Gege Mengejar Cinta

Aku telah selesai membaca "Gege Mengejar Cinta" karya Adhitya Mulya. Terus terang, aku kurang bisa menkomparasi antar buku bestseller yang telah dihasilkan orang berbeda, namun untuk yang satu ini, aku merasa lebih bebas berkomentar karena "Jomblo" merupakan karya perdana orang yang sama.

Writing style has not changed in any significant way, which can serve as a signature and a default in a more literary sense. But this was what we expected, and well, we got served.
So is it a comedy? Personally I am amazed at the way he writes, creating images that is so fun and light, smart, and so Indonesian. The concept of female perfection is yet again emphasised in his second novel. Everything we can expect from his first novel was there, except one. Ironically, it didn't make me laugh. Sure, a smile appeared every now and then, but it wasn't thanks to the plot, but merely the way he writes, which is -again- so Indonesian.

Yes, so that was missing for me. There wasn't that ticklish feeling vaporising in my stomach, unlike "Jomblo" which every time I turned a page I was amazed at the new details and images I find sprinting in my head.

The story line was what you can call heart-catching, since the female brain was illiterally cut in half and throughly analysed by -mind you- a male writer. So that was a good job.
The story was divided into two. The "real" world and Gege's broadcasting script on the radio. This technique is done in order to transmit a more fictional image to what the readers would imagine. To entertain, and at the same time building a sense of eager in one's mind to continue reading. Separating two worlds in a fiction world, which will then be brought together at climax.
What was infact the climax? The chasing scene at the airport, obviously. However I am afraid that my image box wasn't absorbing a lot from the printed words by this stage, and I felt everything stumbled altogether creating such a chaotic scene. Hard to follow and too chaotic to even try understanding.

The ending was what I wished, and was infact the solution for each problem there was.
In short, in was a nice reading, but the chaos was beyond me.

Eighteen.

Dan mungkin bila nanti,
Kita akan bertemu lagi,
Satu pintaku, jangan
kau coba tanyakan kembali,
Rasa yang kutinggal mati,
Seperti hari kemarin,
Saat semua disini.
(Mungkin nanti- Peter Pan)

Ok, so I have 14 minutes before this entry gets too insanely dull and out of context. Here goes nothing.

Eighteen. Dix-huit. Delapan belas.
The longest I've lived so far.
Neither am I blessed for having to continue the neverending battle on earth, nor am I cursed to live approximately another 60 years and die of tuberculosis (don't ask, that just popped out of nowhere)

So where was I.. ah yes, my eighteeen. Forget about skyblog and the relative kind of parties that exist and spread for your eyes to see. As if a first formal tag with font 32 written "Mature: Kick A**" is stapled right on your back (you know... back, as in back back). No more decisions will wait. No more -but-you're-a-kid- type of look. No more men/women.
-Loh kok?
Well, a lot of people do decide this at early stage of 'adulthood,' and eighteen is perfect. Or so they think.
-Hein?
Still don't get it? Gee, I mean homosexual, bi and stuff like that.
-Hein?
Well ANYWAY. Let's MOVE ON.

As for myself, I did have a special day. Although my throat wouldn't say the same.
Stupid weather!
Spent today with my whole family, what more can I ask for? Seriously, what?
I woke up half wishing that today wasn't today and tomorrow would be in two weeks time. If you didn't get that I recommend you to ignore (no, seriously just do it. No relevance whatsoever). My most warm "Thank You" to everyone who have been so kind and thoughtful wishing me a happy birthday. I appreciate it so much. Thanks again ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, grandmas and grandpas, spirits and ghosts, Zeus Poseidon Arthemis and the gang.
-Wha..?
TODAY, wouldn't be today without it :-)

Eighteen. Achtzehn. Dieciocho. Intinya ya delapan belas.
Suatu angka mengagumkan karena terdiri dari dua digit diawali dengan angka satu diakhiri dengan angka delapan.
Kesimpulan: maksa.
So maybe I was joking around too much, intinya... aku mengalami pergantian umur yang biasa sekali. Tidak ada lagi kunjungan ke toko mainan dengan mata berbinar telunjuk yg menunjuk jempol menjempol dan gigi yang menggigit (mata utk binar, telunjuk utk nunjuk, jempol utk ngejempol... hmm masuk akal).
-But..?
POKOKNYA beda aja.
Hari ini tuh istimewa banget, dengan cara yang sangat berbeda.
Aku ingin mensyukuri segala apa yang telah kuterima, dengan cara yang berbeda.
Ingin berubah, dengan cara yang berbeda juga tentunya.
Aku ingin berbeda, dengan BERBEDA.

