Raising Children

Today is Indonesian Mother Day and it motivated me to write about the role of a mother. Anyhow, this post may never cover all things mothers do for her children. It's just a little thing that pops up my mind a lot recently: an enormous effort to raise children in their early age.

Have you seriously done babysitting for, let's just say, one full day?  I haven't. I meet a toddler almost everyday in my house but I only get a few hours to take care of her. Within the short span of time, this babysitting activities often exhaust me to death. Equipped-with-developmental-theories-me still feel lost when it comes to practical reality.

That's why when girls, who still whines all the time about her boyfriend or her busy schedule, say that they can't wait to have baby, I guess she never deals with a baby for real. Don't get me wrong, I like children and I want  to be a good mother. I just don't think that having children can be decided hastily. It's not enough to be ready, but you have to be strong physically, emotionally, and financially. It's not a vacation, it's a lifetime duty.

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The King 2 Hearts

Last but (absolutely) not least: The King 2 Hearts.

Through The King 2 Hearts, Ha Ji Won was able to reunite with PD Lee Jae Gyu. She worked with him before in Damo (2003), the project that introduced her to the world of action. If you remember, Ha Ji Won revisited Damo in one of Secret Garden episodes. About this particular scene in Secret Garden, Ha Ji Won said, "Re-encountering Chae-Ok after such a long time is both a thrilling and happy thing. Because Damo was a drama that was very important in bringing me to this point, Chae-Ok is especially dear to me. To be able to act as Chae-ok through Secret Garden brings back old memories."

Damo

Ha Ji Won's character, Chae Ok, is a Joseon-era policewoman

Secret Garden

Ra Im was holding a script entitled "Are You In Pain? So Am I."

As a matter of fact, that's one of the most famous lines from Damo.

HJW joked in Secret Garden DVD Commentary

that she was Ha Ji Won's stunt double. Haha.

Errr... why am I talking about Damo and Secret Garden here?
Okay. Back to The King 2 Hearts.

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Secret Garden

On to the next drama: Secret Garden.
What am I supposed to say about the frenzy that was Secret Garden? This drama created social phenomena in South Korea. It'll be hard to picture how big Secret Garden is, but I'll try.

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What Happened in Bali

My love for Ha Ji Won should've been legendary by now. Had I had enough money, I would've built Taj Mahal for her. Well, it's actually happening in my cyber world. This blog, along with my tumblr, twitter and facebook accounts are transforming into Ha Ji Won shrine. Don't stop me, people.

Today I'm going to talk about Ha Ji Won's dramas. Not all of them. To tell you the truth, I haven't watched her pre-Bali dramas, and sageuk is not exactly my kind of thing. So I will discuss 3 dramas, and 3 dramas only: What Happened in Bali, Secret Garden, and The King 2 Hearts (can you believe I haven't posted them already?)

Let's start with What Happened in Bali.

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Enlightenment

Tuhan mengirimkan malaikatnya dalam berbagai rupa. Mana kusangka kali ini Ia menyapa lewat bapak tua yang tak sengaja kutemui. Tiba-tiba saja ia telah duduk di sampingku, bercerita panjang lebar tentang banyak hal, dan memberi petuah yang paling kubutuhkan saat ini. Di tengah padang yang gersang, dialah satu-satunya oase hari itu.

Baru kusadari setelah ia berlalu, Tuhan telah menyentuh hatiku. Terima kasih atas penguatan dan penghiburan-Mu. Aku akan belajar membuka diri terhadap orang lain tanpa terlalu banyak prasangka. Hanya dengan hati yang murni aku mampu mendengar suara-Mu lewat sesamaku.

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Sunye's Getting Married!

With the news of Sunye getting married, are you guys worried about me? You know, I used to pair her with Super Junior's Donghae...

Well, guess what? I'm fine, people! I really am.
I've come to embrace the fact since Sunye made her first announcement of the relationship.
Of course, I don't know her boyfriend personally, but he seems to be a real good man, and he makes Sunye happy. That's why it's easier for me to say goodbye to my sinking ship.

I sincerely congratulate the happy couple.
^_____^

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Warung Bu Ageng

Warung Bu Ageng is a traditional eatery that sells story and authenticity. It is owned by Butet Kartaredjasa who comes from well-known artist-culturalist family in Yogyakarta. The restaurant is named after Umar Kayam's wife (that makes her Butet's aunt). Bu Ageng is her nickname.

Decoration on one side of the wall

Warung Bu Ageng was founded in tourism area, Jl. Tirtodipuran - Mantrijeron Yogyakarta, just across the street from Jl. Prawirotaman. Along those streets you can find many guest houses, hotels, restaurants, art shops and souvenirs (such as Monggo chocolate and batik).

