Think positive…

So, yesterday, I’ve got this epiphany… to be positive….
Yeah, scary rite? Me, probably one of the most negative persons in the world (and sounds like I’m proud of it -_-), can think positively for a change!!! What gets to me anyway???

 … Well, I dunno the answers – that’s why I put those questions in the first place, hehehe. (fyi, my hyped mode’s currenly on)

Anyway, yeah, it’s kinda funny really, and it makes you feel good as well.

For example, confession… I don’t really like Bali, as a place to live. I love it as a holiday destination, but not for a place to live permanently. I like the beaches, the views and the culture, but, it’s simply too hot for me here. And, though people think I’m lucky to be working at Kuta, I had never appreciated Kuta Beach until yesterday.

I used to think that Kuta Beach is too crowded and dirty… and well, I still do and it’s a fact really (the crowded and dirty part), but… yesterday I realized that even so, it hasn’t lost its beauty. If you just stay still for a while, sit on the beach and just forget about all your problems, the beauty is still there…. The smell of the sea, the sun, the wind… everything… it’s just so beautiful! No wonder people love coming to Kuta.

Lesson learned: appreciate something by noticing its beauty rather than its flaws.

Next, well, I got home, washed some dirty clothes, and while I left them to soak with the softener…. bam… somehow, my bathroom was locked from the inside – wasn’t sure if it was locked accidentally or if it was broken. I didn’t have the key, so I couldn’t get inside and it was too late to call the landlord. (It was like… almost midnight at the time.)

The first thought that came to my mind, “Sh**! Why is this happening to me??? Just my luck!”

But then … I guess if it were a movie, there would be a sudden bright light from the sky (or from the ceiling??)… and a holy sound… I suddenly thought, “Well, thank God I’m not inside. If the lock is actually broken, I wouldn’t be able to go out and I would have to scream, waking up my neighbors. So I’m lucky.”

Wow… the moment I realized how positive I’d been, I’m like… “Wow, I’ve changed!” :p

…

Well, I don’t think it’ll happen for long, but while it does, you know what I’m thinking right now?… Despite being pathetic because I move a lot and I do not have a clear plan of where and how my life is going to be, that going from one place to another has actually earned me a lot of friends.

So, my friends, anywhere you are, I love you all!! Hihihi….

Understanding Engineers

Got this joke from a friend, very funny.  

One:
To the optimist, the glass is half full.
To the pessimist, the glass is half empty.
To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

Two:
A priest, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularly slow group of golfers.
The engineer fumed, “What’s with those blokes? We must have been waiting for fifteen minutes!”
The doctor chimed in, “I don’t know, but I’ve never seen such inept golf!”
The priest said, “Here comes the greenkeeper. Let’s have a word with him.”
He said, “Hello, George! What’s wrong with that group ahead of us? They’re rather slow, aren’t they?”
The greenkeeper replied, “Oh, yes. That’s a group of blind fire-fighters. They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime.”
The group fell silent for a moment. The priest said, “That’s so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight.”
The doctor said, “Good idea. I’m going to contact my ophthalmologist colleague and see if there’s anything he can do for them.”
The engineer said, “Why can’t they play at night?”

Three:
The graduate with a science degree asks, “Why does it work?”
The graduate with an engineering degree asks, “How does it work?”
The graduate with an accounting degree asks, “How much will it cost?”
The graduate with an arts degree asks, “Do you want fries with that?”

Four:
Normal people believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.

Five:
An engineer was crossing a road one day, when a frog called out to him and said, “If you kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess.”
He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
The frog spoke up again and said, “If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week.”
The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.
The frog then cried out, “If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I’ll stay with you for one week and do ANYTHING you want.”
Again, the engineer took the frog out, smiled at it and put it back into his pocket.
Finally, the frog asked, “What’s the matter? I’ve told you I’m a beautiful princess and that I’ll stay with you for one week and do anything you want. Why won’t you kiss me?”
The engineer said, “Look, I’m an engineer. I don’t have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog… now that’s cool!”

Plan your wedding early …

So, this is a chat that my friend and I had about two months ago. It’s so hillarious that I decided to post it here. :lol: The conversation has been translated and slightly edited.

