Quotes of Note ... Good Karma

I received this in my e-mail and thought I would share it with you all.

Instructions for Life from the Dalai Lama

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.

3. Follow the three R's:
Respect for self,
Respect for others and
Responsibility for all your actions.

4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.

5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.

6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great relationship.

7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

8. Spend some time alone every day.

9. Open arms to change, but don't let go of your values.

10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.

11. Live a good, honourable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.

12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.

13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.

14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.

15. Be gentle with the earth.

16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.

17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.

18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.

Hiatus

I’m taking a break for a while, still working on various things before I start writing again. Hope to be back soon.

Football addiction can be hard on a relationship

All English Premiere League addicts pay attention! Watching live football could be ruining your relationship. Don’t believe me? Then believe the case of a guy who now finds himself single due purely to football addiction. Do you believe sport is as real an addiction as anything out there today? I'd rather have my significant other addicted to football/car racing rather than addicted to porn, drinking or smoking. And I am not the type of person who needs to be accompanied 24/7. There are times when I like to do things on my own to, its called having space. What would you do in this situation? Would you leave your boyfriend/husband for his football addiction?

'Are Villa more important than our marriage? It's over': Wife dumps football fan husband with banner above main road

By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 6:41 PM on 15th August 2008

The new Premiership season is barely underway but it seems one relationship has already crumbled under the strain.

One angry wife, no doubt tired of being placed behind the game, unfurled a banner above a busy main road asking her husband if his team was more important than her.

Apart from their first names, it is not known who the couple are, but judging by the tone of the banner the relationship is clearly over.

The 3 ft by 3 ft banner had the unfortunate message 'Jack, are the Villa really more important than our marriage? It's over, Jess' daubed over it in black paint.

The banner, situated on a busy commuter route near West Bromwich was seen by thousands of motorists who traveled along the route at rush hour seeming to refer to Jack's alliance to Aston Villa, who play their first Premiership game on Sunday.

Paul Brennan, a passing Aston Villa fan, said:'I love the Villa, but I always try and keep the Mrs sweet as well.

'This is a cruel way to break the news to him though, I don't know who they are or who has done what, but this is a certainly a harsh way today it.

'I hope it's not still there on match day - because they'll be thousands of people on the way to the game that will see it and most of them will be Albion fans around here so I'm sure they'll get a great laugh from it.'

One van driver, a West Bromwich Albion fan, added "You shouldn't make a man pick between his woman and his football team.

'I don't care who she is but he is better off without her - that's for sure.

'Most people around here are Albion fans so I wonder if she's a disgruntled Baggies supporter.'

I'm back !!!

First, I'd like to thank you all for the lovely messages that you've sent. It makes me happy to know that you all care and are thinking of me, and I have been enjoying reading them. Special thanks to Eka from Pernik Unik for sending me the lovely Bali sundresses for my recovery. It will be a few weeks from now before I can wear my jeans again. Thank you, thank you!

Today marks 1 week and 2 days since my surgery, and I am back to a full normal life again. The surgery (I have had a partial/subtotal hysterectomy keeping my ovaries and cervix intact) went well. My uterus turns out was much bigger than the ultrasound indicated. It measured about one large adult fist size with leiomyoma and adenomyosis which have been the sources of my pain all this while. Because of that, my gyno doctor put me on 3 months of treatment with Danazol so any remaining endo that is probably still left behind can be eliminated. The downside of hormones pill is weight gain as my hormones will be all out of whack. Well, I don't really think it matters too much, I can increase my exercise and continuing my healthy diet.

