Happy Easter !!!

Hi all, Easter Sunday has just passed...
But the Easter period is not over yet.., you can tell when you go to church on Sunday, and at the end of the mass, the priest still sings the ending blessing with the tail ... Alleluia.., alleluia.., alleluia..
And we answer with Syukur kepada Allah, Alleluia.., alleluia.., alleluia...
Yah semacam itulah..
As long as the priest still do that, it is still an Easter Sunday, or Sunday in the Easter period.
If you observe the "Malaikat Tuhan" prayer (Angelus), which actually should be said every 6AM in the morning, 12 noon, and 6PM in the evening, than you will say the prayer a bit different, since there are two version of Angelus, one version for masa biasa, and another version for the Easter period.
I don't know how long this Easter period lasts..., probably until Kenaikan Tuhan (Ascension Day of Jesus Christ) which is 40 days from Easter Sunday, and this time it will fall on 5 May 2005, or probably until Pentekosta (turunnya roh kudus, lidah api, ke atas para murid), 50 days from Easter Sunday, and this time it will fall on 15 May 2005. What I know is that after Pentekosta, than the Easter period would definitely officially ends.


I love the Easter season...
I do..., it starts 40 days (excluding Sunday) from the Easter Sunday, on the seventh Wednesday before the Easter Sunday, called the Ash Wednesday.., on this day I rebuke myself, take the palm leave from my cross and give it to the church to be burned to be ashes (or I burned it myself in front of my room, late late at night, careful not to wake my neighbours or create too much smoke.. :D..). On Ash Wednesday morning, I go to church. Ashes will be put on my forehead and I will carry it whole day, as a sign of sorrow for sin and rebuttal of myself. Ash Wednesday also mark the beginning of the 40 days Lent season (excluding Sunday) where like Jesus, we try to fast (or at least rebuke and deny myself) for 40 days penintential period of fasting and praying, like Jesus did in the desert.
After 40 excruciating days (try it sometimes it is worse than plain fasting. Example, you're a guest and they serve you two snacks, one you love, one you hate, just as you reach for the snack you love, this thought creeps in that this is the Lent season and you have to restrain yourself, deny you the things you like, so you're taking the snack you hate instead, and it tastes so bad that you wish you just don't eat any..., and still you have to. Some days you decided to fast..., and so you fast.., but every now and then you want something so badly that you decide to eat.., it's okay.., there''s no strict rules in Catholic fasting, but in every bite you taste guilt... haha... bener2 deh... In the past, the rule were strict though, a severe fast was prescribed: only one full meal a day was allowed, and meat, fish, eggs, and milk products were forbidden. hehe.., i'll try this next year.., wahh..., ga janji deh yah..., but if i have the strength, i'll try it.

And then the Palm Sunday comes..
This is to commemorate the triumphant Jesus entry to Jerusalem (where he ultimately will face death) on a donkey.. All of the statues and crosses in the church is covered with purple fabric (until Good Friday). This day Jesus is hail by many Jerusalemian..., with palm leaves and branches spread on the ground before Jesus passed... This Palm Sunday before going to church I go to my neighbour kos2an with scissor, ready to steal a branch in front of the kos2an owner's house, when he popped to my view!!! And dengan malu2 I ask her for a branch.. :D .. untungnya dia ngerti, mau ke greja yah.., so my stealing of the palm branch went smoothly.. :D ... (tahun lalu aku motong daun palma di pembatas jalan thamrin apa sudirman gitu..., hihih..., malu deh pokoknya, untung sama Bambang nyolong daunnya, tepatnya dia yang motong hihihihihi) And then go to church and re-enact Jesus entry to Jerusalem. This Palm Sunday signals the upcoming ending of the Lent season and the beginning of the Holy Week. On the Thursday, Jesus will be catch..!

