edgeofuniverse

The Sears Tower

2010-06-05T11:15:00.002+07:00

Chicago is one of the most beautiful city I’ve ever visited, I really thank the Hall family (Dan Hall, Verdellh, Jacob, and Statia) for bringing me there for the weekend in March 2001. This tower is now called Willis Tower. However at that time its name was still Sears Tower, so I used that name for the title. I was on the other side of the road and was using an analog camera, so I didn’t know how the shot would look like. As you can see, the angle is a bit messy. It was the world’s tallest building until 1998, when Petronas Twin Towers surpassed it.

This is [scenic sunday][skywatch friday]

Karanongko

2010-05-28T22:53:00.003+07:00

Again, this is from my old archive. This is how the village of Karanongko looks like in the morning, the village where my father spent his childhood. The empty field is the children’s playground, this is where they all have fun together. We only visit this place once every 2 or 3 years. This village is located in the Klaten Regency, Central Java, Indonesia.

[scenic sunday], [sky watch friday]

The Oil City

2010-05-23T00:03:00.008+07:00

Balikpapan ‘the oil city’ is located on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia. It’s my hometown, the city where I spent my time the most, one of the cleanest city in the country and also a peaceful one. This picture was taken on top of a hill and we can see the oil refinery located on the shore of Balikpapan Bay. The road down the hill, the refinery, and the sunset, bring me back my memories of childhood, when we rode on the school bus in the evening to get back home. The scenery always makes me smile. I miss this city.. and the childhood moments.

[scenicsunday][mellow yellow monday]

In the garden

2010-05-15T12:39:00.002+07:00

Some few shots of flowers around the neighborhood, I’ve no idea what they are called. The purple one was at the field near the tennis court and the rest of the flowers were from my home garden. These are old stock. I was browsing through my old photos, then I decided to post them here. I guess they make my blog ‘greener’.

Today's Flower

Wall of Memory

2010-04-03T15:21:00.002+07:00

Let us enter the world of the early days, when we were kids. We used to have so many dreams and our world back then seemed to be unrealistic. I felt that art was so much closer to us than now, I mean.. we drew a lot! Drawing is one of the many languages which children use to ‘talk’ about their world. The first books I ever read as a child were the books about the universe. I loved looking at the pictures of the wide universe... and drawing them, and of course as a child, the use of color is often more emotional than logical.

Semi Abstract?

2009-11-28T22:54:00.001+07:00

Quick drawing made weeks ago. Intended to make an abstract drawing, but ended up making a clear view landscape seen from a canyon. Abstract itself, I don’t know the meaning, there is a lot of confusion between abstract and non-objective. Whatever it is, all tried to do was randomly play with colors in photoshop and let the imagination run riot.

Wide awake and frozen

2009-10-24T00:48:00.002+07:00

I've heard stories about sleep paralysis long ago. 'Ghost' appearance is a common thing during the paralysis and there's a scientific explanation about it. However I was still really curious about the phenomena. I wondered how people feel during sleep paralysis. Few years later... or a few days ago, my curiosity was solved. It's not like I was wishing to experience sleep paralysis. I never knew what was coming. I was watching T.V. while lying on my bed at night. I didn't intend to sleep, but without realizing, I fell asleep. When I woke up, I suddenly saw shadows. I looked at the shadows and they transformed to ghostly looks. Their scary faces approached me until they're right in front of my face. I was in confusion and panic. I don't know whether it was a dream or not, I think I was hallucinating . The environment slowly turning into my own room and I could see ghosts, I tried to kick them but then I realized I couldn't move. The paralysis lasted about 10 seconds. I finally sat down, turned on the lights and felt relieved. From that point I understood that anyone who's struggled through an episode of being wide awake and frozen knows it's not a pretty thing.

have a nice dream

2009-10-11T23:02:00.002+07:00

Friday 9 October was supposed to be a good day. If all went right, I would come to a party and leave for Bandung that night so I would enjoy the weekend there. But, let the past be the past. Sunday is almost over, I should close my eyes, concentrate my mind and pray to God..Sleep well and hope I'll have a nice dream..

