No, I was not talking about a rocket. I was talking about my book. ;) A few days ago on Hari Kartini, the launch of DreamCatcher was held. It was totally awesome. Not because of the event itself but the people who came and be a part of it was truly amazing! My boyfriend did a short stand-up comedy performance, I presented a bit about the book in TED-style, and then we had a talk show with Jourdan (whom I interviewed in the book) and Mbak Alit from GagasMedia. Thank you everyone for coming! Photos are still at my Representative but there are a few Instagram snaps that I could spot… :)

@andraalodita

@cepots

@dianarikasari

@indrinitidiwiria

@soniaeryka

@taraamelz

Get a copy if you haven’t! Available in bookstores already. :D

It was the 13th of July 2011 when Ryan Adriandhy first brought me to an “open-mic” in Comedy Cafe, Kemang, Jakarta. I had no idea what an open-mic was. Apparently, it is a live show where people who are present in the venue could perform at the microphone. However, in regards to the stand-up comedy world, it is the place for stand-up comedians, or comics, to practice and test their new materials (commonly known as “comedy bits”), to an audience prior to performing in a bigger crowd.

Although Comedy Cafe routinely holds open mic sessions, the one on the 13th of July seems like a game-changing one. A few days back, Ryan told me he was going to do an audition to be one of the finalists of “Stand Up Comedy Indonesia” (SUCI), a show that has a similar model to NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” produced by Kompas TV. In the audition, he met Ernest Prakasa, another contestant aspiring to be a comic, just like Ryan. Both of them initiated to attend the open mic, inviting friends like Isman H. Suryaman, Pandji Pragiwaksono and eventually, one of Indonesia’s most successful comedy writers, Raditya Dika. The community of Indonesian stand-up comedians, under the name of StandUpIndo, was born that night.

Now, less than one year after that historical day, almost everything has developed into more fantastic terms. Ryan has attained the title of “the first professional stand-up comedian in Indonesia” given by Kompas TV after having championed the competition, Ernest is going on his endeavor by holding the first stand-up comedy tour in Indonesia with the name of “Merem Melek Tour”, Isman. has just secured a place to be one of SUCI’s second season’s finalists, Pandji has held the first stand-up comedy special in Indonesia “Bhinneka Tunggal Tawa”, while Raditya Dika is going to be one of SUCI’s second season’s judges.

Ryan Adriandhy rehearsing for “Koper”

A few weeks ago, Ryan brought me to another stand-up comedy performance, called “Koper”. It was actually a combination of stand-up comedy and theatrical play. That evening, I witnessed something that opened my eyes about the Indonesian stand-up comedy scene.

“Koper” featured 8 comics, all with different backgrounds and distinctive personalities. The line-ups are Sam D. Putra, Ernest Prakasa, Boris T. Manullang, Miund, Ryan Adriandhy, Soleh Solihun, Sakdiyah, and Insan Nur Akbar. I have seen their performances in different off-air and on-air shows, but not until that day have I noticed the characteristic that most Indonesian comics share in common. Almost every issue discussed on stage depicts the life and the concerns of Indonesian middle class society. A performance with diversified comics like “Koper” could give a preview of how Indonesian middle class perceive its nation and its surroundings.

To the international society, the nation is often branded as the “third largest democracy in the world” with such a big number of Muslims living in the country. I have heard so many times of how some people brag about Indonesia’s (supposedly) democratic system, especially by pointing out that we once had a female president and by restating that usually, democracy and Muslim citizens do not usually live side by side.

The concept was continually countered by many comedy bits. Such as the one addressed by Sam that Indonesians believe there is a joke consists of three letters: S, B, and Y; and how the government has made it difficult for poor Indonesians to claim that they are living under the poverty line. It is interesting to hear so many people laugh about the three-letters-joke, especially as soon as we remember that those three letters are also the initials of the president that more than 60% Indonesian voters voted for back in 2009.

Sam depicted his character as a successful person from the upper middle class society. Just like most middle class Indonesians, he has achieved so many things in his career. Yet, he was still unsatisfied and unhappy with his life and his wife. Sam’s bits are consistently featured with political concerns and sex, two things that most of middle class society also frequently discusses about. Similar matters are also brought up by Insan Nur Akbar, the runner up of SUCI’s first season, which was discussed in a slightly different point of view. By comparing the way Sam and Akbar discuss the issues faced in daily life, including the political issues, we can learn how 134 millions people who belong to the middle class category might face the same issues seen and solved in different ways.

