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. :)

My first post in 2024!

It's been a long, long, long time I actually posted something which is not a recap, short story, or travel summary. I actually want to write something about life and how I view it for today.

It's a short post, I think.

It's the 13th day in 2024 and I have been taken on a roller coaster of mixed emotion. Is it good? Is it bad? At this very moment, I would not say it's the best moment to record in 2024 -- considering January is usually one of my favorite months of the year.

How would I put it in words?

You know when you really, really want something,
and you cannot have it but, eventually, with time and effort spent, you finally get it?
And, yet, one day, you're told that you can't have it anymore,
which makes you really sad that you don't want to let it go.

Some said it's attachment issue.
We should not be to attached to another thing or person or environment.

I agree. 100% agree.

Being kind does not mean you sacrifice yourself for others.
Being happy does not mean you should make others happy when it gives you unhappiness.

Yet it's very understandable for us to grieve and question ourselves:
Why should we let it go? What did we do wrong for this to happen?
How could we prevent or stop this from happening?

We try to tie things down when it might only hurt ourselves.
We are unable to answer those questions because we feel like it's the best to keep how things are at the moment.

Oh well, give it some time, people said.
You'll learn to let go.

Okay. Minutes turn to hours, hours turn to days.
You think to yourself, I still can see it anyway.
It's still there but not completely mine.
It's better than nothing.

However, it makes you wonder.
If spending time and effort back in those old days make you able to achieve it,
why couldn't it work again after you let it go?

Maybe you should repeat it again.
The time.
Maybe you didn't do it enough.
The effort.

Who could tell us that maybe it's not the problem.
That sometimes things are not meant to be.
That maybe the future seems bleak now but it might shift to clearer sky soon.
That there are better things are in store for you.

No one could tell us that.
Sorry, everyone can tell us that, but we would never listen to them anyway.
We believe what we want to believe when we're grieving.

You wish things stay the same.
Because you feel that it's the best that you can have.
Because you feel that if you put more time and effort, things might change.

And yet the change might not be for the better.

But it's natural for us to be sad, to feel broken, to ask for understanding,
to wish for things to stay the same,
because, somehow, the feelings we have from the start,
poured into the actions and words you have given in every second thinking about it,
they stay in your heart.

It never fades away.

Endlessly.

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!