Today is the first year anniversary of this blog and also the day I'm officially turned 31 years old. Yep, you read me correctly. Thirty one. And sane (although some have questioned the sanity level). And single.
Before you start congratulating me on my birthday, I want you to know that I'm not going to hold birthday party, or treat party traktiran. But I do love the birthday wishes. I feel the love:). If there is one thing I like about my birthday, it is the fact that I can reply the birthday wishes with another wish, "Thank you, my darlings, and Happy New Year!"
To tell you the truth, I was a bit scared to start this year as a single thirty-year-old in a country where marital status and the number of children you bore matter. But then my worry was baseless. This year has been an amazing year for me. Being thirty rocks! Being single...er, well, there is nothing I can do to change it at the moment. So it's best to enjoy the here and now:). Since I'm celebrating my turning 31, here are thirty one of my favorite moments in 2010.
To tell you the truth, I was a bit scared to start this year as a single thirty-year-old in a country where marital status and the number of children you bore matter. But then my worry was baseless. This year has been an amazing year for me. Being thirty rocks! Being single...er, well, there is nothing I can do to change it at the moment. So it's best to enjoy the here and now:). Since I'm celebrating my turning 31, here are thirty one of my favorite moments in 2010.
- I started this blog:)
- On Feb. 12, I was free from the three-year contract. Now, I can resign without paying the penalty fee. Oh joy!
- I managed to take D to his favorite chicken porridge stalls for several Sundays. Now he always asks if I have Sunday as my day-off:)
- My cousin Dina bought a house in Bogor. I went with her to take a look of the house, before we hit factory outlet stores, hahaha.
- I went to French spring festival Printemps Francaise with my friends K and Lenora. We watched hip hop dance performance Wanted Posse. But then one of the dancers asked K to have a cup of coffee, so Lenora and I were also invited!
- After all these years, I finally take the long-awaited holiday to Bali and Lombok with my university friend Aneen.
- During the holiday to Lombok, I did my first snorkeling at the Gilis, I loved it!
- My office held a day-out in amusement park Dufan. I didn't have the guts to try the roller coaster Halilintar but it was still a fun day!
- Finally made it to go to Bango Streetfood Festival.
- I got a chance to hike the less-traveled path of Mount Beuticanar
- I attended a Peranakan wedding, which gave me insights to a part of cultures that shaped Indonesia
- An assignment to Bandung, West Java, got me seeing an abandoned train garage.
- A day with Aneen in Solo's Big Market taught me how to peel the prawns. My hands got blistered, but it was worth the experience.
- This year, I got a chance to test-drive some of Mercedes-Benz's new line-up in Sentul International Circuit. It was the first time I use automatic car as I use the manual. I accidentally got into the gravel area, but I managed to hit the brake and got back to track, all done calmly. A guy reporter who was sitting next to me said,"You know what? It's the first time I got into the gravel area, but I didn't panic. I don't know why, but you make your passengers calm too." It was the best compliment, ever! Anyway, some of my favorite cars are the S-500 class (the interior is amazing, the engine roars beautifully and I feel really safe driving it) and the G300 jeep (I always have soft spot for jeeps).
- I visited Kei Islands, Maluku province where I strolled on the soft-as-talcum powder sandy beach, saw the underwater cave and learned local traditions in the island's remote villages.
- One of my yoga friends was married. She held a small ceremony, which I was planning to copy:). Recently, she delivered a healthy baby boy. Congratulation, my dear R!
- A colleague who was departing for Australia held a garage sale and I managed to buy his bike. I've been using the bike to do errands. Don't you just love the wind in your face when you pedal your bike?
- I bought my first laptop
- While looking for the right DSLR camera, I accidentally stumbled upon a red camera and found it irresistible:)
- Sometime in the middle of this year, I moved to my new home with M&D. Although I didn't really like the layout, the new home is nearer to the main road.
- Thanks to an assignment, now I know how to make the breakfasting menus in Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Jordan.
- A colleague gave me a ticket to see a badminton match in Senayan. Wow, it's the first time I saw live match events. It's too bad that Taufik Hidayat lost the match.
- Thanks to SNU and LG, I went to South Korea for a three-week fellowship
- During the three-week sojourn, I went to several shooting location of South Korean dramas, such as Coffee Prince and My Name is Kim Sam Soon
- I spent my first Idul Fitri abroad, which was very quiet and unlike the usual Idul Fitri.
- I tried backpacking to Ujung Genteng with (again) my friend Aneen
- I discovered my newfound interest on composing pick-up lines. And I infected several friends to join the band:)
- Despite the workloads, I still had time to see film festivals such as Jiffest and Korean Film Festival
- I went to Ende, Flores Island. I really love the place for one obvious reason: my cellphone lost signals every time we went to the hills.
- People may find it weird, but I am actually happy when the bosses moved me to National desk. While the fashion shows I covered for Sunday Post broadened my fashion sense, the people I met (either prostitutes, children with HIV/AIDS or villagers in Indonesia's eastern region) during the reporting for National desk have humbled me.
- I met and made new friends across the country and the globe. I love you, guys, you rock!
