To Inform, To Style Up, To Inspire

The idea showed up when I was about to design my own business card. I browsed a little about how to make one, and the idea of putting distinctiveness, especially on the job title disturbed me a lot. It was difficult to find a unique suitable term of journalist. As I have the passion of both printed and broadcast media, I didn't want to specify it to one, and it made me think very hard for a few days.

Information Stylist is Me

The decision was made. I coined my own term, my own version of a journalist: The Information Stylist. Here is the justification. I personally believe that information is everywhere. There are many unknowns which have not been delivered yet to certain group of people. For example, Indonesia is famous for being an exotic pearl in South East Asia, but how many beautiful spots can you mention other than Bali? The information, which likely has been spread out before, has a chance of being worthy to those who have not read or watch about it. So, here is what I do: inform, style up, inspire.


The next philosophy is that I deliver the information with a purpose to inspire people. I don't expect to change the world, but inspiring at least an individual through my piece is an aim. Therefore, I need to style up the information, make it enjoyable. Not only for the sake of the audiences, but I think it is important to motivate me too. Thus I can pour my heart out in every work, as I remember I have some people to inspire. Having a two sides of the same coin is always good, isn't it?

The Formula Keeps Me Going

So, you want to make the world even more colourful? All you need is an information stylist.

Two New Young Colombian Friends

Life keeps flowing and it takes me to fantastic experience lately.

One and a half year ago, my old man pouted my decision on studying Spanish. It's not popular at all in Indonesia, and its use is questionable here. I did not get clear vision as well why I was doing it. All I knew was that I wanted to be able to speak more than English and Indonesian.

Now I can see, the decision has given me some memorable opportunities. Starting from the "exclusive" interview with Fabregas, to recently a Liaison Officer (LO) for Latin delegation in the International Symposium on Constitutional Democratic State, brought by Indonesian Constitutional Chamber.

I had been given a task to escort a Venezuelan delegation at first. A couple days before the symposium, he canceled. So therefore I was transferred to the spouse program, in which I had to escort the spouse and kid of Colombian parliament's member, Carlos Eduardo Hernandez Mogollon.

A day before the symposium, I knew that Mrs.Mogollon could not come. I would be accompanying two children of Señor Hernandez then, Paola and Santiago. These two youngsters from the city of Cúcuta are very charming indeed. Paola became an idol for male LOs, while her younger brother Santiago charmed the female LOs, plus the women of the Constitutional Chamber.

In between two Hernandez (left: Paola, right: Santiago)

Paola and I are about in the same age. Well, she is younger by eight months, but sometimes I feel she is more mature. Probably it's because she has the gut to be married in such young age, and she is a mom of a three year-old Isabella already. With my (currently) beginner level of Spanish, I thank God Paola speaks English too, though I kept on trying to communicate in Spanish. (That's why I was hired for!) Another thing I admire from her is the passion to be a politician like her father. Probably in the next visit, I'd meet her as a delegation.


Meanwhile, the 16 year-old Santiago reminded me of my little sister. Both love Harry Potter and the TV Series Glee. Santiago is a pop culture aficionado. I bet he knows all songs of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and of course his home-country diva Shakira. Santiago and I share the same interest in film production. He has a plan already to be an actor and movie editor.

One thing they have in common is the shopping hobby. We went to two malls downtown on the first day, and supposedly went to the National Park on the second day. However, it turned to be a two-days mall tripping as they were animated to visit the biggest mall in Jakarta, located in Kelapa Gading area. 

Lunch Break in a Mall Tripping

Paola said that stuffs here are beautiful, and quite various as well. I was quite surprised that we have more branded shops here than Colombia. For example, we have Forever21 in Jakarta, while they have to go to United States to get one. Although they are smart shoppers (pick many, try many, but buy only a couple best), these two out of four siblings are also generous in shopping. They did not shop for themselves only; they have many gifts to be given to beloved people back home.

I like the flow of my life these days as it allows me to meet many new friends, especially these two young Colombians. They are currently enjoying Bali, and will be going home by the end of this week.

