It’s hard for me to think of 2025 as a whole, which became apparent as I went down this post and writing each month one by one. This year felt like it was 2 years rolled into one. The first half was so full of hope and joy, planning for a bright future ahead that I thought I could finally have. The second half of the year was very bleak and it gets darker and darker as the year rolled by. There’s a trending TikTok/Reels audio that said, “Somehow I’ve been the happiest and the saddest I’ve ever been this year,” and that applies to me too. Somehow, I was both flying on cloud 9 and crashing down to hell in the same year.
In a lot of ways 2025 was probably the worst year of the past decade—I would say even worse than 2016. A lot of sad news seemed to be delivered this year. World politics have gone completely insane—and in Indonesia too. Palestine isn’t getting any nearer to reaching peace. The work against the climate crisis seems to regress. A lot of amazing people died, a lot of relationships end. I can only hope that 2026 will bring better news for all of us. But, before then, let’s take a look back to the past 365 days! Needless to say, this was very difficult to write, so please tread with caution.
It’s hard for me to think of 2025 as a whole, which became apparent as I went down this post and writing each month one by one. This year felt like it was 2 years rolled into one. The first half was so full of hope and joy, planning for a bright future ahead that I thought I could finally have. The second half of the year was very bleak and it gets darker and darker as the year rolled by. There’s a trending TikTok/Reels audio that said, “Somehow I’ve been the happiest and the saddest I’ve ever been this year,” and that applies to me too. Somehow, I was both flying on cloud 9 and crashing down to hell in the same year.
In a lot of ways 2025 was probably the worst year of the past decade—I would say even worse than 2016. A lot of sad news seemed to be delivered this year. World politics have gone completely insane—and in Indonesia too. Palestine isn’t getting any nearer to reaching peace. The work against the climate crisis seems to regress. A lot of amazing people died, a lot of relationships end. I can only hope that 2026 will bring better news for all of us. But, before then, let’s take a look back to the past 365 days! Needless to say, this was very difficult to write, so please tread with caution.
January
Starting the year by breaking tradition, I didn’t spend New Year’s Eve at Agung‘s place, because I wanted to keep my cat Bobon company—and she didn’t even come home. I guess that set the whole year in motion. I wonder if that little choice could’ve changed what was about to happen.
That being said, I did spend the 1st of January having early dinner with his family. I guess New Year’s (and Eid) have always been our holidays.
One of the first things I did this year was declutter my books. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while, but due to work, I never found the time to do it—so here we are. I’ve sold most of these books, but some of them can still be found here, if you’re interested.
The start of the year also got my boss very excited for everyone in his team to get fit. He organised an after-work badminton session and practically dragged me to one. This marks the first (and only?) time I joined a workout session with work friends. That’s kind of monumental.
Starting the year by breaking tradition, I didn’t spend New Year’s Eve at Agung‘s place, because I wanted to keep my cat Bobon company—and she didn’t even come home. I guess that set the whole year in motion. I wonder if that little choice could’ve changed what was about to happen.
That being said, I did spend the 1st of January having early dinner with his family. I guess New Year’s (and Eid) have always been our holidays.
One of the first things I did this year was declutter my books. I’ve been meaning to do that for a while, but due to work, I never found the time to do it—so here we are. I’ve sold most of these books, but some of them can still be found here, if you’re interested.
The start of the year also got my boss very excited for everyone in his team to get fit. He organised an after-work badminton session and practically dragged me to one. This marks the first (and only?) time I joined a workout session with work friends. That’s kind of monumental.
In the spirit of the New Year, it’s time to start a lot of things. One of the things I’m always excited about is my reading goals. If you follow me on Goodreads, you may know that I do this year after year—and this year is no exception. Luckily, I was blessed with so many books by the time the new year starts and I was super excited about reading them all, so I shared them in a TBR with you all. Not going to lie, I still haven’t read 1-2 of them, but it’s always nice to have a spare book on the shelf.
Aside from that, I’m also super excited to press reset on my Patreon. If you had read 2024 recap, you may know that I’ve had my Patreon for a while. However, it wasn’t until this point did I decide to start being disciplined in my Patreon and keep an actual schedule to abide by. The first thing I decided to do was set up a theme for my wallpaper downloadable and plan the whole year out—which you can watch on this vlog. It has been really helpful to declutter my brain and stick with it. Spoiler alert: I did stick it out for the entire year! We’ll see how the Patreon will look like in 2026.
In the spirit of the New Year, it’s time to start a lot of things. One of the things I’m always excited about is my reading goals. If you follow me on Goodreads, you may know that I do this year after year—and this year is no exception. Luckily, I was blessed with so many books by the time the new year starts and I was super excited about reading them all, so I shared them in a TBR with you all. Not going to lie, I still haven’t read 1-2 of them, but it’s always nice to have a spare book on the shelf.
Aside from that, I’m also super excited to press reset on my Patreon. If you had read 2024 recap, you may know that I’ve had my Patreon for a while. However, it wasn’t until this point did I decide to start being disciplined in my Patreon and keep an actual schedule to abide by. The first thing I decided to do was set up a theme for my wallpaper downloadable and plan the whole year out—which you can watch on this vlog. It has been really helpful to declutter my brain and stick with it. Spoiler alert: I did stick it out for the entire year! We’ll see how the Patreon will look like in 2026.
Towards the end of the month, work has started to pick up again—almost as if there was no downtime, actually—and we held a little exclusive event for ASICS at atmos. Honestly, this was the first project at this office where I felt like I was fully in charge of the copywriting and content. I also got to attend the event for coverage and experience the omakase experience. It was pretty stressful, but ended up being really fun!
The next day, Agung and I met up for a little chill date where we just hung out at this little home café tucked away in the middle of the suburbs. You can read all about it here. It was a really nice place to just relax after a pretty stressful week.
Artistically speaking, January started strong as I hopped on the bandwagon of #meettheartist and created this masterpiece down below. Okay, maybe “masterpiece” is a bit strong, but apparently this style inspired one of my future clients and got me a very interesting commission later on this year. Stay tuned!
Towards the end of the month, work has started to pick up again—almost as if there was no downtime, actually—and we held a little exclusive event for ASICS at atmos. Honestly, this was the first project at this office where I felt like I was fully in charge of the copywriting and content. I also got to attend the event for coverage and experience the omakase experience. It was pretty stressful, but ended up being really fun!
The next day, Agung and I met up for a little chill date where we just hung out at this little home café tucked away in the middle of the suburbs. You can read all about it here. It was a really nice place to just relax after a pretty stressful week.
Artistically speaking, January started strong as I hopped on the bandwagon of #meettheartist and created this masterpiece down below. Okay, maybe “masterpiece” is a bit strong, but apparently this style inspired one of my future clients and got me a very interesting commission later on this year. Stay tuned!
February
This year I was super excited for #HourlyComicDay—so much so that I bought a special sketch book for the occasion. This time I decided to go full traditional media, since fully digital media didn’t work out so well last year. I shared all the tools I used on my Patreon just before we got started. Using a sketch book with just a few pens allowed me to draw absolutely anywhere while I went on a date with Agung. It took me 2 days, but this was the first HCD I finally did finish—woohoo! Super proud of myself for that. I spread it out into 2 posts, which you can check out here and here.
This year I was super excited for #HourlyComicDay—so much so that I bought a special sketch book for the occasion. This time I decided to go full traditional media, since fully digital media didn’t work out so well last year. I shared all the tools I used on my Patreon just before we got started. Using a sketch book with just a few pens allowed me to draw absolutely anywhere while I went on a date with Agung. It took me 2 days, but this was the first HCD I finally did finish—woohoo! Super proud of myself for that. I spread it out into 2 posts, which you can check out here and here.
Meanwhile, things at work started to shake up. I had to say goodbye to a couple of work friends that I was pretty close to. It was very bittersweet—because they were onto better things—but I would definitely miss them. Not going to lie, now and then I definitely do.
We also went on a little trip to a client’s office and it was tons of fun. The office was so full of games and cute details like this mirror you see here. This little meeting felt, to me, like a renewal of our collaboration with this client—which I will not name, but you may recognise. The work in and of itself was pretty challenging, to say the least. But, patience, it would come to an end soon.
Meanwhile, things at work started to shake up. I had to say goodbye to a couple of work friends that I was pretty close to. It was very bittersweet—because they were onto better things—but I would definitely miss them. Not going to lie, now and then I definitely do.
We also went on a little trip to a client’s office and it was tons of fun. The office was so full of games and cute details like this mirror you see here. This little meeting felt, to me, like a renewal of our collaboration with this client—which I will not name, but you may recognise. The work in and of itself was pretty challenging, to say the least. But, patience, it would come to an end soon.
