When life gets boring, movies come to the rescue!

Hi! Yesterday I saw the movie Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck with my friend Cita and my dad (don't ask me why my dad tagged along. Fine, I'll tell you. The other day he saw it with my mother, just the both of them, and he said that he wanted to see my reactions of the movie! So he pleaded to come along with me. At first I wouldn't let him, but then again, what the heck, and it's not like everyday I'll get to watch movies with him and Cita.). PS: the next paragraphs may contain some small spoilers, but I guarantee you that my small spoilers won't ruin anything.

Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck (translation: The Sinking of The Van Der Wijck Ship), is a classic Indonesian story made a long time ago, when even Indonesia has not existed yet and the Dutch still reigned in our country. It's a story of two youngsters, Zainuddin (the boy) and Hayati (the girl). Zainuddin was not the luckiest lad, since even his dad has problems and eventually he lost both of his parents when he was still a kid. While Hayati, also an orphan, was the most beautiful flower of her village. She was the treasure of her family, and her beauty caught the eye of every man who laid eyes upon her, and of course, one of those men include Zainuddin.

Hayati; Played by Pevita Pearce

Zainuddin; played by Herjunot Ali

Zainuddin fell in love immensely with Hayati, and he saw her as a light of hope upon his life that were filled with darkness. Hayati in return, felt happy and he also fell in love due to the meaningful letters that Zainuddin kept sending her.

But even the most beautiful of loves has complications. Hayati didn't end up with Zainuddin. Family and cultural problems brought hardships to their relationship, which led to a sad yet hopeful good-bye that. Zainuddin kept a hold of Hayati's promise to always wait for him, but we all know how the story goes...

Hayati's family wouldn't let some random dude (Zainuddin) take away their lovely treasure. There was a man, also proposing to Hayati. A man richer and with status. His name was Aziz. With his charms, bad-boy vibes, and Dutch culture sticking into his bones, he was the dream... well, not exactly (everybody has 'a dark side').

Aziz & Hayati; Aziz played by Reza Rahardian

Btw, if you're curious about how all this is syncing to a sinking ship: in the end when Zainuddin told Hayati to go back to her hometown, on a ship called Van Der Wijck, the ship went to a disaster and sunk.

I didn't really want to see this movie in the first place. I'm very, very sorry for underestimating... I'm always prone to do that! Even though I already told myself a whole lot of times to never do it again. Okay, so there I was, with my "who needs the movie when you got the book" attitude, telling people that I'd rather read the book then watch the movie (but why not both?). But I ended up being curious with the movie since everybody's talking about it and I have to admit that it is, good. 

Imagine, a beautiful yet hurtful love story taking place in picturesque views of my lovely country, Indonesia. Isn't that a dream??? Even though Zainuddin and Hayati's story has complications, but I envy them so much for having such wonderful views and timings when it comes to moments in their love. The setting, the time! It was an era I wish I could have lived in, even though at that time Indonesia was still reigned and stuff. The clothing, the artwork, and the views and the way of speech of that time was magical to me. I even cried when things got melancholic, and it's not everyday that I cry in movies.

All in all, Tenggelamnya Kapal Van Der Wijck, as cheesy as it may seem (especially coming from me) gave me entertainment and an look upon feelings in which I still don't understand. But now I do... a bit. The story was not also all about love (but mostly it is); it's about friendship, how we all affect each other, and getting up after falling down. I'm also very impressed with the cinematography and props, it was all well done.

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I also have been seeing Sherlock for some time. You know, the BBC drama "based on the works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle"! Yes, that one. I really, really love it and I consider it my personal escape from my everyday which gets boring to some extent.

The unstoppable duo!

I have always loved detective stories, but I never really search for possibilities there, you know? Until I heard this drama, Sherlock, which I know nothing about and led me to a Google search for it. I ended up knowing that this drama got a 9.3 on imdb (which means that it's not just good... it's AWESOME). I watched it with my mother and sister and we all fell in love with the story line and I, also fell in love with Sherlock himself.

So, there. Stories on the screen which makes you wish that your life was like that, but even if you can't have lives like them, you can always feel what they feel and see what they see through the movies that tell their story.

No barriers

I am in my teenage years, and I have to tell you that I am filled with CURIOSITY. Yes, the thing that killed the cat? I guess so.

In this period of curiosity, I would like to know as many things as possible. And one of those many things are people. Yes, people. People are still such a mystery to me. Why do they do this, why do they do that?... the questions are flopping around in my mind and I would really like to know more about them.

I think that people to people relationship is such a meaningful thing. When a thing called "love" begins to bloom there, extraordinary things are likely to happen.

Building and maintaining relationships are not a walk in the park (indirectly quoting Paramore's Still Into You), but it sure is worth it. I regret being an introverted person when I was younger now, and I wished I could go back again and open up with people because they are wonderful.

