Laskar Pelangi

mimpi adalah kunci
untuk kita menaklukkan dunia
berlarilah tanpa lelah
sampai engkau meraihnya

Laskar Pelangi.
Where to begin?

The book of the same title by Andrea Hirata. The belitung boy.
I’ve mentioned the book previously.
The idea is inspiring, however, in terms of writing, some parts i lost interest.
(FYI, and I’m not the only one who say this)

Now, THE MOVIE.

by the duet Miles and Riri Riza.
SPECTACULAR! Best Movie of the Year without a doubt! It makes Ayat-Ayat Cinta like shit. *pardon my french

I’m surprised how they visualize the book into an awesome movie. Well, lets skip the added commercial scenes to spice things up. by that I meant, Tora’s.

The movie overall can really play your emotion. Hands up who cried during AAC’s dying scene? Trust me. They’re nothing compared to the ENTIRE scenes of LP. I hold my breath just to hold my eyes from crying. Weird, I know. but it works. *LOL

and the place. Belitung.
OH. MON. DIEU.
No wonder the Dutch invaded us for hundreds of years. HEY, Indonesia itu indah ya! SANGAT.
We have nature that beyond the imaginable. It’s very unfortunate that we locals don’t even see it and worst, never preserve it to be our precious treasure. pity us.

The beat-up shack they called school can look so artistic on the land of belitung. Don’t believe? See the movie. Look closely. Who would think that beat-up shack can look so graceful under the bright blue sky without any smokes of pollution around. The boys Laskar Pelangi and the teacher, chasing rainbows. With such clear sky, you’d find easy to say hi to rainbows up above. With those clean white sand, who would wanna wear shoes everyday? The nature hold you tight with its’ beauty. on the other hand, people torn it apart without loving it back. i’m off topic.

Best scenes for me were:
-) Ikal lost A-ling and the whole world feels like crumbled down (and literally, that it is – i.e. the items at the shop fell down! oh the heartbreak! *LOL)
-) the Asmat dance, and how Mahar cleverly not wear the ‘itchy necklace’ and be the head of tribe. all his eccentrics made me laugh anyway.
-) Lintang told Ikal why he went to school (this is after bu Mus took leave of absent from school and school’s out for a week). *sob sob
-) Lintang holding his sister and be the head of the family. Farewelled the school and everyone. *tears!

A quote I love from the movie, of Pak Har’s:“Jangan cepat menyerah. Hiduplah untuk memberi sebanyak-banyaknya, bukan menerima sebanyak-banyak nya”

The words where it hits.
Jangan cepat menyerah.
I’m not saying personally about me. But when you hear the words and you see those kids (as they were in their characters), you’d feel like ten of thousands of fists hitting you at the same time. nyesek bok! Those kids – mahar, ikal, and lintang – can bring out the characters so well. I’m in love with mahar with his eccentric. I’m torn for Lintang because of his fate. and I envy ikal, for being ikal (having Lintang to forever inspire him).

I take my words. I salute Andrea Hirata.
and Miles.
and Riri Riza.

for reminding us that ‘there are less unfortunates than us out there. why whinge constantly!’ =D
outweigh the good than the bad.

Be Lintang. keep the spirit alive within yourselves and to others.
Be ‘lil Mahar. eccentric don’t always mean weirdo.
Be Ikal. keep focusing on the aim, and you’ll reach it eventually.

menarilah dan terus tertawa
walau dunia tak seindah surga
bersyukurlah pada Yang kuasa
cinta kita di dunia

Nidji made the perfect ending.
it’s like mengejar matahari all over again, the hit song as the closing credit… you’d feel your emotion being muck around. the drama flashback from where it began.
– mimpi-mimpi anak SD Muhammadiyah Belitung. Anak-anak yang dengan keterbatasannya bisa mencapai mimpinya dengan termotivasi dari sang bunda guru yang tanpa lelah memberi kesempatan mereka untuk memulai. something we’ve lost since the world starts aging.

Bold is THE Blackberry

What’s the it gadget in Jakarta nowadays?

Yes.
Blackberry.

