The Broadcast People (imho)

In 2012, I joined a broadcast industry. Haha, no, no, not as a celebrity. I joined Sony as Product Marketing for broadcasting product. I didn’t set any expectation before I joined. I didn’t know that it was a life changing experiences. Thank you for the people in it.

When I joined, I only had 1 year experience as a consumer electronic product marketing. It was a whole different world. Especially the product. I was feeling like a stupid alien, couldn’t understand anything my colleagues or customers talked about. My first 3 months was stressful. Again, thank you for the broadcast people, I survived. Not only survived, but successfully nailed it for the next 6.5 years.

If it’s not because of their understanding for all of my first errors and mistakes.

If it’s not because of their patience to teach me the basic knowledge of Broadcasting (and advanced one, of course. It’s exactly the place when your customers are more knowledgeable than you)

If it’s not because of their warm heart to welcome me like their little sister.

All of those “let’s meet up at coffee bean/LG floor/kopitiam/canteen at GF/8th floor/engineer room/studio x”, that led to gossips, laughs, confiding to each other, or hints to the next project, that bonded our relationships.

All of those complaints, critics and lost projects, that taught me how to maintain an account relationship, not only in good time, but also in bad time.

All of those laughs and funny stories in every tiring and jetlagged business trips for NAB, IBC and BCAsia.

They are people who is always fun to be with. Even the big big boss. They could told you a brutal honesty, but they’re indeed kind people. And, tbh, I miss them.

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.
GETTY

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.

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 🙂

Happiness is…

Everything changes during this pandemic. We’re forced not to have our usual activities outside, not to hang out with our dearest friends, not to hug our parents. We’re getting stressed. Everything seems so biased, confusing and frightening. We’re questioning everything. Including, when will we be happy again? Or even worse, will we have that same old happiness again?

There is an old saying from Latin proverbs, “He is not happy who does not realize his happiness.” One thing I learn from this pandemic is that the happiness is already within us. We just need some times to find and realize it.

I used to think traveling makes me happy. It indeed makes me content. Meeting new people, exploring new places, finding hidden gems, learning about history and culture, tasting local cuisines. I feel like I’m living the life to the fullest every time I go traveling. But, am I happy enough after traveling ?

I always love reading books. It’s my short get away, especially after a long tired day full of meetings and deadlines. A short escape. I always read a book before I go to sleep, after having a nice hot water shower and light dinner. For awhile, I can merge into a whole new world, by only wearing my pajamas. I’m relaxed. But, am I happy enough once I close the book every night?

I love sharing stories. That’s what this blog and my other social media all about. My chat with friends mostly about me sharing my experiences, books I read, or places I visited. I love sharing my learnings, in the hope that it’ll inspire my friends as well. It feels like…..it completes me. But then what? Is it enough to make me happy?

To answer all of those questions above, it’s not to answer it at all. If you feel happy already, why do you have to question it? It’s there. Within yourself. You’ve found it. You just need to realize more of it.