• 2020

    I’ve been neglecting this blog for quite some weeks now, despite my intention to do daily blogging. It’s pretty easy for me to forgot about blogging, I guess — just last night I realized, “wait, I can just post this on the WP app!” So, yeah, slightly expecting Mobile Developers team hunting me down with pitchfork.

    Anyway, the Happiest New Year for you all! I was so confused why folks around me got so reflective and solemn as January 1 approaching when I realized it was the end of a decade too. I personally couldn’t say this decade is better or worse, mostly because each year and each decade has their own adventures. During my years as a housewife (circa 2014-2018ish,) I battled a bit of mental issues and learned how to accept things, specifically, on how I accept myself.

    God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change

    I felt, and still feel, like the acceptance process was quite a process in itself. Sometimes, I feel like, “no, this is not the best version of myself,” and some times, I looked into myself and wondered if hey, things are good enough and I am good enough.

    In the end, it feels like a bit of knowing your limit right now. You know you are awesome (I know I am, and I know you are ?) but today you are not feeling awesome and that’s totally okay; awesomeness can wait tomorrow.

    So! New year usually means some kind of resolutions, and I… don’t have any resolutions. Mostly because I don’t know how things will turn out ? I mean, who could predict I would apply as a Happiness Engineer back in 2018 and started my work in Automattic early 2019? And 2019 has been such a year. Such a year. There were times I cried in front of my laptop, feeling inadequate and completely stupid. There were times I threw my fist to the air and yelled, “YES!” when I found a workaround for tricky issues. There were times I juggled my schedule, energy, and time between working hours and personal time. There were times, and still are!, I received so many hugs and encouraging words.

    However, I found myself listing things I want to do in 2020. I want to be able to take care of myself better — on physical health and mental health. I’m still juggling between handling my energy for working hours and personal/family hours, and there are some things I have been neglecting. I’m still looking the best way for that, though. I’m still holding to ‘A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind’ and I’ve been looking for some inspirations on Youtube. This is one of my favorites.

    A bit of confession, though; it’s really really hard for me to do exercise in the morning ? I feel like my energy should be preserved in the morning because, damnit, handling kids early in the morning — and one of them is Rey — takes another level of energy. Let alone working Support afterwards.

    I’ve been doing before-bedtime yoga, though ? I haven’t feel any tremendous changes, but it’s all about process so we’ll see. If you have any suggestions or tips in exercising, feel free to share it!

    I don’t and won’t going to say 2020 will be easier or a smooth ride because, hey, who knows. Hopefully, I would always have the strength, courage, happiness, kindness, and patience as I navigate many years ahead; I do wish the same goes to you all.

    Happy New Year. Here’s for a year of dancing, singing, and generally being awesome.

  • My Spotify in 2019

    Earlier today, our office Slack channels went abuzz with Spotify Wrapped 2019.

    It was a memory trip. Early 2019 was Spotify’s ‘Evening Jazz’ on repeat, then it started to move to lo-fi by the end of 2019.

    I would recommend you folks to listen to Ilya Mann if you like slow jazz (although there are only two of his original works on Spotify: ‘Inner City Drive’ and ‘Halfway’)

    If you like upbeat cute music, you can check Lullatone.

    How about you folks? Feel free to share your top musician/artist and your favorite songs throughout 2010-2019 ?

  • Spotify Playlist: Weekend Mood

    I’ve been collecting some lo-fi and easy listening songs for my latest Spotify playlist: Weekend Mood.

    Do you have any recommendations? Feel free to share!

  • In the beginning of Netflix’s ‘Klaus’, we see the main character, Jesper, as a lazy, rude, spoiled disaster — which reminds me a lot with Disney’s ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ Emperor Kuzco.

    What happened next was a beautiful story of a solitary island in the northern area, filled with snow, and how the legend of Santa Claus was born.

    ‘Klaus’, for me, is like a soothing and cooling ointment after a bitter concoction called Disney’s ‘Frozen’ (the first one; I haven’t watched the second one — my friends said it was good and I trust them, but I don’t want to watch it for now. It’s school break in Malaysia right now, so movie theaters might be as well as a fresh Greek hell.) My favorite part in the movie is when a Sámi girl, named Margu, appears. She talks in Sámi language — and this, for me, respects the culture of Nordic countries and tribes. Not so sure what ‘Frozen’ brought, after a really beautiful opening song of ‘Vuelie’ (it’s a Sámi word!) and ‘Beware of Frozen Heart’ with Nordic rhythm and melodies and suddenly those two songs got eclipsed, butchered, and thrown away ”thanks” to ‘Let It Go’.

