phoebe’s blog

QoTD : Show us your plant :)

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Wed, 14 May 2008 02:08:29 -0700

This QOTD has passed, though... still I want to show off :
These are the ones I have in my house

And this one I have on my desk in the office :

If anyone knows what kind of flower this is, could you let me know? My friend, said this is somekind of violet, but what kind (genus and species) I'd like to know... thanks!!

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QotD: Fictional Friend

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:09:25 -0700

What fictional character do you relate to most and why?

Pippilangstrump

Pippi Langstrump, or in English, Pippi Longstocking, no doubt, has many resemblances with me. She's strong, awkward looking, always has her own way of doing things, and she stays in her childhood.
I also consider myself as some kind of a clown, something that Pippi sometimes takes role of. To make people cheer, or laugh, or smile is a personal accomplishment to me.
However Pippi is much more stronger character than me. She can never be weak, while half of the time I act as a drama queen.Hope I can be as strong as her one day!

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In the city

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Tue, 06 May 2008 07:50:58 -0700

Jakartanight

There 's one thing that I can never get used to in Jakarta - the traffic. As I slowly surfed my way through the crowded street of Sudirman, while the taxi getting pushed and pinned by Metrominis and Kopajas, I was thinking, will I ever get used to traffic? Seconds later, I was dreaming of a utopia, a city with sensible amount of vehicles, just right amount to enable them to travel in the medium-size streets of Jakarta without having to knock the next car's bumper down.

This is anybody's dream, I'm sure. It sometimes realized, on rare ocassions like Idul Fitri, New Year or other long holidays. Unfortunately, I never experienced it, since I am also one of the "pendatang" who are more eager to get out of the megacity, back to her lovely (but now also crowded) home town.

Jakarta, home of 7,564,506 souls (according to the Population Service) living in the city at night and add another 5,5 million during the days because of the commuters who live in the satellite cities around Jakarta. How many years ahead, the city will be swamped with urbanization, people looking for jobs, education, opportunities in the city. It hasn't lost its magnet, despite the government feeble attempts to create more even development in rural areas.

If it's up to me, I'd move out from this bustling city, to my hometown, or somewhere quiet, and start living in this small place. With people who knows you, who will smile at you, not because they want something from you. People who will do you favor just because you need it, not due to the return they might get. These values as I noticed have vanished from the modern and 'developed' Jakarta. People would rather pay for security guarding shift, rather than do it themselves. People would rather pay contribution for Independence day neighborhood clean-up, rather than having their clothes dirty and sweats all over.

Where is my utopia? As my taxi escaped from the hard and suffocating jam, I pulled myself to the now and here. Tonight I'm done with Jakarta...

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Bye Bye "Bambang Soelarso"

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 06:43:17 -0700

I remember when you first came here I felt a little burdened because you'll be under my "guidance" throughout life in Jakarta. But turned out you taught me a lot of things in the end - including how to be a good listener and how to eat the same meal everyday for 3 months straight..

Though it's proven from the Dealing with Difficult People workshop that you are a "Nothing" person, but I think inside you care a lot about things, sometimes more than other people do.

You also the one who objected about my personality being a "Grenade", then I told you that I bursted into tears the first months I worked in our office, you looked so concerned.

Larso, it was nice to know you, my friend... take care and have a safe trip home!

Larsandvivi

photo stolen from here

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The Drama Dog

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 09:29:26 -0700

It began with one animal show (?) in Japanese TV, and little did the prairie dog knew, that he would gain infinite fame as the Youtube star of this year...

Windows Style

Kill Bill Style

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Back from the dead

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 06:01:41 -0700

It is not my lack of diligence that prevented me from updating my blog on vox. God knows how I love vox more than my other blogs :)

The past hiatus was dedicated to one distance education project (work that is, people), one toddler that is entering primary school next july and ...

my mere inability to manage time. OK, OK, I admit it.

Welcome back, me!

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A soulmate for my boss

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 02:13:19 -0700

Funny things happen at work. My boss seems to have a crush on a goverment official who was one of the speakers of our workshop a while ago. I thought it was just a joke when she claimed to have witness the most handsome guy she's ever seen, but after several months of still bringing up the old same story, I began to take her more seriously. Maybe she really likes him. If yes, then it's a really bad luck, since he's married with who-knows how many kids :)

Satryo

But y'know, these things are just the things that got me keep thinking. Do soulmates come in literally any place ? Such as in the heart of a geeky woman in the form of my boss and in the heart of a reputable government official as the man?

Life always confuses me.

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Vox Hunt: Things Left Unread

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 00:11:39 -0700

Book: What book are you most ashamed you haven't read?
Submitted by Byrne.

Pramoedya Toer's Buru Quartet :

Bumi Manusia (This Earth of Mankind) (1980)
Anak Semua Bangsa (Child of All Nations) (1980)
Jejak Langkah (Footsteps) (1985)
Rumah Kaca (House of Glass) (1988)

Pa_toer_quartetburu

I have been longing for ages to read these masterpieces, and even my 'bule' colleague has read them... so I am very embarassed as an Indonesian that I haven't read a page from the books.

And I also started to read some books, and left them unfinished. And unlike some people, I don't like to jump to the last page of the book just to see the end - I'd rather be left hanging in the middle of the plot, not knowing what will happen in the end. Dunno, if this is good or bad :))

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Employment status

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 19:18:14 -0700

It's certain that I will be jobless in less than two months. What is more pathetic, the boss mentioned that neither our unit nor the unit that i used to work for have money to pay for the extension of my contract. So, here we are, being layed in front of my face, like it's a regular matter, though it could mean something to someone : me.

I thought about being jobless many many time before. Of course, being one with a "special service agreement" means no security of my future. when the contract's up, you'll be on hanging on the thread, searching for another job. I guess I must be that incompetent, that nobody is going to claim me, once I've finished my contract here. It's sad, because these last months I've been working very hard and I think I've finally produced decent work, better than in my first year.

What I'm trying to say here is : suddenly becoming jobless is such a nightmare for me, since I will be at home the whole time. I can't stand that! I've been in that condition, and not sure if I'm ready to be home again. First I thought that I will be occupied with Z's search for elementary school, the transition from kindergarten to elementary, but as it bursted out last night in the conversation with my dad, it's not for another year! So I've been building my hopes on nothing.

Now I'm thinking, should I take the offer of the last interview I had, for about half my current salary, but I think more security and insurance (I hope?). God, I need to find another job, fast!!!

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Types of Dummies

nobody@vox.com(phoebe) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:09:05 -0800

there are several types of dummies :

- the ones who don't know what they don't know, or the ignorant type

- the ones who know what they don't know but don't know how to do it, the lazy type

- the ones who thought they know but don't know how to do it, the "sok tau" type

(i'm afraid i'm torn between (b) and (c) )

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