between nowhere and goodbye

furniture factory

2012-01-28T00:18:00.009+07:00

Lucas Maassen has employed his 3 sons, Thijme (9), Julian (7) and Maris (7). His Sons are responsible for the paint job of the furniture which is build in the factory. They get paid 1 Euro for every piece of furniture they paint. As agreed by the contract they signed.

Due to Dutch child labour laws it is only possible for Thijme, Julian and Maris to work for 3 hours a week. As a result of this the production speed has became a crucial factor in the process. Time limitations are set, they contribute to the typical LM&S aesthetics.

Now seriously. HOW awesome is this? The idea. The execution. The video. The stills. Totally the most brilliant thing you can come up with having three boys in the house.

true urbanpark

2012-01-27T00:09:00.006+07:00

Been quite a while since I posted things related to my day job. So here's one. This is TRUE Urbanpark which I happened to visit on Bangkok with my office mates. I think out of all style I mostly click with a bit retro-ish style, specially on furniture, which is why this setting on the first image here appealed to my eyes. (That's not light fixtures there but sound tubes).

We were greeted by this 3x10 metes board which is actually an analog flipping dots of two colors, black and red (not a digital display). It changes every other minute while we're there. And it can display various messages. See the flipping one here. Definitely one of the coolest stuff. It's analog!! And this was definitely what dragged us to take a peek inside the store.

Well it's not just a store actually. True is one of the biggest Thai network provider of mobile and fixed telephone lines and some other digital stuff. So this place is more like a place to hang for the digital community these days. There are lounge chairs with the tubes (above photo), coffee shop, mobile shop, internet stations, bookshop which also sells cool records, and also there's a flower shop serves at the front side.

I love the dark cozy ambiance which totally creates the mood. But really, talking about this kind of thing whether it's architecture or interior design, photos really can't do any justice. You really have to experience the space and the awesome feeling of being there.

I couldn't point out my bulky dslr here, so photos posted are courtesy of the designer, a Thai architectural firm, Duangrit Bunnag Architect Limited (DBALP), taken from their flickr account.

a side note

2012-01-26T22:55:00.007+07:00

It's not the coolest thing to put watermark on your pictures in today's cyber society. So. My reason to still doing so is not that I think mine's so cool whatsoever. But. It itches me how blogs these days use images they found wherever on the internet as if they took it. Specially those on tumblr where you can hardly differ which post is original and which is a reblog. I'm not going to rant about credit, plagiarism, internet ethics or anything. I'm just saying that I'm still watermarking just to show that at least I put some effort on it, not just picking up somewhere else to make a blog looks lovely. For other images I use that aren't mine I put credits.

a rainy day and a cake

2012-01-26T00:06:00.005+07:00

(sometimes) i don't cheer existence

2012-01-25T22:20:00.006+07:00

I don't really care about the whole package of the movie which is too depressing, and I never fond of the director. To be honest, only two reasons made me watch this, Charlotte Gainsbourg and the movie title, Melancholia, too provocative.

So a blue planet, called Melancholia, is about to collide with the earth. A bit different from the usual heroic-style hollywood apocalyptic movies, this one emphasized more on the psychological issue, how different types of people react to it. Funny though, but true somehow, how "depressing" people tend to act more calmly. While the usual "happy type" people start to get frustrated. It makes me think of, well, not apocalypse, tho sometimes I hope it came sooner, but of death. And I sometimes wonder why some people are so afraid of it. If heaven happens to be real, wouldn't it be so great? What less could one lost by dying young? The older you are the more responsibility you have, the more pressure and pain to bear, no?

I always keep C.S. Lewis' quote in mind, "If I find in myself desires nothing in this world can satisfy, I can only conclude that I was not made for here."

ps. i'm so sleepy while writing this, so...

smoke

2012-01-23T00:04:00.005+07:00

My 35mm is seriously dying on me so I needed to finished a roll, so these are what I came up with. Failed to catch the smoke here, too lazy to clone some.

paints the galaxy in technicolor

2012-01-20T23:01:00.001+07:00

and her name is Silent.

Tribute to an inspiring speaker at Pecha Kucha Jkt #10.

ps. I couldn't stop the F word repeating in my head, for heaven's sake!

the blue ride

2012-01-08T21:57:00.006+07:00

Bangku Taman - Ode Buat Kota

Just a boring update from around the city :)

ps. the youtube video is quite awesome if you care to check out

ps2. updated my writing about the doctor here

yeah, we need the eggs

2012-01-05T23:11:00.006+07:00

Angus & Julia Stone - Yellow Brick Road

This guy goes to a psychiatrist and says, "Doc, uh, my brother's crazy; he thinks he's a chicken." And the doctor says, "Well, why don't you turn him in?" The guy says, "I would, but I need the eggs."

I guess that's pretty much how I feel about relationships. They're totally irrational, and crazy, and absurd, and… but, I guess we keep goin' through it because, uh, most of us… need the eggs.

- quote from Woody Allen, via ywhtvr

out of me

2012-01-05T01:18:00.006+07:00

So it's finally up again!

There has been a debate on whether we, human being, live to create, as if it's one of the basic need, like we need to keep producing something out of our brain. I once heard a joke that says, "having children is sort of like achieving (creating!) something without having any talent." Haha, no offense to anyone, just a joke. But anyway, I think the theory applied to me. I need to keep getting things out from my brain or my hands cause it always creates some sort of joy every time I do. Which is also why I've been maintaining this blog for years, being not really care whether anyone else actually read it. And same thing for this website (well, kind of). It's not about how good it may look to other people, but more like putting up there something that comes out of me. So, yeah, that's pretty much it.

ps. it's actually linked on the side bar, the word memories, curios?, and others are actually clickable, in case they're unnoticed. haha. they slightly change if you hover actually. slightly.

major minus

2012-01-04T23:27:00.011+07:00

Yesterday I read on the newspaper about an Indonesian doctor who was killed in Mogadishu, Somalia, a region of conflict. He served as a member of Doctor Without Borders (MSF) and was killed by a local Somalian who has just been fired from his job, at the MSF.

It somehow reminds me of an old friend, who was a sweet like-able guy. I remember there was a church event where we were split in group to play some games. I saw a very different side of him that I had never seen before. He became so serious about the games and acted sometimes too furious when he didn't win. Soon after, I learnt the stories about how he was born and raised in a region of conflict in Eastern Indonesia. About how he missed a bullet that was shot right to his head, and survived. The way of living for survival penetrated to the blood became a character he carried with him on daily basis.

This life is a hard place to live. No matter how hard you try to reconcile with life, it will always be bitter. This is a world of pain, of sickness, of tragedy. It has been a while since I started to feel sick every time I heard people talking about "wanting happiness". Q: "What do you want in life?" A: "To be happy." Oh stop that crap already. To me that sounds like an answer given by a sixteen yo girl. Stop avoiding sadness as if it's a disease. You think you'll reach happiness with marriage, tell me how you feel when problems strike. You think you'll be happy if you buy a thing, see how long it last before you get bored. It's just a cycle so stop overrating happiness. And no, I'm not against happiness, I'm just offering an other perspective.

Anywayyy, I have stop admiring Coldplay since Viva La Vida, all the costume thingy just didn't work for me. And I didn't care at all about Mylo Xyloto until yesterday when I tried to stream the songs just cause I need some new sound to accompany me doing my things. Only one song that really caught my ear and I've been listening to it over and over again ever since.

pure analog

2012-01-01T20:41:00.003+07:00

I was busy cleaning up my room on the last day of last year and I threw away almost half of the things in there, and it feels GOOD. It reminds me of the minimalist blog which I read a while ago about how living with less is always better.

And while cleaning I found this:

They are test prints from photography class I took back then at college, I think like five years ago. And no, it's totally unlike photography these days. We did all manual (analog) photography, and only with black and white films. No autofocus, no photoshop, but films, darkroom, chemicals, printing (on papers!), dodging and burning (on the enlarger!), and all those. It was so exhausting back then between all other overwhelming architectural classes. And compare to what I know today, I understand very little back then although I was taking a class. Some things are better understood not by teaching but self learning, really.

So test print is basically exposing the paper on the enlarger in different timings to get the correct exposure for the final print. Do I like these images? Not really. Do I miss the whole process of it? Absolutely. Pity you kids these days who only get digital classes, you're clearly missing something.

in the light of the past

2011-12-31T16:34:00.004+07:00

"I have reflected many times upon our rigid search. It has shown me....that everything is illuminated in the light of the past. It is always along the side of us....on the inside, looking out. Like you say, inside out. Jonfen, in this way, I will always be along the side of your life. And you will always be along the side of mine. Jonfen, I am sending you this....because we have shared something to exist for." -Alexander Perchov in Everything Is Illuminated

a draft

2011-12-27T00:39:00.003+07:00

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I wish to practise resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out all the marrow of life, to live so sturdily and Spartan-like as to put to rout all that was not life, to cut a broad swath and shave close, to drive life into a corner, and reduce it to its lowest terms, and, if it proved to be mean, why then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it, and publish its meanness to the world; or if it were sublime, to know it by experience, and be able to give a true account of it in my next excursion."

— Henry David Thoreau

(to be continued later)

oleg oprisco

2011-12-27T00:07:00.005+07:00

A young Ukrainian photographer. I think I've posted his works years ago. But oh well..too inspiring. Shot in films medium format. Click on the image for larger view.

bill cunningham new york

2011-12-26T00:39:00.010+07:00

"I like very simple, down-to-earth, basic things." - Bill Cunningham

At first when a friend recommended this documentary, I don't really put interest on it. I thought, "Oh okay, a documentary about a photographer who does street style photography. So it'll mainly be about fashion. Probably someone like Scott Schuman from earlier era." Until she said something about this Bill who is so modest and contradictory with the objects he photographs. She mentioned that he wears same cheap blue jacket everyday, rides a bike, and lives in a tiny apartment that is not fancy at all. Then I knew I had to watch it.

