Today is the last 24 hours of 2011. If I can choose what would I do, I would like to stay in my room, blogging all day long, writing things of my head, while enjoying some hot chocolate to begin with in this cold weather, some light content book to enjoy and taking some pictures of the last moments in 2011.
Too bad, the reality speaks louder. I have to work just like in 1 hour for the Count Down Event 2011. Well, good luck. And Happy New Year everyone!
Hi, blogger! It's already December 28th, 2011 which means.. it's new year resolution time! Cannot believe that one year passed this fast. It's too fast, you know. I always make a new year resolution every year and post it on my blog, but the thing is, I heard rumor that from tomorrow until 5th January, there will be no internet connection in AP House, so I decide to make this post earlier.
Well, let's see. Year of 2011. A lot of things happened. I can say, 2011 was a colorful year. Lots of joyfulness, happiness, laugh, smiles, and also cries. I feel that I grown up through the year somehow.
Some highlights of 2011:
My family visited me in Japan. We went to Fukuoka together and me and my brother went to Kansai Area (Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe) on February 2011.
I was selected to be one of the SAS Student Staff
Indonesian Week 2011 which was so great
Then, I was selected as one of the Resident Assistant
I went home to Indonesia! Also, I traveled to Jogja and Bali with my sharemate and my Japanese friend! =)
I traveled a lot (Fukuoka, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Nagasaki, Kumamoto)
Some bad things?
Hmm, let me think. Well, maybe I was too busy through out this year that I cannot spend my time with my closest friends as much as I wanted to. And also, one of my relative passed away just like a couple weeks ago.
Here is my last year resolution. Wondering whether I did all my resolution or not.
1. Get Straight-A (and scholarship)-> okay, I failed to achieve this. Twice I applied for scholarship, twice I got rejected. And no straight A for me, yet.
2. Learn Korean Language-> hmm, it's kind of difficult to say. I learnt some phrases and I can read hangeul, but still I haven't learnt that much about Korean Language.
3. Better luck in my love life -> No boyfriend for me, but believe me, at least I got something that worth to remember ;)
4. Be a more talkative Maya -> I think I am a little bit more talkative than the last year Maya. Thanks to the all activities I joined so far such as SAS, RA, etc. I tried my best you know, to be more talkative Maya.
5. Mastering the Japanese -> Still not that master, I still cannot remember all those difficult vocab, Kanji and grammar, but I'm getting there.
6. Be better Maya. Better personality. Better style.-> People said my style changed. It becomes more girly and lady-like. Then, does it count? I guess so.
I can say, this year was kind of successful for me. I changed through out the year, to be a better me. Well, then, it's time for to write down my new year resolution:
1. Change My Hairstyle Long hair with a bang. This is my style since like forever. I want to change my hairstyle this year. Maybe some wavy look? Or short hair? Perm? Still don't know.
2. Get Scholarship Still the same me, aiming for straight As and scholarship. Well, I'll do my best for this.
3. Update This Blog Regularly My absence for 3 months was unacceptable for me. Come on, where is that little girl that love to write more than anything? At least I should update this blog once a month.
4. Travel More Explore the world. Maybe South Korea? Tokyo? Mount Fuji? Hokkaido? or even China and Thailand? And I absolutely wouldn't say no for Europe.
5. Take JLPT N2 Already plan this, so I should focus on it.
6. Save more! Okay, I have to admit that I spent too much recently. So, this is one of my biggest resolution, I should save more next year! At least, learn to control myself to not buy unnecessary things.
7. Better In Cooking To begin with, I am not really good in cooking and I kept feeding myself this past a year and a half with some instant foods. So, my new resolution is to be better in cooking, at least try a new recipe once a month.
8. More Stylish, Maybe? Well, next year, I am gonna be 20 and I think it's time for me to be more stylish =)
This year I didn't put anything about love in my resolution. Doesn't mean I don't need them, I just.. want to focus more about something else rather than that. Just like I posted on my previous post, love is not about boyfriend and girlfriend, love is everywhere, forming in different things. And also, next year is going to be my 20th birthday! Oh. My. God. I am turning into adult. No, I am not ready yet.
