Sleep

 Australia sneak peak

Great Ocean Road

Can't believe that today is the last day of July already! Time flies isn't it. It feels so funny how 3 years ago I was feeling excited that July is ending, thanks to ITP. But ever since I'm home, I always feel shocked at the rate that time is flying. 211 days of the year just gone by like that!

Anyway I've been wanting to blog about my Aussie trip but seriously, I've been falling asleep pretty "early" this week. I haven't sorted my photos and stuff so... I will blog right away once I'm done! :)

And talking about trip... 365 days ago I embarked on the journey of my lifetime! Yup 31st of July 2014, the day I left home for Iceland. Till now it's definitely one of the craziest things I've done in life. Going to an unknown place, thousands of kilometres away from home, alone. But well, all of this to fulfill the dream I've been holding on to for years. So all good! We have to be crazy sometimes.

Right it's the end of July and let me share with you lots of awesome music I discovered!

Great Music of July:

- White Light by Shura (again!)

- Seve by Tez Cadey 

- Better in The Dark by Say Lou Lou

- The Bright Side by Lenka

- Blue Skies by Lenka

- Nothing At All by Day Wave

- Total Zombie by Day Wave

- Leave A Trace by Chvrches

Song of the month: White Light by Shura

Okay yes I know, Shura released her song White Light in June, but she officially released it in iTunes on July! The radio edit and the extended version. And yes I can't stop playing it. I think it is definitely the best song released so far this year. It's so gooood! Can't wait for her album!

Discovered Seve from this random video on Facebook and after Soundhound-ing it I found the song! Haha. It's a nice catchy tune. And I was listening to it while in Aussie cause it has this nice summer vibe (although I was in winter heh). I discovered Say Lou Lou, once again, from my Youtube's recommended tab. I clicked on that song and I'm pretty hooked by it. I got their debut album when I was in Australia. Quite a pity I just discovered them now but better late than never.

Lenka released her new album in June but well I'm in Indonesia and I only managed to get her album in July hah. I love her new album! Definitely more cheery than her previous'. I feel it's some sort of continuation from her second album "Two". Blue Skies and The Bright Side is my favourite. 

I actually discovered Day Wave a few months back via Soundcloud. I heard his song "Drag" and I fell in love with it. Discovered that he was releasing an EP and well it was released during my birthday haha. Such an awesome EP! He's gonna make it big in the future. I love how colourful his songs are. They remind me of a breezy summer day, where I am taking a road trip across a grassland.

And Chvrches has finally revealed their upcoming album, and released the first single "Leave a Trace". Chvrches just did it again. I love this song so much! And they've been like killing us with suspense from their Instagram and Facebook haha. But I have ordered their album! Can't wait to receive it. It'll be out in September so do check it out okay! :)

Right, I have a pile of CD that I bought from Australia and I have listened to all of them. Gonna share them with you in August! Meanwhile, that's all for July. It's been an awesome month (thanks to the Hari Raya holiday haha) and August is gonna get more Awesome! :) See you soon.

Back From Aussieland

Hello again! It's been so so long since I've blogged, and that's because I was away in Australia last week! Yup went to the land down under to visit Vithya, Candy, Yiyin in Brisbane, before going to Melbourne with Jesslyn and Candy. It was such an awesome trip. I wanted to blog there but well yup, was having too much fun that I... Didn't get the chance to blog.

Anyway I am definitely going to blog about my trip soon. I didn't have the chance to for the past 2 days as I was having jet lag seriously. Well since Australia is 3 hours ahead than Indonesia, and that I used to sleep at 12 AM-ish and wake up at 7 AM-ish while I was there, I felt really sleepy at 9 PM here ever since I'm back. And you know my weird sleeping pattern. So yes, sleepy all the way. 

Okay I will blog about my trip real soon!

Selamat Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1436H!

First of all wishing all Muslims around the world a happy Eid or Hari Raya Idul Fitri 1436H! Mohon Maaf Lahir dan Batin! I hope you had a great day with your family and great awesome food haha. I surely had my fair share of food as well. Not forgetting the ketupat! Highlight food of the day.

It is as usual, a very very quiet day in my house and my hometown. Although surprisingly the streets are kind of crowded today. Well I went out with my mum to the supermarket and the temple at 3 PM ish and it was okay, not too crowded. In fact the supermarket parking lot was so empty heh. Then I left for the farm at 5 PM and oh my goodness the roads are crowded with cars. It is definitely more crowded than last year. I remembered going out on first day of Idul Fitri and it was so empty. 

And on our way back, the road was so crowded that the traffic got kind of confusing for us. Okay so we're supposed to make a left turn on this road. But thanks to the car-filled road, it is rather impossible to turn. So I thought that the police closed that road and I had to go straight instead. And somehow lots of cars think that way too and so now there's a long line of car along that road. A trip that is supposed to take 20 minutes to complete, took 50 minutes instead! Man, that's kinda stressful.

