Friday, September 22, 2006

this spring

This coming spring means a lot for me and maybe my hubby as well. The first week of spring isn’t really like spring. It is like winter extended. We got two warm days in the first week, but the other days were cold as winter. Geez. Welcome to Melbourne.

Yet all in all, this spring I took double jobs – morning and night. I know it sounds tiring but it’s still ok for me. I did feel tired and exhausted after three days in a row I worked morning and night. I worked from 8 am to 11 am and from 6 pm to 10 pm. I just found out that it would take almost an hour to go home by tram at night after 10 pm! My friends asked me why I should take double jobs. It would be very tiring especially for pregnant woman like me. They offered me, I answered. However, maybe I have been obsessed with earning more money so that we can have enough and much money to build a new house soon after we go back to Surabaya. I told you I sincerely do not want to live longer time in my mother-in-law’s house. Funnily, last night I just read in my yearly Daily Bread and it told me how people are often too wrapped up with anything that could make life better but forget the true meaning of life. I have no clue whether the reading strikes over me or not. Yet, I did feel it too. Maybe I have been too wrapped up with my idealistic purpose for my life, then. Dunno. I am still struggling with it.

Talking about body, I already feel the changing of mine. My tummy is pretty itchy sometimes and my friend told me it’s because the skin is stretching to accommodate the growing baby inside. True. I put the lotion Dilys bought me last time. Hopefully it will not be badly stretched after I deliver the baby. Moreover, right now I have a great desire to always eat. I feel always hungry and that’s why there are plenty of snack at home right now. Once I even flew away to the nearest store just because I want to eat a chocolate. Well. Like a pig, you know. Always craving on food like that.

Anyway, spring in Melbourne is kind of weird. We’ve got a rain the whole day, once. We’ve got a hot weather in one day (28 degrees!!) like hasty summer but in the following day, it was cold again (18 degrees!!). No wonder my skin is getting dry. I have to put lotion everyday. But since I am too lazy to do it sometimes, my skin is pretty dry now. And, oh! Even though we’ve sometimes got warm weather in the afternoon, it’s getting colder in the evening. Really! And today… gosh, it’s actually warm (24 degrees), but very windy. The wind drives me crazy. Nasty weather, eh?

Alright, maybe it’s like a quick report after two weeks absent from writing something. And you know what, now is almost at the end of September. That means, it is only two months away before we fly back to Indonesia. Expecting but not expecting.


Friday, 22 September 2006
12:24 pm

Friday, September 08, 2006

woman: a beautifully crafted creature ever!

Why do I have to bring this idea up right now, right here in my blog?

Two reasons:
1. This is a woman’s blog;
2. A woman is indeed a beautifully crafted creature ever in the world.

Let me compare Melbourne and woman. For those who do not live in Melbourne, let me give you a slight review of the weather in this beautiful city. Melbourne is a place where you can experience four seasons in one day. And shit!, it’s true. The sun may brightly shine on the city in the morning, then suddenly clouds come to shield the city like a super-big umbrella upon the streets in the afternoon. Somehow, even though the forecast news said there will be some shower in a day, the weather might be perfectly fine, but then be desperately cold at night. Once, when I was working and looked outside, I was so amazed with a view before me. The golden ray and crystal water dropped together along the streets. Amazing!

My current boss said the weather in Melbourne is like woman. Why? That was an interesting idea, you know. For what he said is definitely true! Woman’s feeling is undoubtedly unpredictable. My male friend even asked me, is a woman really unpredictable? I gave him my answer with all my heart: yes, because if woman is predictable, man will not be crawling after her. He laughed over my answer. One of my characters that has attracted my hubby is that I am so unpredictable. I never think I am till he told me so. So, girls or women never get desperate if your partners said a woman is a confusing and unpredictable creature, because they still keep desperately running after us like a strong magnet.