Everybody want one.
thinking it as necessity in life.

well, I used to dream on keeping it safe in my purse too.
but the dream has VANISHED!

why,
1. because everyone in JAKARTA wants it. I don’t wanna follow trend.
2. because she said I might not have a life after work hours! think of it this way, the boss CANT ask you to do much work when you’re already at home cos you can give her plenty reasons to refuse. you can’t resist with all those connecting access of blackberry, now can you?

but basically, I don’t wanna be fed by Jakartans’ gadget-minded lifestyle!

HEY YOU!
NOT ALL PEOPLE NEED BLACKBERRY, YOU HEAR!

Mediacstatic!

ONE

I feel a little bit of smooth jazz this very afternoon in cloudy Jakarta.
My iTunes switched over its poppy Indo songs to Koz. Dave that is.
Moon river is the chosen of the day.
I bring you this video, which shows the most elegant lady on showbiz and the cooling sounds of the oldie: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Moon River.

A perfect collage.

I’ve forgotten jazz for poppies since I got back Indo.
Well, not jazz in all means. Just, dave koz. =D
the man knows how to work the sax.

TWO

I’m psyched of PSYCH!
a new TV series. Well, not new. It’s starting the 3rd season already and I just happen to watched season 1 yesterday on DVD.
It’s funny. It solves crimes. It’s entertaining.
2 dudes solve crimes based on memory and attention to details. Then, take those as psychic ability. It’s not the cases, not the focus on details, not the solving crimes, but I couldn’t take my eyes off ‘em. They’re ridiculous antics ( i shud say, His ridiculous antics!) what makes the show (slightly) different than the other crime/comedy shows. We have monk with his obsessive compulsive behavior and nothing funny about CSIs, nor Dexter. So, an open slot for crime and seriously dimwitted comedy.

The dad plays important role, for the flashback and what makes Him (the psychic) who he is today. I love the black guy – the sidekick. Sidekicks always outshines the hero I always say. Now, he (Gus, the black dude) did some serious act. His comedy antics are right on proportion, unlike the psychic lead who’s too over the top most times.
Leave you a video of ‘em, apparently, trying to duet on ebony and ivory.

Don’t the white dude looks alot like Jessica Simpson’s ex? the boyband dude. whatsisname?

THREE

Mentioned Dexter before, right?
Well, another TV series. Some bloody series it is. Sick.
But once you’re on to it, you’d wanna know what will happen next.
It has its basic story, which involves dexter and his personality disorder. Meaning, he kills people but to his dictionary only bad people. However, there’s always one person who knows (or at least suspect) he’s of something else than who he portrays in society. The darker side.
That one person always made dexter’s life, a little bit, complicated. There’s one person in season 1 and theres another person in season 2.

You get to see how dexter outgame his arch enemy in every season.
That’s where you get caught up and couldn’t leave the screen.
Dexter is intoxicating. It’s disgusting on what they make him do, but you couldn’t get your eyes off ‘cos you want to know what’s next. Pretty good writer, I say.

Dexter has certain amusement to blood.

Ergo, the blood-spatter job he got at police department. It’s not scientific per se, but the crave for blood what makes him good at his job. Freakay I tell ya!

FOUR

Do you recognize this man?

Source NYTimes Theatre article.
Hint. Equus. The wizardry no longer boy wizard.
In New York he’s the stable boy.
Omigod Omigod! I wanna see
Don’t You?

I’ll post more if something else comes up.
that’s all folks!

Online personality test

How to tackle online profiling tests from the big corporates???

How strongly agree to strongly disagree decide your character in overall?

i bet they don’t.
but computerized graphs are the knight in shining armor for human resources.
i bet they are.

psycho you, siko!

hands up who’ve had a psychotest?

i’m thinking it’s slightly different from psychometric test.
Psychotest (or psikotes) is more cumbersome and waste time.

200ish questions on personality test. Shoot me.

the math is alright. not as dreadful as the psychometric type I had for banking MT test. The latter is the devil’s work, I tell ya.

BUT! the final psychotest is the most interesting one.

It’s mostly drawing.

first page, drew a person, people.
2nd page, make a picture from whatever lines printed on each of the 6 boxes.
3d page is writing about yourself, with every sentence starts with the word I.

