One of my dream to have yoga practice in Ubud with international yoga master had finally been realized last week *smile from ear to ear*. It happened when I had a three-day-visit to Bali with my 12 yoga mates. We did yoga practice at YogaBarn Ubud with Cat Kabira, yes the very famous yoga instructor. It was a realy really great experience. I am soooo lucky!
I've been to Bali several times but this was the first time I visited Bali, stayed in Ubud and did the yoga practice. Ubud really has different style of Bali. I really enjoyed its peaceful place. We stayed at Sri Ratih Cottages, a very cozy place. Beside yoga practice, we also browsed around Bali and did a little this and a little that. Other thing that amazed me in our Bali journey was watching one of the best Tari kecak and Fire Dance at Uluwatu Temple and at the same time enjoying the ocean view, the temple and the sunset. It's just too good to be true.
A Piece of Paradise
The Mile Hi! Club
A friend bought this book in Singapore and lent me. Curious about what kind of life does a stewardess usually have? Read this Memoir of A Stewardess. Written in detail by Janet Chew who experienced as a stewardess herself for 13 years in one of the best airline in the world.
The book tells about a comprehensive collection of humorous anecdotes, scandals and love stories 35,000 feet in the air. Interesting.
Of Bees and Mist
A friend said this book is awesome. She even lent me this book in order to 'insist' me reading it. After finishing the book, I guess I need to give big thanks to my friend since this book is totally amazing.
This is a debut novel written beautifully by Erick Setiawan, an Indonesian author who moved to USA at the age of 16. The novel actually tells about family, love, hatred, and all. But the author will astonish all of the readers by the way he wrote his story. It's not ordinary story. It's unique due to the rich atmosphere created by the author. The setting is unknown, we only have description that it is a mythical town where spirits and spells, withcraft and demons, and prophets and clairvoyance are an everyday reality.
You will feel that you are taken to a magical journey. You will enjoy a fantasy that is mixed with reality. All symbols and metaphors in the book even enriches the story. No wonder if the book has been shortlisted for many awards and translated in many languages.
Usually I don't enjoy a fantasy story, but tell you what this one is different. I really enjoy every page of it.
Thanks to Gagas Media that already translated this book in bahasa. The translation is quite good, I enjoyed it and even sometimes I forgot that this book is originally in english. A must read.
Almost Paradise
Last weekend we had a visit to Godong Ijo, a plant nursery nearby our home. You can do many things here, such as: fishing in the lake, eating and chit-chatting at a botanical cafe that serves Thai and Indocuisine, looking at giant fish, turtle and snake or just walking around this green place and checking the plants collection. This place is awesome. If you need some fresh air with green surrounding, do come and visit this place, you're gonna love it. Promise:)
Room
The minute you start reading this book written by Emma Donoghue, you will be glued to it and can't put it down. A story about Jack, a five-year-old boy, and his Ma. Jack spends his entire life in this eleven-by-eleven-foot Room and knows nothing about life outside the Room. While his Ma has been kidnapped and held for seven years in this Room. Through Jack's Ma big love, she creates a life for both of them. They eat, sleep, play and learn there, in the Room.
Along with his age Jack asks more and more questions, his Ma thinks that they need to escape. This Room is just not suitable for them anymore. Can they make it? What will happen to them after they leave the Room? Can they live a normal life?
Narrated by Jack with his childlike tone, you will be touched and terrified by his story. A high recommended novel.
Big thanks to Ferina who already lending me this awesome novel, thank you ^^
The Sound of Music
My eldest daughter, Najla, is really into music. She loves anything with music. When she was appointed to represent her school in a kindergarten vocal group competition, she was over the moon. Well..the excitement finally spread to all of us. On the d-day, not only Najla's parents but also her grandpa, grandma, auntie and uncle all came and supported her. Thank you for making us so proud of you, dear :))
Water for Elephants
Bookworms are everywhere. I got this great book from one of my cyber friend, Ferina. We know each other through blogging and finally we exchanged our books collection. I lent her Bonsai and In A Strange Room and in return I got Water for Elephants and Room. Thanks for the books, Fer :)
I have read many positive comments about Water for Elephants, in fact it's already been translated into 44 languages and also has been adapted into a movie. The novel tells about circus. Novels with circus theme are not so many. If I went back to my elementary period, back to 80s, I remember one of children book with circus theme, it was Sirkus Pak Galliano written by Enid Blyton.
If Sirkus Pak Galliano seems so fun. Even at that time I myself dreamed to join a circus. But Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants tells circus from a different point of view. The main character here is a veterinary student, Jacob Jankowski, who can't continue his study and fail to take his final exam due to his parents death and debts .
Destiny takes him to a traveling circus. His adventure begins in a circus group back in 1930s as a circus vet. The story is told back and forth, from Jacob as a 90-or-93-year-old-guy in a nursing home and Jacob as a 20-something-guy who joins a circus group. The author detail research makes this novel a great one. The author can describe the ups and downs in a circus group vividly. The story seems so real. It will linger in your mind for days. A very recommended novel. Already translated by PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama on September 2010. Good translation as always but my critic is on the front cover, why is it so dark? I guess circus supposed to be associated with bright colour, don't you think so?
