And they live happily ever after... [SPOILER ALERT]

[SPOILER ALERT!]

For those who haven't seen the movie, you can skip this post if you like,
except if you really are a curious person who can't hesitate reading a spoiler ;)

It seems that it was only a few days ago that I talked about happy endings in romance stories without the boy and the girl making up at the end of the story, but still live happily ever after on their own. Seems to me it was difficult to find such a story with such ending. But right on the day where I posted about it, was also the day my question was answered.

The movie's called Adam, starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne and it follows the story of Adam Raki and Beth Buchwald, and also yes, revolves around their quirky relationship. Adam lives alone in his flat in New York, having suffered of asperger's syndrome, a mental syndrome which a person has problems communicating with other people and difficulty in making social interaction, sort of like autism. His special trait is that he possesses an extensive knowledge and interest in astronomy and always goes excited talking and blabbering all about it whenever he meets someone.

Meanwhile Rose Byrne plays Beth Buchwald, a school teacher who moves in to Adam's flat and becomes his neighbor. Well, you can guess the story from here. Adam is attracted to Beth who seems to receive him the way he is and soon they fall in love.

[SPOILER BEGINS]

The conflict goes when one day Adam discovers that his meeting with Beth and her parents at a theatre was secretly arranged and that fact makes him enraged. However, when Beth returns to her parents' home, Adam is accepted to work at an observatory (surely for someone who loves astronomy, who doesn't want that job?) in California and goes to ask Beth to come with him because, as he says, "Beth is a part of him".

And...this is the part that I like and probably others would hate, the scene moves to "A Year Later" where Adam is seen having enjoyed his new job at the referred observatory, and later receives a package from Beth. It turns out to be a children's book written by Beth herself featuring a raccoon's family (in which the protagonist is called Adam). The movie ends with Beth narrating the story.

Well, I thought when the scene cuts to "A Year Later", Beth would suddenly appear and make up with Adam. But the fact is, they remain separated even until the end of the movie.

The ending is not sad for me, though maybe it'll strike some of you who loves happy ending where "they live happily ever after TOGETHER". Adam and Beth don't remain together and instead they remain separated, where Adam lives his life in California, doing something that he loves, while Beth stays in New York and finally reaches her dream of writing a children's book, which is strongly related to Adam. See? They don't end up together, but each of them find their own happiness in separate places.

This is what you call with a twist. And I'm hoping to see more movies with more surprising twists and happy endings at the same time just like this movie.

All in all, I'm glad that the day I asked myself whether I could find a movie that will have such an uncommon happy ending, was also the day I found the answer through the movie "Adam". Such a sweet and light tale without too many conflicts. The acting was fine too, though of course, seeing from the level of acting quality, I'd give Hugh Dancy 8 out of 10 and same score goes to Rose Byrne.

So, I guess for this movie, we can't say "And they live happily ever after together" but instead "And they live happily ever after ON THEIR OWN"

[SPOILER ENDS]

High School Never ENDS

The day the announcement was out was the day where we, twelfth graders, felt our hearts beating tensely and at the end of it, it was such unforgettable. Three years have passed and we're finally here, at this very point where we can take a deep breath of relief and let it out. It's over. We're finally at the end of our high school moment, but the end is just the beginning because soon, we're going to face the tougher world, full of tougher people and life.

Anyway, back to the announcement day. I arrived at school at 7 am, pretty late than scheduled. But unlike in any other schools, our school apparently decided that we should go through the Graduation rehearsal first before coming to the announcement, much to everyone's disagreement. Obviously, we were all very tense that day. We couldn't wait to get to the announcement part, but Graduation rehearsal first? I'm sure that's going to make things worse. The rehearsal wouldn't surely go smoothly, due to the tense feeling in all of us.

However, the rehearsal went well. We walked like robots as everyone had predicted (again, tenseness indeed played a big role in this), before finally, after rehearsing us going to the stage to receive the medallion one by one, the Headmistress whose-name-I-don't-want-to-mention entered the room bringing a folder, much to everyone's fear and anxiety. Sure we know what's inside it, and it's no other than the envelopes containing simple words that tell us whether we pass or we fail.

It wasn't all that. She uttered a long introduction, more like a speech, making our tenseness growing and growing. She even blabbered about things that aren't even necessary, like asking what we thought about the Graduation invitations we received earlier. "Is the invitation pretty?" she asked and all of us sort of booed her and shouted. "What the hell! Hurry up!"

