6:52 PM and stuck in Kemang Utara on the way home. I usually won’t bother to open my laptop in the car and just read my Twitter timeline from my iPhone..but not this time because this is where the #7hari challenge starts!. And my challenge is to update this blog everyday. I know it sounds like a walk in the park..but it’s not. If it is, I would’ve been able to update this every single day since a long time ago. The thing that makes it hard is of course..finding the time to write. It’s hard to squeeze in a 30 minutes to put my thoughts into writing. When I write, I like to allocate certain length of time so I can finish it in one sitting, because I believe I write better that way. But it seems like impossible for today, that's why I decided to open up my laptop and see if I can get two or three paragraphs done. When I get home, I have to help Jibran with his science project. Something that I just found out this morning (my bad). He needs to make a replica of an electric thing. Maybe we can make an iPad out of cardboard or something.
Anyway, so what’s a #7hari, you ask? It’s a challenge to do something different in your daily routine. I did it a few times recently. I try to cook but failed after day 4. I tried to cut off my Ginseng coffee intake completely and boy was I relieved when I passed the challenge. Again, it might seems like an easy thing to do, but I’ve been an addict of that particular cofffee for a long time. I first consumed it when I was pregnant with Jibran and that was 8 years ago!!. I used to drink it twice..even thrice a day at around the same time, morning and late afternoon. There were times when my head turned dizzy after a few minutes upon missing the intake . I was that addicted, it was crazy. I thought to myself that this addiction is not healthy at all. I felr insulted that I didn’t have control over my own body. Since I didn’t want to depend on it for the rest of my life, I tried to cut down by taking it only once a day and substituted the other one with other coffee. The first few days was hard but then it became easier. Last week, I decided that it was time to try to go about my days without it so when I ran out of it, I didn’t buy anymore. It was easy because I got Starbucks a few times and Anomali coffee for two times as substitutes :D…
For next time I’m going to try to not consume/buy anything that comes in plastic. I’ve sorted my trash at home and in the office so I thought why don’t I stretch it a little bit further?. I can also run for the whole week or walk somewhere (this is hard). I’m also going to try dressing up to work like I would going to a fashion show or important event because sometimes I feel like I dress too casually when I don't have meetings to go. Or I might call my long lost friend for the whole week.
So what’s this challenge all about? I believe any kind of challenge can teach us many things. For example we can learn about self control, about detachment. We’re also leaving our comfort zone, incorporating new activity into our life that hopefully will add excitement on our days. It also forces us to stretch ourselves, to push ourselves just a little bit harder because when we thought we’ve tried our best, we can still beat our best record.
By the way it’s 7:11 PM…and I've reached home.
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Now it’s 10:15 PM..the kids are sleeping, the husband is on the way home. I’ve changed to my pajamas but haven’t washed my face off. Taking a shower? That is asking too much. I didn’t even get a chance to have dinner. But I helped Jibran created his iPad..out of my Mango shoebox -__-
Anyway..so now everyone in the office is doing their own #7hari challenge. Vanya is going to arrive in the office at 9 (fine by me :D). Affi will exercise for 30 minutes a day while Amal is kissing goodbye to her coffee intake. Syita & Farah decides to do something with the food. Syita won’t consume anything prepared by frying while Farah won’t be eating any meat/chicken. Rizka & Lita will do something with their look. Since Lita has always been wearing black hijab, she will start wearing different color while Rizka will apply a full make up everyday. Itha has always been a heel/wedge kind of girl but she will learn to live with flats for the next 7 days.
Sounds like fun, isn’t it? We talked about it in the office and brought it up in Twitter and suddenly, many people wanted to join us. I created a thread in the forum to update on the progress.
Back to speaking about the benefits of doing this kind of challenge, I believe once you've passed, it'll boost your self esteem, knowing that you are able to do what you once thought impossible. Doing this takes courage too..especially for something extreme. To me, the most extreme thing the team is doing at the office got to be Amal challenge. May the force be with her!
