1095 Days of Ours

Yes, it's been about 3 years since he and I met. It's been 3 years since I trusted him to be my partner to build a home, starting with the concrete structure beneath, because what is the most important thing is the strength of the structure itself. Well, he literally used that metaphor to convince me 3 years ago, where he told me he want to be the one who accompany me to start build "my house" all over again. It might sounds cheesy, but for me that means a lot, in a way that no one might not understand.

So, here we are. 3 years later. Many things changed, we've been travel to many places, we did many new things together, we met new friends, we lost contact with our old friends, we fight a lot, we argue many times, sometimes it left tears, but not much as tears of joy that can be felt in our hearts. We've been trough rain and storms, though I realize that it's nothing, no such a big deal, compare to years and years after that we're gonna face tomorrow. 

This just a starter, and we don't know what the future will bring us. All we have to do is having faith, and make the best out of it.

In the night of our anniversary day, we made a little celebration, a dinner at a beautiful restaurant with a valley view in a nice hotel, right after work. The view was amazing, the food was tasty and fancy, the ambience just perfect. But what I care the most is our quality time we had that night. We talked a lot, we shared things that never been shared before which apparently never pop in our mind, we cursed, we laugh, and... the funniest thing is we talked about "the past". He told me about, like anything. Random chicks he had crushed on, random moment he had been trough with his ex and another girls, random guy and also random circle of friends that involved on the whole stories in his past. Some stories I heard before, some old stories that had been forgotten, some new-old stories, some stories just re-told again because we simply want to laugh over it... Me? I didn't talk much about mine, because I think there's nothing else I have to share, my past is boooring. Hehe, kidding, it just that day the topic is about him so I just want to seize it :-p

This picture was taken 2 years ago when he just graduated and earned his Bachelor of Engineering (congrats kiddo! we're waiting for your 2nd college graduation as MBA guy, ehm) and in this pic I think I look shorter and more tiny than I really was, but I don't know why this pict is one of my favourite. Hehe.

When we talked that night, we smiled a lot. Yes we did. We never hate the past. 

In my perspective, everything happened in the past could make us the better person. 

We could gain knowledge (of life), and those knowledge are priceless. 

We looked back, and we will be more grateful that we live as we are now.

I feel gratitude. Thanks for this 3 amazing years, and what the future might be, I hope the best is yet to come, and come, and come again, into our life. All I can say now is just thank you, and thank God.

I love you. :-)

Quote of The Day

"Never explain yourself. Your friends don't need it and your enemies won't believe it."

What Shall I Wear Today, Bunny?

I've got a crush on a little stylish bunny named Fifi Lapin, and since ever she published a book : "What Shall I Wear Today" I'm really dying for it. I still don't know where to find this book in my town, but I once read it in magz that this book is available at some bookstores in Jakarta, so I hope soon enough I'll own it. Here a sneak peek from kris atomic, all photo credit belong to her. 

Quoted from kris atomic blog :

"The book is split by days of the week, as Fifi discusses her fashion choices and gives advice on dressing for different occasions. There are make-up tips, recipes and interviews with designers, but as expected the illustrations take centre stage. Adorable!"

 Too adorable, indeed! I loveee this bunny too much!

 

 

 

I am definitely a  little fifiette's! 

Infinite XO's :-)

Trekking Bandung - Lembang

*all photo courtesy : Vallin Tsarina* 

Berhubung saya memang hobi jalan-jalan dan punya obsesi aneh akan hutan, maka waktu ada thread tentang rencana trekking ke Lembang di Facebook grup Arsitektur 2006, saya langsung semangat mau ikutan. Biasanya, ajakan sehat seperti ini akan berakhir menjadi wacana belaka. Namanya juga anak muda, haha. Tapi insya Allah, kalau ada niat pasti ada jalan. ;-)

Singkat cerita berangkatlah kami 4 pemuda tangguh untuk trekking ke Lembang; saya, Edric, Vallin, dan Ilham. Tangguh kenapa, karena cuma kami yang sanggup bangun pagi di weekend yang cerah sementara manusia-manusia yang mem-posting puluhan comment di grup kemarin (mungkin) masih asik sama selimutnya. Walau cuma berempat, jalan tetap harus jadi!

