Jam sudah menunjukkan pukul 18:15 waktu Pondok Indah Jakarta. Kendaraan yang akan mengantarkan saya menuju ke stasiun Gambir masih saja berjalan merayap, bahkan nyaris tidak bergerak. Jalan di depan Wisma Pondok Indah nampak demikian padatnya. Saya mulai gelisah. Pada tiket kereta api Argo Lawu yang akan saya tumpangi kembali ke Jogja malam itu jelas menunjukkan waktu keberangkatan jam 20:00 WIB.

Harus ada jalan keluarnya, kata hati saya. Sebab jika tidak, saya pasti akan ketinggalan kereta. Kalau sampai esok paginya saya belum tiba di Jogja, berarti saya tidak bisa sholat Idul Adha di kampung dan yang lebih saya khawatiri adalah kalau sampai saya gagal menjaga amanah dan komitmen untuk membantu Panitia Qurban di kampung saya.

Akhirnya saya putuskan turun dari kendaraan yang malam itu akan mengantar saya ke stasiun yang masih saja mbegegek (berhenti total) tertahan kemacetan parah. Segera saya menyeberang jalan untuk mencari taksi pada lajur jalan yang berlawanan yang tampak lebih lancar. Berdiri di pinggir jalan hingga lebih 15 menit ternyata tidak juga ketemu taksi kosong. Hati saya semakin gelisah disertai perasaan tegang. Tiba-tiba saya ingat kalau petang itu saya belum membatalkan puasa Arafah yang saya jalani. Saya lalu menuju tukang rokok di pinggir jalan membeli sebotol air mineral sekedar untuk membatalkan puasa saya. Sambil saya minta pendapat penjualnya tentang bagaimana cara tercepat menuju stasiun Gambir. Rupanya kalau perasaan sedang gelisah dan pikiran rada panik, kita sering tidak mampu berpikir jernah. Sampai perlu minta pendapat orang lain, siapapun dia termasuk tukang rokok pinggir jalan.

Solusi tukang rokok ternyata sederhana saja : “Kalau tidak ada taksi mending naik ojek, pak”, katanya. Ya, benar juga. Akhirnya usul itu saya setujui. Bapak penjual rokok pun berbaik hati membantu mencarikan ojek. Ketika saya tanya kira-kira berapa ongkosnya, dijawabnya sekitar 35 sampai 40 ribu rupiah. “Tapi ditawar saja, pak”, katanya lagi.

Pak tukang ojek meminta ongkos Rp 50.000,- sampai Gambir, setengah jam sampai katanya. Wah boleh juga, pikir saya. Tapi seperti saran tukang rokok tadi, saya pun menawar. Tawar-menawar berjalan rada alot (sudah tahu keadaan terdesak, masih juga gengsi untuk menerima begitu saja tawaran harga tukang ojek). Akhirnya kami sepakat dengan ongkos Rp 40.000,- Perasaan saya mulai agak lega, walau belum sepenuhnya. Ojek belum jalan tapi pikiran saya sudah membayangkan membonceng ojek malam-malam membelah kemacetan Jakarta.

Sebuah sepeda motor butut Suzuki Tornado yang spedo meternya sudah bolong ditutup plastik yang diplester, kedua kaca spion diganti kecil-kecil, lampu depan remang-remang dan suara mesinnya mbeker-mbeker…, segera meluncur menembus malam, menembus kemacetan Jakarta. Saya tidak ingat lagi jalan mana saja yang kami lalui malam itu, karena pandangan mata saya tajam ke depan mengikuti liak-liuknya sepeda motor yang saya boncengi sambil perasaan full tegang. Ya bagaimana tidak tegang, wong terkadang lampu merah diterobos, berpindah lajur asal wesss…. begitu saja, tidak perduli klakson kendaraan lain yang sedang melaju kencang di lajur yang dipotong.

Ketika sampai di kawasan Senayan, kami bertemu dengan kepadatan lalulintas lagi, sepeda motorpun mengendap-endap lalu tiba-tiba menyalip dengan cara menyusup celah sempit di antara dua buah bis yang sedang berjalan tidak terlalu cepat. “Oedan…”, kata saya dalam hati. Tiba di bundaran Hotel Indonesia, sepeda motor kembali beraksi dengan menambah kecepatan untuk mendahului bis kota dari sisi kanan dengan mencuri celah sempit di sudut antara moncong bis dengan separator jalan. Wusss…. berhasil, termasuk berhasil merobohkan dua buah traffic cones yang bentuknya menyerupai corongan warna oranye yang berada di ujung separator jalan sebelah kanan. “Huhhh….”, kata hati saya.

Mau saya tegur, saya khawatir nanti jalannya jadi pelan-pelan padahal saya berkepentingan untuk segera tiba di stasiun Gambir mengejar jadwal kereta Argo Lawu. Adrenain saya meningkat. Entah kenapa saya begitu menikmatinya. Sepeda motor pun kemudian melaju kencang menyusuri Jl. Thamrin ke arah utara menuju kawasan Monas, meski saya tidak sempat lagi memandang tugu itu. Lalu lintas mulai lancar dan tidak lagi merayap. Barangkali seperti itulah rasanya ikut balap road race.

