Padi

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

A song dedicated to Johnny Depp...

A nice song, got it from watching this one short school drama.

... and no, it has no particular meaning for me. Really.

Flight rules

Monday, July 30, 2007

It's good to be back~! ^ ^

1. Never laugh while drinking orange juice.
2. Interestingly enough, the more you pay for an air ticket = the higher class you'll get = the older (and supposedly more senior) stewardesses = the less sexier they are. They don't seem to follow the "you get what you pay" rules, do they? (ahaha... aiyo, dasar mental om-om)
3. When you can't slide the toilet door open to get in, please try to pull it towards you.
4. When it's still not open, make sure you've turn the knob while pulling it.
5. When everything above fails, please stay still and wait in case someone is using the toilet (even if the lavatory availability sign is on). DON'T try to bang the door! It'll freak the heck out of who ever inside.
6. Safer flights always provide various entertainment. Less safer flights always provide various praying cards. (This is true!)

妈妈

Sunday, July 29, 2007

I'm sorry...

I miss you.

Online Results

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Checking is results online is like getting Hep. A injection back in primary school: it’s painful, but you have to do it sooner or later.

One thing I hate from the slow connections in Indonesia (besides of the slow downloading rate and lags) is the time it takes to load web pages. With dial-up connections, IE will show the text lines by lines, taking its time. What’s the implication? Can you imagine, you’re loading your online result page anxiously, and your internet is taking its time, showing your subjects and results one by one? That’s an inhumane way of killing a student!

Cruel, nasty, sadistic. Enough said.

Fortunately, with the new 3.6 mbps speed (katanya), things will be slightly better. At least checking results now is less torturing.

One more thing, when the results are released what would be a better thing to do? Check it straight away or wait for a couple of days?
- Check it straight away
Pro: Less waiting time, more study time in case of failing, more cool down time/celebrations (depending on the outcome)
Cons: If the outcome is bad your whole 2-weeks-holiday-left will turn gloomy
- Wait for a couple of days
Pro: More time to meditate and calm your self, more time to think what to do if the result is good/bad. Lebih siap lah intinya.
Cons: More waiting time (which is usually filled with “harap-harap-cemas”, mau makan kepikiran, mau tidur juga kepikiran)

So?

p.s: Bersemangatlah! o(^_^)o

Durian

Monday, July 9, 2007

Be careful of what you’re wishing for.

Last time after seeing this durian hawker by the side of a road I told my grandma – who happened to be in our car – that I miss eating it. Somehow they don’t really sell durians in Melbourne, even if they do, it’s so expensive! Maybe ‘cause it’s imported. Then the next day, on my dining table I saw two packs of durians! My goodness me? Did I accidentally rub an Aladdin’s lamp or what? o_O

Since none in my family likes durian (except me and my mum), I end up eating them by myself (after they stayed for nearly a week in my fridge, causing the whole fridge smells unbelievably ‘dreadful’ and my sis to sing her tragic “duren” song).

Then there popped this one question: “How can you tell if a durian is nice or not?” Uhhhhh, ummmmm, errrrr….. I've never really thought of it actually, I always think any durian is nice… @_@ (aiyo!!)

Well, from my more-than-10-years experience of durian-ing I can point a few basic criterions:

1. The colour of the fruit inside (not the shell). It should be ivory-pale yellowish. If it’s too pale, it’s not ripe (cmiiw). If it’s green, better avoid it. If it’s pure yellow, it’s jackfruit. Refund it! = =;
2. The smell. Uhhh, this one is a bit rancu. If it smells abnormal, don’t eat it. It might be rotten already and you risk yourself of getting stomach ache. “Abnormal” here means out of ‘common’ durian smell (even though some of you might think that the fruit smell itself is abnormal already).
3. The flesh. If it’s too soft, kind of like your oat cereal, then it’s not good anymore! If it’s too hard, check if you’re eating the flesh or the seed :P
4. Sweetness. Even some durians are sweeter than the others. I remember once my uncle brought this durian from Irian (it’s called Papua now). It’s small but sweet. Very nice~! (haha, don’t call me weird!)

