About Nabila Satwikawati

A full time civil engineer, a newbie writer, a book juggler and a lifelong learner.

Light Update on This Blog

Posted on June 11, 2023 by Nabila Satwikawati

I just sipped flat white while enjoying my Sunday morning in South Jakarta. I just found this local coffee shop few steps away from my place. I chose this instead of my favorite coffee shop in Kemang because I knew it must be so crowded at this time. Last Sunday, it was so packed, I got no table, so I had my coffee to go. I just visit this blog again and I found out that I haven’t write anything since early March. So today, it gonna be a light read.

Actually I had so many ideas that I should write. I found this blog quite random, but consist of things that I care the most: my personal thoughts, construction industry, coffee shops, art galleries and some brief review on books. As I started to write in this blog 9 years ago, it was on my 3rd year of uni, I just want to put my thoughts here at first and had some record of my uni life. But then this blog keep progressing as I entered “the real world”. So I’m gonna continue this blog as it is, as a media of reflection, an outlet to share my passions and things that I care, and documentation on my journey. Hopefully I can write more frequently in the future. Adios

London Coffee Trip: Islington

Posted on March 5, 2023 by Nabila Satwikawati

One of the best things about London is its coffee culture, with coffee shops spread across the city. It is so easy to get your caffeine fix and grab your morning coffee. If I talk about London coffee shops, I think there will be a really long list for sure. So, I’m gonna divide this topic into several part based on its borough, though most of my coffee journey happened on the north side of River Thames.

Islington is the first borough of this London Coffee Trip series, because I used to live here. Just few kilometers away from my campus in Bloomsbury, this borough is a really good place to live with its vibrant atmosphere. Also, there are many coffee shops here and there. When working with my dissertation, I spent most of my time in those coffee shops (besides the library of course). So here are some of my coffee shops recommendation in Islington

Southpaw Coffee, this small coffee shop is located at Roman Way, just few minutes walk from my flat in Caledonian Rd. Really popular with the locals, this little coffee shop serve one of the best flat white in London. They also had some great selection of pastries and cakes. I always had my coffee to go for my morning caffeine fix. Definitely would recommend it!

Vagabond N7, one of my favorite coffee shop to find inspiration. Located in Holloway Rd and just a few steps away from Highbury & Islington station, this coffee shop always really crowded. They serve great coffee, really smooth seriously. Got some various cakes as well, my favorite is the ginger cake. Their place got kind of rustic ambience, and though it is not that spacious it is quite cozy. This is quite random, but I just really love their espresso machine.

Coffee House 607, I remember this local coffee shop as a small and homie coffee house. The baristas are really friendly. It is located at Holloway Rd. I got a really good flat white and little chit chat with the barista. They also serve baps with various kind of filling, which I didn’t try, but it looks really good.

Look Mum No Hands!, I knew this coffee shop from my brother who is a cyclist. He told me that there’s a cycle café bar in London. Located at Old Street, this coffee shop really popular with the cyclist. Got really amazing atmosphere and spacious as well. It is one of the best café for work I guess. Sadly, I just found out that they closed this coffee shop in February this year.

Redemption Roasters – Angel, they actually got several coffee shops across London. But the one that located at Islington High-Street is their largest coffee shop. This coffee shop is one of my favorite places to work for my dissertation. They got quite spacious café but always crowded whether in the morning or afternoon. I really love their flat white.

Saint Espresso – Angel, they serve one of the strongest coffee in London. They got several coffee shops across the city. Somehow, location wise, I got my two favorite, the Angel one because it’s quite near to my flat and Hackney one because it’s really close to the UCL east campus. The Angel branch is a small coffee shop, located at Pentonville Rd. One of the best choice if you need a strong caffeine kick

So, these are my favorite coffee shops in Islington, London. Of course beside these local coffee house and local coffee chains, there are also large coffee chains. I think later I would also write about those coffee chains. Well, if you visit London you should check these coffee shops out and order a cup of flat white. Adios for now.

Bali Coffee Trip

Posted on February 26, 2023 by Nabila Satwikawati

It’s been raining all week long in Jakarta. This morning, I already wore my boots when the rain started to pour then I canceled my plan for a coffee tour today and chose to stay at home. Well, I thought I just should brew some coffee myself and enjoy this rainy day at home.

