Monday, December 24, 2012

(lagi-lagi) mall

Musim liburan begini, tentu keluarga2 ingin menghabiskan quality time bersama. Begitu juga denganku. Kemarin Alhamdulillah ummi diberi kesempatan dan kekuatan datang dari Malang buat ambil raport adek, sehingga kita bisa jalan2 ke... Mall Metropolitan di Bekasi. Widih, sampe di sana, yang namanya Mall itu, kalo kata Hafidz temen SMA ku dulu, "penuh epol ndes" alias amat sangat penuh sekali. Hampir tidak mungkin untuk berjalan tanpa menabrak rombongan lain. Begitulah suasana hampir semua mall di Jakarta (atau dalam kasus ini, Bekasi) di akhir minggu. Ramai tiada tara.

Fenomena mall yang menjamur di mana-mana menang sudah tidak bisa terelakkan lagi di Jakarta. Jumlah mall terbaru yang saya ketahui dari berbagai sumber, mencapai 132 mall. Luar biasa. Itu pun belum termasuk 30-an mall baru yang akan mulai beroperasi tahun 2013 mendatang.

Ada apa dengan mall? Kenapa bisa jadi begitu populer?

Tentu karena di mall lah orang bisa melakukan practically apa saja. Dari liat-liat, nonton, belanja, makan, main, periksa mata, numpang solat, janjian, pacaran, atau sekedar nongkrong2 menghabiskan waktu di sudut-sudut cafe. Terdengar praktis dan keren ya? Memang.

Tapi sadarkah kita, bahwa semakin banyaknya mall ini mengimplikasikan ke-konsumtif-an warga Indonesia, khususnya Jakarta? Tak mungkin banget pergi ke mall ga keluar duit blas, seenggaknya 1000 buat parkir, belum lagi kalo laper mata dan kebetulan ada uang di saku. Tanpa pikir panjang, langsung ambil dah itu sepatu diskon 70% jadi tinggal 50.000 (padahal harga sebelum diskon uda dinaikin setinggi surga Adn).

Pengelola mall dan pusat perbelanjaan memang punya cara-cara jitu untuk membuat kita konsumen betah keliling berjam-jam di mall (dan tentunya makin lama kita di mall, makin banyak duit yang dikeluarkan). Diputerin lagu-lagu slow beat kek, tata toko yang dipercantik sedemikian rupa, sampai lighting yang mendayu-dayu bikin lupa waktu bahwa di luar uda gelap. Dan tanpa sadar pula, kocek kita sudah terogoh cukup dalam T.T

Selain dampak ekonomi, mall juga berdampak berarti pada lingkungan. Di Jakarta ini macet memang sudah menjadi hal lumrah. Namun kalo musim hujan, kelumrahan ini menjadi beyond lumrah, di mana macetnya plus plus banjir dan bisa menjadi panjaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaangggggggg sekali. Temenku pernah sampe 6jam dari kampus di Salemba ke kosannya di Otista. Kalo biasa ga macet paling 40 menit lah. 6 jam mah lamongan-kudus -__-" Sedikit banyak, mall bisa dibilang menyumbang kemacetan di kota ini. Satu, karena di depan mall cenderung pedagang2 kaki lima mangkal, dan itu menghalangi jalan (kenapa tak ada tindak lanjut dari Satpol PP atau yang lain ya?). Dua, fasilitas penyebrangan yang minim, sehingga orang cenderung nyebrang sembarangan. Tentunya kendaraan2 jadi melambat di sekitar mall, karena ramainya orang menyeberang. Tiga, angkot-angkot pada ngetem di depan mall dan dekat2 jalan keluar-masuknya, dan tahu sendirilah angkot kalo ngetem gimana. Bikin macet tak terkira. Empat, di jam-jam tertentu misalnya makan siang atau makan malam, antrian kendaraan (roda 4 ataupun 2) yang keluar masuk mall bikin suasana makin macet dan sumpeks. Lima, Mall2 gede kebanyakan entah mengapa terletak di daerah yang memang rawan macet, jadi, yaah begitulah.

Memang sih, banyak mall ini berdiri sebelum Jakarta seperti sekarang (super macet, maksutku). Tapi kan ya tetep saja, mestinya pembangunan mall selanjutnya itu kalo bisa yang jauh dari pusat kemacetan, biar ga makin parah macetnya Jakarta kita ini...Mbok ya kalo bikin2 mall itu Amdal nya dipake. Apa guna insinyur2 teknik lingkungan kita yang brilian, kalo pembangunan mall masih bikin macet, banjir, dan berkurangnya ruang terbuka hijau? :)


BONUS: Mall apakah ini? (hint: masing2 dari Jakut,sel,tim,bar,pus, ga urut)







Dec 24, dengan mengutip sana dan sini











































Jawaban: 1. Grand Indonesia (Jakpus)
2. Senayan city (Jaksel)
3. Mall Taman Anggrek (Jakbar)
4. Mall Artha Gading (Jakut)
5. Tamini Square (Jaktim)

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Top 10 everything in my 2012 life

Waaaaah 2012 is reaching the end. Time flies, folks, and as usual i'll be reviewing my year back. Oh this is the third time i do this on blog :D But this time i'm gonna do it differently. For two years past, i wrote year-end review on monthly basis. Now i'll just write "The top everything in my 2012 life". Hope it's inspiring :p

Happiest moment:
[June] When Cleo magazine texted me out of the blue, told me that i won two free premium tickets for Jason Mraz concert on June 22, whew, it's been so long since i felt that true joy :), well, you cant get lucky everyday, rite? Blogpost about it here

Saddest moment:
[May] Well, maybe when my sister couldnt get thru the check-in gate in Terminal 2F, Soekarno-Hatta airport while we finally got the chance to go home together. I'd been imagining the happy trip back home with her, but she didnt bring any ID card, so she couldnt board the same plane with me. Pity, actually, because my (presumably our) economy tickets were upgraded to nice executive class seats, and she just cudnt board the plane! Quel dommage! I actually cried when i stared at the empty seat beside me that's supposed to be my sister's. Fortunately she could switch the flight to another flight later that day for SURABAYA -__- (our original ticket is for Malang, but since there's only one flight to Malang per day, so i guess there's no other way, unless my sister is to spend the night in airport, which is impossible). I planned to write about this then, but just couldnt get myself at it. Maybe soon.

