Ministry of Zero

And, here we are, on the very last day of 2024.

2024 might not be my favorite year that I'd like to remember.
In the beginning of the year, I already faced some personal challenges which I don't really like to reminisce.

It's only 8 hours away to midnight a.k.a. the new year so, let me start my 16th annual recap of life!

For  previous references: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023

01 | JANUARY

My first day of January began with a car drive to PIK 2 with family and, nope, I would not recommend going there on New Year. I was stuck for 2.5 hours when driving back home.

The rocks started rolling down on 12 January and... let's just say more challenges come at me when I was not really at my best state.

Thankfully, I have friends who gave me mental support. Thank you so much, you and you and you. I could not survive the year without you guys for sure.

There is not much I could (or want to) recall about January 2024 - despite it's supposed to be one of my favorite months. I guess 2024 is just not it?

First experience: Is a (true) heartbreak counted as an experience? Haha.
January movie: "Sehidup Semati". Pretty good for a thriller movie.
Watched it on the day that I wish I could return to.



02 | FEBRUARY

Work-wise, made a trip to Bogor. Self-wise, went through another roller coaster of life.

I could be happy in an hour but then melancholic in another hour. I remembered pieces of memories about 2023 mostly in February for so many reasons. Well, apparently, 2023 is a better year for me and I realized how much I was attached to the past.

First experience: Crochet. Yes, I managed to finish something made by crochet.
February movie: "The Holdovers". A heartwarming one.



03 | MARCH

Probably the month that hit me low and high at the same time.

I attended Ed Sheeran's concert at JIS and took a flight to Singapore the next week to watch... Taylor Swift! Yes, I attended The Eras Tour - thanks to a friend of mine at office who offered the ticket to me. Definitely one of the best moments to remember in 2024.

Also visited Harry Potter: Forbidden Forest Experience while I was there.

During March, I also celebrated Easter week in Jakarta and Bogor. Apparently, again, during this month, I kept myself being reminded of the past... again.

First experience: Apparently, despite it's my 8th time visiting Singapore, this is the very first time I went there as a solo traveler.
March movie: None. But I watched 2 concerts!



04 | APRIL

April 2023 holds a lot of good memories so it's natural that I compared this month with last year, right? Haha. Well, comparison is one thing but being disappointed is another thing, no?

I dragged myself to Bandung for one and two reasons during April and made another haircut. This time, I cut it to shoulder length again (and a little bit regretting it until now).

First experience: Picking flowers to be arranged as a bouquet.
April movie: "Siksa Kubur". Not exactly my favorite horror movie but a lot of people recommended this.



05 | MAY

Despite it's still less memorable than last year's May, at least this month marked me being happy for certain days. For example, on the 12th day and near to my birthday. My birthday... Well, I'm certainly blessed because friends sending me food and greetings.

Also managed to enjoy dinner with friends in Tangerang, claim free/discounted birthday dine-in at restaurants, jumped in a Ferris wheel after sunset, received birthday presents, and everything that made me thankful.

First experience: CFD run. Just because. Don't ask if I want to join again.
May movie: "Abigail". Definitely a favorite of mine this year.
Oh, "How To Make Million Before Grandma Dies" is also a nice movie to enjoy.



06 | JUNE

Thinking about June, I think I spent a lot of my night working late at the office.

However, I actually took another flight this year after Singapore as a solo traveler.
Destination: Thailand!

I arrived in Bangkok on 28 June, went to the Ancient City on 29 June, attended Sunday Mass at Assumption Cathedral on 30 June and... the highlight of the trip...

LIGHTS GO ON, AGAIN.
HIGHLIGHT concert.
The whole reason why I went to Bangkok.

I became a fan of B2ST since 2011 and it's been 7 years since I watched them live (KOCCA event in Jakarta). Indonesia is not in their country list to visit so, oh, I'd fly for them for sure!

Well, June might be one of my favorite months along with March this year.

First experience: Ripley's Believe It or Not! As per now, I believe there are only 3 museums of Ripley's in Asia: Genting (Malaysia), Dubai (UAE), and Pattaya (Thailand).
June movie: "Inside Out 2". Not a fan of animated movie but I like this one (and the first one as well).



07 | JULY

How could I describe July?
I had one of the best 2-3 hours during this month and then regrets on some other days.
Is it good or not then? Well...

There's a farewell to a colleague this July, and a best friend of mine had a launching of her laundry business, went to Bogor for culinary trip because a friend just had a car.

First experience: Layover at airport. Yes, I spent a night in Changi during my trip back from Bangkok.
July movie: "Longlegs" for horror, "Deadpool & Wolverine" for superhero/comedy.



08 | AUGUST

I'd say this month is more about movie and TV series for me. I watched 4 movies at cinemas, more on streaming platform. I also got to play another boardgame session with friends, met with a friend who would have a special day in December.

Is this a good month to remember?
I wouldn't say that - but there are worse ones for sure.

First experience: Honestly, I don't think there is anything new I did this month. Haha.
August movie: "Pilot", a very fun movie but I couldn't help fangirling for "Detective Conan: Millian Dollar Pentagram".
"Maharaja" on Netflix made it to one of the best plot twists in movie for me.



09 | SEPTEMBER

It's a month of celebration with PwC Festival at Tennis Indoor Senayan,
and then Assurance Management Conference in Bandung,
and then meeting an ex-colleague whom I haven't met for more than a year.

Yet there is also a heartbreaking day as one of my close friends lost his family.

First experience: Working at airport while waiting for a friend. People thought I was flying somewhere again, lol.
September movie: "Speak No Evil". People said the original is better though.



