My #Top15Playlist (Cause I'm just so mainstream)

I find this is a fun thing to do, but then again I do not want to share it with people. So, here I am in front of my phone writing on my blog. Here's my #Top15Playlist thay (I believe) I'll never get bored of (Disclaimer: I'm not a music geek and I do not seek for new songs at all. Plus, I do not have any preferences in the kind of music or the musicians I wanted to hear. So to all of you music geek, please forgive me for only listening to random music I heard and happened to enjoy :p):

1. Eliza Doolitle - Rollerblades

2. Ingrid Michaelson - You and I

3. The Beatles - Blackbird

4. Chairlift - Bruises

5. Fountains of Wayne - Hey Julie

6. The Perishers - Nothing Like You and I

7. Plain White T's - Rhythm of Love

8. Sondre Lerche - The Curse of Being in Love

9. The Weepies - The World Spins Madly On

10. The Beatles - Penny Lane

11. Ben Folds - You Don't Know Me

12. Mindy Gledhill - All About Your Heart

13. Voiceless and Soulastic - Warnamu

14. The Fray - How to Save a Life

15. Colbie Caillat - You Got Me

There goes my #Top15Playlist that I've been listening to since forever! 

How I miss being anywhere but here

First day at school and all I've been thinking about is how to bring back my holiday? I need one, asap! So instead of whining about how boring school was (well not that boring actually, one of the most prominent lecturer is going to be my lecturer for this semester: Iwan Jaya Aziz!), let's get back to the day I first travel abroad. Well not really the first, it's the first when I'm conscious and big enough to remember everything. And where is this fortunate country? Give a round of applause to China & Hong Kong! (Are they still a same country now? Yes? Okay whatever.)

My very first trip abroad was very impressive! It makes me the person I am now: a person who loves to travel and wants to do it more and more (if only I have all the time and money in the world).

I went to Beijing and Hong Kong when it was in the winter season with my dad, sister, and grandma. Luckily it was not the peak of winter, it already in the middle of transition to spring. Because if not, I'd be a dead meat since I can't bare any cold (yes, I know I look like a peasant. But then again, that's why people invent heater!). But anyway, I was happy because I got the chance to use a coat even though I didn't got the chance to see some snow and the most important thing is, I can tell people that I've been to the Great Wall of China. Seriously guys, it really is great.

The great Great Wall of China

I really don't know why people always complain about how the number of pollution in China is really high and you can actually feel it when you take your first step there, because frankly, I didn't smell anything. True, there are lots of cars and traffic jams, but I still think that it is far better than Jakarta. You can actually see bikers bike in their side, no overwhelming amount of motorcycles, cars queueing in the middle of jams, etc. Everything was in fact (at least for me), very neat and tidy and organized and I can't smell or feel any pollution!

And then comes Hong Kong. Hong Kong is really is the even-more-industrialized version of China. Sophisticated skyscrapers everywhere, high-end cars here and there, no one seems to be in poverty, you name it! What startled me most is the Avenue of Stars, and ironically it's not because of the handprint and signature of the artists (I don't even realize that it was there until I read more about the place later). I was in fact amused by the scenery of skyscrapers and lights of the buildings. Avenue of Stars is located next to a lake (or a river?), and the buildings' reflection in the water just somehow bring it to the next level (one little tip: visit this place at night, it's prettier!). We took a ferry (or a boat) ride there (I remembered that it's really expensive but don't remember how much was it because my dad pays it all :p), and I definitely recommend the boat tour! It's a very lavish one and you'll be treated like a princess (or prince)!

Beautiful skyscrapers in Avenue of Stars

Another highlight from Hong Kong is of course.... *drumroll* ..... Disneyland!! Nothing needs to be explained, Disneyland is just Disneyland and it's amazing.

Cinderella's Castle, Dumbo, and Princess Belle!

Disneyland highlights and please-don't-miss are: the parade and the fireworks when it's closing. You will again feel like a princess (or prince)!

Highlights of the whole trip was my understanding about how people of China and Hong Kong are really really religious. They have lots of Gods and they pray to each and one of them. You want a soulmate? They got one God for it. Want to be healthy? Another God is ready. Want to get rid and forget an ex? Of course they also have one. And what more important is, never ask something to the wrong God because if you mistaken the God, something bad will happen. And that's not what we want, right?

Dewi Kuan Im

Dewa Pemberi Jodoh

You can see people coming to the Gods for their personal needs and desires every day, every hour, every minute, and you can see them praying from their hearts. Some of them even pour some tears when they pray. That's just how religious they are. And that's one of their value that I admire: to never forget where they come from and where they belong.

