The Getaway!

Ngelanjutin pekerjaan random Wida yang ngga ada habis-habisnya. Setelah rombak tema (yang udah diceritain di postingan ini), sekarang saatnya beraksi lagi. Kali ini nambahin ruang untuk komentar. Hahaha

Setelah keliling sana sini nyari aplikasi buat ruang komentar yang bisa integrated sama tumblr, btw susah loh nyari yang bisa gampang ditambah ke blog tumblr ini, jatuhlah pilihan saya ke Disqus.

setelah sign-up, saya kemudian diminta mengintegrasikan alamat blog tumblr supaya nanti Disqus boleh muncul di blog pribadi kita.

Berhasil nih? Belum.

Saya harus masukin manual kode-kode dari Disqus ke bagian edit HTML blog tumblr saya, soalnya ternyata tema yang saya pake belum support buat Disqus. Oiya jangan lupa shortname-nya diisi, ini ibarat username kamu sebagai admin. Sesuai petunjuk yang dikasih disini, berhasil deh saya pasang Disqus di blog tumblr saya. Yey. (((terus ngga ada yang komen, sedih)))

Biar ah yang penting udah puas, tumblr sendiri bisa kaya wordpress/blogger yang punya ruang komentar. Hahaha

Tampilannya juga oke lagi.

An old song dedicated to Tumblr.

It was fun these years with you until recently.

I found that my writing starts to be quite lengthy (is it even a word?)

And I thought it was kind of inappropriate for this “micro-blogging”

And then I found another object of love.

So I am thinking of keeping this account for quickpost blogging and blabbering about life, things, issues somewhere else.

P.S : Actually it’s more like “I love you less” rather than “I don’t love you”

P.P.S : Actually the song not a slightest bit representing my love for Tumblr. It was only because it started ringing in my head earlier today.

Kayanya itu bakal jadi line pertama Saya saat menyapa Kamu. Dilanjutkan dengan line-line percakapan berikutnya yang lebih panjang ketika Kamu menjawab line pertama Saya.

Nggak enak ya rasanya jadi introvert, yang nggak bisa langsung inisiatif menanyakan kabar Kamu ketika rindu, yang nggak bisa tiba-tiba telpon Kamu padahal ingin. Karena takut. Takut Kamu lagi sibuk, takut Kamu nggak punya banyak waktu, takut Kamu emang nggak suka disapa-sapa kaya gitu.

Di masa yang serba instan kaya gini, ketika trennya adalah share-all-about-you-right-now, masih aja ada Kamu yang entah nggak mau, sembunyi atau bahkan nggak peduli dengan hidup serba berbagi kaya gitu. Risih, mungkin menurut Kamu. Tapi mungkin Kamu nggak sadar kalau ada Saya yang mencari namamu di daftar kontaknya dan berkali-kali hampir mencoba menanyakan kabarmu.

Saran Saya, cobalah sekali-kali umumkan pada dunia apa yang sedang Kamu kerjakan, apa yang sedang Kamu pikirkan, bahkan apa-apa saja yang sedang menyita perhatian Kamu saat itu. Dengan begitu, Saya tahu kalau Kamu sedang baik-baik saja dan menikmati hidup Kamu. Pencitraan kata Kamu? Justru Saya ingin mengetahui pencitraan Kamu.

Saya tunggu kabar Kamu!

Teruntuk teman, sahabat, saudara Saya yang sudah berkali-kali hampir disapa di media sosialnya.

...

Sepertinya Saya menemukan solusi untuk memulai percakapan dengan Kamu.

Halo! Kabarin alamat rumah/kosan lo dong, mau ngirim undangan nih.

Excited working on my personalized theme here on Tumblr.

Previously I applied this free theme from someone which you could see the source on bottom-right of my blog. A simple single row, monochromatic, and menus on bottom left represented by mini-circle oh and plus a let’s-go-to-the-top arrow.

I love this theme, so much. Only after few months I think I should know how to make my own personalized theme, so I go for several amazing UI/UX books to enrich my knowledge about web design. And here is my doing on inspecting every letter of code on my blog.