Bill Cunningham, in his old age is a laid back person who smiles a lot, and this makes the whole movie joyous to watch. Beside photographing fashion on the streets, he photographs socialite events and there he refused to drink and eat, he said "I'm not there to be wined and dined. I have something to eat before I go to work, and that's it". He lives in a tiny apartment which was filled with file cabinets of his decades of negatives that there was literally nothing else there but a mattress on top of some files. No kitchen. Bathroom down the hall.

What appeals to me most is the last scene when Bill was interviewed. It almost made me cry.

i: So I'm going to ask you two very personal questions... you may or may not want to answer. It's completely up to you. But have you ever had a romantic relationship in your entire life?

b: [Laughs] Now, do you want to know if I'm gay?

i: Yes.

b: [Laughs] Isn't that a riot? Well, that's probably why the family wanted to keep me out of the fashion world. They wouldn't speak of such a thing. No. I haven't.

i: Never in your entire life?

b: No. It never occurred to me. I guess I just was interested in clothes. That's the obsession. It's probably a little peculiar.

i: Is that something you regret?

b: No. I wouldn't even think about it. No, I don't regret it. There was no time. I was working night and day. I mean, I don't know when you'd... Uh, no, it was... And in my family, uh, things like that were never discussed. So it never... It wasn't even in my head or my mind. I wouldn't have known a thing about it. So they needn't have worried. But years later, I surmised... that that must have been in the back of their minds. And certainly the women from Chez Ninon.

i: You've had good friends.

b: A few people that I've known. Yes. Yeah. Uh... People that... Oh, you mean... Just friends. Oh, Yeah. Yeah. No, I have friends.

i: I mean, Antonio was a dear friend.

b: Oh, Antonio... I love those kids.

i: And Suzette.

b: Yes. Yeah, they... It's just, I suppose I've... I don't know.You can't be in love with your work, but I enjoyed it so much that it didn't... Yeah. But hey, listen, I am human. [Laughing]

i: Exactly.

b: You do have, uh, body urges or whatever, but, uh, you control it as best you can.

i: And then the other question is... and again, you don't have to answer this... but I know that you go to church every Sunday.

b: Oh, yeah.

i: And does religion...Is that an important component of your life?

[long pause]

i: We don't have to talk about this.

b: Yeah, I think it's a good guidance in your life. Uh... Yeah, it's something I need and, uh... Yeah, I guess maybe it's part of your upbringing. I don't know. Whatever it is, everyone... You do whatever you do the best you can work things out, but yeah. I find it very important. Yeah. For whatever reason. I don't know. As a kid...[Laughs] I went to church and all I did was look at women's hats. You know. But later, when you mature, for different reasons.

This is totally the best movie I've watched this year. And no, not because it's photography-related, but it's humanity-related. It makes me ponder a lot. About how contradictory his life is with the the people he works with or works about. About how simple the life he lives. About how constantly he does what he does and never grew tired. There's something so melancholic about his life, and his past, his relationship with his family, how his family didn't seem to approve his choice of career, and also his religious faith. Somehow I feel like there's a big part of his life that isn't showed in the film. A part that made Bill Bill.

o tidings of comfort and joy

2011-12-25T22:18:00.008+07:00

God rest ye merry, Gentlemen

Let nothing you dismay

For Jesus Christ our Savior was born upon this day

To save us all from satan's power when we were gone astray

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy

O tidings of comfort and joy

Christmas song that I've memorized since the first time I sang it the third week of Advent. My pastor's right, it's simple yet it contains the main thing about the gospel. People should sing more of these hymns instead of all those popular meaningless out of context pop songs.

Sometimes I wish Christmas is celebrated as peaceful as Easter. I mean I wish they take off all those ridiculous decorations everywhere. I walked everyday to office passing through an apartment building, which has restaurants and shopping arcade on the podium. They hang and decorate with a massive use of styrofoam to create ginger house, santa, candies, and snowman. It's irritating. Really? Snowman? Can Christmas be less and less commercialized and romanticized and americanized? I even searched out about the use of a tree as decoration on Christmas cause I've started to wonder whether we actually need it.

Christmas can be the busiest time for many people in church, so I like the idea of my church to "slow down" since the first week of Advent. And really go back to the gospel.

2 days ago, a friend of mine who's not a believer told me how troubled she was and she said, "No matter how hard we try to go back to religion, to the essence of praying, it is always the nature of human being to stand on the opposite site of religious belief." I said, that's true. Which is why in Christianity the concept is always that it's God who came first to human being, not human being who try to find God, which is of course impossible. Which explains Jesus, the God who became human being. To reconnect us to God. To save us all.

Merry Christmas.

up in the air

2011-12-22T22:06:00.007+07:00

So what I haven't mentioned is that it was actually a company trip. More like a study trip rather than leisure trip. We met other colleagues from Surabaya as well as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It was raining a lot so we skip quite a lot of places from the itinerary. But overall it was fun.

Until the next trip.

the food (ii): satisfied belly means well spent trip

2011-12-22T20:38:00.007+07:00

Some of the other food photos. It's been a bit too long since the trip, but gotta finish what we've started.

Very few from Erawan's tearoom at Grand Hyatt. They sell a cute variety of tea, coffee, jams, and snacks. Didn't take many pictures as I was busy eating. Thai food. Good food. And lots of it.

At a hotel downtown before heading to airport: all you can eat dimsum buffet plus other main course meals. Sooo full but so good.

The famous Pad Thai on the street of Chatuchak market. Original.

two marks

2011-12-06T23:28:00.003+07:00

marc johns

and mark weaver

#9 a parallel story

2011-12-05T00:09:00.009+07:00

drowning in joy, feeling high while I'm drifting below

I want more of this joy 'til my cheeks turn all flushed and the flesh felt by hands,

felt by hearts becomes pounding in red

while the scent of something fresh and warm lingers on

- Torun Eriksen

11pm, one wednesday in the twelfth month, you were at my door. Standing there in the black sweat shirt, my favorite of you, and I could feel you feeling nervous. My hand was shaking the moment you handed me the grey envelop.

I don't know when it started or when it ended. From the coffee at the vietnamese to the tea at the treehouse, and all the midnight rides in between. From the day you said you like me to the day you said you're getting married, and all the stories we shared in between. From the moment you said you want to hold my hand to the moment I finally said I wanna hold yours, and all the regretted resistance in between.

Now almost a year after, what's left on me is a grey envelop, a proof that you were once existed, a fantasy that were once there, running parallel with my reality. A muse, an escape, a good feeling, a forgotten memory.

everyone has a story

2011-12-01T23:30:00.007+07:00

"..and no matter how many land mines erupt in a minute, be sure your mind lands on the beauty of this funny place called life"

"Not everyone can write music or own a camera, but everyone can communicate in some way and everyone has stories that all of us can learn from". I didn't know that watching and listening to spoken word poetry could be as interesting as listening to music.

When I was a kid my parents regularly bought chinese editions of Reader's Digest, and they have lots of them stacked on the rack. There were only two sections of the magazines that I could read cause they're in English, the short story and the quotes. I think that was the very beginning of how I started to love words, specially in English, how the combination of words could form beautiful meanings. And I still do until today. If synesthesia is a condition where people usually associate things with colors, I wonder if there's a certain term for a fascination with words.

Sometimes I wish I studied English literature instead of architecture. Sometimes.

ps. a love letter from a toothbrush to a bicycle tire

the fun: in squares

2011-11-29T00:48:00.004+07:00

a support system

2011-11-27T13:56:00.006+07:00

“People are screwed up in this world. I'd rather be with someone screwed up and open about it than somebody perfect and ready to explode.” A line from It's Kind of A Funny Story, reminds me of Bruce Springsteen's "People with something eating at them are much more interesting than those who are merely content." from a book I've been trying to write about.

I don't remember much about the movie except that it is about a kid who is depressed and on his pre-suicidal phase decides to turn himself into a psych ward. He is depressed but couldn't tell why because he knows his problems are actually less dramatic than what people might expect. But still, he's depressed. Other than that, it's a lighthearted sometimes funny movie that's enjoyable to watch.

Most important lesson is that we all need a support system. Sometimes above all things what we need is just one person who understands.

between hope and hopelessness

2011-11-23T23:38:00.010+07:00

so young for death, we walk on shoes too big

and i lay face upturned on the palm of God

pushed on by the fingertips of dreams

they haunted me, consoling me

and i had thought that i would die here

but you pushed me on, you pushed me on

Corinne Bailey Rae - I Would Like To Call It Beauty

It was earlier this year on March when I went to Corinne Bailey Rae's live performance. She performed songs from her newest album, The Sea, but little that I know that it was out two years after the death of her husband. And about it she wrote this:

"I have experienced a lot of beauty in the loss, in the way that I've been able to survive. The way I feel like I'm being held - held up. I guess the song is about the amount of beauty that is in grief because of the way that people hold you up, and forces and nature, how they hold you up. There's a lot of mystery in God, and I've felt a lot of healing. I guess I can say that I have felt something protecting me and comforting me."

Sometimes the idea of God seems so vague for some people. A friend once talked about how she sees believers that seem so naive turning to God when they're facing hard times and construct some "holy" reasons on why bad things happen, in order to help them making sense of the suffering. I said I don't know and what she said sounds true somehow. But then I said, if that thought helps then why not? It's better to believe in something rather than believe in nothing. How many people out there lost the battle of life because they don't have something to believe in that holds them up. It might not be true, we never know, but at least in God, we survived and are surviving.

