Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Biography

Biography is a 'true' or 'real' story of someone's life which usually written in a book, or sometimes in an essay. It can be seen clearly from the word, biography, which came from the Greek words 'bio' which means life and 'graphy' which means to write. Well, done about the tedious introduction, haha.

Actually I had nothing to write as I am trying to catch up for every lessons I lag now, before yesterday I read an opinion, from someone who always become my life inspiration, which realized me many things I never thought of before. He/she stated that she love reading biography as she can learn many things about life from biography. From biography, you can learn from someone's experiences during whole of his life (until the biography is written, of course) in just a few hours.

When I am in a bookstore, or a library, I will always search for anything related to computers, music, programming, politics, or world as a whole, and biography is one of the least thing will come into my mind. I never think why we need to read a biography, as it just informs you about one person's life. Indeed, there are many things in it you can extract. That is the first simple thing that I never noticed. Then I suddenly think of blog. The reason I love to read others' blog is to know what their opinions are, what their experiences are, then if I cannot apply anything to myself, at least I can get some information or anything about my friends in that time, in addition to increase my writing skill, of course.

The reason for all those is simple, I spent my life before with my family, lots of friends to whom I can share any problems, anything to say, anything to share. As I get one small problem, my family or any friends can always solve that. When I get a problem in studies, I can always get the solutions quickly, either to study harder, ask a friend, or even to find a extra course. As I got more matured, I became too dependent, I cannot stand alone anymore, I always need someone when I want to do something. Luckily now, as I get into a tertiary education and live far from my family and friends, the only good thing is that I have to do make any decisions myself. I am a university student, then simple to say, when I get a bad score, I have to quickly make a decision what to do.

A semester passed quickly, I tried to adapt myself to everything, to this lovely place of living, then problems came faster than I predicted, so I had to solve all my problems myself, I was saying at that time 'this is my time!!' Badly to say, I was totally wrong. I failed to solve one problem but at the same time another problems came, and the situation came again and again into its peak during exam time. At the same time again, I created a fatally wrong opinion. I thought that I should be mature myself 'naturally' in terms of way of thinking and behaving. As I walked alone I will gain experiences and be a better person day by day, but sorry to say, I was wrong. I immediately realized that there is no such natural thing in this era. I have many friends, family, and millions of people connected easily by such phenomenon (not anymore =D) called 'internet'. Then this new global world allows one to learn something quickly from anothers.

I ever wonder why someone now can be better faster than he should be? Why this competing world targets younger and younger people? When someone is used to achieve everything in his 30s or 40s, now we always see 'young' entrepreneur, 'young' professor, 'young' millionaire and any other 'young'. I believe one of the reason is that they can learn others' experiences, choose the best one and do it quickly and choose the bad ones and simply ignored them. It's like an invention in technology, if someone already creates an invention, then just use it to find another inventions, don't find the same invention and you will lose half your life already and unfortunately it is useless. Back to my own experience, I just realize that I cannot grow up alone, I have to look up the others and I just know that it is true, when someone says, there is no such originality anymore now, you have to look others' experiences, put or copy the good thing in you, and as time goes you will still be 'you' yourself not other person, but in a better way. In short, I have to learn from the others.

Happy that I have time to think more of it, get the reason why I was so dropped months behind, and convince myself that I have to socialize with the others. Even once you get into the society and work, absolutely you won't work alone the whole time and wait for the salary, then meet people only after coming back to home. The last point I get is that, blogging, forum, biography are not something wasting your life and therefore I do the right decision by writing a blog, and hopefully one day I will have a chance to read many people's biography. ^^

Friday, September 26, 2008

Can I 'rent' you?

