Butterflies In My Stomach

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I'm terrified with tiny creatures with wings or with more than 4 legs. Two months and counting living in beautiful Eragayam, Papua I learn to befriend them and learn to appreciate them instead of swatting them with rolled paper or books. Working my way up to other type of creepy lovely crawlies.

What Are The Odds

All my life I never win anything for free. Once in a while my computer or my mobile will mockingly claim that I've won some money or some car. I expect my only offspring would probably have no such luck either. So I thought. My jaw dropped to the floor when I learned that my only daughter Dena who lives in Vancouver won a car! I thought she pulled a prank or something. If you know her you know what I mean. But it's true! For real! Dena you are one Lucky girl. Literally and figuratively, if you know what I mean. 

Oh Joy! (2)

Happiness is getting a home made pumpkin cake from mama Dani in the morning. And a home made loaf of wheat bread as an early Christmas present from Adit & Putri in the evening. Bahagia itu sederhana di Eragayam. Wa wa wa. 

Oh Joy!

One rainy day in Eragayam, Papua. It was raining cats and dogs when I saw Boas, a third grader, outside the computer lab. I offered him to use my umbrella so he could go home. His eyes lighted up. When I showed him how to use my folding umbrella his eyes danced, he smiled and grinned from ear to ear. I've never seen anyone so happy to have an umbrella. Bahagia itu sederhana.

Ob Anggen

I thought I'm the one who will bring blessing for students in a school in the middle of gorgeous layer of mountains in Papua. Turned out I'm the one who are more blessed by my little brothers and sisters, by the beautiful nature, by the simplicity of life, by the warm-hearted parents, by gracious people and by inspiring, compassionate new friends. Dena, I'm high on life! 

For Real

Lovely Saturday evening in an elevator of UOB building on jalan Sudirman. On the way to 9th floor for IES Saturday service. In came three teenagers from B1. All dressed in black with sleek hair. "Besok udah gue siapin mobil sama ajudan buat lo ya," one guy said to his friends as he pressed 8th floor. "Ajudan lo?" his friend replied casually. "Nggak lah, ajudan gue sama supir udah jalan duluan. Jadi mobil gue dua-duanya udah siap disana besok pagi." Was I on candid camera or something? 

Forget-Me-Not

Hari Rabu yang panas di Mayestik. "Ya ampun, mbaaak. Untung belom saya jual bajunya. Hampir 4 bulan di gantungan," sambut si mbak penjahit yang membuat saya cuma bisa tertawa malu sambil mengarang cerita untuk menutup kekurangan diri yang sering lupa. Sampai rumah baru sadar bahwa botol minum tertinggal di tempat penjahit, karena ikut sibuk membantu mbak penjahit mencari baju yang terlupakan. Kalau botol minum lain nggak akan dibela-belain balik lagi ke Mayestik. Mending beli baru. Tapi ini edisi spesial!

Knock On Wood

We have been together for years if not decades. We get along quite well because; he hardly say any words, he doesn't mind if I bend or twist him any which way I want, I always have him in the palm of my hands, and he is crazy about my drawings. I recently learned that he can teach my friends to swim! That moment when you think you know someone, then they delighted you in ways you never thought they could. LOL

Mind Your Manners

One lovely lazy Monday morning in a supermarket. Vegetable and fruit section. A lady and her shopping cart. I would say late 30 something. I was admiring how neatly she organized her stuff in her shopping cart when she took a plastic bag from a plastic roll stand, gave it to a supermarket attendance guy without saying a word. The guy opened it and handed it back to her. She left without a word. Seriously? 

A Laughing Matter

Urban myth says children laugh about 300 to 400 times a day. Which mean a child would be laughing at least once every 1-2 minutes from sunrise until sunset! Studies shows that laughter helps lower blood pressure, boost immune systems, reduce stress hormones, burn calories and triggers endorphins, the body's natural painkillers. On the contrary an adult laugh an average of 17.5 times per day. Go figure. Laughter is the best medicine.