Even the Headmistress also gave us some indications about the improvement exams that should be done if any of us failed, much to our fear. Apparently, the passing grade wasn't only measured by National Exam but also Practicum Exam and School Written Exam. The thing is, I'd no problem with National Exam and Practicum Exam, but it's the School Written Exam that I was worried about. I was sure I didn't do well in that exam, especially on subjects like History and Civics. I suck at them but I don't want those two subjects to become the reasons why I'd fail.

Maybe the day before the D-day, I didn't feel anxious at all, not until seconds before the announcement did I feel tense remembering my flaws at the School Written Exam.

Anyway, finally the moment of truth was here. Each of our homeroom teachers approached the Headmistress and each retrieved some small envelopes that will decide our future or life and death. My homeroom teacher gave out the envelopes to my other six classmates with a wide grin on his face, a grin that struck me as a mocking one rather than an encouraging one. Kekeke. Even the Anthropology teacher, who's also a school photographer, snapped some pictures of us with the tense all over our faces. That's when I realized that the teachers were trying to make fun of us in the middle of all anxiety felt by the students.

"For those who've got the envelopes, don't open them up first." said the Headmistress.

We wait anxiously until everyone had got the envelopes on their hands. I was trembling like mad, holding the small envelope on which written my name and my registration number there with cold sweat all over our body. Luckily my envelope hadn't got wet yet despite my sweaty and trembling grip.

"One, two, three!!!"

Without thinking anymore, I tore up the envelope and reached for the small, holy paper. I felt the smooth paper fabric under my skin before unfolded it before reading what written there (you can see the image of the photo here)

...dinyatakan lulus...

Lulus...

Lulus...

Lulus...

Lulus...

LULUSS!!!!!

(this format of writing is a reference to the format of this post, with similar theme)

By the time I read that simple word in bold - a word of two syllables, five words - everything was like paused, before finally the auditorium was engulfed with a sudden overwhelming scream. Spontaneously and at the same time as everybody started to scream, I leaped up from my seat, almost kicking the bag I put near my feet and went to hug my best friend, than my other friends. It was such an engrossing moment. Even this situation felt like making us even closer than before. I hugged friends who were not my best ones.

Everytime I stumbled upon a girl from other class who maybe barely knew my name, we hugged and exclaimed. "Congrats!!!" I realized that every girls that I hugged had tears on their eyes, tears of joy and relief because it's finally over.

I went to my friends from Social Department, again, hugging them. But then, I felt like there was someone missing. "Where's she?" She refers to my missing friend.

"She didn't make it." my friend from the Social Department told me.

"What?? You gotta be kidding." I said. The thing is, if any of us had failed, they wouldn't even have come to school because they would have been told the day before the announcement. And my missing friend was here that morning. I still met her and we still even joked around, and now she was announced failed? That was just unbelievable.

I felt like rejoicing over the success I just got, but in the other side, I felt like rejoicing over my friend's grief for failing. She was my best friend and I couldn't even find out what she didn't make it. Even she's one of the most diligent girls I ever met. I could tell that from her hardwork and determination. And now she failed? I couldn't believe what I heard.

Anyway, we continued celebrating despite my friend's absence. When the Anthropology teacher passed with his camera, we struck a pose, showing the small paper containing our names and the word LULUS proudly.

When we were ushered outside the auditorium, the celebration wasn't over. My best friends and I were planning to look for our missing friend, knowing that she might need encouragement and motivation. We looked around the school, and happened to stumble upon some teachers who congratulated us. We also thanked them for three years of dedication to us. When we bumped into her homeroom teacher, we asked about her whereabout but she said that she might need some time alone with her parents, who had arrived at school to her aid.

We decided to take some pictures though, as you can see above and below. And when each of us started to leave school, me and my remaining two four friends went to the library. I didn't feel like leaving this school so soon. We decided to explore the school, and approached our "daughters" (successors in extracurriculars) in their classrooms. The daughters were eleventh graders, who apparently had a free time despite they're supposed to have lessons at that moment (the teachers were all still celebrating our graduation). I met my own "daughter" who congratulated me and I told her. "You'll experience this next year." (I feel like talking like a wise old woman. kekeke -_-) and also I met some freshmen that I recognized. They also congratulated me.

