realstranger

[realstranger]

whatever was left, that was ours for a while.

sunrise - louise glück

LizzieOrmian.redbubble.com

[realstranger]

Some things to note when you're discussing Palestine and Israeli apartheid in the coming days/weeks/months (not a complete list but will update as I have the emotional energy):

Do not refer to what is happening in Palestine as a "conflict" or "war." These words imply a balance of power that does not exist. Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza have no military, no control of their borders, no control over their access to resources like electricity, water, and medical supplies, no freedom of movement, and, most importantly, they do not have the most powerful government in the world funding them.

Israel is an apartheid state. Refer to it as such. It is based in a settler colonialist system that actively recruits and funds people from the Jewish diaspora to move into homes on stolen Palestinian land. Since the formation of the state of Israel in 1948, 42% of the West Bank has been illegally settled while 86% of East Jerusalem has been stolen for settler use. Under international law, the expansion of these settlements is illegal. Israel has faced zero repercussions for their actions. Hold them accountable in your speech.

Do not refer to the Israeli army as the "IDF" (Israeli Defense Force). Palestinians refer to them as the "IOF" for a reason--Israel does not need to defend themselves from civilians who have no military. From 2008 to September 2023, over 3,800 Palestinian civilians were killed by the IOF. There is no need for oppressors to defend themselves--they are the ones on the offense at all times by the nature of their positions of power.

Remember that decolonization will not be a peaceful process. Do not condemn a group of people who have been brutally colonized, ethnically cleansed, and displaced from their homes for 75 years for fighting back against those oppressing them. This post concisely explains why the violence necessary for decolonization will never match that of the violence necessary for the sustained process of colonization. You cannot break free of a violent system with nonviolence. When Palestinians attempted peaceful protest in 2018 on the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, they along with clearly marked journalists, doctors, and medics were shot and killed for their actions. Oppressors will maintain their power status by any means necessary; the ongoing genocide of Palestinians is proof of that. Decolonization requires violence because colonization itself is an inherently violent system.

Zionism does not equate to Judaism. Do not let Zionist propaganda fool you into believing that condemning the Israeli government is in any way antisemitic. The Israeli government does not represent the views of all Jews, even those who are Israeli citizens. Governments should always, always be criticized and held to account for their actions. Israel is no exception to this rule. Anti-Zionism is not antisemitism. Anyone who tells you otherwise is weaponizing true Jewish oppression and suffering as a means to gain support for a violent, racist, apartheid government.

[realstranger]

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINEE STEPHANIE HSU YOU'LL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS

[realstranger]

LEBIH BANYAK DRAMANYA?

REVIEW THE WATCHER

THE WATCHER merupakan series baru besutan Netflix yang dirilis pada Oktober 2022 ini. Diangkat dari kisah nyata, series ini menghadirkan plot yang klasik dan mudah ditebak. Sebuah keluarga yang pindah ke wilayah sub-urban, kemudian diterror oleh rentetan surat yang misterius, serta para tetangga yang strange dan creepy. 

Disclaimer buat kamu yang ingin menonton series ini: terdapat beberapa perbedaan yang cukup jauh dengan kasus aslinya. It's better untuk meriset terlebih dahulu mengenai kasus Boulevard 657 New Jersey. Dan jangan lupa! Konten ini mengandung spoiler.

Let's sip the tea and enjoy the review!

MUDAH DITEBAK DAN PLOT YANG MAKSA

Fokus utama dari series ini adalah mencari sosok dibalik surat-surat terror yang ditujukan kepada keluarga Brannock. Alur pada episode 1-3 berhasil dieksekusi dengan so-so. Namun, revelation, foreshadowing, dan pengembangan beberapa karakter yang cukup dini membuat penonton mudah untuk menebak jalan cerita dan pelakunya. Kekurangan tersebut dapat ditutup dengan formula psychological thriller – yang sayangnya hanya sebagai “tambalan" serta beberapa terkesan ditambah-tambahi dan tidak perlu.

The Watcher juga mencoba untuk menghadirkan sebuah plot twist yang menurut reviewer maksa di episode terakhir. Plot twist ini muncul setelah revelation yang logis untuk mensuspect siapakah the Watcher sebenarnya.

HORROR-THRILLER ATAU DRAMA?

Sensasi suspense, horror, dan thriller yang ditawarkan The Watcher sangat terasa pada episode 1-3. Reviewer menilai pada episode 4 sampai akhir, series ini mencoba untuk menambahkan psychological thriller tetapi tidak konsisten. Sementara 'drama' menjadi genre dominan dalam series ini. The Watcher berusaha untuk menaikan kembali tensi horror dan thriller pada episode ke 6 hingga akhir, tetapi nanggung. Tetapi, jangan sedih karena ke-nanggung-an ini dapat terobati dengan closure yang sempurna.

