Happy New Year for all of you!

I'm currently enjoying the coolness (not coldness) of typical winter in The Netherlands, and also busy with my other web/blog: www.timonandvalentina.com. It's for my wedding :) so you should check it out! So, yeah I will be out the svya-says radar for a while.

Worry not, more travel and life stories will be back to entertain you soon.

An apartment is open for rent in Amsterdam!

Location: Ceintuurbaan 85, 1072 Oud-Zuid, The Netherlands

See it on Google Map here.

About the apartment:
- Located on the second floor.
- Total area: 75 m2 of living area and 40 m2 of roof terrace :)
- Living area: living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, toilet, and laundry room.
- Fully furnished!
- In front of tram halte "Ceintuurbaan/Ferdinand Bolstraat" which passed by tramline 3 (Zoutkeetsgracht - Muiderpoort  Station), tramline 12 (Station Sloterdijk - Amstel Station), and tramline 25 (Amsterdam Centraal Station - Pres. Kennedylaan)
- Three minutes walk to the famous Albertcuyp Market in Amsterdam, as well as the tram halte "Albert Cuypstraat" which is passed by tramline 16 (Amsterdam Centraal Station - VU medisch centrum), tramline 24 (Amsterdam Centraal Station - VU medisch centrum), etc.
- One minute walk to the almost done new metro station for the Noord-Zuid line.
- Just go downstairs if you need some cash, because it is located on top of ABN Amro bank.
- Within the area of De Pijp with cafes, restaurants, shops, doctor and Sarphati town park.
- Two minutes walk from computer and gadget shops (Mycom, Dynabyte, Paradigit) in case you want to buy something or you got a problem with your devices.
- Also three minutes walk to the nearest Albertheijn supermarket, local bakery, and local wine shop in Cornelistrostplein.

Price: 1,600 Euro/month. 
Internet, gas, water and electricity bills are excluded.
Preferably yearly contract, with 3 months notice period.

Living Room
- The living room is a joined space with the dining area.
- Next to the window, over looking the tram halte (make sure that you're not late for the tram) and the junction of Ceintuurbaan and FrederikBoolstraat.
- Basic amenities such as sofa, flatscreen TV, decorative lamps and adjustable light for warmer atmosphere are available.

Dining Room
- The dining area is completed with lovely wooden dining table and 4 exquisite leather seats.
- Lighten up with a small Asian wooden art and decorative lamp, with a gorgeous city portrait on the background.

Kitchen
- The kitchen is small and compact.
- Aside from the kitchen set, it is already equipped with coffeemaker, toaster, oven, and of course the dishwasher to help you do the dirty work.
- Some glasses, plates, bowls, and pans are also available for your use.
- A fridge is also available.

Bedroom
- The bedsize is 2.5 x 2 m, consist of 2 adjustable single bed with a touch of a remote.
- The wardrobe is spacious, enough room for your suits and your dresses. Another small closet is also available.
- A cloak hanger and suit and shirt hanger are also available for your usage.
- There's a flat screen TV mounted on the wall for your own entertainment.

Bathroom
- The bathroom has a shower and bathtub that also functions as a small jacuzzi.
- The sink is long enough for two, if you're feeling romantic in the evening and wants to brush your teeth together with your partner.
- There's a drawer located on the bottom of the sink.
- Water heater is located hidden in the bathroom.

Toilet
The toilet is separated from the bathroom.

Laundry Room
The laundry room is only a small room. There's the washing machine as well as the dryer for your usage.

Terrace
- Total terrace area: 40m2
- Perfect for gathering, especially during the summer.
- Completed with terrace table, chairs, soft padding for the chairs and umbrella... if it's too sunny ;)

For more information: valentinaws(at)gmail(dot)com

"CET ÉTÉ VEUX-TU ÊTRE SIRÈNE OU BALEINE?"

Anyone knows what that means?
It's a small sentence with big impact - happened in 2009.
Something that went down like this...

-----

Recently, in a large French city, a poster featuring a young, thin and tan woman appeared in the window of a gym. It said:

"THIS SUMMER DO YOU WANT TO BE A MERMAID OR A WHALE?"

