Somewhere in the parallel universe….

In the parallel universe, when I have to live by myself, I’m thinking to live in a country or city that full of museums, beautiful cafes and beaches. Some countries such as Portugal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica or Bulgaria sound promising. They’re rated as the cheapest and safest country to live in as a foreigner though.

Enjoying the view from the steps leading to the coastal village of Azenhas do Mar in Portugal.
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I’ll live above a small antique stores. In a 1 bed room flat. With a view of bustling small market below and a port or beaches far beyond. The store owner and the people surrounding are so nice that they’re welcoming me, a settled foreigner.

My daily activity will start with a cup of coffee or tea or milk and anything I could find in the fridge. I’ll have a job as a local tour guide. Or as museum guide would be fun as well. In my free time, I’m a regular contributor for my own blog and local travel magazines. So that morning, when my shift will start late for the day, I’ll sit on a café writing or somewhere in the town sketching.

I’m thinking to take a volunteer job too, if it’s not too affected my daily job. Or take some courses such as coffee making or baking. I probably thinking to have a part time job in small coffee shop nearby my flat. Again, if it’s not burdening too much on my main job and activity.

It’ll be a slow pace life I have there. I can use my time for meeting friends or community. But mostly reading. On the balcony of my flat. With the view of bustling small market below and a port or beaches far beyond.

My style be lyke~

I always be a tomboy since I was a kid. I rarely wear skirt and dress. My mom said when she made me wear dress or skirt, I kept feeling uncomfortable. When she changed my skirt into a short, I ran, jumped and played around happily. My only skirt I had was my high school uniform. Even when I was in middle school, I wore culottes instead.

It went on until college time. I always cut my hair short. A Pixie or boyish. I never wore skirt to class. I played futsal. I chose an electronic factory (LG Factory) as my internship place and milling industry (Bogasari) as my final assignment place. Reasons behind? Simply because I can still wearing my pants and sneakers while working there. People always mistaken me as a boy. Once, I picked up my friend from her language course. Her friends teased her as they thought her boyfriend (me) picking her up. And my friend didn’t even correcting them and giggly left them.

Actually, sorry to sound it too cliché, I changed my look since I got into relationship with Abang. He likes me when I put a bit of make up. And he likes my hair long. So I learned. Not to have a full make up every day, but just a little touch of face powder and an eyebrow. I rarely wear lipstick. I usually wear it in the morning, but then never re-applied it through the day. I still wear pants often. Sneakers is my life, couldn’t and wouldn’t have a day without it. I wear flats or heels only when I have an event to attend. I try to elongate my hair. But I keep whining when my hair get too long and cut it anyway at least up until my neck.

But, being a tomboy doesn’t mean I don’t play with colors. I looovee colors! I don’t care if the colors are too bright or sometimes looks mismatched. I just love to express my mood with colors. I choose bright colors when I feel excited, happy and on fire. I choose dark colors when I want to look a bit reserved or my mood is quite bad. I never doubt to put green and orange together or to mix blue and yellow. Or just a hint of bright red among the black. I think it’s just one of things that makes me feel alive and whole somewhat.

The page turner escapes

Books are my bestfriends. I go “meeting” them every time I have an issue in my life. When I’m tired, stressed, or sad. When I need to relax and take some breaks. In short way, it’s my escape routes. My short getaway. Books help me to move my mind entirely to another life. To put myself in some characters’ shoes or to imagine merging into some historical events. Books are like a rest area in my daily life. Places where we can finally pull the hand break, take a deep breath and have a short walks enjoying the views.

I like a lot of books though I don’t read every kind of books. I mostly read novel, historical fiction, historical events, travel/journey stories and sometimes some autobiographies or books written by famous public figure.

Talking about novels, I read some of the pop culture novels such as Harry Potter, Hunger Games, LOTR & The Hobbit, GOT (haven’t finished the entire series) and Robert Langdon’s series. I also have a thing with dystopian novels. Some of my fav authors, the one whose books I ran into when I just need a short get away, are Pramoedya Ananta Toer, Andrea Hirata, J.K Rowling (also her being Robert Galbraith), Dan Brown, John Grisham, Tom Clancy, Haruki Murakami and John Green. Their books rarely disappoint me because I just surrender myself and emerge to their fantasy. Most of their books are the real “rest area” that I mentioned above.

I also read some historical stuff. Fiction or non-fiction. The latest historical fiction I love is The Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. I got emotionally attached with the main character. My standard of a gentleman is changing way much after knowing Count Rostov. You can read my review of the book in this blog here. Meanwhile, historical events book that I recently love is The Choice by Edith Eger. This book is full of emotions and feelings that lets you swept away in it. It combines 2 of my fav things, history and psychology. Not only Edith told us about what happened during her being a prisoner war, but also how she struggle to thrive and heal from the her trauma. It gave me chills and inspired me at the same time.

I rarely read non-fiction books. Non-fiction books I read mostly is the one written by some public figures or their autobiography. I fell in love with Bob Iger, CEO of Disney, after reading his book Ride of a Lifetime. It taught me well that being success means being persistent and have faith. You don’t need to be that genius such as Mark, Steve, Elon, Bill or Jack. You may start your career from below. From an employee of a company. As long as you have faith on yourself, there’s always a way for success.