Most exciting moment:
[August] When i finally stepped out from the airplane ABROAD, which is to say, my first abroad trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I was so excited then, i still excited even now :D Hope i can go abroad again soon :")

Most depressing moment:
[Novembre] I had this one worst day, started with embarass myself in front of ustadzs and hafidzs for entering a Hifdzil Quran competition, when i forgot all my Juz-1. Then i spent good 3 hours on my way to Roadshow IAIC in Serpong, 3 hours with rain and packed traffic. And when i got there, the roadshow is OVER. And one person even said to me, "there's no need to come really". Imagine my feelings :""""" I was being the biggest whiner for days after that, i think that was my most depressing days ever, probably because it's still freshly carved on my hippocampi :p

Best movie watched:
[December] Life of Pi. Just...beautiful. See for yourself :")

Best book read:
[October] 99 cahaya Di langit Eropa, by Hanum Salsabiela Rais. I write a review on this, here

Best song heard:
[June-September] A Beautiful Mess by Jason Mraz

Biggest achievement:
[August] Finally going abroad :D, oh, and got my first perfect mark ever in FKUI on Practical Examination of Metabolic-Endocrine module :p

First times:
- being pager ayu, in dr. Roman's wedding
- driving
- PRJ. The rumah hantu is freakingly spooky -__-"
- trying to play a violin. i am a bad violinist.
- spend a whole day in airport
- subscribe to a magazine (Janna by Republika. a good one, you should read too)
- board a plane on Executive class, and by mere luck from Allah haha. the seat's spacey and comfy :")
pic=no hoax gan! :D
- eating in all-you-can-eat buffet -- Hanamasa Plaza Semanggi
- watching classical music recital and it was SUPER! Held by Yapmedi FKUI, the performers are all doctors and medstudents, plus one professional pianist as guest-star (Levi Gunardi). Some of my friends performed too, and they were awesome ^^
- aaaand many more~~

New Skills learned:
- Swimming with face skywards (that is to say, supine position. Tips from me if you want to try: just look skyward, literally. DONT look at your feet or chest, just look UP, you'll float)
- French is getting better :") Still can't catch some conversations, unfortunately. Guess i've gotta work on French listening.
- Driving and parking, but only with automatic-transmission car -__-" Still, a  new skill :p
- Virtual-drawing, and here is my first
hm, how about it? :p
- rapping (thanks to Jason Mraz)
- ice-skating backwards (wohoo). Ice skating is super fun. I'm dying to try other sophisticated moves like jumping or spinning, i have even bought a nice guide book about it. Oh, and luckily for UI student, there is special price every Thursday in Sky Rink Taman Anggrek.

So that's all. I hope the upcoming 2013 is waaaay better and waaay more successful. Cheers for y'all :)


Saturday, December 15, 2012

Craving for this - The Harry Potter Studio Tour


I often caught myself dreamily wondering why my Hogwarts Letter hasn't arrived yet? Does the poor owl get  lost or something? And some other times, i even pictured myself strolling down Hogwarts corridors, eating in Great Hall with my friends, and making some potions under the stern, watchful eyes of Professor Snape. But then i slapped myself back to reality, that there's no such thing as Hogwarts, and i am definitely not a potion-making witch. Quite sad, actually :"(

But everyone has a right to dream, rite? And how happy i am when i found this article, telling about one Studio tour by Warner Bros, when visitors can actually walk along cobbled Diagon Alley, stand in the very Great Hall used in the movie set, admire the magnificent Hogwarts castle up close, even take a real photo while riding a broomstick.
The green screen display, you ride the broom, and watch the flashing London behind you, and smile :D
Ubledore's Office, with the many portraits of Hogwarts Headmasters
I can actually stroll down Diagon Alley! And that's Fred and George Weasley's WWW  in the distant
Harry and friend's Dorm room. I never knew it'd be this small :D
Entrance to Great Hall
And this is the miraculous Great Hall. Those statues on the wall represents four Hogwarts Houses
The Potion Class. Let's make some Polyjuice!
Daily Prophet, the Wizards' newspaper. And said Hogwarts Letter! Want one....
Get the finest wand at Ollivander's.


All photos are from here

I really want to go there :")

Friday, December 14, 2012

My First French Correspondent :")

Terkejut banget pas buka folder Spam di email, ada email balasan dari Chef Antoine Audran :D
Bien le Bonjour de Jakarta!

Chère Muthia,

Java Bleu Bistro est un restaurant qui a été ouvert en 2001 et a l’origine était dans le sud de Jakarta, sur la Jalan Fatmawati….depuis bientôt 3 ans, Java Bleu Bistro a déménagé sur la Jalan Cikini Raya !...Java Bleu Bistro sert de la cuisine traditionnelle Française…sans « frou-frou »…une gastronomie simple et honnête ! Aimes-tu la nourriture Francaise ?

Ce qui est drôle c’ est que tu passes devant le restaurant tous les jours mais tu ne l’as jamais remarque !... Alors quand tu as le temps « Stop » by !

Ou apprends tu le Français ? es-tu déjà allé en France ?....

