As you pass from sunlight into darkness and back again every hour and a half, you become startlingly aware how artificial are thousands of boundaries we've created to separate and define. And for the first time in your life you feel in your gut the precious unity of the Earth and all the living things it supports.

— Russell 'Rusty' Schweikart, returning from Apollo 9

When old dreams die, new ones come to take their place. God pity a one-dream man.

— Esther Goddard, reading from her late husband's diary to the AP just prior to the launch of Apollo 11.

this is one of the things i really am confused about women (maybe mostly indonesians and, well, some men do):

they really wanted to be slim, have a beautiful body, jealous with all the celebrities out there wondering why they have an amazing body. they know the answer which is having a regular exercise besides getting on diet. but, still, all they do is consuming a very small amount of food (without considering the lack of nutrition) and gossiping on PE class.

I'm not good at acting. I just love being frank and blunt.

i hate 'majority-minority' ' native-nonnative'

terry - janji manis

oh dunia ini penuh kepalsuan
mungkinkah tiada keikhlasan
apakah ini suatu pembalasan
ku sadar kebesaranMu Tuhan
aku bagai seorang
kembara jalanan
terombang-ambing di lautan gelora
ku cari kebahagiaan
dan untuk menopang kasih
mungkinkah suratan
hidup kan selalu sendirian


hati membeku mengingatkan
kata janji manisMu
ku dilambung angan-angan
belaian kasih sayang suci dariMu
oh kejamnya
lidah tidak bertulang
ucapan cinta mengiris kalbu
ku kan pergi membawa diri
cinta di hati terkubur lagi


jika ku pahami mengapa terjadi
peristiwa pahit menggores hati
perjalanan hidup ini sudah tertulis
ku tempuhi dengan kesabaran
ku sadar kebesaranMu Tuhan

Two weeks ago Indonesians were shocked because of the picture of a Balinese underwater temple. Well, how could be there a temple built down there? Here is the picture.



Mostly, there were two reactions: first those who were amazed. second those who didn't believe it. Well, I can understand it. It's pretty impossible to build a temple down there. How could they put the bricks one by one at that place?

But there were two things that made me sad:
first: the minister of tourism didn't know about the temple and worse, he did NOT even believe it exists
second: it was built in 2005, and FUNDED by Australia, and Australian tourists have known it before it surprised Indonesians.

farewell

After all the goodbyes, after we are scattered to all over the world, can we, all of us, 130-something of us, gather again in one place one day? I hope we can. I'll miss you guys. Goodluck there with your school, goodluck with your works, your career, your life. I wish you all the best. We will gather again one day. Bon courage :)

Today really is a sad day. Idel, Carlo, Remon, Ernest, and Cimut just departed this afternoon to SF. It's really hard to hold back tears there at the airport since there were 5 of them would leave abroad.

And.. what makes it a sadder day.. my elementary PE teacher Pak Agus just died this evening because of heart attack.

Hearing the news just shocked me. He is a PE teacher (he supposed to be healthy), and still young.

As soon as I heard it, my memories just rewind to my childhood. The days when I was still in elementary, the days when he was still my PE teacher. I remember he shouted at us because we were so naughty. I remember we teased him Sugus, and he shouted as us and we ran away. After all, he was a really good teacher. I love sport so badly is because of him. He taught me a lot. He introduced me to soccer and put me into Loren Team, the team I played in for 8 years. All because of him.

But his death really reminds me that we can die anytime. And we never know it. I mean, the day went normal as if nothing was gonna happen. He was still teaching PE and trained the kids for Flag Ceremony for 17th of August. He died when he got home.

After all, we can do nothing about it. God has taken his soul back to heaven. He gives and He takes - it's what we always believe in.


I have a thought about death. Well, I'm may be too young to say this because I haven't experienced death of people around me enough. But what I'm thinking is that: just be grateful if the person dies. I mean, it means that his/her role in this world has done and it is the time for them to go back to the Owner. I'm not trying to be heartless. I know it will be frustrating if someone we love dies, but that faith will give us the power to let him/her go.

Well, may be I'm too naive to say that. May be.



I hope you can rest in peace, Pak Agus. May GOD accepts you in Heaven. Thank you for all your dedication for being a teacher. I really am sorry for our childhood menace. We will miss you :)

"Wajah lama sudah tak keruan di kaca, sedang wajah baru belum jua jelas. Siapakah itu orang atau manusia Indonesia? Apakah dia memang ada? Di mana dia? Seperti apa gerangan tampangnya?"

Mochtar Lubis (alm)

"Avatar changes people's heart.
He will defeat the Fire Nation with his heart"

- The Last Airbender

This country is not just about your people.
We have more than 700 ethnic groups and beliefs.

Indonesia can't be led by a single belief and perspective.
Rules have to be made for all people in every single perspective - NOT just yours.

i write a lot, but never finish it :(

I just watched BBC Knowledge; it was talking about how our body ages. But, what surprised me was that the scientists are trying to manipulate our genes so that we can postpone our aging. Well, it didn't really surprise me that much since we will still decay eventhough our genes are mutated. What shocked me more was a scientist made a theory that we can reverse the aging gene and make our decayed body grow young again. And it will make us immortal of aging. How long? 100 years? 1000 years? No. Even a couple thousand of years.

There is something interesting at the end of the show. The host, holding a yellow potion in a bottle, calling it the anti-aging potion, asked random people one question: do you want to drink this?

Some people said: yes, it would be interesting!
Others said: it might be interesting. but, no. I'm sick of this life.
When he came to young people, they say an absolute no.

But, there was one person said an intriguing answer:

no, I won't. What makes this life incredible is that we will die. If we are immortal, this life will be meaningless.

What is a perfect life?

May be.. it's to have someone.. to take care of us.. forever

-Thai Insurance

Jai, Windi, and I went to Central Park, one of the latest mall in Jakarta, this afternoon. It was the first time I been there.

My first impression: huge, god-y, fancy.

I must admit that it is well-designed. The huge and fancy mall, plus, what makes it special, the park.





It has a very beautiful park.

However, in spite of its beauty, one thing tickled me:

Why do we have to go to mall to enjoy this kind of beautiful and soothing park? Why can't we just have freely, a public-park? Or, aside from Benton Junction, why do we have to go to a mall to sit, relax, and hang out at an open cafe like in downtown walk at SMS? Most importantly, WHY do all we have is mall?!


Opening public parks or open cafes in public areas will make Jakarta a better city, tho.

Anyway by Mother Teresa

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self centered;
Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;
Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;
Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;
Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;
Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give the world the best you've got anyway.

You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God;
It was never between you and them anyway.

If you can't get what you want
Then you come with me

Up on melancholy hill
A manatee
Just looking out on the day
When you're close to me

gorillaz - on melancholy hill

my brother said this yesterday when we were talking about finding-myself and i think it's pretty interesting:

our true self is when we are as pure as a newborn baby. even if we are trying to find ourselves, right now, it is not the truest since we are influenced by our environment and circumstances.

it is the most idealistic point of view, however, it is true.

home home home.. i wish i could stay at home longer..

I AM ADMITTED AT ITENAS!! YAYAYAYAYYY!!! finally i feel like i've graduated!! :P:P


but.. to be honest.. i don't know why.. it's either because my friend had told me before i read the announcement by myself, or because i still can't let ITB go.. i'm not that satisfied..


after all, i don't care as long as i still get the 1st quality of school. prestige does not matter. i believe that this is the best place for me. GOD has bigger plan on me :P



soo... i gotta prepare for the first year, the hardest 2 semesters, for a month at bandung again. i just have to work hard!! :D