Valentine’s Day felt pretty special this year, since there was a little shindig at my work friends’ bar, McLovin—owned, among others, by Fandy & Fendy. Agung and I decided to go and check out the bar for the first time, since a lot of my work friends would be there—which is funny, because I was taking the day off. It was a pretty fun night with friends. You can check out that entire day on my vlog.
This was also around the time that I started to do my research on wedding planning. I started meeting up with married friends and asking their advice based on their experience. Agung asked around with his married office friends too. We also visited venues we thought would be a good fit for us. Spoiler alert: it didn’t pan out—but you probably already know if you’ve read this anyway. Yet this is the reality of what happened earlier this year, so I’m not going to gloss over it.
Valentine’s Day felt pretty special this year, since there was a little shindig at my work friends’ bar, McLovin—owned, among others, by Fandy & Fendy. Agung and I decided to go and check out the bar for the first time, since a lot of my work friends would be there—which is funny, because I was taking the day off. It was a pretty fun night with friends. You can check out that entire day on my vlog.
This was also around the time that I started to do my research on wedding planning. I started meeting up with married friends and asking their advice based on their experience. Agung asked around with his married office friends too. We also visited venues we thought would be a good fit for us. Spoiler alert: it didn’t pan out—but you probably already know if you’ve read this anyway. Yet this is the reality of what happened earlier this year, so I’m not going to gloss over it.
March
March started out strong…with my iPad dream coming true. So, here’s the story: One of my friends decided to sell his iPad, which I’ve actually been eyeing for years. When he made the decision, I was the first person he approached. And, without thinking about it too long, I decided to buy it off him. And guess what? It’s changed my life for the better. The iPad has allowed me to be more productive and active in creating artwork regularly (particularly with my Patreon wallpapers). Best decision of 2025? I think so.
Then Ramadan rolled around. This year Agung and I had iftar at new places, two of which made it to the blog. The first one was a pretty disappointing experience at Seroja Bake—which is a place I’d wanted to visit for so long, so it was double disappointing for me. The second one, albeit more chaotic, was actually a pretty satisfying iftar at Rao He. We walked away feeling so fulfilled in the taste buds and belly.
March started out strong…with my iPad dream coming true. So, here’s the story: One of my friends decided to sell his iPad, which I’ve actually been eyeing for years. When he made the decision, I was the first person he approached. And, without thinking about it too long, I decided to buy it off him. And guess what? It’s changed my life for the better. The iPad has allowed me to be more productive and active in creating artwork regularly (particularly with my Patreon wallpapers). Best decision of 2025? I think so.
Then Ramadan rolled around. This year Agung and I had iftar at new places, two of which made it to the blog. The first one was a pretty disappointing experience at Seroja Bake—which is a place I’d wanted to visit for so long, so it was double disappointing for me. The second one, albeit more chaotic, was actually a pretty satisfying iftar at Rao He. We walked away feeling so fulfilled in the taste buds and belly.
Ramadan was also the month that I opened another personal commission opportunity. I ended up getting 3 new clients, all of whom wanted me to create illustrations for their Eid greetings needs. One of them very uniquely asked me to create illustrations to adorn their photo as a newlywed. It was the cutest thing and I really loved the experience. I’d never made illustrations on photos before, and it turns out it was a lot of fun.
Speaking of creative endeavours, this month Agung and I also visited Sunset Limited, a quaint little creative space where exhibitions are held regularly—owned by Fandy Susanto, one of my work friends. At the time, they were holding The Riso (and Objects) You Wanna Keep in Your Room exhibition, showcasing a number of riso-printed artworks by some of our favourite artists. Though the exhibition was small, we quite enjoyed it and it was good to be able to introduce Agung to Fandy.
Ramadan was also the month that I opened another personal commission opportunity. I ended up getting 3 new clients, all of whom wanted me to create illustrations for their Eid greetings needs. One of them very uniquely asked me to create illustrations to adorn their photo as a newlywed. It was the cutest thing and I really loved the experience. I’d never made illustrations on photos before, and it turns out it was a lot of fun.
Speaking of creative endeavours, this month Agung and I also visited Sunset Limited, a quaint little creative space where exhibitions are held regularly—owned by Fandy Susanto, one of my work friends. At the time, they were holding The Riso (and Objects) You Wanna Keep in Your Room exhibition, showcasing a number of riso-printed artworks by some of our favourite artists. Though the exhibition was small, we quite enjoyed it and it was good to be able to introduce Agung to Fandy.
As per usual, Ramadan means seeing my dear friend Mawan again. I swear he’s a Ramadan apparition, because we seem to only ever see each other in Ramadan. What started out as a tradition with a couple of our other friends ended up being something that only the two of us keep. It’s always nice catching up with him—and we always seem to be talking about the next collaborative project together. His friendship is truly one of the ones I hold most dear.
Somehow, even though it was Ramadan, the devil was busy at work. Nearing the end of the month, just as people are getting ready to return to their hometowns, the government tried to sneakily declare RUU TNI an official law. It ignited the people, resorting to them going down to the street in protest or voicing their resistance on social media. In support, a lot of us wore black to work—including me, who rarely ever do. In this spirit of solidarity and resistance, we closed the month with an office iftar dinner. Love how the night ended in impromptu karaoke, initiated by the one and only Bulbul.
As per usual, Ramadan means seeing my dear friend Mawan again. I swear he’s a Ramadan apparition, because we seem to only ever see each other in Ramadan. What started out as a tradition with a couple of our other friends ended up being something that only the two of us keep. It’s always nice catching up with him—and we always seem to be talking about the next collaborative project together. His friendship is truly one of the ones I hold most dear.
Somehow, even though it was Ramadan, the devil was busy at work. Nearing the end of the month, just as people are getting ready to return to their hometowns, the government tried to sneakily declare RUU TNI an official law. It ignited the people, resorting to them going down to the street in protest or voicing their resistance on social media. In support, a lot of us wore black to work—including me, who rarely ever do. In this spirit of solidarity and resistance, we closed the month with an office iftar dinner. Love how the night ended in impromptu karaoke, initiated by the one and only Bulbul.
April
April was the month of reunions. Somehow, this month a lot of my friends who’d moved abroad came for a visit to Indonesia and we quickly made plans to see each other. But, before then, there was the Eid holiday. This year was spent like any other year—the first day at home with my siblings and visiting Mum’s grave, the second day at Agung’s place with his family.
This year Eid was pretty quiet. I guess after everything that happened towards the end of Ramadan, most of us just wanted a low-key celebration. Agung gave me one of his shirts, and we ended up grabbing coffee in twinning clothes. That was our Eid uniform.
It was during this Eid holiday as well that my uni friend Vivien, who now lives and works in Singapore, came for a visit to Jakarta. Oh my God! It’s been ages since the last time we saw each other—I think it was back in 2018. A lot has happened in both of our lives since then. Back then, Vivien was studying in Malaysia and now she works in a studio in Singapore. We shared stories about our love lives and the difference between Singapore and Indonesia, and catching up on how the rest of our uni friends are doing. It was a ton of fun! Vivien said, she’d like to come back again for an art market sometime. I’ll be sure to keep her posted!
April was the month of reunions. Somehow, this month a lot of my friends who’d moved abroad came for a visit to Indonesia and we quickly made plans to see each other. But, before then, there was the Eid holiday. This year was spent like any other year—the first day at home with my siblings and visiting Mum’s grave, the second day at Agung’s place with his family.
This year Eid was pretty quiet. I guess after everything that happened towards the end of Ramadan, most of us just wanted a low-key celebration. Agung gave me one of his shirts, and we ended up grabbing coffee in twinning clothes. That was our Eid uniform.
It was during this Eid holiday as well that my uni friend Vivien, who now lives and works in Singapore, came for a visit to Jakarta. Oh my God! It’s been ages since the last time we saw each other—I think it was back in 2018. A lot has happened in both of our lives since then. Back then, Vivien was studying in Malaysia and now she works in a studio in Singapore. We shared stories about our love lives and the difference between Singapore and Indonesia, and catching up on how the rest of our uni friends are doing. It was a ton of fun! Vivien said, she’d like to come back again for an art market sometime. I’ll be sure to keep her posted!
Then I was super happy to also reunited with my first-born (read: the first junior I’ve ever had as a copywriter) Nina, since she is back in Jakarta! We parted ways when she resigned and moved to Australia in 2023—which also drove me to hand in my resignation a little later that year. Back then I thought I would never see her again, but when she told me she would be in town for Eid earlier this year, I quickly asked her to meet up.
My friendship with Nina is one that I cherish so deeply, as she was the first teammate I had in the agency. Before she arrived, I was the only copywriter who stuck around. Once she joined us, I felt like I had someone to lean on and confide in, who would understand each other’s woes and joys. I care for her like my own daughter and I truly root for her success, no matter what she strives for. She’s so special to me, that I made her custom sticker sheets for her parting gift.
