living a luxurious life

I live in one of (maybe) the cheapest living cost city in the world.

I have no house (yet), but  a nice room in my parent's with solid roof that don't leak during rain, permanent walls that is smoothly painted, clean place and air con to keep off the heat at night.

I have no car, nor bike nor motorcycle, and have to run errands in public vehicles, but I can afford a ride in taxi at anytime I want.

I can afford to buy books. Whatever books I want to read.

I have nutritious meal every day. My stomach is always full and fells warm.

I work in a bank, and although sometimes it feels like a torture, and to some people it pays very little, but that's nonsense, because it is way better than what some people have to do to get even a 1/100 of what i get in a day.

I can afford the best clothes and shoes I want. Many out there can't even afford a decent sandals.

that is why, i'm living the luxurious life.


and that is the reason why, i should give thanks more.

*stop whining*

The Javanese wedding banquet

so, our first banquet's pictures are finally arrived (right before the second banquet begin) couple days ago.

It was Javanese ethnic bridal costume. Particularly from Yogyakarta. Entitled "Paes Ageng". Detailed information about the make up, hair and costume design, is available here. The headpiece was very heavy (although after the second (Minangnese) banquet, I'm not so sure about which is heavier between those two), shown in this pic.

that headpiece was not even a final form yet!
but you could see, there's a long and big braid made from chopped pandan leaves covered with jasmine, hanging from a fake bun made from the same material.
Negative side, they pull my hair so bad, I didn't think I would make it any longer than a  half day.
Positive side, the nice scent coming from Pandan leaves and Jasmine, create a pure and sacred air around me. and that is necessary to help me cope with the rest of the day.

That half-form headpiece and make up is used during marriage vow session. that's why you could see a hint of a white kebaya (embroidery designed by me, of course *cough*).

After the vow was read and papers signed, they put five heavy flower shaped hair pins, and add golden lines to my forehead. This is how the final form looks like from side :

I've just realized it now how big the bun looked like from behind! T_T oh my!

ergh. But no matter what, i need to keep my pride as a happy bride, eh ? the fact that i was super happy that day, helps me with the load. :D that's why i managed to keep my face look like this during every pictures.

oh, and did i mentioned that i design the wedding venue (interior) myself ? *cough cough* the party was held at home, so we need to do our best with it. We use our own furniture as some supporting element besides the rented main chair for the happy couple and parents.That table behind is the example.
Not bad eh ?

as usual, promise promise, i'll post pictures from the second banquet after the files are in my hand.
and that will be all.

newlywed's new year's morning

so, i got married last december. with my first (and only- i've never had a boyfriend before him, and we've been dating for 5 years before we finally tied the knot) boyfriend.

we're moslems, so there are few things that is definitely good about this marriage, which are :

1. now we're muhrim (a family), means i don't have to repeat taking wudhu (the holy water before the pray) when i accidentally touched him before doing the pray. 
2. i could meet him every night (when he's (or i'm) not out of town for work). and every morning after that. and i think that is a really comforting feeling.

but, there are also several things that comes in as consequences (of course), such as:

1.  my mom starts asking for a grandchild. 
2. we both need to be more tolerable about several things like my habit of getting shower after whenever i went out of the house, while he's the type of only two baths a day. i think i'm overboard about this. i need to minimize my germ-o-phobia. 

we're Indonesian, from different ethnicity. i'm Javanese and he's Minangnese. We did the wedding banquet in Javanese style, particularly in Jogja wedding costume. My headpiece was super heavy, i nearly faint (uh oh, exaggerated).
but, of course, there will be another banquet held in this January, this time with Minang wedding costume. I'll be wearing another heavy head piece (around 2 kg).
may this wedding is blessed. that tired neck of mine need a present of a lifetime happiness, for sure!

ooh i wish i have the pictures to show you (our photographer haven't send it yet).  i hope i'll remember to post it later.

i don't celebrate new year, actually. not because i'm against mainstream or what, i just don't like being up all night just to remind myself that the year is changing. however, i don't mind watching free fireworks blasting all night (and making astronomers crazy because it blinds them) from my balcony.

agh. what a morning.

i think i'll order a pizza.

 

The Nightmare

I’ve just had the nightmare. Why do I put ‘the’ instead of ‘a’ in front of it ? Because THE nightmare was about my biggest fear yet (probably) my favorite thing in this world. 