Tiba di Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat, tiba-tiba tukang ojek mengajak bicara. Katanya : “Kita lurus pak”. Saya memang tidak terlalu hafal jalan-jalan di Jakarta. Tapi setahu saya kalau lurus berarti ke arah Kota, sedang stasun Gambir ada di sisi timurnya Monas. Spontan saya berteriak di tengah kebisingan lalu lintas : “Belok kanan, belok kanan….!”. Sepeda motor pun spontan memotong ke kanan tanpa tolah-toleh. “Huhhhh, lagi…..”.

Mulai feeling saya curiga, jangan-jangan tukang ojek ini tidak tahu dimana letak stasiun Gambir. Lalu saya tanya : “Bang, tahu stasiun Gambir kan?”. “Ya, tahu”, jawabnya meyakinkan.

Tiba di ujung Jl. Juanda, sepeda motor terus melaju kencang ke arah timur. Saya kembali curiga, tapi saya tepis keraguan saya. Mungkin dia tahu jalan pintas. Akhirnya, dugaan saya ternyata benar. Tukang ojek salah jalan hingga mutar-mutar kehilangan arah hingga ke kawasan Senen. “Wuahhh, modar aku!”.

“Bang, sebenarnya lu tahu stasiun Gambir enggak sih?”, tanya saya hendak memastikan. Jawabnya : “Tahu pak, tapi jalannya banyak berubah”. Sudahlah, hati saya mulai gemas. Ketika akhirnya tukang ojek itu beberapa kali tanya orang mencari arah yang benar, telinga saya mendengar yang ditanyakan bukan ‘stasiun Gambir’ melainkan ‘terminal kota’. “Aaahhhh…. Guoblog!”, kata saya misuh-misuh…, memaki dalam hati (heran, masih juga saya khawatir menyinggung perasaannya).

Lha kok tiba-tiba berhenti dan bilang : “Bapak turun sini saja lalu menyeberang sana”, maksudnya saya disuruh naik taksi. Wooo, wong edan tenan iki (orang gila beneran ini). Langsung saya bentak : “Jalan terus dan ikuti perintah saya!”. Kalau urusan tersesat kemudian kembali ke jalan yang benar (maksudnya kesasar) rasa-rasanya saya cukup punya pengalaman dan ini menjadi sebagian dari keahlian saya.

Meskipun saya tidak familiar dengan kawasan itu, entah saya sedang berada di sebelah mananya apa saya pun tidak tahu, tapi yang jelas di kawasan Senen. Setidak-tidaknya saya bisa membaca tulisan petunjuk arah yang berupa rambu berwarna dasar hijau dan berwarna tulisan putih. Akhirnya tukang ojek saya komando dari belakang menemukan jalan yang benar. Puji Tuhan wal-hamdulillah, akhirnya saya sampai ke pintu gerbang keluar stasiun Gambir. Tobat tenan aku!

Begitu berhenti, tukang ojek yang semula saya pikir orang Jakarte (pakai huruf akhir ‘e’) dan saya panggil ‘Abang’, ternyata kemudian bilang begini : “Dalane ora ceto, ora koyo nek awan pak (jalannya tidak jelas tidak seperti kalau siang pak)”, katanya dalam bahasa Jawa. Spontan saya jawab : “Lha wis ngerti aku nek awan serngengene cedak ngobong sirahmu (lha sudah tahu saya kalau siang mataharinya dekat membakar kepalamu)”, kata saya sambil rada jengkel.

Segera uang Rp 50.000,- saya sodorkan sambil saya pesan : “Turahane pek-en nggo tuku bensin (sisanya kamu ambil buat beli bensin)”, lalu saya tinggal pergi bergegas menuju ke dalam stasiun. Hitung-hitung saya sudah diberi bonus diajak wisata malam keliling Jakarta…..

Yogyakarta, 27 Nopember 2009
Yusuf Iskandar

ich habe zwei Gelsen auf dem Gewissen. Sie haben es total verdient, ich habe Stiche an Stellen, zu denen man durch Unterwäsche UND Pijama stechen muss. Heute Nacht bin ich mit NoBite eingesprayt, dass meine Haut nicht ausstehen kann. Aber genug davon.

Jakarta hat lt Wiki mit Umland ca 18 Mio. Einwohner. Ich wette eine Menge davon sind einfach arm. Einige wohnen unter Brücken.

Eine Menge davon hockt aber an Feiertagen (wie heute) in den megalomanischen Shopping Malls die überall in der Stadt verstreut sind, und lassen sich’s bei Bubble Tea und Klimaanlage gutgehen.

Jagd-Ausbeute des heutigen Ausflugs: ein Polo-Shirt (ohne Stickereien drauf, leider gibt es hier keinen der mir was stickt…), ein seltsames Leiberl, ein J.C-oHäferl, eine Menge seltsamer und potentiell lebensbedrohlicher Knabbereien für meine geliebte Rollenspielrunde, die heute ohne mich spielt (die Armen!), Red Bull-ähnliche Getränke und eine unglaubliche Menge an Pocky, die, sollten sie den Transit nach EU überleben, allersamt to parts unknown verschifft werden.

Der Otaku in mir freut sich, denn ich hatte ein ordentlich gutes Okonomiyaki zum Abendessen, gefolgt von Tahu, und abgerundet mit Taro-Bubble-Tea. Nerdy.