Then I was super happy to also reunited with my first-born (read: the first junior I’ve ever had as a copywriter) Nina, since she is back in Jakarta! We parted ways when she resigned and moved to Australia in 2023—which also drove me to hand in my resignation a little later that year. Back then I thought I would never see her again, but when she told me she would be in town for Eid earlier this year, I quickly asked her to meet up.
My friendship with Nina is one that I cherish so deeply, as she was the first teammate I had in the agency. Before she arrived, I was the only copywriter who stuck around. Once she joined us, I felt like I had someone to lean on and confide in, who would understand each other’s woes and joys. I care for her like my own daughter and I truly root for her success, no matter what she strives for. She’s so special to me, that I made her custom sticker sheets for her parting gift.
After Eid holiday, it was time for regular festivities again—starting with cute little art markets. Agung and I visited our first art market of the year, Kira Kira Art Market 04. We went there once a couple years ago at a different location, which we didn’t really like. But this time I wanted to go again to meet up with eggbuttertoast, whose work I’ve admired for a while and haven’t seen in person since around 2016-2017. We’ve been corresponding regularly through Instagram, so once I mentioned my username, she immediately recognised me. It was a good, fun time with cute stickers and other paraphernalia—don’t worry, I stuck to a budget.
It was the very next week that we received a very shocking news. One of my co-workers (and legendary rock star in Indonesia, guitarist and frontman of Seringai), Ricky Siahaan, reportedly died of a heart attack while on tour with his band to Japan. Agung was the first one to tell me, because he saw it on social media. Once I checked my office group, it was confirmed…he was no longer with us. It was super heartbreaking news, since Mas Ricky is known to be such a kindhearted and compassionate man with a lot of wisdom to offer. Everyone who knew him would remember him fondly…to this day. So much so, that I paid tribute to his memory on my vlog this month.
The month closed with me starting a new reels series on my Instagram—which I don’t really call anything, but now I would dub it Post-It Doodles. It’s basically a series of 1-minute reels where I draw whatever I want on a piece of post-it at work. It also closed with the last reunion of the month, which was with my friend Zahra, who you may know from this post, and Gita. All three of us used to study in Germany together, but now only Zahra remains there. The last time we saw each other, both of them were very pregnant. Now, their babies having been born, they brought them along and we played with children all day. They were both really adorable! And with that, May comes crashing.
After Eid holiday, it was time for regular festivities again—starting with cute little art markets. Agung and I visited our first art market of the year, Kira Kira Art Market 04. We went there once a couple years ago at a different location, which we didn’t really like. But this time I wanted to go again to meet up with eggbuttertoast, whose work I’ve admired for a while and haven’t seen in person since around 2016-2017. We’ve been corresponding regularly through Instagram, so once I mentioned my username, she immediately recognised me. It was a good, fun time with cute stickers and other paraphernalia—don’t worry, I stuck to a budget.
It was the very next week that we received a very shocking news. One of my co-workers (and legendary rock star in Indonesia, guitarist and frontman of Seringai), Ricky Siahaan, reportedly died of a heart attack while on tour with his band to Japan. Agung was the first one to tell me, because he saw it on social media. Once I checked my office group, it was confirmed…he was no longer with us. It was super heartbreaking news, since Mas Ricky is known to be such a kindhearted and compassionate man with a lot of wisdom to offer. Everyone who knew him would remember him fondly…to this day. So much so, that I paid tribute to his memory on my vlog this month.
The month closed with me starting a new reels series on my Instagram—which I don’t really call anything, but now I would dub it Post-It Doodles. It’s basically a series of 1-minute reels where I draw whatever I want on a piece of post-it at work. It also closed with the last reunion of the month, which was with my friend Zahra, who you may know from this post, and Gita. All three of us used to study in Germany together, but now only Zahra remains there. The last time we saw each other, both of them were very pregnant. Now, their babies having been born, they brought them along and we played with children all day. They were both really adorable! And with that, May comes crashing.
May
May eased me in slowly, as it started with me taking 2 days off work—but resulted in a 5-day weekend. I got to do a lot during this time, such as spend an afternoon at the library, attend my friend’s birthday party, go for a run, go to Artket 04 with Agung, and sort things out at the bank. Without work, it has somehow become a crazy productive weekend and all pretty relaxing too. You can see everything that I got up to in my vlog—which was released later that month.
May eased me in slowly, as it started with me taking 2 days off work—but resulted in a 5-day weekend. I got to do a lot during this time, such as spend an afternoon at the library, attend my friend’s birthday party, go for a run, go to Artket 04 with Agung, and sort things out at the bank. Without work, it has somehow become a crazy productive weekend and all pretty relaxing too. You can see everything that I got up to in my vlog—which was released later that month.
Later on that same week, one of my online friends Kathrinna Rakhmavika launched her latest picture book called Kisah dari Sungai Utik. It is the fifth book from the Anak-Anak Lintas Nusantara series, which features stories from lesser known parts of the archipelago to introduce them to Indonesian children everywhere. Previously, I have read one of their books called Kisah dari Sumba, which was illustrated by Kathrinna and Wastana Haikal.
The book launch was pretty low-key, but really fun. We got to meet a couple children from Sungai Utik, one of whom performed their traditional dance that’s featured in the book as well.
As soon as I got back to work, I hit the ground running with the production of the latest episode of Live it Up! This is UT! that our office did for UNIQLO. This episode focuses on Gundam, featuring superfan Derby Romero. As a 90’s kid who grew up having watched Petualangan Sherina, being able to meet him left me pretty starstruck. He was super friendly and easy to talk to, which makes the whole shooting process absolutely pleasant for everyone. Clearly, one of the most memorable highlights of the year.
Later on that same week, one of my online friends Kathrinna Rakhmavika launched her latest picture book called Kisah dari Sungai Utik. It is the fifth book from the Anak-Anak Lintas Nusantara series, which features stories from lesser known parts of the archipelago to introduce them to Indonesian children everywhere. Previously, I have read one of their books called Kisah dari Sumba, which was illustrated by Kathrinna and Wastana Haikal.
The book launch was pretty low-key, but really fun. We got to meet a couple children from Sungai Utik, one of whom performed their traditional dance that’s featured in the book as well.
As soon as I got back to work, I hit the ground running with the production of the latest episode of Live it Up! This is UT! that our office did for UNIQLO. This episode focuses on Gundam, featuring superfan Derby Romero. As a 90’s kid who grew up having watched Petualangan Sherina, being able to meet him left me pretty starstruck. He was super friendly and easy to talk to, which makes the whole shooting process absolutely pleasant for everyone. Clearly, one of the most memorable highlights of the year.
This was around the time I started to realise how unfit I was becoming. I tried little ways to help me lose weight and different workout routines. Then Agung asked me to go for a run together at Gelora Bung Karno—which is a pretty popular sports complex in Jakarta. I didn’t really like running, so I ended up just doing little cardio moves on the side of the track, while Agung made a lap around the stadium. Not too long after, it started drizzling and we decided to go…and we never tried running together again.
Aside from keeping with our regular routines, nothing of note seemed to happen. We closed the month with trying out new food. For the first time this year, we met up for an after-work date to try Misoa Story. My friend Bulbul recommended it and I was super intrigued, so we sat down and slurped on that bowl of noodle. Then the next day, we stopped by Brightsport Market. It was pretty hot and humid there, but Agung got to see a lot of his favourite fragrance and clothing brands. I love seeing him so excited about these things.
This was around the time I started to realise how unfit I was becoming. I tried little ways to help me lose weight and different workout routines. Then Agung asked me to go for a run together at Gelora Bung Karno—which is a pretty popular sports complex in Jakarta. I didn’t really like running, so I ended up just doing little cardio moves on the side of the track, while Agung made a lap around the stadium. Not too long after, it started drizzling and we decided to go…and we never tried running together again.
Aside from keeping with our regular routines, nothing of note seemed to happen. We closed the month with trying out new food. For the first time this year, we met up for an after-work date to try Misoa Story. My friend Bulbul recommended it and I was super intrigued, so we sat down and slurped on that bowl of noodle. Then the next day, we stopped by Brightsport Market. It was pretty hot and humid there, but Agung got to see a lot of his favourite fragrance and clothing brands. I love seeing him so excited about these things.
Meanwhile, I’ve been pretty active in the kitchen too, creating my favourite menu and saving it for a week of breakfasts. I’m a huge sucker for pasta, and can literally eat pasta for days on end. This is a very simple recipe for everyone who doesn’t want to wash too many things and have very little time to cook. Check out the recipe right here.