9-26/11:24

2009-09-26T11:27:00.004+07:00

Sudah seminggu dibandung dan sekarang saatnya kembali ke kos. Lebaran tahun ini sama seperti tahun - tahun kemarin. Dihabiskan bersama keluarga besar, tapi sayangnya ga sempet ke boyolali dan solo. Saat ini saya lg di km 51, menuju ke cipaganti lenteng agung. Beginilah kalau sedang ditol. Cuma bisa tidur dan buka blog. Sekalian, saya mau ngucapin minal aidzin wal faidzin, mohon maaf lahir batin. Btw, foto kawan - kawan yang lebaran di Balikpapan bikin iri, hehe. Semoga reunian di waktu lain saya bisa ikut..

emptiness, darkness, that came before dreams

2009-09-12T23:57:00.005+07:00

Hello Darkness, it was always late at night, when everything and everyone else was quiet, that those voices would rise like ghosts, soft and haunting, filling your mind until sleep finally came.. In restless dream I walked alone in the narrow streets of cobblestone, Neath the halo of a street lamp. laughter, festivities have ended and I was on my way home. This dream, it’s not just a dream. It is a memory..

Back to the yellow campus

2009-08-31T21:56:00.008+07:00

Vacation’s over. I’m gonna see a lot of yellow for the next few months.. because I’m back to the yellow campus. There are 2 main campuses, one is in Jakarta and another in Depok, which is where I study. Overall, Depok City can be called as 'youth district', since the importance of the number of students. Students also enjoy green and fresh-air provided by more than 250 hectares of forest inside UI's campus in Depok.

Enjoy the rest of your summer

2009-08-16T11:04:00.001+07:00

It is hard for me to believe that I have only 3 days left in My beloved hometown. I planned to keep playing tennis and badminton everyday until my last day in Balikpapan. But who knows.. Yesterday, I ended up hurting my right arm muscle during a game. Now, It is either I play PC games with friends or watch them play badminton..

Those Marathon Runners…

2009-08-13T21:18:00.001+07:00

I’m always amazed at the range of people who cross the finish line at any marathon. But becoming like them, I don’t want that. 40 km is just too much, it’s a torture, I’m sure my body can’t handle it, If you ever have to go that far isn’t that why we invented cars? a 6 km of running is enough.

End of July

2009-08-03T12:22:00.001+07:00

Last day of July, Friday the 31st that is. I participated in Minima urban artworks 2.0 which took place in Balikpapan Trade Center. I only knew about the exhibition 3 days before the actual event. So I quickly made this drawing and submitted to the committee. Besides this one, there’s another artwork that I submitted, an old drawing and was already shown in a previous post.

Journey into my mind, the further I have pursued my voyage the more distant they have become. In my mind, I travel toward the unknown.. don’t know where I will be heading. The imagination, I think I need to paint it out. – 08/03/09

07/30/2009 - Sur la plage

2009-07-30T20:16:00.000+07:00

Excitement was in the air. The realm of vacation is, by far, the most enchanting.. There was that time we’d stopped at a local beach. That place, is definitely one of my favorite. There is a food court where you can find many kinds of food. Inside, the porch, and outside.. we chose the outside part of the food court. Good place must have good food, but I didn’t eat anything there.. I was out the whole day since morning, ate chicken porridge for breakfast, 2 burgers for lunch , and in the afternoon (around 4-5 pm) we went to the beach and I was already full. The man behind the photography is Suma. Check out his deviantart.

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Stranger in old school

2009-07-25T12:40:00.011+07:00

I took the car and I was off again. Destination: my old school. I felt strange as soon as I arrived, because everybody there were wearing uniform and I wasn’t. I was there to meet my ex-schoolmates, I walked across the sea of high school students, looking for familiar faces, but found none. At that point I felt like I was a total stranger and that was uncomfortable, seconds were pretty much like minutes. But then, I heard someone among the crowds calling my name, I took a look and yeah, I recognized him and that gave me less pressure. He’s a friend who’s 3 years younger than me. A very talented musician, we once played as guitar duo in an acoustic event. So I waved to him and continued my way to school canteen, where the alumni were meeting.

