1.7.15

photo op with POTUS


YSEALI Academic & Professional Fellows 2015 with Barack Obama


There I am, so close to Obama. Up until now I could never describe the feeling how I felt that day when I saw him walk into the room with a big smile and greet us. Excited? Happy? Nausea? I would probably say yes to all of that. 
In a photo, position is super important. The story why I end up being so close to Obama on this shot goes way back before I came to the US. I was considering bringing heels for this program, but then my suitcase already so bulky and I was afraid it will be overweight. Then in Hawai'i, the good news came on the last few days before we're going to Colorado. So Ines and I (like any other girls would), planning on buying heels to go to the White House. I guess i'm a bit cheapo for this, but also thinking I wanted to buy affordable heels because let's face it, I rarely use them on a daily basis. So long story short, I bought a pair in Goodwill. God knows how old those shoes were, but it's only 10 dollars! The day we went to The White House, I carried the heels on my purse because I know I will suffer if I have to use them all day long. I changed into them on the bus, but we still have 10 minutes to grab a quick lunch. Mistake or a blessing in disguise, I took a few stride with that heels, and the sole came off! Thankfully I still have my flat shoes and doesn't want to carry a broken shoes to The White House, I throw it on the trash can without a second thought.
I know you're still wondering why all this got to do with my position on the photo above. Well, this is just my thought, but when we're arranging position, they asked for the short ones goes in the middle and the tall ones goes in the outer part. If I wore the heels, I would stick out quite tall and have to stand way out there. Soo.. believe me or not, that is my unfortunate fortunate story.

25.6.15

beautiful places in Hawai'i: Kualoa Ranch

this is actually the place where so many movies got filmed including Tears of The Sun and the ever famous Jurassic Park! that's why I chose this place at the very beginning for my team's learning journey in Hawai'i (others are Pearl Harbor, Hanauma Bay, H Power, Hawai'i Food Bank, and Iolani Palace). 
Kualoa ranch is actually a very unique place where they have a sustainable land management system called Ahupua'a. let me tell you a bit of history behind this magical place. over 1500 years ago, the first voyaging Polynesian landed in Hawai'i, in Hakipu'u valley (foothill of Kualoa). the original owner of the land was King Kamehameha III, but he sold it to Gerritt P. Judd in 1850. A few years later, Kualoa's adjacent land (Hakipu'u and Ka'a'awa) were brought by his son, Charles Hasting Judd. from sugar mill to becoming an auxiliary army airstrip, Kualoa went to so many process to become what it is today. 
i could go on and on with the picture here haha! place as beautiful as this is definitely worth to conserve for the future.

18.6.15

beautiful places in Hawai'i: Japanese Garden

In the upcoming days (or maybe weeks if i'm totally lazy to open my laptop), I will post all the beautiful places that I got to visit while I was in Hawai'i for three weeks. and believe me, there are a lot! first up, it's in the backyard of IMIN International Conference Center, the Japanase Garden. If you're selected to be the participant for YSEALI Institute on Environment 2016, you'll be likely to stay in Hale Manoa. the place is just walking distance! in fact, the photo session for your participants profile in susieastwestcenter.com will be taking place there. beautiful and serene, the place is definitely worth for a photo op!
the picture above is the final product from the photo session :)

28.4.15

YSEALI Self Introduction Video

 
 my very first YouTube upload (the official one that is), is for my YSEALI self introduction video assignment! a bit hasty to make, but i think it's pretty good.

26.3.15

(really) good news

"an arrow can only be shot by pulling it backward. when life is dragging you back with difficulties, it means it's going to launch you into something great. so just focus, and keep aiming."

I know it sounds cheesy, but dreams do come true. Hidup memang adalah sebuah roda dimana kita ga bisa selalu ada diatas maupun kita bakalan selalu ada dibawah. beberapa bulan setelah kontrak kerja gw habis di labuan bajo, gw otomatis jadi pengangguran (atau gw lebih seneng menyebutnya sebagai freelancer hehe). ga ada penghasilan lagi dan cuma bisa di rumah membuat gw cukup sedih. tapi itu ga membiarkan gw cuman bisanya nonton makan tidur nonton makan tidur aja. gw menyiapkan seluruh dokumen yang diperlukan untuk universitas S2 yang gw tuju, juga dokumen untuk beasiswa, serta cari-cari opportunity lain biar gw ada kerjaan. nah salah satunya ya gw apply YSEALI program ini yang mengusung tema Environment. kalo mau tau lebih lanjut ttg program ini, silahkan ke web http://jakarta.usembassy.gov/yseali/academic-fellows.html atau ke http://www.susieastwestcenter.com/.
tentunya hasil harus gw tunggu beberapa minggu bahkan ada yg sampe lebih dari satu bulan. waiting game emang ga enak banget. ga bakalan tau gimana hasilnya. tapi pas gw dapet email ini dari salah satu orang di US Embassy, kayaknya waktu penungguan ga berarti apa-apa. yang ada cuman bisa bersyukur dan seperti hal bagus yang terjadi di hidup gw, kadang ga percaya aja ini beneran terjadi. tapii.. gw dapet satu impian, harus melepas impian satu lagi. yaitu pekerjaan baru di salah satu tempat yang dari dulu gw pengenin. karena waktunya tabrakan sama acara ini dan manta tagging expedition yang bakal gw lakuin di labuan bajo, jadilah gw harus rela melepasnya. sedih sih, tapi emang gw udah tau kalo gw emang ga bakalan bisa menang banyak. 