Meanwhile, I’ve been pretty active in the kitchen too, creating my favourite menu and saving it for a week of breakfasts. I’m a huge sucker for pasta, and can literally eat pasta for days on end. This is a very simple recipe for everyone who doesn’t want to wash too many things and have very little time to cook. Check out the recipe right here.
June
June was both very eventful and very stressful. At the office, we had one of the toughest pitch processes of the year—it was mostly super frustrating. And that drained me a lot. But outside of the office, we had a lot of fun plans and activities to make up for it.
The month started with a little outfit post. Originally, Agung and I were about to go back to Brightspot Market—because it was held on two consecutive weekends—but decided against it, yet I was already picturing having photos taken at Dukuh Atas. Agung graciously took me to Dukuh Atas, even though we still didn’t go to Brightspot. We took tons of photos of each other and decided to go before it rained.
June was both very eventful and very stressful. At the office, we had one of the toughest pitch processes of the year—it was mostly super frustrating. And that drained me a lot. But outside of the office, we had a lot of fun plans and activities to make up for it.
The month started with a little outfit post. Originally, Agung and I were about to go back to Brightspot Market—because it was held on two consecutive weekends—but decided against it, yet I was already picturing having photos taken at Dukuh Atas. Agung graciously took me to Dukuh Atas, even though we still didn’t go to Brightspot. We took tons of photos of each other and decided to go before it rained.
Then comes our yearly tradition: Europe on Screen! This year somehow all the movies both Agung and I wanted to see were shown in the evening. We only ended up seeing two movies this year—and I think part of it is we wanted to take it easy too—which were Šalša and Il Ragazzo dai Pantaloni Rosa. They were two wildly different films, but we enjoyed them both immensely, and discussed them at great length after the screening. Again, I turned this tradition into a little project—although not as ambitious as I did last year—which you can watch on this vlog. Clearly, I was pretty drained from everything else that happened in June thus far.
Then comes our yearly tradition: Europe on Screen! This year somehow all the movies both Agung and I wanted to see were shown in the evening. We only ended up seeing two movies this year—and I think part of it is we wanted to take it easy too—which were Šalša and Il Ragazzo dai Pantaloni Rosa. They were two wildly different films, but we enjoyed them both immensely, and discussed them at great length after the screening. Again, I turned this tradition into a little project—although not as ambitious as I did last year—which you can watch on this vlog. Clearly, I was pretty drained from everything else that happened in June thus far.
June was also the month one of my ex-co-workers got married. Yet another perfect opportunity to introduce Agung to my co-workers and reunite him with the ones he’s met already. We created an OOTD video on this day—which, I believe, was our first one of the year. Unfortunately, that video is no longer up—for obvious reasons—but feel free to catch it among this compilation (which will also be taken down soon).
The whirlwind at the office didn’t stop here, though. We were in the middle of a crazy pitch and getting reading to shoot the next episode of Live it Up! This is UT!—and this would be the first episode that I was fully writing for. The theme was Studio Ghibli, which I’m thankfully incredibly familiar with. It was during this production that I met Haruka Nakagawa. Working with her was truly an experience and, for once, I thought my Japanese came in handy…if only a little bit.
Around this time, my cat Bobon also has gone completely ballistic, with mating season in the air and new suitors coming in. As if I wasn’t stressed enough 🤦🏻♀️
June was also the month one of my ex-co-workers got married. Yet another perfect opportunity to introduce Agung to my co-workers and reunite him with the ones he’s met already. We created an OOTD video on this day—which, I believe, was our first one of the year. Unfortunately, that video is no longer up—for obvious reasons—but feel free to catch it among this compilation (which will also be taken down soon).
The whirlwind at the office didn’t stop here, though. We were in the middle of a crazy pitch and getting reading to shoot the next episode of Live it Up! This is UT!—and this would be the first episode that I was fully writing for. The theme was Studio Ghibli, which I’m thankfully incredibly familiar with. It was during this production that I met Haruka Nakagawa. Working with her was truly an experience and, for once, I thought my Japanese came in handy…if only a little bit.
Around this time, my cat Bobon also has gone completely ballistic, with mating season in the air and new suitors coming in. As if I wasn’t stressed enough 🤦🏻♀️
As June rolled to a close, yet the rain kept on falling, I was getting the rainy blues and longed for a picnic. It’s crazy how it rained the whole year through—June was supposed to be smack dab in the middle of the dry season, mate! So I poured this wanderlust for picnic season in my sketchbook. A little something to relieve myself from the stress of work as well.
As June rolled to a close, yet the rain kept on falling, I was getting the rainy blues and longed for a picnic. It’s crazy how it rained the whole year through—June was supposed to be smack dab in the middle of the dry season, mate! So I poured this wanderlust for picnic season in my sketchbook. A little something to relieve myself from the stress of work as well.
July
If I thought June was eventful, July gave me a run for my money. Just like May, the month started with me taking time off work. However, it wasn’t for nothing—I was invited to become a mentor by Lentera Anak Pelangi for their Digital Comic Workshop. If you don’t know, Lentera Anak Pelangi is a non-profit organisation that empowers children and teens with HIV with opportunities for upskilling and self-development. For the Digital Comic Workshop, LAP asked me to host 2 online sessions of their overall workshop, where I got to go through the basics of comic-making and review the stories that the kids made. It was a lot of fun, the kids were so funny and creative. Thank you for inviting me! I’d love to do it again.
If I thought June was eventful, July gave me a run for my money. Just like May, the month started with me taking time off work. However, it wasn’t for nothing—I was invited to become a mentor by Lentera Anak Pelangi for their Digital Comic Workshop. If you don’t know, Lentera Anak Pelangi is a non-profit organisation that empowers children and teens with HIV with opportunities for upskilling and self-development. For the Digital Comic Workshop, LAP asked me to host 2 online sessions of their overall workshop, where I got to go through the basics of comic-making and review the stories that the kids made. It was a lot of fun, the kids were so funny and creative. Thank you for inviting me! I’d love to do it again.
During this time off, I also took time to visit Agung at the office for an after-work date, where we checked out the new mall across the street from his office building. It was a quaint and lovely experience, allowing me to peek a little bit into his world. Of course, we ended the night with fragrance browsing—Agung’s favourite activity.
I also met up with my ex-co-worker Jugo, who was working on his latest EP. Yes, he’s a musician and this year he’s really soaring with his music. His latest EP Altar was released on 21 November, and you can listen to the whole thing here. When we met up, though, he was hashing the details of the album art with his friends Smita and Ariel—musicians of the band Bedchamber—and introduced me to them. It felt like I was entering this exciting new world I’d never known before.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jugo also stopped by the office the next week (to take care of some loose ends from his employment?). As soon as he came, the office had a blackout, so the two of us sought refuge at the café across the street, where we kept working. We discussed a little bit about his upcoming EP, and I frantically tried to get as much done before my iPad ran out of battery.
July also happens to be the first birthday of Agung’s youngest niece, Rumi. His family threw her the cutest duck-themed birthday party and, obviously, I had to be there. It was so cute seeing all these children sit down and singing and playing games to get cute little knick knacks. Meanwhile, the adults are inside the house taking photos of the birthday princess and preparing the party favours be handed out to all guests as the party wrapped.
During this time off, I also took time to visit Agung at the office for an after-work date, where we checked out the new mall across the street from his office building. It was a quaint and lovely experience, allowing me to peek a little bit into his world. Of course, we ended the night with fragrance browsing—Agung’s favourite activity.
I also met up with my ex-co-worker Jugo, who was working on his latest EP. Yes, he’s a musician and this year he’s really soaring with his music. His latest EP Altar was released on 21 November, and you can listen to the whole thing here. When we met up, though, he was hashing the details of the album art with his friends Smita and Ariel—musicians of the band Bedchamber—and introduced me to them. It felt like I was entering this exciting new world I’d never known before.
As if that wasn’t enough, Jugo also stopped by the office the next week (to take care of some loose ends from his employment?). As soon as he came, the office had a blackout, so the two of us sought refuge at the café across the street, where we kept working. We discussed a little bit about his upcoming EP, and I frantically tried to get as much done before my iPad ran out of battery.
July also happens to be the first birthday of Agung’s youngest niece, Rumi. His family threw her the cutest duck-themed birthday party and, obviously, I had to be there. It was so cute seeing all these children sit down and singing and playing games to get cute little knick knacks. Meanwhile, the adults are inside the house taking photos of the birthday princess and preparing the party favours be handed out to all guests as the party wrapped.
The middle of July came bearing a surprise: I was invited by Mas Emte to attend his book launch! If you remember, I met Mas Emte for the first time only last year—during one of his talks—but have stayed in touch online ever since. I was super touched that he remembered me enough to invite me to his event, which was thankfully close to the office. So much so, that I ended up vlogging the whole day.