7/20/2009 “Summer Days”

2009-07-20T00:07:00.007+07:00

I am too lazy to actually draw since my arrival to my hometown, Balikpapan. I had plan to make a short comic, but it never happened, Probably because of the activities I have here. It’s not like I’m really busy and have more important things to do, but I have other fun things to do. What’s the best part about lazy ‘summer days’? hmm, eating some good food, spending time with friends and family, going to beach, nice weather, jogging in the morning or in the afternoon, going to gym, playing games, watching TV, and I re-visited my old teachers in elementary school, junior high school, and high school. We had long conversation, I’m glad they still remember me. And these pictures of me and my friends were taken in a restaurant called solaria, located in Balikpapan Trade Center.Thanks to Irha for bringing Nikon D90!

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6/29/2009 (it’s about Paprika)

2009-06-29T21:13:00.009+07:00

9:13 PM - The flight from Jakarta to Balikpapan took about 2 hours and I’m now home, sitting on my couch, watching paprika on HBO signature. In case you didn’t know, Paprika is a Japanese animated science fiction film. Paprika comes with a psychological theme about dreams. I’ve watched this movie before, and now I’m watching it again. The graphics = two thumbs up! But the bad thing about this movie: it’s repetitive, it has incomprehensible storyline and lackluster characters. Focus and concentration on the film is needed if you want to follow the flow of the story. Well, this animation surely motivates me to draw and learn more!

Memories

2009-06-24T21:02:00.006+07:00

What do you remember fondly about your childhood? Do you remember important moments of your life? Do they make you smile? remembering your past is important, whether it is good or bad, because the power they have over us is incredible. Always look back to derive useful lessons from the past and always regard it as a learning experience.

6/21/2009

2009-06-21T20:22:00.016+07:00

Pablo Picasso once said that painting is just another way of keeping a diary.. is it? Well I know I’m not a real painter, I simply love to draw.. with the development in technology I started to draw things digitally.. It’s quite a new thing for me.. I remember when I was in junior high school I drew things on paper and sometimes kept my drawings in a folder. Then, in high school I painted “sorrow” on a piece of paper and at that time, I didn’t have any intention to paint until I saw some painting tools on my little brother’s desk.. Then I quickly thought.. Let’s try them out! it was quite fun, even though I titled the painting "sorrow". Then I made another one which I called“village frontier”. Another way of keeping a diary? not sure. As far as I know diary is a daily written record of usually personal experiences and observations. Until now I don’t remember making any drawings about my personal experiences (I will probably do it one day), I think of it simply as hobby, I draw based on my own imagination and it's not like when I'm sad I draw something that depicts my sadness. I'm really confused...I shouldn’t have thought about this stuff from the beginning, what a waste of time. By the way, I think it’s time to say goodbye to pencil and paper (which is a good thing, because I don't wanna waste trees only for my nonsense drawings) and say hi to pen tablet and adobe photoshop (or any other drawing softwares out there..).

Let the flames begin

2009-06-15T02:27:00.011+07:00

I’ve been through the final exams, and I found them quite hard. I had 4 subjects for this semester: fundamentals of fluid mechanics, mechanical design, kinematics and dynamics, and manufacturing process. I prayed to God for success, but unfortunately I have failed one subject this semester, Kinematics and dynamics that is. Not only me, but also my friends.. we all have failed that subject. I was so down, but I believed that God wants me to do better next time. I don’t want to disappoint anybody anymore, especially my parents. I have to do better next time, Insya Allah. Well, I must not go down… As I mentioned in the previous post, I probably gonna spend some of my time drawing during this vacation and this is the first one so far... Like Hayley said : Let the flames begin!

6/5/2009

2009-06-05T10:51:00.005+07:00

I am thinking what I love to do and what I usually enjoy doing.. taking pictures used to be one of my interests, but since my pocket camera’s LCD screen cracked, I’m more focused on drawing and painting. I think it would be a good idea to develop skill in area that is my forte. Practice is a must and I noticed this interest isn’t temporary. The next thing that is important is sharing my works with others, I must know what people think about them, and advices are what I need. By the way, vacation has come and I have plenty of time doing what I enjoy doing.. Oh yeah, I really need my camera fixed!!

