Table of Content

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I AM GOSSIP


My name is gossip.
I have no respect for justice.
I maim without killing. I break hearts and ruin lives.
I am cunning, malicious and gather strength with age.
The more I am quoted, the more I am believed.
I flourish at every level of society.
My victims are helpless.
They cannot protect themselves against me because I have no name and no face.
To track me down is impossible. The harder you try, the more elusive I become.
I am nobody's friend.
Once I tarnish a reputation, it is never the same.
I topple governments and wreck marriages. I ruin careers and cause sleepless nights, heartaches and indigestion.
I spawn suspicion and generate grief.
I make innocent people cry in their pillows. Even my name hisses.
I am called GOSSIP, office gossip - shop gossip - party gossip - telephone gossip. I make headlines and headaches. REMEMBER, when you repeat a story, ask yourself: Is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary? If not, do not repeat it.
KEEP QUIET!
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Sunday, May 5, 2013

Miskom alias miscommunication

Berikut adalah beberapa cerita atas nama miskom karena beda bahasa selama perjalanan di Korea. What a wonderful moments that were too good to be forgotten!


 Banana Milk
Saat sedang menyusuri jalan di Insadong, Ngongo berkata sambil menunjukkan foto di hapenya, “yuk, kita cobain minuman wajib orang korea! Minuman ini enak banget katanya dan laku banget disini! Banana Milk!” Semua setuju dan mencari minuman wajib tsb.

Kami menyusuri gang-gang sempit di Insadong dengan deretan restoran atau lebih tepat dibilang kedai, dan berhenti disalah satu kedai yang menjual snack korea seperti fish cake dan “sate2an” yg direbus. Banana Milk yg dimaksud tertata dengan rapi disalah satu meja disana. Terjadilah percakapan dengan ahjussi penjual sbb:
Alice: do you have the cold one? (sambil memegang banana milknya)
Ahjussi bengong dan menatap nanar
Ngo: cold! Cold! From fridge! (padahal jelas disana gak ada kulkas) sapa tau ada kulkas tersembunyi dibalik meja? Who knows?

Ahjussi tiba tiba seperti mengerti dan memberikan beberapa buah….sedotan! kepada kami..
Kami berenam, yak! Kami berenam bengong dan pandang2an…
Kemudian Ahjussi tsb memeragakan cara menyolok sedotan itu kedalam botol dan ditambah dia memperagakan cara menyedotnya dengan sepenuh tenaga! Gubrak! Wakakak! sampai pipinya kempot2 gitu boo! :p
Salah seorang pelanggan yang sejak tadi duduk disitu membantu kami, “Aisuuu?? You mean ice?”
Kami mengangguk semangat, dan lalu pelanggan disitu menjelaskan ke ahjussi dan akhirnya kami mendapat jawaban ‘tidak ada yg dingin’..well, kami melangkah pergi dari sana dan tertawa sepanjang jalan melihat gaya ahjussi yang memperagakan cara minum banana milk tsb.

  Soju buah
Ok, malam sudah larut dan kami sedang jalan pulang ke tempat kami menginap di daerah Bukchon, dan mampir kesebuah mini mart, maksudnya mau membeli sebotol soju yg tersohor itu. Ketika aku melihat ke dalam cooler ternyata soju itu ada beberapa jenis. Bingung mau yang mana, aku bawa dua botol soju ke kasir dan bermaksud untuk bertanya bedanya apa sih..kasirnya seorang pemuda yang lumayan manis dan tinggi dan ternyata berbicara bahasa Inggris cukup fasih..namun…ahem..ahem..
A: Hello! I want to know what is the difference between this bottle and this one?
K: oh! This one is stronger, it tastes a bit bitter, like vodka! And this one is a bit mild.
A: oh ok! I also notice there are several different bottles inside the fridge, the blue one and many others..
K: yes, it’s only the alcohol level that makes the difference.
A: I see! Well, I want to try the lightest one. Do you have the fruity taste?
Cashiernya sempat tersipu-sipu malu. Gw bingung donk, ini kenapa ya dia pake tersipu-sipu? Lalu dia menjawab “I’m sorry it’s not possible, I’m just a part timer here!”
Giliran gue yang bengong, dan berusaha mencerna maksudnya, namun gw jawab “oh ok! I take this one then.”
*bengong* busyet, jangan2 dia mikir “do want to accompany me drinking soju?” gubraaakk..tidaakkss!!!