10 | OCTOBER

This belongs to the 'first experience' but I think it deserves longer paragraph so... I joined a group trip for hiking trip. Yes, you read it right. Hiking.

Took a bus to Wonosobo on 25 October, we climbed on 26 morning and stayed in a tent to watch the sunrise at Prau Sunrise Camp. Took the bus back to Jakarta afterwards and back to work on 27, woot!

Better month than previous but, still, can't top last year, unfortunately.

First experience: Building handover. I'll talk about this in 2025. I promise.
October movie: "Home Sweet Loan". Also attended the movie special screening!
"Smile 2" is also a recommended horror movie!



11 | NOVEMBER

A month with hustle bustle: Dufan with colleagues, Japanese Film Festival, New Mall visit to Agora, Blok M culinary night, (Highlight) Concert Movie, BSD culinary day.

Oh, I broke my S-Pen, HAHA. Okay, that's sad.

Can't write much because, well, it's a pretty normal month. I think it's a good sign to be normal, no?

First experience: Orchestra concert (The Legends 10: Magic). It felt so magical to hear the orchestra live, playing the music from my favorite fantasy movies.
November movie: "Red One". Why is it not a December movie though?
And, of course, "Wicked". Go watch it if you like musical!



12 | DECEMBER

December should be my favorite month, seriously. Well, at least, that's how usually things are every year. I guess I couldn't play favorite too often.

It was fun on early December days with the whole talky things but went a little bit downhill on the next week.

Still, I made myself busy with dental visit, cleaning up the house, badminton (kinda a regular this year), trying Timeleft for the first time, catching up with friends.

15 December is a happy day for sure! I received the honor to be a bridesmaid for a friend of mine, whom I have known since junior high school. So happy for you two!
Also tried a role-playing game experience on 29 December with friends. I'd like to try again actually, despite realizing I am far from mystery solver, lol.

First experience: Gift exchange with Pilates group. Yes, Pilates, you read it right. Kinda try to start healthy(er) activities a bit.
December movie: "Bila Esok Ibu Tiada". Had put this in queue for a while and finally watched this heartwarming/heartbreaking movie with top-notch performance from the casts!



And... that's it.
12 months. 366 days.

It seems like I compare each month with last years a little bit too much in this post, right?
I know, I also realize that, but it does not mean I'm not grateful of this year.

I'm blessed enough to experience a lot of new things and I'm truly grateful.

I just hope 2025 will be better.
I hope yours too. :)

End of 2023.
365 days have passed and we have reached the last day of the year.

I'm writing this as I'm counting down the hours to midnight and welcome 2024.

Before I start my recap, I'd like to point out 2 points here:

1. This is the 15th year I'm writing the recap of my life in a year here.
The format has changed from time to time but, hey, I'm keeping this as an annual 'ritual' -- it's also a way for me to remind myself to be grateful that I have lived through 12 months.

For  previous references: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 

2. Despite how normal life has been since the pandemic COVID-19 hit, the world is currently in sorrow due to the international conflict. I don't have any credibility to address this but I sincerely hope that peace will be the ultimate endgame for the conflict.

Time ticks. Shall we begin?
Oh, I will use a new format in this year's recap as I write in the title "Best...".

01 | JANUARY

Best day to remember: starting my first day of the year in a different city: Bandung. I drove back to Jakarta at noon and, wow, I gained the first experience of sleeping at a rest area due to how heavy my eyes were on the way back.

Best first experience: Staying overnight at a friend's house (Brenda's!). I never stayed at a friend's house because I could always manage to go back to my house instead (which is true). I also tried a self-photo studio at Seori after I got my haircut! It's an interesting concept to try,

Best trip: 1-night trip to Bandung from Purwakarta on 6-7 January. Oh, well, I visited Cilegon, Purwakarta, and Tangerang a lot during 2023. I even had a one-day visit on Saturday to the site, all for work purposes, of course.

Best meetup: After years, I finally met with my old friend, Matthew, on 28 January. He finally returned from Australia so we met up with some others at Grand Indonesia. And, this time, I picked him up instead of the other way around! HA! But I asked him to drive anyway, lol.

Best movie/TV series: I only watched 2 movies in January so I should give it to "A Man Called Otto"! It's a heartwarming one for you to enjoy.

Best song: "Kokoronashi" by Majiko. I still listen to it and I also like the cover version I found on Spotify by Akane.

Notable mention(s):
- Best haircut: After 5 years, I decided to cut my hair short again (well, shoulder length). Decided to cut it on 21 January, a day before Chinese New Year, at Atelier by Ryoji.
- Best supporting moment: Attending an event at the National Library to support a friend who has a website launching.
- (Not the) best incident: I lost my phone(s) at Grand Indonesia on 28 January. One was charged next to me, another in my (unzipped) bag which was also next to me. Unlucky on a good day. Something to remember indeed.

02 | FEBRUARY

Best day to remember: A full work team dinner on 10 February. I think the team has grown in numbers ever since I joined 4 years ago so having everyone attend the first dinner of the year feels nice.

Best first experience: Attending a travel fair! I never actually attended one. I purchased two tickets to Hong Kong for me and Mom on 4 February at the Cathay Pacific Travel Fair. I think(?) we got a pretty good price: 6.2mio for 2 pax.

Best trip: Sentul Trekking! Thanks to Yoanna for persuading me to try the new experience. It's a short trip as I am not exactly a nature-type person, lol. It's Saturday well-spent indeed, as we met up with other friends afterwards in Gading Serpong. We have a good level of energy, right?

Best meetup: Karaoke time on 5 February with some friends from my previous workplace. It's a (good) chaotic one. Would be great to have another day of karaoke with you guys again in 2024.

