Wonderful Indonesia, Always in My Heart

That afternoon, in one wintery day in New York City, I was staring at my phone.

Not long a go, I just spoke to my Mom through video call.
She was gingerly sharing the news about my niece's birthday celebration on the beach back home in Lampung.

I instantly felt the urge to go and join them there.
The pristine beach with its turquoise water, clear blue sky and warm breeze invited me to come over and embrace the moment.
Not to mention those delicious pempek, nasi uduk, and rendang- those are famous Indonesian traditional cuisine, - that they brought to this joyous picnic.

How I miss my beloved hometown, Lampung.
How I long to go back to my wonderful Indonesia!

***

The amazing view of Lake Batur, Bali, Indonesia

No matter how far #myitchyfeet take me, be it in an official assignments or trips as well as vacations, I can't help but whispering how lucky I am to be Indonesian!

Strategically located in Southeast Asia, between two \ oceans - Indian and Pacific, Indonesia has long been known as zamrud khatulistiwa, - the emerald of the equator,-  for its exquisite natural landscape and beauty. Being the largest archipelagic states in the world, comprising more than seventeen thousand islands across its borders, Indonesia surely is blessed with stunning beaches, incredible flora and fauna including gorgeous and rich underwater sceneries, and endless outdoor adventures await those who are willing to explore.

Not to forget its wonderful, friendly people!
Being helpful and pleasant, Indonesians are naturally known as sociable and welcoming, a virtue that makes guests feeling comfortable and well-accepted. 

And when it comes to its traditional cultures, including its rich, one-of-a-kind traditions, customs and adat. 
Here we are talking about traditional dialects, culinary specialties, traditional customes and fabrics, music and dances, and celebrations as well as cultural festivals and far more.

I would now like  to take you on a brief tour to some of the highlights in Indonesia. We have some big islands,  namely Sumatera, Java, Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Bali and Nusa Tenggara, Maluku and Papua. This time, I will start with Sumatra and Java and wait for more posts about my wonderful Indonesia.

Sumatera

My son Bo, enjoying his swimming session at Kelagian Kecil Island, Lampung

Sumatera, the land of gold,  is a great place to explore as it is blessed with forests, hills, mountains, and natural landscapes. 

To start with, we can visit Aceh  to dive or snorkel at Pulau Weh and Sabang, then visit the Grand Mosque of Banda Aceh, which survived the tragic tsunami in 2006.
Don't forget to cruise Lake Toba, try durian - the king fruit - at its best, in Medan, North Sumatera.
Enjoy  culinary heaven and get the taste of Rendang, voted as number ONE most delicious food in the world by CNN, in West Sumatera.
The world-class resorts and amazing golf courses are waiting for you in Bintan and Batam. 
Bangka Belitong has become latest favorite destinations for its unique rock formation on the beach and clean, super soft white sandy beaches.
Rafflesia Arnoldi flowers can be enjoyed in Bengkulu, while the historical remains of Muaro Jambi, dated from 7th century, gives your more insights about the spread of Buddhism in this country. 

And indulge yourself in a simply-happy-and-relaxing island hopping in Lampung Bay, my hometown.  Ride jukung to meet dolphins in the wild at Kiluan or say hi to elephants in Way Kambas National Park.

Don't forget, the mighty Krakatau, is waiting for you as well here in Sunda Strait.

Java 

Serenading the ancient verses...Abdi Dalem at Kraton Jogjakarta. Phot by Rufi Frakarsa, my hubby

Java is indeed  a wonderful melange of modern and traditional life,  the cradle of diverse cultures and traditions, which become the bedrock of Indonesia.

Jakarta, a constant magnet to those enjoying big-city life with all its perks, boasts with sky scrappers, world-class shopping malls, hotels and entertainment centres, while at the same time preserving its romantic past at Kota Tua, the Dutch-influenced old city. 

Bandung, the capital of West Java, keeps its promise to be the Paris van Java. Green lush and cooler temperature  in general makes it people's favorite. Bandung has been dubbed as the artistic city, being home to so many famous musicians and artists. 

Jogjakarta, home of long-reigning Royal Family of Keraton Ngayogyakarta Hadiningrat, is an enchanting city you should not miss.  Just 2 hours away, you will have the opportunity to visit the biggest Buddhist temple in the world, Borobudur.

