I spent a long time thinking at that spot where my father’s gigantic head appeared to me in the heavens.  It was difficult at first, because Elton John kept bursting into “Can You Feel the Love Tonight,” but then I shredded his jugular and ate him.  Nala took it poorly at first, growling “that was our song!”, but you know, the honeymoon doesn’t last forever, and I have free access to the rest of the lionesses.  Perks of the job.

It was real peaceful, sitting there, and I got to think a lot about everything.  Finally, it occurred to me:  I have no leadership or policy skills.  I have no idea how to solve the widespread famine that set in after Scar let all the hyenas eat the surplus giraffes.  I don’t have the slightest clue how to do regression analysis.  Zazu has a Ph.D in economics from Pride Rock University, but those red-billed hornbills don’t have a great shelf life—he deteriorates more and more every day.  He’s not nearly as acerbically funny as he used to be.  The hyenas wiped out the rest of his species, and the red-billed hornbills were the only non-primate members of the animal kingdom who understood economics.  Once he goes into the sky with Mufasa Sr., civil unrest and chaos will take hold again.  Not only that, there will be no open sky left, with my dad’s enormous head and Zazu’s outsize nose taking up all the space.

All of this led me to the larger question:  why monarchy?  Why have a system where an idiot son, with no formal education or training, with none of the necessary skills gets to be the leader?  Why give me plenary powers?  Thinking about it, my father, Mufasa Sr., was a regressive megalomaniac.  First of all, he was a communist:  he totally nationalized all industries, telling hyenas when they could eat and how much they could eat, limiting the lionesses’ hunting ability.  Wait—perhaps a fascist is a more apt term:  he segregated the animals along strict racial lines, imposed differing sets of rights and privileges for each specific species, and then placed lions at the top of the hierarchy and made everyone bow, literally, to him.  I mean, he made everyone wait around until the sun was at its peak and then had a monkey, who clearly has superior cognitive faculties, be his subordinate and raise his son above all the masses!

His big ass head in the clouds is proof that he believes in Divine Right:  when he said “remember…. remember” it was not so much suggestion as command.  Why couldn’t I just do what I wanted?  Why did I have to be a ruler, when I clearly didn’t have the C.V. for the position?  I could have been a novelist, or a painter, or a musician.  I could have been anything.  I had a great life with Timon and Pumba.  Hakuna Matata!  But I was shoehorned into this corporate job because of my overbearing father, and now I’m going to ruin Pride Rock for everyone else.

I think the answer here is to hold democratic elections.  The people may not be ready yet for such significant and swift change, so maybe I could create an ad hoc legislature and delegate power to them.  I could have Zazu and Rafiki draw up a constitution and have ratifying conventions.  The seating wouldn’t be segregated—the giraffes can sit with the zebras if they want.

Não quero mais saber dos problemas do mundo. Simples assim: dvd no final de semana, esportes radicais nos feriados, alimentação saudável todo dia. Viver sem pressa, sem pretensão. Dia sim, dia também. Que mal faz?

"Isso é viver,
é aprender.
Hakuna Matata!"

;)

For a long time now I have been pondering about destiny is perpetual and astute. It is oddly peculiar to know how well destiny in our lives that has been contrived by the eons above. At an instant the imagery of certain phenomenon would seem chaotic owing to disarray of our thoughts and intuitions.
Mind is an intricate maze. Our mind is manifested with so much intricacies and a part of which are our emotions which we tend to dwell in many situations that are ecstatic and on the other hand mirthless. Rudyard Kipling terms them impostors, but is it possible to lead lives without divulging into the extremities once in a while. A sudden splurge of disappointment makes many of us depressed and paranoid about life, but it is a beginning of the start of something new, that we might not have given a thought about. This leads to a new concept of the circle of life which I have perceived it in 2 ways… 1) Life has both ups and downs and they take turns to come up both ways for example , take a giant wheel , at the brim of which we are all excited and shout in glee and at the end of the big ride we are too tired to get excited (this happens when we are old)!!! At the end of the day we think its hard to become indifferent but we tend to do so because we become used to it……J On the 2nd perspective circle of life is synonymous to cycle of mortality (inspired by Nissim Ezhekiel’s poem The Lawn) every beginning has an end and nothing is permanent except thoughts that remain etched memories….
I haven’t entirely figured out what destiny is, but I know life is one jigsaw puzzle that is left for us to solve to fulfill during entirety of our small lives….

Author - Swatsy Catsy

Hakuna Matata
ma che dolce poesia
Hakuna Matata
tutta frenesia.
Senza pensieri
la tua vita sarà
chi vorrà vivrà
in libertà
Hakuna matata.Lui era una gran beltà
ma proprio una rarità.
Molto bene!
Grazie!
Ma dopo ogni pranzo
lui puzzava di più
tutti quanti svenivano
e cadevano giù
io ho l'animo sensibile
sembro tutto di un pezzo
ma ero affranto
proprio a causa di quel mio puzzo
e allora che vergogna
si vergognava
e voleva cambiar nome
perché soffrivi?
mi sentivo sbeffeggiare
allora che facevi?
cominciavo a scorr...
no Pumba!
non davanti ai bambini
oh! scusa

Hakuna Matata
sembra quasi poesia
Hakuna Matata
tutta frenesia
senza pensieri
la tua vita sarà
chi vorrà vivrà
in libertà
Hakuna Matata

Bon, on a commencé par les boys band mais on s'est pas arrêté là! On a ensuite continué sur les années 80... très très gros dossier! Et puis, je ne sais plus trop comment, je suis tombée sur les chansons Disney. Et là, je crois que Tom a vraiment eu honte de moi. OUi, parce que je connais encore toutes les chansons par coeur et en ce qui concerne le roi lion, une bonne partie des répliques! C'est vrai que pour le coup, je me suis bluffée! Bref... depuis j'ai recommencé à regarder le Roi Lion et j'en suis très fière! Et puis, vous trouvez que c'est dégueulasse la façon dont Scar tue Mufasa... ok, c'est un dessin animé, mais c'est dégueulasse quand même! Ca m'a plus traumatisée que le Titanic! ^^

Bon, allez cadeau, je vous mets une chanson, juste parce que Timon et Pumba sont trop cools. Et puis, je suis sûre que vous connaissez aussi les paroles!

Selamat pagi, kawan! Bagaimana kabarmu?

Saya sedang berbahagia. Ternyata, sugesti untuk selalu berusaha mencipta dan menebar kebahagiaan berhasil memberi efek baik pada diri saya. Langkah saya jadi lebih ringan. Saya lebih sering menyanyikan lagu ceria dibanding lagu-lagu "ngajak bunuh diri". Saya lebih sering tersenyum dan menyapa orang lain sehingga suasana nampak lebih menyenangkan. Makanan terasa lebih enak. Tidur pun lebih nyenyak.

Intinya, saya merasa hidup! Paulo Coelho, sang pengarang buku "The Alchemist" dalam salah satu buku yang lainnya yang berjudul "Like The Flowing River" bercerita bahwa ia ingin kalimat yang tertulis di pusaranya adalah "Dia mati ketika masih hidup". Kedengerannya konyol ya? Tapi coba deh pikir, seberapa banyak sih orang yang bener-bener hidup? Yang memaknai hidup dengan perspektif bahwa hidup adalah anugerah dan harus dinikmati? Yang menjalani hidup dengan jalannya?

