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tell me that I do NOT look like freakin MIKE MYERS....

MyHeritage: Family tree - Genealogy - Celeb - Collage - Morph

intensity

Yesterday I bought the latest installment to the Twilight Saga, 'Breaking Dawn', and maan I am dissapointed! I finished reading it this afternoon with a 'whaat?!'.
It is so anti climatic.
There was just so much fuss, unimportant dialogues and useless interaction in the middle of the plot. All lead up to a very anti climatic ending.

I do enjoy reading the first book which was 'Twilight' because it was light and so easy to read, considering I bought the book in Changi, Singapore and finished reading it when I got to Sydney. It was good at the time. A light reading for the flight. Plus Edward Cullen is sort of a materialization of my Sasuke and Gaara combined (still a Naruto freak at heart, yeah.) And I just like the idea of falling in love with this dangerous vampire, especially you being the only one who can tame it (Oh my god I'm a freak).
But after the second, third and fourth book... that's it! There's no new twist or anything. The third book was good because the girl had to choose between the vampire and the werewolf (HA!). In th fourth book, however, the only thing that kept me turning the pages is the character Edward and his intense passionate love for Bella.

Urgh.. it is teen fiction so you can't expect much. I just wished she wrote better because she had so many kick ass characters. Hell, lots of fanfiction writers wrote better than her.

So after being dissapointed by the book, I was glad that I have something to look forward to. Dance class!!

I went to Kassy's class in SDC...finally! I didn't dance that much last semester because most of the good teachers (including her) pada sibuk ikutan 'so you think you can dance' australia. And then I went back home for a month. Hence, the really really really long break from dancing.
Finally today, me and Nia went to Kassy's J.F.H elementary class. It said 'elementary' on sdc's website, but when we got there it turned out to be an 'elementary/intermediate' class. So I was hoping that many ibu ibu dateng and so I wouldn't be the worst in the class.
Tapi ternyata, it wasn't hard at all...(see SHER! Kamu pasti bisa!!).

Kassy said something interesting today in class. She said that she doesnt care whether we can do a perfect pirouette or a whopping grand battement. As long as we dance with our heart and let the intensity shine through our eyes, we are better than those heartless technical dancers. See Sher... next time u come to Sydney, I'd definitely drag u to her class!

better than any myth!

One of the best thing about traveling is the beautiful food you get to taste at every places you visit. I love food and I would never miss the chance of a good local meal.
I was fortunate enough to be able to enjoy this priceless luxury during my trip last month. And one of the highlights of my travel last July was the food I had in Greece.

First of all, their salads were so fresh! I think this was mainly because they had really deliciously plump tomatoes. In Indonesia, when you cut the tomatoes for your salad (even with a super sharp knife), the tomatoes just crumble into a mush since they retain sooo much water. But in Greece, the tomatoes are as meaty as...well, meat!

They also have rich tasting olive oil. Like the kind of extra virgin olive oil you buy in the supermarket that empties your wallet. But here, it's everywhere! And do NOT get me started on how nice their olives were. I may be a bit biased here because I've always loved olives, but my 10 years old sister ended up loving Greek Salad! Mind you, greek salad is not usually on par with normal Indonesian girl's tastebuds.

One of our best dining experience in Athens was after we finished the very satisfying and exhausting journey of walking through Athens' Acropolis. We exited the archeological site from the Ancient Agora exit on Adrianou street where we found a nice cozy restaurant on this street called "To Kouti". Once you stepped into the restaurant, you will instantly feel like you're in a pre-school playroom. They hunged a duck shaped swimming ballon on their ceilings, and decorated the restaurant with playful things like a slinki sandal, crayons and other stuff that fits into the word 'playful'. Even the table mat and the menu looked like its been drawn by kids!

But the most delightful feature of this restaurant is no other than their food. It's not traditional Greek food per se (ie, moussaka, souvlaki etc) but it is a good alternative dining experience.

We tried their salad with sun-dried tomatoes, grilled mushroom and pasta. It was delllliiiiciouuus! It has (i think) a creamy basil pesto dressing but it's far from the ordinary or usual pesto. They must have put some other ingredient to make it soo tasty. We also tried their lemon saffron ice cream for dessert and oh..my..god... *mouth waters* so YUM! The saffron really balanced the sourness of the lemon and it made the ice cream tasted just right! I mean, it is the king of spices! ha ha...