Sunrise at Phuntuk Setumbu, Magelang, Central Java

Semarang is one of the cities that I instantly fell in love to. Alleys  of vintage building and architectures, including the famous Lawang Sewu (or 1000 doors) and Gereja Bledug, elegantly mix with manifestations of seamless assimilation of Chinese and Javanese cultures. 

Lawang Sewu at dusk

Surabaya will be a perfect start of your adventures in the eastern part of Java. Enjoy the vibe of  busy city dotted with beautiful parks and interesting museums. Taste delicious local delicacies  and drive around Suramadu Bridge, heading to Madura or Banyuwangi. Not to mention breathtaking views from Mount Bromo and Kawah Ijen, and enchanting wild in Meru Betiri, Baluran and Tengger national parks. 

That is just my humble attempt to show wonderful my Indonesia is.
Frankly, what I showcase here is just a super duper tiny bit of what Indonesia can offer. My stories and my photos can not do justice to the real beauty and charms of Indonesia.
We are proud that Indonesia  is constantly improving its infrastructures, routes, and services at those destinations to make sure all our guests, our global family from every corners of the globe, enjoy their visit and their stay in Indonesia.

Now you know why my heart belongs to this amazing country of mine.
Come and visit us.
Discover the magic.
And make THE trip of your lifetime!

You can also join the Wonderful Indonesia blog competition 2018 and win a total prize of 5 million Indonesian Rupiah. Check out  following poster and join us in spreading the spirit of Wonderful Indonesia!

***

"Ma, is that Fia's birthday party on the beach? I want to go there too! I want to swim!" exclaimed my daughter, Obi.
"We will soon join them and we'll have fun on the beach with everyone." I said.
"I just can't wait,' said Obi, with a huge smile planted on her face.
"Me neither, love. Me neither..

Wait for us, Wonderful Indonesia.
We are going home!

my dearest daughter enjoyed playing the sand at Kiluan island, Lampung, a few years back

References:
Wonderful Indonesia:  https://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destinations
All photos displayed in this posts are mine, except those being clearly mentioned otherwise from its sources.

5 Simple Tips for a Healthier Life

5 Simple Tips for a Healthier Life

Healthier life? Everyone wants it!

Sometimes, we all now what to do in order to stay healthy. Frankly, who doesn’t now the importance of exercise, nutritional food and avoiding stress. Easy to say, but when in comes to implementing it, we always have excuses.

Being a cancer survivor, I have to be extremely careful with my health. Not only that I have to work with the negative side effects of all treatments that I have to go through, including mastectomy, chemotherapy, radiation, hormone therapy, medicines and more, but also maintain my health in general. It’s not always that easy and most of the time, the only enemy is myself!

But on the positive notes, I do believe that I can do it, or at least, try to do better. And for sure, there’s no harm in inviting others to do the same, right?

So here are 5 super simple tips for a healthier life a la Mama Bo et Obi.

Be happy and be grateful

I keep this mantra inside my heart and my head. That I am happy and I am forever grateful for that! 

Seringkali kita lupa bahwa kita dilimpahi begitu banyak berkah-Nya setiap hari, setiap saat. Aku masih suka berkaca-kaca kalau mengingat betapa aku masih bisa berkumpul dengan orang-orang tercinta, masih bisa ngebolang dengan anak-anak dan suami, masih bisa menikmati indahnya matahari pagi setiap harinya. Dan tidak ada alasan untuk tidak bahagia, apalagi tidak bersyukur dengan semua rahmat-Nya ini.

So please, if you don’t mind, repeat this whenever you can ... I am happy and I am grateful.

Drink plenty of water

This is a very important matter but we tend to forget. I have been trying to make sure that I  drink enough water every day. I bring my water bottle and tumbler everywhere, and I put big bottles in my office, cars and my bed room. 

And now I drink alkaline water most of the time as it works as great detox for me.

I also feel more hydrated and the water tastes good and fresh.

Exercise more and go out, relax!

Oh exercise. I have to admit this is the toughest part. I always find excuses to stop my yoga session, or avoid my static bike, or simply walk 10 thousand steps every day. I'm either too lazy to do thing or just too tired already from work and traveling. Occasionally I swim with my kids and enjoy out time on the beach.

But again, never give up on yourself and I always try to stay active and take fun forms of exercises. Those include long-enough shopping hours, taking the stairs (luckily I have three floors to explore at home).

And another important thing we need to do on regular basis is going out and relaxing!

Going to the beach, picnic, tracking, swimming, or doing whatever makes you relax and happy is highly recommended!

