First Day of October
Time certainly flies. (Do you see those leaves falling already?)
One of the first things I did on the first day of October was I drove my car for the first time ever (yeah no big deal ha-ha-ha). Since I'm now 17 and have finished my driving lessons, my mom's been making me drive as much as I can until I can get the hang of it. Yesterday I used my own car for the first time, and went slow and played safe, but I realised I wasn't that bad of a driver! It just so happened that my instructor was a man of many words (mostly telling me all the things I did wrong). But as it turns out, I drive just fine.
For lunch, mom and I went to the mall to this Indonesian restaurant called Linkafe. They served Indonesian cuisine and we basically met up with my relatives who recently flew in from New Zealand. It was a nice afternoon and even though I've been there before, I've come to really admire the interiors of the restaurant itself. The blue walls and cushions kind of just speak to you, don't they?
Pictured above is one of Indonesia's greatest snacks called pisang goreng which literally translates into fried banana. Yes, it's batter-fried slices of banana. Don't question it. It's amazing. Shortly afterwards, we had a lovely chat with all of them to catch up, and at around 3 PM we left because I'd been invited by Intro Magazine to the grand opening of their new retail space!
Intro is a new local e-magazine (although they make prints too) launching their first issue this October. I found them through Instagram and completely fell in love with their content- both aesthetically pleasing and fascinating to read! Their columns are thought-provoking, informative, and overall really enjoyable to read. Not only that, but they're also highly innovative with their new concept, that is turning their magazine into a retail space.
Located at the other side of town, yesterday was a grand opening of the space where they make the magazine come to life. Their motto is "step into a magazine. Literally." And that is indeed literally what happens.
As the magazine covers many topics circulating food, fashion, etc, the retail space (inhabiting a two-story, all-white-black-and-wood, Instagram-worthy building) shows the actual fashion brands featured in the magazine's issue, and these brands will have their space on the upper floor and display their clothes and sell to customers just as you would in a market! The same with the ones focused more on interior and home & living. Food was highly talked about in the magazine too, and in the house all these different local businesses (mentioned in the magazine) set up their own pop-up stands as well, and take their place on the first floor, making the area similar to a food court with a really large variety of food.
Aside from the grand opening, they also held a food tasting event that I was invited to through Instagram. This is where all these aforementioned local food enterprises serve their dishes for a taste test done by a large group of people (I'd say there were about 30 people pitching in. Me included.) I had an invitation for 3 people so I took my mom and my sister to do the food tasting with me. It was great and we loved it.
I found the many local businesses to be really creative with their menus, and each one provided excellent taste, so voting for whichever one we thought deserved the Intro Magazine's Best Dish Award of the Night was certainly a challenge. A few of my favourites- not gonna say which one I voted for though ;) -would be:
- Doré by LeTAO's signature Fromage cake. I'm really in love not only with the brand and its design and branding, but also their famous Jakarta-based cheesecakes that I got to try yesterday. Totally glorious.
- Lareia Cake & Co's dishes. They actually served four different menus in the food tasting, but I do recall their to-die-for Tres Leches cake. I've always been a huge fan of Lareia (they make the prettiest cakes that also taste really good!)
- The Egg'es Project's salted egg burgers. The dishes they served in the taste test came in mini burgers and I thought the idea to put salted egg in a burger was pretty cool. (I might be biased though, because I love eggs. Salted ones especially. And burgers, though! Who doesn't love burgers?)
Other than these, there were also a prawn salsa tortilla, pork belly rice, and a few other dishes. We hadn't had dinner but certainly left the place feeling full and perfectly satisfied!
Finally, we ticked a box in our little pieces of paper and put the vote into the glass bowls provided. We sadly had to leave early because it was getting late (not to mention a long way from home), so we didn't get to see as they accumulated the votes to award the Best Dish of the Night. As it turns out, the winner was the golden cheesecake franchise, Doré by LeTAO. Very well deserved!
