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!