Deasy Benita Priadi and Her Life

My Team's Work in Kenya

2011-10-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

It's been nine months since my last post. I really miss writing on my blog, but kept delaying to do so. I was reading old posts and realized that I made so many promises I did not fulfill. This time, I would like to fulfill my promise from my previous post. I am going to talk about my work in Kenya.

My team and I were assigned to work at a consultancy project for Juhudi Kilimo, a micro-asset financing institution that serves smallholder farmers in Kenya. It is similar to microfinance, but instead of providing loans for creating a business, Juhudi provides loans for purchasing assets, such as dairy cows and poultry. I have always been a big fan of microfinance and Muhammad Yunus. I was very inspired by one of Yunus' books and when I found out that I was going to work with Juhudi, I became really excited.

During my three weeks in Kenya, my team and I got the chance to visit Juhudi's field offices in rural Kenya and attend client meetings. We got to learn about how microfinance is conducted on the grassroots level and analyze what kind of improvements that can be done. Juhudi's clients, who were mostly farmers, were very committed. They routinely came to group meetings and paid back their loans according to schedule. They also conducted their meetings in a very effective and efficient manner. This is a video of one of the meetings we attended:

This is a picture with Juhudi's clients after the meeting:

It was a heartwarming experience to hear from the clients about how Juhudi changed their lives: how they now have enough money to send their kids to school, employ their neighbors, and be productive.

Aside from work, we also got to visit Kibera, one of the biggest slums in East Africa. We met people from the youth groups and learned about the entrepreneurial ventures that these youth groups initiated. The businesses were waste management, car wash, sanitation services, and handicraft. I got the chance to visit the sanitation service business that was managed by the Toy Youth Group. Here is the video:

My trip to Kenya is definitely the highlight of being in Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. Unlike many other schools who go abroad only for meetings and vacation, my classmates and I were given a real project to work on and have firsthand experience on how to do business in different cultures. It was awesome.

Check out my other blog to know about my fascination towards microfinance and financial inclusion.

Jambo Kenya*

2011-01-28T10:02:00.000-08:00

As part of my school curriculum, I'm required to go abroad and work as a consultant on a social business. There were four countries that I get to choose: Kenya, Rwanda, India and Peru. I chose Kenya, and there I went from January 4th to January 20th.

It was my first time to Africa, and I was really excited. There were 21 students in the Kenya team, so it was even more exciting to go abroad with such a large group of friends.
The trip was already arranged, all we had to do is sit down and enjoy the ride. Of course, we also had a lot of work to do because this trip is worth 2 credits.

Here are some of the things I did in Kenya:

Tried some local delicacies. I had ugali, which is made from maize flour and is what the Kenyans eat everyday. It's the equivalent to rice and pasta. Kenyan food has a lot of Indian influence to it. I had chapati and samosa almost everyday.

Shopped at Masai Market where we can buy local handicrafts such as carvings, paintings, eating utensils, jewelry and fabric. Most of it is safari-themed and it's really nice and pretty. Above is one of the handicraft I bought.

Went to an orphanage for elephants and rhinos. Some of it were orphaned because of hunters or farmers who had to kill its parents because it was seen as a threat to their farms.

Visited a giraffe center. I got the chance to fed a giraffe and had its long, rough, wet tongue lick my hand. The giraffe center guide told us that its saliva is antiseptic, because it helps heal the giraffe's mouth if it gets cut by thorns or branches. It is also, surprisingly, odorless.

Watched a cultural show and acrobatics in Bomas of Kenya. When the show was over, the guys from my class saw that the dancers were getting ready to play football (a.k.a. soccer) at the field outside the venue. So they played football for a couple of minutes. Football really does connect people from around the world.

On our way to Masai Mara national park, we drove pass Great Rift Valley and stopped at a Masai village. We had to pay KSh 1500 (about USD 19, which I think is expensive) and the Masai people showed us around the village. Their village smells like cow dung because they intentionally spread it throughout their village as a symbol of togetherness (if I'm not mistaken). Their house was also built from mud and cow dung, and could last for 7 years until it is eaten by termite. When the tour ended, they started selling us handicrafts with a ridiculous price. I managed to softly reject them and got away from the village without having to buy anything. However, some friends of mine bought KSh 3,000 accessories (where actually you can buy it for KSh 150 in the Masai market if you could bargain) because they were just too nice and couldn't say no.

I also went for a safari at the Masai Mara national park. I was lucky because I got to see three (cape buffalo, elephant, lion) out of the big five animals (plus black rhino and leopard). I also saw a giraffe, cheetahs, antelopes, and wildebeests. It was astonishing to be able to see animals in their natural habitat.

On our last night at Kenya, we went to Carnivore restaurant. And here is the menu:

I thought that since I was already in Africa, I might as well experince everything they have to offer. So I did. I tried everything on the menu, except pork and chicke gizzards. Camel actually taste pretty good, but crocodile and ox balls are just nasty. I had to gulp it down with coke to prevent myself from vomiting.

Many of my friends got sick during the first few days in Kenya. Some of them got a fever and food poisoning. Fortunately, I was healthy throughout the trip. I guess my Indonesian immune system works well in Kenya. Kenya also reminds me a lot like home, with its crazy traffic, crappy public transportation, and soda in glass bottles. The weather was really pleasent, it was cool during the morning and evening, and sunny, but not too hot and humid, during the afternoon.

In short, Kenya was awesome. The things I experienced there is completely new and exciting. I would definitely go back to the continent if I have the chance.
I'll talk about the work I did in Kenya on the next post.

Cheers!

*Hello Kenya
Thanks to Carolyn for the safari picture.

The Priadis Reunited

2011-01-24T12:26:00.000-08:00

After 1 year of planning,

1 year of separation,
Heavy snow,
Closed airports,
Trapped inside a plane,
Stuck in the immigration police,
Lost wallet,
4 day delay,
Wrong bus ride,
Canceled West Coast trip,
Cancellation fees,

Finally, I get to see my sisters.

Happy New Year!!

How Different My Life Is

2010-12-19T22:42:00.000-08:00

I can't believe it's been 5 months since I left Jakarta and one quarter of my studies have passed. So many aspects of my life changed and I have learned a lot from the experience of living by myself.

Ever since I knew I had the opportunity to study at the US, I felt that I was obligated to make the most out of it. I still do. I have to work really hard, learn as much as I can, get good grades, make people back home proud, and prove that a Psychology major can do good in Business School. Apparently it's far more difficult than I thought it would be.

I used to be a laid back student and felt that getting a GPA above 3 out of 4 is good enough, thus I didn't put too much effort in studying. Now, almost everyday, I study until past midnight even though it's not exam week, I have to do group discussions, read case studies, and do readings. It is indeed typical for a student, but I don't usually do this during college and high school. The student lifestyle change was sort of frustrating to me. During class, I felt that I have to understand and contribute in class discussions. After class, I have to rush through my lunch and go to group discussions, where I also felt that I have to contribute. By the time I'm home, I continued studying or make write-ups, which takes me quite some time because I don't feel very confident with my academic writing. If the above activities are not fulfilled, I feel very anxious, which frustrates me. There were times where I actually cried because my anxiety has taken a toll on me, and eventually frustrates me even more because I feel pathetic that I've become such an ambitious student.

As for my daily life, it has also changed a lot. I live alone, and most of my friends I hang out with live pretty far from my apartment. As much as I like being alone, it gets lonely every once and a while. But most of the time, I like being by myself and have the liberty to do anything I want.
Of course, I do all house chores by myself. Grocery shopping, cleaning, washing, cooking, paying bills, you name it. I thought this part of living alone will be tough for me, but I actually enjoy doing it. I like walking through the aisles in the supermarket, cooking the way I want it to be, have a sparkling white sink, have a clean spoon when I need it or have my clothes smell good. I get to appreciate those little things I never pay attention to.

Other than enjoying house chores, there are other surprises I experienced. Considering that I have always lived with my parents my whole lifetime, it's surprising I have not cried, not even once, because of homesick. Being in a long distance relationship with M.S. is also not as difficult as I thought it would be. Furthermore, living far from home made me understand what my sister is going through this whole time, I feel that I'm closer to her because I feel the need to talk to her more often. It's embarrassing how I only made a skype account after I moved, which is 5 years after my sister moved from Jakarta.

A couple of weeks ago my friend asked me whether or not I'm happy here. I hesitated when I answered that question because I never thought of it. After writing my thoughts on this post, I know for sure what my answer is: I am definitely happy.

Happy holidays!
Greetings from my frustrated-yet-happy-student desk

Jakarta-Baltimore

2010-09-18T11:21:00.000-07:00

Hi People!

I'm already at Baltimore right now. I'm only going to write about my journey to Baltimore on this post. My life in Baltimore itself will be in another separate post.

It was very hectic on my last day at Jakarta. I wasn't done with my packing, had to do some last minute responsibilities, while replying farewell messages on my phone.
My best friends also came to my house to take me to the airport. It was very nice of them, considering that they were supposed to work or be in class. Furthermore, my Abang None friends also came to my house to give me a very sweet farewell gift:

The gift was pictures of my Abang None friends where each of them held a paper with a word on it. Each of the picture was then compiled to become a complete sentence. It was very nice of my friends (especially Sutan Batara Putra Pane, who apparently had the idea and contacted all of them).

I then left to the airport with my best friends and my family. Other friends of mine gave me a surprise and went through all the hassle by taking the bus to see me, 15 minutes before I boarded the plane. When it was time for me to board, a typical airport scenario happened:

I knew something like this was going to happen. It was kind of embarassing, I'm not much of a weeper.
Since Baltimore is very far away, my flight had to stop at Abu Dhabi, Paris and New York. Afterwards, I had to take a domestic flight from New York and finally arrive at Baltimore. Fortunately, I only had to add a couple of dollars to my ticket if I want to stop at Paris. So there I stopped for 4 days, and met my dear sister.

