Back to Nokia

Probably I have not tell you that I switched my primary phone from iPhone SE to Samsung Galaxy Note8 at December last year. But this week I switch back to my old phone. Because... I lost my phone.

I have been taking graduate degree for about three months. Ever since I was a kid, my dream is to continue my study in Europe. But things happened and I must work after graduate from University two years ago. So now I took the graduate degree in Jakarta instead, while working at my current office. I'm now a graduate student in Universitas Indonesia.

I have class in afternoon and night, perfect time for crazy traffic jams inJakarta. So the most efficient way to go to the class is by train. Las Tuesday, my class finished at 19:00 and I went to Manggarai Station. At that time, the station was still full of people going back home after work. I took Bogor lane, one of the most crowded lane in the station.

Probably there were some problems with the trains, so I waited for a long time for the train. People was continue to come and it was getting crowded. Got bored, I opened my phone while listening to the music with my headphone.

The train we were waiting finally came, and I putted my phone into my jeans' pocket. Suddenly, a short man got in front of me, and people around me was scrambling to get into the train. It was very crowded, and all I knew was the music stopped and my phone no longer at my pocket.

I realized that at the time, I was thinking about many things and my mind was not focus. I must aware for everybody around me, especially people beside me. I must focus with all of my belonging, including my phone.

But all of our wealth belong to God, and can be taken at any time. I must get over it.

For work purpose, I must have an android phone. Because it is an emergency, I bought a cheap phone. The best choice is Nokia 3. I bought it for IDR 1.3M (about 100 USD). I choose that because it has good design and NFC for card top up. But it is very slow and the battery is not good. But I must being grateful for what I have. It's not the best phone, but my needs are covered with it.

Be a better person for everything we have.

Me and Jakarta Life

Hello! Very long time no see. Beside my work, now I take master study (night class) in the biggest university in Jakarta. So hectic yet I enjoy it. So Now I just want to give you update about my life.

My latest post was written in a city that different from now. Yes, I have moved from Bogor to Jakarta!!!

One of my friends asked me what city I prefer to work. And I replied Jakarta! As soon as I graduate, I rented a room in a boarding house in East Jakarta for a more convenient job seeking. But I have grown a connection with this city long before, actually.

When I entered college, my parents live just two of them in my hometown. So, whenever my father had office activity in Jakarta, my mother accompanied my father, and if I had time, I went along too.

Jakarta is so big and different from any other cities in my country. It houses many different people, the most diverse as the capital city of Indonesia. In my hometown, I often feel alone, but in this city, with so many people here, I feel more comfortable.

And now, I have worked in Jakarta for 8 months, more than when I live in Bogor.

.....

Yes, Now I have whatever I want. I have a stable job, in a big company, in a big city, with great friends and a good amount of salary. I bought all of my dream stuff: latest MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, iPhone, Galaxy Note, branded bags, shoes, clothes, I even already have a house in Jakarta and a house in outskirt Jakarta. What else?

I'm not okay.

I find that what I faced in the last 2 years of uni has intoxicated my mental health. Or more precisely awaken my dark side. Whatever I try to solve that, the shadow still appears and haunting myself. I feel... depression. Even when there are no bad things happen with me. Even when my life goes smooth and perfect.

I'm not okay.

What I’m Doing Now?

It's over 10 PM and I'm still in the office. Not the whole day, at 6 PM I went to the mall before to watch Insidious: The Last key. Bad movie. I like Insidious 1, and accept the 2nd movie, but the rest are trash. But Hey, watching a bad movie is better than not having any entertainment at all.

So my routine when I'm too stressed about working is... going to the mall, shopping, watching a movie, getting some fast food or fancy meal. Despite having a Note 8, I almost bought a new iPhone 8 that costs about the same with my current phone. That's crazy and too much. I must stop buying gadgets and investing instead.

What I like about having night like this is... simply I can contemplate. Sometimes we need to take a break and think more about the life we have. 

Bags That I Use

Hello guys! Very long time no see!!!

Well, even in my busiest time of my work, I still really want to produce some writing. Aaanndd.... the easiest way to do it is making a review. Today I want to tell you about the bags that I have for different needs.

1. Thule EnRoute Blur 2 24L (everyday office bag)
This is the bag that I use the most, particularly because I use it for going to work. My office has casual culture, so usually I just wear jeans and polo shirt or short sleeved shirt with sneakers and a backpack like this. I like this bag because of the material. The padded back and straps are very soft and nice to touch, while the fabric is strong and durable. And the main reason I use for work is the compartments. It has opening in the front that I usually use for quick get like ID Card, foldable bags, tissue, etc. Inside, it has padded room for my laptop and iPad, some slots for small things, and the most special about Thule is the glasses compartment. It's great to put my cell phone and headphone in.