Das war der Nachmittag. Am Vormittag habe ich mich zuerst in einem super-faden second-hand Buchgeschäft zu Tränen gelangweilt, hatte einen krassen Schokolade mit Schokolade auf Schokolade mit Peanut Butter Donut, und dann habe ich auf der Straße vor der österreichischen Botschaft Liebesbezeugungen einer Straßenkatze bekommen. Sie fand meine Ipanemas und Hosenbeine geradezu unwiderstehlich und hat sie fest geknuddelt, bis ihr das zu langweilig wurde. Ich mag Katzen.

Trotzdem habe ich darauf verzichtet, heute irgendwas Hello Kitty zu kaufen. Bitte einen Orden.

Und nun zum Religionsbashing: Heute ist hier ein Feiertag, deshalb hockt die halbe Stadt in Shopping Malls und kühlt sich den Arsch in der arktischen Klimaanlage… in der wo wir waren gibt’s einen Eisring… dekadent bei 30°C draußen.

Gestern Abend dagegen hat sich unsere Nachbarschaft versammelt, um den Feiertag in der Moschee zu begehen, indem sie von 7h Abends bis 6h früh über Lautsprecher Allah Akbar gesungen und getrommelt haben. Die Lautsprecher? Das war um den Rest der Welt davor zu bewahren, sich von der Feier ausgeschlossen zu fühlen. So süß.

Seien wir froh dass ich ein zu großer Feigling bin um 10 Stockwerke runter zu latschen und den Schlachtruf des Wr. Gemeindebaus auf sie zu feuern: “Seids leise, sonst ruf ich die POLIZEI!”

Di Argo Lawu menuju Jogja, duduk di samping seorang gadis manis. Sambil takbiran menghabiskan malam… membayangkan sedang mengumpulkan kerikil di Muzdalifah…

(Tadi siang terbang dari Jogja ke Jakarta karena ada keperluan mendadak. Sekitar dua jam saja di Jakarta lalu malamnya kembali ke Jogja naik kereta api Argo Lawu, agar esok pagi-pagi bisa sholat Idul Adha di rumah dan membantu panitia penyembelian hewan qurban di kampung)

Jakarta (di dalam KA Argo Lawu), 26 Nopember 2009
Yusuf Iskandar

*Vivi Yip Art Room, 28 May 2009

Oversized doll heads of little girls dominate the canvas, surrounded by vertical and horizontal lines, and graphic shapes that seep and melt around them. Whimsical creatures who seem to stem from childhood fairytales, peer out of the crowded background, inhabiting the frame. The palette is subdued, with regular sweeps of muted brick reds and matte mustard greens. Part comical, with strains of anime, Badruzzaman’s creations deconstruct human interactions and personalities, always with the slightest dash of discomfort for the onlooker.

On canvas is where Badru plays with elements to adorn his paintings, such as foliage and snaking lines, creating a more tangible impression of space. Extensions of the artist’s graphic design background is apparent in the cubic shapes, hexagons and squares, and tiled spatial details of his pieces. The 27-year-old Yogyakarta-based artist, with his clean and defined lines, is inclined to provide the two-dimensional impression of a sleek graphic novel rather than a work of brushed acrylic upon canvas. But Badru, a native of Lampung, was never predisposed towards comic books or the like, his main influence being the street art that run rampant on the walls of Yogyakarta.
“Our attitude, our instinct,” he said, “was just to paint.”
The artist rarely displays his works, this being only his third exhibition. Though when he does, he prefers to express himself on a larger scale, saying “It seems such a waste to place my themes on a small canvas.”
His paintings veer more towards female characters, whose visages he bases on young women who enter his reality. While his male figures, possessing clown-like features, originate from the playful experimentation of his imagination. But these are not pictures of mirth. There is a sense of melancholy behind the children’s faces and, though resembling jesters in a royal court, Badru’s men hold something sinister behind their smiles.
“People have their own characters, I paint them accordingly,” Badru said.
Though the characters who appear to menace his central characters and invade the background change with each new canvas, one makes a routine debut – a bile-green rotund shaped critter with sharp, eager little dentures. Badru has no name for his creature, simply calling it is a symbol of egoism.
“I feel free to criticize people on canvas,” he said,” without them understanding that I have criticized them.”
His themes, Badru explains, all stem from personal experiences. Life’s daily fluctuations, minor joys, tediums, aches and interactions all play a part in Badru’s final pieces. He dips into his past and uses the memories to actualize his canvas. “I find more satisfaction with personal themes of love, friendship and day-to-day life,” Badru said.

Of a painting entitled “Girlfriend: Saving My Dog”, Badru had drawn on his experience with a former lover, depicting a beautiful woman-child with crimson pillow lips and sad bedroom eyes. In a larger  ontext, Badru does touch on universal themes, such as the desire to be accepted. “Hi…”, one of his earlier works, is a painting of a red-headed girl-child with an unadorned background and Badru’s personal favourite.
“She is a person who is lonely at heart, not accepted by the society around her,” Badru explained.
“I see myself as this newcomer, in a strange place, looking for someone to befriend,” he continued. He offers hope for his protagonist in the shape of a little bird that flies above her, playing with a strand of the little girl’s tresses between its beak. Although there remains some paintings that Badru considers too personal to be displayed for the public to scrutinize or enjoy.
“There are pieces which I’d prefer to keep for myself,” Badru said. “It is similar to how some people keep diaries, except mine is on canvas.”