I successfully convinced my father to have family meal here. Serving Javanese home-cooked food, this restaurant immediately stole my parents' heart. The signature dish is Eyem Penggeng (Broiled Chicken a la Umar Kayam), smeared with the famous "bumbu mlekoh". The free-range chicken is first simmered with traditional spices & thick coconut cream and then broiled.

It should be called ayam panggang -- which is known as special food from near town Klaten. A seller from Klaten with a nasal voice used to hawk the dish calling out, "Eyem Penggeng!", that stuck as its name. It was popularized by the late Umar Kayam, who used to write a local newspaper column (Kedaulatan Rakyat). He was also the first to concoct the exclamation "mak nyus" which is echoed nationwide by Pak Bondan Winarno through his culinary show.

So, here are some of the foods...

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Roemi X-traordinary Ice Cream

As its claim, Roemi is an x-traordinary ice cream and cafe restaurant located on Jl. Suroto No. 1 Kotabaru, behind Gramedia Sudirman. It was a game center & internet cafe before it was transformed into a restaurant. You can choose to sit outside on terrace or inside for non-smoking area.

They are specialized in serving various kinds of ice cream. You can choose your favorite mix. Not limited to ice cream, Roemi also provides other type of beverages, such as coffee, juice, milkshake, and squash.

Es Doger Roemi (26.4 K), a traditional ice cream
Composition: melon & durian ice cream, white bread, nata de coco, tape

Strawberry Gelato (18.4 K), an Italian ice cream
Composition: vanilla gelato, marshmallow, cream, strawberry

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In Time With You

We started this drama because of Donnapie. She loves the drama to bits. She put it in the 5-star category of her T-Drama ranking, and Li Da Ren - Cheng You Qing (the main characters of the drama) become one of her favorite OTPs. Donna's followers also seem to enjoy the recommended drama. It's a high-quality drama, after all, as it won big at Golden Bell Awards.
That's why we feel a little bit guilty when we don't enjoy it as much as they do. Hence, the long stretch of time we need to finish the drama.

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The Power of Networking

I just read an article in yahoo news and it really got me startled. It talks about the secret of HRD in recruiting new employees. Some of them were really unexpected, but the rest were just common knowledge for most of us (but still hurts to know). One of the common knowledge is about networking, as mentioned in point (2) and (3). How great is that, even two HRD directors refering to network as the key component of getting a job.

My father had told me about this many many many times. It might be a topic which he tells his children the most. I must admit that my father's skill in networking is so amazing that I often find myself surprised by him. Some years ago, he brought some friends home. Little did I know that one of the guy was Prabu Kusumo of Yogyakarta Hadiningrat. He is the brother of Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono as well as the owner of Jogja TV. The other guy was one of the richest guy in Jogja who owns some big enterprises. They were in the middle of business matter. Jeez, if I had any idea who they were beforehand, I wouldn't have dressed in such clumsy manner.

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Kawaii Sushi

This time we would like to share about another culinary experience. Welcome to Kawaii Sushi...

The restaurant was founded by two girls who used to sell sushi at Sunday Morning event in Gadjah Mada University. They developed their business by opening a Japanese fastfood restaurant located in a gas station in Baciro, Jogja. They chose this location because they can share parking lot, musholla, and toilet with the gas station. Brilliant, isn't it?

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My Mini Sea World

Saya mencoba hal baru untuk akuarium saya, memutar haluan dari fresh water ke salt water. Bukan perkara sederhana lho. Akuarium harus dimodifikasi dulu supaya sesuai untuk desain sirkulasi air laut. Nah, persoalan itu saya pasrahkan saja kepada toko yang berwenang. Hehe. Singkat cerita, beginilah hasilnya...

Hal yang saya sukai dari ikan air laut adalah warnanya yang mencolok dan bentuknya yang terkadang surreal. Makhluk seperti itu mungkin hanya dapat ditemukan di kertas gambar anak-anak TK yang imajinasinya tak terbatas. Kalau beberapa ikan air tawar punya tubuh menggelembung, ikan air laut cenderung lebih ramping. Bisa jadi itulah bentuk adaptasi mereka terhadap habitat aslinya yang punya tekanan air dan arus yang kuat. Karena bodinya yang "tipis", mereka lebih mudah menyelinap di antara terumbu dan bebatuan. Kegesitan ini juga membedakan mereka dari ikan air tawar. Ikan-ikan air laut gemar keluar masuk lubang-lubang di bebatuan. Udah mirip kartu ATM aja.

Mari saya ajak mengikuti tur dunia bawah laut untuk mengenal makhluk-makhluk di dalamnya...

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Trip with KAI

For some reason I had to go on a solo trip to Jakarta earlier this week. I wouldn't tell too much about Jakarta. Many people who are registered and/or considered as long-term citizens in Jakarta would have much more detailed description about it. But, as a matter of fact, I still prefer Klaten or Jogja as the place to live in.

