Walk, Walk, Indonesian Fashion, Baby

Toward the end of last February I had the opportunity of being one of the hundreds of volunteers recruited to work on the first ever Indonesia Fashion Week! Yes, it's been a while since the actual event but I just didn't have the chance to write the details up on here until now.

The Week took place for four days, from Feb. 23-26 at the the Jakarta Convention Center. The Fashion Week included a range of activities besides the actual fashion shows, such as an all-day exhibition, talk shows, and seminars. Every activity ,of course, centered around the topic of fashion. There were also not only one but two show arenas, the main one being held in the Plenary Hall (usually showing the bigger, more established couture Indonesian designers) and the other show venue at the Assembly Hall. Both held shows simultaneously. 

At first I felt it was a shame that I didn't get to work on the fashion shows as the backstage crew, where most volunteers ended up being runners, which basically helped the run of the shows when they were showing. I got tossed to the Lobby Division, where the other activities were being handled and ended up as Liaison Officer for the fashion seminars. But it turns out we got a better bargain than those who actually ended up backstage because they had more tedious work, longer hours, and less time to enjoy the event. 

I did end up helping out the entrance to the Assembly Hall fashion shows whenever we weren't handling anything and had extra hands to help out other areas, so I was able to go backstage, sneak in and out of the stage area whenever I pleased (for the event's security reasons, of course, ahem) and see the collections. Aside from that, though, I would never want to do that part of the job again. EVER. 

Do you know what it's like when you try to deny access to a sassy, rude, gay man who then tries taking a picture of your face because he wanted to file a complaint to the higher authorities above you? Or to a possy of the designer's socialite friends running late and one of them is a middle-aged woman half your size who tries to barge into the venue through any entrance she can get passed? Or to a white expatriate wanting to get in and speaking perfect English, then suddenly whispering your native language while trying to negotiate the "right price" for an invite in? It's not fun. It was interesting, though, to see how these supposedly "classy people" get in a fit and start acting like hicks just because they weren't allowed in once the show had already started - even with an invite in hand. There were insults thrown, even tears shed! I think now I know what it feels like to be a club bouncer, only times a thousand.

On a lighter note, the best parts of having this experience were the new friends and acquaintances I made and how much fun I had getting to work on something different every day. Everyone I met on the job was so cool and easy to get along with. I'm not much of the office hours type and am easily bored, so this job was kind of great. We were also allowed inside onto the tribunes of the last main fashion show every night. It was basically to fill in all the gaps in the room but, hey, when else will I ever get the chance to see haute couture first hand? I'm hoping some day when I'm rich and famous I'll be able to go front row, but in the mean time this seemed like a good compromise.

I could have even watched the Anne Avantie grand finale show if I wanted to because we were still allowed in just like every night before, but I ended up skipping because I was too tired and frozen up (the air conditioning in that building is insane!). I hung out with some of the other crew drinking hot cocoa outside once the show had started. But I have a slight idea of how amazing it was. Before the show, we were free so we got stationed along the passage to the main Plenary Hall's backstage to usher the models in the right direction. Being Anne Avantie and being the last show of the Week, it was a major spectacle. Anne decided to use Indonesian actors and actresses as well as regular models to do her show, so there were reporters and TV crews all over the walk to cover the backstage and do interviews with them. The commotion wasn't for nothing either. I stared at her designs up-close while doing the ushering and they were all amazing. The detailing is incredible. They are fancy and classy without being tacky. No wonder she's made a name for herself.

I brought my beloved DSLR with me every day but didn't really get to play with it a lot because we were so busy with everything going on, which was probably a good thing because I might have ended up broke if I had the time to browse through the clothes being sold at the exhibition. I didn't get as much pictures as I would have liked to but I got a decent amount of shots from the last main shows. I do wish I had some sort of magic mini DSLR camera with me when I saw the Anne designs up-close so I could have gotten some pictures of her divine designs.

one of many local brands on display @ the exhibition

Monstore - love the name

Deden Siswanto receiving flowers after his collection's show

(left) Ghea Panggabean was my favorite; (right) Eny Ming was also fabulous

gorgeous clothes and lighting

Everyday Napoleon

It seems that everything is unnecessarily either made into 3D or an animation these days, which is getting old real quick. I can wrap my head around the notion when they make 3D along the lines of movies like Transformers or Shrek, but once they start touching old classics like The Beauty and The Beast (which to my dismay will be showing soon in theaters near you) it crosses an invisible line to me. And now it's the cult classic movie Napoleon Dynamite's turn to be disturbed by film executives trying to make easy $$$ by remaking things that don't need to be remade.

