unsaid but hopefully well written

Unlike most heroine in shoujo manga (and the stereotyping on girl in high school that come afterwards), I can say that my favorite subject is math.

I didnt like it at first when I was on elementary school. But one of my friend said that doing math is like solving a riddle. And I remember my mother started to teach math in a kind of cram school only for math subject so she can also taught me at home. Then, I get into a sempoa course for about 2 years. I think I'm getting along well with math ever since. I don't become a master in math or anything, it's just that I got used to it.

I remember doing my exercise book ahead of time on middle school and getting the highest score for my first test on high school (because I've learn the subject on middle school). I like the subject to the point that I choose it as my second major on university entrance test.

Until now, I believe that the only way to conquer the subject is to practice. By practicing, we will come to a point of understanding. It is important because by understanding one thoery, it is easier to understand another since it's all linked. And what I love about math is that it is something that has answers. No matter what kind of problem it is, there should be at least a way to solve it.

Another thing about math is that after a while, it will come to you naturally. What to read in a question, what is that all about, what kind of problem it was, what to do first, and what step that comes after. Doing math and finding the answer is a bit like advanced a level in Candy Crush. It's exciting and satisfying and makes me want to do more.

So, a couple of days ago, I was thinking about that and comparing it to my current job. I was watching my principal works as the thought hits me. Doing my job is a bit like doing math. Practicing has a big role in order to be used to it (and I dont say to mastered it) and after a while (though it may take longer that what it takes on doing math) it will come naturally as I become used to it.

There's so many things to think of like, how does it look like, how to get people to walk there, how to build that, how to make it works and so on. But so does math, I remember imagining a way out before actually writing my solution on paper, and it was naturally happen. So I think, after a while, it will come just as natural.

I just need to go the extra mile.

lem paling oke buat gini adalah lem fox. uhu juga sih, tapi susah ngeleteknya. kalo lem korea yang belinya di kereta gitu paling sakit, jangan sampe kena tangan.

hello, this is my first week on my 8 semester. and yes, during my thesis semester, I plan to write things I learn  throughout the months until this August.

FYI, in my uni, even though I'm majoring architecture which is a part of engineering faculty, we have to write a thesis, and not doing some kind of 'tugas akhir' like most of people doing in another uni.

one obstacle that you meet at the beginning of your thesis semester is to decide what to write about. It can be pretty time-consuming I should say. Yet exciting at the same time. I'm now in the week where I have to choose my topic (carefully) and my professor as well. And this is the week where the attack of 'not confident and insignificant' come.

At some point, I know that I have a low expectation on myself, and I'm not proud of it. When the first week's task is to decide on something, having that kind of view on yourself is not advantageous at all. And actually, it is never good.

So I think the time has come for me to realize that somehow, I gotta go through this. Got to have the determination to finish this in the next 3 months. Gotta defeat the 14 weeks ahead of me by conquering myself first. After all I will not going anywhere if I had not pass this stage, aren't I?

that is my first week on my (insya Allah) last semester. Have a good semester everyone! :D :D

anyone visited afairui.com yet?

the main event will be held in Candra Naya, Gajah Mada on January 27th. It's only 25 days to the big day! I am currently working on a project with my friends, Grace, Tria, and Edwin (all architecture batch 2009) and it will be on the exhibition!

rough sketch by Grace

this is (finally) another post under the tags : studio 101.

setiap satu semester, saya rutin pergi ke tempat digital printing minimal 4 kali. Dua kali saat UTS, dua kali saat UAS. Satu kali untuk print display, satu kali lagi untuk print design report. Kadang-kadang lebih dari 4 kali per semester kalau butuh print display untuk presentasi progress project UTS/UAS. Digital printing has been an important part of our life as an architecture student.

Di deket kampus ada banyak banget tempat digital print, sebut saja tempat A, tempat B, dan tempat C (yang setelah disamarkan namanya tetap sangat obvious). Selain tiga tempat ini, jelas masih ada tempat-tempat lainnya, tapi tiga tempat inilah yang paling sering dikunjungi, terutama sama anak-anak yang seangkatan sama saya.

Saking seringnya kami ke tempat digital print, kami jadi punya preferensi masing-masing dan tau kelebihan kekurangan tempat-tempat itu. Ada yang banyakan trainee-nya, ada yang lama kalo hari Jumat siang, ada yang suka salah, ada yang kasirnya centil, ada yang pegawainya ganti-ganti terus, ada yang pegawainya pindah kerja, sampai ada yang punya operator print favorit. Saya sempet punya, tapi terus si mbaknya pergi entah kemana, mungkin karena terlalu jago jadi dijadiin manajer, who knows. Yang jelas karena si mbaknya ini pergi akhirnya saya pindah ke tempat print lain.

There's a lot of story about this theme. More than you can imagine. Mungkin karena segerombolan anak-anak ars ini adalah orang-orang perfeksionis, seringkali hasil printnya kerasa kurang terang warnanya, ada yang ke print dobel, operatornya trainee jadi rasanya pinteran dan cepetan gue kalo ngerjain, atau justru operatornya terlalu oke sampe kalo balik ngeprint pengennya sama mas/mbak yang itu aja. Ada juga yang kertasnya nggak dipotong jadi pas disatuin malah nggak nyambung gambarnya, dan lain-lain. Sering banget, setelah internal/eksternal/pengumpulan design report, kita makan sambil ngobrol soal pengalaman ngeprint. Sounds petty, isn't it? But try to do it more often, then you'll see things beyond the ordinary :)