Mang Engking

2009-05-29T23:43:00.012+07:00

Mang Engking ni tempat makan paling top di daerah depok! (menurut gw) lokasinya didalem UI lagi, jd bagi mahasiswa yang ngekos ato tinggal di asrama ga perlu repot keluar kalangan UI yang serba macet dan polusi (udara ama suara). Tempatnya mantep banget, bisa lesehan di saung dan suasananya mirip pedesaan.
Gw ma temen2 sering makan disini, dan biasanya gw ga bayar.. soalnya kalo makan disini pasti waktu ultah temen gw.... seakan- akan mang engking ni jadi tempat yang wajib untuk dikunjungi kalo ada yg ultah. Tapi hari ini beda.. soalnya giliran gw yg neraktir temen2 gw, hhe.
Menu2 yang mantap menurut gw: udang bakar madu ama gurame! dan ini emang banyak digemari orang- orang..

oh iya, hari ini gw ga moto apa- apa di mang engking, jadi gw ngambil foto dr tempat orang aj,
hehehe.

relaxed and leisurely

2009-05-24T06:16:00.008+07:00

I’m keeping the pace without hurry or haste.. the time will come by itself and it did. The anniversary of one’s birth has come and I wish myself all the best.. happy birthday to me..

and by the way this is my work I made just 3 hours before my birthday.. the "person" in the drawing is a girl, so it’s not me. This person (if really is a person) doesn’t represent me either.. and she is nobody.. just felt like to draw something like this..and I'm quite happy with the result. So.. that's it, I think I'm out of words.. I hope you all have a great day!

Art and engineering

2009-05-19T02:33:00.003+07:00

I’m having a little pause from all these engineering drawings right now. Engineering drawing is all about formality and precise way of communicating information about the shape, size, features, and precision of physical objects. In fact drawing itself is the universal language of engineering. So.. this is the drawing I’m currently making.. still need few more hours to finish I think.

This is actually a drawing of a microphone stand that me and my friends made in the manufacturing lab..

and these are me and Hannibal doing some welding. Welding itself is a fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals. The flame is dazzling, that’s why you have to wear the mask. Here is the video of our activity.

the making of microphone stand

There you go! the mini microphone stand is ready. By the way, the guy holding that mic stand is my friend, Hannibal Nasserie. He’s not only a student, he’s also a musician. He plays guitar in the band called idealego. He’s gonna have a concert in the Netherlands this month! But before going there, he (and all other students) have to face the final exams first ! Wish us luck!

Lastly, when I think about all these engineering stuff.. they’re not that different compared to art. In fact, engineering is art.

Scenic Sunday: Home

2009-04-11T22:47:00.008+07:00

Some shots of my home and the neighborhood on Sunday morning. The weather was great, definitely a great time to have a walk outside. And After having a morning walk, there is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.

Check out for other Scenic Sunday Here

Village Frontier

2009-04-08T11:39:00.011+07:00

Village Frontier is one of my works done in 2007. I’ve never done a painting outside of my room. This is once again what I had in my mind. For me, this painting resembles a village somewhere in Europe. Probably France or Italy (Maybe…). I decided to call this one, Village Frontier, because it’s obviously showing the edge of the village. Unfortunately, there is something missing in this work. I forgot to draw a man walking on the street.. which I thought would be a great idea to make him as the center of attention.

Afternoon Pastime

2009-01-30T14:40:00.015+07:00

A beautiful day captured by my camera. This picture was taken in 2007 and nothing was really special that day, I was just having a walk around the neighborhood only to have a relaxing time with the greenery.

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver. ~Martin Luther

There is always Music amongst the trees in the Garden, but our hearts must be very quiet to hear it. ~Minnie Aumonier

Walking in the sunset

2009-01-09T23:06:00.016+07:00

"I'm a poor lonesome cowboy, and a long way from home... (Lucky Luke, as he rides off alone into the sunset)." That's the sentence I suddenly remembered after finishing this painting.The title of this painting is 'Walking in the sunset'. It's a digital art, actually a modification of my previous traditional painting 'sorrow'. I was trying to make story, more like a continuation of the previous painting.

Backyard blogging

2009-01-04T22:16:00.010+07:00

During my vacation in my hometown Balikpapan, I got the chance to experience new blogging atmosphere. It's outdoor blogging right in my backyard. Since the wireless router was installed, I can blog just about anywhere within radius of 50 meters. It's quite peaceful out here.