I am now lazy to do tutorials or assignments although I know I have no enough time anymore. Then I'm browsing and find this nice article. I cannot give credit or any copyright to one who posted it because I know that he copied this article from someone else. It's a long article and very nice to read, however I just put it in a box like that and it will cause the article to have no paragraphs. In the end it has two purposes: to encourage you to appreciate the 'limited' time given to you every day in your life and given that time, and share some your 'limited' time for your friends, so it's about time and friendship. Once you think, you will notice that it's a too common article, but if you understand Bahasa it's good to read the article for a while and will not cost you even 5 minutes to read ^^




I take some great parts with either additions or changes based on my own opinions. =D
In this crowded world (you can imagine how many people you see each day), there are still many people feel lonely, even there's a business purpose to rent a friend. By USD 20 per hour, you can get a 'friend' who can listen to your opinion, expressions, or anything you want to get rid of. And that's all. ONLY for that purpose.

You may not believe it as the first I read it, but it's true when you stop thinking of yourself and start to think far away from your life. A very simple but nice example, AIDS people. I don't know a lot about people in another countries, but in my home country, the AIDS people can really have nobody. If they are lucky, they will have families or dozens of friends to spend time with. But if not, there are cases where they really live alone in the world of more than 6 billion people. Maybe AIDS is a too complicated example, just see the beggars. In developing countries you can find them anywhere, then see how no one even look at them. Ya of course not always, but you cannot deny that there are such cases.

Now think yourself whether you sometimes 'rent' yourself to your friend. Sometimes you will find a friend and spend your time when you need him but you also often say, Sorry, I have no time. Hey it's a common thing and sometimes I agree that we do it with our friends, who are not close to us at all, if we need them of course we will find them, but if not, it's not possible also for us to always say hello to them and chat about everything. Ya I understand what it means, that you should spend your time with your friends, but I suggest a different opinions: why sometimes you cannot ASK your friends to rent themselves for you.

It is so common to see someone with so many friends in his life but still feel so lonely. If you are in a new society and from the beginning never feel comfortable with it, then it can be understood why you don't 'want' them. But when you find your friend who is always happy among his friends and suddenly feel lonely, then stressful, don't want to eat, spend time crying every night, I always think that he or she is really in a serious problem, or, he does not want to ask his friends for a rent. If you are in a problem, then you don't ask for rent, means that you say nothing, tell nothing, ignore your friends, then NEVER hope that all your friends will come to you to ask WHY?. If you hope that, then you will harm your friendships. If they don't ask anything, then you will one day hate him. Remember that every one have limited time per day and you cannot wish even your closest friend come to you every time. He also has to 'rent' himself to another friends or another matters.

If you need some time to be alone, then just be lonely in a room, no need to INVOLVE other people. If you already want a friend to talk with, immediately ask them for a rent. Of course in this case, there will always no price for a rent (don't find a friend who ask for a price for this 'rent' haha). However now the case is so strange. While there are many people with no friend at all, there are also many people with many friends but don't want to rent any of his friends. I often find some of my friends with problems in themselves, say nothing, then suddenly don't want to say to somebody because of NO REASON, or suddenly be angry without no reason. By doing that, your friends may want to solve your problem, but it is likely you will put a new problem to your friends and yourself.



Now I just want to continue the article, says that..
Suppose you get USD 86,400 everyday to be spent ALL since you cannot put it in a bank or save it anywhere, then of course you will use it as well as possible, or it is possible that you will give it too needed people, compared the case if you missed the money.
Now let's suppose the money is time, you have 86400 seconds per day to be spent. It is the same thing, you cannot ask more than that amount, that amount cannot be less, and you also cannot save that time for anytime else in the future.

To know the value of:
one year, ask a student who failed the exam
one month, ask a mother whose baby is premature
one week, ask an editor of a weekly magazine
one hour, ask someone who is waiting for his beloved one
one minute, ask someone who is late for his flight
one second, ask someone who just got an accident because of a fault in only one second.

