Merry Christmas!

Wishing everybody a very happy Christmas



Trivias to share:

My favorite Christmas song of all time is Sleigh Ride
my fave rendition is Michael Buble's A Grown Up Christmas List
favorite Christmas movies: Home Alone, Love Actually, Sleepless in Seattle (snow!)
fave Christmas album: In Love with Christmas
Christmas wishlist: to spend Christmas with my loved one(s)
Christmas tradition: mostly cuddling up on the couch, reading or watching a rerun of Christmas movie
What I'm doing right now: loading jazzy Christmas songs on YouTube after having family dinner and movie marathon with my hunie

This Christmas

The things I'd like Santa to put on oversized socks or underneath the Christmas tree:

- a brand new laptop, in white, please.
- an iPad, maybe? just for fun.
- new Onyx, in white.
- lots of books from my Amazon wishlist.

Despite the gadget-oriented wishlist, actually I don't really need any of the above.
I have enough, and I'm grateful for that :)

So, this Christmas I'll just ask for a nice day with you.

:rindu:

Perempuan itu dulunya sering menulis sampai malam. Menumpahkan segalanya di sana, di mana pedih menghasilkan deretan kata mendayu-dayu, dan bahagia menyisakan riang. Dalam lembaran-lembaran maya, mengisi kursor yang berkedip-kedip, ditemani secangkir teh hangat dan kudapan apa pun yang ada di atas meja makan.

Hari ini dia menyempatkan lima menit, yang kini sulit didapatkan untuk menulis. Lima menit dengan potongan es krim rasa butter scotch, membuka blog lamanya demi menuliskan beberapa paragraf yang mungkin tidak terlalu bermakna.

Semua karena ucapan seorang kawan lama mengenai tulisannya yang lama tak terlihat. Sebagian karena pembaca yang menanyakan kepastian buku terbarunya. Sisanya karena kekasihnya terus mendukungnya untuk menulis, dan menjadikannya inspirasi terbesar. Dan karena beberapa orang yang mengakui tulisannya indah menyentuh, walau lama ia sudah tidak merasakannya lagi.

Perempuan itu rindu menulis. Dan menulislah ia.

Christmas Eve & New Year's Eve CountDown Party at The U Coffee

Celebrating an Enchanted December
spend Rp. 250 000,- and get: free dory steak, 25k voucher, and a gift from underneath the Christmas tree

Join our Christmas Eve & New Year’s Eve CountDown Party
24 December 2010 / 31 December 2010
The more friends u bring, the more discounts u get!
free ginger bread
big-screen movies
fireworks
we’re open all night long!


The U Coffee, Bistro and Library
Jl. Tanjung Duren Barat 1 no. 12
West Jakarta
021-5664031
FB: The U Coffee Twitter: theucoffee

Our latest coffee house project: The U Coffee

You might be wondering what I'm up to these days..

Here's our latest coffee shop project. Tempatnya asyik banget untuk hangout, nongkrong dan ngopi.. ada private library-nya juga dengan koleksi buku yang oke. Makanan dan minumannya enak dengan harga affordable :) cocok buat yang cari tempat untuk dinner date, semi fine dining, sampai business meetings dan gathering atau book signing.


There’s a new fun place in town!



THE U COFFEE

What is the U?

We are a coffee bar
We are a café
We are a library
We are altogether fun in one place

‘The U’ is a one stop entertainment place to relax, refresh and gather, exactly your kind of place for those who enjoy a good ambiance for gathering with friends, work colleagues, clients, loved ones, or simply to have a relaxing me time.

Where is the U?

You can find us at:
Jl. Tanjung Duren Barat 1 no. 12
Jakarta Barat
Phone, fax, delivery: 021-5664031

Follow us for latest updates and special promo:
Twitter: twitter.com/theucoffee
Facebook: The U Coffee
Email: service@the-u-coffee.com

Why the U?


#1: Are you a coffee addict or tea lover? Don’t dismay – we have both! Perk up your mornings with our white chocolate latte or caramel latte for those who love a bit of extra sweetness, or The U macchiato and americano if you'd like something a bit stronger. If coffee is not your cup of tea, do try our ice blends (we love Black Forrest Ice Blend!) or our selection of tea.


#2: Our food is to-die-for. If you're up for brunch, try The U Special Breakfast or The U Caesar Salad. We recommend Bolognaise pasta and Lasagna for Italian food lovers, or steaks and The U Ribs with caramel sauce for those who prefer a hearty meal. Don't forget to try our famous French Toast for dessert and you're in for a very tasty treat.



#3: Our library has vast collections, from rare vintage literature to bestseller books in both English and Indonesian. We also provide a wide range of games, from classic Monopoly to challenging Sudoku, and much more!

#4: Just want to sit back and browse? We also offer free Wi-Fi for your laptops. Just inquire our receptionist for password and details.

#5: Our service and ambiance. Feel like a fresh change after a tiring day, just to sip a cup of hot coffee and read? Our ambiance is cozy and homey. Make yourselves at home, ‘disappear’ temporarily in the pages of a good book and lounge music, and let our staffs spoil you with our best service.

