"Wah"

Trah Soeharto adalah kisah tentang rumah berjuta poundsterling di Inggris, reli mobil di Australia, perburuan di Selandia Baru, perjudian di Christmas Island, dan segunung tas belanja yang tak
sempat dibuka.

BEL itu berdentang nyaring. Sekian menit ditunggu, tak ada yang membukakan pintu rumah mewah di Winnington Road No. 8, Hampstead, London, itu. Padahal dua mobil mengkilat - VW Caravelle biru langit dan Honda Legend merah - terparkir di halaman depannya yang tak berpagar.

Rumah bergaya Victorian itu jelas masih berpenghuni. Pekarangannya, yang berbatu paving, tertata rapi. Bunga berwarna kuning, biru, dan putih menghiasi tamannya yang asri lagi luas. Dindingnya, yang tak bersemen, didominasi warna merah bata, padu dengan warna putih dari kusen pintu dan daun jendela.

Beberapa ratus meter dari situ - masih di jalan yang sama - berdiri sebuah bangunan yang jauh lebih mewah, mirip puri bangsawan Inggris tempo dulu. Nomor rumah berbalkon putih itu: 89. Luasnya dua kali lebih besar dari yang pertama. Menurut seorang sumber TEMPO, rumah itu adalah gedung yang dibangun baru. Setelah dibeli, bangunan semula dirobohkan. Di teras, terpampang tulisan "Hillcrest" dari logam keemasan. Tapi, di pojok kanan halaman depan kedua rumah itu, terlihat
sebuah papan mencolok bertuliskan: "For Sale": dijual. Di bawahnya tertera nama sebuah agen properti: John D. Wood & Co.

Kedua rumah itu memang kerap menjadi gunjingan orang. Ini bukan cuma karena kemewahannya -Hampstead, yang terletak di daerah berbukit, adalah kawasan hunian paling prestisius di London - tapi juga karena pemiliknya bukan "orang sembarangan". Mereka adalah Sigit Harjojudanto
dan istrinya, Elsje Ratnawati Harjojudanto, putra dan menantu mantan presiden Soeharto - yang lagi diperiksa karena kasus korupsi dan penyalahgunaan kekuasaan. Adalah Andrew Buncombe, wartawan harian terkemuka di Inggris, The Independent, yang pertama kali mengangkatnya
ke permukaan. Tulisannya di edisi 16 Maret lalu, bertajuk Suhartos Sell Boltholes in UK for £ 11m ("Keluarga Soeharto Menjual Rumah Pelarian di Inggris Seharga 11 Juta Poundsterling"), menjadi bukti kesekian - dari setumpuk bukti yang sudah ada?betapa trah Soeharto menjalani kehidupan bak syekh padang pasir.

Dalam laporan itu, Andrew Buncombe menggambarkan betapa "wah"-nya (dengan W besar) rumah keluarga Sigit itu: berlantai marmer, memiliki delapan kamar, lengkap dengan aula untuk jamuan makan. Menurut pemburu harta Soeharto, George Junus Aditjondro, sejak Januari lalu puri itu
telah ditawarkan lewat agen John Wood & Co. Harganya selangit: £ 8 juta, atau jika dihitung dengan kurs Rp 15 ribu, ya ampun, mencapai Rp 120 miliar! Koresponden BBC di Jakarta, Jonathan Head, menjelaskan kepada Prabandari dari TEMPO bahwa rumah itu memang luar biasa mewah.

Dia membandingkannya dengan harga rata-rata rumah kelas menengah di Inggris, yang hanya £ 200 ribu atau cuma seperempat puluhnya! Rumah satu lagi, atas nama Sigit sendiri, juga telah ditawarkan seharga £ 1,95 juta. Bangunan berlantai tiga dengan lima kamar tidur tersebut
biasanya digunakan oleh para pembantu keluarga itu.

Ada satu rumah lagi yang dibidik The Independent.. Di seberang Sungai Thames di 38-A Putney Hill, berdiri Norfolk House, kepunyaan saudara tiri Soeharto, Probosutedjo. Rumah itu berlantai tiga, plus sembilan kamar, garasi ganda, empat ruang resepsi, sebuah ruang biliar, dan pekarangan rumput yang luas. Menurut penelusuran George, bangunan itu semula dibeli Probo seharga £ 93 ribu. Tapi, sejak Januari lalu, lewat agen real estate Foxtons, Probo memasang tarif £ 1,4 juta untuk melegonya.

Ditemui TEMPO di kantornya di kawasan Chanary Wharf, London, Andrew yang pernah meliput Tim-Tim ini menyatakan sudah cukup lama mendengar kabar soal istana Cendana di negaranya itu. Cuma, konfirmasi amat sulit diperoleh. Baru pada musim panas lalu, sepekan sebelum berita
itu diturunkan, kepastian datang dari HM Land Registry, semacam badan pencatatan kepemilikan properti. Ia menunjukkan keterangan "Swansea District Land Registry" bernomor NGL714482 tertanggal 26 Juli 1994, yang jelas-jelas menerakan nama Elsje Harjojudanto sebagai pemiliknya.

Temuan ini baru sebagian kecil. Menurut George, yang mengaku memasok informasi ke The Independent, ada beberapa properti Cendana lainnya di London. Cuma, karena properti itu belum dijual, ujung pangkalnya belum bisa dipastikan betul. Putri sulung Soeharto, Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana
alias Tutut, kabarnya juga memiliki beberapa apartemen di 16 Hyde Park Square, Mayfair. Ia membelinya seharga £ 350 ribu. Dan untuk merenovasinya - dilaksanakan setelah krisis moneter - ia merogoh kocek sebesar £ 110 ribu. Di kawasan yang sama, tepatnya di 38 Upper Grosvenor Road, juga terdapat sejumlah apartemen luks milik Siti Hediyati "Titiek" Prabowo.