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Saturday, July 7, 2012

What makes a woman beautiful?


"Beauty is only a skin deep" Do you agree with that phrase? 
Totally agree! Can u imagine a woman without her skin? eerrghh..what?? hikkss...only meat..yucks!
wait wait..I'm not talking about a horror movie here..
One of the most important thing that a woman can do is to beautify her skin. (I hear "amen" here)
All cosmetics and skin care products say them all. 
"This cream can make your skin glowing, beautiful, and healthy."
"This one can reduce your wrinkles and fine lines, and that one can lighten/whiten your skin."
"This one can minimize your pore, pimples, etc, etc"
Pretty familiar with all commercial brands, huh?

What next?
A good shape..hmm...a skinny woman is considered more attractive than a fat one. It also goes the same with the thin legs, thighs, arms and a flat belly. No wonder all gyms put a skinny women with a tight body as their models. 
Any shortcuts for these? Yes, there is! a plastic surgery, liposuctions, and any kind of instant treatment..

Anything else?
Oh! clothing, shoes and accessories! They surely make us attractive! All brands of fashion items have the same vision "to make women more beautiful and attractive"

Well, is that something wrong with it? Nope...
What I'm going to share is another beauty of a woman. A woman considered beautiful if she has outer and inner beauty. I've seen a lot of pretty woman that is very attractive at first, but when I get to know them (their characters), suddenly I feel the physical beauty is disappearing too :)

So, what makes a woman beautiful?

I got this article from Christian Virtual Magazine (written by Nancy Morgan), and I find it's very useful to remind us what the real beauty is. I only highlight some points.


1. Outer Beauty
 Women tend to take a critical look at their individual features and flaws and feel this is what makes them attractive or not,  whereas a man tends to look at the overall impression a woman creates. What a woman does with what she has is very important in making herself attractive. Physical beauty is really within the reach of any woman.
The most influential factor in a woman’s physical beauty is her health. When a woman is healthy, she has an attractive glow about her. Good health adds more color to the face and skin and helps produce more energy. A balanced, nutritious diet and exercise plan will help a woman to have this healthy glow. It will also help to keep excess weight off and produce a more attractive physique. When a woman is striving to follow the health laws she looks and feels more beautiful.

Another key factor of womanly beauty is looking feminine. A woman should look like a woman, not a man. A woman can achieve this through her dress and hairstyle.

A physically attractive woman is also one who dresses modestly. Our society teaches women to flaunt their physical attributes by displaying scantily clad women on billboards, magazines and most other media outlets. Many women feel they must also dress this way to be considered attractive. This is not true. A fully clothed woman dressed in a modest, feminine way is very attractive. She is not only attractive, she gains honor and respect from those who see her. A woman’s body is designed to be attractive and arousing to men, and when a woman is revealing too much of herself in public, she is stirring up the wrong kind of feelings and will attract the wrong kind of attention. A truly beautiful woman aims for respect in the way she dresses.

2. Inner Beauty
A woman should be kind—she should be gracious. Proverbs 11:16
 tells us that a gracious woman retains honor. When you think of the women that you hold in high regard, they usually are ladies who are kind, gentle, thoughtful, unselfish, etc. They are the women that we look up to and remember. In Proverbs 31:26, a virtuous woman is described as having the law of kindness on her tongue.

