My Existence...

I've watched this video a couple of years ago and just earlier when we were discussing of making a video just for fun, I remembered these guys lip syncing the Back Street Boys that's why I tried to search them and wanted to share it with everyone, this made my night...HAHAHAHA...

From BBC News, Microsoft has signed a partnership with activist group Rock the Vote to boost interest in the upcoming election among young people. As part of the tie-up Xbox Live members will also be able to take part in polls to gauge their voting intentions.

We all know that voting is one’s right to choose a leader of our country. But for some reason, people are in a way lazy to line up in voting booths or location just to cast their votes, especially the young ones. So I guess, this would really be a great help for the young voters as well as, gauging candidate’s capability to lead a country since XBOX Live forum will also be used to gather opinions from gamers that will be shared with candidates.

Let’s know first about Espresso. It is a coffee beverage, prepared using water under pressure and served in a pre-heated demitasse (French for a small cup or literally “half cup”) cup, it has about 60-90 ml capacity which is usually made of white pottery or porcelain with matching saucer. Traditionally, it is prepared by highly skilled professional or in English jargon “barista” refers to one who has acquired some level of expertise in the preparation of espresso-based coffee drinks, barista is Italian for bartender. This originates in Milan, Italy in the early 20th century, but until the mid-1940’s it was solely produced with steam pressure. This type of coffee beverage include a thicker consistency than a drip coffee, more concentrated that is why it is measured in shots or producing one is called “pulling a shot”.

Making a cup of espresso is a difficult process that takes practice and an attention to detail. It consists of a number of elements that experts comprise at least forty steps. However, most of the steps are out of hand such as, how beans were grown, when they are picked and how they were processed. So, for the steps which we have control over with are choosing the right bean, grounding properly the bean, preparing the machine for brewing, quality of water and time, with the very important element the barista! Now onto the process, first pour water on the machine, high-quality espresso machines have control over the temperature of the brew water within a few degrees than the ordinary, it should be 190 to 196 degrees Fahrenheit, once the water is in the right temperature the light on the machine will turn off. Next, turn the dosage button and let the water pour through the handle for 10 seconds, to clean it through and heat it as the same temperature as the water, the handle where you put the coffee is called the group handle. Add the grounded coffee on the handle, for single shots add 7 -10 grams and double would be 12-18 grams. Make sure the coffee is properly tamped in the handle, applied evenly and rotationally. Attached the group handle to the espresso machine and put the cups underneath and let it pour out. It will produce a rich or thick, syrupy and not at all water. It should start very dark brown colour and ends with a caramel colour but should still retain its richness and the dark rusty coloured, reddish brown foam floating on top is the crema. And your espresso is ready to go!

These past few days I’m exhausted from going to one interview to the other... And it has finally paid off! Yes, after more than two months of searching I finally got a job that I like! Yipeee!!! When I got back 2 months ago, I was expecting that it would really be easy to get one but for some reason it’s not that easy as well...because they thought I would really asked too much just by looking in my credentials, and that’s the usual comment or feedback that I would receive... Gosh! Well, who wouldn’t want to have a really high paying salary? It’s just that right now, I want to be on the normal pace... Don’t want to rush things up since I am starting a new life in a whole new perspective! Although, the pay they offer me is reasonable enough. Indeed, struggles in life make you tougher and smarter. Right now, I am really excited to start on my new life. I’ve been through a lot these past 2 years... I did struggle to make things work out and dwelled in the past and now I know I have finally moved on the moment I set foot home. It really felt a little weird and scary at the beginning but eventually, it felt rewarding that I get to overcome that trial in my life, of course, thanks to my family and friends, now I am a new “ME”. Most of all, thanks to the Father, who never leave my side and I really felt it, His guidance! I just want to share this great news and this prayer of thanks.

Remembering the old times... Does anyone of you got fond of the cartoons during the 80's? Check this one out... Cool!

One of the things that I want to do is travel! I have been out of the country already but just Asian countries. I really want to go places... I love beautiful sceneries where I can relax...not necessarily that I have to spend lots of money for souvenirs the scenery itself is really worth dying for. HEHEHEHE... One of the countries in my list is Greece...Take a look at the beautiful places... I’m really having Goosebumps just by looking at it.

