Apa yang terlintas oleh kita saat mendengar lagu Balonku, Heli, atau Bintang Kecil? Mungkin kita teringat masa kecil kita menyanyikan lagu-lagu itu di sekolah, di pesta ulang tahun teman, atau saat bermain bersama teman-teman di dekat rumah. Keceriaan masa kecil kita terekam bersama senandung lagu anak-anak ciptaan pengarang lagu legendaris seperti Ibu Soed, Pak Kasur, AT Mahmud, Daljono, dan Nomo Koeswoyo.
Kita ingin anak-anak atau adik-adik kita merasakannya juga. Tapi bagaimana dengan kecenderungan anak-anak masa kini yang lebih dekat dengan gadget, dan media yang menjangkau mereka terlalu banyak menyajikan konten musik untuk remaja dan dewasa? Saya menemukan aplikasi karaoke lagu anak-anak yang bernama Harmoni dapat menjadi solusinya. Harmoni bisa didownload di http://m.onelink.ly/832d0822.
Dengan aplikasi Harmoni, anak-anak bisa memilih bernyanyi
bersama animasi karakter binatang lucu, atau membuat rekaman video nyanyian
mereka sendiri lalu membagikannya ke Facebook.
[if you know nothing about Hunger Games series, you'll find this review unhelpful]
I went to see Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part I today. I'd waited for the press screening, but somehow there was none.
The second movie of Hunger Games series was one of my favorite movies on 2013. So this is very unfortunate that Mockingjay Part 1 doesn't win my heart. It doesn't mean the movie is bad. The filmmakers have captured the essence of first half of the book well, but perhaps I expected too much. You can't blame me; they made great campaigns!
Bisa jadi kita sebal melihat anak atau adik yang terlalu banyak menghabiskan waktunya untuk bermain game. Sesekali tidak apa-apa, tapi sepanjang waktu luang? Mengapa tidak mengambil hobi yang lebih banyak membuat sesuatu daripada menikmati karya orang lain terus-menerus? Lantas bagaimana dengan membuat game?
Selain di universitas, pembuatan game diajarkan di SMK TI. Dua siswa dari SMK TI Medan, Dimas Saputra dan Auliah Arningsih, membuat game puzzle berjudul Collect The Eggs. Mereka sedang mengikutsertakan game ini ke GAT Festival yang diadakan oleh Binus. Karya-karya semacam ini dapat kita tunjukkan kepada anak atau adik kita untuk mendorong mereka agar turut berkarya.
This is the third live-action movie for Rurouni Kenshin, and it is supposed to be the last. I'd heard some complains about how cheesy this movie is. That was half the reason why I didn't look forward to it as much as Kyoto Inferno. I can hardly remember a thing from the manga or anime. Even I can't recall the ultimate fight between Kenshin and Shishio very well, but Shishio's fire and his girlfriend's act of love. So I just hoped the movie would entertain me and Kenshin would win in a satisfying way.
I went to see Roaring Currents last night. It's a great movie about a legendary naval battle (South Korea vs Japan, 1597, find out more) with the Korean fleet led by Admiral Yi Sun Sin (Choi Min Sik). Somewhere in the middle of the movie I fell asleep (too much drama about whining soldiers), but the naval battle was so captivating. Admiral Yi is a beast, yet the movie pictures him very humanly. My favorite part is how the movie theme, "loyalty", gets wrapped up nicely in the end.
Admiral Yi was a leader prone to disobey order. Although he always did it to protect Joseon Kingdom, the chancellor was angered and sent him for torture. Soon the raging war required everyone to stand up for Joseon and Yi was once again an admiral. And once again, instead of following the chancellor's order, Yi led his fleet to do what he thought as imminent: to protect Myeongnyang Strait. He calculated, and later his spy confirmed, that a large Japan fleet was coming. "To give up on sea is to give up on land," said Yi (more or less). Being outnumbered by far, Yi's soldiers were full of doubt. Fear spread like virus while the enemy was approaching fast.
