A Week Of Self Quarantine With A Box Of Puzzle

 

The IG post that started it

On March 17 (Thursday), I had a meet-up with a friend. We chatted and had a meal together. Then the next day (Friday), she called me to say that she was positive and advised me to get myself tested. Later on that day, she was admitted to Wisma Atlet, Jakarta's COVID-19 recovery facility, because her symptoms were between mild and medium. 

I decided to wait for 3 days (until Monday) to go to a community health center (Puskesmas) near my home to get tested. However, even after three days, I still didn't show any symptoms. No fever, no cough. The officer at Puskesmas checked my temperature, it was only 36.3 Celsius. The doctor asked several time to make sure that I didn't have any symptoms and then deduced that I didn't need any test, because the test could be used for people with visible symptoms.

"You should just stay at home for at least one week, have enough food, drink and sleep. Soak in the sun for 30 minutes everyday. Take vitamins. If you show any symptoms, you should come back here for the test," the doctor said.

Having worked as a freelancer since 2018, I've been used to staying at home. But even a freelancer go to convenience store at least once a week. Now that I could not go out at all, I needed to find something to while away the time. I stumbled upon Tom Holland's Instagram post on Impossible Marvel jigsaw puzzle a few months ago and then decided to give it a try for this self quarantine. I checked out the item off my shopping basket and quickly worked on it once it arrived at my door.

I had my first jigsaw puzzle back in elementary school when one of M&D's colleagues gave me that as a birthday gift. It was, if I was not mistaken, a 500-piece puzzle bearing a picture of Lake Tahoe. I assembled the puzzle with my cousins. Jigsaw puzzle was an expensive and quite rare gift to acquire back then. It is easier to find puzzle now, but it still is a relatively expensive hobby item.

For Clementoni's Marvel Impossible Puzzle, I applied several steps of sorting method. The first step was to sort the edge pieces and form the edges. Second, I sorted the inner pieces based on the picture on the piece. Since the puzzle bears the illustrations of the Avengers, I looked for faces, bodies and costumes. Last but not least, I separated the pieces based on the shape of the pieces.

Apart of the edge pieces, this puzzle has six other piece shapes as shown in the above picture. It may seem easy to find the right piece. But there are sides of a piece that overlap with other pieces. 

Here are the progresses that I managed to record in my phone, either on photo or video. I would advise you to mute the sound or  use head phone before you play the videos, because my voice could disrupt a person sitting next to you :D. 

Things that help during the puzzle completion include the ability to memorize the picture on the pieces and on the box, recognize the differences of color hues in each characters and also realize that each character has different line stroke. For example, the lines and red hue on Iron Man is different on Spider-Man.

I completed the puzzle in seven days and probably spent around 2-3 hours each day to work on it. However, I did not exactly clock in on the time so I was not really sure of the total number of hours I spent on this. In this photo, I think it was on the fourth/fifth day. At some points, I reached the dark valleys of desperation because the pieces didn't seem to fit in. If that happened, I walked away and did other things to distract my mind off the puzzle.

On the seventh day, as I concluded the self quarantine period, I also put the puzzle pieces together.😌

 

And this is it! The Marvel Impossible Puzzle by Clementoni in all its glory. All in all, it was a great puzzle to work on, especially if you're a comic fan like I am. I would definitely redo this puzzle over and over again.

Self quarantine was not easy, as I had been having negative thoughts during the 7-10 days I spent inside my room. But this puzzle has helped me in many ways. I would love to take puzzling as another hobby and would pick another Clementoni's Impossible Puzzle (most likely the Justice League variant, hahaha). But of course, I need to save up first, because it definitely is not cheap here in Indonesia.

If you are a puzzler, what are the recommended puzzles to have for a freshly minted puzzler?

February 2021 In Recap

February always feels shorter as it only has 28 days, but this year's February felt like zooming past me. I spent the days taking in my colleague's work load, my own work load and also working on my other clients' assignments. 

This month I still had three projects from the SG-based clients and two projects from my ID-based clients on a fixed contract. Meanwhile, I was also working on the revision on the Sumba Island project and starting on the earthquake aid relief project. Whenever I woke up from my night sleep this month, I quickly checked the day/date and the to-do list that I had wrote down the day before. This habit actually helped me to stay on track and finish every daily/weekly tasks on time so that I still had time to work on the other projects.

In the past, my colleague often joked that I have this mechanical response and work on a predetermined schedule. Well, look who's benefiting from my unique trait, none other than herself! 😆

Anyway, the writing assignment on the earthquake aid relief turned out to be in either raw form or in limited amount. Some of the data are in the form of newsletters, while some others still in the form of audio/video files. I also had to do additional interviews (note the plural form!) via Microsoft Teams, transcribe the audio/video files into text and then compiling the words into comprehensive articles.