Badru’s pieces can take up to 2 weeks to complete. Concepts, colours and timing are all swayed by the artist’s moods.
“Emotion plays a factor,” Badru said. “If I am feeling emotional, I tend to use warmer colours.”
With each piece, Badru begins with a rough sketch on paper before spilling his images on to canvas.
“I feel the power [on the canvas] to be more creative. I can add and embellish,” said Badru, who never limits himself to adhere to the original sketches he draws.
Badru has simple ambitions – to introduce his art to the public as he utilizes the canvas to release his past experiences and emotions. What he strives is to maintain a style that is unique to him.
“It is hard to accept comparisons to other artists because I try so hard to create my own style,” said the artist.
Badru, who has no formal training in fine arts, continues to develop his art, finding new techniques, adding and playing with dimensions to add to his eccentric tableaux. When he first started painting, his works were plainer, focusing only on the main characters. His backgrounds were rarely garnished with the detailed landscape and cacophony of critters as they are now.
“I feel I want to try something new, to change the composition, the layouts,” Badru said of his newer pieces. He surrenders to the process of creation, unburdened by style trends or themes that are popular in the art market.
“What is important is to be as creative as possible,” Badru stated. “As for the art being good or bad, that is up to the public to judge for themselves.”

Anda hamil di luar Nikah..??

Terkadangorang dengan mudah memvonis kita kalau itulah resiko yang harus ditanggung oleh mereka yang telah melakukan kesalahan seperti diatas tanpa memikirkan apakah mereka akan selamat hidupnya setelah menanggung resiko itu,kita jangan munafik sudah jelas tidak ada seorangpun dari kita yang menginginkan terjadinya hal tersebut atau hamil diluar Nikah,tapi dengan mudahnya mereka yang melihat kita mempunyai masalah seperti itu untuk selalu harus menerima resiko yang telah diperbuatnya meskipun memang harus dihadapi,tapi apakah yang namanya nikah akan menjadi solusi yang terbaik..???
terserah bagaimana anda menyikapinya…
Tapi terkadang kita tidak memikirkan apakah hal tersebut akan membuat mereka akan lebih baik atau hanya akan menjadi suatu gejala tumbuhnya lagi masalah-masalah baru,kita jangan menutup sebelah mata yang namanya manusia tidak akan luput dari dosa,yang namanya khilaf memang suatu cobaan yang harus dihadapi dan dijadikan pengalaman yang tidak akan di ulang kembali karena kita makhluk biasa yang tidak luput dari dosa.

dulu sy pernah berbuat “sesuatu” dengan pacar sy sehigga terjadi hal2 yang tidak di inginkan (pacar sy hamil).  ya, saat it sy sangat bingung harus bagaimana, sedangkan sy sendiri masi kuliah.. tanya teman kesana kemari tak satupun yang bisa membantu, sampai akhirnya tidak sengaja melihat di wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytotec tentang obat ini, dan mencoba untu mencari2 mungkin ada yang menjual obat ini di website, dan ternyata banyak yang menawaran obat ini. tapi apakah dia benar menjual obat ini? jawabannya tidak. mereka hanyalah orang2 yang memanfaatkan kesulitan orang lain,  setelah “kita” diminta sejumlah uang untuk di transfer, obat tidaklah dikirim. janji2 untuk mengirim obat hayalah palsu belaka. ya, karna obat ini memang sulit di dapatkan kecuali tanpa resep dokter (cytotec).

ahirnya sy putuskan untuk mecari langsung obat ini di lapangan, memang sulit.. tapi akhirnya berhasil juga di dapatkan.

bagi teman yang sedang mengalami kesulitan mendapatan cytotec, sy bersedia membantu.. bertemu langsung tanpa menipu, karna sy juga pernah mengalami kesulitan yang sama.. tapi hanya di wilayah jakarta saja ya, thank’s…

sekedar pengetahuan, untk menggurkan kandungan dibawah 1bulan cuma perlu minum 3 butir saja.. siang diminum sore/malem sudah langsung dapet, (pengalaman) efek samping sama seperti tanda2 mau datang haid seperti biasa (kata cewek saya) dan menurut kedoteran yg sudah sy pelajari usia kandungan yang masi di bawah 2bulan cikup 6butir saja, dan di atas 3 bulan janin memang akan gugur tapi setelah itu harus dibawa kedokter untuk di kuret.

email: bio_cuy@yahoo.com

* Dewi magazine, June 2005

The debut opening of Roy Petley’s gallery in London caused an uproar in the West End, with people seen queuing down the street to get in. In fact, that wintry October night saw so many people in the gallery that the fire department responded four times to heat alarms going off in the building.

Roy Petley (photo: Titania Veda)

This dream of an art gallery began many years ago by a boy abandoned to a children’s home. Trapped in a dark and dreary world, even the beatings by his guardians could not curb Roy’s irrepressible spirit. “My escape was painting and drawing, the reality was horrible. I quite liked the fistfights but I didn’t like the beatings,” he confides. Becoming the first ever to receive a scholarship at the children’s home at the tender age of sixteen, Roy left for Brighton University but after his first semester he decided to go to Florence in the arms of a beautiful woman. His thirst for the foundations of art, well-drawn, well-coloured and well-painted works naturally drew him to the Italian masters of old; Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo. Several years later, after living through his work in Italy, he returned to his homeland, England. There, he exhibited on the Green Park railings, a then melting pot of would be artists.

