to the (not so) far east

I believe our whole life can be affected by one moment. Alright, that's probably a bit too dramatic, but our actions might affect our lives in either short or long term. I often think about what life would be if I decided to go apposite what I did. I mean, out of everything, Moses asked for wisdom to number the time. It's got to be something, right?

The idea I actually left my work and went on a journey to the amazing part of East Indonesia was one of the least likely to happen options right now in my life. I was so ready to cancel my trip because I felt bad going on a trip while having so many things waiting back here at work. But I managed (Ha!), not only to actually go, but to get most of things done and to have fun.

HOW TO GET TO ORA BEACH RESORT

There are two ways of actually experience visiting Ora Beach Resort. First, watch our YouTube videos about the insanely excitement of staying there. But yes, definitely much less fun. Or you can actually go there yourself, this is the how-to-get-there:

1. Taking the first boat trip from Hurnala Port, Talehu - the cost for the economy class is IDR 125K. It's going to be around 2 hours boat trip. 
2. Arriving at Amahai Port, we can go with local transportation or arrange a package from Ora Beach Resort to pick us up there. It takes around 3 hours interesting road trip from Amahai to another port, Saleman.
3. Then, another 10 minutes boat trip from Saleman to Ora Beach Resort.

I know, insane right? But totally worth it, the whole hassle. I wasn't much a person who enjoys long trip, especially those challenging ones. I read somewhere that we can also ask the Ora Beach Resort staff to begin picking us up from certain hotel in Ambon. I would totally go for that if I have extra cash.

Ora Beach Resort is (at current state) the only resort in that coast-line, so basically staying there means you get to have the whole beach for yourself (and people who lives in the other 7 bungalows). Amazing, isn't it? Due to the fact that the resort is far and secluded, I would strongly suggest you bring extra mineral water or some snacks. They provide meals and snacks as part of the package, but let's just say those meals aren't that memorable. Oh yes, ask for the floating fish market, pulau Raja, for adding lobsters in your meal. Price is totally reasonable.

6 DAYS OFF THE GRID

Everyone who has gone traveling with me would tell you that I has repeatedly said the first thing I would do when I return from a long trip is to change my phone provider. Like many trips I have been on, my phone couldn't get any signals, no reception at all, not even half a bar. The only for me to connect to the world was either borrowing someone else's phone or just staying undetected.

At some point, I was quite content to not be able to receive any calls. Yes, true I wasn't connected to the world in any kind of social medias.

THE KINDNESS OF (FORMER) STRANGERS

Undeniably one of the perks of traveling (at least here in Indonesia) is to meet strangers which end up leaving memorable marks in my life. Mostly they're great. I'm sure wherever you go, if you open up a little bit, you will find that treasure in long-lasting friendship.

The next part is a bit personal.

For Om Polly and Tante Atta, who sincerely took us in like we're their own babies. I'm forever touched with their kindness, their love and how they're solely responsible for all the weight gain! They're the living proof that people are still able to be kind and how they live their Christian belief. I'm very so inspired.

Sammy and Helga, who worry for us like two lovely "parents". I'm still saddened by the fact they don't want me to name their baby, but again it's a good call - I might come up with something that's more appropriate for ketchup products or biscuits.

Om Noki to whom we trusted our lives in for hours of extreme road trip. He's not just doing his job, but he decided to go beyond and ensure that we arrived safely and were properly taken care.

The future pop star, Quinn.

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG

A friend told me how certain bloggers have become less-informative and more personal. Some blogs are very informative, while some contains more personal information. I would like to see mine somewhere in the middle.


I like to think that I'm the sole royal reader of my own blog. It's like a journal (diary, yes if you prefer to call it) that I would read over and over again to remind myself I was once somewhere. Yes, I'm a self-loving bloke.

In short, I'm glad I went and it's written here as one lovely part of my life. In a shorter-two-words term: Truly blessed.

Note: I went to Ora last year and I wrote this a few weeks after the trip. I guess I nearly forgot that I still had it on my draft folder until .. today. (:

dear future alex

Hello future Alex!

I wrote this post from the present simply to apologize for the things I have done and probably you're still paying the price. Yes, it's true. There have been things I'm not proud of, but I was not thinking clear or will not be thinking clear when I made or make that decision.

There's a chance while you're reading this post, you might be sitting in your new office. There's also a bit fat chance that you might not like what you're doing. You miss your old desk, you miss your friends and you even miss those craps they serve daily at the canteen. I cannot express how it must have felt for you, but please understand, it took me a while to make that decision and it just feels right. I hope you're not quitting simply because it's difficult, but you will find your way to embrace the challenge.

But yes, missing your friends is simply natural, but you might have or will make more new friends.

Remember April 8, 2013? Remember how you hit rock bottom? And as the saying goes, when you hit rock bottom, there's no other ways to go, but up. I'm blabbering, but my point is we've been or seen the worst. We've learned our lessons, we should've been much wiser by now. If not, at least, we understand the chances we've been given. Should we be nothing else, but thankful.

