Oh Bye Now!

Whenever you're reading this, I'm either...

1. On the way to the airport

2. On the plane to San Francisco

3. Sleeping in San Francisco

4. On the way to the airport

5. On the plane to Cancun

6. In Cancun for 5 days

7. On the way to the airport

8. On the plane to Denver

9. Sleeping in Denver

10. On the way to the airport

11. On the plane to Santa Ana, Orange County

12. In Orange County, crying on why my vacation ended so soon.

Anyways, I would like to wish you a Happy yet Safe New Years 2014.

I am ready to depart 2014 and embrace 2014.

I got a feeling that 2014, big things are coming. Kinda scary, but I think it will be all worth it. 

Til next year,

Adios!

Rima

2013, you've been good to me...

As the end of the year 13 approaching up soon, I would like to look back & reflect on how awesome 2013 has been to me. I hope it has been awesome to you too.

January

I kinda saved 2 street dogs from my hospital's street. It felt good, yet so said when I had to take them to the animal shelter. Thank God, they were a no-kill shelter. Relieved that they got adopted.

My friend, Gaby, and I were able to attend the Ellen show... but from the side room. Hah, but we were lucky because since we were in the side room, we were given guaranteed tickets for another upcoming show. Now that's awesome. Gotta love Ellen!

February

Did a Color Run again! This time in Los Angeles, at the Dodgers Stadium. Twas fun. My legs were dying.

March

I step my stinky feet for the first time in European soil. And it was magnificant. Oh Barcelona and Paris, I love y'all!

April

My birth month!! And luckily I was able to spent the day with Melissa, Evani & Gaby. It was fun! Unfortunately, the Pillow was in Sao Paolo at the time, but he did facetime me :) Bisous. I kinda forgave him because he gave me something from my wishlist!

May

The Pillow & I celebrated our 5th year being together. In the beginning it started with Iron Man, and we finished the celebration with Iron Man 3. We love our Robert (Downey Jr).

And dorky me purchased 2 tickets for Coachella 2014. Oh my oh my oh my. I better not get high for second hand Mary Jane.

June

Father's Day month and I celebrated by giving him my signature back slap. Poor Pops.

So end of June was the Super Moon, so being the moon freak that I am, I dragged poor Chimmy's butt to catch the Super Moon rising. 

July

The little Arabic in me was ecstatic when I went to a Middle Eastern wedding. I love ethnic weddings. Just being exposed to different culture is so great.

Because I'm a woman of celebration, The Pillow & I celebrated another anniversary on July 8th. 2 years of awesomeness.

And of course, being the big gLeek I am, I was heartbroken when I heard the news of Cory Monteith's sudden passing. I was sad for days. True Story.

Rob and I love JayZ (and I secretly like Justin Timberlake. Not LOVE, just like). So we went to the Legends of the Summer tour at Rosebowl, Pasadena. I cried a little.

August

Volunteered with the Bill Foundation on a sunny Sunday in Santa Monica, and it was such a great experience playing with this dogs. I fell in love with all of them. I've been watching their rescue videos, so seeing these dogs in person was so cool.

I went on a impromptu trip to Switzerland to visit my dear PillowMan. It was fun!!! We also went to Milan for the weekend, and on the way back home, I had a long layover in London (which made me really happy). 

September

This was the BIG vacation. Being gone from home for 3 weeks was great. I did miss my little Stinky Butt, but being able to travel back to Asia was awesome. Especially I haven't been back to Indonesia since I moved to the States in 2001! Had a little culture shock, I say! Bali was amazing, just like how I remembered as a kid. And Thailand... oh my... my new love. I can't get enough of Thailand. I just visited Bangkok & Phuket. I literally want to spend like 6 months there and roam around. Waaah.

October

Got to see one of my favorite band, Paramore. Seeing the band grow in to what they are now, I can I say that I am still impressed with Hayley Williams voice. Girl can sing. 

And I went gluten free. I still cheat, here and there (esp when I bake. C'mon here...), but I do notice some skin sensitivity when I consume too much wheat. Crazy!

