Another Euphoric Moment

So here we go again, another euphoric post at the most euphoric moment of people's life.

I decided not to see any firework this time, I'm happy just to hear some small firework explosion from across the street. I guess somehow I find fireworks irrelevant to my life anymore. Or maybe because I got my own "bang-bang-boom" here deep inside my heart.

Somebody just dare enough to knock my door really hard, that I can't refuse to open it and let 'em in.

And I guess, out of all the risks I've taken this past 365 days, this is by far the riskiest of all. And I believe will never regret for the rest of my life.

Ain't it funny, how you get your life twisted here and there, just to end up somewhere that's always been there all along but you just never realize it. Maybe that's what you call the F word (FATE).

I guess, all I want to say is, no matter what ups and downs I've been going through to 2011, what matters most is that I'm happy right now. And it all because somebody just dare enough to knock my door really hard, that I can't refuse to open it and let him in.

Your love is thick and it swallowed me whole
You're so much braver than I gave you credit for
That's not lip service
You've already won me over in spite of me
And don't be alarmed if I fall head over feet
Don't be surprised if I love you for all that you are
I couldn't help it
It's all your fault

Tintin : A Childhood Rendezvous

Siapa yang tidak kenal Tintin? Tokoh komik si jurnalis berjambul yang selalu ditemani Snowy, anjing seputih saljunya yang pintar sekali namun tidak tahan mengejar kucing dan menggigit tulang. To tell you the truth, salah satu alasan kenapa saya ingin punya anjing adalah karena melihat tingkah laku Snowy yang diluar batas jenius anjing. Dan mungkin karena Tintin pula, saya mempunyai obsesi untuk berpetualang dan keliling dunia.

Saya kenal Tintin sudah sejak dari jaman es-de dulu, simply karena kakak saya mengkoleksi komik ini lengkap dari A sampai Z. Setiap pulang sekolah, sambil tengkurap di depan TV, dengan semangkuk mie di depan muka. Saya menyantap buku Tintin *ehh* mie kuah sambil membaca komik Tintin dari depan ke belakang, balik lagi ke depan sampe ke belakang lagi. Bisa dibilang saya hafal teman2 serta musuh2 Tintin luar kepala mulai dari Haddock & Cuthbert Calculus, Alan, Rastapopoulus, Gibbons, Bab El Ehr, dan masih banyak lagi lainnya. You name it I can most probably point out in what story they appear. 

Ketika bocoran 2011 movie keluar, dan saya melihat Tintin sebagai salah satu buku yang akan diadaptasi ke film. Saya langsung bersorak sorai kegirangan, apalagi yang jadi sutradaranya Spielberg, gak main2 lah ini. Sempet kecewa waktu lihat trailernya, ternyata film dalam bentuk CGI padahal ekspektasi saya seperti film sherlock holmes atau Alice in Wonderland. Tapi tidak apa2lah, karena rasa penasaran dan nostalgia yang tinggi saya tonton juga film ini.

Judulnya The Adventures of Tintin : The Secret of the Unicorn

Tapi isinya campur aduk dari tiga seri Tintin dimana Tintin bertemu Kapten Haddock pertama kalinya : Tintin Kepiting Bercapit Emas, Tintin mengungkap rahasia miniatur kapal Unicorn : Tintin Rahasia Kapal Unicorn, serta petualangan Tintin untuk mencari harta karun Rackham Merah yang terkubur bersama kapal Unicorn : Tintin Harta Karun Rackham Merah. Nah disinlah kekecewaan saya yang kedua datang. Ceritanya terlalu dicampuradukkan sehingga untuk seseorang yang hafal cerita Tintin luar dalam, saya merasa ada yang salah dengan ceritanya. Contohnya saja, cerita Kepiting Bercapit Emas, seharusnya bukan hanya meng-highlight kisah Tintin bertemu dengan pelaut mabuk Haddock. Tetapi juga mengangkat cerita Tintin membongkar sindikat pengedar ganja di Timur Tengah, which is scratch off from the movie, because simply it was irrelevant to the secret of the unicorn. Kemudian, yang aneh lagi adalah, mengapa Sakharin tiba-tiba menjadi keturunan Rackham Merah dan seorang penjahat? Kemana tokoh Murai bersaudara (or in English the Bird brothers)? yang jelas-jelas menjadi main villain di kisah Rahasia Kapal Unicorn. Dan,, dalam rangka membuat sekuel dari kisah Tintin ini (niat banget niy komersialisasinya), diputuskan untuk hanya mengambil bagian terakhir dari kisah harta karun Rackham Merah, di mana Tintin & Kapten Haddock menemukan emas permata di ruang bawah tanah Marlinspike Hall serta sebuah scroll yang berisikan bahwa ada lebih banyak harta lagi yang terpendam bersama Kapal Unicorn. Di cerita aslinya Harta Karun Rackham Merah setau saya, Tintin & Kapten haddock susah payah keliling dunia, mencari titik koordinat tenggelamnya Kapal Unicorn, hanya untuk menemukan bangkai kapal tersebut. Tidak ada harta karun, hanya patung unicorn dan puluhan botol rum yang tenggelam bersama kapal. Di saat sudah putuh asa, barulah mereka menemukan harta karun itu di Marlinspike Hall.

Anyways, despite of the higgledy-piggledy stories, saya masih bisa memaafkan film ini,, :)

Karena :

1. Saya maklum kalau sutradara dan produser pasti akan mencoba untuk membuat cerita yang memiliki awalan, klimaks, dan akhir yang tidak membingungkan penonton. Apalagi ini adalah seri pertama yang diadaptasikan ke film. Wajar jika ada sedikit cerita tentang how Tintin met Haddock. Mungkin di cerita berikutnya kita akan melihat how Tintin & Haddock met Cuthbert Calculus. Karena memang sebetulnya di seri Rackham Merah lah, Tintin bertemu dengan profesor ajaib ini.
2. Melihat aksi laga Tintin di komik yang sangat-sangat tidak mungkin terjadi di dunia nyata, cukup menghibur bagi saya. (apalagi adegan Snowy menggantung2 di bawah kaki burung elang, saya jadi merindukan Snowy yang selalu menjadi incaran burung nazar).
3. Sometimes it doesn't matter what movie you watch, as long as you watch it with a really good friend. If it's a bad one, you can always bad mouth the movie together. If it's a funny one, you can laugh together. If it's a good one, you will end up having a good time afterwards.

Jika anda belum sempat menonton, saya sarankan untuk segera, karena film ini sudah mulai tergeser oleh Breaking Dawn yang memakan 2 sampai 3 studio.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid

Tampaknya semenjak saya lulus kuliah, kecepatan saya untuk membaca buku-buku berbobot semakin menurun. Otak ini rasanya semakin lemot untuk memproses yang berat-berat. Faktor "U"-kah? Atau sindrom manusia-cape-kerja-pengennya-hiburan-yang-ajeb2-aja? Atau memang minat saya yang berubah?