Dr. Lily

Senin pagi di klinik umum RSPI. First she turned off the air condition when she saw me warming up my bare arms when I came in. When I told her that I'm not sick she said, "Oh? You need another health reference for your marathon?" She remembered! When I told her that I need pil kina for my trip she first called her colleague who specialized in tropical diseases to find more information. Next she called the pharmacy to check which medicines are in stock. Finally she said, "Leave your mobile with the nurse, I will contact you if I find more information," before giving me a thorough physical check up. 

Isaiah 40:31

A sound mind. A sound body. Training my mind is harder than training my body. My mind has a mind on its own. Once I get caught up in waves of fear, self-doubt and worry, I tend to let myself rolled over by the crashing waves. I tried positive pep-talk, visualisation, self-help book, motivational you tubes, inspirational quotes. Nothing help. But now I have a heavenly power that remind me all the time to focus & keep calm. That everything is fine. I will trust the Lord. I will find new strength. I will be strong like eagles soaring upward on wings. I will walk and run without getting tired. In triathlon or in life.

A Laughing Matter

Sabtu sore nan sibuk di Grand Lucky. Eating the best cheese pizza in town with my chatterbox niece and her equally chatterbox friend. "Kulitnya kok bisa sampai mengkilat begitu?" an older lady sat next to our table startled me with her commanding voice. "Oh iya, hmm ini abis triathlon minggu lalu, biasanya tidak sehitam ini!" jawab saya terbata-bata merasa bersalah terlalu sering berada dibawah matahari. Eh tunggu dulu! That was a compliment right? Why am I defending myself? And there is absolutely nothing wrong with dark skin tone. "Oh ini karena pake body butter yang olive, bu." LOL

Tri Love

"I left my heart in San Fransisco Bintan. High on rolling hills, it calls to me. To be where little cable cars triathletes climb halfway to the stars. The morning fog sun may chill burn the air, I don't care. My love waits there in San Fransisco  Bintan. Above the blue and windy sea. When I come home to you, San Fransisco  Bintan. Your golden sun will shine for me." :-)

Tiny Tika

One lovely afternoon at a sport rehab center. She is petite and impeccable. Long lustrous and shiny black hair. French manicured fingers. Her tiny little fingers can make your gastroc, quad, and itb scream and beg for mercy. "Kenapa harus sport tiga macam sih bu? Kenapa nggak pilih satu aja?" LOL

Iron Strength

Anima Sana In Corpore Sano. A sound mind in a sound body. Training your mind is as important as training your physique. Do whatever activities that can put your mind at ease. What do you do to keep your mind cool, calm and collected? :-)

Space Invader

Stick and stones may break my bones, but words will never harm me. So not true. One fine Sunday in a tiny sauna. I was just contemplating how good a sauna after a long run when a Japanese lady went in and sat next to me. Then she started talking complaining about the hygiene of the sauna. Nothing good came out of her mouth. I came out stressful instead of restful. I need to master selective hearing. Masuk telinga kiri keluar telinga kanan. :-)

Pro Bono

Amazing people @doctorShare. Dedicated. Passionate. Servant leaders. An epitome of Galatians 5:13 For you, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. It's an honor! 

Land Of PB

There is something magical about Bali. There is something about the air, the wind, the sea, the clouds, the sun, the sand, the sky, the moon, the stars and the trees in Bali. They bring out the best in me. Bali Marathon | 2014. Bali Triathlon | 2016. Mother nature. A force to be reckoned with. "Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth." Henry David Thoreau

Role Play

One lovely Tuesday in a lobby of an apartment. Two lovely ladies. One sat down on a sofa and the other stood up right in front of the first one. The one standing up did most of the talking with a resentful tone. "No. Not tomorrow. It's impossible. I told you I can only do Wednesdays and Thursdays and I don't think bla bla bla," she continued her monologue. Something about a schedule mishap. The one sitting down said nothing and constantly checked her mobile. Avoiding eye contact. Guess which one dress in a nanny uniform?

