This night it's about Classical Music Concert

I just arrived home from Yuki Morimoto's violin and piano concert at Airefu. Waktu menunjukan jam 5.5o, akhirnya berhasil juga minta ijin keluar lebih cepat dari kelas Jepang. Ambil sepeda, telpon sana telpon sini: "Monica, are you ready?", "Dicky, where are you know?", "emRidho, are you coming with us?". Jam 6.oo aku, Dicky, Jaena and Naifa meluncur dari Hakozakikyudaimae ke Akasaka. Monica was on the way to Akasaka. emRidho would get there by his old motor cycle.

Hari ini aku sengaja berpakean sedikit rapih, khaki McGyver and brown fullover. Pengalaman tahun lalu, nonton New York's Orchestra, apresiasi penonton classical music concert di sini ternyata tidak lebih baik dari Indonesia. Jangankan cara berpakaian, standing ovation aja malu2 kucing.

Menilik riwayat Yuki Morimoto, seharusnya aransemen beliau enak untuk dinikmati, tapi entah kenapa, mungkin karena Maki Itoi, the violinist, mengalunkan dgn baik Sonata No.5 Antonio Vivaldi dan Partita No.2 Sang maestro Johann Sabastian Bach. Aransemen Yuki Morimoto menjadi tidak begitu wah. Aku jadi berpikir, alangkah jeniusnya Vivaldi dan Bach yg tak tertandingi! Please listen to one of Yuki Morimoto's music here and perfect-violin-playing of Maki Itoi here.

Well, sulit memang untuk bisa menikmati musik klasik, Seandainya nggak suka, yah jangan dipakasain. No crime kalo memang tidak suka. Buktinya Dicky keluar dari arena, padahal baru setengah jalan. Ngomong ke aku sih mau langsung pulang setelah ngambil laptop di kampus. Bisa jadi nyimpang dulu ke Nakatsu (baca: red district). Sepertinya calon menyesal juga kalo aku ajak ke Backstage Jazz Bar and Cafe

Beauty in people

When I was teenager, my notion of beauty was a lot different than it is today. I just find different things beautiful in people. The things I associate with beauty in people:
1. A realistic level of confidence
2. Passion for life
3. Laugh lines
4. A voice with character
5. The warmth in their eyes when they look at someone
Does this mean I'm just getting older and wiser? Perhaps the notions and perceptions of beauty changes as we get older ... Just a thought few hours ago as I watched interview with Venus Williams on TV, and suddenly found the beauty on her. Regardless her talent, I think anyone with five points above can be said has the beauty on her/his. I hope Venus Williams somewhere out there read my post *grins*

Sometimes, I wonder what people on my link are. The five points above are out of my sight, but I always try to see it from my heart inside and am left with a positive image. Yes, a nice picture to those who are nice.

Homeless, Mobil Phone and Bank Account!

Malam itu aku berjalan dan berjalan, cukup hening untuk sebuah malam so called Saturday night. Langkahku terhenti ketika pandanganku menangkap tumpukan kerdus yg dibuat sedemikian rupa seperti rumah-rumahan. I and my sister used to do that when we were little. Aku mendekat dan kulihat didalamnya seorang tua berkupluk, baju hangat kumel dan kaos kaki putih dekil yg sepertinya berlapis2. No wonder it's almost 0 degree now outside. Hei ternyata dia tidak sendirian, satu org lagi datang menghampiri rumah kerdus tsb. Sepertinya yg satu ini baru saja membeli rokok, karena tidak lama kemudian dua-duanya berasap. Seems they are happy with their life. Aku masih berdiri dekat halte bis memandang jalan raya, dan sesekali menoleh mereka. What! Wait a minute! Now one of them is talking on mobile phone. No kidding! He's using mobile phone. I better get away from them before they start talking about Bank Account.

