Life: 2022 Review

I thought the pandemic ended last year, but it wasn’t. This year has been a roller coaster ride for sure and I don’t really know to express my 2022, but I am thankful for the memories it gave me. 

Guess the conclusion that I have for this year by reading all the passages down below. This is not an English pop-up quiz, so if you are wrong, it's okay. HAHA. Good luck and enjoy the story of my 2022.

Young, wild and free would probably be the life I’ve been dreaming of. 2022 didn’t start that exciting for me. Even though the few days before January, I just witnessed my favorite boys and girls appreciate their achievements (read: watching year-end awards), I don’t feel empowered and instead, I feel down. I started to compare myself to them. When they are my age now, they already know what they want and are good at. While I’m not. This is probably what people say as a quarter-life crisis. I felt really lost in January. Even so, I had a few celebrations this month. I got to meet my BEM family and celebrate my dad's birthday.  Also, I got huge orders for the cold mochi that my mom used to sell. What I mean by huge is the mochi should be delivered to Samarinda, which is outside of Jakarta. It was a breakthrough achievement so far for our small business.

Obviously, I thought this year is going to be better than the past 2 years. Well, I know it is quite early to judge since it’s only one month passed. On the last week of January, my best friend faced severe heartbreak (nope, not because she broke up with her boyfriend). We decided to “run”, searching for some “healing” to Bali in February. It’s been 6 months since the last time I went to Bali, but Bali never fails me. It was still a good time to visit Bali because that time Bali is not as crowded as nowadays but it was more active and livelier than the previous year. I stayed for almost 14 days and couldn’t be happier and more ready to conquer this 2022.

Unlike any other month, March is very special to me. I have favorite months like August and December, but March is particularly special. 3 years ago, I just got back from Korea for good. The next day, my mom was rushed to the hospital and for the first week I’m back in Indonesia, I had to spend my time in the hospital and then I lost my mom. Since then, March is never been the same again. It became the most emotional month, and it was the turning point of my life. Enough with the mellow, this year I got to celebrate my friend’s birthday by having a staycation at the Kempinski Hotel in Jakarta. Our wish was to stay at the Apurva (Kempinski) Bali (but I believe we will someday!) though. We had a deep talk, took some crazy videos, and sing-along to Hospital Playlist OST and it was a fun day. March was closed with a challenging interview for the GKS Scholarship.

April’s highlight is no longer April mop anymore to me. Well, I never fancy it since I was a kid anyways. This year April was slightly different than the previous year. I had a few interviews this month, and though none of them came back with good news, I am actually very grateful for the chance. I started to use makeups that I haven’t touched for so long and got the thrill of answering questions. And not to forget to mention my favorite drama of the year, Twenty Five, Twenty One colored my April beautifully. Last, but not least, my best friend finally had a baby after 2 years of marriage! I’m so happy for her! I can’t wait to see the baby (up till now I haven’t seen the baby girl yet). Finally, I went to the church for the Passover for the first time during the pandemic. Definitely, going to an offline church is way much better than the online church. I'm such an old school, I know. 

The Return of my boy, Park Bogum. He finally finished his military duties and was back as the MC for Baeksang Awards. I was very extremely happy to see him back on screen. And by the way this year Baeksang Awards was so emotional, and I really love every bit of it. My favorite part is when the cast of “Hot/Passionate Singers” finally performed on stage their rendition of “This is Me” from the movie, “The Greatest Showman”. Congratulations to my Na Hee Do, Kim Taeri, and Crown Prince, Lee Junho, you both really deserved the awards. Well, May was a busy month for me because my housekeeper went back to her hometown to celebrate Eid Mubarak. I did the laundry, cleaned the house, and clean up the refrigerator by making use of the remaining ingredients. I made a Rose Tteokbokki! Even my chef brother comments it was not bad. He was surprised. HAHA. I’m so proud of myself. Since it was a big holiday, I got the chance to meet up with my very busy friends. We went to “explore” Jakarta. We went to have lunch in South Jakarta, then we went to the newly renovated Sarinah, one of the iconic social & entertainment places in Jakarta. But, oh my gosh, it was so crowded, and it was like there are no coronavirus at all. We only took a photo then we had our dinner and then we went back home. We went out for a full day, but it felt so short!

June was full of Excitement. I finally got to go back to Korea. After two years of envying my dad and just watching it from the sofa coach, finally I got to breathe the Seoul air. Though I came at the most dreadful season, I am just so glad to be back there. Since I’m going to get my TOPIK test in July, I started to reach out to my Korean exam books and study again. One thing for sure is I really have an interest in language, so even though I had to study and prepare for exams, I feel energized and joyful throughout the process. Oh, one more thing, I got accepted for a new job. I wasn’t really excited about this and was confused about how to react to this.