Lemon and Saffron Ice Cream

We also went to Heraklion, Crete where we found an amazing little jewel of a restaurant near the Morosini fountain. I can't remember what the restaurant name was probably because it was written in Greek or it was not clearly written. I do remember that has a big "Healthy Greek Food" splashed across their banner. And since my mom is a health addict (i'm trying to stop calling her a health freak), we entered the restaurant within an eye-blink.

We tried their traditional stuffed meat, which was a tasty homemade burger pattie (sort of) with god knows how many kinds of herbs they put in it. The pattie was stuffed with potatoes, sun dried-tomatoes and a thin slice of cheese. Oh and a generous amount of lovely olive oil splashed on top of it. It was soooo delicious. You need to understand the situation to get how freakin good the dish was. My mom does not eat red meat, since its not good for our cholesterol level and some other specific health reasons I'd rather not discuss. But for this specific dish, she loved it so much that we ordered it twice since it's just THAT good!

Stuffed meat with potato, sun-dried tomatoes and cheese

The restaurant also stated that they used organic products for their food and maybe it is what's making it better. After we ate the stuffed meat, there was no feeling like we ate too much or bloating or even pain in the head from the cholesterol (HA!).

We also tried their seafood risotto which we thought was better than the one we tasted in Italy! The seafood risotto we tried in Italy was creamier and I usually love the creamy stuff, but the one we tasted here was fresh, herby and light! And weirdly, I liked it better.

Seafood Risotto

On my last day in Crete, I bought a book called Herbs in Cooking. Yeah, yeah.. you can buy a book about how to cook with herbs anywhere, but this particular book mixes knowledge on how to cultivate the herb and use the herb for food and drinks with mythology! I just love this country!

Even though the weather was as hot as standing near my Mbak Yati cooking on my house's stove 24/7, I would definitely go back to Greece if I have the chance. Definitely.


Love, VM :)

Our Night Journey

Yes i know its been ages since i last posted.. tapi emang lagi sibuk banget. Anyway, Nora and I went into an in-depth discussion a few nights in a row about... religion.

Due to recent happenings, it really made me think you know...there really is not that much different between the three semitic religion: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Semuanya derive from the same line of ancient sacred text lah istilahnya. Evolution. Judaism and its sacred text being the paling pertama, the origin and everything. Trus develop ke Christianity... trus ke Islam.

Emang I'm still green to all this and I'm not actually a theologian, but banyak banget gitu text di Quran yang refer to both Torah and Injil as sacred texts, books with lights and guidance. And vice versa, di Old Testament (I think) in Deutoronomy 18, it prophesied the coming of Muhammad as "another Prophet like Moses" (because Muhammad and Moses are more similar than Jesus and Moses). So why? why? whyyyy? WHYYYYYYYYYYY ALLL THE PROBLEMS? i guess i know the answer to that... It's just the nature of human to be oh so protective in what they believe in. Human are born naturally stubborn. That's just that.

And then Nora asked "Trus kenapa ngga ada orang pindah dari Christianity ke Islam if Islam is the religion that completes the semitic line?"
Trus dia jawab sendiri "Probably because we are fine with what we believe in. As long as we dont harm others and keep on doing good... knp harus repot repot convert? Toh its the same God anyway.. just different mode of praying"
To which I agree... I mean its not like one sacred text allows its believer to devour the beating heart of a 9 year old... hahaha. Dont worry, I'm still a believer, I'll always will be.

Anyway, I just bought Karen Armstrong's "A History of God" book and after I read that book... hopefully I'll be able to make a more comprehensive and not as amateurish post on this matter. haha... exam boo... gtg back to my chapter on privileges....


VIRA

16th Century Persian depiction of Muhammad's Night Journey (Isra Miraj)

kiss & lights!

Me and Nora, we were really bored yesterday.

So, what did we do?

We took some pictures!!!

Hehehe, I love experimenting with make-ups on my own time (plus I just bought two new lipstick: coral and velvety red). So, the main reason why we took the pictures was because I want to do some make up experiments haha.

