I love music. I enjoy listening to and playing it. But, most of times, I play instruments by ears, not by reading music-sheets. I can read notation (for singing, for playing a melody in instruments) but cannot play complex repertoires by sight-reading. I would rather listen to the tune and then play it.

Most of times, I only need to listen to the music once or twice to be able to play it. I can write down the notes by listening to the music. (more…)

On this special day …no word better be spoken, no song better be sung, no music better be composed…. but the word of forgiveness, the song of forgiveness, and the music of forgiveness….

Forgiveness*
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I want to write about so many things. About the soon-to-be-formalized pornographic bill, about the US election, about the 3 dollar package that killed more than twenty people in Indonesia… ah about so many things. But, as always, not enough time/energy, and then last Sunday (yesterday) I squeezed my left hand between headboard and bedframe while fixing the bed set (ouch, that’s perhaps one of the most talented parts of my body) so now I have difficulties typing. So I’ll just write something short, unimportant though.

I am on a tenure-track and supposed to go for tenure and promotion in about 4 years from now, according to the US university system. So, still long way to go. (more…)

Last Tuesday we talked about the politics of technology in my JUS 494 class. Just like my JUS 394 class last semester, I began this class, too, with endorsing the idea that technology is political — the politics are built into the design of the artifact. How? You can listen to my lecture, but ah, perhaps that’s really too much to do, it’s a long lecture. Just enjoy the slideshow then. Though without my lecture, the slideshow is barely understandable.
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I cannot explain what happened to me when I was in Leiden last week. Perhaps it was the combination of the Dutch weather (it was raining like crazy), my lack of rest, my wild brain, and being with a partner in crime (who requested such crazy music) The result of such combination is the recording of some children songs — sung in a no-shame drunk mode :p

Unfortunately those who didn’t grow up in Indonesia wouldn’t understand the humor behind all of this craziness. But anyway…… please enjoy two of some songs I recorded….. they are about a dog and meatballs…. accompanied with a stolen guitar :p

The Heli Dog of WineHouse

The Meat Ball of Edith Piaf
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Last week, the fourth week, wasn’t much about ‘on break’, but mostly about breaking all kind of rules, regulations and barriers! I had to say I had my moments where I temporarily regretted myself for breaking those rules — for example when walking over the bridge and couldn’t continue or when I was stuck with my wheelchair in the alley of airport restroom — but those regrets only lasted 34 seconds each, haha, and after that I went back to my stubborn mode.

Should admit, I am not by-the-book kind of person at all. There’s something so satisfying about breaking. But it doesn’t apply to all kind of breaking rules behaviors. The satisfaction is not related so much to breaking for the sake of breaking. I am pretty much into gaining optimal experience with optimal pleasure. When breaking is necessary to expose me to the richness of life experience, then I’d do it. I also don’t believe that truth lies in rules/regulations. When breaking is necessary to reveal the truth, then I’d do it. And when breaking is a must to reconstruct new meaning, then I’d definitely break. I break and continue to break, when I feel the need to do so. Does it sound horrible?
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Too many topics to ramble about. From the new bylaws on electronic information and transaction to “Ayat-Ayat Cinta” movie (Love Verses) to controversies around the Wilders’ movie, Fitna. But too lazy, too tired, too many other things to do… there are some things I need to do, but mostly things I want to do … That’s my problem, always want to do many things…. I want…I want…I want.

Meanwhile, a friend requested me some Indonesian songs. One of them is “Aku Ingin” (I want) which is (more…)

It was one of those moments where all ends didn’t really meet. Exhausted, she was too tired to complain. She strolled slowly to nowhere. Her eyes were telling no stories, or perhaps, too many stories.

It wasn’t sadness. Nor sorrow. Nor pain. Nor joy. She just felt at lost. Just too many things happened. Too many things to handle. Too many questions. She whispered some words but no questions were answered.
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If I had to choose just one thing in my life to keep, then I’d choose music. Music has always been a huge part of my life. The ability to enjoy music and to share it to others is one of the greatest blessings in my life. Echoing Nietzsche, I believe that without music life would be a mistake. In fact, I do think that life is music in itself. Life is like a musical instrument. What comes out of it depends on how you play it. (more…)