All in all, this was an awesome experience. I applaud Intro Magazine for creating such a cool idea and successfully bringing it to life, and I also congratulate them on the launch and the grand opening. I'm so glad that I was able to experience this, especially since my dream job is to end up working in a magazine someday. Opening myself up to events and things like these is definitely beneficial, and helps me to learn more about the creative industry that I'm so eager to delve into.
How did you spend your first day of October?
Leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you guys. :) I hope you have a good week!
I'll talk to you soon.
Living with Perfectionism
perfectionism (n.)
refusal to accept any standard short of perfection
The other day, my friends and I attended a local university's education expo. The university made a visit to my school a few days before, and yesterday, because my friends and I decided to try and apply, we submitted all our admission requirements and did an interview for them to determine whether or not we were qualified for receiving the scholarships we desired.
At one point in the interview, the lady asked,
"So Joanne, according to you, what do you think are your strengths and weaknesses?"
I kind of saw this coming, and had already set up an answer in the back of my head. I began answering and at one point I mentioned the one most noticeable personality trait I have, that other people already know about me as well.
"Well, I'm a perfectionist..."
The words tasted like vinegar as I uttered it a little quicker than I'd expected. The thing is that I've never actually admitted it so straightforwardly. But it's true, it's been a part of who I am perhaps since middle school. The title of this post might make it sound like a disease or personality disorder, but that's not the case.
In psychology, perfectionism is defined as a trait characterised by a person's strive for flawlessness. We set immensely high standards and expectations, both upon ourselves and other people. I remember times where I would get a 99 on a test (a bloody 99, which in retrospect, is actually not too horrible) and I would cry. My friends would look at me and think God, is she really this hard on herself?
When you're a perfectionist, failures (or flaws, even) are strictly unacceptable. Many people validate the mistakes they make and simply call it "being human", but for perfectionists, this is almost never the case. When you fail, you think it's because the circumstances went against you, or it must be something you lack. You start questioning everything, and your mind turns to the familiar cycle of "I should've done that instead", "This is all wrong", or "It shouldn't have happened that way". You never feel truly satisfied.
But why?
Well hey, perfectionists, why are we like this? Why do we drown ourselves in phases of "not good enough"s and refuse to give ourselves room for imperfections? Why do we choose to give ourselves that pressure of getting it right?
Perfectionism is a sprout that could come from many different seeds. The most common ones are low self-esteem and the toxic habit of overthinking. We don't feel like we are worth the chance of starting over or correcting flaws.
Comparison also comes into play. We fall into the trap of comparing our level 2 to another person's level 15, failing to take into account that they must've had many trials and errors themselves before reaching their success. But we don't think like that. We grow obsessive, thinking "oh God why can't I do this one simple thing that that person seems to have easily mastered?"
Why do we continue? It's time to step out of that shell. We want absolute perfection, but we have to learn to acknowledge limitations. To live life as it is, not through what you expect out of it, or what you want to achieve. You try your best, and with whatever the outcome, you learn to think that yes, this is enough.
Now I use my perfectionism as fuel to drive me forward. It gives a good set of motivation, because high standards pull out more productivity. It's true that for perfectionists, working is easy. We work at our own pace, and are equipped with a lot of determination. So perhaps, perfectionism is a shrub that we don't need to cut down, but we just need to prune. Life isn't always perfect, and we will not (never) be perfect, but wouldn't it feel great to actually embrace it, instead of constantly trying otherwise?
I'll write again soon.
The Shrine of Remembrance | Melbourne, Australia
Oh I miss Melbourne.
Last June, I visited this gorgeous city with my mom and stayed for about 10 days there. We kind of had to soak up all the winter air but nonetheless, it was still a memorable trip. The thing about winter in Australia is not only does it happen midyear, but it's also not that cold compared to perhaps the US or the European countries. I loved feeling the light breeze while still enjoying a beautiful blue sky over my head. It was a gorgeous experience! I had a lovely time exploring Melbourne in many different ways, especially knowing that it was most likely going to be my home starting on next year until about the 4 years after. Heh. But anyway!