It was about school.

I could remember that I was a university student. It was dark so I supposed the dream set up at night. I was in the library. The library was kind of dusty, but full of books and fellow students.

They asked me, ‘have you finished your paper?’ I realized that they were talking about final paper, and it will be due on two weeks, and everyone was like doing their final editing, while I don’t even know yet what will I write about. 

So I was kind of hurry. I decided to make a paper about school (geez, two ‘school’ theme in one dream? That’s like a schoolception!). But when I rummaging the books, I wasn’t able to find any book that write about ‘school’. BUT I saw many – like very very many – encyclopedias! Every kind of encyclopedia a kid could ever want!

There was this set about animal, about religion, and other themes, All in bright colors and high resolution pictures.

And after encyclopedia? I found this huge pile of comic books! And I remember I picked one titled ‘Kotaro’ and it was about baseball (there’s this girl and this boy and the boy was wearing a baseball costume).

So, since I didn’t find anything, I get back to paper made by seniors. I decided I’ll look for a paper titled something related to FARMING.

Geez. 

But I couldn’t find it. The numbering, however, I could remember. It was some sort of like 1205 and 08 something. The paper was bind in yellow. I couldn’t find the paper I was looking for. And although the library was full and seems like busy, I remember that the papers were all covered in dust and spider webs.

There was then this someone who say to me, ‘you couldn’t find it, do you?’ and when he said that, I realize that I won’t have enough time to finish the paper. And I won’t graduate. 

After I woke up (and hurriedly write this), I realize that this dream pictures some of my biggest love hate I have until now. 

What I love:

• Books. ----- those encyclopedia about animal is probably the best features available from the nightmare production company (my brain). And manga? That’s just awesome
• School -----sounds weird, but I love the process of studying, learning everything new, and actually get the chance to read a little here and there from some sort of more serious themed books.
• The old ambiance of a library --- classic!

What I hate:

• Task --- in this case, a paper. That’s probably one of the reason why I hate school the same way.
• School --- yeah. Me too. Confused with this love hate relationship.
• Dust---- I have asthma. Therefore, I hate dusts. Although at some classical themed scenery (or ancient theme or indiana jones theme), a presentation of dust in adequate amount, is a must.
• Not graduating ---- although I’m not quite sure whether I’m an ambitious person or not, but I hate it if I can’t finish the job. Moreover, the job that could determine whether I’ll be able to graduate or not.

What was the memory?

Well, I studied architecture engineering. And my final paper was about building a music school (conservatory) that has this gothic architecture style. This dream probably just schoolception me about how I have this difficult relationship with school. 

oh, but I couldn't understand what was it about Farming. Do I secretly wants to be a farmer?

The Ghosts Goes On

Continuing previous post, I'll tell you another stories from the Astrawidjaja (haunted) Mansion.

please don't make me explain about the so called 'mansion' again. 

Knocking on Doors #1
Half a year after the previous activity of 'someone' walk in my bedroom to be,  and after 25 years of not having our own bedrooms, finally, the bedrooms upstairs is finished (or at lease adequate enough to be a proper bedroom).

nothing happen for a while. Until one night, when i was asleep and happily snoring (what's the verb for 'snore'?), there's someone knock on my door.

the knocking was so loud, i opened my eyes instantly. I remember i just lay there, eyes wide open, and basically don't know what to do.

to open the door? what if someone/something is really out there waiting to .. er.. i don't know.

to stay at my bed seems to be like a good option. because i don't want to run without really sure about whether the knocking was real or just a dream.

so i wait there.

and suddenly another knock - knock on my door (or my window, i'm not sure. but the balcony was bright so i can see it clearly from my dark room, and it was totally empty).

and i decided to , well despite of having fear all that moment, zoom out of my room, straight to my sister's next to mine.

i opened her door, and there she's sitting on her bed. Her face was pale, and she was holding her feet.

'what the he** took you so long?? i got cramps on my feet. and i scream but no one's coming!'

shocked by what she just said, i just come over and try to give her foot some massage to get rid of the cramps.

just by that time, my parents open the door, their face were also pale. My mom asked me, 'did you knock on my door?

of course i didn't!

.......

