Belajar Membuat Keramik

Beberapa minggu lalu saya bermimpi seorang teman lagi sakit. Seperti biasa, setiap kali saya bermimpi seperti itu saya akan cek langsung kondisi orangnya. Saya kontak dia via WA dan kami pun ngobrol panjang-lebar. Ujung-ujungnya kami janjian untuk ketemu hari Minggu ini sebelum dia pergi sekolah ke negara lain.

Kami berjanji ketemu di Cafe Batavia di kawasan Kota Tua, Jakarta. Buat orang Jakarta atau yang sudah pernah ke kawasan Kota Tua pasti tahu dong ya gimana ruwetnya situasi lalu-lintas dan perparkiran di sekitar kawasan itu. Sepulang gereja saya bilang ke suami kalau saya lelah jika harus nyetir ke sana, bagaimana kalau saya naik bis saja? Kontan saya dikasih pandangan meragukan oleh suami. Kalau saya ingat-ingat, terakhir kali pakai angkutan umum di Jakarta seorang diri itu tahun 2003 waktu saya kerja praktek di Siemens, Jakarta Pusat. Tahun 2008 saya sempat bekerja dan kost di Jakarta Selatan, tapi waktu itu ada mobil jadi tidak pernah pakai bis/angkot/ojek. Jadi hari ini saya beranikan diri untuk pakai kendaraan umum menuju ke dan di dalam kota Jakarta setelah sekian lama tidak mencobanya.

Tahap 1: siapkan kartu Flazz untuk membayar tiket busway. Tahap 2: bawa minum, cemilan, dan jaket karena AC di bis sering dingin banget. Saya naik bis jam 11 siang dan ternyata bis penuh walau kondektur kasih tahunya setelah saya naik (errr ….). Akhirnya saya duduk di lantai di sebelah pintu bis selama 1 jam-an. Saya turun di Komdak bawah dan menyeberang ke halte busway untuk ambil bis ke arah Kota. Nunggu bis 25 menit, perjalanan di bisnya 15 menit 😅. Di dalam bis saya ga dapat tempat duduk juga, huhu. Setiba di halte Kota Tua saya  menderita karena panas terik dan udara yang lembab, bener-bener kebalikan dari udara dingin nan sejuk dari AC di dalam 2 bis yang saya tumpangi.

Dari perhentian bis saya menyeberang jalan ke arah alun-alun di depan Museum Fatahillah untuk menuju Cafe Batavia. Masuk cafe ini berasa seperti ada di negara lain (Eropa) dengan interior yang klasik, dinding yang ramai dengan foto-foto yang dipajang artistik, dan chandelier-chandelier yang bikin ngiler.

Hallo, liebe Freundin! 😘

Setelah kenyang makan dan puas ngobrol, kami pun berjalan ke Museum Senin Rupa dan Keramik yang berada di arah jam 10 dari pintu masuk Cafe Batavia. Tiket masuknya Rp 5.000,00. Kalau tidak salah sedang ada pameran sesuatu di dalam museum, tapi saya dan teman saya langsung menuju ke tempat membuat keramik.

Kenapa saya ingin belajar membuat keramik? Waktu tante saya meninggal akhir bulan Juli lalu, saya sedang membaca buku “The Happiness Project” karangan Gretchen Rubin. Seperti Gretchen pada waktu dia memulai project ini, hidup saya juga tidak sedang tidak bahagia. Namun ada 2 hal penting yang saya tangkap dari buku ini, yaitu tentang: 1) menghargai masa kini yang sedang saya jalani (enjoying the present) dan 2) mendorong diri saya untuk mencoba hal-hal baru untuk mendapat perspektif-perspektif baru. Naik kendaraan umum – CHECKED. Sekarang saya mau mencoba membuat barang dari tanah liat.

