B217AN. (2.o/5.0) A predictable and common story which happens in a big city. Everything in it; a conciliation before a wedding, underground life, sex, alcohol, etc are just what we could expect from what Jakarta’s life would offer.
Aroma Terasi (5.0/5.0) This is a bitter yet funny short story. Love it! It’s about how complicated a bureaucracy in Indonesia could be. The writer tell us a fresh story from a Chinese-Indonesian perspective. I don’t know if the writer actually wanted to point out about the racism or not, it’s not really reflected. But, is it only me or actually the writer wanted to associate the bad odor from “terasi” to the bureaucracy? 😀
Masalah. (2.5/5.0) At the beginning I was too confuse reading the story that I didn’t even try to understand the background story. The writer keeps changing the point of view, from 3rd person, to Yuli’s inner thought and to another thoughts that tops it. Unfortunately, it buries the main message that the writer wants to talk about; Jakarta and its protests.
Buyan. (5.0/5.0) OMG, this is so far my favorite! The writer create a dystopian Jakarta where half of it already drawn by the flood (well, it could be real thing, if we don’t to anything now). I laughed so hard to the references they put in it; Kejar, Avi Rahmat. LOL!
Rahasia dari Kramat Tunggak. (3.5/5.0) Nothing special here. Just like an ordinary story from Jakarta Underground.
Anak-Anak Dewasa. (3.5/5.0) Wait, is it only me who thought they’d do the suicide in Istana Boneka in the first place, instead of Hysteria? Did i skip something? Btw, I personally never like a suicide story. It cringes me a lot.
Haji Syiah. (5.0/5.0) Funny at the beginning yet so bitter at the end. 😦
Matahari Tenggelam di Utara. (5.0/5.0) The lost of relationship between bestfriend due to 1998 racism crisis in Jakarta. It’s sad, but I think it’s the truest story amongst the other.
Pengakuan Teater Palsu. (1.5/5.0) I don’t like philosophy-based story. Sorry, It’s just not my type.
Suatu Hari Dalam Kehidupan Warga Depok yang Pergi ke Jakarta. (5.0/5.0) I like this kind of “A Day in A Life” story. Also, it mentioned my fav Greek restaurant in Setiabudi building that has closed permanently now 😦
Some stories are funny, some are too weird, but most can be relate to me as a Jakartan myself. It also works as a reminder that the life in Jakarta are so wide, complicated and deep which sometimes we forgot as we’re too focus on our daily routine in the middle of our own version of Jakarta.
Warning : Long PostAhead. I need a space to pour all my thoughts and feels on musicals I’ve watched.
I ever wrote once, that I always like musicals. Somehow expressing feeling in the middle of drama with songs always hooked me. That’s why even until now I still like to re-watch some of Glee’s performance. I even always want to sing a song in front of someone, to tell them exactly what I feel, no matter what the feelings. Sounds cheesy, eh ? 😛
Anyway, this past year, no, maybe about 9 months or 10 months (no, not me using Falsettos as a reference), I spent many of my times watching and listening over and over again to musical performances/recordings. Either it’s from a Broadway bootleg (ups), movies or TV series. The stories taught me and accompanied me a lot in the middle of boredom due to lack of entertainment. Sometimes it’s not only about the stories, but how the creative team brought up a total different and new worlds alive. I appreciated a lot the team behind the stage creative, choreography, costume, lyrics, books, and so on. More shows I watch, the more I feel inspired, encouraged, and moved.
So, through this blog post, I’d like to tell you what shows I’ve watched, complete with an amateur comments on how I felt and appreciated during the show. Please note, amateur. If it’s not like how you felt about it, no hard feeling, alright?
Hamilton OBC with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Anthony Ramos, Oak Onaodowan
Hamilton. Thanks to Disney+ I finally had chance to watch this Tony winners Broadway show with their original Broadway cast (OBC). What I love the most (after the lyrics of course, hands down to Lin Manuel) is the choreography. Especially the choreo from “A winter’s Ball”, “Helpless” until “Satisfied”, in which, if we took more attention in it, consists of 1 single choreo divided into 3 numbers as part of a story. Shout out to Jonathan Groff’s King George III in this OBC as well, who successfully stole the show and landed him a Tony nominee for only total 9 minutes of performances.