It has been a while since I posted a vocabulary lesson...Okay so here are more of the Indonesian vocabularies that could be useful for those who are planning of visiting...

How Much or How Many = Berapa

How Long (length of time) = Berapa Lama

What Time = Jam berapa

Where = Dimana

How = Bagaimana

When = Kapan

Who = Siapa

What = Apa

I = Saya / Aku

You = Anda / Kamu

We = Kita

Them = Mereka

To = Ke

Straight = Lurus

Left = Kiri

Right = Kanan

Return = Balik

Again = Lagi

In our daily lives have you ever stop and ask yourself what you plan for your future? Will you be working all your life here or you will go overseas or as what? Not so many of us are lucky to be given a chance and fulfil their desires to make a difference, not only for their lives but as well as to others. I once read a book about a teacher who was asked if how long had she been teaching and she answered with a lifeless tone “20 years”. Maybe she was thinking of how financially unrewarding the profession that she has. The sigh reflected a heavy heart. The man who asked her congratulated her right away and told her that not all have a chance to build lives of so many people. Her face glowed because of the appreciation that she received from the man. She responded with a little sparkle in her eyes that the only joy that they have is when students go back and visit them and tell them the appreciation on how they have touched their lives but it saddens them if they are forgotten.

I can’t blame her for feeling weary. Even so, she continues to teach young people and touch their lives with the best of their knowledge. They are the unsung heroes, unappreciated champions nor unrewarded winners. They should know that the successful people are their trophies and improved lives are their medals. You cannot simply put a price tag on that kind of work.

What about you? We hear common things from people like, I’m building a career, I’m building a life on my own, I’m building a house or a family but, do you really k now your purpose or what you are working so hard for? We tend to forget that we are essentially building something every day of our lives.

We don’t have to be a teacher to build or touch lives. It is just a matter of opportunity to do it. Daniel Webster offers this excellent advice: “If we work on marble, it will perish. If we work on brass, time will efface it. If we rear temples, they will crumble to dust. But if we work on men’s immortal minds, if we imbue them with high principles, with just fear of God and love of their fellow men, we engrave on those tablets something which time cannot efface, and which will brighten and brighten to all eternity.”

We never thought this day would come,
But it's finally here at last,

What once was our bright future,
Is now are dim-lit past,

But we hold onto the memories,
The lessons that we learned,

The pathways we have traveled down,
The corners that we turned,

And soon we say our sad goodbyes,
That will last us forever,

We may see each other again,
Maybe once or maybe never,

So make your goodbyes ones to remember,
The kind that will stay in their heads,

Those are the goodbyes they will treasure,
The ones that were sad to be said.

This is really awesome! Not been long already when I started blogging and when I browse my friend’s blog I came across this site owned by Gisele, it really inspire me more to do blogging, why? Because of the cute stuff that she does, I know ...I know... How it is related? Well, Gisele is as she said in her profile love arts! She creates blog templates as a hobby not as a business...She shares her talent in art by designing stuff such as mugs, t-shirts, mouse pads, coasters and more. Also, learning those coding stuff to create magnificent templates that gives your blog the attitude! It is really a WOW for me! So, basically it influenced me that really, blogging can be done by anyone whether what is your interests it’s just a matter of determination to learn new stuff to make use of your talent and also I get to use her template in my first blog! HEHEHEHE... Now, speaking of stuff she designs, my favourite? Is her Mad About Tea Ceramic Mug! I love to drink tea, it makes me feel healthy and of course drinking tea with a cute mug would make you want for more! Take a look at this...You might want to get a hold of this one because she is giving away Birdie Says mugs!

Last night we went to a family friend’s funeral. It was the husband of my mom’s best friend. The cause of death was due to high blood pressure turn to stroke (correct me if I am wrong I am not really familiar with medical terms). They said that, he was not actually feeling well already last Monday but he just ignored it but after a while they rushed him to the hospital and after a few hours they put him in ICU, according to my aunt (we treat & call them like real relatives so we address them that way) he was in coma however, when they talk to him they notice that he is fighting for it and his blood pressure goes up which is a good sign that he is somehow conscious of his surroundings. We all know that this kind of illness is a traitor you will never know when it will attack you so we really have to be more cautious in what we eat... Also, according to other family members he was worrying of his youngest son, who got into trouble a couple of weeks back... So there is added stress... It was really sudden because my uncle Boy was not really that old yet but perhaps due to his lifestyle which he drinks and smokes so basically that’s it and with added pressure, it really got him. It was really sad and was a shock to all of us. So right now as I write this I am doing some research on High Blood Pressure...