The book launch actually came with an exhibition as well, which I didn’t really get to see during the event itself. So, the following weekend, I took Agung here—since he was also intrigued by it—so we could see the artwork together and more closely. But who did I find? Mas Emte! I introduced him to Agung and the three of us ended up hanging out for a little bit—eating es podeng and whatnot (lol). Truly, one of the best highlights of my year.
The middle of July came bearing a surprise: I was invited by Mas Emte to attend his book launch! If you remember, I met Mas Emte for the first time only last year—during one of his talks—but have stayed in touch online ever since. I was super touched that he remembered me enough to invite me to his event, which was thankfully close to the office. So much so, that I ended up vlogging the whole day.
The book launch actually came with an exhibition as well, which I didn’t really get to see during the event itself. So, the following weekend, I took Agung here—since he was also intrigued by it—so we could see the artwork together and more closely. But who did I find? Mas Emte! I introduced him to Agung and the three of us ended up hanging out for a little bit—eating es podeng and whatnot (lol). Truly, one of the best highlights of my year.
Still in my quest for wedding planning, I met up again with my dear friend Uli. We haven’t seen each other since around February, so it was also a good time to catch up. We had lunch at Bearrito, checked out Transit Bookstore upstairs and had coffee at Sssince Coffee. It was a quaint little afternoon, and I bought yet another book. By this point, I realised…I’ve been buying books a lot this month—but more on that later.
July wrapped up with a new art market called Biggle. I don’t remember if I had any special reason why I wanted to go, but I guess I was pretty curious since it’s new. Agung was such a champion for indulging me. He even helped me film a little video for a reels series that I wanted to start—which I now call OOTD Doodles. I was inspired by Julia van der Bos, but somehow mine didn’t turn out quite the way she did it…which is probably why I hadn’t tried again. Let’s see if we can do better in 2026!
Still in my quest for wedding planning, I met up again with my dear friend Uli. We haven’t seen each other since around February, so it was also a good time to catch up. We had lunch at Bearrito, checked out Transit Bookstore upstairs and had coffee at Sssince Coffee. It was a quaint little afternoon, and I bought yet another book. By this point, I realised…I’ve been buying books a lot this month—but more on that later.
July wrapped up with a new art market called Biggle. I don’t remember if I had any special reason why I wanted to go, but I guess I was pretty curious since it’s new. Agung was such a champion for indulging me. He even helped me film a little video for a reels series that I wanted to start—which I now call OOTD Doodles. I was inspired by Julia van der Bos, but somehow mine didn’t turn out quite the way she did it…which is probably why I hadn’t tried again. Let’s see if we can do better in 2026!
August
August was when everything started going downhill—not only in my personal life, but also nationally. You’ll see what I mean.
The month at the office started with a photoshoot for Good Duck, a newly relaunched brand that we’ve been tackling for the greater part of the year. The photoshoot itself was actually pretty fun, and the results are satisfactory. We were a step closer to finishing the project. You can see the results on their website.
On the blog, the month kicked off with a recap of all the books I bought in July—by the time this post is written, I still haven’t read all the books listed here (lol). It was probably my most indulgent spending of the year—coupled with all the art markets, it pretty much broke my bank (especially as we were saving up for the wedding too). So this was my wake up call.
August was when everything started going downhill—not only in my personal life, but also nationally. You’ll see what I mean.
The month at the office started with a photoshoot for Good Duck, a newly relaunched brand that we’ve been tackling for the greater part of the year. The photoshoot itself was actually pretty fun, and the results are satisfactory. We were a step closer to finishing the project. You can see the results on their website.
On the blog, the month kicked off with a recap of all the books I bought in July—by the time this post is written, I still haven’t read all the books listed here (lol). It was probably my most indulgent spending of the year—coupled with all the art markets, it pretty much broke my bank (especially as we were saving up for the wedding too). So this was my wake up call.
That being said, we ventured to yet another art market—well, technically a knick knack market, but definitely with some art stuff for sale too—which was Meet Things Room 03. This time, I told myself, I had a real purpose: picking up the stamp I pre-ordered online from Kubi Artspace. But I ended up buying a couple books there too, among other things. We didn’t stay for too long, though, since most of the items there weren’t really something we’d collect.
Around this time, I started to explore places to eat near Bobon’s vet so I could hang out while I wait for her to get groomed every month. This is when I discovered Claws Coffee—which has become my breakfast go-to place for a while—and also Kuih Muih, a little homemade bakery located in someone’s garage. It was very, very mom’s-and-pop’s and lovely. I love their salt bread.
That being said, we ventured to yet another art market—well, technically a knick knack market, but definitely with some art stuff for sale too—which was Meet Things Room 03. This time, I told myself, I had a real purpose: picking up the stamp I pre-ordered online from Kubi Artspace. But I ended up buying a couple books there too, among other things. We didn’t stay for too long, though, since most of the items there weren’t really something we’d collect.
Around this time, I started to explore places to eat near Bobon’s vet so I could hang out while I wait for her to get groomed every month. This is when I discovered Claws Coffee—which has become my breakfast go-to place for a while—and also Kuih Muih, a little homemade bakery located in someone’s garage. It was very, very mom’s-and-pop’s and lovely. I love their salt bread.
Leading up to Independence Day, Agung and I visited the POSCART exhibition at Ashta District 8. It was a JICAF pre-event, featuring a lot of local illustrators, including a few of my friends, such as Hans Djap, Isa Indra Permana, and Phantasien, in collaboration with Project 1945, a local perfume brand that we’ve never tried before. Agung was, obviously, so excited about the perfume and we smelled each variant. I also got a few postcards and got to discover some new illustrators as well. Despite the bleak condition of the country, at least we had a pretty fun afternoon in the spirit of patriotism.
Leading up to Independence Day, Agung and I visited the POSCART exhibition at Ashta District 8. It was a JICAF pre-event, featuring a lot of local illustrators, including a few of my friends, such as Hans Djap, Isa Indra Permana, and Phantasien, in collaboration with Project 1945, a local perfume brand that we’ve never tried before. Agung was, obviously, so excited about the perfume and we smelled each variant. I also got a few postcards and got to discover some new illustrators as well. Despite the bleak condition of the country, at least we had a pretty fun afternoon in the spirit of patriotism.
In the digital corner of my life, this month I filmed a sit-down video where I talked about all the art books that I have and still inspire me to this day—since work has been pretty crazy, I just wanted something simple to do.
After Independence Day, things are starting to pick up at the office. We were no longer filming episodes of Live it Up! This is UT! for UNIQLO, but we had the chance to sit in for a recording of Raditya Dika’s podcast with MiawAug. It was super relaxing, everyone was very welcoming. It felt like a tiny break, as we experienced something new.
Aside from that, we were also getting ready for the launch event of the Corkcicle x Sanrio collection. We’ve been planning this for months and months, so it was pretty exciting to finally see it come to life—especially after all the changes and challenges that came with planning, not only this event, but also everything else that came before and after it. I wasn’t present for the whole event, but seeing the decor and the personality quiz we made was exactly as I thought it was going to be.
In the digital corner of my life, this month I filmed a sit-down video where I talked about all the art books that I have and still inspire me to this day—since work has been pretty crazy, I just wanted something simple to do.
After Independence Day, things are starting to pick up at the office. We were no longer filming episodes of Live it Up! This is UT! for UNIQLO, but we had the chance to sit in for a recording of Raditya Dika’s podcast with MiawAug. It was super relaxing, everyone was very welcoming. It felt like a tiny break, as we experienced something new.
Aside from that, we were also getting ready for the launch event of the Corkcicle x Sanrio collection. We’ve been planning this for months and months, so it was pretty exciting to finally see it come to life—especially after all the changes and challenges that came with planning, not only this event, but also everything else that came before and after it. I wasn’t present for the whole event, but seeing the decor and the personality quiz we made was exactly as I thought it was going to be.
The office was also preparing for an ASICS pop-up installation at Plaza Senayan, which has been such a feat for a couple months now. While I wasn’t involved this time, unlike last year at ROW 9, I was also super excited to see it done. I told Agung about it and we went there the first weekend it opened. We enjoyed the Sound Mind Room, where we got to try out the new ASICS GEL-CUMULUS™ 16 and took photos together, as well as the free matcha and hojicha from Chontea.
Towards the end of the month, my laptop—which hit 9 years by this point—was giving signs of dying. It’s actually been deteriorating for a while, but by end of August, it started to give serious glitches that actually got in the way of my productivity—and so I brought home a new laptop, the one I’m typing on.
August closed with high tension in Indonesia. With the raise of People’s Representatives’ allowance (in this sinking economy) and their disrespect of the people, topped with the killing of civilians that go unaccounted for, all hell broke loose.
