Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Mother and Child

Mother-and-Child-Movie-Poster I love this movie!! Totally breathtaking in the end.. I cried a lot. The story begins with a 14 years old couple who was in intercourse to sex. After that, time moves to present time. Karen lives with her old mom, and has a maid who usually brings her daughter. Karen is a harsh and weird person, but actually she’s stiff, she cant get closer to people easily, including her mom. Time goes by, Karen’s mom finally died. Leaving nothing except a loneliness for Karen. Karen has no husband. One day, Karen looks that her mom’s necklace is worn by her maid’s daughter. She’s angry. So the maid tells her that it was her mom who gave the necklace to the daughter. Maid also says that Karen’s mom felt sorry for causing Karen a miserable life. I dont know why, maybe because the unclosed bond between Karen and her mom.

Now, there’s Elizabeth. Karen’s real daughter whom she gave up at the age 14. Elizabeth got adopted and just grew up and became an independent woman since she was 17. They were never met each other. Elizabeth is a lawyer and has a new job in a law firm. She has an affair with her boss, who is actually old man. And also an affair with her neighboor, who is married. Elizabeth is a tough woman, lives in her independency, her ambition. She thinks she doesnt need anyone so she doesnt have to fulfill their expectation. What she does is just for her.

There’s also Lucy, who wants to adopt a baby. She cant be pregnant. She comes to a fostercare, and meets this young woman who will give her baby. It’s her decision. The husband supports her at the 1st time, but then gives up. And they get seperate.

Time passes by, Karen gets married with her coworker at the hospital. They are happy. Elizabeth gets pregnant and decides to keep her baby. She doesnt want to be pregnant actually, she pissed off the first time she knew she got pregnant. And Lucy, helps the mother’s baby with all pregnancy things. Elizabeth finally wants to look for her real mom, she writes a letter, sends it to the fostercare. Karen does the same thing.

Elizabeth has a problem with her pregnancy, she dies when she gives birth her baby. Lucy doesnt get her baby cos the young woman changes her decision. She wants her baby. This scene makes me cry too. Anyway, Elizabeth’s daughter is a lil bit dark, so yeah, the baby’s father must be the boss. Sister from fostercare gives Elizabeth’s daughter to Lucy, regarding that she has no one.

A year later, Elizabeth’s letter come to fostercare. It was misplaced at the first time. The sister then gives it to Karen and also tells her that Elizabeth had a daughter who’s adopted by Lucy. Karen meets Lucy and Ella at the end.

I like this movie, the fact that i will become a mother someday, makes me a lil bit scare. I’m afraid that i cant raise my child properly. Haha.. I know it’s still so long, but yeah.. I remember Lucy’s scene, the first time she has Ella. She’s really frustrating because the baby cries all the time, taking over day and night. Then Lucy’s mom says, “Do u think u are the first woman who ever had a baby? Grow the fuck up and get your act together. Be the mother!” And i was like, wow! So yeah, if u are not ready enough to have your own child, do not ever think to make ‘it’. Because it’s hard, raising a child. And i was like gonna hug my mom at that time.

I dont really close with my mom, somehow i feel like Karen in this movie. U know, i dont really open up with her. I dont want to talk about my personal life, neither does she. I prefer talking to some friends or my sister. Well, my mom sometimes complains about this too, about how secretly I am, into her. But i have nothing to hide right now, and she knows everything i’ve done in the past. So right now, i feel secure and comfortable with our condition. Except the fact that she’s hiding something from everyone. But doesnt she think that we all already know? And yes, we do know. Oh please mom, dont be so naive. Well, I think it will be more fun if we can open up to mom. I can, but i prefer to write it, on a card, or letter. Haha, so ancient! :p

I also like one scene about bond, after Karen got married with her man, she was having a lunch with his daughter. She says something about his dad that doesnt believe in God, “The most kind-hearted man in the world has turned his back on Jesus. Jesus wouldnt turn His back on u.” Cool! And about the bond, because they just know each other, she says : “Because it’s the time spent together that counts, more than blood.” And she encourages Karen to search for her daughter, before the time ends. That line just stick on my head all the time. Time matters so much, true.

And by the way because of this movie, i fall in love with Naomi Watts, so much! She’s so pretty! :) This is great movie, specially for you all the women in this world: girl, woman, mother.

xoxo,

Monday, September 27, 2010

Champagne Girl (Part 4)

Sore itu aku dan teman-teman kantor janjian untuk minum di bar setelah pulang kantor. Aku sudah mendapatkan pinjaman mobil dari kantor. Sejak saat itu aku melarang Chris untuk menjemputku, dan secara otomatis intensitas pertemuan kami pun semakin jarang. Walaupun dia masih rajin telepon dan BBm aku. Tapi aku mulai berusaha menjauhkan diri dari Chris, aku tidak ingin semua menjadi terlambat karena sikap tidak tegasku terhadap Chris.

Kami melepas penat dengan sedikit minuman beralkohol, kebetulan besok weekend. Namun kali ini aku tidak salah minum, aku hanya memesan soda. Tidak boleh ada kejadian aku mabuk dan tidak terkendali. Aku melihat sosok pria berjalan masuk ke bar. Dia duduk membelakangi rombongan kami di meja bartender. Aku mengenal sosok itu, tampak seperti Andrew. Setelah kami selesai minum-minum, aku memberanikan diri mendekati sosok pria seperti Andrew itu, pamit ceritanya.

“Andrew,” panggilku.

Pria itu menengadah, masih dalam posisi yang sama dengan gelas-gelas di hadapannya. “Hei, Carly.”

Jadi benar itu Andrew, mabuk. Aku tidak pernah melihat Andrew mabuk. Yah memang tidak, pasti dia yang melihatku mabuk. Mengapa Andrew seperti ini? Masalah apa yang membuatnya begini?

“Kamu tidak mabuk lagi kan?” tanya Andrew sambil tersenyum.

“Aku rasa kamu yang lagi mabuk. Aku baru mau pamitan pulang.”

No, jangan.” Andrew menahanku dan memegang tanganku. “Temenin aku ngobrol, Carly. Aku rindu perbincangan kita yang dulu.”

Aku dapat merasakan pipiku mulai memanas akibat genggaman tangannya. Tangan yang besar dan badan yang kokoh. Namun jiwa yang sedang lelah. Aku pun tinggal di bar lebih lama untuk berbincang-bincang dengan Andrew. Andrew tetap menenggak minumannya, sedangkan aku masih meminum soda.

It’s Ally. Ally yang menjadi beban di pikiran Andrew saat ini. Andrew bercerita tentang sikap Ally yang mulai berubah dan bahwa pernikahan mereka terancam batal. Ternyata Andrew sangat mencintai Ally, nggak mungkin bagiku untuk berada di antara mereka. Sikap baik Andrew selama ini memang baik sebatas bos dan bawahannya saja. Andrew bicara melantur. Aku pun mengajaknya pulang dan memasukkan Andrew secara paksa ke dalam mobilku. Bahwa menyetir saja dia nggak mampu, gimana bisa aku biarkan dia pulang sendiri. Tubuhnya berat sekali. Kuarahkan mobilku ke apartement Andrew. Kupapah tubuhnya ke dalam lift. Andrew masih meracau soal Ally, sepanjang jalan sampai sekarang. Aku menghubungi Chris, akhirnya, memintanya menunggu di luar lift untuk menjemput Andrew. Andrew terjatuh. Aku berusaha memapahnya, memeluknya untuk menahannya berdiri. Tubuh kami menempel. Andrew menatapku, menggumamkan namaku, kemudian menggumamkan nama Ally, dan dalam sekejap menciumku. Ciuman ini dalam dan sedikit keras. Dia melumat bibirku, berusaha memasukkan lidahnya ke dalam mulutku. Aku tidak bisa menghindar. Tangannya memelukku dengan sangat kuat.

Pintu lift terbuka. Kulihat Chris berdiri menatap kami. Kujauhkan tubuh Andrew, berusaha melepaskan pelukannya. Masih tidak bisa. Chris menarik Andrew dengan paksa. Kemudian memapahnya ke kamar. Aku mengambil barang-barang Andrew yang terjatuh dan mengikuti ke kamar. Aku tidak bersuara, Chris juga tidak. Dan Andrew sudah resmi tertidur saat ini, gumamannya sudah berhenti. Kami keluar dari kamar tidur Andrew.

“Kamu nggak apa-apa?” Chris akhirnya memulai pembicaraan.

“Aku nggak apa-apa. Andrew yang kenapa-kenapa. Dia stress.”

“Kamu jatuh cinta sama dia?”

“Chris? Aku nggak... Aku nggak pernah jatuh cinta sama Andrew, aku cuma mengaguminya. That’s all.” Aku berusaha menjelaskan sesuatu. Ini aneh, aku tidak mau Chris berpikir aku menyukai Andrew.

“Terus kenapa selama ini kamu nggak pernah mau ketemu Andrew? Dan bersikap aneh di hadapannya.”

