After a home run of a year in 2022, I guess it’s a little unrealistic to expect 2023 to be remotely the same or, god forbid, even better. Especially with it being such a shitty year across the board—for averagely everyone across the globe. I mean, hell, this was the year of the second-longest WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, the year Elon Musk purchased Twitter, the year devastating natural disasters struck around the world, the year the earth got 1.4ºC warmer than the pre-industrial levels, the year of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and—worst of all—the year Israel colonises the people of Gaza incessantly while world leaders sit back and watch humanity perish.
In my own personal life too—not going to lie—the year hasn’t been so great. There were a lot of goodbyes and temporary hellos—which, eventually, led to my own goodbye to somewhere I thought I’d belong. There were a lot of burnouts that made me feel like I’d wasted so much time; a lot of doubts that led to questioning my own life choices. But, with all of that, there were also a lot of new starts—for me, for my loved ones and everyone else in between—and a lot of connecting and re-connecting with those who matter. Ultimately, as shitty as this year has been, it led me back to what matters. It allowed me to reassess my priorities and—continuing from last year—stay true to who I am.
After a home run of a year in 2022, I guess it’s a little unrealistic to expect 2023 to be remotely the same or, god forbid, even better. Especially with it being such a shitty year across the board—for averagely everyone across the globe. I mean, hell, this was the year of the second-longest WGA and SAG-AFTRA strike, the year Elon Musk purchased Twitter, the year devastating natural disasters struck around the world, the year the earth got 1.4ºC warmer than the pre-industrial levels, the year of Russian’s invasion of Ukraine and—worst of all—the year Israel colonises the people of Gaza incessantly while world leaders sit back and watch humanity perish.
In my own personal life too—not going to lie—the year hasn’t been so great. There were a lot of goodbyes and temporary hellos—which, eventually, led to my own goodbye to somewhere I thought I’d belong. There were a lot of burnouts that made me feel like I’d wasted so much time; a lot of doubts that led to questioning my own life choices. But, with all of that, there were also a lot of new starts—for me, for my loved ones and everyone else in between—and a lot of connecting and re-connecting with those who matter. Ultimately, as shitty as this year has been, it led me back to what matters. It allowed me to reassess my priorities and—continuing from last year—stay true to who I am.
January
As per tradition of the past few years, I found myself waking up at Agung’s family home on January 1. One of the first things I did in 2023 was make an annual-leave plan for the rest of the year—I thought I’d get a head start to stay sane at the office. Also, at the risk of coming of cliché, since my 30 Before 30 list expired, I decided to make a random new list of things I want to get done. Very practical, no deadline.
Additionally, I reorganised my finances with a new mindset and new methods, in the hopes of reducing money-related stress and better wealth management. This came in handy sooner than I thought.
Still going off the drive from last year, we started early on with our exhibition kick—although, it turns out, it would be our last in a long while. We visited the Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek exhibition at Taman Ismail Marzuki, which showcased 8 prominent Indonesian architects from the 1960s who graduated from German universities. Although Agung and I aren’t architects and have very little knowledge of buildings, we are avid enthusiasts.
As per tradition of the past few years, I found myself waking up at Agung’s family home on January 1. One of the first things I did in 2023 was make an annual-leave plan for the rest of the year—I thought I’d get a head start to stay sane at the office. Also, at the risk of coming of cliché, since my 30 Before 30 list expired, I decided to make a random new list of things I want to get done. Very practical, no deadline.
Additionally, I reorganised my finances with a new mindset and new methods, in the hopes of reducing money-related stress and better wealth management. This came in handy sooner than I thought.
Still going off the drive from last year, we started early on with our exhibition kick—although, it turns out, it would be our last in a long while. We visited the Dipl.-Ing. Arsitek exhibition at Taman Ismail Marzuki, which showcased 8 prominent Indonesian architects from the 1960s who graduated from German universities. Although Agung and I aren’t architects and have very little knowledge of buildings, we are avid enthusiasts.
Another thing that I’m proud to have carried over from last year was my jogging habit. If you remember, I developed a morning run routine in November 2022 and hadn’t really stopped since. I continually updated my Strava and tried to improve my time and stamina all the time. Again, my main motivation was still mostly the same—to see all the cats around the neighbourhood. Usually, I would listen to music while I run but often the mood for it comes and goes—and that’s when I would opt for podcasts instead. I even shared 5 of my favourite podcasts of the moment. Unfortunately, this running streak ended—according to my Strava—on February 20. But that wasn’t the end of my fit habit.
Another thing that I’m proud to have carried over from last year was my jogging habit. If you remember, I developed a morning run routine in November 2022 and hadn’t really stopped since. I continually updated my Strava and tried to improve my time and stamina all the time. Again, my main motivation was still mostly the same—to see all the cats around the neighbourhood. Usually, I would listen to music while I run but often the mood for it comes and goes—and that’s when I would opt for podcasts instead. I even shared 5 of my favourite podcasts of the moment. Unfortunately, this running streak ended—according to my Strava—on February 20. But that wasn’t the end of my fit habit.
Unfortunately, January was also a time for plenty of goodbyes for me, as three of my closest work friends left the office this month. Although it wasn’t too emotional—I’m sure I’d see them around and, in fact, would be seeing one of them pretty often afterwards 
—it created a crack that would slowly break throughout the year.
Speaking of breaks, my house got a bit of a repair too during this month. It was actually a damage that has endured for months—or years?—but could apparently no longer be ignored. That took a chunk out of my savings, although was thankfully manageable due to the financial habit I already put into motion earlier—see how it’s coming full circle?
The month ended with me chopping my hair off just in time to attend my dear friend Uli’s belated wedding reception. It was really intimate and quaint sit-down dinner at a hotel, where she invited only—I assume—around 30 people at most. Agung and I really enjoyed it.
Unfortunately, January was also a time for plenty of goodbyes for me, as three of my closest work friends left the office this month. Although it wasn’t too emotional—I’m sure I’d see them around and, in fact, would be seeing one of them pretty often afterwards —it created a crack that would slowly break throughout the year.
Speaking of breaks, my house got a bit of a repair too during this month. It was actually a damage that has endured for months—or years?—but could apparently no longer be ignored. That took a chunk out of my savings, although was thankfully manageable due to the financial habit I already put into motion earlier—see how it’s coming full circle?
The month ended with me chopping my hair off just in time to attend my dear friend Uli’s belated wedding reception. It was really intimate and quaint sit-down dinner at a hotel, where she invited only—I assume—around 30 people at most. Agung and I really enjoyed it.
February
In a nutshell, February was the month of friends reunions—because Iva’s coming home! Not for good, no, just a visit. The last time we saw each other was 2019, so it’s been a long time coming.
We saw each other three times this year—the first time just the two of us and twice with the boys. Funny how someone you haven’t seen in years and do not really talk to on a regular basis still feels as comfortable as ever. We talked a lot, laughed a lot and—most importantly—connected a lot. God, I miss her.
This was when she told me that she was getting married! And it turns out to be one of the reasons she came home this year too. By the time we met up, she was already running around trying to get the documents sorted. Ah, I was so happy for her but eternally heartbroken that I couldn’t be there 😢
After 5 years of missing out, I was determined to join the #HourlyComicDay this year. Thankfully, the day coincided with my office’s work-from-home schedule, so I had the liberty to work on a side project alongside my main job. This time I decided to do it traditionally, because I thought it wouldn’t take as much time and effort. Boy, was I wrong 😂 Needless to say, I didn’t get much work done that day (lol).