For a reason, I translated some articles about Asperger's Syndrome to Indonesian (with a few adjustments). I simply think posting them will help some Indonesian parents who can't read English very well. If you are the owners of the articles and you want me to remove this post, please tell me.
Recently I spent a day to just play table-top games with my friends. Most of the games were new for us, only one of them had always been our favorite. We played Steam Park twice, Heroclix once, Assassin's Creed: Arena twice, and COMBO once. I owe some friends to review Steam Park and Assassin's Creed: Arena. So, I'll just make short reviews here.
I went to see Kyoto Inferno last night, after half a year waiting in excitement. I wish Indonesia got earlier release, because August was so boring.
The plot is full-packed, as if they cram stories from at least 8-volumes manga into it. I don't mind. I love the humor. I enjoy the fights. I leave my cynical mind at home, wanting to see my childhood "friends" on screen without unnecessary disappointment. Unfortunately, those who know very little of Samurai X may find it difficult to follow so many characters and actions.
Keywords: action, killing mission, secret team, age gap
Audience: PG-13
Violent content: lots of shots and explosions and some blood (mild visualization)
Sexual content: almost none
I suddenly went to the cinema today. I wished to see Guardians of the Galaxy but it was Sunday, so tickets for the trending movies had gone. Expecting some fun, I watched The Expendables 3 instead.
In short, it's actually expendable--something you can skip easily. Sometimes it's funny. Sometimes it's boring. Nothing is extraordinary. I love the cast, and they did act well, so this is a pity that I can't say the movie is great.
Manakala
Palestina diserang oleh Israel dan membutuhkan bantuan, ada dua keramaian.
Pertama, sebagian orang menyerukan pengumpulan dana bantuan untuk Palestina.
Kedua, sebagian orang lainmempertanyakan
bantuan untuk saudara-saudara jauh seperti Palestina padahal ada banyak saudara
dekat—di Indonesia—yang memerlukannya. Pada serangan Israel kali ini, keramaian
kedua menyerukan ajakan yang spesifik: daripada Palestina, bantulah Papua!
Saya
berterima kasih sudah diingatkan untuk membantu Papua, sungguh. Tapi kalau saya
dianggap tidak peduli kepada saudara dekat atau dikira jarang, bahkan tidak
pernah, memberikan bantuan untuk negeri sendiri, ya saya sedih juga.
Dalam suasana hari raya seperti Lebaran, para lajang dewasa muda dihadapkan kepada pertanyaan "Kapan nikah?". Jarang saya menemukan teman yang bersemangat menanti pertanyaan ini--biasanya "Kapan nikah?" dianggap pertanyaan menyebalkan yang diajukan oleh orang-orang tidak peka.
Saya sendiri tidak perlu khawatir, karena kapan pun jarang sekali pertanyaan ini diajukan kepada saya. Orang-orang yang cukup mengenal saya tahu bahwa saya sedang kuliah ("Bagaimana kuliahnya?" dan "Kapan lulus?" lebih sering diajukan kepada saya). Orang-orang yang kurang mengenal saya biasanya tidak sadar saya sudah berusia dua puluhan--ini salah satu keuntungan berpenampilan (dan bertingkah) jauh lebih muda daripada usia, hahaha.
One of my all-time favorite song is Unpretty by TLC. I saw it first when I was 11 or 12 in MTV. Even though my English listening skill was very limited back then, I could understand what the girlband was trying to say through the song.
Never insecure until I met you Now I'm being stupid I used to be so cute to me Just a little bit skinny (Unpretty - TLC)
(Unpretty - Glee Cover)
Girls are burdened with expectations for their appearance. Beauty salon, diet program, make-up, fashion, cosmetic surgery are exist to fulfill the so-called girls' need for being pretty. The thing is, why do they feel unpretty? It's because they see people who "speak" about how the girls don't live up to the requirements to be pretty.
