Jogja – Prelude

It’s the new year’s eve in Jogja and I am feeling a tad depressed. Depressed because the time has come for me to go home tomorrow. Back to the uninteresting familiarity that suffocates the life of me. Sigh! How I wished my travels doesn’t have an end to it.

The past 6 days in Indonesia was one helluva experience. I didn’t think I was gonna do much in Indonesia a part from fulfilling one of my to do list of 2008 – climbing Mount Bromo. But turn out that I gained more than what I expected of Indonesia! :D

With Atok at Telaga Warna - Dieng Plateau

First it was Mount Bromo, then I did Mount Merapi and did some jungle tracking all the way to Kaliurang, took a tour to Dieng Plateau and fell in love with the volcano crater! On top of that, made friends with some really nice locals that warrants another visit in June to climb Mount Semeru!

With Tugio at Cemara Indah Cafe- Mount Bromo

What a great trip this has been :D

set to go, almost.

My colleague suggested that I might have contracted Chikungunya – a viral infection transmitted by the bite of an infected mosquito, causing fever and severe joint pain. I think it was a spot on.

I am feeling so much better now. Thank God. I am all charged up and ready to rock and roll with the work that has been piling up non stop even when the year is drawing close to an end. But no matter what, I am so much happier now. The tarot card reader was right. Things can only get better. And it did.

And now there is another side of working in AA that I find very motivating. Meeting up with people who wrote in to Tony with their Interactive solutions! And the things that I get to learn along the way is definitely worth the time I put in to meet them.

Anyway, I am 3 days away from my flight to Surabaya and I haven’t pack my bags, sort out my accommodation and my tour guide to Mount Bromo. I also have not secure a flight ticket to Surabaya on 24 December.

Some things never change…for me at least.

a life’s worth

I sprung the news to dad that I am flying off to Surabaya on Christmas day. He wasn’t too happy because I told him I couldn’t take leave during my probation when he wanted me to go back on 23 Dec for granny’s birthday party. Good thing I did not tell him I was going to climb Mount Bromo – an active volcano which last erupted in 2007, he would have forbid me from going. But wouldn’t anyone be thrill to witness an eruption? I know I would…

Anyway, got to know that my aunt’s condition has deteriorate. The breast cancer cell has spread to other organs of her body. She has been admitted to ICU and her days are numbered. I can imagine how devastating this must have been for my cousins. Especially when they have always been very close to their mother…

How ironic, when the rest of us are whining about how unfairly we’ve been treated in a relationship/ workplace, whining about missed chances, flaunting that stupid Birkin bag etc; there are people who would give up all those petty and silly things in exchange for the life of their loved ones.

Isn’t being alive NOW more important than anything else? When will the naive, rich, and powerful people ever learn?

the nosey affair

If there is one thing that I can get rid of, it would be my fucking nose! One of these days I am gonna chop it off and get me a brand new nose!

sick but all good

I haven’t felt so sick for the longest time. First it was the itch in my throat, the next morning, I woke up with fever, running nose, body ache and non stop coughing. Friday’s productivity is gone, but thank God I still have the weekend for catch up with work. Sounds insane haha…but work is piling up and I had better clear them all if I wanna have a work free holiday in Indonesia this Christmas!

I think I’ve somehow mastered the law of attraction and I’m beginning to think that whatever I dream turns into Gold :p At the beginning of the year, I declared a mental note that I was gonna climb Mt.Bromo before the year ends without much thought on the ‘how’ and ‘when’. With my departure from the bank close to year end and prior to joining AA, I didn’t think a year end trip was possible.

Then India came along too soon; with our India Trichi launch I got all hyped up to do India in Christmas. One thing led to another; however, I didn’t managed to get my India Visa on the day I planned to.

Then this mental note that I made beginning of the year resurfaced like a calling, I knew I was going to Mount Bromo and the rest was history. Got my leave approved and I am all geared up for Bromo and my 3rd visit to Jogja!

Isn’t life great? Hell ya!

To Do List for weekend
- One blog entry for Just Plane Thoughts
- Brief to clean up newsletter base
- Interactive idea for Project BU

more random thoughts at random hour

…when seriously, I should be sleeping early today.

It was crazy in the office today! The rate we are going is several times faster than agency. It’s all crazy but it’s also very fulfilling. Because everyone is working towards the same direction and we always get things done by the end of the day :)

I need to get my exec in fast! So that I can focus more on strategic planning for interactive/online marketing. But I am glad I got my hands ‘dirty’ on operational work during my first month. At least now I know how the company and the people work. The knowledge will definitely come in handy when I have my own team. Because it will only aspire me to have the best of the best people and work processes.

I have finally register myself as a corporate blogger. Yay! And my inaugural entry will go live tomorrow (I hope!) Boy have I got some big plans cooking for social media :p

My to do list is getting longer and longer. Sometimes, I am frustrated because of all the operational work, and I had to keep asking myself to slow down and THINK. Don’t just be an executor, be a thinker and a solution provider. If only I have more than 24 hours a day.

I think I am addicted to KFC. And that’s bad…

I splurge too much on cab lately…but it entitles me to save time on traveling. Oh screw it! I just need to spend less on other unimportant stuff like…I don’t know…Zara and magazines?

I need to sleep and I hope tomorrow I will get MORE things done.

Random thoughts at random hour

…when I should be sleeping!

I saw Yasmin Ahmad when I looked up from my desk today! I beamed with excitement and shouted “Hi! Yasmin!”, she replied with the most sincere, beautiful smile.

I met up with Olivier from Couch Surfing. Very nice and down to earth Belgium guy who shared his travel experiences and how he took the leap to leave everything behind for the sake of travel. Great guy, I hope our path crosses in our travels.

I surprised myself again today. I put up a draft branding proposal within 30 mins – 5 rough ideas for print ads and 2 was picked up by the branding team.

I am afraid and at the same time excited about climbing Mount Bromo, not with tour but on my own and hoping that I’ll pick up some like-minded travelers along the way.

Sometimes we want change to happen. But very often we forget that it takes courage for change to happen, so we go back to our own silly ways.

I can’t wait to get away for my solo trip to Indonesia. I need this badly!!

I hope I’ll be able to get more work done tomorrow. I still can’t figure out why don’t people use meeting request function in outlook.

I need to sleep and dream more.

year end trip

Xmas is around the corner, and I am tempted to try my luck in applying 3 days leave on the 26th, 30th and 31th Dec. That would give me about 8 days for a year end trip :D

Visualize!

Update: Leave approved! Must be my lucky day!

in my mind…

I need a beach pronto!

To do list for the weekend

1. The overdue self introductory email (completed)
2. Job scope for Interactive Marketing Exec (completed)
3. Brand repositioning – Theme: Cool
4. Check banner accuracy for upcoming low fare campaign (hint!) (completed)
5. Download video tutorial from Digital Camera (completed)
6. Process Pangkor Island photos (completed)
7. Weekly portrait photography
8. Watch Twilight! (canceled)