xmas xmas xmas

Chrismas day is coming...!! the 'taste' of christmas was begin since December 15th 04. on that date, my office was decorated with many christmas decorations. The unique creation was made by my boss, Mr.Agus (inspired by Ms.Yeti). He made a 'cristmas tree' from almost 70 books that is stacked into the shape of chrismtas tree!! He also put 6 English Webster Dictionaries on the feet of the 'xmas tree' as the 'xmas gifts'. We also decorated our office with blinking christmas light, a 'merry xmas and happy new year'-banner, christmas cards that is hung along the 2m long. In the corner of the office, we put the CD and cassettes player that played christmas songs....(most of the xmas cassettes are mine ;p). And the xmas season in my office become sweeter when some of the students and lecturers give us chocolate candy from singapore (thanks to Ms.Lily), a rich-bar choclate, black chocolate, yoghurt taste-chocolate etc..(thanks to Mrs.Adella), and black chocolate (thanks to Mr.Carlito), and also some cakes from other departments.

on Tuesday, Dec 21, i celebrate the UPH Xmas gathering with all the christians employees in UPH. the celebration was begin with the bible readings from pdt.Amos Hosea, and continued with a short drama from the tourism departments, choir performance from 'the senior' (from the senior deans and head of departments of UPH), and 2 others choirs. After those rejoicing moments, we go to the lunch buffeet to take a very delicious lunch set! the unique menu for me (which i tried it first) is a kind of soup named 'SUP IKAN KERAPU'. It's made from the 'kerapu' fish added with vegetables like tomatoes, garlic leaf,'belimbing', lime leaf with the taste of 'sour soup'. What a delicious soup ever..! i think this is a manadonesse soup, because of its 'sour' taste.

My x'mas holiday begin from Dec 23 until Jan 2nd 05. But i take my extended holiday on Jan 3rd 05, since my mother can't get the return ticket to Jakarta from Yogya for the date of Jan 2nd 05.

i spent my day on Dec 23'04 with my gank of four (me-yanti-tania-devi) to celebrate devi's birthday. I go with them to CHAMU CHAMU Manado restaurant in SCBD-Sudirman. Oughhh...what a delicious food there (again...!!!??). we eat traditional manado's cake -klapertaart- and -panada-, and also -es kacang merah-. we also eat fried fish with the special seasoning from minahasa. a filet-kakap fish with the sour soup. rice in a bowl, and also a unique vegetable named -bumbu rampe-. beside the food, i really enjoy the decoration of the resto. All the decoration components is made from the traditional stuff, such us batok kelapa (from coconut tree), and also a christmas tree that is made from the brown-leaves.This restaurant also have a reliable and friendly crew that is ready to serve us with the food not more than 10 minutes since we order from the menu list!. I really recommed this restaurant for you to get the most delicous manado food in Jakarta ! after the big lunch...we go to the millenia dept store, just for window shopping ;p. uhm..i also get a traditional necklace from Tania as a xmas gift for me. Thank you friends...!! ;p

Thanks God, xmas in this year, i am not 'in duty' for singing in the choir, not in the Dec 24 nor Dec 25. I just go to the mass with my mother. we attend the mass in st.antonius parish on 8:30 PM. before we go to the mass, i received a phone-call from my sister, sinta. She was in her holiday now in my grandmother's house in the city of Klaten. she told me that she planned to attend the 'javanese xmas mass' in the local church 'st.maria assumpta' near my grandmother's house. i was exited to hear that and i can't stand to wait her story about her unique experience in attending xmas mass there!

From dec 24'04 till dec 25'04, my mobile phone always 'shout!' for the incoming messages from all of my friends and relatives for greeting me happy xmas and happy new year! Some of the messages just left its number, so i don't know the person who send me the message ;p yes.. sometimes i am lazy to records phone numbers in my hp. on the 'D' day of xmas, i attend the xmas mass on 10AM. this xmas mass actually is for children. but since i can't get up early, i perefer to attend the last mass, even this is for children. ;p

what about all cookies and food in my house..!!?? ough...believe me..there are ALOT OF CHOCOLATE in my freezer ;p. my mother and my sister get them all as a gifts from their lovely students. my favourite chocolate is a chocolate produced by marks&spencer-london. there are a wine inside the chocolate and it's very delicious! my aunt also send us cakes and snacks, since she is an expert in making cookies and snacks. Thanks to Mrs.Irene -a lecurer in my department- who send me a very very delicious ICE CREAM cakes. yummyy...!!! just taste the chocolate smoothies on the top of the cake with the melted chocolate on it. My mother don't cook anything in this christmas, since we just the two of us!. we prefer to go out for lunch time and dinner.

by the way, this is the third time we celebrate xmas without my father, that has passed away on May 16, 2002. what i always remember about him in every xmas time is when it was on Dec 24, 1989, my father got his first heart attack, so we had to bring him to the ICU room in st.carolus hospital for almost 10 days. Anyway, i thank God for giving me a chance to know and to feel my father's love for almost 23 years in live.

ough...that's all for the xmas celebration for the year of 2004. Thank you for all greetings that was sent by mail, e-cards, sms , cakes...gifts...etc...etc..May we feel the warmth of xmas form Jesus that was born for us. HAPPY CHRISTMAS, FRIENDS....!!

ps: i will be in my holiday in Yogyakarta from Dec 27 '04 until Jan 03'05. ;p how about your holiday? btw..happy holiday...!!

the gift of listening

The Gift of Listening

To :.......................

