It’s spring and I’m oh so corny.

The best season of the year finally comes. I love to feel the warmth of the sun on my skin, to feel the warm breeze on my face. The flowers are blossoming beautifully in ocher and turquoise. The birds are chirping frantically in the clear blue sky. Life seems so beautiful and glittering. Happy spring!

I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. I see skies of blue and clouds of white. The bright blessed day, the dark sacred night. The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky. Are also on the faces of people going by.

And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Win-lose

“Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose.”

-Ayrton Senna

Quickie Express

I watched an Indonesian movie called Quickie Express last weekend. It was played in the CinemAsia Film Festival 2008 in Rialto Cinema Ceinturbaan, Amsterdam. The screenwriter, Joko Anwar, also attended the event. The story is about a poor 27-year-old Jojo (Tora Sudiro) who couldn’t do anything right even in his simple job. After a few job changing, he got recruited to become a gigolo in a club called Quickie Express. The story flows from there. Overall, this comedy movie itself is a fun experience, with some very funny moments. The concept of the movie is unique, and the cinematography, like most of Joko Anwar’s movies, is great! The two-hour movie successfully makes me laugh, and not only once or twice, but several times. OK there are some tasteless jokes and unnecessary scenes, but maybe such corniness are needed to make the movie “memorable”. I personally dislike the twin sisters scene, bah, corny. But I was totally impressed with the performance of some of the senior casts, such as Ira Maya Sopha, Tio Pakusadewo and Rudy Wowor. Also, Tora Sudiro, Aming and Lukman Sardi are a perfect trio for the movie. Overall, I give 8 out of 10 for QE. I paid 7.5 Euros for the admission ticket, and it was worth every cent. Also, I was fortunate enough to chat with Joko Anwar in person for a few minutes after the movie. He was really nice and friendly! Bravo to Joko Anwar and to QE director Dimas Djayadiningrat! Hope to seeing more of their great works in the future!

Glenn Fredly in The Hague.

Two thumbs up for Glenn Fredly!! His concert last night in Paard van Troje, The Hague was really entertaining and full of energy! The concert that lasts for about 2 hours was such a sheer joy to watch from start to finish. Amongst the songs performed were Januari, Akhir Cerita Cinta, Sekali Ini Saja, You’re My Everything, Kisah Romantis, High and Dry, Let’s Stay Together, Most Beautiful Girl in the World, and many more. Glenn was really friendly towards the audience. He even asked a female audience from the crowd to come to the stage. Embarrassingly, an uninvited female fan climbed up the stage even faster than the other girl, resulting in a series of hilariously awkward situations. Glenn was singing and dancing with the invited girl whilst the saxophonist was politely playing beside the uninvited girl. In the end of the song, the uninvited fan refused to leave the stage. She was holding to Glenn tightly, ignoring the booing audience. Finally, the securities solved the problem. .haha! All in all, the concert went smoothly. My salute to Glenn and his super-talented band! Thanks to Kemal, Chaki, Bacum, Teri and Meity for giving me and my boyfriend the tickets! We had an absolute great time! Below you can enjoy a short footage of Glenn singing You’re My Everything. Click here if you want to see more pictures of last night’s concert.

Sekolah Kami

A short clip from “Perempuan Berkarya” about Sekolah Kami.

If I was a president…

My mother sent me an email yesterday telling me a story about what had recently taken place in Sekolah Kami. Last week, a number of student union members from SMP 252 came to pay a visit to meet the children in Sekolah Kami. During their visit, they held a session where each Sekolah Kami student was asked to stand in front of the class to say out loud their “If I was a president” aspirations. My mother was there watching when an 8-year-old conveyed his wish. The little kid said, “Andai Aku jadi Presiden, aku mau buat SEKOLAH KAMI yang banyak biar lebih banyak lagi anak2 miskin kaya aku yang bisa sekolah”, my mom wrote in her email. My mom burst into tears when she heard such sincere hope coming from an underweight 8-year-old whose parents work as scavengers. Apparently I had the same reaction just reading the lines in her email. An 8-year-old with a heart larger than life. The naiveness and the unselfishness of his dream touched my heart to its deepest depth. He has been given the chance to go to school. And he wants other kids like him get the same chance. Do not just rely on the government, together we can also help the children of our nation achieving their noble dreams, in any possible way.