One lovely afternoon

Iya, hidup memang susah dan penuh dengan banyak pilihan, ya. Tsk.

vania

Life Values

For me, there are 5 things I should value in life. Those are being humble, honest, smart, thoughtful, and to be free, to do whatever you love to do.

Are you with me?

vania

Brunch

I just had the most delicious brunch I've ever had. Toast, egg, and salad, with olive!

Funny story, something hit me since last night, suddenly I were craving for olives. I thought I have to buy a jar of olives at safeway but damn I'm too lazy so I didn't go instead. This morning while I prepared my brunch, I opened the Greek Salad that I bought yesterday, and guess what. There's a pack of olives inside! You couldn't imagine how surprised and thrilled I was because now, I get to eat what I'm craving for! Olives! It's just so weird because I didn't know that they packed olives inside the salad package. Oh well, sometimes you just have to think of something you really want so bad on and on and on, and you might get it. The power of mind! (Blabbing much, huh?) Enjoy today!

vania

Percakapan Tengah Malam

Dengan seorang teman di MSN

Dia: hip, nilai rata2 toefl yang diminta uni biasanya 90 yah?
Gw: ielts tuh kebagi 4. Speaking writing listening reading. Masing2 pny nilai sendiri2. Tp klo d rata2, dlu sih uni gw minta minimal 5.5
Dia: TOEFL!!!!!!!
Gw: hehehehehehehheehheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheheh (I seriously typed that long)
Gw ga tau sih rata2 yang di minta uni. Tp setau gw 1200 aja udah bagus.
Dia: 1200?! Itu mah SAT, kali!!! Toefl plg tinggi 120!
Gw: *terjun bebas dari monas*

Untung dia sudah mengerti dan mau menerima gw apa adanya

vania

One

"If only I can give you one ability in life, I would give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes. Only then you would understand how amazing you truly are to me."

Vania

15 Best Diet Tips Ever

well, that's how they put the title, but I can see that not everybody will consider these as the best tips. but I find these tips are true somehow. so, rather than being negative, mellow, emo, (previous posts) and doing nothing all day, how about a quick look at these tips? (and actually doing it afterwards :p)

original source: Click Here

1. Drink plenty of water or other calorie-free beverages.

People sometimes confuse thirst with hunger. So you can end up eating extra calories when an ice-cold glass of water is really what you need.

2. Think about what you can add to your diet, not what you should take away.

Start by focusing on getting the recommended 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

3. Consider whether you're really hungry.

When you're done eating, you should feel better -- not stuffed, bloated, or tired.

"Your stomach is only the size of your fist, so it takes just a handful of food to fill it comfortably,"

4. Be choosy about nighttime snacks.

Personally, I already crossed out "night time snacks" on my list anyway. so why bother choosing?

5. Enjoy your favorite foods.

Instead of cutting out your favorite foods altogether, be a slim shopper. Buy one fresh bakery cookie instead of a box, or a small portion of candy from the bulk bins instead of a whole bag.

6. Enjoy your treats away from home.

"By making it into an adventure, you don't have to worry about the temptation of having treats in the house, and it is a fun and pleasurable way to make it work when you are trying to lose weight,"

7. Eat several mini-meals during the day.

"Studies show people who eat 4-5 meals or snacks per day are better able to control their appetite and weight," says obesity researcher Rebecca Reeves, DrPH, RD.

8. Eat protein at every meal.

Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like yogurt, cheese, nuts, or beans, at meals and snacks.

9. Spice it up.

Add spices or chiles to your food for a flavor boost that can help you feel satisfied.

10. Stock your kitchen with healthy convenience foods.

Having ready-to-eat snacks and meals-in-minutes staples on hand sets you up for success. You'll be less likely to hit the drive-through or call in a pizza order if you can make a healthy meal in 5 or 10 minutes.

11. Order children's portions at restaurants.

"When you are eating out, order a child's pizza or a small sandwich as an easy way to trim calories and get your portions under control," suggest Perdomo.

Another trick is to use smaller plates. This helps the portions look like more, and if your mind is satisfied, your stomach likely will be, too.

