Take Five

2008-10-30T16:22:00.000-07:00

A Glimpse to My Memory

I remember when we watched TV together.
I don't remember the program
I remember when we talked
I don't remember the topic

I remember when you tried to stay awake next to me
I don't remember the time

Then, you gradually closed your eyes in the sitting position.
Your head slowly touched my arm, and then steadily fell to my lap.
Finally, you slept soundly on my lap.

A beautiful sight...

2008-08-31T18:04:00.000-07:00

Family Portrait

Pa... Pa... Bisa minggir nggak sih?

Papa sok imut, mencoba sembunyi di belakang. Please dech...

Kok jadi Mama yang mencoba sembunyi...

Di atap ada apa yah?

Lain kali suruh orang lain fotoin kali yeee...

2008-07-02T10:03:00.000-07:00

Laporan Singkat Wizard World Chicago

Salah satu mimpi dari masa kecil gue adalah dateng ke konvensi komik (comic convention), seperti yang gue baca di majalah Wizard. Akhirnya cita-cita gue kesampaian, gue dateng ke Wizard World Chicago ( 26-29 Juni 2008), konvensi komik terbesar kedua di Amerika setelah San Diego Comic Convention. Konvensi dibuka pada hari Kamis malam, dan berlangsung hingga hari Minggu. Gue cuman dateng hari Jumat, karena pasti capek kalo dateng tiap hari, dan benar setelah hari jumat, gue tewas sehari.

Karena gue terhitung orang baru/newbie, maka setelah antrian yang panjang gue masuk terus celingak-celinguk. Ketika gue tiba di dalam sepertinya setiap manusia sudah punya tujuan masing-masing, sehingga yang gue lakukan ikut-ikut keliling sambil mengambil barang-barang gratis sebanyak mungkin. Selain itu gue juga melihat para super pahlawan dan super panjahat berjalan-jalan di gedung terebut. Karena tidak ada kamera, jadi nggak bisa moto deh.

Pertama gue berhenti dan melihat-lihat di stan penerbit Avatar, dimana salah satu penulisnya, Warren Ellis, adalah bintang tamu untuk konvensi di Chicago saat ini. Penerbit Avatar sama sekali baru buat gue, dan karena gue mau coba-coba maka gue ikut beli-beli komik ini. Tiga judul yang gue beli adalah Gravel, Anne Mercury, dan No Hero. Abis itu gue langsung minta tanda tangan sama penulis ceritanya, terus dapet jalur khusus karena belanja komik dari konvensi.

Seperti biasa yang paling besar adalah DC dan Marvel. Termasuk dalam grup DC antara lain Wildstorm (the Authority, WILD C.A.Ts, Gen 13, dll), Vertigo (Sandman, Fables, V for Vendetta, dll), Minx (komik buat remaja wanita), CMX (manga terjemahan), dan Zuda (webcomics). Marvel mengedepankan Hulk yang filmnya sedang diputar. Dark Horse dengan komik yang berhubungan dengan film (movie tie-in) seperti 300, Indiana Jones, Hellboy, dan Terminator. Dark Horse juga menerbitkan terjemahan mangga ke Inggris. ATop Cow mengedepankan Wanted, karena filmnya baru diputar, dan Witchblade, di stan ini gue juga dapet tanda tangan dan moto Marc Silvestry. spen yang mengedepankan komik ciptaan Michael Turner antara lain Fathom dan Cannon Hawke. Aspen yang komiknya beruhubungan dengan lingkungan terutama kelautan, menerbitkan banyak swimsuit special dari pahlawannya. Alex Ross punya stan sendiri, wuih gambar2nya keren emang.

Terus yang seru sih liat acara2 yang ada, kalo capek bisa masuk ke pemutaran serial anime, bisa tidur di ruang yang gelap, sepi dan ber AC. Ada acara Marvel dan DC countdown, antara Geoff Johnson dan Michael Bendis. Terus ada pertunjukan musik Oreskaband dari Jepang, yang nyanyiin salah satu lagunya Naruto. Terakhir liat acara talk shownya Warren Ellis, dimana dia bisa ngerokok dan minum2 di panggung. Pokoknya asik berat...

Gituh ajah deh ceritanya, laporan singkatnya...

2008-04-14T19:21:00.000-07:00

Paman, Bibi dan Keponakan (Photos Session)

Karena Brama keponakan pertama dari Paman Bara dan Bibi Lintang, maka sekali dateng langsung dimainin, sampe Brama nangis atau bosen. Ini beberapa gambar dari pertemuan mereka.

*adu jelek ama Paman Bara

*dicium

*adu jelek ama Paman Vito

*eeemmmmm (Bibi Lintang dan Paman Bara lagi kompak)

*ini apa sih? kayak kamera...

Terima kasih atas perhatiannya...

2008-04-13T22:40:00.001-07:00

Brama dan Eyang-eyangnya...(Photos Series)

*Eyang Papi dan Eyang Mami

*Eyang Kakung

*Eyang Putri

*Eyang Mami

*Eyang Putri

2008-03-15T12:53:00.000-07:00

"Jarang Senyum"

Anak gue di fotonya jarang seyum, kurang dari 10% fotonya yang senyum. Di sisi lainnya, nyari foto dia lagi nangis juga susah. Salah satu foto dibawah, adalah foto setelah dia disuntik untuk ambil darah, menurut istri selama proses dia cuek, heheheh.

*Lagi di lab rumah sakit sama mbak2 labnya buat ngambil darah tiap kuartal

*abis ngambil darah ekspresinya nggak banyak berubah, cuek sambil ngeliatin darahnya

*adu galak ama bapaknya

2008-03-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

Pengumuman Anggota Keluarga Baru

Brama Vidya Putra Walandouw

23 September 2007

Selamat Datang...

2008-03-10T20:36:00.001-07:00

Just Some Pictures

sama Bibi Lintang

sama Mama

tampang biasanya, mahal senyum

Brama kita

Selamat menikmati...

2007-08-04T03:23:00.000-07:00

Perlengkapan untuk Persiapan

Nah, gue kagak tahu sebenernya foto-foto ini boleh dipasang apa nggak, takut istri gue keberatan. Cuman gue bilang kan bagus dipajang, terus sapa tahu kalo ada yang mau ngasih, jadi tahu mau ngasih apa. Biar nggak dobel-dobel gituh.
Iyah nggak prennn... Hehehehehhe
Silahkan dilihat-lihat.

Perlengkapan Bayi

2007-08-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

Janin sedang Bergaya

Agak kurang mengerti saya, tapi katanya bagus...

2007-08-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

Istriku sedang Bergaya...

Mohon doanya...

2007-07-27T03:15:00.000-07:00

Huaaahhhhh

Nggak tahu mau nulis apa jadi gue tulis film dvd yang gue tonton akhir2 ini.
Semuanya okeh2 kok, mungkin karena gue sekarang nontonnya milih2 dan jarang nonton dvd.

1. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006). Film ini rekomendasi Annas, dia nonton di bioskop, jadi gue nunggu2 akhirnya keluar juga DVDnya. Filmnya di Paris abad 18 atau 17, lupe deh, desainnya keren, ceritanya keren, agak sura, tapi tetep menghibur dari awal sampe akhir.

2. The Holiday (2006). Feel good movie, nontonnya enak, sante, menghibur, ketawa2, ada Jack Black yang sok asik dan Jude Law yang jadi cengeng, tentu dengan Kate Winslet dan Cameron Diaz. Walaupun ada yang bilang filmnya cliche atau corny, tapi seperti kata Kate, "I like corny. I'm looking corny in my life*

3. The Shooter (2007). Filem Laga ditambah sedikit conspiracy theory, banyakan laganya. Jadi kalo suka film laga, tambah sedikit cerita, nontonlah...

4. The Barbarian Invasions (2003). Rekomendasi temen kantor dari Kolombia. Drama yang keren, ringan, berat, lucu, sedih, nyampur, nano-nano deh rasanya. Diskusi dalam filmnya keren2. Film Kanada bahasa Perancis.

5. Brick (2005). Nonton di HBO, Annas rekomendasi ini bersama filem nomor satu. Diajarin ama Annas film jenis noir yang udah modern. Keren juga, ribet2, ada laganya, jadi pengen tahu ceritanya sampe akhir.

Segini dulu yah, nanti semoga nambah yang lain.

2007-03-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Beberapa Bulan Terakhir

Beberapa bulan telah lewat sejak tahun 2007 dimulai, dan gue cukup heran ketika waktu berjalan dengan cukup cepat. Gue rasa ada dua alasan utama mengapa waktu berjalan cepat di tahun ini.

Alasan pertama adalah gue balik ke Indonesia sejak desember sampai penghujung Januari (terima kasih I-20 yang hilang jadi bisa tinggal lebih lama, huehehhehe, walaupun gue masih penasaran mengenai tempat hilangnya I-20 gue). Sampai hari terakhir gue di kampus, gue masih ada kerjaan, jadi kayak dihajar abis2an. Mampir di jepang, dateng malem, besoknya jalan2, terus besoknya lagi pagi2 berangkat ke airport untuk ke Jakarta. Sampe ke Jakarta malem, terus nongkrong nungguin jemputin, gerah campur senang, hahahhaha rasanya gimana yah? Berasa mau mandi terus nongkrong gituh.

Sejak gue menginjakan kaki di Indonesia, dari melepas rindu sampai melepas lelah gue lakukan dengan maksimal, terutama dalam mengabdi kepada istri dan keluarga. Nganterin istri ke kantor, makan siang bareng istri, jemput istri, makan malam bareng istri, ngobrol2 bareng, terus tidur di sebelah istri. Ketemu bokap nyokap yang udah melalui banyak rintangan, terus adek gue yang lulus S2 dan adek gue yang pada waktu itu ampir lulus S1. Terus ketemu ama temen-temen. Meminjam istilahnya mastercard: priceless. Ngerayain ulang tahun perkawinan bareng, mayanlah, dari empat ulang tahun perkawinan dua kali ngerayain bareng. Kali ini ngerayainnya di tempat kita menghabiskan malam pertama pernikahan kami, hehhehehe, buat temen-temen yang ikutan malam pertama kami tentu tahu tempatnya.

Hari-hari selanjutnya merupakan hari-hari yang sibuk dengan perayaan dan keriaan. Gue banyak menghabiskan menjelajah mall-mall di Jakarta, hebat, abis-abisan. Sebenernya akhir tahun dari bulan November merupakan hari-hari yang baik buat kami berdua. Dimulai dengan ulang tahun istri, ulang tahun perkawinan, Natal, Tahun baru, dan ulang tahun Suami (kalo mau dipanjangin bisa sampe palentin sama sinchia, hueheheh). Anywho, pokoknya masa-masa liburanlah dan senang-senang, walaupun istri tetap sibuk, tapi setidaknya saya siap untuk antar-jemput, atau bahkan makan siang. Pokoknya istirahat sambil sok sibuk abis-abisan deh. Bahkan gue sempet jadi "best man" temen gue yang akhirnya kawin juga, hueheheh.

Tahu-tahu udah mesti balik untuk belajar lagi, cepet banget. Nah disini alasan kedua muncul, tiba-tiba kerjaan kayak banjir di tahun 2007, ada yang lanjutan tahun lalu, tapi ada juga yang baru, yeaaahhh. pas dateng langsung rapat sana rapat sini, melototin komputer ama paper. Satu-satunya perayaan yang gue inget adalah ulang tahun Etta yang seminggu ituh, dimana Yudis juga dateng, huehehehhe, tapi sisanya yah kadang minum2, nonton, walmart/meier, dan kegiatan-kegiatan rutin lainnya. Spring Break ajah tiap hari rapat, wuiihhh. Pokoknya harus semangat "empat-lima" deh. Bahkan ketiga gue menulis ini, sebenernya baru ajah rapat pagi untuk kerjaan baru, huehheheh, nasib.

Anywho, walaupun sekarang kayak digebukin, akhir tahun 2006 dan awal tahun 2007, merupakan akhir dan awal yang baik buat gue, karena gue mengakhiri dan mengawali dengan istri gue, istimewa banget deh. Satu-satu yang mengingatkan gue adalah foto-foto yang bertebaran di iphoto gue, dan gue pasang di blog ini. Katanya foto bisa memberikan beribu makna, jadi nikmatilah foto-foto gue untuk sementara, kalau tulisannya nanti-nanti yah.

Salam

2007-03-26T00:06:00.000-07:00

Lost in Translation

Kunjuangan singkat ke ibukota negeri matahari terbit.

*makanan apa yah ini? Gue cuman beli gara-gara orang ngantri, huehehehehe

*buta huruf di Tokyo tapi sok milih, belagu amat yah...

*ngaso dulu di bawah poster cewek Jepang di kebon teh...

Apple Store Tokyo, beli charger ibook jauh bener yah, hueheheheh...

*nggak boleh ngerokok tapi boleh email, apa seecchhh, please dech, nggak jelas banget...

*ngeliat ke arah yang sama, kayaknya ini pas ada godzilla lewat...

2007-03-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

Wajah-wajah Kami

Wajah 1

Wajah 2

Wajah 3

Wajah 4

Wajah 5

Wajah 6

2007-03-25T21:24:00.000-07:00

Illusion Bow...

Cara-cara membuat minuman illusion

*Illusion Cocktail (http://www.cheapdrinks.com.au)

50ml Midori
30ml Cointreau
25ml vodka
65ml Pineapple Juice
30ml Lime Juice
Cup of Crushed Ice

Serving suggestions:
Place all ingredients together in a cocktail shaker and shake well, then strain into a cocktail glass or shot glasses for fun.

*Illusion cocktail recipe (www.1001cocktails.com)
Category: Shots

Ingredients :
- 30 ml coconut rum
- 30 ml melon liqueur
- 30 ml vodka
- 15 ml orange liqueur (cointreau, grand marnier...)
- 1 splash apple juice
- 30 ml coconut rum
- 30 ml melon liqueur
- 30 ml vodka
- 15 ml orange liqueur (cointreau, grand marnier...)
- 1 splash apple juice

Use a "Shaker" for Illusion drink recipe
Pour all spirits into a shaker and top with a splash of pineapple juice.
Serve in "Shot Glass " Garnish: No
Ingredients: coconut rum. melon liqueur. vodka. orange liqueur (cointreau, grand marnier...). apple juice. coconut rum. melon liqueur. vodka. orange liqueur (cointreau, grand marnier...). apple juice.

*Scale ingredients Illusion (www.drinksmixer.com)

1 oz Midori® melon liqueur
1 oz vodka
1 oz Bacardi® white rum
1 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur
1/2 oz Blue Curacao liqueur
pineapple juice
lemonade

Pour the Midori melon liqueur, vodka, Bacardi white rum, Cointeau, blue curacao and pineapple juice (to taste) into a highball glass filled with ice cubes. Stir well. Top with lemonade, stir again gently, and serve.

*Illusion Cocktail: The Easiest Way

Jalan ke Pisa Cafe, terus pesen, hueheheh...

*Ijo Royo Royo...

2007-03-25T17:18:00.000-07:00

Jakarta Yeaahhhhh, Tempat Terbaik di Dunia!!!

Sekelumit foto-foto tentang kegiatan di Jakarta...

*malam pertama di Jakarta, langsung nongkrong mesen Illusion sepitcher (pitcher bir) buat betiga busyeettttt

*potret diri kami pada saat makan malam ulang tahun perkawinan, di tempat kami menghabiskan malam pertama pada saat parkawinan kami

*hari natal di rumah eyang...

*selamat Natal semuanya, abis nonton Ungu di CiTOS nih, untung kagak keinjek2, huehehehehhe....

*anak badung lagi ngadep enyaknye di SenSi

Jakarta, Yeeaahhh...

2007-03-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

On The Sunny Side of The Street: Bara/Bala/Bar'/Bal'

*Lambang Prambors Rasisonia

Akhirnya setelah menjalani kuliah di Fakultas Ekonomi Universitas Atmajaya, adek cowok gue yang paling cakep (emang adek cowo gue cuman satu siih) lulus ujian sarjana di jurusan ilmu ekonomi studi pembangunan.

SELAMAT ATAS TELAH LEWATNYA UJIAN AKHIR UNTUK GELAR SARJANANYA

Terima kasih juga kepada pihak-pihak yang telah membantu supaya adek gue nggak main game dan tidur terus.

*Salah satu kegiatan utama, tidur dimana-mana

Sampe ketemu lagi di Indonesia.

*Kacamata boleh minjem

2007-03-14T16:36:00.000-07:00

Pengalaman Pertama

Nah waktu pulang ke Indonesia, gue diminta bantuin temen gue supaya jemput calon istrinya pas hari nikah untuk di anter ke gereja. Nah seperti biasa, dengan semangat supir kayak gue, yah nggak masalah, dikasih dasi lagi (dasar pelit, mestinya lengkap tuh ngasihnya, gue jadi mesti beli jas deh, di Bandung, hehehhehe). Enihuu, ternyata gue mesti bangun pagi, pake baju bagus, ngeliatin jalan ke sana, jemput pengantin wanita, ngeliatin jalan ke gereja, terus ikut iring2an, duduk dengan manis di bagian depan dari gereja, dan nongkrong ampe selese. Pokoknya yang biasanya males gue lakukan, ternyata begitu rasanya jadi best man, untung nggak disuruh pegang cincin, bisa ilang kali yah, hehehe. Yah buat temen gue, gue kasih dah, gratis buat loe, hahahahha. Untung pengantin wanitanya manis, dan istri gue rela nemenin, hueheheh. It has been an honor.

Berhubung foto2nya kagak jadi ampe sekarang, gue kasih sedikit dah yang ada di HP istri.

*yang nikah, yang nikah... ketangkap ama paparazzi lagi catatan sipil...

*temen-temen yang cantik-cantik dan cakep, bersedia dateng, dan melihat.....

*pasangan paling okeh, huehehehehe...

Selamat menempuh hidup baru...

2007-03-08T13:51:00.000-08:00

Menjawat Pertanyaan iDoc (Mengenai Matahari di Perayaan Ultah)

Lain daripada yang biasanya, setelah urun rembug dengan istri, kami(istri tepatnya) memutuskan untuk mengadakan ulang tahun pada saat makan siang. Salah satu pertimbangan utama adalah anak2 kecil yang mungkin akan dibawa orang tuanya, akan lebih baik kalo mereka bermain2 di siang hari. Yah maksudnya jadi kayak acara keluarga gituh. Sehingga diputuskan untuk acara ultah saya diadakan dari siang sampe sore, kalo nggak salah dari jam 12.00-16.00. Kayaknya baguskan. Tapi kenyataannya seperti yang terlihat di foto2 dibawah ini.

*masih siang, terang benderang orang berteduh dibawah atap

*mulai agak sore, yang datengnya tepat waktu mulai siap2 pulang, mau mandi terus malam mingguan kaleee...

*nah udah gelapkan, berarti udah malem nih, tapi intensitas tamu tetep... Abis jawaban untuk pertanyaan "kalo gue dateng sekarang loe usir kagak?" Masa jawabannya gue usir, nggak mungkinlah yah...

*ini tiup lilin yang ketiga, udah malem bener deh, abis udah 3 kue ditiupin semua...

*udah jam 10 malem nih, boleh duong bersih-bersih, wong mestinya selese jam 4 sore, bener nggak?

*baju gue dan istri udah ganti, tapi masih aja ada tamu yang ngajakin begaya, udah mau midnight nih, masih lanjut... tarik mang...

*keluarga yang dateng tek tok, datengnya sih emang udah malem juga, yang penting ngucapin selamat, pulang deket2 tengah malam, bolehlah...

*nah after midnight ginih nih, pas minuman soda mulai abis, keluar deh minuman ginian, sama penjaganya sekalian...

*masih aja ada pasangan yang dateng, udah ampir jam 2 pagi hari Menggu nih, masih semangatlah pokoknya...

*coba diperhatikan istri udah bobo, huehehehhee, maaf yah istri tercinta...

*masih terus dateng, tapi kalo kayak gini mah kudu disambut, ditolak bisa sial nih, huehehehhehe... btw udah jam 4 nih hari menggu...

Yah begitulah sekelumit, perjalanan singkat ultah saya, yang mestinya dari jam 12.00 sampai jam 16.00, diperpanjang sampai jam 04.00 keesokan harinya. Nanggep orang 16 jam cape juga saudara-saudara, tapi nggak papa ketemu temen-temen ama keluarga yang setia datang di ultah saya, bahkan beberapa dari mereka dateng sejak saya mengadakan ultah dari mereka sejak SMP dan SMA, dan itu sudah 10 tahun lebih saudara2. Terima kasih lho atas kehadirannya... Semoga tahun depan bisa diadakan acara yang sama.

Salam.

2007-03-07T18:29:00.000-08:00

Sekedar Foto2 Ultah di Tahun 2007

Sebenernya sih banyak foto ultah cuman yang ditaruh disini yang kebetulan dateng, terus bawa anaknya, heheheh, biar lucukan ada anaknya. Nah tamu-tamu kayak gini yang menyebabkan kami menyediakan bingkisan anak-anak, atau bahasa kerennya goody bag. Masukan untuk yang ingin menyediakan bingkisan anak2, kalo ngasih banyak permen sekalian kasih voucher dokter gigi, dan kalo ngasih sesuatu jangan yang bisa dibuat mainan pedang-pedangan atau pukul-pukulan. Yah dasar orang tua banyak maunya, huehehehehhe...

Potong Kue Pertama (kalau tidak salah)

Ape, Ijul, dan Rara

Baba, Liya, dan Bitha

Yogi, Anti, dan Kalisya

Reza, Lona, dan Nasya

Terima kasih yah udah datang...

2006-12-14T21:55:00.000-08:00

Quotes from Hitchiker to Galaxy: The Movie

I like the books, and I enjoyed the movie. They are simply entertaining...

"Arthur Dent" (when the mice want to take his head):

"Fine. Fine, take it. Because my head is filled with questions and I can assure you no answer to any one of them has ever brought me one iota of happiness. Except for one. The one. The only question I've ever wanted an answer to - is she the one? The answer bloody well isn't forty-two, it's yes. Undoubtedly, unequivocally, unabashadly yes. And for one week, one week in my sad little blip of an existence, it made me happy."

"The Book" (when it tried to explain about love):

"The Encyclopedia Galactica, in its chapter on Love states that it is far too complicated to define. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has this to say on the subject of love: Avoid, if at all possible. Unfortunately, Arthur Dent has never read the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."

"The Book" (about the Point of View Gun: the most dangerous weapon in the galaxy):

The Point of View gun conveniently does precisely what its name suggests. That is if you point it at someone and pull the trigger, they instantly see things from your point of view. It was designed by Deep Thought, but commissioned by a consortium of intergalactic angry housewives, who after countless arguments with their husbands were sick to the teeth of ending those arguments with the phrase "You just don't get it, do you?"

2006-12-10T19:17:00.000-08:00

Birthday Card

2006 birthday's card from my wife...
In the cover, there are a man doing windsurfing, and a word: Husband

Paksi dear...

For the man who
plays hard,
takes risk,
and loves life passionately

From the
woman who
passionately
loves him
with all her heart

Happy Birthday

Beby

"Countdown to Anniversary"

2006-12-07T14:35:00.000-08:00

The Nearness of You: Singapore

Jalan-jalan summer tahun lalu. Hmmm tepatnya istri kerja, terus gue jalan2, yang ada males ngapa2in nunggu istri di hotel tanpa ......
Selalu senang pergi ke Singapur, nggak butuh visa, tapi fiskal tetep, terus sante2 ajah, karena orang Indonesia juga banyak, makanan yang enak dan lain sebagainya. Apalagi ada Arya dan keluarga (si kembar pasti udah gede banget yah sekarang). Karena istri kerja pasti nginep pertama di MHotel di Tanjong Pagar, hotel buat bisnis, jauh dari tempat turis, tapi relatif tenang, dan dekat dengan tempat makan. Selain itu tempat tidurnya enak bener deh, konsep minimalis, cuman suka penuh ajah, jadi susah diperpanjang, hehehehhe. Pokoknya saik deh...

Tapi gue keilangan kamera disini, ng...., ah nggak boleh ngumpat terlalu banyak kata istri, hehhehhehe. Ini dua foto yang gue temukan, yang lain ilang bersama kamera, sial emang Marche. Tapi yang penting sempet jalan2 bareng, makan ataupun belanja ataupun pergi tanpa tujuan.

*Ini di MHotel, biar keliatan hotel bisnis dikasih Bulls satu, jadi nggak usah jauh2 ke NY atau Chicago, kalo mau foto bareng banteng, huehhehe...

*Leyeh-leyeh di tempat Arya, pokoknya males2an, nggak ngapa2in yang penting bareng...

Countdown to Anniversary

2006-12-07T11:13:00.000-08:00

In a Sentimental Mood: B B'day

Sekitar sebulan lalu istri merayakan ulang tahunnya, dan gue nggak mau ngitung ini kali kebarapa gue nggak bisa merayakan bersamanya. Pada hari tersebut gue merayakan sendiri, karena temen2 pada sibuk, Boston dan sakit. Sehingga gue merayakannya 4 hari kemudian, seperti yang sudah tertulis di blog sebelumnya.