Keywords: fantasy, viking, dragon, rider Audience: everyone Violent content: humans and dragons fighting each others (very mild visualization)
Sexual content: two kisses, if I didn't lose my count
I love the fact that this is a family movie. Although Hiccup and his friends have grown up and--as expected--crushes and kisses are obvious, they are just side dish served as humor material.
The plot is first about Hiccup's finding his true calling, second about how dragons and humans should co-exist. You may think that's also the case with the first installment, but trust me the sequel will touch you in a different way.
Make sure you watch it in 3D for a satisfying ride. (I watched it in 2D and now am longing to see it again... in 3D.)
Hanya ada jeruk di kulkas. Aku sedang memikirkan itu saat sebuah motor melesat di sisi lain jendela mobilku.
Motor berikutnya melewat saat aku memikirkan ada apa selain jeruk di dalam kulkas. Aku lapar dan aku cuma punya jeruk di kulkas, tapi kulkas juga diisi oleh anggota keluarga lain, kan. Kalau tidak salah, saat berangkat tadi siang ada roti di kulkas...
Lagi-lagi roda dua hampir menyerempetku. Aku mendesah dan mengarahkan mobilku sedikit lebih ke kiri. Selain kantuknya, aku juga benci ini dari giliran jaga malam: pulang pada jadwal balap liar.
Bangun kesiangan, terburu-buru berangkat ke kantor, aku bahkan lupa membawa apel yang semestinya kumakan sambil menunggu kereta api. Aku sudah mencucinya, lalu entah bagaimana tertinggal di meja. Lalu aku sadar penyerantaku juga tidak ada di saku maupun tas.
Beginilah nasib bujangan, tidak ada yang mengingatkan untuk membawa apa-apa, apalagi memberiku cium selamat pagi.
Tapi kesendirianku akan berakhir bulan depan. Karena itulah aku pindah ke rumah yang sedang kucicil, meninggalkan kosan yang berjarak lima menit jalan kaki dari kantor.
Teringat cincin yang kusimpan di lemari kamar membuatku tersenyum sendiri. Untung kereta sedang memasuki stasiun, jadi perhatian semua orang tertuju kepada ular besi itu.
Keywords: action, sci-fi, super power, time travel
Audience: 13+ (under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian)
Violent content: some blood and severed limbs (mild visualization)
Sexual content: almost nudity (not only Mystique)
Warning: you may think this review contains mild spoilers (although I don't think it does)
I'm not a big fan of X-Men, but I like it enough that I'd been looking forward to Days of Future Past (DOFP). And I heard that it would be Jackman's last time playing Logan/Wolverine.
I rarely watch movie trailers (I hate them, in fact), so my expectation was build up upon my own assumption from random stuff I found on internet about DOFP. I thought that somehow the older team and the younger (past) team would meet and work together against a massive danger. It turned out that only one character does the time travel (doesn't need an expert to guess who, this poster is obvious).
I am not what beauty products and tv shows would refer as beautiful in their campaign. Dark skin, curly hair, too wide eyes, big round face, wide forehead are not listed in the stereotypical features of beauty. At least that was the trend during the first 20 years of my life (still apply for most of them nowadays, though).
Some of you might think it's ironic that a supermodel was who make me finally understand that I am indeed beautiful. But it was Tyra Banks and her American Next Top Model who showed me that women who look like me could be approved as very beautiful by those who are most critical about visual beauty.
And when I believe I'm beautiful, I decided to cover it.
I am a muslimah (feminine noun for "someone whose faith is Islam"). In Quran, muslimahs are instructed to cover their heads with veils (khimar) and their bodies with loose clothes (hijab). However, I don't wear them only for Allah. I wear them also for myself and all women in this world.
Keywords: family, baby, mistake, construction, driving
Audience: 13+ (for some language and a subtle recollection about sex)
Warning: this review contains mild spoilers.
