4:47:00 AM
A reply to the greeting from my webloggers webring neighbour: Hi, Helena! ^^

Whoever submitted my blog to indoteen about a week ago, please refrain from doing so in the future. What's more annoying: there are incorrect informations, including my first name (!!!). Indoteen has granted my request to remove the submission; they're actually nice people. I simply do not want my blog getting hits from unknown & random people out there. As much as I want to keep this blog private (knowing that I am unable to do so), I still try to maintain a low profile.

I am going to snuggle inside my warm comforter...
(a sidenote: my friend doesn't believe me when I said I'm sleepy =P)

4:13:00 AM
O que você não sabe
nem sequer pressente
é que os desafinados
também têm um coração

Thank you for the lyric, Sakura! :3

I just got a special delivery half an hour ago: a grasshopper sundae from Denny's delivered right in front of my door! XD The guys, who invited me to Denny's at 11.30 PM (but I was simply too lazy to drive because I had already felt warm & comfy inside the house), thoughtfully remembered that I love grasshopper sundae and decided to send one my way when they left. Nice people, don't they? :D Actually, Deni (Ronald's brother) is the one who had the initial idea, because he's the branch manager there and I always order grasshopper sundae whenever I come to visit him. And Andre, one of those guys, delivered it to me right in front of my door. I feel so spoiled =P FYI, it takes about 15-20 minutes driving from Denny's to my house.

3:20:00 AM
Starting today, I have a housemate who's living in the master bedroom. She'll be here for two months. I can't say I'm excited nor happy, since I am very much used to living by myself. But I can adapt to little changes here and there. I hope. Good thing she's only 3 years older than me, so we can still connect. I hope. I am also very much used to be the only girl in a crowd of guys; I haven't had close girlfriends since I moved to California. I have forgotten how it felt to have a roommate. Ah, my dear little privacy....

2:35:00 AM
My loathe for this computer has almost reached its climax. Why? Because some of the keyboard keys have decided to stop working since a week ago... !@*$%#!! I've gotten very comfortable with using keyboard shortcut to do tasks.. and now I can't do that again because the F2, F4, Home, Del, - and _, ~, 6 and ^ are not working! I have to copy & paste them. How wonderful, don't you agree? >_< I am having so much trouble doing emoticons because most of them need the _ and ^ (also - and ~ sometimes).

You know what.. since Valentine's day is coming, I have a fact to tell you. I have never had a boyfriend on Valentine's day. Believe it or not. I have never been going steady with anyone on Valentine's day. Either I was in the process of going steady (but weren't actually a couple yet), or I had broken up (but remained very close as if we were still going steady). Other than those two, I was always on my own *nods* So I said to Deni when he mentioned about Valentine's day coming in 2 weeks, "Oh? It doesn't have anything to do with me," and walked happily past the Valentine cards section at Ralphs. I don't have to worry about Valentine's day this year. At least that puts my mind to rest, instead of thinking what gift & card to choose, etc.

I am so diligent this evening. I cleaned the 2 bathrooms (everything, including mopping the floors), part of the kitchen, living room, dining room, and did laundry (mostly consisted of the bed linens). I spent 3 hours doing all those and now the bathrooms smell so good & fresh :3 We'll see how long it will take until the next house cleanup =P

And the last thing I need before snuggling into my fuzzy comforter is a hot shower... But before I go, welcome back, Fel and Isabela! *hug hug*

10:04:00 PM
Movie reviews:

Gosford Park. Eeep ^^; Alright, this was a mistake. I insisted on watching this movie, because all the other guys (yes sir, I was the only female) wanted to watch Black Hawk Down and I don't particularly care for war movie. I should have chosen I Am Sam or In The Bedroom instead of Gosford Park. It was simply bohh-ring (ah yes, it is British, if you must know). 10% of the quality of Agatha Christie's murder mystery. 10%, mon ami, only 10%. A friend of mine (who kindly accompanied yours truly to watch this movie) fell asleep during the first half of the movie. Bottom line: if you want to throw away $8 (or $6 with student ID), go buy yourself Krispy Kreme donuts... or give it to me.