Sur ce je te laisse….bonne journée

Antoine Audran
0812 xxxxxx 

Monsieur Antoine adalah chef di Java-Bleu, sebuah restoran Perancis yang terletak dalam jarak ngesot dari kosanku, di daerah Cikini. Yang menarik, setiap hari aku lewat Java-Bleu, ga pernah sekalipun aku sadar bahwa itu adalah Restoran Perancis, karena logonya Semar gitu. Kirain warung kopi, karena Java-Bleu terletak di sederetan toko-toko bergaya kolonial yang notabene adalah kedai kopi, macam "Bakoel Koffie Cikini" dan "Cafe Tjikini". Mana Java-Bleunya di lantai 2, di atasnya Cafe Tjikini, jadi kan ga keliatan :")

Aku baru sadar bahwa itu adalah Resto Perancis saat browsing2 tentang Restoran Perancis di Jakarta. Belakangan memang aku "sort of obsessed" dengan hal2 yang berbau Perancis gitu kan, dari bahasanya, negerinya, sampe makanannya. Tapi aku taunya masakan Perancis mengandung wine-wine gitu, jadi belum pernah nyobain. Makanya coba search resto Perancis apa aja di Jkt, dan kagetlah ambo bahwa ada yang tinggal ngesot dan tiap hari lewat :"). Mulailah aku kirim email ke Chefnya, Antoine. Dia punya twitter, dan dia terlihat ramah, friendly, jadi kuberanikan diri ngemail duluan. Kapan lagi kaaan punya correspondent French native-speaker? :D

Awalnya sih aku sok2 pake "Bonjour" di awal email, tapi isi emailnya pake english, intinya tentang ketertarikanku pada kultur Perancis, kekagetanku bahwa ada French resto yang deket banget sama kosan tapi gapernah nyadar padahal lewat tiap hari, dan nanya apakah dia sedia Makanan halal di Java-Bleu.

Itu sekitar 3 hari lalu sih. Malam ini aku iseng aja cek folder spam, eh taunya ada email balasan dari Chef Antoine, dan..... bahasa Perancis semua -__- haha. Seneng banget, sekaligus deg-degan. Dengan kemampuan Francaisku yang sekarang, alhamdulillah aku bisa cukup paham apa yang dibilang Chef Antoine,  kecuali paragraf 2 : ce qui est drole...

Ternyata artinya (setelah minta bantuan google translate) kira2 begini:
"Aneh juga ya kamu padahal lewat restoran tiap hari tapi gapernah sadar! kapan2 mampir ya!"

Seneng nih, hehe. bales apa yaaa? masih belum pede untuk nulis full french -__-" Btw chefnya juga kasih nomer hape tuh haha. baik ya :)

Muthia's Runway

All girls have sense of fashion, and i'm exploring mine!
(thanks to Demo Styling App from Looklet)

Look1. Red bolero + draped blouse = nice.

Look2. Inspired by Anne Hathaway in Devil Wears Prada. 

Look3. Quirky braids, dress, and boots. Tinggal dikerudungin.

Look4. Campus style these days. Love the cardigan.


Sunday, December 9, 2012

Wishlist #4 (fashion and stuff)

1. A warm, stuffy Bedcover 
                                                    

2. A flowing skirt

3. A pair of boots (hehe, harajuku on!)

4. A warm red trenchcoat (winter spirit!)


5. The 4th, 6th, 7th Harry Potter books

6. A red chiffon blouse

8. A French Grammar Book

9. A slice of cheese cake



Saturday, December 8, 2012

PHP dan Orang Jawa

Belakangan, sering banget denger istilah PHP. Pas pertama kali kubaca di timeline twitter, aku kira ini semacam istilah komputer gitu. Suka ada kan, .php (format suatu file). Tapi dilihat dari konteks tweet orang-orang sepertinya maksutnya bukan PHP komputer.

Akhirnya setelah KKD (kepo-kepo dikit), didapatlah kepanjangan resmi dari PHP > Pemberi Harapan Palsu

contoh:
A: Eh punya hand sanitizer ga? mau makan gorengan nih
B: Punya kayaknya, di tas tuh, ambil aja
A: (Ubek-ubek) Mana kok ga ada?
B: Eiya ding, tadi aku ganti tas, jadi ga kebawa hand sanitizernya hehe sori ya
A: Yeee PHP luu

Papa: Yang, nanti malam makan di Pizza Hut yuk
Mama: Ayo ayo...asiik gausah masak
Papa: Iya, papa kan bosen dimasakin steak tempe melulu hehe
Mama: Haha, padahal Mama niatnya tadi mau masak tenderloin steak au coq puofle le mis.
Papa: Wah apaan tuh, yaudah deh gajadi ayo kita mkan poufle le mis aja
Mama: aah Papa PHP ah.. >:0

Dapet kan gambaran penggunaan kata PHP. Sedih ya di PHPin sama orang, sudah kadung melambung harapan, apa dikata yang kuterima harapan palsu.

Setelah kurenungi, aku menyadari bahwa aku sering sekali PHP sama orang. Diundang rapat, bilang bisa dateng, eh pada akhirnya nggak bisa kaarena ini dan itu. Disuruh dateng jam7, bilang iya, eh jam7 baru berangkat dari kosan. Diminta dosen baca buku X, bilang oke dok, tapi mana pernah baca buku X haha. Dari hal2 simpel macam begitu, sampai hal2 yang cukup rumit (misalnya...cinta )

Padahal kalo aku liat, orang2 PHP itu kejam ya. Sudah melambungkan harapan orang tinggi2, malah diingkari. Sedikit beda dengan ingkar janji sih. Kalo ingkar janji, pas berjanji, dia belum tau akan mengingkarinya. Tapi kalo PHP, sejak awal dia tahu tidak akan bisa memenuhinya, tapi tetep aja bilang iya, oke, sip. Nah menurutku sih malah jahatan orang PHP ya, kalo digambarinnya seperti itu. Padahal nih orang ingkar janji kan munafik, terus PHP lebih buruk dari munafik? Benarkah demikian?

