Grand Sensory Overload Indonesia

I made the wrong decision today by visiting Grand Indonesia on a public holiday. The usually rather empty corridors and walkways are buzzing with people. Really. People everywhere. I got dizzy just looking at them. And strollers! There were strollers everywhere... with or without infant in it. Sometimes containing shopping bags in lieu of infant. And babysitters! The ratio is 2.5 babysitters per kid. So do your math. And Crocs! Maybe at least 50 per cent of people there were wearing a pair of Crocs in various colors and sizes. They must be doing very well in this country. This quarter's sales target = surpassed by at least 20 per cent. 

There were so many sounds and noises and decorations and colors and lights and images shoved in your face, it's sensory overload. It's so overwhelming. Agoraphobics will run screaming to their psychiatrists. 

And it's truly Attention Deficit Disorder galore... one moment you're walking in Soho, NYC... complete with NYC manhole cover and graffiti. 100 meters further, suddenly you find yourself in a Chinatown somewhere, with gazillions of red lanterns hanging above your head. Then, you cross a sky bridge and find yourself in a dimly lit Zen garden, complete with (fake) bamboo trees and (fake) stepping stones. Of course, it's an extremely noisy Zen garden, because there's a band playing (very loud and somehow out of tune), plus the in-house music blaring from the speakers placed in strategic corners. Go down one floor, and you see a replica of an Italian fountain... right next to a Dutch windmill... and if you walk further, you find yourself in Moulin Rouge. Not only is it ADD heaven, it's a crash course in geography and cultural history, too. Instant NYC, Rome, Amsterdam, Paris and Tokyo. Just add hot water. 

Oh, and wherever you go, you will see people talking (or screaming, more like) into their mobile phones, "What?!! WHERE are you? No, no... I said I'm at WEST mall, not East. You're WHERE?!! 9th floor?!! But there are only 8 floors in this building!!!" and, "Turn left near that sports store, then walk further until you see some escalators... but don't go up or down... just walk straight until you see Seibu... and, huh? No, I'm not in Seibu. You see, you have to go over the sky bridge first... or maybe... wait, I'm confused..." and, "She WHAT?!! I thought she was with YOU!!!"... 

I'm just so glad that I wasn't going there with hyperactive toddlers and overloaded strollers and clueless babysitters in tow *sigh* what is up with these people and the shopping malls of Jakarta?

 

The Knight is Very, Very Dark

Just how dark is "The Dark Knight"? Very dark. "There's no ray of hope for the city." says one review. I went to see it with one question, "Just how brilliant is Heath Ledger as The Joker?" (what I had in mind was Jack Nicholson's Joker... against Michael Keaton's Batman, way back then). Well, Ledger's Joker is chilling to the bone. I mean really, really b-a-a-a-a-d... a mad genius with a sick, dark sense of humor. 

Christian Bale? He's darker than ever. He doesn't smile in the movie. Not even once. But he's just as ravishing as ever (don't take my word... I'm biased here, since I'm a huge fan of Bale's)

Aaron Eckhart? His descent into darkness is disturbing... (plus, the make-up and effects are WAY more real and convincing than the other Batman movie where Tommy Lee Jones is playing Two-Face...) Now my mental picture of him as a warm, charming chef in "No Reservations" is completely ruined. 

"The Dark Knight" walks that thin line between superhero and supervillain, good and evil, White Knight and Dark Knight... tiptoeing and tripping and at times having one foot on each side, deliciously savoring the adrenaline rush during dilemmatic decision making... "Will they push the button? Will he choose Harvey or Rachel? Will he reveal his true identity?"  and sometimes making the wrong choice... or simply giving in to the dark side... which is so painfully human. 

This movie lingers in my mind still, and this is already two days after I saw it.

Oh, wait. I just have to write this: I overheard some girls' conversation in the restroom after the movie. They were chattering loudly. Here are some of their comments:

- "It's crazy... I was so bored in there. It's such a boring movie." (she might be one of those moviegoers who's busy texting or talking on mobile phone in the middle of a show, or doesn't bother to follow the movie plot?)

- "Batman is so low-IQ in this movie. Stupid. Driving a piece of junk for a car." (she's referring to Batmobile, of course... maybe she thinks Batman should be smart enough to choose a sturdier, flashier car, like a Hummer or a Porsche Cayenne... and perhaps a sleek BMW R1200 instead of Batpod?)