Recovery has been a smooth process for me. My abdomen bulges around incision is diminishing everyday. I had my op on a Saturday morning (May 17), by 9pm or so I was out of bed and walking up and down the hospital hall ways, and home on Tuesday morning (May 20). I've been up for a walk each day since then. In fact I have been going to the mall, went to the bank, went to see the gyno doctor to collect my Pathology report on Saturday (May 24), visiting my sister in Bogor yesterday. All in all I am feeling great, much better than I would have expected. I still get those twinges every now and then on my belly but not so bad, my incision is healing well, my energy level is good, I look forward to doing more, but I know I shouldn't push it too much. I’m glad that one month prior to surgery I devoted myself in getting to the morning walk as much as I did, had a strict veggies and fruits diet plan ... it was a huge benefit in getting myself up and in and out of bed as my physical condition is on top form. Pain is nonexistent except I notice that I have been resting and sleeping a lot and retire to bed earlier lately...LOL!

I forgot to mention — I feel really good. I think it was a good decision to have this surgery. I am waiting for the day when I would be pain free and am hoping for everyday to feel better.

KLIA

I must say that I am very impressed with Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on a stop off to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. As soon as I stepped off the plane and walked into the terminal to a transfer area, I was amazed just how modern and futuristic the place was. It was all glass so you could see out to everywhere. The terminal building is fully air conditioned, comfortable, very spacious with the high roof and is immaculately clean, plenty of amenities at the restrooms area (unlike in Jakarta CGK airport). It also has an extensive range of retail/eating facilities, post office ... although I must say foods and drinks are not cheap. Check-in times are short, and immigration clearance relatively fast. Access between the main terminal and the domestic terminal is by a transit system called the "aerotrain". I rarely had to wait more than two or three minutes to catch the train. Although the food choices in Singapore Changi airport are loads better, being a competitive international airport, I believe KLIA will someday surpass Changi!

Manufacturing Sabah

Hi everyone, I am safely home, back in Jakarta again after a week long trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The Expo was exhausting but fine and quite successful. Manufacturing Sabah 2008 is our first exhibition in east Malaysia state. We regularly participate in Johor Bahru, Penang and Kuala Lumpur expo but never in Sabah area. I think for the first timer in Sabah expo, we did make quite a lot of sales, esp. on the last 2 days. Of course it was not comparable with other places like JB, KL since we didn't know what's the market there like.

Other than expo, I truly enjoyed my first trip to Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. It took me 2 hours from Jakarta to KL and another 2,5 hours from KL to KK by a connecting flight. Kota Kinabalu airport was small, but well organized and there are some renovation going on to expand the area which resembles to KL airport construction (with lots of uprising slanted silver poles to support the roofs). Soon they will have a regional international airport with high standard. As for the buildings in KK town, they all look alike and square eg. shops/restaurants at the bottom and apartments above. I felt very safe wandering around this small and clean town, and enjoyed the sea front and the chinese food there! Sabah trade center is located not far from the sea-port which made me excited each time we passed by the beautiful seaside on our way to expo building. People here are also friendly, no one is trying to scam you, and accommodation, food, taxi is worth value. I wish I could stay longer and changed my departure date to Jakarta but my boss would kill me if I did that.

Below are a few out of many items we exhibited at Sabah Manufacturing 2008:
Various dial gauge stands
Angle Plate
Collets
Outside Micrometer and Micrometer Stand
Digital Height Gauge

Arrrrrgggghhhh Expo again????

I've just been swamped with work the last few days. Most of my days has been spent typing on the computer, doing office works, packed the stationery for expo, I have half packing my clothes but have not decided what shoes I will take with me, so busy thus not allowing for many blog posts. I have so much to write about but no time to write it!

I am heading over to Kota Kinabalu (KK), eastern part of Malaysia by a connecting flight from Kuala Lumpur tomorrow. Manufacturing Sabah will be held 17-20 April 2008 which is a bit odd to me as that means Thursday to Sunday!!! Really not fun working on Sunday especially when you have to stand on your feet all day from 11am to 7pm. As an exhibitor, of course, we have to come earlier. Normally this kind of expo is held from Wednesday to Saturday but I don't know why they schedule it differently. At the same time my boss wife reminded me to bring Sin$ 500 bank notes just in case the immigration will check on my visit. She said Indonesian girl travelling alone is often suspected as a prostitute or want to find jobs there. Hmmmm...how insulting! I don't know how true is her story but if the immigration asks me in Malay or Indonesian language, I will have to answer in English to give good impression. I was thinking to curse in Javanese, Sundanese or any dialects that I can remember if they create a problem for me...LOL! I did that in Vancouver airport last year to the Chinese lady who was attending the sandwich bar. She's very rude and I ended up saying something bad in Indonesian language!

