah Murdoch was just acting. It's silly, it's very obvious she looked horror-stricken.
I can't pick the best scenario of what actually caused the blunder. Was it the operator who didn't speak clearly? Did Sarah actually has problem with her ears? :-D
Or ...could it be Sarah Murdoch actually preferred Kelsey Martinovich to Amanda Ware to win the title, and that caused her subconscious to take over her mind?

As for Kelsey Martinovich, she's elegantly in control of the situation, and came forth to comfort Murdoch. Both finalists are beautiful, and I see Kelsey as a winner as well as Amanda.
It's also good that as a way of apology, the organiser compensated Kelsey with $20,000 (£12,000) and a trip to New York.

You're Selling a Wrong Doctrine

2010-09-30T23:39:00.004+07:00

My today during morning to the afternoon was tinted by greyish colour. Stories resulted from my own experience and from news that I overheard on the radio and later when I watched one of our national local tellies, Metro, were the ones who painted that colour. Since throwing all the stories here would make my entry too long, I decide to write the non personal one first.

I watched a dialogue on Metro TV, a talking about terrorism that currently begins its stupidity in some parts of Indonesia. There were two participants who argued each other, and a moderator.
I dare not to write much here,because it has the possibility to ignite the short fuse of some narrow minded people, and also because unfortunately I didn't watch fully from the beginning.
I side with Al Chaidar, the observer of terrorism, because of strong points of his argumentation.
However the one that caught my attention is what the other person said.

He said that it is wrong to kill people who don't sin.
Yes, people who don't sin, and I'm sure he meant it that way because he kept repeating those words.
He didn't mean innocent people.

That makes me think.
Humph...he's not a law maker..so..is he God?
Afaik, imho, only God who knows everything. Besides, is there any of us who doesn't have sin?
Not even a pope, not the late mother Theresa, not any of the preachers I saw at Church, not one of us.
I bet each of us was/ is not resistant to sin.
I can't include Jesus, because He's 100% human but 100% God.

The statement "it's wrong to kill people who don't sin", really makes me frown...

How could he or the people who sympathise him or have the same thought with him decide, which one who doesn't have sin and which one who does? Which ones are allowed to be killed and which ones are not?

Wrong doctrine, so totally absurd. Hope he realises that, otherwise his brains need more nourishment.

Ok. that's one colour of grey for today. Let me end this entry with some translated lines from Takuboku Ishikawa - taken from Romaji Diary and Sad Toys (Tuttle Classics)

A Spoonful of Cocoa

I know
The sad heart of the terrorist-
A single-minded heart
Which finds it impossible to cut asunder speech and act,
A heart that wants to speak with deeds
Instead of words, which one has been deprived of,
A heart that hurls at the foe the body encasing it-
This is the sorrow serious and fervent men forever have.
Sipping cold cocoa from a spoon
After some eternal endless debate,
I know from this slightly bitter taste
The sad sad heart
Of the terrorist.

You sad pathetic creature! I mean all terrorists!

Breakfast Guilty Pleasure

2010-09-24T01:02:00.004+07:00

I got very hungry just before reaching lunch time, and it's because of what I ate for my breakfast.
I almost never dare to skip breakfast because of a saying that says breakfast is important. Unfortunately I often am being careless about the nutrition fact and the quantity of my intake by stuffing my stomach with things that only pamper the taste buds of mine. This is the picture of my very light but high in calorie breakfast

The one that is so special to me is not that Hagen Dazs ice-cream, but it's the ones wrapped in leaves.
For information, they are not any sort of stuffed rice or rice filled with something inside. They are fermented glutinous rice, or its traditional name is Tape. This one is special to me because I never saw Tape Ketan wrapped in leaf like that before my in-law gave some to us on previous day. I like Tape Ketan very much and this tape tastes even nicer. I think the leaf adds a unique taste to it, and the bake process enhances the taste.
Adding choco ice-cream was definitely a big no-no, vanilla flavoured ice-cream is always a good companion for tape. However, there will be no next time for this kind of breakfast! I need to care more of my stomach and future health :-/

Duped by Potato Head No. 51A

2010-09-19T20:12:00.002+07:00

It's no secret to most of my good friends that I have a weakness for potato. Having no other information than the only hearsay by a friend about Potato Head, I suggested Gianti to have our brunch there. It's not really a brunch though, cause it's already close to 2pm when we changed our direction from one Plaza -*read* Shopping Centre, to Pacific Place because I couldn't stop thinking about meeting some scrumptious potato jackets which I have been longing for ages.