What interesting was the drawing.

I’m terrible at drawing. seriously. I have a two year old’s skill in terms of drawing.

So, when they told me to draw a person. I drew people! Ha!
it’s not a drawing, per se. It’s more like… stick people. don’t even resemble human being. *sad

and for the 2nd page.
I didn’t really know what to draw with only a dot, or a small line, or 2 opposite lines inside a box.

Without further thinking, I drew:
1. smiley face
2. kid up on a tree, took fruits, and give ‘em to the kid on the ground. And title this: Sharing.
while you can perceive it as “stealing”. LOLs
3. basketball ring with kids play 2 on 2 (dont ask). again with stick people!
4. an arrow pointing to a door with CEO label on it. HAHAHA (get it?)
5. a computer (i’ve run out of ideas)
6. air balloon

After they’re all done I’m surprised at myself.
Ternyata I can draw!! LOL

So, what u think of my answers?
a definite brill score for psycho-test or a psycho?
*grin

in a month

I’ve discovered:

- newborn babies have loooooong and complicated names.

- celebrity wannabes are getting younger and younger everyday!

- muziik Indo are so catchy, at first. dull the next. fit for one hit wonders!

- I’m seeing baby Afgan everywhere on screen! boy, your voice is to-die-for tapii, i’m feeling something off about you, hm, what?

- listened to sex discussion on radio menjelang BUKA PUASA! it’s a turn off, really. what mindless person would put that session at THAT hour? i mean, seriously.

- Infotainment is proven a sickening virus for the brain.

- Jakarta traffic is a kill, old story. Tapii, if you know the tricks and what not, you could go places in half hour tops! crazy huh. my driver is the master on that!

- First time Ramadan at home after a long years away, I find TV shows are quite… sinful. I’m expecting ceramah, diskusi agama, ustadz direct call. You know, like the ole times. Now, we’re presented with loud noises, loud people, sexy ladies, and stupid comments. How very Ramadhan are we, Indonesia? ((hahaha blagu!)

- oh oh it’s imperative to say, gays in Indo are on spotlight! come out come out the closet whereever you are. and of course not only gays that are psychopath ya. i’m just tellin’. (and so infotainment minded rite now.)

- Cooking ingredients from overseas are crazy expensive!

- people stare and I don’t care.

Later.

Spotted! Gossip Girl here..

“Too bad no one told him: you can’t save a damsel if she loves her distress.”

Gossip Girl

Wicked the Broadway Musical

“Something wicked is coming to Melbourne”

It came. I went. I saw.
It’s green.
and it’s frikkin’ wicked.
/ˈwɪkɪd/ Pronunciation Key – Show Spelled Pronunciationdictionary.com define [wik-id] wonderful; great; masterful; deeply satisfying:

In all honest truth, I want to keep it to myself. Not because I’m too much of a self-absorbed kind of person, but I have no idea where to start writing. I might be bias, but even though with its unexpected surprises Wicked is everything of awesome-ness. The long year waiting is so well worthed!

That night on seat BB, I was a kid on Christmas day opening up gifts, or to my usual custom, on Lebaran day sneaking out the back with cousins counting how much we get the “duit lebaran”. YES, just for one night, I’m that giddy kid excitedly got hundreds of rupiahs! LOL

And to a wicked night, the munchkin boy surprised me, so is the good-looking Fiyero.
It has also become another Australian Idol boys reunion. The munchkin Callea played superbly as Bog. He has the voice and the dancing.. He’s the perfect munchkin!!
My handsome Fiyero is undoubtedly good-looking. Sadly to say, Millsy’s Fiyero is good-looking, pull-stop. He’s not as eye catching as the other casts. Especially the image I had of him from his 2003 Idol fame has overshadowed my image of Fiyero. Although at the end of show his good-looking (and some good singing) covers everything else entirely.

“Long before Dorothy dropped in the land of Oz” comes Elphaba and Galinda — The misunderstood and the blonde. That night, Elphaba stole the stage! to the point where my eyes barely blink when “defying gravity”! Superb. Maqnifico. Standing ovation a thousand times more if I could! Merinding gilak! Just as I imagined the performance was! I LOVE I LOVE.

