1. Empire of The Sun – Walking on a Dream

THE soundtrack of my life at this moment.. *wink*

“Walking on a dream, how can I explain.. Never looking down I’m just in awe of what’s in front of me.. Catch me Im falling down.”

2. Lily Allen – Fuck You

She’s criticizing George Bush in this adorable song.. The video is just too cute!

“Fuck you very, very much. Cause we hate what you do and we hate your whole crew so please don’t stay in touch.”

3. MGMT – Kids

“Old stuff” from earlier this year. Still gets me going though

“Decisions to decisions are made and not fought, but I thought, this wouldn’t hurt a lot. I guess not.”

4. Gym Class Heroes – Cookie Jar

Years passed by, but this song never bores me. How I find the lyrics relatable is quite creepy :p

“Want you to be the one and my only, I want to be faithful but I can’t keep my hands out the cookie jar.”

5. TLC – I’m Good at Being Bad

TEN years and still one of the most awesome, original and strong RnB song. I miss them =(

“A good man is so hard to find… Well, actually, a hard man is so good to find.. YEA BABY!”

It’s been forever since the last time I wrote a real daily life posting here. Lately whenever I feel the urge to trash (it’s “nyampah” in Bahasa, can’t find the suitable word in English) I start trashing here, in my beloved blog. I’ve got facebook, twitter, and all those online “nyampah” facilities, but I still find this blog the most convenient place to spare my endless trashy thoughts. So pardon me, readers, if lately the postings tend to be so short and err.. spontaneous?

I have been drained with my life schedule, and it’s not like I didn’t predict this before. I was really enjoying it until the human side of me started to scream for mercy. I need some rest! Today’s presentation really drained the energy inside of me. I can’t even pinpoint which aspect of it is the main reason I feel so tired and inadequate afterwards. It just felt downright insane.

Packed in a very small room (who on Earth suggested we present there anyway?!), with people almost twice my age (well, +10 years mostly), presenting while I am being stared at without any proper distance from the audience. I couldn’t breathe! And it was nothing like talking in front of a bunch of teenagers I used to do back then. First 3 minutes, I totally lost it. Then I did what I do best: I blabbed.

I think I really need to learn to stick on what is written on the slides instead of jumping from one thought onto another inside my head. I never really read slides while presenting. I mean, the audience needs explanation, they don’t want to watch me read! But that method only works when the topic is mastered, otherwise, TODAY will happen. Shite. I so must redeem myself at the next presentation…

So today the “double degree” program has falter for the very first time. The presentation ended at 3.15 pm, and I knew it was impossible to catch my night class. My right brain class hehe.. So I had a quality time at home, realizing that this is exactly what I needed right now. 2 precious hours just drinking milk, munching mayo + cocktail fruits while spilling my crappy feelings to my mom.. perfect. Conclusion of discussion: My whinings won’t make them any younger or any more fashionable and or any more attractive. Just suck it up and live with it. And find a larger classroom next time!

Jakarta traffic has gone crazier and crazier by the day. It’s as if whatever of the many transportation options I choose, I’d still have to go through the same route, and it’s so heavily packed regardless of what time we pass there. I heard that the number of distressed people living in Jakarta has increased due to the traffic jam. They (who are they anyway?) say by the time 2014 arrives, there won’t be any space left on the roads for the vehicles in Jakarta to move. FANTASTIC.

Call me shallow, call me superficial. But one thing that has been my biggest concern while doing these contradictory studies is, the clothes I wear. At day, I must look “professional”, grown-up, serious, reliable, convincing, and educated. One small overdressing mistake, people would notice. “Why are you wearing this? What is that thing you’re wearing?” And all of a sudden it’s (one way or another) concluded that you’re not that smart or dependable after all. I mean young girl, just look at how dressed up you are!

But during the class where scissors, paints, sketches, and drawings are involved, my simplest shirt will get comments such as, “Wow, you look so formal today!”

Once I decided to change while in the parking lot. I was tired and didn’t really pay attention to the surroundings. When I hopped down and locked the car, this creepy dude was staring at me, and didn’t look away when I stared back. It was then that I realized how transparent the windows have become under those damn roof. Great.. A charity for those who need it the most.

And then there is the test. No I’m not talking about paper-pencil test (not for now at least). I am experiencing a major moral test at the moment, and it’s not even cute or funny or whatever *sigh* Suddenly I feel like talking to my “therapists”..

That’s all for now..

Play safe people! =D

X: As you know, I don’t look back. *shrugs snobbishly*
Y: So that’s why you never learn your lesson… *nods understandingly*

When I was first told that the word “kuchi” means “mouth” in Japanese, I thought to myself, “What a nice coincidence!”

Wanting to use a simple, catchy, yet meaningless name for my blog, it turned out that it has some sense of “philosophy” after all (err.. explaining what a “big mouthed” blog this is?)..