As the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta is a giant incubator of social problems. The good side about Jakarta is the public transportation system that reaches almost every area in Jabodetabek (though you might spend hours in traffic jam). Ah, there are also many interesting events & entertainment facilities there. I should have stayed a little longer in Jakarta to attend SMTOWN concert. But, it's such a shame that I didn't buy the ticket. :b

Anyway... In this very occasion I'd like to share about the public transportation that brought me to Jakarta and back. I took Argo Lawu to set off. Argo Lawu is a train which started from Sta. Solo Balapan at 8 AM with the final stop in Sta. Gambir Jakarta. By taking the morning train, I could enjoy the scenery along the way and I would arrive in Jakarta at 5 PM, not so late at night...

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PSY

These days there are talks about PSY everywhere. I don't know if I should take pride in it, but I have a special kind of affection toward PSY even way before Gangnam Style. It's because he's somehow connected to my favorite couples: YongSeo and Amazing Couple.

PSY teased Yonghwa about Seohyun and gave him dating advice.

PSY as Hyun Bin's "substitute".

PSY and Ha Ji Won keep a good relationship. Ha Ji Won is one of those celebrities who cheered on PSY before Gangnam Style was released.

Now that PSY is doing very well with Gangnam Style, I'm so happy for him. Really. ^^

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Gangnam Style

Many people has fallen into Gangnam Style phenomenon -- for you who never heard of it, let me give a preliminary information. Gangnam Style is a Korean song by PSY that became a viral hit just in few weeks after its release.

Let's have a closer look to get more understanding why such random MV can attract the most viewers in Youtube.

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At The Beginning...

Sebagai puncak perjuangan studi di jenjang S1, akhirnya saya diwisuda tanggal 28 Agustus yang lalu. Bahagia bercampur haru yang tiada terkira ketika bisa menghadirkan kedua orangtua ke acara wisuda, menyanyikan lagu kebangsaan Indonesia serta lagu kebanggaan UGM bersama ribuan wisudawan/wati lainnya, bertemu dengan teman-teman yang suportif, dan terbebas dari kewajiban membayar uang kuliah tentunya. :D

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Amazing Couple

You know, right? I can't leave my favorite stars alone. I just have to pair them with fine people.
So who do I choose for our amazing yeoja?
It's none other than... (quoting HJW herself) 'kkadonam Hyun Bin-ssi'.
Since they worked together in the hit drama Secret Garden, this loveteam has had a large fanbase. Yup, it's hard to overlook their sizzling chemistry on and off screen.

But do you know why I ship this pairing?
Because I want to believe in fate.
If Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won really end up together, it will be one of the most magical love story ever.
Remember what I quoted from the book 'Wanita Bijak'? Coincidence is a little miracle where God wants to stay anonymous. And with this amazing couple, there are just too many coincidences. I'd like to call it fate.

This beautiful fanmade MV pretty much summarizes those coincidences.

cr: amiyumi1023@YouTube

This is really something extraordinary.
First, the movie 'Daddy Long Legs'. Though they never worked directly with each other, Hyun Bin played an imaginary character mirroring Ha Ji Won's character in real life. So basically they were acting as each other. Hello! Sounds familiar? That's exactly what they do 5 years later in 'Secret Garden'. What kind of sorcery is this?
In one of her interview, Ha Ji Won shared, she was reminded by Hyun Bin that they actually worked together in that movie.
(Speaking of acting-as-each-other. I read somewhere that before Hyun Bin entered the marines to fulfill his mandatory military service, Ha Ji Won joked with him, "Do you want to exchange souls? How about I go to military and you stay?" Of course it didn't happen that way. But, later on, HJW got the role in 'The King 2 Hearts' as a military officer!)

Daddy Long Legs

Then, KBS Drama Award...

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Ha Ji Won's Charms

This post is a compilation of what people say about Ha Ji Won.
I've been fangirling hard over this amazing yeoja, and now I can't keep it all to myself. So please, let me.

Hey, it might be useful for you too.
You see, she's not the prettiest actress out there, but basically all straight men who had worked with Ha Ji Won ended up having a crush on her.

"I want to work with Ha Ji Won, who I worked with in the movie 'Sector 7'.

There wasn't much in the movie between Ha Ji Won and me

so it would be fun if we did a romantic comedy piece together.

I really want to work with her again." -- Oh Ji Ho

"I feel disappointed since the melo line in this drama was kind of weak.
If the opportunity arises, I'd like to do a deep love story with Ji Won noona
in 'The King 2 Hearts' sequel." -- Lee Seung Gi

Aren't you curious as to why these hot men can't get enough of her? Do you want Taecyeon and Jang Geun Suk to want you? Stay here and find out what actually works to lure these men. ;p

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Women's Taste

So I was reading one of my favorite Tumblr blog (I can totally relate to the posts, so I'm loving it. For drama addicts, you might want to check: donnapie.tumblr.com), and there's this one question from an anon:
"Hi Donna! Do you happen to like Kim Nam Gil too? Kim Nam Gil is set to be out from the army this July, there were talks of him starring in drama adaptation of My Girlfriend is An Agent Korean movie. This would be his first rom-com if this project pushes through. Can't wait to see him again. ^^ P.S. A post-army shower scene is a mandatory, it is a must! Rawr!"

