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December 31, 2004
ending the year
... on the fifth day of christmas, my true love gave to me, five golden rings ... new year = new kind of relationship? big question, big yesss :)
have a really good new year, everyone! i hope 2005 brings you all more joy and happiness and beautiful creativity than all the previous years. see you on the other side!
Posted by Yasmina at 01:31 AM | Comments (7)
December 30, 2004
it makes me soooo mad...
i was reading the news on the asia quake disaster when i came across an article on an indonesian site about the looting that is occurring in banda aceh.
it makes soooooo fucking angry when i hear about this. the survivors on aceh are obviously very traumatized over the quake-tsunami disaster, and some schtoopid idiots have taken advantage of that by shouting, "water! water!" and causing public panic of an incoming wave.
an example of this was when a row of people were queueing for gasoline and food. shouts were heard, warning of incoming water, and everyone scrambled off. then the looters would take whatever they could. i read that the looters even stole a TV that was half buried in the mud.
the army soldiers have had to tighten security around the area to stop the looters from stealing and creating public panic. i'm just amazed that some people have the heart to loot and steal at such a difficult time like this.
Posted by Yasmina at 11:54 PM
December 27, 2004
quake, tsunami
udith and marnix are thankfully okay. didn't even feel the earthquake as they sat in samosir island on lake toba in sumatra.
for an overview of countries hit by the disaster, click here;.
stole this from brandon's site, a list compiled by enda nasution of aid channels, where you can send monetary donations, foodstuffs, blankets, etc.
___________________________
Aid support for quake and tsunami di Aceh and North Sumatra can be delivered via:
1) Coordinator of People Welfare Rep. of Indonesia
Bank account under the name of the Head of Welfare Bureau
Name: I Nyoman Meweh
Bank account in BNI Harmoni branch: 07 000 311 2717 911
2) Telephone number for coordinator in Medan: 061 - 456 6524
Needed aids: Tents, Kitchen tools, Cemetery tools, medicine, baby foods, goods for women, generator set, clothes, blankets, fresh water
___________________________
>b>*edit: more accounts if you would like to donate to the acehnese people, victims of the disaster. these are channeled via indonesian TV stations*
TPI Peduli
Bank BNI Cabang Jakarta Pusat
Rekening : 259.439.932.001
SCTV Peduli
BCA Wisma Asia
Rekening : 084.266.2000
Metro TV (PT Citra Media Purnama)
BCA KCP Kedoya Baru
Rekening: 309.300.7979
RCTI Peduli
Bank BCA
Rekening: 128.300.7000
Indosiar (Kita Peduli)
Bank BCA
Rekening: 001 304.0009
ANTV (Antv Peduli)
Bank Mandiri
Rekening: 124.009.601.0906
TRANS TV (Dompet Amal Trans TV)
Bank BCA Cabang Setiabudi
Rekening: 766.012.1000
atau
Bank Mega Cabang Priority Banking
Rekening: 01.901.00.11.11110
Posted by Yasmina at 01:15 PM | Comments (2)
December 25, 2004
presents under the christmas tree
merry christmas everyone! we'll see you on the 27th...
Posted by Yasmina at 01:55 AM
December 24, 2004
christmas
yay! yesterday was last day of school work, so now i am off until january 4 2005. yay! all presents are ready, wrapped and placed under the tree. christmas day we'll be at trudy's for a christmas turkey dinner. yumm! soooo looking forward to the holidays and the new year :)
Posted by Yasmina at 01:23 AM | Comments (2)
December 23, 2004
italian throat lozenges
... nice packaging. objects around the house.
Posted by Yasmina at 11:05 PM
December 22, 2004
soaps with nice packaging
objects around the house
Posted by Yasmina at 07:04 PM
December 21, 2004
woven basket
objects around the house
Posted by Yasmina at 10:02 AM
December 20, 2004
close up of our christmas tree
hihi, new lens, so here is a series of objects around the house.
Posted by Yasmina at 11:01 AM
December 19, 2004
sunday walking in the forest
it was such a nice sunny day today and i'd done nothing all day except the laundry and the dishes. robert is away this weekend, painting the walls of remco's new apartment.
after lunch, i curled on the sofa, basking in the sunshine, with a cup of tea. so when michaelmsg'd me to ask whether i wanted to go for a walk in the forest, i jumped at the chance. i went with michael, gwen, and a bundled up little milo in his off-road pram, to the wooded area south of the city, to one of the trails michael and i used to mountainbike through.
milo slept all the way through our walk, which made me think he was on valium, because the path was so bumpy. it was sunny and the frozen water surface was thawing. i was wondering when it would get frozen enough so we can start skating on the water. you can see the icy surface in the background of this picture.
