Discretion is really needed ( my view on social media )

Hi everyone,
I hope you had a great day!
I know maybe most of you are bored with this topic but I really need to share my opinion. It is bugging me when I see some people can't use the social media (facebook, twitter whatever) wisely. 
I read in many articles and watched some news about cyber bullying and the effects of social media o and bla bla bla.
I know the social media has brought many benefits to our lives but it can turn into disasters if you don't use it as it should be.The worst result is when the cyber bullying can claim lives ( I know you have heard about it a lot)
However, you should understand that dim witted people will not consider the bad effects of social media misuse. Either they will trigger conflicts or hurt somebody Else's feeling. Nothing is good as the result.
Some people use the social media to share their freedom of speech but do you know that it can hurt somebody else's feeling? For instance, there was a girl who worked in a reputable company who criticized an event with racist remarks (people who live in SG and Malaysia know the case). As a result she was dismissed from her company. There are more examples about the matter.
In my opinion, you need to filter the thoughts you gonna share because cyber world is like a public area that can be seen by many individuals. You need to understand the values and rules of sharing your thoughts. If you don't want to get into troubles don't play with fire.If you don't want to be criticized don't criticize people.If you don't have good things to say don't say anything at all.  Especially, when you have worked in a company or you are searching for a job. Your cyber identities will determine you as a person. Don't forget that once you expose your thoughts in internet, it will be there forever. It is like scars you can't erase.
All in all, we need to be wise people when it comes to sharing our thoughts in public space. It is not a short term effect but it may ruin your lives.

Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl : A Book Review

Finally, I finished reading a book from my reading list. Well, it was not a super fast reading I suppose, it took me weeks to finish the book.I only read the book when I had to commute on the bus or train. I downloaded the book on my kindle, I was curious about this book because it is highly raved about. Even, Sarah Jessica Parker reads it :):) not as famous as Fifthy Shades of Grey (I might try to read it in the future) but it is highly recommended by some readers.If I am not mistaken, this book will be taken to the motion picture :):)

The storyline is based on a marital relationship between Nick and Amy Dunne. Amy Dunne disappears on their fifth wedding anniversary framing Nick Dunne as a cold blooded husband who kills his wife. The story is told from Amy and Nick Dunne point of views leading the readers to question and portray Amy and Nick Dunne as two wounded people in a troublesome marriage. They have their own mistakes and weaknesses that lead us the readers, understand how painful and how miserable relationship they have as husband and wife in an unhappy marriage life.
They loses the fervor of love, marriage is just a weary dreary place. They feel trapped.Maybe some of us understand the situation, the author takes the readers to explore Amy and Nick Dunne's feeling to each other. They were deeply in love and after 5 years together the obstacles and their true selves are leading them to a cold dark place where they find each other as total strangers.
When we read the story, we will be taken to question about who the bad person is,Amy or Nick Dunne.We barely can be the judge, because we can't see black and white we only see greyish conclusion in each their action.

They simply hate each other but they also can't live apart. The relationship is merely like a drug that makes them addictive.The twisted mind of Amy Dunne makes the story more intriguing from the beginning, she has kept dark secrets that turn the situation up side down.
According to the author,

“This is the dynamics of a marriage gone wrong. How two personalities come together and come apart. I like the mystery genre as a way of telling that story,” 
“It is a very relatable story for all of us who have been in long term relationships or marriage, although it does go beyond the parameters that hopefully we all deal. So many people have told me they have touchstones with different parts of the story.”

In short, the author tries to convey the common problems of long term relationships that everyone has. It becomes an interesting topic because the author elucidates the common problems through a well-written psychological thriller. She also keeps the authenticity of colloquial conversations through characters' language. It simply makes the story more real and close to the mind of the readers.

Conclusion:
I will recommend this book for killing your boredom while you are taking public transportation or sun bathing by the beach. Actually, I was expecting more about this book, I am a traditional reader who likes more details. I understand that the lack of details because the author depicts the story through two point of views (Amy and Nick Dunne).
Personally, this book teaches me how to see the differences that may occur in a marriage life. As a long term commitment, marriage is not an easy breezy Sunday afternoon. It takes a hard work to keep the marriage as a unity. Also, people can change swiftly without knowing it, the summer has ended.

Rating: 4/5

Happy Reading Y'all:):)

So,what's going on?