So today, I want to write about another coffee trip. No, not the London one yet. I think I’m gonna write that city into several parts. So many coffee shops to visit in one go. Today, I want to write about Bali Coffee Trip (well, you can see it clearly on the title). So, Bali, it is just one and a half hour away from Jakarta. A must visit city when you guys visit Indonesia.

About two weeks ago, my family and I had a trip together in Bali. It was our first full team family trip after the pandemic and errr my study. We stayed at a lovely villa in Seminyak, one of my favorite area in Bali. A bustling area with here and there coffee shop. We stayed there for four days but I only got one day for my coffee pilgrimage, because it’s a family trip, we should had quality time together. Well, in this case, family first then coffee second. Because I stayed in Seminyak area, here it is my coffee shop trip around Seminyak, Bali

Revolver Espresso, this is no doubt, my favorite. It is a must visit coffee shop in Bali. Each time I visit Bali, I always visit this coffee shop. The best coffee shop in the island I guess. Located in a small alley at Jl. Kayu Aya, it is quite hidden from the main street but easily found when you got the right alley. Every time I visit this coffee shop, it is always packed either in the morning or afternoon. Their espresso based is just the best, as usual I ordered a flat white, and it just really smooth. Their cold brew is also great for a take away.

A Cup of Flat White at Revolver Espresso

Pison Coffee, well actually they also got their branch in Jakarta. I got a really strong flat white on my last visit. Love it, really great for a morning caffeine kick. This coffee shop also my parent’s favorite. This coffee shop located strategically at the corner of Petitenget Street, it is so easy to find. Really good for having brunch after a morning beach walk.

Expat Roasters, the truth is I just found out about this coffee shop. But I’ll visit it again for sure when visiting Bali. Coffee is great, the café itself is so compact which reminds me of Five Elephant in Mitte, Berlin. Got a small talk with the barista, though they don’t have any branch in Jakarta, their beans are used in several coffee shop in Jakarta. Their flat white is just so smooth, I order a medium roast for my cup. I also bought some beans from them.

Actually there are so many coffee shops in Bali, not only Seminyak area, I also got a favorite coffee shop in Kuta, a small coffee shop called The Bared Bottle. While in Gianyar, there are some coffee plantation which you can visit like Bali Pulina for a coffee tasting. I visited the plantation few years ago with my Mom and Dad. Maybe, I’ll write it later. Well, I think that’s all for today. I just finish my second cup of coffee and it is still raining outside. Cheers.

Prague Coffee Trip

Posted on August 18, 2022 by Nabila Satwikawati

I visited Prague last month, in the middle of my dissertation work, to refresh my mind. The city is just so beautiful, and I just can’t get enough of Karlův most or Charles Bridge. Of course, the whole city itself is full of architectural gems from Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. As a Civil Engineer, I’m really happy spending my days there. Well, not only a beautiful city, but Prague also offers many local coffee shops. That’s exactly another reason why I visited this city.

Ema Espresso Bar, this espresso bar is located in the heart of Prague, close to the main station, Praha hlavní nádraží. It is always packed with people queueing for their coffee. Their coffee is amazing. I had an espresso macchiato, it is strong for sure, but I love it.

La Bohème Café, this café has beautifully decorated interior. I went there for brunch and my second caffeine intake that day. Their staff is really friendly. I had a smooth flat white there.

Kavarna Misto, this coffee shop has a modern minimalist design with wooden interiors, which I love it. As this was my third stop that day, the coffee shop was really crowded when I arrived at around 11 am. However, I managed to get my table outside and enjoy their coffee. I had a great Bolivian pour-over coffee there.

I spent three days and two nights in Prague. I wish that I could explore more coffee shops. However, I should be really mindful of my caffeine intake so I can still enjoy coffee in the future. Hence, these coffee shops are really recommended when you visit Prague. Cheers.

Prelude

Posted on July 25, 2022 by Nabila Satwikawati

Hi There! It’s almost August, a few months left before I’m going back to Indonesia. I really cherish my time here, took a sabbatical leave to continue my study is one of the best decision in my life. Now I’m still working on my dissertation. Wish me luck.