Beneran loh, sekitar 1 atau 2 tahun terakhir ini, saya lebih senang baca buku2 enteng macemnya yang ada di judul posting kali ini. Per hari ini, buku diary si bocah tengil ini sudah ada lima seri, plus satu buku "Do It Yourself", dan satu buku saduran dari "the movie" nya.

Saya "ngeh" sama buku ini pertama kali karena liat trailernya di channel TV berbayar. Kemudian waktu lagi nunggu pesawat di airport, saya lihat buku ini lagi diskon di Periplus. Langsung lah saya borong 3 seri sekaligus (waktu itu, memang sudah 3 seri yang nongol). Hasilnya, saya ketagihan sama ceritanya si Bocah Tengil. Setiap kali ada seri terbarunya langsung saya beli.
Jadi Diary of A Wimpy Kid ini bisa dibilang agak2 terinspirasi dengan sitcom Malcolm in The Middle. Bedanya, Greg Heffner (a.k.a The Wimpy Kid) bukanlah anak jenius seperti Malcolm. Greg is a usual ignorant kid, trying to survive his dysfunctional family, and of course middle school.  Dan sebagai anak tengah, dia merasa dirinya adalah manusia paling tertindas di keluarganya. Apapun yang dia lakukan untuk mencari jalan keluar dari setial masalah, sukses mengocok perut saya. A recommended reading for those of you who want a little humor in your life.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid Series

That's Life

If you don't know how it feels, then don't even try to empathize.
If you don't really care, then don't even try to understand.
If you don't mean it, then don't even say it.
If you don't see, hear, smell, or taste it, then it's never really there at all.

The presence of a reaction depends upon an action.
An object that is at rest will stay at rest.
A movement comes when there's a force.
How hard the boat is rocking, depends on how hard you rock it.

When life gives you lemon,
And you just hate it.
Say no!
And get yourself an orange

My Childhood Collection

I was going across a lot of cupboards today, looking for my camera charger. I ended up stumbling across a big box filled with stickers. And this fateful coincidence led me to a search of "My Strangest Childhood Collection", few minutes later,, VOILA! we had this post

My collection started with something really normal like children books and fluffy furry dolls. I had tons of it. Whatever you see in the pictures, is probably only part of it. *hahah*

Reading books is probably just a habit that runs in the family. My dad loves to read from kungfu books to biographical/history/politic books. My bro is also a fan of literature, you name it, he most probably know it. And me, I'm always in for the ride ever since I learn to read at the age of three, although probably my preference of books is not as heavy. Being crazy for books have rewarded me with a strange award: "Most book readings", cause I borrowed so many books from the library. Being crazy for books had also made me goin' through and obsession of building a library someday *but this obsession has tone down right now*.

As for fluffy furry dolls, well which little girl that don't love this. I had this duck stuffed animals that can flap their wings when you pull a string, a rooster that crow when you punched it in the chest, numerous medium size teddy bears, and many others. I don't have a theme for this stuffed animals. Mostly are gifts from my dad, aunts, friends, never really ask for a specific one.

Ok, so we got through the normal ones. Now let's list down those that used to be popular collections in the era. The prestigious collection every cool and unique kids should have.

• Barbie Dolls
  
  
  Despite that it is overpriced, and misleading on the concept of ideal body image, I can't help but to actually become addicted to this dolls when i was kid. This dolls are before the era of My Scene, in which Barbie suddenly become a really hype party girl with boots, animal print, big lips and oversized head. The barbie I had, is the one with a gymnast bag *to celebrate olympic season*, a bathing suite that changes color when you dip it in the water, hangin' out with her little sister Skipper and beach boy BF Ken. 

• Stickers
  
  
  When I was in 1st or 2nd grade, the girl with the cutest and largest collection of stickers is the coolest one in class. The must have item for a girl is a "sticker collection book". We collect them, we trade them, and we show them off. I believe there was even a myths that to spot whether a sticker is of good quality or not is by looking at the back of it *the part where you stick it to something*, if it's the same color as your sticker (e.g. you have a sticker of black gorilla, and the color at the back is also black) then your sticker is real. That was pretty silly, I mean it was just sticker. But back then, it meant so much to have an extensive collection of sticker. I even got bumped for a week, just because I left one of my sticker book at school, and the next day it was gone. Somebody stole it! When my cousin from USA got here and gave me 2 box of Sandylion stickers I knew that it was a treasure. Didn't want to trade it for anything, and use it only to touch up my art homeworks. And now, 20 years later, still have a complete collection and I just don't know what to do with it.
• Filing Papers
  
  
  This is also a useless and pointless collection. There was a time at school that using a notebook is soooo lame. So we started using file papers. And then the bookstore suddenly sold filing papers with cute designs, and colorful colors. I dunno who started it, but suddenly those papers become some collectible items. Kids would whine and quarrel for the file papers they want.
• Perfume Bottles
  
  
  Out of the collections I got, this would probably be the one that would cost a fortune someday . It all started when my dad work overseas, and when he got home, he always brought a box of perfumes collection for my mom and granny. And just one day, I decided to keep the empty bottles. Too bad some collections are not complete. This is a pretty demanding collection, since I need to constantly checked my mother's drawer whether she had finished up the perfume or not. And at some point she could accidentally throw it away when the bottle's empty, or forgot where she put it after it's finished *since the bottle is so small*. Well, hopefully *praying out loud* someone will find this collection a treasure, and bid high, hahahaha,,
• The Movie Tickets
  
  
  I dunno why I keep this junk in my wallet. It basically make my wallet thick of papers instead of money. Maybe because it was the pre-FB/twitter era. When you gotta bring hard evidence to proof that you've done something. Nowadays, if you just watched a movie, you just twit your opinion about it, or update your FB status, or upload your picts at the movie theatre in front of the movie poster *considering the no pics=hoax rule*. Back then, if a person ask you "what movie you've watched?", you simply says "ah,, not much,," then showed them your extensive collection of movie tickets. Hahahaha,, this is soo lame. But you know what, when I looked at this ticket, certain movies just pops out. For example the "Center Stage" ticket, I remember going to Plaza Senayan with the girls at my class right after school on Saturday. Not forgetting to change our uniform *since malls don't let students with uniform to go inside*. It was a riot, and we had fun at the mall watching this movie. Loving the drama and awed by the ballet moves. Then I saw the first movie of Harry Potter ticket, it was 2001. I don't even remember that I watched it at the cineplex. I thought the habit of chasing the Harry Potter movie premiere doesn't came up until recently. Apparently it goes waaaaay back when.
• Tazos
  
  
  Tazos is actually a little simple circular toy that you can get from a pack of chips. It has attractive cartoon designs, and you can make this thing spin, or build something out of it. The first series of Tazos were of the Looney Tunes character. I used to have tons of this Tazos, but I only found whats left of it. And it is of the next series with the Pokemon design. I guess somewhere in between 1999 to 2011, I found it zero value despite of the nostalgic memory and decided to throw it away.

