Musim Panas di Halaman Belakang

Sebenarnya saya gak sengaja juga nemu acara ini, Musim Panas Backyard di Museum Layang-Layang. Di FB Kyra, kalau gak salah. Pernah juga lihat poster acara Backyard yang sebelumnya, Sirkus-sirkusan, tapi gak sempet mampir. Kali ini iseng-iseng saya buka FB page Backyard, karena lokasi Museum Layang-Layang yang deket banget sama rumah, dan kemudian lihat bahwa ada workshop musik yang pesertanya boleh anak-anak.

Akhirnya, hari Sabtu yang lalu, sore-sore saya ajak Aira dan Aidan ngojek ke Museum Layang-Layang. Yang semangat sebenernya Aira, Aidan denger kata workshop udah takut duluan, takut nanti disuruh ngapain, katanya. Eh ternyata doi yang paling semangat selama workshop. Semangat ngejawabin pertanyaan, semangat komentar, semangat main musik, semangat banyak tingkah. Maaf yaaah, masnyaaa yang ngajar, mudah-mudahan gak kapok ngadepin mahluk sok iyes macam Aidan. x)

Workshop musik yang difasilitasi oleh Space System ini temanya sederhana, Alam, Lingkungan, Musik, & Kita. Kegiatannya pun sederhana, tapi jadi pengalaman bermusik yang baru buat Aira dan Aidan. Jadi seru banget. Aweng yang ikutan muncul di Museum Layang-layang untuk nengok cucu-nya yang banyak tingkah juga gak berenti ketawa-ketawa dan tepuk tangan nontonnya. Iya, setelah workshop mereka 'manggung' di main stage.

Gak cuma workshop, ada mini art exhibition, movie, dan bazaar juga. Aira udah pasti seneng banget liat-liat dan gak lama udah duduk manis dan melukit pot untuk bawa pulang bakal pohon. Aidan juga ikut, tapi dia gak mau pohon yang udah tumbuh kecil, maunya yang masih biji. Tiga biji yang berbeda dalam satu pot, kita liat aja nant tumbuhnya kayak gimana. :D

Menjelang malam, Pak Teddy muncul untuk jemput. Kami pun piknik musim panas disana. Aira main dan ngobrol dengan teman baru atau duduk manis sambil doodling di buku kecil yang sering dia bawa-bawa, Aidan lari-larian gak berenti-berenti, ngobrol sok tau sama siapapun yang nyapa dia. Sementara saya dan Pak Teddy menikmati sore dan malam di tangga terakota Museum Layang-Layang sambil ngunyah dan mendengarkan musik. Cuaca cerah tapi sejuk. Perfecto. :)

A Boy's Cars

Road to Star Wars Day Jakarta

Jadi, tanggal 18-19 Mei yang lalu ada event Star Wars Day di Jakarta, #SWDJKT for short. Sejak tau akan ada acara ini kira-kira satu setengah bulan yang lalu, Aidan dan Aira udah sibuk ngerencanain mereka mau pakai kostum apa. Yes, dua anak ini fanboy.. dan fangirl Star Wars. Saya juga suka, tapi gak segitu-gitunya. Jadi #SWDJKT kemarin itu yang pertama juga buat saya.

Aidan punya teman main yang sama-sama suka Star Wars, Hamann, adiknya Rakka, & Anara. Jadilah kami janjian untuk dateng sama-sama kesana nanti. Mbak Rahmi, mama-nya Hamann & Rakka yang super kreatif udah siap-siap berkreasi bikin kostum X Wing pilot. Sementara Anara konon akan jadi Obi Wan Kenobi atau Luke Skywalker.

Pilihan Aidan tidak lain dan tidak bukan adalah Han Solo. Sementara Aira (saya agak gak nyangka sekaligue seneng sebetulnya AIra masih mau ikutan pake kostum) mau jadi Princess Leia. Aidan khusus nunjukin gambar Han Solo di buku Star Wars Characters Encyclopedia dia, memastikan gak ada yang meleset dari kostumnya. Harus sesuai gambar. Sementara setelah menimbang-nimbang antara Leia dengan dress putih dan kostum Leia waktu battle of Endor, akhirnya pilihan jatuh ke gaun putih.