But when I decided to actually search for the definition of the word “kuchi”, how shocked was I to find this:

And the most shocking part is, even the second definition still goes with the blog content -_-

So when you ask: “What’s in a name?”
The answer is… “PLENTY, Shakespeare dear.”

-> Clearly he’s not a biologist since in Biology we believe in “nama membawa makna” (“there’s always a meaning behind a name”).

Well I should have known…

PS: There is actually another definition, but it was too inappropriate even for this blog. Go see for yourself.

“Clinical trials in developing countries often don’t include ethicists.”

Us Indonesians are so smart and creative that we’re capable of manipulating such complicated rules and regulations that corruption still run smooth up until now. If we can use others, why not use them? After we’re done with our needs and interests, just get rid of them.

“Diperlukan manis yang berguna bagi orang lain hanya untuk diserap habis dan dibuang sepahnya.” (Immitating Dewi Lestari on Filosofi Kopi)

So you pursue studies to developed countries, learn morals and ethics of being a decent and useful scientist. Then you go home to your beloved country only to have all your standards and idealisms smashed into pieces of “What? Dear, nobody cares about that here.”

Moral of the whining: move far away and never come back, be ignorant because our poor president has gotten too much burden on his shoulder already to even think about how to fund proper scientific researches. Just give up on Indonesia now.

PS: I’m (micro)blogging during lectures now because it keeps me awake & entertained. Viva blackberry!

Have you done anything useful for anyone today?

**

The picture was taken during my trip to Banjarmasin a few months ago. It was at Pulau Kembang, at the delta of Barito River which is also known for its floating market. See unique pictures of it here and here. The activity of the floating market only occurs for 1-2 hours right after sunrise (until around 7). It was the funniest breakfast experience I ever had, where we try to “catch” our foods and drinks from the “floating cafe”, altogether with people from other boats around us.

Anyway, one of the monkeys grabbed my Nikon lens cap (with string!) and until now my camera lens is still unprotected… Oh well.. Monkeys.

X: “Because even if we know it’s not good for us and it’s going nowhere, more often than not we just keep on lingering.. until a backup, a better backup shows up.”

Y: “… Are we still talking about my job?”

It’s not them..

It’s me.

**

Happy Idul Fitri!

Our professor told us in one of those devastating caffein-less lectures earlier this week (no morning coffee during Ramadhan for me!):

“The luckiest people are those with the most choices.”

So, instead of (just) investing money, why not start investing… CHOICES? =)

Here in Indonesia, we are familiar with the saying “tetangga adalah keluarga terdekat” (“our neighbors are our closest family”). When we run out of salt or pepper, sugar or spice, the first people we seek help from are our neighbors.

We were taught to help our neighbors when they get in trouble or undergo some sorts of difficulty and crisis (of course without crossing the line between being helpful and being a complete busybody )

I guess I am glad that we still have such proverb to teach to our children. Thanks to our ancestors’ wisdom and our country’s highly rich culture; not only don’t we feel the necessity to claim other’s belonging to declare our national identity, we also still have enough shame not to do such despicable thing.

Which THANK GOD did not happen again recently =)

A firestorm of Internet outrage over the supposed theft of the Balinese pendet dance for a Malaysian tourism ad turned out to be just hot air on Monday, when the Discovery TV network owned up and said that the dancers had appeared in one of its own TV promotions, and it was all a mistake anyway.

“Pendet is ours! Noordin M. Top is yours!” said one popular Twitter message, referring to the Malaysia-born terrorist suspect wanted in connection with the July 17 bombings in Jakarta. 

Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific regrets that the image of a Balinese dancer, sourced from an independent third party, was used in the promotion of the series ‘Enigmatic Malaysia.’ The promotional clip has been removed from all feeds.

source

Because even though we were taught to always help our neighbors and share with them, I don’t think sharing national treasures and a country’s territory is one of them. Innit that correct guvnah?

**

UPDATED 23 September 2009:

Noordin is dead, Alhamdulillah. Pendet is still Balinese, and I agree with some comments here saying all this can only be nonsense created to break us apart (Southeast Asian countries, particularly the ones with Muslim majority).

The truth is, Malaysia is the only country (other than Indonesia and Saudi Arabia) that provides washing up at the toilets. Shouldn’t that be telling a lot about who we are, how we live and respect ourselves? (sounds silly I know, but I mean this, people!) At least we clean ourselves up, so we must also remember to clear our hearts and minds, all the time.

It’s true that Indonesian media is open and very transparent-sometimes-provoking (especially after Soeharto era), which brings good and also bad. And yes it is our responsibility to be more careful in processing the informations given.

But referring to what is written above… we’re neighbors. We should love and respect and support each other. Neighbors shouldn’t steal from each other or call each other names. When some stranger from a faraway land visits your home and try to ruin your neighborhood, shouldn’t you unite with your neighbors and kick their sorry ass altogether?

And despite all these conflict, issue, name calling, and everything, most Indonesian girls still love VINCCI and Charles & Keith products anyway *wink*

So, peace please?