Category: Features

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Features Music Review

Luxury Disease: A New Phase for ONE OK ROCK

As the world slowly recovers from the Covid-19 pandemic, classes have started to return to in-person lectures, and businesses started recovering, the story goes the same for ONE OK ROCK, a Japanese rock band formed in Tokyo, Japan, in 2005. They, in my opinion, are best described as a “fluid” rock band, that holds their roots in the traditional youthful J-Rock style at heart, but was able to grow overseas and produce various genres of music within albums in their own original and unique sound, that can appeal to the wider and more mainstream ‘Western’ audience in their later albums. I think that’s part of the reason why I always recommend them to everyone I meet who isn’t even a single bit interested in Japanese music.

Their newest album, Luxury Disease, was released on September 9, 2022. This is their tenth studio album and their first one since the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, with the previous album being Eye of the Storm which was released back in February 2019. This album release marks their grand return to the performing stage after the pandemic as they started touring across countries again, (please, return to Indonesia) and to some extent, their return to their older, more rock-heavy sound in their earlier albums, when they were still focused on establishing themselves as a band inside of Japan. 

The album’s name itself, Luxury Disease, is actually a direct translation of the title of their first album released in 2006 called Zeitakubyō. Taka, the band’s lead vocalist, said in an interview session on their official YouTube channel on July 1, 2022, that after spending several albums trying to build a name for themselves in the worldwide market, they are now trying to make a fresh start with all the experience they had in the US during the past two albums, while now wanting to bring back their more rock-centered sound for their newly gained worldwide audience. With the new album sounding more toward their original rock/alternative rock sound, there is a feeling of uncertainty within the band about whether the album is going to do well among their newly gained world audience, similar to the uncertainty they had when they were just starting out as a band, hence the direct translation from Zeitakubyō to Luxury Disease, to show that they are determined to do their best in sounding ‘themselves’ again.

And to me, it shows. “Vandalize” and “Save Yourself” are the main rock-sounding tracks, with their heavy guitar riffs and all out 2000’s rock style choruses and drops that make you feel strong enough to break your wall (please don’t), with “Vandalize” even being released as a theme song to SEGA’s upcoming Sonic Frontiers video game. Tracks like “Let Me Let You Go” and “Prove” show the more mellow side of the album in voicing romantic relationships while still maintaining the rock vibe they carry with the album. “So Far Gone” and “Your Tears Are Mine” offer a more dramatic tune to the album for those who are in heartbreak, with a slower tempo that complements the rock tune of the album well.

Some of the songs are co-written by other big-name artists as well. Brendon Urie’s Panic! at the Disco, one of my other favorite artists, co-wrote the track “Neon”, lending PATD’s trademark style of powerful melodic choruses and orchestral high notes. Ed Sheeran co-wrote the track “Renegades”, a youthful ballad song that serves as an anthem for young renegades who refuse to allow their battles and passions to be ignored. “Renegades” also has an MV that portrays youth empowerment in current-day social issues that I highly encourage you to check out. 

The album, as I’ve mentioned before, definitely leans more toward their initial rock sound in most of the songs as the band’s new phase of music in the post-pandemic era. But as ONE OK ROCK likes to do, they also managed to fit a few other genres that complement the rock songs well, adding depth into the album and making it an all-round banger to listen in different moods rather than a one-dimensional sound that you only listen to once in a while. It’s an album that I can easily recommend to anyone, regardless of their music tastes.

Author: Fransiskus Nino Boby Laksono / 194214119

Editor: Cherry Larissa Hendranata (QC)

Illustrator: Betsy Mariana Agoha

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Features Lifestyle

Make Peace with Yourself Like Prince Bojji

He was born deprived of strength, deaf, and unable to speak, but he has a dream to become the “Rank 1”. That is the description of the character “Bojji” from the anime series “The Ranking of Kings”.

“The Ranking of Kings” anime itself tells the adventures of a deaf and mute prince named Bojji who dreams of becoming the 1st rank, with his best friend “Kage”, as his name in Japanese means shadow, they go on adventures, practicing together to make Bojji rank 1.

Born with such conditions, Bojji grew up as a strong and great person. He grew up with pressure from almost everyone in his kingdom, his stepmother often compared him to his brother who had advantages over him, and he has to put up with citizens of the kingdom that often laughed at him. Assuming that he could not hear, many people freely laughed at him, even though he listened to everything they had to say and wept silently.

Apart from suffering from a disability, he also lacked strength, being unable to even lift a sword. All he could rely on was his extraordinary agility and dodging ability. Of course, that alone is not enough to make him rank 1.

What is experienced by Bojji’s character seems to show that someone with their shortcomings often receives inappropriate treatment from other people, even from their own family. Being considered trivial and incompetent certainly makes someone want to give up. However, that is not the case with Bojji.

In any condition, Bojji tries to keep smiling and caring for others. He always tries everything he can to achieve his dreams. After meeting Kage, he begins to discover someone he can call a friend.

