A birthday Wish for Alvin

While you're away

Another year has passed,
and you're getting older, my friend.
Another year is behind the present,
but you, my dearest friend, is still my Godsent.

Laughing, as we always have,
and I hope you'll most of the time be :)
My precious, far-away friend,
At your doorstep, thousands of hugs are delivered.

-LS -2008-

So this year, one of my closest friends, Alvin is having his birthday far away from home. I hope, wherever you are, Vinka, you are always in good shape, and most of all - happy and blessed. Cheers :)

After-Christmas slow motion days

So, it's a day after Christmas and here I am enjoying my lazy afternoon at a cafe in Wijaya street, De Lemos Cafe and Meeting Pod - Oscar's recommendation. It's cozy here; the air is still thick with Christmas theme - a Christmas tree, ornaments hanging on the ceiling and the good, old Christmas songs. It's not too crowded or quiet - basically just "purrfect" for our Cumi-Cumi game. (hhhm..Cumi-cumi.. a silly but fun game we always look forward to. This is a jargon only a few know..)

So I went here with my lovely sister and Oscar - having failed to see Madagascar 2 in PIM - to kill the time and spend the slow motion days in between Christmas and New Year. Anyway, no one could agree more, I guess - this is the best time of the year! (Especially when your pocket is loaded with your Christmas bonuses *hehe..*)

Whiny Oscar complained only for one thing - the absence of marshmallows for his chocolate fondue. Not a big deal, I suppose, unless you're a big fan of those soft, gooey, spongy thingy :)

Anyway..anyway.., five more days to New Year's eve. How about reserving our New Year's eve dinner here, guys?

Merry Christmas everyone!

Toffeenut Latte Season is here!

Holiday season is approaching, and here comes Toffeenut Latte from Starbucks! It's been a couple of years since one of my closest friends Melissa introduced me to this seasonal, long-awaited beverage, and until now, I'm still longingly waiting for this drink (I normally enjoy a decaf hazelnut latte – the one Melissa detests). Grande cups for both of us, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles of chewy toffee, and we'd sit down for hours sipping the indulgence, while discussing our Christmas and New Year's eve plans, talking mumbo jumbo, or simply criticizing passers-by (not very nice of us to do, I know *grin..grin..*)

Lots of people I know argue that toffee nut has a quite similar taste to caramel mixed with hazelnut, so why bother waiting until Christmas while you can have hazelnut and caramel all year long?

Being a Starbucks hazelnut syrup lover myself, I can tell you that TOFEENUT has quite a different flavor compared to caramel and hazelnut combined. Toffeenut syrup gives a buttery and rich taste of toffee and macadamia nut. I can say that the flavor is a whole, one unity – the absence of one won't make it toffeenut. On the other hand, the combination of caramel and hazelnut gives you caramel and hazelnut separately, with an extra too sweet taste that would ruin your coffee! You don't believe me? Try buying two cups of latte: a caramel latte (ask an extra shot of hazelnut syrup), and another cup of toffeenut latte. Taste the caramel-hazelnut latte right after you taste the toffeenut latte. And…no further enlightenment needed. You'll know what I mean.

And oh, there's more to holiday seasons at Starbucks: the Starbucks Yearly Agenda! - the one we can have only by collecting 25 stamps (each stamp is for every cup of coffee we buy; short cups and BCA buy-1-get-1 are not included). There's nothing so special about it, except for the affectative display of Starbucks brand all over the page and cover. But to have one is - a prestigious achivement (don't ask!).

Indulge yourself in a Grande Toffeenut latte and have grandiose, warm evening…

Happy Toffeenut Season, Melcong!

The Newbie

Mournful Creature

Why is the face I'm staring at so cloudy
Is there something troubling you?
What can I do to ease your pain?

I remember you once were so bright and cheerful
Glittering in the shade of moonlight like Persephone
Blessed by the image of Artemis
Strong in your Athene's shining armor

Why's your heart now frozen
Should I call for Cupid to melt this ice?
Have you had your heart broken?
There's always Aphrodite's charm to cast you a spell

Look up, and see Apollo riding his golden chariot
Stop by at Caucasus,
Mourn for Prometheus for the great gift he's given us
Seize the day, greet Echo as you pass the forest
See how beautiful Narcissus appears - but don't pick it

Feel lucky,
You're not Atlas who carries the world on his shoulders

-LS, 2002-

So, I did a two-hour conversation with the newbie (at least he calls himself as one), and after lecturing RELATIONSHIP 101, I guess it's just right that the poem is for him. So, this is dedicated to Oscar Leonardo...

The first train of thought

So today is my very first day writing my very first blog. Got to tell the truth, the inspiration came from Krisna Rosita-cong (and my student Kenneth as well), whose far-from-scrappy blog has flickered the idea of my having a blog. What’s the point of having this blog, I still don’t quite know; a little online journal to share silent thoughts and to inspire people, maybe? Haha, I over-rate myself. Perhaps it can be my means of publishing secret complaints – the ones I too reluctantly share verbally but WISH to be heard. *BOINK BOINK*

Today I woke up feeling thrilled over something that I JUST found out yesterday. Well, okay, let’s start from the beginning. I spent the whole Sunday with my boyfriend Egi, my only sister Amanda and her ‘so-called’ friend Oscar (who happens to be my bestfriend’s brother), going to an electronic expo in Senayan. It’s been a while I’d been suspicious about the relationship my sister has with this bloke Oscar – not that I’m saying I don’t approve him. On the contrary, I always encouraged her to go steady with him. Anyway, it was unbelievably crowded in the expo, and they were walking behind me. When I looked back, to my surprise – they were holding hands! And that’s it, it just made my day. I’m sure I grinned to Egi seeing that, and he threw me the ‘finally-you-notice-that’ look. Why I was so ecstatic, I’m not quite sure, but this Oscar and Amanda thing has been the topic of my chats with Johannes Leonardo (Oscar’s koko), and we always wondered how wonderful it would be if our siblings could be with each other. A wish coming true for me? Hopefully yes.

I’m trying not to be very nosy about whether or not they’re really together by restraining myself from my very nature - asking too much questions (anyway, they’re still in their 20s, and Amanda is going to Belgium later this December – so what’s the point of hoping too much, knowing the fact that even a seven-year relationship could break – just like that. You know whom I'm referring to? *grin*). Amanda still persists in her – ‘we’re-just-friends’ state. So let them be.