Tangent: after using Skype and Webex for the SG-based client, I have been using Zoom, GMeet and WhatsApp Call for various work purposes. However, this was the first time I used Microsoft Teams and I was impressed. Teams can allow a computer to take over another computer so it can browse the content of the overtaken computer.

If I had more time to work on this assignment, I could enjoy the process more. But it was all about catching up with the deadline, so to be honest, I would say that it was not one of my best work. On a normal situation, I would beat myself for not giving the best result. During this pandemic, I just want to end the assignment as soon as possible, I could not wait to feel at ease again.

Works And Occupational Hazard

After completing the Sumba project, I thought I could have calm days ahead. However, another write-up project has waited just around the corner. This time, it's about the earthquakes that hit Lombok Island in 2018. I did not have to fly over to Lombok Island as the team promised to provide me with the necessary data. However, the data compiling process was not as smooth as I had expected and there were some interviews that I should conduct via Microsoft Teams, so the project was a bit delayed behind schedule.

 

The main issues that I needed to write were about emergency relief and disaster risk reduction. I am excited to work on the project because it is a relevant issue for Indonesia, which sits on the Ring of Fire and is vulnerable to various kinds of natural disaster. 

Tangent: it's a bit funny that I have been getting works on long-form articles because a few months ago, I sort of complained to a friend, wishing that I could write long-form articles.

 

Due to this Lombok earthquake project,  I downloaded Microsoft Teams on my cellphone, as my trusty old laptop (which will turn 11 years old this June/July) could not download the app. I simply hope that my cellphone (which will turn four years old this May) will be able to keep up working with Skype, Webex, Zoom, and Google Meet that have been downloaded previously.

Another issue that happened this week was my work partner experienced hernia nucleus pulposus (HNP) due to sitting for hours on the floor without any cushion during this Work-From-Home period. She was hospitalized for a few days, and then she was scheduled for MRI or CT scan (?).

On HNP, I have a few friends with the conditions, so I have been trying to connect my work partner to my friends. All of my friends with HNP recommended swimming or walking on the swimming pool as part of the physiotherapy. I relayed the information to her, but at the moment, she insisted on going to an acupuncturist.

I had to take over her duties because she was still in pain if she sit for too long. So this week, I had to adjust and worked around my schedules to ensure all works were completed on (or before) deadlines. My boss asked whether I needed a back up, but I think it would be a hassle to train an intern just for several months. I think the works are still manageable, as long as I stay on course.

Anyway, this incident that happened to my work partner has raised my awareness on the hidden risk of working from home. As working from home is far more comfortable than working from office, sometimes most of us could sit for hours, and this is not good for our backbone health. Now, I try to have a five-minute break after one-hour of work to stand up, stretch my body and have a glass of water. 

I guess I will have my schedules busy in months ahead, until she gets better and resumes her works. In the meantime, let's keep working and carry on stretching in between works and breaks, people.

When I Tried To Cook Prawns, But The Foods Did Not Turn Out As Instagrammable As I Expected

After months in the pandemic situation, people would start to do the unexpected. In my case, it was cooking. I can cook for survival, but I would not find any joy if I have to do it on a daily basis. This cooking journey began with me missing the restaurant foods and trying to be frugal since we have yet to see the end of the pandemic and the economy crisis. I ordered a pack of shrimp (or is it prawn?) from an online shop. 

Most of the recipes are from Devina Hermawan's YouTube channel, with a few tweaks because sometimes I did not have the exact ingredient at home.

Can you guess what these are? Well, they are supposed to be "lumpia udang ayam kulit tahu" (shrimp and chicken wrapped in tofu skin spring roll). The ones sold in the restaurant are usually in small sizes, but since I felt hungry and generous, I made them gigantic. Despite the ugly appearance, these tasted  quite okay.

 

This one was supposed to be Singapore chili prawn. I was afraid that it would turn out too spicy or sour, so I kind of reduced the chili and tomatoes, resulting on this pale-looking dish. But it still tasted good, at least M said so. We both ate this dish in one sitting.

 

I was trying to recreate ebi furai (fried crispy shrimp) of Hokben, and lo and behold, what the hell were these chonky-looking bent prawns? While I currently could not pass the appearance test in cooking, I tried compensate in the taste department. These were actually good and delicious.

 

I believed this dimsum was the most successful prawn-based dish I have made so far. But again, you can never fail in making dimsum. The best thing about dimsum is you can keep them frozen and steam them later.

While I enjoy cooking these dishes, I have to take a break from the prawns, because the cholesterol level has spiked afterwards. M actually loves it when I cook, because it means she does not have to cook. I guess you will see a similar post in the future under this label :).

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?

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.

My Septuagenarian Parents' Take On Internet And Smartphone

1. Some Battery Problem

Situation: Two years ago, I gave M my old smartphone (bought in 2015), and the battery has been showing early sign of impending death. 

M: Hi kid, there is a battery on that desk.

Me: (looking at the desk and battery, it was a brand of Advan) Yes, what about it?

