[dropcap]F[/dropcap]irst post for 2016, let’s fill it with random thoughts, especially the cynical ones :P
On Fancy Words
For me, words have become more intriguing these days. When talking and writing, I tend to use simple words that I commonly hear and can understood well. Writing academically has certain rules and structure which requires a lot of reading, knowledge and proofreading. I always envy people who loves to read Thesaurus and written in eloquent fashion, with intellectual words and obviously, correct grammar.
On Weird Words
Life also shifted vastly nowadays, there are new words added to the dictionary every now and then. Inspired by the pop culture, at 2001, Oxford Dictionary added the words D’oh (a famous catchphrase popularize by Homer Simpson). At 2013, the word twerk, derp, and phablet got into Oxford Dictionary. Word of the year for 2015 is an emoji.
Face with Tears of Joy emoji to be exact 😂. Yes, that’s just as weirdly as Pantone Color of The Year for 2016, which introduced a boring dual color Rose Quartz and Serenity.
When I got into the second year of work life, I thought I had lose hope of learning something new outside my job. I even lost the spirit of getting a Master degree. I’m pretty idealist in this kind of thing. When you choose a Master degree, you need to be really eager and curious about something. The most important thing is, you need to be able to apply it somewhere in the community. Because knowledge is a powerful thing that you need to be responsible with.
Then, I go on with my life. Travel somewhere, make something, buy a lot useless stuffs on the internet stuffs, etc. But this year is a little bit different. I realized that learning is something that every human naturally do. Be it a life lesson or in the classroom. As a human, we adapt, we learn, and we (hopefully) do better. I surprised myself that my curiousness towards things are actually my fuse of learning new things.
This is also the year I got so broke (haha). I think I don’t have anything left in my saving account every month and I finally understand what it’s like to be in ‘tanggal tua’. I’ve been living paycheck to paycheck for couple of months. Sometimes, I don’t even know what I do with all those, given the fact that I don’t have any rent or mortgage to pay. What a dark time it was, but as Alanis Morrisette says:
I’m broke but I’m happy I’m poor but I’m kind I’m short but I’m healthy, yeah I’m high but I’m grounded I’m sane but I’m overwhelmed I’m lost but I’m hopeful baby What it all comes down to Is that everything’s gonna be fine fine fine
Seriously, Hands in My Pocket should be a national anthem. I’m broke and happy! That’s more than enough to move forward :))
There are also so many blessings this year. Although, the oil and gas industry is on the edge right now, some friends have been laid off and some haven’t got any job since then, but some other just doing well with their life. Some of my best friends got married, some got engaged, some got a scholarship, some had children, some just find a new venture/business, some are just happy with themselves (which, I think, is the most important). Having people experienced joy is always something amazing for me.
2015 has taught me a lot of things and I’m thankful because of that. There are a lot of things that I didn’t planned out, there are a lot of impulsive decision, sudden trips, but they all turned out to be a blast.
As for myself, I cannot wait for 2016. My older sister will be returning home at January and my little sister will (hopefully) graduate on June. I already plan a trip with my mom on February and another trip with the rest of the family later next year. There are a lot of things to look forward to and I will always believe, it only gets better.
I hope all of you will get a really good year ahead :)
[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he last part of December went by quickly like the flashing green light on the street. End of the year is never been my choice to go on a vacation. It is high season, rainy season, and certainly would be too crowded for me. But like any other impulsive decision I made this year, life always surprises you. I got 3 days business trip to Singapore last week. Staying on star hotel in the heart of the city is never been on my bucket list. At night, I roamed the city alone, as I used to be. Eating in cheap hawker food and buying cheap souvenirs. The city still feels familiar, the warmth of solitary in the middle of hustling crowds. It was raining and as I stand waiting the train that would take me back to the airport, I told myself.
I can get used to these surprises.
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
I booked a one way train ticket the day after. My first trip at New Year’s Eve. As a member of stay-home-family-at-every-new-year, I used to spend time rolling around the house, burning something, watching superheroes movie for the million times on TV, and fall asleep before the New Year’s countdown. So, I don’t expect anything less than overpriced hotel rent and crowded street. But I could use the comforting strangeness every trip could bring. Few days before the trip and I don’t even plan any place to visit. I visited the city quite often and I think I wanted to be surprised. Maybe it would be rain all day, maybe there’s traffic, maybe it was a bad idea afterall, but then I could care less.
Bring it on.
Deathproof (2007)
Like the year before, I spent this Christmas holiday at home. Wrapped up under blanket, with too many mineral water and tortilla chips beside my bed. Writing crap about how another year has went by and I might missed another train. The thoughts about how other people achieve many things this year has passed me again. Weirdly enough, it didn’t stay too long. Maybe, just maybe, I could care less about them again.
