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Minggu, 05 Juni 2011

Alexander Rybak

Alexander Rybak – A musical missionary.

Alexander Rybak’s phenomenal journey began at the tender age of five.  His little family of three had moved from Belarus and settled at Nesodden, a short ferry trip from Norway’s capital Oslo. Natasja and Igor, his parents, were both professionally trained musicians and teaching their son the violin and piano was the most natural thing in the world. Alexander practiced like a top athlete, his endurance being quite rare in a society preoccupied with other leisure activities and sports. Soon it became apparent that he had to choose between his two instruments and he decided to go with the violin (he still plays the piano, but just as a hobby). Alexander continued to practice, as well as playing concerts with his family and other musical friends. At a very young age he debuted on the stage and many noticed Alexander’s talents. He enrolled at The Barrat Due Academy when he was 10 and suddenly he met other young people with the same passion for music and realized that he was not the odd one out.
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From the very beginning Alexander studied the great masters, but was also preoccupied with thinking «outside the box». He began playing jazz and popular standards as well as pop hits. He had composed music since he was a young boy because his father Igor had taught him that one day he could earn money from it. His violin took him to many far flung places including Russia, The United States and China, while he was a member of different orchestras. Born with a competitive streak, Alexander soon joined Pop Idol Norway, but it proved an unsuitable platform for his unique talent. A year later he joined another talent competition «Kjempesjansen» with a broader approach to music and use of instruments. With his own composition “Foolin’” Alexander won the hearts of the Norwegian nation!
A director at one of Oslo’s biggest theatres cast Alexander in a production of “Fiddler on the Roof”. His performances lead to a multitude of rave reviews and he was awarded a Hedda, the highest acclamation a stage actor can achieve in Norway. In between all his engagements, Alexander also found time to travel like fiddlers did back in the day, playing for food and lodging in some of the valleys and islands of Norway. On one of these trips, he came up with an idea to write a song called “Fairytale” and when the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation contacted him one day in late 2008, he had a plan. This was just the beginning…
Alexander Rybak went on to win the 54th Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow, Russia in May 2009 with a landslide victory. He finished with a grand total of 387 points, breaking the previous record of 292 points scored by Lordi in 2006 and scoring 169 points more than runner up from Iceland. Alexander sang “Fairytale”, the song he wrote walking in the mountains on the Norwegian west coast, a song inspired by Norwegian folk music. He performed together with the modern folk dance company Frikar Dance Company.
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“Fairytale”, became a major hit in Europe and was # 1 on most European I-tunes charts the following week. It also reached top 3 on the European chart, #1 in Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Russia and #2 in Ireland, Finland and the Netherlands and Alexander’s performance from the Eurovision Song Contest had more than 10million hits on YouTube within a few weeks.
Alexander Rybak released his debut album “Fairytales” shortly after, and by August 2009 the album has been released in more than 25 European countries including Scandinavia, Russia/CIS, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Benelux, France and Greece. The “Fairytales” album has sold nearly half a million copies to date across Europe. The album has been top 3 since it was released in Norway, peaking at #1 for a number of weeks, reaching triple platinum within two months. It has also sold to Gold in Sweden and Double Platinum in Russia, where Alexander in mid August 2009 was #1 on the Russian Billboard charts.
The second single from “Fairytales” released in Norway was “Funny Little World”, which entered the Norwegian charts at #2 only beaten by Fairytale at #1. This is the first time in history that a Norwegian artist has had the two top chart positions in Norway.
Since the Eurovision Alexander Rybak has toured Europe playing over 100 shows for more than 300.000 people, He has also done major TV-shows in Germany, Greece, Netherlands, Belgium, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Norway, including the Nobel Peace Concert -being exposed for millions of viewers worldwide.
In December 2009 a documentary about his year since the Eurovision win in Moscow was released in Norway. “Fairytale The Movie” takes Alexander around Europe and shows his life as a budding pop star.
Alexander Rybak is currently working on a new album that will be released summer 2010.