Kesimpulan total: udah kemaleman dan aku harus tidur.

Freezing Observation

Hmmm freezing.

I was gazing out the window, doing what I do best, at the back of my car. Well, my brother's car.
What ever.

Anyhow, there was a middle aged man dressed all casual with a sloppy jacket to cover his thin body from cold air. He was holding a big pile of pamflet and obviously tried to distribute it to all the people passing by.

The red light stopped us for quite some time for me to see despair and disappointment on his face, caused by the panic of loosing control of the situation. People were passing by so quickly that they no longer held any importance from what he's seeing, the situation was going too fast for him to follow and eyes drooped from the feeling of being belittled. Not forgetting his pile that wasn't decreasing as people were too arogant to take out their hand from their damp coat pockets.

I never got to know what the pamflet was about, and I dare say that such a thing will go equally unnoticed if I were to pass on the same occasion. It is neither cruel or barbarous per se, because such a thing can never be too cruel or too barbaric. One day we see it from one point, another from another.

Also, my parents are heading here as I type, and hopefully arrive tomorrow at the break of dawn. No particular plans are drawn out, but I will make use of the occasion all the same. I've never really been interested finding out all there is to know on his so-called mission, but well things change and I must ask, what type of living creature would stay quiet after learning the existence of malicious remarks? Well, a mutanised three legged cocroach probably would, but I refuse to do the same.

Hmm and as they say, leave the best 'till last, so now- I received a christmas present! How nice, especially from someone who doesn't celebrate it either ;-)
I hope those who celebrate christmas took out the best of it yesterday!

Benjamin Gates

I'm finally set with the slightest modification to my last template, but nevertheless a new one. It's not precisely because I don't like being creative, but everytime I try to modify a new feature onto the page, I end up finding a remarkable flaw. So much for trying.
So here I am, back with a picture of the metro sign pinning at the top corner of my blog. The significance is just perfect.
Christmas eve was spent chatting over blissful lights and watching Benjamin Gates at the cinema. The morning was spent beforehand meeting with friends and just having a splendid time. Your cooking was excellent, G ;-) Hehe, I don't know how long I have to wait for the same result *wink*.
So, Benjamin Gates was wonderful! I liked it a lot. They brought up facts on history and moulded it into one thrilling movie. It involved true facts from our history seasoned with fiction, of course :-) It's all about a treasure hunt, the Gates family were a part of the Knights Templar. And the story begins with a man of our generation, descendant of Thomas Gates (the one who was given the first clue to the whereabouts of the treasure).
To put it simply, The Declaration of Independence and Benjamin Franklin's invention slowly clue by clue gave way to the treasure that was "too powerful to be owned by one person"- which you know is also the system for the US parliament: The System of Checks and Balances, to protect the country's powerful government of falling into one hand which in most cases, bad hands.
To put it even more simpler, it was fun knowing the background it needed before watching the movie. It helped me appreciate the movie more.

My side of the story.

Quoted from a dear friend's blog: "whether we ever meet again, that's not important. It's that we did meet- that's important!"
Though I have certain diffculties in accepting goodbyes, I do know that it has to happen.
The definite sign of 'moving on' with our lives, closing one chapter and opening a brand new one. We know that we would no longer learn to know the same things nor the same people. We might not even laugh at the same jokes, or feel angry at the same issues.
It's only been one 'insignificant' school year that flashes by like many others, yet unconciously a bond was invisibly created all along. School routines, intolerable stress and boredom fed us full, but through it we experienced hunger of getting to know each other, we started to create and sail away on the boat of friendship in a stranger's hometown. In many ways, it became our hometown :-)
I can picture myself being here again in two decades time and still smile at what I've experienced with you ladies. I had my share of laughter with you, now I mustn't sabotage others' share! Hehe, I'm sure there are many others out there who is in need of your smile, GG... your kindness and wisdom Kel... your listening ears, Sol (hang on, you're not leaving! lol)... and your comforting words, Komal.
Let's work hard towards our dream, and generate positive vibes for others all around! Lift our heads up and take steps forward, leaving the past. Memories are far too precious to dwell on! This new chapter is going to be the best one, and yes Kel- let's make it BIG!!!
I think you ladies should know that Paris will never be too far away for me to come back to. I hope the same for you. Cheers!

