Ming's # 1 Fan...

...is definately Felicia...

I have no intention to return to blogging, and officially still on a break, but I just HAVE to write this down ....

This morning, as I was preparing to go to the office, Ming brought Felicia to our room.  She was busy watching the "(J)oged (Nd)angdut" from his blackberry when I hugged Ming Good Morning (it's a part of my morning ritual).  

But then, while my arms still around Ming, I looked at her, and she's no longer watching the video clip (and take my words when I said almost NOTHING can distract her when she's watching those clips)...instead, she's staring at us ... and moments later, she started to cry!

She's like, "...ooooo, moh! moh! moh!"

She's pretty upset that I hugged Ming!!  

I tried the second time and she's crying again!  then she came to her Dad, lift both her arms and said, "Papa, Ndong!"

Felicia has always been attached to her dad, she would follow Ming everywhere, demanded to see Ming and be with Ming all the time.  If Ming went to the washroom, she wouldn't get a moment's piece and would keep calling his name every minutes until he came out.

But this is the first time she's jealous of me! hihihihi....

I asked around and apparently it's quite normal, usually daughters would get jealous of their moms, and sons would get jealous of their dads....interesting...

I really should consider making a son ASAP....

I Dreamed A Dream

Is the title of the song which Susan Boyle performed in Britain Got Talent 2009.

Another extraordinary person I wish Felicia one day would appreciate for her talent, tenacity, and her courage to pursue her dream, regardless of what others think....

On A Break

Yup... I've decided not to blog for a while...

call it a writer's block (though I won't call myself a writer), call it boredom or simply laziness ... but I'm off for now.

Felicia, however, still is getting cuter and smarter by the hour....

She can count 1 - 10 in Indonesian and English, and in Chinese from 1 - 5
She will automatically say "Shie Shie, Ya" when she receives something or (forcely) takes something.
She can name in a mixed of Indonesian and English the following animals: Rabbit, Sapi, Ayam, Babi, Duck / bebek, Gajah, Bee, Burung, Cicak, horse /kuda, and Gorilla (pronounced GOLILA)
Everytime I asked her if she loves me, she would say "Ya", but then proceed to pat her dad in his arms and said, "Papa Sayang".
She often ordered us to sit next to her, saying "Papa/Mama! duduk!" and pat the space next to her.
She loves getting carried on Ming's shoulder, often demanding "Papa! Ndong! Atas!!"
She loves watching video clips on Ming's blackberry, saying "Papa! (J)oged! (Nd)angdut!"
She's still a big fan of Thomas
She knows (though sometimes still confused) the color Red and Green, which we showed in every intersection with the traffic light.  
She loves watching "(F)ontain"
Last time my mom stopped by wearing a party gown and she immediately said "Bobo! (C)antik!" and then demand her dad to see "Papa! (C) antik! (B) agus!" while patting the embroidery and the beads on my mom's dress.
Whenever I winked at her she'd say, "Mama! No no no!" and shaking her finger, but if her dad winked at her she'd winked back.
She ALWAYS followed her papa around.
She loves sitting with her papa while he's playing World of Warcraft, and once demanded the character flying with VECI instead of getting a ride from a big bird.  
She knows "Bintang", and often confused saying "Balon" instead of "Bulan"
She can sing a long with me to the following songs:

• Bintang Kecil
  
• Cicak
• Potong Bebek
• Pok Ami Ami (She;d ran away before the chorus ended with the tickling)
• Nina Bobok
• Mari Pulang

And she makes clear that while she wants to have siblings ("dua!" she'd say), and that she'll love them, she will NOT lend them her "Guwing!".  But she'll lend me the precious "Guwing"

When she saw Keito, her cousin, from video call, the first thing she'd do was crying and saying "Guwing! Guwing!"....

She's a true Daddy's little girl....more so than I ever am...

Well, that's all for now folks!

Nightshow in Istanbul

I was given this picture shot during my dinner in Turkey. The place used to be a brothel!!!

Hubba hubba

Old Picture

The Princess and The Bodyguard

Book for March '09

'Love means not ever having to say you're sorry.'

From Love Story, by Erich Segal

At first, the words may not make sense; as I told my colleague, if you're acting like an ass or a bitch to your significant other, of course you have to say you're sorry.

But after reading this book, what it said makes perfect sense.

If you truly love someone, you don't need to say you're sorry, because, well, won't that person become the most important reason in your life that you treat him or her with such respect and devotion so that you won't ever slight them? Then again, maybe not. After all, I know how easily it is to treat a complete stranger with exquisite manners and then turn around and yell to your loved ones because, really, shouldn't they know better?

But again, if you truly love someone, shouldn't you accept that person's flaws as well? Shouldn't you be forgiving without having to ask that person to apologize first?

I know that when I quarrel with my Ming, and those incidents are not infrequent believe you me, and he said he's sorry (though sometimes, very seldom occasions I tell you, quite rare really, that the fault is mine), somehow his sorry is not what I want to hear. It's not what I need. It doesn't lessen the pain, so to speak.

Sometimes, what I want from him is to really listen to how I feel about the whole thing, and understand. My feeling and thoughts may be ridiculous according to him, it doesn't make any sense and he even may think I'm wrong, and maybe I am, but above all else, I can say with utmost certainty, that I don't need, or want, his sorry.

I want his understanding; I want him to go the extra miles in not only understanding but also accepting the twisted mind of a hormonal and irrational-at-times woman he vows to love for better or worse till death do us part. Just because. Just because with this woman, it's different. Just because this woman is his wife, his significant other, the mother of his child. Just because he loves this woman.

And that is how I see this book all about. Loving someone without motives. Loving someone just because.

When you read this book, you may get different message, or no message at all. I don't think the author meant to impart life-changing experience for the readers. But for me, well, it conveys perfectly in words what I've been trying to grasp, what i try to tell Ming after we have all those fights that really, he doesn't ever have to say he's sorry. Just Because.

Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema (1836 - 1912)

For some reason, this painting took my breath away....