Chef Juna yang penuh karisma

Chef Juna (Juri Master Chef Indonesia)

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Siapa sih yang nggak kenal sama Chef Juna yang galak, sangar, dan kejam dalam berkomentar? Yang nonton perdana Master Chef Indonesia 01 Mei 2011 kemarin pasti tau. Pada artikel ini akan aku ceritakan perjalanan karir dan masa mudanya.
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Profil
Junior Rorimpandey namanya. Chef asal Manado yang lahir pada 20 Juli 1975 ini, kurang begitu hot dibahas di Indonesia, karena Chef ini lebih terkenal di luar negeri. Hm..aku yakin setelah adanya Master Chef Indonesia, Chef Juna akan semakin dikenal banyak orang.
Banyak yang mengira Chef Juna ini bukan siapa-siapa. Setelah googling tentang Chef Juna, yang kulihat dari forum-forum, banyak yang kurang suka dengan Chef ini. Rata-rata berkomentar, “Sangar amat komentarnya..kejam”, “jahat banget tuh orang”, “dia bikin acara makin tegang aja”, “ah kayak dia bisa masak aja”, “masa komentarnya nggak bermutu gitu sih”, “komentar yang membangun dikit kek..masa kasar gitu ngomongnya”.
Waktu aku liat Chef Juna memberi contoh memotong bawang bombay di Master Chef Indonesia, aku tau kalau ia punya kemampuan masak yang cukup tinggi. Dari cara memegang pisau dan kecepatan mengiris bombay. Terutama waktu ia membuang paprika dan garnish pada hidangan yang dimasak salah satu peserta (lupa namanya). Kenapa? Jelas aja karena paprika nggak akan dihidangkan mentah-mentah di piring. Di luar negeri, walaupun hanya dijadikan hiasan, yang tersaji di sebuah piring itu harus bisa dimakan. Beda dengan Indonesia, yang rata-rata hiasannya menggunakan sayuran mentah dan itu hanya hiasan, bukan untuk dimakan.
Sumber yang kudapat menggunakan bahasa inggris dan disini akan aku ceritakan ulang dengan gaya tulisanku sendiri secara detail.
Karir
Profesi Chef Juna terjadi secara nggak sengaja. Pada tahun 1997, ia pergi ke Amerika Serikat (Brownsville, Texas) untuk sekolah penerbangan. Chef Juna telah mendapat lisensi pilot, tapi ditengah mengambil lisensi komersial, sekolah penerbangannya bangkrut. Akhirnya ia pergi ke Houston untuk lanjutkan pelatihan. Awal 1998 disaat Indonesia sedang dilanda krimon (krisis ekonomi), ibunya nggak bisa membantu keuangannya di luar negeri, dan akhirnya ia harus mencari kerja walau secara ilegal (belum mendapatkan ijin kerja).
Berbagai pekerjaan yang dicoba Chef Juna, akhirnya ia kerja di restoran tradisional Jepang sebagai waiter (pelayan). Setelah 2 minggu, master sushi menawarkannya untuk jadi muridnya, Chef Juna terima tawaran itu. Ia akhirnya mulai dari dasar dan dilatih sangat keras. Pemilik restoran itu kagum dengan kinerjanya dan mensponsori Chef Juna untuk mendapatkan Permanent Resident (ijin tinggal).
Pada tahun 2002, Chef Juna mengambil alih sebagai head chef (kepala koki) di restoran karena sushi master yang melatih Chef Juna ini pindah ke restoran lain. Di tahun 2003, ia pindah kerja ke restoran sushi nomor satu di Houston yang bernama Uptown Sushi. Setelah beberapa bulan, ia menjadi Executive Chef disana. Masuk ke tahun 2004, Chef Juna mulai jenuh dengan masakan Jepang, dan akhirnya ia pindah ke restoran Perancis, The French Laundry yang dikenal sebagai restoran yang menerapkan standar tinggi. Ia mulai dari awal lagi. Lalu, ia juga mencari pekerjaan di tempat lain agar dapat belajar lebih banyak.
Di French Laundry, ada hukuman bagi yang melakukan kesalahan walau kesalahan sederhana. Mereka dilatih dengan baik dan disiplin yang diterapkan seperti militer. Disana Chef Juna belajar banyak teknik, mengontrol protein pada makanan, dan menciptakan makanan yang dihias cantik dan sangat enak. Nggak heran waktu Chef Juna menilai peserta Master Chef Indonesia sangat galak. Galaknya pasti keluar kalau liat makanan yang dihias berantakan dan rasanya hambar. Wajar, koki ganteng tapi sangar ini berpengalaman.
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“Memasak adalah suatu yang anda cintai ketika anda berada di dapur, dan itu bukan hanya sekedar pekerjaan. Itu adalah sebuah gairah dan pekerjaan yang sulit. Saya suka memasak karena saya menilai masak sebagai seni. Ketika saya membuat hidangan baru, itu seperti telah selesai sebuah proyek seni. Berjuang untuk kesempurnaan membuat masakan yang lezat dengan bahan berbagai warna dan terlihat cantik di piring. Setiap malam saya memasak di dapur, terutama malam yang super sibuk, saya merasa bahwa prestasi saya tercapai karena saya membuat pelanggan kenyang, senang dan memberikan mereka pengalaman bersantap yang hebat. Saya juga suka suasana dapur yang sibuk, suara panci panas saat bahan masakan dimasukkan, suara peralatan masak, orang-orang berkomunikasi satu sama lain tentang apa yang mereka lakukan, semua itu seperti musik di telinga saya”, kata Chef Juna yang sekarang menjadi Executive Chef di restoran Jack Rabbit Jakarta.
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Mengagumkan! Nggak nyangka kan kalau Chef Juna ini koki yang hebat? Padahal dulunya Chef Juna ini naik motor Harley loh.
Masa muda
Waktu umur 17 tahun, Chef Juna ini termasuk anak berandalan, ia buat sebuah geng yang bernama Bad Bones. Dengan mengendarai Harley, mereka ngebut dan nggak peduli kemanapun mereka pergi.
“Saya pernah kuliah teknik perminyakan selama 3,5 tahun di Indonesia, tapi nggak selesai karena saya terlalu nakal. Akhirnya saya memutuskan untuk membenahi hidup, berubah, dan pindah ke Amerika. Saya sampai menjual motor kesayangan untuk biaya sekolah di sana”
Diculik, disiksa, overdosis dan hampir ditembak di kepala udah pernah dirasakan Chef Juna. Merokok dan terjerumus dalam narkoba juga pernah. Tapi ia berubah karena ia punya pemikiran berbeda.
Di kedua lengan Chef Juna ini bertato. Tato itu dibuat waktu Chef Juna umur 15 di Bali, dengan menggunakan mesin buatan sendiri yang menggunakan jarum jahit.
Cinta
Menurut media, Chef Juna ini berpacaran dengan Aline Tumbuan atau Caroline Ingrid Adita.
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Kabarnya sih udah berpacaran 1 tahun.