Falsettos
Falsettos. This show breaks my heart for I don’t know how many times I’ve watched it. Took place in early 80s where AIDS started being an epidemic. A story about a tight-knit family who was struggle to find place to belong, to become an adult, and to find love. This is the type of the show that would make you fall in love over and over again every time you watch it. I watched the 2016 Broadway Revival cast, which was one of the most perfect cast ever, imho. Well, 4 out of 7 of the cast; Christian Borle, Andrew Rannells, Brandon Uranowitz, Stephanie J. Block, received Tony nominations from here. What I love from this 2016 revival are Andrew Rannells (Biased? Whatever. haha! But seriously, he got robbed twice in Tony!), Christian Borle, The Boxes that the actors have to move through out the shows (while they’re acting and singing), and of course the numbers (4 Jews in a Room Bitching, The Thrill of First Love, The Chess Game, The Games I Play, What More Can I Say?, Unlikely Lovers, What Would I Do?)
Book of Mormon never failed to make me laugh, even by listening their recording album!
Book of Mormon. One of the masterpiece, of course. Also, the Broadway recording album still can make people laugh only for listening to it. I watched the OBC bootleg. The show itself was hilarious. The casts were perfect; Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells (first nomination he got robbed in Tony!), Rory O’Malley, and Nikki M. James. The numbers were whimsical. Later on I just found out that one of the song writer is Bobby Lopez, who also created a phenomenal Frozen’ s songs. My personal favorite are You and Me (but Mostly Me), Turn it Off, I Am Here for You, and Tomorrow is a Latter Day. Also, that splits that Andrew nailed 8 times a week for more than 1 year 😉
Dear Evan Hansen has one of the greatest projections on stage, imho.
Dear Even Hansen. TBH, I listened to the numbers first to finally found out that it’s actually from a Broadway musical. Having finally know how to find some bootlegs on YouTube, I watched all the shows played by Ben Platt, Andrew Barth Feldman and Jordan Fisher (Yes, even the most recent cast got bootlegged). As I’ve familiar with all the numbers, I just took more attention on what the story is all about. And, it’s heartbreaking and heartwarming in the same time. And what makes it more engaging was the lighting and the projections. Beautifully arranged!
Struggling shoe-factory owner Charlie (Stark Sands, left) is inspired by drag queen Lola (Billy Porter) to make high-quality high-heeled boots for men who perform as women in the Broadway adaptation of the cult film Kinky Boots
Kinky Boots. Thanks to my one of my fav YouTube channel, Show Must Go On! , who streamed this show for 48 hours for donation. They streamed the West End production and I also watched OBC bootleg where Billy Porter played as Lola. While I love Billy Porter’s Lola more than Matt Henry, I love Amy Lennox’s Lauren so much! Her performance of The History of Wrong Guys was funny, sweet and very attractive. I can even still reimagining her singing it only by listening to the recording song. Also, Kinky Boots has one of the best song finale, “Raise You Up/Just Be”, which is a catchy song to sing-a-long. It lifts up my spirit every time I listen to the song.
Company and my personal favorite choreo numbers, What Would We Do Without You
Company. I watched the 2011 film version produced by Screenvision. Some of the casts were Neil Patrick Harris, Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, and Aaron Lazar. I personally think this is Sondheim’s funniest show. I couldn’t stop laugh watching it while the show also left me in an awe. My personal fav number is “Side by Side by Side/What Would We Do Without You”. Funny lyrics and amusing choreo! “Sorry-Grateful” also touched me by my heart somehow. And of course famous numbers like “Being Alive”, “The Ladies Who Lunch” and “Getting Married Today” were performed so well. My personal goal until now is to be able to sing that rapid-fire song of “Getting Married Today” without being accused for blabbering trash. Haha! Good luck to me! They also used a simple stage design where most of it for the orchestra and utilize some kind of moveable 5 sofas for 5 couples of Robert’s friends. Somehow it seemed like it’s too tight and the actors couldn’t move much. Well, they still nailed it tho 😀
Jonathan Groff in A New Brain. He got all of his heart pour into the music in this show.
A New Brain. Bumped into this just because I wanna watch Jonathan Groff on its 2015 City Center Encores! Off-Center production. To be honest, the story is not engaging enough for me. But the numbers…I love the numbers! Well, just like Falsettos, William Finn and James Lapine gave us a full of metaphor show and numbers and when you listened more to it you’d drawn deeper into it. My personal favs are “And They’re Off”, “Mother’s Gonna Make Things Fine” (Groff’s Maaa~~ and how Ana Gasteyer brought a bit of Jazz in a small part of it), “Just Go”, “Be Polite to Everyone”, “Don’t Give In”, and “Heart and Music”. What I love about this 2015 City Center Encores! is that Christian Borle stepped in as Mr. Bungee on the album recording. So I can hear both Jonathan Groff and Christian Borle’s great voices in one album! Isn’t that what every fans dreams about?
