[vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
Hi guys!
I can’t believe it’s 2019 already. Time flies so fast! As usual, at the end of the year, my cousins and nephews usually stay at my house to celebrate the New Year, so I don’t really have some alone time to reflect and write my thoughts peacefully. I have a very short-time memory lapse like Dory, so I would like to imprint all my memories in writings. In a way, it’s like I’m writing a letter and a story for my future-self to read.
Alright, enough with the preamble already. I wanna say, the year of 2018 has been an enlightening and growing phase of my life, specifically in career and social works. Needless to say, with every year that’s gone, I learned so many new things and met with so many interesting people across the paths of life. But to make it short and sweet, I wanted to write some highlights of the year. Here’s the kaleidoscope of my life in 2018:
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
1. Outing with My Office-mates
January 2018 – I went outing with my office mates to my favorite city, Bandung (read the story here). We went to the coziest Airbnb called Daheim 290 and had the time of our lives! For real though, at this point I wanna say that you don’t have to settle and work for the company that you hate. I’ve been in FleishmanHillard for around 2.5 years now and I love every single second on it.
Sure, you’ll be met with adversities and challenges. Sometimes the clients got mad at you, sometimes you got upset with someone in your office. But hey, that doesn’t really matter if you’re surrounded with people who treat you like family. They make you believe that you can do anything – even when you don’t believe in yourself.
So don’t give up the thoughts that you CAN love your job. Don’t settle for a job that makes you hate yourself or the time you spent on it.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
2. Held My First Workshop for The Hunger Bank
January 2018 – As part of my training program as the UNESCO Youth Leader on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), I was encouraged to pass on the knowledge about SDGs to other youths in Indonesia. Therefore, in January 2018, I held my very first workshop in BPK Penabur High School about the SDGs, specifically about food security and how Hunger Bank tries to mitigate the issue. It was fun and rewarding to see how much enthusiasm these pupils had. Turns out, I also realize how much I love to share and teach others. Might wanna become a lecturer after all, haha.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
3. Starting my Spanish Course More Seriously
February 2018 – I told you before, this year is full of new lessons. Finally I am able to continue my Spanish class in Jakarta. Been a hell of a ride. Even though the class starts at 8AM every Saturday, I never purposefully miss it because I love the feeling of absorbing all these new vocabularies into my brain.
Hola, me llamo Falen. Vivo en Jakarta pero tengo suena viajar el mundo, poco un poco. En mi tiempo libre, me gusta leer libros, escribir mi blog, o ver series de television en Netflix. Y tu?
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
4. Handle LIVERPOOL FC as My Client!
March 2018 – I am a HUGE dreamer, but even in my wildest dream, I never thought that one day, I would get the chance to represent my favorite football club, Liverpool FC, as their communications consultant. On 8-11 March 2018, Liverpool FC brought four legends to Jakarta and I got to handle their press conferences, cultural visits, interviews with media, and the viewing party. I got to meet with Patrik Berger and Jason McAteer, and also, the Champions League Trophy!! This one really made me think, if you want it bad enough, maybe life will grant your wishes. Just be ready whenever it comes.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
5. Watch The Script and Check my Bucket List
April 2018 – I’ve been wanting to watch The Script Concert since FOREVER, and this year was apparently my luck. On April 2018, I watched The Script concert and it went as perfectly as I could imagine (read the story here). They were so energetic, so powerful, I shed happiness tears because I can’t believe I was right there, watching my favorite band in action. This also checks my bucket list number four. Not too bad huh, life?
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
6. Office Outing to Toraja
April 2018 – For the first time in my life, I stepped on the land of Sulawesi. Actually, writing this makes me feel guilty enough because I wanted to tell you about the beauty of Toraja SO BAD! It has opened my eyes about so many traditional values and rituals for the deaths. But in a deeper sense, I guess it kinda makes me realize that even if we live in the same country, we can be far different with others. And yet, we are all essentially the same.
Visiting Toraja can be painful, mainly because there’s no direct flight yet and we should take the bus with 10-hour road trip. Thankfully my office mates are so much fun! Looking back to this part, I feel so lucky that I got the chance to travel to Toraja with all expenses paid 🙂 Otherwise, I think I would never visit Toraja due to financial conditions and the long trip it took.
Key message for this point is, when life presents you with the opportunity to travel for free, you take it. You must always take it.