Tidak banyak ya?

Tapi saya tidak mau seperti itu. Sekarang, saya mau bener-bener hidup juga. Saya mau menjalani hari-hari saya dengan cara saya. Orang-orang berhak untuk mengharapkan kita seperti ini, seperti itu, biarkan saja. Putuskan sendiri jalan hidup yang akan membawa kita pada kebahagiaan dunia akhirat. Egois? Entahlah. Namun saya bersikukuh setiap orang punya hak untuk bahagia. Saya akan menjadi orang yang memperjuangkan kebahagiaan saya.

Hidup ini singkat, kawan. Maka, lakukan apa yang ingin kau lakukan. Menarilah jika ingin menari. Menyanyilah. Berteriaklah. Mengembaralah. Katakan maaf jika memang bersalah, sampaikan ucapan terima kasih, dan ungkapkan cinta pada orang-orang yang berarti dalam hidup kita. Sehingga, jika memang takdir mengatakan besok kita harus meninggal dunia, tidak akan tersisa penyesalan dalam diri.

Satu lagi, belajarlah menertawakan diri. Jangan terus-terusan menyalahkan diri atas suatu hal pahit yang terjadi. Dunia akan ikut tertawa jika kau tertawa. Sedangkan jika kau bersedih, sebenarnya kau hanya bersedih sendirian. Menurut pendapat seseorang, banyak orang di sekeliling kita yang hanya pura-pura peduli. Atau jika pun mereka sungguh peduli, mereka tidak pernah benar-benar mengerti. Katakanlah pendapat itu benar, terus mengapa? Sekali lagi, biarkan saja. Jangan anggap itu masalah. Hiduplah untuk dirimu. Bahagiakan dirimu. Hati selalu tahu kok, kebahagiaan mana yang benar. Kita akan bisa membahagiakan orang lain juga jika kita bahagia.

Contohnya, jika kita akan bahagia apabila mampu lulus kuliah dengan nilai baik, kejarlah. Nanti orangtua kita akan ikut bahagia, bukan? Tapi bagaimana jika tidak berhasil? Jangan bersedih. Variabel kebahagiaan itu banyak, kawan. Masih banyak alasan untuk bahagia.

Menganggap tulisan ini berbelit-belit dan omong kosong belaka? Silakan. Saya tidak peduli. Ini salah satu cara saya untuk kembali membakar semangat untuk HIDUP yang benar-benar hidup. Saya juga ingin mati ketika saya masih hidup.

Bagaimana denganmu, kawan? Ingin mati ketika masih hidup juga?

...

OOT: Dua hari lalu saya ingin mengantar Kak Naima yang akan pulang ke Indonesia. Karena takut tidak sempat, sepulang dari tempat belajar bahasa Arab, saya pun naik taksi ke bandara. Haha, ada "bah" bagian dua ternyata. Tapi yang kali ini lebih gombal.

Sang supir taksi yang sebenernya lumayan ganteng (SSTYSLG): "Saya lihat di televisi, Indonesia negeri yang indah ya?"

Saya: "Oh, tentu saja!"

SSTYSLG: "Saya pengen nih ke Indonesia."

Saya: "Silakan."

SSTYSLG: "Tapi gak enak donk kalo gak ada temennya."

Saya: *Mencium gelagat tidak enak*

SSTYSLG: "Sama kamu aja gimana?"

Saya: *Tertawa garing*

SSTYSLG: "Eh, tapi ga boleh ya kalo bukan sama mahram pergi jauh berdua?"

Saya: "Iyalah."

SSTYSLG: "Yaudah kita nanti nikah dulu yuk supaya jadi mahram."

Gubrak!

What if someone suddenly comes to you and tells you to change your name to 'Hakuna matata'... Would you agree...?

But these cities apparently have no choice; they can't speak. Or is it that the voice of these cities i.e. the very own people who call these cities' as their home have chosen to keep quiet. A handful of people have overpowered millions of people who call these places as their home. Why is it that no one for the past couple of years has bothered to stop such things?

On the other hand if we think of it - it is actually an easy way to get yourself known in history. This is what the politicians do. Their easy way to be famous:

1. Change the name of some lane or some junction and name it as your name. If that is not possible then name it after some other famous person or better still name it after a deceased person. Now my question is if that deceased person's spirit comes on earth, it too will lose its way because the names of lanes, junctions, cities have changed!

2. Better still - this will make everyone think that you are powerful - change the name of a city!

It is easy for these politicians and the likes because they know that the city does not have a voice. Whatever is served they just accept it!

Most people who come back to a particular city either from a foreign country or some other city it is difficult for them as the names have changed. It no longer feels home.

Further still, the signboards are in a regional language which makes it all the more difficult. Imagine the plight of tourists - maybe this is the reason why tourists are mistreated and misled. Think... you in China and all signboards in Chinese language...

But what is the funda behind this? What is the logic for this name changing spree? Some people give frivolous logic and what do we do... we accept it wholeheartedly. Your wish is my command sir (is it?)

Methinks it is still not too late to stop such things. We need to restore these names - this is my opinion. My parents and I have been born and bought up in this city and I feel more at home in Bombay than in Mumbai.

I don't know what others think. And I don't know what do we do to get this on track.

Delhi, Jaipur, Agra etc etc - be careful haan... you never know who might just come up and change your name!

BRISA!

Possiamo stare tranquilli perchè Dio è con noi! :D

ripeti con noi:
HAKUNA MATATA
NON CI PENSARE

ma che dolce poesia
hakuna matata
tutta frenesia!
senza pensieri la tua vità sarà
chi vorrà vivrà in libertà
hakuna matata

non ci pensare
perchè Gesù ci penserà per te!

versione PORTUGUESE- Brazil :D

Inspirat probabil si de tricoul lui Sascha Baron Cohen din Talladega Nights, va urez de pe acum Hakuna matata. Bitches.

What's Good in Laguna:

1. The sound of ocean waves crashing
2. The California Omelette @ Cafe Heidelberg (Egg whites w/ sundried tomatoes, spinach, and avocados), served with toast and potatoes, along with a plethora of good breakfast places & healthy hippie food (like from Goko's, where heaping plates of dense vegetation are served by men in dreads and bare feet)
3. The gradient of the sunset, like profusely inky water colors
4. 24/7 t-shirt weather, which makes for light packing but also rather frequent sweaty messes
5. Temporary Hakuna Matata ... (means no worries, for a few days), aka Bum Life
6. 160 high school seniors taking over a beachside resort... That's the life.

What Makes Me Feel Okay About Not Living in Laguna:

1. Tracking sand everywhere I go (with that said, sand in my hair and up my butt at all times of day)
2. Overpriced, but very under-attractive clothing in boutiques
3. A relative lack of diversity = categorical surfer, beach babe types everywhere (disclaimer: I say this only with my subjective observations; I may be completely wrong)
4. The ocean waves can cause shoulder dislocations (as empirically proven by Mr. Kevin Lum Lung) - which pretty much scared me for the rest of the trip, since I am all too familiar with those types of injuries.

Welcome to Laguna Beach, home to bad reality television and heaping commercialism.

Our lunches served in buckets and pails (very charming, I must admit)

A vast sky over a vast ocean and long, lean palm trees splice the scene

Luxury at no small price

A view from the hotel room

California Omelette breakfast; take notice of the homemade raspberry preserves with seeds (do not confuse with adjacent ketchup).