Together with Kage, he begins his adventure to become stronger. Despite being rejected by his stepmother, who forbade him to go on an adventure because she was worried about his safety, he still insisted on going on an adventure to achieve his dream.

Like Bojji, not all our decisions and choices will receive support from those around us. More often than not, we receive ridicule instead of support and encouragement. Especially with conditions that have deficiencies, the abilities of a person will be covered by those shortcomings. However, with self-confidence and strong determination, a person can overcome their shortcomings and have the strength to improve. In addition, support from friends or someone who is close and understand us will be a useful support system. Bojji has Kage who always helps, encourages, and protects him. As someone who understands Bojji’s strengths and weaknesses, Kage always supports him and gives Bojji the impetus to move forward. Bojji himself was never hostile to his shortcomings, he always thought positively and did everything he could.

Bojji is indeed a fictional character, but what Bojji experiences is relevant for most people in the real world. Bojji’s weaknesses can be a reflection for us. Have we done what we can? Do things with all our might and with all our heart? Make peace with our shortcomings and make it our strength? Everyone has weaknesses and strengths, a beautiful balance that God must have planned for our lives. For that, live with all your heart, love yourself, and accept what we have right now.

Author: Vincensius Radhitya

Editor: Baby Lois Augustine Nabasa, Fransiskus Nino Boby Laksono (QC)

Illustrator: Ajeng Suci Hati

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Features Music Review

“The Loner” Representation from Rest by Yerin Baek

It was the end of November 2020. I was so full of thoughts back then, and I chose to calm myself by scrolling Spotify discovery. Until my eyes met a song titled Rest, “I think this song can represent what I thought right now,” I said in my own mind. I listened to it, and at that time, my nerves instantly gave a signal to relax all my body and mind, then take a deep breath after what I’ve been through. 

Rest is the second track out of 18 tracks from the “Every Letter I Sent You” album by Yerin Baek, a South Korean female singer-songwriter. The album “Every Letter I Sent You” is the first Yerin Baek’s studio album under Blue Vinyl Record after leaving JYP Entertainment in September 2019. The album was released on December 10, 2019, with the double title track Popo (How Deep Is Our Love) and Square (2017). Rest has been streamed 3 million times on Spotify, while the official lyric video has been played 640 thousand times on YouTube. 

Yerin’s beautiful delivery places a warm tone to the listener’s ears and heart. Her husky-but-soft voice is mixed perfectly with the instruments. It breaks all the tiresome feelings, both physically and mentally. The song directly starts with Yerin’s voice, followed by the warm Rhodes piano. As the song gets in the chorus, the guitar tone comes along. Yerin puts simple drums, string, flute, and brass in the second verse to make the sound richer but minimalistic. The song was written and produced by Yerin. As it comes from her very first album, Yerin wanted to give intimacy through her songs. The title itself is named “Every Letter I Sent You,” so the delivery looks like many letters given to someone. “Rest” talks about someone who wants to rest after a long tiring day. “I wanna be somewhere like no need to be clear / No need to be explaining / I just wanna rest,” she sings. The song unfolds a wish of someone tired of their business every single word and activity, “I” just want to rest, that’s all. 

The narration in this song represents the discussion about some people who enjoy their quality time only on their own. Some people just love to spend their time alone, and it is fine. It doesn’t mean they are lonely. “Everybody’s asking if I got plans for the night / But sure, I know they don’t really wonder / And I’m sure I’ll be home alone / I’ma rent some classic movies on the way back home,” that is the message delivered from the lyrics. Yerin wants to share the feeling that spending your time alone is normal, nothing odd about it.  A lot of people also do that. Rejecting an invitation so you can spend your time alone on the fluffy couch is the best way to rest too.

Author: Juhandi Dwi Putra Lyana / 1842141178

Editor: Arih Oviana Putri Kusuma, Fransiskus Nino Boby Laksono (QC)

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Features Lifestyle

The Mystery of Struggle in Responding to Compliments

Regardless of the existence of a simple “thank you,” most of us still struggle to find the right response when we are given compliments. For example, when someone says, “Hey, you look great today!” We might answer that with: 

“Nah, you’re exaggerating. I look awful. I didn’t get enough sleep last night.” 

“Yeah, my sister did the makeup for me.”

“Oh, come on. You look even prettier than me.”

In other words, we either neglect the praise, downgrade it, shift its focus to something else (e.g., the makeup), or return the compliments to whom we speak with.

It is easy to understand why we feel uncomfortable when someone insults us since it directly degrades our self-quality and we feel threatened by it. However, why is it so puzzling to reply to a compliment, even though it indicates positive impressions from others? Apparently, the phenomenon occurs not only because we lack self-esteem, but also because of other factors related to our psychological state and the inconsistency of our social conform. 

