Scale

Here's the scale used to weigh the delicious steamed peanuts at Zangrandi. Nyum. It was raining that night, so the road was wet, giving the yummy unexpected background. Processed with Wong Kar Wai's 2046 images in the mind. Gee wiz, I really need to post more often!

In this Quiet Town

Warning: A more indulgence post than usual ahead. You've been warned.

I woke up at 5 today. This wouldn't have happened had I not slept at 9:30pm last night. I know, I live the life of an old granny, there's no need to point out that sad fact to me.

This is actually a rare occurrence, the morning get up that is, not the early sleep. As someone who really treasures her sleeping time, I usually only have a narrow window of time in the morning to get ready before I need to run and jump to the car. Usually it would already be in motion, driven by a mother who is ignorant of her own daughter's yelling and bawling.

So there I was, meandering around my room, when I realized how much alone I was. The sky was still dark, and the eager morning exercisers bunch had not swarmed the street as yet. The birds were still chirping happily, and everything was just ... well, quiet.

I took my time to get ready and prepare my breakfast. The smell of the brewing coffee tickled my nose and I was grinning from ear to ear. I had my iTunes playing some music while I started reading chapter 23 of Huckleberry Finn and munched my breakfast.

I was very much absorbed in Huck's adventure when the song by Josh Rouse came up. Music is usually just a melody for me, a background noise for whatever I'm actually doing at that moment. But this time, the lyrics caught my attention. I played the song again.

Quiet Town

I know somewhere there is a party going down
Interesting people, conversation to be found
I've lived in cities where there is no solitude
I've made some friends here that I hope I never lose
But, for now, I want to stay in this quiet town

The neighbors on my block, they've got stories to tell
This is the grocery, but, once was a hotel
And Mr. Driskle he just stands there with his smile
Inviting everyone he sees to come inside
This is the life, I want to live in a quiet town

Ohhhh, sometimes I miss the show, I learned a long time ago
Ohhhh, sometimes I miss the show, I learned a long time ago

Come Sunday morning, there's a market on the square
Children are playing, bells are ringing in the air
Old men are drinking, it's a lazy afternoon
Content with thinking that there is nothing to do
But, for now, I'm going to stay in this quiet town
In this quiet town, in this quiet town

The song really evoked memories of my time in Madison and Minneapolis. As I was listening to it, I could actually see the busy farmer's market on Sunday morning. Fathers were trying to keep pace with their children, who were too busy running around and being oblivious to the surroundings. The mothers would visit the various stalls, on a mission to choose which warm homemade bread and lovely flowers to bring home. The sun was bright and after 9 consecutive months of cold weather, everyone couldn't help but to wear that big goofy smile on their face.

I was enjoying that memory when it was suddenly gone and replaced by the crowd scene at the Terrace. Everyone was drinking beer while listening to the live music and enjoying the cool breeze and the view, the gorgeous Lake Mendota view. At one table, someone would be alone and immersed in their favorite book, while at the other table, a bunch of young people would be taking turns to inform the world of their idealistic point of views.

Suddenly, I was at my favorite local breakfast place, Fat Nat's at Minneapolis. It was just a simple fare of scrambled eggs, pancake, and a cup of coffee. I drowned myself in my reading, while once in a while, I couldn't help but overhear people's conversations. Sometimes, I peeked a view over my reading and observed the various people in the room. Some large and small groups of families, some couples, and a few loners scattered in the room. Everyone was busy with their own worlds. I was completely content to be a mere nobody in that room, detached from the world, a distant observer of the humanity.

Suddenly mother's voice woke me up from my wandering. It was time to go. I quickly ate the last bite of my breakfast and raced mother to the car. There was no way I had to chase the car again today, not when I woke up earlier than mother.

This morning quietness, I can get use to this.

Through The Glass Darkly

Was on the way home from Zangrandi. If there's one thing that makes me appreciate living in Surabaya, it's the thought that I can always go to this well preserved place and have a slice taste of my childhood memory. Steamed Peanuts and Macedonia Ice Cream please! Hmmm, I might post some Zangrandi pictures later.