All my pointers up there are only good for the fruit’s flesh. I can’t really tell from the shell. Sometimes big durian doesn’t guarantee they will have a lot inside either (the seeds could be as big). My suggestion is to buy the opened ones. Besides you don’t have to take golok and open it yourself.

p.s: For those who’re curious about the “Duren” song. duren = durian fyi
“Duren, duren, malangnya nasibku. Sudah dibeli, lalu ditinggalkan begitu saja. Tidak dimakan, tidak disentuh, tapi diterlantarkan. Oh, kasihan si duren tidak ada yang menyayangi…” and it still continues with a more ‘heart-throbbing” words that I couldn’t stand TT_TT

Survival guide to traveling to Jakarta

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Here is a complete incomplete guide for traveler who’s planning to go to Jakarta for their next holiday destination.

Survival kit:

- Sun block and umbrella (Both are extremely useful all year long if you don’t want to get sunburn/wet/skin cancer. Trust me, you’ll still need sun block even during wet season)
- Mosquito repellant, garlic or benzene can be used also (those creatures are your worst enemy at night, and they’d still find a way to sneak into your room even if you’ve locked all doors + windows. Maybe they are trained as ninjas = =;). Fast hands will be an advantage. Chopsticks are not recommended.
- Some sort of fan. Anything will do, as long as they weigh no more than 1 kg (considering the average temperature is around 32 C degree and based on my calculation of the strength of your biceps/triceps torque, you won’t be able swing things that weigh 5 kg at the speed of 30 cm/s freely. So, 1 kg limit is reasonable).
- Any books/ magazine if you don’t want to die out of boredom due to unbelievably long, horrible, killing-you-slowly traffic jams. Hey, they can serve as a fan too!
- Stomach ache medicine. Some foods are just plain dangerously tasty (and I mean every word I typed. Literally.).

Tips:

- Bargain anytime, anywhere. If you’ve never bargained before, ask your mum, or your grandma, or follow my tips as your last resorts. Use any language that you feel comfortable with. Why? Because if you force your self talking in Indonesian Language which you’ve just learnt 2 months ago from a traveler guide book it would never work. You’d look as if you’re hesitating, and I can tell you an experienced seller can see that gap and use it at his/her advantage. That’s why, again, use any language that you’re fluent with to bargain. Don’t forget to show your spirit, it’ll make you look more confident! If the sales person stare at you blankly, or look confused, congratulations! That means you’re one step ahead in this price fight. All you need to do next is just bring your eyebrows together (as if you’re concentrating), look straight to them, and pull your lips outward. Victory is guaranteed to be yours.
- Practice yourself to move swiftly and be flexible enough to squeeze through sea of people which are jam packed like tinned sardines. This skill is extremely useful if your main purpose to Jakarta is to go shopping. Also, breathing through your mouth is an advantage, considering many people + hot weather + sweat = hurts your nose (and your head too!). Another way to solve this problem is by not taking a shower for a week, that way you’ll get used to with your own smell that you’d barely notice others’. However, this sly technique is not very advisable due to several reasons -- air pollution is one of them. Wearing tongs are not very wise, except if you can stand the pain of getting stepped on lots and lots and lots of times. Stilettos are not a very good idea either, even though it can serve double as self-defense weapon.
- Try to look for smaller hotels and not some big branded hotel chain. 3 reasons to do this: their rate is usually cheaper, they are less likely to be fully booked, and they are often situated very close to shops, food stalls, and other entertainment centres.
- Be sure to check out the hawkers and eating houses at night. They often have interesting foods to try. (but don’t forget to bring your survival kit with you)
- Unlike in US where they have yellow cabs, we don’t have blue cabs, even though you’ll see that most of the taxi here is blue coloured. Always, always, always ask the taxi driver to use their argo. The transportations here are not that expensive, so you don’t have to worry. There are many roads to Rome; same thing goes to any destinations within Jakarta. Except that the roads to Rome don’t have traffic jams.
- Please don’t get shocked by the price here. The huge numbers often scares travelers, especially those who get used to with dollars. Instead, try to convert them into your money, you’d be surprised at how cheap they actually are.
- Our first language is Indonesian. Our second language is Indonesian, and our third language is (again) Indonesian. So learning Indonesian language is extremely useful, especially if you want to make the most of your time. Having some Indonesian people with you is particularly helpful. Oh, our fourth language is calculators if you ask me.
- Be friendly! Nothing is worst than a grumpy, rude traveler. Indonesia is (partly) known for its friendly people. So don’t forget to pack your smile with you wherever you go =)
- Most importantly, enjoy your trip, learn new things, don’t hesitate to ask around, wear “proper” clothes, and stay away from mosquitos.