Holy Thursday or Maundy Thursday...,
is called Kamis Putih in Indonesia, and we usually wear white this day. Holy Thursday re-enact Jesus Last Supper with his disciples, with the washing of the feet by Jesus. Re-enacted by priests by washing the feet of 12 ordinary people. In the past, they're always men, but nowadays, women (usually mothers) are also called to be feet-washed. Holy Thursday is the celebration of the Passover, with Jesus being the Passover victim. Holy Thursday marks the beginning of the Holy Triuum (Tri Hari Suci). The mass begins in the evening, because the passover began at sundown, commemorating Our Lord's institution of the Holy Eucharist at the Last Supper. Sadness strikes me everytime the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament began..., the priests leaves without the closing songs..., the atmosphere is so sad and solemn.., almost like going melayat to lelayu (in a sense, it is)... After the mass, ada tuguran sampai jam 12 malem.., the idea is to be like Jesus disciples, who stays with him, while He prayed in Getsemani, before Judas came with the priests to arrest Him.

Good Friday
After being arrested at night, Jesus' ordeal begins.., He was questioned by the priests and kept captive. On Friday morning, he was given to Pontius Pilatus, who eventually wash his hands on His case. This day He was scorned, he endured crucifixion, and then on 15:00 He died. All fall to knees... Good Friday service is very moving for me..., the priests comes to the church, without any opening songs.., they are not greeted.., they just comes in in silence.., and then in front of the altar they fall, not on their knee, but laying face down on the floor.. facing the cross, in an act of penitence and sadness to the cross, which is covered in purple fabric... It is so heartbreaking for me..., a sad moment indeed..., and a moment where you promise to yourself, this year I'd stay true to Him.. The songs are sad.., passio is sung.., the tunes are sad, the lyrics means a lot to me... At the end of the service..., the priests also goes briskly, without a closing song. Jesus has died, and burried..., all seems to end..., this is the ultimate low point..

Easter Eve
The mass starts very late, close to dini hari.. This is to commemorate the rise of Jesus Christ. This is a triumphant day, where Jesus has defeat death..
I like the mass on Easter Eve, because of its Easter chants.., which is so beautiful to my ear and carves its way into my heart, it starts with the Easter chants to light the candle.., signalling the rise of Christ, and then the seventh day creation of earth is sung..., bible is read, and then before the baptism rejuvenation, we summon all the saints, with Litani Orang Kudus..., I really like this part, the song is very solemn and touching, all the saints is called by name one by one, to come and pray with us... :D and then the alleluia songs.. wahh.., so triumphant.., and this is the first time the church bells is struck again (last time was in Holy Thursday)... :D ... and we have been saved..., let us follow Him that has showed us the way.., He's been there and back..., and so I try to follow, Jesus give us strength...

:D -rea-

Don't forget your girlfriends...!

I read an article once, it's titled, "Don't Forget Your Girlfriends..."
It explains about how important girlfriends are to you..
Let me quote it for you here:
"Don't forget your girlfriends," she advised, swirling the ice cubes around in her glass.
"They'll be more important as you get older. No matter how much you love your husband, no matter how much you love the children you'll have, you are still going to need girlfriends.
Remember to go places with them now and then; do things with them. And remember that "girlfriends" are not only your friends, but your sisters, your daughters, and other relatives too. You'll need other women. Women always do."
Times passes. Life happens. Distance separates. Children grow up. Marriages could fail. Love could waxes and wanes. Hearts break. Careers end. Jobs come and go. Colleagues forget favors. Men don't call (or sms) when they say they will. But girlfriends are there, no matter how much time and how many miles are between you. A girlfriend is never farther away than needing her can reach.

You'll need other women! Women always do!
I'd agree with that, 100%. I think it has something to do with the "All hands on deck" attitude that girls share, especially when other girls are in need. As they say.., a friend in need is a friend indeed. I myself was blessed to have been blessed with many circles of girlfriends, so let me share my stories with them to you, in future posts.
But as for now, let me introduce you to them:

Karet Chicks




Ex-Ufficio Chicks



Long Lost Friends, Recovered


AGTC gals (ada cowok satu gpp yah...)



and istri boss gue yang introduce me ke blogspot and became my dear friend.. :)


and more girls that do not exist in Friendster... :D

Anyhow.., have to go for now..., my sweety awaits...

Bye for now... :D

Jazz Mania...

Go Jazz Mania with papa in Jakarta

Jakarta, 4-6 March 2005.

