BOOKs REVIEW

holaaa :)
happy august to you guys!!
today i wanna post some books reviews. meskipun review nya biasa aja. etsss, ini blog pribadi jadi ini menurut opini gue ajaaa ^^

BOOK NUMBER 1

 HEX HALL - DEMON GLASS

sebenernya ini buku udah lamaaaaaaaaaaa bgt. yang baru aja udah keluar hiks :" telat bgt ya. whatever lah. buku hex hall itu bisa dibilang "gue bgt" why? karena genre nya yang roman-fantasy. epic bgt jalan ceritanya dan enjoy to read, (readable). untuk tata bahasa well, karena ini terjemahan jadi cukup bagus lah. kalo gue sih gampang ngertinya. lol

SECOND BOOK

SHIMMER

SHIMMER ini salah satu english novel gue hehe yaaa bukannya sombong tp i love learning english through novels ^^ bagus sih, buku ini mengisahkan seorang gadis yang mati trus dia ke dunia lain tapi didunia lain itu ternyata dia juga harus bekerja. pekerjaannya yaitu narikin roh- roh manusia yang masih tersesat di bumi, bujuk mereka agar mereka mau "nyebrang". unik sih. tapi sayangnya, boring -_- awalnya "keren nih" tapi ujung- ujungnya "biasa aja". why? mungkin karena konflik nya kurang "dapet" soalnya, yaaa karna awa nya aja udah fantasy bgt, jadi gue mengharapkan lebih. ternyata konflik nya cuma ada gadis yang terperangkap di bumi dengan marahnya yang luar biasa dhsyat sampe roh- roh lain iut terperangkap ke dalam "gelembungnya". okelah, kalo konflik masih bisa di oke-in. tapi cara penyelesaian konflik nya kurang greget lah. tapi yaaa bintang 3 deh. hoho

THE LAST BUT NOT LEAST

THE STORY GIRL - Gadis Pendongeng

cerita dalam cerita. buku ini ada dua jilid. dan semua nya bagus- bagus. termasuk hasil terjemahan tapi mudah bgt dimengerti. unik juga sih, like  I said, cerita dalam cerita. seperti namanya, the story girl, buku ini mengisahkan serorang gadis yang doyan bercerita. sudut pandang nya itu apa ya, pertama kayanya. soalnya disini seorang anak laki- laki yang ke rumah masa kecil ayahnya terus ketemu si gadis pendongeng ini. nah terus dia kasih tau gadis pendongeng cerita apa aja, berarti sudut pandang orang pertama ya? :D yaaa intinya, ini readable juga, udah cukup sulit dicari karna ini buku udah lama bgt -_-

okeee sekian terimakasih. mau ngerjain tugas sekolah :|

BYEEEEEEEEE and thanks for reading. 

xoxox, dina :*

 

Cara Menetapkan Hidup

"Without goals, and plans to reach them, you are
like a ship that sail with no destination" --  Fritzhugh Dodson

Itulah perumpamaan bagi orang yang tidak punya tujuan dalam hidupnya.
Banyak orang melakoni perannya, tapi tidak tahu arah hidup yang ingin ditujunya. Mereka-reka hidup adalah apa yang kemudian dilakukannya.

Bila sesuatu hal buruk terjadi, mereka akan berdalih nasib tak berpihak padanya. Tidak jarang seseorang baru menyadari tujuan hidupnya pada usia tua. Sangat disayangkan memang.

Seringkali orang tidak berani melakukan perubahan dalam hidupnya. Dia hanya menunggu, dan menunggu adanya perubahan tersebut... hingga akhirnya tujuan hidupnya tidak tercapai!

Sebenarnya, tidak masalah jika kita harus mengubah tujuan hidup beberapa kali. Hal yg terpenting adalah setiap saat kita mempunyai tujuan hidup yang ingin dicapai. Setidaknya kita tahu ke mana kita akan berjalan dan strategi apa yang harus diambil.

4 Cara Yang Bisa anda Pakai Untuk Menetapkan Tujuan Hidup:

1. Apa sebenarnya keinginan anda?

    Tanyakan pada hati nurani, apa sebenarnya
    keinginan Dina untuk beberapa tahun ke depan?