I literally cried when I heard the song and read her story and I can relate to what she said above. In the end no matter what people say about God, no matter what is written about it, you'll know it when you know it, you'll feel it when you feel it.

"God is a mystery and a healer."

the food (i): a personal experience

2011-11-15T01:50:00.010+07:00

Fancy dinner at Tables Restaurant, Grand Hyatt. Dining at this kind of place reminded me of the theory about 'The Origins of Pleasure' by psychologist Paul Bloom on one of TED talks. It's like psychologically your mind will tell you that something tastes or values better when you know the origin. Basically he said something like this, "How do you get adults to really enjoy wine? It's very simple: pour it from an expensive bottle. There are now dozens, perhaps hundreds of studies showing that if you believe you're drinking the expensive stuff, it tastes better to you."

Well anywayyy, what's most impressive to me was actually the interactive part where the chefs cooked some of our dishes on the "demo tables" which are located near the diner tables. So you're not only basically eating but experiencing a process. The smell, the sight, the sound, the ambiance. And for some dishes, they came to us just of the "naked" main dish on a plain plate and the waiter would dress it right in front of you.

Here's the shrimps.

Beef stroganoff.

The chefs at the "demo table".

And some dishes and desserts.

The ambiance.

infrastructure: a comparison

2011-11-06T22:46:00.013+07:00

We all know that Bangkok is famous for its traffic but, tell you what, if you've experienced Jakarta, Bangkok isn't that bad at all.

But I've read that one of the reason is that because they've been enhancing the city's infrastructure with mass transportation system, the BTS and MRT, although so far it still cut only a relatively small percent of those who travel by cars.

We arrived late at night at the city and with the least energy we had, we rushed to a 24 hours McDonald (I know!). From the hotel we walked pass through the a BTS station, and my first impression of the city was that somehow it reminded me vaguely of Peter Cook's Archigram. It was somehow futuristic with all of the gigantic concrete beams span across the city (My pictures don't really explain this well, oh well..). I wonder how the society reacted when they first decided to build with all these structures that definitely change the face of the city. I mean, they don't really look that bad right now, but it must have been a drastic change, from a softer environment to a much massive solid one.

Other than cars, BTS and MRT, they have the famous tuk-tuk, which are allowed to speed in toll ways, hehe. Then they have bus, of course, which, unlike the ones at Jakarta, have clear numbers which make them easily recognized, and they only stop at the bus shelters. And it seems less scary to travel in their bus, at least there are no annoying street musicians or beggars or people selling things within the bus.

And then they have the boats.

I didn't really expect anything traveling to Bangkok, but being in the same region and timezone, GMT +7 (yeah like it matters :P), honestly I didn't think it would be this much of a difference between Bangkok and Jakarta, but fact is, they are way more advance than Jakarta.

midnight in paris

2011-11-06T20:22:00.003+07:00

Opening scene from Midnight in Paris, a must watch Woody Allen movie. Too beautiful not to post. I know they're all the perfect postcard pictures beauty, but still...

ps. i love everything about the movie except the ending. Almost all scenes are beautiful I didn't even bother to take screenshots. And where else could we see Fitzgerald, Hemingway, T. S. Eliot, Picasso, Matisse, and all other legends packed in one movie? And Adrien Brody as Salvador Dalí? Wins.

sushi festival

2011-11-04T00:46:00.002+07:00

Happy getting older! Wohow! Oh no, but mine is less then two months to go! Oh! :D

'is this what i'm supposed to feel like?'

2011-11-02T01:22:00.009+07:00

I wanted to watch this movie just because of the trailer. And I did. But I'm not going to write about it, so I'll just leave it on the trailer, which pretty much sums up the quirks I like about the movie. It tells you the storyline and how the director graphically presented the movie. Oh, director is Mike Mills, a music video director and graphic designer, who happens to be Miranda July's husband. Aha. And this movie is based on true story of his life.

And two things I have to emphasize: Melanie Laurent (irresistible!) and Cosmo, a rough coated Jack Russell terrier (want!).

icebreaker: psychological treat

2011-11-01T01:52:00.012+07:00

Beirut - O Leãozinho

Along the trip there's this boy who apparently had learnt about all these character-reading superstitious. Well, not sure if superstitious is the right word, I just don't know what to call it, hehe. He did palm readings, face readings, hand signature readings, and hair readings, I know, it's the most absurd one, he'd grabbed one's hair with his hand and told something about that person's personality.

I don't understand the absurd last one because he didn't do that one on me, but he did the first three. On the palm reading he said: my love life is complicated, there are many men in my life, but the one who'll be with me in the end will be someone from my past; I'll be struggling on my career (the second line on my palm has a slight bend); and I'll live a long life. And it's not easy for me to spend money.

On face reading he said I smile a lot when having a conversation while actually there's a lot of things going on in my head. (really I should smile less, often times people think I was so excited talking about something or someone, while actually I wasn't, I just happen to smile a lot, specially when I'm talking to someone I don't usually talk to).

On the signature reading he said that it's not easy for me to listen to other people, and I'm a very indecisive person.

People usually interested in this kind of thing because there's a slight truth in it whether you believe it or not. However, it was a nice ice breakers specially when a group of people who were foreign to each other travel together.

libiamo!

2011-11-01T00:18:00.006+07:00

Giuseppe Campora e Renata Tebaldi - Libiamo ne' lieti calici (Brindisi), La Traviata

A friend took me to a choir concert in a Catholic church. I rarely get into a Catholic church except the Cathedral downtown, which was built more than 100 years ago, so got into this one to me was a strange experience of space. I mean the space is exciting, defined by the arch vaults, high ceiling, dome, classical chandelier, but somehow it felt dull because, I don't know, it's not that I understand neo-gothic architecture, it lacks the details which I think should really come along with the style. With very minimal architectural decoration, it came out very plain, the space merely become just a shape, define by the solid surfaces, but without the spirit of the place.

I didn't really enjoy the concert either. I mean, the blend and the arrangement of the voices came out great and nice, but to me it lacks something more that could make it special. Specially at the first session before intermission, they didn't dim the light, which I think is important for a musical concert or any stage performances. And the acoustic is terrible I can barely heard the soloists' voice. The only part that I enjoyed was the last song before the encore, Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata. It's more because of the song that is enjoyable and familiar to the ear. However, I don't really understand why a church choir sings this song which is about sharing joy, with drinking, in a context of romantic love.

ps. picture's taken with...my cellphone's camera. zzz...

from the street: a bit of what i saw

2011-10-29T01:05:00.008+07:00

These pictures aren't meant to tell my perception of the city, but rather showing some bit of what happened on the streets from a view of a foreign pedestrian.

It kept raining while we were there and it ruined some of our itinerary. Heard that it's getting worse with the flood today. Hope it'll end soon.

Sorry, a bit out of context, but I have a thing for neon light, hehe. These are around midnight from the walk otw back to hotel.

On our last day in the city, we had around one to two hours of free time before heading to the airport. So everyone spent time at the mall to spent some cash, which I'm not interested at all. So, instead of roaming around the uninteresting building shopping some things you could most likely find in your hometown, I split from everyone. It rained for a while so I did went inside a mall, but I went straight to the highest level, in attempt to find if there's a nice rooftop where I could hang and took the city's skyline. I even took the service elevator which made me end up in a scary service area with a very minimal light, with 2 guys who don't speak English, and the rooftop was filled with only all the gigantic utility machines.

So I went out to the street. Rule number 1 in traveling is to act like a local, no? At least I prefer to buy an experience instead of buying fancy stuff from a mall. I tried approaching some locals but they rarely speak English. But comparing to Jakarta, I can say the people are much less scary. Really. The punk bad boys street kids don't look as horrible as those in Jakarta. I didn't feel any bad intention or somehow threaten like I often feel in Jakarta. It felt safer even though I was walking down a cheap crowded market down the flyover. Will show the pictures of the market later on.

And the street food as I observed are much more healthier and CLEANER than Jakarta.

I walked and walked and ended up in a pier where people are using boat as their transportation. More pictures later.

A religious city. Almost like Bali, we can find shrine at corners of the streets. First one is the apparently famous four faces buddha, the Erawan Shrine. The rest are in front of a mall where teenagers took their time to pray after shopping.

less, but better

2011-10-25T20:43:00.009+07:00

Dieter Rams, a German industrial designer, born 1932, studied architecture as well as learning carpentry, well known as the chief of design of the consumer products, Braun.

His ten principles of good design:

1. Good design is innovative

2. Good design makes a product useful

3. Good design is aesthetic

4. Good design makes a product understandable

5. Good design is unobtrusive

6. Good design is honest

7. Good design is long lasting

8. Good design is thorough, down to the last detail

9. Good design is environmentally friendly

10. Good design is as little as design as possible

His works and principles have been the influence in the works of Jonathan Ive, the Senior VP of Industrial Design at Apple, Inc. In fact, Rams himself stated that Apple is the only company designing products according to his ten principles. Everyone has been worshipping Steve Jobs for the success for Apple products, but often forgot, like Rams said, that good design normally can only emerge if there is strong relationship between an entrepreneur and the head of design. Even Jobs himself said, my favorite quote of his btw, that technology alone is not enough. Credit goes to Ive, who, unlike the charismatic Jobs, are often describes by the people who has worked with him as the quite and shy, humble and sweet, soft-spoken man, but hard-working, brilliant and confident. Paola Antonelli, senior curator of architecture and design for MoMA, said she knows "hardly anybody that is so universally loved and admired" as Ive. And he's famous for his privacy, he rarely gives interviews. Even Apple doesn't have the precise date of his birthday. Now that is someone worth idolizing. Haha.

ps. More of Dieter Rams on my favorite blog

ps2. Comparison between Rams' and Ive's

ps3. Images from das programm

ps4. Title is the famous phrase Rams described his design approach

excuse me,

2011-10-25T00:03:00.004+07:00

BUT THIS DISPLAY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MAC AND WINDOWS IS GETTING MORE AND MORE ITCHY!!

okay, thanks.

hotel: the unfamiliar feeling

2011-10-23T15:40:00.017+07:00

The shots above were taken at the mornings when my roommate was taking a shower. I would had my coffee or tea at the balcony which were always wet by the rain that kept pouring down the city while we were there.