FOX has already aired the first two episodes of their newly animated TV series - and yes it is really just the animated version of the original movie - to, unsurprisingly, mixed reviews. Reports are being wishy washy, although from what I can gather is if you loved the original movie you aren't really going to like the series, but if you didn't then you'll be quite amused with this new take.

REASONS WHY I QUESTION WHOEVER THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA

•  The original movie was NOT animated. 

I can't think of the last time I heard about a non-animation turned into an animation. The reverse is more commonly known, i.e. The Flinstones, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Smurfs, etc. Also, most of the time the genre-swap is based off of cartoon adventures rather than a singular movie storyline. Props to the series' team though, the characters all look exactly like they did in the movie. The styling kind of reminds me of Disney's Recess series.

Excluding Deb's signature side ponytail, I think they nailed the Dynamite gang.

• The movie's not kewl enuff 4 skewl being actually kewl vibe.

Napoleon is just one of those movies that pop-up on the mainstream radar every once in a while to offer something refreshingly different. The dead-pan expressions of the characters and bland physical tone of the film turned out to be its strong points. I figure if something were to be animated it would have to be more "crazy" and loud to translate better into animation. I imagine the beginning of animation started because of the physical limitation of real human beings/actors in acting out extreme things - unless your name is Jim Carrey - without being able to not blow a budget. Animations were always meant to be outlandish. Have you ever seen an animated series dry of physical gesture? The answer is N-O. Even Beavis and Butthead had some eternal flare going on. The movie's nature just doesn't fit into being drawn on paper.

• That funny feeling.

The main selling point that made the movie so good was how blase the movie was. It shined in its weirdness and was actually funny because of all that. It has to do with comedy timing and to be honest the kind of humor the movie pulls is hard to translate into animation. Although they tried to match the movie it just didn't have the same effect without real actors. 

• Timing is EVERYTHING.

I'm not sure how this came about

The first time Napoleon Dynamite hit the public was back in 2004. We have now recently entered the realm of year 2012. So the original movie was 8 years ago, making the animated series super late. Why would anyone think it was a good idea to reprise a movie - even with the whole original cast voicing in the characters - after so many years have passed? The movie isn't a big franchise movie where they can wear out the sequels till 4 or 5, it was a small indie. It's one of those movies that is better off being un solo. It was great 8 years ago but everyone is over it now. On top of all that, they wanted to animate it instead of making an actor-based TV series. Pushing the limit like a diabetic eating cake.

• Never mess with the original.

Anything one-of-a-kind should never be messed with. Sequels or spin-offs have always been the easy route to cash out for the big film suits but if they gamble wrong it could actually cost them a lot instead, just like this.

FOX already bought six episodes for the first season. Judging by the welcome so far I'm not sure they'll even make it to the sixth. But who knows? If people are bored enough maybe it'll soon pick up momentum, the series is still full of quotable one-liners. People can be fickle about their TV.

I don't have any of the episodes, but there is the trailer.

Ps. The true star of the original, Tina the llama, also makes an appearance on the show.

Foster the Concert

Although Jakarta wasn't facing some hot weather - literally - it didn't stop fans from catching band sensation Foster the People live. 

The venue's festival area was full but, surprisingly, the tribune and VIP areas still had a lot of space. Let me just take a moment to call out 3 Ocean Live on their poor promotion of the concert. I know FTP is a relatively new band but I'm pretty sure their fanbase here isn't small, especially with the attention from their big summer hit Pumped Up Kicks. Not to mention the lack of publicity to let the city know the band was coming. Honestly, (I'm going to rant here a bit) I only found out they had a gig here the night before they were showing! And it was only because I happened to be listening to the radio while on my way to work. What if I decided I wanted some peace and turned off the radio instead? I would have not known they had come until after and I'd be raging mad. Luckily the universe took pity on me and there were still festival tickets available at the ticketbox venue on the day of. Even though this was pleasing it was also strange because I would have guessed a band as hot as them would be sold out, at least for the festival area. If you check their tour schedule after this they have shows at Malaysia and Singapore - that have been sold out for days. I mean, come on? More proof of the incompetence that is the promoters.

Rant over. 

Well, no. The show also managed to start 90 minutes late. That is a whole football match, son. Are you kidding? Not quite sure what the hold up was, but I'm thinking managing the artist to the show's venue on time fits into the promoters' job description, no?

