Ini kisah nyata, dialami oleh temen gw sendiri.. Dia bahagia sekali ketika dapet hadiah dari suaminya berupa buku.. tapi kebahagiaan itu sekejap berubah jadi tangisan ketika dia tau bahwa buku itu ternyata tidak baru (sudah tidak berplastik dan didalamnya terdapat coretan-coretan pensil dari pembaca sebelumnya) .... dan sekarang, lembar demi lembar dari buku itu sudah berakhir di mesin penghancur kertas di kantor..

Cerita lain justru baru saja terjadi kemarin.. ketika kantor kita kedatangan "tamu tak diundang" .. usut punya usut, ternyata tamu itu adalah istri dari salah seorang staf kita yang sedang proses cerai.. entah dengan maksud apa dan bagaimana kisahnya, akhirnya mereka bertengkar di parkiran sampai harus dilerai oleh pak satpam....  dan OB kantor meminjam duit 20 ribu untuk memberikan ongkos pulang ke tamu tak diundang tersebut ...

Saya hanya bisa support temen saya yang dikasih buku bekas dengan membiarkannya menghancurkan lembaran kertas bekas itu di mesin.. dan mendengarkan keluh kesahnya lewat YM hari demi hari.. terkadang sampai bingung harus menjawab apa, karena ceritanya mirip-mirip sama cerita sebelumnya..

Saya juga siap-sedia untuk bungkam dan bersekongkol dengan staf yang proses cerai itu.. Jadi, ketika tamu tak diundang menanyakan nomor telpon staf kantor yang sebentar lagi jadi mantan suaminya, saya hanya bilang "masih nomor lama, bu.." (padahal nomornya sudah ganti 2x) ...yah..mungkin ini adalah salah satu hal terbodoh yang pernah saya lakukan...

miris ya? betapa suatu hubungan bisa menjadi begitu menyedihkan.. dan betapa terkadang laki-laki bisa menjadi makhluk yang begitu ajaib.. sama ajaibnya dengan perempuan di mata mereka.. hahaaahahaa....



thanks to Adi atas bantuannya memilih judul.. hahahaa...

Hari ini sama saja seperti hari lainnya...

Dengan kesibukan masing-masing penghuni kota ini. Kesibukan cagub dan cawagub disini tidak kalah dengan kesibukan perempuan-perempuan yang sedang tertidur pulas di kompleks lokalisasi. Bedanya cuman di soal ”jam kerja” saja menurut saya. Belum lagi kesibukan ibu-ibu yang harus meng-update informasi minyak tanah murah hari ini, ga banyak beda juga dengan kesibukan keluarga Amrozi yang kemarin melangsungkan pernikahan jarak jauh menjelang detik-detik terakhir sebelum dia dihukum mati (udah mau dieksekusi kok masih mikir kawin yah... ga abis pikir deh gua!?)

Berita di koran pun tidak banyak berubah. Penuh kritik, penuh air mata, bunuh-bunuhan, dan masih seputar musibah di Asia yang belum berhenti tapi malah menyebar kemana-mana. Habis Myanmar, sekarang Cina. Yang satu topan, yang satu gempa. Jadi inget lagunya Ebiet, mungkin betul Tuhan udah bosan ama ulah manusia yang kebanyakan dosa. Dan mentang-mentang menyambut 100 Tahun Kebangkitan Bangsa, semua media berlomba-lomba mengupas bobrok negara kita (padahal tanpa dikupas rasanya sudah banyak yang tau yah, kan ngrasain sendiri...?) Tapi sayang, menurut saya kok hanya sedikit yang memberi solusi maupun inspirasi.

Jadi, saya sering bingung, perubahan itu harus dimulai darimana (selain dari diri sendiri tentunya). Dan apa yang bisa dilakukan orang-orang yang banyak nganggur (seperti saya ini) demi perubahan itu. Kan katanya walaupun sedikit yang penting berarti. Tapi yah sudahlah, sepertinya kita memang belum diperkenankan untuk tersenyum saat ini.

Matahari (sengaja pake warna kuning biar silau, hehe..) di kota pahlawan pagi ini juga masih sama panasnya, menyengat diatas kepala pengendara sepeda motor yang setiap harinya berkeliling kota menjajakan barang jualannya. Kebut-kebutan di jalan raya, rebutan jalan sama pegawai negeri, anak-anak sekolah dan mobil mewah (milik orang tua) mahasiswa kaya raya, yang semuanya ingin cepat mewujudkan apa yang selama ini hanya menjadi angan-angan dan khayalan. Padahal, dari sudut skeptis, beberapa tahun kedepan, keberadaan mereka hanya akan menambah jumlah pengangguran di kota terbesar kedua setelah Jakarta ini.

Tapi ada juga yang damai ditengah gegap-gempita kesibukan kota ini. Yang semalam habis bergadang, masih terlelap di alam mimpi, membayangkan ketemu eSBeYe yang kemaren bikin macet jalanan kota kami. Nah.. yang semalam habis bersenang-senang, terpaksa bangun pagi dan akhirnya harus berangkat dengan mata setengah terpejam, pagi ini. Padahal sudah habis satu gelas kopi.

