Suffering from a bout of bad skin problems, a post legacy of my dengue fever.  Took an allergy test as well as dustmite allergy test that came back negative, so that rules out one possibility.  Been advised by the doctor to seriously consider usually aqua to shower.  And I thought only babies do such a thing.  Till I get back to Singapore, I have to resort to that for now.  Now thats a very expensive way to shower.  A gallon of aqua costs about SGD1.50.  By the way, aqua is bottled water which is not that same as tap water over in Jakarta.  Reason being that tap water is not drinkable over here.

Its getting sunny here in Jakarta not that it really bothers me, given that I am seldom outdoors except during pottery classes where the lessons are conducted under the smoldering sun and heat.  Its not that hazy recently thus the sun is beginning to show in the sky.  Finally bought my air ticket back to Singapore, my first trip back.  Goodness, I miss home, my friends, shopping, driving, everything you name it.    Can’t wait to get back.  Time to take a little break from the social events.  I want to be able to have some time to read a book, watch some tv.  As the saying goes, fish is coming back.  Way cool man.  As of today, its officially 19 days before I get back.

The wives were all talking the other day. Some have been here almost all their life, some have lived here for years, some have lived here and there all their lives. Me. I am the newest at a month plus. But we all share the same thoughts. Disconnection with the world. Not that we can help it. But our daily attempts at connecting with the world is only through the news, papers, internet, through our own network - informal wives club.

Imagine through the shortest time, I have become out of touch with the world. My peers are busy climbing the corporate ladder, some are busy building strong academic portfolios, some are busy making big bucks, some are busy making new hopes of tommorrow and here I am in Jakarta starting to feel useless because all I do all day is think of how to budget money for the month - which I SUCK and what to put on the table when hubby comes back from work.

We are share the same thoughts, that we have lost the power to bargain and be “yaya” because we are not quite equal anymore, since our hubbies are the ones that bring the dough home. Sounds terrible. Maybe when I go back, I may no longer be on the same wave length as my friends, O DEAR!!!

Sounds pathetic? Have a heart. I am beginning to understand the fears of those wives who have stopped working and their hesitation to go back to the workforce. The thought is quite terrifying.

ps: I can hear mousey in the background, telling me to grow up and stop grumbling.

pss:I could not even get my signature right anymore when I sign for my purchases.  Sob.

Went to the wet market today.  Ya I am still trying to believe that waking up in the wee hours of the morning and go to the wet, drak and stinky place to get my weekly groceries all going to be a routine.

The least that I can say is that I am no longer confused and disorientated and I am more focus and thus tend not to over buy anymore.  We were browsing at fishes today, for someone who dislike eating fish, I simply cannot figure one from the other and thus was not at all useful to potterygal who is trying to get some.  At that point, something furry brushed against our legs (we are clad in bemudas).  Oh my god!!!! It was live chickens.  We must look silly to the rest of the people and obviously to the fishmongers.  We both frozed and went “Its chicken”!!!  Quite ma lu, but its chicken what more can we say.  Thank god, the chickens sound “dead”, hopefully they really are dead.

The early trip totally made me exhausted.  I konked out the minute I reached home.

Forgot to bring my camera along, else I would have taken a photo of my bowls before I put color on them   Feel so proud of myself.  I chose black and white, so my bowls after colors and firing would look kind of greyish.  Can’t wait for them to be ready for use.  Did 6 cups and 2 sake cups too.  Really beginning to like pottery classes, no doubt its tiring but its really fulfilling.

My birthday has come and gone. My parents, my sister and CL (my sis boyfriend) came to Jakarta the week of my birthday. It was really fun not to mention really tiring. What more can I say about Jakarta but the food and the shopping, not forgetting cream bath and massages. It was all day of eating and shopping and travelling. We head up to Bandung and the trip was really great.

At Taman Safari, we got to see goats, hippopotamus, giraffe. There was a sign that said no feeding animals, but everyone was doing it because along the way there were so many stalls selling carrots and bananas.

Try feeding the tiger. Not possible.

The scenery on top of Punchak Pass on our way to Bandung is really fantastic. The ride was terrible. The trip to Bandung was really fun because I went with my family and now that they have gone back, I really feel sad. I miss home and I am starting to feel homesick.

I am fast approaching 30.  Oh my god!!!!  Time is passing.  I don’t think I look old, I don’t feel old but I am really getting old.  Its really kind of true when people say that after you hit 25, what ever that comes beyond is going to hit you really fast and hard.  I was still celebrating my 21st not too long ago and now its 28.  O dear.

But this year, I celebrate life and really count my blessings to be able to reach 28 alive and kicking.  This year is not about negativity but rather the blessings that has been bestowed upon me for the last 28 years of my life.  I really look forward to my next birthday, not because of the presents or the cakes, but rather the happiness and blessings and family love and friendships that god has given to me.  For that I feel that life is really worth living.

Cheers to tommorrow.

I did hear from people that I should not talk so much to my driver or helper at home.  But I can’t help but talk to my helper since she is the only one around at home.  People did say that I should not step into the kitchen that often and leave more of the cleaning up to the helper else they will take for granted.  Again I cannot help but go into the kitchen constantly because I think I am turning into my mother - simply said, I cannot stand mess and dirt and wetness in the kitchen, ABSOLUTELY no.

I also have to agree when people say that girls take after their mothers and boys take after their fathers.  I am beginning to think, speak and behave like my mother.  O dear.  Which translate to being naggy and bossy.

I think its really nonsense but after a trial of about 1 week, even I have to admit that such is possible. Did I mentioned that my toilet got choked and the toilet was flooded with water from the toilet bowl? Well the engineering people from my apartment derived that the reason my toilet choked was a result of my toilet paper. It was too thick. Its what we usually buy in Singapore, so whats with the too thick issue?

I reasoned with them that it was a toilet and wasn’t the toilet supposed to perform the function of flushing down the toilet paper? Whats with the too thick reasoning. I was really at the brink of *^%^%^%%$. Anyway, after the second attempt of having to clean up the toilet at night, I gave up and decided to give the thin ply toilet paper a try. So i went to the supermarket, bought the cheapest range of toilet paper and took the brand that everyone else seem to be buying.

Here I am now after a week or so. The toilet as not choked nor flood since then. So I have to really give it to them. Its really the toilet paper. But I still think its crappy.

Drove back from a friend’s place after dinner yesterday.  Its been a long time since I drove a manual car, add that to the traffic condition in Jakarta, it was a hell of a ride.  Good thing dearie was beside to guide (shout occasionally ).  Unlike Singapore where you need to watch out for cars when you overtake or changed lane.  Over here, you need to watch out for cars braking in front so you must be all ready to stop when necessary.  As for changing lane?  Well leave it to the motorists to move aside and watch out for you instead.  So all motorists beware.