Sign Language

Lovely Tuesday morning. TVRI loop. A guy cyclist passed me. "Hey!" he startled me. Some meters later he turned his head & quarter of his body, pointed to my direction with his left hand, then pointed to his left chest and smiled before he took off. In return I gave him a thumb up, a wave and a big smile. Can you guess what his gestures meant? ;-)

Out Of Focus

A wide sidewalk. An even sidewalk. A smooth sidewalk. A safe sidewalk. Kurang apa lagi coba? Masih jatuh juga? Kalau Kamis jatuh bego karena lari di tanah bebatuan yang nggak rata masih bisa dipahami rasanya. Tapi ini? What is wrong with me? Sidewalk rash di bahu kanan, lutut kiri dan di jari tangan. Jatuh bego keterlaluan tidak terkira. :-)

Ouch!

Jatuh bego lagi sepeda karena pake sepatu cleat? Nggak heran. Jatuh bego lagi lari karena kesandung akar pohon? Sungguh sangat keterlaluan! Fokus. Fokus. Fokus!

Senja Di Jakarta

Ketika Suyono menginjak gas mobil kembali, tiba-tiba saja hatinya merasa gundah. Perasaan yang sudah beberapa kali timbul menyelinap kedalam hatinya, pada saat dia bercumbu-cumbu dengan Dahlia, ketika sedang makan enak-enak di restoran, ketika hendak menandatangani sebuah cek, ketika hendak naik mobilnya yang amat bagus itu. Semacam perasaan yang menggelisahkan dirinya, tidak dapat digambarkannya dengan tepat, akan tetapi seakan-akan dia merasa tidak enak, seakan ada sesuatu yang tidak patut, dan dibalik ini semua ada timbul sedikit rasa takut. Rasa takut yang juga tidak dapat ditangkapnya rupanya. Sehingga akhirnya dia merasa tidak enak saja, dan sering merasa kesal dengan orang-orang yang kebetualan ada didekatnya. Mochtar Lubis

Test The Water

"I listen to the silence and yearn to be more me, swimming in the sea of myself, learning eternally - finding out where the rocks are and smoothing them into sand." Jay Woodman

Line Convos

All is good with you? Can we Skype sometime this weekend? Alls goooooood Haha...are you high on something? Just high on life Woohoo! No I'm a little drunk. Lol #@%! Im kidding I know Ive only had one drink. Hahaha Lol. You know your limit. I'm not worry. I know youre not worry. Youre tina Hahaha...you know me too well. So when can we Skype? Um yeah this weekend im free. Like saturday or sunday

Drama Queen

Lovely morning. TVRI loops. I was lost in my own thoughts when I noticed two guys in a big motorbike was going along right beside me. The driver was babbling something to me. OMG. OMG. I'm going to be mugged or something. WAIT! CALM DOWN! He still talking. He would have done something awful by now! "I've seen you around. Why don't you join us next time for practice, in case you get into trouble someone can help you. We do loops everyday except Monday. Meeting point 4.30am at seven eleven Senayan." He followed me for one loop then said, "Stay safe. I have to take my daughter to school." Apparently a woman cyclist riding alone early in the morning can cause some concern here. LOL

Once Upon A Time

She is not mine. She is temporarily given to me courtesy of random act of kindness. They say it's important to have a connection with your bike. Say hello to Little Red Riding Hood. She will safely take me to my grandma's house in Bintan. She's got quite a few tricks up her sleeve to outsmart The Big Bad Wolf. We won't be needing your assistance Mr. Lumberjack, you can go impress Rapunzel or Snow White. We're good! :-)

Over The Hill

Incredible Saturday ride from Cibubur to Bandung with inspiring cyclists. They say after an uphill there is always a downhill. Unless you are riding the never-ending hills of Cariu or Citatah. There is something compelling about riding hills. Yes, there is pain but there is also joy in pain. Yesterday I learned that when I fight and resist pain, eventually pain will run me over. But when I embrace and welcome pain, eventually and strangely it become somehow less agonizing. And when the pain just become too unmanageable, just get off your bike. Walk and push your bike if you have to. Get in the evacuation car if you must. There is no shame in that. Then try again, and again, and again, and again, again and again. Pain is inevitable, suffering is an option. In riding or in living. 

