Best of 2018, the reading challenge result and 2018 gratitute journal

A little disclaimer: this post is on draft since early of January 2019 and only had the opportunity to post it late in March 2019 (I know, my bad).

Congratulations to all of you who have passed the year 2018! To begin the fresh year of 2019, let us thank yourself that we've made it this far. I know, time passed really fast and it still feels like yesterday we celebrated the new year 2018 but look at where we are now, it's 2019.

Firstly, I'd like to share the 2018 Goodreads Reading Challenge result. I challenged myself to read 10 books in 2018, so much lesser than in 2017 (challenged myself to 20 books) because I knew how hard it is for me to finish a book currently. I've lessened the challenge to 10 books for 2018, yet I only managed to successfully finish half of it. Well, actually there were more books that I read in 2018 but most of the reading stopped in the middle and I didn't finish it until the last page. If you're curious about what's in my reading list, check out my Goodreads account here.

Actually I kind of feel ashamed to show the books I finished reading throughout 2018 because the books were mostly a light reading. Marchella FP's Nanti Kita Cerita Tentang Hari Ini was a graphic book that could only take 15 minutes to finish while the longest book was Sitta Karina's first of her Magical Seira series, Seira and The Legend of Madriva that consists of 240 pages. All in all, I take it as a punishment for not keeping my commitment so I promise this year would be better!

Next is a series of The Best of 2018. Here I gather you my favorite things throughout the year, just because I like reading and watching (on youtube) other people's annual favorite.

Decluttering Makeup, as 2016's Resolution: Quality Over Quantity

The older I get, the more I know makeup, the wiser I be. We all once must have been in the period of impulsive buying. We buy everything, even we had not known the idea of using all those makeup tools or we buy just for the sake of its cute packaging. I know we were. Times passed by, you would realize that makeup and tools that you've been using over and over were only some, while the others were sitting peacefully on the vanity.

Those happened to me too, it's about time I realized that some makeup looks doesn't suit my personality, some makeups that those beauty bloggers recommend doesn't work on me and some makeup dupes that I thought would be fine, turned out did not meet my expectation that I still longing for the former one that I was looking for the dupe.

My affection towards skincare too, affecting my makeup appetite. As far as my concern is on the "canvas", I would confidently go out even without makeup on. Investing in a good skincare and maintaining a healthy skin is my current main priority that makeup has been set aside for now.

Then I looked at my pouches....

I had only one back then, and it was my mom's since she accidentally left her makeup pouch when she visited me in college. What she left were a mascara, a neutral eyeshadow palette, a powder brush, a lipstick, peach blusher, and face powder. Sounded regretful, in the end, she gave all of them to me with this justification: "At least my daughter would look presentable.". Guess what, she then even regretting the day she gave all her makeup to me because, since that day, my addiction towards makeup was becoming real!

Education, Career, Love, or Marriage? - Part I

source

Topik Education, Career, Love or Marriage? ini sangat 'hot' di kalangan pertemanan perempuan, apalagi jika:

• Jenjang usia telah memasuki kategori awal 20-an
• Gelar sarjana sudah di ambang mata/tahun akhir perkuliahan
• (Apalagi jika) telah memiliki pasangan

Obrolan tentang topik ini tidak akan berhenti kecuali dibatasi oleh waktu dan kesibukan, yang nantinya jika datang kesempatan lagi pasti akan kembali dibahas. Tidak hanya tentang rencana yang diinginkan, tapi juga dilema maupun kegalauan akan memilih yang mana, atau kegalauan karena tidak memiliki pilihan apapun. Apakah dilema ini juga dialami oleh para lelaki? Saya pun tidak tahu, karena sering kali topik ini diangkat oleh pihak perempuan.

Postingan kali ini akan saya bagi menjadi dua part agar pembaca paham latar belakang penulisan dan keadaan lingkungan saya pada part pertama, agar tiada pandangan bahwa saya kecentilan, kebelet nikah, dan hanya memikirkan tentang pernikahan saja, dan part kedua tentang isu yang terjadi serta pandangan saya.

What I'll be Missing From You, Kuala Lumpur

Final year.

Finally, it comes to me the last semesters of my degree life. As they said, time flies fast. A year from now who knows what would I be, whether pursuing a master, being a corporate banker, or maybe.. another fate? A friend of mine showed up an old picture of us with other girls back in the first year of degree celebrating her 19th years old birthday, and there I see the old myself smiling did not recognize that would be the precious time of my degree life and maybe the last time we were all present at someone's birthday. 

Since I would not know what would be going on a year from now, I just wanted to list (apparently I love to list so much - list anything!) some highlights that I'll be missing from the capital city of Malaysia, the city that I've been residing for 3.5 years and finally I can say, my second home.

1. Teh Ais, bungkus!

This would be funny. Clearly we have different perspectives on what is Teh Ais (Ice Tea) here in Malaysia and Indonesia. In Indonesia, an ice tea is called Es Teh Manis or just simply Es Teh. While here, in Malaysia, their Es Teh is called Teh O Ais. Teh O Ais, Teh Ais, that O really matter because if we order Teh Ais only, we will be served with a Teh Tarik, their signature creamy and frothy tea that the making process requires "pulling" pouring technique. So don't be jumbled up! I was once asked for Teh O Ais back when I was home in Indonesia and quickly retold the waitress that what I actually needed was Es Teh Manis. Poor confused mind.

Oh, another one. When we say bungkus, they will tie the drinks on one of the side tips of the plastic. . No more holding the plastic, we have the tie!

