Success isn't the destination, but the journey itself!

Well it was a very nice moment to look back. Nescafe gave me an opportunity to explore one of the city in Indonesia, my sweet hometown, Aceh. Maybe it sounds weird that I explore my own hometown, but the truth is I never explore my own hometown, except Banda Aceh. Therefore, this is my oppotunity to see how beautiful my hometown is, and visit all the incridible places in it. I live 19 years named Tjut Aliffah Keumala, for your information "Tjut" is a traditional name from Aceh, I personally have that name with pressure. Why? Because everytime people in Indonesia know there's Tjut in my name, they'll asked me with usual question "Are you from Aceh?" I definetely said yes, "How's Aceh? Is it a beautiful place? What is the tourism place in Aceh?" with this question, I answered "I don't really know, cause I only visited banda Aceh and for me the food is amazing". I kinda embrassed with this answer, cause I know they expect more and wanna know the information from me. Back to Nescafe Journey, I was super duper mega exited that they gave me this opportunity to visit Aceh.

It was Monday, 17th of September, we gathered in Soekarno Hatta airport waiting our flight to Banda Aceh. I carried my super heavy backpack and everyone laughed at me knowing the fact that my backpack's size is half of my short body haha. The trip went amazing when we reached Takengon, after our long damn trip from Banda Aceh to Takengon, our exhaustion got paid by the scenery. We went to Danau Laut Air Tawar, this is the picture which captured at that time:

Then the plan is, we want to visited Meulaboh (this is my grandma's hometown). I never been there, so the exitement raised to the high level!! haha. We need more than 8 hours to reach Meulaboh, its already dark outside, the road was not good, finally we decided to stay at the locals house to rest. But the problem is, in our group there are two ladies and three men and we know that the religious atmosphere in Aceh is so strong. So we decided to stayed at police office in Rikit Gaib village. It was the very first time for me to sleep in the police office, me and Bulan stay in the mushola while men stay inside the police office. It was a creepy place to sleep, not the mushola but outside! I heard someone knocking outside and heavy things fell down, and all I can do is just hoping the sun rises quicker than before. This is my photo with the police, his gun and mas Darto: 

It was can not be uttered uttered by words when I leave the police office, thank God we just stayed there 1 night. So we continued our trip to Meulaboh. It was a very ugly road we passed, rocky road, road climbs and the worst is there was no service in our cellphone. We passed the shallow river and we have to went out of the car in order to ease the burden on car. In the middle of our way to reached Meulaboh, our car got stucked, the car could not passed the uphill rocky road. Heavy rain fell, there was no locals went down from the hill.. so we decided to go back.. I was a bit sad that we can't go to my grandma's hometown but the journey goes on....so we just facing the reality that we need to go back :')

We went to Medan and took the direct flight from Medan to Banda Aceh. The day after, we went to the most amazing island in Aceh, Sabang island. This island offered us a very nice beach and yes, Im falling in love with the scenery.. We went snorkeling at Iboih island (one of the snorkeling spot in Sabang), we also go diving, it was the very first time and the last time for me to go diving, cause I sucked in the intro diving practices T.T haha

This island is located in the western part of Indonesia, particularly where the western part of Indonesia began. Cool isn't it? We went to the 0 km and enjoyed sunset there :)

Our journey went very well.. We had a super great time together, this is my Nescafe journey team; Mas Darto, Bulan, Me, Mas Tyo and Mas Onie (from left to right). In a short span of time, they've become my new family. Thanks Nescafe for the journey, the opportunity and the experience. Especially, thanks for my team who made the trip amazingly unforgettable <3

Worst vacation ever

My eid went fine before I go to the most annoying place on earth: Wonogiri. Actually wonogiri is my hometown, but knowing the fact that the whole family (grandma, uncles, aunty, cousins) is in town, I think there's no need to go to Wonogiri. Doesn't mean I'm arrogant or something but the trip just irritates me, we rent a big bus for the whole big family, we spent 17 hours and more just to reached Solo then went to Wonogiri. Crazy isn't it? And the house in Wonogiri just...........makes me in misery. Anyway I don't have to explain about it, I just want to tell that keeping a tradition that makes you sick is not cool. If my grandma or some close family still in Wonogori, I'd love to go.. but this is different situation :'( 

Moreover, we went to Semarang for some holiday, and yes I expect a very nice place in Semarang.. Doesnt have to stay in luxurious hotel or expensive place, one that I need is just COMFORTABLE. Too high expectations bring you down, that quotes bang me when I reached the hotel in Semarang. I feel in the haunted place and need to struggle (again) just like in Wonogiri but in a different situation :'O 

The hotel was creepy and my room was spooky.. My cousin said that this hotel was hounted, in the end I can't sleep at all. 'Great' vacation.. I hope I don't have to go to Wonogiri again, unless my grandma or one of my close family move to Wonogiri.