Istri gue merayakan ultahnya di kantor dengan bekerja seperti biasany, untung ada temen2 kantornya yang baik dan membelikan kue untuk merayakan ulang tahun istri gue. Guys and Gals at the B's office, I owe all of you one.

This is the pictures, although it's hard for me everytime I see them (I wish I was there).

*B dan temen2 kantornya yang kebanyakan cewek

*I hope you wish for you and for me

*Kue sederhana yang berarti buat gue

Thanks

"Countdown to Anniversary"

2006-12-07T06:02:00.000-08:00

On The Sunny Side of the Street: Lintang/'Tang

Adek cewek gue yang paling cantik (gue cuman punya dua adek, satu cewek dan satu cowok sih, hehehhehe) baru ajah menjalani ujian thesisnya, dan lulus dengan perbaikan kecil (nggak penting deh, heheheh).

SELAMAT ATAS TELAH LEWATNYA UJIAN AKHIR
UNTUK GELAR MASTERNYA

Sampe ketemu lagi di Indonesia...

*Wawancara ketika Lintang baru memulai studi masternya.

Student profile: Lintang
Course: Master of Engineering Science (Engineering Management)

Country: Indonesia

Previous school/university: Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology

Why did you choose to study Engineering Management at the University of Melbourne?

After finishing my undergraduate degree I worked in the plastics industry for 2.5 years. I was initially employed in the maintenance department and then moved to product development. I realised very soon that management skills in this industry (and I'm sure in all industries) are essential in achieving outcomes. Engineering Management is a course which I know will help develop these skills and lead to good career outcomes.

What is the best thing about your course?

What I really enjoy is becoming aware of the research that is currently being done in the Engineering Management field. When you are working full time you are very much absorbed in your immediate day-to-day work issues. When you study you gain knowledge about a much broader range of issues through reading journal papers and hearing about the experiences of other engineers who are working as managers.

I have really enjoyed the guest lectures which have mainly been given by people from industry. They give you real life examples of management problems and issues. It is also very interesting learning about areas which I am not as familiar with such as sustainability, marketing and consulting.

How will your course help your future study plans or career?

In large organisations you deal with many people, both internally and externally - having management skills will greatly improve my ability to do this. I know I will also feel more confident in a managerial position having the theoretical knowledge to back my decisions

What do you enjoy most about your Australian life?

I love living in Melbourne - especially being able to walk around in a safe and clean city. I've also enjoyed meeting new friends in Melbourne. Really, it makes my life here in Melbourne great for both studying and fun.

What activities/clubs have you participated in since your arrival?

I have participated in 'Group Fitness' classes at the Sports Centre. These are classes such as Body Pump, Thai Box and Body Balance. Body Balance is my favourite as it is a mixture of Thi Chi, Pilates and Yoga which really helps you relax.

I have also recently been elected to the University of Melbourne Postgraduate Association (UMPA). This groups reviews the University's policies on postgraduate students. At the moment it has just been meetings but I hope that it will give me an opportunity to contribute.

What advice do you have for other students from your country coming to study in Australia?

Study hard, work hard and play hard!

*Adek cowok yang paling ganteng dan adek cewek yang paling cantik

*Heh, adek cowok gue satu2nya, gimana ceritanya nih... Hehehhehe

2006-12-07T05:18:00.000-08:00

Lirik Lagu Lucu

Waktu lagi liat multiplynya temen adek, Rosa Bate, dia punya playlist, hanya tiga lagu, nah salah satunya Crash in to Me-nya Dave Matthews, langsung dengerin. Ternyata lagu terakhirnya, if you are not the one OST-nya Maid in Manhattan, okeh juga buat gombal2an, apalagi saat gue sangat rindu dan berdebar2 menghitung hari untuk pulang dan ketemu istri. Ini buat kamu istriku, heheheheh.

If you're not the one then why does my soul feel glad today?
If you're not the one then why does my hand fit yours this way?
If you are not mine then why does your heart return my call?
If you are not mine would I have the strength to stand at all?

I never know what the future brings
But I know you are here with me now
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with

I don't wannna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am?
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

If I don't need you then why am I crying on my bed?
If I don't need you then why does your name resound in my head?
If you're not for me then why does this distance maim my life?
If you're not for me then why do I dream of you as my wife?

I don't know why you're so far away
But I know that this much is true
We'll make it through
And I hope you are the one I share my life with
And I wish that you could be the one I die with
And I'm praying you're the one I build my home with
I hope I love you all my life

I don't wanna run away but I can't take it, I don't understand
If I'm not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

'Cause I miss you, body and soul so strong that it takes my breath away
And I breathe you into my heart and pray for the strength to stand today
'Cause I love you, whether it's wrong or right
And though I can't be with you tonight
You know my heart is by your side

I don’t wanna run away but I can’t take it, I don’t understand
If I’m not made for you then why does my heart tell me that I am
Is there any way that I can stay in your arms?

*emang lagu cinta yang mulai dengan pertanyaan berbahaya...
*udah kapok masang klip atau lagu2 yang main pas masuk ke halaman blog, jadi yang belum punya lagunya klik link ini ajah yah

"Countdown to Anniversary"

2006-11-21T20:49:00.000-08:00

Simple Closure

*My Younger, Much Younger, Friends and me

Friendship is something I consider a gift (you can check how I treasure my friends on my previous posts). I have very good friends, which I already consider them too close. These friends have endured the test of time, we went through a lot of things to much, all the sin, all the good deeds, all the sadness, and all the joy, we did it together. These are friends that I sometimes take it for granted. In the sense that whatever I do, good or bad, wright or wrong, they are still my friends. Hell, if time can not take that friendship, who can take it away from me. Of course I have the benefit of long interaction with them that make us too close. There were two periods of time that I enjoyed these benefit, in (junior) high school for six years, and in undergraduate for six years (don't ask!!!). So, greetings for all of my very good friends out there...

*No Look Style 1

*No Look Style 2

Here, in this blog, I will talk about friends that I picked up along the way, or the other way around. Since, I study in the foreign countries, like Korea, and now USA, I arrived with basically no friend (How I wish all my very good friends in Atlanta, Raleigh, Denver, and Delaware, study in Urbana-Champaign, huahahahah). Therefore, I have people that I know, but not a very good friend. Then, because of common language, common interest, or others, we've become close, and in a foreign countries I can instantly be a friend with a stranger with common language. They have been very helpful to me. Also, because the nature of our study, well my study to be exact, they are leaving Champaign-Urbana before me. I don't have the benefit to have long acquintance with them, but we became close. Champaign Beyatch was the previous example.

*The Three on the Left

*The Three in the Middle

Nowadays, I have younger, much younger, friends. They are Ardi and Windy. I know Ardi almost one and half year now. He has been my roomate for this semester. He's the one who always keep his cool, no emotion whatsoever, when he's happy he keep his calm, and I never see him show his sadness. Well sometimes he looks mad, but that's it, he still keep his boyish look, and smirk here and there. He was always planned, seems now what he's doing, and funny most of the times. His decisions are sometimes, or often, ackward to me, but maybe we are just different, or maybe that what happen if you stay in US, everyman for himself. For example, he only wash dishes that he used, he seldom take the trash, and he eats rice with fork, when there are spoon around, hehehhehe.

*I and Ardi, not many times you can catch Ardi laugh his heart out

*I and Windy, most of the times windy smile like this

But he was the president of Indonesian Student Association in Urbana-Champaign. So, he is an organizer, he even organized Indonesian Cultural Night that went very well. He almost always has reason for something that he does, the reasons are not always logic, but hey, even I sometimes feel reluctant to loose a debate. In short, when I hang out with him, it was like the time, when I hang out with my friends in high school: a lot of work with almost no emotion. He will graduate this semester, he will go to new work place in New York in January. He will pursue his dreams, and along with that he will have bigger burden ahead. Hopefully, he will stay healthy, he's a skinny guy, and he was sick many times, even my wife worry about him. Therefore, for him, at best I can say, he's still in the journey to the manhood, and still lack of compassion, where compassion matters only if you show them.

*His signature smile, please find another one dude, hehehe

The other one is windy. I know her for only four or five months. At first she seemed poise, she keep her stature. She always telling things that make me think that she wanted to be seen as a grown woman, full with determination: A woman that know what she wants, and almost sure that she can get it. But it never fooled me, hehehhehe. After all, she's just a young woman that just graduated from undergraduate, with all the complication, about career, relationship, and others. Of course, in no times, she showed her true self.

*Not her signature smile, but sweeter

It seems just yesterday, when she wanted to go to the health centre to give her health report at her first days, alone. She said she just need the direction. I offered her my company, because the health centre is not too far from my office. She said, "No, thank you". I offered her again, she seemed hesitant, and I just told her to follow me. I took her there, and gave some tips so she doesn't need to take shots. She told that all have been taken care, "no problem". Then, she came out without her usual poise look, and told me, "Paksi, I have to take the shot, and I'm scared." Huahahaha, well, that's it for her poise attitude. She turn out has an emotion like roller coaster. But she's a kind loving person, always taking care of other people. She usually show her emotion and compassion in a natural way. Now, she will go in February if she decide to pursue her study in Chicago. For her, I can say that she's a girl who is trying hard to get a grip, in order to reach her womanhood. Hopefully, she will stay healthy, because she look fragilel.

*Hey, it's me, Windy, sitting on the sofa

As we usually did many things together, I know a lot about both of them. Whether they tell me or not, I know mostly what they've been through. As the oldest I should give something for them. I'm not a good judge, therefore I don't judge easily. Also, I'm not a good consultant for helping them to make a good decision in life. My wife is, but I'm not. Sometimes, I gave them my experiences that I picked along the way, and I still have some moral advice that mostly come from my wife. But most of the times, I'm only a clown and a good listener (even in silence). The best suggestion that you can get from me is "If you know what you want, and you know the consequences, just do it, you're already grown up, right or wrong, good or bad, you are the one who will live it for the rest of your life." But I can promised whatever you do, I will always be your funny friends.

*Hey, It's me, Ardy, eating on the sofa

We have a good dinner last night to celeberate their good news. It was on me, hey, they're the one who should treat me, hehehe. Also, It was a belated birthday celeberation for my wife birthday (They told me to give you their thanks my dear). And last but not least for my closure of our togetherness, before they leave Champaign. I wanted early, because my last experience, if I wait until the last time, I will not have time for a good dinner with my friends.

*Them on the CTA Bus

So, there we were in Outback Steakhouse (we're coming with Illini Taxi, and we had a nice lady driver), enjoying our steak in the smoking section. No appetizer and no dessert, we just simply had three plate of steaks, three glass of ice tea, and three wine glasses with a bottle of red wine, Wente Syrah (if I'm not mistaken). We had a chit chat about our togetherness and their future, with smile and laugh. Suddenly, I gave our closure for our togetherness, and everybody listen and smile, or try to smile. We're waiting for our taxi to go back to our apartment. The night was mild, and not so cold. Then, like always, we arrived in front of 1004, where we usually enjoy our sofa and watch the TV, where we sometimes eat together, where we often become a host for our guests, where we just stay there because we have nothing to do, where we start our journey, and so on. Again, in front of 1004, Windy gave her warmest hugs to me, and ardy. Wispher exchanged. Finally, we seperated, the one who almost always stay in 1004 for a sleep went to her apartment, the one who almost always stay a bit for a chit chat or a movie went to the office, the one who always stay for awhile before go to sleep early went in to the apartement, he closed and locked the door. It's been a wonderful night, thanks...

I wish both of you have a good and happy journey ahead.

2006-11-06T13:34:00.000-08:00

Letter of Statement for Applying Job
by James Muray in 1867 for a position with the British Museum.
(Taken from "The Professor and The Madman")

I have to state that Philology, both Comparative and special, has been my favourite pursuit during the whole of my life, and that I possess a general acquintance with the languages & literature of the Aryan and Syro-Arabic classes--not indeed to say that I am familiar with all or nearly all of these, but that I posses that general lexical and structural knowledge which makes the intimate knowledge only a mater of a little application. With several I have more intimate acquintance as with the Romance tongues, Italian, French, Catalan, Spanish, Latin & in a less degree Portuguese, Vaudois, Provencal and various dialects. In the Teutonic branch, I am tolerably familiar with Dutch (having at my place of business correspondence to read in Dutch, German, French & occasionally other languages), Flemish, Germand, Danish. In Anglo-Saxon and Moeso-Gothic my studies have been much closer, I having prepared some works for publication upon these languages. I know a little of the Celtic, and am at present engage with sclavonic, having obtained useful knowledge of the Russian. In the Persian, Achaemenian Cuneiform, & Sanscrit branches, I know for the purpose of Comparative Philology. I have sufficient knowledge of Hebrew and Syriac to read at the sight of Old Testament and Peshito, to a less degreee I know Aramaic Arabic, Coptic and Phoenician to the point where it was left by Genesius.

NB: He wrote it in his thirtieth birthday, and he was turned down by the British Museum. Nevertheless, it was one of the best letter of statement. Later, he was the first editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, which is generally regarded as the most comprehensive and scholarly dictionary of the English language (taken from wikipedia).

2006-10-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Siapa yang Menanggung Biayanya? (Lanjutan 1)

Artikel di Kompas tentang Biaya Penanggulangan Semburan Lumpur

Sampai saat ini General Manajer P.T. Lapindo Berantas menyatakan menanggung pengeluaran yang terjadi sampai saat ini, sekitar US$ 70.000.000,00 Kalau perkiraan di NYT benar, dan pernyataan General Manajer benar, dan semuanya dana digunakan untuk mengatasi lumpur, maka kemungkinan P.T. Lapindo Berantas harus mengeluarkan sekitar US$ 930.000.000,00 lagi.
Tetap semangat!

Menteri Energi dan Sumber Daya Mineral meminta supaya pembicaraan mengenai masalah pendanaan dilakukan dalam forum yang terbatas dan tertutup, bahkan beberapa anggota tim juga harus meninggalkan ruangan.
Kenapa yah? Mungkin Pak Menteri mau nyumbang, cuman nggak enak kalo ketahuan.

Pada awal rapat rencana sudah dipaparkan secara baik, tetapi ketika ditanya mengenai masalah pendanaan oleh Polda Jatim, Ketua Tim Pelaksana diminta memilah perencanaan menjadi jangan pendek, jangka menengah, dan jangka panjang. Jangka panjangnya kayaknya panjaaanngg sekali.
Wah ini kesempatan kabur nih, karena kayaknya bakal lebih lama lagi penyelesaiannnya. Selain itu, proyek jangka menengah dan jangka panjang bisa jadi kesempatan untuk buat proyek baru nih. Hidup proyek!

p.

2006-10-24T00:13:00.000-07:00

Cool Song

I just learned how to post a videoclip here. I was so outdated. Anyhow, enjoy the song...

MAN ON THE MOON
REM
Singingfool.com

I watched Man in the Moon movies that played by Jim Carey. It was a movie about Andy Kaufman. He's an idealist entertainer, who simply wanted to make people gasp. It is a good movie, for me, and this song about him was so perfectly fit. So, I like the song, I'm a fan of the group (REM), I like the actor, and I enjoyed the movie; it was a good combination.

p.

2006-10-20T12:49:00.000-07:00

Siapa yang menanggung biayanya?

Artikel dari halaman depan New York Times (NYT)

Artikel di atas membuat gue tertarik pada kasus ini, karena berada di halaman depan NYT. Setelah itu gue mulai mencari-cari berita di Indonesia, untuk menjawab pertanyaan yang diutarakan oleh artikel ini. Sampai saat ini yang gue lihat dari berita-berita itu hanyalan proses masalah penanggulangannya yang, seperti biasa, berantakan. Penanggulangannya juga dilakukan oleh tim yang dibuat oleh pemerintah, tanpa gue lihat peran atau partisipasi dari perusahaan yang berbuat kesalahan. Sehingga, sampai saat ini, gue cuman bisa menjawab bahwa pemerintah, dengan dana pajak yang diambil dari rakyat, akan menanggung biaya yang dapat mencapai 1 milyar dollar, hampir mencapai 10 triliun rupiah (sekitar Rp. 10.000.000.000.000,00). Gue rasa masyarakat akan merasa malas untuk membantu, karena yang menyebabkan bencana ini bisa kabur.

Kutipan dicetak miring:

"Foreign companies, environmental groups and political observers are now watching closely to see whether the government will hold the company that drilled the well accountable for the costs of the cleanup, which could easily reach $1 billion."

Selain itu dari segi bagaimana perusahaan induk dapat melarikan diri dari kemungkinan tuntutan keungan juga menarik. Lapindo Berantas yang dimiliki oleh Bakrie Groups telah dijual ke perusahaan yang terdaftar di Jersey, Amerika (Lyte Ltd.) seharga 2 dollar, hampir mencapai 20 ribu rupiah (sekitar Rp. 20.000,00). Perusahaan 'bodoh' yang mau membeli Lapindo Berantas yang bermasalah ini ternyata adalah perusahaan yang pemilik sepenuhnya Bakrie Groups. Sehingga, bila Lyte Ltd. menyatakan pailit di Amerika, Bakrie Group kemungkinan besar tidak perlu menanggung biaya bencana yang disebabkan oleh Lapindo Berantas.

"But as the liabilities have escalated, Lapindo was sold — for $2 — last month to an offshore company, owned by the Bakrie Group, and many fear it will declare bankruptcy, allowing its owners to walk away."

"Lapindo’s parent company announced that it was selling Lapindo for $2 to Lyte Ltd., a company that is registered in the offshore island of Jersey. The majority shareholder in the parent company is the Bakrie Group, and the Bakrie Group is also the sole owner of Lyte, according to public documents."

"A concern now is whether Lyte, which has been renamed Bakrie Oil & Gas, will declare bankruptcy, which seems almost inevitable."

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” said Mr. Hendrarso, the senior elected executive official in Sidoarjo, the district that is at the center of the mud disaster. If the Bakrie Group does not pay, the Indonesia government will be left with the bill, government officials said."

Gue berasa mau gebukin orang ajah nih bawaannya.

Walaupun gue sebenernya mau percaya mungkin itu emang alam ajah yang lagi nyebelin, jadi bencana alam tersebut terjadi, tetapi sampai saat ini kok berat ke kesalahan manusia yah.

Semoga, sekali lagi semoga, yang mesti bertanggung jawab melaksanakan kewajibannya. Sehingga bukan masyarakat Indonesia lagi yang dibuat jadi lebih miskin, hanya karena ada yang mau dapat untung lebih besar dengan membuat sesuatu tidak sesuai ketentuan.

Semoga.

NB: Kalo ternyata yang semestinya bertanggung jawab dengan berbagai tipu daya dan muslihat bisa lari dari kewajiban, maka hanya satu yang dapat gue lakukan, seperti rakyat Indonesia pada umumnya: gue sumpahin loe semua.

Contoh: GUE SUMPAHIN MATI BESOK LOE SEMUA, BANGSAT!!!

2006-10-18T21:11:00.001-07:00

Puisi Buatan Istri
* yang ini ngerti dikit-dikitlah, lumayan, hehehehhehe

KE MANA?

Kala trus beranjak
Dari tiada menjadi ada

Ketika ada terpelihara
Namun tetap bagian dari dunia
Lekang pupus dimakan usia

Ketika tak sanggup menemukannya kembali
Terpisahlah dua anak manusia
Bukan maut yang memisahkannya
Bukan pula kematian raga
Hanya perginya rasa yang pernah ada

Ke mana perginya
Tak ada yang berusaha mencari
Dari ada menjadi tiada

Hanya mampu berucap doa
Inilah yang terbaik untuknya

11 Oktober 2006
(Tercenung mendengarkan kabar dari kawan lama)

2006-10-18T19:35:00.000-07:00

The Traces of Her

*On Itunes

*On Mobile Phones

*On The Desk

*On Yahoo Messengger Window Chat

*On The Wall 1

*On Yahoo Messengger

*On Friendster 1

*On Friendster 2

*On Friendster 3

*On Friendster 4

*On Friendster 5

*On The Wall 2

*On Friendster 6

*On Friendster 7

*On Friendster 8

*On Friendster 9

*On My Mind.... On My Heart... Always...

I love you... Always...

2006-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

Me, Myself, and Books

I love to buy books, actually I'm addicted to books. Almost any kind of books, from philosophy books to comic books (yes, comic is also a book). I don't read the entire books that I bought, maybe I read the introduction, but definitely not all the contents of the book, with the exception of very few interesting books.

Since elementary school, I like to be surrounded by books. Both of my parents, my mother and my father, have oollection of books that I can't understand until now, their books were about medical science or perinatalogy, and administration research. Most of the time, my parents gave books to me and my sister. We're not allowed to buy a lot of toys, but they always more lenient if we wanted books; we were also allowed to rent videos, but let's focus on books here. In addition, my grandparents from my mother side also like to give books to their grandchildren, any kind of books.

Of course, naturally, we accumulated a lot of comics's book, until our parents detected our craving toward comics. Then, they reduced comics consumption. Of course, we moved to novel, and we accumulated a lot of novels afterward.

We had so many books, we even opened a small library for our neighborhood, well actually my smart sister did all the work, but that was the first time I realized we have a lot of books. We rented our books for people in the surrounding area: Jalan Haji Jame/Gang Belimbing, Cilandak KKO. It was for a good cause, because books were relatively expensive at that time, and our neighborhood was not even in the average of middle income level. We were philanthropist at our young age :D. If my memory served, we rented our books for Rp 100.00 (or maybe Rp. 50.00) for couple of days, and we gave discount for our active customer. For the detailed, I have to ask my sister, if she still remember. We had our times and businesss was good, but we were bored easily, and we abandon our noble intention to spread our reading materials.

But good thing has to end somewhere; we moved to our current place. We moved to smaller place, but better ones, because the house is closer to our school and my mother workplace. I like to move to my current house, where my grandparents previously stayed. But it is not about the new place, it's about the process of moving. When the important things have to be packed and sent, books will be in the least important things. Of course, our parents promised to keep the books or sent the books later, but that day never come, until now (I'm married now, and my sister is ..., well no comment). The books were damaged, and I think even the scavengers doesn't want to take books that heavily damaged. It hurts me everytime I remember the books that I once had.

In a new place, we hardly had spaces to keep our books organized. We're still buying books, but we just didn't keep it like we used to be. The books were thrown everywhere, sometimes it was damped, in short the books were easily damaged. We're also occupied with our teenage problems, and other problems that demand our time. Again, books became the least important thing in our life. Therefore, although the books keep flowing, but the stock was not increasing like before.

Now, I'm still buying books like an addict. I'm lucky because my wife is also like to collect books, and she keeps the books in a mint condition. She even scolds me if I'm not careful with her books and also my books. We try too keep our books, although we don't have big spaces, but my wife try to manage it. In my previous office and my desk in UIUC, I have big book shelves, so everything is getting better for books. Yeah, I hope it will continue in the years come.

I'm always planning to have small library in our place.

Why I'm writing this essay? It was because I just bought the same book for the third time, and I'm asking to myself: Why I'm addicted to the books. So, maybe later I will tell you about the book that gave inspiration to this essay.

p.

2006-10-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Nobel Peace Prize and Economic Prize Winner 2006

My undergraduate years were filled with mostly Keynesian and some Neo-Classic economics of thought. Since I'm interested in economic development, I studied growth and development intensely. Therefore, I'm more or less familiar with the Nobel Economics Prize winner; at least I learnt their concepts. It is always interesting to see how they can develop such concepts that are simple but powerful. They are powerful enough to shape the development of economic thinking and economic policies.

Therefore, the easiest way to know about economics is to read the life and the works of the Nobel Economics Price winner. You'll see how their passion can turn into the leading concept in economics field. I'm not saying that I'm familiar with the entire winners, but I somewhat superficially know some of the winner's works.

Edmund Phelps is the winner for 2006 Nobel Economics Prize. I know his work, but mostly from the Paul Ormerod's book (The Butterfly Economics). The book criticize the NAIRU (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment). I'm more familiar with Phillips's Curve, but I read about this NAIRU concept hastily. One of the main reason for my negligence is in high growth developing countries like Indonesia, we don't really care about unemployment, because high growth will undermined the unemployment rate. In addition, in Indonesia, unemployment was still a vague concept, because our social structure, which require redefinition of employment and unemployment concept. But nowadays, this concept is very important for development in Indonesia. Edmund Phelps is, without a doubt, one of the leading thinkers in economic.

Now, let's move to the Nobel Peace Prize winner in 2006. Surprisingly, at least for me, the winner is also economist, and I know his work from my undergraduate class. Dr. Mohammad Yunus is the inventor of Grameen Bank; it is a microcredit/microfinancing for people who can not get credit from the conventional bank. His work was copied by many countries, even his concept is included in many economics' development books, like Leading Issues in Economic Development by Gerald Meier. I studied his work in the development class. At the time I learnt about his concept, microfinancing is one of the leading policy in Indonesia, and in many developing countries for helping the poor. Furthermore, when I became a field researcher, I surveyed the impact of microfinancing to the people. It is a very well known concept and practice for me. Of course you will not see the Grameen Bank in American Economic review, Journal of Political Economy, or even in any "serious" economic discussion, but microcredit was spreading to help the poor in the world. It was not about the concept that might be exist before Grameen Bank (which I doubt it), but the practice that makes people believe in microcredit.