Nah, sekarang kita bahas tentang Orang Jawa (loh tiba2 banting setir haha) lah iya judulnya kan 'PHP dan Orang jawa'. Orang Jawa, terkenalnya sih di Indonesia sebagai suku yang lemah lembut, sopan santun, dan menghormati orang lain (ohyaaa haha, rasis). Nah ini poinnya. "menghormati orang lain". Ibuku pernah bilang, kalo orangtua atau orang lain minta sesuatu, meskipun kamu tau kamu gabisa menunhinnya, bilang aja iya dulu, biar orangnya lega. >> PHP detected!

Meskipun setelah kutanyakan lagi sama Ibu, maksut beliau bukan PHP gitu, tapi ya seenggaknya dengan bilang "iya" kita akan berusaha sekuat mungkin memenuhi omongan kita, karena yang kita "iya"in tadi kan orang yang kita respekin. Hmm, masuk akal juga sih. Tapi in the end kalo ga bisa menunhin, PHP dong?



Wednesday, November 21, 2012

So glad i found you


Kemaren aku ke Indonesia Book Fair dan menemukan Harry Potter a L'ecole du Sorcier. Ini adalah Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone French Edition, yang judulnya sedikit beda kalo diartikan: "Harry Potter di Sekolah Sihir". Aku dapet plus buku Harry Potter 5 (secondhand sih) dengan harga 50ribu saja. :")

Ohya, aku memang lagi berusaha ngumpulin buku Harry Potter 7 edisi. Jangan salah, as Pottermaniac as i am, aku nggak punya SATUPUN buku Harry Potter (dulu pernah punya yang nomor 2 tapi diilangin seorang teman, thank you very much -__-) Dan dengan terbelinya buku 1,2,5 (dan sudah mesen 3,4) di bookfair kemaren, tinggal buku 6-7 yang belum dapet!! Ada yang mau ngasih/jual dengan harga temen? Please comment di postingan ini :D

Sebenarnya Cinta

Sering mungkin kita mendengar ungkapan "Cinta itu rela melepaskan" dan semacamnya. Saya harus katakan, sulit buat kita untuk meresapi makna kata-kata tersebut, sampai kita mengalami sendiri yang namanya "ditinggalkan cinta".

 Bayangkan saja rasanya, orang yang kamu cintai, bilang padamu bahwa dia ingin pergi jauh. Tentu dalam hati kamu tak rela. Kamu tak ingin dia jauh-jauh darimu. Sudah siap mulut melontarkan sejuta alasan, tapi semua teredam saat kamu berbicara dengannya. Dia menceritakan rencanya kepergiannya dengan mata berbinar dan tertawa-tawa, seolah semua kebahagian masa depannya terletak di tempat yang jauh itu. Pergi jauh adalah cita-citanya, harapan hatinya, mimpinya. Bisa apa kamu yang cuma seorang pecinta menghalangi dia menyongsong cita-cita? Semua kata pencegahan rasanya tercekat di tenggorokan, dan kamu tak punya pilihan lain selain menunjukkan muka yang ikut cerah dan mata yang ikut berbinar di hadapannya, mendukung sepenuhnya akan kepergiannya. Walau dalam hati sungguh kamu tak berharap dia pergi. Tapi pecinta sejati rela melepaskan bukan? Rela memberikan segalanya demi kebahagiaan yang dicintainya? Bukankah begitu?

Atau bayangkan saja rasanya, ketika orang yang sangat kamu sayangi akhirnya menemukan pelabuhan hatinya. Dulu dia selalu ada buat kamu, selalu mendengarkan kamu, selalu membelamu, selalu menyayangimu sepenuh hati. Sekarang? Oh tentu saja kamu boleh yakin bahwa dia masih menyayangimu. Tapi kamu bukan lagi yang pertama baginya. Kamu harus rela dinomorsekiankan. Semanis apapun mulutnya berkata "aku masih sayang kamu kok, kita kan akan selalu bersama" Tapi tentu saja, semua hanya di mulut. Kenyataannya life goes on. Sekeras apapun kamu (dan dia) berpura-pura tak ada yang berubah sejak dia berlabuh, tentu akan ada perubahan. Kamu dan dia tak akan pernah bisa sedekat dulu lagi. Namun roda kehidupan terus berputar kan? Jika kamu tulus menyayanginya, kamu pun rela melepaskannya berbahagia bersama orang lain. Sudah dari sananya begitu.


Sakit memang memendam cinta. Tapi kalau memang cinta yang kita rasakan ini tulus, murni, sepenuh hati, dan karena Allah, melihat dia berbahagia dari jauh saja sudah cukup. Sungguh sangat cukup.


To you who i love. I will ALWAYS love you no matter what. I wish you happiness ever after.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Bestest Friend...

is the one who is always there when you need them
even though they have tight schedule
they always make time for you
isn't it nice to have someone like that?

treasure your best friend,
it is getting hard these days to find one
make time for them, listen to them, be happy for them


-to my best friend, thanks for accompanying me yesterday :)-

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Dokter ganteng

Suatu hari di dunia FKUI, ada pleno mengenai topik yang cukup menarik, yaitu Diabetes Melitus. Tapi selain topiknya, ada yang lain yang menarik dari pleno kali ini, yaitu dokter moderator pleno yang...well...ganteng.

