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Early Eats, Gym Sweats, and Sweet Catch-Ups

I broke my intermitten fasting a little earlier today, well before 10 AM, just so I could share a meal with my youngest before she headed off to campus. We kept it simple and walked over to the food court across from our apartment. Everyone got their usual fix: my husband went straight for his favorite gado-gado, my daughter had rice with grilled chicken, and I opted for papaya veggies, fish, and tempeh. The food was delicious and super affordable, though the vibe was slightly hijacked by the unavoidable cigarette smoke from nearby tables. You win some, you lose some! Once our daughter left for campus, we headed back. My husband jumped right into work mode, and I hit the gym. Let me tell you, I was sweating buckets ( gobyos! ). There is definitely something about working out right after a solid meal: my heart rate spiked faster, and I just had so much more power. I skipped the sauna and jacuzzi since I just did them yesterday, opting for a quick shower back at the apartment instead. Na...
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This is Why I Love Mondays

I love Monday! Seriously, I’m not lying.  My Monday morning was super slow and relaxing. I actually got to take my time with my morning rituals: praying, reading my Bible, and doing some handwritten journaling. After that, I hit the gym and treated myself to the sauna, jacuzzi, and a cold shower. So refreshing! Afterward, my husband, my youngest daughter, and I grabbed lunch together before she headed off to campus. We just ate at the warteg near our apartment. It’s always delicious, super cheap, and you get free sweet iced tea! What more could you ask for? When I got back to the apartment, it was time to face reality: unboxing over a dozen packages that had been piling up. Ugh, honestly, unboxing is my least favorite chore. Usually, my eldest daughter is the one who excitedly opens them, but since she’s currently staying at her grandparents' house, I had to do it myself. Later in the afternoon, the Cleansheet ranger came over to deep clean the entire apartment. Every single corne...
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A Fulfilling Sunday: Gentle Wake-Up Call

My Sunday started with my usual weekly routine: hopping on the train and heading to church. I always enjoy this little commute; it gives me time to settle my mind before the service. Today, Ps. Alvi preached a message titled "Lord, Open My Eyes," and honestly, it felt like a gentle (but much-needed) slap in the face. It was week 5 of a series on navigating crisis, and the focus was on how crises can affect our relationship with God. He brought up the story of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24). They were walking right next to Jesus, but their grief and disappointment blinded them from recognizing Him. Here are a few takeaways from my notes that really struck a chord with me: Disappointment blinds us. When things don’t go our way, disappointment can make us view reality through the wrong lens. Ps. Alvi said something so profound: "Being hurt is an event, but being disappointed is a decision." Disappointment's closest cousin is suspicion. Feeling...
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A Productive Saturday: VIP Lunches & StartupLokal Plans

My husband and I got a VIP invitation to an exclusive gathering for the residents of our apartment tower. The event was supposed to run from 11 AM to 4 PM. We casually strolled in at 11:30 AM, and guess what? We were the very first guests there, haha! But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Because it was still quiet, one of the marketing team members came over to chat with us. Fun fact: he’s actually a unit owner in our tower too! It was great talking to him because he gave us insights from both sides: as a marketer and as a fellow resident. We had a really long discussion about how to improve our living experience and what we can do together as a community. We even talked about setting up a WhatsApp group for the tower residents. My husband is now super fired up and wants to run for the head of the Tenant Association (PPPRS)! We just feel it’s such a shame, this is a prestige apartment in a highly strategic location with amazing facilities, but residents still have to pay ex...
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Morning Drama, BFF Catch-Ups, and a Pork-Tastic DATE Night!