Then we moved to the library, our favorite spot at school. We took some pictures once again and had a nice chat with the librarian. Meanwhile, the teachers were done celebrating and went to resume teaching. At the same place (the library) but in different spot, a freshman class was currently watching Grease. They were watching it in sort of a separate room, like a TV room inside the library. We could still hear to the movie and when it came to a songs like Grease and Summer Night, we sang along and thus it became our celebration song. I'm sure that some time later, whenever I hear the song Grease, it'll remind me of today.

Well, what an exhausting day, yet it was fun, since it was the last day of all of us becoming the students of SMA Tarakanita 1. To those who haven't made it, it's not that you failed. No, you didn't fail. Forget about those news telling you that you failed. They're just too much. You're also a graduate, it's just that day was not the day for you to graduate. Soon you will. And especially for my best friend who didn't make it yesterday, we shall meet again on June 12!!! Don't worry, we're here for you, and we'll always be here to support you and encourage you! Hwaiting! Ganbatte kudasai!!

Thank you Tarakanita,
for three years of studies, life experiences, and wonderful moments.

all about love and its art of writing

Is it normal for a teenage girl to write about unrealistic stories such as thriller/scifi/fantasy instead of romance story?

The thing is, I've been sick with love stories. I don't know maybe it's just my mood so don't take it too personally, but it happens quite often. Sometimes I find love stories are rather not to my liking, even though I do have some romance novels and even I myself have written two romance novels. Instead, I find stuff like historical novels, mythology like The Illiad, and even classic novels are more intriguing.

Maybe it's just me having been trapped in the world of romance literature in the past few years. I've finished two novels in two years, and both are romance. So, I needed a lot of research and looked for influences from other romance literature. I did a research what to include in a romance novel to make the readers happy (due to me being single and haven't experienced romance just yet). I'm not saying that romance novels are bad or something like that. I adore them, it's just sometimes I'm getting too bored reading them. It's the frequency thing that makes me.

Though there is something that bores me about love stories.

The happy ending.

Again, I'm not saying that happy endings suck. It's not that I love tragic love stories such as Romeo and Juliet more than anything. Everytime I flips the first page and spots the two main protagonists, Girl and Boy, I always think "Whatever happens in the story, they'll fall in love later on, and at the end of the book, they'll date and get married. Huff."

I'm talking too much. I know. But the point I'm trying to say is: Sometimes love stories just lack of twists.

It's always like that. Girl meets boy. They fall in love. They're involved in a conflict. Love triangle. Blahblah. Then at the end of the book, a solution comes. Ta-daa, they get married. End.

I adore works of Nicholas Sparks, who mostly writes coming-of-age stories. Even though I haven't read his books. But I heard of one of his notably works "A Walk to Remember". That's one good story with good twist at the end of it. I'm sure not all readers won't like the ending since it's a sad one, but whatever the ending is, I'm sure Nicholas Sparks didn't focus only on the couple's happiness and ending, but the true moral about love he expressed through the book: that love lasts forever. Sure it's a sad ending, but it's definitely a work with great impression especially at the end of the story.

I love endings where the boy and the girl don't end up together, but as long as they're happy, it'll make a good twist and a happy ending at the same time

Say, the boy goes somewhere else at the end of the story, and doesn't end up with the girl, but she lets him go because she wants him to be happy. See? A good twist and a happy ending right? Nobody dies and nobody's even sad in that story. :)

FYI, while writing love stories, I also find it difficult especially in depicting a kissing scene. Read this post for more details about it.

During my early plotting for my two books, I planned that they wouldn't have happy ending, or something like that. In Private Course, although Samantha and Derrick (the protagonists) experienced some chemistry in the middle of the story, I wanted them not to date at the end of the book, but remained best friends instead. But after asking for friends' suggestions, they disagreed. They said that readers wouldn't love couples in romance novels to eventually become best friends, after what they'd been through. "You shouldn't write for yourself. You write for readers." My friends told me.

So, okay, I eventually made Sam and Derrick a couple at the end of the book.

Second novel, The Nightlurker, I wanted to make Julia and Cornelius separated forever, with Cornelius finally departing to afterlife to reunite with his deceased love interest. But again, my friends said it wouldn't make a good ending. Julia and Cornelius had experienced a lot in the book, and they ended up separated forever? And Julia letting him go to reunite with his deceased love interest despite the fact that she loved him?

So at the end of the book, I finally decided that they reunited and ended up together.

No twists. But again, I write for readers. If I had written for myself, I would have twisted the endings as I like it, but not to the liking of readers.

