Another great movie. Awarded by 5 Academy Award Nominations. Based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning play. Doubt is a must see movie. The setting was back in 1964, there's a dispute between a nun and a priest in a Chatolic school. Never thought that hatred can cause such a malicious things. The nun tried hard to expell the priest out of school, although there's not enough evidence, one thing that certain was doubt.

I love one of the speech delivered by the priest, when he was accused of having put a special interest in a troubled boy, the excerpt is as follows:

"A woman came to confess her sin to a priest, she said that she's spread a gossip about her friend, was it wrong to do that? The priest said, of course it's a sin. How could I make it up? Asked the woman. Just take a pillow to the roof, bring a knife along, when you arrive at the roof, stab the pillow. As soon as the woman did it, she visited the priest again to report that she had done what the priest asked. The priest asked, what you found when you stabbed the pillow? I found feathers, answered the woman. The priest asked again, can you collect all the feathers and put it back to the original form? No, father, said the woman. The priest exclaimed, that's GOSSIP!!!!!"

Swahili For The Broken-Hearted

Yes, Peter Moore again. Still telling his traveling story in a hilarious way. Although, this traveling plan was made due to his breaking-up with his girlfriend, though it was still told in usual Moore's way, full of funny things.

In Moore's previous book, "The Full Montezuma", he told his travel experience in Central America with his girlfriend, but it turned out that 6 months after they returned back to Australia, they broke up.

This time Moore told his journey around Africa, from Cape Town to Cairo. A lot of interesting experiences happenned, such as: suffering of Malaria that caused him failed to reach the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, becoming an accidental actor in a movie made in Kenya, trapped in a riot with firing gun in Ethiopia, and last but not least, the interaction between Moore, other backpackers and local people. All is enjoyable.

Intermezzo #2

I overheard this conversation on Breakfast Club at Kosmopolitan FM couple days a go between the radio anchors, Santi Bonis & Indra Herlambang.

Indra: "Kita liburan bareng, yuk!"
Santi: "Yuk, gue maunya ke gunung"
Indra: "Yah...gue maunya ke pantai"
Santi: "Wah...enaknya gimana ya?"
Indra: "Kita harus cari jalan tengah"
Santi: "So..kita kemana dong?"
Indra: "Paling pas, MALL"

Intermezzo #1

My 2nd daughter, Nayzea (2,5 yrs old), currently is crazy about learning alphabets and numbers. She keeps asking about them religiously, anytime, anywhere.

Nayzea: "Ma, ini angka berapa?" (sambil nunjuk huruf F)
Me : "Itu bukan angka, itu huruf"
Nayzea: "Jadi, ini huruf BERAPA?

The Mistress of Spices

I read the novel with the same title written by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni years a go and I love her writing. Her books usually tell about fairy tale, legend, romance and some children story as well.

I have never known that this book adapted into movie, until one day I came across the VCD at a disc shop and curious about it. I love the story, it's about Tilo, a woman who is also a Mistress of Spices. She has special ability to forecast the future. She knows what the best spices for everyone. She uses her ability totally to help other people.

To maintain her power, there are three rules to be followed, first, she must use her ability only for other people's need, she's not allowed to touch other people skin, and last one, she is prohibited to leave her spices store.

Things are getting complicated when Tilo falls in love with her customer, Dough. She is in a big dillema, either to leave the spices or follow her desire of love.

I love many things in the movie, the shop where Tilo works, "Spice Bazaar", her ability to find the best spices for her customers and mix them, and the last one is Aishwarya Rai herself as Tilo, she's so beautiful and act so natural.

Accuracy of Death

I spent my time during this long weekend by watching my dusty VCDs and DVDs. Usually the VCD player was under my girls'control, therefore I used to watch a lot of Barneys and Barbies movies, but this time I did some negotiation with them and thank God, some agreements were made, yay!!!

This time I watch a Japanese movie, Accuracy of Death a.k.a. Sweet Rain based on best-selling novel by Kotaro Isaka. I haven't read the novel, so I can't compare them, but the fact is the movie is great.

The story is unique. The setting is in Japan. The characters are mostly lonely people remind me of Haruki Murakami's books. It is about a man or a Grim Reaper, named Chiba who has a job as an observer for a person that is going to die within 7 days. Chiba will follow the person and monitor thoroughly, afterwards he has to give decision either this person is going to be 'executed' or 'passed over'.

There are three subjects that must be observed by Chiba, his first subject is a 27-yr-old-woman, Kazue Fujiki, the second one is a Yakuza agent and last one is an old hairdresser woman who lives in the countryside. The story moves a bit slowly but it's set in a beautiful way. Certain conflict also arise, usually when Chiba emotionally involves with his subject.

A good movie though, curious about the book, need to check it at the bookshop soon.

The Boy In The Striped Pajamas

I read the book last year and finally watched the VCD the other day without expecting too much since I had a lot of dissapointment of watching a movie adapted from a book/novel.

It turned out that this movie is soooo...good, it still made me burst into tears and kept me awake in the night, just like the time when I finished the book with the same title written by John Boyne.

Anne of Avonlea

The 2nd book of Anne of Green Gables' series, which actually consist of 5 books and it seems that Qanita will translate all, yay...!

If the 1st book tells about Anne as a little girl, while the sequel tells about Anne as a young teacher at Avonlea (her former school back then). Although Anne's already 17 years old, her character's still the same, brave, cheerful and full of imagination. Following Anne's experiences in handling her students are very funny, touchy and inspiring.

I really love this Anne's serial. It warms my heart. It transferred me back to my old memories when I was so busy reading Enid Blyton's books.I feel like I go back to the old days. Imagining and dreaming to undergo an adventurous life. Miss the old days and feel so old....:))

I enjoy not only the translation by Maria M. Lubis, who successfully can keep the 'soul' of the original story, but also the colorful cover of the book. The 3rd book "Anne of the Island" has also already been translated and published by Qanita. Can't wait to grab that book very soon.

The White Tiger

It took almost a month to finish this book.'s not because this is a bad book, in fact it really is a very good book otherwise it won't win the Man Booker Prize 2008. I just have less opportunity to read these days. There are two main reasons, first it's almost two months now that my girls sleep schedule is changed into midnight. Yup..they now have a habit to sleep between 11 pm-12 pm and the bad news is before they fall asleep, I have to read their story books and when they finally sleep, their mother, without a doubt, also falls into a deep sleep.

Second reason is the passengers in my express train are getting more and more. It's almost impossible for me to get a seat now. No seat means no time to read. Okay...stop complaining and giving excuses. Perhaps, the reason is just simply because 'the older you are, the slower you read', who knows?

Let's talk about this good book written by Indian author, Aravind Adiga.This book reminds me of Vikas Swarup's Q and A (Slumdog Millionaire the movie). The setting is in India with its gap between the rich and the poor, the corruption everywhere, exactly like our own country. It tells about a life of a complicated guy, Balram Halwai, who used to be a poor guy. He works as a servant, a driver and then he kills his master. He runs away. Starting a new life and becoming an entrepreneur. The story is told from Balram's perspective. He tells his story in details, how he transforms himself from a poor guy into a successful businessman. It's a touching story yet funny. An interesting book, anyway.


There's a scream from my little girl, Nayzea (2,5 yrs old) in the dead of the night:

Nayzea: "Mamaaaaaaaaa....."
Me : "Ada apa, Zea?" (with worried tone)
Nayzea: "Mama, ada 'kecewa' di kamar mandi"