As every comic must have a persona and style on stage, if we have frequently seen these comics performing, it would not be very difficult to guess what things they would discuss about, nor the perspective used to address these matters. Although every comic has different roles in the play and different bits, most of them still address ideas under a similar theme, which are the ones they know most and feel concerned most about. By only reading the line-up, I already knew that the show will include these issues: stereotypes given to Chinese, Bataknese, and Muslims; political issues; sex and relationship; also social media. Apparently, it was all true. Despite this, all comics pulled it off and did not fail to amaze the crowd, as no matter how generic or usual the personal themes might be, some comics still could offer slightly fresher bits.

Ernest, for example, was given the role as a cleaning service staff in the station. He still discussed mostly about the perks and drawbacks of being a Chinese living in Indonesia, now in the eyes of a cleaning service staff. Such as the stereotype of many Indonesians that “Indonesian Chinese must be rich” and how, as a Chinese, he has grown immune to anyone making remarks about his slanted eyes. Along came Boris, acting as a Bataknese pickpocket. Embedded with a noticeable Bataknese accent, he addressed all the characteristics that fall into the stereotype of other Indonesians to Bataknese. From being closely associated with pickpockets and public transportation drivers, having a very sturdy physical appearance as well as way of communication, to Bataknese food and how its supposed to be enjoyed. From these two performances alone, we could see that although Indonesia has the “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika” slogan, the diversified culture and ethnicities living side by side will always generate stereotypes, yet most of them consist of common misconceptions. At the same time, even with this happening, there are still plenty of Indonesians with so many differences among each other can live together harmoniously. It has been proven in all stand-up comedy shows held here by having so much diversity in one show.

Ryan and Miund, coming up as a pair in the play, shared the perspectives that most younger generation of the middle class society have in common. Much about love life, fashion, lifestyle, and of course, something you cannot miss from Indonesian middle class society: social media and its impact in our lives. Both of them ranted on how bad mobile telecommunications connections are in Indonesia, the expenses of being in a relationship and being a middle class having to afford some certain lifestyle, and how women and men can never seem to understand each other. Sounds familiar? The absurd relationship of men and women is always a sexy field for comedy bits to be created upon, as these issues are faced by everyone and anyone could understand it thoroughly.

Nonetheless, there is no single bit crafted without a message behind it. Ryan’s complaints about the absurdities of life he finds every time, for instance, has been a tool for him to remind the audience on how we often overlook the little things in life. We share the pie of being a part of middle class society in Indonesia. Even so, most comics see the things in lives discretely. How could the words on shampoo packaging remind us to appreciate the little things – if not addressed by these comics?

Soleh Solihun then performed on stage. Despite discussing mostly about Indonesian politics, Soleh, as usual, included a lot of remarks related to Islamic values, and once rebutted what Sam shared about Christianity. Similarly, Sakdiyah discussed about herself becoming a Muslim living in Indonesia, commenting about other Muslims not wearing helmets because they have worn kopiah and how the practice of taaruf should have more benefits than most people are aware of.

Sam, Soleh, and Sakdiyah shared their deeply personal values, which are related to their religious beliefs. Although in countries like the U.S. and the U.K. religious beliefs are often specifically addressed as well, the way of addressing this matter in Indonesian stand-up comedy scene is quite different. It might be quite difficult to perform something as controversial and as sensitive as George Carlin’s bit “Religion is bullshit”. However, in regards to religions, most comics who discuss it take it from the perspective of the ridiculousness of religious practice in Indonesia. Such as how Indonesians with Arabic ancestry are always perceived as “religious” people or how some “religious” people sometimes claim to have the privilege to do things that other people cannot do (such as, riding on a motorcycle without wearing a helmet).

The fact that so many people from different religious beliefs are living side by side in Indonesia is one of the essences of living in this country. I am wowed by how these comics, coming from a variety of backgrounds, are able to discuss these important and sometimes overlooked matters in fresh, funny ways. Comedy is about telling the truth, it is about getting your point across. With these issues brought up almost every day on open mics and stand-up comedy shows, I have no doubt that stand-up comedy is going to be one of the most effective tools to open people’s minds.

When other people might only say that Indonesia is a successful democracy, then pointing out the amount of Muslim population, and how we are able to live harmoniously with no problem, Indonesian stand-up comedians share what we all experience. That to reach the state of democracy, we are still learning on a long journey. That to live harmoniously with different ethnicity, culture, race, and religious beliefs, some misconceptions, stereotypes, and negative remarks might still be there and should not prevent ourselves from making peace with one another. That being successful is not only about money, but also the relationship with other things, other people, and things within ourselves. That one day we would be able to reach the state of “success” and “happiness” if we let our eyes and minds open to change, which might be sensitive and controversial, but necessary.

