"It's not fair," a colleague and friend -- you're upgraded to the "friend" status when you start playing badminton together -- said a few days ago over lunch. "We smokers pay taxes, too, you know. In fact," he continued with what could've been venom, "in fact, we pay more! Given the ever increasing cigarette prices and whatnot."

Another colleague and friend replied, "That's because the gamen will have to pay more and sooner for your health insurance. Most people are expected to live until they're 65. You smokers might not be so lucky..."

All right, I have thought long and hard and can hereby confidently state my refusal to get drawn into the meaningless competition with June 04. It was not by any means an easy decision and in the end it was the innocent lives that would have been lost had I concluded otherwise that clinched it.

And so, rest assured, dear readers, that I would spare you the agony of having to check here often to see whether this silly blogger has come up with another of his ridiculous entries.

Then again, since I've started a new entry after all...

Siapa yang tak suka berteman dengan Fulan? Sahabatku yang satu ini sungguh berkualitas, kalau boleh meminjam istilah teman-teman perempuanku. Tiga puluh tahun umurnya, Fulan sudah menjadi seorang associate di sebuah firma hukum terkemuka dan jika gosip bisa dipercaya, sebentar lagi ia akan dipromosikan menjadi senior associate. Tentunya dengan kedudukan seperti ini, Fulan tidaklah berkekurangan dalam hal finansial.

Meskipun profesinya menuntut Fulan untuk sering kali bekerja lembur, ia selalu meluangkan waktu untuk berolah raga dan berlatih bersama grup musik amatirnya. Olah raga dan musik memang tidak dapat dipisahkan dari kehidupan temanku ini. Dan berdasarkan yang kudengar dari beberapa orang maupun pengamatanku sendiri, Fulan tidaklah memalukan dalam kedua bidang ini. Selain menguasai beberapa cabang olah raga, ia juga dapat memainkan beberapa alat musik. Bahkan sekali aku pernah mendengarnya menyanyi. Sama sekali tidak jelek.

Warning: this is one bitter entry -- proceed with care.

Not dissimilar to Juwi, I also have problems letting go of certain things. Il Destino R was a good example. Even when I said I would so give it up, I didn't. I guess part of it stems from my (male) ego; I just don't take defeat lightly. Even when in the end there's nothing to gain except some short-lived pride.

But this time, I won't be talking about me. Sadly, it's about someone I care and love so much. Who, I was just reminded, isn't very good at letting things go, either. To whom I would like to say this: I know you love me and I know in your mind you're doing me favors in telling me what you did. But please, if you really want me to be happy, let it go.

Akhir-akhir ini gua jadi sering banget masuk ke Friendster, malah sempet ngunggah foto segala. Padahal bulan-bulan sebelonnya belon tentu sebulan sekali kali. Atau kalo ngikutin gaya penulisannya Juwi, "sebulan sekali, kali," demi menghindari kesalahpengertianan. Hmm, kayaknya ada yang aneh. Tapi kan, ah sudahlah...

Nah, karena sering masuk ke Friendster, tau-tau suka iseng, ngecekin profil temen-temen. Gua termasuk orang yang bikin aturan di Outlook, kalo ada email dari Friendster, langsung apus. Kenap nap nggak di-set aja di Friendster-nya biar nggak ada notifikasi yang dikirim? Pertanyaan bagus. Kalo nemu jawabannya tolong kasih tau saya.

BTW, siwalan nih mrbrown, bikin takut aja. Masak sih gua musti ngelaporin tipi yang belon lunas ini?

Current music: Judas Priest - Breaking the Law
Current mood: happy

Tamat juga Il Destino R! Makasih buat Neng Juwi, yang udah ngasih inspirasi -- en yang lebih penting, ngirimin SWF-nya. Abis diblok sih kalo di kantor.

Ayo, ayo, yang mau walkthrough-nya, tinggal bilang. Tidak dipungut bayaran. Tapi kalo mau nraktir jelas nggak ditolak.

Met ultah buat Ucan. Gemini-Gemini ini nggak ada abisnya ya.

Lagi dengerin: Iwan Fals - Yang Terlupakan
Lagi ngerasa: gembira

This morning, for the first time since I started working one hour away from home, I did not sleep or read (a paperback) -- well, mostly sleep -- on the train. As a result, I got to watch the people's faces around me.