There’s no destination that isn’t beautiful and worth-visiting.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
7. Attend Blibli Indonesia Open as ((Journalist))
July 2018 – Blibli Indonesia Open is the largest badminton competition in the world. Luckily, as the writer for Blibli.com, I managed to attend and cover the semifinal and final phases as a journalist. Albeit short, I got a taste on the daily life of a journalist, wherein you should interview strangers, initiate conversations, take documentaries, and even type in the news before the match even ended. More importantly, it was my first time sitting in the tribune and watching Indonesian badminton players in a real match. It.was.lit.as.fuck because the whole stadium yell “Indonesia…duk duk dukduk.. Indonesia!” You WILL get goosebumps!
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
8. Travel to Palembang
July 2018 – Come to think of it, this year I have traveled to a LOT of new places, and I didn’t even plan it. First it was Toraja, and then Palembang. My colleagues and I went to Palembang to attend the wedding party of our friend. Of course, it was also a great time to strolling around and doing culinary tour. Full disclosure, I ate an alarming number of pempek (fishcake), mie celor, durian, martabak. No regrets!
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
9. Took IELTS Test
Aug 2018 – July was an intense month for me, since I have Spanish classes and IELTS classes 6 days a week. But I have to say it made me miss school more than ever. On August 2018, I took an IELTS test for the first time, and even thought the result missed the target I set to myself, it turns out that the score is quite satisfactory compared to the overall marks. Well, let’s hope it would land me to the Master Degree next year!
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
10. Undertake a Tympanoplasty Surgery
Oct 2018 – I got a ruptured eardrum on my right ear since 2017. It was caused by a “Tsunami Pool” in one of the water parks I visited. Since then, I got a hearing loss and never able to swim again. This year, I finally found the right doctor and hospital to take care of it. We scheduled a tympanoplasty surgery to patch the eardrum so that I would be able to swim again – even though the impaired hearing might remain.
It was a scary yet hopeful experience. It was also my first time in having surgery and staying at the hospital. For now, I want to stay away of the hospital for as long as I can and live with my now-normal eardrum again. Yey![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
11. Travel to Vietnam!
[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”1601,1602,1603,1600″ img_size=”large” column_number=”2″ grayscale=”no” images_space=”gallery_with_space”][vc_column_text]
Nov 2018 – I started 2018 thinking that I would travel to South Korea, but I ended up visiting the majestic and exotic Vietnam instead. Unfortunately, there was a storm hitting the Southern part of Vietnam two days from my departure. So, there’s so many parts of the trip that had to be cut because it was raining the whole day in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) and Da Nang. I was a bit disappointed but pledged not to let the weather ruin the trip. I still had so much fun in Vietnam, thanks to its delish culinary gems. It was a fun week and a refreshing experience because I got to see a whole lotta new things!
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
12. Won the FleishmanHillard Team Player Award 2019
[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery type=”image_grid” images=”1606,1605,1607,1608″ img_size=”medium” column_number=”2″ grayscale=”no” images_space=”gallery_with_space”][vc_column_text]
Dec 2018 – At the end of an already-sweet-sweet-year, I had the MOST AMAZING Christmas party at FleishmanHillard. This year we picked the theme of 1960s – I had no idea what to wear, obviously because I wasn’t even born yet. But the party was such a blast, we got to play fun games and we laughed till our stomach ached. There’s plenty of liquor involved, although I didn’t drink, but I still had fun watching my friends did all kinds of silly dances all night. The highlight was because this year I got the Team Player Award, which was like an annual thing to celebrate teamwork and cooperation at the office. It was one of the most unforgettable night!
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]
13. Got Featured at Kompas
Dec 2018 – This was the cherry on top for 2018. It was also one of my bucket list to get profiled in the media, and just at the time when I least expected it, it happened. I’m still in disbelief because I know I haven’t done anything remarkable yet. But this certainly motivates me to always grow my project that I’m passionate about.
[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space][vc_separator type=”normal”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][vc_column_text]
The year of 2018 was so fun! I got to check several bucket lists and goals that I’ve set before. There were plenty traveling and learning opportunities that I gladly accepted. I’m sure it’s just the beginning, 2019 will be more awesome and wonderful! I have made several resolutions for this new year, I hope I can maintain and fulfill all of it by the end of the year.
Hint: one of my resolutions is actually to write more often in my blog, at least once a week? So fingers-crossed, may I have the consistency and commitment to make it through 52 articles in 2019. Hahaha!
I’m ready for 2019! Bring it on!
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css_animation=”” row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”full_width” angled_section=”no” text_align=”left” background_image_as_pattern=”without_pattern”][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
