Monday, February 23, 2004

Inul

wah, never in my craziest thought have I ever thought that I would write about Inul. Inul, What is Inul? Who is Inul? Well if you're Indonesian you will definitely know who Inul is. She's a famous dangdut singer who created quite a controversy sometime ago. So why I am writing about her now? Well, it's just this morning, I couldn't help grinning when there's actually news about her in Channel News Asia Straight away I sent an sms to my mom, the message was something like this "Gila!!! Inul ada di berita sini" (= Crazy!!! Inul is making the news). It's crazy, I found it to be crazy. When I also saw that she's in the front page of the local Chinese news paper, I just thought that is nuts man! However this is perhaps something common for Inul. After all she was once featured in Time Magazine. Of all the Indonesian ever appeared in Time, Inul is one of them, that goes to show that she's a real something.

Honestly, I don't like dangdut. I'm sorry for all the dangdut fan out there or Inul fans I don't really follow the trend in dangdut music, however Inul is so huge that as Indonesian, you definitely will know about her. The first time I saw her shake her thing was in NUS, through a few-second clip of her performance, which seemed to have been passed from people to people. After that, I understood what the fuss was all about. Because before that, I just couldn't get the news about her which were appearing frequently in Kompas.com (the online version of a famous Indonesian newspaper). My first reaction watching her was I thought her movement was rather funny, however I could understand how certain Indonesian found it to be provocative. I think Inul herself is a nice person. She's soft-spoken, down-to-earth, and polite. I didn't expect her to be like that. I guess that is also why so many people like Inul. She's not trying to sell her asset to boost her fame, but she's doing her routine because that's how she feels when she sings and she's sincere in entertaining the audience. I found it amazing how someone's life can be that unique

:) eKa @ 8:40:00 PM • 0 comments

Saturday, February 21, 2004

Another Recap?

She brought all her sorrow and trouble with her, sacks of them. She was ready. She took a deep breath and all of the sudden all of them disappeared. She asked for blessing upon her mother, father, and brother. For her family, her aunts, uncles, and cousins. For her best friends and dear friends. For the people that she prayed for at night. (She was running out of time) She said thank you, for her life. For waking up, for having things to eat, for having money, for being given someone in time when she needed them the most, for having many that others didn't.


Imagine that you actually met that genie from the bottle. 3 wishes. Understanding the magnitude of having the chance to get all that you want being granted, you may find that everything that you thought you've always wanted disappear because things that matter most are on top of your personal desire. Perhaps that's why the genie don't grant world peace :P

Hi! What's up. I'm feeling not so well today. I hope I won't get sick. Now that I've written it, I feel the possibility is highly probable *come on, knock a wood* I feel that I'm so skinny that I'm starting to think on how to plump myself up (well that's the first time ever feeling like that). It's just I'm starting to think that I'm really not healthy like this. But I just find it hard to eat more. I don't really get hungry that much and I often feel full, even after only 1 heavy meal a day. Gotta go...I feel so sleepy.

:) eKa @ 11:04:00 PM • 0 comments

Saturday, February 14, 2004

Recap (Saturday, 14/02/04)

*sleepy* Anyway, here's a recap of what happened this few days (mostly today). I'm so sleepy that I will just write what first come in mind, okay

Dewi sent me an sms this evening. She was telling me that she's graduating. Her graduation ceremony will be held in May. I was actually pretty thrill hearing this news. She's having dinner with her family and she will also be celebrating with girls. I also want to join fun!!!!

Burnt some files from my computer this afternoon. I managed to clear up quite a lot of space. It's good. Now, I really can download movies. Trying to download Friends 10.09 since a long long time ago, but it seems that we're progressing now

My horoscope prediction for yesterday (part of it): ...Although not a revolutionary, you'll do anything in the name of your cause. Your strategy is about going over people's heads instead of bulldozing them... I actually think that maybe there's some truth in it. Although I feel that my brother would highly disagree, he would feel that I bulldoze him everytime.

