A R U M

Hi ...

Couple days ago me and my entire family celebrated my grandma 88th birthday. We had lunch at some sundanese restaurant which my grandma loves, for a couple of hours before my grandma got tired. It was a good time. 

Isn't it amazing that my grandma already in this world for 88 years? Not many people make it through the age of 80s and maybe i will not either, we don't know.

Speaking of birthday, I had my 28th birthday back in February. So nostalgic, because in my earlier post in this blog, I kind of celebrated my ... is it 23 or 24 birthday? I don't remember, and now 30 is just two years away. Anyway, nothing special happened. As I grew older, my birthday is just a date. 

I don't want to hit 30 yet. 

That's what I feel since I turned 26 two years ago. Because I think that 30 is old and people expect you, well me, to have anything prior of being 30 and I don't think I have any of that. Adulthood is scary. Nobody can predict what will happen when I hit 30 and not being anything. 

Neither is tomorrow ... 

I'm trying to be positive in any way. 

I will try to live my life until my age reach 70s so I can appreciate my birthday again. 

Bye ...

It's year 2022!

Happy late new year~

This blog is getting dustier and dustier isn't it? These past years, I kind of lost interest in everything that I used to like. But, I made up my mind to start liking things that I forgot why like them. And one of them is this blog. 

To start revive my casual self in this blog, why not starting it with this challenge, right? I found this challenge way back then on twitter, but I have no interest. So, as I regain my interest in every aspect possible, this challenge is a good start.. 

It's said that 30 days, but I'm going to make it like 30 songs.

No ...

30 Japanese Songs

Well, let see what I have here ... 

1. Nibiiro – Takeuchi Yuito

Nibiiro means dark grey. Actually, I find this first task is a little bit difficult. My favourite song with colour in title is Akai Earphone by Angerme, but they don’t have it on Spotify, so I scrolled down my liked song and found this. I listen to it a lot, but never know the title.

2. 3 Gatsu 9 Ka – Remioromen

3. Life is Beautiful – Hirai Dai

4. Wherever You Are – One Ok Rock

This song. I used to like it, but I don’t know, if its overplayed or overhype, I hate this song now and don’t want to listen to this song anymore.

5. Music Hour – Porno Graffitti

Just listen to it and you will understand. No explanation needed.

6. amp – Da-ice

7. CHE.R. RY – YUI

This song is such a sing along song in the car. When travel across a forest in a summer, Sunday morning ride, with one or two friends. Open both of the windows and feel the breeze. Yes, that situation. Feel it.

8. Nanisama – SKY-HI ft. Boku no Lyric no Boyomi

I don’t listen to drug or alcohol songs, but I find this song quite fit in for something dark and depressive. Nanisama means who are you?

9. Paprika – Foorin

Happy kids voice is a proof that this song is full of happiness.

10. My Zouni – Rekishi ft. Nyanbokuchou Jidai

They just released this song, basically in 2022 and already makes me sad.

11. Kiseki – Greeeen

Who doesn’t love this song? This song is never aged and the nostalgic feeling will always there when this song is played. Especially when Shirota Yuu sang this when he found out Miura Haruma passed away …

12. Sobakasu – Judy and Mary

I watched anime back in the days, still do but not so much now, but my preteen song is this song as this song is the opening of anime Rurouni Kenshin.

13. UFO – Pink Lady

14. Apple Pie – Blue Vintage ft. Suzuki Airi

15. HARUKAZE – SCANDAL

I don’t remember is it cover or not, but I believe this song is originally by Aqua Timez(?). This song is one of the changing marks for SCANDAL. From a rock band that always wear school uniform to more adult like band.

16. Departure – SCANDAL

Will always love this song since the first time it came out.

17. Citrus – Da-ice

This song is so hard but I want to duet this song with people and ruin the entire mood of this song with bad and crack high note.

18. Innocent World – Mr. Children

I don’t know song from when I was born, and I searched it up and found this song, which is one of the greatest songs in that year. So, I’m going to start listen to this carefully.

19. Ano Natsu e – Hisaishi Joe

Nothing can go wrong with Hisaishi Joe’s music, right? This song is so calming that makes me not worry about life. This is one of my favourite music ever.

20. Sazanka – Sekai no Owari

21. Robinson – SPITZ

Is Robinson a person name? I don’t know, but it is like a person name and I do like this song. One of masterpiece songs from SPITZ.

