10:05:00 PM
Happy Easter!

My feet are swollen due to too much walking wearing high heels. What a bad combination: high-heeled sandals (12 cm maybe?) + cradling Gabby (3 years old, she's heavy!) + walking here and there (especially from & to my car that was parked far from the church; three times!).

But..
Kyou wa daaaaaisuki da yo! =D
I love today so much for so many reasons. Because I could sing with the youth choir at the Easter mass. Because I met so many Indonesian people there. Because there was an Easter bazaar full of Indonesian food & other stuff right after mass. Because the youth band (led by Chanuka, the keyboard/piano master, the ever-talented musician) was just as crazy as they always are. Because my closest friends were there. And lastly, because I had so much fun alright :D

However..
It won't be until the end of this year (which is Christmas) that I will meet that many Indonesian people again. Because the Indonesians are known to come out from their hideouts only twice a year: on Easter & Christmas. Only on big events will the church be fully crowded =P It won't be until months from now that there will be another bazaar. But Bayu already makes a plan for next year's Easter bazaar: he wants to open a martabak (Indonesian pancake) stand! I'll be the first to try the martabak =9

4:53:00 AM
From now on, I really should trust my feeling upon first impressions. I really should.
It has, numerous times, proven to be correct. Although I don't necessarily have to know why or what the feeling is about.
Everything that follows might be confusing... but first impression never fails to portray. Never. Because it's the spirit who speaks... And the spirit knows better than the body and the soul.

Thus concludes the finale chapter of the adventure.
And the spirit within me whispers," I told you so...," and smiles warmly.

7:38:00 AM
What I currently do on my spare time
Reading: Naked by David Sedaris, First Snow on Fuji by Yasunari Kawabata.
Watching: Maison Ikkoku anime episodes.
Browsing: fashion (online stores, vintage, etc), journals, e-zines, design-related sites, art-related sites.
Working: as a beamer at Anime Kingdom.
Trying: to design layouts (but don't have enough time & patience & creativity), to organize my domains and think of what to put in each one, to reconstruct the contents of my website and think of adding new contents.

At least I still try to, don't I? =P I am losing interest in webdesign... little by little...

4:58:00 AM
Happy Birthday, Sandra!

Just got back from the Niko's, celebrating Sandra's birthday. I was the one in charge of the surprise celebration on request of Ronald, her husband. Right after church (Holy Thursday), I bought tiramisu cake from Buca di Beppo. Then I ordered Singapore rice noodle to-go from Banana Bay, while I had late dinner with a couple of mudika (Indonesian Catholic youth community) there. A few minutes past midnight, myself, Iwan, Andre, and Sandra's cousins brought the cakes from outside the house and sang Happy Birthday straight to her room. Of course, I was in charge of the photos, since I was the one bringing a digicam. The tiramisu cake was delicious! =9

8:00:00 PM
music: david benoit - one dream at a time (june's song)

Jazz is wonderful!
Last Saturday evening, I went to The Wave After Dark Jazz Concert (sponsored by The Wave, Southern California smooth jazz radio station) with a friend. Performing were David Benoit, Jonathan Butler, and Wayman Tisdale (a former Phoenix Suns NBA player). They were fabulous! Even perfect is an understatement. It worthed much more than what I paid for. The concert itself was almost 4-hour long, including the breaks. Each artist played for an hour. Luckily, the piano was placed in a way that I could easily see David Benoit's fingers playing (or rather, dancing) upon the piano keys. He made me want to start playing piano again (I have stopped since I moved to the USA 4˝ years ago). The problem is I don't have a piano here in the US.

By the way, I bought David Benoit's newest CD, Fuzzy Logic, and had it signed by David Benoit himself on the break right after his show. He signed both the CD and the cover of the CD. He was very kind and humble. I am really fortunate to be able to meet him in person =) I actually took some photos of him, but since I didn't use the flash, the photos turned out to be blurry & dark. All I can see is his white hair =P Too bad I didn't ask him to take a picture with me. Oh well, there's still next time. There will be some jazz festivals coming up this summer. Can't wait until then...

You know what... I just realized that jazz is extremely difficult. There is no specific/by-the-book composition or notes to play. You have to be able to improvise greatly & play in harmony with the other musicians. It's the hardest thing. Improvisation might not be so hard if you have the talent, but improvising in harmony with the other musicians (who also improvise) is a great challenge.

I also realized that black people play a great role in music. Without them, the music world wouldn't have advanced so today. Look at the majority of jazz artists. I tip my hat to all black artists worldwide.

A celebration of art & entertainment
Speaking about black people, I congratulate Denzel Washington & Halle Berry for having stolen the Oscars last Sunday. It was about time for Denzel to win *nods* I actually wanted Nicole Kidman to win just for the sake of pissing off Tom Cruise. Too bad she didn't win... but she was strikingly shiny that night. And to my surprise (and that of some friends who watched the Academy Awards with me), Jennifer Connelly was so dull, so brown, so not shiny at all! What did she put on her makeup? She's beautiful & shiny enough without too much makeup. Maybe her dress had something to do with it.