We rarely spent time at the hotel during the trip though. We would go out early in the morning and got back very late at night.

The long corridor to our rooms.

Views from our balcony.

From right outside the door of our hotel's lobby.

miranda july is a genius

2011-10-21T01:46:00.003+07:00

I tweet (ed) that line of my title and got one of the journalist celebtwit replied me saying "absolutely agree!!". Well what I'm saying is that she is a genius. I first came across her when I was searching for her book titled "No One Belongs Here More Than You" which was so famous around tumblr world, being featured in a lot of photos because of the provoking title and the simple cover design. When I tried to searched that book, I found the website, which is unusually cool. Then I found out about her quirky movie, Me and You and Everyone We Know, which she wrote, directed, and acted.

The movie itself tells stories about people trying to connect with each other in an isolating and contemporary world. It consists of several subplots which connect to each others by the intertwined characters. Miranda played Christine, a lonely struggling artist trying to make her way through. John Hawkes played Robert, a guy with two kids, just separated from his wife. Now all the characters were portrayed strongly and easy to get into but Hawkes' character somehow left more impression than the other. He might not appear as sane and as strong as a man should be, he doesn't embody a greatness physicality, nor showing financial stability, yet there's something that drew me to his character, which I don't know what, most probably his vulnerability and his compassion shown specially to his kids.

Miranda won the Camera d'Or at Cannes Film Festival for this, and the famous Roger Ebert listed it as the fifth best film of the decade, mentioning my favorite scene:

Imagine Christine and Richard as they walk down the street. Still strangers she suggests that the block they are walking down is their lives. And now, she says, they're halfway down the street and halfway through their lives. Before long they will be at the end. It's impossible to suggest how poetic this scene is; when it's over, you think, that was a perfect scene, and no other scene can ever be like it. And we are all on the sidewalk. July's film fits no genre, fulfills no expectations, creates its own rules, and seeks only to share a strange, lovable mind with us.

ps. Miranda's quirky front page of her website. And The Future, her other movie, which sounds interesting.

airports: a prolog and an epilog

2011-10-21T01:25:00.011+07:00

Yes, I am that weirdo who bothers taking pictures at the airports which obviously aren't the main attraction of a journey. But I always love being in an airport. To me airports are like the prolog or the epilog of a story. People are there whether they're going somewhere or they're coming back from somewhere. You either sense the excitement of going or arriving at somewhere or the sadness of leaving a place behind. (Well of course I'm talking as a person who doesn't fly that often. It'll be a different story, let's say, if one flies once a month.)

And so far I enjoy the airport routines. Checking in, lining and queing here and there, collecting the stamps (hehe). But perhaps if I travel more often I'd get bored of these, who knows. And not the mention some bureaucrazy you might find in some airports, or the extremely long baggage waiting time at local airports.

I tend to observe graphically the special signage, the typo and everything, specially when they have different language or alphabet. They of course play an important part for people to sense the place and get clear direction. And the wide span gigantic detailed structures. Could be boring but still, you don't enjoy being in a very wide span covered structures everyday where you can sense the enormity of a space.

And the people you meet. You can see people with different skins coming from everywhere, speaking the language you don't understand. Some might come from the country you haven't heard of. I didn't have the chance to get to know anyone this time cause I travelled in group. But once I got to know a man from Malta who's so excited about going to Bali. Of course I knew there's a country named Malta but I couldn't pictured where exactly it is on a geographical map. Bumping in to strangers and engaging a nice conversation is always an interesting experience.

Well this is Suvarnabhumi, one of the main gate of Bangkok, Thailand. I like the name. It sounds so eastern and give an impression of a strong earthy thing, while it's actually a Sanskrit means 'Golden Land'.

existentialist

2011-10-15T00:41:00.006+07:00

"As a matter of simple logic, there's no difference at all, that I can see, between the man who's greedy for material treasure - or even intellectual treasure - and the man who's greedy for spiritual treasure. As you say, treasure's treasure, God damn it, and it seems to me that ninety per cent of all the world-hating saints in history were just as acquisitive and unattractive, basically, as the rest of us are." - Zooey Glass, in Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

I'm not saying that I second what he says. It just makes me ponder.

beautiful acoustic

2011-10-14T07:33:00.006+07:00

The Daydream Club - In The Arms of Another Day

I was browsing some new songs for midnight working when I found the Burberry Acoustic. Well it turns out that they were actually part of Burberry campaign showcases young British bands wearing Burberry clothing in the videos.

Music at it's best familiar and warmth feeling, acoustical, leaving all the wires behind. I don't know but I think somehow music is easier to relate to when it's acoustical. Although I'm not familiar with the songs but they seems easier to perceive than with all sophisticated sounds which require a higher interconnection between the audience and the performer.

Check out the videos and imagine how beautiful it is to play your music together with the nature, at the beach, in the garden, by the river, at the Great Wall of China! And they were all shot so beautifully with attractive soft tones you could grasp the acoustical sense easily. Oh, and the opening introductions by each band in that British accent are totally irresistible.

These give me the feeling of experiencing something new, something strange, yet softly familiar and beautiful.

a travel journal

2011-10-11T23:24:00.006+07:00

I am planning to post a journal of my recent travel to Bangkok, Thailand. Hopefully I'll have the discipline these days ahead, I have so many that I need to write down and archive from the short trip. In between will also hopefully publish some postponed posts.

the taste and gap

2011-10-01T23:36:00.004+07:00

Go this from twitter, thought I'd write down here:

Nobody tells this to people who are beginners. I wish someone had told me. All of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap. For the first couple years you make stuff, it's just not that good. It's trying to be good, it has potential, but it's not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase; they quit. Most people I know do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn't have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know that it's normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work. Put yourself on a deadline so that every week you finish one piece. It's only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to this than anyone I've ever met. It's gonna take a while. It's normal to take a while. You just gotta fight your way through. - Ira Glass

satisfying oneself

2011-10-01T01:35:00.004+07:00

I spent minutes in front of that red flower painting amazed by the translucent red layers, wondered how they were made. For me an artwork whether it's a painting or photograph or a song or a movie or an architectural object, it is good when it makes me wonder how it was created. Like there's a process of creation that is so awesome it makes me want (wish!) to also be able to do it.

Well actually this was an art exhibition I went to about one or two months ago. And while I was there what I thought of mostly was how amazing it is being a true artist cause they work solely for themselves (except some commissioned works), without clients, without rules. And all they do is to satisfy their hunger to create, to say what they want to say. And the way other people perceived their creations is another story.

si vive meglio

2011-09-28T22:01:00.004+07:00

Jovanotti - Gente della Notte

però è molto più facile parlare con la gente,

conoscere le storie, ognuna originale,

sapere che nel mondo nessuno è normale.

Ognuno avrà qualcosa che ti potrà insegnare,

gente molto diversa di ogni colore.

submarine: what's inside you?

2011-09-28T00:10:00.004+07:00

Most people think of themselves as individuals, that there's no-one on the planet like them.

This thought motivates them to get out of bed, eat food, and walk around like nothing's wrong.

That lines open Submarine, a movie narrated by an awkward young boy struggling in his teen age. Story-wise it might not be something new, but how it's presented gives the movie a whole different edge that has to be much appreciated. It's supposed to be a comedic movie but delivered in such a sad and noir way, on the other hand it's supposed to be a sad movie but delivered in such a comedic and lighthearted way. Artfully made and cleverly written, it makes the whole movie become an enjoyable experience. I feel like every line of the movie is produced by such a thoughtful mind and every scene is treated so artistically retro-ish that even visually alone I could already enjoy the movie apart from how the story goes. And I agree with most reviewers that I can't help not to compare to Wes Anderson's and Spike Jonze's.

#8 the man with green piaggio (i)

2011-09-27T23:54:00.008+07:00

on my last night on earth, i won't look to the sky,

just breathe in the air, and blink in the light.

- Noah and the Whale

From across the street down the bridge I could already spot the old man. Usually with his white shirt and blue jeans, sat by his old green piaggio parked by a tree, smoked a cigarette, read a newspaper. Soon as he saw me he would smile, folded his paper, took off his glasses. He would drive me and drop me off the pizza restaurant at the corner of the street. In a less then five minutes ride we would have a conversation although from the back seat I could barely hear what he said.

Out of billions of life that happen parallel to ours, only a few that happens to intersect with ours. Since three years ago, mine intersected his every Saturday mornings by a green piaggio.

But one day he's not there. One Saturday to another, he's not there anymore. I thought he might be dead. I had no idea what kind of life he' been living beside his old green piaggio. I didn't even know his name.

Until last Saturday, months after I last saw him. He's there. He said he was staying with his son, out of island. He couldn't stand not doing anything but rest. So he came back here to his green piaggio. There he told me, a fragment of a life lived by a man whose path happens to cross mine. And he told me his name.

now we're all the same,

2011-09-24T01:13:00.002+07:00

we're missed by and missing someone with a name.