Seorang sumber TEMPO di London mengungkapkan, apartemen itu pernah ditawarkan untuk disewa dengan tarif £ 8.000 atau sekitar Rp 120 juta per bulan. Sementara itu, adiknya, Hutomo Mandala Putra alias Tommy Soeharto, memiliki sebuah rumah besar lengkap dengan padang golf 18
lubang di dekat Pacuan Kuda Ascot, London Utara, dan sebuah rumah peristirahatan di Brighton, kota pantai di selatan London.

Di luar London, dari hasil perburuan George, dinasti itu juga diketahui memiliki berbagai rumah supermewah dan kondominium, yang bertebaran dari Jenewa, Hawaii, Beverly Hills-Los Angeles, Boston, sampai ke Cayman Islands di kawasan Laut Karibia (lihat infografik).

Tommy juga disebut-sebut memiliki sebuah kawasan berburu seluas 2.500 hektare di Selandia Baru. Area itu disebut-sebut teramat istimewa dan eksklusif. Satu-satunya cara untuk mencapai rumah peristirahatan di tengah hutan pinus yang mengelilinginya itu adalah dengan helikopter.

Itu baru soal properti. Keluarga terkaya ke-74 di seantero jagat menurut ranking majalah Forbes - dengan total kekayaan US$ 4 miliar - itu juga terkenal gila-gilaan dalam urusan menghamburkan duit.
Sampai-sampai ada yang mengibaratkan segampang menggelontorkan air.

Seorang calon pembeli yang pernah mengunjungi rumah keluarga Sigit di London itu sempat terbengong-bengong. Ia cuma mendapati dua kamar kosong. Sisanya? Ternyata dipenuhi tumpukan tas belanja dari Selfridges yang bahkan, katanya, belum sempat dibuka. Sumber TEMPO di
London yang dekat dengan keluarga itu terbahak, "Jangankan di London, di Jakarta saja mereka sering tidak sempat membuka barang yang telah dibeli." Luar biasa. Padahal Selfridges dan Harrods adalah pusat belanja kalangan jet set di London, yang terletak di Oxford Street yang kesohor itu.

Keluarga ini juga gemar pamer mobil mentereng. Eno Sigit, salah seorang cucu Soeharto dari Sigit, semasa kuliah fashion di American College, London, selalu pulang pergi diantar Rolls Royce mengkilat. Tentu saja pengemudinya adalah seorang chauffeur - sopir pilihan dengan setelan jas dan topi hitam-hitam. The Independent juga melaporkan Eno pernah menggelar pesta di Hotel Hilton yang menghabiskan tak kurang dari £ 150 ribu atau sekitar Rp 2,25 miliar. Ia juga dikabarkan pernah mengganti telepon genggamnya dalam waktu sehari cuma karena ia tak suka dengan warnanya. Semasa itulah di kalangan mahasiswa Indonesia di sana sangat populer sebuah komentar nyinyir ke arah trah Cendana: "Ingin menikmati gaya hidup supermewah? Gampang. Jadilah anak dan cucu presiden."

Dua orang sumber TEMPO yang pernah kuliah di Boston, Amerika Serikat, mengungkapkan lagak cucu Soeharto yang lain. Kali ini menyangkut putra-putri kesayangan Tutut, Dandy dan Danty Rukmana. Sewaktu mereka kuliah di sana, mulai tahun 1991, gaya hidup dua remaja baru gede ini
luar biasa jumawa, bahkan untuk ukuran orang Amerika. Kedua sumber itu sering melihat Dandy dan Danty berseliweran di jalan dengan mobil mewahnya. Jenis kendaraan yang mereka koleksi pun bukan sembarang merek, tapi mobil dengan harga selangit, sebangsa Ferrari, Rolls Royce, dan
Porsche. Menurut sumber itu, Dandy bahkan pernah membeli sebuah Lamborghini-Diablo seharga Rp 1 miliar. Buat warga kota kecil seperti Boston, gaya hidup mereka amat mencolok. Sampai-sampai, jika sebuah mobil Lamborghini melintas, orang langsung bisik-bisik, "Itu cucu salah seorang presiden di Asia." Sumber itu juga pernah mendengar cerita dari seorang agen mobil terkenal di kota itu tentang kebiasaan mereka yang kerap gonta-ganti mobil. "Paling lama, mereka ganti mobil
sebulan sekali," katanya. Edan.

Yang lebih dahsyat, menurut George, dua remaja ini juga memiliki tiga rumah mewah di kawasan itu, dengan nilai total US$ 2,5 juta atau, ya ampun, mencapai Rp 37,5 miliar. Sumber TEMPO mendengar penuturan salah seorang temannya yang pernah diundang menghadiri pesta di sana. Rumah itu dilengkapi dengan taman yang luas, kolam renang supermewah, dan lapangan tenis.

Balap dan judi adalah kisah berikutnya di seputar gelimang harta dinasti Soeharto. Seorang teman reli Tommy Soeharto menuturkan bagaimana habis-habisannya mantan bos mobil nasional Timor itu
melakoni hobi mahalnya. Sewaktu survei reli dunia di Medan pada 1997 lalu, kata temannya itu lagi, cuma dalam waktu sepekan, Tommy sampai "menghabiskan" tiga unit Mitsubishi Evolution IV.
Bukan apa-apa, tiga mobil yang harga setiap unitnya Rp 250 juta itu ringsek mencium tebing. Dan dalam setahun setidaknya Tommy harus menghabiskan 10 unit mobil survei. Teman reli Tommy yang lain menuturkan keterbengongan seorang wartawan Australia yang mewawancarainya. Waktu itu, kepadanya ditanyakan pihak mana yang mensponsori tim relinya. Si wartawan melongo ketika diberi tahu bahwa seluruh dana - yang bisa mencapai ratusan juta sampai miliaran rupiah sekali reli - ditanggung pihaknya sendiri, alias tanpa sponsor. Padahal pereli kelas dunia tak mungkin berlaga tanpa ada yang mensponsori.