The office was also preparing for an ASICS pop-up installation at Plaza Senayan, which has been such a feat for a couple months now. While I wasn’t involved this time, unlike last year at ROW 9, I was also super excited to see it done. I told Agung about it and we went there the first weekend it opened. We enjoyed the Sound Mind Room, where we got to try out the new ASICS GEL-CUMULUS™ 16 and took photos together, as well as the free matcha and hojicha from Chontea.
Towards the end of the month, my laptop—which hit 9 years by this point—was giving signs of dying. It’s actually been deteriorating for a while, but by end of August, it started to give serious glitches that actually got in the way of my productivity—and so I brought home a new laptop, the one I’m typing on.
August closed with high tension in Indonesia. With the raise of People’s Representatives’ allowance (in this sinking economy) and their disrespect of the people, topped with the killing of civilians that go unaccounted for, all hell broke loose.
September
September opened with Agung’s birthday falling on a long weekend. Originally, I was going to take him on a picnic now that the weather has seemed to even out, but he wanted first to have dinner with his family—and I was invited too. We went to a Balinese restaurant at a mall we’d never visited before, based on his sister’s recommendation. I loved seeing how happy Agung was among his family, especially his lovely little nieces.
That same weekend, though, we still ended up able to go on that picnic. I was so excited, I made three different sandwiches. For once, I thought we could have the traditional picnic with sandwiches and pudding and whatnot. You can find the recipe for the sandwiches here.
September opened with Agung’s birthday falling on a long weekend. Originally, I was going to take him on a picnic now that the weather has seemed to even out, but he wanted first to have dinner with his family—and I was invited too. We went to a Balinese restaurant at a mall we’d never visited before, based on his sister’s recommendation. I loved seeing how happy Agung was among his family, especially his lovely little nieces.
That same weekend, though, we still ended up able to go on that picnic. I was so excited, I made three different sandwiches. For once, I thought we could have the traditional picnic with sandwiches and pudding and whatnot. You can find the recipe for the sandwiches here.
After waiting for months for the opportunity to go on a picnic, I wasn’t to miss out on the opportunity to immortalise the memory. This was, I believe, the first time I actually vlogged—camera and all—with Agung and he looked so excited capturing different angles of our surroundings and going all Nat Geo cameraman on me. You can watch that vlog here—which talks about so much more than the picnic itself, but also the difficult condition of Indonesia at the time. But the picnic in and of itself was tons of fun. Agung was pretty impressed by the sandwiches I made—he thought I just slapped bread together and called it a day. Boy, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
After waiting for months for the opportunity to go on a picnic, I wasn’t to miss out on the opportunity to immortalise the memory. This was, I believe, the first time I actually vlogged—camera and all—with Agung and he looked so excited capturing different angles of our surroundings and going all Nat Geo cameraman on me. You can watch that vlog here—which talks about so much more than the picnic itself, but also the difficult condition of Indonesia at the time. But the picnic in and of itself was tons of fun. Agung was pretty impressed by the sandwiches I made—he thought I just slapped bread together and called it a day. Boy, you ain’t seen nothing yet.
Things escalated quickly in September as disasters start to pop up here, there and everywhere. One of the biggest disasters that kind of brushed up with my life was the major Cipete fire that took out several small shops around the MRT station—which is a route I take regularly. To this day, this area has yet to be revived and rebuilt. Also somehow, on the same day, I feel like I see fire multiple times around the area. Feels like the shedding year is really shedding this time of year.
Funnily enough, after all the fire…there’s rain. Loads and loads of rain. So much so that a lot of places got flooded, a lot of trees fall down and kill people in cars and bikes, people who just happened to be on the road because they were stuck in traffic. It was insane. How the hell do we get from one end of the spectrum to the other so quickly?
Things escalated quickly in September as disasters start to pop up here, there and everywhere. One of the biggest disasters that kind of brushed up with my life was the major Cipete fire that took out several small shops around the MRT station—which is a route I take regularly. To this day, this area has yet to be revived and rebuilt. Also somehow, on the same day, I feel like I see fire multiple times around the area. Feels like the shedding year is really shedding this time of year.
Funnily enough, after all the fire…there’s rain. Loads and loads of rain. So much so that a lot of places got flooded, a lot of trees fall down and kill people in cars and bikes, people who just happened to be on the road because they were stuck in traffic. It was insane. How the hell do we get from one end of the spectrum to the other so quickly?
In the middle of September, I decided to run away from the capital to visit my sister in Bandung. Well, actually, it was a trip that I planned with Iva, my best friend from Germany who came to visit. It was the first time we would go on a trip together in 11 years—how crazy is that? I don’t really want to talk about this in great detail. Feel free to follow along on our trip here, here and here—as well as the vlog here.
In the middle of September, I decided to run away from the capital to visit my sister in Bandung. Well, actually, it was a trip that I planned with Iva, my best friend from Germany who came to visit. It was the first time we would go on a trip together in 11 years—how crazy is that? I don’t really want to talk about this in great detail. Feel free to follow along on our trip here, here and here—as well as the vlog here.
The month closed with Agung and I visiting JICAF for the first time. Usually, we would never go, because the tickets were pricier than we were comfortable with, but this year I happened to receive free tickets from Isa Indra Permana (thank you so much, Mas Isa!). It honestly wasn’t what I expected—and I can’t help but to feel somewhat disappointed—so I’m even more glad that the tickets were free. Personally, I would’ve preferred art market or artist showcase where we actually get to meet and interact with the artists. I’m happy to be able to my friends’ works, but I would’ve preferred it if we could meet up. Oh well.
Also, that weekend was the first crack in our relationship—or at least, the first one that I noticed. This was the moment that I would go back in time to, if I could.
The month closed with Agung and I visiting JICAF for the first time. Usually, we would never go, because the tickets were pricier than we were comfortable with, but this year I happened to receive free tickets from Isa Indra Permana (thank you so much, Mas Isa!). It honestly wasn’t what I expected—and I can’t help but to feel somewhat disappointed—so I’m even more glad that the tickets were free. Personally, I would’ve preferred art market or artist showcase where we actually get to meet and interact with the artists. I’m happy to be able to my friends’ works, but I would’ve preferred it if we could meet up. Oh well.
Also, that weekend was the first crack in our relationship—or at least, the first one that I noticed. This was the moment that I would go back in time to, if I could.
October
Somehow October this year was super dynamic. There were goodbyes, there were hellos. There was joy, there were conflicts. For once, October didn’t feel like it belonged to me—although, perhaps, at the time it felt like it was. But let’s walk through it one by one.
The month opened with the last art market we visited—or I visited, anyway, I have no idea where Agung went anymore. After feeling myself being too indulgent with my frivolous spending, this time I decided to go only to buy very specific products—as you can see. And that was it, no more art market until 2026.
This was also the month that I had to say goodbye to my two-time work friend Guntur, who resigned earlier this time. No tears, though, because I could say hello again to my (now) two-time work friend, Uta. It’s so funny how one friend left and another came. What’s even funnier is that, despite not working in the same office, I feel like Guntur and I see each other very frequently since October (lol).
Somehow October this year was super dynamic. There were goodbyes, there were hellos. There was joy, there were conflicts. For once, October didn’t feel like it belonged to me—although, perhaps, at the time it felt like it was. But let’s walk through it one by one.
The month opened with the last art market we visited—or I visited, anyway, I have no idea where Agung went anymore. After feeling myself being too indulgent with my frivolous spending, this time I decided to go only to buy very specific products—as you can see. And that was it, no more art market until 2026.
This was also the month that I had to say goodbye to my two-time work friend Guntur, who resigned earlier this time. No tears, though, because I could say hello again to my (now) two-time work friend, Uta. It’s so funny how one friend left and another came. What’s even funnier is that, despite not working in the same office, I feel like Guntur and I see each other very frequently since October (lol).
Agung and I went on a lot of dates around this time—obviously, it was really just business as usual for us. We tried Hasea Eatery, which I’ve tried before, because we both just wanted to wind down and chat. Somehow it felt like we haven’t talked in ages. We also ran into a cute little photobooth at a newly opened supermarket—and it was free! How cute is that?! We also tried out Bakmie Kasih as we brought our Corkcicle—both gifted (him by a friend, me by a client). Sadly, it was here that Agung informed me that one of his aunts died of diabetes—an aunt I really liked. I wish I had gone to his house straight away and expressed my condolences to her children.
Meanwhile, on my Patreon, I started sharing some shop updates. I feel like this is the month when I finally felt mobilise to start my shop production process. So far, I’ve test-printed two sets of stickers and determined the size and finish that I wanted to have. Slowly but surely, I am determined to make 2026 the year my shop will finally open. Feel free to check out the shop updates on Patreon here and here.
