A Motivation To Start Sketching Again

During university time, freehand sketching -- either of buildings or other architectural forms -- was part of my daily life. When I started, I didn't have the gift of sketching. All my friends made better sketches than I did. 

However, if you do a certain activity in a long period of time, you'll get the hang of it. My sketching ability improved during the 5.5 years of my study, although still not as good as my friends's sketches. Now that I don't work in the architectural sector, I've lost my sketching ability again. The only sketching I do nowadays is eyeliner sketching :D. Hey, it's not as easy as it looks.

Ade, a uni friend, recently posted his sketches on Facebook. He now works in an insurance company, but his sketches are still as good as back then. He likes to sketch on the spot. Sometimes his sketches look better than the real objects. He even uses watercolor! *green with envy*

This really motivates me to start sketching again. All I need is determination and...time. Ah excuses, excuses. Perhaps I stick to being a sketch admirer for the time being. Anyway, here are some of his sketches. If you'd like to take a look at his sketches, you can find more in his Facebook news feed under the name of Ade Guntur.

A corner in Semarang's Old City

Immanuel Church in Semarang's Old City

An intersection near his home

 Ade in action. This is actually a good idea for a pre-wedding photo :)

Have A Romantic Weekend

Alexander Graham Bell and his wife Mabel hold hands at the water’s edge in Nova Scotia in 1898. From Bell Collection. Found here.

Webs For Those With Weather Worry

It's been quite hard to post everyday, but I hope I'll continue with this weekly routine. It's been raining in the past few days and the sky is grey. To bring some light to the day, let's talk about weather-related information.

I remembered seeing the first weather forecast program on TV, getting excited about the rain that would come and then disappointed when it didn't. I lost my faith in weather forecast there and then. But I guess weather forecasting technology has developed since then.

Here are several websites that I've been checking on before leaving for work or other activity:

BMKG
The link will take you to a page for the weather forecast of Jabodetabek, but the web also has weather information for cities across Indonesia.

Commuter Line Official Twitter Account
Since I'm a regular passenger of the electric train, I check the Twitter account to see if the trains are not working due to floods (which happens during the rainy season)

TMC Polda Metro Jaya
Traffic Management Center of Jakarta Police always post about the traffic, which sometimes bore me to death. Is there any traffic jam-free roads in Jakarta? But during the rainy season, it also informs the floods, which will cause traffic too.


LewatMana
A website to inform which roads have less traffic, it also helps the lost souls of Jakartans to find passable roads during the big floods.

May you always have a safe journey in Jakarta and stay dry during this rainy season :).

A Day As A Hijabi

Feb. 1 is said to be World Hijab Day.

Not exactly sure what to say. In some countries, women are not allowed to cover their head, while in other countries, women are forced to wear headscarf. I believe women should be allowed to decide for herself whether she wants to wear headscarf or not. 

Anyway, there are a lot of funny things happening and funny questions get asked when you are wearing a hijab. Below is a video of Hijabi Monologue on the 10 People You Meet.

Personality And Career Match

I have posted  about the MBTI personality last year. So when I found this illustration, I think it would make a good follow up post.

By the way, can anyone tell me what is the difference between writer (INFJ) and author (INFP)?

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Old Photos of Acehnese Women In Headscarves

Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, with its capital is Banda Aceh. Located at the northern end of Sumatra, it is close to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands of India and separated from them by the Andaman Sea.

There are 10 indigenous tribes in this region, the largest being the Aceh tribe, accounting for approximately 80 to 90% of the region's population.

Aceh is thought to have been the place where the spread of Islam in Indonesia begun, and was a key factor of the spread of Islam in Southeast Asia. Islam reached Aceh (Kingdoms of Fansur and Lamuri) around 650 AD, and was gradually accepted by people in the region. In the early seventeenth century the Sultanate of Aceh was the most wealthy, powerful and cultivated state in the Malacca Straits region. Aceh has a history of political independence and resistance to control by outsiders, including the former Dutch colonists and the Indonesian government.

Several weeks ago I heard news saying that Aceh's national heroine Cut Nyak Dhien actually wore a headscarf. But then I found a website saying that the pictures of a woman wearing headscarf was of the wife of Panglima Polim (also an Acehnese hero). Headscarf or no headscarf, Acehnese women are brave souls who always defend their rights.

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Gentle Resolutions

From here

I know it's a bit late to write down the resolutions, but it's still January so I guess the game is still on, right?

Here are some resolutions that cross my mind recently:

1. Be kind, not only to other people but also to myself

2. Stop worrying because worrying gets you nowhere

3. Be present (read: stop checking my cellphone every five minute like Takeshi Kaneshiro would suddenly call me. Oh well, a girl can always dream :P)

On a side note, I always like the resolutions in the Rose is Rose comics :).

P.S. Another beautiful list of resolutions