Why The University of Sydney?

Tahun ini gw memutuskan untuk melanjutkan kuliah ke jenjang yang lebih tinggi. Sebetulnya keinginan untuk kuliah lagi sudah ada sejak tahun 2014-2015, tapi waktu itu masih belum yakin whether karir gw saat itu is the one that I wanted to do for life. Anyway, I'll save that story for another post, and in the meantime, I'll share some of my reasoning why I chose to continue my postgraduate studies at The University of Sydney (USyd).

1. Lokasi kampus masih di Sydney. Tentunya dong, haha. Karena suami masih kerja di Sydney, jadi mau nggak mau memang harus memilih institusi yang berlokasi di Sydney. Jadilah gw harus say goodbye to the opportunity of undertaking postgraduate degree in University of Melbourne with a chance of getting Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) i.e. cheaper tuition.

2. Ranking. Selain USyd sebetulnya ada beberapa universitas lain yang menyediakan program Master of Data Science (MDS) di Sydney, seperti Macquarie University, UTS, University of Western Sydney, dan UNSW. Tapi ketika shortlisting pilihan universitas, gw memilih universitas yang termasuk dalam Group of 8 (Go8) dan termasuk top 10 di Australia dan top 100 di dunia. Why? Simply because I wanted to go to the best schools. Karena selama growing up, gw sudah terbiasa kompetitif dan selalu aiming for the best institution, it just felt natural to choose schools with the best rank. Akhirnya, Universitas yang masuk dalam daftar final shortlist gw saat itu gw hanya ada dua, yaitu USyd dan UNSW. 

3. Jarak dari rumah/kantor ke kampus. Buat gw ini termasuk poin yang sangat penting karena walaupun saat ini perkuliahan masih online, siapa tahu ke depannya akan offline. Dan kalau suatu saat nanti butuh untuk datang ke kampus untuk urusan administrasi, tentunya USyd lebih mudah untuk dicapai karena lokasinya yang cukup strategis di tengah kota dan mudah untuk dijangkau dari rumah maupun kantor gw.  

4. Durasi program. To be fairly honest, I applied to postgrad program merely for the degree (although the lessons are very useful as well). Karena tanpa gelar itu, akan sulit untuk gw breakthrough into the career that I wanted. Dan karena gw berkuliah secara part-time, tentunya semakin cepat gw bisa lulus, semakin cepat juga gw bisa mulai cari kerja di bidang yang gw inginkan. Program MDS di UNSW sendiri berdurasi 2 tahun (full-time), sedangkan di USyd hanya satu tahun (full-time). Ketika dijalani selama part-time, berarti waktunya menjadi dobel. Jadi, kalau gw ambil MDS di USyd, overall, bisa lulus lebih cepat dan biayanya juga lebih murah, walaupun jatuhnya biaya per tahunnya menjadi lebih mahal (USyd: $37k (1 year, domestic), UNSW: $52k (2 years, domestic)).

5. Iconic building. Oke, ini receh banget sebetulnya. But this was one of my tie-breaker between USyd and UNSW: I wanted to go to a school with an iconic building - that looks like Hogwarts, lol. Bahkan sampai ada rumornya kalau Harry Potter sempat dibuat di USyd! "While Sydney University bears a resemblance to Durham Cathedral in the United Kingdom - where the Hogwarts scenes were actually shot  - no parts of the film were shot in Australia." Setidaknya nanti pas wisuda bisa foto-foto keren dengan limestone building khas USyd on the background :D.

Kembali

Halo! Aneh juga rasanya buka blog kembali. Baru sadar terakhir kali gw update blog ini akhir 2017. It's been 4 years since. Lama. Banget. Dan in-between, banyak sekali kejadian-kejadian seru yang harusnya gw abadikan dalam bentuk tulisan, because 'why not?'

Kenapa tetiba gw kembali ke blog ini? Kira-kira sebulan yang lalu gw menemukan blog gw yg lama di Wordpress, simply karena googling nama gw. Ternyata di blog Wordpress itu terpampang banyak data pribadi gw (talk about being naive)! Termasuk tanggal lahir dan nama nyokap, doh. Akhirnya gw coba login ke Wordpress dengan ingatan gw yang ala kadarnya. Setelah beberapa kali percobaan lhamdulillah bisa masuk dan langsung gw hapus semua data-data pribadi gw. 

Udah sampai situ aja? Nggak dong, pastinya gw ngecek-ngecek posting lama gw juga, hehe. Ternyata dulu gw suka banget nulis santai. Aseli, santai banget. Just telling about random stuff and also important stuff in my life, tapi alurnya ngalir. Dalam hati, "haha, sejak kapan gw bisa nulis begini!?" I have been underestimating myself apparently. Selama empat tahun terakhir ini gw lebih banyak posting di instagram yang sebenernya nggak convenient juga karena susah untuk nyari posting lama lewat fungsi 'search'. Dan kalau posting di instastory pasti langsung hilang dalam 24 jam dan untuk melihat kembali juga nggak mudah. Jadi, demi bisa menggunakan fungsi 'search', sepertinya gw akan kembali menulis disini. Nggak berharap banyak yang baca. Cuma berharap suatu hari nanti bisa gw pakai untuk kilas balik cerita-cerita seru di masa lalu :).

Sekian untuk kali ini. Tunggu cerita selanjutnya yaa...

Boxing Day 2017 Report and Tips

This year is the first time I actually spent the time at the shopping centre hunting down some great bargains. In the previous years I'd rather stay at home and do it online. Less hassle, no queuing, no sore feet, only sore index finger from all the clicking! Well, I still did some online boxing day sales which started on Christmas eve, but they were mostly for bulky items and items that I don't want to get disappointed when coming in store only to find the items are not available anymore. Save more hassle!