Best movie/TV series: Without a doubt, "Missing". I have always liked "Searching" so when I found out that an (indirect) sequel would be released, I couldn't wait to watch it and, dang, it didn't fail my expectations! Well, the day when I was going to watch it was also pretty memorable as things happened here and there before the movie.

Best song: "Like Strangers Do" by AJ Mitchell. It's a song recommended by Spotify and, hey, turns out I actually like it!

Notable mention(s):
- Best art moment: Visiting ART Jakarta at Hutan Kota by Plataran on 12 February with my colleague, Bunga. It's actually a day before I started my 3-week stay in Tangerang due to my work schedule (you know if you know).
- Best birthday: I delivered a birthday cake for Valent on her birthday, 28 February! Despite being friends for years, this is the first time I actually ever delivered a birthday cake on D-Day.

03 | MARCH

Best day to remember: Birthday moments for Loki as it's his 2nd birthday on 24 March! My little brother has his 25th on 12 March also.

Best first experience: This is something I will also describe in the 'best trip' section but the winner for this is going back and forth to Bandung twice in a week (21 March evening until 23 March morning, then 24 March evening until 27 March morning). Oh it's not Jakarta-Bandung but Purwakarta-Bandung.

Best trip: So, yeah, as you can expect: Bandung. It's the fasting month so it's nice to have less crowded tourist destinations at Sarae Hills and Orchid Forest! Oh, funny thing, we were waiting for lunch and we accidentally met Lala, a colleague, when we were not planning for a meetup. Such a coincidence!

Best meetup: Met up with the 'oldest' friend of mine, Chris. Received the Singapore souvenirs and also a Harry Potter chocolate! When you have fellow Potterhead as your good friend... such a blessing!

Best movie/TV series: "Ted Lasso" Season 3. I mean, it's Season 3 and I'm still watching it so... It's very recommended!

Best song: "KANATA HALUKA" by Radwimps takes the crown for March. I watched the movie and, albeit it's not my favorite movie from Makoto Shinkai, this song is really beautiful!

Notable mention(s):
- Best work/life balance moment: 11 March. Worked at Starbucks on Saturday for hours, accompanied by Valent before we had late lunch and dessert with Brenda afterwards.
- (Not the) best moment to remember: My uncle (oldest brother of Dad) passed away. I'm not exactly the closest to him but it does feel heartwrenching -- always, when coming to the funeral house.

04 | APRIL

Best day to remember: April Mop and the 12th day are actually the days I would remember the most from April 2023 due to a lot of things that happened on both days. Oh, and it's the Easter month!

Best first experience: Attending bukber / buka bersama with client during my work schedule in Cilegon. I've been to an iftar session with friends and colleagues, but it's the first with the client!

Best trip: Bandung makes it to the list again, lol. It's another short trip as it's the Idul Fitri holiday week. I managed to visit new restaurants/cafes during this trip. Is it just me or Bandung does have a lot of interesting places to visit?

Best meetup: 22 April with friends from my very first workplace. Been a while since we gathered so we had lunch at PIK before taking a bunch of pictures together.

Best movie/TV series: I only watched one movie this month and it was "Sewu Dino" on 29 April. Definitely not the best movie I'd recommend but I did watch it with my friends from my previous workplace -- we also watched the movie from the same universe last year.

Best song: "First Love". The original is by Utada Hikaru but I listened to Chaewon's cover, at least, 50 times this cover. This song has always been one of the best love songs to enjoy. Fun fact, do you know that Utada Hikaru released this song back in 1999?

Notable mention(s):
- Best buy: AirPods Pro. Bought it at iBox Cilegon. It's actually my best buy of the year! I'm actually using it right now!

05 | MAY

Best day to remember: 9 May. The (first) Go Live. Work-related thing.

Best first experience: As usual, always try at least one new thing on your birthday. I tried a new cinema in Cilegon on my birthday (yes, I'm not in Jakarta or at home on my birthday). Oh, and also a new hotel, I guess.

Best trip: Actually, May is a pretty busy month for me, so I don't exactly have a trip here and there, so I think Cilegon is my best shot for this category in May? Haha.

Best meetup: Talked with an old friend on 6 May (also the day I exchanged 250SGD which I have no idea where they are right now, lol).

Best movie/TV series: Despite the controversy and all the negative receptions, I actually enjoyed "The Little Mermaid" movie. Not in my top 10 best movies of 2023 but I prefer this to "Fast X".

Best song: "Part of Your World". I mean, I watched the movie on my birthday and it's a beautiful song!

Notable mention(s):
- Best birthday moment: Realizing that my wisdom teeth made me feel unwell on my birthday, lol. But, of course, all the birthday wishes and presents made me feel so much better and blessed!

06 | JUNE

Best day to remember: Taylor Swift announced her concert in Asia! The closest one is in Singapore and we needed to pre-register just to buy the ticket.

Best first experience: Bowling! My team work had a gathering on 23 June and we tried bowling. As usual, I am never good with sports and ball and any physical activities, lol, but it's really fun!

Best trip: I know it keeps repeating in this year's recap (I do not expect it will be this often though) but I needed to use my leave as it would be reset by the end of June so I took the chance for (another) short trip to Bandung. This time I took the train there!

Best meetup: Meetup after my wisdom teeth operation and eating something is always the best! Also got a cake from these girls. Thanks a bunch, you!

Best movie/TV series: Definitely "Spider-Man: Beyond the Spiderverse". I watched the first in streaming channel and I have never been a big fan of animated movies and watching them in cinema but this one made me think otherwise.

Best song: "Blue Jeans" by Gangga. I actually listened to the AI version of Justin Bieber on YouTube but instantly fell in love with the song!

