Friday, March 30, 2007

#314 - AI & TAR (One last Entry b4 Mudik)

ENGLISH

Tomorrow I'm going back to Yogyakarta!! So, probably this is my last entry before "mudik", he3.... :)

Btw, yesterday I watched the American Idol top 10 week. All 10 remaining contestants sang 10 different songs under the coach, Gwen Stephanie. For me: Lakisha (9), Chris Sligh (6), Gina Glocksen (8), Sanjaya Malakar (3), Haley Scarnato (6), Phil Stacey (6.5), Melinda Doolittle (9), Blake Lewis (8), Jordin Sparks (9), and Chris Richardson (7.5). So, my top three: Lakisha, Melinda, and Jordin. My bottom three: Haley, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya Malakar.

The real bottom three : Phil Stacey, Haley Scarnato, Chris Sligh.
Eliminated : Chris Sligh

What I really hate is that the fact that Sanjaya was NOT even in the bottom three!! What kind of performance he showed this week?? That was so awful. Even Simon didn't know what to say. He just said: "You are like in your own universe with your own fans, so Good Luck". Implicitly, he wanted to say that whatever he said about him (which I'm sure it's not gonna sound nice for Sanjaya) it would bring no effect for Sanjaya's placing. He (seemed to) have already given up with that....

Btw, I'm so relieved when Ryan said (in the bottom two, the moment of truth): "Haley, you are safe", he3... :) And twas so funny (before Chris Sligh was called to walk to the center of the stage to stand as the bottom three, and Haley Scarnato and Phil Stacey already stood there) when Ryan said: "Who will be joining Phil and Stacy??" Wakakakakaka.... lol

Btw, this week on The Amazing Race All-Stars, all teams left Maputo Mozambique, to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Charla&Mirna were genius to take the risk to go to Johannesburg first, while the other teams played safe by waiting at Maputo Airport. As a result, that gave Charla and Mirna about 5 hours lead!! But, the "equalizer" at Zanzibar made them neck to neck with Oswald&Danny. It was all about catching plane and the difference between teams was just soo long. The final placing: Charla and Mirna (1), Oswald&Danny (2), Uchenna and Joyce (3), Dustin and Kandice (4), Eric and Danielle (5), Joe&Bill (6), and Teri and Ian (7 >> ELIMINATED. I never like Teri&Ian, so, I dun care with their elimination. Ian always tried to play smart, but some things he did were not smart, ha3... :D).

::: Bottom three this week

BAHASA INDONESIA

Besok aku akan balik ke Yogyakarta!! Jadi, ya kemungkinan besar ini adalah postingan terakhirku sebelum "mudik:, he3.... :)

Btw, kemarin aku nonton American Idol minggu 10 besar. Semua 10 kontestan yg tersisa nyanyiin 10 lagi yang berbeda di bawah pelatih Gwen Stephanie. Untuk aku: Lakisha (9), Chris Sligh (6), Gina Glocksen (8), Sanjaya Malakar (3), Haley Scarnato (6), Phil Stacey (6.5), Melinda Doolittle (9), Blake Lewis (8), Jordin Sparks (9), dan Chris Richardson (7.5). Jadi, tiga teratasku: Lakisha, Melinda, and Jordin. Tiga terbawahku: Haley, Chris Sligh, Sanjaya Malakar.

Tiga terbawah yang beneran: Phil Stacey, Haley Scarnato, Chris Sligh.
Tereliminasi : Chris Sligh

Yang aku bener2 benci adalah kenyataan bahwa Sanjaya Malakar bahkan NGGAK masuk tiga terbawah!! Penampilan macam apa yang dia tunjukin minggu ini?? Jelek buanget. Bahkan Simon jg gatau mesti komentar apa. Dia ngomong: "Kamu itu seperti di duniamu sendiri dengan fansmu sendiri, jadi Semoga Berhasil". Secara implisit, dia mau ngomong bahwa apapun yg dia katakan tentang dia (yang aku yakin nggak akan kedengaran enak buat Sanjaya) nggak akan membawa efek apa-apa untuk posisi Sanjaya. Dia (kayaknya) udah menyerah dengan hal itu....

Btw, aku lega loh waktu Ryan ngomong (di 2 terbawah, waktu kebenaran): "Haley, kamu aman", he3... :) Dan lucu banget (sebelum Chris Sligh dipanggil untuk jalan ke panggung untuk berdiri sebagai tiga terbawah, dan Haley Scarnato dan Phil Stacey udah berdiri disana) ketika Ryan ngomong: "Siapa yang akan bergabung dengan Phil dan Stacy??" Wakakakakaka.... lol

Btw, minggu ini di The Amazing Race All-Stars, semua tim meninggalkan Maputo Mozambik dan pergi ke Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Charla&Mirna jenius dengan mengambil resiko pergi ke Johannesburg dulu, sementara tim yang lain main aman dengan menunggu di Airport Maputo. Sebagai hasilnya, Charla&Mirna mendapat waktu 5 jam memimpin!! Tapi "equalizer"nya membuat mereka agak ketat dengan Oswald&Danny. Kemarin adalah semua tentang pemilihan pesawat dan perbedaan antara tim tuh panjang banget. Urutan akhirnya: Charla and Mirna (1), Oswald&Danny (2), Uchenna and Joyce (3), Dustin&Kandice (4), Eric and Danielle (5), Joe&Bill (6), dan Teri and Ian (7 >> TERELIMINASI. Aku nggak pernah suka Teri and Ian. Ian selalu mencoba bermain pintar, tapi beberapa hal yang dia lakukan nggak pintar, ha3... :D).

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

#313 - Wednesday

ENGLISH

Today was an ordinary lecture-day for me. My first lecture today started at 9 AM (but I was late and arrived at 9.10 AM, ha3... :D). Well, after UTS, the matery was not getting any easier, in fact, it becomes harder... :( I think I really have to work harder this semester...

At 10.30 AM, the lecture finished, and my friends and I had lunch at one canteen in our campus. At 11.30 AM, we finished having lunch and we had no idea what to do next since the next lecture would be at 3 PM. So, at about 12 PM we went to my boarding house and made what we are supposed to do as Komat's officials, he3... :) But at 1 PM, we then played cards, wakakakaka.... lol. >> Fast Forward >> At 3 PM, we went to our campus to have our next lecture.

At 4.30 PM, our lecture finished, and I went back to my boarding house. After having dinner and watching the first three performances in American Idol (Lakisha Jones, Chris Sligh, and Gina Glocksen), I left my boarding house to go to Bandung Railway Station. Unfortunately, otw there, I got a flat-tire!!! Arrrggghhhhh.... . That really sucks!! Okay, so I pulled over and got help from one kind guy. After 30 minutes, it was all fixed (I felt so relieved). Btw, Lakisha Jones sang "Last Dance" really really great, so far a lot better than Brenna Gethers who sang that song last year and was eliminated in the top 20 after singing that song, ha3... :) Btw, Gina Glocksen also did very very well, that was her best performance, and for me, twas kinda a bit neck to neck with Lakisha's performance, or even better!!

I then went to Bandung Railway Station to reserve my mudik ticket next Saturday, he3... :) I'm catching Argo Wilis Express again. Well, train is getting slower rite now. According to the schedule, my train will depart at 7 AM and arrive at 2.20 PM. My last trip catching Argo Wilis Express last January, on schedule, it departed at 7 AM and was supposed to arrive at 1.22 PM. Hmmmmm....

::: Flat-tire

BAHASA INDONESIA

Hari ini adalah hari kuliah yang biasa untuk saya. Kuliah pertamaku hari ini dimulai jam 9 pagi (tapi aku si datengnya telat, jam 9.10 pagi, ha3... :D). Hmm, habis UTS, materinya ternyata nggak tambah gampang loh, kebalikannya, malah tambah susah... :( Memang ni harus kerja lebih keras semester ini...

Jam 10.30 pagi, kuliahnya selesai, dan temen2ku dan aku makan siang dulu di sebuah kantin di kampus. Jam 11.30 pagi, makan siangnya selesai dan kita nggak tau mau ngapain soale kuliah berikutnya tuh baru jam 3 sore. Jadi, jam 12an gitu akhirnya kita ke kosku deh mengerjakan hal yang seharusnya dikerjakan oleh panitia Komat, ha3... :) Tapi jam 1 siang akhirnya malah main kartu deh, wakakakaka.... lol. >> Fast Forward >> Jam 3 sore, kita ke kampus buat kuliah.

