Seize The Day

Nothing Lasts Forever

2012-02-12T18:42:00.000+07:00

Even a fantastic TV show has to end.

Chuck aired its final episode a few weeks ago. This May, it's House's turn.

I found out three days ago at school from Twitter. I'm telling you, it's so not a good time and place to find out a news about your favorite TV show ending. I'm an avid TV fan and I watch a lot of shows, ranging from musical/comedy to crime shows. Mostly crime shows, though. And House was the only medical drama I loved.

I knew it was about time until they called it over. Rumors have been going around, that season 8 is the last season of House. I saw it coming, and I knew when that day came, I wouldn't ask whys anymore. A few casts' departures and awful replacements, ratings going downhill, or the fact that Hugh Laurie's contract was up and he didn't want a renew. But it's clear now that it's the creative decision made by the producers and Hugh Laurie himself, not because the network wants it over. Well, practically House's already over for me after Olivia Wilde left the show, because frankly, she was the reason why I watched the show at the first place. But it still feels like a part of me is being taken away.

Now, after years of watching, even not from the beginning, House's done a lot of good to me. Often times, House is the first thing that crosses my mind once I hear or read a few names of diseases, or particular medical and scientific terms at Biology class. I didn't have to look up to my text book to know what Huntington's was or ask my teacher for the definition of tachycardia, because I've known them from House. It's really amazing when I think how House, and other TV shows I watch, can somehow be a useful help at school. Moreover, what to sketch when I got bored during boring classes? House casts were one of those choices I had.

And I'd be lying if I said House wasn't responsible for this decision of mine to go to medical school. Shallow, I know. But the interest on becoming a doctor first emerged because of House (other than because my mom has always encouraged me to).

House's also done a pretty good job on moving me. One I remember is this character named Dr. Chris Taub played by Peter Jacobson. He's not my favorite character, since he's not an eye candy and his storyline's not intriguing either. He's about 40 something, a Jew, married with no children. He had a few affairs with hot nurses at the hospital, and what was highlighted the most about him was that the wife wasn't quite happy about his current job, about him working in House's team. Taub was a successful plastic surgeon, had his own practice, but he quit his job to work for House. In season 6, he went back to his old job, but still came back to work for House in the end.

This is where it gets intriguing to me. There was this episode from season 5 when he was asked why; why he gave up his 9 to 5 job, his weekends, his glamorous clinic, and his high salary, not to mention his joyful marriage, to work for someone else. To work for someone like House. I couldn't recall the exact sentence, but his answer was because he wanted to wake up in the morning, look at the mirror, and say that he made a difference. When I think of it, what Taub did might have raised questions, his choices might have done a bit harm to his private life, but it was what he needed to do. Money is important, it feeds you physically. But the feeling of taking baby steps to make a world a greater place and the contentment after helping those in need and saving lives, they feed your soul. They are as crucial.

Now, the show with affecting stories and compelling characters is coming to an end this May. I'm very sad, even when I said it already ended for me, because the show was once my favorite. I still remember the first episode I watched was from season 5, the victim was a father and during the episode he tried to commit suicide, because he couldn't take it anymore. He even told his son to distract the doctors so he could kill himself. That was the first time I noticed Olivia Wilde, and then she became my first girl crush, and I automatically became the fan of the show as well.

House, I'm sorry I haven't been the most loyal fan. I might not watch you since the first season, and I might've stopped watching for a while, but I know I'll be there when the series finale airs. And I'm not lying when I say you have inspired me in so many levels. Thank you for everything you've given me.

Goodbye, [H]ouse.

The First Time

2012-02-09T23:17:00.000+07:00

Wise man says... there is always the first time for everything.

I had one of the best first times on early January, the one that I talked about at the end of this post. When I said I wanted to keep it a secret, I actually was waiting for the magazine to come out. Yes, I'm featured on a local teenage girls magazine, Girlfriend Indonesia. No, I'm not on the cover. And no, I'm not on the double page editorial spread either. I'm only on one page.

I may sound like I'm exaggerating things here, or more like showing off. But frankly, I see no point of doing so, neither do I have the intentions to do so. It's a local magazine and it's only a page, and there are millions of people out there who have their faces printed on magazines and tabloids all over the world, who have paparazzis follow them everywhere they go. But for me, it's not about the amount of page, it's the lesson and experience I'm after.

And... I've received this question quite a lot; how my chubby face could end up on a magazine page. Here's how it started off:
Girlfriend Indonesia always has one special article every two-month release, titled GF's Girlfrend. It tells stories about their active, high-achieving readers. Last November (or late October), I spontaneously sent my CV and photo, with absolutely no expectations that they'd respond to it. But lucky me, during the school break last December, one of the magazine people contacted me through phone, and told me she'd set the time and place for an interview and photoshoot.

And there I was, on my way to the magazine office. I was excited for the photoshoot and the interview, that's a sure thing, but I was as excited to see the office. I always wanted to work on magazine or journalism, so I was so pumped to see how the real magazine office would look like and what the people would look like or what kind of tasks they'd do.

I finaly met Mbak Ria, the one that phoned me and helped me through this whole process. She took me to the office and all the magazine people were so busy in front of their computers. After trying on the outfit the stylist had prepared for me, and getting a simple make-up done by my lovely mom, we went to a local park near the office, Taman Ayodya, for the photoshoot. The sun shined so bright to our surprise—even the shoot was during mid-day—since it was raining heavily all week. Mbak Ria was terribly worried that rain was going to pour, since there was a few minutes when the sky went dark. But, the odds were in our favor, we got just the perfect light for the shoot.

Funny thing was, when Mas Rio, the photographer, just took a couple of photos of me, his camera went off. Without any specific reasons, it just wouldn't turn on. Mbak Ria suspected it ran out of battery, but he said he just charged it this morning and there was no way that could happen. After a few minutes of deliberation, Mas Rio decided to go back to the office and grab other camera. Mbak Ria, my mom, and I had nice conversations whilst waiting him to come back. It didn't take long until he was back and the shoot continued. (There was also a stranger that was taking pictures of the park, but he ended up photographing me as well.:/ I feel like having two photographers.:P)

Thank God, the shoot wrapped up just great. Although it was full of excessive sweating, since the day was hot, I was so glad the pictures came out nicely. But too bad, stupid me was stupid enough to leave my digital camera in the car, so I didn't have the chance to take 'behind the scene' pictures.

I've got two copies! I bought one myself, and the other one was sent from the office. Have you got yours?;-)

Note: this is not a paid promotion.:P

I've got to admit that I was worried and thought it was going to be very nerve-wrecking. And this very bad habit of mine, the tendency to overthink things, didn't help either. I was worried about what kind of outfits I'd wear, well it ended up great since the stylists handpicked them for me. I was worried about the poses, about how my face would look so chubby and fat (and I did, since it was during break, and breaks like that are a perfect timing for oversleeping and overeating). But, in the end, nothing went wrong. A great, valued experience.

I didn't have the time to scan the page, so I suggest you to get your own copy (hell of a marketing plan, isn't it?:P), and spot someone you didn't expect to see! It sounds kind of funny, but it'll be appreciated!:-)

One more amazing first time I recently had is... getting involved in a fan project. I've never been involved in one before, and since my favorite TV show, NCIS, had their 200th milestone episode this week, the fans planned to make a thank you video for the casts and crews. Soon as I read the post regarding it on Tumblr, all I thought about was I had to join. Everything was easy, I only had to send my photo with a written 'thank you'. The due was January 31st, and I sent mine on January 30th. Alice, the love Italian lady one who lead the project, was kind enough to have me email the picture, since I was having trouble with the Tumblr askbox.

The 200th episode aired two days ago, and I actually had been waiting for the fan video to come out. And it finally did yesterday, which I just found out through the casts' tweets. Pauley Perrette, one of the casts, tweeted she'd watched the video and she cried. And the other cast named Brian Dietzen said he loved the video. Once I read the tweets, I was so surprised and happy.

I've never been involved in any kind of fan projects before, and my first time doing so was beyond wonderful. I watched the video this afternoon, and I shed a happy tear. It's not only beautiful to see a hundred or more pictures of different fans from around the world, but also very amazing to see we as the fans from different continents gathered and collided as one. It's like we're not only fandom, we're family. What made me happier was the fact that the casts spent their time to watch it, and they loved it. (I was the only Indonesian, by the way.:))

I actually wanted to post my photo, but since I looked ridiculous so.. no. Thank you for Constanza and Alice who put up those pictures together and morphed them into one beautiful, amazing video. It'll always be a reminder that I was one, am, and will always be a member of an amazing family. We have more years to come, guys. Just like what Michael Weatherly said, we're halfway there!

So, since it's almost midnight and I have school tomorrow, I guess it's the end of the post.

I am looking forward to more first times that lie ahead!
Good night.:)

Ya Allah,

2012-01-31T20:57:00.001+07:00

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau melihat aku selalu berusaha untuk duduk di barisan depan saat pelajaran Biologi, karena aku tahu aku butuh untuk menaikkan nilaiku supaya aku bisa mengenakan jaket kuning itu, dengan predikat sebagai mahasiswa kedokteran.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau membantuku saat belajar, karena aku mengerti pelajaran-pelajaran itu dengan lancar.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau membaca lembaran-lembaran catatan warna-warni berisi rumus atau rangkuman pelajaran yang kuletakkan rapi dalam binderku.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau menyaksikan aku yang bangun jam 2 pagi saat pekan ulangan, agar aku bisa menyerap pelajaran, didukung oleh otak dan badanku yang sudah segar setelah tidur, dan suasana sunyi dan tenang ketika semua orang terlelap.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau mendengar doa-doa yang kupanjatkan setelah aku shalat atau sebelum aku belajar dan ulangan. Memohon bantuan-Mu agar aku dapat menyerap ilmu dengan lancar, serta mengerjakan ulangan dengan petunjuk dari-Mu.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau tahu betapa kerasnya aku berusaha untuk semester ini.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau mengerti bahwa semester ini sangat berperan penting, penentu untuk menjadi mahasiswa undangan.

Ya Allah, aku memiliki banyak sekali permintaan saat ini. Aku ingin mendapatkan majalah TV Guide itu, dimana para pemeran NCIS berpose apik di covernya. Aku ingin segera menyusul ketertinggalanku dalam serial Chuck, terutama karena salah satu serial kesukaanku itu sudah tamat. Aku ingin segera membeli silikon baru bertema sapi untuk BlackBerry milikku. Aku ingin menyelesaikan buku-buku yang teronggok di lemari buku kamarku.

Namun, ya Allah, aku rela mengorbankan semua keinginan kecil dan 'kalah penting'ku di atas, demi satu keinginan terbesar ini: melihat buku raporku untuk semester lima, dan tersenyum bahagia karena aku tahu hasil yang kudapat sesuai dengan kerja keras yang aku lakukan. Karena aku tahu nilai-nilai tersebut akan mengantarku untuk lolos menjadi mahasiswa undangan.

Ya Allah, aku tahu ada banyak jalan menuju Roma. Dan undangan adalah salah satunya.

Ya Allah, akankah lengkungan senyum itu muncul di wajahku saat melihat nilai-nilaiku nanti, atau saat aku melihat namaku di peringkat paralel dengan kelas reguler? Akankah aku menangis penuh kebanggaan dan kebahagiaan saat aku melihat siswa/i SMA yang lolos menjadi mahasiswa/i undangan?

Ya Allah, aku memang tidak harus mengerjakan soal remedial Biologi. Tapi aku tahu, dibanding semester lalu, nilaiku menurun.

Ya Allah, aku tahu aku seharusnya bersyukur karena aku tidak harus mengikuti banyak remedial sejauh ini.

Namun, ya Allah, air mataku tidak pecah karena aku tidak belajar.

Dan ya Allah, aku tidak menangis karena aku menyesal aku tidak belajar.

Ya Allah, aku hanya menangis karena aku tahu aku sudah berusaha keras, namun aku tidak puas akan hasil yang kuterima, karena aku tahu aku bisa mendapatkan angka yang lebih tinggi.