#6: We love communities! We love to hold book signings, launchings, community gatherings, bazaars and book swaps. Need a venue for your campus activities and club gathering? Feel free to contact us and we will try our best to help.

Are you looking for a cozy spot for brunch with friends?
Are you looking for a place for your birthday or anniversary party?
Perhaps you are planning a romantic candlelight dinner date for your loved one and want us to help in making the moment more memorable?

Drop by The U for a visit and we’ll make sure you love the experience.

Sweet November promo: only this month! Enjoy 20% off on weekdays and 10% off on weekends - all food and beverages. Get our special French Toast for a minimum purchase of Rp. 250 000,-

:)

Refrain masuk Long List Anugerah Pembaca Indonesia 2010!

Barusan seorang kenalan baru di Facebook memberitahu bahwa Refrain masuk long list Anugerah Pembaca Indonesia 2010, kategori fiksi sekaligus sampul buku fiksi. Wow. Nggak nyangka, karena saingannya adalah Dewi Lestari, Clara Ng, Andrea Hirata, dan penulis-penulis berbakat lainnya. Dan Refrain adalah satu-satunya teenlit yang masuk ke kategori tersebut.

Terima kasih banyak atas dukungan teman-teman sekalian, pembaca dan juga pihak Gagas Media, yang saya harapkan sampulnya menang saking kreatifnya :)

Mari ikuti poll-nya di sini, dan vote buku favorit kamu.

And if you vote for Refrain, thank you very much :) :) can't do this without you guys!

:night and day:

Just like night and day
They exist on the same sky
and complement each other

:us:

I am the whimsical dreamer
You are the logical realist

Kissing You (Miranda Cosgrove)

One of my favorite songs at the moment
somehow it always reminds me of you :)

Sparks fly it's like electricity
I might die, when I forget how to breath
You get closer and there's no where in this world I'd rather be
Time stops like everything around me is frozen
And all that matters are theese
Few moments when you open my mind to things I've never seen

Cuz when I'm kissing you my senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece I've been trying to find
Falls right into place you're all that it takes
My doubts fade away when I'm kissing you
When I'm kissing you it all starts making sense
And all the questions I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one should I really trust
How clear it becomes when I'm kissing you

Past loves they never got really far
Walls of pictures I've got in my heart
And I promise I wouldn't do this
Till I knew it was right for me
But no one, no guy that I met before
Could make me feel so right and secure
And have you noticed I loose my focus
And the world around me disapears

Cuz when I'm kissing you my senses come alive
Almost like the puzzle piece I've been trying to find
Falls right into place you're all that it takes
My doubts fade away when I'm kissing you
When I'm kissing you it all starts making sense
And all the questions I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one should I really trust
How clear it becomes when I'm kissing you

I've never felt nothing like this
You're making me open up
No point in even trying to fight this
It kinda feels like it's love

Cuz when I'm kissing you my senses come alive
Almost like the puzzel piece I've been trying to find
Falls right into place you're all that it takes
My doubts fade away when I'm kissing you
When I'm kissing you it all starts making sense
And all the questions I've been asking in my head
Like are you the one should I really trust
How clear it becomes when I'm kissing you

Day 9: photos that I took

I've been neglecting this blog for weeks, both intentionally and unintentionally. Been really busy these couple of weeks, so I apologize for any unreplied messages, ignored posts and unresponsive behavior of any kind.

Regarding my MEME challenge, yes I haven't been able to continue writing. Therefore rather than not finishing what I've started, I think I'll begin again, slowly this time. Whenever I have the time, I'll continue my MEME journals.

The next topic on the list is a photo that I took. I haven't taken lots of pictures recently, and I am not a very good photographer, even if I do enjoy photography and art. I've been on a trip to Taiwan recently, so I'll be posting some pictures that I took with my phone.

This is Shihlin Night Market, one of the most popular night markets in Taipei. A friend, Jean, told me that there are three popular night markets there, one famous for food (Gongguan, if I'm not mistaken), one famous for little knick knacks (Shihlin), and another famous for fashion.

Even though I only have one night to spend in Taipei, and I'd rather spend hours on an Eslite bookstore (where they film Au Revoir Taipei), I enjoyed Shihlin night market a lot. It was such fun to be on an overcrowded street, blending in with both locals and tourists. The smell of street stall food was in the air - we could have one of those red sticky round candies, or hot thick paste squid noodle soup. We could have barbecued beef or chicken or pork with sauce, and finish them off with refreshing frog eggs drinks (don't worry, they're not really frog eggs).

Shihlin Night Market consisted of long streets with lots of stores; trendy Korean style clothing, street stalls selling anything you could possibly think of, candies, snacks, food stalls.. it was so much fun roaming around, and the price range varied from downright cheap to really expensive.