According t o recent estimates, about one in 3 adults has high BP but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don’t know they have it. In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke (so I am right!), heart attack or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called the “Silent Killer”. The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have it check regularly. To find out more of this illness click here!

Here is a tip I got on how you can prevent a certain stroke or heart attack, specially when you are all alone... If you have chest pain that radiates to your arm and up to the jaw, and a hospital is far do the following:

- cough repeatedly and vigorously, coughing keeps blood circulation alive

- take deep breaths before every cough, deep breaths get oxygen to lungs

So, those of you who know someone or just inform everyone you know of such first aid or prevention so they can share this to their loved ones as well. Let's have a healthy life everyone!

A television series that I have watched during my high school years and the first series that I really admired, it aired from September 1996 to May 2000. It is about a man who attempts to prevent terrible events each day which he learns about by receiving the next day’s Chicago Sun-Times newspaper somewhat delivered by an orange tabby cat. I just saw an episode this morning in AXN and was surprised that it is being aired again. I really didn’t get to know the reason why it was stopped airing despite the fan efforts to save it, it just being aired by syndication the same month it was cancelled. The series was filmed within the Chicago area and the interior scenes were filmed in Illinois. The first season has 23 episodes which aired 28 of September 1996. The character of Gary Hobson played by Kyle Chandler was a stock broker who got thrown out by his wife one day after work and then after moving to Blackstone hotel there began the mysterious receiving of newspaper. The newspaper contains the next day events so Hobson, been consumed of preventing future tragedies to happen eventually quit the stock broking job and as he does this heroic act he uncover some of the mystery of the paper in the later episode of season 1. This series also received nomination and won a couple of awards from prestigious award giving body in the US. Just to give you a glimpse of this series here are some pictures...

Last year was the first time I spent my birthday away from my family although technically my brother was with me then in Jakarta, well, I meant the whole family... Normally, we will have dinner together & will be able to have some drinks (which doesn’t happen always). However, last year was different my brother just surprised me with a cake from The Harvest and celebrated my birthday with our housemate Raffy and Nia a very good friend. Sorry didn’t have pictures of that moment! Anyway, it’s all about the cake so, let’s continue...The Harvest is the very first pastry shop in Indonesia which started in 2004 and have 5 outlets in Jakarta. The founder Lal de Silva, borned in Sri Lanka got his hotel experienced in Australia when he migrated in 1981. He proved himself as one of the best chefs by garnering awards from different parts of the world. He worked for leading hotels around in Australia and also around the globe. Okay, so with this you will really think that it’s expensive well, you got that wrong! The pastries sold in The Harvest are very affordable! So you can experience hotel class pastries at the comfort of your own home.

I really wish that The Harvest will be available here because they really have lots of products that suits our taste. Here’s some pictures of their works...

It was in Siberian prison camp where Boris Kornfeld, a doctor and a Jew, met a Christian whose quiet faith and frequent recitation of the Lord’s Prayer saved him and many other prisoners.

One day, while repairing the artery of a guard injured in a knifing incident, Dr. Kornfeld seriously considered suturing the wound sloppily, so that the guard would just bleed to death. The thought appalled the doctor; he could not believe that hatred and violence he carried in his heart. In response, he found himself repeating the words of the nameless Christian prisoner: “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”

After that experience, Kornfeld began to refuse to go along with some of the standard practices of the prison camp. He even went so far as to turn in an orderly who had stolen food from a dying patient. He knew that that put his life in danger, so he tried to spend as much time as possible in the relative safety of the hospital.

One afternoon, he examined a patient who had just been operated on for cancer. The patient’s eyes are face reflected deep spiritual misery and emptiness that moved Kornfeld to reach out to him. The doctor talked to the patient and shared with him an incredible confession of secret faith.