Ya Allah, aku tahu satu soal ulangan Agama kemarin menanyakan tentang arti tawakal dan contohnya dalam kehidupan sehari-hari. Aku menjawab definisinya dengan lancar. Aku juga menulis contohnya dengan lancar.

Ya Allah, aku berusaha tawakkal. Aku sudah berusaha. Dan hal ini tidak semudah dibanding menggoreskan tinta di kertas ulanganku.

Ya Allah, kini aku mencoba untuk menyerahkan semua pada-Mu.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau mendengar, Engkau melihat, Engkau tahu, dan Engkau akan membantuku.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau tidak pernah berkata tidak, karena aku tahu semuanya sudah Engkau atur dengan sempurna agar indah pada waktunya.

Ya Allah, aku tahu Engkau sudah beribu kali mendengarnya, namun aku tahu hanya Engkau tempat aku meminta dan memohon.

Ya Allah, bantulah aku dan teman-temanku agar bisa menjadai mahasiswa/i di universitas yang kami inginkan, terutama lewat jalur undangan. Bantulah aku dan teman-temanku untuk melanjutkan jenjang pendidikan di tempat terbaik. Bantulah aku dan teman-temanku agar bisa membanggakan orang tua dan guru kami. Bantulah aku dan teman-temanku untuk menjadi orang yang sukses dan berguna bagi agama dan negara.

Ya Allah, bukakanlah pintunya untuk kami. Bahkan, kalau ada jendela juga, bukakanlah. Muluskanlah jalan yang kami tempuh. Singkirkanlah kerikil dan batu-batunya. Tumbangkanlah penghalangnya. Mudahkanlah jalan kami. Bantulah aku agar aku bisa sampai di sana.

Ya Allah, bantulah aku dan teman-temanku sampai di sana.

Amin.

Unbreakable

2012-01-08T01:15:00.001+07:00

What are the things that always succeed to drag you back to your past, specifically to your childhood? I have quite a few: Spanish child shows, namely Amigos and Carita de Angel; Sunday morning cartoons; everything about Bandung, and... unsurprisingly, Westlife. And I know it reminds everyone at my age of their childhood. I may not be the biggest fan of Westlife, but I'd be lying if I said their songs aren't nostalgic and memorable. They all are.

I can't recall when the first time I listened to Westlife was. I might be in my first or second grade of elementary school. Again, I'm not the kind of fan who knows all of the lyrics of theirs songs, word by word. There may even be still some tracks I can't sing to. I also may not know the exact time when Brian left. I may not know the exact numbers of albums they released. Well, at least I know they're from Ireland.

And I just found out that they split about a month or two at most.. (yes I was that late) and when I read the official announcement, I kind of froze, my jaw dropped for a few seconds. No, I didn't cry with devastation; yes, I was that surprised. I mean, I didn't see that coming at all. I grew up with the songs; when I was a little kid, the only foreign musicians I knew were them and Britney Spears (maybe some others but I can't think of them right now). If I was asked what kind of foreign men I considered attractive, I'd answer Westlife members without doubt.

Back then, I might not understand what the lyrics meant, I was at my first years on my elementary school. My English was lousy. I guess the only things I can speak in English very, very well were how to introduce myself, 'I love you', 'I'm sorry', and 'Please.' And some other simple words kids would know. With that, how the hell could I know what those songs really were about. But anyway, I still grew fond of the songs. When the songs played, I knew it was Westlife's.

One of my favorite was I Have A Dream. I didn't understand perfectly what the lyrics were about, and the only parts I knew the meaning were 'I have a dream' and 'I believe in angels', the others were just unclear. Well, everytime I listen to it, even until now, I get reminded of one moment when I was in the third grade of my elementary school.

So.. it was my last year in that elementary school in Bandung before I moved to Jakarta. And there's the show that school always has once the year ends, right? When every student gets involved in the show to perform something; song, dance, or a play. I was chosen to perform a traditional dance along with the other third graders. But, actually, I wanted to get involved in the choir; and the reason was nothing but they were to sing I Have A Dream. What made it impossible was: the choir consisted of my seniors from fifth and sixth graders, I already had traditional dance as my performance, and I didn't fully know the lyrics ~~and my voice is like a dying cat~~. I still remember clearly that they were wearing white shirt with blue jeans when they performed. So, there, they were up on the stage and they sang the song ―I was stoned. Yes, they might sing well but I'm sure that the reason was the song.

I kind of felt bad about myself for not seeing their concert in Jakarta. I could recall how I wish I were Sherina, becase she got to sing with them the first time they ever toured here. Well, the second time they were here, I didn't know soon enough and the tickets probably were already sold out by the time I found out, I was busy at school, and I just wasn't in the mood for it I guess. If only I'd known that was their farewell tour, that it was the last time I'd ever see them together as Westlife, I'd have gone. But, the more I see it now, it was something right for them to do. They may no longer be in the same band, but they will forever stay in our unbreakable memories. After 14 years singing, touring, recording, producing hits that inspire and entertain the fans; they're not really over. They will always be well-known for their music and those unbreakable moments with them will always be cherished.

Again, I may not be that biggest fan of Westlife, but the songs they sing were there as I grew up. And their songs will always remain in my iPod (unless the iPod breaks, but of course I don't wish so), as the memory of them will remain in my beautiful childhood memories.

Goodbye to you my trusted friend,
we've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABCs
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees

The Best of Me - Review

2012-01-06T23:56:00.000+07:00

To start off.. I think I must state that I love Nicholas Sparks. I admire his writings, and so far I love all his novels I've read. If I were to write modern romantic fiction, I'd most likely look up to him. Yes, his novels mostly revolve around love, but they also teach about life, and everything in between: friendship, family, the pursuit of true happiness - and he writes all of them beautifully. All the details are incredible. .

The Best of Me was no exception. I bought the book at Times Changi Airport, on my trip to Singapore last October. I already saw the book in Kinokuniya Takashimaya, and decided not to buy it. But I was waiting for my flight back to Jakarta, and that happened. I remember I was very indecisive; whether to buy it there but I felt I already splurged, or just wait until those novels show up in bookstores here in Jakarta. Short, I was just so tempted—I'd been waiting for the novel, and yes, I saw all of those pictures of the fans holding the books next to Mr. Sparks during the book signing and they said the novel was great— so I brought that home, thinking I got nothing to lose anyway. And yesterday was finally when I got the time to read the book, because I was busy trying to finish the unread books on my shelf. And.. here we go..

Yes, the picture's quite lousy, but I figured the post would be better with it.:]

I admit, simply said, there were a few slow parts, but the action parts eventually made up for it. I could say I was a little bored in the middle of reading. Not the kind of bored that I just want to put the book down and stop reading; but more to like, "Let me get to the ending already," because I was dying to know how the story unfolded.

The book focused not only on Dawson and Amanda, the main characters, but it also told the other characters that supported those two. When I was reading, I tried so hard to picture which actress and actors will suit the characters well. I Well, for Dawson, I had no idea, but his character reminds me of Christina Perri's song titled A Thousand Years, because the lyrics fit the situation Dawson's in perfectly. Unlike when I was reading Safe Haven, the first time I read the descriptions given about Alex, the main guy, my mind went straight to Eddie Cahill. I didn't have specific reasons, I just thought he was perfect for the role lol.

Back to The Best of Me.. As I learned more about Amanda, I thought of Amanda Seyfriend — that's kind of ridiculous though, because I might've thought of her because of the same names — but she starred in Dear John, and can't possibly be picked again to play another character based on Sparks'-books-turned-movies. It's not impossible, but it's highly unlikely. Anyway, what we're looking here is a 42-year old blond, with mesmerizing blue eyes. Yes, Seyfried's a blond, but her eyes aren't blue and she's too young. Then.. Cate Blanchett crossed my mind. I mean, she's in her early 40s, blond, and she has bright blue eyes. I don't know, but since I heard they're turning the pages into screen, I can't help but wondering who the stars might be.

Well, not only the characters, he also wrote the details perfectly; what happened in the war when one of the character joined the Navy, the medical terms, even to how the things are put in the house. About the ending, well, I can say this: it was tragic in a good way. The last chapters were not the way that I imagined it'd go, but I can't say they were fully unpredictable, because somehow I kind of knew how it'd end. And my little guesses about the epilogue were right, but I was still surprised anyway. Well, I guess everything was just well-put and it was the best closure the book could've had.

Nicholas Sparks surely has his ways to touch hearts, his ways with words that compels me to continue reading. It was a page-turner, but barely a tear-jerker. I didn't shed a tear, but I did scream a a few times, especially at the end. I liked he book, but it still couldn't top Dear John; maybe because the more a book can make me cry, the better it is. So, I give a 3,5 out of 5 for this book.

And here are my favorite quotes from the book, at least the ones that I can think of:

“The past can be escaped only by embracing something better.”

“But if he’s drinking to escape these days, it’s probably to escape from me. Who wouldn’t want to escape from that? Especially when it comes from someone you love? When all you really want is for that person to love you as much as you love them?”

"...the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. What the younger generation didn’t understand was that the grass was greenest where it’s watered."

“Don’t take my advice. Or anyone’s advice. Trust yourself. For good or for bad, happy or unhappy, it’s your life, and what you do with it has always been entirely up to you.”

------------
PS: I just went through a very great, new experience last Wednesday. Although the stupid me didn't take any behind-the-scenes pictures.. but oh well, it was a fantastic opening of 2012. I will not reveal what it is now, but I could say that I learned a lot, and I'd surely write about it later when ~~I have time and the urge to write~~ the result comes out! And here I am, crossing fingers for the best outcome.:-)

2011

2011-12-26T17:32:00.001+07:00

It's only a few days left until 2012 starts.. Wow. That's fast. 2011 has been quite a year, and so many things happened as the year went. Everyone's writing their best memories on 2011 through Twitter, but I guess 140 characters are not enough. I'd rather blog it in one post, than tweeting it several times.

Let me begin with... how do I begin?

Maroon 5 Concert

Seeing your favorite musician performing live.. is wonderful beyond words. I was left starstruck for a week or so. Why couldn't I live in the concert forever? No, I wouldn't want to literally live there.. It's just I want the feeling of finally seeing your idols in front of your eyes to last forever. But basically I don't have that much to write about the concert itself, because I already wrote everything here.

PMUN 2011

An MUN that was held by Parahyangan University was also one of those amazing things that happened through 2011. I gained friends as I got to know the other delegates, and I learned quite a lot from the event itself.. So fun.

Bali Trip

There's no doubt that Bali is one of the most beautiful, must-visit places in this world. I'd been wanting to go to Bali for several years, and no, that's not even an exaggeration. And I basically went there as a reward from my dad because I won the first prize on a speech competition, so that just added up the awesomeness. It felt very nice to enrich myself with knowledge of my own country, to be surrounded with such breathtaking views. Everything about that island is very beautiful, and Bali certainly has that one thing that makes us want to go back there again, and I definitely will someday.

David Archuleta Concert

Many people don't know this but here I am admitting that I'm an Archangel at heart. I have adored him since he was still competing on Amarican Idol almost five years ago. No matter how tacky that might sound, but everytime I listen to his songs, I'm dragged back to my middle school memories, which were beautiful. The concert was held outdoor, on a f-cking football field, and it was raining a few hours before the concert, you imagine how muddy that place was. So the venue was pretty much the worst element of the concert, not to mention the time management was also horrible. The audience was NOT so well-behaved, and I heard there were a few pickpockets. Thank God I came home safe and sound. But it was so unfortunate that the only good things about the concert was the fireworks after the show.. and of course, David Archuleta.

Idul Fitri

It doesn't mean that the previous Idul Fitris were bad, every Idul Fitri is special to me, but I just felt this year's was one of the best. I know that a few of my family members were ill during that time, and we spent a lot of time in the hospital, but I guess it was why we got so close. I'm looking forward to more lebarans like this one, with the presence and perfect health of every family member. Amen.:)

Competitions

I'm not being snobby, but I joined quite a few competitions this year. I joined essay and paper writing contests, and speech contests as well. I didn't win them all, but the experiences I've gained are the best lessons I could learn from. The highlight was: Last November, I went through the finale for the speech competition (the first stage was held on June), and I won the first place again. And I wouldn't have made it that far.. gosh, I feel like I'm winning Oscars or something, without support from my parents, teachers, and my AWESOME classmates. Did I say AWESOME?

