Can Indonesia Get a Break?

I'm really torn with natural disasters attacking Indonesia in many fronts right now.

Flash flood in Wasior, Papua, earlier this month.

And both late last week, Mount Merapi Volcano Eruption and Tsunami in Mentawai Islands. People call it the Twin Disaster, the last one is the worst.

The tsunami wiped around 10 villages, killed almost 600 of people and left other hundreds missing. They say the aid workers smell nothing but dead bodies in the island, not to mention it's hard to transfer the aids there due to undeveloped remote locations (a lot of the villages are not accessible by land) and bad weather. The amount of food and facilities are clearly insignificant for the survivors.

Seeing all these mass burials on TV hurts. Especially when there is nothing you can do but give donations and pray.

Thanks for some of you who ask and email me if I'm okay. I'm okay, I live in Jakarta and it's far from Mentawai Islands and Papua which are in different islands. It's quite far from Mount Merapi in Central Java too, a couple of provinces away. The weather is extreme here but I hope nothing else happens because the people here have suffered a lot and I don't think the government has enough funds in their budgets.

The House of Representatives has approved almost US$ 17 million for the victims of all-three disasters but seriously, ridiculous number for these catastrophic events. Not enough. Try again. We don't even have enough boats or planes to reach a lot of these areas. I say request foreign aid already, but I don't know what they're thinking. All I know is the victims need help and they need it fast.

They need to do something about the tsunami warning system too because the current one did such a crappy job. It does NOT work for vulnerable locations so close to epicenter. 5 minutes warning before the quake and what? People evacuate but they still wont beat the waves. How about something more advanced but hey, maybe we're too cheap for that.

I'm sorry for ranting.

I hope maybe you can keep the victims in your thoughts, or your prayers..if you pray. Thank you for reading.

Number 23

So I turned 23...on September 25th..

HAHA I know this post is a month late and October almost ends but I haven't had time to post it. I feel like a sweat shop worker and I barely have a time to breath. But I'm here now, first free weekend of the past two months and I intend to savor it, right after I bring you up to speed with the long due birthday post.

I wasn't looking forward to turn 23. Ever since I hit 20, I don't get too excited on my birthdays anymore. I feel oooooolllldddd, can I just stay being 18 and not grow up so fast? But well some wise man said you have to embrace your age, right? Something about happiness and torturing yourself if you don't.

The night when I almost turned 23, I was at work and a bunch of my co workers were about to go out and asked me to come along. I was pretty emo because none of my close people were actually in Jakarta at the time so I gladly went with them. We went to this place Rooftop to chill, drink and watch live bands. It was much needed and I had fun laughing with them, they're very entertaining. I bumped to several people I haven't seen in a while too, so I got to catch up.


A week later I had my birthday officially celebrated in Domain courtesy of my management/event organizer and it was a bit less low key and a lot more packed. The attendees were mostly people who go to my events regularly, a few friends from high school, a few coworkers. and fellow musicians. It was a lot of fun. I got several gifts too from earrings, clothes, and books. One of my bosses gave me a TEDDY BEAR for reasons I can't even understand but it's now in my room being bullied. I was about to put a lipstick and bra on it.


Speaking of gifts, mom offered me to choose between " a pair of serious killer shoes" (her words, not mine) or a new laptop. It's been a month and I can't make up my mind. I do need a new laptop but the thought of a pair of shoes so killer and probably over my shopping budget really tickles my subconsciousness.

Decisions, decisions.

You KNOW It's Embarassing..

...when your boss took a peek at your work in your laptop while you have your Windows Media Player open and she learned that your playlist's titled "The Baby-Maker".

DIE.

This was on:



I feel like a douche.