Anyway, so what’s a #7hari, you ask? It’s a challenge to do something different in your daily routine. I did it a few times recently. I try to cook but failed after day 4. I tried to cut off my Ginseng coffee intake completely and boy was I relieved when I passed the challenge. Again, it might seems like an easy thing to do, but I’ve been an addict of that particular cofffee for a long time. I first consumed it when I was pregnant with Jibran and that was 8 years ago!!. I used to drink it twice..even thrice a day at around the same time, morning and late afternoon. There were times when my head turned dizzy after a few minutes upon missing the intake . I was that addicted, it was crazy. I thought to myself that this addiction is not healthy at all. I felr insulted that I didn’t have control over my own body. Since I didn’t want to depend on it for the rest of my life, I tried to cut down by taking it only once a day and substituted the other one with other coffee. The first few days was hard but then it became easier. Last week, I decided that it was time to try to go about my days without it so when I ran out of it, I didn’t buy anymore. It was easy because I got Starbucks a few times and Anomali coffee for two times as substitutes :D…
For next time I’m going to try to not consume/buy anything that comes in plastic. I’ve sorted my trash at home and in the office so I thought why don’t I stretch it a little bit further?. I can also run for the whole week or walk somewhere (this is hard). I’m also going to try dressing up to work like I would going to a fashion show or important event because sometimes I feel like I dress too casually when I don't have meetings to go. Or I might call my long lost friend for the whole week.
So what’s this challenge all about? I believe any kind of challenge can teach us many things. For example we can learn about self control, about detachment. We’re also leaving our comfort zone, incorporating new activity into our life that hopefully will add excitement on our days. It also forces us to stretch ourselves, to push ourselves just a little bit harder because when we thought we’ve tried our best, we can still beat our best record.
By the way it’s 7:11 PM…and I've reached home.
--------
Now it’s 10:15 PM..the kids are sleeping, the husband is on the way home. I’ve changed to my pajamas but haven’t washed my face off. Taking a shower? That is asking too much. I didn’t even get a chance to have dinner. But I helped Jibran created his iPad..out of my Mango shoebox -__-
Anyway..so now everyone in the office is doing their own #7hari challenge. Vanya is going to arrive in the office at 9 (fine by me :D). Affi will exercise for 30 minutes a day while Amal is kissing goodbye to her coffee intake. Syita & Farah decides to do something with the food. Syita won’t consume anything prepared by frying while Farah won’t be eating any meat/chicken. Rizka & Lita will do something with their look. Since Lita has always been wearing black hijab, she will start wearing different color while Rizka will apply a full make up everyday. Itha has always been a heel/wedge kind of girl but she will learn to live with flats for the next 7 days.
Sounds like fun, isn’t it? We talked about it in the office and brought it up in Twitter and suddenly, many people wanted to join us. I created a thread in the forum to update on the progress.
Back to speaking about the benefits of doing this kind of challenge, I believe once you've passed, it'll boost your self esteem, knowing that you are able to do what you once thought impossible. Doing this takes courage too..especially for something extreme. To me, the most extreme thing the team is doing at the office got to be Amal challenge. May the force be with her!
I love walking..I really do. I mean if Jakarta is pedestrian friendly I would walk everywhere my short feet could take me :D. I used to walk a lot when I lived in Singapore, Perth & Carbondale (where I easily lose 20 kgs in a year due because of it). Not so much in St. Louis because it's just impossible to walk where you have to take the highway to your destination. The public transportation system is kind of suck too, unless you live along the metro line. That's why I loved it a lot whenever we visited Chicago because I could walk and walk and walk. Hey, I didn't even complain when we had to walk for hours in Venice, dragging those heavy suitcases because besides of the view, I enjoyed the walking experience I couldn't have in here.
I walked a lot when I was little too because my kindergarten, elementary and junior high school were located within walking distance. Add the fact that we didn't have car back then..so it was either walking or taking the becak ride :). I still walked a lot in high school too, because I took public transportation and it was quite a distance from the main road to my house. I also always liked the walk to a nearby supermarket, or to the famous Taman Solo Bakso establishment, or just to a friend's house. I was either on my foot or riding my bike. Again, we didn't have car at that time.
