Why I Love to Live in Bali

I'm a Jakartans who lived in Bali for almost a year. And now I want to share a few points of why I love to stay here in paradise:

1. Every day is like holiday here. So, if you work here, like I do, then you’ll feel like you are on holiday but somebody pay you monthly! Isn’t that great?

2. Your life will become cheaper and happier. Why? In Jakarta, you have to pay a lot for your lifestyle. Like pay 35,000IDR for a cup of coffee. Here, you can enjoy your meal in a very cheap way (a hot plate STEAK with a very fat meet for only 13,000IDR), but still surrounded by bule (Indonesian slank for foreigner), without loosing your style. And don’t forget, you can also enjoy a beautiful sunset while having your meal!

3. Dress with any style you want! People here doesn’t care about who’s the designer of your shirt or what’s the trademark of your pants. You can wear anything you want. My friend from England said: “What beautiful about Bali is that you can ride your motorbike, anywhere, without wearing any shirt!” Yes! I also do that. I go to Ubud every weekend, shirtless!
No rules about dress here. You can go to a fancy restaurant wearing your shorts and T-shirt.

4. NO TRAFFIC JAM! For a Jakartans like me, traffic jam has been part of my life. So, move to Bali is like moving to the real paradise. No traffic jam here! You can always go anywhere you want without thinking twice for a traffic jam. You don’t need to go 1 hour before your appointment start or have your breakfast in the car while going to your office. Here, I can enjoy my breakfast slowly (I can even cook my favorite meal in the morning) while watching the TV and go to my office 15 minutes before the office time.

5. Entertainment is everywhere and party all the time! No day without party here as people come to Bali for holiday. And if just need some relaxation from your work, you can just go to the beach, sit there with and ice cold beer on your arm, and you'll feel like you're in heaven! Again, it's cheap.

6. International Life. No need to be a member of some embassy or study in an international school. Just sit on the beach and you'll have friends from many different countries around the world. You'll also get used to live an international culture. Wine for dinner, potluck party, Barbeque Party, and anything that usually goes to bule's lifestyle.

7. It's a paradise. So, who refuse to live in paradise?

Please remarks that I only put FEW POINTS of why I love to live in Bali here. There's so many points more you can see as I'll contribute more writings and photos about Bali. So see you on my next contributions!

Hi from Evren!

Hi everybody!

When you take a brief look at Indri's life, you see she's surrounded by friends and by laughter. That's because she's a person full of life and loves fun and joy! When she comes acrooss with problems in her life like we all do, she approaches these with patience, perseverance and optimism. She loves to makes jokes and tease you, all the more to share some joy. That's one of the many things that I love about this girl, the positive energy that she has! I guess all who know her would agree with me :)

Honestly, it took a while for her to notice me around (hey, I'm not a boring guy, really!! :p ). She is so active and her life is so full, I can't really blame her for that :D . But fortune was smiling on me that she did finally notice me, and so we first became friends, then more. She gave me everything she could, made my life so much more colourful. She made me happy, gave me her smile and lent me her support. It's more than I could have asked for! I'm so happy to have met her and to be close to her.

Anyway, for now I thank Indri for being her beautiful self and for giving a place for me in her heart (and her blog too! :D ).

Welcome aboard Narcist Bandit!

Gruβ NB!

I'm so glad that NB finally join Shisy Kozzy. Herzlich willkommen NB!!

To give you a glance story on how we finally ended up as a good friend, it all started in the high school. We went to Labschool back in 1994 and we were in the same class for two years. In the last year of glorious moment of the high school, we were apart, I took science class and NB took social class. We had a gang that contain of three boys; NB, Irzal & Hengki and five girls; Me, Aris, Prima, Riri, Ika & Theo (Gee, I hope I didn't miss anyone). Back then, we used to spend time together, hang out in malls (Kelapa Gading and Plaza Indonesia were our skipping-from-school favorite destinations), escaped class, participated on Prambors event (the on-the-road competition), and “curhat” on our crush. It’s pity that the relationship between us doesn’t last, even though some of us still catch up for coffee after work.

Since high school, I realized that NB has a different sex orientation than other boys in the gang. He interested in cute male junior around and sometimes asked Aris or me about them. I never really realized it, because he was in relationship with this girl (I only saw her picture once – never convinced about it :P), until we were in university the image of NB got clearer. He officially revealed the fact to Aris and me only (probably?) and we are happy for him. I’m glad that he is what he is, otherwise we couldn’t be a good friend like this… Love you NB!