Healthy Harvest muffin, which had quite a rubbery feel - still relatively satisfying (at least for temporary sweet cravings)

Chipper, cheery mood representative of the feeling of soon-to-be graduates

"
A View from the top (Refer to Weegee's beach photo for comparison - clearly, we are lacking in population)

Sweeping Shores

People play

An amble, a ramble, a saunter, a stroll, and sandy feet.

Seaside companion

Skimboarding - difficult, but gratifying - and potentially more difficult to learn than surfing!

Upon this tidal wave of young blood (Note the kelps caught in the ocean wave)

That's a person in there, among the white sea foam and splashes

Sunset rubdown

Lastly, to conclude (I don't know whether this is positive or negative):

A large fiery-hued arthropod I spotted in a Laguna boutique - exotic and beautiful or downright nasty?

Queria aproveitar a semana do meu aniversário. Nada de Zatz, aborto, células-tronco embrionárias e outras doutrinas judaicas e outros assuntos deste mundo que se vai um pouco dia sim, dia também.

Mas de repente tudo aconteceu... Na quarta que vem, 28, o STF julgará, o dia todo, sobre a inconstitucionalidade (ou não) das pesquisas que matam o embrião humano e por consequência julgará também sobre a legalização do aborto no Brasil.

E ainda nesta semana anunciaram que o Piauí vai oferecer o "aborto legal" (que confusão... querem legalizar mas vivem falando do aborto legal...). Detalhe: tem paróquia em Teresina que dá espaço para abortista se expressar.

Missionários infanticidas ligados à CNBB? Ah, pára...

Vou tomar um sorvete. Alguém balança a rede... ;)

Published in Fat Controller Magazine, 2005

Batman

Man should try everything once, apart from incest and Morris dancing. Well, this is the point of view I was dragged around to, when someone suggested that we go and watch 'Batman'.

I am not a particularly fierce critic of Batman. In fact I distinctly remember wearing my y-fronts outside of my trousers during my early years in a vain attempt to gain superpowers myself. The problem was that we were in a dustbowl Tanzanian safari city that had only recently unveiled its first sit down toilet.

But, located in the bustling uptown area (possibly not far for the aforementioned toilet) had been located a cinema promising to show 'Batman Begins' - 6pm. There were seven of us, and we came to the consensus that we would abandon the current evening plan (bottle of beer - bottle of beer - bolognaise pizza - beer) and instead go and watch the film.

I wasn't quite sure was to expect, I imagined that it might be cheaper than £6.50 but I conceded that you might not be able to buy popcorn in two different sizes. Once we had bounced down the street in our Mercedes (which I fancied at some point during the early 1980s may have belonged to someone from the Gorbechov administration) it transpired that I was right. Arriving at the cinema a man popped out from behind a table and promptly charged us 1,500 Tanzanian Shillings (70p) each whilst greeting us with a generous yellow-teethed smile.

Mike TV

The first thing that struck me as we passed through the double doors was that the room was big; the screen was dwarfing us from a distance of 30m and I immediately began to feel like a post-op Mike TV. But before I could begin to comprehend fully the size of the screen, the smell arrived. It was as if this geographical area had been for centuries a favoured urinal for a local herd of stubborn elephants, and they would be damned if they were going to change their habits merely because a cinema had been constructed there.

I struggled on through the ammonia-thick air, my eyes watering by now in the dark, sitting down with a clunk on a British Rail era wooden seat. Batman had already begun. It was quite difficult to see what was happening due to the fact that the film had been expanded to fill the enormous screen (approx. five times normal size), at first glance Michael Caine looked as if he had been inflated by Harry Potter.

Alongside us in the cinema was a man sitting alone what seemed a few hundred meters in front of us. He was straining his head in odd directions and it soon became apparent that he was having the same difficulty in hearing anything that I was. Two small speakers were located at either end of the room and I am pretty sure to say that at least one of them must have been inhabited by a woodpecker. Years of huffing and puffing had seemingly burnt out these poor, small speakers and no matter in which direction I or my friend in front tilted our heads, we could barely make out what (the forty foot wide) Michael Caine was saying.

Hakuna Matata

But, using the ethic of 'Hakuna Matata' that I had been building up during the past several weeks, I thought that all would be well due to the film being subtitled in English. Fantastic. Or not. It soon became evident that the translator was a) Of a similar level of English than I am of Welsh or b) On LSD. This fact did take a small amount of time to become apparent, but when the young (but seemingly bloated) Batman was audibly told by one of his benefactors ‘Good news’, the titles at the bottom of the screen read 'Berghausen will suffer.'

I was by now getting very confused. Staring at the bloated screen and trying to decipher the obviously coded subtitles: who was this Berghausen fellow? For five minutes we sat hearing subtitles that resembled a jumble sale of the English language, such as; 'Bring cake fast', and 'hope forgets carrots'.

It was at this point a good twelve minutes through that the audible language changed. Of course no one realised this immediately as the subtitles continued to whir along eccentrically: 'News of dangerous cement' etc. But after a group meeting and some hard listening we determined that the language had changed: Russian?

Our suspicions were confirmed when the fellow in front, jumped up and made for the door. We followed in defeat, only to find when we got there the yellow toothed attendant employing the same persistence we had become used to with the souvenir peddlers outside.

'No worries, sorry man', he kept repeating, shepherding us back towards our seats, determined for us to enjoy a complete film. 'Bad copy', he added shrugging his shoulders.

It was then that 'War of the Worlds' began. Unfortunately by this time the front two speakers had shorted, and the gentleman in front of us (who had also been escorted back to his seat) had burst into fits of laughter, which didn't particularly add to the atmosphere. This time I reasoned the language was more Germanic and as the subtitles appeared it was for the first time that they read faultless English: 'Sometimes it is just not worth it.'

Sometimes wish I was a meerkat or a warthog in Africa, hahaha! What a cool life!

Well here's wishing you a happy day!

And ofcourse, how can I forget my favorite baloo. Ooh I love to see him dance in this. I can watch it over and over again! Sigh! What a life...

HAKUNA MATATA - SWAHILI NATION Before akina Nonini coined the name genge, there was Swahili Nation. This song by SN was hot then and is still hot even now.

NALIA KWA FURAHA - BUSHOKE FT K-LYNN Apart from the sweet voices and obvious supuu singers this song just couldn't be lengwad.

NAKUPENDA by MERCY MYRA I got into a debate with a buddy, she asked me, "Do you think she can sing?" My answer to that was, "It's Mercy Myra! I don't care if she can't sing! She's like the first lady of genge!

Click here if you want to check out my PASSION.

1. Beberapa artikel saya yang dimuat di The Brunei Times versi cetak dan website. Udah basi sih, tapi kali aja masih ada yang mau baca. Silakan cari nama saya di google. Hehe. Update: Ternyata udah tinggal dikit euy artikel-artikel saya di Brunei Times yang nongol di Google. Yasuwlah, yang penting saya punya arsip versi cetaknya kok. ^^

2. Beberapa artikel karya Paman dan Bude saya di mana saya bertindak (haiyah) sebagai fotojurnalis. Hanya saja, demi keamanan, kami tidak memakai nama asli. Saya memakai nama adik kecil saya tercinta.

