The Boot Theorem

During the winter break I was frustrated in buying boots. The weather was cold and as I found out choosing the right boots is as hard as choosing a boyfriend. In fact they very much resemble. So here we go again:

#1: The "cheap and cute" boots

These boots are cheap, usually below 30euro (in Europe anyway), they look good on you and you'll be proudly wearing them the seconds you got them. But of course, you got it cheap, so it will only last for a while. When it breaks, you'll be sad for a while but will easily forget. They were cheap!

#2: The "quite expensive and cute but cold" boots

Well these kinds, are exactly what they are described. They're not as cheap as #1, quite expensive, very cute when you take them out for a nice dinner with friends or to show off on the dance floor, but they are cold. They don't give you any warmth, they just leave you feeling cold and you end up not wearing them for a while and soon you'll forget them.

#3: The "100% waterproof, windproof, any kind of proof" boots

Promises. These boots are giving you a lot of promises. And you end up having them because you fell for their promises, hoping that you will get exactly what they said. But wrong, when you actually test them, they are not as they promised. So what to do with these kinds? You'll soon get fed up and toss them.

#4: The "expensive, soul-draining" boots

You see them on the display, everyone wants them, everyone wishes they were the owner of this dashing boots, and you, yes, YOU have them. How lucky! Of course, you just spend your entire savings on this boots and it should be the right one for you, right? Well no, they look good for a while, but they are so hard to keep up with. They need the right treatment, need to be polished everyday, need to be put in a special place...and at the end of the day you're just exhausted looking after this one boots, and is it even worth it?

#5: The "your perfect...NOT!" boots

They are not too expensive yet not too cheap either. They make your feet feel so comfortable that you swear you will even wear them to bed. You almost feel like you've found the one, the one that will keep your feet protected for the rest of your life. That is until your friend borrowed it and it broke.

#6: The "too comfortable" boots

This is it, I am never buying another boots in my whole entire life again. You are so comfortable by it, that you can't think of having your feet bare without them. They are so damn comfortable, why would you want to take it off. Unlike #5, your friends don't even like them, but why should you care, it's the perfect boots for you. That is until you outgrown them, your feet just don't fit anymore, no matter how hard you try, you just have to dump it.

#7: The "maybe" boots

When you saw it, you weren't so sure. I mean, the price is affordable, but maybe it will fail you after all those boots experience. Then you try it, and okay it's a perfect match, but you just have so many doubts. To buy or not to buy?! So, OK, you buy because you somehow feel an instant connection and why not give it a try eh? And so you did, and it lasts, my goodness it lasts a long time. And this is the boots everyone should have. Yes it is.

A friend of mine said to me, and I truly love this quote "...if they are meant for you, they won't fit anyone else."

Spontaneous

I love being spontaneous. It's that surprising, unplanned things that sometimes cheer you up and make your day.

So that was what happened this weekend.

The big hype film of the month, Hunger Games, came to me too. Though it was unplanned, my friends and I decided to watch it...in French. No, I don't know French that fluent to understand the whole film, but yes I got the point. It was good, not brilliant.

After finishing this french-dubbed film, the tram to the residence decided to be spontaneous too, it refused to let us know the time it'll come. So, we took the most sane way to solve the problem, obviously to rent a bike. And of course I felt like I was gonna break my legs as the last time I biked was several year ago, ok not several, more like 2002. We finally did it. Though we managed to be "on the road" (literally) when the clock went forward one hour. After walking through a park, dead dark, I managed to climb into my beloved bed.

And today, with the sunshine and warm weather, Clisson awaited. It was really nice. I love standing in the castle ruin overlooking the calm river. Simple pleasure. Simple surprises.

#Travel: Paris

Siapa sih yang ga tau Paris?! Semua orang tau, terkenal dari Eiffel tower sampe ke suasana romantisnya yang selalu diomongin banyak orang. Setelah 9 tahun, akhirnya gw bisa ke Paris lagi Oktober 2011. Semenjak gw di Eropa, ini kali pertama gw bener-bener travelling. Gw pergi cuma berdua, tapi trus janjian ama temen satu lagi, dan nginep di residence temen gw satu lagi. Walo mungkin udah banyak review tentang Paris, tapi menurut gw Paris selalu punya kesan yang beda-beda untuk setiap orang.