- On Feb. 12, I was free from the three-year contract. Now, I can resign without paying the penalty fee. Oh joy!
- I managed to take D to his favorite chicken porridge stalls for several Sundays. Now he always asks if I have Sunday as my day-off:)
- My cousin Dina bought a house in Bogor. I went with her to take a look of the house, before we hit factory outlet stores, hahaha.
- I went to French spring festival Printemps Francaise with my friends K and Lenora. We watched hip hop dance performance Wanted Posse. But then one of the dancers asked K to have a cup of coffee, so Lenora and I were also invited!
- After all these years, I finally take the long-awaited holiday to Bali and Lombok with my university friend Aneen.
- During the holiday to Lombok, I did my first snorkeling at the Gilis, I loved it!
- My office held a day-out in amusement park Dufan. I didn't have the guts to try the roller coaster Halilintar but it was still a fun day!
- Finally made it to go to Bango Streetfood Festival.
- I got a chance to hike the less-traveled path of Mount Beuticanar
- I attended a Peranakan wedding, which gave me insights to a part of cultures that shaped Indonesia
- An assignment to Bandung, West Java, got me seeing an abandoned train garage.
- A day with Aneen in Solo's Big Market taught me how to peel the prawns. My hands got blistered, but it was worth the experience.
- This year, I got a chance to test-drive some of Mercedes-Benz's new line-up in Sentul International Circuit. It was the first time I use automatic car as I use the manual. I accidentally got into the gravel area, but I managed to hit the brake and got back to track, all done calmly. A guy reporter who was sitting next to me said,"You know what? It's the first time I got into the gravel area, but I didn't panic. I don't know why, but you make your passengers calm too." It was the best compliment, ever! Anyway, some of my favorite cars are the S-500 class (the interior is amazing, the engine roars beautifully and I feel really safe driving it) and the G300 jeep (I always have soft spot for jeeps).
- I visited Kei Islands, Maluku province where I strolled on the soft-as-talcum powder sandy beach, saw the underwater cave and learned local traditions in the island's remote villages.
- One of my yoga friends was married. She held a small ceremony, which I was planning to copy:). Recently, she delivered a healthy baby boy. Congratulation, my dear R!
- A colleague who was departing for Australia held a garage sale and I managed to buy his bike. I've been using the bike to do errands. Don't you just love the wind in your face when you pedal your bike?
- I bought my first laptop
- While looking for the right DSLR camera, I accidentally stumbled upon a red camera and found it irresistible:)
- Sometime in the middle of this year, I moved to my new home with M&D. Although I didn't really like the layout, the new home is nearer to the main road.
- Thanks to an assignment, now I know how to make the breakfasting menus in Turkey, Morocco, Egypt, Pakistan and Jordan.
- A colleague gave me a ticket to see a badminton match in Senayan. Wow, it's the first time I saw live match events. It's too bad that Taufik Hidayat lost the match.
- Thanks to SNU and LG, I went to South Korea for a three-week fellowship
- During the three-week sojourn, I went to several shooting location of South Korean dramas, such as Coffee Prince and My Name is Kim Sam Soon
- I spent my first Idul Fitri abroad, which was very quiet and unlike the usual Idul Fitri.
- I tried backpacking to Ujung Genteng with (again) my friend Aneen
- I discovered my newfound interest on composing pick-up lines. And I infected several friends to join the band:)
- Despite the workloads, I still had time to see film festivals such as Jiffest and Korean Film Festival
- I went to Ende, Flores Island. I really love the place for one obvious reason: my cellphone lost signals every time we went to the hills.
- People may find it weird, but I am actually happy when the bosses moved me to National desk. While the fashion shows I covered for Sunday Post broadened my fashion sense, the people I met (either prostitutes, children with HIV/AIDS or villagers in Indonesia's eastern region) during the reporting for National desk have humbled me.
- I met and made new friends across the country and the globe. I love you, guys, you rock!
Dear Allah, thank You for all the wonderful experiences You have given me this year. Those have enriched my horizon, and hopefully make me into a better person.
Dear friends and readers, thanks for stopping by and leaving the heartwarming comments. Hope this blogs help you in some way:)
Yeah yeah Cool sist~~BTW happy birthday to you~~Wish U all the best in Ur life~~~Very nice blog~~I can see my Indonesia from your side~~Coz I dont go anywhere yet~~*sad*
ReplyDeletethank you, pichan. and happy new year to you! don't be sad, who knows maybe 2011 is going to be your year of traveling. keep the faith, dear. love, tifa
ReplyDeleteApparently if we enlist the events, our past year turns out to be quite eventful. Sometimes I forgot what I've done along the year, only the very major ones, thus making me think the year that just passed was quite boring to me. Thx for inspiring me to make the list, too; guess I'll do it ... when I'm in the mood for blogging :). Happy b'day once again, Tifa! May all your dreams come true :))
ReplyDeletesometimes it doesn't take big things to make an event memorable because a day with my friends can make me happy as a clam:) you're always welcome, wida. thanks for the birthday wish. may 2011 be one of most memorable years in our lives. amin.
ReplyDelete