Berbagai kasino kondang di seantero jagat pun luber dengan uang klan Soeharto. Di Christmas Island, Burswood Casino, Australia, atau Genting Highland, Malaysia, misalnya, nama beken anggota Keluarga Cendana sudah menjadi buah bibir. Seorang sumber TEMPO yang berkawan
dekat dengan Ari Sigit, kakak Eno, menuturkan ulah cucu Soeharto yang satu itu. Ceritanya begini. Ketika itu, Ari ikut reli di Malaysia dengan bendera timnya, Sexy Motor Sport, yang mengandalkan kedigdayaan mobil Audi. Pamannya, Tommy, juga ikut balap dengan timnya, Goro Rally.
Di suatu sore, setelah kandas di arena balap, Ari mengajak semua anggota rombongannya ke Genting Highland, pusat perjudian terkenal di sana. Tak jelas seberapa tebal ringgit yang ia habiskan di meja judi.

Yang jelas, silakan hitung sendiri, sampai ayam berkokok, putra sulung Sigit Harjojudanto itu masih asyik menjajal baccarat, black jack, dan rolet. Padahal semalaman itu tak sekali pun ia dikunjungi Dewi Keberuntungan, alias kalah melulu. Tapi ia rupanya tak begitu ambil pusing soal kalah menang. "Ia sekadar cari hiburan," kata sumber itu menjelaskan kenapa Ari tidak juga balik kanan kendati koceknya sudah bolong besar.

The Independent juga menggambarkan bagaimana entengnya Tommy menghamburkan uang di meja kasino. Salah seorang temannya yang pernah berjudi bareng di Ritz Casino, London, punya cerita menarik. Suatu malam, Tommy keok terus. Duitnya amblas sampai lebih dari £ 1 juta (Rp
15 miliar). Tapi putra bungsu Soeharto ini kelihatan tak begitu ambil peduli. Dengan entengnya, seolah tak terjadi apa-apa, ia langsung mengajak teman-temannya makan malam di sebuah restoran mewah. Easy going.

Sang teman reli itu juga mengaku pernah diajak ikut berjudi ke London, dua tahun lalu. Mereka berangkat bersepuluh dengan jet pribadi "sang Pangeran". Waktu itu, di luar kebiasaan, Tommy, yang lebih sering kalah ketimbang menang, bernasib terang. Duit hasil judi itu pun langsung amblas. Hari itu juga ia menghabiskannya dengan membeli sedan reli mutakhir, Subaru Impreza. Waktu itu saja harganya sudah mencapai setengah miliar rupiah (sekarang berkisar antara Rp 800 ribu dan Rp
1,2 miliar). Dua kasino favorit Tommy adalah di Christmas Island dan Genting Highland. Di lapangan golf, kegemarannya berjudi juga tak tertahankan. Berapa nilai taruhannya? "Enggak besar, paling-paling 50 jutaan," kata temannya itu, enteng.

Begitulah kisah bak raja diraja itu. Boleh saja kalau Anda lantas berdecak kagum, kaget bukan kepalang, bahkan kesal tak ketulungan.

Silakan bergegas kalau Anda tertarik memburunya.?

Karaniya Dharmasaputra, Dewi R. Cahyani, Ma'ruf Samudra, Wens Wanggut (Jakarta), koresponden London

Laporan Khusus Tempo - Edisi. 03/XXII/23 - 29 Maret 1999

Permission slip: Allow me to be bitchy.

Judulnya sih sick and tired of all the publicity around the late Pa. Harto and the buzzin' bee of users' wraths upon the missing Multiply's Music page.

ada apa dengan dua topik ini?
theyre starting to get irritatingly addictive. I can't help but wanting to know what people are talking about Pa. Harto and what's the next curse for Multiply for the immediate shutdown of music page.

ngomongin Pa. Harto dulu aja kali ya.
Yang gue rasain waktu baca sms dari si tante dan si teman tentang breaking news ini, adalah kaget. then, relieved. then comes sarcasm. and finally, loss.
entah kehilangan karena apa, secara sebenarnya si bapak sendiri udah menghilang dari dunia media selama sepuluh tahun. Mungkin impact yang beliau beri selama masa jaya 3 dekade itu yang tetap membekas di pikiran kita semua, thus, tanpa sadar merasa kehilangan. Liat aja di berita2 yang tetap menyebutnya Pa. Harto, layaknya figur seorang bapak di mata masyarakat. Segitu dashyatnya efek si bapak, bahkan dibawah sadar, gue sendiri pun tetap menyebut beliau, Bapak.

