Origena : Life on Review

Natural and Organic Skincare by IQ Natural

2015-07-20T10:15:00.000+07:00

I used not to read the ingredients of my skincare and make up products, until nearly the last ten years since I read many skin problems and health issues-related caused by some chemical used in skincare industry, I become careful on choosing what I put on my skin. Now, whenever I want to buy skincare or make up, I will first search the internet and put additional keywords organic, natural, purity, Paraben-free, and Sulphate free to it.

I found IQ Natural corresponds what I’m looking for, a Natural and Organic Skin Care and Makeup. IQ Natural boosts that it puts Purity first, and I love how the prospective users get acknowledged to what ingredients IQ Natural uses. Besides skincare range, IQ Natural also offers make-up, bath & body, aromatherapy, hair care, and tools/ brushes. What I like more is that there is size option for some products.

This is so what I want.... rather than applying any other skincare loaded with toxic chemicals, my skin will sure cherish the pumpkin, acai berry, aloe vera, almond, Moroccan argan oil, the super flax seed oil and many many Natural's Nutrient-Rich ingredients. No more ugly preservatives, no more toxic chemicals.

Brought to you by your friends at IQ Nature.

Marine-Themed Creations From Galleon

2013-03-15T12:05:00.001+07:00

Titanic, Finding Nemo, Ariel the Little Mermaid, Captain Jack Sparow, Pirates of Caribbean, Jaws, and Dolphin Tale are some of movies or characters in movies with a marine theme. Many movies take the sea as their setting, and many of those movies have become All-Time Box-office hit movies. The sea has a lot of charm to offer, people are buying it, but I’m not going to talk about movies now. There’s something else also inspired by the passion for the sea.

I am one of those people who are fond of the sea and anything nautical, and I used to look for a small brooches or charms with the shapes of anchors, rudders, or my favourite animal, dolphins. I didn’t know there was a jeweller that specialized in marine themed jewellery.

Galleon Jewelers is a jewelery maker that is specialized in nautical creations and has been around in the business since 1978. Their online catalogue is full of finely detailed creations of marine themed earrings, bracelets, pendants and so on, mostly in high quality solid 14Kt gold, but there are also some in 18Kt gold. They also have an amazing collection with a gold anchor necklace, or for those who fancy a nautical bracelet, their selection is hard to resist.

In addition to their available in-stock creations, I read Galleon Jewelers also welcomes custom and personalized order from customers, and can handle almost anything you have in mind. When I browsed their online catalogue, I found an amazing Movable Shark Jaw with detailed teeth in the Charms and Pendants Category. Click here for more products, there are a lot more to see for yourself or for someone dear. This shop also offers a 100% guarantee of satisfaction, so if a customer finds the purchase is not satisfying, they can return the purchase for FULL refund within 10 days of receiving their order. Free shipping is available for order over US$250.

How Low Can You be Louboutinised?

2013-03-13T22:26:00.000+07:00

photo: justbemagazine. com

I have a good friend who is a fashion-aware person that makes her can easily pass as a fashionista. I've known that she has a good appetite for fashion, and the way she dress says it all. In fact, she somehow inspired me on experimenting with outfit. She can easily mix and match her wardrobe without falling to become a victim of fashion, and successfully winning people's attention. She looks posh effortlessly, even in second-line brands.

However, one day I received a surprising email with photo attachments from her. Had she not written what's it all about in her email, I would not have bad judgement against them. They are photos of some pairs of beautiful shoes that look like those of Christian Louboutin. She asked me to pick out which pair have the nicest model, cause she wanted to order them for her.

I remember when we were at one luxurious mall in our town, she spotted a woman who wore them, "those are Louboutin" she made me aware of them. She continued explaining me of their incredible prices. I was impressed by the beauty of them, but not by the prices, cause to me they're just excessively expensive, though I could understand some people love to buy 'exclusiveness'.

And for that 'exclusiveness' lifestyle some people don't even mind to cheat by wearing the counterfeit ones. Sad, and what's more sad is, the one that she wanted to order are the knock-offs. It made me laugh and shocked at the same time when I read it, and I refused her idea. She told me that the genuine ones would cost her dearly like some USD 1500, and those she intended to order would only cost her USD 100. I argued her, that by wearing a counterfeit even if it's only a pair, will always make someone ugly and somehow, hurts that person's pride even if other people don't notice the difference. Kind of lousy argument, but I just don't want her to wear counterfeit merchandise. I told her, it's better to wear a non-branded or second-line one than a counterfeit Louboutin. Glad she listened to me and agreed with it.

Really, even though I can't afford a pair of Louboutin, I dislike those people who sell, buy and wear counterfeit. Why must be dictated by a brand?

Safe Cleaning with Dry Ice Blasting

2013-02-13T08:09:00.000+07:00

I often think that the act of cleaning something a lot of times may end up soiling something else. Take the case of washing our plates, cooking utensils, etc., have you ever wondered what's inside the cleaning agent that you use? How will the waste affect our Earth or environment?