I'm very happy to see Dr. Mohammad Yunus as the Nobel Peace Prize winner for his work in economic for the poor. Well, I think he should also win the Nobel Economic Prize As a bigheaded economist I would say, this is one of the example if we work economics problem, peace can be achieved simultaneously. I hope more "economist for the poor" will be rocognized in the years ahead.

p.

2006-09-27T10:53:00.000-07:00

BLLAAAHHHH

Kok bisa lupa yah konsep expected utility dari probabilitas, lupanya pas ujian lagi, biasanya inget. Gue kayaknya udah mudah crack under pressure nih.

SIIIAALLL!!!!
(*nggak boleh terlalu banyak ngomong yang tidak senonoh, seperti ngentot, kontol, tai, memek, dan lain sebagainya, karena bisa ditegur nanti)

Well, life goes on...

p.

2006-09-26T09:47:00.000-07:00

Word of the Day: Memory (with a long list of definitions)

Memory (OED)

I. Senses relating to the action or process of commemorating, recollecting, or remembering.

1. a. An act of commemoration, esp. of the dead; = COMMEMORATION n. 2b. Now hist.
b. to make memory of: to commemorate; to preserve a record or memorial of; to record, mention. Also without of, in clauses with as. Obs. (arch. in later use).
c. in memory of, to the memory of: so as to keep alive the remembrance of; as a memorial to; as a record of. (to be) in memory: for a memorial (obs.).

2. a. The action of remembering; recollection, remembrance. Now chiefly in from memory (also by memory), in memory.
to draw (also take) into (or to) memory: to recollect, remember. to have memory (of): to recollect (trans. and intr.); also to have (of) (someone) in memory. out of memory: forgotten (but cf. sense 4a).
b. An act or instance of remembrance; a representation in the memory, a recollection.
c. A person or thing held in remembrance.

3. a. The perpetuated knowledge or recollection (of something); that which is remembered of a person, object, or event; (good or bad) posthumous reputation. Also (occas.) in extended use (as in quot. 1917).
b. [After classical and post-classical Latin bonae memoriae (2nd cent. A.D.), post-classical Latin sanctae memoriae (3rd cent.), beatae memoriae (4th cent.), freq. in inscriptions; also Old French, Middle French de bonne memoire (1298).] of blessed (also happy, famous, etc.) memory: used formulaically after the name of a distinguished person with reference to the actions or character which distinguish him or her in recollection; hence also used (often humorously) after other people, events, etc.

4. a. The length of time over which the recollection of a person or a number of persons extends. Chiefly in beyond (also past, out of) (the) memory (of ); similarly within memory, etc. through all memory: for all time (obs.).
within living memory: see LIVING ppl. a. 3.
b. Law. [After Anglo-Norman temps de memoire.] time of (legal) memory: time since 3 September 1189, the beginning of the reign of Richard I of England, fixed by statute of Edward I in 1275 and 1293 as the date before which documentary evidence was deemed unnecessary to prove a claim. Cf. time immemorial, etc., s.v. TIME n. 30.

5. The fact or condition of being remembered. Now somewhat arch.
The phrases given at sense 1c may in fact belong here.

II. Senses relating to the faculty of recalling to mind.

6. a. The faculty by which things are remembered; the capacity for retaining, perpetuating, or reviving the thought of things past.
to commit (or commend) to memory: see COMMIT v., COMMEND v.
b. This faculty personified.
c. Psychol. Modified by a preceding adjective or noun, esp. one designating the faculty or the bodily process with which it is believed to be connected.
d. The capacity of a body or substance for manifesting effects of, or exhibiting behaviour dependent on, its previous state, behaviour, or treatment; such effects; a state manifesting this capacity. Freq. with conscious metaphor.
e. The capacity of a body or substance for returning to a previous state when the cause of the transition from that state is removed.

7. a. The faculty by which things are remembered considered as residing in the awareness or consciousness of a particular individual or group. Freq. with preceding word or other contextual indication of the extent to which the faculty is developed or the field in which it is most active (cf. sense 6c).
b. Law. [After Anglo-Norman de bone (also seine) memoire.] In the language of wills, etc.: of (also in) good (also perfect, safe, sane, sound, whole) memory.
c. [Prob. after Anglo-Norman and Middle French revenir a sa memoire.] to come to (one's) memory (again): to recover from unconsciousness, to regain one's senses. Obs.
d. A device or facility functioning (as part of a computer, etc.) in a manner analogous to that of the human faculty of memory, spec. such that data or program instructions may be stored and then subsequently retrieved when required; (as a mass noun) capacity or facilities for storing data, etc., in this way.

8. art of memory [after post-classical Latin ars memoriae, memoriae ars, frequent in titles of works on mnemonics in the late 15th and early 16th centuries], mnemonics; a system of mnemonic devices.
The title page of Oratoriae Artis Epitomata, a work by Jacobus Publicius printed at Venice in 1482, is app. the first to mention memoriae ars. For an earlier use of ars memorie artificialis in a 14th-cent. Italian source see F. A. Yates Art of Memory (1966) iv. 90.

III. Something that perpetuates remembrance or stimulates the memory.

9. A commemorative account, a memoir; a record of a person or event; a history. Obs.

10. a. Something by which the memory of a person, thing, or event is preserved; a memento, a keepsake; a reminder. Obs.
b. regional (Newfoundland). A memorial wall hanging (see quot.).

11. A memorial tomb, shrine, chapel, or the like; a monument. Obs.

Memory: A Quote from "The Prayer of Owen Meany" by John Irving

"Your memory is a monster; you forget--it doesn't. It simply files things away. it keep things for you, or hides things from you--and summons them to your recall with a will of its own. You think you have memory, but it has you"

p.

2006-09-22T12:12:00.000-07:00

Salah Jadwal

Di jadwal yang tertera di buku dan di internet tertulis 1.38, tetapi di jadwal yang tertera di halte 1.22. Bis selanjutnya 3.22...

NGENTOOTTTT!!!

2006-09-19T18:16:00.000-07:00

*Kiriman dari Istri

KEINGINAN MELAKUKAN DAN KELAKUAN YANG DIINGINKAN

Ketika kau bertanya “apa yang ‘kan kau lakukan?”
Kau takkan menemukannya …
Ketika kau melakukannya kan timbul tanya
“Mengapa kulakukan?”
Pada saat kau tak melakukannya
Kau sangat menginginkannya
Ketika kau menginginkanya
Tak pernah kau lakukan
Lantas untuk apa kau menginginkannya …
Hanya sekedar menginginkan
Ataukah karena kebutuhan untuk melakukannya …

Manusia tak pernah lepas dari keinginan …
Ingin melakukan bukan berarti melaksanakannya
Dengan menginginkannya manusia terkadang telah puas
Bagaimana dengan dirimu?
Haruskah kau kuinginkan
Haruskah kau lakukan apa yang kuinginkan
Haruskan kuinginkan apa yang kau lakukan …

Kala batas antara keinginan dan kelakuan menjadi samar …
Ada banyak pemikiran …
Sampai pada suatu rentang antar dua noktah
Kau kan melakukannya tanpa kauinginkan …
Kau melakukannya karena diinginkan …
Apakah keinginanmu untuk melakukannya?
Apakah kelakuanmu sesuai dengan yang diinginkan …
Hmmmm … keinginan untuk melakukan …
Apakah sejalan dengan kelakuan yang diinginkan …

Andai kupahami … keinginan dan melakukan …
Jalan hidup ini tak sesukar yang telah kulakukan …
Sadar untuk melakukan merupakan bagian dari keinginan …
Keinginan tanpa dilakukan takkan bermakna
Sampai kapan kan kumenunggu kau melakukannya apa yang kuinginkan …
Takkan pernah terjawab …
Selain keinginanku telah kaulakukan …
Yang kaulakukan memang kuinginkan …

(Perenungan menjelang fajar dalam masa penantian)
September 6, 2006

*Renungan setelah membaca tulisan istri

Kucoba untuk membaca berkali-kali,
mungkin ada makna yang tersurat,
maupun makna yang tersirat,
dari tulisan istriku ini.

Ahhh, tapi maafkan suamimu yang bodoh ini,
ketika mencoba mengerti,
tetap tidak mengerti,
ketika mencoba lebih keras untuk mengerti,
malah takut salah mengerti.

Biarlah suamimu yang dangkal ini,
memakai tulisanmu untuk menyombongkan diri,
memakai kata-katamu untuk berdiri bangga,
sambil berkata "hebat yah istri gue, huahahaha"

Davenport Hall
19 September 2006

2006-09-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Weather Report

Finally, summer will be over soon. Well, I think summer is already over, because now in the midwest (Champaign-Urbana), the temperature drops to 50. Also the wind, gosh, it tortures me with the speed of 15-20 mph.

I've finally passed the summer, one of the hardest summer that I've gone through, because I usually spent my summer time (June-August) with Beby. The result of my work in the summer is also average, I hate average. In addition to that, my father was not in a good health this summer, until now actually. I hope he will be better soon.

On the brighter side, this cold temperature is a sign of winter that will come soon. Because I'm planning to return to my home at the mid of december, this will be a count down to my happiness, yeeeaaahhh baby yeeeaahhh, give me your best, you fucking weather.

Although, there is a lot of thing to do, I look forward to welcome this holiday season, with my wife, my family and my friends in Indonesia. See you soon everybody, Godspeed.

*Weather report brought to you by yahoo weather and me

2006-09-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Paaarrteeehhhh

Okey, Friday, 15th September 2006 was the first official party at our place, it was a birthday party. I just knew Sandy less than a month (she's Driya's friend), and she already has the audacity to use our place for her 23rd party. That is what I called cool, she rocks...

Thank you for bringing your party to our place,along people, food and drinks (alcohol included). Happy 23rd birthday, have a wonderful life ahead.

Also, thank you for Airin and Erick, who came for the party and stay at our places.

*The Invitation: That is our address

Birthday's Girl (Red)

The Party Continued... at Soma; The MBAs and myroomates (drama, drama, drama, hahahaha)

Birthday's Girl, The Day After (still in red and cry, I think, hehehehe)

*City's Folks in Our Village

*The Guests at Our Place

*One of The Tourist' Spot: The Almamater

PARTY ON DUDES!!!

2006-09-12T14:15:00.000-07:00

September Ceria

Hari ini ada satu SMS dengan pesan bahwa dia sedang jatuh cinta, terus ada satu lagi yang bilang dia sedang jatuh cinta.
Ah senangnya mereka, pasti berjuta rasanya deh... Kalo gituh kirim2 lagu buat temen2 yang sedang jatuh cinta di bulan September, aahhh...

Vina Panduwinata - September Ceria

di pucuk kemarau panjang
yang gersang dan menyakitkan
kau datang menghantar
berjuta kesejukan

kasih ..
kau beri udara untuk nafasku (*luccmm)
kau beri warna bagi kelabu jiwaku

tatkala butiran hujan
mengusik impian semu
kau hadir di sini
di batas kerinduanku

kasih ..
kau singkap tirai kabut di hatiku
kau isi harapan baru untuk menyongsong
masa depan bersama

september ceria .. september ceria ..
september ceria .. september ceria ..
milik kita bersama

ketika rembulan tersenyum
di antara mega biru
kutangkap sebersit isyarat dimatamu

kasih ..
kau sibak sepi di sanubariku
kau bawa daku berani dalam asmara
yang mendamba bahagia

september ceria .. september ceria ..
september ceria .. september ceria ..
milik kita bersama

Sukses!!!

2006-09-11T15:09:00.000-07:00

Percakapan Hampir Dua tahun Lalu

Dari hanya sekedar senior, sampai temen main dan jalan, roomate, disuruh temen Thailandnya untuk jagain Yudis, jagain mobilnya, dan lain sebagainya. Ini adalah percakapan pertama lewat friendster. Sekarang udah ngambil program doktor, kejar terus cita2, tapi jangan lupa sante, huehehehe.

Halo Paksi,

Email gw: yslamet@uiuc.edu; HP gw disini 1-217-
721-XXXX bisa sms ke indo and vice versa kalo
loe sms kenanya gopek per sms.
Kalo mau komunikasi biar gw aja yg telp loe ke
indo, murah bgt bayar $20 bisa dapat 4 jam.
Puaskan dibanding 100rb buat sejam.

Paksi, pada dasarnya hidup di kampung Urbana
ini cukup murah. Public transpornya gratis selama
punya kartu mahasiswa, tgl tunjukkin aja. Kalo
housing utk lebih lengkapnya lihat www.housing.
uiuc.edu. Krn loe mau dtg Jan ini lebih baik
masuk apart orchard downs, harganya cukup
murah dan pantas (cuman beda $20 utk 1 atau 2
bedroom). Gw asumsi loe mau bawa istri loe kan.
Orchard downs itu gampang masuk dan
keluarnya kapan aja, lain dgn apart2 swasta
lainnya yg mesti kontrak setahun. Gw kebetulan di
dorm (Daniels), tapi tempat ini sdh penuh. Kalo
tidak salah di orchard itu harganya sekitar $585
sebulannya belum termasuk gas (heating), telp
dan listrik - ditambah embel2 itu ya sekitar
$685an.

Paksi, kasih tahu aja loe mendarat dimana -
Chicago Ohare atau Champaign (CMI) nanti gw
jemput....... Disini anak Indonya byk juga apalagi
di orchard, kebetulan juga anak2 grad di orchard
pada seumuran loe semua jadi santai aja bawa
istri juga istri loe juga bisa punya teman:)))))

Btw, loe ambil PhD ya???? Congrats ya:)))

Yudis

Paksi wrote:
> Yudis..
>
> Gue mau minta tolong nih, mau nanya2 tentang
> hidup di UIUC nih.
> Gue rencananya mau dateng awal Januari tahun
> depan, kalo bisa mau nanya2 nih, tapi lewat
email
> atau telpon. Jadi gue minta email loe duong,
biar
> komunikasinya cepet, dan nomor telpon loe
> (HP/Rumah)
> Sebagai pembukaan, gue minta info tentang
> housing nih yang murah banget kalo bisa,
maklum
> budget student. Sama apa2 aja yang mesti gue
> siapin ketika nyampe kesana.
> Minta tolong yah bos.
> Terima kasih
>
> Salam
> p

Percakapan ini baru gue liat lagi pas gue mau apusin message2 frenster gue. Awal yang sederhana untuk sebuah persahabatan. Btw, dia ninggalin saudaranya disini biar apartemen gue tetep bersih, seneng deh, ada yang lebih seneng sih kayaknya, huehehehehe, beruntungnya temen saya, huehehehehe :D.

*Yudis dan Saudarinya "Windy"

Stay safe dude...

2006-09-11T12:50:00.000-07:00

Here Comes the Pictures (2)
This series is about people who were there in August in Champaign Urbana.

You will recognized most of them, because they were mentioned in my previous post, but still I will put their pictures that are taken with my camera, hueheheheh.

*my new roomate

*me and the lonely street

*my previous roomate and now he's in NC State, GO WOLFPACK

*my ex-student in driving class

*My new roomate, the cleaning lady and my roomate's ..... (fill in the blank)

*my cook and my travel companion

*my ex-junior, and another MBA's friend

Well, there you have it, pictures of Champaign-Urbana people, who often times help each other out, share stories, share food, or just be there when we need them, in this far, far away place.

Keep rocking dudes...

2006-09-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

Here Comes the Pictures (1)

By the grace of my wife,and with the help of Yudis, I've got our dearrest red Konica Minolta camera. Thus, I can take pictures without borrowing my friend's camera. It is a good thing, because I like to take pictures.

In order to help your imagination about my activity in August, let's start the journey.

The first series is taken on our last days in my apartment. before Yudis arrived, his cousin already arrived and she decided to sleep at our place. Because she doesn't have anything to do except abusing her Indonesia mobile phone bill, she cleaned our apartment, even our bathroom, eeuuuwwwww (hahahahhaha). She's a nice and a shy person, unless she talks, huehehhehehe. I was lucky to have her as my roomate, aside from the cleaner apartment, I also know what she wants to do in her life, which is already different now, huahahah. Well, people changes. After Yudis arrived, we were cleaning up the apartment good, except for one minor flaw, I broke the closet's lid, huahahahaha.

*My Old Apartment and The Cleaning Crews: It's a Family Business

*Last Sleep in the Old Apartment: Yudis and Ange's Pillow (No wonder he hug the pillow so tight, huahahhaha, gosip)

*The Last Goodbye

*the last goodbye with my beloved sofa, the best sofa in the world for lonely men to this date

*508 E. Clark St. #311: Thank You

Almost all the stuffs, we put it in Ardi's storage. After we left our apartment for the last time, and returned the key, we were so exhausted, and finish our day at the IHOP. I was officially homeless at that time. I spent one night at the office, and the other night at Driya's place (Thank You Dri).

Although, I never consider my old apartment my home, but it had given me a good ride. It was the place for people from afar stay (thank you all, who visited me during my stay in my old apartment). Automatically, it became a place for small party, resting, discussion, general or personnal story telling (people laugh and cry in this apartment, hehehehehe), meeting point, studying, and many more. It was my pleasure to share the joy in Yudis and my apartment with all of you.

2006-09-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

Wow

Wow, satu bulan tanpa posting blog, hhmm, record, jadi nanti satu bulan yang kosong.
Yah mungkin gue emang bukan penulis yang produktif. Tapi setelah gue pikir2, 30 puluh hari terkahir adalah salah satu bulan yang paling sibuk, baik fisik dan mental. Gue coba menjabarkan beberapa kesibukan gue disini.

Pertama bulan tersebut banyak orang yang dateng dan pergi, roomate gue Yudis dateng dan pergi, Ardi roomate baru gue dateng, ada dua orang baru Michele dan Windy, terus ditambah orang2 lain yang dateng yang gue lupa namanya, baik yang udah gede atau yang masih muda, grad atau undergrad, jadi yah banyak perkenalan, dua perayaan ISC dan yang udah gede, dan banyak lagi yang harus dibantu. Yah minimal nganterin anak baru untuk jalan2, gue terus terang merasa seneng kalo melakukan ini, karena gue ngerasain waktu awal dateng kesini sendirian, dianterin dan dibantuin abis2an sama Mas Ribut dan Mas Furqon, beserta keluarganya, kalo gue bisa melakukan hal yang sama dengan orang lain baguskan, walaupun orang lainnya sok gengsi, hueheheheh.

Selain itu gue harus pindah2an, dibantu oleh Yudis, mesti bersihin rumah lama dibantu oleh Windy, terus minta mindahin barang dari apt lama ke gudang ke apt baru, wuuiihhh. Terus temen2 yang pindah2an juga harus dibantu dikit2, kalo banyak2 soalnya capek, yah namanya juga gue, males gituh lho. Terus karena disini ada kontrak goblok yang membuat orang biasanya harus nunggu lama sebelum pindah ke apat barunya, jadi pindah2an antara juga nyebelin, sekali lagi untung ada mobil Yudis, terus ada Windy yang walaupun cerewet, tetep menghibur dan sedikit berguna. Selain itu untuk Etta dan Michelle, ada temennya Etta yang mebantu, uuhh senangnya gue dan Etta, hehehe)Nah ini juga makan waktu, tenaga dan uang deh prosesnya, tapi yah gimana lagi. Tapi akhirnya semua terjadi dengan sedikit banyak lancar.

Selain itu saat ini adalah awal semester, jadi banyak yang harus dilakukan, namanya juga mata ajaran baru jadi, jadi banyak pritilannnya. Yah administrasi, kerjaan, dan kuliahnya, btw, gue masih kuliah yah, nggak papa, semoga semester terakhir, semoga dikabulkan Tuhan.

Bulan Juli juga ada beberapa festival yang dilakukan pada saat musim panas, Jazz Festival dan Corn Festival, yang satu di Chicago, satu lagi di Champaign, yah cuman itu sih yang gue datengin. Terus sempet jalan2 ke outlet Amrik, selain itu yah ada acara bareng temen2 gituh, baik temen kantor, maupun temen Indonesia, namanya juga semester baru.

Selain itu di rumah, Bokap masuk ICU, jadi yah terus tetep terus kontak2 gituh deh, sambil berpikir banyak. Untungnya sekarang bokap udah nggak di ICU lagi, baguslah, semoga tambah membaik kesehatannya. Di rumah cuman ada nyokap, istri dan adek Bara, jadi pastinya capeklah mereka, karena keilangan dua tenaga, gue ama adek Lintang.

Ditambah rindu berats ama istri selalu melanda, wah, kayaknya tiap summer mesti pulang nih, eh tiap winter juga kali yah, wah tiap 6 bulan sekali duong, hhmmm, harus dipikirkan.

Kira2 itu dululah, yang menjelaskan bulan Agustus yang agak melelahkan, hal2 kecil dan lucu yang harus diceritakan lebih terperinci, nanti dulu yah, misal tentang roomates gue, eh gue berasa roomate gue dua lho, Ardi dan Windy, huehehhe, stop...

*ini roomates baru gue si sulung Ardi dan si bungsu Windy

Peace Out

2006-08-04T13:40:00.000-07:00

Movers' Plan and Implementation
31st July 2006

*Plan
Berangkat jam 06.30-07.00 pagi ambil U-Haul.
Berangkat ke IKEA langsung, beli barang, berangkat sebelum jam 10.00 (09.30)
Berangkat ke Rumah Airin, ambil barang, berangkat jam 11.00
Berangkat ke Rumah Nat, ambil barang, berangkat jam 12.00 lebih (12.30)
Berangkat ke rumah baru, taruh barang, berangkat jam 01.30
Berangkat ke U-haul, balikin U-Haul sebelum jam 02.00
Makan, Acara bebas, liat2 daerah, ketawa2
Beli tiket Amtrak sekitar jam 04.00
Makan, Acara bebas, liat2 daerah, ketawa2, menunggu kereta.
Berangkat ke Champaign naik kereta jam 08.00
Tiba sekitar jam 10.00
Mandi, masak dan makan malam, siap2 bahan rapat, leyeh2, lalu tidur
Berangkat ke kantor untuk rapat

*Implementation
Berangkat sekitar jam 08.00 pagi ambil U-Haul, berangkat jam 09.00
Berangkat ke IKEA (beli 1 hot dog kecil),langsung, beli barang, berangkat jam 11.00 (agak macet)
Berangkat ke Rumah Airin, ambil barang, berangkat jam 01.00
Berangkat ke Rumah Nat, ambil barang, berangkat jam 02.00
Berangkat ke rumah baru, taruh barang, berangkat jam 03.30
Berangkat ke Rumah Nat, ambil barang sisa, berangkat jam 04.30
Berangkat ke rumah baru, taruh barang semuanya, berangkat jam 05.00
Berangkat ke U-haul, balikin U-Haul, sekitar/ jam 05.30 (atau jam 06.00)
Berangkat ke Union Station, beli tiket Amtrak untuk kereta jam 08.00
Tiket Amtrak habis, berusaha membeli tiket Bis untuk jam 09.30
Menunggu bis (makan 1 fillet o fish)
Tiba di Champaign sekitar jam 12.00
Tiba di rumah diantar/jemput Driya & Randy jam 12.15
Berangkat ketemuan Lele sekitar jam 12.30 karena Lele butuh Internet (baru dapet laptop tapi nggak tahu mau diapain, hueheheheheh, terus ada 3 assignment boo)
Sampe di rumah bersama Lele hampir jam 01.00.
Makan makaroni skutel
Ketiduran 2 sampe 3 jam
Bangun berendam
Tidur lagi
Berangkat ke kantor untuk rapat

*tambahan:
-Beli satu standing lamp (dengan lampu baca yang bisa dipisah) dari IKEA
-HP N-Gage ketinggalan
-Ketumpahan air dari vakum yang bau comberan
-Kaca spion nyenggol kaca spion

2006-07-19T17:06:00.000-07:00

Somewhere in Between (Babbling)

Summer will end in a little more than a month. I have many things to do, especially the works and administration for the university. But still I feel bore. I don't know, maybe the works are not interesting, but I think its should be interesting, because they are new and I like all the topics. Anyway, I will be buried by the works that I have to do this summer.

I like summer, because it resemble the weather in Indonesia, or Jakarta for this matter. I like hot and humid weather. I'm not saying I never complain about the weather in jakarta (the heat, the sting from the sun, the sweat, the fumes from everything that vaporize by the sun, etc), but this kind of weather give me the thrill more than the other weathers like winter or spring. On the other side, this kind of weather make me miss my wife, family, home, friends, etc. Thinking what we can do in this kind of weather if I'm with my wife and others in Jakarta make me feel depressed.