Bolang!

Trekking adalah perjalanan panjang yang dilakukan dengan berjalan kaki di daerah yang biasanya tidak ada sarana transportasi tersedia. Jalurnya biasanya belum dipetakan, dan terdapat pada lingkungan yang menantang seperti di bukit atau gunung, namun jangan sampai tertukar dengan hiking atau mountaineering. Dewasa ini, tempat-tempat wisata seperti Taman Nasional sudah banyak yang menyediakan jalur yang nyaman dan layak untuk trekking, sehingga para pejalan kaki dapat menikmati suasana perjalanan tanpa harus bersusah payah.

seru dan sehat!

Taman Hutan Raya Bandung menjadi jalur pilihan kami untuk mencapai Lembang, yang terletak di Bandung Utara. Mengapa, karena di Tahura sudah tersedia jalur trekking yang menembus ke Maribaya, Lembang. Maribaya sendiri dikenal oleh para wisatawan karena terdapat curug (air terjun) yang cukup indah. Biasanya tempat wisata ini dipenuhi oleh keluarga maupun pelajar yang berkunjung, terutama pada akhir minggu.Kami pun memarkir kendaraan di Tahura dan masuk dengan membayar tiket masuk terlebih dahulu, gak mahal cuma sekitar Rp.3000/orang dan Rp.10.000/kendaraan. (dimana-mana gak ada yang gratis yah, hmmm)

Jalur trekkingnya cukup seru, walaupun (bukan maksud sombong, ehm) tidak terlalu menantang. Menuju Lembang jalurnya memang nanjak dan cukup bikin ngos-ngosan juga basah keringetan, tapi secara keseluruhan medannya ringan, setidaknya dibandingkan jalur trekking yang saya lalui dulu di Kalimantan (yaiyalah, hehe). Di kiri kanan terbentang bukit-bukit pepohonan, rumput hijau, sungai yang mengalir jernih, serta matahari yang sedikit menembus dari sela-sela daun diatas kepala kami. Sangat indah, apalagi untuk orang kota yang jarang melihat rimbunnya tanaman dan udara segar, direkomendasikan untung datang kesini.

You will see some breathtaking unexpected views here.

jalur mobil di Tahura, sebelum masuk jalur trekking ke Maribaya

pemandangan selama trekking

bagus yaa..

bukit-bukit pepohonan

sungainya jernih :)

Belum lagi, setiap beberapa ratus meter (atau mungkin tiap beberapa kilometer) ada warung-warung yang menjajakan makanan khas kampung seperti tahu goreng yang masih panas dan disajikan dengan sambel oncom. SUPER ENAK! Nikmatnya makan disana setelah capek jalan gak bisa dikalahin dengan makanan kota manapun!

Jarak tempuh menuju Maribaya sendiri cukup bikin kaki pegel-pegel keesokan harinya, kira-kira 5km dari Tahura. Kami menghabiskan waktu sekitar 2,5jam sampai disana dengan kecepatan jalan sedang dan diselingi foto-foto tentunya :p Curug Omas yang menjadi tujuan utama di Maribaya, cukup menghibur dan menyegarkan kulit karena cipratan air terjunnya mengenai kami yang melintas dan foto-foto (tetep) di jembatan curug.

lanskapnya seru, pagar merah dan tanaman hijau

ini dia air terjun Curug Omas, Maribaya

kontur sungai dan air terjun

Sesampainya di atas, ada beberapa penjual kaktus. Kaktusnya lucu-lucu dan banyak variasinya. Biasa, naluri ibu-ibu langsung tergoda oleh panggilan kaktus-kaktus kecil yang murah meriah itu. Harga kaktus (beserta potnya) berkisar antara Rp.3000 - Rp. 25.000 saja. Bisa ditawar loh, dan jangan lupa untuk bandingkan harga karena di warung sebelah mungkin harganya bisa lebih murah walaupun sebenarnya gak jauh beda. Akhirnya si kaktus lucu warna hijau kebiruan pucat pun jadi buah tangan saya, hihiii, speaking of woman and shop! :p