M: Could you change the battery in my smartphone with that one?

Me: Mom, your smartphone brand is Smartfren, the battery brand is Advan.

M: So? We couldn't use it?

Me: We might as well use Energizer if it were possible

2. Smartphone Acquisition Plan

M: When are you planning to buy a new smartphone?

Me: Oh, I don't know. Mine is relatively new, just bought it in 2017. Why?

M: If you buy a new one, can I use yours?

Me: Why don't you buy a new one if you need it?

M: I don't really need a brand new smartphone.

3. When The WiFi Died

Situation: I forgot to pay the Internet bill and then it was blocked (yeah, my bad, I totally forgot).

M: I think my smartphone is in error. I can't use WhatsApp. I think we should buy a new one.

Me: Chill, Mom. It's just the Internet stop operating because I forgot to pay. 

M: Oh.

4. Or When They Accidentally Turned Off WiFi On Their Smartphones

D: I think my smartphone is in error. I can't use WhatsApp. 

Me: Give me your smartphone, let me have a look. See, you turned off the WiFi, that's why. Nothing is wrong.

D: Oh it must be M who turned that off.

M: (suddenly appeared) How did you know I did it? I think it was you who did it. (fighting mode on)

Me: (quietly made my exit)

5. When They Found A Universe Called YouTube

Situation: Somehow, both of my parents learned how to open YouTube. 

M: Did you know that xxx did xxx (insert anything that is hoax)?

Me: Mom, you know that everything on Internet is not always right, right?

M: It's not?

Me: I mean, you should always check if it's accurate or not.

M: But how?

Me: You can cross check those on Google.

Conversation With Work Colleague Via Skype/WhatsApp

As I've told you before, my work colleagues are based in other Southeast Asia countries. For daily report, I usually work with Pat and Jonah (from the Philippines) and when I cover for my Indonesian colleague, I work with Tyrone (also from the Philippines). For the weekly report, I work with Hazel, Sandra and Zahidah (from Singapore, although I think Zahidah is Malaysian as she understand Bahasa and proofreads my report, because Bahasa and Melayu are both similar and also different LOL), while for the bi-weekly report I work with Lordan (from the Philippines) and Sylvia (from Singapore).

Of all work colleagues, Pat is the closest colleague as I communicate with her on a daily basis. So far we already connected via Skype, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Perhaps, Instagram is next.

Although Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines geographically share borders and similar cultures, we don't speak the same language, so English come to the rescue. It could be very tricky, because English is not our mother tongue and written words always sound too direct/harsh compared to spoken words. But so far, we manage to get along as we focus more on how to get the work done.

Anyway, here are some snippets that I had with my colleague:

#1. Let's Blame Tim Cook

Situation: I submitted the report a bit late because Tim Cook made a critical statement the day before, which resulted in many news links, and those should be included in the report

Me: Sorry I am late today, so many news on Tim Cook

Pat: Yeah, me too, let's blame Tim Cook

#2. Which One Is More Important?

Me: Which one is more important: me being on time in submitting report or me doing the translation correctly?

Pat: Well, actually both

Me: I knew you're going to say that

#3. Don't Tell Them That

Pat: Good timing today, Tifa.

Me: Yeah, I follow your advice to drop everything when the clock strikes 10.45 am.

Pat: Yup, the same tip I told Michael. But don't tell them I said that.

#4. Secret MacBook Sorority

Situation: when our boss told Pat and I to buy a Windows laptop (we both use MacBook Pro), because she believed the Mac slowed us

Pat: I can't afford to buy another laptop, we just have to show them that we can finish the report on time

Me: Just wondering, how many MacBook users are there in the office?

Pat: I think there are only three people using MacBook: you, me and Joni

Me: Wow, we should make an alliance

I really hope that one day I can meet this office's work colleagues in person. 

On Eyes, Onde-Onde, Shopping, And Being A Germ With M&D

Hello, lovelies! I hope you and loved ones are in good health. Here are some updates on M&D because I know some people find them adorable.

#1. Look Into My Eyes
Situation: after D went to have his eyes checked by the ophthalmologist
Me: D, what did the doctor say?
D: Well, she said,"good afternoon, sir, please sit down."
Me: And then?
D: She also told me to look into her eyes. So I look at her and we locked our eyes...
Me: D? What was the result of the check up?
D: Oh, not much. I have to come again on Jan. 12.

#2. The Case of Missing Onde-Onde, part 1
Situation: I bought three onde-onde (original, cheese and black sticky rice)
M: Why did you buy it?
Me: You don't want them? It's ok, I'll eat them tomorrow.
The next morning...
Me: Where are those onde-onde?
M: Errr...they are rolling?
D: Yup, rolling outside of this house
Me: -_-

#3. The Case of Missing Onde-Onde, part 2
Me: So what was it like?
D: Well, I tried the white one, I think it was cheese? And another one, maybe mung bean?
Me: Only two? I bought three
D: I only ate two
Me & D: (looking at M)
M: Errr...the third one already rolled before the other two did?