“Chris, aku nggak mau bicarain tentang itu.”

You promise.”

Aku tidak bisa mengelak, kali ini kujawab pertanyaan Chris. Kuceritakan semua yang kuingat tentang malam di Bali itu. Ciuman itu. Ciuman pertamaku dengan bosku, yang ternyata sangat mencintai tunangannya. Serta alasanku untuk mengakhiri karir di Maxcom Enterprise.

That’s why i cant meet him. Or meet you.” kataku mengakhiri.

Chris tertawa terbahak-bahak. Aku mengamati keanehannya. Kemudian dia masuk ke dalam kamar dan memintaku mengikutinya. Ia mengambil sesuatu dari dalam laci mejanya. Itu syal, syalku, yang aku cari kemana-mana.

“Nih, kayaknya ini punyamu.” Chris memberikan syal itu padaku.

“Kenapa bisa ada di kamu?” aku masih menatap Chris bertanya-tanya.

“Jelas kan, kamu ninggalin syalmu di mobilku. Waktu kamu mabuk itu.”

“Tapi kamu nggak pernah bilang sebelumnya!” wajahku memerah, malu. Jadi Chris juga melihatku mabuk. Jadi dia tahu aku sudah mencium kakaknya. “Terus buat apa kamu pura-pura nggak tahu atas apa yang terjadi sama aku dan Andrew di Bali?!”

Chris diam sejenak. “Sebenarnya aku pengen kamu tahu sendiri Carly, tapi kayaknya nggak ada gunanya lagi nutup-nutupin sekarang. Aku nggak mau kamu ngejauhin aku gara-gara Andrew.” Chris menggenggam tanganku. Aku menariknya cepat. Chris menggenggam lagi. Kencang. Sudah mengantisipasi apabila aku menariknya lagi. Aku masih tidak mengerti apa maksudnya. Chris menatapku dalam dan mengambil ancang-ancang untuk menciumku. Aku tidak kuasa menghindar, seakan aku sudah terpaku pada daya tariknya. Aku memejamkan mataku dan mengikuti kemana bibirnya menuntunku. Ciuman itu hangat dan penuh hasrat. Aku membalas seluruh lumatannya. Chris memeluk tubuhku kencang. Chris menarikku ke ranjangnya, dan posisi kami masih sama, masih berciuman dengan irama.

Stop. Stop it.” Akhirnya aku berhasil menguasai diri, kembali ke dunia nyata. Ciuman itu membuat seluruh wajahku panas, jantungku berdegup kencang, dan perutku bergejolak.

Chris memandangku tersenyum. Badannya masih berada di atasku. “Do you remember something?” tanyanya penuh senyum kemenangan. Aku masih menatapnya. Dia mulai menciumiku lagi, dan aku, membalas ciumannya lagi. Oh Tuhan, kapan kami bisa bicara.

“Oke, Chris. Cukup.” kali ini aku benar-benar mendorong tubuh Chris dan aku menjauhkan diri dari dekapan Chris. “This is serious. Inget apa? Aku nggak inget apa-apa!”

“Carly, kamu nih lambat banget sih. Masa aku harus nawarin bibirku buat kamu cium lagi?” Chris masih tertawa senang.

I’m serious. You have to tell me right now!” aku mulai tidak sabar, tapi masih berusaha mengingat-ingat apa yang aku tidak ingat. Tapi nihil, aku tidak berhasil mengingat apapun.

“Carly, kamu nggak pernah mencium Andrew. Oke pernah, tadi di lift. Coba Andrew nggak mabuk, udah aku pukul dia.”

“Jangan ngalihin pembicaraan. Terus siapa yang aku cium? Kamu?”

Chris tersenyum kembali. Oke, kayaknya pertanyaanku barusan tepat sasaran. Chris menaikkan alisnya, masih tersenyum kepadaku.

“Chris? Was it? With you?”

Yes. It was me. And after that, my whole life was full of you.”

Aku mau marah, tapi tidak bisa. Jadi selama ini semuanya masih kebodohanku. Selama ini Andrew nggak pernah mengatakan apapun karena memang gak terjadi apa-apa di antara kita malam itu.

“Waktu itu, kamu membalas ciumanku ya?” tanyaku malu.

“Uhuh, just like this.” Chris mencium aku lagi. Kali ini aku membiarkannya bergerilya. Bibir hangat Chris menyapu bibirku. “Jangan sampai kamu mabuk lagi ya, Carly.” katanya di sela-sela ciuman panas kami. Kami pun tertawa. Semuanya terasa masuk akal, perhatian Chris dan pengejarannya selama ini ternyata memang dimulai dari malam itu. Malam tak terlupakan akibat champagne. ©

________________________________________________

xoxo,

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Champagne Girl (Part 3)

Hampir jam makan siang. Aku berbisik-bisik dengan Lauren yang duduk di hadapanku. “We need to talk. There’s something weird. And it will be me and you only this time, okay?” Kami makan siang dan bercakap-cakap seputar satu topik, Chris. Of course, who else?!

Are you tired of taking me home, Lau?”

What? No, of course not.” Lauren tertawa. Dia pikir aku lagi bercanda ya.

“Terus kenapa setiap hari harus Chris yang ada di sana?!” Lauren masih tertawa lagi dan kali ini lebih kencang. ”Hah! I know it was you!” Aku menendang kaki Lauren di bawah meja makan. Kali ini dia memaksakan diri untuk berhenti tertawa.

Sorry, honey. It’s just Chris’s request.”

“Yeah, but why?! Kenapa dia harus melakukan hal seperti itu sama aku? Kenapa dia nggak berhenti ngejar aku? And now picking me up everyday? It’s just too much, Lau.”

“He likes you. Simple.” Lauren tersenyum dan kali ini lebih serius. “Carly, aku kenal Chris sangat baik. He’s a good guy. You’ll like him too.”

“I like him. But hell no I will love him. He’s way younger than me!”

Lauren tertawa lagi. “Tapi kelakuannya gentle banget kan, admit it. Paling nggak dia tidak kekanak-kanakan sedikitpun dan sangat bertanggung jawab.”

“Tapi aku nggak bisa berhubungan sama orang yang berhubungan dekat sama Andrew. Nggak mungkin aku menampakkan diri di hadapannya.”

Oh, forget it. He never talked about it. Maybe he didn’t remember anything.”

“I wish.”

“I’m serious. I tell you, selama ini semuanya adalah permintaan Chris. Dia memohon sama aku untuk ngasih tahu detail tentang kamu, Carl. Aku nggak bisa nolak. Yeah, I’m helping him to get you.”

“Sinting.”

“Pertimbangin lah, Carl. Gak ada yang salah dengan umurnya. Cuma beda dua tahun juga kan sama kamu. Not a big deal lah.”

Aku keluar ke pintu utama. Kosong. Tidak ada seringaian wajah Chris yang menungguku. Tidak pernah terjadi sebelumnya dan dia juga tidak mengabariku apapun. No calls, no BBM. Aku mengetik pesan singkat untuknya tapi tidak ada tanda pesan itu terbaca. Lauren menawarkan diri mengantarku pulang, tapi aku menolaknya.

“Chris, hallo?”

“Uhm, hei, Carly.” Chris menggumam di seberang telepon. Suaranya tidak jelas.

“Chris, you hear me? Where are you?”

“Aku di rumah, Carly. I just had a lil’ accident.”

“What?! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, uhm i mean, i’m sleepy. Pengaruh obat bius tadi. Jadi aku ketiduran setelah pulang dari rumah sakit.” Chris terdiam. Aku juga terdiam. “Oh, crap!” Chris memekik. “I forgot to pick you! Carly, sorry.” Nadanya memohon.

Shut up, Chris! Think about yourself! I can ride a taxi! Idiot!” Aku marah dan menutup telepon. Tunggu, kenapa aku harus marah?

Aku mencegat taksi dan berjalan menuju apartemen. Tiba-tiba aku mengkhawatirkan keadaan Chris. Aneh, tapi aku cemas dengan kondisinya sekarang. Tanpa pikir panjang aku menyuruh taksi itu memutar arah ke apartemen Chris. Cukup jauh dari apartemenku. Semoga aku tidak bertemu Andrew.

Aku menekan bel di depan pintu kamar apartemen Chris. Cukup lama sampai akhirnya Chris membuka pintu. Tangan kirinya digips. Beberapa luka di dahi dan kakinya. Aku agak kaget melihat keadaannya. Ternyata cukup parah walaupun masih bisa berjalan.

“Carly?” Chris sama kagetnya melihatku. Kami saling menatap, “Masuklah” lanjutnya.

You okay?” Chris mengangguk. Dalam sekejap aku langsung memeluknya.

“Sorry, aku nggak bisa jemput kamu.”

Aku melepaskan pelukanku dan mulai meracau, “You idiot! Look at your condition! Kenapa yang kamu pikirin malah jemput aku sih?!” teriakku setengah marah.