So I guess that's about all I can find. But actually I had a lot more junk collection that I have decided to dump ages ago, such as the Gatorade bottle cap or the Ring can opener *you know the ring that you use to open a can of coke*. It was all silly. I got no idea what has gotten into me to even collect those things. ?!?!?!

G,, are we there yet?

G,, will you show me the way?
Show me the way towards his day
G,, will you show me some light?
Show me the light to what is right
G,, will you show me the sign?
Show me the sign that it is mine

G,, please give me patience
Give me the patience to wait for the right moments
G,, please give me strength
Give me the strength to travel the length
G,, please give me courage
Give me the courage to make a change

G,, honestly I'm lost
Lost in the sea of maybe's
Lost in the storm of "is this it?"s
I'm lost in his breeze

G,, I'm giving in
Giving in to your will
Giving in to the let it be
Giving in to the questioning

~Maybe it's you, I wish I knew. Maybe it's not you, but I hope it's you.

Kenangan Dalam Semangkuk Soto Kudus

Soto Kudus adalah salah satu alternatif hidangan kalau "mama lagi males masak" keluarga saya. Tepat setelah mie instan, ayam goreng tepung kolonel, dan roti2an baik yang berbicara maupun tidak. Bagaimana tidak, dekat dengan rumah saya ada satu cabang restoran soto kudus paling populer di Jakarta. Konon kabarnya cabang pertamanya berdiri di Blok-M. Nah sekarang cabangnya sudah tersebar di mana-mana, bak Alfamart dan Indomart yang di tiap pengkolan ada. Saking melekatnya Soto Kudus di hati saya, setiap menyantap Soto Kudus baik itu di Kudus, di Blok M, di Sana, dan di Sini,, saya tiba2 ingat kenangan2 jaman dulu.
Restoran soto kudus dekat rumah saya ini sudah jadi langganan sejak mungkin 20 tahun lalu. Saya ingat waktu jaman2nya saya masih piyik, restoran ini yang buka paling pagi, dan tutup paling malam. Maka tak heran kalau keluarga saya suka cari sarapan di sini. Bahkan jaman2nya kami masih suka mudik pakai mobil, berangkat subuh2 dari rumah. Sebelum perjalanan panjang, kami pasti mampir dulu ke soto kudus dekat rumah, untuk mengganjal perut.
Saya ingat pernah membawa teman2 kuliah saya untuk makan di restoran soto kudus deket rumah. Untuk saya ukuran satu porsi soto kudus campur itu pas di perut, tidak terlalu banyak tidak terlalu sedikit. Tapi mungkin buat teman2 saya yang lagi tumbuh2nya itu, satu porsi ini ternyata kurang, walhasil harga satu porsi soto kudus ini pun menjadi agak berat di kantong. Di tambah lagi, ada teman yang berniat menggoyang lidah dengan satu plastik kecil berisi lima keping emping. Tak disangka2 bertambah kaget dia ketika harus merogoh duit 10ribu rupiah untuk satu plastik kecil emping.

Paling pas memang tiap makan soto kudus ditemani dengan sate kerang, sate telur puyuh, tempe/tahu goreng/bacem, kalau mau lebih gurih lagi silahkan pakai paru, otak goreng, dan jerohan2 lainnya. Kalau mau kriuk2, bisa juga ditemani dengan kerupuk rambak atau mungkin kerupuk bawang. Semua tergantung selera,, :)

Soto Kudus Blok M - pict courtesy of kuraninja

Saving Our Heritage | Travel To The Past - Candi Exploration

When I go places, I find something to do.

Lebaran Holiday had arrived at our front door, and the family decided to go for a trip to our Dad's homeland. I figured, it's been so many times that I visited this land, at least once a year. What more could I do at this place. It all started with me trying to take pictures of sunrise/sunset from Borobudur Temple. I always see this sugoi pictures at google image when you keyed in "borobudur", and always wonder, how did they get that? So one afternoon after celebrating Hari Raya with the family, I tapped my dad on the shoulder. "Dad, let's go visit Borobudur Temple this afternoon". I packed my bro's DSLR camera *btdub, still a newbie at this*, and hopped on to the SUV. 

We decided to go from Klaten to Magelang through the road less traveled. And finally getting passed the Jumoyo Village at least what's left of it. A village right on the banks of Kali Putih. The one flooded with cold lava during Merapi eruption last year. Arriving at Borobudur, I just can't help but to love this place. Looking at the site, is like travelling to the past. This was and is a religious site for Buddhist. The site may not be as extravagant as China's Great Wall, but still, in the era when you got no buldozer and any other machinery stuff, you can carve a stone diligently, and then set it up block by block. It's like playing LEGO but in real size. After I got the satisfying pictures for an amateur photographer, I went back to Klaten, and wonder, what more can I get out of this. Then I decided to go for some more picture hunting to cultural sites. As always, I went to Google for some more suggestion. And 5 minutes after, I got a list of recommended small Candi (temple) to visit. I was not interested to visit the big ones or the really famous ones. Because I've been there for too many times. This time, I'd like to visit the never seen by me before. And so the adventure of the cultural heritage begins. 

1. Candi Plaosan 

The first to visit by me would be Candi Plaosan. It is a Buddhism temple located at Bugisan Village, Klaten, Central Java. The temple was located not far from the Prambanan complex. The temple was divided into two sites, Candi Plaosan Lor (North) and Candi Plaosan Kidul (South). The Northern sites have the main temples reconstructed already, with little temples all around it. As for the Southern site no main temples are located yet. Although a Buddhist temple (with almost complete Bodhisatvva statues inside) you'll find the temple has a Hinduism architectural style. When first founded, it is told that the temple was actually filled with bronze statues and ornaments. Where it is now? A Museum in Leiden. *I almost laugh in agony when I heard this* 

2. Candi Kedulan 

I actually told my rented car driver to take me to Candi Barong. But somehow he took me to a Candi site where all the stones are in rumbles. The Candi is still under reconstruction. And only God knows, when the reconstruction of this candi will finisih. I almost thought that it IS Candi Barong. But after I went home, I did some internet investigation, and find out that it is Candi Kedulan. Not much known about this temple yet. Hopefully the reconstruction will be done soon, and we'll find out more of the stories from the past. 

