Turn It Off!

I always turn my geotagging off on my mobile device. And I'm glad I do that after watching this warning on the web:

Ok, it's an old video, but most people never heard of it.  How to disable the geotagging? You can see it here.

Learning from the Pro

Today I hung around one of Indonesia biggest publishers. Chatting with my friends and learning from them how to do food photography. Not only learning the composition but I also learnt how to style it. Their results are going to be publish in a new book. I'm already happy I could steal some pictures and tasting the food after they shot them.

Shooting with Phase One is still a dream..

Start Again

I went to another vipassana retreat the other day. There were only 4 other women and 7 guys with 3 volunteers (1 guy, 2 ladies) and a Kiwi teacher. 

This time I felt a lot of energy that I felt like doing somersault every now and then. The food was great, much improved than the first session I had in Indonesia. 

To be honest, I went because I blew up at work about a week before. Not. Good. At. All. A client was pressuring this urgent thing and the guy who supposed to handle it didn't do much. That day he came and did nothing on the matter even though I told him it's urgent every day for a week. I had a report to write so I couldn't go and take care of it myself, plus at the end of that day I had to go out of town for several days. I asked him to do go nicely twice during the day, so it would be done by the end of the day. Until I lost it. Yes, I know: terrible. I'm ashamed of it. 

The aftermath of that episode was: he finally took care of it the next day and an hour before he finalized it, we lost that account. Oh, well.

I thought I would've felt more rage in my meditation, but I didn't. However, between meditation I wasn't at peace. I was scared, actually. Normally, while waiting for the nightly Indonesian discourse to finish (because the English discourse is shorter) I normally just walk around the yard and watch the city light from above. This time I just waited in front of the hall. I felt something is lurking in the dark. 

I know no meditation is the same, but this is the first time I was scared in that place. Even when I was trapped in the bathroom with a snake years ago I wasn't as scared like this time. 

Perhaps I need to confront my fear in the eye. Well, that and anger. Yupe, got a lot to do. 

Start again.. Work diligently. Work patiently and persistently.    

Eavesdropping: Boots, Magic Jar, Trip

I had a meeting at one of ministerial buildings this morning and had my lunch in their canteen. Not long came two ladies from a neighbouring office and shared my table.

I was just eating my lunch while checking my cell every now and then and listening to their conversation:

+ just bought my boots with the help of X in Bandung.. very cheap only IDR 300K. 

- I'm just going to wear my sneakers

+ you should get a pair of boots, too. It'll look good on pictures

- Oh, right.. boots'll look good on pictures... we are there when it's almost cold, right? we could go to Bandung for a shopping trip

(I was wondering where they are going and when)

+ Yes, you could also check out Ambassador mall, they also have jackets

(I wanted to give them tips where to get winter clothing but felt rude to eavesdrop)

- Ambassador mall is a bit expensive

(they talked about small stuff and I was more interested in my cell at this time)

- I have a small magic jar that I'm going to take with us, we could cook 1 liter rice in it

+ Great, bring it

- Not sure if it was enough for the 6 of us, maybe we could cook twice

+ Yes, it's expensive over there

(By then I was curious where they are going that they need to bring a rice cooker I slowed down my eating)

....

+ I heard that food is not that great in Hongkong, unlike in Mainland China

Ok, after finding out they are going to HK, I finished my meal and left. 

Why would you bring a rice cooker to HK? I could understand if you are going to, say, Alaska where there might not be that many chinese/japanese restaurant. Hongkong! 

Mala Educación a.k.a Grandma's Sex Education

I learnt how my maternal grandmother taught her kids about sex today. I was laughing until I cried of all the stories my aunts (who are all older than 70 year old) told me. Mind you the first 8 (eight!) out of 10 kids in the family are female, so they had never seen penis for years.

Aunt #1:
When she was about 12 year old her friend told her that baby came out of the body via vagina.
Aunt: No, it's from the belly button
Friend: No, silly girl, it's from down there
A: No, that is for peeing...baby comes out from the belly button, my mother told me so, she wouldn't lie

Aunt #1 said that her mother said that to have a baby you wrap a carrot with gauze and put it on your belly, then you cover them in some sort corset for a while until it disappeared in the belly.

She was already in the last year of high school at the time this story took place at a dance event.
When this guy she was dancing with began to pant, this conversation took place:
Aunt: Are you tired? Because we could stop now.
Boy: Np, no,, not tired
A: Then why are you panting?
Dancing again
A: Hey, what is that? Do you have a battery in your pocket?
B: ....

Aunt #2:
Staying over at her aunt's who had several sons. One day the sons were taking a bath (mandi) and somehow she saw penis for the first time
A: Ibu (mother), ibu... what's wrong with him... he has a worm!

Years later after she was kissed she said she thought she's not virgin anymore and she washed it 3 days in a row. This is because her mother said that you could get pregnant from a kiss (mom also had been taught this story)

Gosh, so glad my dad taught me well :)