Was it a dream?

Repetitive rings bedazzled me as I reached out more to shut it off than to answer. A familiar voice, owned by a familiar person of my past. I try to speak, but all it was was parched voice preceeded by a verse of silence. Connection seemed so distant, yet so clear articulating each gasp of breath he let out. Mia? He stopped to hear my response.
My eyes widened as I realise who was on the other end of the line. The voice was well firm and has a certain calmness, as if to indicate maturity. It was different, yet I still knew who it belonged to.
The occasional hi-how-are-you line was thrown to buy me time, flashes of past memories went straight to the present chronologically, picking up where it left off.
The ignited energy coming from his voice woke me up completely. I sensed a passionate aura all through his talks of short-term plans into the future which brought away even larger dreams. He was to come to the city, and hopes to use time wisely and catch-up for the lost 10 years. I was smiling. I'm not sure what kind of smile, was it a thrilled, excited and victorious kind of smile, or was it just a smile smile?
Before I knew, I woke up and felt sorry for being so doubtful in my dreams.
Or, was it a dream?

Hosh.

Yesterday was one of those day that made me realise the beauty of Paris. No matter how corny that sounds, I still had to express it the same way. It all started with the most wonderful experience of ice skating on the Eiffel tower, garnishing that with an extremely rich hot chocolate from Angelina's. How more 'french' can it be? :-P
Ice skating was wonderful. Can't remember the last time I did it, what was it... 5 years ago? But I guess it's just like what a friend said, it's like when you learnt to ride a bicycle- you never forget. Actually, the base for ice skating is really rollerblading, but that wasn't too assuring, since that was even longer in the past for me. So yes, I wobbled from time to time but successfully refuse to fall :-) Hmmm the view was magnific, from the first floor of the tower.
An engraved memory, I'm sure.
Finally decided to warm ourselves up and have a taste of Paris' best hot chocolate @ Angelina's. The interior decoration was relaxing and posh at the same time. Spacious, just perfect for having a 2 hour chat with a close friend :-)
Since we were nearby, we decided to stop by at WH Smith. Saw "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey but I guess I wasn't in the reading mood. Anyhow, I'm more interested in local novels nowadays. Had a glimpse at all these mini books, on horoscopes, tarot, up to Sun Tzu's Art Of War. Very interesting, indeed.
It was around 3:30pm when an idea popped up to my friend's head : Let's go to the Louvre!
And yes, we did.
Turned out to be the most tiring visit ever! Hehe, no... not precisely because we walked all over the longest building (as a matter of fact, we only visited one section) but we were always laughing and making sarcastic jokes about everything! Before you jump to conclusions, I am innocent. ;-)
So yes, the Mona Lisa. After having read Da Vinci Code, I suppose my appreciation of art did go a slight bit higher, but I have to admit- that's about all it can go. A very small painting (compared to all the giant ones all around), worth -I-don't-know-how-much-, shielded from grubby hands of fanatics and idle minds by glass (which is extremely annoying since the flash from cameras bounce back thus all you can see is a disturbing flash and people's face reflections), La Jaconde. The only part that kept me interested was the fact that she is not infact a she, but a he-she. Haha. *spoiler* For more information please consult anyone other than me. :-)
As if not enough of all that (my legs were getting pretty sore by this time), I went home. When I got home, I received a phone call from my bros and decided to meet up and watch Ocean's 12. Gaumont Marignan; as usual. It was good! Hehe, I easily get distracted because I heard that it was- I believe the exact term someone I knew used was "crap"), but it was entertaining! Especially if you've watched Ocean's 11, I don't think you should be missing this one out *wink*. I haven't watched 11 :-P But it was really great seeing all the big stars working together in one movie. Hehe, even Bruce Willis was there! Even Julia Roberts, yes- JULIA Roberts, not Tess *spoiler again*.
Phew, that was a lot for one day.

