Welcome!

This is the official blog of Winna Efendi, author of several bestselling Indonesian novels.

Minggu, 30 November 2008

Ngiri.com

... pada mereka yang sudah midnight Twilight
... pada mereka yang tidur nyenyak setiap malam dan bangun pagi dengan segar
... pada mereka yang punya akses ke Amazon.com dan bisa belanja tanpa peduli dolar naik
... pada orang-orang yang cuti hari ini
... pada semua yang menghabiskan berjam-jam baca komik, nonton, baca novel dan tidur lalu bersenang-senang tanpa harus mikirin kerjaan dan tumpukan tugas lainnya
... pada penulis yang hebat-hebat

dan karena saya tidak bisa seperti mereka.

Rabu, 26 November 2008

Sunset Dinner


I dined basking in sunlight tonight.
The sun was bright orange.

Picture taken from theonion.com

Rough draft #1

Rough draft number one is done.

182 pages in Times New Roman size 11 and 1.5 spacing.
13 constructive scenes need reediting for the second draft
which sum up to 47 pages of further retouching.

whoa.
I'm overwhelmed.

My brain actually needs to do real work now instead of just spotting typos and changing paragraphs.

*pats myself on the back*

Selasa, 25 November 2008

To proof how small this world really is...

... I found out that my friend's younger brother is in Vancouver right now, and his girlfriend is linked to a friend of my best friend's in Australia.

I never expected we would have that kind of network. Ask FaceBook.

Mad for Quizzes

Some quizzes I took on Facebook..


Which dark side are you?


Quiet

Quiet
Your dark side is soft and recessive. It is rarely visible. Usually you are the only one hurt by your dark side, because you keep to yourself in your darkest hour.

Claim your elf

Dominant

Dominant
You want a male who's possesive but tender, and makes you feel as though he will protect you no matter what. You want someone who will fend off the rivals and claim you as his own, who's powers can be compaired to no other. His looks are as seductive and as dark as his personality, and you simply can't resist his touch. He is inclined to brood, and his laughter is rare, but when he smiles it is because of you.


I like how they sound :D

Senin, 24 November 2008

25 November 2008

I was underground, in a strange land made of passages and tunnels. It looked bizarre; everything was brown, looking like what it should be beyond the Earth.

I was supposed to be looking for souls. In the end I found all but two.

When the strange game ended, I found the missing soul behind the bathroom door, its lifeless body with eyes closed and palms slapped together. It was so scary I started screaming and running down the stairs.

They said the soul did not come back. That was why the body was there.

I dreamed I was in a game, but in a different game. And I saw Geoff there. And his girlfriend Tisha.

It was indeed weird.

Minggu, 23 November 2008

what does it mean to say 'thank you'?

Honestly, what does it mean to say those two words? Or simply sorry, excuse me, and other polite words?

I admit, a few times I was so pissed I neglected those words. But in everyday lives, even when socializing with your friends or talking to your loved ones, you still need those words.

Barusan saya memberikan bilyet giro sebagai bentuk pembayaran kepada pihak eksternal yang kebetulan datang (dan mengganggu jam makan saya, mendadak pula tanpa peduli apakah kedatangannya pada saat yang tepat). Saya memberikan selembar giro dan tanda terima, dan orang tersebut mengambilnya tanpa melihat langsung pada saya, menandatanganinya dan langsung ngeloyor pergi.

I was like, oh. Oookay.

Itu masih tidak apa-apa. Beberapa kali selama resepsi pernikahan saudara saya semalam (dan sebelum-sebelumnya juga pernah), ada orang yang menyikut, menginjak, memotong jalan, walau tanpa sengaja, tapi tidak meminta maaf. Resepsi bagaikan pasar tempat berebut makanan dan saling adu cepat dalam siapa yang mengambil peralatan makan dan mengisinya.

Atau ada yang membuka pintu dan langsung pergi tanpa mempedulikan bahwa pintu yang ditinggalkannya begitu saja dapat menghantam orang di belakangnya. Orang yang mendorong pintu terbuka lebar-lebar dan ngeloyor pergi tanpa menengok ke belakang untuk memastikan orang yang berdiri di belakangnya dapat lewat.

I'm not big on manners but sometimes I think little actions of kindness are what get you by in life. How many times has a person smiled at you, a genuine smile, and you feel all good inside? In this society, not a lot of people are friendly and genuine. Everyone is wearing a mask, everyone is emotional, and everyone is selfish.

Is that how we want this world to be?

Jumat, 21 November 2008

Masa sih?