Kim Nam Gil

To this, Donna responded:
"Not exactly a fan. My typical type are the boy next door looking dudes with a surprise center aka the bad boy vibe. Kim Nam Gil is too much of a macho man for my taste. Sure I like my men well built and with chocolate abs but I want them to have pretty boy good looks like that of Lee Dong Wook or Hyun Bin. Excited for you though that your oppa is coming out of MS soon. I can't wait for Binnie to be out in December. I'm really looking forward to his next project."

Hyun Bin

This reminds me of a similar situation between me and my best friend, Ontin.
Ontin is a big fan of Kim Nam Gil. Thus, her taste in men is similar to that of the anon (Ontin said, her ideal type is Fauzi Baadilla). My taste, on the contrary, is similar to Donna's.
Then all of a sudden, I'm wondering, what makes this difference? There are women who like their men manly, but there are also women who like their men pretty. Why?

Here's an explanation I can come up with.

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Scaling

Senin lalu saya bikin janji buat scaling (pembersihan karang gigi) di RSGM dr. Soedomo FKG UGM. Kenapa RSGM dr. Soedomo? Pertama, saya adalah mantan mahasiswa UGM tapi belum pernah menikmati layanan kesehatan yang ada di kampus (bukan pengen sakit jugak sih). Kedua, seorang teman lama saya -- sebut saja Hindoon -- sedang jadi co-ass di sana, jadi saya pikir bisa sekalian reuni. Ketiga, tarif dental care di sana sangat ekonomis dibandingkan tempat praktik dokter gigi. Anda bisa menghemat hingga 200% lho. Mungkin karena disubsidi pemerintah ya.

Saya pergi ke RSGM bersama kareshi karena dia mengeluhkan giginya ngilu kalau kedinginan. Permasalahan saya juga sama sih. Jadi kami sepakat mau check up, sekalian saya mau scaling sesuai anjuran PDGI. Hehe. Mendengar rencana saya untuk scaling, kareshi yang belum pernah berhadapan dengan dokter gigi jadi banyak tanya ke saya soal prosedurnya. Padahal saya baru satu kali scaling, itupun 3 tahun lalu ketika gusi saya sedang meradang. Jadi yang berhasil saya ingat hanya darah yang mengucur deras sampai njonja besar pening lihatnya. Joesonghamnida emmeoni... (^_^)v

Karena tidak mau memberikan misleading information dan membuat kareshi fobia dengan dokter gigi, saya coba googling soal scaling. Sayangnya tidak ada artikel yang berhasil memuaskan rasa penasaran saya. Oleh karena itu, saya memutuskan untuk mengalaminya sendiri kemudian menuliskan pengalaman saya supaya bisa menjadi referensi bagi yang memerlukan.

*kayak nulis manfaat penelitian di skripsi*

Um, sebenernya tujuan utamanya biar saya nggak lupa sih. Lagipula saya sudah membuat resolusi tengah tahun untuk lebih banyak mencatat. Hehe.

Alkisah...

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A Cultural Trip: Malioboro Street

Malioboro Street is well-known as the shopping centre in Yogyakarta. We can find traditional market, cadgers (sidewalk merchants), little shops, restaurants, and even mall along the street. This was the not-so-cultural part of our journey that day. Instead of going to traditional market like Beringharjo, we prefered to enter the mall.

Our first destination was a book store inside the department store, where Dwi bought some postcards and Unin persistently proposed to buy VCD of Aladdin. She ended up buying it. She didn't mind all the judgmental stares from Utin, Dwi, Yayank Tika, and even from the shopman.
She thought the VCD contained her favorite version of Aladdin (in which there are cute-genie-with-the-black-soul and the lovely theme song, A Whole New World). Later did she find out that it's the different version. The characters move in robotic way, too.
*sob* But.. But.. The VCD has this picture as the cover.. So deceitful..

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A Cultural Trip: Museum Sonobudoyo

As we entered the museum, we felt like we were in heaven. Yeah baby, it's air-conditioned!
This museum is understanding, too. We almost broke our legs from all the walk earlier. And this museum provides comfortable benches inside. Oh my goodness! Utin got hysterical about it.

We're not sure about the museum theme. Is it 'the civilization and culture of Indonesia'?
For some time, we enjoyed a privilege as the only visitors. We were free to take as many pictures as we can. Who cares about the CCTV?