This year I decided that I was either going to the city, Parramatta Westfield, or DFO Homebush. But since I'm not in the market for new bags or particularly after clothes, I skipped DFO. The thought of going to the city had me cringing right at the start. But since this is my first Boxing Day sale, I think I would keep it light, so I decided to go to Parramatta instead. Plus, it's way closer from home.

In the morning I checked online what time the shopping centre would open since I wasn't sure whether it would be at 8, 9, or 10 AM. To my surprise, it was 7 AM! Much earlier than I had expected! But I wasn't sure whether this was only the Westfield that's open (and the stores would open at a normal time) and people would be queuing; or the stores would be open at the same time. Either way, I was willing to take the risk and so I checked for the earliest bus which depart from my home. It was 7.15 AM - nothing earlier (well, I missed the earliest one which is at 6.15 AM and that's TOO early). 

I arrived at Parramatta Westfield around 7.30 AM and nervously entered the shopping centre. Well I came in, the Dymocks store had just opened - door open and lights lit. I thought, "I think they may be open this early for real!" I walked further down the lane and found the Starbucks, GAP, Myer store open already! It is for REAL! So then I got really excited and started to work down my must-visit store list. I didn't have a "things-to-get" list, just a "which-store-to-visit" list and improvise on the items. Hahaha, it is a recipe for disaster for my wallet. Anyway, I had to be mindful because I have a limited budget this year. It was actually really nice being able to stroll around the shopping mall with not many people around. I was able to go in and out of store easily (especially if I have to re-enter) and shop peacefully without having to rush because of the fierce competition. 

Anyway, here's some of the tips I can give based on my experience for those who would like to brave the Boxing Day sale crowd next year:

Do it online if you want to beat the crowd

Like I have mentioned, shopping online is less hassle, no queuing, no sore feet. If you're after particular items which you think you may miss out if you wait on going in store, then I'd recommend to  do your shopping online; usually clothes, electronics on clearance, novelty items (e.g. Pandora charms or T2 tea wares and gift boxes). But remember that you may need to pay for shipping if a Click and Collect option is not available. So, it's best if you can reach the minimum purchase to take advantage of the free shipping. One trick that I realised too late was to check the shop's return policy if they allow free returns on sale items. This way, you can purchase exceeding the free shipping limit and then return the items that you don't want.

Come super early if you plan to go in store

I guess I was really lucky that I had checked the shopping centre opening hours before I went because doing it was one of the best decision I made that day (yes, I am lebay). Come early, beat the crowd and queues. The stores were pretty much almost empty, public transport is also empty, parking space is most definitely still available. 

Have a list ready and prioritise

Whatever that list is, whether it's a must-visit store or must-buy items. It will make your trip easier and manageable. Prioritise your trip based on which stores that you're really after first because the longer you're in the shopping mall, the more people will come, the less chance you can get the stuff that you want so you need to move quickly. Knowing the shopping centre layout is also helpful, this will help you save time moving from one store to another and do some favour for your feet!

Bring a grocery shopping trolley or backpack if you plan to spend like crazy

Yesterday, I was only carrying bags from 4 stores but my arms were already aching. Well, what do you expect if your shopping includes two Bath and Body Works candles and a trench coat from Zara. Anyway, they were heavy and I wished I had brought the grocery shopping trolley. It doesn't look cool, I know. But who gives a damn on how you look when shopping on Boxing Day. I didn't even take shower before going and just put on anything as long as I'm wearing clothes and head covering.

Know your size before you come in (when buying clothes or shoes)
This is important as the fitting room will have very long queues! Trust me, you do not want to spend your precious time queuing just to try clothes you may not want eventually. So, before you come into the store on Boxing day, spend some time in store just to browse around, look for the clothing that you may like, and have a try. Know your universal size for most garments in that store. For example, I know that M is the size I fit the most in Zara. Depending on the cuts, if it is a baggy cut, I may go for the S size. With that knowledge in hand, on the day, you can just grab the clothing that you like and head straight for the cashier.

The queue started to build up around 10am

Still looked empty, but this is actually also when I was about to leave

The Swarovski store starting to get full

Oroton on SALE!

Mimco on SALE!

The shopping centre started to get full when I was about to leave, which was about 10am

Damage done on Boxing Day. These are the only ones that you get to see, LOL.

How I Used To Write Random Stuff

Photo by STIL on Unsplash

This is my first post after a very long hiatus from blogging. Kids are hard work and they just won't let you go to have your own quiet time. Well, I've only got one kid now but, believe me, he sticks like a stamp on an envelope. The (not-so) good news is that I've been told by fellow mummy friends that this is going to continue at least until he's 5. Yes, 5 years old. That means I still have another 4 years and 8 months to cope to this madness. And by that time, we're expecting another little brat angel will come inshaa Allah.

I have not achieved much this year other than moving laterally in my company and trying to settle down into a role with a completely new job descriptions. So, I decided that I would spend some of my quiet time while these eyes are still capable to open wide and baby is fast asleep to develop my personal site. I know I have an always-updated Linkedin profile. But I thought I'll make something with my added personal touch. After all, I'm a person who loves creativity.

I was just about to register a new blog just with my full name. Keeping it simple because, duh, it's a personal site with my not-so-short resume all over it. To my surprise, Blogger said that the blog name had been taken. By who!? I'm the only person in this world with THAT name! Anyway, I went scouring through the list of blogs I had in the past. Still couldn't find the one with my full name, but I managed to find an old blog of mine with just a lot of random posts. From songs that I was listening to, to just some random stories or rants. It's called blog 365. 

