Journey of A Girl with A Camera Tatoo - A Blog

The picture above is a snapshot of my beloved friend's blog.  The blog itself is quite new, but the girl who made it is one of my old friends.

Her name is Lisa.  She's a photographer.  Right now, she's working as a wedding photographer, in Edward Suhadi Production.  

I knew Lisa while we're at Tarumanaga University ages ago, we met in our University Choir.  Both of us are Altos, but she has better voice than me hahaha...  Our singing time together has long gone.  I don't even singing in a choir anymore, but Lisa until a few years ago still do.  Until her work almost take over her life - hyperbola mode on.

I don't think I realize her talent in photography, maybe because at that time, owning a digital camera was a luxury.  Even mobile phone was still a new thing back then.  

Later, after every one of my friends has their own life and work, I began to see her talent. And I must say, she's good.

Back in June 2014, both of us went to Bali, to attend another of my (our) friend get married.  Because it was a small wedding, almost every person that come to the wedding has a job to do.  But not Lisa.  She's purely come as a guess.  (Well some are also come as a guess, but mostly were come because they has a job to do).  Nowadays, digital camera is a common thing. And Lisa, as a photographer, hardly leaves without her camera.  The moment the bride arrived at the church, she's already taking pictures.  Maybe not as much as when she's working, but still...she's taking pictures.  

 

My friend, Dito and I, quite jealous of her hahaha...because we want to have eyes like her (and Eric, another friend of ours).  We want to be able to see the beauty and capture it.  I think the ability to capture it was the important part.

Her works nowadays is not just for wedding, although maybe mostly are from wedding, but I know she also works for family pictures, even for clothing lines and beauty lines too.

She's really talented, and yet still eager to learn new things.

So...if you please go to her website lisamargaret you can see some of her works and her journey.

I'm so proud to call her my friend.

(proof that I really know her hahahaha)

Broadway ke Java 2014

On August 2014, on behalf of Bibie's request, some of us gathered for lunch.  I think it was on Eid al-Fitr holiday.  Anyway, before I go to the place where we're going to have lunch, I decided to go to Starbucks on Skyline Building first, to meet Lisa.  Lisa was already there  when I finally arrived.  She apparently wasn't alone, she was with her friend. After a standard introduction, we got to talk, and I simply forgot what we talked about at first, but we suddenly talked about Broadway Musical.  He, Lisa's friend was a he, he said that there will be a performance that will show some snippets from Broadway musical on September.  As we said goodbye later, I said to him, as he wasn't coming with us, that I will be waiting for the invitation.

August went away then come September.  I keep remembering the information that tucked on the back of my mind.  I keep waiting for the invitation.  When I was planning on texting Lisa, she texted me first and voila...she asked me to accompany her to Broadway ke Java.

Broadway ke Java [Broadway goes to Java] was held from 26-28 September 2014 at Ice Palace, Lotte Shopping Avenue.  If you can see the picture, you'll see that on Saturday and Sunday, they have 2 shows; matinee or 12 o'clock show and afternoon show.  Lisa asked me to choose. After talked to her back, about her schedule, we decided to watch the show on the Saturday at 7 pm.

There was some misinformed on Lisa's part, so we're late to attend the show.  We arrived at the door at 7.45 pm, thinking that the show was started at 8pm, so we're late. But, since we arrive precisely at the end of one number, we're allowed to enter, but can't get to our seat.  So we stand near the door, right by the stage, and watch the show from there.  What we saw? A song from The Producers, "Keep It Gay".  Love it!! I really can feel my eyes got bigger, my smile got wider, and try to listen the words carefully.

Brodway ke Java have 2 Act and each act consist of 8 songs or numbers.  