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A Cultural Trip: Museum Kereta Keraton

Museum Kereta Keraton is located near Keraton. We walked from Keraton to get there.
In this museum, you can find carriages owned by the royal family. Most of them were made in Netherlands. There are certain carriages that are so grand, they'll make your jaws drop.
Each one of the carriage has its own name, a name that sounds sacred. We wonder why Keraton have to name their belongings with honorific like kyai and nyai -- they even treat the item as if it has gender.

Too bad we weren't accompanied by any guide. We have unanswered questions, such as "Do different carriages own different purposes?", "We know the carriages are only used for special occasions now, but is it also the case in the old days? Did the royal family have a casual trip in one of these?", etc.
For all readers who are curious about the museum, maybe this article can give you an overview.

With no tour guide, there's not much that we can do in this museum (besides gawking at the carriages). That's why it was only a short visit. We got out of the museum to move on to the next stop.
At this time, we saw healthy-looking horses in a stable next to the museum building. One of them is white. Looking at it, we can't help wailing, "White horse! We only lack a prince."
Unin also had this idea to borrow those horses and ride them to the next museum (fyi, the next museum is still in Keraton area, but it's not that close if we go on foot). Of course, nobody listened to her.

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A Cultural Trip: Keraton Yogyakarta

The second stop was Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat or Yogyakarta Palace. There are many rooms to display royal stuffs, such as kitchen utensils, costumes, and paintings. Although some area are opened for public, visitors are not allowed to sit or step on some hall and buildings.

That day there was a traditional dance performed in a hall. It was very graceful and entertaining but we had to leave it early because there were still a lot more to see.

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A Cultural Trip: Vredeburg

Vredeburg was a fort built by the Dutch during their colonialism in Yogyakarta. The fort was built to enable them to monitor Keraton (Sultan palace). Now it serves as a museum. In some buildings inside the fort, we can find dioramas of Indonesian history, sort by timeline.
This museum was our first stop during this Cultural Trip.

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A Cultural Trip

A random weekend, sometime in June.
Unin-Utin had a cultural trip with Dwi and Yayank Tika. Yogyakarta is the perfect destination for this kind of trip. Why? Heck, because it's the City of Culture. Yogyakarta is also the City of Museums, so we heard. That's why we decided to visit museums during this trip.

Although we're no strangers to Yogyakarta (We come from the town next door. And duh, we've spent more time in Yogyakarta than in Klaten for some years now), we acted like tourists that day. Backpackers, to be exact. We took the bus from Klaten to Yogyakarta, then we walked a lot to tour the city.

Through this series of posts, we'd like to share our experience that day. We hope it can be a reminder for us to spend some time appreciating our national treasure, such as history and culture.

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Crush

Just the other day, I overheard Blue's song, "If You Come Back". That's when I remember that I used to have a big crush on Lee Ryan. His voice! SEXY!

Today I decided to view the music video on YouTube. Yeah, I was all swooning and ready to declare that I'm in love again with this guy, when I thought, "Hey! Why not check how's this hunk doing right now?"

So I googled him...
and found all these scandalous news about him.
(_ _")

Ah, this is why one doesn't simply convert from Korean boyband to western boyband.

In the past few years, I've gotten used to Korean male idols. They're like the sweetest men on the planet. Where else can you find men who can be severely blushed just by holding hand or a kiss on the cheek? (some can even be conquered by mere eye-contact).
They take care of the fans' heart too. They don't date. Even if they do, they don't talk about it. (to the point where even some fans urge them, "Just date! And tell us all the juicy stuffs!")

Just compare it with western stars (worldwide stars, actually).
They date all they want (oh, I still remember how Brian McFadden broke my heart). And scandals about them keep coming out. My heart... just can't...

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PsyPal

This morning I got a text from Anita -- the one I usually call Induk. It's a farewell message saying that she's heading to Jakarta. She has been working in Jakarta as personal assistant for a professor. So, it's normal for her to travel Jakarta-Jogja back and forth. But this time is different. She has made a decision to fully concentrate in Jakarta. Therefore, she didn't extend her room rent in Jogja.

However, besides the feeling of losing the presence of a close friend, there's also a milestone of a new journey here. I realize that a life chapter (surviving in real world) is about to begin. There will be no college wall to protect us from the jungle out there. We have to face it, we ought to live it, whether we like it or not.

Now the storyline is in the hand of each one of us. I'll miss the old times we spent together, sharing and enjoying stories. We might not be able to see each other as frequent as we used to do, but the memories of us will always remain.

So, I'm gonna write about them as a memoir of our precious fellowship...