Another friend that I got reunited with was Iqbal, who I also knew from my time in Germany. Heck, we took off for the country together—and 16 other kids. Despite belonging to different circles and living far apart for most of our lives, we’ve remained good friends for the past 12 years. He even interned at my first office before. He’s also a mutual friend with my ex, but somehow he knows how to toe the line between the two of us.
After 5 years of missing out, I was determined to join the #HourlyComicDay this year. Thankfully, the day coincided with my office’s work-from-home schedule, so I had the liberty to work on a side project alongside my main job. This time I decided to do it traditionally, because I thought it wouldn’t take as much time and effort. Boy, was I wrong 😂 Needless to say, I didn’t get much work done that day (lol).
Another friend that I got reunited with was Iqbal, who I also knew from my time in Germany. Heck, we took off for the country together—and 16 other kids. Despite belonging to different circles and living far apart for most of our lives, we’ve remained good friends for the past 12 years. He even interned at my first office before. He’s also a mutual friend with my ex, but somehow he knows how to toe the line between the two of us.
Speaking of my ex, this was the first time Iva got back to Indonesia after we broke up, and now my ex also moved back home, so yaay! Iva and I contemplated all the time how we were going to hang out again after the breakup, since the three of us—and two other guys—were part of a close group of friends back in Germany. Whenever one of us visited home—or went home for good—we would always hang out together. I was worried that this breakup would prevent that from happening.
Fortunately, since my ex and I reconnected in 2021, we were able to hang out again like good old times—well, more or less. Unfortunately, the hangout had to be divided into two batches, due to scheduling conflicts of the boys. It was really fun, though, to catch up on life and having intellectual conversations as we had usually done. A breath of fresh air and a blast from the past all at once.
On another note, this was the month I started to slow down on the whole morning run routine—initially, due to all the rain, but then I grew lazy. I also felt like after running regularly for months, I somehow didn’t feel or see any significant improvement on my body—whether in the form of weight loss or muscle development—so I decided to do something else. This was when I started with pop pilates all over again, with the help of Blogilates videos. Frankly, I haven’t stopped since.
Speaking of my ex, this was the first time Iva got back to Indonesia after we broke up, and now my ex also moved back home, so yaay! Iva and I contemplated all the time how we were going to hang out again after the breakup, since the three of us—and two other guys—were part of a close group of friends back in Germany. Whenever one of us visited home—or went home for good—we would always hang out together. I was worried that this breakup would prevent that from happening.
Fortunately, since my ex and I reconnected in 2021, we were able to hang out again like good old times—well, more or less. Unfortunately, the hangout had to be divided into two batches, due to scheduling conflicts of the boys. It was really fun, though, to catch up on life and having intellectual conversations as we had usually done. A breath of fresh air and a blast from the past all at once.
On another note, this was the month I started to slow down on the whole morning run routine—initially, due to all the rain, but then I grew lazy. I also felt like after running regularly for months, I somehow didn’t feel or see any significant improvement on my body—whether in the form of weight loss or muscle development—so I decided to do something else. This was when I started with pop pilates all over again, with the help of Blogilates videos. Frankly, I haven’t stopped since.
March
Welcome to the most eventful month of the year. A lot of things happened this month that sometimes it was hard to keep up—including two trips out of town for yours truly.
The month started off pretty mild with the addition of a second kitty. You may know that I adopted my pretty girl Bobon last year. Well, this month I decided to take in her boyfriend/best friend/fan (?) as well—I named him Ardo months ago. He seems to like me well enough and was always aching to come inside the house, so I thought why not?
Apparently, though, Ardo is a true street stray at heart. He would come into the house, eat our food and mark our walls as his territory—meaning pee on it—but he would go postal if we so much as kept him inside overnight. After many, many scratches, bites and mental distress, he ran away from us and wouldn’t come back for months. We learnt our lesson by then, though: never try to keep Ardo.
Now, moving on to the trips out of town. The first trip I took was to Cirebon—again—to attend my friend Zahra’s wedding! What? She got married to her Korean uni sweetheart that Agung and I had the honour to meet last June. I went to the wedding alone, though, because train tickets aren’t that cheap and it was a day trip anyway. Plus, I had the chance to catch up on some local cuisines that I love.
Less than a week later, Agung and I flew to the island of Gods—a.k.a. Bali, baby! It was our first inter-island trip together and all for the sake of attending Joyland Bali 2023. Eep! Phoenix was the main headliner, so there was no way that I would miss out on that. It was my first music festival experience that became really hard to beat. We had the BEST time there.
We also squeezed in some time to meet up with my good friend Mimin who now resides in Bali and explored some beaches. Finally! My first beachy moment has arrived—two beaches in one day too.
Welcome to the most eventful month of the year. A lot of things happened this month that sometimes it was hard to keep up—including two trips out of town for yours truly.
The month started off pretty mild with the addition of a second kitty. You may know that I adopted my pretty girl Bobon last year. Well, this month I decided to take in her boyfriend/best friend/fan (?) as well—I named him Ardo months ago. He seems to like me well enough and was always aching to come inside the house, so I thought why not?
Apparently, though, Ardo is a true street stray at heart. He would come into the house, eat our food and mark our walls as his territory—meaning pee on it—but he would go postal if we so much as kept him inside overnight. After many, many scratches, bites and mental distress, he ran away from us and wouldn’t come back for months. We learnt our lesson by then, though: never try to keep Ardo.
Now, moving on to the trips out of town. The first trip I took was to Cirebon—again—to attend my friend Zahra’s wedding! What? She got married to her Korean uni sweetheart that Agung and I had the honour to meet last June. I went to the wedding alone, though, because train tickets aren’t that cheap and it was a day trip anyway. Plus, I had the chance to catch up on some local cuisines that I love.
Less than a week later, Agung and I flew to the island of Gods—a.k.a. Bali, baby! It was our first inter-island trip together and all for the sake of attending Joyland Bali 2023. Eep! Phoenix was the main headliner, so there was no way that I would miss out on that. It was my first music festival experience that became really hard to beat. We had the BEST time there.
We also squeezed in some time to meet up with my good friend Mimin who now resides in Bali and explored some beaches. Finally! My first beachy moment has arrived—two beaches in one day too.
By the time we got back to the capital, Ramadhan was upon us. Honestly, I would have loved to stick around Bali in time to experience Nyepi, but oh well. Besides, Agung and I had plans that Ramadhan anyway—we would tour mosques all around Jakarta with unique architecture. Initially, I was planning on visiting at least three mosques but with the fasting and work, it ended up being very ambitious. In the end, we managed to visit only 2 mosques. The first one was Masjid Babah Alun in Cilandak.
By the time we got back to the capital, Ramadhan was upon us. Honestly, I would have loved to stick around Bali in time to experience Nyepi, but oh well. Besides, Agung and I had plans that Ramadhan anyway—we would tour mosques all around Jakarta with unique architecture. Initially, I was planning on visiting at least three mosques but with the fasting and work, it ended up being very ambitious. In the end, we managed to visit only 2 mosques. The first one was Masjid Babah Alun in Cilandak.