Now I am working on positioning my blog title, improving readability, contrasting colors (I tried teal color there), adding google analytics, and some details. But still keeping my blog simple. I also want to improve my video post design (as I couldn’t show the youtube video frame on my main page) and still couldn’t figure out how. Anyone got the idea?

If you happen to visit my blog, so sorry for the inconvenience, hopefully only for today (as if Wid, as if anyone would visit your blog. Haha)

Selamat Pagi, Kamu!

Di postingan kali ini saya mau review salah satu buku yang menarik buat kamu yang pro-entrepreneur-with-meaning. Well mungkin nggak juga sih, soalnya buku ini masuk ke kategori buku bisnis dan marketing.

Duh sebenernya bingung mulainya darimana... dari covernya aja dulu ya, secara saya kan judge book by its cover nih anaknya. 

Kalo dari covernya sih hmmm plain, setuju ngga? Typografi kombinasi serif-sans serif yang penuh di hampir 80% cover + warna kontras hitam-putih-abu-merah. Tapi pasti tau sih apa yang bikin menarik di cover ini. Yep bener banget itu si penulis bukunya: Simon Sinek. Kalo kamu pemerhati public speaking pasti kenal deh sama sosok ini. Dia juga pernah jadi tamu di podcast Design Matter-nya Debbie Millman loh (Mungkin kamu jadi nanya, siapa lagi sih Wid? Haha).

Buku ini tuh dibagi jadi 6 part, tapi saya kelompokkan aja jadi 3 part besar ya.

Di part awal buku ini dibahas gimana jadinya hidup tanpa cinta pemikiran “start with why”. Berdasarkan pengamatan beliau, di dunia yang-ngga-berangkat-dari-kenapa ini:

manusia itu suka berasumsi (setuju ngga?) yang kemudian berpengaruh ke perilaku mereka,

Kita, manusia, membuat keputusan berdasarkan apa yang (kita pikir) kita tau.

Contohnya nih manufaktur mobil di Jepang vs. Amerika. Di Amerika, perlu ada petugas yang ngecek pintu mobil dan body mobil pas, dengan karet. Di manufaktur Jepang sama sekali ngga ada proses itu. Kenapa? Ternyata karena si Amerika ini ketika desain pake pemikiran “yaa kira-kira pas lah ya”, yep asumsi, jadi kalo ada pintu yang ngga pas dengan body mobilnya, petugas itu akan atur-atur supaya pas. Si Jepang sudah memastikan kedua subassembly ini sudah pas ketika proses desain, jadi ngga ada deh itu namanya “cacat bos” “kurang pas dikit bos”.

Satu lagi, di part ini juga dibahas dua cara untuk mempengaruhi perilaku manusia; Manipulasi dan Inspirasi, lengkap dengan pros-cons. Bocoran nih ya, beberapa manipulasi yang biasa dilakukan perusahaan (terutama untuk kegiatan marketing-nya) : Price, Promotion, Fear, Aspirations, Peer pressure, Novelty (yang biasanya suka diklaim sebagai Inovasi). Yang perlu diingat manipulasi itu serba instan, instan programnya, instan suksesnya, instan hilangnya. Karena manipulasi itu nantinya hanya berpengaruh ke transaksi, bukan loyalti. Terus gimana dong caranya menginsipirasi? Bacalah buku ini. Hahaha

Part kedua buku ini berisi rumus rahasia para founder startup-yang-jadi-big-company : The Golden Circle. Kombinasi dari Why, How, dan What, lengkap dengan porsi dan urutannya. Yang membuat betah baca buku ini, selain dari ide besarnya, yaitu gimana Om Simon ini selalu kasih contoh nyatanya. Google, Apple, Southwest Airlines selalu jadi contoh di tiap bagian buku ini. Menurut Om Simon, Apple itu salah satu contoh yang paling nyata yang berangkat dari why, karena Steve Jobs dkk punya (semacam) visi untuk selalu Challenging Status Quo. Statement yang paling sering diulang di part ini adalah

People don’t buy what you do, they buy WHY you do it.

Part ketiga alias part akhir buku ini baru membahas detail mengenai apa yang harus dilakukan ketika sudah tau why kita. Know WHY. Know HOW. Then WHAT?

Why yang dimiliki juga jangan sekedar why, harus punya clarity: crystal clear. Supaya ketika nanti ketika go to the next level, ngga pudar tuh why-nya, karena

Why is belief. How is action. What are the results.