Well, yes, we are confusing and unpredictable creatures, guys, but remember you were all born through women’s body. Your mothers took a great deal to deliver all of you to this world. You can never imagine how strong woman’s body that is able to carry a several-kilos creature for nine months with all the risk, sober feeling, and physically pain in here and there. When I firstly found out that I am pregnant, I was so scared thinking about the labor. Many horrifying imagination cropped up in my mind. Yet my former boss as well as one of my best advisors told me that a woman’s body is beautifully and perfectly designed to deal with the pain during labor, in which a man could possibly not take it even with their strong body.

Talking about woman’s body, there are three words which could define it very well. Strong, tender and beautiful. The most beautiful shape in the world, you believe or not, is woman’s. You can say this guy’s body is cut and built or that man over there is definitely six-pack or the lad got all the perfect muscles you have ever known. Cut them out. They cannot be compared with woman’s body. Man might have a great and sexy body, but that great and sexy body can only be covered with outfit of a top and pant. Do you get what I mean? I mean, (maybe except in Scotland or in England or somewhere in Europe) man cannot wear both pants and skirts, can they? While we, women, are free to wear many styles of pants and skirts. A formal wear for man is never far from a fancy suit with tie - that’s it -, for all seasons. A formal wear for women is never the same every time, even every year. Different seasons, different design and style. Not mention of the hairstyle, for whether it is a short or a long hair, it is still good for woman but not for man. I love men with long hair (that’s why my hubby does not cut his hair till now), but somehow when they fall to a working field, working at office, educational field, etc, I am forced to admit that short hair is preferable than long hair. Except, you’re working in entertainment field like a singer or a presenter or a movie star. Perhaps, that’s why RUU APP concern more on what women wear and everything, because no matter what women wear, they will still look beautiful and absolutely gorgeous that men’s eyes are always on them and send a sexual signal to their something inside their pants.

And for further information, woman is not only physically strong and beautiful, but she is also spiritually and mentally stiff. Back in 19s, a statistic in China showed that up to 90% of wives would not get remarried after their husbands left them or passed away, while up to 85% of husbands would get remarried after their wives left them or passed away. Hmmm…, interesting, isn’t it?

“Ladies and gentlemen!” (Why not “Gentlemen and ladies!”? Maybe it’s because some respects over ladies than gentlemen? Who knows?) “Ladies’ first.” (Why not “Gentlemen’s first.”?) “Miss Universe.” (Why isn’t there “Mr. Universe.”?) “Behind a great man, there is a great woman.” I even take a notice that 98,99% of television advertisements are starred with women. I seldom see a television ad. without a single woman in.

You guys can say everything bad about woman. A confusing creature. Unpredictable. Too sexual. Too talkative. Too complicated. Too much demands. Too much tears (no man can help woman’s tears, hahahaha!!). Too much scream. Too much feelings and emotions. Anything. Still, you cannot help living without them.

One secret. Sometimes woman seems to have a great desire to be understood by her partner (read: man), but actually the greatest one is to be loved. You can never understand a woman, but you can always love them. It is quite enough.


Friday, 8 September 2006
4:04 pm

Wednesday, September 06, 2006

a venerable party of expectant young ladies

Ehm!

I am now proudly presenting that Jessie has been a perfectly happy of her pregnancy.

It is a blessing, you know, I just realize that. Sometimes, it feels like a burden, but is a blessing at present. My baby will soon grow up to be one of the next generations to make this world a better place to live. Hem.

Back to a year before. Location: Surabaya. Specific location: GKI Jemursari.

The end of June and the beginning of July 2005

Christian and Tirza got married. Their holy matrimony was held in Bandung, but the reception was held a week after in Surabaya.

Tirza is now pregnant (but I am not really sure whether she has given birth or not).

The middle of July 2005

Eunike (my sister in law) and Yohanes got married. Their holy matrimony and the reception were held in one day in Surabaya.

Eunike is now pregnant.

The end of July 2005

Aristarchus (my dearest cousin) and Kris got married. Their holy matrimony and the standing party were also held in one day in Surabaya.

Kris is now pregnant.

