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What Makes an Ordinary Day Worth Remembering?

Normality is a paved road: it’s comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow on it. — Vincent van Gogh Today was one of those painfully normal Mondays. You know, the kind that doesn’t deserve a camera, a journal entry, or even a decent whatsapp status. My husband had his usual marathon of online meetings. Meanwhile, I had my own version of a digital triathlon: laptop, phone, bills, repeat. If there’s a word for “productive but uninspired,” that’s exactly how I’d describe it. It’s not that I was lazy. I was moving my fingers like a pro pianist. But instead of playing Mozart, I was typing invoices, replying to emails, and calculating how much went to electricity, internet, and the ever-demanding water bill. By 3 PM, I started wondering if adulthood is just a long series of payments with short coffee breaks in between. Lunch and dinner were my only reasons to step away from my desk. I cooked, not because I was feeling domestic, but because I needed to stretch my back and feel like a real huma...
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What Does Excellence Really Look Like on a Lazy Sunday?

Excellence is not about being the best, but about being your best, even when no one’s watching. This morning, I woke up early. Sounds productive, right? Except… I somehow ended up meditating in the toilet for what felt like a spiritual retreat. You know those moments when your thoughts flow, ideas come alive, and you lose track of time? Unfortunately, on a cold toilet seat. When I finally stepped out, it was already late morning. Oops. Too much info? Probably. But hey, you’re my friend, you can handle the truth. Anyway, today was supposed to be my daughters’ turn to cook. They promised to make Swedish meatballs from our last IKEA trip. But since everyone woke up late (thanks to our collective love for Sunday laziness), and my stomach started composing a sad ballad of hunger, I ended up cooking brunch myself. Well, “cooking” might be too generous a word. Let’s say I heated up last night’s warteg dishes, added some protein therapy in the form of boiled eggs and tempe straight from the ai...
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Did We Really Just Go to IKEA for Lunch?

Sometimes the best plans are the ones that happen accidentally, right after the alarm fails you.  ~Nuniek Tirta ;) Remember yesterday I wrote , “ If you’re going to Puncak, leave early ”? Well, that’s the golden rule. And by early, I mean   before the sun even considers showing up . Same rule applies when heading back: leave before dawn if you don’t want to spend your day admiring the same bumper in front of you for hours. But of course, plans are just that: plans. This Saturday morning, our grand strategy to leave Rivervilla at 6 a.m. turned into...   let’s just say a relaxed 7:20 a.m. departure.   The kind where everyone’s rushing but also somehow moving in slow motion. Because the rumor was, at 8 a.m., the Puncak route turns one-way uphill. Meaning, if you miss the window, you’re basically sentenced to a four-hour car meditation session waiting for your turn to go down toward Jakarta. We made it, though, barely! At 8:29 a.m., we triumphantly escaped the one-way t...
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What if peace had an address?

Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is relax. — Mark Black At five in the morning, while most of the world was still asleep (and probably dreaming of not having to wake up early on a Friday), we were already in the car, heading to Puncak.  Our youngest could join this time because her school was running an asynchronous week, meaning she could attend classes online from anywhere, even from the hills.  The sky was still dim when we left, but slowly, soft streaks of gold began to spill across the horizon. That kind of sunrise, the one that looks like it’s whispering,   “You made the right choice waking up early”,  was our silent reward. People often complain about going to Puncak because of the infamous traffic jams. But we’ve learned the secret two years ago after months of renovation trips: leave at 5 AM, 6 AM the very latest, or don't bother going at all. With this little trick, we reached our villa complex in just two hours flat. No traffic, no stress, ju...
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How Do You Raise a Kid Who Doesn’t Need Raising?

“There are two lasting bequests we can give our children: one is roots, the other is wings.” — Hodding Carter This morning, my husband and I went to school. Not to study, but to attend our youngest daughter’s parent-teacher meeting. Normally, that would mean receiving a report card, but her high school has a different rhythm. No rank. No memorization drills.  She’s in the business pathway, and their evaluation system follows a university model. Lecturers, not teachers. Projects instead of exams. Teamwork instead of tests. The kind of school that teaches you how to think, not just what to remember. And honestly, I’m a little jealous. I wish I had studied that way.  Her homeroom teacher said, “She’s very responsible, helpful, and proactive,” I nodded, because that’s exactly who she is at home too: a walking checklist with a heart of gold. Her love language is   acts of service;  she’s the one reminding us to drink water or helping clean up before I notice the mess....
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What If Miracles Are Just Well-Timed Alignments?

God never works on our schedule, but somehow, He’s always right on time.   — Nuniek Tirta Sari This morning started like any other Wednesday, except my apartment looked like it had just been featured in a cleaning product commercial. The “Cleansheet Ranger” (our beloved housekeeper) had just finished making everything sparkle. While my husband jumped into his online meeting, my eldest and I enjoyed our brunch.  By 11:30, the three of us were heading to Madaya Coffee in Depok . Quite a trip just for caffeine, I know. But there was a reason. My husband had to meet one of his employees to do some hands-on coding work, and apparently, Madaya was kinda near his home. I recommended the place since it's been in my google maps saved place. My daughter and I were just the   plus-ones   of this work adventure, or as I like to call us, the “supporting cast.” Not that we minded; a change of scenery sounded nice.  Madaya Coffee, Depok My plan was simple: finish Barack ...
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What's the point of wealth?

Sometimes the mind gives up long before the body does. And sometimes, the body quietly follows the signals the mind keeps whispering. Today’s event reminded me that resilience isn’t just about having strong savings, but also having a strong brain. Every year, I get invited to   Permata Wealth Wisdom , kind of like my annual “school trip” to The Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place . This year’s theme:   Resilient Wealth, Confident Future.   I arrived at 9:30, just in time for the keynote speech by Airlangga Hartarto , Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs . The topic:   Navigating Indonesia’s Economy Amid Global Shifts .   Basically, he talked about how Indonesia’s economic resilience relies on innovation, infrastructure, and inclusive growth. Then came the talk show, moderated by my friend Aline Wiratmaja , with the panelists: Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) , the former Governor of Jakarta , with his trademark blunt honesty. Josua Pardede , Chief Economist of Permata...
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