Sudah lama tidak menulis, tiba-tiba rasa rindu menggelitik...menyentuh jari jemariku untuk merangkai kata-kata.
Aku akhir-akhir ini sibuk dengan kegiatan-kegiatanku, pekerjaan, olahraga,dan kadang-kadang memanjakan diri sendiri. Sudah hampir 2 tahun aku merantau di negeri orang, ada duka ada senang, semua aku syukuri. Setidaknya aku bisa sedikit membantu orang tuaku di rumah. Sedikit berbagi senyum dengan mereka. Yah,aku memang tidak menjalani hidup dengan mudah, seperti kebanyakan orang yang dengan nasib baik, memiliki banyak kemudahan-kemudahan, entah itu faktor orang tua ataupun keberuntungan. Semua aku syukuri, karena dengan bantuan Tuhan dan kerja keras aku mampu menyelesaikan sedikit  demi sedikit masalah masa lampau. Kini,aku agak bisa menarik nafas lega. Terima kasih Tuhan....
Boleh dikatakan, manusia tak pernah puas dengan apa yang dimilikinya. Aku juga seperti itu, tapi sedikit-demi sedikit aku mampu mengatasi rasa kekuranganku dengan rasa bersyukur. Sekarang, hidupku lebih terasa damai,walau terkadang aku juga mempunyai keinginan-keinginan yang masih aku pendam. Tekanan-tekanan sosial selalu saja mengintip tapi aku berusaha menyikapinya dengan positif. Bisa dikatakan, hidupku sekarang lebih terasa santai dan mengalir tenang seperti air disebuah mata air.
Saat ini aku masih berkutat dengan pekerjaan lamaku, mengajar. Jujur aku tidak terlalu menikmatinya,entah karena bosan atau memang hatiku sudah tidak merasakan tantangan.Aku kemungkinan besar akan merubah karirku kedepan, aku sekarang sedang mencari sekolah hukum yang sesuai dengan keinginanku. Untuk setahun kedepan aku akan kembali merasakan bangku kuliah, mungkin aku akan memulainya musim gugur ini. Ini merupakan persiapanku untuk membangun kehidupan baru di Amerika. Aku rasa,American Dream masih memiliki daya pikatnya.Walaupun, Amerika yang sekarang tidak sehebat America yang dulu.
Aku hanya mampu berdoa dan berusaha,,semoga semuanya berjalan lancar.
Ada beberapa sekolah hukum yang masuk dalam kriteriaku, perhatianku untuk sementara tertuju pada UC Berkeley dan Duke University. Malam ini aku akan berkutat dengan laptop dan internet untuk mencari informasi sebanyak-banyaknya karena tak terasa tahun ajaran baru sudah di depan mata.

Awwww....(my journey to my first marathon)

Hello Everyone,
I have trained for my first marathon since January (one of my New Year's resolutions). The event is scheduled in December this year (still months from now). Singapore has an annual marathon event. I am hoping to join the event.Running is one of my hobbies, I find it addictive. I will be upset if I can't run every day, well I take a day-two days off in a week to rest my legs. It is a little bit crazy, isn't it? but running helps me to gain my self esteem, my happiness and improve my health. In some ways, it also reduces my stress.Running in a long distance is not a new thing for me,I have enjoyed running for two years, before that I was pretty much a couch potato(no kidding!). Everyday, I run 5-10 km, 5-6 times a week. I usually run in the evening because I am kind of busy during the day. I spend 1-1,5 hours to exercise, it is not enough for training to a marathon, I need to increase my strength and endurance. However, I will gradually increase my fitness level. You know marathon is like a 42 km race,it is very far but I am optimistic. It is not a light challenge I need to focus because It takes a lot of efforts. I might participate in some running events before the big deal comes, but I need to be very picky since they are not free events and usually the events are very far from my house.
I will be updating my progress until I can run in my first event. Wish me luck!

Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack_EX

Hello Lovelies,
Happy Lunar New Year! I hope you had a great time with you family. Today, I will share about my favorite sleeping mask from Laneige, called Water Sleeping Pack_EX.It is a Korean brand, I do love Korean and Japanese brands because the ingredients are light for my skin compared to American brands that I have tried.
Anyway, I was looking for a skincare product which can refresh and moisturize my skin without make it too oily because my skin is already very oily and troublesome. I found my skin was too dull and dry in the morning. It was so weird since I have an oily skin. In short, I felt that my skin was too dull and flaky. Maybe because I have been sleeping in an air conditioned room and I also exercise on the daily basis. Those make my skin tired and lost its glow. I started goggling about skin care products and I read many positive reviews on this product. I was reluctant to try this product since I have a very sensitive skin. I bought it after all.

