If you see a meek girl wearing traditional Scandinavian getup and a crown of beautiful flowers on her head, run! Do not let her approach you and DEFINITELY do not approach her. She may seem like a good girl and she may promise to show you a better—perhaps even utopian—world where she lives, but DO NOT TRUST HER! She is merely looking for the next gullible tourist to offer as sacrifice to her village’s goddess, Hårga. Trust me, you do not want her to bring you home—especially on this All-Hallow’s Eve.


My favourite time of the year has come around again, woohoo! Riding on the wave of anticipation from last year, I was yet again fully prepared this year—although it was actually all pretty last minute. This year I thought I’d embody the twisted persona of Midsommar—which I’ve wanted to do since the Ari Aster film came out in 2019. Other than that, I’ve actually been cranking the Halloween Playlist from last year since the start of October—and added some new songs too. Feel free to recommend me more spooky tunes.
If you see a meek girl wearing traditional Scandinavian getup and a crown of beautiful flowers on her head, run! Do not let her approach you and DEFINITELY do not approach her. She may seem like a good girl and she may promise to show you a better—perhaps even utopian—world where she lives, but DO NOT TRUST HER! She is merely looking for the next gullible tourist to offer as sacrifice to her village’s goddess, Hårga. Trust me, you do not want her to bring you home—especially on this All-Hallow’s Eve.


My favourite time of the year has come around again, woohoo! Riding on the wave of anticipation from last year, I was yet again fully prepared this year—although it was actually all pretty last minute. This year I thought I’d embody the twisted persona of Midsommar—which I’ve wanted to do since the Ari Aster film came out in 2019. Other than that, I’ve actually been cranking the Halloween Playlist from last year since the start of October—and added some new songs too. Feel free to recommend me more spooky tunes.
📷 Fujifilm X-T100 with Fujinon Aspherical Superb EBC XC 15-45mm lens
Welcome to the Cult of the Summer
Midsommar girlie, here we go! This particular Ari Aster film has such an iconic aesthetics that simply stuck with me long after the credits rolled. Fun fact: it was the first movie Agung and I watched in cinema together, so it’s extra special. For a long time, I put off this costume for one simple reason: I’d have to buy the clothes and props, because I didn’t have the right ones—especially the flower crown. So, I’m a little ashamed to say that I did buy this top and this flower crown specifically for this costume—although I already vow to wear them on more occasions. The flower crown, especially, just brings me back to 2013 when I made one of my own—but then I left it in Germany. This one is ten times more well-made, though.
One of my biggest concerns about this costume is its highly summery feel—how was I supposed to take photos of it in this more autumnal month? Yes, okay, autumn doesn’t exist in Indonesia, but it’s rainy season right now and the leaves have fallen. Luckily, when Agung and I set out to take these photos, the sun was shining very brightly—and that resulted in a strikingly beautiful light play. Agung has such a good eye for capturing an aesthetically accurate image of me—what a godsend! Unlike last year, this time all the makeup used is mine alone, although you can’t really see it in this light—well, you can kind of do in the photo directly below here. It’s supposed to be a natural makeup anyway.


Midsommar girlie, here we go! This particular Ari Aster film has such an iconic aesthetics that simply stuck with me long after the credits rolled. Fun fact: it was the first movie Agung and I watched in cinema together, so it’s extra special. For a long time, I put off this costume for one simple reason: I’d have to buy the clothes and props, because I didn’t have the right ones—especially the flower crown. So, I’m a little ashamed to say that I did buy this top and this flower crown specifically for this costume—although I already vow to wear them on more occasions. The flower crown, especially, just brings me back to 2013 when I made one of my own—but then I left it in Germany. This one is ten times more well-made, though.
One of my biggest concerns about this costume is its highly summery feel—how was I supposed to take photos of it in this more autumnal month? Yes, okay, autumn doesn’t exist in Indonesia, but it’s rainy season right now and the leaves have fallen. Luckily, when Agung and I set out to take these photos, the sun was shining very brightly—and that resulted in a strikingly beautiful light play. Agung has such a good eye for capturing an aesthetically accurate image of me—what a godsend! Unlike last year, this time all the makeup used is mine alone, although you can’t really see it in this light—well, you can kind of do in the photo directly below here. It’s supposed to be a natural makeup anyway.








Beware of Good Girls with Pretty Flowers
In the spirit of Midsommar, I thought this year I’d recommend some daylight horror films I’ve watched over the years. Let’s start with n Ari Aster film! Although short, The Strange Thing about the Johnsons is an unforgettable film. Its subversion on the whole sexual abuse trope results in a very unsettling story. If you’re looking for unsettling, however, look no further than Creep (and I suppose Creep 2), which offers an eerie slow-burn tension throughout. Then there is Smile, a movie I watched recently and took me several days to finish. A creepy smile any time of day was enough to scare me shitless.
A ‘Good for Her’ horror is probably also another trope that is associated with Midsommar, so let us explore that! Ready Or Not is probably my favourite title from this trope. It is so suspenseful, with beautiful production and costume design—and a sympathetic main character to boot. A most traumatic yet I would recommend is I Spit on Your Grave. Watch this with the guys for maximum painful experience. Last but not least, there’s Pearl which I watched recently. A true portrait of the extreme lengths a woman would go to in order to be free to reach her dream—although, obviously, not a good example.

