Selasa, 06 Maret 2012

Spotted: Me At Several Places in Asia

A girl who likes movies and traveling

I post that in my blog profile, then I made several posts about movies but none about traveling. Isn't it unfair?

Well, in my defense,  i'm not good in describing things and in memorizing detail. I'm also a lazy writer so I never took note while vacationing. I forgot about the detail things like "how to get there" or "how does it cost" or something, but I really really want to share you guys, pics from  amazing places that I've been visited, hopefully more and more beautiful places to visit in the future.

Note: every single place is special & I have no regret visiting them.


Around West Sumatra, Indonesia

Windows of The World, Shenzhen


Macau


Phuket, Thailand


Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


Siem Reap, Cambodia


Bali, Indonesia

Maya Bay, Phi Phi, Thailand

Madame Tussaud, Hong Kong


Krabi, Thailand


Universal Studios, Singapore


Chiang Mai, Thailand


Royal Palace, Bangkok, Thailand


Mini Siam, Pattaya, Thailand


Disneyland, Hong Kong


Next Destination: South Korea! (inshaAllah)

Senin, 05 Maret 2012

Johnny and June Carter Cash

I knew Reese Witherspoon got Oscar from Walk The Line, but before Katy Perry released her “The One That Got Away” I didn’t know who June and Johnny Cash are.
I was June and you were my Johnny Cash
Never one without the other
We made a pact
(Katy Perry - The One That Got Away)

For Katy implying two people that always are together through times as Johnny and June Cash, I knew they are a legend.  Then I started browsing.
And fall in love
With Johnny and June Carter Cash.
Source: here

They were country singers with Grammys and some bestselling albums all over the world. They began touring together in the 50s and became good friends.
Johnny was previously married to Vivian Liberto, together they have four daughters before She filed for divorce in 1966, citing his drug and alcohol abuse, constant touring, affairs with other women, and his close relationship with June Carter for the causes of their divorce.
June was married twice before. To singer Carl Smith (they have 1 daughter) and to a former football player, police officer and race car driver Edwin “Rip” Nix (1 daughter). June last married before to Johnny Cash surely also led to divorce in 1966.
Johnny first met June when he was an unknown struggling new artist (while June was already popular). From then on, she stayed with him, when he was no one, when he was a superstar and when he was a drugs and alcohol addicts.
In 1968, 13 years after Johhny and June first met backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, He proposed to her, during a live performance in London, Ontario, marrying on March 1, 1968, in Franklin, Kentucky. For the next 35 years they worked, recorded songs, toured, and basically always together, never one without the other. Even when June passed away on May 15, 2003, Johnny followed her 4 months later, on September 12, 2003.
Long lasting married in Hollywood is rare, but they have it. Just like the quotes “we will meet several wrong people before meeting the right one”. They did, and when they met, they stuck to each other until death do them part.
Walk the Line is a biographical drama movie about Johnny and June Carter Cash. As I mentioned before, Reese Witherspoon got Oscar for her role as June. For you whom haven’t watched it yet, go watch it. The acting was great and the songs were epic. You should listen to Jackson, Time's A Wastin, Ring of Fire and of course I Walk The Line. I got relax watching it on my comfy couch with my blanket. Thumbs up for the movie and for the romantic couple Johnny and June Carter Cash.
Source: here and there

Rabu, 04 Januari 2012

Everybody's Changing

Four years ago when I was just a trainee in my office, I and other 19 trainees went to Puncak for an English camp.
In one of the several nights we spent there, I was engaged to a conversation with two female trainees about having children. Girl A couldn’t wait to have one after she got married (at that time she was in a 3 years relationship with her boyfriend), Girl B was afraid that she couldn't have a baby (she was just afraid, not like she had disease or something that avoid her for being pregnant), and I….
I said to them I don’t want to have a child. I felt it is too selfish to have a kid in this crazy world full of untrusted and evil people. I can’t imagine him socialize with them and turns into one. I can take care of my kid and educate them well (maybe?) but I can’t prevent him from making sins, and every sin has consequence. I also cannot bear thinking I will raise a kid in this full pollution country with unpredictable weather. For this case, yes, I saw my glass half empty.
Four years later.
I still work together with those girls in the same company. They’re married. Girl A married to her boyfriend that she dated for four years. They have a daughter now. Girl B broke up with her boyfriend, then dated senior in her Post Graduate class and they got married last year. She is pregnant now. Me?
So little time
Try to understand that I'm
Trying to make a move just to stay in the game
I try to stay awake and remember my name
But everybody's changing
And I don't feel the same