- Torun Eriksen

of black and white

2011-09-21T00:59:00.006+07:00

I'm currently digging the art of black and white photos again, but processing black and white pictures for me is always harder than colors. You have to get the right contrast to make the picture works. These ones I post here are not digital though. I got two old rolls of black and white 35mm film (Lucky BW 100-another reason why I rarely shoot black and white film, I can only find one with ISO 100!) from last year that I never published. These are some frames I like. The pineapple is still my favorite, I submitted it once to a competition. Haha.

forza milan

2011-09-14T00:29:00.003+07:00

It was AC Milan Glorie versus the national team All-Legends playing a charity match. And it was my first experience watching football live in a stadium. I paid attention to sports back then before I went to college so I was quite familiar with almost all the names of the football legends who played that night although I had no idea how they look like. Haha. It's not too crowded maybe because it's still on holiday or maybe because it's a charity match and not every football mania in town is a AC Milan fan and it's not the national team playing. It's a bit confusing at first, the audience seems a bit torn between supporting their favorite football club or their national team. And since it's a friendly match, there was less tension watching it. First half was boring while the second was much more entertaining. It ended 5-1 for AC Milan Glorie. It was fun. Hopefully I get the chance to watch one on San Siro next year. Crossing fingers.

the ethereal

2011-09-13T00:35:00.011+07:00

Before I die I want to GO TO ICELAND.

Sigur Rós - Olsen Olsen

Olsen Olsen, I could play it over and over again although the song is 8 minutes long. Photo is screenshot from Heima, a documentary movie about the tour around Iceland of the band Sigur Rós, which I'm dying to watch. A friend has sent me the DVD all the way from Bali weeks ago, but it hasn't arrived here yet thanks to the local postal service.

getting fishy

2011-09-06T22:41:00.004+07:00

A day trip during Ied holiday with friends roamed around the city and the surrounding satellite cities. A friend took me here once but it was too late it was already closing. Quite pricy but quite nice place to hang. Architecturally nice with one big hall and small cottages floating on a lake with plenty of fishes. But it's kinda hard to take the overall pictures with my lens, last picture is actually six shots merged, still i didn't get the right view.

recreating reality

2011-09-06T20:53:00.004+07:00

Why do we keep recreating the same reality? Why do we keep having the same relationships? Why do we keep getting the same jobs over and over again? In this infinite sea of potential that exist around us, how come we keep recreating the same realities? Isn't it amazing that we have options and potentials that exist, but we're unaware of them? Is it possible that we're so conditioned to our daily lives, so conditioned to the way we create our lives, that we buy the idea that we have no control at all. We've been conditioned to believe that the external world is more real than the internal world.

- from the movie about quantum physics, What the Bleep Do We Know

Speaking about jobs and reality, I once read in someone's blog a comment from a girl in Japan, she said that she doesn't fit in the nine to five job and she's still figuring out what suits her best, then she said, "Me and some friends are in the same situation. There are times that we want to quit. We call ourselves 'floating sh/t' waiting to be flushed and find our direction. Then, a friend was having problems, wanting to vanish in thin air. We told her, we're not FARTS! We're just floating sh/ts! We shall not vanish!". Kinda disgusting and corny, but I found it funny. Haha.

ps. Photo is one of my view everyday walking to my office. They look ten times cooler on midnight in the dead silence. I have couple of other shots (some with fresh fountains) but I think this one represent best what I'm writing here.

paper man

2011-08-30T12:19:00.012+07:00

Richard : I have a problem with my hands.

Abby : What do you mean?

Richard : They do not want to do what I want them to do.

Abby : What do you want them to do?

Richard : Anything. I don't know. Anything useful. Build something or do something.

Abby : Like what?

Richard : Even Jesus, that is, He was a carpenter. It was not enough just save humanity. He needed a tray. I am a man without substance.

Abby : Well, compared to Jesus ...

Richard : I am a man of paper.

Paper Man, basically tells a story about a middle aged writer who still can't get rid of his childhood imaginary friend. On the advice of his wife, he moves to a beach house to deal with his writer blocked. There he befriended a teenage girl who only has one strange friend and a jerky boyfriend. They then found warmth and friendship in each other and learn more about life and about relationships.

It's a movie who tells mostly about relationship, about human interactions, about human co-dependency, how one always needs others to survive daily existence. And what saddened me the most is when it's time for them to be apart after all the friendship that has been woven. I always wish that I could hold tight every person that I have befriended with and stay with them at the best level of friendship that we can. But life never seems like letting that happened.

ps. The dialogue I quoted above reflects a bit of what I wrote here seven months ago.

ps2. Thank you for the movie recommendation.

can i go now?

2011-08-23T21:57:00.007+07:00

please?

an engagement

2011-08-22T23:23:00.006+07:00

Some shots from our best friend's engagement ceremony. Wedding day in less than three weeks. Eep!

abnormally born

2011-08-21T19:54:00.006+07:00

Today we live in a society of values. To be "accepted" by the society you have to behave, to look, to dress, to talk in certain way. People expect you to meet their standards of how you should be as a person. But sometimes you aren't the person who could easily fit in to all of those. This is what the apostle Paul said,

"...and last of all He appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. ...But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them - yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me." -1 Corinthians 15 : 8-10 (NIV)

"Abnormally born" in other version also translated as "born out of time". At that time in Greece, people put appearance as one of the highest value in society. It is normal for people to lock a child at the back of their house since it was born just because it looks ugly. Paul was born ugly, yet God accepted and used him tremendously.

It might sound superstitious and cliche but sometimes somehow the feeling that you are loved by the Supernatural helps relieving a bit of the fact that you can't keep up with this world's standards. A lifestyle writer in his column on Sunday's newspaper wrote something similar. "When the world disappoint me, it is easiest to run to God. It might sounds hypocrite, but if it makes me feel better, why not? If I were handsome, smart, wealthy, and so special, what could please me are predictable: my handsomeness, my brain, my wealth, and my specialty. And I would forget that they're all come from God."

In the end, "We don't have to live based on other people's opinion." -Pastor Dave Kenney.

let me fly, let me sail

2011-08-17T19:33:00.003+07:00

Do not forsake me.

ps. 35mm film, taken today, processed today, posted today, happy. I didn't tweak the color at all, I like how they turn out originally.

wretched machine

2011-08-15T21:15:00.008+07:00

Speaking about "religion" in a public realm where everyone can read is a bit too "risky" for me. Maybe not risky but I'm just too coward to do so. For me it really takes big courage to speak up what you believe in and i always imagine there are big letters printed on my forehead that scream "Christian" and right there I have a super big responsibility to really show what Christianity is about. While I realized I didn't have the capability for it.

Fact is, it's been more than two years that I had sort of abandoned this identity, I no longer took it up seriously on my daily basis. And it's been almost two months since I had the idea and planned to write quite a lot of things about my struggle with it lately and now I have about four different drafts that I never published. Which now I had decided not to.

Instead, I wanna put up some quote from the book Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, which was actually a legendary broadcast talks on the radio during the WWII.

Now quite plainly, natural gifts carry with them a similar danger. If you have sound nerves and intelligence and health and popularity and a good upbringing, you are likely to be quite satisfied with your character as it is. 'Why drag God into it?' you may ask. A certain level of good conduct comes fairly easily to you. You are not one of those wretched creatures who are always being tripped up by sex, or dipsomania, or nervousness, or bad temper. But if you are a poor creature - poisoned by a wretched upbringing in some house full of vulgar jealousies and senseless quarrels - saddled, by no choice of your own, with some loathsome sexual perversion - nagged day in and day out by an inferiority complex that makes you snap at your best friends - do not despair. He knows all about it. You are one of the poor whom He blessed. He knows what a wretched machine you are trying to drive. Keep on. Do what you can. One day (perhaps in another world, but perhaps far sooner than that) He will fling it on the scrap-head and give you a new one. And then you may astonish us all - not least yourself: for you have learned your driving in a hard school.

I feel like I am trying to drive a really wretched machine which sometimes I couldn't even know how to control. Often times I was so ready to just throw it in the garbage and let it be the end of it. But apparently, that's not how it works according to the manual. All I can do is to keep on. To keep getting up after I stumbled. Hopefully one day I'll found reconciliation with myself so I could be reconcile also with others.

losing appetite

2011-08-13T23:28:00.002+07:00

I don't remember if I ever called in sick for four consecutive days in my whole three years of working experience. Maybe I did, I forgot. But being sick pretty much put you in a whole different dimension than what you usually are, physically, of course, and mentally. One day you woke up and found no balance to stand up on your own feet. Spent the whole day laying down sleeping, dreaming hundreds of nightmares. Reminiscing good things and bad things. You couldn't help your head filled with negative thoughts. You couldn't understand a word from the book you've always wanted to read. You lost appetite for food and when you finally gain it, you still couldn't eat or drink cause your mouth taste too bitter.

But, feeling much better now. And thought I'd post some food pictures for some happier mood.

All films. 35mm. iso400.

choosing life

2011-08-13T22:41:00.007+07:00

Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family.

Choose a f/cking big television. Choose washing machines, cars, compact-disc players, and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance.

Choose fixed-interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends.

Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of f/cking fabrics. Choose D.I.Y. and wondering who you are on a Sunday morning.

Choose sitting, watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing f/cking junk food into your mouth.

Choose rotting away at the end of it, pissing your last in a miserable home.

An embarrassment to the selfish, f/cked-up brats that you've spawned to replace yourself.

Choose your future. Choose life.

But why would I want to do a thing like that?

I chose not to choose life. I chose something else.

And the reasons? There are no reasons. Who needs reasons when you've got heroin?

Well, those are the opening lines to a movie revolves around a guy who has chosen to live as a heroin addict. Then, the movie goes, yada yada yada... Then, the closing lines go like these (spoiler!):

So why did I do it?

I could offer a million answers, all false.

The truth is that I'm a bad person, but that's gonna change.

I'm going to change. This is the last of that sort of thing.

I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on. Going straight and choosing life.

I'm looking forward to it already. I'm going to be just like you.