The first impression from the outside before stepping our feet there, the cozy atmosphere was in the air already. We couldn't find the menu book that usually some restaurants place on a stand in front of the entrance, we decided to enter anyway. We wanted to pick the seat on the second floor, cause the bridge to go there looks nice and the view from above would be wider. Too bad, the smokers own that level. I asked the waiter of another part in that resto for non smokers. She pointed only the one that she recommended us to take. Strangely and sadly, less than 4 meter from our table, there was one or two men smoking, and by the confirmation from the waiter, we found out that non-smokers only have around 36 square meter as their territory, and it's physically border-less.

Photo by potato head

Now, the menu....and this is why the title is duped by Potato Head :)
I couldn't find the many choices of jacket potato that I was imagining before. We then learned rightaway, that the resto's name has nothing to do with the potato in its menu specifically, the menu mainly consists of various western cookery. Disappointed but hungry, I then chose Tuna Spaghetti Aglio Olio (IDR 65000) and Orange Juice (IDR 30000), and Gianti ordered something like jacket potato (around IDR 55000) but I forgot its name, I just remember she squeak a bit, telling me with disappointing voice about the egg inside of the potato that she ordered. She chose not to order a drink cause she had her bottled water, and because the drinks at Potato Head are at least IDR 20000.
The only available water is a pricey one.

Let's jump to the taste talk...
Not sure if the waitresses and the man in duty noticed it, but it's probably thrice, I was asked whether the food was ok or was anything as expected. Gianti told me to be frank about the spaghetti was not properly cooked, so at the third time when a man in asked me about the food, I shared my opinion nothing but the truth.....the spaghetti is hard.
Man in duty confidently tried to explain that there is a kind of texture when cooking pasta called Al dente which means it's not soft but firm, but before he could continue any longer Gianti fended by explaining the proper meaning of the term Al Dente..

Gianti: Yes I know what Al Dente is, but this is not Al Dente, this is undercooked. If only the chef gave one more minute to this spaghetti, then it would become Al Dente, just one more minute, trust me.

I couldn't help smiling, seeing Gianti telling the man in duty just like a teacher explaining thing to a student. The man in duty was then apologizing for my meal, he promised that he will tell the chef about it, and he thanked us. He still tried to get my approve of the taste, well, honestly, the taste itself was good, and he looked relieved by my answer.

Gianti knows a lot about Italian cooking because she worked with Italian company, and besides that, she proclaims herself as an avid cook who is able to taste a food or distinguish what are the spices in it just by the smell.

Final thought about the Potato Head No. 51 A....
The interior is fun and I like the using of recycled things for its decoration, but...
I wish there were more choices regarding the table for non smokers, please respect our right for a better quality of air, and puhleassee....how could flies also exist? Judging by the price of the food and beverages there and the location in a high-end Shopping Centre, the place should be fly-free zone. The waitress acknowledged those flies, but didn't provide our table any candle, yet she provided a candle to a table of some expatriates.
Perhaps she thought we Indonesians are already immune to fly..lol.
We didn't leave tip cause the resto already charges 10% for service and 10% for tax from the total order.

Random Quote of Saturday: Friend

2010-08-21T12:22:00.000+07:00

Just something freshening as I walk the internet today. A bit lighten up the withering flame of affinity inside myself...it gives me hope...

6 months ago i didn't know Amy.

5 months ago, i wanted to be Amy's friend.

4 months ago, Amy and i became best friends.

3 months ago, Amy stayed up to keep me from killing myself.