The first cause of this phenomenon is our unconscious fear of pleasure. Couple therapist, Harville Hendrix, in his book “Getting the Love You Want” (2001, p. 136-137) mentions that we unconsciously develop the fear of pleasure due to our childhood experiences. When we were little, we found that being fully alive is deeply pleasurable that we nearly had no boundary of energy to play and enjoy the moment. However, some of those pleasures were limited by our caregivers so that we could be safe. They would say: 

“No running in the hall!” 

“Come down from that table!” 

“You’re being too noisy!” 

As children, we didn’t blame our parents for ruining our mood. Instead, we believed that we were not worthy of the pleasure. Slowly, we began to make an unlikely association between pleasure and pain. A certain kind of pleasure may unconsciously trigger our fear of being punished as we grow up. Consequently, we restrain ourselves from the excitement and pride of being praised.

The more significant factor is the contradictory social norm we have to follow (Lambert, 2018). On one hand, people expect us to agree on the positive statement they are trying to offer, like when our friends invite us to a party, or when we discuss a certain movie theory. On the other hand, they also demand us to not engage in self-praise since it can lead to arrogance. When someone gives a compliment, agreeing to what they say means that we have to engage in self-praise, and not engaging in self-praise means that we state disagreement to the person we talk to. In short, we cannot follow both norms at the same time and that troubles us in picking the proper response toward compliments.

All in all, feeling confused about how to respond to a compliment is normal. We are haunted by our fear of past experiences and stuck in the middle of two competing social expectations. 

When someone compliments you, try to start saying “thank you.” It indicates that you accept their opinion and you appreciate them for letting you know. If you are afraid that it will make you seem arrogant, ask about what is good, and what can be improved from your performance to gain a deeper perspective from the person you are talking with. With this simple strategy, we may embrace a better way of communicating with others.

 

References:

Hendrix, Harville. (2019). Getting the love you want: a guide for couples (fully revised and updated version). St. Martin’s Press. 

Lambert, Bruce L. (2018, August 2). How to accept compliments and why it’s so hard. How Communication Works. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kow-Cyr1U9s 

Pawelski, Suzie Pileggi and James Pawelski. (2018, December 4). Why is it so hard to accept a compliment? Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/happy-together/201812/why-is-it-so-hard-accept-compliment

 

 

Journalist: Agnes Seraphine

Editor : Vivi Julianti, Cherry Larissa Hendranata (QC)

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Features People

Markus Zusak: How Failure Gives Success Greater Meaning

Pic: Markus Zusak by Carly Earl, 2018. The Guardian

“Every success I’ve had been wrapped in a gift box of failure.”
-Markus Zusak

Markus Zusak was born on June 23rd, 1975 in Sydney, Australia, with Austrian-German roots. He is an Australian author who has written six books in total, including an international bestseller The Book Thief, which is translated into more than forty languages. His parents were immigrants from Germany and barely spoke English when they arrived in Australia. They didn’t want their children to face the same problem, so they encouraged them to read and communicate in English. Zusak graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts and a Diploma of Education. Then, he worked as a teacher before becoming an author.

Just like any other author, Zusak’s journey to be an author was not an easy road. He was rejected by every publisher until he finally got the chance to publish his first novel in 1999. He didn’t get famous instantaneously, instead he had to do his first reading in a small town which no one came.

The Underdog is his first novel and the first book of the trilogy. It is an adult fiction about Cameron, the youngest child in a working-class family and the narrative is about Cameron’s struggle in defining himself and his morality. The sequel was published in 2000 titled Fighting Ruben Wolfe, and the final book of the trilogy titled When Dogs Cry (published in America with a different title, Getting the Girl) was published a year later. Following the trilogy, Zusak published his fourth book, The Messenger, in 2002 and received the 2003 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year Award. The Messenger is about a story of a young man who learns to face his fears through experiences from playing games and learning to be a better person by helping people around him from the messages he received.

The Book Thief gave him a big success in his career as an author. In an interview with HuffPost, he said that his parents’ and siblings’ stories about growing up in Austria and Germany during and after World War II inspired him to write The Book Thief. The book is set in Germany during World War II, where Liesel Meminger is adopted by an old married couple in a small town and finds the power of words through books she stole from a Nazi book-burnings and the mayor’s wife’s library. Narrated by Death, this novel gives a different point of view for the reader. In the process of writing his fifth book, however, he had a lot of struggle. In the middle of writing The Book Thief, Zusak initially thought that no one would read his book. He spoke about his struggles when he was invited to be a speaker in TEDxSydney 2014. He changed the narration several times, from Death to Liesel’s point of view, to third-person narration, and back to Death again.

Throughout the process, he faced the failures of trying to find a suitable narration and overcome his insecurities and struggles, which befriended him along with failure. “What I found with that problem was that all of those failures had one tiny success in them for the next pages,” he said after speaking about his struggles on writing his fifth book. With those failures, Zusak admitted that the failure had given him the power to imagine around the problems; it’s given him a greater motivation and encouraged him to follow his own vision. Zusak found that writing is an arena with failures in the air. Failures shape us to  have greater respect for ourselves, for the tasks we do, and for our will to stay in that failure.

