Christian n Titi Kamal: 2m. fr me!

Unbelievable! I met young throb couple, Titi Kamal and Christian Sugiono! Last night, my niece and I had a meal at Chopstix, Citos (Cilandak Town Square). Suddenly, she told me to look at the couple right next to our table. Gosh! The celebrities. See the photo .

Martha, my niece, is from Bali, taking piano lesson here during holidays. I failed to persuade her to take a picture with them. For goodness, if I were 15 years younger, at my crazy age, I would have directly run to their table and asked for a pose.

Choir concert and reunion

Last Saturday, my church choir named Cavido, which I joined in 1988,
had a concert and a reunion to celebrate its 30th Anniversary. Wow!

What a wonderful celebration, especially
when it did not sing the church songs as its major genre, but voila!
Bee Gees collections. How Deep is Your Love, Words, I Started a Joke,
etc. What made the concert so amazing is:
1. The senior (above 40s) choir with a song
just given by Ivo.
2. The current choir (around 20s-30s), esp. the women,
wears clothes ala Sound of Music kids with, ehm, heavy make-ups.
3. And ... there came the young CHILDREN choir,
daughters and sons of the Cavido-ers. Indonesian children songs,
until Heal the World. They sang so naturally and beautifully.
4. An unforgettable event of awarding our Oma/ Tante Poel
(Pauline Fernandez), almost 30 years with Cavido, and
voila! She's already 87 years old, you know, and at the
earlier establishment of Cavido helped Sister Franceline,
whose interview via video was played, in the choir. Oma Poel
has been with us for almost 30 years as the choirmaster before
being replaced by Atok several years ago.
5. It was such a surprise to have learnt that our favourite guy,
Henni has been loyally accompanying us for 24 years something
since the age of a school boy. An organist! Uedan! Ha ha ...

Well, maybe my blog is getting you bored, but you know.
Not only friendship, but also the atmosphere of being a big, big family
was in the air. Everybody smiled, laughed and blushed as pictures,
slides and videos were shown in the light of the reunion.
Have you ever experienced such moment?

I am truly proud being one of the CAVIDO choir members!
Though I did not sing, and was not its active member anymore
since I took my further study in Bandung in 2005, several times
a year I dropped by in the St. John (Melawai road, South Jkt)
7.30 mass in the 3rd week, and sing a few songs I have once
learnt.

Viva Cavido! Keep up your spirit high and high!

June 21: South Jkt Cavido choir concert

Just dropped by my church choir rehearsal for tomorrow's evening concert (see just some of the gorgeous singers in the picture on the right). The reherasal started at 8.15 p.m., thank God I took a nap. I won't be a singer, just dropping by.

Mm ... quite a surprise to have learnt the musical genres prepared. Not only will the regular church songs be performed, but the 30th Anniversary of CAVIDO church choir (mostly youth in the 20s and 30s) also covers Bee Gees songs. It was my delight to have helped them with some aspirated sounds of the lyrics, such as pronouncing 'talk' with aspirated /t/ in the song "WORDS", and 'try to understand'. Just a small favour. Glad they liked my analogy to how famous actor Ari Wibowo and actress Sophia Latjuba spoke in Indonesian. "Saya thidhak thau khenapha ..."

Here are the details I posted in the mailing list:
indonesian_choral_lovers@yahoogroups.com tonight.
Interested, guys? Well, just join us for free,

except for the humble dinner.

Dear ALL,
June 21 concert (Melawai): 30th Anniversary of CAVIDO

CAVIDO (Cantent in Viis Domini, meaning Singing in the Path of God),
a St. John Choir (Blok B Church, South Jakarta),
invites you to join an evening concert to celebrate its
30th Anniversary in serving at the church on:

Date : this Saturday, June 21st, 2008, 6.30 p.m.
Venue: 2nd floor, St. John building, MELAWAI RAYA 197,
South Jakarta (across from Heritage and Hero)
Theme: "STAYING ALIVE"

Songs:

Church choral songs (Latin and contemporary)

Bee Gees' collections

Staying Alive, How Deep Is Your Love, I Started A Joke, WORDS, etc.