The crowd started from around 6 in the evening and subsided when it got closer to 9 or 10. The market opened till midnight though, and it was such a hip place that everyone looked so trendy :)

Bargains: I got a French lounge music CD for only 2 bucks, some snacks and mouth watering food (loved the stinky tofu), a solar lucky cat stand, and my mom got a lime colored blouse.

Day 08 - a photo that makes me sad

Not going to post any photos here, but I will tell you a story about the photo that makes me sad.

Just flicking around the photos in my digital camera a while ago when I stumbled across the last one. It was of my family, on Chinese New Year around 4 years ago. My grandfather was on a wheelchair, not quite looking at the camera. He looked so frail and so old, it brought tears to my eyes.

He died 3 years ago. It was during the early weeks of Eid Mubarak, and I remember sitting on the hospital cafeteria, waiting. And then he was gone.

It was the first time a close family member died.

So when I looked at the photograph, I was constantly reminded of how it used to be, the trip we took to the zoo and arcade, the things he'd done when we were younger, the things he said, and the look on his face.

Day 06 - a photo that makes you happy

Photos of flowers, the sky, the ocean, lights, and Ferris wheels especially make me happy. So here's one from a website. I think it looks beautiful.

Out of every flower in the world, daisies are my favorites in a photograph. They look so spunky, energetic yet innocent. Not as elegant as lilies, not as beautiful as roses, not as strong as sunflowers, not as carefree as dandelions, but there's something so sweet and pure about daisies..

-muse-

I think of you..
and I write

:)

Day 06 - cerita mengenai langkah

Alkisah, ada seorang lelaki dan kekasihnya seorang perempuan. Sang lelaki terbiasa berjalan sangat cepat, langkahnya panjang, mantap dan tegas. Sedangkan sang perempuan, seberapa berusahanya dia untuk melangkah, seringkali tidak mampu sejajar dengan sang lelaki.

Suatu hari, sang lelaki dan sang perempuan sedang berjalan berdampingan. Sang lelaki mencoba berjalan lebih lambat, namun langkah-langkahnya yang panjang tetap menciptakan jarak antara ia dan kekasihnya. Sedangkan sang perempuan mulai tertinggal di belakang.

Sambil memandang ke depan, sang perempuan mendadak berhenti berjalan.
Sang lelaki menoleh ke belakang, kecewa karena perempuan itu berbuat demikian.
Sang perempuan hanya ingin tahu, apakah lelaki itu akan menunggu atau terus berjalan menjauh.

Malam itu, sang lelaki bercerita mengenai kisah sepasang kakek nenek yang sudah tua.

Sang kakek berjalan dengan sangat cepat, sedangkan sang nenek berjalan dengan sangat lambat. Suatu hari mereka terpisah cukup jauh. Namun sang kakek terus berpikir.. "Dia pasti tidak akan berhenti berjalan untuk menemukan aku" dan sang nenek juga berkata dalam hati, "Dia tidak akan meninggalkanku, dia pasti akan memperlambat langkahnya dan terus menunggu sampai aku datang."

Sang lelaki berkata, kepercayaan adalah segalanya yang membuat mereka demikian. Dan sejak saat itu, sang perempuan tidak pernah berhenti lagi.

Menulis yang seperti itu

Belakangan ini saya sungguh berhenti dari sejurus rutinitas yang biasanya jadi bagian besar dalam hidup saya. Baik itu menulis, membaca, menonton DVD tengah malam sambil mengemil apa pun yang tersedia di meja makan.. Yang paling saya rasakan adalah, betapa kesibukan demi kesibukan menghimpit dan menjadi prioritas saya.

Tidak salah, memang. Prioritas-prioritas tersebut pun adalah hal terpenting yang saya pilih dan menjadi komitmen saya.

Kadang, jujur saya kangen pada menulis blog dan cerpen-cerpen mellow.
Kadang, saya kangen duduk di balik meja kayu saya di kantor, menerima telepon, browsing dan BBM di sela-sela kerja. Di mana saya masih berangkat jam 8 dan pulang jam 5 teng, kadang lebih awal dari itu.
Kadang, semuanya terlihat mudah dulu.

Tapi tidak ada yang saya sesali. Rindu-rindu kecil tersebut adalah nostalgia. Mereka adalah fragmen masa lalu yang menjadi bagian dari hidup saya, dulu. Sekarang adalah sesuatu yang lain. Masa kini adalah saatnya saya membangun cita-cita saya sendiri, bersama dia, bersama orang-orang yang saya kasihi. Masa saya untuk beranjak dewasa dan meninggalkan sedikit jejak-jejak usang yang sudah sepatutnya ditinggalkan.

Mudah maupun tidak, itu adalah proses, dan saya tidak mengeluh.

Belakangan, saya mulai panik karena sudah lama berhenti menulis. Jari-jari saya belum kaku, walau kalimat kadang berhenti di tengah jalan dan otak saya tidak lagi berlari lebih cepat dari jemari saya di atas keyboard. Seringnya, saya kehabisan ide. Kehabisan karakter. Berhenti di tengah jalan.

Apa yang saya cari, sebenarnya?