..mau bagaimana lagi?

a (not so) wise man once said...

"..stop starring at the damn monitor ..
.. and start spending some time with real people
in your real life..."

bagi kita yang sudah nyaris addicted dengan mainan blog, kalimat diatas pasti sering terdengar.. tapi jangan sedih, kamu ga sendirian kok.. mainan blog yang udah seperti trend sekarang ini, kadang memaksa peminatnya untuk terus-menerus berteriak dalam keheningan "look at me..! look at my page, look at my posts..! and don't forget to leave a comment..!" (which include me, sadly...)

yah.. sepertinya himbauan diatas akan tetap menjadi himbauan semata.. yeah, at least that's what I'm trying to do.. that's right.. we hear ya, but we ain't listening.. yet! lagipula.. mainan blog bukan berarti kita jadi anti-sosial kok, semua ada waktunya sendiri-sendiri..

  so... why are we keep on doing that..?

alasan pertama.. bisa jadi kita mengidap scribomania, yang dalam konteks psikiatrik bisa diartikan sebagai a morbid mental condition characterized by the writing of long successions of unconnected meaningless words.. damn.. semacam gangguan mental dong? apapun lah artinya, tapi yang jelas gua kurang setuju sama 2 kata terakhir.. "meaningless words.."

'coz we ain't that sick you know.. Walaupun terkadang memang ada yang "meaningless" but that doesn't mean that all our writings deserve the same notation!?

okay, terlepas dari apakah kita mengidap scribomania atau tidak, bagi kita yang gemar (dan mungkin addict) mainan blog, pasti punya berbagai alasan.. ada yang bilang.. blog gua adalah tempat sampah gua.. ada juga yang ngrasa "gua maenan MP buat self-exploration, curhat, introspeksi.. karena bisa sharing dan dapet input dari orang lain.." whatever it is.. apapun alasan kalian, so far.. it all make sense to me..

what's my reason?
hmmm.. apa yah?

yang jelas, gua butuh media untuk menampung apa-apa yang ada di pikiran.. to create something that satisfy this "hollow" part inside me.. (walaupun gua ga tau juga kenapa itu "hollow-part" bisa ada disitu..!?!) ..

and as a bonus, blogging juga memungkinkan gua (dan kalian semua deh kayanya..) untuk berbagi dan bersosialisasi diantara himpitan waktu yang semakin sempit, karena salah satu prinsip gua adalah ga ada ruginya nambah temen.. dan yang jelas, untuk menghilangkan rasa bosan yang tak kunjung reda..

i think the point is.. blogging can be a road to self-actualization..
so.. what's your reason?

Just crossed my mind.. bahwa terakhir kali gua masak (secara serius, dalam artian bener-bener masak sesuatu buat dimakan), adalah sekitar akhir bulan Januari kemaren.. Whoa.. that was about 4 months ago.. Betul sekali.. Dan itu karena selama bulan Februari tema kehidupan gua di weekend adalah dari hotel ke hotel.. Surabaya, Jakarta, Bandung.. Dan akhirnya urusan masak memasak pun terlupakan.. karena sejak itu males gua kumat..!!

Until last Saturday.. 7 AM in the morning.. (gagal deh rencana gua mbangkong, hiks..) my friend Ririn came along, membangunkan gua dari mimpi indah.. Dia datang dan gua masih tidur.. walaupun begitu, dengan semangat ’45 dia mau masakin gua, padahal udah jelas ga ada apa-apa di dapur gua maupun di kulkas yang bisa dimasak.. (kecuali Pop Mie, tentunya..) Kalopun ada yang bisa dibakar.. Itu hanya beberapa pak rokok yang sepertinya tetap saja kurang untuk kita-kita yang bercongor asbak ini… huehueheee… (kids.. please don’t try this at home..!!)

Jadi, menu hari itu adalah sayur asem.. ikan lele goreng, dan ikan belanak.. satu hal yang gua ga bisa lupa adalah sambelnya si ririn.. Astaganaga.. busett.. i really must learn how to make it!! Dan karena udah terlanjur dipake dapurnya.. well, I guess it’s time to do some cleaning.. hihihiii… ternyata 4 bulan cukup lama juga yah buat bikin kotor..!

Anyway.. Ada satu hal yang bikin gua mikir.. Ternyata, it was not so bad just to stay at home during the weekend.. NOT because I have a lot to do, but I began to do some flashbacks.. Mulai dulu.. bahkan sejak gua masih SMP.. Kalo udah weekend dan ga punya rencana, dunia rasanya mau kiamat! Blingsatan.. that’s the correct word.. Dan itu terkadang masih sering berlaku sampe sekarang.. walaupun udah gak separah dulu..

Is it because I’m an Aquarius..? (hahahaa… karna sabtu pagi kemaren, jam 6 pagi.. sepupu gua yang juga Aquarius udah SMS nanyain plan malem mingguan.. ugh, emangnya gua EO..??!!) Entah kenapa, gua cuman merasa sangat putus asa kalo harus diem dirumah pas malem minggu.. Sangat tidak sehat, dan seems so pathetic.. Kecuali kalo rumah kita dijadikan tempat berkumpul untuk sebuah acara, itu lain soal..