When I came back home for good and have a car....and two kids..:D, it's just more convenient and faster to take the car, even if we only have go to somewhere within the same zip code, or just to the next clusters or even if I just have to go by myself. I notice the ARTs at home rarely walked too because they always took the motorcycle and even became uninterested with bicycle. I understand that it just seems to be more efficient, but it creates another problem; the motorcycle gets broken down easily, more traffic jam, more accidents (it's more dangerous if it's a short ride because they usually don't wear helmet and pay attention to the proper traffic rules), more money spent for gas, parking and maintenance and most of all, it adds pollution to this already badly contaminated city.
So yes, obviously being spoiled with the availability of a car and the fact that it's just unthinkable to walk in Jakarta stopped me from having the slightest thought about walking. Until a few weeks ago when I read Najelaa Shihab Twitter that said she's been trying to walk anywhere she can, and I was like..whoa..really? Is it even possible to walk on this unorganized street of Jakarta? But then I quickly realized that many people are actually doing it. Whenever I get stuck inside my car, there are always people walking by on the side of the street, or trying to cross the street. It's just a matter if we're willing to do it or not when the possibility (walking distance destination, no rain, etc) is emerged. That's when I started to entertain the idea. I know there's not many places I can go if I have to depend solely on my feet, but at least knowing that I have the option to walk is already an intriguing concept for me. I then promised to myself that I would look for a chance to walk and do it in a heart beat if it seems feasible.
My mom was in the hospital for almost a week and since the hospital is just close by, I decided that it's time for me to walk! Sadly, I could only walked once because most of the time I went home at night and had to stop by somewhere else before going to the hospital in the morning. It was really refreshing to walk with my aunt and cousin in that late Tuesday afternoon. A little bit of bonding time, a chance to see what I wouldn't see if I was in the car (because my eyes are usually on the cell phone), an opportunity to clear the mind and process my thought, a moment to take pictures and basically just live in the moment. Nothing but a lovely experience.
I wish I could walk more.....but where?
note: a few photos that lead all the way to my house have been deleted. Thank you Depe for the reminder :)
I walked a lot when I was little too because my kindergarten, elementary and junior high school were located within walking distance. Add the fact that we didn't have car back then..so it was either walking or taking the becak ride :). I still walked a lot in high school too, because I took public transportation and it was quite a distance from the main road to my house. I also always liked the walk to a nearby supermarket, or to the famous Taman Solo Bakso establishment, or just to a friend's house. I was either on my foot or riding my bike. Again, we didn't have car at that time.
When I came back home for good and have a car....and two kids..:D, it's just more convenient and faster to take the car, even if we only have go to somewhere within the same zip code, or just to the next clusters or even if I just have to go by myself. I notice the ARTs at home rarely walked too because they always took the motorcycle and even became uninterested with bicycle. I understand that it just seems to be more efficient, but it creates another problem; the motorcycle gets broken down easily, more traffic jam, more accidents (it's more dangerous if it's a short ride because they usually don't wear helmet and pay attention to the proper traffic rules), more money spent for gas, parking and maintenance and most of all, it adds pollution to this already badly contaminated city.
So yes, obviously being spoiled with the availability of a car and the fact that it's just unthinkable to walk in Jakarta stopped me from having the slightest thought about walking. Until a few weeks ago when I read Najelaa Shihab Twitter that said she's been trying to walk anywhere she can, and I was like..whoa..really? Is it even possible to walk on this unorganized street of Jakarta? But then I quickly realized that many people are actually doing it. Whenever I get stuck inside my car, there are always people walking by on the side of the street, or trying to cross the street. It's just a matter if we're willing to do it or not when the possibility (walking distance destination, no rain, etc) is emerged. That's when I started to entertain the idea. I know there's not many places I can go if I have to depend solely on my feet, but at least knowing that I have the option to walk is already an intriguing concept for me. I then promised to myself that I would look for a chance to walk and do it in a heart beat if it seems feasible.