Jujur, saya masih menunduk kepada stereotype - apa yang saya kerjakan dengan sangat baik, yaitu menulis teenlit. Kisah-kisah pahit manis remaja dan lika-liku cinta persahabatan, bukankah saya sangat familier dengan itu? Bukankah memang keahlian saya adalah meramu kisah Nata-Niki yang serupa?

Lalu bicara mengenai perkembangan kepada sesuatu yang serupa namun setingkat lebih tinggi - chicklit. Ah ya, saya sudah terbiasa menciptakan karakter yang savvy, independent walau centil, suka belanja, metropolitan. Baru-baru ini seorang Grace Aria menjadi karakter utama proyek terbaru saya, seorang wanita tigapuluhan, single dan mencari jati diri. Hey, mengapa dia terdengar seperti Maybella dalam Glam Girls yang saya tulis?

Apakah kamu percaya pada writer's block? Apakah kamu percaya bahwa kamu benar-benar berhenti menulis di saat kesibukanmu sedang menggunung, dan kamu ingin mencari tantangan baru, ide baru?

Alasan-alasan itu benar adanya. Untuk saya, saya bisa mengakui bahwa saya sedang ingin bersemedi. Saya tidak ingin menulis menjadi beban yang saya sempilkan di antara jam kerja, hanya karena saya harus menghasilkan sesuatu, apa saja, yang bisa membuktikan eksistensi. Saya tidak ingin menganggap menulis adalah sesuatu yang harus mendefinisikan saya dan menjadi tanggung jawab saya. Saya tidak ingin tunduk pada karya populer yang itu-itu saja.

Menulis adalah bagian dari saya. Dan seperti hari ini, entah mengapa saya diam dan ingin menghasilkan sesuatu. Cerita mengenai seorang gadis yang termenung di pinggir jendela, bergumul dengan isi pikirannya yang sendu. Secangkir kopi di atas meja, tidak tersentuh. Dan sisanya berlanjut begitu saja..

Seperti cerita Lola sang pelukis jalanan. Sumire yang wajahnya rusak dan terkena amnesia. Seperti Georgia yang dibunuh ayahnya karena melihat ibunya terbakar sampai mati.

Seperti.. seperti.

Day 05: favorite quote(s)

Saya seorang pengumpul quote. Kalau ada yang bagus, selalu saya tulis di status BBMlah, di FBlah, sampai punya buku sendiri khusus quote. Dari yang temanya persahabatan sampai cinta-cintaan, dan belakangan, hidup. Self reflecting. Cara pandang.

Smile, even though it's a sad smile, coz sadder than a sad smile is the sadness of not knowing how to smile.

Nggak begitu relevan, sekarang :)

Kalau dulu, beberapa quote favorit saya adalah yang bermakna khusus untuk saya, misalnya, love is a merry little elf dancing a jig, and then suddenly he turns on you with a machine gun. Nggak banyak temen-temen saya yang menangkap artinya seperti saya mengartikannya. Meanings to quotes are very personal.

Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakes - Carl Jung. Ini mengenai introspeksi diri dan pengenalan diri. Juga beberapa mengenai keindahan hati seseorang dan bagaimana untuk judge less, feel more, misalnya the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen by the eyes, but can only be felt with the heart - Hellen Keller.

Belakangan, quote-quote indah datang dari pujaan hati yang senang sekali membuat quote versinya sendiri, yang kadang lucu dan unik tapi sebenarnya sangat bermakna, kalau kita benar-benar menyesapinya.

Life is not perfect, so fill it with as many perfect moments as possible.

Waktu pertama kali di-SMS begitu oleh sang pacar, saya sempat bingung. Gimana, maksudnya? Tapi belakangan, bersama dia saya mengerti.. perfect moments have to be built. There are moments that we need to catch and make them ours.

Dan yang paling kami sukai - segala sesuatu indah pada waktunya.

:)

Day 04: Favorite book

Bolos sehari. Ga apa-apa lah ya, yang penting masih lanjut :) Favorite books sebenarnya banyak banget. Tapi yang dibaca di tahun 2010 dan benar-benar menyentuh hati cuma satu.

The Last Summer (of You and Me)
by Ann Brashares

Sebenarnya saya agak ragu dengan Sisterhood series-nya, tapi belakangan saya jatuh cinta setelah baca bukunya dan nonton filmnya. Bukan pada idenya, tapi seberapa besar pembaca bisa merasakan keterkaitan dengan karakternya. Dan menurut saya pribadi, The Last Summer ini adalah buku terbaik Ann Brashares. Saya belum baca buku terbarunya, My Name is Memory.

Kalau ditanya, saya suka baca buku seperti apa sih, yang lucu kah, adventure kah, yang chicklit kah.. jawabannya adalah, saya suka buku yang mellow. Buku mellow itu kayak apa? Ya seperti the Last Summer ini. Juga seperti Dogs of Babel. Seperti the Myth of You and Me. Nggak banyak saya menemukan buku-buku mellow yang bagus.. dan biasanya kalau menemukannya, saya akan betul-betul menyukainya.