Kali ini dia yang meraihku dan memelukku. “Aku nggak apa-apa. I’m good.” katanya sambil membelai-belai kepalaku. Aku memeluknya semakin erat. “Uhm, Carly, tanganku...”

Aku melepaskannya, “Ooops, sorry...” Kami pun tertawa bersama.

“Kamu butuh makan, Chris. Ada sesuatu disini atau kamu mau delivery?” tanyaku sambil membuka lemari-lemari di dapur.

“Cuma ada mie instan sama telur. Bikinin buat aku yah?”

Aku menghela nafas dan tersenyum kecil. “Oke, tapi bikinnya tiga bungkus yah? Buat berdua.” kataku meringis. Aku kelaparan juga.

Chris tertawa terbahak-bahak. “Everything, Carly. Aku suka selera makanmu.

Jadi Chris mengalami kecelakaan waktu mau berangkat ke kampus. Ngebut dengan motor balapnya, sungguh cerdas. Kepala agak terbentur, tangan kiri retak, dan kaki penuh luka. Kami menghabiskan malam itu dengan berbincang-bincang. Percakapan ringan namun cerdas.

“Chris, udah malam. Aku harus balik.”

No, aku nggak akan membiarkan kamu pulang sendiri. Tunggu Andrew bentar lagi pulang, biar dia nganterin kamu.”

Aku terkejut. “Nggak bisa, aku harus pulang sekarang. Bye, Chris.” Aku meluncur keluar dari apartemen itu. Aku tidak bisa membayangkan bila aku harus bertemu Andrew. Aku mencari cara supaya aku tidak bertemu Andrew. Aku menjauhi pintu utama masuk ke kawasan apartemen. Berjalan sejauh mungkin sampai akhirnya menemukan taksi. Aku pulang, kelelahan. Lelah karena pikiran. Pikiran pertemuan dengan Andrew kembali.

Ponselku berbunyi singkat, nada BBM. Pesan dari Chris.

Thanks for today :)

Kubalas pesan singkat itu.

Your welcome. Take care. Dont forget to take your medicines.

BBm kembali berbunyi.

Yes, ma’am. Hati-hati Carly. Good night. I’m full with your noodles and ...

And??? Aku membalas pesan itu, singkat.

Your presence.

Aku tidak membalas pesan itu lagi. Tapi seharusnya Chris tahu kalau aku sudah membaca balasannya. Sepertinya aku sudah melakukan hal di luar kendali dengan datang ke apartemennya, dan memeluknya. Dua kali! Tunggu, sekali, yang kedua itu kan dia yang memelukku! Dasar Chris, mengambil kesempatan dalam kesempitan.

Bel pintu apartemenku berbunyi. Berkali-kali. Kubuka pintu dan kulihat Chris berdiri di ambang pintu. Tampan dengan setelan jasnya.

I told you to come at 11, dude.”

“Yeah, but I don’t wanna be late. And I just can’t wait to see you.” Chris menjawab ringan, sambil tersenyum.

“Diam di sini dan biarkan aku bersiap-siap. Make yourself like home.”

Jadi kali ini aku mengenakan gaun berwarna cream yang jatuh di atas lutut, dengan potongan dada agak rendah, dan sentuhan perhiasan di atasnya. Cantik. Kubiarkan rambut panjangku terurai lurus. Kukenakan makeup tipis dan lipstick berwarna nude.

I’m ready. Let’s go!”

Chris terpana menatapku. “Wow, beautiful, as usual.”

Kami tiba di Quarkey Restaurant, tempat acara pertunangan ini diadakan. Tidak terlalu banyak tamu, sepertinya memang hanya dikhususkan bagi keluarga dan teman-teman dekat. Aku memeluk Lauren dan mengecup pipinya. Kemudian Ron, memeluknya. Kemudian di sebelah Ron kulihat ada Andrew. Aku kaget, begitu pula dirinya. Andrew sendiri. Tidak ada Ally di sekitarnya. Kulihat berkeliling dan tidak ada Ally dimanapun. Andrew tampak menggoda, seperti biasa. Setelan jas rapinya tetap menempel pada badan tegapnya, pria yang sempurna.

“Carl, aku ambilin minum yah?” suara Chris membuyarkan seluruh lamunanku.

Kualihkan tatapan dari wajah Andrew. Sepertinya semua orang sadar bahwa aku dan Andrew saling bertatapan tanpa suara, lama. Akhirnya setelah dapat menguasai diri, aku pergi ke tempat minuman bersama Chris.

“Udah berapa lama kamu nggak ketemu Andrew?” tanya Chris memulai pembicaraan.

“Lama, sejak aku keluar dari Maxcom.”

“Kenapa kamu selalu menghindar dari Andrew sih?”

You know Chris, i don’t want to talk about it now.”

Aku melihat Andrew berjalan ke arah kami, masih sendiri. Aku meyakinkan diri untuk tidak tampak bodoh di hadapannya. Dan tidak salah bicara.

“Carly, you look great.”

“Thanks. You too, Andrew. Uhm, maksudku Pak.”

Andrew tertawa. Masih dengan senyumnya yang super memikat itu. Dan setiap kali kulihat bibirnya, yang kuingat adalah seluruh kejadian memalukan di malam itu. “Jangan panggil Pak. I’m not your boss anymore.”

Aku tersenyum. Berarti aku boleh menjalin hubungan dengannya dong, secara dia bukan lagi bosku. Ah, pikiran bodoh apa lagi ini?

“Jadi, Chris udah berhasil mendapatkanmu?” tanya Andrew tiba-tiba.

Aku menatap Chris, tajam. Kutatap Andrew dan kulihat wajahnya menunggu jawabanku.

Shut up, Drew.” Chris menyenggol lengan Andrew.

Mereka saling tertawa dan mulai melempar cela-celaan. Aku ikut tertawa namun pikiranku sedang menelaah arti perkataan Andrew. Jadi, Andrew selama ini tahu kalau Chris mengejarku. Aku pasti tampak sangat memalukan di depan Andrew, setelah menciumnya aku jalan dengan adiknya. Ini tidak boleh terjadi.

________________________________________________

xoxo,

Champagne Girl (Part 2)

Aku mulai bersikap aneh di depan Pak Andrew. Aku tidak nyaman dengan semuanya. Aku merasa malu dan bodoh. Aku harus mengambil tindakan. Aku tidak bisa seperti ini terus. Walaupun Pak Andrew tidak pernah membahasnya juga, tapi mungkin juga ini untuk menjaga hubungan kami. Aku sudah mengambil keputusan, aku akan mengundurkan diri. Pak Andrew mempertanyakan pengunduran diriku yang tiba-tiba itu, tentu saja aku sudah memikirkan jawaban dari alasan pengunduruan diriku ini sebelumnya. Semua sudah kuatur. Aku berkata bahwa aku ingin mencoba kesempatan lain dan belajar di bidang lain. Pak Andrew mengatakan bahwa dia bisa menaikkan posisiku, asal aku tidak keluar dari perusahaan. Dia benar-benar menahan diriku di perusahaan. Tapi tidak bisa, keputusanku sudah bulat. Aku akan keluar.

Aku masuk ke perusahaan manufaktur dan menjadi seorang advertising manager. Masih berhubungan dengan advertising dan memang tidak bisa jauh-jauh dari Pak Andrew. Percayakah kalau di perusahaan ini aku bertemu dengan sepupu Pak Andrew? Teman sekantorku, yang bahkan duduknya di depan mejaku persis. Thank God she is a woman. Lauren adalah pribadi yang sangat hangat dan menarik. Umurnya setahun lebih tua dari aku, tapi kami sangat mirip dalam beberapa hal. Kami langsung menjadi akrab hanya dalam hitungan minggu semenjak aku bekerja di sini.

Nah, kalian pasti bertanya-tanya kan jawaban apa yang aku berikan sebagai alasanku meninggalkan Maxcom. Masih menggunakan jurus bicara Pak Andrew, aku meyakinkan perusahaan ini kalau aku ingin lebih mendalami soal advertising bukan hanya sebagai marketing dari perusahaan advertising saja. Aku ingin terjun langsung ke dalam prosesnya dari awal sampai akhir. Aku percaya semua ilmuku di Maxcom akan sangat bermanfaat. Voila! They liked me so much. Apalagi aku jebolan dari Maxcom Enterprise dan mantan didikan dari Pak Andrew Bintoro. Hell to the yeah!

Teleponku bergetar-getar. Aku terbangun. Oh, Lauren.

“Carly! Pasti kamu belum bangun!” teriaknya di telepon. Tidak ada kata-kata dariku, hanya menggumam. “Hey! Wake up! I’ll pick you in an hour!” teriaknya sekali lagi.

Are you crazy?! What time is it?!” teriakku gak kalah heboh. Aku paling benci ketika hari Sabtuku yang sangat berharga diganggu oleh telepon-telepon di pagi hari. I really need sleep.

“This is 11 o’clock for God’s sake! And you promised to accompany me to Barry’s Closet!” Aku terkesiap dan terbangun dalam sekejap. Masih mengerjap-ngerjap dan menggosok-gosok mata. “Carly!!” Lauren berteriak lagi.