Bisa dipastikan Pasar Mayestik yang jadi sumber inspirasi, khususnya toko maju. Untuk kostum Han Solo, baju dan rompi dibikin di penjahit, sementara celana pakai yang Aidan sudah punya. Berhubung si Han Solo buncit ini keukeuh harus mirip banget, jadilah tepat sebelum berangkat saya sibuk gunting-gunting dan tempel-tempel lakban merah di sisi celana birunya. Gun Holster saya buat dari kulit sintetis, digunting free style (alias gak pake pola dan meteran) mengikuti foto hasil browsing, ditambah bungle silver dari toko maju. Jarum pentul disana-sini, lalu dijahit. Yang tricky adalah boots. Satu-satunya boots yang Aidan punya adalah boots karet, dan saya gak mungkin bela-belain beli boots tinggi macam punya Han, kan? Akhirnya saya akalin dengan bikin penutup dari bahan kulit sintetis yang sama dengan yang saya pakai untuk gun holster, dan ditambah velcro untuk menutup di bagian belakang. Jadi nanti tinggal dipakai di kaki Aidan, sekalian nutupin celananya yang sebenernya celana pendek dan bagian depan sepatu yang Aidan pakai. Karena bagian depannya ini geser-geser terus, akhirnya saya lakban saja ke sepatu. Oh, jangan lupa pistolnya. Saya buat dari pistol air yang ditutupin selotip kertas, tambah karton sana-sini, dan dicat dengan cat akrilik. Mister Solo himself was the one who painted his DL-44 blaster pistol. Aidan bahagia banget sama hasil akhir kostumnya, dia langsung pose sesuai pose Han Solo di buku dan minta difoto. x)

Nah, untuk kostum Leia, dress putih dijahit oleh penjahit, sementara belt-nya adalah hasil desain dan ciptaan Aira. Dibuat dari kain keras, kardus bekas, dan cat akrilik. Saya hanya bantu menjahitnya dan menambahkan velcro di bagian belakan. Tugas saya yang lumayan bikin putar otak adalah bikin konde Leia dan gimana nanti nyembunyiin rambut asli Aira. Akhirnya si konde dibuat dari tali tassel yang biasa buat nahan tirai warna coklat, disusun melingkar dan dijahit meneglilingi kain keras yang dibentuk agak kerucut. Kemudian dipasang ke bando. Rambut Aira akan dikucir dua dan disembunyikan di dalam kerucut tadi. Ternyata hasilnya oke, sampai pulang dari #SWDJKT konde Leia masih terpasang rapi di kepala Aira.

Untuk Hamann & Rakka jangan tanya lagi, helm X Wing pilot buatan mbak Rahmi sungguh kece sekali. Kostum Obi Wan punya Nara juga bagus jadinya, dan 2-in-1, tinggal buka jubah coklatnya, Nara berubah jadi Luke Skywalker. x)

It Really Really Really Could Happen

Blur was on top of my concert wish list. Absolutely. So you could only imagine how ecstatic I was when I heard that they're playing at Big Sound Fest in Jakarta. And when May, 15th finally came, they have arrived save and sound in Jakarta, I had no song wish list. I don't really care what song they were going to played, I'm just too happy. I know their songs by heart, anyway.

If they'd came to Jakarta 10 years ago, I would probably be with those people waiting at their hotel. But since that wasn't the case, Syarin, Ocha, and I just got to the venue as soon as our job allowed us. And the tree of us sure had lot of fun, singing our heart out to the tunes of Blur. 24 years of waiting, as Damon said, but it was so worth it.

You ask me again about that concert wish list, Blur will still be on top of it. Have a great year, you 20th century girls & boys. Dream big. Dream of Damon, Graham, Alex, & Dave. :) 

Every paper that you read
Says tomorrow's your lucky day
Well, here's your lucky day
It really, really, really could happen
Yes, it really, really, really could happen
If the days they seem to fall through you
Well, just let them go 

I Dream of Hyde Park

Oh how I wish I was there. The one in 2009 or the one in 2012, I don't really care. Watching the videos of Blur's reunion concert in Hyde Park always gave me goosebumps. It was epic, truly. First, it gave us fan a slight hope of another Blur record. Second, the crowd. That many people singing Blur's songs together. The concert in 2012 to marked the end of Olympic was marvelous too. I got the CD, but still haven't got my hand on the DVD. The gig was rumored to be their last, ever. But I guess it wasn't true. Rite? :)

This Is a Low

And into the sea goes pretty england and me 
Around the bay of biscay and back for tea 
Hit traffic on the dogger bank 
Up the thames to find a taxi rank 
Sail on by with the tide and go asleep 
And the radio says 

This is a low 
But it won't hurt you 
When you are alone it will be there with you 
Finding ways to stay solo 

On the tyne forth and cramity 
There's a low in the high forties 
And saturday's locked away on the pier 
Not fast enough dear 
On the malin head, blackpool looks blue and red 
And the queen, she's gone round the bend 
Jumped off land's end 

Oh Mr. Albarn

*Fangirl Squeal*

quotes pic taken from here.

