Greg and Friends

Lawrence and his family came to visit during the Independence Day (Indonesia) weekend and we had a wonderful time in Bandung and Jakarta. Megan is getting prettier and she's so articulate. Greg had been greatly inspired by Justin (Megan's older brother) and her antics that he started babbling more words than usual now.

I was left with a bout of "Stomach Flu" (doctors claim no such term medically) after they left. Probably was unclean roadside food on the way to Bandung. Stubbornly, I did "self-treatment", got worse, and had to see a doc last weekend.

However, with ill health, I had lost 2kg in the last week, which trimmed my tummy and now puts me ahead of schedule to achieve 6 packs before Christmas 2009.

Greg's "frenemy" Jennifer loves to fight with him. Though 3 months younger, she is heavier and bigger than Greg. It's lovely to watch them play and fight at the same time.

Gregory speaks up

I am upset. Because I was called "evasive" in the previous blog. Hence, I am writing to refute those accusations that I am "somewhat arrogant" and dismiss claims that I don't care about you, my fans.

Please understand that I have a busy schedule with many functions and events to attend. Short of autographing (I can't write yet), I have to be hugged, praised and kissed. Basically, to look good, so as not to disappoint you, my fans out there.

That is why I spend much time in the gym, perfecting my poise.

Let me just share with you how much time that takes, and how hardwork that is.

First, I have to measure my height and weight. Without tracking, how would we know of our progress?

Too many machines, I'm lost at which one to use.

Usually, I'll begin with the treadmill.

Then some light weights.



Reverse bench press.



And finally some Yoga.

But why is it that despite all these trainings, I still cannot get my finger out of the tumbler.

Declaration of Short Term Goal

My blogger friend persuaded me to blog today.

But without an inspiration, it is difficult. My sis and friends suggested that I feature more of Greg and his photos (he's more popular than me since his guest blogging debut). Unfortunately, it is hard to capture his photos because he is evasive and seldom grants an interview.

"Buddy" Eric mentioned 3 weeks ago during golf that he is a very fortunate person. Because he has achieved most of what he set out to achieve, such as traveling round the world etc. And he decided that we should set out to play par at golf once in our lifetime as our "worldly target". I dismissed that. One needs to turn "near-pro" to achieve that and I don't have the time.

At that Korean BBQ gathering with the gang of sixteen, there was the elder Lukito. She lost much weight (positively).

Then, people say that if we openly declare our goals, we are more likely to stick to it and friends will "pressure" you to achieve it.

With these three thoughts in mind, I am declaring my goal to achieve prominent six packs by Christmas 2009.

I am currently 61.5kg, waist 31inches, no packs in sight and spare handles at side of approximately 5cm thick (if i had calipers to measure). However, I had started going to the gym with Greg since two weeks ago. I have also not been eating out for lunch for half a year, by depending on wife's home-cooked food that is sent to me at noon daily.

To achieve this target, I simply have to carry on what I am doing now, except, to extremes. Gym 4 times a week, heavy weights, long running, low fat diet, no sugar and then more running again. I will then declare my weight every month end. If the target is achieved, you, the reader, will have the fortune to catch those six packs on this blog. Worst case, I'll borrow Brad Pitt's photo and crop his face.

Here are some pictures of my home-cooked lunches in the past two weeks.

Like that also can finish one blog...!?

Telling Signs

Over time, I have noticed that I am becoming more and more "Indonesian". Hence, I have devised these telling signs that one is turning Indonesian.

Say, your name is Ang Ah Kow, John. (Family Name is Ang)

Sign 1: People call you "Mr John" instead of "Mr Ang" and you no longer feels irritated.

Sign 2: People read your name card and call you "Mr Ang Ah" and you no longer feel irritated.

Sign 3: When you go back to home country, and calls the waiter "Mas" when you want to order food.

Sign 4: When back in your home country, you convert your currency to Rupiah so as to evaluate the cost of an item.

The Mystery

Did he, or did he not do it?

The evidence pointed to it.

There were stains on the chair, all over his clothing and on his fingers.

The timing was right. He was caught 10 minutes into the act.

So did Greg, eat or not eat, his own shit?