A chance meeting with the Duchess of Kent was the beginning of a lifelong friendship with the British royal family. The late Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales are collectors of his works, the late Queen Mother being particularly fond of his Norfolk landscapes. A whirlwind romance with an adoring public commenced, with sell-out shows following him wherever he went, from London to Barbados, Dublin to Dallas.

To satisfy his love of beautiful sports cars, three Alfa Romeos, engine red Ferraris and an E-type Jaguar once decorated his backyard. He even appeared on Good Morning Texas, flanked between William Shatner who “was on before me trying to promote a video game for Star Wars”, and a piano-playing-pot-bellied-pig who refused to perform. “It wouldn’t play the piano because it was camera shy”, Roy deduced.

Roy’s rags to riches story caught the eye of both the BBC and Sky Television, resulting in documentaries on his life and his art, and forced a change on his outlook on life. “I used to have people lining up to buy my work – but once the BBC did their documentary on me, they ended up banging on my front door trying to buy a paintings, it became a nightmare!” he exclaimed. Once dubbed the Best Dressed Man in London, this sort of major publicity was not in line with Roy’s solitary nature. In the early nineties, he chose tranquillity over fame and moved to a lonely farmhouse in the south-west of France. “I left England to become an unknown, to have a peaceful life”, he said. He quickly applied his energy to rebuilding his new-found home, which was soon to be featured in House & Garden, Homes & Gardens and Interior magazine.

the last of the sun by Roy Petley (courtesy of Petley Fine Art)

An impressionistic painter, he finds inspiration in his surroundings. In the summers, he is often found by local fishermen knee-deep in water, drawing models draped in flowing white dresses and adorned with wide-brimmed hats that Roy is known for collecting, or painting his neighbour’s children licking ice lollipops in his rose garden.

Self-taught, Roy experiments with all mediums, disclosing how he changes “mediums when I want to change my mind-set”. At his leisure, he moves effortlessly from pastel to oil, watercolour to sanguine. He speaks of each medium with equal passion, stressing on the ability to draw well being essential when working with any medium, particularly watercolour – “There is no changing it…there is only one chance”. He continues on saying, “watercolours are my reference for my oil paintings, an oil painting becomes a fuller version of the watercolour on a canvas.” He describes how Degas used to work with charcoal before drawing in the pastel, but prefers himself to draw with colour immediately. He is also is quick to illustrate that “pastel is a dusty medium and after a short period of working with it, I am always happy to return to my natural medium – oil.”

The subjects of Roy’s works are as varied as his mediums, drawing upon inspiration from anything and everything – portraits, still life, cityscapes and landscapes have all felt the touch of his brush in his paintings. “I usually have an idea of what I want to do before I begin, I see the world through my paintbrush and palette – all that remains to do is to recreate the image that I see in my mind.”

Whether it be landscape or still life, light and shadow are the basis of his works. There is a certain light and youthfulness, a grace and joyfulness that emanates from his paintings. He depicts an untouchable innocence that is reminiscent of childhood and days gone by. Although it may seem an old-fashioned and romantic world, this is Roy’s world as it exists today. Each painting draws you in, engages you with its subtle colours and soft lines.

sunlight in the dark canal by Roy Petley (courtesy of Petley Fine Art)

It is said that once you have had a show in Cork Street, you have made it in the art world. Having exhibited in galleries on the street for over a decade, Roy had reached a point in his life where he wanted to give something back. In his youth, Roy himself had approached gallery after gallery, carrying his portfolio, and had been turned away. In later years, the same galleries would beg him to exhibit with them – he wanted to provide artists with the opportunities he never had, with “a gallery they can trust, where artists feel comfortable”, where the open doors and laid back atmosphere would encourage artists – especially the younger ones. In the autumn of 2003, he did just that. “I started up the gallery because I was really fed up with how artists are treated”, he explained.

Petley Fine Art sets itself apart from other galleries because as Roy proudly states, “this is the first time an artist has owned a major gallery promoting work other than his own”. True to his word, Roy has raised the bar for the whole area by filling his gallery with only the finest paintings and sculptures from an international pantheon of artists. “We have famous artists, infamous artists, and also young artists just starting out in their careers – regardless of where they are in their careers, it is their talent that attracts us to them.”

It is this refreshing concoction of artists that gives the gallery its lively character and explains why artists enjoy exhibiting there. Neil Forster, an artist of Petley Fine Art and an established portrait painter whose sitters include The Prince of Wales, speaks highly of the gallery. “I thought this gallery opening in “the” art street of London and offering art with no over-intellectualizing or posing, is so refreshing that it must in time be one of the most visited galleries in London.”

Roy is also quick to point out that a lot of effort has been made to ensure nothing distracts from the paintings. His long-standing motto being, “the art is foremost, the gallery secondary and all emphasis is on the artists”.

Filled with boundless energy and enthusiasm, Roy floods his gallery with the same vitality he fills his paintings. Now with three galleries spread across Europe, Petley Fine Art seems to be going from strength to strength. As for Roy, does he miss the good old days when he was a struggling painter? “Well,” he laughs, saying, “I have artists ringing up at 4 AM telling me their problems with their wives who are jealous of their models. One artist calls up and says can I come see you now? I think, what’s going on here?”