From that article you can simply find the meaning and although it's simple but can be useful, just read the article if you have time!! :)

2008 Asia Song Festival


Venue: Seoul World Cup Stadium, South Korea
Date: October 3-5, 2008

2008 Performing Artists:

South Korea: TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, SHINee
Japan: w-inds., Berryz Kobo
China: Anson Hu
Taiwan: Fahrenheit, Yoga Lin
Hong Kong: Karen Mok
Thailand: ICE, PECK
Vietnam: Ho Quynh Huong
Philippines: Rivermaya
I
ndonesia: Agnes Monica
Singapore: Jocie Guo Mei Mei
Mongolia: BX
Malaysia: Rynn Lim



Eve Concert Performers:
October 3, 2008 from 6-10pm

South Korea: SHINee
Japan: Berryz Kobo

Taiwan: Yoga Lin
Thailand: PECK
Singapore: Jocie Guo Mei Mei

Mongolia: BX
Malaysia: Rynn Lim


Main Concert Performers:
October 4, 2008 from 6-10pm

South Korea: TVXQ, Girls’ Generation, SHINee
Japan: w-inds., Berryz Kobo
China: Anson Hu

Taiwan: Fahrenheit
Hong Kong: Karen Mok
Thailand: ICE

Vietnam: Ho Quynh Huong
Philippines: Rivermaya
Indonesia: Agnes Monica


Hosts: Korea Foundation for International Culture Exchange, Seoul Metropolitan City
Sponsors: Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Korea Tourism Organization



I never knew anything about this Asia Song Festival before last year incidentally watched 4th Asia Song Festival 2007 in one tv station, I forgot what it is. Unfortunately it was not aired in my country hence I never knew about this before. When I watched it last year I thought it's a very huge concert since there were singers around Asia and the audience was so crowded. I remembered last year I watched F4, Mai Kuraki, Peterpan, and didn't recognize the others. But I suggest I missed the Korean singers' performance at that time, such as DBSK, Super Junior, etc. Luckily I could watch Peterpan's performance =D. I think this year's concert will be more wonderful, moreover it's the 5th anniversary. I never heard of Vietnam's Ho Quynh Huong and Thailand's ICE, but from last year concert I found many nice songs and now I'm waiting for performances from all performers ^^

Here are the details of each MAIN CONCERT performers from ASF website, I could not put EVE CONCERT performers since it's too many already. If you find it's difficult to read because it's too small, just click on the picture for view the larger one.






Best Fiction

3rd compilation album from Namie Amuro.
It's released on July 30, 2008 and 1st since her 2nd compilation album in 2002. The 6 years gap may become a reason why this album became so popular since few months before it's released.

Many fans said it's a very correct time for her to release another compilation album because of her revived popularity in the past one year. She got back #1 in album chart last year (PLAY) since her last #1 in 2000 and #1 in single chart this year (60s 70s 80s) since her last in 1998 (10 years), plus an award in VMA Japan 2008 which reveal her comeback. What the fans said maybe correct looking at the fact that this album did top the chart for 6 consecutive weeks, made her as the first female solo singer to do so since 1979 or almost 30 years. The album still continues to stay in top 10 regularly till now and sold almost 1.4 million in Japan only.


I was not too surprised about how the album can achieve that since I also think that it's just a correct time and enough well promotions. But the only setback in my opinion is that this album looks like more a single collection album rather than best-of album. I cannot see whether they are just too lazy to put a number of nice songs during the past 6 years into one album. How funny they just put the 15 singles released in past 6 years in addition to 2 new songs, although I admire the two new songs which support this album so much. The singles are not bad, but she has some album tracks which are better than some bad singles. I was really disappointed when the tracks of this album were released and I couldn't believe they just made it like a single collection.