Hi, Seoul, I’m back! Finally, I got to meet my family in Korea after 3 years. Why it feels like it was 5 years ago? Well, I had a blast summer in Seoul, even though my peaceful vacation was disturbed by the test and suddenly got called to work at the Korea office. After my almost 3 weeks stay in Seoul, I went back to Jakarta for two days, and then I flew to Singapore to surprise my friend for her bachelorette trip. Due to last minute decision, I couldn’t get the most affordable flight tickets, so I took a plane to Batam from Jakarta and then took the ferry to Singapore. It was a very adventurous trip, but I loved it. It was one of the most memorable months in 2022.

I Turned 27 this year and I have a bittersweet feeling about it. First of all, I didn’t like the fact that I am more close to my 30s instead of my 20s. But, on the other side, I am grateful to celebrate one year older. This year, I don’t have any wish list for my birthday present. But there is one thing that I wanted for so long which is a pair of Gentle Monster sunglasses. I asked my dad and brother for that and my Dad bought it two weeks in advance. Have some small celebrations with my friends since my birthday this year falls on weekdays, and it was hard to arrange the meeting. On the weekend, my brother cooked me a mushroom steak because I love meat so much. But, I was under the weather that day and I can’t even taste a bite of it. I felt sorry for my brother, but it was unavoidable. It was a roller-coaster month, but I am grateful for every tiny detail of it.

A Red carpet rolled out in September because ‘Young Actors Retreat’ was finally aired! Woottt! I can see my two favorite Parks, Park Seojun and Park Bogum on the same screen. The variety show was very entertaining and I just love every second of it. Hwang Inyeop has a very attractive charm and I am very surprised to know that he is older than Park Bogum! In September, I went to see Super Junior’s concert in Jakarta! This was my second time going and watching Super Show 9. All of the set-list is are pretty much the same, but the sound system in Jakarta was very much disappointing. But at least I get to see my boys closer than the one in Korea.

I spent the whole of October in Korea. Yes, I went to Korea again! This time I went on a “business trip”. It was my first and last business trip with this company. I had a blast one even though the ending was ugly. I only need 30 mins from my aunt’s house door to my office door in Korea. While in Jakarta, I had to spend 2 hours from my house door to my seat in the office. I just hate Jakarta’s traffic and insufficient public transportation. On this trip, I got to go to Busan on the week of the BTS Concert in Busan. I will make a separate post for all of my trips in 2022. Also, I finally did camping in Korea after watching many camping-themed variety shows. It was so fun even though it wasn’t as easy as it’s look on screen. Last but not the least, I got to see Nam Joohyuk for the last time before he enlisted! Another encounter that I am grateful for in October is I got to see my aunt that has been living in the USA after 10 years? I guess? It's been a long time. She is a very loving and caring aunt and she is especially very close with my mom. It was so nice to finally see her. Next time, I will definitely go to visit her in the USA. AMEN! October has been awesome.

November passed by so fast that I can’t fully enjoy the days. A week after I came back from Korea, I went to Bali to attend my friend’s wedding. The wedding was intimate and I truly enjoyed it. Even though I couldn’t enjoy Bali to the fullest this time, I am quite happy to escape Jakarta’s crowd for a while. I had a few mishaps and inconveniences throughout the month, but I was able to overcome them thanks to Song Joongki. Finally, I got to meet him after 4 years!! I went to the airport and saw him up close. I wasn't able to get a ticket to Scarlet’s event but managed to get one for Bukalapak’s event. He still looks the same even though 4 years have passed. There were many things that happened during the past 4 years, but he overcome them and was able to greet the fans in Indonesia. It was nice to see you again, Song Joongki! November is an unforgettable month because I got COVID-19 for the first time. After standing strong for two years, I finally got infected. Thankfully, I got very mild symptoms. I don’t even feel sick at all. I feel very fine. Well anyways, thanks to the virus, I got to work from home. Yay, another way to escape Jakarta’s crazy traffic. There is a good thing in everything.

Finally, I am able to sing, “Good tidings to you wherever you are”. The Christmas season finally arrives. I made mini vlogmas on my Instagram, but compared to the previous year, this year I didn’t have the Christmas spirit or truly joyful feelings. After 5 months of spending my time and energy working at this company, I decided to resign. I was tremendously uncomfortable and I didn’t sense any kind of achievement or new things. Since I only have 2 years left in my 20s, I decided not to spend my time on the things that didn’t spark joy. Especially, I finally can escape the Jakarta's traffic!! YEAY!! So, just before Christmas, I was able to find a little peace in my heart and spent Christmas joyfully. This year Christmas wasn’t as warm as the previous years. Even so, I am still very grateful that I got to close 2022 without regrets, and am ready for 2023. I had an impromptu trip with my university friends to Sentul. I DROVE THE CAR BACK AND FORTH TO THERE! It was such an achievement for me. HAHA.