So, here I am, living a life in Champaign Urbana, IL (study, work and party), without ever feelling content. I'm still thinking about "what if I'm in Jakarta" kind of thing. Hhhmm, maybe I'm not a traveller after all, like I always thought. It is like somewhere in between, like Jack Johnson's song (Better Together):

*And all of these moments
Just might find their way into my dreams tonight
But I know that they'll be gone,
When the morning light sings
And brings new things,
But tomorrow night you see
That they'll be gone too,
Too many things I have to do,
But if all of these dreams might find their way
Into my day to day scene
I'll be under the impression,
I was somewhere in-between
With only two,
Just me and you
Not so many things we got to do,
Or places we got to be
We'll sit beneath the mango tree now*

Well, like I said, I'm just babbling here, a take five from my everyday life in Champaign Urbana.

End

NB: With the courtesy and skill of Mr. Herry Yudha, I present to you, copyrighted picture of me in the heat of the summer. I'm a narcist, or "banci foto" for this case, hehehehe. More Herry works can be seen in http://herryflicks.smugmug.com/

*ngelamun/leyeh-leyeh/gessrroottt

*E.T. calling hhoooommeeeeee...

*dans la lune

*profil

*Lelaki dan Cincin

2006-07-17T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hot News in July

Well for the last week, following the World Cup 2006 Final, there are two news that flood the mailist (This is the result of scanning and deleting a lot of email). First news is the Zidane butt-head attack to Materazzi, which made the referre had to give him red card. That news is even bigger than the news of Italian as the World Cup Champion for 2006. This year World Cup gave a lot of nice football games (Every World Cup, I'm always wondering when Indonesian Team will qualified for the World Cup). So, it is beautiful world cup, with the exception of a lot of cards produce in those games.

Second news is about Nadine English proficiency, hehehhehe. People just stormed her from any angle. Well, I tend to take her side, in the sense that she is a miss universe contestant. So, I don't care whether she can't speak english properly, or whether she is a whore for that matter, she is a miss universe from Indonesia, and I'm proud of her participation in the contest. I really hope she can win the crown (heheheh, just wistfull thinking, Miss Universe from Indonesia, that's cool huh, at least for one year the universe centered in Indonesia). So, I'm looking forward to watch the final in 23rd of July 2006, live from NBC. Go Indonesia!!! These support also goes for people who compete in the international level for Indonesia, I think there is science competition going on somewhere.

Other troubling news is the earthquake and Tsunami in West Java and Jakarta. Gosh, I thought after the great tsunami attack in Aceh and North Sumatera, people will try to put some warning system, or something. If we can't predict the earthquake, at least give us some warning or some information for natural disaster emergency activities, so people can prepare if, God forbid, natural disaster occur. Now, I try to find some warning or some possibility of earth quake, but I can only find from US Geological Survey and Thailand Natural Disaster Warning. The death toll at this time is more than 100. My pray goes with all the victims.

On the local news, I just got my cigarettes from Lele, hueheheh. That is good news. Oh I almost forgot, Welcome to Urbana-Champaign for Lele, hehhehehe. Have a nice life here.

NB: I hope nobody is annoyed with my english, because Nadine's discussion lower my confidence (heheheheh, minderan nih).

2006-06-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

Champaign-Chicago Movers

I always like Chicago, I think because it's close to Champaign. I always eager go to Chicago, just to feel briefly the air of a metropolis. Densely populated and crowded cities is one of my addiction.

*The One Who Moves-Have a nice time in Chicago sist'

Right after the Spring 2006 semester, people started to get restless. Some people were ready to move to their new work/intern places , other were preparing for the summer holiday, many of them went back to their home country, some of them were going to other places, few of the students are taking summer classes, and a very few of them like me just don't know what to do, huehehehhe. Anyhow, the last group were feeling standing stil. I think because of the others are moving, so I am relatively standing still. For your information, the last summer I went back to my country to meet my wife, not so lucky this summer eh.

*Hmmm, well you get the picture

Anyhow, we have to help our friends whose doing their activities. Most of the activities are movers activities, from packaging to delivery. Well, let's skip the details, and move to more interesting story. Well, first, I have to tell you one uninteresting sorry. I help Lia to move from Champaign to Chicago. We went with Driya, and Lia, Etta couldn't join us. Actually, Lia begged me at the last days. Although Etta already told me that Lia want to move at that certain day long before, but Lia never asked me, or even mentioned to me about needing any help from me. Maybe, somebody else already voluntered for that job. I never volunteered for moving things around too far. All of suddent, Lia asked me for help, of course, we can contemplate about this sudden change, but for now I will leave it hang (let's just say that many people are interested to Lia, huahahahaha). I think it was a man-woman relationship kind of things (ah young people they are soo, well, young). First, I was reluctant to help her, because I don't want to drive alone from or to Chicago, luckily (for Lia) Driya want to accompany me.

*At Midway: me, lia, driya and Diana (The One Who Has Summer Class in Boston, Have a nice time sist')

There are two task that we have to do. First we have to drop Diana at Midway, because she has summer school at HBS (cool huh, I hope I'm not wrong about her summer school place, hehheehe, I'm really forgetful these days). Then, we take all the boxes and others to Lia's new apartment. We started unpacking, nobody there to help except Driya and Lia. When I opened the door with one box in my hand, the first thing that I encountered was stairs (what the fuck?). I have to inform you I hate stairs, very annoying thing, stairs. Hate. I'm using the word "hate" here, about stairs. Hate ( I know it is so "As Good As It Gets", hhehheheh, it's one of my favorite movie). Anyhow, I tried to be calm, I look back to Lia, whom without any particular reason look a little bit apologetic, and I asked which floor is her place. The first word that came out from her mouth was "shit" (What!!! that was not the answer to my question). Well, I'm no clairvoyance, but at that time I started to say my "standard" swear words (you have to notice that I'm more politically correct now, because I reduce my "super" swear words usage).

*The Gals at Japonnais: Airin, Lia and Driya

Of course, I'm right, her place is in the top floor, on the third floor. The stairs are narrow (damn, okey enough swear words paksi), especially if you moving with big boxes and suitcases. Did I mention that the movers are only three person? Yeah I think so. Well, you have to know that Lia is a person that always uncomfortable with asking helping people or friends to help her. She got her reason for "nggak enakan", but for this she should feel bad about withhelding crucial information (hello Lia, if you read this and you still fell bad, that's good, you should, huehhehehe). If I know that information I would asked some of my friends at Chicago for help, or I just refused to help, hueheheh. (she had stayed at that place before, just to give the background that she's familiar with that place). Anyhow, I had to use my strenght more than I calculated before, and we finish our job, I know I shouldn't be bitching when helping others (I rarely do really), but third floor!!! C'mon that is an important information.

*Tired Movers's Faces, except the one who smiles, hueheheheheh

Then, we went to meet Airin at her house, and we went around the city, especially the place for Indonesian goods. We ate at Vietnam restaurant, Lia want to pay for the food (I'm sorry Li, it's not enough, huehehehehe, really). We ended up at Japonnais (I had to wear my sandals here, fucking pretentious place). We ate Sushi and drink some long drink. We got one free sushi plate, because some mishap on the register or something, which made we have to wait almost an hour for the sushi (I should throw the manager with my sandals, hueheheh). We were doing some chit chat, because that was the first time Airin and Driya & Lia met. We had one show, which made these two young gals curious or amaze, it was the show of Airin knotted cherry branch with her mouth, huehehehehe. Finally, we had to go back to Champaign, because somebody had to have dinner in Champaign (This is also good story, huahahahahha). So, we went back, and drop Driya at her places, because she had to have dinner with her friend (singular, singular third person), and I have to do one of my routine after Champaign Beyatches left, that is eating dinner alone...

2006-06-27T17:12:00.000-07:00

Lha ilang tulisan gue, nyang pake pake bahasa inggris lagi, payah dah firefox, kutu kupret dah...
Cape aaahh...
Padahal ini tentang perjalanan ke Chicago yang... nanti ajah ahhh... *gosip mode*

2006-06-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

Long (Not So) Hot Summer Nights

It has been a while since I posted my blog, which might be forgotten if my wife and my friends did not remind me about this blog. Well, I think this period of summer is just one of the low point in my life. I only have a few targets (for works and school) this summer, which I think I can manage (I hope, I hope, I hope...), but I have a feelling that I've been drained. Damn, I should go home. Well, let's stop here and let me update myself with my activities on the last couple of weeks.

After Ange left, I'm the only Champaign Beyatch left in this small area. Again, one of the most connected numbers was useless, following Yudis and Ardi. Then, the already pilled rollover minutes (around 1000 minutes after I lost my mobile 5-6 months ago) will pilled up again if I don't change my habit, huehehehe. Actually, most of my minutes are used to connect with my wife. I don't get it. Why almost all of my friends complain about the overage? They must have a lot of friends, or a lot of things to talk about, or both. It really pissed me off, if they don't accept my called because they have finished their minutes limit. By the way, I already forward my skype to my mobile phone. If I have credits and I don't pick up the called in skype, all the called made through skype will be forwarded to my mobile, cool huh. So, let's used skype, I'm a fanatic user now. My wife and I use skype religously, the best price and quality for internet telephone by far (This is a review from a long distance relationship expert, any dissapointment from believing this review is entirely not my responsibility).

Okay, where was I? hhmm. Well, the truth is we still have things to do for Ange, even after she left. We have to pick up her things at her apartment, and distribute it to the needy like me and other friends. One box have to be returned to her professor or fellow RA, and I still have one of her box to be sent. Therefore, we went an "errand" for her (I heard about this word a lot, but I think this is the first time I heard one of my friends use it, she's good huh, hueheheh). Of course the big journey was done a week before that, when we went to Chicago to drive Ardi to the airport and drop off Ange boxes. The complete story of the prapation before Ange left can be seen in her blog. The untold story will be revealed in other convinient time, huehehehhehe. Basically, we cleaned her apartment a few days after she left, with the help of Ika and Ayong. By we here, I mean Paksi and Etta. By the way, I think I lost her mobile telephone bill (hehehhehehe), the last time I remembered I put it in my back pocket, maybe Etta has it , but Ange already disconnected the phone. I hope she has a good (love) life in Jakarta, or any other places, huahahaha.

Other thing that I have to do is to guide Etta how to drive. I'm not a good mentor on this, because she always protested my method. She even complained that if she drive with me she misses the sign easily, but not with her friend (gosh, I must be a jinx there).

One night we almost ran in to the ditch at the highway entry. Sometimes, she drove according to herself. If she think it is right, she just go for it, unfortunately most of her thinking were wrong. Of course, like any people with this kind of behaviour, will protested about the traffic light that is not in the 'right' place, the road sign that is 'strange', the line on the road that can not be seen, the Paksi that brings mistakes, etc. Well, maybe she is right, I don't know, I'm not an expert in the traffic science, and I don't believe in jinx, but I know I will not run trough a traffic light, just because I think the traffic light is in the wrong place. Also, it's a waste of time to protest the traffic/road sign, because they simply wont reply. Actually, this kind of things remind me of one of my friend who just went back home, where she often thinks that everythings around her are wrong, huehehehehhe.

Phew, I'm too old for this, my heart is getting weaker nowadays. Well, I think Etta is a serious and clever women, and always takes everything seriously, including driving, huehehheheeh. As for me, driving is one of good relaxation activity, especially in Champaign (the only traffic is on the Green St. and in the traffic light, I wonder why they used traffic light here, it is a waste of electricity). But she finally get better and better everyday. Hopefully, she will take the driving test as soon as possible, before she forget, or before she think too much again, hueheheheh.

Okey, that's all for now, I have to go back to work, well, actually it is a lunch time, so I have to stop playing and start my lunch, huahahahaha. I hope after this post, Etta will still cook for me, hueheheheh. Because she always gives me a threat, like on one occasion, she warn me not to smoke ganja if I still want to taste her cook, huahahah. It was an easy choice. By the way, I have ganja now, hueheheheh.

Live Long and Prosper

2006-06-05T21:24:00.000-07:00

On The Sunny Side of the Street (still about commencement)

This post is just another commencement pictures, especially from Lia's commencement (Ange's commencement pictures can be seen in her blog). Enjoy...

*Assembly Hall: Business and Accounting Commencement

*Looking Up

*kongkow-kongkow

*After the Commencement

*The Fans

*Inside the Follinger Hall

*The Outer Side of Assembly Hall

*Tika (if my memory served)

2006-06-01T15:43:00.000-07:00

The Last Days of One of the Champaign Beyatches (Ange)

* Together at Cowboy Monkeys: Two Nights Before D Day

Again, the original Champaign Beyatches was losing its members (after Yudi), actually now there is only one original member left, that would be me.

First I have to congratulate Ajeng Angeline Galuh Nariswari, for her master degree in advertising. I hope you will find what(who) you want soon, hehehehe.

I went to her commencement, and it is a fun commencement, with funny speakers, and cool video presentation. About her commencement, you can read in her blog, where she posted story and pictures about her commencement.

*The Four Women at Cowboy Monkeys

This is a post about her last days in Champaign Urbana. Of course, the last days were filled with last farewell for many of her friends, in Champaign-Urbana and Chicago, and of course pack her things (or threw some). The pictures in Chicago are still in Heri, these picture are from the days after the Chicago day. All the pictures are protected by copyright.

*The Last Picture Together at Willart Airport

Without get into too much details (I'm almost sured, she doesn't want me to get in too much details, hueheheheh), The last sunday we (Paksi, Etta and Ange) went to Chicago, and Ange was the driver, cool huh. The first thing we did was going to the church, which I forget the name. Then, we went to Airin's place to meet Airin and Heri. We stayed there for awhile and we had our dim sum lunch in Phoenix, China Town. This was the place that the Champaign Beyatches enjoyed the first dim sum together. Of course, this time we didn't have the interpreter, but hey, we still survived, hehehhe.

*The Four Women at the bench

Before I continued, I have to tell you, that at that time in Chicago, the weather is very hot almost like Jakarta, which made me miss my wife evenmore, damned weather. But I like hot weather, I'm tropical person.

*Ange and I

There are two places that we planned to go in Chicago. First was the church, and second was the Boat. We wanted to travel together by boat in the river and in the lake. The boat was our primary target in Chicago (in addition, Ange had to buy Chicago's snow globe). After the dim sum, we went to buy the snow globe, and the ticket for the boat. I geared up with my towel, which made everybody embarassed, and Heri geared up with his camera, a very big bag. In the mean time before we board the boat, we managed to rest at the Nordstorm Mall, while Ange buy something for her sister. The gang was three of us, Heri and Airin. Most of them were suffering from the heat at that day, even one of our friend had migrain. Etta managed to buy wasabi peanuts (eeuuww) to entertain herself.

*The Four Women at the bench with smoke

Finally, we boarded the boat. We were a little bit late, so we can't get the sun deck, which make everybody, except me, not happy. Hey, I'm easy to entertain. So, we went down and sit, and enjoying the trip. I like water, expecially sea, and if I live in Illinois, the lake is the closest thing to the sea. Heri tried to find great spots to shoot his Nikon D-100 and Nikon FM something (maybe). Ange tried to stay in the sun=deck, but I think she missed our companion, so she joined us in to the lower deck. We're just talking, and enjoying the wind and the sound of the lake. It was a fun journey, it is athe first time for most of us in this Wandela Boat Tour, except Ange, because she had this ride before... hhmmm.

*The Four Women in the middle of the street

After dark, we went to have dinner in Triple Crown, in the last three trips to Chicago I always ate in this place. They do have a very delicious fried quail. We joined eric, who like always, already had his dinner, huehehe. We have to introduced Etta to Eric, because they didn't know each other before (no more comment for this introduction, huehehehe). Anyhow, we have a good day in Chicago, a lot of fun, and some farewell scene from Ange to Chicago. We returned to Champaign at that night.

*The Four Women Near the Street Lamp

The day after, we have more official farewell in Comunity Centre in Orchad Downs, because Ange will returned home and Mia's family will move to Alabama. So, we had lunch with Indonesian food, a very good one may I say. Friends from Champaign and Chicago came to attend this farewell. It was still a hot day, but better than the day before.

*The Cover (The Sun)

In the night, we managed to go Cowboy Monkey to hear some music and drink. There are Ange, Etta, Paksi and Driya. Later, Lia joined us after I picked her up, ckckckc. When I picked Lia, one of the guys in Cowboy Monkeys tried to talk to them, the three girls. While they didn't want to be disturbed, Driya bravely managed to stir the man away, with one effective phrases: "NO ENGLISH", hehehhehehe. Good girl. When I arrived there, the man already went away.

*The Message from the Four of Us (+Beby)

After the bar is closed, we went outside and took picture of ourselves. It was a quiet street (well, it was 2 in the morning). So, we, actually they, went crazy to have the best pose. It was a difficult target, but we had at least some good picture (I think). It was one of those crazy mornings in downtown Champaign.

*The Unified Message

In the D-1 before Ange leave, she did some errands, well a lot of errands actually. I felt a little bit dizzy so I stayed home, while Ange went to do her errands with Etta. We had quick bites at Bar Louie in afternoon, and we met again in the night at her apartment, when we accompanied her packing "UNTIL MORNING". Of course, I didn't expect that she will finished everything at night, but until the last minutes she was still busy with her packing. Well, it was fun to see her made her decision, how she was panic in the midst of packing. We just tried to help by shredding some paper, Etta with her unbelievible skill managed to fix the new shredder machine, while I transfer some of video to my laptop. Etta and I tried to help a bit, but we're tired to the point where we can only gave our strenght, and accepting Ange orders.

*The Words

Finally, we went to the Willard Airport, Lia went to Ange's place, which made her the official driver, fiuh, huahahahahha (Thank you Lia). Lack of sleep and food, we were driving Ange to the Willard, and we stayed there a bit before she entered the gate. Driya came to the airport to bid Ange farewell and delivered one of the best handmade card that I've ever seen. Thank you Driya, that was a very nice card, it was a surprise even for me.

*The Fun Picture

Then, we bid our farewell, our hugs and kisses, to Ange wish her everything, she entered the gate, we saw her fade from our sight, and we went back to see Lele apartment and had some breakfast. It was a very humid day.

*The Victims of Ange: Lack of Sleep and Food

The End

To Ange (the woman member of Champaign Beyatches: Have a great life ahead and thank you for everything...)

2006-06-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

On the Sunny Side of the Street

Conratulation for Dewa, after completing his master level study in some place in Norwegia (I forget about the place, sorry)

I hope you can pursue another stage of your life succesfully. Of course, this happy conratulation also goes to his wife Rury, who had endured long distance relationship with her husband. I wish joy and luck for both of you.

Yours Truly
Paksi and Beby
in the Earliest of June 2006

2006-06-01T14:12:00.000-07:00

My Two Troubling News from Indonesia

First News:
The first news is about earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java, my mother born in Yogyakarta, and the latest news from my wife, our extended family are fine. Thank God. It was big and destructive earthquake, the death toll is more than five thousands, and the injured people is more enormous, around 15.000 people. I hope Yogyakarta will regain its vitality.
God bless all the victims, and all the helper that will rebuild Yogyakarta and Central Java.

Second News:
This news happened before the Yogyakarta's earthquake, and I knew because I've read Dewa's Blog. It is about the demonstration and riot in Makassar, which became a racist demonstration. Well, it is not new in Indonesia, that kind of riots, but the more troubling news is the leaders of the racist demonstration are student. What the fuck... Maybe the stupid student just forget about the May tragedy 1998, or they don't read about that history. Well maybe they were still young to remember about the history (At that time (at least May 1998), they were still in junior high school, high school, or maybe elementary school). But still, it is one of the stupidest thing that I've ever heard about student movement, and believe me, students do a lot of stupid things throughout the history. I will give this link of the article from Ariel Heryanto and exact paste from the article like in the Dewa's Blog (hehehe, I love copy paste, I have to read news more often like Dewa). The quote is a good reminder for students all over Indonesia, so they are not become so fucking stupid.

Yang namanya mahasiswa telanjur dianggap cendekia. Keistimewaan mereka diduga berada pada kekuatan nalar dan kecerdasan intelektual. Sementara warga republik lain kembang kempis menanggung krisis ekonomi, mereka menikmati kemewahan bertahun-tahun mengolah ilmu di tempat terhormat yang tertutup bagi mayoritas warga negara seusia.

NB: I really think Indonesia has to make anti-discrimination law, maybe It will be rubber law like subversive law, but with diversity and rage like Indonesia maybe the law is the second best solution.

God Bless Indonesia

2006-05-15T08:34:00.000-07:00

Student's List

Spatial Statistic and Econometric Paper: Check

Next: Counties Statistical Abstract

2006-05-12T14:30:00.000-07:00

May 1998: days which will live in infamy*

*Quoting from the famous FDR speech about December 1941

From the late 1997 to early 1998, the student demonstrations were growing in the very fast pace. I can give a lot of reasons, about that phenomena, but that would not be the case for this post. I will try to give you some of the things that I still remember, or in this case, some of the things that I still feel about May Tragedy 1998.

I participated in some of the demonstration from 1997-1999. At the beginning, we were afraid, mainly because campus at that time was sterilled from any political demonstration or rally. The regulation is cleared, if students participate in the political rally, they will be expelled. Of course, this also give excotic reason why the student eagered to join the political movement. The army at that time is also harshed to the political movement against the president. Until now, I still remember the 27th of July 1996 riots in Indonesia Democratic Party headquarters, because it happened near my house and my university (I took short semester in June and July 1996). I witnessed how the army treat the people like garbage.

After awhile, when the student rallies became more solid everyday, I started to feel relax. Well, I still felt tear gas and occasional beating from the army when we did the rallies, but we were young and dangerous at that time. The most scary thing at that time, if the student activists is spotted, they can be kidnapped by the army. But as long as we stay together, we felt stronger.

Then, around May 1998, when the demonstration was already widespread, we were very busy to join the demonstration. Suddenly, in 12th May 1998, one of our meeting place for student movement (the basement of Faculty of Economics University of Indonesia Library, Badan Otonom Economica) got a phone call from our friends that several students died in the rallied today. What! Students died! How can it be?! When, we were settling down with our position, that kind of thing just hit us. Then, the student activists prepared for another rallied, with cautiuos. We were afraid, but also mad, and of course that event quickly became a momentum for students to strike back. After a lot of consideration, 13th May 1998 would be our mourning day, considering we don't want to have our friends, and ourselves, shots to death. Basically, we stayed in the campus to mourn the death of our friends.

But in 13th May 1998, I and Ben decided to go Trisakti to attend the mourning day in the place where the army shot the students. I promised my friend to come, and I just can't stay without seeing the scene of the crime. We went with motorcycle, and we could arived fast. Nothing extraordinary, I paid my visit to mourn, to meet my friend and as Arya already mentioned to check out Trisakti cute students.

After awhile, we noticed groups of people, not students, gathered outside the Trisakti University to see what happens inside the university. Students shot by army was, is, a big thing in Indonesia. When the crowds was getting bigger, the army get restless and they start to disperse the crowds with tear gas and water bomb. The tanks were ready for them, if somethings happen. The students were mad, and started to yell at the army. Then, the army also shots tear gas in to the campus, and threat the students. Bacause the crowds can't get closed to the campus, they retreated, but when they retreated, they started to burn everything that they passed. They threw building around the campus. Hell, they almost suceeded burning the gas station near the campus. Then, the situation get out of hands, because the students couldn't contain the crowds. That was the starting point, before the hell broke loose.

In 14th May 1998, UI students planned to rally inside the Salemba campus, but we didn't dare to go outside, with army stand ready outside the campus. Again, at that time the crowds gathered outside Salemba campus. Then, the crowds started to get restless, and they went amok.

In a couple of hours, Jakarta started to lit, I can see the burned building everywhere. when I saw Jakarta from above the building, I could see smoke everywhere. Outside the campus, I can see people burned cars, especially army cars and Timor cars. Also, from my mobile (my notorious Erricson GF 317) I received news: the amok became racism riots, the crowds strucked the chinese race people and their properties. I, we tried to chew what happens outside, but it was simply beyond our ability. Then, we started to call our friends, to help them, to tell them to stay put in the safe place, etc.We set up an information centre to contact our friends who joined today's rally, whether they were safe or not. During that time, the news about amok kept feeding us with terror. I could see the horror from the body that kept cooming to the mortuary that located next to economics building.

I saw Menteng Prada cleaned by the people. Some of the students manage to calm the crowd in some places, but in general Jakarta was burning. I remembered I called Beby to know how she's doing. She had to walk from around Salemba to Sunter, because there was no transportation at that day. She told me the crowds plundered the small shops. She told me passionately, well actually furiously, how the crowds plundered Chinese property in Cempaka Putih, Cempaka Baru, Sumur Baru, Sunter Jaya and Petak Sembilan, because people in that places are poor, maybe even poorer than the people who plundered. At midnight, we were tired mentally and phisically, the only thing that we could do is smoking (just to remind Arya, we managed to get cigarettes from one of the warung(street vendor) free of charge, because the owner didn't want our money, the old lady event offered us soft drink, again free of charge, we run because we felt guilty to have something free from street vendors, hehehhehe). By the way, where is the fucking army and the police, they supposed to protect the people, they just fucking dissapeared.