Jam 4.30 sore kuliah selesai, dan aku balik deh ke kosku. Habis makan malam dan nonton 3 penampilan pertama di American Idol (Lakisha Jones, Chris Sligh, dan Gina Glocksen), aku meninggalkan kosku dan mau ke Stasiun Kereta Api Bandung. Malangnya, otw kesana, ban mobilku bocor!!! Arrrggghhhhh.... . Menyebalkan sekali!! Oke deh, akhirnya aku menepi dan ditolong sama orang baik. Habis 30 menit, semuanya selesai (aku lega sekali). Btw, Lakisha Jones nyanyi "Last Dance" bagus tu, sangat jauh sekali lebih bagus daripada Brenna Gethers tahun lalu yang tereliminasi di 20 besar habis nyanyi tu lagu, ha3... :) Btw, Gina Glocksen juga bagus banget loh, yg ini adalah penampilan terbaiknya, dan untuk aku, malah agak ketat sama penampilannya Lakisha, atau malah lebih bagus!!

Aku trus pergi ke Stasiun Kereta Api Bandung untuk pesen tiket mudik besok Sabtu, he3... :) Aku bakal naik Kereta Api Argo Wilis lagi. Hmm, kereta sekarang tambah lamban ya. Berdasarkan jadwal, keretaku akan berangkat jam 7 pagi dan sampe jam 2.20 siang. Padahal, terakhir kali aku naik kereta Januari kemarin, Argo Wilis berangkat jam 7 pagi dan di jadwal seharusnya sampe jam 1.22 siang. Hmmmmm....

Monday, March 26, 2007

#312 - UTS is officially OVER!!

ENGLISH

Finally this morning, officially my UTS week is over!! Yaaay!!! I had my last examed subject this morning, Macro Economics at 8 AM and finished at 9.30 AM. Well, learning from my previous quiz and first semester UAS (Micro Economics), this time I brought a calculator. Even though my lecturer didn't say anything about the allowance of using calculator during examination time, but I thought there was nothing wrong in bringing it. And yea, it was allowed to use calculator this morning, he3... :)

Arrrggghhh, tomorrow will be an ordinary lecture-day again, and what sucks from tomorrow is Tuesday!! The most exhausting day for me of the week which starts at 7 AM!! Arrggghhh... . Today is my last day of UTS and tomorrow I must go back to ordinary lecture-day?? :(

Btw, finally this afternoon I finished watching 24 season 1. Well, the end was soo unpredictable!! However in the last two or three episodes, actually Nina behaved kinda differently which was supposed to be the "sign" of something. And yea, she was the second (and main) mole on CTU. That was interesting since that means Jack Bauer was "fooled" twice, by trusting Nina Myers and Jamey Farrell. However, I guess this is why Walsh thought Jamey was clean, since he was sure, Nina was the mole, and not considering the possibility of the existence of 2 or more moles. For me, the first season of 24 is a great show to watch, but the ending actually could have been better, he3... :) For me, the ending was not so satisfying (well, I don't mean happy ending or what, but it's just not so "ending", ha3... :D Probably that was because the whole story only took 24 hours).

BAHASA INDONESIA

Akhirnya pagi ini, secara resmu minggu UTS selesai!! Yaaay!!! Aku ujian yang terakhir nih pagi ini, Ekonomi Makro jam 8 pagi sampe jam 9.30 pagi. Hmm, belajar dari kuis sebelumnya dan UAS semester pertama (Ekonomi Mikro), kali ini aku membawa kalkulator. Walaupun dosenku ga ngomong apa2 tentang izin membawa kalkulator, aku pikir sih ga ada salahnya kan bawa kalkulator. Dan bener aja, ternyata boleh pake kalkulator, he3... :)

Arrrggghhh, besok sudah akan menjadi haru kuliah yang biasa lagi, dan yang menyebalkan dari besok adalah Selasa!! Hari paling melelahkan untuk aku dari seminggu yang dimulai jam 7 pagi!! Arrggghhh... . Hari ini aku baru aja menyelesaikan hari terakhir dari UTS-ku dan besok harus balik ke hari kuliah yang biasa lagi?? :(

Btw, akhirnya siang ini aku selesai nonton 24 musim 1 loh. Hmm, akhirnya bener2 ga bisa ditebak!! Tetapi, di dua atau tiga episode terakhir, memang sih Nina berlaku agak berbeda dan ini pasti "berarti" sesuatu kan. Dan ya, dia adalah mata-mata yang kedua (dan utama) di CTU. Itu agak menarik soale itu berarti Jack Bauer "dibodohi" 2 kali dengan mempercayai Nina Myers dan Jamey Farrell. Tapi, aku rasa inilah alasan kenapa koq Walsh percaya Jamey bersih, soale dia yakin Nina adalah mata-matanya tanpa mempertimbangkan kemungkinan keberadaan 2 atau lebih mata-mata. Untuk aku, musim pertama dari 24 adalah show yang bagus untuk ditonton, tapi endingnya harusnya bisa lebih baik tuh, he3... :) Untuk aku, endingnya nggak gitu memuaskan deh (hmm, aku nggak bermaksud harus happy ending ato gimana, cuma yang ini tuh nggak begitu "ending", ha3... :D Mungkin itu karena memang ceritanya yang cuma 24 jam kali ya).

Saturday, March 24, 2007

#311 - 24 season 1

ENGLISH

This following took place between 9 PM and 3 AM last night.

Well, as you could read at this entry, last week I bought all the DVDs of 24 (all complete 5 seasons). The seller already told me that 24 is addictive, and I do trust it, he3... :) Well, last Thursday when I watched the second episode of 24 (season 4) at AXN, I almost played my DVD since I was so curious to watch the next episode. But since the next day (Friday) I'm gonna have a Komat meeting and an UTS test, so I strengthened myself not to watch it. And I made it, he3... :)

Last night, well, since today is my free-day (Saturday, no exam!! Whatta day!! He3... :D), I watched the first season of 24. When I got back to my boarding house at 8.30 PM and did what I had to do every evening (filling my "Daily Expenses Book" for yesterday, listing all clothes that I put to laundry, etc...), I watched it (at about 9 AM).

And it was cool!! In one disc, there were 4 episodes (about 45 mins each). At about 12 AM, I finished watching its first disc. Well, the case was not really as cool as the case in season 4 (since according to my friend the first season was made before 911) but it's still great!! The seller was right, it was so addictive, ha3... :) I only "took a break" once at 11 PM when I went to my friend's room to ask for the newspaper yesterday and read it for about 15 mins (well, apparently there was no single airline in Indonesia who was classified in the 'first rank' (very good maintenance and safety, even Garuda Indonesia was in the 'second rank' >> Ooopss, so OOT, ha3... :D).

At 12 AM, I continued watching the second disc (episode 5 till 8). Each episode, it became more interesting and addictive!! He3... :) Jack Bauer was so cool!! :D At first I thought Tony was the 'insider', but then I thought it was too easy to guess, but who else?? And yea, the insider was not Tony but Jamey. (well, I never thought Jamey was the 'insider' since Walsh trusted her, but there must be a reason why Jamey was so trusted rite?? And now I haven't watched that point which explained it yet). One good part of 24 is that it also involves 'heart', just like when Nina was so upset since Jack Bauer thought she was the 'insider'. Nina was illustrated as a tough woman who worked in CTU but yet, she was still 'conquered' by her feeling (for a while). For me, that's one good point... :) >> because that's so real, isn't it??

At 3 AM, I finished my second disc. Well, I was so curious to watch the next episode, but it had already been 3 AM!! If I continued, what time would I get up this morning?? Plus, I had also felt so sleepy. 2 versus 1, 2 won. I then paused watching it and took a bed, he3... :) Tonight, my plan is to continue watching the third and fourth CD, he3... :D

::: quick update ::: (Sun, 25th March 2007; 11.45 AM)

Last night I watched the third and fourth discs of 24 season 1. Well, each episode it was getting more and more addictive!!! The whole story went more intense and exciting!!! :) :) Well, apparently Jamey was only being "used", and the person who used Jamey was also being "used" by the brain of the whole things who wanted to do a revenge to Jack Bauer and David Palmer!! Btw, I thought Kim was dead in the car accident (whatta pity!!), lucky she was not!! He3... :D
Btw, last night I stayed awake until 3 AM again. I actually wanted to cintinue watching, but I just didn't want to get up so late, so I canceled it, ha3.. :)

::: 24 season 1

BAHASA INDONESIA

Yang berikut ini terjadi di antara pukul 9 malam dan 3 dini hari semalam.