Despite the fact that I had to climb seven flight of stairs at least twice a day (that's how my sister live in Paris, her apartment has no elevator), Paris was great. The weather was nice, I ate the food I wanted to eat and get to see my sister and her apartment. I also got to see the annual man-made beach at the banks of Seine.

I then continued my flight to New York. There was no plan to stay there but my mother wanted to, so there we stayed for another 4 days. I was actually already exhausted and started to get anxious because school was going to start in less than a week. But I got over my anxiety and enjoyed New York.

Finally, Baltimore.

Baltimore is actually kind of scary, the pictures is the better part of the city. I've grown to like it, though.

One last thing, please check the link below. I promise it will be entertaining.

Me dancing.

Thanks to Ken Uyama for the link. :D

My Version of 10 Things I Hate About You

2010-07-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

I hate how you beat me in Scrabble or the Sunday crossword puzzle
I hate how you sometimes forget to say thank you to the parking guy or cashier
I hate how you're easily sick
I hate how you play the piano better than I do
I hate how you sometimes test me on general knowledge or use medical terms to explain something
I hate how you can tell that I'm playing spider solitaire or browsing while speaking on the phone with you
I hate how you lie and say that you're staying up late to write your paper, though you're actually playing a computer game
I hate how you sometimes forget to hold the door for me
I hate how you sometimes stare at my blackheads on my forehead instead of my eyes when you talk to me
I hate how you complain annoyingly when the traffic gets bad

However

I adore how you let me change the rules of scrabble so I could win
I adore how you're willing to wait for me to finish work for an hour or more at the mall across my office
I adore how you don't mind going to the movies alone because I changed my mind and decided to attend a meeting
I adore how you never complain about my outfit, even if it makes my ass look huge
I adore how you listen to my rants and give comments without being judgmental
I adore how you apologize first because you don't want us to fight
I adore how you let me window shop at Forever 21 eventhough you have a test the day after
I adore how you let me eat anything I want eventhough I'm already gaining weight and have a double chin
I adore how you understand when I refuse to come to your family gatherings
I adore how you never raise your voice when I'm being such a bitch during my monthly bitchiness.

We both don't know for sure whether I will be by your side when your hair turns gray,
or whether you will be by my side when there are wrinkles on my eyes,
or I will one day delete this post because we have both gone our separate ways.
But one thing I do know for sure,
is that in the here and now,
you have a special place in my heart.

Farewell #2

2010-07-21T19:37:00.000-07:00

Had a sleepover with my best friends, lunch with family and friends and dinner with more friends.Received presents from some of them, hugs from most of them and wishes from all of them.
Nearly cried when my friends sang Can't Smile Without You dedicated to me.
We also danced, sing, laughed and said until we meet again.
Such lovely people I have in my life.

Farewell Wishes from friends and family:

A present from my best friends:

Apparently pictures from my camera is in poor quality. I'll post the pictures once my friend has uploaded it on facebook.
: )

Farewell #1

2010-07-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

My farewell email on June 30, 2010.

Dear All,

Today is my last day at the office. It’s been such a wonderful experience to be able to work at WBOJ, especially at this Unit with a remarkable team like all of you. Your teamwork and professionalism has taught me a lot on my early career.

I can never say enough thank yous for the opportunity, knowledge, experience and friendship all of you have shared. This past 8 months will surely be a joyful memory for me. I will one day look back and smile because I have got the chance to know all of you, personally and professionally. I wish you all success in life.

With best wishes, warm hug and thank yous,

Deasy Benita Priadi

PS: My personal email is deasy_748@yahoo.com and my phone number is +62-81*-*******, just in case you want to say hi or congratulate me on my birthday. :D

Farewell lunch and dinner with officemates,

Team Picture, a present from Mba Echie:

A present from Mba Nandya and Arief:

One of my boss:

Such remarkable people.

Thank you to Bebeng, Mba Reny, Mba Amel and those of you who took the pictures.

My Imperfect Parents

2010-03-01T05:39:00.000-08:00

Growing up, I was under a lot of pressure. Let me give you a brief family background.

My mother's late father was in the army, so her late parents had to move a lot. My mother was taken care by her grandmother who had limited money. When my mother was old enough, as the oldest child she had to take care her 6 siblings. Long story short, it was difficult for my mother to do her hobbies and explore her creativity and potential when she grew up.

My father is one of the brightest guy in his extended family. He also happens to be one of the most successful one, career wise. I think this is one of the reason why he thinks education is more important than breathing. Seriously. There was a period where the only topic he's interested in discussing is how we're doing in school.

My older sister inherits most of my father's gene. She was only 4 years old when she entered elementary school. She was a bright student in her school years, there was even her picture in her junior high yearbook, in which the caption underneath it says "Big Five Highest Score".

Since as long as I can remember, my school days were busy with all kinds of lessons. I was learning from sunrise to sunset, Monday to Saturday, sometimes Sunday. I used to envy my classmates because they were able to sleep in the afternoon and watch cartoon in the evening.

Mojacko, the cartoon I can't watch.

I was sick and tired with all my lessons. I cried a lot to my parents, asking their permission to let me quit. I did quit some of the lessons, but they never let me quit my English and piano lessons. I enjoyed none of it, my lessons became a burden.

Moreover, I was doing bad in high school. I had to do remedials in every test I take. My parents compared my grades to my sister's. It was really depressing at that time. I was also told by my conservative father that I have to be accepted at a public university, which is highly competitive and seems to be impossible for me considering my grades was going down the drain. The ultimatum I got is public university or not going to college at all. I studied really hard not because I wanted to learn, but because I was terrified I won't go to college.

This or That. Other Public Universities are too far from Jakarta.

My mother once explained the reason why my sisters and I were given many lessons is because she wants her children to experience things she couldn't when she was young. Furthermore, my father just want his children to succeed. As simple as that.

My parents' reasons are classic, I guess every parents has a similar reason. Nothing special.
I only understood just recently, as I grow older. Right now, I have nothing to regret at the choices they made for me. I'm happy that I can play the piano, I'm happy with my almamater, I'm happy with what I am. I would never blame my parents for my pressured childhood nor change anything in my past.

It took me my whole life to really understand the way I was raised. However, I guess understanding my parents imperfection is a lifetime process. They're human afterall, they sure make mistakes every once in a while. There will always be a time where I question their decision and argue about it.
People who truly love you may depress you in some ways, but they just want what they think is best and never mean any harm. They just have strange ways to express their love.
This is one thing I learned from my imperfect parents.

My Dearly Beloved Imperfect Bunda

My Personal Oasis

2009-10-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

I am more than lucky to have a life the way I have right now.

I have a family who will always be there,
I have friends in good and bad,
I have a roof above my head,
I'm financially secure,
my brain doesn't fail me most of the times,
and I'm just grateful.

People around me are also almost always nice to me. I don't know whether it's because I'm nice to them, or they're just that kind of people who don't show their dislike.
I live in my personal oasis where it's inhabited by those I love and love me back.
I used to think there's nothing wrong with this, but as I'm getting older, I start to think about it.

I have just graduated, and the real world is waiting out there to be conquered,
and I'm scared.

The world is starting to show their fangs and suddenly I have to come out from my oasis and face the storm to pursue my dreams.
As much as I want to continue my studies abroad, the thought of living all alone in a place completely new and with people whose first language is different than mine makes me scared.
I was scared when I got a job interview in an international NGO and found out that the interviewers are expats. I'm scared that I won't fulfill their expectations because I don't have much to offer, being a 21 year old fresh-graduate with lack of experience.
Seeing people die, also made me scared if I have to lose someone I truly love in my life.

Then I started to realize,
it's okay to lose someone,
it's okay to fail,
it's okay to live alone,
it's okay to experience storm in your life,

because it makes you stronger, and less things will scare you.

I guess it is important for your personal growth to come out from your oasis once in a while, and experience how brutal the desert can be. Once you get past the storm, there will be another bigger and better oasis out there waiting to be inhabited.

Tomorrow is my first day of work. My first real job.
I must admit that I'm scared.
Good bye oasis.
I'll be seeing you soon, yes?
Bismillah..

Taken from environmentalgraffiti.com

Concert With a Cause

2009-10-20T04:52:00.000-07:00

I have been a concert enthusiast since I was still in Senior High School. My first concert was Craig David in 2003. After watching him live, I became obsessed with concerts and festivals. My heart beats faster and I can be caught smiling to myself everytime I find out an International musician I like will come to Indonesia. I can say that Adrie Subono and Peter Gontha are my heroes in music. Kidding.

In 2005, I heard about the Live 8 concerts. There were ten concerts held in industrial countries with performances from more than 1000 top-notch musicians, including Mariah Carey and Madonna. I was really excited to see the show on TV since it was impossible for me to see it live.

I looked for more information on the internet about the artist line-up when I stumbled upon the official Live 8 website. The concert was organized in the intention to support UK's Make Poverty History campaign and watched by approximately 3 billion people worldwide. It succeeded in raising awareness about poverty issues in Africa. Not only that, the concert also accomplished it's goal to make G8 leaders give more money to poor countries.

Growing up in a country where many of it's people live under US$2 a day makes me extremely concerned with poverty issues. I sometimes feel helpless because I couldn't do much when I see people eating from trash cans or children selling newspapers on a school hour. The concept of organizing a huge concert in different parts of the earth for a noble cause amazes me. Live 8 would certainly not exist if the British didn't establish the Make Poverty History campaign. This event is an inspiration for me to apply to UK universities for my master's degree and experience firsthand how it's education can create people who are concerned with humanity issues, and are actually doing something about it. I believe we need more people with qualities like that.

Check out this video of Live 8 concert in London

The Government of Indonesia

2009-09-09T07:14:00.000-07:00

If you see the news, Indonesia seems like a fucked up country. With all the bombings, corruption, and poverty, no wonder Indonesia receives so much publicity. Bad ones.
And then, people start to blame the government. The government of Indonesia has a very bad image. But are they actually that bad? Do they actually take care of this country? Let me tell you this:

My father is part of the government.