Biaya proyek ini Rp 50.000,00 untuk 1 kg tanah liat dan instruktur. Dari awal saya sudah kasih tahu pengajar saya kalau saya mau membuat 2 buah mug untuk 2 anak saya (suami ga kebagian, hehe). Ada beberapa hal yang saya pelajari di sini:

1. Membentuk keramik intinya adalah tentang memanfaatkan momentum yang diciptakan oleh roda pemutar. Roda pemutar digerakkan oleh kaki (secara bergantian), dan gaya sentrifugal yang diakibatkan putaran roda itu kita manfaatkan untuk membentuk tanah liat ke atas atau ke samping. Dalam proses ini sebenarnya tangan kita tidak bekerja banyak dan ini membuat saya sedikit frustasi. Saya sering bekerja dengan tangan (menjahit, menggambar, dan sederetan pekerjaan rumah tangga), jadi saya asing dengan konsep bekerja dengan tangan tanpa banyak mengeluarkan tenaga. Kedua tangan saya cuma menempel di tanah liat, tapi karena momentum yang diciptakan oleh roda bentuk mug yang saya inginkan terwujud juga.

2. Letting go dan giving up itu beda tipis (Danke, Maria!). Waktu membentuk mug saya suka gemes kalau bagian pinggirnya tidak sama rata, bagian dalamnya ada yang coak, dll. Dan saya yang perfeksionis ini sangat stres waktu mengukir nama anak-anak di permukaan mug. Saya mengukir nama dengan tusuk gigi dan pasti ada tanah liat yang tercongkel dan permukaan yang jadi tidak halus lagi. Waktu membuat mug pertama, saya kurang perfeksionis karena belum familiar banget dengan tanah liat. Waktu membuat mug kedua, saya menghabiskan waktu jauh lebih banyak karena saya sudah tahu cara memutar roda dan menghapus bagian yang sudah saya ukir. Akibatnya saya mengukir nama anak ke-2, yang cuma 3 huruf, sebanyak 3 kali karena saya bolak-balik menghapusnya. Akhirnya saya memutuskan bahwa “It’s enough” karena jam kunjung museum yang hampir berakhir, haha.

Kedua mug yang masih basah dimasukkan ke dalam kotak nasi Padang dan saya bawa dengan hati-hati sekali di perjalanan pulang (kali ini dengan taksi lalu dengan bis). Apa daya, waktu turun dari bis di dekat rumah kotak di tangan saya tersenggol orang di sebelah saya dan mug anak-anak agak penyok (nangis bombay). Katanya saya harus menjemur mug di bawah sinar matahari tidak langsung selama 3 hari supaya tanah liatnya kering benar.  Wah, saya sudah tidak sabar! Oya, instruktur di museum ini bisa dipanggil lho untuk mengadakan workshop membuat keramik di luar museum (misalnya workshop untuk ibu-ibu arisan, ehehehe). Jumlah instruktur yang bisa mengajar ada 3 orang dan mereka akan membawa 3 roda pemutar yang ukurannya besar itu.

 

 

Advertisements

Trekking di Kebun Raya Bogor

Kebun Raya Bogor (KRB) terletak bersebelahan dengan Istana Bogor yang menjadi tempat kediaman Presiden Jokowi. Tahun ini Kebun Raya Bogor memperingati 200 tahun usianya sebagai pusat konservasi tumbuhan di bawah naungan Lembaga Ilmu Pengetahuan Indonesia (LIPI). Pada kunjungan kami yang pertama kali ke KRB pada bulan Januari tahun 2014, suami saya langsung suka dengan kota Bogor dan anak-anak juga betah berjalan-jalan berjam-jam di sini. Saya sendiri sudah berkali-kali datang ke kota ini karena ada saudara yang tinggal di sini.

Pada kunjungan kami yang pertama kali, anak saya yang bungsu masih berumur 4 bulan, dan di usianya yang 4 tahun sekarang kesukaan dia pada alam dan trekking semakin terasah. KRB adalah kebun/taman yang mempunyai banyak tempat atraksi dan bisa dijelajah berjam-jam. Berkali-kali datang ke sini seringkali kami menghabiskan waktu di hamparan rumput hijau di depan satu-satunya cafe di KRB, namun hari ini kami cukup surprised karena kami menemukan jalur trekking di dalam KRB.