Jangan sampai nanti hasilnya ngga dapet karena kurang paten dengan why-nya.

Ps: meskipun kamu ngga baca ini pagi-pagi, jadi semangat ngga kalo disapa selamat pagi?

Ps lagi: kayanya harus dikurangi deh judging book by its cover

See you on the next post!

First, Happy New Year readers! (for whoever believe in New Year and such). This is my comeback post in 2016, yuhuuuu!

I was thinking about sharing what has been inside my mind and my attention lately. Because, well, people love sharing, but not me and so do I.

In my spare time, which is abundant, I’ve been engaged to creative, homemade, lifestyle things. One of my source (or should I say, gate) to creative lifestyle is this magazine, Martha Stewart Living. You probably known her as an inspirational cook, but beyond that she was like a mother goal to some of people. Great cook, loving mother, classy and creative, and love gardening. Please dig more about her on her website, here. I wouldn’t endorsing her further since, you know, she already has all the creative media talked about her.

Back to the magazine, I personally thought that Martha Stewart Living ignite your creative-mom-kind-of-thinking, you should be aware of your budget though.

I want to be a creative person, but how should I start?

Well, first you should have this curiosity to things and how to make it yourself. Drawing, Painting, Sewing, Make up (yes I include it as creative things), Terrarium, Peg doll making, Needle-felting, Bead and jewelry making, Crocheting and knitting, and many more.

I would not say that I am a creative person, yet. I am just enjoying where my curiosity (Mars! I cannot not hold myself to mention that curiosity rings a bell as Mars Science Laboratory rover hahaha) leads me. And it comes to crocheting for now. And a little more to cross-stitch.

And this is my sanctuary: Mollie Makes Magazine

This is an UK-style craft magazine where you would find wide variety of crafts and upcycling tutorial come in a nice design.

Cute cover isn’t it? This potholder has been on my mind lately, been trying to finish it, but it’s quite hard. Not the crocheting part is hard, it is the make-it-cute part.

And you could have more source to your hungry-creative minds in Instagram, there are plenty of artists, DIY-ers, Crafters (is that even a word?) there. And if it crosses your mind to learn about crocheting, you could visit my Instagram account here (oh my god I made it public, haha) only to find more about crocheting through hashtags I made and crochet enthusiasts whom I follow.

I have the creative-making ability, now what? 

I don’t know. Yes that is my answer. As I am also on this level, I couldn’t recommend anything based on my experience. But i’m thinking on joining craft community out there where I could widen my network and hopefully make some cash. Hahaha. Don’t be afraid if people wouldn’t appreciate your doing, as there are platforms where creative-enthusiasts are searching homemade products. One of the biggest one is Etsy.

This is an e-commerce website where people sell only homemade products and vintage (for more than 10 years if I am not mistaken). It is on their terms and condition, so you wouldn’t find Nike shoes here unless it is >10 years old.

Another one is Anthropologie. 

Most of the products is women fashion here, but you could find lots of unique home decor here with unreasonable price (see how much it value unique design?).

So, starts whenever you ready!

“Creative adult is a child who has survived” - Ursula K. Le Guin

No no, I am not about to write a summary or a teaser of that medieval-fantasy-television-drama. I’m talking about, well literally, winter in 2015.

While preparing for winter, I decide to challenge myself creating my own scarf. These are the equipment needed:

1. Wool Yarn

2. Knitting needles, size 7.5 mm

3. Arms. Yes your both arms

This is the first time I knit my own scarf. I’ve been planning on doing it since half a year ago. hahaha. 

It is @suuusih, my college friend, who first tutor me how to knit. Well actually I force her, a little. Thank you Sus! And some tutorial from youtube here and there before I started knitting.

I decided to create the simplest scarf knitting pattern, combination of knit and purl. Just as you can see in the picture below.

Doing it halfway, I almost lost interest. My fingers were stiff.

And after 2 days of knitting, I got my first knitted scarf. Yay!

Detailed of the pattern.

Please don’t mind my poor resolution and low quality camera result. haha. The colors are different from the real ones.

The hardest part was when I had to make sure the pattern was even, not too loose and not too tight.