Objectively speaking, I think this country is in good hands.
My father graduated from the best engineering school in Indonesia. A couple of years after he graduated, he decided to be a government official. He received a scholarship from his office and pursued a master's degree and PhD in one of the best universities in the mid west, U.S.A, and graduated cum laude.
There are many Indonesians who received scholarships from the government of Indonesia to study abroad but decided not to go back to Indonesia. I can understand them, since living abroad offers more chances to have a better living and optimize their knowledge.
But this is not the case with my father. He came back to build this country.

Now, my father is in his 50's, and he's pretty much in the peak of his career. He's also a workaholic. That should be the reason why he's not around much.
Most of the days, he leaves around 08.00 and comes home around 22.30. He sometimes work in the weekends. He manages one ninth of his office, so his staff works as hard as he does.
Thanks to his needy boss, it's very difficult for him to have a day off. If I go for a family vacation, he's only around in the last few days or in the weekend. Our last family vacation was in 2007. It was a pilgrimage journey, and we had to reschedule three times to get a slot at his hectic schedule.

My father and I once had this conversation,

Me : Dad, why do you have to come home so late at night? Is there so much work to be done?
Dad: Yes, there is. I'm constantly tired now. I'm even too tired to take a shower when I get home.
Me : ...
Dad: Do you remember our road trip when you were little?
Me : Yes.
Dad : That road trip is a reminder for me. At least when I had the time and energy, I was with my family a lot. That should be a reminder for you too.
Me: ...
Dad: I feel guilty you know, for being away from you, your sisters, and your mother a lot.
Me: ...(Starting to get teary eyed)..

Maybe some of the government officials are busy making themselves rich, but some of them are actually doing an excellent job. My father is sacrificing his family to take care of this country, but this will never be enough for those Indonesians who keep criticizing the government.
Go ask yourself, what have you done for the good of this country?

It's 23.00 right now, and my father is still not home.

The road trip when I was little.
The time when my father had the time and energy.

I love you, Ayah.

Obligation as an Undergrad: Done

2009-08-31T09:35:00.000-07:00

So here is what happened afterward:

1. Went to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with Cheela, Danar, and Arum.
There were cheap tickets, so we decided to execute our plan to travel together. We made it happen, though some of my closest friends didn't join us.

Singapore was fun, and KL was OK. The best thing I like about this trip is the late night talks. It's kind of funny how close you are with your friends, yet know so little about them. Too bad, I had to reschedule my flight home and leave earlier to...

2. Celebrate my one year anniversary with M.S.
When I planned my vacation, I completely forgot about my anniversary. My flight home was the day after my anniversary, so I had to buy another ticket so I can celebrate. It's very ignorant of me, I know.
The day after my anniversary, I had to catch a 05.00 A.M. flight to...

3. Tokyo
This was my first time to Japan. My sister was going to Japan for her summer holiday and I decided to meet her and tag along, the way I always did since I was little. At first, I wasn't very excited because I was too tired to travel. This never happened before, since I love traveling and Japan is on my top list of new travel destinations. But my holiday ended really fun. My sister is THE best traveling partner.

There were my sister's friends living in Japan, Bintang, Figi, and Sasti who accompanied us around Japan. My sister and I ended up traveling like a local. I didn't even go to Disneyland, but I did go to Summer Sonic festival and watched Lady Gaga, The Ting-Tings, the Klaxons, and this really cool 4 DJ performance called Birdie Numnum.
Everything in Japan is extremely expensive, I bought almost nothing for myself. Thank God we rescheduled our flight (again) and went home earlier.

4. Graduation day
After 4 years of hardwork, my journey in University of Indonesia has come to an end. It was both happy and sad.
.

I'm already missing my campus days...

Two Months of Tears and Joy

2009-07-21T01:01:00.000-07:00

I experienced lots of things in the past two months, both happy and sad:

- Got back from Den Haag
- Did my thesis defense
- Crowned None Jakarta Selatan 2009
- Almost cried listening the governor's speech about Abang None
- Crowned two None's at Abang None DKI Jakarta
- Went to Singapore for my last None duty

- Jakarta bombings..

I will write about the last one in this post, since I really need to get it out of my system.
I had just finished checking in at the airport to go to Singapore when I first heard about the news. It said that there was an explosion at Ritz-Carlton. There were still limited information so I was not sure how bad it was. I even hoped that it was only a gas explosion from the restaurant and no one was killed.

I was wrong.

It was a bombing, at the most secured hotel in Jakarta. Also the hotel where MU was going to stay. Thanks to being a none, I have become emotionally attached to this city. I was sad, angry, worried, and confused at the same time.
I was sad because people died for nothing. I was also sad because something like this can happen again in Jakarta.
I was angry to whoever people who did it.
I was worried about the impact to Jakarta. Jakarta's tourism, image, and investment will certainly be wounded.
I was confused because I don't know what to explain to potential tourists at Singapore. For the time being, I think it's pointless to promote Jakarta.

This incident really breaks my heart..
May the victims rest in peace, and may the people who are responsible for it rot in hell.
Amin.

Back from Den Haag

2009-06-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

Hello...!!
I just got back from Den Haag on the 26th of May.
It was super fun. Details and pictures: soon.

I'm currently busy finishing my thesis and organizing Abang None Jakarta Selatan 2009.
The finalists are already chosen. Hope they're the best. *Fingers crossed*

My thesis defense is on 11th of June, so I have to finish it by 4th.
And here I am, having the time to revise my thesis, which is rare, but writing on my blog instead.

This girl needs to learn about prioritize.

*Special thanks to Abimantra for the lovely pictures

Abang None = Priceless...

2009-05-09T12:48:00.000-07:00

I had doubts when I decided to apply for Abang None.
I was shorter than the minimum height for the none, I don't have a model-esque figure, my hair was short, I walk like a guy, I have almost zero knowledge about grooming and the likes, and my face is tres Indonesian.
Conclusion: I don't qualify for a typical beautiful woman (fair skinned, tall, slender, long hair, etc, etc)...

...yet I applied, and am having one of the best year of my life.
Abang None opens so many doors, some of them are:
1. I became the MC for Gado-Gado Jakarta. It was performed at the gala dinner of JakJazz 2008 at Istora Senayan. I did it in English, watched by DKI Jakarta's high government officials and international musicians from around the world.
2. I became the MC of WWF's Earth Hour main event at Balai Kota. Again, there were DKI Jakarta's high government officials, including the governer, national and international media, ambassadors, and representatives of the national and multinational companies that supported the event.

3. I get to be the tour guide for US Marine corps. Spending the whole Sunday with 40-ish Americans and explaining what Jakarta has to offer.

4. I get to travel to places I've never been before.
5. I was offered jobs, plenty of times. Some of the job offers were from the biggest government-owned bank in this country, TV's (plural), and government department.

Other advantages:
1. I get to be on a super cool stage, and perform, at Jakarta Convention Center. The stage is even better than Putri Indonesia's stage, no offense.

2. I won cash money (lots of it), a laptop, tickets to Hong Kong and Yogyakarta, vouchers, and products from the sponsors.
3. I get to save an 8 digit amount of Rupiahs from prize money and from duties as a None.
4. I have a new family, Abang None family, which is amazing.

5. I get to know many government officials, which is great for my network.

6. I made Bunda and Ayah proud.
7. I personally think I became a better person. I now know about grooming, I became more hard-working, It became easier for me when I meet new people, and the list goes on and on...
8. I got a boyfriend. A great one. = )

One more thing, I'm going to Den Haag on the 19th of May to promote Jakarta, and get paid for it.
How 'bout that??

Those are only some of the advantages of being a None, and I only won 4th place at the province level. Of course there are some downsides of being a None. But really, it doesn't matter when you have more reasons to be happy.
Never in a million years I thought I would experience all of the above. It's priceless.
With all my flaws, I managed to go this far.
Stop assuming, we never know what kind of girl, or guy, the judges are looking for to be an Abang and a none.

So, what are you waiting for?
Don't hesitate to apply. So many doors are waiting to be opened.
You can e-mail me at deasy_748@yahoo.com for more info.
Or check out http://abnonselatan09.multiply.com
Or add our facebook at abnonselatan_09@hotmail.com

Just give it a try, there's nothing to lose..
Looking forward to seeing you, future Abang's and None's..

Cheers!

My Perfect Birthday Part Quatre

2009-04-29T08:37:00.000-07:00

Birthday lunch with the kidnappers, plus M.S.
We had a buffet lunch. Most of us had 4 plates of meal.
One of my kidnappers had to loosen her belt.

.

We also went to the karaoke..

My Perfect Birthady Part Trois

2009-04-24T01:33:00.000-07:00

My Birthday Dinner with the people who love me most...

My Perfect Birthday Part Deux

2009-04-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

I celebrated my 21st birthday on April 7th.
I thought it was going to be an ordinary birthday, considering my friends already gave me a surprise last year. I was damn wrong..

M.S. came to my house in the middle of the night. He didn't stay for long because he had exams in the morning.
I went to sleep after that, though I was still expecting my friends to come.

Then, around 3.30 A.M., when I was already asleep, I was kidnapped from my bedroom.
I was sure it was my friends, though they pretended to be professional kidnappers by wearing sarong's used as masks and didn't spoke at all so I can't guess from their voices.
They tied my hands and feet, blindfolded my eyes, and carried me to the trunk of my friends car. I screamed my loudest scream that night. That was the only thing I could do at that time.
Thank god his car was Honda Jazz so I didn't die of suffocation.
My friend drove like a madman, I even bumped my head several times.

The car finally stopped and I was carried out from the trunk. I was so afraid they were going to plunge me to a lake or something and started to scream even louder. (My friends told me later that the people who heard me screaming thought I was possessed).
They finally laid me down on a cold and hard surface and left me there.
Thankfully they didn't tie me hard enough so I could free myself and open my blindfold.

It took me a while to realize that I was taken to Taman Ayodya, Barito.
After chasing my friends around that garden (they ran sporadically when I managed to free myself), laughing, hugging, and eating the birthday cake, they did one more thing to me.