Dear 2022, thank you. You’ve been nice and rough at some times, but I just want to say thank you for the memories. I think I grew in various ways. And I want to say a good job to myself to go through all of the days in 2022 well. I started to praise myself at the end of the day, not because I am proud of what I’ve done, but to give myself more love this year. We often forgot to praise ourselves even though we’ve been through a lot. So, if you read this now, go praise yourself, “I have done well”!

So, have you found out what is my message to you?

Hint: it has 12 alphabets.

According to the Chinese calendar, 2022 is the Year of Tiger. A tiger has a charismatic side and is one of the strongest carnivores in the jungle. I just want to say that you are strong enough to pass through all those hardships and be able to step into 2023 in a few days.

I wish you a Happy New Year! May your 2023 be filled with joy, peace, and hope. 

Let’s work hard and play hard this year. Good luck!

God bless you all.

Travel Diary: Sydney

On May 2017, I went to Australia for the first time (and haven’t got to revisit since then). I visited Melbourne and Sydney, two big cities in Australia. Previously, I shared my Melbourne travel diary and with this post, I finally pay my debt for this Australia trip series. I know it took five years, but it’s better late than never.

Sydney was a special place for me because many of my high school friends stayed in Sydney for studying back then. And I do enjoy the sea-city vibes. I flew from Melbourne with Jetstar Airlines. We took a morning flight and while waiting for the boarding time, I enjoyed some hot chocolate and cheesecake.

1,5 hours later, my brother and I arrived in Sydney. We took Hyatt Regency's shuttle bus from the airport to the hotel. Thanks to my friend, we got a special rate at this newly opened hotel. It was my first time staying at this hotel chain. Since it was newly opened, everything was brand new and I had a great experience. I got to get early check-in thanks to my friend and then my brother and I went outside to finally explore the city.

Queen Victoria Building

Hands down the best-repurposed building in Australia. Out of all shopping malls that I’ve visited, this mall has the grandest feature. The building itself was built in the 19th century and used as a Municipal Market. After some restoration, the building was reopened to the public as a shopping center in 1986. This beautiful and iconic building was designed by a Scottish architect, George MacRae. This shopping mall has more than 180 shops inside ranging from fashion, jewelry, and home decor, to restaurants and cafes. I didn’t do any shopping here because it will be such a nuisance to bring the things back to Melbourne and after all, I can still find the things back in Melbourne.

The highlight of this shopping center is located on the highest floor. It’s where you can see authentic European-style antiques and architecture. It feels like you are inside a European palace. Well, Australia was many influenced by Europe, but it feels different inside this building. I have some interest in history and that’s why I visited this building. I truly recommend for you visit Queen Victoria Building when you visit Sydney.

The more in-depth history behind this building can be read here.

Darling Harbour

After walking around the majestic Queen Victoria Building, we went to stroll around the Darling Harbour. This harbor is located just nearby our hotel. They even have an exit door connected to a bridge that connected to Darling Harbour. There is a SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium located on the front side of Pier 26. We didn’t get to visit the aquarium, but to kill the time, I took some photos there. After the photoshoot (?), we walk along the Darling harbor toward the Sydney Harbour Marina. I really love the waterfront scenery there. I visited and passed through Darling Harbour 3 times while I was there.

The harbor has several entry points, so make sure to check out all of them. My favorite spot was the King Street Wharf. On the opposite, you can see Macquire University. I think I would be very diligent if I see this kind of view from the university. I just love how they organized the harbor. You can see the Darling Harbour area as V-shaped. There are lots of restaurants and cafes, and even shopping centers along the harbor. It was really a fascinating place I've ever visited. Check out the map before you visit here. Not checking out thoroughly the map before visiting was one of the bad mistakes I made during this trip.

By the way, they held the Vivid Sydney festival again starting this year. During the festival, you can see fireworks show at Darling Harbour and some other light shows. So if you happen to be in Sydney from around the end of May to the middle of June, make sure to check out the Vivid Sydney Festival. More information regarding the festival can be seen here.

https://www.darlingharbour.com

Three Sisters of Blue Mountains

First road trip in my entire Australia trip. We rented a car and went to the Blue Mountains after breakfast. As far as I live with my brother, I know that my brother was not an adventure seeker or a nature-type of person, that’s why I’m not sure if he really likes going to this kind of place. But since it doesn’t need much effort to see this famous spot, he agreed to go. After 1,5 hour ride from Sydney, we finally arrived. The weather was so nice that day. It was bright, but not hot. We were not in a good condition that day, but seeing that marvelous scenery made all that sickness go away.