DeviantART artists' support for Gaza

2009-01-03T19:08:00.027+07:00

As if putting 1.5 million people at risk of starvation was not enough, Israel weighed some brutal attacks killing more than 300 people, with 750 + injured, including women and children. What is happening in Gaza is a tragedy, Palestinians in Gaza need help and they need the world's attention. Many artists on deviantART show their support for gaza by changing their ID avatars to Gaza avatars and by spreading the message for peace through their artworks. As artists, this is the best thing they can do for Gaza. Let's make the voice of the Gaza people to be heard all around the world. Thank you, in the name of the Palestinians of Gaza.

art by Selçuk Sevimli

Holiday pictures

2008-12-29T21:14:00.022+07:00

Here are some 'photo sessions' of my vacation. From the first picture below; left to right: Me, Iyo, Nikha, Uthew. We were in the same High school, now studying at different Universities.. These photos were taken at Total Housing Complex Sepinggan Balikpapan, Indonesia. Thanks to Iyo for providing the camera.

Sorrow

2008-12-28T21:55:00.025+07:00

(to download, please click on the image)

This is a traditional painting made by me in 2006 and was added to my DeviantART. I painted this in my room, not outside. It's an imaginary landscape, suddenly popped up in my mind. The title of this painting is 'sorrow'. In the painting we can see a man walking alone in the woods, he's leaving the house. It seems he has sorrow at the loss of someone/something he loves. Yet he is strong when he thinks there is no strength left and he's trying to leave his sorrow behind..

B!Blogger Ngeblog bareng

2008-12-28T20:33:00.015+07:00

Dalam rangkaian acara ultah B!Blogger, kami melaksanakan acara ngeblog bareng pada tanggal 28 Desember 2008 di Dapeen Cafe Ruko Bandar, Balikpapan pada jam 16.15. Awalnya, acara ini akan dilaksanakan di cafe kilang, tetapi setelah dicek oleh mas Alfa, ternyata hotspot di cafe tersebut rusak, maka lokasi acara dipindah ke cafe dapeen ... Saya sendiri baru datang sekitar jam 8 malam bareng Iyo ama Koko, soalnya sore masih ketemuan ama temen2 alumni Smansa: Iyo, Nikha, Uthew. -_-

Painting: Artful expression

2008-12-27T10:45:00.012+07:00

Painting is an art done by putting paint in a liquid solvent to a surface such as paper, canvas, walls, and multiple other surfaces. Painting is a mode of expression, it's also one of many ways to celebrate life. Many artists express their feelings through painting. Today, we have digital painting which is an art done by a computer, pen tablet, and software. Digital painting software such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, and Adobe illustrator give artists a similar environment to a physical painter: a canvas, painting tools, etc.. These tools give people freedom. Freedom to express themselves through the digital canvas. We do not have to worry about making mistakes. We can always erase and redo.

Going Home

2008-12-25T10:00:00.036+07:00

The third semester has ended and I finally got the chance to go home. On 24 December 2008. I went back to my hometown Balikpapan in East Borneo/East Kalimantan. The flight from Jakarta to Balikpapan took 2 hours. In the plane I spent few minutes sleeping and the rest of the time reading a book and looking outside the window. The sky looked beautiful in the early evening.

The 31st Jazz Goes To Campus Festival

2008-12-13T21:23:00.036+07:00

The event was held on Sunday, November 23rd 2008 at the Faculty of Economics, University Of Indonesia. It started at 10.00 and ended at 24.00 Western Indonesian Time. There were 3 stages: Stage A, stage B, and stage C. Jazz Goes To Campus ( JGTC ) is a routine event, held annually since 1978 in University Of Indonesia at the Faculty of Economics.

STAGE A
FEUI Band, Jazz Competition 3^rd winner: Eight Soul1, Jazz Competition 2^ndwinner: Buy Three Get Four, Imam Pras Quartet, Bibus, Arie & Gruvi, Devian, Tripp!, Nita Aartsen QuatroGugun & The Bluesbug, The Groove Reunion feat. RiekaRoslan, Yuke Dewa19 & Ali Akbar, TaoKombo, Maliq & D’essentials

STAGE B
Sonny Akbar Trio, Intensive1, Sekapur Sirih, Komunitas Jazz Chic’s, Sketsa, Beben Jazz & Friends, Drewm, Tiga Mawarnih, Indo Crossover Jazz:, Four on the Floor’