They tied me to a Stop sign, poured cold water all over my head and body (it was freezing cold), and made my hair and face dirty with the birthday cake. As if that's not enough, my friends and their car left me there all alone.
I managed to free myself for the second time and chased their cars around Taman Ayodya in 04.00 A.M.

My birthday was crazy. And I Love it.
You guys do know how to be really great friends.
(Again, in no specific order)
Amy Tyas
Citra Kartika
Danar Tri
Andika Pradipta
Aditya Mahendra
Dhira Narayana
Titis Arba defita
Shaskia Yasmin
Hario 'Pio'
Girikharis

I would never trade them with anyone else in this world.
Cheers!

My Perfect Birthday

2009-04-15T06:53:00.000-07:00

MY BESTEST FRIENDS ARE AMAZING

BIG HUG FOR YOU GUYS...!!!!!!

(Dhira Narayana took the Picture)

HUGHUGHUGHUGHUG

Details of my Birthday on the next post..

Something I Can't Afford

2009-03-26T05:03:00.001-07:00

I'm expecting to graduate this semester, and I already have plans for my future.
One of my plans, which I have stated in my earlier post, is pursuing an M.B.A. degree.

I dream to be a successful businesswoman one day, so I can make jobs for people in Indonesia. With my own money, or my company's money, I can also give to the people who are in need. It breaks my heart every time I read the newspaper or watch the news that so many people are starving to death and children died while studying because their school's rooftop collapsed.
I also must admit that having a successful business equals to comfortable life and loads of money, something I dream to have as well.

After browsing obsessively on the internet, I found out that the tuition cost of the universities I'm planning to apply is extremely expensive. My father told me that I should forget about expensive schools and gave me a budget for my 2-year master's program. The budget is less than half the estimated total cost for tuition and living in the expensive universities I wish to apply.

At first, I was kind of frustrated because I can't apply to any university I want. I was even in denial and assured myself that my father will still pay for my tuition even though it's way beyond my budget. Then I started to be realistic and look for other cheaper universities. M.S. helped me realize that most people can't afford to go to university, let alone study abroad.

Now I'm working really hard to juggle between finishing my thesis, increasing my GMAT score, and saving money. I've even started to control my spending and credit card usage. I saved all the money I got from my parents and None work. I know my savings won't make me afford the expensive universities, but at least I'm helping my parents.
I want this so bad. The last time I was this determined was when I applied for University of Indonesia, and that's 4 years ago.

So now I know how it feels like to not afford education.
Reality hits hard.

We CAN help, without money

2009-02-26T07:59:00.000-08:00

So I watched Kick Andy a couple of weeks ago. The host was interviewing this very unconvincing man who said that he's a teacher. He was only an elementary school graduate, but he is determined to educate children in his village so they won't be poor like him. He said something like this:

"Back then, I dreamed to be rich so I would be able to build a school where children can learn for free. I am far from rich, but I have pursued my dream."

That sentence, which was said by an elementary school graduate, made me think.
Do I have to be rich?
If I had all the money I want, would I still be thinking about helping?
It seems that life with no money, in his case, seems so peaceful.

Oh Mr. heart-of-gold, I'm sorry I said you were unconvincing and underestimated you just because you're an elementary school graduate. I'm no better than you are.

O Ambassadors

2009-02-08T01:04:00.000-08:00

Today, I nearly cried while watching two inspirational TV shows. The first one is Oprah and the second one is Kick Andy. I'll speak about the latter on my next post.

This episode highlights the journey of O Ambassadors.
Ten years ago, Oprah invited a 16 year old boy named Craig Kielburger to her show. In such a young age, he has volunteered to teach children who are living in poverty. Now, with Oprah's Angel Network, he has built around 60 schools in third world countries.

Based on this, Oprah decided to make a program called O Ambassadors. They have so many creative ways to raise money for the needy, like making kissing booths and festivals.
For the first project, Oprah chose 12 ambassadors who are students from across North America to build a school in Africa.
What amazes me is that these 12 teenagers, helped by a couple of African students, actually built the school from scratch. Literally. They dug dirt, mixed concrete, made windows, and everything you need to do to construct a building. With only a 2-hour course in construction work given by their mentor in Africa, they managed to build a 1-classroom school in 3 weeks.

Other than that, they also had an entire evening playing with local kids, visiting their houses, and visiting the river which is the only water source for that village. They bathe, take their cattle, wash their clothes, and drink on that same river. The ambassadors also saw how the local kids only have cereal for breakfast, corn and water porridge for lunch, and tea for dinner.
After seeing how they live, one of the ambassador said something like this:

"It made me more grateful with what I have right now. People here are still smiling even though they are living like this; they are fortunate they can live until this present day."

One thing Oprah and Craig Kielburger kept saying over and over again is that we are not too young to make a change.
It really touches my heart, and make me feel ashamed of myself at the same time, how someone voluntarily traveled halfway across the world to do social work for other people.

It makes me realize how my presence in this world hasn't make any significant difference for people who are in need.

Elementary School Reunion

2009-01-26T09:53:00.000-08:00

Last Friday was A.W.E.S.O.M.E.

I spent some quality time with M.S.

It was the first day of my GMAT prep class. I really like math and considering I'm a Psychology major, it's been a while since the last time I used my brain to count. I miss dealing with numbers and variables.
I sound like a math geek.

Other than that, what made my day superb was it was the day of my elementary school reunion. Thanks to facebook, Ilma, and Dela, after 10 years I finally get to meet my long lost friends at Thai Kitchen, Panglima Polim. I've been looking forward for this event, and when I finally arrived at the venue I was smiling from ear to ear and jumping and down. Literally (the jumping part, not the smiling part, hehe..).
There were about 80 people there. I can't remember all of them though, so I had to ask their names and introduced myself again.

Other than eating and taking pictures, we also reminisced those good old days in elementary school. The funny part was when we remembered the love stories and the humiliation we did back then. Here are the excerpts from the reunion:

Girl: Oh my god, I had a crush on you? Remember?
Boy: Oh yeah? Me too..!! That's why I always chose a seat next to you.
Girl: Then why weren't we together?
Boy: hahahah...

Boy: You were my ex right?
Girl1: Oh my goodness, yes, how humiliating.
Girl2: We had a fight, remember? Because I had a crush on him too.
Boy: Hahaha....

(Spoken with a non-flirting manner)
Girl: You're hot now, you used to be a total geek. No offense.
Boy: Haha... None taken.

A: Hey, you used to shit your pants right?
B: Hahaha.. How come you remember?
C: You're famous on our batch as the boy who likes to shit his pants.
A: Yeah, and you walked with your ass facing the wall so no one will see the stain on your shorts, but your shit was dripping.
C: Oh yeah? I don't remember that. Eeewww... I just lost my appetite.

After a lot of talking, laughing, and taking pictures, some of us went to one of the night clubs near Thai Kitchen. One of my elementary school friend is the marketing of that club so he gave us guestlists.

What makes this extraordinary is because we knew each other since we were still children. And at that day, we went to a club together and did what people at clubs usually do. Even the geeks.

People DO change.

Bali

2009-01-18T00:50:00.000-08:00

Greetings from the Land of Gods

A Letter to God

2008-12-30T10:27:00.000-08:00

Dear God,

Another year in my life has passed. The year 2008 has been magnificent. You gave me so many blessings since day 1, starting from my trip to Paris, my unforgettable 20th birthday, Abang None, meeting M.S, and other things which I cannot write one by one.

Thank You God for giving me such a beautiful life. It is true that my life has not been all ups. You have given the downsides of life for me this year, but I took that as a process for me to be more mature and realize that I should be more grateful for what I have right now.

I am sorry I still do things that You don't like. Despite all the kindness You've shown to me, I still don't touch my head to the floor 5 times everyday. I am also more afraid in making my parents sad than making You sad every time I do something wrong. I really am sorry dear God.

I hope next year will be better. I can not promise You anything, but I will be doing my best to not make You mad. I also hope that there will be peace on earth. I am sure You do not want people to suffer any longer with all the war in Palestine, Africa, and other places on earth. Please take care of my family, my loved ones, all of the good people, and the environment which I sometimes take for granted.

Last but not least,
Thank You God for being extremely nice to me. I am truly blessed.
I love You God, I really do.

Sincerely,

Deasy B. Priadi

Sentimental Day

2008-11-13T10:30:00.000-08:00

At my French class, i learned a new word:

Coup de Foudre which means Love at First Sight.

When I went home, I continued reading twilight. I'm planning to finish the book before the movie is in theaters.
There's this part when Bella, the girl in the book, was going to sleep. Edward, her boyfriend, was also under the covers and his arms were wrapped around Bella and his lips were at Bella's ear.
The part that made me smile was when Edward did this to Bella:

He hummed a melody I didn't recognize; it sounded like a lullaby
He paused. "Should I sing you to sleep?"

Do I really have to have a vampire for a boyfriend? (FYI, Edward is a vampire).

Damn it, M.S. Where are you. Why do you have to be so far away for so long..
Ouwh.. what a sentimental day.

Maybe We Should Stop Expecting

2008-09-30T09:08:00.000-07:00

I haven't met my sister for 8 months, and a couple of days ago she arrived at Jakarta. It's her first Lebaran here since the last 4 years.
When I found out she was coming home, I already thought about all the things I was going to ask her to buy for me. This is what I usually do everytime she comes home. I sometimes wonder whether I'm more excited to see my sister home or the things she bought for me.
This time, I planned to ask for a pair of ankle boots.

(Yeah.. yeah.. you can judge me all you want. I'm pretty much a fashion victim)

Eventually, I changed my mind and didn't ask for anything from her. I know how difficult it could be to look for random stuff.

I didn't pick her up at the airport, so by the time she landed she gave me a call. She said she bought me a pair of shoes. Since I wasn't expecting anything from her, I was pretty surprised.
When I arrived home, I was too excited to see my sister and completely forgot about the shoes. After all the euphoria, I went to my room and my sister showed me the shoes.