Hmm, seperti yang bisa dibaca pada postingan ini, minggu lalu aku beli semua DVDnya 24 (semua 5 season loh). Penjualnya udah bilang ke aku kalo 24 itu bikin ketagihan, dan aku percaya koq, he3... :) Hmm, kemarin Kamis waktu aku nonton episode kedua dari 24 (musim ke-4) di AXN, aku hampir memainkan DVDku loh soale penasaran banget sama kelanjutannya. Tapi karena keesokan harinya (Jumat) aku akan ada pertemuan Komat dan akan ada ujian UTS, jadi aku menguatkan diriku untuk nggak nonton. Dan aku berhasil, he3... :)

Semalem, hmm, karena hari ini adalah hari libur saya (Sabtu, nggak ada ujian lagi!! Bener2 sebuah hari!! He3... :D), aku nonton musim pertama dari 24. Waktu aku balik ke kos jam 8.30 malem dan melakukan apa yang harus aku lakuin (mengisi "Buku Pengeluaran Harian, nulis semua pakaian yang masuk laundry, dll...), aku nonton deh (sekitar jam 9an la).

Dan ternyata keren ya!! Dalam satu disk, ada 4 episode (masing2 sekitar 45 menit-an lah). Sekitar jam 12, aku selesai nonton disk pertama. Hmm, kasusnya nggak sekeren kasus yang ada di musim ke-4 sih (soale menurut temenku, musim pertama kan dibuat sebelum tragedi 911) tapi masih keren koq!! Penjualnya bener, bener-bener bikin ketagihan, ha3... :) Aku cuma "istirahat" sekali jam 11 malem waktu aku ke kamar temenku buat ngambil koran kemarin dan membacanya sekitar 15 menit (wah, ternyata nggak ada satupun maskapai penerbangan di Indonesia yang masuk 'ranking satu' (perawatan dan keamanan yang sangat bagus) loh, dan Garuda Indonesia pun masuk ke 'ranking kedua' >> Ooopss, koq OOT banget, ha3... :D).

Jam 12, aku melanjutkan nonton disk keduanya (episode 5 sampe 8). Tiap episode ternyata makin menarik dan bikin ketagihan ya!! He3... :) Jack Bauer keren tu!! :D Pertama aku kira Tony adalah 'orang dalam'nya, tapi trus aku berpikir kalo itu koq gampang banget si ditebak, tapi sapa lagi coba?? Dan bener aja, orang dalamnya bukan Tony tapi Jamey (aku nggak pernah ngira loh Jamey orang dalemnya soale Walsh kan percaya sama dia, dan pasti ada alasan kenapa koq Jamey bisa dipercayai kaya gitu kan?? Tapi aku blom sampe sana nontonnya). Satu hal yang bagus dari 24 adalah juga melibatkan 'hati', seperti waktu Nina jengkel banget sama Jack Bauer gara-gara dia mengira Nina adalah 'orang dalam'nya. Nina kan diilustrasikan sebagai wanita tangguh yang kerja di CTU tapi tetep aja, masih 'ditaklukan' oleh perasaannya (untuk beberapa saat). Untuk aku, itu satu poin plus... :) >> soale sangat nyata kan??

Jam 3 subuh, aku selesai nonton disk kedua. Hmm, aku penasaran tu nonton episode selanjutnya, tapi kan udah jam 3 pagi!! Kalo aku lanjut, jam brapa aku mau bangun pagi ini?? Plus, aku juga dah ngantuk si. 2 lawan 1, 2 menang deh. Aku trus berhenti nonton dan tidur, he3... :) Malem ini, rencanaku adalah lanjut nonton CD ketiga dan keempat, he3... :D

::: apdet cepet ::: (Minggu, 25 Maret 2007; 11.45 pagi)

Semalem aku nonton disk ketiga dan keempat dari 24 musim pertama. Hmm, tiap episode ternyata menjadi semakin bikin ketagihan loh!!! Ceritanya menjadi makin tegang dan menarik!!! :) :) Hmm, ternyata Jamey cuma "dimanfaatkan" oleh orang, dan orang yang memanfaatkan Jamey juga "dimanfaatkan" oleh otak dari keseluruhan kejadian yang mau balas dendam sama Jack Bauer dan David Palmer!! Btw, aku kira Kim mati tuh di kecelakaan mobil (sayang banget!!), eh untungnya engga!! He3... :D Btw, semalem aku begadang sampe jam 3 lagi. Mau lanjut sih, tapi gajadi, males ntar bangun siang banget, ha3... :)

Friday, March 23, 2007

#310 - AI 6 top 11

ENGLISH

This week, the theme of American Idol was "The British Invasion". All 11 remaining contestants sang 11 British Songs which were popular in the past with Peter Noone and Lulu as their coaches. Here is my scoring (and a lil' review for some contestants)

IDOLS-01 (Haley Scarnato). 8/10. That was her best performance, she really surprised us this week... :) But Simon was right, there was something other than her singing that would be talked more from that performance. What is "the other" thing?? Well, see it yourself, ha3.... :)

IDOLS-02 (Chris Richardson). 7.5/10. That was his best performace, but vocally he was not really great (for me)

IDOLS-03 (Stephanie Edwards). 7/10. I still prefer Nadia Turner's version of that song when Nadia sang it 2 years ago (season 4).

IDOLS-04 (Blake Lewis). 8.5/10. An awesome performance. Modern but didn't mess the song up

IDOLS-05 (LaKisha Jones). 8/10. Great vocal, but really was not her best performance (or even worst)

IDOLS-06 (Phil Stacey). 6.5/10. I just don't really like Phil Stacey. I dunno why, he didn't just click to the show... :(

IDOLS-07 (Jordin Sparks). 9/10. Wow, whatta great performance!! Well, now we not only have 2 great singers (LaKisha and Melinda, but also Jordin).

IDOLS-08 (Sanjaya Malakar). 6.5/10. His best performance so far, but still weaker than others'

IDOLS-09 (Gina Glocksen). 7/10. Not her best performance (for me)

IDOLS-10 (Chris Sligh). 8/10. An interesting performance

IDOLS-11 (Melinda Doolittle). 9/10. Just as usual, she was great up there

Conclusion:
My best three : Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks, and Blake Lewis
My worst three : Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar, and Gina Glocksen/Stephanie Edwards

Fact:
Bottom two: Stephanie Edwards, Chris Richardson
Eliminated: Stephanie Edwards

Well, Stephanie Edwards was actually a great singer. But as I always believed and thought since the beginning of the show, she just won't win the show. She would be eliminated at one point, but honestly, I never thought that "that point" was this quick... :)

::: Bottom two this week

BAHASA INDONESIA

Minggu ini, tema dari American Idol adalah "The British Invasion". Semua 11 kontestan yang tersisa menyanyikan 11 lagu Inggris yang populer di masa lalu dengan Peter Noone dan Lulu berperan sebagai pelatih mereka. Berikut ini penilaianku (dan sedikit reviewnya deh).

IDOLS-01 (Haley Scarnato). 8/10. Itu adalah penampilan terbaiknya, dia benar-benar mengejutkan kita minggu ini... :) Tapi Simon bener juga, ada hal lain di samping nyanyiannya yang akan lebih dibicarakan dari penampilannya tsb. Nah, "hal lain" itu apa? Liat aja sendiri, ha3... :)

IDOLS-02 (Chris Richardson). 7,5/10. Penampilan terbaiknya, tapi secara vokal dia nggak bagus-bagus amat ah menurutku.

IDOLS-03 (Stephanie Edwards). 7/10. Aku masih lebih memilih versinya Nadia Turner waktu Nadia menyanyikannya 2 tahun yang lalu (musim ke-4).

IDOLS-04 (Blake Lewis). 8,5/10. Penampilan yang hebat. Modern tapi nggak merusak lagunya.

IDOLS-05 (LaKisha Jones). 8/10. Vokal yang bagus, tapi bukan penampilan terbaiknya (atau malah mungkin terburuknya)

IDOLS-06 (Phil Stacey). 6,5/10. Aku nggak gitu suka Phil Stacey. Nggak tau kenapa, tapi dia nggak gitu pas deh di show ini... :(

IDOLS-07 (Jordin Sparks). 9/10. Wow, penampilan yang bagus bgt!! Hmm, sekarang kita nggak cuma punya 2 penyanyi yg hebat (LaKisha dan Melinda, tapi juga Jordin).

IDOLS-08 (Sanjaya Malakar). 6,5/10. Penampilan terbaiknya sejauh ini, tetapi masih lebih lemah dari yang lain

IDOLS-09 (Gina Glocksen). 7/10. Bukan penampilan terbaiknya (untuk aku).