Ryan Phillippe & Reese Witherspoon were as wonderful & classy as ever. Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw reminded me of the sad but romantic Love Story (they still look the same!). I was a bit disappointed that Amélie didn't win, but I heard No Man's Land is a good movie. Above all, I love Cirque du Soleil's short performance of Quidam & other shows.

I enjoyed Sunday night a lot... although I didn't sleep at all the night before. I spent the day hanging out at the Niko's (Sandra's, Ronald's, Gabby's, and Deni's last name) with my extended family. Yes, family. Or inner circle. They are the ones who make me want to stay in the USA. I was always wanting to go back to Indonesia as soon as I could. But I finally decided to stay here, at least for the next few years. All because of them, because I now have a family. I am a part of a family. Remembering that night makes me feel all warm & fuzzy. Even until now.

10:25:00 AM
To sleep or not to sleep, that is the question...

9:52:00 AM
Hey, what a coincidence, Dican!
Secretary was also my second Permias PennState officer position (back in 1998), after having been appointed as webmaster (on 1997). I am amazed that you are the secretary now, after I appointed you as the webmaster last year! XD
Or should I be horrified...?

Above all, congratulations! Tell Dedi to be a good president, will you?

9:27:00 AM
I have just finished reorganizing my photos into one main photo album. Before, I had two photo albums. I liked both Printroom & Epson. However, Printroom decided to discontinue the ability to view actual size of the photos (high res) since I don't know when. So I decided to move the photos on my Printroom account to my Epson account. Actually, I had always wanted to integrate the photo albums into one main account, because I have always liked Epson's features more than Printroom. But of course.... I had been lazy to do so and kept procrastinating ("what else is new, Elyse?"). I'm satisfied now that the organizing is done. Finally.

I have also added a few new photos. Leave a comment or two if you happen to visit the photo album, s'il vous plait? You may do so in the photo album's guestbook (located at each album), or here at the main guestbook.

8:06:00 PM
I forgot to mention earlier... (more like, I was lazy to do so =P)
I went to see Dralion (from the famous Cirque du Soleil) with 4 friends on Friday, March 8, performing next to the Queen Mary, Long Beach, California. It was simply wonderful. Absolutely worthy *nod nod*

Now I just need to keep an eye on upcoming Cirque du Soleil tours in LA area. But maybe not for another year or two...

9:12:00 PM
Up to a new challenge? Try the most current friendtest ^^
I might make new tests every now and then, just for fun. If I can think of the questions, of course.

By the way, the new test leans towards my most current self (current daily life, preferences, etc). So the result can be totally unexpected. And obviously, people who hangout with me most currently know the answers better.

8:19:00 PM
Tomorrow
OST from the movie "Annie"

The sun'll come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow, there'll be sun!
Just thinkin' about tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow till there's none

When I'm stuck a day that's gray and lonely
I just stick out my chin and grin and say, "Oh!"

The sun'll come out tomorrow
So you gotta hang on till tomorrow
Come what may
Tomorrow! Tomorrow!
I love ya, tomorrow!
You're always a day away

6:29:00 AM
Decided to add comment/feedback feature for every entry. After having spent months searching for the most wonderful remotely hosted comment system, I chose to stick with netcomments. It's simply wonderful, far surpasses blogback *nods* Cannot wait for the comment editing feature to be finished. Then, it would be perfect!

4:41:00 AM
music: david benoit - kei's song

The answers to the quiz, s'il vous plait...

1. First love to music: (i.e. the genre that made me fall in love to music in the first place)
answer: classical (Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin)
comment: Before I knew any other genre of music (musical, jazz, 80's, new age), I fell in love with classical music. Why? Because I learned to play piano since I was 5. The majority of the test-takers answered musical, which comes second chronologically.

2. Soda:
answer: Italian hazelnut soda
comment: Tricky, isn't it? :D Normally I do not like soda, except for Italian hazelnut soda (my ultimate favorite) & IBC cream soda (the second-best answer).

3. What I really want to do in the future (aka dream job):
answer: A wonderful housewife & excellent mother (full-time), with a small amount of work (part-time) for steady income
comment: Everything else comes second. To be a housewife & mother is my future. To excel as a housewife & mother and to be able to support my future husband with steady income is my goal. I am not ambitious in careerwise, you see...

4. Most favorite fragrance: (i.e. the fragrance I usually put on after taking a bath)
answer: Zwitsal's Baby Lotion
comment: Smells good all the time. Most natural, too. Bath & Body Works' Country Apple comes second. The other perfumes listed come third. I only use perfumes occassionally, for special events only. But the baby lotion & country apple are used everyday, one or the other, interchangeably.

5. The next best thing to orgasm:
answer: Ossetra caviar on top of goose foie gras with truffles on top of Carr's crackers
comment: It would be nice to be able to shop as much as I please, own as many anime as possible, or see as many Broadway shows as possible, but nothing would beat the ecstasy of the first bite of Ossetra caviar + goose foie gras + Carr's crackers combined.

6. First criterion of a future husband:
answer: mature
comment: One could be all caring & dependable, but if he is not mature, I do not take a second consideration.

