When I click the Publish button, this lady and her two friends will have landed -- or been minutes away from landing -- in Kupang. Without meaning disrespect to Kupang, and eventually East Timor, I assume she won't be reading this blog anytime soon.

Which means it's now safe for me to publish this kind of entry, without the risk of having her nose fly away -- an inside joke, don't worry about it.

And yes, Smart People, I'm well aware that MT does not have a Publish button, just Save. But a Publish button has a more dramatic ring to it, doesn't it?

Anyway. I've known Ms. Oktarina Prasetyowati for four and a half years now. That's a privilege, given how great a lady she is. I first knew her as a passionate blogger, who wrote different contents from those you saw on the majority of blogs then. Her entries stood out amidst the countless "I had my hair washed today" and "I can't take it anymore, how can people be so rude" clones. Blogosphere eventually caught up, but she remains true to herself, changing little of her style and writing only what she feels strongly about, regardless of what others do.

Over the years, I began to know her better. Not just as a great writer -- how else would you describe someone who writes in simple words yet conveys her points well without coming across as a smart ass (well, not too often, anyway) -- but also as a great person. She may not give you the first impression of being approachable, but once you've gotten past that, she's fun to chat with. She will say the craziest things and start intellectually stimulating discussions from the most trivial topics.

Another trait of hers that I admire is her compassion. When she feels strongly about something, she doesn't just yap about it; she actually does something. While at times oblivious to what people around her are doing, she does care so much for them. And it shows. When it comes to helping others, she's not one to be afraid to get down and dirty -- literally as well as figuratively.

Well, nobody's perfect and she, too, has her shortcomings. Among those is her proneness to get stressed out when faced with deadlines. I've never worried for her, though, for she is one of the two people I know -- the other being Bison -- who can complain about not having the mood and necessary attitude to finish all the tasks in hand, only to not just complete but complete them well.

Speaking of completed tasks, expect another novel to be out soon, for she has not been idle all these months. But you didn't hear it from me, of course.

And there you go. A great writer, an extraordinary person, a special friend. I could go on forever, so many good things I can write about her this entry may border on an obituary *knocks on wood*. But just as she lets her deeds do the talking, I'll stop here and hopefully, if you haven't already, you'll get the chance to know her personally -- and find out for yourselves what I'm talking about.

Our Red Shoe Lady flew off this morning, with two friends and a lot of boxes -- see the photos; the boxes resulted in 40 kg of excess baggage -- to follow their calling. Bidding farewell to their respective comfort zones in doing so -- a very difficult feat, they did it and I applaud them. I wish her and everyone in the mission the best of luck. May you guys achieve what you have left for.

If you do read this, keep the rock 'n' roll spirit goin' and see you when I see you. And please catch that nose.

PS: of course, at the airport I couldn't help myself snapping this, this, and this -- within meters of one another. I guess it's contagious.

Current music: none
Current mood: happy