Black Hawk Down. Ironically, the next day Sandra, Ronald, and Deni (Ronald's older brother) kidnapped me to lunch at Souplantation and went straight to the movie theater to watch this movie.... I had no choice but to come along, did I? But to my surprise, I actually like the movie. Thanks to Sandra, whose husband (Ronald) joined the army for 3 years, for telling me all the inside information. That certainly pumped up my then-little interest in the movie.

Amélie. I am an art lover. Amélie is a very artsy movie, it might be too creative for your taste. It's about the fabulous life of Amélie Poulain. Nothing near an ordinary life of a girl, I assure you. She's funny in an ingenious way. She's a dreamer, and times are always hard for dreamers. Elle est pleine de surprises! Explore the world of Amélie, all of you art lovers out there.

8:38:00 PM
Have you ever realized that job hunting is unbelievably hard?
Yes, you heard me all too often, I know. I'm serious though (was I ever not?), everything about working is plain difficult. The job searching, the interview, the tests (if any), the commitment, the sacrifices, the punctuality, the trip to & from work, everything! School is so much more fun than work. So spend your school/college life to the fullest. Really.

Speaking about college, I remember my previous supervisor told her assistant to check Upromise.com for her son's benefit. I know most of you bloggers are not yet parents, but you will be soon (I assume). Check it out, the sooner you know, the better your chance to save money for your -future- children will be.

I've just signed up for an email address (*audiences: not again!* -_-) and URL forwarding from milmail.com. I suddenly feel a bit patriotic =P Nice, don't you think?

An important note: my previous entry, which happens to be the song On My Own from Les Miserables, is not to be translated in a literal way. A bit like the Bible, you won't understand the meaning if you read it literally, because it's not true (literally). It's very symbolic, each sentence happens to be a symbol of something in my whole life. It means nowhere near the word "boyfriend" or "lover" or things of that sort. It goes deep beyond those surfaces. And like always: no one is supposed to understand the meanings without myself explaining. I'll leave you all at that point.

7:20:00 PM
And now I'm all alone again
Nowhere to turn, no one to go to
Without a home without a friend
Without a face to say hello to
And now the night is near
I can make believe he's here

Sometimes I walk alone at night
When everybody else is sleeping
I think of him and I'm happy
With the company I'm keeping
The city goes to bed
And I can live inside my head

On my own
Pretending he's beside me
All alone
I walk with him till morning
Without him
I feel his arms around me
And when I lose my way I close my eyes
And he has found me

In the rain the pavement shines like silver
All the lights are misty in the river
In the darkness, the trees are full of starlight
And all I see is him and me forever and forever

And I know it's only in my mind
That I'm talking to myself and not to him
And although I know that he is blind
Still I say, there's a way for us

I love him
But when the night is over
He is gone
The river's just a river
Without him
The world around me changes
The trees are bare and everywhere
The streets are full of strangers

I love him
But every day I'm learning
All my life
I've only been pretending
Without me
His world would go on turning
A world that's full of happiness
That I have never known

I love him
I love him
I love him
But only on my own....

5:52:00 AM
Mmmm ^^v
I passed the driving test on my first attempt! :D :D :D
Now I can drive as much as I want... hehehehe... *evil thoughts*

If anyone happens to have free time on their hands, he/she can try leaving a voicemail on my number: 877-842-2633. Since it's a toll-free number, it's free within the USA. I'm not sure about Canada, though. Please do not leave spam messages -_-

8:29:00 AM
The Las Vegas photo album is online. Sign the album guestbook, s'il vous plait? Warning: some of the photos are very large in size.

7:42:00 AM
Ian, I didn't know you have a journal! You never told me.... Wait, is it really a journal? =P I put your site on the writers network nonetheless.. hehe.. you can complain to me directly if you don't like it XD Say, I loveeee the image you used for the layout!

....Yes, I haven't slept yet =P I made my favorite snack for supper and ate it while watching Gokinjo Monogatari the movie. I also did a little shopping at Net-A-Porter: Cacharel's toile de jouy pants I had wanted since forever.

