This morning I woke up late, about 9 am. I was rather rotten since I did not sleep well last night. I think I got a nightmare last night yet I don’t remember it well. After taking shower, I sat in front of my TV and found nothing interesting. So I switched it off immediately and thought what to do today. Since I was quite lazy, I was starting brainstorming interesting place in Jogja that I never visit yet. Ahhhaaa….abra…kadabra…!!! Then I decided to visit Affandi Museum (Indonesian Famous Painter) and Taman Budaya Jogjakarta. Frankly to say, I intended to visit that places since couple weeks ago, but nobody wanna accompany me to visit them though now I don’t have friends to go there too-so pity!

In Affandi Museum I found very wonderful painting and sculptures. I thought it would be boring to visit the museum alone. But in fact it was so interesting even though I was alone. I as freely explored each side of this museum and enjoyed Affandi’s paintings and sculptures. Moreover, the shape of the museum is very unique.

In Affandi Museum there are four galleries that we can visit. Outside the gallery we can find Affandi family’s cemetery. We can also buy some the paintings that were painted by his son. Unfortunately we are prohibited to take picture inside the galleries. There was two paintings that were very wonderful according to me which are Barong and Doa Orang Jawa. It’s so amazing!!! And you know how much do those cost? IDR 300,000,000 and IDR 150,000,000 respectively!!! Wowowowowow…..(tp sumpah bikin ngiler tuh lukisan!!!)

After visiting Affandi Museum, I went to Taman Budaya Jogjakarta to see art exhibition. Even though not so many people come there, but I enjoyed it anyway. I saw a lot of paintings, sculptures, and many other artistic things. You can check these pictures below…..!!! Definitely, today was so interesting..ting…ting…!!! I am satisfied with my one day brief art trip. Now I am thinking to be an artist or painter like Pak Affandi,hihhiiihh!!!!

Painting in Taman Budaya Jogjakarta

Affandi Statue

Barong (Oil on Canvas)

Warriors (Taman Budaya Jogjakarta)

Affandi's head sclupture

Hanging hats (Taman Budaya Jogjakarta)

"…We are the world. We are the children. We are the ones who make a brighter day so let’s start giving. There’s a choice we’re making. We are saving our life. It’s true we’ll make a better day, just you and me…"

I believe that everybody was stunned when they knew that the King of Pop passed away. And I concede that it’s the hard destiny people must face when their idol is died mysteriously and unexpectedly.

Actually I am not a big fan of Jacko. I knew him just by name that he is singer. I didn’t listen and know his songs. His top of career was in my childhood so I don’t really recognize Jacko. However, since the news of his death is always aired on TV, I got curious to search who Michael Jackson is. Likewise, I see the impact of his death is so unbelievable. A lot of people cry, a lot of people comment regarding his death in facebook status, and folks keep singing his songs while crying. It’s something amazing for me who don’t have any idea about Michael Jackson career.

Immediately, I searched about Michael Jackson and I found his profile and his story of career in Wikipedia. I also downloaded several of his songs which were so familiar in my ear but I didn’t know that those were his songs. Afterwards, I understand now that he deserves to get it all. He is great singer. He influenced plenty of global musicians. He is such great guy who broke the paradigm of Afro-American, and indeed he is the hero of his fans. I also admit that his songs are very incredible songs which are so meaningful. I am little bit jealous because I couldn’t really see Jacko in his top career.

I just heard some of his songs frequently since his death several days ago. And as you can guess, I do love it. Even I am listening to his music while writing this blog. I really like to listen to Heal the World, We are the World, She’s Out of My Life, Earth Song, You Will Be There, and You are not Alone. I like it not only because it has melody, but it also has very good lyrics and message for the better life in this world. Even though I am late to be his fan, but I am happy and proud to know his songs now.

Salute to Michael Jackson! Your songs will always be alive in your fans heart.