Talked to mom a couple of hours ago. Had a long and nice conversation. It puts me into perspective about a lot of things. Being away from the family (especially now) makes me feel that I miss all the news. If only I had known everything, I might have not done some of things that I did. Anyway...She told me a story about my bro. He was spending the holiday at home and one night he went out to see a movie and apparently he dropped his wallet or something like that. The wallet contained lotsa of important things and not so much money. I imagine that it must be quite a stressful situation for him and my parent (hmm...come to think of that maybe my mom thought well there's nothing surprising about that). Anyway, my bro, he's really into Buddhism that he goes to the Vihara (=temple) at least once a week (I think he goes more that once a week). So he prayed and he prayed and somebody did actually find the wallet and call him and all was cool. So that's something that perhaps we should remember in our time of despair. Pray my friends, things can actually get better My mom also told me that my bro managed to get my cousin (who's studying in our high school) to change class, I don't know the detail here. I think my cousin just felt not right with his class that he wanted to change to another class. I'm pretty impressed that my bro has some connection which empower him to make the switch. I don't think I have that much influence. I'm a nobody in high school.

Watched Survivor All Stars yesterday. I actually had some tears when Jenna.M (Amazon) told the tribes that she had to pull out from the game. For the first time, I feel rather sympathetic towards her and feel that...yeah...she's is rather beautiful. The saddest part is that her mother actually died. I can really relate to her feeling at that time. I'm so much blessed that my mom is okay, but missing her is pretty bad enough sometime. I can not imagine if I were in her position. Man! I don't think I can cope that well.

oH yeah. Happy Valentine. What do you actually wish people would have if you say Happy Valentine? Anyway, waking up today not realizing that today is Valentine day, I've only realized that sometime in the afternoon. Maybe I'm a rather slow thinker, I remembered that it's my cousin's birthday today, only in the evening. This also remind me that, cousin Marlisa's birthday is coming soon (Don't forget Eka, don't forget!!!). With Marlisa's birthday coming, well that means something else is coming soon too *sigH*

:) eKa @ 11:44:00 PM • 0 comments

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Guess What?

Guess what? What ?!? This is gonna be a long post Okay...okay, let's get started.

Guess what? What ?!? Yesterday night I was watching Boston Public and there was this story about an Indonesian girl who fell asleep in class. I don't why but lately there are some TV series that include something Indonesian in it, like Alias, The Agency, Lizzie McGuire, and last Sunday when I turned on the TV, there was JAG playing and there's this story about rebel in Aceh. I must say that the Indonesian that they try to portray in the TV series are not really the good image of Indonesia and not really Indonesian at all. But yesterday in Boston Public there was actually a guy who really speak fluent Indonesian and it turned out the girl who played the Indonesian girl is a real Indonesian, her name is Tania Gunadi. Surprise...surprise...I know this guy from my old hall, Kent Ridge Hall in NUS, whose last name is Gunadi so I was wondering if this girl is an Indonesian and she is and it seems that she's been doing several things in TV. Wow...maybe someday she'll make it big and be the first Indonesian actresses to get famous in Hollywood Anyway, her role in Boston Public was as a girl who fell asleep in class and so as usual the teacher got concern and tried to figure out what happened at home. It turned out this girl was an illegal immigrant which was forced to work for a guy to pay for her family's debt (her dad died in the boat) for their "immigration" fee. Note that in Winslow High, if they are telling a story about one of their students then it is guaranteed that the student gets into trouble, or something like that. If the TV series is a true depiction about some of the schools in America then I find it to be rather frightening and sad. But I guess every country has its own problems.

Guess what? What ?!? Good news! My computer can shut down properly now I am so happy. Before, it couldn't shut down completely. When I shut down, it would give me a blank screen with a cursor blinking. So I have to cut the power to make it shut down completely and it was so frustrating. It couldn't restart either. All the people who I consulted about this matter suggested that I should re-format my computer. Re-formatting a computer, my computer that is, is like moving house. I know it's not that tiring, but virtually it can be quite draining. I have to move out all my files (which is mostly mp3, there are lotsa of them) burn them onto cds, and it can take lotsa of cds, then after the re-formatting, I have to put them back and re-install all the things that I need (which is quite a lot and which means several time of re-starting). So it can be a real drag and that's why I didn't do that. I did an experiment with the power supply system of my computer and whatever it was that I did my computer can shut down completely now and I'm satisfied. I love my computer, it can be slow and heavy sometime but it is quite reliable and steady. It is a pretty strong computer actually

Guess what? What ?!? My mom came to the rescue There was something which kinda made me worried this last few weeks. I was actually at a point in which I was ready to shout for help. However before I did that, my mom came to rescue me and she saved me. Maybe I was really so worried that I unconsciously sent distress signals and my mom picked it up. It was amazing, she helped me before I even asked. So the thing is pretty cleared up now and I can breathe again, well at least for that part of my life, there are other things that I have to deal with and most of them sucks

