TBR: Loots from My Friend's Personal Library

For someone who loves reading like she loves breathing, I don't actually know a lot of people who do. Most of my friends don't share in my love for books, so it's quite hard for me to talk about them most of the time. However, there are still the few bibliophiles who happen to be my friends. One of them is my friend Maya. She has the most amazing collection of literature—her choice of fiction and non-fiction alike are splendid—and I've been eyeing some of her books for months. She has been kind enough to let me gain access to her private library too. Since it's my semester break, I thought it would be the perfect time for me to saunter over to her house and pick out some of the ones I'd like to borrow—which I did two Saturdays ago. And here are what I picked out.

The Happiness Project

by Gretchen Rubin

There is something intriguing about happiness for me. It is something everyone seeks, but very few manage to have. There are numerous theories and tips on how one can finally find happiness, but they seem to contradict each other and/or be disputed by one or two parties. That is what Gretchen Rubin wants to try out. That's why this book becomes really interesting to me. Okay, that and the somewhat whimsical cover with the popping colour scheme. The little bird icon on the spine makes me think of Twitter all the time—I wonder why it is being used. Anyway, I hope to get some kind of enlightenment from reading this book too.

The Little Book of Hygge

by Meik Wiking

Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living

by Linnea Dunne

In recent years, I've become very, very entranced with the Scandinavian way of living. Dubbed as one of the happiest peoples in the world, with low crime rate, the way they see the world must really be fascinating. However, it turns out, they each have their own principles. For instance, in Denmark they have hygge, while in Sweden they have lagom. Both these things, to my knowledge, contribute to the minimalist way of living—each with their own criteria and rules. Lagom, to me, is not all to strange, since I've watched about it in a Youtube video once—and, well, thanks to IKEA, I guess—but hygge is still unfamiliar. According to Maya, these books will take less than a day to finish, so I guess we'll find out soon.

Wonder

by R.J. Palacio

One of those books that I've been eyeing for years but, for some reason, never managed to get my hand on one. Then, one day, it was turned into a motion picture. Isn't that just swell? Well, I still feel like I need to read the book first, before trying out the movie. The synopsis on the back of the book really piques my curiosity. Doesn't it just make you wonder what August Pullman actually looks like? So glad to know that Maya has this book on her shelf. Now I can finally discover the story and the character after all these years.

Quiet

by Susan Cain

When this book was published, I'm pretty sure all introverts everywhere rejoice. Okay, maybe not, but I feel like they should. Not a lot of books have been written on the power of being a quiet person, an introvert, a keep-to-themselves person. Doesn't that make this book in itself a marvel? To be honest, I don't think I would fit into this category—I'm probably the most talkative person you'll ever meet—but a lot of people in my life are and I do believe there is power in the silence, in being a quiet person. Also, I do identify as an introvert—or an ambivert, actually—so it's exciting for me to read about the powers we have as introverts.

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

by Mark Manson

Ah, the book that has been very popular in the last few months. At first, I wasn't really interested in this book at all. It just feels like a controversial matter—it has to be done in moderation, lest you should have a mass of ignorant public. I do believe that we should give a f*ck still, but in the amount that wouldn't allow us to shed parts of ourselves for other people to salvage, while losing who we are in the process. However, seeing that Maya has it anyway, I thought I should at least give it a try. Who knows? It may exceed my expectations.

Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine

by Gail Honeyman

Another really popular book, especially among bloggers and booktubers. The cover alone really intrigues me. According to Maya, this is a fiction about mental health, although not necessarily brushing on mental illnesses. It deals more with everyday things that we brush aside, though it may actually be connected to the state of our mental health. Maya said that she was able to relate to a lot of the things mentioned in this book. It gave her a sort of enlightenment about her own mental health, so to speak. Can't wait to find out what's contained inside.