Anyway, hopefully by next week, I'll be in full swing yet again and able to post about my trip.

It's Friday, it's Friday!!!

Guess what I’m doing on Saturday morning? No idea??? guess again Okay ... I’ll tell you. I’m going to Bandung to meet my friend who is still in a recovery process post her ovarian cancer surgery. I’m really looking forward to it, actually. The last time I was in Bandung was in 2007 New Year's Eve with my sister and her family. For me, Bandung is a great place for a short break of shopping, eating and self-pampering. I’ll be back on Sunday with photos and stories galore.

Notes : picture above is my nephew, A, pretending he was driving his dad's car. He is a cutie pie!

Scents that heal

I ran out of my favorite Pain Relief Oil yesterday. Saying I have a favorite pain relief oil may sound odd to you. But I always struggle on and off with migraine at least once or twice in a month. I usually didn't start out the day with a headache, but it almost always triggered with something petty like being outdoor under the scorching sun too long or I took my lunch a little late than usual. Once it hit me, the pain sometimes last through another day. That's why I always have Panadol Extra on my purse.

I love this aromatic oil because it does not have an overpowering scent. It's a nice blend of nutmeg, ginger and cajuput oil (kayu putih), that will give you a soothing and relaxing feeling! I've been experimenting with another blends from the same brand but my favorite is this one. I either use them for massage the forehead, temples, neck and shoulder or pour a few drops of this aromatic blend into the hot water in a basin and breath in deeply.

Thank you, Eka!

Two hours ago, I received a package my dear super kind hearted friend, Eka, from Pernik Unik Bali sent me. She said it was a belated birthday gift for me... I was jumping in excitement when I saw what's inside! Eka sent me a set of 2 beautiful magazine-baskets and several natural coconut soaps in different aromatic flavor. The one flavor that caught my attention is "Organic Volcanic." It is said they are made from detoxifying volcanic ash, white grapefruit, pure rosemary and lavender essential oils. More uniquely each soap is wrapped in natural hand made bamboo paper.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so very much Eka! Millions thanks!

My blog rating

I thought only movies are rated. I am rated G which means my blog is for general viewing. This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
* pain (2x)

Hehehe...isn't that cool??? I guess all you need is the three letter word "S-E-X" to get "PG" or "R" rating...LOL! I am thinking I need to spice things up a little! Your turn...what's your blog rating?

Animal tales

A pair of Sumatran tiger cubs and a set of young orang-utans, all abandoned at birth, have become inseparable after sharing a room at an Indonesian zoo.
The four have lived side by side for a month without a hitch, although this goes against their natural instincts.
"This is unusual and would never happen in the wild," zoo-keeper Sri Suwarni said. "Like human babies, they only want to play." But the friendship is not destined to last as tigers start eating meat when they are three months old and will need to be separated from their new playmates.

In-pictures stories were taken from the BBC

How would you react ...

My friend was diagnosed positive cancer after her surgery which was performed on her birthday last month. It was a very sad day for her as the doctors removed both her ovaries, omentum , and 10 cm of her appendix. Ovarian cancer for years was called a "silent" killer — causing no symptoms until it was too late to be cured. Her primary doctor, who was an internist, ignored her when she told him that she endured weeks of sickness, knowing that something wasn't quite right with her. She was experiencing discomfort and indigestion after eating, her menstrual cycle suddenly stopped, an unexplained weight lost, feeling bloated and an extended back pain. She had all the signs, but the doctor didn't have a clue until she decided to see another doctor and was ordered to have an ultra scan check. Ovarian cancer is often already into its late stages, since the symptoms can be attributed to other causes and are non specific. It is often misdiagnosed as an intestine or gastric problem.