While I was there, I managed to take an afternoon to arrange a meet-up with my good friend Shannon. We only had about a couple of hours so we decided to go to the Shrine of Remembrance! And let me tell you about (no- let me show you) how stunning it was.
The hilarious part was after we took the tram from the city to the Shrine of Remembrance, we had to walk up the hill through the grass and past these beautiful beautiful trees. And we ended up taking countless photos there. By the trees. Before we even reached the landmark. Haha we couldn't help it, this area was so serene and gorgeous and it was so different from home that we loved every inch of it. So yes, we loved walking up the hill and in the distance, we finally saw it.
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| That's how majestic and big the Shrine was. Featuring my height for scale. |
I didn't wear any special outfit, I basically had a green coat on with a pair of black jeans, black boots, and my go-to tiny Kate Spade backpack. I didn't want to dress up that much because I wanted to let the day be more beautiful than I was. --> My new motto.
The Shrine of Remembrance was built to pay tribute to the lives lost during the First World War. There were about 19,000 Victorians killed during their time serving in the war, but their bodies didn't get to be buried near their homes. So the Shrine was built not only to preserve the memories of the men and women who served in the Great War (1914-1918), but to give the families a chance to grieve and the communities a chance to honour the sacrifices made. Hence, the Shrine was built as the "national war memorial of Victoria".
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| One of the chambers inside the Shrine. |
We climbed to the top of the Shrine before leaving and got the most stunning view of the Melbourne city skyline. It got a little more cloudy but once you witness it in person, it would literally take your breath away. Especially since the landmark was located quite outside of the city and away from the crowd, but the view from the top of the Shrine gives you a look past the Yarra river and into the busy CBD of Melbourne. (Fun fact: They also designed the city so that the Shrine would constantly be visible if you walk along Swanston Street, which is one of the main streets in the city, in order to pay tribute to the historical structure.)
I didn't take as many pictures when I was inside and seeing all the exhibits but I can tell you it was definitely fascinating. There were displays of old journals and pocket watches and uniforms that belonged to the soldiers, not to mention the wall that showed seemingly endless rows of medals. It was breathtaking. If you are ever in Melbourne, you totally have to visit. The entry is free of charge, and it's definitely something worth seeing.
Have you ever been to Melbourne? What places did you get to visit? Do leave a comment below and I'd love to hear from you guys :) Stay tuned for more.
Something Traditional
Last Wednesday was the date of my country's Independence Day (71 years free!), and it was an eventful day. Soon after, I realised that this was going to be my last time celebrating my country's Independence Day inside my country. Chances are, I'll already be studying abroad by next year, and 3 years after that. So I wanted to somehow show a sense of pride for my nation. Hence, this photoshoot.
A kebaya, according to Google, is a light, loose tunic worn by women in Malaysia, Indonesia, and other Southeast Asian countries. No offense Malaysia, but I think my country deserves ownership over this one.
I loved wearing it (it was a little big around the waist, but still). In a glance, it obviously looks like your typical ethnic southeast Asian traditional wear. However, I am absolutely in love with both the colour and the intricate hand-sewn details resembling flowers around the front and sides. It gives a sense of femininity. Many other varieties of flowers were available, so a lot of these actually come in different colours and styles. It's also quite practical since I get to wear it with anything like any casual top I own.
There was definitely something empowering about wearing this, not only because it reflected my nation, but because it became a symbol of two things I know I am: An Indonesian, and a feminist.
Does your country have a certain traditional piece that you love to wear or are proud of? What do you think of this one? Let me know in the comments below, I'd love to read your thoughts. :)
Until next time,
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Aaaand I'm back.
I have decided against blogging for quite some time now for a handful of reasons. To name a few:
1. I'm having way too much on my plate. School is starting and there are heaps of things to deal with right now and it's been keeping me immensely busy.
2. I didn't know what to write about anymore. I'll be honest, my brain's been so exhausted that it just haven't had the time to properly generate ideas.
3. I felt like I needed to get my life together first. Not gonna lie, it's been messy. Emotionally, physically, and mentally. But I think my stability always comes from working, and from being productive. So that's what I'm going to start doing.
