My First Classical Music Concert Experience

Last saturday night, I had my first experience attended Classical Music Concert. Not a big concert, a small concert held by Gita Smala Youth Choir (GSYC). I always curious how it feels watching an orchestra live in action. And finally, I feel it.

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra/ Foto: David Guttenfelder

In last Saturday Concert, GSYC featuring Coro Semplice and Lista Simphoni Orchestra played a Franz Joseph Haydn's Oratorio, die Jahreszeiten (The Season). This Oratorio was conducted by Sapta Ksvara Kusbini. It tells us about 3 siblings, Hanne, Simon and Lukas, with their experiences through 4 seasons in a year. It's about the beauty and the activities they did in every season, der Frühling (spring), der Sommer (Summer), der Herbst (Autumn) and der Winter (Winter). All of the story was packed in music performance. There are also three soloist who sing in this concert. You can open this for further information about the story.

As you know, Classical music was uncommon in Indonesia, so maybe when you listen to it, you'll feel sleepy. And you know what? The concert was lasted in approximately 3,5 hours. Hohoho.

Honestly, the concert was good. The harmonization of the orchestra is very nice also the choir, but I feel the soloist sometimes missed her/his notes. I don't know really, but I think I heard some weird, hmm, unsuitable notes sometimes.

Hmm. This is important. There's some rules you should know about watching the Classical Music Concert, which are:

1. Dress in a respectful manner, we don't always have to use formal wear, but using it will be better.
2. Arrive at the concert hall at least five to ten minutes ahead of the scheduled concert, to find your seat.
3. No Talking, Singing, or Yelling. We shouldn't make a noise during the concert, if it's really necessary, we can whisper smoothly.
4. Don't clap or showing your appreciation until the composition is completely finished. This can be confused you if you don't really understand about the music. So it's better to clap when the other audience start to clap. And sometimes there also someone who will shout "Bravo" to show his/her appreciation.
5. No Eating, Drinking, or Smoking
6. No moving from your seat when the concert still going on. You can do it in the break time.

Even if you don't understand the music, you'll have to respect them by obey the rules. Enjoy.


sumber: this and this

A Final Destination

I don't know whether that was a good decision or not? But, Finally, I watched Final Destination 5..with.. no one. Yups. Alone.

I watch all the series so far, so when it played in the cinema I feel like I want to watch it. The problem is, I don't think any of my friend wants to watch it also. Okay, I know that the stories of all the sequels are similar. The differences between them are the beginning of the death chain and the way they die. Without knowing something (the trailer) about this final sequel I finally decided to watch it this afternoon.

As expected, of course there will be many death scene, which is very sadistic and sometimes doesn't make sense. Don't ever watch this movie if you are afraid of blood, because bloods are everywhere here. And beware, maybe after watching this movie you maybe paranoid. I don't recommend you to watch this before doing LASIK operation, acupuncture or having a long trip through a suspension bridge. Haha. Just kidding. It's all up to you. :)

Although I don't believe about the story was, I mean the death chain and how it works. This film is kind of reminds me about death. It can be happen anytime, anywhere. Only Allah who Knows it. We as a human can only do our best in life. Prepare everything before the death come to us. Because everyone are going to die one day.

"Sesungguhnya Allah, hanya pada sisi-Nya sajalah Pengetahuan tentang hari kiamat; dan Dia-lah yang Menurunkan hujan, dan Mengetahui apa yang ada dalam rahim. Dan tiada seorang pun yang dapat mengetahui (dengan pasti) apa yang akan diusahakannya besok. Dan tiada seorang pun yang dapat mengetahui di bumi mana ia akan mati. Sesungguhnya Allah Maha Mengetahui lagi Maha Mengenal" (QS. Al-Lukman 31:34) 

Steve Jobs on Twitter

News spreading very fast around the world through Internet, especially within social media. There's no reason right now being out of date. We can get so much information easily and amazingly real time. Thanks to the inventor of Internet and Social Media.

And this morning, my Twitter Timeline was full of sad news. Steve Jobs the co founder and ex CEO of Apple.Inc was died.
Goodbye Mr. Jobs, may you Rest In Peace.

One phase of my life

Now, I'm on the phase where I'm trying to set up my life. I start to think what my dreams really are, what to do now and in the future. I'm starting to plan everything in order to live better. Because, I think these past few years I didn't really use my time wisely. I wasted too many valuable times and opportunities. From now on, Insya Allah, I'll do better.

At first, I'll start to listen more passionate music than the mellow one. It doesn't mean that I will not listening to the mellow music, I'll just do it in a smaller portion. Hohoho. :D

Good bye the old me.. Welcome better me.. Let's rock..!

Homeless to Harvard

Yups, that was a movie title. I watched this movie yesterday. From the title I've thought that it must be an inspiring movie. And that was so right.

This movie was an adaptation from the true story of Liz Murray. I didn't watched the movie from the beginning, but I think I can tell the story. Liz Murray was a homeless children. She was living in an unfavorable condition and her parents was a drugs user. Her mother's died really change her life. She's trying to improve her life. At first she tried to apply school. The principal really appreciate her sincerity, she was accepted in that school. She worked hard to pay the school by working part time on the night. Since she was homeless, every night she takes the night train back and forth while studying and taking a rest, so she can went to school in the morning like the other student. Her hard work and intelligence makes her the best student in her school. One day, her school inviting her top 10 students to Boston and visiting Harvard. Liz was very amazed but she's still not sure that was a suitable place for a homeless like her to study one day.