April
Agung and I kicked off April by continuing our mosque tour and visited Masjid Cut Meutia in Gondangdia. While the previous mosque we visited in March was modern and oriental-looking, this one was majestic and historically significant. And thus, our mosque tour was concluded. It was really fun being able to eat iftar at mosques—as opposed to malls or restaurants. A little more intimate and warm, somehow.
As per the tradition of the past few years, I just had to give out handmade Eid hampers—when I say hampers, I mean cookies only. This year, though, I started preparation early and employed the help of my Stepmom to take some load off myself. The design was finished pretty early and the recipe was quickly determined. I was so happy and proud of myself for being able to give out hampers to everyone at the office.
Agung and I kicked off April by continuing our mosque tour and visited Masjid Cut Meutia in Gondangdia. While the previous mosque we visited in March was modern and oriental-looking, this one was majestic and historically significant. And thus, our mosque tour was concluded. It was really fun being able to eat iftar at mosques—as opposed to malls or restaurants. A little more intimate and warm, somehow.
As per the tradition of the past few years, I just had to give out handmade Eid hampers—when I say hampers, I mean cookies only. This year, though, I started preparation early and employed the help of my Stepmom to take some load off myself. The design was finished pretty early and the recipe was quickly determined. I was so happy and proud of myself for being able to give out hampers to everyone at the office.
The new thing about this year’s Ramadhan and Eid was the presence of a cat in our house. By this time, Bonito was already a much accepted and beloved part of the family, so everyone was just happy to have her around. She would often wake up during Suhoor time as well and roam the house, although she mostly just stayed asleep. She would also usually have dinner around our iftar time, as if she joined in the fasting too. So cute!
Simultaneously, at Agung’s place, he started to semi-adopt a little kitty—which he named Carrot. I had started to get to know her through our video calls. It felt a little like a kitty playdate, with Bobon at my side and Carrot at Agung’s.
Another Eid tradition was spending the second half of the holiday at Agung’s family home. With Bobon at my house and Carrot at Agung’s, it truly felt like an Eid with the kitties. There was a lot of eating, a lot of playing and definitely a lot of bonding with the cats. Is this heaven?
Afterwards, I still had a few days off from the office. My sister and I spent them hanging out and taking care of chores around the house—like laundry. I personally decided to mend a few of my clothes myself. Sewing on a button was easy enough, but more complicated mends, sadly, did not hold. Just before the holiday ends, I also decided to randomly draw. Little did I know, this would spark something life-changing in me.
The new thing about this year’s Ramadhan and Eid was the presence of a cat in our house. By this time, Bonito was already a much accepted and beloved part of the family, so everyone was just happy to have her around. She would often wake up during Suhoor time as well and roam the house, although she mostly just stayed asleep. She would also usually have dinner around our iftar time, as if she joined in the fasting too. So cute!
Simultaneously, at Agung’s place, he started to semi-adopt a little kitty—which he named Carrot. I had started to get to know her through our video calls. It felt a little like a kitty playdate, with Bobon at my side and Carrot at Agung’s.
Another Eid tradition was spending the second half of the holiday at Agung’s family home. With Bobon at my house and Carrot at Agung’s, it truly felt like an Eid with the kitties. There was a lot of eating, a lot of playing and definitely a lot of bonding with the cats. Is this heaven?
Afterwards, I still had a few days off from the office. My sister and I spent them hanging out and taking care of chores around the house—like laundry. I personally decided to mend a few of my clothes myself. Sewing on a button was easy enough, but more complicated mends, sadly, did not hold. Just before the holiday ends, I also decided to randomly draw. Little did I know, this would spark something life-changing in me.
May
May became the month I started to really strategise about my social media contents. After consulting with my good friend, Tio, I started to finally understand the importance of analytics in figuring out my strengths as a content creator and how I can amplify my online presence by playing to those strengths. Let me spoil some inside info here for you: my most successful content on this blog so far is the Muslim Content Creator post from last year. Who would’ve thought?! That’s how analytics opened my eyes—showing the unexpected.
Then, all of a sudden, it was already time for Agung’s little sister to be engaged…in marriage! When I came over at Eid, Agung’s family told me about it and invited me to come as a part of the family 🥹 I was so touched! While I already met a lot of Agung’s extended family before, this was the chance to meet with all the cousins—who are all very warm and welcoming. The event itself went by smoothly with only one hitch, the photographer showed up very late. But it’s no worries.
May became the month I started to really strategise about my social media contents. After consulting with my good friend, Tio, I started to finally understand the importance of analytics in figuring out my strengths as a content creator and how I can amplify my online presence by playing to those strengths. Let me spoil some inside info here for you: my most successful content on this blog so far is the Muslim Content Creator post from last year. Who would’ve thought?! That’s how analytics opened my eyes—showing the unexpected.
Then, all of a sudden, it was already time for Agung’s little sister to be engaged…in marriage! When I came over at Eid, Agung’s family told me about it and invited me to come as a part of the family 🥹 I was so touched! While I already met a lot of Agung’s extended family before, this was the chance to meet with all the cousins—who are all very warm and welcoming. The event itself went by smoothly with only one hitch, the photographer showed up very late. But it’s no worries.
For a few of my friends, May is a happy month as they were getting married—in particular my boss at the office and my friend from uni Nadine. They invited our whole office to their wedding, even some of the old colleagues who have become lifelong friends for them now. We had such a blast being there. Sadly, Agung couldn’t come because the invites did not include plus ones.
Aside from that, May has been kind of a sobering experience after the mega eventful March and April. Agung and I often spent time just sitting around and talking on our weekly dates, but it was really comfortable and relaxing after a week of hectic hustle all the goddamn time.
It was also the month I got badly injured—due to my own stupidity—and had to treat it myself. Yeah, that’s how high strung I was at work in 2023. The injury was really super bad that one of my friends said, “It looks like a gunshot wound!”
This month there was also a chance at a friends reunion, with my dear friends from middle school, Mimin and Uli. I think this is the first time all three of us hung out again after the pandemic. It was a really chill all-day chat by the pool with tons of food that left us in a satisfying food comma. It’s never not a food comma with these two. Funny, our topics these days have shifted from our favourite games and movies to work and family situations. I guess we are adulting, huh?
On the art front, May means it’s time for Mermay! Again, after missing out for 5 years, I was determined to join in on the fun this year. Instead of just drawing pretty mermaids being gorgeous, I thought I’d bring an awareness on ocean pollution to the challenge as well. As you can see in the mermaids above, each of them are caught in plastic waste to portray sea creatures being trapped in the plastic litter crowding our oceans today.
For a few of my friends, May is a happy month as they were getting married—in particular my boss at the office and my friend from uni Nadine. They invited our whole office to their wedding, even some of the old colleagues who have become lifelong friends for them now. We had such a blast being there. Sadly, Agung couldn’t come because the invites did not include plus ones.
Aside from that, May has been kind of a sobering experience after the mega eventful March and April. Agung and I often spent time just sitting around and talking on our weekly dates, but it was really comfortable and relaxing after a week of hectic hustle all the goddamn time.