Hasil tes kecil-kecilan yang g lihat di blognya Margie :D


You are Gold Raccoon, who display an easy outlook, and are very graceful.

You give an impression of typical traditional Japanese women.

You are always quiet, and will not speak out your thoughts openly.

Your modesty and gracefulness will avoid friction, and will be able to make the harsh atmosphere turn friendly.

You tend to forget things easily and make easy promises.

But your cheerful and active character pays for those weak points.

It may be a good idea if you take notes.

You don't think things seriously, and people may think you to be too indifferent.

This may be a good thing to do sometimes, but it may also result in you losing important
things and people.

But once you set an objective, your concentration is amazing.

Once you start on something, you will accomplish the goal no matter what.

Unlike your pretty atmosphere, in real life, you are very active person, and although you may look sensitive, you have great nerve and guts.

You also possess observing eyes towards people, and have great talent and know how to get on in life.

You act as though you are weak towards men, but really you are the one manipulating them successfully.

You are likely to make your husband a dominating one.

You are more interested in your career than your love life.

But once you fall in love, you get extremely passionate, and will attack with all your heart and mind and strength.

After getting married, you will put all your energy into your family.


Kayaknya nggak semuanya bener :D but I'm a double personality sort of person so I guess it depends :D

Kamis, 20 November 2008

movies and books

Things I look forward to this weekend:

- watching ANTM cycle 11
- my cousin's wedding
- editing
- reading a few new books I just got on the mail
- reading manga (Emma 8 dan First Boyfriend 8 barusan keluar, horee!)
- nonton, mungkin

Things I look forward to next month:

- Twilight (because I just have to watch it, dan review banyak yang bilang mengecewakan and unlike everything in the book)
- Nights in Rodanthe (entah kapan bisa keluar di Indo tapi ingin nonton Diane Lane dan Richard Gere dalam drama romantis berending tragis)
- a couple of other movies worth watching compared to this month's bad choices.
- a couple of books like Nineteen Minutes, the Virgin's Lover, A Little Romance, Lost and Found, etc.

It's been a busy month! So there, I've made my list.

Nineteen Minutes

After watching Not Like Everybody Else, I googled a lot about high school massacres and I was immediately drawn in by the tragic drama.. I'd like to read about their side of the story so I have an instant craving of reading Jodi Picoult's book, Nineteen Minutes.

Have heard of it but have never really bought or read it every time I passed the aisle at Periplus :D and this morning I mooched it! Yay! It's one of the rarest books on the site and I was glad I found one.

No purpose for this entry. Just to brag, actually :D Could barely contain my excitement. Someone from the US (she's Indonesian!) just mooched 3 of my books, including Kenangan Abu-Abu. Have a lot to send overseas and I'm in an excess of points, suddenly!

Senin, 17 November 2008

Road to Oblivion

Lately... I'm oblivious to the outside world.
I'm hooked to my computer all day and refuse to do anything else unless I really have to.

Everyone's going on without me,
I'm stuck here.
and I can't even figure out what's really bothering me.

that's how it feels like lately.

Minggu, 16 November 2008

My Brisbane

As I was browsing a selection of coats online, I realized I missed something about Brisbane.

The weather.

It's different from our tropical long summer and rainy days. It has its share of cold rainy days, which makes walking to the bus stop and waking up terribly hard to do. I remember being soaked in drizzles, my running shoes wet and all I wanted to do when I got home was soak myself in a warm bathtub and sleep all day - which I didn't because I needed to get the mud off my socks.

At night it's almost always so cold. I remember freezing in my thin Indonesian jackets - those cottons did not help at all. Those were the moments of pretty coats and thick jackets, my favorite Rusty white winter jacket with its fur hoodie, and my knit coat brushing my knee as I walked. And the extremely warm coat of blanket and a pair of gloves.

Brisbane has hail sometimes. There is no snow but the air is cold enough for puffs of air and cracked skin.

I love autumn most, although sometimes it rains too much for my liking. I like watching blurs of grey from the bus window, everyone's clothes hidden beneath their coats and umbrellas. I like watching the sea hurl waves, the sky so dark it almost rains. It's beautiful.

.. and summer. It's always so unbearably hot. I hate walking in dry pavements, feeling the dusty air and sweating profusely. But it's also the time for trips to Gold Coast, and time for wearing the skimpiest of outfits. I love wearing strapless and shorts and sneakers, going to the beach, hunting for shopping sprees, and at night it's the perfect weather to sleep in.

