Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You

Have you ever complained about your country? Your president? Your government officials?Well, I do. A lot. But nevertheless, I still love my country.

About two weeks ago, me and my friend Inti went to a show called "Beta Cinta Indonesia", which means "I Love Indonesia". It was a Guruh Sukarno Putra's (GSP) production, and he's a politician, an artist, and son of Indonesia's first President. Now, I really really really dislike politics. Each time I read too much about politics on the news, or even on the internet, I got very upset and annoyed. But I do love art.

And I really love shows like this, but I do not love the ticket price! The cheapest went for USD 25, and they were all gone. The cheapest available was USD 75, which was the bronze ticket.
That called for a little pep talk, creating some excuses we could possibly make to justufy paying that much amount for a show.
"Well, my budget for Broadway shows used to be 75 bucks..." I said hesitantly.
"And I spent 90 Euros to watch a classical concert in Vienna..." Inti added.
We looked helplessly at each other.
"Oh, booger! Let's get the tickets, then!" I said.
"Hurray!" she welcomed.
(Have you ever had similar experience when you had to persuade and cajole yourself to jump into a purchase?)

However, we were lucky. When my boss heard my moaning about the show's expensive ticket price, he told me that using a credit card from a certain bank would get us a 50% discount. Aaaand... a friend of Inti's was willing to lend her her debit card. So we ended up getting the tickets for only USD 32.5 each! So happy! Thank you! Aah, those good, kind people!
Anyway, since the theme is about loving one's country, Inti and I decided to wear Indonesian traditional fabric outfit called batik. And it was the correct "dress code"! Almost everybody in the audience wore batik, too! Even the foreign audience!

As for the accessories for the evening, I layered four individual necklaces like these...

... and wore them like this... Who needs to buy new layered necklaces at the store, when you can create one (or more than one) from your very own existing collection? Anyway, I also wore this outfit to go to Church before the event. It's sweet, modest, and modern with a touch of traditionalism. Haha!

This is what the pattern looks like up close. This is yet another handpainted Banjarnegara batik, influenced by Chinese blue and white pattern.

The new Jakarta Theater can be very cold, perhaps because it's a new building, so I brought my trusty wool cardigan in mint green! Better be prepared!

And I layered some bracelets, as well. No need to buy new layered bracelets, as well!

Inti and I snapped pictures of each other when we were waiting for the door to be opened...

The show was being held at Teater Besar or The Grand Theater. Last time we went there, it was matinee show (Read the post here). After sundown, it looked even more magnificent.

Outside the theater building, they had all kinds of street vendors and stalls selling local, Indonesian and international food. I had "kerak telor", a kind of dish made of egg, sticky rice, and shredded coconut spice, which is a local Jakarta traditional food. Yummy!

What do you think this picture is? At first I thought the vendor sold fries. But on a closer look, it turned ou they sold fried mushrooms! How extraordinary! You could choose the powdered spice of your own choice, like original , BBQ, and I picked cheese flavor.

And the fried mushrooms are sold in this small brown and green paper bag container.

Inside the theater, they had also some kind of bazaar going on.

Now, let's jump to the show. Ow, let me admit this. Actually, we were not supposed to take pictures. However, everybody did so finally I disregarded the rules too and snapped these. Haha!

Well, I think it's perfectly fine, as long as you don't use flash that may distract the performers on stage.

At one point they had this collage of various Indonesian batik prints in multicolors. So pretty!

And the grand finale was just super-gorgeous! The dancers wore extravagant costumes with giant, colorful feathers that was associated with GSP dance company in the '80s.

Until next time!

HERstory: The Autumn (Green) Leaves

There is something very special about wearing vintage. It's like you're wearing something with history. Not just the short story of I-want-it-let's-buy-it-then-wear-it.

Batik has been Indonesia's cultural treasure for hundreds of years. My Mom wore this 50's style batik dress when she was young. And the lovely green fabric with its intricate pattern belonged to my Grandma. So the history of this beautiful piece spans three generations!

How about you? Do you like wearing something with history? Or in this case, HER-story? ^_^

I think in the past women dressed in a much more feminine way with ruffles, puffy sleeves, cinched waist, and billowy skirt.

I feel so ladylike and ultra feminine in this dress.
Or, so old-fashioned and granny-like, some of my colleagues teased.

This is Pekalongan batik, and it was stamped by hand. I could imagine ladies of the house in the old days, spending their afternoons painting or stamping delicate patterns on the fabric. (Ok, I watched too much old movies) Check out the intricate diagonal patterns.

I wanted to wear this dress for work, so I just threw a jacket on to create a somewhat professional attire from what basically is considered a housedress look, an old-fashioned look, granny look, 50's inspired look, a housewife look, whatever.

Batik dress: Mom's and Grandma's handpainted Pekalongan batik. Bag: Guess. Sandals: Yongki Komaladi. Earrings and bracelets: old collection.