15th May 1998, I stayed at my house, I was dead tired. My parents talked to me, discussed the situation (well, at those time, I wasn't stayed in my home often). I tried to relax, actually in my neighborhood the place was calmed, in order to enter our neighborhood in Menteng we have to showed our ID at those times. We watched news in television, actually I've enough all of that, but hey, we have to know about outside world. After that, My father and I were strolling around the city to see what happened. It was a mess, road blockade everywhere, people gathered with hand weapons. They are tired, but ready to attack. We have to open our windows, sometimes get out from the car to explain our purpose of trip, and this was in the centre of the city (Menteng and surrounding area). Many of the cars and the buildings are burnt. Again, we saw the horror that we had seen in television.

The days after that filled with another demonstration, another analysis about what had happen, the impact of the riots, political implications, racism in Indonesia, and bla bla. But again, like my friend said we might never forget the May Tragedy, the tragedy. Although the student movements became stronger from that day, but the tragedy is still haunted me and my friends, until now.

Nowadays we joked about the demonstration, the student movement, we tried to supress the horrors, among other things May Tragedy and Semanggi Tragedy. We always laugh, because if we look back we had done stupid things, funny things, and other things. But again, we can't surpress the tragedy easily from our conversation, although we tried to talk about then in a funny ways.

I think we should't forget those days, it will make our country grows by learning from the history, even the dark one.

May 1998, eight years ago: days which will live in infammy...

For the rememberance of the May 1998 victims

2006-05-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

Link for Arya's Essay (Remembering "Tragedy Mei 1998")

Essay's from one of my best friends about the May Tragedy 1998.

Everytime... everytime I remember those damn days,-the demonstrations, the deaths, the chaos, the tear gas, the blank bullets, the real bullets, the burn, the friends, the panic, the destruction, etc-I've got a shiver.

Nice post bro', hope can make one too...

2006-05-09T13:37:00.000-07:00

Student's Checklist

The CBA Index: check
The Employment Forecast and Tax Revenue Forecast: check

Next: Spatial Statistic and Econometrics (The Paper)

GO GO WHITE SOX!

2006-05-07T16:53:00.000-07:00

*NOT FINISHED AND I'M TO LAZY TO FINISH IT ALERT*

Sometime I write something and hang in the middle of the story. Usually I just delay the writing, and I promised to myself to continue the writing. But after sometime, I'm not just in the mood to finish it, I even forget what I want to write (aahh, fuck it). Well, I don't want to delete it, but I don't want to see it laying at my posts, not published. Now I will post the example of this situation, maybe I will finish it later or maybe someone will have their own story to continue about this subject. For now, I don't really care.

Changes

*It is the end of the world (semester) as we know it.

Actually this essay was inspired by the people who are approaching the end of the semester, especially the one who will graduated next week. They are expecting changes, because they will left their comfort zone. Personaly, I don't believe, or at least I don't understand, about this comfort zone things, but I will follow this logic to analyze the changes that people are expecting. I will used first person experiences in this essay.

I nearly reach my 30 and married, and now still studying to pursue my PhD. Before I enrolled to the PhD program, I had passed my master program, my undergraduate program, and all previous schools before that. In between, I also worked as an assistant lecturer, a lecturer, and a researcher. If we use comfort zones thing, I've moved from comfort zone to another comfort zone quite often. Furthermore, with this logic, I predict I will have more comfort zones in the future, because I think comfort zone of a person is a function of time: the longer I lived, the more comfort zones I will have. If something is a function of time, then you will have little control over that. If I don't have control over something, then it will be futile to analyze that thing.

Now, I will talked about me. If I stroll through my city, Jakarta, I can see my elementary school, and my high school. The building hasn't changed much, many of the teacher already retired, some are still surviving, but again not many has changed during these last years (except the tuition fee, hahahaha). Although, I think I can't see any changes, because I don't really cared about happen in those school. Well, I passed it. Of course, we meet regularly with our friends, sometimes we meet with our teachers, but those are all we cared about.

2006-05-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

Pesan dari Istriku "Beby's Sound Advice"

Setelah istri mendengar jawaban dari salah satu oknum dari sepasang manusia yang dimabuk cinta tetapi tidak mencoba untuk bersama. Maka beberapa saran2 dilontarkan oleh istriku.

"Kalo nggak mau dicoba, nggak bakal tahu. Kalo dicoba ada dua kemungkinan gagal atau berhasil, kalaupun gagal yang penting sudah mencoba. Kalo nggak dicoba mana tahu.

Namanya manusia yang penting berusaha mencoba, dan berdoa. Kalo gagal minta dikuatkan, kalo berhasil bersyukur, dan berbagai kebahagiaan dengan sanak saudara dan handai taulan, kita2 ini (contohnya dengan ditraktir), huahahahahaha.

Orang kalo menjajaki hubungan cinta mestinya dari sekolah, karena kalo dah kerja prioritasnya di dunia kerja dan pergaulan udah jadi prioritas yang kesekian. Kalo sudah kerja maka istilahnya waktu kita sudah dibeli oleh orang yang membayar. Kan enak tuh kenal kita pasangan kita saat belum apa2, masih tergantung dari orang tua, belum ada kedudukan. Jadi dimensi yang kita kenal lebih banyak, mungkin dari masih belum apa2, sampe menjadi semuanya. Kalo pacaran dari sekolah, pada masa2 paling indah saat tai kucing rasa coklat (it's so my wife, I love you luv), setiap perkembangan dimensinya bisa diketahui.

Ini sangat penting untuk pengenalan dan adaptasi. Kalo belum mau jadian, tapi mau komit dulu untuk saling mengenal, yah nggak masalah, bukan kartu mati kok, paling gagal, dan kita toh punya kesadaran bahwa bisa gagal. Karena orang tuh unik, kalo orang bisa cocok sama satu orang dan hidup dengannya selama 40 tahun kedepan (katanya di Alkitab umur manusia sekitar 60, kalo 70 udah bonus, di Mazmur katanya kalo nggak salah), yah kenapa mesti susah2 nunggu yang lain, belum tentu ada 2 atau 3 orang lainnya yang cocok kayak gituh selama hidupnya. Alasan dengan pertanyaan apakah dia orangnya, itu mah tugas kita untuk berusaha saling mengenal.

Apabila sudah bekerja, baru mencari yang cocok, biasanya orang jadi setengah mati dalam mencarinya. Karena pada saat mereka mencari2 yang cocok, waktu utama ditujukan untuk bekerja. Waktu untuk mencari yang cocok merupakan sisa dari prioritas waktu yang lain (bekerja), akibatnya susah konsentrasi untuk benar-benar mencari yang cocok. Kalau sambil lalu .... mmmmmm .... dapatnya juga yang 'sambil lalu' cocoknya.

Yang penting sih kata tante coba dulu, dengan mencoba memberi peluang 50% untuk berhasil, kalau sama sekali tidak mencoba memberi peluang 100% untuk gagal. Satu lagi kalo dia mencoba, berarti itu emang kemauan sendiri, bukan disuruh2 oleh orang lain, dan kemauan sendiri tuh penting. Emang gampang apah ketemu orang yang cocok."

Disclaimer: Mungkin orang lain bisa mendapat pencerahan dengan membaca tulisan diatas, tetapi maksud penulisan untuk sepasang manusia yang saling mencinta tapi memutuskan untuk tidak mencoba karena ada kemungkinan untuk berjauhan. Pake Skype duong, huehehehhehehe. Sekali lagi tidak dimaksudkan untuk umum, terutama bagi yang sudah melewati masa-masa sekolah, tetap semangat, huahahahahahhaha.

2006-05-05T01:11:00.000-07:00

Wasted + dimarahin istri karena terlalu banyak minum

Hehehe, itu adalah status gue di Yahoo, karena semalem gue wasted abesshhh, sampe stomach pumping sampe pagi. Hehehehehe, tentu istri seperti biasa tahu (6th sense gituh deh), nah dimarahinlah saya, huhuhhuhuhu. Setelah saya dimarahi, dan istri sedang mengerjakan sesuatu, dalam keadaan kadar alkohol yang masih tinggi dalam darah, dan dalam rangka menenangkan istri, saya dan istri, membuat lagu-lagu yang kita sukai bersama, huehehehehhe. How about that, cool huh? :D

Berikut adalah lagu2 tersebut:

She oleh Elvis Costello: Waktu di Korea gue nyanyiin buat istri gue pas kita karaoke bareng, dan tentu dia juga tahu lagunya, salah satu lagu speak2 bau darah (istilah temen2 CC gue), huehehehehe. Sountrack Nottinghill...
She
May be the reason I survive
The why and wherefore I'm alive
The one I'll care for through the rough in ready years

Nuansa Bening oleh Keenan Nasution: Yah kita emang pasangan yang 80s gituh deh, jadi lagu2 tahun 80-an banyak yang jadi koleksi kita. Lagu ini adalah salah satu lagu yang keren,istri gue apal, gue senang lagunya nih. Menurut gue hampir semua cinta awalnya kayak ginih, huehehehehhe.

oh, tiada kejutan pesona diri
pertama kujabat jemari tanganmu
biasa saja
masa perkenalan lewatlah sudah
ada yang menarik bayang-bayangmu
tak mau pergi.

Fallen oleh Lauren wood: Nah itu salah satu lagu "kita" yang pertama-tama, eh kayaknya lagu yang pertama deh (detailed event is witheld, hueheheheh). Pas banget deh lagunya, pada saat itu. Soundtrack Pretty Woman...
And I was not looking, was content to remain.
And it's ironic to be back in the game.
You are the one who's led me to the sun.
How could I know that I was lost without you

Kau yang Terindah oleh Java Jive: Beberapa lagu-lagu kita ada dalam genre lagu yang isinya kekasih yang terpisah jarak, karena kita itungan masih commuting. Lagu ini gue suka banget, nah jadilah salah satu lagu kita, kata2nya itu lho, huehehehhe.
Kau yang terindah hadir dalam mimpiku
Kini bertemu dalam jalinan kisah
Mungkin kita bukan cinta, aku tak perduli
Tapi kita manusia yang punya hasrat jiwa

Can't Smile Without You oleh Carpenters: Ini lagunya istri gue, dia suka bener ama Carpenters, jadi yah gue jadi suka lagunya, iyahlah, I Can't Smile Without You gitu lho, judulnya ajah nendang bow...
You came along just like a song
You brightened my day
Who'd believe you were part of a dream
That only seemed light years away

Pergi untuk Kembali oleh Ello: Salah satu lagu baru yang disukai istri gue, katanya suaranya bagus, dan ini bagus buat gue, biar inget terus "hanya sekejap saja aku kan kembali lagi", sekali lagi ini genre kekasih yang terpisah, Indonesia banyak nih yang kayak gini2 nih.
Ku akan pergi meninggalkan dirimu
Menyusuri liku hidupku
Janganlah kau bimbang dan janganlah kau ragu
Berikanlah senyuman padaku

Better Together oleh Jack Johnson: lagu kita yang paling terakhir nih, pertama gue suka, terus dia suka, terus masing2 beli satu album (walaupun kabar terakhir CDnya dia diminta adek gue). Apapun yang kita lakukan, baik ketika kita mengejar karir sehingga harus berjauhan, atau berseteru ketika kita berdekatan, tetapi I'll tell you one thing
It's always better when we're together

and we shall!

Selamat Jalan Kekasih oleh Chrisye: Yah semua orang seneng chrisye, kita pernah nonton konsernya bareng, kita banyak senang lagunya. Nah lagu ini dipilih karena lagi pas ajah, wong lagi jauhan. Kalo lagi deketan lagunya seringkali Malam Pertama kali yah, huahahhahahahha.
resah rintik hujan
yang tak mungkin menemani
sunyinya malam ini
sejak dirimu jauh dari pelukan

Sunday Morning oleh Maroon 5: Well, it's cool song, nice rhythm, and we always treasure sunday morning, when we often wake up to prepare ourself for church, breakfast, go to the mall, etc. Pokoknya hari santai bareng2 deh, sekali lagi salah satu hari yang paling gue rindukan bareng istri deh. Gue kutip deh lagunya hehehe...
But things just get so crazy living life gets hard to do
Sunday morning rain is falling and I’m calling out to you
Singing someday it’ll bring me back to you
Find a way to bring myself home to you

Kangen oleh Dewa: Wah udah bosen ah, jelasin lagu2 kayak ginih, heheheh, tapi ini lagu dari judulnya ajah udah jelas, Leiden-Jakarta, Seoul-Jakarta, Champaign-Jakarta, lagu ini harus ada, kan kangen bow...
Kau bertanya padaku Kapan aku akan kembali lagi
Katamu kau tak kuasa Melawan gejolak didalam dada
Yang membara menahan rasa Pertemuan kita nanti
Saat kau ada disisiku

Somebody oleh Depeche Mode: One of the ultimate song, lagu speak2 bau darah sepanjang masa nih, gue rasa setidaknya lebih tinggi setingkat dari She oleh Elvis Costello. Boleh tanya temen2 gue deh, gimana efek lagu2 kayak ginih (ada suara jantungnya), ngeriiii...
I want somebody to share
Share the rest of my life
Share my innermost thoughts
Know my intimate details

Menikahimu oleh Kahitna: Istri gue fans beratnya Kahitna, kita harus ngejar kalo kahitna lagi manggung, kalo nggak, wuiihh bisa dimarahin gue, sebenernya gue sukanya pertunangan, tapi karena kebetulan nggak ada yah Menikahi ajah deh, kita suka juga kok lagunya, eh istri gue sih suka semua lagu Kahitna.
Menikah denganku
Menempatkan cinta
Melintasi perjalanan usia

If oleh Bread: Ini lagu klasik, yang artinya lagu lama, jadi gue dan istri gue udah tahu sebelumnya, dan ini lagu kayaknya okeh juga dimasukin genre kekasih yang terpisah, lagu ini menjadi klasik bukan tanpa alasan (lagu klasik speak2 bau darah), huehehehe.
And when my love for life is running dry,
You come and pour yourself on me.

Saya Kau Tak Disini (SKTD) oleh Jikustik: INi lagu keluar ketika hubungan Leiden-Jakarta, belum menikah, terus terang menurut gue lagu Jikustik emang agak menye2, tapi buat gue pas banget, kayak digebukin, sampe ngeri gue, hueheheheh. Terus setelah dia pulang kita nonton konsernya di HRC Thamrin, beberapa bulan kemudian nikah deh, huehehehe.
Saat kau tak ada
Atau kau tak disini
Terpenjara sepi
Kunikmati sendiri
Tak terhitung waktu
Tuk melupakanmu
Aku tak pernah bisa
Aku tak pernah bisa

Your Love is King oleh Sade: Istri gue sebagai salah satu bekas anggota dari paduan suara selalu bisa menilai suara2 yang bagus, nah ini adalah salah satu penyanyi dan lagu kesukaannya (nadanya santai membius), gue sih suka karena beken doang, eh gue suka juga karena istri gue suka duong, katanya ini lagunya buat gue, istri gue jago bener deh speak2 bauk darahnya, heheheh. Soundtrack Bridget Jones Diary...
our love is king
Crown you with my heart
Your love is king
Never need to part

Sweetest Thing oleh U2: Mau nunjukin ajah bahwa kita juga pasangan rock n' roll, video klipnya bagus nih (bagus bener deh), lagunya bagus, ini lagu cinta yang buat orang babak belur, but still the sweetest thing, heheheh, ampun Mas Bono.

You know I got black eyes
But they burn so brightly for her
This is a blind kind of love
Oh oh oh, the sweetest thing

The Nearness of You oleh Diana Krall: Leiden-Jakarta lagi nih, waktu dia nonnton North sea Jazz gituh deh, karena dia udah nonton North Sea Jazz gituh deh, sedangkan gue belum, dan itu salah satu cita-cita gue gituh. Gue dikirimin CD edisi khususnya North Sea Jazz, dan ini adalah salah satu lagu yang enak penyanyinya, gue nonton loh konsernya di Indonesia, dan lagunya emang klasik, merinding denger lagu ini....

It's not the pale moon that excites me
That thrills and delights me, oh no
It's just the nearness of you
It isn't your sweet conversation
That brings this sensation, oh no
It's just the nearness of you

Okeh, udah. Kenapa ada 17 lagu, karena di itunes, kalo mau dibakar ke CD audio yang bisa dimainin di CD player cuman 17 lagu maksimal. Akhirnya gue dan istri gue tidur dengan tenang...

2006-05-03T13:05:00.000-07:00

Student's Checklist

The Stella Project and Presentation: (Check)

Next: Spatial Statistics & Econometrics Paper

2006-05-02T19:06:00.000-07:00

Spring in St. Louis

*Selamat datang ke Arch, perkenalkan kameraman amatir, huehehehe

Hmmm, istri gue kembali mengatakan bahwa blog gue kurang foto, jadi kayak kurang hiasan. Sekali lagi sesuai titah istri tercinta maka gue akan memasang foto2. Karena gue emang nggak punya kamera jadi gue emang kurang moto2, tetapi setelah gue liat2 ternyata gue punya foto jalan2 yang okeh banget gituh deh, hehehehe. Nah itu yang gue akan tunjukkan disini. Silahkan menikmati.

*Old Courthouse, the Arch, and the three of us

*Gue dan "latar belakang" gue yang keren, eh itu guenya lagi yang keren

Wah kemaren gue ama Ardi dan Lia jalan ke St. Louis, berhubung pada mau refreshing dulu sebelum ujian kali, sama mau menikmati musim semi yang indah dan tempat baru, maka kita jalan2 kesana. Sebenernya ini kali kedua gue kesana, waktu itu ama Teja, Ajeng dan Yudi. Tapi temen2 gue yang lain belum, jadi gituh deh jalan2 kita. Sebenernya Ajeng mau ikut, tapi dia sibuk banget gituh deh seperti biasa, ada kerjaan yang tiba2 dateng deh. Pokoknya akhirnya kita cuman betiga.

*Nongkrong2 ajah gituh di tangga karena ada yang mau motoin

orang dari timur, dengan latar sungai yang menjadi pintu ke daerah barat

St. Louis adalah salah satu kota tua, dimana dia terkenal dengan archnya yang melambangkan gate to the west. Karena dulu menjadi pintu gerbang orang2 yang mau ke daerah barat, ketika daerah tersebut belum terlalu terbuka. Jadi Lewis and Clark memulai perjalanan ke barat melalu tempat ini. Untuk menghormati itu maka dibangun arch.

*calon temen seapartemen gue, cakepkan, eh masih cakepan gue sih

*Eh cantik juga nih yang ikut2an foto bareng gue, hueheheh, kayaknya, kayaknya nih, calonnya calon temen seapartemen gue, eh, ooppss

Nah perjalan pertama gue kesana tuh waktu spring, dimana udah gelap di jam2 sore, dan udara dingin jadi kita yang perlu2 ajah, alias cuman arch dan sekitarnya (tempat moto di depan old courthouse) dan mall tempat makan di Landrys. Pokoknya kita berusaha untuk lama2an di dalem ruang, namanya juga dingin, terus kalo bisa, kemana2 naik mobil gituh.

*Harus agak mundur nih motonya, karena duduknya jauh2an, tapi okeh jugalah gayanya, kayak gimanah gituh

*A: Kemana kita harus melangkah yah, kayaknya perjalanannya masih jauh.
B: yah nggak papakan, bareng ini.

Di perjalanan kedua ini di musim semi, maka waktu terang jadi sangat panjang jadi kita bsia dengan santainya melihat keliling, nongkrong2, duduk2, sama jalan2. Jadi kita masuk ke dalam arch, eh kita nggak naik karena udah tutup, gue lupa tutupnya jam 6, heheheheh. Terus kita keluar duduk di tangga, terus ke sungai bentar, dan dan jalan ke tempat foto arch yang disarankan yudis. Setelah itu anak2 muda ini, temen2 gue, memutuskan untuk jalan ke mall. Buset berapa belas blok tuh udah kita lewatin, karena gue males untuk jalan, perasaan gue naik mobil waktu itu mayan lama. Yah anak2 muda semangat muda, akhirnya jalan kita. Ternyata tempat yang kita lewatin bagus, enak buat jalan, enak buat motret2, dan lain sebagainya. Wah yah enak deh jalan-jalan sore bareng mereka, apalagi kayaknya mereka, eh gue ngomonga apa lagi, udah ahhh.

Karikaturkita dan kita, mirip semua yah

if a picture paints thousand words -lagunya Bread nih yang judulnya If

Terus kita ke mall, belanja2 dikit, terus beli fudge yang sampai saat ini masih bersisa di rumah gue. Beli tiga gratis satu, empat2nya di rumah gue. Katanya fudgenya kemanisan, kalo pahit mah makan buat maja ajah kan pahit tuh, payah daahhhh. Akhirnya kita makan di Landrys, dan kita makan di luar, di pinggir kolam, wah sedep bener dah, mana makanannya dan makanan penutupnya enak2. Dari semua yang paling susah adalah mesen makanan pembuka, lama deh, tapi luncang bambang bow, huahahahahahha. Setelah itu akhirnya kita balik, hueheheheh.

*Bertapa... nggak sih, yang moto kagak liat2 gue lagi merem atau nggak, ah padahal latar belakang dan posenya udah asik berat beng beng gituh deh, hueheheh

*Di depan St. Louis Union Station yang udah jadi pusat perbelanjaan

Perjalanan balik, gue ditelpon ama temen kita yang nggak bisa ikut, diajak ke Chicago minggu depan, tapi barengnya pas pergi dan pulang doang, wadddd???!! Emang mau ngapain sih diantaranya? hhmmm, gelap... Gue ngomongin apa yah barusan, wah gue mabuk nih, huahahahahha.

*A: Eh gimana2? Eh, kok kita harus sok liat2 ke arah arch yah, biar nggak ketahuan ngomong apa yah?
B: Apa sih Paks?

di depan tempat makan kita, Landrys, eh jeans gue kok bolong yah? Eh ini kayaknya beli bareng istri gue deh? Kapan yah belinya? Hehhehe, yang di PRJ kayaknya, atau Bandung...

Terima Kasih atas Perhatiannya...

2006-05-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Me and You and Everyone We Know

Itu adalah judul film independen yang baru gue, Ange dan Ardi tonton beberapa saat lalu. Hmm, sebenernya mungkin nggak ada hubungannya dengan tulisan ini, tetapi karena gue nggak tahu judul lain untuk tulisan ini maka gue jadiin judul. Yang namanya film independen, yah menghiburnya juga independen, menghibur seenak2nya ajah, jadi yang terhibur juga independen, suka sukur, nggak suka yah bebas, hehheheheh.

Nah sekarang untuk isi tulisan ini adalah hasil kebosanan gue yang sudah bosen nulis tentang diri sendiri gue yang emang narsis, tetapi lebih cinta ama istri daripada diri sendiri (tuhkan narsis lagi, huehehehe). Anyhoo, gimana kalo gue tulis tentang orang lain, kan enak tuh ngomongin orang lain (pasti udah ada yang mulai deg2an deh huehehehe, bagus emang harus gituh!), soalnya dosa katanya ngomongin orang, dan dosa biasanya enak2 gituh. Nah anggap Me-nya gue, You-nya loe-loe yang baca, dan Everyone We Know adalah temen imaginer gue yang kesannya loe2 tahu. Gue harap setelah gue cerita loe berasa kenal ajah ama orangnya hehehehe.

Hhmm gimana ngomongnya yah, well, kayaknya awal musim semi ini emang cocok kayaknya kalo untuk berindehoi2an. Gue sendiri nggak pernah terlalu peduli masa musim semi ini, tetapi istri gue seneng banget ama musim semi, sampe rencana awal kawinnya kalo bisa di musim semi, padahal kawinnya di Indonesia, tapi karena permintaan istri gue mah nurut. Tapi akhirnya kita kawin di Desember, kebetulan musim yang gue suka, Natal, Tahun Baru, ultah gue, deket ultah istri gue, musim buah2 yang enak, dan lain2 sebagainya, hahahahahha.

Nah musim semi kedua gue di UIUC, gue merasa mulai ketularan istri gue yang suka musim semi, mungkin karena rindu ama istri, mungkin karena temen2 gue yang juga menikmati musim seminya. Terus terang kalo musim semi disini, terutama bulan Mei, berarti saatnya kuliah mau selesai, tugas2 harus dikumpulkan, ujian akhir, dan lain2 sebagainya. Selain itu saatnya bagi yang udah mau lulus, biasanya s1 sama s2 lulusnya bulan2 ini, untuk bersiap2 mencari kerjaan, bersiap2 membereskan barang2nya untuk pulang atau pindah, atau mungkin ada yang pulang pokoknya siap2 mau pergi dari kota pelajar ini dah. Sehingga semua sibuk2 gituh deh.

Selain sibuk2, mungkin karena kesibukan dengan semua mulai berkurang, mulai keliatanlah kesibukan2 yang suka datang tiba2, yang biasa dikesampingkan tetapi selalu mengganggu, yang biasa ditunda2 tetapi selalu menteror, itu adalah kesibukan sayang2an, ahhhh. Pada saat ini, ketika baju mulai baju musim semi atau musim panas, orang2 dapat melangkah dengan ringan, mereka banyak tertawa2, tanpa takut muka mereka beku, maka keceriaan itu muncul. Bunga2 juga bermunculan, walaupun hanya sekejap, tapi gue rasa itu sudah cukup merasuki jiwa manusia-manusia untuk kembali menganggumi keindahan, hehehhehe.

