2020 Was A Year Of Life In The Time Of Corona

Here we are in the end of the year to look back on what have we done in the past 366 days of our life. I hope 2020 has been kind to you. Because it did not for many people.

2020 started with news on Coronavirus outbreak, which shook many industries from travel to livestock. China and Indonesia are quite close, and we have heard about the previous pandemic, SARS, in 2003. However, little did we know that Covid-19 would change everything we thought we have known.

January kicked off in a rather normal pace. A cousin asked me to accompany her to a wedding reception of her colleague. The wedding was held in Nias tradition, and it was the first time I saw it. The guests danced together to close the wedding, it was quite fun! I had scaling at RSGM FKG UI in Salemba and donated blood to Indonesian Red Cross in Kramat. Then there was a dine-in event to celebrate the birthdays of former bosses (yeah, we still keep in touch, LOL).

In February, I started working with an ex boss on the topic that I love: environment! It was a daily job, with one report to be submitted before 11.45 am. I also got another work contract for a corporate newsletter, which would focus on construction and infrastructure (my past love!). After signing the one-year contract, I began to build a schedule for my daily work. It would soon dawn on me that I could not juggle three reports in my morning schedule.

By mid-March, the pandemic has arrived in Indonesia. The government started to implement various policies, from social distancing to social restriction. Many people took the pandemic lightly, because the news said that the virus that causes Covid-19 was a relative of the virus that causes SARS. Nevertheless, the panic buying happened. Disinfectant, face mask, and wet wipes went missing from the shelves of supermarkets. Unlike other people, I decided to pile up books to accompany me on the social distancing period through the last public event I attended this month, the 2020 Big Bad Wolf 2020. I went to this event with my friend Ebf, and we went a bit wild with our purchase, because we sort of predicted that we might not be able to leave our homes for book shopping in a near future.

April saw Good Friday and Ramadhan, with both religious events being observed in quiet and calm manners. To be honest, I enjoyed this year's Ramadhan because there was no obligatory breakfasting event. I could spend the whole month just focusing on work and fasting.

This May marked the first Idul Fitri at home. I also decided to quit one of my daily jobs (I had three, and the deadlines were only one hour apart from each other. My replacement turns out to be my former colleague at TJaP, Reynette. My manager asked me to give her some tips on the job, so we got reconnected again. We have a soft spot for stray cats and now our daily chat would include tips on cats.

June and July were a bit quiet. Nothing of importance had happened. 

In August, a friend invited me to take a staycation at Sultan Hotel. I asked her about the safety level, and she said that everything had been ensured to meet the health protocol. I decided to take her offer. I went to the Red Cross to donate blood before joining her at the hotel. But I was rather shocked to see the Red Cross office was swarmed with people queueing for blood donors. One of them even boldly asked if my bloodtype was A. Dude, even if it were, I would not say it. Anyway, the staycation was okay. I did several laps at the hotel's swimming pool.

September was a bit gloomy for me. A client asked for fee reduction, while another decided to terminate the contract due to budget restriction. I still have other jobs and the fee is enough to get by, but my concern is what will I do with the leisure time in this pandemic? I prefer working at home than exposing myself to the virus. I took one day off anyway to clear my head up.

October was the month of demonstration. On Oct. 5, Job Creation Law, or omnibus law, was passed, and a lot of the people raised their disagreement against the law. The demo did not affect me physically, because I worked from home anyway, but it affected my workload. One of the things discussed in the law was telecommunications, which is a key word for one of my daily jobs. So I got more than 5,000 news links to check everyday. My manager thankfully supported me this month, she even taught me a new tips to speed up my work pace. I also had a soft launching of another business venture with my Master friends.

Early November, a friend asked if I would be interested to work on a story gathering project in Sumba. I had a long thought process for the request and finally agreed to go. I sent in a proposal and after several discussions, I departed to Sumba on the last day of November. For this trip, I took leave from two daily jobs and a weekly job.

After coming back from Sumba, I had to catch up with all the reports and other obligations that I put on hold due to the trip. Then I closed the year by renewing my driving license at a Mobile Driving License place. It was the first time for me to renew my driving license at such place, and it was impressively quick. I would definitely come to this place again five years from now.

Whoa, I thought 2020 was pretty bland. But when I looked back at the highlights, while it was indeed bad, it was actually not that bad. How was your 2020, by the way?

2021 may not come any easier than 2020. However, if we survived 2020, then there is a chance we will make it in 2021.

Sumba Story Gathering Project And #TravelInTheTimeOfCorona - Part 3

Enough with the work talk, this post will have photos on East Sumba.

Before the pandemic, I would be irritated if things did not go as planned. Now that the whole world are well into the ninth month of the pandemic, I have learned to improvise, prepare several back-up plans and accept if things could not go as the initial plans.

I must admit that this latest trip to Sumba has given me a lot of last-minute surprises. I've told you about the quick process of the project. But that was just the beginning of many surprises. Another surprises was the videographer could not make it to check in to the airplane on the departure date *insert horror music*.

When I turned on my cellphone in Ngurah Rai Airport, Denpasar during the transit, waves of messages were barging in to the inbox. The most shocking one was:"Mbak, I could not check in to the flight." I did not need to check the sender to figure out who sent it. I quickly replied with a short sentence:"Wait a minute, I need to go to a restroom now."

It was a 4.30 am flight. I left home at 1.30 am, arrived at SHIA at 3 am and had to catch my breath to run to the departure gate. And all my videographer could say was that ambiguous apology? This is unacceptable. I was angry, but also, I needed to think carefully on how to approach this problem. After all, we still had to work for a week in Sumba.

So I sat down at a cafe, sipping a very strong black coffee and laying out my backup plan. I contacted the people in Sumba to delay the schedule by one day, asked the driver to find a hotel (although, I would not worry about this part, because all hotels would be vacant in this pandemic) and decided that I would go to the beach in the afternoon.

 

This is in Walakiri Beach

It was the first time I ever went to all the tourism sites in East Sumba. I just realized that had it not for the videographer's mishap, we might be going straight to the villages, and I would not be able to go to the beach.