My mom was in the hospital for almost a week and since the hospital is just close by, I decided that it's time for me to walk! Sadly, I could only walked once because most of the time I went home at night and had to stop by somewhere else before going to the hospital in the morning. It was really refreshing to walk with my aunt and cousin in that late Tuesday afternoon. A little bit of bonding time, a chance to see what I wouldn't see if I was in the car (because my eyes are usually on the cell phone), an opportunity to clear the mind and process my thought, a moment to take pictures and basically just live in the moment. Nothing but a lovely experience.
I wish I could walk more.....but where?
note: a few photos that lead all the way to my house have been deleted. Thank you Depe for the reminder :)
The window is open and i can feel the fresh morning breeze. One of the things that I'm thankful for this morning is this green trees that surround the hospital area. The hospital is located just near my house and when i left from home this morning i too noticed the serenity brought by the green trees that lined up on the street all the way to the hospital. Yellowish leaves were falling down covering the streers, it's the closest thing to autumn in Jakarta. We're so lucky to have found home in this secluded green space right behind the busy roads of Mampang.
note: that one is not our house though, it just happened to be standing a click away from the top floor of this hospitalMinggu lalu kita ngadain financial seminar bersama Ligwina Hananto, pesertanya ada 100 orang dan baru dibuka beberapa hari aja pendaftarannya udah penuh. Kita udah tau sih pasti bakalan rame deh seminar ini karena memang semua orang kayanya lagi pada antusias untuk beres-beres kondisi keuangannya, di Female Daily forum aja threadnya selalu rame. Udah banyak yang tau kalo menabung aja nggak cukup, udah banyak yang nyadar kalo mereka nggak sehat kondisi keuangannya tapi clueless harus gimana, ada yang sadar harus investasi tapi ngerasa nggak ada yang bisa diinvestasikan, ada juga yang udah siap untuk investasi tapi nggak tau apa langkah pertamanya.
Intinya...tau harus berbuat sesuatu tapi setelah itu actionnya nggak ada :D
Emang nggak semudah ngebalik telapak tangan sih bikin financial plan, that's why there is a profession called financial planner. Jangankan bikin financial plan ya, untuk bikin kita sadar to get up and do it aja nggak gampang, gue merasakannya sendiri. Bener-bener butuh tekat dan keinginan yang luar biasa. Kalo yang belum melakukan apa-apa yaa..they just don't want it bad enough. I guess I wanted it bad enough pada akhirnya makanya bener2 belajar sendiri supaya ngerti. Kalo mau gampang sih tinggal serahin aja sama financial planner tapii..selain sayang uangnya..haha..gue juga pengen tau sendiri seluk beluknya so I was willing to invest my energy to learn every bit of it. Hidayah untuk bikin financial plan ini juga nggak dateng dengan sendirinya lho...itu terbentuk setelah gue bacain semua artikel di QM Financial, yupe each one of them, beli bukunya Aidil Akbar, dateng ke talkshownya Ligwina 3 kali, dengerin Cosmopolitan FM Financial survival dan kadang-kadang Hard Rock FM Financial Clinic..and read just about any financial article I could find including reading every post about investment in Female Daily. Trus sahabat gue juga ikutan jadi clientnya QM Financial yang bikin gue jadi ngerasa, ihh kok gue irresponsible banget sih nggak bergerak cepat. Gongnya sih setelah jalan-jalan dari Eropa kemaren walaupun sebelumnya udah mulai beli reksadana. I guess realizing bahwa baru sedikit banget yaa belahan dunia yang pernah gue datengin and then seeing how happy the kids are to be together and exploring something they've never seen before bikin gue jadi takut nggak bisa jalan-jalan lagi..huhuhu.
So it took me 6 months to finish our family financial plan. Kalo mau fokus sih sebenernya sebulan juga selesai kok :D, gue aja yang ngerjainnya sambil lalu makanya lana..cuma ngerjain satu jam..trus 1 minggu kemudian lanjutin lagi, begitu seterusnya. Kalo sama financial planner juga kira-kira butuh 2-3 kali meeting sampe plannya jadi, kurang lebih sebulan kali ya?