Jadi yah, gue lihat temen2 gue yang mayan deket, kayaknya, kayaknya lho nih, pada lagi menikmati musim semi nih. Hhhhmmm, yah tentunya saya ikut seneng gituh deh, tapi karena temen2 gue tuh orangnya galak2 semua (baik cewek2 atau cowok-->jamak dan tunggal, hmmmm), jadi yahhh, jadi gue nanya nanti tanya ajah sekalian semuanya, hueheheheh. Aduh ceritanya gimana yah nanti dimarahin lagi, tapi lucu deh, yah istilah temen gue Petris pada lagi seneng besukaan gituh deh. Tapi orang2 yang pinter kalo besukaan mikirnya kayaknya kebanyakan, padahal sih menurut gue sih gampang ikutan ajah napsunya kemana, iyah nggak a?, udah gedekan? udah tahu resiko, .rock on!!! Hehehhehe.

Jadi temen2 imaginer gue, yah everyone we know itu, sepertinya lagi berbunga2 gituh, istilahnya Mas Mus Mudjiono, inikah tanda2nya bunga asmara, mulai bersemi, mulai bersemi sekali lagi... Wih pasti Mas Mus pernah sekolah di luar negeri deh, soalnya ada bunga2 bersemi. Setahu gue di Indonesia, bunga bersemi2 terus, heheheheheh. Setidaknya banyakan ijonya deh di indonesia. Gue sebenernya ngomong muter2 ini karena berusaha menghindari pembicaraan, tapi gini deh, para pembaca (you) kalo bisa ikut2an deh untuk saling besuka2an, karena lagi bulannya deh. Terus ada Everyone we Know yang ada di negara bagian lain di bawah gue, kembali dengan semangat meminta kenal2an dari beberapa temannya untuk diselidiki. Wah pokoknya masa2 penuh cinta deh.

Kalo yang disini, gue menikmati kerinduan gue, sambil melihat love is all around. Walaupun kata everyone we know, belum tentu cinta, tapi hareee geenneee, fiuh. Dari dulu selalu ada pertanyaan apakah sesuatu dibuat atau ditemukan, seperti apakah pimpinan itu dilahirkan atau dibuat. Hmmm, ini mungkin sama kayak pertanyaan apakah cinta itu made (dibuat) atau found (ditemukan). Well, karena gue udah dipengaruhi dengan hal-hal yang pragmatis, maka gue kutip kata2 Richard Rorty dalam bahasa Inggris:

"For we have no use for the reality-appearence distinction, anymore than for the distinction between the found and the made. We hope to replace the reality-appearance distinction with the distinction between the more useful and the less useful."

"... pragmatist think that the question to ask about our belief is not whether they are about reality or merely about appearance, but simply whether they are the best habits of action for gratifying our desires.

Pokoknya nikmatin ajah deh, yeaahhhh...
Jadi seperti yang pernah dikatakan orang2 di jamannya... ROCK ON!!!

2006-05-01T11:42:00.000-07:00

Last Week of My Third Semester: Output and State of Being

Okey in this semester, although the output is larger, I'm less productive than my two previous semester in term of hour per output. I'm getting lazier, it felt like I can finish all the work in the given time, well actually I did most of it, but that's not what I want. I want discipline, work around the clock, time management, and all other fucking work ethics that I learnt from the famous people, books, or movies.

Now, I'm degraded to the state of survival, which actually the state where I often found myself. In junior high and high school, I learnt how to survive, who cares about getting the best grade, who cares about being number one, who cares about getting the best of the best. Only in the last two years of my high school, and in a couple semesters in University (undergraduate and graduate), and when I worked, I upgraded myself to the state of growing. It pays, but along the way, when I reached my goal, I returned to the survival state.

Anyhoo, I hate myself because I haven't yet finish a paper to be presented or published in a journal. This is "the thing" that I really care. If I manage to finish one paper, it will elevated me to the state of growing, and who knows, to the state of growing fast.

I hope in the summer I will finish the draft for my paper.

When the choices for my activity are enormous, I always remember my old poster of Chairil Anwar cool face who is smoking; and a slogan is written in the bottom of the poster: "Sekali Berarti Sesudah Itu Mati", I won't translate it, because I'm lazy, hahahahha (I think all the readers are Indonesian, hey, why I wrote in this stupid language, damn). Then, I dropped everything else, except one or two activities.

Salute for Chairil Anwar

2006-04-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

Lirik Lagu: Kau yang Terindah

Sekali lagi istri gue menanyakan gimana blog gue yang tidak ada perkembangan, yah mungkin seiring dengan hidup gue yang tidak ada perkembangan banyak, uuhhhh... Hhhmmm, mungkin juga pengaruh temen2 disekeliling gue di UIUC yang perkembangannya lagi banyak, huahahahahahha, (eh paksi ketawanya jangan lebar2, kenapa senyum2, apa seh, kenapa sih ketawa2, coba dijelaskan, fiuuhhh, bisa dimarahin gue sama cewe2 lulusan sekolah istri gue kalo dilanjutin, hehehhehehe, jadi nanti ajah yah dilanjutinnya, hahahaha)

Anyhoo, ngobrol sama istri (terima kasih untuk skype yang telah setia membantu acara sambung rasa gue ama istri sejak gue ngambil master di korea dulu), akhirnya nyanyi2 bareng. Eh ralat, kata istri gue, gue nyanyi2, dia terpaksa mendengar, kasihan deh istri gue. Akhirnya kita teringat lagu dari Java Jive yang gue pasang disini, gile, lagu lama nih, huheheheheheheh).

Selain itu gue juga baru tahu dari istri gue, bahwa lagu2 Indonesia sudah ada di itunes, hehheeheheh, mau beli albumnya Levi Gunardi (The Dancer is superb, and I always like rag time), terus beli the Best of Java Jive kali yah(eh apa beli tiga lagu ajah yah yang beken, enak juga bisa beli tiga lagu doang hueheheheh). Albumnya Gigi yang lama2 duong, ngidam nih, hehehehhehe.

Go Itunes, Maju terus Musikus/Musisi Indonesia

Kau yang Terindah by Java Jive

Kau yang di sana, terpisah jarak waktu
Aku di sini merindukan bayangmu
Mungkin kita harus bisa menahan gejolak
Tapi kita manusia yang punya hasrat jiwa

Reff :
Setiap saat, setiap waktu
Kuingat dirimu
Setiap saat, setiap waktu
Kuingin berjumpa

Kau yang terindah hadir dalam mimpiku
Kini bertemu dalam jalinan kisah
Mungkin kita bukan cinta, aku tak perduli
Tapi kita manusia yang punya hasrat jiwa

Back to Reff :
Kuingin bercinta
Walau kupendam gejolak namun asmara tetap ada
Tak bisa kutolak kar'na kau yang terindah
Yang mungkin memuaskan segalanya

2006-04-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Jumat Agung/Good Friday

Jumat Agung adalah salah satu hari perayaan umat Kristen. Hari tersebut dirayakan untuk memperingati hari Kematian Yesus. Untuk hari perayaan ini gue biasanya malas untuk dateng ke gereja, karena salah satu kegiatan di gereja untuk perayaan ini adalah Perjamuan Kudus, dimana di Indonesia yang bisa berpartisipasi dalam Perjamuan Kudus ini adalah orang sudah disidi/dikukuhkan. Sampai saat ini gue belum melakukan pengukuhan tersebut, sehingga gue tidak dapat berpartisipasi dalam acara ini. Kalo bisa nggak dateng, gue nggak bakal dateng. Cuman kalo keluarga dateng semua, yah gue juga ikut kali yah. Apalagi saat ini adek gue udah disidi semua (biasanya sidi dilakukan di umur 17 tahun), sehingga gue satu-satunya yang belum sidi, biasanya gue manyun dan meneruskan tidur gue.

Nah di luar negeri tempat gue sekolah, syarat itu udah nggak ada lagi. Di Gereja Baptis Korea di Suwon, syaratnya udah di baptis dan/atau percaya kepada Tuhan Yesus Kristus. Sehingga gue perjamuan kudus di Korea. Di Gereja Presbitarian USA, persyaratannya tidak terlalu berbeda, sehingga gue juga ikut. Pokoknya syaratnya nggak banyak deh kayak Indonesia, semoga nanti pas pulang, syarat sidi udah nggak ada, huehehhehe.

Jumat Agung ini, ternyata nggak libur di Amerika, negara nggak beragama emang mereka. Tapi untuk Jumat Agung ini gue meliburkan diri dari kerjaan, jadi yang gue lakukan adalah mengambil SIM (seperti yang sudah diceritakan sebelumnya). Seetelah itu nganterin temen ngambil sesuatu. Semua ini dari pagi sampe siang. Hmm, karena hari ini biasanya pada puasa, jadi ada yang puasa dengan hanya makan sekali, karena gue berencana makan siang, maka gue tanyain mau makan siang bareng, atau makan malam? Lalu dijawab (kira-kira), "yah pokoknya gue makan kalo gue laper, kapanpun gue laper gue makan!" Heh! nggak ada jawaban lain apa? Akhir yang tersisa makan siang di tempat makan Cina deket rumah, saya lupa namanya, apa yah nanti liat deh.

Sebelum berangkat ke gereja saya melihat kembali jadwal ibadah di internet, agar tidak salah lagi, karena saya suka salah jadwal. Berhubung gereja saya kecil jadi saya tidak bisa salah jadwal, karena kebaktiannya cuman sekali. Ternyata setelah saya perhatikan, kebaktian hari Jumat Agung disatukan dengan beberapa gereja Presbitarian lainnya. Lansung saya panik dan mencari dimana gerejanya, untung belum jalan, walaupun ternyata gerejanya tidak dekat untuk dijangkau dengan jalan kaki, seperti yang biasa saya lakukan setiap ke gereja biasa saya. Lalu saya diantar Ardi ke gereja.

Yang saya masih kaget adalah buah tangan yang diberikan pada Jumat Agung di gereja. Setelah seminggu sebelumnya saya mendapatkan daun palem dari gereja yang saya taruh di dashboard mobil. Pada saat ini saya mendapatkan paku, paku saudara-saudara, sepanjang sekitar 10 cm, dari besi yang berwarna hitam mengkilat, dan paku tersebut ditisikan ke kertas merah tebal. Sehingga ketika saya pertama kali melihat, oh dapet lilin (walaupun bingung kok dapet lilin di Jumat Agung). Setelah saya pegang dan saya masukan kantung, aduh, kok agak keras dan ada tajam2nya, sekali lagi, ternyata paku saudara2. Selama saya gereja belum pernah dikasih paku tembok nih, tahun depan dikasih kayu buat salib kali yah. Ibadahnya berlangsung syahdu, karena harus tenang, bahkan keluar gerejanya disuruh diem, untuk pake sendal jadi nggak usah mindik2.

Setelah itu gue jalan-jalan di downtown champaign, Cuacanya lagi enak. Orang duduk di luar kafe dan restoran, mereka ngobrol, ketawa2, minum2 sambil ngerokok. Wah mau banget deh gue. Pokoknya mereka menikmati banget deh. Abis itu gue nunggu Ardi dan Lia untuk jemput terus kita mau jalan-jalan, maunya nongkrong, tapi anak muda jaman sekarang banyak pertimbangannya luar biasa, mestinya bukan yang tua yah yang banyak pertimbangannya, hueheheh. Fiuh untung gue sekolah di Indonesia jadi mikirnya nggak sekeras jebolan Amerika mikirnya. Yah gue juga males mikir sih, tapi mungkin juga karena mereka pinter sekali, kalo orang pinter pasti mikirnya pasti banyak. Akhirnya kita jalan-jalan liat2 toko2 vintage, kueereeeennnn banget bow, barengnya aneh2 dan lucu2, dan murah2 lagi pookoknya seru deh (ampir beli kacamata hitem ama hem). Abis itu kita ke toko buku yang jual buku2 bekas, keren banget tempatnya, kayak rumah, terus ada loteng, terus ada loteng lagi isinya buku-buku semua, tiap ruang di loteng ada jenis bukunya masing2. Abis itu mikir2 lagi, cuaca udah mulai gelap dan banyak angin, dan masih sulit memutuskan makan dimana. Kayaknya banyak masalah nih temen2 gue, huehehehehhe. Setelah rapat majelis, pokoknya serius deh, kita memutuskan untuk makan makanan Meksiko. Yah okehlah makanannya.

Abis itu balik ke rumah, karena berencana nonton Thank You for Smoking, maka kita harus nungguin orang sampe beberapa saat sebelum film dimulai, baru boleh dijemput, mau nyelesein kerjanya mestinya, bener2 canggih temen gue dah, value for money/time banget dah. Abis itu kita nonton dah filmnya. Btw, Thank You for Smoking itu seru dan lucu banget deh: recommended. Abis itu salah satu temen kita laper(ckckckckc), wah berasa kayak jaan di Jakarta deh, makan sambil nongkrong malem2. Gue aja mesen milkshake gede lagi, mana gue abisin lagi milkshakenya, hueheheh. Akhirnya Gue, Ange, Ardi dan Lia pulang ke tempat masing2.

Hehehehe, gue telah mendapatkan buat diri gue liburan Jumat Agung di Amerika, sibuk banget hidup gue hari itu dangan jalan2, dimana ke gereja tetep dilakukan, mana bisa dapet SIM lagi, huehehehhehe.

Gue mau mengutip sesuatu untuk hari Jumat Agung ini, yang menurut gue okeh banget. Dari status YM temen gue Patris, yang kira-kira begini bunyinya.

"Hari ini Yesus mati, tapi jangan dilayat, dua hari lagi Dia juga bangkit kok"

Terima kasih Tuhan.
Amin.

2006-04-17T12:36:00.000-07:00

Finally: Driving License

Okay, my wife already protested to me about my inactivity in my blogspot. Of course, that protest become an order for me to write in my blogspot.

Let's see, let's see... hhmm...

I have Easter, Good Friday, my works, my courses, my friends, my apartment, hmmm, oh yeah my driving license. Yeah, driving license it is.

Let's see, I've been wanting to get my driving license since my first month in USA, because that is one of the ID that accepted in USA, and it permit me to drive (I enjoy good driving). I only put my hope in Yudis, who promised me to guide me through to that process.

At first, he told me to get used to USA driving rules and conditions. For your information, USA drive in the wrong side of the street. After awhile, it turned out that we were busy. Well actually , he was more busy than me, heheheh. Because, I didn't practice often, and I didn't put a lot of time in to it, I just forget about the driving license.

Summer Break, I went back to my country.

Second semester had the same result. Of course, I was more relax because we have two legal driver, Yudi and Ardi. With their passion to drive, why I had to bother them by becoming another legal driver. Therefore, I had a good excuses not to drive. Although occasionally they let/forced me to drive, but I never forced them to take me to the driving test place.

Winter Break, we went to Atlanta and Florida. It was a road trip, and I have to drive, because there were only two of us (Yudi and I). To all of the people without driving license in the world, no driving license needed, if you don't break any law, or at least, if you don't get caught by the police.

Finally in the third semester, I urged Yudis to take me to driving license test, because he would return soon. I didn't know why we had a hard time to go to the Driving Test place, but we usually failed to kept our appointments. Finally, On Saturday we went to the driving license test, and have our (I and Ange) written test, but we couldn't take our road test, because it was already late. Again, we prolonged our appointments to take the road test, until Yudis left USA for Indonesia.

This situation was annoying for Ardi, because he was the only legal driver in our group. Of course, we (I and Ange) always abused this situation for our benefit, hahahahahha (except for several events like Indianapolis, damn).

Finally, with Ardi as our chaperone, we went for road test on Friday, 14th April 2006. It was a very clear morning, but when we were near to our schedule for the road test, the weather was cloudy and raining. Ange went before me, and she passed.

Well, I always feel anxiety whenever I took tests, all tests: this test was no exception. I have taken a lot of tests in my life, which were resulted in failures and successes. Therefore, I am expecting this feeling. When I'm expecting something, there is not much thrill in it. I suppose that is not a very good one, because I loose the excitement, but still I just can't help it. For this road test, I, of course, am feeling weary; well if I fail, I just have to try again until I succeed. This test was not a life-death decision. So, I read my favorite philosical book (Richard Rorty is my philosophical guru), chat with Ardi (He brought a novel with a Davinci Code-like theme), and tried to calm Ange (I envy her for all the anxiety , the excitement that she get when she took the road test. She couldn't even read the book that she brought to the road test, hahahhaha).

The woman, who tested me, was also testing Ange before. Well, the test was not that hard, you just have to be careful. I have to test all the function in my car. Then, I backed up from the parking lot, then started the road test. She told me to be careful (I think I didn't drive carefully at my first stop light). We're just driving, I didn't know where was the area, because I'm not familiar with the area. To cut a long story, it went smooth, except for one incident. I turned left at the red light, and I enter a one way street. So, according to the rules I have to take the left lane (It is a two lane street). After a while driving in the left, and I was thinking about something that I forget (maybe I look at the beautiful sky after the rain, or ngelamun**), I saw a car in front of me. The first thing that I said to myself, "ngentotbabianjingbangsatsialan*, I failed the test, because I'm driving in the left like what every decent country would do, except for some countries like USA, and there is a car in front of me." The road must turned to two way street sometime ago, or I misread the signed before I turned left. Suddenly the lady who tested me screamed, "What is the car doing in that side? She is crazy." The car in front of me drove by a woman. I was startled and I realized that I was not the one who was wrong, but the other car was. Again I said to my self, "ngentotbabianjingbangsatsialan*, why there was a person who was so stupid at my driving test day?" While my driving test went relatively smooth until I parked my car, during the time the lady who tested me keep talking about other cars mistakes, not only the car that drive in the wrong way, but also several cars after that. At the end she said that I passed, and I have to becareful when I drive. Yeahhh...

Maybe later I will put the picture of my driving license.

Thank You Ardi and Ange for the companion.

*the most common curse words in Indonesian language that I used for everyday life
**a state where I'm thinking, or not thinking, and I loose the senses to the surrounding. It is like I leave my physical body and wandering around without any consciousness of the environment in the surrounding of my physical body

2006-04-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

Student's Checklist

Administration Matters for Dropping Classes: (Check)

Next: The Abstract and Tax Forecast

2006-04-10T18:02:00.000-07:00

Polev/Pour Liver/Curhat
*Garing mode

The last couple of days have been burdensome for me. The largest contribution is from the works that I'm about to do in the immediate future. They are so sudden and overwhelming, that I have to reorganize my courses. Well, the courses are mostly fun, but hard. Anyhoo, I'm done with my decision about the courses now, as soon as I can drop my class(es), I'm good to go, leaving all the administration matters behind.

On the other hand, the works and my papers, will take a lot of my time. I have no-brainer works and brain-squeezing works, both are weighing down on me. I think that is the way for a graduate student in his third semester, hehehehehhe.

Now, Why I post this blog? I try to commit to write in the blog often, to show that I'm alive. But, when I put my self into my works, I just don't know what to write. Well, of course, I can write in this blog about the use of definite integral and line integral in the production side of the economics. It can show that the line integral, with its three theorems, can change back and forth to definite integral, so we can solve economics problem with more familiar method. Or maybe, the effect of distribution of goods to the distribution of utility on the consumers, and the gasoline spot prices modelling (these are from one courses). Well, Spatial panel data and Python programming for spatial econometrics are things that still dragging me, because programming process simply takes a lot of time, and my counterpart had left. Also, I can write about my plan to make paper about transportation networks and economics activities, which will required a lot of new learning about GIS and transportation related problems. Maybe, I can write about my dream to make spatial CGE model with network embedded in the model. In addition, Tax forecast model, business activity index and regional modelling will be my works in this school, with data entry as the no-brainer works. Last but not least, wrtting about the qualifying exam, I'm thinking about it for many hours.

*SIGH...

*SO MUCH TO DO, BUT SO LITTLE TIME...

*SIGH

*HUAHAHAHAHAHAH TAILAH LOE PAKS, BELAGU BANGET LOE, KAYAK DISURUH NYELAMATIN DUNIA AJAH, EMANG PEMALAS LOE, KERJA SANAH!!! BUAT YANG LAIN YANG BACA, SI GEBLEKH PAKSI JANGAN DIDENGERIN! BUANG2 WAKTU AJAH, GAYANYA DAH SENGAK BANGET, HAHAHAHA...

Roses are red, violets are blue
I'm schizophrenic, and so am I.

2006-04-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Spring's Foci (Continued)

-Tax Forecast (State)
-REIM Model

*Arrgggghhhh,what a long lists, I think I'm on the right tract to become an expert on regional economics.

Slartibartfast: Perhaps I'm old and tired, but I think that the chances of finding out what's actually going on are so absurdly remote that the only thing to do is to say, "Hang the sense of it," and keep yourself busy.
I'd much rather be happy than right any day.

(from the Hitchiker Guide to the Galaxy)

2006-04-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

Spring's Foci

-The Abstract
-The Index
-The Stella
-The Python
-The Paper
-The Qualifying

Well, Student life is always fun, huahahahah.

Crazy
I'm Crazy for feeling so lonely

2006-04-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

Word in Life: Visit

*go to see and spend time with(someone) socially
-go to see and spend time in (a place) as a tourist
-stay temporarily with (someone) or at (a place) as a guest
-go to see (someone or something) for a specific purpose, such as to make an inspection or to receive or give professional advice or help. (OAD)*

Hhhmm, these pictures contained our friends, who visited us in the last couple of months. Since last December, our friends from outside the Champaign Urbana visited us, to see our small town, like the restaurant (Original House of Pancakes, Basil Restaurant, etc), coffee shops (Moonstruck, Cafe Kopi, Expresso Royale, Gionini or something, etc), our mall (Market Place, well, we have only one), etc. Also, they want to see our beloved University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, like the library, the old building, Student Union, the quad, my office, etc. But most important thing, they want to see us in this college town, Urbana-Champaign. Well, all of them stay at our places in E. Clark St.

Location: Zorbas at Jazz Night Thursday, it ended with Queen songs, yeahh baby yeah...
Lele: FEUI 98, Akun, Jakarta in one of the accounting firm
Renata: FEUI 95, SP, BOE, SMAK, PhD candidate in Georgia State University "Atlanta" Dept. Economics

Location: Basil Thai at Urbana, my favorite restaurant, the food was a little bit too spicy for Tezza, sorry sist, hehehe.
Teza: FEUI 95, SP, BOE, Recis, Graduate student in North Carolina State University "Raleigh" Dept. of Agriculture Economics.
Riatu: FEUI 95, SP, BOE, 8, PhD candidate in Georgia State University "Atlanta" Dept. Economics

Location: Siam Terrace, the Thai restaurant in Urbana-Champaign according to the other hosts.
Ape: FEUI 93, SP, BOE, PL, Graduate Student in Harvard University "Cambridge" Kennedy School of Public Policy and husband of Ijul.
Ijul: FEUI 94, Akun, BOE, Sanur, Temporary Administration Staff in in Harvard University "Cambridge" and wife of Ape.

*Location: at Champaign downtown, night strolling...
Teja: Idem
Riatu: Idem

*Location: Esquire, one of the best beer place in Champaign Urbana, because they serve peanuts, beer and peanuts heh, good combination.
Airin: FH-Unpar 96, Hukum, Tarbak, aka Chicago Beyatch, Art and Graphic Designer in Chicago
Bin: Hmmm, I don't know, here and there I supposed, manager at Penang China Town Chicago.

Location: at one of the landmark in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Renata: Idem
Lele: Idem

*Hosts (in alphabetical order): Ajeng, Ardi, Paksi and Yudis.
*Additional hosts: Pip, Lia and Albert.

It was our pleasure to welcome you all.

Thank You

2006-04-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Word in Life: Power Blackout

a failure of electrical power supply, OAD

After the tornado warning,around 6-7 pm, the electricity in my apartment was unstable, after a while my apartment was dark. I went outside to see the tornado, or whatever it was. It looks like a heavy rain, or thunder storm, in University of Indonesia at Depok. Well, it's always fun to watch a thunder storm, so I went out to my patio in the third floor, I lighted my Sampoerna, and I enjoyed the show of wind, lightning and rain.

After a while, the show was over, I went in and waited in the dark for a while, but my room is still dark. I turned my only candle that I just found in my pants, which dated back from last Christmas, huahahhahaha, maybe I have to wash that pants now. It was the usual thing for power blackout: no TV, no Internet, no fixed phone, no mobile phone and laptop charging, etc. There were only me, candle, mobile phones, and a dying laptop. I've got a call from Ardi, who stranded in one of the dark coffe shop. I made a call to Ange, who had her electricity. Then, again, I'm still in the dark. Well, like I said, nothing unusual, this power blackout in Champaign is not even in the same level with the several power failure in Jakarta, like the great power failure in Jakarta 4 or 5 years ago.