3. Candi Kalasan 

Located at Kalasan, Sleman, Jogjakarta if you travel from Jogja-Solo passed the Jogja-Solo Mainstreet, you'll see this temple right beside the street. Although if you don't pay enough attention it could be a bit hidden by the houses and kiosks surrounding it. Candi Kalasan is also a Buddhist temple. What I love most about this temple is that it's partly ruined. You can see the half reconstructed stupa at the top of temple. It will never be finished as not all the stones are found. And also you can find very fine and detail carving on the stones. In each window you can find a Batara Kala carving. It is said that the Candi Kalasan we see today, is actually a building on top of another Candi built before. The temple was built to worship Tara (a female Bodhisatvva). From several inscriptions, it is believed that the temple was built during Syailendra dynasty's expansion to the land of Java. 

4. Candi Sari  

This temple is located not far from Candi Kalasan. You can say, if Candi Kalasan is on the right side of the mainstreet, then Candi Sari would be on the left side. If you look at the architectural design, you'll find it not much different with Candi Kalasan, therefore it is assumed that the temple is built almost at the same time. Unlike most other temples, this Candi is built 2 stories high. It is believed that this temple was built as a learning centre for the monks. Each chambers were used for monks to meditate. 

5. Candi Sambisari  

The only Hinduism temple I visited the day (that is if Candi Kedulan also proven as Buddhism temple,, :P). What's uniques about this temple is that it doesn't have a foundation like any other. Moreover the site is lower than the surroundings. This temple was found not long ago. It was in 1966 when a farmer was hoeing his paddy field and accidentally hit a carved rock. Studies on the rock was done, and it is believed that the temple was buried down during Merapi eruption in 1006. The main Candi is accompanied by three little temples at the front gate. If you went inside the Candi, you'll see that the two side walls and back wall is guarded by Durga, Ganesha, and Agastya. In the main chamber you'll find Lingga Yoni the symbol of male&female. Well, I guess that's some of the Candi I successfully visited for the day. Sure will come back for more, as there are more to explore. For more pictures you can just click below slideshow. One more thing, you'll also find pictures from Candi Ratu Boko (which is actually more of a palace instead of a temple), view of the infamous Merapi and his sister Merbabu.

Travel to The Past Slideshow: Mayankcat’s trip from Jakarta, Java, Indonesia to 5 cities , Desa Bugisan (near Yogyakarta), Boyolali (near Solo), Desa Jumoyo (near Borobudur) and Magelang was created by TripAdvisor. See another Indonesia slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

What If?

You met someone who make you want to bring out the better version out of you. Being the best, and making the most out of your life. Just because you know, that it's the right thing to do for your life.
What if?
You met someone who's truly the opposite of you. Who'd be simple when you're complicated or complicated when you keep it simple. Who'd be the one to keep your pace down when you're in a rush. Who'd push you out, when you feel laid back and lazy. But despite the differences, you don't mind any of it.
What if?
You met someone that you feel like you can cope with their little imperfections.
What if?
You met someone who doesn't ask you for the world. But you're willingly to give it anyway.
What if?
That someone you met is me, and that someone I met is you.
Will it be called that we're so lucky to finally meet the other half?

~Could it be you fell for me? And any possible similarity. If it's all how would I know? You never knew me at all but I see you.

Cracking My Fortune Cookies

If life is like a box of chocolate for Forrest Gump, then for me life is like cracking a fortune cookie.

Most people think that whatever the fortune cookies say is some big cow dung. The wise words are so general that it could relate to everybody. But somehow I often found that whatever the fortune cookies say really relate to my life. You do remember the story of having a trip just because the fortune cookie tell me to go get away, don't you,, :)
So today I cracked another fortune cookie, and it says :

Good luck is a result of good planning

This wise words really just strike me, as I work as planner at a FMCG factory. And seeing this words kinda gave me a new hope,, spirit,, motivation. You know how things don't always go as you plan. And as a planner this can be really frustrating. It's like you are cursed with some bad luck that everything can never go as planned. Then again seeing this words, it just hits me that all I need is to develop better ways to do things. A better system to plan things, a backup plan for every scenarios and good luck will then follow. Everything will fall into the right places, if you just expect whatever it is that will hit you, and have plans for every jab and hook thrown at you.
So I'm thanking this guy/girl behind the fortune cookie, for making such a good quotable quotes. You just made my day today,,

Waking Up and Smelling The Coffee

I just had my birthday almost a week ago. Celebrating it by buying myself a ticket to the Cranberries concert. It was the best 280K IDR I ever spent on a concert. You can say that I grew up with The Cranberries songs around me. Who could forget their greatest hit Zombie? I might never really remember the lyrics word by word, but it was definitely haunting.
So The Cranberries warmed up the crowd with “Analyze”. It was just what I needed. I guess as we all grow older, we are becoming more of a dry sponge. Hard, stiff, resistant. And this song reminds me to be free. Free your mind, open up, be a sponge! Jamming my head while chanting words from the song, the midnight sky witness how I and other thousands Cranberries fans free our soul that night.
Don’t analyze, don’t go that way, don’t lead that way, that would paralyze your evolution.

Sometimes, we do overthink everything that happens to us. Because we know whatever we do today, will affect whatever will happen to us tomorrow. We worry too much, that we cease to live. We fear the future too much, that we chose to pause, think and do nothing instead. What’s keeping me away from whatever it is that lay in front of me is only the fear to make mistakes. Realizing that, now I’m just trying to embrace every moment. Happiness, sadness, troubles, way out, problems, whatever that is, I’m opening up my mind. I am not afraid.

I’m free to decide. And I choose to wake up and smell the coffee.
As the night turns darker, and the concert grew thrilling, I discover another song by this band. An old song I never notice. This one goes to whoever you are who’d be the one. Trust me, when it's out there, it's not coming back.
I’ll be here. I’ll be dreaming my dreams with you. And there’s no other place. That I’d lay down my face. I’ll be dreaming my dreams with you.
And the concert ends with another hit by The Cranberries which is also another favorite of mine, "Dreams". It's the only video I can get of the band that night. I was too busy singing along that I forgot to recorded them LIVE. And you know what I kinda understood why they put this as a closing song. Because Cranberries treated their fans as a dream to them. That the fans are everything to them. And it was the sweetest closing score they could ever give us.
ROCK ON CRANBERRIES!! IT WAS MY BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!! v(^^)v

p.s. pardon the blurry, shaky, and too much hand blocking videos. It was recorded using my not-so-smart phone, while dancing through the song though trapped between three giants who refuse to give me some space and let me have a clearer vision to the band.

Another Visit to Kep. Seribu (The Thousand Islands)

A friend of mine, who'd be going back to Aussie to continue her study is begging me for a trip to Kep. Seribu. I figured I've been to Tidung before, what are the other islands I can visit this month. With a little googling I found a travel agent website, who response really quick to my questions. So without second guessing, immediately transfer a down payment to book a trip to Pulau Pramuka for 10 people.

