So, it’s Monday again. The morning sun shines softly through the drape, leaving me no option but to quickly get up. I scroll through my Instagram briefly, part of my morning routine that I genuinely despise. Nothing interesting. Just some people looking fabulous on their beautiful Monday, with their beautiful children and the job that…
Marriage as a partnership
I often heard the sentiment that marriage is hard work. That we need to work it out. Or that we want to make it work. Though I do think there is some truth in it, last night I thought of naming marriage with a metaphor. Since we’re all familiar with the work analogy, I start…
Scholars club
I’m doing a PhD. I’m actually doing a PhD! Allow that to sink in. It was not in the cards for me. It’s never been in my dreams. It’s more like taking a chance that was presented to me on a silver platter. A take-it-or-leave-it situation with a short timeframe to decide. And so I…
Emotional baggage
I am living my life dragging emotional baggage and insecurities throughout my journey, as far as I can remember. Was it started when I was three? Now, more than three decades later, the burden gets heavier. Yet, I am still dragging it out of fear of losing identity or just a mere stupidity. Worse, it…
Don’t wait up! (for a “proper” proposal)
Don’t wait to be proposed! Forget all that fantasy (or doctrine?) fed by the myth and entertainment industry and social media that one day there will be or should be someone bend-down-on-one-knee and formally ask you to marry them. A marriage is a joint decision. It is an agreement between two people. It is not…
Jalan yang (tidak) lurus
“Menjalani hidup itu jangan lurus-lurus aja,” ujar temanku, Kiki, dengan senyum bernuansa ajakan untuk melakukan sesuatu yang fun. Aku menanggapinya dengan enggan, meski dalam benakku langsung terpercik api perlawanan mendengar petuahnya. Aku beranjak sembilanbelas tahun waktu itu. Kami kuliah di ITS, namun beda jurusan. Dia di Fakultas Teknik Sipil dan Lingkungan, aku di Fakultas Matematika…
Should we congratulate a wedding?
A friend conratulates me on my wedding and said, “I don’t know if ‘congratulations’ is the right thing to say.” Such comment is I think has something to do with the shift in the (modern) society that sees a wedding as something not to celebrate. Reasons could be: it is not an achievement per se,…
Never enough
It is strange. On paper, I have actually ticked all the boxes I made two years ago. You know, those boxes in front of the list of things I want to do, things I dream of doing. Somehow, at the moment it doesn’t feel like I am living a dream. It is not that extravangant…
Cold cold night
Cold cold night, minus two Cold cold heart, minus you – Me, around eleven years ago Dulu saya pikir dengan sistem heating di negeri empat musim, saya nggak akan punya masalah karena bisa menyalakan heater sampai ruangan sehangat di daerah tropis. Setelah tinggal di Eropa, saya belajar kalau heater hanya membantu kita nggak kedinginan dan…
Hot shower
My neighbour has been out of warm water for a couple of weeks since he moved in the building. It is apparently not easy for him to get this problem fixed. I shivered everytime I imagined living only with cold water in a freezing winter. When was the last time you had a cold shower?…
Some random thoughts 