Nah karena jadi banyak yang tanya, gimana sih bikin plan, apa sih step-stepnya, ntar gue coba tulis deh di sini, daripada jelasin satu-satu bok. Tapi ini cara gue yaa..yang bisa jadi sama atau bisa jadi beda sama financial planner beneran, yang penting alirannya sama..:p. Apalagi kalo mereka pasti detil banget tuh ngitung plannya, sampe subscription fee dan redemption fee reksadananya diitung. Kalo gue kan dibuletin aja..:D
Happiness & peacefulness is...listening to Jibran and Jehan happily praying or singing any Islamic songs :). Really, those are like music to my ears and heart. I especially love it when they sing the asmaul husna. Too bad they don't sing it as much as they did a year ago so I have yet to have the video, only the audio in Blackberry.
Jehan juga udah hafal surat al-fatihah, baca doa mau makan, mau tidur sama doa untuk orang tua (hiks..mewek dengernya). Kalo Jibran lebih canggih lagi, udah hafal surat-surat pendek yang bahkan gue sendiri nggak hafal lhoo.. emang masih terbatas nih hafalan surat pendek gue. Trus surprisingly Jibran juga udah hafal semua bacaan sholat lengkap. I'm amazed! Padahal gue nggak pernah ngajarin, yah kalo mau tidur atau mau makan ya berdoa sama-sama, tapi nggak pernah menyuruh mereka untuk menghafal. Kalo sisanya sih pada belajar di sekolah dan kalo lagu-lagu ya dari dengerin di rumah atau di mobil. Gue seneng karena mereka keliatannya happy happy dan sukarela aja baca dan nyanyiinnya..:)
Jehan juga udah hafal surat al-fatihah, baca doa mau makan, mau tidur sama doa untuk orang tua (hiks..mewek dengernya). Kalo Jibran lebih canggih lagi, udah hafal surat-surat pendek yang bahkan gue sendiri nggak hafal lhoo.. emang masih terbatas nih hafalan surat pendek gue. Trus surprisingly Jibran juga udah hafal semua bacaan sholat lengkap. I'm amazed! Padahal gue nggak pernah ngajarin, yah kalo mau tidur atau mau makan ya berdoa sama-sama, tapi nggak pernah menyuruh mereka untuk menghafal. Kalo sisanya sih pada belajar di sekolah dan kalo lagu-lagu ya dari dengerin di rumah atau di mobil. Gue seneng karena mereka keliatannya happy happy dan sukarela aja baca dan nyanyiinnya..:)
Well, at least in my pasta cooking history..:D. But seriously though, it tastes like heaven!!. Creamy, with the right amount of cheese and the perfect texture (chewiness?) of the fusili.
Too bad the picture is so crappy. I always cook at night and didn't have the camera handy so I just snapped it with my iPhone.
Ingredients: Cooking cream, cheddar cheese, garlic, olive oil, butter, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper!
Minced garlic (dicacah? ditumbuk?), saute with olive oil/butter, pour the cooking cream and cheddar cheese for 20 minutes until the texture changes to creamy. Add the parmesan cheese, stir a little bit and pour it into the pasta. Oh..and I chopped off some broccoli too. Yummy!
Too bad the picture is so crappy. I always cook at night and didn't have the camera handy so I just snapped it with my iPhone.
Ingredients: Cooking cream, cheddar cheese, garlic, olive oil, butter, parmesan cheese, salt & pepper!
Minced garlic (dicacah? ditumbuk?), saute with olive oil/butter, pour the cooking cream and cheddar cheese for 20 minutes until the texture changes to creamy. Add the parmesan cheese, stir a little bit and pour it into the pasta. Oh..and I chopped off some broccoli too. Yummy!
This was one of the corners in my bedroom, there was only a small rattan hmm..what do you call it? bench? ottoman? storage? Well you get the idea. I first bought it to store Jibran & Jehan toys in the play area but since they have gotten new boxes, I then use it to put towels and linens and place it in my bedroom :D. But since we're running out of space..we need to replace this with a bigger one.
And this is what we found last weekend in Index Artha Gading, for 50% off...:D. Not bad at all for Rp 800,000. The color goes well with our bedroom furniture. But I didn't realize in the store that the stuff inside was going to be that visible :D. It'd look nice if the inside is neat and consists of the same color, maybe I'm going to cover it with black paper or something. But for now, I like it much better than the previous one, which looked really lonely :D. And finally I put up our wedding picture. First time we put it up after 8 years or marriage..hehehe. There's also a small basket for remote and stuff as well as oil burners.
