This morning I tagged along with my husband to get the car washed, mostly because I had nothing better to do and partly because I enjoy these tiny slices of life with him. Right next door was Naked Papa, so of course I wandered over for breakfast. I swear I nearly laughed out loud when I opened the door. Ten in the morning and the place was already full with pretty young moms who probably had just dropped off their kids at school. I looked around, amused, before the realization landed softly on my shoulder. I was one of them too! LOL.
I had banh mi and an ocha fusion to share with my husband. Simple, nothing dramatic, yet somehow it warmed the morning like sunshine through a kitchen window.
After lunch we headed to the new apartment to sign PPJB. One of those milestones that feels both official and surreal. Everything went so smoothly. The notary was kind, the admin staff easy to talk to, and before we knew it the paperwork was done. Less than an hour and a small piece of our future was officially taking shape.
In less than another hour we were back in BSD, greeted by a heavy pour of rain that felt almost comedic because the car had just been washed. We laughed, shook our heads, and drove straight to Bhumi Minang because hunger waits for no one. After that we picked up some veggies and dishes at the warteg near our block, then slipped into Sundose Coffee for a slow cup before the day carried us again. Not long after, our eldest called saying class was over. We picked her up, the three of us heading home together, a small family triangle moving through a wet Wednesday.
But when I opened my phone later, the softness of the day collided with the sharp sting of the news. Sumatra, especially Aceh Tamiang, was drowning in disaster. Entire areas cut off. People stranded without help. And what hurt even more was watching the government respond with a mixture of slowness and foolishness. Statements that made citizens feel abandoned. Anger rose everywhere, including in my own chest.
Yet even in that heartbreak, a light broke through. Irwandi Ferry managed to raise over ten billion rupiah in twenty-four hours. Ten billion from ordinary people helping ordinary people. Indonesia at its best. Indonesia when the government fails but the people refuse to look away. A unity so raw and powerful it almost forces your heart to expand.
Embarrassing for the officials, sure. But for the rest of us, it was a reminder that kindness can outrun bureaucracy, that compassion moves faster than politics, that hope is a stubborn thing.
Wednesday, 03 December 2025
Nuniek Tirta Sari

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