Reading it again felt really good. I mean, I can't remember the last time I wrote stuff like a teenage girl writing in her diary. Those posts sounds so naive, honest, genuine. I like reading (and writing) posts that have personal touches to it, anything like rants, confessions, genuine convos are definitely my 'thing'. It's therapeutic. Haha, I guess I'm just nosy. But, yeah, I think I should continue write like a teenage girl - sometimes, not always though.

Disconnecting

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

There was a time where I had several social media accounts and I was overwhelmed by them. Which account should I update?! Because ideally I'd want to update everything at once. And that's also around the time when all of the social media platform finally introduced 'linked accounts' and there were also third party apps that will help you update your social media accounts all at once although you update from only one of them. Eventually, one by one my account had less and less activities either from me or my connections so I started to let them go. I'm just going to quickly share the reasons why I'm disconnecting and why you should consider (or do it) too.

HOW OTHERS WOULD FEEL ABOUT MY POSTS

One of the main reason why I started to disconnect because, other than stalking other people's activity, is that I'm not active much. Why? Because I think too much before posting. Why? Because I don't want to be seen as bragging and showing off. So, I always think of these before posting: Does my post will cause envy or jealousy? Is my post benefitting anybody?. If it can potentially cause envy or jealousy and it doesn't benefit other people's lives then I would pass (most of the time). I know I've been guilty of posting Omar's photos where he eats without fussing though (which I know can make other mothers so jealous😫). 

I BECOME LESS DEPRESSED

Haha. This is probably one of the biggest reason why people quits social media. Let's face it, it's very rare that people go on social media without comparing their lives with others and starting to get jealous, envious of other people's lives. I've lost count at how many times I've become so depressed and envious of other people just by scrolling through Instagram. It literally gave me headaches so the extent that I had to uninstall it to keep myself sane.

(I need to) Remember that most of the time, what you see on social media is only the good side of people's lives. That may not be even the 90% of them. And people rarely expose their flaws. Some people like Kara is an exception. She actually shows the hardships and normality of being a mom of three in Melbourne. But I wouldn't be able to be like her though as I'm just not

comfortable at 'vlogging', talking to a camera, it's just too much hassle for me, and it's just such a time waster for me.

MAKING TIME FOR OTHER THINGS THAT REALLY MATTERS

For me, this is my main deal breaker for staying active on my social media accounts. When I complained that I don't have enough time to do the things that actually matters to me, it really boils down to the time I spent in the social media world. I was constantly checking my phone. I think I would be spending 3-4 hours in a day on my social media accounts. Most of the time it's just me checking what other people are up to. I wasn't even uploading photos on Instagram nor posting statuses in Facebook. Anyway, that 3-4 hours doesn't actually have any effect on my life. So it's just time wasting away.

***

I'm not totally against social media as they are still one of the best platforms for me to engage with  my family and friends. But for my current needs and priorities, I do have to really disconnect rather than just limiting my self to only an hour a day.

I only have two social media accounts that are still active: Instagram and Facebook. Meaning, I still open them and post stuff once in a while. And in the case of Facebook, it means that I still scroll through the timeline and comment and likes my friend's posts once in a while but not posting myself because people that are on Facebook are so judgmental!

I'm currently logging off from my Instagram because I was just constantly on it, unlike Facebook which I have started to grow very weary of. Anyway, the result of me disconnecting is that I finally have time to write in my blog which I think it's more meaningful for me since I can write super long posts without having to stress about the screen size and being pity to my thumbs for doing such hard work for me to type stuff.

Halal Poultry!

Photo by Michał Grosicki on Unsplash

Saya ngerti banget susahnya jadi Muslim pendatang yang nggak tahu apa-apa, jadi kali ini mau sharing tentang daging halal di Australia. Sekalian, karena beberapa waktu yang lalu barusan nanya ke teman tentang daging ayam, bebek, dan ayam kalkun setelah mendapati Bebek Peking kesukaan saya dengan merek Luv-A-Duck tumben-tumbenan tidak ada sertifikasi halal di kemasannya. 

Produk-produk yang saya jabarkan di bawah adalah produk-produk yang bisa ditemukan di supermarket. Jadi, kalau nggak sempat ke tukang daging (butcher) untuk beli daging ayam dan kalau khusus pingin ayam kalkun atau bebek bisa langsung aja cuss ke Woolworths, Coles, IGA, dan supermarket lainnya. So, here we go...

LUV-A-DUCK

Ini merek bebek favorit saya untuk bebek Peking. Yum! Seingat saya dulu di kemasan bebek Peking yang selalu saya beli ada sertifikasi halalnya. Tapi terakhir mau beli kok tidak ada. Agak sedikit merasa janggal sih karena setahu saya semua produk Luv-A-Duck itu halal. Jadilah saya bertanya-tanya pada kawan-kawan dan menemukan infonya juga di websitenya. 

 

Daftar produk lengkapnya bisa dilihat disini. Berikut beberapa contoh produk Luv-A-Duck. Dan favorit saya adalah Peking Duck with Pancake kit! Karena disini nggak ada Chinese restaurant yang halal jadi satu-satunya harapan saya untuk bisa makan Peking duck adalah dengan membeli produk Luv-A-Duck. Luv luv luv!

***

STEGGLES

Ini satu-satunya produsen yang juga menjual ayam kalkun selain ayam. Produk halalnya juga cukup lengkap, dari ayam dan kalkun utuh (whole chicken and whole turkey) sampai produk dengen nilai tambah misalnya ayam yang sudah dibumbui, ditepung, atau diproses lebih lanjut menjadi nuggets. Untuk daftar lengkapnya bisa dilihat disini.