Then, for everyone that keep reading this blog, thank you!
Happy New Year 2012 for all of you regardless your place, time, etc.
Hi, blogger! Few more days left until the end of the year.
I just finished cleaning up my room, it becomes so comfy now. Well, people can see whether I am stress or not by coming to my room. More stress I am, the messier my room would be. Anyway, recently, I feel that I really enjoy my life, really.
I mean, I don't think I have more to ask. For now, my life is good. Not perfect, but nice. Let's see what I have so far. I living on my dream, studying in Japan, which is my dream, then I can learn Japanese, the language that I always wanted to learn from the first time I learnt it in junior high school. Having Japanese friends and talk with them about almost everything. Being an SAS Student Staff and learn new staff. Selected as one of the Resident Assistant and being in charge in M Building and have a fine communication with my partner.
From my room, every morning, I see a beautiful sun rise. In the night, when I lay down on my comfy bed, I sleep while seeing the beautiful moon and hundred of stars. I can see the sparkle of city night, amazing night sky, shooting stars and eclipse from my window when the sun goes down and see Beppu and Oita City, the blue sky and the deep blue sea in the day light.
I have a warm family that always support me and waiting for me back home in Indonesia. I have one big brother that even though sometimes he's so annoying that makes me want to punch him to shut him up, but really care and nice to me. A mother that loves me so much, and a father that always back me up and give me his hand whenever I fall in life.
What should I ask more about? I used to think that life is unfair because I never had luck in my love life. But, when I see around, love is everywhere. It's on the air but not a lot of people realize that it's always hanging there. Love from my friends. Laughing until I cry with them when things is not right. Doing silly things and still love every minutes of it. Getting Christmas Event from my sharemate. Having best friends from junior high school that even though we are separated by thousands miles we still keep in touch with each other, and when we see each other, we still have things and things to talk and laugh about.
Talking about the true essence of friend, I remember when I was in high school, I failed all my AS Level Exams even though I studied too hard on it. As of my disappointment, I cried and cried at my favorite place near the music room. Then, I was so surprised that one by one, my classmates came and be there for me. That time, it was my first time I realized that having friend is amazing.
As now I am far from home, my friends are people that would give me hand when I fall and back me up. Not because some bad things happen in life, I should forget that when I turn back my head, I have friends and family that will always be there, giving me strength and love I need to continue my life.
Having all this amazing stuffs just in front of my eyes, that is why, I never dare to whine. God gives so much to me so it's so unfair if I ask more and whine about something that I already have. Instead, I want to be glad for everything. For having such a great life. For having such a warm and caring family. For having amazing friends.
I just got back from Kumamoto for some shopping and sightseeing on this White Christmas Day. Me and two of my friends went to Kumamoto Castle and Suisenji Park which was so great. Also, I had fun a lot with my friends.
I do travel a lot. In Japan, I've been to about 9 prefectures so far. As long as I remember, since I was little, my family travel a lot. During my years in Pittsburgh, I never had memories that's not filled with traveling around States. Every summer, winter, breaks.. we did travel. Washington D.C, New York, Florida, etc. My dad brought us to amazing places in States, while driving our blue car back then. In my home, there are bunch of photo album full with photos from our journeys.
In Indonesia, sometimes we travel as well. My parents hometown, East Java, Bali, Jogja, etc. And we did travel to Singapore. Once, before I headed off to APU, me and my mom traveled to Hong Kong and China. All the travel experiences make me love traveling so much.
Today, as I headed of back to Beppu from Kumamoto by bus, I looked outside the window. A lot of buildings and even super centers that reminded me a lot with America somehow, and also my family and our journeys there. When was the last time me and my whole family traveled together?
Oh it's last February, when they visited me here in Japan and the four of us went to Fukuoka for a one-day-sightseeing trip.