Yesterday I saw Locke on Blitz--it had to be Blitz because 21 didn't screen it. It's a movie I'd been looking forward to since watching its trailer before Wind Rises. I'd known it would be a 90-minute with Tom Hardy and he would be the only person seen on screen. I'd known he would have phone calls that would drive the story.
Well, I just hadn't imagined that those would be all I'd get in the movie. I'd expected a few dangerous maneuvers, even one simple danger, when he was driving. But there was none.
However, it's a good movie with a story-telling different from others. You might want to see it while it is still available on Blitz.
flicksandbits.com
So, Tom Hardy was Ivan Locke, a construction director at the peak of his career. When he started driving, he was nine hours away from a giant project: more than 200 trucks would come to the building site to pump concrete material for the building's foundation. His coworkers relied on him because his works had never been anything but perfect. Yet something called him to go, something more important than the biggest project of his career life.
"It's a family matter," said Locke to one of his coworker by phone.
It's not death. In fact, it's about life. He's going to have a baby and he had to see it. He decided to make sure that the baby know him and he was adamant to be responsible of the baby. The mother of the baby was not his wife.
Why did the woman go through with her unplanned pregnancy? She was a lonely woman, too old to hope for a baby. She thought it was her last chance for happiness.
Why was Locke risk everything to be there for his baby? He could come after his project was completed.
While the woman was a believable character, Locke was very deep. The foundation of his character was very solid. His decision rooted from his past experience in life. And the way he run things, both everyday and all the way in the journey to set things right, was the only way expected from such a person.
His family, his job, his soon-coming baby. Ivan was trying to make everything right, because something had been not right in his past.
His lovable sons, his bad-mouth but trusty coworkers, his way of talking (and cursing). Those are what will keep you engaged to this movie.
The pressure, the suspense, the tears...
All and all, Locke tells you a story about family and responsibility. It's about putting your best effort to redeem your mistake, however dire the consequence is.
Kali pertama saya mendengar tentang Kucing Sumput
adalah akhir tahun lalu pada acara Indonesia Digital Media Festival. Di situ
Vandaria Arkana, Combo Card, dan Mat Goceng mengisi Play Space yang disediakan
panitia untuk board game terbitan lokal. Manikmaya Games selaku penerbit
Mat Goceng juga membawa beberapa prototipe board game mereka, termasuk
Kucing Sumput yang terinspirasi dari permainan tradisional Ucing Sumput (petak
umpet).
Penampakan Kucing Sumput (di bawah Biro
Jodoh) di Indonesia Digital Media Festival 2013
Saya sendiri tidak datang ke acara itu dan
melihat Kucing Sumput secara langsung, tapi saya sempat diceritakan oleh teman
yang sudah mencobanya. Intinya Kucing Sumput adalah board game tebak-tebakan
kucing bersembunyi di mana. Oke... petak umpet kucing ya. Sepertinya lucu juga.
Karena saya mengumpulkan board game untuk
dimainkan bersama adik-adik, saya tunggu-tunggu kapan rilisnya Kucing Sumput.
Eh, ternyata malah mobile game Kucing Sumput duluan yang dirilis; buah
kerja sama Manikmaya Games, Kummara, dan Manticore Studio. Sebagai paparazzi, eh, penyayang kucing, tentu
saya tidak mau melewatkan game ini. Apalagi game ini bisa diunduh gratis untuk
Android, iOS, Windows Phone, dan BlackBerry.
Cerita horor 100 kata tentang keju, belut, kompor, gulali, guci
Aku mau keju! Sarapanku roti tawar dan keju, bukan ular kurus yang
nenek sebut belut ini. Aku tidak peduli itu sudah digoreng dan renyah dan
garing. Aku tidak mau makan itu. Mengerikan. Menjijikkan.
Aku menangis sampai Nenek bingung. Akhirnya Nenek menggeleng dan
masuk ke dapur.