(Keane - Everybody's Changing)
Sorry Keane, I disagree
I don't see me and the girls changing at all. We focused on our goals and became what we talked about 4 years ago.
When a person changed, he’s not exactly changing, he is just showing his other side that I don’t see before.
I'm not changing, I’m just becoming more myself than I was 4 years ago.

Minggu, 25 September 2011

Do I need to get married, now?

According to hadits HR. Tirmizi, An Nasai and Ibnu Majah, I summarized (CMIIW), one of those who Allah will grant their wishes to be married is one of those who needs to be married.

I am 27, old enough to get married and I want to be married.

The question is, do I need it?

I am female, 27 years old, who live in Jakarta, work for a developing company, with well I can say, nice monthly payment. I can feed myself and treat myself to travel abroad (so far, around Asia only) once or twice a year. I have my own car and my company grants me a housing loan. I am not rich but insyaALLAH, financially secured. Do I want a husband to feed me? I do. Do I need a husband to feed me? Nah…

I am female, working as geologist. I work with fellow geologists, geophysicists and engineers. Most of them are males. Some of them are my good friends. Friends I hang out with -watching movies, going karaoke or traveling, or others- and friends who I can ask for help and who will help me when I need a favor. I feel secured around them. And I also feel secured by myself. I run my errands, take my car to the service station every five thousands kilometer, go to the clinic when I get sick, do this and do that by myself. I’m fine with that and I’m proud of myself for that. I don’t need husband, only to make me feel secured.

I now live with my sister. She also works in Jakarta. There was time when I felt empty every time I went home, because there was no family welcoming me home and no one asking how my day was going. But now I have her. Before, I like had thousand things to do before going home, now I just want to go home as soon as I can, to meet her, to ask her how her day was going. We talk, we smile, we laugh and sometimes we argue. I’m happy living together with her. So, I don’t need a hubby to do this either.

Of course I want to get married. Of course I want to have my own family. Of course I want to live in a house surrounded by smiles and laughs from my hubby, my kids, and me. But I guess, now, I just don’t need it yet.

Well, I don't know when I will need to be married. Maybe, when I need to share everything of me with someone else and to accept every difference we may have. To change “I” to “we”, “mine” to “our”. I guess from his assessment, Allah thinks now I’m still too selfish to have that.

Selasa, 20 September 2011

my twenty seven

This is September, my month of birthday. I blew candles and had some lunches and dinners with family and friends. I’m surrounded by happiness.


Thank you all for the wishes, for the cake, for the present and for having great time with me on my birthday and birth month :p
Thank you, Papa, for taking us to a fancy dinner. It was a super great night that I will always remember. When we were at home in Balikpapan, Papa barely took us out for a dinner, but that night was different. Not only we went out for it, but also we went to a quite fancy restaurant and had seafood for our dinner. There was no gulai cancang or gulai limpa or rendang involved :p
Thank you, you, even though you did it awkwardly and hesitantly, beside my family, you were mmm kinda the first person who greeted happy birthday to me in the early morning. And also thanks for the singing ;)
Thank you, RAB, for your email. The fact that you still remember it, flattered me. Above all ups and downs we’ve been through, I’m glad we’re still friends.
I was like hoping nothing for this twenty seven, but you guys really gave me a blast birthday.
THANK YOU!

Selasa, 09 Agustus 2011

Something Borrowed

I can’t choose to whom I’ll be attracted to, but the choice to be more involve and let my self fall in love or simply let the feeling go and be faithful to my partner, keep my relationship safe, is in my hand  –my ex crush, 2010–




The thought that he tried to share me is quite similar with the story in my latest favorite novel, Something Borrowed by Emily Giffin.