Biasalah kemajuan teknologi, pleno pun timeline twitter tetep rame:

“Ya Allah semoga diberikan jodoh seperti dokter ganteng yang di depan itu”
“Ayo ciwi ciwi, harap kembali fokus ke materi pleno, jangan terus-terusan terfokus ke wajah moderatornya yang ganteng”
“Terbukti antusiasme peserta pleno berbanding lurus dengan tingkat kegantengan moderatornya”
“Dokternya tipe tipe suami idaman gitu yak, kalem, lembut, nyenengin”
“Kenapa yaa dokter dokter ganteng selalu udah pake cincin”
“Setelah kepo fb dokter, ngeliatin adeknya juga ganteng. Mau deh sama adeknya, abisan si dokter udah pakek cincin sii”
“Waa anaknya dokter udah  2 lho, cowo cowo semua”
Yah, begitulah cewek2 FKUI 2010 saat pleno dengan moderator dokter ganteng: ngetweet :)

Friday, November 9, 2012

Awesome Australian Author Arised me Awestrucked!

My friend Gadis brought her 3rd birthday gift from her parents: a fancy illustrated children book entitled "The Eleventh Hour: A Curious Mystery" and one thing i said about this book: Marvelous! The story is about Horace the Elephant inviting his eleven friends to his eleventh birthday party. After played eleven fun games, they headed to banquet hall at eleven, ready to devour Horace's finest cookings. But someone (or something) already eaten the grand feast, and that's when we readers are challenged to find who the food thief was, by careful observations on the illustrations.
The cover looks like FUN! papertigers.org
And that was the surprise! At first, i impressed merely by fine and beautiful illustrations of Horace and his friends, but after reading the texts (which rhymes beautifully) till the end, i am simply stunned. This is what i love: RIDDLES! And i have a bookful of them, waiting to be solved. That's when i realized that the illustrations are not just mere illustrations, they contain codes and clues, come  in various ways i did not imagine. There's Morse code bordering a page, there are Musical codes, card codes, and even hieroglyphs! I have to be very sharp-eyed to find these codes. Some of them were hidden in tiny scribbles, disguised as fancy-shaped bush roots, some even can be found only if the book is tilted in the right angle. Finding the codes itself is something, but deciphering them is another, and that's why it's double the fun.
This very detailed pic is full of codes! (gracefuldoe.wordpress.com)
Happily said, my suspicion on one of Horace's friends is right, and in the endmost page, there is another coded message to congratulate me on my correct deduction, plus one last challenge! What a fun!

But in the end i wonder, Gadis got this book when she's 3. I doubt there's any 3 year old Indonesian girl can understand what this all-English book is all about, let alone unravel the book's deepest mystery. But then again, the illustrations themselves is beautiful enough for any 3 year old girl to read, there's just no need to know the meaning of English texts or even the codes if you are a simple-minded 3 year old! :D (hey, if i do not read the story through i would not even know there are codes!)

Nevertheless, i searched the author, Graeme Base, on google. He's Australian, quite a surprising fact while his illustrations contain Persian rugs, Roman costumes, Art Deco-styled rooms, and more. Well, maybe he simply is wonderful :)

From Wiki, i found out that his another children-book Animalia was even more famous. So i googled (whew, "googled" is now a verb) Animalia. This book is intended for children to learn Alphabet, so there are illustrations of Animals whose name started with alphabets A-Z, and objects with the same first-letters. And all the titles of every alphabet is written in witty puns!

For example,
Great Green Gorillas Growing Grapes in a Gorgeous Glass Greenhouse
Lazy Lions Lounging in the Local Library
Proud Peacocks Preening Perfect Plumage

Two Tigers Taking The 10.20 Train To Timbuktu

Wicked Warrior Wasps Wildly Waving Warlike Weapons

Zany Zebras Zigzagging in Zinc Zeppelins

and so on, from A-Z. he is just GENIUS, is he not? :D

(pictures source: Tumblr, everypicture.com, schools.nsw.edu.au

Why so Keminggris?

I realize that many of my latest post are in English. It's not that i want to look international-minded or anything. The thing is, i've been reading more English these days, and i want to practice using new words and expressions i learned. And where would it be aside from this blog i love? I am sorry if some of you readers (like there's any -__-) do not feel very comfortable reading my messy English, but we are all learning, right? :) Just tell me if i made spelling or grammatical or contextual errors, i'll be more than glad to hear it! :)

Prevent the Inevitable

Today i woke up on 6.10 am, while perfectly aware that i have lecture starting at 7, but even as the clock hit 6.45, i had not moved my lazy ass up (well, jangan ditiru ya :) ) Nevertheless, i just cant bear the idea of skipping lectures. It happened many times before, when i really wanted to skip a lecture, but in the end my slight guilt won. So i was off to lecture at 7.03

The first session was quite boring, but the second session about "Early Detection of Cervical Cancer and Breast Cancer" was great! The lecturer (Dr. Ovi from Ob-Gyn Department) was very cool. She confided us on surprising facts about cervical cancer: The only cancer (aside from Colorectal) with known cause, which is Human Papiloma Virus (HPV), and still, is the commonest cancer killing women. The pathologist even say: Not a day passed without diagnosing Cervical cancer! Despite the fact that detecting it very soon is easy, and there's even a vaccine available for HPV in Indonesia, many women still cant get away from Cervical Ca's grip. We might wonder why is that?