A middle aged woman, whose physical characteristics did not match those of the woman on the poster, responded publicly to the question posed by the gym.

To Whom It May Concern,

Whales are always surrounded by friends (dolphins, sea lions, curious humans).

They have an active sex life, they get pregnant and have adorable baby whales. They have a wonderful time with dolphins, stuffing themselves with shrimp. They play and swim in the seas, seeing wonderful places like Patagonia, the Bering Sea and the coral reefs of Polynesia.

Whales are wonderful singers and have even recorded CDs. They are incredible creatures and virtually have no predators other than humans. They are loved, protected and admired by almost everyone in the world.

Mermaids don't exist.

If they did exist, they would be lining up outside the offices of Argentinean psychoanalysts due to identity crisis. Fish or human?

They don't have a sex life because they kill men who get close to them, not to mention how could they have sex? Therefore they do not have kids either.

Not to mention who wants to get close to a girl whose skin is all scaly and smells like a fish store?

The choice is perfectly clear to me... I want to be a whale.

P.S. We are in an age when media puts into our heads the idea that only skinny people are beautiful, but I prefer to enjoy a treat with my kids, a good dinner with a man who makes me shiver and a have a latte with my friends.

With time, we gain weight because we accumulate so much information and wisdom in our heads that when there is no more room, it distributes out to the rest of our bodies. So we aren't heavy, we are enormously cultured, educated and happy.

Beginning today, when I look at my butt in the mirror I will think, "Good gosh, look how smart I am"!

-----

Personally, set aside this wonderful letter, I don't agree on being a mermaid OR being a whale.
It's just too... EXAGGERATING! and WHY on earth do we need to choose? Should we became a victim of whatever industry?

Mermaids are pretty and mesmerizing creatures, but they just don't exist. I don't want to spend my existence in this world just to be a myth!

Whale are beautiful in their own way too. But the size of a whale has been made as jokes for years..
Remember this one?
How do you turn a woman into a whale? ... You marry her!
HA! Not funny!

Unfortunately, women are stuck in a world where SIZE is a ongoing commodity.BIG in one country can be considered small in another country - all depends on where you live on the globe. From general aesthetic point of view that is shaped in our current culture, a woman should have just the right proportion and curves. Not too thin, and not too fat.

Let's be grateful that the fashion industry is banning those super-skinny models from international catwalk and appreciating more of healthy/fit up till plus-size models with real curves. Health departments (esp. from big countries) are also very concern about those who are obese - all thanks to the fast food industry and consumerism. Both brings such disturbing images - never a good example for our younger generations.

Nevertheless... how thin or fat you may be, be happy and healthy.
So.. Girls, are you happy with you CURVES? ;)

Do you know Bebel Gilberto?
Maybe not.

But you probably know her songs, Samba da Benção and Tanto Tempo, both featured in the intriguingly intimate "Closer" and world's exploration of "Eat, Pray, and Love" (and some other movies and TV-series). Also one of her most popular song in English, So Nice.

Bebel Gilberto is a darling Brazilian singer, popular in the world of Bossa nova. She got that beautiful unique voice, lovely flowing hair, and combined with the sexy tongue of Portuguese language (yes, i do find it sexy) - you'll get the picture :) Check on her twitter @bebelgilberto and her FB page to know more..

Image taken from geeksbible.

I am lucky enough to see her in person during her Intimate, Ultimate concert at Social House Jakarta a while ago. I even got myself free tickets for i won a contest on Ismaya's web. Lovely present indeed for my birthday :)

Such a soothing sound of her... Every time I heard Samba da Benção I magically transferred into a white sandy beach, sea breeze caressing my skin - a moment of tranquility in the buzzing reality. My eyes will be closed and i shall fly for a second.
Her voice is a remedy...

Dare to try?