I'm hopeful for another start. I still want to pursue blogging all the way into my future and to actually make something out of the whole process, and it is going to take some time. However, I figured that the only thing that can take me off of the stress that life gives, is giving myself one thing I would enjoy stressing about. If that makes sense.
I changed my layout here and there, if you've noticed, and it's because I'm trying to re-brand this blog so that it can keep up with how I am right now as a person, who's growing- stumbling, but still growing nonetheless.
MUSIC: Recent Favorites
We've reached the middle of June already and I thought it was about time for me to share my most recent favourites! My last music post was quite a while ago so now I'm packed and ready with a new list of fresh tunes. I've just been obsessing over these songs so I hope you like them.
- "Wolves" - One Direction (I ended up loving this song more than I planned. It's just addicting.)
- "Can't Stop the Feeling" - Justin Timberlake (Such a good song, JT never fails to take my heart away. The ultimate feel-good song with a really cool beat you can totally dance to.)
- "Talk Me Down" - Troye Sivan (This song feels really slow and melancholic, but in a way it just consumes you. I don't know. Listen to it if you haven't, guys.)
- "This Is What You Came For" - Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna (This is kind of a fresh song and I'm just literally obsessed. So so good.)
- "Masterpiece" - Jessie J (An oldie but goodie. The lyrics are amazing and they really speak to me personally, and her vocals are flawless.)
- "Army" - Ellie Goulding (This song was played during my high school's graduation gala and I instantly fell in love with the chorus. Ellie continues to mesmerize.)
- "Til Kingdom Come" - Coldplay (I don't normally listen to Coldplay anymore but my boyfriend recommended this and I loved it the minute I heard it. So beautiful, and it just got to me in a deep, personal level at that time.)
- "Steady Me" - Hollyn (I'd never heard of this artist before but I really really like this song. It turned out to be gospel, as I realised after a while, but just a really nice tune.)
- "If It's For You" - The Overtunes (The Overtunes is a band from my home country, Indonesia, and I happen to love their music. This song's always been one of my favourites.)
- "Is It The Answer" Reality Club (This might be a little unexpected but the Reality Club is a band from Jakarta, I found it because the lead singer happens to be one of my fave YouTubers, and I listened to their first single and this turned out to be so good.)
- "Nobody" - Selena Gomez (I don't know why I loved this song so much when I heard it, but the chorus just kind of sweeps you off your feet. It's beautiful, I love it.)
- "Real Love" - Clean Bandit ft. Jess Glynne (Again, quite an old song but I listened to it again recently and fell back in love. I've always been a huge fan of Jess Glynne because of her vocals and style of music in general. SO good.)
Got any favourites? What do you think of the songs above? Leave a comment below and I'd love to hear from you since it's been a while!
Have a great week.
LIFE: Turning Seventeen
So, just a little update: I turned 17 last Friday.
Do you feel old?
Not really.
How does it feel like so far?
Messy.
So you drive now?
Never laid hands on a steering wheel in my entire life. I know, I know, I suck at turning 17.
Any wishes?
Actually, on my birthday I realised, that everything I want, and everything I need, I already have. I'm abundantly blessed, and I know this full well.
Technically, this birthday post is about a week late, but I knew that not writing about my 17th birthday on my blog would be- well, a crime. So here it is.
The thing about turning 17 is that where I come from, it's a big deal. A lot of girls hold these extravagant parties and they just make one hell of a celebration out of it. (Kind of like how Super Sweet 16s are in the US). Judging from that, I thought that turning 17 would feel glorious. I thought my life would feel like it's ~*changed*~ and that the sun would shine in a different light and my days would be different and I would be a totally new person.
None of this happened.
The days leading up to my birthday were kind of dull. Maybe it was my finals week, but I knew that even though I was going to celebrate with a fun dinner gathering with my friends and I was going to see my family and it was going to be a great birthday, I still didn't look forward to it that much. I was happy, sure, but meh, it's just a birthday.