Jackie Brown (1997)
I spent a lot of amount of time watching Quentin Tarantino’s movies in bed. The Hateful Eight opens on Christmas and I thought it’d be great to re-watch all 7 movies before this (too bad I skipped Django Unchained).
Growing up, all I want to be is being a filmmaker like John Lasseter and Andrew Stanton. After watching The Virgin Suicide, I want to kick ass like Sofia Coppola. Then, after the Kill Bill era, all I want to be is Quentin Tarantino. There’s something about his movies that I find so alluring.
Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003)
No, it’s not the blood and the gore theme. It’s not the setting or the scattered timeline. It’s not about the intense scene, the colors of the movie, the soundtracks, or any magnificent shots.
Tarantino writes and directs everything he loves, he doesn’t care if there’s nobody loves it, or nobody gets it. He will still shot it. But his passion reached me, like a ray of sunshine that peeks between the curtains. In the end, all I want to do is wide open the curtains, asking for more. There’s nothing more I want than being someone like that. Being a pirate king, sailing forward. Believing in something, great enough that everybody started to believe it too.
Inglourious Basterds (2009)
Tarantino always writes long lines, repeated sentences, and he’s not afraid to insert insulting or forbidden words. He believes that words should be a sharp critics in its true from.
The Hateful Eight (2015)
His latest movie, The Hateful Eight, has been shot in a glorious 70mm films, allowing him to shoot a wide panoramic shot. Funny thing is, instead of exploits this advantages, Tarantino shot most of the movie in a single claustrophobic room. Relying on dialogue and mind tricks, like his earlier limited budget flicks. Tarantino does make a point, when making a movie, all you need are a well written script and a good storytelling to move the story forward.
Django Unchained (2012)
I might forget the dreams of being a filmmaker long way ago. And I don’t know which one is sadder, the fact that I’m afraid that the career won’t make a steady job or the fact that I threw away my-almost-15-years-worth-of-dream without looking back. Then again, despite of what I do for a living now, I still want to be like Quentin Tarantino.
Hell with everybody else.
Three tomatoes are walking down the street – a poppa tomato, a momma tomato, and a little baby tomato.
Baby tomato starts lagging behind.
Poppa tomato gets angry, goes over to the baby tomato, and squishes him… and says,
I get a lot of inspiration while rounded up this playlist. On my cover song playlist, Puty mentioned about Ryan Adam’s cover of Taylor Swift’s 1989, so I put one of my favorite track from the album.
I put the Haley Reinhart’s cover version instead of Elton Jhon’s Bennie and The Jets because her voice has this beautiful raspy voice. Haley might be one of my all time American Idol’s favorite contestant.
I’ve also been watching a lot of movies this holiday, Quentin Tarantino’s and Harry Potter The Deathly Hallows are one of them. Can’t help to put some of the soundtrack here.
Did I tell you that one of my favorite scene from Harry Potter of The Deathly Hallows part 1 is the original scene that wasn’t in the book? The scene between Harry and Hermione slow dancing after Ron left is quite memorable for me. Maybe my most favorite amongst all the installment. There is some amount of pain watching the pair awkwardly and platonically dance to a Nick Cave’s song. A painful grow up. The scene is beautiful.
Most of the time, I might prefer a fast paced and loud music, but this playlist is what I imagined to be a background of slow dancing under the moonlite. Or under the rain.
Moonlite Moments
1. Haley Reinhart – Bennie and The Jets
2. Panic! at The Disco – This is a Gospel
3. Weezer – Butterfly
4. The Kooks – See Me Now
5. The Libertines – You are My Waterloo
6. Arctic Monkeys – No. 1 Party Anthem
7. Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah
8. Ryan Adams – Blank Space
9. Mumford and Sons – The Cave
10. Fleetwood Mac – Landslide
11. Nancy Sinatra – Bang Bang My Baby Shot Me Down
12. Grouplove – Cruel and Beautiful World
13. Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds – O Children
You remember being young(er).
Where all the hallways are painted white and the light is brighter.
There’s a door in the end of the hallway and you know it leads to somewhere new.
You never doubt to open it and pretend to be someone else.
New adventure always awaits.
You always forget half of the story or the story behind the previous door.
But then it’s okay.
New adventure always awaits.
There’s a silver lining for everything.
There’s no fear frightened you enough.
New adventure always awaits.
It’s not a nostalgia.
Because you’re still being you after all these years.
You’re feeling weird, because everybody doesn’t.
They fear not providing enough, or planning enough, or thinking enough.
New adventure always awaits, if you’re thinking enough.
But then, you’re not everybody.
You’re not even young(er).
You try to forget the thoughts.
You don’t want to think too much. Luck favors the beginner.
Let’s stay the same for couple of years.