These days, I've been having problems with my communication. I can't even identify myself among my friends. I mean, I don't know who I am between all of them, where do I belong? What am I supposed to say when they say this? What if I hurt their feelings?

I am not in any way bragging, but the school that I go to is owned by my grandpa, and I think I have been identifying myself as the grand-daughter of the school owner and bLAh. I hate it. I hate myself for doing it. I guess that's how I've been treating myself in front of my school crew and now that's how they're treating me. I mean, what got to me? I hate myself so much for doing it! But it's all done. I'm trying to scrape that image off though. And even though the bits of the scrapes are going to still be there, I'll be painting new colors, for sure. I guess I have always not preferred to live as a definition of somebody else, but I guess that's what I've been doing... ((REGRETS))

Anyways, back to the topic.

I have been so utterly scared by people back then that I close myself from them. I wear the hijab, and I'm afraid that people are mistaking me for who they think I am because of it. I mean, even though I wear the hijab, it does not mean that I'm different from any other teenage girls. I'm the same. I like the same stuff as you do. I love movies. I love books. I love Starbucks. I love... things that girls around the world love.

It's just a hijab. I'm just trying to follow what God wants for me. I'm adjusting myself for it.

Wearing the hijab does not only change how people look at me, but they also change the way I look at people. I'm scared of them. I'm scared of the people who are not the same as I am, because I'm afraid of how they will treat me as a girl who wears a hijab. The people who wear shorter clothes, snazzier stuff, has tattoos, obviously oriented from someplace more different than from where I came from. I'm afraid that they will look at me as if I'm an alien. Maybe I have to train to be more confident and stand taller to my religion, but I can't help that I am scared.

It's like people who are different cannot be friends. They cannot maintain a relationship. But I believe that it's not true. I believe that a girl with a mini-skirt and a girl with a hijab can be friends. I believe that people from Timbuktu and China can have a relationship. I believe that people with different religions can maintain a bond. I believe that this is all possible with respect.

Sure, people have different opinions. And this is mine. I think that we shouldn't judge someone from how they look, where they come from, what they believe in, and any other stuff that isn't relevant to building some sort of connection with them. Personality and behavior is everything. If they click with you, they click with you. Period.

But remember this: people aren't perfect. They make mistakes, they have flaws, and well... you just have to deal with that. There's no other way. Surely we've made mistakes and we've sinned, and because we all know how it feels, we have to understand each other and come through it together.

Conclusion: if you want to be friends with me, I would love to. Whoever you are, let's get to know each other. :-)

Beauty

As we all know it, me and my friends are stepping into a whole new level of the "Teenage World". Regarding that we are in first year of high school, things are getting different day by day. I am seeing a big difference in what my friends were and what my friends are right now.

Anyways, just like same old everyday, we chit-chat about stuff that we thought we'd talk about. At one point, one of us will ask another, "Hey, do I look beautiful?" "Am I beautiful?" "Do I look okay?" "Do you think I'm pretty?" etc, etc, etc.

Make-up, make-up, make-up... ooh la la, make-up! (But still not for me.)

A question that probably any girl has asked somebody, or if not, thought in their head while gazing at themselves through the mirror. There are some factors why these girls ask stuff like these, like...

1. The first and the most obvious reason why (to me); is because they fancy somebody. Yes, they fancy someone... a guy, and no girl would like to look horrifying in front of her crush. So, they keep questioning whether they look good or not.
2. They saw their favorite girl celeb on TV or in a magazine or around the net somewhere, and boy, do they look gorgeous. Thoughts flash in their heads about how they could look like them, why can't they be like them... etc.
3. Hm. I don't know what else.

Really, I am no Dr. Phil, but I know the mind of girls since I am a girl myself. I am not saying that the reasons above are accurate, but I know how it usually goes.

So, here are points that I am trying to state. Since right now and 'til probably forever I am gonna learn and grow and learn and grow, I have learned some priceless stuff from my own personal life experiences:

1. No matter how beautiful somebody may be on the outside, it's really no use if she is rotten on the inside.
2. Not all people (and yes, guys are people) judge books from their covers. Some are nice enough to search for the good things on your insides and are willing to get to know you better. If you have a lovely personality, they will love it when you're around.

The thing is, beauty on the outside isn't all the matter that has to be thought of deeply in this world. Yes, looking beautiful and feeling content when you see yourself in the mirror is a great feeling, but, well... that's not really important. I know that my subject here seems cliche, but I thought that I needed to post this on my blog so that girls around the world can (maybe?) read it and feel good about themselves. Some people still isn't feeling good, and that's why.

See, I know we all have insecurities. Yes, I have them too. Nobody is perfect, and nobody will be, but somebody, out there will see you perfectly. Do not let some guy define you, you define yourself. Girls have to be independent, and who cares if we don't have a boyfriend or maybe, just a guy that loves us. I personally don't want to lower my standards just because I need to have one of those. 

What counts is what's on the inside. People will like you for what you are on the outside; but nevertheless, people will love you for what you are on the inside.