Best on My Way

In the end of my Asian Games 2018 volunteering and its drama met its end. Now I can take my breath properly and relaxing myself. 

Last Wednesday, I just watched a movie together with new friend I made from that event. Yeay! Finally! I went to the cinema and wasn’t alone HAHA. He asked me to accompany him to watch a movie he was curious about. Fortunately, I also had the same curiosity and quite willing to watch it although I only wanted to see Indonesian action actor, Iko Uwais who took a part in this movie while he had no explanation about his curiosity, only curious, he said. Hm yeah! Whatever! 

Actually, I’m not a person who really into the action movie or what-so-ever. I’m only a drama queen who really interested to a lovey-dovey romance-drama movie. During my duty as a volunteer of Asian Games 2018, there was a movie I really wanted to watch but I wasn’t able to watch it because: first, I forgot, second, I spent my time just for sleep because I was so fcking tired. After the games ended, the movie I wanted to watch was not played at the cinemas anymore. Pity me! Huh! 

Because of this, I didn’t really have any interest towards this movie. What I know about this movie is only Iko Uwais. That’s it! I even didn’t know what is the synopsis of the movie, even how is the poster! I literally had no idea about this movie.  Fortunately, my friend didn’t give me any clue about it. Isn’t it great? Yes, of course! 

I just knew the poster when I was in front of the studio we would enter but my friend needed to go to the toilet and I waited him there. You know what? At that time, I got my enthusiasm ascended. Not because of Mark Wahlberg as the main actor and he stands in the middle bringing a gun, nope! Not because there were handcuffs on Iko Uwais’s hands, nope! It was because the words they put above the title. 

OPTION 1: DIPLOMACY

OPTION 2: MILITARY

MEET OPTION 3

Whaaa! You have to know that I was so happy and excited to watch this movie. Very powerful keywords that can make an International Relations student like me want to watch this movie. Do the other IR students feel the same as I did? Or only me who feel that way? 

I don’t know who is Mark Wahlberg either Lauren Cohan even what I know about Iko Uwais is only he ever played a role as a chapter of Star Wars. He is quite well-known abroad, I think, and he is good at material arts. That’s it. 

Also, I’m not really a master at military things and I don’t even know or understand about armed equipment, the type and so on and so forth about it. That’s why I talked about an international trade agreement and Trump’s motive behind his withdrawal. But military things, such as war and fighting are some things sexy to me. I like to talk about it even I like to watch it. Especially, after several minutes passed, I got the clue, this movie talks about espionage and secret services or something like that. I like it! Really! Even I have a novel that talks about double agent at Cold War era and it’s no joke, cool for me! 

To be honest, I didn’t really get the beginning scenes when Alice Kerr (Lauren) and a man, that I forgot HAHA, had an argument about what kind of house they bought. He said he chose the white one but what is in front of them is the blue one and they tried to ask the owner of the blue one, is the address right or not. Several seconds later… there is a bomb in Silva’s hand. And BOOM! What is it? I asked myself in silent. 

This movie is about Cesium-137 which is the source of the bomb thrown on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, special agent, Rusia and US also Indonesia that disguised as Indocarr and represented by Iko Uwais as Li Noor. At first, I didn’t know and wasn’t sensitive enough to understand it’s Indonesia while I was thinking about the other country in Southeast Asia that is corrupt and has problem with US. I didn’t imagine it’s Indonesia and I wouldn’t if my friend, another friend, not the friend I watched the movie with, not told and explained it to me. Huh!

There is nothing more tempting than US-Russia special agent issue, isn’t it? How they both spying on each other, sabotage each other, looking for the same target, competing for each other and revenging each other. 

Let me summed this up. This is the result of the discussion between me and my bestie who is also an IR student AND WE BOTH DO REALLY LOVE THE ENDING OF THIS MOVIE! SERIOUSLY! 

Simple, the complicated plot which makes you need to be focus and never let yourself miss every second of this movie just because of one thing: revenge. 

Started from the end of the beginning scene when the US agents rummaged the blue house which there were Russian agents inside and Silva killed a boy, he was the last of five all. Before the boy was killed, he said, “No! Don’t! You will regret it!” but Silva kept pulled his trigger and that boy met his death. 

The operation ended, they got nothing, no Cesium. They had headache. Several months later, another mission is attended to be solved. From this point, Li Noor showed up. His first scene is when he was alone in a room of the apartment and he burned a photo. There is a boy and a mother on it, if I'm not mistaken. At that time, I thought that boy is Li Noor’s son and the woman is his wife but I was wrong. He is him when he was a kid and the woman is his mother. My friend corrected me. 