Rajin pangkal pandai, Malas pangkal kaya

Tibalah pertanyaan ke-4, and it was my turn,
"Arisu san no otosan wa nihonjin desuka?" (baca: apakah benar ayah Alice berkebangsaan Jepang?)
"iie, Arisu san no otosan wa nihonjin jyaarimasen" (baca: ayah Alice bukan berkebangsaan Jepang). Aku berusaha nebak dari nama, Alice, should be western name!? Kemarin malam, aku tertidur lelap walhasil gak sempet dengerin listening part yg menjadi pertanyaan hari ini.
"Ganda san, tepu rekouda o kikimashitaka?" (baca: Ganda, apakah you mendengarkan percakapan tape untuk hari ini?)
Sembari senyum busuk, "O sumimasen, kikimasendeshita" Well, aku memang gak sempet. "Kemarin aku sedikit sibuk alasan klasik, padahal tidur".
"Mina san mo isogashi desyo" (baca: semuanya juga sibuk, emang lo aje yg sibuk?)
Phewww tebakan ayah Alice yg bukan berkebangsaan Jepang ternyata SALAH BESAR. 45 menit berlalu, dan tidak ada tanda2 kemarahan dari sensei hmmm artinya besok2 nggak perlu denger kaset lagi nih.

Sampai tiba saatnya coretan percakapan terpampang seluruhnya di dua white board ukuran 3 m x 1 m. Ingat! Dua white board: satu white board berisi kaligrafi Lee anak China yg ahli nulis kanji rumput, dan yg kedua hasil tulisan-nya Raimond. "Ganda san, younde kudasai! zenbu" (baca: Ganda tolong bacakan semuanya!). Weleh weleh, penderitaan seorang pemalas baru saja dimulai, dua coretan hiragana; yg satu terpengaruh kanji beda garis ama titik hanya se-mili, buset deh si Lee! dan ceker ayam ala anak Belanda Raimond Raimond, gak bisa nulis rapih apa? beginilah kalo Doktor Matematik nulis!, harus aku baca seluruhnya. Kejam bener si Ibu. Bener kata pepatah: Rajin pangkal pandai, malas pangkal kaya hehehe

Selamat untuk mas Imam, yg baru saja menyelesaikan sidang terbuka Dokotoral-nya. Give him shout. He would be happy!

Diri ku dan Rokok

I started smoking when I was Junior Highscool. Merokoknya masih sebatang dua batang dengan gaya: sekali isep cuih cuih, isep lagi cuih cuih. Pahit! Rasanya gak enak! Awalnya nyoba2 plus ngegaya, kalo dipikir2 lagi: Apa gayanya? Dasar remaja! Tapi lama kelamaan keterusan. Mamah bapak di rumah awalnya gak tau, sampai suatu ketika mulai curiga menemukan bercak kuning di seragam putih SMA. Jaman SMA, duit pas-pasan, hanya mampu beli sebatang dua batang rokok, terus disimpen di kantung seragam putih. Tembakaunya alon alon berjatuhan lah. Ibu Bapak sekalian *iklan layanan masyarakat*, silahkan cek seragam anak2 anda, siapa tau ada bercak kuning tembakau di seragamnya, then you better investigate further. Jangan dimarahi, berikan penjelasan tentang bahaya merokok, biarkan mereka sadar tentang bahayanya. Sampai detik ini, aku belum pernah dgn sengaja merokok di hadapan kedua orang tua. Aku hormati keinginannya bahwa diriku seharusnya tidak boleh merokok.

Sampai jaman kuliah masih belum jera juga keep poisoning my body with nicotine. Yg ini alasannya lain lagi, obat stress setiap hari Rabu manakala harus ujian di GKU. Nangkring di warung si bibi bawah tangga. Kalkulus, Kidas, Fidas and more, sangat melelahkan. Aku merokok but no way kopi. I prefer milk or tea or orange juice.