The morning kicked off with a serving of unnecessary drama between our apartment management and the tenant in one of our properties. Basically, the tenant threw their trash in the hallway, got reminder by management, and then threw a huge tantrum. To make matters worse, one of the management staff completely mishandled it: throwing baseless accusations and even dragging in some of their own internal office drama that had absolutely nothing to do with us! For the sake of my own peace of mind, I just went ahead and blocked that staff member on WhatsApp. Bye, toxic vibes! But of course, a little morning drama wasn’t going to stop me from getting my workout in! As usual, I hit the gym with a Caroline Girvan workout on YouTube. Honestly, being a little fired up actually made me push harder! It was the perfect emotional outlet to lower those cortisol levels, haha. I worked out for about 30 minutes, then hit the sauna for a steamy 20 minutes, followed by a relaxing 20-minute dip in the jacuzz...
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Good Deals, Bad News

Today ended up being the complete opposite of yesterday, when I was in such a genuinely great mood. Since there was a massive protest happening in Jakarta today, we decided to play it safe and just stay close to home. Plus, I woke up pretty late anyway because we got home super late last night and I was completely exhausted. But of course, I still got my workout in! I did my usual Caroline Girvan session at the gym from around 10 to 11 AM. I intentionally skipped showering right after because we decided to brave the heat and grab an early lunch outside at 11:30 AM, just to beat the office worker lunch rush. My husband ordered his absolute favorite gado-gado, while I tried the chicken tongseng. It was incredibly delicious and the portion was so huge I actually had to pack the rest to take home. The best part? It was super cheap, only Rp 15,000 with rice! In the afternoon, around 4 to 6 PM, I had the most relaxing time reading a book on a bench by the pool. The breeze was absolutely perf...
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Good Mood Wednesday

I started my day bright and early at 6 AM, heading down to the jogging track for a morning walk. The sunrise was absolutely gorgeous, and the weather was so clear, as bright as my heart <3 I managed to get a few thousand steps in during that one hour, which was a great way to kick things off. After that, my husband and I grabbed brunch at The People's Cafe. We used a TikTok voucher and got Nasi Gila for the two of us for only around 70k IDR. Such a win! We then hopped on the train to head to our meeting at Agora. Since we arrived way too early, we decided to chill at Starbucks for a bit and took advantage of their 59k promo for a cappuccino and a croissant. Honestly, another steal deal! When it was time, Ms. Lia, Mr. Thomas's assistant, picked us up to go upstairs. We were greeted by Mr. Thomas Sugiarto at FP One, the owner of the venue. Not long after, Felicia and Henri joined us. They are a married couple we just pointed out as our StartupLokal apprentices for the events d...
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A Public Holiday Well Spent

Today was a public holiday (Maulid Nabi), which meant zero urgent agendas and total santuy (chill) vibes! Because I went to bed way too late last night, naturally I slept in a bit this morning. I started my day with my usual routines and then just zoning out on the balcony, enjoying the quiet morning. But then JC, being the playful "pesterer" that he is, pushed me to go work out. So, fine! Let’s hit the gym! I tackled another 30-minute HIIT workout by Caroline Girvan. Goal achieved! 💪 Post-workout routine? Sauna time! This was day 2 in a row. They set the temperature hotter than usual today, but surprisingly, I managed to stay in for about 20 minutes. The only reason I stepped out was that my phone literally overheated to the point of shutting down, haha! From the sauna, I hopped into the warm jacuzzi whirlpool... which actually felt cold because my body temperature was already toasted like a roast chicken 😆. Finished off with a refreshing cold shower and shampoo, feels so...
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Why Mondays Are Actually My Favorite Day of the Week

For most people, Monday is the busiest, most chaotic day of the week. But for me? It’s completely the opposite. Monday is my slow, peaceful, and absolute favorite day. Here is how my Monday went, and why I love this day so much! A Very Slow Morning  I didn't even wake up until 8 AM! I eased into the day with my usual morning ritual: prayer, reading the Bible, daily devotional, and journaling in my diary. After a quick morning hug for my husband when he woke up, I drank a bottle of cold water mixed with Himalayan salt and pure lemon juice. I needed a natural oral electrolyte mix to recover from last night's diarrhea episode. Thankfully, by the time I finished my morning routine, my stomach felt so much better! Around 10:00 AM, I went downstairs to keep my husband company while he had boiled eggs for breakfast before his back-to-back meetings. Since I practice intermittent fasting , I skipped breakfast and focused on getting lunch ready. Cooking on Mondays is super simple, basica...
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