Something Rotten! One of the funniest show I’ve watched recently.
Something Rotten. I watched this just because I wanted to watch more of Christian Borle. In the end, I enjoyed every second of it! I can’t stop laughing to every reference they put in this show. I love all the casts as well. Other than Christian Borle (who won his 2nd Tony here), They got Brian d’Arcy James, John Cariani, Kate Reinders, Michael James Scott, etc. “Welcome to the Renaissance”, “A Musical”, “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top”, and “Hard to Be the Bard” are always end up in my On Repeat playlist. I watch over and over again the tap dance part of “Bottom’s Gonna Be on Top”. Try to replicate it with a total failure, of course.
In the Heights OBC.
In The Heights. It’s been in my list for so long. Once they announced the release date of the movie, I finally watched the OBC bootleg. My first reaction was “Why the hell I just watched it now?!”. As I love many of Lin’s songs, the numbers here are all meet my music taste. I really love the taste of Latinos poured into all of the songs. Robin de Jesus’s Sonny was adorable. I fell in love to his part in “96,000”. “Sunrise” is the one of the sweetest love scene in Broadway ever imho. And those awkward dance moves from Lin are so hilarious! I just can’t wait to watch the movie version of it, tho they have to cut “Sunrise” in it 😦
Andrw Rannells on Hedwig and The Angry Inch. The tallest Hedwig ever 😀
Hedwig and The Angry Inch. I watched Andrew Rannells’ Hedwig (Haha, of course!). This is the first time I watch a monolog kind of musicals. It’s part rock concert, part cabaret, part stand-up comedy routine. As it’s a story telling by a one-man-show, I really need to focus to catch on the story and the songs. It’s quite difficult as I watch it on a bootleg (I know, I know, but I really didn’t have any choice). I even read the songs lyrics just when I watched it just to get a grip of what they said. After 3 times watching it (the 2nd one was Neil Patrick Harris’ and the 3rd one was Darren Criss), I finally got the story. Again, It’s not because of the book, but due to the bootleg’s quality. I love how the put the rock numbers. I love “The Origin of Love”, “Sugar Daddy”, “Wig in a Box”, “Wicked Little Town” and “Midnight Radio”. Also, I really love watching Andrew in it. Somehow there’s a softness in his Hedwig that makes her closer to us and more lovable. Biased? I don’t care. Haha!
Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele on Spring Awakening
Spring Awakening. I could see it clearly why everyone fell in love with this musical and why they thought it was a fresh performance. I like the idea of combining a rock musical to a story that sets on 19th century. It’s a sad story indeed, with a strong energy formed amongst the casts. No wonder Jonathan Groff got his first Tony nomination from this. I like the simple set of stage which makes us easy to focus on the message that the story brought. “Left Behind” stays forever in my heart, while other numbers such as “The Bitch of Living”, “Totally Fucked”, and “Those You’ve Known” are in my day-to-day playlist. I heard that they’re going to make a musical movie of Spring Awakening. Can’t wait!
Legally Blonde : The Musical that MTV Produced. Definitely a show to grab a teenager market.
Legally Blonde : The Musical. I watched the MTV production just because it got Christian Borle in it. TBH, if it’s not because of him, I feel bored watching this musical that full of high pitch numbers. The only numbers I like that doesn’t have Borle in it is “Whipped Into Shape”. I mean, how can people sing, dance and do jumping ropes at the same time?! Why?! It really left me with an awe when I watched it. I personally think “Take It Like a Man” is the sweetest number between Emmet and Elle. Though, we can see how Emmet was getting fell in love with Elle in “Chip on My Shoulder”. I really love Borle in this numbers. Oh, “There! Right There!” is so hilarious and fresh! But, I really really loath “Omigod You Guys”. Every time this song reprised or sung a bit through out the show, I kinda closed my ears as it’s too “noisy” to me. Sorry, just not my type.
Hairspray. I watched 2005 version of 2002 Broadway bootleg. Again, I watched this version because Andrew Rannells played as Link Larkin. I’ve watched the movie version of Hairspray in which John Travolta, Nikki Blonsky and Zac Efron were cast. Surprisingly, there’s not much difference between the Broadway version and the movie version. Even the numbers are not that different. Well, the reason why I watched the Broadway version was just to see how Andrew played as a straight guy. That’s all. Oh, he’s cute in it, by the way 😛 Considering it’s his Broadway debut, he’s kinda nailed it!