Malam & hujan

Malam datang lagi. Kali ini, ditemani hujan yang tidak henti-hentinya turun mengguyur ibukota sejak matahari terbit pagi ini. Entah sejak kapan aku mulai membenci malam. Namun sepanjang yang kuingat, malam tidak pernah menjadi waktu yang aku tunggu. Malam selalu menyuguhkan keheningan dan kegelapan yang seperti tiada habisnya sehingga menimbulkan rasa hampa dan sepi dalam diriku. Sebaliknya, hujan merupakan fenomena alam yang paling aku tunggu. Sejak kapan aku mulai menyukainya? Entahlah, sepertinya kesenangan ini sudah lahir bersamaku. Suara hujan yang bergemerisik dan berisik mungkin terkadang mengusik sebagian orang. Tetapi bagiku, suara hujan menentramkan. Bagiku, suara hujan menandakan adanya kehidupan, menandakan bahwa bumi masih berputar, dan yang paling penting, suara hujan dapat mengisi suara keheningan yang aku benci.

Malam dan hujan. Bagaimana mungkin dua hal yang sangat aku benci dan senangi dapat berkolaborasi menjadi satu kesatuan yang saling melengkapi? Apakah aku akan ikut membenci hujan karena telah menemani malam, atau akankah aku menjadi senang dengan malam karena malam tidak lagi terlalu sepi? Ini terlalu sulit.

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Mungkin aku bukan takut malam, dan mungkin pula, aku bukan senang dengan hujan. Mungkin, aku hanya takut merasakan kesepian. Suara malam – atau perlu kusebut, ‘tidak adanya suara malam’ – menimbulkan rasa takut dalam diriku yang pengecut ini. Sedangkan suara hujan, meskipun bergemuruh dan keras, dapat memberikanku kenyamanan karena setidaknya aku tidak akan merasakan kesendirian. "Ada hujan, kok", bisikku dalam hati.

My little sister is not little anymore!

This is what I did to my not-so-little sister earlier today for her friend's sweet seventeen party! This is probably my best makeup so far, and what's more exciting and satisfying is that I did this with almost all drugstore makeup!!!! I'm sooo satisfied with my work that I feel the urge of putting it in my blog!!! Who said that makeup must be expensive? Not me!

My makeup list:

Eyes

For eyeshadow I used Nyx Glam Shadow Stick in the colour Elegant Marble as a base, and a black and brown colour from Nyx Be Free Sois Libre Palette for the crease and wings. For eyeliner, I used a black liquid eyeliner from Maybelline. I used fake eyelashes with a random brand name that I got from the nearest drugstore. Last but not least, I used Make Over (yes, Make Over not Make Up For Ever) for the brows with an eye brow pencil in the colour Brown to Earth. Oh I forgot, I also used Elf Eye Primer just to make sure the makeup last all night!

Cheeks

For the primer, I used L'Oreal Base Magique while for foundation I used another Make Over product: Ultra Cover Matt Foundation in the colour Pink Shade. As one simple last touch, I used Chanel's powder to sweep all the oil away. For bronzing, I also used Make Over with their Contour Kit product (you can now see that this brand is actually one of my favorite; it's local, it's cheap, and it works well!). While for highlighting, I used a little bit of Benefit Sun Beam (well this is fancy, but it really does works well and disclaimer, I have it in the mini size :""). And for the blush, I combine Nars Blush Stick in the colour I-forgot-what and Splash! Floral Blush. 

Lips

I used Maybelline's lip balm before giving some color to the lips, and last I used L'Oreal's lipstick in the color Fairy Touch for a little bit of magic! 

A heart will always find a way

If there is one thing that I learned from life is that people are not capable in changing their behavior and personalities. A person's behavior and personality is a sum up of all what they have been through and thought throughout their childhood years. And one little tweak, one little chit-chat, one little suggestion, or one little order will never be able to change the personality wholly. Well maybe, some little adjustments can actually be made, but the question now is: are those small adjustments enough?

People often say that 'there is no such thing as a perfect partner. You have to work for it, you both should.' which kind of come to the conclusion that in order to have a 'perfect' and healthy relationship, both of the partner should adjust themselves to their significant other. But the thing is, no matter how hard each individual tries, the 'adjustments' and changes will never be perfect. So in the end of the day, it is a matter of acceptance. Will you accept those kind of behavior for the rest of your life? Are you ready to be encountered with those habits everyday? Will you be willing to hold on and stick with those personalities forever?

Some people ended up forcing themselves to say yes, I do, when in fact they really don't. Or maybe, at that moment they just didn't realize that deep down, they actually can't. This is why we have to take some time to be with ourselves, have a deep conversation with our heart and just reminisce all the thing that we have been through. Don't have your heart take sides, just listen to them. It was never a matter of right or wrong, it's just about compatibility.

If you finally realize that it is a no, even though it is really really hard to accept, just let go. Because everybody deserves a chance to find their true love, their soulmate. And if you block one's way, even (especially) if it is your own way, then someone, somewhere, must be falling apart.


"I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfil our destiny, but our fate is sealed." -Paulo Coelho