I'm pretty sure that I might do more errors as time passes by. I might hurt your friends, disappoint your family, constantly have disagreements with your co-workers to which you definitely have to suffer the consequences. Includes this post, to which I'm about to publish, you might be ashamed of not only the content, but how poorly it's structured. Ha!

I'm constantly struggling in making the proper decisions. I'm trying not to lose myself. I wish there was a way for you to guide me, warn me of things I might do that affect both of our lives. Oh Future Alex, I have a clear vision of what you should be and I hope I will not fall in doing things that might screw that vivid image of you that we both can be proud of.

Don't forget to call your mom.

Don't forget to appreciate your co-workers.

Call your old friends and do some catch-ups.

Travel, eat well, read books and always be kind.

Sincerely,

Your oldest pal.

adieu bleki

Dia telah pergi, dia telah pergi

Tiada lagi cerita menjelang pagi

Merindu kala sore sambutan hangat

Sapaan ceria seorang sahabat

Istirahat dengan damai, Bleki

1997 - 2014.

restoration

I have not written anything almost a year now and I seriously have forgotten how grey my blog was. So many things have happened. For people who are close to me, know that 2013 is a life-changing year for me. It was probably one of the most difficult year to get through. But on the other hand, it's also the year I began to realized how blessed I have been. 

I have nothing yet to blog, but I promise to write more often. I went two weeks ago, that's probably going to be my first entry after a long hiatus. I can hardly wait for that!

Happy Sunday!

tebak-tebakan pemenang oscar

Percaya atau tidak, saya sudah nonton 7 dari 9 film yang dinominasikan sebagai film terbaik tahun ini untuk memenangkan Oscar. Dua film yang belum saya tonton adalah Lincoln dan Argo. Jadi berbekal hal ini, rasanya sudah pantas saya nekat untuk menebak-nebak siapa yang akan mendapatkan piala Oscar tersebut besok.

Best supporting actor: Christoph Waltz - Django Unchained

Kenapa? Menurut saya, dari film Django Unchained, selain Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio dan Samuel L. Jackson layak untuk dinominasikan untuk kategori ini, namun karena mereka dilewatkan, mungkin Oscar merasa bersalah dan kemudian memberikan kemenangan itu kepada Waltz. HAHAHA. Selain itu, akting Waltz di film ini sangat natural.

Best supporting actress: Anne Hathaway - Les Miserables

Like we have to think, seriously! Anne akan menang. Kembali seperti Django, Oscar juga melewatkan Samantha Barks, yang menurut saya tampil keren banget dan harusnya masuk nominasi. 

Best director: David O. Russel - Silver Linings Playbook

Hmm, tanpa Ben Affleck, kategori ini mungkin bisa jadi rebutan antara David O. Russel dan Steven Spielberg. Setelah Bigelow ngalahkan Cameron dan Hazanvicius mengalahkan Scorsese, tampaknya O. Russel bakal menang kali ini. Jujur, saya ingin sekali melihat Michael Haneke yang menang. Percaya tidak kalau ternyata Haneke belum pernah dapat Oscar sebagai sutradara terbaik? Dunia apa ini!?

Best actor: Daniel Day Lewis - Lincoln

Oscar suka dengan aktor yang memerankan tokoh sejarah. Selain Denzel dan Phoenix yang filmnya nyaris tidak ada kabar apa-apa, aktor yang lain masih muda, masih ada kesempatan yang lain. HEHEHE.

Best actress: Jessica Chastain - Zero Dark Thirty

Untuk kategori ini, rasanya Oscar cuma jadi rebutan Jessica dan Jennifer. Awalnya, saya menjagokan Jeniffer, tetapi begitu saya selesai menonton kedua film ini, saya percaya Jessica yang harusnya menang. Walaupun keduanya dikalahkan di Bafta oleh Emanuelle Riva dan karena itu pula, sebagaian dari diri saya menginginkan Riva yang menang. Sesuatu yang sulit rasanya.

Best picture: Lincoln

Kayaknya ini bakal jadi lomba-lombanya Argo dan Lincoln. Namun karena Argo nyaris gak kebagian apa-apa dalam kategori yang lain dibandingkan 12 nominasi untuk Lincoln, sepertinya Lincoln akan menang. Hal yang sama berlaku untuk Django Unchained. 

Amour tidak mungkin menang untuk kategori ini karena dia akan menang di kategori film asing terbaik. Sisanya, selain sudah kebagian di kategori lain, seperti Silver, atau bakal menang di kategori yang teknis, seperti Life of Pi, atau mungkin tidak akan kebagian apa-apa, seperti Beasts.

Yah namanya juga tebakan. Oscars, tanggal 24, Senin ini.

[au ciné] the beauty of the very violent django unchained

DJANGO UNCHAINED
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Stars: Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz
Year: 2013

"Django. The D is silent."

In case you're wondering, yes, I had a very good weekend. I went to see some movies, catch up with a friend, dining with my family. One of the movies I did watch last Saturday was Django Unchained. I must say that I love this movie so much.

Like most of Quentin Tarantino's movies, at the end of every movie, I felt that I just saw something that's totally new, something that has not been done before. I was like this kid being amazed at a fair or something. The same thing happened to me with Django.

