when I was in Jogja, aside from picking up Javanese phrases, the practice of smiling and saying greetings to strangers and other local practices, i picked up the Muslim greeting. When someone said 'assamalu-alaikum', I would reply (with a slight bending of my head, if the person was an elder),

'alaikum salam.' I would hold the hand of the other person with my own (right hand) briefly, let go and gently press it against my heart, expressing a warm greeting of welcome or thanks.

there is something about that (small) physical contact-

in Jogja it felt natural, it felt warm, it felt so real-

sometimes if it was someone you were fond of, your/the person's hand would linger in the warm grasp/hold of the person's/your hand for a while, before you let go and brought your hand to touch your heart, while your eyes met and you smiled but no words were said. Or if it was someone of your age, or younger, you would playfully knead the other person's hand, and cheekily say the greeting. If it was an elder, who was dear to you, perhaps she would have already almost grabbed you into a hug- as your cheeks brushed and mashed into her left and right cheeks and she broke into a wide smile while you shyly said 'piya kabare', or 'sugeng enjiang'.

while spacing out on the bus the other day,

i saw a middle-aged woman in a Muslim greeting with another woman-

nostalgia it was.

i miss it, i really do.

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太过善解人意的人，

怎么能够跟不怎么善解人意的人在一起？

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Finally. Friday.

there's nothing that fantastic about you, huh?

you're only you, because you're before Saturday (and I don't need to say it, we all know Saturday is awesome), and that's your defining characteristic, like how Death is just the lack of Life, nothing else.

Still I'm thankful.

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有时做人真的很不容易。

认真，会被人说成‘不懂得放松’

开个玩笑，又会莫名其妙惹别人生气-

(我)放弃。

(还不如)做个机器人算了。

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some people remind me of excited puppies-

it scares me a little because they're adorable, but i don't know what to do with them;

and I don't ever want to become like that,

not ever.

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寂寞？

你懂什么？

我不懂- 你的寂寞，我当然不懂。

我也从来不觉得我懂。

因为自己的寂寞，

(要是)自己收着，

(当然)没人懂。

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so mainstream i should be ashamed that i like it, but i'm not.

because it's Kylie.

(i should be so lucky, lucky lucky lucky)