#1: Yang biasa-biasa ampe yang luar biasa
Yang jelas ke Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Moulin Rouge dan semua-semua yang standard. Yang ga standard? Dengan bangganya gw berhasil ke semua kuburan terkenal di Paris! Sebenernya pas Oktober cuma dua yang gw kunjungi: Cimetière de Montmartre ama Cimetière du Montparnasse, tapi yang satunya Cimetière du Père Lachaise berhasil gw kunjungi awal tahun ini. Gatau kenapa seneng banget gw, mungkin karena di Indo kuburannya bikin gw serem abis jadi ga pernah brani, kalo di Paris bagus-bagus, ga (gitu) serem, walo agak mrinding pas di Cimetière de Montmartre.
Trus yang seru abis ke Les Catacombes, yang isinya tengkorak-tengkorak, asli ga serem banget kok, cuma aneh dan unik abis.
Yang gw rekomendasiin kalo ke Paris, nonton: How to be a Parisian in one hour. Bikin ngakak dan dalam bahasa Inggris! Tapi 18+ yah ini :P

Pantesan ga serem kan di kuburan

#2: Yang jauh amat
L' Hay Les Roses, uda pernah denger? Gw juga belum pernah, sampe ikutan program kuliah ini. Ini salah satu tempat di Paris, pinggiran gitu, tempat tinggalnya temen-temen gw yang kuliah di Paris. Buset yah ini tempat jauh abis dari central Paris. Bayangin aja, musti naek metro, ganti 2 kali, trus musti nungguin bis, total bisa 1 jam-an. Dan bayangin temen-temen gw yang malang ini musti bolak-balik tiap hari ke kampus! Tapi ga complain juga sih, di Indo bisa lebih parah kali ya, dulu temen kantor gw ada yang Lebak Bulus - Bekasi naek bus, ga tau lebih enakan bus patas di Indo ato metro tua empet2an di Paris.

#3: Yang tak terlupakan
Yang gw inget sampe sekarang (saking dendamnya), gw ga trima abis, berasa dirampok! Pas ke Jardin des Plantes, ada anak-anak remaja gitu yang nyodorin kayak leaflet yang intinya nyari duit buat charity, tapi mereka BOONG BANGET dan mereka bener-bener agresif sampe gw harus ngerelain duit gw ke mereka. Satu tip, mereka banyak di Paris dan jangan sampe mau ditodong kayak gw, itu ga bener dan boong.

Abis beli es krimm ditodong

#4: Jadi?

Jadi...Paris itu bagus, romantis (sayang banget gw jomblo huhuks!), nyeni TAPI gw ga mau deh kalo suruh tinggal di Paris. Mau gimana-gimana, namanya juga capital city kliatan kalo orangnya lebih cuek-cuek, contoh: kalo di Nantes mw nyebrang jalan pasti mobil berhenti, di Paris mah kita musti nungguin ampe tuh orangnya jadi ijo baru bisa nyebrang. Setelah 4 hari liburan di Paris, gw seneng banget bisa pulang ke Nantes, kota kecil nan imut gw :)

Little Things

The little things that make me smile:
1. The stars - nothing is better than seeing a clear night sky filled with stars, perhaps one of the most amazing things in the world.
2. The smell of rain - rain may suck but I do love it sometimes.
3. Morning dew - that speck of water on the grass or flower marks the little things in life worth attention.
4. Old couple holding hands - one day I would want a partner to hold when I have wrinkly face and grey hair.
5. Snow falling - like small precious moments, where you have to hold your breath to enjoy the sensation.
6. Playing the piano - as mentioned in my other post
7. Reading a book in a rainy evening with a cup of tea - heavenly!
8. Sound of Pachelbel - one of my favourites, always manages to soothe my soul.
9. Writing - my most recent favourite thing.
10. Calling my family - never a wasted moment.