I am going to sleep now. Bonne nuit.

5:13:00 AM
In case you didn't realize, the previous entry is the reason of my lack of writing lately.
I am enjoying my Southern California life to the greatest end.
And I'd like to share it with you.... once in a while ^^v

5:11:00 AM
I wrote the Jan 6 entry for a reason. God has been so gracious to me, even more than ever. I have never asked for so many things, yet He has given me so much more than enough. New caring friends, things to do every weekend, and even everyday. What more can I ask? I am living a life, the most beautiful life full of riches. I am smiling everyday for I am so grateful upon the gifts I have been granted.

My life has changed quite drastically since 2 weeks ago, to the very positive side, obviously. I have started hanging out with a different group of friends since the weekend before New Year's day. Most of them I knew from my church. The youth community of the Indonesian Catholic community in Los Angeles area. Although most of them, whom I hang out with constantly every weekend, are guys, I do not feel singled out at all. A few women might join us now & then, but I am the only lady 80% of the time. Yet I feel so much at home with them.

Turned out that my friends of 4 years (a couple with one child) are close friends of the 2 brothers I hang out with every weekend. Since I moved to California, I hadn't met them until a week ago, although we're both in Southern California. It was quite far from Irvine to Walnut, where they live, so we never did hangout together. Moreover, I was busy with my own schedule back in Irvine, and apparently forgot to tell them that I had moved very close to Walnut. So we never spoke... until I met them at one of the 2 brothers' birthday dinner a week ago. Funny how small the world turns out to be, isn't it?

Sandra & Ronald, the couple's names, have a 3-year-old daughter named Gabby. I can always go to Sandra's place when I don't have anything to do at home, especially since I haven't gotten a new job yet (my last day of work was on Jan 3). They live in a house with 3 other males: Ronald's older brother, and two of their old friends. One of them must be at home anytime, since Gabby must be taken care of all the time. Isn't it nice to have friends to go to whenever I am by myself? In fact, I went to their house everyday last week ^^v

All of the closest people I hang out with are older than me, not to mention that other than Sandra, all of them are males. This is truly my first time to be the youngest and the only girl (sort of) in the crowd. All of my life, I have been the one who nurtures people, be it in the family or with friends. It's a surprising yet sweet change to be the one who is nurtured & cared for by mature people :3 I feel loved, although I have known them not for a long time. And that, my friend, is the best feeling I have ever had...

To have someone care for you & your tidbits all the time...
To have someone ask you, "You okay?" with a concerned look...
To have someone stroke your hair with a smile...
To have someone hold your hands when you need support...
To have someone be there for you when you feel lonely...

Isn't that the best feeling? *smiles*
No, nothing romantic, really. Just a simple careness. And yet it means so much.

3:20:00 AM
Anne, please do upload the Yami no Matsuei drama CD to streamload *nod nod* I would love to get my hands on them :3

Here are the movies I have seen since 2 months ago, of which I haven't had time to mention before:

Spy Game. Wonderful. Brad Pitt has definitely developed his acting technique. He's simply irresistible now. The story is also good. A lot of flashbacks, though.

Lord of the Rings. Despite people's good reviews upon the Fellowship of the Ring, I give it 4 stars out of 5. Why? I don't know.. just not my type of movie. The scene-taking is beautiful, but the story itself is... well.. not my type. I don't particularly care for science fictions. But Legolas sure is cute :3 And Aragorn is handsome. The only downside might be the ending that definitely speaks, "See you next time". Had I loved science fiction in the first place, I would've adored JRR Tolkien. Or maybe I should try to read the novels... if I have the time.

A Beautiful Mind. I put too much expectation upon the movie... that I actually was a bit disappointed when I learned about the plot & the story. Russell Crowe's act is very good, though. Not to mention that Jennifer Connelly is beautiful there.

Kate & Leopold. Meg Ryan's act is so ordinary that I got bored looking at her acting, although she is lovely. On the contrary, Hugh Jackman did a good job on his character. The story? Hmmm, okay.