E melhor ser alegre que ser triste/Alegria e a melhor coisa que existe
E assim como a luz no coracao
Mas pra fazer um samba com beleza/E preciso um bocado de tristeza
Senao nao se faz um samba nao


Fazer samba nao e contar piada/E quem faz samba assim nao e de nada
O bom samba e uma forma de oracao
Porque o samba e a tristeza que balanca/ E a tristeza tem sempre uma esperanca
De um dia nao ser mais triste nao


Poe um pouco de amor numa cadencia/ E vai ver que ninguem no mundo vence
A beleza que tem um samba nao
Porque o samba nasceu la na Bahia/ E se hoje ele e branco na poesia
Ele e negro demais no coracao

Who speaks Portuguese and want to teach me for free? ;)

Update: Rumah ini telah berhasil dikontrakkan. Terima kasih :)

---
Anda masih bujangan alias single? ... atau baru saja berkeluarga?

Butuh rumah tinggal? Nih, silahkan dilihat..
rumah dikontrakkan tanpa perantara :)

Lokasi rumah:
Jl. Haji Salihun No. 101
RT 03 RW 10
Kebon Jeruk
Jakarta Barat

Peta lokasi rumah. 
Akses mudah ke Jalan Panjang dan Kemanggisan. 
Dekat kampus Bina Nusantara.

- Bangunan baru direnovasi, jadi 100% siap ditinggali
- Luas bangunan sekitar 5x14 M2
- 2 lantai: 3 kamar tidur + 2 kamar mandi di bawah dan 1 kamar tidur di atas
- 1 ruang tamu
- 1 ruang keluarga
- 1 dapur
- Mesin air jetpump (air sumur)
- Listrik 1300 watt
- Halaman depan cukup untuk motor
- Akses jalan di depan rumah cukup untuk 1 unit mobil
- dan yang paling penting.. BEBAS BANJIR!

Biaya sewa: 17.000.000/tahun 
(PAS - tanpa nego)
Minimal kontrak 1 tahun.

Silahkan hubungi
(021) 5300153 - 08158070527 - 085287908333
Untuk info lebih lanjut silahkan langsung telp/sms saja.

Supaya lebih yakin, silahkan lihat foto Tour de Rumah Biru kecil-kecilan berikut ini.
Foto-fotonya ala kadarnya, harap maklum kalau gambarnya terlihat agak gelap.

Tampak depan rumah mungil biru yang cantik :)

Pekarangan depan yang cukup luas..

Pintu masuk yang mentereng! Ngaca dulu juga boleh loh!

Silahkan masuk.. Tinggal dikasih sofa imut dan voila! jadilah ruang tamu yang manis.

Kamar tidur pertama..

Kamar tidur kedua..

... dan kamar tidur ketiga di lantai bawah!

ruang tengah alias ruang keluarga alias tempat ngumpul!
*eh ada penampakan si bapak tukang bangunan*

selasar menuju ke kamar mandi, dapur, dan kamar tidur lainnya...

dapur yang masih.. *ehem* agak berantakan hehe..

kamar mandi + toilet kecil di lantai bawah :)

...dan kamar mandi + toilet yang kedua. Yang ini tanpa bak mandi.

pas di sebelah dapur, ada tangga menuju ke lantai atas..

...mari naik bersama :)

penasaran dengan lantai atas?

bagian yang di semen itu bukan kotor. melainkan tempat khusus untuk mencuci + menjemur pakaian.
kalau bahasa kerennya "laundry area"

sedangkan benda orange besar itu adalah tempat penampungan air :)

ohya! masih ada 1 kamar tidur lagi di lantai atas..

ada ventilasi dan cahaya yang cukup untuk kawasan "laundry" :)

... dan kalau mau naik ke genteng... kira-kira beginilah pemandangannya.

Demikianlah Tour de Rumah Biru! Semoga berkenan untuk menyewa.
Cocok kan buat yang baru berkeluarga!? Buat yang masih bekerja juga mantaaabh!
Mohon bantuan teman-teman untuk share ke teman/keluarga/kerabat yang sedang mencari rumah tinggal.

Bagi para kaskusers, mohon bantuannya buat nyundul ya!
Di sini nih...  Rumah Biru mejeng di Kaskus!

Thank you for visiting my own little property.. ;)