The job, the family, the f/cking big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disc, and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three-piece suite, D.I.Y., game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing gutters, getting by, looking ahead to the day you die.

Yeah right. Hahaha.

coffee and cigarettes

2011-08-04T23:26:00.005+07:00

These are screenshots from nine of eleven short stories in the movie Coffee and Cigarettes. I post this because I like the concept of coffee and cigarettes as a common thread of different conversations that form the movie. I enjoyed some segments like Renée (a pretty girl smoking and drinking coffee while flipping through a gun magazine) and Cousins (the always awesome Cate Blanchett playing two different characters that were opposite to each other), but I have to say that I didn't really enjoy the overall movie. But still, the idea wins, and it makes me wanna drag someone out for coffee and cigarettes and a nice conversation about nothing and everything.

ps. the movie is made over a 17-year period. Strange to Meet You was shot in 1987, while Somewhere in California was shot in 1992.

ps2. Another reason that made me watch this movie was the cast lineup: Roberto Benigni, Cate Blanchett, Bill Murray, Steve Buscemi, Tom Waits, Alfred Molina, Jack and Meg White, and some others.

a breakfast iv

2011-08-01T01:02:00.003+07:00

It's Monday 1am in the morning and I just got back from the office about an hour ago and I have to be at the office again in eight hour. Lost track of time and day. Haha. But I'm not complaining.

coffee by the the lake

2011-07-27T23:01:00.007+07:00

So this is the newest Starbucks in the country, which happens to be located at my college newest library. I kinda like this place, I don't how crowded it might be on weekdays but we're there on weekend and I think during college break, so it wasn't so crowded and I enjoyed being there, specially with good friends. Being in a library is a huge plus, and also it is by the lake, you can actually see outside or even buy some coffee and sit outside. It is much more refreshing than being in a boring mall, I guess. Oh, and I love the hanging lightbulbs. And the eclectic pillow case.

I miss taking photos. These are all film, 35mm. Oh, and I did take pictures of the lake but they're on another roll I haven't developed.

june has past

2011-07-26T00:52:00.011+07:00

How happy is the blameless vestal’s lot! 

The world forgetting, by the world forgot. 

Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind!

 Each pray’r accepted, and each wish resign’d

- Alexander Pope, “Eloisa to Abelard”, from the movie Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind

dear,

mr, ms, des, bp, ay, ra, fr, aa, hs, aa, bsb, dl, al, aa, tf, at, ew, ra, jk, ss, map, pt, ia, yw, nw, as, aa, gk, th, tn, is, rl, jr, dk, aj, ys, dj, ss, skk, sr, ds, fl, ih, pk, hl

As a human being, I could be so forgetful sometimes and write about things somewhere somehow helps reminding me that something once happened. So right here right now I'm writing to note that once these people were there for me on my hardest time. Thank all of you who: gathered when I called when I was in serious need; hugged me and let me cry as much as I could; gave me theories that were comforting; stayed with me from 11pm to 5am on workday; stayed with me on the phone for hours when I was really lost and literally walking nowhere; replied my messages even at 2am in the morning; picked me up at my office accompanied me and dropped me home; kept asking if I was doing okay; met me after hour when I really need advices; cried with me when I cried; gave me job to distract me; helped me diagnose when I fell ill; being a 'shrink' who listened (read?); replied my massive direct messages on twitter; bought me frozen yogurt; passionately and cheerfully planned a team revenge; willing to fly from out of town just to cheer me up; hung out until 2am at the park; just simply approached me and asked if I was doing okay; prayed for me and asked for other prayer request; being the people to whom I could say good morning to; threw out jokes when I'm in despair; and alllll countless chats on yahoo messenger, skype, facebook chat and message, whatsapp, blackberry messenger, email, or by phone. And any other detail and simple things that I might have already forgot. I thank every single one of you, friends and strangers. Sending big hugs and much love. I hope this will remind me to always love for I am loved.

the incredible jukebox

2011-07-23T01:46:00.004+07:00

A must try! At first I was interested at the graphic which is so cool, only to found out later that it is actually an interactive human beat-box you can play with! Super awesome. Kudos to the the three creators. Again, this is awesome.

(via web&patterns)

brandon boyd

2011-07-23T00:02:00.008+07:00

One of the guys who makes me believe that every man should have at least one tattoo on his arm.

Brandon Boyd. Incubus frontman who I was just recently discovered is also a painter, an artist.

It was yesterday when I read one of his interviews and it was so evoking I'm not sure in a good way or bad. I keep saying that I need fascination in order to keep being alive and I depend on inspirations to keep my days from being dull. But some people or some things inspired up to the level where they make me doubt some principles I was holding at the moment, doubt myself. And this man is one of them.

I'm not sure I can explain how it happened and what's been happening in my brain ever since. I'm still trying to figure it out. I wonder if I should straighten my crooked lines or just leave it as it is because being crooked might not be that bad at all.

What bothers me is not partial quotes but the whole text, but some lines that I highlighted:

"But the whole point in art, to me, is to not know exactly what you are doing until you are already doing it."

"Creative work is energetic work. When we are low on energy, and trying to be expressive, it's like bringing a spork to a gun fight."

"Some experts would argue that 'playing dead' is the best defense against the bear, but I say f/ck that sh/t. That's boring."

because it's a beautiful world

2011-07-13T19:26:00.006+07:00

I heard about Ólafur Arnalds, an Icelandic musician, from a friend and when I tried to search his songs I found this incredibly amazing video. To me it is so beautiful I couldn't stop staring at it almost this whole day. The song and the video convinced me that amazingly inspiring people exist in this world, and they make this world a better place.

It is so evoking and heart breaking, I wish I have a heart which I could pour out wholely to something that make me feel content of myself.

I think my colleagues wondered why I spent so much time staring at these moving colors and started to think if I was possessed or had autistic or something. Maybe I do, I don't know. I was so lost in this piece of art, my mind wandered, and the whole day I feel like I was in another world. By myself. But wouldn't it feel great if it's just you and the nature and the people you love, instead of worrying about things like economy, or fashion, or gadgets, or achievements. If only I could choose to be born somewhere else, some other time.

getting inked

2011-07-11T00:14:00.009+07:00

Even by just watching the process this is already so cool. This guy is good. So, what should I get for mine now? ps. His falling fire concept is pretty cool, don't you think?

charlotte gainsbourg

2011-07-08T00:43:00.005+07:00

This is a girl crush post. Haha. Girl crush usually could mean three things, first, it feels like I would date her if I were a guy, second, I found some similarity with myself, or third, there are great aspects of her that are so adorable.

Charlotte Gainsbourg, an actress, a singer/songwriter. I love how she always looks effortless in everything, in how she looks and how she carries herself in public. The kind of woman who can pull off jeans and casual shirt (and cigarettes!). And you could spot her wearing such natural and less make up even to a festival like Cannes. You can see her chewing gum during interview with the paparazzi. Google her images, even with SafeSearch off you'll find more beauty and less glamour. I love how independent and carefree she looks yet you can still sense a fragility out of her.

What even scores her more is that she's a musician and her stuff is inspiring. I even feel like maybe if I were a musician I would wrote something like her album, 5:55. Stuff that is not that easy for everyone to appreciate but inspiring for those who understand.

ps. yes, it's her on Science of Sleep, although I don't think I'd ever watch her hit movie, Antichrist.

#7 solitaire mystery

2011-07-06T23:06:00.002+07:00

Soon the morning will arrive, can I begin another day..

- Charlotte Gainsbourg

What else is a human being but of breath and blood, in flesh and bones, fraction of the universe created to fall on the same law as the bird and the tree. The air sustains the lungs, the water floods the veins.

Spread the arms, embrace an existence. See the flower blooms, hear the mountain whispers. Of no memories, with no one follows.

of flowers, food, and coffee

2011-07-05T18:32:00.006+07:00

Happiness is getting a roll of film developed! Today I finally got to pick up this roll after shooting 36 frames in a span of months. So I thought I'd spark a bit of cooler and happier tone here after some glooms. This will be a quick preview of upcoming posts, of flowers, food, and coffee.

ps. hey it's a triptych instead of diptych again and again, hehe

skinny love

2011-06-29T00:50:00.004+07:00

I know I came a lil too late on Bon Iver, but can't help not to post this one.

Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer /

I tell my love to wreck it all / Cut out all the ropes and let me fall

I'll be holding all the tickets / And you'll be owning all the fines

Because good music touches heart.

#6 norwegian sun

2011-06-22T23:49:00.004+07:00

Well I've said I've sailed the frozen corners of the dark Atlantic Sea
And I drifted on the waves and the mirage beneath
And never have I felt such numb and pointless searchin' true
As when I set my eyes and torched the plans on the mark of you
- The Tallest Man On Earth

It was always in the evening when the sun's getting ready to set that I lost almost all my energy and my willpower to fight. It's when I glanced to the window on my far left and I saw it's getting dark out there, and people were getting ready to leave their desks. There came a great hollowness inside and all the pain of being left alone. No voice you could hear but your own. No one's breathing but yourself.

I only wished the sun never sets, let me see the midnight sun.

lousy sportsman

2011-06-21T21:50:00.004+07:00

I have never been good at sports, any kind of sports. But I used to enjoyed a lot kind of sports, as a spectator. I mean I enjoyed watching sports matches, I read sports news everyday on the paper. Football on the era of David Trezeguet or Ole Gunnar Solskjær (hahah) or before, tennis since Juan Carlos Ferrero and Justine Henin, Formula 1 since the first time Jenson Button was up on the race and Kimi Raikkonen was with McLaren, basketball much earlier on the era of John Stockton (hehe), and I enjoyed watching volleyball or other games on telly.