I like watching my surroundings, especially people. And especially beautiful people from the other half of the species. Although, I won't go there, lest someone pokes me with an umbrella. (Then again, about the only good thing from an LDR: umbrella or no umbrella, that someone can only do so virtually.)

My seventh anniversary today. And with that, I have officially linked to that particular post one time too many. Can't help it, it's one of my all-time favs.

And in yet another self-pimpin' -- as if I hadn't done enough of it -- mode, I would like to dedicate this entry to the past ones that are special. Entries written when I feel I was my most articulate self. Entries for some reason I like more than some others. Entries memorable to me personally.

With the World Cup completing its first week, I felt guilty for having written nothing about it. So here goes, my take on the first week.

1. The strongest thus far are Italia, Nederland, Argentina, and Espana. Ceska was a'ight, but they might have trouble up front with the strikers injured. Deutschland was good going forward -- even in the last match; Polska (and the goal posts) just defended well -- but looked hesitant at the back.

2. Brasil was, by their standards, rather disappointing. And the uniform makes the players look fat, look at Kaka! You know you're deeply in trouble when this bland guy gives you a piece of fashion advice.

Life is so interesting. All the more so, since we can always come up with new parallels to it. Forrest Gump has his famous box of chocolates. Lou Erickso says it's like a taxi -- the meter just keeps ticking whether you are getting somewhere or just standing still. Arifin and his game of pool. Now I have another for you. Hmm, deja vu.

Life is like a basketball court.

I've been thinking about this for some time now. But especially the last couple of months, as our original group has all but disbanded -- marriages, new jobs, new countries, injuries -- and now only two or three of us left. As they go, new people come. New blood, if you will; younger, faster, stronger. I always wonder what kids eat these days.

Kayak gini nih kalo bos lagi di luar kota. Dateng telat. Nggak telat-telat banget sih, cuma beda 15 menit -- tapi ini gara-gara aer di apartemen gua mati. Bayangkan! Udah telat bangun, masuk kamar mandi, pas abis pipis kok nyiram keluarnya dikit gini. Untung nggak maen keramas aja, bisa kayak adegan di pelem-pelem 80-an entar. Akhirnya nggak mandi, nggak cuci muka, nggak gosok gigi. Cuma modal deodoran, parfum, ama pastiles.

Di kantor bermales-malesan. Emang lagi nggak ada kerjaan mendesak sih, jadi nggak terlalu ngerasa berdosa. Bikin satu hal nggak berguna (persepsi umum) -- cari aja tautannya di sekitar sini.

I know what you're thinking: whoa, whatever happened to this guy? June's still young -- and our beloved Geminians are only starting to get older by one -- and three entries already? He's on fire!

I'm no longer bored, thanks to this and that. But when you're done with everything you've been tasked with, you'd tend to feel a bit... well, not exactly bored, lest I'll contradict myself -- rather, I dunno, restless? Uneasy? It's like, there you are, in front of your puter, nothing to do, and your mind just goes blank. What to do? C'mon, that's a puter before you, do something, surf somewhere -- anything, anywhere!

So I dug out old pals' archives. Guess what I found.

From the moment Ray's eyes found the girl's, he instinctively knew that she was the one. She had to be in her early-to-mid twenties, with an optimistic air that matched. Dark hair, cream skin, slender waist, and a pair of perfect legs. Without wasting more time, Ray signalled to the waiter, with some healthy tip had him bring a drink ("Whatever she's having") to her table, collected the due appreciative smile, and before long joined the girl.

"Hi, I'm Ray."

"I'm Cavis. Never saw you here before and I'm a regular."

"I'm not from around," Ray flashed his best smile, "here on a business trip."

"I see."

Wah lau eh, kena -- that's the right spelling, People... not kanna, not karna, not kenna, and most definitely not ghana because it's a country -- tagged again! This time by Yolli.

Well, since I did this not too long ago, guess what, I'll do one better this time. Inspired by this, I'm gonna write not just five or six, but... a hundred things about me! *rim shot*

Some of these some of you no doubt would've known. Some others you could've guessed. But I'm making too much introduction now, let's start.