22. Music – Sakanaction

This is one of my never get tired song. I put it here not in never get tired category is because I like the meaning to continue forward even with weak self and sing it out loud.

23. Body & Soul – SPEED

Listen to this now! No explanation needed.

24. Secret Base ~Kimi ga Kureta Mono~ – Zone

Secret base is one of the best songs that exist. Unfortunately, Zone disbanded, twice. It is kind of hard for all female rock band to remain active for more than 10 years isn’t it? I wish many all-female bands can active more than 20 years though. SCANDAL is in their 16 years, so I hope they continue their journey even longer.

25. Natsu wo Matsu Sail no Youni – ZARD

ZARD is actually a band, but Japanese media often address them as one person, Sakai Izumi, because of how big her influence is and she passed away in 2007. I heard this song from Detective Conan The Movie, I forgot which one, and I instantly love it even after more than a decade.

26. Love so Sweet – Arashi

27. Koigokoro – Da-ice

If you happen read this blog long enough, you must know that I love this song since the first time it came out. This song, dance, and music video is so well done and catch the sad feeling.

28. Egao no Hana – Goose House

I found them in 2012 and their voice and harmony keep getting better and better, but then they break up.

29. Butterfly – Wada Koji

I grew up with Digimon so this song is so nostalgic and still hype people up when someone played it.

30. Watashi ga Obaasan ni Natte mo – Moritaka Chisato

I don’t like being old but it’s life, can’t stop growing. This song is about a woman worrying about being old not loved anymore, but then she realized it’s okay, because other people is growing too. So, this is I am now. Yes.

That’s it! it’s unfortunate that I can’t fill it with some songs that I like because they’re not on Spotify. And some of them doesn't have explanation either, but heh ... it's a long post already. Within a couple of years, maybe it can happen and this list changes. 

So, thank you and bye~

Property in cluster area is always number one choice as a living space. So many types offered by developers with variative prices. The crowdedness of Jakarta is one of the reasons why houses in cluster area sold so well, especially in suburb of Jakarta. Another reason is how consumptive Indonesian people are because, to have a house in young age is the symbol of self-success.

For me, as one of young people under 30, have a fixed house is one of my dream. But I never think to have a house in suburb Jakarta. Other than traffic matters, most of choices that developers offer is not compatible with me or my husband living flow.

Sadly, there’s something that irritates me with these types of house. Well, the house design looks okay, but the kitchen really bothering me a lot. The kitchen design is so patched up. Which is:

Too small

This the problem in almost of new houses I’ve ever found. The kitchen is very small and not comfortable to use. A teeny tiny counter for potable stove and a single sink are what usually there.

Forgotten

The kitchen is small, in the corner, and outside, sometimes without proper roof.

Not functional

Size and dimension are not in a correct way. The counter is often too short both in length and height. No counter for chopping and sometimes a place to put gas canister (12kg) is not fit in height. And the worst of all, no proper ventilation.

Kitchen is so used to become the dirtiest room in the house. Before, kitchen was placed in like ‘unseen’ places. It was placed in outside, basement, and far away from nice things. More importantly, don’t let guests see the kitchen, kind of thing.

If we compare it with living room, kitchen is like the unwanted child. The stinky, smoky, and dirty child versus nice, clean, and fragrant child. Yes, it’s because living room is like the representation of a house. It should be nice and clean, it’s where people gather. The other hand, because kitchen is so dirty, people sees it like, sorry, ‘the servant’ room.

But less appealing doesn’t mean kitchen is not important. Kitchen is like the heart of a house. Thanks to technology, kitchen these days in not only a place to cook a meal. This is why we need more appreciation to kitchen.

Essential

Kitchen, other than bathroom, is the only room that have fixed purposes. The entire family use it day to day as it’s the centre of activities that happen in the house. People start their day with morning coffee or make a breakfast in the kitchen and end the day with washing the dishes.

Evolving

Kitchen’s purposes now have increase. Not only a place to prepare and cook a meal, it’s a new gathering place, the second living room. People these days enjoy chatting and socialize in the kitchen, especially when this pandemic happen. People try to cook more often and try new recipes.

Influence

A good kitchen influence people’s lifestyle. A clean kitchen makes healthier meal, healthier meal makes healthier family. Having a beautiful kitchen increase happiness and warmth in the family.

Kitchen is the most important room in the house. It’s not just a place to cook, it’s a place that bond family together. A place that make a house, a home.