Once I had interview for my job somewhere in front of para bos:
Pertanyaan serius terlahap sudah, sampai akhirnya muncul pertanyaan dari seorang bos, let say Juragan 5, karena ada Juragan 1, 2, 3 sampai 10 lebih. Saya sebut Juragan 5, karena berdasarkan tingkatan level, bisa dikatakan beliau ada di peringkat 5. Bos untuk salah satu divisi.
"Saya dengar kamu merokok?"
"Benar Pak"
"Saat ini, di divisi yg mungkin akan anda masuki, tidak ada yg merokok. Bagaimana tanggapan anda?"
Dalam hati what a question. Kalo sudah masuk pertanyaan konyol begini tandanya sudah habis pertanyaan serius. Be happy with that! 99% anda pasti diterima kerja. Apa lagi yg mau ditanya! "hmmm ... *berusaha mencari jawaban konyol juga*", sampai akhirnya datang bantuan dari Juragan 1, yg aku tahu secara pasti tidak pernah lepas dari gaya rokok gayemannya.
"Juragan 5, sejak umur berapa masuk kerja sini, saya tahu Bapak merokok waktu itu?"
Interview berubah menjadi percakapan tidak serius antara dua juragan (Juragan 1 dan Juragan 5 red.). Juragan 5 menjawab, "Sejak umur 23 tahun Pak."
"Kapan berhenti merokok?"
"Umur 37"
Juragan 1 mulai bertanya kepada ku, "Marriot *beliau, Juragan 1 (almarhum) paling suka memanggil ku Marriot* ... berapa umur kamu saat ini?"
"22 Pak"
"37 kurang 23 sama dengan 14 tahun toh *logat Jawa*. 22 tambah 14 sama dengan 36 tahun. Si Marriot ini masih punya waktu sampai umur 36 tahun untuk merokok di tempat ini. Sama dengan kamu Juragan 5!"
Dalam seketika, ruangan berubah menjadi arena dagelan.

Well I ever stopped smoking for about 7 months when I was 23. Waktu itu, my Ex tidak suka aku kecanduan merokok, padahal dia sendiri social smoker (baca: sewaktu2 bisa merokok tergantung lingkungan). Berawal dari perkataanku bahwasanya I'm not addicted with cigarette, I can stop it whenever I want to. Satu bungkus Marlboro yg baru terhisap dua batang. Dia ambil dari genggamanku, dibuka isinya, dipatahkan semuanya, dibuang ke tempat sampah. "Sekarang coba berhenti merokok!" Hei hei hei tidak tahu dia, bahwa rokok hanyalah sebuah rokok, tidak akan pernah bisa melebihi the big L hehehe Stop! The last sentence is just intermezzo, norak amat berhenti ngerokok hanya karena cinta. Akhirnya aku berhenti merokok. You see I'm not addicted with cigarette. Sampai akhirnya kita putus, dan aku masih belum merokok.

Now I keep poisoning my body with nicotine again. However, for those who are not smoking. Please don't even try to taste cigarette. It's not good for yr health. Let me and other smokers have it.

Wanita bule and Japanese man

It's Saturday night. I just got home with a bit headache. Couple of hour ago I and friends were chatting at international bar in Hakata, while a bunch of wanita bule came in with ha ha ha and hee hee hee. Seems they have been drunk at other places. And suddenly one of my friend uttered the question which we've all asked ourselves 100 times before: Why can lelaki bule go to bars and find lots of Japanese girls who are outgoing, while wanita bule just get frustrated?

Find couple of lelaki bule+Japanese girl is common sight here, but not in reverse (wanita bule+Japanese man red.). What I notice at university, wanita bule just get along well with sesama bule. And the rumor, why these wanita2 bule do not like Japanese men, is because Japanese men want to be pampered and rarely open the door for woman. Opposite for wanita bule which like having door opened for them. Sounds so dramatic, by judging it from a simple rumor. For me it is therefore one-important-extreme-example of someone character. You may believe me, once you open the door for woman here. You won't get smile or thanks in returns. What you'll get is sumimasen (read: sorry).

I myself had difficulty to enter their community (wanita2 bule red.). But it's not because I rarely open the door for them. I'm just too short for them *grins*. Enough, I'm going to bed now.

Let's start again the Japanese course

To day, again we had lunch at cafeteria for how many times I do not count.
"Guys, have you seen lately the lady who's working at engineering faculty? The one that always taking care of us with this administration thing."
"No, what's up with her?"
"I talked with her this morning and man ... she looks gorgeous"
They stopped awhile the meal and started asking me questions in a row, "Which one?", "The new one?", "The old one?", "The Pilipino?"
"What! The Pilipino? No way Jose, the Japanese. How come you all didn't remember her? She is the one who gave us student ID?"
One has just started laughing and finally they were all laughing.
"Yea yea yea I know what you're thinking about? Ok, end of discussion!"

