Today I'm grateful for my friends.
I have 3 different crowds and a twin, each of them have their own characteristic.
My ex-housemates, for example, their personalities are so strong and complete opposite of me but we can blend in. They're strong opinionated women, who deserves to always be loved just because they always spread positive ions to the people around them. Seriousness to them is camouflaged by jokes and sarcasm. Two significant elements, since the past 7 years, I could never learn to do! Among them, I felt I'm the youngest (while in fact, I'm not). Them 2 crazy chicas are my drugs. I'm on high when they're nearby.
My sweet companions are those recently came around. My traveling buddies, my daily comforters. The 3 chicas came to my life from different timeline. 17, 14, and a mere 3 years ago we knew each other. Companionship becomes sweet, harmless, and fun. With them, small talk can never gets dry. Without them, days could become so dull. My sweet ladies are the icing on this grovelling routines.
The last but not least, the intellectual crowd. We started off as duo, then becomes triplet. Miss smarty chick and mister nice guy are my intellectuals trashcan. They're smart in their own ways, live through experiences. They're my rock to see face-to-face with the world. The duo missy and mister are my left and right pillars in life, holding me steady.
Sneaking in, my Chinese twin. We've been close friends since the initial survival in Melbourne. Back in the days, when we're finding our inner-self, we both contemplated over the same issue over and over. Who we are, what we want to do, those kinda stuff. I learn to speak up my mind and learn to show some emotions, all from her. Though we lived in same city now, we barely see each other that often. But communication never stops. Her speech can sometimes get so snappy, but they often true. She's my shopping buddy, my contemplating twin, my love advisor, whose maturing quite a lot since babygirl came along. To me, she always know how to advises me on stupid love. Though not once I follow her advice. haha!
I am most grateful for these eight dearest darling friends of mine. That's what they meant to me. Hopefully, I do have a significant place in their lives, even only play a minor role.
These eight companions in my life, are one of the reasons I wish to stuck in Jakarta, and be happy in this undesirable city.
A friend's quote I kept repeating: It's not the place, it's the people.
For now, people won over place.
I'm most thankful having them in my life.
Alhamdulillah.....
On being thankful
Expelliarmus!
I need a wand by now.
To get rid of you from my thoughts.
Is it the curiousity playing mind-games on me?
Were you just teasing?
Does your words only meant dry?
If they do, they hurt.
It started off as games.
Now I'm the one being played.
Karma backfired.
Hey, kamu!
You really are a waste of my thoughts and skipped heartbeats!
Expelliarmus! Expelliarmus!! Be gone.
Sshoo sshoo
Who doesn't love July
July, you have dropped the bomb on me but also you balanced it with many many splendid things.
This month, I have been yelled at, mocked at, screamed at.
Covered by pile of papers, bombarded with questionmarks from the above, shoved with new techy stuff and responsibilities.
That was work.
However, I am so blessed for having my great greatest buddies. They always know how to switch frowns and tears to massive laughter and sincerest smiles.
Getting away from Jakarta was always our escape from work stress. We went to Sawarna and Green Canyon. Beach and Sun burnt the heavy burden we store temporarily on our brain. The companion that are priceless.
Two unexpected news knocked on door.
An old friend coming out of the blue. Facebook connected us.
It started off as tease, innocent flirting, and a fun playful stress release. Or so I thought!
It turns out a complete double entendre.
I had to eat my own words. The old friend took my words far too seriously, he then dropped the bomb on me. My heart have been skipping few beats due to that. I should've not play with fire, but i keep on flaming fireworks. haha!
For now, I'm letting things as they go.
On a very very very exciting and happy news.
I'm going back to Melbourne!! Initially, just for 10 days. But we'll see how things to be while I'm there. Whether Melbourne is just a happy memory or a prospective future for me.
Just need to find best words and reasons to tell mum.
Apparently 9 months was a very long time. A LOT has happened during then.
Friends and Indonesia's nature exquisite have captured my love. It will be very difficult to leave them now. I thought this would be easy, since nothing here is for me to love. I was so wrong.
Due to this, Jakarta and Melbourne has equal chances. A 50-50 heart dilemma.
But I will decide this when I reach Melbourne in September. See if the city could make me head over heels once more.
July, I have vent out some anguish but it was dialed down by many many laughter. All thanks to my closest nicest craziest friends around me.
Alhamdulillah I've been reminded that Happiness do exist.
:) :) :) :)
Happy is understatement.
I'm beyond excited and I can only vent it out hereeeeee!!!!!!
Thank YOU!
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Sinyal Bagus XL, Nyambung Teruuusss...!
For cryin' out loud!
You are definitely not for the faint of heart.
So stop mucking with it!
Fragile! Deal with care.