Agung and I went on a lot of dates around this time—obviously, it was really just business as usual for us. We tried Hasea Eatery, which I’ve tried before, because we both just wanted to wind down and chat. Somehow it felt like we haven’t talked in ages. We also ran into a cute little photobooth at a newly opened supermarket—and it was free! How cute is that?! We also tried out Bakmie Kasih as we brought our Corkcicle—both gifted (him by a friend, me by a client). Sadly, it was here that Agung informed me that one of his aunts died of diabetes—an aunt I really liked. I wish I had gone to his house straight away and expressed my condolences to her children.
Meanwhile, on my Patreon, I started sharing some shop updates. I feel like this is the month when I finally felt mobilise to start my shop production process. So far, I’ve test-printed two sets of stickers and determined the size and finish that I wanted to have. Slowly but surely, I am determined to make 2026 the year my shop will finally open. Feel free to check out the shop updates on Patreon here and here.
November
November was such a bleak month from the get-go, but nobody knew about it. It started with a break in my relationship with Agung (for less than a week). It was hell for me, I journaled about it a lot. Towards the end of the week, our office decided to throw a belated Halloween party. Not going to lie, I wasn’t feeling it at all. I kept jumping between wanting to go straight home or wanting to sleep for the rest of my life. What was the point of having fun, when you weren’t loved, am I right? You can watch this whole week in my vlog. Warning: it’s bleak.
November was such a bleak month from the get-go, but nobody knew about it. It started with a break in my relationship with Agung (for less than a week). It was hell for me, I journaled about it a lot. Towards the end of the week, our office decided to throw a belated Halloween party. Not going to lie, I wasn’t feeling it at all. I kept jumping between wanting to go straight home or wanting to sleep for the rest of my life. What was the point of having fun, when you weren’t loved, am I right? You can watch this whole week in my vlog. Warning: it’s bleak.
That weekend, though, Agung and I called off the break and went on our weekly date to visit Press Print Party. We had so much fun there, seeing so many different artists/designers from all over the world. We chatted a while with a press artist from We Do Good (Vietnam). He was super friendly and adorable.
We also reunited with Mas Agung (yes, another Agung) from MCMURS Letterpress in Yogyakarta. The three of us met, I believe, last year at Artket where I bought a notebook from him—that I still use regularly to this day—and he gave me the fruit season calendar as freebie. This time, he gave me a Surakarta tour guide card as freebie and I bought a stitch-bound sketchbook from him. It was really nice seeing him again.
Afterwards, we went to sit at our regular coffee shop where we talked about how our relationship would proceed from here on out. My verdict was that I wanted our relationship to continue, and I thought Agung wanted the same thing. But apparently, his mind was made up.
That weekend, though, Agung and I called off the break and went on our weekly date to visit Press Print Party. We had so much fun there, seeing so many different artists/designers from all over the world. We chatted a while with a press artist from We Do Good (Vietnam). He was super friendly and adorable.
We also reunited with Mas Agung (yes, another Agung) from MCMURS Letterpress in Yogyakarta. The three of us met, I believe, last year at Artket where I bought a notebook from him—that I still use regularly to this day—and he gave me the fruit season calendar as freebie. This time, he gave me a Surakarta tour guide card as freebie and I bought a stitch-bound sketchbook from him. It was really nice seeing him again.
Afterwards, we went to sit at our regular coffee shop where we talked about how our relationship would proceed from here on out. My verdict was that I wanted our relationship to continue, and I thought Agung wanted the same thing. But apparently, his mind was made up.
It wasn’t a week later when Agung finally broke up with me. He was slowly pulling away, and I ambushed him at the office. I don’t even want to know whether he would say anything to me if I didn’t. Our initial breakup was pretty amicable. He stayed with me until late at night, we just talked like best friends the way we used to before the relationship. It felt really nice. I cried, he cried. We hugged really tight.
The first week we didn’t tell anyone. I thought it would be kind of funny or cute if we hard launched our breakup on our anniversary—a month later. I was dying silently that first week, with everyone bringing up his name to me over and over again. But I stuck by my decision, telling no one but my sister. That is until I found out he’s moved on.
The next week, I told everyone and felt a flood of support from all of my friends. Those who were at the office, those who reached out to me digitally, those who met up with me just to keep me company. I felt really loved, though it was really hard. Thank you, guys!
It wasn’t a week later when Agung finally broke up with me. He was slowly pulling away, and I ambushed him at the office. I don’t even want to know whether he would say anything to me if I didn’t. Our initial breakup was pretty amicable. He stayed with me until late at night, we just talked like best friends the way we used to before the relationship. It felt really nice. I cried, he cried. We hugged really tight.
The first week we didn’t tell anyone. I thought it would be kind of funny or cute if we hard launched our breakup on our anniversary—a month later. I was dying silently that first week, with everyone bringing up his name to me over and over again. But I stuck by my decision, telling no one but my sister. That is until I found out he’s moved on.
The next week, I told everyone and felt a flood of support from all of my friends. Those who were at the office, those who reached out to me digitally, those who met up with me just to keep me company. I felt really loved, though it was really hard. Thank you, guys!
That second week, we saw each other again. I took the day off work, because I was going to see a concert that day and I asked him to meet up for lunch. He was slippery at first, but in the end, we did meet. A lot of things were cleared up—except, I guess, the important things. It felt really strange—and, frankly, it was killing me—how nothing seems to have changed, yet everything has changed. Here was the man I used to love, still the same silly and beautiful man as ever…yet, he belonged to me no more.
I walked away from that meeting feeling good, not realising that it was actually the start of a brand new hell. We went no contact after that, something that I technically initiated but he enforced. I think it was probably hard for him too, if we were to stay in contact like normal. But that’s not for me to think about anymore.
It wasn’t until 4 hours later that The Paper Kites concert started—opened by Pamungkas and Elephant Kind—but I didn’t really enjoy it at all. Crying the whole time.
That second week, we saw each other again. I took the day off work, because I was going to see a concert that day and I asked him to meet up for lunch. He was slippery at first, but in the end, we did meet. A lot of things were cleared up—except, I guess, the important things. It felt really strange—and, frankly, it was killing me—how nothing seems to have changed, yet everything has changed. Here was the man I used to love, still the same silly and beautiful man as ever…yet, he belonged to me no more.
I walked away from that meeting feeling good, not realising that it was actually the start of a brand new hell. We went no contact after that, something that I technically initiated but he enforced. I think it was probably hard for him too, if we were to stay in contact like normal. But that’s not for me to think about anymore.
It wasn’t until 4 hours later that The Paper Kites concert started—opened by Pamungkas and Elephant Kind—but I didn’t really enjoy it at all. Crying the whole time.
The week of concert continued with Joyland. This one was super hard, because it used to be our tradition and we were going to go together. He said he couldn’t go with me anymore, though, and I didn’t want to either—remembering the pain of our last meeting. I almost didn’t want to go at all, but I wanted to see my boss perform as Jirapah. I also wanted to see Bright Eyes perform the song I thought we would play at our wedding. My friend Uta and her boyfriend Mapa were kind enough to take me in. They let me sit with them and allowed me to just cry the whole time—almost crying along with me, actually. All this kindness and all I wanted to do was tell him about it. By the end of the first day, I fell sick and dragged myself home. With my body feeling so bad, I had no brain space to think about him. And I slept wishing I’d never wake up.
The week of concert continued with Joyland. This one was super hard, because it used to be our tradition and we were going to go together. He said he couldn’t go with me anymore, though, and I didn’t want to either—remembering the pain of our last meeting. I almost didn’t want to go at all, but I wanted to see my boss perform as Jirapah. I also wanted to see Bright Eyes perform the song I thought we would play at our wedding. My friend Uta and her boyfriend Mapa were kind enough to take me in. They let me sit with them and allowed me to just cry the whole time—almost crying along with me, actually. All this kindness and all I wanted to do was tell him about it. By the end of the first day, I fell sick and dragged myself home. With my body feeling so bad, I had no brain space to think about him. And I slept wishing I’d never wake up.
December
December was a hopeful month. Obviously, it started out still pretty bleak. I did my best to remain occupied, filling my weekends with friends and as many activities as possible. With our non-anniversary coming up, I knew I had to stay sane when it rolled around. And, you know what, I did a pretty good job.
The first week was spent catching up one of Agung’s ex-co-worker, Yessy. We have met up once before and have always maintained a good relationship. At this point, the breakup felt pretty far away already, although actually still pretty fresh. I updated her on everything, and she shared her experiences with breakups too. She made me feel hopeful as she was rooting for me. Again, such heartwarming love, thank you!
December was a hopeful month. Obviously, it started out still pretty bleak. I did my best to remain occupied, filling my weekends with friends and as many activities as possible. With our non-anniversary coming up, I knew I had to stay sane when it rolled around. And, you know what, I did a pretty good job.