Journalist: Yohana Satvika Wahyuveda

Editor: Cynthia Olga Handoko, Fransiskus Nino (QC)

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Features Lifestyle

The Increase of Indonesia’s Smoking Habit

The smoking habit of Indonesians has increased from year to year. In fact, the level has reached an alarming level. This increase occurred because there were still many people who did not understand the health risks of consuming tobacco (smoking). This is a fact that must be seriously realized and brought upon at all levels of society in order for the masses to understand, realize, and have the desire to be able to stop smoking.

According to data from the Ministry of Health, the prevalence of smokers increased by 9.3%, from 27% in 1995 to 36.3% in 2013. That means that 20 years ago one in three Indonesians were smokers, but now, there are 2 smokers in 3 Indonesians. This situation is even more worrying, because the proportion of female smokers also increased from 4.2% in 1995 to 6.7% in 2013. What is even more worrying is that the smoking habit is also increasing among the younger generation. The data show that the prevalence of smoking among adolescents aged 16-19 years has increased from 7.1% in 1995 to 20.5% in 2013. From the data above, it is clear that smoking has a very negative impact on health. Because, smoking is one of the factors that have a big impact on health. Smokers have two to four times the risk of developing heart disease, and a higher risk of developing lung cancer and other diseases.

There are many factors that cause the increase in the number of smokers in Indonesia. dr HM Subuh, General Director of Disease Prevention and Control, Ministry of Health, said there are 3 main reasons why the number of smokers in Indonesia are increasing. The first is a lot of cigarette advertisements, the second is the easiness of buying cigarettes, and the last is the cheap price of cigarettes. Advertisements issued by cigarette companies can be seen everywhere, from television to posters and billboards on the highway. In addition, many tobacco companies are often the main sponsors for music and sporting events. The number of advertisements has made Indonesian’s adolescents want to try cigarettes. Easy access to cigarettes is also the reason for the increasing number of smokers in Indonesia. Since cigarettes are sold so widely, children and teenagers can easily buy them. This is exacerbated by the cheap price of cigarettes which makes it easy for Indonesian teenagers to buy cigarettes.

Based on the various reasons above, it is very clear that the increase in the number of smokers in Indonesia is very dangerous for the future of the nation. This is because smoking has a detrimental effect on health, which has an impact on reducing the quality of children and the new born generation. The quality reduction of this generation has resulted in continuous duping and poverty from generation to generation throughout history, which will get even worse if it is not quickly and seriously addressed.

Author: Atanasius Davin Evan Yesa Pratama

References:

  1. Sulaiman, Muhammad Reza. (2016, May 31). 3 Penyebab Utama Makin Banyak Perokok di Indonesia: Iklan, Mudah dan Murah. Detik Health. https://health.detik.com/berita-detikhealth/d-3222227/3-penyebab-utama-makin-banyak-perokok-di-indonesia-iklan-mudah-dan-murah
  2. Rokom. (2016, May 31). HTTS 2016: Suarakan Kebenaran, Jangan Bunuh Dirimu Dengan Candu Rokok. Sehat Negeriku Sehatlah Bangsaku. https://www.kemkes.go.id/article/print/16060300002/htts-2016-suarakan-kebenaran-jangan-bunuh-dirimu-dengan-candu-rokok.html#:~:text=Inilah%20Faktanya%2C%20Jumlah%20Perokok%20di%20Indonesia%20Memprihatinkan&text=Data%20Kemenkes%20menunjukkan%20bahwa%20prevalensi,merokok%20semakin%20muda%20(dini).
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Features Lifestyle

WHO ARE YOU, AN EARLY BIRD OR A NIGHT OWL?

Did you know that genes influence every inch of ourselves, including our sleeping habits?

One of the most crucial things to do for the sake of human health is sleep. Good quality sleep affects not only our health but also our quality of life. However, not every person in this world has the same time of sleeping. Our body has its own biological clock known as a chronotype. Chronotype schedules our sleep and wake times at a particular time which also influences our circadian rhythm or sleep-wake. Related to this, some people could be either an “early bird” or a “night owl” depending on their chronotype. If a person tends to wake up early in the morning and sleep early in the evening then the person is an early bird. A night owl, on the other hand, means someone who goes to bed late at night and wakes up late in the afternoon or even in the evening. So, we can say that early birds and night owls have very distinguishable differences.

In the first place, we will talk about an early bird person. The first difference, as mentioned before, is wake and sleep time. Early birds tend to sleep and wake up earlier, which is very different from night owls that tend to sleep and wake up late (grammar, para. 3). Because early birds start the day very early in the morning, they are likely to be more active during the day and more productive as well and this is the second difference. Early birds can complete more things than night owls because early birds start a day earlier, thus they have more time to do things and finish the job. There was a proverb that was written in a book entitled A Compleat Collection of English Proverbs by John Ray released in 1670 or 1678, it said, “The early bird catcheth the worm.” (Ray, 1670 or 1678). That is why many people said that early birds are more likely to be more successful. Another difference between early birds and night owls is health issues. As early birds go to the bed and wake up earlier, they are naturally to be more mentally healthy and this is supported by the study from the Aachen University in Germany. The study concluded that early birds have more white matter in the brain than night owls, hence this makes early birds far from schizophrenia and depression (Yovita, 2019, para. 7 and 9). Research published in Nature Communications in 2019 also promotes this thought (MasterClass Staff, 2021).