There’s this one ensemble cast that I can’t keep my eyes off. He has the talent for being gay though. *sad* My attention moved away from the lead casts and on to him all the time during Glinda’s dance party. He’s the black and white sarong guy! He danced soooo beautifully! and yes of course, he’s good-looking too. That curly good-looking sarong guy, YOU!

oh! Did I tell? the costumes are marvelous! The emerald city is full of bright green, it blinded my eyes! Glinda’s wardrobe is an envy! exactly what’s needed for a barbie’s wardrobe. Applause for the costume designer!

I wished to see a second show before I leave Melbourne. Too bad, great seats are too pricey for me the 2nd time. Oh well, at least I’ve cured my craving for wicked. my long year awaited show has given me the utmost satisfaction! I’m psyched, still.

If time is giving me the chance, I hope to see wicked the second time before it leaves Melbourne.
For I hesitant “to leave Oz, and faced Reality straight ahead”.

Those in Melbourne, catch the show before it ended. NOW! you won’t regret.

YOU ARE NOW LEAVING OZ
REALITY STRAIGHT AHEAD

Automated Customer Service — The catch!

This is what happened today when I called a couple of Utilities customer service line.

1. The Green Energy Gas Company (for now, call it TGEGC)

“Welcome to “TGEGC”, please advise that your call may be monitored for blablablabla, if you do not bla bla blabla and blabla bla”

(this is the funny bit kicks in) For gas leaks emergencies please press 1 Now. (pause) For enquiry B please press 2, For bla bla blabla bla.

I wonder if real emergency do occur, with that minutes spent on listening the welcome message (plus the panic, screaming *if any*, and getting a hold of oneself), how effective would the customer service be?

2. OPTUS phone company

(Why I mentioned the name? because the service SUCKS!! now that’s the power of blogging huh!)

Calling to this customer service takes a frikkin LONG TIME! Geez. transfer here and there, while transferring theres a holding cue that takes 5-10 mins each! They use vocal recognition to pull up account details prior live personnel contact.

OK the trick bit. If you’re foreigners, focus on Asians, with very different pronunciation as the locals, how the machine would recognize the problem on hand???

Earlier I couldn’t say “Forgotten PIN” the right way as the locals do. (you know aussies and their accent?) This then leads to the lady machine kept on saying “I’m sorry, I did not get that, please say your pin no or if you don’t remember please say forgotten pin”. The third time saying it wrong, you want to strangle the other person on the line (although you know it’s only a machine!). Alhough third time wrong they’d direct you to a person straightaway!

To close account only took me, oh, about half hour? with more than 15 minutes I was put on hold! GRMBLGRMBLGRMBL!#!@$!!!

And I say it again,

It’s the power of blogging.

Where you can trash about brands you dislike.

NO COST. NO CHARGE. NO LAWSUITS (this one depends on the content of the blog )

They would say Automated Customer Service is for practicality, for maximizing customer relationship management, for customers’ benefits. But alas, bottomline is for COMPANIES to cut short on costs. Imagine for big companies use all live personnel for all inquiries? how many staff would they need? how much costs they need to spend for a person alone? although some may not get a balanced workload.

Yes, it is for CRM purposes, but don’t take it too far as given it all to machine! Not just it irritates customers with vocal difficulties (although not disabled), but also having to repeat the details twice by the real personnel! That I called, a waste of your 5 minutes!

The Great Escape 2007

Destination: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, NYC, Japan

Fled to San Francisco, then road-tripping to LA and spent the weekend in Las Vegas. after that, up the miles to New York City!!
Left the states and down to the hectic Asia city, Tokyo

Do you know that people in SF and LA are very germ-phobic?
Upon entering every house we stayed at, we have to clean our suitcases down to the tiny rolling wheels?! freakaay i tell ya that.

Up the west-coast. NYC. They don’t the bloody care about wiping those wheels! drag ‘em all you care into the house. or maybe that was only on one house we stayed at?