But well it is a rather quiet and silent day. And I love it! Cause today I turned 23 and it's so amazing to have my birthday fall on this day. Spending your birthday on a quiet day is really such a bliss heh. Thank you to those who have sent me your birthday wishes! I really appreciate it :)

So today I turned 23. I am feeling... Awesome haha. Can't believe I'm 23 now. Felt like it was yesterday when I turned 15. I am thankful for the past 22. It's been an amazing ride so far, life is beautiful in so many ways. Mysteriously beautiful. I'm still on my quest of finding the answer to the meaning of life. Although I know deeply that I am the only person who gives meaning to my own life. 

Like I said last year, as I grow older, I find birthdays pretty meaningless. Just another day, that's all. When I was young there's this sense of excitement about birthdays. When the clock is about to turn to 12 midnight, there's this rush of happiness and excitement in me. Like yay it's my birthday! But now it's like mehh alright it's my birthday, so what hahaha. Although there's one thing I never stop doing on my birthday - contemplating. About everything that has ever happened, and things that are going to happen, or things you want to make happen in the future. Dreams, aspirations, goals, etc.

Nevertheless I am very thankful of this blissful and quiet birthday of mine this year. If only Hari Raya can fall on this date every year. That would be really really lovely.

Once again Eid Mubarak to all Muslims around the world.

And happy birthday to me.

Busy Bee

Wow it's been a week since I last blogged here! I was indeed really really busy. I think the last week of Ramadhan is always a busy period for Indonesians? Well for me that is. I had to settle lots of stuff. And also we had two major deliveries on Sunday and Monday. And yeah it was quite hectic. And at night I was trying to finish some work as well. And alas, I don't have time to blog.

But anyway I'm pretty much done with work now. And also today's the last day of Ramadhan and so the factory has began the annual long holiday. And I have no more deliveries till the 27th. It feels good to finally have a proper holiday where I literally did nothing today! A great day to catch some breath I suppose. After feeling like running a marathon continuously for a week hah. 

Can't believe it's the last day of Ramadhan and it feels like it was just yesterday when the holy month began. To my Muslim friends, I hope you had a blissful month of Ramadhan! And time for a feast tomorrow with the celebration of Idul Fitri. Currently the mosques around my house is still going strong with the Takbiran - the sounds I look forward to every year. A bit thankful that the number of firecrackers and fireworks are reduced this year heh. I remember last year it went on from afternoon till night.

Today was a pretty slack day. It's the first of the 6th lunar month so I went to the temple. And my dad went with me too! Along with my sister and her boyfriend. My dad rarely (or never) goes to the temple so today was a pretty much surprising thing to have him with me haha. After that we went to the farm to spend the afternoon and evening. We went home and we had a steamboat session with my siblings and sister-in-law (and future brother-in-law). So weird to have steamboat on the eve of Eid heh.

The rest of the evening went pretty relaxing. As usual every year my dad and I went for a ride at night to see the streets condition. Seeing kids and people beating the bedug. Surprisingly the streets were more crowded than last year (as far as I remember). But it goes quieter as the night goes by. And oh we even went somewhere near the mountain to see fireworks from the top. It was magical! Although the sky was pretty cloudy and my hometown was shrouded in mist. All's good though.

It's an awesome way to spend the eve of Eid. Especially because Eid falls on this date of the year. Which is my birthday hahaha. Special birthday post coming in tomorrow. But yup. It's kind of beautiful to spend my last moments of being 22 watching fireworks from the top, near the mountain. 

Alright once again, I hope you had a blissful month of Ramadhan! :)

Necessity

"We seem to seek comfort in making our lives difficult and complicated.

We make ouselves believe that unhappiness is a necessity in our daily life.

When at the end of the day, you'll realise that no unhappiness is ever necessary."

New Headphones!

Such beauty!

So when I went to Jakarta last Tuesday, I decided to get myself a new pair of headphones! After such a long time deciding whether I should get it or not, I can't take it anymore. And decided to get one heh. So I've been watching reviews probably since the year has started. I was torn between Audio Technica's ATH-M50x and ATH-MSR7. But like what I learned, when it comes to buying headphones, you have to try it for yourself. Reviews are just a gauge, but not an absolute truth!

I went to Jaben Indonesia, one of its branches at Senayan Trade Centre. Actually I Facebook messaged them, asking their opinion about these two headphones. The guy recommended the MSR7 because he said the sound quality (SQ) is better. Although yes it is more expensive too. So I tried both. First I tried the MSR7 and boom, I was blown away with it. I then tried the M50x, and blown away again, but the MSR7 is really a better sounding headphone in my opinion. Great sounds and clarity!