Django in short, is about a slave who was given his freedom by this German bounty hunter, whom acquired his help to hunt some law-breakers. Soon after the winter ends, Django decided to search for his wife and planned to free her as well.

Let's put it this way: Quentin has a big head not for nothing. It contains a big busy brain. He is so clever that he could make a very simple non-twisted story line interesting. The dialog, every line seems like a quote from Paulo Coelho's books or something. It's violent, it's extravagant, it's offensive and it's the kind of movie that you would associate with Tarantino.

His love for those tacky B-movies again influenced so much of the movie. The over-the-top blood splats, the crazy opening credit and the tacky soundtrack are exactly why Django is an instant classic. I don't think we could talk about Tarantino without associate him with this movie.

And I have mentioned all these eccentric characters? Leave it to Tarantino to write the most interesting, mind-blowing fictional characters that ever graced our silver screen. And sweet one, they're named with unusual names. Just when you thought nothing could be any weirder than Beatrix Kiddo, here comes Broomhilda von Shaft, Calvin Candie and Django, with a silent D. Do you think Tarantino laughed his ass off when he decided on the names of the characters he wrote?

Just like Inglorious Basterds, soon after I watched it, I firmly believed Waltz deserves his Oscar. In Django, he gave a crazy natural performance as the charismatic Dr. Schultz. I won't be surprised if he eventually wins this year's Oscar for the best supporting role. Leonardo DiCaprio was also taking risk as the flamboyant Monsieur Candie and it works. It's a snub that he wasn't even nominated, totally! Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson are always good actors and they proved it so.

In short, I beyond love this f-ing movie!

don't call me botak, unless ...

Okay, do not judge me based on this photo above. Not only that I look ridiculous, I also look a bit over-weight. The initial idea of the photo was to challenge myself to lose some weight and blog about the whole thing. I was going to take the before-after shot. Then this other idea came up and I thought this photo kind of represents it, so voila, that's the whole story. 

Almost two years ago, I decided to shave my head. I remember telling myself that it was a crazy idea, but at that time, I assured myself that it's going to be liberating, which it is. Some people give up eating meat, I gave up having hair. It's just that simple.

Unfortunately, I live in a society that probably is not familiar with a completely shaved head. I cannot begin to tell you, how many people have use my hair absence to deliberately mock me. I have been called shining-head, egg-head, golf-ball to the most vicious and offensive one, botak (translated as bald).

Okay, let me try to explain to you why it's offensive. You probably remember that Gwyneth Paltrow - Jay Z - Kanye West incident a year ago? When Paltrow joked around using or referring to Jay Z's song which contains the N word (you know which word I'm talking about, don't you?). Jay Z, Beyonce and (probably) Kanye were extremely upset and offended by Paltrow due to that usage of N-word simply because she's white. 

The same thing applies to my situation. Despite the fact that I am botak, but to have someone who is not, calling me that is very insulting. For me it's equally offensive as Paltrow using that N-word. 

However, I'm a man with a big heart. I forgive and forget. So I forgive you, crazy super-drunk mas-mas at Pluit who almost made a song of my baldness. 

I also forgive you, you little brat at Grand Indonesia last weekend, who probably was there for your first time ever. I forgive you for pointing your index finger at me and calling me "om botak". 

I hope in the future once this post published, being bald is no longer unusual, but it can be considered cool and trendy. 

[au ciné] rectoverso

RECTOVERSO

Sutradara: Olga Lydia, Cathy Sharon, Marcella Zalianty, Happy Salma, Rachel Maryam

Bintang: Amanda Soekasah, Lukman Sardi, Yama Carlos

Tahun: 2013

"Aku jatuh cinta pada seseorang yang hanya mampu aku gapai sebatas punggungnya saja.

Seseorang yang aku sanggup menikmati bayangannya dan tidak akan pernah bisa aku miliki,

seseorang yang hadir bagai bintang jatuh, 

sekelebat kemudian menghilang, 

sebelum tangan ini sanggup mengejar,

seseorang yang hanya bisa aku kirimi isyarat, 

sehalus udara, langit awan atau hujan."

Saya harus akui kalau saya belum pernah membaca karya tulis Dewi Lestari dalam bentuk apapun. Tanpa malu, saya juga harus akui sebelum menonton film ini, pengetahuan saya akan kumpulan cerita pendek karya Dee boleh dibilang nihil. Justru karena begitu, saya percaya kalau saya adalah orang yang paling sering menghelakan dan menahan nafas selama pemutaran film ini. Yep, call me lebay!

Rectoverso sendiri mempunyai beberapa arti. Dalam dunia percetakan recto-verso adalah pengkodean halaman dari kanan ke kiri, seperti buku-buku dalam bahasa Arab atau Mandarin. Dalam bahasa Perancis (bahasa yang tampaknya tidak akan pernah saya kuasai dengan mahir walau sudah bertahun-tahun belajar juga), rectoverso mempunyai arti dua sisi dari selembar kertas. 

Dalam beberapa situs, Rectoverso disebut sebagai film omnibus, yang mana artinya film ini adalah kumpulan dari beberapa film pendek yang mempunyai satu kesamaan. Dalam hal ini, kesamaan dari semua film-film pendek ini adalah akhir kisah cinta yang tidak bahagia. Pendeknya, gak ada yang bahagia di film ini.