Notable mention(s):
- (Not the) best moment to remember: 2nd and 3rd wisdom teeth pulled out on 2 June! This time my face was swollen so bad and took more days to recover compared to the 1st in 2020.
In 2nd place, it's also the moment it was announced that I got a 'free' ticket for One OK Rock concert in Jakarta. Why I don't really want to remember it? Apparently the ticket I purchased for the 2020 concert (which was cancelled due to the pandemic) could be used to watch the OOR concert in 2023 but... I was in Hong Kong on the date! Speaking of choosing 'perfect' timing. Pfft.

07 | JULY

Best day to remember: Taeyeon's concert! The Odd of Love in Jakarta on 22 July. It's been years since the first time I watched a concert but this is the first time I actually purchased a ticket so close to the stage and I have zero regret!

Best first experience: Taeyeon's concert! Yes. My first experience watching SM vocalist counts, right? lol

Best trip: Traveling to South Jakarta after a meetup with a friend. I took the train here and there for a day on 9 July. I actually liked to enjoy solitude time once in a while.

Best meetup: Karaoke and meetup with my Gemini trio! Got some stuff from Turkiye too from Dewi!

Best movie/TV series: July is, like, the best month for movies.
Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning (MI7). Barbie. Oppenheimer. The Childe.
Watch them all, you people.

Best song: Other than Taeyeon's songs (because I listened to them before the concert), I was listening to "Runaway" by Tiffany Young (also SNSD member) so often in July!

Notable mention(s):
- Best comeback moment: Passport making! Yes, my passport has expired so I finally registered to issue the new one on 28 July.

08 | AUGUST

Best day to remember: 9 August. The (second) Go Live. This time in Purwakarta.

Best first experience: Professional photoshoot experience on 24 August. The make-up and hair-do were provided so I could get some headshots for work. I forgot to bring my Batik to change though.

Best trip: I know this is getting repetitive but, yeah, I had another visit to Bandung on 4 August noon - 7 August morning; we drove to Purwakarta from Bandung for work afterwards, leading to the 9 August, the big day. We managed to walk on the Rengganis Suspension Bridge which used to be the the longest suspension brigde in Southeast Asia (it's Situ Gunung now).

Best meetup: Not exactly meetup but it's been a while since the last time I actually gathered with my work team so the Townhall on 24 August at office is a good moment to mention here!

Best movie/TV series: "Blue Beetle", the first movie of DCU. Basic plot but good execution!

Best song: "8 Letters" by Why Don't We. I really love the acoustic version!

Notable mention(s):
- Best fitness moment: Decided to sign up for gym at Anytime Fitness; I signed up here before back in 2019. 4 months have passed and I hope I will be more active there in 2024. HEHE.
- (Not the) best moment to remember: Another breach of my CIMB Niaga Credit Card usage. I think this is the 3rd time I made the complaint. I hope this is the last time I needed to be so cautious of the notification and submitted a request to the Customer Service.

09 | SEPTEMBER

Best day to remember: FY24 Assurance Management Conference. 21-22 September 2023. I attended the 2-day event at Kota Baru Pahrayangan.

Best first experience: Disneyland! It's my first Disneyland visit and it's to Hong Kong. The best amusement park experience ever, especially the magical closing event with all the fireworks and the colorful castle. Now I want to visit all Disneylands in the world. Manifesting, no?

Best trip: Okay, to be fair, the trip is 28 Sept - 2 Oct but, anyway, let me mention it here. Hong Kong / Macau Trip with my Mom! Although I don't think I will visit there again unless it's necessary but visiting a new country is always a new way to celebrate life!

Best meetup: Boardgame with the bunch of friends (Hani, Yuka, David, Pras, Lili, Frendy) and exchange stories before one of us will be relocated to another city.

Best movie/TV series: "Concrete Utopia". Might be the best Korean movie I watched this year aside from "The Childe". Oh I also watched "Summer Ghost", a short anime movie which is also good!

Best song: "Shirushi" by Luck Life. I've always loved all songs by Luck Life for Bungo Stray Dogs and this one is no exception!

Notable mention(s):
- Best pet moment: I went to Indonesia International Pet Expo again this year on 1 September; bought another Air Purifier from Levoit and lots of pet snacks, of course.
- Best art moment: Visiting Van Gogh Alive in Mall Taman Anggrek with Valent. Bought the pre-sales ticket a while back and decided to go there before the event ended.
- Best birthday: Lala's birthday surprise. As we're in Tangerang for work purpose, we met up with Yoanna during lunchtime at nearby cafe to give birthday cake for her.

10 | OCTOBER

Best day to remember: Wali Baterbom! I went to there alone and had a great, thrilling experience of the ride there! Would love to visit another similar waterpark in the future!

Best first experience: Cosplay. HAHAHA. So during my office outing in Bali, the theme is cartoon so I picked Anya Forger from Spy X Family anime. I rented the costume which included the pink wig and, hey, it's a good and interesting experience!

Best trip: Bali. It's my office outing trip and I managed to take the advanced slot; I went to Bali 3 days before the actual outing. The first day was not the best for me because I was feeling unwell but the rest is great!

Best meetup: Random meetup with Monica on 28 October for lunch and art moment (we can be artsy sometimes).

Best movie/TV series: The only movie I watched on cinema in October is "The Exorcist: Believer", the sequel of the famous "The Exorcist". Not a fan of the plot but good jumpscare!

Best song: "Anone" by Alekun and Yuika. This is such a sweet and lovely song to listen!