#4. The Mom Principle In Spending
Situation: during a fierce haggling in Thamrin City
Vendor: If you buy five, one will be priced at Rp 45,000
M: I'll just take two, I can always come here anytime.
Me: But M, taking Go-Car to ThamCit is expensive
M: Hmm, you've got a point there, child (talking to me). Now, could you show me the other color? (turning to vendor)
Me: (ouch, I must have said something wrong)

#5. The Germ That Is Always Be Missed
Situation: I was knocking on my parents' bedroom door before leaving the house
M: Come in
D: Oh dear, why do you always interrupt us, just like a germ
Me: Ok, I'm about to go out anyway (without skipping a beat)
D: What? Where are you going? Don't come home late
Me: But you said I was like a germ

I Am Finally Using Home Internet

After having been working at home or at cafes last year, I decided to gift myself with home Internet at the end of 2018. Another reason was Bolt, which has become my Internet provider, was closed down on Dec. 28 because it had yet to pay the radio frequency fee. Seriousy, why didn't Bolt pay it? 

When I read the news on the morning of Dec. 28, I just knew I had to find replacement that could go on before the end of the year because I still had to work on Dec. 31 *cry on corner. I decided to subscribe to Indihome.

Priced at Rp 363,000 per month for 10 Mbps Internet, basic TV cable service and 100 free local+intercity phone call, it's definitely not the cheapest Internet package at the moment. I chose it for the following reasons:
1. Indihome's fiber optic network is available in my neighborhood
2. Indihome is a subsidiary of state telecommunication company Telkom

Unlike other people who set home Internet for entertainment, I use home Internet for serious work. I would need a reliable service provider so I can work at peace. I think that if something happens to Indihome, the government would do maximum efforts to maintain its operation.

So far the service has been outstanding. I registered for service on Dec. 28, received phonecall for survey request on Dec. 29 and had it installed at home on Dec. 30. I was able to work at home at peace since Dec. 31. With home Internet, M&D can also enjoy the WiFi for WhatsApp. I don't have to buy data package for them anymore. I hope I can be a better blogger with the new home Internet.

However, since my neighborhood area sometimes experience blackout, I still need a backup. I plan to switch my Bolt modem to Smartfren, so M&D can use it if they leave home. All these sound like a battlefield strategy, but hey, if you live in Indonesia, you must always have plan B, C, D up to Z.

Are you using home Internet in Indonesia? What do you use and why do you choose that?

2018 Is The Year Of Me Taking Up Freelance Works

This was shot at Istora Senayan Stadium, but it looked as if it was taken in either Korea or Japan (Amin yra) :)

Hello, 39-year-old me, let's hope the last year of my 30s will be awesome. But before we bade farewell to 2018, here are some recaps on the year of the freelance works.

First of all, I admit that the older I become, the less post I have on this blog. It could be either I was too lazy to write the small things that matter in my life, or I've just gotten too busy. I think it was the latter. When I was a journo, I only had one responsibility: to report for my workplace. Now that I am a freelancer, I have to build networks, meet people (future clients!) and, of course, finish the works in a timely and perfectly manner. It's all challenging and giddying.

I kicked off the year by falling down at Manggarai station and injured my knee badly. Then I was sent to Sumba on that bad knee condition. It was the last field assignment to Sumba before the project concluded in March. I was a bit sad to leave the project because I felt like I haven't learned much. Then I helped the workplace to write down a project proposal (my first stint as a proposal writer!). However, there was no follow-up from the job.

This year, things happened out of my expectation, but actually it was what I had envisioned. For example, I started to work as a freelancer. It was not something I expected to happen this year, but I did consider to try freelancing some times later in my 40s. Lo and behold, I got the opportunity to work as freelancer last April!

What started as one half-day daily freelance report has evolved to a weekly report, and then a bi-weekly report. There was another weekly report job from another workplace. Then I also got other one-off jobs. Some of the one-off jobs were as simultaneous translator, book editor, and report editor. They were all exciting jobs, and yet, I missed writing, which is one of the reasons I still keep this space.

Anyway, the freelance works have given me enough time to rest (I have been taking a nap in the past 10 months), meet up with friends or visiting members of my extended family after office hour and explore other hobbies (I have been trying my hands on gardening and baking).

Also happening this year was, after years of bugging and begging to my parents, I finally got my own space right above the garage. The space has been a work in progress and still far from perfect, but so far I enjoy it and can spend hours inside my room.

This year, my wish to enjoy Ramadhan at home came true. Although it was still far from what I envisioned to be (still had to work to complete those reports), I loved that I could stay inside during the hot days.

In August, Jakarta and Palembang became hosts to Asia's biggest sport competition, the Asian Games 2018. I had tried to find freelance works on Asian Games, but in the end I got no freelance works and I had to enjoy the event as a spectator, which was quite interesting too.