One year ago, one or two months as we just arrived in Fukuoka. Five of us ever discussed about Japanese women. Most of them, not me, coz I know my quality, think that in general Japanese women are not beautiful. One guy from Panama, no doubt for Latin American women huh, said:
One month in Japan and you see Japanese woman. You'll say,
"Hmm what am I looking at?"
Six months,
"Well, not so bad!"
One year,
"Why don't I give a try?"

Yes I've been seeing this administration lady for several times. Yes I've been living here for more than a year. Yes I've been so many times lonely. Yes yes yes what else? What I know and what I believe, physical appearance is not only what we see. Physical appearance includes the way of thinking and talking. Communication is above all parameters of relationship. This morning I found that I'm talking in Japanese with this lady, and the feeling comes. I better start my Japanese course again *grins*.

Hari ini Fukuoka turun salju

Hari ini salju turun untuk ketigakalinya selama winter di Fukuoka, setelah sebelumnya dua kali turun di bulan Desember. Lagi2, seakan tak pernah jera dengan dingin, aku sengaja bersepeda diterpa butiran2 salju. Pagi ini, aku pilih Garth Brooks-In Pieces, untuk menemani ayuhan sepeda yg makin lama makin terasa berat karena turbulensi angin yg tak tentu arah. Kadang nerpa dari depan, kadang dorong dari belakang, samping. Pheww angin gila! nggak mau ngerti kalo aku lagi asyik dengerin the night I called the old man out.

Oh yah, yesterday it was holiday in Japan. Aku yg dengan semangatnya berangkat ke kampus, setelah menemukan kesunyian suddenly wasn't highly motivated. Akhirnya semedi di kampus sampai jam 4.oo. Kemudian jalan ke kota, ceritanya rindu melihat keramaian sekalian up date barang2 elektronik di Yodobashi Camera. C-mail Monica, "Let's find something delicious in Hakata", then we agreed to see each other at Yodobashi Camera around six. Awalnya semangat untuk bersepeda ke Hakata, apa daya hujan turun, akhirnya naik subway. Dan ternyata ada untungnya juga naik subway, aku menemukan sekelompok wanita2 muda Jepang berkimono dgn syal bulu ala Liz Taylor, yg terlihat cantik asli cantik. ehem ehem halo halo, don't you see the last foreign samurai sitting in front of you *grins*. Nah loh, makin lama kok makin banyak aja yg berkimono. Aku mulai curiga, "Ada apa dengan hari ini?". Hasil pencarian dgn Googles membawa ku ke informasi bahwa 12 Januari adalah Seijin no hi (coming of age day), festival untuk wanita2 yg baru menginjak usia 20 tahun. Dua puluh dianggap sebagai awal kedewasaan, dimana seseorang bisa memilih (baca: hak pilih PEMILU), drinking alcohol and smoking. Hooray, let's celebrate the beginning of our adulthood.

Setelah menyapu Yodobashi dari basement sampai lantai tiga. Then I c-mailed Monica again, "Where are you, it's almost 6". No reply. Once again in 20 minutes span, "Are you coming?". No reply. Yah sudah, akhirnya aku makan sendirian di Thai Restaurant. Tidak berapa lama setelah pesanan datang. Monica muncul, "Sorry, I forgot my mobile phone." Then "How do you know I'm having dinner here?". Since "You c-mailed me, you want to find something delicious in Hakata. Which other places are you going to visit!?". Bravo Monica! She knows my favorite place.