Disclaimer: the following sentences contain spoiler, please stop reading if you intend to read or haven't finished reading this novel.

Dex liked Rachel since they were still law school students. Eventhough Rachel liked him also, she - assuming herself as regular and unattractive, considering him as way out of her league-  thought that he was just being nice. She refused the possibility of them being more than friends. Instead, she introduced her bestfriend, a beautiful and confident Darcy to Dex, leaving him with a conclusion that Rachel had zero interest to him.

Seven years later, Dex and Darcy were engaged. On Rachel 30th birthday party, when she and Dex unintentionally got drunk together in a pub, she confessed her feeling to him. The next morning, they woke up together in bed in her apartment. Both cheated on Darcy.

As per my ex crush said, Dex and Rachel could choose to forget what they did, thought it just as one mistake that Darcy shouldn’t have to know. Or come clean to her and move on. But they drowned deeper. The affair became more serious and at the end, he left Darcy and cancelled the wedding. He said he did care about Darcy, he just felt it didn’t fair for her if he was marrying her but his feeling goes for Rachel. He and Rachel ended up together, married with two kids. Both never cheated from each other to date.

Dex once said, people don’t cheat in a healthy relationship. I do agree. If you are happy home, you won’t try to find your happiness outside.

It may hard for you to like the primary characters only by reading this post. But soon after you read the novel yourself, I guess you will. You will like Rachel, but not her passiveness and how she always put herself under Darcy’s shadow. You will also get to know a cool, calm, smart and loveable Dex, and how their affair became interesting to read.

However, Something Borrowed is already in a major motion picture. Actually i watched the movie first then bought the novel. Impressed by themovie was the main reason why I bought this Novel. But after i finished reading it,  I think this movie had violently changed some important part of the novel. Dex character became clueless, and Darcy looked entertaining and less mean on the screen. The reason why Dex chose to continue his wedding and left Rachel heartbroken is cheesy. He’s 34 and can hardly make a decision for himself without interruption from his dad? C’mon!!

After greatly liking Something Borrowed, I also bought two other Emily Giffin’s novels. Here they are:



Something Blue

Story of Darcy, Dex and Rachel from Darcy’s point of view and how did Darcy’s life continue post her break up with Dex. The setting took place mostly in London, starting when Darcy visiting her & Rachel’s childhood friend, Ethan, who now working in London as a writer.

Heart of The Matter

The primary characters are Dex’s sister and her husband, Tessa and Nick Russo, who live in Boston. This couple’s life had changed after a little accident happened on their 7th anniversary. You can take a peek of Dex and Rachel’s life years after their affair in Something Borrowed.

Rabu, 20 Juli 2011

Hello Ghost


I went to Blitzmegaplex and found this amazing movie, Hello Ghost. It’s a 2010 Korean kinda comedy flick. The story began with Sang Man (Cha Tae Hyun) multiple failures in attempting suicide. He’s an orphan and a lifetime loner. Frustrating with his lonely life is the reason why he wanted to end it.  His attempts might be unsuccessful but soon after he woke up after trying to sink himself, he found out he can see ghosts.
There are 4 ghosts that he sees, a heavy smoker male taxi driver, a pervert old man who loves drinking, a lady who always cries and a little boy who crazies over sweet stuffs. Unluckily (or luckily) for him, these 4 ghosts start following him to everywhere, they even live together with him in his flat.
Then Sang Man goes to paranormal. This paranormal (just like the others) appears eccentric with garments that he brought from mmm let say the monarchy era ;p. He told Sang Man, to get rid of the ghosts he must fulfill their wishes, each of them, completely. And the sweet journey of him and the ghosts begins.
I usually underrated Korean movie that - in my opinion - is not as good as their tv series, but this movie is an exception. It went flat at the beginning but just like ride a rollercoaster, it will make your emotion turn upside down, and when you finish watching it, you’re gonna recommend it to your friends, just like I did ;p

Pssstt….don’t forget to bring tissues ;p