...those are a few of my favourite things. When the dog bites. When the bee stings. When I'm feeling sad. I simply remember my favourite things. And then I don't feel so bad.

Love Dances at the Tip of Your Fingertips

Valentine's Day comes, and I just have to make a blog post about it.
No I am not a hater, nor am I a lover of this day. Perhaps this post does not even describe love in a way that it should be in this what is believed and ritualized as the most romantic day of the year.

And when it comes to love, people may express it with roses, chocolates, and shocking pink goodies. To me, love has always been and will always be at the tip of my fingers. It is with a piano that I can relate love to.

I am not a great player, but I am a great listener. I love listening to the piano. The music produced by it, sounds magical, even when only one piano is played, it can fill a whole room with so much emotion. This clip below expresses so much sadness, a longing to bring someone from far away back home. A calling from home, asking - begging, for that someone to come home.



And another one of my favourite. This one below pulls you through a world where love is possible, where nothing in the world means nothing without you. I can imagine so much colour, speed and thousands of light - all moving simultaneously creating a beautiful spectrum.



And when I play the piano (I only play personally :P), when I touch the black and white keys, I feel home. While my hands dance through it, I feel like I can fall in love again and again. I feel amazed every time I play or listen to the piano, it soothes my exploding soul. For a while I can even think clearly about everything.

And how amazing it would be, to experience a love like this.

Tak Pernah Sendiri

Berkali-kali sudah mungkin gw posting tentang kehidupan gw sebagai mahasiswa di negara asing, yap, emang kadang gw merasa sangat kesepian dan kangen banget ama keluarga dan temen-temen. Ga punya temen yang udah kenal lama yang bisa gw tarik dengan seenak hati ke mall favorit gw cuma untuk cuma sekedar window shopping ato makan di resto diskonan.
Ga ada temen yang deket banget yang bisa gw ajak sekedar cengar cengir ga jelas ato nonton film lucu.
Yap, ga bisa dipungkuri lagi, kadang rasanya pingin balik.

Tapi, gw cuma bisa bilang di saat gw kesepian pasti ada seseorang yang dateng untuk nemenin gw. Tuhan dengan ajaibnya selalu ngirim gw temen yang bisa gw ajak ngobrol, ketawa ato ejek-ejekan sampai rasa kangen or kesepian gw ilang.

Entah dia nongol di chat gw ngomongin hal ga penting sampe gw kepingkal-pingkal.
Entah dia telpon vid conference gw sekedar untuk belajar bareng.
Entah dia dateng pas wiken trus nonton film seri favorit gw ampe malem.
Entah dia ngerusuh ke kamar gw untuk nyolong makanan di kulkas gw.
Entah dia ngajak pergi ke bar di kota ama temen-temen yang lain.

Yap, selalu ada yang nemenin gw sampe rasa kangen gw ilang. Dan di saat-saat itu gw sangat amat bersyukur.

Trus gw sadar gitu...hmm...kenapa yah..tuh orangnya sama doeeennkk.

A Preview of Winter

Remembering some time ago I was complaining on how warm it is considering that it is winter. Well, guys, winter came late. About last week, cold overcame Nantes and it was not playing around, it was the real thing.

After some years, I was finally able to see some snow. As I was sitting down during my never ending project, I could see snow flakes from my window after a friend of mine pointed it out to me. It started with mild soft flakes, then it started to get heavy and some 3 hours later, snow was piled up in the parking lot in front of my room and I could hear people outside playing with snow. With the amount of snow outside, and the amount of work I have to do inside, I was tempted to go out. I was very tempted. And yes the temptation won. I went out with a few friends outside at around 1.30 AM, call me crazy but it was the best snow fight ever and considering we've not had any snow since then I'm glad I went out that night (or morning).



And as I went back to my room with wet hair, wet boots and wet jacket, I was smiling all over. Yes life may be difficult, yes exams may not have been successful, and yes last semester work is still lingering but life is good. Yes it is.