Top 7 Facts about me

 1. I had twin sisters. Both passed away before I got to know them.

My parents never visited their graves because of Javanese/Chinese belief – you are not allowed to do so until you have grandchildren, something like that. All of my younger sisters and I were forbidden to visit our eldest sisters’ graves as well.

2. I love detective stories, but the bad guys MUST die.

Real life is already unfair, it should be fair on the fiction world. Even Poirot’s Last Curtain made me sad for days despite the ultimate pyscho died. Oh Poirot, your conscience is just so great!

3. I believe in the power of genes, ancestral memories/epigenetics, and microchimerism

Javanese said “bibit” (seed) is important. I am grateful for all the good genes I inherit. I am also aware that babies left parts of their DNA (from their father or their own DNA mixes) in me.

I am the only tomatoes eater at home…
2 kids = husband's gene of disliking tomatoes 😭

For example: my current taste bud is much more delicate started during pregnancy. Both kids dislike hot & spicy. My husband's family loves spicy food, so I'm the one who tastes the food before the kids eat it. Although I still hate the fact that both kids are exactly like husband: dislike tomatoes and cinnamon? Come on!

Second example: When my husband sits in a vehicle, he has to face forward, in the direction the vehicle is moving. Otherwise, he gets dizzy. Before my first pregnancy, sitting direction didn't matter to me. But from pregnancy to now, I've also started getting dizzy if I face backwards. All my children also exactly like their father.

Third example: Before pregnancy, I hate tidying things, especially other people's things. I just knew where I put them. When I was pregnant with my first child, I started to become a bit OCD-like. I tidied up my husband's desk, and I collected my bank tokens in a small box. If he didn't return things to their designated place, I would scold him. Even now, everything has its own place, including nail clippers, package-opening scissors, food scissors, craft scissors, stationery, frying pans, pots, baking sheets, spices, and pasta/noodles. My eldest child is also a bit neat freak, while my son is super messy. So they constantly fight about the tidiness of their shared property. 😅

4. I am very particular about toilet cleanliness. I am of Japanese standard. Be considerate to the next user. When you enter the toilet was clean, when you leave, the toilet must also stay clean.

Clean toilet is a must for me

Toilet is the ultimate quarrel in our home. I scream at husband and kids. It's all about family upbringing. I think my dad is great. He really keeps the toilets clean, even though he's the only man. There's no such thing as a toilet that smells so bad that a heavily pregnant wife has to cancel her peeing and have to scrub it first...

My husband wanted to go on a trip to China, but according to my Mandarin tutor, in 1996, the Great Wall of China reeked of urine! From my aunt, who lives in Hong Kong and frequently visits China, finding a public restroom, especially a clean one, is difficult! From my dad, who ended up going on a trip to Shanghai, he said, "China needs a guide who can read, write, and speak fluently. It was enough to go once and be disappointed. I'd rather go to Japan later! (My dad went to Japan when he was 16.)

5. I have a sensitive auditory

An unpleasant voice shouldn't cause noise pollution. Hence, my husband dares not sing whenever I'm nearby. 😈 I realize my voice isn't melodious, so I'm learning to play music that's pleasant to the ear. If you don't have a talent for singing, don't force yourself to take vocal lessons, it's useless! (This message is for Bu Gem). Developing something that isn't a talent is useless.

I hate the sound of a baby crying for too long. 🤫 But if the baby has chubby cheeks, I can still tolerate it 😬

In 2004, I was an AVR voice talent 

House rule: classical music or piano practice is still allowed, but not J-pop or K-pop or game or any “noise” category whenever I am working/reading. I prefer total silence for working, relaxing, and sleeping.

I dislike audio books, but I like “sandiwara radio” or certain dubbings whenever the voice talents are really superb, e.g. Shinchan Indonesia, kungfu movie like White Snake Legend, Judge Bao, Legend of the Condor Heroes, Thalia soap operas, The Simpsons… No way for Shinchan Singlish and Malay. I prefer watching them in mute 🤭 

6. I am quite talented in many arts things: music, dance, drawing

I can “reproduce” the songs I like on organ/electone

Cannot have long nails!

This talent comes from my dad. He never studied music formally, but he listens and reproduces the songs on a mini keyboard. Papa was my first music teacher. Dad didn't even know what notes the keys were. At 4 years old, I couldn't memorize the keystroke sequence for long songs, so Dad wrote the sequence on the mini keyboard (a white Casio) with a marker. Mom got angry, and then erased it with rubbing alcohol.

When I was 5, I was given a church hymn book with old spelling and numbered notes. Dad said he'd kept it since 1979 to give to his child who would later enjoy playing music. It was ME! By age 5, Mama learnt to play electone and she taught me how to read number notes and where the “do” position is on the keyboard.

I am blessed that my parents sent me to Yamaha Music School at age 9. A bit late, but it gave me a pretty solid foundation to match the chords and melody for any song I like to replay.

I loved drawing during kindergarten-elementary school

I love markers more than crayon

At the wedding reception, the father of my then a rival/now a good friend, recognized me as "Yunisa, the girl who is very good at drawing." My late grandmother knew I loved drawing, so she provided me with thick sketchbooks and drawing materials at every weekend sleepover. She also gave me a suitcase of markers as a souvenir from Singapore when I was 7. I still remember that I loved those suitcase markers for the whole 2nd grade. Now I never touch any drawing/painting stuff 😞 Where are my interests and my drawing talent?

I love dancing since I was a baby

My dad said, even when the baby-me was on an IV drip, I was still shaking my head to the rhythm of the songs on the radio. From ages 5-8/9, I took children's dance lessons (basically learning the choreography). In Singapore, before my marriage, I got into dancing: salsa, hip-hop, and belly dancing—and I realized I was pretty good except for pole dancing, because I couldn't climb (as a child, I was always worried about my sister would fall if she climbed a tree or pole). 😅

Recently I try to get the groove back. And the kids started dancing around aimlessly imitating me. I need to catch my breath, and the naughty boy said, “Enough, Mama, just sit down!" Seriously, why isn't he encouraging his mother?😭

7. I love arrogant but smart characters.

Dr Lee Gang Hun, Hercule Poirot, Sherlock Holmes, Hanzawa Naoki, and there are many characters whose names I forgot (the cast is just the same Japanese superstars, and Gloria remembers Japanese names better than I do). Hahaha. They're all subsistence characters. I feel I can relate with them.

An old conglomerate called me arrogant because I dared to tell him: "I'm the smart one, not (cousin's name). Just ask the teachers, Tarakanita and Stella Duce Dagen. Do you know Yunisa well?" 🤣