One-Stop Adventure Sawarna

republished from "Nonstop Adventure in Banten" 

Sawarna Village's Landmark

Travelers have discovered Sawarna village in Banten province, southwest Java. Sawarna offers not only the experience of rural life, but also various beaches and caves to explore all at once.

From Jakarta, one needs to go up and down mountainous roads for six hours to get there. And, the road is rocky. There are small pebbles and large boulders strewn along the road, but, the landscape on the way is beautiful.

When one arrives at the entrance to the village there is an admission fee of Rp 2,000. After that, there is a shaky, 10-meter-long wooden bridge across the Sawarna River to cross.

PEACEFUL RURAL
After crossing the bridge, green foliage and blue sky dominate. On the way to the homestay, there were peaceful rural scenes like children playing tag instead of Xbox, a group of men enjoying coffee and having an evening conversation and women preparing dinner while others swept their yards. In some areas, there were rice fields that reminded one of Ubud in Bali.

Our temporary house in Sawarna was far from modern. There were two bedrooms in the half-wood, half-concrete house. The bathrooms were only a little larger than an airplane bathroom, with the water coming from a well.

The place had neither a television nor air conditioner, but that does not mean Sawarna is electricity-free. But, it is not available 24 hours a day. On the second night, we had to sleep fanless in the dark.

Before outsiders came to Sawarna, local residents were farmers, fisherman and carpenters. Nowadays, tourism has emerged as a business in the area. Some locals are in lodging, catering or work as guides, and Sawarna can now accommodate up to 230 tourists a night.

Staying the night costs about Rp 100,000, including three meals a day. But, locals are contesting tourism facilities like hotels and resorts in the area. They want to preserve Sawarna the way it is.

The Struggle to Find Paradise

BEACHES FOR PRO-SURFERS AND ADVENTURERS
Back in 2005, a high school student and tour guide, Suwalim, took an Australian surfer from the
popular area of Cimaja to Sawarna.Ever since then, Ciantir Beach in Sawarna has been a favorite for professional surfers, as the waves are huge and crazy. It is not recommended for surfing beginners, for those Indian Ocean waves might just roll you away.

Surfers are not the only ones who need to be warned. Suwalim said in 1994 some military students were struck by huge waves while posing for photos on the beach’s reef. A similar situation was even observed — a photographer was bowled over by a 17-meter-high wave while trying to get closer to the reef. Luckily, he had his backpack to protect his head from smashing into the reef behind him.


But these stories of disaster do not mean you cannot play around in the water in Sawarna. Just be aware that nature is way stronger than man.

Aside from the unpredictable nature of the sea, Sawarna’s beaches offer fantastic natural beauty. Tanjung Layar Beach has a local landmark — two giant triangle-shaped reefs. Next to those are long reefs that protect the shore from the waves. At a glance it looks like a horizontal waterfall.

The isolated, almost private beach of Lagun Pari has another geological blessing. With two barrier reefs at the end of the bay, Lagun Pari gets its name from what it looks like — a lagoon. This beautiful spot is not easily reached. One has to ascend and descend hills, cross rivers and walk along pathways through rice fields for a few hours before reaching Lagun Pari.

Walking along the coastline from Lagun Pari to Tanjung Layar, there is an unnamed spot, an arrangement of maroon lava stones from the eruption of Krakatau that form two natural paths when the tide is low.A friend said he had never seen this stone arrangement before, even though he had visited Sawarna four times. If you are lucky, you will be there when the tide is low to see this.

Natural Runway

FINDING HARMONY IN BAT CAVE
Another mesmerizing experience is to dip your feet into the wet mud of Lalay Cave; it is like walking on jelly. You need to get wet to explore the cave, for a river flows inside. The trail is slippery, so
step carefully.

At the back of the cave is a very narrow tunnel, and no one knows where it leads. A couple of years ago a group of college students entered that tunnel and no one has heard from them again. Even at the small tunnel’s entrance one can feel the air getting thinner.

Lalay is the Sundanese word for bat, although no one saw any. According to a myth, the cave is where the name for Sawarna village came from. It is said there was a continuous quarrel between the northern and southern Javanese.Lalay Cave, also known as Lebak Jati Cave, was the place where the two groups ended their war and reached seven agreements. That is why the area is called Sawarna, which means one color
or harmony.