I guess not everyone is as passionate or appreciative as I am when it comes to movies. Oh well. At least I still have a bunch a buddies who would be glad to spend time with me discussing movies over a cup of cappuccino. Consider myself lucky :)

I (Don't?) Like Monday.

It's Monday. Well, half an hour past midnight, but it IS Monday. And here's something to ponder this Monday:

"But here comes another Monday. Maybe feeling trapped is just the reality of the way things are. Doesn't everyone hate Monday? Doesn't every responsible person just bury their dreams and passions in exchange for getting a paycheck?" (Dan Miller)

Well? What do you think?

"Wanted": a Kickass Flick and a Huge Crush on McAvoy

Imagine just finishing and submitting my work this Saturday noon? Well, that's what happened, and I was rather pissed off, so I thought I deserve some real action, if only in movies. Time for "Wanted". I want to see James McAvoy kick some ass. And kick some ass he did. And it's bloody awesome. Literally bloody, and totally awesome. It's invigorating to watch him transform from an ultimate cubicle loser into a supercool assassin. What a rush. And there's an unpredictable twist on the storyline, which is great. And there's a steaming hot kissing scene, which I love. 

Deep down inside, there's a Wesley Gibson in each one of us corporate cubicle dwellers... fantasizing about finally lashing out at the boss or smashing a colleague's head with our computer keyboard. Hmm. Or maybe it's just me.

"What the f**k have you done lately?"

The Type-B Diaries, Part 2

Okayyy... I've just had a tall hazelnut latte (with extra shot of espresso) and now I'm completely alert, if not jumpy. At 9.30 PM. Which is fine, because I have to work on a document tonight, and I need all the energy and alertness that I can muster. At least until midnight *grin*

Let's see... it's Day 6 of my Type B Thingy... and I've been quite consistent so far. Mutton and beef instead of chicken. Small amounts of white rice. Carrot and broccoli. Mandarin oranges. French fries (yes yes yes reduce fried food). Coffee (of course). And... a lick of mint ice cream this afternoon. I swear it's just a lick. Just a dot. Maybe the size of an M&M's. And believe you me, being able to resist an ice cream temptation was an achievement of HUGE magnitude. Me, the Ice Cream Monster! Woohoo! 

Moving right along.

nineteen... twenty... twenty-one...

Went to see "21" last night... and what a supercool movie it was. I've always liked Kevin Spacey, and here, he's perfect as the brilliant, cocky and ruthless Prof. Micky Rosa of MIT. And seeing Jim Sturgess and Kate Bosworth as a couple is quite refreshing... because they're young and daring and brainy... unlike some on-screen couples I've seen, which are either too melancholic and whiny, or impossibly tough and "noble". You know what I mean. Sturgess and Bosworth have their flaws, and they give in to temptation at times... just like the rest of us normal human beings do. 

The soundtrack is cool ("You Can't Always Get What You Want"... how proper is THAT?!!)

Oh... and... I will have to read the book "Bringing Down the House". How can I resist? 

The Type-B Diaries, Part 1

I first heard it from my yoga instructor. Blood type diet. Her blood type is A, so she's avoiding meat, and is veering toward vegetarian life, which I find rather boring (if not impossible, at least for me). Then I heard it from someone else, who is Type B. He's promptly avoiding chicken, but is indulging in mutton and lamb meats, because those meats are beneficial for his type. "And, guess what: I should drink regular milk instead of soy milk. Isn't that beautiful?" Yup. 

Mutton and lamb instead of chicken? (what about "white meat is better than red meat"?) Regular cow's milk instead of soy milk? (what about "soy milk is healthier and non-fattening, compared to cow's milk"?) Curious, I went to the book store in search of some enlightenment... which I found in abundance. There are books for each blood type. Recipe books for each blood type (like "Healthy Recipes for Blood Type O"). Hmm. Interesting. I bought the "B" (my type), and an "O" (for comparison, and because some family members are Type O).