He burned his photo, he burned his passport. He didn’t leave any potential clue to let the other know who is him. Then he made a messy by coming to the US embassy with a disk and asked for asylum. He is the informant of Alice and she does really trust him. He was described as a usual policeman but Indocarr’s government looking for him. He is more than an ordinary policeman, he is a precious asset. And here is the start of Iko’s action scenes. 

As I said, I know nothing about Iko, I never watch his movie(s) before it. So I have no idea about his action skill, the material arts fighting skill either the acting skills. For his character, I can say, he played his role well, with the emotionless face, always calm, no worry but keeps punches and kicks and beats and throws down his opponent. Again, I know nothing about action fighting choreography, but for me, the common people, it’s great! It’s beyond good! I like the cinematography captured this scene, it’s perfect and I like it! One more, Iko’s body shape is... G O O D! Propotional! Well-shaped. More than Joe Taslim, maybe? 

Li Noor is smart, oh no! Genius! He is tricky. He doesn’t let the US get his disk, which what US looking for so long, easily. He has bargaining position because the disk has epoch and it can destroy itself if nobody can solve the code then all data US needed will be gone. That’s why… Indocarr won’t let him go either US see him as a potential asset and can be required as their agent after saw what he did at the isolation room. 

After several rounds of negotiation, US side agreed to prove Li Noor’s asylum proposal, they will take him out from this country and at that time Noor will give them the code of the disk. Win-win solution, isn’t it? Sounds like! 

Another Overwatch operation, a very secret operation, started. There was a bold propagandist line in this scene. 

“They are no longer US special agents. They join this operation because of their heroic nationalism. They don’t exist. They are ghosts.” 

This operation is the climax of the movie. There are so many bloody-shooting scenes but I got several messages from this operation scenes. One, interest is your prime mover to do something but you can’t ignore your heart to protect the other’s life, in this case a girl who trapped in building they were catching each other. Then, two, you work for someone, your boss, he gives you command and you have to do it, there is no “NO” for it but you can’t leave your friend alone and separated though you are in love-hate relationship with her. You do your job to reach the aim but you back to your friend, help her and save her. Congratulation! You are still human with humanity though you can kill other human beings easily with your guns. 

Talking about humanity and killing the others, let me give applause to Li Noor for his calmness when attacking his rivals but he keeps do his meditation which looks like dzikir for me. It’s understandable to say it as meditation because dzikir can calm yourself, isn’t it? That’s why people who usually get stress easily are them who are less do dzikir. 

For this, I’m still curious why they put this part of this movie. I’m not sure if the other religions or the others do the same practice with us, I’m just not sure. And… you know? This habit that Noor does is same as one of Russian intelligent agents does. Get the answer? Great! 

And… another BOOM! The aeroplane that was taking Noor and also Alice to get out from Indocarr exploded in the sky right after it took off from the runway. This is my favourite part of this movie. I smiled so wide because of this. For the first time in my life, it’s too dramatic but whatever! Russia won after US. YEAY!!! Nobody predicts it! Even myself! I couldn’t imagine Russia could win a war toward US in a Hollywood movie! GOSH! 

Russia won the game. Li Noor is a Russian intelligent agent. He did revenge for his big-female-boss’s son death by Silva. He is a dangerous Indocarr policeman. He asked asylum to US pretended betrayed his country. He is not only double agent, he is triple agent. That’s why the last line on the poster is “MEET OPTION 3”. 

There was question popped up in my head, “Why, Li Noor? How could he be triple agent for Russia?”. 

My friend answered, “Because he is Indonesian (Indocarr). Because his parents were killed by US and he was trained by Russian since he was kids.”

To be honest, I don’t really get this explanation because I didn’t see it in the movie or I wasn’t thorough enough so I miss this part. My friend said that’s why he burned the photo, it was him and his mom when he was kid. Hence, before Noor entered the plain, he sent his greeting to Jimmy’s mother. Then Jimmy shocked, how could Noor know his mother? 

I’m an overthinker and I usually think too much even for something that does not really need to worry. Lately, I have several questions about my surroundings. Like, me as a woman, how men think about me? Is it okay for me to have several qualifications for my future husband? Am I worth to have some qualifications about him? Am I good enough to have my own qualification about him? Or what will I do after I graduate? Actually, I plan to graduate next year in March, probably, if there is nothing problem and I hope so. Those both are serious matters but I have quite not serious and urgent things to think. But I can’t stop thinking about it. Like am I mature enough? Why do I feel I’m kinda childish and not mature enough compared to some Korean teenagers or who are the same line with me I watch on Produce 101? Hm… is it a simple thought? Or is it serious one? It feels not serious because I compare it with the will-be-idols ones but it’s quite serious for me because it’s about my character which I always think character, values, principles, are the most important ones for someone. And it becomes more important to me and I consider to keep build up myself to have a good and right value and keep it also spread it to others after I deeply learned about constructivism.