 

In Walakiri Beach, a stargirl will find herself surrounded by the stars

 

The driver, Jack, kindly asked me where I'd like to go. I said,"Jack, this is my fourth visit to East Sumba, and I have never been anywhere touristy. You can just take me to any place and I would bet that it would be my first time going there." Jack just stared in disbelief,"But what did you do on your previous visits?" I raised my eyebrows,"I worked, obviously." He just sighed and said,"Ok."

Fortunately, Jack likes photography and he offers to take my pictures. I have a driver and a personal photographer. It's like hitting two birds with a stone or one paddling that takes you past two or three islands (do I even get the last proverb correctly translated? LOL). 

 

This is in Hiliwuku Hill. Sumba has several spots of such hills, with Wairinding as the most famous (you can borrow a piece of Sumba weave fabric as photo prop or ride a horse there).  

As we waited for the videographer to land, Jack had unconventional ideas on places to take photos. The following is an example :D.

 

This would be the first and last time I ever pose on an asphalt road in the middle of the day in Sumba. It was scorching hot, and I believed a part of my butts (if not all) got toasted. Man, being a model is tough.

 

 

Sumba is known for its savanna, so seeing the lush paddy field like this is also a surprise. This might look like a regular view in Java island. But if you notice the house on the background, that is not a Javanese traditional house. Also, the picture does not show, but there are sandalwood horses behind me, just outside of the frame.

 

A closer view of the traditional roof in Kampung Raja Prailiu.

 

 This one is too close, though :D 

 

The videographer and I had different flight schedules as he would leave one day before I did. I asked Ridkey about this, because I thought it would be useless for me to go to field when the videographer had left Sumba and it was Sunday, the day when everyone go to church and had family time. My photography skill is also below the acceptable, and I don't think it's fair to ask Jack to take the photos/videos. He should be hired professionally by the institution. 

 

At first, I thought of leaving on the same day as the videographer. But then, the cost to change the schedule was more expensive than one-day car rental and one-night hotel room, so I stuck to the schedule, but Ridkey allowed me to have day off. Yay!

I decided to go to Waimarang waterfall on that last day.

 

It was not the smoothest journey, especially with the pandemic situation still running at full steam here. Nevertheless, it was a memorable one.

Sumba Story Gathering Project and #TravelInTheTimeOfCorona - Part 2

The project is about meeting the people and listening to their stories, especially about energy usage, renewable energy and their hopes for the future. It's often difficult to get photos of myself working, but here are some still images from the  previous trip.

This is how people work during the pandemic: online and video conference. While we were in Waingapu, we reported our progress to our bosses and a collague via WhatsApp call, with one boss in Sawangan, Depok, one in Larantuka, Flores island and our colleague in Bandung. We had the call at a cafe in the city center called Cetroo Cafe because the WiFi was quite decent. After worrying about the signal in Waingapu, it turned out that it was our boss in Sawangan who had a bad signal reception.

We visited a community health center (Puskesmas) to check if they are ready to welcome the vaccine. They do have a freezer to keep the vaccine, and it is powered by Mbakuhau micro hydro power plant.

 The WiFi system is also powered by the renewable energy.

We had a short discussion before the shooting process. Video shooting is indeed a meticulous process.

One of the SOPs is to ask consent from all sources. After a shooting session, I asked this Puskesmas nurse for his consent.

I will close the post with a YouTube video on our visit to an elementary school that uses solar power plant to supply for the electricity.

Sumba Story Gathering Project And #TravelInTheTImeOfCorona - Part 1

Photo was taken when I was flying above East Java

A surprising opportunity knocked on my door a few months ago when Ridkey asked me to work on a Story Gathering project about renewable energy in Sumba island. I was hesitant at first, but Ridkey managed to convince me that Sumba was in a relatively safe zone. Ridkey was a colleague at the off-grid solar power plant project back in 2017-2018, so he knew I could survive in Sumba island. The project needs a videographer, so Ridkey paired me up with his junior who owns a production house, let's call him Bombom.

Long story short, Bombom and I got the project. We went to Sumba between Nov. 30 and 7 Dec. Here are some steps to take when flying domestically:

1. Check which test you should take in order to board the plane. During my travel period, the government required passengers to take rapid test.

2. If you take public transportation, such as airport bus, be sure to check the schedule because during the pandemic, all modes of public transportation limit their operational hours. For example, the airport bus now only runs between 2 am and 7 pm, previously it ran from 2.30 am to around 11 pm.

There is an empty seat to give space between bus passengers, but extra protection is never too much. I wore a surgical mask, a fabric mask and a face shield.

3. Get to the airport 2-3 hours earlier than your boarding time, because passengers should show the test result upon arriving at the airport. I arrived at the airport at 3 am, and the queue line was already more than 10 meters!

4. When traveling with a transit, always maintain social distance at the transit airport. Check the capacity of the eatery before ordering food/drink.

Kedai Kopi Sigli in I Gusti Ngurah Rai airport, Bali

 

5.  Basically, just follow all health protocols. Wear mask, wash hands regularly and practice social distancing.

Upon arrival at Umbu Mehang Kunda airport in Waingapu, all passengers are advised to wash hands. The airport staffs welcome us in hazmat suits, checked the test result and asked for our cellphone number and other informations.

6. Check on the requirement in each region. For example, in East Sumba, the rapid test is valid for 10 days and I should take a new test if I stay for more than 10 days. Otherwise, we could fly back using the test result we used for departing.

Stay tune for Part 2.

A New Obsession Called Webtoon

I forgot how I got to know Webtoon, it could have started as a way to escape from boredom or because the Korean drama series are just too long to keep up with. I am also more of the reading type, instead of the watching type. 

Whatever the reason for this obsession, now I remember that I should check everyday if the comics I am following are already updated. The web basically features comics from various comic artists worldwide. Each comic gets updated once a week, and some even get updated twice or thrice a week. 

Here are my recent Webtoon recommendations, in daily order:

Monday

Subzero by Junepurr (Instagram/Twitter)

The story follows the arranged marriage of Clove and Kyro to establish peace between their nations. The cool part of the story is that both Clove and Kyro are the descendants of dragon and they can turn into the mythical beast, if they want to. 