Keladi

Selesai century ride sepiring keladi Papua rebus dicampur kelapa & tumis bunga pepaya never taste so good! Katanya keladi mengandung air 76 gram, protein 2.2 gram, karbohidrat 17.5g, kalsium, fosfor, zat besi, vitamin B1 & B2 dan lemaknya cuma 0.1g! All the good stuff for you! Jadi kenapa reputasinya jelek di dunia peri bahasa? :-))

Over The Moon

You fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars!

You've Got Mail!

Getting updates of Aristo through World Vision Indonesia is always a guaranteed highlight of any kind of day. When was the last time you receive something good through snail mail other than subscriptions, bills or junk mails?

El Run

Kalau kemarin-kemarin naik sepeda dapat banyak greeting, hari ini lagi lari somewhere di kota di foto pake handphone sama mas-mas tim oranye DKI, yang berjasa amat sangat untuk kebersihan Jakarta tercinta. Harusnya marah kali ya, ambil foto tanpa izin. Tapi as a token of appreciation of their hard work untuk membersihkan sampah, I gave him a big smile and a peace sign. Mudah-mudahan nggak beredar jadi meme di dunia virtual. LOL

On Point

Everyone who knows me will tell you that I'm quiet, reserved and introvert-ish. It's very unlikely of me to approach a stranger and say hi. But for all the greetings I got from other cyclists the other day I thought today I paid it forward to any cyclist that cross my path. A cyclist waiting for a traffic light in front of Fairmont hotel. "Pagi!" I said. And just like that we had a friendly conversation about cycling, Sungailiat, Bali, Bintan at 10km/hr all the way to GBK. I should throw selamat pagi more often ;-)

King Of The Road

Lovely Idul Fitri day. Empty street. Waiting for the red light at the intersection of Jl. TB Simatupang & Jl. Fatmawati. Green light on Jl. Fatmawati, traffic were just moving when this Kopaja from TB Simatupang just ignored the red light. A bule cyclist with no helmet stood his ground right in front of the notorious Kopaja, gave his middle finger to the driver before continued his ride. Way to go bule guy! But I didn't think the senseless driver understand what your middle finger stand for. LOL. What's the most obscene gesture in Indonesia sih? Just in case I need to stand my ground against boneheaded motorists :-) 

Baby's Day Out

Vancouver. May 2016. I was walking down west 4th avenue in Kitsilano admiring adorable little shops and small cafe when I saw a baby crawl out from a clothing store to a one and a half meter wide sidewalk! I thought I was hallucinating. She almost reached the edge of the sidewalk before her mom casually stepped out of the store and picked him up. 

Riding On Empty

One lovely Sunday. What was it about today that makes four cyclists throw their greetings at me this morning. One gave me an enthusiastic selamat pagi. One with an aerodynamic helmet that looks like it belong to a super hero said, "Nice bike!" I yelled back, "Nice helmet!" But I didn't think he heard me because his ears are covered by his helmet. Another yelled "Haaai! Sendiri aja?" It was a rhetorical question that require no answer right? And The last one gave me a melodious hey, a big smile and a wink. I laughed out loud. Must be the empty streets that makes people delirious today. 

Salad vs Dog

Vancouver. May 2016. I was eating my cranberry walnut salad outside in an eating area near a supermarket on west 4th avenue when a young woman approached me and said, "Do you mind watching my dog? I just need to get some juice!" When I said yes she tied her dog to a post in front of me. "I don't want her to get your food," she said nicely and apologetically. The minute she walked in the supermarket the dog started barking and making loud whiny sound. I was still eating my salad when a guy came up to the dog, gave her a pat on her back and said, "There, there! You be all right," and gave me a what-were-you-thinking-look. "It's not my dog and this salad is so good!" I said defensively. He left right away without uttering any word. 