Eat more fresh veggies and fruits

How I love to eat more and more fresh veggies and fruits. The problem is that I’m not always in the position of having them with me. 

We Indonesians love veggies but we always cook them. And they taste good, indeed. And usually, we you eat outside, vegetables will come in the form of sayur asem, sop, lodeh, capcay, aneka tumisan, dan rebusan or steamed veggies. Sometimes they are also mixed in fried rice, fried noddles or even stew. But since they are cooked, the vitamins and important elements contained in them are gone

So, now I try to make sure that fresh veggies like cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce, kale and more. As for fruits, it’s easier because they are indeed delicious. Obi, my daughter, and I are huge fans of oranges, mangoes, grapes, bananas, apples, pineapples and more.

Sleep enough

Indeed. We all need our sleep and we have to make sure that we sleep for a healthy dose of 8 hours a day. Now the question is.. have we slept enough?

Not in my case, unfortunately.

Sometimes because of the works as well as unnecessary complication from my ‘work’ and ‘dedication’ for my social media accounts. Like it or not, I have to dedicate some parts of my sleeping time to ‘fulfill my obligations’. Not a good habit obviously, but I guess many of you are doing the same thing. I have been trying to manage that and I think I’m progressing on this. I’m quite discipline in ensuring that my beauty, healthy sleep is fulfilled. So perhaps, you should try it too!

So, they are super simple tips you can immediately implement. Good luck with the implementation of it if so you wish. 

Stay happy and healthy!

Top Foods to Incorporate Into Your Diet for Breast Cancer Prevention

Top Foods to Incorporate Into Your Diet for Breast Cancer Prevention

blueberries are packed with antioxidants

Studies have shown that one out of eight women will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lifetime. Even though medical science has revealed a lot about certain cancers such as breast cancer, there’s still a large amount of uncertainty surrounding prevention and treatment. However, it has been shown that incorporating certain foods into your diet can aid in preventative efforts. Here are just a few foods to include in your diet to help reduce the risk of developing cancer.

Apples

Apples have countless health benefits, so it shouldn’t be all too surprising that they’re helpful in aiding breast cancer prevention. What is surprising, however, is that you have to eat the right part of the apple to reap these benefits. The peel of the apple, as it turns out, has the most nutrients when it comes to cancer prevention, so always keep the apple in its natural skin before enjoying it.

“If you normally peel your apple and toss away the colorful wrapping, you’re also tossing away a rich source of antioxidants, fiber, and other compounds needed for anti-cancer nutrition. Lab studies suggest that apple peel can actually fight the spread of cancer cells. The good news is that you don’t need exotic varieties -- this research used readily available Red Delicious apples, so add them to your breast cancer prevention shopping list,” writes Madeline R. Vann on Everyday Health.

Walnuts

Nuts have a wide range of health benefits, but walnuts, in particular, are known for their healthy omega-3 fatty acids. These one-of-a-kind nutrients help the body fight inflammation. Plus, experts say walnuts can help to literally slow down the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice. With this in mind, it certainly makes sense to keep a bag of walnuts in your pantry to enjoy as a snack or top with certain meals.

Fish

As another great source of omega-3 fatty acids, fish deserves a place on this list. Certain types of fish are also sources of lean protein and thus a wholesome part of an overall cancer prevention diet. This is especially true because many dietitians advise against the consumption of red meats and processed meats, which includes bacon and packaged deli meats. Instead, pick out some fresh sardines, tuna, salmon, or mackerel, which are omega-3 rich and ideal for cancer prevention.

Berries

Berries have long been considered a ‘superfood,’ and for good reason. Dark-colored berries like blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries are full of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that may help to reduce the growth of tumors and breast cancer cells. With that in mind, grab a frozen bag of mixed berries during your next trip to the supermarket, or pick up some fresh ones to top a bowl of oatmeal or cold cereal.

Ultimately, it’s not difficult to incorporate these hearty foods into your diet as part of a cancer prevention lifestyle. Of course, it’s always best to consult your doctor for the most accurate and personalized preventative care insight.

I sincerely hope we all can benefit from all this goodness!

Stay healthy, people

Home Collection and Beyond

Home collection and beyond...

Tidak terasa tantangan ngeblog  tiap hari #BPN30dayChallenge2018 sudah masuk ke hari 11 ya! 

So proud (and surprised) I still continue submitting my post till now.