“Oke, oke. Lauren, I hear you, honey. Sekarang tutup teleponnya, aku siap-siap dulu, oke? Muach..” Kututup telepon sebelum mendengar Lauren berkicau lebih kencang lagi.

Tampaknya semalam aku bermimpi lagi. Soal ciuman itu. Dalam mimpi ini aku melihat Andrew membalas ciumanku, dia melumat bibirku dengan lembut. Mimpi yang membawaku terbang ke awan, namun menjatuhkanku dengan sangat keras di dunia nyata.

Kami meluncur ke Barry’s Closet, toko kebaya tempat desainer bernama Barry. Barry orang Indonesia yang sekolah mode di Perancis. Of course, a gay. Lauren mencoba kebaya-kebaya itu dan meminta pendapatku. Dia membutuhkan kebaya itu untuk acara pertunangannya dengan Ron, pacar tujuh tahunnya. Hebat. Rekor pacaranku aja baru satu setengah tahun, apa yang mereka lakukan selama tujuh tahun?! Semua kebaya tampak cantik dikenakan Lauren, tapi pilihanku jatuh pada kebaya berwarna salem dengan potongan dada rendah dan cutting yang sempurna untuk bentuk tubuh Lauren. Lauren menyetujui saranku dan dia melakukan fitting untuk kebaya itu. Setelah itu kami meluncur ke mal untuk makan siang sekaligus janjian bertemu Ron. Ron berprofesi sebagai seorang dokter yang umurnya setahun lebih tua dari Lauren. Ia berpenampilan lebih tua daripada yang seharusnya. Tapi tampak sangat serasi dengan Lauren.

“Hey, Chris!” Lauren memeluk pria di hadapannya. “Carly, this is Chris. Chris, Carly.”

“Hello,” kataku menjabat tangan Chris. Wajah yang tidak asing. “Have we ever met before?” tanyaku.

“Yep, di Bali. Aku adiknya Andrew.”

Oh, jangan Andrew lagi please. Lauren melihat perubahan pada wajahku dan mengedipkan matanya padaku. Yeah, she knows about everything, the trip, the kiss, everything. Chris tampak lebih tampan dari terakhir kali aku melihatnya. Penampilannya kali ini lebih santai. Ternyata dia masih kuliah tingkat akhir dan sedang menyelesaikan tugas akhirnya. Dan tinggal di apartemen yang sama dengan Andrew, kamar yang sama. Chris orang yang sangat energik dan supel, mudah mencairkan suasana. Tidak ada masalah ketika harus berbicara atau jalan dengan orang-orang dengan usia yang lebih tua darinya. Chris meminta pin Blackberry Messenger-ku dan nomor ponselku. Dia sedang mendekatiku atau aku cuma kege-eran? Karena pendekatan langsungnya di hari pertama dia bertemu denganku ini benar-benar sangat kentara.

Setiap aku pergi dengan Lauren, selalu ada Chris. He’s like stalking me or something. Dia juga selalu BBM dan telepon aku, sampai aku agak capek menanggepinya. Well, Chris memang sangat asyik diajak bicara, cuma aku jadi sedikit mempertanyakan motifnya mendekatiku.

Aku baru saja menyelesaikan pekerjaanku di kantor. Hampir setiap hari aku terjebak di kantor sampai jam 6. Kantor masih belum memberikanku mobil karena umur kerjaku yang masih baru. Aku terpaksa selalu merepotkan Lauren karena arah rumahnya melewati apartemenku. Tapi hari ini aku agak lebih lembur dari biasanya dan tidak mungkin aku membiarkan Lauren menungguku. Aku pun menyuruhnya untuk pulang duluan. Kantor sudah sangat sepi, tinggal beberapa office boy dan security yang berjaga. Aku keluar dari lift dan berjalan ke pintu utama. Dan yang kulihat adalah sosok Chris yang sedang bersandar di pilar. Aku menganga dan dia tertawa melihatku.

What the hell are you doing here?!” tanyaku kaget. Jujur saja aku kaget melihat sosoknya di depanku. Di kantorku. Oke, jadi setelah dia mengikutiku pergi setiap weekend, sekarang dia mulai berani merambah ke kantorku.

I’m picking you up, Carly. Lauren bilang kamu lembur dan gak akan ada yang nganter kamu pulang. So yeah, here I am.”

“But i didn’t tell her to do that!” Aku akan mencekik Lauren, kataku dalam hati. “And you don’t need to do this, Chris,” lanjutku kembali, berusaha memusatkan perhatian.

Aku memaksa,” kata Chris tegas.

Aku berpikir, dan menimbang-nimbang. “Well, okay,” kataku akhirnya. Aku melihat Chris tertawa lega. “Can we eat first? I’m starving.”

“Everything, Carly.” Chris meraih pundakku dan membimbingku berjalan menuju mobilnya.

Sejak hari itu, Chris selalu menampakkan diri di kantor setiap malam. Dia tahu jadwal pulang kantorku dan setiap aku keluar dari pintu utama, selalu sudah ada sosoknya berdiri di hadapanku. Yeah, it’s Lauren. I’ll kill her.

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xoxo,

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Champagne Girl (Part 1)

Gak pernah aku bayangkan sebelomnya bahwa seluruh karirku di Maxcom Enterprise ini akan berakhir akibat kebodohanku yang super duper bodoh. Dua tahun terhebat dalam hidupku berakhir karena satu malam bodoh. Can’t even meet him anymore. My boss. I kissed him. In a bar. Damn, seharusnya aku nggak ngambil champagne bodoh itu! I got drunk and it all happened!

“Carly, be ready to our trip”, Pak Andrew mengatakan hal itu padaku di sela-sela makan siang kami bersama staff lainnya.

“Uhm, trip apa Pak?” kataku penuh tanda tanya.

We’re going to Bali tomorrow. Sorry, mendadak. Tapi kita harus menangin tender besok. Kamu harus tampil impressive, as usual.”

Aku tersedak. Oke, bosku emang agak-agak sakit jiwa ya? Kita akan ke Bali, besok, berdua. Dan aku baru dikasih tahu beberapa jam sebelum keberangkatan?! Dan apa yang ada di pikirannya? Berdua?! Okay, jangan salah pikir. I have no intention to chase my boss, he’s great though, but he’s engaged already. Sampai kapanpun gak pernah ada di otakku untuk berbuat yang aneh-aneh sama Pak Andrew, not even a flirt. Well, memang ga bisa dipungkiri kalau Pak Andrew punya daya tarik tersendiri, semua wanita di kantor pun mengakuinya. Penampilannya, pembawaannya, segalanya membuat dia kelihatan charming. Yeah, Mr. Charming, mata kami terpaku kemanapun dia bergerak.

Bali!! Rasanya sudah lama aku nggak pergi berlibur. This is gonna be fun! I finish my job, and I have a little escape! Kami tinggal di hotel berbintang di Ubud. Tempat yang indah dan fasilitas yang menyenangkan. Tiba di Bali kami langsung bekerja, melakukan sedikit research pada perusahaan yang menjadi target kami. Kemudian aku melatih presentasi yang akan aku sampaikan semalaman. Perusahaan di Bali ini, perusahaan ekspor-impor dengan komoditi dan profit yang cukup besar, akan sangat menguntungkan bagi perusahaan kami apabila dapat bekerja sama dengan mereka.

Bangun pagi-pagi di hari kedua, menyiapkan penampilan se-oke mungkin. Okay, i’m ready with the presentation. Presentasi ini tujuannya adalah untuk meyakinkan klien bahwa perusahaan kami adalah perusahaan yang paling tepat untuk diajak bekerja sama, aku menjelaskan cara kerja kami selama ini dan perusahaan mana saja yang telah bekerja sama dengan kami. Impressive, my performance was outstanding. Pak Andrew senyum terhadapku dan mengacungkan jempolnya untukku setelah aku selesai presentasi. Aku tertawa, merasa tersanjung. Okay, aku emang anak emas Pak Andrew, semua orang di kantor pun tahu. Aku yang akan dibiarkan untuk memegang tender-tender dengan perusahaan besar. Sebelumnya, Maxcom Enterprise adalah perusahaan advertising yang cukup terkenal di Jakarta dengan seluruh cerita-cerita hebat di baliknya.

The day after, everything is just perfect. Aku menghabiskan seluruh siang hariku dengan spa di hotel. Rasanya sudah lama sekali tidak memanjakan diri seperti ini. Ponselku berdering-dering menandakan adanya SMS masuk. Pak Andrew, wow.

Carly, mau join saya jalan-jalan? -A.

Pak Andrew mengajakku jalan-jalan? Well, why not? Maybe it’s time to talk about my promotion. Hahaha..

Oke, Pak. Jam berapa saya harus siap? -Carly.