The Japanese Mind

by Roger J. Davies and Osamu Ikeno

Out of all these books, this one is probably the most special one. I've never heard of it before, but anything with the word 'Japan' on it, I'd be quickly drawn to. This is a book about the principles of Japanese lifestyle. It teaches the reader practically everything about why the Japanese are the way they are, why they lead the lives they lead and why the consequences to their actions might differ from ours. You see, my friend Maya got her Bachelor's Degree in Japan. On her first semester there, she was given this handbook for one of her classes—basically one of integration. It contains principles, such as bushido, that really shape the Japanese as a society.

Maybe a Fox

by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

Lastly, a book I know nothing about. I was just looking at it, because it has 'fox' on the title and I was attracted to it. The watercolour cover also looks absolutely gorgeous. The story is apparently about sisters. Maya said, that she could relate a lot to the story, having an older brother herself. She thought I would find it a whole lot easier to feel the same way, because of my very close relationship to my sister—as you may have noticed. I wonder if it will be anything like I Love I Hate I Miss My Sister or Her Fearful Symmetry—both of which I love.

Not going to lie: the moment I went home with these books, I was already itching to read all of them. At the time, I was reading two other books, so I had to wait a little bit. However, now I can finally dig in with no worries. Maya's shelf was chocked full of books, that I got completely distracted and lightheaded just looking through them—and the lengthy catch-up conversation we had—so there were actually still a whole lot more I'd like to borrow but fell through the cracks. Well, that just means I'll have to go back, right? I have to return these ones too anyway lol. Borrowing books from friends and libraries has always been one of my favourite bookish pastimes. It saves a lot of money and, often times, allow me to have someone to discuss the books with. It's also a pretty eco-friendly way to feed my literary hunger. I'd recommend you do it more often too!

Less Waste, More Style

Lately, I've been very much into the whole reducing-my-waste-and-negative-impact-on-the-environment thing. What is it called, exactly? Well, let's see. The popular term is "zero waste," but—let's be honest!—in this day and age, that has yet to be achievable. My sister likes to call it "less waste," but that doesn't really encompass everything I'm trying to achieve. Personally, I really like the term used by Sustainably Vegan and now am using it to describe my lifestyle goal: low impact. You might have noticed that from a recent blog post and various instagram stories I've been posting lately. 

Anyway, that has made me develop this new hobby of sorting waste. I mean, I used to do it naturally when I lived in Germany—because it was literally the law to sort our waste—but haven't really been continuing that here—because I thought my parents wouldn't support that. However, the past couple months, my sister and I have been sorting parts of our waste and giving them to Waste4change—a local recycling centre—which is what we were doing when we took these photos. Our parents are also very supportive: asking questions about what can and cannot be recycled, scouring around the house for more recyclables to give away and helping us arrange them nicely. We haven't sorted 100% of our waste yet, but we are trying our best to transition towards that—hoping to compost soon too! However, Waste4change is too far away for us, so we're still looking for a nearer recycling centre. Stay tuned!

Old hat + top + belt // hand-me-down pants + purse // thrifted loafers // photos by Akita

Speaking of less waste, by the way, one way of reducing the waste you generate is by reducing your consume amount. Especially on less essential parts—such as clothes. Personally, I have stopped buying clothes almost at all, since probably 2016. I have lived primarily on the clothing items that I do own and occasional hand-me-downs from family members or friends. For instance, this outfit. The pants are recent hand-me-downs from my grandmother. It is so, so beautiful and has been sitting idly by at home. Meanwhile, the purse is a hand-me-down from my late mother. It is original Braun Büffel, I believe, made out of real leather and has passed the test of time. Really roomy and convenient too. Alternatively, of course, you can buy secondhand/used items, like these gorgeous loafers of mine. Now, how does that reduce waste? Well, you keep the previous owner from sending their clothes to landfills—while getting a new item in the process. Isn't that just perfect? Well, that's just me. Do you have your own way of reducing waste? Do tell!

Take a Peek of My Work Area!