Banyak yang beropini, termasuk gue, tentang si bapak sebagai bapak pembangunan. Di era Soeharto, riots are almost non-existent, rakyat sepertinya selalu makmur, dan Indonesia terlihat damai. You know what, this reminds me of the first time gue keluar dari kehidupan sekolah menengah dan mengenal wawasan baru diluar "PPKn", saat lecture itu kita ditanya yang kurang lebih seperti ini "menurut kamu gimana saat reformasi seperti ini? mending regime yang kemarin atau sekarang?".

dan berdiskusilah kita bertiga, perempuan2 yang sebenernya kemplo ga ngerti apa2 ini. Diskusi kita tidak heboh. Hence, giliran ditanya si lecturer, so what do you think?
We three agree that it's better before reformation, when Soeharto still the president there are no riots, everything's just at peace.

and then we smiled. proud for our answer.

sadly, that didn't last long.
the lecturer, and this one guy (who apparently grew up in NYC), said it is seem quiet and peace when he reigned, but the politics behind the cover is really horrible. She (is bule) always had troubles when it comes to government officials. Money plays a major role under the desk. Tapi, at least, before she only need to pay up certain officials, now (or at the time), she need to please even the lowest official to get thru to the higher officials. It's chaotic, but the good thing is, people even from the lowest rank are able to speak their mind. She also mentioned, dulu people aren't allowed to speak their mind.

ugh.
at that moment, i felt like i'm walking in a room full of people, naked. malu booookk!
after that long comment, three of us shut our mouth 'til the end of lecture. =D

Why malu?
cos the person who actually "introduce" me to the underlying truth of my own country is, unfortunately, a bule. the person who know none to nothing about the country Indonesia and everything of it, "behind the veil", is its own citizen, born and bred.
ironis.

Delapan tahun setelah itu, now we sprint to present time, the year 2008.
Pa. harto passed away.
sepertinya berita bapak berpulang ke Rahmatullah lebih menghebohkan dunia persilatan daripada berita Heath ledger. (Ya iyalah!!!)
Koran dimana2 isinya meng-update berita Soeharto meninggal dan Indonesia bersedih. Entah kenapa, semakin sering membaca koran2 bule ini, gue sedikit menangkap sarkasm2 di tulisannya mengenai rakyat Indonesia menanggapi pulangnya si bapak. Mereka semua menuliskan, rakyat memaafkan. memang, gue tau, sebagaimana diajarkan di culture dan agama, kita harus memaafkan (dengan segenap hati) semua dosa2nya yang berpulang ke Rahmatullah. Dari situ makanya kita memaafkan bapak dan mendoakan perjalanan pulangnya beliau. Tapi sepertinya konsep memaafkan ini sedikit kurang dimengerti untuk khalayak lain. Entah, mungkin saja. Atau gue aja kali ya yang salah mengerti tulisan2 mereka yang bukan Indonesia, dan yang tidak mengalami masa kecil dibawah kepenguasaan Soeharto.

Memaafkan dan mendoakan, ya sudah.

Dari opini-opini yang bermunculan tentang pa. harto banyak yang bikin gue senyum2 geli. ternyata setelah delapan taun, jawaban yang gue kasih ke ibubule lecturer itu masih ngiket di dalam pikiran sebagian masyarakat Indonesia. Berarti, dulu gue gak salah dong? =D

It was peace and quiet, dan makmur. peduli setan dengan balik layar.
yah seperti teater lah. di depan panggung semuanya harus terlihat indah, rapi, dan menarik untuk worthy tontonan audience. tapi balik layar? chaos. orang ribut ganti kostum, tukang lampu harus ngepas2in lighting, artis perlu redo make up, menghapal skenario. belum lagi acara backstabbing antar rivals. Audience dont wanna see that.

tapi ini bukan teater, teman!

dan kalo si ibubule lecturer itu menanyakan kembali pertanyaan yang dikasi ke gue dan teman2 saat itu, jawaban gue...
sepertinya tetap memilih sekarang.
iya, chaos. iya, tidak tenang. iya, nylekit.
tapi what if it's true that we have to "bersakit-sakit dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian".

yang gue tau, none is smooth-sailing when it comes to living life. let alone, to a better prosperous future.
ini cuma 1 orang loh ya.
negara itu berisi milyaran manusia.
multiply that with a million misfortunes off one person.
bahkan gigantic kalkulator pun tak mampu menghitung! *hehehehe*

jadi ya, maybe i dont prefer the past.
where i feel i was cheated by the truth. Although, not entirely understood what the truth is.

tapi tentu saja, penghormatan gue ke Pa. Harto tetep sebagai seorang bapak dimata si anak.
biar begini, gue dibesarkan di tradisi kuno yang mana bapak itu masih seorang pemimpin di keluarga. apalagi Pa. Harto. Dulu beliau pemimpin keluarga besar. dan anaknya gak cuma 6 itu aja!

yang paling tepat untuk mewakili perasaan gue sepeninggalnya bapak ini cuma kalimat ini aja "To those Indonesians old enough to have had a taste of his rule, Soeharto "could be a hero, or a villian, or both at the same time." Quoted from theAge (katanya ngambil dari Jakarta Post).

Selamat Tinggal, bapak.

Naaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!
sekarang yang kedua! MULTIPLY MUSIC IS OFF!
kenapa oh kenapa.
ayo bantai Multiply! Protes. Berontak. Marah!
Multipliers bersedih...

kalo gue sih cuma, yah well, it was just a matter of time 'til the big corporates found out.
awal gue tau MP bisa buat download mp3 dengan tenang bahagia dan lancar aja baru akhir taun lalu. jadi masa2 gue terikat sama multiply memang baru seumur jagung. hehehe.
awal taunya juga karena si temen (lagi!). sempet kaget juga sih. kaget karena ada website seperti ini yang bluntly share free mp3s biarpun dengan topeng social-networking website. nyeh, whatever. intinya, gue langsung beringas dong. kalap nyomot2in lagu dari sini situ.

waktu tau Music page has been taken off the website without notice, meh, i can only reply. crap! there goes one more.
(yah, biarpun sempet terjadi beberapa histerical moments saat itu. hehe)

why they taken off the music page?
Hellooooooooooooo.. u know how illegal that is to download, atau lebih halusnya, sharing lagu2 peer-to-peer dengan bebas?? its very much a crime.

can't really compare with the other social networking sites sih. hands up yang punya friendster? its crap, hey? =D you basically can do... err, nothing, there. so no law violations to worry about.
yg lagi hot sekarang, facebook.
I don't see file sharing on the website, but not sure. don't really into it so can't say much.
now, lastly, myspace.
i have an account there and like it.
why?

musicians use the features there to promote. emphasize the word, promote. not sharing.
there used to have the download feature for new musicians, but seems like they taken that off the web too. You can hear the songs online, its live streaming. so basically, myspace don't quite violate the laws since they dont bluntly upload files and share them amongst myspace peers. listening songs online don't violate the law, but illegally sharing them, is.
see the difference?