p.s: Please do not blame me for any faults, side effects, or any weird reactions from other people after you applied above guide. This guide is mainly written for reference purpose only. Don’t take it all too seriously :P

The Painted Veil

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

I wonder why... sometimes you just have all things in your mind and you can't wait to write them on your blog. But how ironic that you turn blank when you're in front of the monitor (then end up talkng crap). Well, at least it always happens to me ^ ^;

Maybe it all comes down to the ways people communicate. Some are better to express themselves verbally (as in talking or chat-chat loh) and some others are better off at writting their thoughts, be it on papers or their blogs.

As for me, I prefer drawing???

Hahah, apa pula lah.. go back to flinstone's era or what.

Anyhow, on my way from Melbourne to Singapore, I watched a movie titled "The Painted Veil" . Has anyone of you heard it?

(Credit to imdb)

Genre: Romance, Drama
Release Date: 19 January 2007
casts: Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber

The movie itself revolves around Kitty Fane (Naomi watts), an upperclass young lady, and Walter Fane (Edward Norton), a middle class doctor, working in China. Set in 1920's (and I thought it was 1820's??), Kitty was married to Walter due to society pressure at that time -- the fact that she's not married yet at such "married" age. the couple barely knew each other, only from a dance party held by Kitty's father. Soon after they're married and moved to China, Kitty met Charlie Townsend (Liev Schreiber) and fell in love with his playful nature. Which ended up in an affair. Walter, knowing that his wife had wronged him, signed him self up to volunteer as a doctor in cholera epidemic area, and of course, taking Kitty with him.

As you can predict, this movie is filled with drama and romance all the way from start to the end. So if you never enjoy those 'teary moments' you better stay away from this movie and pick something else to watch.

Fortunately, the plot is not as simple as you might think. It twisted our view of right and wrong. For example, it's easy for us to judge Kitty as a spoiled young lady, often reckless and immature. However, if we look at her family background, she's been brought up in such lifestyle. Obviously she's never seen people suffered around her -- She's never known what the "real world" was like, not until she was brought to China by her husband.

Kitty's decission to accept Walter's proposal based on family pressure will be seen as something unwise by people nowadays. But think about the situation back at that time. Women were not as free as they are now, reflected on their thoughts and choices. We can easily find women who pursue their career and choose to stay single (even though the question: "when are you getting married?" is just as annoying as random survey phone calls, if you ask me). But at the time, when the movie take place, it's not the same. You would think differently, and so did people around you. Even now, some people just get married for the sake of "it's time for me to settle down", or "I might not get another chance later", or even worse, "mumpung masih laku." Haaaaahh...! And they end up just marrying anyone who happens to bump into them (haha, with a bit exaggeration). It's true that no body is perfect. If you wait for a husband like Johnny Depp (just my example laaah) or a wife like Sarah Jessica Parker, tak heran lah if you would never find one! But that doesn't mean you accept any proposal without thinking twice. In today's society we are not as shallow as people who lived more than a century ago. You can make your choice.

Overall, this movie gives a good entertainment despite of some rather boring moments which is quickly picked up here and there. Challanges your life values and makes you reflect on your decissions.

Lame Jokes Are Hereditary

Sunday, July 1, 2007

After today's family gathering I concluded that some things are just plain inherited:

1. Glasses
This one is true though. It's studied that if one of your parents are wearing glasses at some stage of their life, chance is you will too.

2. "Nerdiness"
It's interesting how most (if not all) of my cousins are (or will be) taking science/engineering/maths related studies.

3. Lameness
Yeees...!! Believe it or not, we have the lameness running through our blood in one form or another. As you can see from the corny jokes we throw during our conversations.

Oh, and one more thing. Do you realize that the youngest member of family will always be treated as a kid regardless of how old he/she is? Interesting... not when you happen to be the youngest child.