The fellowship to have outing and witty discussion :
Me, Willy, Anita, Heri, Nitya, Zadok, Sekar

The last time we got a chance to gather was for an event called Gratitude Night in which Induk won an award for The Most Intelligent-Looking College Girl. No surprise, she's the fastest graduate with the highest GPA among all of 2008 scholars (2008 is the year of our enrollment). She's a representation of unbeatable fun girl. She has everything you need to succeed: leadership, passion, hard working nature, critical thinking, social skill, sense of humor, independence, and strong character. That's how she got her nickname, Induk (mother). She manages everything in the right way. Compared to her, we're just a bunch of kids that need to be taken care of.


The award for The Most Intelligent-Looking College Boy that night went to Zadok. Yep, he's a hard thinker -- a philosopher maybe. He is Mr. Popular Guy, everyone loves him because he treats each person in special manner. We even create an imaginary fans club, referring to a group of people who adore him. Haha. After his graduation last May, he got many offers to assist lectures in our faculty. But, he has chosen his way to follow Induk's track to work in Jakarta. Good luck for both of them.

Willy and Sekar has extraordinary brains. They have high IQ score that is considered genius. Maybe that's why they are always being critical to anything. They are the last people you want to have debate with. It's almost impossible to keep them shut. Hahaha. Willy is the oldest and Sekar is the magnae -- together with Heri, they were born in the same year. The three of them make a group of bipolar people. Strong yet unstable. Sometimes they can be deeply absorbed in their inner-self and detach themselves from the outer world (sounds creepy indeed). The other times they can be the most playful people. But they are definitely good friends once you get to know them closer.

Nitya is the most easy going and sociable person. She might be a little different from the rest of us who always be so academic-oriented. With her free spirit, she would rather go with the flow, enjoying organization life as much as she can. She might be the one with the most field experience among us.

I cherish each one of them. I'm so grateful that I have a chance to be a part of them. My life has been so colorful and meaningful, thanks for your company through this 4 incredible college years.

All-Thing-Company

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'The King 2 Hearts' Trivia

The King 2 Hearts had ended a while ago, but I can't seem to get over it until now. Here are some news I read today that made my heart jump all over the place.

1. Hangah and King Jaeha's kissing scene in ep 19 was filmed on May 22nd, 2 days after Lee Seunggi said that his ideal type had changed to Ha Jiwon. He must be blessed to film the additional kiss scene with his IDEAL WOMAN on set. The funniest part is the dating/kissing scene wasn't on the original script. Upon fans' strong request (some Korean fans even called the production company for more kissing/bed scenes before ep 19 aired), PD Lee called back AhHa couple and decided to add such scenes to satisfy TK2H fans!
(source: The King 2Hearts - Korean Drama page on Facebook)

You can watch the ideal-type thingy here.


2. Jo Jungsuk (who played the role of captain of the royal guards, Eun Shikyung) still calls Lee Yoonji (who played the role of Princess Jaeshin) "Dearest Princess (사랑하는 공주님)"
(source: storage-me on Tumblr)

OH, MY SHIPPING HEART!!! ❤

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The Amazing Yeoja

If you hear the term 'amazing yeoja', it refers to Ha Ji Won. It came from her popular drama, Secret Garden. Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin), who's crazy about Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won), brought her flowers and said, "How did you get me to bring flowers? You amazing woman (이 아~메이징한 여자야)." Again, he called her 'amazing woman' when he proposed to her.
In an interview with Star Today, Ha Ji Won confessed that she loves that nickname -- a name she often hears lately from her Japanese fans. So yeah, her fans worldwide start calling her the same.

In my opinion, Ha Ji Won deserves that nickname. Why?

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Dongdaemun Bracelet

We all know, Yonghwa loves gogumas (as in YongSeo shippers). Oh, you don't know that? You haven't seen him lately? He keeps showing off gogumas' gifts! Well, to mention SOME of them:

Bracelets from Taiwanese gogumas

(The Bottega Veneta bracelet is worth $860? Rich gogumas are rich.)

 

Guitar strap

Towel from Taiwanese goguma

And... My favorite...

The t-shirt, the guitar strap, and the bracelet that Yonghwa used in "Still in Love" MV.

They're all from gogumas! Seriously Yong, did you have to wear all those things? I mean, Jonghyun didn't even wear guitar strap. Maybe because, you know, you guys were sitting the whole time. Not that I'm complaining. Kekeke..

Everyone is spazzing over goguma gifts that Yonghwa wears. But actually, there is one more thing even more spazz-worthy. That is the Dongdaemun bracelet.

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Eye Smile Couple

Look at those eye smiles! So similar!

People might have expected me to write about this couple. I've spazzed a lot on Twitter, but I decided to wait until the last episode before posting it on the blog.

Yes, folks. Pairing is my weakness. I ship couples easily. Uhm, well, not really. There are more couples I'm indifferent to than the ones I love. What I mean is, I enjoy shipping couple. I get attached to couple fandoms more than any other fandoms. Of course, the ultimate OTP is YongSeo, but some other pairings manage to hold a special place in my heart.