My Pakistani brother *justkidding*

One month ago, me and my parents (just me and mom exactly) want to have an experience being a host family for home stay student. At the very same time, one of organization in my campus held some summer project and they invited lot of students all over the world. My friends whom join that organization offered me the chance to be a host family, and I definetely agree with it. My friends gave me two option, because all of the foreign students already have host family, they only have two foreigner left which were from Chinese and Pakistan. Personally, I don't have idea how to choose this in a sudden, so I just randomly choose a student from Pakistan. My friend said that the student is a girl, ofcourse I'm totally fine it, but suddenly my friend called me that the student is a boy and they don't have any foreigner left, he asked me if I'm fine with it? I asked my parents and they agreed with it (even though I'm a bit worried). Shortly, this is the story that I wanna shared, a boy from Pakistan suddenly become my brother, without any introducing we met up in the airport on 14 July 2012 when I picked him up.

I went to the airport with my best friend, Yuka. She accompanied me cause both of my parents can't picked him up with me. I waited for approximately one hour, but he did not came out from the gate, all of the estimation came up in  my mind, Does he missed the plane? Or he cancelled suddenly? I'm in a super panic situation, thank God Yuka with me. I started to figure out from the information desk, the boarding board, and finally I got an idea to asked some passenger, even though they didn't gave me a conclusion. They just told me that the plane landed from an hour ago which was I know it! 

After that me and Yuka went back near the gate and just.........wait. Finally there's a guy walked out from the gate and I'm a bit familiar with his face. I'm sure that he's my homestay brother, I know it from the photo, I ran to that guy and showed the paper written his name on it. And he looked at me and we shaked our hand. He told me that the luggage is missing, it was the airplane fault, therefore it tooks his time. So we went home and from that moment we became a very good friends, he is a very nice brother, loving and caring person. We had an unforgetable conversation everyday after he went back from internship, He's very smart, he tought me lot of things, gave me advices, and important information about life and worldwide situation. He changed my mind about his country, Pakistan. I thought Pakistan is a war country, but he explained that Pakistan isn't a war country and so on. Beside all the heavy conversation, we had fun together everyday, like I made jokes and he respond it with funny faces and words.

Thirty five days with my brother flew so fast, I never thougt that we'll be a very good brother and sister. It was 18 August 2012 the day that he went back to pakistan, I feel very sad at that time, knowing the fact that my brother will be gone. He gave me his journal in Indonesia so I'll remember him every time and I also gave him a CD which contained some video so he will remember me in the future. I dropped him to the airport, I hate goodbye. We promise that someday we need to meet up again, I have to go to Pakistan someday, its my promise, so did him, he promise me to visit Indonesia again, I hope it will become true :) See you Jahanzeb Hadi. Thank you for being a very nice brother, it was an amazing one month.. xx

A #journey begin with a single step

Thursday, 9 August 2012.

Nescafe team was suddenly came to my house, they announced me that I'm the 2nd winner and Imam Darto was there. I'm overwhelmed, overhappy and overeacted haha. Some people said, a journey begin with a single step, here is my single step and hopefully the other step will be blessed :)
Thank God for this accomplishment, from thousands of people who shared their story I became one of the 60 candidates and they reduce it again to the big 6.
And secondly thanks to my parents who always support and encouraged me for everything <3
Thanks to my best friend Yuka who helped me edited the video til 2 o'clok in the morning, she's the best!!
Thanks to my friends who wrote the comment on facebook,
and finally thanks to Mas Darto and Nescafe team whom choose me to join the #journey. It means a lot..
See you real soon, Wakatobi, hopefully :)