My Kind of Tropical Halloween

Well, what's so Halloween about this flimsy flowery top, you might ask. Well, just scroll down, Friends, and you'll see! ^__^

Actually, this is what I wore sometime in September, when I ran some errands for my parents. My Dad wanted some Chinese food for lunch, and Mom wanted to buy some croissants and rolls for breakfast. - she likes to eat bread for breakfast instead of Indonesian rice - , so I just drove them to the nearest mall. I kept the pictures for this Halloween post, because the capri is some kind of orange, though not really that vibrant pumpkin orange color associated with Halloween. Why tropical? Because of the lovely, colorful, handpainted, embroidered Balinese top, of course! Errr, I think it's supposed to be worn as a pajama top, but it's so cute I like to wear it outside the house!

I love Halloween. Well, actually I love all kinds of holidays and celebrations! I know some people in the religious circle say that we should not celebrate Halloween, because it's pagan or something like that. Still, I personally think that any excuse to gather with your family, friends and loved ones, eat simple good food, sweet cakes, put up some cute decorations, laugh, be merry, and celebrate, is good. Isn't life a celebration in itself? As long as we keep it in moderation, in the right perspective and without the excessive extravagance. So...

Happy Halloween, Everyone!

Even the backside of this lovely top is handpainted in vibrant colors. I love!

The material is too thin and flimsy though, so I layered with a tank top underneath.

Look how lovely the handpainting and embroidery at the front!

Top: from Bali (it's a steal, only IDR 35k or USD 3.5!). Fuschia tank top: Express (USA). Orange capri pants: from Hongkong. Tosca blue purse: Stradivarius. Turquoise earrings: from Sydney. Turquoise bangle: from Shanghai. Blue sandals with bow: one of my summer haul from Plaza Semanggi, they're pretty, and better yet, they're super cheap!

Cheerful Fanta On A Gloomy Day

Helloooo grey season! You're here at last!

It's rainy season in the tropics, and the day could be so cloudy and gloomy especially for people who are used to blue sky and hot sun almost all year round. This morning when I woke up, all I wanted to do was crawling back under my thick, comfy, snuggly pink cover and fell back to sleep. But of course, I've got bills to pay, so I dragged my lazy bones to the shower, put some clothes and makeup on, then finally settled happily (OK, perhaps not too happily) at my tiny little corner in the office. Boo-hoo!

However, I refused to succumb to the dull overcast weather mood, hence the cheerful fanta colors came to play! Grey sky might make a good inspiration for my eyeshadow pallete, but not for my outfit. At least, not today when it's already cold and gloomy outside.

It's just so apt that I happened to wear this cheerful butterfly necklace that I wore at my happiness ala butterfly post a while back.

At first, I thought the fanta burts of colors would be too much for corporate look, so in the morning I came looking like this.

Black, fuschia/fanta pink, blue earrings, and happy dragonfly pendant! Ow, and Mom's vintage Philippe Chariol leather satchel in hunter green. Now that satchel is happening again, I cajoled her to give it to me, haha! Thanks, Mom!

This is how it looks without the blazer on. So eye-catching the color, don't you think?

But then I became so sleepy, also people around me (blame it on the weather!), I changed the blackie onto a minty! The contrast really woke me up... a bit.

Waddaya think, friends? Too bold? Or is it OK?

Corporate sleepy look:

Black blazer: tailored. Black pants: LOFT (USA). Fuschia/fanta pink top: Elle. Gold sandals: Yongki Komaladi. Earrings: old collection. Necklace: Naughty (Emporium Pluit), I lost the one I bought at Warna MKG, but I stumbled upon the same exact one a while back at another store. Hunter green satchel: Philippe Charriol Leather Collection.

Wake-up-call look:

Minty green cardigan: Marks & Spencer. (reduced price, I bought two, and they really are good investment! Thin but warm and not scratchy at all!)

Thus They Call It The Promised Land (Part 6): Jerusalem The Beautiful, The White City Up The Hill

I did tell you that I'm not a professional blogger, so please be understanding, Friends, if I just posted this Holyland series now instead of two or three weeks ago! I think I still have two more posts, so bear with me!

Are you a fan of Lord of The Rings? If yes, and if you watched the movie, you’d know that in the 3rd installment there was a scene with a gorgeous animation of Gondor, The White City, in all its magnificence.
Now, as much as I adore the beautiful story, I know full well that Gondor only exists in Tolkien’s Middle Earth, not on our Earth. But, if Earth has a Gondor, then it must look like Jerusalem.

We reached Jerusalem very late at night and went straight to the hotel. After hours of bus ride across the Sinai desert, we were dead tired, hence didn’t pay any attention to the surroundings. Not to mention that it was already dark. So in the morning, after a good night sleep, a satisfying breakfast, and feeding our soul with a Holy Mass, we hopped onto the bus and headed to the city, ready for a day of spiritual adventure. And my my my…

Jerusalem.

The city I’ve heard so much about in the Bible and on the news. Amidst the early morning golden rays of sunshine, she came to life right before our very eyes, with all her splendor, grace and beauty.
Seeing this magnificent white city on the hill, my heart leaped with joy and gratefulness that God gave me, us, the opportunity to be there and then. I was not the only feeling that way, I suppose, since the whole bus suddenly sprang in impromptu manner and sang joyfully:

“Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

Open your gates and sing!