For 450K IDR, we got facilities as follow :

• Public boat ticket Muara Angke - P. Pramuka - Muara Angke
• Cottage
• 4x Meal
• Snorkling equipments
• Small boat for island hopping (P. Semak Daun & P. Air)
• A visit to hawksbill sea turtle conservatory, Silver Pompano Farm

P. Pramuka is the centre of government for the other islands at Kep. Seribu, therefore you'll find this island more well arranged. The cottage/homestay is better than when that in Tidung. However electricity is still a scarce source in this island. Electricity is only on from 6 PM to 6 AM. So when the night comes, don't forget to charge your mobile and camera battery, as it is the only chance you got.

The snorkling trip was what the price really worth. Even if you're not visiting P. Pramuka, you really got to snorkle at P. Semak Daun & P. Air. I rank it 3.5 out of 5, plenty of fish around *you don't need to feed them to see them*, old and big coral reefs, really tranquil current. Actually the sea is very calm that I decided not to use the lifevest for help. Will visit again? definitely,, right after I see the other islands,, :)

Cerita Gila : The Last Girl Standing

Prologue : Mungkin isi postingan kali ini agak gak nyambung antara judul dengan isi, tapi mungkin juga sedikit2 nyambung. Anyhow,, sebuah cerita gila,, di akhir minggu yang juga gila.

Hari ini saya menghadiri pernikahan salah satu sahabat karib saya sejak jaman putih abu2 dulu. Pulang dari hajatan tiba2 teman karib saya yang lainnya menyodorkan sebuah undangan pernikahan tertanggal 3 minggu lagi. Saya tidak kaget *karena sudah mengira*, but the invitation practically makes me The Last Girl Standing.

Seperti halnya pernikahan sahabat2 saya sebelumnya, ajang resepsi pernikahan akan selalu dijadikan ajang reunian teman2 satu geng. Maka acara kumpul2 pun kemudian berlanjut ke mall2 atau restoran terdekat, dengan pembahasan terhangat : when will the last girl standing send out the invitiation, and how the others met the one. And they all say the same thing, that one day it could happen over a really small and simple thing. Hanya karena sebungkus asinan, hanya karena sebuah pertemuan di siang hari bolong, hanya karena niat membantu, dan hanya karena hanya karena lainnya yang begitu halusnya sehingga tak kasat mata, namun membuahkan jawaban pada waktunya. And here are the tips from first hand experience.

I. Nawaitu "Cari Jodohi" Lillahi Ta'ala

Apapun yang kita lakukan, baik dalam hal berkarier, studi, romance, intinya apapun yang dilakukan dalam hidup ini haruslah diawali dengan N.I.A.T. Niatkanlah untuk melakukan sesuatu, kemudian lakukan niat itu seperti halnya kita bernafas setiap detik. Sudah pasti niat kemudian akan menjadi bagian dari hidup kita, dan apapun yang kita cari akan menjadi lebih dekat. Namun sebelum berniat untuk mencari sesuatu, ada baiknya kita mengetahui apa yang kita cari. Which brings us to the next tips.

II. Determine what you've been searching for

Mungkin untuk yang ini saya akan sedikit menyinggung-nyinggung training seven habits yang dulu saya dapatkan. Tujuh kebiasaan Mr Covey ini sendiri dibagi menjadi dua bagian, satu untuk menjadikan diri lebih independen (self mastery), dua untuk bisa saling bekerjasama dengan orang lain. And the rule of thumb is kita tidak bisa bekerja sama dengan orang lain sebelum kita memahami diri sendiri. So in this term, please "Begin with the End in Mind". You gotta know what you need, before trying to fulfill it.

III. An-Nur : 26

Tidak hanya satu atau dua orang yang selalu menyitir ayat ini untuk saya. Dan mungkin kemarin ke seribu satu kalinya saya mendengar wejangan ini dari teman saya. :)

I guess *bersandarkan pada pemahaman saya yang cetek* we can put it this way, that it always takes two to tango. And a good team work is only as good as your weakest player. So in order to be perfectly in sync both players need to be on the same league. Dan disinilah introspeksi diri memainkan peranan. We want it, we are seriously looking for it, then we gotta be it first, in times someone who's it will be atrracted to your it. *does this start to confuse you??*

IV. Ikhlas

Mendengar kata-kata ini saya langsung ingat filmnya Deddy Mizwar : Kiamat Sudah Dekat. Di bagian terakhir film, Kang Deddy mensyaratkan si Fandy untuk bisa ikhlas jika mau menikahi putrinya. Sesuatu yang begitu mudah untuk diucapkan tetapi begitu sulit untuk dijalankan.

Saya jadi inget juga pengalaman saya waktu kuliah dulu. Tempat pensil saya yang isinya sangat komplit mulai dari bolpen warna warni, pensil, hingga kalkulator scientific yang gress itu pernah ketinggalan di salah satu ruang kuliah. Begitu teringat dan dicari kembali sudah hilang, tanya sana sini gak ada yang liat. Akhirnya saya buat selebaran abal2, sambil mengucap bismillah saya tempel di pintu masuk ruang kuliah tersebut. Kemudian saya pulang, sambil menghitung ubin di lantai saya membatin dalam hati "kalau memang harus hilang, ya hilang, semoga lebih bermanfaat buat yang menemukan". Untungnya tujuh hari kemudian, tiba-tiba tempat pensil itu kembali ke tangan saya. Mungkinkah itu ikhlas?? Atau hanya ikhlas abal2?? *abis keliatannya cuma sebates tempat pensil gitu,, hehe,,*

Tapi mungkin bener juga kata suami sohibulbatun saya *yang juga temen saya dari es-de, yang berdasarkan permintaan istrinya harus dibikinin quotationnya katanya*

Ikhlas adalah hal yang paling bisa mendekatkan diri kepada apa yang kita butuhkan ~Satriyo,2011

Jadi,, *niat cari2 alesan niy* paling gak udah bisa ngikhlasin tempat pensil *yang waktu dulu sangat2 dibutuhkan untuk kepentingan studi*, nah sekarang tinggal belajar untuk mengikhlaskan yang lainnya,,

Akhirul kalam : mm,, rasanya saya bingung untuk menutup cerita gila yang satu ini,, :P

Bagaimana kalau kita biarkan cerita gila ini tanpa kesimpulan dan kita biarkan waktu yang memberikan kesimpulannya nanti,, *loh?!?!*

ROAD TO IT PT 2 - THE LONELY PLANET GUIDE

If you're serious to travel, the best guide would be to buy a "Lonely Planet" book of your destination. So I bought one that says "Italy" on the cover. I never bought a Lonely Planet book before, as I think it is too expensive. But I guess this time it's worth the money I spent. Before deciding to go here and there, I just need to know the"what to see/do" and the "definitely don't miss" of Italy. Luckily right on the first section is top 25 things to do in Italy. And luckily it also suggests itineraries that can match the length of time you are planning to visit.
I never bought a lonely planet book before, and apparently I'm really glad I did. It was a reassurance that I will not get lost if one day I am in Italy. It clearly stated transportation mode you can use to go around, and a small map for each territory.