Act 1

• The New World (Songs For A New World)
• Live In Living Color (Catch Me If You Can)
• You Don't Know (Next To Normal)
• The Song That Goes Like This (Spamalot)
• With You (Ghost)
• Keep It Gay (The Producers)
• One Night Only (Dreamgirls)
• LaVie Boheme (Rent)

Act 1

• Biggest Blame Fool (Seussical The Musical)
• Omigod You Guys (Legally Blonde The Musical)
• Heart (Damn Yankees)
• Love Is My Legs (Dirty Rotten Scoundrel)
• My Stronger Suit (Aida)
• If Only (The Little Mermaid)
• One Day More (Les Miserables)
• Evolution Of Broadway

From 16 numbers, I only familiar with The Producers, Dreamgirls, Rent, Aida, and Les Miserables. But surprisingly I kinda like "Heart" from Damn Yankees.  The song was catchy.  And I like the tenor hahaha.  If Only from The Little Mermaid was also good.

The show was played by JPAC, Jakarta Performing Arts Community, which started out as a group of friends who just love to perform, loves theater in all form, acting dancing singing.  Broadway ke Java was JPAC wasy to convey that Broadway appeals to everyone, can appeals to everyone.  (Taken from the book program :D)

I think, since it's "only" a community, I don't expect elaborate costume and props.  Their props was only a big screen and 2 large blocks that can be used as a small stage or a bench to seat.  That's it. The music was minus one, I think.  But the singing was real hahaha.  And they CAN sing.  At least to my ear I don't hear any bad tone.  Some mic having a little trouble, or when four people singing together one voice is stronger than the other.  A little bit annoying but I can tolerate it.

And also, I think, since it's "only" a community, the performers were not a professional performers.  So I don't expect great dancers, although I do expect that they at least can carry a tune (they can). 

After every two songs, the have some kind of "intermission" that kinda explain a little about the next number. This little intermission was like a little comedy sketch.  At first I'm a little confuse about this intermission.  Then Lisa explained, that that was a little intermission.  I think it gives the performer to catch a breath or get ready for the next number.  But near the end, the audience was getting bored with the intermissions, because it felt like they don't have anything fresh or not even funny.  Some even groan when the intermissions happening.  I don't know if they really dislike it, or they just teased them.  

Overall...I really enjoy the performance.  I don't really care about the props or the costume, as long as they can sing, then it's ok on my book.  Beside, the number that were performed don't have lots of dancing number, although...I find it quite annoying when there's a dancing number but you don't dance seriously.

But I do wish that before they sing the song, at least they played or perform some act that lead to the story, because not everyone knows the story. And...instead of little intermission, I would rather have someone explained a little about the play or about the performance, make it look like a Tony award hahaha...

On December, they were planning on performing "A Nightmare Before Christmas" for children.  Let see if I can ask Ingrid to see those.

The Assassin's Blade - Sarah J. Maas

The Assassin's Blade is a prequel of The Throne of Glass series, which I just found out will consist of 6 books #facepalmed#. The face palmed is not because I don't like the book, but because I enjoyed it so much that I don't think I have the patient to wait for 6 books. After Harry Potter, I don't think I have the patient anymore hahahaha. 

(Why do I always bring HP to the conversation??)

Anyway, even though The Assassin's Blade is the prequel, the book itself was released in 2014, after the release of The Throne of Glass in 2012 and Crown of Midnight, the second book of The Throne of Glass series, in 2013. So I feel lucky that I haven't read TOG and COM, so I can really enjoy TAB more. 

I don't know what made me like the book. Maybe I like the title, Throne of Glass, or maybe I like the synopsis, about an assassin, a young girl assassin. No matter what, I felt that I like the book (series) instantly. 

And TAB doesn't dissapoint me. TAB is a novella, which I found out that it mean was consist of some short stories. The setting in TAB happened before the story in TOG begin. 

Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom’s most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin’s Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.

When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord

The Assassin and the Healer

The Assassin and the Desert

The Assassin and the Underworld

The Assassin and the Empire

If you have read TOG then you know what will happen to Celaena and you know that this story won't end in happy ending. Knowing me, it should make me dislike this book, but since the story is so good, I really enjoyed it. 

I like Celaena. I like her ability, her confidence, her pride, even though sometimes I think she's a little too proud, too arrogant, but I think she's all that because she's so sure about her ability. 