Liz was searching for the scholarship when the opportunity came. The New York Times was offering the scholarship to study in Harvard University, and she was trying to apply the scholarship by making an essay. Her essay bring her as the finalist and going to the next step, interview section. She was successfully graduated from school in 2 years (the normal time is 4 years) and accepting The New York Times scholarship for study in Harvard. After that, Liz starting to give a speech and motivate other people.

Learning from Liz Murray story, we know that everybody deserve to have an education, who ever they are. There's no limit to reach something. All we need are dreams and hard work to make it happen. This movie inspire me so much. With all this facilities I have, I believe I can do better than what I've done before. Like Agnes Monica always said: Dream, Believe and Make it Happen!

Ketika Profesor Kecil

Minggu lalu, selama 2 hari saya ikut pelatihan Bunda PAUD yang di gagas oleh Dinas Pendidikan Surabaya. Untung saja sudah tidak ada beban kuliah, jadi saya bisa mengikuti 3 dari 4 materi yang diberikan. :)

Materi yang sangat menarik adalah materi tentang Bermain. Disini saya jadi sangat menyadari bahwa bermain benar-benar memiliki peranan yang sangat penting dalam tumbuh kembang anak. Terkadang secara tidak sadar, orang tua sangat membatasi anaknya untuk bermain. Contohnya ketika anak mencorat-coret tembok, tentunya orang tua akan marah. Tapi alih-alih memberikan media alternatif seperti kertas, biasanya kata-kata yang keluar dari mulut orang tua adalah "Jangan Corat-coret". Padahal penggunaan kata yang bersifat ancaman seperti "Jangan" haruslah dihindari oleh orang tua. Karena anak memiliki kecenderungan untuk mendengarkan kata diakhir kalimat, jadi jika anda berkata "Jangan Berlari" anak cenderung akan mendengar kata Berlari dan akan terus berlari. Akan lebih baik bila yang di gunakan adalah kalimat "Ayo Berjalan". Praktiknya mungkin akan sulit, tapi sebaiknya orang tua membiasakan diri.

Ada satu cerita yang cukup menarik. Suatu ketika, seorang profesor ditanya bagaimana beliau bisa menjadi orang yang pintar. dan profesor menjawab "Ini karena Ibu saya tidak pernah melarang saya bermain saat kecil". what?

Saat itu ketika profesor masih berusia 4 tahun, ia merasa haus dan berkata kepada ibunya yang sedang sibuk "Mom, I want to drink milk" *hihi.. sok inggris Kebanyakan dari orang tua biasanya akan menyuruh anaknya menunggu hingga pekerjaan yang dilakukannya selesai lalu membuatkan atau mengambilkan anaknya susu. Tapi ibu profesor menjawab "If you want to drink you can take it in the refigerator". "ok, Mom" *halah udahan ya inggris2annya. ^^ Nah, ketika profesor kecil mengambil susu dan mencoba menuangkan susu itu ke dalam gelas, ia tidak sengaja menumpahkannya. Kebanyakan orang tua biasanya akan marah dan segera membereskan tumpahan tersebut. dan ternyata ibunya hanya berkata "kamu boleh bermain dengan tumpahan susu itu, tapi nanti kamu harus membersihkannya". Loh? bukannya dimarahi malah disuruh bermain?

Dari hal-hal kecil seperti itu ternyata berdampak besar terhadap kecerdasan anak. Otak anak akan dirangsang untuk berfikir secara mandiri. Mungkin awalnya ia bingung bagaimana membersihkannya, dan mungkin ia akan mulai mengambil kertas untuk membersihkan, dan ternyata kertas tidak dapat menyerap susu tadi dengan cepat, lalu mengambil tisu, namun ternyata tisu mudah sobek bila menyerap air terlalu banyak, lalu mengambil kain dan sebagainya hingga berhasil membersihkannya. Nah, bisa dilihat kan kalau sebenarnya bermain dapat mengasah kecerdasan anak?


So, biarkanlah anak mengembangkan kreativitas dan kecerdasannya dengan bermain, namun orang tua juga harus tetap memberikan arahan2 yang sesuai kepada anak tanpa membatasi kreativitas mereka. :)

ikut senang

Hari ini adalah hari yang bersejarah bagi salah satu sahabat saya. Setelah melalui perjalanan yang begitu panjang dan berliku akhirnya tibalah pada klimaks perjuangan tersebut yaitu sidang Skripsi. Riwayat dunia perskripsian yang sahabat saya lalui ini mungkin nggak beda jauh sama yang saya alami, bedanya dia selangkah lebih maju.

Hari bersejarah ini diawali dengan mengambil konsumsi di salah satu rumah makan ternama di Surabaya. Di kampus saya memang ada tradisi untuk menyediakan konsumsi bagi para dosen penguji. Karena dijadwalkan untuk sidang pukul 09.00, kami standby di kampus kurang lebih pukul 08.30. Ternyata jadwal tersebut diundur hingga pukul 11.00

tik. tok. tik. tok.

. ngobrol dengan riang

.. nyemil makanan

... buka laptop

.... twitter-an

.....googling

......FBan

.......utak-atik HP

........menguap

hingga pukul 11.00 belum tampak dosen yang akan menguji.

tik. tok tik. tok.

..........batre laptop sekarat

...........matiin laptop

............menguap lagi

akhirnya dosen2 penguji berdatangan

pukul 12.02 masuklah sahabat saya ke ruang ujian dan saya masih...

............menguap..menguap..menguap...

(setengah jam kemudian)

Keluarlah sahabat saya dengan langkah riang dan senyum gembira. Woow. I know it must be a wonderful feeling. Saya ikut senang. Semoga saya juga segera dapat merasakannya sendiri.

So, I'd like to say CONGRATULATION for my lovely friend Ruruh Lestari. Finally, you did it, girl. ^^