STAGE C
Jazz Competition 1^st winner: New Season, Zinia, Waditra Ganesha Big Band (ITB), Twentyfirstnight, Idang Rasjidi feat. Margie Segers, Big Band (Unpad), Lica Cecato (Brazil), Ireng Maulana Jak Jazz All Stars feat. Afgan, Ermy Kullit, Didiek SSS, Barry Likumahuwa Project feat. Benny & Utha Likumahuwa, Mus Mudjiono & Canizaro, Kul-Kul, Tompi, Tohpati

Photos by: Ady

Home sweet home

2008-12-11T22:26:00.012+07:00

Home.. I'm not there yet. But soon I'll be able to enjoy vacation there after the final exams. The house's not big, just small space where I can relax. Yeah, big or small, it doesn't matter at all. Home is simply a place of comfort and happiness..

Expect the best possible outcome

2008-12-06T03:37:00.018+07:00

Having a complete confidence, trust, and belief, are exactly what we need to have to go through life. Each one has his/her individual preferences and talents. Before starting your day, make sure you have the faith to go through the day. You must have a belief that your day will be completed as you imagine they will. There is no use of being anxious, that will just kill your confidence, you'll lose the courage to be the best of you, lose that quality that helps you go on through life. By believing that your day will be completed as you wish, you make yourself closer to achievement. You will work effectively, without worrisome thoughts. Confident thoughts have a direct effect on how you feel and work, and at the end of the day you might just expect the best possible outcome.

( photo by: Nabilah )

Featured Artist: Mew

2008-12-01T22:13:00.003+07:00

Mew are a Danish rock band. The song 'Comforting sounds' (released in 2003) from album 'Frengers' was their first major success and that's the first song I heard from them. Just like the title, this song really gives us comfort. In 2006, they released another great song called ' The zookeeper's boy' and for me this is just another comforting sounds. Like a surreal rock music, but that's just their nature of music. When I read the lyrics, I was really confused.. I read it over and over, but still didn't get the whole meaning. I think it's about a boy with the animal instincts inside of him, how he sees today's world, and when he fell in love. Really hard to digest but they made great sounds anyway. "are you, my lady are you..."

Refreshment of body and mind

2008-11-26T14:22:00.004+07:00

When you are having a hard day, full of environmental pressures, then stress isn't far away from you. And I hope you already know how dangerous stress can be. It can trigger depression and affect your physical health. For that reason, it is important to know how to deal with stress. There are probably many things to feel really good about each day, but it's easy to miss out on enjoying a day in our life if our minds are filled with worries and our bodies are tense with stress. You know that we can't go back in time, so you can't have a day to waste. After work perhaps you can have a relaxing pastime such as walking, reading, or listening to music which I do the most. Everyday you should give yourself a break even if it's only for a few moments, get enough sleep, and work off your stress with activities like jogging, painting, or photo hunting. Just make your environment comfortable and suit to your needs.

Featured Artist: Kate Nash

2008-11-24T23:23:00.009+07:00

Kate Marie Nash is an English singer and songwriter. The first song I heard was 'Mouthwash'. I saw the video clip on TV a few months ago and since then I began looking for her videos on YouTube. The songs I like are : skeleton song, pumpkin soup, mouthwash and foundations. I really like her accent from her UK background. She isn't very vocal but I like her, she's different. In this video she covers Arctic Monkeys 'fluorescent adolescent' and you can actually see her reading Arctic Monkeys lyrics. The one sung by Kate has faster tempo than the Arctic's.

Indonesia Independence Day Celebration

2008-09-04T23:44:00.023+07:00

August 17th - Indonesia Independence Day. Really glad the day has come. Our flag is hoisted all across the nation and ceremonies are held everywhere. The next day, 18th August 2008 Total held the annual celebration with various shows. It was held on soccer field in Total housing Complex. A lot of food there.. Popular food from all over Indonesia. The funny thing is that they displayed this giant poster '40 years celebrating energy for all'. I didn't expect this one.. we can say the event was still part of Total E&P 40th anniversary celebration. The shows were not so bad, they got theater, traditional dances, poems, etc.. But the best part is Project Pop's live performance. They made the whole crowd dancing with their songs..