Pukul enam malam Pak Andrew mengetuk pintu kamarku. Aku mengamati lagi penampilanku di cermin. Tidak ada yang salah, semua terlihat pas. Aku memakai celana jeans skinny-ku, dan atasan sedikit loose. Kuikatkan sebuah syal di leherku. Kubuka pintu dan kulihat Pak Andrew di depanku dengan senyumnya yang menawan.

“Udah siap?” Pak Andrew memakai celana panjang jeans yang sangat jarang kulihat. Masih dengan sepatu vantovelnya, tapi kali ini dia memakai kaos berleher V dan jas yang semi formal.

Yes, sir.” Kututup pintu kamarku dan kami melangkah keluar. Ternyata kami tidak pergi berdua, kami pergi dengan adik Pak Andrew yang kebetulan lagi liburan di Bali juga. Cowok, dengan jarak umur yang cukup jauh dengan Pak Andrew, dia 21 tahun dan Pak Andrew 30 tahun. Chris namanya. Cukup tampan walau tidak setampan Pak Andrew, dan cukup matang untuk anak seusianya. Kami pergi makan malam di Jimbaran, kemudian berjalan-jalan di sekitaran Kuta dan menghabiskan malam di bar.

“Carly, penampilan kamu kemarin luar biasa hebat.”

Thanks, Pak. Berkat ilmu dari Bapak juga kan?” kami tertawa bersama-sama.

I buy you a champagne, allright?” Aku adalah tipe orang yang nggak bisa minum. Tapi kalau cuma segelas champagne seharusnya nggak akan kenapa-kenapa kan? Singkat cerita, kami pun bercerita dan tertawa bersama-sama. Membicarakan kehidupan di kantor yang tidak ada habisnya. Dan champagne yang seharusnya hanya segelas itu menjadi bergelas-gelas. Musik di bar pun sangat mendukung suasana romantis yang terjadi. Wait, romantic? Did I just say that?! It must be something wrong with my head.

Wanna dance?” Pak Andrew mengulurkan tangannya. Kepalaku sudah cukup pusing, tapi aku masih bisa melihat wajah rupawan Pak Andrew di tengah keremang-remangan ini. Kusambut tangan Pak Andrew. Hangat. Siapapun tunangan Pak Andrew, Ally atau siapa itu namanya, pasti sangat beruntung mendapatkan pria seperti Pak Andrew.

Kukalungkan tanganku di leher Pak Andrew, dan Pak Andrew memegang pinggangku. Kami sangat dekat. Seharusnya semua menjadi lebih romantis, tapi champagne idiot itu membuatku meracau gak jelas. Bodohnya hal yang aku bicarakan adalah orang yang keberadaanya hanya beberapa sentimeter di depanku, entah aku sadar atau tidak. Aku mulai meracau tentang bagaimana pengaruhnya di kantor, khususnya bagi wanita. Bagaimana kami terpukau dengan pembawaannya. Aku bisa melihat Pak Andrew tertawa di hadapanku.

“Carly, kamu mulai mabuk. Lebih baik kita pulang sekarang.” Pak Andrew membisikkan kata-kata itu di telingaku. Aku terkesiap, aku merinding. Next time i know, bibirku sudah mendarat di bibirnya. Dan entah mengapa aku tidak kuasa melepasnya. Pak Andrew memegang pipiku dan menarik wajahku. Memanggil namaku, dan sepertinya tidak kujawab karena aku sudah semakin ngelantur.

Aku membuka mataku. Kepalaku berat. Perutku mual dan lapar. Oh shit, what time is it?! Aku terkesiap kaget melihat jam menunjukkan angka 11. Penerbanganku pukul 3 dan aku belum siap-siap sama sekali. Aku bergegas ke kamar mandi dan terkaget-kaget melihat pantulanku di cermin. Oke, ini mengerikan, rambutku sangat berantakan. Aku sudah tidak memakai syal. Oke, dimana syal itu? Syal yang sama sekali tidak menutup diriku dari dinginnya angin malam, syal bodoh. Kucari-cari syal itu kesana kemari dan tetap tidak menemukannya. Kuputuskan untuk melupakan syal itu dan segera membersihkan diri. Berendam di bathtub dan mulai menyatukan potongan-potongan kejadian semalam. Aku tidak ingat seutuhnya, tapi aku yakin sekali aku menciumnya. Crap! Dan aku muntah, bener nggak? Oh my God, ini benar-benar memalukan. Gara-gara champagne sialan itu! Nggak seharusnya aku coba-coba menenggaknya, satu gelas pun nggak! Aku mulai kebingungan mencari cara untuk tidak bertingkah lebih bodoh lagi. Aku harus pura-pura lupa. Padahal nanti aku akan berada di pesawat bersama Pak Andrew! Oh Tuhan, apa yang harus aku lakukan?

Kami berada di pesawat, berdua. Aku diam, aku benar-benar tidak bisa berkutik. Wajahku menunduk membaca buku. Aku tidak bisa menatap wajah Pak Andrew yang sedang tidur.

“Carly...” Pak Andrew mengganggu lamunanku. Of course, i’m not really reading the book. Aku masih berusaha memikirkan arah pembicaraanku. Haruskah aku menyinggung soal semalam? Aku menengok ke arah Pak Andrew. “Seharusnya kamu bilang sama saya kalau kamu nggak bisa minum,” Pak Andrew melanjutkan kata-katanya. Crap, ini dia. Topik ini yang sudah kutunggu-tunggu.

“Maaf, Pak. Maaf kalau saya semalam merepotkan Bapak.”

“Nggak, Carly. Semalam sangat menyenangkan. Nggak nyangka bakal ngelihat kamu mabuk.” Pak Andrew tersenyum.

Apa? Menyenangkan? Apa Pak Andrew nggak tahu aku mau mati memikirkan tentang kejadian semalam?! Menyenangkan dari mana?! Tapi Pak Andrew nggak menyinggung apa-apa soal ciuman itu. Apa Pak Andrew juga menikmatinya? Ah, pikiran bodoh apa ini? Carly, he’s not available! Go find another man!

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xoxo,

Friday, September 24, 2010

How much does the price for virginity?

Hello!! Back with some life lessons! :) Looks like everyone loves what i wrote about Chinese cultures huh? Dont forget that i was already providing the english translation, since i saw people outside Indonesia viewed that page, i believe they didnt understand at all. Hahaha..

My topic this time is about virginity. Yeah, again about pro and contra. These days, lots of people know about sex, pratically do it with their couple or maybe just a one night stand. And when i talk about sex, it means sex before marriage, not a legal one. Well, i’m not judging that sex before marriage is bad, or whoever has done it is bad, it’s up to you guys. Whether u wanna do it or not, it’s your right and it’s you who’s gonna take all the consequences. Sex is great, I agree! But what if they did sex because something forced them?? Is it still great??

Now, how much does the price for virginity? Some people are still respecting the virginity and they’re willing to pay high for it. I mean in the prostitution world. Woman who’s still virgin will get a very high price. Virginity is a very precious thing, yes. And maybe that’s why some people who feel stuck in one condition, they aren’t thinking further. They sell their virginity to get some money. Is it wrong? Well, i dont know. It must be their condition that force them to do it. And once again because virginity costs a very high price.

One day i had a very interesting yet scary conversation with some guys, high quality players considering their ‘player’ records. They are wow in all these women things! Lots of history, really. I should say thanks to them so i get more knowledge about how jerk is a man. Haha.. Not every man, but i think the majority. Well, let’s call this guy : X, and the girl : Y.

This is a real story, again. X is someone who’s really experienced about women, any kind of women. Sex is a part of him. One day he spent his afternoon in front of computer, joining a chat forum with dirty nickname, “Guy who needs sex”. Suddenly a girl, Y, called him. She offered her virginity for 6 million rupiah. She promised that she was still a virgin, never had sex before, and that she would be bleeding when they had sex. This smart-ass guy then said yes, with one condition, that she must be bleeding when they had sex,. Later X went to Y’s place and they had sex. Y was bleeding but she didnt know, and X had cleaned everything from his P and her V. The sex was over, X gave his empty ATM card to her and his secret code to take the money. X went home. This girl never knew before that she had just been fooled, she went to ATM and found that no money inside that account. She texted X and called X, but X didnt respond it. End of story.

Pretty amazing story, huh? This X guy is totally fucking lucky jerk, right? Hahahaha.. And this pityful Y girl is really poor, she didnt get something, besides she just lose everything. I was like, “what kind of idiot is she?” If i was the girl, i’d like to asked the money first, at least half of it. Had sex and asked for the other half. Well, just reminding all of you girls, dont try to sell your virginity, dont ever think about it. Or if you have a very urgent condition, think smart. Dont ever be a fool, because what u’ll loose is everything. I feel really sorry for this girl though.

 

xoxo,

Food Journal : FoodFezt

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Foodfezt is a dining place, where u can find lots of tenant there.. They provide food with so many variances. U can find international food like steak, special food using mushroom, makassar’s special food, and traditional food like bakmi jawa, magelangan, and also Indonesian food.