***

LILYDALE

Terakhir, yaitu merek Lilydale. Dulu pernah lihat di Instastory-nya Kara (hijabers di Melbourne) pas dia vlog tentang grocery shopping-nya dia dari Coles Online. Dulu memang pernah dengar kalau Lilydale halal tapi nggak yakin 100% karena kalau nggak salah waktu itu pernah baca kalau tidak semua supplier Lilydale menyembelih dengan cara halal. Entahlah betul atau mata saya aja yang siwer bacanya, hahaha. 

Anyway, akhirnya cek langsung ke website Lilydale dan ada di FAQ-nya kalau ayam-ayamnya memang halal. Uhuy! Jadi, bisa lah nih beli ayam kalau tempat langganan saya (Red Lea) udah keburu tutup karena jam bukanya hanya sampai jam 5 sedangkan saya hanya sempat belanja setelah jam 6 sore atau akhir pekan aja.

***

Semoga informasinya membantu ya!

Classic Waffles

Oh, apologies everyone. This must be one of my worst photos ever. It was taken with my phone and my phone hasn't got the best quality because I suppressed the size for it to hold more photos of my son. Yes, that's a mommy's life. Anyway, next time I will try to take photos with a proper camera. One reason to get my Lumix GX7 out of the dusty cupboard.

After a hectic week of work, usually on the weekends I would like to spend a quiet morning with a fancy breakfast. What's my definition of fancy breakfast? Waffles and crepes. Basically anything that people usually get in the cafe.

I'm no fan of eating out something that you can easily whip up at home for the fraction of the price and waffle is no exception. You just need to get yourself a waffle iron and I'm sure you'll be able to get your 'return on investment' within a year (if you use your waffle iron often). My waffle iron is from Cuisinart. I bought it second hand on Gumtree.

These are really easy to make and they are very yummy. I can't believe it took me a long time to get my waffle iron out and actually make them! When I say a long time, it was maybe 6 months to a year after I actually bought my waffle iron. Since then I often made them and freeze leftover to be enjoyed during weekdays.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups warm milk
• 1/3 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

HOW TO MAKE

1. In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and sugar; set aside. Preheat waffle iron to desired temperature.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Stir in the milk, butter and vanilla. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture; beat until blended.
3. Ladle the batter into a preheated waffle iron. Cook the waffles until golden and crisp. Serve immediately.

Original recipe taken from here.

My Bad Sleeper

Can't believe my little Omar is almost 6 months old. I am so proud that my "bad sleeper" can now sleep by himself with little help. Well, sometimes he still nurse to sleep though but the other day I was ignoring him (busy with my phone - don't follow me🙈), our backs were facing each other, he didn't cry and made little-to-no noise. When my sister came into the room, she said that Omar was already asleep.

I can remember clearly how he used to be a really bad sleeper. Every time I drop by at the office and everyone would ask how he was sleeping, I always said, "He's a really bad sleeper😔." How can he not be a bad sleeper if he only wants to sleep in a certain position which sometimes worked and sometimes doesn't? Not sure if it was colic, but I just put up with him and stopped guessing the cause. We had to put him sideways, sometimes he slept on his tummy (don't preach SIDS to me please), and most of the times he can only sleep while cuddled. At times I wanted to cry because of the exhaustion of not getting proper sleep because I wasn't comfortable with my sleep position (if I had to cuddle him).

Nowadays mothers get judged about the way they do things. I wanted to do the right thing, but then I learned there's no right or wrong, just find the one that works for you. I did a google search if sleep training is the "new normal", but the answers were mixed. A couple of times I did let him cry his head off to exhaustion hoping he would eventually sleep by himself. Well, it never happened. He cried for a good 15 minutes, sometimes even more. I can stand listening to him cry for more than 15 minutes, but I was afraid it may affect his brain.

Eventually, I realised that Omar won't be small for a long time. He won't ask to be cuddled while sleeping all the time. So I should just live in the moment and try to enjoy while it lasted. And I think I had made the right choice. Now he's slowly coming off of me and able to sleep by himself.

12 Hours of Labour

Hello world! After over 6 months of blogging hiatus, I'm finally publishing again. It will be on and off since juggling housework and the little one is very overwhelming.

So, after waiting for 9 months, more or less, finally my "little king" arrived in this world. We used to call him "little king" because he always gets away with what he wants. If he wants milk now, I have to give it to him NOW. Otherwise, he will persist crying and crying until I give him what he wants. He was born at Westmead hospital, at 8.49 am. He weighed a healthy 4.2 kgs and was 53 cm long. We named our little boy Omar.

BABY ARRIVED LATE

My last blog post on my pregnancy update was for the 40th week. You may think that I should have delivered the baby not long after that because there's no further update. But in reality my pregnancy was overdue for 10 days. My mum was already in Sydney at that time so I was busy keeping her occupied (she gets bored easily) hence the lack of blog update. I was also busy getting the labour going naturally so I did a lot of long walks, etc.

So, as mentioned, my pregnancy went overdue by 10 days. Four days before the induction I was still having the regular midwife check up and the midwife said, "You should have delivered the baby by now. What's happening?". Well, how about you tell me what's going on. She did a sweep of the cervix and said that I was already 4 cm dilated and she was even confident that I will be delivering the baby on the weekend. I thought, "Yay! Baby is going to have the same birthdate as me!". She also referred me to visit the Day Assessment Centre the next day to see if my water is still adequate and baby is doing fine. After the full assessment at the Day Assessment Centre, the midwife gave me a date for the induction.