I leafed through the book (it's written by Dr. Peter D'Adamo), read the intro... and went on to the "beneficial", "neutral" and "avoid" sections. It's interesting to think that "one type's food can be another type's poison." Definitely not "one size fits all". Let's see... what should I avoid? (nothing delicious, I hope)

Meat and Poultry... beneficial: mutton, lamb, rabbit and deer. Neutral: beef, ostrich, turkey, and veal. Okay. What's missing? Where's the chicken and duck? Oh no, they're in the "avoid" list! Along with smoked beef and ham and pork... and... squirrel and tortoise? (who's eating them, anyway?) So... no more roasted duck at my favorite Duck King? This does not bode well. Anxious, I quickly scanned the rest of the food groups. 

So... it can be safely concluded that I have to say hasta la vista to crab, eel, lobster (oh, what a waste), oyster, prawn, and escargot. Au revoir duck and quail egg, and ice cream (what? This is unacceptable). Arrivederci mung beans, tempe and tofu (and we thought TOFU is the god of all health foods). No more avocado, corn, tomato, and olive (oh my lord...). Sayonara coconut, coconut milk, and starfruit. No more soya sauce, white and black pepper, miso, corn starch and corn syrup, and cinnamon (cinnamon, as in cinnamon bun? Come ON!) No more tomato ketchup. No alcoholic drinks (not even a glass of Cosmopolitan?), no soda of any kind.

Where does that leave me?

As I tried to calm myself down and look for the brighter side of it, I thought, "Okay... how about my other vices? Coffee? Chocolate? Wine? Ricotta and camembert cheese?". Apparently, coffee, chocolate and wine (red and white) are all "neutral" (a huge sigh of relief). Camembert is "neutral". Ricotta cheese is "highly beneficial" (why?) But ICE CREAM is to be avoided? Me? Avoiding ice cream? Get real. How come I'm allowed to gulp down cow's milk, butter, all kinds of cheese and yogurt... but I have to avoid ice cream? Isn't ice cream a derivative of milk? It should be legal for a Type B, right? Especially ME. 

Okay. I decided right there and then that this one "avoid" item cannot be completely avoided. Why? Simply because I'm concerned about my mental well-being. Ice cream to me is like Prozac to some other people. So, whether Dr. D'Adamo likes it or not, I'm going to eat a scoop of heavenly gelato maybe once a month. I mean, I've been eating it my whole life, and I'm not gonna stop just because I'm trying this Blood Type Thingy. If the lectin triggers a funny reaction in my metabolism once a month, then so be it.

So, 1 July 2008, I officially began my "Type B Diet" journey. I'm bringing that book everywhere with me: restaurant, supermarket, you name it. So far, I'm being quite consistent. We'll see in a month :)

My younger sister's comment so far (she's a Type O): "Just throw away the book. Just EAT." Hmm. I guess I didn't score too well in the persuasion department. At least not with my sister.

 

Quote from "The Hunting Party"

Duck: "How come every time I'm with you, I'm putting my life in danger?!!"

Simon: "Let me tell you, my old friend, putting your life in danger is actual living. The rest is just television."

Obviously enough, "The Hunting Party" is one of those movies I watch more than once. So far, I saw it twice. Both at the cinema. The next viewings will be on DVD. 

The Bookworm Diaries, Chapter 2

Tuesday, 1 July. Went to the book festival (again), this time with my daughter. She's developing a bookworm tendency as well... she's been reading a book on a student's journal living in Italy. And she asks sooo many questions ranging from "do you prefer eating at a pizzeria or a gelateria?" to "what is heresy?" which gets me thinking hard at times. Trying to do my best, of course, explaining whatever she wants to know in a language she can understand. But in cases of emergency, there's always Google and Wikipedia. 

She found a book for herself. Then she watched impatiently as I was rummaging in the used books booth (she was gone the moment I paid for my books, but she could understand my excitement when I told her I bought three... and one of them was for her). 

Here are the books I found today:

1. White Teeth (Zadie Smith)

"Something about friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations, and the tricky way the past has of coming back and biting you on the ankle."

2. Dave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys

As if I needed one. Come on. Are you kidding me?

3. Chicken Soup for the Kids' Soul

This is, obviously, for my daughter. But I will, obviously, be reading it myself too... and she knows it.

So, I took my daughter to a book festival, and I was happy about it. At least we were doing something educational... now I just have to make sure she actually reads them. 