Other than Broadway bootlegs/recordings, I also watched some musicals movies that based on Broadway shows, such as The Prom, Rent, Chicago and Into To Woods. Also, thank you to Smash, a hits TV series, I learned a lot more about Broadway production in fun way. It’s not that it’s bad, but somehow I like more a live performance that Broadway produces. I Imagined the collaboration between the actors, the band, costumes, lightings, stage managers with a very minimum tolerance of mistakes. Thinking about this, every curtain calls in musical show always gives me chills. If it’s not because of the passion, they wouldn’t thrive in such a high pressure nights, 8 times a week for years.
Is it possible? Coz’ I feel like one now. Especially after a year stay at home due to this pandemic. A year with no traveling, meeting friends through video calls or doing groceries by online.
My office enacts the “Work From Home” since March 2020. Starting 2 weeks after that, It was the first time I have an anxiety. I was having a mild depression. I had insomnia for don’t know how many nights. I felt fatigued every night. My eyes became sore and keep excreting gunk whole day. Seeing screens never felt so exhausting and frustrating like then. Some of my close friends who know me try to reach me out coz they know for real that an Extrovert like me would felt so much stressed in this kind of situation. I can say the first 2 months was hard for me. I knew what to do, but it’d mean I had to go out of home, chill in a cafe/bar, meet some friends, etc, which are impossible to do. It felt like I didn’t have much choices and had to accept the truth that I’m going to lose my mind. What a sad, distressing and painful days of my life.
Then I started to read again. A hobby that was somehow forgotten for about more than a year. I remember I started with one of the book that saved my life last year : Filosofi Teras by Henry Manampiring. This book really helped me with the stress management. I learnt about Stoicism and practically since then I practice it day by day. Suddenly I found the way to be happy again in such challenging time. I read and I read. Nonfictions, fictions, histories, autobiographies. It helped my mind to have some rests from the reality and merge into many worlds books could offer. It gave me a lot of new perspectives and reminded me to keep being an open-minded, which really helped me to be grateful somehow. And most importantly, gave me lots lots of idea on how to strive in this situation. Very much needed indeed. I managed to read 24 books since March until the end of 2020.
The books I managed to finish from May – Dec 2020
Then, I started to write again. I remember I started it by writing a journal. From 5 minutes per day before starting to work, to 1 page minimum per day, then suddenly I began to write about my mind a lot. I wrote basically about everything. About things I found in works, or about books I read, and most likely what scared me the most those days. Somehow it helped me to rearrange my scrambled mind. I started to make list on what to achieve during the locked down. Then, I reactivated my blog. I joined a challenge to write everyday for 30 days (you can find my 30-days-writting-challenge here). Writing helped me to find a purpose in such limited situation.
Writings reminded me that I always have a target every year to learn something new. I decided to learned Spanish and Japanese. Also, I learned how to draw. The latter helped to face my old fears. And suddenly I have this second profile on Instagram here where I usually put two things I wanna learn during this time; drawing and story telling. I never imagined before that drawing would help to reduce my anxiety a lot. Sometimes I felt like I got into the zone and snoozing off from the rumble I had in my mind and suddenly felt the serenity within. I learned to appreciate more to the process than the result only. Now, I’m learning the next art I want to master; playing a music instrument. After a long call meeting, I tried to take a deep breath and spent 10 minutes to play or learn a song. It’s surprising me how 10 minutes can make mind and soul so refreshed!
I spent a long time feeling terrible about how unproductive I was being. Then, I spent time trying to forgive myself for all that judgment. Now, I’m just grateful for creativity, whenever it comes and in whatever form.”
Gavin Creel, one of my fav Broadway star, on how to cope during this pandemic that I can 100% relate
Meet Kuro, one of my life savior
So, yeah, basically Reading, Writing and Arts really helped me this past 1 year. Then, I just realized, I’m getting more and more uninterested in going out and meeting people. Not only I’m still kinda afraid with the virus, but it’s like I feel that I can find more happiness and calmness here at home, by myself. When my office announced that the WFH is extended until further notice, there’s a part of me that saying “yaayy!”. Though I know, I’d be delighted seeing my friends again later, I’d be okay to stay like this for a little longer time until everything is much better. Am I turning into an Introvert? Ambivert? Or am I simply adapting? Any ways, I’m enjoying my life and grateful for it.