School

What I'm thankful of is.. I think I pretty well at school this year. I've worked quite hard to keep up with the subjects.. I tried hard not to fall on curve, and thank God I didn't. I even managed to be ranked first in my class last term. Alhamdulillah. What surprised me was I didn't have to retake any exams during the finals. I usually always had to take make-up tests for a few subjects, so I guess that's quite awesome that I got decent marks for all subjects last finals. But too bad my luck didn't last long, because on my recent exam week.. I failed a few tests, but oh well, life has its ups and downs.:-)

Singapore Trip

Last October, me and my classmates went to Singapore. We visited Nanyang University, Universal Studios of Singapore, and Singapore Science Center. And well, going to Singapore wouldn't do without shopping! Hell, the first two sentences sound like a holiday report I used to write on my elementary years when I got back to school, LOL. Anyway, we went there after finals, so it was great that we could forget about school for a while and have some fun.

GK Sunset

I... already blogged about this in this post, and I'm not going to blabber you on how successful the event was or how proud I am of my schoolmates. It was indeed a historical night, a night that all of us will never forget. Enough said.

Bandung Trip

First best thing about the trip is: Bandung. That city never fails to make me feel like home. Second best thing: a very motivating and inspiring visit to ITB. Third best thing: one of the best times spent with my best friends. Certainly two days to remember. And.. I already wrote down how amazing the trip was, so I guess I don't have anything more to write about anymore.

There were absolutely more good things about 2011, but the ones mentioned above are the best that I could think of right now. I feel so blessed for everything's happened through the year, beyond thankful for what's been showered upon me. I know life will always have the goods and the bads, but I'm looking for better things to happen next year.:-)

I Need Something More Than Just ':' and 'D'

2011-12-21T21:56:00.001+07:00

... because there's basically no emoticons that are able to describe how happy I'm now that HOLIDAYS HAVE JUST STARTED (!!!!). No, I'm not going on a vacation, but it feels nice to be temporarily off from school and have some fun without getting worried that I have school tasks left undone at home. And I should spend this break wisely, since once I get back, I'll be very busy as assignments and exams preparations will pour in.

And other than that... I have nothing to write.

Special Post for Special People

2011-12-18T22:01:00.000+07:00

Orang bilang SMA adalah masa terindah dalam hidup kita. Mungkin iya.

Namun bagaimana jika tiga tahun penuh kenikmatan itu diakselerasi?

Beberapa hari yang lalu, aku dan teman-teman sekelasku dari kelas akselerasi berkunjung ke salah satu kota favoritku, kota yang selalu membuatku merasa seperti di rumah: Bandung.

Tujuan utama kunjungan ke Bandung ini adalah untuk mengunjungi salah satu universitas favorit di Indonesia - bahkan mungkin di dunia, Institut Teknologi Bandung. Lebih dari separuh kelasku ini memiliki tujuan, yang semoga akan menjadi kenyataan, untuk kembali lagi tahun depan sebagai mahasiswa di sekolah penuh kebanggan itu. Aku memang tidak tertarik untuk melanjutkan pendidikanku disana, karena jujur, salah satu alasanku agar cepat lulus dari SMA adalah supaya aku bisa mengistirahatkan otakku dari pelajaran Fisika dan Matematika. Pelajaran yang penuh angka dan rumus itu.

Malam sebelum berkunjung ke ITB, kami yang menginap di salah satu wisma di Bandung, mengadakan malam keakraban. Acara dimulai dari wejangan dari guru-guru kami tentang hidup yang akan kami hadapi ke depan. Guru Sejarahku, Bu Sri, memberikan nasehat kepada kami semua, namun secara pribadi hal itu menyentuhku. "Mimpilah kalian sebelum itu menjadi kenyataan," ujarnya. Dia juga memberi tahu bahwa hampir semua guruku yang adalah guru senior, memiliki anak-anak yang berhasil melanjutkan pendidikan di universitas-universitas berkelas macam ITB, UI, dan UGM.

"Tidak ada yang lebih membanggakan bagi orang tua selain bisa melihat anak-anaknya bisa bersekolah di sekolah berkualitas," dan "Kami mendidik dan memberikan kasih sayang kepada kalian, sama seperti kami memberikan pendidikan kepada anak-anak kami," juga terucap dari bibir Bu Sri. Di akhir sesi yang disebut wisata hati itu, wali kelas kami, Bu Tita, menyodorkan selembar kain putih. Kami diminta untuk menuliskan mimpi dan tujuan kami ke depan, dan beliau berjanji akan menempel kain itu di kelas.

"Mimpi kalian dimulai esok hari," kata Bu Sri saat menutup nasehatnya. Dan ya, mimpi kami dimulai sesaat kami menginjakkan kaki-kaki kami di tanah ITB. Kami mengunjungi 4 fakultas: FTI, STEI, SAPPK, dan FTSL. FTTM seharusnya masuk ke dalam tujuan, namun kami kurang beruntung karena profesor yang ditugaskan untuk memberikan kami kuliah singkat berhalangan hadir. Di masing-masing fakultas tersebut kami diberikan kuliah umum dan pengenalan secara general tentang fakultas yang bersangkutan.

Salah satu bagian yang juga penting dari kunjungan ini dalah lembar kerja. Kelas kecilku yang terdiri dari 24 orang ini dibagi menjadi tiga kelompok. Kelompok pertama membahas tentang kurikulum di ITB, kelompok kedua fokus kepada sarana dan pra-sarana, yang terakhir bertugas untuk mewawancarai mahasiswa-mahasiswi tentang kehidupan di ITB. Kelompok ini dibagi secara undian, dan aku masuk ke kelompok ketiga sesuai dengan harapanku. Mendengar cerita nyata dari orang-orang hebat yang berhasil menyandang predikat sebagai mahasiswa disana kuanggap menjadi sesuatu yang menarik untuk kutulis.

Selain rasa kagumku akan para mahasiswa, ada lagi hal yang kukagumi: suasananya. Rimbunnya pohon serta ademnya hawa kota Bandung membuatku merasa betah. Sayang, aku tidak tertarik masuk jurusan apapun yang berhubungan dengan teknik. Kunjungan yang dimulai dari sekitar jam 09.00 hingga 16.00 itu rasanya tak cukup, karena sejujurnya aku ingin mengelilingi seluruh universitas dan menemukan lebih banyak hal keren. Namun, sehari di ITB itu merupakan salah satu hari terinspiratif dan terproduktif bagiku di tahun 2011 ini.

Sepulangku dari Bandung hingga detik aku menulis entri ini, aku harus mengakui satu hal: kunjungan ke ITB telah menjadi 'minyak tanah' bagi api di sanubariku. Terdengar terlalu puitis dan berlebihan, tapi semua itu kenyataan. Bahkan aku yang sudah membulatkan niat untuk, insya Allah, menjadi dokter dan melanjutkan pendidikan di FKUI (amin), merasa sangat terinspirasi dan termotivasi; tentu perasaan teman-temanku yang memang ingin masuk ITB pasti sudah dipenuhi luapan semangat lebih dariku. Aku bisa merasakan bagaimana bangganya ayah dan bunda, serta diriku, jika aku bisa diterima di universitas sekelas ITB. Aku bisa merasakan kehidupan baru itu sudah ada di depan mataku; kehidupanku sebagai mahasiswa.

Rasanya baru kemarin aku mempersiapkan diri untuk UAN SMP, bimbang memilih SMA mana yang harus kupilih, bingung antara 'deal with it' atau 'leave it' saat aku diterima di kelas akselerasi. Dan sekarang disinilah aku, teman-teman kelas Cerdas Istimewa / Bakat Istimewa-ku, dan kehidupan universitas hanya berjarak beberapa bulan. Cepatnya masa yang kata orang adalah masa terindah ini berlalu.

Terkadang, masih ada penyesalan di dalam diri ini mengapa aku harus 'dipaksa' meninggalkan satu tahun berharga itu. Aku jadi tidak bisa melakukan banyak hal yang siswa-siswi SMA biasa lakukan. Namun, lagi-lagi kunjungan ke ITB kemarin layaknya alarm yang membangunkanku dari semua penyesalan itu, dan mulai melihat dari sisi yang lain. Bahwa, banyak hal yang sudah kudapat dengan mengikuti program akselerasi - yang sudah pasti, tak peduli bertahun-tahunpun kuhabiskan di SMA, aku tak akan bisa mendapatkannya.

Aku bisa belajar untuk menjadi lebih pekerja keras dan memiliki komitmen. Satu semester yang seharusnya dijalani selama enam bulan, di kelas akselerasi hanya ada empat bulan yang tersedia. Aku masih ingat pada bulan-bulan pertama, aku dan beberapa temanku meneteskan air mata di pojok kelas akibat nilai-nilai ulangan yang jelek dan kami harus ikut remedial. Dulu kami belum terbiasa dengan cara mengajar guru-guru kami yang terlampau cepat seperti orang balapan, tugas dan ulangan yang mengalir seperti banjir, dan waktu belajar yang lebih lama dibanding anak-anak reguler. Sekarang, kami sudah bisa beradaptasi dan bisa dianggap 'kebal'.

Aku jadi bisa lebih dekat dengan teman-teman sekelasku. 4L alias 'Lo lagi, lo lagi' itu adalah deskipsi yang tepat karena kami ber-24 harus belajar di kelas yang sama, tidur di kelas yang sama karena guru yang membosankan, menyanyikan lagu yang sama, protes bersama-sama saat ada guru yang 'bolos', bahkan 'kerja kelompok' pada beberapa ulangan sulitnya gak ketara hehehe. Bahkan saat malam keakraban kemarin, beberapa dari kami ada yang menangis haru karena membicarakan kehidupan akselerasi kami, salah satunya adalah aku. Kami benar-benar tak hanya membagi tawa, namun juga air mata.

Teman-temanku, dua tahun kita akan segera habis, dan kita akan segera melanjutkan peran kita pada skenario hidup kita yang berikutnya. Aku harus mengaku, dulu aku menganggap bahwa teman-teman SMP-ku yang akan menjadi sahabat-sahabatku selamanya, bahwa kalian tidak akan menandingi mereka. Namun aku salah, karena tak kenal maka tak sayang. Aku mungkin tidak bisa mengatakannya kepada kalian langsung satu persatu, namun aku sayang kalian. Tak kenal dimana aku biasanya duduk saat pelajaran, tisu dan makanan siapapun yang pernah aku minta, siapa saja yang pernah kutanya jawaban saat ulangan, BBM siapapun yang pernah kubajak, atau dangkalnya pengetahuanku tentang film atau makanan kesukaan kalian.

Kini waktu kita untuk mengenyam pahit manisnya dunia putih abu-abu akan segera usai, dunia kita semua yang dipercepat karena sebuah kurikulum. Kita gak akan bisa merasakan jadi senior di sekolah saat kelas 3 nanti, karena kita sudah lulus dan sudah kembali menjadi junior di universitas yang kita pilih. Mungkin kita juga gak akan bisa foto bersama-sama di buku tahunan dan mungkin gak bisa ikut prom angkatan kita karena kita sudah menyebar di berbagai belahan Indonesia (bahkan dunia, amin) untuk mengenyam dunia perkuliahan. Namun teman-temanku, terakselerasi tidak selalu berarti tereduksi. Banyak momen-momen penuh tawa, candaan yang bahkan gak lucu sama sekali, kesal-kesalan, bahkan air mata, yang hanya KITA yang akan tahu.

Dan... iya, ini memang tulisan yang agak panjang dan membosankan, serta bertele-tele, tapi untuk menutup supaya lebih oke, aku mau menambahkan satu hal lagi: besok anak-anak reguler sudah bisa bangun siang, sementara kita masih harus bangun pagi dan pergi ke sekolah dan ada remedial Kimia dan Biologi.. dan mungkin remedial pelajaran yang lain. Namun, seperti kata orang bijak: Pain is the payment of each precious thing. Tetap semangat! Mari teriakkan kata yang biasa kita suarakan sebelum olahraga dengan Pak Waluyo, "CIBI CIBI CIBI!!!" :-)

The Torch of Heaven

2011-11-02T23:25:00.000+07:00

not mine, photo credit to my schoolmate.