Prior to going in Germany, I had thought that I would face a lot of things that would make me look stupid there. And it’s really happened when I was there. The followings are the weird things that I did there:

Since I got accident two days before departing to Germany, I could not walk well. I got little surgery in my feet so I used walking stick (cane) to help me toddle. During in the airport (Adi Sucipto, Cengkareng, Changi, and Frankfurt Int Airport) I was being assisted by the airport officer and sit in the wheel chair. When I arrived in Frankfurt, (maybe because I was too excited) I forced myself to walk around the city with my cane. You know, my cane was an old cane (so traditional and out of mode, lol) so everybody starred at me, moreover I only wore shocks without shoes, hahaha…..!!!! Probably those German people thought why that such old cane was still exist???? Ahahahahaa……

In Thuringen experienced day, I decided to join with a group that was going to Eisenach. It is little city but so beautiful, the place where you can visit Bach house and Martin Luther King house, besides you can visit a Wartburg castle on the top of the hill that is protected by UNESCO as one of world heritage sites. Actually at that time I was not 100% okay, I mean I was a bit ill. And actually the weather was very good, shiny though still cold (for me). That’s why I had prepared my proper cloth before I joined with the group. Eventually, I wore my thick jacket, hat, and double gloves. I just realized that I wore weird cloth when almost everybody in the group asked me, “Do you feel cold?” and “Where are you from?” They said that people in Germany would only wear my cloth style in the winter. Hahahahaha…I just laughed at myself suddenly and put my glove and my hat off even though I still felt so cold.

As if winter, but it's nearly summer, heheheh

Yeah, sometimes look different is okay, but don’t make yourself look so silly. However, you can get famous when you are different from the others. Everybody will star at you and ask you everything, lol!!!

Recently, I just found my new hobby, collecting postcards. Actually, long time ago when I was on Junior High School, I collected stamps but now I lost all my collection since I moved to Makassar (capital city of South Sulawesi). I am interested in collecting postcard since last year when I participated in a work camp in Prambanan Temple. I worked with international volunteer from USA, Belgium, Germany, and France. In the end of work camp, usually we share something as keepsake. Then, I got two postcards from my Belgian friends with Brussels Atomium and Grand Place background theme.

Since that time, I found that collecting postcard is a unique hobby since not a lot people does it. Above and beyond, I do like the portrait in the postcard that usually shows the beautiful places or something exclusive in certain place. Also, it’s not easy to get various kinds of postcards because the picture is unlike from each other; the image depends where the postcard is printed. So I am quite sure that you will not find any Borobudur postcard in any other place except in Yogyakarta or Central Java. So, it’s fairly challenging for me to collect postcard from all over the world. What's more, postcard is important as we can know how a city looked at a particular time in history as well as social history.

Besides, it would be more meaningful if you say hi to our friends through postcard even though instantly we can send by email and I can say that saying something through postcard to your girlfriend or boyfriend is more romantic (even though I never give it to my ex-gf, lol) Don’t you think so??? Just compare if you receive a letter through e-mail and by mail (postcard). I believe that you will be more interested in reading and keeping the postcard.

I also have a special mission to amass postcard; I wanna go to every single place that’s printed in the postcard all over the world. That’s my big passion! Because the only things that you can do to get postcard from another country is going to that country or just ask your friend to send you a postcard from their country. But it would be more memorable and fantastic if and only if we can get a postcard by ourselves, meaning that we go to all countries and grab its postcard. Yeah!!!

I am a bit lucky because I have got German and Singaporean postcard that I got by myself. Yes, when I went there, I spent about 10 euro to purchase postcards. I hope I will get occasion to go off to another country in order I can obtain postcards again… (Strongly wish!!!)

Some of my collections

While enjoying my new hobby, I also never overlook to search about everything related with my hobby. I’ve asked Mr. Google and find that my hobby is called Deltiology. It comes from Greek, deltion and logia. Deltion means writing table or letter, and logia means science. It’s remarkable to learn about deltiology since it can bring you to the times of yore when you look at the old postcards that enclose old pictures.

What I am doing now to add my postcard collection is join postcrosser. It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world (see http://www.postcrossing.com/). I also ask to my friends who live in abroad to exchange postcards. It’s the only thing I can do now because going to overseas is not possible to do now, heheheheh…lol

For that reason, if you guys want to exchange postcard with me, just contact me and I will give you my address and send you Indonesian postcard as soon as possible. Anybody wants to prove that receiving postcard is more romantic and meaningful?