Sincerely,
faint of heart.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Sinyal Bagus XL, Nyambung Teruuusss...!
Attitude
In my line of work now, I dealt almost everyday with rich family. Be it native Indonesians, chinese indo, indian-indo, or foreigners all together. My company runs in service industry. Targeting to 'supposedly' sophisticated level of community and educated industry.
However, after meeting with many of rich kinds, I come to aware that most wealthy Indonesians are so spoilt, uneloquent with words, bad attitude, and very surprisingly so uneducated and unsophisticated bunch of walking LVs. We do run in service industry, but do not interpret us being ur slaves. The different gap between the white collars and sportmums/busy dads are too overwhelming, they thought they are the boss of us.
To my shocking believe, this suburban I'm currently placed in northern Jakarta, has enormous number of labor-y rich kinds. Why I said labor-y? They are non-corporate bunch of rich family and started off in trading industry. All kinds of trade. Not only the luxury items.
Therefore you can only imagine how disallocated I was (and AM!) to face these wealthy kinds. They are rich, no doubts. Billionaires, trillionaires that I'm sure. But the attitude and language are them blue-collar workers!
I'm sure they've been around the world. Met many westerners and interact with other -more sophisticated- cultures, but to my very surprise, they never implement or reflect that high-class attittude into theirs.
These kind of Indonesians, are the wealthy lower-class. If my ego lands on this office carpet, they def not my peeps. I'm more high-end than them bunch. They may have all the LVs, but I bring sophisticated and class.
Fck off bitches.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Sinyal Bagus XL, Nyambung Teruuusss...!
Musikal Laskar Pelangi
Musikal Laskar Pelangi 2 July 2011
Teater Jakarta, TIM, Jakarta.
Following the big success on last year's show, MILES and Riri Riza, collaborated with Edwin Gutawa and Jay Subiakto, present yet another most sought after Musikal Laskar Pelangi.
It started on a bright sunny Saturday arvo. Got the tix ready, then my friend and I head for a 2 hours lunch! :)
Our tix was at Class II, means no allocated seat number. 30mins before the show starts, the good seats are almost all taken. But we got the middle seat, which has pretty decent view to the stage below.
There was a slight glitch at the beginning of show. 15 minutes after the show began, it needed to stop for the next 30minute-ish due to technical difficulties. We heard banging and some loud noises behind the curtain. God knows what.
By 3 O'clock, the show continues.
No doubt this production is full-on. From the music, the props, the concept, the casts, the dances, the ensembles, everything.
One crucial point lacking from where I sat, it's the story.
Perhaps, knowing the story from original book and movie, you may not find the musical... satisfying.
The book and movie were so alive, so vibrant, so child-like colors. So pelangi (rainbow). However, this musical... I can feel the political agenda that some of these artisants may have intended to insert. This, ergo, not fun.
The originality of Laskar Pelangi's story, the kids from a simple Gantong Village, has been mucked around by 'too creative' Jakarta production. The prologue and epilogue of Ikal seems too deep for a Laskar Pelangi story. They seem to define the entire musical. The political sense of golden days PT Timah and the end of it.
The music! Another crucial segment of a musical. I wasn't sure whether it's because Edwin Gutawa on the orchestra, but the music seems quite monotone, and veeery slow. Few times I almost fell asleep due to boredom. I woke up only when my eyes were presented by cheerful music and energetic dances of the Laskar Pelangi kids.
Bu Muslimah, seems to be the lead character in this musical. Dira Sugandi as Bu Mus, someone who is supposed to be very humble, looks very Jakartan (if you know what i mean). Ikal (or the assumed character of Andrea Hirata) is too blah so he stuck in the background. Mahar and Kucai are surprisingly took the stardom on stage! Even Lintang, who had several solo performances, could not outshines Mahar or Kucai's single performance. The vocal performances, on the other hand, I think we all can agree they are splendidly done. Dira Sugandi, despite of her passable act, her voice is without doubt the star of the night.
I'm most amused by the ensemble performances and Mahar's solo performance. That kiddo surely has talent for spotlight!
And! The silhouette screen is very Jay Subiakto don't you think? It's almost as if I'm seeing a music video shoot. I don't say it's bad, I reckon the screens played nicely into this musical. They fit with the music and scenes. They subtly help creating the stage fantasy.
Overall, Musikal Laskar Pelangi is a concept that I think Miles and Riri Riza try to educate audience about Indonesia through Art. I don't complain about this, but it may be not be the piece I'm expecting to see at the moment.
I don't mind more of Musical productions from Miles though. I can see that whatever piece they produce, it will always be maximum effort. You can see it from the end result.
Musikal Laskar Pelangi, I like. But maybe not for a second time. :)