Tapi, gua sempet juga berhasil mengalahkan pemikiran-pemikiran itu dan menghilangkan kebiasaan blingsatan di malam minggu.. intinya, I keep repeating to myself, that staying at home.. was not so bad.. Walaupun bukan berarti lo harus stay selama weekend, tapi kalo emang udah bener-bener mentok, kaga ada plan (biasanya gara-gara ga punya duit, hehe..) ya diem dirumah juga bisa bikin tenang dan nyaman.. karena semuanya kembali ke alam pikiran kita aja.. if we think it's OK, then it will be OK.. (bilang saja.. OKeee.. T2 mode = ON)

Dan meskipun yang namanya musik akhirnya jadi satu-satunya pelarian (mulai Sabtu pagi sampe Minggu malem gua habis-habisan bareng Andra & The Backbone "Season 2") well, believe it or not.. ternyata ada banyak hal yang bisa lo lakuin dirumah, terutama klo rumah kalian mulai terbengkalai seperti dapur saya yang terlupakan itu.. bersih-bersih, nyelesein buku yang blom habis, nonton berita di TV dan update gosip artis terbaru, hahahaa…

Dan weekend ini, ternyata gua ga kuasa menolak ajakan si ririn.. (dia lagi, dia lagi..!!) untuk nongkrong di sebuah Café di Sidoarjo.. hahahaa.. gubraxxx, stay at home suckkkksss…!!! Tapiii…. Gua juga berhasil kelarin 2 buku yang gua beli minggu lalu.. Ngabisin DVD yang gua beli, bikin CD lagu pesenan temen gua, bikin ringtone buat handphone gua.. dan tentu saja bikin hepi diri sendiri … hahaa…

Life could slip away in absent minded numbness
I'm only sayin this 'cuz I wish for the best
When you always stay in self-incarceration
I thinks it's such a shame

Don't stay home this time no don't stay home
If he don't have to he don't want to
Don't stay home this time no don't say no

~311-Don't Stay Home~

Gua selalu mikir gimana dan betapa enaknya kalo segala sesuatu di hidup ini bisa dibuat “UNDO” dengan cara segampang mencet tombol ”Control” dan huruf ”Z” (alias Ctrl+Z)..

Can life be cancelled that way?

Jawabannya jelas ngga bisa.. Anak TK juga tau, kaliii.. Salah satu tahap tersulit dalam rangka menjadi orang yang ”lebih” dewasa adalah mempertanggung jawabkan apa-apa yang telah kita lakukan dan ucapkan. Ngga percaya?  Coba inget-inget deh.. Sejak jaman SD aja kita udah dikasih pilihan yang paling simpel. Belajar atau nonton TV.. Kalo pilih belajar, ya besok ulangan mudah-mudahan bisa jawab. Kalo nonton TV, ya udah.. melongo aja sana didepan soal..

Itu cuman contoh sederhana. Dan pada kenyataannya, so far (baca: 29 taun gua hidup) begitu banyak perbuatan, keputusan maupun ucapan yang ”ternyata” (bego bener, nyadarnya telaaat??) harus dipertanggung jawabkan.. Beberapa dibuat secara sadar, dan beberapa mungkin dalam keadaan sedikit sinting.. hihihi.. The reasons were right, although the feelings might be wrong.. hehe.. (again.. mencari pembenaran!! Ga boleh tuh..)

Whatever it is.. enak ataupun ngga enak, terkadang kita harus menelan pil pahit yang namanya ”konsekuensi” .. Dan menurut gw, walaupun kita pernah (atau mungkin masih sampe sekarang) memilih untuk lari dari konsekuensi, pasti akan datang saat dimana kita udah ngga bisa lagi lari, dan pilihan satu-satunya adalah menjalani..

Gua jadi inget film JUNO.. Gw salut banget ama keberanian dia untuk ngga mengaborsi bayi yang dia kandung, walaupun usianya baru 16 tahun.. Dan cara dia menyampaikan kabar itu ke orang tuanya juga sangat-sangat patut diacungi jempol. Selain memberi kabar yang mengejutkan itu, Juno bisa menyampaikan hal yang paling penting.. Yaitu jawaban dari ”OK, ini udah kejadian... So, what are you going to do about it?”

Kita yang berani ambil resiko, kita yang memutuskan, kitalah yang berbuat, kita yang rasakan/jalanin akibatnya, maka kita jugalah pihak yang paling bertanggung jawab..!!
 

Fix your own mess!

Visual DNA Test!!
ayo.. coba-coba...
this test represent our visual DNA
dan sebagian cocok lho!!

1) Easy Rider
(kaya merek CD :p)

2) Escape Artist
(artis kesasar?)

3) Junkie Monkey
(i don't do drugs!)

4) Love Bug
(love buzz ajah!)