Sebenarnya apa yang aku takuti?

Sebenarnya judul tidak ada sangkut-paut dengan isi blogku hari ini, jadi pertama-tama maafkan aku untuk itu. Pesawat yang membawa kakakku terlambat, terlambat 2 jam. Keterlambatan ini tidak berkaitan dengan seringnya aku mendengar reputasi buruk ketepatan waktu di benua tersebut, melainkan hal biasa. Ya seperti cuaca.
Pergi ke kantor Malaysian Airlines di dekat Opera, untuk mengurus tiket baliknya. Ckck, servis MAS (Malaysian Airlines Service) memang benar-benar menakjubkan, tidak sama halnya dengan Air France. Perlu diketahui, hal-hal lain yang berkaitan dengan masing-masing negara tidak mempengaruhi penilaianku yang- mungkin, subjektif ini loh.
Meski belum pernah bepergian sendiri (belum akan sejauh ini), tapi pengalaman penerbanganku memang lebih banyak dengan maskapai penerbangan yang satu itu (Air France- red) :-P Hal pertama yang aku sadari adalah pilihan filmnya yang sangat rendah kualitas. Ini menurutku yah, sekali lagi kuulang: rendah kualitas :-)
So, I read a couple of very interesting brochures whilst I was at the Malaysian Airlines office. Very entertaining, reading all the facilities they provide for you on air, literally ^ ^;; Nothing to mention about first class, but somehow I seem to be in enough comfort with the Golden Club Class (hehe, the new business class). Well, dreaming is not a threat, right? As a matter of fact, it is.
I think I can learn to love travelling a lot. Hmm the typical black ensemble blazer with the phone clutched by the shoulder, holding a coffee mug on one hand, paper on the other and slightly kicking the office room with the Prada heels. Hahaha... naah, nothing like that. Coincidentally I did have Caffe Latte @ Starbucks though, hmmm...
Anyhoo, I just saw a scene on that a while back and it obviously got to me (I think it was Sex & The City)/ do I enjoy it? Well it's okay, although I seem to miss most of the jokes *sigh*.
Hmm... ice skating on the Eiffel tower, must be an amazing experience!!! (there is an ice-skating rink on the first floor of the Eiffel tower) Well, I'm there for the cozy ambiance and the cozy atmosphere that friends will generate around me :-) So yes, apart from a couple of bumps and bruises on my whole body after, I think it'll work out perfectly!

Today, oh- today.

Been spending the whole day at a friend's house, even received an early birthday present! (hehe, thanks G) and it's true what Jane said, don't depress yourself thinking about something that is bound to happen :-) Jane who I hear? Let's just say.. Jane Eyre (haha!) Hm, but it was rather sad... having to realise that time is no longer on our side (or is it still? I don't know), and coming to terms with what might happen. Oh- don't mean to sound depressing myself, just finding out that situations in the world actually turn together with Earth's orbit around the sun (this is for you Kel, going to NASA website, halloo~!). Remembering that I felt the same last year, with different set of people. I'm sure you've all experienced it with your own petit group, all the same ;-)
Hmmm insya Allah kakakku akan menginjak kaki kembali ke tanah Eropa esok dini hari, disusul dengan kedua orangtuaku sesudah natal. Sayangnya tahun baru tidak akan dapat aku lewati bersama kesemuanya. Hehe, setidaknya aku akan menyandang predikat 'legal' bersama seluruh anggota keluargaku! Hm, couldn't ask for anything more, really.
Winter is getting crueler in a sense, the unpleasant echo of my own footstep fills the rigid air around me- producing a sharp hallow sound, with nobody around since people all rush indoors. Brrr... maybe I will follow the period of hybernation since I will only be 'employed' January, hehe.

Dingin!