Royal Tenenbaums. Dark comedy is not everyone's cup of tea. This particular one has produced mixed reviews to the extreme. And mine is leaning to the far right one... you know, the positive review. I like it much.

I really want to see Amelie. Maybe this weekend. Sidewalks of New York is also an option. I love everything New York.

8:34:00 PM
Alexa, you look as if you were 12 years old with your new hair! XD I like it though.. the color suits your face nicely.

I passed the written test for California driver's license with 5 errors (the maximum allowed is 6 errors). Quite close to the borderline, yes, but at least I passed it on my first attempt ^^v The driving test is going to be next Thursday, a week from today. The goal would be to pass it on my first attempt as well. My friends say there is no parallel parking test anymore, so I'm a bit relieved to hear that. I'm just plain bad with parallel parking...

As for my lack of writing lately, I have a very good story to tell you.... next time, since I am going to the LA Auto Show now.

1:49:00 AM
I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart
I will enter His courts with praise
I will say this is the day that the Lord has made
I will rejoice for He has made me glad

9:11:00 AM
I've been terribly busy since Wednesday, I hardly had time to write. Even worse, I've been having 4-5 hours of sleep and I haven't even slept yet right now -_- And I have to get up at 9 AM! I might as well stay up, since there will be a church meeting at 10 AM and I can't afford to miss it. And maybe get some sleep after the meeting.

Anyhow, I've taken photos of my home and several others with my digicam. Here's the photo album. I actually like Printroom better than Epson. But Epson will have a new update soon, so we'll see. Until then, I'll be using Printroom for my future photo submittal. I'll keep the ones in Epson for now, though. Too lazy to move all of them.

Take the time to sign the guestbook on the photo album, s'il vous plait? :3
I'll post Las Vegas photos later on. Simply tired right now.

4:04:00 PM
One might not notice that happiness comes from the smallest happenings around one's daily life. One might not realize that every single second of one's life is a blessing. One might await eternally for miraculous events to spark one's life. And yet... one might not be aware of and grateful for one's ability to do the simplest everyday tasks: breath, smile, laugh, cry, talk, sleep, eat, etc. For those simplest tasks are the miracles of life.

I realize that I have only asked and asked and asked... without thanking God enough for the blessings of everyday's life. I realize that I have not believed in Him truly and fully... for I have always been worried and worried to no end. I realize that I have not done my responsibilities... yet I often blamed Him for unfortunate things resulted from my recklessness. I realize that I have been selfish for placing my needs above other essential priorities in life... eventhough I knew that I should think of others before myself. I realize... that my journey in life is still long awaited before my very eyes... and there will be trials to make me more mature in the days to come.

I realize... that the three days of last weekend are much more fun than the five days I spent in Las Vegas... although I only did the basic hangout stuff: had dinner at The Stinking Rose and dessert at Moustache Cafe, watched Lord of the Rings, strolled along Rodeo Drive, and taking photos. And of course let's not forget the New Year's party.

I realize that I was very happy last weekend...

because I made a lot of new friends, especially at the New Year's party.

because my favorite couple was there at the party, the loveliest husband & wife I have ever cast my eyes upon.

because I had the opportunity to spend Saturday, Sunday, and Monday with a lovely person that is unreachable... although available.

because we danced our night away to the 2002 countdown: chacha, twist, swing, waltz, salsa, etc.

because I had been given the stairs to climb up from the sinking hole I had been in for more than a month.

because I was not alone on New Year's eve... although I wouldn't have minded so.. because I know I am never by myself.

because there were so much more to be thankful for... that cannot be said, but shall be kept in my heart forever.

10:48:00 PM
Wishing you 12 months of happiness, 52 weeks of fun, 365 days of laughter, 8760 hours of good luck, 525600 minutes of joy, and 31536000 seconds of success ^^v
No time for sadness this year, not even for a single second. So be happy, be merry, and be thankful for everything that happened on the year of 2001.

Sometimes happiness comes from the smallest things possible...

5:20:00 AM
...and I wish you all a very Happy New Year!