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was born Agatha May Clarissa Miller in Devon, England in 1890, the youngest of three children in a conservative, well-to-do family.


Agatha Christie bio picture photo
Agatha Christie
Taught at home by a governess and tutors, as a child Agatha Christie never attended school. She became adept at creating games to keep herself occupied at a very young age. A shy child, unable to adequately express her feelings, she first turned to music as a means of expression and, later in life, to writing.
In 1914, at the age of 24, she married Archie Christie, a World War I fighter pilot. While he was off at war, she worked as a nurse. It was while working in a hospital during the war that Christie first came up with the idea of writing a detective novel. Although it was completed in a year, it wasn't published until 1920, five years later.
"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" gave the world the inimitable Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian police officer who was to become one of the most enduring characters in all of fiction. With his waxed moustache and his "little grey cells," he was "meticulous, a tidy little man, always neat and orderly, with a slight flavour of absurdity about him." (The New Bedside Christie Companion...)
Christie wrote more than 30 novels featuring Poirot. Among the most popular were "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" (1926), "Murder on the Orient Express" (1934), and "Death on the Nile" (1937).
In 1926, Archie asked for a divorce, having fallen in love with another woman. Agatha, already upset by the recent death of her mother, disappeared. All of England became wrapped up in the case of the now famous missing writer. She was found three weeks later in a small hotel, explaining to police that she had lost her memory. Thereafter, it was never again mentioned or elaborated upon by Christie.
She later found happiness with her marriage in 1930 to Max Mallowan, a young archaeologist who she met on a trip to Mesopotamia.
Another of Christie's most well-known and beloved characters was introduced in "Murder at the Vicarage" in 1930. Miss Jane Marple, an elderly spinster in the quaint English village of St. Mary Mead, solved all manner of mysteries with intense concentration and intuition. Featured in 12 novels, Miss Marple exemplified the cozy style, a form of mystery fiction that became popular in, and ultimately defined, the Golden Age of fiction in England during the 1920s and '30s.
Christie ultimately became the acknowledged Queen of the Golden Age. In all, she wrote over 66 novels, numerous short stories and screenplays, and a series of romantic novels using the pen name Mary Westmacott. Several of her works were made into successful feature films, the most notable being Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Her work has been translated into more than a hundred languages. In short, she is the single most popular mystery writer of all time.
In 1971 she was awarded the high honor of becoming a Dame of the British Empire.