Even when I am away from home and now is enjoying my time in the beautiful continent of Africa, I am trying consistently working on my posts. Wish me luck!

So this time, the question is about things or gooda I collect at home.
How I love this question!
Being a hoarder (in a positive way) I certainly have tons of items that I specifically collect as hobbies.
Sebenarnya aku bingung harus mulai dari mana kalau bicara mengenai barang-barang yang saya kumpulkan di rumah. Soalnya banyak banget LOL.
Dan karena pertanyaan ini, jadi ketahuan deh kalau aku memang hoarder berat, alias tukang ngumpulin barang-barang, termasuk yang ngga jelas :).

For sure I love buying purple stuff and all those cute items, be it for me, my kids, or my home. So since most of my stuff are purple, let’s check out what I have been collecting so far.

Souvenirs from countries

I have to admit that I just can't help buying all those cute souvenirs from the cities and countries I have visited. I usually buy t-shirt, shot glass, mug, magnet, post cards, plates, accessories, dolls or toys, and anything unique from that particular place. 

You can imagine how many stuff my family has from our traveling and I haven't really got a chance to display them properly. You know, like in a special commode or closet. I just put them on my side tables and take turn on displaying different items from different countries.

Dinnerwares

I just can’t help it! 
I love cute dinnerware and I do collect them.

It feels good to put all those yummy food on beautiful plates and serve them to your loved ones.

So I have been collecting series of dinnerwares complete with its accessories.

Serving plates, salad plates, bowls, spoons and forks, cheese plates, salt and pepper shakers, and napkin rings are some of the examples of stuff I have for dinnerwares.
It's a bit problematic now as again I need a special place to store them and I haven't got one, not in our new house now.

Books

Obviously, I have tons of them as I really like reading. My family loves reading too so I have tons of books which we bring here and there.
My passion is traveling so I have so many traveling and coffee table books about particular country, city, or culture. We also enjoy sci-fi stories, mystery, cartoon and funny stories. My hubby has a lot of books about photography and I also collect some book on Do-It-Yourself projects. 

Not to mention the magazines. I guess I better stop now :) 

Lipsticks

Lipstick, lipstick, lipstick.
I don't intend to collect them but apparently I have to0 many it has conquered my bedroom and armoire.
Again, I won't say more about it as I think I can make one dedicated post for my lipstick collection.

Now, tell me what you have collected at home!
Do you manage to keep them well?
Will you keep them or you will do something about it?

Wonderful Wednesday with My Purple World and Oh My Heartsie Girls

Wishing you all a wonderful week, wherever you may be.
November is coming to the end and are you ready for December?
I still can believe that we are now at the brink of 2018 and how incredible this year has been.
Well, I will save it for my last post in 2018 and meanwhile, I am enjoying what life offers me.

Transiting in Istanbul...overlooking the Marmara sea at Topkapi Palace..

I wil be traveling soon to Burkina Faso, through Istanbul (one of my favorite transits), for meetings and will update you more from there, whenever possible.

Well, I'm writing it while transiting in Istanbul, as a matter of fact :).

I'm super excited, as this is my trip back to Africa after a long time.

Cheers..

Meanwhile, enjoy this week's link party with My Purple World and Oh My Heartsie Girls

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5 Awesome Books for your Teens

Who loves reading books here?
I do!
And I try to make sure that my family loves them too.

I do have a big collection of books and I have to admit that I do bring them wherever we are moving. So you can imagine those boxes of books I have from places we’ve lived before. When we were in NYC, books were so easy to find and some of the are super cheap, as we can definitely but the second-hand or preloved ones. No wonder we brought back 10 big boxes of books to add to our collection.

And now, allow me to share 5 awesome books for your teens.

Being a mom of 2 teenagers (one is teenager-to-be actually), I’m trying to make sure that they have good quality reading materials at home. Let’s find out what’s on our list.

Harry Potter series

J.K Rowling’s fantastic works are definitely on top of the list!

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley are three teenagers with out-of-this-world lifetime experience that makes you want to enroll to Hogward School of magic right away. We’re not the only ones being spellbound by their adventures as millions of people are joining the band.

I spent my university years reading the complete series of this book and I keep them all. From the Philosopher’s Stone to Deathly Hollow, I passionately read the stories page by page, trying to relive those scenes in my head, until the movies were out.

Now my kids develop the same habit or reading and bring Potter’s books here and there.