the weather had turned brisk in the afternoon, our breath came out in puffs and the soil was muddy from the previous evening's rain, but it was good to walk and talk with michael and gwen and breathe some fresh air.
i took some photos of them together, as a family. michael is hoping to use those photos on the christmas cards he's sending out this week. *dear mike, i hope i get one in the mail even though we live in the same building*
Posted by Yasmina at 06:24 PM | Comments (2)
sunday walk in forest
Posted by Yasmina at 06:05 PM
December 16, 2004
tea with james and dan
so i'm working from home this morning, and i made myself a cup of tea. except the only tea we have left in the house was the english blend. so i made myself a cup, with milk and, unusually, two sugars. i almost never take sugar in my tea or coffee.
being back at my desk, working, reminds me of james and dan during our last year at ravensbourne. at the time, we were living in a house together, in bromley. by the third year, we hardly went into college at all; we had our dissertations to research and write and our final projects to finish.
james, dan and i would be working in our individual bedrooms, and it was a important to have tea next to us, cups within reach, yet out of the "danger zone" where a spill would mean a fizzled harddrive and running ink on paperwork. we would take turns making tea, each of us knowing exactly how we take our tea: yasmina milk only, dan and james milk and two sugars. delivering the teas to its respective drinker, allowed us small conversations between heavy bouts of dissertation writing or flash-coding or storyboarding.
every couple of hours, we would have tea breaks, snacking on whatever was in the cupboard, and smoking our marlboro light cigarettes and bitch and moan about the work and how we were looking forward so much to graduation.
*yes, i used to smoke back in college, it was a good companion for those late-night sessions or all-nighters*
so that's why this morning i miss james and daniel. i wonder if they're in london now, sitting at their desks, drinking tea, remembering those final days of our degree.
Posted by Yasmina at 11:41 AM | Comments (3)
December 13, 2004
lost and found: part 1
wow! this week 2 long-lost friends have found me! that is soooo cool!
six degrees of separation says we're related to everyone else in the world through six social ties, so i guess you can always find the person you are looking for. i grew up moving around every few years, and we didn't have email until i was in high school in london, and before then, my way of preserving these ties, should they be cut off, was making more links to individual relationships.
i have this habit of introducing friends to family members or other friends in my social circle, so in case that they do hit it off, i can always go back to these links to contact my friends. sometimes it backfires, where my friends think my cousins are more interesting and would rather spend time with them, than with me, or vice versa.
for example, aji, the highschool friend who mailed me this week after years of silence. i moved to london in 95, so in reality we only had about a year of school together. i introduced him to my family, he befriended my cousins, and during the holidays was a regular at my aunt's place. aji even lived in one of my dad's houses while the family was based in europe. you would think that i had all these different ways of getting in touch with him: old schoolmates, his family, my family. but we still lost touch.
when i was in jakarta last summer, i spread word through my extended family that i was looking for aji. i even tracked him down to his last know address which was in malang. no such luck. my cousins hadn't heard from him in months, i'd lost his family's number, the other highschool friend i had was not a friend of aji's and didn't know any contact info. i know i'd heard from him sometime, eventually, but it saddened me that we were no longer in direct contact.
the other guy who found me was andy nwoye. andy and i went to ravensbourneat around the same time for about a year, he graduated earlier, in 1998. now, andy is harder to find than aji. indonesian friends tend to be easier to track down, also because a lot of my indo friends are the children of my parents' friends.
i could really only find andy through college friends. i know about 4 links that would get me to andy:
yasmina >> johanna raupach, ex-ravensbourne, former housemate, viscom, london >> andy (maybe)
yasmina >> charlotte elfdahl, ex-ravensbourne, interior design, london >> richard piggott, ex-rave, broadcasting >> andy (maybe)
yasmina >> flemming lund, ex-rave, broadcasting, copenhagen >> person X from ravensbourne broadcasting school >> andy (maybe)
yasmina >> boris mang, ex-rave, broadcasting, berlin >> person X from ravensbourne broadcasting school< >> andy (maybe)
*note: the above schemes are perfect except i'm not really in touch with flem, boris, charlotte or johanna*
andy mailed me today and said he randomly google'd me after looking at some old college photos. he's at michigan state university *omfg, brrrr, cold* and he still remembered that i had a crush on his best friend, adrian. omg!
omg! adrian! i met him during a party at my old student house, and he came in from somewhere, drunk, collapsed on my bed and wrecked it. when we got to be friends afterwards, he was really embarrassed and sweet about it. haha, yay, adrian! i'm in touch with adrian again! thanks andy, love you loads, keep in touch ;)
p.s. just kidding, andy... and yes, i totally remember you, you cooked me dinner at your house, remember?