PolaPola Clothing top // Nona skirt (old) // Lullaby flower crown // unbranded sandals // photos by Agung



Beware of Good Girls with Pretty Flowers
In the spirit of Midsommar, I thought this year I’d recommend some daylight horror films I’ve watched over the years. Let’s start with n Ari Aster film! Although short, The Strange Thing about the Johnsons is an unforgettable film. Its subversion on the whole sexual abuse trope results in a very unsettling story. If you’re looking for unsettling, however, look no further than Creep (and I suppose Creep 2), which offers an eerie slow-burn tension throughout. Then there is Smile, a movie I watched recently and took me several days to finish. A creepy smile any time of day was enough to scare me shitless.
A ‘Good for Her’ horror is probably also another trope that is associated with Midsommar, so let us explore that! Ready Or Not is probably my favourite title from this trope. It is so suspenseful, with beautiful production and costume design—and a sympathetic main character to boot. A most traumatic yet I would recommend is I Spit on Your Grave. Watch this with the guys for maximum painful experience. Last but not least, there’s Pearl which I watched recently. A true portrait of the extreme lengths a woman would go to in order to be free to reach her dream—although, obviously, not a good example.

PolaPola Clothing top // Nona skirt (old) // Lullaby flower crown // unbranded sandals // photos by Agung


Meanwhile, there are also movies that may not be classified as horror, per se, but seem to fall under the same theme. Most recently, I watched Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person on MUBI. It’s a comical-yet-dramatic story about a vampire who sympathises with humans and refuses to kill for blood. I would also put The Beguiled under this category. This movie answers the question: what would happen when you put a group of young women in the same house and throw in an attractive man? And I guess I cannot leave without mentioning Joko Anwar’s Nightmares & Daydreams—an anthology of horror stories which are good on their own, but not so much in its bigger picture.
More on the horror films that I watched recently, there’s Sehidup Semati—an Indonesian film, starring Laura Basuki and Ario Bayu, about a woman haunted by her abusive husband’s mistress. It’s a scary story on the domestic violence front, as well as the psychological twist. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is also a recent watch and it was a teenage masterpiece. The theme song by Lana Del Rey—a rendition of Donovan‘s piece—has lived in my mind rent-free. Lastly, there’s Barbarian which is a very modern horror story that feels entirely possible. Honestly, who knows which one is actually the monster.


More on the horror films that I watched recently, there’s Sehidup Semati—an Indonesian film, starring Laura Basuki and Ario Bayu, about a woman haunted by her abusive husband’s mistress. It’s a scary story on the domestic violence front, as well as the psychological twist. Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark is also a recent watch and it was a teenage masterpiece. The theme song by Lana Del Rey—a rendition of Donovan‘s piece—has lived in my mind rent-free. Lastly, there’s Barbarian which is a very modern horror story that feels entirely possible. Honestly, who knows which one is actually the monster.
Meanwhile, there are also movies that may not be classified as horror, per se, but seem to fall under the same theme. Most recently, I watched Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person on MUBI. It’s a comical-yet-dramatic story about a vampire who sympathises with humans and refuses to kill for blood. I would also put The Beguiled under this category. This movie answers the question: what would happen when you put a group of young women in the same house and throw in an attractive man? And I guess I cannot leave without mentioning Joko Anwar’s Nightmares & Daydreams—an anthology of horror stories which are good on their own, but not so much in its bigger picture.



All Hail the May Queen
These photos—as you can probably tell—were taken in the same spot as last year’s photos. What can I say? There’s not a lot of natural backdrops here in Jakarta—ahem, government, you ought to do something about that. Thankfully, through Agung’s clever play at angles and lighting, we managed to still cater to the midsommar theme. All of these were taken on my birthday last week, which happens to fall on the same day as the presidential inauguration and most people decided to just stay home. Thank God! That left the streets and public places pretty much empty—more space for me and Agung to play in. Afterwards, we went ahead to grab (too much) dinner, hang out by the water fountain just to chat and had a great Sundate, basically.
Are you doing anything special today? Or perhaps you’ve celebrated last weekend already? Either way, I hope you’re having a good ol’ spooky time—whether alone or with your loved ones. Maybe share a ghost story or two—and leave them in the comments too!—or watch a scary movie. Just remember, if you go out and see a girl with flower crown, walk the other way. Or you’ll regret it.

Here’s a victory shot with a gullible tourist I managed to lure into Hårga.
Hello, newblood sacrifice!


All Hail the May Queen
These photos—as you can probably tell—were taken in the same spot as last year’s photos. What can I say? There’s not a lot of natural backdrops here in Jakarta—ahem, government, you ought to do something about that. Thankfully, through Agung’s clever play at angles and lighting, we managed to still cater to the midsommar theme. All of these were taken on my birthday last week, which happens to fall on the same day as the presidential inauguration and most people decided to just stay home. Thank God! That left the streets and public places pretty much empty—more space for me and Agung to play in. Afterwards, we went ahead to grab (too much) dinner, hang out by the water fountain just to chat and had a great Sundate, basically.
Are you doing anything special today? Or perhaps you’ve celebrated last weekend already? Either way, I hope you’re having a good ol’ spooky time—whether alone or with your loved ones. Maybe share a ghost story or two—and leave them in the comments too!—or watch a scary movie. Just remember, if you go out and see a girl with flower crown, walk the other way. Or you’ll regret it.