IDOLS-10 (Chris Sligh). 8/10. Penampilan yang menarik

IDOLS-11 (Melinda Doolittle). 9/10. Seperti biasa, dia bagus banget disana

Kesimpulan:
Tiga terbaik-ku : Melinda Doolittle, Jordin Sparks, dan Blake Lewis
Tiga terjelek-ku : Phil Stacey, Sanjaya Malakar, dan Gina Glocksen/Stephanie Edwards

Fakta:
Dua terbawah: Stephanie Edwards, Chris Richardson
Tereliminasi: Stephanie Edwards

Hmm, Stephanie Edwards tu sebenernya penyanyi yang bagus loh. Tapi aku selalu percaya dan berpikir sejak awal show ini kalo dia nggak akan memenangkan show ini. Dia akan tereliminasi suatu saat, tapi aku nggak pernah berpikir kalo "saat itu" tuh secepat ini... :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

#309 - My March Trip to Jakarta

ENGLISH

Day 1 (Saturday, 17th March 2007)

I left Bandung at about 4.25 PM (about 10 minutes late because there was a passenger who checked in at the very very last minute (on waiting list)). The weather was not kinda friendly, twas showering. Lucky half-way to Jakarta, the rain stopped and the sky was clear, he3... :)

At 7 PM, I finally arrived at Citraland and I directly went to the 5th floor to Qua-Li. I then met my mum and some people (my parents' partners, some Qua-Li's management personels, some employees, etc). Apparently, there was a problem there with the gas. Therefore at that day, they only could cook noodle and kwee-tiaw... .

Well, unfortunately, that day my dad was food-poisoned. The day before, he ate sea-slug, and we guess that slug brought the poison... :( So, at 8.30 PM, my dad, my cousin, and I left Citraland early and went to the hotel where we stayed. Well, we then ordered "sup buntut" for my dad to eat, but he was too sick and weak so he just slept. Later in the night, I ate the "sup buntut", he3... :D

Day 2 (Sunday, 18th March 2007)

We went to Citraland at 8.30 AM since at 9 AM, there would be a "syukuran" ceremony. At 9.10 AM, we arrived at Citraland and we walked to Qua-Li at the 5th floor. At about 9.20 AM, the "syukuran" started. After some speeches, we then ate the "tumpeng". At 11 AM, the restaurant started to operate. Some invited guests (including my relatives) came. Just like the other ordinary "first day", the employees didn't work as fast and efficient as they were supposed to. At first they were so slow, and as time went by, they worked better and better even though that day they were still not up to par.

At 1.45 PM, I had lunch at Qua-Li, he3... :) We ordered Mayonaisse Lumpia, XO Sauce Snapper, Thailand Sauce Fried Chicken, XO Sauce Stringbean, Ifumie, and Penang Sauce Kweetiaw. At 3.30 PM, my dad came (earlier that day, he took a rest at the hotel since he still didn't feel really good). We then decided to watch a movie at the cinema in Citraland. Well, we chose to watch 300 at 6.15 PM.

At 6.15 PM, we walked to the cinema and watched the movie. 300 was a good movie (well, for me twas not that great, but it's a lot better than some movies I watched recently). Well, I rate it 7.83 out of 10. The graphic was good, the story was okay, but the antagonist characters were not really "strong" in "personality". One of them, the King Xerxes, for me, was not that fit as the bad guy since he had a feminine face. At first I even thought he was a woman (but then I found it weird since he (for sure) didn't have b***s, wakakakakaka.... :D). Overall, it was a good movie to watch... :)

At 8.15 PM the film finished, and I had dinner (once again) at Qua-Li. This time I ordered Mayonaisse Lumpia, Black Pepper Beef, and Hong Kong Fried Noodle... :D At 9.30 PM, we went back to our hotel.

Day 3 (Monday, 19th March 2007)

At 10.30, we went to ITC Mangga Dua. There I bought some clothes and a new wallet (and DVDs). Well, there was a weird, funny, and hilarious thing. When I looked at a pair of sandals that I liked, I asked for the other pair of it (I got the right one and I asked for the left one since I wanted to try it first before I came to my decision). Guess what?? There was NO other pair of it!!! WHAT!?!?!?!? That's SOOOOOO STRANGE!!! I didn't ask for another size, color, model, etc. I just asked for the other pair of the same type, color, model, size of the sandal and twas not there?? Hmmm..... .

At 12.30 PM we left ITC and my dad and I went to a restaurant across our hotel and had lunch there. At 1.30 PM we went back to our hotel and took a rest for a while. At 2.15 PM, I left my hotel and went to Mangga Dua Square where my travel would depart at 2.45 PM. Now I already know the place so I didn't have to be in The Amazing Race again, he3... :D At 2.45 PM my travel departed and I left the city Jakarta.

::: Sup Buntut

::: Citraland, West Jakarta

::: Qua-Li Jakarta

::: Qua-Li Jakarta

::: Qua-Li Jakarta

::: XO Sauce Stringbean (left) and Lumpia Mayonaisse (right)

::: Ifumie (back) and Penang Kweetiaw (front)

::: XO Sauce Snapper

::: Thailand Sauce Fried Chicken

::: Hongkong Fried Noodle (and Lumpia Mayonaisse)

::: Black Pepper Beef

::: 300

BAHASA INDONESIA

Hari 1 (Sabtu, 17 Maret 2007)

Aku meninggalkan Bandung sekitar jam 4.25 sore (sekitar 10 menit telat soale ada penumpang yang check-in nya bener-bener di menit terakhir (soale dia kan ada di waiting list)). Cuacanya ga gitu bersahabat, agak gerimis. Untungnya setengah jalan ke Jakarta, hujannya berhenti dan langit cerah, he3... :)

Jam 7 malem, akhirnya aku sampe di Citraland dan langsung deh pergi ke lantai 5 ke Qua-Li. Aku trus ketemu mamaku sama beberapa orang lain (partnernya ortuku, beberapa orang dari manajemen Qua-Li, dan beberapa karyawan, dll). Ternyata lagi ada masalah dengan gas-nya. Makanya hari itu, mereka cuma bisa masak mie sama kwee-tiaw... .

Hmm, malangnya lagi, hari itu papaku keracunan makanan. Sehari sebelumnya dia makan keong laut, dan kita kira sih tuh keong yang membawa racunnya... :( Jadi, jam 8.30 malem, papaku, koko sepupuku, sama aku balik ke hotel dimana kita menginap. Trus kita memesan "sup buntut" untuk papaku untuk dimakan, tapi kan dia lagi sakit banget dan lemah, makanya dia ya trus tidur. Malamnya akhirnya aku deh yang makan sup buntutnya, he3... :D

Hari 2 (Minggu, 18 Maret 2007)

Kita pergi ke Citraland jam 8.30 pagi soale jam 9 rencananya akan ada pesta "syukuran". Jam 9.10 pagi kita sampe di Citraland dan kita jalan deh ke Qua-Li di lantai 5. Sekitar jam 9.20 pagi, "syukuran"nya dimulai. Habis beberapa pidato, kita trus makan deh "tumpengan"nya. Jam 11 pagi, restorannya mulai beroperasi deh. Beberapa tamu undangan (termasuk beberapa kerabat saya) datang. Seperti "hari pertama" yang lainnya, karyawannya nggak bekerja secepat dan seefisien yang seharusnya. Pertamanya kerjanya masih lambat, tapi seiring berjalannya waktu, kerjaannya makin baik koq, walau hari itu masih belum memuaskan.

Jam 1.45 siangnya, kita makan di Qua-Li, he3... :) Kita pesen Lumpia Mayonaisse, Kakap saus XO, Ayam Goreng Saus Thailand, Buncis Saus XO, Ifumie, dan Kweetiaw Penang. Jam 3.30 sore, papaku dateng (paginya dia istirahat di hotel soale masih blom sehat bener). Trus kita mutusin untuk nonton film aja di Citraland. Hmm, trus kita memilih menonton 300 jam 6.15 sore.

Jam 6.15 sore, kita jalan ke bioskopnya dan nonton filmnya. 300 adalah film yang bagus (hmm, walau nggak super bagus, tapi masih jauh lebih bagus daripada film-film yang aku tonton akhir-akhir ini). Hmm, aku nilai 7,83 deh dari 10. Gambarnya bagus, ceritanya lumayan, tapi tokoh antagonisnya aja yang ga gitu "kuat" dalam "karakternya". Salah satunya, Raja Xerxes, untuk aku, malah ga gitu cocok jadi tokoh antagonis soale mukanya agak feminin. Pertamanya aku kira dia perempuan loh (tapi trus aku menemukannya aneh soale dia (tentu saja) ga punya p******a, wakakakakaka.... :D). Secara keseluruhan, filmnya oke lah... :)

Jam 8.15 sore, filmnya selesai, aku trus makan malem (lagi-lagi) di Qua-Li. Kali ini aku pesen Lumpia Mayonaisse, Sapi Lada Hitam, dan Mie Goreng Hong Kong... :D Jam 9.30 malem kita balik deh ke hotel.