Walking north from Ciantir Beach is Langir Cave, this cave filled with bats as their sounds could be heard all around. Unlike the previous cave, this remote cave is quite dry and the air inside was stale and hot.

Langir Cave

Sawarna is a great place to explore. Although there are long walks on rocky shores and slippery hillsides and the danger of suddenly being struck by a wave, Sawarna provides numerous adventures, always ending with a magnificent sunset.

No need to bring any fancy stuff with you except your camera, as you won’t want to miss a beautiful inch of Sawarna and its charms!

Harmony in Lombok, Republished

Finally... I got my Lombok features story published.
Here is the link: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/06/24/lombok.html

With many disputes between religions and races in Indonesia lately, it seems like the national Bhineka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) slogan has been ripped off.

Bali's Mount Agung
Through Trawangan Rocks

My adventure in Lombok shows that there is still hope to keep the spirit alive.

Lombok is an island across the strait from Bali, dwelled by Sasak and Balinese. 

Locals and foreigners rub along very well in Gili Trawangan. It is a gili (Sasak’s word of small island) with most population among the other two Lombok’s north west gilis. Around an hour driving north from Lombok’s capital Mataram, you will get to Bangsal, a small harbour to jump off to Gili Trawangan.

The island’s natives, especially those who work in bars, resorts and hostels, speak not only quite good conversational English, but also French, Italian, Japanese, and Korean. This welcoming attitude of Trawangan people invites foreign sponsors investing there in alliance with locals. For instance “Tir Na Nog”, an Irish sports bar owned not only by an Irish, but also a local entrepreneur.


Scenery is not the only drawcard of the island. It seems like many foreign tourists, mostly female, are beguiled by the charm of the islanders. A neighborhood called Kampung Bule (foreigners’ village) is where those captivated tourists, mostly European and Japanese, reside and raise a family. Here you may find blond kids speaking Sasak instead of English.

Without a doubt, football is a people sport. The first ever Gili Trawangan Football Championship in March 2011 drew together locals and foreigners as players and supporters. Ahead of time I thought it would be improperly held. Then I saw players wearing jersey and football shoes, a referee and two linesmen in uniform, a game commentator, so therefore I knew I was wrong. They even played 2 x 45 minutes like a world cup game.

Dipping Her Body Into Trawangan Water

Gili Trawangan is a widely recognized holiday destination for its exquisite beach. White sand, clear and three colours water, enhanced with eclectic underwater, make your snorkel, surf or sunbath experience feel so right. Motor vehicles are not allowed on the island too, thus you can enjoy the fresh air and have a fun yet healthy holiday.

The name “Trawangan” is derived from the word terowongan (tunnel), since there is a historical cave tunnel in the island. The tunnel was set up by Indonesian forced labor to be used as a quarter for Japanese army in the World War II. 

From the gloomy history of Gili Trawangan, the island has turned into a paradise now. It holds at least three parties a week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday night. If you visit the island mid-month when the moon is in its full round shape, local youth throw a Full Moon Party where all local DJs are brought together, plus a fireball man. 

Partying is a new Trawangan culture. In 1999, investors of leisure business invited Italian DJ Roberto. Ever since locals learned from him, and now the island has eight local DJs. You don’t have to bring your urban party look to party in Gili Trawangan. Only some rules applied: no fighting, no gambling, no prostitutes and enjoy your cheap drinks!

Harmonious life also belongs to Moslems and Hindus in Lingsar Temple, as they worship together there. Even on a big day like Pujawali (worship day of walisanga / the nine ancient Moslem’s disseminators) and Tupat War (to ask prosperity and fertility), both believers celebrate together. To get to this place, you need an hour driving east from Mataram.The Islamic belief breeding there is called Wektu Telu (three times) as they do the prayer only three times instead of normal Moslem’s five times prayers a day. According to the guide, this school is an imperfect form of Islam, which holds still Sasak’s animism.

Lingsar is derived from the word Ling means sound and Sar means water. The temple is indeed never out of flowing water sounds. A pool named Pesiraman (shower pool) pours the water from Mount Rinjani’s spring, which is believed to have a healing power. In order to shower there, you must put on white fabric and wear flowers. 