Tuesday

Let's Play by Mongie (Instagram/Twitter)

Twenty-something Samara Young's dreams to become an indie game developer has been crushed after she received a bad review from a ViewTuber called Marshall Law. Said ViewTuber turns out moving to the apartment next door.

LUFF by Arechanga (Instagram/Twitter)

Beatriz Torres has always dreamed of space and Mars colony since she was a child. But a system called LUFF (Law of Union, Family and Finance) that is implemented in Toloa has forced her to choose between two men that share matched fingerprints with her, in order for her to win a scholarship to UAE. 

Scorching Romance by Hongchi (unfortunately, this artist did not share the socmed account)

Ember Kim, who always feels hot, and Aspen Cha, who always feels cold, break the curse that mess up with their temperature with a kiss. Now that they are a couple, some people are trying to separate them.

Wednesday

True Beauty by Yaongyi (unfortunately, this artist did not share the socmed account)

Ju-gyeong Lim learns to put on make up to cover her acnes, but her love for make up later brings her to become a beauty influencer and a make-up artist in the making. The comic follows the daily life of Ju-gyeong and her two love interests: Seo-jun Han (her boyfriend) and Su-ho Lee (her former classmate, who was also her first love).

Age Matters by Enjelicious (Instagram/Twitter)

Rose Choi becomes the stand-in chef for CEO Daniel Yoon after her room mate suddenly leaves for holiday, but she soon gains his trust and becomes his secretary. Their relationship grows slowly as Rose also catches the interest of the men in the office.

Phase by Jouki (Instagram/Twitter)

Poor girl Min gets a chance to receive a lot of money if she is willing to live with crazy rich billionaire Shuu for a certain period. But she needs to hide her secret to keep everyone safe.

Thursday

I have yet to find anything that caught my interest on this day. I will update this should I find anything interesting.

Friday

I Love Yoo by Quimchee

The comic follows Yoo Shin-ae, a high schooler who has a hard life, but she has good friends who help her along the way. Unfortunately the artist is currently taking a break, without giving any clear information on when the comic will recommence.

Saturday

Midnight Poppy Land by Lilydusk (Instagram)

Poppylane Wilkes, a book editor, has caught the eyes of Tora, a bodyguard of a mafia lord, when she appears near an allegedly crime scene. The story is currently reaching the sad part when Tora knows Poppy is not related to the case and bids farewell. But we know this will soon get corrected. 

How To Become A Dragon by Eon (unfortunately, this artist did not share the socmed account)

A 1,000-year-old imoogi named Bari asks Yoo to help him pass the test to become the dragon of Nakdong river. By helping Bari to pass the test, Yoo can break the curse of his ancestors.

Miss Abbott and The Doctor by Maripaz Villar

Doctor Andreas Marino is a strict person, while Cati Abbot is a woman of action who seems to always cause trouble. What happens when these two people of different worlds fall in love and get married? Seeing the interaction between Andreas and Cati always gives a warm feeling in my heart.

Sunday

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe (Instagram/Twitter)

Taking the story of Hades and Persephone, this comic changes the period to present-day, with the gods doing their work in offices. Since I like Greek mythology, this one goes right up my alley.

Wow, the list turns out to be quite long. I may be doing a dedicated post for the comics once they end. Besides the ongoing comics, Webtoon also features comics that have ended and I found some that are interesting. But this will be for another post, ha!

Things People Do During Quarantine Or Why Can't I Be Like Those People

Hello, world!

Now that we in Jakarta and surrounding areas are in quarantine for three months, I begin to see a pattern on what people do when they are at home through their social media. I understand that social media in only 1 percent of a person's real life, but still it gives some ideas on what to do when we are in quarantine.

1. Baking or cooking

I am amazed to see so many photos of homemade cakes/bread/cooking that emerge on social media during the quarantine period. I mean, I am definitely sure we all have cooked something in the past, we just didn't post those. But now, all kinds of foods are posted. Until now, the most baked goods I've seen are brownies and donuts, most likely because those are easy. I think I will try to make one of those, once I got the ingredients.

2. Reading books

I do this, because I still have a pile of books that I haven't read from BBW 2020. Definitely guilty for 'tsundoku'. But I have also found other people reading books and recommending the titles, just look for hashtag #quarantinereading. All the recommended books seem so tempting, however, I refrain myself to buy more books, at least until I've finished the ones I have at the moment. I simply write down the book titles and have wishful dreaming on the time when I can have my own place with wall-to-wall bookshelves.

3. Making arts

A colleague loves to do coloring, with pencil, crayon or watercolor. Another friend does sketching. Some play musical instruments, and some other just ooze their cool as they belt a song cover. Also, the artists are still making their arts and posting on social media. I am so grateful that Internet has allowed me to follow talented people on social media, at least I know where to find entertainment when I am bored.

4. Sewing or knitting

This is a skill that comes to use in the quarantine period. Need a face mask? Just sew it. Running out of new clothes? Just sew it. My sewing skill is pretty basic, only fastening buttons and darning the socks. But even if we are new to this skill, there are so many YouTube videos to look out for.

5. Gardening

The good thing about gardening as a hobby is it provides your meal, depending on which plant is in harvest period. So far I grow bitter gourd, papaya, spinach and chili. I would love to have more vegetables, but there is a kingdom of thermite underneath my home and they eat whatever they like. I am just surprised they leave out those four vegetables for us. Definitely should try hydroponic, but perhaps will do this a bit later, because...ummm...budget priority.

6. Doing indoor sport

With all gyms being closed right now, indoor sport like yoga has been on the rise. I think the best way to do exercise  at home is by having a smartwatch/smartband that can track how many calories you have burned. Motivation is key, though, so smartwatch or no smartwatch, you can always do exercise in any form. I do plank while I clean the floor beneath my bed, and that is all, folks. So much for motivation, yeah.

7. Tidying up

I see a lot of this activity in the first weeks of quarantine. I am still on the slow pace of tidying up a la Mari Kondo, so I am still sorting my stuffs even as I type this down. Perhaps because I could guess this pandemic would stay for a long time, that is why I try to do this activity slowly. Otherwise, I would not have anything to do, lol.

8. Reposting old travel photos

This is definitely me, lol. I really miss traveling. It's the only consolation for a home-based freelancer. Please don't hate me when I post old travel photos.