When we exchange stories, we found out that my sister was crying for help due to her cramped feet. But no one's coming.
My dad heard someone knocking on his bedroom's door. at first he thought it was me, because (according to them) i used to get in to their room at anytime, although it was weird because i never knocked.
He said 'Ara? come in.'
but no one replied. And then there goes just another knock-knock. Thinking that it probably a robbery, my parents go out of their room. First thing they do was checking the living room and the back yard. Since there was nothing, they went to my room.
They was shocked because my door was opened, and my blanket laid on the floor. It was as if i was kidnapped or run away somewhere but downstairs.

so they check on my sister's, and found both of us just sitting there, both look pale.
my sister due to her cramps, and me due to horror.

 In conclusion, this ghosts was trying to woke me and my parents, because my sister need help.

yeah, as if knocking on someone's door in the middle of the night doesn't have any side effect of causing terrible disaster such as heart attack.

Who's in the Bathroom #2
I got home early that day. First things i did was unlocking the back door, threw my bag on the table, feed the cat, and leave again to buy some meal for dinner.
After half an hour, i went back, and found my parents are already there.

When i opened the backdoor, my dad look at me with surprise. He said , 'ma, Ara's here.'
and my mom who was at the living room just dashed back to the dining, looked at me for a moment, then said 'So who's in the bathroom?'

well, actually, none. since my sister wasn't home.

my mom told me that when she and my dad got home, they saw my bag and heard someone's taking a shower upstairs. So they quickly assumed that it was me.
when i came back from the dinner, they thought it was my sister who's opening the back door. That's why they were surprised to find it was me. and that was nobody upstairs.

.......

even just by writing this, i got a shiver on my back.

i better stop.

argh. bye.

The Ghost of Astrawidjaja Mansion

Before i go on telling stories about ghosts that are haunting my home, few of you probably will just puke reading the tittle.
I was just kidding. My house doesn't deserve any title but 'house'. It's a small house. not truly a 'mansion' with hundreds of rooms and thousands artifacts placed everywhere and billions yards of fabric used just to cover its windows.

However, my house does has that appearances that could freak most passerby out at midnight. Although it is a small house, but its construction has started from 1996 and not yet finished until now. Due to lack of fund (we're not a rich family). The exterior is covered with big wide windows. And because of the unfinished construction project, half of the upper floor is still dark. There's this room that we intended to be our library one day, that currently used to store pile of wood beams and other building materials. The room's windows is uncovered. So people outside could see through to the empty wall.

We have this wooden u shaped stair. I could easily picture a female ghost's head looking through the stair's  from the empty library-to-be, spying on my family activities downstairs. Me and my sister's rooms are upstairs. So every time we go in or out of our room, the empty and dark library-to-be is placed at the blind spot of our eyes.

Our main gate is adorned with this big curve covered with vines of red and white little flowers that smell like a Jasmine. We called it a Dutch Jasmine. In Indonesia, scent of Jasmine is identical to either a Javanese bride's hair ornaments, or....... the scent of a ghost. *spooky background music appear*

So, how many ghosts are there in my house?

we're not quite sure about the number, but their activities are countable.

And here, I give you the stories.

Who's in the bathroom? #1
The time goes back to late 90's. When my dad's mother is still alive and stayed with us.
For your info, we didn't have a bathtub nor shower. We took a bath by drawing a hand bucket of water and pouring it over our body.

So, my grandmother usually woke up at 4 am (before Subuh prayer), and took a bath soon after that.
That day, she woke up at 4, get out of the room picking her towel, and went to the bathroom. She then waited in front of if for probably half an hour, because she heard someone's inside, judging by the sound of someone drew and poured water again and again.

Until my dad woke up, get out of his room, to find her mother just sitting there near the bathroom.
She noticed him, and look confused, and asked 'did you just woke up?' finding my dad nod as answer. and then she said 'then.. who's in the bathroom?' before realizing that the water sound has ended. And when she opened the bathroom's door, it was empty.

The tall man
it was 3 am. A merchant just on his way home from the market, carrying two big plastic bags filled with groceries. When he passing by the main gate, he saw a tall man, wearing a black robe covering his whole body, standing still in front of the gate. Even if the man was just average, those kind of black robe in the dark night, will most likely freak people out.
but the man he saw wasn't just average. he was so tall that his head reach the vines. And the vines was like 2.5 meters high from the ground.

