A Fairytale and A New Beginning

Today I realized that I had been 

treating the story I am keeping alive for 7 years as some sort of fairytale. It had butterflies, unicorns, rainbow and a prince charming. No wonder it was so hard to let it go and to move on. Like in every fairy tale, I kept on having this tiniest feeling called hope and wishing that this tale will come true one day. 

Sure enough, not every fairytale comes with a happy ending. In real life, most of them just don't. Some of them even ended in silence. Just like that. But in that silence I found courage to move on with life. I'm using the same feeling called hope to move on and move forward. Marching toward the unknown which I believe will be better that the pastel-colored fake fairytale. 

Today, a fairytale closed it's chapter and a new beginning has just started. 

When I Am Out in the Field

When I'm out in the field, things are just not the same anymore. I just returned from 2 weeks emergency relief mission in Aceh. Now, while waiting for my return flight to Jakarta, I realized that there are things that will happen only in the field and that things will last forever. 

When I am in the field, eating lunch at 2.00 can be considered as miraculous moment. 

When I am in the field, sleeping at 2 AM is the way to go. With reports to submit and papers to be sorted, sleeping is a luxury. 

When I am in the field, putting on make up is never necessary. Balming face with sunblock and body with mosquito repellent are what made a difference to your health. 

When I am in the field, putting on sweet flat shoes means disaster. I ended up with sandals that will go dirty but sustain your feet from any harm. 

When I am in the field, I take notes note not only with my hands but also with my eyes, ears and mouth. I have to stay alert at all times. 

When I am in the field, my heart and brain needs to be synchronized at all times. That's just how humanitarian worker need to sustain to stay sane. 

When I am in the field, I have to admit that I wait for returning to normal life. With all its luxury and perks. But when that day comes, I left the field with a heavy heart. 

Because I left behind me a group of people whose life has no date of safe return to normal life. That's when I feel that normal life is somehow a privilege. Privilege only to some but not all. That's when I left with a heavy heart. Knowing I have that privilege and they're not. 

So I return to normalcy with a promise. That I will continue to work to bring back the very thing that should be a privilege for all. A happy normal life. 

Travel2Macau: City of Fantastic Sweets

I only spent two days in Macau yet this place fascinates me. Not only Macau stands beautifully with all it's "east meet west" building, it's culinary culture is amazing. Since I have limitations in terms of eating because of no-pork policy, I indulged myself more on what Macau has to offer in sweet foods department.

If you go to Macau's most crowded puic space, Senado Square, go direction Grand Lisboa hotel and you can find this lovely condensed milk pudding with red bean on top at a shop on your left. The shop is modest yet easy to find because the big cow poster right on the left side. The milk taste amazing! It's watery, not too sweat yet cover your mouth in softness that spoils you a little too much. It is available in hot or cold with different toppings to choose from. My friend happens to chose the hot one and it tasted sweeter than the hot one. So if you like sweet, go with the hot one. 

Coming out of Senado Square, continue your journey toward Grand Lisboa direction again until you find "avenida da praia grande" before you turn to the left after crossing the street. When you find the first intersection with a little park on the middle, turn right and walk less than 50 meters before making another turn to the right. Margaret cafe e nata, one of Macau's most famous egg tart seller is on the left side of the street. It's so easy to spot this amazing place because of the crowd. Crowds are flying around like hungry bee looking for honey there. The reason is simple, the Cafe's egg tart is to die for 

The egg tart is best eaten when its hot. Crunchy on the outside but super soft and sweet on the inside. The egg custard just make my tongue dancing in joy. One serving wont be enough. So the cafe made it easy for its customer to buy not only a single egg tart. They can buy in 6 or 12 for 45 or 90 Macau mops. It's soooooo deliciously alluring. 

My culinary travel didn't end there. Once I was full with 2 egg tarts, I made my way back to Senado square to see what that place has to offer. After a little walk around, I found this little shop of manjoo in front of another Macau's famous seller of its own interpretation of pork burger. The shops sells manjoo in a shape of fish. It comes small in size but eating 6 of them equals to a lunch serving for me ;p 

Filled with custard or chocolate paste, this little fish shaped manjoo is easy to be plopped into my mouth in no time. It's crunchy yet soft. Remind me much of Japanese's taiyaki. Only this time, it comes in much smaller size and no red bean inside. Yet to be perfectly honest, this dish might not entirely Macau but more of South Korean. A little twist than the one in Seoul but it goes more with how Japanese taiyaki tastes like. 