    Tidak ada salahnya anda bermimpi. anda
    tidak perlu malu mengakuinya, lagipula, tokh tidak
    ada biaya yang harus anda keluarkan untuk
    sekedar bermimpi. ;-)

2. Kumpulkan informasi.

    Dengan mengumpulkan informasi, anda
    bisa lebih mudah mencapai tujuan yang diinginkan.

    Jika ada orang lain yang sudah berhasil melakukan
    yang anda inginkan, belajarlah dari mereka.
    Lakukan apa yang mereka kerjakan!

3. Jangan diam.

    Lakukan sesuatu dan secara terus menerus yang akan
    membawa anda pada impian hidup yang diinginkan!

4. Tingkatkan kemampuan

    Jika ada cara yang anda lakukan terbukti efektif
    dan mendekatkan pada tujuan yang ingin dicapai,
    maka alangkah baiknya jika anda berusaha untuk
    meningkatkan kemampuan dan menambah kecepatan
    kinerja agar tujuan hidup anda lebih cepat tercapai.

Jika keempat hal di atas anda lakukan secara terus menerus tanpa lelah dan bosan, anda mungkin akan mendapatkan tujuan hidup yang diinginkan.

Anda ibaratnya adalah seorang 'pemahat' atas gambaran kehidupan anda sendiri. Dan seorang pemahat yang baik akan selalu memiliki 'planning' terlebih dahulu untuk mendapatkan hasil yang terbaik.

Dalam hal ini, anda pun hanya bisa sebesar dan sebahagia sebagaimana tujuan yang telah anda tentukan. Oleh sebab itu, pahatlah diri anda sebaik-baiknya!



source: Anne Ahira

The Beauty of Carles, Iloilo - Isla de Gigantes

Known as one of the pearls of Iloilo are a string of islands in Carles. It’s consists of thirty-three barangays with 6 huge islands and nineteen islets boasting of long beautiful coastlines.
Among its well-known attractions are a tableau of unspoiled and isolated granite monoliths named Isla de Gigantes or Giant Islands. These groups of islands are known for their magnificent massive rock formations sitting on azure waters boasting their pristine beaches.

The islands are ideal for any water activities by guests who want to discover the wonderful underwater scenery and secrets that lie beneath its crystalline waters.
If you’re searching for the greatest tropical paradise, set your sights on Cabugao islands. Immerse yourself in an oasis of natural harmony. Both Cabugao Islands offers white sand beaches without all the crowds, a wonderful spot to relieve stress, slow down and get into the groove of the real exotic heaven. Sprawl by the warm turquoise waters on Cabugao Gamay while enjoy an underground adventure in Cabugao Daku.

Tangke Natural pool is a must visit destination in Isla de Gigantes if you want a peaceful location surrounded by magnificent rocks. Situated on the southern side of Barangay Gabi in Isla de Gigantes Sur, it’s a hidden saltwater lagoon formed by a surrounding wall of granite monolithic cliffs. Swim in Tangke and gaze into the spectacular rock formations around you. The rocks covered with green floras.

Relaxed on this white sand beach, without anyone bothering or dragging you. Put aside your problems in everyday life and enjoy the nature. Water is clean and very clear, people are very friendly, plus the food is not that expensive.
The perfect time to visit here is when it’s high tide so the water is deeper. It’s a warm and relaxing seawater, you will surely be reluctant to leave.

Xcaret Underground River

Xcaret merupakan daerah arkeologi yang tidak dapat diragukan keindahannya. Daerah ini terletak di Riviera Maya, Meksiko di laut karibia. Daerah ini telah digunakan oleh kaum pra-Kolombia Maya dan telah digunakan sebagai bandar yang digunakan sebagai pusat perdagangan kaum Maya. Daerah ini merupakan tempat terfavorit bagi orang- orang yang ingin berekreasi karena penuh dengan kegiatan yang menyenangkan. Tempat wisata yang alami ini akan membawa turis ke sebuah perjalanan melihat dan menikmati jernihnya air sungai di Riviera Maya.

Hembusan angin yang menerpa lembut di sekitar goa khas kaum Maya ini membuat para pengunjung tertarik untuk berenang, menikmati indahnya perairan di daerah itu.aaaand, The fresh gusts enable people to drift in a range of Two thousand ft. applying life-vests inside a level of 1.60 metres. The experience in Xcaret´s Subterranean Water will take roughly Selama 20 menit para turis dapat berenang ke dalam Goa sepanjang 1km itu.