P.S. No ticket charge, except for humble dinner (donation)
Further details,
contact: 0818 155309 with mas Henny /
R.M. Albertus Henny Hindarto.

"Smile an everlasting smile,

a smile can bring you near to me.

Don't ever let me find you down,

cause that would bring a tear to me."

Cordially Yours,

Teguh
A Cavido-er

June-July Holidays! & online materials

Gee ... here come the holidays. Plan to travel to
Bali island and Jogja city. June 28-July 4, 2008
with SMAK 2 Bandung teachers (1 bus).

Contact me, guys,
via my hp: +628151859235 (SMS only, please).

Won't be in the net for a week, I guess .... mmm,
what adventures are coming?
For the mean time, for my
students' online materials, esp. if you're a schoolaholic,
try these out:

1. http://geocities.com/smak3bdg (review)
2. http://surendranath.tripod.com/sat.html (Brilliant class)

Graduation Day of 3 SMAKs Bandung

Hi, it's my first blog though I have my personal web for almost 10 years. http://geocities.com/uget1st. Anyway, I hope my blog doesn't get you bored.

I've been an English teacher for 17 years next Dec. 2009
(see details at the bottom). It was such a wonderful feeling,
yet a bit lonely inside sometimes, when joining 3 graduation
ceremonies of the students I taught in Bandung, all in 2008.
SMAK 1 on June 16, SMAK 3 on June 18 morning and
SMAK 2 on June 18 afternoon.

Flying colours everywhere, especially with mark "10" (perfect)
with SMAK 1 at least 50 marks (Math, Chemistry),
with SMAK 2 5 marks (Math: 2 IPA, and 3 IPS),
and SMAK 3 2 marks (Math IPS).

The celebrations were very academically done, applauses
everywhere, smiles thrown by graduates and teachers
to each other. Snacks at the end, except SMAK 2 with dinner.
In each celebration, I ran home to Jakarta in a hurry, spending
only 2.5 hours out of more than 3.5 hours service and ceremony
I guess, except for SMAK 3 Bandung, which I fully attended.

Yet, something bothers me, you know what?
Though some graduates smiled at me, and some
called me and shook my hands, I felt kind of emptiness
inside me. Pride, satisfaction (including sadness for those
failing the state exams in SMAK 2 and 3), then what?

I went back and forth, Jakarta and Bandung,
yes, bringing home some Bandung brownies for staff
in BPK PENABUR Jakarta (morning prayer session)
and my folks at home, in my own 2.5-hour loneliness
in the cold Cipaganti travel car. What have I done?
What have the graduations done for me?

I do thank SMAK 1 PENABUR Bandung for giving me
and a few Cambridge class teachers appreciation for its
1st graduates' wonderful achievements. Invited on stage!
I do thank SMAK 1, too, for inviting me and most year 12
teachers for helping regular class graduates (me, teaching
bilingual class IPA and regular class IPS) to score "A"
for English and other subjects in state exams (UN 2008).

I believe it's time for me, at my age close to 40, to
be raise my own kids, and see them grow and graduate.
Then, probably, I guess, I may feel totally different
satisfaction! Don't you think so? :)

SDK 7 PENABUR Bintaro (1991-93)
SMP Regina Pacis W. Jkt (93-96)
SMAK 1 PENABUR W. Jkt (93-2001)
SMAK 7 PENABUR E. Jkt (2001-05)
SMAK 3 PENABUR Bandung (2005-08)
SMPK 5 PENABUR Bandung (2005-07)
SMAK 1 PENABUR Bandung (2006-now)
SMAK 2 PENABUR Bandung (2007-08)
SMAK PENABUR Gading Serpong Brilliant Class (2007-now)
SMPK 7 PENABUR W. Jkt (2008-...)