The Last Summer adalah buku dewasa Brashares yang pertama. Dewasanya pun untuk kalangan 20an. Ceritanya mengenai Alice, Paul dan Riley yang tumbuh besar bersama. Alice adalah sang adik yang menggemaskan, cantik, lembut dan penyayang. Riley adalah sang kakak perempuan tomboy yang bekerja sebagai lifeguard di pantai, kuat, punya kepemimpinan tinggi, cuek. Paul.. laki-laki di rumah sebelah yang sensitif dan merupakan kawan baik Riley sejak kecil.

He had missed two summers. She couldn't imagine how he could do that. Without him, they had been shadow seasons. Feelings were felt thinly, there and then gone.... In some ways, she was always waiting for him.

Begitu dewasa, semakin Paul dan Alice merasa saling memiliki. Ketertarikan mereka pada satu sama lain makin kuat, sampai akhirnya mereka berpacaran tanpa sepengetahuan Riley. Dan Riley punya penyakit berbahaya yang bisa membunuh kapan saja.

It was the same beach, the same sun. The same shirt and pants. The same girl walking beside him. And yet somehow different.

Ini hanya cerita biasa. Tapi bukan juga cerita biasa.

Bahasanya sangat indah. Prosa demi prosa mengalir lembut, subtle, penuh makna, tanpa harus ribet dan berat. Setiap dialog punya arti di baliknya yang benar-benar bikin mikir. Alice dan Paul punya off screen chemistry yang bikin kita merasa.. how can two people feel like that about each other?

Day 03: Favorite TV Program

Baru hari ketiga, tapi udah hampir absen dan bolos satu entry. dan edisi hari ini nggak pake (s) alias plural alias banyak. Hari ini temanya: satu TV program favorit.

I'm thinking of a lot of programs, from the silly ones and cartoons like Upin and Ipin (love!), Doraemon, Dexter's Laboratory, Sailor Moon.. TV quizzes as Who wants to be a millionnaire, Family 100 (old times!).. and dramas like Sex and the City, House, Lipstick Jungle.

Tapi kayaknya hari ini saya hanya mau membahas satu: America's Next Top Model.

Kenapa?

It's fun! Nonton remaja-remaja berlomba-lomba jadi model, catfights and arguments, photoshoots, challenges.. Saya paling suka proses pemotretannya, dan waktu judging di mana kita bisa melihat hasil pemotretannya. Saat photoshoot mungkin terlihat sulit, tapi hasilnya kelihatan flawless. Dan sebaliknya.

And we're never sure who's gonna win. That's the best part.

Biasanya saya akan punya favorit di setiap season. Belakangan, kandidat favorit saya di season 13, Nicole Fox, menang menjadi petite model Amerika yang pertama. Dan lucunya, biasa favorit saya selalu masuk setidaknya Top 5 atau Top 2.. misalnya Natasha Galkina, Marjorie Conrad, Chantal Jones..

Marjorie

Season pertama yang saya tonton kalau nggak salah adalah season 6 atau 7.. I'm not exactly sure. Pemenangnya adalah Caridee English, dengan Melrose di posisi kedua, dan si kembar Michelle dan Amanda. Konsep pemotretannya high fashion, semua kontestannya berbakat, dan konflik 'domestik'nya juga berasa.

Chantal

Sejak saat itu saya menonton back to back episodes-nya di YouTube. Agak kecewa juga karena belakangan episode-nya semakin membosankan, dan kadang ada kesan judge favoritism seperti pada gadis Asia (yang sampai sekarang belum pernah menang ANTM), plus-sized model (Whitney, misalnya, yang menang walau menurut saya season ini kontestan Top 5-nya nggak menarik), dan beberapa orang yang seharusnya lanjut tapi tereliminasi.

Natasha

Tapi sejauh ini saya menilai para judge, terutama Tyra, cukup fair. I love her concepts, and even though she and the rest of the judges can get so quirky and corny sometimes.. it's in a good way.

And till today, watching the final runway never fails to give me goosebumps.

Day 02: favorite movie(s)

Berhubung saya cukup cinta nonton film, saya agak kebingungan memilih film mana saja yang pernah saya tonton dan saya suka setengah mati. Tapi rasanya, saya akan menulis tentang film-film yang sudah saya nonton beberapa kali dan sama-sekali nggak pernah bosan, dan sampai sekarang masih membekas di ingatan.

1. A Little Romance (1979) - Laurence Olivier, Diane Lane, Thelonius Bernard

Film jadul yang saya tonton di tahun 90an, di sebuah stasiun TV lokal. Masih teringat sampai belasan tahun kemudian, betapa saya suka adegan terakhirnya di mana Diane Lane dan Thelonius Bernard yang masih berumur dua belasan, berciuman di bawah Bridge of Sighs di Venice. Akhirnya saya menemukan DVDnya di Amazon dan sampai sekarang merupakan koleksi favorit saya.