7. First love to anime/manga:(i.e. the title that made me fall in love to anime/manga in the first place)
answer: Candy Candy
comment: I fell in love with anime/manga since 6th grade. Candy Candy was the introduction manga, and I have always loved it forever. Candy Candy, Garasu no Kamen (Glass Mask), and Chizumi & Fujiomi are the anime titles I knew back then when I was in Indonesia, before I went to the USA. The majority picked Maison Ikkoku.

8. The most beautiful language:
answer: French
comment: If you read my journal here, you'll get it easily. I often write in French, don't I? And anyone who picked Indonesian is simply.... wrong! ¬_¬

9. The fashion designer label I loved the most from Spring 2001 collection: (hint: see firstview.com)
answer: Cacharel
comment: I once wrote an entry about this. The Spring 2001 collection of Cacharel is my utmost favorite: French style meets Japanese. Toile print meets obi. Vivienne Westwood comes second.

10. I thank God for:
answer: My mom
comment: Everything else comes second. I would not have been what I am today without my mom.

Tricky, hm? ^^

6:08:00 PM
Change Our Hearts
Rory Cooney

Change our hearts this time, your word says it can be.
Change our minds this time, your life could make us free.
We are the people your call set apart, Lord, this time change our hearts.
(coda after #3: This time change our hearts. This time change our minds. This time change our hearts, change our hearts.)

#1
Brought by your hand to the edge of our dreams,
one foot in paradise, one in the waste;
drawn by your promises,
still we are lured by the shadows and the chains we leave behind. But... (back to main paragraph)
#2
Now as we watch you stretch out your hands, off'ring abundances, fullness of joy.
Your milk and honey seem distant, unreal, when we have bread and water in our hands. But... (back to main paragraph)
#3
Show us the way that leads to your side, over the mountains and sands of the soul.
Be for us manna, water from stone, light which says we never walk alone. And... (back to main paragraph)

2:59:00 AM
Before the day ends...
Happy Birthday, my dear cousin :D

5:34:00 AM
music of the mind: andrea bocelli - sogno

I was very happy
When you smiled at me
With the smile that melted everything away

Although today is another painful day,
And even though yesterday's wounds remain,
If I can open up with the heart that wants to believe in,
I can never be born again...
But I can change as I go on

Let's stay together forever...

{for my dear bestfriend, tata}

7:15:00 PM
Friendtest.com is hacked. How lovely. Not only did I lose my test, statistics, and highscores, but also the account was gone. To make matter worse, the amount of popups have now increased as well. Wonderful, simply wonderful.

Anyhow.
I'll create a new quiz soon.
The questions will be slightly different than before, but some of them might remain the same.
This time I'll put points on the alternative answers. Therefore, the second-best (or third-best, and so on) answer can earn points, too. That's probably the good thing with the new friendtest, after having been hacked.

I'll also post the answer to the quiz here later on.

4:21:00 AM
music of the mind: johann pachelbel - canon in d

I will cherish all my memories to the end
Even if they are sad memories that hurt me so deeply
Even if they are so sad that I wish I could forget about them forever
If I can bear with them and not run away from them
Then someday..., someday it will make me a stronger person
I want to believe....
That no memories should be forgotten forever..
Thus... I will keep them in my heart...
Forever...

{excerpts from Fruits Basket 15}

10:11:00 PM
Mrehehehe... :D
Yes, yes, the test is hard indeed. And yet it proves a good relation to who really knows me (i.e. in real life) and pays attention to small details in daily life (i.e. what I like), or often reads my blog (yes, the person with the nickname "me ^_^" is a regular reader). And of course, one can easily guess the relationship of the top 3 on the highscore list (as of now) to myself. Them being:
Ndut: my dear younger brother. The real name is Ivan. "Ndut" is just a nickname (Indonesian). It means "chubby".
Kara: you know who she is.. my dear bestfriend during my 4 years in Penn State.
Bayu: my bestfriend since after-highschool.

Of course, put in mind that people were also guessing. So not all people who achieved highscores (50-70) truly know the answers 100% without some guessings, which is perfectly fine ^^ But hey, you guessed my personality/liking right, people :D

6:27:00 AM
Anybody who used the nickname "me ^_^" with a score of 70 on my test, please identify who you are. I am amazed that you can reach such a high score. Yes, it's considered high, since people have told me my test is difficult & tricky =P

Oh, and to other people who haven't taken the test & are thinking of trying it, please use your real name or known nickname if you could. I'd like to check the statistics, so please do. Thank you =)

4:33:00 AM
I invite all of you to try my do-you-really-know-me test: elyse.friendtest.com.

I wanted to make one since about six months ago, when the most popular site back then was quizyourfriends.com. But that site has too many popups, I was so sick of them to even think of opening a new account. And of course, I was too lazy thinking of the questions and kept procrastinating. What else is new, hm? =P

5:36:00 AM
Bapa surgawi..
Ajarku mengenal betapa dalamnya kasihMu
Bapa surgawi..
Buatku mengerti betapa kasihMu padaku

Semua yang terjadi di dalam hidupku
Ajarku menyadari Kau slalu sertaku
Bri hatiku slalu bersyukur padaMu
Karna rencanaMu indah bagiku