NB has such unique character… he’s so unpredictable, sometimes I can read what will he do, sometimes I completely surprised by his act. Once he said he wanted to date a girl and to have a serious relationship, probably to marry her. In different occasion, he introduced me to a cute guy and said, “He’s my new boyfriend”… Olala! We have many things in common, we like to comment on how people dress up, love good food and cute guys… definitely!!! We've shared laughs and tears for years; broken heart, asshole boyfriends and happy moments.

I adore him as a great person. He’s likeable too and you’ll see from his writings…Careful you might go crazy on him! So, NB looking forward for your catchy writings and photos of Bali yah!

"Hi!" from Paradise

Hi all!

It's an honor for me to be one of contributors for Shisy Kozzy! I'll contribute my writings and photos mostly about this paradise island, Bali!

Hope you'll enjoy my contributions! And thanks to Shisy Kozzy to give me this beautiful opportunity!

25 extraordinary months

For 2 years and 1 month I've experienced such an extraordinary life... The reason is because of this guy that makes my life completely different, became happier, even though sometimes he made me cry, but that what makes our story meaningful.

Today is our anniversary, aside from call & sms I send him in the morning, this time I want to wish to our relationship thru this blog. I'm so lucky to have met him, even though he was the first who felt something about me, in the other hand, I was too concentrated with my leave to Italy and could only notice his attention after 7 months when I got back to Jakarta. It's a wonderful feeling, maybe the same like any other in love couple, but with him I feel something that I never felt before with any other guys. Am I exaggerating? I don't think so, I'm quite rational! Many times he made me upset, many times he made me cry, many times we argued on things that we don't think the same, but I don’t think I could ever count how many times he made me happy, smile, laugh and cry in happiness.

This is the most comfortable relationship I ever have that 2 years gone so fast, but all the memories of ours are clear like the series of the movies screening in my head. What I need is to look for the chapter and play it back, it's too many, yet I won't be bored of it.

Baby, thanks for being a lovely part of my suck life, you make it more reasonable and worthy to live.

You're always in my thoughts
You're always in my dreams
You're always in my fantasies
You're always in my heart
You're always in my soul

I can't get enough of you

Seni Seviyorum Evren Askim!

Xmas Madness

Not much to do on the last year Christmas Eve...
With Shilla, we took silly pictures.

Evren, Shisy Kozzy's influencer

Even though Shisy Kozzy is a personal blog, but I've thought earlier that it would be nice if I could invite one or two contributors to help me in developing this blog. Well, I call them "Influencer", because these people influence me in many ways; with their insights, rich point of views about anything they think and do. Shisy Kozzy's influencers are welcome to write anything they like to share. I encourage them to be as open as I tried to be.


Anyway, I'm proud to introduce and welcome Evren as my first contributor joined this blog. Thanks for your interest and in the future, for your time to share any writing in this blog. Evren has already a special place in my heart and hopefully he could also satisfy me with his insertion :P He has so many things in his mind, just doesn't have chance to write it down in any medium (or too busy, lazy maybe :D) Ok, Evren hope you'd like your new title as my influencer and waiting for your influencing writings.

My other potential contributor, "NB" (if he approves my request), is a great influencer in being so open to public and not afraid to share anything, he's just like me a very straight forward person. The main difference is he loves to write and me in the other hand, just now trying to write. Looking forward to your coming "NB" !

Happily Ever After... Is it really exist?

Last night, I couldn't barely close my eyes. It was already 2 am when I realized that I had insomnia...phuiii...tough night! Probably, because I had sleep to much during the weekend, on Friday & Saturday I slept almost 12 hours...hehehe... But that wasn't the only reason. I had so much to think, had have quite serious argument with my boyfriend earlier [eehh bit fighting :( ].

Desperate to find a way to sleep [counting sheep, singing several songs - didn't work!], I turned on the TV - had little tour to every channels and ended up on Trans TV. They screened one of Twentieth Century Fox collections where Drew Barrymore played as Danielle (Cinderella) and Andy Tennant (director) spun the story that the magic came within not from the fairy godmother. I saw that Tennant was never less than passionate about delivering a realistic, different "Cinderella" to the screen. He saw that he tried to change the perception of young generation that for everything we truly believe, we have to fight for it, not just waiting for the thing to come by itself to our door. In the old version, the tale that was created over hundreds of years, however, has been a story of a passive woman waiting for a strong, handsome (and nearly silent) prince to rescue her. Absolutely, you won't see that kind of Cinderella in Tennant's version. I like this version better, because I believe that there's no such thing as magic, what exist are effort, will and gut.