We road-trip from LA to Vegas. During the 3 (??) hours trip, a friend’s car was pulled over by cops twice! tough luck eh? Some said its the end of the month so cops are on deadline for cashing up. To our ears, it sounds like kejar setoran! Funny. To hear this term for police officers as if they’re bus drivers here in Indonesia. well different country, different culture.
Japan is a whole different story.
Live at most practical style. Vending machine is on every street corner. It’s like Warung in our neighborhood. Au contraire, service is all by technology. very intriguing. I went, I saw, I like.

Shibuya crossroads is as crowded as Times Square. Giant screens will drown you with Adverts. The small alleyways could lead you to some hidden streets. They really arouse your curiosity! It’s a maze town. Trains are so safe, they made a special cart for women only to keep the perverts out! Trains are so safe, the Pradas, the LVs, the Chanels made acquaintances with the GAPs and the others unlabeled. To my eyes, Gucci to Japanese is to us Targets and Kmarts. Everyone and anyone at least have one label attached on their body and SHOW IT!

Seeing this view in front of me for only a week time,

I wonder how many years Indonesia is lagged behind?????

Winter Wicked With Edward

It’s coming It’s coming It’s coming!

Remember this??

YES!

Tickets are kept safe.
The day has finally come.

Wicked IS in town!!!!!! and I GOT TICKETS!
Regent Theatre, Vic
Thu 31 Aug 2008, 8:00 PM

The days are full of smile face.
Ah It’s a good day. a very good day.

An entrée for Wicked is Edward Scissorhand.
The Arts Centre, State Theatre, Melbourne, Vic
Thu 24 July 2008, 7:30PM

For those who’ve been living under a rock, Edward Scissorhand is a Tim Burton’s production in the early 90s. Who’s Tim Burton you asked? OK. Let’s fast forward… Know Johnny Depp? The Captain Jack Sparrow? Pirates of Caribbean? If the latter clues don’t give the ‘aaah’ respond as I expected.. then, you’ve been living under water inside a cave, with mermaids!
For them species, forget this.
For others, let’s move on.

Edward Scissorhand is identical as the gothic side of Johnny Depp. That’s how I always see it. Why? Because he is Edward Scissorhand. At least, to Tim Burton’s eyes at the time of casting. Tim Burton himself have made all his productions with a touch of Gothicness. Think of it this way, Edward scissorhand has lived a glimpse of Frankenstein’s life. if quote from Professor Chaos “an outcast. A shadow of any mankind who can find no companionship.No love from others.
The world isn’t fair”.

Let’s see how they bring this Tim Burton’s Edward into a theatre musical.

Eh, Hang on,
it’s the reverse of Sweeney Todd the demon barber of fleet street, isn’t it?

Sweeney Tood 2007 the movie was based on a musical of Sweeney Todd (1979), and is produced by Tim Burton, played by Johnny Depp.

Edward Scissorhand the musical 2008 is based on the movie Edward Scissorhand (1990) which is made by Tim Burton and Johnny Depp as lead actor.

AHA!
Spot the resemblance?

This should be interesting…
Can’t wait!

Reviews coming soon.

crystal kay

the name doesn’t really giveaway does it? You see the name and front cover, thinking it’s another american RNB. not until you hear the lady sings.
IN JAPANESE!

shocku!
(hehe nimbrung.)

The girl is (yes) a mixed of african american and korean japanese. quite a mixture, innit?
Since i’m a beginner japanese (very, very, very beginner), to my ears she sounds very native. Although her voice sounds deeper for asian RNBs. It’s at a different level from other asian singers. It’s… heavier? hence suits better for RNB.

Something different to see (and listen) in Japanese entertainment. At least, for me, who’s currently hyped of everything Nihon desu.

animal planet

Who says only Gemini who likes to flip-flops, twist and shout things. uncertain of things. fidgety midgety. Taurus can too. When this heart has settled, something around you would persuade to the opposite. What’d you get? an unsettling mind.

a dragon came knocking on doors.
inquest for a dialogue…
Minus the blazin’ fire of course.
a prospect?
maybe.
honey, let’s keep it for tomorrow.