Last weekend I went to Java Jazz concert in Jakarta with my father. My father flew all the way from Yogyakarta, my hometown, to Jakarta just to see this grand jazz concert.
I found out about this Java Jazz concert from my fellow colleagues in my office quite a while ago. Knowing my father's passion for Jazz music, I called him and asked him whether he'd like to come down to Jakarta and attend the concert. He said, "Yes!" And so I began making the arrangement.

First thing to do was to buy the tickets. Without thinking twice, and because the 'Early Bird' discounted price that the event boasted, I bought the tickets for Saturday, 5 March 2005 entrance, Earth Wind & Fire special show, and Incognito special show. Little did I know, that if I paid more attention, I would have seen that the event was sponsored by A Mild Sampoerna, which I have a friend there, who often give me free tickets, and in the case of this Java Jazz, was going to offer me a discount (from the early bird price) just right after my tickets are bought and paid for (AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaa...). Anyway..., I still have my friend colleagues at the office whom also wanted to buy the tickets, so they bought the tickets at my friend's.

After all arrangements are done, concert and plane tickets are bought, acommodation in my auntie's apartment is settled, all we could do was just waiting for the concert day, with greater anticipation day in and day out.

Finally the day came, I went to pick up my dad at the airport on Friday. We go straight to auntie's aparment and chat with them for a while. Afterwards, we went to
EX to watch some movies, but since there is no good movie, we just circled the mall.
And..., finally it was Saturday, and it is time for us to watch the jazz concert. We went there at twelve, thinking that the Tiempo Libre music clinic was at twelve, but it was postponed until two. So we went out to Plaza Senayan to eat first.

The music clinic of Tiempo Libre started ahead of time. It's a good thing that me and my dad come early. It was SO SO SO COOL...!!! At one time they told us all to dance with them, I was so excited I jumped at my feet and danced with them! To my surprise afterwards, no one followed.. (o O..., shame shame) only me was dancing with them, but who cares lah.., this is a music clinic, we should join in! When they called the audience to join in and played some music with them, I was SO SO ready to go up there and played the clave, but I was too ashamed (a pity) that I stayed at my seat. Two other men got up though, one played the 'I forget the name' and the other played conga. It was so cool, because I was so so near them. And the music is very very entertaining.

After Tiempo Libre, we went to watch Elfa Secioria with his Elfa's Big Band and Elfa's Singers (Yana, Agus, Uci, Lita) woowwwwww..., the band was SO SO big and the music instruments were a lot! It was VERY very good.
After Tiempo Libre, we went to see Ireng Maulana band for a while. Afterwards, my father was tired already and we went home to rest and eat a little.

At about 20:00 we are back at JCC. We slipped in Music Dome to catch the last two or three songs from Deodato. The music dome has upper circular seat area. While in the middle, it is just one big space with no seat. It was so so crowded though that we only can stand on the right of the stage. Yet we didn't know at that time how crowded it would be later.

After Deodato, we went outside and saw that the queue line for Earth Wind & Fire show was already very long. Therefore we decided to queue. After a while, I thought that we were better if we go upstairs so that we could sit during the show. Wrong decision, after queueing quite a while upstairs I realized that the queue upstairs was a disaster waiting to happen. With a patio only about 2-3 metres wide, packed with people, the ally went on about five metres. People was so so jammed that I got scared and asked my father whether he still wanted to queue or not, but going back was not an option, the mob just pressed and pressed and pressed forward. AND THEY ONLY OPENED HALF THE DOOR!! I got scarer and scarer and yes, people was swearing, shouting, pressing forward, I was just afraid if a stampede happened. Finally I managed to go through the tiny door, they did not check tickets anymore. But when I looked back I couldn't find my father. Turned out my 64 years old father, about to be 65 nex month, was TRAPPED and SQUEEZED by the mob!! Oh.. no..!! Finally he managed to passed the door and followed me to our seats.
Fiuh..., Earth Wind and Fire was amazing though..., amazing, amazing, and very entertaining!!

Afterwards, my father and me did not want that experience to repeat, so when people were queueing like crazy for Incognito, we just went to see Jazzyphonic, some rap band, and went to Jazz Town. After all the cracy mob were into the Music Dome where Incognito played, we went in at the festival area and still we could enjoy the music very well from the right hand side of the stage, with plenty rooms for us to dance to the music...