When to Think About What..

kalo lagi di kantor?
think about your work, dan semua yang harus selesai..!!
jangan ditumpuk doang buat pajangan di meja biar kliatan rajin..
masa seharian cuman maenan blog, chatting and ngecek info film terbaru..
(this is a reminder, bukan nyindir siapa-siapa selain diri sendiri.. huheuee)

kalo lagi di rumah?
think about your family, dan apa-apa yang butuh diobrolin..
talk.. and talk.. and talk.. share.. share.. dan share..
inget.. "things we left unsaid will only taking up spaces in our head!!"
udah gitu, kayanya piring-piring kotor butuh dicuci deh.. dan baju kotor pun numpuk!
(this is also a self-reminder, bukan nyindir siapa-siapa..hihihi.. )

kalo lagi nongkrong?
think about yout friends, dan betapa moment itu harus dibuat berarti..
be a good listener.. be a mom, be a dad, be a sister, be a brother..
tergantung dari sudut pandang siapa kita diminta untuk ngasih pendapat..
share your stories, terimalah masukan dan kritik dengan lapang dada..
we constantly need them to remind us to stay on the track, right?
but don't forget to have fun.. 'cos this is what it's all about anyway...


fail to do that..?
your brain will pop-out due to overload burden...
totally fu**ed up, guarantee.. hehehee...

coba aja bayangin...
di kantor tapi kepikiran nongkrong..
di rumah tapi kepikiran bos marah..
nongkrong tapi inget rumah berantakan..

nah lo...

**sayangnya, buat diri saya sendiri hal ini juga masih dalam proses pengerjaan dan pelaksanaan.. dan ini tercetus karena saya lelah dengan pikiran yang selalu tercampur aduk..

Life is all about choices
When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice
You choose how you react to situations
You choose how people will affect your mood
You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood..

making bad choices in life.. siapa yang ngga pernah..? some of us tend to do it over and over again.. ibaratnya seperti jatuh di lubang yang sama berulang kali.. mungkin sebaiknya lain kali jangan lewat jalan yang itu lagi, kalo udah tau disitu ada lubang..

Why do we make bad choices in life?

Atau pertanyaan yang lebih penting:

Are those choices really bad?
According to who?

Between the Good and the Bad, everything depends on who you are and your perspective.

Sebuah pemikiran lain.. What if we are destined to do and respond to things in different ways. Suatu pilihan bisa jadi merupakan pilihan buruk.. tapi dengan memilihnya kita jadi mengetahui melalui pengalaman sendiri bahwa keputusan itu memang buruk sehingga kita bisa lebih siap menghadapi hal serupa di masa yang akan datang..

It's like facing the facts that that you make a certain bad choices to learn a lesson on experience something now to be prepared for something later.

Hampir sebagian besar dari kita pernah mengalami apa yang disebut "penyesalan" atas keputusan yang dipilih di masa lalu. Terutama dalam situasi yang sulit, kecenderungan kita adalah menoleh ke belakang dan berfikir "seandainya saya memilih keputusan yang lain" dan keputusan "lain" itu seakan-akan adalah keputusan yang benar.

Kalo kita ada di sebuah perjalanan baru yang asing dengan nol pengalaman, dan bertemu dengan dua pilihan: jalur kanan atau jalur kiri. Kita memilih jalur kiri. Kemudian terjadilah kecelakaan. Apakah kecelakaan itu terjadi karena kita tidak mengambil jalur kanan?

Another example .. you've been dating someone for 5 years. But now you feel unhappy with your date.. and you start thinking... if only you end the relationship several years ago, you will be happier with someone else today.. who's to guarantee if you ended the relationship way back when that you would be happy with someone else? Does this mean you made the wrong choice? To me, no. It just means you made the choice you were meant to make.

Now, can you make the choice to be happy?

I don't think there are any wrong choices. We simply make our decisions based of off the circumstances we are in during a particular moment. The choices we make obviously effects us. It's those choices that bring us to a certain point and then propels us forward through our lives. Therefore, we can never really make a bad choice..

diambil dari sini

life is all about choices.. hidup memang penuh dengan pilihan..
mungkin tidak ada yang disebut "bad choices".. yang ada hanyalah pilihan yang benar di awal namun berubah menjadi pilihan yang nampak salah seiring perjalanan hidup dan berlalunya waktu.

...waktu saya untuk menikmati usia dengan kepala "2" ga sampe setaun lagi ..

yeaahh great.... i only have less than a year to use the number "2" as a start to describe my age.. however, i never claim to understand what's the true meaning of birthday wishes.. it's like a reminder saying, "hey.. remember.. today, you're getting old..!!" and closer to death (in an extreme point of view), hahah.. padahal tiap hari juga kita bertambah tua sehari. tiap jam juga bertambah tua walaupun cuman sejam.. hari ultah menjadi seperti sekedar pemaksaan buat saya untuk mengingat betapa banyak yang belum tercapai.. so what.. i can get there if i want to.. but what for..??

bahkan di usia ini pun saya masih takut untuk memutuskan untuk menjalani hidup yang membosankan.... whatever that means.. yup.. i'm still so afraid of a boring life... dan kepala saya masih tetap seperti benang kusut yang harus diurai satu per satu.. but do i want to? what if i enjoy this twist & turn of destiny.. makes your heart warmer, put a smile on your face.. it even helps you to get up early in the morning..!! bwahaha..

well, i guess it's just a question of faith .... and only time will tell..
but for sure, your age will never have the answer..