Anyway, a journo friend interviewed me for an article, asked me what I do during quarantine and whether I have taken a new hobby in the past few months. I told her that nothing has changed, because I have been working from home since 2018. When I hear people complaining that they feel bored at home, well, I've been through that phase. The difference between now and then is I can't go out easily now.

To tell you the truth, I feel that working at home during the pandemic more exhausting than during the normal days. Therefore, I decided to let go one of my freelance jobs. I know it sounds crazy to let a job slip by you when other people are being laid off. But I need more time to sleep and to do calming activities, such as blogging, lol. I hope I can write more about life and activity during the pandemic, although I really can't promise you that.

I think it is alright if we don't take up any new hobby. I mean, the pandemic itself is a whole new situation that we need to adjust to. There is no obligation to learn something new. Simply surviving is already an achievement at the moment. Now is the moment to have more empathy. You may have the time and opportunity to take up new hobby, other people may only be able to focus on having food on the table. Everyone has their own battle. I am sure we will get through this, just as we have done with things in the past.

So, have you taken any hobby during the quarantine period? 

Ramadhan During The Covid-19 Pandemic

For many people, Ramadhan is the time to connect with the Muslim community in the mosques, to reach out to the poor and needy, and to hold sahur or iftar gatherings with friends. And many have lamented on missing out so many things in this Ramadhan. 

While I do miss doing tarawih prayer in the mosque, for me, Ramadhan is the time to reflect and improve, all of which could be done alone during quarantine. I am sure I would get protests from a lot of people to say this, but I really enjoy this year's Ramadhan. 

Here are some things I am grateful about experiencing Ramadhan during the pandemic:

1. No need to attend iftar gatherings at the shopping malls

Many friends and colleagues always hold iftar gatherings at the shopping malls, and I have been skirting around this issue for more than a decade, but the pandemic solves this in a second. I never liked like doing it because malls are always full during iftar time, we have to queue for quite some time to do Maghrib prayer in the mall's tiny praying room, and in the end, we can't have a proper discussion with said friends, because other patrons also want to have iftar.

2. It is more relaxing to do tarawih prayer at home

Since we are staying at home, we can do tarawih as many rakaat as we want. But I'm still doing the 8 tarawih-3 witir, though, lol. Staying at home means I can take breaks in-between the 2 rakaat. I usually spend the breaks to memorize short surah, so I have more surahs option to recite. I love Al Ikhlas, but sometime I feel guilty for using it excessively.

3. You focus on the basics of Ramadhan 

The basics are sahur, iftar, and tarawih. No need to go find new clothes for Idulfitri, because judging from the current situation, this pandemic will still definitely be around on 1 Syawal. No need to make too many cookies or food, because there would not be any family gathering on Idulfitri anyway.

4. More opportunity to do good 

I have heard many news about people losing jobs, not getting THR (annual bonus) or salary, and the struggle of essential workers working around the clock on the frontline. We can help them anytime, not just in Ramadhan, but of course any kinds of help given in this holy month would not only benefit the recipients, but also the giving persons.

5. The pandemic paints a different perspective in life 

With the pandemic going strong worldwide, I always have the feeling to finish my obligations as soon as possible because I may not have the opportunity later. This may seem like negative thinking to some, but the pandemic really gives an awareness that time waits for no one.

What are you grateful for this Ramadhan?

Have The Quarantine Period of Covid-19 Outbreak Changed Your Routine In A Way?

Hi, halo, hola, hej.

With April 16 marking exactly one month since the Jakarta administration implemented Work-Learn-Pray From Home to curb Covid-19 outbreak in the capital, I wonder if the quarantine period has changed you in a way. 

Although I work from home and rarely go out, I do feel that the quarantine period has wreaked havoc on my usually peaceful days. On normal days (read: pre-Covid-19), I worked on daily reports from 3 am to 12 pm, took a break for lunch/bath/nap until 3 pm, sometimes I went out to nearest convenience store just to see humans (Lol), then worked on weekly and monthly reports between 3 pm and 6 pm. Now, I just work whenever I feel helpless, which is happening most of the time.

The first few weeks had been hard for me, because there were too many news about deaths of medical workers and patients. I had weird dreams in those weeks. Not exactly nightmares, but the kind of dreams that made you think,"Why did I dream that?" upon waking up. And I seldom have dreams when I am asleep. 

The key to all of those issues is, again, acceptance. Some days it comes easy, other days it is a struggle.

Looking into the last four weeks in #SocialDistancing, here are the things that I have been implementing to keep calm and carry on.

1. I have started to wear face mask whenever I go out. I now have four masks, worn on heavy rotation.

2. I use my elbow to push the convenience store's door and avoid touching too many items in the store.

3. After going out, I wash my hands, put my outfit to wash and take a bath. All of the process is such a hassle, I prefer to just stay at home most of the time.

4. I try to limit reading news. And this is very difficult to do because my line of work involves reading news and writing summaries. My take on this issue is to take a few minutes break and do something fun after reading devastating news (most likely nibble on dark chocolate or other snacks).

5. I decided to drop one of my jobs so I have more time to sleep and rest. The process is still ongoing, I hope to hear more updates next week.

6. I re-read books and re-watch movies that have positive vibes. I still have a pile of books from the Big Bad Wolf 2020, and I am keen to finish those books too.

7. I carefully select the people I am interacting with. Some people just like to spread hoax and negative vibes, and I have enough of those in this pandemic era.

Would you care to add yours?

[Movie] The Way

From here

I watched the movie a few days ago out of randomness, and it turned out to be the right movie for the Sunday Easter. So I guess I will write a bit about the movie, especially since there is nothing exciting during this quarantine period.

Thomas Avery (Martin Sheen), an ophthalmologist in California, US, divides his busy life between his practice and golf meetings with his friends until he receives a phonecall from Saint-Jean-de-Pont, France, informing him of the death of Daniel Avery (Emilio Estevez), his only son. Daniel was in France to walk on Camino de Santiago, a pilgrim's route that spans between Saint-Jean-de-Pont, France and Santiago de Compostela in Spain.  