Ever since, Amy has been the reason I've kept going. Friends who care, no matter how long you have known them

Finally another update within less than a week, made me a proud blogger :-D

It's Our Anniversary

2010-08-17T07:29:00.001+07:00

May justice rules our beloved Indonesia and we Indonesians and those who love Indonesia be united to save this country from corruption, the hyper "religious" zanies, ambiguous law and impotent government.

May God bless Indonesia, Indonesians, and those who love both :-))

I save this capture of Google search page that uses the illustration to honour the 65th anniversary of the Republic of Indonesia, our anniversary. Thanks Google crews.

Fortitude is Here

2010-06-04T10:53:00.001+07:00

A bit late 'official' announcement for Fortitude here on Origena, cause I only put the announcement at the top right side of this blog, and did not feature it.
Before I talk more about Fortitude, I would like to shout this....
............
The opportunity is still open very wide cause right now Fortitude is still by invite only until 7 June 2010.
............

Now for a brief F.A.Q:

Q. What is Fortitude?
A. The concept is a Magazine about everything by everyone for everyone. Basically, everyone who loves to write and are able to interweave words nicely must try their luck.

Q. What's the catch?
A. Fortitude will pay everyone to indulge in their passion, and the payment starts from USD 10 minimum to USD 100 maximum. Fortitude will also pay everyone to review any submission.

Q. How?
A. Apply Fortitude Full Account. Write anything interesting, submit your quality work, and if your work get approved by the democratic review -read: d e m o c r a t i c- then yours is entitled a spot on the front page of Fortitude, and that means you will receive the payment range from $10-$100.

Q. Why have to pay membership?
A. - Membership is to prevent duplicates, scam, and the alike intrusive account
- Membership allows members to submit their writings and to review others' writings.
- To prevent the system from crashing and bankruptcy.

Q. Anything else?
A. Read more, JOIN, and get paid at least USD 1 per article published by the people you refer to the site.

Bear with Me

2010-05-02T23:47:00.001+07:00

Bear with me cause I've been slacking off here :)
Bear is with me, cause for the first time I'm joining Caardvarks challenge, and I'm using clear stamp of the cute little bear with little bird that was sent by a kind new friend in England.

This is the first time I really use this little bear for a card project. I can say it makes a cute card, right? ;-)

Oh, forgot to mention, that the challenge is to make a monochromatic card.
I hope my card is monochromatic enough :-D
I use some shades of purple.
Why purple? Cause I found out I have some spares of purple and purple-like papers, and because the little bear wears a crown, and purple is majestic.

Here's what I use for this card:
- Forever Friends clear stamps, Hallmark Cards PLC
- Violet flowery paper from DCWV
- Light purple paper is unknown brand
- Textured purple paper is unknown brand
- Blank cardstock
- Coloured with Berol Karisma coloured pencils
- Sparkled with Glitter glue
- Button punch from Martha Stewart
- Floral vine punch from Martha Stewart

Whatever you think, bear with me, I'll improve my card-making skills :-D

Fake Me Out

2010-04-20T09:20:00.000+07:00

Come to some markets of countries in Asia, there scattered plenty of Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, just name it. They are all there, and some are all cheap. The brands belong to the masses, they are becoming like part of women' uniform.

I'm no posh critic of lifestyles, but to me it's a plain vain to wear a copy of those upscale brands, and it's just folly. Why one wants to wear it? Is it because of its beautiful styles? Well, there are many no name brands or secondary brands produce eye-tempting styles. Maybe because of the quality? Doubt it, why wear fake then? Because one can't afford it? Well, mostly, but not all, cause the self-claimed superior quality replicas are pricey too...considering that it's FAKE.

One of my cousins came back from her holiday in HongKong, and she proudly brought my Mom a fake Prada. I've learnt from my observation in some multiply.com sites that the first grade to superior quality of replicas come from either South Korea or Hong Kong, while the inferior ones are from China. My Mom is not a brand worshiper, but she's always bought authentic stuffs, cheap or pricey. My cousin actually is more than able to buy the genuine one, but she bought a fake one too for herself and her Mom. Since my Mom doesn't wear fake things, that Prada replica bag then ended to someone else...and the chain of deception continues :))

Replicas or fake things not only belong to bags or other stuffs of women. My sis-in-law saw many fake Nokia mobiles while travelling in China, and she brought one of those fake iPhone home :-D, because her friends bought many of them as gifts for their friends and families!! At first my bro used it, until I told him that some source say fake mobiles are dangerous, I've never seen him with it anymore.