2.  Fjällräven Kånken Original 16L (urban bag)
I fell in love with this bag ever since I saw it in a japanese movie (you read it right, japanese). Yes, two of my bag that I have mention here is Swedish brand. I really like Swedish design. It's simple yet elegant, ergonomics, and very durable. You can't find this fabric anywhere else outside fjallraven brand. It's so strong and water repellent. It's also very light and can hold up so many things. So when I hangout to the mall with my friends, I can put all of my shopping items inside and carry it as a tote bag. The design itself is a classic, It's the same as the original in 1978. I think I can keep it for 10-20 more years without the design being old and I can give it to my child or even grandchild.

3. Pacsafe Venturesafe 25L GII (Travelling Bag)
If the first bag I use for work, the second for hangout, here the third is for traveling. It's comfortable to carry all around the city, has roomy space inside, and It has unique feature for safety purpose. The bag itself is enclosed in a wire mesh so that It can't be slashed by thief. The zip can be locked to a hook, the straps are wired inside and can be pulled to attach it in a chair or a table. It also has special pocket that has anti RFID scan to put your card or passport.

Well, each bag costs more than 100 USD. Sure it's costly. But I think I prefer to spend that money for the things that really has great quality rather than having many bags that are mediocre and end up to be piled inside your cupboard and never be used again.

Work Life

I've been very busy with my work lately. No, not lately but ever since I'm a full-time employee, I don't have time to read a book or post anything on this blog. So sad.

Sometimes we become demotivated and can't appreciate our life well. Think about getting a partner?

Why I Use iPhone SE as My Daily Phone

Really? This iPhone in 2017?? For some of you maybe this phone looks too old. The same appearance as iPhone 5 that was released in 5 years ago, yes it is. But it just all I need from a phone. I'm using iPhone SE 64GB and pretty much do all I want from a phone.

The first thing that I like is its reliability. It's super fast and smooth. What do you expect from having a smartphone? Making call? Sending messages? Get your jobs done in mobile? Taking photos? Stalking your friends in all popular social media? Of course you can do that on a phone priced under $100. But the thing is, many smartphones is very sluggish, usually with the android phone. I have some, and for the first time you buy it was blazingly fast.  But over the years, you don't get updates, everything becomes very slow, and sometimes it's very hard just to make a call. What? Seriously??? Nowadays we just don't call if it's not an emergency!

The second is the portability. Small to carry, easily fits in all of my pockets (jacket, trousers, or even shirt!). Yes, the camera for 2017 is not all that good. But it's sufficient. The screen is small, but I can use it in one hand. And the most important, this phone is very robust, I dropped it many times and it's survived.

How long will I keep this phone? Well... I don't know. Newer smartphones just giving us gimmicks rather than good user experience. Most of us don't need all that glowing features. And Apple was creating a phone that has high quality so we can keep it for years and don't need the new one (because I'm not a fanboy and don't care about having the newest one). No doubt most of their profit comes from iPhone sales.

The Crowd

When I was a kid, i was very timid, always stay at home and rarely met people. It was until teenager, that I became sick of my life and wanted to turn the situation. In SHS, I tried to be more open to my friends. Maybe because I finally met many good people that don't judge people easily. Yeah, it was in SHS that I determined to be more social. I applied for all doors that I can enter. But unfortunately, that was not the right time. I was rejected to join two of the most prestigious school organizations at that time (because all of a sudden I got high fever and couldn't continue the selection, and some unexpected things that happened to me), the club that I joined rarely got member, etc.

One of the reasons for I entered my university is the fact that it has soooooo many diverse faculties, so I can meet every single type of students there. I was so happy that I have the opportunity to join many organizations from the university, faculty, and department level. I met with many inspiring people. I have many good friends that I never had.

Also in university, I realize that I like to be in the crowd, I like seeing people. I like watching people do their activities, read their expressions, thinking about their life... So i'm very grateful that  now I can live in the busiest region of Indonesia. Many thinks that are stressful, but at least I can enjoy it.

Ramadhan Kareem

I think in every big city in Indonesia, afternoon in ramadhan is just a chaos. Everyone is hurrying to go home to break fasting with their families as fast as possible (with the same working hour). Especially in the busiest region in Indonesia, Jabodetabek. It was nearly sunset when I happened to be in field check and must go back to the office. And sure, I faced the traffic jam. We were all exhausted from the fasting, and couldn't do anything but enjoying sunset. Maybe we become more spiritual during ramadhan, as the sunset moment feels so soothing and calming.

A New Life

Very long time no post!!! At first I wanted to make posts about my uni life that ended last year. Or about job hunting that I did. But I was too lazy to write anything 😅. Pardon.

Soooo.... In this post I want to announce that now, I have a job! Alhamdulillah. a really decent job that suits my education, in a business that I like, in a company that long I admire. Initially I didn't have much confident, as the competition is really fierce. The acceptance rate is below 1%!!! In my batch, only 7 out of 1000 applicants were accepted. That is crazy!!! But I trust the path that God has destined for me. I hope I can give my best, exceed their expectations, and contribute not only to the company, but also to the society. 😁

I have a new gallery on prisma! With the same username as my vsco 😉