There is finally a sun in Bali. I've been sitting my days at the office, grumpy and mellowed by the gray weather. I've been around the internet today (yes, during office hours. You got me busted!) and found this post in notcot.com about illustration made by artists, inspired by children book covers. Children books and illustration is inseparable. It is part of the magic. As you can see I took the liberty of showcasing few illustration in this blog. For complete report and drawings click here.
I really adore this picture of Matilda I made it my profile picture in goodreads.
And of course you just can't miss the all time favorite, Le Petit Prince. I wish I can own them all!
Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue. Patience is a virtue. Om... or so the mantra went in my mind during one of the worst time ever in my life. I sat hunched in a small car with four other girls, all of us were starving, in serious need for relieving ourselves from the increased pressing down under and was so tired from swearing everyone in charge of this stinking hell hole which was Jakarta. We were trapped in a freeway (freeway! Oh the irony of it!) for almost six hours just because we wanted to celebrate my friend's birthday.
Luckily, I don't live there anymore. I live in an island where you don't have to be trapped for three hours just because you made a spontaneous decision of visiting your boyfriend in his house. Here, I could just do a spontaneous U-turn and reward myself with a lychee martini and peaceful sunset without the need to stuck in traffic for hours (except of course when Homo Jakartanesis decides to have an island getaway and flock to this tiny island and create yet another traffic).
My favorite Time magazine recently created a list of The Best of Asia 2009. Maldives was rewarded as the best place to hear the call to prayer. Philippines was named as the best place to eat suckling pig. China was mentioned as the place to get autumn hike. How about Indonesia, you ask. Well, it certainly received a mention as well. Jakarta to be more precise. Apparently, Jakarta is the best place to learn patience. In a car. For hours. Waiting for your gallbladder to burst open.
In the article written by Jason Tedjasukmana, Jakarta's traffic will grind to a complete halt by 2014. That is five years from now. If the government don't take any immediate action, Jakarta will be an underwater city with traffic. Advice to the hip-trendy-cooler-than-thou-Jakartans: maybe it's time to seek job else where? You know, just in case.
Upon entering the entrance, a man demanded entrance fee for 50,000 IDR for foreigner. He gave me no ticket, no nothing. When I pressed him about this matter, he said coyly ‘for the maintenance purpose’. Yeah right. Can somebody confirm to me about this entrance fee? Obviously, nothing is being maintained there as you can see below…
#2
First thing first, there was much plastic garbage dumped or stranded on the mangrove trees. I know this happened because of the disgusting amount of people are still dumping their garbage to the river which eventually ended up in the trash mangrove forest
#3
The famous 1.9 km wooden walkway was in such a bad shape I didn’t believe that so far there is no accident reported. The track was disjointed, terrifyingly angled to only one side and some are simply gone (wood fire?). I wonder where the 50,000 IDR go
#4
It was hot, humid and apparently the mosquitoes were so hungry there. Don’t get me wrong, I like nature and I’m not a whiny princess who is afraid of sun and mosquitoes but it was too much. So it was totally beyond me how so many hormone-raging teenagers went there to make out. I understand the place is quite and hidden from parental view but still…oh, and they left so many vandalistic cryptograms (“Eko & Ayu Forever”) it was not cute anymore
In conclusion: Don’t go there. Just don’t. Find some place else for your pre-wedding photographs because bride with broken limb is not a pretty bride. Unless you are fully-covered by insurance and you love the adrenaline thrill of walking on ruined walkway with knowledge that you might fall to the swamp if you step on the wrong wood, then be my guest.
I know I’m supposed to be more aware of the outcome of G 2O Summit and watching Obama kickin’ ass in his first international forum. However, I found his wife also particularly interesting. Her not-so-conservative style has been much complimented and debated. Even in this summit, she made splashes in the news regarding her ‘warm touch’ to the Queen and even this fashion showdown between Michelle and the badass First Lady of France, Carla Bruni- Sarkozy. Who do you think wear it better?
Michelle in Thakoon floral- print coat v.s Carla in Dior gray trench coat with her trademark, black flat
(not much choice there, considering her hubbie’s limited height).
I really adore this picture of Matilda I made it my profile picture in goodreads.
I really adore this picture of Matilda I made it my profile picture in goodreads.
And of course you just can't miss the all time favorite, Le Petit Prince. I wish I can own them all!