Rectoverso terdiri dari 5 segmen dengan 5 sutradara muda. Seperti pengakuan saya sebelumnya, kelima kisah film-film pendek ini didasari dari kumpulan cerita pendek popular karya Dewi Lestari. Kelima cerita tersebut adalah: Cicak di Dinding, Firasat, Curhat untuk Sahabat, Malaikat juga Tahu dan bagian yang paling saya sukai, Hanya Isyarat. Sinopsis dari masing-masing film pendek ini dapat dilihat di situs Rectoverso.

Sedikit catatan untuk Hanya Isyarat. Ini adalah bagian yang paling-paling-paling saya sukai (Kudu 3 kali palingnya, biar pada jelas!). Selain latar belakang pantai dan laut, dialog di adegan-adegan film pendek ini begitu puitis tanpa berkesan norak atau terlalu baku, seolah-olah sang penulis naskah menggunakan KBBI sebagai acuan menulis. Justru sebaliknya dialog-dialog puitis ini menggugah emosi penonton (baca: saya) dengan teratur, dengan rapi dan hasilnya sangat menyentuh.

Apa yang membuat film ini begitu istimewa sebagai satu kesatuan? Selain naskah yang ditulis dengan baik, juga keberhasilan sutradara-sutradara perempuan ini yang berhasil menerjemahkan tulisan-tulisan tersebut dengan gambar, dengan adegan yang begitu puitis, begitu rapi, begitu menyentuh. Di-edit dengan begitu baik, sehingga alur cerita dari keroyokan 5 film pendek terkesan sangat rapi dan tidak membingungkan.

Tentunya, keberhasilan film ini juga dipengaruhi oleh kesempurnaan pemeran-pemeran dari film ini dalam menjiwai karakter yang sungguh beragam, seperti Lukman Sardi, membawakan peran Abang, karakter yang sangat istimewa, dengan emosi yang berapi-api atau Amanda Soekasah, sebagai Al yang memberikan kesan tertutup dan Soekasah berhasil menghipnotis saya dengan kemampuan yang luar biasa. Selain mereka, tentunya masih ada pemeran-pemeran lain yang layak untuk dikenang, seperti: Yama Carlos, Dewi Irawan, dan bahkan Sophia Latjuba tidak mengecewakan.

Mungkin satu-satunya kesalahan film ini adalah saat lagu Malaikat juga Tahu berkumandang dengan begitu tidak pada tempat dan saatnya, seperti usaha -siapapun itu- untuk menguras emosi penonton. Mungkin dengan musik orkestra atau bahkan petikan gitar, rangkaian adegan-adegan akhir film itu lebih mengguncang emosi saya.

Sayang sekali, Rectoverso diputar tidak lebih dari 25 biskop di Jakarta dan sebagian besar biskop-biskop tersebut adalah biskop kecil. 

Sungguh disayangkan.

I own no right for all the photos. They are taken mostly from internet.

soon, the sun will smile

I wish I could just say it's only water. The flood has caused so much loss, so much pain and definitely leaves a big scar. I'm truly glad that it's over for now and I'm truly grateful for people who have been working so hard to help, to look after us and to pray for us.

Many blessings.

[au ciné] les misérables

LES MISÉRABLES
Director: Tom Hooper
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russel Crowe
Year released: 2012/2013

"I had a dream my life would be 

so different from this hell I'm living

so different now from what it seemed

Now life has killed the dream I dreamed"

It's undeniable that Les Misérables might be one of the most famous and successful musicals. That's why I assume many of the songs in this musical have become so popular. Although it's irritating, but I somehow understand if the people sit next to me cannot help themselves but to sing along "I Dreamed a Dream" or even "A Heart Full of Love".

Even so, musical is not for everyone. According to a friend who hates this movie and all movies that involve singing as the dialogues, unlike the spoken-dialogue movies (you know what I mean!), musicals lack of emotions and I guess that made Tom Hooper decide to record all the singing live. Pardon my musical knowledge, but when I watched this movie and listened to how Jackman (and some others) sang most of the songs in a very staccato-esque style (Alright, no sure this term does exist). It's like his (their) voice is stamping and it makes it more emotional than actually just talking. HAHAHA. I hope I didn't talk nonsense.

Anyway, if you ask me whether I like the movie? I must say I'm caught in between. In my opinion, Tom Hooper's take on the musical works partially on smaller scenes, like when Fantine sang about her dying dream, Eponine sang her one-way love or even Valjean's repentance. They're all very emotional, the scenes were greatly shot. Somehow when it comes to big grandeur scene, like the battles, the beginning of the riot, they all kind of fell short, maybe except the opening scene.

So yeah, I don't think it's a snub that Hooper didn't any directing nomination, but I'm truly glad that Anne Hathaway and Hugh Jackman did. The truest snub here would be Samantha Banks. She should be nominated, people!