The surprise came in October when I got the offer to support the official tabloid of Asian Para Games 2018. It was the first time I ever wrote sports news and I couldn't be more thankful for the opportunity.

D underwent the cataract operation in late October (right eye) and then in early December (left eye). The road to recovery was still ongoing. He could not read book (low close range vision), but he could drive as his long range vision was quite alright (well, to some extent, that is). I knew M&D would not admit it, but they were relieved to have me around the house at almost anytime. And if I'm not at home, they would know that they could find me working in a nearby cafe.

This year, I managed to squeeze some times to escape Jakarta. The first trip was going to Solo to visit my travel buddy Aneen, who is now mom of a cute toddler. Since they could not travel too far, I just hang out with them in the city and did a culinary tour.

Also, in between D's cataract operations, a friend asked me to accompany her to her hometown in Kudus, Central Java. Encompassing Semarang-Kudus-Jogjakarta, the trip was done in impromptu and I couldn't take any leave, so I decided to take the laptop with me. I made sure that the accommodation had WiFi so that I could do my morning work. It was a fun road trip, and made me wonder if I could spend one month working outside of Jakarta to keep me sane.

The year was not always painted in a beautiful color. I had bad days, people played trick on me, and the anxiety on whether I had done the right thing by becoming a freelancer. Sometimes, when I looked at the social media timeline and saw how much my friends have progressed in their life and career, I would feel a bit discouraged. But then, one or two posts on gratitude slid into my timeline, and I became embarrassed that I ever questioned His decision.

I think I have said this in almost every Yearender post, but I would always repeat it: I am grateful to Allah for whatever happened in the year and I look forward to the year to come. 

On D's Cataract Operation

It is inevitable, but the topics of being septuagenarian, illnesses and recuperation will likely be found in this blogs, apart from the travel, food and relationship (as if I were an expert, ha!), as I accompany my parents in the road to recovery. A quick background info: D has diabetes type-2 and apart from the pills, he has started on insulin injection a few years ago.

In early October, D complained about abdominal pain and finally went to see an internist. The doctor told him to get an X-Ray and a USG. In the X-Ray room, the radiologist took a good look at D and asked if he liked reading. D answered: yes, but now it had been hard to read due to poor eye sight. The radiologist told him to go to the ophthalmologist, in which he did after getting the doctor's referral letter. The ophthalmologist gave a quick check and then scheduled him for an operation in the upcoming week. The doctor told him that he should get the operation because the condition worsened and led to blindness.

What surprised me was: he later admitted that his bad eye sight had been happening for quite some time and he did not even complain about it. He only demanded that M accompanied him every time he went out. I guess parents have this habit of not wanting to make the children worried, unless we ask them. I have made this mental note to be more attentive and ask regularly M&D if they have any health issues.

Back to the operation news: D was shocked, and so were M and I. We thought that D would come home with a thorax/abdomen X-Ray photo, instead he told us he was going to get an eye operation after getting his sugar blood level checked. Long story short, his sugar blood level was low enough to get into the operation and he went to the operation room on Oct. 25 for his right eye. The operation was only between 20-30 minutes. There were two other persons getting the operation on that day.

After the operation, he went for checks up. In the following weeks, the other patients could already see, however, D's condition did not seem to improve. The other patients did not have diabetes. My uncle and my friend's mother also underwent the cataract operation, both could already see, and both did not have diabetes. We concluded that people with diabetes need more time to recuperate. 

Some few weeks later, he could tell which was M and which was I, but he still had blurry vision on his right eye and it made him frustrated. We told him to be patient and continue praying for the best, as we waited for the second operation for his left eye, which should be held three months after the first operation. Lo and behold, on a random check up, his doctor told him to get his left eye operated the next week. And he went to the operation room again on Dec. 5.

Unlike his right eye, his left eye seemed to have better condition. D said that his left eye had been catching up to his right eye. It was interesting to learn how a human body could achieve different result on the same operation. Each body part is unique, but all should be treated carefully.

Anyway, the abdominal pain miraculously disappeared for the time being. Perhaps it was just his body trying to give a sign for him to get his eyes checked. Either way, I think I should be prepared on other news ahead. I only wish that God grants me the strength and patience to take care of my aging parents. 