The older Avery immediately comes to France to bring back his son's remains. But as he checks on Daniel's backpack, he remembers how his son wanted to walk the Camino with him. So he asks the officials to cremate his son and starts on the path to Santiago with the ashes on his backpack.

During the walk to Santiago de Compostela, he meets with Joost (Yorick van Wageningen) a Dutchman wanting to lose some weight, Sarah (Deborah Kara Unger) a Canadian fleeing her abusive husband but saying she does the walk to quit smoking and Jack (James Nesbit) an Irish with a writer's block. 

Apart from giving audience beautiful views along the road, The Way is a philosophical movie that tells how people can take many roads in Camino de Santiago to reach the final point. One of the questions posed during the movie is about how the pilgrims should carry out the trip to Santiago de Compostela as they see people riding bicycles. Should the modern day pilgrims walk as people in the past did? Should the modern day pilgrims leave all the conveniences (such as credit card and smartphone) and live from the kindness of the people they meet along the way to Santiago? 

The movie is a bit slow-paced, but I think it's worth to watch during this quarantine period as it will make you questions life and how we live it.

On Educating My Septuagenarian Parents To #StayAtHome

After more than 2 weeks of #SocialDistancing and #PhysicalDistancing, I found that the most difficult thing to do was to keep my septuagenarian parents #StayAtHome. I have been trying to obey the #SocialDistancing policy since March 16, by only going out when I really need to do it. But my parents have just reduced their frequency of going out after the nearby mosque closed its public activities on March 25. Between March 16 and 25, I was having mild anxiety attack everytime they went outside (which could happen five times a day). They still go out, but not everyday.

Here are some heated debates between my parents and I:

On Covid-19 in Indonesia

Me: Please don't go outside everyday, there is an outbreak.

M: I think it's only happening in Wuhan.

Me: It's happening across worldwide, and Indonesia is included. Please just stay at home until it's safe enough to go outside.

On who can get infected by Covid-19

D: I don't think we will get infected. As Muslims, we eat halal food, we do ablution five times a day. 

Me: Then please explain to me, why Malaysia, our neighboring country that is also a Muslim majority country, has high number of Covid-19 cases and is currently holding a lockdown?

D: (went quiet)

On wearing DIY face mask
Me: I bought you face masks to wear if you need to go outside.
M: I watched in a video that the doctors said that if you feel healthy, you don't need to wear a mask.
Me: The mask he means is the surgical mask, which should only be used by doctors. We still need to wear mask, but not surgical mask.
(They still did not wear the DIY face mask for a few days. However, one day M started to wear it after watching a YouTube video about the importance of wearing face mask. Upon seeing that, I felt like seeing a version of my teenage self when I never listened to my parents and only trusted my friends. So I guess that was what it's like to be a parent and your words meant nothing compared to some YouTube videos)

On the worst case scenario of getting infected by Covid-19
M: The government has prepared many facilities to treat the people.
Me: I think it's better to stay uninfected, because the government still don't have the method to test the people. Also, when a person is tested positive, they will be isolated for days, the family cannot see them. If the worst case scenario happened, the patient dies, they would be buried by the officers. The family would not be able to guide the patient for talqin or do jenazah prayer. The patient would die alone.
M: (went quiet)

On cleaning up after going outside
Me: Where have you been?
M: Just going out for food, we came, purchased and left quickly
Me: Okay. Have you washed your hands?
M: I have taken a bath. Now I'm boiling some water for your father's bath
Me: Very good.

When they finally realize what it means to be in the risk group
M: I just saw a video that people with diabetes and other underlying health conditions are in the risk group
Me: That's what I have been trying to tell you. You are probably not in the risk group, but D is. He has diabetes, he also has asthma and pneumothorax.
M: Ok, I will try to deter him from going outside
(Somewhere inside, I sing a song and blow a confetti)

The hard part of giving them the information is to make them believe me. Just like most parents in Asian culture, they are used to become the people in power, the decision-makers, or the ones to decide if their children go to hell or heaven. It's really hard to stay calm whenever they talk back and argue, but then they remind me why I am such a stubborn kid: I get it from them!

Day #15 Of Social Distancing In The Time Of Covid-19

Hello, dearest! I hope everyone is doing okay in this trying time. Alhamdulillah I am doing good, just been very busy lately with all the chaos that is Covid-19.  Here's a quick recap of this month.

In the first week of March, the government finally announced the first two cases of Covid-19 in the country. The patients were admitted to isolation rooms, and the government said that it was tracking the people who had been in contact with the first two cases. The government appointed Achmad Yurianto as spokesperson for Covid-19.

Several new cases were announced in the second week of March, but still there were no drastic prevention measures from the government. While many people started to feel unease, many others remain oblivious to the threat. The government so far instructed people to wash their hands and avoid crowds, also #SocialDistancing term was introduced. However, on this week, the first death of Covid-19 was also announced: Patient #25, a British national who was on vacation in Bali. Another shocking news this week: a Telkom staff, who was said to be negative on Covid-19 earlier, was announced as Covid-19 positive this week. Said staff had died and had previously been admitted to several hospitals, including a hospital in Bekasi, before taken to his hometown in Cianjur, West Java. The government said that the Covid-19 test could not be done all at once. The whole nation was like...what the hell???

In the third week of March, the Jakarta administration applied Work From Home and Study From Home, starting from March 16. The administration also asked people to pray from home. While all schools were closed at once, not all companies obeyed the instruction and the mass prayers were still conducted. As a freelancer, I have been working from home. So the new policy does not have any significant impact to my daily schedule. My neighborhood was still doing its regular activities. I even saw the mothers having volleyball match this week. Meanwhile, the number of cases and deaths started to rise. I read news of dead doctors at least once a day during this week, and it really broke my heart. One of the ministers was tested positive on Covid-19.

The cases began to show up in other cities outside Jabodetabek. As patients flooded the hospitals, the medical workers were asking for more personal protection equipment (PPE). The central government prepared three emergency hospitals in Jakarta and claimed that it would hold rapid test across the country. People also started donation to help the medical workers, those affected with the WFH policy (such as GoJek drivers, people who make a living day to day, and the poor).