Meleceng sedikit, Youtube had its court moments too.
regarding copyrights and the whole shebang!
since they mediate video streaming, they were sued for viewing movies online. ini diliat seperting film bajakan, tapi gratis. you know, the ones that dont need to pay Rp. 8000 to watch. =D

so, people! its time to freak out cos soon enough multiply wont have any of its power to bring the music back! gue curiga nih, later on, the new music search engine wouldn't even be worthy its use since (sepertinya) multiply sendiri is under pressure from the big guns to subdue civillians over free mp3s.

so, im in desperate need for other alternatives.
oh fyi, me not like torrents.

panjang ya bo postingnyaa?
im amazed, myself. =D

well, its all i need to say (write) now

the world in mourn :(

The Djoker and The King take centre stage


My man is defeated by the brondong Djoker?! I'm very devastated :(


R.Federer
5 3 6

N.Djokovic
7 6 7

YANG BENER AJA LO KALAH TELAK GITU??!!! emosi jiwa. gak terima gue!
aarrggh aku benci si brondong serbia ganteng ituh!!!

All Men Are Liars


I was on an escalator in a train station last week and a woman ascended past me wearing tartan tights and a denim skirt that was cut just above the curve of her backside - the effect being that all you had to do was look up and you could see what she'd had for breakfast.

A little later, she climbed the stairs out of the station and gave a brace of businessmen - clad head to toe in grey flannel - another look under the bonnet and I wondered why is it so?

Why do men and women dress so differently?

Think about it for second: both sexes have two arms and legs, we both need ready access to our nether regions for sex, waste elimination and cup-caking, yet if an alien were to visit a women's clothing store, they'd think it was vital a woman have her arms, shoulders, breasts, stomach, legs and crotch exposed to the elements or sheathed in skin-tight garish coloured material.

I'm sure there are plenty of females who enjoy being ogled and who like having various bits and pieces out there for mass consumption, but just as many must also find it frustrating that so much of women's fashion is designed to put the female body on display.

Some women say wearing skimpy clothing makes them "feel feminine" but yet others would liken this to a canary in its cage, tweeting about the lovely golden bars; girls are told from an early age that in order to be "successfully" female they need to dress in a certain way (show lots of flesh) and women who do not are often dismissed as "butch" or masculine ...

I guess the first time I started thinking about this stuff was last year when I read Shiela Jeffrey's Beauty and Misogyny in which she discusses the "differences written into what men and women wear."

"These differences enable the sex class of women to be distinguished from that of men and, in recent decades, turn a full one half of the human race into toys to create sexual excitement in the other half," says Jeffreys.

Aside from the display of skin, Jeffreys argues that the sexual difference in fashion is also created by "the placing of the zip fasteners and buttons so they open to the left or right in order to display sex, and the rule that women's clothes should not have functional pockets, necessitating the carriage of a handbag."

Take a look at this video of Katie Holmes on the David Letterman show last week and the differences in dress are jarring: the nubile young girl stilts around on heels, legs on display, sex parts tantalisingly close to being revealed, while the man strides forward, rooted to the ground in his flat shoes, only the hands and face exposed.

Nineteenth century feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton tackled this subject as well when she asked: "Why is it that at balls and parties, when man comes dressed in his usual style, fashion requires women to display her person, to bare her arms and neck? Why must she attract man's admiration? Why must she secure his physical love?"

Jeffreys has no doubts on the matter, and like high-heels, cosmetic surgery and the wearing of make-up, reckons it is to arouse men's sexual appetites and so attract them into marriage.

The difference between men's and women's clothing, she argues, is never more stark than in the phenomenon of the suit.

"The suit performs the function of covering the body comfortably, allowing considerable movement without rucking up, and conceals imperfections of the body. Hence it is a form of clothing that alllows human dignity and thus it was denied to women," says Jeffreys.

Granted, women wearing pant suits and sleeved shirts is now accepted practice in this country, and a lot of females manage to look very feminine doing so - but I wonder how easy it is for girls with body shapes outside what is considered "the norm".

"When extended to working women in the 1980's, the suit tended to become restrictive and take the form of short skirts, shoulder pads and, once again, tightness," says Jeffreys.

Go into any men's store and you can buy shirts with specific sizing for the neck, shoulders and arms, not to mention the plethora of sizing options for suits.

Women attempting to dress in this fashion have a far narrower spectrum to choose from and have the added wrinkle of breasts.

I know women with large busts who find it next to impossible to source shirts or suit jackets that discretely button over their chests, or the sizes that do fit are so balloon-like, the assumption on the part of the manufacturer seeming to be big tits = you're really fat.

I'm sure the girl in the tartan tights and mini-denim skirt felt she was exercising her freedom and sexuality by dressing in the way she was - and I'm not knocking it - it certainly gave me a jolt no cappuccino could better.