Rin.. hasil kita hari ini... masih perlu banyak perbaikan..!!!! hahahahhaa...

is this the kind of feeling everyone have?
it's.. like.. you're trapped.. between being who you are..
and being someone you're suppose to be..

saat mau melakukan sesuatu, terkadang kita ngga sadar bahwa kita melakukan hal itu karena didorong keinginan, rasa suka, atau karena ngga ada lagi pilihan lain... kalo udah gini, tindakan yang dilakukan akhirnya tidak didasari pengetahuan, pemikiran, dan pertimbangan yang matang...

padahal, kalau mau direnungi, kuncinya ternyata terletak pada diri kita sendiri.. tapi seiring bombardir dari sekeliling kita entah itu media, internet ataupun pertukaran pendapat dengan temen, kita seringkali melupakan realita tersebut dan terseret mengikuti suatu kebodohan masal..

jika sekiranya kita bisa cepat menyadari bahwa diri kita memiliki karakter yang kurang baik, entah itu dari segi apapun.. baik segi intelegensi, segi spiritual, maupun sosial, maka keinginan untuk mengubah diri pun menjadi lebih cepat dimulai... dan alangkah baiknya apabila semua keinginan ini bukanlah datang dari orang lain, melainkan dari diri sendiri... karena pengalaman demi pengalaman yang dialami sendiri dan konsekuensi-konsekuensi positif maupun negatif adalah guru yang terbaik bagi diri kita.

Kesungguhan untuk berproses meniti perubahan dari waktu ke waktu itulah yang semoga saja akan membuahkan kedewasaan, kearifan dan kematangan hidup bagi kita yang senantiasa berjuang untuk tidak pernah berenti belajar dari pengalaman diri sendiri dan pengalaman orang lain.

dalam rangka menyambut hari jadi saya yang ke 29... heheheheh... menurut saya tulisan saya kok membosankan ya...

Ever asked yourself.. “what was the first song that I fell in love with?”

I was born on 1979, the year when Bee Gees’ “Too Much Heaven” hit the #1 chart on Billboard Magazine HOT 100 (but since I was still a baby,  I wasn’t aware of that song until a couple of years later), but my first experience with music, knocked me up when I was 4 years old (the year was 1983), and I strongly believe that it was the era for  Michael Jackson as “The King of Pop” with his phenomenal album “Thriller”. 

First Decade.. The 1980s!!

It was also the “rising-up” year for several Heavy Metal bands such as Poison, Slayer, Motley Crue and of course Metallica. At that same year, Bon Jovi and Red Hot Chili Peppers was formed.  Several years later my ears was pretty familiar with other bands such as Guns ‘n Roses, Van Halen, Tesla and Skid Row along with the band’s sexy vocalist Sebastian Bach!! It was also during the 80s that I have this habit of recording songs from Whitney Houston, Janet Jackson, Taylor Dayne, Wilson Philips and Idol jury Paula Abdul that was played on the radio, and tried my best to write the lyrics.. what an experience.. I soon fell in love with Jon Bon Jovi and the gank.. with their “You Give Love a Bad Name” hits..

Ooh.. the 80s.. One funny thing I remember was the fight I had with my big sister when we’re going to buy a cassette. My mom only gave us money to buy just one cassette, and my big sis decide it was going to be Bon Jovi’s Slippery When Wet, while me and my little sister insisted that we should buy New Kids On The Block..!! NKOTB was not so bad after all, I still remember the lyric of “Tonight” until now. My favorite member was the handsome Jordan Knight.

Me and my cousins once had a trip from Jakarta to Bali by car. Before we start the journey, the big sisters are preparing cassette for the trip. They take White Lion, Skid Row and Motley Crue. So during the trip, we all sing the songs from all three bands.  

That time on TV, only TVRI exist I think, we can only see the video clips after and before one show, whether it was The Cosby Show (I’m a big fans of Lisa Bonet..), The A-Team, Knight Rider, and and Highway to Heaven.. hehe.. While my mom never missed the edition of Dallas, and Dynasty..

Second Decade.. 1990s..!!

Then it comes the 1990s era. The era for another experience. The era of another phenomena.. This is when I entered the second decade of my life. I must say, this decade started when I was 11 years old, and ended when I was 21 years old.. A long journey.. from SMP to SMA and even early college years. I was still deeply in love with Guns n’ Roses. Their accoustic track “patience” has forced me to learn how to play the guitar.. learn how to whistle.. then came their double album “Use Your Illusion I and II” and then “The Spaghetti Incident” .. Not forgetting the movie “Young Guns” with Jon Bon Jovi singing all the soundtrack.. Damn, how I enjoy that album! Together with Warrant, Faith No More, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Aerosmith. And for the late 1990s, there was Third Eye Blind, Sepultura, Radiohead, Blink 182, and the era of Hip-Metal for Limp Bizkit, Korn, Save Ferris, Deftones,.. (must I go on..!!???)