I did my makeup hoping that it would appear. umm... fairy-ish. And I did Nora's light makeup to make her look like what I call 'a sophisticated asian escort'. Hahaha. Anyway, Nora hated the look because she despised red on her lips but I think she looks great! Kissable lips don't you guys think? (SHE'S SINGLE!! SINGLE!!) Out of this world...

Check

it

out:


Okay off to DIMIA now...


LOVE,

*moi moi moi*


PS: Sher, oh my god... Armani's designer shape foundation is so nice and flawless... a bit out of the budget. I guess I'll stick with Laura Mercier.

kaneshiro kakashi

Phew, I just finished my E. Said reading for tonight's PPC lecture about intellectuals and I just HAVE to post my new findings. Apparently my sister is trying to beat me in doing this.. Anyway, we both agree that Takeshi Kaneshiro is perfect for Kakashi.

KANESHIRO Takeshi as Hatake Kakashi

HAHA Am I good or WHAT!

Lovelove, Vira

naruto live-action!

Yes, I'm a freak... we have officially established that, so here it goes. Me and my sister, we talk about this all the time: "What if they make a live action version of Naruto?" Naturally, the question that follows is: "Who will act as who?"

Now we have had countless debate over this highly critical matter, however, we have yet to concur. Initially I begrudgingly agreed that this American should play Naruto and this Taiwanese guy is perfect as Sasuke. I can't bear the thought of non-Japanese people playing the two main characters in Naruto but there was not any other choice at that time...

Until... I saw Hanazakari no Kimitachi e IKEMEN PARADISE! Oh.. my..god.. they are soo naruto and sasuke-ish! Hahahaha anyway... this is proof!!

IKUTA TOMA as Uzumaki Naruto

OGURI SHUN as Uchiha Sasuke

NARUTO

SASUKE

THE KISS!!

HUAHUAHUAUAUA... more naruto live action cast coming soon...

Love, VIRA

gr

some people just need to fucking grow up

kakashi sensei on the cover of the post today!

Very happy today because my last article from the 1 month internship i did at the Jakarta Post is published today! My heart goes out to everyone I interviewed in the article, I really appreciate it. The article is about costume playing, which is still considered new and weird in Indonesia (which makes it really fun and interesting to write too :p)

It is by far the most satisfying article that I get to write.

What makes me the happiest is not the fact that I get my first full page coverage and a little write-off on the cover as an intern. It's the fact that when I saw the paper this morning, Kakashi's face was there on the cover of the Jakarta Post! It's surreal!
And here is the first article:

Playing pretend: No night at the prom

Virania Munaf, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Twelve years ago, a ninja village was attacked by a raging nine-tailed demon fox. To save the village, the leader sacrificed his life using a forbidden technique, which sealed the demon within the body of a newborn boy.

The boy's name is Uzumaki Naruto and in January he visited Jakarta's Cilandak Town Square along with his two teammates: Haruno Sakuraa, a pink-haired girl with monstrous powers and Uchiha Sasuke, a child prodigy in the ninja world who possesses the ability to copy and predict his opponent's movements using his three-pupil red eye.

Welcome to the world of costume playing, where ninjas are everywhere to be seen, pocket monsters come to life and Darth Vader chats enthusiastically with Sailor Moon.

On Jan. 27, a small costume playing competition was held in Cilandak Town Square to promote the popular Japanese animation Naruto. Children and grownups alike turned out for the event dressed as their favorite characters.

Costume playing or cosplay is a hobby born out of the Japanese youth subculture on the streets outside of Harajuku station and around the district of Akihabara, a neighborhood in Tokyo where the teenagers wear wild and outrageous clothing. Sometimes they depict fictional characters and sometimes they wear over-the-top clothing just to express themselves.

This then became a tradition for devoted fans of Japanese animation, video games, and sci-fi and fantasy movies to dress up as their favorite fictional characters. They call themselves cosplayers, short for costume players.

Costume playing has become more than just dressing up. In anime and sci-fi conventions around the world, the cosplay competition is the most awaited event.

Cosplayers come in character and are given two to 10 minutes on stage to perform a skit or cabaret for the judges and the audience. The winner will receive some sort of a prize, usually money and a selection of goodies

In Indonesia, the quality of the competition has dramatically improved in the past few years as more events are held and more fans are passionately devoting their time and money to bringing their favorite characters to life.