Now the rant is really over, I can say that THE CONCERT WAS AMAZING. No regrets, definitely your money's worth - even worth the 90 minute wait! The crowd's annoyance and aching feet were well forgotten once the lights flickered off and the room was submerged into total darkness, followed by Mark, Cubbie and Pontsy coming out and starting the show with a banging performance of Houdini. Turns out it was their first show of the year 2012. They played all of their songs from the Torches album, with a few additions. One of the best surprises was when Mark started rambling on about meeting a guy wearing a Weezer shirt (another favorite band of mine) that ended up informing him that the guys from Weezer had actually done a cover of Pumped Up Kicks at one of their concerts! Flattered, FTP decided to show their gratitude by doing a cover of Weezer as well, the song Say It Ain't So - which Mark said was one of his all time favorite songs. So it was basically an FTP/WZR lovefest. Too amazing.

They also played their new unreleased song, Ruby. It was their kind of ballad, since they don't really have one yet on the album. It was slower than the usual FTP (Mark was on piano instead of the keyboard and Pontsy took it easy on the drums) but it was a great song. Definitely going to try and find it online. 

At one point when the boys went off stage for a quickie break (?) the audience was still on a high and started shouting "we want more! we want more!". Some even demanded Pumped Up Kicks, which I thought was rediculous because that was their biggest hit and obviously it was going to be the last song. The incident led me thinking, though, how were they going to close the concert on a high note when the song isn't really an energetic song? Well, they had their ways. They played it at last, changing the ending of the song to hang on longer and beat harder. IT WAS GREAT. They had everyone jumping like insane (which had occurred throughout the concert, of course) and then - suddenly - MARK WAS ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE STAGE WHERE I WAS NEAR TO AND HE REACHED FOR THE FANS. Mass hysteria ensued as everyone started screaming and pushing to get closer to him like a bunch of obsessed psychos. The song was still playing its new ending beats and he stayed there for a while, a bit smug of the adoration and enjoying every second of it. I'm certain if it wasn't for the security guard that yanked him back, Mark would have dove in and bodysurfed, meaning I would have had the chance to touch him. That guard is a life ruiner.

before what could have been - Mark almost surfing

Finally the song did come to an unwanted end. The boys waved and smiled at the fans and headed off the stage. I'm glad they seemed to have also enjoyed themselves playing here. Mark had mentioned to us that it was one of the best crowds they had ever played for and they were thankful to us. In the back of my mind I'm sure many artists say that, but I can't help feel like it's true when they say it about Jakarta. Despite the lack of love I have for this city, it is definitely one of the biggest and loudest audiences any artist could ever hope to play for. 

Getting back to the band, I didn't expect it possible to come out of there loving them even more than I already had. It was a really great show. They were the Foster The People that everyone came to see. They're very talented, the real deal. You can hear it in their music, you can see it in their show. One of the reasons I love this band so much is the fact that I can listen to their whole album. Just listen, and do nothing. That isn't easy to find these days. Usually there are bands that I enjoy 1 or 2 songs of, but that's it. And FTP's songs aren't just good to groove to, if you really listen to the lyrics you'll understand just how creative and inspired the songwriting is. If you haven't bought their album or caught them live given the chance then something is seriously wrong with you. Can't wait to see what's next for them and I hope they come back again.

Cubbie in action! adorable

one of my many failed attempts to capture Pontsy
of course I'd fall for the drummer who never sits still

performing the ode to Weezer, Say It Ain't So

2011 and 2012

It's a new year!

Can't believe how fast time flies until it sweeps out from beneath your feet all of a sudden. 2011 was a great year for me. I got to experience a lot of new and accomplish some greats as well. 

MY 2011 HIGHLIGHTS

• January 2011, me and some friends had the chance to have some time to enjoy our holidays in the beautiful island of Bali. We were there for an amazing 4 to 5 days and had the most fabulous time. From getting lost on the way to a certain beach location and ending up at an even better one (Dreamland beach, and yes - it really is a dream) to making an early trip all the way up north through the cold and rain to do some dolphin watching on the coast of Lovina. No wonder I've heard so many foreigners who come for a quick vacay and end up spending the rest of their lives there instead. Definitely going back again with friends when I can.