And while at it, why not create another scarf with another knitting technique. Arm knitting. This technique are popular right now as the alternative of knitting scarf. Less time needed and less cost. Don’t bother buying knit needles to make this type of scarf. This is my result of arm-knitted-scarf, 

And the detailed, 

The important thing to do this technique is do it quick. I spent about an hour completing this, with 3 fail attempts because I had to do things my mom order me and end up ruining my scarf while removing my hands and had to do it all over again from the start. Sigh.

It was so much fun to me!

As I was saying, winter is coming. Unfortunately, winter was not, is not, and probably never coming to the equator, especially Bekasi. So I have no idea when will I wear these scarf. May be one day when I have chance coming to Europe in Winter. Aamiin. Hahaha.

I should have said, Rainy Season is Coming! (for us in Equator)

And not forget to pray:

اللَّهُمَّ صَيِّبَاً نَافِعَا

Allaahumma Sayyibann Naafi’aa

How do you remember your childhood life? Mine was bicycle, marbles, and after-school adventure. Same as you, maybe, the memories of childhood was blur. Until one of my grade-school friend, Bangkit, texted me. Once in a blue moon, i might say. He was asking if i had time do the iftar, together with grade-school friends. I was so unsure that time, as i was spending my Ramadhan in Bandung. Idul Fitri is coming up soon, and Bangkit still asking me. We were waiting for you to come to Bekasi, Wid. The others are ready anytime, now it’s just up to you. No way! i thought everybody would be busy with their activity. I was expecting the event would be krik-krik moment as only few people came. And i was underestimating.

Say hello to my childhood companions. It is not complete, since some girls are already becoming mothers and wives, couldn’t left their family.

Seeing them, all the memories of my childhood become vivid. About bicycling to school together. About studying in class just beside a kandang kambing (goat shelter). About coming to local swimming pool together. About games we were doing in school yard (Benteng, Galasin, Marbles, Engklek, Beta Tujuh, Kasti and many more). About after school invitation by Nurul, one of my closest friend, to Eldorado (a new-built water park) in Bogor by bicycle, ended up coming to red-soiled land withsome sliding spot and she claimed it was Eldorado (I know, i was busted). About bicycling back home through hundred ways. About scout-session after school which me and Bemby (one year younger) never not coming late, running, as we had english course just before it. About crush (that i realize it now, that he was never my crush, except that other kids made fun of us because we were ‘compatible’ in some ways). About me who prefer avoiding boys liking to me (in a case, there was one senior said to his friends that he liked me because i’m kind to others then i avoided him and always do the opposite only in front of him, sitting in a table, shouting, etc that would make me look bad, sorry Kak! Haha). About some joke, insults and bad manners (I am sincerely sorry to my friends). Even about my first flag-ceremony as one of the flag-carrier.

People change, but not them. Not at all. The calm one is still calm, the cheeky one is still cheeky, and the handsome one... well there’s none to begin with. Right at that moment i was thinking, maybe the They now was constructed by the grade-school environment then. And i was one of the factor. Taking note to self to never do or judge bad to people especially kids as it would influence their personality.

Okay, back to my childhood. Ten years ago, i was having this group of people going to the same grade school, playing in the same school yard, even playing game bot in the same abang-abang klenengan in front of school. Now, i am having this group people of nurse, soon-to-be psychologist, soon-to-be ustadz/ustadzah, sailor, soon-to-be engineer, soon-to-be teacher, entrepreneur and many more. What amazes me that they are still accepting me. Ah, how humble they are to me. Listening to their 10-years-story of their life when we are apart was so whoa-moment to me. It is great having them back.

Ten years and it should not be ended just like that. A night of Idul Fitri (Malam takbiran), we reunited again talking and planning some getaway trip together before going back to our routines. Is is very hard reuniting them to do silaturrahmi after ten years and i know it is harder to do some trip together. Plus, on that night, we did some other stuff

Iconic Idul Fitri-pose in the photoshoot session : (left to right) Rizky, Bangkit, Hasan, Wida, Diba, Mentari, Latif, Ambo, Fajar.