The place is quite cozy cos it’s semi outdoor, and there’s also live music and free hotspot. The price range is standard. But the taste is sucks. It’s not worth to pay a standard rate for a below standard food! I recognized yesterday that they had just increasing the price, since they changed their menu list. IMG00224-20100923-2137 IMG00229-20100923-2142 IMG00230-20100923-2142 IMG00231-20100923-2143

I didnt get my dinner yesterday (I’m on diet ;p) but i ordered Go Chocolate. It’s a chocolate waffer, with chocolate ice cream, koko crunch, and chocolate pudding. Price is 11K. I wasnt satisfied, because the fact that  i can get a very delicious chocomelt with 12K. This Go Chocolate, didnt taste really suck, but just standard. I remember i ever ate magelangan in Foodfezt, tasted like crap! i even prefer magelangan in burjo near my friend’s place.

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The worst thing happened to my friend who ordered fish steak. She chose the single fish steak with mashed potato. Cost 18K i guess. But what she got was a super duper small fish steak with mini mashed potato. hahaha, crap! She tweeted me that she was hungry again by the night. LOL.

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Anyway, u can get a delivery service by calling : 0274-554554. Food fezt is in : Jl. Kaliurang KM 5,5 Yogyakarta. And if you are a foursquare freak, they have a lil interesting thing like foursquare privilege. If u’re the mayor of Foodfezt, u’ll get a free drink. Kinda unique!! That’s all my review, think again to visit this place! :)

 

xoxo,

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Chinese Culture, Good or Bad???

I just had a random conversation with a girl.. And this is really interesting.. I will use Indonesian for this post.

Semua orang tahu, bahwa yg namanya orang Chinese kebanyakan harus punya pasangan hidup orang Chinese lagi.. Apalagi mereka yang masi punya ortu Chinese yang sangat mempertahankan budaya Cina. Unfortunately, hal ini banyak banget terjadi di Central Java alias daerah2 sekitar Jawa Tengah dan DIY. Yah, Jogja, Magelang, Solo, Semarang, dan kota2 kecil d dalam kawasan Jawa Tengah. Jadi jangan heran kalo ketika orang Cina Jawa Tengah menikah, pasti pasangannya kebanyakan sekitaran Jawa Tengah juga. Yogya-Solo lah, Yogya Magelang lah, Semarang-Purwokerto, udah berasa kayak jalur bus aja. LOL. Rasanya ini udah jadi kebudayaan, dan mereka hanya hidup di lingkungan sekitar mereka. Ibarat ga punya hidup di dunia luar gitu, hidupnya lempeng2 aja disana. Apalagi mereka-mereka yang berwiraswasta. Hal ini cukup berbeda dengan orang Cina di Jakarta yang menurutku berpandangan lebih terbuka (according to my sister’s story). Khususnya orang-orang yg hidup di dunia kerja dan bertemu orang2 dari segala jenis suku, etnis, agama.

Di Yogya, gak perlu heran kalo si Om A bertanya sama kita, “Kamu anaknya siapa? Ortumu kerja apa?” atau “Oh, kamu anaknya si B toh..” Kayaknya orang2 Cina satu Jogja udah kenal satu sama lain dan sangat memperhatikan reputasi orang tua kita. Padahal hellooo??? Ngefek gitu ya orang tua kita siapa? Males banget apa-apa bawa-bawa orang tua. Kita ya harus dinilai dari diri kita sendiri, apa achievement yg udah kita capai. Kita jadi hebat ya karena usaha dan kerja keras kita sendiri, bukan pengaruh nama orang tua. Dan kalo kita hebat, itu berarti kita punya orang tua yg hebat juga, karena mereka bisa bikin anaknya jadi orang hebat. Kasian banget anak-anak yang ditentang hubungan pernikahannya cuma karena orang tua mereka ga cocok satu sama lain, ortu A menganggap reputasi ortu B jelek. Well, nothing else i can say… Just open your mind people.

Mungkin ajaran-ajaran seperti ini yang kemudian ditangkap mentah-mentah oleh anak-anak seumuranku. Yah remaja dan para muda-muda yang udah mulai memikirkan cinta. Orang tua akan sangat mewanti-wanti apabila anak mereka punya pasangan, ditanyain asal usul pasangannya, dlsb. Dan sekali lagi entah kebetulan atau enggak, kebanyakan lingkup pergaulan orang-orang Cina Jogja ya cuma sekitaran Jawa Tengah lagi! Mungkin karena banyaknya orang-orang luar Jogja yang pd menuntut ilmu ke Jogja kali ya, sebagai kota terdekat yang punya universitas swasta bereputasi cukup baik.

Pergaulan orang-orang Cina di Jogja yah bisa dibilang sama aja dengan kebanyakan kota laen. Mereka nongkrong, dugem, karoke, join klub mobil, hura-hura, nge-wine, apa aja deh. Khususnya pria-pria berduit yang mengandalkan uang mereka buat dapetin cewek-cewek bohai. Dari sini banyak juga loh cerita-cerita tentang wanita simpenan. Gak usah menutup mata, tau sendiri anggota klub mobil di Jogja pasti secara fisik sangat gak oke, tapi mereka bisa bawa cewek-cewek bodi model dengan full makeup dan high heels. And yeah, jelas aja itu semua dibiayai oleh para pria itu, shopping, salon, spa, eat. What could u expect anymore? Living your life like a princess, party everyday. Hal ini menimbulkan pro dan kontra sendiri buat aku. Di satu sisi, kayaknya enak banget hidup kayak gitu, gak usah mikirin apa-apa, duit bukan masalah, semua yg kamu mau bisa kamu dapetin, kecuali… pacar yg good looking. LOL. Tapi di sisi lain mereka patut juga dikasihani, sekali lagi karena mereka ga punya achievement apapun. Masi inget donk Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, dimana self-actualization mereka??? Apa yang mereka cita-citakan, apakah sudah tercapai? Apa mereka cukup puas cuma dengan party dan hura-hura setiap saat? If yes, then they are so shallow.

Ada satu kisah nyata yang bikin aku sangat geleng-geleng, entah karena mendengar ada cewek segila itu, atau karena denger ada cowok sebodoh itu. Si cowok, bisa dibilang sudah lumayan berumur, sudah bekerja, cukup kaya, dengan fisik yang pas-pasan. Si cewek, sudah lulus kuliah, tidak bekerja, penampilan modis, barang-barang bermerek (entah berasal dari mana aja, dan entah asli ato palsu), kondisi keluarga berkecukupan. Reputasi si cewek udah lumayan terkenal sebagai cewek yang super borjuis, dalam segala hal. Tiba-tiba kedua orang ini bertemu dan si cowok mulai mengejar si cewek. Cowok yang super kaya ini kerja di luar kota (deket sih), dan setiap hari pulang ke kota ini buat menemui si cewek. Mereka hampir setiap hari dinner bareng di tempat yang super mahal, dengan pesenan yg slalu sangat mahal. Infonya untuk makan sama cewek ini si cowok selalu habis sekitar 600ribu. Dan lebih parahnya si cewek ga mau makan di tempat laen. Setiap akhir minggu si cewek selalu harus belanja, dan tentunya dengan uang si cowok. Ini sih pasti udah sering denger ya. Yang paling yahud dan luar biasa adalah si cewek minta dibeliin cincin seharga puluhan juta dan si cowok mengabulkannya, padahal faktanya adalah mereka nggak akan menikah, bahkan pacaran aja nggak!!

Ngedengerin cerita ini yang bisa aku katakan cuma, “Ada ya orang yg hidupnya kayak gitu?” Ini lebih hebat dan lebih berandai-andai daripada sinetron sekalipun..

Well, no judging. I’m also a Chinese woman. I’m just telling my mind, my version. Maybe because i live in this modern era and not really aware or influenced by those Chinese cultures.

Anyway, kenyataan ini tidak berlaku untuk semua orang Cina di Jogja yap, cuma sample dari beberapa komunitas. Thanks for reading!! ;)

__________________________________________

Well, i’m providing the translation!! :)

So, everybody knows, that most of Chinese people must have Chinese partner for their couples. Specially them, whose parents keep the existence of the old and strict Chinese cultures till this modern day. Unfortunately, this thing often happens in Central Java, like Jogja, Magelang, Solo, Semarang, and the other towns inside Central Java. So dont be amazed when u find that Jogja-Chinese will have a marriage with Solo-Chinese, or maybe Yogya-Magelang. Looks like a bus route. LOL. It feels like this becomes our culture, and they only live in their environment, Chinese environment. And they are not open their mind to another things outside their boundaries, specially the Chinese entrepreneurs, who build their kingdom in Jogja. This is kinda different with the Chinese people who live in Jakarta (according to my sister’s story). They’re just more open minded, specially those who work in a company, maybe because they work in a multicultural environment, they meet with lots of people from different race, religion, region.