SATU KARAKTER PENOLONG

Keberhasilan The Watcher adalah pengembangan karakter John Graff. Tokoh ini berhasil dibangun menjadi sosok yang misterius dan sus. Perlahan namun pasti. Muncul sekilas pada episode pertama kemudian lenyap hingga muncul kembali sebagai stranger yang berinteraksi dengan tokoh utama. Kemudian, pada momen selanjutnya Detektif Theodora Birch merevealnya sebagai salah satu mantan pemilik rumah tersebut dengan record yang kelam. Inilah puncak horror-thriller pada series ini. Menuju episode akhir, eksekusi John Graff makin sempurna. Ekspektasi penonton pada tokoh ini berhasil terpenuhi.

SINEMATOGRAFI DAN ACTING YANG CIAMIK

Color grading series ini bisa dinilai cukup sempurna. Warna-warna yang dominan untuk ditampilkan adalah warna dengan tone dingin dan misterius, seperti; putih, abu, dan kebiru-biruan. Hal ini juga tidak nabrak dengan kondisi neighborhood di Westfield dengan rumah-rumah yang bergaya Victoria. Selain itu, scoring pada series ini juga tidak mengganggu.

Shoot kamera pada adegan-adegan penting The Watcher dinilai sempurna. Salah satu yang ikonik adalah adegan pembicaraan antara John Graff dan Dean Brannock. Angle kamera yang digunakan untuk menshoot adegan ini berhasil membangun sosok “John Graff” sebagai tokoh yang suspicious dan creepy. Teknik zoom-in perlahan pada wajah John Graff berhasil membangun atmosfer yang horror.

The Watcher juga dibintangi oleh beberapa aktor-aktris yang sudah cukup senior di dunia Hollywood. Kemampuan acting aktor-aktris yang ada di series ini berhasil mengeksekusi karakter yang dimainkan dengan baik. Menurut reviewer, terdapat beberapa karakter yang berhasil dimainkan dengan sempurna; karakter Dean yang diperankan oleh Bobby Cannavale, Pearl oleh Mia Farrow, Mo oleh Margo Martindale, dan Karen oleh Jennifer Coolidge.

Bisa dibilang bahwa sinematografi dan acting adalah hal yang paling ‘menolong’ The Watcher secara general.

AKHIR KATA

Secara umum alur serta kesan horror-thriller yang disajikan kurang greget. Selain itu, beberapa plot the Watcher maksa dan terkesan ditambah-tambahi. Dengan segala kekurangannya, series ini sangat ikonik dan cukup sukses untuk membuat penonton sulit move on. Dua jempol untuk sinematografi dan acting yang keren. The Watcher dapat bintang 6/10 dari reviewer.

[realstranger]

I'm a fugitive of my past — looking for sanctuary as the last resort Floating between something buried and the forthcoming

I’m incredulous about myself "Could you, let them go and make headway?" "Don't you remember? You were reluctant to swallow the hard pills of life?"

[realstranger]

5 Things that Keep us Stuck in Life

1. Believing negative, unproductive and self-defeating thoughts. These include thoughts like “I could never … I’m not good enough to … I don’t deserve to … I’m useless at …”

2. Blaming others. It’s true that other people can have a huge effect on what happens to us, and where we are in life. But we give them too much power if we let them set our course, and see ourselves as victims, and act like we’ve no power.

3. Taking ourselves too seriously. It’s important to work hard and to have integrity – but we also have to laugh and enjoy ourselves as well. Also, decide to let things go, and put up with some mistakes. You’re not a perfect person and, the truth is - that’s OK!

4. Being afraid to take some risks or to live close to the edge. To have an interesting life you must leave your comfort zone and say “yes” to some new chances and opportunities. It will broaden your perspective, reduce anxiety, and provide you with new options and possibilities.

5. Being afraid of change. It doesn’t take much effort to stick with what you know. The unknown can seem daunting as we don’t know where that leads! But we grow as individuals and lead a richer life if we learn to accept changes, instead of being scared.

[realstranger]

Maybe, A Journey?