Business cards from KartuNama.net
L’Occitane hand cream from Vanda
Lancôme Tresor Midnight Rose EDT as a gift from and for myself
 
Cuddly teddy bear from Fajar,
hugging my newest book: “The Journeys 2 Cerita dari Tanah Air Beta”

A 2012 calendar from Edward Suhadi, “Lessons from A Dog”

But, the biggest, best gift would be the one I have given to myself. I have promised myself that I would not let anyone take nor absorb my happiness away. And, when I feel happy, I will be completely happy. No doubt.

Finally, my newest book, DreamCatcher, is going to be released very soon. Here’s an excerpt to give an idea on what you might expect coming from the book.

 “Dreams are necessary to life.” – Anais Nin

Mimpi itu kebutuhan. Layaknya udara, tanpa disadari, aku, kamu, dan kita semua membutuhkan mimpi. Mimpilah yang menuntun kita atas apa yang kita kerjakan saat ini karena hari ini adalah jawaban atas mimpi kita tempo hari.

DreamCatcher memberikan gambaran tentang bagaimana merancang mimpi. Inilah rancangan hidup yang kita coba reka sendiri. Alanda Kariza berbagi hal-hal yang bisa kita lakukan untuk menciptakan mimpi dan meraihnya sejak dini. Memanfaatkan kekurangan, meningkatkan produktivitas, dan berbagi dengan orang lain adalah beberapa di antaranya.

Buku ini dilengkapi lembar aktivitas untuk mencatat hal-hal yang ingin kita capai. Tak ketinggalan, ada pula profil para sosok muda yang sukses mewujudkan impian.

So, live your dreams. Hidup yang dipenuhi mimpi akan banyak bercerita tentang masa depan.

“DreamCatcher menyimpan jawaban bahwa hidup akan lebih menyenangkan bila kita bisa mewujudkan impian.” – Pandji Pragiwaksono, a man living his dreams

“Saya termasuk orang yang dari dulu banyak bermimpi. Ketika menyadarinya, saya kaget sekali karena sudah banyak mimpi itu yang kini jadi kenyataan. DreamCatcher bercerita tentang mimpi-mimpi yang harus diciptakan dan bagiaimana kita mencapainya. Semuanya diceritakan dengan berbagai contoh nyata. Seandainya dari dulu sudah terbit buku seperti ini.” – Yoris Sebastian, Creative Thinker at OMG Consulting & penulis buku Creative Junkies

“Sebuah komposisi pemikiran cerdas dan pengalaman menarik. Alanda kembali meyakinkan kita tentang kekuatan mimpi. Buku yang wajib dibaca oleh setiap anak muda yang (ingin) punya segudang mimpi!” – Iman Usman, Presiden Indonesian Future Leaders

–

You can be one of the first readers of this book by participating in a fun activity with me and GagasMedia, called Share your dreams’ story. By sharing your “accomplished” dream and how you worked your way to pursue it, you will get a chance to win a DreamCatcher book. If you want to know how, please click the link.

So, go on, live your dreams. When we already pursue them, we can have other, newer dreams. :-) Will update once the book is out!

There will be plenty of times in our lives when we feel that life is too hard, too difficult, for us to go through it. The times where it seems like no one is there for us. The times where we lose all the hopes and the dreams…

…but as soon as we make peace with ourselves, and with what happen, we will be much, much happier. The power of being ikhlas, and accepting things as they happen.

Please, don’t forget to be happy. Whatever happens.

Photo taken by Vanda Isfandari

On the 23rd of February, I celebrated my 21st birthday. It was dull at first as I did not have any plan coming up. I planned to treat my family a five-days trip but we had to cancel it because I was scheduled to depart to Shanghai on around midnight to compete at the Hult Global Case Challenge as one of the regional finalists. My mother had a trial to attend on that day, so I practically would have had an “empty” day. Then, I decided to have lunch with a beloved friend. She is studying in Tokyo and had never been in Jakarta for my birthday for around 6 years. All of a sudden my boyfriend and another best friend of mine showed up with a chocolate cake. :)

They made my birthday a simple yet blissful one. Although it was such a short celebration, I am very grateful it happened. Thank you, loves.

Also, thank you everyone for the sweet and awesome birthday wishes.