Can't wait! Let's Get Lost in Italy!

Paradise at the Center of Indonesia

So here's the story of visiting paradise at the center of Indonesia, Bali and Lombok. I've been to bali for several times, but I always went there with my families, and don't think much about the budget or care more on the itineraries. As long as I can go shopping along Kuta street at night,, As for Lombok, it would be my first time, and you know what, I really can't wait to go back and explore more!!

Okay, so where do we start. Well, first you need to know that I only visited Bali, Gili Trawangan and Gili Air. The Gilis are part of Lombok, however it was two of the small islands that surrounded the bigger island of Lombok. The big picture would be like this. I took a flight from Jakarta to Bali, then took another flight from Bali to Lombok, a ride from Selaparang airport to Bangsal port, and a boat to the Gilis. More on the transportation options later, let's go through the itinerary first.

Day 1 is for south part of Bali. We went to Sanur Beach, straight to Tanjung Benoa for some water sport activities, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, a walk on Blue Point Beach, and the last one, sunset & Kecak Dance at Uluwatu. Not to belittle anybody or anything, but I find Sanur Beach not too special, the place is a bit dirty, not as mesmerizing as I expected a Bali beach would be. But I guess if you'd like to go for a picnic for some sea breeze and really clear blue sky, it's still OK. Tanjung Benoa is a place to do any water activities, you can go jet ski, water ski, parasailing, diving, snorkeling, anything! When you come here, a salesperson will handle you a booklet and price list for every water activities available. Whatever the price they give you, haggle! Because it's bargainable :). Me and my friends ended up going to the Turtle Island at half a price they gave us at first (150K IDR per pax). Blue Point Beach might be the most unique beach I visited this time. This place is heaven for those of you who like to surf. I guess,, since I don't surf myself. But saw a lot of people doin' it, plus the little village up the cliff are crammed with shops offering pictures shots of you while surfing, or surfboards, or surfboard reparation. Then again, figure the waves must be good, since Blue Point beach is located at South Bali, which makes it go straight to the Indian Ocean. Last but not least, we ended the night by watching Kecak Dance at the Uluwatu Temple (tickets @70K IDR). It's not Kecak Dance unless it's an open air theatre and you see some fire actions in it. The sunset and mystical sky is a bonus if you're watching it at the Uluwatu Temple.

Day 2. This time we go North! The places to visit were Bali Bird Park, Ulun Danu Temple at Bedugul, and Tanah Lot. It took us 1 - 2 hours to get from one place to another, but the long ride was worth it. Bali Bird Park is really a fun place to be, you got to feel encounters from the birds, as some of the birds *mostly the ones that can't fly* are set to roam around the park freely. When you visited, make sure to catch the "Bird of Prey" show, they've got a really nice and well trained hunting birds. Plus the show was set with a real paddy field background. Really good place to relax. Ulun Danu Temple is a Hindu temple located in a middle of a lake. Basically what we are doing at this place is, taking out our tripod, setting up the camera on timer, 10 shots per five second, all participants into frame and have fun with the multiple shots! Tanah Lot is another Hindu Temple located in West Bali. If Ulun Danu is in the middle of a lake, then Tanah Lot is in the middle of the sea. In order to reach the temple you need to wait for the low tide *suggest you to visit at around 3-5PM, that's when the tide is low*. Otherwise you can only see the temple from afar. But they got really nice lookout points scattered around the temple. OK, so this time I got lucky and able to see the temple closely. Apparently there is a cave below the temple, in which you can spot a freshwater spring. It is believed to be a blessed spring, so took a sip from the spring, a priest will then blessed you afterwards, and don't forget to leave some donations.

Day 3 is the time for Lombok adventure. So we took the earliest flight from Bali to Lombok. As I've explained before, we then took a taxi to Bangsal Seaport as we need to tranfer to the smaller islands. The airport taxi will only take you to the terminal (115K IDR). You need to get off at the terminal and use a Cidomo/Horse Cart (20K IDR) to get to the port. Once you arrive at the terminal you'll be swarmed with people offering you hats, flipflops, or service to carry your bags. If you don't want to be bother, firmly say NO! Once on the port choose the most convenient boat that suits you,, :) FYI since we were transferring to Gili Trawangan (which is the busiest Gili out of the three) we decided to take the public boat, and it only take us 20minutes to wait for the boat to fill up. More on the public boat fare? see picts on the right.

You must have wondered what we do at Gili Trawangan. We rent a boat and go snorkling around Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. And in the afternoon we go sunset hunting. If you are staying for longer times, do not hesitate to take the diving lessons. Oh,, and don't forget to visit their turtle conseration site.

Day 4 We go transfer to Gili Air via the Island Hopping service. A public boat that regularly carries passengers who want to go to the other island. If I'm not mistaken the Island Hopping only run twice, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. So if you'd like to transfer via this service, make sure you be ready at the port at 9.00AM as the boat leaves at 9.30 AM *for a small island service, we find it to be very on time*.

Gili Air is a much quieter place than Gili Trawangan. The bungalow we stayed in really support the atmosphere.You just want to sit back, enjoy the breeze, the blue sky, and the white sand beach. Also if you want a little bit of activity it was right in front of Gili Air's snorkeling spot.

One more thing, when you're here, do visit Kelapaku Fashion, there's this guy who made jewellries out of coconuts and shells. And his works are really artworks.

Day 5 transfer back to the big island of Lombok. Since population at Gili Air is much smaller than that of Trawangan, it would take longer time for you to wait for the public boat to fill up. Unless of course you leave really early in the morning along with the local residences who'd like to go to the market. So we decided to charter a boat at 150K IDR. It's worth the money if you don't want to miss a flight schedule, :)

Back at Lombok, we make a pit stop at Senggigi Beach. Lunch on the beachside is perfect to end the trip.

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The Place to Crash

Bali : We stayed at Segara Sadhu Inn on Poppies Lane 2. The inn is closer to Kuta street rather than Legian. Pretty cheap at 150K IDR per room per night include breakfast. Although don't expect a big buffet breakfast at a five star hotel. They only serve indomie (fried or soup) or toast with egg.

Gili Trawangan : Staying at Lumbung Cottage. A mid-range lodging at Trawangan. At 300K IDR per room per night you'll get a spacious cottage that looks like a Lumbung, open air bathroom with hot water, and more digestable breakfast. Also the place is spacious enough if you'd like to rent a room for three.

Gili Air : Staying at Sunrise. Also a mid-range lodging. At 360K IDR you'll get a 2 story cottage. The first floor being an open air terrace, suitable for relaxing equipped with a hammock and a single bed with mosquito net. And the second floor equipped with a double bed and a balcony. If you're travelling in three, renting one room would be enough. But one of you need to sacrifice by sleeping on the terrace. :P

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Picture Collections of The Places to See

I uploaded the most interesting ones so you don't have to think twice to go visit! Enjoy the video!