I wish they were less vain and were more pro creativity, and bought things not because of the brands. Also, for dog and cat lovers, please considering this article before you buy replicas from China.

Obscure Moment

2010-04-10T09:53:00.002+07:00

hihihi..I have this post nesting on my draft, forgot to tick automatic post..and now..after 2 months passed...I just realise that!...as obscure as its content :-D

I felt I just had a parapsychological experience. It's not a cool nor it is an eerie one, it's just unexplainable.
It's started right when we're about to leave B city, suddenly I had a headache and felt a bit queasy, but I believe that condition won't cause anyone to be disorientated.

My headache was a sensation of lots of needles pricking the left side of my head. It was sore tingling and heavy, completed by the sickness feeling.
Before leaving B city, we went to the gas station to fill up the car. I checked out the time on my mobile phone, it's passed 6 pm, so I estimated that we would reach J city around 9pm.

Just as the car departed from gas station, I suddenly felt a bit nauseated. I've almost never felt nauseated, so I was wondering what's going on? I don't have gastric problem to worry either.

I closed my eyes, tried to sleep, in hope that I could minimise the pain and the nausea. I didn't tell the others about that, I just prayed that I would not vomit cause it would be embarrassing and I wouldn't like the mess :-D I also prayed that we could arrive in J city as soon as possible.

Finally when the car almost reached the last toll gate, I opened my eyes and read the sign that we're in J town already.

Now, this is the thing that still perplex me..
I checked out the time on my mobile phone...
...it's around 4 am !!!... and the date...14 February already!!
I double checked it, and the time and date still said the same.
I asked the other, what's the time? R answered me "9 pm o'clock sharp"!
Everyone was laughing when I told that my mobile's time was acting weird by showing wrong time and date.

Immediately after I arrived home, I took a shower, then I checked out the time on my mobile again, insane...it showed 10pm and the date is 13 February!!

Still don't know which one was having error, was it me or my mobile?

Berol Karisma is why I hate big rain

2010-02-25T23:33:00.001+07:00

Karismacolor are no more. They are deceased. They have passed over to the great sharpener in the sky. They have fallen out of their box. They have been permanently erased - they are GONE.

Bob Ebdon

I found the above quote after once again trying to find the trail of Berol Karisma on the net, something that is almost impossible. All Berol Karisma seem really as quoted above. They're not erased though, they're pursued by many, that's why...
I can only find its twin, Prismacolor.

Two years ago I could still see some sets on the net, but the prices were crazy that made them the most expensive coloured pencils I've ever known. Maybe if I were very good at using them, I would not be considered crazy if bought it. The reason I like it simply because I was in love with the set since the day I saw one of them. It's not about the appearance solely, cause as soon as I doodled, I knew it's the one. The set built up my confidence. I always feel I could do colouring with Karisma, and I don't have that confidence with any other else and my colouring is just like those who can use pencil, not like those who can really draw ;-P

I used to have 3 sets, one was a plain Berol, and the two others were what I love the most, they're Berol Karisma -two sets of 36 colours, each set had different colours. I bought one of the Berol Karisma sets when I was in UK. Back in my country, it was a big mistake that one day I let one of them, the Berol Karisma one, to stay some nights at my friend's house, cause one day the rain came ceaselessly and let the water inundated the house. The next was a tragic....the flood ate the set :-/

I now only have one set, I forget where the plain one's gone. I still can't forget my lost Karisma, especially during big rainy season like nowadays. Losing Karisma to me is almost like losing a dog.

My remaining Berol karisma has already looked worn out, and even the white one looks desperate, I love the set still.

Tell me where to find the cheap one? and best is the one in a wood case *dreaming*