Peta KRB kurang lebih adalah sebagai berikut:

Terus terang kami belum pernah berkunjung ke laboratorium/museum/perpustakaan/herbarium yang ada di dalam kompleks KRB karena anak-anak belum menunjukkan minat ke arah sana. Tempat-tempat yang kami rutin datangi adalah tempat-tempat yang asyik dijelajahi dengan berjalan kaki, yaitu: lapangan di depan cafe, kolam bunga teratai yang berseberangan dengan Istana Presiden, hutan bambu, kuburan Belanda, dan jembatan gantung di bagian utara KRB. Hari ini kami masuk lewat Pintu 4 di bagian timur KRB. Kami berkendara ke bagian tengah KRB, parkir sejenak untuk makan siang, dan tiga kali harus memindahkan mobil ke jalan lain karena ditegur oleh anggota Paspampres (Bapak Presiden ada acara apa ya hari ini?). Setelah itu kami parkir di bagian utara KBR dekat dengan Jembatan Gantung. Setelah menyeberangi Jembatan Gantung yang berkapasitas maksimal 10 orang dengan deg-degan (ada 7 orang egois yang sibuk selfie dan tidak mau bergeser dari jembatan. Orang-orang yang mau menyeberang dari kedua arah jembatan harus hitung-hitungan untuk mengira-ngira apakah kapasitas jembatan masih memadai. Menyebalkan sekali), kami menemui area terbuka di mana banyak pohon tinggi besar dengan diameter lebih dari 1 meter. Pohon favorit kami berasal dari Papua dengan batang tinggi menjulang, akar yang berlipat-lipat seperti lipatan pakaian, dan pucuk pohon yang ditumbuhi daun-daun lebar. Sayang sekali, seperti kebanyakan pohon besar seperti ini, ada banyak sekali goresan dengan pisau di kulit batang pohon dan sampah botol plastik segala rupa yang diselipkan di antara lipatan akar. Sedih dan sebal melihatnya, kenapa sih orang-orang tidak bisa membuang sampah mereka di tempat sampah?

Setelah area ini kami mengikuti jalan menanjak dengan elevasi sekitar 100 meter dan kemiringan sekitar 45 derajat. Suami dan anak-anak dengan gagah dan cepat sampai di puncak, sementara saya terengah-engah di paling belakang. Jalan yang kami lalui adalah jalan batu yang tertimbun daun rontok dan ranting patah; harus ekstra hati-hati di sini supaya kaki tidak terluka. Tongkat hiking yang kami bawa ternyata sangat berguna untuk mencek kemulusan jalan yang kami lewati dan untuk menyelidiki benda asing seperti jamur/benalu yang menempel di pohon dan kumpulan telur kodok yang menempel di pinggir kolam. Kami menyusuri jalan yang ternyata persis bersebelahan dengan area di Istana Bogor di mana rusa-rusa cantik sedang merumput. Kami juga sempat melewati kandang kambing yang dipelihara oleh Bapak Presiden. Kata anak saya yang sulung, kandangnya bauuuu sekali. Ya iyalah, haha.

Jalanan mulai menurun dan kami tiba di kolam bunga teratai yang berseberangan dengan Istana Bogor. Di pinggir kolam ini suami dan anak-anak menghabiskan cukup banyak waktu. Anak yang kecil pura-pura memancing dengan tongkat hikingnya, padahal dia menakut-nakuti ikan mas yang ada di kolam itu, hehe. Saking semangatnya, sandalnya sampai tercebur ke dalam kolam dan untungnya bisa diambil karena permukaan kolam yang dangkal di sebelah pinggir. Lama tidak ke KBR, hari ini kami melihat penambahan viewing deck ke arah kolam dan track dari kayu/konkrit untuk para pejalan kaki. Saya dan suami berkesempatan selfie dengan latar belakang Istana Bogor (terakhir selfie yang bagus kayaknya 5 tahun lalu deh, hehe).