Hosana, in the highest! Hosana to your King!”

It’s so sad that such beautiful and historical city became a neverending source of conflict. I pray with all my heart that whatever the conflict is about, it will be resolved in peace. Amen.

See what I mean by 'the white city'? All buildings are built of limestone.

And the city is kinda hilly, so there are lots of streets going up and down.

I've heard about Mount Zion a lot in songs and books since I was a little girl, and now I'm going to see the real one. We're going to the walled city Old Jerusalem. So excited!!!!

Jeans: old GAP jeans. Sneakers: Nike. Hat: from Korea. Baby doll: from Malaysia. Nude cropped cardigan: Tommy Hilfiger (USA). Dangling earrings: Claire (USA). Red patent bag: from Philippines.

Moon Princess

I'm a self-confessed girlie-girl. I love anything pink, Hello Kitty, flowers, scented candles, sweet smelling soaps, lip gloss, nail polish, you know, all things cute and feminine. I was a tomboy through and through when I was little, and there was a phase when I avoided femininity at all cost, because I think it's weak and silly. Now that I have grown up and gained a little bit more wisdom and maturity, instead of rejecting the fact that God created me as a daughter of Eve, I embrace femininity and womanhood with all my heart, my soul, and my closet!

My friends and colleagues, even my boss, know that I have extraordinary love for cute and feminine little things, so I often receive them as gifts. Look at this pretty compact mirror! It's from an office colleague who just returned from a trip to China. He gives this similar gift for all of us girls at the office, only with different pictures. At first I received one with some animal pictures over yellow and gold background. Ungrateful me, being Miss Picky (and Pinky), asked him: "Don't you have anything pink?" He said no, but five minutes later he returned to my desk and exchanged the yellow mirror with this princess one. I think it's the prettiest of them all, and the only one with a princess picture on it! I feel soooooo special! Thank you, Om GusLuk! I love, love, love this! That's why I just have to share this with you friends!
Btw, it's the Chinese Moon Goddess character, Chang Er. The Chinese has a folklore about her and celebrate the Moon Cake Festival every year like I wrote in this post. I hope you don't think my rambling about a piece of compact mirror so excitedly too silly! ^_^

You Can Get The Cookie N Eat It, Too!

"Cheerful colors are a feast to the eyes and delights to the soul.

Chocolate is a feast to the palate and a gift to your precious self."

LeeAnne, Style N Season

What do you think of this chocolate-colored carriage? Just add a glittery ballgown, and I'd feel like Cinderella! The carriage is part of the decoration of Magnum Cafe, at Grand Indonesia. Some time ago, the FMCG giant Unilever rebranded their Walls' Magnum ice cream and relaunched it to the masses to a huge success. They opened this hip cafe which received so much buzz on the internet, and finally today after work, I decide to treat myself with something delicious and something sweet, and make my first visit to the royal-themed cafe! (Not just the carriage, the server even called me 'my lady'!)

Aaaanyway, this is what I wore to the office before the happy-hour night out.
The colors of this top screams out so much, that I tone it down with lots of blacks. However, I still wear this funky striped red thick soles, just for the fun of it!

And these flower earrings!Afterhours, I keep the blacks in the drawer and came up with this casual, cheerful look. Yeah, as much as I love my daytime job, sometimes when I wake up in the morning, all I can think is: "Oooooh... I cannot wait until five o-clock and I can change into my cute ensemble and go to the mall and have some ice cream and see all those delighful accessories at Forever 21!"Office-hour look:
Black blazer: Brooks Brothers Woman (USA). Black pants: office uniform by Invio. Colorful top: Cop-Copine Paris (France). Wedges: Mon Cher by Lolly. Sky blue bag: Les Catino (Emporium Pluit). Bottom and top (owl) bangles: from Jerusalem. Middle bangle: from Plaza Semanggi. Flower earrings: Lotus Department Store.
After-office-hour look:
Jeans: old and rolled up. Pink cardigan: Marks & Spencer.Love the interior of Magnum Cafe! In my words, it's 'grown-up girlie' or 'grown-up princess style'. So instead of a heavy doze of pinks, they combine rich chocolate color, ecru, royal red and a lot of greens in the form of fake planters. It's like the inside of a dream castle, but in this case, grown-up dream castle! The menu consists of 30% main course and 70% dessert made of various yummy ingredients such as (of course!) Magnum ice cream, waffle, chocolate sauce, fruits, fondue, etc. I was hungry, so I ordered this fancy hotdog with lots of ginger mayo, melted cheese, and fried onions. And herb french fries on the side. They don't just call them hotdog and fries, of course, they have a much grander names, but unfortunately, I forgot what they were since they were too fancy and sophisticated sounding names!The dessert is huge! If you want to orde one of these sweet babies, I'd suggest you share it with a friend. Or even two friends so you have a space in your stomach to order something else. Leaving the restaurant and heading to Blitz Theater for a movie, I couldn't help not to pose with these super cute Magnum benches!

See? The benches's shape and color just represent the delicious ice cream itself!