And this is what we found last weekend in Index Artha Gading, for 50% off...:D. Not bad at all for Rp 800,000. The color goes well with our bedroom furniture. But I didn't realize in the store that the stuff inside was going to be that visible :D. It'd look nice if the inside is neat and consists of the same color, maybe I'm going to cover it with black paper or something. But for now, I like it much better than the previous one, which looked really lonely :D. And finally I put up our wedding picture. First time we put it up after 8 years or marriage..hehehe. There's also a small basket for remote and stuff as well as oil burners.
I have decided to start on a 7 Days Challenge where I give my self a different challenge every week..Duh gaya yeuuh kaya bisa konsisten aja :D. Udah beberapa tahun terakhir di dunia perinternetan banyak yang bikin semacam ini, ada yang untuk 30 hari sampe setahun. Baru-baru ini di Twitter juga ada #Misi21 yang digerakkan oleh career coach Rene Suhardono. Dan gue tertohok ngikutin #Misi21nya Ligwina Hananto yang ingin menyempatkan diri masak untuk keluarganya selama 21 hari. Memang kedengerannya simple yaa, tapi when you have a schedule like her, it's amazing she manages to spare time to step foot in the kitchen. Kadang sampe rumah jam 11 malem dan jam 6 udah harus pergi lagi! Nah jadi malu kan gue yang ja 7-8 udah sampe rumah dan pergi jam 9. Makanya..7 days challenge ini dimulai dengan memasak dulu deh, biar in line dengan resolusi taun baru :D.
Untuk pertama, pilih yang gampang lah yaw (padahal sih seterusnya juga udah pasti yang gampang-gampang..). Pulang kantor mampir dulu ke toko buah, beli spaghetti, cabe dan tuna. Iyaa maap tunanya pake tuna kaleng, next time beli yang fresh deh :p. Sampe rumah langsung minta tolong si mbak untuk iris-iris bawang putih (tuh udah ada yang bantuin padahal kalo emang niat sih). Walaupun suasana dapur nggak senyaman dapur di rumah dulu dengan alat-alat yang nggak familiar tapi kebayar lah sama bantuan yang ada, nggak perlu beres-beres pula setelahnya. Ditambah ditemenin si neng juga niihh..(sambil gadoin ikan asin!!)
Penampakannya sih standard ya...rasanyaa...ya standard juga..hahahaha..yang penting Jehan nambah 2 kali. Jibran cuma beberapa suap karena udah makan sebelumnya, buat bawa sekolah aja besok katanya dan bapake pun doyan!. Siplahh..jadi besok masak apa kita....
Untuk pertama, pilih yang gampang lah yaw (padahal sih seterusnya juga udah pasti yang gampang-gampang..). Pulang kantor mampir dulu ke toko buah, beli spaghetti, cabe dan tuna. Iyaa maap tunanya pake tuna kaleng, next time beli yang fresh deh :p. Sampe rumah langsung minta tolong si mbak untuk iris-iris bawang putih (tuh udah ada yang bantuin padahal kalo emang niat sih). Walaupun suasana dapur nggak senyaman dapur di rumah dulu dengan alat-alat yang nggak familiar tapi kebayar lah sama bantuan yang ada, nggak perlu beres-beres pula setelahnya. Ditambah ditemenin si neng juga niihh..(sambil gadoin ikan asin!!)
Penampakannya sih standard ya...rasanyaa...ya standard juga..hahahaha..yang penting Jehan nambah 2 kali. Jibran cuma beberapa suap karena udah makan sebelumnya, buat bawa sekolah aja besok katanya dan bapake pun doyan!. Siplahh..jadi besok masak apa kita....