Notable mention(s):
- Best buy: Actually I'm not sure if it's a best buy yet but, yes, I bought a new Apple device before I returned from Hong Kong: Apple Watch. Not a fan of the battery life but still try to utilize it.
- Best party time: Atlas Super Club in Bali. It's my first time visiting the Beach Club and, do note that I'm not into party stuff, it feels nice to relax and enjoy the evening with friends.
- Best birthday: Luna has turned 11 and she's still the cutest small dog in our house!

11 | NOVEMBER

Best day to remember: Not exactly the best day but I managed to walk 9km for 2 hours from one place to another on 26 November. Never thought I could do that before. Phew.

Best first experience: ChatGPT. I know that I might be late to jump on the bandwagon but I tried ChatGPT (not the premium one though) in November and, now, I often tested the ChatGPT on random stuff such as, "What is the smallest country in the world" and stuff. lol

Best trip: I swear this is the last time this city name will appear here, lol. I have a short trip again to Bandung on travel bus. My trip this time is mostly for food and trial on the haunted house experience though.

Best meetup: Gemini trio meetup to watch The Eras Tour, Taylor Swift's concert movie! Three of us have always been fans of her songs so it's great for us to sing along in the cinemas!

Best movie/TV series: "Daily Dose of Sunshine". A series that break and warm my heart at the same time. I couldn't watch it it one go, not because it's not good -- because it's really good! -- but because my heart needs time to digest it.

Best song: "Too Sad to Dance" by Jungkook. His first album, "Golden" is golden but I don't know why I really like this one!

Notable mention(s):
- Best call: A video call from Brenda on 28 November; she's in Japan, a little bit lost on her way to somewhere, and she called me just to show me Mount Fuji. Okay, got it, I'll visit Japan next year. Amen.
- Best birthday: My 1st younger brother is 30 this year!

12 | DECEMBER

Best day to remember: The days I received chocolate/Christmas presents from friends! You guys are the best! Thanks for making my December even better. Also, 17 December when I managed to meet a person I had been looking for a while.

Best first experience: Christmas in Singapore. It is my first time celebrating Christmas overseas and the decorations are really wonderful!

Best trip: No need to check my gallery because it's definitely Singapore. It's been almost 5 years since my last visit here so it feels good to be back. I will come back again there in 3 months!

Best meetup: I know this month is pretty much dominated by Singapore but my best meetup(s) actually happened in Singapore. The first is with my junior high school friend, Livia, who stays in Singapore for work. Then I also met up with Patricia, a good friend of mine since college days, who happened to be in Singapore with her husband.
Funny how meeting with your friends now can happen in another country, no? Haha.

Best movie: Big round of applause for "Jatuh Cinta Seperti di Film-Film". It's black and white, it's romance, and it's full of dialogue, but I dare to say it's my favorite movie of 2023.

Best song: It's the song that I'm currently listening to while writing this recap: "Watashijyanakattandane" by Riria. The title translates to "It's Not Me". I love the song that I think I have listened to it like 50 times today (it's on repeat!).

Notable mention(s):
- Best relaxation: Nano Reflexology! Been years since the last time I visited here (no thanks to the pandemic, again). I went there 2 days after I returned from Singapore and, phew, it feels good!

Wow, I actually managed to finish the recap before midnight!

2023 has been a roller coaster of emotions, surprises, and changes for me.
There are great days, good memories, and not-so-wonderful moments that happened during the past 365 days but, nevertheless, I'm glad I lived through the days.

Hoping 2024 will be a better year for all of us!
Have a blessed year ahead, everyone!

Can you believe that this is already the last day of 2022?
Crazy, eh?

Can I believe that this is the first post of this year?
Yeah, life has been quite... busy for me. Not the kind of drama-busy, of course, thankfully.

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the world in early 2020, I'd say 2022 is finally the year where people have started to embrace the new normal gradually: countries have opened their borders for tourist visits, getting positive results of the tests do not make people as nervous as before, gathering with family and friends are no longer just plans.

With that, I'll begin the recap of the year, which is also marked my 15th recap here.
This might be the first and last post of 2022 here but, trust me, I'll never skip posting my annual recap here -- unless there's an inevitable reason, of course.

For  previous references: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020| 2021 

The meetup did not stop on the 9th. I had another gathering with my current (work)team on 21 January at Beer Garden SCBD. I'd say this would be my first big team gathering! On the same day (or night), I continued to meet my friends at Binus Area -- our last 7-people meetup is 17 January 2020! Time flies, indeed.

As I said, gathering with a large number of people has been a challenge since 2 years ago so, being able to attend various meetups with friends to begin the year is something that makes me happy this year!

On 15 January, I was grateful to find my name in the list of selected authors for "Festival Menulis Ellunar 7" for both cerita mini and cerita pendek.

However, an unfortunate event also happened this month as Luna's (Female Shihtzu) eye was scratched (not sure if by herself or by Loki) so her eye was hurting a lot. We brought her to a vet specialist for eyes, even considering surgery. She's all good now though and she did not need to go through surgery!

Honorable mention of the month: "Layangan Putus" is a popular Indonesian TV series! I finally watched it later on September 2022. Would recommend it as well if you're into drama with good acting.


[02] February

The second month of the year usually marked a romantic time period for some people. Mine began with Chinese New Year on the first day. I also decided to have peek-a-boo dyed hair (it's blueish grey at first, then it's blue and then magenta before I ended with violet now; I know, a lot of colors, right?)

I also welcomed Brenda who joined my (work) team on 7 February! Yeay!

My little brothers were both positive of COVID-19 in mid of February. My achievement of the month? Finishing a self-built wardrobe by myself -- because the complete set took space but my brothers were locked in their rooms.

