Jalan-jalan ke negeri Kiwi

Last week gw sempet jalan2 ke negara tetangga, NZ, puji Tuhan...it's all by His grace. He gave more than I expected. dulu cuman minta ke Oz, dikasih bonusnya ke NZ. I spent 9 days disana, bareng temen-temen gw Cecil, Mei, Adit.

Day 1 : nyampe di Christchurch Airport, jalan2 di Christchurch. Bekas-bekas gempanya dah gak keliatan. kota ini kota kecil yg sangat asri. kalo seneng tinggal di kota kecil, CHC ini tempat yg ok lah.

pas pertama nyampe di CHC airport, jelas poto2, hehe. trus naik taksi, sopirnya cewek bo..., ibu2 yg cukup ramah dan berasa jadi tour guide singkat kami menuju motel. Pas udah nyampe motel, we're happy to unpack our luggage. cihuuuyyy....we're in NZ finally :).

trus habis itu keluar motel cari makan, maaakk....baru jm 5 sore dan jalanan udah sepi. terpaksa kami jalan ke city centre nya nyari mal (teteepp..).

city centrenya namanya Cathedral square. kenapa dinamai itu? ya karena ada cathedralnya spt gambar di samping, hehe. yah, Day 1 cuman muter2 Christchurch, dan cari oleh2 tentunya, keluar masuk toko.

Day 2 : Edoras Tour

Whoohoooo, sebagai fans berat Lord of The Rings we're so excited about this tour. Dan emang worth it lah. Tour guide kami baek dan lucu, namanya Paul. kami dijemput dari CHC naek 4 WD. pemandangannya selama perjalanan kereeen bo...., trus pas nyampe di Mt. Sundays (lokasi syuting Edoras), pemandangannya jg kereeen. gak salah emang tempat itu dijadiin lokasi syuting buat Edoras, yg katanya emang memenuhi 4 deskripsi Edoras spt yg ada di bukunya Tolkien.

gak jelas.....

pas temen-temen pada kuliah dan ngerjain tugas, gw banyak jalan2...
pas temen-temen pada libur..., gw ikut liburan juga
(lahh...kapan gw kuliahnya ya???)
fyi, gw emang gk pernah ada kuliah. jadi gw maklum kalo di fb temen2 banyak yg komen : "waah...ocha enak ya disana kerjaannya jalan2 terus". yaaaa.... memang begitulah adanya, hehe :D, as most photos uploaded on fb ya poto jalan2.
lha terus gw ngapain disini? makan gaji buta? eh bukan...makan scholarship buta? ya jelas tidak dunks....
program study gw itu full research, jadi kerjaan gw ya research, which is bisa kapan aja terserah gw berhubung supervisor gw result oriented. jadi gw mau jungkir balik ato tidur2an ya terserah gw yg penting kerjaan beres.
gw ke kampus senin-jumat (kalo lagi rajin), jm 9 pagi-jm 7 mlm (kalo rajin jg), dan gw gk mau bawa2 kerjaan ke rumah. naaahh..., sekarang lg ngerjain thesis yg notabene belum kelar2 juga, hihihi, kayaknya karena males aja siy berhubung hawanya hawa liburan nih menjelang natal

apalagi kemaren baru balik dr liburan yg menyenangkah. aaaakkhhhhh...., jadi tambah males
hu ha hu ha..., ini lg mengumpulkan semangat buat ngerjain thesis lagi. semangaaaatttt!!!!!
ehh, minggu depan aja lah kerjainnya. tanggung, udah wiken, hehe, mo packing aja dulu. ciao!!!!

Chapters of my life

Iseng-iseng mengenang masa-masa and chapters of my life...
today is 10-10-10. banyak orang punya angan2 mau nikah di tanggal cantik ini. ada yg kesampaian, ada yg kagak. kalo gw jelas gk berharap nikah tgl 10-10-10, karena gw tau...kuliah gw pasti blm kelar tgl segini, hehehe.
But nevertheless, gw pengen mencoba mengenang tiap chapter of  my life. sampe di chapter brp sih book of my life di tgl ini. *kalo thesis siy sampe saat ini chapter 1 aja blm kelar @_@ ;p*.