A recent school event held on October 31st, 2011 at my school. All second graders were the event committees, which meant I was, too.

Well, the event is called GK (which stands for Gelar Kreatifitas) and held annually to celebrate my school anniversary, with different theme each year. The event itself is a one-day event and features school club performances: like traditional dance, cheerleading, modern dance, and band; and also features famous local music bands. It is an internal event, so those who can enjoy are only students and graduates, teachers, and staffs of my school.

This year, all of us as the committees came up with this beach and sunset theme with orange as the main color, and agreed to call it: GK SUNSET "Let The Torch of Heaven Shine Your Memories".

The bad part was.. I kept vomiting all night because I had this nasty nausea, guess that one came from fatigue due to preparing the event. But it was all nothing compared to positive feedback form almost everyone who came. Even some of the teachers and a lot of graduates said that this year's GK was so sick that it was one of the most successful. It's an absolute proof of one thing: GK SUNSET was a huge success. It was indeed a historical night.

not mine, photo credit to my schoolmate.

I'm not being cocky here, but there is this certain joy overflowing inside when knowing that something you worked on was highly appreciated by other people. The preparation took up a lot of energy and time, but the few days before the big day were the most hectic. Extremely happy that our countless hours of hardwork and sacrifices paid off.

And... being aware that GK SUNSET is the last event in high school that I could be the committee of - since I'm hopefully graduating next year - is kind of saddening. But there's one thing I'm sure of: GK SUNSET is one memory what I will cherish forever.

In the end, I have one thing to say. Good work, everyone. No matter how little or big your involvement in this, but we all did it. We made it. And as we separate ways and take higher steps to the future, we will always have GK SUNSET as the torch of heaven that shines our memories.:)

Blue Sky and Cotton Candy Clouds

2011-09-19T19:29:00.000+07:00

My brother whilst parasailing in Bali a few monts ago.

I feel like my blog lacks of pictures, and thought I could post one.:)

Hang In There, Self

2011-09-18T14:12:00.000+07:00

qwedrtgyujiokpiuytrdghjkl. That pretty sums up how I felt. Or how I felt and still am feeling, but not that much anymore. And yes, that's a quite complicated grammatical differentiation. That's not important anyway.

So... to be perfectly honest, I expected this week to be the most joyful. But it turned out to be a big letdown. It only got me feeling more insecure than before.

I feel left out alone, I feel used, I feel unappreciated, I feel undervalued. I know everyone has got their own dipshits to handle, problems to solve. That they can't be there 24/7 for me. And that is actually what makes me feel like crap, because I feel like deep inside I need people more then they need me. And that also reminds me of the sweet faces those mean bitches fake when they need me. Oops, sorry, I mean when they need my help. And when they get everything they need, they're gone. Poof.

There's actually more things I want to say, like how much I want to put those fake bitches in my shoes, moreover how much I want the people I care deeply about to be there for me... And that actually can go on to be a long list.

That's why last night I was just sad as fuck with blurry reasons. A lot of negative feelings, and above is one of them. I guess that is what bottled-up feelings do. Then with the dimmed lights I listened to depressing music that went well with what I felt... hoping I'd feel better. But I figured those songs tortured me even more so I switched those miserable songs with the ones that could light up my mood. That helped.

And I got a few lessons learned:

1. Food and music do the best job in boosting my mood. And other people's as well. But food always takes the first spot.

2. Everything is going to be alright in the end. The doors may close, but sooner or later we'll find the open windows. That's according to the songs I listened to last night.

3. The true happiness lies within one's own self and soul.

4. Depending on someone to be responsible for our happiness only causes heartbreaks. Depending on food doesn't.:-)

And yes, this has been a post. A boring post or an annoying post that involve so many 'feelings' word. But either way, I feel better.

A Year Older, A Year Better...

2011-09-16T19:07:00.001+07:00

Happy belated birthday to me!

Nothing's wrong with wishing myself one happy birthday 4 days late.. isn't it?

Well, my birthday was... just how a birthday should be. Birthday wishes, lots of them. Hugs and any other acts of affection from friends and family. A few presents. All regular things you have on your birthday. No cakes though. But it's okay. And that's not the point of this post.

I've come to this realization, one that I actually will try to always remember. Birthday isn't about those flooding presents or blowing the candles or party with balloons. Maybe it was when I was still a toddler. At my age, not anymore. Well, of course its very nice to have those on my birthday, but there are things that I know I should keep in mind as I get older.

A birthday is a reminder of two things.

It's when I get reminded that my lifetime is shortened by a year. What things have I done throughout those years I've lived? Do those things actually mean something? Will I do better the next years I'm left with?

It's also when I get reminded of those who were, are, and will be by my side, either through good or bad times. Those who love me and care about me truly. Those who I should give my all to because I know I'll never get shit in return.

A birthday is less about celebrating the one year that just passed, but it's more about embracing the new one to come. To not repeat nor regret past mistakes, but to consider them as lessons. To value and be thankful for what I've already been showered upon, rather than wanting what's not there. To take care of myself and my beloved ones better. In the end, to be a better being. Amen.

Well, I'll just stop talking like a granny now. And like I said, it's always nice to receive birthday presents from your loved ones. And I did.:-) My parents gave me money, they always have for my last few birthdays - I suppose it's better because I can buy myself what I want for my birthday present. And also a few simple but meaningful gifts from friends and family. But I want to show my special gratitude for my school buds for this:

This is from my classmates. They weren't prepared for anything on my birthday so they pretended like they didn't care and said nothing. But they gave me an enormous cup of ice cream and that above poster as 'surprise' a day later.. ~~Even though there's no photos of me on the poster and it was a day late, but~~ they meant a lot to me. Thank you, mates!:D