August 19th passed. August 20th passed. August 21st passed. I was disappointed that baby wouldn't be sharing the same birth date with me. Then August 22nd came - the day of my induction. I called in at 11.30am (I was told to call in first as they are usually busy in the morning). I was told to call again at 2pm because they're still busy. Then at 2pm I called in again and they are, again, still busy. I was told to call in again at 4pm. At 4pm I called in and finally they told me to come in at 6pm.

THE 12 HOURS OF LABOUR

We arrived at the hospital at 6pm and waited in one of the room in the Birth Unit. Finally at 8pm two midwives came and setup the CTG scan to check on the contraction. They commented on my perfectly round belly and the very ugly stretch mark. They said it looked like the "tree of life". I call it horrible. After checking the CTG result, one of them said, "You're already having contraction." Really? Because I didn't feel any pain at all. But apparently that tingly feeling in my stomach is contraction. 

She asked if I had the slightest idea what we were going to do. I said no, hehehe. Then she explained how we're going to start the process - because what happens afterwards can be varying from case to case. Since the sack was still intact, the midwife started the process by rupturing the sack using a flexible plastic needle that looked like a crochet hook. The water started coming out like as if I just dumped a bucket of water. Oh, so that's how water-break feels like. The midwife then said, "Your water is green. The baby must have pooped inside. He might be stressed inside hence the pooping." Oh great, I drank all of that coconut water for nothing. I heard that coconut water was good to keep the water clear so when the baby was delivered he will look clean. I diligently drank litres and litres of coconut water hoping for the water to be clear, unfortunately baby pooped inside, making the water green. 

The contraction started to build up after the water broke. I finally felt that horrible contraction pain, but it was not that bad yet, until they introduced 'the drip'. They gave me 'the drip' 1-2 hours after they broke my water and I had not dilated further. After 'the drip', everything just went climbing up the hill - or mountain to be more precise. The pain became even worse and it was very unbearable. The midwife told me not to push, but I just can't resist the urge to push. Plus, it made me the pain more bearable if I pushed. After struggling for an hour or two, the midwife offered to use pain reliever. Before going into labour, I was dead set on not using any pain reliever, but since the midwife asked, I thought it must be that bad that she eventually suggested it. So then I said yes to gas. It did help me - at first. Gas should be inhaled when the contraction started to build up and released when contraction slowed down. Hours and hours later the nurse said the gas wasn't effective anymore as I was inhaling the gas even when the contraction was slowing down.

After the gas wasn't effective anymore, the midwife suggested using epidural because I was already tired but still haven't reached the point to push. I was told by everyone that I know to never get epidural, but I must be not dilating further hence the midwife suggested it. I thought, they must know what's the best if they suggested it. So I reluctantly said 'yes' for an epidural - trying to increase my chance to deliver normally. The nurse who was on the night shift told me, "We're trying our best to have you deliver normally. I've told the doctor that you should be able to do so." Not long after I was administered the epidural, I fell asleep until morning.

WHEN MORNING CAME
I was surprised that I just woke up from a good sleep (how did that even happen!?). I felt much better. I was still inhaling the gas somehow and still could feel the effect, but then the nurse said, "Oh, that doesn't work anymore. We've cut off the gas access." Haha.  Then I started feeling contraction building up again. I thought after you've been administered epidural, you will deliver the baby while your hips area was still numb. Well, apparently it's not. I told the nurse, "Why am I feeling a contraction building up?".
     "That means you're ready to push"
What!? I didn't know that epidural effect can disappear before delivering the baby. I felt a couple more contractions, then joked with the nurse (and partially hoping), "Can I get another dose of epidural?"
     "No. Okay, start pushing when you feel the contraction builds up."
I started to feel the contractions again, then familiarising myself with the rhythm again. I was pushing, pushing, and pushing. I couldn't feel anything coming out, but the doctor and nurses always said that I did a good job and they can see the hair already. I was so confused which one is right. The doctor checked the baby a couple of times and told me that he's in undesirable position for delivery. He was facing to the sides. The doctor tried to turn the baby a couple of times to the correct position, but he apparently insisted on staying sideways. Finally, the doctor said, the only way to get the baby out is using vacuum. The doctor explained the procedure and risks, but I was already not paying attention and all I wanted is to get this baby out! So I just said yes.

They prepared the equipment and instructed me to push when they say 'push'. By this time I gave all my might to push. I can see the doctor and nurses pulling the baby as hard as they could as well. Wow, is getting a baby out of the womb 'that' hard? I pushed one more time and finally the baby came out. I felt a huge relief.

MEETING HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME
The baby was checked and cleaned before they gave him to me for skin to skin contact. I think remember my husband saying that he didn't have the chance to cut the umbilical cord, the nurses did LOL. They also asked if I would let them give baby's first immunisation, and I confirmed I was ok with it. They just gently put the baby on my chest and I could clearly see that big lump of flesh with soft skin in front of my eyes. I was staring straight to his eyes. I just couldn't believe it - now I'm a MUM. My husband then recited the adzan in the baby's right ear. I remember stroking his skin, observing very closely of what people commonly call newborns as alien-looking. It felt very surreal, my motherhood journey had just begun.