I’ll write more frequently after I submit my dissertation. Next I think I’m going to write about my coffee tours. I got several coffee shops recommendation here in London and UK in general. I also visit several amazing cities in Europe last week for coffee tours. Not only about coffee, I’m going to start make a brief review again about book that I read. I read quite lot of books here.

Well, I also think I’m gonna write more about digitalisation in the construction industry. So see you on the next post.

Sekilas Tentang Proses LPDP

Posted on May 4, 2022 by Nabila Satwikawati

Hi, ini sebetulnya draft lama yang belum sempat gue selesaiin dari berbulan-bulan lalu, gue mau menunaikan janji gue untuk nulis tentang beasiswa LPDP. Sorry banget baru sempat nulis nih. Well, jadi alhamdulillah gue menjadi salah satu awardee LPDP per bulan Juli 2021 lalu dan gue mau sedikit share tentang aplikasi beasiswa ini

Jadi secara singkatnya, gue daftar LPDP akhir Mei 2021, terus seleksi beberapa tahap, akhir Juli pengumuman dan September gue berangkat ke London. Untuk pengalaman gue ini prosesnya cepet banget dan persiapannya juga super hectic karena gue juga anak kantoran. Oh iya karena kondisinya masih pandemi semua seleksi dilakukan secara daring. Untuk sedikit backgroud, gue udah cukup lama lulus S1 dan setelah lulus gue langsung kerja di salah satu BUMN konstruksi selama beberapa tahun untuk cari pengalaman.

Well, langsung aja nih. Jadi apa sih yang paling penting buat persiapan beasiswa LPDP? Kalau menurut gue yang paling penting adalah niat. LPDP bukan tujuan akhir kita, tapi alasan kita kenapa mau lanjut sekolah dan nantinya mau ngapain setelah lulus yang paling penting. Kalau tujuan konkretnya udah kepegang insyaAllah semakin mulus lah ngejalanin proses seleksinya. Karena menurut gue terkait essay dan tahapan wawancara berputar disitu2 aja.

LPDP sendiri buka banyak jalur, lebih lengkapnya bisa cek di web LPDP, disitu lengkap banget semua informasinya ada. Kebetulan gue kemarin ambil yang jalur reguler. Nah jadi untuk tahun 2021 ini ada dua skema beasiswa LPDP untuk jalur reguler, yang pertama adalah jalur LOA (Letter of Acceptance) bagi mereka yang udah pegang LOA dari kampusnya dan yang kedua adalah jalur non LOA untuk yang belum punya LOA. Kemarin gue ikut yang jalur LOA karena kebetulan sudah dapet LOA dari UCL. Kalau nggak salah proses seleksinya mirip-mirip sih antara jalur LOA dan Non LOA cuma timelinenya aja yang beda. Oh iya tapi infonya untuk yang tahun 2022 ini jalur LOA bisa skip bagian tes substansi akademik, jadi dari admin langsung ke wawancara. Untuk yang jalur Non LOA kalau nggak salah bisa milih tiga jurusan deh, tapi detailnya bisa diakses di web LPDP lagi.

Nah jadi tahapan pertama adalah seleksi administrasi. Di tahapan ini kita diminta untuk ngelengkapin terkait dokumen administrasi seperti data-data diri, ijazah, transkrip, sertifikat bahasa inggris (IELTS atau TOEFL) dan juga essay tentang komitmen dan rencana pengabdian kita setelah lulus nanti. Di tahap administrasi juga ada beberapa essay terkait personal yang harus kita isi di web LPDPnya, terkait kelebihan, kekurangan, pengalaman berorganisasi dsb. Semua essay-essay ini yang penting kita isinya jujur dan sesuai dengan diri kita. Untuk essay komitmen kontribusi menurut gue lebih bagus kalau dibuat secara spesifik, feasible dan bisa terukur. Oleh karena itu kita harus bener-bener yakin banget nih ketika milih jurusan, kita tau apa yang mau kita pelajarin dan bisa berkontribusi di bidang apa nantinya.

Setelah selesai tahapan administrasi, selanjutnya adalah Tahapan Substansi Akademik dan Kebangsaan. Tes ini mirip-mirip sama TPA buat persiapan ke perguruan tinggi gitu atau tes CPNS (katanya sih, gue belum pernah nyoba CPNS juga soalnya). Jadi bkalau bisa dilatih aja, apalagi kayak gue yang udah lama nggak megang TPA2 gini sejak bertahun-tahun lalu. Di hari yang sama ada tes wawasan kebangsaan juga.