(A: my friend, let’s say that her name is ‘Patty’; B: me)

A:	Viooonnn…
B:	Patty…
A:	Hoho, wanna ask you something. Have you been to Ma Joly restaurant? I’m browsing ‘bali wedding’.
B:	Hmm… I think I’ve heard about it, but it’s kinda expensive. Don’t know if the food is good or not, wkwkwk. Why? You wanna get married there?
A:	Well, my dream wedding is in Bali, outdoor, exotic view, beach…, and if I have it at a restaurant, it can be cheaper. I found an offer for 1500 USD for a wedding package at Ma Joly. Quite a good deal for a wedding and looks like the spot is alright.
B:	^_^;;
A:	…By the sea, sunset.
B:	Any candidate [for a husband] yet?
A:	Not yet!!!
B:	Well, then….
A:	You remind me…
B:	Then think about it later.
A:	Eh, there’s nothing wrong with planning ahead.
B:	Err….
A:	Because I’m indecisive.
B:	No comment.
A:	So, try and see the restaurant, then let me know, wkwkwkwk.
B:	Hmm… I don’t think it’s an exceptionally good one. Those in Nusa Dua are better, I think.
A:	Hahaha, this is what you get for a low price. I hope my future husband is rich. This is why you search for a wedding spot before you have any ‘candidate’, you can still pray for it. Wakakaka.
B:	^_^;

So, moral of the story… if you want a grand, expensive wedding, find a rich husband. If a simple wedding is not a problem, anyone will do…. Wait, isn’t that supposed to be the other way around?? Wakakaka.

Am I A Brainiac?

Another one from Blogthings. Hehehe, not sure if this is correct, but …

You Are a Total Brainiac

You’re amazingly brilliant. Some would even say genius. You’re curious, thoughtful, analytical, and confident. You take on difficult subjects because you want to… not because you have to. No field of knowledge is too complicated or intimidating for you. You’ve got the brains to do anything you want. It’s possible you end up doing everything you want.

Are You a Brainiac?

I only wish I know what I want to do! Sigh ….

Tintilla Estate’s Spritzanti Lizzie

Spritzanti Lizzie 2008

Tintilla Estate
Spritzanti Lizzie 2008
www.tintilla.com.au

Vion’s Note:
I bought this wine at Tintilla Estate Winery at Hunter Valley – an area (suburb?) about 1.5 hours drive from Sydney that is well-known for its wines. The Lizzie is one of their specialty; I think they’ve got various kinds of it: red wine, white wine, and sparkling one. The Lizzie is generally sweeter and lower in alcohol. This particular Lizzie, the Spritzanti Lizzie, combines the crisp taste that you get from white wine with a hint of sweetness, so it’s not too sweet and not too bitter. It gives a smooth finish in your palate. It’s one of my favorite, very light with only 9% alcohol, perfect to have while reading a good novel.

Domaine Pinnacle Ice Apple Wine

Domaine Pinnacle 2002

Domaine Pinnacle 2002
Ice Apple Wine
Selected by Camus
Product of Quebec
www.domainepinnacle.com

“Pinnacle Ice Apple Wine is truly an outstanding taste experience. Rich, golden and full-bodied in the glass, it has an appealing mellow flavour and a clean, distinct taste of apples that builds from its smooth, velvety start to its well-balanced, long-lasting finish.” (- taken from the product description on the back of the bottle)

Vion’s Note:
This is the first non-grape variety wine that I’ve tried. I must say I like the grape variety better, but nonetheless it is a nice variation that offers something quite different. The wine gives you a very sweet and intense apple taste with low alcohol content of only 11%. I, personally, think that the wine is a bit too sweet. My Mom thinks it is just perfect though and this particular wine is actually considered to be one of the best of its kind. So, while it might not be a keeper for my own personal wine collection, but it sure is a good wine and for the apple-lovers out there, I think you’ll love this.

Desk Tag

Tagged by Ano to write a post about my desk a month ago and finally, got the time to do it.

Hmm … nothing much, really. It’s a messy, far-from-personal working desk. Funny thing, though, despite the nature of our company to move  the programmers around, I was placed at the same desk twice already. So there I am, spending most of my time at the company at the exact same spot (with the view to the street, it’s actually quite a good one).