have faith in life. believe in the power of prayer.

29.1.15

new addition

another latepost: welcome to the family, kak Dimas :D

cunca cunca cunca... wulang!

ini judulnya latepost sih. sayang aja tempat yang sangat indah ini ga gw share ke kalian. saking indahnya gw sampe tiga kali kesana! haha. sebenernya sih bukan semuanya kemauan gw. yang pertama karena salah satu temen kontrak udah pengen pergi dari labuan bajo dan minta jalan-jalan, kita memutuskan ke cunca wulang ini dengan 2 orang lainnya. FYI, kalo mau ke cunca wulang, dari pintu masuk (yang ada pos pembayaran) ada dua opsi yaitu jalan kaki yang akan menghabiskan waktu kira-kira 20 menit atau naik motor sampe pinggir trayek hutan. karena gw udah 3 kali kesana dan sudah mencoba kedua opsi tersebut, gw saranin mending naik motor aja karena bakal PR banget baliknya. bayangin aja balik dari cunca wulangnya tanjakan kira-kira 20 menitan dan harus jalan kaki lagi menuju pos. fiuh! ga deh. 
karena dateng pertama kali ga loncat dari tebingnya, mungkin gw masih penasaran jadilah dateng untuk kedua kalinya dengan grup yang berbeda yaitu temen temen MW internship 2014. nah, di kesempatan dateng kedua kalinya akhirnya punya banyak temen yang pengen loncat. berbekal baju ganti dan kemauan yang nekat, lompatlah saya dari tebing yang tingginya gatau seberapa. yang pasti pas loncat rasanya kayak ga bakal sampe2 dibawah. tenang aja, airnya cukup dalem kok. seenggaknya 5 meteran. kalo udah sampe bawah, berenang ke bagian tebing sempit yang di dalemnya adalah air terjun. pas masuk ke lingkaran air terjun, berenang dari belakang menuju ke depan air terjun: rasanya kayak dipijitin dan terbawa arus. dijamin seru banget! 
dateng ketiga kalinya tentunya dengan grup yang berbeda lagi (kali ini bertiga), gw saranin mereka untuk lompat karena rasanya tiada duanya (saelah). tapi karena untuk lompat yang pertama kali aja jantung gw mau copot, gw memutuskan untuk tidak loncat lagi, cuman berenang-renang saja di air yang cukup dingin itu. tapi pastinya kalau kalian cuman punya satu kesempatan kesana, DIWAJIBKAN untuk loncat dari tebing dan berenang masuk ke air terjunnya! bakal jadi one of your unforgettable experience di daerah Flores :)
 PS: untuk masuk ke sini, harus bayar 10rb per orang dan 60rb untuk guide. bisa minta kelapa (fresh from the tree) juga sama orang2 lokalnya setelah kalian balik dari pendakian yang cukup melelahkan secara gra-tis!

12.1.15

different kind of new year

 please do ignore the picture. i know it's hideous. and yes, if I have to go to Mekah i have to cover my head. 
aside from that, i am super thrilled to finally go to the house of Allah, to be praying so close to Ka'bah. my family and I actually went there in the end of 2014. we arrived in Soeta airport on December 30th and had to wait for several hours until we actually get on the plane. thankfully the travel gave us a good waiting room with food on it (yes, food is always a good idea ;p) around 12 am December 31st we get on the plane to Dubai for about 7 long hours. arrived in Dubai, we continue a two hour flight to Jeddah.
rather than the sound of a booming fireworks, all i can hear is the sound of adzan from Masjid Al-Haram. rather than people shouting happy new year and blowing their trumpets, all i see are Muslims from around the world shouting their prayers to Allah while surrounding the Ka'Bah. it felt so content to know that many of the earth population were there to celebrate their religion and their love for Allah.
I hope someday i got another chance to go again. AMIINNN...
 after four days in Mekah, we went to Madinah. my favorite part of the trip was seeing the Masjid Al-Nabawi architecture especially the famous big umbrellas that can close and open so majestically. always a photo op whenever i'm there. 