Freddie Highmore

Date of Birth
14 February 1992, London, England, UK

Birth Name
Alfred Thomas Highmore

Height
5' 10" (1.78 m)
Trivia
Johnny Depp requested him to play Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
Finding Neverland (2004) director Marc Forster decided to schedule one of Highmore's toughest scenes (where he tears up a book and demolishes a playhouse) on his second day of filming, deliberately so other cast members could see the child act and change their attitude towards working with him.
Is a soccer fan.
Has said he is not planning to continue acting as an adult.
His real father, Edward Highmore, played his father in Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story (2001) (TV).
During the shooting of Finding Neverland (2004), his favorite action was the demolition of the playhouse.
Said it was hard to concentrate during filming of the final scene of Finding Neverland (2004) with Johnny Depp in London because fans were standing off-camera screaming "We love you Johnny!"
Won an Empire Award for Best Newcomer for his role in Finding Neverland (2004).
His real brother, Bertie Highmore, played his brother in Women Talking Dirty (1999).
Plays the clarinet and enjoys soccer and video games. Learning to play the guitar.
Favourite book is "The Catcher in the Rye" by J.D. Salinger.
Learns French.
Began acting in small parts on TV shows when he was 7.
Actress Helena Bonham Carter has played his mother three times: in his first film Women Talking Dirty (1999), his most famous role Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), and (as his stepmother) in the BBC film Toast (2010/I).
His mother Sue Latimer is his agent. One of her clients is Imelda Staunton. She also represents his friend Daniel Radcliffe.
Was originally supposed to star in December Boys (2007) but had to pull out because his grandmother was sick and he couldn't go to Australia to film.
His favorite actor is Johnny Depp, his co-star in Finding Neverland (2004) and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).
The voice of 'Pantalaimon' in The Golden Compass (2007) was originally recorded by an adult actor but the filmmakers decided it made the character sound too old, so they cast Freddie instead. 'Pantalaimon' was originally going to be voiced by his co-star from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005), Adam Godley.
Is fluent in French.
Has played the son of two Ophelias: Helena Bonham Carter in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005) and Kate Winslet in Finding Neverland (2004).
Freddie has achieved 10 A* grades on his GCSEs (English language, English literature, maths, Spanish, French, Latin, geography, biology, chemistry and physics).

Personal Quotes
When I left the set of Finding Neverland (2004), I was quite upset, because I thought I wouldn't see Johnny again. And Charlie wants to go back to the chocolate factory. We both got our wishes.
Well, you just sort of think about what the character's thinking, and then you're in the character.
I'm not sure what I would like to do when I'm older. I might want to travel and see the world. That would be quite fun.
I try to stay a normal boy as much as possible. I play soccer on the weekend with my friend. I play video games, but not as much as Mike Teavee [the video-game addict in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)]. I quite enjoy soccer games. I support the team called Arsenal. They just won the [English Football Association] Cup.
I try and stay a normal kid as much as possible. At the weekend I play soccer with my friends.
[Talking about being treated like an adult] That was really important for me, although I think I am a bit more mature than some kids my age because I've spent more time with adults. And I haven't grown my hair over my eyes or anything.
It's nice to pick up the guitar now and again and play back the songs and be reminded of the film -- but if you gave me any other songs to play, I wouldn't be very good at them.
[Talking about his dressing room demands] Because I'm a spoiled little brat, I absolutely always insist on a table and chair and lighting. This February I'm even going to demand heating.
Scary is good. Kids like going to a movie and being really scared rather than fake scared.
[On celebrity] As long as you don't stand on the corner and wave your arms about, people don't notice you too much.

 
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