Hari 3 (Senin, 19 Maret 2007)

Jam 10.30, kita pergi ke ITC Mangga Dua. Disana aku beli beberapa pakaian dan sebuah dompet baru (dan DVD sih). Hmm, ada kejadian yang aneh, lucu, dan kocak banget deh disana. Kan waktu aku lagi melihat-lihat sandal yang aku suka, aku minta sandal pasangannya (aku udah megang yang kanan, nah aku trus minta yang kiri untuk dicoba sebelum memutuskan). Tebak gimana?? Ternyata NGGAK ada pasangannya!! APA!?!?!?!? Itu ANEH SEKALIII KAN!!! Aku kan nggak minta ukuran, warna, model, dll yang lain loh. Aku cuma minta pasangan dari sandal yang tipe, warna, model, ukurannya sama dan nggak ada?? Hmmm..... .

Jam 12.30 siang kita meninggalkan ITC dan aku dan papaku pergi ke sebuah restorang di seberang hotel untuk makan siang. Jam 1.30 siang kita balik ke hotel dan istirahat bentar. Jam 2.15 sore aku meninggalkan hotel dan menuju ke Mangga Dua Square dimana travelku akan berangkat jam 2.45 sore. Sekarang kan aku dah tau tempat travelnya dimana, jadi ga harus ikutan The Amazing Race lagi sih, he3... :D Jam 2.45 sore travelku berangkat dan meninggalkan Kota Jakarta.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

#308 - I'm Back!!

ENGLISH

Hi all, finally now I'm back!! Yesterday at about 4.35 PM, my travel arrived at Bandung and ended my trip to Jakarta last weekend. The complete story will be posted soon since I still haven't prepared it yet, he3... :)

Btw, in Jakarta, I bought many DVDs, including all complete seasons (from season 1 till season 5) of 24... :D I actually also wanted to purchase the 6th season, but apparently, it was still not complete yet. Well, the seller warned me that 24 is kinda addictive, so when I watch it, it's likely that I don't wanna sleep and stay awake all night long, ha3... :) Actually my dad at first was a bit unsure to buy and let me bring them first (now all the DVDs are here in Bandung, he3... :D) but I was able to convince him, he3... :D

Btw, last night I watched the 5th episode of TAR All-Stars. All 7 teams left Ushuaia, Argentina and flew to Maputo, Mozambique (via Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, and Johannesburg). The Road-Block was "Who Smells A Rat?". In this Road-Block, Charla&Mirna were the last team to finally finish the task and they were on the last place. But after that, they were able to pass many teams and set to the third place. In Detour, teams had to choose between Pamper (painting nails) or Porter (packing 10 bags of charcoal and delivered one of them to one address). Charla&Mirna and Dustin&Kandice (and also Teri&Ian but they were so lucky since they wanted to do another task but the driver brought them to the wrong place) made a smart decision by choosing Pamper. As a result, the final placing: Charla&Mirna (1 >> WOW!!! That was their first first place in their TAR History (in TAR 5, their best placing was 2nd)), Dustin&Kandice (2), Teri&Ian (3), Oswald&Danny (4), Joe&Bill (5), Eric&Danielle (6), and Uchenna&Joyce (7 >> NOT ELIMINATED since twas a NEL!! :D).

BAHASA INDONESIA

Hallo hallo, akhirnya saya balik nih!! Kemarin jam 4.35 sorean gitu travelku sampai di Bandung dan mengakhiri perjalanan saya ke Jakarta wiken kemarin. Cerita lengkapnya aku posting kemudian ya, soale blom aku siapin juga sih, he3... :)

Btw, di Jakarta aku beli banyak DVD loh, termasuk semua season komplit (dari season 1 sampe season 5) dari 24... :D Sebenere aku mau beli yang season 6 sekalian sih, tapi ternyata, masih blom komplit. Hmm, penjualnya memperingatkan kalo 24 itu agak-agak bikin ketagihan, jadi waktu nonton, kemungkinan besar aku ga bakalan mau tidur dan begadang trus deh samalaman, ha3... :) Sebenere pertamanya papaku sih agak ga yakin untuk beli dan membolehkan aku membawanya pertama (sekarang DVDnya kan ada disini di Bandung, he3... :D) tapi akhirnya aku berhasil meyakinkannya, he3... :D

Btw, semalem aku nonton episode kelima dari TAR All-Stars. Semua 7 tim meninggalkan Ushuaia, Argentina dan terbang menuju Maputo, Mozambik (lewat Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, dan Johannesburg). Road-Blocknya adalah "Who Smells A Rat?". Di Road-Block ini, Charla&Mirna adalah tim terakhir yang menyelesaikan tugas dan mereka sementara berada di posisi terakhir. Tapi habis itu, mereka berhasil menyalip yang lain dan masuk ke posisi ketiga. Di tugas Detour, mereka harus memilih di antara Pamper (mengecat kuku) atau Porter (mengepak 10 karung berisi arang dan mengirim salah satunya ke sebuah alamat). Charla&Mirna dan Dustin&Kandice (dan Teri&Ian tapi mereka beruntung tu, mereka sebenere mau melakukan tugas yang satunya tapi sopirnya membawa mereka ke tempat yang salah) membuat pilihan pintar dengan memilih Pamper. Sebagai hasilnya, posisi akhirnya: Charla&Mirna (1 >> WOW!!! Ini adalah pertama kalinya mereka adalah yang pertama sampai di pitstop dari sejarah TAR mereka (di TAR5, posisi terbaik mereka adalah nomer 2)), Dustin&Kandice (2), Teri&Ian (3), Oswald&Danny (4), Joe and Bill (5), Eric and Danielle (6), dan Uchenna and Joyce (7 >> NGGAK TERELIMINASI soale kan NEL!! :D)

Friday, March 16, 2007

#307 - WeekEnd Plan

ENGLISH

Tomorrow finally is a Saturday!! Well, not like the usual Saturday which is my off-day this semester, tomorrow I'm gonna have another MKU Examination (LOGIC) at 12 PM. But that's okay. The quiz last week really gave me an "insight" about the exam tomorrow and now I know what I should study to prepare myself for the test tomorrow, he3... :)

Btw, next Sunday is 18th March 2007. As I wrote at one previous entry about My Trip to Jakarta last month, Qua-Li Jakarta is gonna start to open next Sunday. THX God, there has been no big things which could cause the delay of the grand-opening and everything has been on schedule. And yes, next Sunday Qua-Li Jakarta starts to open... :)

Because of that, tomorrow afternoon at 4.15 PM I'm gonna leave Bandung and go to Jakarta. Well, actually I really want to go at 3.15 PM, but because the travel has fully booked for that time departure, so I have no other choice than taking the 4.15 PM one. I dunno yet when I'm going back to Bandung, but I think it's gonna be Monday afternoon... :) So, this weekend I can't access the internet and will be hiatus for a while (about 2 days... :D)

Btw, yesterday I watched the first episode of 24 season 4. And arrrggghhhhh, Mrs. Decante has to be responsible of it!! It was SOOOO cool and great!! He3... :) I'm gonna borrow its DVDs after the UTS, and watch it in marathon, ha3... :) Btw, for me, we can't compare 24 and The Amazing Race since they are 2 different TV-Shows. The Amazing Race is a reality show and 24 is not... :) But both are great!! :)



BAHASA INDONESIA

Besok akhirnya adalah Sabtu!! Hmm, nggak seperti Sabtu biasanya dimana merupakan hari libur saya semester ini, besok aku akan ada ujian MKU yang lain (LOGIKA) jam 12 siang. Gapapa sih. Kuis minggu lalu bener-bener memberi aku "gambaran" akan ujian besok dan aku kan jadi tau apa yang harus dipelajari untuk siap-siap ujian besok, he3... :)

Btw, besok Minggu adalah 18 Maret 2007. Seperti yang sudah aku tulis dulu dalam sebuah postingan tentang perjalananku ke Jakarta bulan lalu, Qua-Li Jakarta akan mulai buka besok Minggu. Terima Kasih Tuhan nggak ada halangan yang besar yang bisa menyebabkan mundurnya jadwal pembukaan dan semuanya sesuai dengan rencana. Yupz, besok Minggu Qua-Li Jakarta akan mulai buka... :)

Oleh karenanya, besok siang jam 4.15 sore aku akan meninggalkan Bandung dan pergi ke Jakarta. Hmm, sebenere aku mau pergi jam 3.15 si, tapi berhubung keberangkatan travel yang jam segitu uda penuh dipesan, ya udah deh ga ada pilihan lain selain mengambil yang jam 4.15 sore. Nggak tau si bakal balik kapan, tapi kayaknya sih besok Senin siang deh... :) Jadi, wiken ini aku gabisa mengakses internet dan akan hiatus sebentar (sekitar 2 hari-an lah... :D)