Paradise Islands Slideshow: Mayankcat’s trip from Jakarta, Java, Indonesia to 2 cities Bali and Lombok was created by TripAdvisor. See another Indonesia slideshow. Take your travel photos and make a slideshow for free.

Saving Our Heritage | Indonesia's Kite Museum and The Unfinished Mural

When I first went to Indonesia's Kite Museum last year, I had to be disappointed, because the museum was shut down for a day due to a wedding reception that'd be held there. And thank you for a three days weekend due to Easter Holiday, finally my friends and I got another spare time to visit this museum.

How do I know about this museum is thru Mr Google. And it caught my eye as the museum provides numerous workshops at affordable prices. For 10.000 IDR you will get a packet of watching short movie about kite, a tour to see the collection, plus a small kite making workshop. For an extra 50.000 IDR you can have another workshop to paint t-shirt, ceramic making (but need to pick up the finished ceramic after 1 week, as the ceramic need to go through the burning process first), batik making (min. 5 person), or umbrella painting.

It may be a small museum, but the collection is enormous. I get to see not only traditional kites from each region in Indonesia, but also kites from other countries. And what the kites were made of was also shocking. I always thought that kites are made from paper or thin cloth. But there, I found kites made of Pandan leaves weaving, shapeable Lontar leaves, plastic and others. And the size, you can see kites in 2D or in 3D, hundred meters long and wide, also as small as 5cmx5cm.

What is more amazing is, when I saw the movie, it shows a controllable kite. It can dance, it can walk on the ground, and it can maneuver like the jets on military parades. This all depends on how strong the wind is. For example when the wind is really strong, you can have a three paralel kites maneuvering. But when there's no wind, the kite can only walk on the ground. Not all kite can do this. The ones that can must shape like the kite beside, plus this kite is controlled by two string (unlike most other kites).

For some part in Indonesia (and sometimes other country), kites are not just a toy for the kids. For example in Kalimantan on the wedding reception two kites will be flown by the bride&groom. The groom will flown the Dandang Laki, and the bride will flown the Dandang Bini. Actually this thought kinda freaks me out. I mean, what happens if you can't fly the kite?!?! Will the wedding be off?? :)

Another story, making kite might not cost a lot. But what do cost a lot is the ritual that goes with it. In some part of Indonesia, traditional kites are considered sacred. That's why upon making it there are several rituals and ceremonies that they must do. One more interesting thing, it is never a kite unless it makes a sound when it's flying.

Done having a tour, it's time for a little handicraft, and a walk around the museum for a little photoshoot. :) *trust me this place is filled in with a lot of natural sets that can fulfill your narcissistic personality*

Located at Jl. H. Kamang No. 38, Pondok Labu, South Jakarta, makes Museum Layang-Layang Indonesia pretty secluded from Jakarta's busy street, but still make it easy to reach. For more info, just visit their FB page. A little advice, if you're travelling in large group (>20people) better make a reservation first. And do call the museum before you visit, to make sure whether they're closing down that day for a private party or not.

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Next stop we go visit Jakarta's Historical Museum (or the infamous Fatahillah Museum) to see the unfinished Mural Painting by Harijadi Sumodidjojo. The "Batavia Situation between 1880- 1920" mural is an ambitious project started in 1974 to fill a 200m2 wall with paintings. A detail capture to the hustle and bustle of Jakarta's social life at colonial times. It is a complete painting along with the dominating Europeanen, the Vreemde Oosterlingen merchants, and the suppresed inlanders. Although unfinished, the painting still give me the chills when I enter the room. Wonder what it would be like if it was a completed painting. Then again maybe the chills came, because half of the paintings are only sketches.

To spice up the exhibition, before we enter the room of the mural painting. We will see a show by Teater Koma. It is an interactive animated performance, in which characters from the mural painting suddenly came to life, with three additional human players, as narrator and soldiers. The performance itself is actually only the introduction to a story "Mystery of Batavia". This fictional story is inspired by the mural painting. In order to know how the story ends, we must follow the digital comic at www.mysteryofbatavia.com which is updated every Friday.

Road to IT pt I - Introduction

After building a miniature Colosseum in one day, and being more determined to visit Italy, I decided to get myself on track. And put an effort on turning a dream into reality.

So how this all began? Actually I really can't remember how it all began. Ever since 5 or 6 years ago, I'd always wanted to visit Venice and Greece. And after a while, my mind is set on Italy. The following things, are probably what caused my mind to focus on Italy :)

• Nancy Drew's The Phantom of Venice, probably played a really big part of it. Wandering around the city of Venice, riding gondola to get from one place to another. It's just exciting.
• Angelina Jolie & Jhonny Depp's The Tourist. Now I watched this with my friend at the cinema few months ago. And we came up with one decision. Definitely need to visit Venice. That's why we started to scheme this adventure now..
• The Romeo and Juliet's tragedy took place here!! Don't you want to at least reminiscence their "O Romeo,,Romeo,, wherefore art thou Romeo?" in Verona
• A city with a great and unique architecture really worth the visit. Italy is filled with a lot of great landmarks. So what are we waiting for?
• You know how the TV always report a Christmas Mass LIVE from Vatican City. And to look in the background, you see something really grande & decorative. I just need to see it for real. And the movie Angels & Demonds does not help, it just makes me want to explore every church they got there. Maybe it's because every church got their own style of decoration, statues, paintings and all.
• The more I learn about it the more I see that it's a one stop travelling. You can shop till you drop in Milan, enjoy the sunbathe or warm seas in Sicily, thousands of historical museums and cultural heritage sites, a hike at Cinque Terre, biking along the vineyard, and a hundred thousand things to do there. Although probably, if I'd really like to do all that I must stay in Italy for a month or two. *and got back home broke and jobless, haha..*

So help me turn this dream into a reality!! A prayer, tips or even donations are most welcome *haha..*. Let's just wish with all our might, that I'll be there in 2012. *although not all place visited at least reaching a part of it..*

Batik = Medogh

Disclaimer: This is not a promotional activity. Every opinions are truly personal based on consuming experience. *A story long overdue,, :)*

You know how for a certain period of time you'll face some particular fads. For example the crazy ringlet hair during the 80's, or the California-Pro in line skate a sports equipment you must have during mid 90's. There were times when people were wearing super baggy jeans then the super tight jeans (pencil), or the baggy on the thigh but tight on the caves jeans. The point is, these fads come and go. Probably, one of the fads we were facing a few months back would be the Batik fads.