It was also the month I got badly injured—due to my own stupidity—and had to treat it myself. Yeah, that’s how high strung I was at work in 2023. The injury was really super bad that one of my friends said, “It looks like a gunshot wound!”
This month there was also a chance at a friends reunion, with my dear friends from middle school, Mimin and Uli. I think this is the first time all three of us hung out again after the pandemic. It was a really chill all-day chat by the pool with tons of food that left us in a satisfying food comma. It’s never not a food comma with these two. Funny, our topics these days have shifted from our favourite games and movies to work and family situations. I guess we are adulting, huh?
On the art front, May means it’s time for Mermay! Again, after missing out for 5 years, I was determined to join in on the fun this year. Instead of just drawing pretty mermaids being gorgeous, I thought I’d bring an awareness on ocean pollution to the challenge as well. As you can see in the mermaids above, each of them are caught in plastic waste to portray sea creatures being trapped in the plastic litter crowding our oceans today.
June
June was a time for family as my sister and I flew to Surabaya to visit our Grandfather and extended family. We decided to go after Eid, because the ticket price during the holidays was insane—not to mention the battle royale in acquiring said tickets. This was our first time returning after our Grandma passed away in 2019 and, honestly, it felt so different without her there. We stayed at our Grandfather’s for 5D4N and explored a lot of the city. We were surprised to find Jalan Tunjungan newly revitalised and we paid a visit to Museum Pendidikan where we had never been. It felt way too short a time to be in Surabaya, but I’ll be sure to drop by again soon.
We came back to Jakarta just in time for the trifecta of birthdays—my Stepmom, my sister and my brother. Yes, I’m surrounded by Geminis 😂 We had two separate feasts: one for our Stepmom’s birthday, where she cooked Gudeg, and one is a joint-feast for my brother and sister where we ate at Se’ilera and walked to Flash Coffee nearby. It feels like it’s been forever since the whole family hung out like this. It was kind of nice!
June was a time for family as my sister and I flew to Surabaya to visit our Grandfather and extended family. We decided to go after Eid, because the ticket price during the holidays was insane—not to mention the battle royale in acquiring said tickets. This was our first time returning after our Grandma passed away in 2019 and, honestly, it felt so different without her there. We stayed at our Grandfather’s for 5D4N and explored a lot of the city. We were surprised to find Jalan Tunjungan newly revitalised and we paid a visit to Museum Pendidikan where we had never been. It felt way too short a time to be in Surabaya, but I’ll be sure to drop by again soon.
We came back to Jakarta just in time for the trifecta of birthdays—my Stepmom, my sister and my brother. Yes, I’m surrounded by Geminis 😂 We had two separate feasts: one for our Stepmom’s birthday, where she cooked Gudeg, and one is a joint-feast for my brother and sister where we ate at Se’ilera and walked to Flash Coffee nearby. It feels like it’s been forever since the whole family hung out like this. It was kind of nice!
June also meant Europe on Screen! Of course, this year Agung and I would attend together again. Consider this a brand new tradition for us for as long as the event will be held offline. Although we only ended up catching two films during the festival, we were able to do more than that.
We visited two libraries—the Goethe Institute Library and Erasmus Huis Library. I managed to borrow a few books from Goethe too, which became the start of my German book kick. The Erasmus Huis library was a first for me, but it was so beautiful that we took loads of photos.
Incidentally, Erasmus Huis hosted the solo exhibition of Arike Gill called Litter Critters. Through this project, Gill reimagined some litters she found in the park as critters out in nature to raise awareness to the plastic pollution issue. There were paintings, animation and even a workshop area to create your own critter. Without meaning to, we somehow stopped by our second exhibition of the year.
June also meant Europe on Screen! Of course, this year Agung and I would attend together again. Consider this a brand new tradition for us for as long as the event will be held offline. Although we only ended up catching two films during the festival, we were able to do more than that.
We visited two libraries—the Goethe Institute Library and Erasmus Huis Library. I managed to borrow a few books from Goethe too, which became the start of my German book kick. The Erasmus Huis library was a first for me, but it was so beautiful that we took loads of photos.
Incidentally, Erasmus Huis hosted the solo exhibition of Arike Gill called Litter Critters. Through this project, Gill reimagined some litters she found in the park as critters out in nature to raise awareness to the plastic pollution issue. There were paintings, animation and even a workshop area to create your own critter. Without meaning to, we somehow stopped by our second exhibition of the year.
July
July really started with a bang as Agung and I took a day trip to Bogor. While this town is located on the precipice of Jakarta, just like Tangerang (where I live) and Bekasi (where Agung lives), somehow I had never gone there as a tourist before. Whenever I went to Bogor, it was always my parents’ friends’ weddings or so—even though I’ve been dying to check out the Botanical Garden. And so, away we went.
July also meant Plastic-Free July! As an advocate for zero-waste living, I thought I’d contribute to the cause this year by providing tips on how to start your first PFJ, if you are new to the movement. I always believe that progress is much better than perfection, so I want to encourage people to give it a shot without being afraid to “fail.” My hope is this movement will only kickstart people’s desire to swear off plastic for the rest of their lives.
July really started with a bang as Agung and I took a day trip to Bogor. While this town is located on the precipice of Jakarta, just like Tangerang (where I live) and Bekasi (where Agung lives), somehow I had never gone there as a tourist before. Whenever I went to Bogor, it was always my parents’ friends’ weddings or so—even though I’ve been dying to check out the Botanical Garden. And so, away we went.
July also meant Plastic-Free July! As an advocate for zero-waste living, I thought I’d contribute to the cause this year by providing tips on how to start your first PFJ, if you are new to the movement. I always believe that progress is much better than perfection, so I want to encourage people to give it a shot without being afraid to “fail.” My hope is this movement will only kickstart people’s desire to swear off plastic for the rest of their lives.
Unfortunately, July as also the month of goodbyes. Already at the beginning I had to part ways with two of my favourite co-workers at the office—and one of them actually moved to Australia, which is heartbreaking 😭 As goodbye presents, I made them sticker sheets that portray inside jokes from their time at the office—along with a handwritten letter that came from the bottom of my heart. You can probably tell I was already so different from January regarding this. Needless to say, the office was never the same again without them.
Then, towards the end of the month, I had to bid farewell to my sister as she moved to Bandung for work 😭 It has been years since the last time we didn’t live under the same roof, so I already knew the house was going to feel very different. She still came to visit every month, though, and I’m glad to know she seems to be happy with life in Bandung. At least this goodbye wasn’t permanent or heartbreaking.
Unfortunately, July as also the month of goodbyes. Already at the beginning I had to part ways with two of my favourite co-workers at the office—and one of them actually moved to Australia, which is heartbreaking 😭 As goodbye presents, I made them sticker sheets that portray inside jokes from their time at the office—along with a handwritten letter that came from the bottom of my heart. You can probably tell I was already so different from January regarding this. Needless to say, the office was never the same again without them.
Then, towards the end of the month, I had to bid farewell to my sister as she moved to Bandung for work 😭 It has been years since the last time we didn’t live under the same roof, so I already knew the house was going to feel very different. She still came to visit every month, though, and I’m glad to know she seems to be happy with life in Bandung. At least this goodbye wasn’t permanent or heartbreaking.