:) eKa @ 7:45:00 PM • 0 comments

Tuesday, February 03, 2004

SURVIVOR ALL-STARS

So, first episode of SURVIVOR ALL-STARS was aired yesterday. The line up for the survivors was announced weeks ago and since I didn't watch all of the previous survivors, I don't know many of them, especially since many of them are from the first 3 seasons of survivor. Let's see, I didn't watch the first survivor (Pulau Tiga - Borneo) so I don't know all the people from that season. I watched a few final episodes from Australian Outback, so I kinda know Colby and Tina Didn't watch the one in Africa. Watched some episodes from Marquesas so I know Kathy and Rob.M. Watched almost every episode from Thailand, glad to see Shi Ann there, I couldn't really figure out what's wrong with her the last time around, maybe her tribe mates really couldn't really accept someone who's culturally different, I mean it really is something normal in Asia to eat a chicken heart, it's especially good for your health if you're anemic. Then I watched all the episodes from Amazon except for the finale!!! The most important thing of the whole thing (I'm still holding quite a grudge because of that) Anyway, so I know Rob.C, as cunning as he is, he does make the show much interesting. I don't really like Jenna.M though. Then Pearl Islands - Panama the only season that I watched the whole thing completely. No surprise that Rupert is back, his popularity poll is so high, he'll be good for rating. Quite surprising though than Jon is not back, maybe he was just too chaotic the last time around. Anyway, yesterday's premiere was good, not that dead interesting but okay, I guess. It's pretty sad that Tina was ousted. I guess I was just surprise that Rupert's tribe could lose the challenge, and what's up with Richard anyway, why does he have to go around naked *yuck* I think it will really be quite an interesting season this time, I'm so curious who's gonna be the sole survivor.

Okay...What else to say? Remember the last time, I wrote a post with the title Changing Tea, I said I was gonna stick with the peach tea. Well, I didn't, I saw the ones with orange flavour and I was kinda tempted to try it out. It's weird and maybe my sensing buds have gone completely mad (I am never good in tasting things actually. My aunt was actually getting desperate when she tried to make me learn tasting meal while cooking), I felt that the tea had some kind of ginger taste in it. It didn't see any ginger in the ingredient list, but I think kinda sense a gingerly feeling. It doesn't give any gingerly heat running through you, so I guess I'm wrong. Of course there's heat but that one comes from the boiling water

One thing has been running through my head lately, it fills my head so much that I don't know if I ever gonna get it out completely. I've been experiencing several things at the same time. You know, it's because being you, you are actually playing different roles. For example in my case, I'm a friend, daughter, niece, cousin, and a girl among other things. In each of those roles you face different things and sometime they all can go wrong at the same time. Yesterday, I was giving a negative opinion about something to someone close to my heart. I said something like this, don't waste your care on those people who don't care about us either. Some people may think that what I was saying was true. However believe it or not, I don't (people may argue about this). Remember once I also wrote in this web that Love should be unconditional, so I just feel that, you know...if you want to care about someone and be nice, just be nice with all your heart and not because you want anything in return. This is in accordance in what my mom often says to me thousands times, not to count on what you are giving to others. But I did say what I said earlier and why you may ask. Sometime it is so hard, people hurt you so much and as much as you try to forgive and forget the same thing happen again and again and in my case I keep it all inside until one day I freeze. One time a friend was telling me not to be dependent on your friends, the only people you can trust is your family. At that time, I thought well she was maybe right. But then, I thought about it again and I thought how sad it is that you can't be dependent to your friends. Isn't it what having friends all about? to help you, to exchange and share each other pain as well as JOY? But if you can't trust your friend, then is it right to call those people your friends? If your friends leave you, are they really friends? And if they don't care about you, should you care too? In any case, if someone who supposedly be there for you leave you, should you waste your breath on them? The truth is I feel that you're never in the spot of asking. If you receive kindness then it is your blessing. You can't actually request that from people. But how can you help not feeling disappointed if the people who you thought genuinely care for you leave you just like that? Should that care you have for them not cease? How to make it not cease? This is only part of the bottle's content.

:) eKa @ 9:43:00 PM • 0 comments