kaktus dengan batu warna warni, murah meriah

Sampai di Maribaya, kami meneruskan perjalanan ke Imah Seniman sebuah tempat wisata resort, restaurant, serta lokasi outbond di Lembang, tempat teman kami, Alma, bekerja sebagai arsitek disana. Namanya Imah Seniman yang artinya Rumah Seniman, sepertinya dinamakan demikian karena bos-nya Alma yang mendesain tempat ini adalah seorang seniman. Cukup sudah dengan jalan kaki, berhubung jalanan sudah tidak manusiawi lagi untuk pedestrian, maka kami naik angkot 2x untuk sampai ke Imah Seniman. Sesampainya disana, Alma memandu kami melihat-lihat tempat yang 5 tahun yang lalu adalah tempat kami dilantik sebagai IMA-G ITB 2007 (iya, 5 tahun! gak kerasa yah hiks)

Tempat pelantikan kami itu sudah jauh berubah. Perubahannya dari segi arsitektur tentu saja lebih baik, lanskapnya sudah ditata rapi dengan berbagai macam tanaman rindang. Ada beberapa villa, tempat makan lesehan, warung-warung makanan, hingga tempat pemancingan. Kalau mau outbond, disana juga tersedia berbagai fasilitas. Cocok untuk keluarga yang berlibur, seperti biasa mobil plat B terlihat memenuhi lapangan parkir. #pffft

intip-intip suasana Imah Seniman

elemen arsitektural yang keren

angsanya lagi bertelur, jangan diganggu..

Kami pun makan di rumah makan lesehan Imah Seniman, makanannya sungguh-sungguh nikmat! Bukan karena semua pasti terasa enak setelah perjalanan jauh, tapi masakannya benar-benar 'makanan kampung' yang cocok untuk lidah orang Indonesia. Enak banget pokoknya! Kami makan ayam bakar warisan, tahu bakar, dan karedok. Nyammmmmmmmm... Sayang lupa difoto, maklum, langsung kalap begitu makanan tiba di meja. Untuk harga, rasanya  masih masuk akal dan gak menguras kantong banget, apalagi waktu itu kami ditraktir sama si bos. Hihi, makasih ya Ma! :p

Setelah puas seharian menjauh dari keramaian kota, saatnya pulang! Naik angkot lagi menuju Stasiun Ledeng disambung naik angkot menuju ITB, lalu kembali ke Tahura untuk mengambil kendaraan yang diparkir disana. Bandung pun sudah mulai macet di sore itu...

Hiburan sederhana seperti ini memang asik, tidak perlu uang banyak, asal  sanggup bangun pagi, bisa bikin badan sehat dan happy tentunya!

Nice trip, guys! We should do this more often! :)

Seize the (holi)day!

HO-LI-DAY

Something which in this past year I really enjoy. As a fresh graduates who have just tasted a bit of the working world, holiday, or so called 'tanggal merah' is the day that I really wait for. When it comes to holiday, it feels like there is nothing more valuable than that.

There is nothing more valuable than: TIME. 

Well yes, your salary sometimes can't buy you happiness.

A holiday is an event which makes me feel really grateful, excited indeed. As I live through my life, somehow I felt God always has many ways to remind me to always feel grateful. I'm an architect, and I was working at a firm which run in an entertainment sector. It means I must go to the office 6 days a week, every Monday until Saturday. There's no such thing as "cuti bersama" or "libur kejepit". Our office working hours is more than 40 hours a week, which according to some literature I read, work more than 40 hours a week is not good for our brain and human productivity. Speaking of it, every single free times and holidays just made me feel gratitude and you have no idea how much I said "Thank God" in my heart. No kidding, seriously. Doesn't mean to be such a little spoiled brat, but hey, who doesn't need holiday??