Old saying "Prevent is better than cure" is very right. In case of Cervical Ca, early prevention can lead to much better prognosis (i mean better outcome and hope for live longer) for the patient. We can even caught Cervical Ca red-handed from its earliest attempt on causing our life a mess! The progression of this cancer is slow, compared to its fellow cancerous friends, might be years from pre-cancer stage to the real stadium one stage, so there's fat chance we'll caught it early. The detection is also very easy: by well-known Pap-smear test or much simpler IVA test. Problem is, not many people are aware of the importance of this early detection. They do not like the idea of some scary-looking device (like this) being inserted to their most intimate organ. (gee, even i must admit i do not like it!) But this is the easier and most effective, efficacious way, so doctors can get a closer look at our cervices and decide whether or not we have pre-cancer lesion. The insertion itself does not hurt, juts a bit uncomfortable. One swab, and the answer becomes clear. If the doctor find the sign of dysplasia (that is, abnormal cells not behaving like they should), earlier action of removing the misbehaved cells can be done, and we're free of cancer! Wonderful, hm?

But there's one little problem: we do not want to be Pap-smeared, and i can't blame us (what a pun) for that. Who in earth want to lie flat, legs open, and let someone insert a hideous device on their vagina? Then again, we must remember the danger a Cervical Ca can cause, and how close it is to us. Research said, 75% of us has been exposed on HPV, are we sure enough we're the lucky 25%? No one can be so sure, because HPV can be everywhere and attack anyone! From fancy-looking actresses to simple-minded housewives, cervical ca is everyone's threat. That's why, early detection by yearly Pap-smear or IVA is not only recommended, but compulsory.

Dr. Ovi assigned us students to persuade women around us to have themselves Pap-smeared.  If they have no money, then just request an IVA test. This is a very cheap test using acetic acid swabbed on cervix portion, and see if there's color change. One bottle of common table vinegar, diluted five times, and it is enough to test a hundred women. How easy :) What's not easy is to get the patient's consent to do the test, and that's what we (medstudents or anyone who understand the danger of Cervical Ca) are required to do.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

10 Reasons why i love Malang...and why i chose to leave

1. Udaranya sejuk
2. Jalan-jalannya bagus dan rapi
3. Pemandangan gunung kemanapun mata memandang
4. Harga-harga cenderung murah
5. Angkot yang mobilnya bagus, cepat, dan supirnya friendly
6. Pecelnya wuenak
7. Mbak-mbaknya modis (baru nyadar pas jalan ke matos)
8. Orang-orangnya care dan sopan
9. Boso walikan
10. Rumahku di sana :')

tapi kenapa aku merantau?

Orang berilmu dan beradab tidak akan diam di kampung halaman
Tinggalkan negerimu dan merantaulah ke negeri orang
Merantaulah, kau akan dapatkan pengganti dari kerabat dan kawan
Berlelah-lelahlah, manisnya hidup terasa setelah lelah berjuang

Aku melihat air menjadi rusak karena diam tertahan
Jika mengalir menjadi jernih, jika tidak, kan keruh menggenang

Singa jika tak tinggalkan sarang tak akan dapat mangsa
Anak panah jika tak tinggalkan busur tidak akan kena sasaran

Jika matahari di orbitnya tidak bergerak dan terus diam
Tentu manusia bosan padanya dan enggan memandang

Bijih emas bagaikan tanah biasa sebelum digali dari tambang
Kayu gaharu tak ubahnya seperti kayu biasa jika didalam hutan
(Imam Syafii)

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Wit and Wisdom of Albus Dumbledore

Inspired by Rita Skeeter's "Life and Lies of Albus Dumbledore". Actually Dumbledore is not my favorite character. But those chapters which feature his long conversation with Harry (usually the last ones of each book) is full of notable words of advice and truth. Seems like Rowling relied on Dumbledore to explain most of the story plot to readers. Well not another word, here's some of Dumbledore's Wit and Wisdom:

"For in dreams we enter a world that is entirely our own"

"Call him Voldemort, Harry. Fear of a name increases the fear of the thing itself"

"Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?"

"Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also"

"Sometimes we must choose between what is right and what is easy"

"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and above all, those who live without love"

"Death is but the next great adventure"

"It is a curious thing, Harry, but perhaps who are best suited for power are those who have never sought it"

"Indifference and neglect often do much more damage than outright dislike"

"People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right"

"Understanding is the first step to acceptance, and only with acceptance can there be recovery"

"You are the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from death"

"It is important to fight, and fight again, and keep fighting, for only then evil could be kept at bay, though never quite eradicated"

source: books and google

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Bertemu Kembaran

Hari sabtu kemarin, aku ke IC...sebagai...wali murid.__. Jadi ceritanya adikku tercinta sudah kelas3, sehingga wali murid diminta hadir mengenai pengarahan univ2 gitu deh sekalian ngambil raport tengah semester. kuingat dulu pas aku kelas 3 ummi jadi sering banget ke IC, nginep di wisma. Sekarang aku yang disuruh ambil rapor adek hehe. Yaudah gapapa aku seneng sih, apalagi kemaren kenalan sama temen2nya adek yang rame2, seru2, cantik2, daaaaaaan seorang kakaknya temennya adek yang mirip sama aku!
ini namanya Mbak Dea, FKM UIN, kakaknya Fega, temennya dek tasya. mirip ga? :D

De Tasya, Mbak Dea, Muthia, Fega

Dek tasya, Mbak Dea, Nda, Muthia, Fega
Daan ternyata hari kemaren 13 okt itu Nda (di tengah, yang nyengir) ulang tahun ke 17 :D Jadinya aku ditraktir Magnum haha. Baik banget yaa Nda,  padahal aku sempet lupa namanya #merasabersalah. Semoga Nda sehat selalu, selamat dunia akhirat, dapat kuliah yang disukai dan diinginkan, dan lancar jodohnya. Amiiiin!