And well… here I am to talk about something related to character, attitude, and manner, or maybe value also included. First of all, I’m not trying frame the one I’ll talk about on this post in a bad image and I don’t really think I’m better than him. But because of this circumstance, I feel there is something wrong. There is something he should do either than gave me an excuse and apologized.

Last night, I went out with my mom for hanging out with her friends and we came to a coffee shop. Oh yeah, here I am in Belitung for spending my Ied Mubarak holiday. And here, there are sooooooo many coffee shops, that’s why it’s called as 1001 coffee shops town. We were at that coffee shop since 10 pm. My mom had chat with her friend and I was busy reading my novel while my mom’s friend’s daughter, Sisi met her friends separately. After some hours passed, Sisi backed to that coffee shop because it was too late already, it was past midnight and we wanted to go home. But she recognized someone we know was there too. He is hm… my ‘friend’ and we used to be quite close to each other. And he sat quite far from our table. And at that time I didn’t wear my glasses because I was reading my novel so I didn’t see him. And even I wore my glasses I couldn’t see him clearly because I assume my sight decreases again. Oh! 

We looked at him to make sure about it. And he looked at us back. Even Sisi tried to look him closer to really make sure about it. But… the problem is… even we looked at each other he didn’t try to greet me and my mom. And it’s annoyed me. Not because we used to be close. No! But because I do really think, seriously think, what he did is not gentle. It’s quite rude. Not only to me but to my mom too. My mom got annoyed although she tried to take it easy because she looked he smiled when we looked at him but he did nothing. Even when we really wanted to back home, he didn’t move from his seat. And… unfortunately, my mom chose the road that passed his seat and I too hated to greet him even I just rose my hand.

And here what I thought about this… 

At first, my thought was related to gender and feminism. Actually, I’m not a feminist. And I don’t really think gender inequality exists especially in Indonesia. Equality in my term is about social equality which females also have the right to participate in the society and have the same opportunity with the male for jobs even politics. I still think there are several issues that can’t be equalized between males and females like the responsibilities in family, the mother has her own responsibilities and task and so does father. And I know and realize even feminist want to equalize many things between males and females, it won’t be complete. Why? Because males and females have different abilities especially physical abilities. It can be seemed on the differences between males and females categories in sports.

And this matter... is not included in gender equality in my opinion. Because it relates to something that many people say as the relationship. And I have that background with that man. Where I always think if it relates to the relationship, the man should be the active one, the man should be the first one starts many things. That’s why I think I shouldn’t greet him first. He should because he is a man. And a man should act like a gentleman. First. 

Second, there were my mom and her friend and Sisi. At least he should show his respect to my mom. That was not his first time met my mom, he already met my mom several times before and they know each other. And they looked each other at that moment. So they recognized each other. It wouldn’t be fun if I or my mom had greeted him at first. It wouldn’t! It would hurt our pride instead. Because… my mom is older. And my mom and I are women. It wasn’t an appropriate way to treat women.

After backed home, my mom couldn’t stop commenting about it. She doesn’t like it. And she suggested us, me and my younger brothers to not be like him. Just make it as an example we shouldn’t imitate. 

My last sentence will be a question.

Is what I think about this right?

Okay... 

It’s been really awhile since the last time I write something on this blog. With my dilemma between blogspot and wordpress which triggered by the inability to comment on my post, it’s quite depressing. But yeah... as many people say, no matter how far the ship sails, no matter how many places it stops, it always knows where it should back, it always knows which is its home. Same like me, no matter how interesting and simple wordpress is, my favourite is this one. I like this blog name. It’s the best! 

Any way… I don’t write often on my blog, right? First of all… maybe I should explain my worry of perfection. Because yeah, I’m typical an idealist. And I'm too often being too serious about many things even they are no need to take it seriously. And blogging is one of them. I always, always, always want to make my blog active. But I don’t know what should I post, what should I write. I have many thoughts which for myself is so interesting but I’m not sure about the others. And I also think that my writing is not as good as the other blogger. So I… usually delay my writing because of my idealism or my confusion. In the end, I don’t write anything. But… now… I’m trying to write anything I want to on my beloved blog. No matter how creepy it is.Hehe. 