Lately, I'm head over heels about eye-smile couple: 2PM's Junho & Kim So Eun. Ah, they remind me a lot of YongSeo (with less awkwardness, that is). How they're fated to meet each other, how they create a song together, and some other things they do.

Junho & So Eun are the 2nd couple on Korean show "Music & Lyrics". The show assigned a musician & an actress to write a song together. The musician as the composer, and the actress as the lyricist. They only have 30 days to finish the song. The first couple on the show is Yoon Gun and Park Shin Hye. I only watched their first episode. Then, a fellow goguma recommended the first episode of eye-smile couple. So I watched it. At first, I didn't expect much, because honestly, I wasn't a fan of both 2PM and Kim So Eun. But dang! I giggle like crazy since the moment they met.

So Eun is the type of girl that girls like. And I think she's really easy to talk to. She is lovable! And Junho... Oh maaan, he's a true gentleman! He's cool too. He seems like he knows how to control his emotion, unlike Mr. Obvious Yonghwa keke..

I think I'll post some of my favorite scenes and comment on it.

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Haunted

Hari ini di gereja...
Romo: "Para ketua lingkungan harap segera mengumpulkan data sensus karena akan diserahkan pada keuskupan, kemudian dikirimkan ke tahta suci. Data ini akan digunakan Vatikan untuk mengeluarkan statistik umat Katolik sedunia."

Hal pertama yang terlintas di kepala saya: "Wah, pasti ngolahnya pake SPSS."

OMG, I've been haunted by statistics... >w<
I've never been so interested in numbers. Well, I AM STIILL NOT.
Tapi salah satu syarat kelulusan di kampus telah menjerumuskan saya ke lembah statistika.

So, there I was, looking for a nice way to study statistics
and I found this alluring books...

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Mirip = Jodoh?

It is a common belief that a couple who look alike are soulmates. But, wait a sec, I found a different explanation about this in Aronson's book.

You see, people tend to like someone who has something in common with themselves. That's why primordialism, racism, and any form of in-group favoritism are still relevant topics even until now. Apparently, when it comes to physical appeareance, this favoritism is also likely to happen.

You ask what's the evidence?
A study had been conducted in order to check this phenomenon. A group of people were asked to choose pictures in which there were faces of persons from the opposite sex. They were told to pick out the faces they liked the best (and maybe would like to go on a date with). Actually, one of the pictures was a modification of their own faces, how it might look in different sex. Yeah, the result shows that people are highly interested in their own picture.

*oh, narcissism...

So, if you meet people who said you look like your romantic partner, don't rush into conclusion that you guys are match made in heaven. Look-alike may not because you are soulmates, try the other way around... maybe you choose him/her to be your soulmate because you both look alike.

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Talkshow

 

Saya merasakan hal ini waktu nonton Show Imah. Episode kali itu mengundang Chacha Frederica, Andhara Early & suaminya untuk diajak berbicang-bincang. Entah atas dasar apa mereka ditempatkan dalam satu episode penayangan. Chacha abis kehilangan ayahnya yang meninggal karena sakit, sedangkan Andhara Early ngomongin pernikahan barunya.

(-_-)a

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Developmental Thingy

Robert Havighurst got negative sentiment from my friends for his Developmental Task Model. Here is the most controversial (and sensitive) part of Havighurst's (1972) theory for them...

In ages of 18-30, people needs to complete these developmental tasks:

• Achieving new and more mature relations with age mates of both sexes.
• Achieving a masculine or feminine social role. 
• Accepting one’s physique and using the body effectively. 
• Achieving emotional independence of parents and other adults. 
• Preparing for marriage and family life. 
• Acquiring a set of values and an ethical system as a guide to behavior. 
• Desiring and achieving socially responsible behavior.
• Selecting an occupation.

(why don't you mention "completing thesis" anyway??)

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Korean Guys

So I stumbled upon a YouTube video in which a fangirl is irritated by her guy friends because they keep calling K-idols gay.
Well, actually this thing -- people calling Korean guys gay -- starts bothering me too. Maybe it's true what CNBLUE said to their fans, "You are fool. You became to like us. When we were hurt by cruel words, you cried before we do. You are fool."
Yes, I'm a fool. Hearing people say mean things about K-idols, I'm hurt too.

Actually, this isn't just about K-idols. Indonesian (or Asian) guys are prone to be the victim of this whole 'this-is-so-gay' scorn. You know the Indonesian guy who kissed Katy Perry, right? He made his way to NY Post. Guess what kind of comment appears? Yup. "He looks gay..."
Seriously, people. What makes a man gay? His appearance? No. A man is gay when he has a tendency to direct sexual desire toward another of the same gender. A man who looks so manly can be gay too. Okay?