Ngomong2 sekitar Weblog

Tes tes tes ada keluhan nggak yah dgn layout baru? Let's try blogrolling! Pertamakali aku kenal weblog bulan Juli 2003. Awalnya tanpa commenting system, tanpa tag bord dan aksesoris lainnya. Sampai bulan november kemarin, imam nerima imel dari milis dosen itb tentang novel Jomblo, hasil karya anak itb, adhitya mulya. Yg katanya sempat menjadi perbincangan panas di milis ybs. Karena saya tertarik dengan isinya, terus imam forward imel tersebut ke aku. Di imel tersebut, ada dua link; alamat weblog-nya adhit dan alamat enda sebagai pengirim berita. Lumayan, akhirnya aku bisa baca intisari novel Jomblo. Dari rentetan link di weblog-nya adhit, aku mulai curiga ada komunitas weblog di alam maya ini. Kemudian aku klik enda-aseli.tripod.com, hmm go blog, selusur2, ternyata teman seangkatan di ganesa 10. Loncat sana loncat sini, terus ketemu nita yg wajahnya serasa tidak asing. Ternyata babaturan juga. Nah, sejak november itulah aku mulai bikin weblog dgn aksesoris seadanya. Yah seperti inilah hasilnya. Lumayan daripada tidak ada.

Thumb up empat jari untuk weblogger anak bangsa. Isinya enak2 untuk dibaca, contohnya atta negeri senja. Aku suka baca postingan-nya. Hasil Kunjung mengunjungi berubah manjadi sebuah pertemanan. hmm teman weblog ku kok kebanyakan ibu2 yah hehehe ada mbak pingkan, ada mbak ika, mbak syl, mbak labibah, mbak widi, ibu rieke. Mudah2 an suatu saat nanti, kita bisa ketemuan. Terus ada leoni dan echa, yg kadang2 sudah chit-chat di YM. Ada roi, yg ternyata temen SMA gue dulu. Semuanya adalah keintiman yg berawal dari weblog.

Dan aku pikir, weblog bisa dijadikan ajang unjuk kebolehan para web designer. Yg berkutat di design graphis, boleh jadi tertantang untuk membuat tampilan yg menarik. Yg tertarik IT, tertantang untuk ngotak-ngatik kode secanggih mungkin. Nah 3 hari kemarin aku baca info di newscientist: webloggers upload digital doodles using smart pen. Siapa tau, who knows, suatu saat nanti aku punya perusahaan dan ngelirik salah satu weblogger untuk pembuatannya. Mudah2an! siapa yg nggak mau punya perusahaan sendiri!

Mau nulis apa lagi yah, cukup untuk uji coba layout baru. Have a nice weekend guys.

Force, Stress, and Release

Stress equal to force divided by area. How far solid body won't failure when force applied? It depends how big the stress is. Before failure occurs there are three stages: closing crack, elastic and plastic stages. Three of them indicate degree of deformation. When elastic limit or the beginning of plastic stage is achieved, solid body has been highly deformed without ability return to its initial shape. Hence, plastic is Kaput! Not only failure

We are solid body indeed, and forces around us. Each force gives us stress. I don't like working in forces, since I do not know how to determine my elastic limit. But sometimes life doesn't give us too many options, though we know for sure that we are working in high forces. Safety engineering said: release the stress for safety. Yes, before the stress passes my elastic limit, I better step back awhile from this force, and continue again to read this and making progres with hmm hmm. Anybody have read Ethics for The New Millenium?

Chopsticks and Mr. Woodman

About a week ago, I and emRidho went to Udon Resto near our university. First he was going to visit my apartment, and I said, "Don't let your stomach hungry coz I have nothing to eat here". I do have something to eat, but having considered his height, I really don't think I can handle his quantity. Then we agree to have dinner at Udon Resto. Omori desu ne (read: big portion). See, he ordered a big portion. I was right I knew I was right about his quantity.

While we were eating, the conversation went through the chopstick. Udon is usually eaten by chopsticks. Chopsticks are two long, thin, usually tapered, pieces of wood. I found A to Z about chopsticks here. emRidho shared experience of having dinner with let say wood businessman. And this woodman always brings his chopsticks. Knock it off! Chopstick! His thought is very simple, "One restaurant needs a bunch of chopsticks everyday which is equal to let say one tree. One tree multiplied by number of restaurant in this country. In 30 days, how many trees do we need? ". Well, I don't know. You are the wood businessman. I bet you know the number. And my answer would be as simple as his thought, "O you are an angel from above Mr. Woodman. If most of these people do not use chopsticks. You would be the one who enter restaurant and always ask chopsticks" *grins*.