Hi, blogger, it's me again. It's been a while since the last time I post a blog post last September, so when I start to write again, I cannot stop the feeling to write and write again. I was terribly busy for the last 3 months.
Last summer, I read an amazing book that become one of my favorite books. It's One Day by David Nicholas. The story about a girl named Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew who met for the first time on July 15th, 1988. Then the story continues of what they do on that day for the next year and the more years to come, until 20 years long. It is really a nice love story for me, because without their realize, they think about each other on that long time.
What I really like about this story is that, this story is very realistic. Very very realistic. It shows how a relationship between two people will gradually change after some years. I can relate myself very much. After the end of something (graduation, occasion), people tend to walk in their own way. They will not be a lot of communication until they are not keeping touch anymore.
After some years, I lost contact with several people. People move on with their life, and we gradually become their past and vice versa. Isn't it sad?
Unexpected things happen. Life changes. There will be a day that you come back to somewhere or places where you couldn't remember anything but memories. Isn't it interesting? People meet, people say goodbye. But that's life. No need to be sad, no need to shed tears. Just be glad and live through of it.
Hi blogger, do you ever felt that you start to be able handle almost everything by yourself and do not need other's help if it's not that necessary?
Well, this is what bothers me recently. Before I came to Japan, I was able to take care of myself and handle certain situation. But because of my parents's presents, sometimes when I need things, I still able to ask my parents to help me.
Living alone in Japan, I became more independent than before. I did all my work by myself. I decided what should I do for my day. I decide my own decision and when things get wrong, I'll get the consequences and learn my lesson. I try not to depend on other people as others are also try to survive living alone as well. I learn about life here.
For me, as long I can do things by myself, I don't think I need help from others and become such a burden for them. But, when I cannot handle it no more, I always ask for help. From that point, I seem like I don't need other people, because I always do my things by myself. It seems a very good thing. But in the other side..
...not all people know that being independent is lonely.
People think I don't need other people because I can handle things by myself.
But I think, independent people are the ones that need people's help the most.
Hi, blogger, wherever you are in this world, it's me again, Maya.
It's December 23rd already. 8 more days to New Year and 2 more days to Christmas. Well, tomorrow is gonna be the Christmas Eve. Anyway, tonight and tomorrow is the Beppu Christmas Fireworks, the difference is that tonight is for families and friends while tomorrow will be for couples (yeah, I know). The fireworks was so beautiful.
Anyway, that is not the main point I wanted to write here. This year, I did plenty of things related with Christmas. I did Christmas Party with kids for SAS Event, I went to Christmas Fireworks, etc. And in fact, I quite enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, I don't celebrate Christmas, because I am not Christian. But, these all Christmas Carol reminds me a lot with my childhood and my family.
I spent my early years in America. And in my opinion, Christmas is just so western. I can say, I partly grew up with this culture.
Whenever I heard the word "Christmas" or see a Christmas Tree, I always remember about one memory. During Christmas when I was in Pittsburgh, I really wondered why my family did not put Christmas Tree inside our small apartment, unlike all my other friends and classmates. I thought in that time, that if my family didn't put and decorate Christmas Tree with Christmas ornaments, I cannot tell my friends about it in the other day.
So, I asked my parents to get a Christmas Tree as well, without knowing that actually our family do not celebrate it. My older brother, who did not want to see my crying face, draw a big Christmas Tree with beautiful ornaments and put it on the wall. He succeeded to make me smile.
And then, Christmas Day came. Because all my other friend was talking about Santa Claus and what kind of presents they will get, I expected that I was also going to get something for Christmas. I believed in Santa Claus so much. Then, just like other days, I did not see any present on that day. So I asked my older brother.
"Where's Santa? Did he forget about me?"
Being asked like that, all my older brother can do was nothing but telling me a make up story.
"He did come," "He did?" "Yes, but he cannot get into the apartment because you were asleep and unable to open the front door for him,"
I believed it. Later on my life, I realized that it was only a lie that being told by my brother to escape me from a disappointment. But, I am glad he lied. It shows that my brother cared about my feeling so much.