 

The Most Humane and Generous "Diet"

I promptly started reading "French Women Don't Get Fat" because... I can't wait whenever there's a new book around. I like Mireille Guiliano's sensible and easy approach. Just the other day I saw a banner at a nutrition/supplement store, promoting "lose 2.5 kg in 24 hours!", and I wonder what is being lost. Common sense and plenty of fluids, I suppose. 

And who hasn't seen rows and rows of diet guidebooks? Atkins. South Beach. Carb diet. Tiger diet. Vegan. 1000-calories-per-day. 200-calories (oh, sorry, that's the diet for the pet rabbit... wrong shelf). And I remember with a bitterish grin on my face, my crazy days of "6 apples a day and nothing more". Where did I hear that from?!! I was starved, and jittery, and lightheaded, and I think I started hallucinating (illusions of tenderloin, fusilli carbonara, and blueberry cheesecake... slurppp) before realizing that I haven't lost any weight at all. And afterwards, I couldn't stand the sight of apples for years on end. 

So... Mireille's "recipe" truly feels heaven sent. It's so humane and forgiving and generous I wanted to cry reading it... imagine being allowed to eat dark chocolate, mille feuille, pumpkin pie with hazelnuts! Moderately, yes, but still! It's such a welcome change from steamed vegs, low-fat this, artificial sweetener that, and whatnot. I finally found something that's really feasible for lifelong implementation. Because a good diet is not a crash program, it's a lifelong habit, it's the way you live your life. You choose things that are healthy for you, and please you, to boot. So basically, you will be healthy both physically and psychologically... by eating for pleasure. Sounds like a good deal to me. 

If more women could read this book, I believe there will be a significant decrease in the global prevalence of anorexia and bulimia. Yes, it's quite French- and American-oriented (Mireille is a French married to an American, and she writes based on her experience in the two countries) and the recipes might be a bit too Frenchy for Asian palates, but the basic principles are the same, and is applicable in any culture, any country. Just substitute the ingredients and use your common sense, et voila! Bon appetit...

The Bookworm Diaries, Chapter 1

Saturday, 28 June. Agreed to meet with a girlfriend (who's crazier about books than I am) at Pesta Buku, a book festival in South Jakarta. A rare occasion, I think (the "book festival in Jakarta", not "meeting my friend"). Apparently there were 4 exhibitions there in the same complex, opening at the same day... always a good idea to take a cab. It would be parking hell. In fact, my cab couldn't even get into the complex, because all entrance gates were closed (the Governor of Jakarta is visiting the exhibition, said one policeman... so what? Just because he's Governor he has the right to deny his own citizens entrance to a PUBLIC exhibition complex? He's lucky people even voted for him back then! %&@!?#$^@%...)

Okay. I'm cool. 

So, the three of us finally met. The two ladies have got at least a dozen books in their respective shopping bags already... and I had nada :) time to catch up. My favorite part: rummaging the piles and rows of used books at BOOKS. It's like a treasure hunt! My friend K. even offered to help unpack the books from the boxes (the exhibition just opened today)... surely to gain the advantage of grabbing literary gems before others even had a chance... hee hee. My other bookhunting partner C. got "Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing" upon my suggestion (that's one of my favorite girly book... I refuse to label it "chick lit").

So... the treasures I unearthed today? Here comes (drumroll, please): 

1. French Women Don't Get Fat (Mireille Guiliano)

The secret of eating for pleasure. Excerpt: "French women take pleasure in staying thin by eating well, while Americans typically see it as a conflict and obsess over it. French women don't skip meals or substitute slimming shakes for them. They have two or three courses at lunch and then another three (sometimes four) at dinner. And with wine, bien sur. How do they do it? Well, that's a story. That's the story. One hint: they eat with their heads, and they do not leave the table feeling stuffed or guilty."

MY kind of thing. I should've read this book a LONG time ago already. Oh well, now that I found it, I better learn something from it. N'est ce pas?

2. The Worst Noel (a collection of short stories)

Titles include, but are not limited to: "The Bite Before Christmas" (Stanley Bing), "Donner is Dead" (Cynthia Kaplan). My favorite is the "praise" part at the back cover... 

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer." - Santa Claus

"Finally, a Christmas book that I can really relate to." - Ebenezer Scrooge

"I finally get a little acceptance, and then this book comes out!" - Rudolph D. Reindeer

We, of course, celebrated the success of our treasure hunt with a cup of coffee at nearby Starbucks. Ahh... the little things that make life so beautiful...