Nenek memasak gulali. Setelah memberiku gulali, Nenek tidur. Enak
sekali. Rasa lengketnya pas untuk dikunyah tapi masih bisa dihisap. Rasa
manisnya bercampur pahit yang tidak membuat lidah bosan. Aku masuk dapur untuk
ambil gulali lagi. Masih ada gula pasir di dekat kompor. Masih ada juga guci
kecil terbuka. Aku intip. Isinya merah gelap dan kental.
Perjalanan menuju gedung kuliah mempunyai perbedaan pada
semester ganjil dan genap.
Terutama bulan September, semester ganjil berarti jalurku
dihiasi titik-titik putih. Banyak titik putih itu di tanah, di trotoar, di
jalur sepeda. Kadang-kadang juga mereka sedang melayang turun dan aku bisa
mengejarnya bagai kanak-kanak mengincar serangga. Bila banyak titik putih itu
sedang terombang-ambing turun, aku berandai-andai sedang mengalami hujan salju.
Kalau aku mendongak, aku bisa melihat asal-usul “salju” itu
bukanlah awan di langit. Pohon-pohon kurus diganduli biji-biji kapuk yang sudah
penuh. Gumpalan kapas melesak keluar dari cangkangnya dan sedikit embusan angin
sudah cukup untuk melepaskan bagian-bagian kecilnya. Bagaikan bibit dandelion
yang mencari rumah baru, titik kapas membiarkan dirinya terbawa angin. Sementara
itu, kubiarkan benakku menikmati suasana ini hingga gedung kuliah masuk
jangkauan penglihatanku.
Kini Januari, penyambung semester genap kala biji-biji kapuk
masih kurus. Ada titik-titik lain yang menyertai perjalananku kali ini. Aku harus
melangkah dengan lebih berhati-hati, menghindari kumpulan titik itu di tanah. Kalau
aku mau menangkapnya, aku cukup mengulurkan tanganku dan menunggu jari-jariku
basah.
Aku berusaha mengusir kesenduan yang membuntuti hujan. Dunia
memang menjadi kelabu karena titik-titik air membentuk tirai tipis yang
menghalangi pandangan. Tapi aku bisa mengandaikan diriku berada dalam lukisan. Apa
yang akan kutemukan di ujung jalan nanti? Pemandangan gedung kuliah bertirai
hujan menantiku.
Bagai kerangka hangus tak bernyawa, bangunan itu bahkan
sudah kehilangan atapnya. Seng yang disusun sambung-menyambung mengelilinginya
menjadi benteng yang menghalangi siapa pun. Tiada kaca yang utuh, meninggalkan
kosen-kosen jendela menampakkan langit atau dinding hitam. Terbingkai dahan-dahan
pohon yang selamat, ini bukan pemandangan yang kukira akan menyambutku. Aku pun
teringat api yang membakarnya dua pekan lalu.
Gedung C FISIP UI terbakar 7 Januari 2014 (catatan: saya tidak berkuliah di gedung itu)
Akhir pekan lalu saya menginap di Bandung. Saya sempat merasakan Car Free Day pada Minggu pagi, tapi sayangnya Braga Culinary Night baru dimulai akhir pekan ini (11 Januari 2014). Karena keluar rumah kesiangan (jam 7), sepeda di shelter sudah habis. Untung saya bisa pinjam dari teman.
Shelter sepeda di dekat ITB
Sepertinya jam 7 itu sedang ramai-ramainya di Car Free Day Bandung. Saya hanya bisa bersepeda lambat agar tidak menabrak anak kecil atau orang lain. Di luar area Car Free Day agak lengang, tapi saya biasa bersepeda di jalur sepeda UI, jadi agak seram juga bercampur dengan mobil dan motor. Ada banyak kuda yang bisa disewa; saya ingin naik tapi malu karena biasanya anak kecil yang naik. xD