According to Laneige:

Product Benefits:

-Enriched with Beta-glucan, Water Sleeping Pack_EX deeply hydrates fatigue and dry skin while  Ceramide SLN formula strengthens the skin barrier.
-the Snow Water helps to keep your skin look more crystal clear and vitalized.
- Antioxidant effect of Hunza Apricot Extracts helps brighten skin tone evenly by removing harmful oxygen and purifying skin.
- Recoverine from Chestnuts promotes turnovers of horny layers to remove dead cells away for vigorous water supply and sleek skin texture.
- An aromatic essence compound exclusively developed by AMOREPACIFIC, Sleepscent™(Patent application No. 10-2009-0043726), helps to relax your mind and body and derive for a good sleep. A good sleep effect allowing sufficient relaxation eventually reinforces skin restoration for healthier skin condition. Essential oils from Orange Flower, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Sandal Wood etc. are contained in the Sleepscent™.
- Light gel-type texture without stickiness but moisture leaves you a comfortable sleep. 

How to Use:

-After taking appropriate amount(2.5cm in diameter recommended), mark on nose tip ,cheeks, forehead, and chin areas, and feel the scent for about 3 seconds. * Relax your body and mind through the Sleepscent™.
-Gently spread over the face from inner part to outer part along the skin texture. 4. Go to sleep after absorption without rinsing off. (Wash face in the next morning)
* Use once or twice a week.
* Apply more than recommended amount when your skin is particularly dry.
* Open the cap and breathe in the scent of Water Sleeping Pac_EX about 5 seconds before use when you feel a heavy stress.
* Apply to neck area for neck care

Packaging:
Personally, I adore its elegant yet simple package.Mine came in special holiday edition. It is a very chic design. The plastic looking glass jar holds 80 ml of product, it comes with a spatula to scoop out the gel to keep it hygienic.

The Product:
This is  gel with light consistency. It can be absorbed by skin easily, it does hydrate and moisturize your skin without stickiness remains. It smells very nice as well, but for some people it may be overwhelming. I bought mine at Metro Departement Store, I can not remember the price maybe around 50-60 SGD ( you should check it to make sure).

Verdict:
In my first application, my skin was dewy and well moisturized when I woke up in the morning. Then, the next application I realized my skin was brighter and more translucent. It also diminished my pimples. I would say, this product works on my skin. It does give my skin nutrition and moisturize it. Will i repurchase? Absolutely yes. It is a good investment for your skin, although it is a little bit pricey but the product comes in generous amount. You need to care more about your skin. It is your asset.

*Pros:
- I have nothing to say but praises to this product
- it makes your skin brighter, moisturized, hydrated
- It is good product for all skin types, including oily and troublesome skin
-It is a lightweight skincare which is not greasy and oily for oily skin
-It helps to soothe pimples
- It smells good

*Cons:
- Almost nothing, maybe it is a little bit pricey but it is worth buying.
- the smell may be overwhelming for some people.

Well, that was my review on Laneige's Water Sleeping Pack_EX. I hope it can help you to decide.
 Remember, a healthy skin is a priceless asset.

Thank you for dropping by...

Kegelisahanku

Pagi ini aku bertemu dengan seorang tetangga, dia adalah seorang perempuan yang memiliki mimpi yang mulia, mimpi untuk membangun masa depan yang lebih baik. Dia berjuang sampai ke negeri seberang untuk membahagiakan sanak saudara di kampung halaman. Dulu ketika dia berangkat, asanya meluap-luap tak terbendung.Mimpi-mimpi itu tampak nyata dan dekat, hanya selemparan batu katanya. Semangatnya hanyalah untuk membahagiakan sanak saudara di kampung halaman...

Mimpinya sederhana, mimpinya tidak setinggi anak-anak zaman sekarang, yang melulu ingin menjadi gemintang, yang ingin menjadi orang-orang sukses bergelar, yang hanya ingin gelimang emas yang menyilaukan mata, entah bagaimana caranya yang penting orang tahu mereka orang berpunya. Dengan harapan yang sederhana dia rela menyingsikan lengan baju untuk bekerja. Katanya, itu adalah semangat baginya.