12. Eat foods in season.

"If you don't love certain fruits or vegetables, it could be because you ate them out of season when they have little taste or flavor," says Pensiero. "When you eat seasonally, fruits and vegetables are more flavorful, at their best, and I promise you won't be disappointed."

13. Swap a cup of pasta for a cup of vegetables.

Simply by eating less pasta or bread and more veggies, you could lose a dress or pants size in a year.

14. Use non-food alternatives to cope with stress.

Sooner or later, you're going to be faced with a stressful situation. Instead of turning to food for comfort, be prepared with some non-food tactics that work for you.

Sass suggests reading a few chapters in a novel, listening to music, writing in a journal, practicing meditative deep breathing, or looking at a photo album of loved ones.

15. Be physically active.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, don't use exercise either to punish yourself for eating or to "earn" the right to eat more.

Instead, focus on how great you feel, how much better you sleep and how much more energy you have when you exercise. Physical activity is good for you whether you are trying to lose weight or not, so keep it positive and build a lifelong habit.

other useful sources:

10 Painless Ways to Lose Weight

Teen Girls: Eating and Body Image

12 Diet Mistakes

so what are you waiting for? turn off your computer, get up, go out and play! (and start choosing the right meals :>)

STAY HEALTHY!

vania

Moving on

Maybe the reason why you can't move on is because you don't want to. Simply because you realize that you have doubts about having another memory in the future as beautiful as what you had in the past.

Maybe.

vania

Change

Have you ever feel like you're changing but not in a good way? A moment where you don't even know what's happening with you and your surroundings, really. It's like you're standing in front of a dead end, no way to go through, but it's also impossible to go back, and then, finally, you realize that you're lost, without anyone to ask help for, and you keep confusing yourself until you reach that point where you feel like you're losing your consciousness completely.
Have you ever?
Because help, I'm there.

Vania

Perfect Summer

Feel the wind breezes through your hair, along with the warmth of the sun touching the surface of your skin.

By the way, the Boost guys are wearing superman's "wings" and boxers on the outside, if you want to have a quick smile today :)

Spoil yourself!

Vania

Should I ?

I think facebook is killing me inside. Really, I think I find out too much information from this particular so-called-helpful networking system. I find out things that, I think, I shouldn't have known. I hate to admit it, but knowing too much could hurt, sometimes. So, should I deactivate it, really?

Vania

I hope it works.

What you see above, my friend, is my laptop desktop wallpaper. hell I really do hope this would motivate me. Or at least prevent me from eating and eating and eating all day. got the idea from one of my seniors actually. she kinda posted her desktop wallpaper to facebook, then I saw it, I think that's genius, I copied it. thinking of using it as my blackberry's background as well.

LET'S STOP EATING AND GO EXERCISE!

vania

My heart stops when you look at me

Original Song:

Teenage Dreams by Katy Perry

it's just something that I made just now. 

(if "Adobe Flash Player Settings" window came up when you want to play the video above, just click "Deny", and then you can play the video)

enjoy!

Thank you, my dearest Garage Band! 

Vania

Friends

I just spotted 3 bloopers from Friends TV series, season 1, episode 12: The One with the Dozen Lasagnas.

1. Joey mentioned Kip, Chandler's previous roommate, so it shows that Joey knew Kip. Where on season 5 episode 5: The One with the Kips, the gang once again mentioned Kip, but then Rachel asked Joey: do you even know who Kip is? And he answered: no.

2. The tissue roll that Rachel pulled across the kitchen, whenever the camera is on Rachel, we can see the long tissue roll. But every time the camera is on Pheobe, the tissue roll is gone, completely, as if Rachel has never pulled it.

3. Pheobe is a vegetarian, it's so obvious. But near the end of the show, Monica and Pheobe were eating the lasagna together even though it's clearly stated at the beginning that the lasagna does contain meat.

Am I addicted to Friends?

Vania

Thank You

At Print Express
Me: Did I.. By any chance left my USB here?
Guy: Yes you did, actually.. It's the Spongebob one, right..

My USB has been helping me for a year now. It has never been broken or anything. I think I used it the most in the last couple of weeks. I went to Print Express 4 days in a row for crying out loud. But their services and print out quality is excellent. I highly recommend that place for great printing quality and still having a delightful service from the staffs.