It was even better than I thought it would be. I've been looking for it obsessively on ebay a couple of months ago but I never found any. I never told my sister before, but somehow she bought it for me.

Maybe that's how it is with families and people who loves us unconditionally. Eventhough we don't expect much from them, the things they do for us are way beyond our expectations. I think that's proof of how big their love is towards us. We sometimes forget how lucky we are to be surrounded by people who love us. I sometimes forget.

Cheerio...

My holiday

2008-08-24T04:46:00.000-07:00

I had almost three months of holiday but I don't update my blog very often. What a shame.

Thanks to Abang None, this year's holiday has been a bit different from my last holidays. Here's some of the stuff I did:
I went to Palembang last month with my Abang to do Abnon stuff.
I went to waterbom to use the voucher I got with my friends from Abnon Selatan.

I had plenty Abnon work to do and received money afterwards.
I had dinner at the governer's house with the other winners and their parents.

I celebrated the independence day for the first time after I graduated high school.

Last but not least, I started a wonderful relationship with one of the Abang's. His name is M.S.

Many people said that people who entered Abang None are likely to break up with their boy/girlfriend and end up having a relationship with one of the Abang's or None's. I tried to break this myth because I don't believe in 'cinlok'. I even assured my friends who warned me that 'cinlok' will never happen to me.
But I think I have to lick my own spit. (Is there a word in english for that? 'Menjilat ludah sendiri'?)
I broke up with M.R.P.P. Eventhough it wasn't because of Abnon, it happened on the first week of Abang None Selatan. And at Abang None D.K.I., I met M.S. and eventually went out with him. But i still don't believe in 'cinlok' though.

Moral of the story: be careful with what you say.
haha...

Cheers!

Amazing experience

2008-07-08T09:55:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Abang None DKI is finally over. The finals was awesome. Alhamdulillah, I was chosen as None Favorit and None Harapan 1 DKI Jakarta.

(I still can't believe I was on this stage)

Thank you so much for all of my family and friends who have supported me from start to finish. I can't tell you guys how thankful I am. It means ssssooooooooo much to me. I heart you guys..

Here's the lessons I've learned after Abang None:
1. The meaning of hard work. I worked my ass off in this competition. I experienced firsthand what 'no pain, no gain' really means.
2. Be a risk taker. I have done my best in this competition, but one thing I regret the most is the Q and A session. I should've answered it in English, but I didn't because I was too afraid to do so. Damn damn damn.
3. Competition isn't always ugly. Seriously. I made really good friends even though we're aiming for the same thing.

This whole Abang None experience, starting from Jakarta Selatan until DKI Jakarta, is truly amazing. I was really sad everything has come to the end. I even cried when I had to say goodbye to all of my friends. If given the chance, I would be more than happy to repeat it all over again.

None Jakarta Selatan

2008-06-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Hi!!
My oh my. It's been a while since my last post. So here's the recap:

On 14th of June, the finals of Abang None Jakarta Selatan was held at Balai Kartini. Alhamdulillah, I won as None Jakarta Selatan. It really was beyond my expectations because the others were really good. Seriously. I'm not only sweet talking here.

So now I'm In quarantine at Grand Tropics Hotel with The other winners from other sections of Jakarta. There are 36 of of us and it's really fun. I thought the others would be very competitive and try to sabotage the others. But it didn't happen at all. We helped and supported each other.

the judging day was last Saturday and Sunday. It went well. I spoke French with one of the judges eventhough my French isn't that good. But she said I speak french really good. Hehe..

There will be a press conference today in the afternoon. In the evening, there will be makrab at score again.

Please come to the final's of Abang None DKI Jakarta 2008 on 4th of July at JCC starting from 19.00.
Or watch it live at global tv starting from 19.30.
don't forget to text:

abnon deasy
and send it to 9288.

thanks for your support!!
Wish me luck..

Super Busy Week

2008-06-04T11:30:00.000-07:00

It's been almost a month since my last post. I've been very busy this past few weeks. So here's the recap:

A couple of weeks ago, I went to Kota with Adit and Titis to see the MDGs photo exhibition and take pictures around Kota. The exhibition was really interesting. We made a lot of really nice pictures and visited 3 museums.

The week after, I went to Sea World with my Environmental Psychology class. The day after I went to Ancol with my friends to take pictures. And the day after that, I went to Ancol again to watch Indo Dance Music Festival.
So I went to North Jakarta 4 times in 8 days.

Did you watch the national awakening celebration? Wow. It was really amazing. (Gue sampe merinding saking kerennya)->How do you say this in English? I'm too lazy right now to think.
After watching that show, I'm really proud of my country.

The big news is.... I am the finalist of Abang None Jakarta Selatan 2008. The practice is every single day and it lasts from 16.00 to around 00.00. This week I'm also having my final exams. Actually I'm kind of worried with my exams considering I'm too tired to study by the time I'm home.

I'm freakin' tired.

PS: Please come to Balai Kartini on 14th of June to watch the final of Abang None Jakarta Selatan 2008. Vote for me!
There is also the talent show and Makrab at Score Citos before the final show. I won't tell the date because I don't recommend you to come. I have stage fright. I'm terrified I'll mess up.

2008-05-10T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hellow!

Yesterday I watched Bill Gates' lecture at TVRI. There were so many people attending that lecture, including Pak SBY. It amuses me how the government succeeded to invite him (Bill Gates, not Pak SBY. hehe) to Indonesia. Bravo!

Anyway, there was a question from a UI student if I'm not mistaken. He asked Bill Gates' secret of becoming successful. He answered that graduating from school is very important. He doesn't recommend quitting school the way he did. The other thing he said that I remember the most is about the importance of reading. He's always curious about things so he read a lot. He also said he was lucky to have parents who supported his love of books and let him quit school to pursue his dreams.

Will Smith also said something like this in his speech when he won an award as the best celebrity role model or inspiration in Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards in 2003. He said that we must not let people tell us what we can’t do and read at least 3 pages a day.

I am a true believer of this idea. I think people who are knowledgeable are more fun to talk to. Probably some of them aren’t very smart academically, but people like this are living proof that smart people isn’t always people who get straight A’s. Even my genius sister (who is taking her doctorate degree in the age of 23 with a scholarship) agrees that people who are school smart aren’t always smart.

So, why don’t you lift that lazy ass of yours off the couch and start reading instead of watching sinetron’s.

Here's the video of Bill Gates' speech

Imogen Heap is Awesome

2008-04-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

This video is amazing. Seriously. Wow. I don't know anything else to say.
Thanks to Cheela who told me about this video.

Imogen Heap singing Just For Now

Make a change for the environment

2008-04-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Hai...
My sister once said that global warming has been some kind of a pop culture. Ever since Al Gore with his 'an inconvenient truth' went out, everyone is talking about global warming even though some of them still thinks that greenhouse effects is caused by greenhouses. Many people also started to do things to save the environment, like using canvas bags instead of plastic bags. Even Anya Hindmarch took this as an advantage and made that famous "I'm not a plastic bag" bag. Al Gore successfully raised awareness to the world and made people change their habits. I think he's proved of what Baba Dioum (a Senegal environmentalist) once said:

"In the end, we will only conserve what we love, we will only love what we understand, and we will only understand what is taught."

I sometimes consider myself as an environmentalist, even though i've never done anything drastic to save the environment like going to Kalimantan to conserve orangutans. I also can't deny that air conditioners, aerosol sprays, and styrofoam has made my life easier.
In junior high (about 6 yeras ago), I was given an assignment to do a science paper and chose global warming as the topic based on my concern for the environment. Fast forward to college, I always try to do all sort of things I know to save the environment. I sometimes get mocked on for doing the things I did to save the environment because most of it aren't very convenient, like taking the public transportation (if it's possible) instead of driving my car. But I don't really care. What makes me really happy is that some of my friends started to always throw garbage in it's proper place, print on both sides of paper, and reducing the use of plastic bags. One lesson i've learned from this is that all you need to do is raise awareness, make a good example, and you don't need to be as powerful as Al Gore to make people change for the environment.

Quoting Michael Jackson's Man in the Mirror:

If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and then make a change.

Ciao!

Birthday pictures

2008-04-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Those who made my birthday memorable..

(The house you're looking at is not my house. hehe..)

J'ai 20 ans

2008-04-12T09:04:00.000-07:00

Hellow...!
It's been more than a month since my last post. It would be a shame if I told you about Java Jazz considering it happened (also) more than a month ago. One thing for sure, it was incredible as usual. I had so much fun. After Java Jazz, I always had silly thoughts that there will never be an event that would make me as happy as Java Jazz for the rest of the year. I am fully aware that it's not true though.

I turned 20 on April 7th. I think it's my best birthday ever. So here's the story:
I was suspicious already that M.R.P.P. would surprise me by coming to my house on 24.00 and be the first person (besides my sister) to say happy birthday. He's that type of guy. He did came, with a cake, candle, and all. Even though I wasn't very surprised, I was really really happy. I Love You M.R.P.P.

After blowing the candle and letting him in, I went to my room because my phone rang. When I was still in my room, somehow I heard people singing happy birthday from the terrace and I quickly went outside. Guess what.... 12 of my friends was there singing happy birthday, each of them holding a cupcake with a candle on it and a piece of paper which spells happy birthday. I jumped up and down, laughed, and screamed at the same time. Tears were already welling up on my eyes. They told me to blow the candle. At that time, I was already crying. So I blew the candle with much difficulty because, like I've said before, I was laughing, screaming, and crying at the same time.

It was catastrophe after being all sentimental. Adit dropped flour all over me and sprayed orange color string without much resistance from me. I tried to hug my friends with the intention to make them white with flour, but they ran. So I chased them in front of my house, in the middle of the night and barefoot. We sure made a lot of noise. After everything was under control, we went back to the house and talked and ate the cake together.

Six of my friends slept at my place at that night. We continued the party even though it was already 02.00. We took pictures with crazy clothes and poses and slept at 04.00.