Back home, after all these celebration somehow I remember question like.. 'are we fully liberated?, apakah kita sudah benar- benar merdeka??' posed by anybody who doubts about their freedom. We all know The Indonesian declaration of Independence was proclaimed on August 17, 1945. But for many people in this country, we are not independent in the real meaning. While from reading Butet Kartaredjasa's blog, I found these words that had me thinking about this country's condition.
”Lomba Makan Kerupuk dan Panjat Pinang itu kan sindirian rakyat terhadap cita-cita kemerdekaan.” Maksudnya? Itu kan ejekan kepada para pemimpin, bahwa untuk sepotong krupuk pun rakyat masih harus berjuang keras untuk bisa mengunyahnya. Itu artinya para pemimpin yang dipercaya menjadi nakhoda bangsa ini masih konsisten menyelenggarakan kemiskinan rakyatnya.

”Lha soal panjat pinang,” sergah saya. ”Lihatlah orang-orang yang menyangga di bawah yang menjadi tumpuan orang yang memanjat ke atas. Yang di bawah meringis kesakitan menyangga beban, sementara yang di atas tertawa kegirangan karena berhasil memetik hadiah.”

Crackers eating competition that's held every year on our independence day is 'maybe' a mockery to our leaders.. only for a piece of cracker, people still have to work hard to eat it. So, MAYBE when this competition stops, that's when our nation really can celebrate REAL independence day..

photos by Fadil

TOTAL E&P INDONESIE'S 40th Anniversary

2008-08-20T16:56:00.033+07:00

Total E & P Indonesie (a multinational energy company) was established in Jakarta on 14th August 1968. And now Total E&P has reached 40. The celebration of Total E&P's 40th anniversary was held in Balikpapan. There were music and dance performances. I Wayan Balawan was a guest star in the event. He performed last and the best ( That's what I think). Well, he was the one I've been waiting for in that event. Balawan is a very talented musician from Bali, Indonesia. I'm proud that this country has a great artist like him. He played some kind of Jazz Ethnic on the stage with his 8 finger touch style. The music is combination of Balinese Gamelan and Jazz, and that was amazing. His performance made a great closing for the event.

photos by Fadil

This is Scenic Sunday Post

Balikpapan Art Festival 2008

2008-08-19T15:19:00.034+07:00

BALIKPAPAN ART FOUNDATIONS held a cultural event with the theme of Public Green Space. The event called Balikpapan Art Festival was held in Komplek Ruko Bandar Balikpapan on 14-16 August 2008. The Artists collaborated to promote Public Green Space through their art works. Lack of awareness on the environment has caused a flood disaster and landslides in East Kalimantan, which caused loss of material and casualties. For that reason, Balikpapan Art Festival promoted the theme of 'Public Green Space' or 'Ruang Publik Hijau'.

There were show dance, theater, monologue, poetry, short films, Keroncong music, and etc. There were also painting, photos, and graphics exhibitions. Balikpapan Art Festival was absolutely free of charge. We could enjoy the workshops with nice near the sea environment.

photos by Fadil

This is scenic sunday post, mellow yellow monday

The morning pastime

2008-08-03T21:20:00.027+07:00

Sunday morning at around 8 am I went outside. It was a great morning for a walk, nothing really bothered my mind and seemed far from the hectic world. The morning oxygen gave all the freshness, everything just went great. At the park, I had the quality time to spend with the greenery around, observed around and I saw many flowers with great colors. I took a few pictures of them. That was a really relaxing time..

"There is however, a true music of nature - the song of the birds, the whisper of leaves, the ripple of waters upon a sandy shore, the wail of wind or sea." - John Lubbock (1834-1913)

photo by Fadil

( location : Total Housing Complex Sepinggan, Balikpapan)

this is scenic sunday post, today's flowers

Good morning Balikpapan

2008-08-02T08:05:00.022+07:00

Good morning Balikpapan,
It's vacation, I woke up at 4.45 am and went out for jogging.
the air was cool, yet still it was dark. Everything was calm, no cars and motorcycles passed by. Maybe the best view of the city and the oil refineries looked more beautiful early in the morning..
Then I got my tripod and pocket camera out of my bag. When everything was all set, I started taking pictures... The picture shown above was taken around 5.45 am - 6.00 am.
I added the pictures I just took into my vacation album, this will make me feel close to my hometown by the time I go back to Depok to continue my study..

Photo by Fadil