University student, 18-year-old Nimas, spent six months finishing her latest costume, a black-and-white mini dress with red ribbons strapped around her limbs completed with a huge pair of black wings.

"I'm cosplaying as Reinforce from the anime Magical Girls Lyrical Nanoha A's. It's my most complicated costume so far!"

Another Indonesian cosplayer, Haryo Wisanggeni, 22, can devote two or three weeks to make a costume.

"I am a slave to cosplay," he joked.

"For me, it's not only about the costume. It's more about the characterization, the action of putting your heart and soul into playing the character," Haryo said.

Nothing is more satisfying for Haryo than seeing his costumes materialize.

"Cosplaying is a manifestation of parts of my personality that I can't express in real life. I want to be a little narcissistic and a little bit of a flirt. When I'm cosplaying, I can do that without any negative repercussions. I can just say that I'm playing a character."

The shy Haryo once cosplayed as the smart and flirty Midoriba Itsuki from the game "Shuffle". On the stage, he grabbed the microphone from the host and shouted, "Jakarta girls are very beautiful!" He then proceeded to give a rose to the host.

Both Nimas and Haryo believe that costume playing is a form of art. "I really don't like it when other people pollute this form of art by taking it lightly. It's not Halloween, nor it is your high school prom where you just dress up and stand there. Acting is very important!" Nimas exclaimed.

A more seasoned Indonesian cosplayer, Nur Wijayanti, has cosplayed 20 times since 2005. She too believes that characterization and role playing are very important in engaging in cosplay.

"I always try my best to portray the character and not be me on stage. Getting away from the pressures of study is a good feeling."

However, not all fans of Japanese animation think that costume playing is the best hobby and outlet for them.

Twenty-one-year-old medical student Annora Thoeng can't get enough of anime and manga (Japanese comic books).

She lists Nana and Naruto as her favorite series. Annora, however, is not a big fan of costume playing.

"I have read so many mangas and watch a lot of anime. I am a big fan of both of them, but costume playing? It's like creating an alter-ego. That's just ... geeky. Social suicide, I tell you."

Law student Bambang Dhanisworo, who reads and watches both the manga and anime of Bleach and One Piece religiously, agrees. "I don't do cosplay because I think it's geeky! I do like the anime culture but I don't like it when it's overdone. Cosplay is just too much for me," he said.

Nur said Annora's and Bambang's reactions were fairly typical. "It's just the view of people who have never been in our shoes. They don't know anything about this hobby and frankly, I think they just haven't been to this part of the world, yet!" she laughed.

Franky, 30, is new to the cosplay world.

Shamelessly standing in the middle of the busy Cilandak Town Square as the cool yet perverted copy ninja Kakashi from the anime Naruto he also think that cosplay is not reserved specially for the geeks.

"I think it's the opposite! When going to these conventions, I get to meet new people and socialize. There is nothing geeky about that!"

Moreover, Haryo insisted that this is just a harmless hobby.

"At the end of the day, it doesn't matter what other people say. As long as I do my job properly and be a nice person, who cares if my hobby is a little bit new and different?" he shrugged.

Nevertheless, most cosplayers agree their hobby is getting more competitive.

"There are professional cosplay groups that create beautiful costumes, and there will always be new cosplayers with better outfits and performances," Haryo said.

And all of them are looking forward to battling it out in the upcoming awaited event held by the animation magazine Animonster-Animonster Sound Aishiteru 2008.

"You definitely have to go. I can't wait!" Nimas said.

I also wrote another article (more about cosplay groups) to accompany the first one!:

The feeling of belonging

In the Indonesian world of costume playing, many form cosplay groups to take this phenomenal hobby to the next level. These cosplay groups perform their skits, or cabarets, at conventions as a group. Each member plays a different character from the anime they are portraying, bringing the animation to life.

Of the many cosplay groups, there are those with their own characteristics. One of them is the group Endiru, short for `The Endless Illusion'.

"Oh, Endiru is definitely the best in Indonesia because of their costumes. They are so beautiful! I am such a big fan of them," said 18-year-old Nimas.

Nimas also said it might be Endiru's leader, Pinky Lu Xun, who introduced cosplay to Indonesia in 1998.