Bradley Gerstman, Christopher Pizzo and Rich Seldes, in the book What Men Want, write, “Women are astonished when we tell them what many professional men look for in a woman on the first date—besides chemistry, of course. Are you ready to hear what men hope to find in a woman they are dating for the first time? Men like women who are nice. Men are suckers for kindness and consideration. We love women who are affable, flexible, easygoing. Most men cannot resist a sweet woman” (page 68). Women who are gracious and kind are attractive.

A woman should also have good judgment. In Proverbs 11:22, a lovely woman who lacks discretion is compared to a ring of gold in a swine’s snout. If a woman is physically attractive, but lacks discretion, it takes away from her beauty and value. Good judgment is needed in many areas of life such as moral issues, money matters, choices, decisions, dealing with others, work, etc. A woman who possesses good judgment is of great value because she can be trusted to do the right thing.
A woman should continue to grow and better her inner self. Proverbs 31 describes a woman who is competent and capable of doing many different things. A woman who continues to grow while developing her talents and abilities is a woman of value. She is one who is able to contribute to others through these abilities, and she will be of use to her family, Church, community, etc. A woman who is developing her potential is an attractive woman.

3. Beautiful to God
A truly beautiful woman is not only attractive on the outside and inside, she is also attractive to God. How a woman looks to God is more important than any other quality she possesses because one day her outer beauty will fade and her inner beauty will cease, but the beauty that God sees in her will be important when she stands before Him. Being beautiful to God should be top priority on every woman’s list. The Scriptures give us some clues as to what God finds attractive in women.

God values a quiet spirit in a woman. As 1 Peter 3:3-4 tells us, “Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.” Does this mean that a woman should never say anything—that she should always be quiet? No, this is saying that a woman should not have an argumentative, contentious spirit. She should not be someone who is quick to argue and demand her way. She should be peaceable to others and respectful to her husband. There are several scriptures in the book of Proverbs that talk about women who are angry and contentious, and how difficult it is to live with them.

A truly beautiful woman is not in competition with men—she understands the value and strengths that they possess and appreciates them. Women and men both possess certain qualities that are needed by one another.
God values a woman who is submissive. “Submissive” is not a popular word in our society today. Many people think of being submissive as being weak. Yet, God has commanded women who are married to submit themselves to their husband’s authority. This does not mean that a woman should never have an opinion or say in what takes place in the family. A wise husband will consult his wife on all important issues. A woman who submits herself to her husband is a woman that understands and is yielding to the government that God has established in the home (Ephesians 5: 22-32). It is not a sign of weakness when a woman submits to her husband, it is a sign of strength. It is a sign that she is in fact submitting herself to God and is obeying the commands that He has established. It is a sign of her faith in God. When a woman submits to her husband’s authority in marriage, she is beautiful to God.
God also values a woman who fears Him. When a woman is putting God first in her life and is striving to do what He has commanded, she is attractive to God. She should continue to deepen her relationship with Him and continue to grow spiritually. Proverbs 31: 30 reads, “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.”

If a woman possesses only the physical aspect of beauty without the inner and godly qualities, she is a hollow and empty shell.
It is within every woman’s reach to become the beautiful woman God intended her to be. She should be beautiful on the outside, beautiful on the inside and, most importantly, she should be beautiful to God.

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Sunday, May 15, 2011

Hey! It's my life!

I’ve just watched “ the lovely bones” movies and I am not quite happy with the ending. I know the killer finally died, he slipped into a ravine and died alone, cold, buried in snow. I guess it’s God’s punishment to him…but still..I’m not quite happy! He must be punished into jail, he must endure a painful time all of his life in prison..then he died miserably! Ok! Ok! I’m too overwhelmed! But I hate to see the killer go free like that! He can run and live like nothing happen even after the evidence was found. Well,actually, it’s a happy ending movie. The family finally moves on, they live happily, the death girl finally understood that she must let go of her hatred so she could go to heaven. But, I’m still pondering what if..what if..and what if I control the story? It will be better than the movie, rite? Am I rite? Am I rite? According to whom? me? Yeah! Of course!