The day after, I celebrated my birthday and invited a couple of my friends to Poke Sushi and had all you can eat. We ate so much sushi as if we haven't eaten for days. It was so brutal. We ate like pigs, seriously. It was crazy, really really crazy.

Overall, this year I had an incredible birthday. I've never said this in person to my friends, but I love them so much. One thing for sure.. Best friends sure can make you cry.....
Cry tears of Joy.

I would like to thank (with no specific order):
Muhammad Rangga Putra Pradana
Amy Tyas Susanti O.
Citra Kartika Ariani
Danar Tri Kusuma R.
Shaskia Yasmin S.
Titis Arbadefita
Devita Soraya B.
Amanda Christa
Aditya Mahendra
Hario Iman Setyo
Ferdinand Narayana
Bagas
Adi
Who made my 20th birthday memorable.
I love you guys so much.. I can't tell how thankful I am to have you guys as my friend.

PS: I'll put the pictures as soon as possible.

THE Festival

2008-03-06T22:19:00.000-08:00

Hello... It's been awhile since my last post, I know. But, I think no one will mind. Since the only person I know who reads this blog is my sister. How pathetic.

Anyway.. today's the first day of Java Jazz Festival. This is the festival I've been waiting for a year. I can't describe how much I love it. I'm really really excited right now. Three days full of music I love in one venue. It's total bliss..

BUT, until now I don't have any ticket for Friday and Sunday yet. I thought I was getting free tickets from my dad's friend. Well, he did give me 8 tickets, but it was for Saturday. I was also expecting a 3 day pass from my friend who was going to pay me back my money. But she forgot to buy it for me. So here I am, not having a ticket for the festival I really love.

I'm kind of worried I won't get any tickets actually. On Wednesday, I was going to watch Incubus and decided to buy the ticket at 'calo' since the cheapest one costs Rp. 500.000 and I don't like Incubus that much. And based on my experience, we can get cheaper tickets if we buy it from 'calo'. So I went to the venue expecting to get the ticket for Rp. 300.000, but when I arrived there they sold it for Rp. 850.000. So I waited there with M.R.P.P. and his friends hoping the tickets will cost cheaper if the show starts. But it didn't. Still, we waited there. Listening Incubus from the outside, being really pissed for our optimism. Long story short, we didn't watch Incubus.

A lot have happened since my last post. I cut my hair short, I made friends with my seniors who are really cheap. Not cheap literally, but they won't say no if you ask them out. The same goes for me though, they call me cheapest. But no, I'm not that cheap. I went to Puncak, Bogor, and did a road trip of Jakarta with my old and new 'cheap' friends. Went to the movies for a couple of time, hung out at Depok, hung out at my terrace until 01.00 A.M. on a weekday.

I used to be this girl who went straight home or my piano classes after school. I guess I'm a late bloomer. It's strange how much my life has changed since my high school days.

Ciao..

PS: I'm sure my next post will be all about JavaJazz

Salah satu lagu dan video favorit

2008-02-06T09:52:00.000-08:00

Video yang pertama adalah Astrud Gilberto menyanyikan goodbye sadness. Lagu ini adalah salah satu lagu kesukaan gue. Pas di pesawat lagu ini dan albumnya gue dengerin berkali-kali. Bahkan pas tidurpun album lagu ini yang gue setel.
Video yang kedua adalah KT Tunstall nyanyiin I want you back-nya Jackson5. Menurut gue dia nyanyiinnya keren banget. Bikin gue pengen belajar main gitar.
Enjoy!

Merci Beaucoup

2008-02-05T11:18:00.000-08:00

Hari Minggu tanggal 3 Februari akhirnya nyampe Jakarta. Pas di pesawat dari Singapore ke Jakarta gue ngobrol ama bapak-bapak. Dia bilang di Jakarta lagi banjir, terus tol ke bandara juga kebanjiran. So I've got the picture how Jakarta was at that day.

Pas udah mendarat dan ngambil koper, gue berjalan keluar mengharapkan menemukan sosok Bunda atau Pak Kus atau Pak Itan yang akan menjemput. Ternyata mereka tidak ada. Mulailah gue panik karena tidak ada yang menjemput dan gue tidak membawa HP. Jangan lupa gue sambil membawa 1 koper besar seberat 23 Kg dan satu carry on. Akhirnya gue mencari telfon umum. Utungnya di dompet masih ada koin rupiah. Jadilah gue bernostalgia seperti jaman SD dulu ketika HP belom jaman, menelfon dengan telfon umum. Setelah ditelfon ternyata emang jalanan macet dan Pak Itan belom sampe. Akhirnya gue nunggu di McD. Sumpah gue jalan udah kaya zombie saking ngantuknya karena jetlag.

Nggak lama kemudian Pak Itan nyampe. Langsung lah gue pulang. Begitu mobil mulai jalan, gue langsung ketiduran dan baru bangun begitu sampe rumah. Nggak tau deh tu jalanan dari bandara semacet apa.

Setelah sebulan pergi, gue mengharapkan ada yang menyambut gue di rumah. Gue sudah memaklumi kalo gue cuma dijemput ama Pak Itan. Ternyata begitu sampe rumah, lagi pada pergi semua. Menyedihkan sekali. Akhirnya gue langsung ganti baju dan melanjutkan tidur di tempat tidurku yang sudah sangat dirindukan. By the time I arrived, everything at home seems different, tapi kalo diperhatiin baik-baik sebenernya ga ada yang berubah. Aneh banget deh.

Begitu bangun, semua orang udah pulang. Langsunglah gue melepas rindu dan peluk sana sini. Dengan penuh semangat gue membongkar koper dan memberikan oleh-oleh. Yufi si seneng dengan oleh-oleh yang gue kasih. Tapi begitu gue memberikan tas titipan Bunda, beginilah cuplikan dialognya:

Gue : Ni Bun, tas titipan Bunda (sambil ngasih tasnya)
Bunda : Yah.. kok tasnya kaya gini si? Bunda kan ga suka yang tasnya dalem kaya gini.
Gue : Yah.. Bunda ga suka? padahal susah banget tu nyarinya.
Bunda : Iya.. Bunda ga suka.

Hal yang sama juga terjadi pada ayah. Ayah nitip baju golf, tapi dia ga mau yang ada mereknya. Perlu diketahui pas nyari titipan ayah ini juga susah banget karena banyakan bajunya lagi tebel-tebel karena winter.
Gue : Ni yah baju buat ayah. Ade beliin dua lo..
Ayah : Yah...... kok lengan panjang si? Ayah kan pakenya lengan pendek.
Gue : Loh, bukannya ayah pakenya lengan panjang?
Ayah: Itu dulu, sekarang udah nggak. Nggak ngerti ni ade sama kakak.
Gue : Yah.. gagal ni ade beli oleh-olehnya.
Ayah : Iya, gagal total.

Yah.. gue hanya bisa pasrah dan SMS kakak kalo oleh-oleh yang udah kita beli gagal semua.
BTW, kemaren Ayah ulang tahun. Umurnya udah setengah abad sekarang. Happy Birthday Ayah...!!!

Setelah liburan yang penuh warna ini, I would like to say a big big thank you to my dad who worked so hard day and night to pay for this trip, my mom who helped me with the visa and travel agent, Tante Vera who helped ngurus ini itu untuk kepergiannya, Mba di rumah who packed my luggage, and Kakak yang udah menjadi tuan rumah yang sangat baik. Without you guys all this won't happen. Thank you so much. Terima kasih banyak. Nuhun Pisan.

Merci Beaucoup.

Last Day

2008-02-04T09:43:00.001-08:00

Hello.. Sekilas berita hari terakhir di Paris.

Hari Jumat di kelas kita nonton filmnya Jacques Tati, terus pas break kita makan2 snack yang udah disuruh bawa dari rumah. Abis itu kita foto2 dan minta alamat email masing-masing. Lumayan sedih juga si karena kita udah sebulan tiap hari ketemu dan udah waktunya untuk berpisah. Sebagian pulang ke negaranya masing-masing, sebagian lagi ngelanjutin les ke tingkat berikutnya.

Terus Jumat sorenya gue dan kakak kejar setoran beli titipan Bunda dan Ayah. Abis itu kejar setoran foto-foto karena gue baru sadar kalo belom banyak foto. Jadilah kita keliling kota selayaknya turis terus foto2 di tempat2 turis tentunya.

Jumat malem gue dan kakak nonton teater Romeo and Juliet yang diadakan oleh sebuah dance company dari Prancis. Jadi teaternya ga ada dialognya, semuanya dikomunikasikan melalui dance hip-hop a la Justin Timberlake. Keren Abis! Pertunjukannya 1jam 15menit tapi gue nggak abis2 rasa amaze-nya. Keren banget. Incroyable!!
Setelah nonton teater, gue, Kakak, dan temen kantornya kakak ke Bar Brazil lagi. Pas hari itu yang tampil ngebawain musik brazil lengkap dengan nyanyian berbahasa Portugis. Walaupun gue udah cape dan ngantuk karena udah malem banget, tapi gue seneng banget karena akhirnya berhasil nonton band Brazil.

Hari Jumat ke Sabtu gue ga tidur sama sekali karena belum selesai packing. Terus Sabtu paginya berangkat ke bandara. Pas udah waktunya berpisah, mulai deh cengeng2an. Gue dan kakak nangis. Nangisnya yang sama-sama tengsin gitu, jadi sok ditahan. Terus Kakak ngomong "udahlah de.. kakak udah biasa kok sendiri. Besok juga udah gapapa kok ga ada ade." Ceritanya biar nggak sedih lagi, tapi ngomongnya matanya sambil berkaca-kaca.

Yaudah deh, akhirnya hal yang tak bisa dihindari terjadi. Gue dan kakak berpisah. It was a real real blast spending 1 month with her. I adore and love her so much. She's really amazing. God, I hope she'll never read this. I've never said this to her in person.