Finally, I went out for dinner at Basil Thai at Urbana with Ardi and Lia. When I was driving, I noticed the only area that had electricity blackout was my area, bollock. Anyhoo, we went for dinner in the well lighted restaurant. Then, I decided to watch movie V for Vendetta and go to grocery store. I went to Beverly Cinema, but there is no show for 10 pm movie. My friend suggested to go to Savoy Cinema, but I was 30 minutes late, so I decided to go to Savoy Walmart. I've got a call from my wife. The 24 hours supercentre was also closed for couple hours, because the power failure. I went back to Meier at Prospect, I have to tell you that this trip was not near by Champaign Urbana standard, and I don't know well the way to go around. I tried to waste my time at the Meier. But, when I reached my apartment, the areas was still dark. It was already after midnight, so I decided to go to my office to work a little, and to charge my gadgets. I stayed until 3 am at my office, when I reached my apartment, it was still dark, damn. So, I lighted my only candled, which was almost die, and try to sleep on it.

When, I woke up this morning, everything was back in normal.

*This was the song that I repeated in the car while I was driving, alone, with a Sampoerna between my fingers, enjoy...

Here I Go Again by Whitesnake

I don’t know where I’m going
But, I sure know where I’ve been
Hanging on the promises
In songs of yesterday
An’ I’ve made up my mind,
I ain’t wasting no more time
But, here I go again
Here I go again

Tho’ I keep searching for an answer,
I never seem to find what I’m looking for
Oh lord, I pray
You give me strength to carry on,
’cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time

I’m just another heart in need of rescue,
Waiting on love’s sweet charity
An’ I’m gonna hold on
For the rest of my days,
’cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time

But, here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go...

An’ I’ve made up my mind,
I ain’t wasting no more time

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
’cos I know what it means
To walk along the lonely street of dreams

An’ here I go again on my own
Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known,
Like a drifter I was born to walk alone
An’ I’ve made up my mind
I ain’t wasting no more time...

But, here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go again,
Here I go,
Here I go again...

*from lyricsfreak.com

2006-04-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

Wisuda Beby

Disekitar tahun 1997, bulan Agustus kalo nggak salah, Beby melaksanakan upacara wisudanya. Situasinya pada saat itu adalah gue lagi masa penyembuhan dari sakit kuning gue, dimana mestinya gue istirahat total di tempat tidur, biar masih bisa hidup panjang katanya. Gue saat itu rupanya udah kayak jerangkong, jelek deh. Tapi karena ada yang wisuda, Beby, gue lawanlah perintah dokter, gue kabur dari tempat tidur, setelah gue pikir2 yah paling2 gue mati. Sebagai keterangan, perintah dokter yang gue lawan itu adalah perintah ibu gue, yang juga dokter, heheheheh.

Alhasil, gue dateng ke wisuda, seperti biasa gue main orkes Mahawaditra UI untuk mengiringi lagu-lagu wisuda, gue main klarinet. Terus setelah itu gue ke fakultas untuk mengikuti wisuda fakultas, sebenernya untuk ketemu ama Beby. Setelah itu gue pulang untuk tepar berhari2, karena sebelumnya udah istirahat nggak keluar rumah selama hampir dua bulan, nggak kena udara dan matahari luar. Pokoknya, hari itu adalah salah satu hari terindah dalam hidup gue.

Saya persembahkan, Si Sarjana (Mahasiswa Tahun V) dan Si Mahasiswa (Mahasiswa II)

*Beby dengan Gaun Wisudanya

*Beby dengan Kebayanya

2006-03-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

PICTURES!!!: Bagian Terakhir

*Proficiat buat Ardi, ini di atas gedung Rockefeller, sampai saat ini, tempat terbaik yang gue datangi di NYC, the best, kalo bisa dateng sore2 pas mau sunset, nongkrong ampe gelap, baru deh okeh berat, on the top of the world, tidak ada jeruji2, yang ada kaca, dimana kita bisa liat tanpa ngerasa di penjara.

+Grand Central Station, dimana bisa ngelihat kesibukan NYC di sore hari, ini juga kalo bisa datengnya sore, seru bow, ruammeee, terus gue ama Ardi sok motret2, tengah2nya keren bow... tapi banyak polisi, takut diledakan kali yah, atau takut copet, hahahahaha.

*Di antara gedung Chrysler dan Empire State, wuiihhhhh, on the top of NYC bro...

*Ini ada copet kurus ceking yang nunggu2 mangsa, sebelum diusir ama polisi, karena nggak boleh motret2 di daerah ini, apalagi nyopet, iyah kaleeee... Ini spur kalo mau ke suburb kayaknya, untuk orang2 yang tinggalnya agak jauh dari NYC.

*Serenity: sekali lagi tempat yang sangat gue sukai di NYC, it just makes my day... Kayak abis kesana, kemari, lari2 di NYC, ribet, rebyek istilahnya ...SENSOR..., terus ngambil napas sebentar, terbang keatas, terus melihat semuanya dari jauh, ahhh...

*Oknum I: The Organizer

*Oknum II: The New Yorker

*Oknum III: The Pathetic Tourist

*With Ange's friend from elementary school, Yuki and her boyfried, Phillip. Hmmm, tempat makan italy, pork chopnya enak tapi sayang nggak ada sambelnya, nggak ada rawit juga, huehehhehhe. (Indonesia banget sih)

*Nice to meet you guys, malam terakhir di Happy Ending, keren nggak sih nama tempatnya, jadi kalo malam terakhir, supaya endingnya happy, yah ke Happy Ending, huahahahaha, sarannya Yuki nih...

*Depannya Happy Ending, papan atasnya katanya sih Health Centre China gituh, munafik deh orang NYC, yang APT juga depannya kayak meat packing industry gituh, malu mereka kali ada tempat2 kayak gini, di Happy Ending gue sampe disuruh turun duluan, untuk ngeliat tempatnya bener atau nggak, kurang ajar emang mereka, hahahahahha...

*Ayuuhhh, minum lagi, hehehhe, enak... enak... yang paling ujung pura2 minum nggak ada gelasnya tuh...

*Hmmmm, power and rationality by bent fluyjberg, curious enlightment of prof. caritat by steven lukes, democracy and identity by amy gutmann, richard rorty, hhmmm, okeh... okeh... Ketemu orang yang bisa diajak ngomong pelajaran yang aneh2, senang bertemu dengan Sahal...

*Akhirnya makan-makanan Indonesia juga...

*Temen baru yang ketemu beberapa jam, Tito, anak pilm, hhmmm... ... ...

*Kegiatan Utama bareng, main chapsa, hahahhaha, Ange udah jadi jago nih, eh ini mesti disensor nggak yah...

Epilogue:
Foto terakhir adalah tempat terakhir di bandar udara La Guardia, setelah itu kita kembali ke UIUC.

Terima kasih pada temen2 perjalanan saya di New York: If Only ini, saya tahu saya banyak salah, banyak buat jengkel, banyak maunya, dan banyak lain2nya, mohon dimaafkan, kalo nggak dimaafin yah udah, nggak papa juga sih, hueheheheh (ini minta maaf nggak niat namanya). Tapi loe semua gue maafin kok kalo ada salah2 ama gue. Bahkan untuk penulisan cerita ini penuh kontroversi, yang buat gue jengkel, tapi begitulah kata iklan star mild, yang saya pegang teguh (apa sech), ini bisa bikin hidup lebih hidup. Gue hargai semua usaha loe untuk nemenin gue dan jalan2 bareng ini. Gue jadi lebih tahu banyak tentang kalian, seperti mungkin, semoga, loe2 lebih tahu banyak tentang gue.

Terima kasih juga kepada teman2 baru yang telah menemani barang sekejap perjalanan saya ke NYC dan Philadelphia.

Terima Kasih, untuk pengalamannya yang mendebarkn dan petualangannya yang seru

Paksi

The End

2006-03-29T08:21:00.000-08:00

PICTURES!!!

*Ini kereta ekspres lagi yah, kapan sih kereta gue lewat, ribet amat yah naik subway di NYC, apa karena gue males mikir ajah yah, hehehhe. Eh nggak sih ini emang udah diatur gayanya, okeh yah, seperti kata Detta, gue banci foto, huahahahah.

*Udah foto di NSX sekarang di NASDAQ, I'm in the centre of financial world baby, yeeaaahhhh.

*Hotel gue dimana yah, kayaknya cuman satu blog dari tempat ini, heh hotel di times squares, okeh juga loe Paks, huahahahahhaha. Liat tanda Hard Rock Times Squares, itu hook, masuk ke jalan itu, udah dekat. Saran: kalo di NYC, nginep minimal 2 malam di times squares.

*Hotel tertinggi, dan kayaknya yang paling mahal yang pernah gue inepin, lantai 36 kale yah, lupa, makanya cuman bentar, fiuhhh, Heavenly Bath dan Heavenly Bed katanya...

*Gue baru tahu broadway adalah kumpulan theater2 yang sangat banyak di suatu daerah, jadi tiap malam ada kali dua puluh pertunjukan, bisa milih, nah di belakang gue TKTS adalah tempat beli tiket yang go show kalo mau dapet diskon atau mau murah, bisa milih dari yang terkenal sampe yang indie, maksudnya gue nggak ngerti. Siap2in 50 dolaranlah. It was a treat, makasih buat Ardi yang geret2 gue nonton The Producers, walaupun pertama2 gue ngantuk gara2 terhipnotis ama tempat tidur hotel, abis deh permennya.

*Satu2nya alasan gue makan disini, gue milih di Bubba Gump Shrimp, karena restorannya terletak di lantai 2 di times square, ngeliat times square dari lantai 2 itu keren bow, plus makanan new orleans apa gituh enak, soalnya nasik, pilihan gue tepat. Nice view, nice food, nica frien, I will bring my nice wife here someday...
NB: Latar Belakang NBA News live ada Pippen and Barkley...

*Times square di malam hari, wuihhh lampunya, nyokap pasti seneng liat lampu2 yang banyak kayak ginih...

*Begaya di perjalanan menuju pulau liberty, itu lho cewek yang pegang obor sama buku, kayaknya orang jaman dulu nggak ada listri jadi kalo mau baca malem2 harus pake obor gituh deh, beken deh katanya, ada di film X-Men... Ini ferrynya dan penumpangnya yang keren.

*Misty, two men and a lap top with the afternoon scene...

*Okey people, this was our Hotel, hehehehheheh, fiuh, cool huh...

*Mbak... mbak... plis deh, ngalangin nih, aahh, orang darimana lagi nih, jangan2 orang Indonesia, kayak TKI sih, huahahahhahaha...

*Paksi was here... (Catatan: pengamanan untuk sampe ke pulau ini kayak anjing, babi, bangsat, ngentot, kontol, tai, sapi, dan lain sebagainya, ini juga berlaku pas mau masuk gedung proklamasi amerika). Pokoknya buat orang nggak sabaran kayak saya, bawaannya berharap Indonesia jadi adidaya, amerika pecah belah, terus gue aneksasi, dendam gue. Tapi berhubung karena turis, sekarang gue ampuni dulu.

*Latar belakang itu Brooklyn Bridge, okeh juga, terus yang cewek (nama: ...SENSOR...) berusaha membentuk huruf L untuk Liberty, tapi otaknya kebalik jadi hurufnya kebalik juga, hahahhaha

*Pulau Ellis tempat para imgran dateng di jaman terjadi imigran besar2an ke Amerika, jadi katanya mereka jauh2 dari negaranya, nah land mark yang mereka tahu itu patung liberty, jadi kalo liat patung liberty mereka bahagiaaaaa banget, karena udah sampe ke tanah kebebasan yang sekarang pengamanannya kayak anj... eh tadi udah yah...

*Horisonnya financial district, cool huh. Pulau Liberty adalah, sampai saat ini, one of the coolest tourist trap di NYC, pokoknya kalo udah mau kesini siap2 seharian abis liat pulau2 jalan2, diperiksa petugas dan lain sebagainya. Pokoknya seharian deh, kalo abis itu ada yang mau ...SENSOR...

*Tempat orang numplek mau masuk ke Amerika di jamannya sekarang tempat turis, kebayang duklu ada ribuan orang disini, sumpek bowww..

*Aduh nomor panggilan gue 1287, sekarang baru 35, kapan dipanggilnya gue yah, mana nggak boleh ngerokok lagi, mbak ada cemilan nggak. Mbak: wah udah abis tadi dikasih buat yang motret kasihan yang motret kurus ceking, masih muda tapi batuknya udah kayak aki2. Yang motret: cuman dikasih permen ginih buset deh mbak2nya (proses menunggu mau jadi WNAmerika)

*Di depan foto2 orang yang masuk Amerika di jamannya, gue udah cari nggak ada buyut gue ternyata, hheheheheh, tapi fotonya luncang bow, suerrr...

*Bisa jadi rumah hantu nih, gedungnya kalo jaman dulu...

*Akhirnya pendaftaran berhasil, kita masuk ke mainland Amerika, ciihhhuuuiiiii...
Sekali lagi tourist trips yang enak buat leyeh kalo di NYC semuanya jalan kayak dikejar setan, padahal gue nggak ngejar2 mereka, pokoknya sante2 enak, tempat enak kalo mau kabur dari NYC...

2006-03-28T21:37:00.000-08:00

By Popular Demand and By the Grace of My Wife: PICTURES!!!
boleh dong inggris2 dikit

*Daerah Financial District, deket2 Wall Street gituh deh, dulunya Seaport kali yah, ini mercu suar yang udah agak ke tengah karena proses geologi... lupa namanya.

*Brooklyn Bridge katanya bagus dan terkenal, maap kurang tahu masalah jembatan, tahunya cuman London Bridge, San Fransisco Bridge, sama Ancol Bridge tentunya :D

*Gerbang Brooklyn Bridge, mayan, ada guenya...

*Ini daerah Seaportnya ada pertokoan kecil, fotonya salah, jadi nggak kelihatan papan atasnys gituh deh, ada tulisan macem2.

*Patung dan gerbang di China Town, yeah yeah yeah...

*Di tangga salah satu gedung tua di Philadelphia di jalan utamanya, Broad Street kayaknya

*Di depan gedung proklamasi amerika

*Di sebelah lonceng kemerdekaan, salah satu dari anggota liburan pernah ...SENSOR...

*Latar belakang China Town, tempat makan mie yang ...SENSOR...

...SENSOR...

*sumpah gue kagak tahu Barry nih sapa, patungnya ada di depan gedung proklamasi amerika, tapi kayaknya keren ajah terus ada yang mau motretin betiga, sapa yah barry barry, gue tahunya yang ...SENSOR...

*Wharton U. Penn bow, wuuuuiiiii, yang motret Ketut lagi ketua tibum gue dulu, sekarang mahasiswa MBA Wharton, top 3 di amerika bow, berasa disuruh setengah jongkok...

*Ini tempat amerika serikat berdiri, tempat orang, cowok2 semua, debat2 nggak jelas, sambil mabuk2an dan ngerokok2, dilayanin cewek2, maka terbentuklah amerika, wuuiihhh, seru kali, minum2 sambil ngerokok disini...

*Tempat yang kayak pasar tapi di dalam, reading market kali namanya, terus sok2 moto didekat sugar free section, padahal sih, belinya yang manis2 bow. Dateng kesini banyak makanan dan bahan makanan, terus jual coklat banyak, yuuhhuuuu.... Salah satu anggota beli trufle, eh ini mesti disensor juga ngga yah?

*Foto yang gue nanti2kan tempat shooting ROCKY I, the Philadlphia Museum of Arts Steps, saat Rocky lari dengan tujuan tangga2 ini, terus dia mengacungkan kedua tangannyha ke udara, yeahhh, ROCKY RULES...

*Latar belakang poster Rocky, Philadelphia keren deh, wu wu wu... Kalo bisa nginep di hotel downtown, eh ...SENSOR...

*Halte di Philadelphi dengan nomor kesukaan gue 13 bow, kotanya bener enak bisa jalan2 santai di downtown ampe malam, terus ada jalan dengan toko2 kecil yang apik dan lucu, pokoknya kalo ke New York city mampirin deh cuman 2 jam-an gituh, terus bisa pijet lagi yeaahh, kita pijet bareng2 bow, duh semoga ini nggak usah disensor...

*Salah satu sekolah tujuan anggota tim, semoga nggak usah disensor, parno nih parno...

*Latar belakang patungnya Washington sama Philadelphia Museum of Arts, pokoknya harus kesini deh seru, apalagi kalo suka pilm Rocky, enak buat jalan2 nih, banyak yang bisa diliat dan dibuat foto.

*Rodin museum, masih di lingkungan yang sama, ada patung the Thinker, pemikir, jadi bisa sok mikir2 kalo moto di depan foto ini, hehehheh. Kalo belum ke perancis ke sini dulu kali begaya2...

*Poto betiga masih di tempat yang sama, semoga nggak bosen yah, biar loe pada tahu mesti kemana kalo ke philadelphia, mau cari tempat Tom Hanks sama Denzel Washington nggak ketemu sih...

*Dua sok mikir yang satunya lagi nggak kompak...

2006-03-27T20:26:00.000-08:00

PENGUMUMAN PENTING MENGENAI LANJUTAN NEW YORK: IF ONLY

KARENA PERMINTAAN SALAH SATU ANGGOTA TIM NEW YORK: IF ONLY, UNTUK MENIADAKAN BEBERAPA BAGIAN KARENA DAPAT MENJADI SUMBER DARI HAL-HAL YANG BERBAU TEKANAN SOSIAL, POLITIK DAN BUDAYA, YANG TELAH MEMBUAT SAYA JENGKEL, DAN YANG JUGA MEMBUAT SAYA MALAS UNTUK MENULIS LAGI.
MAKA CERITA LIBURAN MUSIM SEMI (NEW YORK: IF ONLY) BAGIAN SELANJUTNYA TIDAK AKAN DILANJUTKAN!

DEMIKIAN PEMBERITAHUANNYA.
SEKIAN DAN TERIMA KASIH

PAKSI WALANDOUW

"LAWAN SEGALA MACAM BENTUK SENSOR"

NB:
*Hhmm, bagus juga, tidak ada kata2 makian, semoga "jengkel" bukan kata makian, heheheh.
*Capek...

2006-03-26T21:54:00.000-08:00

Liburan Musim Semi (New York: If Only) Bagian Pertama
*Disclaimer: sampai saat ini penulis belum dapat untuk meprakirakan berapa bagian untuk Liburan musim semi ini, tetapi penulis berusaha menulis semenarik mungkin dan tidak terlalu panjang. Di masa yang akan datang mungkin tulisan ini akah dihiasi foto. Ini adalah bagian dari shared memories teman2 yang ikut dalam perjalanan ini. Tetapi segala kesalahan dalam tulisan ini adalah kesalahan penulis. Berbagai tindakan yang terjadi karena tulisan ini adalah diluar tanggung jawab penulis dan blogspot.com.

B in NYC

Pada liburan musim semi kali ini, berbeda dengan musim semi sebelumnya, dimana saya ada di UIUC dan semua teman2 saya berada di luar UIUC semua (fiuhh...), saya berjalan2 ke Pantai Timur, tepatnya Kota New York (NYC) di negara bagian New York dan Kota Philadelphia (Philla) di Negara Bagian Pennsylvalnia. Sejarah mengapa perjalanan ini ada, agak pajang, ada punch drunk lovenya, dan ada semangat liburan anak muda jaman sekarang, pemberitaan mengenai hal ini harus dimusyawarahkan untuk mencapai mufakat, sebelum disebarluaskan, bila tidak saya dapat disomasi. Pada akhirnya saya pergi ke daerah Pantai Timur, seperti pinta salah satu temanku duuulluuu seekkaaalliii.

Seperti biasa untuk setiap liburan bersama saya biasanya ama sangat jarang berpikir, tetapi karena ada perbedaan budaya dan perbedaan kepentingan yang tajam antara pihak2 yang akan ikut, jadilah terpaksa saya turun tangan. Begitulah nasib orang-orang seperti saya, mau seneng dikit nggak boleh, jadilah saya buat rencana yang terkesan adil. Padahal mereka berdua yang udah pernah ke NYC. Yah mungkin begituh yah, mereka jadi punya preferensi masing-masing. Kenapa kita bareng, hmmm, nggak tahu yah, dua2nya panas2an. Saya sih ikut-ikut ajah, yah mungkin kalo mereka udah dewasa dikit, mereka nggak terlalu panasan :D, padahal kalo ngomongnya tenangan dikit pasti bisa ketemu deh, ckckckc.

*Kamar di Hari Pertama yang Tempat Tidurnya Besar bila Tidak Diberi Pembantas Bantal

Anyhoo, akhirnya kita berangkat ke NYC, sampe sabtu, taruh tas, menganggumi kamar yang disewa oleh Ardi, luar biasa emang, jago dia deh, juwara. Abis itu keliling China Town makan mie-mie gituh deh, tentunya saya butuh nasi duong, saya juga pesan nasi, lalu keliling China Town untuk melihat beberapa spot yang diingat oleh Ange di masa kecilnya, ketika berbelanja dengan ibunya. Ange adalah orang yang kayaknya cinta sekali sama NYC, karena di sempat di NYC 5 tahun di masa kecilnya, jadi udah jadi kayak rumahnya kali yah. Kurang ngerti juga saya, nanti saya coba napak tilas di Cilandak KKO untuk liat tempat saya main dulu, dan Menteng tentunya, sapa tahu kerasa perasaannya. Lalu perjalanan kita diakhiri dengan kongkow2 minum teh dan ngemil. Lalu setelah itu diakhiri dengan tidur.

*Nongkrong di Warung Teh di Malam Pertama

Insiden malam pertama, karena Ange memiilih satu tempat tidur bersama Ardi, dia menaruh bantal untuk pemisah sehingga tempat tidur yang besar jadi kecil, heheheh. Tentunya Bung Ardi terganggu, hehehhe.

NSX, Cat and Dog: kenapa nggak bisa muter yah yang lain padahal ada yang bisa, arrgghhhh

Pada hari Minggu, rencana saya kita ke gereja Katedral di NYC, St. Patrick's Church, kebetulan dua hari sebelumnya ada perayaan hari St. Patrick, dan dua minggu sebelumnya perayaan hari Unofficial St. Patrick, cocoklah yah. Lagipula masa penantian Paskah, kalo bisa gereja terus, masa sengsara gituh. Gereja ini deket Rockefeller Centre jadi bisa liat Ice Skating Ring-nya yang katanya terkenal itu, dekat tempat pohon natal di Home Alone 2. Sampe gereja, seperti biasa saya siap2 tidur, ternyata temen saya juga, huahahahahha. Setelah itu saya Komuni, kayaknya terakhir saya Komuni Katolik, itu SMP deh. Abis itu foto2, nulis2 nama, Ange beli buah tangan buat ibunya, kita nungguin. Dalam perjalan ke gereja kita menyempat diri untuk berfoto2 di berbagai Landmarks, seperti NSX, Trinity Church, dan lain-lain.

Di Depan Gereja Santo Patrik, Katedral di NYC

Di Depan Pintu Sekolah SDnya Ange

Lalu kita langsung meluncur ke tempat masa kecil Ange, dari rumah, sekolah, tempat bermain, tempat belanja, cari cemilan masa kecil, tempat adiknya nangis, tempat dompet ibunya ilang, dan lain-lain, kalo nggak salah di daerah Village. Sebagai turis saya menikmatinya, cuman kok dingin yah, kurang ajar deh. Ardi, hhmmm, saya rasa dia tidak mengerti jalan-jalan seperti ini, yah itung2 belajarlah. Kita makan brunch di tempat makan Thailand. Setelah itu perjalanan berakhir di NYU, sekali lagi ini kampus yang dicintai oleh Ange, sehingga sapapun yang maslksadlkdsakdjaslkdasdkao (maaf ini diacak untuk menghindari hal-hal tertentu). Kita foto2 di Washington Square, lalu bertemu dengan temennya Ange, Tati dan Sahal, di tempat kopi, lalu cowok-cowok berbelanja terlabih dahulu, sebenernya Ajeng yang mau belanja, cuman kalo ukuran badan unik, susah kaleee nyarinya. Lalu kita makan di rumah makan Jepang di Astor Place. Setelah ini kembali ke Hotel untuk mengambil tas Ange, karena Ange akan bermalam di rumah Tati dan Sahal. Sebagai catatan saya berkeberatan dengan cara berlibur seperti ini, yang berpisah-pisah, tapi yah sudahlah.

*Di Washington Square, kayaknya tempat Syuting When Harry Met Sally deh, di sekeliling taman ini adalah NYU, sekali lagi tempat yang membuat Ange...

*Dinner with New Friends Sahal dan Tati di Rumah Makan Jepang

Lalu malamnya saya dan Ardi mencari tempat hiburan malam, mau ke APT, sudah naik taksi, sampe sana diusir ama banccciiiiiiiii, kurang ajah. Btw, ini insiden kedua. Akhirnya kita kecewa, bingung, pusing, mau mabuk, dan kita masuk ke bar lingkungan, dan luar biasa orangnya ramah2, dan bisa ngerokok di NYC, walaupun ada tanda dilarang merokok. Luar biasaaaaa. Insiden ketiga HP saya ternyata tertinggal di Taksi, jadi harus nelpon supir taksi yang goblok ituh, untuk meminta kembali, karena saya sedang mengurangi mengumpat, ketololan supir taksi ini tidak pantas diungkapkan. Setelah HP kembali dan bartender berusaha menutup barnya, kami kembali ke hotel.

to be continued...