Brrr... it's freezing today! I woke up quite late before taking my "brunch," laying back again a couple of hours and took a warm shower. Yes, it was all very ordinary indeed and I can expect a whole lot of that the whole month *sigh* Not that it's bad, you know :-) I like ordinary things, might be because it helps me with the ideas of 'order' and 'continuity', hehe... call me dull :-P
Siang hari, aku pergi nonton Bridget Jones' Diary - The Edge of Reason di Gaumont Ambassade. Lucu! Ceritanya kembali mengembalikan kepercayaanku bahwa sekuel dapat menjadi sebaik/lebih baik dari yang pertama, juga alurnya yang sederhana namun penuh twist berhasil memikatku sampai akhir dan membangkitkan senyuman -a-dream-come-true- yang telah lama... aku tak lihat, hehe.
True love is not when you find the perfect person. It's when you love an imperfect person, perfectly.
So, receiving an SMS of this sort can cause my eyes to squinch before me smiling and thinking about the liability of the person that sent it and (in most cases) shaking my head out of disbelief. Oh not disbelieving the content, *well- that too ^^;* but the idea that one of the contact on my phone list sent it, and to think that someone I know thinks like that... and forwards it to let me share a piece of his mind........ Oh forget it. I don't know what I think anymore, iehihi.

Seneng!

Hihihi, iya begitulah (emang apaan...?) Tiga hari, 72 jam, sama sekali tidak cukup untuk melakukan tiga hal sekaligus: melepaskan kangen, menyesuaikan diri untuk kemudian dirubah kembali dan menyampaikan segala uneg-uneg yang 4 bulan tertimbun. Yakin 4 bulan adalah waktu yang singkat? Jika begitu cobalah melakukannya tanpa kesibukan tetap and devour the difference :-) Hehe. Engga deng, empat bulan lumayan kok.
So, it's December already. Without so much relevance I was walking down the Champs with my parents when a (supposedly) Chinese lady came up to us and asked us a favour they always ask. To enter Louis Vuitton and buy things for them (with their money) and I've heard rumours that they actually give you a commission, or last I heard an LV key ring that's also +/- worth the same. Apparently LV limits the number of things purchased by any of their clients here- or anywhere else? How am I to know? Also heard that they sell original branded things for three to four times more expensive there in the land of the Great Wall.
Anyway, their typical starting question would be "do you speak English?" Oh- and for reference, they usually ask tourist/tourist-like people ^ ^;;
If you wonder whether I accepted the offer, well the answer would probably be your first guess. If they ask you once or twice in a week, toleration might come in handy. But all in a day? Now that's too much. Later on I found myself staring at them after they've posed the typical starting question. Not so much out of annoyance, but fatigue and probably the icy air.

Ya Begitulah...

Panic in the air! Hehe... with how my apartment looks right now, I'm sure mom would blame my last GPA (Grade Point Average -red) on how unorganised I am. Not that the GPA was bad, mind you *ehem ehem*. But you know well enough how moms say "it could've been better" with a faint smile and the famous -you-know-what-i-mean- look, that somehow always successfully poke us and make us wonder if she knows all about those classes we skipped. Those hours spent at the director's office. Those comfortable whining that puts us to sleep in class. Nope, never skipped classes, me :-)
The point is, I need to get a grip and get a grip fast. Insya Allah by Tuesday morning, everything shall be spotless. It's Sunday already, and I must say... I'm not doing too bad of a job *winks* hehehe...
Waah, banyak yang berubah semenjak mereka pergi 9 bulan yang lalu, but for what's important, sifatku tidak berubah (hehe... termasuk hobiku menunda segala-galanya). Mungkin aku naif, karena aku tidak berhasil melihat arti 'kebebasan' sebagaimana sebagian besar anak seumuranku melihatnya. Sejujurnya, aku tidak dapat menikmati pesta yang diiringi minum-minuman keras. Dan pertanyaan bodoh seperti "lo kenapa ga mau keluar sih, Mi? Kan bonyok lo ga ada," yang kerap kali kudengar, merupakan ucapan paling tolol yang bisa dilontarkan padaku. Tolol. Seriously, it is. Even when my parents were here, I was never interested in that kind of social interaction. Aku tidak menilai mereka yang melakukannya loh, quite frankly I don't care about the different definitions of 'fun' that exist, hanya saja saat dunia tersebut mulai bergesekan dengan dunia milikku, saat itulah ia berubah menjadi masalahku. My problems, which means I have the responsibility to handle it. To accept or to diss ;-)

Happy Birthday Uda!