Tonight,
Let’s celebrate.
it’s Swanny party. at our cozy burrows. all of us, you and I, the lads and ladettes.
Feels like homecoming. in the arms of familiar acquaintances.

don’t get too comfortable too much.
you’re not a wombat.

choose now.
do you wish the dragon stay?
or take the garuda home?

japanese 101 vs Engrish

“He Shite Ito?”

it translates: “can I fart?”
forget the fact that NO-ONE would actually ask the question. focus on the comedy it represents.

Japanese pronounce english Hesitate as Heshiteto.

consider this, “He shite ito?. the most daring person in the entire world wouldn’t even consider farting in public, therefore, s/he hesitates.”

Now thats Japanese 101 and Engrish for you! Learn something?

Thanks for the comedy, Ayukawa Misako.

Graffiti undisclosed

Something to read inside that tiny cubicle. constipated.
The toilet graffiti.
if only these walls could talk….
oh the drama. oh the constipated contemplation.
boo hoo hoo!

Pic taken at City Library

the power of blush-on!

girl talk.

dab and blend are all I know.
A crisp morning does not always bring a cheer face.
But a blush-on every morning would.

Smile to find the ‘apple’ of your cheek.
the trick for a perfect fix
“a little shine here, a little poof there…”
and rosy cheeks everyday.

Who ever invented blush-on is a genius!
you don’t need rocket science to proof that.

^___________________^
I told you it’s girl talk.

a secret between you and I

“All secrets are deep. All secrets become dark. That’s in the nature of secrets.”

Cory Doctorow

Keep your secrets to your closest ones. keep them under your skin. Keep them darker than the evil within you. yeah, keep them to yourselves wont you?
I’m less a devil to obsess.

REO Speedwagon

is it weird that I like REO Speedwagon at this time of age?
after watching the clip for the first time, my thoughts on REO is don’t look at the hair, just enjoy the music. dude’s sing from the hair, dean was right. *yeah, what a reference!*

I really need a radio.
It’s the year 2008 baby, and I’m in my own world back in the 80s. Thats when big hair’s all happening, I guess.

I cant fight this feeling any longer
And yet Im still afraid to let it flow
What started out as friendship, has grown stronger
I only wish I had the strength to let it show

I tell myself that I cant hold out forever
I said there is no reason for my fear
Cause I feel so secure when were together
You give my life direction
You make everything so clear

zsa zsa zsu

“when it comes to relationship…..,
some people refuse to settle for anything less than butterflies.”

Carrie Bradshaw.

knowing it’s not just any other afternoon…

when i woke up yesterday, I thought it would be like any other Saturday. Boy, I was wrong.
that Saturday, I accidentally walked pass a Hollywood film set on my way for lunch! and I’m not in LA!
yes yes yes, i am that psyched. call it what you want, It’s something that pretty cool to see. I saw a few of local filming, but of course, the hollywood tag makes everything totally different to experience.

The street is transformed into something more American-y, somehow. When you’ve been around melbourne for quite a while, you’d notice the city is always clean! at least, decent enough to live. Whilst yesterday, kaboom! trash is everywhere on the street and there was this smoke machine thingy to make up the ‘american’ look. well you know, since we don’t have the underground steam pipe anywhere around the city.

It was pretty exciting.
A lot of people were taking photos, of course I took a couple too! Not very good ones though, since I took ‘em while waiting the tram and can’t be bothered to stand up to take some clear shots. The 2nd pic is the cameos waiting for the director to shout ‘action’. It’s in the middle of winter and I’m thinking.. the movie isn’t? Girls are wearing sleeveless and shorts! Well, all the things you would do to get famous, huh? =D

Unfortunately, didn’t get to see nic cage. Although! i didn’t know that it was nic cage’s film set! LOLs. even if I knew at the time, i wouldn’t wanna wait long just to get a shot of nic cage either.

people live in LA prolly had enough of this kinda thing huh. It’s like you’re in Jakarta and saw our so-called celebs walk around the malls and we couldn’t care less of who they are. HAHAHA

when ‘knowing’ (thats the movie) comes out and I see the scene of where these two pics took place, I might scream the bloody murder and shout ‘I WAS THERE I WAS THERE!!’
So. Who’s going to the movie with me??

ps: some good shots of the set on the local papers http://www.theage.com.au/photogallery/2008/06/22/1214009181700.html