1. Childhood
early stage of my life.., kenal yg namanya keluarga, temen2, tetangga, dll. pokoknya memulai interaksi sama manusia yg laen. my senses started to recognize their functions.
waktu kecil gw sering di-dzolimi ama kakak2 gw (resiko anak paling kecil). trus gw suka melukis di seluruh tembok rumah, dengan lukisan standar anak TK...dan gak mo ngaku kalo itu gw yg gambar2 di tembok. gw bilang itu kakak gw yg gambar2..., tp ttp aja papa mama tau kalo gw oknumnya, hihihi.

Gw rajin bgt sekolah minggu, sampe selalu jadi anak kesayangan suster-suster di sekolah minggu. Trus pernah pas natalan sekolah minggu kan ada drama kelahiran Yesus. tadinya gw kebagian peran jd pemilik rumah penginapan yg gk mau ngasih tempat berteduh buat Yusuf n Maria..., hehehe...gw nangis dunk..., ngambek, gk mau dpt peran jahat. Alhasil..., akhirnya gw jadi malaikan Gabriel, hahahaha ^_^.
Gw juga rajin Pramuka dan Dokter kecil. Foto diatas itu foto pas outbound Pramuka. hayoo....gw yg mana?hehehehe.
Banyak sbnernya poto2 masa kecil gw, tp gk dibawa, hiks2.
Gw mulai pelihara anjing dan kucing waktu TK/SD kayaknya. Biarpun seluruh rumah gak ada yg suka kucing gw (karena dia bandel)..., gw selalu belain dia, hehe. Yah, masa kecil...masa yg menyenangkan, masa yg konyol, yaah...namanya jg anak2....


2. Junior High.., SMP, teenager...
Hmmm...., masa-masa SMP ini mulai muncul bibit2 kebandelan. Beberapa kali bolos dr kelas, cuman buat nongkrong di kantin, makan..., karena males dengerin pelajaran (duuh...maap ya pak guru..bu guru). Tp untungnya prestasi gw di SMP lumayan membanggakan lah. Dsini gw mulai tau yg namanya kompetisi di bidang akademik. mungkin karena lingkungan di-set begitu kali yah.

Hahahaha, poto di atas itu pas di Kuta, Bali. culun-culun bgt yak. itu pertama kalinya gw piknik ke Bali, sama temen2 SMP. Berkesan bgt, krn sebelum berangkat piknik, gw maju final lomba cerdas cermat SMP tingkat propinsi Jateng dulu bareng temen gw Estie n Ahmad (Alm.). Kami Juara I, yaaayy...dan pulang bawa Piala. trus pas nyampe di sekolah, naro piala, langsung cabut ke Bali deh..., senangnyaaa...
yang gw inget dr SMP yaa...namanya jg teenager yah, pasti ada pubertas, trus ada bandel2nya dikit lah....

Intermezzo...dari nguping jakarta

......diambil dari ngupingjakarta.blogspot.com

buat haha hihi aja, hehehe .....

Ya udah, stop yang lampunya kelap kelip aja 

Teman #1: "Eh, nggak usah semua taksi di-stop. Stop yang kosong aja, yang lampunya nyala."
Teman #2: "Iya gua tahu, loe kira gua bego?! Tapi gua bingung deh, kalau malam-malam begini kan semua mobil lampu depannya nyala ya." 

*Di tepi jalan, didengar oleh sang teman yang menahan diri untuk tidak mendorong temannya ke depan mobil yang melaju. 

Dilengkapi dengan autofocus, anti getar, dan belati

Pelajar #1: "Eh, loe punya handycam gak? Gua butuh nih."

Pelajar #2: "Gua sih dulu punya, tapi sekarang udah rusak... dulu kan gua sunat pake itu."

 *SMP di Jakarta Selatan, didengar oleh teman yang ingin tahu bentuk handycam itu.