Here I start… 

For someone(s) who have same interest with me to Korean Pop, you guys may know that Super Junior, my very first liked group, is having something that we can say as hiatus because many of their members are in military service. So their music promotion activities are not really many. And yeah… there is so little news about them. And I am who biased Choi Siwon who is still in the military service until three months later lost some of my spirits to fangirling. 

About a year since his service I’m not really into KPOP. But, I forget the exact time when does it start, after I watched a special stage of Monsta X covered TVXQ’s Mirotic I got my fangirling spirit back. I was curious about this group, why are they so beautiful? Then I searched about them and had been known them ‘til now. And I decided which member is my bias. He is Yoon Kihyun. And this group is one of the groups I like. But I can really tell I’m really into them. 

Because… lately… after BTS’ Blood, Sweat, and Tears released. I know this song from my friend’s tweet so I was curious and listened to it. It felt weird at first but this song can stop playing in my head somehow. This song is really addictive. I started liking this song. And somehow, I fell into this group because of this song. Even I don’t know their names at that time. I don’t know which one is

And this outfits also inspired by Taehyung.

Webdrama dengan durasi 9-11 menit per episodenya dapat diselesaikan dalam satu jam saja. Sama seperti menonton drama biasanya. Namun, satu jam itu cukup melelahkan untuk menonton webdrama ini. Mengapa? Karena seperti melihat diri sendiri dalam drama tersebut. Bukan tentang 25 tahun dalam hidup Min Soo Jin yang belum pernah berpacaran, melainkan karena kelakuannya yang begitu jenaka dan kikuk saat bersama para lelaki tampan, juga begitu telitinya memperhatikan para lelaki itu sampai kemudian sibuk dengan pikirannya sendiri.

Sebenarnya webdrama ini cukup sederhana tetapi menampilkan banyak genre untuk tiap karakternya, sebagaimana tertulis di tag line-nya. Sederhana di sini bukan berarti dibuat tanpa usaha dan serampangan, melainkan sebuah cerita ringan yang tak perlu diduga-duga bagaimana kelanjutannya. Webdrama ini juga memunculkan cerita keseharian yang telah menjadi alur di berbagai drama. Mulai dari pebisnis tampan yang menyukai seorang resepsionis, bos tampan yang menyelamatkan pegawainya dari seorang maniak, Changwook dengan genre yang selalu melekat dengannya, seorang guru yang disukai muridnya, penerus perusahaan yang dijodohkan namun menolak dan memilih wanita lain yang menimbulkan gesekan dengan sang ibu, serta artis yang sedang melakukan syuting komersial. Bagi yang sering menonton drama Korea rasanya adegan dan plot yang semacam ini sudah sering ditemukan sehingga bukan lagi hal yang baru.

Namun, cukup tergelitik dengan kemarahan ibunda Taecyeon saat mengetahui anaknya menolak menikah dengan wanita yang dia pilihkan melainkan dengan seorang pegawai dari pusat perbelanjaan yang ia miliki. Sebagai pemilik aset bernilai tinggi tak heran jika ia memiliki seorang sekretaris yang selalu menemani kemana pun dan membantu dalam hal apa pun. Tetapi menjadi aneh ketika sang sekretaris membantunya menyiapkan benda-benda yang digunakan untuk menyerang Soo Jin. Seperti segelas air, kimchi, dan rumput laut basah. 

 

Sehingga bisa dibilang kalau episode Soo Jin dan Taecyeon adalah episode favorit karena yang paling lucu sehingga membuat tak berhenti tertawa selama menonton. Begitu jenaka sampai lelah menontonnya pun. 

Tetapi bukan hanya itu, ekspresi yang dimunculkan Lee Cho Hee dalam akting yang total dalam karakter yang ia perankan. Begitu ekspresif dengan ekspresi yang aneh maupun lugu semakin merasa seperti melihat diri sendiri dalam webdrama ini. Sehingga membuat geli sendiri. 

Terakhir, mengapa judul posting ini adalah Seven First Kisses Which Almost Kissed ialah karena sebenarnya Lee Cho Hee dan para lelaki tampan itu tidaklah melakukan itu dengan benar sebagaimana mestinya. Melainkan hanya mendekatkan dua wajah keduanya. Cukup mengecewakan setelah setiap ceritanya mengalir namun berakhir tanggung. Sebagaimana akhir setiap episode drama Korea yang selalu menyiksa. Serta, karena judulnya seperti itu. Namun realita di dalam adegan pun tidak dapat dikatakan sebagai apa yang tertulis di judul.