thirty-minutes until the dough reach its correct form,
when it has reached the correct form,
the dough should be cut in 50 gr pieces,
then,
a bit more beating,
another ten minutes of waiting,
and I will have a bread.

I have been cooking since I was thirteen, but making bread,
in my case, a simple pizza bottom,
from a scratch,
really requires patience and love.

a love for the one who makes you dip your hand in a sticky mixture of oil, wheat, yeast and water,
a love of yourself,
and of your arts and crafts,
of your pizza.

mine will be bbq chicken, what’s yours?

As I read a blog entry from a friend, I found myself wondering how far I go with my own 2009 resolutions,
which are:
1. (Always) Be on Time!
yes yes, i have to work on my punctuality. hohoho.
I would love to blame someone for that, but might as well focusing to always be on time.

Well, *giggle* I am on time, at least in my standard. But to be fair, I don’t think I am making sense when I wrote this. I mean, be on time for what?
tsk tsk tsk.

2. Finish a book.
No, not reading it. But writing one. And then bundled it in a nice pdf and have it available for download.

Nope. Still not. I ended nanowrimo with 7000 word counts. On the other hand, I picked up a courage and actually sent a blogpost to ABC. I also joined a couple of writing workshops. So I was not really writing a book, but getting ready to write one.

3. Ze mysterious project with ze girls.
Yes yes, we should start it soon. A.S.A.P

When I wrote this, it was for a different project. But I have start another one by the end of the year. The respectable short story club or bitter bitches book club was started early december 2009

4. New Project
Have to roll up the sleeve and work up that magic for the new project.

I was referring to a new project at work. I am happy that it turns out to be New Project(S)

5. Fill in the empty space in the new house.
Not in the house, but somewhere beneath the house. hohohoho

Yeah rite, If only Andi and I can summon the mood to actually transport those boxes to the storage room.
On my defence, we got ourselves a couch, TV and a Wii. Mwahahaha.

6. INDONESIA.
I missed this place so much, so better plan for it. Woo Hoo

plan for it? I GOT THE TICKET ALREADY! I’ll be flying home on april 2010.

To end the note, my life has been a bumpy ride in 2009, but it also laid a great foundation for 2010.

There were a lot of parting in 2009. Two of my bestfriends were flying home in 2009. Two of our friends were decided to leave NL. My family also going through a hard time.

but hey, what’s 2009 without some bump and stitches?

and now, off to 2010!

rather smokey, though. with all the fireworks.

and to open this year, I present two music videos that dropped my jaw.

Marvelous exquisite feather, Mr. Joling

and, apparently Rammstein can’t get laid in Germany
trust me, once you listened to this Rammstein song, If You Seek Amy is lame. So 2009.

Ah, the age of innocence is certainly not in 2010.

The big question for 2010

*drum roll*

how would you like to die?
a) drowned in the rising sea level, as the impact of the global warming in which nobody knows what’s causing it and instead more interested in a “climategate“?

b) death by asteroid impact. classy.

c) being swallowed by black hole, because the rumor of LHC is actually true (i know it’s not, but just imagined if it is)

d) burnt. because the ozone layer is thinning.

e) swine flu. BECAUSE IT IS OFFICIALLY A PANDEMIC (since a month or so :p)

f) slow death, because of global economic crisis and job is scarce

g) tramped by millions of people on 12-12- 2012 panic (at least the date is catchy)

h) bored to death, by one of these Hollywood super gadgety stupid movies

i) all of the above applies.

now tell me, what’s so happy about new year?

I have always been skeptical about people celebrating new years, hence, the harsh opening. I thought these people needs to calm down on the champagne for a bit.

But I also know, that I am a person who is hard to please and complains a lot.

Still, there won’t be any new year’s celebration for me tonight. Instead, I’d congratulate everyone and happy for those who celebrates it.

It is a new year, it is a new beginning for all of us. Let’s start with something beautiful.

and for me, I’ll try to complain less in 2010

Happy new year, folks!

cliché.
boy meets girl. boy falls in love.
boy got shot, ran by a truck, hated, crucified, tramped, bleed, sweat and tears.
But boy loves girl so much.
bla di bla, etc etc, and this and that, yadda yadda,
boy and girl lives happily ever after.

Why does love sells?
does love more important than self-discovery?
more artistic and beautiful than a garden gnome?
more intelligent than a dolphin?

heart-warming endless love.
in your face, dahrling, in your face.

The reason why I am so skeptical? I received an email about a new novel that will soon be published.
What it is about? love. boy meets girl.

*puke*

Listen to Freddy Mercury, kid. Too much love will kill you. Even faster than the global warming will.

Hello hello wonderful world of december, melting snow and icy slippery road.

So we have a tree, with a short cable. But never mind that. It’s all lighted now. With colorful shiny balls.

and there are singing snails, which deserves professional acknowledgement, I’d say.

apart from that, cheese fondue and cakes. fried banana and chips.

and now the snails singing
lonely..i am so lonely…
oh gosh, i wanted one of those snails. or le frog. a french frog, they are sophisticated and way artsier that The Toad.

tonight it’d be more food of course. chicken porridge and etc, etc

but first, the respectable book club meeting.

Happy holidays, folks.

it is weird.

I don’t really feel the x-mas spirit anymore. All those joy to the world and jingle bells. Pretty lights and colorful decoration.

I am not talking about the religious part of x-mas celebration, of course. I am talking about celebrating a celebration itself.

Seems like nobody around here are having fun. The streets, even though bright with lights, looks so dark and empty. Snows are mounting but no children giggling and building snowmen (although i know some adults who built snowmen :p)
All I heard were constant moaning that snow is a hassle. Why can’t you just enjoy this once and a while?

and then the TV, constantly choking and shoving ads for christmas gift. I know, Christmas has become a huge commercial parade.

Is it because the society has went through a harsh year? with global crisis and everything?
Is it because of the global warming?
Is it because of that 2012 thing?

Or is it because, simply, we forgot how to appreciate things in life (while we are still alive) and celebrate it?

putting my flowery apron,
scrub scrub scrub,
the kitchen cupboard,
blue, light blue, green and turquoise

and of we go,
to build the bedroom dresser,
knock knock knock,
banging hammer to the nail,
a dresser with nine drawer
when we are done,

the cauldron bubbling,
it’s spicy beef and warm soup,
winner winner,
i just want a dinner

What does a manager do?
They manage people.

what does managing people means?
leading these people.

what do you mean by leading?
well tell them what to do and make sure they do it.

I certainly wish we are back in the Viking era. Where leader is a person who guarantee security and protection, and as a result, receive the utmost respect and loyalties from the follower.

Nowadays, it is just about label. People slowly forgot that leading is not about telling other people what to do. Leading is a complex task of bringing out the potential of your team and motivating them to outdo themselves. Leading is about understanding your team, and how they work.

Not point and shout. It’s easy to do that. Everybody can point and shout, throwing intimidating look and shout some more.

But understanding the potential and your team capability, is difficult. Not all of the team member blessed with the same capabilities. One might be able to program, one might be able to spot problem and one, might not be good at both, but has a very positive attitude even when this person is under extreme pressure. Balancing all three capabilities will be the task of a leader.

Contributions can be of different layers, not all have to be at the same layer.

In return, Sir, Ma’am, for your effort on understanding your team members, they will offer you something that you should EARN. Not because of the label, but because you DESERVE it.

and it is called Respect.

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow,
Dean Martin

silvery snow sparkles and glitters,
so pretty.
my nose and cheeks blushed in cold.
oh freezing.

but oh, who could hate this soft-white-cottony snow? <3

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.