Went back to Indonesia, I learnt that I am not Christian, that is why I do not celebrate Christmas. After 12 years lived in Indonesia, here I am, living in Japan. Then, it's almost Christmas that everywhere I go, I hear Christmas Carol. And I remember my childhood. I remember the warmth of my small family back then. That is why, I always smile whenever I have to do Christmas-related things. Not because I want to be Christian and celebrate it. But deep inside my heart, it makes me smile and reminds me of my childhood and my family.
Hi, blogger! Wherever you are now, this is me again, Maya. It's getting freaking cold in Japan, especially in APU because my university (and also my dorm as well) located on the top of the mountain. So.. you can imagine how cold could it be.
Anyway.. In this freezing weather, suddenly I remembered last summer. The heat and the humid. The sun that made my Indonesian skin even tanner. The busyness that made me do my work very fast. Everything seemed so fast, fast and fast.
The blue sky and the green hills. Sound of hundreds of summer insects just like the nature sang summer song for me. The summer breeze smell so nice and lift up my spirit. Went through colorful days that made by people around me. Chasing one dream that I know I can make it. The smile of midsummer night, that will be remembered in the rest of my life. Believing for once more, dancing as the sun set down. The road on the beach, hoping the summer never ended.
Hi, blogger. I am sorry that I was too busy to update this blog for these past several months. Again with me here, Maya.
It's already winter in Japan, my favorite season of all, even though it's so cold and stuffs, but I love winter. I think about a lot of think recently, moreover, my future after I graduate from APU. To be honest, actually, spending 4 years in APU is not enough for me. I want to try more and more things and explore about everything.
This thought came up into my mind recently, when I started watching my friends from all different nationalities started their job-hunting. Seeing them busy on campus wearing black suits, attending bunch of job-hunting seminars and interviews. Also, their Japanese becomes really really good. I started to think that having several years job experience in Japan must be a wonderful thing. Not a lot of people can experience this such of thing. I really want to try to do job-hunting in Japan, as that is most of my friends' reason studying in APU. Especially when I really love and enjoy every minute of my life in Japan like right now.
This afternoon, suddenly my brother called me on Skype, bringing a news that one of my relatives passed away. He is my father's uncle and just like my own grandfather for me. I've known him from I was a kid, and last summer, when I went back to Indonesia, I still had a chance to see and meet him and his condition was very great back then. I was so shocked that suddenly he left us. I was so shocked that last summer was my last time to see him alive.
Losing someone always a painful experience and I know, I will experience this again and again as I am getting older. It is so different when I heard this news in Japan, not in Indonesia. I mean, in Indonesia, we will go straight away to Madura, my parent's hometown and see him for the last time before they burry them. But here in Japan, I only can get the news through Skype, with a little of details and there was nothing I can do except pray for him in my own little room in my dorm.
As I think about that, I re-think my future. And think of my parents, who got older day by day. What if they will be the next? In the end, I realized that I cannot leave them. I cannot leave my family, who are waiting for me at home right now.
Hi, blogger! It's me Maya. It's been a very long time, right?
Well, here I am. Back in Beppu, after went back to Indonesia for about 25 days. Going back to Indonesia turned out to be something that I did not expected before. I thought, I would be so-damn missed my home country that I will not even think of going back to Japan. The thing is, strangely enough, I felt that it was another trip. You know what I mean. Suddenly, I do not feel as if my home is.. my home.
It was not about I am not being nationalize about my own country. I really love my own country, really. But, I think Beppu starts to growing inside me. After couple of days, I started to miss Beppu very much. Feel strange, eh? I don't know why but I feel like my life in Beppu is full of memories. And when I went back to Indonesia, I felt like I've never leaved that place, as if all the memories of this one year in Japan was only a sweet dream.
Beppu feels pretty much like my second home. And I really meant it. I know sometimes things were not easy here. I faced lots of problems and difficulties during my first year, but it did not keep me from fight it back. Does it mean that I fell in love with this small city?