- Braving life in Palestinian refugee camps. Ini adalah suatu pengalaman yang luar biasa. Kesadaran saya akan makna bersyukur disentak tajam saat itu. Sayang foto versi web-nya tidak terlalu proporsional ukurannya.

- Hamas Kecam Rencana Gus Dur Menghadiri Perayaan 60 Tahun Israel. Semua pengalaman wawancara tersebut terasa seru bagi saya. Handphone harus dimatiin, biasanya digeledah dulu dan harus ngelewatin metal detector. Mungkin karena saya memiliki tampang yang dapat dipercaya akhirnya kami tidak melewati prosedur tersebut.

- Menlu Palestina: Hamas Berencana Tawarkan Gencatan Senjata. Sebenernya masih ada beberapa lagi wawancara yang dilakukan Paman dan Ode (yang mengikutsertakan keponakan tercinta mereka ini). Hanya saja, mungkin untuk beberapa alasan tidak dipublikasikan.

Mudah-mudahan tidak ada sesuatu yang buruk terjadi pada siapa pun karena saya memosting link-link ini. Soalnya bergabung atau segala sesuatu yang berkaitan dengan harakah seperti HAMAS dilarang di sini. Tapi Allah selalu ada untuk hamba-Nya apa pun yang terjadi.

3. Lagu-lagu dari Duo bATu. Tim yang dibentuk oleh sepupu saya Nida dan sohibnya, Afifa. Serius, kalian harus denger karya-karya mereka. Dijamin ketagihan. Hehe. Nah, yang suaranya paling 'indah' kayak anak kecil kecekek itu ya suara sepupu tercinta saya. *Peace, Nid!* Udah sembuh patah hatinya? Hohoho.

Catatan jempol: Foto-foto menyusul ya. Warnet di sini agak melatih kesabaran soalnya.

Satu lagi, maap diproteksi, karena katanya bahaya kalo ketauan saya pernah berhubungan dengan HAMAS. Hehe.

Ternyata, sebelum saya sempat mengajukan satu pertanyaan itu, ia telah terlebih dahulu menjawabnya.

Dan air mata saya mengalir membaca jawabannya atas pertanyaan saya yang tidak pernah tersampaikan itu.

...

kuterima engkau

tanpa syarat

anakku

dalam hidup mencarimu

meski tak selalu dapat

kubaca tulisan hatimu

 

kulepas engkau

tanpa syarat

anakku

dalam tercekat haru

meski masih kumeraba

debur riak dadamu

 

kubela engkau

tanpa syarat

anakku

dari tentangan

mereka yang terus bertanya

entah ke muara sebelah mana

engkau kan menuju

 

atas semua

keterbataan memaknai mimpimu

keterseokan ikuti larimu

kegalauan tunggu datangmu

kuikhlaskan engkau

tanpa syarat

anakku

 

tidak engkau bersendiri

sejejabpun

anakku

selalu kemul doaku

rapat di tubuhmu

karena sungguh

kucinta engkau

tanpa syarat apapun

anakku

Allah, cintailah ia -ibundaku- dengan segenap kasih-Mu. Selamanya.

Examining my deformed face in the mirror it brought back the Swahili proverb "Hakuna masika yasiyokuwa na mbu" ... There isn't a rainy season without mosquito's. When I first heard the saying it just made so much sense but it also struck me with the fact that there are always two ways of looking at things, as there is in life and the things that happen to us.

The literal translation is two fold, "With anything good comes something that is bad" or "Every cloud has a silver lining". Don't know about you but I prefer the latter, it is more upbeat and positive in the outlook rather than just being negative and saying that "oh well it may be good times now but there are bad times coming".

Yes, reality is so that there is always good and bad in life, but how we interpret it at the end of the day is ultimately up to us. Whether we want to take life as an enemy or as a friend, silver lining or none? Is a daisy a beautiful flower or a weed? Is the pine tree beautiful and provide you much needed shade in summer or does it just attract squirrels that steal your peanuts when you're not looking?

Our happiness is all in our interpretation... we can either choose to be happy or we can choose not to be... ultimately its our choice

Hakuna Matata? Have no worries my friend, a saying taught to little Simba in the Lion King, concentrate on the present for the past is only for lessons not worry or stress...

Non è semplicemente un cartone animato, ma un vero e proprio film con una sceneggiatura brillante, personaggi profondi e sfaccettati e musiche meravigliose cantate da Elton Jhon (nel video la versione italiana interpetata da una strepitosa Ivana Spagna).

Ma per me, a rendere indimenticabile e intramontabile "The lion king" è il messaggio che porta, la storia che racconta, quella del "cerchio della vita".

La storia del piccolo Simba che nasce dall'amore dei genitori e si affaccia alla vita dalla rupe, con grandi festeggiamenti da parte di tutta la comunità. Il leoncino scopre la realtà che lo circonda, con esplorazioni impavide e scorribande con gli amici. Con ingenuità corre i primi pericoli e fa le prime scoperte, come quella del destino che lo attende, un destino da re. E' meravigliosa la figura del padre, il Re Mufasa, che non si può non amare con trasporto ma è senza dubbio affascinante anche quella del perfido zio Scar.

L'eterna lotta fra il bene e il male: è questa secondo me la vera chiave di lettura del "cerchio della vita": in quella "giostra che va" ci rientrano il lutto e i tradimenti, la disonestà, l'abbandono.

Ma per fortuna il film ci insegna che è proprio quando tutto sembra perduto, quando ciò che ci circonda è una desolata prateria sterminata dagli incendi, quando lo sconforto ci fa perdere la fiducia in noi stessi, che qualcosa può davvero cambiare e troviamo la forza per riappropriarci di ciò che ci spetta. (Che nel caso di Simba è il regno della Savana, nel nostro caso può essere qualsiasi cosa che per un motivo o per l'altro abbiamo abbandonato, fosse anche solo un sogno)

Senza perdere il buon cuore, Simba ormai grande diventa forte e coraggioso, lascia da parte la paura e il senso di inadeguatezza e si scopre Re. Guidato dalla sua stella (il padre) scopre anche l'amore e si rimette in cammino per lottare e rimettere in moto quella giostra che è la vita di ognuno e di tutti noi.

 P.S. Hakuna Matata! ;)

Il Re Leone è un film di animazione della Walt Disney, uscito nelle sale nel lontano 1994. (Come passa il tempo, eh?) Si è aggiudicato due oscar, quello per la miglior colonna sonora e per la miglior canzone "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" di Elton Jhon.

Hufh. Setengah jam berlalu dan saya belum juga menemukan prolog yang tepat. Saya lagi bosen dengan aura suram yang selama beberapa waktu ini menghiasi blog saya. Jadi sebelum bener-bener hiatus, saya pengen nulis sesuatu yang agak riang gembira. Juga perkenankan saya kembali pada genre penulisan saya yang terdahulu; bebas dan lepas.

Sebenarnya ada banyak hal yang ingin saya tulis dalam blog ini. Pertama, 100 fakta tentang seorang Azka Madihah. Oke, saya tahu ini gak penting. Tapi ini kan blog saya, hak penuh ada di tangan saya *terbahak-bahak*. Kedua, laporan eksklusif perjalanan saya beberapa bulan ini. Termasuk di antaranya insyaAllah cerita tentang Brunei dan Damaskus. Ketiga, tentang cinta. Buahahaha, yang ini bo’ong. Saya belum siap menceritakan pada dunia tentang detail kehidupan percintaan (haiyah) saya. Lagian saya ini masih anak ingusan kok. Masih belasan tahun (mumpung masih bisa ngomong begini sebelum umur 20 tahun menjemput), jadi belum tahu cinta itu kayak apa. Hehehe.