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Iklan Axis

Heran deeeh...
Ini guweh aja yang kurang usaha atau emang susah banget nemu iklan Axis yang enak dilihat?? Kalo gak sadis, ya gak masuk akal. Iklan-iklannya selalu sukses bikin dahi mengkerut dan pada akhirnya mengundang keriput.
Ni yaaa.. mulai dari si blak-blakan yang mo dibakar pas lebaran, dance-dance geje, ampe perdukunan. Hedeeh...
(_ _")
Tapi berkat Axis, masyarakat jadi ngerti definisi "internet untuk rakyat," yaitu.... mie rebus pake sawi, telor, & bawang goreng.

Makasih Axis... kau telah mencerdaskan kehidupan bangsa.

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King of Media

My spare times (that stand upon guilty feeling for ignoring my thesis project) mostly spent by doing my hobbies and being couch potato. I'm not really fond of TV actually, maybe it's a result of adaptive adjustment for living in TV-less boarding room.  ^_^

Coming back to television world, I realize something. For me, the corporation that deserves the throne of "King of Media" in Indonesia is Trans Corp. Seriously. They have various kinds of quality TV shows. Many categories, such as cooking & culinary, adventure, quiz, documentary, comedy, and talk show... all are presented well. Most of them are not only entertaining, but also enrich my knowledge.

Their programs have become trend setter for the other TV stations.  No wonder though... their breakthrough do amuse audience. They introduce many creative innovation in TV show, from that low-budget-youtube-video-collection to high-effort-prank-show. You must've noticed how their infotainment concept, culinary show, and comedy program is emulated by the other TV stations.  They even offer sinetron that's different from the classic (and annoying) mainstream. It's made as close as possible to Korean-Japanese style, you can tell from the cinematography, language use, and costume.

Well, there's only one weakness. I don't like their shows which involve a lot of fake tears, e.g. Termehek-mehek & Jika Aku Menjadi. Errrgghhh, it's clear to see that the storyline has been manipulated.

Here is another reason strengthening their position as "King of Media" for me: they spread their wings to become a giant empire in entertainment industry. They already build Trans Studio, an amazing indoor playground  that can be compared to Disneyland. Now, they create mytrans.com where we can watch all of their programs online. Well, congratulation for them...

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Warming Tool

Musim penghujan sedang merahmati sekaligus menghantui bumi pertiwi. Sumber air melimpah, membawa  penghidupan bagi berbagai jenis makhluk hidup. Tapi jentik-jentik nyamuk merajalela, banjir di sini-sana, dan mental malesmandi menggelayuti jiwa. Err, mungkin karena saya baru sembuh dari penyakit-antah-berantah yang diikuti oleh demam, jadi bawaannya hidrofobik aja.
*self-justification*
^_^v

Saya emang lagi gak tahan ama cuaca belakangan ini. Apalagi kostum sehari-hari saya di rumah, t-shirt tipis dan celana pendek, sama sekali gak ampuh menangkal hawa dingin. Jadi, saya menambahkan beberapa alat bantu, seperti jaket dan kaos kaki. Yea yea, I know that is called "fashion crime" to wear socks and shorts at the same time. But who cares as long as I don't shiver.
XD

The other properties that really help are my new super-cute slippers. It's a birthday and christmas (and maybe new year) gift  from my Induk. Thank you so much for keeping my feet warm, Nduk...

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New Year Blessing

Maybe you wonder what did I do to welcome new year of 2012. Umm, it's okay if you don't.

*brooded in the corner*

Well, I'll tell you no matter what. Actually, I was hospitalized in new year eve for undiagnosed illness. Blood test, urine test, and USG showed nothing wrong with my body. But, it felt like hell just to walk, to sleep, to urinate, and even to breathe.

But, this experience really shed a light on me. I realize that it's such a blessing to be able to take a deep breath, enjoying oxygen as much as I can, to sleep comfortably in any position, to walk everywhere my heart tell me, and to laugh as loud as I can.

Someone took this pic when I sat powerlessly on hospital bed
while my mom fell to sleep on couch due to fatigue

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Work of Love

I spent my holiday wrapping doorprize for christmas celebration inda neighborhood. It was supposed to be my brother's duty. I agreed to help him, but then I'm kinda absorbed in it and almost forgot to do anything else. Therefore, in 4 days I finished those gifts by myself (well, with a little help from my mother, brother, kareshi, and a friend -- that came a long way  from Jogja with initial vision of refreshing but ended up doing romusha here).

Fiuuuh... now that it has come to an end, I realize how it brutally snatched my youth away.
*overstatement*
Though it will be ripped away in the end, I feel proud of myself for I had been able to do all those works. I created all the decorations with my own hand. I took a long time wrapping each and every item, but I came to realize that I have creative and artistic sides inside of me. Hahaha.

The Contents of The Gifts:  Blocknote (40), Mug (13), and Keychains (20)
* ordered from Apple Creatives, thanks to Kareshi *

The Whole Gifts

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