2006-03-26T17:33:00.000-08:00

Words in Life: Good Old Days

Karena masa kini gue lagi ribet banget, jadi saat ini gue senang nostalgia, dengan sesuatu yang selalu kita bilang good old days (masa lalu yang indah). Istilah good old days buat gue adalah sesuatu yang kayaknya enak kembali ke masa itu, di saat waktu kayak udara, bisa kita cuekin, karena tersedia banyak. Tapi sebagai tambahan, kayaknya hal-hal lain terasa begitu mudah, seperti konsep persahabatan, percintaan, kekayaan, hedonisme, permusuhan, kebebasan, penindasan dan lain-lain sebagainya. Gue rasa apa yang dikatakan Paul McCarthy bener,

"When You Were Young And Your Heart Was An Open Book
You Used To Say Life And Let Life
....
But In This Ever Changing World In Which We Live In
Makes You Give In And Cry
Say Live And Let Die"

Gue mulai percaya apa yang dikatakan ama Pram', kalo revolusi atau perubahan hanya bisa dilakukan oleh orang muda. Semoga gue tetep "muda" terus.

Walaupun mungkin masa yang ribet sekarang ini beberapa tahun akan jadi good old days , tapi tetep aja saat ini ribet (dimensi waktu lagi kabur dari kesadaran gue, tinggal tiga dimensi deh, jadi kalo ditanya gimana nih rencananya nanti, jawabannya standar, "auk ah gelap"), jadi mau kabur dulu dengan memasang foto2 yang mestinya masuk museum (Gue nyolong dari koleksinya Detta, minta yang gedean dikit duong, mau gaya nih).

*Salah satu dari malam-malam jahanam di BOE, kerjanya nginep, begadang ampe pagi, diskusi kesana kemari, gaya kucel, tapi IP tetep tinggi

*Saudara-saudara... KALO NGGAK GONDRONG NGGAK ASIK!

Salam kompak buat semuanya...

2006-03-18T04:56:00.000-08:00

Duuhhh...

Ujian Mid Test semester ini cuman satu, gagal dengan sukses, siaaallll....
Nggak papa, nanti Ujian akhirnya tinggal dapetin 100, biar masih bisa dapet A(minus).

BRENGSEK!!!

2006-03-16T16:56:00.000-08:00

Scene from the Street: Parents and Son

When I went to Chicago last week, I rode the usual bus, but I unusually sat on the front, just next to the bus door. The bus stopped at Champaign station to take more passengers.

There was one scene, less than one minutes in lenght. There was a young man who will ride the bus, maybe around my age (or younger), with short beard, a stone-washed jeans, a worn army-like long sleeves shirt, a shoulder long hair, rebel-but good-looking, a medium-sized backpack, and a hiking shoes. Then, there were two elder that accompanied him, whom I presumed that they are the young man parents. His parents were about my parents age, with casual clothes, and a tired, but proud, look that makes you feel that they've been through a lot in their lifetime. The young man said goodbye, his father said a short something to him, the young man nodded his head, his mother hugged him, and whispher something to him, he smiled, and his parents let go of the young man two meter from the door. The young man climbed up the bus, he stopped at the stair, and gave one last look to his parents with don't worry and wish me luck look, his parents gave an assurance look, the young man smile, and then he walked with confidence without looking back to the back of the bus.

I was simply touched.

*I will call them soon

2006-03-15T07:55:00.000-08:00

Yudi, Our Apartment, Champaign Beyatches and Whatever...

As I stare to Yudi's room and the rest of our apartment, I feel our apartment is growing larger. For your information, I usually sleep in the living room (on the best sofa for sleeping purposed), because I hate to sleep in my room. Sleeping in my room makes my mind wander wildly, well, to be specific, it makes me missed my wife so much whenever I lay down and stare on my room's ceiling. On the other hand, if I sleep in the living room, I just feel like I only stay for one night, and in the next morning I have to pack and go home. I prefer the second feeling. In addition, just to keep my mind busy, I can turn on the TV or the Radio to accompany my sleep in the living room. Okay, I confess the TV and the radio are not working like I expected. It truly reflects the lyric from Ordinary World by Duran-Duran: "I turned on the lights, the TV And the radio Still I can't escape the ghost of you. Damn, I'm already wandering now.

*My roomate and I in the Navy Pier Ferris Wheels, Chicago, IL

Anyhoo, back to our apartment, the two bed room apartment is getting larger, and of course empty. Suddenly I realized, I can't smell the aroma of chocolate waffle, which is his favorite for breakfast; I can't smell his eggs and hotdogs, also his favorite for breakfast; I can't hear the blender in the morning, when he makes his Muscle Milk (keep on trying dude!); I can't hear occasional vacuum, when he clean the apartment while I'm sleeping (damn!); I can't hear his voice, when he is singing, nor the voice from his laptop; I can't hear his expert opinion on sports; I can't hear his twisted opinion about life and woman (also relationship), nor his wisdom (mostly about woman and relationship) that seems come from out of this world, hahahah; I can't hear his mocking at other people, including me; I can't mock him directly anymore, and so on. Until now, I think he thinks, he is the world expert on women and relationship. As far as I can see, he's most of the time very nice to all of the women that he knows, except to Ange of course (I wonder why, maybe I will analyzed this later, or you can get insight from the previous posts, huahahaha). To make a long story short, I missed him already.

*Our first picture together as the founder/the original member of Champaign Beyatches' Threesome

For Champaign Beyatches. we lost one of our founder, and if you see my previous posts about this gang, you will get the idea what we will miss from this day forward (Hell, Ange and I already missed him, when we went to Best Buy and Wal-Mart without Yudi, of course Ange will deny any feeling whatsoever toward Yudi). The Champaign Beyatchs' threesome is disseminate (borowing from Ange's post).

Well, Life goes on. He will be back to Jakarta, through Singapore (gosh, I'm feeling a deja vu, when somebody has to take a detour before he/she goes home). I'm looking forward for his return to pack up the rest of his things, to go to his new place North Carolina State University: The Wolfpack (at least that is his plan to this date).

Now, I'm drinking beer in the morning (hahaha) to toast you for a good life and a good luck, something that we supposed to do before you leave. So here it goes,

for your health and your life, may they lead to prosperous years ahead, toast...

Thank you
Sincerily Yours
Paksi

2006-03-15T00:43:00.000-08:00

Event: Graduation's Day
Place: Faculty of Economics University of Indonesia (FEUI)
Time: February 2002
Degree: Bachelor of Economics

I've got my pictures of my graduation's ceremony from Patris, and I've just met Michele (Lele) my junior from the Class of 98 who had her graduation's ceremony in the same day with mine. Hhhmm, it just reminds me of that day. So, let's sailed through time.

Around four years ago, after six years of "excellence", I finally graduated from FEUI, well I graduated 6 months before that, but, Graduation's Day only held twice every year. So, these are three pictures from my graduation day. It wasn't so special day, even after six years of waiting. It was a rainy day, I was soaked wet. My wife to be, at that time, was studying in Leiden, Netherland. My only comfort were my family, and of course my friends (the last of our kind).

*These three people (Paksi, Renata and Dewa, *excluding Patris) were about all the Class of 95 that had Graduation's Day in February 2002. The others were Detta, Atri (well she decided not to come though), Mustang, hhmm I forget the others. I was all wet.

*They look goods in that graduation's gown, especially with Becak as their background. Anyhoo, not long after that day, they wore another graduation's gown for their master degree, or at least they earned their master degree. Renata now is a PhD candidate.

*Hey Patris, our graduation's ceremony was in the same day, cool huh, if Atri attended this Graduation's Day, then I would have the few among the closest.

Long hair in graduation's day, that is something that you don't see in every graduation's ceremony.

Around four years later, I have a wife, experienced through two jobs (one year at Data and Information Centre FEUI, and around one year at Demographic Institute FEUI), become a lecturer from an assistant lecturer, earned my master degree and now I'm in the third semester of my PhD program. Talking about fast pace.

"It's not the pace that worry me, but it's the sudden end on the next turn."

2006-03-06T21:34:00.000-08:00

Ditilang

Percakapan SMS antara suami dan istri, diedit untuk kepentingan keamanan.

Suami: "Selamat pagi sayang,"

Istri: B ditilang kmrn, Dr arah jusuf adiwinata belok kiri ke sutan syahrir, tdk bekibolang :-)

Suami: "Hahaha, tilang pertama istriku, bayar berapa sayang? hihihi..."

agak lama...

Istri: "Baru mandi, Blm tau byr brp. Baru mo nebus sim hr ini. Aku jln dulu yah."

Suami: "Oh kirain damai, hehehe, ati2 di jalan yah."

Huahahaha.

NB:

Pertama suami sebenernya sudah menebak bahwa si istri memang tidak akan berdamai, yang ada bisa-bisa polisinya dimarahin, tidak seperti suaminya yang selalu berdamai, karena suaminya cinta damai (juga cinta istrinya tentunya),hhehehhehe.

Kedua, setahu si suami yang sedang tidak berada di kota yang sama dengan istri, belokan dari jusuf adiwinata ke sutan syahrir untuk belok kiri ada lampu merahnya, khusus, nggak tahu sekarang masih ada atau nggak. Hahahahha, kayaknya si istri lagi nakal deh, hehehhehe.

2006-03-05T21:51:00.000-08:00

Quotes: Curiosity
from The Collection of Quotes

I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.
*Albert Einstein

The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.
*Albert Einstein

I am neither especially clever nor especially gifted. I am only very, very curious.
*Albert Einstein

Curiosity is, in great and generous minds, the first passion and the last.
*Samuel Johnson

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity.
*Ellen Parr

Curiosity will conquer fear even more than bravery will.
*James Stephens

All explorers are seeking something they have lost. It is seldom that they find it, and more seldom still that the attainment brings them greater happiness than the quest.
*Arthur C. Clarke

2006-03-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

It's Unofficial! We are drunk!

Okey, I have to admit that I can't stand to see the pictures unpublished, hehehehe. So, here we go again with the Unofficial St. Patrick's Day pictures.

*Define lonely
( I don't know how to rotate it, I thought I'm already a Mac adept, bollock! (a wee bit British and Scottish won't hurt. I am influenced by Annas)

*Ange and Dion will graduate this semester, Yudi graduated last year. The population of fun, fearless graduate students (it's so cosmo, I know.) will decrease exponentially this years.

*Define beauty

*PEH (Pertemuan Empat Homogen, eh kurang Pulo Raya deng): Menteng Raya, Lapangan Banteng dan Brawijaya.

Enter "cute and heartfelt comment" competition: A prize for the best comment on this posting pictures, three alcohol shots from any desired brands or mix, courtesy of paksi. It will be served in Cowboy Monkey at Champaign, IL. The prize can't be exchange with cash. For language, Indonesian and English are both accepted. Please state your name/identity clearly. Final decision can't be contested. Family of the employee (that would be me and my wife) are not eligible to enter this competition.

Thank you, and good luck...

2006-03-05T01:04:00.000-08:00

The Unofficial St Patrick's Day

*ijo... ijo... ijo... (Sampoerna Hijau's tone)

I didn't know anything about this particular day before, but it turned out as one of the coolest day in UIUC by far. Overall, it is only second to Mass School Skip's Day in CC (my high school). In this unofficial day, students consider classes not as important as drinking. Well, actually, drinking is the most important thing on that day. Therefore, people drink from morning until night or later, and of course most of the students wear green (The Unofficial St. Patrick's Day).

*just one of my style, the background is not important.

I decided to bring the gang together, to take some pictures with green clothes. I am in good spirits when we gathered together in this "special" day, considering most of them, well all of them will graduate this year (Yudis graduated last year), except me. We tried to put some green clothes and wandering in the campus. It was kind of cold, but we did our best to look green and cool, and we enjoyed the day a lot.

*We're in business, yeahhhh....

At night, we just continued to celeberate, until Etta's birthday, the day after the Unofficial St. Patrick's Day. With Dion help, we're celebrating the Unofficial St. Patrick's Day, hard.

*starting

Our time for the Unofficial ended with early breakfast.

*Santa Ursula's women, gosh, they are everywhere. By the way, Etta, the birthday's girl, is the one with the black coat

Go Drunk... Go Green...

*Is that water? Why we have water in our table? Get rid of that water please...

Anyhoo, thank you all...

NB: Ange's blog also contains pictures from this day, which are different (I have to spend more time because of this).

2006-03-01T22:44:00.000-08:00

Refleksi: Simplify

Buat orang-orang yang suka ngobrol ama gue, ati-ati ama kemampuan gue yang ini:

"Dan juga, in his extra ordinary and special way, he always have this ability to say things that makes u THINK very very hard and goes "o iya yah... bener juga loe pax...".
Testimonial dari MasBen di Friendster

Apa kabar loe Ben?

p.

2006-03-01T01:29:00.000-08:00

Quotes (I shammefully stole this quotes from Kelautaje/Ade Titi)
from Threesome (1994)

I watched the movie, and immediately forget about the details. The movie was a little bit absurd for me. But after reading Ade's blog, the movie appear to be cool. So, sist', it's a nice posting.

cut and paste from Ade's Blog:

(dilontarkan oleh Eddie (the gay) di ending part film, latar belakang musik "I'll Take You There", flashback montage semua adegan mereka bertiga having the best time of their lives:)

"Solitude brought out the worst in me. It gave me time to brood over the nature of things. I wondered how some people could be such a necessary part of one's life one day, and simply vanish the next. Isn't it supposed to last?

We ran into each other at graduation. We had lunch about a year after that. It was nice to see them, but it wasn't like the old days. My college experience wasn't what I had planned. It bore no resemblance to the pictures in the brochure.

But I'm not unhappy; I don't think any of us are. We got what we needed out of it.

It's kind of like going on a vacation - you plan everything out but one day you make a wrong turn or take a detour, and you end up in some crazy place you can never find on the map, doing something you never thought you'd do. Maybe you feel a little lost while it's happening. But, later, you realize it was the best part of the whole trip.."

Cool huh... At least, it made me think.

2006-02-27T01:06:00.000-08:00

Pendapat Anda Sangat Kami Hargai

Di link blog ditambahkan keterangan untuk beberapa orang blogger, bila ada saran dan pendapat untuk memajukan blog ini, dan membantu teman-teman yang mungkin sedang mendamba, silahkan dilayangkan ke dalam kolom komentar. Selain itu bila ada yang mau dimasukan silahkan melayangkan surat elektronik ke alamat di blog ini. Pada saat ini kebetulan para blogger yang tersedia, sudah atau sedang melewati jenjang pendidikan S2 (master semua nih). We're talking about highly intelegent women here, enter at your own risk (pokoknya yang minderan mati ajah deh loe semua).

Perhatian: Hanya ditujukan untuk 21 tahun keatas (kalo bisa sih 28 tahun keatas, eh 30 tahun keatas deh).

NB: Ange minta ralat, tapi belum dimasukkan ke dalam
linknya.
Ralat itu adalah:
1. Ange berumur 27.
2. Persyaratan melonggar dikit: yang penting Katolik, tidak Jawa tidak apa-apa.

Terima Kasih

2006-02-25T20:49:00.000-08:00

The Path

I read Annas email about his journey to Pakistan, and I also found his livejournal. These were some of the result if I google (yap, this is already a verb now, hehehe) Annas.

"We don't want the tension to drop too low," said Annas Alamudi, 21, a law student at the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, the capital. "Our struggle is until we achieve total reform in this country."
Suharto Issues Call for Unity
By Cindy Shiner Special to The Washington Post Thursday, March 12, 1998; Page A25.

Jaksa Penuntut Umum (JPU) M Purba mendakwa Annas Alamudi (mahasiswa Fakultas Hukum Universitas Indonesia/ FHUI) telah sengaja mencoba menghilangkan nyawa orang lain sesuai ketentuan pasal 53 ayat 1 KUHP jo pasal 338 KUHP.
Annas Didakwa Lakukan Percobaan Pembunuhan
Kompas, 23 April 1999.

Around 5 years later (from the news), well that was not too long, most of the students (see picture) are married (and some of them are fatter), and they have relatively "normal" jobs (entrepreneur, ophtamologist, economist, lawyer, videographer/filmmaker, and unemployed (I don't know about the latest news)), and Annas is still a human right activist, now an aid worker, and of course slim. We have our own paths, and they are very different, for now.

*Anti, Yogi, Paksi, Beby, Arya, Femmy, Baba, Liya, Patris, and Annas

See you all in the near future, and stay safe...

"Our paths only intersect in our younger days, the days when we began our paths."

*Live Long and Prosper (Vulcan Salute)

2006-02-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

Word in Life: Decision

"-The action of deciding (a contest, controversy, question, etc.); settlement, determination.
-The making up of one's mind on any point or on a course of action; a resolution, determination.
-As a quality: Determination, firmness, decidedness of character."(OED)

Well, I have to decide. I definitely have to choose three courses out of four, no matter how alluring all the courses are to me. Three courses are already too much! These are the four candidates:

-Equilibrium and Welfare Economics
-Special Topics in Econometrics (Spatial Statistics and Econometrics)
-Dynamic Natural Resources and Economics Modeling
-Computational Methods in Macroeconomics

I think I will drop the last one, nope, hhmm, well, let's see, but what if, hhmm. What? Make your decision now! It used to be easy to drop courses. This is not "life and death" or "will change your life forever" decision kind of things.

C'mon Paksi, just make your decision fast, and live with it, for better or worse, like you always do (did). You don't even believe there is a decision that will change your life forever.

Hmmmm, okey, first, I want to smoke(Fucking delay!!! They always get into me.)

NB: The next word in life maybe hesitation, but I don't know, hhmm, maybe not.

2006-02-21T11:52:00.000-08:00

Word in Life: Rendezvous

"to make or keep (one's) rendezvous, to meet, or be in the habit of meeting, in or at a place"(OED)

Walaupun udah keduluan Patris masang fotonya, tapi gue tetep pasang. Salah satu cara untuk rendezvous, cari yang acaranya kira2 sama dan bisa dikirim kantor masing, terus ketemu deh, hehehhehehe.

*Yang satunya katanya bosen ama konferensinya, yang satunya lagi katanya rungsep-stres gituh gara-gara konferensinya deh, tapi tetep okeh kok, hehehehe.

*Always smile in front of people (or camera, hahahahaha)

*Jadi mau ikut konferensi buat rendezvous

2006-02-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

Cartoons: Friends
*sent by my wife

2006-02-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

A Glimpse in Time
A Prelude for My Confidants in Champaign

I came to UIUC in January 2005, and arrived in the Willard Airport Champaign. Was I happy? Nope, I had to leave my wife again (damn), to study again (gosh), in a new country again (aarrghh). Although new things always excite me, but to stay in a new place for a relatively long time is an unpleasant experience for me. Okey enough bitching, first time I arrived in UIUC, I was picked up by two of my junior in FEUI; Ange and Yudi. Well, of course, that was expected, to greet fellow almamaters. I knew Yudi, because we are from the same high school, and I guided him, when he entered FEUI (hehehhe). Ange was more a mistery for me, I only knew a little bit of something. I managed to see her history in FEUI, department of management and cum laude, wow, hehheheh. I knew she was from a high school that is familiar to me. Well, that was about all (the fact that I didn't know more about her is still a mistery for me). Anyway it was good to see people who you knew, or at least you feel you knew, in a new place. I have to tell you, I thought two of them were coupled, well, they look good together, hehehe.

*What do you think? They look good together huh?

At the first week, Yudi helped me a lot for settling me down in UIUC (he is a well-known helper in UIUC). He also introduced me to some people. Ange joined us once a while. Everything was going normal, in a formal way. They introduced me to Wal-Mart, to new restaurants. Of course, after a while I needed alcohol, the first alcohol that I drank in UIUC I bought it from Wal-Mart (It was like buying alcohol from the Gelael Indonesia in the old days, hehehe). Then, we drank together in Yudi's dorm. This was one of the most memorable first day in UIUC, drinking Southern Comfort with 'new' friends. I tried to drag them to one of the bar, but maybe I was moving too fast.

*So Chinese...

In the months to come, they were 'busy', or at least that was I thought. I was the only one who were not busy, hahahah. I have to admit, that I expected more from my friends. They promised to me to go "together" to Chicago (I'm a big city person, for whatever that means). They promised to me to go "together" outside Champaign-Urbana. They promised me to hang out "together" in some bars or clubs. Well, I think that was all I ever wanted. It turned out, Walmart, Cinema, MarketPlace Mall, Borders, and some other places in UIUC were the farthest place we had ever been gone "together". I remembered the first place that we hang out together and drank was Boltini's Lounge, and that's about it for our first semester. Of course, we always went for decent dinner, supper or late supper (Thank you 'Nge, thank you 'Di), but that was not I had in mind. Well, maybe I was expecting too much. Keep in mind, we were still growing closer to each other (in a slow pace), it was just my expectation that keep telling me to do more. In the mean time, I was enduring painstaking experiences to know the places to drink without them. Wait, one more thing, Ange and I went to Legend bar (So, there were one bar and one lounge), before she went back home "through Chicago" (hhmm, okey, stop it Paksi). To conclude, I was dissapointed. But, I have to confess, the small talk that we always did when we were cruising in UIUC, the silent that we shared together, the laughter that always filled "our" atmoshphere, the "wisdom" from each one of us, and other seemingly unimportant moments, are the things that had kept my (in)sanity in UIUC.

Summer break, we went to our separate way, I and Ange went back to Jakarta, and Yudi stayed. Then, when I returned, I moved in together with Yudis, and we had one more roomate who was crashing in for some time, He is Ardi.

*Three Muskeeter and D'artagnan (Ardi)

How about our second semester together? Well, it was more or less the same. We went to Soma, hhmmm, yap that was it. But wait, finally, because of Yudi's aunt was coming to Chicago, because of I and Yudi had to meet her (she was my mom's best friend, and She was bringing something from Beby for me), because of Lala was in Chicago, because we wanted to see IKEA (well, I wanted to go to IKEA), because Hanna was in Chicago (or near Chicago) and I simply had to meet her, and because tons of other things, finally (I repeated this word), we went to Chicago together. It was a quick trip, for me one restaurant and one lounge were short. But, I cherished this journey, because I met Airin (I previously told a story about her). Another time, well, it was basically the same with the first semester. But at that time I learnt something, if your friend need tons of reason to go somewhere, then you just have to go alone. Alone it was, I went to Chicago, back and forth in my second semester, I was very lucky because I have good friends in Chicago (cool huh). The fact that I always asked Ange and Yudi to go, and I ended up alone, just confused me. Maybe, they were 'busy', or at least that was I thought ( Hey, I repeated this sentence). But still, we're still growing closer together in a faster pace, the intensity was growing, and I still kept my (in)sanity.

Winter break was really a surprise treat for me. Ange went to California. I wasn't planning to go anywhere, but Punch-Drunk Love things happened to Yudi. To cut a long story short, we went to Atlanta for a winter break. And you know what, Ange said that she can stop in Atlanta, and join us (totally cool huh). Later, she said that she can't join in Atlanta, I remembered Yudi told me that news. At that time, I was just too lazy to talk her into join us in Atlanta, because, well, I don't know, maybe I was just dissapointed (apparently someone else was better talker than me, hehehhe). And I think to myself at that time, hey, maybe this "togetherness" is as good as it gets. But Atlanta, and Florida, really gave a me a high time, good old friends and new places. Although once a while we're just wishing that she can join us.

*Hmmmm, Lia and Ardi, Ajeng and Yudis, Who is the hell the scary man with pink shirt and denim look? Stay away dude, hahahah...

After the new year, the last two months (January and February), I was overflowed. Suddenly, we went to many places together, bar, lounge, other cities and so on. I really didn't expect this. I was surprised, Ange's wanted to accompany me to take 'Za to Chicago, because 'Za will returned to Raleigh from Chicago. Then, Yudi, Ange and I went to Chicago for my birthday, and again for Airin's birthday. We went to many hang-out places, more places in two months, than in one year (last year). Now, our conversations are becoming more and more intimate, hahahaha. What was happening to us? Did I miss something? Maybe, it was the spirit of the new year. Maybe, we're still in holiday mood. Maybe, we have more interesting friends to go with. Maybe, it was an accumulation of past desire to go together. Or maybe, just maybe, we are just simply good friends. Well, Whatever... At this time, I just seized those days, and enjoying our times together, before we leave this place, the place that brought us together. The fact that I write this in English, mostly influenced by their high tone conversations, whenever they debate on some things.

*Now, it's better, we get rid the scary man. Am I to obvious?

I always think that I'm imagining this thing. Both of my friends have a lot of friends all over the world. They (and I) have their closest friends. Why do they need crazy old school's to become their friend? I'm just a glimpse in their wide horizon, after all we're just met for a little more than one years. Yeah, maybe I'm imagining this thing, but it feels real, and, for better or worse, it feels good. And after a long way of exposed to companionship, that is enough for me. Like Ange said, we will always have us and Champaign in the back of our head. It has been a privilege and an honor to have both of you as my companion in UIUC.

"They said misery loves company
We could start a company and make misery"
*Misery by Soul Asylum

P.