one of the most beautiful beaches in existence

• February - May 2011, I landed a copywrite internship at one of the biggest global advertising agencies here in Jakarta. And despite the fact it being mandatory from my university so I could graduate, it was still a very important experience that I was lucky enough to have gotten. Since it was a big company it enabled me to see first-hand what the advertising world is really like. I gained so much knowledge of the field of work and how the industry rolls. I gained an expanded network of contacts, which is also very important in work. The internship helped me to understand what I liked and didn't like about advertising and ultimately whether or not I felt it was the right path for me to pursue. I might not think I'm cut out to work in advertising anymore but at least I can now try a different path I've always been interested in that still has everything to do with writing. And if I ever try work in Ad again I have this experience to lean back on.
• May 2011, me and my parents spent some quality time together - in Hongkong! I've actually been there once but just by transit when I was a little girl. It was a short whirlwind trip but still the best, nevertheless. I was especially pleased because besides me finally getting to "experience" Hongkong, I was happy for my parents that they got to take some time off from working so hard and enjoy their fruits of labor. Still madly jealous of Hongkongians and honestly wouldn't mind if I had to live there.
• June 2011, I got to actually watch one of my favorite football clubs play right before my eyes! Being the big football fan I am, I instantly intended on buying a ticket for Liverpool FC's Asia Tour, which unfortunately wasn't in Indonesia but luckily was in Malaysia, our neighbor country. I saw the likes of Dirk Kuyt, Lucas Leiva, Jamie Carragher, Daniel Agger and all the other boys I adore from the club. Sadly there were some absent players from the tour for one reason or another but to be able to be in the same stadium for MY club's live game was fantastic and I will never forget it.

my boys in action against the Malaysia NT! (ignore Raul on the left... traitor)

• July 2011, I passed my final thesis trial and earned my Bachelor Degree in Communication Science. I've always had the urge to graduate as quickly as I could, so to finally be able to do it and move on to the next stage of my life was definitely one of the biggest things to happen to me in 2011. It's that feeling of tremendous accomplishment after you've worked so hard for a long time. It didn't hurt that I managed to graduate with a 3.59 GPA either.
• November 2011, me and one of my dearest and oldest friends went to Singapore and it was kind of a spontaneous trip. It was the longest trip abroad I had over the year, 6 days and it STILL wasn't enough. This year has definitely put my travel ambitions into overdrive. We had the best time and since we both wanted to really know Singapore we basically explored the whole country in that week almost doing everything you could imagine. Another country I fell in love with, for sure. Going back again when I have the chance!

the amazing Song of the Sea lights show at Sentosa, Singapore.
definitely recommended.

• December 2011, landed my first official job since graduating at a renowned english newspaper here in Jakarta. Although my current job position isn't really my number one interest (proofreading - my real interest being reporting and writing) this is without a doubt going to benefit me in the long run, no matter how long I work here. Another pro about this job is that I actually enjoy working here. How many people - especially fresh grads - can say that about their job? Not that many.

No wonder I loved 2011 so much, right? And those are just the highlights, I didn't even mention the bits and pieces that were as lovely as well.

But obviously we can't stay in the same year forever. 2012 is here whether we're ready or not. I do have the highest hopes that this year will be as amazing, if not even more than last year. But I'm on the fence about making a resolution for 2012, as the tradition dictates. I don't think "resolutions" would be the right word, I prefer the term "goals" because there are tons of things I'd like to accomplish.

2012 

1) GET ANOTHER JOB AND MORE EXPERIENCE

Since my current job is pretty flexible and on-shift, I really want to find another job to do in my free time. It has to do with writing, writing, and writing - wherever and whatever kind of writing. Gain as much experience as possible to shed my green.

2) MAINTAIN THE BLOGS

These two blogs should help me make a habit out of writing regularly so in turn my writing can get better and better. This blog has been a bit more neglected than my footy one but I promise to myself that I'll even things out. In this digital era and the industry I want to eventually be in, having a blog is practically a requirement.

3) LEARN A DIFFERENT TONGUE

I've always wanted to do this and this year I'm taking up the chance to learn French. I'd also like to learn Spanish but for now I think I can do with learning the basics on my own. French is more complicated so I think having professional help from the start would be better. English is kind of so last year, isn't it? Another foreign tongue that would be useful to know is obviously Chinese but nobody can force me to learn that maze of a language.

4) GET OUT OF HERE

By study or work, I'm making it my biggest goal to finally go abroad like I've always wished to do. I've already lined-up blueprints on how to do this in my head and looked for the best possible ways. I'm a bit doubtful but at the same time I have the utmost confidence that I will actually be able to accomplish this in 2012. I just hope the Mayans are wrong.

These might not seem much to some but they're very much key to making everything fall into place the way I want. Didn't someone famous say simplicity is everything?

Bring it, 2012!