Sebaiknya loe ikutan kursus aja deh

Pelajar: "Eh, tapi gua bingung, apa sih bedanya kuitansi sama akutansi? Gua bingung mau masuk mana?"

*SMA di Jakarta, didengar oleh semua temannya yang menganggap pelajar itu tidak butuh kuliah. 

Yang penting dalamnya...kesabarannya

Cewek: (Melihat foto) "Waaaah, cewek kamu cantik juga yaaah..."

Cowok: "Iya dooong!"

Cewek: "Kamu mesti bersyukur tuh, cewek kamu tipe wanita baik-baik..."

Cowok: "Hah, emang kenapa?"

Cewek: "Soalnya dia milih cowok gak berdasarkan tampangnya..."

*Didengar oleh seorang teman yang langsung tercekat iba.

Ya kan kalo gelap suka nabrak....

Cewek: "Eh, nyalain lampu dong! Sempit nih!"

*Kelapa Gading, didengar oleh tiga teman yang menyalakan semua lampu untuk bisa main sepakbola. 

Yang take away enak juga rasanya

Mama: "Aduh mama pengen pizza deh!"

Anak: "Iya aku juga mau. Pizzanya delivery aja ya..."

Mama: "Mama nggak mau yang delivery. Mama maunya yang beef."

*Bintaro, didengar oleh pacar si anak yang tiba-tiba takut faktor genetik

Nama belakangnya Perang apa?

Mahasiswa #1: "X, tolong cariin bahan buat tugas tentang perang, dong!"

Mahasiswa #2: "Okay... tunggu bentar ya."

Beberapa saat kemudian,

Mahasiswa #2: "Eh, gue udah browsing di Facebook... tapi kok ga nemu ya?"

Mahasiswa #1: "..."

*Didengar mahasiswa #2 yang berharap temannya tahu ada dunia lain di luar Facebook.

You Are For Me

I was being hectic today with all my lab works. Running around, back and forth like crazy, then when I got a chance to sit down in front of my computer, I listened to this song....., so powerful, and so relaxing....., enjoy!

YOU ARE FOR ME (by KARI JOBE)

So faithful

So constant
So loving and so true
So powerful in all You do
You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to You

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that You have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

So patient
So gracious
So merciful and true
So wonderful in all You do
You fill me
You see me
You know my every move
You love for me to sing to you, Lord

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that You have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me that

I know that You are for me
I know that You are for me
I know that You will never forsake me in my weakness
I know that You have come down
Even if to write upon my heart
To remind me who You are

check the video above. if that doesn't work, go to this link You Are For Me (video)

no one but You

I've just came back after spending the whole Sunday hanging out with friends and being at church. As usual, the first thing I do when I got home is turn my laptop on. After having dinner and watch TV, I do some stuffs with my computer, browse the internet a little bit, and so on...., but then suddenly something came across my mind, and my heart was just stirred up. I turn the TV off, close my internet browser, and just listening to this song....

..the greatest Love that anyone could ever know
that overcame the cross and grave to find my soul...

All of a sudden I feel that everything surround me was just fade away..., it was only God and me. I long for such a time as this, when I come to Him with no other agenda but to meet Him, to be in His presence, like David said...better is one day in your court, than thousands elsewhere.... When all I ever wanted is Jesus. 
I realize, I was too caught up with my own routines these days, forsaking this precious opportunity to access His presence, to be with the greatest Love..., the greatest Love.., who has forsaken Himself, overcame the cross and grave to find my soul. 
If I've ever thought that I can replace Him with anything else from this world, I'm totally wrong.  The thing is... I know I was wrong, but so often I was still trying to look for something else to satisfy my heart.  Nothing in this world could ever satisfy the desire of my heart indeed.
a great career...
a gorgeous spouse...
a fantastic family...
or any wealth from this world...
would never satisfy...
Only in Him...I'm made complete
in Him, I find my true identity
Jesus..., my hiding place, my safe refuge, my friend and King, my Father, my confidence, my rock and salvation, the Gardener of my life,  my everything...
There's nothing in this world could separate me from His love...