Kemalik Pool

Only steps away you can find a mystical pool called kemalik (shrine). The pool is guarded by Indonesia’s Garuda bird statue. A myth has it that a total of nine mystical tunas live there. People often throw a coin with the Garuda image into the pool to ask for a life partner. While if you throw an egg, a pawang (diviner) may invite a one meter tuna out from nowhere. 

These two pools are located in a holy area, thus you need to put a yellow loincloth on before entering. 

Welcoming at the temple’s entrance are the twin pools. These pools come up with exactly the same size, ornaments, and material. 
Afore-time they were used by twin princesses Kosala and Kosali to bath.

Local Delicacy of Plecing Kangkung and Taliwang Chicken

TRAVEL TO LOMBOK

There are several ways to get to Lombok from Bali: airplane, speed boat, or the budget style I did, public ferry. However, I suggest you to go with a package shuttle bus and ferry since public transport is not widely available in Lombok. Crossing with a ferry takes you around four hours.

It is easy to find accommodation there. From Rp 60,000 (US$6) per night hostel to a million rupiah one is available. A simple tip is to arrive early so that you have options. If you are finding it hard, the people there will help you find a place to stay, including letting you stay overnight in their house, just like my friend did.

Fifteen Minutes with Cesc

I will never forget these fifteen minutes given to interview the Spanish national Cesc Fabregas last Wednesday, 22nd June 2011. Along with four others journalists, we had a very fun fifteen minutes talk, and it only took fifteen minutes for me to know that this world-class football player possesses a very nice character. His face showed exhaustion, yet his smile didn't wear off. I can also conclude that Cesc is a good boy, very humble indeed.

Here is a piece of my story published by the media I represented:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/06/23/barcelona-me-best-place-be-fabregas.html

Wearing Indonesian Batik Scarf
courtesy by Matheos V. Messakh

From these fifteen minutes conversation, there are several quotations of Francesc Fabregas that I find interesting:

"Being on the streets for many hours, that's how I improved."

"Discipline is something that I always had in me."

"When I was six year old and I had the game for the next day, my mom wanted to take me to McDonald then I said: no mom, give me a salad, give me a fish, I need protein for tomorrow."

"My friends are very important for me, because I  know them since they were very little, since school, and I have the same friends."

"Life is always about making decision, making the right one is not always easy. You'll never know what is going to be the best thing for you so you have to imagine what could happen in both ways, and hear what your heart says. It can go wrong as well, but at least you've done what you thought it was the best for you."

"I like many footballs and I try to learn from the best teams."

"I love kids so much. It's important for me because they are the future. The future of football, the future of football."

"When I was eight I used to play with ten. When I was ten I used to play with twelve. I was always been a little bit more advance."

Journalist: You don't want to go home to Barcelona?
Cesc: Yes I will go on holiday.

Journalist: You look gorgeous everyday. Please describe you fashion style in three words.
Cesc: Can I think about it first and let you know later. I really don't know what to say, it's difficult.

"Barcelona for me is the best place to be. All my family and friends are there, and it is a nice way to disconnect from football... I live a little bit away in a small town and it's fantastic to live there."

*)Cesc was in Indonesia for a product promotion event where he is chosen to be the ambassador.

Limitless in Limited Situation

It's been a while I haven't written here, and a while also I haven't watched a movie in the theater. Indonesia's cinema-goers are mourning since they cannot catch new Hollywood movies recently. Even a friend has ever asked me to go to Singapore to do a movie marathon.

Yeah probably you have heard about taxation issue which confronts the government and the biggest cinema network in the country. Am not going to explain the details about the issue, but in a nutshell, Hollywood major studio's movies haven't been released here, such as Thor and The Fast and Furious 5. As the story goes, the most anticipated 2011 movies, Harry Potter and Transformer saga, will not play as well. (But who knows?)

Yesterday I went to a cinema for a refreshing, and expected not a great film. The choice went to "Limitless" as I thought, at least I can enjoy Brad Cooper's charisma if the movie doesn't look good.

It turned out the movie teased me well for the cinematographic area. It made me excited to go on. The story starts when a writer Eddie (Bradley Cooper) faces a writing block, a condition when writer is stuck and over a barrel not even to finish a single word.