Wishlist #3

Just listing here..
1. Payung - musim hujan's coming!
2. Passport holder, kalo bisa yang gambarnya logo Hogwarts
3. Stabilo
4. Sepatu - yang lama uda cuil2 dan lepas2
5. Tas - nggak harus baru sih, cuma biar beda aja .__.
6. Selotip
7. Map kertas

Right now, itu dulu. -,- 

Saturday, October 13, 2012

All the Difference in The World

Well its been ages since my last post, hasnt it? and yet i came back with another post about, well, you know. I'm still kind of obsessed with Harry Potter thingy, and this morning i came across one chapter on Book Six (Horcruxes) that's very tempting to write and discuss. Still, if you're not interested, i'll just discuss it with myself, haha  :D

"But he understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew — and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents — that there was all the difference in the world."

So this passage talks about Voldemort and Harry's fateful life, which, based on Prof Trelawney's prophecy, must ended with, or involved, murder. "One cannot live while the other survive" > this part of the prophecy states that Harry must be the one to kill Voldemort,  or the other way around, for one cannot live while the other survives. 

The prophecy. It is indeed what made Voldemort tried to kill Baby Harry when he was one year old. And by doing so, Voldemort himself marked Harry as his own main opponent, and even he didn't realized it, he gave Harry a powerful weapon to thwart him. Voldemort had heard the prophecy, and so he singled out the remarkable person who might try to finish him, and even give him the tools to do the job. All his act is driven by the prophecy.

While Harry, even if he'd never heard of the prophecy, he'll still try to have Old Voldy's finished. He does not want him survive, not without all he'd done to Lily and James, to Sirius, to Cedric Diggory. So he'll try his best to kill Voldemort, which means, in the end, one of them is going to ended up killing the other. The difference is, Voldemort wanted to kill Harry because of the prophecy, while Harry is absolutely free to choose his fate, to turn his back at the prophecy. It is the difference between being dragged to the arena of Battle to the Death, and walking to the arena with head held high. 

Hiks. Reading this chapter, i became very aware that Harry IS pure and remarkable and pure at heart and extraordinary. 

"You are protected, in short, by your ability to love!" said Dumbledore loudly. "The only protection that can possibly work against the lure of power like Voldemort's! In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven, when you stared into a mi-ror that reflected your heart's desire, and it showed you only the way to thwart Lord Voldemort, and not immortality or riches. Harry, have you any idea how few wizards could have seen what you saw in that mirror? Voldemort should have known then what he was dealing with, but he did not! But he knows it now. You have flitted into Lord Voldemort's mind without damage to yourself, but he cannot possess you without enduring mortal agony, as he discovered in the Ministry. I do not think he understands why, Harry, but then, he was in such a hurry to mutilate his own soul, he never paused to understand the incomparable power of a soul that is untarnished and whole."

Saturday, September 29, 2012

My pure-hearted girl


I’m not used to your tears,
Or you speaking your worries
Or you not finishing my home-cooked spaghetti
Or you feeling you’re good-for-nothing
Mind if i ask why?

Mummy and daddy are so kind to us
Will we ever be able to pay them back?
Said you, with tears running down your nose

Silence

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Potion Puzzle by Severus Snape: Solved!! ^^


"Danger lies before you, while safety lies behind,
Two of us will help you, whichever you would find,
One among us seven will let you move ahead,
Another will transport the drinker back instead,
Two among our number hold only nettle wine,
Three of us are killers, waiting hidden in line.
Choose, unless you wish to stay here for evermore,
To help you in your choice, we give you these clues four:
First, however slyly the poison tries to hide
You will always find some on nettle wine’s left side;
Second, different are those who stand at either end,
But if you would move onwards, neither is your friend;
Third, as you see clearly, all are different size,
Neither dwarf nor giant holds death in their insides;
Fourth, the second left and the second on the right
Are twins once you taste them, though different at first sight."






If you're a Harry Potter big fan (like me), you must know what i'm talking about here. It is the scene from Book 1 (Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone), when Harry and Hermione tried to save the Sorcerer's Stone from being stolen by Snape (or at least that was what they think). Through a trapdoor guarded by Fluffy (nice name for a 3-headed giant dog), they encounter a room with these bottles on a table and a note, which happen to be a Potion Puzzle made by Severus Snape himself.

In the book, there's only the note (i mean the clues written above), no picture showing the bottles. So when i found this scene on Pottermore, i am so excited to solve the Potion Puzzle myself :D

Let me explain. There are seven vials on the table; 3 of them are deadly poisons, 2 are nettle wines, 1 is the potion to get you to the Stone ahead, and another one is a potion to trasnport you back.
And based on the clues above, this is the answer of what do these vials contain, from the left:
>>Poison, Nettle Wine, The one that'll bring you ahead, Poison, Another Poison, Nettle Wine, and the one that will get you back<<

in the book, Hermione stated that the smallest vial is the right potion to move ahead, and the rounded bottle in the right end of the row will transport you back. So, i'm right! ^^

Friday, September 14, 2012

Just Another Awesomeness of Mrs. Rowling

Siapa yang tak kenal Harry Potter? Cerita fenomenal tentang si bocah penyihir di dunia sihir ini memang epic banget, sudah menemani saya bertahun2 sejak SD, dan bahkan sampai sekarang, 4 tahun setelah jilid terakhirnya keluar. Merupakan satu2nya cerita yang masih saya hapal nama-nama tokoh sampai yang paling gapenting sekalipun, dan masih paling semangat buat ngebahasnya

Menurut saya JK Rowling (pengarangnya) ini orang jenius. Bisa menciptakan dunia lain yang sama sekali imajinatif, tapi entah kenapa terasa riil di sisi lain. Bagaimana dia merangkaikan keseluruhan detail cerita, bahkan hal2 kecil yang remeh di awal, ternyata merupakan kunci penting buat finalisasi cerita.