It's been long yaks, since we fought over attention, over new toys that were only to be desserted less than 5 minutes after, since we sat in one table at 7pm to do our homeworks and study. Hehe, it's been so long...
I realise that you've always restrained your emotions and have put mine before anything. Those times spent chatting late at night and early mornings around the same repetitive subject and end up with no conclusions,are complete waste of time but we still do it anyway because we know it's fun hearing ourselves think out loud. Your direct respond to my attitude, your method of cheering up that I find different because you tend to say one completely opposing opinion which later burns my brain into thinking, thus works effectively in the end. Your protective nature for me, eventhough you never admit it. Calling me only at 8pm after mom checked in and freaked out knowing I'm not yet home, but worry like mad when I come 5 minutes late at McDonald's. Understanding my mood fluctuations, simply asking "you okay?" and get back to what you were doing after hearing my dull response. Constantly reminding me to pray, and take life easily, not to think too much and jump to conclusions.
Thanks for being there, Da. There's so many more things that I can't pour out onto this limited blog entry. Thanks for being strong when I wasn't, at least for assuring me that you are. Taking care of me unlike anything since mom and dad left, giving me guidelines as oppose to rules. I've been shaped into who I am today, and your part in it is uncountable!!! I'm sorry if I always spring doubt in your decisions, putting away your papers thinking that I've done you a favour by rearranging them ^^; Making you feel awful because I start telling you things that happened in highschool in Indo just a couple of weeks ago, reminding you of how insensitive you are, and responding "I just know, it's clearly shown!" to most of your questions about people ...And the list goes on...
I wish you'll experience the most out of life, and to be able to face them even better than you're facing it now :-) Happy Birthday.

Waktu untuk menghapus dan lanjut menulis novel kehidupanku.

Pitching nearer into the time to say goodbye, another small gathering was held today at a friend's resident. From spaghetti bolognaise a la Pakistani, LUDO board games, and dressing up- surely, we had a complete, fun get together. I enjoyed every moment of it :-)
Aku merasa sedikit terhibur saat kami mengenang apa yang telah kami lewati bersama dengan cukup sulit, menyampaikan keinginan kami kepada penasehat sekolah, untuk kemudian ditanggapi seakan kami semua Chelsea Clinton. Brosur-brosur sekolah yang begitu memikat dengan foto kampus idaman, melambungkan harap untuk kemudian digilas kembali saat melihat banyak angka dengan nol yang bergelindingan. Berbagai macam tes dan ujian di'anjurkan' untuk diikuti tanpa mendengar keluh siswa (jadwal pelajaran yang tidak karuan 8am-6pm Senin-Jum'at), beranggapan waktu luanglah yang seharusnya digunakan secara efektif. Waktu luang? Seandainya saja ada tempat yang tersisa untuk mengerjakannya. Dingin, kompetitif, sehingga siswa dibiarkan merasa tak berguna, lemah, dan pada akhirnya merasa bodoh, dalam kegelapan yang kelam.
Mengingat itu semua, aku sendiri sekarang merasa heran kenapa amarahku tidak meluap bersamaan dengan mereka yang mengelilingi meja makan. Aku rasa aku telah lelah, dua tahun menantikan saat ini. Kini aku lebih menyalahkan sebagian besar dari pengalaman itu pada diriku sendiri. Entahlah, yang pasti itulah kata-kata yang meluncur dari mulutku tadi siang. Ya, aku benar-benar sudah terlalu capek menghiraui masa depan, menghiraukan kedua orang-tuaku tentunya, walau mereka tak ingin menyebut. Namun diterimanya aku dalam sebuah institusi kini benar-benar berperan mengakhiri this battle that I've always lost. Dan saat itu jugalah aku mulai menerimanya, orang yang melaju terus menuju sebuah utopia- mendambakan sebuah status yang 'lebih', dan sering kali terlalu terfokus pada gambaran besar, sehingga melupakan titik, garis dan lengkungan yang menjadi pembentuk dasarnya. Alhamdulillah, kini aku terbebas dari bayangan itu... berkat susunan kata-kata we are pleased to offer you admission to our program, academic year 2004/2005.

PS: Happy Birthday Adis.