Oke … now … here’s a picture of my desk. I’ve marked four items that need to be on my desk in order for me to be able to work:

1. Coffee: This job sadly makes me addicted to coffee TT … Now I need coffee to concentrate on my job. (Sometimes I replace it with tea, though.)
2. ipod: Programming goes really well with music, plus … it keeps away the clicking sound that other people make (although I think I make the loudest one, hehehe). 
3. External harddisk: The office network can really be a good source for movies, games, music … and oh, manga!! Yay for all of you who are kind enough to share your files!
4. Lotion: Ehm … not really related to the job itself, but my skin can become really dry sometimes and having some lotion at the office is really a life-saver.

And … that’s it!

Hmm … am I supposed to tag someone else? (If so, I’ll think of some names later.)

As urged by Eru, I would then tag the following people:

1. Madh
2. Vinae
3. Pipit
4. Surya
5. Andy
6. Papap

 

PS: My bad, the glass is almost empty, hahaha, so I guess it shouldn’t have said “a glass of coffee”… >.<

Q1-ners

Kayanya post ini bakalan garink … tapi ga pa-pa lah, demi bacaan beberapa orang yg butuh junk, hahaha.

Oke, so what is it with Q1??? Kayanya paling heboh and paling dudulz deh, ato mungkin benernya cuma perasaan kita doang, ya, hahaha. Tapi, bener kok, kalo diinget-inget lagi, banyak banget kejadian bodoh and kocak yang bisa bikin orang (at least gw) ketawa.

So, gw mo sharing beberapa kejadian itu. Kalo blom pada tau, monggo cari tau sama orang yang tau, hahaha. Kontribusi-nya, silakan kalau ada & niat. :p

1. Will ngusir PM dari kursinya demi maen DOTA (di kantor lho). Padahal PM-nya sedang terlibat pembicaraan serius sama orang laen.
2. Vina pingsan pas lagi presentation …. Benernya lebih ke nyeremin sih, tapi … karena anak-nya dah sehat-sehat aja, jadi lucu juga kalo diinget-inget. Gara-gara Bung Taufan nanya pertanyaan susah, jadi deh, pingsan. Hahahaha.
3. Imam’s “BRAVO” pas happy hour, keras, didenger semua, karena kebetulan semua lagi pada diem. Bravo, Mam!
4. Pas training, semua langsung heboh di Borg Chat begitu salah satu trainer ngomong sth yg rada nyolot. Padahal niat anak2 dah mau rajin, merhatiin, langsung deh … malah protes2 and ngegosip.
5. Jendulz yang ngerangkum jawaban ujian di email. Hebat!
6. Bonya yang bisa dapet soal ujian sebelum ujian dimulai. Pantesan anak-anak cepet banget ngerjainnya ya.
7. Vina dibohongin ampir semua anak Q1 pas training. Kalo ga salah, dibilangin lagi ada test, semua lagi ngerjain …. Vina sampe panik, nanya sana-sini, hebatnya, semua langsung ngerti kalo Vina lagi dibohongin. Dari ujung satu ke ujung laen, semua kompak boongin, sampe Vinae ampir nanya ke trainer, hehehe.
8. Dari Vina nih: Pas jalan-jalan - ga semua anak Q1 ikut sih waktu itu – Engkong dengan pede-nya nunjukin jalan ke Dreamland.

Engkong: “Lewat situ, lurus terus aja!!”
Bram: “Bukannya ini nanti nyampe ke Nusa Dua?!”
Engkong: “Engga, bener kok. Lurus aja. Kalo ke Nusa Dua …” (pe-de banget)

… Ga berapa lama … palang gede “Welcome to Nusa Dua” keliatan. Semua langsung ngakak, wakakaka. … Trus, kejadian kaya gini terjadi lagi … 15 menit kemudian. ^_^;

