'Don't have too many expectations in life'<\/p>\n
Bruce Emond, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Wherever she goes, Vina Panduwinata is serenaded by her hit
\nsongs of the 1980s. Light to the point of verging on frothy,
\nsongs such as Burung Camar (The Seagull) and Didadaku Ada Kamu
\n(In My Heart There's You) were distinguished by Vina's rich, one-
\nof-a-kind voice, making her the Krisdayanti (without the flashy
\nclothes and makeup) of her generation. The daughter of a
\ndiplomat, she spent her teenage years in Germany, coming to
\nregard the European country as her second homeland (\"when we came
\nback to Indonesia, I'd tell my mom, 'I want to go home' and she'd
\nsay, 'THIS is your home,'\").<\/p>\n
Now 42 and still popular on the concert circuit, Vina has
\ngraduated to \"diva\" status; she joined younger counterparts such
\nas Krisdayanti and Titi DJ as part of the Southeast Asian Divas
\nconcert held in Jakarta in November. Off-stage, however, she has
\nno diva trappings, being warm and funny and very down-to-earth.<\/p>\n
If you had the choice, what would you be doing now?<\/p>\n
Right now, during the fasting month, I have a lot of
\nactivities. I'm singing -- it seems that Indonesians have
\nrealized that they can have some events on during the fasting
\nmonth -- but I'm a housewife, too. I'm trying to be a good mother
\nand a good housewife. I'm still Vina, Boy's wife and Vito's
\nmother. My son has just started his school holiday, but it's not
\nso nice to go traveling abroad during the fasting month. We just
\ngo to the mall, come home, break the fast. Maybe after the month
\nis over.<\/p>\n
What is the meaning of life?<\/p>\n
My father asked me, \"What is our destination in life?\" I said
\nhappiness. And he said, no it's death! So, we have to make our
\nchoices in what we want to do with our lives. For me, life is a
\ngift from God and we have to be thankful for that. We have to
\naccept what we get from God, even the hard times. Even with
\nsadness, which is part of the language of humans, we don't know
\nwhat His intention is. By solving a problem, we become more
\nmature. Don't have too many expectations in life, because you're
\nbound to be disappointed.<\/p>\n
Which trait do you most like about yourself?<\/p>\n
I can't really say what my traits are, but I always say to my
\nfriends that I'm happy that God chose me for this life. If God
\nhad made me an angry and jealous person, then I wouldn't be what
\nI am today. So I'm just who I am.<\/p>\n
And deplore?<\/p>\n
It's hard for me to say, but I always try to push down
\nemotions. I don't want to be an emotional person, even when I'm
\nangry. It's good for the people around us if we are like that,
\nbut not for us, because eventually you suffer stress ... If we
\nare wise about ourselves, then we have to find a way to express
\nit ... When it gets too much -- we all have a limit -- I go to my
\ndoctor and I have a talk ...<\/p>\n
Whom do you admire?<\/p>\n
There are many people, because every person has something
\nspecial. But I'm very proud of my late father. In my eyes, he was
\nalmost perfect. Nobody's perfect, but he was almost so. He was
\ngood as a father, as a husband, as a friend. He always strove to
\ndo good things ...<\/p>\n
But do you agree that real love is about seeing both the
\nattraction of the person and their shortcomings, like what they
\nlook like when they first wake up in the morning?<\/p>\n
I agree, but I look at it from the other way round. Love is a
\nvery precious gift. We have to be thankful to God if we have it,
\nbecause not all people have it in their lives. You know, at first
\nthere is the love that is like electricity, grrrrrrr. And it can
\nchange our lives, how we see things, how we hear things. And
\nbecause of love, we can excuse those things later, the
\nshortcomings.<\/p>\n
There's a difference with the love we maintain, the love we
\nget from getting to know somebody, and maybe not even liking them
\nat first. But that grrrrrrr love is really something!<\/p>\n
What kind of clothes do you like to wear?<\/p>\n
Casual, but maybe my casual is different from other people's
\ndefinitions. I like simplicity. For singing engagements, I like
\nspecial designers. Now, if I had a good body, like Twiggy, then I
\ncould wear anything, but now I have to choose carefully. I like
\nEddy Betty and Paula.<\/p>\n
Do you worry about your weight?<\/p>\n
You know, I've lost weight already. I've lost 13 kgs!.<\/p>\n
How did you do it?<\/p>\n
For the first six months, all I did was eat dinner at 5 p.m.,
\nthe very latest at 6 p.m., after that I would only have fruit and
\nwater. I lost seven kgs but then I hit a plateau, and I couldn't
\nlose anymore. So, I went to Dr. Sinta for acupuncture to lose
\nmore.<\/p>\n
What makes you angry?<\/p>\n
This is a very difficult question ... Even if people are late
\nfor an appointment or they lie, I try to remain relaxed. We don't
\nget anywhere when we're angry. When we get angry, we release
\ntoxins. It's not good for our appearance, or our aura to others.<\/p>\n
What characteristics do you dislike in others?<\/p>\n
Those who are egoists, and liars.<\/p>\n
What makes you laugh?<\/p>\n
Silly humor, I can laugh so hard.<\/p>\n
What makes you sad?<\/p>\n
I'm sad if I see someone I care for is having a hard time. But
\nmy greatest sadness was when my father died. Usually, when I'm
\nsad, I forget about it when I go on stage. But when he died, I
\nwas singing through my tears.<\/p>\n
Do you have a favorite song?<\/p>\n
I have a lot. My favorite singer is Dionne Warwick. I like
\n\"simple\" singers, those who sing in a simple style but can
\nexpress the lyrics. I don't like it when singers add a lot more
\nto it.<\/p>\n
Like Mariah Carey?<\/p>\n
Yes, in my eyes it's too much. Whitney Houston is still OK,
\nbut Mariah Carey goes overboard. All the songs sound the same.<\/p>\n
Do you have any regrets?<\/p>\n
I think it's better not to. It's OK if we're sad, but don't
\nhave regrets. Life is a gift from God. If we regret something,
\nthat means we're rejecting what was given to us by God.<\/p>\n
If you could come back to the age of 21, what would you
\nchange?<\/p>\n
If I was 21 again, I would want to have a child every year!
\n(Vina suffered a miscarriage last year)<\/p>\n
Is there anything that is unforgivable?<\/p>\n
That's really hard for me. There is something, but it's much
\ntoo personal. I cannot say it.<\/p>\n
How do you want to be remembered?<\/p>\n
I want most of all to have left something that is worthwhile
\nfor others.<\/p>\n
What would you do if the world were going to end in 24 hours?<\/p>\n
I would embrace my child, and be with him. That's it. For my
\nchild is my soul mate.<\/p>",
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