The news about cancer hits her like a ton of bricks. It was devastating and totally unexpected, she just couldn’t believe it. She was diagnosed with a stage 3 Ovarian cancer and was recommended 6 cycles of chemo. Meaning that cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to other parts of the abdomen. This is a serious challenge for anyone to endure and she didn't want to accept that she had an illness that seriously is fatal. My friend is now in self denial and she didn’t want her family to know the details of what went on and what is going to happen. At the same time she refused chemo and was thinking to look into the possibilities of alternative treatment. The thought of "poisoning" her body with chemo seemed overwhelming. She believed by choosing herbal therapy and because they are natural, they are obviously harmless. However, she overlooked the facts that a lot of herbal treatment have not been studied and has yet to be medically proven.

As a friend I tried to be supportive and advised her to think it over before she makes the decision she may regret later on. But then again everyone is entitled to choose what they wish to do. I know one of the best things I can do is just be her friend despite what she is going through and that I will be there for her. She really needs a lot of prayer, and a lot of luck. Anyway, I found this beautiful short poem to ponder ...

Money is the most envied,
but the least enjoyed.

Health is the most enjoyed,
but the least envied.

Life is strange...

Women's health is all important

It has been raining on and off the past few weeks all over Jakarta, and apparently there is some more rain in store, which, is a good thing. I personally love it when it rains because it cools the weather down a lot at night.

Anyway, two weeks ago my colleague was diagnosed with Ovarian Cysts. Ovarian Cysts is a benign tumor that grows in or on the ovaries. Many women are not aware that they have developed ovarian cysts as they often come with no noticeable symptoms at all. Unlike my Endometriosis problem which is always followed by constant acute pain. In my case, the pelvic pain was so unbearable, they often affected my daily activities. After the surgery I felt a little better even though I had a recurrence endo a few months later!!! But now my endo pain is relatively not as bad as before the surgery, as long as I control my diet.

Back to my friend's story. She began having pains in her lower abdomen for the last 2-3 months. These pains were not like regular stomach ache, she developed a severe pain, spasms, and a constant urge to go the bathroom. She thought these pains could be an ulcer problem; therefore, she did not go to see the gynecologist. The doctor said there's nothing to worry about, her uterus good and prescribed with some meds and vitamins. But she continued to have severe pains under her belly button like someone sticking a lot of needles, and it all hurt too much. Soon to follow, her period also stopped. I suspected all the while she had developed Endometriosis or something close to that judging from her symptoms. Prior to this, she never have had any problem with her periods.

She finally went to see a gynecologist and had an ultrasound which showed a multiple of cysts large and small on both of her ovaries. Her gynecologist said if the suspected mass was smaller, he could try to treat it with medication but since it is quite big, then they would need to have surgery to remove it. He said she was lucky that this cyst hadn’t popped since the gyn saw some suspected fluid surround her ovaries. She is scheduled for a surgery next Monday morning.

Symptoms of Ovarian Cysts :

* Abdominal bloating and pain.
* Feeling of fullness, even after a light meal (cannot eat normally).
* Feeling a frequent or urgent need to pee.
* Back pain.
* Unexplained weight loss or gain.

Take action if any of the above symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks or increase over time.

As a woman we are often told that 'women's problem' is something we have to put up with. Very often we either ignoring the symptoms or attempting self-treatment…hoping they will go away, but we can’t ignore the problems and pain forever. If you believe you may be suffering from ovarian cysts or need a better explanation, then consult a doctor. If you have not heard of it then try to find out the informations from the internet, or the books. Am sure my dear friends Nursy Fe and NursyE can explain this better.

*picture courtesy of Health

Do I really need this sandals to match my outfit?