The man wasn't moving at all.

The merchant screams like crazy, dropped his groceries bags, and ran away. My dad found his bags by the morning. with some help, he took the bag back to the merchant whose house wasn't far from mine (he already moved out now), where my dad got this story.

The girl at the second floor
we have a neighbor at eastern side of the house. Their house is a two-storey big building (twice bigger than ours) and has window facing the library-to-be.
Their daughter once told her mom, she saw a girl with a long dark hair, sitting near the window.She thought the girl was one of us, but none of us have long hair.
not to mention, she saw it at midnight.

the girl's face was covered. of course the neighbor never wanted to know any further after knowing there's nothing more than my family who lived here, and none of us want to sit in the library-to-be at midnight,

The cleaning lady
early in the morning, when my mom went to a neighbor that open groceries store (right at the west side of our house), the owner asked my mom, 'i saw you cleaning your yard at 3 when i got home from the market. Weekly cleaning, eh?'
and my mom just nod. answering it was her, because our little yard is getting messy.
while in fact, she hasn't woke up until 5 am.

The Alarm!
One night in 2009, my sister was out of town.
I slept with my parents, because none of the rooms upstairs were finished at that time. My parent's bedroom is exactly under my soon about to be bedroom.
The floor was made from wood. The room has no window, just an open frame facing balcony. The hole was covered with a wide sheet of plywood.

That night, suddenly i woke up, because i heard a noisy footsteps right above my head. When i looked to my side, my father was awaken too.
I asked him, 'did you hear that?' and he nod. just after that we heard another thump thump voice. It was just like someone is banging his feet on the wooden floor because he's angry or just stupid enough to make loud noises in middle of the night.

We rose up from bed.
I shake my mom;s arm,  tried to wake her up, while my dad already zooming out of the bedroom picking a short blade (he usually use it to chop woods), and yelling at someone he (thought he) saw going downstairs.

When my dad goes upstairs, my mom went to the living room. And suddenly she yelled, 'Papa! there's a robber climbing our fences!'

My dad run to the living room. He opened the main door. Shout to the robbers who apparently shocked, jump down the fences outside and ran away with their motorcycles.

after those robbers are away (none of us saw any of their faces, and none of us called the police), we went upstairs. thinking there's another one (maybe).

but my bedroom to be was like totally empty. The plywood wasn't moved an inch. and the thick dust were just plain there without any trace of anyone stepped on it.
My dad was confused. he was so sure there was someone.
Because he saw him. He couldn't remember his face, but my dad was sure that man (yes, a male), was wearing a short and literally went downstairs calmly before my dad chase air.

there was no sign of any trespassing at all on second floor. The man who was loudly 'walk' in my bedroom, was just alarming us about the thieves climbing the fences.


to be continued...
actually, i'm just so sleepy to write anything more than this.

A Trip to Japan - Hiroshima

I was expecting to meet a Godzilla (you know, for it to come and do some awesomely acts like throwing cars and smash buildings and stuff).

too bad, i didn't met him at all. *sigh*

Hiroshima, Kyoto and Osaka were all free of Godzilla, and there were none of the Power Rangers either T_T

so I finally made it to Japan ! yiey ! *victory* after so many Himura Kenshin (both cartoon and life version by Satoh Takeru) fantasies, and so many dream of having my own kimono, i finally made it there !

I went to Hiroshima first, and have fun visiting a shopping district there (forgot the name, d'oh), they got this cute store, that has every kind of make up and body/face/hair treatment products for (mostly) woman!. there was even an alley specialized for eye make up!
although i'm not a make up fan, but the packaging and colours were just so awesome , so Japan-ish!

but highlight of that day, of course a short visit to Hiroshima castle tower (a very very short one, because it was already noon, and they're closing for that day), and i managed to draw something, that although it's unfinished, i think it's still pretty neat.

Hiroshima Castle Tower

That was the re-sketch of my original one, ink over pencil. although the original was more 'sketchy' (using a blue inked pen, the only one i brought for the whole trip. what an idiot).

a little from Hiroshima. I'll share another one from Kyoto and Osaka, as soon as i have the chance (and mood, and will) to post again.

bye for now!