Thanks God. This morning someone from NTU’s Office of Admission and Financial Aid phoned me and said that they’re going to award me the ASEAN Scholarship (one I’ve chosen in my interview), she told me to open my email and confirm my scholarship acceptance. As written in NTU’s site, ASEAN Scholarship will cover the tuition fee (after Tuition Grant Scheme) and also a living allowance at 4300SGD per annum. There’s no other bond attached to this scholarship, so the only bond subjected to me is the Tuition-Grant-Scheme’s bond (3 year working at any registered Singaporean company), that’s why I choose ASEAN Scholarship, while the other “higher-money-scholarship” like SEMBCORP Scholarship attached longer bond. I’m figuring that maybe I can completing the bond when I take my Ph.D programme later, so in my dream when I get 26 I will have taken Ph.D title and completed my bond. But once again thanks God to give me this opportunity.

Wow! It’s a great experience to go abroad alone for the first time.

I have a trip to Singapore in 25-26 September 2007, it’s about my scholarship interview at NTU 26 September 2007.

You can find out the photos here.

This noon, after taking an English course in Mr. Chriswan’s house, I went to Istana Plaza, I was going to have a lunch with Mr.KuangSin and Mr.EnTay at Hanamasa (thanks to Mr.KuangSin who paid for all the meal, he said it is to celebrate my medal in IOI and Mr.EnTay’s success that had triggered me before).

But, surprisingly just before I came to Istana Plaza, my friend messaged me that D’Cinnamons will perform live in Istana Plaza at 1 PM, and when I came to Istana Plaza it really happened, and happily I also met Mr.Yakum Ambrosius (my music teacher in SMAK1) who is Bona’s father, if my memory serves me well, there were about 5 songs that were played live that day. It was a great experience to see D’Cinnamons live on stage, Dodo’s vocal really awesome (remind me of Sheril Crow, Marie Fredriksson, Dolores O’ Riordan) and also the acoustic playing was one of the best I’ve ever listened to.

Well, if you are interested in D’Cinnamons lyrics, you can click here, I’ve googled half of this and written the other half myself.

(thanks for Mr. Chriswan Sungkono’s corrections)

A cigarette that bears a lipstick’s traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you

A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fairground’s painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you

You came, you saw, you conquered me
When you did that to me
I knew somehow this had to be

The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings but who’s to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things remind me of you

The scent of smoldering leaves the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Oh how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things
Remind me of you

How strange, how sweet, to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you so near to me

The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh how the ghost of you clings
These foolish things
Remind me of you
Remind me of you
Remind me of you

[Jheena Lodwick - These Foolish Things]

Hmm, in order to improve my english skill, I think it will be better for me to start writing in English, including in this blog. So, welcome to my “new languaged” blog. Enjoy it!

(Thanks also for Mr.Chriswan Sungkono who have encouraged me to do this, glad to learn English from you)

SMAK 1 BPK PENABUR sejauh ini sudah pernah memiliki 3 wakil untuk ajang International Olympiad in Informatics. Ferdinand Fadil (IOI 1996), Johan Mustika Kartiwa (IOI 1997-2001, Bronze Medallist IOI 2000), dan terakhir saya sendiri. Kalau dilihat kok tampaknya gak ada polanya ya? Alias, kok gak ada regenerasi ya? Masalahnya dimana? Salut ama SMA Kanisius Jakarta yang menurut saya sejauh ini memiliki regenerasi terbaik dalam bidang informatika, sebut saja sejak tahun 2002 hingga 2007 selalu ada wakil TOKI untuk IOI yang berasal dari sekolah di Jalan Menteng ini. Selain itu emas pertama dan satu-satunya hingga saat ini pun a.n. Andy Kurnia adalah siswa SMA Kanisius.

Apakah SMAK 1 BPK PENABUR kekurangan anak-anak berbakat? Menurut saya tidak, namun mungkin “gelora” akan Olimpiade Informatika yang masih kurang bergema di sekolah saya tercinta itu. Tahun ajaran ini (2007-2008) Pak EnTay kembali mengajar dasar pemrograman Pascal sebagai ekstrakurikuler di SMAK 1, semoga hal ini bisa menumbuhkan “gelora” tersebut, seperti telah dia lakukan pada saya sendiri pada tahun 2002-2003. Well, untuk beberapa yang berbakat dan serius untuk olimpiade, mungkin saya bisa bantu-bantu kaya taun lalu lagi (dan tampaknya taun ini dibantu oleh Kevin Tanadi, IOI 2006). Intinya, semoga di OSN 2008 terpampang beberapa nama siswa/i SMAK 1 BPK PENABUR Bandung. Go Get Gold!

Wow! Pengalaman menarik selama di IOI 2007 kemarin. Setidaknya gw bertemu dengan dua tokoh olimpiade informatika yang sebelumnya paling kenal via email atau situs.

Foto sebelah kiri bersama Brian Dean (Director of USA Computing Olympiad), namanya unik sama tuh ama gw, hehe…

Foto sebelah kanan bersama Rob Kolstad (USA Computing Olympiad Coach, one of the most popular person in the world of online contest by his gate –> ace.delos.com, and actually I learned much from that gate).

Do You Know Me? CLICK HERE

Thanks buat yang meluangkan waktu untuk mengisi FriendTest Brian ^_^

“Saat dimana kita harus memilih adalah saat tersulit dalam hidup…”

Di kala hati resah seribu ragu datang memaksaku
Rindu semakin menyerang kalaulah aku dapat membaca pikiranmu
Dengan sayap pengharapanku ingin terbang jauh

Biar awan pun gelisah
Daun daun jatuh berguguran
Namun cintamu kasih
Terbit laksana bintang yang bersinar cerah menerangi jiwaku

Andaikan kudapat mengungkapkan perasaanku
Hingga membuat kau percaya
Akan kuberikan seutuhnya rasa cintaku selamanya
Selamanya…

[D’Cinnamons - Selamanya Cinta]

D’Cinnamons is an Indonesian unplugged-acoustic band established in September 2004. The band consist of 3 members, 2 female and 1 male, Dodo (Lead Vocal and Rhythms), Bona (Lead Guitar and Vocal), and Laut (Acoustic Bass and Vocal). Their debut album “Good Morning” released in early of 2007 with their first single “Loving You”. (taken from wikipedia)

Dengan bangga dan senang gw memperkenalkan sebuah group musik baru asal Bandung nih : D’Cinnamons. Pertama kali mendengar lagu mereka sekitar setengah taun yang lalu di salah satu stasiun televisi (waktu itu adalah debut mereka Loving You dari album Good Morning). Yang unik dari group ini adalah : pertama - mereka berasal dari kota Bandung, kedua - suara vokalisnya menurut gw sangat menarik (mirip cangkoknya vokalis Cranberries), ketiga - salah satu personilnya (Bona) adalah putra dari mantan guru musik saya di SMAK 1 BPK PENABUR Bandung (Pak Yakum Ambrosius). Pokoknya tepuk tangan deh buat group ini! Kepada yang belum kenal (belum pernah denger lagu-lagunya) gw anjurin untuk coba. Perkenalan bisa dimulai dari dua hits unggulan (menurut gw) Loving You dan Selamanya Cinta (single hits, soundtrack film layar lebar CinTaPuccino).