I have the complete collections in English, Bahasa Indonesia and the pictorial series now, although it is only up to the 3rd book, the Prisoner of Azkaban.

The kids enjoy the magical world filled with wizards, creatures and unthinkable imaginations! They also learn many good (and bad) attitudes as well as family values and determination from these books. Have fun exploring the other side and have a magical journey!

Percy Jackson series

Rick Riordan’s wild imagination about the life of demigods ,- that is the children of Gods and humans,- in Half-Blood (now you know why they name it like that) Camp is really fascinating. They do live like us humans and among us as well, but they get this bonus of attracting and engaging monsters (luckily we can not see them thanks to the ‘mist’) who are trying to destroy the world or simply being revengeful. So say hi to centaurs, satyr, nymphs, wind spirits, ghouls, cyclops and of course, the gods and goddesses! Not only that we learn about the names, the characters, the history and myths, as well as those interesting lives of Greek Gods and their complicated affairs (believe me, they ARE complicated), but we also learn about courage, friendship, leadership, perseverance, loyalty and good hearts.

We started reading this as the first book, the Lightning Thief, was listed in Bo’s reading list on the 6th Grade. They even had a special tour to the Met museum, especially the ancient Greek section, to find some artifacts and figures mentioned in the book. It was really fun! I guess starting from there we got hooked by Jackson and friends’ adventures. We now collect and all the complete series, with the final battle of the Last Olympian takes place in New York City!

Riordan has written so many interesting series including the continuation of Percy Jackson’s adventures with the Roman Gods, then another adventure with the Egyptian Gods. Really interesting!

Laura Ingalls series

How I grew up with Laura, Mary, Carry, Grace, Pa, Ma and Jack!

To those born around the same years as I do, Little House on the Prairie or Laura Ingalls Wilder series must ring a bell. Beautifully telling us the stories and adventures of the pioneering family in the early years of the US independence, Laura and her family shared some wonderful family values that they held dear despite the tough and harsh journey they have to go through as they moved around from the Big Woods to DeSmet, where they finally resided.

I wept with them when the whole family was sick and Mary ended up blind or when Charlotte, Laura’s doll was found wasted on the mud by some spoiled girl.

I shared the joy when Laura became a teacher at the very young age and when they diacovered a lovely swimming spot aby the Plum Creek.

And I was curious when they started making snow sugar or smoked beef from Pa’s game.

I also enjoyed reading the Farmer Boy, Laura’s dearest husband childhood story.

My kids showed similar fascination as I introduced that adventurous life of Laura and her family.  I hope they managed to read the complete stories.

The Land of Stories series

Now this is another series you should not miss!

What a twisted plots of all those legendary and classic fairy tales we know since we were kids!
Chris Colfer is a darling genius!

Remember him from Glee TV series? 

Never thought he is a super talented writer as well.

Again we embarked on the journey of this series from Bo’s reading list in the 5th grade. Fascinated by the first book, the Wishing spell, we now have the complete series as well, up to the 6th book. And reading these series is super fun, as it completely changes our perspectives about all those traditional characters in the fairy tales. I don’t wanna spill the beans but apparently villains are not always that bad! So go get the book and prove it yourself ;).

Diary of the Wimpy Kids

I guess this book is famous enough, at least at the US, as I have seen many of the school students reading it at quite a young age. The adventures of Greg Heffley and his brothers, Rodrick and Manny, as well as his best friend, Rowley, are Hilarious. This book is more like an elementary student diary and I like the fact that Jeff Kinney, the author, put so many interesting sketches and hand writing notes in the book. 

Bo et Obi enjoy all those mischievous adventures, but at the end of the day there will be good messages highlighted from all those events. I do enjoy reading it as well so we can diacuss further about the stories and what the kids learn from the stories afterwards. It was certainly a fun experience.

There are so many incredible books out there that you kids may or will definitely enjoy.
Those books will be great gifts as well!
Now...Tell us about your favorite book or books!

What makes you love them?

Mari Bicara tentang 5 Blogger Favoritku

5 favorite bloggers of mine..

First, I have to admit that it is super difficult just to find 5 favorite bloggers of mine!

Why only 5?

10 will be much more helpful LOL

But unfortunately, the question for #BPN30dayChallenge2018 clearly say that I can only choose 5 of my favorite bloggers and talk about them.