Would I recommend the movie? Let's put it this way, if you like it, you're probably going to watch it over and over again. If you like it, you know the songs by heart and you cannot help yourself not to sing it while it's one, people probably are going to hate for it. If you're not into musicals, like this friend of mine I quote, it's probably a very torturing 150 minutes.

the flood, day 1: the north side of the city

Photo from epaper.kompas.com - Friday, 18 January 2013

So I live in the north side of Jakarta, which had not been flooded since as long as I could remember. But unfortunately this year, we could not avoid the tragedy. Half of the city has been flooded when I was about to leave to work that morning. I was warned not to. Too risky, the said. But I decided that it was an important day at work and I thought it couldn't be that bad.

I did arrive at work a bit late. I tried to get things done, but somehow I didn't feel like wanting to be there. I felt that my mind is wandering off somewhere else. I remember a breakfast where I made this joke about Jakarta being flooded and a birthday lunch among friends where I'm not sure whether I did something or even nothing.

So I'm sure you understand when one of the heads decided to leave and asked whether I wanted to go with her or not. Without any hesitation, I said yes.

I was dropped at Cawang, where I decided to continue to Muara Karang taking a cab. And instead taking the usual route, I went with the driver's suggestion taking the highway through Ancol. He was absolutely right, no flood. But I was trapped in the traffic jam for almost two hours. Half of Pluit was drowned. My cab fare nearly doubled the normal fare I paid, due to traffic and circling around Pantai Indah Kapuk just to figure a way home.

But then I was home. Never I be so happy to be home, although I was pretty sure it was the end of it.

But still, I'm home!

Continue to day 2.

the flood, day 2: no way out

Photos from many sources - a big thanks to my sister.

I'm sure if you are (were) a Blackberry Messenger user, you must have received at least one or two broadcast messages. I must say they can be terribly annoying. So on the night before, I received a BM saying that a bigger flood headed to Pluit due to the inability of the Pluit barrier to hold the water and as usual, I deleted them immediately with a big smirk. Friday morning, I thought maybe everything's getting better by now and maybe I could peacefully go to work. Oh boy, didn't I just get it all wrong?!

The two main exits from Pluit was flooded and literally I was (we were all) trapped. Hundreds of people waiting alongside big trucks, ambulance, fire department trucks exactly on the bridge separated Pluit from Muara Karang. Some of them were waiting for their family (in Pluit) to be rescued, some of them were just there sightseeing and I'm sure some of them were like me, thinking, "how am I going to get out of here?"

As I stood there looking a bit lost, not having any clue how to resolve the problem, random thoughts flashed by and they are: 

1. My boss' face the last time I saw her - she was asking this rhetoric question of that I shall be at work this morning. Oh no!
2. I might not be able to watch Les Miserables in the cinema. Oh double no!
3. Why is nobody freaking out? The flood's going to take forever to dry out.

Then I snapped back to reality. I decided to go back home. Although it's very unfortunate, but the truest truth is I'm truly very blessed. There are some parts of Pluit that suffered thousands times worse than me and to think I just moved to Muara Karang (read: the dry land) like just 6 months ago gave me chills.

And these kind heart people who have been helping people to evacuate, I applaud you. I guess if we're looking for today's super heroes, you guys must be it.

It rains again as I'm about to publish this post. God helps us all.

deux mille treize

2012 just ended. Despite the fears of Armageddon, it's actually a great year. By the end of year, Facebook has this apps, which (I think) its purposed is to help you review what has actually happened for that one year period. Considered it as a scoring chart, I must admit that I didn't do well. HAHAHA. So here are a few highlights from my 2012 Year in Review according to our beloved Facebook:

1. I added 41 new friends this year. For your information, in 2011, I added 106 new friends, so that's a sign how anti-social I was last year.
2. I liked 39 new pages. Again, it shows how desperate I need to hang out and start drinking beer or something.
3. The rest of the Year in Review page shows the peak of events that I recorded (with photos, or comments). Most of them are farewells. 2012, despite its greatness, is also the year of parting with so many great friends at work.
4. I must not forget the insane trip I decided to take last June to Hong Kong - Malaysia and Singapore with Billy, my nephew. It was so rewarding. In a way, the trip has made me learn being a better person.
5. And weddings, which I didn't attend. BUT .. I noted that so many of my friends' lives changed significantly (of course, without my presence, I'm a douchebag, I know).
6. I know how to swim and drive!!! Isn't it great??

And for the new year, 2013, like Madonna's movie career, it's a mystery, but I have hope (for the year, not her career .. KIDDING!). I have not shared many personal things with others, but sometimes I wonder, what if I do. I mean, most of the time, I forgot what my resolutions are. Maybe it's best that I put it out there, so I can have this tiny reminder which will bite my ass any time soon. So here they are:

1. This might be a bit vague, but my first resolution should be having more compassion towards life, mine and others and be more responsible with my actions and my words. 
2. There is something about time that has troubled me for quite sometime and for a person who lives in Jakarta, time is always an issue. I mean, we spend like at least 3-4 hours a day being caught in traffic. Not pretty. So I learn, I should be more wise regarding time-spending. If I have to be caught in traffic for hours, I should have learned how to spend those hours wisely. In short, be wise with my time.
3. Friends, I always say how much I appreciate good friendship, but I also notice that I haven't participated much in some of my friends' lives, so I decided to invest more time in my friends' lives.
4. See the world, well, maybe a part of the world. I haven't had any trips planned yet for next year, but I have a few places that I really want to visit.
5. Also self-actualization should be part of my resolutions, I have some interests to learn a few things, which I will share with you here.
6. I was going for number 6, but then I heard this thunder sound outside my window. I assume it's a sign that 5 is enough.

