Family dinner

Had dinner at home with Matt, Dad, Mom, Emi and Daichan.

Mom had prepared fusion food (which is our normal) Western, Japanese and Manadonese fusion.

After some wine and whiskey, Dad turned on Irish folk music. Don't ask me why.

Sunday afternoon in Jakarta

Seems it's all about food and booze but well, that's what's Travel & Living all about isn't it?

After skinny dipping at newly renovated Kemang hotel, we noticed there's a Scottish Pub in the corner. Matt couldn't help it, we had to go for a pint. This is Matt and a very typical Scottish dude......

Joined by Emi, we went to Cafe Batavia for a brunch, the North end of Jakarta, passing throught the city central and Kota - China town of Jakarta.

This is a colonial building with Dutch influence everywhere, turned swanky restaurant that looks like it would be featured in the Lonely Planet Jakarta sites. Again, food wasn't fantastic but wonderful place to soak in the ambience of the old Jakarta formaly known as Batavia.

Girl Power with Yakiniku & Shabu-Shabu

Had dinner with my girlfriends, Emi and Matt at Manpuku restaurant and had loads of food & Shochu.

Matt was taken aback by the girls' appetite.

Daichan gave us complimentary Sushi, that's the power of the wife :)

Padang food

Went to Bintaro just outside of Jakarta, where I buy fabrics in bulk and where she-boys can peacefully dance and sing on streets in the daylight. The price of fabric is 1/5 of what I pay in shops in Jakarta city.

On the way, we stopped by for Padang cuisine lunch. This is a very common Indonesian food from Padang district. They serve as many plates (and food) as they can on the table and what you eat is what you pay. So yes, just enjoy what's in front of you and don't think too much.

Mom showing Matt how to eat with fingers. Matt getting good at it, had 3 servings of rice!

Jakarta night out

Went to Aphrodite, my old friend Fred's establishment and met Fumiko-san there. My simple mind thought of this place equals white guys' joint, thus Matt might find some comfort in.

I hadn't been there for almost 10 years but it was thriving than ever. It used to have a fine dining section, a bar and a club. But now it's a whole big sports bar.
Jakarta Kini magazine writes about them, "a loyal following of young professional expats and everything that traditionally follows in their wake. Pool tables, reasonable drinks prices, kick-ass happy hour and above standard food make Aphrodite a firm favourite." (you get the picture)

The good news is, Fred and Aphrodite actually do support few sport events including rugby, soccor and billiard.

Decided it was too sleazy for a 3rd drink, Mayu-san joined us and we went to Lara Djonggrang - an Imperial Indonesian Cuisine restaurant/bar/museum. Food was so so but great ambience. http://www.tuguhotels.com/laradjonggrang/index.html

Then went to UTA PARK, one of Daichan & Ooki-san's Karaoke for some vocal training.

Darmawangsa Hotel

It was Matt's first visit to Jakata!

And so staying at the beautiful Dharmawangsa Hotel featuring ethnic Javanese style, which happens to be just around the corner from Emi's house was undoubtfully the best choice!

Ofcourse, I want him to see the best. (at least on the first trip!)

Rani's Wedding

Our family had little or almost no involvement in Rani, my cousin's wedding preparation. But my parents took place of her parents, as her dad passed away few years ago and her mother and sister sought assylum to USA and couldn't come back. We didn't know what to expect and almost had no expectation but it turned out to be a simple, well arranged wedding ceremony, thanks to her Church friends who helped her. When she sobbed, I felt a pang in my heat as I thought how happy yet sad she must be feeling, without her family, all this time and on her wedding. I hope she finds love and happines with her new family.

Went to see the doctor to check Emi's pregnancy progress. Baby is too small (2,400g) but wants to come out 2 weeks earlier than expected. Emi waited for so long but now that it's coming out, she's sort of not ready... but ready but not but yeah but no....

Room in Jakarta

Things are falling into places like a well played tetris.

Out of the 3 rooms at my parent's guest house, 1 room has become vacant as Moriyama-san, the longest tenant left for Vientnam for good last week.

I was going to be a free loading daughter, but the odds are too much in everyone's favor that I have to be a respectable adult and pay my dues.

Rent comes up to about the same as my room in S'pore, except that I get daily housekeeping and laundry services! yay!!

But I will miss Matty :(

Short term tenant

I get along with Yayoi my flatmate so well and I don't wanna loose my room, so I got another lady to rent my room for at least 2 months.

And because I had to empty half of the closet for her to use, I threw (donated) a bag full of clothes which I don't wear anymore. It gave me a sense of emotional transition, that I might not have to wear office clothes, for the rest of my life!

And at the same time remembered how i dreamed to wear powersuits and strut with a pair of stiletto on a business district like a bitch in control, when I was a student.

It's one of those dream vs reality thing. Now i'm mostly in skimpy clothes (coz it's hot!) and a pair of sandals.