I just wonder if the majority of women and men ever question the roles and uniforms we're told we have to fill and if questioning is even worth the effort?

article is by Sam De Brito

I've been trying to say the same, but this man hits the point. Apalagi pas summer gini, why men still wear shorts down to his knee and short sleeves tshirt, while women wear up-the-butt shorts and none-to-nothing sleeves top (sometimes just a bra covered by a see-thru cardi!). Why not, just to even out, guys wear short shorts and sleeveless tight top on summer? OK yes I saw few already wear those things, but the comparison still falls heavy on the women.

Is it true, Less is better?

The Kite Runner

Another flick based on a novel.

The Kite Runner.
A novel by Afghan-American Khaled Hosseini.
A movie by Marc Forster.

When you hear the word Afghanistan, the perception of the cold, violent war becomes the vivid picturesque on everyone's mind. Instead of everything of dusts, guns and deaths, The Kite Runner presents us with a vibrant entree, a guilt-ridden heroism as main course, and a heart-felt moment for desert. It's very fulfilling night at the cinema.

The four stars instead of five was because of the dodgy angle for a flashback moment, and just lacking a tad of that edgy adrenalin rush during mid-film to completely mess with people's emotions.

This movie ain't about the foreign invasions to Afghanistan, or not about greed for power on anyone's side. This is absolutely not about terrorism. To my point of view, The Kite Runner is about family, friendship, love, remorse, and a clean-slate future.

The main story of this flick is best quoted from Rahim Kahn "It's time to come home. There's a way to be good again."

Some scenes will play your emotions like roller coaster. At the end of the day, you can't help but to create the "what ifs" scenarios by putting yourself on Amir Jan's shoes. There's a bitter sweet feeling for Amir and Hassan's friendship. The protective role now lies on Amir's hands as the guardian for Sohrab (Hassan's son). The role that Hassan had always carry out for Amir during their childhood. "For you, a thousand times over."

Luckily, I'm not Amir.
The feeling of regret will haunt me forever. That is, if I were him, which I'm not. Luckily.

For some strange feelings, I like this movie. It creates a new angle about Afghan, aside of those we hear on the news --The beast of the decade, as we know it, the War on Terrorism.
(Although I still don't know what the troops are doing there in Afghanistan, really about terrorism?

Anyway, I haven't read the book. But I will.
The movie didn't disappoint. A definite see.

Heath's passing.

Apparently, he was a big deal.

unlike the washed-out actor, Brad Renfro, who died a week prior to Heath's passing, the news didn't even make the chart.

it got me thinking, ngeri banget kali ya kalo udah terlanjur terjun dalam dunia keartisan hollywood. Pressure of stardom, maybe?

i'm sad for little Matilda. They, Heath and Matilda, seemed to have spent lotsa times together.

and not 'til now, he's labelled "the troubled star". There goes all the good images he spent years to built.
Tragic

dilema

bingung.

pilih
skip off work tomoro, see federer live in action. not earn few hundred bucks but to cash out a hundred.
or

be a good friend and employee and earn that few hundreds but skip federer this year, hope he'll play superbly again next year.

the first is preferable.
but then again, you know.. responsibilities flowing like mad in mind.

tricky.

POWER... errrr, Rangers?

POWER.
the word. the meaning.

accentuates the gravity of a person who actually embraces it, isn't it?
'tis lay in a name. Your name embeds the power you have within society. What's in a name?
IF you're Donald Trump or Oprah Winfrey, or rather regular call-out Mr. Zac Efron. Everyone would instantly set aside exclusive table at, I dunno, KOI maybe.

The question, "Why would YOU ..... (fill in the blanks)?"

Why? Because I'm Donald Trump.
This here shows how much power your name have.
And believe me, your offsprings gain some benefits off of it too.

What's in a name?
It holds power.
It identify us among others, thats a given.

figures why parents are so fuss on naming their newborns.
It's in a name that holds memory in people's mind for generations to come.

The feeling of narcissim of self, also supported by the amount of power spread widely, can be acknowledged through googling self-name. A self-acknowledgement to the world via strings of web, online. A different kind of popularity game, baby. also shows power.

Funny.
How most people yearn to have extreme power all to themselves. It could eat you alive, maybe. who knows?

I guess, every person alive would want to have power on their hand. you know, just a teensy bit??

Ain't it cool to say your name, say "Hi, I'm Oprah".
and those rough paths ahead just clear-away in a blink of an eye.

I dunno, just think it's very cool how your name represents you.
like this one kid say on Gossip Girl, Why? 'Cause I'm Chuck Bass.

It's in the name, baby. All is.

Life in Cartoon Motion



This is the way you left me,
I'm not pretending.
No hope, no love, no glory,
No Happy Ending.
This is the way that we love,
Like it's forever.
Then live the rest of our life,
But not together.

Wake up in the morning, stumble on my life
Can't get no love without sacrifice
If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well
A little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell

This is the hardest story that I've ever told
No hope, or love, or glory
Happy endings gone forever more
I feel as if I feel as if I'm wasted
And I'm wastin' everyday

I hear the tune in this middle of the night.
And realized, It was a pretty good memory and will not fade away.
I'm still not over MIKA..
His tunes had taken me to cloud nine and I only jumped a couple of levels down.

They
won't go away, babe.

as far as I can remember, Mika still is the kriwil hitam.
he he he cheeky.
Yeah, Kriwil Hitam.
Will always be around as long as Mika's around.
It'll never be forgotten.

"Run Forest , Run!"


Mari melarikan diri yuk?

Note to miss d:
Neng, travelling lagi yuk? i can be as bitchy, but looking back, trip was fun.


so, another run from our shitty lives?
YUK YUK YUUKK?!

there was this, a DECADE ago...