Many people have become more concerned about using of green technology that can promote sustainable management of resources. More companies have become aware of the trend, and so they also know that using environmentally friendly technology will only bring positive value to their business.

Dry Ice Blasting Machine from IceTech

Thanks to Dry Ice Blasting, now responsible manufacturers can employ a green technology to effectively clean their factories and machines. Say farewell to the hazardous chemicals or solvents, no more endangering the environment and human resources, because unlike the traditional blasting method which leaves contamination, the revolutionary Dry Ice Blasting is entirely non-poisonous and dry ice won't leave a trace because it evaporates as soon as it touches treated objects. Thus gracious nature welcomes a worry-free and cheaper waste management. The economic sense continues by how downtime is minimized because Dry Ice Blasting can be applied even while a machine in operation. Due to the its nature that doesn't use hard particles as abrasive agents, this method will not defect any property, and is even safe for fragile surfaces.

There are some companies who produce Dry Ice Blasting, but IceTechWorld has proved to be the leading one with its global support that provides excellent 24/7 service to its clientele. Its products come from the experts of this field. Click here for more products.

So, that's a small lecture about green cleaning. Find a way to save our Earth, engage with green products and green companies. Manufacturers can start by finding dry ice blasting rental for their business, it's never too late to be a responsible one.

In Love with Lemon

2013-02-12T12:22:00.003+07:00

It has become my habit to start my morning with a glass of warm lemon water in the last five month.
I've read the benefit of drinking the mix of lemon and warm water since couple of years ago, but had not taken it seriously. As usual, we often ignore good advices until something bad hits, and it happened to me too when my Mom had some problems with her health. At first it was her poorly-controlled diabetes, then that affected her heart, stomach, cholesterol level and currently it looks like she is prone to allergy. Illness is really time-and money-consuming, and usually when we're not careful enough, we'd fall to money-sucking doctor or hospital! So it's best to stay away from illness.

photo by Dodo-bird

That's how I started to look for some green health solution, things that come from nature, something that won't pile up unnatural chemical residue inside my body. I am in favour of prevention than of medication. My Mom since her illness until now has had to depend on her medicines, she consumes seven pills in the morning, three to four after lunch, and seven in the evening. She's been warned about her kidneys condition cause her creatinine level is high, and that could end up in renal failure. That news really scares us cause two of my close cousins died at a young age because of renal failure. One nephrologist told me and my Mom that she will eventually must undergo dialysis -God forbid.

Though some of the doctors that I asked said that it's a very small to no chance that her high creatinine level is caused by the amount of medicines that she consumes everyday, I still suspect that way.

Lemon is believed brings good impact on digestion, and I believe healthy digestion is a start of healthy body. A book that I bought also says that lemon reduces the risk of cancer.I also read that drinking warm water with lemon regularly will preserve liver. There are many more good sayings of the routine on the internet that made me decided to adapt it to myself and to my Mom.

The result is promising, I have never caught a flu for almost a year ever since I consume lemon plus warm water regularly. My Mom's monthly lab result is improving, though her creatinine level only drops a bit, but in general she's better. She still consumes her daily intake medicines, but gradually I hope she will gain back her health completely and will be free of that medicines.

A warning though, lemon corrodes teeth, just gargle to rinse the teeth and mouth immediately after drinking it, or use a straw.

A Homey Movie time with Popcorn

2012-11-06T06:46:00.000+07:00

Every time I go to the cinema, there is this one distinct scent that is always there to welcome me, the moment I set foot in the lobby. I'm sure everyone else is also aware of that scent. The movie buffs probably regard it as a "homey" scent, that emits from the busy popcorn machines, the warm smell of sticky caramel coated popcorn or just plain and salty popcorn. My favourite guilty pleasure is of course always the sweet one..toffee... caramel..hmm, now suddenly I feel like want to go to a movie!

If only I had one of those vending machines popcorn like the one at the cinema, I could have my movie time treat anytime at home. There would be no need to struggle in traffic jams or to wait in a long lineup for the movie tickets. I could just fill my machine with the corn kernels, season them with anything I want, and enjoy the familiar popping sounds and the smell made by the popcorn, and then enjoy a relaxing time watching my favourite movie.

That vending machine popcorn is actually not hard to find, because I found out that there is this site that sells vending machines popcorn, complete with popcorn supplies, gourmet popcorn flavors and even popcorn recipes using popcorn. The site is epopcorn.com. I check out my favourites flavours there! The caramel one is just one amongst a total of 20 gourmet popcorn flavors. By only looking at the list I have already started imagining the possibility of mixes that I could create from them.

Wanna see what the machines look like? Have a look at the products here...

This cute one is Countertop Hot Air Popper

This one is my fav!!
the style of Original 1911 4 oz. Popcorn Machine w/ Cart

Street Vendor 6 oz. Popcorn Machine

These are just three of many Popcorn Products available there. It looks like the site is really a heaven for popcorn lovers, and of course for movie buffs who wants to feel “homey” when watching a movie at home. Aside from the machines for personal use, epopcorn.com also supplies machines for businesses, like that of a street vendor or retail outlet in the mall.

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.

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.