That’s what I like about books. Not only it feeds my imagination, but it’s also strengthened me. It opens my mind and gives me a different perspective. The more different perspectives and an open mind I have, the more calm, wise and humble I become. Some books like Buddha by Karen Armstrong and Filosofi Teras by Henry Manampiring really taught me how to sweep away my negative feelings, so I can think more clearly to face this busy and fast pace world. Exactly the strength I need.

Binge-watch and chill

In Indonesia, we have a phrase called “Ibu-ibu Sinetron” for stay at home moms who’s always watching local TV series. “Sinetron” is the way we call “soap opera” or “TV series” here. I’m not a stay at home moms, but I’m definitely one of them.

Same like movies, I watch a lot of TV series. I think it came (again) from my father. My very first TV series were Dawson’s Creek, Charmed, Popular, Saving Private Ryan, Friends and Dark Angel. Growing up, there’s always TV series I follow every year. I watched How I Met Your Mother, Grey’s Anatomy, Prison Break, Flash Forward, Community, Private Practice, Brothers & Sisters, The Americans, and I think there’s still a lot of it but I just forget. Even nowadays, especially after Netflix becomes hit. From that OTT only, I watched Stranger Things, 13 Reasons Why, Marco Polo, Crown, Sense 8, Peaky Blinder, Luke Cage, Daredevil, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Defenders, The Punishers, Locke & Key, You, Umbrella Academy, Money Heist, Narcos, I’m not okay with this, Sex Education, Snowpiercer, Orange is The New Black and, believe me, many more. Currently I’m watching CB Strike (BBC), Perry Mason (HBO), Mandalorian (Disney+), Dark & Suits (Netflix). Of course I watched that globally acclaimed series, such as Game of Thrones and Breaking Bad as well. The watch list is still long, trust me.

But why? Why TV series? Aren’t you got bored waiting or have to binge-watch for hours to find out the ending of a story? And how can you wait for a year to know the next season, especially after you finished the previous season only in 10 hours? I always binge-watch Stranger Things and Umbrella Academy. I waited for a year, to finish it in a day. Why?

The answer is…characters. I’m a people person. To get to know about many characters is one of my favorite activity, if not so called learning. Every person is unique for me. One of short get away to meet a lot of characters in the world is by watching TV series. Sometimes, believe it or not, we can meet a real person who has the same characters from the series we watched. I can get too attached with some characters in TV series. When my fav character died in a series, my mood will drop. For me, the cinematography technic is not important. As long as it has an interesting characters in it, I’m in (well, of course when the plot is getting weaker, I sometimes gave up finishing it until season finale).

So, If I’m asked what my fav TV series is, I don’t have one. But may be you can asked me which TV series characters that I’m most emotionally involved with. It’ll be another long story indeed.

The perks of being the only child

Day 11 of 30 days writing challenge’s topic is talk about siblings. The thing is, I’m the only child. I don’t have any siblings. So, should i write…..nothing?

Haha, kidding! Let me tell you, the perks of being the only child.

Some people always thought it’s great being the only child. Every time they found out that I’m the only child, it’s always “wow, that’d must be fun!” and never “ooh, that’s must be lonely!”. Well, is it?

Actually, Your parents could be (a bit) overprotective. I told you once I could only join the field trip during my high school if, and only if, my mom join the trip as well. I didn’t join my middle school field trip because my parents were too worry that I needed to spend every nights on the boat (Live on Boat) in the rural area of East Borneo. My mom gave me permission to ride a bike around the housing or to school when I just reached 8th grade. I could have a boyfriend when I reached 21 years old only. Every day I have to let my mom knows every time I go to office and go back home. My curfew never changed even though I’m married now; 9pm is always considered super late night. And to add it up, you don’t have any siblings to share the burden. Still think it’s fun ?

IT IS fun being the only child. You own all of the toys. Fight over PlayStation’s joystick? Huh, What kind of activity is that? Envy over your siblings clothes? Please…you want to try mine? All of the attention is yours. You’ll get the best toy, best clothes, best phone, best gadget, best educations, and best experiences. Not only that, You’ll spend a lot of quality time with your parents. You travel together, make fun to each other, and most importantly, have a nice bonding only just the three of you. You learn a lot about being an adult, because you always tag a long to your parents. You feel like it’s easier to open and share your burden to your parents, because it’s only just the three of you. It’s fun, sweet, warm and full of happiness.

There’s a stereotype that being the only child, we will be spoilt. No no no, I’m far from that. My parents let me to choose everything in my life. Which college to go, which company to join, and which man to be married with. As long as it’s a positive activities, they’ll always support me. They let me to have language courses (so far, English, Deutsch and Japanese). They’re okay with me playing futsal, though in Indonesia futsal is still considered as man thing. My mom always let me (if not to push) to do house chores and learn on how to cook. When my school grade was getting worse, I got scolded and grounded. My parents will give and do the best for me. Well, it’s kinda hard to see it that way when you were still kids, but, again, I am who I am because of them. And I think being the only child really is a blessing in disguise for me 🙂