I'm bit uneasy to actually jot this down. just because, i'm quite unfamiliar with my own nation's current affairs. I admit for being rather ignorant given that i read local newspapers here, but not really the Indonesian ones. *grin*

As I browse randomly for something to read today, there it goes, smack to my face in the front page THE AGE wrote with bold caps, SOEHARTO rallies overnight. Topik hangat bak artis infotainment si Bapak satu itu..

I never really follow his legal case, but came to my shock, the Age bluntly spurs this reality "The 86-year-old former president, who stepped down a decade ago after 32 years of often brutal rule in the world's fourth most populous nation,...." man, that was 10 years ago!! TEN! has it been this frickin' long and we still see no apparent result? With him lying weak in the hospital suite, mixed reactions are come about from the entire nation. Some sympathize, some speak of anger, some being realistic... and some are plainly reminded to the existence of the case (or just the fact that si Bapak is actually,.... still alive). The latter, prolly, is a bunch minority ignorant (ashamedly to say, I'm one of them).

Am I to have any opinion on this? Mind's blank, which is a complete opposite when I heard about Kevin Rudd's election for PM or Barrack Obama & Clinton head to head to win the nation's voice. Ain't this typical of us? We are prolly still communized to the thought that westerners are more dominant than us. Hence, the need to be the first to know about things “out” there becomes impeccably significant.

Hopefully, I’m the last batch of this generation to think this way.

As to kelanjutan kasus si Bapak, bagaimana?

Too much hidden agenda we could not predict nor see. Just thinking about it, I feel like walking on a limbo. Wait, maybe ‘tis the reason I prefer on the sidewalk and not a million things instantly scatter in mind. Dya know what I mean? taking the easy street, baby.

Oh well, if only a certainty persists in any walk of life.

Hail skepticism!

Note:

I’m not really a politically conscious person. This posting is a very shallow observation of a mere ignorant citizen.

berpikir keras..

is it easier to think our love interest is gay rather than heartbroken for other reasons?

cos you know, if we know he/she interested only to their same sexes, we cud prolly easily say "oh ya sudahlah yaa.." s/he wouldnt make a pass at me since we're a complete opposite sex. then you wouldn't die of broken heart, too.

am i making any sense out of it at all? or just a crazy talk?
atauu.. make another excuse to move back rather than forward?
hehehe pengecuuuuuuuuuuutt!

it is as if we think that our love interest is gay, then, we wouldn't need to work hard out of our limits to get the needed attentions. get it? no? yasudahlah yaaa..

oh btw, i'm talking out of experience.
so, don't mind the crazy talk this time 'round.
i'm venting my thoughts out loud so i wouldn't go crazy myself.
maka dari ituuu... no offense to anyone who might get offended. ^_^

A Blow Job and George W. Bush

"no, but i mean it's not a big deal in comparison to what's going on in the world. you know, there's george bush, war in iraq, avian flu. and a blow job is a minor event."

Marion (Julie Delphy)

SMART traveller

Destinations for which we advise you to reconsider your need to travel:

*source: http://smartraveller.gov.au/

"We advise you to reconsider your need to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, at this time due to the very high threat of terrorist attack."

In most opening sentence explaining why Aussies are advised not to visit these countries, is due to terrorist attack. They're all the same sentences! Boy, paranoid much?

sedih bacanya...

pengennya....

Everyone around me is away for holiday. well, no surprise since it's summer, durh!
He said today "I'm going away this saturday." She said yesterday "you see me around much this week, but I'll be away starting next week for a month!".

ah, how exciting.
I want it too. going away..

thing is, i've taken my "holiday" treat a month early than theirs. Spending exactly 35 days in Jakarta-Bandung-Bali was it. and I want it more...

I had this crazy idea to cure my crave for traveling this summer is to pack my bags, go to travel agents, and jet-off the next day for Europe! As if I had the luxury.. :-(
the next best thing is to drive away the car next weekend for Sorrento or Brighton beach. somewhere close to home and don't rip-off our bank accounts in a blink of an eye like a euro-trip.
The second best thing is exploring Australia, from east coast to the west. uh, prolly too much. Just going up north from Victoria to Queensland is more than enough. I'm thinking, Goldcoast, Brissie, Barrier Reef, and stopover Sydney? Sounds like a plan.

I'm dying for a week-away trip, soon.
I need to see the beach. The gardens. The people holidaying. I need to see myself and my friends doing nothing but to leave our worries behind.

Why is everyone had to go away on summer?????
and now, I want that too!

It'd be best if the spontaneous euro-trip do come true. *tetep, ngarep!*
must. leave. city.
need. fresh. air.

Travellers alert:


Your travel type: Jet Set

A visit to a museum or an art gallery in the morning, an afternoon of shopping, dining out in a good restaurant and some drinks and a little party to end the day, the Jet Set traveller likes a full day.


Although he is quite active he is not the type to do any outdoor sports. When he has to walk a few blocks, he takes a cab. The Jet Set traveler is not much of a nature lover. "You mean the green stuff my parents have in their backyard?"


top destinations:

Paris
New York
Las Vegas

stay away from:

Kashmir
Ciudad Perdida
Darien Gap
get your own travel profile

P,S I Love You!

P.S I love you the movie is based on a novel with same title by Cecilia Ahern tells a story of a recently widowed Holly Kennedy, a New Yorker born Irish, strive through her mourning phase to become a content independent single woman.

A much loving deceased husband of hers, Gerry (no last name), an Irish born, who was fun-loving upbeat person and very much in love with Holly since the day he met her (back in a club in Ireland). The story don't really tell much about him dying, instead play on time slots to build his character. Present: the beginning scene showed how big the love for his wife, the life they had, at present. Future: Him, or just the idea of him, inside the urn.

Story then move towards Holly, how she cope life after Gerry died. To really kicks in the drama, she of course did not cope it well. (thats the whole idea of the movie!).