Reading the whole 600+ pages of his journey, it does indeed feels like an impossible long walk to freedom. All the struggle facing those trials, prison time, separations with family, underestimations, deceptions, and so on.
I loved how detail Mr. Mandela writes about his story. Every little detail. From his childhood to his life during 27.5 years of prison. I can clearly see the shifting mind of your Mandela when he opened his eyes for the first time about the racism that happening around him. I also love how he always put small stories about his personal life. It’s usually just a short one. But, it’s deep, sweet and heartwarming somehow. Reading this book feels like reading someone’s diary. It’s filled with deep personal thoughts and feels. It takes us to a journey in the eye of a child, a teenager, a young lawyer, an inmate, an activist and an nationalist. Both a son and a father of his nation.
From his story, we could see that he wasn’t really aware about the racism and apartheid that’s happening even until when he was in higher education. With his nature of observing and his friends insights, we were brought into Mandela’s opening eyes journey. We were told how he learned from books, friends and even foes.
I always have a thing with a prison story. Mandela told us the whole 2 chapters about his prison tenure for over 27.5 years. The struggle and the never ending fight for both justice and freedom are perfectly pictured in Robben Island : The Dark Years. I really loved how he told the story about his way to trick the warders to get some contrabands (mostly a newspaper) or his fight to get a decent and fair life in prison (Black inmates received worse treatment compared to Indian and Coloured inmates, even in the term of the diets). The way the inmates planned their approached to get sympathy by the warders just to get more times to discuss about their next political moves. But then, the hope started to arise in Robben Island : Beginning to Hope. In this chapter he told us mostly when he was in a house arrest. Not in his own home, though. But a house that is provided by the state, complete with his own chef and swimming pool. He could be visited not only by his family, but mostly by his comrades where they discussed about their fight against the apartheid. It’s really blown my mind away how he never rest, not even a single night, to fight for the freedom of his nation. He’s unbroken and unbendable.
I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.
Nelson Mandela
Freedom is indivisible; the chains on an one of my people were the chains on all of them, the chains on all of my people were the chains on me.
Nelson Mandela
To be honest, politics are never my thing. I sometimes drifted away when reading this part (which basically most part of this book, for sure). But, the way he writes, it’s so simple yet filled with emotions that makes it so easy to understand. It’s in very much detailed that sometimes I wonder, did he kept a journal? how come he can still remember such detail after all this time? I personally think it’s the right book if you want to know the history of how South African fight over freedom and justice. Especially directly from the hands of their main figure.
Okay, this review will be totally subjective. It’s my personal thinking, feeling and experiences during reading this book.
To be honest, all I can say is : I keep being distracted by the development of feelings between Strike and Robin. The book started exactly where it left us in The Career of Evil, Robin’s wedding. This chapter ended very sweet for both of them somehow (OMG, I almost reveal it here and it will be a sweet spoiler! Haha!). The next following chapters, Galbraith (aka JK Rowling) slipped this kind of sweetness from both Robin and Strike. For example when they showed a bit of jealousy when they saw other’s lovers, or when they’re in the middle of something but their mind wondering thinking about each other. Mostly, I giggled suddenly right after I read their analysis or deduction because they did it with full effort to put their focus not to each other.
Sometimes, I didn’t catch up with the case that I need to re-read some passages back. Or, I just drifted away with the hope I’d soon read about those two. And I felt more excited about them than the case itself. Oops. Not complaining tho. It’s just my way to enjoy this book.
Maybe because of this I didn’t really take a note about the other characters. The development felt too shallow. Even when the truth is finally revealed, I didn’t feel the excitement. Or maybe is it because too many characters ? We have Chiswell’s family and friends, the trio Geraint Winn-Della Winn-Aamir Malik and their acquaintance, Jimmy-Billy-Flick and their comrades and not to mention Strikes and Robin’s families and friends who are come and go in this book. I also felt like there are some chapters or stories that actually don’t relate to the case and make the story dragged too far. For example when Strike needs to take care of his nephew (although this part leads to my fav moment of Strike & Robin 😀 ) and I still don’t get the point why Robert needs to mention Charlotte too much in this book. I know maybe it’s meant to show the conflict of what strike has inside his heart. But, still, it’s too much.
So yeah, I will only recommend this book series to you who want to get a fresh feel of a detective stories. Or to you whom I know are the fans of JK Rowling (tho, after her “incident” in Twitter, it won’t be that many).
My Verdict :
Story Plot : 3.0/5.0
Characters Development : 3.5/5.0
Overall : 3.25/5.0
Primadisya's Locus Pocus 