"Heeheeheee....you don't know right?"

Guest Blogger

I had asked my most experience blogger friend iamandy on how to improve my blog. I had recognized that I am poor with aesthetics and I had no direction for my blog. In fact, I was thinking of moving it towards hitching singles (since I have so many single friends that could be featured) or about where to party in Jakarta. Then while talking to her, I was suddenly inspired to blog as my son through his infantile perspective. That should be original, and I'll call my blog mylaupei.blogspot or something. Until, she informed that her friend is blogging as her dog!


iamandy further informs that I should stick to my strength of "logic". Point taken. I, too begin to suspect that it'll be a bit too "oily" to read too much blog from an infantile perspective, though it might had seem fun initally.


She suggested a good idea - viceindulgence.blogspot since I am and had been part of this trade for a while. Problem is, I don't indulge in vices. I simply encourage others to. And that's like work. I'm not about to blog about work. Someone will have to pay me more to do that.


Anyway, to fulfil that desire of blogging through someone else's eyes, I'll ask Greg to blog as guest blogger for today's column. This is how he might have made this whole blog look like if we were to rewind all the previous posts:

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14th June, Opening : Hi, I am Gregory. This is me when I was 5 min old. Everything looked bright and suspicious to me. I have nothing more to add as I'm so young.


16th June, Jakarta on Fire : Two loud noises few suckles apart woke me up. "Mamamamamama....."


20th June, Long Weekend :
Papa came home smelly. Where did he go and why did he not bring me?
The next day, we met Aunty Li and Ang. At the big house, there is an uncle on stage calling numbers to the paintings? I like paintings. But these paintings are ugly. No flowers. At night, mama baked cookies. Cookies smell good. But papa don't let me eat. Never mind, I will eat tissue paper.


26th June, An Inspiring Weekend :
Market has fish. Fish is smelly. Why am I not allowed to walk in the market?
We went to church. Why do everyone keep saying "Amen" in Church? Hey, isn't that "Zeeezers"? I know him. He lives in my house too. After church, we went to a place with many people eating on a hot stove. What is this place? Food smells strange. Hot. Must run around.
Next day, Papa made me run around the studio chasing balls bigger than myself and that makes me sleeeppyyyy.....
Had a nap, woke up to smell cookies but why can I not eat them? "Mamamamaamamamamama...."

Argghh..Why does papa not bring me down from the table but must take a picture first?

Shit...my head is stuck...

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I am now better convinced that blogging as Greg might not work. She is indeed an expert with foresight.

An Inspiring Weekend

This was meant to be another routine weekend.

But while staring at the "going to rain" skyline outside the apartment window, a spark in my mind decided to call it "inspiring" instead. Because, suddenly, I know what I could feature in this blog.

Life of a Sin Ka Po Family in Jakarta.

Doesn't that sound more interesting than just a blog with no directions?

Indeed, it was pretty routine weekend. Packed some work home (for reading) and then grocery on Sat morning at the huge fresh market by the sea, followed by church at noon and dinner with the "gang" in an authentic korean restaurant in the evening.

There were 16 of us! The Wids, Widoyos, Lukitos, Tanuwids, Ah Li, Ah Ang, Christina and Andrew, us. Greg proved to be a really disobedient baby running around the premises (while other toddlers his age were so much well behaved). Fun, good food, but too bad, we didn't have any programs after the early dinner.

Sun was cooking and baking day. Greg was especially playful today and was caught in numerous potentially "mind-boggling positions to him". For instance, hanging on the table when he slipped off the chair and head caught between the windows and playpen.

We tried baking again today. We had the cookies split into 5 batches, with batch 1 as control and the rest of batches with changes in ingredients, such as addition of more corn flour, vegetable oils, caramel and so on.

Unfortunately, this week's was much worse than our maiden try and we ended up with less cookies despite so many more batches baked. Chief learnings are temperatures were too high, vegetable oils and egg makes the texture different. Fortunately, the bread were successful and delicious.

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So, doesn't it seem more interesting now, to have insights on what a Sin Ka Po Lang family does in Jakarta, then just what we do on a routine weekend?

Poor Greg with his head stuck between the playpen and the window.