Amore bello

Amore
bello come il cielo
bello come il giorno
bello come il mare
Amore
bello come un bacio
bello come il buio
bello come Dio
amore mio

(Claudio Baglioni)

Midah, si Manis bergigi Emas

Quite some times ago, me and collegues from office were talking during one coffee-break in the office, and we arrived to the topic of "literature".. One friend looked at me, shocked, when she found out that I never read any of Pramudya Ananta Toer work. Well, in fact, like many other indonesian raised in the indonesian education system, I don't and she has, on which he mentioned, the only indonesian writers ever candidated for Nobel Prize.

Well, OK.
Out of curiosity, and embarassment as well, I bought a thin novel of his. Midah si Manis Bergigi emas. Midah, the golden toothed beauty (mm.. sounds like a tittle for a kungfu movies). Of course I bought the original written in indonesian language. My first Pramudya novel.

On the ferry to singapore, only then I began to read the novel.
I'm not a literature critics, nor would I pretend to be one, but the novel is real beauty. On some chapters I even had tears forming in my eyes and pain in my heart.
The story was quite sad, but he told it in a very interesting, light way.

I dont know what else to share, I'm a terrible story re-teller but I do really encourage all dear friends to begin reading them.

Singapore via Batam

Being curious of how much would it cost to go to Singapre via batam, last friday I decided to take a note of all the expenses might occur. OK now, here are all the details from Jakarta's airport.
Air Asia ticket Jakarta-Batam-Jakarta (more or less): Rp. 700.000
Taxi from Batam Airport to batam Center: Rp. 70.000 (fix price)
Ferry return ticket (better buy directly in counters in Batam Airport rather than at Batam center): SGD14 (around Rp. 84.000)
Stay in 7th storey hostel in Bugis Area: SGD17/night/bed.

Moreover, it is needed to be added, that travel time from Jakarta to Batam is 1.30 hour, ferry trip would take 1 hour, with check in counter close 30 minutes before departure time. There are two major ferry line, the Penguin and The Batam Fast, both schedule compliments each other so take any which fits your schedule better. Both are good and reliable. One thing to note about the ferry ticket price is that it's always better to purchase return tiket (14 sgd), because in Harbour Front (singapore), one way ferry ticket to Batam Center would cost 26 sgd! Anyway, once arrived in Singapore, no problem at all, just find the MRT sign and hop in.

Taking taxi to Batam Center from Hang Ngadim airport takes only 15-20 minutes, and very easy to catch, just outside the arrival gate in Batam Airport. Likewise the return trip from Batam Center to Batam Airport, just buy the ticket outside the arrival gate, hop in and in 15 minutes you'll arrive in hang Ngadim.

Bon voyage!!

Questo Piccolo Grande Amore

Questo piccolo grande amore

Claudio Baglioni

Baglioni - Coggio

(1972)

Quella sua maglietta fina
tanto stretta al punto che mi immaginavo tutto
e quell' aria da bambina
che non glielo detto mai ma io ci andavo matto

e chiare sere d' estate
il mare i giochi e le fate
e la paura e la voglia
di essere nudi
un bacio a labbra salate
il fuoco quattro risate
e far l' amore giù al faro...
ti amo davvero ti amo lo giuro...ti amo ti amo
davvero!

E lei
lei mi guardava con sospetto
poi mi sorrideva e mi teneva stretto stretto
ed io
io non ho mai capito niente
visto che ora mai non me lo levo dalla mente
che lei lei era
un piccolo grande amore
solo un piccolo grande amore
niente più di questo niente più!
mi manca da morire
quel suo piccolo grande amore
adesso che saprei cosa dire
adesso che saprei cosa fare
adesso che voglio
un piccolo grande amore

Quella camminata strana
pure in mezzo a chissacche l' avrei riconosciuta
mi diceva "sei una frana"
ma io questa cosa qui mica l' ho mai creduta
e lunghe corse affannate
incontro a stelle cadute
e mani sempre più ansiose
di cose proibite
e le canzoni stonate
urlate al cielo lassù
"chi arriva prima a quel muro..."
non sono sicuro se ti amo davvero
non sono...non sono sicuro...

