How to be human 101

Firstly, please give me an award for writing a post early this year. I tracked my post archives and found out that the only time I wrote in January was back in 2010, lol. Anyway, my intention to write this post is actually changed in the span of three days only. I was initially planned to show off my last vacation to Romania where Bianca, Sara, Irene, and I rolled on the snow between Cavnic in Maramures to Timisoara in Banat. Yes, my second winter break in Europe also turned out to be a White Christmas, after Tromso-Bergen craziness last year.

There are at least a thousand files (pictures, videos, and boomerangs) of this magical trip on my harddisk. How can I resist to share only 0,001% of them?

However, as I told you before, the purpose of this post is not to share all those beautiful things I witness in Romania. The aim is actually to share this article I found on Facebook the other day. I wholeheartedly agree with the content written there (except #23) but instead of calling it as '25 habits that psychologists have linked with happiness', I would simply name the list as 'how to be human.' Let me share some of my favorite points below:

• Write down 3 things you're grateful for: It does work. One of my stress coping mechanism is actually looked below. Be grateful of your current state. You can't live by always looking ahead or above; these ambitions, those pressures, sometimes can drain all the happiness in your life, no?
• Get outside: Relates to my previous post, going out definitely ease your day in their unique way. An extrovert goes out to talk to someone, an introvert can also go out to enjoy the nature tranquility. Or as an ambivert, I dress up and visit such public places to observe human interactions.
• Listen to sad songs: Before, I never understand why one could feel a comfort or serenity by listening to those mellow songs (for me, it can be defined as Spotify's Deep Dark Indie kind of tracks). After reading this article, it somehow makes sense that sad music actually allows us to regulate the negative emotions and find a consolation in their melody. It is kind of healing process. And speaking of deep-dark-indie, London Grammar just released a new single a week ago.

let me drowned in the beauty of Hannah Reid's haunting vocal

• Write down your feelings: I haven't keep a diary since at least 10 years ago. However, there is a habit of mine to write what I feel in my agenda. Not a real writing though, sometimes it is just random doodle, or two short sentences, or emojis. Also, as millennials, of course, we can just thinking out loud in any social media platforms (but then, we have to deal with the so-called society).
• Spend money on others, not yourself: Maybe you want to call me out for this humble-bragging, but buying things for others indeed make you happy. I mean, I do feel happier buying a new BTS album for Zia's birthday gift (and behold her joyous/denial face when she opened the gift wrap) than buying myself a rack of clothes (sure, I am being exaggerated, but you know, we have insane winter sale here). Also, other activities I love the most: getting flowers for my friends. Living in the Netherland has its perks :) 

At last, the most essential and important mantra: smile and optimism. This may sound like that advice you get from Mario Teguh or those annoying Tumblr quotes, but yes, those two simple (but sometimes hard-to-do) things are basically a happiness spell. It doesn't mean you are forbidden to feel cynical, sad, or depressed, a human has feelings, not a feeling, a mixed of everything. But it won't hurt anybody to keep a speck of optimism and share a smile as your weapon. Especially when you can't cope with the negative energy no more omg, am I really writing this. As Dumbledore said, Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.

So, happy new year, I guess. Let's hope this year will be a great one for everybody.

XOXO *flying kiss*,
Noya

Being an Ambivert

Google says that ambivert means 'a person who has a balance of extrovert and introvert features in their personality.' I consider myself as an ambivert, which is a good thing, I suppose. Most of my friends say that I seem like a person who has a lot of friends, approachable, attentive in a conversation, smiles a lot, etc etc. They are not wrong of course, but like an introverted person, I also need the quality-me-time. Recently, the introvert side of me is dominating, maybe because all my lecture classes had ended in the last block, so now I only spend most of the day working on the reports and fangirling (over BTS, thanks to Zia and Andhani). Weird combination, but it exists lol. Anyway, my introverted side loves to work anywhere that is full of people, whether it's in a chatty area (i.e. canteen/cafe) or silent one (i.e. library), as long as they're not talking to me. (I think) I enjoy the presence of the others (read: human), but at the same time, I want to be alone. It feels different if you're really alone, physically. I tried that many times, and it is impossible to concentrate at all. Moreover, when you have an excellent wifi connection. At least, if you have many people around, you won't waste your time in youtube for 2 hours every 15 minutes (yes, it is possible). Another bit, ever since I live in the Netherlands, cycling aimlessly, strolling in the park and wandering around winkelcentrum became my habits. Those are my healing activities, going solo in public places.