The second one is a night owl. A night owl has a different bedtime from an early bird and this is the very first difference between a night owl and an early bird. Unlike early birds who like to go to the bed early, night owls prefer to go to the bed late at night and wake up later. Therefore, they are more active at night and this serves as the second difference (grammar, para. 2). The third one, People may say that ‘the early bird gets the worm’, but night owls, in fact, are smarter and more creative than early birds. This thought is supported by research done by psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa. The result showed that night owl have a higher level of intelligence than early birds (Chu, 2017, para. 3 – 5). Besides being smarter, owls are also more creative since the night makes the brain able to think more creatively idea,s and this is proven by professor Marina Giampietro, a researcher at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Miami (Chu, 2017, para. 11 and 12). Next is related to health issues. Opposite of early birds, night owls have less white matter in their bran, thus they are more prone to depression, schizophrenia, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and addictive habits. Those are the effects of social jet lag, the phenomenon when a night owl must labor against their body clock to adjust to conventional working hours (MasterClass staff, 2021).

If your family is a night owl or an early bird, then you might as well be one of them depending on what your family is.

To sum up, sleeping is very important in our life, but not everyone has the same sleeping hours. Someone’s sleeping habits depend on their chronotype and this is genetic. A person can be either an early bird or a night owl depending on the DNA that runs in the family. An early bird and a night owl person have several significant differences, such as bedtime, productivity, intelligence, creativity, and health issue. Something to remember, being an early bird does not always mean that you will be more successful than a night owl, and vice versa, being a night owl does not mean you are a failure and cannot be successful. Everyone has an equal opportunity to become a successful person regardless of whether they are early birds or night owls.

Author: Liethasia 

References:

  1. Chu, M. (2017, May 19). Good News from Science: Night Owls are Smarter and More Creative. Retrieved from Good News From Science: Night Owls Are Smarter and More Creative (entrepreneur.com)
  2. Grammarist. Night Owl or Early Bird. Retrieved from https://grammarist.com/usage/night-owl-or-early-bird/#:~:text=The%20plural%20form%20of%20night,too%20early%20at%20an%20event 
  3. Know Your Phrase. The Early Bird Gets the Worm. Retrieved from https://knowyourphrase.com/the-early-bird-gets-the-worm 
  4. MasterClass Staff. (2021, May 5). Night Owl vs. Early Bird: Explore the Different Chronotypes. Retrieved from https://www.masterclass.com/articles/night-owls-vs-early-birds#what-is-a-night-owl 
  5. Santora, T. (2021, April 18). Can A Night Owl Turn into An Early Bird? Retrieved from Can a night owl turn into an early bird? | Live Science 
  6. Yovita, N.V. (2018, March 8). Pengaruh Gaya Hidup Early Bird dan Night Owl pada Kesehatan Mental. Retrieved from https://www.klikdokter.com/info-sehat/read/3624230/pengaruh-gaya-hidup-early-bird-dan-night-owl-pada-kesehatan-mental#:~:text=Kelompok%20pertama%20adalah%20night%20owl,dan%20tidur%20malam%20lebih%20awal
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Features Lifestyle

Indonesia’s Herb, Spices, and Healthy Lifestyle

Indonesia has a lot of healthy herbs and spices that are now being used by many peole and even more especially because of the pandemic.