I feel like a little girl, being in her Daddy's embrace, just feel the comfort of Father's love, and never let it go. Ohhh....how beautiful.....^_^

...You've opened my eyes to Your wonders anew
You've captured my heart with this love
because nothing on earth is as beautiful as You....

Live a Purposeful Life

OK, so a month ago I wrote about disorientation, where I found myself going nowhere and don't know where I was heading. I called that moment 'a valley' moment. But the good news is I have Jesus. He is God of the hills and valleys. He is a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys (Songs 2:1). In every season, He is still God.

He helped me to conquer every season. Even when I'm in the valley, I do not fear, for His rod and His staff, the comfort me (Psalm 23:4). Now I'm back on my feet, I hold my ground, for He has set my feet upon a rock. I fix my eyes upon Him, the perfecter of my faith, and I hold onto His promise. " For I know the plans I have for you", declares the Lord,"plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11).

So, it's the way I see my life that determine where I'm heading. Now I found my purpose in Him. Step by step He shows me the way. My thesis is progressing, plan after I graduate is slowly but surely come into clarity, and I know where my passion is. I'm excited about my life. I'm excited about what the Lord is doing and will still do in my life. I'm just so excited!!! And it pretty much change the way I live my life. What about you? Wherever you are, I hope you live your live purposefully, with a divine purpose, and be excited of becoming who you are, be excited of living your life as you are. Be blessed!

Disoriented

There are moments in life when I feel .....disoriented....
and this time is one of those :p
It's like you're sprinting in full speed toward one direction, then suddenly you have no idea where are you heading to.
Or...it's like you're making every effort to do something you once dreamin' of, then suddenly at some point you're asking "why am i doing this?".
Or....probably it's like going to a battle with full armor, riding a horse in a full speed, ready to draw a sword, but then actually have no idea which one is the enemy.
Okay, I might be a little bit exaggerating, that last one is silly :p,
but somehow that's what I feel now, as I don't know where I should go. I have no idea where to start , and don't know what am I after.

Well, I think I could start it with "selah"....., [pause, and calmly think of that]
retreat...rethink...what is my purpose, what am I after, what is it that I want to achieve, and why am I doing what I'm doing now.

Anyway, I've heard this phrase million times
"...though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me"
Well, I gues I'm in that valley now...., the low place I called "the valley of disorientation" :p
But hang on..., isn't the last phrase is the answer? ..."Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide] -->that's it, they comfort me".
Well, I guess I know what I need to find now. God's guidance
********** ^_^

Living my Passion

I have a dream to make a difference in people's life
a dream to put a smile in a hopeless face
to preach the good news to the poor
to bind up the brokenhearted
proclaim freedom for the captives
release the prisoners from the darkness
and comfort those who mourn

I have to step out from my comfort zone,
get out from my nice little life,
start thinking out of the box,
and stop pampering my selfish desire.

I know it's not an easy thing for me
But hey, life won't be getting easier
we're meant to conquer the challenge 
Honestly, i'm a bit scared, terrified, nervous
part of me just doesn't wanna do it
but part of me just getting excited
yeaah....I'm about to try something new
something unknown
something that will be revealed
only if I start to step in faith
But deep inside my heart I know
this is what I meant to be
living my passion.............

and the best time to start to make a difference
is NOW

Eloi...Eloi...lama sabachthani?

Well, if you're a christian, pasti gak asing lg dengan ungkapan ini, "Eloi...Eloi..., lama sabachthani?" yg artinya, "Allahku, Allahku, mengapa Engkau meninggalkan aku?"
Dulu, aku pikir Yesus mengungkapkan itu karena Bapa meninggalkan Dia ketika Dia disalib menanggung dosa-dosa manusia. Dulu aku pikir Yesus meneriakkan itu karena saat itu Bapa memalingkan wajahNya dari Dia sebab Dia penuh dgn dosa2 yg menjijikkan, which is dosa2 kita yg ditanggungnya. Hmmm....,have you ever thought the same thing as mine? :p