4 Alasan Garuda Indonesia Maskapai Terbaik Untuk Flight Sydney-Jakarta

Sebagai residen tetap Australia, tentunya saya selalu kangen kampung halaman dan sebisa mungkin sering pulang ke Jakarta (finance permitting, hehehe). Ada tiga airlines yang bisa saya pilih untuk pulang ke Indonesia, yaitu Singapore Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, dan Qantas. Di antara ketiga pilihan tersebut, pilihan pertama saya adalah Garuda Indonesia. Di postingan kali ini, saya ingin mem-point out kenapa saya cinta dengan maskapai Indonesia yang satu ini setiap saya pulang kampung ke Jakarta.

1. Pesawat-Pesawat Baru

Adik saya bekerja di GMF sebagai project manager untuk quality control setiap ada pesawat Garuda yang baru datang dari produsennya, yaitu Boeing. Dan dia pernah bilang bahwa Garuda Indonesia memang banyak melakukan perbaikan beberapa tahun terakhir ini, termasuk menambah armada pesawat-pesawat baru. Terakhir kali saya naik Garuda Indonesia, 2 tahun yang lalu, memang pesawatnya jauh lebih bagus daripada Qantas yang terlihat tua.

2. Direct Flight ke Jakarta

Beberapa kali saya memang tergiur ingin mencoba naik Singapore Airlines karena melihat harga tiket promo di Netfare yang memang tidak jauh dari tiket Garuda Indonesia. Namun sayang sekali, walaupun Singapore Airlines termasuk maskapai paling top di dunia dalam hal keselamatan dan pelayanan, tidak ada direct flight yang langsung terbang ke Jakarta. Harus transit di Singapore yang berarti ada tambahan waktu perjalanan untuk sampai ke Indonesia. Sedangkan Garuda Indonesia menawarkan direct flight ke Jakarta beberapa kali seminggu yang hanya memakan waktu 6-7 jam perjalanan.

3. Full Entertainment

Saya puas sekali dengan entertainment yang ditawarkan oleh Garuda Indonesia (dibandingkan Qantas ya, kalau dibandingkan dengan Etihad ya lain lagi ceritanya, hehehe). Layar TV-nya besar dan touchscreen, dan film yang tersedia pun termasuk film-film baru. Beberapa kawan saya juga mengatakan Garuda Indonesia menawarkan beragam entertainment untuk anak-anak. So, sepertinya memang recommended juga untuk travelling dengan anak-anak :).

4. Bagasi 30 Kilogram!

Garuda Indonesia sangat generous dengan baggage allowance-nya dan ini sangat penting bagi saya dan orang tua saya yang suka mengisi koper-koper kami dengan berbagai macam makanan khas Indonesia dan hasil belanja murah selama di Jakarta, hehehe. Bagasi 30 kilogram ini berlaku untuk semua penerbangan kelas ekonomi ke luar negeri (untuk ke Amerika bisa sampai 40 kilo dan ada beberapa pengecualian - untuk lebih lengkapnya dapat dicek disini: https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/id/garuda-indonesia-experience/on-ground/baggage/index.page?), namun untuk student (one-way ticket) kita bisa request untuk menambah baggage allowance menjadi 40 kilogram (menurut pengalaman ketika menjadi exchange student dulu).

Pregnancy: 40 Week Update

I actually have three different due dates depending on how it was observed. According on my doctor, I'm supposed to be due by August 12th. According to midwife, I'm supposed to be due by August 14th. And according to my last ultrasound, I'm supposed to be due by August 19th. If following my doctor and midwife, I'm either due today or overdue by 2 days. But bubba decided that it's comfier inside mummy's womb LOL. So, yep, baby is still inside me while I'm writing this blog post :D.

NO SIGNS OF LABOUR YET

I've tried everything to get my labour going, but until now nothing has happened. No cramps  or any signs of contractions whatsoever. I've tried walking, eating pineapple and dates, spicy food (I often have spicy food throughout my pregnancy so I doubt that this will help at all), telling bubba to come out, etc. None works and I'm getting desperate! A friend of mine whose due date is around the same time as me already delivered her baby on Friday.

On my last check up with the midwife last Thursday, she said, "You're supposed to have delivered the baby by now, what's happening?". I'm like, "Umm... I don't know... I didn't feel any contractions at all!". And, oh, by the way, I gained another 1.5 kgs in a week. I suspect this is because mum already arrived with loads of comfort food from Indonesia. She made me eat everyday and I'm not getting enough exercise - deadly combination (-_-)". The midwife also said that baby's head was not fully engaged yet (what? I was told it was already engaged two weeks ago!) and asked if I would like her to do an examination to trigger the labour. I nodded and the midwife did what she needed to do. Before I left the appointment, she reminded me again that I should just keep walking to get the baby down. But to be honest, I'm starting to give up walking because I can't bear the weight on my tummy anymore. Baby's getting bigger and bigger by the day (pretty much sure of that!), my tummy's definitely getting harder and harder, and now I worry that he's too big to be delivered vaginally.

After reading a couple of people's posts in forum saying that baby will decide when it wants to come out, now I'll just fully trust bubba to decide when he wants to come out. I've heard a couple of stories from my friends that they've tried everything possible to trigger labour but baby still decided to come late, and one was even still too stubborn to come out after the mother had been induced!

MUM'S HERE!

My mum has arrived since last Sunday and she's enjoying her time here away from all the house chores back in Indonesia (fyi, she's got three people to feed, mountains of laundry and clothes to be ironed, a big house to clean up, etc). Here? All she does is eat and sleep LOL. I let her help around the house (excuse?) so she actually has something else to do besides sleeping and eating. At least she doesn't have to do laundry and ironing everyday, and my house is fairly small.