E lei
tutto ad un tratto non parlava
ma le si leggeva chiaro in faccia che soffriva
ed io
io non lo so quant' e' che ha pianto
solamente adesso me ne sto rendendo conto
che lei lei era
un piccolo grande amore
solo un piccolo grande amore
niente più di questo niente più
mi manca da morire
quel suo piccolo grande amore
adesso che saprei cosa dire
adesso che che saprei cosa fare
adesso che voglio
un piccolo grande amore...

Senandung sendu di Jakarta kelabu - HUT 480

Jakarnaval 2007.

Peristiwa yang sepertinya lumayan ditunggu-tunggu ama warga Jakarta. Terbukti dari jam 7 malam, bunderan HI sudah penuh sama orang yang nongkrong di bunderannya. Ibu-ibu, bapak-bapak, anak-anak, brondong, ABG, segala rupa numplek semua. Gak cuma di situ sih, tapi juga dijembatan penyebarangan depan hotel nikko. Cuma di sini populasinya didominasi oleh gerombolan orang dengan kamera SLR segala rupa digenggaman..
Termasuk gue, ahon, henny dan Cecek. Cuma bedanya kalo yang lain duduk2 tenang, ngobrol, ngerokok, ngopi, ahon dan dkk gak ketinggalan ngebooking gua buat sesi foto narcist. Atas bawah, single, triple, B&W, warna, segala macem gaya udah dicoba juga hahahha..

Sambil menunggu karnaval, setelah capek foto-foto (well, sebenarnya gua yang capek motoinnya, mereka sih masih semangat juang tinggi), kita duduk2 di jembatannya.

Di situ ada seorang pria, dia main saxofon. Kalo udah bosen dia main suling bambu lagu sunda (hmm dari saxofon ke suling, jauh juga walaupun sama-sama ditiup).. terus ngobrol2 ama kita-kita juga.. Topi di depannya dia udah cukup penuh dengan lembaran uang dari seribuan sampai sepuluh ribuan. "Lumayan" katanya..

Suasana yang ditimbulkan dari suara saxofon yang dia mainkan, membuat gue merasakan sebuah suasana yang berbeda, malem-malem, orang lalu lalang, ngobrol, tapi nada-nada yang keluar dari saxofon itu membuat gue merasa sendiri, sedih, terkucil... seperti berada di dalam kotak ditengah keramaian, memandang dengan keheranan dan perasaan aneh ke sekeliling.
Gua tersadar sebentar, mungkin sebenarnya adalah si jakarta yang butuh budaya, butuh kesenian, butuh musik, butuh tari, butuh puisi di tengah-tengah kehidupannya, di jalan-jalan umum, gak cuma pengamen yang nyanyi di bus seenak kadutnya cuma buat nyari duit, yang kalo gak dikasih marah-marah...
Jakarta butuh darah karena dia pembuluh darahnya udah terlalu kering, udah terlalu terkontaminasi nilai-nilai modernisme yang sebenarnya tanpa jatidiri dan nilai-nilai yang palsu dan superficial.. darahnya terlalu terhisap asap-asap yang keluar dari segala macem saluran pembuangan dari segala tempat..

Kasihan juga jakarta, umur udah 480 tahun, tapi kesepian sekali...

Pas karnaval lewat (jam 9 malam), memang terbukti cuma sekedar "pemoles", pawai dari kendaraan-kendaraan hias yang cuma numpang lewat, numpang nampang biar terdengar, tapi gak dilakukan dengan sepenuh hati dan cinta. Gak kedengeran gaungnya sama sekali. Promosi segala cara udah dilakukan, dengan kata-kata manis ini itu, tapi orang indonesia memang terkenal jago ngomong doang, jago teori (karena emang dari sekolahan diajarinnya cuma teori dan hapalan)... akhirnya yah cuma berhenti sampe di situ.

Yang lebih gubrak lagi ada satu mobil berhiaskan patung segede-gedenya kandidat Gubernur Jakarta, Fauzi Bowo dan wakilnya itu. Di taronya di paling depan mobil hias pula. Sumpeh loe???

Rombongan dibuntut pawainya diisi dengan ratusan orang tumpah ruah dijalan dan RATUSAN motor yang ngantri di jalan protocol karena gak bisa lewat ketutup pawai. Tentunya bisa dibayangkan pastinya disertai dengan sumpah serapah sampe capek.

Jakarta, 480 tahun, kesepian, tidak dicintai, dimaki-maki pula....

Love at first sight

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