Ever since the controversy, suddenly batik clothing become more casual. A cloth that once you wear only to formal ceremonies and weddings, has become a fashion on the street. And thanks to capitalism, a spirit to preserve the cultural heritage at first, is being mistaken by the business world. And here are some young entrepreneurs, who'd like to bring batik back to its roots in a young and refreshing way.
Medogh, that's what the boutique is called. Started out as any independent clothing boutique in the business. Marketing from mouth to mouth, giving free samples or catalogues to friends and families, plus opening stalls at Sunday morning flea market. You must have asked why call it Medogh? Well the word "Medogh" itself comes from the Javanese language it means "thick" or "peculiar". This reflects their desire to create products that are thick or peculiar with Indonesia's culture, which is Batik. Batik is often misinterpreted as a cloth with batik printing on it. Therefore it's been a mission for Medogh to strike out a campaign to increase people's awareness of the "real" batik. Their goal would be that someday Medogh will only sell products made from real genuine handmade batik. Because batik is basically an art of processing a cloth.

Why being an entrepreneur? Apparently there's a big motivation for Medogh's owner to choose the entrepreneur way. Trading is 9 out of the 10 doors to fortune (as what the prophet says). By being an entrepreneur, owner's of Medogh believe that they can also help other people especially their employees. Only by being an entrepreneur that they can hold on to their idealism, build their own rules, and reach for the wildest dreams. Obviously this idealism and dreams are the engine to keep the business going, the spirit to keep moving while in stagnant.

Established in January 27th 2009, with Batik jackets and blouse as their main products. Two years later, Medogh has expanded its line to batik bags and shoes. To find out more about Medogh, you can visit their facebook page or their website. Cheerios!

p.s. u know that batik jackets, people has been asking me of where do I get it. Truth be told is whatever you buy at Medogh, hardly find it at any other stores. As they are not retailers, so their products are limited stocks.

Main-Main Keliling Indonesia

Wah ternyata udah lama sekali ya, saya gak mengisi artikel tentang travel. Padahal ada tiga daerah lagi yang belum saya review loh.. Oke sebetulnya antara Juni - Agustus 2010 saya sempat menginjakkan kaki kembali di Lampung demi menghadiri pernikahan salah satu sahabat saya, main-main ke salah satu pulau di kepulauan Seribu yang waktu itu lagi happening banget (yap.. apalagi kalau bukan P. Tidung), dan tentu saja,, salah satu daerah di Indonesia yang tiba2 muncul di peta kepariwisataan akibat adanya buku dan film Laskar Pelangi (yes!! it's Belitung).

Oke langsung saja menuju TKP,, jika Anda yang ingin melihat trip Lampung II silahkan klik di sini, untuk P. Tidung dan sekitarnya silahkan klik di sini, dan untuk trip to P. Belitung silahkan klik di sini. Enjoy the article, semoga bisa membantu..

p.s. satu lagi,, saya sudah merencanakan trip Bali-Lombok dalam seminggu di bulan May. doakan trip ini sukses ya!! let's have fun!!

p.s.s. Dengan adanya artikel ini I officially announce that Fioritura Fiori is going Public again.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

You and me we're meant to be
Walking free in harmony
One fine day we'll fly away
Don't you know that Rome wasn't built in a day
~Morcheeba





p.s. now i'm officially can't wait to go to Italy, even if it will take a lifetime to get me there. i'll be there somehow. it's meant to be

Stay Safe

No, this is not a campaign to wear condoms.

So I was enrolled in this training of being an internal audit for that safety & environment standard thing. One of the points that brought my attention is the safety hierarchy. The trainer showed us this triangle of the accident & incident hierarchy. So it says, for every 10000 unsafe actions that we do, will lead to 600 near miss, 30 property damage, 10 Minor accidents, and 1 Major accident (death). I know it seems like a small probability. But think of it this way, when your unsafe actions become a habit, meant that you’ll be doing it more than you can think of, and you are one step closer to a near miss, minor accident, or even death.

A little story of experience, It’s been a year since I travelled a long way from work, to home, and campus to finish my master degree. It was only a year of heavy travelling, speeding up above 140km/hour, at dawn or late night, to arrive on time. Everybody thinks that accidents happen but not to me. That’s what I thought, till I hit another car and pay a really good price for it. The point is, somewhere along that unsafe heavy travelling, must have experience a near miss *almost hit another car, or other things*, but never put any attention to it and keep doing what I’m doing. Thank goodness it doesn’t take more for me to realize that staying safe on the road, is important.

Then I came up with this pledge, of staying safe on the road. It’s time to make a promise to self, to get home alive.

1. 1 meter for every 1km/hour
This is a pledge for not tailing the car in front of me. Give some space. Tailing the car in front of you is not going to scare him away, or make your ride faster. This thing actually come from my dad. For example if you're riding at 80km/hour speed then at least you have to be 80m away from the car in front of you.

2. No more than 100km/hour
*or 120km/hour tops,, okay2, I know it’s still too much, but I can’t help it on this one, men it’s a highway!!* . bottom line is NO SPEEDING!! No need to rush, just be patient. :)

3. There’s time to push, when you’ve pushed hard enough, then let go.
This needs to be done especially when dealing with motorcycles, angkots, buses, trucks, and those smart a** people. If they're not going to back off, held your anger and back off. Remember that old saying "Menang jadi arang, Kalah jadi abu" there's no point in dealing with this people. No matter how right you are, just let them go first.

4. Focus
You know how sometimes you got caught up on what the people on the radio said, or talking to your travel mate, or busy enjoying the songs on the CD, well,, don't forget you still gotta focus on the road. Hey it's a massacre out there. So better be careful.
5. Put on your Safety Belt
'Nuff said, my finance director once scold me for not wearing a safety belt just because i sit in the back. and i thought, hey there's no rule that requires me to wear seat belt while not in front seat. then again come to think of the safety, you should wear a seatbelt regardless where you seat.

So that's how we do it. The more the merrier, let's stay safe on the road.
Remember accidents could happen to us :)

The Year,, 2011

People love new year. They celebrate, they cheer, they kiss, they laugh.
Somehow the words "new year" gave them a NEW hope. Hope that the next 365 days will be different than the previous. Hope that finally things will change. Hope that yes dreams WILL come true at last.
Well for me, I'm just here for the fireworks. They don't blow much of this extravagant as its expensive. And the only times that I can see beautiful fireworks is on new year's eve and on the Independence Day. But I guess, I'd rather spend the 17th August on travelling across Indonesia rather than watching fireworks. So I'm willing to stay up late at night on December 31st, and pick a spot among hundreds of people to just watch fireworks. It's all worth it to watch the midnight sky burns into reds, yellows, purples, blues, and greens.


Sometimes you hate me, sometimes you love me
But you realize, you realize that you can’t leave me behind
I can be your best friend, I can be your enemy
I can be anything, anything you want me to be
You can run, run, run
In the midnight sun, sun, sun
Sometimes you hope, sometimes you forget that I am here
But you’ll be sorry, you’ll be sorry when you are losing me