Pinky, who works as a project architect for a major company in Indonesia, started cosplaying solo in 1998.

"(However) I became really envious of cosplayers from other countries who could take great pictures together as a group. I then began my search for other Indonesian cosplayers to start a group. I almost give up, but then I met Orochi X in 2004 and we started Endiru," Pinky explained.

Endiru's activities mostly involve creating costumes for private photo shoots and some cosplay competitions. A member of Endiru, Tsadhe, said she got the biggest kick out of making the costumes.

"My most elaborate costume is the one for Esther Blanchett from the anime and manga Trinity Blood. The material cost a lot, because she is a queen and is deserving of luxury materials like velvet. It's a highly intricate costume," Tsadhe said.

The costume-making process lasts three to six months. This does not include the planning, the pattern making, the material hunting and the endless meetings.

This is where Endiru is unlike other groups. "We are an all-girl cosplay group. Not only does that make us unique but it also comes in handy when we need to sleep over at a friend's house to finish a costume," Pinky said.

Pinky said having an all-female cast had never been a problem.

"We choose roles we are comfortable with. Some of our members specialize in cross play (cosplaying as the opposite gender) and it's not hard for them. Also, I find it much easier to act out intimate scenes with another female. It would be awkward acting it out with a male," Pinky said.

Unlike Endiru, which puts most of its energy into making costumes, another Indonesian cosplay group, Machipot, said their strength laid in the quality of their performances.

"You will know what makes us different when you see us perform," said Handian, the cofounder of Machipot. Handian guaranteed Machipot's performance was "breathtaking".

Thirty-year-old cosplayer Franky said Machipot's on-stage energy made them the best in the country.

"I was totally blown away by their performance at the 2005 Animonster event as the terrorist organization Akatsuki from Naruto," he said.

That particular event was in fact the first in which Handian and his friends performed together as Machipot.

Handian cosplayed as one of the members of Akatsuki, the ruthless Uchiha Itachi who has the ability to blow giant fireballs from his lungs.

"Our performance for that was total! I even learned how to blow fire from my mouth for two days to portray Uchiha Itachi. It's things like this that make me want to continue with cosplay, improving the cosplay world," Handian said.

He also cosplayed as Kuchiki Byakuya, a cool and suave character from the anime Bleach. For this performance, Handian tried his best to portray Byakuya in his powerful final form.

"I spent four hours styling my hair to look like his and I wore a life-size pair of wings with a big electrical halo which lit up! All to create Byakuya in his final form," he said.

While he confessed Machipot members did not make their own costumes, he said this allowed them time to focus on their performances.

Handian said Machipot was currently busy rehearsing their latest cabaret for the upcoming Animonster event. The anime they are acting out?

"It's a secret!" Handian said.

--Virania Munaf

WOO-HOO! Now back to my sister's essays...Kayanya selama gw di Jakarta all I ever do was helping both of my sisters doing their schoolworks...sialan. ciao

love, viraaaaa

surababy

just got back from surabaya...friggin tired. will tell stories tomorrow.. but very impressed with anak anak Deteksi Jawa Pos for their excellent work.
ok bed..now!

i miss you you hear me?!?!?!?!

oh my god this is such an old picture of us mo! I think it's 2005-ish since fotonya masih di Mountain Street :)
Love, Vira

"kau hembuskan ayat ayat cinta"

We went to the premiere of Ayat Ayat Cinta on Monday, since Sherina made and sang one song, 'Jalan Cinta' for its soundtrack. Great song.. should check it out (super shameless promotion). She arranged and composed the song in 4 nights only... in the middle of her busy International Baccaulaurette schedule.

Anyway, the movie was surprisingly decent. I didn't put too much expectation for it but it turned out decent and good. Plot nya kentel banget... unlike other Indonesian movies yang lacking di plot, dan aktingnya juga lumayan kok. Tapi of course its different from the book yang setelah gw baca kemaren, gw agak agak kurang sreg.