Postingan kali ini agak semerawut. Bodo ah. Silakan simak (bagi yang mau aja) 100 fakta tentang saya.

1. Saya termasuk spesies segalavora alias omnivora. Gak pilih-pilih makanan.
2. Tapi saya gak suka dan emang gak pernah makan segala jenis makanan yang baunya gak enak. Contohnya pete, jengkol, dan durian.
3. Saya gak suka buah yang bijinya menggelikan dan bentuknya tidak indah. Contohnya pepaya, markisa, sawo, manggis, kesemek, dan sebagainya.
4. Saya benci biji jeruk dan biji pepaya. Begitupun dengan biji semangka, biji melon, biji salak, biji apel, dan biji anggur. Jadi saya akan makan buah-buahan tersebut jika telah tersedia dalam hidangan cantik tanpa biji.
5. Poin 3 dan 4 menjelaskan mengapa saya lebih suka es buah dibandingkan buah yang dimakan begitu saja.
6. Ketidaksukaan saya belum sampai pada tahap fobia sehingga dalam kasus-kasus tertentu saya bersedia memotongkan buah-buahan berkategori biji menyeramkan untuk kemudian dihidangkan untuk orang lain.
7. Saya cuma mau makan rambutan yang berjenis rapiah atau cipelat. Itu lho, rambutan yang keil-kecil, rambutnya cepak, dan meski berwarna hijau pun terasa manis.
8. Kesimpulan: poin nomor satu menjadi tidak relevan dengan poin 2 sampai 7. Saya pilih-pilih makanan dalam hal buah dan makanan berbau.
9. Saya suka pedas. Sangat suka. Sayang sekali kadang perut saya yang sudah soak ini tidak terlalu mengizinkan saya bersenang-senang dengan rasa pedas.
10. Cara mengolah mie instan favorit saya adalah Indomie goreng direbus dengan 7 cabai rawit merah, pake sawi dan tomat, dikasih mentega dan garem sedikit, terus dihidangkan pake kuah. Kalo setelah makan saya belum keringetan dan ingusan, berarti mie tersebut kurang nikmat. Tsahh, gaya.
11. Saya senang memasak. Survey membuktikan masakan saya enak-enak meskipun bikinnya super ngasal. Okey, meskipun gak seenak buatan seseorang calon koki, Mr, Batman Wanna Be atau buatan Mbak Pon (asisten rumah tangga saya), tapi setidaknya layak disantap. Menu andalan: Nasi Goreng Pattaya. Tau kan? Yang dihidangin Anna Althafunnisa untuk si Khairul Azzam di novel Ketika Cinta Bertasbihnya Habiburrahman El-Shirazy. Spaghetti sea food saya juga lumayan enak. Meskipun teman-teman SMA mencurigai bahwa yang saya sebut dengan Spaghetti sea food adalah mie instan pake ikan asin belaka. Sial.
12. Saya suka segala makanan yang ada kejunya. Roti keju, nasi goreng keju, pizza dengan ekstra keju mozarella, macaroni schotle, dan semua yang pake keju saya suka.
13. Pizza favorit saya adalah american favourite dengan pinggiran cheese burst.
14. Saya tidak terlalu suka catering pesawat. Gak tau kenapa. Yang udah saya coba sih makanannya Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air, Buraq, Saudi Arabia Airlines, Emirates, dan Royal Brunei. Masih lebih enak makanan di luar, sayang di pesawat gak bisa jajan sebentar. Tapi tetep aja, meski bilang gak suka, biasanya tu makanan disikat sampai habis.
15. Saya senang menraktir teman dan ditraktir (tentunya). Saya tipe yang loyal pada sesama, gak pernah perhitungan. Saya suka jalan-jalan mencoba makanan baru. Itulah salah satu penyebab saya kabur dari acara wisata ruhani ke Darut Tauhid yang diadakan DKM Alhurriyyah IPB dan memilih keliling Bandung sama si Ophie untuk mengajaknya wisata kuliner.
16. Saya suka makanan yang, well, 100 fakta ini akan berakhir dengan makanan-makanan yang saya suka jika saya tidak berhenti sampai di sini.
17. Minuman kesukaan saya adalah air mineral.
18. Beralih kepada kepribadian; saya adalah seorang Sanguinis-Koleris. Ini menjelaskan banyak hal tentang saya.
19. Menurut Eneagram, salah satu telaah kepribadian, saya termasuk tipe nomor 7. Petualang.
20. Saya perfeksionis. Saya tergolong orang yang sering mengambil alih hampir seluruh tugas kelompok dan mengerjakannya sendiri demi memastikan hasilnya sempurna. Ini salah satu sifat buruk saya.
21. Kepala saya selalu penuh ide-ide gila yang meminta untuk diwujudkan. Sayangnya, saya termasuk manusia NAPO (No Action Plan Only). Saya senang membuat konsep, tapi tidak terlalu senang menjalankannya. Hal ini banyak dialami orang-orang berkepribadian Sanguinis lainnya.
22. Saya pelupa. Ceroboh. Grasak-grusuk. Sangat rapi di saat-saat tertentu, sangat berantakan di saat-saat tertentu.
23. Saya mudah tertawa. Sangat mudah. Saya senang berteman, bertukar pikiran, dan bersenda gurau.
24. Saya agak autis dalam artian gak terlalu peka terhadap sekitar. Saya juga gak begitu bisa ngediemin orang nangis. Saya sering lupa nama dan muka orang.
25. Saya senang menulis dan mencoba hal-hal baru. Bercita-cita jadi jurnalis dan pengusaha.
26. Tingkat ketekunan saya terhadap suatu rutinitas sangat rendah. Makanya saya sering bolos sekolah dan kuliah. Kalo ngambil kursus-kursus kayak gitu cuma bisa bertahan maksimal 2 bulan.
27. Saya penganut aliran SOTOYISME (makasih Mamen a.k.a Luqman atas julukan pemberianmu ini). Sering mengatakan sesuatu yang saya sendiri tidak yakin dengan nada meyakinkan dan akhirnya membawa orang pada kesesatan. Korbannya banyak.
28. Saya senang SMS-an dan telpon-telponan. Tapi sering juga melalaikan kewajiban membalas SMS. Ophie telah menganalisa hal ini dan menyimpulkan bahwa ada 3 penyebab seorang Azka tidak membalas SMS; kartu halo pasca bayar-nya sedang diblokir karena telat bayar tagihan atau karena si Bapak ngambek tagihan hengpon anaknya bengkak melulu, lupa bales, atau males. Keseringan sih males, apalagi kalo SMSnya gak penting. Makanya saya gak pernah ngeladenin SMS nyasar yang ngajak kenalan gak jelas kayak gitu.
29. Saya seneng segala sesuatu yang berkaitan dengan kepencintaalaman kecuali kasus semasa SMA dengan sang Mr. X yang mengakibatkan saya dan teman-teman depresi. Alhamdulillah saya udah menikmati keindahan ciptaan Allah dari puncak Gn. Gede Pangrango, Gn. Salak, Gn. Tangkuban Perahu, dan beberapa gunung yang tidak terlalu terkenal namun tetap mengasyikkan.
30. Pada masa puncak kecintaan saya pada hiking dan camping, bisa hampir tiap akhir minggu camping. Sering menjadi primadona puncak gunung berdua dengan sahabat saya, Endah. Iya, jadi dulu sebelum tobat (hahaii), saya sering kemping rame-rame tapi wanitanya cuma saya dan Endah. Tentu saja kami punya tenda dome biru kesayangan khusus untuk kami berdua. Teman-teman lelaki itu menghargai kami berdua sebagai jilbaber kok.
31. Nama ‘gunung’ saya baik di SMA Depok atau Bandung adalah Rinjani. Makanya saya pengen banget naek gunung Rinjani.
32. Beberapa pengalaman organisasi saya antara lain; ketua ekskul Jurnalistik SMP, pemimpin redaksi buletin SMP, ketua OSIS putri SMP, anggota OSIS dan ROHIS SMA, ketua ekskul pencinta alam SMA, seksi repot organisasi pencinta alam Cakrawala Bandung, Dept Infokom BEM TPB IPB, koordinator launching dan open house BEM TPB 43, anggota divisi acara MPKMB IPB 2007, redaktur foto Koran Kampus IPB, anggota HMMJ (Himpunan Mahasiswa Manajemen Jabodetabek), Dept Infokom LDK DKM (Lembaga Dakwah Kampus Dewan Kesejahteraan Masjid) Al-Hurriyyah IPB, stringer reporter The Brunei Times, kakak asuh Anak Bogor Ceria (ABC), dan sebagainya.
33. Alhamdulillah semasa SD dan SMA ijazah saya dihiasi angka 10 pada pelajaran matematika. NEM SD, SMP, SMA Alhamdulillah selalu di barisan tertinggi. Alhamdulillah juga sering dapet juara kelas dan juara umum sejak SD hingga SMA juga sering ikut lomba-lomba. IP kuliah juga Alhamdulillah.
34. ‘Cinta’ monyet saya saat kelas 3 SD dengan teman sekelas yang pinter dan tulisan tangannya bagus.
35. ‘Cinta’ pertama saya adalah saat kelas 6 SD. Beliau kakak kelas saya yang sangat pandai. Sebenernya lebih tepat dikatakan 'ngefans' kali ya.
36. Tidak terlalu mudah berpindah ke lain hati.
37. Semua tanda kutip pada kata cinta di atas menandakan ketidakyakinan saya akan definisi cinta pada konteks kalimat tersebut. Rata-rata kayaknya baru sekedar gejolak kawula muda saja, hehe. Bukankah cinta yang sejatinya hanya untuk mereka-mereka yang berhak? Jadi saya tidak mau semurah itu mengatakan cinta.
38. Detail lebih jauhnya tidak akan dibeberkan.