So well, I'm super-excited like fireworks that we are in 2013. Do you know that it's also my 6th year blogging? I'm terribly touched knowing it has come so far. I can't thank you enough for a very wonderful friendship. Ready for another round? Buckle up, Toto! Here we go.

conjunctivitis and loneliness

I should have posted this blog like a month ago. So 3 weeks ago, I was suffering from conjunctivitis. Not a bit deal, I just took 3 days off from work and since I was all alone at home, it felt a bit lonely. Actually it's not really a big deal. I just feel that at the end of 2012, at least I could say that I was suffering from something memorable other than some cold. So there you go, I had conjunctivitis.

In case you're wondering what conjunctivitis is. It's an eye infection. Mostly caused by virus, but in some cases, it could be bacterial. It wasn't really anything that one should worry, too much anyway. The symptoms of the disease are usually: 

1. Your eyes are red, it could be one eye or just both
2. There will be extremely dark circles around your eyes. It probably looks like the after-effect of one-week crying. Not that I had the experience, but I assume.
3. Sometimes itchy.
4. There will be excessive amount of eye crust, especially in the morning. Not pretty.

Anyway, usually it took 4 to 5 days for the disease to be completely gone. But unfortunately in my case, it stayed a bit too long due to my lack of knowledge of the disease. Here are a few tips from one survivor, me!

1. Don't panic! I know it sounds like a stupid suggestion, but really, don't panic. There are doctors, eye-specialist doctors that you can go to. I've waited for 4 days before visiting one. I'm a dumb-dumb.
2. Never put a wet warm cloth on your eyes although it might feel like you're getting better, but actually you're not. The wet cloth actually is actually like a bar for germs. So just don't.
3. Wash your hands every time you apply your medicine to your eyes or for no reason touching your eyes. This is what I call compassion, so other won't be infected. Be responsible.
4. Avoid sharing anything. Even if you're not sick, unless it's some B-movies DVDs, you shouldn't share anything with anyone .. Just saying.

they found love in a hopeless place

DE ROUILLE ET D'OS (RUST AND BONE)

Director: Jacques Audiard

Stars: Matthias Schoenaerts, Marion Cotillard

Year released: 2012

Rust and Bone tells a tale of a struggling single father who somehow involves with an killer-whale trainer who lost her both legs. Ali left Belgium with his son, Sam. Being broke, Ali had to collect leftovers for their supper. Arrived in France, they stayed with Ali's sister as he started his job as a bouncer in a club where he met Stéphanie, a killer-whale trainer, who seemed to be unhappy with her life. I might be a bit subjective, but in case you didn't know what a good actress Cotillard is. She could make her character look depressed without even trying too hard.

Somehow, they found comfort in each other. Unlike many love stories, this one squeeze out the romantic aspect and left it completely raw and bare. The relationship between Ali and Stéphanie grew after she had an accident that caused her both legs amputated. From a club bouncer, a mall security to boxing, Ali tried to make living. To all his illegal boxing matches, Stéphanie was never absent. Until she finally became his manager with all her disability.

Their relationship was going on a very rocky road as she dealt with her disability and he dealt with his own issues. After an accident that almost killed his son, Sam, everything started to fall into places. We all know it's love when Ali whispered through his phone to Stéphanie, "Je t'aime". I guess at that time I was jumping up and down and happy that they finally made it.

First time, I watched the trailer, I thought the movie will mostly talk about Cotillard's character, Stéphanie and how she dealt with her difficulties, but it was a love story between two people, whose world were falling apart and about finding that someone who you can be comfortable with.

Although I might not be the expert when it comes to films, I confidently say that this might be Cotillard's best performance since La vie en rose, which she won an Oscar for the best actress. As someone who struggles to go on living after a life-altered tragedy, Cotillard didn't have to go over the top, at times, simply one look can make you feel her pain. Do you know that Cotillard is so good at her craft, that Christopher Nolan agreed to postpone filming The Dark Knight Rises so the actress could actually join the cast?

With Cotillard as his co-star, Matthias Schoenaerts was not out-shined. Schoenaerts' performance is raw and very convincing. I believe they have successfully created a new kind of love story, the kind that was vulnerable, real and yet most-easy to believe.

De rouille et d'os has been released as DVD in Europe since last month and that's how I got so lucky to actually watch the movie. However, if you're really into this kind of movie, wait for the Europe on Screen Film Festival, this movie will be one of the selections.

what's the x that made the x factor uk awesome?

I have a confession to make: I found a new guilty pleasure in the ninth season of The X Factor UK. There have been so many TV Talent Show, that at some point, we (read: me) got really sick of it. I cannot even name American Idol winners after Kris Allen. Wait, Kris Allen did win, didn't he? HAHA.