Yes, my stories are still lame. But I'm open to critics. :) I may write for readers, but the characters are mine, so after receiving suggestions and critics, I'm the one who decide what's going to happen to them.

Weeeelll...right now, I'm currently reading Winter in Tokyo by Ilana Tan. I read romance novels only when I'm in mood for reading them though (which is probably now or the past few years). I often consider romance novels as light readings, which do not require any mind tricks unlike Dan Brown's works. I'm not finished reading the book though. So far as I can see, the book is impressively and finely written! Ilana Tan is such as an awesome writer. She's great at describing places, diction, and the characters! Although, I know that the characters will end up together at the end of the story. But I have to accept the fact that happy endings are mostly on every romance literature.

Having been sick of love stories, both reading and writing them, I finally came up with an idea to write a new genre.

Science fiction/fantasy.
Two worlds collide.

Then I come to think something: I'm about to write something that is uncommonly written and read by most teenagers. Before I start it out, I stopped to think. Is it normal to write something as unrealistic as that? Scifi and fantasy are definitely things that are out of our world, while mostly writers these days choose to write stories that relate them to reality. I'm still a teenager myself and I realize the consequence of writing that genre.

It requires an extraordinary imagination and idealism, where my story will take the theme of alternate universe and utopia realms. It requires a lot of researches about certain gadgets I'd like to create, the mechanism, and stuff. But in the other side, I also decided to depend on my imagination and my unrealistic sort-of-lucid dreams I have experienced. Especially, what more not-normal from my upcoming sci/fi fantasy story is, it'll possibly include a war scene.

Something that normal teens won't write, I presume. Besides, I just wanted to check if my sanity still sticks with me here.

I asked my mom about this and she kind of thought that it's not normal for a teenage girl like me to write sort of unrealistic genre.

"Be realistic. You're still a teenager yourself. Write things that relate you to your surrounding."

I know my mom refers me to romance, but sorry mom, my life is not currently revolving around it. Even I think my love stories are kind of unrealistic. Yes, even my love stories that I wrote wasn't really realistic, stuff like forbidden love or friends-to-couple. But well, I feel like I should get out of the world of romance. I've had enough with it. Thank you, romance. Now I'm going to need a break from you and move out to another realm, the unrealistic one. Someday, I'll get back to you. I know my sci/fi fantasy novel project is going to take a while. I'm working on the plot. Hopefully it'll be done soon so I can write the whole novel :)

All in all everyone has their personal tastes. Maybe my taste is a bit different. I do enjoy reading romance, but sometimes I need a time out of it, like this time.

Alhamdulillah! ^_^

I PASSED ALL THE EXAMS.
YES, I MADE IT. WE MADE IT, GUYS
I'M OFFICIALLY A HIGH SCHOOL GRAD.

*do the 'celebration' dance*

Alhamdulillah, ya Allah! Thank You for all Your blessing.
Thank You for hearing all of our prayers, ya Allah.

We made it through this very point.

Anyway, I'm still struck and shocked due to the fact that the amount of failed students is higher than last year's. Today's been a big day for us 12 graders. Today is where our future is decided and paid off after three years of studies. Yes, the announcement for the all final exams, from National Exam, Practicum Exam, and School Exams was out today.

What even struck me is the fact that one of my best friends didn't make it.

How shocked and speechless I was, yet in the other side I felt like it was just unfair. The thing is, this friend that I mentioned was a hardworking, strong-willed, and determined person. The most diligent girl I've ever met. Thank God, she's doing just fine now. I called her earlier to make sure she's alright and to cheer her up. Instead, she told me.

"Don't worry about me. I've seen people crying over me today. But why? I'm just fine. Thanks for worrying about me that much though. I'll meet you guys up on June 12, the graduation and farewell day. Remember, we've entered together, and we've exited together."

Well, let's look at the bright side, guys. If you still don't make it, this is not the end of everything. Your success is just delayed, not canceled or removed. You still have a long path ahead of you. That's why the government is kind enough to hold the improvement test on May.

Good luck and I'll wish all the best to all of us.

(Documentary including photos and more details will follow later on)

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
BACK TO THE PAST
Aw, today's event really reminded me of this event.
Exactly the same event, only in different phase, different time, different grade.

Maybe I'll repost this event in English some time later in this blog

:)

Nostalgia

Hi!!

Hope you're not too bored with my continuous and constant updates on my blog! I haven't really done anything much especially after the jazz show. I once promised I'd posted something about the show, but right now, I'm currently waiting from my dance partner to post a group picture on the Facebook. So, hope that'd happen pretty soon.