I woke up, June 3rd, at a quarter to 5 AM (yes, my birthday weekend featured many nights of a lack of sleep) and replied to several messages my friends left me from 12 AM the night before. My boyfriend texted me that morning and so did several other people.
I was just about to get up when all of a sudden, three of my closest church friends came into my room with a plate of the breakfast menu from McDonalds (a classy meal to start my birthday), complete with a set of candles, singing Happy Birthday to me, who wasn't even fully awake yet. It was the earliest birthday surprise I've had in a while and it was so thoughtful of them.
My mom finally woke up an hour later, hugged me and wished me a happy birthday. Her gifts were really memorable: She wrote me a letter (which made me cry) and gave me a cross necklace (that I now wear daily and never take off).
After that, it was just a normal day (well, with countless people wishing me a happy birthday every time I pass by them at school). I usually would dress up for my birthday to look nicer but that day I only wore a plain white tee with black jeans and my pair of Converses. I know, right? Fashion.
We had two subjects only that Friday and the day at school basically ended with a friendly basketball game. My friends and I had a great time watching. Around noon, one of my best friends took me all the way to the first floor because she said she had something for me. Turns out, it was the most beautiful bouquet of flowers I've ever seen. (It's the one I'm holding in the first picture). I was so happy about it and I thought it was the most subtle, gorgeous, and unexpected gift.
When I got home, I finally saw my sister, brother-in-law, and my baby nephew. Knowing that my brother would finally come home later that day, I was beyond excited. Having a big family, getting to be with all of them becomes rare. The fact that we were going to be at least almost complete just made my happiness.
Another thing that made me extremely happy was that the twelve of us (my best friends and I) were finally complete that night. They all looked absolutely stunning and aside from that, they also gave me a surprise that night with an adorable cake and a video that they came together to make. The video was the sweetest thing and it was so hilarious that I almost cried. They gave me a gift of Copic markers (YES?) and a gorgeous fragrance (DOUBLE YES?) I felt so lucky to have them and it was the sweetest thing. They complete me. Period.
Before the dinner officially started, my brother-in-law carried out a few words to open up the evening. He invited some friends to come up and say a few words about me, and he even had one of my guy friends to come up and say some things about me, which in turn became hella awkward but it was cool anyway. Three of my closest friends came and said the nicest things.
Here's where it got kind of crazy. After all of that, we all closed our eyes and prayed (as we normally would). My brother-in-law led us in prayer and he also prayed for me as well, which was nice. After a few minutes, we were done and I opened my eyes only to find the biggest, most unexpected surprise that night.
Being in a long distance relationship, I knew that meant that I wouldn't be able to see my boyfriend on the big day, and I was completely fine with that. But when we opened our eyes after our prayers, there he was. In a blue sweater, holding flowers and a blue box, he was already standing in the side of the room, ready to come in. I was beyond speechless.
He walked towards me and at this point, everyone in the room was freaking out. Including me. Especially me. It turns out that my boyfriend, who lives 754 km away from me, flew into my town that day and have been getting in touch with my family for a while before my birthday to tell them that he was coming, just to be there on my birthday and surprise me. There are no words to accurately describe it. I was so close to crying (I DIDN'T though) and I couldn't even make a proper reaction to it. It felt crazy and so unreal that someone would do something so sweet. I ended up spending most of my weekend with him and it felt like the best weekend ever.
Long story short, it was an amazing birthday. We took pictures, ate dinner, and basically, the same as all my previous birthdays: The best part was being with the people I cared about. How I celebrated it wasn't nearly as important as who I got to celebrate it with. Including those I didn't even expect was going to be there.
It was a long day, but I had so much to be thankful for. I didn't look forward to it that much, but as my birthday was coming to an end, I just wanted to repeat it over and over again. I've had an amazing year and I can't wait to see what my 17th year brings (hopefully a driver's license soon, though.) I was beyond happy, and I went home that night knowing that all the best things that could possibly ever happen on my birthday, did.
This was a long post but I hope you guys liked seeing it. I'll be writing again soon.
Have a great rest of the week!
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