So, if you’re an architect, please design the kitchen with more heart, especially with starter home *ehm* houses in cluster area *ehm*. Well, I know why developers make that kind of kitchen is to save budget, but functional kitchen is the root of healthier family, means healthier people for society. It's okay if the kitchen is small, at least, sell the house with kitchen counter, not concrete counter that too small to use.

Well, thank you, bye~

I want to talk about my biggest concern about living in Indonesia, mostly because I’ve been in Jakarta for almost three years. Well, I’m not living in downtown Jakarta though, but, I can’t stop thinking about this. 

So, as you may now, Jakarta is a big city, like really big. And it’s crowded … and hot, dry, and full of pollution. I’m sorry, it’s a fact. Jakarta itself is the heart of urbanization. Yea, a lot of people come to Jakarta every year to live, to work, and to grow themselves. Like myself. Like my husband.

And, the ratio between people and the area of Jakarta isn’t balance. People can work but people can’t live. Jakarta is run out of space to build houses, so suburbs of Jakarta become option to build houses. Landed house to be exact. Developers basically expand their housing complex to hill and mountain. Yes, hill and mountain. Now, you know why Jakarta have flood every year. 

The other option is to build apartments in downtown area. They build a lot of it in the last decade and it’s still growing. But, actually, if you ever ask people in Jakarta “do you want to live in apartment?” most of them will probably said no.

Why????? 

As an Indonesian itself I will tell you my thought about why Indonesian don’t want to live in apartment. I’m going to separate this into two posts. In this one, I’m going to talk in people’s perspective and the other post is about the design, yeah, because I’m an architecture graduate, why not talk about it?

So, let’s dig it …

(PS: this going to be a long post, so bear with me alright)

Apartment doesn’t feel like home

Landed house have been there for eternity. Indonesian think that home is when a family is living under one roof, one building, and in one area. Apartment, basically is a building with multiple unit that different people live there which is the opposite of what people think. It feels like, apartment is not exclusive to their self even with high-end apartment that growing in Indonesia.

Indonesian apartment isn’t compatible for families

Most people in Indonesia buy or rent a place for living is to start a family. If they’re single, they just going to rent a room called ‘kost’ which is cheaper and more practical. But, when people start a family, a ‘kost’ is too small and not enough privacy, so they will seek another option to live. This should be a great market, right?

Sadly, most common in apartment marketing is studio or one-bedroom apartment, which is not suitable for a family. Family is always growing, landed house can grow, but apartment? Can you ever imagine grow a family in studio or one-bedroom apartment?

Just get two bedrooms apartment if you think apartment is too small, said some random person in the corner.

As if … 

The two bedrooms apartment, that some developers offer is somehow small. Like two studio apartments combine and in couples of apartment building, the other bedroom doesn’t have window. That just … not … human …

The cost of apartment is not rational for starter home

Like I write in point b, most people buy or rent a place is to start a family. But, again, it’s so sad that knowing that apartment in general is more expensive than landed house. Let alone buying, the rent is far more expensive. It has additional cost, too. Like parking, security, janitor, laundry, and of course building maintenance. For a newlywed, that cost way too much and they’re just starting their lives. And most of apartment units are bought by people as their second home or investment so they can rent it to other people, like Airbnb or something.

Socialization in Indonesia is kind of unique

Neighbouring system in Indonesia is quite high. Not all of them are positive but it’s still okay. Indonesian have activities to strong their bond as neighbour. I’m going to list it, not all, but what I remember.

- Arisan : a gathering for women especially mothers in housing complex. Usually happen once a month

- Ronda malam : is duty for men (the father, the head of family) to secure the housing complex. They have shift rolling and happen every night

- Kerja bakti : is an event to clean the housing complex like road, park (it they have), and sewers. Usually happen in August before Indonesian Independence Day and they usually decorate their complex with red and white paper flags.

Aside from that above, Indonesian somehow have a thing called, sudden socialization(?) I don’t know how to call it, but it’s just happened. Like somehow, two people just happen to rake the road, and then they be like chatting kind of like that. Even when they just passed by their neighbor house, they’re be like chat a little. Yeah, you know … 

In apartment, probably, they will not be going to do that. Apartment kind of makes people individualist. When people met at the lift or lobby or something. Arisan will be with their office’s friends, there’s no more ronda malam and kerja bakti as it changes into security and janitor. Kind of sad, huh?

So, finally, this is the end of the long great post. I’m going to make part two of this with architecture glasses. Urbanization really changes everything in downtown area, huh? 

Hehh … bye … write to you in the next post~