Attracted to

Sometime I wonder why I’m attracted to someone or something, just like anyone would wonder why they have special interest on particular things. 

The trigger could be anything (including your genes or hormones perhaps), and it’s likely endorsed or nurtured by our surroundings and environment

Let me give a glimpse example of things that I’m attracted to, and by any chance endorsed by comic books, magazines, novels and stuff like that:

1. Jet Fighters

I have natural affection to jet fighter airplanes such as F-15 Eagle, F-14 Tomcat, Panavia Tornado and many others. 

Perhaps it’s because when I was a little kid I saw calendar next to the kitchen wall that depicts beautifully majestic jet fighters, and so most likely it was my trigger.

And perhaps that trigger endorsed by Tanguy & Laverdure comics, also by articles on boy’s magazine back then. 

If someone ask me what I want to be when I grow up back then, definitely I’d reply: I want to be a fighter pilot! 

hmmm… lucky me that fateful calendar didn’t depict a bearded man with his guitar and weary eyes stare furiously as money fell from the sky and says Rhoma Irama, Hujan Duit (=Money Rain)

2. Cuisine Delights 

I’m sure everyone who ever read Asterix comics, would know the reader’s excitement and anticipation when the comics illustrate Obelix enjoys his yummy roasted wild boar, as it’s the most enjoyable thing in the world.

I recall when I’m still a little kid that I have really high praise for Padang/Minang girls, because I think their traditional cuisine was so spicy and yummy, as a kid I imagine If I marry ‘one of them’ then perhaps we could enjoy this wonderful cuisines ‘together’ for the rest of our life.

Also back then if I saw a girl who’s enjoying bakso (meatballs clear soup) with bihun (rice noodles) or mie ayam (boiled chicken noodle) sometimes I discreetly gaze at her and subjectively think that she’s cute and loveable he3x, probably back then as a kid my ‘attractive girl’ definition subjectively influenced by her cuisine preferences.

3. Good Person 

Hmmm… because I read a lot since I was a kid, (also read other people’s mind too )

I think I have a lot of admirations for people with good behaviour and good intention 

In one way or another my admiration perhaps inspired by these comics and stuffs like: Trigan Empire, Storm, Si Janggut Merah (=Red Beard), Safan, Eppo (btw if you could find me this magazine perhaps I’d give you a big hug), Tintin, Lucky Luke, Bobo, Ananda, Hai, Tanguy & Laverdure, RA Kosasih’s wayang comics, cerita silat (=chinese martial arts epic-series) Enid Blyton’s series, City Hunter, Harry Potter series and many more… 

 

 

Angel's Chat

One day I lost my way to lunch and all of a sudden I came out on an angel’s club common room

I can tell by the self-less but confident aura from corner to corner of the room

And because angels could appear in several forms I manage to mingle in the form of human and no one would notice me

I casually grab a magazine titled A Guardian Life and start concealing myself on one shady corner behind that magazine, while trying to hear what they’re talking about

Soon I heard friendly chat next to my place

Voice 1: busy day Mike? fighting demons that trying to manipulate lost humans?

Voice 2: hey Gaby, nah… the demons is just a secondary enemy nowadays

 

(me thinking quietly: how odd?)

 

Gaby: so what’s troubling those poor humans now?

Mike: apparently they’re consumed by their own self nowadays Gaby

Gaby: what do you mean?

Mike: it seem that many human has become fragmented and could only think 
        about themselves

Gaby: they’re misleading by their own self-centeredness?

Mike: well…, being selfish is quite tempting for sure

(me still thinking quietly: yea being selfish for a 6 years old child perhaps quite normal but for a responsible grownup it’s quite pathetic)

 

Mike: as selfish person you only have to worry about your own feelings and 
        senses, you don’t have to bother seeing other people perspectives on 
        things or try to understand other people feelings and senses  

Gaby: hmmm… perhaps I should give updated message to human, that to 
         understand each other better means that you loved each other better
 

(me: hmmm should I asked them a couple of my personal questions about that?)

 

But before I could ask anything to them, all of the sudden I came back again to this wonderful world with around 6,7 billion unique feelings and senses…

 

well maybe later then dear angels…

The Frog Institute

Once upon a time in a land far-far away there is a wonderful kingdom with its princes and princesses

Young princes in this kingdom go to Higher Education for Young Princes, or better known as TFI (=The Frog Institute)

They learn to understand themselves and their surroundings at the institute…

T (=Teacher): “all right class gather up, today we’re going to discuss about Cinderella”

T: as we all know that she really is a good person, but now we’re going to analyze why Cinderella with her unparalleled goodness and sweet temper suddenly left the prince at the ball…, any opinion young princes?

