A Visit From Afar

My adopted mom, her real son, and a dear friend came to visit Salatiga for a wedding. It wasn't my wedding but our mutual friend's wedding. It was good to see them, especially my adopted mom that we finally met. Here are some pictures when we went to Jogja and visited Prambanan temple and stopped by a delicious pizza restaurant called Nanamia for dinner.

@Nanamia, recommended for Pizza lovers.

A Mother feeding a cow

Getting older is inevitable, but getting mature is an option.

Susu, Peco and Mom in action!

Close up. Too hairy...

Pacitan.2010

After saving up for about 12 weeks, we finally had the money to go vacationing as a group. Yes, we picked Pacitan cause we think why not. It's the closest beach with amazing views, accomodations by the beach and good food. Even if all of those above non-existent, we would still go because things can be so much fun with great friends. Rooms had been booked, cars were rented, endless list of things to bring and do were done and finals details had been discussed. Friday night at 7PM off we went to Pacitan. There are more than 1,000 pictures were taken during our weekend trip. Here are some pictures I like.

My Cousin's Wedding

The party.

The traditional wedding at the temple.

We strolled down the Petitenget beach on our way back to the hotel from the wedding and shot this pic.

My cousin Linda and her just official husband, Jay, posed for family picture with their parents.

See Outside the Window

My 3m x 4m room has two windows; the first window faces the backside of the vocational school next door, and the other one has a view of the mountain. The second window has a more appealing view - beautiful Mount Merbabu - but it is not my favorite.

Though its view is unpleasant (an unfinished building, an eyesore), the first window is special. Every morning through that very window, I can see birds fly off of the roof of that building; singing, twittering, and chirping as they begin their journey each new day. I am sure those birds have been occupying that roof for a long time, but I wasn't aware of their existence until recently.

There is always excitement when I wake up in the morning and hear them singing. The sound is a remedy for the side effects of my lack of sleep or for my inability to get out of bed.

I wonder, though, if they, at some point in their lives, ever get tired of doing the same thing every day. I think of me doing the same thing every day. Some people would call it a routine and some people might want to vomit when they think about that word. When I get myself into a routine, it's easy for me to lose perspective or even to believe that what I'm doing is meaningless and doesn't impact the lives of others.

I am encouraged by what I've learned from the birds. Instinct may tell them to do the same thing every morning, but unlike them, I have a free will to choose what I want to do. Those birds will never know that their daily routine has brought delight into my life. And who knows if the routines in my life (and you, too) could bring delight and encouragement to someone else?

Gili - Bali Adventures

The first sunrise of 2010 in Gili Air
A boat that took us around the Gili islands.

The ocean view from Gili Air.