Kedai 1001 Mimpi
It's been such a long time I have never read any memoir that could burst me into laughter. This book is an exception. I guess the author, Valiant Budi, also a unique person. Since early age he already dreamed to live overseas, but if most people choose USA or European countries, he prefer Middle East countries or African Countries. Therefore he was so excited when finally got a job in an international coffee shop and stationed in Saudi Arabian.
As a barista there, he experienced a lot of things, from culture shock, crazy boss, crazy customers, and many unbelievable moments. Actually he tells about sad stories here, but since he tells them in a very witty way, therefore instead of crying, I was laughing even more.
It seems that working in Saudi Arabian is not an easy thing to do. I can't imagine even the author, a guy with a law degree and having job experience as a broadcaster, editor and writer still got bad experience there, such as: boss and customers who underestimate him, sexual harassement, etc. No wonder that we heard many sad stories about many Indonesian women workers there.
Yes, different country has different culture. Saudi Arabian is a very rich country. Most of the coffee shop customers are rich people and they tend to look down people from other countries. The author experienced many bad stories about this attitude issue. What I learn here is the importance of education. Although you are rich but if you don't have proper education, it will be nothing. Just like the author said, 'you can have a lot of money, but you can't buy good attitude'.
Beatrice and Virgil
When you have high expectation over something and finally find the reality is not as good as you thought before, it might lead you into disappointment. It happened when I read the latest book of Yann Martel, the author of Life of Pi. Since I really enjoyed Life of Pi, therefore I was so excited when I found the latest book of Yann Martel. Moreover the story also talks about animals just like in Life of Pi, only this time the author focuses on a donkey and a monkey named Beatrice and Virgil. Unfortunately the story is so slow, confusing and lead me nowhere. I did not even finish it. Big disappointment :((
Bread, Jam & Love
Everyone has his/her own favorite breakfast. It also happens in my petite family. Every member of the family has different style of breakfast. My hubby and Najla love anything but heavy food. They prefer bread, pastry, pancakes and cookies. In fact Najla is a desert lover. She loves almost all cakes and cookies. While Zea is a rice lover. She eats rice 3 times a day. From morning till dark. What a healty kid and very Indonesian:)
How about their mom? Well...I am aturable. Loving all kinds of breakfast not only light meal but also heavy meal *gembul mom mode on* haha...
Bread, butter and jam are a must-have- item in our home. I enjoy doing grocery shopping and hunting for new kind of jams. When I read about this Oma Anna homemade organic jam, I am so excited. I ordered 2 kinds of jam, strawberry with cinnamon and pineapple with clove. Yesterday the beautiful package came. We already tasted the jam this morning and we do love them. A unique flavor. A very fresh fruit jam.
86
Corruption, as Pramoedya Ananta Toer stated in his novel Korupsi (1953) was one of the oldest men disease. It's been there for ages around human being as a disease without any cure.
Now Okky Madasari tells about corruption from today's point of view. The essence is still the same. The reason behind it and the way people do it, not changed much. Perhaps the difference only refers to the amount. The amount of corruption is getting bigger everyday.
The term 86 as the title of this novel is actually known among police officers. Now the meaning is enlarged into everything that can be settled with money or you can also call it 'bribery'.
The main character in this novel is Arimbi, a Ponorogo girl who works as a typist in South Jakarta district court. With her small salary, she can only afford a very limited life. Staying in a small rented house. Having a totally dull life. Until one day she gets the opportunity to get extra money and she finally realizes that almost all her colleagues, her boss, the lawyers and even the judges do the same way. They all ask for extra money in everything. Until one day Arimbi and her boss are arrested by KPK.
The setting now is moved to prison. Here we will get a shocking condition. Money can buy anything, from a better cell in prison, a better menu of food and even a career as a drug dealer.
Since the author having a background as a journalist, she can describe all condition in court and prison vividly. It seems so real. Mesmerizing. As a person with law background, I admit I enjoy the novel a lot but I also need to calm myself. I feel totally sad deep down my heart. Imagining the condition now. The corruption among law enforcers are totally humiliating. Not to mention that corruption is getting more horrible here, in our country.
This is the 2nd novel written by Okky, the first one is Entrok, also as good as this one.
Row the Boat, Baby...
There are several Sundanese restaurants nearby our home. RM Saung Tagala is one of them. It is special since the restaurant is located above a lake. By paying Rp. 15.000,- all customers are allowed to hire a boat and row it all around the lake. What my girls love about this place is not the food. Their favorite parts are rowing the boat and feeding the fish in the lake.
Beside serving the Sundanese food, they also provide good durian as desert. I am not a big fan of durian but I am alway excited to see durian lover enjoying this special fruit. Seem that the fruit is sooooo delicious, well it is delicious indeed, isn't it? :))
The pics were taken on my big bro birthday on April 24. We really had a good time there. Enjoying the free lunch, the fresh air and the blowing wind. Everybody's happy especially the 3 little girls on the boat, Najla, Zea & their cousin, Nabila^^