Since a long time ago, many countries have come to Indonesia to buy herbs and spices because Indonesia’s herbs and spices are known for their richness. Indonesia has such rich and high-quality herbs and spices such as cloves, nutmeg, peppers, cinnamon, ginger, etc. That is why foods in Indonesia are flavourful. The high-quality of the spices means there is also a price, herbs and spices were very expensive back then. The European traders were obsessed, thus it became many food’s ingredients around the world. Indonesia’s richness can be proven by Maluku as the biggest producer of cloves and nutmeg specifically from Banda Island as the best nutmeg producer in the world. Indonesia and India are two countries with the most extensive paper plantations in the world, Indonesia has around 116,000 hectares of pepper plantation. Besides, herbs and spices are used for many things. Spices are commonly used for cooking, cure sickness, to warm our bodies. Human health with herbs and spices is a perfect combination, there are plenty of benefits of herbs for the body. For example, consuming one garlic clove per day lower the risk of cholesterol, heart disease. Chilli peppers keep the blood vessels healthy, ginger helps the digestive system also warm the body and has calming effect. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels and lessens the possibility of getting diabetes. Barus, North Sumatra has 300 herbs that can heal around 116,000 hectares of pepper plantation. Besides, herbs and spices can be used for many things. Spices are commonly used for cooking, cure sickness, and, warm the body. For example, consuming one garlic clove per day can lower the risk of cholesterol and heart disease. Chilli peppers keep the blood vessels healthy, ginger helps the digestive system and can warm the body and has a calm effect. Cinnamon lowers blood sugar levels and lessens the possibility of getting diabetes. Barus, North Sumatra has 300 herbs that can heal around 118 types of physical illnesses. The history of Indonesia’s herbs and spices led Indonesia to become the world’s herbs and spices commodity. Europeans wanted herbs and spices directly from the source. Therefore, in 1512, the Portuguese went to Nusantara, specifically to Ternate Island. At that time, Ternate and Tidore were in a bad place thus the Portuguese supported Ternate and expected them to give back their herbs and spices. In 1512, Spain came and supported Tidore against the Portuguese. That is how Spain got the spices. Eventually, there was a war between the Portuguese and Spain, the Portuguese with Ternate, resulting Portuguese’s loss and then they left Nusantara. The Dutch and VOC came to Nusantara, Batavia (now Jakarta) and made Banda Island the trading centre of VOC for nutmeg spices. The power of herbs and spices shows when the British came to Nusantara, wanting to take the spices but the Netherlands did not let that happen, causing the British and the Dutch to fight each other. The Netherlands even destroyed all the nutmeg trees so that the British could not have it. The war ended in 1667 by signing The Treaty of Breda. The British smuggled out the nutmeg seeds from Banda Island and then planted it on their other colonies in Ceylon (Sri Lanka), Singapore, and Grenada. This ended the Dutch monopoly of nutmeg. There is also a route called the spice route, traders from around the world use this route to trade herbs and spices. Not only herbs and spices, a lot of cultural exchange also happened in spice routes such as religion, food, and language. This is how herbs and spices in Nusantara became the world’s herbs and spices commodity. People are already aware of Indonesia’s herbs and spices richness and their benefits for human health, which made Nusantara a superior commodity in the past, later become popular these days because of the pandemic. They are usually for cooking ingredients for the daily life, but most people now believed in the impact of herbs and spices for our health.

Coronavirus came to Indonesia in early March announced by the President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo. When this happened, a lot of people were panicking because coronavirus affects many aspects on people’s life. One of them being their lifestyle, people drastically shift their lifestyle from their usual into a healthy lifestyle to prevent the virus. Healthy lifestyle needed especially because of the virus. There are plenty of things that became popular in Indonesia because of the pandemic strikes, one of the examples is the increased usage of herbs and spices because herbs and spices are known as immunity boosters. Besides, it can be found anywhere in the market, some sellers sell them at much cheaper prices and that is probably one of the reasons why people consume herbs and spices in this situation since the economy is in decline. You can even plant your herbs and spices at your house, might as well make them your new hobby during the lockdown. Researchers from Professor Nidom Foundation (PNF) in Pasuruan invented a coronavirus preventer using herbal medicine as the basic ingredients (Hartini, 2020). In 2019, export volume in the agricultural sector skyrocketed to 4,18 million tons, not to mention the volume after the new normal phase. Kinds of herbs and spices that are now commonly used for healthy living are ginger, turmeric, curcuma, lemongrass, cinnamon, orange peel, etc. Ginger or red ginger to be more precise has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, meanwhile, coronavirus causes inflammation symptoms in the lungs. This means ginger’s anti-inflammatory effect could work for the virus. As additional information, ginger can also warm your body. In turmeric, there is an antibacterial and anti-virus substance called Lipopolysaccharide. Curcuma can improve our immune system, people usually blend Curcuma, turmeric, and ginger. Other than an immunity booster, lemongrass is also used for detoxification to prevent increasing cholesterol. In the other hand, garlic can be useful to fight viruses such as influenza A, B, HIV, pneunomia, and rhinovirus. Something that can be found easily but is very useful for the body is orange peel, orang peel has 3 times more vitamin C than the actual fruit. Polyphenol antioxidants that are in the orange peel are also important for immune system. Either boil it with water or in a powder form then brew it like a coffee. Another alternative is to drink jamu, jamu is a herbal medicine in a liquid form that is made from various natural ingredients. Few people might not like jamu because some jamu has a bitter taste, despite the bitter taste, jamu has a lot of benefits. Some jamu that contain ginger or turmeric that can help to boost the immune system are Jamu Presiden (contains ginger water, turmeric, lemongrass, palm sugar, curcuma).

The numerous of high-quality herbs and spices in Indonesia supports people’s moves to start a healthy lifestyle. A healthy lifestyle does not have to be expensive, ecause Indonesia has the best source of traditional herbs and spices that is way cheaper than modern treatment. It is rare for young people these days to consume traditional herbal medicine, so it would be a good example for other people too if you start to consume traditional herbal medicine. It will also help the economy of herbs and spices farmers around Indonesia if more people consume it. Other than that, there are still a lot of herbs and spices in Indonesia that have not been developed by scientists which may be useful for human health. This pandemic is a moment for our country to think more creatively so that people can be more independent in the future.

