My Online Photo Cache is now OPEN!

You are cordially, jovially, and convivially invited to view and comment my online photo cache. Kindly click on the link below:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/graphichelix/

For the folks who are still wondering and just can't let it go... one answer... Encarta Dictionary.

Bogel's Leaving

Allow me to introduce you to my old and best friend. This here is Bogel (bow-gal) the Suzuki Vitara. Named so becuse she has a rather large backside. (Bogel is Indonesian for huge behind). She was born back in 92, adopted by my family later that year, took my mom all over Jakarta for the first eight years. No problem whatsoever during those times (probably 'cos my mom never went far). She started taking me to campus since 2001 and we've been best friends ever since. She's almost 14 now, and she's still a beauty. Never complains much, too.

Specifications? She has terrible mileage and wobbly handling. Top speed is 130 km/hour downhill with the the wind on our back. Acceleration? What acceleration? But still, reliable all the way. All things considered, she may not be the best of cars, but she's a great friend.

Accompanied me through the toughest of times. Took me and my ex on countless dates. Dunno how many times I laughed, cried, or got angry on those rides with her. She taught me many things in life, love, and the appropriate cursing method to assholes on the street. (My middle finger got lots of practice)

Last month my dad bought me a new car. Well... not exactly new, it was my aunt's car. A 2002 Honda City Type Z with only 12.000 km on the odometer. I've been riding it for a couple of times and by and large, it's a nice car. Better than Bogel in many ways. But you can't compare her to Bogel. Me and Bogel, we have this chemistry that no one can take from us. An now, dad decided to let go of Bogel. T-T ...Can't believe she's leaving.

I've grown so much ever since I met her. As John Ondrasik puts it,

She's my time machine
She's my rolling memory
She's my family
And I love her so

She knows my secrets well
But her back seat won't ever tell
She's no Jezebel

My ‘92 Bogel rides along
Every mile's another song
And what I don't remember
She never forgets
That little girl ain't let me down yet
It all comes back to me
When I turn that horse's key
And she roars to me...I'm 23
Or bringing home my ... grocery?
(pardon the tackyness, can't find other words that rhymes)
Like mom did when the Vitara was three

Taken from 5 4 Fighting's "65 Mustang", with a couple of alteration

Here are some pictures of her from the not too distant past. She's quite the model, you know... .

This picture was taken two years ago at an exhaust shop. Notice how dirty her underbelly was (and still is, actually) and how clean that new exhaust was. Now, it's impossible to tell 'em apart.



This is one of her best angle. Taken in front of the Center for Japanese Studies building.



It ain't no bullshit when I said her top speed was 130... 132 km/hr to be exact... .



I Believe this was taken on the rooftop parking of Kelapa Gading Mall. Quite attractive. Gonna miss you, sis.

PS: I haven't told her about her leaving, so keep it hush-hush.

Good Luck!

How many of you have won a lottery or sweepstakes? (And I mean the cream of the crop, not the umbrellas or, for a lesser extent, the truly fabulous satisfaction guaranteed company logo sticker). Less than a percent, I'll bet. Well yesterday, a good friend won a TV from the faculty's annual lottery. It was the third biggest prize that afternoon. Not bad, considering the first prize was a fridge. I was there when the MC read his number, 0... 1... 1............. 6!!!! He leapt out of his chair waving his lotto ticket madly while the audience gave an envious applause. Me? No, I'm not envious, more like curious. Why the hell have I never won first prize in a lotto? Or first prize in any fluke concerned raffle for that matter... . Is there really a luck factor involved? Been thinking about it all morning. Then I became conscious of the fact that God blessed me with good parents, a fulfilling life, and great friends. What more can a man ask for? A good woman? (you got a point there, bub...). Well, tell me if you found a lottery where the first prize is my future wife. For the time being, the message for today is that there are so many blessings that you receive every day. Each of which are worth more than the grand prize from any lotto. (But still... if you find that future wife lottery, holler at me!)

HOAHM!!!

I got an asignment three days earlier. Creating a flash presentation (more like... extravagant visualization) for two new campus institutions. Received all the presentation needs on Saturday at 9 PM. Haven't had a good night sleep ever since. So last night I had the best sleep in days. Dozed of at 9.30, woke up at 8 sharp.

Fat Boy Slim

Aaaah... that's me... like... 15 kilos lighter. Thanks to the miracle of photography, I don't have to go on a diet for a couple months to achieve it.

Photographed using a Sony Ericsson W900i by a friend of mine, she must've used a high ISO profile considering the noise. Too bad it's a bit blurry. Well, whatever, this picture is going places!!!

Continuum - John Mayer or John Mayer Trio?

Just bought John Mayer's new album, "Continuum". Hoped that it would offer a blast of songs that would, theoretically, challenge us emotionally. "Room for Squares" and "Heavier Things" forced the listeners to think hard about love and life. John's songs was a mix of bublegum pop melody with mature lyrics.

Back to continuum, first impression, too many John Mayer Trio and not enough John Mayer. It's a blues album fer cryin out loud! Where's the old bubblegum pop that I've come to love? You may say that my music preference is so dull. But am I so wrong to have hoped that John stays his course on Continuum? He unleashed his craving for blues on "Try!", the John Mayer Trio album (which, ironically, I find more entertaining than Continuum). I assumed that he would go back to his old genre on this album. I was dissapointed on that aspect.

But wait, this IS still a John Mayer album, right? What defines the old John Mayer other than the bublegum pop melody was the older than his body themes encaptured in the lyrics. At least his lyric writing skills are still intact, even better. He sums up an entire generation's conscience on "Waiting on the World to Change", just pay attention to "it's not that we don't care, we just no that the fight ain't fair". In "Belief" he sings "we're never gonna win the world, we're never gonna stop the war, we're never gonna beat this if belief is what we're fighting for" summing up the whole war in the name of religion. Well, at least he still manages to come up with deeper lyrics.

**Update**
After a year or so of listening back and forth to Continuum, I must confess that I was wrong as hell. This album has been on the top of my playlist. Sorry about that, John.

Nothing Is Forever?

Went joyriding with some friends today on my aunt's Ford Escape (poor mileage, not satisfied with the engine's performance, on-road handling needs lot's of improvements). Sudirman was our first stop. One of my friends applied for an ISP. Then we had our late lunch at the nearest Kentucky. All of us ordered "Attack Menus" (available only from 3 - 5 PM, half a buck for a piece of chicken wing, rice, and small pepsi - can't say it's satisfying but it's easy on the wallet, so I ain't complaining). Picked up a rather devastating info that may complicate our peergroup friendship from one of my friends. Can't give you guys any details cos he made me promise not to tell. (What a pity... otherwise this blog could be longer and more interesting). All I can say is that it's about two guys and one girl... you do the math.

So, the million dollar question for tonight is this. Does friendship last forever? Does love last forever, for that matter? As much as I want the friendship that I have with my peergroup right now to last through this... shall we say, rough times, I really don't think that the bond that binds us at the first place is strong enough. Friends will be divided and I will have the uncanny choice to make. It's never easy to choose between friends, but this is rediculously hard (and not fair, don't you think?).

As with love... I've allowed myself to fall in love once. At that time, it felt like it was for the first and last time. Apparently it wasn't. So till I find another woman to fall in love with for the last time (again), I'm sticking to that title, nothing is forever, including love.

Well... dunno what to do now... . Might as well sleep on it. Sleeping is the best detox method, I always say.