I usually pack up my activities on weekdays to have my weekends free from work. So, wherever I go, I have a bunch of “the essentials” — the things I must bring to be my company in going through a lot of stuff daily. Here they are:

Cath Kidston agenda
Unbranded wallet (bought it in a department store for less than $10!)
Colourful liners and pens
Maybelline VolumExpress Hypercurl mascara (Black)
Maybelline Fruity Jelly lipgloss (Creamy Guava)
NYX Concealer in a Jar (CJ03 Light)
NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder (ECP05 Brunette)
Tresno Joyo Balsem Telon :P
Swatch watch
Samsung Galaxy Gio

And, of course, a bottle of mineral water! What things do you bring everyday? What are your essentials? :-)

P.S.: To those attending #PopWriting Seminar with me and Sitta Karina, see you tomorrow! I can’t wait to meet you and exchange our tales of writing.

]]> http://alandakariza.com/the-essentials/feed/ 8 http://alandakariza.com/sampoerna-academy-terbuka-untuk-umum/ http://alandakariza.com/sampoerna-academy-terbuka-untuk-umum/#comments Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:27:19 +0000 Alanda Kariza http://alandakariza.com/?p=1319 Reading time: 2 – 2 minutes

Banyak orang yang berpendapat bahwa prestasi kita ditentukan oleh diri kita sendiri, bukan di mana kita sekolah. Namun, patut diakui bahwa biasanya sekolah berperan besar dalam pengembangan diri kita, terutama ketika kita duduk di bangku SMA.

Beberapa hari lalu, teman saya, Iman Usman, menceritakan tentang Sampoerna Academy, sekolah yang bernaung di bawah Putera Sampoerna Foundation dan ada di beberapa kota di Indonesia. Sampoerna Academy merupakan sebuah sekolah setaraf tingkat SMA. Ternyata, program-program di sekolah ini menarik sekali. Pada awalnya, sekolah ini hanya dibuka untuk siswa prasejahtera yang bisa sekolah di sana dengan bantuan finansial. Sekarang, sekolah ini sudah dibuka untuk umum.

Sampoerna Academy menawarkan pendidikan “holistik” – yang mencakup berbagai bidang tentunya, mulai dari akademis, ekstrakurikuler, dan fasilitas yang baik. Secara akademis, Sampoerna Academy memiliki kurikulum nasional (KTSP) dan IGCSE dari Cambridge. Di luar itu, siswa-siswinya juga diberikan pendidikan nonformal seperti “Pathway to Leadership” (planning & organizing, time management, critical thinking, dll), Media, IT & Digital Skills, Life Long Learning (character education, social & cultural skills, diversity & pluralism, dll), serta kegiatan seperti Community Service, Youth Entrepreneurship Program dan Global Citizenship.

Lebih dari itu, Sampoerna Academy juga menekankan disiplin tinggi, apalagi dengan adanya sistem asrama (boarding school) di mana sekolah ini memiliki beberapa “house” yang diberi nama dengan nama fauna seperti Dove dan Hornbill. Setiap house diketuai oleh satu orang headboy dan satu orang headgirl yang bertanggungjawab atas aktivitas di house tersebut.

Mulai tanggal 7 Februari lalu, pendaftaran untuk menjadi siswa di Sampoerna Academy sudah dibuka. Kunjungi situs sampoernaacademy.org untuk informasi lebih lanjut. :)

Semoga sukses!

Seth Godin wrote on his blog:

Excitement about goals is often diminished by our fear of failure or the drudgery of work.

If you’re short on passion, it might be because your goals are too small or the fear is too big.

Do a job for a long time and achieve what you set out to achieve, and suddenly, the dream job becomes a trudge instead. The job hasn’t changed–your dreams have.

Mostly, though, it’s about our fear. Fear is the dream killer, the silent voice that pushes us to lose our passion in a vain attempt to seek safety.

While you can work hard to dream smaller dreams, I think it’s better to embrace the fear and find bigger goals instead.

Starting today, on every Sunday, I’ll try my best to tweet five links to things posted on the internet with different themes and “feelings”. To welcome my favourite month of all time (because it’s my holiday time, and my birth month), I’d give some kind of “heartwarming” posts I have found all over the internet. Enjoy.

1. The founder of Tumblr talks to Guardian about realising his dreams;
2. Finally, a Valentine’s Day for her – a Field Notes: Red Blooded ad;
3. A bunch of Canada teens sent a lego man to space;
4. A desk toy trying to do a road trip to the Pacific;
5. Things that make Katie happy.

Share me your version of “heartwarming” posts too. x