it's been ages since i wrote here the last time. same old reason: what a hectic world i live in.

during my four-week hiatus, the earth is still rotating and the sun still rises from the east. yet, the dramas of life inside the atmosphere did not stop at all.

there were days, i had to work 9-11pm with saturdays and sundays still working at the office. meetings to attend, questions to answer, plans to review.

in the height of a stressful day, nothing could compare a ride home in a low temperature air-conditioned busway. its humming engine soothed my mind. the traffic-free busway lane de-stressed me.

used to go to bookstore when i felt under the weather. i thought, books calm me. it didn't work at all now. strangely enough, riding a busway home is my remedy now. weird, isn't it?

last week, a sad news was in my e-mail inbox. news about a passing of a dear friend. she and i have been friends since 1988 when we were sent to discover Lombok Island among finalists of a writing competition. our friendship lasted beyond Lombok. after high school, she went to sydney then to berlin where i continued my study in the state of georgia.

she became one of the talented young designers in berlin. won fashion awards in sydney, london, hong kong and Femina magazine young designer award. apprenticed with a very well known designer in jakarta before moving to new york city and worked with vera wang.

she was a carefree person with a cheerful personality.

then the news came in late friday. she died due to a brain infection.

my question was "what in the world???"


to my dear friend, may you rest in peace.