And for the pop experience, this is also the era for Mariah Carey. Her hits such as Vision of Love, Love Takes Time, Hero.. Side by side with NKOTB’s biggest hit “Step By Step” and Mc Hammer with his big baggy pants.. Oh year of the white rapper.. how come I forgot? Vanilla Ice..!!??

after that, for me it seems like the heavy metal era is over and new kind of genre is coming to blow my ears.. And I suppose, our ears! It was the trio who bring us “Smells Like Teen Spirit” .. yep, it was Nirvana. But the world was shocked by terrible death of Freddy Mercury. Although a lot of things had been going on in the pop world with Kylie Minogue, Sinead O’Connor, Roxette, Celine Dion, Spice Girls,

But my interest in alternative music was when MTV launched their program “MTV Alternative Nation” and the album MTV Alternative Nation with several Britpop’s bands. This album is amazing and if we listened to it along with Alanis Morisette.. It’s a good combination to combat young love and broken heart, whatever that means.. hahaha…

it was a long time, you know.. from 11 to 21. I graduate from SMA on the age of 18 (on 1997). And on the same year, me and my friends created a band, and we played No Doubt, also Save Ferris, never imagined that SKA was going to be so popular at that time. We simply choose those both bands because our vocalist is a girl, and because we like their songs..

The Third Decade.. Entering the Millenium Era.. Not Yet Finished!!

I got this feeling, that I was not enough with just one band.. I accept the offer from a friend, to play Coal Chamber, System of A Down, and Deftones. Later on, during this era, I also accept another offer from a friend, to help them playing songs from Radiohead, and Coldplay. It was a bit mixed up and I don’t know how to stop.  

Avril Lavigne was big hit, while others like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are competing to one another. Linkin Park, Eminem, Beyonce.. and so many others also bring their luck during this era..

fyi.. gw nulis ini sambil berdiskusi by chat with a friend... about almost the same thing.. thanks for giving me answers!!

Goenawan Muhammad pernah menulis (sayangnya gw lupa dimana.. hehe) "..manusia bisa tersesat, tapi sejarah menunjukkan bahwa iman tak pernah jera justru ketika Tuhan tak jadi bagian dari  benda-benda yang terang... siapapun yang mengira bahwa ada jalan pintas dalam iman akan menemukan jalan buntu.."

tertarik dengan kalimat tersebut diatas.. seakan-akan bahwa manusia menemukan Tuhan, bukan di suasana terang (bahagia) tetapi justru didalam kegelapan, saat mereka mengalami keterpurukan, kesedihan, bahkan keputus-asaan... sinkron dengan kalimat selanjutnya yang meng-claim bahwa yang disebut iman tidak bisa ditemukan melalui jalan pintas, yang gw artiin bahwa iman seseorang diperoleh melalui berbagai "cobaan demi cobaan" dalam menjalankan hidup..

kalau benar begitu, lalu orang-orang yang hidupnya lurus-lurus saja alias tidak pernah sengsara, tidak akan beriman dan menemukan Tuhan? wow... that's not true!! menurut gw sih, kita menemukan Tuhan melalui kepasrahan yang teramat sangat tinggi... dan tingkat kepasrahan seperti itu biasanya hanya dirasakan oleh orang yang lagi kesusahan, yang lagi ketemu masalah berat, yang lagi mentok ama keputus-asaan mereka... dan mereka mengambil jalan yang tepat untuk curhat ama pencipta-Nya..

pada saat seperti itulah, biasanya kita memasrahkan keputusan kepada Sang Pencipta.. karena biar bagaimanapun juga, kita adalah ciptaan-Nya.. dan atas kehendak-Nya, segala masalah dapat terselesaikan dengan cara dan waktu yang sesuai dengan ketentuan-Nya.. it is easier said than done, actually.. karena sifat manusia di diri kita terkadang sulit untuk menerima kenyataan pahit yang terburai didepan mata, walaupun hati kecil kita bersuara bahwa itu ketentuan Tuhan, and we have to accept it.. dengan ikhlas..!!

lalu bagaimana selanjutnya..? setelah memasrahkan diri, sebagai manusia kita dapat berjuang melanjutkan hidup yang sudah diberikan Tuhan kepada kita.. we have to move on, tapi kali ini, perjalanan yang kita tempuh alangkah indahnya apabila diiringi dengan permintaan yang tulus kepada Sang Pencipta agar selalu diterangi oleh cahaya-Nya.. agar tidak tersesat ke perjalanan yang membawa kita kembali ke kegelapan dan keterpurukan.. karna yang namanya nafsu akan terus menerus digoda oleh setan, sehingga kedamaian dan ketenangan hati begitu mudah terusik..

all we have to do is ask...
and have faith that God will answer through so many ways..

another "gue-banget" article... hhehehh..

truly absolutely bored!!!

Fighting Boredom in Workplace

IF THE thought of going back to your boring job had you pulling your hair out with frustration, you're not alone, and bosses need to sit up and take notice. Monotonous jobs with limited opportunities to shine are driving an increasing number of workers to distraction and costing employers dearly in lost productivity, experts say.

Psychologists have given the phenomenon a name – rust-out – to describe those who "waste away, unchallenged and uninspired" at their desks. I

Boredom Boom

Dr Mel Miller, director of Siggins Miller, a Brisbane-based organisational psychology consulting firm, says boredom in the workplace is booming. She says endless meetings, mind-numbing repetition, paperwork and office bureaucracy are largely to blame and could lead to poor performance, decreased job satisfaction, increased absenteeism and even failing health among workers.