Ceritanya mengenai seorang remaja Amerika (Diane Lane) yang tinggal di Perancis mengikuti ayah angkatnya, lalu bertemu dengan pemuda Perancis penyuka blockbuster (Thelonius Bernard). Karena karakter Diane Lane akan pindah ke Amerika, mereka berdua memutuskan untuk melarikan diri ke Venice. Menurut legenda yang diceritakan oleh seorang pria paruh baya (Laurence Olivier), sepasang kekasih akan mendapatkan cinta abadi saat berciuman di bawah Bridge of Sighs.

Kedua karakternya begitu hidup, dan cerdas. Mereka sama-sama berpikir, bagaimana di antara sekian banyak orang, mereka bisa menemukan the one? Bagaimana mereka yang tidak fit in dengan teman-teman sebaya mereka yang kekanakan, bisa menemukan seseorang yang benar-benar cocok?

Memorable quote: BINGO!

2. Titanic (1997)- Leonardo di Caprio, Kate Winslet

Masih ingat saya nonton film ini sekeluarga saat baru pindah rumah, dan setelahnya saya berbaring di atas kasur dan tumpukan koran, memikirkan betapa tragisnya kisah tersebut.

Romance yang dipadukan dengan tragedi epik semacam ini berhasil. Karakternya juga bukan hanya tipikal Romeo Juliet biasa. Setiap adegannya bermakna. Dan Leonardo di Caprio di sini ganteng sekali :)

Memorable quote: You jump, I jump.

3. A Moment to Remember - Son Ye Jin

Pertama kalinya sungguh-sungguh menyukai film Korea dan Son Ye Jin selalu menjadi aktris favorit saya. Ceritanya tidak terlampau dramatis, justru menurut saya sedikit whimsical dan sinematografinya indah sekali. Semakin ke belakang, karakter-karakternya semakin tergali, menunjukkan ketakutan terbesar mereka, apa yang menyakiti mereka, dan bagaimana mereka bereaksi saat panik dan ketakutan.

Endingnya juga dibuat menggantung - happy ending kah, walau kita semua tahu sebenarnya akhirnya akan tragis?

4. When Harry Met Sally (1989) - Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal


Lucu! Komedi romantis yang satu ini belum ada yang bisa mengalahkan, kalau menurut saya. Dialog demi dialog sangat manusiawi dan cerdas, karakter keduanya sangat natural dan chemistry-nya juga dapet (walau saya lebih suka Meg dengan Tom Hanks di You've Got Mail dan Sleepless in Seattle). Rasanya kita bisa mengerti ketakutan dasar dan perasaan keduanya, bagaimana rasanya mencari soulmate, kehilangan mereka, jatuh cinta lagi, suka tapi benci, man-woman friendship..

I have a good time watching this one, really.

Memorable quote: I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible.

Film-film lain yang saya suka, berdasarkan genre:

romance: Closer, If Only, Wicker Park, the Painted Veil, Forget Paris, Sleepless in Seattle
drama: the Reader, Juno
action: Minority Report, Eagle Eye, the Transformers (yang pertama, bukan yang kedua), Inception
foreign: (chinese) Painted Skin, A Time to Love, So Close, (japanese/chinese) Longest Night in Shanghai, About Love, (french) Love Me if You Dare
comedy: the Hangover

Day 01: favorite song(s)

Dalam rangka memulai hari-hari dengan MEME, maka inilah posting pertama saya, yaitu mengenai lagu-lagu favorit (karena memilih satu sangat susah, dan memilih beberapa pun harus dibantu dengan seleksi lewat iTunes) :)

1. One and Only - Teitur


Lagu wedding proposal yang sangat.. unik. Saking inspiratifnya lagu ini, saya membuatnya menjadi judul sekaligus isi utama song fiction saya dari seri Saya, Kamu dan Dia episode ketiga, di mana Laura memberikan lagu ini sebagai kado cintanya yang terbesar untuk si lelaki, yang akan melamar teman baik Laura.

Laura adalah seorang karakter yang merupakan hopeless romantic, sekaligus penyendiri. Dia kontradiktif - pembenci keramaian, namun rela berdesakan demi konser Coldplay. Tidak suka boyband, namun gembira alang kepalang saat melihat CD Kings of Convenience satu dolaran dari pasar loak. Dan lagu inilah yang dipilihnya, di antara ratusan lagu love confessions lain yang romantis.

I've been wishing on a star but I never could have imagined
I would land just where you are after all this lonesome travelling
Took one look in your eye, reached out to hold your hand
This is when I realized what I could never understand

Do you want to be my one and only love?

2. Shape of My Heart - Backstreet Boys


Mengalahkan puluhan lagu favorit saya dari band yang sama. Entah mengapa. Dan liriknya terasa begitu honest, begitu real, dan disandingkan dengan video klip serba biru, rasanya pas banget.