After years of simply shoving things around, I finally managed to properly declutter and organise my workspace. It is not an office—the space is located inside my current bedroom—and it is nothing new. The desk itself has been here since the 6th grade (2003)—the first time I moved into this room. So yes, I realise that it looks more suitable for school children than a freelancing working woman, but it's still very sturdy, really convenient and absolutely perfect. Speaking of which, I realise that this won't be one of those workspaces that would look even remotely pinterest-worthy or blogger goals, but it is very true to me and quite organised at the moment. Come take a look!

Vint-Age: ジャカルタの真夜中撮影

It's been such a long time since I've done a collaboration with someone in this little old blog—apparently, the last one was almost a year ago—and can't be more thrilled to share these photos with you guys. Earlier this week, my best friend Gina asked me for help with taking photos for a couple of her Japanese friends who happened to be in town. She only said that they would like to have photos of their clothes taken—in my mind, it's more an #ootd scenario. What she didn't mention is that it aims to be a little more high fashion, albeit with my amateur skills and equipments. You see, Gina's friends just happen to be Kaori-san, one of the fashion designers for Vint-Age, and Takako-san, a professional model. Thankfully, they're not looking for any specific art direction, that the lack of better lighting setup as well as the milling crowd gawking in the background don't bother them at all.

Demi Tanah Air

This whole post is in Indonesian, so sorry to non-Indonesians!

Selamat HUT RI ke-73, semuanya! Kalian upacara kah hari ini? Pakai seragam sekolah terus berbaris sama temen-temen? Jujur aja, akhir-akhir ini sulit rasanya untuk bisa berbangga jadi warga negara Indonesia. Pemerintahan, politik dan, yah, hal-hal lainnya bikin sulit untuk bisa dengan busung dada menyatakan cinta terhadap negeri ini. Standar sensor media yang makin lama makin berlebihan—melebihi akal sehat, medan politik yang terasa seperti area bermain pejabat-pejabat dan orang-orang berkuasa saja dan rakyat yang kerap kali hanya memikirkan kepentingan sendiri, sambil menyalahkan pihak berwajib. Tapi di saat seperti ini, justru kita harus memulai dari diri sendiri. Apa yang sudah kita lakukan untuk Indonesia? Bagaimana kita mengubah negeri ini? Ngga perlu muluk-muluk yang ingin membawa nama Indonesia ke kancah internasional segala. Mulai aja dari hal kecil, hal yang bisa kita lakukan sekarang. Buat apa mikir jauh-jauh untuk berkontribusi atas nama negara, bikin bangga nusa dan bangsa, lewat olahraga/sains/karya seni, kalau hal-hal kecil yang bisa menginspirasi aja kita belum bisa?

Thrifted top + loafers // borrowed pants // Sejauh Mata Memandang scarf // watch c/o Riverdean // Carousell tote bag

Hal itu ngga harus susah kok, lihat aja dari kehidupan kita sehari-hari untuk tanah air yang lebih indah. Aku, contohnya, lagi berusaha diet plastik dan meminimalisir produksi sampah Indonesia. Apa kalian tahu bahwa Indonesia adalah negara ke-2 dengan penggunaan plastik terbanyak? Mungkin kita yang tinggal di kota ngga merasakannya, tapi hal ini bisa sangat berarti untuk rakyat kecil di pulau lain, maupun pinggir sungai. Kalian tahu bahwa sungai Citarum yang di Bandung itu sempat dinamakan sungai terkotor sedunia? Bahkan Bali yang katanya pulau dewata, salah satu pulau terindah di dunia, itu pantai-pantainya sarat dengan sampah plastik. Mungkin video klip ini bisa memberikan suatu gambaran akan hal itu. Lihat deh, musisi luar negeri aja bisa peduli dengan lingkungan kita. Masa kita yang warga Indonesia, yang tinggal di negeri ini sendiri, bisa peduli setan dengan alam sekitar kita? Haruskah kita menunggu sampai kita tenggelam di lautan sampah kita sendiri? Dengan pemikiran ini, aku memutuskan untuk diet plastik dan memaksimalkan penggunaan barang-barang di sekitar kita. Bagaimana dengan kamu?

P.S: You can get 20% off from Riverdean with the code BIVISYANI20