Ternyata mimpi-mimpinya itu menguap bak embun tertimpa sinar matahari, kenyataan tak seindah hayalan. Ternyata,orang-orang dengan pikiran egois membuatnya tersingkir, tak didengar dan bahkan merampas hak-haknya sebagai seorang pekerja. Mimpinya direnggut, apa yang harus dia dapatkan sebagai hasil kerja keras tak dihargai dan terbayar. Sesuap nasipun tidak terhidang untuknya.
Banyak hal yang dia sesali, dia ingin pulang tapi dia ingat sanak saudara di kampung halaman, apa kata mereka nanti...pikirnya. Dia menahan deritanya, berkata pada kalbunya, tahankanlah batinnya.
Dia teringat kembali,sanak saudara di kampung halaman,,

Aku tertegun, betapa tidak berperasaannya manusia.Aku heran, seharusnya mereka merasakan pula penderitaan yang sama karena mereka juga lahir, tumbuh dan hidup di Bumi yang sama.Rupanya, nurani mereka sudah tertutup dengan lendir keegoisan dan keserakahan.Mungkin hatinya sudah lumpuh, sudah tak mampu merasa.
Hati kecilku meratap, gelisah...tapi aku pun tak berdaya. Seharusnya, sang pengayom mengerti derita mereka yang berjuang, seharusnya sang pengayom tidak hanya bergelut dengan citra yang sudah terlanjur busuk...bah! percuma, awam pun sudah tahu mukanya coreng moreng oleh dusta dan penghianatan. Kini, siapa yang sanggup mendengar suara lirih terpinggirkan? Kegelisahanku ini, rupanya akan terus bersamaku...

If You Forget Me

"I want you to know one thing. You know how this is: if I look at the crystal moon, at the red branch of the slow autumn at my window, if I touch near the fire the impalpable ash or the wrinkled body of the log, everything carries me to you, as if everything that exists, aromas, light, metals, were little boats that sail toward those isles of yours that wait for me. Well, now, if little by little you stop loving me I shall stop loving you little by little. If suddenly you forget me do not look for me, for I shall already have forgotten you. If you think it long and mad, the wind of banners that passes through my life, and you decide to leave me at the shore of the heart where I have roots, remember that on that day, at that hour, I shall lift my arms and my roots will set off to seek another land. But if each day, each hour, you feel that you are destined for me with implacable sweetness, if each day a flower climbs up to your lips to seek me, ah my love, ah my own, in me all that fire is repeated, in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten, my love feeds on your love, beloved, and as long as you live it will be in your arms without leaving mine" by Pablo Neruda

To Someone who I loved: 
Once, I was a wanderer in a foreign land,where I could feel you inside my heart. 
I was so numbed by your stripes, It was the most beautiful thing in my life. I saw your shadows behind a yellow tide, no words but your existence was so real. I kept asking myself, " can i hold on this impalpable  sensation?". I left it behind, yet you came into my dreams telling me about the foreign land where we shared our old days together. 

My Skincare Routine: Day and Evening

Hello my friends,
How was your day? I've been busy with many things, actually this week is a little bit stressful. Since i can not sleep, I would like to share my daily skincare routine. To begin with, my skin is genetically  very far from being perfect skin and as the time goes by it gets worse,I have almost all skin problems, you mention....My skin is very oily yet in certain conditions it gets dry. It has occasional breakouts (pimples), I have enlarged pores (horrid ones), dark spots are everywhere, acne scars ( I wish I could turn back time), blackheads, and many more ( it makes me frustrated to list them down). Anyway, I want you to know that you are not the only one who has the skin problems. To take care of my troublesome skin is very important for me because I don't want to make my skin get worse.I enjoy my journey to find good skincare products which are suitable with my skin condition. I  experienced the woes as well, when I stumbled on wrong products. I had bad experiences with dermatologists ( I might think 100 times to seek help from them). The fundamental thing to get a beautiful skin is when you take care of your skin carefully. Especially, when you are in my age ( 20 something), I started to notice that my skin needs extra treatments in order to avoid premature aging. Well, everybody will be old but I want to age gracefully.I am afraid of botox or others surgical procedures to erase wrinkles on my face.

Back to my daily skincare routine, It is important and crucial to take care of your skin every day. To attain a healthy skin we must not be lazy to clean the skin and moisturize it. For me,a clean and moisturized skin is crucial for a healthy looking skin.There are two parts of my skincare routine, morning routine and evening routine.