Dari pinggir kolam teratai kami menuju area Taman Teysmann yang lebih sepi dari kerumunan orang. Di taman ini kami merebahkan diri di atas rumput sambil menunggui anak yang besar belajar bahasa Mandarin di Google Translate (random banget ya). Setelah kedua anak kami selesai memanjati obelisk di tengah taman, kami pun berjalan pulang melewati daerah yang menyerupai hutan dengan suara kicauan burung yang keras sekali. Dari Gerbang Utama KRB di bagian selatan kami berlari-lari di bawah gerimis ke bagian tengah KRB di mana mobil kami diparkir.

Setiap kali kami ke KRB pasti kami pulang pada waktunya KRB tutup (sekitar pukul 5 sore). Ga mau rugi banget ya, haha. Waktu berjalan pulang menuju parkiran kami sempat melihat Taman Meksiko yang terletak dekat dengan Gerbang Utama, di mana banyak pohon palem dan tanaman yang khas padang gurun/tidak memerlukan banyak air. Wah bertambah lagi nih area yang hendak kami jelajahi kalau datang lagi ke sini. Setelah menikmati trekking ke bukit yang bersebelahan dengan Istana Bogor, kita juga bisa menjajal track pejalan kaki yang cukup menarik di sepanjang sungai yang membelah KRB dari utara ke selatan. Saran saya, berjalanlah sambil menatap lurus ke depan, tidak usah melihat ke bawah sungai kalau tidak mau melihat tumpukan sampah plastik, makanan, dan popok bekas pakai (!) di antara bebatuan besar yang sebenarnya cakep banget buat difoto.

Survival Kit for Wives Whose Husbands Travel A Lot

Disclaimer: This kit also applies to husbands whose wives travel a lot for work.

Back in our dating days, my husband and I worked in the same company and we traveled a lot for work. I traveled mostly around the cities in Kalimantan, while he took flights back and forth from Surabaya to Jakarta, and many times abroad. We would keep each other updated on which city we’re going to travel to next, because many times the itineraries were decided a couple of days before we left our base towns. Up to now my husband is still working in that company and his current traveling frequency is not less (or will likely be less) than ten years ago. I occasionally ask him on the weekend what his plans for the upcoming week(s) will be, and I’m pretty amazed if he can spend one whole week from Monday to Sunday without going out of town.

I can say that it’s quite a challenge for me to stay at home with two young kids and not having him around as much as I want to, but humans are resilient creatures and I’ve managed to build my own resilience over the years. I did manage to squeeze three tips out of this integral part of my life to be my survival kit.

1. Acceptance

My husband’s current career might not be what he (and I) had in mind when we got married, but I was there when he made the important decisions regarding his occupation. I was there when he told me that the kind of job he would have would take a lot of time traveling for meeting, supplier audit, factory visit, you name it. I know his deepest interest, passion, and ambition, and I’m in every step of the way to support whatever he does career-wise. Grumbling that he’s never home long enough will not benefit anyone. Complaining heavily cannot make the traveling duties go away, so I might as well accept the fact and be a strong guard for our home and children.

2. Sufficient groceries and medical supplies

What task in this world is more challenging than doing monthly grocery shopping with two very active kids in tow? I say, none. Ever since my boy could get out of the shopping cart by himself (sometimes unnoticed), I started to do groceries all by myself, one hour before the hypermarket closes at 10 PM. That way I can save myself from the hassle of calling out for my daughter who stayed too long in the children’s shampoo/soap section because she hoped Mama would eventually buy her the Cinderella’s theme shampoo (it’s never going to happen, darling, sorry. Johnson and Johnson still has the best hygiene products for children), and finding my son who went missing in the toy section because he’s too busy eyeing the Hot Wheels cars, Thomas the tank engine, etc. etc. My son had gone missing several times in the Hypermart near our home while I was paying at the cashier, that the security guards kind of remembered our faces after the third time I asked, in great panic, for their help to search for him. He didn’t go that far, by the way; he was just playing with some batteries at the cashier next to where I was paying for my stuffs. Therefore I always make sure that food and medical supplies are always sufficient at home, or at least for as long as my husband is away for work. I’d prefer having oversupply of food and medicine than having to go to Alfamart/Indomaret late at night because we run out of bread/cereal/milk/diaper.