When I came back to Beppu, I just can't wait. Suddenly I got excited all over again. Green trees, blue sky, clean and fresh air, sound of summer.. I really love them. I rarely see beautiful blue sky in Indonesia, but I see it almost everyday in Beppu. I can see it from my window and I really really love looking at the blue sky.
Coming back to Beppu, feel like I become myself all over again. And maybe the best of all when you heard people saying 「おかえりなさい」or 'welcome back!' to you. When I just arrived in Beppu, I decided to go to the campus to enjoy the nature of Beppu.
I miss the blue sky.
The green trees.
The fresh and clean air.
The sound of summer.
The sunshine.
The view of sea and Beppu city.
The summer breeze.
I still cannot imagine when I have to leave this place when I graduate on September 2014.
I wish the time will pass slowly here. Then, I can create more and more memories and live my life to the fullest here. I wish things won't change. And the 19-years-old me will keep loving this place.
Hi blogger, this is me, Maya! It's been awhile since the last post I posted, right?
However, things in Japan still the same. Hot weather, busy schedule, excitement and joyful. From July 4 - 8, 2011 was Indonesian Week 2011 in APU. I really love that week because for a whole week, all Indonesian students spread the Indonesian atmosphere in APU through introducing our cultures. On July 4 we had Parade in APU Fountain, July 5 we had One Night in Nusantara, July 7 we had Batik Class and July 8 we had Grand Performance in APU Millennium Hall.
This was my first Indonesian Week and I joined Choir. We sang "Si Patokaan" and "He Yamko Rambe Yamko". The choir practice was so much fun that I realized one thing. Friends are amazing. Without them, I cannot enjoy the practice.
A lot of joy and happiness through this week. I really enjoyed introducing my country to international people.
And here it came the Grand Performance. It's so crazy that people start to line up like about 3 hours before the main gate was opened! You can watch it through Ustream! ;) I'll give the link afterwards. Just keep reading haha.
I learnt a lot from this event and I got a lot of valuable experiences and memories as well. I got a lot of new friends. I performed three times (included the credit part). Opening Dance, Choir and Credit Part haha.
It is recommended if you watch it here. You must wondering what kind of performances that could make people waiting in line for 3 hours. And all of them are made by Indonesian Community (APUIna) APU. So proud ;)
You know, when I was in Pittsburgh, summer was my favorite weather. It's sunny, has a clear blue sky and it's holiday time! Wearing glasses, short pants, going to beach and relaxing while watching summer movies. Summer vacation in USA is the best vacation ever. You can feel what it called 'holiday' for real. Anyway, living in Indonesia for 12 years afterwards did not change my perspective at all. But, in Indonesia, most of the time the weather is hot like summer, so when it comes to June ~ July, it's just like any other day.
Living in Japan, all my perspective changed in this week. Where are those beautiful summer days? Where are those excitement about summer? Where are those relax days with some summer movies and holiday? It's BOILING here. Seriously. The weather is extremely hot and I have to walk around the campus, being under direct sun for at least 15 minutes and always made me dizzy afterwards.
I think weather in Indonesia is better, or summer in USA? Kind of shock this week, I cannot stand the heat even though I am from Indonesia. And the classes still keep going and going. I want to wish that August will come fast but it means, the weather will be way hotter and hotter and I have to do fasting in this hellish weather before going back to Indonesia. The only thing I love about this weather is I can wear dresses and girly things I like.
Hope it will be better and I can have my summertime.
Hi, blogger! How are you? This is me, Maya. Now, I already 19 years old. What I really want to do in this new age is to be better Maya. On age of 18, I learnt a lot of things. Lesson of life. How person that you believed so much could betray you so easily, how is it like to live independently, how hard to figure out who you really are, how frustrated to try to fulfill everyone's expectation on you, etc.