The video I shared above is about one of the contestants, Ella Henderson. She's only 16 and it's the later stage of the competition. She performs Cher's club anthem, Believe completely in a different way. I love how everyone changed their mind from implicitly disbelief of her song choice to be in awe of her performance.

I agree with Gary Barlow that all this time, we never really take this song seriously, until now. I believe Gary Barlow's comment how all the sudden the lyrics meant something is kind of true and it's really nice to see Nicole Scherzinger breaks down in tears.

Also in my wildest imagination, I picture Cher bitch-slaps Gary Barlow for calling her song annoying. 

Here are the x factors why I like the X Factor UK, well, at least for now:

1. Like many talent shows on TV, The X Factor UK has given a starter point for many of today's well-known artists. Leona Lewis was the winner in the third season, One Direction was one of the finalists in 2012 (Oh, I bet you're humming What Makes You Beautiful right now)
2. I am always questioning how real a reality show is. The X Factor US, for me is obviously staged. Yes, there are moments that I enjoyed, but The X Factor UK is definitely more raw. Ella Henderson's performance is just one of the memorable performances.
3. The contestants, especially for this year. In my opinion, Ella Henderson is just one of this year's best contestants. I love Kye Sones - whom sang Bonnie Raitt's I Can't Make You Love Me in one of the episodes and my heart was breaking. The other contestant worth mentioned is Lucy Spraggan, who is so amazing that they actually released her original song before the contest ends

Also very unfortunate that we still cannot watch The X Factor UK on TV, but the good thing is we always have youtube.

love is short, forgetting is so long

So I watched this terrible movie about a man who was caught between past memories of his first love and his current life. The movie was not worth mention, however I was intrigued that in the opening credit of the movie, there was a quote from one of my favorite poets, Pablo Neruda.

So this is his poem. I tried to upload a video, but it doesn't seem to work. Sorry about that.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

Write for example, 'The night is shattered

and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'

The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.

Through nights like this one I held her in my arms.

I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.

She loved me, sometimes I loved her too.

How could one not have loved her great still eyes.

Tonight I can write the saddest lines.

To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.

To hear immense night, still more immense without her.

And the verse falls to the soul like dew to a pasture.

What does it matter that my love could not keep her.

The night is shattered and she is not with me.

This is all. In the distance someone is singing. 
In the distance.

My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

My sight searches for her as though to go to her.

My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.

The same night whitening the same trees.

We, of that time, are no longer the same.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.

My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.

Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.

Her voice. Her bright body. Her infinite eyes.

I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.

Love is short, forgetting is so long.

Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms

my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.

Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer

and these the last verses that I write for her.

a simple yet subtle separation

A SEPARATION
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Stars: Peyman Moadi, Leila Hatami
Year released: 2011

"What is wrong is wrong, no matter who said it or where it's written."

Never estimate the power of a good script. This movie just proved that it doesn't require much to make a good movie, but a good script and nearly perfect casts. If you notice that the movie does not even have music to manipulate its audience's emotions. A Separation counts on its story line and the casts' perfect performances. 

A Separation begins in a court. Simin who prefers to live aboard with her family so her daughter could have a better life, but Nader, the husband, insists to stay to take care of his father, who suffers Alzheimer. For that, she wants a divorce. One conflict leads to another conflicts which involve another family. I'm not going to tell you the whole story and just ruin it for you. 

I have watched this movie twice since its premier yesterday (28/9). I love how it's made in a very simple yet subtle form. It deals with social, religious issues without over doing it. The story respects its characters so much, that no one comes out in black-white, it's not about good deeds versus bad ones. It's mostly about consequences of one's action. 

I sat there on the cinema without any judgement for any of the characters. I just complied to the movie without my mind be ahead of the story. I didn't guess how it will or should end. The truth is I didn't want to. Like the  story respects the character, I feel that it also respects its audience, in this case, me. Mutually, I respect it back.

I was really surprised that they actually show this movie in cinema and I'm truly glad that I was patient (or busy) enough to not watch it on video. Sadly, somewhere I read that some cinemas even cancelled some showings due to the lack of audience. That Friday night, in Pluit Junction cinema 21, there were only 4 persons watching this great movie and somehow, I felt we were the luckiest four person that night.

They still show A Separation in some cinemas around Jakarta, probably not for long. I hope you get to experience one of 2011's best movies.

the xx and the melancholic coexist

As much as I love listening to pop music, or humming any of Katy Perry's song, I also enjoy exploring new music (well, probably new for me). Lately I've been listening to some UK/European bands and I must admit, it's quite refreshing.

I always hesitate to submit a post about music, since I'm probably tone-deaf, I'm quite certain that I might sound stupid in my previous music-related posts. But I respect and appreciate music that has evoked my emotions (du'uh, emotions!). So for that reason, I'm risking myself to sound like an idiot. I will probably submit a few posts about some of the music I'm listening to. HAHAHA.

The first one is The XX, a band of three.