Lagi nungguin Ira & Darina dimakeover di Shunji Matsuo..jadi iseng-iseng upload videonya Jehan lagi nyanyi waktu bulan Oktober kemaren :D
I got a phone call from TVone on Tuesday evening, asking me to appear on its Coffee Break program the next morning where they will talk about social media and online business. I asked a few questions first before I said yes. Of course, I was excited :D but I just didn't think much after the phone calls because I had a lot to do.
The next morning, when I arrived at Epicentrum Walk, saw the set and received quite a few BBM, Twitter mention and phone calls from family congratulating me, wishing me luck and telling me how proud they are of me, that's when it finally hit me that..wow this is something big. I will be appearing live on a major national TV for something I've been pouring my heart out for the last few years. My eyes began to feel moist..but then the make up artist distracted me :D
So there...I did it :D. Thanks to my sister who captured it for me so at least I have an idea on how it looks from the other side :).
As usual, every time something extraordinary happens I always wish my dad was here. I hope they set you up with a plasma TV up there, Dad..and I sure hope you're proud of me!
The next morning, when I arrived at Epicentrum Walk, saw the set and received quite a few BBM, Twitter mention and phone calls from family congratulating me, wishing me luck and telling me how proud they are of me, that's when it finally hit me that..wow this is something big. I will be appearing live on a major national TV for something I've been pouring my heart out for the last few years. My eyes began to feel moist..but then the make up artist distracted me :D
As usual, every time something extraordinary happens I always wish my dad was here. I hope they set you up with a plasma TV up there, Dad..and I sure hope you're proud of me!
This post is written due to the recent antic made by one of our ministers :D. Oki was actually one of the candidates to be on that team. That being the company that's been terrorized by our minister. I think he's had three phone interviews with the people from the regional headquarter and landed a face to face interview with the country manager for Indonesia. Everything looked good, they always said that things were positive but the thing was, hubby couldn't wait any longer because he had an offer that he had to answer. It was a week full of contemplation because ... well it was a tough choice. Both positions obviously have their own plus sides and down sides. But being a graduate of a business school whose dream is to climb up the corporate MNC ladder, you can't just dismiss a chance to work in such company. Especially when the position has country manager title in front of it and you will be supervised by a high caliber individual who has a long list of awe-inspiring experiences.
But anyway, as we grew older (and wiser :D), we realized that it's not just about the big name, the fancy title and the prestige anymore. There were many things that we put into consideration that made him emailed that company and drew himself out of the candidacy. Now fast forward to two months later, there's a possibility that that company operation will be suspended over some stupid regulations. We couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
So far, we seemed to make the right decision, including by crossing Singapore off the list (this is about another company that he had wrapped all of the hiring process). Working with the world most admired company doesn't seem that appealing when you can't bring your whole life there. We were both excited for the first few interviews but the excitement wore down towards the end. It's just not worth it. Now I'm happy that he is happy in his current company (still big, albeit local company). And the fact that we're in the same industry gives it an added bonus. We can update, help and learn from each other :).
But anyway, as we grew older (and wiser :D), we realized that it's not just about the big name, the fancy title and the prestige anymore. There were many things that we put into consideration that made him emailed that company and drew himself out of the candidacy. Now fast forward to two months later, there's a possibility that that company operation will be suspended over some stupid regulations. We couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
So far, we seemed to make the right decision, including by crossing Singapore off the list (this is about another company that he had wrapped all of the hiring process). Working with the world most admired company doesn't seem that appealing when you can't bring your whole life there. We were both excited for the first few interviews but the excitement wore down towards the end. It's just not worth it. Now I'm happy that he is happy in his current company (still big, albeit local company). And the fact that we're in the same industry gives it an added bonus. We can update, help and learn from each other :).
I know it's only been a week, but I'm planning to evaluate all of them, at least once a month because what's the purpose of having goals if we don't keep them on track, right?
On living a healthier life!
I brought Oki lunch for three times, that's not bad at all although I have to admit that the meal wasn't prepared by me. Two were from his mom while one was especially prepared by Mbak Nur :D. We went grocery shopping today and bought some veggies and fruits for making yummy and healthy smoothies. I haven't prepared the weekly meal, but I did cook today for the family. It was Mac & Cheese for them and sardines with cutup chillies and shallots for me. I even made a homemade spring roll and rolled more than 50 of them. Oki & Jehan love it and I couldn't be happier :D. For dinner, Oki made us spaghetti bolognaise and I made the garlic bread. I think we should do this more often :).