 

Author: Ilen Atine Gusti

 

References

  1. Wongso, William W. (2018). Cita Rasa Indonesia: Ekspresi Kuliner William Wongso”. BAB Publishing Indonesia.
  2. Indonesiana Magazine Volume 9. (2020). Pandemic, Indonesian Spice’s Momentous Awakening”.
  3. Drijono, Amaranila. Soebagjo, Wido. (2020). Mengenal Jalur Rempah Nusantara. MataCinta Yayasan Caraka Nusantara.
  4. Partogi, Sebastian. (2017, August 4). Indonesian spice trade, now and then. [Blog post]. Retrieved from
    https://www.thejakartapost.com/adv/2017/08/04/indonesian-spice-trade-now-and-then.html
  5. MS, John Leech. (2017, June 3). 10 Delicious Herbs and Spices With Powerful Health Benefits. [Blog post]. Retrieved from
    https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-healthy-herbs-and-spices
  6. Hartini, Desy. (2020, March 2). Peneliti di Pasuruan Ciptakan Anti-virus Corona dari Rempah-rempah. [Blog post]. Retrieved from
    https://www.kompas.tv/article/69273/luar-biasa-peneliti-di-pasuruan-ciptakan-anti-virus-corona-dari-rempah-rempah
  7. Sayurbox. (2020, January 21). Ini 9 Jenis Jamu Tradisional yang Membantu Menjaga Daya Tahan Tubuh.
    http://blog.sayurbox.com/5-jenis-jamu-tradisional/ 
  8. Wijaksono, Rangga Aji. (2020, October 1). Rempah Meruah, Peluang Masa Pandemi? [Blog spot]. Retrieved from
    https://news.detik.com/kolom/d-5195406/rempah-meruah-peluang-masa-pandemi
  9. Di Tengah Pandemi, Ini 12 Rempah-rempah Penambah Daya Tahan Tubuh. (n.d) [Blog spot]. Retrieved from
    https://www.buddies.co.id/di-tengah-pandemi-ini-12-rempah-rempah-penambah-daya-tahan-tubuh/
Categories
Features Lifestyle

THE ADVANTAGES OF ONLINE SHOPPING

Both Online shopping and offline shopping have the same purpose, which is to get items that we want, fulfil our needs and desire to shop, and to relax and relieve stress. However, online shopping has far more advantages than offline shopping. So, what makes them so different? There are several points that lead to these differences. Examine the differences of online shopping and offline shopping by looking at the time consuming, variety, and prices.

Talking about the time it takes, “When shopping online, you will not have to plan a trip to your nearest shopping centre. All of the information is available to you. You can proceed to do shopping within a short period” (Retail Minded, 2020, para. 3). Online shopping also helps you save time searching for the items you are looking for, as all the information you need is in your device. You can search anything you want while sitting in you couch. In contrast, offline shopping requires you to go to a store to buy your item, which will take time to be there. Not to mention the traffic, routes, distances and also another trip if the store does not have the item that you are looking for.

In terms of variety, online shopping makes you able to look at a lot of kind of items. Your choices are not limited by supplier or brand. You can look up any kinds of items and any brand that you like. While in offline shopping, your choices are limited by what the store provided. Which gives you a fewer selection of items. Thus, makes it really hard for you to look for the item that you really wanted. “A large traditional brick-and-mortar shoe retailer offers at most a few thousand distinct varieties of shoes. However, as we will see, an online retailer may offer over 50,000 distinct varieties.” (Quan and Williams, 2017). This has become one of the reasons why people most likely to shop online when they looking for something they wanted. They can give fewer efforts and have bigger selection to find the right item. The amounts of items that are provided in online shopping is one of the biggest advantages against the offline shopping.

Lastly, online shopping provides cheaper prices than offline shopping. Most people find that when they compare the price in the online shop and offline shop, they often find that online shop gives lower price for the same item. Thus, making them chose to buy it online. “Finally, another very important aspect of any shopping experience is trying to save as much money as possible. One reason that people enjoy online shopping is that you can often find a product more cheaply online than you can in stores.” (Bagla, 2017). Also, online shop sometimes gives discounts and coupons. These discounts and coupons are what attracts people to buy their items. So not only that they will save time and efforts, they will also pay less for the items they wanted. In contrast, offline shop usually gives normal price in their products. Which gives the costumer no motivation and desire to buy the item.  This difference is also what makes people more interest to buy items online.

In conclusion, online shopping and offline shopping have their own characteristics and purposes. Even so, based on the evidence, online shopping is much more advanced than offline shopping. People are getting more and more interested and more comfortable with online shopping instead of having to leave the house to buy something they wanted. They can save their time from driving around the city. They can also relax, see more products and choices, also choose prices that suit them without the need to hold a cash to pay for their items.