39. Saya selalu punya soulmate di tiap rentang waktu tertentu. Soulmate dalam hal ini berarti partner in crime. Temen bolos, temen ngusilin orang, dan temen untuk menggila bersama.
40. Saya bandel, iseng, dan usil. Bukan hanya teman-teman yang jadi korban, melainkan guru-guru pun banyak yang kena. Maafkan saya Pak, Bu.
41. Saya tidak berbakat dalam memainkan alat musik. Tapi kalo nyanyi suara saya merdu, nurun dari ibu. Buahahaha, pede buanged. Gebleg.
42. Alhamdulillah saya gak pernah mabuk darat, laut, dan udara.
43. Saya lebih senang Lombok daripada Bali.
44. Saya suka tas dan sepatu Adidas, Reebok, atau Converse.
45. Cuma punya satu sepatu model cewek. Gak pernah dipake. Belinya dulu atas hasutan seorang kawan.
46. Baru mulai pake rok akhir semester dua. Sempat menimbulkan kehebohan karena seorang Azka yang pecicilan dan gak pernah mau pake rok, tiba-tiba pake rok.
47. Gak suka pake aksesoris. Apa pun. Baik itu cincin, kalung, gelang, anting, atau jam tangan. Paling banter pake bros aja di jilbab.
48. Waktu masih di asrama TPB IPB sering keluar masuk asrama dengan cara yang anggun; lompat jendela. Efektif dan efisien.
49. Langganan kena jam malam asrama, penyitaan kartu mahasiswa, KTP, kartu praktikum, kartu pasien, hingga kartu ATM sebagai konsekuensi pelanggaran jam malam asrama (pukul 22.00) adalah hal biasa. Hingga kini kartu pasien dan kartu praktikum saya tidak pernah ditebus, males ngejalanin hukumannya.
50. Pernah dimarahin satpam berdua Ophie karena pulang ke asrama jam 12 malem. Maklum pak, sibuk. Haha.
51. Deposit asrama sebesar 300 ribu tidak pernah saya ambil. Kalo gak salah waktu itu lagi sakit. Ternyata lewat tanggal pengambilan tu deposit kagak bisa diambil lagi. Yasudahlah, belum rejeki.
52. Pernah tanding aikido jam 1 malem di lorong asrama sama si Ophie gila.
53. Pernah lari 5 keliling lapangan asrama putri jam 12 malem dalam skenario ulang tahun Ophie. Ceritanya dihukum satpam. Sempat membuat kegemparan lokal.
54. Saya kalo mandi lama. Hampir selalu bawa buku atau majalah atau komik atau ringkasan pelajaran. Di kamar mandi, terutama saat melakukan aktivitas pelancar metabolisme pencernaan, konsentrasi saya sangat baik. Itulah alasan mengapa saya sering bawa buku pelajaran ke kamar mandi.
55. Dua kali nyemplungin henpon ke ember kamar mandi dan kloset. Dua-duanya gak ada yang selamet.
56. Semua peralatan elektronik saya, notebook, kamera DSLR, PDA, handphone, mp3 player, flash disk, serta chargeran mereka (halah) semua berwarna hitam. Ya, saya suka warna hitam, merah, putih. Elegan aja kesannya.
57. Saya suka parfum merek ‘Too Feminine’ dari Eigner atau ‘Sentiment’ dari Escada. Agak gak cocok dengan kepribadian, tapi wanginya lembut dan enak banget.
58. Seneng dengan peralatan mandi (sabun, shampoo, body lotion, dll) dari The Body Shop atau Oriflame. Tapi kalo pasta gigi cuma suka Pepsodent Herbal.
59. Saya gak jago olahraga, tapi senang berolahraga. Terutama hiking, berenang, tenis meja, bulu tangkis, dan voli.
60. Saya adalah kutu buku. Sangat suka membaca. Pengarang favorit saya adalah J.K Rowling, Dan Brown, Roald Dahl, Enid Blyton, Harun Yahya, Meg Cabot, Andrea Hitara, Takehiko Inoue, dan sebagainya.
61. Film favorit saya adalah film-film yang dibintangi Robin Williams dan Adam Sandler.
62. Saya gak kuat liat darah dan adegan kekerasan. Makanya gak suka film horor atau film yang banyak adegan kekerasan dan darah. Saya juga gak suka nonton Buser, Tangkap, dan sejenisnya. Film Tusuk Jelangkung adalah film serem pertama dan terakhir yang saya tonton.
63. Saya senang jalan-jalan. Baik beramai-ramai atau pun sendiri. Saya menikmati keduanya. Saya menikmati kebebasan yang saya dapat sewaktu berjalan-jalan.
64. Saya sering naik angkot hanya untuk mengetahui akhir rute angkot tersebut di mana meski tujuan saya sudah terlewati. Asyik aja.
65. Saya sering berangkat dari kostan jam 7 saat kuliah dimulai jam 7.
66. Saya sering nitip absen.
67. Saya jarang bisa tidur di perkuliahan. Gak kayak si Ophie.
68. Saya gak bisa atau mungkin belum bisa ‘gadhul bashar’ kayak ikhwan dan akhwat gitu. Abis gak enak banget ngobrol gak liatin muka lawan bicara kita.
69. Keinginan saya ikut SPMB tidak tercapai berhubung saya dapet IPB jalur USMI (PMDK). Penasaran euy, seru ya? Haha.
70. Saya anak pertama dari lima bersaudara.
71. Saya blasteran.
72. Bapak saya keturunan asli Sunda dan Ibu saya keturunan asli Jawa tapi semua keluarga mereka sudah berdomisili di Jakarta.
73. Kebiasaan buruk saya; seneng manjangin kuku. Kalo dimarahin Bapak langsung dipotong.
74. Saya punya banyak kepribadian, haiyah, gak gitu juga sih. Maksudnya saya bergaul dengan cara yang agak berbeda ketika berhadapan dengan teman SMP, SMA, kuliah, teman organisasi, teman pencinta alam, orang rumah, keluarga besar, dan sebagainya. Intinya sih sama, biasanya agak beda dari segi penggunaan bahasa.
75. Mohon maaf sebelumnya, tapi saya gak suka gaya penulisan SMS, postingan, atau komen FS yang menulis dengan gaya 'Na1K tuRuN be9iNi d4n m3nc4mPuRkaN an9ka d3n9aN huRuF' atau yang sekarang makin marak yakni gaya ' gagapp ' ; yang agag susahh dideskripsikan oleh saiia , ttapi saiia iiakin anda tau maksudd saiia . *peace*
76. Saya senang dengan fotografi meski tekniknya pas-pasan.
77. Saya sayang teman-teman saya dan sering mengatakan hal tersebut pada mereka. Baik itu teman perempuan maupun laki-laki. Tentunya hanya pada mereka yang sudah saya kenal baik dan tahu pasti maksud ‘sayang’ yang saya maksud adalah perasaan sayang dan bersyukur punya teman sebaik mereka dalam kehhidupan saya.
78. Dulu punya banyak peliharaan mulai dari kelinci, hamster, kura-kura, ikan, dan sebagainya. Hanya saja mereka lebih memilih syurga dibanding dipelihara saya.
79. Saya baru belajar nyetrika saat semester 1 kuliah.
80. Saya sering ngomong sendiri depan kaca. Apalagi kalo sedang persiapan presentasi, ngemsi, atau lomba.
81. Saya gak tahan geli kalo dikelitikin.
82. Dulu saya punya FS dan tidak merasa dapat banyak manfaat sehingga akunnya saya lenyapkan (istilah Kak Radon).
83. Saya suka laki-laki yang berwawasan luas serta kharismatik. Yang penting juga agamanya baik sehingga bisa jadi imam bagi saya yang dudul ini.
84. Saya kadang negor baik-baik pasangan muda yang kelakuannya saat memadu kasih di depan umum melewati batas kewajaran. Biasanya diawali dengan kalimat, “Maaf, Anda berdua suami istri?”
85. Saya belajar motor kelas 6 SD. Langsung sering ngebut-ngebutan.
86. Waktu SMP pernah kecelakaan motor waktu dibonceng temen. Abis itu dilarang bapak naek motor lagi. Tetep aja bandel.
87. Saya bisa bawa motor bebek, kopling, sampe vespa.
88. Saya baru bisa nyetir mobil maju doank, belum bisa parkir, juga belum bisa berhenti di tanjakan.
89. Saya cengeng. Terutama kalo nonton film sedih.
90. Mudah memaafkan orang lain, tapi sulit memaafkan diri sendiri.
91. Saya pernah ikut Bimbingan Mental Remaja Juang Bahari (BJRB) yang diadakan Angkatan Laut RI naek kapal Tanjung Dalpele ke Lampung bersama ratusan anak SMA se-Indonesia. Seru juga ternyata.
92. Saya pengen punya anak 4 orang. Laki-Perempuan-Laki-Perempuan. Aamiin. Hehe.
93. Saya suka maen sudoku atau fig-jig yang dulu ada di majalah Intisari tuh. Saya suka teka-teki angka atau yang berhubungan dengan logika matematika.
94. Saya langganan majalah Bobo sejak SD dan masih sering baca sampe sekarang.
95. Saya sering mengalami krisis kepribadian meski gak tau definisi krisis kepribadian itu apa. Yang jelas kalo lagi kayak gini saya sering nyulik Ophie untuk jalan-jalan dan refreshing. Begitupun dengan si Ophie, kalo 'krisis paruh baya-nya' lagi kambuh maka saya pun siap diculik dengan senang hati.
96. Saya sangat dekat dengan anggota keluarga saya.
97. Saya sangat sayang sama adik terkecil saya, Kaiysa.
98. Saya adalah tipe perempuan yang tidak bisa duduk manis membiarkan hidup membawa saya dengan datar tanpa banyak pengalaman menarik.
99. Saya punya banyak mimpi. Termasuk salah satunya ingin naik haji, menapaktilasi perjalanan Rasul, dan keliling dunia.
100. Saya adalah saya, dengan segala ketidaksempurnaan saya.