In February, I also learned that just because people talk to each other every day, it does not necessarily mean that they're talking with each other.

Honorable mention of the month: "The Demon Slayer" Season 2! Must watch. Waiting for Season 3!

[03] March

The Lent season has begun with Ash Wednesday on 2 March. HIGHLIGHT, my favorite K-pop band, also has a comeback in March! Also, Loki celebrated his 1st birthday on 24 March! The 26th marks my 10th year being a professional at work since 2012.

The longest walk I had in this month? Visiting IKEA with Brenda and Valentcia; we had a simple belated celebration for Valent's birthday before we went to IKEA though. Oh, also getting 3rd vaccine for COVID-19 as a booster.

Honorable mention of the month: "Jujutsu Kaisen 0!" I am a fan of the manga and anime series so the movie is a must-watch for me. I watched it twice at cinemas and I'd still want to watch it even now! Oh, and also "The Batman" where Robert Pattinson takes the role for Bruce Wayne!


[04] April

I met up with my friends from junior high school, Hilda and Agatha; we usually meetup as four but that's another story in another month as this is our first time meeting together ever since 2019.

In April I got the habit of checking out new places for pet parks. I realized that there are limited places for that.

And Dreamcatcher, my number 1 Korean girl group, finally won their first win on 20 April 2022. Something worth celebrating for sure! Along with ESTA (my work team at the office) had a big group dinner on 23 April 2022.

The biggest decision I made this year? One of them was finalised in April when I was considering purchasing a house. Yes, a house, people. No, not part of Monopoly game components but a real house.

Honorable mention of the month: "A Business Proposal", a rom-com Korean TV series. It's pretty cheesy and predictable, but I guess it has its own charm to gain popularity! I also like "Tomorrow", a more serious TV series about Gods of Death.

 
[05] May

Long(?) holiday for Lebaran has started and I used the best of time to go here and there. I had my escape room visit again after years on 14 May and, on the very same day, I drove the car alone after dropping my friends somewhere else! Gonna say that's one of my achievements this year.

The funniest 'incident' happened on 2 May when a good friend of mine, who drove a car to Alam Sutera with me, actually kind of left me hanging alone in the area; no thanks to miscommunication, lol. He thought that I had taken my other friend's car. Not an excuse though, still. This will go down in my history of friendships.

Another achievement to celebrate happened as usual in May, as it's my birthday month: my solo trip to Lombok! Yes, I managed to visit the island on 21 May and even had a snorkelling experience on my birthday. I posted like... a lot on my Instagram to remind me of what I was doing back then. I should post the details somewhere, right? Let me think of it somehow...

Anyway, Lombok is a very recommended place to visit! Would love to visit again someday in the future!


[06] June

Kicking off June with another meetup with Brenda and Valentcia for a karaoke session. On 4 June, I met with my junior high school friends (refer to March!). I also went to a Corgi cafe on 5 June where I gathered with my former officemates.

I went to Bogor on 18 June and stayed for a night with Monica to celebrate Dewi's birthday. On 24 June, I had my very first experience meeting up with an influencer, Titan Tyra, as she has her first Madcoco store opened at Mall of Indonesia (yes, I went there by myself, driving a car. Amusing, eh?)

On 27 June, my ESTA workteam had another team dinner. The team has expanded with more members joining within the year!

Honorable mention of the month: "Top Gun Maverick". Never watched the first one but glad that I went to watch the sequel because it's good!


[07] July

Have you ever brought your Mom to karaoke? I did in July 2022, lol. On 23 July I brought Loki to Pet Kingdom at Alam Sutera, one place where he could run freely around and also swim! I still find myself confused to control him when it comes to socialising with other dogs, especially smaller ones. Will try my best to manage this.

The most memorable thing to remember this year? I don't think I really want to remember it but, yeah, I was scammed. Basically, I trusted someone who said that he needed to move to US and he had these all cute puppies to be adopted and we just needed to give some good amount of money for donations or stuff. I still couldn't understand why people would do such things.

Anyway, I also had a new experience in July which was joining a walking tour in Jakarta with @walkindies_jakarta on last day of July 2022.

Honorable mention of the month: "Incantation", a horror movie that you can find on Netflix. Might be a little overrated but I'd still recommend it for a good horror touch in the middle of the year.


[08] August

I knew how to take care of driving fine (read: denda tilang) now! Haha. Not that I'm proud I have my SIM (driver's license) taken away as I made a silly mistake when driving back home from the client.

Loki met Kenji, Brenda's dog, for the first time on 6 August. My Dad also returned home after more than 2 years (no thanks to the pandemic, of course) and met Loki for the first time! As for my first-time thing, I went to IIPE and bought lots of stuff for pets there.

Best trip of the year other than Lombok goes to... Bali! I finally visited Bali again with Hani, Yuka, David, and Lili. Day 1 was already challenging as we drove (Yuka drove, to be exact) to Lovina, a spot on the north of the island, by taking quite a difficult route. Had my experience of dolphin watching tour on day 2 as well.

Oh, another scam is verified. I bought some travel vouchers for Bali from one source -- which I contacted years ago and all is legit. Turned out the vouchers are not available to use so... yeah, bye, money.

Honorable mention of the month: "Extraordinary Attorney Woo". Not the best Korean TV series for me but it's enjoyable with interesting characters! Also, the movie called "Bullet Train". You can find it on Netflix now. And, if you're into the heist genre, do watch "Mencuri Raden Saleh". Really recommended!


[09] September

Driving a little bit farther than usual, I asked my Mom to accompany me to Jakarta Escape which is located near Bekasi, bringing along Luna and Loki. A very spacious place with trees and all, I would love to go there again just for an afternoon walk!