Baby Boy's name

Back in Jakarta, my mom is frantic about choosing the boy's middle name.

Dai-chan's dad chose RIKU for the first name. RIKU in Japanese means Continent.

So it's my mom's request to pick the boy a middle name which is in English. (And she even chose the spelling for RIKU to RIQUE. Just so French and chic.

They chose LEON for the middle name as he is expected to be born on Aug 1.

But now with the early delivery frenzy, they are trying to pick yet another name...

oh, things adult do for an unborn little thing.

So anyway, I found this website on Japanese name assessment. http://www.seimeihandan.net/free/index.asp

If you have a name in Kanji, try it. It's fun.

For example :

Me: 竹谷 直美 Takeya Naomi　- 浮沈変転運 fluctuating and changing

Sister: 竹谷 恵美 Takeya Emi - 奇人変人運 An eccentric

Dad: 竹谷 聖 Takeya Satoshi - 英雄・怪傑運 A hero / marvel

Dai-chan: 岡村 大正 Okamura Daisei - スタミナ野人運 Wild person with stamina

And the baby boy: 竹谷 陸 Takeya Rique - ボス頭領 Head of all bosses

Dempsy Hut

Matt's friends Alex & Jo - the soon to be husband & wife couple are born in June. This Gemini couple's birthday party was just as happening as any weekend drinking session! Geeting LOOOOSE!!

To the Land of Dukes and Spice Girls

This is my new blog site on the UK trip! Please visit!

http://ilovelondoninjune.blogspot.com/

Sun is in the sky, oh why, oh why
Would I wanna be anywhere else?

without a safety net....

Ok, now I'm freaking out.

From next month, I will no longer see that once a month glorious day on my bank account.

And being me, I don't have much to last.

My 2 year old computer is almost useless now, if anything it's causing too much stress.

I've reformatted and reinstalled but still it's very very very very slow...

I'm sure everyone knows how frustrating it is to have a retarded computer with no cure for it.

So it looks like I have to get a new computer, most likely a laptop, with my last pay check.

Today, Inez and I made a big decision to seperate MaNic's women's wear and the maternity wear, basically because Inez will be moving to Melbourne and I, God knows where...

We will still be mentors and support to eachother, providing information wherever we are.

So I will take on the maternity wear alone, Inez the women's wear alone.

So...Bon Voyage to an uncertain and exciting future!

LOVE COMES QUICKLY by petshop boys

It's too obvious my mood but as I was humming to this one, I became curious to the actual lyrics.

Then it made me sick to my stomach or should i say heart

... coz then, LOVE GOES OUT QUICKLY too?!

Sooner or later, this happens to everyone

To everyone

You can live your life lonely

Heavy as stone

Live your life learning

And working alone

Say this is all you want

But I don't believe that it's true

'Cause when you least expect it

Waiting round the corner for you

Love comes quickly, whatever you do
You can't stop falling (Ooh ooh)

Love comes quickly, whatever you do

You can't stop falling (Ooh ooh)

You can live a life of luxury

If that's what you want

Taste forbidden pleasures

Whatever you want

You can fly away to the end of the world

But where does it get you to?'

Cause just when you least expect it

Just what you least expect

Love comes quickly, whatever you do

You can't stop falling (Ooh ooh)

Love comes quickly, whatever you do

You can't stop falling (Ooh ooh)

I know it sounds ridiculous, but speaking from experience

It may seem romantic, and that's no defense

Love will always get to you

Sooner or later, sooner or later, this happens to everyone

To everyone

You can fly away to the end of the world

But where does it get you?

Love comes quickly, whatever you do

You can't stop falling (Ooh ooh)

.....................

tiny delicate thing

Had dinner with Emi, Dai papa, Dai-chan's sister, her husband, their baby and his parents at Don. I love the idea that I have a relative from Kyoto now.

Baby was 7 months old and it gave me and Emi a real feel of what it's like to have a baby around.

I can totally empathize with Emi's distress. Even after the agonizing 9months, she won't be a free woman...

Meanwhile, without baggage, Emi, Dai and I went back home for more quiet grown ups' chill out session.

It really dawn on me to teasure the moment as it will not last forever.

ROBBERY!

The 2nd night in Jakarta, Bruno was barking at night waking me and the whole block. I was so worried for his safety, I tried to calm him down but he wouldn't. It was 3am. Finally the guards and people gathered to the street in front of our house.

As it happened, the house opposite our house was broken into and thier brand new car was stolen!

And I thought I saw the neighbors themselves coming out of the house. But actually what I saw were the robbery!! 3 of them! In no time, the police came (amazing! or not depending on what they are really after), and to my surprise, 2 tv media came and started shooting the scene.

Next day Dad tightened the security and Bruno was given a big bone.

(But he still barks to bitches regardless)