Sunday, 31 January 2010

Mousey is a shameless hussy ;P

As a kid I used to get pissed off at adults who didn't get excited over birthdays, I used to think people who didn't do a one month countdown to their birthday was weird.

So in honour of myself as a kid.. I'm gonna psych myself up for my birthday this year! Not quite a full month of countdown - just 27 days.. Under the tag #atriisashamelesshussy on twitter, I'm going to post my birthday wishes; stuff I want, people I want to see on my birthday and ideas on what I want to do to celebrate Feb the 27th.

I'll post the full list here on the 26th!

I know, I know.. I'll probably end up dissapointing myself, as I'd be really excited for the 27th of Feb and everyone else will prolly go "meh".. but this is for me. And me at 7, who looked forward to New Years because it meant I was that much closer to my birthday.

I'm slowing down and enjoying the little things in life. :D

Wednesday, 27 January 2010

Oh my God, I had a writing journal..!

A long time ago, I was very big into writing. I wrote on every scrap of paper I found.. and at one point it was all I wanted to do. I wanted to be a professional writer. These days.. not so much.

I love writing.. I really, really do.. But I don't think I'll ever be as awesome as Calvin who managed to get published (and will repeat the awesomeness soon..?), or be as eloquent as Meethz, or as imaginative as Quincey. Lucky for me, I count these people as close friends and I can bask in their awesomeness and grin.

No, this post isn't about me feeling sorry for myself..

I once had a writing journal. The front of the book was full of prompt words and situations, short excerpts and a target number of words, and the back.. was empty except for one entry titled 'Do You Understand'. I don't remember writing it (I never remember my own writing, I'm even amazed at school assignments I completed when I came across them..), and I see a lot of things I wanted to tweak.. but I was strangely proud of myself. Well.. of the 'me' that wrote it. It made me go immediately on a quest to find a pen, so I can scribble some more.

I once had a chat with Quincey about where our passion for writing went, and how much we missed it. Well, I'm going to see if I can get it back. So here's a project I'm setting up for myself.. One piece every fortnight. I'm going to write a short piece and post it on the net.. somewhere. I'm too embarrassed to share the link, but I might.. someday.

Wish me luck.

Monday, 25 January 2010

Bandung, January 2010

Unlike some of my smarter slash more.. diligent - (God, for some reason I hate that word) - friends who finished uni much, much earlier than me.. I'm not quite done yet. I'd like to say it's because of some unavoidable reason I can't really disclose in a public space, but truth is I'm a really, really lazy girl. So I have to keep going back-and-forth from Jakarta to Bandung, because really.. truth be told - I can't stand Bandung these days. It's boring. And annoyingly peaceful.

I used to love that place so much I only came home when my mum started complaining she never saw me. Or I'd visit Jakarta just for the day on an insane whim with my friends, driving 2 hours to Jakarta to eat noodles and then rush back to Bandung for classes. I loved Bandung so much that I vowed I was going to move permanently there when I finished uni.

That was before I realized I loved Bandung because I had my friends with me 24/7 since I lived in Ciumbuleuit - a stretch of road that was brimming with UNPAR students (and where UNPAR is actually located in). Most of my friends lived a couple of houses away, the farthest one was located a mere 15 minutes drive away. Food was abundant, and my favourite places delivered right to my door - which meant I once spent a whole week without showering with Jo and Adin, in Jo's room, eating take outs and watching trashy TV shows, only showering when we couldn't stand how smelly we were. And with everything being only an arm's reach away from one's place of residence, it wasn't exactly uncommon to see people milling around in their pj's at all hours of the day.

I realize how disgusting this sounds, but we missed classes for the whole week and it was a one-off performance, never to be repeated as we all repented soon after. I swear I always showered if I had to attend classes (except for the few times I didn't wake up in time.. and that one time I almost missed my exams).. And it was so much fun!

ANYWAY! It was so weird to be back and realize I didn't recognise anyone. And its probably the main reason I'm so fed up with Bandung when I have to go see my thesis-advisor. Everyone is a stranger. The kids lounging around my campus, the ones having lunch at my favourite haunts, people at the photocopy centre.. Oh the people at the internet place grinned when they saw me, the janitor greeted me and we had a chat, and the lady serving me noodles was as lovely as ever - but everyone else was a stranger.

When you live 24/7 in one place you quickly recognise its residents, and for the first time - I realized I was the guest. Not the inhabitant. Strange feeling.

Seeing one of my old homes being.. dismantled only added to the feeling.


I moved a couple of times in the 4 years I was there - almost once every year in fact. And probably the most memorable one was RaBen - this house that was falling apart. The floor in front of our second floor bathroom was rotted, so we always had to jump to get to and from it. The railing were broken on the stairs - which happened on one extremely drunken night, courtesy of yours trully and a friend. My room was so damp that my bag would grow mould if I didn't use it regularly, meethz would probably also add that she once found mouldy chicken bones in my room (courtesy of my brother who ate KFC in my room, wrapped the bones in tissue and then forgot to throw it away before a 3 month break)

Seeing the old place getting torn down was awful. Even though it hasn't been fit to live in for a while now.