My journey was not over yet. Since I need to make my way back to the post office at the center of Senado square, I walked past by St. Dominic Church, or more precisely what's left from it. That's when I stumbled upon Mc Donald's store that offered two things I love the most in one serving. Sundae ice cream on top of apple pie with chocolate sauce. 

Call me cheap but I'm a big fan of McD's pie. Something that I could not find in Jakarta sadly. It comes in different variety of fillings which fascinatingly different in each country: apple, piennaple, taro, blueberry, corn, etc. In Macau, so glad that it comes only as Apple pie. Hahahaha.. So in hot and humid September Macau, eating ice cream with Apple pie among the crowds in front of post office offers a very delightful experience. At least for me ;) 

With all the sweets in my system, I was a happy camper in Macau. 

Burning Bridges

finally found my long awaited answer 

lucky enough

not all bridges were burned 

just one 

I called it "illusion"

Tempting Fate

In our life, we meet with people..

Some of them stays with us throughout the years but many left only to our memory. Those who never made it into our future, they said.. But who to tell about the future? The future is as much as mystery as what could happen the next minute in our life. When we said to our self that "I might not be seeing that person again", will the universe conspire to prevent us from meeting that person again? Do we really think we are not going to see that person again?

We are tempting fate, and tempting fate is dangerous.

Just when you think you are ready to accept that certain things are just fated and leave it at that, fate can toss you around again and broke every single piece of peace and resolution in your life.

I know our story is a knot of fate and our memories are intertwined in fate. Will we be fated? Or will be strangers?

“Our memories, our pretty recollections,
They get far away and I can’t breathe
It seems like tears will spread and erase it
So you’re the only one I can’t tell this story to”

“Our beautifully written story
We thought it would last forever on our page
When I was with you, I never had enough time

But now even when we’re together, it’s like we’re strangers

(lyrics by PopGasa)

Memory Exclusively Ours: Chilbongie Book Project

This book represents our love to him

but more than that..

It represents our dream, hard work, friendship, undying trust of each other, love and hope

at the end, it was all sort of miracle that the book came to materialize so beautifully

as beautiful as each individual soul who participated in the making of this book

Here's to more days with each other, YeoNiverse!

Happy 7th Month Anniversary

Travel2Europe: Vienna's parks

Now I know why European or Americans love summer. Born and grew up in a tropical country where the weather is hot all year long, being under the sun in blazing hot summer is less desirable. I'd rather be in winter cold weather coz that's so much different than my own. So my trips reflect it all. Winter travel that is. 

After recent trip to Japan, Korea in spring and now Europe in summer, I got the idea why summer trip is so much fun. Here in Austria, I see parks everywhere. Open space everywhere. You can just lay down in the park, sleeping, talking, doing nothing. 

On my last day here, I found a park in vienna where I can rest my head on the big trunk tree while listen to the sounds of birds chirping and eat my ice cream. I swear I eat too much ice cream. Hahahahah.. 

Summer is a period of love and for family. Here, people go with their family members. Play and smile. To the park, to the recreational park, to concerts, to beaches. This is a time for family. What a beautiful portrait. Made me wish that I will have someone to come with me next time I do a summer trip. I wish to bring my whole little family next time

Yes, I officially in for a summer trip and for a family.Goodbye winter trip and loneliness. I choose the sun..

Travel2Europe: Budapest's Park

Yeonseok ssi, if one day we meet again, will you be willing to come with me to Budapest? 

This city is beautiful, rich in culture, delicious gastronomic collection, and very scenic. Plus the people in Budapest knows how to enjoy  life at its best. Relaxing in the park, plunging their feet in the aquarium park, and sleeping on the grass against the sun while kissing their loved ones or talking to their friends. It's all beautiful here, dear beautiful man. It suits you this city

So, will you come with me next time? 

- a hopeful fangirl hoping to travel with her idol-