Afterall, I still like this album and since I have not listened to her past songs, this album can be a good reference although it only contains single tracks. My favorite tracks are Do Me More, Sexy Girl, What A Feeling, Wishing on The Same Star, All For You, Baby Don't Cry, Girl Talk, and White Light, and Rock Steady. Yeah it's more than half of the tracks and the others are also nice to listen. Love the covers, the images, and the PVs ^^



Track List :Songwriters:
1. Do Me MoreNao'ymt
2. Wishing On The Same StarDiane Warren, kenko-p
3. Shine MorePaul Taylor, Scott Nickoley, Sandra Pires, H.U.B
4. Put 'Em UpDallas Austin, Jasper Cameron, Michico
5. So CrazyFull Force, Jennifer "JJ" Johnson, Michico, Tiger
6. AlarmJusme, Monk
7. All For YouNatsumi Watanabe, Ryoki Matsumoto
8. Girl TalkT.Kura, Michico
9. Want Me, Want MeMichico, Sugi-V
10. White Light Nao'ymt
11. Can't Sleep, Can't Eat, I'm SickT.Kura, Michico
12. Baby Don't CryNao'ymt
13. Funky Town T.Kura, Michico, L.L. Brothers
14. New LookMichico, T.Kura, Brian Holland, Eddie Holland
15. Rock SteadyMichico, Muro, Aretha Franklin
16. What A Feeling Michico, Shinichi Osawa, Keith Forsey, Irene Cara, Giorgio Moroder
17. Sexy GirlRyosuke Imai, Usk Trak



CIDP

Computing Innovation and Design Project.
Even I still look at my degreeaudit for the abbreviations. It's a very unique subject, which has to be taken once you take Software Engineering 1 course and will appear automatically after add/drop period in the student link which add 4 AUs to the total AUs. Luckily this semester I have difficulties in overloading, otherwise I may almost have 30 AUs this sem!!!

The subject itself is a project related to sofwareengineering1 lab and the two runs together where CIDP is only in 1 recess week and 1 other week after the exam period. And for that 2 weeks only, this CIDP subject can strangely stand itself for 4AUs. SoftwareEngineering1 course will teach you some concepts for the lab which continues to CIDP, that's how the 8AUs can run together, but it's clear that you can still do the CIDP without taking softwareengineering1 and if you are very skillful enough in website and database, then that 4AUs are done already. Then I'm always thinking myself wtf this project can be so not common and itself has so many AUs.

I just finished one of two weeks of the project although I don't think I have done half my works. I get annoyed enough not to have holiday in this recess week but at least I can get something useful from this project.

The 1st day went so bad. I had no idea what to do and just hoped to be able to come for CEC investiture which should be more fun than the project but unfortunately I couldn't. Even in the end of the day our team still debated about our own assumptions which supposed to be done in earlier weeks. Luckily the long wasteful day finished any different assumptions and I hope there won't be any debating after this.

The 2nd day even worse and may be the worst. I didn't know what to do. I had to do the coding part but even I knew nothing about it and database. I want to do something but my friend just gave me a tutorial file to learn and I was sooo lazy to learn since it's too much. I wanted to study another subjects but of course I couldn't. I spend almost the whole day by playing and did everything not important.

Finally we can cope together with the problems and helped one another immediately. In the 3rd day I could do the coding while learning from the tutorial file or just googling. The other good thing was that they have finished the template of our homepage website and I think it's a nice one.

Maybe the 4th day is the most effective day for me. Although I should not waste too much time for it, at least there's something ready to be put in the website.

Then in the last day everything we hoped to finish has been done already and now I'm back thinking about my holiday which has gone already since I still had to catch up for next 'busy' weeks. I also have to think about the next 5 days lab after the exam since it's the deadline already. But one thing I'm waiting for is to go back to my home country, since my year-end holiday is cut one week already because of this project and now I'm trying to find any tickets to come back at a 'reasonable' price.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Review : Real Me



A song from Ayumi's 5th album Rainbow. Firstly I didn't like any songs from this album. Those all are just too boring for me. Finally one day after I read the lyric of this song I was just so impressed the way how she arranged the english sentences -apart from the japanese words which I do not understand at all- and it's just sounds so nice, subsequently I love the song. as well. For example like "a woman never shows her fears, a woman never shows her tears". I just wonder how come she wrote in english every beautiful (and different - I like it!) two sentences in chorus part like that, since she cannot speak english fluently, but maybe it's she who is rich of english vocabulary. Afterall, there is one part I love the most : "a woman could be dangerous, a woman could be generous" , agree on that, haha...