Now, the extroverted side. Here goes a confession: I actually miss my classmates a lot. Like, a lot. Not missing the person (ehm), but I just get used to having them around at least 4 days a week. Bianca and I meet almost routinely at Pampalini (our favorite hanging spot), sometimes with Sara and Irene, but that's it. My Utrecht's inner circle only have 4 members in it. Otherwise, I devote my time in one of those study landscapes in Uithof and have a lunch break with Nisa, Cempaka, or sometimes mas Aan or mas Irawan. Every now and then, I spent my weekends with these lovely people above, or, other Indonesian students here /on a side note, I'm finally done with PPIU stuffs, the new board had been selected, yayness/. Also, the most important: since last month, I have a constant discussion fangirling session with Zia and Andhani who live ~50km away from me (yes, I checked it in Google). I do blame them for dragging me back to this dark infatuating world of kpop, but hey there are perks of being a fangirl. So, I stopped complaining and embracing it instead (this is 100% an excuse).

In mas Irawan words, I would say that these people I mentioned above just casually become my supporting system here, in the Netherlands. Being alone independent is awesome and all (also I need it to be actually productive), but I still need a hablumminannas. By talking vis-a-vis, not only by scrolling any social media, which recently drives us crazy with all the issues back in my home country (totally in different notes).

See, I am indeed an ambivert.

Okay, quick updates. What I've been up to recently:
1) The tailor made course is going slow, I have to submit a draft report next Monday, but I have, basically, the same draft as 2 weeks ago. Hmmmmmm.
2) I am 50% officially fixed to do an internship in City Blueprint by assessing Bandung (not Seoul, whyyy). There is a glimpse of hope that I can be involved in Seoul project. Maybe.
3) Another confession: I don't think I can get through a day without talking to Zia or Andhani these days /now that I'm writing it, that sounds super creepy/ Anyway, they gave me the best birthday present, in a very dramatic way (read Zia's story here). To be fair, Zia, I also cried and had a very conflicted feeling for the whole day.
4) I will be spending the Christmas holiday in Bianca's home and a road trip from north to south (-ish) of Romania. Wish us luuuck, we have two born and raised in tropical countries ladies here).
5) Not really an update, but I feel 50% guilty 50% relieved that I am not living in Indonesia right now. All the things happened there, just mindblowing. It left me speechless, and I'm afraid to write my opinion because everybody is super judgmental rn *insert sad laugh*

Turns out it's quite a comprehensive updates lol. But anyway, let's have group huuuug!

Cheers,
Noya

Keeping up with me

Hi, you!

I am writing a post now, finally, five months after my last entry. Was I too busy to stop doing activities and write here? Hmm not really, but the facts are; last June was full of deadlines before summer holiday; July and August were spent in delightful Indonesia; September was tensed because of .. a lot of things. It is mid-October already when life is at last adjusted with Universiteit Utrecht's pace-rhythm for a moment, just before the exam period is waiting in the corner of the month. Well, my bigger problem is, finding a thesis-internship, which is not difficult but definitely not easy. I am 80% excited with all these possible developments for my near future, and the rest of it is a mixed feeling of anxiety and desperateness hahaha.

Also, still in the realm of college life, I feel like my confidence (not that I usually have enough of it) is falling free stylishly from a cliff. As everyone knows, my academic English skill is not decent at all, but I feel like it becomes worse lately than ever. I guess, the perfect combination of two comments on my research proposal that said 'your grammar is lacking' and endless days of speaking that language made me even more inferior. Last year, I realized that I got so many back-ups with group projects (there would always be a final editor before report submission) that make my shortcoming stayed off the radar. However, now, with constant individual assignments (esp. with peer review), I need the urge to proof-read my paper before clicking that send/submit button. I also signed up for premium Grammarly and new academic writing class by PPI Utrecht, all in all for my Achilles heel.

Enough with the rambling, maybe I will just spam the rest of this post with pictures. Yes, pictures always cure!

Too much pictures? Indeed! The first one is what left from the Ramadhan dinner with Utrecht Moslem group (as Andri calls it), the second is my beloved family, the 3rd and  4th pictures are typical Indonesian tourist spots, 5-6-7th are the memory of visiting amazing Disneyland and Studios!  8th is the garden of Palais Het Loo (the one full of  Late Queen Wilhemina's vibe), while the rest are just me showing off my friend and I, strutting along Hoge Veluwe  

What else can I say here? Too many stories I want to share but my limited brain capacity to write in English won't take us any further. Oh, and I am going to Schiphol today, to bid a farewell to Puti, one of my closest friend in Utrecht :'( She is finished with everything and will fly back to Indonesia for good (at least for now). I'm losing my friend one by one.

Till we meet again,

Noya