This month I went travelling yet again to Purwakarta! Unlike my previous travels, this one wasn’t for personal purposes, mind you—it was a work trip. Although I was reluctant at first—due to being swamped at work all the time—I was so glad I could be part of the Kebun Cap Panah Merah expo and help the brand manage the influencers who attended.
It was actually a pretty relaxing job, if not for the blazing hot weather and our requirement to stay outdoors the whole time. I got to see numerous fruits and vegetables, as well as taste unique dishes using the brand’s harvests. It was so much fun! And that concluded my last trip for the rest of the year.
Ultimately, this was the month I prioritised myself a lot. After 20+ years of using the same work chair since I was in middle school, I finally decided to invest in a new, comfortable work chair for at home. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. I also took myself on a solo date while Agung was out of town—which is something I feel like I haven’t done in ages.
Closing July just as it started—with a bang—Agung and I had a photoshoot session for Wabi Sabi ID, a clothing brand by my friend Koletta and some of her friends. She asked us to be the model for her new collection and only required for us to just be ourselves—a real-life couple.
This month I went travelling yet again to Purwakarta! Unlike my previous travels, this one wasn’t for personal purposes, mind you—it was a work trip. Although I was reluctant at first—due to being swamped at work all the time—I was so glad I could be part of the Kebun Cap Panah Merah expo and help the brand manage the influencers who attended.
It was actually a pretty relaxing job, if not for the blazing hot weather and our requirement to stay outdoors the whole time. I got to see numerous fruits and vegetables, as well as taste unique dishes using the brand’s harvests. It was so much fun! And that concluded my last trip for the rest of the year.
Ultimately, this was the month I prioritised myself a lot. After 20+ years of using the same work chair since I was in middle school, I finally decided to invest in a new, comfortable work chair for at home. It was one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. I also took myself on a solo date while Agung was out of town—which is something I feel like I haven’t done in ages.
Closing July just as it started—with a bang—Agung and I had a photoshoot session for Wabi Sabi ID, a clothing brand by my friend Koletta and some of her friends. She asked us to be the model for her new collection and only required for us to just be ourselves—a real-life couple.
August
Welcome to the worst month of the year! Or, at least the start of the worst months of the year? August was a living nightmare. Work was absolutely mental, pushing me to the brink of insanity—with a giant, rushed project, several others piling one on top of the other and the loss of yet another office partner. It was a miracle I didn’t develop an ulcer or heart condition then.
Thankfully, that first weekend in August, Agung and I managed to catch Eko Nugroho’s solo exhibition at ROH. Much like Tromarama whose exhibition we visited here before, Eko Nugroho is an idol for Agung. I also love Eko Nugroho’s artistic style, blending human faces into a natural surrounding and slipping in provoking words here and there. His criticism on the people in power and in raising awareness on climate change are so up my alley.
Somehow, amidst the hubbub and chaos that was my office life, I managed to finalise INCA, the typeface I designed at uni, and turned it into a font. For years people on Behance had been asking me where they could get the font and I never responded, because there was no font. Every time I encounter a new enquiry, it felt like a missed opportunity…so I decided to get Glyphs, teach myself how to use it—which was apparently simple enough for a simple output I desired—and made the font happen. The font is now available on MyFonts, if you’re interested.
Ah, they’ve done it. They broke me.
This was the month I started to accept that I was burnt out. Started. To. Accept. I was burnt out months before this and would continue to do so for a few more months to come, yet there was no other way but through. You know, I’ve never believed myself to be the kind of person who can have her personal beliefs separate from her work—one of the reasons why I initially didn’t want to work at an office—so it became more and more frustrating to me each day the more I realise just how distant and far apart my sense of self is from how I spent most of my time everyday. And, apparently, when I shared about this, it resonated with a lot of people—and that’s when I knew the world has been burning out there this whole time.
Somehow, amidst the hubbub and chaos that was my office life, I managed to finalise INCA, the typeface I designed at uni, and turned it into a font. For years people on Behance had been asking me where they could get the font and I never responded, because there was no font. Every time I encounter a new enquiry, it felt like a missed opportunity…so I decided to get Glyphs, teach myself how to use it—which was apparently simple enough for a simple output I desired—and made the font happen. The font is now available on MyFonts, if you’re interested.
Ah, they’ve done it. They broke me.
This was the month I started to accept that I was burnt out. Started. To. Accept. I was burnt out months before this and would continue to do so for a few more months to come, yet there was no other way but through. You know, I’ve never believed myself to be the kind of person who can have her personal beliefs separate from her work—one of the reasons why I initially didn’t want to work at an office—so it became more and more frustrating to me each day the more I realise just how distant and far apart my sense of self is from how I spent most of my time everyday. And, apparently, when I shared about this, it resonated with a lot of people—and that’s when I knew the world has been burning out there this whole time.
They say they see the smoke
But keep adding fuel to the fire
Then later they wonder
how I come to be in ashes
Twitter @alivegurl, 14 Aug 2023
Thankfully, I was able to take some leave from the office after Independence Day. No, I didn’t go on a trip anywhere this year, just wanted to have some time to relax and detach from all the chaos at work and the insanely rising pollution of Jakarta. I used this chance to sort out my used books—and offer them to used bookstores I usually frequent.
I also got back to drawing—just casually, at first, but then I started sketching something I’d like to finish. At the time, I couldn’t imagine when or how I was going to manage, but an opportunity would come my way sooner than I expected.
They say they see the smoke
But keep adding fuel to the fire
Then later they wonder
how I come to be in ashes
Twitter @alivegurl, 14 Aug 2023
Thankfully, I was able to take some leave from the office after Independence Day. No, I didn’t go on a trip anywhere this year, just wanted to have some time to relax and detach from all the chaos at work and the insanely rising pollution of Jakarta. I used this chance to sort out my used books—and offer them to used bookstores I usually frequent.
I also got back to drawing—just casually, at first, but then I started sketching something I’d like to finish. At the time, I couldn’t imagine when or how I was going to manage, but an opportunity would come my way sooner than I expected.
September
Not going to lie, the stress and burnout from August just bled on to September, so in that way, September sucked too. There are, however, many things about September that didn’t suck.
One of them is Agung’s birthday! Of course, my Virgo boy! Since it fell on a Tuesday, we decided to celebrate by going out to dinner after work—Agung picked me up since our offices are so close to each other now. I bought some brownies from Wardak—owned by the sister of a co-worker—and we grabbed coffee. What a quaint night!
Another thing I loved about September was Artket. It was a little art & illustration market that launched this year. I’m not sure who organised it, but for their first installment, they invited some of the most popular names in Jakarta’s popculture scene—which I think is clever—so it was a massive success. The place was packed!
At the event, I discovered a new artist I’d never heard of before and instantly fell in love with called Tiga Mata Sapi. They sell various merch using hyperlocal aesthetics and insights. Immediately, I made a massive haul of their products—as seen here.
Not going to lie, the stress and burnout from August just bled on to September, so in that way, September sucked too. There are, however, many things about September that didn’t suck.
One of them is Agung’s birthday! Of course, my Virgo boy! Since it fell on a Tuesday, we decided to celebrate by going out to dinner after work—Agung picked me up since our offices are so close to each other now. I bought some brownies from Wardak—owned by the sister of a co-worker—and we grabbed coffee. What a quaint night!