9. Vina … melancarkan jurus-jurus karate di depan ruang PM, sampe PM-nya kirim email ke Vina.
10. (Kontribusi Surya) Satu hari, ada client mayan penting, dateng, diajak liat-liat training anak2 Q1. PM kita, yang masih sangat mempercayai anak-anak didiknya, mengajak client tersebut ngobrol sama Jendulz. Trus pas ditanya, “What do you think about xxx (the product)?” … Jendulz, “Oh .. it’s old-fashioned and horrible….” PM kita pun cuma bisa mesem-mesem, hihihi. Maap ya, Pa….
11. Vion… dengan nervous-nya, ceritanya mau jemput Madh untuk happy hour. Kirain pas masuk gedung, bakal ada semacam hallway (jalan) dulu, terus, baru ada ruang2 gitu…. Ternyata di An5 engga…. ^_^;;; Panik deh, pas ketemu ngeliat semua anggota tim Madh ada di sana, termasuk team leader-nya yang bukan lain adalah salah satu trainer yg super pinter (and bikin segen)…. Yang kepikiran cuma bisa bilang, “It’s happy hour time.” And… malu setengah mati, langsung keluar deh….
12. Nungguin Madh sampe selesai (masih projek yang sama dengan team leader yang sama)… pada lagi nunggu di luar, mau makan – ada Vinae, Edo and Engkong kalo ga salah. Trus, Vinae, dengan happy-nya… teriak di depan pintu, “Ari, Ari….” …. Yang keluar malah anggota tim Ari… (salah satu trainer juga…). – trus kata Madh, di dalem, team leader-nya sebenernya nge-reply, “Ari-nya lagi makan…” …. malu-nya…. Dikirain gw lagi yang manggil, halah!
13. Ibu Negara kita… pernah dibikin nangis 2 kali lhoo… salah satu-nya sama gw, ups, maap, Bu. Pertama: berhubung ulang taun, anak-anak pada isenk… jadi deh timbul ide nyembunyiin laptop yang baru dibeli sama Ibu Negara kita. Katanya sih pencetus ide-nya Kebow, and yg turut bersalah menyembunyikan laptop-nya… Bude!!! Semua kaget and jadi ga tega pas Ibu Negara nangis… kecuali Kebow…. Baru ngaku pas Ibu Negara menelepon mamah-nya…. Sadis, Kebow….
14. Kedua…. Ibu Negara mau nempatin tempat kost-an-nya Madh. Tapi harus nunggu Madh keluar dulu. Kayanya waktu itu Ibu lagi panik deh, papah-nya mo dateng, hihi… tapi berhubung Vion lagi isenk (maap ya, Ibu)… pas Ibu Negara nanyain kapan Madh pindah, Vion bilang (ngasal), “Ga jadi pindah, Bu.” Madh juga ikutan lagi…. Trus, aduh, jadi makin merasa bersalah, Ibu Negara ga percaya sama Madh, trus nanya ke Vion, “Beneran?” …. Vion, dengan tampang serius, “Beneran, Lis…. Kemaren kost-an Ari yang baru bilang-nya ga bisa dilepas.” (or something like that, dah lupa)… tiba-tiba kaget…. Ibu Negara nangis sampe mau telepon papahnya…. Huaaaa… Maap, Bu…. (gw punya bakat akting kali ya, hihihi…. bangga lagi….) 

WordPress Error Messages

Two of my friends encountered two rather unique error messages from WordPress … Good wording ….

"You are posting comments too quickly. Slow down."

– I guess we have to wait a couple of minutes in between comments.

“Duplicate comment detected; it looks as though you’ve already said that!”

– Notice the exclamation mark?! WordPress hates duplication …

Working in Bali

So, people asked me how it feels to work in Bali.

Well, this might be something you wouldn’t see other than in Bali. Presenting, one of my colleagues:

See … you wouldn’t find it anywhere else, a guy wearing traditional Balinese outfit, happily working with his computer … and oh, don’t forget the sunglasses.

Hehehe. Peace, Sur …

 

Actually, no … he doesn’t wear this outfit to the office every day. It just so happened that we had a Blessing Ceremony at the office, and the Balinese colleagues participated in conducting the ceremony, which is why he wore that outfit. Lucky me, I brought a camera to work that day and so I asked him to pose for my blog, hehehe. The sunglasses was his own idea, good one!