Recently, I'm temporarily out of contact with my friends due to a technical error occuring on my Blackberry. So I practically couldn't access Twitter, Facebook, nor Blackberry Messenger through my phone. But the device was getting better now, self-healed. I never understood how to deal with gadgets and fragile stuffs such as this.

Anyway, yesterday, my junior high friend, Nessie (also a Cho Kyuhyun-biased and luckily WON A SEOUL POSTER SIGNED BY MR. CHO HIMSELF AND SEOHYUN OF SNSD. FOR. THE. LOVE. OF. GOD. such a lucky lucky lucky lucky girl) asked me to attend a small reunion with a few other friends of mine: Dian, Ellen, Jessica, Shalini, and Abiella. We managed to have a little engagement in our junior high school, which is SMP Tarakanita 5.

It was a sweet meeting!

The school looks more blue than ever!

We even met some teachers that used to teach us back to the Junior high time and luckily they still remembered us! We also explored the places around the school and remembered each sweet memories and stories left in every spots (like a spot where two friends of ours used to date, a spot in the field where my friend used to be bullied for the first time, a spot where my other friend used to confess her love publicly in the field, etc). Everytime we arrived in one spot at school, we went like "Oh, this is where they used to date every morning!" Something like that.

It was just so sweet.

From left to right: Shalini, Jessica, Nessie, Ellen, Abi, and me

We sat on the benches shaded by a huge oak tree afterwards. The spot is called DPR (Di bawah Pohon Rindang) or in English "Under the Dense Tree". The abbreviation itself is created after the Indonesian Parliament itself. We sort of went back to the past and memorized everything happening about three to five years ago at the location.

All in all, even though our meeting was short, I missed junior high, really.

And you know something? There's an interesting fact in reunions that I attended. They were always held at schools, such as in my elementary school or yesterday in my junior high school. Back when we experienced those sweet moments, we were of course, much smaller and shorter than we are now. The places around us looked so big. But in the present, when we returned to the places that held our memories, the places looked so small. I thought that maybe it was just us getting bigger and taller so it made an impression as if the corridor is getting narrower, the field is getting smaller, whereas in the past, we used to think that those places are wide and huge.

Right now, I always think that the auditorium in my high school is very very huge. Maybe years after now, when I'm already a grown up tall woman (wishing to be one) return to that place, I'll think that the auditorium is really small. I don't know. Our physical growth somehow affects our impressions on some places we visited in the past.

Happy Kartini Day!

HAPPY KARTINI DAY!
FELLOW INDONESIAN GIRLS

Let us celebrate her struggle to fight and stand up for women's emancipation!

I've seen and heard that some women have attended works and schools wearing traditional clothing and dresses, including my school. How envious I was when I heard that, since I've never ever experienced Kartini Day before. The last one was when I was in the kindergarten, which was approximately...thirteen years ago!!

Anyway...

About today a week ago, us 12 graders have finally come to celebrate our freedom! No wonder that shortly after the very final exam was over, all girls scattered around Jakarta to celebrate the freedom in their own ways. Me and my friends decided to take a stroll in Blok M Plaza and also had a movie day. We planned to watch The Lovely Bones but apparently the movie wasn't available anymore in its cinema.

We finally chose to watch When In Rome instead, which was, I'm telling you, very funny! Turned out the movie was a good choice to watch especially for us who had just been liberated from all our pressures we have as students.

The day was obviously full of laughter, stuff like shopping some breads, having lunch (where I stupidly and accidentally ordered two bowls of rice, which I didn't succeed to finish them all), snapping some pictures...well, we didn't do much though. But at least we had a great time. <3

And you know something really hilarious happening that day? My driver made fun of Prima, a friend of mine, by blackmailing her. Clumsy Prima, she left her phone number in her notebook left in the car.

Next up, Agnes, another friend of mine, asked us all for another trip. This time we planned to go to Kota Tua (Ancient Town) to snap some photos (real photography, despite me not having any SLR cameras), since the place is indeed a good photography spot, with all the old buildings surrounding it and the warm vintage atmosphere. It would certainly be a good spot for real photoshoot especially if the models wear vintage dresses. Fine, but any of us wouldn't wear any vintage dresses.

Have a great day! <3

The Power of Gaze

Now I know why there's something even more mesmerizing from this boy, aside from his charm, smile, awkwardness, warm personality, wit, his deep voice, and evil-ish trait towards his hyung.

