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!