As always, mum brought along precious cargo with her: comfort food! Junk food (as per my request) and other food that I can't get here. She also brought along sapu lidi which is a broom made out of the bones of coconut tree leaves bundled together (this really cracks me up!). I was actually worried that she won't be able to converse with the custom officers if they ask her stuff about her belongings. So before mum left for Australia, my sister and I checked all of the stuff that she'd be bringing and needing to declare and taught her how to fill it in. She's now a pro in filling in the custom declaration form and I'm sure she'll be able to travel alone next time.

ENJOYING MY WAITING PERIOD

I have to admit that the last two weeks has been great. Maybe it was a much needed holiday. But I feel bad for mum to have arrived earlier and bubba still doesn't want to come out yet! I managed to finish making my wedding album, which now I have to redo because I just realised that I'm missing some of the photos from my harddisk, after all these years (4 years since my wedding to be exact)! And I finally finished sewing a change pad cover and one blanket for bubba - this was supposed to be only-a-couple-of-hours-job - but it eventually stretches to a couple of days because I had troubles working with the stretchy mink fabric (now I realise I had to get a walking foot for my sewing machine!). I also managed to have some relaxing time to go for some retail therapy - picked up teapots, maternity/breastfeeding bras, went for grocery shopping on a weekday (which is a luxury for me because the shopping centre was not crowded). But I do need to be a bit mindful now that my income is not as steady flowing as before :D.

***

Last words from me: bubba please come out very soon so your Nanny can help me out longer before she needs to leave!

Desperate Writer

Photo by Corinne Kutz on Unsplash

Kadang saya kepikiran, "kamu nulis blog buat apa sih Dit?". Selama lebih dari seminggu lalu saya berusaha keras untuk menyelesaikan tiga tulisan yang tidak kunjung selesai. Entah karena saya merasa alurnya berantakan atau isinya kurang bermanfaat dan cenderung ke arah riya'. Apalagi setelah blog-walking ke blog orang lain yang banyak di-share di Facebook, ah... semakin terlihat bahwa tulisanku dan tulisan mereka bagai langit dan bumi. Oh, dan satu lagi yang saya sadari, kemampuan bahasa Indonesia saya semakin jelek. Semakin sulit untuk menemukan padanan kata yang pas. Intinya, English has taken over my brain.

Mungkin saya kurang membaca. True that. Membaca memang bukan sesuatu yang saya nikmati sepenuhnya di waktu luang saya, mungkin karena agak sulit untuk saya mempertahankan fokus ketika membaca, biasanya hanya bertahan 30 menit :D. Tapi tidak berarti saya tidak suka membaca sama sekali. Dan buku-buku yang saya baca kebanyakan memang bahasa Inggris karena saya merasa kosa kata bahasa Inggris saya terbatas dan kemampuan saya untuk membetuk kalimat dalam bahasa Inggris juga kurang baik. Ternyata, hal itu bisa juga berbalik kepada saya, sekarang saya kesulitan menulis dengan baik dan benar dalam bahasa Indonesia.

Otak saya tidak sistematis. Hahaha - true that, again. Saya sepertinya memang punya masalah untuk berpikir secara terstruktur yang berimbas ke kemampuan menulis saya karena isi otak saya sangat 'berantakan' walaupun saya cenderung otak kiri. Entah, mungkinkah karena saya punya ADHD? Sebetulnya nggak pernah terdeteksi atau apapun, tapi ketika saya mencoba tes online atau membaca ciri-ciri orang yang mengidap ADHD, kok saya banget ya!? Saya memang punya masalah untuk bisa fokus pada satu hal. Inget banget waktu dulu di-ospek saat SMA, ada kakak kelas yang marah-marahin saya karena ketika dimarahin mata saya malah lirik-lirik kemana-mana (andai saya inget kakak yang mana, pingin saya bilang "hey, kamu marah-marah seenak jidat!"). Kalau pikiran saya terlalu kalut karena banyak hal yang menggantung di pikiran saya, maka saya wajib-kudu-mesti menuliskan apa yang ada dipikiran saya baru kemudian saya bisa sortir. Walaupun saya cenderung otak kiri, saya termasuk orang yang visual dan lebih suka melakukan hal-hal yang mengasah kreativitas. Saya bisa duduk di depan layar komputer berjam-jam berkutat dengan desain dan saya lebih menikmati menonton film ketimbang membaca buku.

Takut riya'. Sepertinya inilah deal breaker saya yang sebenarnya. Saya nggak suka pamer tapi kok setiap kali membaca posting saya sebelum akan saya publish, terdengar seperti saya sedang bragging karena hal-hal yang saya sharing bukan sekedar cerita hikmah-inspirasi tapi juga review produk-produk yang saya sukai. This is the tricky part. Sebetulnya niatan saya baik, hanya ingin berbagi, tapi bagaimana ya caranya supaya tidak terdengar seperti bragging? Mungkin saya harus hilangkan pikiran-pikiran seperti itu kali ya dan biarkan pembaca yang menilai. Kalau bermanfaat ya syukur, kalau dapat kritik ya coba diperbaiki lagi. Lagipula, pede banget sih kamu Dit, yang baca blog kamu juga nggak banyak kali!? :D hahahaha.

Who cares kali ya? Pada akhirnya, yah, apalah kata orang toh blog ini juga blog ku, ruang tulisku, ruang curhatku, ruangku berbagi bermacam hal sama orang lain yang memang tertarik :). Nggak semua orang bakal suka, tapi nggak semua orang juga bakal benci. Ya seperti orang-orang di Youtube saja - banyak yang sinis dan banyak pula yang suportif. Dan mungkin yang paling penting adalah selalu berusaha menghasilkan tulisan yang kira-kira bermanfaat dan akan dinikmati oleh orang lain (dan jauh dari kesan riya', walaupun hal itu memang sangan subjektif). Yuk Dit mulai nulis lagi!