Petley Fine Art
9 Cork St
London
W1S 3LL
+44 207 494 2021
http://www.petleys.co.uk/

Love, friendship, wishing someone to get well, mourning and almost every emotion is best expressed with a bunch of roses. Rose is a universal flower found all over the world in all countries during all seasons so don’t hesitate – Send Roses to Indonesia to your loved ones. Whether it is Christmas, Birthday, Anniversary, Wedding or Funeral rose is a flower that you can always carry with you without hesitation and you can also Send Roses to Bahrain your native land though you might be miles away. The rose is a flower of the genus of Rosa and the genus has over 100 species of roses that are globally found in various different colors. The rose is a beautiful flower with a very sweet aroma but its sharp prickly thorns that are attached to its stem may cause some minor trouble to the lovers of the world so Send Roses after removing the thorns. The rose is mainly a native of Asia though it is now grown and cultivated all around the globe. The beauty of the rose delights all and sundry warming their hearts with its mesmerizing fragrance. The compound structure of the rose petals that are curved away from the flower in most cases, enhances the delicate beauty of the flower.

Roses are available in a wide variety of colors. The most common are red and yellow roses, but there are also white, orange, pink, peach, and the very rare black roses. Nowadays however green and blue roses are also cultured in some places so you can always Send Flowers to Indonesia in unique colors. Red rose is the color of love, pink and yellow the color of friendship, though yellow roses are also presented as get well soon flowers, the white roses are very extensively used mostly by themselves or in combination with pink or peach roses during weddings though other color combinations are also used. You may also Send Roses – a wreath of white ones to a funeral. Even sometimes a variety of lavender roses are noticed and you may choose this to Send Flowers to Bahrain – your homeland at any occasions. What ever the occasion you can always Send Roses to your loved ones and that is sure to bring a huge smile on their faces.

Hello.

Been days I haven’t updated my blog. Well, been pretty busy recently. For the next couple of weeks would be even busier. Final exam, gosh! Time does fly, and it flies pretty fast. At least beyond one’s ability to count with his “fingers.” These days been awesome, by the way. My dad is here with me in Jakarta. Been enjoying my life at school with some insane (in a good way) friends as well. Ah, I remember that several months ago, I did step out of my comfort zone, pursuing success out of obedience, moving to this little J-world. I thank my parents, taking this opportunity of Thanksgiving season to give thanks, for taking this step of faith, moving to this not-that-new-anymore phase of life. Been learning a lot of things here. Both to be stored in my mind in case I would need it someday in the future, or to be applied immediately to deal with recent seemingly trivial problems. Anyway, dear all, never simply enjoy your life – pursue righteousness and sublime beauty.

Compressed in love,

A. Desmonda

Hai, pertama-tama saya ingin menyampaikan selamat datang, terima kasih, dan mohon maaf bagi para pembaca sekalian. Blog ini adalah blog saya yang ke-sekian dan kali ini saya sungguh-sungguh ingin mempertahankan blog ini. Pada tulisan saya yang pertama di blog ini, saya ingin bercerita sedikit tentang apa yang saya lihat pada Jakarta dan tentu saja dari sudut pandang saya.

Nah, untuk saya, Jakarta adalah tempat yang sangat menarik. Jakarta merupakan tempat yang penuh dengan kekontrasan. Apakah kita pernah berpikir untuk membuat bangunan sebesar bangunan penyedia jasa “fotocopy” di antara bangunan sekecil gedung perkantoran dan kedubes negara asing? Hal itu terjadi di salah satu kawasan tempat dua hotel yang sangat terkenal karena suatu kejadianterorisme yang terjadi pada kedua hotel tersebut (Berusaha tidak menyebut nama). Di saat kita melihat adanya bangunan bertingkat lebih dari 4, kita bisa dengan mudah menemukan lokasi kumuh yang dihuni penduduk golongan menengah ke bawah. Itulah Jakarta, sebuah tempat dengan tingkat kontras yang tinggi.

Tidak hanya itu saja, gedung-gedung bertingkat di Jakarta mempercantik Jakarta dengan nyalanya lampu-lampu yang memperindah Jakarta dan membuat Jakarta menjadi salah satu objek foto yang cukup fotogenik. Ya, itulah Jakarta. Tempat yang merupakan pusat pemerintahan dan pusat demonstrasi, orasi, atau unjuk rasa. Tempat yang merupakan museum dari karya-karya arsitek handal dan seniman jalanan. Walau mungkin ketika kita tiba di Jakarta hal yang kita rasakan adalah suhunya yang cukup tinggi, untuk saya, hal itu bukanlah suatu masalah yang patut diumbar atau dikeluhkan, karena Jakarta adalah tempat yang sangat menakjubkan.

Mungkin sekian saja tulisan pertama saya ini, saya harap melalui tulisan ini anda bisa menilai orang seperti apakah saya ini dan bisa juga menambah pemikiran baru mengenai Jakarta.

In meiner Zeit hier habe ich es noch kein einziges mal geschafft eine Ameise oder eine Gelse zu erschlagen. Ich bin vielleicht ein Nerd, aber: uncanny dodge? Dafür habe ich Gelsenstiche am Bauch. Böse Gossengelse.