But, I can feel that I'm changing through this one year, in the good way. I became stronger and be more independent. I also became more considerate of others as well. And I want to be needed by people. Strange, eh? I mean, it's so strange that after one year, I could change that much. But, do not worry, I'm still the same old Maya. Really =)
By the way, focus on the main topic, I never thought people will remember my birthday. Getting used to be forgotten by some people make me do not have any expectation people will remember my birthday. But, then, I got 5 surprises! I was so shocked!
During SAS Staff Meeting, my team leader told everyone the next day is my birthday and with everyone, they sang "Happy Birthday" to me and even gave me present.
On my birthday, my friends told my Japanese Teacher that I had birthday and together with all my classmates, they sang "Happy Birthday" for me.
In my dorm, suddenly I got surprised from my floor mates until I cried. I was under a huge pressure because of the event I had to work on and I was the floor leader. Suddenly they made a board consists of their messages and they even made me Pisang Goreng with Ice Cream =')
From APU Ina, they came to my room and brought a very nice chocolate cake. So, happy.
My friend from Vietnam made me egg pudding for me.
The reason why I wrote this blog post is not showing off that a lot of people gave me surprises. I just want to say thank you from the deepest part of my heart. I never had people that remember my birthday so many before. I already got used to being left out and forgotten, so I was so happy that I cannot even describe how I appreciate it so much. I want to treasure it.
Thank you everyone, you guys cannot imagine how I really happy about it that I could cry. Thank you very much! :)
Today is my birthday. Now I am officially 19th years old. Feel strange. I almost 20. The thing is, this is my very first birthday miles away from my home, my family, my childhood and teenage-hood friends. Surrounded by new environment and culture and new people. And those people are not the same nationality with me. It feels so.. strange in someway. Haha.
Why people celebrate birthday? Why people so excited for celebrating people birthday? Why people are excited about their own birthday? Through my way to classes today, I met people who say happy birthday to me. My facebook walls, twitter and skype full with celebration words. During my part-time job and my Japanese Class, people sang Happy Birthday song to me. You know, that was very very great. I really love it.
The more people say happy birthday to me, the more I am wondering why birthday is so special? Today is no different with yesterday or the day before. There are people who are lucky enough that others remember their birthday and willing to say happy birthday and even give presents, but the other hand, there are people who does not have anybody who remember their birthday. Isn't it unfair?
Why birthday is so special still be a big mystery for me. Wow, I should majoring in philosophy or psychology back then haha.
By the way, cannot help but feel so thankful for everybody who remember my birthday. It does really mean to me. Thank you everyone! :]
Hi, blogger! How's your doing? Wherever you are, reading this post, just want to let you know that this is my last minutes of being 18. My life through this one year are cool, unexpected and a lot of drama.
I cannot explain too much because I want to post this before 00:00 and it's almost the time. I just want to be better Maya in this new age. Actually, I will not automatically changes when the clock strike to 00:00. It will take a lot of process, difficulties and painful experiences. But, I am still hanging there.
Hope I will have a better life without forgetting that the life I have up until now is awesome. The current me is the combination of all the people I met during my life. So thank you everyone.
Hi blogger! This is Maya, struggling in studying for 5 subjects for the upcoming exams :P
I went to Nagasaki last weekend for Nagasaki Peace Tour. I learnt a lot of things during this tour. Meeting new friends, listening to the real story of the atomic bomb survivor and went to the real place where the bomb was dropped (hypo center).
Never really thought about it before, but I never realize the bomb effect would be this.. great. This.. sad. I also read a book about a compilation of Nagasaki atomic bomb survivals testimonials and I almost cried. It's just so real and so painful.
What I like from Nagasaki, its city's architecture is derived from Western style's Holland. It is because of the Japanese historical aspect where during the Edo Period, Japan was under such an isolation system where Japanese cannot leaved Japan and foreigner cannot enter Japan. The only place they can enter was Nagasaki, that's why a lot of western style architecture in Nagasaki ;)
I just very surprised when the next morning, our Peace Tour Activity was reported on 3 different big-scale Japanese newspaper! Wow! Then, we had like an exchange program talking about peace and what should we do to improve peace with high school students from Nagasaki.