Eat and endorsed a Betawinese traditional crackers, Akar Kelapa (the last time i eat it was in my grade-school). It was soooo good, i was bringing home one pack of it and finished it in just a night. Thanks for Latif’s mother, who made it herself.

The plan was ruined, we cannot go some trip together. As an alternative, my friends Nurul and Hamka planned to go bicycling to some Curug (waterfall) near Bantar Gebang (Just so you know, my house is near to Bantar Gebang district). 

This is a good idea to complete this Idul Fitri holiday in Bekasi with my childhood friends. This was so nostalgic, childhood friends, bicycle, and adventure. Just the same, beside that my energy seems to go lower than when i was a kid.

I was so shocked when Nurul told me that we were going to Curug. It is nonsense that there is curug in this city where the only water elevates in the river was only because of water gate (which control the water level). Even when there is one, it would be so dull, bad-looking and smell bad. 8 kilometers away from home and we were arrived to this Curug Parigi, actually none of us ever come here so we just gonna have faith in google. Google it more here.

Another explorers : Fauzi, Nurul, Fajar, Hamka.

Spot our bicycles there?

Silly me, silly friends.

Ten years and we still be friends. I might be not be there when you succeed another phase of your life but my house would always be open when you need it.

Thank you for the memories, adventure and experience. Sorry for ruining your childhood by my selfishness and annoyance.

---

Wida Rahmasari

I have this fetish dream being a neuroscientist. It started when i’m in my second year of senior high school. Partly because i was enjoy studying biology (and did pretty good at it) and mainly because of this japanese drama about crime and lie-testing through neuroscience. 

The genre of that drama is science-fiction, supported by fMRI machine that can detect any changes of the brain. The story mostly tell about memory of the crime-site and its relation to hippocampus (somewhere in our brain that process memory), became my favorite part of the brain since then. A-highschool-me thought by mastering neuroscience someone would conquer the world. Hahaha

In highschool, i also did some self-study everything related to neuroscience : the basic to the advance, the history even about education and jobs. Sadly in Indonesia, there’s no university offered major in neuroscience for undergraduate. So the alternatives are medicine, psychology or biology. Then i made a decision, i would go to medicine school (as it is the closest way if i want to continue my study in neuroscience later).

Then the heartbreak comes, i was rejected by this one university when applying for medicine. Okay maybe this is not the right path for me, i thought. The dream was so unrealistic, i might say. So i applied for another major at another university (that i never even think of applying there before) and here i am studying engineering.

I never once thought that i would continue or at least closing the gap to my long-ago dream until this phrase come up, neuromarketing. Yep it is a combination of neuroscience and marketing that forms the art of marketing through our natural brain reactions. I am not really sure if i can pursue (again) my dream of becoming neuroscientist but i’m quite happy to be back learning (some of) neuroscience. Hahaha.

---

Wida Rahmasari

Home, July 16th 2015.

Earlier this year, I signed up on one of the most happening social media in Indonesia. Instagram. The idea was to engage to the latest issue, trends or whatever you  would call it. Till now I have 200+ account on my following list vary from painters, artists (not the one on dramas or film, but literally people who make an art), photographers, video-bloggers, NGOs, politicians even tattoo maker (so random I know). For the followers, oh please don’t bother to ask as I’m not even posting a single picture or using my real name for the account.

One of my favorite Instagram account is this girl, Ayu Larasati, a pot maker. Some people might think Oh come on this is 2015 why there still people doing some pottery thing when the rest of us using glasses, polymer even stainless steel already. But not me. I find it amusing, how a modern people like her doing things she passionate about and the idea behind. Also, she is the first young Indonesian who inspires me to learn pottery (in the near future, maybe). Being a random-things-learner I am. Hahaha.

And last weekend, my friends invite me to visit this one organization, The People Centered Economic and Business Institute. The core is community development and the blanket is business, or is it reversed? I am not really sure as the founders Mrs and Mr. Iskandar was so passionate about improving the living standards of the rural communities through electrification with renewable energy etc (basically energy, food and water supply, and infrastructure). This couple never even once tired telling us to do good to community first. Why happy alone when people around you live the life so hard. Grow your empathy within you and manage your ego wisely. I was so fortunate to be welcomed in their ‘literally’ home, together with 11 of my friends, to discuss about socio-entrepreneurial spirit.