Last Sunday nite mesage at church was completely blown my mind away. It's like a new revelation for me. Ketika Yesus bilang "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani", maksudnya adalah Dia merefer pada Mazmur 22, the whole context. Pernah terpikirkan gak, siapa orang2 yg waktu itu menghadiri penyaliban Yesus? Yes, we know there were His mother, John, and other disciples. Tapi jgn lupa bahwa disana ada orang-orang Farisi, serdadu-serdadu, dan orang-orang Yahudi lainnya yang nota bene hafal hukum taurat dan kitab-kitab perjanjian lama di luar kepala. Jaman dulu, perjanjian lama ini gak ada pasal dan ayatnya. So, instead of bilang "Mazmur 22", Yesus mengutip 1st verse dari chapter itu. Dengan kata lain, ketika Yesus bilang "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?", orang-orang yg ada dsitu langsung connect dan tau bahwa Yesus me-refer pada Mazmur 22. Nah, apa isi Mazmur 22? coba baca...

Capoeira

Last Sunday I went to Darling Harbour with my friends (all girls) to watch Capoeira festival. That was the first time I watch capoeira in Sydney. I think most of you know what capoeira is. It's an art originally from Brazil, combination of music, song, dance, and martial art. Well, it's interesting though, but what impressed us more is the people, hahaha, you know laa... :D. I managed to take some pictures. check them out...

opening music



  

single performances

Macaroni Schotel

I want to share a recipe this time....
Seems like so many people happened to arrive in this article either accidentally or on purpose, so I'll try to re-write it in English.
Well...this is one of my favourite food:). I called it macaroni schotel, or baked macaroni and cheese.

Ingredients :
- 250 gr macaroni
- 250 gr minced beef
- 8 chicken eggs
- 150 ml fresh milk
- 200 gr (or as desired) mix of parmesan, cheddar, and mozarella cheese (grated). You might also find it in supermarket sold as pizza cheese.
- 100 gr cream cheese
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic, diced
- salt
- pepper (powder and flakes).
- butter
- canola/vegetable oil

Cooking instructions :
- Cook macaroni in boiled water. Add some salt and diced garlic to make it more tasty. Drain afterwards.  
- Pour small amount of oil into a pan, stir fry diced onion and garlic until they smell good, then add the minced beef. Cook it well, add salt and pepper (powder) as desired.
- After the minced beef well-cooked, add cream cheese, continue stirring for about 3 minutes, then turn the stove off.
- In the meantime, pre-heat the oven to 180 degree Celcius
- Mix the macaroni, minced beef, and 100 gr of the grated cheese into a big bowl, stir thoroughly, add pepper (flakes) as desired 

- Prepare the baking pan, spread a thin layer of butter on its surface.

- Fill the baking pan with the macaroni-minced beef mixture, about half of its depth.
- In another bowl, whisk all eggs, mix it with fresh milk, stir well.
- Pour this eggs-milk mixture into the baking pan until the first layer of the macaroni mixture soaked.
- Add the grated cheese on top of this soaked macaroni to make a layer of cheese.
- Add the rest of macaroni mixture on top of it, then pour the egg-milk mixture to soak all of the macaroni
- Lastly, spread the rest of the grated cheese all over the surface to make another layer of cheese on top.
- Bake it for about 45 minutes until its colour is golden-brownish 

PS. Hot chili sauce or tomato sauce will be a great partner for this baked macaroni.  

Bon appetit! :)

***

I'll see you in the Horizon....

***
I still remember the time when we're looking at the horizon,
gazing upon the line where heaven and earth meet.
how grateful we are,
for we are loved by the King
how marvelous are His workmanship

I still remember the time when we walked down those streets
where stories and dreams revealed
that's the first, and could be the last

The time will come, when I have to say goodbye
don't know.....will I see you again
unless the Master of miracle makes a way
but whatever will be
I know I can be so sure
that you're in the Arms of the Everlasting Love
our refuge and strength

just thank God for the friendship we have
hope it will last forever
bound by a divine connection
though divided by thousands miles

whenever I miss you
I will look at the horizon
the line where heaven and earth collide
there.... I will see you.................

