I Am Going to the Netherlands!

Received this good news a couple of days ago, and until now I still can’t believe it.

A two-week fellowship next year at the world-famous training centre, in a beautiful media city of Hilversum in the Netherlands, gee am I dreaming or what? 

Totally beyond happy.

Thank you Lord for your blessings. 

Alhamdulillah. 

Nine Things I love About Makassar

 

Desember ini genap sudah 26 bulan saya menetap di Makassar. 

Buat saya, Makassar itu spesial, karena selain merupakan tempat ibu saya dibesarkan, di sinilah saya pertama kalinya tinggal sendiri selama lebih dari setahun dan merasa ‘kerasan’.

Makassar memang bukan kota perantauan saya yang pertama. Tahun 2011 saya pindah dari Jakarta ke Jayapura, Papua untuk bekerja di sebuah NGO di sana. Di Jayapura, saya merasa betah, karena walau fasilitas kotanya sederhana, tapi di sana saya di kelilingi teman-teman yang seperti saudara sendiri. Sayangnya, saya hanya berkesempatan tinggal di Jayapura selama 9 bulan dikarenakan daur project yang telah usai.

Getting Ready for the Magical Voyage: Japan Trip Preps

Last year, my best bud Rizki Yogaswara  and I made a crazy plan to visit our best friend, Hari Wicaksono (Pengki) who were at that time resided in Osaka, Japan. The idea just occurred and we thought that it would be great to pay him a visit before his official duty ends and he returns to Jakarta. What we have in mind was, by having our pal in Osaka, we would be able to experience the city in a local resident way!

At the beginning I thought the plan was just going to be another ‘soon to be forgotten’, yet apparently Yogas and I took this seriously and put it in our priority.

Home at Last...

Guess what? Besok saya akan ke Gorontalo!

Well well, akhirnya kesampaian juga pulang ke kampung ibu saya, walau judulnya untuk didera pekerjaan.

Sungguhan selama 30 tahun ini saya belum pernah menginjakkan kaki di daerah asal keluarga si mama. Dari dulu selalu berangan-angan agar suatu saat bisa berkunjung ke sana. Dan besok Insya Allah mimpi saya akan terwujud.

My job has brought me to many unfamiliar, foreign places. Yet it also brings me back home.

Alhamdulillah.

Tentang Memilih

Hari ini 9 April 2014, seluruh rakyat Indonesia melaksanakan pemilihan umum legislatif.  

Saya ucapkan selamat kepada teman-teman semua dan juga selamat menukar si jari kelingking bertinta dengan kopi gratis, makanan gratis, berbagai discount, dan segala promo yang melimpah!

Rasa-rasanya baru tahun ini saya ngerasain 'milih' menjadi sesuatu yang penting. Dulu setahu saya hanya Starbucks yang menawarkan kopi gratis bagi yang milih. Tapi tahun ini, asli banyak banget promo yang diberikan buat yang milih, jadi kayaknya hari ini bisa dijadikan hari khusus untuk redeem promo ya. Kalau pintar-pintar, bisa dapat banyak gratisan dan discount banget nih :)

Personally saya seneng karena secara ngga langsung promo-promo ini jadi mempromote orang untuk 'milih' atau 'nyoblos', mengappreciate orang yang milih,  bikin milih jadi trend, dan memicu munculnya persepsi 'kalau ngga milih ngga keren' di kalangan anak muda, which for me, is very good. 

Happy CNY

 

Celebrating the Chinese New Year in Makassar by visiting a colleague's house and had a bowl of delicious mie panjang umur with a touch of pink-colored egg.

And yes, I received my first ever angpao!

So without further ado, let me wish you a very happy Chinese new year!

Let's ride, thrive and be prosper in the year of the horse!

Turning Thirty

I turned thirty today.

For me, thirty equals with more responsibilities. It also insinuates that I am a decade closer to retirement, which means it is time to evaluate not only my saving and investment plan, but also my life plan. But hmm, do I have one?

However, we live in the cruel world that is obsessed with youth and beauty. Women get tremendous pressure as they age. For the singleton and the-married-without-kids, we are constantly being reminded that when we hit thirty, the likelihood to get pregnant decreases evidently. You are not as fertile as you are in the 20s although you might be better in bed.

Aloha Tanjung Bira

 

My best friend Fachril has never been to Eastern Indonesia. As a beach lover, he realizes most of beautiful beaches that would make him go crazy are located in the eastern part of the country. He also understands very well that he needs a getaway to freshen up from his demanding job.

One day he decided to book  a return ticket to Makassar. His intention was clear: to visit  Tanjung Bira beach. He made the call after I lured him with pictures of the clear blue water and pristine sandy beach of Bira.

***

2014

The best is yet to come.

Happy new year 2014!