I also like her relationship with Sam. Although for me, it's a little too fast.  I mean, at the beginning Celaena was described as a girl who doesn't like Sam. There were some kind of rivalry between them. Even though Sam was a year older than Celaena, she's always better than Sam and she's chosen to be the protege and heir of Arobynn Hamel instead of Sam. When Hamel sent Celaena and Sam on a mission together, Celaena start to see Sam in a different way, a little bit, especially after what happened in the pirate island. 

Story number 2 & 3 found Celaena on an away mission from Hamel, this is where Celaena really start to see and think of Sam in a really different way and it concluded at story number 4, continued to the end. 

Since it's only a backstory so I think I understand why the story between Sam and Celaena was quite fast, and still I enjoy it. 

And about the mission itself, well sometimes I hated when Celaena just do what Hamel told her to do. I wished she do some recon or at least investigate deeply the person she's supposed to kill. But then I rethink again. She's an assassin, I don't think assassins really do much investigation. I mean even if the person she's supposed to kill was a nice person, I think she still has to kill them. But I can't help feel that Celaena should be smarter than just do what she's told. On the other hand, that was she trained to do. 

When I read the last story, even though I kinda know how it will end, I still cried when it happened. I can feel Celaena pain, her despair, and her broken heart. And also when she finally decided to live, not to be broken, I also feel it. 

Now...I don't know if I can begin to read Throne of Glass. Because if I start to read it, then I will read Crown of Midnight and I  don't think I can wait for Heir of Fire which will be released on September. It still 5 more months! Not to mention book 4-6! 

I think, other than Harry Potter books, the other series that I read the minute the book was released was Percy Jackson series and Kane Chronicles. Other than that, either the first three books already released (The Mortal Instruments) or I wait for the whole books to partially complete. 

But overall, I really enjoy this Assassin's Blade. You've got action, fantasy, intrigue, and romance in one book.  And I'm sure Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight will have more of those. 

Back to Cibubur

 

Well...I'm back to Cibubur again.  Back to "teach" the kids English again.

Ada yang beda kali ini.  Bokap sakit, jadi enggak bisa ikut. Tapi ya itu, jadinya baweeelllll banget. Susah deh, biasa apa-apa dikerjakan sendiri, kali ini terpaksa didelegasikan ke gue dan yang lainnya. 

Jam 6 pagi udah berangkat dari rumah, mampir Sanmar dulu untuk jemput Tia, anak dari Pasuruan, dan bawa terpal. Nyampe Buper untung aja baru beberapa yang dateng dan udah ada Kak Pur.  Jadi setelah nuraninya barang, pasang meja,  gue cabut cari makan. Beli makan pagi di McD!!! Terus mampir beli Starbucks hahahaha...demi cap dan juga supaya gue enggak ngantuk. Terus buru-buru balik.

Jadwal mundur 30 menit, karena masih menunggu beberapa anak, tapi mulai juga sih upacara bendera jam setengah 9. Baru abis itu tante Elly dateng, mobilnya mogok bo di tengah tol, tapi jadinya malah pas. 

Kak Pur yang isi acara pertama.  Mendirikan tenda dan merapikan tenda. Abis itu tali-temali.  Seru juga ngeliatin mereka belajar tali-temali. Salah satu kelemahan gue di Pramuka hahaha. 

Berhubung udah jam makan siang, jadi sesudah acara Kak Pur, kita makan siang dulu, baru abis itu conversation sama gue.  Kali ini gue merasa lebih siap dan lebih tau mau ngapain.  Mungkin karena kemaren belum lama ini ke Philippines, dan sebelumnya ngajarin Bahasa Inggris juga buat mereka yang mau ke Jepang. Sampe sempet bingung tadi, karena ternyata yang ke Korea merupakan kegiatan taun lalu dan ke Jepang dan NZ taun ini.  Tadi conversation cuma sebentar, karena gue liat mereka udah pada bisa semua. Dan abis itu sempt ngebahas kegiatan dan situasi di Jambore. 