November

Being a local tourist is fun, and I really do encourage that! We hiked up towards the Hollywood sign and that was a hike I say (mind you, I'm in no fit shape at all). It's actually an easy hike, I'm just complaining, hehehe.

We celebrated Rob's birthday in Los Angeles (again, being local tourist) and now I can say we have the same age!

And of course, Thanksgiving!!! We did our annual luncheon at a nearby hotel. Unfortunately not all of my family members were able to come, but just being around them and chit-chatting was great. Family is important!

Meanwhile, Rob was busy traveling the world. This was him during Thanksgiving weekend in Morocco.

December

As I was sipping my Red Velvet Hot Chocolate from Coffee Bean, I was excited on my New Years Eve trip to Cancun. 

Other than that for December, I just hope to end 2013 in a nice, non-stressful way. I actually want to chill. I don't know if it's the impending 30 year old in me (oh my, in April!). My family was just recently hit with the flu (me, my Dad, my mom -> she got both respiratory flu and stomach flu!), so just being in good health would be great to end the year. I'm still feeling queasy as we speak (I'm really hoping it's not the stomach flu!), but I am Thankful for being alive.

I am Thankful to God for blessing me with these great memories in 2013. 

Now I am ready to embrace and to start writing new stories for 2014!

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

I don't celebrate Christmas, so Happy Season of Giving!

xoxo,

Rima

Some wise words...

If I just do my thing and you do yours,

We stand in danger of losing each other

And ourselves.

I am not in this world to live up to your expectations;

But I am in this world to confirm you

As a unique human being,

And to be confirmed by you.

We are fully ourselves only in relation to each other;

The I detached from a Thou

Disintegrates.

I do not find you by chance;

I find you by an active life 

Of reaching out.

Rather than passively letting things happen to me,

I can act intentionally to make them happen.

I must begin with myself, true;

But I must not end with myself:

The truth begins with two.

(Walter Tubbs, 1972)

The Little Arabic in Me is Happy

Why? Because the PillowMan (aka #thetravellingpillow on instagram) was able to achieve is goal this past Thanksgiving by visiting Morocco. The little goal of his is to hit 6 continents in 1 year, which makes Morocco #5 for Africa. His #6 will be Australia at the end of the year. Lucky him.

Why the Arabic in me was happy? Because he was able to embrace some Arabic culture that I want to experience myself. A little trivia: I have Arabic blood in me (thanks Great G-Ma).

During his trip, he was able to WhatsApp me some pictures whenever he was able to get WiFi (does anyone use that app? Super handy!). I was jealous, I tell you.

He's trying to embrace his artistic side

Inside of one of his hotel in Ouarzazate

Super loving the details!

Hello Sahara Desert!

I want to hug this camel

Rob with his tour guide and driver

Rob said that he had an amazing experience in Morocco. He was able to take naps at a tent in the middle of the desert, enjoyed some awesome couscous & chicken tajine (which he got me a small bottle of) & Moroccan Mint Tea (which I got a small bag of! Yum!), witness a little old Moroccan Lady make carpets and purses (which he got me one) and pretty much enjoy & embraced a different culture. 

I would love to visit Morocco. I'm actually thinking on volunteering there next year, so it's in the plans. 

Oh one thing that made me little happy and giggly that he is so in to this song now, thanks to the long drives from the desert to Marrakech.

I'm gonna secretly make this his alarm clock on his iPhone *sneak attack*

Wa alaykumu s-salam (وعليكم السلام),

Rima

Can this year end?

Well not really... I don't want time to pass that fast... I'm trying to enjoy the Holiday season as much as possible... So far SoCal is getting pretty chilly (in the upper 50s F. Hey. That's cold for SoCal standard)... and of course I'm enjoying my Red Velvet Hot Cocoa from Coffee Bean (it's the best seasonal drink everrrrrrrr).