Xcaret has numerous stores which are available to the general public. Based on the study by the  Institute of Historyand Anthropology  , the very first structures with the location could be out dated from 200 to 600 A.D., however the most of them are within the time period from Twelve hundred to 1550 A.D. The buildings belonging to the Later Post-Classical time period are found across the shoreline; a lot of them in arranged placements for security. The place was built with a wall structure, but in contrast to the main one in Tulum which was open up towards sea, the walls from Xcaret guarded the place from attacks from the sea. The walls could also have functioned to split the rock solid soil of the inside from the swampy terrain nearer to the coastline.



Group A  includes 10 constructions situated on higher terrain away from the defence of the wall structure, towards the south on the stream. Groups B and also C are likewise situated near to the ocean. Group B contains of 5 constructions, whilst Group C is made up of 4 buildings.  D buildings had been made upon higher terrain near the wall structure. All these buildings incorporate a temple that most likely assisted along with seaside routing. Group E is probably the most amazing architectural groupings. All these 3 constructions are close to the walls, two of consider some of the highest buildings in Xcaret.



These types of buildings had been probably used by people for ceremonial functions. Group Y is made of 3 large temples positioned north-east of  E. One of them temples also has ornamental cut, and it has been decorated in a variety of colours.  Grams consist of the Simple Spanish Church. Group H and also K have two temples.

Grain Silos Converted into Contemporary Rural Home

Tucked away in the wilds of the rural American Midwest one might not suspect the nature of this home from a distance – it is, after all, easy to mistake for the two silos that were joined to create it. Up close, however, modern design features and interior elements show it to be a clever adaptively reused silo house.



The ultimate bachelor-pad-plus, this cozy residence is designed for a single man with additional space for his guests and grandchildren. The rounded shape provides amazing views in all directions as well as access to light year round.


Of course, the beauty and bane of a circular house is that everything must be custom-designed to fit the curved interior spaces. While this can be expensive the remark is visually dynamic – the surfaces and fixtures carry one’s eye continuously around any room.

Some of the metal from the silo is left exposed on the inside of the home and offset by the addition of warm wood and simple white paint. The result is a combination modernist-by-comfortable-and-cozy interior design.

Extra bedroom pods also conform to the curved spaces and continue the theme of cozy enclosure implied by the rest of the design.





source: dornob.com

English 50 – Intro to Creative Writing: Exercises for Story Writers

Basic Theory:
    What is a short story? As soon as someone delivers a definition, some good writer will write a story that proves the theory wrong. About the only thing we can say for sure is that short stories are short and that they are written in what we call prose. Some attributes, however, seem to show up more often than not.
    Short stories

1. have a narrator; that is, someone tells the story;
2. have at least one character in them;
3. have some action occur (or perhaps fails to occur);
4. take place somewhere; that is, there is a setting for the action;
5. and someone either learns something or fails to learn something (theme).

With these five characteristics in mind, we can create an almost endless supply of exercises to help sharpen our techniques of story telling.
 
Narrative Voice
    Twenty or so years ago, voice was the "rite of passage" into a successful writing career. Young writers were told that they should write until they developed their voice. The way to do this was to simply write (and read) as much as possible, having others read your work and comment on it, until your voice became distinct from others. The evidence to support this theory was generally drawn from the body of work of successful writers. Everyone agreed that you could read a Hemingway story, for instance, without factual evidence that the story was written by Hemingway, and recognize it as his work because of his distinctive voice. Faulkner provided an even clearer example of this philosophy. In more recent years, the notion that one must discover a unique voice has become a secondary issue as any number of successful writers have demonstrated that they can write in more than one narrative voice.
    Nevertheless, a narrative voice that sounds like it could be anyone's voice or is bland and boring, or riddled with pointless clichés will fail to capture and hold the reader's attention. And a voice that is inconsistent will tend to confuse the reader about the narrator's attitude towards his/her characters and the story that is being told.
NOTE: It is quite common for writers in the early stages of their careers to imitate the writers they are reading or admire most. Often we are not even aware that we are doing this when we write.