Under The Westway

There were blue skies in my city today
Ev'rything was sinking
Said snow would come on Sunday
The old school was due and the traffic grew
Upon the Westway
Where I stood watching comets lonesome trails
Shining up above me the jet fuel it fell
Down to earth where the money always comes first
And the sirens sing

Bring us the day they switch off the machines
'Cause men in yellow jackets putting adverts inside my dreams
An automated song and the whole world gone
Fallen under the spell of the distance between us when we communicate
Still picking up shortwave
Somewhere they're out in space
It depends how you're wired when the night's on fire
Under the Westway

Now it's magic arrows hitting the bull
Doing one eighty still standing at last call
When the flags coming down
And the Last Post sounds
Just like a love song
For the way I feel about you
Paradise not lost it's in you
On a permanent basis I apologize
But I am going to sing

Hallelujah
Sing it out loud and sing it to you
Am I lost out at sea
'Til a tide wash me up off the Westway

The Before Trilogy

I love the music & movies of the 90's. One of my favorite 90's movie, of course starred by Ethan Hawke, was Before Sunrise. Oh, Ethan Hawke is so 90's and I love him for that. Julie Delpy was also amazing in this movie. The movie was so mesmerizing, the setting, the dialogue, all so intelligent yet honest & hopeful. I just started watching the movie and  suddenly one and a half hour has passed and my almost happily burst with intelligent conversation and off the chart chemistry of these two actors. Every time I watched this movie it always made miss those simpler time, when no gadget comes between two people conversing while they walked through Europe cities.

I instantly hooked by the second movie, Before Sunset. Both stars looked older, obviously, since they are older. But the charm of the movie stayed the same, with brighter sets than the first. This time around it was before sunset, right? I even fell a bit in love with Paris, wanting to have a barbecue at a courtyard outside with the neighbors, complete with the wooden table and the miss-matched chairs. I love how the movie ended, how it kept me wanting for more.

And they'll give us more, with Before Midnight. My 90's self already happily jumping up and down. I'll see you soon, Jesse & Celine. :)

“I believe if there’s any kind of God it wouldn’t be in any of us, not you or me but just this little space in between. If there’s any kind of magic in this world it must be in the attempt of understanding someone, sharing something. I know, it’s almost impossible to succeed but who cares really? The answer must be in the attempt.” — Celine in Before Sunrise (1995)

“I don’t have any permanent place here. You know, in eternity, or whatever. And the more I think that, I can’t go through life saying that this is no big deal. I mean, this is it! This is actually happening. What do you think is interesting, what do you think is funny, what do you think is important? You know, every day is our last.” — Jesse in Before Sunset(2004)

Pretty Words

And I might as well grin and bear it 
Because it's not worth the trouble of an argument 
And in any case I'd rather wear it 
It's like a badhead in the morning
~Badhead

I've seen so much
I'm going blind
And I'm braindead virtually
Sociability
It's hard enough for me
Take me away from this big bad world
And agree to marry me
So we can start all over again 
~ Coffee & TV

I get up when I want except on wednesdays when I get rudely awakened by the dustmen
I put my trousers on, have a cup of tea and I think about leaving the house
I feed the pigeons I sometimes feed the sparrows too
it gives me a sense of enormous well being
And then i'm happy for the rest of the day safe in the knowledge
there will always be a bit of my heart devoted to it
~ Parklife

and you've been so busy lately
that you haven't found the time
to open up your mind
and watch the world spinning gently out of time 
~ Out of Time

All your life you're dreaming
And then you
Stop dreaming
Time to time you know
You're going on another bender
Yes There must be more to life
Than stereotypes 
~ Stereotypes

Tender is the night
Lying by your side
Tender is the touch
Of someone that you love too much
Tender is my heart you know
I'm screwing up my life
Oh Lord I need to find
Someone who can heal my mind
~ Tender

And into the sea goes pretty england and me
Around the bay of biscay and back for tea 
~ This Is a Low

Well you and I
Collapsed in love
And it looks like we might have made it, yes it looks like we've made it to the end 
~ To The End

Badhead

So far I've not really stayed in touch
Well you knew as much it's no surprise that today
I get up around two from a lack of anything to do

And I might as well just grin and bear it

'Cause it's not worth the trouble of an argument

And you have not really stayed in touch
Well I knew as much it's no surprise that today
I get up around two with nothing to do
Except get a touch of flu

And I might as well just grin and bear it

'Cause it's not worth the trouble of an argument

And in any case I'd rather wear it

It's like a badhead in the morning

And I might as well just grin and bear it

'Cause it's not worth the trouble of an argument

And in any case I'd rather wear it

It's like a badhead in the morning

I know