Imogen Heap is Awesome

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

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

Those who made my birthday memorable..

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

J'ai 20 ans

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

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

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

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.