This comes to my thoughts..if I had a privilege to control my own life story, what would it be? I could control where I want to be born, from what kind of family, what kind of heritage, the way I look (I’m pretty already? Am i? thank you! Thank you! ^_^), where did I go to schools, my talents and skills (wow!), my love story (ahem!* clearing throats*), my friends, my career, my wealth, etc..Wouldn’t it be nice and wonderful? I can do whatever I want, hey! I control my own world! It’s my life! *It’s my life-Bon Jovi echoing*

Part Two! Ok! Let say I had that special ‘gift’ to control my own life! But sometimes things don’t go as we expect rite? What if the economic collapses, natural disasters are everywhere, my loved ones get sick and died, or I got an accident and become disabled (extremely saying). Those things are the things that I can’t control since I can only control my OWN life! Surely it’s unrelated to others’ life or to the world, isn’t it? So, what is my pride then?

Part three! Another scenario! If I’m to control my own life, what would it be? I mean the scenario of my life. Surely, I will put all the best stories in my life. No sadness, no disappointment, no heart aches, no tears, no sickness? Ok, that’s too much! Mmm..maybe a little bit disappointment and heart aches (just a lil bit, pls?) but voila! I’d overcome it then live happily, a little bit sickness (a light one, ok?uhm..like flu, headache and cough?) then got healed (just take aspirin and Panadol, Alice!) That would be a nice story! According to whom? me again? Uhmm…it’s all about me, after all!

What if..IF! IF? IF God grants me this silly-selfish-careless wish of mine, what will happen next? First thing for sure, I WILL forget and leave God. Why would I need Him anyway? Hey! I can control my life! I don’t need His guidance. I don’t care about other people as long as I’m happy. What would I bother about others? *knock knock! Anybody home?* *could you please take a look at part two above* everybody needs God, even when they say they don’t! Want a proof? When disasters come, all those miserable humans who endure it, they will try to find God or gods. They cry desperately for help, and knowing the human can’t help, they will cry for the utmost source of help. Normally people don’t look for God when everything seems ok. But when they face trouble, they know God is the only One who can help, they will cry “O God, please help me! O God! O my God!“

Luckily, I don’t have that kind of silly privilege. If yes, the story would be a boring movie to others who watch it (even it’s a nice story according to me alone). What is the beautiful story then? If the story is to be a beautiful symphony that others can enjoy like comforting those who are hurt since I was hurt before, feeling the pain of others since I know what it feels like, be a strength to the weak, and so on and so on (u name it)…then who do I trust my life with?

Jer 9:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."

Life is not about our own happiness. Shared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
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Sunday, January 23, 2011

My self reminder resolution




1. Be Humble!
God favors the humble but He opposes the proud.

2. Listen more, talk less!
Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.

3. Don’t be a procrastinator!
Do what you can do today, don’t delay until ‘tomorrow’

4. Give more and spend less!
The more you give, the more you will receive.

5. Keep on praying!
Remember praying is breathing, stop praying means stop breathing.

6. Feed your soul with good input!
Bad input equals to bad output. Spend your time to dig God’s words.

7. Don’t make promises that you cannot fulfill!
If you don’t mean it, just don’t say it.

8. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically and willingly as working for the Lord, not for men.
God alone will reward your works.

9. Give thanks and don’t complain!
There are ALWAYS thousand reasons to give thanks than one reason to complain about. It’s just not worth it.

10. Don’t forget to smile, sing, play and laugh out loud!


I wrote this three days ago when I lay down on my bed, alone and sick. There are so many things that piled up in my little head. I used to write my resolution every year. I want to achieve this, I want to get this, I want to be this, and so on. But this year, I want to remind my self again and again about this 'self reminder resolution". What about my 2011 resolution? Sure! I still have it, tho! But I find this self reminder as a built-in character for reaching my goals.


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