Coexist is their second album. The overall theme is about heartbreak, loneliness, and sadness, which I must admit is my favorite kind of theme (NOT!). If you have ever listened to their first album (which title is The XX) or some of the songs from the first album, you will be able to tell how different these two albums are.

The XX was more cheerful and more up-tempo, unlike Coexist, which created this gloomy feeling throughout the whole album. The story was after the success of their first album, one of the band members decided to quit the band and apparently it hit them hard.

In Chained, they're asking questions with that guilt of breaking-up, "Did I hold you too tight? Did I not let enough light in? We used to be closer than this. Is it something you missed?" Same question was asked in Tide, "Devote to me. Alone with me. Say with me. Why would you ever want to leave?"

And in another song, they sing about the difficulty of separation, "Fiction when we're not together. Mistaken for a vision, something of my own creation. And it's certainly how am I to tell? I know your face all too well, still I wake up alone."

Musically, Coexist sounds very minimal, with a few melodic elements. There a lot of guitars and occasionally a very light dubstep. Aside from that, how the two members of the band, Romy Croft and Oliver Sims sing together somehow make the whole album sound exactly they (probably) wanted, haunting and heartbreaking.

If it's legitimate for me to rate an actual musical product, I would give Coexist a perfect 9.

Other albums that I'm currently listening to are: Ben Howard's Every Kingdom, Lianne La Havas' Is Your Love Big Enough, Of Monsters and Men's My Head is an Animal and Bill Fay's Life is People which makes you want to evaluate your whole life.

Hey, another thing is I will really appreciate it if you leave some comments or maybe if you have some good music I should listen to, just give me a shout-out! Thanks.

essentially living

I'm probably the last person anyone would ask for beauty tips or fashion tips or anything in that department. I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a bit behind when it comes to the newest trend in fashion. But I'm not trying to be a smartass, I just want to share some of the things that are essential for me and sometimes they (some of them) create little joyous moments to my tiny life.

I must also warn you that I'm not endorsing any certain brands. So if I did mention some brands, I'm not selling them or anything like that (yeah, like they'd pay me! HAHA). I just want to point how I enjoy certain things in life. Talking about brand, the truth is I don't even believe in brand, but I believe in being comfort, being decent and sometimes being my unique self. 

One minute oatmeal

Okay, I'm not being philosophic here. I just want to point out the first essential in my life is that one minute fix of breakfast I've been having for the last two weeks. Yes, that tasteless plain not pretty meal we all call Oatmeal. I know, at some point I complained about my weight, but the truth is I believe it's a healthy meal and I owe it to myself to at least have one healthy one out of three. 

Water and ice water

This one is classic. We have heard so much about the advantages of water and how one must drink at least 8 glasses of water. They're all true and there are times when I suffer from dehydration, my body becomes unbalanced, weak and my skin becomes irritably dry. 

I also have this new ritual every morning and night. After I brush my teeth and wash my face with soap, I usually take a bottle of icy water (which was stored in the fridge) and sprinkle my face with the cold water. Although it's not scientifically proved, but I believe it can decrease our facial pores. HAHAHA. Yes, I too can have silly ritual!  

Coffee, coffee and coffee

Like Lorelai Gilmore, I am too a coffee drinker. I usually limit myself to not more than 2 cups a day. But there are days that I could have at least 3 cups. Mad mad day, I say.

Eau de toilette 

Let me tell you that I'm a big fan of L'Occitane, although there's a big fat chance I might have pronounced it wrong. I love the smell of their products. This L'Occitan has been my latest favorite. It has that edgy smell of pepper or some spices mixed with some grass or flowers. I know it sounds so stupid, but I love them. 

I have a few friends who think that using products of L'Occitane does not make you look classy. The truth is I prefer to go for L'Occitane or Bodyshop product than those fake Bvlgari or CK perfumes. At least, I got them from an official store. #JustSaying. HAHAHA.

Hair shaver - Being bald

I have shaved my head for more than a year now and it will continue be my style until I die probably. This has been a dilemma and some of my friends have been so openly against it. All I can say that it's a commitment and I shall not back off now. To all of you who think I look horrible, it's not that bad, really.

E-paper

I LOVE e-PAPER! I read my Kompas either at work or at home with my PC or my tablet. I never bought printed newspaper since Kompas introduced the electronic version. Beside Kompas, there are Media Indonesia who also uses the same format. I enjoy reading HuffingtonPost online as well. 

They're flat, aren't they shoes?

I don't know exactly what they're called, but they're extremely comfortable. I love these flat shoes. I can walk tens of blocks wearing this shoes. I probably can run marathon in these shoes, well, maybe not. 

The monstore in my closet

Because of my petite figure, it's not easy for me to find the exactly fit tees. But I have found this cool local brand (I think they're actually from Bandung) who produced shirts in my size. I love, love monstore. Not only they're very comfortable, they're quite artsy. 

Hats for my head

At first, I wore hat because I found out that no everyone can cope with me being bald. So I thought hat might tone down their reaction a bit. Yes, it's probably only in my head. But then, that prejudice (if you want it call it that) has turned into a fetish. I love buying and wearing hat. I love my bowler, my fedora and my beret. The only head piece that I might not wear in public is those mickey ears probably.