Sebenernya ini salah satu pertanyaan sulit menurutku. 
Karena ada begitu banyak blogger keren yang ada di dunia perbloggeran, baik di Indonesia maupun at global level. 
Dan aku tuh punya banyak blogger favorit di berbagai kategori, misalnya untuk urusan resep dan makanan, untuk traveling, untuk fotografi, untuk per-SEO-an dan sebagainya, termasuk untuk yang lucu-lucuan aja. 

Selain itu, kategori blogger favorit juga macam-macam. Ada yang aku suka karena tulisannya, desain blognya, foto-fotonya, warna blognya, meme dan GIF yang dipakai, infografisnya, or yang lain. Ada juga yang aku suka karena suka kasih hadiah dan giveaways. Tuuuh kan, kebayang banyaknya blogger favorit aku.

Sekarang tantangannya adalah menetapkan siapa yang paling favorit. 
Hmmm, bisa ngga ya? Mari kita coba.

So without further a do, let's start with the list.

Oh ya, ini tidak ada urutan terfavorit or yang paling tidak favorit ya karena ke-lima-limanya semua favorit aku.

Theresa Mahoney - theresasmixednuts.com

Theresa is one of my 'first' blogger friend when I moved to NYC.

And just like the name of her blog suggested, her blog is a beautiful melange of super delicious recipes, reviews of various products, gift tips, home decorations, great tips and tricks at home, and more. She always has those wonderful food photos that make me wanna eat them right away. She's a gorgeous mom of two who loves traveling around as well and lately, her feed on her Instagram about her trip to Iceland is awesome!

Walaupun tidak tinggal di New York City, tapi saya belajar banyak tentang aneka budaya dan kebiasaan lokal orang Amerika dari Theresa. Mulai dari makanan, jadwal sekolah, harı libur favorit, musim tercantik, sampai adat membuang sampah. Bener-bener terbantu deeh!

Makanya jangan heran kalau aku tidak pernah absen mampir ke blognya. 
And you know what, Theresa juga ngga pernah absen mampir ke blog aku lho!

Marischka Prudence -  marischkaprudence.blogspot.com

Kalian pasti bisa tebak kenapa aku suka ngintip blognya Pru.
Yuuup indeed, karena banyak banget cerita perjalanan seru yang ditulisnya plus banyak destinasi diving yang suka buat aku mupeng berat. 

Terus terang yang paling menarik buatku ya wisata bawah laut di Indonesia yang cantik ini. Ada banyak destinasi wisata menyelam di indonesia yang belum terjamah dan indahnya bukan main. Pru sangat beruntung sudah sempat mengunjungi tempat-tempat cantik itu.

Selain itu, blog Pru juga banyak berikan tips - tips perjalanan yang asyik dan pastinya bermanfaat banget buat kita yang doyan traveling.
Yang pasti sekarang aku lagi suka dengan rambutnya yang ungu!
I wish I coul do the same LOL.

Shinta Ries - shintaries.com

Nah ini blognya cikgu, alias one of the master of Blogger Perempuan hehehe.

Aku suka main ke blognya Mba Shinta  karena isinya gado-gado. Buat kami yang memilih jalan ‘gado-gado’ alias life style blog, ini salah satu contoh baiknya :).
Aku suka dengan tampilan blognya yang super clean.
Mengusung tema the perks of being a modern mom, Mba Shinta interestingly mixes her daily life and experience as an ultra modern, super busy mom, in various stories.
Walaupun ngga selalu komentar, aku suka baca cerita-cerita seru di sini, terutama seri perjalanan ke India yang buat aku semangat pengen ke sana juga.

And now she has expanded her passion and dreams to create Blogger Perempuan, so that we, Indonesian female bloggers, can soar high together. That is UBER cool!

Chase Jarvis - www.chasejarvis.com/photos/

Pertama tahu fotografer keren ini dari Instagram.
Jadi ceritanya suamiku dan aku suka kepoin IG account yang memang seru-seru, terutama fotografer kelas dunia yang memang hasil fotonya itu bikin kita dumbfounded sangking kerennya. 

Nah salah satunya doi ini... yang sudah traveling around the world dan banyak memotret orang-orang terkenal. Well, kalau aku dan Udi memang senangnya foto-foto yang  humanis dan Chase itu selalu dapet ‘soul’ dari subyek foto yang dia abadikan. Coba intip blognya dan klik foto. Pasti suka deh. 