Hari ini, di bulan November 2020 masih berada pada suasana pandemi, kota Semarang (tepatnya di Semarang bawah) masih tetap sumuk dan suasana lama-nya yang masih terasa, aku yang abu-abu soal hidup ini tiba-tiba overthinking (padahal baru jam 10 malam). Sebenarnya, perasaan yang cukup mengganggu ini sudah lama hadir, terbesit di kepala-entah ketika sedang melamun atau pada aktivitas-aktivitas lainnya. Dimulai dari pertanyaan : sebenarnya mengapa Tuhan menciptakan manusia? Apa gunanya aku hidup? Untuk apa aku hidup? Mengapa aku hidup? Dan lain sebagainya. Kadang, terbesit perasaan jengkel dan lucu soal mengapa aku dilahirkan? Padahal aku tidak meminta, ketika lahir harus “bersyukur” dengan nasib dan takdir yang memang tidak bisa aku ubah. Kemudian dengan keadaan tadi, saat aku menjalani hidup ini, harus dijalankan dengan sebaik-baiknya yang artinya tidak boleh gagal. Berat banget ya kayanya? Hmm, saking beratnya, guide book untuk hidup saja tidak ada. Bisa dibilang, aku yang baru hidup 20 tahun inI-kalau orang bilang, masuk pada fase “hidup enggan, mati tak mau”. Tapi, dengan premis “hidup itu berat” tadi, menurutku orang-orang yang ditakdirkan buat hidup, itu keren banget. Yap, dapat kesempatan untuk merasakan beratnya, dan itu hanya sekali. Tapi ga jarang juga, kejadian dalam hidup ini-walau sederhana, banyak yang menyenangkan juga. Mungkin bisa dibilang, Life : Bless and Curse. Kembali ke topik, perasaan-perasaan tadi terus mengganggu dan membuat aku terperosok ke jurang abu-abu yang jauh, gelap, dan dalam-diselimuti dengan benang-benang yang sengkarut berisi memoar dan harap. 

Banyak aku mendengar dari teman, orang yang lebih tua, seseorang yang disebut motivator, dan lainnya tentang bagaimana kita seharusnya hidup (walau sebenarnya, ini agak tidak berguna bagi aku yang abu-abu tujuannya). Kebanyakan diantara dua kubu, realistis atau idealis. Yah, dua kalimat yang ada dimana saja, dalam pemikiran politik, hubungan internasional, filsafat murni, dan lain sebagainya ini seolah memisahkan rasa dan pikir manusia yang sebenarnya masih abu-abu. Menambah benang yang makin sengkarut, tapi setidaknya memaksa manusia tanpa tujuan untuk bergerak, menemukan arah sedikit demi sedikit, perlahan. Istilahnya, langsung mengeksekusi jalannya hidup kita ini. 

Kemudian, perasaan selanjutnya adalah mengenai apakah penting untuk tahu tujuan hidup? apakah penting untuk tahu alasan mengapa kita hidup? Apakah hidup hanya untuk dijalani saja? Go with the flow? Yap, masih abu-abu.

Yap, perasaan-perasaan tadi menimbulkan pencarian-pencarian yang dirangkum dalam sebuah perjalanan. Nah, barangkali, inilah yang disebut dengan hidup, sebuah perjalanan! Perjalanan untuk menemukan tujuan untuk apa kita berjalan. 

[realstranger]

Now, I almost 21 y.o and re-thinking about my life, and the result is I still don’t know how my futures like. I think I don’t have any specific goals and achievement until this day :(

[realstranger]

Procrastinating is a perilous thing I have ever made, how fool am I.

[realstranger]

Bitterness of Growing Up

Living in the middle of 20′s got you a little stormy emotional things. Overthinking every night, got an insomnia, or doing something too much for chasing our dreams. For me, a newbie 20′s have a little emotional issues ; unstable feeling, have a little argument with parents, dealing with the reality-that constrict my dreams, and so on. 

In Asian culture, especially in Indonesia, we have some demands from family, parents, and society to achieve many things in 20′s that emphasized on ; finishing studies (college), jobs, and about marriage things (I think this is unnecessary). This standard makes young feel overwhelmed and stressed by the condition. Besides of that, the financial condition. Millennial and Z generations in Indonesia have an issues about being “Sandwich Generation” (I think not only in Indonesia, but many (I think, mostly) parents in Indonesia think that their children is an investment for their next life)  that means we have to caring both our parents and our family. This is doesn’t only happen with someone who have a marriage life, but also young people that currently study in college or finishing their study. Parents debt, brother and sister education charge, and so on. 

It doesn’t mean I have a negative thoughts about growing up culture in Indonesia, but I think that’s little toxic for our mental health (ehm, I don’t think that some people will care about mental health here, because they think that “mentally things” is a taboo topics and it can only healed by religious things (praying to God, and blah blah blah). I only emphasize that we, young people need a little healthy culture in growing up. 

