A place where I can live, breathe, talk and see

I couldn't help it.

Christmas made me happy.

Happy with the unexpected long holidays. Happy with the extra money :D Happy with the blockbuster movies played on tv. Happy with the laughter and happiness displayed on tv. Happy with the outrageous Christmas decorations all over the country. Happy with with the discounts. Happy with the joyful Christmas songs blaring in the radios..

So many little things made me happy during this time of year. I was literally brainwashed into happiness! But I don't mind. Because these good feelings are contagious, I tell you. :-) And I'm happy to infect everybody else with this happiness. :D

Merry Christmas everyone!

Most of my friends knows that I'm a sucker for romance stories, and a bigger sucker for happy endings. Therefore, Harlequin is the best source for the combination.

And there's one time, when I really gets so excited by reading these novels, and I honestly CANNOT stop reading! My "best" record is to read 10 novels within 2 weeks. So I feel a bit worried about my well-being, and posted a question on Yahoo! Answers.

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Does reading too much romance novels can be bad for your mental health?
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And here's the best answer :

if you keep a good sense of balance between reality and fantasy, you don't have to worry about your mental health. Romance novels can get your expectations very high when it comes to REAL relationships, and at the end all you'll end up with is mere disappointment.

It's like this thing with a friend of mine, she is a HUGE romance novel junkie. Her latest obsession was the twilight series. the novels have gotten her head way up in the sky. She's got freakishly high expectations from guys she dates. her relationships never last for 2 weeks. She's always dumping guys because they don't measure up to her standards and expectations. the last guy she dumped didn't "have enough Edward in him" (edward is this illogically romantic/great looking vampire from Twilight)

The reality is, what happens in the books stays in the books. Keep urself grounded and u'll be just fine.

Ah, good to know that. :)

And here are some other interesting answers :

Missy-E :
after reading twilight i expected the guy who liked me to be as beautiful confronting and mind blowing !!! but i was so sad when i realized he wasn't.

then i was reading lovely bones (where a girl my age dies) and now i am petrified o dieing. i even wrote out a thin to say what song i wanted at my funeral and stuff.

lol. books mess with your mind. they can either make you very happy or very sad
but they are inspiration ...

veronica_marvellous :
I doubt it, but it certainly doesn't seem to do much for your grammar. LOL! :D * blush * what can I say? :D

Chthonian :
I don't think it hasn't any impact, whatsoever, on your mental health. At the MOST, all I've noticed is women who read romance books have higher standards. But I think it's good that women expect a man to sweep them off their feet, it makes them hold out for Mr. Right.

P.S. Trust me Hun, you're not the only one with that guilty pleasure.

So here is my list of the things that made me happy. Actually this list should went further down, but I limit it to the things that made me INSTANTLY happy. :D

1. The tinkling sound of children laughter
2. A cub (puppy, kitten, hamster, bunnies; anything!)
3. A dark rainy morning on my day off, so I'd have more reason to go back to sleep
4. Start reading a new book
5. Cold wind blowing on a warm day, and I just gaze at the trees and the skies, dangling my feet :)
6. The sight of trees
7. Smell of rain
8. The smell of my husband; his embraces and his loving words
9. View of the horizon, when the ocean met the sky :)
10. An unexpected sincere helping hands when I really need it
11. The smell of the ocean

Sometimes i wonder why we're so busy w/ the fake capitalistic beauties surrounds us, busy earning money to get more unnecessary pleasures and beauties, while we can get all the best things in life for free? Like the magnificent skies, the moon and the stars .. And a warm and joyful heart cause by the sight of a baby's smile, a dear friend's joke, or the warm hug of our loved ones.

It's been almost 6 months since I've been living here. And I kinda liked it here. I may not have my family and boyfriend w/ me, but I always talked to him via messenger, and he come to visit me and I called him often. As for my family, they also visit me.. As for friends, I make new friends, meet new people, and always in touch w/ my friends through messenger also. In short, I'm happy enough w/ this arrangement.

And here, now, I feel like I'm changing. Turning into a better person, hopefully.

I feel like, I've become more sensitive to life's beauties. I've become more in touch w/ my inner self, more contemplative, mentally nourished and fulfilled.

I do still have my own problem at work, but who doesn't? There's no such thing as the perfect life, but its up to you to make it perfect for you.

In here, I don't feel so clueless and marginalized as in Jakarta. In here I learn a lot. I read, I listen to classical music, I went to museums, I watch art performances, and with all those I relaxed, and feel nourished.

In Jakarta I don't have an easy access to all those. My life rotates around work, going to the mall, and I have very limited access to information, and going places will be hell, or expensive, or both.

In short, like a plant, this city is like a well treated and fertilized soil which will allows me to grew big and bloom w/ lots of beautiful flowers and delicious fruits and lush leaves.

And I want to live here.

Money, that is. The very thing that makes the world go round. I hate how we're becoming so dependant to it; and how we've given up our morals, our personal pleasure, our dreams and hope for happiness, just in pursue of money. And I hate how even I, are thinking that I'll be very happy if I can get certain amount of money. A part of me are damn well know that happiness comes from within, not outside. And money won't make me happy.

I wanted to live my life the way I want it, fulfilling my passion, doing only things that makes me happy, be with the ones I love and loves me.. But somehow money holds them back from me.. :-(