Misalnya bagaimana dia menjadikan Draco Malfoy yang meng-expelliarmus Dumbledore saat kematiannya. Coba, pada saat saya baca adegan itu di buku-6 (HP and The Half Blood Prince) bagi saya hal ini tak berarti apa-apa. Tapi siapa sangka di akhir buku-7 (HP and The Deathly Hallows) terungkap bahwa sejak saat itu Malfoy-lah yang menjadi pemilik sah Elder Wand, instead of Severus Snape yang notabene merupakan eksekutor pembunuh Dumbledore dengan Avada kedavra-nya. Makanya Lord Voldemort heran, mengapa Elder Wand tidak mau patuh padanya padahal dia sudah merampas Elder Wand dari kuburan Dumbledore. Lord Voldemort pun membunuh Snape, karena dia kira Snape lah pemilik sah Elder Wand sejak membunuh Dumbledore. Tapi Lord Voldemort salah orang dengan membunuh Snape demi menguasai Elder Wand, karena sejak awal Snape tidak pernah memiliki tongkat sihir sakti itu. Meanwhile, kepemilikannya sudah berpindah tangan lagi pada Harry saat ia melucuti Malfoy di Malfoy Manor (Buku-7). Coba, mana saya sangka saling-lucut-melucuti ini merupakan kunci kepemilikan tongkat sihir paling sakti sedunia sihir? Mana saya ingat Harry pernah melucuti Malfoy dahulunya? Jenius, Jenius banget Rowling

Memang sih dari semua buku, buku-7 lah yang the-most-coolie-awesome. Semuanya terungkap. Semuanya nyambung. Semuanya jadi jelas. Dan menurut saya bagian paling epic adalah bagaimana Rowling membuat Severus Snape, seorang tokoh paling villain dan nyebelin 7-edisi, above all annoying things he's said and done, ternyata adalah pahlawan kunci yang paling tersembunyi dan paling heroik. Dialah si double agent, yang berhasil mengelabui Lord Voldemort dan mengacaukan semua rencananya. Dialah yang meskipun sudah membully Harry dan memberinya hari2 paling buruk di sekolah, ternyata diam-diam melindunginya. Asli, sejak terungkap siapa Snape sebenarnya, dan what he's been up to, pandangan saya tentang dia berubah 180 derajat. Bukan lagi sebel dan pingin ngebejek2 (bahasa apa ini), tapi jadi simpati, kasihan, bahkan terima kasih.

Menurut saya wajar banget Snape kejam sama Harry, mengingat semua ke-scumbag-an yang sudah dilakukan James Potter kepadanya di masa2 sekolah dulu. Apalagi Harry mirip bangetbangetbanget sama James. Pasti dia kesel setengah mati. Tapi dia keren banget, demi cintanya yang tidak terungkapkan pada Lily, dia bisa menahan semua kebencian dan menutupi semua rahasianya. Saya jadi menyesal sudah benci sama Snape, sampai saat terakhir pun saya bahkan percaya dia bekerja untuk Lord Voldemort!

Sedih mengetahui dia sudah begitu lama mencintai Lily, tapi terpaksa kalah lagi dari James, dan bahkan kini harus melindungi anak James. Mau nangis loh pas liat adegan dia menemukan mayat Lily. Terus adegan pas diputerin semua kenangan Snape di Pensieve, pas Dumbledore nanya: "After all this time?" Always" jawab Snape. aaaaaa nangis, nangis banget. Ketahuanlah bahwa dia selama 18tahun harus memendam semua kepedihan dan rahasia, demi Lily, demi Harry, demi dunia sihir.. Pada akhirnya dia rela jadi villain paling dibenci dari luar, tapi justru pahlawan dari dalam. Bravo Snape!
Masa-masa Snape dibully sama James and the gank. Liat Lily <3 nbsp="nbsp">
Adegan favorit gw dari Buku-5 (HP and The Order of The Phoenix), ketika Harry masuk  Pensieve dan melihat bahwa sebenarnya James adalah cowok arogan sok keren yang membully Snape. Look at Young Sirius (brown hair behind James), memang ganteng @,@

LOL. no wonder it's all shiny :p
Dan satu lagi, cermin Tarsah. Awalnya saya gangerti, bahasa apa itu "Tarsah", pas baca novel aslinya pun, namanya "Mirror of Erised" Apa tuh Erised? mungkin suatu bahasa inggris kuno? Tapi saya baru tahu pas tingkat 1 kuliah (padahal cermin tarsah muncul pas jilid 1 HarPot, jaman SD bo), bahwa maksudnya:
"Erised" --> "Desire"
"Tarsah" --> "Hasrat"
"Cermin yang merekfleksikan hasrat terdalam dari diri kita"
"Orang yang paling bahagia adalah orang yang melihat cermin itu sebagai cermin biasa, hanya melihat bayangannya sendiri di cermin itu. Dirinyalah hasrat terbesarnya"
"Ide jenius Dumbledore, menyembunyikan Batu Bertuah lewat cermin itu. Orang yang ingin menggunakan Batu itu, seperti Lord Voldemort, hanya akan melihat bayangannya bergelimang emas dan hidup abadi. Namun hanya orang yang ingin menemukannya, bukan memiliki dan menggunakannya yang akan melihat bayangan dirinya menemukan batu itu" >>> Jenius!

ah sudahlah, ngemeng apa sih saya. ngoceh gajelas. Yah, hanya berusaha menumpahkan kekaguman dan kekangenan saya akan kisah Harry Potter. Sekarang sudah gada lagi yang bisa ditunggu, novel sudah selesai, film sudah selesai T,T belum nemu lagi loh, novel yang semenarik dan semenakjubkan ini :')