I Woke Up To These Questions

Being known among friends and relatives as a "translator", many of them often ask me the English equivalents of some Bahasa Indonesia words. Most of the time, I got the questions upon waking up from night sleep or power nap. Here are some of the questions:

Port, harbour and haven
Situation: when a friend who is also a translator contacted, you need more than just a dictionary
RAS: What are the differences of port, harbour and haven?
Me: Port has the industrial activity, such as loading-unloading the cargo, and harbour is usually smaller than port. Haven...well, it is something that is secluded, often used for a hiding place such as tax haven.
RAS: Pearl Harbour is big, I think. At least, that's what I see in the movie
Me: Let me check the Internet, I just woke up from nap *quickly did a browsing on the subjects
RAS: Ok, Internet here is not good, so I thought I asked you
Me: Aha! It was all correct *sending a screenshot photo on the browsing result

Usefulness?
Situation: when a newly married friend is composing texts for wedding photo album
ADP: What are the other words for "usefulness?" *sending a photo of her photo album
Me: Eh? It sounds off-key. Is it meant to be "berkah"? How about "blessings"?
ADP: Yes, it sounds better. I felt like a spoon if we use that word,"usefulness". So "Happiness and Blessings"
(a few minutes later, after I gained more consciousness)
Me: Wait, how about "Love and Happiness"? Or "Love Journey, Blessed Union"
ADP: Now that reminds me to Union's Red Velvet cake
Me: Yeah, yummy, isn't it?

Entitled and titled
Situation: when a metalhead boy wanted to release a new album
DP: What is the meaning of entitled? Is it the same of titled?
Me: Just use "titled"
DP: But "entitled" sounds cool
Me: What is the context again? You want to release an album?
DP: Yes, I want to share it via socmed: "the third album is entitled...", would that be correct?
Me: Ok, you can use both. And congratulations on the third album.

Sitting cross-legged or Sukhasana?
Situation: On another occurrence, that metalhead boy was writing a song
DP: What is the English word for duduk bersila?
Me: Is this a song title? What is the context? Sitting cross-legged, or if you are looking for metaphorical words, Sukhasana, a yoga pose would do
DP: Both are too long, it's for song lyrics. Do you have other words for that?
Me: Wait, I just woke up.
DP: Oops sorry. Do you use any translation website besides Google translate?
Me: Sometimes I use sederet.com.
DP: Ok, thanks
Me: No problems *back to sleep

The Work Wear In Retrospect

I've never really work in a serious workplace that required a business suit. I was a journo for almost 10 years, with workdays spent on the road. Then five years ago, I became a communications person for not-for-profit organizations or projects, which sometimes required me doing field visits to remote villages.

When working at the office as a communications person, I usually wear casual and comfortable outfit combo, such as shirts or T-shirts, wide-leg pants or straight-leg jeans, and sneakers or boots. Sometimes I wear knee-length dress paired with cardigans and pants. If I have meeting outside of office, I put more efforts, such as wearing batik shirts or skirts. Meeting with high-level officials (or work interview) would result in me wearing a blazer.

To make my week goes easy, I have several basic rules for the work wear:

(1) Wear blacks and dark colored outfit on Mondays

(2) Set one color as the week's theme

(3) Wear skirt on Wednesday

(4) Prepare and plan all of those by Sunday night

Sounds complicated, you say? On the contrary, with those rules, I have cut down the morning's decision-making process by 50 percent. I have posted the Wednesday skirt outfit previously.

Now that I am in my freelance period, I work from home and the work wear becomes even more simpler. Sometimes I work in my PJs, other times I work in a T-shirt and shorts/midi skirt combo. Sometimes I put on mask while working, which would feel refreshing as my work hours start earlier than other people because I work in the Singapore time zone (+1 hour than Jakarta time).

When I'm feeling bored working at home, I wear the casual outfit and lugged my laptop to the nearest cafe. But this situation only take place twice a week, because hanging out in cafe needs extra budget, and I want to keep my balance stable until the end of month.

The following are sketches of freelancer outfits, which really resonate with me. Are you a freelancer? Do you know any freelancer who does not dress like these?

Source: @foxville_art

Source: @tylerfeder

Source: @tylerfeder

The Skype conference look is a spot on! Source: @tylerfeder

Seven Books To Read Anytime

A few months ago, a friend tagged me to post photos of seven favorite books without any explanation on FB. I did it on IG, but then I thought, I would like to keep them in one post here in Blogspot. Also, a week ago was National Children Day, and in my humble opinion, these books are perfect for every kids. Without further ado, here they are.

Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

The story follows Stargirl, a new girl in Mica High School, as told by Leo Borlock who is fascinated by her. Things that make Stargirl different from the other girls: (1) she doesn't wear make up, and (2) she cares about other people in her own ways. She drops coins because she knows there are people who will be happy to find coins. She reads obituary columns in newspaper and comes to the funeral to offer condolences and moral supports. She dreams of running a food truck because food makes people happy. 

The students in Mica High School are starstruck by Stargirl in the first place, but things soon change as they are not ready for her genuinity. How does Stargirl face the situation? You can read the book to find out😉.

I bought the book around 10 years ago, so I was already in the working force. But I think the book remains relevant for people of all ages, that one should always be kind and have courage.

A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare

To welcome the first day of Summer in the Northern Hemisphere, which falls on June 21, here is another favorite reading material of mine, book #2: A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. 

The comedy brings together humans and fairies, noblemen and commoners, as well as love and rejection into the play. There is also a play within this play, which never fails to make me laugh everytime I read the dialogs of Nick Bottom and his fellows.