Coming up next: tales of woe, Indonesische Musik, bucket showers.

Ich zelebriere meinen Jetlag immer noch. Das schöne daran ist dass ich jetzt jede zweite Nacht schlafe. Ganz schlimm, die erste Nacht in Jogja habe ich halbwegs durchgeschlafen, abgesehen vom Ventillator-Stalking. Die zweite, da wo wir um 4h früh aufstehen wollten, um einen Ausflug zu machen habe ich natürlich gar nicht geschlafen. Wozu auch, wenn ich um 4h aufstehen muss. Dadurch dass ich so wenig schlafe, bin ich permanent genervt und muss mit Krapfen und Kaffee ruhig gehalten werden. Wenn es ganz schlimm wird und ich über eine bestimmte Zeit keinen Zucker und kein Koffein kriege, dann bekomme ich ätzendes Kopfweh, das dann mit Tabletten unterdrückt werden muss.

Das Gute an Indien ist ja, dass man jeden nach Belieben anschreien konnte. Hier ist es lt Auskennern ja so, dass man mit der Ruhe auch das Gesicht verliert und damit automatisch verloren hat. Wie gut dass ich gar kein Schamgefühl besitze. Die einzige die mich auf so etwas hinweist ist meine Schwester. Danke, nicht gebraucht.

BTW, Aggression: Da unten auf der Straße singt jemand. BRB, Gewalt.

Who could have tell that my first business trip would bring me to the world of Jakarta, a place of notorious traffic jams and minimal usage of the English language.

My first impression was the place really resembles Bangkok but with worst road planning. The malls are HUGE. Any one of them is bigger than what we have here. Their largest is maybe a quarter of Orchard Road I reckon.

Bad thing is they don’t have a really friendly public transport. No MRT. Only a bus grid system which again requires an appropriate understanding of their language.

And because of the vast amount of land they have, each mall or land of interest are extremely far from each other. Even if they aren’t, the transit would make you think so.

Every rich people have their own driver too. You can’t negotiate the traffic there without being some kind of Jackie Chan-nesh skills.

My 2 days, 2 nights there had been quite rushed. During the R and R, we tried to cover as many grounds as possible. That means little sleep, aching feet and now a developing flu. I need to remember that I’m not in my twenties anymore.

Foot didn’t leave a good impression on me. I wanted to try the gado gado there but by the time I found it, I was still reeling from the hotel buffet breakfast. The best meal I had was actually a Spicy chicken basil rice dish and it’s thai. Kinda sad as I was very impressed by the food when I was in Bali around 2005.

The business aspect of it didn’t appear rewarding. The partners who initiated this whole thing have an office that must be decorated 10 years ago. Not a lot of staffs considering they are into renewable energy AND textiles trading. The costing they done were pretty amateur for someone who is in charge of the company’s finance. And the JV will be managed more like a pet project or a side income if it takes place. Confidence level rock bottom.

Investment isn’t a lot. Combined together it is lesser than what we sink into the singapore office during startup but if it appears to be a losing proposition, I don’t see the point.

Still I’ve learned a lot and made me even more appreciative of the comfortable cocoon we have in singapore. I won’t mind going back there but not so time restricted. It was like playing the amazing race over 2 days… with no prize money.

Die Woche schau ich mal ob ich  ein Wax-Reisebüro finde, dass mir Tickets nach Rio oder LA verkauft, möglichst ohne mich arm zu machen.

Hari Minggu kemarin (22 November 2009), aku dan temanku, Joanna sengaja ikut misa di Gereja St. Anna, Duren Sawit (Jakarta Timur). Biasanya kami misa di kapel dekat rumah yang bisa ditempuh dengan berjalan kaki. Awalnya sih, dia cuma bilang kalau di St. Anna ada laki-laki ganteng bazar seusai misa. Baiklah, aku sih oke-oke saja mau misa di mana.

Setelah parkir motor, kami masuk pelataran gereja dan aku melihat Bapak Uskup Mgr Julius Darmaatmadja SJ sedang keluar dari mobil. Wah, misa yang cukup meriah sepertinya nih. Dasar aku nggak ngeh kalau misa kali ini adalah misa ulang tahun paroki St. Anna yang ke-25.

Sesampai di dalam gereja, Joanna bilang bahwa gereja ini dulu pernah dibom. Itu lo, waktu musim pengeboman pas misa Natal beberapa tahun lalu. Dan aku kembali terheran-heran, gereja seperti ini dibom? He? Nggak salah? Bayanganku, kalau orang mau ngebom, dia pilih gereja yang dekat dengan jalan raya dong. Kalau St. Anna ini, gerejanya agak masuk, agak jauh dari jalan raya, dan dekat sekali dengan kompleks perumahan. Berarti dulu si pengebom itu, memang niat banget ya. Sampai jalan masuk-masuk pun dijabani.