The first week was spent catching up one of Agung’s ex-co-worker, Yessy. We have met up once before and have always maintained a good relationship. At this point, the breakup felt pretty far away already, although actually still pretty fresh. I updated her on everything, and she shared her experiences with breakups too. She made me feel hopeful as she was rooting for me. Again, such heartwarming love, thank you!
On the weekend, I kept myself really busy. On Saturday, my friends from my previous office got together to hear the story of my breakup. Being together with everyone again made me realise how much I miss them—and our friendship dynamics. They really made me feel lighter, joking here and there in between stories that I told. Thank you for keeping company, guys!
On Sunday, I joined LemariBukuBuku—a community I have neglected for so long—as they partner up with Wahanavisi to conduct a live drawing session as a fundraiser for the children of Papua. These are people I barely know—except for Mas Des who organised the whole thing—but everyone was so welcoming and fun that I just felt comfortable straight away.
Otherwise, I’ve been keeping myself productive as much as I can. I poured my heart out into illustrations a couple times, which you can see here, here and here. I also made art that took my mind off my own life—the process of which you can see here. I just keep going.
On the weekend, I kept myself really busy. On Saturday, my friends from my previous office got together to hear the story of my breakup. Being together with everyone again made me realise how much I miss them—and our friendship dynamics. They really made me feel lighter, joking here and there in between stories that I told. Thank you for keeping company, guys!
On Sunday, I joined LemariBukuBuku—a community I have neglected for so long—as they partner up with Wahanavisi to conduct a live drawing session as a fundraiser for the children of Papua. These are people I barely know—except for Mas Des who organised the whole thing—but everyone was so welcoming and fun that I just felt comfortable straight away.
Otherwise, I’ve been keeping myself productive as much as I can. I poured my heart out into illustrations a couple times, which you can see here, here and here. I also made art that took my mind off my own life—the process of which you can see here. I just keep going.
On the dreaded day of the anniversary, I decided to join Dari Halte ke Halte‘s amazing race challenge with TUKU x CASIO. It was my first experience joining a community event like this where I know none of the people at all. But, you know what? It was a ton of fun. Everyone was so easy to get along with, easy to talk to, and we had such a blast cracking the puzzle and competing with each other. Mas Rio and Mas Bowo who organised the event even read my blog, gave me support about my breakup and promoted my blog on their Instagram. I couldn’t be more touched 🥹
That same day, I stopped by Kurasu Sunday Market to support my office’s Beyblade Tournament. I don’t play Beyblade myself, but after watching my friends play on Halloween, I wanted to see the match again. Not going to lie, I also went there because I knew Agung’s new girl was going to be there. We ended up meeting and talking, but that’s not a story I will share here.
On the dreaded day of the anniversary, I decided to join Dari Halte ke Halte‘s amazing race challenge with TUKU x CASIO. It was my first experience joining a community event like this where I know none of the people at all. But, you know what? It was a ton of fun. Everyone was so easy to get along with, easy to talk to, and we had such a blast cracking the puzzle and competing with each other. Mas Rio and Mas Bowo who organised the event even read my blog, gave me support about my breakup and promoted my blog on their Instagram. I couldn’t be more touched 🥹
That same day, I stopped by Kurasu Sunday Market to support my office’s Beyblade Tournament. I don’t play Beyblade myself, but after watching my friends play on Halloween, I wanted to see the match again. Not going to lie, I also went there because I knew Agung’s new girl was going to be there. We ended up meeting and talking, but that’s not a story I will share here.
This year I somehow got picked to become one of the committee members for the Office’s Year-End Dinner. It wasn’t as stressful as I thought, and everyone really helped out a lot. The dinner went by pretty smoothly. Secret Santa was very heartfelt this year—thank you, Mas Hilmi! And that’s kind of a great end to a shitty year, I guess?
Last but not least, there are some notable and mandatory end-of-year content. First was the Income Breakdown video that I started posting last year—now I’m going to turn it into a tradition. In spite of my heartbreak and the bleak, bleak reality of our socio-political state, I powered through and counted my achievements anyway. Lastly, there’s also obviously The Best Books I Read in 2025—there’s no way I’m missing out on this. While my year (or at least the second half of the year) was pretty shitty, the books I read have been pretty satisfactory. So I guess there’s that.
This year I somehow got picked to become one of the committee members for the Office’s Year-End Dinner. It wasn’t as stressful as I thought, and everyone really helped out a lot. The dinner went by pretty smoothly. Secret Santa was very heartfelt this year—thank you, Mas Hilmi! And that’s kind of a great end to a shitty year, I guess?
Last but not least, there are some notable and mandatory end-of-year content. First was the Income Breakdown video that I started posting last year—now I’m going to turn it into a tradition. In spite of my heartbreak and the bleak, bleak reality of our socio-political state, I powered through and counted my achievements anyway. Lastly, there’s also obviously The Best Books I Read in 2025—there’s no way I’m missing out on this. While my year (or at least the second half of the year) was pretty shitty, the books I read have been pretty satisfactory. So I guess there’s that.
It's a Wrap, Everyone!
At this moment in time, it’s hard for me not to take 2025 personally. It felt like a year that yanked the carpet from right under my feet, but then would blame me if I tumbled. I can’t even compare this year to any other year, because it felt like two years rolled into one. The first half felt hopeful, full of promises of what the next year could bring. But then, without my noticing, the year just…flipped on its head. Love changed its mind. Familiarity crashed and burnt. Strength was tested when I thought I could finally be soft. Security crawled away from me. And, just like that, all that hope disappeared into thin air.
I can’t help but to wonder whether things would’ve been different, if I had made other decisions, if I had done things differently, if if if. But, at the end of the day, there was only so much I could control. The rest? That’s up to fate now. That’s up to what everyone else is capable of doing. It’s beyond my control now. If I had to pick a word for 2025, I would probably say, “cruel.” Not only to me, but also to the little people across the globe, to the Palestinians, to the racial minorities. Cruel, to the hopeful ones, to the strong ones. I don’t usually blame anything on the year, but I just can’t wait for 2026 to start.
As I didn’t write down a resolution for 2025, let’s just skip right to my 2026 resolution:
1. Learn to love and be secure in myself
The biggest lesson I learnt in 2025 (shitty as the year may be) is that I’m not as secure and loving towards myself as I thought I was. As someone who enjoys spending time along 90% of the time, apparently I am still very cruel and unfair to myself. This is the one thing Agung pointed out to me at our breakup. I need to truly love myself, to really be secure in myself, so that I will honour my own boundaries and, therefore, others’ too. I need to be content with myself, relying on no one to give me validation to feel valuable. I need to recognise my own value. It’s going to be hard, and most likely lonely, but I have to give it a try.
If you’ve had a rough 2025, I hope 2026 will be soft and kind to you.
May we all find our happiness that we truly deserve in the new year.
See you soon in 2026!
At this moment in time, it’s hard for me not to take 2025 personally. It felt like a year that yanked the carpet from right under my feet, but then would blame me if I tumbled. I can’t even compare this year to any other year, because it felt like two years rolled into one. The first half felt hopeful, full of promises of what the next year could bring. But then, without my noticing, the year just…flipped on its head. Love changed its mind. Familiarity crashed and burnt. Strength was tested when I thought I could finally be soft. Security crawled away from me. And, just like that, all that hope disappeared into thin air.
I can’t help but to wonder whether things would’ve been different, if I had made other decisions, if I had done things differently, if if if. But, at the end of the day, there was only so much I could control. The rest? That’s up to fate now. That’s up to what everyone else is capable of doing. It’s beyond my control now. If I had to pick a word for 2025, I would probably say, “cruel.” Not only to me, but also to the little people across the globe, to the Palestinians, to the racial minorities. Cruel, to the hopeful ones, to the strong ones. I don’t usually blame anything on the year, but I just can’t wait for 2026 to start.
As I didn’t write down a resolution for 2025, let’s just skip right to my 2026 resolution:
1. Learn to love and be secure in myself
The biggest lesson I learnt in 2025 (shitty as the year may be) is that I’m not as secure and loving towards myself as I thought I was. As someone who enjoys spending time along 90% of the time, apparently I am still very cruel and unfair to myself. This is the one thing Agung pointed out to me at our breakup. I need to truly love myself, to really be secure in myself, so that I will honour my own boundaries and, therefore, others’ too. I need to be content with myself, relying on no one to give me validation to feel valuable. I need to recognise my own value. It’s going to be hard, and most likely lonely, but I have to give it a try.
If you’ve had a rough 2025, I hope 2026 will be soft and kind to you.
May we all find our happiness that we truly deserve in the new year.
See you soon in 2026!