HAVE A MARVELOUS BREAK, EVERYONE!

Vania

A Little Bit Abstract Indeed

It's been quite some time since I posted sequence of pictures. So here you go. This is 'what happened' to me during the last couple of months.

Everyting is beautiful in its time

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."
Ecclesiastes 3:11

Just remember, if something does not happen right now, be patient. If it's meant to be, it will soon or later happen by it self. God knows and gives only the best for you.

Have faith, especially my dearest Indonesia. Bad things are usually good things in disguise :)

Vania

365 days

Lots of things have change within a year and I mean A LOT of things. Let's start with coming here to Melbourne. Just a year ago.. I'm this clueless girl who has only been to Melbourne once just to check out the Uni(s), has no family or even any relative here too. A bit confused my self why on earth did I pick design in Swinburne anyway? As well as changing my mind in the last minute about not going to Billy Blue in Sydney instead. I can still recall my friend was surprised that I was coming to Melbourne because he thought it was fix that I'm going to Sydney.

Back home, daddy used to take care everything. Trust me, everything means everything. Household, any payments, computer maintenance, piano lessons, holiday trips, he took care of it. Yes he still does it too now, but my point is I've never took care anything serious in my life before. I'm like this spoiled daughter who had everything really smooth and 'perfect'.

I don't want to go through my rough days here, blabbing how bad things did happen to me, trouble came and went, because I don't like reminiscing sad memories. All I want to say is that now.. I've changed. I think I grew up a little bit. I feel different. I act different, I talk different, I think differently compare to my self a year ago. Now I listen to Korean band, for Pete's sake. Well I don't listen to them that much, but I gave it a try. That's how much I've changed.

The people around me are fairly different within a year. I'm thankful for everyone I have right now. I feel so lucky to have met them, and became friends since then. Not that I've forgotten my high school friends, they own half of my heart just like what my best friend told me. I miss them like crazy, here. But talking about living at the moment, I do thank God I have met such good people here. It brings out that feeling, you now, pure happiness, when you can make others laugh. At you, with you, does it matter, really?

Second thing, I cook, for the love of God. I know how to make pasta, I watched Jamie's Ministry of Food Recipes podcasts, I shop for the ingredients even though yes, my cooking skill is still on a very basic stage, but I cook. For those who have known me at least since junior high school, must have known what I'm like with cooking, kitchen and friends. Yup. I was never near the kitchen. I picked out snacks and Spongebob ice creams while my little brother helped my mom picking out real ingredients during monthly grocery shopping.

October 2009 I went to Festival Indonesia at Fed Square with Unilink friends, ate the food, watched the performance, introduced to a friend who was performing then, and who is now the guitarist of 'my band', and I swear to God, it never occurred me at that time that I was going to stand at that same stage the next year, singing to 100ish people, which I did. I think I can call it my band, the 8th Avenue, performed in Festival Indonesia on 24 October 2010. That's pretty amazing for me.

Did I sound like I'm arrogantly telling you all this stuff? Well, this is me being proud and happy and amazed all at once. Forgive me for any misleading statements, but yes, I'm happy that I've changed. I'm happy that.. Melbourne has changed me. You know how people say change is never a good thing? Well in this case, it isn't. Change is good. Do change, do feel the difference, do take the risk :)

Lastly, now I have a newly respect for designers. For logo designers, poster designers, book publication people, God what a huge work they have to go through! There's so much to think and re-consider in the making of a particular art work! From now on, I will never insult any kind of design form regardless how they overall look like because I know, and I mean I know, the effort and hard work behind all that.

Smile, be happy, and enjoy life :)

Vania

Affection

Should you look for it or will it look for you?

What is this thing called love, anyway? Is it just as simple as a sincere compliment of how beautiful you look today, or is it way more complicated like compromising, accepting, taking and giving?

There's no exact statement to describe it, though. The most important thing is how you both interpreted it. The idea is to be on the right track, with the right one, at the right time. Be patient, the right person is just around the corner, and both of you are just moving closer.

Enjoy life

Vania