Moreover, there in my office, we have many people working by time-shift. It means they have to come either at day and night and unfortunately, even on public holiday. I called them 'the field worker'. If I worked in a different office, for example in my first office in Jakarta when I had my internship, I might not felt the way I feel now. I might think that everybody just as lucky as I am, have an exact schedule of work and of course we can easily have our day off, even if it's not a public holiday. But not everyone has the same situation. It rarely happens to field-worker people, whether the site is off-sea-shore or simply in a mall. You know what, my heart touched, seeing this guys in my office working so hard and didn't care about holiday just in order to gave their child a plate of food, and to make their little family have a proper shelter to live.

How lucky I am, rite?

I still can taste a little bit of fresh air outside the office, a time for solitude in my comfy bed, sometimes even I spent my holiday in brutally hedonist way. I don't have any responsibilities to feed my child, yet. 

I'm a little bastard lucky girl.

Unfortunately, not everyone are able to appreciate the concept of ' holiday'.

I am not here to judge.

The question is ; why?

Is it because they don't know yet how it feels to be a lap dog worker?

Is it because they have all the money and ticket vacation wherever they want just because their parent could afford it?

Or, is it because they are a typical hardworker bosses who realize time is money and all they have to do is work, work, and work?

(for the latest, okay I can't argue that. Somehow we need people like that, aren't we? ;p)

But, WHY?

 why? won't you feel the sunshine and the skies with me? it's beautiful, indeed.. :)
Sunset time at Maratua Paradise Resort, Derawan Island, East Borneo.
an amazing getaway sponsored by ACI detikcom

amazed by an ultra cool architecture at Ulen Sentalu Museum, Kaliurang, Jogjakarta

a public holiday impulsive backpacking trip by train and no planning at all :)

an afternoon at Echo Beach, Canggu, Bali

a weekend leisure, refreshing from our office days in Bali

 playing in a private beach while doing hoping island in Karimun Jawa Islands (I forgot what island it was)

a super cheap but luxury vacation before facing the 4th grade in college

Snorkeling at Kakaban Beach, Derawan Islands, East Borneo

also an amazing getaway sponsored by ACI detikcom

photography : Alfindra P.

did I said how lucky I am?

Back to the past a lil' bit, I have a sad experience when I was still in high school. Back then, I always feel crappy mellow when I saw a beautiful blue skies and sunshine above me, especially in the morning. That because I knew, I will not be able to seize that moment with my loved one. I can't tell here why. I just can't. (please noted that my loved one is not a vampire, ok? trust me)

That is one of the reason why I always mad with people who can't appreciate a tiny little thing called holiday. There are millions of people who missed their free time, their freedom, or simply just craving for a morning fresh air and a touch of sunshine on their skin.

You should feel lucky if you are not one of the people I mentioned above. You have to.

Well, it's their choice and none of my business anyway, but I just felt, disturbed, you know. I just can't appreciate people who can't appreciate a little good thing in life. Once again, I'm not here to judge.

Thank you, and please enjoy your holiday, cause I believe it will worth every second.

... and be grateful for every little thing in life, you don't know what you've got 'till it's gone. :)

Happy (long) weekend all!

Finally, moving on!

It's been years, and finally I'm doing this. Moving on.

 

I'm not talking about my love life.

When I said years, I mean literally. It's been 2 years since the last time I wrote on my blog : C'EST LA VIE , which I started in earlier 2007.

Now I feel like growing up, and yes, life goes on.

So, rather than keep starring blankly on my past, I think it's better for me to start a new one. It doesn't mean I want a really really new life or something, for me past will always be the past. I like to see my past as a 'bitter-sweet-things-to-remember'. I won't regret anything in my past, on contrary, I will always smile to them, my past (and some will make me laugh until I cry my eyes out) :)

As my professor once told us in college about 'the energy things', so this is my action to remove all the  unnecessary energy from my life. Every single one. Sounds exaggerate, but I kinda likes the idea about refreshing energy. I mean, positive energy will bring you a positive life. Vice versa.

Would you blow a candles for my new blog bornday? :)

So, enjoy it, and once again, HELLO. :)