And I just got a very great news today, that my sick uncle is responding to his treatments. He'll be in meds for a few years.. but he should be okay. I'm not exaggerating, but it's the best birthday present so far!:'D

~~~

“And in the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.”

-- Abraham Lincoln.

I'm turning 16 tomorrow...

2011-09-11T15:44:00.001+07:00

.. and I feel kind of old.:-P

Three Words, Eight Letters

2011-09-10T23:42:00.000+07:00

I came across someone's post on Tumblr a few months ago, a really good one. It's about the 'I love you' usage in Japan. In Japanese, they have 'I love you' in three ways. The first one is an 'I love you' to your friend or family, so it's kind of the friendly one. The second one is an 'I love you' to the person you like, not yet love. The third one is the most serious one, an 'I love you' to a special person that you want to spend the rest of your life with. This the third one is rarely used, because as written above.. it's serious.

That post actually got me thinking, that it's how an 'I love you' should be said, especially the third one. It's a very complex phrase that we should take time first before we say it. Maybe it's just 'I like you' or 'I adore you' or 'I care about you', but because we cluster every positive emotion then we use the word 'love'.

Nowadays people use 'love' - a very powerful word - loosely. Most people I know, mostly teenage lovebirds, just say 'I love you' to their boyfriend or girlfriend, like every single time. It's gross to see couple who's been in a relationship only for a week or so and they're like 'I love you, baby', get all lovey-dovey, and all that. I mean, how can the real love be there? The same thing goes to a young girl just rambling because their crush just got together with someone new, and they're like so heartbroken and say that she's lost the love of her life. The love of your life, really? It's not that it's bad to feel sad when experiencing heartbreaks. And no, it's also not bad to express your feelings to your girlfriend or boyfriend, no. What's bad when we involve the word 'love' when we don't mean it.

Some people say 'love' because they mean it. But some only say it because they feel like they have to. And these people who say it without meaning it and those who say it too much are why 'love' has already lost its very meaning.

I personally consider 'love' as a very precious thing. I'm not saying I never said 'I love you', of course I have. Very often. To my friends and family, because I mean it. I love them. But to a particular guy? No. (Well, no as long as guy celebrities don't count, because I lost count on how many times I 'declare' my 'love' to certain celebrities.:p) Okay, I may have a crush on a few couple of guys during my lifetime, but they were never enough for me to actually say and mean those powerful three words.

Some people may think I write this because I'm single and I've never felt the 'real love' like they have, how do they really know what they feel is a real one?

In the end, what I want to highlight here is 'I love you' has deeper meaning, more than some people think it does. And it means even more meaningful not when we just say it repeatedly like an autopilot, but when we say it on the right time with passion and affection. And it gets even deeper when we say it to the right person.

It's just my opinion though.:-)

Wealth and Health

2011-09-05T23:22:00.000+07:00

I'm not a kind of person who tells family problems to any of social networking sites I own. But I think it's not a problem - at least not the humiliating one - to have a sick family member. And I mustn't bottle this up, and I have to let this be spoken - or at least, written.

As what I wrote in my previous post, my cousins and I spent the past four days in the hospital. My aunt and uncle - mom's older sister and older brother respectively - have been hospitalized, and their rooms are next to each other. I actually didn't mind at all that I had to spend those days in hospital, instead I felt happy to spend those hours with my beloved ones. Even under a hell of a circumstance.

My aunt's been hospitalized for almost two weeks due to typhoid fever and dehidration. She's been getting better, and I'm sure she'll recover and get out of the hospital soon. Amen.

But the same thing ain't happen to my uncle. About two weeks ago, he was rushed to hospital because something was wrong with his liver. Or I don't know what happened for sure, but his medical test results were bad. At least that was what my other uncles and aunties told me and my cousins. A few days later, a bad news came out that he was diagnosed with the stage 3 bone cancer. But the diagnosis changed, it wasn't a cancer. There was something wrong with his red blood cells and it caused his bones to rarefy.

I didn't catch up if there was other diagnosis given afterwards, but yesterday we got the news that his kidneys are shutting down and he should start the dialysis soon. Like what he already had wasn't enough, now the kidney failure is making it worse.This Tuesday he's flying to Singapore to start whatever treatment he needs. When I found out, I froze for a second. All of us were saddened. And I could see the deep sadness in everyone's eyes and hear the sorrow through their voices.

It's not that the symptoms weren't there. I was told that there were a few times when he didn't really feel well, but it was never made a big deal. He just retired for maybe a month - or I'm not sure exactly, and the first time he fell sick was after he attended several farewell parties held for him. At first, the family thought it was just fatigue as he had to fly to several places to attend those parties.

But then this is happening.

I'm actually not that close to my uncle. We only meet on special family occasions, Eid Fitr, and Eid Adha. I don't know that much about him. But I know he loves to sing. His fridge is like a food fest, every delicious food is there.:) He's a very wealthy man, and I won't fail to mention this, he is a very generous one. Very generous.

He's my uncle. My family. Even though you're not that close to any members of your family, but when you find out that they have deadly disease, I'm sure you'll be devastated. But I'm sure life is a roller coaster, and everything happens for a reason. We may not know why this has to happen to our beloved family member, but we will find out. Soon or later.

I may not be able to say this directly, but I'm thinking of you and I wish you a speedy recovery, Om.<3:)

True Happiness

2011-09-01T01:13:00.004+07:00

Nothing can be as peaceful as a DAY like this. Eid Mubarak 1432H.:)

Today was delightful. I got to spend my time with the people I love the most. Not under a good circumstance, though. Two of my family members are being hospitalized - an aunt and an uncle, so we mostly spent the day at the hospital. My other aunt (Dad's cousin) was also rushed to ICU two days ago, we already visited her yesterday. Of course not the way I expected how we'd celebrate this special day, but it felt really good to be with them.

Nothing beats the happiness when we spend our time with our loved ones.:)

Last Summer

2011-07-10T00:39:00.000+07:00

Bali, July 2011

A Look Back

2011-06-27T16:56:00.000+07:00

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back everything is different."

A year ago was my graduation day from middle school. Exactly a year ago.

And a year has also passed in high school, which means a year to go until another graduation.

Now I'm having my summer break, and it feels to loosen up a little. No more sleep deprivation due to exam week, hours of doing exercises, notes and textbooks. At least for a couple of weeks. I was busy with school, because a few weeks before a year ends are the busiest.

But, June has been a bliss for me as I've been showered with lots of precious things in life. I recently won a speech competition, first winner. That means I'm selected to go through the next stage of the competition, against other first winners. I'm still not sure when it is though. My hardwork for this term also paid off, I was ranked second for this semester among all students in my class. Small achievements for some to say, but quite big for me. Nothing feels better than seeing my parents' proud smiles for those things I've achieved.

The next two terms are going to be the hardest, because I have to maintain those steady grades and I can't fall on the curve at school. That'd be hard, but I can do it. *surrounding myself with positive thoughts*

But screw that for a while, it's summer time! Put the school stuffs and boring daily activities aside. I have a few plans in mind, including finishing up some books and unwatched DVDs. Sounds boring? Yes. But my dad's promised to take my family on vacation and he has the plane tickets booked and everything set up already. We're going to.... Let me keep that wrapped up first.:)

Holiday, here I come.

'If I could touch you, I'd never let go.'

2011-04-29T23:44:00.152+07:00

I'm big fan of Maroon 5. Well, I first knew them from This Love and She Will Be Loved when I was in elementary school. So it was so long ago. But oh well, I was an elementary school student and couldn't understand those lyrics, but those songs are so familiar to me. I just knew a little like "This love, lalalalala.." or "She will be loved, and she will be loved.... lalalala."

But it changed when I got into middle school. Maroon 5 released their second album, It Won't Be Soon Before Long. And well, I got better in English so I could actually know and understand what those songs mean. LOL. I started to listen thoroughly to the album, and fell in love with it instantly. I like all the songs. I like Songs About Jane - their first album, but I like their second one better. And from that moment on, Maroon 5 was and has been my favorite band. And I knew if they ever toured and came to Indonesia, I had to see them performing live.

And that came true.

I still remember how I freaked out when I knew they were coming to Indonesia. They've been having a world tour soon after their third album, Hands All Over, was released. I was so happy, fangirling, and hyperventilating just knowing they'd come to Jakarta. To my city. The tickets were on sale on December 2010, and sold out within 10 hours, and I was lucky I got one.

And April 27th 2011 was the the day I'd been waiting for. To be frank, that was the first concert I've ever gone to. And I was so excited. I went there with my classmates. The concert started at 8pm.The stage was simple, but the lighting and sound systems were incredible. Especially the lighting. And of course, their performance.

The concert started out with Misery, and ended with Sunday Morning. They sang 16 songs throughout the concert. Well, I was busy taking pictures, recording videos, dancing, screaming, and singing along. They were incredible. Not to mention they were very friendly, especially Adam. He asked and said a few things in Indonesian, like "Apa kabar, Jakarta?" means "How are you, Jakarta?"; "Terima kasih," means "Thank you,"; "Saya cinta kamu," means "I love you." Like during Never Gonna Leave This Bed, Adam said "Saya cinta kamu," and that's a sure thing the girls screamed because of it. Including me. I screamed a lot actually.

Well, I was a bit, *did I say a bit?* disappointed with the concert. A bit. Just a bit. Reasons as follows:

1) They used Sunday Morning as the closing song. I'm not saying that it's a bad song, of course not. It's a good song, but not a song that I'd expected to end the concert. Frankly I expected the closing song would be Misery, and Sunday Morning would be okay as a starter. But I'm fine with it.:)

2) Some of my favorite songs weren't sung. I expected Nothing Last Forever; Goodnight, Goodnight; Just A Feeling; and I Can't Lie to be performed. Well, I want them to sing all of their songs though.

3) The concert only lasted for 1,5 hours and I demand more. LOL.

But, despite all of those minuses, THE CONCERT WAS PERFECT.

~~I took the picture btw.~~

They kicked ass. Adam Levine was sick soon after he arrived at Jakarta, but he did a very amazing job *not to mention he was hotter in person*. And so did Mickey Madden, James Valentine, Jesse Carmichael, and Matt Flynn. They all made my night. Although my feet and hands were stiff and I kinda lost my voice due to screaming and singing loudly, but I want to start all over again if I could. Until this very moment, I'm still starstruck. And if they ever come again, I'd love to go see them again with the same love, excitement, and enthusiasm.

To end this post, I'd like to say... I love Maroon 5.

Hidden

2011-04-24T00:46:00.001+07:00

As Mark Twain says, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do."

Let alone twenty years, sometimes that happens within minutes afterward. Everybody has their own dreams, their own wants, their own obsession. The ones they never talk about - the untold ones. The ones nobody ever knows but them - the unknown ones. The hidden ones.

I'm going to spill it out, I have a few obsessions slash dreams I'm the only one who knows. From the little and simple ones until the ones I'd do everything for. I don't try to make those dreams come true or I don't tell anyone because of a few things. Mostly because I know what people would think about me if they knew, and I could predict what reactions they would give towards it. They would laugh and asked me whether I joked or not. Or they wouldn't ask, they would just simply jump to conclusion and think that I joked.

From my point of view, I see it as a very human thing. We dream about something, but let it go because we're afraid of what people will do about it. Or simply because our fear of failure that causes us to back off without even trying. The same thing happens when we try to achieve something, but stop putting the effort because we know those efforts we put into are or will be futile. When we decide to give up, we feel like it's the best option left. But after time passes, it turns out that it wasn't.

And I regret a few things in my life because of the same reason, because at first I thought not doing it was the best option, but it wasn't. Because I thought I'd fail, but then I figured I could've done my best. I should've just gone for it and tried and given my best. But I didn't. Now they're no more dreams, they're just untold stories of regrets.

Sunday Morning

2011-04-23T23:16:00.000+07:00

Photo taken by my classmate when my class went biking during car-free day a week ago.

Day-off Journal

2011-04-19T21:06:00.000+07:00

Now I'm having a days off from school. My seniors are facing the national exam and I wish them the best of luck.:)

And I already planned to spend those valuable 10 days by chilling out, watching TV, eating and snacking, taking nap and sleeping 8 hours a day. I also demand time for body treatment, more to body scrub or just put on some hair mask. Some of my DVDs are unwatched, so I want to finish them soon. I also wish to continue reading The Hunger Games. But plan is just a plan.

This week I'm totally busy.

Yesterday, I went to a friend's house to talk about a mini UN conference we're attending on early May. There are three of us in a group. We were working on the position paper and another preparations for it. And it's still halfway done. So we're planning a meet-up on Thursday to get everything well-prepared. *wishing us the best of luck:)*

Today, I went to another friend's house to prepare for a music video project our teacher gave. We chose the song and wrote an outline. And it's still halfway done. So we're planning to meet again and start shooting the video on Friday.

