time flies

2 more days and 2008 is gone... here comes 2009!!

Looking back, 2008 is not an easy year for me and somehow I believe that there will be more challenge and hardship in 2009. Things are getting tougher and harder nearing the end of the year, I've heard some stuff which is definitely going to affect my career or personal life next year.. Some changes in my financial plan already sent my plans swirling down the drain. But God also showed some miracles and proved to me once again, that HE is a GOD with an unlimited power.

Am I afraid entering 2009? Yes, I do. But that doesn't mean that I should stop believing in HIM. In fact, it's a sign that I should believe and rely on him evenmore. After all, HE is a GOD that promised to be with us through EVERYTHING in EVERYTIME. I don't wanna set my hopes too high, but instead I want to tell HIM every single wish that I have, my expectations, my anxiety, my fear, whatever I'm feeling. In the end, MAY HIS WILL BE DONE over me. Come what may...

Thank you 2008... Welcome 2009...

Blackberry?? Blueberry??

I just turned down another offer to be provided with a Blackberry. The last time I was nominated was like half a year ago by the IT Dept since I was supporting them for Jakarta Office. And in case someone got locked out again like a while ago, and they can't contact my phone, at least they want to be able to send me an email . I flatly rejected the idea.

And yesterday my boss asked me again: "Would you prefer to use a Blackberry? I can get you one by tomorrow." And I quickly retorted: "Ah, no thanks Pak!! I'm not that important and I still want to enjoy my weekend!" (^_^) Having a BB in my office means you're available 24/7.Means: you have no life but work.

I don't think I need one, so why should I accept the offer? Yes, lately you'll see more people use a BB and it's like it has become a trend, a way of life. You're cool if you have one even though you're not using it to its max capability and you don't even have to check your mail every now and then... the most common feature that people use is to check their FB account ha3x

So, thanks, but no thanks. Sorry sorry strawberry, but I prefer Blueberry... cheesecake, that is!! *lame joke*

books

I'm running out of space to keep my books!!! (T_T) My last database roughly shows these numbers:

1. Indonesian translated comics -- 2.959

2. English translated comics -- 131

3. Indonesian translated Asterix and such -- 72

4. English translated fictions & non-fictions -- 82

5. Indonesian translated fictions & non-fictions -- 72

6. Illustration, Fanbook & Chara Book -- 18

7. Others (including art, craft, architecture, imaging, dictionaries, foreign language lesson, cooking & children books) -- roughly 150

And those numbers weren't accurate except for the Indonesian & English translated comics. Since lately I'm too lazy to update the list for the others though I kept buying them *sigh* Now Ireally don't know where to keep what I have at home, and and like 20 % of them are still at my friend's library... haven't got time to take them all home.

When I say I'm running out of space, I really mean it. You open my living room dressers, you'll find boxes of books. You open my wardrobe, 50% of the space also filled with books. You check my parent's bedroom, you'll also find some boxes of books. Kitchen is the only place that's still clear from my books... (^_^)

I think I've mentioned somewhere that I'm the kind of person who'll feel guilty entering a bookstore without buying a book at all. So now if I'm not looking for a certain book I won't be going into any bookstore. Otherwise, I'll buy books just for the sake of buying something inside the store. And it's usually I won't read the books until a few weeks later if not the next year. Yeah, it's such a bad habit, I know.

And I can not sleep without reading. I could toss around for 2 hours without being able to close my eyes and sleep. Even when I'm extremely tired after doing so many activities during the day or when I got home at 5am in the morning and almost fall asleep in the car... the moment I hit the bed, I have to read though I'll pass out after ready not more than 5 lines... but I MUST read. That's why when I'm travelling I always brought a couple of books with me. When one book bored me, I can read the others. And I have a reading lamp clipped to my bedside, the switch is only 15 cm away, I could always reach out and turn it off whenever I feel like I'm "almost" fall asleep.

Then again, I rarely get bored if I have to spend a day or two at home. I'll never run out of stuff to read. Be it my own books or my parents. Yes... the whole family loves reading. Other than some daily newspapers, my dad subscribes to National Geographics and a few days ago he kind of gave me a hint to subscribe on Intisari ha3x And I never read my books just once! If those are books that I really really like, I could even read them thrice or more!

I have a dream... when I have my own house, I'll definitely have my own library. I'll make it as comfortable as possible not just for myself but also for every visitors who likes to read. The racks will be from the floor up to the ceiling, ladders provided to reach the top shelves. Well, it doesn't hurt to dream anyway...

Have a blessed weekend!!!

Busy or Lazy

Q: "Hey, wanna hang out sometime next week?"

A: "Ah, sorry, I'm busy."

Q: "Hey, can you help me out with something tomorrow?"

A: "Sorry, I'm busy. Might be working overtime until late."

Q: "Can you serve at next week's service?"

A: "I can't, sorry. I'm busy and I'm afraid I'd be coming late."

I guess we're all quite familiar with at least one of the 3 conversations above. And I have to shamely admit that I'm so familiar with the answers. I said that too. And in fact, I'm not that busy... I'm just lazy.

It's hard to differentiate being busy & lazy. But in my case, being busy is when you have lots to do, you try hard to finish everything on time (if not in time) but eventually it takes longer than expected. And after you finish one thing another thing comes up. While being lazy means that I have lots to do, I know I can finish them on time (again, if not in time) but I took my time in doing them since I don't really wanna do it if I may choose. And as a result, I'm being busy for something I'm too lazy to finish.

I've always wanted to continue one of my foreign language course. Between Chinese and Japanese, I finally chose to continue my Japanese lesson last July. It took me almost a year to finally decided to call the teacher and start the course. Because I was busy? No, I was just lazy. I've been busy with work from Monday to Friday. I have Saturday off. But I thought since I'd been busy the past 5 days, why not use the day off to relax... or in other words, to be lazy. A few months after my mom passed away, suddenly my day off got more boring. Then I just realized that I have wasted too much time being lazy while I can use it for learn something new, to achieve another goal in life. Thus, I started my Japanese course again... and really, I didn't get busier by it n my day off.

The other day was a friend's birthday. I didn't get her birthday present until her birthday has passed for almost 2 weeks. I thought I was too busy to go the mall and find something for her, but then I realized again I was just too lazy to spend an extra 2 hours to drive from my office to the Mall, browsed the department stores and drive back home. Instead, I went straight home after work and spent 2 hours in front of my TV watching another dorama series that my friend just sent me.

I learned to overcome my laziness little by little... by getting up early every morning... learn something new each day... sleep early too at night... and finish my work in time.

Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.

(Proverbs 10:4)

I learned not to get my self busy with wordly affairs... but spend more time with God, with family and friends... and do more things for other people...

The blessing of the LORD makes one rich, And He adds no sorrow with it.

(Proverbs 10:22)