Sekarang mereka lagi jalan, itung-itung belajar jalan hahaha. 

Di sini panas sekaliiii. Semoga nanti malam adem. 

The Girl You Left Behind - Jojo Moyes

 

France, 1916:  Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Edouard’s portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer’s dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything—her family, her reputation, and her life—to see her husband again.

Almost a century later, Sophie’s portrait is given to Liv Halston by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. A chance encounter reveals the painting’s true worth, and a battle begins for who its legitimate owner is—putting Liv’s belief in what is right to the ultimate test.

I just finished reading this book on my ebook reader.  Since I read it on my ebook, and it doesn't have any brief synopsis about this story, I just read it.  To tell you the truth, if I've known the synopsis, I don't think I'll read this book.  This definitely not my kind of book.

The story divided into two parts.  Part  1 set at a little town in France around 1916, where the town was occupied by the Germans.  It tell about the town, about the people, and about the sisters, Helene and Sophie, both are married and their husbands are away at war.  And it tell about the painting that Sophie's husband made for her.  

Part 2 set in London year 2006, about Liv whose husband has been dead for 4 years and yet she doesn't seem can move on, and she own the painting of Sophie, that bought by her husband, David, as a wedding gift on their honeymoon.  And suddenly, the Lefevre demand that the painting, "The Girl You Left Behind" is returned to the rightfull owner, the Lefevre family.  And through this second part, we learned what happened to Sophie, to Eduard, and the painting.

As I said before, this is not my kind of book I read.  I never liked the story with war as a background. especially when the war is still going on.  I find it too depressing.  Even if in the end they have a happy ending, I tend to avoid any story with war in it.  And the truth, I don't even know why I keep on reading this book.

The pace is slow, maybe because I can almost feel, see, and sense the depressing mood or atmosphere of the story.  Everyday seems like a dread, waiting something bad to happen, and you have to be extra careful.

At the beginning, I admire Sophie, for her courage, her positive attitude, her hope.  She's never give up, and when she found out that her husband has been captured and send to reprisal camp, she'll do anything to keep her husband alive.  And that's when I started to dislike her hahahaha....

There are points where I really think that Sophie was stupid, too naive, too trusting, but I have to admit that she's really...really perseverance.  And sorry to say but I kinda expected to read about Sophie's death before the book was end. 

When I reached the second part, I feel sooo relieved! Oh finally! We arrived at 2006! But what do you know...it still depressed hahaha....Liv still can't move on after 4 years her husband died, she has no money, she mortgaged her house (it was designed by her husband), and when she finally start to move on, she found out that the guy she's been seeing is the guy whose job is looking and returning the stolen painting, and the painting was Liv's.  Suddenly she has to fight for her painting in court that will cost a fortune. 

If you ever read Heist Society (and the sequels) you know that during WW2, lots of painting (and sculpture) were taken by the Nazi, just because its beauty (and they wanted it).  After the war, lots of the painting and the sculpture were returned to the original owner.  Sometimes the process take a lot of time, because first the painting must be found and the owner has to proof that they really are the owner.

The painting "The Girl You Left Behind" was rumored to be stolen while WW1 and since it was stolen, according to the law, the painting must be returned to the rightful owner.  The Lefevre.  Liv, who doesn't want to part with the painting, start to look for the story behind the painting.  She's began to look about Sophie's family.

And in second part, we also begin to know what happened to Sophie, and later about Eduard.

Oh wow...for not my kind of book, I wrote a lot about the book :D

I really don't know why I keep on reading this book.  Maybe because I want to know what will happen to Sophie.  I want to know if her sacrifice will fruitful. And in the end, I want to know what happen to the painting, to Liv.

Thanks God it has a happy end, so I'm quite happy with the result hahaha.

While I read this book, I can't keep myself from comparing the sensation I felt, and one book come to mind.  The Gargoyle.  The story is definitely not the same, but both books are drama, with slow pace, quite lots of descriptive, and have a somber mood. 

I don't know if I'll buy her books, but at least I know I enjoyed reading this book.