My favorite character is Puck, the jester of Fairy King Oberon. But if I have to choose between the two female characters, my heart goes to Hermia. She is the girl described as a "gypsy", an "Ethiope", a "raven" and a "tawny tartar", due to her dark skin tone, but also the girl with "lode-stars eyes" and "tongue's sweet air" that is "more tuneable than lark to shepherd's ear". Hermia also refuses to marry Demetrius, and chooses Lysander. When Lysander is under the influence of Puck's love juice and chases after Helena, she tries to bring him back into his senses. Ok, let me stop here before this post becomes too personal. 

Which Bard of Avon's work do you like?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

I read The Alchemist for the first time in 2005, when my colleague Defa lent me her book. It took me more than 10 years later to finally buy a copy for myself. There are many reviews on the book, so just go google them. Not helping, I know, hahaha.

A bit of random fact: after reading this book, I recommended it to a friend. A few months later, we hiked Mt. Gede with a hiking group and then she resigned from her office job to work for a non profit organisation. This book is quite a life changer, I'd say.

While the storyline is quite simple, Paulo Coelho's path to reach his dream as a writer is quite complicated. He had wanted to be a writer since young age and was put in mental health institutions twice by his parents, who wanted him to be 'normal'. He tried many kinds of jobs, before going back to his passion: writing. And even then, this book was not that successful, not until an English language publisher showed interest on the book.

The Book of Forbidden Feeling by Lala Bohang

I saw this book for the first time two years ago, because the title is intriguing. The author-illustrator was an Architect graduate of Parahyangan University, which was another reason behind the book purchase. Apart from the#ArchitectureBabesCoalition (ha!), I had heard about the artist and just wanted to own one of her works. 

All illustrations are made in black and white, while the texts mostly explore feelings, relationships, and other philosophical ideas. On this book, Lala said,"This book is meant to be a good friend, the one you can keep by your side, the one you can be honest with."

By the way, I notice that currently, there are many illustration books in the bookstores.

The Adventures of Tintin by Hergé

I can't pick just one. I read the comic books since elementary school. D would give me one every semester if my school report was good. I had always wanted to have at least one of Tintin comic books in the world's most used languages. But the German one, bought in 1995, has been the only non-Indonesian language Tintin book in my possession so far.

Totto Chan by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

The best gift we can give to children is the interest to pursue life-long learning, and this book on Totto's daily activities in Tomoe School is all about that. 

As a product of Indonesian education system, I wish there were more Indonesian schools taking example from Tomoe School, which embraces all children, including the difables, and allows them to explore interests. If you work with children or in Children/Inclusive Education sector, then this book is a must.

I read the book the first time when I was in elementary-junior high school, and have been re-reading it over the years. That copy was probably missing during the house moving processes (please note the plural noun) between 2008-2010. This book on the photo is a birthday gift, and the person thought I would like it because the spine was pink.

Around The World in 80 Days by Jules Verne

Anything by Jules Verne will definitely take your mind away. But this one has been a favorite. If money and time were not an issue, I would try to walk the route that Phileas Fogg walk on, just to prove that it is feasible to complete the journey within that timeframe.

I have many hard copies of this book, but since it's #PlasticFreeJuly, why not featuring an e-book? And this classic book, along with many others, can be downloaded for free.

Do you have any favorite books? 

Seven Years Of Living With A Parent With Pneumothorax

The reason I don't have proper family photos: both M and D do not like being photographed :P

After seven years, I thought I need to share our journey at home after my asthmatic-diabetic father was diagnosed with pneumothorax in June 2011. I have mentioned about it in passing several times in the past years, but this post would explain from the start. Perhaps there are people out there who need some information on how to handle this health problem, so I hope this post can be of good use.

The Beginning

Back in May 2011, D had short breaths for almost one week. At first, he didn't pay much attention because he has asthma, until he had to be hospitalized when I was at the office. D has never liked hospital, so when he was hospitalized, I just knew it was something serious. To help them reach the hospital, my parents asked a cousin. Oh, the trauma of hearing the news via cellphone and having to rush to hospital after finishing all my works quickly.

The doctors at first also thought it was an asthmatic episode, but after all asthmatic solutions (inhaler, pills, and inhalation session at the hospital) proved to be not working, they ran an X-ray on him and found that one of his lungs had collapsed at 50%. The doctors explained that it happened because a large amount of air was trapped in the chest cavity and press the lung. 

On a general set up, the doctors would perform chest drain or water sealed drainage, in which they would insert needle and pipe to the affected areas to allow draining of pleural space of air, blood and fluid, allowing expansion of lungs and restoration of negative pressure in the thoracic cavity. However, as D has diabetes, he was against the plan and we understood his concerns because people with diabetes need longer time to recover from open scars/wounds.