On Being Alone in the Ocean of Noise

So, I watched Ip Man yesterday, alone.

Based on last night's experience of feeling as if I was physically deformed and became the destination of secretive mocking looks - you know, the look that spells out as "Oh, look at this poor anti social unpopular dweeb" - I have managed to formulate reasons why it is not advisable to watch movie alone, ever, again in the vicinity of an area marked in the map as Indonesia:

1) It's just not the common thing here. As simple as that. People do things together, it's the community culture of Asia versus the individuality culture of the Western. Heck, I even spotted 2 teen chicks getting out of the same bathroom stall and from the way they behaved, they didn't feel as if it was weird or ... a bit gay-ish, maybe?

So, lesson to learn:
- Going to the movie alone, WEIRD. Going to the bathroom stall together, The dullest thing that no one in his right mind should even bother to notice.
- Going to the movie alone, PATHETIC. Two guys hugging each other while walking or one guy slapping the other guy's thigh, Why, what's wrong with that?

2) And even if you try to defy from this common culture, you'll still end up fearing that you meet someone you know and have them judge you as oh, I don't know, a poor anti social unpopular dweeb? Granted, I know deep down that I truly am a hermit geek, I still don't want people to remove any shed of their doubts and stamp yours truly with that honorable title.

So, unless you can move boldly to the ticket booth without fear of the staring looks of people you don't know, or God forbids, someone you know! Please, next time, beg your friends to go with you to watch the damn movie.

Although, being who I am, I don't think last night will be my last time watching the movie alone :P

Under All The Bright Lights

Was on the way to pick up food from Amen Restaurant. If there's one thing that makes me appreciate living in Surabaya, it's the food from Amen. Slurp :)

It Won't Be Soon Before Long

I want to not acknowledge the new year and skip right ahead to my regularly absurd and pointless posts about mundane topics, but I feel like I'm cheating if I do so. So here is an absurd and pointless post about the new year...

And so it goes, 2008 has been swept away from our sight and here comes the beginning of 2009. Ahh, the beginning of the year, the time of hope, excitement, plans and resolutions. Whoop Dee Doo, I'm so psyched ...

Okay, I'm not much of a resolution type of person. I'm what I like to call a realist. To tell the truth, even I know that it's just a euphemism for a hard core pessimist that I truly am. Making resolutions is just flat out setting up yourself for a painful disappointment in the year end. Seriously, why end the year with a burden of realization of your failures? One thing I know about myself, I'm not very good at dealing with disappointment.

So there it is, even though people are spewing their resolutions for everyone else to hear and to be amazed upon, I managed to repressed myself from proclaiming anything.

But, I've been thinking recently about the yesteryear, and I just realized that it was the year where I picked up, adopted, and caressed photography as a hobby I couldn't live without. Now, I couldn't think what I have been doing before to keep me getting up in the morning. Actually, I know, it was movies, lots and lots of movies. Also, junk food, lots and lots of junk food. And okay, the movies and junk food are still my drugs of choice, but photography has been a good addition to my ammunition and has become the prominent one.

2008 also provided me with chances to take trips to different places in Indonesia. I went to 4 different cities: Yogyakarta, Bali, Jakarta, and Medan. I think I was happiest when I was doing those trips. It was a joy to see different cultures and ways of living of people in Indonesia. Indonesia is an amazing place to do travel and trips. A place to live? Not really. A place for traveling? Definitely!

So, with that in mind, here are several things that I'd like to achieve in 2009:
1) Keep taking pictures!
2) Keep traveling!
3) Keep blogging!

Yes, all the exclamation marks are important. They're all related really. In order to keep me motivated with taking pictures, I need to do some traveling. To keep me from slacking of from editing my pictures, I need to feel that I have an obligation to post my pictures on my blog. Blogging is also a great way to build up my non-existent writing skills. Plus, I do somewhat like blogging, if I'm in the mood of course :P

Anything more ambitious than that will be a torture. Anything more serious and in relation to real life will be a suicide.

So, here's to 2009. Cheers everyone!

P.S: Forgive me, in case you haven't noticed, I'm a downer. Just bare with me ^^;