Sorry for my messy grammar, thank you. 

[realstranger]

My Thoughts on this Semester

Disclaimer first, this article is written in two language, mixing Bahasa Indonesia and English, and sorry for my amburadul-grammar (messy-grammar). Thank u.

First of all, I am a half-second year student in International Relations, and I think I faced with two problems here, language and their materials program. I can speak English, informally-but I think my English is still disappointing not the academics-writing English. It’s hard when I realized that IR student have an obligation for reading some materials, such as ; paper, materials book, and etc. and all of them are written in academic-English, with some words-that I don’t know what it means. I think, I’m unable to survive in this semester, but I have an interest to understand international-politics, so I think I have a necessity to continue this journey! Because, this is my path- that I choose when I doing a gap year in two years ago. This condition constrain me to learn both English and political-law terms. Even, my brain require to have a little break today and I need a time for sleep, but I have an obligation to always learning. I hope, I can survive. Someone said that, “If we want a successful life, we need sacrificing something that we called-happiness thing in our young life.”

Oh, and I think, I still thinking in Bahasa, not in English. It’s hard because English isn’t my second language.

[realstranger]

Read The Full Article Here: 

6 Signs You May Be Too Hard on Yourself

Follow @psych2go for more!

[realstranger]

Surat dari Renaissance

Re-birth.

Masih ingat aku kan?

Tahun yang kelam, bukan? Entah, dirimu kelam karena terlalu asyik di zona nyaman atau terlena oleh manja. Masa muda yang harusnya diisi oleh idealisme-idealisme yang bakal “abadi” harus dibakar dengan pesimisme. Melihat teman yang sudah “beredar pada jalur peredarannya masing-masing” membuat kau makin takut dan tidak percaya dengan diri. 

Aku tahu, aku dimaknai secara berbeda oleh orang-orang. Tetapi kali ini dan khusus untukmu, aku ingin menjadi kawanmu. Iya, aku ingin mengingatkanmu pada bangkitnya Eropa setelah jatuh terkuasai Utsmani, Asia dan Afrika yang berusaha melawan kolonialisme negara-negara dari utara, serta Jepang yang mampu menegakkan kakinya setelah terhempas Sekutu. Bukan maksud yang aneh-aneh, tetapi setiap peristiwa memiliki hikmah bukan? Sebenarnya tak usah muluk-muluk, coba kau ingat kembali tentang cita-cita dan idealisme masa kecilmu. 

Semoga, kita bisa berkawan baik.

[realstranger]

“She was stronger alone.”

— Jane Austen

[realstranger]

An old camera captured by a modern cellphone, this is my grandpa's cam😂. Btw, I took this pict on 2015

[realstranger]

Amateur

[realstranger]

Effective Exam Writing Tips

1. Make sure you read and understand the Instructions: This is absolutely crucial. A lot of students are keen to rush ahead and so they quickly skim over the exam instructions. Then, later, they discover that they did it wrong! For example, do you have to do every question on the paper, or do you only have to select a certain number? Is there a penalty for guessing – so is it better not to guess? (For example, because you lose an extra point for each answer you get wrong).

2. Read through the exam and divide up your time accordingly: For example, make a note of the number of questions there are, and notice what the different questions are worth. This isn’t wasted time as reading through the questions will actually start to activate your memory. Then decide which questions will be easy, and which will take more time, and mentally allocate your time accordingly. Also, allow some time at the end to review what you have written, and do some corrections if you think you’ve made an error.

3. Work through each question systematically: Slowly read through the questions, and underline key words. Make sure you check to see if there’s more than one part. Make sure you’ve fully understood what you’re being asked to do then plan what you will do before you start to write things down.

4. Attempt every question: It’s better to do something than nothing at all. You might get a few marks for thinking along the right lines. If you’re running out of time, then resort to bullets points. You’ll cover more by doing that than writing complete sentences.

5. What if your mind goes blank? Take a few, slow deep breaths and try your best not to panic. It’s important not to let your anxiety take over. Take control of your thinking by reassuring yourself that will pass in a moment – and is natural in exams. Repeat true, positive thoughts like “you’ve worked hard and are ready” and listen for your breathing – as it starts to slow.

6. Review what you’ve written and make corrections if they’re needed: Leave some time to go over your answers at the end – but don’t change what you’ve written unless you’re sure it’s wrong. Also, look out for blank spaces, for question you have missed, and turn over the last page – in case there’s something at the end!