How I Feel When I Open My Wardrobe

This post is written as part of the #MulaiDariLemari campaign from Tukar Baju

My wardrobe isn't perfect; it is always a work in progress. One minute it can look all neat and everything's in place, the next it could be a complete chaos. But, when I open my wardrobe, I see something more than clothes. I see the history of how I built its contents into what it is now. I see the potential of what this wardrobe could eventually become. Most importantly, I see how it embodies me—how I present myself to the world, how I bare it all in private and how many memories each item tends to hold.

Lessons from My Finished 9-Year Relationship

Today would've marked the 10-year anniversary to my previous romantic relationship—the first one I've ever had. Starting as we were both entering adulthood, this relationship began at the cusp of major changes in our lives at the time. Alas, that relationship ended towards the end of 2019. I really thought it'd last forever. I really thought we would be our only partners. But 17-year-old me couldn't foresee the changes that were about to happen; she couldn't know the developments that unraveled along the way. She couldn't even imagine that I would be the one pulling the trigger. All that being said, I would say, we had a pretty good and healthy relationship. For a while, we were happy. Something like that—one that has been with you for so long—created a lasting impression, imprinted a series of habits and reflexes to fall back on. These are things you can't just shake off in a hurry. I don't like to think of it as a failure. I'd like to think that the relationship has served its purpose; he, however, might beg to differ. The relationship and the ending both changed my life and, if anything, there are so many things I could take away from it. If you'll allow me, I'd love to share a few major ones with you.

Zero-Waste Grocery: Naked Inc.

Before the pandemic hit and the quarantine started, Agung and I visited The Bulkstore & Co. at Kemang Village. It seems only fitting to hit up another packaging-free grocery store in the area, particularly in Kemang, called Naked Inc.—this one is located inside of Como Park. Out of all the bulk stores I've visited before, including Saruga in Bintaro, I think this one is the most diverse in the types of products it stocks. At the time, I came here in the height of my curiosity to explore gastronomically, especially locally grown ones, and be more conscious of the food that I put into my mouth. Food is one of the way we can contribute to fighting climate change and be more eco-friendly in our lifestyle—and it can be both easy and hard, depending on how you look at it. So here's the start of my attempts.

Noodling All Day with You

10 Overlooked Foreign Films to Watch Online

Lately, with being confined at home for so long, I've developed a new hobby—which you might remember from my previous post: watching foreign films. These are non-English-speaking films that happen to be on Netflix. It's just become my greatest pleasure to explore the world through films—because, apparently, we don't have the liberty to actually explore these days. Spanish films and series, in particular, have become a personal favourite for me, but I've also tried to venture into other languages as well to see what other countries have got to offer. Aside from that, I don't know about you, but I love short films as well. So I've also compiled some really great short movies that you wouldn't find on any of the streaming services—don't worry, I've included links on where you can watch these films as well! These films vary greatly from the absolutely comedic to the heart-wrenchingly dramatic, so whatever it is that you like, I hope you'll find it here.