Selanjutnya setelah lolos Tahapan Substansi Akademik dan Kebangsaan, ada wawancara. Karena kondisinya lagi pandemi, kemarin gue full online. Gue diinterview oleh pihak akademisi yang terkait dengan spesialisasi gue dan psikolog, plus ada satu pihak dari LPDP yang memonitor proses interview. Interview sendiri menurut gue merupakan bagian yang paling krusial, karena interviewer bener-bener menguji kesiapan kita untuk melanjutkan studi. Secara garis besar pertanyaannya ngecover apa yang kita tulis di essay, jadi pastikan kita bener-bener jujur dan yakin ketika nulis essay. Pihak akademisi (atau bisa jadi dari profesional) akan menguji kemampuan teknis kita tentunya, jadi pastikan kita paham betul apa bidang yang akan kita dalami nantinya seperti apa. Biasanya mereka juga bakal mengeksplor alasan kita memilih major terkait, pastikan jawaban kita logis. Terkadang pertanyaan juga sering muncul ketika major yang kita pilih tidak inline dengan background studi kita. Well, selama alasannya logis, misal untuk pengembangan karir kedepan, tentu nggak apa-apa. Setelah itu psikolog akan menginterview kita terkait kesiapan studi, jadi pastikan temen-temen udah matang nih perisapannya. Ketika studi di luar misalnya, kita harus memastikan bahwa kita bisa beradaptasi dengan lingkungan dan kultur yang baru misalnya. Kalau dari pihak psikolog sendiri biasanya akan mencoba mengeksplor diri kita jadi sebisanya dijawab dengan apa adanya. Kalau dari gue sih di tahap interview ini kita harus bener-bener bisa menjaga sikap dan mengatur emosi, kalau bisa dibawa santai biar nggak tegang.

Semangat buat temen-temen yang lagi ngejar LPDP, apalagi yang nyiapinnya sambil di tengah kesibukan pekerjaannya. Gue sendiri udah lulus lama banget, tahun 2015 dan dari dulu memang udah ada rencana untuk lanjut sekolah tapi belum tereksekusi karena memilih untuk cari pengalaman dulu. 2021 lalu, di tengah pandemi gue akhirnya memantapkan rencana gue untuk studi dan mencoba LPDP. Untuk temen-temen yang baru lulus juga semangat ya, temen-temen awardee gue banyak kok yang baru lulus juga. Jadi LPDP itu emang terbuka buat siapa aja, tinggal bagaimana kita menyiapkan diri aja.

Gue sendiri juga masih berjuang untuk menyelesaikan studi gue yang cuma 1 tahun di London. Mohon doanya agar bisa lulus dengan hasil yang memuaskan. Sampai jumpa temen-temen, good luck and feel free kalau mau tanya-tanya.

Connecting the Dots

Posted on October 20, 2021 by Nabila Satwikawati

“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future” -Steve Jobs-

Udah sebulan gue meninggalkan negara gue tercinta. Pandemi tahun lalu, selain membuat gue merasa harus banyak-banyak bersyukur tentang banyak hal, namun juga membuat gue berkontemplasi tentang rencana-rencana yang belum tereksekusi. Akhirnya akhir tahun lalu gue memantapkan hati untuk submit aplikasi studi gue di UCL dan membulatkan tekad gue untuk fokus ngurusin rencana studi gue.

Keputusan gue akhirnya mau ngambil kuliah dimana dan jurusan apa juga sebenernya nggak tiba-tiba sih. Ketika gue lulus S1 dari kampus gajah dulu sebenernya gue juga udah ada plan untuk lanjut sekolah, tapi gue tunda dulu karena mau nyari experience. Sekarang setelah gue pikir-pikir itu adalah pilihan yang tepat buat gue. Pada akhirnya gue menemukan ketertarikan gue di bidang digital construction, yang bisa dibilang agak menyebrang dari spesialisasi gue di bidang geoteknik ketika S1 dulu. Akhir tahun 2019 gue mulai research kampus serta jurusan yang gue minati dan gue menemukannya di UK. Yeps, agak jauh ya dari rencana awal gue dulu sebenernya, dulu gue pengen lanjut ke Canada, biar bisa nikmatin pemandangannya yang indah dan nonton NBA hehe. Tapi karena tujuannya studi bukan liburan wkwkwk akhirnya gue memantapkan hati untuk fokus ke UK.