There's too much to tell for one event of printing display in a specific place. Nggak cuma kegiatan ngeprintnya, ngejelasin ke operatornya mau ngeprint ukuran apa (dan cari harga semurah mungkin dengan cara ngeprint bareng temen), atau milih-milih kertas yang lamanya bisa bikin kesel (trust me it really happens). Kadang-kadang tempat digital print ini malah jadi studio dadakan saking banyaknya anak ars yang  mau ngeprint dan kepepet mesti lanjutin display di tempat. Ngemaket di lantai tempat ngeprint pake celana pendek dan sendal jepit dalam keadaan belum mandi itu sudah biasa. Ganti baju di tempat print dan dilanjutkan dengan dandan juga ada apalagi ikutan sholat di tempat ngeprint. Masih untung kalo yang bagian pengumpulan atau presentasi satu angkatan doang, kalo sampe ada dua atau lebih angkatan yang deadlinenya jatuh pada hari yang sama, tempat ngeprint ini jadi semacam studio multi angkatan yang ribut luar biasa.

We share joys of finishing the project, even though whining about how we haven't done our best is something that we often do in the midst of waiting for the display to be print. Kata-kata "Yaudahlah ya," atau "Lo bikin berapa lembar? Gawat gue nggak nyampe segitu!" adalah percakapan yang pasti terdengar di tempat digital printing. Kadang-kadang gue mikir, ini pegawainya ngerasa kita annoying, nggak ya? Udah berisik, bikin penuh, banyak mau pula (misalnya masuk-masuk ke dalem tempat operator karena ada halaman yang nggak ke print atau operatornya nggak ngerti apa yang kita omongin. true story). One of my friend said this (and I can not agree more to him) : "Tantangan terbesar operator digital print adalah ngeprint desrep sama portfolio anak ars,"

Untuk mbak-mbak dan mas-mas operator yang selama 4 tahunan ini setia jadi pegawai saat high season macem tempat wisata kalo lagi liburan, without you all, maybe we just have to set up our own company. Mungkin display akan jauh lebih seadanya dan desrep akan jauh lebih tipis tanpa tempat digital print. Buat mbak pinter, mbak yang sampe kenalan sama temen saya, mas yang jago ngeprint bolak balik tanpa kita harus banyak omong, untuk trainee yang kesel karena gerombolan mahasiswa ribut ini suka sok tau dan banyak mau, I think I rarely say thank you though you have been such a significant part in our life as an architecture student.

Thank you.

Am I making the architecture students sounds bad? I hope not. You know, there's something we just can't explain in words. Things people might think as petty and insignificant are something that will bother us as much as deadline. and we are not that great either. most importantly i do not meant any harm. thank you :)

the more I think about it, the more I realize that the majority of architecture student are in some kind of love/hate relationship. you said that it waste your time sometimes, that it makes you deal with some petty little things you never know exist before, it makes you stay up all night, it makes you addicted to coffee or any drink that helps you awake, it makes you do silly things like taking photo with a holed cardboard as if you are a game board (you know, the one with bunny appeared in a hole for you to hit), it makes your skin burnt after an endless survey, it makes you look terrible in the morning because you got no sleep and you have to present things early in the morning, and so on.

As bad as it would sound, it never really gets that bad. I mean, there is always pride in noticing details that some people may not even know, it always relieving to see your display printed on time after staying up all night, it is good to know a lot types of drinks and know exactly the effect to your body (does it make you stay awake and body-ache the day after, or it doesn't strong enough, or it makes you want more, or it doesn't taste good but it makes your eyes open), it is always fun to do silly things people won't do in their classroom, it is amazing how you can find things in a place that being taken for granted after being in that place almost a whole week, and it makes you proud.

really, I have never seen someone talks about architecture (no matter how bad it is for them) without such enthusiasm.

I guess we are all suffer from the love/hate relationship with this major

one thing about architecture is that it always takes you somewhere. My friends went to Mentawai this year and Alor last year. I went to walk along the Sudirman pedestrian this semester and along Wahid Hasyim earlier this year.

last monday, it takes me to kota tua. I went for a site visit regarding my project on afair 2013 and this is what I got

Somehow I realized that I rarely write about my life as an architecture student.

Sebagai anak arsitektur, gue merasa hidup dalam asumsi orang banyak. Begitu ada orang yang denger kalo gue adalah anak arsitektur, secepat itu juga mereka menyebutkan meja gambar. I can't say it was wrong, though it is not entirely right. Menjelaskan pada orang-orang mengenai apa yang sebetulnya gue kerjakan menurut gue sulit. Gue menggunakan meja gambar di kampus, tapi gue tidak melakukan seperti apa yang mereka bayangkan; gambar teknik for almost 24/7, in my school, we are not doing that kind of thing.

Biasanya gue menjawab; 'nggak kok, sekarang udah pake komputer,' yang sebenarnya nggak sepenuhnya benar. gue menjawab seperti itu setelah menyesuaikan diri dengan apa yang ada di bayangan sebagian besar orang yang bertanya, bahwa kerjaan gue adalah menggambar dan menggambar.

Seriously, kalau ditanya tentang gimana kuliah di arsitektur, I believe that I will never be able to explain it in a short time. Tadi sore, secara random temen gue bilang kalo gue bisa menulis tentang anak ars, that would be interesting. Karena suruhan random itulah gue jadi kepikiran, but I'm not really sure where to start and what to tell. And that makes me come up with this idea. What about asking people what is it that they're want to know about architecture school and architecture student. Tentu saja semua yang gue tulis akan penuh dengan pengalaman pribadi gue yang mungkin tidak ditemui di sekolah lain, but anyway, if you want to know anything, just leave your feedback. thank you :)