Btw, kemarin aku nonton episode pertama dari 24 musim ke-4. Dan arrrggghhhhh, Mrs. Decante harus bertanggung-jawab!! Acaranya KUEREN dan bagus banget!! He3... :) Aku habis UTS mau minjem DVDnya ah, trus nonton maraton, ha3... :) Btw, untuk aku kita tetep aja gabisa membandingkan 24 dan The Amazing Race soalnya kan mereka adalah 2 acara yang berbeda. The Amazing Race adalah reality show sementara 24 kan bukan... :) Tapi dua-duanya keren dah!! :)

Thursday, March 15, 2007

#306 - Thursday & AI6 top 12

ENGLISH

Note: sorry, I guess yesterday I clicked the "Don't Allow Comments" on my previous entry about Karma... :( I didn't mean that, and I have fixed it and now it's open for commentaries (again)... :)

Finally I have passed 3 subjects in this UTS... :) This morning I had linear programming test and I think I did pretty well. Well, even though my answer was different my my friends' but I kinda confident with it, hmm... . I'll recheck my answer once again later since even though I'm confident but when my answer is different, I just don't feel really good about it... :) Btw, yesterday I didn't study for the test this morning since twas an open-book test... lol.


Btw, this week, I watch the top 12 round of American Idol 2007. The theme this week was "tribute to Diana Ross". All 12 contestants sang Diana Ross' hits, and just as I predicted before, the gals really owned the guys this week. The weakest performer of the gals was Haley Scarnato, but I think she was still stronger than some other performances by the guys.

The best three (for me): Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, and Jordin Sparks
The worst three (for me): Sanjaya Malakar, Brandon Rogers, and Chris Richardson

The bottom three: Brandon Rogers, Phil Stacey, and Sanjaya Malakar.
Who got voted off?? Hmm, actually I don't want to write this info here, but since the info seems to have been spread, so I'll just write it down: Brandon Rogers!!

I dunno why but Sanjaya Malakar seems to have so many fans out there. From his 4 performances since the top 24 round, none of them was even in an 'okay' level, all were not really good (for me). But he is still sticking around there. Hmm, even though it's not really fair for the other contestants (such as Sundace who got voted off last week), but I'm still okay with his presence there as long as none of my most fave singers gets voted off before him... :) Let's wait for his performance next week.

Btw, I still prefer Sanjaya Malakar to Brandon Rogers, he3... :D

::: Bottom three this week

BAHASA INDONESIA

Catatan: sorry, kayake kemarin aku nge-klik "Don't Allow Comments" di entry-ku sebelumnya tentang Karma... :( Aku nggak bermaksud begitu, dan aku sudah membenarkannya dan sekarang bebas deh untuk dikomentari (lagi)... :)

Akhirnya aku sudah melewati 3 mata kuliah di UTS kali ini... :) Pagi ini aku ada tes pemrograman linear dan kayaknya aku mengerjakan dengan baik sih. Hmm, walaupun jawabanku beda sama jawaban temen-temenku, tapi aku lumayan percaya diri deh sama jawabanku, hmmm... . Aku ntar ngecek jawabanku lagi ah soale walaupun aku lumayan pede tapi ya tetep aja ada perasaan gak enak tuh... :) Btw, kemarin aku ga belajar loh buat tes tadi soale kan open book... lol.


Btw, minggu ini, aku nonton babak 12 besar dari American Idol 2007. Tema minggu ini adalah "tribute to Diana Ross". Semua 12 kontestan menyanyikan lagunya Diana Ross dan seperti yang aku prediksikan, kontestan cewe jauh lebih bagus daripada kontestan cowonya. Yang terlemah dari kontestan cewe adalah Haley Scarnato, tapi untuk aku dia masih lebih bagus daripada beberapa kontestan cowo yang lain.

Tiga terbaik (untuk aku): Melinda Doolittle, LaKisha Jones, dan Jordin Sparks
Tiga terjelek (untuk aku): Sanjaya Malakar, Brandon Rogers, dan Chris Richardson

Tiga terbawah: Brandon Rogers, Phil Stacey, dan Sanjaya Malakar.
Siapa yang tereliminasi?? Hmm, sebenernya aku gamau nulis disini sih, tapi karena kayaknya infonya emang dah nyebar, ya udah lah aku tulis aja: Brandon Rogers!!

Gatau kenapa tapi kayake Sanjaya Malakar punya banyak bgt fans yah. Dari 4 penampilannya sejak babak 24 besar, ga ada yang masuk dalam bahkan kategori 'biasa' aja, semuanya nggak bagus (menurutku loh). Tapi dia masih aja bertahan disana. Hmm, walau agak ga adil untuk beberapa kontestan yang lainnya (misale Sundance yg tereliminasi minggu lalu), tapi masi gpp sih asal favoritku ga tereliminasi sebelum dia aja... :) Mari kita tunggu penampilannya minggu depan.

Btw, tapi masih mendingan Sanjaya Malakar si daripada Brandon Rogers, he3... :D

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

#305 - What Goes Around Comes Around (Karma)

ENGLISH

Well, even though the title of this entry is kinda serious and the label is My Lil' Thought, actually this entry was inspired by some (similar) things that happened at many episodes of The Amazing Race.

Take a look at the list below:
- TAR10: Dustin&Kandice yielded Lyn&Karlyn and D&K arrived last at the pitstop, and indirectly caused their elimination the leg after
- TARA: Andy&Laura stole Sandy&Francesca's cab and they got eliminated even if they had been very strong the last few legs
- TARA: Zabrina&Joe-Jer were the nicest team amongst all 10 teams in TARA and they won the season!!
- etc

And two of the most spectacular happened last night at TAR All-Stars episode 4:

Well, as I wrote before, Rob&Amber had been the strongest team, winning consecutively all the first three legs. Well then, last episode they screwed a bit and fell into the 6th or 7th position (of 8) during the race. Charla&Mirna (my most fave team along with Rob&Amber, Dustin&Kandice, and Uchenna&Joyce) were struggling on the back of the pack because they started the leg last and about 2 hrs behind the other teams and as a result were pretty neck to neck with Rob&Amber. Guess what Rob&Amber did to them??
- Rob&Amber stole Charla&Mirna's cab (Charla&Mirna already secured the cab via telephone but otw, Rob&Amber stole it!!)
- Rob&Amber lied to Charla&Mirna and tried to throw them out of the race. They said the clue-box was down the hill (actually twas not)

And guess what?? Charla&Mirna caught up and passed them. After 3 consecutive winning the first three legs, Rob&Amber really fell down to the really back of the pack and got eliminated!!! Hmmmm......

Extra-Note:
- in the previous episode, Charla&Mirna really really saved Joe& Bill's life by telling them the complete clue (Joe&Bill didn't write it completely). If Charla& Mirna hadn't met and helped them, well, obviously Joe&Bill would have been the third team to get eliminated instead of David and Mary. But then, Joe&Bill left Charla & Mirna behind. I guess they would "pay" for it later... :)

Well, from many things that happened, do I believe that "karma" is real?? Hmmm, I don't really know, but the fact is that if we do something good to others even when we are on the competition atmosphere (as long as it's not dirty), I guess we will also get the pay back. Well, even though probably I don't trust it 100%, but I guess (unconsciously) I also "do" that on my daily life... :)

::: David&Mary (left) and Rob&Amber (right), the third and fourth team to be eliminated

BAHASA INDONESIA

Hmm, walaupun judul dari postingan kali ini kayaknya serius dan labelnya adalah My Lil' Thought, sebenernya postingan ini terinspirasi oleh beberapa hal (yang mirip) yang terjadi di banyak episode di The Amazing Race loh.