Eddie meets his ex-brother-in-law Vern who gives him a new super drug NZT. The pill allows Eddie to access 100% of his brain capacity to finish his book in only four days. It makes Eddie a super human, limitless.

Editing is the key of the movie's coolness

Vern was murdered and Eddie gets a voluminous supply of NZT. He uses them to enhance his life. Learning new things, getting a job in finance, getting his ex-girlfriend back, upgrading his lifestyle, until he meets Van Loon (De Niro) a Wall Street dragon. Since the encounter with Van Loon, Eddie continuously having problems which threaten his career, his girlfriend's safety, and eventually his life.

Although as a thriller it is not quite thrilling for me, the movie somehow worths my IDR 25 thousand (approximately USD 3). Although the story is not as brilliant as my favourite movie "The Illusionist", which is directed by the same person Neil Burger, once again the cinematography and editing does more, and they are too entertaining to be missed.

In the limited movie situation like now, Limitless was a wise option to go back to cinema.

An Education of the University of Life

Lately I had been losing my appetite watching TV cable movies. They play mostly Hollywood or some typical shallow flicks which make me bored. In order to satisfy the need of watching quality movies, I used to go to the computer. This morning I woke up with the hope of enjoying another Pedro Almodóvar's, and there I found my brother was playing some games with the desktop. I postponed the intention, then grabbed a remote control to check on the TV cables. Luckily it was not so bad with the movies today.

"An Education" is a movie which caught my attention. The BBC production was released in Sundance Festival 2009, but I cannot remember it has reached Indonesia's cinemas up to now. I deplore it happened as the British film might inspire us, not girls not yet women of Indonesia. I believe that traditional culture teaches us females to be good wives ignoring other field that we are good at. I mean no matter how skillful we are at something, the ultimate goal is to find the princes charming, affluent ones of course, pleasure them, be married, have a good life, then raise children. With this old-fashioned paradigm, most of my girlfriends, who attended university, hold the plan of getting married soon after the graduation. If that is what we meant to be, why do us women need high education?

This movie, which is written based on British writer Lynn Barber's early life, pictures the case perfectly. Sixteen-year-old bright high school student Jenny Mellor wants to be a writer and go to Oxford University. The dream blurs when she meets David, a man whose age is twice of hers, offering a life fairy tale ending. A high class classic music concert, expensive auctioned painting, glamorous outfits, and a trip to Paris are what Jenny could only dream of before. Then comes David arresting her heart with such fortune, including an engagement ring in the end. David impresses her parents too. He convinces that it is okay for Jenny leaving her Oxford dream behind to marry him. The only side who against it is school, thus she leaves it. When she finds out that David is a married man, she goes back to the lane she was before, the education.

The young Lynn Barber

Directed by Lone Scherfig and written by Nick Hornby, the story takes place in the early 60s in England. It is a pre-Beatles era after the World War II, when England was poor and did not do very well like US, as the writer says "Over there, it was all about Cadillacs. Here in Britain, we were still waiting for a bus.” The flick also reveals the cultural revolution with Jenny parents' (played by Alfred Molina and Cara Seymour) struggling and uptight 50s custom facing their daughter's young 'swinging 60s' invasion. I believe this is my favourite cultural scene too as I was entertained that much by the architecture and fashion.


The three Oscars nominated film, including the best motion picture of the year, rockets the young actress Carey Mulligan as Jenny and Peter Sarsgaard as David. Mulligan herself wins some film awards through her acting success, with the help from the more senior actress like Emma Thompson, Olivia Williams, and Rosamund Pike.

The naive school girl Jenny

David (right) impresses the Mellors

David and Jenny in Paris

I know the story happens a lot in women's life. We are blinded by love and think that he is our only world. However, at some point we need to choose which way would take us to be a person we want to be. What I know now that I will not giving up my dream and I need education to support it and keep me independent. So, I don't recommend you young ladies to cut your dream out of your life. We are on our own in the university of life, where there are no books nor teachers to give us lesson.What I'm saying is that we need to keep doing something we love and are good at, while the princes charming are the blessings who will come to you in the right moment.