Perjalanan selama kurang lebih 17 jam ke Jakarta dihabiskan dengan tidur dan nonton (baik film Box Office maupun film serie) dan mendengarkan album2 Astrud Gilberto, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, dari in-flight entertainmentnya Singapore Airlines yang sangat sangat entertaining.

Hufh.. Au revoir Kakak, Au revoir Paris. Bonjour Jakarta.

Holiday will be over soon

2008-01-31T13:43:00.000-08:00

It's been more than 2 weeks since my last post. Percaya ga kalo gua bilang ga ad waktu. Jijik ya, sok sibuk banget.

Tanggal 30 Januari kemaren kakak ulang taun. Terus pas jam 12 gua bangunin dia terus ngasih kue dan kado. Hehe.. Cupu banget si, tapi dia lumayan terharu. Biasanya kan kalo dia ultah ga ada keluarga. Malemnya kita makan malem ber5 bareng tmen2nya kakak. Jadi ceritanya ngerayain ulang tahun kakak, tapi ga nraktir. Taulah mahasiswa duitnya dikit.

Weekend dua minggu yag lalu gua pergi ke club di pinggir sungai, namanya point ephemere. Hari itu ada farewell pacarnya kakak (tapi skarang dah putus). Lumayan rame yang ikutan, 15an ada kali ya. Mereka semua anak2 Indonesia yang ada di Paris. Baru selesai jam 4.30an pagi. Parah dah. Padahal pas akhir2 gua cuman duduk doang karena udah cape dan ngantuk berat. Terus karena naik taksi mahal dan metro (kereta bawah tanah)nya baru ada jam 5.30, jadilah kita ramai2 menunggu metro sambil makan McD di pinggir jalan.

Terus Jumat berikutnya gua ke bar brazil. Keren deh, jadi ada ruang bawah tanahnya buat dance floor. Trus pas awal2 ada pertunjukan perkusi2 Brazil. Baru setelahnya ada DJ. Musiknya keren banget, beneran deh. Setelahnya ngopi2 dan baru pulang jam 02.00. Pulangnya naik sepeda yang bisa disewain di pinggir jalan Paris. Heboh juga si pagi buta gitu naik sepeda. Sabtunya gua pergi bareng temen2 les. cuman ber4. Yang 2 orang Korea dan yang 1 orang Denmark. Kita ngobrolnya bahasa Prancis gitu. Canggih deh. Tapi masih terbata-bata dan pake mikir dulu si kalo mau ngomong. Lumayan repot.
Terus malemya nonton konser Syd Matters. Biasalah, selera musiknya kakak indie2 gitu. Tapi keren.

Jalan2 mulu ya. Makanya ga ada waktu buat OL. Karena sibuknya juga sibuk jalan2. hehe...
Lusa pulang ni. Sedih deh karena mesti ninggalin Kakak. Kasian dia sendirian.

Dadah...

Paris oh Paris

2008-01-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was M.R.P.P.'s birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.....!!!!!
I'm really really really really sorry i'm not there for you on birthday.

Jadi, hari ini pas seminggu gua les Prancis. Menurut gua masih belum signifikan si peningkatan kemampuan français gua, tapi udah terlihat kemajuannya. Abisan dengernya bahasa Prancis mulu, gurunya ga pernah ngomong Bahasa Inggris sama sekali. Jadi misalnya dia ngejelasin satu kata Prancis, gua kadang masih tetep ga ngerti. Tapi sok2 ngangguk-ngangguk aja biar keliatan ngerti. Hahaha... Tapi ini jarang-jarang kok kaya gini.

Weekend kemaren gua ke La Rochelle, 5 jam dari Paris naik mobil. Gua berangkat bareng kakak gua dan temen2nya dan juga orang KBRI. Disana lagi ada pemilihan ketua PPI (Persatuan Pelajar Indonesia). Tempatnya enak deh. Kota kecil di pinggir pantai. Terus ada beberapa mahasiswa yang tinggal di rumah lengkap dengan taman. Yang dari Paris pada iri, soalnya mereka kan tinggalnya di apartemen semua.

Trus sekarang lagi OL di labkom kampus. Jadi tempat les gua tu kampus gitu.. Setengah jam lagi disini jam 6, tapi di Jakarta jam 12 malam dan sudah tanggal 16. Pada tanggal 16 inilah para mahasiswa Psikologi UI sudah bisa mengisi IRS online di SIAK NG. Hukum rimba pada momen ini diberlakukan. Kalo melihat dari pengalaman yang lalu-lalu, sesama mlahasiswa saling gontok buat dapet kelas. Gila ya. But that makes sense, i would do the same. Soalnya kalo ga begitu kita ga akan dapet kelas pilihan, jadi dapet SKSnya untuk semester tersebut dikit deh. So i've learnt my lesson. I'm not doing the same mistake this time. Semester lalu gua panik abis nyari kelas karena terlambat ngisi IRS.

Lagi batuk ni. Pilek juga dikit. Ga enak banget. Kayanya cepet banget cape. Disini dingin banget. Kalo udah kaya gini, udara Jakarta yang panas itu sangat aku rindukan.
Kemaren pas nelfon Bunda sama Ayah masa gua hampir nangis. Tengsin banget. Salah satu alasannya si pasti karena gua mau dapet. Tapi selain itu ternyata gua bisa ngerasain homesick juga. Cupu banget ya. Padahal selama ini gua ngerasa gua bukan tipe orang yang suka homesick. Dan disini ada kakak pula. Kebayang deh orang2 yang tinggal sendirian di luar negeri ato luar kota yang jauh.

Cheers!!

2008

2008-01-07T04:46:00.000-08:00

Selamat tahun baru!!!
hehe.. Basi ya? Udah sebulan ga posting blog dan banyak banget yang mau diceritain.

Pas tanggal 22 sampe 28 Desember gua dan keluarga gua ke Bali. Walaupun dapat dikatakan liburan gagal berhubung ujan terus, It was fun. Kita wisata kuliner dan makan bareng keluarga temen-temennya ayah dan bunda. Anak-anaknya dateng dari berbagai kota di dunia. Ada yang dari Paris (kakak), Belanda, Singapore, Bandung, sampe Salemba dan Depok juga ada. Hehe...

terus pas tanggal 29, ada berita duka cita. HP gua dicuri di poins square. Ini sedikit bayak kesalahan gua si. Ditaro di daem tas, tapi tasnya ga ada resleting. Jadilah HPnya dengan mudah bisa diambil oleh pencuri terkutuk itu. Sedih banget deh. Gua ga pernah kehilangan HP, sekalinya ilang PDA. PDAnya dikasih gratis si dari temennya Ayah. Tapi tetep aja.. nyesek banget. Terus.. beberapa hari yang lalu gua dapat kabar dari Bunda kalo tagihan telfon gua 2,9jt. Rupanya si pencuri terkutuk itu sempet2nya make telfon gua. Ini bisa terjadi karena nomer gua baru diblokir 2 jam setelah HPnya dicuri. Pada saat itu gua panik abis jd ngeblokirnya lama. Gila ya.. hanya dalam waktu 2 jam dia nelfon sebanyak kurang lebih 2,8jt. Sumpah kesel banget. Emang t*i tu orang.

Gua ngerayain taun baruan di four seasons hotel bareng keluarga besar Bunda dan temen-temen Psiko. Sempet terjadi masalah karena ada beberapa temen yang terhalang masuk dan disuruh bayar. Tapi akhirnya bisa masuk semua. Seru banget taun baruannya karena temen2 yg ikutan banyak, sekitar 19 orang. It was really-really fun. Apalagi karena di lobby hotelnya ada maliq.

Terus.. Pas tanggal 1 Januari malem, saya bertolak ke Paris bareng Kakak yang sekalian pulang. jadi rencananya gua mau les bahasa intensif di Paris. Beberapa hari yang lalu udah ngerjain tes penempatannya online dan hasilnya gua dapet tingkat intermediate. Haha... hoki banget tu. Karena ada beberapa bagian dari tes yang gua ga ngerti sama sekali berhubung vocabulary gua juga masih sangat terbatas. Lagipula di CCF juga gua baru tingkat 1A .
hari ini tes oral, terus gua ga ngerti yang gurunya omongin. Dia ampe harus berkali-kali ngulangin apa yang dia omongin. hehe.. Gua rasa besok, pas hari pertama les, kelas gua diturunin ke elementary.

Kemaren-kemaren udah jalan-jalan sendirian karena Kakak kan sekolah. Mall to mall, mulai dari chatelet, printemps, sampe galleries lafayette. Ga ada yang dibeli juga si.. mahal banget. Sepatunya keren-keren banget. Masa gua liat versi asli sepatu jeli Marc Jacobs yang ada di Melawai yang pernah gua liat di Teen Vogue. Harganya 150euro, padahal yg di melawai 30rb. 25rb bisalah kalo ditawar.

Terus pas hari Minggu jalan-jalan ke museum D'Orsay dan Pompidou. Gratis.... Gua pergi bareng kakak dan temen-temen Indonesianya. Seru deh pokoknya.

Entar cerita-cerita lagi deh. Ciao!!!!

About Me

2007-12-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Hello..! sekarang gua mau nulis dikit tentang diri gua sendiri. So, here it is..
Nama panjang gua Deasy Benita Priadi. Lahirnya di Bandung, 7 April 1988. Terus gua anak ke-2 dari 3 bersaudara yang cewek semua. Kakak gua namanya Cindy Rianti Priadi. Bedanya cuma 4 tahun sama gua tapi sekarang dia lagi sekolah doktor di Paris. Ade gua namanya Yufi Nabila Priadi dan bedanya 7 tahun dan sekarang kelas 1 SMP di Al-Izhar.

Sekarang gua kuliah semester 5 di Fakultas Psikologi UI. Gua masuk sekolahnya umur 5 jadi sekarang udah semester 5. SMAnya di 70, lulus tahun 2005. SMP di Al-Izhar, lulus 2002. SD di Harapan Ibu, lulus 1999. Terus TKnya di Shorewood Hills, di Madison, Wisconsin, USA. Waktu itu ikut bokap gua yang sekolah ke Amrik. Di Amriknya sekitar 2 tahun.

