Ta Prohm: get lost in ancient time

The gateway of Ta Prohm

The famous 'Tomb Rider' background

I'm not a fan of history, but when I'm in an very ancient site, I sometimes got carried away. Like what I felt when I was in Ta Prohm (Cambodia), I felt that I got lost in ancient time. I wondered what was like way way back then. I've learned that the place was originally called Rajavihara. Ta Promh is located east of Bayon Temple. It was a monastery and university, so I image what is like sitting there and learning about life. I was a very beautiful place to be. I love how the very big trees makes the place cool in a warm sunny day. The trees going out from the ruins really gives a mysterious atmosphere. I stayed there quite long than any other temple in the Angkor Wat area. I was so beautiful that I hope one day I can come back there.

An isle in Ta Prohm, made me imaged what was like to be a student at that time!

A France painter was taking his time to draw the amazing scene

The dancer relief

The most amazing tree that grew in the ruins, so complicated yet beautiful

The tree is humongous! So fascinating =D

The day I was sick

I was planning to make a post about Halloween, but "something went terribly wrong" (quote from Ted Mosby - The Slutty Pumpkin episode hahaha…). First, my new Internet connection won't connect. It won't even work at all =( So here I am with a week with no connection. How did I get this post in my blog? Well, I have to go to the nearest Internet cafe to post it (note: in a rainy day).

Second thing, I got sick! Getting sick at work was not a good thing at all… but I got a traditional treatment: kerokan. I don’t know what language that is, but I guess it is Javaness. Kerokan is a traditional Indonesian treatment to cure sickness by using coin rubbing. I don’t really get the scientific approach, but after the coin-rubbing thing, our body gets warm, and it increased the blood flow near the skin surface. Look at the mark I go!


Well, I kinda looked like an abused victim LOL… So horrible! But I doesn’t hurt at all. I requested the most gentle rubbing because I’m not used to it. The sicker you are, the marks would be more red and just by a gentle rubbing, it will already leave a red mark. After a few hours, I’m getting better (it’s also because the soup, the medicine, and a little rest). So I guess that was my costume for this year Halloween =P

My Debut On Canvas

Finally I got a 24 hours of me time! It's a national holiday on a Wednesday, so I choose not to go home and have a me time instead. Actually I really need it after lots of things that's been going around this couple of years.

I decided that I would make a painting on canvas, something that I always wanted to do but never did. It's the 12th on my 30 Before 30 List. The first one I crossed on my list! I have bought the painting supplies and canvas months ago, but never started 'till now. I'm not familiar with painting on canvas with acrylic paint before. I'm used to watercolor painting, so this is something new.

The canvas I bought was mini-sized. Trying something new like this, I think I'll try from the small size first. I had two square-shaped canvas. My concept was making a painting of a beautiful night. I love to see stars, specially when I'm outdoors and around me was so dark. The stars would be more bright and beautiful if you look it from a very dark place. It's a wonderful feeling and I want to express that on canvas. And the owl, I love that creature! It's like, there's so much wisdom that they can see in the dark of the night. I'll call my painting "Dark Night". So here's my painting:


Painting on canvas with acrylic paint was definitely not easy (it's my first time ever!). It's so much different with watercolor painting. Actually the experience was so much fun! I love making new colors and it was so easy. I got the "feeling" of creating the color I wanted right away. It's different with watercolor paint where sometimes the color we mix doesn't turn out the way we wanted. A little note for me is: I should prepare more brush (so much more) because the brushes was not easy to wash so I need it as much as the colors I will use in my paintings. I haven't really got the right technique yet, so for this one, I have to practice more and make more paintings!