In September, I also met new people, made decisions that I'm still grateful for, and... *drum rolls* I had my very first work event/gathering outside of the office: Bogor, 22-23 September, Annual Manager Conference.

On September, a good friend of mine also lost a member of her family, a day where I was reminded that you should treasure the days you have because, really, you never know if it's the last day of the encounter.

Honorable mention of the month: As mentioned in January, I finally watched "Layangan Putus"!


[10] October

October marked the month where I had continuous site visit to client, starting from Tangerang visit to Cilegon to Purwakarta. Yes, I stayed there with my work team. Very interesting experiences, I might say.

Also got my US Harry Potter merchandises from Chris, a very old friend of mine on 15 October! The best thing about having best friend who has the same interest with you! Luna also celebrated her 10th birthday on 28 October! It's her eight year staying with us!

Returning from the office trip, I went to Mall of Indonesia with my friends for Halloween event stuff and, turned out later on, I was confirmed positive with COVID-19 -- I thought I would not get it somehow but I I guess I was too exhausted with three-weeks site visit somehow. Thanks to all my friends who have been so kind and send me lots of stuff during my recovery period!

Honorable mention of the month: "One Dollar Lawyer" on Disney+. Fun, witty, and interesting! 


[11] November

Moving on to the next month, I was recovering from COVID-19 in the early days of November. In week 3, I went to all the client's sites again. This time it's a little bit less packed than the last visit so I could say I managed my health well.

On the day back from Cilegon, I decided to make another purchase of the year; something I have been considering for the past few years: Macbook Air. So, yes, right now, I'm writing this post with (brand new) Macbook Air. One of the best purchases I made for the year, I guess.

My luck took its turn to show off when I won a lottery: a grand prize of a smartphone as I purchased some clothing stuff at Matahari department store! It's the day when I also went to Gading Serpong to meetup with Brenda and Valentcia to celebrate Brenda's birthday.

Honorable mention of the month: I also watched "Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever" in November. Such a beautiful tribute to Chadwick Boseman. I also love "The Menu"! Not everyone's cup of tea but interesting one.


[12] December

Now, the last month of the year which has always been the month of events for me every year.

Bandung made it to the list of memorable places to remember in my 2022. On 3 December, I went to Bandung as part of my office gathering. After 3 years, this is the first time we had this large-scale of gathering. With "Toy Story" as the theme I got to dress myself (and saw the others, of course) as the characters.

Right at this very moment, I'm also writing this post while in Bandung! This is my first time spending New Year's Eve in another city since 2014-15 in Surabaya. Why am I here, you ask?

In December 2022, I guess the universe has its own way of reminding me that it's always quality over quantity. I made some new friends within the month -- friends from the workplace who I never thought would be people to hang out with -- something that I actually never thought would be possible. No, not because I had limited myself from them. I mean, I have some good friends from work but to hangout at somewhere else without talking about work, it's very rare indeed.

I spent the week of Christmas here and there, including dinner and cafe hopping, board games, Christmas Mass (yes, finally!), and planning a year-end trip to Bandung. Some changes happened but, nevertheless, I'm still very grateful that I decided to do something different this year as we countdown to the new year.

December is also a month where I was reminded that our plan might not be able to be executed 100% as we thought but, somehow, putting aside the concern and heartbreak, there might be something bigger than you thought you could have.

Honorable mention of the month: "Knives Out 2" and "Cek Toko Sebelah 2"! KO2 might be the best movie of the year for me!


There goes my 2022. Less than an hour to 2023, I hope everyone has a good year.
Let's face the new year with better days to remember. :)

Hello, everyone.
I hope you are doing good despite we're still living in the COVID-19 pandemic era.

It's 31 December 2021 and, of course, I am here to share my recap of the year!
As usual, the format will be different from the previous years and, yes, it might be shorter than usual (read: I just write the way I feel like I want to do it).

For  previous references: 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020

< Jan >

Kicking off the new year, there's nothing special that I did on on the first day of the year. Maybe I'm the minority but, as the years pass, I guess I just see the New Year Day as the first day of the new year only. I mean... That's that? I always prefer staying at home and watch movies until late -- of course, not that I will reject all invitations if there's any (although I will think again due to this COVID-19 situation).

Anyway, my January is pretty basic with movies, work, and preparation for Chinese New Year.

Recurring activities of the month: [Netflix] K-Drama: Sweet Home. I am always a fan of mystery/thriller genre.

Recommendation of the month: [Webtoon] Omniscient Reader.

I attended a wedding reception for the first time since the pandemic began; it's the wedding of Siddharta, my senior at previous company, and Celine. There's also the Chinese New Year where some of my good friends sent me hampers -- thanks, everyone!
In the same month, I also heard the news of Actor Ng Man Tat has passed away due to liver cancer at 70 -- he's like one of the legendary actors that filled my childhood movie-time. Rest in peace.

Recurring activities of the month: [Social Media] Clubhouse

Recommendation of the month: [Food] Kwetiau Arang Sister

Recurring activities of the month: [Travel] Staycation plus trying new food.

Recommendation of the month: [Netflix] K-Drama: Vincenzo

< Apr >

It's Easter! I also went to Tangerang for the first time in the year to meet up with my best friends there (Brenda, Valentcia, Shandy). I realized that most of my friends stay in Tangerang now, lol.

There's nothing much happened in April but I think it's the month where I spent most of my hours with the screen for TV series or anime.