The doctors finally gave him medicines that he should drink everyday for 6 months to strengthen his lungs. It was probably one of the medicines for tuberculosis cases, but he decided to take it. Also, D had to come for health monitoring once a month. Six months later, the doctors declared that although the pneumothorax was still in his chest, it had been stopped to cause more damage. 

Some of the doctors' advices for D were: (1) enough rest, nutrition and proper breathing exercise; (2) no more physical exertion, such as walking upstairs and downstairs, or running, and (3) no emotional outburst, no more getting angry, as it would tire him out. I wanted to hug the doctors for advice #3 as D has always been an emotional man.

The Journey

It is not easy for D to accept that his body was never going to be the same again as it used to be. It is not also easy for M as she has to be with him for every health check up because he may need her to help her walk in and out of the car. 

The first year was tough and M often asked me to spend more time at home to give moral support to D. After a thorough thinking process, I decided that I need a job with regular work hours that allow me to be with them as much as I can. This was one of the reasons I gave up my permanent job in journalism.

For D's meals, the doctors require him to eat egg, drink milk and any other nutritious food. Along the way, M found that D developed a minor allergy against egg. So D could not have egg every day, three times a week is suffice. Then we also discovered that D was allergic to seafood. Perhaps the allergies were the results of his declining immunity. But when asked to drink virgin coconut oil, which was suggested by the doctors to increase the immune system, D refused because he disliked the smell. 

So what kind of food does D eat? Well, he usually have red meat, freshwater fish and chicken, but for the chicken, he prefers free-range chicken, which is more expensive than broiler. Sometimes D also refuses to eat, because his taste bud just felt bland. When that happens, and this often happens, milk is the only food he will take.

M can not go to supermarket everyday, so whenever I go to a supermarket, the dairy product shelf will be the first I check for promotion. My friends are always amazed to see me hauling two, sometimes up to four, bottles of milk when there is promo. I really hope that D would not develop a case of lactose intolerance, because both M and I would not know what to feed D if such thing happens.

Our extended family have given various health suggestions from propolis, habbatussauda (Nigella sativa) to other items, and D has tried everything. Unfortunately, he was not a patient patient (ha!). So if he has taken something for one week and felt nothing happened, he would stop having it. I told him that herbal medication might need more than one week to take effect, but he just would not listen.

When D has fever episodes, we give him boiled binahong leaves, which grow in the garden. Or lemon juice mixed with water. He already takes so many medication, so we try natural medicine whenever possible.

Also, around two years ago, the doctor finally told D to take insulin injection, instead of pills. D was very sad to receive the verdict, but it's mostly his fault that he did not take care of sugar blood level. The first few weeks of insulin injection had been a drama, but now he does it calmly while watching the TV show.

The ironic thing about D was: he refused to take minor surgery for pneumothorax, but he underwent a minor surgery for hernia in 2014. He did that when I was going abroad for work for almost three weeks, because he did not want me to be worried.

D sees the doctors every month for regular check ups. I am not talking about one visit a month, but three visits because he usually has three doctors: a pulmonologist for his lung problem, an internist for his diabetic problem and a general practitioner for any health problem, including allergies. The pneumothorax is still in his lung, and the regular check up is important to see whether it makes a nasty comeback or not. Sometimes he needs to see a dentist too. I am very grateful for the National Health Insurance (JKN-KIS) and BPJS Kesehatan as it has helped me so much on free health services.   

On emotional outburst, D still has it. He gets angry at anything, such as when M was slow to help him out of the car, when M held his hand to make sure he did not fall, when M told him to eat, when M forgot to remind him to take medicine, etc. I understand that the emotion is the result of him feeling helpless. When those outburst happens, the best way to handle it is to be silent and leave the room. How does M take it? Sometimes she just comes to my room and just checks to see what I do, and when I look at her face I just know she needs to vent. 

Both M and I realized that D needed to have fun, so we let him to meet his best friends. Although he is such a charming person, D only has four best friends that he could confide in. And all four of them have passed away in the past seven years. It was a huge blow for D, as he was always the sick person among his buddies. He always thought that he would die first, and he had told me since I was a very young child to be independent as he could die anytime. Witnessing the passing of his best friends has taught D that a person can be ill in the whole lifetime but no one knows their final day on earth. 

Where We Are At The Moment 

Nowadays D's activities are mosque-centered. He drives the car to mosque five times a day, sleeps and eats in between pray times, and just does small activities around the house. If anyone asks how is D, I can only say that he is just the way he is. He's not that ill that he can not move, but he's not that fit to walk to mosque, as I mention above "he drives the car".    

Also, by going to the mosque, he meets other men in their 60s-70s and has made new friends. His new friends have their own health problems and they would share information on health tips, medicine, etc. At least he now has another support system.

We have never wanted pneumothorax to come to our home. But since it has been here, I'm simply grateful that we have passed the past seven years quite successfully. I hope that everything goes smooth and according to Allah's will.