It's his eyes.

When it comes to boys, I always find them attractive first from just seeing their eyes. And I think this picture of Kyuhyun quite proves that my judgement about his eyes are right. His eyes are bright, almond-shaped, and obviously displays gentleness. Although sometimes, his look does strike ELFs more as evil-ish gaze. That's where the nickname "Evil Magnae Kyu" comes from.

Siwon does have gorgeous eyes too. I love his gaze after Kyuhyun's. If Kyuhyun shows his gentleness through his look, I think Siwon's more into fierceness and firmness.

All in all, yes, I tend to judge people from their gazes.

Random Rambling at 11.45

So you see that I'm currently in the mood of blogging nowadays. Perhaps it will be my continuous routine, something that I do to fill out my boring retirement days.

I haven't mentioned something to you guys since the last two posts:

EXAMS ARE OVER! FINALLY! EVENTUALLY! AT LAST!

But it doesn't mean that EVERYTHING just comes to its end. In fact, this happy yet long retirement weeks will only be temporary. In just matter of weeks or days, us twelfth graders will feel our hearts pounding with hopes that the announcement will bring us all good news. Our future will be decided on April 26 which is... *looks briefly at the calendar, gasps* TEN DAYS LEFT!!

I think that we've all done our best in every exam, including the adrenaline-rushing National Exams, Practicum Exams, and the last one, School Final Exams. We've prayed, we've dripped our sweats together, and now we only need to pray once again that our hardwork will be paid off soon.

You know what? Writing the last two paragraphs did nothing to me but make my heart even pounding harder. I mean, ten days left! Calm down, Carissa. You just started your long retirement week. You just began taking a long deep breath of freedom and now you let yourself trembling out of anxiety again?

Find, random rambling. Let's get back to business.

Maybe I haven't told you about this, but I've been accepted to two institutes already. One college, and another one is a private university. The college that I've been accepted already is located in Cupertino, San Jose (close to Silicon Valley and San Francisco, California). It's a community college but looks pretty fun. I planned to enroll there for a year before getting transferred to an art institute or a state university. As for the major, so far I'm torn between either graphic design or animation.

The other university that I talked about is in Jakarta, which is Atma Jaya. You know it, it's very famous. I signed up for psychology major but it's still pending. Probably I'd dropped it, but well let's see.

OK, so at least for now I'm quite relieved for being accepted to two institutes. However, I'm still waiting for another one. A week ago, I joined SIMAK UI, a selection test for University of Indonesia. Trust me, it was sooooo hard. Well, I did social studies questions, which are so not my field, since I'm in the Language program. So, you know I just depended on my logic skills and general knowledge, with zero percent of theory that I used.

I was thinking if I was accepted to UI (I selected two majors there: Psychology and English Literature), I would probably just take it. But I don't know, let's wait for May 15 for the results. *fingers crossed*

Just this evening, I was informed that the announcement of UGM (University of Gajah Mada) would be held online, and so far, I've heard none of my friends getting accepted YET. Even the smartest person I know at school didn't get accepted. It's not just it. About two days ago, another state university ITB (Bandung Institute of Technology) held the same online announcement and only one of many students at my school applying for the selection was accepted.

Then something came up in my mind:

Is it that hard to apply for a state university in Indonesia?

I mean, through the individual selection tests held by each institute?

Do the applicants always have to be measured on their skills of their enrolled programs? Like social studies and science? Not instead basic skills such as psychological test, basic math test, and English? Will all the subjects in their programs count on their acceptance? I don't think so.

Trust me, applying for private universities is easier than applying for the state ones. Not much requirements are needed. Just some basic skills like basic math, English, psychological and logic test, and interview/oral test. Those tests don't even require any text book theories.

Anyway, I don't want to talk further before it gets on my nerves. It's Friday for God's sake! Time to refresh our minds and avoid talks about schools and stuff!

Oh I just bought Hachiko as promised, but I haven't watched it. Distracted enough with Zathura on TV. I've watched the movie twice but never got bored watching it over and over again. Just...exciting! I'd love to have my house floating on the outer space some time.

Don't let me rambling. The later the night gets, the wilder my imagination gets.

Ooh, one more thing. On Sunday, April 18 (which is in two days), I'll have my first performance as a jazz dancer. No, don't think that I'll dance individually on the stage. Haha. It'll be a group dance in a feature stage performance which takes the theme of High School Musical. Only in High School Musical, the characters sing, but in this stage performances, they'll dance instead. My role with fellow beginners are as teachers who're in the middle of checking out the school situation during break. While doing so, we dance.

