It's 4:47 AM Saturday morning and I am very excited cause I'm going to Jakarta later to attend the Jakarta Marathon on Sunday! Well I'm not running the full marathon, just the 10K one. But yes I am very excited. It's one of my 2014 resolutions to run a 10K race so yep, we're almost reaching day 300 so I better fulfill what I have to fulfill aye.
Was just arranging my playlist just now and it brings back memories of my running days in Singapore! To be honest it's been almost 2 years since I last ran my race. That was my half marathon in 2012. So yes, this Sunday will be the first time in 2 years I'm going to run 10 kilometres haha. Well of course as usual my plan is to not stop running. If possible, beat my PB. If not, have fun!
Okay wishing all runners of the Jakarta marathon a great race tomorrow. And as for me, good luck!
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Definition of Music
Music
So I was talking with my mum about music and some of the bands that I like to listen to, when she asked me a question that left me stunned. She asked me "So what actually is Indie music?". I went quiet for a few a seconds as my mind rushed to find and formulate an answer. So I told her Indie music is music that... And yeah I still couldn't give her an answer! I did tell her though it's music that don't have to make sense but sound good hah. Or songs with deep meanings.
Feeling curious, I researched on Wiki and what I got is that Indie music is is a shortened form of "Independent Music" (This is such an epiphany for me). And it's music produced independently from major music labels. Indie music artists don't fall solely into one genre of music, but they can fall into different genres too. All of these make perfect sense about Indie music!
I've been listening to Indie music for years and it is only now that I discover its definition. But hey, I think that music is a language without a dictionary! To me anything that sounds good to my ears is good music. Any music, pop, rock, folk, instrumental, electronic, you name it. It is only recently that I discovered so much more genres than these. Like for example there's Indie rock, folk hop, acid trap, and what what what. So much "genres" and I don't even know what's my favourite genre.
And do we even have to like just one genre? And must music be segregated into genres? Well maybe they are segregated to make it easier for people to find more music that suit their palate. It's like you know being in a buffet restaurant. You'll see the food and take any that you like, and just leave the ones you don't like. I suppose genres make it easier for you to discover more music, and to also find like-minded people who share the same taste in music as you!
But I don't really like the idea of segregating music. I think music is so universal that it cannot be segregated. Of course, we all know that we're free to listen to whatever music we want to listen to. Like what the Buddha says, people create differences and believe them to be true. So sometimes when people ask me what kind of music I listen to, I just tell them anything that I love. Although yes the majority of my songs in my iTunes library is either Indie or Alternatives.
And yes I cannot live without classical music.
So what kind of music do you listen to?
Sunday, 19 October 2014
292
Asemka
Well today is the 292nd day of the year and guess what, I just came up with a new resolution for this year to accomplish! Somehow I'm feeling excited to end this year hah.
Anyway I went to Jakarta yesterday with my sister to accompany her to the Asemka market. We were there to stock up some of the items for her bookstore. I went to Asemka a year ago too, it's an awesome place to do street photography cause there's too much things going on there! Very good for street-photog material. Above are some of the shots taken yesterday.
After Asemka we went to MKG to do some shopping. I went a bit overboard with the Japanese and Korean ingredients-haul but hey, I can't get all these stuff in my hometown so might as well get them while I was there yeah. We went to catch a movie too, it was "Left Behind" and we were truly disappointed after the movie. I recommend you not to watch it.
It's 12 more days to the end of this month and whew, time just seems to fly rather quickly really. But well, like I always believe, the year will just zoom past your eyes during the last three months of the year. At least this is what I've been experiencing for the past 10 years of my life hah. I don't know, I've went through a lot, and I'm kind of excited to see what this remaining days of the year have in offer.
Alright just a short update for you. Talk to you soon.
Monday, 13 October 2014
The last?
Sometimes I feel sad to realise that I might be the last few (or even, the last) generation to enjoy great traditional food. Or even, maybe I am the last generation who likes these traditional food. My mum cooked preserved vegetable with pork tonight and it is one of my favourite food. Eating a bowl of rice with it using chopsticks is like one of the best things in life.
Although I often wonder, will such food still exist in the future? How many people in my generation actually knows how to cook it? And how many people in my generation actually enjoy eating these food? Come to think of it, we're so-called the "buyer generation". Most of us buy things instead of make them. And this is especially true to food. How many of us actually still bother to cook dinner instead of just buying some take-away? How many of us enjoy cooking traditional food?
Perhaps it's time for me to jot down all these recipes in a book so that I can cook them in the future. And when people of my generation miss these food next time, I can help them relive their nostalgia. Which brings me to my next point, where I am interested to open a restaurant in the hometown where we sell traditional food! I think the concept will work because as we go along the way, we'll miss these food more and more. But then again I think to myself, how many of us like such food?
As an Asian, and Indonesian, food is really something important in life. Food is not just about getting yourself fed and making you feel full. I think being Asian, food is something that holds our identity and culture together. It will be a nightmare for me if in the future, we eat nothing but normal food with no sense and touch of traditionalism there. Maybe in the future all we ever cook is stir-fry dishes, deep-fried meats and more processed food. Gone were the days of preserved vegetables, stewed meat in spices and food wrapped in banana leaves and so on. How sad.
Perhaps it's time for us to give more appreciation to the food that our parents/grandparents/other family members cook. Because these are the people that grow up, still expected to uphold traditions and the culture. I'm not saying that our generation is not expected to, but because of the changing and progressing of time, we are not -that- interested to do these "traditional" things. Well let's bug our mums, aunties and grandmas to ask them to teach how to make all these great food!