Dr Miller said a person's attitude to work can also contribute to their dissatisfaction. "People prone to boredom tend to be less open to new experiences, less sociable, less agreeable, less organised and more willing to manipulate others," she said.

Over-Qualified Worker

Organisational psychologist Dr Cameron Newton, a senior researcher with the Queensland University of Technology, said many bored workers were university graduates over-qualified for their mundane jobs. "There might be a number of reasons people are working in jobs they're over-qualified for, including the fact that it might suit their lifestyle.

"But skill under-utilisation is something that will lead to job dissatisfaction and more perceptions of boredom," he said. The degree to which a person is suited to the job they are doing is also a contributing factor. "If you fit in with a company and issues arise, you're more likely to view them as challenges, whereas if you're not fitting in and something happens it's likely to make you stressed and unhappy, (and) it's well documented that stress is costly for businesses," Dr Newton said.

Experts say many workers are fed up with meetings and dealing with the bureaucracy of new working practices.

More Responsibility

Siggins Miller senior consultant Summer Armstrong suggested workplaces implement "boredom busting" practices. Ms Armstrong said the focus should be on creating less controlling environments, where staff were free to organise their own schedules and take breaks when they want.

"Allowing less experienced staff to step up to project management roles in areas of their interest and competence can help ensure new graduates are not de-skilled by rigid hierarchical structures and bureaucratic processes," she said. "Creating hierarchies of competence rather than just relying on seniority is important in the retention of highly qualified young workers."

Avoid Burnout 

Ms Armstrong said creating the right balance between happy workers and productivity required some effort and acknowledged that many people simply suffered from an information-overload which created "professional burnouts". "Professional burnout can be the result of either too much or too little stimulation in the workplace," she said.

"In a time of relatively high employment and keen competition for staff, if organisations want to attract and retain the best staff they have to be mindful of both extremes. "An optimal level of challenge, neither too high nor too low, is required for a job to engage attention."

Encourage Teamwork

Dr Newton recommends fostering a "team player" attitude among staff. "Being part of a team can help, especially if teams are created with a variety of different roles for people and you can spin the jobs around and give people a go at different roles," he said. "It will get them using different skills and keep them challenged."

Retain, Don't Retrench

Dr Newton said the early 1990s saw several of Australia's major banking and transport companies "turf hundreds of idle employees". "And in the '80s it was all about clearing out the dead wood," he said. "That's not the approach I would recommend. Employers should provide training for staff and work to keep people stimulated. By cutting out the dead wood you lose all of this organisational knowledge."

Dr Newton encouraged people returning to work after holidays to set goals for the professional year. "Set goals that will make it exciting for you to be at work, or more satisfying. Prepare a plan of attack so you don't get bored."

Source:
http://www.news.com.au/business/story/0,23636,23017858-5012428,00.html

i'll go straight to the point here..  the reason behind today's writing is cancer.. my boss just informed us couple days ago, that he might be having this virus lung cancer.. we don't know that for sure yet, could be it's just a tumor.. but we're all shocked.. because he never have any health problems before, and he owned a drug store! so he must be very healthy and familiar with medicine.. although he does love to smoke a pack of "234 Dji Sam Soe" a day.. which could contribute to his health also.. i don't know what cause him his illness.. all i know is that he taught us a very important lesson about life..

when sickness stopped by.. don't think.. you will never cure yourself if all you do is think about your sickness.. you must solve it.. you must go quickly to find the cure for your illness, don't get paranoid, don't get drowned in it.. get up and do something!!! even though keeping the flame of your spirit is a difficult thing to do when you're recently justified to get an illness..

the same also applies to other problems beside illness.. we tend to get drowned in thinking about our problems.. we waste too much time in finding the cause.. finding who to blame.. which does not do any good for us at all! it will be far more better to concentrate on moving on, on not getting drowned.. no matter how much we enjoy being drowned and desperate..

so..? ready to start again... ? 'cos even after the darkest night, you'll find the sun shining brightly in the morning..

5 Signs You Desperatetly Need a Hit of Happiness

If you’re thinking Omigod, that’s so me after reading any of these statements, you may be issue-matic.

1. The sight of a kissy-feely couple makes you physically ill.

2. The only time you’re in touch with Mother Nature is when you’re walking to your car.

3. When a coworker asks “Is somebody having a bad day?” you actually growl.

4. Your boyfriend gave you a new sweat suit for your birthday.

5. You blow off your girlfriends because you’re too busy… doing a whole lot of nothing.

source: http://www.cosmopolitan.com/you/advice/shortcuts-to-a-happy-life-6

there are ways to get happy, though.. whether it's to go out with friends or if you're not the "going-out" type, you can stay at home doing things you like. Both ways keep me off the insanity temptations, and I still don't understand why so many people always find it so damn difficult to be happy on their own...?? but I was feeling that way, once.. being alone is so frustrating, especially on weekends.. I went crazy if it's Saturday and I am stuck at home, alone and so busy of doing absolutely nothing.. Friends and the free-air kept me alive, i use to think that it's pretty depressive to stay at home.. hehe..