I miss my Ciumbuleuit. With my friends living around me, and gossip travelling faster than the speed of light, I miss the way music and movies got shared around.. Like I said - I miss MY Ciumbuleuit.

Even the shops around campus has changed. A lot of my fave haunts have dissapeared.

Well. At least one thing still remained. Pak Moes' place - noodles with corned beef and cheese, and a half boiled egg. It never fails to make me sigh and grin like an idiot. Unhealthy AND delicious - a perfect combination!


Grraaagh. So many things about uni was just.. perfect. But I have to graduate soon. Like this month. Or next month. Before my 24th birthday!

Lesigh.

Saturday, 16 January 2010

Friday, 15 January 2010

Sometimes, I even out-geek myself

Technically I don't think I've earned the right to cal myself a 'geek', but amongst my friends (from middle school.. junior high.. high school.. uni.. etc..) I'm certainly the geeky-est. Okay fine, I am a bit of a geek. *big grin*

So.. A couple of years back when I got wind of Star Trek being re-vamped I was a little freaked out. And by a 'little', I mean I growled at any of my friends who told me any bits of news and slapped someone who told me when the trailer came out (as if I didn't already know!).. Turns out - I'm in love with the new movie. I mean.. Srsly. Best movie of 2009.

And of course this means I'm definitely getting the DVD. And by DVD I thought I meant just a DVD. Guess what came out? A limited edition DVD with an ENTER-frickin'-PRISE case!! You can imagine how excited I got. But tragedy!! - I was out of town and I underestimated the sheer amount of closet Trekkies and new fans that would get as excited as me when they saw the case!

I was away for a week!.. And that was enough to loose any and all hope of getting the limited edition DVD! *I swoon, I whimper, I faint*

My brother was lucky enough to grab the last one in this record store - and it was a display DVD, it wasn't even supposed to be sold. He kept insisting he wanted that one, and that one only. I panicked and searched all over Jakarta the next day, placing orders at every single shop I visited. Remember how big Jakarta is? And the traffic jams? And the expensive tol roads? And the sheer stupidity of motor cycles here? Yes. I braved all that!

And got nothing!

(This is a long story, I know. But I promise the end is coming..)

So.. I had given up hope and sort of grudgingly admitted to myself I'd have to get the one in metal casing (yeah I didn't want the plastic one either ;P) the next day, as those were rapidly going as well.. But then! GRAMEDIA CALLED.

Gramedia is a chain of bookstores in Indonesia which I used to frequent a lot as a kid - not so much now.. because I have to spend my own money, and I'm permanently broke.

So yes.

They called.

"Excuse me, Ms. Siregar.. Unfortunately we wont be re-stocking the limited edition DVD case of the Star Trek movie." *pause for dramatic effect as I loose all hope* "but we still have a couple at our office." *and BOOM! I jump out of my chair and sort of.. flail my arms.* - At this point I was trying to figure out which Gramedia is closest to my house as I thought I'd prolly have to pick it up.. "If you could give me your full address we can have the DVD deliver via messenger and you can pay on the spot."

And end scene, as I practically faint. Okay exaggeration. But I had to sit back down again.. And then I spent 5 minuted telling the Twitter world just how much I loved Gramedia, and a whole day gloating at my brother since my DVD will be BRAND NEW. *grin*

Here are shit pictures of the DVD :


Technically, the one on display is my brother's, as I don't trust myself to put mine on display just yet. I still keep giggling just at the sight of it. I also make whooshing sound as I transport the DVD from one place to another (it's still in it's plastic covering, and I can't decide which place is safest to store it in).

So.. I LOVE YOU GRAMEDIA. Thank you so much! Talk about customer service ;D

Thursday, 14 January 2010

Hmm..

Thick square-glasses.
Weird floppy hair.
Bad skin.

Am I turning into Ed Byrne?


Having said that.. I do have a crush on Ed. Ah well. As long as I don't grow man-bits, things could be worse.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Pimpin' the fam'

So. I may be biased, but I think my family's a talented bunch.

Cousin #1 : clickityclack (The one often featured on my pics. The one featured on my last photo-post, actually..!)




Then there's : rushadee (Birthday Boy who just turned 19!)



And : ralgani (EMO BRAT! xD Haha! But then again at his age - just about everyone is.)




And last but not least... Rafy Sugiri (ralgani's dad!)




My brother has some pretty awesome pics too (and he's talented at painting to boot. The bastard.) but the only ones he makes public are his warjunkies stuff (he's an airsoft geek), there are some pretty cool shots OF him though over at his kuronoraito multiply account.



Feel free to comment here or on their accounts! :D

Oh.. and..

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRAT!
I can't believe your fat arse is now 19. Be good and stop being a prev-fa-ce!
(Hugs, from the other prev-fa-ce in the fam ;P)

Tuesday, 12 January 2010

There She Is




Instructions:

1. Go to http://sambakza.net/
2. Select -English-, so you can understand the menu options.
3. Click on the BLUE square, titled 'amalloc'
4. Watch the flash-vids in order
5. Squeal as appropriate, and spread the word

Tuesday, 5 January 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR..!


A preview of pictures yet to come :D Available for larger viewing over at my dA, as always..!