I don't know since when I lost this habit and not really paying attention anymore to all these. First I thought it was because of my college back then that was so busy taking all the time I had. But I guess being with someone long enough pretty much influenced you including what's your liking. Being with someone who wasn't into sports made me pay less attention to it, since it also wasn't my main interest. So, my point is, other people influence us, and it's not impossible to be detached from it, or gain influence from other new people.

ps. hey if you don't understand what i'm writing here, don't worry, me neither.

pps. four diptych in a row. gotta be more creative.

candle light dinner

2011-06-19T01:20:00.003+07:00

It has been two consecutive saturdays. Thanks for the chit chat and companion, dear friend.

agony: drowning in pain

2011-06-12T18:40:00.017+07:00

After the years that has passed by, a knife just being stabbed on me. And it broke me to the condition I had never imagined I'd experience. It has brought me to the level of insanity where I couldn't control what I want and want not to think and to say. But the news (I don't know whether it's a good one or a bad one) is that I'm still alive.

With the least of energy I still got, life goes on. And I still came to this jazz performance last week. This time it's a quartet led by Sandy Winarta, one of the few drummer that I admire because of how controlled and stable he is when performing. Still in my mind up until today is their last song titled "I love you". At first I was furious because the tempo was so fast, the drum and the bass was so loud, I thought how can you feel "love" if it's this loud. But then I started to feel my heart beats, faster and faster and I realized that this is how you actually feel it. Then the music slowed down, almost melodious and wavy, you can feel the calmness and the joy of being in love.

Another one was Noord Nederlanse Dans, a contemporary dance from North Holland. I don't know whether it's because I've been so emotional with everything that happened lately but I must say that this is one of the best dance performance I've ever been to. I never knew you could pour out such greatness of emotion and character and struggle in movement with very least attributes and accessories, but only the tension of the body and dynamic lighting and strong musicality.

At the second part, there was a woman standing face to face so close to a man. They tangled they hands, and with only the waving and gesturing of their hands together, you could see that they were portraying love, and lust. In other part you could feel like you're drowning in pain and sorrow but you still see the beauty in it. I really wished the show was much more than just an hour. I could spend the rest of my life just sit there absorbing the passion of these people transmitted so vividly to the audience. And for once after weeks of living in agony, I felt grateful that I was still alive. Now if only the feeling lasts after the dance's over.

a short getaway

2011-05-29T00:10:00.004+07:00

I've put my camera on hiatus for a bit too long.

Thank you dearest friends for last sunday and this saturday, without you I wouldn't have survived the day.

miniature madness

2011-05-25T23:56:00.004+07:00

Beside stop motion animation, I've always amazed with time lapse photography, both technically and how patient the photographer must be. But most time lapse photography I saw is of nature, landscape, cloudscape, or construction project, which is why this one is one of the raddest I've ever seen.

Shot by Sam O'Hare with tilt shift lens with over 50.000 shots.

p.s His equally amazing video The Sandpit.

(via drawvro's tweet)

postcard from berlin

2011-05-20T21:28:00.009+07:00

I was so excited when a friend in Germany said she's sending me a postcard until it's finally arrived! Well I never know her personally and I don't know how she first came across my blog, for thing like this you just gotta thank the internet, huh? But these days receiving a postal snail mail with a personal handwriting is something you have to give more appreciation, isn't it? And you know what fascinates me most? Those stamps! I don't know when was the last time I actually saw one but it kinda makes me wishing I had collected stamps.

The postcard is a polaroid photograph, Untitled (Headstand), from 1973 by Robert Mapplethorpe she bought at this exhibition.

Danke schön!

it's in the blood

2011-05-14T20:35:00.010+07:00

I don't usually take this kind of superstitious belief, you know things like astrology and stuff, until recently I came across this blood type things, which originated from the Japanese, and somehow I can relate myself and my friends to most of this characterization. Of course not all of them, but mostly.

So, I am proud to present myself, as an AB, the rarest of all blood type (oh yeah this is boast-able haha).

It might be boring to read all this characterization in writings, thankfully a korean made this comics to make it more interesting. Couldn't find the original source, but I found the images here. Some which I think is interesting:

* Looking at their personalities from the inside:

* The reaction on facing crisis:

* If the internal world of every blood type is represented as a house:

And some others: (this is addictive somehow)

Gossip and talking about others, hanging a painting, degree of patience, studying, the purpose of life, different kind of spaces they'd occupy, playing games, reading a blood type analyst book. And this one I can clearly picture in my head of me and my friends on our driving road trip, my O friend would impatiently ask to drive faster, my B friend would singing along to songs, my A friend would worry sitting too close to window, and me would sit at the back seat sleeping or busy staring at something by the window. Hahaha.

Somehow it works better on female, since most of male I know is O anyway. Anyhow it's just for fun. But somehow relieving, at least I have some explanation on how weird I was and I am, and why I rarely find someone with similar habits.

ps. click on the image to view larger

life is a voyage too long

2011-05-08T11:34:00.009+07:00

It wasn't what I saw that stopped me.

It was what I didn't see. Can you understand that ?

In all that sprawling city, there was everything except an end.

There was everything. But there wasn't an end.

What I couldn't see was where all that came to an end. The end of the world.

Did you see the streets? There were thousands of them! How do you choose just one?

One woman, one house, one piece of land to call your own, one landscape to look at, one way to die.

All that world weighing down on you without you knowing where it ends.

Aren't you scared of just breaking apart just thinking about it, the enormity of living in it?

Land is a ship too big for me.

It's a woman too beautiful. It's a voyage too long. Perfume too strong.

It's music I don't know how to make. I can't get off this ship.

At best, I can step off my life. After all, it's as though I never existed.

-Danny Boodman T. D. Lemon 1900

From the movie, The Legend of 1900, original title La Leggenda del Pianista sull'Oceano, a movie by Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore about a prodigal pianist born and lived his whole life in a four stacker ship, the SS Virginian.

hola

2011-05-04T00:37:00.008+07:00

So, blog's up again, new skin again, hehe. This time I'm keeping it even more simple, cutting out every unnecessary elements. Some will be on their own separate page which can be browsed from sidebar. Search box is actually there provided by blogger on navbar which will be visible if you hover through the very top of page above the header. Keeping the sidebar fixed cause sometimes I think scrolling down the page feels so dull and out of proportion without the sidebar.

And I finally parted with my previous ugly blog title. Heheh. This one's part of a line on the movie, Million Dollar Baby. It would be more romantic if I say it's taken from my favorite movie, or song, or anything. Well the movie's great but it's not really a favorite, I just happened to like the line which suggests a somewhat nihilism, something that ain't exact yet saddening. Well I can change it anytime since it's not the url, so no big deal.

The initial plan was to use my handwriting as the header and sidebar navigators instead of using fonts, but tablet's not working and I'm too lazy to do any retracing, so this will do for now.

ps. label cloud's on sidebar currently not working, will go back to it later.

L'auberge Espagnole

2011-04-05T23:43:00.004+07:00

"I don't know why the world turned into a mess like this.

Everything is complicated, badly developed and poorly written.

In former days you only had fields with cows and chicken.

Everything was much easier. In former days things were tangible.

You ate what you cultivated. You made your own clothes and house."

This is some kinda movie review essay (or rants), and will contain spoiler.

L'auberge Espagnole (The Spanish Inn) tells a story about a middle class French guy who applied to Erasmus program studying economy in Spain for a year in order to get a job at French government. He left his girlfriend in France and settled in a rented apartment sharing with a bunch of young people coming from Germany, Italy, England, Denmark, Belgium, and one local Spanish. Then the story developed from there. All the intrigue of living together, sharing a fridge, annoying landlord. Then there are school politics, language barrier, hangovers, relationship shits, affairs, break ups.

Some of the execution weren't that interesting, like the coming of an annoying brother from England to include the stereotype of each nation into the story, as if it is a must on a movie that involves multinational people. And how they all trying hard running back to the apartment at the same time to save one's relationship, to show how bonded they are to each other. But I like the way the urban reality was portrayed. Beside the great architecture of Gaudi, it shows the street side of working class in Barcelona, not like the typical luxurious one like you see in Hollywood movies. Overall it's actually a movie with simple ideas which I think any youth everywhere can relate to. Quoted from imdb review, "The director comes out of the idea that young people everywhere are just the same. They like jokes. They like to make irresponsible relationships. But they don't neglect their aspirations. The most interesting is the sum of experience of this little community. They live together in the fire of everyday tasks fighting with the surrounding reality. They are full of unusual ideas for life."

Another significant point of interest of the movie is, the ending. The French guy ended up getting the job he aimed at the French government, but left at the very first day to become a writer, something he always know he likes to do ever since he was a kid. He started to feel all this cliche finding his identity bits by bits from all his friends back then in Barcelona and writes his story. Sounds good? Happy ending? It seems to. Like all those Paulo Coelho's shits huh? Yes, until I found out there's a sequel to this movie, titled Les Poupées Russes (The Russian Dolls), where the French guy is now thirty and become a crappy struggling writer, writing cheap romances because it sells, and ghost writes for celebrities who can't write their own biography. (Haven't watch this one tho, will catch up later).

I was trying so hard to explain all my Italian "thing" to a friend days ago, I think my point is that it's normal for youth to want to experience a certain breakthrough in life to make sure that their youth aren't gone wasted and they'll always have a story to tell. You know, I didn't really care when a boss was mocking me on a job interview saying that I took a lot of wrong job choices, because it is true when people say life is about things you've experienced, places you've been, people you've met, and I don't feel like I'm regretting any. I don't plan I just do stuff, who knows along the way something happens and flushes me somewhere.