18.12.14

can't complain

from my instagram feed. my life in Labuan Bajo. can't complain, it was good.
manta photo credit: Ayu Ginanjar Syukur

living on the east

 Recently I lived in a land of the dragon. And yes, I mean Labuan Bajo or famously known as Komodo. for people who don't know, when I said that i lived in Komodo, does not mean that i literally lived on the island! The majority of people and tourist are living in Labuan Bajo, and if people wanted to go to Komodo Island, it will only take about 3 hours or so with a boat. Other than Komodo, there is also Rinca Island which you can see the komodo dragon. Having been living there for 6 months, I am going to tell you things about Labuan Bajo. You're welcome ;)
 Where to see sunset:
  • Paradise bar. Probably the most infamous bar there is in Labuan Bajo. 
  • Any restaurant that is facing the beach, including TreeTop, Blue Marlin cafe, The Lounge's sky Bar
  • Padar Beach, especially if you sneak a swim in Bintang Flores Hotel (which cost you Rp 50.000,-)
  • Bukit Cinta. In order for you to get here, rent a motorbike up to Paradise Bar street and go beyond that. If you starting to see the ocean and all the little boat, you're there
  • Puncak Waringin. It is actually the top picture. Just imagine the view when the sun is setting
Where to eat:
  • Warung Mama. Indonesian style food. The most delicious one I think is the rendang. But the juice is not made from fresh fruit, but it made from frozen fruit and it just plain weird.
  • TreeTop. A lot of good seafood. My favorite and my go to food (especially if I need a good wifi ;)) is fried squid seasoned with salted eggs. There are also oyster with peanut sauce and fried fish with spicy lemon sauce. Be careful if you're ordering the Sapo Tahu. Ask first if they're using tofu rather than local tahu because if they're out of tofu, the taste will be unbearable
  • Bajo Bakery. Sandwiches, muffins, quiches, brownies, everything there are delicious!
  • The Lounge. I especially love their cheese burger. The best burger i've ever tasted! Don't forget to try their sodas too because it's good. Accompanied by live music, even better
  • Coto Makasar. It is located in Padar Beach street, so it's a bit far from the town center. 
  • Kampung Ujung. It is not a restaurant or a food joint, it's actually street food carts which you could find many things there including soto, bakso, gado-gado, gorengan, and lots of fresh seafood
Where to dive:
  • Karang Makassar. Or some poeple said Manta Point. Well I guess it's obvious that this site is the go to diver if they want to see some mantas! No mantas? Don't be too disappointed. You could also see turtles, white tip sharks, and even barracudas! (i've seen one)
  • Batu Bolong. Probably the most famous dive site in KNP today. A great wall of corals and fishes, it's like you're in an aquarium! Nudibranches, moray eels and more are waiting for you there!
  • Wainilu. If you're a macro lover, this is the place. All the macros looks like they came from a different planet
  • The Cauldron. The most fun dive site if you like currents. There is a small pathway that they call Shotgun, which basically will suck you from 15 meters to 2 meters in seconds! But it was a hell of a fun ride!
  • Other than that, there are Castle and Crystal Rock, Mawan, Siaba Besar, Manta Alley, and many many many more my diver friend
Where to stay:
  • There are a lot of hotels ranging from good to okay and from Rp 60.000,- to Rp 1.000.000,-
  • If you're planning to stay there more than a month, there are a lot of kosan or a house that you can rent. Just make sure that you have good access to a clean water all the time including the dry season
  • If you're on a budget, try to find some friends there. Good luck ;)
PS: There are some flights that goes there but you have to transit in Bali first. I don't think there are direct flights yet to Labuan Bajo. There are no flight up from 6 pm because it's a small airport. For people who want to dive there, you must have a diving certificate or else you have to take your license there. You can choose if you want to dive with daily boat or live aboard. Any question? Don't hesitate to ask dear :)

22.9.14

Bromo plus plus

abis liat sunset, turunlah kita. as you all know, di pegunungan Bromo ga cuman bisa liat sunset tapi juga bisa actually naik ke puncak Bromonya. tapi karena gw gamau naik karena udah mager liat banyaknya tangga untuk menuju kesana, akhirnya kita jalan-jalan disekitaran situ aja. niat awalnya udah mau balik karena kabutnya ga ilang2 padahal udah jam 9 diurungkan karena pas dijalan kabutnya tiba2 hilang. kabut tergantikan sama pemandangan yang luar biasa! jadi deh kita balik lagi dan foto2 ;p

