#blessed

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year I am grateful to be blessed by God and to be alive and well (!!!) and of course for my family, friends, Chimmy, my PillowMan, for a job, a roof under my head, my bed, a stocked kitchen, the ability to travel and enjoy what the World has out there... Just the opportunity to live.

We did our annual Thanksgiving Luncheon at a local hotel and of course it was good. It was great to spend time with my extended family.

And this was not all of them. One day we have to have ALL of them!

Be grateful. Be blessed.

Rima

Happy Birthday, Pa!

My dad turned 57 yesterday. He kept on bugging me on wanting my iPad, so I did gave him my iPad. In return, I got myself an iPad mini. It's his birthday, I got myself a present (just an excuse to get me a Mini).

Being to good daughter I am *cough*, I treated my family out for dinner (yes, Chimmy included) for my Dad's birthday. We headed out to Lazy Dog Cafe. Thank goodness we have a pet friendly restaurant in Rancho Cucamonga. Chimmy was crazy at first when he saw a German Shepard and a Goldie, so he had to sit down my mum's lap the whole time. Hah.

Well, I hope God continues to bless this little Pops of mine. I love his courage and hard working ethics. He never gives up. He does not believe in giving up. Also he has a big faith in God. That's what I admire him the most about. He puts everything up to God. He's the man.

moonbeams,
Rima

Happy Father's Day

I'm glad here in America, we honor our fathers. From what I know, in Indonesia we don't. Weird. Father's are the one that determines our sex, you know (XY or XX, people?).

My father is a hard working man. I admire him in and out. He's a true entrepreneur in my eyes (he tried so many businesses, both failed and success) and I believe he won't stop working until he reaches is goals.

I have one of those relationships with my dad that we can be quiet when we are together (like in the car or in the kitchen, which he shares his office space at home), not even talking, but we understand each other by just looking at each other. Telepathic? Maybe. I express my love to him in a weird way: pinching his cheeks, hitting his belly and farting on him. Why? He does the same thing. Think Bam Margera to Phil Margera

Ok not that crazy.

In honor of Papa's Day (that's what I call him), I'm going down memory lane and parade some pictures of my father.

Bringing sexy back in Kuta, Bali

Sneak Attack after pooping

We were both skinny back then. Me going thru an awkward phase. My dad understands me. Tanah Lot, Bali

We were visiting my father's secret child at the Monkey Temple, Ubud, Bali. jk.

Prambanan Temple, Central Java.

Who goes out and pose in his bath towel? My dad. Bandung circa 1974

Apparently, he's been working on his fierce pose since 1974

Both my parents don't match outfits. They match their hairdos.  Including my mom's sister.

Planning an attack against my brother. Lake Toba, North Sumatra.

This is his farting pose/attack when I'm around. 

Little me and my family (feat. Sexy Cousin)

I love this picture of them.

Gotta wait for that day, Dad.

xo,

Rima

We're all in this together...

Que the song...

Sorry Not Sorry for making you reminisce to High School Musical.

Mother, Father & I made pact. Well it's more to support my Father, while taking a benefit on the pact for both Mother & I.

We're Slim-Fasting. Yup, you read it right. SLIM FAST.

And we are determined. Not only that, we're eating healthy too (ok we're only eating a full meal once a day, mkay). We Asian so we eat rice... And we switched to Brown Rice (my fav!)... We're incorporating more lean protein and vegetables and fruits. Something I've been lacking off, tee hee.

I must say I've been doing okay. I do get super hungry around 9 AM if I don't snack between my first shake and lunch.

Mine you, I'm on day 2. Complain much, eh?

BUT, my willpower is getting better. This past 2 days, my office is filled with: Blueberry Muffins (zomg) with a bar of butter (zomggg), Pound Cakes (zoommggg), Bagels & Cream Cheese (zzommgg), and 2 free jugs of those Pike Place Coffee from Starbucks with creamer (ZOMG).

So what do I do when we have our "3-o-clock Coffee Break"? I nibble on my nuts. I just sniff really hard on the muffins and stuff my face with nuts. And play Candy Crush.

