Too Lazy to Write 3/29/2008 08:37:00 PM

The title says it all. There are bits and pieces of inspiration that are screaming inside my head, wanting to be let out. Too bad I’m too lazy to elaborate them, hence this rubbish of a rant.

The pattern is readable. Whenever I’m excessively occupied with something--work, reading, new DVDs that need to be watched--I lose my will to write. No, not “losing my will”, it’s an exaggeration. Simply put, I become lazy because my energy is very much focused on that other thing.

At this particular moment, I’ve got stack of books that need reading. Oh, the temptation! I can see their invisible hands extended, beckoning to me “Read us, read us.” How can I resist such invitation? So far, I’ve finished The Catcher in the Rye, Middlesex, The Golden Compass, and The Subtle Knife (none of them was recorded in “Currently Reading” because I didn’t use the internet during the time). I’m currently reflecting on what to read next--The Amber Spyglass, Baudolino, Anansi Boys, You Shall Know Our Velocity, The Pillars of the Earth, World without End, The Other Boleyn Girl, The Third Wave, and The Bartimaeus Trilogy waiting in line--bearing in mind that I still have some time before the next translating projects arrive.

So there, that’s why I’m so lazy to write anything today. And considering that the job is waiting for me in the corner, I might be busy for the next couple of months. Maybe the laziness would still linger then.

RIP: My Cassette Player 3/20/2008 09:54:00 PM

It’s the end. My cassette player finally broke down. It can still roll the tape, but unless you’re into screeching, incomprehensible sound, it’s advisable not to play the cassette with it.

You know what they say about “you get what you pay for”? They’re right. My cassette player was bought at a very low price and apparently, the quality is just as low. It can’t even survive more than ten years. And oh, have I ever mentioned that you couldn’t balance the speakers? And that the volume control was practically useless? And these had happened ever since it was bought.

Well, whatever. I really need to get myself a new cassette player now. Unless if there’s someone out there who would lend me a-high-tech-device-that-can-convert-audio-data-in magnetic-tapes-to-digital-ones-thingy. Does such device exist?

Soundtrack of My Life 3/11/2008 09:34:00 AM

Pavlov’s dog wasn’t the only one stimulated by a particular sound. Humans are like that too, and I’m no exception. It’s actually very good, taking a trip down the memory lane or an emotional roller coaster all of the sudden every time I listen to a certain song from my album collection. And these are the ones that evoke the greatest memories of all:

What’s the Story Morning Glory – Oasis
Oasis was my savior going through my unpleasant junior school life. It may sound like an overstatement, but Oasis’ songs were the ones that enabled me to travel to dreamland for a while when the going got tough. Just like Björk, Oasis reminds me of the cold and rainy afternoon after school, when I got home tuning to MTV.
FAVORITE SONG: “Roll with It” (my favorite used to be “Wonderwall”, but I’d listened to it too many times I got sick of it)

Ultra – Ultra
In case you’re wondering what, or who, Ultra was, it was a one-hit-wonder band which only produced one album (which was quite decent) during their short career. Listening to their songs bring the 1998 World Cup in France to mind because, well, their first single became a big hit in summer 1998 (or to put it more accurately, on June 1998, since we don’t have summer in Indonesia). The album also marked my monumental first year in high school and the lab-turned-classroom where we--class 1-9--belonged (plus the spooky story and the cute human skeleton we had).
FAVORITE SONG: “Say You Do”

Performance and Cocktails - Stereophonics
Cram school, the trip to and from the place, and college entry exam preparation are those that come to mind whenever I hear this album. I bought the album some time in May or June 2001 and naturally, played it again and again for a couple of months following it. I was taking the college entry exam on July, so I listened to the album a lot while studying. You figure the connection.
FAVORITE SONG: “Just Looking”

The Man Who - Travis
The Man Who triggers a feeling of “aloneness” in me. I feel as if I’m the only one in the world, but I’m not lonely because at the time, nobody matters but me.
FAVORITE SONG: “Turn”

OK Computer – Radiohead
I couldn’t help myself relating OK Computer with helplessness and disappointment in the way the world works. It’s not the limping feeling which makes you feel like committed suicide or something destructive like that. On the contrary, it gives you the drive to not become a lame, boring person like most members of the general population. One might think I’m overanalyzing things, but I’m not. I don’t think about it, I feel it.
FAVORITE SONG: “Let Down”

By the way, if any of you have that high tech thingy which can convert magnetic tape records to digital files, I’d love to borrow it. All my highly treasured albums are on cassette formats, because I couldn’t afford CDs back then. Pretty please?

Break a Leg 3/06/2008 11:11:00 AM

Is my mind failing me? Because I don’t remember such havoc when somebody else was injured (apart from Becks and his metatarsal thingy).

In case you’re all wondering (again) what I’m talking about, it’s about a footballer’s injury and its circumstances. Sometime around two weeks ago, Arsenal’s Eduardo da Silva (da Silva, is that his surname) was injured badly during--his leg broke in two places--a match against Birmingham City. Arsene Wenger was, quite naturally, very furious, even went on by saying that Martin Taylor (the one who committed the foul) didn’t deserve playing football ever again, or something like that. In the end, he took back his words, but what’s said has been said.

What’s unbelievable is how the press is making such a big fuss of it. I mean, come on, give us a break! Nasty as it was, injury is inevitable in football. Sometimes you injure yourself, sometimes someone takes that liberty from you. Sometimes someone injures you intentionally, sometimes they don’t. In Eduardo-Taylor case, Taylor did what he did out of sheer stupidity and clumsiness (no one with the right mind injured someone from the opposing time on the third minute into the match!).

And a smart guy like Wenger should’ve thought twice before he said anything, considering that he once had the likes of Viera and co. in his team. And we all know that their tackles were anything but gentle.

So, what’s the point in pointing out how bad Eduardo injury is and how brutal Taylor’s challenge was? Such things happen everyday in football, don’t they? Day-to-day business becomes something of high importance because it gives the press a chance to delve upon it, even though there’s nothing to delve upon in the first place. No wonder football supporters in England have so much antipathy towards the press.

Note: The worst injury I’ve ever seen is one that befell a Coventry City player (name forgotten), who was injured by Denis Irwin. It was nasty and bloody. The injury ended his career permanently, and Manchester United participated in a charity/commemorative match for that player. The last that I saw of him was when he was coaching Coventry’s U-12 (or something) team. I hope he’s doing well, whatever he’s doing right now.