Now, the question is: is Happily Ever After really exist? mmmmhhh, never happened to me before :( I believe that everyone, including me, believe that there's a "Happily Ever After" life... I and every girls out there, probably, really wish having our own Cinderella story... meet the right person, fall in love, get married and live happily ever after. Well, at least if I couldn't live happily ever after, I would rather die in happiness :P That's more than enough for me...

After all, who could tell that he/she had ever live a "Happily Ever After", unless he/she could come out from the graveyard and said it out loud :P You maybe?

Saddam Hussein

Yesterday I saw the video clip of Saddam's execution and somewhat it creates a goosebump to see the fact that Saddam was hanged to death. The former powerful Iraqis leader was hung on December, 30th 2006, followed by the execution of his affiliates, Barzan Ibrahim (SaddamÂ’s half-brother) and Awad Hamed Al-Bandar (the former chief justice of the Revolutionary Court). Saddam was quite calm that day, wearing a black suit, hat and shoes, rather than prison garb, his hat was removed and his hands tied shortly before the noose was slipped around his neck. In a final moment of defiance, he refused a hood to cover his eyes.

Check out the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2Ju780cf0E

The full execution clip, that I thought was taken by a mobile phone camera, lasted around 2 minutes was kind of tiring to watch. The shot was not steady and bit blur (low resolution, probably...). I held my breath on the moment the sounds of wood cracking on his fall and later on saw his broken neck and wide eyes opened... Is this a fair punishment for him and for Iraqis? Some people say "yes", some say "no". I guess, now all the victimsÂ’ families will be happy because Saddam got his just sentence, even though by the death of Saddam won't replace any life that has been taken. Nevertheless, conflicts are stiloccurreded in Iraq, between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and between Iraqis in general and the America forces. It's common that even a devil has fans...

Richard Dawkins statement on "Saddam should have been studied, not executed" posted in LA Times is also quite interesting. He said that Hussein's mind would have been a unique resource for historical, political and psychological research, a resource that is now forever unavailable to scholars. Well, it's cool to know what was going on in his mind... He also added that Saddam should have been locked up, by all means. Kept him in jail for the rest of his life, to be sure. But to execute him was irresponsible. Hussein could have provided irreplaceable help to future historians of the Iran-Iraq war, of the invasion of Kuwait and of the subsequent era of sanctions culminating in the invasion.

Mmmmmhhhh... what do you think?

New Year's Eve 2007

The year of 2006 has past so fast that I don't even realized it...
Anyway, life must go on right?!

I remember that last year I celebrated New Year of 2006 in Sabang - Aceh, the east part of Indonesia. It was quite an exciting experience to have a New Year’s Eve party in the middle of nowhere. Have you ever imagined yourself having a party in quite isolated place, but it turned out to be the best one? Hey, it happened to me loh! ;) We had a rave party by the seashore at Gapang beach, it's about two hours drive from Sabang town. We had seafood for dinner, wine, beer and some "Dodol Aceh" as dessert, woooowwww!!! Dodol Aceh was the best "stuff" ever, sticky-green-jelly-dodol made from weed and bit of sugar, guarantee it can fly you so high and no hang over feeling on the morning after... We closed the party by dancing until the sun rose.

This year, as the end of 2006 approaching… Several friends and me decided to welcome the coming year by celebrating the New Year’s Eve together, in most common way... :D It was I, Rina (my adorable client), Robby (Rina’s lovely husband), Rani (my annoying sister) and Shilla (my partner in crime) started the New Year’s Eve with kind of easy meal dinner in Pizza Marzano – Senayan City. It was 8 pm when we finally gathered. Shilla was there earlier… she’s an on-time kind of person (sorry to make you waiting yah Shil!! :P) We had some bruschetta, pizza, soft drink, beer & wine during our long mocking conversation… that’s a healthy conversation, though! After we filled our little cutie tummy, we drove along Asia Afrika Street headed for Century hotel, where we later changed our clothes.

It was 10.30 pm as we left the hotel heading to Baby Face lounge in Thamrin area. Baby Face throw out a New Year’s Eve celebration in cooperation with Paranoia. We managed to enter with out any FDC… thanks to Rina’s affiliate who welcomed us nicely and gave us lot of “terompet” to blow!! After having series of cocktails, red wine & other tempting drinks, we danced toward the countdown. And exactly 12 am, 1 January 2007… Terompet were blown loudly, teeeeeeeeeet teeeeeeet teeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet…. We hugged and kissed each other saying “Happy New Year!!!”

We danced all night and it was 3.30 am as we left Baby Face.