"This certificate entitles you to 15 minutes of my undivided attention. I will listen to you sincerely and not interrupt, and I'll only as questions if they would be helpful to you."

WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR GIFT? :-))

The Listener : .......................

on rainy Monday, 16:00 i was waiting for my friend, fera, for going home together by public bus from Karawaci to Jakarta. while i was waiting for her,i picked a newsletter issued by UPH Student and Alumni Services - The UPH Connection - Even this is a simple newsletter, sometimes just consist of 2 pages only, i always takes my time for reading this newsletter that issued weekly on Monday.

The head of the Student and Alumni Services, Mr.Robert W.Smith always write for the main articles in every issues of the newsletter. on the last edition for the year of 2004, he writes an article titled "Two Festivals
Called Christmas" on the 1st page. on that article,Mr.Bob writes about
his friend's taught that there are two christmas festivals going on at the same time. "Merry Christmas". This greeting can mean two entirely different things. One explanation has a Christian connection, and the other is non-Christian secular view. ough..what a nice article to raead on the occasion of Christmas 2005.

Pfuiih..!! time is going, and it was taking 10 minutes left for waiting my friend, and she haven't show up. i continue to read on the 2nd page of this newsletter. i never take a serious reading for this newsletter in the 2nd page, because on that part, the page just consist of 'commercials' related to student seminars, students activites,announcements, and another 'unimportant things' to read for me, at least.

but wait...i read in the corner of the 2nd page...a box of writings titled 'the gift of listening' (see above). this writings are contributed by Mr.Robert W.Smith, as a senior student counselor at UPH. this writings remind me the importance of taking time for listening to others, when they are sharing their problems, etc. Our presence for listening someone's problems is very important for giving him/her attention, so that we could help them to give suggestion to solve his/her problems. I think it's such a GIFT for others if you could have a sicere heart and ear to listen someone's problems.

on the next 5 minutes, fera is coming, and we continued to walk to the bus stop near uph campus. the last question stated on the corner of the newsletter still reverberated in my mind and my heart. WHEN WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR GIFT?

mengalami perubahan

mengalami perubahan, adalah sesuatu yang pasti kita alami. tidak bisa tidak. perubahan dari diri kita sendiri, ataupun perubahan dari orang lain, atau perubahan dari lingkungan . mengalami perubahan yang tiba-tiba..atau mengalami perubahan yang direncanakan. mengalami perubahan yang membahagiakan..atau pun mengalami perubahan yang menyedihkan. mengalami perubahan, terkadang membuat kita takut, bingung, kuatir. seperti berjalan dilorong, tanpa kita tahu kemana ujungnya,apakah perubahan ini membawa sesuatu yang lebih baik..atau lebih buruk.

kenyamanan kita saat ini, membuat kita di'ninabobo'kan untuk enggan mengalami perubahan. tenang..stabil..tanpa ada guncangan dan penyesuaian baru adalah suatu 'kasur empuk' yang membuat kita enggan untuk 'dibangunkan dari tidur'.

mengalami perubahan sepertinya adalah hakikat manusia hidup di dunia. dengan mengalami perubahan, manusia sesungguhnya juga mengalami suatu 'perjalanan' hidup. sesuatu yang berubah dari satu titik ke titik lain. berubah, berpindah, berganti. ada yang baru, yang sebelumnya belum pernah ada. dengan mengalami perubahan, kita menerima dan menghadapi yang baru, dan kehilangan yang lama. atau menerima dan menghadapi yang baru, tanpa kehilangan yang kita miliki sekarang. tapi esensinya sama, yaitu suatu perubahan!

seorang bayi yang baru lahir menangis begitu ia keluar dari 'zona nyaman'nya selama 9 bulan di rahim ibunya. kaget dengan perubahan lingkungan barunya, kakinya menendang-nendang, mukanya merah dan matanya enggan membuka karena silaunya cahaya yang ia lihat. tapi ketika matanya kelak sudah mulai membuka, ia melihat wajah ibunya yang tersenyum dan mengajak tertawa. bayi itupun ikut tertawa.
mengalami perubahan membawa manusia secara pelan-pelan..memahami dunia barunya yang ada di depan matanya.

mengalami perubahan adakalanya menjadi sesuatu yang harus diperjuangkan karena kita bosan dengan keadaan kita sekarang. kekuatan kemapanan cengkraman 'lingkungan' maupun keengganan kita sendiri untuk tidak membuat lingkungan kita kecewa karena keadaan yang harus berubah dari diri kita, membuat kita justru menunda atau sementara melupakan keharusan kita untuk berubah.

mengalami perubahan membuat perahu kita terus berjalan..mengikuti derasnya 'air sungai' hidup. menyusuri tepi-tepi sungai berpindah..berubah..melihat dan mengalami pemandangan yang lain di tiap tepian sungai. bila kita memilih terus diam di tepian dan mengaitkan tali tambat hanya di dermaga saja, niscaya kita tak akan pernah melihat muara sungai dan samudera luas yang ada di ujung sana!