But gosh, I really envy those slender, advanced dancers who dance beautifully on the stage. Their choreography is much more aggressive than ours! Their dance movements are more exciting, including jumping, stomping the ground, striking poses...gahh... and what about our dance movements? Well, I'm not being ungrateful or what, but all we do is just walking around here and there and our choreography is less jazz-ish than other performers'.

Oh wait, I'm still a beginner, eh? Soon we'll be just like them ;)

Anyway, this performance will be a new experience for me. I've experienced music performances before and I've never done anything like ballet and dancing before. So it's going to be exciting!

Wish us all luck!

Tootles!

Tak ada Boys in the City, Asian Crush pun jadi :)

My first title in Indonesian! It means. "Without Boys in the City, there's still Asian Crush." It's some sort of an Indonesian metaphor, or something like that.

Yes, I may not have Boys in the City (soon I hope I will. I still have that desire). But last week, I went with Elda to watch Clash of the Titans, and after that, we dropped by in a bookstore, where she suddenly spotted a Kpop magazine, which has the cover of SUPER JUNIOR! (Man, I really wanted to thank Elda profusely at that moment, but in the other side, I felt like betraying her for having converted into Kpop from Jpop. Hehe, sorry Da ^^).

Anyway, I was so tempted at the moment seeing the gorgeous boys on the cover of the magazine. Asian Crush, the magazine I've been talking about, apparently features the boys in this month's edition. They call it: *drumroll*

THE SUPER JUNIOR SPECIAL EDITION

*church choir singing in the background*

So before purchasing it, I thought of flicking through the colorful pages to see the members' profiles, the facts...well, I believe it will be as drool worthy as Boys in the City could have been. However, Asian Crush is considerably pretty thin, but quite pricey especially for a thin magazine. Well, don't think about the price, but the voices of the boys kept coming from the magazine and haunting my thoughts (ah well, is this because I've watched Dunia Lain last night?). I tried to distract myself into books, but the magazine was just irresistible.

Then, the thought of Boys in the City came up again.

And I thought, well, my cousin could have Boys in the City and I couldn't. But that doesn't mean I can't have anything else related to Super Junior, does it? So compared to the 500,000 IDR Boys in the City, I felt lucky to have purchased a much much much MUCH MUCH cheaper item (the mag cost 30,000 IDR, not bad right?).

Asian Crush Super Junior : Boys in the City ===> 1 : 17 in comparison

Ah fine, just enjoy these teaser pictures of the magazine that I captured.

Have a nice weekend, guys! :)

gods and graphics

(Forgive me for being lame in entitling a post ^^)

As I said in the previous post, I've currently been accepting requests to make signatures, banners, or avatars for forums or websites. The most requests I've got are surprisingly from my friends who love Greek myth as much as I do! Apparently they're members of a roleplay whose theme is about Greek mythology, so in order to be involved in the game, members are recommended to put up an avatar and signature in their profiles, representing who they play.

Why, I certainly am pleased to wing their requests. Besides, their celebrity selections aren't so bad at all. Well, yes, the gods and goddesses do look much younger than what I've thought.

So if you kind of disagree on how the gods look here like: "Orlando is NO Apollo!" Something like that, well, all I can tell is, the celebrities seen portraying each gods here were selected by their requesters. I only make the graphics they request. I'm in no way against their choices on celebrities. :) Though I must say, yes, the gods are portrayed to be much much younger in these signatures, intentionally requested by the requesters. Like Zeus is supposed to be looking like an older man, but a friend of mine wants his version of Zeus to look much younger, so he requested that I use the pictures of Jude Law instead of Liam Neeson who actually plays Zeus in Clash of the Titans. :)

In short, everyone has their own versions of Greek gods. Tehee

Note: Some of them are premades, meaning I make them by my own will, without any requests.