Recurring activities of the month: [Music] Yuki Kajiura's songs dominated my playlist

Recommendation of the month: [Manga/Anime] Jujutsu Kaisen, [Netflix] Girl from Nowhere

< May >

Contrary from April, I had lot of activities in May. Like meeting up with Monica for the first time since her wedding on Jan 2020, met up with Hani, Yuka, Lili for the first time since early 2020, tried to purchase clothes from thrift shop, visited Museum Macan.
I also celebrated my 30th birthday -- you can check it here for more details.

Then on 29 May, when I met up with Brenda and Valentcia for lunch, I had the first conversation with the kennel where I decided to buy a new dog.

Recurring activities of the month: [Music] Highlight - Not The End; it's their comeback after all of them have completed mandatory military service!

Recommendation of the month: [Manga/Anime] Kimetsu no Yaiba, [Netflix] K-Drama: Move to Heaven, [Food] Kaibaibo Korean Bakery

< Jun >

Loki, a Corgi, joined the family on 4 June, exactly on my Mom's birthday, Loki arrived. I spent most of my June to play, teach, and take care of him as he's still a puppy. You can read here for more details.

I also attended Yuka and Hani's wedding reception as her bridesmaid, went to my first all-you-can-eat sushi at Nonama Restaurant, and got my first COVID-19 vaccine on 21 June.

Recurring activities of the month: [Pet] Loki, Loki, and Loki!

Recommendation of the month: [Netflix] K-Drama: Hospital Playlist Season 2

< Jul >

Dreamcatcher is back! Their music video is heavily inspired by "Us" -- a very recommended movie as well. I also purchased the album and, not proud of it, despite how much I love them, I never actually purchased their album previously.

On July, I also received the goods news of promotion at work. It's a significant one so I'm really thankful for the opportunity and trust!

Recurring activities of the month: [Pet] Still, Loki. He's only 3 to 4 month-year-old on July.

Recommendation of the month: [Anime] Fruits Basket

< Aug >

Gold medal Olympic for Indonesia! Thank you Greysia Polli and Apriyani Rahayu!
I attended a mass (physically) for the first time on 7 August as I was invited for the wedding mass of my best friend since college, Shandy, and his beloved wife now, Adel. And, with that, I also had my first experience with Antigen test.

Recurring activities of the month: [Apple TV+] Servant. Mythic Quest. Since I got 3-month free subscription since I bought the iPhone 12 in the end of July, I streamed whatever I can within the month, lol

Recommendation of the month: [Apple TV+] Ted Lasso. Must watch.

< Sep >

I'm finally fully vaccinated on 13 September! Yoseob also announced his comeback as solo with "Chocolate Box" album. "Squid Game" is getting worldwide popularity. Despite it's not my favorite, I'd still recommend it.
On 24 September, we visited Dogs Ministry again. This time with Loki (9-month-old) as well and he had swimming time actually!

Recurring activities of the month: [Game] Doraemon: Story of Seasons. I love to play game but, unfortunately, once I play, I cannot really stop. It's like hit big or not at all. This game is similar to Harvest Moon which is, I think, one of the first games I played on PlayStation platform. I ended up with Nintendo Switch Lite afterwards so I could play it. Oh, yeah, I haven't really touched it for weeks.

Recommendation of the month: [Netflix] K-drama: Squid Game. You know. You definitely know.

< Oct >

I finally went out of the town to... Bandung! I took a bus (Jackal Holidays) from Seasons City. 4D3N is good enough quick escapade from the routine life. It's also the place where I lost my audio converter for both of my phones (Type C and lightning).
My Mom took MRT for the first time where I helped her to purchase a pair or running shoes (which I don't think she wears often nowadays). I also attended an intimate wedding reception of a good friend and colleague, Robby, and Freshca. The second wedding I attended in 2021!
Psst, we celebrated Luna 9th birthday on 28 October! On 30 October, I watched Dreamcatcher's Halloween Midnight Circus!

Recurring activities of the month: [Music] I'm repeating "my long forgotten cloistered sleep" for hundred times.

Recommendation of the month: [Netflix] Midnight Mass.

< Nov >

I met up with friends and took MRT while exchanging stories, managed to watch some old and good movies (Memento, Whiplash), also visited a friend's house at Alam Sutera!
And... I purchased the limited Minalima edition of Harry Potter books (only the first and second book are released until now). Then on 28 November, I went to Alam Sutera to enjoy the beach vibe (lol) at Hey Beach and also celebrating Brenda's belated birthday! On the next day, it's my brother's 28th birthday.

Recurring activities of the month: [Pet] I'm making it a routine to take Loki for a night walk after work at a nearby housing complex.

Recommendation of the month: [Manga] Summertime Rendering. Must. Read. I finished it in 3-4 days because it's sooo good. It will have anime adaptation in 2022.

< Dec >

My brother decided to buy a car (after longgg discussion) then I finished the driving courses (yeay me!) which I took at Satria Jayanti - branch Tanjung Duren. You know what, I definitely still need time to adjust myself behind the wheel.

Travel to Medan is definitely the highlight of the year. My last visit to Medan is in April 2014.
I actually planned to go to Bali but, since my father is staying in Medan since March 2021, I decided to go to Medan with my mother (then my Aunt and Uncle followed as well so, apparently, it's me who tagged along, lol).
I had 1 night spent at Eco-village Silimalombu which is located in Pulau Samosir. It's a very unique experience but I'd need to spend more time there to get more new experiences! Psst, I watched the sunrise at 6:30AM there!

Recurring activities of the month: [Gift] Receiving and sending Christmas Hampers.

Recommendation of the month: [Movie] No Way Home, especially if you're a fan of Spider-man.

Well. That's my 2021.
I'm blessed. I'm safe. I'm healthy. I'm all good.

Let's hope for better year in 2022 :)