Random Act Of Kindness

Vancouver. May 2016. Waiting for the green light at 10th Ave & Cambie. Both are bike lanes. Road dedicated to cyclist! How awesome is that? "Hey your backpack is opened," a lady cyclist startled me. I was about to undo my cleat before reaching to my backpack, without missing a beat she said, "Here let me help you." She came closer with her bike to me and zipped my back. When was the last time a stranger put a smile on you? When was the last time I put a smile on a stranger's face?

Back To Basic

Ketika saya nggak pusing soal pace atau waktu atau cadence atau heart zone atau aspek teknis lari lainnya. Ketika saya hanya fokus pada pola nafas dan belajar "mendengarkan" apa kata badan saya. Ketika saya kembali ke alasan kenapa saya begitu mencintai lari in the first place. I brake my own barrier. Yay, I'm free!

Better Not Bitter

He bought some butter

but he said, "This butter's bitter!

If I put it in my batter,

It will make my batter bitter."

So I bought some better butter,

better than the bitter butter he got,

and it made his batter better.

So it was me, myself & I

who made the batter better

Not bitter! 

Level Up

To be able to do what you love and love what you do. To be able to be true to who you are. To be able to find joy in the simplest things. To be able to see good in others. To be able to put yourself in others' shoes. To be able to laugh everyday in good company. I envy you Dena. Curiosity doesn't kill the cat, the cat has 9 lives because of its curiosity.

Proof Of Evidence

North Shore Triathlon. I was packing up my stuff in a transition area when I noticed a lady next to me took some pictures with her phone. I offered her assistance, "You want me to take picture of you and your bike?" "Oh no, thank you," she replied cheerfuly, "This is my girlfriend's spot and look how messy it is. Her stuff is all over the place. Just like at home. I'm showing this to everyone." She laughed. I offered her consolation, "Well at least she is being consistent. You have to give her credit for that." LOL

Hammock Time

I asked Dena to come with me to North Shore Triathlon in North Vancouver. I saw it as an opportunity to rub off a little tri bug on her. She saw it as an opportunity to hang out with her best friend Dee. She brought a hammock from home and hang it between two gorgeous tall trees near transition area. They slept, talked, munched and repeat in the hammock through the swim, the bike and the run leg. Okay, almost. They did wait for me at the finish line and gave me the biggest and warmest congratulatory hugs ever. I guess the apple fall far so far away from the tree when it comes to multisports & cats. :-)

Feel Like A Million Bucks

One cloudy and cold Monday Morning. North Shore Triathlon. As I was approaching the finish line a male announcer said over a loudspeaker, "And here comes another finisher. Let's welcome this young lady, number 382.... Dewi!" I ran even faster to the finish line with my hands up in the air. Not so much because I made it to the finish line but more because I was a young lady for a second. LOL. And then to top it off he continued, "... from Jakarta! She came all the way from Indonesia for this triathlon!" Woohoo! \(^_^)/

Every Dog Has Its Days

One lovely cloudy and windy Thursday afternoon. I was admiring Human Structures Vancouver, a galvanised steel sculpture by Jonathan Borofsky, in Hinge Park when this brown retriever dog came up to me, dropped a ball from its mouth in front of me and just sat there looking at me with his tongue out, gleaming eyes, and wagging tail. Oh Joy!

Mark My Words

One lovely cold Wednesday night. Over dinner I told Dena that bad things in life are unavoidable (and yes even people you love is capable of causing you pain). What people say about you or how people treat you are out of your control. The only thing in life that is in your control is how you react to bad circumstances. Bitter or Better? Later after we said goodbye and went our separate ways I found out that my bike's front light was stolen! God has a wicked sense of humour. I laughed out loud. Lesson learned indeed.

Tag Line

I've only been here for two weeks and I've had strangers converse with me more than I've had back home for a whole month. A sweet elderly man when I run, a guy in Starbuck, a young boy and girl in a park, a female swimmer in Hillcrest Aquatic Center, a very tall guy on a sidewalk, a classy lady and her daughter in an elevator, a man in a book store, an older man at a stop sign, a cyclist guy on a bike path, a lady and her dog in Granville and a middle age woman in a movie theatre. Vancouver. Connecting people.