Going Downtown with Ekle

Hello, Maders! Yesterday was thrilling because I just had my TOEFL test and got a good score although it’s under my real target. Compared to the students coming from non-English Department, my TOEFL score is much better than them. Still, I felt disappointed in the listening section. To be honest, the sound wasn’t heard clearly on the headphone.

That day, I also had an appointment to go with Ekle, my classmate since the first semester in campus. I parked my car near her boarding house and waited for her. She got in and we went away. We talked many things such as our holiday, internship program, and stuff.

The first place that I visited was Alfamidi to park my car because I wanted to buy shampoo at Larissa. I tell you, Larissa has a nice place for treatment, but the parking area is awful for cars. Ekle and I bought snacks for temporary lunch from Alfamidi because I needed to make an alibi by buying something to get free parking in front of the minimarket. Haha.

Secondly, I went to Aira Skin Clinic to buy facial soap. Ekle was waiting for me in the car and I didn’t turn off the engine. My business finished quickly there.

Next, we went to Amaris Hotel having Gramedia bookstore with great discount. It’s our main point to visit. Gramedia sells cheap books annually because those books aren’t sold successfully and being kept in a warehouse. I bought many books with only 70k. Ekle and I still gave our time to buy books at Gramedia upstairs with normal price because the books couldn’t be found downstairs with great discount.

Then, we ate at a new café named Warunk Sosmet. We ordered satay with rice, French fries, and lemon tea. The interior of the café reflects Javanese culture and it has many gamelans and a large stage with LCD projector screen. It’s a bit dark though.

After eating, we were heading home. In the middle of our way, Ekle bought a wooden shelf on the street. “Thank you for accompanying me to spend the money”, she said when she got off my car. Haha.

That’s all what I had yesterday, Maders! Thanks for reading. Bye!

Om Telolet Om

Hey, Maders! Have you heard a phenomenon about ‘om telolet om’? It’s from Indonesia meaning ‘uncle, horn sound, uncle’. It becomes very popular all over the world because its uniqueness. The term actually refers to the sound of a truck’s horn. It can also be bus’ horn.

International DJs even say it on social medias and it makes me impressed. Haha. They don’t really know the meaning, but they know what it refers to. Those DJs love the sound of ‘telolet’ and it’s useful to their mixed songs with music.

Kids near me often say ‘om telolet om’ to cars or trucks passing by in front of them. One day, a few elementary school children asked me for ‘telolet’ and they brought a paper saying ‘telolet’ on it. I was driving my car when I saw them, so I pushed my horn and they got happiness. They gave me their thumbs up and I could see it from my back mirror. Haha. I smiled. They’re crazy about ‘telolet’.

The thing that I don’t understand is people use the term ‘uncle’ for everyone, including for women. I’m a woman and the kids call me uncle because ‘telolet’ is along with the phrase ‘om telolet om’. Haha. It’s funny if suddenly I have beard on my chin. Kidding!

On the other hand, I feel proud of my country because ‘om telolet om’ has introduced Indonesia more in all around the world. Although this phrase is being the thing right now, people have to be careful while making a video about a truck’s horn near the highway. Safety is the most important point to think.

So far, I’m not making any video about ‘om telolet om’. Somehow I don’t have interest to it. I just smile and laugh when people find their satisfaction after hearing the sound of the horn from trucks or buses.

Well, creativity can be got from everywhere and we just need to think of it. Even a simple thing like the sound of a horn can be very famous among us. Wherever you are, stay creative, Maders! Have a good day!

Piano Course

Hi, Maders! Can you play music? What instrument? I believe you love music. We can’t live without it. Yes, we’re alive, but our soul won’t be complete. Haha. Listening to music can release stress of the day.

Boys usually can play guitar and it helps them to sing their girl a song. Oh, how sweet! I’ve ever tried to play guitar but my fingers got stiff. I don’t have talent on it.

Then, I choose piano as my music instrument. I firstly took a piano course when I was eight years old. Somehow I quit. I don’t remember why. My mom said the reason was I got mad because the keyboard’s sound at home wasn’t as good as the sound of the piano at my course’s place. Haha. How silly! Furthermore, I remember something about my teacher, she smelled like soup!

Now, in my 21 years old, I’ve been taking piano course again and I enjoy it. The only instrument that suits me is piano. I think it is elegant and a girl who can play piano is fabulous! My teacher is only two years older than me and we’re from the same university. He’s graduated though.