Anyways... I can't wait for the end of the year because homegirl will be ringing the 2014 in Cancun!!! I've never been to Cancun & so does the PillowMan. I've heard good things ("The water is amazing!) and bad things, like, "It's just flying to Miami or heading to Orange County. It's filled with AMERICANS"). But PillowMan & I are more excited for Chichen Itza & swimming in cenotes.

via

via

And also on our last night, we're gonna stay in Akumal Beach, where they have Sea Turtles! Oh my. TURTLEEEEEE. The animal lover in me is excited! I hope I can swim with one!

Even though I won't be spending Christmas with the PillowMan (he is going to be in Indonesia & Australia with his family), I'm excited to ring the New Years with him. The twist is that we're gonna meet in Cancun! I'm flying solo straight from work (with a long ass layover in San Francisco. Boo) while he flies from Asia. Crazy.

Has anyone been to Cancun? Any recommendations on places to Eat?! Nom. What are your plans for New Years?!

xoxo,

Rima

#boluinasia: Thailand

Oh dear Thailand. How I love thee. Your people are very friendly. Your culture is interesting. Your foods are ah-mazing. I will come back, one day... Oh you know I will.

Thailand is where...

I enjoyed the best Pad Thai ever... by the street.

Constant Replay

Oh hay friends. As I nurse myself back to health (damn you flu virus! I had to take 3 days off of work!), I am stuck to my phone and computer, trying to entertain myself... Of course I need some music to keep me busy. So I'm going to share you some of the songs that are on constant replay on my playlist...

What's in your playlist right now?! Please share :)

-Rima

Revisit: 12 Things

Not familiar with 12 Things? You can read about it here :)

For my last Revisit: 12 Things, click here.

2012 12 Things: here

For my Bucket List: here

As a reminder... Here are the things I want to accomplish in 2013.

1. Attend a Baking/Bread Class.
2. 30 days Work-Out trial.
3. Volunteer at an Animal Shelter
4. Watch a live soccer game
5. Try a new crafty skill
6. Attend a Bucket List Concert: Bon Jovi, U2, Coldplay (can't get enough of them!), Celine Dion, Jay-Z
7. The Color Run in Los Angeles
8. Make/Bake a Pie
9. Take more pictures with my film cameras and create an album
10. Swim with the Dolphins
11. Dare Devil: Go Bungee Jumping
12. Take a picture with Ariel, the Little Mermaid

I just realized... I skip November for 12 Things. Hahahahahhaha *evil grind*. Oh well, Life happens, eh?

As I look in to my list, I can say that I am pretty proud. I crossed out number 5!!! I indeed tried a new crafty skill... 

Lo and behold... Rima is carving her own stamps!

I had so much fun doing this, it was kinda therapeutic! I lost track of time to the point I realized I had a headache. I'm already browsing for new carving tools and some blocks to carve. 

So I did 8 out of 12. Not bad at all. I feel kinda great accomplishing more than 50% of the list. Woo hoo.

Did you accomplished anything on your list?

xoxo,

Rima

Snail Mail Collective!

Honestly I say that this link up is fun. Getting a care package from a blogger (who mostly I've never read/heard before) from a foreign country is exciting! Not only you become snail mail buddies but actually you ended up creating a new and fun friendship.

For November, I was  paired with Roxy H of CityGirl Searching. She is a South African girl who's teaching English in South Korea with her Farm Boy (yes, she names her husband Farm Boy. And I name my man PillowMan. We are instantly BFFs). Honestly I never read her blog, so of course to get to know more about her, I started following her and she is awesome. We have one particular thing in common: WE LOVE STATIONARIES!!! I'm a stationary dork. Growing up in Indonesia, I would collect papers, note books, post its, pretty pens... and don't use them. It's too pretty, you know. So Ms. Roxy here sent me some super pretty stationaries! *squeal*

AND she got me a Bunny pen and Miffy!!! I have a Miffy Shirt. Hehehe... Seriously, I don't know if I want to use any of these pretty things.

If you are interested, The Snail Mail Collective is up for sign up for December. This is the last SMC ever, so sign up! You never know who you get. They can be your new BFF :)

SMC hosted by Lost in Travels & The Nectar Collective.

xoxo,
Rima