Things began to get serious in the fourth week of March. At least, in my neighborhood. The mosque near my home announced on Hindu's Day of Silence (March 25) that it would stop all activities: daily mass prayers, Jumat mass prayers and the al Quran study sessions. News on regions conducting local lockdown started to pop out. I think the first region I heard doing lockdown was Tegal, Central Java. The roads in my neighborhood started to become empty. With more news about the outbreak, people has finally gotten a grasp on the enormity of the problem. 

Today is Day #15 of Social Distancing in the time of Covid-19. The number of people tested positive was 1,414, and the number of deaths was 122. The administration announced it would extend WFH and SFH policy. Let's hope that everything will turn out okay. For Indonesia. For the world.

Big Bad Wolf 2020, A Book Fair Before All Things Going Covid-19

Today the Jakarta administration started the #SocialDistancing policy, which includes work from home, study from home and pray from home, to curb down the Covid-19 outbreak. But before things started to look grim in the weeks to come, allow me to bring you some photos and stories from my latest trip to Big Bad Wolf 2020 (BBW 2020), a book fair held in ICE BSD. I went to BBW 2020 on March 14, two days before the Social Distancing policy was implemented.

Cisauk train station has modern architecture style

I went there with Mbak Elly, a journo friend, last weekend. We met in Cisauk train station, walked to Modern Market to have breakfast and lunch, and hopped on a shuttle bus from the bus terminal. The train station, the market and the bus terminal are located within a walk's distance.

Nasi Langgi at Pasar Modern Cisauk

Overlooking the atrium with live music performance

Rows of food vendors

I think I will come back again to this market

We discussed the Covid-19 and the best strategies to search the books without getting in contact with other people as we walked to the BBW. Although several friends said that it was reckless of me to go to BBW in this Covid-19, I believed the crowds in BBW were different than, let's say, rock music concert or religious group meeting. Bookpeople are usually logical, read many information, and not walking in big groups. Well, maybe just me. I could be wrong, though.

Although the lines were rather long to enter ICE, once we were inside, the BBW ground was quite empty compared to last year's BBW 

We arrived at ICE BSD and found very long lines of people. We got our temperature checked before entering the building, then we were asked to use hand sanitizer. BBW has always been crowded, and although we still saw many people, there were not as many crowds as I had seen in the past BBW. The people checked the books individually, not in groups, giving a proper distance to other people. Many people wore masks.

The piles of books

This one brought memories of journo days :)

Too many choices

A gentle reminder during the time of Covid-19

This year, I found dining area inside the BBW, which was great because it meant we did not have to leave the area to get food and drink. Two years ago, I had to leave the expo area to get food and then faced another long line to get inside. The prayer area was still located outside of the expo area, though.

We spent around 7-8 hours in the BBW. Mbak Elly got several adult coloring books and Tudor period novels that she was searching. I got my fair share of books too. This year's BBW had more classic novels than the previous as I saw novels by the Brontes, Jane Eyre, and Louisa May Alcott. I even found Gabriel Garcia Marquez's Love in The Time of Cholera. I thought, how apt was this, and bought the novel.

So here they were, the pile of books to get me through Covid-19, lockdown, and lonely nights in my 40s. Many people may be hoarding foods, hand sanitizer, or multivitamins for Covid-19. This girl feels complete with any books worth reading and a cup of tea.

Travel Wish List (For The 40s)

I went back into the archives of this blogs and found this post. Of all the countries in the list, only China, Japan and Korea were visited and I was quite bummed to see that. However, traveling is not cheap, and I was struggling to balance work and life in my 30s, so I'm happy enough with the results. 

Just for fun, let's make the list again. Here they are in continental and alphabetical order:

Africa

Let's blame it on Disney, but apart from Tanzania (that I have yet to cross out from my previous list), I want to visit Madagascar. Other African countries that I also want to visit are Morocco in the north and South Africa.

Asia

As a Southeast Asian, I want to complete my ASEAN tour. I still have the Philippines, Laos and Myanmar in the list. I have friends in the Philippines and Myanmar, and I really hope I can make it one day.

Apart from Southeast Asia region, I also want to visit Central Asia, aka the -stan countries, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan. There is another -stan country, Pakistan, but I think it falls under the South Asia category. Oh, I still want to visit India, too.

And of course, I want to visit the Gulf region, particularly Mekkah and Madinah for haj. May God grant me this travel wish list in the next few years.

Australia and the Pacific

Australia is not just a continent, it's one country, a very large one. I don't know where to start, but I really want to see Melbourne, which everyone calls as an artsy city.

Instead of Australia, I actually want to visit New Zealand, the country where Middle Earth is located, Lord of The Rings once reigned and Jacinda Ardern rules. 

Europe

It's hard to pick just one country in the Blue Continent. France still ranks first, though, but being a tropical animal, I think I will enjoy the southern Europe countries (Greece, Italy and Spain) more as they have warmer climate.

The Americas

I've been to Peru in South America, so for the next travel in this continent, I want to see the northern regions. If it's the US, I want to visit New York. If it's Canada, I want to visit Justin Trudeau (wait, what?), LOL.

Somewhere in between

The fun side of geography is there will always be parts of the world where a country is located in between the continents. Some of such countries are Turkey and Russia (between Asia and Europe), and Egypt (between Asia and Africa).

All of those are currently just wishful thinkings, but we will never know what the future holds. Let's work hard, save some money and search for cheap tickets, shall we?

Yang Patah Tumbuh, Yang Hilang Berganti

A lovely song from Banda Neira, because today is an extra day :)

[Weekender] Photography Discussion, Book Fair And All That Jazz

From here

After all the floods we had in Jakarta and its surrounding areas in the past few days, we all deserve some relaxation this weekend.  

A friend informed me about a photography discussion #SnatcherClass that will be held at Titik Temu MBlocSpace on Feb. 29 at 10 am (for more info, check IG @arieslukman). I also saw another photography talk with Darwis Triadi on the same day (Feb. 29) at National Museum at 3 pm (for more info, check IG @museum_nasional_indonesia). Hmmm, how about coming to both events?

If you are in the mood for some Islamic reading materials, come and grab the books at Islamic Book Fair 2020, held at JCC until March 1.

Jakarta International Java Jazz Festival is coming to J-town! The three-day jazz festival will be held from Feb. 28 (yes, tonight) to March 1 at Jakarta International Expo.