Tomorrow, I'm going bowling and having lunch with my middle school friends. A mini reunion we always have whenever we're free. And no doubt, time with them just flies really fast. So I'm going to be out all day.

So my beloved 5 days were - and will be spent to do lots of stuffs. And think I'm free on the weekend? No. I still have sacks of school assignments to do.. Chemistry, Math.. preparing for my Biology and Physics remedial test.

A week off from school should be free from school works and relaxing. But, well I'm pretty satisfied with what I'm doing throughout these days off. It's surely not the way I planned it to be, but I just feel like those days are well-spent.:D

Doubts and Faith

2011-04-18T23:21:00.007+07:00

Fact #1: I'm so close to graduation. Next year, if everything goes well, I'll graduate and undergo a new step of my life: college. Since I'm on the accelerated class, I only have two years of high school, and so far I'm enjoying it. Getting flooded with assignments and tests is something my classmates and I are getting used to. But I'm not going to talk about that.

My teachers always say that we're all smart and talented in different ways, our on ways. And it's basically what all people say.

But there always comes a pause when I question myself, am I on the right track? Am I right on choosing international relation or journalism as my major? Will I do well? Or it may be just a pipe dream and I should let it go and give it to other people who are better than I am?
So what's the point of this post? That exhibit actually lead to a question, "Has anyone ever made you feel worthless?"

To answer that question frankly, I'll say yes.

People say that we're not destined to do everything, we're just born to do something. But is that it? What if people get in our way, and we become as worthless as the 'ay' in 'okay'? Those people are the ones who seem to have everything we want to have, seem to be someone we'll always want to be.

According to Wikipedia, doubt is a status between belief and disbelief, involves uncertainty or distrust or lack of sureness of an alleged fact, an action, a motive, or a decision.

I know that we have to fight for our dreams and do what we love. But I can't deny the feeling of being not good enough compared to some people. The feeling of knowing that it's just futile to compete with them, because we know we'll lose. The feeling that drains our confidence. The feeling that overwhelms us, tries to scare us away, and prevents us from going. Doubts.

And that's why we have faith. No matter how doubts attack us, when we have faith, we can go the farthest. The only thing I want to really good is to be confident about who I am and have faith that I can live my dreams as long as I don't stop trying.

But do I have any hope left?
No may be the answer. But yes may be, too. We all have the same chance.

And I'm not really sure if it's already written, but I'm sure God will help after I help myself. Having doubts is very human. But the most important thing is to explore and improve talents, be open-minded, keep the faith, and do the best. Let God do the rest.:)

Forget..

2011-04-17T20:39:00.002+07:00

... is what human beings do.

Believe me, there were a few times I tried to log in, in order to post things. But I always wrote the wrong email/password combination. I thought I got my password wrong, so I tried all passwords I usually use on my internet accounts, but didn't work. And today, it turned out I got the email wrong. Ha.

Well, I can recall that I promised to post once a week... and yeah, it's hard to do. Same reason again, school stuffs. And when I'm free, there's always something that gets in the way. But now, here I am.

Well, I had my exam week about a week ago. And some turned out good, some didn't. Start from the bad ones first.

Physics. This one, talk about a bad start. When I was about to study, I found a centipede on my worksheets. It wasn't so big, but still, how would you feel when you find a centipede on your papers? I was shocked and you know, cried. Sounds stupid. I know. When I did the test, everything went fine. But now I had to have a remedial test because I'm missing out 5 points... nice.

Biology. I only missed out 4 points, but the teacher still wanted me to take the remedial test. I was just this close to passing through, but my biology teacher was just so hard to encourage. Well, the whole class had to take remedial test but still.

Well, the other subjects were just okay. But there are some satisfying test results:

Chemistry. I got 100. Or A+. The perfect score. The materials weren't that hard, so to be frank, I kind of expected this. Well, still, this is chemistry. Not my expertise, and I always had to take remedial test for this subject... but I'm so happy I got the perfect score..:D

English. I always tell myself that it's a shame if I don't get A+ for this subject. Or at least, get the highest score among my classmates. I can say that English is the only subject I can rely on. But well, I did get the perfect score..:D

Math. I also got the perfect sore for this, but well I'm not really proud of it because... most of my class got the same score. But I'm still happy though..:)

I don't know what to write anymore.

Anonymous

2011-03-04T20:11:00.005+07:00

Almost a year since I signed up on Tumblr, and it's been a very pleasant journey. On Tumblr, I usually post (or reblog) my favorite stars (Olivia Wilde is the most often), or my favorite TV shows. Or just a few inspiring quotes and beautiful pictures. I've made a few friends around the globe, because we simply have something in common. Not very close, but close enough to actually talk about our interests. I also have lists of people whom I'd be very happy to meet in real life, because their posts show that they're indeed awesome people.

But, no matter how joyous something is, there's always something bad.

Someone's been anonymously questioning me. Let's consider the person as a she. And I think she's one of my followers, and I think I know who she really is. I just don't want to exaggerate things, so I just answer her questions kindly. She doesn't insult me through her questions, and her questions are not rude at all. All she does is ask why I post some particular things quite frequently these days, like Olivia Wilde or my favorite TV shows like House or Glee.

First, I don't always post Olivia and those TV shows. I'm an avid fan of them, true that. I post about them a lot, that's also true. But once again, I don't always post about them. I also post other things quite frequently, too. I mention that I'm a #1 fan of Olivia Wilde and I watch TV shows on my Tumblr. And so far, I gain followers from Tumblr because of what I post (except real-life friends, we follow each other). I don't think I'm wrong posting those things. And that's my Tumblr, so that's actually my right to post anything and there's an Unfollow button she can click at any single time if she really follows me.

I don't hate her, no. And I don't think she hates me, too, because what I can conclude form her questions is she just complains. I appreciate it that she actually pays attention on my posts, because if she didn't, she wouldn't send me questions at the first place.

But that's not what my intention of writing this post.

This thing is a kind reminder, that not only on internet, but in real life, there are a few people that dislike us no matter what we do. Even when we do good things, some think we do that because we seek for attention. Every single thing that we do, either it is good or bad, there are people who will always be against us.

But in the end, what matters the most is that we stay true to ourselves. That's very human when we want others to like us and everything we do. And sometimes that what drives people to being a fake, being somebody they're not.

I'd be lying if I said I never did something because others wanted me to, or just because I wanted people to think nice about me. And going back to the anon who criticizes me for posting my favorite things, but I'm sorry, I'll still keep on posting..:D That's who I am, and I'm not going to stop liking what I like and being who I am because of your continuous messages.:)

I'm still learning to actually love myself and be true to myself, and sometimes that doesn't turn out to be nice since people will always keep on finding our flaws. Let them... because haters are the other form of flattery since they simply pay attention and spend their time for us.:-D

Harbour

2011-02-27T13:15:00.007+07:00

.....

It's been forever since I posted something here. I'm sorry for abandoning you, because I pretty mush spend my time on Tumblr or school stuffs.:p

Anyway, there's so much I want to write. First is about high school. I still remember how I used to 'whine' about it, but actually it's been a big progress going on. I get into the accelerated class.:D It's harder, of course, remembering that three years of high school are shortened into two years. The teachers teach materials very fast, and flood my class with a lot of assignments with such short deadline. But since this is somehow a 'different' class, so there are only 24 students of us. And we spend so much time together, laughing over silly jokes, or sometimes even bawling over the bad grades.

Second, it's about my school project. This was so important, since it was a final semester project or sort. So we were told to write an autobiography by our Indonesian language teacher. I was so stoked to work on it, even we only had barely two months to get it done, but all of us nailed it! :D Our teacher seemed to be very happy and appreciative, and she said our class did a very great job. And on report card day last Thursday, she announced three best autobiographies. And mine got the second place!:D

It's titled 'Pelabuhan Kata', which I can't quite translate it into English.:p

My dad was also very excited about this, that he printed two copies instead of one, and sent one to my grandma.:p This is one little thing but I'm very thrilled and thankful. Since I aspire to be a journalist, I feel like this project played a big role and helped me practicing.:D

And going back about me aspiring to be a journalist, I think it's time to start writing again. Well, I've written some posts on Tumblr, but I have to admit, I spend more time in reblogging and posting photos. So, I think, I'm going to try, to start writing again in this blog. Not that I'm leaving Tumblr, but I will try to update both blogs. I won't post everyday, since most of my time is spent for school. But at least, I'll try to post weekly. Just wish me luck..:D

Sorry :(

2010-08-20T20:26:00.003+07:00

I know I've been abandoning this blog for like.. two months. I'm sorry for that, since I've been busy with Tumblr *hahaha* and stuffs in high school! :)

I'm not saying that high school isn't fun and all that, since I've been in high school for only 2 months. But with those new teachers, new friends, new rules, new environment, new friends.. subjects getting more difficult, I haven't really settled in. I miss my JHS friends beyond words.. :(

But I'm starting to like my new school tho. I want to make those upcoming 3 years to be the best years in my life. I want to know all my friends, get into extracurricular activities I want, participate in student organization *AMIN*, and all the stuffs I never did in middle school. High school is my one shot, no chances left. Wish me luck :)

I ...

2010-07-03T21:49:00.002+07:00

Just sign up on Tumblr. Still learning how to operate that thing, but...

monsterpopper.tumblr.com

follow me :)

So.. people always say...

2010-06-18T21:28:00.009+07:00

...that it's better to watch the movie first before reading the book; they're somehow right.

I really wanted to read Dear John, because basically people say the book's better. So, yesterday, I booked it on a bookstore, and after work my dad grabbed it. I finished reading it quite fast, which was unpredictable, because I rarely read books these days. I mean, I used to, but I've stopped buying books for almost 2 years. And by 'books' I meant novels. I've preferred to borrow some novels from my friends ever since. I still buy Detective Conan comics and some magazines. Well, a few months ago, I bought a novel.

But, yeah, I read Dear John. Some pages which were only about wars and stuff bored me. But I think it was a great book after all. I cried when John's dad died-- which I always have, even when watching the movie-- and the last 18 pages. So, just say I was crying over how the book ended. My bro was like, "Are you crying just by reading a book?" hahaha. The epilogue jerked my tears; John was just too good to be true.

But like what people have said, they changed or deleted many details for the movie. I feel like the book and the movie just have the same titles and plots; but from characters to sequence of events, they're somehow different. Well.... I did the right thing, I watched the movie first. So I wasn't that disappointed--well, I wasn't, whatsoever; I was just confused-- like others who had read the book first. I'd say either the book or movie has its own beauty. They're good in their own way :)

"...Love meant that you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be." - John Tyree (Dear John).

PS:
1) Savannah was an unpatient ungrateful dumb ass *well actually I think she'd been patient, but not enough haha*
2)Sorry for having been talking about this on the last 3 posts. Wait, I'm not sorry, so I'm taking back my words :p

Living in Cartoon Motion

2010-06-15T20:14:00.017+07:00

So, last night, I was somehow in the mood to Scars on 45's songs. I just had 3 songs from their demo album, which was so hard to find on Internet. I had to download the video from YouTube and convert them into mp3s. And last night I downloaded around 7 videos and converted them. They're great.

And while listening to them, I tweeted with hashtag #nowplaying and mentioned Scars on 45. And they replied my tweet! :) I was a bit surprised because I didn't expect them to reply my tweet, but they did. It was so great to know they're finished with the album which means I can listen to those amazing songs soon... <3

And I'm saving the best part for the last...

(Photographed by Maarten de Boer. Do visit his website to see his awesome artworks! The pic above is one of them.)

Could you please stop being so adorable? I know you couldn't. You all look great. And by 'you', I mean 4 of you. You look amazing, my beloved ducklings <3
According to what Omar Epps tweeted, they have already started filming for season 7 starting today. Can't wait until it premieres! I've been dying to find out why Thirteen-- Thirteen, not Olivia Wilde-- would want to have some time off. Excited!!!! *House-ism mode: on. It always is.*

So, I'll see you soon then?

Dear You,

2010-06-12T13:52:00.012+07:00

I just watched Dear John yesterday. Better late than never, isn't it? I'm actually not into romantic movies, because I find some of them boring. Like He's Just Not That Into You. I almost fell asleep when watching it. Extra super boring. That's IMO, buddies.
Let's get back to Dear John. The movie was good, I must say. Even some say the book is much better. I haven't read the book, so I can't compare both of them. I didn't cry, and that's too bad. I just got teary-eyed at some scenes, the heartbreaking ones. Before watching the movie, I was hoping that could cry like an idiot. But it turned out I didn't. It wasn't because the movie was a crap or something. It's just me :p
But as long as I remember, I almost cried-- almost, at these scenes (NOT in order):