In Yogya, u will often hear someone ask u, “Who’s your parents? What they do for life?”  Look like Chinese in Jogja knows each other, well beside the fact that Jogja is a small city. And these people are really considering their reputation each other, our parents’ reputation. Oh please, hellooo??? Is it matter so much who is our parents? I’m so pissed everytime people bring our parents to judge us. We should be judged by ourselves, our value, what we can achieve, not our parents! We become great because what we did, our efforts, not because a parent’s name. And if we become great, that means that we have a great parent also, because they can make their child big!Well, but sometimes parent’s name still considered sufficient. Anyway, it’s really sad for people who cant get married just because any oppositions by the parents. Parents dont click each other, or maybe the reputation is lower than the other. U know, something like that. Well, nothing else i can say… Just open your mind people.

Maybe these kind of doctrines that young people’s accepted. Specially anything relates to love. Parents will be really aware with their child’s spouse, like the origin of him/her, parents, job, everything. And when they find something wrong, they will not let the relationship continue. Believe me! I already knew many cases of that. And once again, coincidence or not, the young people in Jogja will live in the same circle with their parents, same environment, around Central Java. Maybe influenced by so many people that come to Jogja, to continue their study in university, as a nearest city which has many eligible universities.

About the lifestyle of young people in Jogja, just like another city. They hanging out, clubbing, going to karaoke, joining a car community, etc. Specially rich guy who can easily gets sexy chick from his money. Many stories about mistress and affair too!! No need to fake it or keep it silent, average members of car community have a so-so look, not okay at all physically. But they can have a beautiful gf easily, sexy with a model body, and of course  full of makeup plus high heels. And yeah, it’s really obvious that the guy pays for all of it, shopping, salon, spa, eat. What could u expect anymore? Living your life like a princess, party everyday. This thing builds a pro and contra for me. At one side, i think it’s really nice to have a life like that, u dont need to worry about money, u can have everything u want, except…a good looking boyfriend perhaps? LOL. But at the other side, i feel pity for her, because once she doesnt have any achievements. If u remember about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, where’s her self-actualization??? What they dream, what they really wanna do, has it happened yet? Are they satisfied enough by all of those parties, how they look? If yes, then they are so shallow.

There’s one real story that i’ve just heard. And it was really confused me, amazed me. I dont know whether the girl is kinda crazy or the guy that’s so so stupid. The guy, quite old, have a job, physical look under average. The girl, graduated from university, not working, fashionable enough, full of branded items (dont know if it’s real or fake), and comes from rich enough family. The girl is quite famous because of her reputation as a bourgeois girl, in everything. Suddenly they met each other and the guy had feeling to the girl and decided to chase her. This guy works outside the town (quite near actually) and that’s where he lives, and comes to town almost everyday to meet the girl. They have dinner in a fancy restaurant with extremely expensive menus. The info said the guy spends his money about 600K to dinner, for one dinner and it happens almost everyday. And the worse thing is the girl refuses to eat at another place. The girl has to go shopping every weekend, that’s not really surprising right. The most surpising thing was the girl ever asked about a ring that costs million rupiah. She asked the guy to buy it for her, and surprisingly he did it! He did it! I meant, they arent married yet, and they aren’t in relationship either! 

I was like, what?!? How can be a man as stupid as him? How can be a life like that?! It’s drama, it’s more than a drama! This is just too imaginative to imagine.

Well, no judging. I’m also a Chinese woman. I’m just telling my mind, my version. Maybe because i live in this modern era and not really aware or influenced by those Chinese cultures.

Anyway, this fact doesn’t apply to every Chinese in Jogja, it’s only a sample from some communities. Thanks for reading!! ;)

xoxo,

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Books

Baru aja melahap 2 novel.. One from Indonesia by Silvia blablabla (forgot the last name) and the other is translation novel by Sophie Kinsella (u know,the author of Confession of Shoppaholic).

Novel pertama yg dari Indo itu judulnya The Infamous terbitan Gagas Media. The cover is pretty cool, very attracting. The summary behind the book is interesting too, made me curious at the first time. But then, don't be so surprise when the whole book doesn't match at all with the summary. Sama sekali ga ada cerita di summary yg ada di isi buku itu. Yang jelas kebaca di summary dan emank bener ada di dalem buku adalah pasti si tokoh ini banyak mengalami kesialan sama cowok. Buku yg notabene harusnya jd chicklit lebih brasa jadi teenlit buat aku. Alur ceritanya kurang luar biasa. Well,biarpun gaya ceritanya agak mirip novel2 luar. Dan btw, editor bukunya kurang teliti, masi ada kalimat inggris dengan grammar salah (bahkan aku yg grammarnya ga sempurna aja tau kalo itu salah) dan beberapa tulisan yg typoo. Kalo ada yg bikin buku itu menarik ya pasti karena mereka liat cover dan baca summary di belakang buku. Taruhan mereka pasti kecewa baca isinya..

Well, buku kedua yg karangan Sophie Kinsella berjudul Twenties Girl alias gadis taun 20-an. Tapi disini indonesian title nya jadi Gadis Charleston. Fyi, charleston itu jenis musik di taun 20an. Well, summary belakangnya buat aku biasa aja. Interesting but flat. Well mungkin karena dia Sophie Kinsella, jadi kita penasaran sama buku2nya. Yah, faktor nama yg udah membahana ;) Tapi begitu baca dalemnya, really2 enjoy it. The beginning of the story was quite boring,to be honest. But then I couldn't stop reading it. I slept at 4 am for 3 nights, only because read this book! Cool, huh? I bet u're curious right now. It's a brilliant story though, and I wish someone would make the movie version. It's gonna be very interesting!!

Well, It's not my intention to compare Indonesian book and international book. It was just a coincidence that these 2 books really2 different, in opposite way! Haha.. But that Twenties Girl is really2 recommended to read!! Specially for they who have nothin to do, just like me :( and it's been so long since I haven't read any novels again.. And kinda miss writing too, but I don't have any ideas, yet.

Okay,lemme sleep now.. Tally-hoo!!


Xoxo..
Sent from my AXIS Worry Free BlackBerry® smartphone

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

I Give My First Love To You (English sub)

Boku_no_hatsukoi_wo_kimi_ni_sasagu_poster

The movie i’ve been searchin for is finally found!! Ohh, thanks to this movie so today isnt so boring.. Hahaha.. So yeah, it’s a Japanese movie, taken from a manga with same title, named Boku No Hatsukoi Wo Kimi Ni Sasagu, which is I Give My First Love To You in english. And the best part is i found it in english subtitle. I found in YouTube also but mostly with no text, and the other was in Spanish. So when i found this one, i couldnt wait to share it! So i’ll give the link to watch it online!! Yeay! :)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Summary (with no spoiler ;p ) :

Takuma and Mayu's story began when they were only 8 years old. During his childhood, Takuma was constantly hospitalised due to his heart condition. He soon became friends with Mayu, the daughter of the doctor in charge of his case. Day by day they grew closer and closer. However, the summer when Takuma was 8, he made a promise to Mayu that he couldn't keep... Their story unfolds as they grow older and their bond gets stronger...

I love this movie!! I love the manga also! This is sad, romantic, perfect. And the chemistry between the main casts is really deep. Love love it!! Well, enjoy!! and please tell me if u can download it :)

xoxo,

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Food Journal : Cafe Coklat

Yup, Coklat (means chocolate in English) is a homy cafe that offers so many kind of chocolates. U can get so many choices of drinks, cakes, desserts, and even a snacks like Pocky and Kinder Bueno. The best thing in Coklat is the comfort place and interior. They also offer free hotspot here.  But this cafe usually really crowded at night. So sometimes u wont get any seat.

The best menu that i’ve ever tried here is Our Recipe. It’s like a chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and strawberries inside the cake. It’s so damn delicious. But if u dont really like sweets, do not order it. I was a lil bit disappointed when i ordered Choco Volcano coz i thought it was like chocomelt. The fact is it was totally different with chocomelt, no melted chocolate inside, and tasted weird fyi. I forgot the name of my favorite drink but it must be chocolate also :) The cakes here taste really good too.

The most important thing is the affordable price. Lovely place to date or hangout with friends and of course a heaven for chocolate’s lover, like me!! ;)

Cafe Coklat is in : Jalan Cik Ditiro No. 16 Yogyakarta

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xoxo,

Monday, September 13, 2010

Blogging Through Blackberry Smartphone

Hey.. I'm trying to bloggin via blackberry.. Let's see if this post will be posted in my blog later.

As a blogger it will be very useful to post your note on the move,since ideas can come anytime!! So yeah, I'm dying to know how to blog through my blackberry.

Well, u all know that I'm using blogspot which means that the domain at my email's gonna be @blogger.com. It's so easy to post your note via blackberry..

First,u go to your blogger account and click settings and then choose email&mobiles. U have to fill your email-to-blog email which is gonna be username.secretword@blogger.com. Make sure that the secret word only known by u. U also can choose to publish your post immediately or save it on a draft and publish it later.