About the song itself, from the english part in the lyric you can simply suggest it's a song about "women's emancipation". However I do not understand japanese and because of that cannot understand the whole part (eh anyone can help me? =D). Then from the video itself I only watched it once or twice and still lazy to catch the meaning.
Just enjoy it and here is the lyric...

____________________________________________________________________

Real Me
Composer & Lyricist : Ayumi Hamasaki


What I get?
What you get?
Te ni shiteru mono wa
Shinjitai dake de
Gensou nano kamo na

What I say?
What you say?
Kotoba ni shinakucha
Tsutawarenai kamo ne
Todokanai kamo ne

Koko kara
Ima ga hajimaru

a woman never runs away
a woman never hides away
in order to survive
Tatakai mo sezuni
Iyashi motomeru mon janai

a woman never shows her fears
a woman never shows her tears
in order to survive
Namida wa tayasuku
Dareka ni miseru mon janai

What I need?
What you need?
Yokubou ga atte
Mitasarenai uchi wa
Daijoubu kamo ne

What I lose?
What you lose?
Nakushite hajimete
Kizuitada nante
Kiki akita kamo ne

Ai nara
Koko ni arukara

a woman could be dangerous
a woman could be generous
in order to survive
Sonna ni itsudemo
Ii KO bakari de irarenai

a woman could be having fun
a woman could be like a nun
in order to survive
Itami wo shiranakya
Yasashiku nante irarenai

a woman never runs away
a woman never hides away
in order to survive
Tatakai mo sezuni
Iyashi motomeru mon janai

a woman never shows her fears
a woman never shows her tears
in order to survive
Namida wa tayasuku
Dareka ni miseru mon janai

a woman could be dangerous
a woman could be generous
in order to survive
Sonna ni itsudemo
Ii ko bakari de irarenai

a woman could be having fun
a woman could be like a nun
in order to survive
honto no watashi wa
Anata ga mite de kureru kara


:: Listen to the song (or entire album)

Next Step

Hey finally the quizzes today has passed and means that half of the semester has almost done. It's a very tiring sem and I want to have a rest during recess but, unfortunately this sem's recess is supposed to be my busy week since it's time for CID project T_T
Whereas I'm thinking of catching up some chapters I missed in some subjects but how come if I only have free time during weekends. Then the exam is coming soon. Oh it's so fast, only 4 months for 1 semester. I'm so confused now.

Tomorrow night will be the beginning of recess (except for me) and some my friends planned to go for a kind of 'inning' but a few days later I was told that there will be Computer Engineering Club Investiture tomorrow night but at the same time there will be SU Union Dinner. When I read the email carefully again just now I just realized that I should go for my maincomm this afternoon for SU Union Dinner tomorrow but because of quizzes I didn't read that part, and now I am still confused what to do tomorrow, 2 invitations for the same schedule. Oh I'm really confused what to do next, in recess, after recess, then before exams there will be some quizzes again T_T

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Lovely Wednesday

I am just stucked in a particular part while studying for quizzes tomorrow and willing to write some things. I always love the way I arranged my schedule this semester. It is like a very nice personal arrangement for myself such that Monday is a normal day for starting a week (from weekend), tuesday and thursday is a very very busy from the morning till evening whereas Wednesday in between is fully free for me. I can do either tutorials or assignments in wednesday since most my tutorials in thursday and friday. Then finally since Friday has usually many events at night, I only had a class till afternoon.

Tomorrow will be a very lousy day that there are 2 quizzes plus i cannot do tomorrow's microP tutorial. I am waiting so much for the end of tomorrow where Friday is always a relaxing day before a very very busy 'recess' next week.

Although I studied already for quizzes tomorrow the whole day but I still get confused in some parts :( . I'm going for it again now.

First Post

I don't have any idea why I want to create a new blog here.
Just passing through some websites this morning and suddenly going into this.
Anyway, welcome to my blog!!!