What's the common between water, antonio gaudi, and detectives?

Ola amigos!

Yesterday I stumbled upon a personal blog of Dieni Fitriani (the chronology started from me cleaned up my gmail inbox, includes google+ folder, when it contained some new email about recommendation on 'what you missed from Dieni' thus I lurk into hers and spent almost 2-hours there). Afterward, it feels compulsory to write here (as usual ahah), well, after a period of my academic progress. What have I done so far? The third block of my master program just finished. I just received my final grade on one course titled Quantitative Water Management where I am Alhmadulillah passed with not so bad (but not so good either) grade. Moreover if you compare it to one of my classmate who achieved 9.5/10 for a final grade. Holycow! I have to keep reminding myself that I should be more thankful to at least meet the requirement for this course. My exam grade is free-falling but thank Lord I did okay on assignments, thus I passed! For the other course, Managing Future Delta, there was no exam, but we had to submit a 50-pages group paper and an abstract abstract (literal meaning of abstract, if you dont get it maybe bcs it is more like a inside joke of my class). We havent received any news about grade, but I am quite confident in this as my group consisted of silly but great people and we already spent so much time to work on the paper (long live Sunderbans!!!). On a side note, I actually love this course with broad scope in delta management but somehow focus on many things involved per-lecture. We also had excursions, twice; to southwest delta where krammersluice-brouwerdams-neeltjejans-maasvlakte is located and to zandmotor where the magic happens the Dutch again succeed to implement such out of the the box approach on their ecology friendly water defense. It was nice and all but dont get me to start complaining about how the weather always betray us. Oh the perks of living in the Netherlands. 

As in currently, I have again two courses which in more social side (Water Policy, Governance, and Law & Drinking Water and Sanitation). I started this period in a lighthearted mood after 10 days of day offs (that was too much holiday, actually) followed by a symposium about water management in TU Delft. The later one was so interesting eventhough it felt like a very long day full of lectures (there was 6 spokesperson) but I got so many new insights about water related challenges, some subject stroke me the most are the water and sanitation problem in disaster area (by Biserka, MSF consultant), urban design for city protection (by Kees Christiaanse, ps: when we had discussion with him, he thought that garuda plan in Jakarta Bay is a stupid idea), also a lecture about how to resolve water problem in conflicted area (remind me of Banglandesh-India dispute, Mr. Rens de Man). Lisanne and I had a great time there as well as motivational reflection on how to search suitable internship for me (dank je wel, Lisanne!). Anyway for the next part, please envyjoy the sightseeing from Madrid and Spain where I explored only in 4 days (not enouuuuugh!)

Madrid is fine but Barcelona steals our heart, thanks Mr. Gaudi to make this city sooo beautiful 

Since I had too many day off recently, I watched all new movies in the cinema, as well as, streaming some old movies online so.. one more rambling for this post, why is action/superhero movies (almost) always let me down recently? London Has Fallen, Huntsman: The Witch's War, Batman vs Superman, Capt. America: Civil War.. all of them failed me (in different aspect). Instead, movies like Zootropolis and The Jungle Book blown my mind (well, this is mainstream opinion). Also, I finished a fairly new k-drama titled 'Signal' where this time I finished it until the last episode, unlike the last time I, and million other people, lost interest in 'Cheese in The Trap'. It is one of the best drama I ever watched! Minimum cheesy romance, superb acting, and brilliant plot, who could say no to an amazing cold case-solving-detective storyline, eh? I really recommend this one :)

It seems I already write above my average word counts here, so.. lets part ways for now. And dont forget to be happy!

Ciao,

A. Noyara Rahmasary 

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers

This latest week of mine was filled of little adventure, include one of my accomplishment in finishing Band of Brothers mini-series. Like years ago I get this series from Monika (if I am not mistaken) and has been that long stayed on my external hardisk bcs once I tried to randomly watch the first episode by jumping from scene to scene but nothing really intrigue me. But last week I was in the mood to watch war-action movie and remembered that I had this award winning mini series. Many great great reviews and sayings about this one amazing motion pictures are definitely true, I mean it is indeed a masterpiece from a hand of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks, and others honorable names. Band of Brothers tell a story about World War II day to day experience from a perspective of a group of paratrooper US Army named Easy Company. They involve in several battle and operation including D-Day jump in Normandy, Operation Market Garden, Siege of Bastogne, and even invading Hitler’s gold architecture at The Eagle's Nest. Based on true events (with bits of dramatization and adjustment), this miniseries just beautifully made with a credible sources from Stephen E. Ambrose (historian who published a book with same title) also interview notes from still-living-heroes from WWII itself.
10 episodes of this mini series share us a lot of historical events and names which truthfully enrich my knowledge. Several points leave me a deep impression, not necessarily need to mention that these are my personal picks. I believe there are more knowledgeof this series which feel more meaningful and astonishing yet I just cant figure how to 'gif' the moment or simply cant write the exact feeling *sigh*

Sobel is genius (yeah it is sarcasm)
I havent done many research on how Herbert Sobel character in actual life but David Schwimmer just made him some kind of evil leader-trainer for 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, esp his strictness toward Easy Company. He is that kind of always-seeking-other-mistakes person (Dolores Umbridge in disguise I guess) but he himself not really good in a real battlefield combat. After being aired in HBO, Michael (Sobel Sr. son) speak up about his father somehow negatively portrayal on the series. Nonetheless as told by Easy Company veterans in various interview later, Sobel indeed have that credit to create such regiment with body (and mental) of a steel.