Another thing I loved about September was Artket. It was a little art & illustration market that launched this year. I’m not sure who organised it, but for their first installment, they invited some of the most popular names in Jakarta’s popculture scene—which I think is clever—so it was a massive success. The place was packed!
At the event, I discovered a new artist I’d never heard of before and instantly fell in love with called Tiga Mata Sapi. They sell various merch using hyperlocal aesthetics and insights. Immediately, I made a massive haul of their products—as seen here.
Okay, so remember that sketch that I randomly made last month? You know, the one you’ll see if you just scroll up a little bit? Yeah, it turns out to be the perfect piece for a collaborative exhibition between MRT Jakarta and Lemari Bukubuku that I had the opportunity to partake in. There was a submission process and some work might not make the cut—because of the limited showcase space—but I was determined to at least try. The exhibition was decidedly mini and, mostly, did not garner much attention, but it was really fun to see my work showcased alongside the works of other amazing artists. Really, any excuse to finish a pieace is a good one.
More on the artsy front, this was the month I started going back to…YouTube! Oh my God! In case you didn’t know, I’ve always had a YT channel since 2014 and had been regularly updating it until 2018. At the time, I was mostly focused on Booktube and didn’t find the fun in editing videos. This year I shifted my focus to studio vlogs—following my upcoming career shift—and it was a lot more fun to make. I was more loose, more relaxed and enjoy the content more. I guess people can see that and, therefore, enjoy my videos. Thank you. so much to those of you who have stopped by!
As for entertainment, I had been keeping myself busy with a selection of indie movies on MUBI—yes, I tried subscribing for a month with a considerable discount! It was really fun and interesting at first, since I got to watch a few films that I’d been coveting for a while—such as The Lunchbox and Chunking Express. But, as stress levels started to climb at work, indie movies just became too heavy for me. For now, the subscription has been paused—due to my strapped finances—but I hope to be able to return for more sometime.
Okay, so remember that sketch that I randomly made last month? You know, the one you’ll see if you just scroll up a little bit? Yeah, it turns out to be the perfect piece for a collaborative exhibition between MRT Jakarta and Lemari Bukubuku that I had the opportunity to partake in. There was a submission process and some work might not make the cut—because of the limited showcase space—but I was determined to at least try. The exhibition was decidedly mini and, mostly, did not garner much attention, but it was really fun to see my work showcased alongside the works of other amazing artists. Really, any excuse to finish a pieace is a good one.
More on the artsy front, this was the month I started going back to…YouTube! Oh my God! In case you didn’t know, I’ve always had a YT channel since 2014 and had been regularly updating it until 2018. At the time, I was mostly focused on Booktube and didn’t find the fun in editing videos. This year I shifted my focus to studio vlogs—following my upcoming career shift—and it was a lot more fun to make. I was more loose, more relaxed and enjoy the content more. I guess people can see that and, therefore, enjoy my videos. Thank you. so much to those of you who have stopped by!
As for entertainment, I had been keeping myself busy with a selection of indie movies on MUBI—yes, I tried subscribing for a month with a considerable discount! It was really fun and interesting at first, since I got to watch a few films that I’d been coveting for a while—such as The Lunchbox and Chunking Express. But, as stress levels started to climb at work, indie movies just became too heavy for me. For now, the subscription has been paused—due to my strapped finances—but I hope to be able to return for more sometime.
October
Work started to feel a whole lot better already, since the arrival of my child, Cat—and I think my bosses started to accept that I would be leaving the office in a month. A not-so-wise person once told me that, at this point, I had nothing to lose from taking it easy at work. And so, I took his advice. Instead, I’ve been more focused on building my freelance career.
Around this time, I had also started blogging more casually. It no longer stressed me out if I should have no post ready that week. The same was applied to my Instagram as well. I just decided to post things only when I felt like it.
October started out with…Agung’s sister’s wedding day! By this point, Agung’s family really didn’t need to invite me anymore, it was somehow obvious that I was going to be part of the wedding. They got me a uniform and everything—just like all the cousins. The best part is, I got to see Agung wear a full-on Javanese traditional getup complete with the blangkon. Eep!
The wedding ceremony and reception lasted a good 9 hours. It was decidedly the longest wedding I’d ever been to—whether I was part of the event or just a guest. I really enjoyed the event, though. Agung’s cousins are just so fun!
Work started to feel a whole lot better already, since the arrival of my child, Cat—and I think my bosses started to accept that I would be leaving the office in a month. A not-so-wise person once told me that, at this point, I had nothing to lose from taking it easy at work. And so, I took his advice. Instead, I’ve been more focused on building my freelance career.
Around this time, I had also started blogging more casually. It no longer stressed me out if I should have no post ready that week. The same was applied to my Instagram as well. I just decided to post things only when I felt like it.
October started out with…Agung’s sister’s wedding day! By this point, Agung’s family really didn’t need to invite me anymore, it was somehow obvious that I was going to be part of the wedding. They got me a uniform and everything—just like all the cousins. The best part is, I got to see Agung wear a full-on Javanese traditional getup complete with the blangkon. Eep!
The wedding ceremony and reception lasted a good 9 hours. It was decidedly the longest wedding I’d ever been to—whether I was part of the event or just a guest. I really enjoyed the event, though. Agung’s cousins are just so fun!
Before I knew it, my birthday rolled around. My sister stayed in the city a week for my birthday—jk, it just happily coincided with her school’s semester break. I took the day off and we spent the whole of my birthday together. It’s always nice to talk about all sorts of things with her, especially after the past few months that I’d been busy with work and could barely see her. You could watch our whole shenanigan here.
All in all, it was a pretty pleasant birthday. A lot of people wished me a happy birthday—including my ex’s little sister. Even if they didn’t, though, I’ve come to a point where I just care so much less about trivial things like that. So long as the people who matter to me most remember, that’s enough for me. Turning 31 did wonders on me.
Before I knew it, my birthday rolled around. My sister stayed in the city a week for my birthday—jk, it just happily coincided with her school’s semester break. I took the day off and we spent the whole of my birthday together. It’s always nice to talk about all sorts of things with her, especially after the past few months that I’d been busy with work and could barely see her. You could watch our whole shenanigan here.
All in all, it was a pretty pleasant birthday. A lot of people wished me a happy birthday—including my ex’s little sister. Even if they didn’t, though, I’ve come to a point where I just care so much less about trivial things like that. So long as the people who matter to me most remember, that’s enough for me. Turning 31 did wonders on me.
November
November marked the start of a life-changing event in my life. This was the last month I’d be working at the office. Before the month even ended, I would officially no longer be employed here. While I was a little sad to go, I was also giddy to start a whole new life of my own.
The month opened with the ICAD exhibition, as part of the Kemang 12730 event. This was our third time coming to this exhibition and I’m starting to question a lot of things about the quality of the showcase. That being said, we did love a lot of the works being displayed—the Benyamin Sueb tribute being the most notable.
While we were there, we bumped into some of Agung’s old workmates and the wife of one of my former workmate—yeah, our circles be overlapping like that. We were always bumping into people we know here.
November marked the start of a life-changing event in my life. This was the last month I’d be working at the office. Before the month even ended, I would officially no longer be employed here. While I was a little sad to go, I was also giddy to start a whole new life of my own.