That night, someone sneaked in and smashed Kornfeld’s head while he was asleep. He dies a few hours later.

But Kornfeld’s testimony did not die with him. The patient who had heard Kornfeld’s confession was so touched that he became a Christian himself. And after he was freed from that prison camp, he went on to tell the world what he had learned. That prisoner became a great writer. His name is Alexander Solzhenitsyn.

Testimonies are very important. They show that the Lord Jesus Christ is alive and is working great miracles in our lives. We who have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into our lives are living Bibles. Our words and actions have the power to bring people to Christ.

By staying faithful to the Word of God, we keep our testimony fresh. We continue to experience joy, peace and love and remain open to miracles. We experience God, we remain in communion with Him. And this is what generates the light in us, that radiant glow that shines through in our testimonies and attracts people to Christ.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn came to Christ though the testimony of one man. You can introduce people to Christ, too. You can begin in your workplace. I have personally seen a lot of people turn to Christ because of the testimonies of their Christian co-workers. Allow the Lord to use you and the power of your testimony to bring your co-workers to His Kingdom. Start today and do it through Christ who strengthens you.

-- One of the magnificent work of a well-known man in the world of business Francis J. Kong

Cisco Systems unleashes solutions for Small and Medium Businesses (SMB). Yes, they have what you need! Even if you’re new or old already in the business Cisco has the solutions, from connecting employees and offices to securing your business without compromising quality!

Cisco Systems deem that it is better together, peace of mind about the business is substantial, to have a freedom of choice, with high satisfaction guaranteed because time is money.

Starting up is really one of the crucial parts in the business industry. You have to have loads of cash to support everything that your company needs because we all know networking devices or solutions are really expensive. So it is really important that you will study every little details, planned it properly so that in the end you will not be pointing fingers to justify the lack of process. Worry no more! Cisco Systems is here to help because they know that there are plenty of things to turn your attention to aside from setting up a network. There are some that would say it is easy all you have to do is buy these hardware and software, hire someone to install those things for your office. But, that does not end there, you should be aware of the maintenance and the durability of certain products that you will be buying and most of all, are those equipment really can handle severe problems that your network might encounter. We all know that technology is really fast growing, it’s like everyday there are new advancements being discovered and of course, almost every day we encounter new threats for our system. So why take the risk? Contact one of the many Cisco Certified Channel Partners to provide you with the precise solution that your industry needs. Don’t be blinded of false promises, perhaps they can provide some, why settle for less if you can have more? To see more information about Cisco Systems SMB solution click HERE.

It’s been two months that I’ve been backed home and most of the time when I go out I take the MRT (Metro Railway Transit), although I’ve rode it before it feels different now. Why did I say that? Well, previously they say that it’s too expensive and not many are taking it so there’s plenty of room for you to be able to sit and enjoy the comfort of a traffic jammed free ride to your destination. After a couple of years, people tend to think the convenience and little by little it gets crowded but can still bear it. This time, due to the increasing gasoline price as well as the fare of other PUV (Public Utility Vehicle) passengers of the MRT are increasing more and more, so basically, what comes next?! INCONVENIENCE! It is expected that the more people used it the more crowded it will be and certain things would occur such as, stepping on someone’s foot, stumbling as you go inside the train, being pushed and accidentally leave your shoes or slippers behind, arguing or having a fight with co-passengers.

These things can be avoided if only people have DISCIPLINE. Yes, you read it right! I understand that all of us would want to be home as soon as possible after work but, don’t you think that pushing and blocking the way would do US any good? How are we going to step inside if we won’t allow people to go out in the first place? Aside from separating men and women, there should be a process or system of alighting and riding the train. Why can’t we let them go out first and just stay at the two sides of the door and let the people go out from the centre? I suggest this because this works in Singapore, even how many people are using the MRT. In my stay there I have never seen someone stumbled down just by riding or alight it, no one gets hurt & no pushing so, if they can do it why can’t we? Most of us who uses the MRT are professionals, educated people but when it comes to that we act like animals in the jungle who tend to over-power the other passengers, and worst is without considering that there are elders that can’t stand long because of weakness.

Let’s make a change people! Let’s start within us. We don’t have to always just suggest in the management what to do. We can do it on our own if we only give it a try.