On spending more and save less
Hmm..I've brought home 3 Zara pants (they were on sale and I have no pants aside from jeans), a Tod's bag (again, on sale too and something I'm gonna treasure forever). A pair of Seychelles shoes from Rococo Rack (yes, another sale haul and I swear I need low heeled shoes for everyday wear). I think that's it...it's not too bad if you don't take the Tod's bag into consideration. But hey, I only buy bag every four months or so and this wasn't an impulse..so I think I'm doing Ok..I just need to cut down on my Starbucks visit :D.
Oh and I did hit the treadmill yesterday and ran for 20 minutes. That's like the longest I have ever been on a treadmill :D. I played around with the speed by changing it to high speed for two minutes and then slowed it down for two minutes and then back on a sprint. It suits me more than the regular/steady speed.
On spending more time with the family
Today was quite an accomplishment that we were able to stay at home for the whole day and cooked for everyone :D. I'm going to spend the first half of Tuesday with my mom going to Connex to look up some schools for Ibnu. I had lunch with my friends (in Central Park, no less :D) and went to Startuplocal and dinner with Ella. Need to visit my grandma and arrange something for Jibran's birthday so the whole family can gather together. I'm helping my uncle who lives in Florida by writing him a hardship letter. I also had a quick meeting with my sister and my aunt to talk about the project they are planning. I've been waking up earlier too and I set up an Adzan apps on my phone so I can always be reminded to do the five times everywhere I go.
On exploring new hobby
Sadly I haven't taken pictures at all. I'm planning to get a Lensbaby though to have some fun with the camera. And I'm writing now :)
Overall, it's not too shabby for the first nine days...
On living a healthier life!
I brought Oki lunch for three times, that's not bad at all although I have to admit that the meal wasn't prepared by me. Two were from his mom while one was especially prepared by Mbak Nur :D. We went grocery shopping today and bought some veggies and fruits for making yummy and healthy smoothies. I haven't prepared the weekly meal, but I did cook today for the family. It was Mac & Cheese for them and sardines with cutup chillies and shallots for me. I even made a homemade spring roll and rolled more than 50 of them. Oki & Jehan love it and I couldn't be happier :D. For dinner, Oki made us spaghetti bolognaise and I made the garlic bread. I think we should do this more often :).
On spending more and save less
Hmm..I've brought home 3 Zara pants (they were on sale and I have no pants aside from jeans), a Tod's bag (again, on sale too and something I'm gonna treasure forever). A pair of Seychelles shoes from Rococo Rack (yes, another sale haul and I swear I need low heeled shoes for everyday wear). I think that's it...it's not too bad if you don't take the Tod's bag into consideration. But hey, I only buy bag every four months or so and this wasn't an impulse..so I think I'm doing Ok..I just need to cut down on my Starbucks visit :D.
Oh and I did hit the treadmill yesterday and ran for 20 minutes. That's like the longest I have ever been on a treadmill :D. I played around with the speed by changing it to high speed for two minutes and then slowed it down for two minutes and then back on a sprint. It suits me more than the regular/steady speed.
On spending more time with the family
Today was quite an accomplishment that we were able to stay at home for the whole day and cooked for everyone :D. I'm going to spend the first half of Tuesday with my mom going to Connex to look up some schools for Ibnu. I had lunch with my friends (in Central Park, no less :D) and went to Startuplocal and dinner with Ella. Need to visit my grandma and arrange something for Jibran's birthday so the whole family can gather together. I'm helping my uncle who lives in Florida by writing him a hardship letter. I also had a quick meeting with my sister and my aunt to talk about the project they are planning. I've been waking up earlier too and I set up an Adzan apps on my phone so I can always be reminded to do the five times everywhere I go.
On exploring new hobby
Sadly I haven't taken pictures at all. I'm planning to get a Lensbaby though to have some fun with the camera. And I'm writing now :)
Overall, it's not too shabby for the first nine days...