 

Author: Yehezkiel David Maruli Sigalingging 

 

References

  1. “PRODUCT VARIETY, ACROSS-MARKET DEMAND HETEROGENEITY, AND THE VALUE OF ONLINE RETAIL” by Thomas W. Quan and Kevin R. Williams, November, 2016, June, 2017
    https://cowles.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/pub/d20/d2054-r.pdf
  2. Retailminded.com “Five benefits of online shopping and offline shopping” September 14, 2020
    https://retailminded.com/five-benefits-of-online-shopping-and-offline-shopping/#.YJkmT7UzbIU
  3. “Online Shopping vs Offline Shopping” by Mrs. Divya Bagla
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343981513_Online_Vs_Offline_shopping

 

 

 

Categories
Beauty Features

Starting from The Simple: Angelin Libert W. H.

Starting from an interest in the beauty of make-up since childhood, Angelin Libert showed perseverance to make this art into a hobby. Angelin said “When I was in kindergarten, I often wore make-up on Kartini’s Day and joined the marching band. Since then I really like makeup because I feel ‘wow this thing seems magical’, as it can show another side of myself.” Angel didn’t think that this simple attraction would make her fall in love with make-up like she is now.

Her love for make-up, of course, went through many processes. She has an interest but doesn’t fully intend to learn makeup back then. “Before, I didn’t have the desire to learn make-up yet because I only bought the make-up I needed, such as cheap lipstick so my lips wouldn’t be dry and pale.” she thinks that make-up is only a necessity for a better appearance before, but now, she thinks that makeup is art

It is because make up exists with a touch of art as we can pour ideas on our faces that become canvases. Starting from upgrading the daily make-up, Angelin began to dare to formulate ideas. “I used to get makeup in high school and from my observations it didn’t suit me. The makeup that was given didn’t match my skin tone. Some didn’t even blend perfectly. That’s when I started to know that makeup doesn’t only mean applying products on the face, but it also requires technique and feeling, just like art.”

From there she learned that makeup is not only to beautify herself but also has another side that can be explored. She then started to get inspired by the many makeup influencers who made masterpieces on their faces. When playing with makeup, Angel prefers to create unique looks. She prefers a touch of horror that gives off a strong aura. Through one of the horror looks she made, she won first place in the creative makeup looks competition at the English Letters Class Meeting 2020.

However, she also often encounters some difficulties when it comes to makeup. “I once had bad experience applying eyeliner, even to the point of spending 4 hours. But I didn’t give up until I could finally make good eye makeup. Even now I’m still learning a lot, to the point that I often spend a lot on products to make one makeup look.”  She told me that one of the keys to being able to learn makeup is the desire to learn. Angel hopes that those who have the desire to learn makeup will not give up and always have the desire to try. Start by making simple daily looks, then if the results are satisfactory then look for references to formulate more complex ideas.

Angel has some tips for those of you who are still learning to make looks, “Start by buying affordable makeup products because when we learn makeup, we will keep trying until our expectations are met and it definitely requires a lot of products to use. Affordable makeup products also have a light formula so it will usually be suitable for beginners. Some products have low prices but good quality, especially the product formulas that are easy to apply. That will make it easier for us to learn makeup. it always starts from the simplest.”

Journalist: Winda Amelia

It is because make up exists with a touch of art as we can pour ideas on our faces that become canvases. Starting from upgrading the daily make-up, Angelin began to dare to formulate ideas. “I used to get makeup in high school and from my observations it didn’t suit me. The makeup that was given didn’t match my skin tone. Some didn’t even blend perfectly. That’s when I started to know that makeup doesn’t only mean applying products on the face, but it also requires technique and feeling, just like art.”

From there she learned that makeup is not only to beautify herself but also has another side that can be explored. She then started to get inspired by the many makeup influencers who made masterpieces on their faces. When playing with makeup, Angel prefers to create unique looks. She prefers a touch of horror that gives off a strong aura. Through one of the horror looks she made, she won first place in the creative makeup looks competition at the English Letters Class Meeting 2020.

However, she also often encounters some difficulties when it comes to makeup. “I once had bad experience applying eyeliner, even to the point of spending 4 hours. But I didn’t give up until I could finally make good eye makeup. Even now I’m still learning a lot, to the point that I often spend a lot on products to make one makeup look.”  She told me that one of the keys to being able to learn makeup is the desire to learn. Angel hopes that those who have the desire to learn makeup will not give up and always have the desire to try. Start by making simple daily looks, then if the results are satisfactory then look for references to formulate more complex ideas.

Angel has some tips for those of you who are still learning to make looks, “Start by buying affordable makeup products because when we learn makeup, we will keep trying until our expectations are met and it definitely requires a lot of products to use. Affordable makeup products also have a light formula so it will usually be suitable for beginners. Some products have low prices but good quality, especially the product formulas that are easy to apply. That will make it easier for us to learn makeup. it always starts from the simplest.”

Journalist: Winda Amelia