1. This "I need you to tell me" scene.

Photo credit: Someone's Tumblr. So, to whoever owns this, if you happen to read this post, just leave comments or something to get you credited ;)

"You're just all that matters, okay? You're all that matters to me."
Could you be any sweeter, John? Seriously, Nicholas Sparks, could you make one John for me? And who wouldn't want to hug him after hearing what he said? *too many questions*

2. When John reads his letter to his dad in the hospital hallway.

Family stories always touch me. Whoever says this is just another cheesy scene between a son and dad, you're heartless. Seeing John cries, makes me almost cry. Actually, seeing his pop always gets me teary-eyed. This is the saddest scene on the movie.

3. "Because just hearing your voice, I would've changed my mind!"

Photo credit: heartswonfrancheska.tumblr.com

"You think that every single day it wasn’t a goddamn marathon of my life without you?!"
I know it, Savannah. It must be cold everywhere, because there's no hot man to keep you warm :p

4. "I'll see you soon then.... Say it back..."

Photo credit: heartswonfrancheska.tumblr.com

Goodbye, Savannah. If I were you, I would never dump a guy like him-- dump him for a sick man *so evil* What do other guys have that John doesn't?
PS: Look at the last two pictures, I feel like giving him a warm hug :((

Well, it didn't have a happy ending, but I must say it was realistic one. And the scene where John and Savannah hugged, effing sweet. I already watched the alternate ending, it was as good as the real one.

Actually I still can't get over Channing's manliness (he's so lickable, those fucking abs...), Amanda's beauty (her eyes are $%^&*&%E%$5), those heartbreaking and romantic scenes... I should've watched this earlier.

PS: I don't feel like choosing those 2 high schools. 70? Or 8? I already got accepted into 70. But my NEM's enough to get me accepted into 8. Which one? I'm so confused :(

Amigos X Siempre!

2010-06-06T00:34:00.003+07:00

Okay, don't get me wrong. I'm not gonna talk about that fantastic Mexican TV show about the kids and stuff which I was a fan of. That show aired when I was in first grade, if I'm not mistaken. I was a major fan, I've always been, and I'll always be ;) Well, actually I'm looking forward to seeing those kids again on TV. I'm trying to look of its English subtitled videos on YouTube, but didn't find any. How could I understand the show then? If I find the DVDs somewhere, I'd buy it. I hardly remembered the casts, but just say... I still remember.

Sorry. I was lying. I said I wasn't gonna talk about it but I did. Well that wasn't what I meant.

So, yesterday, my friends and I just had our farewell party. Actually some parents and teachers also joined us. It went quite well, but it felt like only a minute. It should've lasted more that those friggin' 4 hours. It should've been 7 hours or something. Or those moms who managed the party should've booked some villas so that we could sing and laugh all night ahaha. And I didn't take a lot of pictures like I used to.. :( But well, it was fun and it couldn't get better, because it was the best farwell party of ours :)))

The dresscode was cowboy, and it pissed me actually. But yeah.... let's just skip that part. My friend and I were the MCs for the party. In the party, w spent our time singing, having lunch, laughing, exchange gifts, and stuff. And that was very fun.

I just can't believe 3 years have gone by. Happiness and sadness we've shared, each tear we've cried, laughter we've had, all pictures we've taken, sad or sweet moments we've been through.... they won't be easily forgotten. We started not knowing each other, and ended up being so close. Why does hello meet goodbye? I feel like missing them already ;)

I know we're going to go on different paths. But I also know that forgetting each other is a hard thing to do. Even if some of us rarely talk to each other, but our memories say everything. With everything we've had and been through together... our memories and us are unforgettably memorable! :')

I love you, guys. And let's be amigos x siempre... let's be friends forever :)

I'm A Nerd. Awesome.

2010-05-29T23:35:00.005+07:00

(click the pic for bigger view.)

WHO. THE. HELL. ARE. THEM???
Keep questioning yourself, the answer's on the way.

So, a few weeks ago, that was the first time I heard Zachary Levi singing. Yeah, that geeky CIA agent who has those government secrets downloaded into his brain, he can sing. I didn't know about that. He & Katharine McPhee sing a song titled 'Terrified', and that single was released recently. And he's got that hot voice, buddies. And that moment, made me want to watch Chuck.

Actually, I've watched Chuck several times before. And I've always liked it. Funny, and hot. And what I mean by 'hot' is Sarah Walker. And Chuck's brother in law, Devon, or Captain Awesome. He really is awesome, anyway. And a few days afterward, I bought DVD of its latest season (season3). And it's awesome. And it's getting more awesome with Brandon Routh guest starring. Triple hot.

And this show always gets me "WHY DON'T YOU BOTH JUST BE TOGETHER???!!", but that's the point of the show, actually. In season 3, they finally get together.

I already watched all episodes from season 3, except the last 4 episodes. And I'm now watching season 1. Yeah this holiday, I'll be spending my time watching DVDs. One of them is Chuck. Some conversations...
---
Dad; "What are you watching?"
Me ; "Chuck."
Dad; "So you like him now? Don Flack and you are done?"
Me ; *-__________-*
---

Yeah, Don Flack and me are done. I still adore him, anyway. He's hot, but he's just too old LOL. But still, CSI: NY for the mother effing win, anyway.

Hey, and so who are them on the picture?
That's me and my boyfriend.

Bye all.

No, of course not. They're Chuck and Sarah, I know you know it. This is the real picture; click it and you may laugh real hard. They hardly look like them , I know. I couldn't draw better than that haha :)

Okay, so nerds are calling. Time to go (to sleep). Bye :)

Yeah, it's the real one. I'm gonna go to sleep. Bye! Long live nerds!

Uh Oh Fail

2010-05-25T16:12:00.004+07:00

Look, I'm not supposed to tell you this. But...

actually, I was drawing Thirteen slash Remy Hadley slash Olivia Wilde. But I failed. She looks like Mila Kunis, instead.:/

I think during this holiday, I'm gonna post some drawings of mine. Let's see.

Hello. And I'm Sorry.

2010-05-22T20:31:00.009+07:00

I'm a bad blogger. I know. And I'm sorry.

It's been a month, or more, since the last time I blogged. And you know what, the preparation I'd done, hours I'd spent for studying, nights for praying.... everything got paid off. I'm gonna tell you about the National Exam I had (March 29 - April 1).The are 4 subjects; Math, Science, English, and Indonesian language. The maximum score of each test is 10.00, so the maximum score for all of those subjects would be 40.00.

And... my score for national exam... is... 38.90, without cheating :)))) Details: Science - 9.75 ; Math - 9.75 ; English - 10 ; Indonesian - 9.4. I'm not showing off, buddy :p I was surprised and proud for myself. It didn't cross my mind, how great that would be if my scores were higher, because this is the best. Thank God, alhamdulillah :) The best part of this was when I got to see the proud faces of my parents'. And I'm willing to see those again. I'm gonna make them proud :)

But somehow, I'm disappointed, because some of the students in my school used cheats. And few of them got higher score than mine. And those students are ones who always cheated even for daily tests, rarely collected their assignments, were often absent, and such. But the teachers know they cheated, but the can't do anything about it. How wouldn't I get pissed? Well, what goes around, comes around. They're gonna pay for that, right?

And, another great news. I passed the academic tests to get into 70 SHS :) Well, that doesn't mean that I'm officially accepted, but still.... I'm hoping for the best. This month has been the best in 2010 ;p

Okay, done for today. And, just FYI, I'm now having my holiday. No tests, assignments... Now I'm still planning what I'm gonna do during this holiday. I'd bought some DVDs, so that means I'd be having DVD marathon. But I'm still thinking about doing other positive activities... losing weight would be great (that'd be hard, I know), eh? ;p

OVER

2010-04-03T19:15:00.002+07:00

YEAH!!!! National exam is OVER. FINISHED. DONE.

Actually, it was, last Thursday :))))

I'm pretty sure I'd get good scores, but I don't know. The scores will be given on May 7. But there are still some tests, actually, but national exam is the most important. So just wish me luck. It feels good to be back!

Talk to you later. Bye :)

Finally...

2010-02-27T23:12:00.002+07:00

...after almost a month without posting anything, I could write a post again :D My schedule has been so hectic right now. A lot of tests, try outs. I'm spending my time working on math and science problems, reading books. I feel like I don't have much time now, since UAN is coming within a month.

Some updates. I'm a Gleek now. Yes, I am. I'm in love with Glee. I love its songs, the casts remake those very very well. Rachel's extremely talented, but I hate her character, trying to break Finn and Quinn ahaha. I think Puck and Quinn is a good pairing, but I reckon Finn and Quinn would make the perfect couple. And bla bla. What I mean is, I love Glee. But CSI: NY is still on the top of my list ;pppp

I definitely can't wait until March 10. Mac's new love interest, cutie cupcake Reed, they're on CSI: NY! I've seen Mac's possible new girlfriend, and she's beautiful. More than when I saw her in Gossip Girl. She has brunette hair now, and that's better. And, if I'm not mistaken, I read somewhere that her name would be Aubrey. Beautiful, haha.

I'm not uploading any pictures into this post. Just don't have time.... and too lazy because it takes time haha.

Just wish me luck on my UAN. I want to make my parents proud of me and so I can get into high school I really want to go to. I've got to be well-prepared, because this is the final of what I've done for 3 years. Studying, doing tests, spending nights working on assignments. I have a month to get more prepared. So this might be my last post... until UAN. It's my priority right now. I don't want to fail in this. I know I can do the best. Wish me luck. Bismillah.

Unforgettably Memorable

2010-02-03T19:26:00.002+07:00

Perfection

2010-02-03T19:04:00.003+07:00

Found these treasures few days ago, and I was ..... (fill in the blank. It's undescribeable!)
I know there's no perefection in this world... but.... SHE IS F-ING GODDAMN BEAUTIFUL. Look at her!!! Perfectly exotic face, beautiful eyes, a killer body to die for.... She has them all!!

She must be charged for killing me. I'm the victim ;ppp

The last photo is my favorite. It's perfect, either her or the dress. But the second one is epic. Three words, gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. I can't choose! For me, all those photos are called... perfection :)

Leather Jacket is Back...

2010-01-31T18:01:00.003+07:00

I'm going to talk about CSI: NY now hahaha. Please don't mind me :)

Photo credit: totallyeddiected.net

I like him more wearing the leather jacket than wearing shirt. But he still looks hot, anyway.

By the way, Mac is gonna get a new love interest! She's an ER doctor (oh my God, Peyton was also a doctor. I think Mac loves doctors LOL), the woman who plays the recurring role to be the girlfriend, I'd ever seen her before on GG. The episode airs on March 10, and Reed is going to be in it! Excited!!!

Now, I'm just waiting for Samantha to appear again! Because the more Sam in the episode, the more Flack would be :) Sam! Sam! Sam!!!!

PS: There will be math and science directorate tests tomorrow, but I haven't studied anything! How cool is that? :ppp Just wish me luck!

Year Book Photoshoot = Awesomeness!!!

2010-01-30T10:07:00.004+07:00

A week ago, my class did a photoshoot for our year book. It's kinda late to post it, though, but whatever. The theme of this photoshoot is outdoor party, so almost all the girls wore dresses. Mine was a black dress, and I designed it myself haha. Actually I'm not that feminine, but I'm not boyish either hehe :p

Since I didn't take any pictures of myself from head-to-toe... well, this is how my dress looks like. (L-R: Azka and me).

New York, New York. The glasses is my friend's.

We love Glee! (L-R: Me, Azka, Sekar)

The girls. (L-R: Tasya, Sarah, Endah, Jihaan, Azka, me, Diva, Reta, Claudia, Sekar, Nabila, and Cindy).

Re-makeup before the photoshoot.

We were divided into some groups. Mine was the first group to get photographed.

L-R: Sevo, Nabila, Cindy, me, and Bembem.

I'm sorry, I'm skipping the other groups ;pppp

Some friends say I looked a bit like Demi Lovato here, but I don't think so. Is that because of the hat?

Individual photo.

L-R: Dewa, me, and Harsya.

The whole class.

After the photoshoot (L-R: Andar, me, Affan, and Cindy).

Before going home... (L-R: Sekar and me).

Actually there are 120 photos, I already uploaded them on my facebook, since my friends kept asking me about the photos.

Well, I've got nothing to post. Enough for today! Bye :)))

xoxo,
Marsya

You.

2010-01-22T23:45:00.000+07:00

“I think we’re just going to have to be secretly in love with each other and leave it at that.”

— Margot Tenenbaum

Holiday at Tiffany's

2010-01-17T02:44:00.003+07:00

I drew this when my cooking teacher explaining the lesson. Call me a bad student, because I am. But cooking lesson is really a bore. Well, I don't really like Audrey Hepburn, that doesn't mean I hate her. My chairmate is a fan of her, so she has Audrey's photos in her iPod. Well, drawing is the only thing I can do without bothering my teacher, so I can't fall asleep as she's explaining things. But.... Audrey is beautiful, though.

I Want This.

2010-01-17T02:07:00.002+07:00

I keep my promise, don't I? Well, this is actually for my drawing assignment. Even I think the fingers are weird, I'm not good at drawing fingers haha. I want an SLR, by the way. Anyone wants to buy me one? LOL.

Few Updates

2010-01-15T23:36:00.003+07:00

It's like it's been a year with no updates. No, no, I'm overreacting haha. I've told you that I'm going to be very busy with school stuffs, which means I'm online very rarely now. I've to prepare for my national exam and getting to high school, which I'm so excited about it! I also have to prepare for the year book, which the photoshoot is only a week away, I guess.

He doesn't look like Don Flack, anyway. But whatever.

Hey, today is January 15th.... which means today is.... Don Flack, no, I mean Eddie Cahill's birthday! He's turning 32 today! The older you are, the hotter you're gonna be ahaha. And I also heard that his first child was already born! I dunno when's the time, but some people on the internet said so. I also found in CSI: NY 's fanpop, a pic of him and wife. And his wife is about 6 or 7 months pregnant. It was uploaded already months ago, so maybe the lil Eddie has been born LOL. Wish he would be as hot as hid daddy! :)

I read an Eddie Cahill's interview on CSI Files (link's available). It's quite long interview, but I was excited to read it ;) Based from what I read in that interview, when Angell died, Flack and her were just 3 months away from being engaged. So sad :(((((( I wonder what if they were engaged, and they got married, just like what Danny and Lindsay did. They would make a very happy ending :((

And my friend gave me this link, I couldn't agree more!