3. Do things that will keep my sanity intact

I keep telling myself to do things that will give me comfort, that will give me enjoyment, that will help me release my stress after long turbulent days handling the kids and the house all by myself. My husband, being supportive and everything, will always try to call/video call to check how I (and the kids) are holding up. Some days are good, some days are better, and some days are worse. Kids’ homeworks, after school lessons, play dates (rarely), house cleaning, laundry, and cooking are the major errands I run on daily basis. I’m on my feet most of the time and my down time is when I go to Taekwondo lesson three mornings a week or when I have lunch with my friends. The feelings of being lonely and exhausted can creep in anytime, so it’s important to keep my spirit up by doing things I like as refreshment. I like watching K-dramas or Star World while sipping Bailey’s/hot tea as a way to wind down before I go to bed. I also write blog posts or continue writing the novel I’m working on as a way to do something for myself after an almost full day living and breathing for my sun and my sky.

I’m sure there are a lot of other wives out there with similar experience with me. I’d love to know the survival kits you guys have up on your sleeves!

*) Picture above was taken from his IG account. He surely loves to take pictures of the early flights he often takes.

Parks in Singapore – Part 4: Fort Canning Park

Hi, there! We’re on our fourth day of exploring the parks in Singapore. Information about the parks on the previous three days can be found on the following links:

https://rijotobing.wordpress.com/2016/11/12/parks-in-singapore-part-1-macritchie-reservoir/

https://rijotobing.wordpress.com/2017/01/27/parks-in-singapore-part-2-jacob-ballas-childrens-garden/

https://rijotobing.wordpress.com/2017/01/28/parks-in-singapore-part-3-far-east-organization-childrens-g/

 

This post is long overdue (like almost 2 years, my bad), but I will try my best to dig from my memory what we did in the fourth park in October 2015. For the fourth day, we decided to wander not far away from our hotel in Orchard area. The main reason for that decision was my boy’s crankiness whenever we got off the bus in Singapore. He would be squealing with delight whenever we got on the bus, and he would be throwing a tantrum whenever we got off simply because he loved taking a bus ride. So I thought the shorter the ride was, the better. I looked up on the internet for a nearby park and stumbled across Fort Canning Park. From the Wikipedia I read that Fort Canning Park is a small hill, slightly more than 60-meter high, located near Singapore’s central business district. Our family always loves wandering around body of waters and higher grounds. Whenever we go on a vacation those are two things we will explore right away, so I was totally sold on the idea of exploring this park for a day.

Just like the previous three days we left hotel after ten o’clock in the morning after a long and relaxing breakfast. We took the bus and got off a couple of minutes after. My boy threw a fit right after we went out of the bus door, leaving me embarrassed and exhausted on the side of the road, trying to talk him into getting on his stroller. My overly patient effort came in vain, so I carried him in my arms with one hand pushing the stroller and another hand for my daughter to hold while we crossed the street. I was instantly discouraged when I saw the number of steps leading to the park’s entrance. Sixty meter high it was. Together my daughter and I carried the stroller while my boy kept clinging in my arms. We were all drenched in sweats as soon as we got to the hill. My daughter had been carrying her sketchbook during this trip, so after that exhausting hike she went to a bench and drew a little while her brother kept screaming, asking for a bus ride (oh, my!).

The lush greenery, the fresh air, the singing bird, and the city’s high-rises we could see from where we were sitting were enough to keep us glued to our bench for the next twenty minutes or so. My boy’s mood was still poor but it didn’t stop his sister to start exploring and making sketches of what she was seeing.

We went to see some interesting objects like the house where Sir Stamford Raffles, who founded Singapore, used to live, a light house, and several cannons on the fortress wall surrounding the park. It turned out the now park was once a fortress used as the residence for the Residents and Governors of Singapore. We could still see some military facilities surrounded by wire fences as we strolled deeper into the park. What I liked best was the information boards on every path we took, describing the history of the founding of Singapore up to the history of Fort Canning itself. The kids were happy because they got to play in an open and green area, Mama was happy because Mama got to learn history.