Lihat daftar singkat berikut ini:
- TAR10: Dustin&Kandice menge-yield Lyn&Karlyn dan D&K sampai di pitstop terakhir, yang secara nggak langsung menyebabkan tereliminasinya mereka satu babak selanjutnya
- TARA: Andy&Laura mencuri taksinya Sandy&Francesca dan akhirnya mereka tereliminasi walau mereka tuh sebenernya kuat pada beberapa babak terakhir
- TARA: Zabrina&Joe-Jer adalah tim yang paling baik hati dari 10 tim di TARA dan mereka memenangkan musimnya!!
- dll

Dan dua yang paling spektakuler menurutku terjadi semalem di TAR All-Stars episode ke4:

Hmm, seperti yang udah aku tulis sebelumnya, Rob&Amber sudah menjadi tim terkuat, memenangkan secara berturut-turut tiga babak pertama. Kemudian, episode terakhir ini mereka agak kacau sedikit dan akibatnya jatuh ke posisi sekitar 6 atau 7 (dari 8) selama pertandingan. Charla&Mirna (tim favorit saya bersama dengan Rob&Amber, Dustin&Kandice, dan Uchenna&Joyce) berjuang keras di posisi terakhir soalnya mereka memulai babaknya paling terakhir dan sekitar 2 jam di belakang tim-tim yang lainnya dan akibatnya persaingannya lumayan ketat dengan Rob&Amber. Tebak apa yang Rob&Amber lakukan kepada mereka??
- Rob&Amber mencuri taksinya Charla&Mirna (Charla&Mirna udah mesen taksi lewat telepon, tapi dalam perjalan Rob&Amber mencuri taksinya)
- Rob&Amber berbohong ke Charla&Mirna dan mencoba mengeluarkan mereka dari pertandingan. Mereka ngomong kotak petunjuknya ada di bawah bukit padahal engga

Dan tebak gimana?? Charla&Mirna mampu mengejar dan menyalip mereka. Setelah 3 kali berturut-turut memenangkan 3 pertandingan pertama, Rob&Amber beneran jatuh banget ke posisi paling belakang dan tereliminasi!!! Hmmmm......

Catatan Tambahan:
- di episode sebelumnya, Charla&Mirna bener-bener menyelamatkan nyawa Joe and Bill dengan memberi tahu mereka petunjuk yang utuh (Joe&Bill nggak mencatat petunjuk dengan utuh). Kalau Charla&Mirna nggak ketemu mereka dan nggak ngasi tau mereka, jelas banget tuh kalo Joe&Bill pasti sudah jadi tim ketiga yang tereliminasi dan bukan David and Mary. Tapi kemudian, Joe&Bill meninggalkan Charla&Mirna. Hmm, menurutku mereka akan "membayarnya" kemudian... :)

Hmm, dari banyak hal yang terjadi, apa aku percaya akan keberadaan "karma"?? Hmm, nggak tahu saya, tapi kenyataannya kalau kita melakukan hal yang baik ke orang lain walaupun dalam suasana kompetisi (sejauh nggak kotor lho yaa), aku rasa kita juga akan mendapat bayarannya. Hmm, walaupun aku juga nggak mempercayainya 100%, tetapi aku rasa (secara nggak sadar) aku juga "melakukannya" dalam kehidupan sehari-hari... :)

Monday, March 12, 2007

#304 - First Day of UTS

ENGLISH

Hhhh, this morning I had the test of my first subject, Second Calculus. So, yesterday I made some plans again in preparing myself for the exam. I planned to get back home at 8 PM, and yes, I did it. Then, my friends came and we studied together. BUT, at 9.15 PM, we then played cards (instead of studying, wakakakakakaka.... :D). At 10 PM, my friends went back home and I continued my study. At 11 PM, I watched the last rerun of TAR All-Stars, he3... :) At 12 AM, I planned to sleep, but the problem was that I DIDN'T FEEL SLEEPY!!! Arrrggghhhh.... . At around 1.15 AM finally I could sleep.

At 6.30 AM this morning my alarm woke me up, and I still felt really sleepy... :( So, finally at 6.50 AM I got up. I then took a shower and had breakfast (4 pieces of donuts which I bought yesterday). Then, I went to my campus

At 8 AM, the test started. And arrrrgggghhhhh.... . The 4 questions were hard... :( Well, the main process was not that hard actually, but the calculating process was just very very hard and confusing since we were not allowed to use calculator. And that was my major problem in solving the questions this morning. Imagine this: we had to count arc sin (16/square root 377) without calculator!! Before that, we had to do some integrations and implicit derivatives to come to the form arc sin (16/sqrt377), arrrggghhh.... :( :( Well, I'm now hoping the scoring is not based on the last result, but more focus on the way we solved the questions (process)... :)

Btw, actually this afternoon we planned to watch a movie, but since there was no interesting movie in a fit time-slot, so we canceled it... :)

Yaay, finally tomorrow I'm free!!! :(

BAHASA INDONESIA

Hhhh, pagi ini aku ada tes untuk mata kuliah pertama saya, Kalkulus Dia. Jadi, kemarin aku membuat beberapa rencana untuk mempersiapkan diri menghadapi ujian. Aku rencana balik ke kos jam 8 malem, dan iya, aku melakukannya. Trus temenku dateng dan kita belajar bareng deh. TAPI, kemudian jam 9.15 malem kita malah main kartu (di samping belajar, wakakakakakaka.... :D). Jam 10 malem, temenku balik dan aku ngelanjutin belajar deh. Jam 11 malem, aku nonton rerun terakhir dari TAR All-Stars, he3... :) Jam 12 aku rencana mau tidur, tapi masalahnya adalah AKU NGGAK MERASA NGANTUK!!! Arrrggghhhh.... . Sekitar jam 1.15 pagi akhirnya bisa tidur deh saya

Jam 6.30 pagi ini alarm membangunkan aku, dan aku masi ngantuk... :( Jadi, akhirnya jam 6.50 pagi aku beneran bangun. Aku trus mandi dan makan pagi deh (4 biji donat yang aku beli kemarin). Trus, aku ke kampus deh

Jam 8 pagi, tesnya dimulai, Dan arrrrgggghhhhh.... . Kesemua 4 soalnya susah... :( Hmm, proses utamanya ga sesusah itu sih sebenernya, tetapi proses menghitungnya yang amat susah sekali dan membingungkan karena kita kan nggak boleh pake kalkulator. Dan itulah masalah utamaku pagi tadi. Bayangin nih: kita harus menghitung arc sin (16 / akar 377) tanpa kalkulator!! Sebelumnya, harus melakukan beberapa pengingtegralan dan penurunan implisit sampai dapet ke bentuk arc sin (16/akar 377), arrrggghhh.... :( :( Hmm, aku skarang sih berharap penilaiannya ga berdasar hasil doank, tp lebih fokus ke cara kita menyelesaikan soalnya (proses)... :)

Btw, sebenernya siang tadi pada rencana mau nonton film sih, tapi karena ga ada film yang menarik di waktu yang pas, akhirnya rencananya batal deh... :(

Yaay, akhirnya besok bebas!!! :)

Sunday, March 11, 2007

#303 - UTS is coming!!

ENGLISH

Well, finally tomorrow my UTS weeks starts. This semester, I have 8 subjects, and the first week is gonnabe the hardest week since 5 of my 8 subjects are gonnabe tested this week (Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday). Then, the other three are gonnabe on the next Thursday and Friday, and the next next Monday. Are you confused?? He3... :) Note:because 19th March (Monday) is a national-holiday, so as a result, the next Monday (26th March) is also gonnabe an examination day.

I really hope I do well on these UTS since I gotta admit that this semester is harder than the previous one (not only the subjects, but also the assignments. This semester we got more assignments and tasks rather than the first semester!! :( )

Btw, yesterday my friends and I did a survey (again) on a fitness center... :) The fitness center we went to last evening was pretty good and not as expensive as the other 2 fitness centers that I have already surveyed before. I dunno I'm gonna register there or not, I'm gonna look at my schedule first, he3... :) After that, we had dinner at a Makassar Restaurant (sorry, no pic, he3... :D). Then, we went to Gramedia. Well, not to buy books or what, but just to walk around before the intense UTS weeks, he3... :D

Btw, because these past 2 days there was a complaint from Mrs. Decante about my Shout Box, well, I actually have already banned 18 words (this is temporary and this list is really potential to be longer... :D) because of some spams that occured in my SB couple of weeks ago. Those 18 words are: xenical, casino, viagra, paroxetine, mortgage, blackjack, slot, slots, ringtones, jack, bontril, auto, loans, hoodia, home, debt, tones, and tone.

BAHASA INDONESIA

Hmm, akhirnya besok minggu-minggu UTSku akan dimulai. Semester ini, aku ada 8 mata kuliah, dan minggu pertama akan menjadi minggu terberat soalnya 5 dari 8 mata kuliah akan diujian pada minggu pertama ini (Senin, Rabu, Kamis, Jumat, dan Sabtu). Trus, ketiga yang lainnya akan diujikan Kamis dan Jumat minggu depannya dan Senin minggu minggu depannya. Apakah pada bingung?? He3... :) Catatan: karena 19 Maret (Senin) tuh hari libur nasional, makanya akibatnya, Senin berikutnya (26 Maret) akan menjadi hari ujian juga.