I just add this within my favorite radio channel. With my ADSL connection, it sounds very smooth.

Yes ... I am addicted to T-Shirt

When I was highschool, I used to be addicted to hat, cap or whatever you name it. Depends on my mood, once I ever had hat from the NBA cap type to the classic model. My favorite was the black one with United State of America sign in front. I could spend 35 to 50.000 rupiah just for the hat I'd love. Not now, I only have two meanwhile and It's enough; black normal cap and khaki adventurer hat. And I'm still saving money to buy this cowboy hat.

Beside hat, I'm addicted to T-Shirt 'til now. Yes T-Shirt with simple sign on it. I started like T-Shirt when my classmate gave me Toko Roti dan Kue Merdeka T-shirt. It was yellow, somehow I like it. Since then, I always ask my friends and relatives who have been travelling somewhere or working in company for the T-shirt. Now I am listing the T-Shirt that ever given to me as a gift. Thanks to Risono for used black Grasberg T-Shirt from PTFI, Mr. Donal for the blue Caterpillar Trakindo, Kiki for the white Freeport McMoran from Papua, my second father Seno for grey Colorado School of Mine and white Kyushu University's T-Shirt(s), Cepi for Bali's T-Shirt, HMT for the Indonesian Student Mining Competition, Agung for the fake-black University of Newcastle, my oldest sister for yellow Ericsson's T-shirt and her husband for the Tommy Hilf. And I'd love to if someone in this virtual world would give the black T-Shirt shown here ... "I'm blogging this".

Are you addicted to any?

NEW YEAR IN JAPAN

New Year is the most important holiday in Japan. We, Kyushu University, have started holiday since December 26th and it will be ended this day. Means tomorrow will have lunch at cafeteria again, no need to ride my bicycle against the cold winter's wind again, just to catch the closest hoka hoka bento. One of my friends just returned from Nigata for skiing. What a nice experience you had huh. One of my friends just returned from home stay with 500 Yen angpaw. Not so bad, be thankful with the experience. Me phew "What a boring New Year we have now, Ganda", Mr. Jhony just said few minutes ago. Yes, we spent most of our times at university.

I suddenly remember with what I had last year in Kurashiki, Okayama, near Osaka, Tiger Hanshin base camp, when I spent New Year 2003 with Japanese family. Yes, Atsuko Yabuki, used to be my lab mate, invited me to stay at her home. And let me share how this family or let say Japanese in general celebrate New Year. Common sight during New Year if you see homes and entrance gates are decorated with ornaments made of pine, bamboo and plum trees. Exception for Yabuki's family, their grandmother just passed away in the same year, and they were not allowed to put the ornaments. But still, toshikoshi soba (read: buckwheat noodles), symbolizing longevity was served on New Year's Eve while watching the World K-1 Championship. Bob Sap's still the best. Anybody knows Bob Sapp is challenging Tyson this year?

At midnight, we went to the nearest shrine. It was very impressive, as we visited shrine at the actual turn of the year, when large bells were rung. Even it was crowded. But then again, exception for Yabuki's family, they were not allowed to pass the shrine's gate as their grandmother just passed away. Not me, I climbed onto the shrine, prepared penny, threw it and started praying to my own God.

January 1st is a very auspicious day, started by viewing the New Year's first sunrise, which is traditionally believed to be representative for the whole year that has just commenced. The day is supposed be full of joy and free of stress and anger, while everything should be clean and no work should be done. Various kinds of special dishes are served on January 1st, which hmm frankly speaking I DO NOT LIKE. They included otoso (read: sweetened rice wine) and ozoni (read: a soup with mochi). Still remember mochi? what was ever written by Widi.

Yea, thanks to Yabuki's family who has given me opportunity for having experience on how Japan traditional New Year is. And mina san, let us forget the year has passed, somehow we may believe that life doesn't always turn out the way you plan. Happy New Year 2004!