I started to begin learning piano my from the lowest level. Although I’ve got the basic, it’s too long for remembering my lesson in the past. Recently, I only do my final project and I have no class to attend. It means I’m free in most of the time. Piano time!

I take practice at home almost everyday to strengthen my fluency of the notes I play. The course is held once a week for 45minutes. I realize that I have to pay expensively much and the course time is short, so I need to be diligent to maximize what I study at the course.

A few days ago, my mom and I visited some music instrument shops. She’s about to buy me a new piano because I need it. We’re exploring the best price and quality. I just need to wait when my mom really buys me it. Haha. I’d be completely delighted if it becomes reality.

Well, I’m not forcing you to be able to play music instruments, but at least you try to master one of them. Playing music is the way to appreciate music because creating a symphony is not easy. Even a bad song needs hard work to make it exist. Happy playing, Maders!

Skateboard and Hover-board

Hello, Maders! Are you a skater? Some of you, yes, I believe so. I’m a skater as well. I have a blue skateboard, but I put grip-tape above it, so it’s black now. It has four red small wheels.

This time I’d like talk about skateboard and hover-board. Honestly I haven’t been able to play with hover-board. I tried to stand up, but I lost my balance. For now, I choose to play my skateboard. Although I can’t do styles like a pro, at least I can use it as a transportation. Haha.

Furthermore, hover-board needs to recharge whenever the battery is low. It means I need to find electricity to fill the battery. Imagine, when I’m on the road and I have a long journey to take, my hover-board’s battery is low. Then what I suppose to do? Nothing. Walking for sure.

It’s different with my old Skatie, her name, it doesn’t need to charge. I carry it with my hand when I’m tired or the road is rocky. In other words, it’s simple.

Anyone will be cooler when they can play skateboard. Perhaps this thought that makes me become a skater. Still, my favorite style is back-flip. I’d love to see someone do it.

Let’s talk about safety. Actually skateboarding is dangerous because you can fall down anytime. To minimalize the danger, you had better wear knee and elbow protection like me. There are three sets including hand protection. It works when I touch the ground, so the stones can’t hurt my skin.

Back to hover-board, I felt it more comfy when I played hover-board inside a house. The floor, I mean. It’s flat and there’s no stone. I was trying to conquer it, but I failed. Need more practice though. Haha.

There are hobbies you can have as long as you do positive things. Do what you like now because you’re only young once in a lifetime. When I’m being an old lady, I don’t think I still can play my skateboard.

That’s all for today. Either skateboard or hover-board is good to play, but you need to have balance with your body. Okay, Maders! Bye!

Bye 2016, Welcome 2017

Heyho, Maders! This is my first post in this new year. I just had dinner with Dad (without Mom), but this morning I had breakfast with Mom (without Dad) in different resto. I completely ate out because there was no food at home. Haha.

Today I skipped lunch and chose to sleep because last night celebration took all my energy. There was a simple party at a house (behind mine) for teenagers, no parents. We sang with limited music instruments and ate clams, poached nuts, crisps, and also hot tea plus mineral water in cups.

A sixteen year old neighbor and I went to my house to take some plastics to cover our hands, so we didn’t touch the clams directly. I forgot to bring my hand-sanitizer though. As long as the party was in progress, I talked and took photos with some of the teenagers. Mostly I didn’t recognize them because they’re new people in this villa. Moreover, I seldom play outside my house to interact with them.

When the time was about to midnight, I excused myself to go back home. Based on the culture of my family, we always pray at midnight in new year’s eve. We hope for the best in the new year. Honestly I didn’t enjoy any fireworks because I slept at once.

In my opinion, spending money for buying fireworks is useless. Yeah I know that it is about self-satisfaction to celebrate something, but please see people out there feeling starving. They must think how to buy food with little money they have. If you’re rich, you can eat what you want and buy many fireworks. It’s better to share valuable things with people who need them more.

Well, the new year has come and now we step our feet in 2017. It means our age is decreasing and we get closer to the death. I just want to be a better person because I’m not as good as you see, but I’m not as bad as you think. It’s my favorite quote from Ali, the son-in-law of Prophet Mohammad.

Okay, let’s do something useful and make a better future. Happy New Year, Maders!