Nah, ketika doa Syukur Agung, telingaku mendengar nama Mgr Ign Suharyo Pr disebut-sebut. Mendadak aku jadi bertanya-tanya, “Aku sedang di Jogja atau di Jakarta sih ini?” Perlu diketahui, pada doa Syukur Agung, ada bagian yang menyebut nama uskup setempat dan Paus. Setahuku, Mgr Ign Suharyo Pr, kan uskup Keuskupan Agung Semarang (dan Jogja masuk keuskupan Semarang). Sedangkan aku ini kan sedang di Jakarta (Keuskupan Agung Jakarta–KAJ), mestinya yang disebut Mgr Julius Darmaatmadja SJ dong. Apakah aku mendadak berpindah ke Jogja? Halah, lebay deh!

Sepulang dari misa di St. Anna dan puas makan nasi tumpeng, aku pun browsing di Internet. Dan ternyata Mgr Ign. Suharyo Pr. sejak tanggal 25 Juli kemarin secara ditunjuk sebagai Uskup Koajutor atau uskup pembantu. Jabatan Uskup Koajutor bisa secara otomatis menjadi uskup bila uskup sebelumnya pensiun (emeritus) Jadi, beliau ini on the way menggantikan Mgr Julius Darmaatmadja SJ yang akan emeritus atau pensiun.

Mgr Ign Suharyo Pr ini dilahirkan di Sedayu, Yogyakarta, tanggal 9 Juli 1950. Beliau adalah putra dari Bapak Florentinus Amir Hardjodisastra (alm.) dan Ibu Theodora Murni Hardjodisastra. Beliau ini lahir sebagai dalam keluarga besar–10 bersaudara. Dari 10 bersaudara itu, seorang sudah meninggal. Jadi, tinggal 6 putra dan 3 putri. Sepertinya keluarga Bapak Florentinus Amir Hardjodisastra itu cukup religius, karena 2 putranya menjadi pastor, yaitu Pst. Suitbertus Sunardi, OCSO dan 2 putrinya menjadi suster/biarawati, yaitu Sr. Marganingsih dan Sr. Sri Murni. Aku cuma mikir, dua putranya itu kok bisa jadi pastor yang “tidak umum”, yang satu jadi uskup, dan yang satunya lagi menjadi pertapa. Itu kalau pertemuan keluarga, yang diobrolkan apa ya?

Aku tidak terlalu mengenal Mgr Ign. Suharyo Pr ini, tetapi aku ingat saat aku di Asrama Syantikara dulu setiap Rabu dan Jumat ada misa di kapel asrama. Kalau misa hari Rabu, pastor yang memimpin misa (zaman aku masih di sana lo), pastornya itu-itu saja–Romo Padmo. Tapi kalau hari Jumat, pastornya ganti-ganti. Nah, salah satunya dulu yang kadang memimpin misa di sana adalah Pastor Ign. Suharyo itu. Yang aku ingat dari beliau adalah, beliau kalau bicara itu tertata sekali. Nada bicaranya datar dan halus. Tipikal orang Jawa lah.

Nah, suatu kali dikabarkan bahwa Keuskupan Agung Semarang (KAS), uskupnya ganti. Aku cuma dengar suster asrama mengatakan bahwa yang menjadi uskup adalah Romo Haryo. “Jangan-jangan yang jadi uskup, romo yang kadang misa di asrama ya?” pikirku. Dan ternyata memang begitulah kenyataannya. Aku sama sekali tidak menduga kalau pastor yang berwajah baby-face dan yang bicaranya halus itu menjadi Uskup KAS.

Dan sekarang, ketika aku tahu bahwa Mgr Ign Suharyo Pr akan menggantikan Mgr Julius Darmaatmadja SJ, aku jadi berpikir, “Bisa-bisa besok beliau bisa menjadi Kardinal.” Dan jika menjadi Kardinal, maka beliau bisa terpilih menjadi Paus. Hmmm, besok jangan kaget ya kalau ada Paus dari Indonesia

*Foto pinjam dari sini.

Indonesian airline Batavia Air will commence flights to Singapore from Jakarta and Semarang from Wednesday, 25 November 2009. The airline will operate daily on both routes using an Airbus A319 configured with 144 Economy Class seats on a Jakarta-Singapore-Semarang-Singapore-Jakarta routing.

Jakarta-Singapore

Flight 7P 861 departs Jakarta at 0700 hrs, arriving in Singapore at 0935 hrs. The return flight, 7P 862, takes off from Changi International Airport at 1650 hrs and lands back at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport at 1720 hrs.

Together with other international carriers, 12 airlines now fly between Singapore and Jakarta with over 450 scheduled flights each week.

Semarang-Singapore

From Semarang, flight 7P 863 departs at 1240 hrs, arriving in Singapore at 1540 hrs. The inbound flight, 7P 864, takes off at 1035 hrs from Changi International Airport, landing in Achmad Yani International Airport at 1140 hrs.

Batavia Air is the only operator to fly between Singapore and Semarang.

The latest Indonesian airline to operate passenger services in Singapore,  joining Garuda Indonesia, Indonesia AirAsia, Lion Air and Sriwijaya Air, Batavia Air operates a fleet of 38 aircraft on routes within Indonesia and selected international services to Guangzhou and Kuching. The airline plans to introduce flights to the Saudi city of Jeddah with Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

For more information, visit www.batavia-air.co.id.

Rivers and canals in the Indonesian capital run black and putrid from the garbage that builds up along their edges. So clogged are they with waste that they often can not carry rainwater away from the city, leaving it flooded…. From VOA. Full story

This site may contain information about: atlantic sea. The blog is also related to: ocean water.