I'm here with my confession
Got nothing to hide no more
I don't know where to start
But to show you the shape of my heart

3. Hazy - Rosi Golan

Saking cintanya dengan duet Rosi Golan dan William Fitzsimmons dengan suara mellow keduanya yang saling melengkapi dengan sempurna, saya membuat satu playlist khusus di iPod yang hanya memuat satu lagu ini saja, sehingga lagunya berputar berulang kali sampai saya bosan. Dan saya jadi ingin belajar gitar demi memainkan lagu ini.

Liriknya pun sederhana. Seperti pertanyaan-pertanyaan inosen yang diajukan kepada sang kekasih, yang bersumber dari ketakutan terdalam dari diri sang penanya.

What if I fall and hurt myself?
Would you know how to fix me
What if I went and lost myself?
Would you know where to find me
If I forgot who I am,
Would you please remind me oh?
Cause without you things go hazy

4. She's My Kind of Rain - Ryan Cabrera


Versi favorit adalah saat seseorang menyanyikannya secara akustik, dengan gitar, sehari sebelum saya berangkat ke luar negeri. Katanya ini adalah lagu yang dinyanyikan Tim McGraw dan ditulis untuk istrinya, Faith Hill.

She's the sun set shadows
She's like Rembrandt's light
She's the history that's made at night
She's my lost companion
She's my dreaming tree
Together in this brief eternity
Summer days, winter snows
She's all things to behold

5. I Will Be Here - Steven Curtis Chapman

The kind of song played on weddings. Liriknya sederhana saja.. I will be here, no matter what. Itu intinya :)

Masih ada ratusan lagu favorit saya, sesuai dengan mood.. so I'm categorizing based on genre:

oldies and mushy songs: Have I Told You Lately that I Love You, (Rod Stewart), It Might Be You (Steven Bishop), Fallen

pops and mellows: Iris (Goo Goo Dolls), John Mayer, James Morrisson, William Fitzsimmons, James Blunt

lagu-lagu penyemangat: It's My Life/My Confessions (Glee OST), Imitation of Life (REM), Save Tonight (Save Ferris), I'll Be Alright (Anggun)

songs that remind me of you: When you say nothing at all (Ronan Keating), Don't know much (Aaron Neville and Linda Ronstadt), You're Beautiful (James Blunt), Vanilla Twilight (Owl City) and loads more

-dan inilah akhir dari posting pertama saya, untuk MEME-

30 days of MEME

Berawal dari blognya Marie Olive yang menganjurkan saya untuk ikutan 30 days of MEME.. idenya adalah menuliskan satu topik yang berbeda setiap harinya di blog, kurang lebih seperti 30 hari menulis blog *iya, secara rutin, nggak pakai lompat sehari atau lupa hehehe*

MEME sendiri adalah ide yang ditularkan. Dengar-dengar 30 days of MEME sedang booming di MP, dan saya tertarik untuk mencobanya karena:

1. Saya sudah terlampau sering menelantarkan blog.
2. Saya butuh alasan untuk menulis lagi, apa pun jenisnya.
3. Idenya menarik.
4. It's gonna be fun *and errrr, hard, too*
5. I'd like to be part of it.

Jadi, berikut adalah list MEME:

Day 01- Your favourite song
Day 02 - Your favourite movie
Day 03 - Your favourite television programme
Day 04 - Your favourite book
Day 05 - Your favourite quote
Day 06 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 07 - A photo that makes you happy
Day 08 - A photo that makes you angry/sad
Day 09 - A photo you took
Day 10 - A photo of you taken over ten years ago
Day 11 - A photo of you taken recently
Day 12 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 13 - A fictional book
Day 14 - A non-fictional book
Day 15 - A fanfic
Day 16 - A song that makes you cry (or nearly)
Day 17 - An art piece (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc.)
Day 18 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 19 - A talent of yours
Day 20 - A hobby of yours
Day 21 - A recipe
Day 22 - A website
Day 23 - A YouTube video
Day 24 - Whatever tickles your fancy
Day 25 - Your day, in great detail
Day 26 - Your week, in great detail
Day 27 - This month, in great detail
Day 28 - This year, in great detail
Day 29 - Hopes, dreams and plans for the next 365 days
Day 30 - Whatever tickles your fancy

Sounds fun? Ikutan, yuk.

News Flash

Ookay I have not updated this blog for ages, it seems. I apologize. Do miss writing dearly.
Some news flashes:

I was on TV One on July 11, talking about my books and writing.

Was on Pesta Buku Jakarta the week before that, also talking about inspirations and writing. Met a couple of readers there, and got to meet my writing partner for Pink and Black, Layla. I wasn't expecting it, so I was ecstatic.

Was on an interview with Cosmo Girl last month, talking about writing, writers' block, etc with Arlin, one of their journalists. It was fun. Plus, I was wearing Vilici design by Vilia, it was a wonderful creation of a necklace :) thank you, Vilia.

Am going to be a judge in Gagas Media Romance Writing Competition :) have you joined yet?