Posted by Yasmina at 11:53 AM
December 10, 2004
what have you done?
not done a lot this week apart from the usual 9-5, and domestic stuff, although some exciting things have happened, which some of you may already know. :) for those who don't know, i assure you that it's all good. i just have to put more effort into putting my thoughts in order and my thoughts into words.
so, i'm posting this as a filler. stole this from amy. bold the things you've done before:
01. Bought everyone in the pub a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain</b>
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula.
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Done a striptease
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long, and watch the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
<b>16. Gone to a huge sports game</b>
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
<b>18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables</b>
19. Touched an iceberg
<b>20. Slept under the stars
21. Changed a baby�s diaper</b>
22. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
23. Watched a meteor shower
<b>24. Gotten drunk on champagne
25. Given more than you can afford to charity</b>
26. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
<b>27. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
28. Had a food fight</b>
29. Bet on a winning horse
<b>30. Taken a sick day when you�re not ill
31. Asked out a stranger
32. Had a snowball fight</b>
33. Photocopied your bottom on the office photocopier
<b>34. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can</b>
35. Held a lamb
36. Enacted a favorite fantasy
37. Taken a midnight skinny dip
38. Taken an ice cold bath
<b>39. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
40. Seen a total eclipse
41. Ridden a roller coaster
42. Hit a home run
43. Fit three weeks miraculously into three days
44. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking</b>
45. Adopted an accent for an entire day
<b>46. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
47. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
48. Had two hard drives for your computer</b>
49. Visited all 50 states
50. Loved your job for all accounts
<b>51. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
52. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
53. Had amazing friends
54. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country</b>
55. Watched wild whales
<b>56. Stolen a sign
57. Backpacked in Europe
58. Taken a road-trip</b>
59. Rock climbing
60. Lied to foreign government�s official in that country to avoid notice
<b>61. Midnight walk on the beach</b>
62. Sky diving
63. Visited Ireland
<b>64. Been heartbroken longer then you were actually in love</b>
65. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger�s table and had a meal with them
<b>66. Visited Japan</b>
67. Benchpressed your own weight
68. Milked a cow
<b>69. Alphabetized your records
70. Pretended to be a superhero
71. Sung karaoke
72. Lounged around in bed all day
73. Posed nude in front of strangers
74. Scuba diving
75. Got it on to �Let�s Get It On� by Marvin Gaye
76. Kissed in the rain
77. Played in the mud
78. Played in the rain</b>
79. Gone to a drive-in theater
<b>80. Done something you should regret, but don�t regret it</b>
81. Visited the Great Wall of China
82. Discovered that someone who�s not supposed to have known about your blog has discovered your blog
<b>83. Dropped Windows in favor of something better</b>
84. Started a business
<b>85. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
86. Toured ancient sites
87. Taken a martial arts class</b>
88. Swordfought for the honor of a woman
89. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
90. Gotten married
91. Been in a movie
<b>92. Crashed a party
93. Loved someone you shouldn�t have
94. Kissed someone so passionately it made them dizzy</b>
95. Gotten divorced
96. Had sex at the office
97. Gone without food for 5 days
<b>98. Made cookies from scratch</b>
99. Won first prize in a costume contest
100. Ridden a gondola in Venice
101. Gotten a tattoo
<b>102. Found that the texture of some materials can turn you on</b>
103. Rafted the Snake River
104. Been on television news programs as an �expert�
<b>105. Got flowers for no reason</b>
106. Masturbated in a public place
107. Got so drunk you don�t remember anything
108. Been addicted to some form of illegal drug
<b>109. Performed on stage</b>
110. Been to Las Vegas
<b>111. Recorded music
112. Eaten shark</b>
113. Had a one-night stand
<b>114. Gone to Thailand</b>
115. Seen Siouxsie live
116. Bought a house
117. Been in a combat zone
118. Buried one/both of your parents
<b>119. Shaved or waxed your pubic hair off</b>
120. Been on a cruise ship
<b>121. Spoken more than one language fluently</b>
122. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
<b>123. Bounced a check</b>
124. Performed in Rocky Horror
125. Read - and understood - your credit report
126. Raised children
<b>127. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy</b>
128. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
129. Created and named your own constellation of stars
130. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
<b>131. Found out something significant that your ancestors did</b>
132. Called or written your Congress person
<b>133. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over</b>
134. �more than once? - More than thrice?
135. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
<b>136. Sang loudly in the car, and didn�t stop when you knew someone was looking</b>
137. Had an abortion or your female partner did
138. Had plastic surgery
139. Survived an accident that you shouldn�t have survived.
140. Wrote articles for a large publication
141. Lost over 100 pounds
142. Held someone while they were having a flashback
143. Piloted an airplane
144. Petted a stingray
<b>145. Broken someone�s heart</b>
146. Helped an animal give birth
147. Been fired or laid off from a job
148. Won money on a T.V. game show
149. Broken a bone
150. Killed a human being
151. Gone on an African photo safari
152. Ridden a motorcycle
153. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100mph
154. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
155. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
156. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
<b>157. Ridden a horse</b>
158. Had major surgery
159. Had sex on a moving train
160. Had a snake as a pet
161. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
162. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
<b>163. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours</b>
164. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
165. Visited all 7 continents
166. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
<b>167. Eaten kangaroo meat</b>
168. Fallen in love at an ancient Mayan burial ground
169. Been a sperm or egg donor
<b>170. Eaten sushi</b>
171. Had your picture in the newspaper
<b>172. Had 2 (or more) healthy romantic relationships for over a year in your lifetime</b>
173. Changed someone�s mind about something you care deeply about
174. Gotten someone fired for their actions
175. Gone back to school
176. Parasailed
177. Changed your name
178. Petted a cockroach
179. Eaten fried green tomatoes
180. Read The Iliad
181. Selected one �important� author who you missed in school, and read,
182. Dined in a restaurant and stolen silverware, plates, cups because your apartment needed them
183. �and gotten 86?ed from the restaurant because you did it so many times, they figured out it was you
<b>184. Taught yourself an art from scratch</b>
185. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
<b>186. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
187. Skipped all your school reunions
188. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language</b>
189. Been elected to public office
190. Written your own computer language
<b>191. Thought to yourself that you�re living your dream</b>
192. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
193. Built your own PC from parts
194. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn�t know you
195. Had a booth at a street fair
<b>196: Dyed your hair
197: Been a DJ</b>
198: Found out someone was going to dump you via LiveJournal
<b>199: Written your own role playing game</b>
200: Been arrested
Posted by Yasmina at 12:10 PM | Comments (1)
December 06, 2004
basement
dark
dreary
damp
creepy
probably where axe-murderers hang out, waiting for victims...
probably where axe-murderers hang their victims out to dry...
eek!
Posted by Yasmina at 10:14 PM
December 04, 2004
early christmas things
yes i know it's a bit early but the christmas tree is already up in the living room. it's a real tree, although small, only waist high for me, and it spreads a wonderful pine scent around the room. the lights and the tree against the red wall gives the room a cozy, winter holiday atmosphere.
i don't celebrate christmas in its religious context, just for fun. i like the christmas service they give at church, the choirs sing their best, and the gift-giving part is something i really enjoy. i like to make presents: homemade cookies, a compilation CD, olive oil whose olives i harvested myself in spain.
when i was younger, my parents and i used to exchange presents at christmas. i think this was because my parents didn't want my sister and i to feel left out when we returned to school and the other kids were showing off their presents.
at work this week, we got our chocolate letters from sinterklaas. i got the letter "S" and since tradition dictates that we get a chocolate letter of our first initial, i thought sinterklaas was implying that i was short.
i frantically began to list down all adjectives beginning with "s": sexy, stylish, silly, strong, smiley. *doh* then i realised "s" is for sinterklaas. anyway the chocolate letter was very very yummy.
another thing that made me happy was a little present from ian. yay! he got me the lost in tranlation DVD. i did a sneaky thing which was watch the movie after dinner and then placed it back in the box and gift wrap, and left it under the tree. now i can go and take that item off my amazon wishlist.
have a good weekend everyone.
Posted by Yasmina at 12:04 AM | Comments (4)
December 02, 2004
a really good sandwich
last month when joão was here, he was talking about a really good sandwich at de bijenkorf. naturally i thought he was just wack, because joao, like me, is not a big sandwich eater. he told me he went back several times that week at lunchtime just to consume this sandwich. this love affair with the sandwich didn't last long however, as de bijenkorf change their menus on a weekly basis.
so earlier this week, i ended up at trattoria mangiare on kleine berg. i don't usually eat sandwiches for lunch; unless it's summer, when i tend to eat more salads and sandwiches. when it's winter and cold like this, i go for bowls of ramen noodles, or soups and hot bread.
anyway, they had their new autumn/winter menu up so i got the pastrami sandwich and omg, it is so so good. it's an italian roll, with pastrami, capers, fresh salad, a mascarpone dressing, and "krullen eendenlever", translated to "shavings of duck liver". there's the slight smoky flavor and tenderness of the pastrami, the tangy capers, crunchy salad, and creamy duckliver, which just melts in your mouth. yummm.
perhaps sandwiches are not a bad thing after all. my mouth is just watering thinking and writing about the flavors. omg, sooooo good, i tell you. think i'm gonna go and have that for lunch again today. :)
Posted by Yasmina at 12:00 PM | Comments (2)