Begitulah kira-kira. Ada komentar? Silakan berkomentar sesuka hati. Janji deh, gak akan ada yang diedit atau diapus. InsyaAllah. Hehe. ^^

Keterangan: foto tangan saya di atas bukan karena sakit kulit. Itu lagi dipakein ‘henna’ dan henna-nya udah mau kering. Pake begituan waktu nulis artikel tentang itu di The Brunei Times. Niatnya mau model yang kayak dipake Aisha di Ayat-Ayat Cinta. Tapi kok gak mirip yak, haha.

I have a feeling this will be a looong post.

Music takes you through the bad as well as the good times, when you're at home or travelling. Like doing the things you love, music makes life worth living. I know for sure that my love for discovering new music will never end. I have Move to Bremerton, a Popagandhi post on music, to thank for my latest "find" - The Way I Am by Ingrid Michaelson. Beautiful song.

I've lots of music memories. Especially remember one evening spent with friends and family at the beach in Frösakull, Sweden. A barbecue, sand beneath my feet, the sound of the sea, a light breeze, the sunset, and Van Morrison's Brown Eyed Girl from someome's portable CD player. I think I was ten.     

Around midnight in Frösakull another summer, the heavy rain cause everyone at the party to move into someone's veranda. Kids my age and grown-ups sit down around a large wooden table while one guy, a real bon vivant, gets his guitar and suggests karaoke. First up, Queen's We Will Rock You. Before the first verse, "Buddy you're a boy make a big noise...", we bang our hands on the table. No one misses a beat. I've loved that song ever since.  

The same goes for Bonnie Tyler. My parents, my sister and I used to listen to her during the 9-hour drive to Åre, the small ski resort in northern Sweden where we often spent our winter holidays.

Bonnie Tyler - Have You Ever Seen The Rain  

Have You Ever Seen The Rain was my favourite, eventually I knew all her songs by heart.