P (=Prince) 1: “maybe she forgot to put out her stove fire at home?”

P2: “perhaps she has unbearable PMS (=premenstrual syndrome) and has to go?”

P3: “perhaps she’s not really Cinderella but a stand in???”

T:  “hmmm… actually the fairy godmother has clearly told Cinderella that she has to be back home before midnight, everything will be back to the original condition at midnight, and because she was wearing torn gown when the spell was casted by the fairy godmother, naturally she won’t like being seen by the prince with that torn gown so she ran away right before midnight”

T: “next question, why she drop a glass slipper at the palace staircase?”

P1: “perhaps she thinks that she still growing so she wears size 38 instead of size 37?”

P2: “perhaps she wants to drop both slippers but just could manage one?”

T: “well that’s what we called a twist of luck, so the prince could trails Cinderella later on with that glass slipper”

P1: “o respectful teacher, why doesn’t Cinderella just simply came back to the prince the next morning?”

T: “yes that would simplify things my young prince, but sometimes life’s just so simple and easy yet sometimes it’s quite a bit complicated, just be grateful with yours”

P2: “regarding complicated o reverent teacher why in this institute we have to temporarily shape shifted into frogs?

T: "ah good question young prince! when in the temporary form of frog you’ll have the chance to see the world from a really different perspective, you’ll understand how it likes to be an insignificant and vulnerable frog"

T: "it also could benefit you when you met a princess"

T: "if by any chance you met a wonderful princess while you’re in disguised form as a frog and thankfully she could accept you unconditionally, then you’ll know that she must be a really good person that would embrace you with happiness and delight no matter what young prince"

Simple Tuna Spaghetti

Weeks ago when we’re at Warung Laos Bandung, my boss recommending chili tuna spaghetti that’s on the menu, well... because I seldom having spaghetti other than with bolognaise sauce, I don’t expect much of this one.

But when I taste it, something unexpected happen… my senses erupting! My tastes break loose… my dear God it’s the best spaghetti that I ever have, the texture of the taste is so simple and light but yet it accentuate the delight and savor of its simple ingredients…

And yesterday when I have the honour accompanying a friend of mine who’s an expert on the culinary marvel to the wonderful Huize Trivelli, I asked her advice on this kind of spaghetti; she listens to my description then gives basic recipe guidance…

So this is my first attempt to make Simple Tuna Spaghetti…

 

Some of The Ingredients

 

 The Outcome

Formula One Calendar 2008

01. 2008 FORMULA 1™ ING Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne) 14 - 16 Mar

Race Day, 16 March: 11.30 (Jakarta), 15.30 (Melbourne)

 

02. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix (Kuala Lumpur) 21 - 23 Mar

Race Day, 23 March: 14.00 (Jakarta), 15.00 (Kuala Lumpur)

 

03. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix (Bahrain) 04 - 06 Apr

Race Day, 06 April: 18.30 (Jakarta), 14.30 (Bahrain)

 

04. FORMULA 1™ Gran Premio de España Telefónica 2008 (Catalunya) 25 - 27 Apr

Race Day, 27 April: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Catalunya)

 

05. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Petrol Ofisi Turkish Grand Prix (Istanbul) 09 - 11 May

Race Day, 11 May: 19.00 (Jakarta), 15.00 (Istanbul)

 

06. FORMULA 1™ Grand Prix de Monaco 2008 (Monte Carlo) 22 - 25 May

Race Day, 25 May: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Monte Carlo)

 

07. FORMULA 1™ Grand Prix du Canada 2008 (Montreal) 06 - 08 Jun

Race Day, 08 June: 00.00 (early Monday @ Jakarta), 13.00 (Sunday afternoon @ Montreal)

 

08. FORMULA 1™ Grand Prix de France 2008 (Magny-Cours) 20 - 22 Jun

Race Day, 22 June: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Magny-Cours)

 

09. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Santander British Grand Prix (Silverstone) 04 - 06 Jul

Race Day, 06 July: 19.00 (Jakarta), 13.00 (Silverstone)

 