Yang paling bikin kurang sreg itu gara gara chapter dimana si Fahri merasa hatinya goyah setelah tau Nurul naksir dia juga sementara dia udah janji mau kawin sama Aisha. Trus dia bilang bahwa dia butuh melihat muka Aisha (yang konon kabarnya setelah dia lihat pertama kali, seperti bidadari cantiknya dan bikin dia jatuh cinta langsung) dibalik cadar sebelum kawin untuk men'charge' rasa cintanya pada Aisha. Gw jadi Aisha sih gw treak "SEENAKNYA! LO PIKIR MUKA GUA BENDA!?!" pilih baju mana ya.. ini ato ini? hmmm? Ya gitulah garis besarnya...

Kok bisa bisa nya yang namanya Fahri ini sangat amat beruntung dipuja puja ama berbagai wanita! Semua mau berkorban buat dia, semua mau ikhlas buat dia.. kok enak banget yah jadi laki laki kaya dia. Nevertheless, banya juga bagian yang menarik di bukunya. Buat gw, dari film dan bukunya karakter paling menarik adalah si Maria Girgis itu.

Today ambil rapot Maura. Damn I wish I went to her elementary school SD Mentari. Seru banget kayaknya sekolah di situ. Everything is fun! Dari proyek2nya, pelajarannya, kegiatannya. Nggak kaya kurikulum SD gw jaman dulu di Harapan Ibu...

And just now, baru balik abis nganterin Sherina nyanyi di Senayan City dalam rangka launching Pluit Emporium Mall or smtg. Will post some videos later... Off to bed now :)

VIRA

"i will jump for you"

BONSOIR MY LOVES!
Welcome to my humble little blog (this time should mark my 7th or 8th time creating blogs). My goal is to try to keep this one at least for the whole year, even though honestly this is so not my new years' resolution. Anyway,

*PAUSE*

Mom just walked into our room
(im staying in my sister's room that way its ngirit AC! saving the earth :P)
and she started telling off my sister for possibly gaining weight. It's hillarious...banget! Watching the two of them interact is like watching a friggin srimulat. The dialogue just bounced back at you, its like talking to a wall when you talk to my mom.

Example dialogue:
(in brackets are my reactions)

Mom: Kamu tuh kayaknya gendutan deh!
Sher: Iya emang... (cengar cengir liat liat gw)
Mom: Besok pagi sebelom sekolah olahraga ya!
Sher: Iya, besok lari sama kakak (what?!?! seenaknya! im on my freakin holiday!!)
Mom: Sayang banget badan kamu kan sempet kurus dulu
Sher: Iya iya...besok dan seterusnya lari pagi
Mom: Kan sayang beli beli skin care kalo badannya tetep gendut
Sher: Iya bu, besok...aku...lari...
Mom: Nggak nurut sih kalo dibilangin, pasti kamu tuh makannya banyak banget kan?
Sher: Nggak bu, ya udahlah kan besok aku la...
Mom: Pasti makan nasi ya! Roti! Tepung semua dimakan!
Sher: Ya ampun bu tapi kan semuanya udah yang low GI
Mom: Tetep aja kalo dimakan kebanyakan kan sama aja!
Sher: Iya makanya besok lari...
Mom: Ya kan sayang badannya...
Sher: (exasperated) YA MAKANYA BESOK LARI WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO BUU? CHANGE THE PASTTTTT?
Mom: (storms out of the room)

-end-

Okay, that's probably a little bit exaggerated but you get the picture...Speaking of my sister... Kita lagi super tergila gila (and every time we like something.. we go freakishly crazy over it!) sama Hanazakari no Kimitachi e. Mainly because it's a really good dorama, great characters, great plot, just enough humour, craziness and most importantly....romance.

Another reason (ni gw biased banget) is because OGURI SHUN is in it and he is daamn fine (ofkors still after madhatterz whose pictures are way too precious to be posted for public..NYA!).


I'm so defeating my sister in Japanese...haha. She likes, wait no, is obsessed with Matsuyama Ken'ichi! So, our goals this year is to go there again and embarass ourselves (if there's any pride left yah..) in front of these guys. God... we are f-ing lame!

I'm going to try and post something a little more intellectual next time *MMWAH!*

Love,
virafaerie

current mood: very weird...i think its hormones!
listening to : IKENAI TAIYOU! by Orange Range
messages : my heart goes out to the victims of yet another university tragedy and to the ever strong Maia Estianty for facing her hell of a husband (knock on wood)