OLYMPIANS

APOLLO
God of prophecy, music, healing, and the sun
Portrayed by: Orlando Bloom from Troy


ARTEMIS
Goddess of hunt, moon, and wilderness
Portrayed by: Miranda Cosgrove


ATHENA
Goddess of wisdom, war, and art
Portrayed by: Liv Tyler from The Lord of the Rings


HADES
God of death, Ruler of the Underworld
Portrayed by: Vin Diesel


HEPHAESTUS
God of forges and fire
Portrayed by: Andy Whitfield


HERA
Goddess of marriage and childbirth, Queen of Olympus
Portrayed by: Kate Beckinsale


HERMES
God of thefts and inventors, Messenger of the Gods
Portrayed by: James Roday


HESTIA
Goddess of home and hearth
Portrayed by: Kristin Chenoweth


POSEIDON
God of the sea
Portrayed by: Sorry, kind of forget the name of the celeb :)


ZEUS
God of sky and thunder, King of the Gods
Portrayed by: Jude Law (!!!)

TITANS

HYPERION
Titan god of the light
Portrayed by: Eric Bana (!!!!!) from Troy


LETO
Titaness Goddess of motherhood
Portrayed by: Cate Blanchett


PHOEBE
Titaness Goddess of Intelligence
Portrayed by: Reese Witherspoon


RHEA
Titaness Goddess of motherhood, female fertility, and generations
Portrayed by: Evan Rachel Wood


SELENE
Titaness Goddess of the moon
Portrayed by: Scarlett Johansson

PRIMORDIAL GODS

CHAOS
The Creator of Everything
Portrayed by: Jensen Ackles


EREBUS
Primordial God of shadows and darkness
Portrayed by: Again, need to recall the actor's name :)


GAIA (Premade)
Mother Earth
Portrayed by: Alexis Bledel


HEMERA
Primordial Goddess of Daylight
Portrayed by: Hayden Panettiere


NYX
Primordial Goddess of the night
Portrayed by: Emmy Rossum

MINOR GODS

ALPHEUS
River God of Elis and Arkadia
Portrayed by: Chace Crawford (Nate!!)


AMPHITRITE
Goddess of the sea, Wife of Poseidon
Portrayed by: Alyssa Milano


ATE
Goddess of mischief and discord
Portrayed by: Err....forget, again :)


BIA
Personification of violence and power
Portrayed by: Mariah Carey ^^


CIRCE
Minor Goddess of magic
Portrayed by: Ashley "Aren't you supposed to be a vampire instead" Greene


EOS
Goddess of dawn
Portrayed by: Lindsay Lohan


ERIS (Premade)
Goddess of discord and chaos
Portrayed by: Michelle Pfeiffer from Stardust


HEBE
Goddess of youth
Portrayed by: Charlotte Church


HECATE
Goddess of magic
Portrayed by: Angelina Jolie


HEDONE
Goddess of pleasure
Portrayed by: Holly Valance


HELIOS (Premade)
God of the sun
Portrayed by: LEONARDO DICAPRIO!!!!!


MORPHEUS
God of dreams
Portrayed by: Clive Owen


PERSEPHONE
Goddess of spring, Queen of the underworld
Portrayed by: Mandy Moore


THANATOS
Minor God of Death
Portrayed by: Declan Galbraith


THEMIS (Premade)
Goddess of justice
Portrayed by: (Princess) Anne Hathaway

MUSES

CLIO
Muse of History
Portrayed by: Rachel McAdams


MELPOMENE
Muse of Tragedy
Portrayed by: Clemency "Fleur Delacour" Poesy


THALIA
Muse of Comedy
Portrayed by: Amanda Seyfried

GORGON

MEDUSA
Gorgon
Portrayed by: Amanda Seyfriend (AGAIN??!!)

NYMPHS

AEGLE
Nymph of sunlight
Portrayed by: Forget the name again, ugh!


DAPHNE (Premade)
Nymph seduced by Apollo
Portrayed by: Kate Bosworth

DEMIGODS

ACHILLES (Premade)
Greek Hero
Portrayed by: Brad Pitt from Troy
(who plays exactly the same character)


HELEN
Spartan Queen, the face tha launches thousand ships
Portrayed by: Hayden "Claire Bennett" Panettiere (again?)


HERACLES
Another Greek Hero
Portrayed by: Cam Gigandet

MORTALS


ANDROMEDA (Premade)
Ethiopian Princess
Portrayed by: Diane Kruger


ARIADNE
Daughter of King Minos and later, a goddess?
Portrayed by: Kat Dennings

SET/PAIRS

MORPHEUS && SELENE
Based on the plot created by Noelle in Olympian Tales RPG


NIGHT SHIFT OWL
MORPHEUS && HESTIA && SELENE


ANDROMEDA && APOLLO
Based on the plot created by Andi in Olympian Tales RPG

Do not take these graphics out without my permission
Copyright of Carissa