Although I often wonder, will such food still exist in the future? How many people in my generation actually knows how to cook it? And how many people in my generation actually enjoy eating these food? Come to think of it, we're so-called the "buyer generation". Most of us buy things instead of make them. And this is especially true to food. How many of us actually still bother to cook dinner instead of just buying some take-away? How many of us enjoy cooking traditional food?
Perhaps it's time for me to jot down all these recipes in a book so that I can cook them in the future. And when people of my generation miss these food next time, I can help them relive their nostalgia. Which brings me to my next point, where I am interested to open a restaurant in the hometown where we sell traditional food! I think the concept will work because as we go along the way, we'll miss these food more and more. But then again I think to myself, how many of us like such food?
As an Asian, and Indonesian, food is really something important in life. Food is not just about getting yourself fed and making you feel full. I think being Asian, food is something that holds our identity and culture together. It will be a nightmare for me if in the future, we eat nothing but normal food with no sense and touch of traditionalism there. Maybe in the future all we ever cook is stir-fry dishes, deep-fried meats and more processed food. Gone were the days of preserved vegetables, stewed meat in spices and food wrapped in banana leaves and so on. How sad.
Perhaps it's time for us to give more appreciation to the food that our parents/grandparents/other family members cook. Because these are the people that grow up, still expected to uphold traditions and the culture. I'm not saying that our generation is not expected to, but because of the changing and progressing of time, we are not -that- interested to do these "traditional" things. Well let's bug our mums, aunties and grandmas to ask them to teach how to make all these great food!
Saturday, 11 October 2014
Monday, 6 October 2014
Indescribable
You know they say that music is what feelings sound like. Well I guess it's very true. Last night I was doing work while listening to music. And I really enjoyed the moment, it reminds me of those days when I was still a student, listening to music while studying. Sometimes I feel that music itself is purely a feeling. Because the feeling you get when listening to music is something truly indescribable. I wouldn't say happy is the perfect word to use when I listen to music. Yes, but not wholesome.
When I listen to classical music, there's this sense of joy that I have, of how much I am so glad and thankful to be able to enjoy such wonderful music! When I listen to my favourite indie/post-rock music, and unknowingly move to the music, it feels pretty awesome too. You see, the feeling is just something I can't describe. The joy of enjoying music. The happiness and warmth you experience inside as you listen to them is just so beautifully weird. You can't describe it really!
I think music is one of the greatest things life has given us. When you're able to enjoy listening and creating it, I think you can easily be the happiest man on earth.
When I listen to classical music, there's this sense of joy that I have, of how much I am so glad and thankful to be able to enjoy such wonderful music! When I listen to my favourite indie/post-rock music, and unknowingly move to the music, it feels pretty awesome too. You see, the feeling is just something I can't describe. The joy of enjoying music. The happiness and warmth you experience inside as you listen to them is just so beautifully weird. You can't describe it really!
I think music is one of the greatest things life has given us. When you're able to enjoy listening and creating it, I think you can easily be the happiest man on earth.
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Living together
I realised one of the biggest differences I have now, from my life back in Singapore, is the fact that I am living with other people. I mean obviously, I have my family around me. Whereas in Singapore I am alone, and I am responsible for the things I do. And I have to take care of myself, which includes not falling sick, make sure I fed myself well and so on.
For example, when I got back here I often wondered why the hand soap ran out quickly. Or the bath soap and the toothpaste. Well it's because now the soap is shared with like 5 people in the house, or three people for the bath soap (because I shared the bathroom with 2 of my sisters last time). Whereas in Singapore, my soaps can last for like three months. Because I was the only person who used them.
And when it comes to food, I just need to keep myself fed. I cook for myself and buy food for myself. I can cook a huge casserole of pasta and eat them for three days in a row. I can buy a packet of fried rice, and if I don't finish it I will just put it inside the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast/lunch/dinner. But now I don't get my own food (unless it's vegan days, where I cook myself) but the food is cooked by my maid or my mum. And I'm the family's black hole for food, so remaining food will go into my stomach.
That's why I can never lose weight here heh.
I suppose living alone really make you into a responsible and independent person. And perhaps it's easier too? Because you're in full control of yourself. You get to eat what you want, how much you want, and do whatever you want with any leftovers. You have the ultimate freedom to do what you want, without others' consent and without thinking others will think of you.
Nothing is perfect, living alone has its flaws too.
But I miss it sometimes.
For example, when I got back here I often wondered why the hand soap ran out quickly. Or the bath soap and the toothpaste. Well it's because now the soap is shared with like 5 people in the house, or three people for the bath soap (because I shared the bathroom with 2 of my sisters last time). Whereas in Singapore, my soaps can last for like three months. Because I was the only person who used them.
And when it comes to food, I just need to keep myself fed. I cook for myself and buy food for myself. I can cook a huge casserole of pasta and eat them for three days in a row. I can buy a packet of fried rice, and if I don't finish it I will just put it inside the fridge for tomorrow's breakfast/lunch/dinner. But now I don't get my own food (unless it's vegan days, where I cook myself) but the food is cooked by my maid or my mum. And I'm the family's black hole for food, so remaining food will go into my stomach.
That's why I can never lose weight here heh.
I suppose living alone really make you into a responsible and independent person. And perhaps it's easier too? Because you're in full control of yourself. You get to eat what you want, how much you want, and do whatever you want with any leftovers. You have the ultimate freedom to do what you want, without others' consent and without thinking others will think of you.
Nothing is perfect, living alone has its flaws too.
But I miss it sometimes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)