Yes...We're Open Now


Pfiuuuhhhh...after a lot of postponement, at last my online shop, www.batiknajlazea.com can be launched. The website is still far from perfect and also there are only 4 wardrobe collection there and unfortunately 1 wardrobe already sold. But not too worry, I still have around 40 wardrobes to be up loaded in there. Just wait. I am working on it.

While waiting the completion of the website, I made a Facebook account for Batik Najlazea and I already finished up loading around 30 photos there. If you want to join our Facebook account, just add us on www.facebook.com/batik najlazea.

I think that's all for today, I let you know for any up date about our Batik Najlazea collection.

PS: The above picture is once again Najla & Zea wearing too big wardrobe from Batik Najlazea collection.

The Japanese Wife


The Japanese Wife is an Indian movie directed by Aparna Sen. It's a unique love story between Indian man and a Japanese girl. Snehamoy, a schoolteacher in India and Miyage, a young girl in Japan, meet through letters, fall in love over letters, and even get married through letters. They have been married for 15 years, but have never met. Imagine, there are 637 letters, 4 phone calls, 15 years of married, but they have never met. In fact, they end up in a sad ending.

Instead of its unique yet sad love story, this movie shows many beautiful spots. The scenes move back and forth from India to Japan accompany Snehamoy and Miyage feeling, their happiness and sorrow.

Definitely not a common love story, but there is no such bizarre thing when love comes around. It's simply love. That's it.

Birthday Stories


The idea came out when Haruki Murakami read stories about birthday and he felt haunted about them. Then he began to think to collect short stories related to birthdays and put them in one anthology. He never thought that it's going to be hard to find the birthday stories, it turned out that not many authors talking about birthdays. Until he finally asked everyone he knew to assist him and inform him if they knew anything related to birthday stories.

So..here it is an anthology of 13 birthday stories written by 13 different authors (only one story written by Murakami). If we think that birthdays should be a great moment, not in this anthology, some are warm stories while others are quite dark. Since there are 13 different authors here, be ready for 13 different writing style. Not all stories are easy to read, some are a bit hard. My favorite of course Birthday Girl written by Murakami.

All in all it's brilliant to have this kind of anthology due to as Murakami said, "as long as the earth of ours continues to circle around the sun, your birthday will come around once a year, whether or not it gets reported on the radio, for you it will be a special day."

Dwilogi: Padang Bulan & Cinta di Dalam Gelas


.....semuanya akan meninggalkanmu
kecuali secangkir kopi
dia ada di situ, tetap di situ, hangat,
dan selalu dapat dipeluk


Andrea Hirata is back with his newest book, a two-in-one book Dwilogi Padang Bulan. It is a continuation of Maryamah Karpov, Andrea's latest book in Laskar Pelangi Quartet.

There is a love story between Ikal and A Ling, also story about a strong girl yet a truly survivor, Maryamah, and the most enjoyable part is stories about Melayu people and their unique habit.

I always enjoy the way Andrea convey his stories. He has his own style. Full of humor. He's an excellent observer of people, environmental and nature. Salute to his social and cultural research. I will wait for his next work.

The Help


Reading many good reviews about this book. Curious about it. Read it. Can't stop it. At last fall in love with it thoroughly.

This is a debut novel written down by Kathryn Stockett. It's about African-American maids working in white households in Mississippi during the early 1960s. the novel is told from the perspective of three characters, two African-American maids and one young white woman. All of them get together in a secret project to document the experiences of the African-American maids while serving for white family. At that time this issue is very sensitive. Once they get caught, they have to face the risk of losing friends, love even life.

A breathtaking story. Stockett wrote this novel beautifully, perhaps since some of the stories were based on her true stories. A very recommended book. Soon it will be adapted into movie.

Already translated into bahasa by Penerbit Matahati on May 2010.

So Little Time, Too Much To Do



Pppfffiuhhhh....Arkarna's tittle of song, So Little Time Too Much To Do, really representing my condition now. So many things to do. I don't know which one to go first. My plan to launch my online shop on early of July finally is postponed due to certain things are not perfect yet.

In the middle of my hectic world, out of the blue, a friend asked me to join her in a short trip to Singapore. Uhmm...a very tempting offer. After thinking about it over and over, at the end I said yes. I just think I need to relax. Who knows after recharging, I come back with new brilliant ideas.

It's only a 3-day-journey. Yes, Singapore Great Sale is on now. But, we stayed away from it *denial*. Honestly, we didn't do much shopping there. Purchased things that make me super excited are my favorite items, i.e. Yasmin Ahmad's VCDs, Sepet and Sepet 2:Gubra, and also Haruki Murakami's book Birthday Stories. Yay..

I also visited a friend who studies there. Therefore this trip mostly full of chit-chat, everywhere, at cafe, under the tree or at every bench we found. Just the 3 of us accompanied by interesting topics to talk about, a glass of teh tarik and kaya toast. What a beautiful moment.

Now I am back with the new spirit. Ready to face the world *exaggerating*. Well....it's time to go back to my online shop project now. Wish me luck.

PS: Above pictures are Najla & Zea wearing our wardrobe collection, Batik Najlazea, too big for them? Yeah...those items are actually for adult.