New Love: Scandinavian Style

Walaupun saya ini vintage, feminine and classic sejati, tapi saat ini saya lagi suka-sukanya sama Scandinavian Style. Menurut Wikipedia, Scandinavian style ini datang dari gaya di Scandinavian countries seperti Denmark, Norway, Sweden dan Finland. Gaya yang diusung lebih kepada clean, minimalis dan fungsional. Berbeda dengan gaya classic yang sarat dengan detail dan ornamen, Scandinavian Style ini lebih kepada muted colors, monochrome, dan texture. Kesannya sangat modern dan sleek.

Scandinavian trend ini sudah mulai menyebar di luar sana, bisa dilihat dengan banyaknya yang mengadaptasi style ini pada hunian mereka. Bagaimana dengan di Indonesia? Saya menemukan di youtube video tentang hunian yang menerapkan Scandinavian Style ini loh di Indonesia, saya taruh videonya deh ini buat dicek. Interior untuk cafe dan kantor pun juga sepertinya sudah mulai-mulai terpengaruhi dan yang paling saya sering liat Scandivanian Style ini adalah di feed instagram saya, tren ini berkembang pula sampai ke fashion style.

Kenapa Malaysia? Kenapa Tidak!

Setelah menemukan blog mba-mba Indonesia yang menikah dengan para bule dan tinggal di negara asal suami mereka seperti blog mba Yoyen, mba Ailtje dan mba-mba lainnya, entah mengapa tangan saya menjadi tergerak untuk rajin menulis. Tulisan-tulisan kritis dan menggelitik mereka sangat menarik dan nyentil (dalam artian bagus, agar segala yang buruk-buruk diminimalisir) terutama tentang perbedaan budaya antara Indonesia dengan budaya negara yang mereka tempati. Yang belum tahu silahkan mampir ke blog mba-mba tersebut, they are worth reading :)

Saya kemudian menjadi ingin lebih sering mengamati dan menyalurkan pemikiran-pemikiran saya dalam tulisan. Banyak yang mungkin hal biasa bagi saya, namun ternyata hal yang baru bagi orang lain. Saya dan menulis juga sepertinya tidak bisa terlepaskan -- seberapa kuatnya saya mencoba. Beberapa ide yang hinggap di kepala saat ini diantaranya adalah tentang jurusan kuliah non-mainstream, beberapa cultural shock saya ketika kembali ke Indonesia (Ya, walaupun Kuala Lumpur dekat dan budayanya hampir mirip, tetap saja saya merasakan beberapa shock ketika kembali pulang), serta yang akan saya bahas kali ini: Kenapa Malaysia? 

Ketika mendengar saya akan melanjutkan perguruan tinggi ke Malaysia, tidak sedikit tanggapan yang saya terima, termasuk tanggapan berupa wajah bingung dan heran :D Kebanyakan teman SMA saya (termasuk saya di saat itu) mendambakan universitas-universitas top negeri dan tidak banyak yang targetnya adalah melanjutkan studi ke luar negeri. Belasan teman angkatan saya ada yang menargetkan luar negeri dan mereka diterima di Jerman, karena ada link guru di SMA saya yang biasa memberangkatkan siswa-siswa untuk melanjutkan sekolah di Jerman. Malaysia? Hanya saya dan satu orang perempuan dari kelas IPA.

Good Morality

"Tell people about your religion without the use of your tongue." 

- Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (as)

I found this meaningful words from twitter and immediately saved it as favorite. If you happened to follow mine, you can check my favorite tab, there you will found random tweets, links, quotes and people's tweets that I like or inspired me.

Without the use of your tongue. With extra underline on the word without, because that's we supposed to highlight. I honestly don't have much interest in joining usrah, listen to all the ceramah or Islamic discourses, but I do find myself left behind when I saw someone with his/her modesty. Someone who never looked down someone like me, who is still crawling to be a better muslimah. Someone who never judged my foolish and ego of not obeying His order, but with his/her consistent and perseverance, he/she already slapped me with my mind instead.

Comparing myself, Alhamdulillah, I've never skipped my prayer intentionally, and I'm trying to read the Qur'an daily. The hardest thing that I still trying up are how I dress, how I mingle with the opposite gender and how to keep myself straight in the right path with how I act and my mind. These people who showed me his/her consistency made me want to know much more on what he/she knows, why is he/she do this and that, and questioning myself did I do everything really on the right way?

I took subject Ethics and Fiqh of Everyday Life this semester. I learned that having a good morality, it shows the spirit of Islam because Allah SWT sent the Prophet SAW in order to perfecting the moral of the people,

"I have sent (the Messenger of Allah) for the purpose of perfecting good morals." (hadith)

Islam that comes from the word of Salam which means peace, upholds good relationship within a creation and his God in spiritual sense and good relationship among human beings with a good morality.

A good morality is also as a validation of Iman, because lacking in good morals can be lacking in faith too.

"A Muslim is the one ho avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hand." (hadith)

"Which Muslim has the perfect faith?" "He who has the best moral character." (hadith)

"He who believes in Allah and the Last Day of Judgement is forbidden to cause any harm to his neighbors, is to be kind to his guests - especially the strangers, and is to say the truth or else abstain." (hadith)

It's a little bit upsetting when I saw people who claimed to be a muslim but when he speaks he hurts people, or when she saw someone who is contradicted to the pillars of Islam, she pointed out her finger and judged her in public. None of us like all these, right?

I myself too, still lacking and needs improvement here and there that I don't claim myself to be already had a good morality in here. But with these words I found, let's hand to hand helping each other to be a better muslim right? a better human being.