There is also Plaza Indonesia Film Festival (PIFF) 2020, with movie screening held on Feb. 24-28 (today is the last day, though) with 'The Lighthouse', 'Honeyland', 'The Science of Fictions' and other movies in the lineup. For more information, check IG @plazaindonesia.

Wishing you a dry, safe and peaceful weekend!

I Got Another Freelance Job On The Topic That I Love

Before resigning from one of the jobs last year, I thought I would slow down this year. But an ex boss contacted me in early December 2019 and asked if I could help him out with a new project coming. He knew I worked for a Singapore-based media research company, and he was making a similar entity, so he thought I would be a good fit in his team. I went to his office and meet the other team members, had discussion about my daily schedule (aka my other jobs) and how we could turn the wheels around because we wanted this to work out well. 

That meeting happened in early December, and he told me to wait. So I waited, and resigned from that job. Resigning from that one was never meant to put all hopes on this job. I just wanted to leave things that no longer make me happy anymore. December and January passed without any progress from this project. Then early this month, the ex boss called again to inform that I should start working the next day.

[Say whaaat???]

Boy, I am grateful that I have a strong heart. Otherwise, I could have a heart attack right there. The boss put me in touch with one of the team members, who gave me the step-by-step SOP for the daily report. The first day was a mess. But we are learning to find our dynamics as a team, and so far we are doing good. It has been three weeks and I am starting to enjoy this new project. 

So, what is the project about? In general, it's also a media monitoring job, with the topic of environment, which was broken down to seven subtopics: direct mention of the client's name, climate change, forestry, lowlands, one map, palm oil, coastal&ocean, and biodiversity. I love the topics, which was why I said yes to this project in the first place.

The team provided the links for online news, while I have to scour six e-paper (Kompas, Bisnis Indonesia, Investor Daily, Tempo, Media Indonesia and The Jakarta Post) every morning. They gave me the passwords to the e-paper. Wow, this job is like a custom-made project for a person who loves to read newspaper and environment issues (read: me). All e-paper are already available at 3 am, except for Tempo (5 am), while I start working on the SG job at 5.20 am. 

Basically, I have to finish 80 percent of this environmental medmon project before 5.20 am. I can edit and finish the remaining of the report while working on the SG reports. Fortunately, the team members have been very helpful and they adjusted the schedule to make things working out for me to finish the report on time. I think what makes me liking the project is the trust the boss gives to the team members, me included.

I will work on this project until February 2021. It's not even a month has passed, and I really hope it will be extended. 

[Movie] SEMES7A, A Movie About Indonesia, Environment And People Who Are Trying To Save Both

From here

2019 | Director: Chairun Nissa |

I got a free ticket to watch this movie through a giveaway contest. I have barely won any giveaway, so I was very excited when I got it.

The documentary tells seven areas across Indonesia and seven people who are trying to save the environment using the local wisdom and the belief system they hold onto. Watching this movie will remind you that Indonesia is more than just beautiful natural resources, but this equatorial jewel also has rich culture and kind people.

First to be featured in the movie is Bali, a predominantly Hindu community in a predominantly Muslim country. The Hindu community in Bali celebrates Nyepi, Day of Silence, when people are not allowed to light up fire or electronic devices and talk or make any sound. A report says that Nyepi cut 30,000 cubic meter carbon.

From Bali, the film moves to Sungai Utik, West Kalimantan, where a Dayak community tries to guard the forest using the local wisdom that has been passed for generations. For example, in one year, an adult can only cut down three trees (CMIIW). They only hunt boars, and leave the orangutans at peace. 

Meanwhile, a community in Pameu, Aceh faces challenge in their life as the wild elephants destroyed the paddy field. Some consider killing or poisoning the elephants, but some others decide to take a step back and let the elephants to roam the land. As Aceh is called the terrace of Mecca, the Islamic cleric gives sermon that emphasizes the importance of maintaining harmony with the environment,

An effort to restore micro hydro power plant in Ruteng, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara is featured in the movie. The Catholic priest leads the community to generate electricity from the rivers, and when a recent flood destroys the turbine house and the levee, the community decides to chip in to bring back the clean energy to their village.

Another local wisdom is shown by the mothers community in Kapatcol, Raja Ampat, Papua as theyput a sasi (a ban to fish or take anything from a certain sea area for a certain period of time) to protect the sea. [Tangent: sasi is a common practice in Maluku and Papua, I once saw similar procession in Kei Kecil island, Maluku.] After the sasi is lifted, the mothers harvest the sea products, only take the big ones and return the small ones back into the sea.

The movie takes us to Yogyakarta, where Bumi Langit is located. The permaculture farming and food forest run by Iskandar Waworuntu and his family teaches audience that there is an alternative for better agriculture system that does not destroy the environment.

Kebun Kumara in Jakarta is the last story to close the movie. Founded by young couple Sandra and Dhira, Kebun Kumara tries to bring the greenery back into urban areas through urban farming. [Tangent: I went here last year for a gardening class, you can check their activity on IG @kebunkumara] 

There was a movie discussion after the screening with the director explaining on the process, the challenge and the hope for the movie. Ilun, as the director often called, explained that the movie featured seven communities and seven people due to the movie duration. So it was all about practicality, not lucky number. 

She ties in the seven stories by moving from one island community (Bali) to a tribe (West Kalimantan) to a village (Aceh) to a hamlet (East Nusa Tenggara) to a community (Papua) to a family (Yogyakarta) and to a young couple (Jakarta). Apart from the environment issue, she also features religion as one of the main themes, to show that all religions teach humans to take care of the environment, not destroy it.

It is an interesting movie to watch. Go and watch this if you have the opportunity.

[Weekender] Getting Classical With Tchaikovsky Or Il Costume Atelier

From here

Hello lovelies, how are you?

Are you a fan of classic music? There is Tchaikovsky Night by Jakarta Concert Orchestra with Avip Priatna on Feb. 21 at 7.30 pm (yes, tonight) at Usmar Ismail Hall. The orchestra will play the Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 35, which was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1878. Beside the famous piece, they will also play Tchaikovsky's Symphony no 5 in E minor and Marche Slave in B flat minor Op. 31. To book the ticket, go to theresonanz.com/ticketing. 