The Blue Mountains are a complex of different mountains. The famous mountain top is the Three Sisters. It was called “Three Sisters” because the mountain’s form is like a triplet. More depth information about this mountain can be read here.

Since it’s a quite famous tourist spot in Sydney, the infrastructure has been neatly installed. There are paved roads for the trail. It was a very convenient track for all ages. Make sure to visit here if you come to Sydney.

Sydney Fish Market

I am not a big fan of raw seafood, but visiting Sydney Fish Market, changes my perspective on it. I slowly start to find the goodness in eating raw seafood. The fish market is pretty spacious, neat, and clean. I hardly could smell a fishy smell. 

After some research, this fish market has been operated for more than 70 years! Well, they did some remodeling and currently, they are reconstructing to be a very sophisticated fish market in the world. Look at the developer site here and you will be very excited to visit here later on.

Read the complete history of this mega fish market here. And the complete progress of the redevelopment here.

CIRCULAR QUAY

After a fulfilling brunch, I went to meet my friend at the Circular Quay, and then we took the ferry to Taronga Zoo. I am not a very animal person, but I like going to the zoo. Going to the zoo by ferry was very fun and it was a unique experience. I got to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge on the way to the zoo. It was killing two birds with one stone.

TARONGA ZOO SYDNEY

After getting off the ferry, we took the free shuttle bus to the zoo entrance. The front gate was very grand and classical, not a very “zoo” kind-of entrance. My friend bought the tickets beforehand so as soon as we arrived there, we went directly to the entrance. I forgot how much was the entrance fee because my friend bought it. Check the rates here for the updated one.

What makes Taronga Zoo different from other zoos that I’ve visited is they let visitors volunteer at the zoo. Also, they are really concerned about conservation and sustainability instead of showcasing the animals. Reading what are their focus and vision will help you have a greater experience when you visit here. Read it here.

I got to see the indigenous animals of Australia, koalas for the first time at their real home. I thought I’ll see sleeping Koalas, but instead, I saw active Koalas. I’ve seen Kangaroo somewhere before, but seeing it at their hometown was a totally different experience. The best spot might probably go to the Giraffes. They were located right at the center and had a Bayfront view. If it’s compared to real estate, it will have the most expensive neighborhood.

I think this zoo has a good layout and a variety of animals. Not only wildlife animals but also a mini farm and a variety of pets. I’m not sure now, but when I went there all the animals there were well-fed, unlike some zoos that I’ve visited. Well, as far as I saw it, Taronga zoo has a very well-managed system. In summary, I have had a great experience with this zoo.

BONUS!

The Grounds of Alexandria

I went to the Grounds of Alexandria after Sunday service for brunch with my high school friends. I really loved this place! I wish there are lots of this kind of place in Indonesia. The Grounds of Alexandria is an open space with a wide selection of restaurants and shops that are located in Alexandria area. It was first opened in 2012. Even after 5 years, it was still pretty and neat. The place is very instagramable and the ambiance was what I’d been dreaming of.

I took the advantage of the good weather by taking lots of pictures. I looked like I have a very natural blush thanks to the great lightning that day. I really liked the photos I took here.

I really recommended you to visit here. They also opened in the Sydney city center too, but it has different vibes from the one in Alexandria. I haven’t visited there personally, but seeing from the photos, I still love The Grounds of Alexandria more than The Grounds of City Center Sydney.

Bondi Beach

After brunch with my high school friends, I went to Bondi Beach. I have been wanting to see the Bondi Icebergs Club, but since it’s fall and I don’t bring any swimming wear, so I just got to see it from afar.

It was bright and warm in the morning, but suddenly it became quite cold. Even so, I still enjoyed walking the down the sidewalks with my Boost smoothies. After some people-and-dog-watching and taking some photos, my friend and I become quite hungry. We stopped by a burger shop nearby Bondi Beach and have a quick bite. Then, we went back to the city center by bus. In Sydney, every Sunday, people can use any kind of public transport for a $2.80 flat rate all day long. Now the regulations have changed and you can see them here to help you do some budgeting before visiting Sydney.

I have a tremendous experience in Sydney even though it was just a short time. I think both Sydney and Melbourne have their own charm and I don’t mind living in either of the two cities. Australia is surely a good idea. I will definitely back to this continent and explore the other cities next time.

How about you? Have you been to Australia before? Which city have you visited and what’s great about it? Leave it in the comment box below.

Stay tuned for the food frenzy part next time. 

Thank you and have a great day, mate!