The month opened with the ICAD exhibition, as part of the Kemang 12730 event. This was our third time coming to this exhibition and I’m starting to question a lot of things about the quality of the showcase. That being said, we did love a lot of the works being displayed—the Benyamin Sueb tribute being the most notable.
While we were there, we bumped into some of Agung’s old workmates and the wife of one of my former workmate—yeah, our circles be overlapping like that. We were always bumping into people we know here.
While things at work had started to slow down for me—as I gradually handed over my projects to Cat—things at home (red. the freelance front) are starting to pick up. I was still vlogging regularly at the time and preparing to restock some of my existing merch to be sent to Rumah Atas Gallery. It was a really fun process, although there were some bumps along the road. In the end, I somehow managed to get all the merch ready to be shipped. Now I’m thinking if I should also sell them in my shop 
Other than that, with the heat picking up on the Israel-Palestine conflict, I had the urge to show my support through some illustrations. I’d love to know if you would be interested, if I were to sell these illustrations and donate the proceeds to Gaza—please let me know!
While things at work had started to slow down for me—as I gradually handed over my projects to Cat—things at home (red. the freelance front) are starting to pick up. I was still vlogging regularly at the time and preparing to restock some of my existing merch to be sent to Rumah Atas Gallery. It was a really fun process, although there were some bumps along the road. In the end, I somehow managed to get all the merch ready to be shipped. Now I’m thinking if I should also sell them in my shop
Other than that, with the heat picking up on the Israel-Palestine conflict, I had the urge to show my support through some illustrations. I’d love to know if you would be interested, if I were to sell these illustrations and donate the proceeds to Gaza—please let me know!
The next week, Agung and I were ready to hit Joyland Festival again—this time in Jakarta to see Interpol and Alvvays and The Beths (among others). Agung was hesitant to go at first, but ended up determined to go. He made a whole playlist of Interpol’s latest set list and we listened to it studiously for several weeks leading up to the music festival.
Since it was in the capital, we bumped into a whole lot more people that we knew than we did in Bali—but also including those we saw in Bali The experience was slightly different—it felt way hotter and more crowded somehow—but it was mostly tons of fun. Needless to say, it took me way too long to move on from it.
In the blink of an eye, it was finally time for my last day at the office. I wouldn’t be me if I weren’t sentimental about shit like this, so of course, I had to prepare something for everyone. Lo and behold, I made everyone personalised stickers—much I like the ones I made for the two colleagues who left prior to me (scroll back to July!). Each set are given to each person in an envelope along with a heartfelt, handwritten letter.
After spending a full week of sleep deprivation and hand cramp, I’m so glad to see my farewell gift so well received by everyone. It made my last day felt more fun than sad, just as the doctor ordered. After hugging them all goodbye, I went home that night officially unemployed.
The next week, Agung and I were ready to hit Joyland Festival again—this time in Jakarta to see Interpol and Alvvays and The Beths (among others). Agung was hesitant to go at first, but ended up determined to go. He made a whole playlist of Interpol’s latest set list and we listened to it studiously for several weeks leading up to the music festival.
Since it was in the capital, we bumped into a whole lot more people that we knew than we did in Bali—but also including those we saw in Bali The experience was slightly different—it felt way hotter and more crowded somehow—but it was mostly tons of fun. Needless to say, it took me way too long to move on from it.
In the blink of an eye, it was finally time for my last day at the office. I wouldn’t be me if I weren’t sentimental about shit like this, so of course, I had to prepare something for everyone. Lo and behold, I made everyone personalised stickers—much I like the ones I made for the two colleagues who left prior to me (scroll back to July!). Each set are given to each person in an envelope along with a heartfelt, handwritten letter.
After spending a full week of sleep deprivation and hand cramp, I’m so glad to see my farewell gift so well received by everyone. It made my last day felt more fun than sad, just as the doctor ordered. After hugging them all goodbye, I went home that night officially unemployed.
To be honest, the rest of November felt very haphazard and blurry. After taking out the biggest chunk of my routine, I suddenly felt like I was in a limbo and often didn’t really know what to do with myself. Once the merch was all done and dusted, the vlogs are edited and uploaded, I was at a loss of what I should do first. It led me to have a messy schedule—sleeping in after feeding Bobon, waking up to find half the day gone and feeling lethargic as a result. It was only after I met up with my old workmates (pictured below), did I finally take my portfolio seriously and start to assemble it. Little did I know, it would become my most successful vlog yet.
To be honest, the rest of November felt very haphazard and blurry. After taking out the biggest chunk of my routine, I suddenly felt like I was in a limbo and often didn’t really know what to do with myself. Once the merch was all done and dusted, the vlogs are edited and uploaded, I was at a loss of what I should do first. It led me to have a messy schedule—sleeping in after feeding Bobon, waking up to find half the day gone and feeling lethargic as a result. It was only after I met up with my old workmates (pictured below), did I finally take my portfolio seriously and start to assemble it. Little did I know, it would become my most successful vlog yet.
December
Before the year ends, Agung and I managed to squeeze in one last exhibition. Again, this is one of his all-time favourite local artists. Welcome to the world of Ardneks! The exhibition was for the launching of his book that encompassed the 12 years of his career—divided into 7 different chapters set in 7 fictional radio shows.
As an aspiring illustrator, I looked at this exhibition with fresh eyes. There was so much to learn about Ardneks’s process as we saw his earlier works and how his style has developed since. Looking at his showcased sketches as well felt unreal. His lines are so neat, yet the entire illustration so intricate.
I was making mental notes the whole time to keep practicing so I could grow like he did.
It’s so funny how the last month of the year was the month I actually started over my whole life. After drifting around aimlessly for a while, December was when I finally started to create a routine and a rhythm for myself. I was determined to start the everyday with art practice before I would knuckle down to “work.” Okay, there weren’t any work at first, but I was planning ahead, you know. So far, it has helped me become more disciplined.
The routine has also allowed me to get back to traditional media, which I had neglected for a while. Lately, I’ve been into coloured pencils a lot—especially for sketching—and I want to try different techniques of colouring with them. Ballpoint pen is also another recent favourite. It is my goal to be able to draw freehand with pen.
Before the year ends, Agung and I managed to squeeze in one last exhibition. Again, this is one of his all-time favourite local artists. Welcome to the world of Ardneks! The exhibition was for the launching of his book that encompassed the 12 years of his career—divided into 7 different chapters set in 7 fictional radio shows.
As an aspiring illustrator, I looked at this exhibition with fresh eyes. There was so much to learn about Ardneks’s process as we saw his earlier works and how his style has developed since. Looking at his showcased sketches as well felt unreal. His lines are so neat, yet the entire illustration so intricate.
I was making mental notes the whole time to keep practicing so I could grow like he did.
It’s so funny how the last month of the year was the month I actually started over my whole life. After drifting around aimlessly for a while, December was when I finally started to create a routine and a rhythm for myself. I was determined to start the everyday with art practice before I would knuckle down to “work.” Okay, there weren’t any work at first, but I was planning ahead, you know. So far, it has helped me become more disciplined.