So, everytime u want to post your note, u can compose an email from your blackberry and send it to your email-to-blog email. The subject of email will be your title of post and the body of the email will be the body of your post. It's so simple, isnt it?! :)

Well,let's see if I can attach picture to my blog :)
*i guess I can't arrange the picture's placement..too bad*
It's raining heavily outside!! Can't go anywhere :(
Sent from my AXIS Worry Free BlackBerry® smartphone

-additional through pc-
okay, so it's right that we cant arrange the picture, it will be on the top of the post, always.. i guess.. And i dont know how to put the label of the post,.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Food Journal : Parsley Bakery & Resto

Well, earlier Parsley’s built as bakery shop only.. Then they developed it to be a garden resto in Jl. Kaliurang. The garden resto sells international food like steak, pizza, etc.. The last building they made was in Jalan Adisucipto, which was bakery shop at the first floor and restaurant at second floor. But it was a lil bit different with the restaurant at Jalan Kaliurang, instead of international food they chose to offer Chinese food.

Lots of dimsum choices, porridges, noodles, and the main course like chicken kungpao, etc. I went there with my family today and we ordered blackpepper crab (kepiting lada hitam), kepiting goreng telur asin, cumi cabai garam, and sapo tahu.. The blackpepper crab is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, the spice and taste is just perfect.. And it’s not too expensive, IDR 80K for 2 crabs. Kepiting goreng telur asin is great too, u can eat the whole crab, even with the shell. The others are so-so, i think Red Bean has the better cumi cabai garam than Parsley.. The fried rice and noodles are quite good. i love ifumie too, but the portion is too large for my stomach. Haha.. Most recommended porridge is pitan porridge.. The dimsum tastes good too! You should try it :D

The place is great for hangout with family or friends, big enough. The service is great, and u’ll have free parking here! :) ahh, plus no service tax included.. How great it is!

The bakery shop sells so many great bakeries and also cake. My favorites are chicken tempura and the opera cake :)

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Parsley has 5 stores :

  • Jalan Magelang no.5 Yogyakarta (bakery shop)
  • Inside Ambarukmo Plaza, Ground Floor (bakery shop)
  • Inside Jogja International Hospital
  • Jalan Adisucipto km.6 no.155 Yogyakarta (bakery and restaurant)
  • Jalan Kaliurang km 5,5 Yogyakarta (bakery and restaurant)

 

xoxo,

Food Journal : Kmeal’s

Kmeal’s is another favorite place of mine. They have the taste and also the atmosphere. Perfect for date and hangout with friends or family. It provides French cuisine and some Italians thin pizza (baked in the wood oven), and they also have super delicious dessert :)

The menu and the taste come from a real French chef, named Camille, which is the owner of this restaurant too. He’s really kind person though, always asking about our opinion about his place. No wonder he has lots of visitors everyday, most of them are tourists. Or his friends maybe.. Hehe..

Well, i always order pizza when i came here, sometimes the pasta. So u can also try another menus, the French cuisine perhaps.. My favorite pizza is Red Hot Chilli Paper, the spicy one. The best thin pizza for me, compared with another pizzas in Nanamia or iL Mondo. I’ve tried the Calzone too, i love it although i dont like sunny egg. The pasta tastes so-so, not really special, but worth to try. The best dessert for me is Fondant au Deux Chocolats et Glace Vanille, simplified to be Chocomelt.. Hahaha.. U know, soft cake with a melting chocolate inside, served with ice cream.. Ahaa, super delicious, but expensive.. It’s IDR 27K. You can have the exact chocomelt at Momento and it only costs u IDR 12K. Well yeah, it’s gonna be a lil bit smaller, but served with apple too :) I love chocomelt so much!!

Kmeal’s is open everyday from 11 am to 11 pm. Find it on Jalan Tirtodipuran no 67 Yogyakarta. Phone : +62 274 829 0097. You can also visit the website for complete menu,photo, and reservation, here. Well, prepare at least IDR 50K to go here. For additonal, they also have an art gallery. So what are u waiting for?? It’s a must visit culinary place in Jogjakarta. Worth to try!! Enjoy :)

x2_1d86680 Terrine de Canard aux noix et cornichons x2_1d86716 Fondant au Deux Chocolats et Glace Vanille

 

xoxo,

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Food Journal : Dae Jang Geum

Hola! Back again with me! :) I’m trying Korean food today, in a place named DAE JANG GEUM, taken from the most famous korean tv series i guess..

Beside Korean food they also offer Chinese food, Japanese (sushi and sashimi), and Indonesian food (satay).. Well, the best thing here is the place.. It’s totally Korean, feels like in Korean, they decor the place just like the Korean palace. Complete with drums (usually fill with traditional korean wine).. It’s just totally a great place. They also have gazebos for a lil outdoor atmosphere.

So what i ordered today was dori miantang (forgot the exact name), it’s a spicy soup contains with snapper and veggies.. The soup taste good enough but the fish is too smelly..

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There was also bulgogi (u all should’ve known this already), tastes like a beef yakiniku for me..haha..

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This one is dak tori tang, slice of chickens, potatoes, and carrots with Korean sauce.

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Now this one is Chinese food, cumi ca mete, squid with cashew.. Spicy and taste really good.

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As a bonus they give u the opener food like kimchi, etc and at the end they also give u free fruits, watermelon n melon. Ask for mineral water (air putih) and they will give it to u, for free :) For me the taste is so-so.. Dont know about the other menus, but cumi ca mete is recommended.

It’s kinda a family restaurant, so it’s quite expensive for me. Beverages like tea and lemon tea cost IDR 10K (this is the cheapest one). Fresh juices are IDR 15K and above. The food price range is between 15K until 120K. I was going with my 6 other friends here and we spent about 440K here. Really broke me. Hahaha..

You can find this restaurant at Jalan Palagan Tentara Pelajar, when u find Hyatt Hotel at your left just go straight, quite far, u’ll find it at the left side of street.

Camwhoring for the inside view ;)

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xoxo,

E.X.

Think about ex bf or gf, what will u say about them?? Jealousy? Angry? Or maybe a friend? Well, sometimes some people cant make a good relation again with ex, with so many reasons. I think i’m not that kind of woman. I’m still a friend for my ex. But it depends on his side also, for a man who’s easygoing, it will be easier to act like we didnt have any history, and i like it more. So i just can share my mind with them,, They’ve ever been someone that really understand me indeed. But it will be different when he has a new gf.

Well, my last ex, he has a new gf. I dont know when they had it, he never told me. Well, it doesnt bother me actually, to see him with his gf. However we already broke up long time ago, and it was my decision, and i never think about get into any relationship again with him. Period. So i’m glad that he has a new one. But what makes me a lil upset is, why he should use the same old habit (our habit, spesifically) with the new gf.. I meant come on, doesnt she have a special thing? It’s not like that I’m jealous or what, I just dont understand why.

Okay, i lied. Hahaha.. But still, it’s not that i’m jealous.. Maybe i just miss a lil care like that, cos the fact that i dont have someone special now. Hahaha.. And maybe, because he found the new one first,, u know laa, self ego :D But i’m really glad that he found a new one, who can accepts him for who he is.

Still waitin for u, my prince charming.. =*

 

xoxo,

Friday, September 10, 2010

Food Journal : Dixie Easy Dining

Dixie is my favorite place for gathering or just hang out with friends.. The place is large and near the city. The atmosphere is really nice, and they have free hotspot here :) They have two floors.. The first floor is for kitchen, some shops, and tables and seats too.. The first floor also provide outdoor dining place. The 2nd floor is full of dining place. But sometimes the weather is hot (dont know if the air conditioner die) and full of smoke.. That’s what i dont like about dixie, smoke.. But there’s also a non smoking room and the weather is cooler there. It’s kinda famous in Jogja, lots of visitor everyday.

They provide continental foods like steak, burger, fried rice, etc. And then there’s Warung Pasta that offers some kind of pasta, which is one of my favorite by the way! :) For the starter u can try chicken with berry mayonaise or fried mushroom.. For main course, i’d like to have salmon marinara steak (my favorite cos i love salmon so much), but u’ll like the oxtail fried rice also.. The most popular drink is death by chocolate, lots of fat of course.. haha.. and u can have a free refill drink too for some kind of drinks like ice tea, lemon tea, milo, etc.

My favorite from Warung Pasta is Creamy Bloody Marie, pasta with salmon and tomato. It’s like a baked pasta.. I always have that one with extra cheese.. It’s sooo yummy!! I think i’ve ordered it times and times.. Well actually u can find so many styles of pasta here, just try it! Meat lover is also delicious..

The Menus

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My super yummy Creamy Bloody Marie with extra cheese, Cheesy Cheese, Fried Mushroom and Chicken Berry

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The Atmosphere

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Sorry again for the bad quality of pics.. It’s night and my phone camera is bloody bad. The point is u can really choose lots of different menu in Dixie. The price range is in the middle, around IDR 10K until IDR 50K. Warung Pasta generally is cheaper than Dixie.

Find Dixie at : Jalan Gejayan no 40B. Telp : +62 274 560745, +62 274 560746, +62 274 7455971 / 0815 143 666 08.

 

xoxo,