This one was the most interesting one. We were assigned to get as much as possible signature from people who passing by in Nagasaki Station. The program is called 10,000 signatures by high schools in Nagasaki. They always gathering signatures every week, even though it is sunny or rainy days. They have been doing this for almost 10 years if I didn't make mistake.
This Nagasaki Peace Tour were a great experience for me! I wish I can come back to Nagasaki someday. Maybe go to Sasebo which is beautiful.
Right now it's Quarter Break, but I have lots of things to do. By the way, it's already June and I love June! :D
Hi, blogger! How are you? It's me Maya. This semester I'm extremely busy that I cannot post a lot. But, when I find a free time, I'll try to post some blog post again =) Of course I'll tell you why I am so busy in my next post.
My friend took a portrait of mine yesterday and it turned out I really like it. He is my partner for World Festival Floor Leader. Cannot write a lot right now, because I still have like 9 reports to do for Health Science. I'll post more! Just wish me luck! =D
Hi, all the blogger who read my blog! How are you guys?
Since I came to APU, I don't know why but it seems that my life turned out to be a life of a dancer lol. I danced a lot here, danced not only Indonesian Dance, but also another country's dance.
I am not a dancer, I never took any dance class in my entire life. When I was in junior high school, I learnt two Indonesian Traditional Dances from my bestfriend and that's it. I never danced ever since that day. It's been almost 6 years since the last time I learnt how to dance from my bestfriend (she is a true dancer).
I wanted to take Ballet Class back then when I was in Indonesia, but I am not confident enough to tell my parents. I like seeing people dancing, they look so beautiful in my opinion. I want to learn how to dance so gracefully. I also watched Hwang Jin-Yi (Korean TV Drama) and the lead actress danced very very good. They influenced me to learn dancing.
When I came to APU, I learnt some dances: 1. Piring Dance
Piring Dance is from Sumatera, Indonesia. I used plate in this dance. First, it's kinda difficult to do this dance because I had to keep the plate stay still on my hand. It's not a rare thing that the plate keep falling from my hand during the practice.
2. Taiwanese Nature Dance
This Nature Dance is from Taiwan, it is a mix between Taiwanese Traditional Dance and Classic Ballet Dance. I like the choreography, it is so graceful. It is so nice to learnt other country's dance.
3. Saman Dance
You can also watch the performance over here:
This dance is really famous, it's from Aceh, Indonesia (remember Tsunami 2004?). It's famous for the speed. We sat for about 10 minutes and use our hands at fast speed to do the dance.
The first video was from the Entrance Ceremony for Spring New Students in APU (1st April 2011) and the second video was from the APU-Nest : Pray For Japan (Charity for Japan's Great Earthquake & Tsunami) at Beppu Station (2nd April 2011) and you can watch my performance from 3:58 in the second video.
For Saman Dance, I did some 'research'. I watched more than ten Saman's videos. And.. I learnt some lesson from that.
Saman is not about how fast the movement nor how difficult the choreography.
I saw a lot of videos that showing the dancers are smiling.. but they don't smile from inside.
I saw a lot of dancers only danced with their body, and left out their heart.
What is it being a dancer?
It's dancing with your heart.
That's what I really want to do as a dancer. I want to dance with my heart, that's why I try to smile as bright as I could when I dance. I want the audience not only enjoying my dance, but also dancing in their heart.
During the rehearsal for entrance ceremony, nobody gave me an applause; I thought my dancing was not that enjoyable anymore. But, when the day I performed, I heard more than one thousands people applause for our dance, I cannot hold back my tears. That's the honor for being a dancer.
I am not a professional dancer, but I love dancing. It's a place where I can express my feeling, through my dancing. I still have a lot of things to learn, and I think, I won't stop dancing. I am not a very good dancer, I didn't even go to dance class. I just want to dance and dance. That's all.