Now I need to walk more often.

They say losing weight is effective and more fun if you're doing it together. So here it goes to my Father and Bali/Thai Vacation Body.

moonbeams,
Rima

So National Siblings Day is Not Today...

Sibling Disneyland Trip

But instead it's on April 10th. Instagram is going on a roll with hashtag nationalsiblingsday.

BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN I CAN'T TALK ABOUT MY BROTHER, RIGHT?

I have one brother, who's younger by 3 years & 8 months, name Austin.

Toba Lake, Sumatra, Indonesia, circa 1988

Aww look at cranky pants. He was one of the favorites in the Maternal Family because: One, look at those chubby cheeks. Two, he's very talented, musically (he got the musical talent from Maternal G-Ma. Give him a song, he'll listen to it once or twice, and BAM, he can play that sucker on the piano. He self thought himself the guitar, bass, & harmonica, and some other shit). Three, he's pretty funny since diaperhood. My G-Ma always tells funny stories of him when he was around 2-3 and when he gets mad, he'll go to my G-Pa's underwear drawer and get all of the underwear out, put it around his neck and stomp around the house, protesting. Then when he's done, he'll go back to the room and fold everything back and store it to its drawer. Legendary I tell you. Story never gets old. Four, he's smart. He self thought himself to read at the age of 3 by watching Sesame Street and his flippin thru his favorite book at the time, the Yellow Pages. Yes, the phone book Yellow Pages. Let the Fingers do the walking. 

Fall Time, Circa 1989?

Bro & I, as we grew up together (and we still live under the same roof for the past 25 years), like your typical siblings, had our ups and downs. We get along, we don't get along. Pinching and slapping were common back in the growing ages. As we grew older, we still get along and maintain a pretty decent siblingship. 

this was prolly my 8th bday. Not sure. 

probably circa 1992

circa 1994

Honestly, we're not like those bro&sis that can just bond and talk for hours with each other, we're more like the independent siblings. We don't talk that much, and we bond more over music and food. We hardly hang out with each other because we're both busy (me with work and him part time working and finishing his masters). We probably only see each other everyday for a split seconds, just saying Hey. Yup. No bonding. No hugging. Just simple Hey. 

Odd? Maybe... But that's how we both are. We're close but not that close. We grew up in a family that rarely says I Love Yous and not big on the touchy-feely department, so it's normal for us to just to say hey and go to our own separate ways.

Despite our weird cold brought up, for sure we both got each others back no matter what. I remember when I broke up with the Jerk Boyfriend, I was bawling in distress, Bro came up to me and just was there, giving me a hug. Sometimes I'll buy some random new food and give the whole thing to him so we can both critique about it. 

Or once in a while we would pull pranks on each other. He'll do a snoopin from the corner of my room with the door slightly open until I realized that someone's staring at me. Or come in to my room quickly and farts -__-

bali, circa 1995?

Despite our lack of sibling affection, I knew deep down we love each other. We just don't really show it. We show it in a different way. Hard to explain, but it's there. I really want to do more Sibling Bonding time but it's difficult with me working full time and him being in school. Plus we both have our own lives and loved ones that we accommodate more than between the two of us.

Austin's Elementary Graduation, circa 98-99

my 25th bday

Taking him to Disneyland for his first time in 15 years

Yes, sometimes I envy those people who are close with their sisters or brothers (like my mother), yet I can't complain. I love my brother in a weird quirky way and I know he does love me too in a weird quirky way. We're a weird and quirky brother & sister.

Things we both love: Music, Manchester United, Target, Ross, Goodwill, LA Lakers, Friends and Food. 

There's no other love like the love for a brother.  There's no other love like the love from a brother.  ~Terri Guillemets

Bro if you read this, you're awesome. I know we rarely talk despite our rooms are next door and we share the same connecting bathroom, but deep down we're both here for each other. I really hope one day you will start your own food truck because i want to contribute by being your #1 customer and eat all of the food. I hope you'll find that right woman. And for sure we need to do more Sibling Bonding Time. We're not getting younger and time is flying fast. I love you Man.