Why do people keep spending a lot of money to stay stress-free? such as went shopping for items they don't need, hanging out at some expensive place just get drunk and closer to stupidity.. while so many people always try to avoid their home, I can easily find my tranquilty just by staying there!

I don't always just stay there the whole weekend, though. I went out to shopping malls for groceries, and of course most importantly DVD hunting.. Sometimes do a bit sport activities, also tried several new places... but that stuff did not make me sick of staying home when I had no other alternatives.. Getting the house in its totally clean & neat condition, and then getting myself on that condition, and just sitting tight in front of my TV watch the DVDs I bpught, or put a pair of my walkman earphones and read books.. give me all the peacefulness i need.. or is it true that happiness is in us? in our head.. and not in the external things..?

gw ngga bisa keluar dari kamar ini???!!!! gw cuman nemu 9 item dari 13 yang ada.
http://www.fasco-csc.com/works/crimson/crimson_e.php

pesen dari e-mail yg gw dapet..
This is a very challenging game!! hope you are also challenged with this game as much as I did!! I will give one clue to those whose IE browser are blocked:

Clue::: Takagism since 1994

Try to Get Out of the room by finding 13 hidden items inside the room.
Your IQ will be measured according to the number of items you find:

0-6 - VERY Low
6-8 - Low
9-10 - Average
11-12 - Above Average
13 - A genius! You belong to less than 4,000 people in the world to got out of the room!
Here's a Clue: The 13th item is a screw driver...

gara-gara Enggar Wardoyo!!! hahahahaaa.....

FEBRIANI PRATIWI
F	Fantastic
E	Exotic
B	Bold
R	Randy
I	Influential
A	Appealing
N	Naughty
I	Influential
P	Proud
R	Relaxed
A	Angry
T	Trustworthy
I	Innocent
W	Worldly
I	Inventive
Get Your Own Name Acronym

1.) What's worse: a one night stand or a bad relationship?
= bad relationship.. one night stand just happen once, but bad relationship stays forver.. so the pain has to be stronger... heheheh....

2.) Is it easier to forgive or forget?
= to forget.. secara gw cepet amnesia.. gituu..

3.) Can men and women be just friends?
= pasti bisa!!!

4.) All expenses paid vacation to where?
= Venice... and.... naik haji?

5.) On the way to the electric chair whats your last meal?
= mana bisa makan.. wess dag dig dug...

6.) Is flirting cheating?
= eye cheating, i guess.. hah..

7.) Would you rather have 1 great friend or 5 pals?
= 5 great friends.. :)

8.) If someone called you an asshole would you be offended?
= depends... if I did something bad, i deserve being called "worse than an asshole"

9 .) Are you ok with your significant other being friends with other guys/girls?
= yup... emang 'nape sih.. friends can remain to be friends...

10.) Would you live with someone without being married to them?
= nope... males banget?! menyusahkan diri sendiri aja...

11.) Favorite sports?
= sport to do : renang.. sport to watch : MotoGP

12.) Is toilet paper hung over or under?
= definitely under

13.) Do you squeeze toothpaste from the middle or the end?
= from the end.. and i HATE people who squeeze from the middle..

14.) Do you believe in angels?
= yup.. i'm one of them kan?? **huuuwwwwwkkkk.....

15.) Have you ever flirted with someone?
= wah wah... NO...                             (not anymore)... wkwkwkkwk....

16.) Ever kissed a random person and then walked away?
= why kiss randomly when you have lips that's all yours??

17.) Is it ever ok to ask out your friend's ex(s)??
= ya ya... tidak apa-apa.. asal bener2 udah EX..

18.) If you could play any sport?
= balap mobil.. he he he.. or bungy jumping..

19.) Ever broke up with someone and regret it?
= yup.. pasti semua juga pernah kan... ngaku!!

20.) Are you a jealous person?
= Nope...

21.) Would you ever have plastic surgery?
= Nope... I love God's creation in me..

22.) Has Chuck Norris ever come to your house?
= yup.. through the television, i guess..

23.) Are you a beach, country or city person?
= definitely city.. tapi harus ada beach & country nearby.. for my escape!

24.) Where do you spend most of your money?
= perut?

25.) Have you and your friends ever got a piercing at a piercing party?
= yep...

26.) Would you ever attend a piercing party if asked?
= asal ngga harus ikutan di pierce.. why not

27.) Can you change a car tire?
= ngga bisa.. ngga ada bakat kesono hehe..

28.) Would you consider yourself adventurous?
= yaaaaa banget!!

29.) Can you shoot pool?
= pernah.. tapi udah lupa..

30.) Would you sing karaoke in front Of co-workers/friends?
= sering sekaliiiiii...................!!!

31.) Ever skipped school and spent the day at the beach?
= skip school & spent the day at my friend's house watchin basic instinct.. hahahahahaa...

32.) Single or ready to settle down?
= no longer single.. and already settle down...

33.) Have you ever sat and hoped for a phone call?
= 'dooooohh... how pathetic!!  (yup, pernah... hahahahahaha)

34.) Who's most important person in your life?
= right now? hmmmm.... my mom...