28.8.14

jalur beda ke Bromo

dari seluruh perjalanan java trip dua minggu yang gw jalanin ini, perjalanan ke Bromo emang paling seru dan worth it banget. kenapa? pertama, karena gw naik motor yang harusnya naik mobil jeep yang emang cocok buat jalanan menuju ke Bromo yang cukup menantang kalo hanya dengan naik motor. kedua, kalo anda tidak tau jalan mana saja ke Bromo, sebenernya ada tiga, dua lainnya gw lupa lewat mana dan gw memilih lewat Tumpang yang emang terkenal jalanannya ga bagus tapi lebih cepet. 

rute perjalanannya adalah: dari Malang ke Tumpang (pastinya dengan naik motor) selama kurang lebih 30 menit, terus dari Tumpang menuju daerah bernama Gubuklakan selama 1 jam, dari sana ke desa Ngadas, dan akhirnya dari Ngadas gw touchdown di Bromo yang memakan waktu kurang lebih 2 jam.

tapi perjalanannya ga semudah yang gw kira. awalnya kita nyewa motor dari Malang seharga 45rb saja (murah bukaan?). aman aman aja nih sampe Gubuklakan. sebelum mengarah ke Ngadas, kita berhenti sebentar untuk nanya jalan ke tempat makan kecil (dan satu-satunya) di tempat tersebut. kira-kira udah tau jalan selanjutnya, kita cus lanjut. ternyata oh ternyataaa.. walaupun motor yang kita sewa manual, eehh tuh motor ga kuat nanjak! sebelum gw lanjut dengan kehebohan perjalanan ke Ngadas, gw harus kasih info ke kalian dulu kalo jalanan kesana tuh udah naik turun gunung, tengah-tengah hutan, jalannya berbatu kerikil ga ada mulus-mulusnya, dan yang paling asoy ga ada lampu! naah.. motor sewaan kita yang cakep itu ngadet dan tiba2 mati dooong ditengah2 kegelapan! sekali mati kita tetep positif jalan, kedua kalinya mati udah was was dan ketiga kalinya akhirnya kita nyerah takut bakal ada tanjakan yg lebih tinggi lagi dan motornya bener2 mati. udah takut setengah mati, eeh pas jalan balik kita ketemu sama bapak2 terus dia bilang "ga usah khawatir deek.. emang sering kayak gitu. banyak yang iseng disini mah. kalo motornya mati, biarin aja bentar terus nyalain lagi". beeeuh! gimana gw ga tambah takut coba? yasudahlah kita balik ke tempat makan yang kecil itu. niat awalnya sih mau balik lagi ke Gubuklakan yang ada pemukiman dan minjem motor lain ke masyarakat disana. tapi ternyata alhamdulillah pas ngobrol2 sama petani di tempat makan itu ujung2nya kita bisa disewain salah satu motor mereka walaupun dengan harga yang cukup mahal. sip laah.. udah dapet motor baru, lanjut lagi kita menuju Ngadas! alhamdulillah motor yang satu ini lebih cakep dan ga ada lagi tuh mati tengah2 jalan lagi. ya mungkin motornya emang sengaja di modif biar bisa lewat jalanan yang seancur itu. 
sampe di Ngadas, kira-kira jam 10 malem, kita nginep dulu di homestay Pak Kartono. tempatnya sangat bersih dan homey, cuman airnya dinginnya ga ketulungan. di dalem rumah aja gw ga berani copot kaos kaki. kalo di kamar mandi bisa pake kaos kaki mah gw ladenin deh sekalian. disini pun harga semalemnya juga cukup murah, 50rb!
walaupun tidur gw belum puas, mata pun harus terpaksa terbuka dari jam setengah 2 pagi karena kita harus berangkat jam 2 pagi kalo kita mau kejar sunrisenya. pas pintu masuk dimana mereka jual tiketnya, penjaganya nyaranin kita buat nunggu mobil jeep karena kalo kita naik motor sendirian dan ngelewatin padang pasir, kita bisa tersesat karena padang pasirnya pasti kerasa ga berujung dan bakal diperparah sama kabut yang sangat tebal. dan pastinya.. tanpa perlu gw kasih tau lah yaa.. kalo disana tuh dinginnya minta ampun! gw aja sampe pake baju 5 lapis dan celana dua lapis plus syal, sarung tangan dan kupluk! beneran kayak mau ke negara bersalju haha! 2 jeep udah sampe, kita jalan ditengah-tengah mereka. dan beneran aja, jeepnya sangat membantu untuk penerangan dan penunjuk jalan. seru banget liat jeep-jeep dengan lampu sorot mereka di tebalnya kabut Bromo, udah berasa kayak di pelem pelem sci-fi gitu. 2 jam kemudian.. sampailah kita di Penanjakan 1 Bromo! yihaa!