But you know, there's always two sides of story of everything, there'll be always fears of the crappy possibility like the poor French guy who hadn't turn out to be that successful. You know life might be a fairy tale for some, but it isn't to most others. There are a lot of successful stories came from men who struggled, but do you ever wonder how many others who struggled and yet never did it and there's never a story came out and you never heard of them? How many other Thomas Alfa Edison who tried as much and yet never did it? Ever heard someone told you that life is beautiful? Well I tell you what, they lied. Life is a battlefield and it will always be.

Oh dear this is long, okay I'm done.

celebrating a new beginning

2011-04-04T14:14:00.005+07:00

A good friend is leaving the city, back to his hometown for a new journey, and also his birthday was three days away, so we're celebrating. I didn't know why they ended up choosing chinese food, hahaha, but for me it was good.

ps. it never is a farewell.

a breakfast iii

2011-04-01T14:14:00.007+07:00

Keep doing the series because I haven't really got the good tones, composition, light, styling, and even sometimes focus. I've been putting much concern related to gadget lately cause it's getting more and more frustrating. Haha. Oh well..

an evening

2011-03-29T22:37:00.011+07:00

Taken couple of weeks ago on a lazy evening at the house I've been living this last couple of months . I'll miss this place.

ps. not my panties, my housemate's, haha.

an absolute nobody

2011-03-26T20:01:00.001+07:00

"I'm just sick of ego, ego, ego. My own and everybody else's. I'm sick of everybody that wants to get somewhere, do something distinguished and all, be somebody interesting. It's disgusting - it is, it is. I don't care what anybody says."

"I'm not afraid to compete. It's just the opposite. Don't you see that? I'm afraid I will compete - that's what scares me. That's why I quit the Theatre Department. Just because I'm so horribly conditioned to accept everybody else's values, and just because I like applause and people to rave about me, doesn't make it right. I'm ashamed of it. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. I'm sick of myself and everybody else that wants to make some kind of a splash."

Quoted from Franny, first part of the book Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger. Just something to ponder and question on.

animal arithmetic

2011-03-25T09:23:00.003+07:00

I've been listening to Jónsi since last year and have been greatly admire all his songs, and of course his band, Sigur Rós. But it's only recently that I streamed through couple of his interviews and boy can I not love this guy even more. To my surprise he looks way much positive than I thought he would be, and he even said himself that he is a positive person. He's openly gay, his right eye is blind, and he's a raw food vegan. He might looks weird, but for me he's weird in a way I feel like I could relate to. The way he often scratch or put his hand on his head or play with something (which he did a lot in some other one on one interviews) doesn't look so right, but I feel like I usually do the same when I talk to other person.

It's amazing listening to the creative process of the album, the whole animal theme and sounds. And if you've already digested his whole album, you'll know what he means when he said his album is about hopes and fears, hopes that make you go for everything you want to do, and the fear in the stomach that keeps you down, not doing what you have to do. And the whole stage concept talk is inspirational. Even when he talks about his nosy neighbor who listens to Justin Timberlake, he sounds so funny and positive, like the kind of person you want to befriended with.

On some the interview with BBC, his bandmate, Kjarri, talks about how the isolated condition of their country Iceland relates to creativity, and he said this, "The creativity definitely comes from this isolation. I think that people just feel the need to create something, painting, writing a book.. which can be annoying sometimes specially, you know, these days, because if you're not doing something, you're nobody. Why, you're not writing a book?"

I always thought that I was born weird and awkward but this guy here reminds me that there are still a lot of things I have to do. And I have to really channel all the desire to do and to create.

ps. If I ever become a good photographer and being asked of a person who I really want to photograph, it would not be Monica Belucci, like one of my favorite local photographer, but it will be Jónsi. Definitely.

a breakfast ii

2011-03-21T07:38:00.002+07:00

I used to have bread as breakfast almost everyday. Mostly hard bread, baguette, ciabatta, sometimes mexico bun, raisin pudding bread, and this one here is focaccia.

Oh, and a way to make flowers look less cheesy, by adding some breeze...Hahahah..

ps. current inspiration: Ditte Isager, a Danish photographer.

rethorical

2011-03-17T20:36:00.005+07:00

"How many architect have interest in graphic design?"

so I was asked.

a breakfast

2011-03-15T07:03:00.001+07:00

I know it's boring but at least I tried to do something for myself during these boring days of mine beside searching for a new job. Haha. I woke up way earlier than usual to get some natural light for this. I'm actually not a morning person but it's always too dark when I get back from office. I also bought the white plate just for this, and also some flowers! But, shooting or editing pictures of flowers are always tricky. You have to get the right tone or it'll fall cheesy. And I think I did fail miserably so I didn't upload the one with the flowers. You can see it here. It looks like some typical photo on greeting cards or some motivational poster you found on local bookstore. Haha.

contemporary archeology ii

2011-03-13T11:03:00.003+07:00

an art exhibition at SIGIarts Gallery, Mahakam st., March 12th - 27th, 2011. Still exhibiting if you want to catch up.

My favorite two:

"We are all connected to each other biologically, to the earth chemically, to the rest of the world atomically" -Neil deGrasse Tyson

Liaison, by Putriani Mulyadi

Horizontal Composition, by Leonardiansyah Allenda

the royal tenenbaums

2011-03-12T22:57:00.004+07:00

So I finally understand the cult of that Wes Anderson guy. I love everything about this movie. The quirky and unusual characters, the set design, the graphic and the use of types, the composition. A lot of scenes were shot frontal and static which makes all those elements become important. The whole production design that sticks to the 70s era looks so cool and very pleasing to the eye. Even Buckley the beagle looks cute.

Now I'm obsessed:

Next I should catch up with Rushmore and rewatch the Darjeeling Limited.

my happy family

2011-03-10T06:58:00.000+07:00

As a female, I think I consider myself very rarely doing shopping. I mostly bought stuff when one is already not usable or only when there's a certain need of it. I guess I was raised that way and haven't really developed a habit to do the opposite. But, what has been my retail therapy lately are these:

So I was there to get my camera serviced when I found this light old fashioned flash, the Canolite, which I thought would be a great pair for my half frame Olympus. And a lightmeter, Weston Master II, which I bought just because it looks so cool and vintage. I think it's not even working, but I still have to find out.

So this is my current happy analog family!

java jazz festival 2011

2011-03-08T12:40:00.014+07:00

So here's a few of my take from the festival last weekend.

Managed to catch up: David Garfield, who really looks like the combination of The Dude and Walter Sobchak on The Big Lebowski, featuring the fun Abraham Laboriel. Ruben Hein, the "handsome vocalist" (according to the java magazine). Roy Hargrove Quintet, which was the most photogenic performance of all. Corinne Bailey Rae, which was so pretty, much prettier then when she first came to surface around 2006-2007, with the effortless beautiful voice and peaceful face and gesture which were so soothing to watch. She's just so loveable. And we did catch a glimpse of other performances like the New York Voices and some local bands.

Didn't take that many pictures though, first I was too lazy to move my ass in front of the stage, second I don't have any tele lens to be able to shoot a close up, third I always keep in mind whenever I go to a musical event I was there to enjoy the performances, taking pictures is just the documentation part and not the main thing.

Thanks for taking me there, you.

life/career

2011-03-07T17:26:00.004+07:00

“I don’t think of my life as a career. I do stuff. I respond to stuff. That’s not a career – it’s a life!”

— Steve Jobs

(via swissmiss)

distraction is the obstruction of construction

2011-03-03T07:55:00.003+07:00

Un, dos, tres, cuatro!

Hi, and welcome back to another episode of Télévision Educative.

Tonight, l will show you how dreams are prepared.

People think it's a very simple and easy process...

...but it's a bit more complicated than that.

As you can see, a very delicate combination

of complex ingredients is the key.

First, we put in some random thoughts.

And then we add a little bit of reminiscences of the day...

...mixed with some memories from the past.

That's for two people.

Love, friendships, relationships, and all those ''ships''...

...together with songs you heard during the day...

...things you saw and also...personal.

Okay. Okay, l think it's one.

There it goes. Yes. Yes.

Okay, we have to run.

Science of Sleep is definitely on top of the underrated movies list, although it took me almost two and a half years to finally really finished watching it. If you ever feel like doubting whether you're still dreaming or you're already awake, or you forget whether you experienced certain things in reality or in your dream, then this movie is all about it. With an absurd theme like 'dream' I think this one is well executed and succeed transferring such vague thing as dream into visually moving images. And with all its quirk and all the amazing crafty props I think I like this one better than the other Gondry's well celebrated Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

gnam gnam

2011-03-02T12:35:00.001+07:00

Ever had those days that were so boring you're doing the same task over and over and over in front of the computer? Well I did and I ended up browsing through food blogs and posts which only made me suffer from food-horny (I'm not sure if this term exists), craving for anyyy kind of delicious food.

So, just to turn things into a happier mood here I'm posting something food-related. These are taken December last year, with my now-dying 35mm film camera on an expired fuji400.

i'm having a tattoo

2011-03-01T08:10:00.003+07:00

of a figure of tree somewhere on my arm.

I'm serious! Have been wanting one for so long. Haha. Nah, I don't have enough guts when it comes to needles. But seriously I will. Within this year. Nah, I don't know. Haha, we'll see.

for almost five years

2011-02-28T12:41:00.006+07:00

From the movie, 2 Days in Paris,

To sum up the four hours of discussion that followed,

it's not easy being in a relationship, much less to truly know the other one

and accept them as they are, with all their flaws and baggage.

I confessed the toughest thing for me was to decide to be with someone for good -

the idea that this is the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with.

To decide that I will make the effort to work things out

and not run off the minute there is a problem is very difficult for me.

There's a moment in life where you can't recover any more from another break-up.

And even if this person bugs you 60% of the time, you still can't live without him.

And even if he wakes you up every day by sneezing right in your face,

well, you love his sneezes more than anyone else's kisses.