I didn't know the songs by Elvis Costello, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder and Bryan Adams on my dad's vinyl records that well. Sometimes I wished he would give them to me. I never bought my own LP discs, instead I put my money on CDs. When I was 14 and found Lauryn Hill's The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill in a record store in Stockholm, I made up my mind at once. After seeing a cover on her Can't Take My Eyes Off You at a Swedish TV show the same year I knew I had to buy her album.

Lauryn Hill - Turn The Lights Down Low

I like nearly all Lauryn's songs, especially the ones at her live album MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 - mostly because of the brilliant lyrics.

India Arie - Ready For Love

When I discovered India Arie and her Strenght, Courage & Wisdom, it resulted in three Chinese signs on my left ankle. Now I want another small tattoo meaning love, after Ready For Love.

Daniel Lemma - Keeps Getting Better

I will never forget the first time I heard the Swedish artist Daniel Lemma's soulful voice, or when I heard Greek music - first at a taverna in Parga, then during a long bus drive to Meteora, on a boat from Lefkada to Kefalonia, and in my one-bedroom apartment in Zurich because the Greek family living below played loud Greek music each Friday night, every weekend. Apart from them, I suspect I was the only one in the building who actually enjoyed it.

I'm deliberately looking for songs that truly touch my heart. Almost always when meeting new people - whether it's face-to-face or online - I ask about their music taste. Except for the chance to discover a new talent, it's quite fun to check people's MP3- or iPod playlists.       

Otis Redding - I've been loving you...

Both me and my sis loves rock, but while I'm also into soul by Otis Redding, Al Green, Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin, she prefers metal and emo rock. It was thanks to her I started listening to My Chemical Romance, Foo Fighters, Babyshambles and Ozzy Osbourne. Soul is better though.   

The Cranberries' songs also top my list of favourite music. I first heard this Irish band during my summer job as a personal assistant in Haverdal, Sweden, in 2003. My 24-year-old, water pipe-loving co-worker who recently got home from travelling in Israel often played her Cranberries albums at work. It was love at first hearing.

When I went to France as an au-pair the following year, I was introduced to various French artists. Five-year-old Emelie showed me her CD by Jenifer, the first winner of Star Academy - the French equivalence to American Idol. On weekdays at 7pm even Emelie's 1-year-old sister Eléonore sat totally sticked to the TV, watching this year's season which apperantly was a really big hit in France.

While working in Zurich in 2005 I had a Portuguese penpal who sent me a CD of Keane, and another one with so called skank. And in London two years ago when my Swedish flatmate let me copy all music from her laptop, I found 3 Doors Down.  The same year I discovered Eva Cassidy at a café in Greenwich.

After a few months in London I spent a couple of weeks at my parents house in Sweden before setting my sights on Malmö, a multicultural city in the southernmost part of the country. There I first heard the reggae singer Alpha Blondy, thanks to a guy living in the same student hall. At the same time I started to like Ben Harper and Jack Johnson more. And Matisyahu.  

Last year I came across the singer Atif Aslam. I have no idea what he says, but can't resist loving his voice.

Atif Aslam - Adaat

Listen to Adaat, Woh Lamhe and Doorie.

Music sources are everywhere... record stores, magasines, websites, ads, people, TV, film, movies.

The Lion King - Hakuna Matata

If I had to pick a cartoon, I'd have to go with the Disney hit The Lion King.

Coldplay - The Scientist

Coldplay's The Scientist and Stereophonic's Maybe Tomorrow from Wicker Park are also impossible not to love... at least for me.

All Saints - Pure Shores

Whenever I hear All Saint's Pure Shores I think of that hot scene with Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Françoise (Virginie Ledoyen) in The Beach.

I also like to watch What Women Want and listen to Frank Sinatra's Too Marvelous For Words, I Won't Dance, and I've Got You Under My Skin. I love the part when Mel Gibson dances around in his Manhattan loft. The music combined with the view and Gibson's improvised dance make a terrific scene. 

And the next time you see Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason, pay attention to Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word by Mary J Blige.

And, not to forget, my absolute favorites... musicals.

RENT - Out Tonight and Another Day

Rosario Dawson surely does a great performance.

Annie - You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

I first saw the musical Annie at Oskarsteatern in Stockholm several years ago, have lost count how many times I've seen the film.

Dirty Dancing - Hungry Eyes

A true classic.

Grease - You're The One That I Want

The best scene in Grease.

Moulin Rouge - Lady Marmalade

Sexy.

The Sound of Music - Do-Re-Mi

Have loved The Sound of Music ever since I saw it in 2nd or 3rd grade.

The Sound of Music - So Long, Farewell

Gretl (the youngest girl) is sooo cute at the end of this song.

Irene Cara - Fame

Won't forget Fame at the theatre Göta Lejon in Stockholm 2004. Is it possible not to love this film?

Aida - How I Know You

Beautiful melody.

Aida on Broadway

If they still play Aida on Broadway, go see it.

Let's return to movies...

Nonpoint - In the Air Tonight

The music in Miami Vice ranges from Nonpoint's cover on In the Air Tonight and Sinnerman (felix da housecat's heavenly house mix) to Auto Rock by Mogwai, Moby's One of These Mornings, and Arranca from the sensual dance scene between Crocket (Colin Farrell) and Isabella (Li Gong). If anyone know where I can find a clip from that scene, please let me know.

And don't forget Carlos Varela's Una Palabra from the end scene in Man on Fire, In the Deep by Bird York from the soudtrack to Crash, or the mix of Chaiyya Chayyia by Sukhwinder Singh & Sapna Awasthi from Inside Man.

Learn Languages Through Music

I love hearing music in other languages and often listen to non-english songs to learn new words and expressions. Lately Hindi because I've wanted to learn the language ever since middle school when I decided I'd travel to India someday. A while ago I searched for Indian music online and found a song from the movie Salaam Namaste. It will be interesting to see if I eventually manage to understand what they say.

 Salaam Namaste - My Dil Goes Mmmm

Watch it, it's funny!

Bombay Dreams

Bombay Dreams by Aneela from the Swedish movie Bombay Dreams.

Jennifer Lopez - Que Hiciste

For practising Spanish, I recommend Jennifer Lopez, Don Omar, Gloria Estefan, Manu Chao and Paola & Chiara.

Per Gessle - Sommartider

 
In case you're interested in learning some Swedish, you can listen to Per Gessle...

Lars Winnerbäck - Dunkla Rum

Lars Winnerbäck...

Lisa Nilsson - Himlen runt hörnet

or Lisa Nilsson.

Whatever you do, keep listening to music!

... 

kala jalinan kata butuh jeda

maka kan kuletakkan koma

yang setia menanti hadirnya titik

untuk kembali menghela detik

...

kala itu, kini

: ironi. bukankah titik adalah jelma kematian?

Finding Peace Through Sports...by Erick Guantai

Hakuna Matata...by Yvonne A. Owuor

This weeks profile - Douglas Isaac Sidialo - A blind cyclist, mountain climber and motivation
speaker...

Acknowledgements - Balozi wa Amani group

Upcoming Events ---Upto Feb 16

Download Amani Sasa Weekly - 001

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This weekly e-newsletter is a service to all working for peace. It records the various independent initiatives currently underway to restore peace, assist the displaced and promote truth and justice. It does suggest that these actions are being centrally coordinated.