BTW, I was late today. School starts at 06.30 but I arrived at 07.45, how cool was that? I've never been late before, okay I have, but it's just very rarely. It was a very heavy traffic. Very heavy one.

I think that's all. I was going to post the scans of my drawings. Maybe tomorrow, I will. It's night and I'm sleepy. Bye :)

Beautiful and Smart

2010-01-02T12:56:00.003+07:00

Photo credit for background: From Teen Vogue December 08/January 09

I first heard about this quote from Margaret Whitesell, Bones' cousin who always quotes Benjamin Franklin. Well, this quote is quite.... true :)

Oh ya... next Monday.... school starts! It's already the 2nd semester and I've to focus on UAN. Things I'm doing on holidays:

Photo credit: Graph Jam

I LOLed a lot when browsing this website. Those graphs are just, too true.

Hello 2010!!

2009-12-31T22:11:00.003+07:00

I mean, it's not 2010 yet, but it's just 2 hours away. But, yeah.

I didn't go anywhere to celebrate this new year's eve. Just stay at home, surfing the net, reading my friends' tweets about them celebrating new year's eve. Well, it's not about how you celebrate this new year's eve, it's more about what will you do and accomplish in 2010. That's my opinion. I hope 2010 would be my year :)

PS: Like what I said in my post about 2 months ago, about Olivia Wilde must be on the included into the big 50 on the list of BuddyTV's 100 Sexiest Women of 2009............. I was right! It's already unpredictable though, because yeah, she is sexy ;p She's #4. Woohoo! Good job, BuddyTV. Even I think she could get the higher rank than that, but whatever.

What's written on BuddyTV:
"The hottest doctor on TV isn't at Seattle Grace, she's the enigmatic 13 on House. Playing a bisexual doctor is hot enough, but when she looks like Olivia Wilde, it's a real jaw dropper."
I love you, Olivia!!! (Did I sound like a gay there??? ;p)

"Everybody lies." - House

2009-12-31T16:14:00.006+07:00

Cute!!!!

So, doctors do circus, too? One of the best photos ever.

Photo credit: housebell.livejournal.com

Too bad, Olivia Wilde isn't there. But that's okay. Actually I've found those photos about a month ago, but I didn't have time and always forgot to post those. I'm not lying, for me, those photos, especially the circus-themed one, are ah-mazingly perfect. I can't tell you why, just perfect.

I just watched House last night, 6.07 "Teamwork", and too bad, Cameron is out from the diagnostic team. She also kind of broke up with Chase. What a pity :(

Any Resolution?

2009-12-30T20:32:00.002+07:00

2010 is just a day away! But I haven't had any resolutions ahaha.
Well, well, well, well, this holiday is..... boring. My dad is now out of town, getting some work to do. My family isn't going anywhere. I'm just staying at home. Eating, sleeping, browsing internet, eating again, sleeping again.

The girl who idea what to post, xoxo,

Marsya ~~~~

"The way you move ain't fair, you know...."

2009-12-28T19:57:00.008+07:00

Recently played track on my iPod. I never listened to any of Train's songs, but since Train guest starred on CSI: NY, the episode when Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Minillo did too. They performed on the show, singing 2 songs, "Calling All Angels" and "Hey, Soul Sister".... Yes, I'm currently listening to those 2 songs because they were featured on CSI: NY ahaha LOL. But, they're great, though. But I like "Hey, Soul Sister" more :)

Ignorance is Bliss

2009-12-28T19:55:00.003+07:00

Yeah, sometimes. Seeing Bones who always says or responds to something logically and scientifically. While her cousin, Margaret, does with quoting Benjamin Franklin. I was like, don't they feel stressed or something? Of course not. LOL.

The other story comes from House. Exactly, the patient is stressed and depressed of being a genius guy. he's a brilliant physicist who has already written 3 books, if I'm not mistaken. But then he chooses to be a normal guy, forgetting everything he's done and starting a new life as a courier. The episode's title was 'Ignorance is Bliss'. That's why I put it on the title LOL.

Well, it's just in TV shows. I've never met anyone with that kind of personality, though. But being smart is also bliss, because we don't have to be worried in working on assignments or doing the tests. But being ignorance sometimes is fun, we don't..... Alright, stop. That was so random. And pointless. But that's my thought :)

PS: I just watched New Moon with my 2 friends today. Pretty late, though. Well, I'm not a fan, so that was okay.

Tok, Tok, Tok...

2009-12-26T21:52:00.002+07:00

Taken from CSI: NY - 6.11 "Second Chances"

Yes, Everyone Knows It.

2009-12-26T12:34:00.002+07:00

One of my all-time favorite quotes. There must be pain to pay all precious things we want. Easy come, easy go :)

Keep on Believing, Guys.

2009-12-24T20:10:00.004+07:00

That quote above is taken from the first episode from the sixth season of CSI: NY.
That's true. No matter how small the possibility is, there's nothing impossible for rational things in this world. You know you can, do it truly with your heart. Because everything is possible.

PS: Sorry for the bad handwriting :)

Anyone Wants To Buy Me One?

2009-12-22T15:09:00.004+07:00

Photo credit: interney.net

Latest CSI graphic novel, called CSI: Intern At Your Own Risk. Published by Tokyopop. It's about a Japanese girl having an internship at CSI and with other interns, trying to solve cases. I've watched the trailer on Youtube, it's pretty awesome and likely worth to read. The best part is this is a comic, so the illustrations would make the better understanding. Next time I go to bookstores, if I find it, I'd love to buy one. Or.... anyone wants to buy me one?

PS: I hope CSI: NY would make one like this, soon.

Again,

2009-12-22T12:42:00.003+07:00

Photo credit for background: Fashion spread 'Made in Manhattan' from Dolly Australia February 2009.

Already Mourning CSI: NY Break.

2009-12-20T16:08:00.005+07:00

CSI: NY - 6.11 "Second Chances"
BTS photos of the team and Santa in a Christmas party with orphans and less-fortunate kids. Sweet. This is the episode when Kim Kardashian and Train guest star in. Don Flack looks cute in that Santa outfit, eh?

The only thing that's not sweet about that is.......... that's the last episode of CSI: NY this year. It's having its winter break starting from next week! There won't be any episode aired until next month (or next year?), exactly on January 13th 2010. All TV shows are having their winter breaks while I'm also on my holiday now, when I have time to download the episodes. Sad.

Death Don't Do Us Part.

2009-12-19T21:02:00.004+07:00

Because true love won't die.

Not-so-look-alike cartoon version of Don Flack and Jessica Angell. You know, when boredom hits a CSI: NY freak who loves drawing. This is the result. I didn't want to make it look definitely realistic, because I knew I wouldn't be able to ;p

Self-Diagnosis

2009-12-17T08:30:00.001+07:00

Super cute. I hope I could make one for CSI: NY.
Photo credit: Not really sure, but I found this on Indowebster.

I. Love. You. Guys.

2009-12-16T21:23:00.002+07:00

SBI 2007-2010.
Study tour in Cirebon two days ago. A moment I'll miss and never forget. I love you guys.

w00h00

2009-12-11T22:50:00.002+07:00

EXAM'S OVER.
Time to do some fun and forget all of those books!

PS: My previous camera is totally broken (all, the lens, LCD, everything) and the service fee is more expensive than buying a new camera. And finally........ I've got my new camera! With more mega pixels. And I spent my own money to pay half of the price, than the rest... my dad did. Even it's just a digital camera, it helps me a lot when boredom attacks (it's not about the camera, it's more about how you edit or photoshop those photos ;p).
Love you, Dad. I always did, do, and will!

2009-12-06T01:10:00.001+07:00

Next Week: FINAL TEST.

No post, no tweet, no browsing internet until Thursday. Wish me luck.

Definitely In Love With Her Even More

2009-12-03T16:35:00.002+07:00

Photo credit: Just Jared.

Absolutely gorgeous. I was "WOW!!!" when first saw this. She looks amazingly beautiful. Once again, gorgeous.

Thinking of You

2009-12-02T15:45:00.004+07:00

Found what I sketched when I was still in 8th grade.

PS: I'll be posting very rarely from now. It's because I've to focus on UAN :)

Say It Again, Please.

2009-11-28T21:47:00.004+07:00

"Say it again for me, cause I like the way it feels when you're telling me that I'm the only one who blows your mind."

I'm currently listening to Marie Digby's Say It Again. A friend told me that she liked this song, the first time I listened to this... I fell in love. This song reminds me of a moment :)
Marie is sweet and cute, and so is the Say It Again music video.

I. Love. You.

2009-11-26T20:44:00.002+07:00

"You're deaf because you can't hear my heart screams 'I love you'. You're blind because you can't see my love for you. You're mute because you can't say 'I love you too'. But you're NOT heartless because you have my heart."

- Marsya Nadhira

There's A Chance You Could...

2009-11-22T00:54:00.004+07:00

win a trip to LA and visit those 3 CSIs sets!!!!!

I effing want this. I hope I could get the chance.... (daydreaming mode: on)

What I've Been Effin Waiting Since September.....

2009-11-21T15:21:00.004+07:00

.... is to watch this!!!!

CSI: NY - 6.08 "Cuckoo's Nest"

Some screencaps from Cuckoo's Nest, one episode of CSI: NY from the latest season I've been waiting to watch since the premiere. It aired last Wednesday (in America)! Can't effin wait to watch it, seriously.

What I understand form some synopsis and reviews, Flack was drinking in subway, and when he got drunk, he got beaten by some guys who also robbed his wallet (see those bruises in his stomach?). And he was helped by Nelly, who helped him as the confidential informant. Nelly brought Flack to his apartment and saw Flack's phone as it rang. The call was from Mac.

Danny had looked for him in his apartment, but he wasn't there (I just knew that Danny has spare key to Flack's apartment). You know, just to search for Flack, Stella even triangulated his phone and Danny searched for him in every hospital. I heard that this is the episode when Flack hit his emotional rock bottom, which means in the next episode he'd move on and get better :)

And so on, because I haven't watched it so I can't tell that much, but I'm willing to download this tonight. I wish my internet would be fast. Oh ya, this episode is the third-highest in ratings, since the premiere and last week's crossover event.

Can't wait to download and watch it!

Photo credit: eddie-cahill.net

Have You Ever Downloaded With.....

2009-11-18T20:49:00.002+07:00

THIS KIND OF EXTREMELY SUPER SLOW INTERNET?

Click to get a closer look.

I was going to download the last episode of CSI: Trilogy, which is from CSI: Las Vegas. Then.... the internet turns out to be effin slow. It takes.... 250 days and 10 hours to download an episode? The speed is just 17,7 bytes / second. I've downloaded a lot; videos, songs, images, anything. But this is definitely the slowest speed my internet has ever been. It usually just takes 8 hours (if the internet is slow, but not this slow) or even an hour when the internet is so damn fast (this rarely happens lately).

Oh God, this ruins my mood to download instantly.

Don't Be Afraid To Jump Then Fall Into Me

2009-11-16T19:17:00.003+07:00

"Cause everytime you smile, I smile.
And everytime you shine, I'll shine for you."

- Taylor Swift's Jump Then Fall

Picture by me. It's CSI: NY's Danny and Lindsay.

So true.

2009-11-13T21:26:00.002+07:00

"I realized that there's only one of me in the world, so I should appreciate the things that are special about me, rather than aspiring for things that make other people special."

- Mina, taken from Dolly Australia

Even Love Could Kill

2009-11-11T17:10:00.003+07:00

Doodling is something I always do when I get bored in class...

I'm Really Terrible at Physics

2009-11-10T16:38:00.004+07:00

My class had physics test today. I've studied last night, but I think I just wasn't born to do physics. I think I'm gonna have the remedial test... or whatever. I don't know. The only thing I know is..........

Horaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

2009-11-08T08:25:00.003+07:00

Yesterday..... my team won! We got the 1st place :)

I got home at night, while my parents are not home. They were attending a wedding party of a relative. My parents had told me not to be home at night, since I go home by myself. My father was angry at me (because he was worried) because of that, but when I told him we won... he was happy too hahaha.

Our wall magazine:

If you look a little closer, you'll find me like this:

Cindy and me:

Another pictures...

:)

This Is The Last and.... Has To Be The Best

2009-11-06T19:10:00.002+07:00

I'm going to have a wall magazine competition tomorrow :) This might be the last competition for me, since now I'm in my senior year. I've to prepare for the national exam next year. There are 5 members in a team, my team will represent my school. Just wish us luck!

Just A Thought

2009-10-31T13:42:00.004+07:00

"I should have known that every single second I've spent to think about you, every teardrop I've cried because of you, and every love I've truly given to you.. They're useless."

- Marsya Nadhira

Let's Start Now!

2009-10-30T18:17:00.006+07:00

“We can try to waste less paper and have scripts distributed more responsibly. We can use corn-based products for craft services and we can go as far as solar-powered trailers. It’s not overwhelming if you take it step by step.”

- Olivia Wilde at Environmental Media Awards 2009

Actually, I've started to do some things to help. I always try to throw the garbage in the right place. If I don't find any bin, I try to keep the garbage until I find the bin.
My family also has habit to always use energy as wisely as possible. I turn off my AC and lights when I wanna spend my time outside my bedroom, like watching TV or sleeping in my parents' bedroom. I also always turn off the light when go to sleep.
And for something that's not related to school assignments, like just for doodling, I always use unused paper that my dad has brought from his office. My sister and brother also do this.
The most important of all.... I use public transportation when I'm going back home from school (even sometimes my mom or one of my family picks me up). Just imagine, the number of cars increase every single day. In my opinion, using public transportation could help :)

But what I can't stop til rite now is not to download a video (like an episode of CSI: NY) and leave it to sleep (and when I get up, the download is almost complete!). Well, I do it when my internet is so slow. If it isn't, then the download won't take a long time, so I don't have to turn on my laptop in a long time (which uses electricity).

But rite now, I'm so happy. My internet is soooo fast! It's about 120 kb/sec, so I just have to wait for an hour... then the episode of CSI: NY I wanna have is downloaded perfectly! I've already downloaded 2 videos, this is the second one ;) happy happy happy.

Alrite, I'm sleepy and definitely need to get some sleep. Au revoir!

Commander of The Ceremony

2009-10-26T17:01:00.005+07:00

Today, my class is on duty to be the officer for the flag ceremony. Not the whole class, just some of us. I'm the commander of the ceremony. Actually this has been the 4th time for me being the commander of the ceremony since I was in 8th grade, but I still felt nervous ;p

This week is fulfilled by a lot of assignments.... *sigh*