After some time we arrived at this large white gate with a cross and “IHS” writing on the upper part of it. There was no information what “IHS” stood for, unfortunately. The gate reminded me of a gate in Taman Sari in the area of the Sultanate of D.I.Y Yogyakarta. We were surprised by what we saw after we went through the gate. It was a vast field with a colonial style building on the highest ground, overlooking the high-rises around the park. The building was all white and was used as some kind of museum: Pinocothéque de Paris – Fort Canning Arts Center. As tempting as it was to go inside the museum and take a look at their collections, my kids refused to leave the field where they played catch. So I sat on the grass and watched them play for the next thirty minutes or so, after we had our very late lunch.

 

The time passed by and it was almost four o’clock in the afternoon. It’s time to go back before we’re getting trapped in the rush hour. We took a detour and circled the park to get to the bus stop. On our way back we were mesmerized by the contrast views of the city and the greeneries. Before we took the steps down my daughter and I took a really deep breath. My boy was back to being cranky because he was tired after running around in the field, so I had him in one arm (again), and carried the stroller with another arm. I was grateful that my daughter managed to go down by herself. She even checked on how we were doing every now and then. I was so proud of her.

All in all, it’s been a relaxing and short adventure. We’d definitely come back another time with some picnic blanket, abundant snacks, and soccer ball.

Stay tuned for the 5th part of the Parks in Singapore travel report!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pleasant Coincidences

Last month my French teacher/neighbor had her farewell party and there she introduced me to her friend. Lena was from Germany and before Cikarang she and her family lived in KL for several years. As we chatted she asked me if I knew any German, because Maud told her that I speak other languages than English. I said yes, I had been studying it since I was a kid because my mother insisted me to. As we started to speak in German, she asked me if I had spent time talking with native speakers. I told her that I spent a couple of days in my uncle’s home in Heidelberg five years ago, and that’s about it. She was very surprised because she happened to go to the University of Heidelberg and she knew the area where my uncle is living with his family. Out of so many cities and so many universities in Germany, it was a pleasant coincidence to meet someone new who happened to know where I had been. Then we started talking about Heidelberg’s old town, her apartment, which was located very close to the university in the downtown, and the grandeur and gorgeous H & M store right around the city square’s corner. Women can easily bond through shopping and the experience of doing so, ha-ha.

 

When I first went backpacking to South Korea in 2004, the hotel which I had booked through email was closed on the day I arrived. Back then I didn’t know booking.com, so I went there with faith that everything would go well. I didn’t have any credit card either, so I brought quite a lot of cash for emergency situation. It was my first backpacking experience and a very nerve-wrecking one. I got into a taxi, which was much cheaper than in Japan, and told the driver to go to the nearest tourist information center. I relied heavily on my Lonely Planet’s guide to South Korea and a few Korean phrases it included. The taxi driver took me instead to a police station where nobody could speak English there. Back then, internet was scarce and I didn’t have any Google translator with me. I was so frustrated that I just asked them how to go to YMCA, because the hostel was mentioned in the book. It’s so funny that even though they didn’t speak any English, they could spell ABC in English. A police car took me from Namdaemun area to Itaewon area. It’s indeed an amusing experience for a first-time backpacker. In YMCA I stayed in a room with six bunk beds and spent two days there before I headed to Daegu and then Busan. The hostel had a common kitchen and one night when I was making a spicy ramen, I got into a conversation with an African-American man who just arrived in the city.

He           : Where are you from?

Me           : Indonesia, currently living in Tokyo.

He           : Really? I’m actually on my way there to visit a friend. I decided to explore Seoul for a couple of days before flying to Tokyo.

Me           : That’s nice. Maybe I know your friend (jokingly said. The fact is, it’s quite impossible to know other foreigners in Tokyo if we don’t share some common backgrounds. Not forget to mention that Tokyo is humongous)

He           : Do you go to church?

Me           : Yes, why?

He           : My friend joins a choir in Tokyo Baptist Church. Her name is Tracy and she’s also African-American.

Me           : (dumbfounded) I sing in soprano section with Tracy.

Then we both rolled out with laughter. Out of so many cities and so many hostels in South Korea, I happened to meet a friend of my friend who was on his way to see her, ha-ha.