I tried them playing different songs like:

- For female vocals: Ship To Wreck by Florence + Machine, Sea Creatures by Soak, 2Shy by Shura

- For male vocals: Stay With Me by Sam Smith, Going Home by Asgeir

- For electronic music: Chvrches songs and Mideau

- And a few other classical works

All of them sound really good with the MSR7. But alas, I have to spend more time with it to really give it a review. But I went ahead with the MSR7. I think the extra price is worth the difference in SQ!

I was about to pay for the headphones when my sister decided to get it for me for my birthday present instead! Oh man I am so touched by her gesture. Although I feel guilty too because this is not a cheap headphone! But she said she doesn't know what to get me for my birthday and so... Yeah. Special special thanks to my sister for getting this beautiful headphone for my birthday! Love you <3

I have spent about 3 days with the MSR7 and I really love it! I tried my old Urbanears' Humlan last night and it was such a huge difference. I realised how muffled the sounds in the Urbanears are, and how clear the MSR7 is. Like you can listen to the different details and instruments of a song - but not when you use the Urbanears. No wonder people are writing on the net saying that getting a good pair of headphones is one great investment to make. Cause you'll hear and feel the difference.

The only downside I don't like about the MSR7 is that long-term usage causes pain on top of my head. Which I've been warned by the Jaben guy cause he said the clamping force of the MSR7 is quite tight. But no worries, I'm okay with it. I take it off once every an hour or so. 

And also I don't think the MSR7 is a great headphone for classical music. Although I think this only applies to music recorded in the 80s and 90s. I was listening to an old CD of the NY Phil harmonics last night, which was recorded in 1983 and yeah it doesn't sound that good. Lots of air and stuff. But when I listen to the recordings of the All Japan Band Competition 2013, it sounds pretty neat.

After experiencing this great pair of headphones, I am kind of eager to try more high-end ones. Like there was this 30 000 dollars Sennheiser headphones called the Orpheus,which comes with its own amplifiers. Man I would love to try that! Haha. Well the people at Jaben asked me if I want to try Phillips' Fidelio headphones but I don't really like open-back ones.

Yup this is my review of the MSR7! Such a beautiful headphone. I've been enjoying its use so far. Alright stopping here for now. I hope you're enjoying your music too! :)

Hey July

 Random street in Jakarta

I just got back from Jakarta yesterday. I was so tired I fell asleep after doing work at night hah. And also thanks to not having proper sleeps for the past two nights, I just fell asleep flat for like 10 hours. It was a great sleep. I felt like a log seriously, and woke up like a human again hah.

Anyway yes I went to Jakarta to accompany my sis and her boyfriend for their pre-wedding shoot. No I didn't go for the shoot itself, but was just accompanying them. Since I wasn't allowed by the bridal company heh. Besides what will I do right. So I spend the time buying stuff for my mum and dad again. And went for CD hunting, which is meh, only got 1/4 CD that I was searching for.

So I left for Jakarta on Tuesday. I went to get something really special first (writing this in another post!), and then we went to one of my customers to get a bouquet of flowers for my sister. I finally met him after communicating with him via phone and BBM for 2 years haha. And then we went to the bridal for fitting, check in to the hotel and then went for dinner.

Okay here's the thing - we left my hometown at 9:30 AM. Reached Jakarta at about 2 PM. It was okay, the traffic wasn't bad. But we seriously spent a lot of time being stuck in traffic when we reach Jakarta. It was horrible. Running out of patience and stuff. I seriously couldn't stand the traffic and I truly salute people who had to battle these traffic every day. Oh my goodness. I don't wanna live in Jakarta seriously. My hometown doesn't have everything that Jakarta has - we don't have traffic jams too.

So you can say that we actually spent 9 hours on the road without food. So when we went for dinner, we just gobbled everything down in 5 minutes haha. We looked like some crazy people who hadn't eaten for days. And we ordered a lot of food. And after dinner, the family of my sis' boyfriend invited us for dinner and... We eat again! It was a filling night but well the food is awesome so why not :P

The second day was spent at the mall looking for stuff that I needed to buy, while the couple went for their photoshoot. At night we left Jakarta and had dinner before going home. It was this cool seafood restaurant - with the crab-shack concept where we eat on the table itself! Love the dinner, although I think I overate again. Oh well, my general rule of going to Jakarta is - eat everything you want to eat.

Back home now, and back to the grind! We're halfway into Ramadhan and... Things are going to get bustling. I realised that I have a lot of things undone so... Gonna get busy I suppose. Alright I'll talk to you soon about my special purchase! Loving what I got (but paid by my sister :P) so far <3