The Diary of a CEO's Wife

I have the urge to capture this day with words. This morning was freakin’ windy cold outside our daughter’s dorm and she didn’t answer our calls.  When she finally did, we had to rush to catch the bus because the next one would be too late. We arrived at the church on time, me with low expectations judging by how empty the lounge was. Turns out, the mass was in the auditorium on the third floor. A tall, kind guy led us there.  Still, my first impression was it feels emptier compared to our megachurch back in Jakarta.  As soon as my hip hit the chair, I closed my eyes to pray and thank God for bringing us this far.  “No camera recording allowed here”, my daughter whispered to me while I was still praying.  I opened my eyes and observed: a small stage, dozens of chairs, some people chatted around.  And then the gentleman in a suit and his wife in fashionable dress came and introduced themselves We thought, oh, he must be the priest and his wife, doing their n...

Turning 46 came with an unexpected lesson in trusting the plot twists of life.  September 6th was originally supposed to look entirely different: a long-haul flight to the UK for a long-awaited André Rieu concert we had bought tickets for a year ago, before our daughter entering her dorm and university life there. Instead, life handed us a series of surprises that turned our schedule upside down, in the best possible way. First, my daughter missed an important email for eight days, leaving her student visa stuck in processing. To avoid a no-show status, we decided last Friday to reschedule her flight. Thankfully, since the ticket was booked using KrisFlyer miles, adjusting the plan was a smooth saver. Just as we were processing the change of plans, nature delivered the ultimate plot twist: Jakarta airport was temporarily closed due to a sudden volcano eruption. Had we stuck to our original departure date, we would have been caught right in the middle of airport chaos and flight can...

Saturday morning, hubby drove me all the way to BSD Plaza this morning for one specific mission: a  waxing session at Luv Wax Studio. You might wonder why I’d travel that far when Jakarta is packed with options, but in my experience, they truly have the most painless, quick, clean, and ridiculously affordable Brazilian wax in town. Worth every kilometer! While I was getting waxed, my husband popped into the barbershop right across from the studio. By the time I finished, he was still in the chair. I even had time to go shop for new underwear, and when I came back, he still wasn't done, he was casually getting his hair washed! To pass the time, I wandered into a local thrift shop, and oh boy, did I hit the jackpot. I found three super cute, perfectly-fitting dresses for less than 100,000 IDR total. To put that in perspective, my five pairs of new underwear cost 300,000 IDR! Hilarious contrast, but a win is a win. Once we both wrapped up, we reunited at the food court. Naturally, I ...

I decided to skip my morning workout today. I knew I had to conserve every ounce of energy for Ideafest at JCC, especially since the plan involved braving both the KRL commuter line and the bus. But first things first: breaking my fast! We stopped by our go-to warteg. Y ou know, the one where the iced sweet tea is completely free. After hopping off the train, catching a bus, and a short walk, we finally made it to JCC, only to be greeted by a massive line. The main event is watching Maluku’s rising star, Governor Sherly, being interviewed on the Kick Andy show. My husband constantly shares her Instagram posts. He actually wanted to ask her a question during the session, but sadly didn't get picked 😅. Interestingly, after listening to her responses, my husband noted that she might not be quite ready for the presidency just yet.  Out of all the Q&A moments, the one that stuck with me most was when Andy Noya cheekily asked who one of the questioners in the audience was. Ibu Sher...

This morning started off with a busy but heartwarming vibe. My youngest daughter headed off to campus for her classes, and her older sister decided to tag along to catch up with a friend there. Before the morning rush completely took over, my youngest actually took the time to whip up a delicious meal for the four of us. It was such a nice treat, and it totally saved us from having to buy food out. After we wrapped up lunch, my hubby and I decided to tackle some lingering home projects. We rolled up our sleeves, did some deep cleaning, and finally managed to install that new storage rack right above the fridge. Nothing beats the feeling of a freshly organized space! With the chores checked off my list, I happily slipped back into my favorite self-care routine. I treated myself to the full works: a good sweat session at the gym, relaxing in the sauna, soaking in the jacuzzi, and wrapping it all up with an icy, refreshing cold shower 🚿. By 4:00 PM, I transitioned to my afternoon reading...

Started the morning with my usual gym ritual, but I skipped the sauna and jacuzzi today. Just wasn't in the mood to wash my hair yet! For lunch, we hit up our go-to warteg (local food stall) that gives out free sweet iced tea. So good and incredibly cheap; it was only 33k IDR for the two of us. Right after, I swung by the Alfamart next door and grabbed 10 bottles of Pocari Sweat using a free 100k voucher. Got to love a good freebie! 👌🏽 Next, we headed to Depok and finally checked off a spot that’s been sitting in my saved places forever: Emily’s Listening Space . It's funny to think our whole lunch for two was 33k, while one glass of their Desert Cloud coffee was 40k and the Coconut Latte was 45k. But honestly, both were totally delicious, so it was worth every penny. The vibe is super cozy, almost like sipping coffee in a relative's vintage living room. Plus, since it’s a listening space, I got to pick out a vinyl record to play and went with a classic Al Jarreau album....

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...

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...

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...

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...