 

Five years ago we went to London for the 2012 Olympics and stayed at my college friend’s place for a week. Since we already had the UK visa, we decided to fly to Edinburgh a couple of months after that. We liked collecting Hard Rock Café t-shirts for their good quality of fabric and unusual designs, so the night before we flew back to Switzerland my husband told me to go to HRC to buy some t-shirts for our family. We stayed in Edinburgh for five days and the weather there had been crazy; heavy rain then bright sun all of a sudden. On our last day there we hiked to Arthur’s Seat and our 3-year old daughter was too exhausted to take another bus. So I went to HRC alone and my family went back to the hotel. The café was quite empty that night so a shopkeeper came to help me picking out designs and sizes.

He           : Where are you from?

Me           : Indonesia, currently living in Switzerland.

He           : Cool.

Me           : Are you from around here? You speak differently.

He           : As the matter of fact I came from London. I just started university here.

Me           : Really? From which part of London are you? We went there for the Olympics last July.

He           : (waved his hand) You probably never heard of it; it’s quite far from the city center and the tourist attractions.

Me           : (made a random guess because the name suddenly crossed my mind) Peckham?

He           : (gasped) How did you know?

Me           : (shrugged) I was just guessing, but it’s such a nice coincidence that you’re from Peckham as I stayed there for one week at a friend’s house.

He           : Wow, such a nice coincidence!

Me           : No offense, you don’t actually fit the demographic of Peckham residents.

He           : (grinned at me) None taken, I know it’s rare to see a white guy coming from Peckham.

Me           : (laughed) Exactly, everyone is multicolored there expect for the policemen, I suppose. On the day we arrived, a police officer approached us because he saw my husband taking out his Ipad from his backpack. The officer told us that it’s not safe to do so in Peckham.

He           : It is not. Peckham is sadly still an area with one of the highest crime rates in London.

Out of so many cities in the UK and so many HRC shops, I ran into someone who came from an area where I stayed during my visit to London.

 

All my life I have experienced these kinds of pleasant coincidences and they gave me warm feelings. The world is indeed a small place and I could get connected to someone suddenly, instantly, even though I come from halfway across the world from them. The key to be experiencing all these is to travel a lot and to muster up courage to speak with new people. There is no other way.

 

Remembering this encourages me to browse the internet for our next travel destination. Where shall we go from here?

RIMH BOOK LAUNCH: Recorded Live Videos

Here are all recorded FB live videos from yesterday’s event (BOOK LAUNCH: Randomness Inside My Head).

The quality is low, but it’s a living proof of my life. 😊

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600670403877&id=753068876

https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600253428877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600670403877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600713568877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600724818877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600738248877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600754338877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600772498877&id=753068876

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10154600815163877&id=753068876

20170408 – BOOK LAUNCH: Randomness Inside My Head

At the chore, everything is given.

At the end, everything is for His glory.

SOLI DEO GLORIA

 

That day arrived and that day was over. It was one of the most important days in my life, and the very important people came to celebrate it with me. I thank everyone who has made the time to come. I appreciate everyone who has kept their promises to come. My respect to you all.

I was lucky to find PT Tiga Pilar as the long-run companion for RIMH. We share the same fighting spirit and we always strive to do our best. I hope we can work together in many more projects and years to come. I’m also thankful for the MC, speakers, sponsors, book buyers, et cetera. The list is too long, haha! Seriously, I’m grateful for you all.

I wouldn’t have been the person I am right now if I hadn’t worked in Balikpapan ten years ago. The job was the toughest I had so far. I dealt with difficult people, and yet I had to get the jobs done. My deepest respect to my former bosses and colleagues in Kalimantan Region, PT HMS, who had turned me from a cry-baby into someone who has eyes on the goals and drives to always move forward. They taught me the hardness of corporate life, and they also taught me how to partner up with vendors and other stakeholders. Without the experience cultivated there, I couldn’t have been able to get any sponsor for this book launch. Thank you, friends, you shaped my resilience.

Anggarda Paramita Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna

Now back to writing my second book, a novel, inspired by one of the stories in RIMH; and back to Taekwondo class after 2-week break. But first, let me have that spa and massage.