Huda Kattan / Huda Beauty

Aku agak ragu nih apakah akun Huda yang ada di Instagram bisa dikategorikan mini blog? I guess bisa yaa.. dan aku udah lama bangeet ngefans sama beauty influencer cantik kelahiran AS dan berdarah Iraq ini memulai karirnya sebagai Make-up artist dan blogger plus vlogger dan sekarang sukses dengan bisnis produk-produk kecantikannya. 

Dan sejak pertama coba matte lipstick hasil racikan Huda, aku langsung jatuh cinta.
Her love to bold colors and adventurous shades makes me even love her more!
Yang asyiknya, Huda juga tidak lupa pada kulitnya. 
Lihat deh akun Instagramnya yang banyak dipenuhi apresiasinyabterhadap para fans dan juga MUA berbakat lainnya.
Pokoknya aku cinta berat deh!

Aku sebenarnya masih punya daftar yang panjaaang untuk para blogger keren yang sering aku datangi, baik sebagai silent reader, maupun aktif. Blogger-blogger Indonesia juga banyaaak banget yang keren dan aku senang karena sekarang bisa Belajar lebih banyak lagi dari mereka.

Satu hal yang pasti, semua blogger-blogger keren ini bikin kita tambah semangaaat yaaa  ngeblog yang serius. Karena mereka buktikan bahwa passion dan mimpi besar bisa membawa kita ke tempat-tempat luar biasa dan karir yang gemilang.

Kalau kamu, siapa saja blogger favoritnya?

What's in my bag?

What's in my bag? pic: pixabay

What's in my bag?

Interested to know what are the must-bring items in my bag?

Can you guess what are those?

Here's another interesting question we have for #BNP30dayChallenge 2018

Lima benda yang ada di tasmu.

Apa sajakah itu?

To begin with, I always use big, big bags.

Small bags, unfortunately, do not fit me.

Not only because I have a towering figure (another way of saying obese :)) , but also because I always have a lot of things inside of my bags.

I just don't know why I have so many things inside but those are the things I need on daily basis. And 5 is such a small number in this case.

So, let's see what we have in my bag

SMART PHONE

This is a must! 

Pokoknya ngga bisa deh yang namanya hape ketinggalan.

Well, I don’t want to sound like a gadget freak but every thing is in my amart phone now. Contacts, works, drafts, photos and even my electronic wallet. So you can imagine how important it is LOL. I might forget my wallet or my money I still can tolerate it. But leaving my smart phone? A big No No. Oh, and one more thing, I always bring my phone with its charger and cable. I big package we have here. 

WATER BOTTLE

Stay hydrated is the best option for me who is traveling around on daily basis and mostly in the middle of the day. And Indonesia is hot, hot. Commuting in the middle of the day, even with online transportation and cars, still make me easily thirsty. So, water bottle has to be inside the bag. All the time.

I usually bring my alkaline water feom home and keep some at the office. Nowadays, we have many choices of bottled alkaline water so I’m good.

COSMETIC POUCH

Here is THE most entertaining part of my bag.

Why? Because my cosmetic pouch is like the world of its own.

Pasti tau kaaan Lena-a. Karena memang isinya banyak aja hehehe.

Aku suka masukkan at least 4-6 lipstick at the same time, walaupun ngga semuanya full size karena Aku juga punya banyak yang travel size dan imut gitu. Terus ada bedak, mini perfume, eye liner, eye shadow (mini), highlighter, sisir mini, hand lotion, dan cotton buds plus tapas. Tuuuh..komplit kan hehehe.

Yang ngga ada make-up remover aja, karena akan selalu sabar untuk bebersihan di rumah biar afdoe.

WALLET

Well, wallet is important as I put all my carda in there. I don’t always bring cash but I have all my cards, including my ID, driving license, insurance card, credit cards and more. 

Jadi bukan uang di dompet yang penting, tapi semua kartu identitas yang perlu dibawa setiap saat.

HAND FAN

This is one of the latest addition to my bag.

While in NYC, I never bring hand fan in my bag.

Sejak pindah ke Indonesia, aku sering banget kepanasan hehehe. Yah wajar lah, arena suhunya memang hangat-hangat kuku begitu.

Jadi daripada mati gaya karena kepanasan, kapas di tangan sering beraksi.

Untungnya aku punya beberapa koleksi kipas yang lucu-lucu, jadi seneeeng bawanya.

That's the must-have items in my bag.

What about you?

Benda wajib apa yang harus ada di tasmu? Share yaaa.

See you on the next post..