Gerry being the know-it-all husband, figured out his loving wife would be devastated with him being gone. Thus, before he died (of brain tumor), 10 letters have been written to set things right for Holly's sake.

The whole point of the letters were "Getcha ass up, Holly! Life goes on, with or without me (Gerry!)".

The thought of finding the next husband cross my mind, but then, it wasnt the whole point of the story. William and Daniel were just cameos - a couple of passers by. This is entirely about Holly and Gerry. How Gerry's love so deep, he wouldn't let Holly feel abandoned even death has taken him. Thus, the vow til death do us part, don't really part of Gerry's schedule.

I don't fell in love instantly for this movie, but I fell in love later on for the whole concept of it. Every woman wants to be Gerry's wife.

The genre falls into one of the romantic-comedies. I feel the comedy, but leaning more towards the dramatic sessions. P.S I Love you is much of the ladies must-see. It's a good movie for a saturday night. If you're not of those cold-hearted chicas, prepare some tissues. else, you're just being foolish to constantly fixing your glasses while in fact trying to wipe the tears from your eyes!! *LOL*

Last but not least,
I'd say, it's good to be Holly. i mean, c'mon, just look at all of the men in Holly's life?!? She get Gerard Butler to be the husband, Harry Connick Jr playing the best-friend, and JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as the next in line, maybe? These men may be older, but their looks say the opposite. Man, this is so Hollywood!

I recommend this for the ladies only. For the lads, uhm.. just be there for your partner. make her feel good as Gerry did to Holly. ;-)

temptress beauty of a poison ivy

Ackk! palaku sakit. kondisi stadium akut, kejedot langit ketujuh!
Imajinasi tak berbatas khayangan, keinginan yang.... mungkin gak akan kecapai.
Want the impossible.

at the end of the day, things we want don't necessarily the things we get.

and here I am, wondering..
whether 'tis the real thing, or just to fill in the blank?

H A J A R!
dia bilang, maju terus! PANTANG MUNDUR.
Nothing to lose.
BERANI ATAU MATI!
err, bertanya atau mati?

cih, ngomong enak.
to actually act on it, thats the tricky bit.

question is,
if youre sure that youre not sure about something, should you act upon it or let it wonder forever?

i'm talking nonsense. don't bother.

mind tease

"I’m a high school lover, and you’re my favorite flavor.
You’re my playground love."


Air

2 Days in Paris

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

the boss.

Bosses are bitches, arent they?

Cantik

"Pelajaran moral nomor tiga: Jika anda cantik, hidup anda tak tenang."
Andrea Hirata


susah ya jadi cantik. Udah ditakdirkan untuk resah selama hidupnya... ;)

Island castaways

Indonesia is a land of creatures lost in time. castaways from the two continents from the island chain of indonesia, the greatest archipelago on earth. Marooned on the scatter of island, their descendents were cut off from the outside world. Many became unique.

Today, these thousands of islands have wider diversity of life than anywhere else on the planet. Both above and below the water, creatures that lived only here rub shoulders with new colony from east and west.

Indonesia lies on a ring of fire. And the lands still bore the scars of its violent earth. 50 Million years ago, sea strech unbroken from Asia to Australia, but deep below the waves, huge pieces of the earth's crusts are on the move. When these giant fragments collided, lavas spewed from the sea level. New Land is Born.




Wahh.. I so heart this footage! Narasinya indah banget. The choices of words are perfect. I love it. Tapi setelah melihat beberapa footage visit Indonesia, mayoritas yang diliatkan dari sisi wildlife-nya ya? nature and wildlife. Can we sell those to majority world's crowd? Australian tourism tends to promote the country for its beaches and nightlife. Can't we include a glimpse of metropolitan nightlife in the visit Indonesia? or that'd spoil the theme of it? Penasaran aja gue!! :)

Tapi for starter, these r awesome. but thats what we see (or at least, I see) all of my life. Indonesia tends to have trademark for its nature and wildlife. We do have those things massively, of course. Tapi somehow, theres more to it for tourism. But anyway, my most favorable words of Indonesia from BBC was " Indonesia is a land of creatures lost in time" and "Indonesia lies on a ring of fire."

Mantab.


**ps: thanks to this entry on multiply

Psst! 010108.

new year's day.
how was youre NYE?

mine was alright. can't complain much ;)
just barbecue-ing and went to alexandra garden for the fireworks.
pretty lame, but oh well.

A new acquaintance spoke of his sadness in between the sparkles of the new years' fireworks. "taun 2007 dari awal sampe akhir, gue seneng banget." seems he's lived 2007 with a glass of half-full. its good to be in his shoes.. I grinned. lucky you, i thought. we cheered, we took photos, we clapped, we hugged, we shared happy greetings and many best wishes. and we weren't the only ones...

crowds were massive last night. Party was on since daylight. but fire and alcohol ban were on highest priority. Why fire ban? the heat was unbearable yesterday and caused authorities to concern about the danger to (just) light-up ciggies. no smoking was part of the fire ban approach. but of course, people still light up smokes and drank alcohols. half the nation was barely sober on New Year's day, as usual. =D

funny thing when i was at work today. (yes, i prefer higher income instead of socializing! :P) looks like my supervisor's still hungover from last night, he cudn't really work like usual. too much shots, i reckon? ;) and i found that i left my shoes in the toilet instead in my locker yesterday. only to find panic when i came to work this morning (I wore flipflops from home with the thought of changing 'em with the shoes in the locker!). I blame the heat for this silliness. *lol*

Oh well. you guessed it right.
my first day on 2008 started with something silly.
wonder how the rest of the year will be??

but for now,

Wishing you for many great things in years to come.
Happy New Year!!

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