***
catatanmelankolisditengahmalam

In Every Season

can't believe it's autumn again here
and now it's my 2nd autumn
time flew so fast, pheeewwww..........
and i should finish my study soon, arrrggghhh.....(wish i was not reminded 'bout this :p)

i love to see autumn leaves
i love how they change their colour from green, yellow, red, brown
then fall to the ground
 















sometimes, it gives a melancholic touch. gloomy sky, cold wind, and falling leaves are just a perfect combination. it will even get worst in winter. fyi, there's no snow during the winter here. it's just a set of rainy days, with cold wind, and sometimes storm. but, the good news is...this season won't last forever. there's a hope for another season to come. falling leaves will be replaced with new buds. flowers will bloom in spring and unleash its beauty. trees will bear fruits, and the sun will shine.
but that's another season to come. what i'm facing now is autumn. how will i survive, and not only survive, but enjoy this season..., that's what matters. uhmmmm...at least i know how to enjoy this season now. probably just take a walk in the park and enjoy watching the autumn leaves while having a cup of hot chocolate will be a good idea, hehe :p.

Well, each one of us must be in a particular season of life now
sometimes...we wish to skip a certain season; season of hardships, boredom, misery, and all that sounds hard to tackle. i'm no different..................................

A moment of destiny

Once upon an ordinary day, a teenage shepherd boy was requested by his Dad to bring some sandwiches to his brothers in the front line of battle. When he arrived in the battlefield, he saw terrified armies of Israel taunted by a giant. Fearlessly, he come forth and face this giant when nobody else had courage to stand. He came in the name of his God, and with a slingshot he defeated his enemy. That day was his moment, a shepherd boy who later become King David.

Improving Your Landscape Photography

I have a new hobby since I came to Sydney : photography. It's really fun for me, just for relax and find some inspirations in composing pictures. This time I just wanna share some photography tips, especially for those who loves landscape photography.

As an amateur, I love to read and learn any tips about photography, and this digital photography school site is one of my favourites.This article is summarized from Digital Photography School, by Darren Rowse. For those of you who wants the english version, you can go to this link 

http://digital-photography-school.com/11-surefire-tips-for-improving-your-landscape-photography
Naaahh...kali ini gue nulis pake bahasa indo aja yah, hehehe....

How To Get A Scholarship?

Some friends approached and asked me this question lately, and to be honest I don't have the exact answer :D. I got the scholarship for my postgraduate degree now by grace, and of course miracle (don't ask how miraculous it is :p). I know that if God wants me to pursue this degree, He will open the way, and He did it. Not by might, not by my power, not that I'm so smart (but I'm smart though, hehe), but by the Spirit of God. He is so faithful and gracious. But apart from this fact, there are some points that I want to share, and these are true for me. Hope it will be useful for those of you who seek for answer.

Everything's Gonna Be Alright

Have you ever been in a situation where you couldn't find any way out, everything seems to be out of control, your life is in chaos, more than two problems come before you at the same time???...........

It could be any situation regarding your job, study, relationship, family, finance, and so on. May be you've been waiting for a response from a job that you've applied for ages, while your family keep asking you why are you still jobless til now, and then they don't supply you with any living cost anymore? Or may be you've been betrayed my your most trusted friend when you desperately need him/her beside you? May be you have a problem in your job, while your boss seems to be ignorant, and none of your colleagues show any sympathy?

From the Inside Out...A New Beginning

Hello world,,,,,!!!!
It's my new blog....yipppiiiyyyy....^^
a new beginning to create a new habit...WRITING! yes, writing.
well, it's not easy for me though, but i'll try :p, good for practice.
just want to try to bring forth what's inside my heart, and my mind.
please do not hesitate to leave any comments, suggestions, or critiques, including grammar or vocabulary corrections may be, hehe :D
but if you just want to read, you're more than welcome

Cheers,