Aku bener-bener berharap aku bisa mengerjakan UTS dengan baik soalnya aku harus mengakui bahwa semester ini memang lebih berat daripada semester yang lalu (nggak cuma mata kuliahnya si, tapi juga tugas-tugasnya. Semester ini aku dapet tugas dan PR yang lebih banyak dari semester satu!! :( )

Btw, kemarin temenku sama aku nge-survei lagi tempat fitnessan... :) Tempat fitnes yang kemarin aku survey ini lumayan bagus dan ga semahal yang sebelum-sebelumnya deh. Gatau sih bakal daftar apa ga, liat jadwal dulu deh, he3... :) Habis itu, kita makan malam di Rumah Makan Makassar (sorry, ga ada fotonya, he3... :D). Trus kita pergi ke Gramedia deh. Hmm, nggak untuk beli buku ato apa, tapi ya cuma jalan-jalan aja kan sebelum minggu-minggu UTS yang intens, he3... :D

Btw, karena akhir2 ini ada komplain dari Mrs. Decante tentang Shout Box-ku, hmm, aku sebenernya udah mengeban (melarang) 18 kata (ini sementara sih, dan sangat berpotensi untuk bertambah panjang daftarnya... :D) karena spam yang terjadi di SB saya beberapa minggu yang lalu. Ke delapan belas kata tersebut adalah: xenical, casino, viagra, paroxetine, mortgage, blackjack, slot, slots, ringtones, jack, bontril, auto, loans, hoodia, home, debt, tones, dan tone.

Friday, March 09, 2007

#302 - Finally This Week is OVER!!!

ENGLISH

As you can read at one previous entry, this week has been a hard hard week for me, plus, the fact that this week is the last week before UTS (Mid-Term Test), that even worsens this week. And finally, today this week is officially OVER!! Yaaayyy!!! :)

This morning I had a Macro Economy Quiz. Well, I guess I made some mistakes. That's not really good, but there is always one good thing. I know what my mistakes were, and I know I'm not gonna make the same mistake next in the UTS which is a lot more important rather than "just" the quiz... :)

Btw, this week, finally American Idol reveals its top 12 contestants. They are: Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Chris Sligh, Phil Stacey, Brandon Rogers, and Sanjaya Malakar (the boys); and the gals are: Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Stephanie Edwards, Jordin Sparks, Gina Glocksen, and Haley Scarnato. That means: Jared Cotter, Sundance Head, Antonella Barba, and Sabrina Sloans left the show... :( Sabrina Sloans is actually a very very good singer and deserves to be in the top 12, but she was just lack of personality which I think caused her elimination this week. Some people are questioning why Sanjaya Malakar and Haley Scarnato are still there... . Hmm, for me, they have been weak the past few weeks, but the fact is that they have gained many votes... . Hmmm... . Even though Sundance and Sabrina made it to the final 12, I think they wouldn't win the show, some other contestants are still too strong for them. So it's just a matter of time... .

O yea, btw, today is my dad's birthday!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! Wish him All Da Best!! :)


BAHASA INDONESIA

Seperti yang bisa dibaca pada sebuah postingan yang lalu, minggu ini adalah minggu yang bener-bener berat deh untuk aku, plus, kenyataan bahwa minggu ini adalah minggu terakhir sebelum UTS (Ujian Tengah Semester), hal itu malah memperburuk keadaan. Dan akhirnya, secara resmi hari ini minggu ini SELESAI!! Yaaayyy!!! :)

Pagi ini aku ada kuis Ekonomi Makro. Hmm, kayanya aku membuat beberapa kesalahan sih. Payah nih, tapi nggak papa sih soalnya pasti ada hal yang positif kan. Aku tahu apa kesalahan2 yang aku buat dan aku tahu kalo aku nggak akan melakukan kesalahan yang sama besok waktu UTS yang lebih penting daripada "sekadar" kuis... :)

Btw, minggu ini, akhirnya American Idol mengungkap siapa saja kontestan yang masuk 12 besar. Mereka adalah: Blake Lewis, Chris Richardson, Chris Sligh, Phil Stacey, Brandon Rogers, dan Sanjaya Malakar (laki-laki); dan perempuannya: Lakisha Jones, Melinda Doolittle, Stephanie Edwards, Jordin Sparks, Gina Glocksen, dan Haley Scarnato. Hal ini berarti: Jared Cotter, Sundance Head, Antonella Barba, dan Sabrina Sloans harus meninggalkan acara... :( Sabrina Sloans sebenernya adalah penyanyi yang bagus banget loh, cuma dia kurang 'karakter' aja yang menurutku menyebabkan tereliminasinya dia minggu ini. Beberapa orang bertanya2 kenapa koq Sanjaya Malakar dan Haley Scarnato masih disana... . Hmm, untuk aku, memang mereka lemah dalam beberapa minggu belakangan ini, tapi faktanya mereka udah dapet lumayan banyak dukungan kan... . Hmm... . Walaupun Sundance dan Sabrina masuk ke 12 besar, menurutku mereka juga ga akan menang koq, beberapa kontestan masih terlalu kuat untuk mereka. Jadi, hanya masalah waktu sih menurutku... .

O iya, btw, hari ini kan ulang tahunnya papaku!! MET ULANG TAHUN!! Aku doain semua yang terbaik!! :)

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

#301 - Another Air Crash

ENGLISH

This morning at around 6.50 AM WIB, another air crash tragedy happened in Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-400 GA 200 PK-GZC flying from Jakarta to Yogyakarta crashed and burst into flames after over-shooting the runway (just after landing at Adisutjipto Airport Yogyakarta) and as a result 21 people were killed.

According to the eye-witnesses, the landing was a bit strange just after the gears of the plane touched the runway. One third of the runway, there appeared fire on the gear of the plane. Two third of the runway, the fire just got bigger and bigger, then the fuselage overshot the runway about 300 meters leaving it not in one piece.

Well, this is a kinda shocking tragedy since Garuda Indonesia is considered as Indonesia's best airline, and not a low cost carrier. So, what really happened?? Hmmm, it's still unknown right now, but I guess there was a problem on the aircraft that caused the fire. So, in about 2 months, there have been 3 air crash tragedies in Indonesia, the missing (and later known as falling) Adam Air flying from Surabaya to Manado, Adam Air's tragedy in Juanda Airport Surabaya which had a hard-landing and caused the fuselage was bended, and Garuda Indonesia's tragedy this morning in Yogyakarta.

Well, my big condolence for them who were killed and injured because of the accident, and also the casualties' families and relatives... :(

This tragedy really shows us how poor the aviation regulation in Indonesia. Hopefully another tragedy won't happen again... :(

::: Garuda Indonesia GA 200 Boeing 737-400 PK-GZC in flame

::: Garuda Indonesia GA 200 Boeing 737-400 PK-GZC in flame (2)

::: Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-400 PK-GZC, this is the pic of the aircraft which was burst into flames this morning in Yogyakarta (taken at July 2005 at KLIA, Malaysia) source: www.airliners.net


BAHASA INDONESIA

Pagi ini sekitar jam 6.50 pagi WIB, sebuah kecelakaan pesawat kembali terjadi di Indonesia. Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737-400 GA 200 PK-GZC terbang dari Jakarta tujuan Yogyakarta terbakar setelah keluar dari landasan pacu (setelah mendarat di Bandara Adisutjipto Yogyakarta) dan sebagai hasilnya 21 orang tewas.

Berdasarkan saksi mata, pendaratan pesawat agak aneh semenjak roda pesawat menyentuh landasan. Sepertiga dari landasan, muncul api di roda pesawat. Dua per tiga dari landasan, api malah membesar dan membesar kemudian badan pesawatnya keluar dari landasan pacu sejauh sekitar 300 meter dan meninggalkan pesawat tidak dalam satu bagian lagi.

Hmm, ini agak mengagetkan soalnya Garuda Indonesia bisa dikatakan sebagai maskapai penerbangan terbaik di Indonesia, dan bukan maskapai penerbangan bertarif murah. Jadi, apa yang sebenarnya terjadi?? Hmmm, masih belum diketahui hingga sekarang, tapi aku rasa ada masalah dalam pesawatnya deh yang menyebabkan api. Jadi, dalam sekitar 2 bulan, sudah ada 3 kecelakaan pesawat di Indonesia, pesawat Adam Air yang hilang (kemudian diketahui kalo ternyata jatuh) dari Surabaya tujuan Manado, tragedi Adam Air di Bandara Juanda Surabaya yang mengalami pendaratan keras dan menyebabkan badan pesawatnya bengkok, dan tragedi Garuda Indonesia di Yogyakarta pagi ini.

Hmm, turut berduka cita bagi mereka yang tewas dan terluka akibat kecelakaan ini, dan juga bagi keluarga dan kerabat dari para korban... :(

Tragedi ini menunjukkan kita betapa payahnya regulasi penerbangan di Indonesia. Semoga tragedi yang lain nggak akan terjadi lagi... :(