Without you things go hazy

what if I fall and hurt myself,
would you know how to fix me
what if I went and lost myself,
would you know where to find me
if I forgot who I am
would you please remind me
oh cause without you things go hazy

:happy couple secrets:

Happy Couples: What It Takes to Be One
Love alone won’t see you through, say the experts
By Elizabeth Heubeck
WebMD Feature
Reviewed by Cynthia Dennison Haines, MD

The sight of a couple sharing a joke and walking hand in hand, their faces lined with wrinkles, and their hair gray, begs the question: How did they remain a happy couple for so many years? Given that about half of all first marriages for men and women under 45 end in divorce, it's a legitimate question. So at WebMD, we asked the experts to reveal the secrets of happy couples. Their revelations may surprise you.

"It's not about how much you love each other, or how much money you have, or even if your personalities mesh," says Howard Markman, PhD, leading marriage researcher, co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies at the University of Denver, and author of Fighting for Your Marriage: Positive Steps for Preventing Divorce and Preserving a Lasting Love.

Far more significant than these factors -- yes, even more important than heart-pounding lust, which, let's face it, often fades over time -- is communication, says Markman. How well you and your spouse communicate with another? The second most significant factor that happy couples share, he says, is a strong friendship.

While you can't necessarily teach a couple how to be friends, you can teach good friends how to communicate better. Markman regularly tackles this task, using a research-based method derived from data that he and his colleagues at the University of Denver have collected over decades of systematically observing unhappy and happy couples.
Happy Couples: Developing Healthy Habits

Markman offers three important ingredients of happy couples:

* Avoid blowouts.

"The first is to learn to talk without fighting about inevitable conflicts," Markman says. Making a concerted effort to see the other person's perspective, and avoiding the blame game of "she said" or "he did," goes a long way.

When things appear to be hedging toward a blowout, Markman urges couples to do what parents often tell young children: Take a "time out." It's a tactic he calls "exiting out of destructive fighting."

* Recall the positive.

As parents often ask a child stewing in the time-out corner what she could have done differently, Markman suggests that couples in conflict take time to consider what brought them together in the first place. Then, he says, make room for those factors in your life again. "You've got to protect and preserve those positive connections -- the friendship, the fun," Markman tells WebMD. These are aspects of marriage that happy couples keep intact.

* Look to the future.

While turning the clock back can help couples rekindle lost connections, Markman urges couples to simultaneously look forward. "You've got to have a long-term vision of the future, shared dreams, and plans that represent a commitment to one another and your family," he says.


just wants to share this article.

:scents:

I have developed a new obsession.

Scents.

I've always been curious about scents - the smell of newly published books and glossy magazine covers, the scent of clothes, food, nature in general.
But my curiosity with fragrances is rather new. And late, I should say.

I'm always on the lookout for a fragrance that could describe me perfectly. Roughly, the perfect scent would be one in which there is no headache when I (or other people) sniff it, sheer, slightly floral, the slightest bit powdery, and not overwhelming. Something simple, perhaps. Not one that exuberates power, or feistiness, or masculine, woody or overly musky scents, because I'm not either of those adjectives. Not too fruity or too sweet either.

The thing is, I'm easily bored. I used to have a bottle of DKNY Apple that my friend adored so much, only to pass it on before I emptied the whole bottle. I used to wear Mark and Spencer's waterlily fragrances, the Body Shop white musk and cassis rose and lotus petal, Burberry London (much too strong, to my dismay), Lacoste, Elizabeth Arden Green Tea, and a couple forgettable others.. but I haven't found the one, yet.

I fall in love with Bvlgari Voile de Jasmin though, during a short trip to the department store, accompanied by this highly skilled salesman aka perfumista. I hope I'm not getting bored of the whole 100ml soon :) so far I have never restocked a perfume just because I love it too much.

Others I'm happy about: JLo Glow
The ones boyfriend loves: Clinique Happy and Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea

:man:

” I, with a deeper instinct, choose a man who compels my strength, who makes enormous demands on me, who does not doubt my courage or my toughness, who does not believe me naive or innocent, who has the courage to treat me like a woman.”

- Anais Nin -

:at the crossroads:

My life has always been at crossroads. It is extremely rare that I know exactly what I want in life. I'm almost always consumed by emotions such as anger, curiosity, confusion - all of which contribute nothing and are powered by my insecurity and uncertainty about my choices.

I've had chances and choices, most of which I neglect because of my risk aversion tendencies. I always fear getting hurt, getting blistered, losing (trust, love, people, things, money, freedom) that I position myself as having no choice. Perhaps that is why I never learn. People who learn are those who have been through difficult things, not those who thwart problems in the other direction or ducking, evading, barely making it possible for them to learn something from their problems.


I'm that person that ducks. I'm too busy ducking to realize why.

He just makes me realize that.

I'm now at another crossroad - I'm not sure what I am doing. And instead of running away, I think I'm going to stick around now. Just in case.

I should be the one who's in control of my own life, and every condition involved in it.
Another mission - if I don't know what I want, I should be on a journey to find it.

It's going to be a long and tough journey, but it should be worth it.
I have someone by my side, anyways :)