    ‘Klaus’ tells a story of a lazy spoiled postman, named Jesper, who got sent to a place called Smeerensburg way up in the north where two clans fighting with each other for ages; even the elders forgot the reason and didn’t know why they fight on the first place. Jesper needed to deliver 6000 letters in one year and should he able to fulfill it, he will be able to go back home and enjoy his previous luxurious life. He met Klaus, a reclusive woodsman and carpenter, and together they started a mission: Sending toys to the children of Smeerensburg.

    Honestly, no characters I dislike from this movie; even the main antagonist, the sly sinister Mrs. Krum, she reminds me of ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ Yzma. I love the character designs on this movie; you can see the hilarious zombie-look from some of the kids characters which reminds you of Tim Burton’s ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’. I found myself laughing loudly while snorted, “delightful!” when there was a scene of a kid stabbing a carrot on a snowman and the kid looks like Tim Burton’s.

    Jesper has this laid-back attitude which I love; he spews words a lot! (Kudos, Jason Schwartzman!) And such a talkative, animated person. Alva, a teacher cum fish seller, the female protagonist of the movie is full of spirit, brilliant, and I really hope she could have more scene moments. Klaus is like this massive massive massive (grumpy) teddy bear that you can’t help not to love.

    And the chickens! At some point its beady eyes remind me of ‘Moana’ Heihei. I really love the chickens! So round and goofy-looking.

    Jesper character sheet

    The art of this movie is outstanding. I love how the team combined 2D and 3D. It has its own charm and I love how you can see the deliberate brush strokes on the art, instead of trying everything go uber detailed. It can combine the freezing cold of nordic countries and the warm comfy hearth of fireplace.

    There is this one line from the movie that I keep thinking about.

    “It’s only a matter of time until the children started to go against each other like it used to be. Do you think for how long the grown-ups will follow, hm?”

    That line defines everything, and somehow, it rings so true with our reality. It acknowledges the power the younger generations have: To create a change. Hopefully, for the better.

    ‘Klaus’ is not the first animation movie trying to challenge the Goliath called ‘Disney’. There are many out there, beautiful wondrous animation works, worthy to be put alongside — or even better — than Disney. And for that, I urge you to watch ‘Klaus’.

    This is a beautiful movie about friendship and kindness; a warm cocoa for your days.

    All images on this blog post are from The Art of Animation FB Page: The Art of Klaus.

  • Weekend usually means super unhealthy breakfast; filled with carbs, sodium, and almost everything your brain craves.

    The word ‘Restoran’ is Indonesian/Malaysian’s adaptation from “restaurant”. The plaque ‘Food Trails’ from Kuala Lumpur Townhall hung proudly, as a proof the restaurant joined the local government’s effort of introducing the city’s historical and foodie side.

    This restaurant provides Indonesian food, mostly from Sumatran side. So you are guaranteed to find rendang and tons of gulai (spicy stew, usually made from meat, chicken, gizzards, innards, and my favorite: tendons and tripes (I LIVE FOR THE DANGER)). Enjoy the dishes with warm jasmine steamed rice and have cold iced sweet tea to cool down the heat.

    As for breakfast, we had lontong Medan. ‘Lontong’ is rice cakes, but this is different from Chinese and Japanese mochi (mochi is made from rice flour). ‘Lontong’ is made by putting rice into a hollowed container, usually from banana leaves, which gives its distinct greenish tinge. As a snack, folks sometimes put shredded chicken meat or savory veggies inside the lontong. As a whole meal, you can eat lontong with satay, or have it with Indonesian-style spicy veggie salad (gado-gado), or almost anything, really.

    The beautiful monstrosity called Lontong Medan. Lontong with spicy gravy, filled with rendang sauce, crackers, jackfruit stew, hard-boiled egg, potato patties (we called it “perkedel”, from a Dutch word: “frikadel”), fried rice noodles (bee-hoon), and veggie stew.

    And enjoy it together with kerupuk rambak/kulit, crackers made from cattle’s inner skin.

    A once-a-week meal.

    The outdoor display. Folks can take their own preferred dish and the restaurant staff will count it
    The outdoor semi-kitchen for lontong medan
    The outdoor kitchen for different dishes (fried rice and fried noodles)

    Restaurant Rose

    49a, Jalan Raja Alang, Kampung Baru, 50300 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur
    019-611 0457

  • I’ve been noticing some blogs that I frequently visit that they have update logs on it. Something like “added page XYZ on (date)”, and so on.

    My FOMO has been screaming for me to follow suit, hahah.

Nindya. Kapkap. she/her. Indonesian in Malaysia. Millennial. Lo-fi. Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Murder mystery genre.

Currently feeling:

The current mood of retnonindya at www.imood.com

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