Dari Pak Anies: Nilai Yang Perlu Ditanamkan Pada Anak

Photo by Robert Collins on Unsplash

Beberapa hari yang lalu jujur aja kaget bahwa telah terjadi re-shuffle kabinet Jokowi di Indonesia. Saya bukan pengamat berita Indonesia, tapi saya pengamat setia timeline Facebook (siapa bilang Facebook udah ga jaman? hihihi...). Dan dari timeline Facebook itulah saya mengetahui bahwa presiden Jokowi "memecat" pak Anies dan pak Jonan dari posisi kementerian. Sangat disayangkan sekali sebetulnya karena kedua orang itu adalah orang-orang yang kompeten di bidangnya masing-masing. Tapi yah, namanya juga politik, banyak lah agenda-agenda terselubung dan orang-orang titipan. Entah kenapa pemerintahan Jokowi ini gampang sekali ditebak (re: "orang-orang titipan"). Kadang jadi gemas sendiri. Untung dulu nggak milih Jokowi (tapi nggak milih yang satunya lagi juga).

Lalu, di timeline Facebook itu pula saya menemukan pesan berikut dari pak Anies yang menurut saya sangat relevan untuk semua orang tua, apalagi di zaman sekarang orang tua sudah meng-outsource-kan peran orang tua ke gadget dan memanjakan anak-anaknya secara berlebihan - termasuk terlalu banyak mengintervensi kehidupan anak sehingga anak tidak mampu menyelesaikan masalahnya sendiri.

Anak anak yang dididik dalam keluarga yang penuh kesantunan, etika tata krama, sikap kesederhanaan akan tumbuh menjadi anak anak yang tangguh, disenangi, dan disegani banyak orang... 

Mereka tahu aturan makan table manner di restoran mewah. Tapi tidak canggung makan di warteg kaki lima... 

Mereka sanggup beli barang-barang mewah. Tapi tahu mana yang keinginan dan kebutuhan... 

Mereka biasa pergi naik pesawat antar kota. Tapi santai saja saat harus naik angkot kemana-mana... 

Mereka berbicara formal saat bertemu orang berpendidikan. Tapi mampu berbicara santai bertemu orang jalanan... 

Mereka berbicara visioner saat bertemu rekan kerja. Tapi mampu bercanda lepas bertemu teman sekolah... 

Mereka tidak norak saat bertemu orang kaya. Tapi juga tidak merendahkan orang yg lebih miskin darinya... 

Mereka mampu membeli barang-barang bergengsi. Tapi sadar kalau yang membuat dirinya bergengsi adalah kualitas, kapasitas dirinya, bukan dari barang yang dikenakan... 

Mereka punya, tapi tidak teriak kemana -mana. Kerendahan hati yang membuat orang lain menghargai dan menghormati dirinya... 

Jangan didik anak dari kecil dengan penuh kemanjaan, apalagi sampai melupakan kesantunan, etika tata krama...

Hal hal sederhana tentang kesantunan seperti :

• Pamit saat pergi dari rumah

• Permisi saat masuk ke rumah temen (karena ternyata banyak orang masuk ke rumah orang tidak punya sopan santun, tidak menyapa orang orang yang ada di rumah itu),

• Saat masuk atau pulang kerja memberi salam kepada rekan, terlebih pimpinan

• Kembalikan pinjaman uang sekecil apapun,

• Berani minta maaf saat ada kesalahan

• Tahu berterima kasih jika dibantu sekecil apapun...

Kelihatannya sederhana, tapi orang yang tidak punya attitude itu tidak akan mampu melakukannya. Bersyukurlah, bukan karena kita terlahir di keluarga yang kaya atau cukup. Bersyukurlah kalau kita terlahir di keluarga yang mengajarkan kita kesantunan, etika, tata krama dan kesederhanaan...

Semoga bermanfaat :). Sekalian nge-bookmark :D.

Mayo Clinic Guide to Healthy Pregnancy

During my pregnancy, I knew I needed a source for all things related to pregnancy because scouring the internet will just complicate things even more as there will be heaps of conflicting articles. Basically, the effort to filter the information will be very overwhelming.

I searched for a good pregnancy book and stumbled upon the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book. I checked the ratings on Goodreads and read the reviews. It gained 4.1/5 stars and there were a lot of reviews saying that this one book is already enough as a guide during their pregnancy. There was another popular book "What to Expect When You're Expecting", but it has lower rating than the Mayo Clinic one. Besides, I know for sure Mayo Clinic is one of the best healthcare provider in the US, so I have no doubt of the quality of the contents.

I think this book is very very useful as a one-stop guide to pregnancy. It is not to be read back-to-back, although you can. It's more like a reference guide or "pregnancy bible" that you read throughout while your pregnancy is progressing. It explains what food you can or cannot eat, what you should expect each week in your pregnancy, and in the last third of the book (I think) there are heaps of information on what to expect when you're giving birth - complete from the symptoms when you're about to go into labour, pain relief options that you can have, to about having C sections. It even has a dedicated chapter for dads-to-be on how they can support their wife during the pregnancy! I can't recommend this book enough. The reviews you'll find on Goodreads, Google books, Amazon, etc will speak for itself :). 

Click here to have a preview on the book contents before you decide to buy!

I do recommend to get the physical book rather than the Kindle version just because it's easier to flip through the pages as this is not a book that you read from front to back. And based on this experience, I had decided to purchase the next stage to this book, which is "Mayo Clinic Guide to Your Baby's First Year".