.: a house is not a home :.

As my sleeping pattern is still irregular, sometimes I took an hour (or two) nap in the afternoon. It's like a sneak preview to my later years, perhaps? Because since I hit 30 I desperately need that 8hrs sleep. I can't stay awake as long as I used to do when I was, say, 29. Weird huh? Anyway, in one of those naps I dreamt of my childhood home and how happy we all were. My home was a cozy, warm, welcoming kind of home. In the afternoon we opened the double door to let the cool breeze in. We had a small koi pond and a big mango tree along with smaller plants and flower bushes. It was a decent sized house, with decent sized bedrooms. I loved it so much although it looks super dated (1950s). I loved my bedroom and my 31 yrs old soft bed. I woke up feeling so very sad that we don't have that house anymore. My parents want a nicer, bigger and more modern house, a decision that I did not approve even until this day. I know the old house is falling apart, literally. The bricks were moldy and the wooden stairs gave up a while ago. But it is repairable. Now I even refuse to call it 'my' house because I feel like I don't belong there. The new house is modern, luxurious looking and a tad pretentious, I think. With its marble floor that drives people crazy whenever there's spillage, and how Chester always slipped when he run around the house. We need air conditioner all the time now because the house gets super hot & suffocating during the day. My mom built the rooms to resemble hotel rooms with its amenities: private bathroom, a tv in each room. It's just missing a maid services because I made my own bed and clean the room+bathroom myself (unlike other Indonesians with their army of maids, we do things ourselves) It feels exactly like that; a temporary room. Cold, uncomfortable, and impersonal. I tried to put most of what I had in my old bedroom to recreate the feeling but I failed. I really miss my home, and I can never get it back. I guess it is a part of growing up. Now all I can do is move on.

.: bits of indo trip :.

99 Ranch is a place to hangout in Jakarta,
selling healthy food options. (!!!)

MmMmMm yummm.... Jelly Donuts

Right, 46 y.o are looking for 21 years old...

Mr S : this can be yours. Just YM me.

If anyone is interested : $6 - $4 - $4 - $6

.: scrapbooking artist :.

image & original artworks belong to Lie Fhung©2005

Others (a.k.a my snobbish professors) may consider my digital scrapbooking hobby as grandmotherly, but I beg to differ. Because of my obsession with digital scrapbooking, I found more Indonesian artists that I may never heard of. Today I found this on my digiscrap newsletter, and fell in love with her exhibition. Too bad the pictures are way too small, but I'm interested to see the whole collection.

.: ooh boy :.

Homeworks are starting to pile up, and it's only the first week of school! Crazy, I know. It is, however, less hectic than last semester so I should be really good this time. Emphasize on 'should be'. Right now I'm just baaaad... completely distracted from homeworks, and posting stuff on my blog instead. I was browsing my own folders for inspirations and found these:

Bath & Body Works knockoffs : unfortunately I don't remember the brand now :(

Crocs knockoffs piling up in Mangga Dua's sidewalk...

Jackie Chan's ageless secret: Ba Wang Hair Darkening Shampoo
This is why Singaporeans are thin: They put this warning everywhere,
including a zero calorie bottled water

And I found this adorable mouse in Singapore. This is actually a glass cover with suction, to prevent dust and dirt from contaminating your water/beverages. There are other version of this dude: a cat, a cake and cupcakes. I chose this one because I just love the pointy pink nose :)

.: always amused :.

Although I claimed that I'm a bit bored in my hometown, there's always something I found amusing from my daily life here. From good food such as:

Pempek Pak Raden + Es Bungsu

Extra Large Lumpia Basah

Cream cheese + red bean Obanyaki

... to interesting line ads you can find in regular newspaper (not Pos Kota)

definitely beats match.com!

with those kind of dresses no wonder Bandung's population is rising...

.: What I Miss from Indo :.

1. My parents : who loves me unconditionally forever
2. My girlfriends : fun, silly, sweet and friendly group of girls3. My precious furball : my loyal companion & alarm-clock
4. Street Hawkers: oh how i long for a bowl of Bihun Atoy!!!

.: stay cool in Semarang :.

clockwise from top left: es tjong lik, es campur klenteng, oleh2 java, es mang Kirman