Morning Routine:
1. Cleansing
I wash my face with Clinique's Acne Soap Bar, It helps to clear my face from excess oil and dirt.
2. Toning
I use SK II Clear Lotion as toner, it removes soap residues and clear my face. I continue to use SK   II Facial Treatment Essence to protect and improve my skin condition.
3. Serum
I have a lot of dark spots so I am concerned about it, I apply Clinique, Dark Spots Corrector serum. 
4. Moisturizing
I have an acne prone skin so I apply oil free moisturizer from Clinique to prevent future  breakouts.
5.Sunblock /sunscreen
Using sunblock is important because sun lights can damage your skin,you can have dark sports, worsen your pimples, premature  skin aging, etc. ( I really hate sun lights, you need to bring hat or umbrella to protect your skin as an additional sun protector)
6. Make up base and foundation (it's optional)

Evening Routine:
1.Cleansing
I usually use exfoliator product in the evening so I can do deep pore cleansing, it is important because it helps to remove dead skin cells and rejuvenate your skin. I use Clinique's 7 Day Scrub Cream. It has soft exfoliator beads that can give maximum cleanliness on your face. After that,I wash my face with Clinique's Acne Soap Bar.
2.Toning (same as above)
3. Mask
If I am not too lazy I apply my sheet mask
4.Serum(same as above)
5. Night Cream
I am a fan of Laneige skincare brand, I am currently using their White Plus Renew Night Cream

That's all, I do my skin care routine on  the everyday basis,
PS:
Don't go to bed with your make up on. It may irritate your skin and in the next morning you will have pimples.

Cheers!

A Recluse (when everything seems to be futile)

Hello Everyone,
I hope you had great holidays, I know it is a little bit late but anyway, I hope everything went well in your lives. It has been a while, I haven't written for quite some time. I went home for Christmas and New Year's holidays. I spent wonderful times with my family in Indonesia. There was no internet connection, so literally I was detached from the cyber world. I was happy I got to meet some family members. Shortly, it was ahh..mazing holidays. Tonight, I stayed up late, maybe because I drank a lot of caffeine earlier or some other reasons that I don't know. I wanted to share my thoughts about my little journey in my grand journey toward brighter future ( I hope so).

I have realized many things in my reclusive days, I know how to treasure every little thing I have, I have learned to accept my vulnerabilities, and the most wonderful thing is I learned to entrust my life to God. I have been in many difficult situations, I fell many times,but His hands always put me back in place. I care no more about worldly profane things, my real objective is not just when I live my life in the world but my ultimate objective is to stand before God and be together with Him in eternity.
Many people may think my thoughts are only excuses of never ending failures. I can't rule the presumptions out. Well, we all seek consolations to overcome our painful journeys. Maybe,  every people has different ways, it is not all wrong.  I have learned to overthrow my problems through God words'.

I went to my first Sunday Service in 2013, the Pastor delivered a very influential sermon. It was the very first week in 2013, and the sermon was about the book of Revelation? it is a very uncommon. You know, as Christians we view the book of Revelation as a book of symbols because it is very hard to comprehend, moreover the content of its chapters bring  chills to your spines. If you try to portray the descriptions in its chapters you probably would be terrifying. I bet that it is not your favorite part in New Testament.

Basically, the sermon tried to remind us about the end of the world and how we should be preparing to face the time. The sermon has opened my eyes that my life is just a short journey, the real life is in the afterlife, it arouses my understanding about how God is coming very soon and without anyone notices. Definitely, as Christians, we don't want to be left alone and hopeless. Once, He decides our place, it would be our last journey. It is very correct if we want to pursue successful lives but it doesn't mean we have to abandon our spiritual objectives. As I stated before, our lives in the world are just short trips. It doesn't last forever.

The God's time is approaching, I have a faith that my perseverance is a way to understand God's love and also when the time comes I have a prepared heart to bow before God. I also believe God won't let me get through 7 years of tribulations before His second coming (if I can make it there). I believe God will welcome me in the air upon His return to Earth. It is called Rapture, when God saves you from morose tribulations.
Therefore, we have to be prepared and ready for His returns from now on.
There are some scriptures that help to understand and be ready for the rapture: 
1. Don't care about worldly standards and values, Luke 21: 34
2. Keep meaningfully occupied , Luke 19:13
3. Keep watching and praying , Luke 21:36

Well, It is important to keep in mind that our lives are not only worldly values,there is a place that we all aim to go. A place where we can't feel any sadness and agony.Don't worry all bad things are not forever (sometimes, I lose my hopes but I quickly put my trust to God).
I hope everything will be going well in our lives and I am getting sleepy by the way.
GBU all,, have a nice dream..