Persiapan buat kuliah plus nyari scholarshipnya ketika kita lagi kerja emang nggak sederhana. Meskipun di awal tahun sampai pertengahan tahun kondisi kerjaan terkendali, akhir tahun kemarin sampai waktu gue mulai cuti kerjaan di kantor gue lagi padet banget. Biasanya gue melakukan persiapan studi gue ini sepulang kantor atau pas lagi weekend. Belum lagi pas persiapan scholarshipnya yang kebagi beberapa tahap. Selain kelengkapan administrasi banyak hal yang perlu disiapin diantaranya bikin aneka essay dan juga nyiapin buat tes TPAnya LPDP. Jujur aja terakhir gue nyentuh TPA kayaknya pas SMA dulu deh, pas persiapan buat masuk kuliah. Tapi seru sih segala persiapannya itu.

Kuliah gue udah jalan sebulan, gue ambil Digital Engineering Management disini karena rasa-rasanya, gue mau fokus ke digital construction sekarang. Alhamdulillah gue happy banget atas pilihan gue untuk lanjut ke UCL, selain karena emang jurusan yang gue ambil tapi juga sama kota ini. London ramah dengan pendatang dan banyak kedai kopi bertebaran dimana-dimana.

Sebetulnya gue udah janji dengan beberapa orang untuk nulis tentang persiapan beasiswa LPDP. Gue rasa gue akan nulis di post berikutnya karena gue lagi dikejar deadline untuk assignment pertama gue sekarang. Sampai jumpa lagi secepatnya, semoga gue kembali konsisten untuk nulis.

2020 Quarantine: Picking Up New Hobbies

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Nabila Satwikawati

It is undoubtedly that 2020 has been a tough year for all of us. In Indonesia, the first COVID19 case was reported in early March this year and since then everything changed. Last time I’m having coffee with friends was in mid February and since the pandemic strike I barely go to the coffee shop again. It’s not only coffee shop, but I also haven’t jumped into pool too since then, which is my second favorite place to release my stress after work. Even during Eid al-Fitr I couldn’t visit my Grandma. Well, but it is no use to blame anyone for this pandemic.

Since the pandemic hit Indonesia in March my company ask us to work remotely from home. At the beginning I was excited because I always wanted to try working remotely. But due to the quarantine, we couldn’t go anywhere, so after a while I got little bored. So I try to find some new activities during the quarantine besides working and playing video games. Here are some activities that I found

Gardening. During the quarantine, since I can’t go to coffee shop anymore during the pandemic, I tried to find some new activities and I accidently watched video about urban gardening on Youtube. Then I decided to plant several veggies such as spinach, bok choy, kangkong, and tomatoes. It’s really fun to grow your own greens because it’s easy to grow and you only need approximately 3 weeks to harvest them. While for tomatoes you need approximately 3 months to harvest them. We got a bunch of homegrown tomatoes for weeks when the harvest period came. The most important thing when your grow veggies are soil and water.

Playing Ukulele. This idea of playing ukulele actually came from my friend and I thought it would be pretty fun to learn this small instrument. Actually I learnt acoustic guitar when I was in high school, well a classmate of mine taught me several chord to play, but then I almost never played again since then. The size of ukulele which is smaller than guitar make it easier to handle. Though it has different chords than guitar, it’s quite easy to remember it since the uke only has 4 strings. Beside playing the uke, like any other instrument it can lower your stress, it is also small and easy to carry.

Cooking. When the quarantine start in early March I never thought I’d learn to cook. My Mom is a great cook. She conquered many dishes and I’m just enjoying anything that she cook. But then, I realized that cooking is one of the survival skill that I need learn *lol*. So, I started to learn some basic dish and I decided to learn this skill in the future. And I found it’s pretty satisfying to cook my own meal or snack.

Tryin picking up new hobbies really helps me to stay sane during this pandemic. Compared to last year, my reading list actually had been decreased significantly but it’s okay because I found some new hobbies. We don’t need to push ourselves hard, just stay healthy and sane is more than enough. Well, I hope next year will be better for us.