10. FORMULA 1™ Grosser Preis von Deutschland 2008 (Hockenheim) 18 - 20 Jul

Race Day, 20 July: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Hockenheim)

 

11. FORMULA 1™ Magyar Nagydíj 2008 (Budapest) 01 - 03 Aug

Race Day, 03 August: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Budapest)

 

12. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Grand Prix of Europe (Valencia) 22 - 24 Aug

Race Day, 24 August: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Valencia)

 

13. 2008 FORMULA 1™ ING Belgian Grand Prix (Spa-Francorchamps) 05 - 07 Sep

Race Day, 07 September: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Spa-Francorchamps)

 

14. FORMULA 1™ Gran Premio Santander d'Italia 2008 (Monza) 12 - 14 Sep

Race Day, 14 September: 19.00 (Jakarta), 14.00 (Monza)

 

15. 2008 FORMULA 1™ SingTel Singapore Grand Prix (Singapore) 26 - 28 Sep

Race Day, 28 September: 19.00 (Jakarta), 20.00 (Singapore)

 

16. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix (Fuji Speedway) 10 - 12 Oct

Race Day, 12 October: 11.30 (Jakarta), 13.30 (Fuji Speedway)

 

17. 2008 FORMULA 1™ Sinopec Chinese Grand Prix (Shanghai) 17 - 19 Oct

Race Day, 19 October: 14.00 (Jakarta), 15.00 (Shanghai)

 

18. FORMULA 1™ Grande Prêmio do Brasil 2008 (Sao Paulo) 31 Oct - 02 Nov

Race Day, 02 November: To Be Confirmed later

Content

 

Not so long ago while driving to Bandung, a friend of mine chat about his worries for his upcoming marriage, getting cold feet eh? Well in western society you could ask your friend preparing an emergency escape route if you change your mind on the last minute, for example you could pretend to passed out at the altar then your friend could drove you away he3x.

Hmmm… there are lots of cliché questions regarding marriage such as: is she or he the right one for me or am I the right person for her or for him, or are we’re gonna be happy together? Well the bad news is perhaps you’ll find out not before but after you’re getting married, but the good news is you might actually marrying the most suitable person for you, just by enjoying your journey together.

Contemplating on my friend uncertainty back then, I'd like to share my opinion to give them something to think about.

Maybe you could start with yourself first, we all have little flaws here and there, so if we could accept our own imperfection lightly then we should check if we could tolerate our spouse imperfection, if you love each other so much (well it’s the chemistry inside your brains or perhaps the hormones he3x) then you’ll accept he or she as it is and you’ll always believe that whatever he or she did always intend to give the best to you and nothing less.

But something that both of you should aware from the beginning is your expectations on your life, it’s quite delicate because every person has their own dreams and desires.

*remember one of our ‘jomblus ajus’(=being single for a long time) friend that has a thing with pizza and batman? Perhaps we should introduce him to a nice girl wearing batgirl costume holding a hot and steamy pizza on one hand, while offering a batman costume to him with her other hand. (He3x this is just a hyperbolic illustration).

My point is please make sure that you’re quite understand and comfortable with your spouse’s dreams and desires from the beginning, and he or she also knows and comfortable with your dreams and desires too, many young couples have difficulties with their marriage life because they don’t seem to know what they want in life and hope that marriage will make them happier, so please help them God.

Another thing that you guys should be aware of is the mutual contentment, perhaps he or she is not the best there is for you, but if you feel content with him or her, then you’ll be just fine.

PS: content means happy with one’s lot

Insight

As human we’re all equipped with cognitive ability, and we also equipped with the capability of mental associating, deducing, and analyzing, so in some ways we (yes all of us) could read other people’s mind or get a hunch about other people intention.

When we reflect on someone it’s good if we could appreciate that person hidden intention and feelings beyond her or his apparent deeds.

Some shy people perhaps couldn't really express their feelings and intention freely on an ordinary community, so it’s possible that other people misunderstood her or him; on the other hand perhaps some expressive and bold people maybe could also give a misleading perception to other people with different interaction style.

For sure it needs wisdom and comprehensive understanding to see something beyond what it seem on the surface of anything, sometime it looks tempting jumping to conclusion when evaluating something, but a more prudent approach might gives us clearer and better perception of the condition we’re embracing.

So we could understand other people better.

 

PS: insight means the ability to perceive and understand the true nature of something