About a week ago, I bought this pair of Bali floral carved clog at a handicraft fair inside the mall. They were works of art, made from mahogany woods, comfortable to wear, unique, and very Indonesia. Not only did they have a good quality, but it was for a reasonable price too. I paid about USD 14 for this pair. It matches with any plain outfit, and look great with jeans too!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.

~~Helen Keller quotes~~

Meet Helen the newsstand girl

This girl is the newsstand attendant inside Kelapa Gading Mall. I often stop by at her kiosk because she has a complete selection of the Indonesian magazines reading I need. It is hard not to notice her presence, as I often found her singing the Batak folk-songs (North Sumatran are great singers) with her melodious voice. She stops singing as soon as the customer approaches her kiosk. Helen is a friendly, bubbly, cheerful girl who always addresses her customer with an endearment term ... "makasih sayang" (thanks sweetheart)... plus a sweet smile even though you only buy one sport tabloid or a newspaper. Sometimes when the magazine I was looking for was sold out, she would help me find the issue and keep it for me the next time I go there.

Helen has been working as the newsstand attendant for 3 years. The kiosk is belong to her elder brother. When asked .. "did your brother pay you a salary?" ..., she covers her face with her arm, smiling sheepishly and said her brother gave her an extra bonus if sales is good. That means she can go to karaoke with her friends practicing her singing talent. Otherwise, she will just have to be happy with whatever her brother gave her. She is a choir girl in her church which does explain why she is often caught singing at her kiosk. She is also a girlie girl character and cares so much about her hair and appearance (she painted her toenails black...LOL!).
I'd never seen her with a sourpuss face, sometimes I wonder what's her secret to stay happy all the time? Helen gets excited when I took her picture while the people next to her kiosk cheering her girliness when she posed for my cellphone camera ... hehehe! When I told her I'm going to write about her in my blog, she asked ... "what is a blog?!?" I think I will have to take her to the internet cafe inside the mall and show my post about her.

It is good to know good customer service still exists. It's human nature we often talk about the bad, but it's nice to point out the good too.

My reptile shoes

Do you know the shoes that look like a reptile snout? They are a little on the ugly side, have lollipop-colored range, lightweight, have large ventilation holes, and have Alligator tag on each side. They are becoming quite popular here in Jakarta mainly for kids but I have seen a lot of adults in them too. They are comfortable, very safe and they really grip your feet. For those who hate them, they are viewed as the biggest fashion disaster.
I don't fancy them, but my boss wife sent me one pair of crocs upon hearing my rants about the possibility of getting another flood this year. Last year my area of Jakarta was drowning under, after two days torrential rains. One of the worst things dealing with the flood was when you do not have proper footwear. I got cuts from stepping into God know what since everything was washed by the water. I personally don't think I will be wearing my crocs any time soon though but it's better to be prepared than surprised like last year.

Lazy day

I haven't felt like blogging the last few days, and I have no excuses for that : no overwhelming work, no PMS, no bad internet connection. I'm just plain lazy! I just don't know how you dedicated bloggers can keep it up so regularly.

It was cold last night, and as usual my cat, Suneo, curled up on my bed near my feet. When he was a bit smaller, Suneo likes to sleep in numerous places. Floor, table, counter, bicycle basket, shoe box, bed, on keyboard or sometimes over computer, practically everywhere he likes! But nowadays my bed is his favorite comfort zone. At times he sprawls in the middle of the bed leaving me with little space to move. Just so you know, if you sleep with cats ... you are a guest in their bed!!! Suneo is also unhappy if I turn on my other side and accidentally touches his body with my feet. He would instantly grab and give my feet a bite...hehehe! If I scold him for being a bad cat, he will just lay there looking completely innocent in the way that only cats can master...argghhh!!! As a dog lover, I cannot believe I can tolerate cat selfishness...LOL!

Pics from Kuntum Nursery

Just some pics I took during our family get together trip to Kuntum plant nursery.