I also miss those golden 2 dollar coins. I miss sliding my bus ticket and showing my student ID. I miss going on late night trips and shopping alone. I miss eating big strawberries with Nutella. Chatting with my friends and locking myself in my room, talking on the phone. I miss library visits, checking out books I reserved.

I miss so much but I am not missing out much.

Still, it's always been my Brisbane. Sometime perhaps I'll relive it all over again.

Sabtu, 15 November 2008

Hari ini...

... sudah mengedit 30 halaman.

150 to go! I have to believe I can do this.

10 things about me

Ten random things you probably don't know about me, in other words, you get to know how wacky the person you're tagging really is. Spill any secrets, come on.

Tagged by Vilia, sorry it took ages.

1. Pengoleksi segala hal aneh

Mulai dari old high school diaries, scraps of papers containing angst poems and illustrations, ide untuk novel, tumpukan cerpen lama gak jelas, perangko tua dari berbagai negara, scarves, books, antique thingies, tas, sepatu... I'm an avid collector of things other people call junks. My mom can't stand that habit I do.

2. Boots

Saya penggemar boots. Ankle boots, especially, karena di Indonesia gak bisa pakai boots tinggi selutut, apalagi yang bahannya denim dan leather karena panas (though they look so cool and are such a waste in my shoe wardrobe). Any colors, grey, white, black, camel brown.. high heeled and pointy. Love 'em.

3. Can't stand liquor, but love them all the same

I love cold sips of champagne. Feel posh drinking wine. But a full glass knocks me out in no time. I once fainted after half a glass of champagne on empty stomach :D

4. Not an animal person

Burung, ayam, hamster, reptil, ikan, anjing, kucing - I only look at them. Don't let me get near them. Petrified to death.

5. Not a morning person. Definitely.

Self explanatory :D

6. A sucker for classic and young adult movies.

Suka sekali dengan film-film tahun 80an, dan film-film remaja. I love the Mighty Ducks, John Hughes movies, film-film dengan kostum jadul that reminds me of my mother in her high school pictures..

7. Terribly messy with numbers.

I prefer words to figures.

8. Suka membuat daftar untuk segala sesuatu

To-do lists, to-write lists, to-watch lists, to-read lists.. semua dijadikan daftar, ditulis di buku, sobekan kertas bekas, ujung dokumen, di handphone.. :D Nanti yang udah selesai di-highlight dan dicentang, terus dibuang. Kalau belum selesai nggak akan dibuang sebelum semuanya tercentang. I'm such a freak sometimes.

9. Not a social person

Susah berkenalan dengan orang baru dan gak pernah merasa nyaman in a room full of strangers :) that's my nature although it improves with time. I used to be one shy unsociable person who never spoke a word that made sense.

10... that's for me to keep and for you to find out (quoting from a book).


Perhaps you want to add to the list? Go ahead.

Rabu, 12 November 2008

I'm..

not quite myself lately.

I wonder why.

Rabu, 05 November 2008

Wish

Wish
6 November 2008, 4.13 pm


You

Wish for the love that will never end
For the charm that never runs out of luck
the chance that begins over and over again
like the river, like the sea
and the sky

to see the world turning on its axis
step your heels on foreign grounds
see a hundred different sunrises
feel the rush of the wind
till it carries you home

I wish you happiness
I wish you fortune
I wish you the magic
You have always yearned for


But
You know what I wish for?

You.
To stay.

Minggu, 02 November 2008

Kiss

Kiss

1 November 2008, Saturday, 1.24 a.m.

It was a kiss.

It was a kiss to be feared, for it took my breath away. Each breath exchanged spoke a thousand unsaid words. But I felt it as he breathed life into me, and I gave it back to him just so he could survive.

It was a kiss to be savoured. I knew it happened only once in a lifetime, like a pair of starcrossed lovers that only had the chance to meet once, then became stars in the sky, never crossing paths again.

It was a kiss to be remembered, because that was what memory was meant to do. It could memorize every detail like a sponge, bounce it back over and over again so that I would feel the same tingle by remembering it, just as if I were there.

It was a kiss to be mourned over. For the one time our lips touched, we would never be each other’s again. We knew it because it was what decency should be. Logic. Rationality. Not love, because love was never rational.

It was a kiss that joined two bodies. Barely touching but he felt my skin, I felt his and we were both burning with emotions we never ceased to understand. I did not want to figure it out because I did not have to, as long as I could feel them inside of me.

A fiery kiss as good as a passionate embrace, a kiss that was meant to last forever. Except it didn’t. When it ended, he walked away and never looked back. I sat alone like a fool, knowing I was never the same again.