December 2005

Willy and Magda got married. The matrimony and the reception were also held in one day in Surabaya.
Magda is now pregnant.

7 January 2006

Jessie (that’s me!) and Erwin (that’s my hubby!) got married. The matrimony and the party were held in one day in Surabaya. What a splendid day!

Jessie (that’s me again!) is now pregnant.


February 2006

Ninik and Frans got married. The matrimony and the party were held in one day in Surabaya.

Ninik is now pregnant.

March 2006

Moses and Grace got married. The matrimony was held in Magelang and the reception was held in Madiun.

Grace is now pregnant.


Bless them all! What a venerable party, isn’t it? No doubt, if our children are grown up, they will make friends each other. I can’t wait till I go back to Surabaya. I am having an exclusive club for expectant young ladies with them to share our happiness and worries together!

Tuesday, 5 September 2006
9:29 pm

... and they welcome us

Last Sunday was the forth time for us coming to church where Indonesian people have a fellowship every Sunday. First time we came, the only reason of it was because we would have a farewell party with some friends which could not make us go to church in city as usual. The second time, I was not strong enough to go to city after being off from Mt. Buller. And at the very time, we found out that the priest who is in charge in the church is from my hometown, Pekalongan. I met his wife first and after a short talk, we laughed together as though we were old friends and amused ourselves of what a small world it is. Then, it turned out the priest is my uncle’s friend; his mother is my mom and grandma’s friend. He knows my family quite well. So there we went at the following Sunday and found ourselves a bit contented coming to the smaller community.

It is a small church indeed, compared to the church we were usually going in city. However, the people are quite friendly and we feel welcome there and soon were found out that my hubby can pretty well play guitar and likes to play drum as well. I was also found out as someone who can play music, specifically piano because the priest knows my mom as a piano teacher. Well, let me tell you, I am not a good pianist and in fact, I am sorry to add, I only play piano to amuse myself. I wish I could play the musical instrument pretty well, but I could not.

Last two Sundays, a friend of my hubby has dragged us to join a choir since Pesparani or Pesta Paduan Suara Rohani (A Celebration of Gospel Choir) will be held on October. He was so persuasive that we could not resist him. So there I was, instead of walking home and staying warmly on my couch, sitting among the soprano group and my hubby among the tenor group. In which, we have never been when we get back to our church in Indonesia. I have ever promised to myself not to drag myself into ‘voice’ service such as being a singer or joining in a choir or anything like that, yet people in this church seem not to care whether we really have a good voice or not. A thing that we rarely find in our church at Indonesia. That reminded me of an awful yet ironic experience. Once a friend told me that she almost gave up either in choir she joined or in a task of being singer because a vocal teacher, who undoubtedly has a beautiful, great voice yelled at her that her voice was not good enough to sing in front of the congregation during service. I did experience the same thing and perfectly well understood what she felt. Sometimes, particular people happen to be too arrogant and proud of themselves and feel they are better than anybody else just because they have a great talent and everybody claim and praise and worship of it before them while the others do not seem to have.

So, positively, my hubby and I have joined the church choir and will go with them to the competition next month. I have never ever seen my hubby so thrilled to learn the choir song even at home. It was amazing. He was one of the victims (maybe ‘victim’ is not a proper word, but I thought it is the most right one to define it) of the vocal teacher mentioned above long, long before my friend was. In this church, though it is small and the system does seem in a mess, the sincerity of the people is in the air. No matter who you are and whatsoever talent you have, you are all welcome to join any service at the church. I have even been scheduled to be a singer (what?? Do you believe that?? I was never believed by particular people to have a good-enough voice to sing or to lead the congregation sing in my former church!). They said, never say ‘cant’ for you do it for God and God never care how good your voice is but how sincere your heart is to give the best for Him.

Still, I do not think I would have myself join in a choir nor be a singer in my church at Indonesia. Not in front of people who have taken the place of God to say whether you are good enough to serve in church or not.


Tuesday, 5 September 2006
9:09 pm