Coffee Shop Hopping – South Jakarta

Posted on November 6, 2020 by Nabila Satwikawati

Before the COVID-19 pandemic coffee shop hopping was one of my favorite activities, but then the pandemic strikes and there’s no more coffee shop hopping. Now, it’s just sip and go. Though, I want to share some of my favorite coffee shops that you can try later when everything get better. Since I live in South Jakarta, here are some coffee shops recommendation that serve great coffee

Goni Coffee, Jl. Kemang Timur Raya

Open early in the morning at 7 am, it’s the right place to grab your morning coffee. One of my favorite coffee shop of course, because they serve really great coffee. My favorite is their piccolo latte. Besides coffee, they also serve breakfast, pasta and pastry. Actually their place is quite spacious but since the bar located at the center of the room and there is also coffee roaster on site, they only have several seats. The ambience is really homie and the barista is friendly. I usually have my morning coffee there on Saturday Morning. This coffee shop closed at 6 pm, so you can’t have your after work coffee with your friends there.

Tanamera Coffee & Roastery Kemang, Jl Taman Kemang

Also located in Kemang and open at 7 am, make it a good place to spend your morning coffee time there. They serve great coffee, my favorite is their flat white and their cold brew lines. They have several cold brew menus that served in bottles, I usually have these cold brew on the go. Don’t forget to get the cold brew before you go. To accompany your cup of coffee they offer some snacks and Indonesian dish. They have spacious place and lot of seats. So it’s a proper place if you want to work or have meeting with your colleagues

Kopi Kecil, Jl. Salihara

According to it’s name, since ‘kecil’ means ‘small’ in Indonesian this coffee shop is quite small. Located in Salihara Arts Center, this coffee shop is a must visit place before you go to the gallery or theater. They offer coffee and snacks there, their popular coffee which is also my favorite is kopi susu. If you are into arts or just enjoying arts like me, although the coffee shop is quite small, beside coffee you can explore the Art Center itself. I usually spent afternoon coffee there with my friends. They get pretty crowded in the evening and during arts events. They closed at 10 pm, so you can enjoy your evening coffee there.

Anomali Coffe Kemang, Jl. Kemang Raya

This coffee shop is my favorite stop if I want to have coffee with a friend till late night. This two stories coffee shop, have their coffee roaster on the 1st floor which give you a strong coffee smell when you enter the coffee shop. They use their 1st floor for roastery purposes, make the space that functioning as café only at 2nd floor with half of it functioning as smoking area. The place got really crowded in the night, so if you want to enjoy your coffee quite you’d better visit in the morning.

1/15 Coffee Kemang, Jl. Kemang Raya

If you want to have a brunch or lunch with your friends then this coffee shop is must visit. Beside their espresso based and manual brew, they offer several menu ranging from salad, pasta and some main courses. Their place is quite spacious with great ambience and good lighting. It is also strategically located in the main street of Kemang.

Well, that are my top 5 coffee shops in South Jakarta which located in Kemang and Pasar Minggu area. You should try their coffee, all of them serve great coffee. I hope everything will get better soon, so we can enjoy our favorite cup of joe in coffee shop.

Rutinitas Baru selama ber WFH

Posted on May 12, 2020 by Nabila Satwikawati

Butuh waktu sekitar 6 minggu buat gue menyesuaikan dan mencari ritme hidup yang pas selama WFH ini. Dulu sebelum pandemi, ketika gue masih pekerja kantoran dari pagi sampai petang gue pernah mendambakan bekerja jarak jauh di rumah. Dengan harapan gue bisa dapet work life balance yang pas. Sampai akhirnya gue menerima kenyataan sebagai pekerja kantoran, yang baru bisa melakukan kegiatan lain selepas kerja misalnya. Tapi ternyata WFH ini membuat gue agak kangen untuk menjalani hidup sebagai pekerja kantoran.

Hari pertama gue WFH, gue inget, gue sangat excited banget. Kerja pakai sweatpants tapi tetap dengan atasan kemeja, sambil ngopi pagi di rumah adalah salah satu cita-cita gue dulu. Jujur aja gue cukup produktif selama ber WFH, gue memilih kamar gue jadi tempat kerja untuk meminimalisir distraksi. Karena biasanya gue sangat mudah terdistraksi ketika di kantor, kayak ngejahilin temen ketika gue bosen atau agak telat masuk ketika habis makan siang bareng yang lain.

