Mirror Image

Our obsession with self-portraits began with one of our trips to St. Louis -- when the original Champaign Beyatch members were still intact: Ange-Paksi-Yudis. When coming across an airbrush artist at the mall we were at, Yudis had this bizarre idea about getting his caricature done. He said he’s had a few of them done, so he wants to add another to his collection. So while he got his picture made, Paksi and I went our separate ways, wandering through the stores in that nearly vacant Missouri mall. I don’t know what it was with that place, the stores were open, but they were boring, and not so many people were around, so there was an empty feeling to the place. But anyway, that’s not the point of my story.

The point is, once Yudis got his caricature done, I was tempted to get one of my own. And after I had mine done, so did Paksi. So that night, we each went home with a picture of ourselves. Comparing how similar each picture was to our own features, we concluded that mine looked the least bit like me.

you be the judge. does this look like me?


Days went by. Then came the day we strolled around Navy Pier in Chicago. It was around the time Yudis was getting ready to go back home. Paksi and I had been talking about getting a sketch of the three of us together. For some reason, Yudis didn’t seem overly excited about the idea. Maybe our bond meant the least for him. But again, that’s beyond the point. We saw some artists at Navy Pier, but as we were in a rush to meet friends for dinner, we never got that trio picture done.

Months later, came our trip to New York, and our walk in Battery Park. I remembered a long time ago, in grade school, when Mom, Dad, me, and Luq took a day-trip to the Statue of Liberty. That afternoon, we had someone draw a picture of us. I distinctly remember, I was in a blue shirt and Luq in a pink one (obviously). With that memory clinging, I was determined to do another drawing that day. There were many types of drawings available: portraits, caricatures, and even manga (Japanese cartoons). I was distraught, and asked the others (Paksi & Ardi) what kind of sketch to have made. Paksi said he might do a portrait, so I settled on doing the same. Clever enough, he told me to go first. Ardi did a manga. Having seen the early sketches of my portrait (one that I could not yet see), Paksi changed his mind and did a manga instead.

So, when the portrait was done and it LOOKED NOTHING LIKE ME!!! Huahaha…. That serves me right for having such high expectations for what seemed to be a really cheap price. Paksi & Ardi’s manga turned out better (although it didn’t really look like them either but as a cartoon, you can always get away with that). My portrait on the other hand, looked like no one I’ve ever met. It looked like a sad, pathetic, tired person who didn’t have a future. Do I really look and act like that? Well I was tired after the trip to Liberty & Ellis Island, but I was hoping the Chinese opa-opa who did my picture could’ve done a little bit better.

Paksi, with rosy chubby cheeks
Ciyeeeh Ardi, looks like Anthony who would sweep Candy-Candy's heart away...haha!


Well, I was so disappointed in the portrait that I left them at Paksi’s apartment. The other day Etta & Lia came by to Paksi’s for Easter dinner. They saw the picture and wondered who in the world the person in the picture was. Naturally they assumed it was Kak Beby (who they have never seen before). Wuaaahahhahaha, that totally cracked me up!!!

So I guess, now it’s your turn….you tell me! Who is the person in the picture?

Huaaaaah!!! Miring pula gambarnya...!!