Bye-Bye 2009 — Hello 2010

New Year's Resolution

We’re now counting the days to say Goodbye to 2009 and Hello to 2010. I asked myself this morning. Am I ready? Have I done enough this year? What to change and to hope for for next year?

From my teenage days I am used to make new year’s resolution. New Year’s resolution is a list of things we promised ourselves to do because we believe that will make us a better person than last year.  In the early years the resolution would be a list of dreams sometimes to high for me too reach or do. Then as I grow more in my thoughts and wisdom (I hope)… I come to realize that I need to put realistic, simple but will bring difference to me and to those around me.

I found the picture I posted above from Flickr and more or less she had put the same list I would be doing and have been doing in the past few years. Now As I look back to what I wrote in 2009 new year resolution. I can be proud and happy that I have done some but also not consistent in some. I know  I accomplished something and 2010 will give me a change to do things better.

So… What will your 2010 resolution be? Make your list….

It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas

Our Small Christmas Tree

Yes! We have X-mas tree this year.  My husband, Simon, and I got this small but beautiful X-mas Tree from a charity shop. As we put all up, strung the Christmas light and light up the X-mas tree… It did began to feel like Christmas.

Now our daily agendas are filled with marking dates for Christmas celebration, open houses. I have list of Christmas shopping tucked neatly in my wallet.

Now come the fun part… making plans for Christmas (and New Year)….It’s wonderful to see that people plan and celebrate Christmas and New Year from country to country or even from household to household.

So… what about sharing a bit of your plan for this Christmas 2009.

Peace to you,

Helena Rijoly – Matakupan

In the Bag

We have grown so much attached to certain items in our everyday life that it became an ‘extension’ of our body. I once have a housemates and she’s a remarkable girl. She’s known to always talking on her hand phone whenever she goes. whenever she is her phone is with her.  Now don’t think I’m judging her because I myself think I am also a phone freak. If I don’t have my phone with me I feel incomplete.

Let’s face it… technology developed so rapidly and becoming more and more affordable, easy, mobile and user friendly as well as supported by a system that encourage i. Thus any of us had seen it as a necessity.

I rummaged through my loyal companion, my black Eiger back pack (those who knows me will certainly able to associate me with the backpack), and pulled out some of the gadgets, I “cannot live without”, of course this is said in a hyperbolic way. I am sure I can live without these items but somehow these are the guys that stick by me whenever I go.

What's in my Bag these days

Next, I try to think of my reason for choosing them to be my close companion:

Backpack is  very convenience, no fuss, allow my two hands to be free and can carry loads of stuff  [1]

Wallet, coins pocket, bus ticket and mobile phones are for obvious reason, basic necessity on the road [5, 7, 8, 14]

Notebook, daily planner and pencil essential to be organized [4]

Ipod, Camera and good book are best friend on the road. to pass the time, to add knowledge and to escape to the world far away. [13, 15, 3]

Packed lunch and snacks and water are to keep us away from hunger attack and dehydration.[2, 8]

Kleenex is for runny nose due to cold weather [12]

Gloves  is to keep my hand from freezing chill [16]

Lip-balm for chapped lips due to cold and dry air [9]

Hair scrunchies and clip to tame down my “wild” hair [10]

And of course… house key… how do you think I can go back in the house without these [11]

So…….. look in your bag… what in your bag? What items are inseparable from you? Give reasons

Love,

Helena

A Life to Live

Cemetry in Autumn

England is a land of intrestingness… The weather is grey and not so sunny and bright as in America, but still it possess a great nuance. It’s like a set of mystery movie and picture. There’s something I like here that you might find a bit peculiar. I like the cemetery or the grave yards. I am fascinated by the eery yet serene feeling when I look at it. It is beautiful as it will hamper a wide spread of grounds with jutted carved headstones and statues of angel. I find the trees surround it very charming in their big and stronghold roots.

Most of all when I look at the graves, they remind me of LIFE.. yes life… not death. It reminds me of how shot life is and what I would want to do with it. I wonder what will people think of me when the saw my headstone one day. Thus, it propels me to be a better person.

OK… now think about yourself. What do you think/want people to remember you for, when you die one day…

I know, it’s kinda scary thought of death… but it will be a good start to get better, right?

Very well, Write away friends!

Helena

# 2: My Hero

11 November or 11/11 is Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.) The day was specifically dedicated by King George V, on 7 November, 1919, to the observance of members of the armed forces who were killed during war.

In the United Kingdom, although two minutes’ silence is observed on November 11 itself, the main observance is on the second Sunday of November, Remembrance Sunday. Ceremonies are held at local communities’ War Memorials, usually organised by local branches of the Royal British Legion – an association for ex-servicemen. Typically, poppy wreaths are laid by local organisations including the Royal British Legion, ex-servicemen organisations, cadet forces, the Scouts, Guides, Boys’ Brigade, St John Ambulance and the Salvation Army. “The Last Post” is played by a trumpeter or bugler, two minutes’ silence is observed and broken by a trumpeter playing “Reveille”. A minute’s or two minutes’ silence is also frequently incorporated into church services on that day. The main commemoration is held in Whitehall in central London, where the Queen, Prime Minister, and other senior political and military figures join with veterans to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph.

This Year, me and husband, Simon, are fortunate to share this moment with people in England as we both participate in a service in church. We were asked to take part in chain prayer for peace.

Anyway, this brings us to this week theme, “My Hero”.

A hero does not have to pick up guns and fight and killed. There are so many people around us who shaped us and help us to choose our walk of life. There are those people who were there when we needed them the most. There are those who we were never able to say thank you because their sacrifice is done without us knowing. These are our everyday hero.

Let us find time to remember those people, the heroes, in our life: Who are they? What they did that means a lot to us thus we call them hero? What happen if for instance they are not there for us? Would our life be different?

Love,
Helena

# 1 November

Photo by Morena

Our first theme to write about is “November”.

Write of anything you want about November. Here’s some pointers:

- What you feel or remember when you enter the month of November

- What do you like/dislike about the month of November

- What November means to you…

Well the list can go on and on… but those are just pointers to get you to think about it.

OK… write away….

 

Love,

Helena

Fancy Writing With me?

Photo by Linda Cronin

Hiya all!

I’ve been doing more and more writing (and reading) lately. I love the idea of sharing (in writing) something with a theme. Of course it will not be fun to do it alone. So, what about share stuff here..

My idea is having a weekly theme or what ever theme there is and have people writing a piece based on that. It can be a comment, a poem, a rambling chat or a review or anything you like using English.

The new writing theme notification will be sent in your Facebook

Message containing a link to the web. But feel free to check on the web anytime to add to your response or response on other people’s comments. And please do refer to any other people you think will find the web useful

I’m only getting  close friends and family here, especially those in Indonesia and those with English as Second Language. I hope this blog can help us to use English more and to keep in touch.

Love,

Helena