The costumes from Il Costume Atelier are being exhibited at the Italian Cultural Institute in Menteng, Central Jakarta, until Feb. 22. This exhibition is held in conjunction with the Leonardo Opera Omnia exhibition, held to mark the 500th anniversary of da Vinci's passing at Bank Museum in Central Jakarta from Feb. 6 to March. 3. 

Another fashion event this weekend is Muslim Fashion Festival, held on Feb. 20-23 at JCC. There must be a ticketing for this event, I just don't know where to find it.

It's been a tough week for me. I think I will pour a cup of hot chocolate and have an easy weekend. Have a great one, y'all!

[Movie] Kim Ji-young Born 1982

From here

2019 | 1 hour 58 minutes | Director: Kim Do-young

I watched this movie after 'Parasite' won the 2020 Oscar, and I would recommend anyone to watch this. South Korean movies have solid stories and touching ways to deliver the message, this movie just made me crying, in a good way, of course.

An adaptation from the novel of the same title by Cho Nam-joo, the movie centers on Kim Ji-young (Jung Yu-mi), a young mom of a five year-old girl Ah-young, who feels that she is not doing well enough. She spends the days taking care of household chores, the baby and the family, but she will feel empty every time she watch the sun set from the apartment's balcony.

Her husband Jung Dae-hyun (Gong Yoo) is worried because he sees how Ji-young often speaks as if she is inhabited by her mother/older sister/late grandma. At first he thinks it's postpartum syndrome, but as their daughter grows older, the signs continue. Ji-young sometimes drinks beer in the middle of the night, and does not remember anything about it. He urges her to see a psychiatrist, but she keeps skirting the subject, especially when she knows that the cost is expensive.

As the movie progress, audience will learn slowly on the cause behind Ji-young's condition. The movie moves back and forth, showing Ji-young when she was little, when she was teenager and during her employee stint period. Her mother, who quitted school to work as a tailor and supported the family, once told little Ji-young that she dreamed of becoming a teacher, but she had to give up dream to fend for the family.

Another scene shows how teenage Ji-young is being harassed in a bus. She manages to escape after she asks help from a woman who sees that she looks uncomfortable. However, her father blames Ji-young for wearing short skirt. Her father also once told her to just get married, during which her mother cut him short and encouraged her to pursue her dream and live the life she wants.

Before she was married, Ji-young works in a company. She admired her female boss, and once thought that the boss hated her. But the boss explained that the company needed a solid team that could spend long time. The boss, reflecting on her own situation as a working mom, did not want to place Ji-young in a difficult situation. The innocent Ji-young confidently said that she would still do well like the boss after she was married and had children.

Once Ji-young was married, the patriarchal culture and the societal pressure in South Korea that demand women to get married and have children come barreling down. Dae-hyun asks her to try having children, although she is still not ready. Similar pressure is also faced by Ji-young's older sister, Eun-young, who is still single, but she just shrugs it off.

It turns out that patriarchal culture and rigid family structure become the main cause of Ji-young's mental breakdown. In one scene, Ji-young should visit her mother-in-law with Dae-hyun. Just when she is about to complete her dish washing duty, her sister-in-law comes and her mother-in-law asks her to serve food for the newly visiting family members.

While Dae-hyun does not understand what exactly has happened, he knows that his wife is not feeling well. He sees how Ji-young's face lit up when informing him about a new job offer from the former boss, and suggests that he takes parental leave to take care of Ah-young on her first year at the new office. He just wants to see Ji-young happy again, and if a new job will bring back the woman he loves, he will do anything. However, when Dae-hyun's mother hears the news, she scolds Ji-young for putting her son's career at stake by telling him to take parental leave. The conversation with the mother-in-law sends Ji-young to another depression state, which makes her talking as if she is her late grandmother.

Dae-hyun finally breaks the fact to Ji-young, by showing a video of her talking like her mother. Taking the news bravely, Ji-young decides to put her mental health first. She turns down the job offer to start therapy sessions with the psychiatrist that Dae-hyun suggests, starts journaling, and stands up when several people say she is not a capable mother behind her back.

My take on this movie: I guess all Asians have similar condition, because the family structure is more than just nuclear family, but also unite the families from both the husband and wife. It's important to get a spouse who really love and take you as you are, not as the extended family demands her/him to be. Also, couples should communicate on their vision ahead of the marriage. Some women still want to work in office and do something in the community, but they have to end their dream because the patriarchal culture deems their dreams are unworthy. I love that Ji-young and Dae-hyun work together to solve the issue because that's what good marriage is. Happy women make happy families, and in the end will make happy nation.

[Weekender] Let's Meet Leonardo While He Is In Town

From NowJakarta

Yeay, it's already Friday! What is your plan for today and the weekend? The weather has been cloudy with a chance of rain and some thunderstorms lately, so I've been staying in. I hope to go out some place this weekend.

Here are a few events that I've found on the newspapers and websites.

To mark the 500th anniversary of the demise of the Renaissance master, Leonardo da Vinci, the Italian embassy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Jakarta present the traveling exhibition, Leonardo Opera Omnia, produced by RAI Com and the Italian Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry. The exhibition is held in Museum Mandiri, 1st floor, Jl. Lapangan Stasiun No. 1, until March 3, 2020. For the event's info in Bahasa, here's an article on Destinasian.

Kinosaurus will hold a movie screening of 'Postcard from the Zoo' on Feb. 15, 2020, start at 9.30 pm. For more information: kinosaurusjakarta.com.

Festival Sinema Australia returns this month with top list films to be screened in six cities, including Jakarta, Surabaya, Makassar, Mataram, Bandung and Yogyakarta. This year's festival will screen eight films, from feature-length film to documentary, from Feb. 14 to Feb. 29. Tickets for the screenings are free, but you should book a seat on fsai2020.eventbrite.com.

Children's Art Space Color In Space by Mit Jai In in Museum MACAN. The museum is collaborating with Thai artist Mit Jai Inn in UOB Museum MACAN Children's Art Space Commission. Children will be able to immerse themselves in the environment that is set up to resemble a cave. For more information, visit www.museummacan.org.

Wishing you a fun weekend with your loved ones!