Seingat gue, gue masih sangat excited di minggu pertama karena gue nggak harus menempuh perjalanan Bogor-Jakarta. Well, selama pandemi ini Nyokap minta gue stay di Bogor karena semuanya lebih terjamin. Minggu berikutnya gue agak mulai bosan karena gue nggak bisa keluar ngopi atau sekedar makan siang bareng temen gue kayak biasanya. Tapi selebih gue suka ber WFH ini, karena secara produktivitas bisa dibilang justru lebih tinggi. Gue juga bisa beristirahat cukup dan bangun pagi dengan sangat fresh untuk ber WFH di hari berikutnya.

Beberapa minggu WFH berjalan akhirnya gue merasakan bahwa gue harus mencari kegiatan lain yang bermanfaat. Biar hidup gue nggak berputar2 aja untuk per WFHan ini dan sisanya jadi unproductive banget kayak main game misalnya. Well, gue menyia-nyiakan beberapa minggu gue buat main animal crossing hahaha. But it’s okay lah, buat hiburan.

Karena pandemi ini gue nggak bisa kemana-mana dengan bebas. Beberapa kegiatan favorit gue kayak renang dan ngopi di kedai kopi juga udah nggak bisa dilakukan lagi sekarang. Akhirnya gue memutuskan untuk mencari kegiatan yang bermanfaat dan gue memilih untuk bercocok tanam. Nyokap gue agak kaget sih pas tau gue mau bercocok tanam hahaha. Karena biasanya gue nggak pernah tertarik sama tanam-menanam. Terus minggu lalu gue dianter bokap gue pergi ke toko pertanian untuk beli peralatan menanam dan benih2nya. Karena ceritanya gue mau menanam sayuran nih.

Lahan yang gue manfaatkan nggak begitu besar. Gue memanfaatkan halaman rumah orang tua gue nggak terpakai. Kalau biasanya yang gue tau adalah campuran air, pasir, agregat dan semennya beton, sekarang gue belajar komposisi tanah yang pas untuk menanam, Kebetulan ini keahlian Bokap gue juga, jadi gue bisa tanya-tanya ke Bokap. Yah ini sekarang masih beberapa hari berjalan sih, beberapa tanaman gue masih dalam proses penyemaian dan sebagian yang lain baru muncul tunasnya tadi pagi.

Gue sengaja nggak memilih sistem hidroponik karena penasaran dengan cara yang konvensional dulu. Gue memilih untuk menanam di pot-pot gantung dan juga polybag karena lebih fleksibel. Untuk permulaan ini gue mencoba untuk menanam pakcoy, kangkung dan tomat. Lalu rencananya akhir minggu ini gue akan menanam cabai. Seru juga sih, jadi sekarang setiap pagi sebelum WFH gue ngecek pertumbuhan tanaman-tanaman gue itu. Semoga aja bisa terus telaten dan tanaman gue tumbuh subur.

Menurut gue perlu juga sih selama ber WFH ini mencari aktivitas lain yang mau ditekuni. Biar lebih asik dan bermakna aja hari-hari yang kita jalanin. Temen gue banyak yang jadi aktif banget masak selama WFH ini, kayak nyoba-nyoba resep baru atau tetap aktif di komunitas-komunitas mereka dengan meeting via zoom dsb. Beberapa waktu yang lalu gue juga diajakin temen gue buat join suatu komunitas yang isinya anak2 muda yang aktif dan inspiratif banget. Karena hampir tiap minggu ini ngadain zoom meeting dengan tema yang menarik dan inspiratif. Kebetulan gue pertama kali ikut sesi bedah buku merka, dan dari sana gue dapet banyak insight. karena jujur aja gue lagi jarang banget baca buku sekarang.

Selama masa pandemi ini, kita emang jadi nggak bisa melakukan beberapa aktivitas yang dulu kita kerjakan karena pembatasan sosial. Tapi kita tetep bisa cari kegiatan baru yang bisa jadi substituennya. Well, selamat sore dari Bogor yang lagi diguyur hujan. Semoga pandemi ini bisa segera berakhir.

A Daydreamer's Journal

Author Archives: Nabila Satwikawati