The routine has also allowed me to get back to traditional media, which I had neglected for a while. Lately, I’ve been into coloured pencils a lot—especially for sketching—and I want to try different techniques of colouring with them. Ballpoint pen is also another recent favourite. It is my goal to be able to draw freehand with pen.
The rest of the month was spent catching up with old friends. First, there was my high school friend Maya who asked me to join a cyanotype print workshop with her at Galeri Nasional. It was our first experience using the medium and we had so much fun. I really loved experimenting with dye like that and would love to try it again sometime. Afterwards, we spent hours catching up on life over a cup of coffee—and some snacks.
Secondly, there was my Germany friend Divina who I hadn’t seen in years. She asked me to meet her at the Jakarta Library in Taman Ismail Marzuki towards the end of the year, as she wanted to see the architecture designed by the legendary Andra Matin. We read a few books, took a few photos, grabbed a few bites and chatted a lot about life. It has always been fun to hang out with her and talk about our aspirations.
Obviously, December means my anniversary with Agung—can you believe we’ve been together for 4 years now?! This year we were a little dumbfounded at what to do to celebrate—as we felt like we did something special every weekend anyway. In the end, we decided to visit Museum Kebangkitan Nasional since we had never been there before. It turns out, on the day that we visited there was a special event happening—so it was like killing two birds with one stone. And, with that, the 2023 chapter is coming to an end.
The rest of the month was spent catching up with old friends. First, there was my high school friend Maya who asked me to join a cyanotype print workshop with her at Galeri Nasional. It was our first experience using the medium and we had so much fun. I really loved experimenting with dye like that and would love to try it again sometime. Afterwards, we spent hours catching up on life over a cup of coffee—and some snacks.
Secondly, there was my Germany friend Divina who I hadn’t seen in years. She asked me to meet her at the Jakarta Library in Taman Ismail Marzuki towards the end of the year, as she wanted to see the architecture designed by the legendary Andra Matin. We read a few books, took a few photos, grabbed a few bites and chatted a lot about life. It has always been fun to hang out with her and talk about our aspirations.
Obviously, December means my anniversary with Agung—can you believe we’ve been together for 4 years now?! This year we were a little dumbfounded at what to do to celebrate—as we felt like we did something special every weekend anyway. In the end, we decided to visit Museum Kebangkitan Nasional since we had never been there before. It turns out, on the day that we visited there was a special event happening—so it was like killing two birds with one stone. And, with that, the 2023 chapter is coming to an end.
It's a Wrap, Everyone!
Okay, I’ll admit—2023 hasn’t been a great year, both globally and personally. There were more times I was stressed or overwhelmed or feeling suffocated by work than I was happy to be at the office—and that’s a pretty bleak picture, when you spend 90% of your days there. Personally, I don’t believe in blaming the year. When something isn’t going well, it is always the people—a year is just a series of numbers after all.
First, let’s look at it globally! Regarding the earth’s rising temperature, who has the power to change that? The people, especially those in government office and involved in fossil fuel. Regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, who has the power to change that? Same, the government and world leaders with resources to stop the violence. Now, personally—if I am stressed at work all the time, who can change that? My boss can, but mostly only I can. See? The year has nothing to do with it.
If I had to summarise 2023 into one word, I think my word of choice would be start. You know, at this age, people have tried to tell me over and over again that it is too late to start again, that I’m too old to change now, that I should just continue on the path I was at no matter what. Well, I’m calling bullshit. There were a lot of firsts this year, a lot of new experiences and a lot of trials an errors. Nobody said this would be easy, but nothing worth having is ever easy. So, let’s take a look at my 2023 resolutions:
1. Never stop being you ✓
Who knew this resolution would become so profound in 2023? After feeling so lost in 2021 and was able to feel like I’d arrived in 2022, it was crucial for me to keep on that track in 2023—and I’m so glad I did. Any relationship—be it personal or professional—can make you feel delusional at times. I think, for years, I had hoped my office would one day hold the same beliefs as I do. That they would always think of what was best for me and would be making decisions likewise. What I had seen this year, in a professional setting especially, compassion is not considered good for business and would often be missing from the conversation—if there was any to begin with. Having that wake up call this year was truly a blessing in disguise.
2. Think more of others
I wish I had elaborated more on this, because now I’m at a loss of what I meant. Did I consider myself selfish in 2022? If so, what was I supposed to change about my behaviour and habits? I’d like to say that I have done my part in considering others in my daily conduct, although I can never be sure as to the perimeter I had set for myself in this regard. If it’s in the sense of donating resources and the like, I suppose I’ve done so, but is that enough? For now, I’d consider this an ongoing project—never to be ticked off.
For 2024, I only have one wish:
1. Never stop exploring
(Note: Remember, the limit does not exist.)
After years of continually starting over, I am a pro at this by now
and it doesn’t feel half as scary anymore—thanks to the support of everyone around me.
Come at me, 2024, I’m ready for ya!
Okay, I’ll admit—2023 hasn’t been a great year, both globally and personally. There were more times I was stressed or overwhelmed or feeling suffocated by work than I was happy to be at the office—and that’s a pretty bleak picture, when you spend 90% of your days there. Personally, I don’t believe in blaming the year. When something isn’t going well, it is always the people—a year is just a series of numbers after all.
First, let’s look at it globally! Regarding the earth’s rising temperature, who has the power to change that? The people, especially those in government office and involved in fossil fuel. Regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, who has the power to change that? Same, the government and world leaders with resources to stop the violence. Now, personally—if I am stressed at work all the time, who can change that? My boss can, but mostly only I can. See? The year has nothing to do with it.
If I had to summarise 2023 into one word, I think my word of choice would be start. You know, at this age, people have tried to tell me over and over again that it is too late to start again, that I’m too old to change now, that I should just continue on the path I was at no matter what. Well, I’m calling bullshit. There were a lot of firsts this year, a lot of new experiences and a lot of trials an errors. Nobody said this would be easy, but nothing worth having is ever easy. So, let’s take a look at my 2023 resolutions:
1. Never stop being you ✓
Who knew this resolution would become so profound in 2023? After feeling so lost in 2021 and was able to feel like I’d arrived in 2022, it was crucial for me to keep on that track in 2023—and I’m so glad I did. Any relationship—be it personal or professional—can make you feel delusional at times. I think, for years, I had hoped my office would one day hold the same beliefs as I do. That they would always think of what was best for me and would be making decisions likewise. What I had seen this year, in a professional setting especially, compassion is not considered good for business and would often be missing from the conversation—if there was any to begin with. Having that wake up call this year was truly a blessing in disguise.
2. Think more of others
I wish I had elaborated more on this, because now I’m at a loss of what I meant. Did I consider myself selfish in 2022? If so, what was I supposed to change about my behaviour and habits? I’d like to say that I have done my part in considering others in my daily conduct, although I can never be sure as to the perimeter I had set for myself in this regard. If it’s in the sense of donating resources and the like, I suppose I’ve done so, but is that enough? For now, I’d consider this an ongoing project—never to be ticked off.
For 2024, I only have one wish:
1. Never stop exploring
(Note: Remember, the limit does not exist.)
After years of continually starting over, I am a pro at this by now
and it doesn’t feel half as scary anymore—thanks to the support of everyone around me.
Come at me, 2024, I’m ready for ya!