1. Locate a relatively long descriptive passage in a short story or novel that you enjoy, and write a blatant imitation. Follow the sentence structure and syntax word for word. Do this exercise for as many different writers as you can. You should write at least 250 words each time you do this exercise.
2. Use a text like Best American Short Stories, containing about 20 stories from as many writers, and write imitations of the first page of each short story in the text.
3. Write a complete short story in imitation of your favorite writer from each major historical period for the past three centuries. (Note: you can change the subject matter, sex of the main character, and other such details and still write an imitation.)
4. Locate a writer whose work you do NOT particularly care for and write a parody of the story.

Point of View     Language is always uttered from some point of view; that is, it comes from someone. Scientific writers and legal writers (lawyers, the court) may try to hide this fact by writing in a voice so passive that it begins to sound as if it were uttered from some completely impartial god outside of the human experience, but no one argues more passionately than those folks who write within these two areas.
    When writing a short story we use one of the following points of view:

1. Third Person Restricted: We recognize this from the pronouns "he" or "she." In this point of view, probably the most popular, and some would argue the most natural, all the action takes place in the presence of the character from whose point of view we learn the story. If we are taken "inside the head" of a character, it is only within this character's head. The narrator does NOT tell us what anyone else thinks or feels. This character may or may NOT be the main character of the story.
2. First Person: We recognize this from the pronoun "I." Like third person restricted, all of the action takes place within this character's presence, and we learn only his/her thoughts and feelings in any kind of direct fashion.
3. Omniscient: As the word implies, this is a god-like point of view. The narrator freely moves from one character's perspective to another. This point of view was far more popular in previous centuries than it has been in the current one, reflecting both the tastes of authors and the reading public. Using this point of view within a short story is very difficult to pull off with any success because of the space restrictions. It takes time to develop more than one character's point of view.
4. Second Person: We recognize this from the pronoun "you." This point of view is rarely used except in some experimental writing. Literally "you" means the reader, and a story told from this point of view can quickly become tiresome. Authors often, however, slip into the highly vernacular syntactical structure of using the pronoun in a casual manner—I kind of "you know what I mean" statement—because the language used to tell stories is more often than not colloquial.
5. Pure Dramatization: This really isn't a "point of view" but occasionally a writer will produce a story that is very close to a play. That is, we receive almost all dialogue and very little narration, which usually seems little more than stage direction. Hemingway's "Hills Like White Elephants" is about as close to this as any successful short story trying to accomplish this technique.

Exercise: Take any story you have written and rewrite it from a different point of view. If you originally wrote the story in first person, try it in third person restricted. You'll discover that you need to do more than simply changing the pronoun.  You should find that it is easier to be more objective about a character you are rendering in third person. If you've written a story in third person, try it in first. This can be an especially fruitful exercise if you've had trouble making the character sympathetic.
A wonderful example of the use of point of view in a novel is F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby. Most casual readers remember this novel as a third person novel, but it is actually told from the first person point of view. We learn everything from Nick's perspective, Gatsby's neighbor.
As a variation on the exercise, you can take someone else's published story and render passages, especially paragraphs of narrative of at least a half page in length in a point of view other than that which the author used. Once again, watch what happens to the language as you change the point of view. What is it you need to add, take away? How does this change affect the emotional relationship the reader develops with the character.
 
The T.S. Eliot/John Gardner Killer Exercise: This exercise is quite possibly the most difficult, demanding and important exercise a writer can ever do. The poet and critic, T. S. Eliot, coined the phrase "objective correlative" to designate what he believed was the most important element in writing: Rendering the description of an object so that the emotional state of the character from whose point of view we receive the description is revealed WITHOUT ever telling the reader what that emotional state is or what has motivated it.
The late John Gardner, recognized in his lifetime as the leading creative writing teacher in the United States, developed the following exercise for students:
    A middle-age man is waiting at a bus stop. He has just learned that his son has died violently. Describe the setting from the man's point of view WITHOUT telling your reader what has happened. How will the street look to this man? What are the sounds? Odors? Colors? That this man will notice? What will his clothes feel like? Write a 250 word description.

outfit of the day scrapbook - April 2014

hi hi hi, so instead of post some review or experience, i'd post some OOTD's pictures!
here you goooo!

 p.s: don't forget to share it! xox