Gua dari umur 4 tahun udah les piano klasik. Tapi sekarang lagi cuti les piano dulu karena bulan Juli 2007 kemaren baru aja lulus dari YPM (Yayasan Pendidikan Musik) walaupun hasilnya ga memuaskan. Tapi walau begitu gua pengen banget les piano Jazz, tapi belum-belum aja karena sekarang gua lagi menikmati hari-hari tanpa les. Bayangin aja, dulu pas tahun terakhir di YPM gua bisa les sampe 5 kali dalam seminggu. Walaupun sedang menikmati hari-hari tanpa les, gua tetep ikutan les bahasa Prancis. hehe.. Dari kecil kebiasaan les jadi kalo ga ada les rasanya aneh. Mulai dari les gambar, tari bali, nyanyi, kumon, sempoa, bahasa Inggris, pelajaran, you name it deh, semuanya pernah.

I really really love music. Mungkin karena gua main piano dan kakak juga gila musik jadi sedikit banyak gua terpengaruh. Mulai dari Bossa Novanya Jobim, Stevie Wonder, Jazznya Indra Lesmana, Ella Fitzgerald, Michael Jackson. Duh banyak deh yang gua suka dari angkatan-angkatan lama. Terus yang masa kini gua suka Maliq, Tahiti 80, Phoenix, Dewa juga gua suka, The Killers, The Strokes, Corrine Bailey Rae, Brian McKnight, Boyz II Men, John Legend, Alicia Keys, daftar ini juga ga akan ada abisnya. Terus gua juga suka musik-musik kaya Daft Punk, Tortured Soul, Fantastic Plastic Machine, Basement Jaxx, Andezzz. Hehe.. kalo udah ngomongin musik semangat lah.

I love to read juga. Apalagi karya-karyanya Mitch Albom. Buku Albom yang sangat gua rekomendasikan untuk dibaca adalah the Five people you meet in heaven. Tapi akhir-akhir ini lagi jarang baca. Gua jadi merasa kurang intelek. hehehe...

Oiya, gua udah punya pacar. Namanya M.R.P.P. Udah 8 bulan. Besok 9 bulanan deng. hehe..

Itu dulu deh. Oiya, Friendster dan Facebook gua adalah deasy_748@yahoo.com.

See you later!

Recommended songs:
(Ini dipilih 1 lagu dari tiap genre)
Stevie Wonder - Knocks me off my feet
Astrud Gilberto & Stan Getz - Quiet Nights
Alicia Keys - If I Ain't got you
Basement Jaxx - Romeo

Final's

2007-12-10T02:40:00.000-08:00

Oh shoot.... Tadi salah mencet tombol, jadi harus ngetik postingan lagi deh..
It's been a long time since my last post.
Nothing much happened though.
Minggu ini sampe tanggal 19 Desember UAS. Akhirnya UAS juga, soalnya beberapa minggu terakhir hectic banget ngerjain tugas. Ini aja masih ada makalah yang harus dikumpulin untuk minggu depan.
Terus, kakak hari ini pulang. HOORAY!!
Tapi besok dia langsung cabut lagi ke Bali. Dia jadi delegasi Indonesia di UNFCCC. Emang gokil tu anak. I sometimes wonder how her brain works.

Yah, cuman itu yang mau gua ceritain.
BTW, I'm currently waiting for my Schengen Visa. I'll tell the details kalo udah bener-bener jadi.
Ciao!!

Recommended songs:
Dangelo - Cruisin
Kirk Franklin - September

JakJazz 2007

2007-11-24T23:45:00.000-08:00

Tahun ini gua mendapatkan kesempatan untuk nonton JakJazz. Tiketnya gua dapet dari temen gua yang bayar utang. Pas Java Jazz bulan Maret kemaren, temen gua itu beli tiket dan sampe sekarang belom dibayar. Akhirnya dia bayarnya pake tiket jakjazz. Lumayanlah, dia bayarnya 2 tiket hari Jumat dan 1 tiket hari Sabtu.

Pas hari Jumat tadinya ga mau nonton, tapi karna 1 dan lain hal akhirnya nonton. Pas masuk liat-liat venue dulu, karna ini kali pertamanya gua nonton jakjazz. Konsepnya boleh juga, jadi open air gitu. Serasa lagi di lapangan tapi banyak panggung2 jazznya. Hari Jumat gua cuma nonton vocal groupnya Elfa, Maliq, ama satu big band gua lupa namanya apa. Vocal groupnya Elfa lucu deh. Jadi ada 12 cewek2 nyanyi berjejer terus gaya jogetnya sama semua. Kocak deh. Terus nyanyiinnya juga lagu-lagu yang gua suka. Yah.. Bossa nova-Bossa nova gitu lah, kaya one note samba. Nyanyiin lagu-lagu lama legendaris juga semacem close to you.
Maliq was okay. Berhubung gua sering banget nonton maliq jadi ga begitu heboh lagi. Walaupun selama nonton si gua seneng-seneng aja karena banyak lagunya yg diaransemen ulang.

Terus Sabtu nonton. Hari itu M.R.P.P. manggung. Keren juga. Terus hari itu juga banyak yg mau gua tonton, kaya parkdrive, chlorophyl, dan Monday Michiru. Tapi sayangnya parkdrive cuma nonton 2 lagu terkahir, dan chlorophyl ga nonton karna waktunya bentrok ama parkdrive. Sial... aku BT. Karna parkdrive dan chlorophyl tu termasuk band yag gua suka banget, tp jarang manggung. Eh sekalinya manggung gua ga nonton.

Overall JakJazz was okay. I like the concept, but maybe the performers were really segmented. Bener-bener jazz banget, terus banyaknya tu penyanyi-penyanyi jazz legendaris lama. Bahkan bagi gua yang suka jazz, ga banyak performer yang gua tau. This is one legendary show though. Tapi tetep deh, Java Jazz belom ada yang ngalahin.

Cheerio!

Deasy Benita Priadi, S.Psi, M.B.A.

2007-11-21T06:08:00.000-08:00

Yah,, kira-kira itulah gelar yang ingin gua dapatkan dalam waktu kurang lebih 5 tahun ke depan. Kenapa gua berencana untuk ngambil M.B.A. dan bukan memilih untuk jadi psikolog soalnya gua tu pengen punya bisnis sendiri. Kalo menurut kakak gua si gua terobsesi jadi orang kaya, makanya pengen sekolah bisnis. Hehe.. But i have other reasons selain menjadi orang kaya. I'll talk about this later.

Anyway, gua mulai survey sekolah2 M.B.A. yang bagus. Gua ngeliat ranking 100 sekolah M.B.A. terbaik versi Financial Times, dan kebanyakan adanya di Amerika. Yaudah kan, terus gua bukain deh tu website sekolah-sekolah tersebut satu-satu. Informasi yang gua dapat dr website2 tersebut sgt membuat gua kejang-kejang karena..

1. Kebanyakan minta pengalaman kerja, sedangkan gua berencana pgn lngsung sekolah lg setelah lulus S-1. Kalaupun ada sekolah yg memperbolehkan fresh graduate daftar, mereka harus memiliki prestasi2, ga hanya prestasi akademis, tp juga prestasi non-akademis.
2. Sekolah-sekolah di Amerika itu kebanyakan sekolah swasta, which means the tuition fee is extremely expensive, even for Americans. Begitu gua liat perhitungan jumlah pengeluaran disana (termasuk tuition fee, biaya hidup, buku, asuransi, dll, dll) selama setahun bisa mencapai US$71.000. Dikalikan 2 lah itu karena sekolahnya 2 tahun. You do the math lah. Bisa menghabiskan sekitar Rp. 1,4M
3. Terus,, mereka tu mencari orang-orang dengan strong leadership skills, dan orang-orang yang bisa menunjukkan kalo mereka akan menjadi orang sukses. Yah, pokoknya mereka mencari orang-orang yang memiliki kualitas-kualitas seperti itu.

Kalo mau dijabarin satu-satu si panjang banget. Tapi ya itulah, cita-cita harus digantung setinggi langit. Walaupun gua kejang-kejang gua akan tetap bertekad pengen sekolah M.B.A. Mungkin ga di Amrik atau mungkin di Amrik tapi bukan sekolah swasta. Mungkin juga di Amrik dan di sekolah swasta, tp keluarga gua di Jakarta tiap hari makan nasi aking. Entahlah, kita lihat kemana angin akan membawaku.
Batasan antara gantunglah cita-cita setinggi langit sama berharap terlalu muluk tu tipis ya?
What do you think?

Internet

2007-11-18T06:03:00.000-08:00

Hari ini akhirnya gua bikin blog dan facebok. Sebelumnya tu kayaknya banyak banget yg pengen gua tulis, sampe akhirnya gua bikin blog sendiri. Cuman begitu udah bikin, ternyata eh ternyata gua malah ga tau mau nulis apa.

Terus facebook juga. Gua ngeliat temen2 gua facebook-an kayaknya seru banget. Tapi sekarang gua belom menemukan serunya. Harap dicatat ya, BELOM menemukan. Kita lihat nanti.

Anyway, hari ini gua 8 bulanan sama M. R. P. Cukup salut dengan diri gua sendiri karena awalnya gua kira hubungan gua ama M.R.P. ga akan bertahan lama mengingat jalan yang ditempuh sangat berbatu.. Tapi bener kata pepatah, lo ga akan tau kalo ga pernah nyoba.

Yaudah deh,, Hari ini udah posting 3 kali, kurang kerjaan banget ya.

2007-11-18T02:42:00.001-08:00

This is Deasy's head 6 months ago. My hair doesn't look this good if you see me in person. So.. once again.. Welcome to my blog..

Posting Pertama

2007-11-18T02:39:00.001-08:00

Hello.. Akhirnya gua punya blog sendiri..
Mungkin sebenernya hidup gua nggak menarik-menarik amat untuk dibikin blog, but I made one anyway.
So.. welcome to Deasy's head..