the look at that private face when Sobel simply lost in a battlefield rehearsal

I feel ya

I have huge crush on Richard Winters

In my opinion, he is the main protagonist in this series focus. The whole regiment ofc consist of many great figure but Lieutenant (later Captain then Major) Winters is someone who lead the E Company during D-Day jump and earn amount of respect from each company members. His work ethics also bring his rank higher as time passed, which kinda sad bcs he had to hand over E Company leadership to others. His relationship with his partner, Capt. Nixon is a excellent touch to add in the series too. In addition, Nixon character (played by Ron Livingston) is an 'unusual' one with almost opposite of straight-face serious Winters, so they just clicked each other. Winters played by Damian Lewis, British actor with almost perfect American tongue; and like other brit gentlemen he gifted by that charisma make me swoon over him in all 10 episodes.

Major Winters during unusual patrol strategic meeting

the interaction between these two :''

let us thank the Lord who create such beautiful thing

The hardship of E Company member

Easy Company is the heart of the series, and in reality they also they are the front-liner of the regiment. From 9 available companies in the regiment, Easy is the one who lead almost all the operations with their members hold the front line and exposed to the enemy all the time. Each of the members also has their charms (lol) and same stubbornness to give their all, they trust each other so much as they belong together from the hardship during training in Toccoa days until seize the victory at Eagle's Nest. They also lost their members a lot (some of them are my favs :'' I cried when Skip die from a grenade). Large ensemble of cast were used as company members, some of them were still untouched gems. Look at Michael Fassbender, James McAvoy, Andrew Scott, and even skinny Tom Hardy all act in the series as their early credit in entertainment path. There are also Richard Speight Jr. (as Skip) who appear on Supernatural as The Trickster/Gabriel and Matthew Settle (as Col. Speirs) whom I later found out is Dan Humphrey father ... lol. Liebgott (Ross McCall) and Webster (Eion Bailey) got that distinct face features which I also adore. And for real when I search for each real character on Easy Company, they indeed all candy in the eyes.

singing oklahoma the loudest is George Luz, one of my favs too

oh anw michael fassbender alert

the one and only Col. Speirs who run through the battlefield full of German troops

Hitler got that aesthetic sense, eagle's nest indeed a beautiful place

There is a part of St. Crispin Day speech from Shakespeare play titled Henry V where the series name also taken. We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me shall be my brother. Simply to say, Band of Brothers is a very recommended series with 10 hours of heart moving scenes and lead to a conclusion of every war-movie ever had: war is never a good things.

Salute!

I am Taken.. by TV-Series

Morning!

I am soaking my laundry now, so it seems I have to wait like another hour before continuing my activities. Meanwhile, last night I (finally) tried to watch Dexter TV series. Yes it is old, I watched 4 episodes from the first season (2006) but indeed maybe years ago I can barely watched it. To be honest after feed up my eyes with The Walking Dead for a last month, my limit to see/watch some kind disturbing pictures had changed. It is okay for me now to watch blood splattering from blunt objects against any parts of human bodies but ugh it still gross and I am sure cant manage watching it live.

Anyhow the purpose of this post actually is.. telling you how my life recently changed in this past half year. As I manage to see myself I am quite a movie-goer (with broad sense of genres) and I had this habbit to write a review (or at least a list) of movie which I watched in a year since 2010. Some of them can be read on this blog or on my tumblr here and for some reasons I also started to watch tv series. My first encounter of tv series maybe happened few years back when F.R.I.E.N.D.S was broadcasted on the local channel but I was at an age which didnt understand any of it. High school era was superb when I never missed any episodes of Supernatural or Smallville there. At some point, I cant call myself tv series junkie but I do know some of them. These last 6 months was the jackpot, I watched like 3-4 tv series which I requested to my friend (so he can downloaded it from indowebster, yeah I know 'the power of net-world'). Now I drowned on it. Those some tv series up here consuming my time much more than my thesis. Chita introduced me to Doctor Who few months ago and now I basically adore the series much.

        

        

Broadchurch*The Walking Dead*Nodame Cantabile*Game of Thrones*Lie To Me*Doctor Who*Skins*Sherlock

Watching tv series from outside country always end with me contemplating why Indonesian tv series (or what ppl here call it sinetron) never can be that good. Nevertheless, I cant judge, because everything so different. Almost all sinetron which now broadcasted on local channel focusing on social life, I hardly find any other than drama genre. The story itself, actually just so simple (I recalling that Tukang Bubur Naik Haji was a short movie before they know made to be one of the current longest sinetron) but that simple plot seems to be dragged away and lost its focus. Cant blame the production team though because the rating actually good, my mom and granma still watch it and maybe million of people out there too. If only production people start to manage how to produce sinetron like they produce a movie, it will be like a piece of art. If some of us remember Bunda with Dinna Olivia and Meriam Belina as the cast was pretty good (and short, if compared to others so called successful sinetron episodes). Indonesian movies were good lately with broader various of genres so maybe later.. our tv series can be more worth to watch too.

Well, it seems an hour had passed and I need to do my laundry now. Catch ya later.

Bye,

Icha