My Journey

According to my hobby wich is traveling, I decide to join some competition held by Nescafe coffee called Nescafe #journey. In this competition, firstly we have to share our journey dream in Indonesia and make story about it. Secondly, we can share it through facebook or twitter and choose who is our aspirer (the celebrities who will join the journey and they have privilige to choose who's the winner). With all consideration, I finally join this competition just to try my luck. Actually I have a lot of journey dream in Indonesia, but I decide to write about Wakatobi in Sulawesi, it is one of the best marine park in the world. This recognition makes me want to see how real they are. After that, I choose Imam Darto as my aspirer, why I choose him it simply because he's my favourite announcer, he is a hilarious and fun person. I shared my story and ideas to facebook and made some tweets mentioning wakatobi as my dream #journey. Surprisingly, from thousands of people who shared their story, I became one of the 60 candidates of Nescafe #journey. I was very happy when they called me and no words describe that feeling. Even though, the competition still going on, after they choose me to be one of the 60 candidates, they will reduce the candidates to 6 person only. Another requirement is, I have to make video about my ideas why I want to go to Wakatobi marine park and introduce my self. And then I have to asked my friends to gave comment to my video and describe who I am.

Yesterday, nescafe team called me and I was on the phone with Imam Darto, my lovely favourite announcer. He wanna know more about me, the interviewed was going well, I hope he is interesting with my ideas and like my personality. It was just an interview, the winner announcement still 20 days from now, if I'm not mistaken. I just wish all the best for this.

I passionately want to win this competition is because I really appreciate if I can travel without my parents money, when you get something because you put effort in it, it will be more valuable. I'll share further information if I win this competition, hopefully :)

Brighspot

This afternoon I went to brightspot at Gandaria City, this is the second time that I came to brightspot market. As an indonesian, I'm so proud that brightspot provide our local brand to distributes their products through this event. In fact, this event bring our local brand to reach a recognition from society in Indonesia. Cause mostly, international brand are more trustable for indonesian people. But through brighspot market, Indonesia designers prove their capability in selling goods. Well, to be honest, the price is approximately the same with international brand, but I admit it the model is very nice and some of the fabrics are good quality, in my opinion. I'm so proud for those local brand, because they've a really nice creativity.

I bought blezer and unique clothes in an affordable price. The boutiques were Majic and Coloriot. I'm not advertise their products for sure, but their clothes are pretty. This aftenoon wasn't crowded. So it was fun to have a big space to shop hehe. The brightspot market is in the third floor of gandaria city mall, 7-11 June 2012 at 11am - 11pm. Enjoy! ;)

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Survivor From the Sky

Yesterday I went to my ietls course, on that day the activities that we did was reading task. The teacher gave me 2 reading passages, one of the articles is about the story of young lady who survive from the plane crash.

In remarkable documentary, Wings of Hope, German director Werner Herzog recounts the true story of an eighteen years old girl, the solo survivor of a plane crash in the Amazon jungle 1971. Twenty-nine years later Herzog returns to the jungle with Juliane Koeple, now 46 years old biologist, and she tels her amazing story on film.

Juliane had just graduated from highschool in Lima, Pery and, with her mother, was flying out to spend christmas at her father's research station in the jungle. A half hour into the flight they encountered a horrific storm. In the midst of wild turbulence, the plane was struck by lightning and fell into a nose dive. Passenger screamed as baggage flew around the compartment. Then the plane broke into pieces and suddenly Juliane found herself outside free-falling 30,000 feat. 'I was suspended in mid-air, still in my seat. It wasn't so much that I had left the plane but that the plane had left me. It simply wasn't there anymore. I was all alone with my row of seats,' says Juliane. 'I sailed on through the air, then I tumbled into a fall. The seatbelt squeezed in my stomach and I could breathe anymore.' Before she lost consciousness, Juliane saw the dense jungle below, 'a deep green, like broccoli', with no clearings for hundreds of miles.

Somehow, miraculously, Juliane survived that fall from the sky. In the film, she speculates on a number of factors which may have combined to save her. First, the storm had produced a trong updraft from the thunder clouds. Secondly, being strapped into a row of seats, she was aware of falling in a spiralling movement, like a maple seed pod. Then hitting the canopy of trees, she tumbled through a maze of vines which slowed her landing in deep mud.

But surviving from the fall, though miraculous in itself, was just the beginning. When Juliane awake hours laterm wet and covered with mud, she was still strapped to her seat. Staggering to her feet, she assessed her injuries: a fractured bone in the neck, concussion and deep cuts in her leg and back. She was also in shock, lost and totally alone in the amazon jungle. No doubt it was her familiarity with the wilderness that enabled her to cope. Her parents were biologist and Juliane had grown up in the jungle. She realised her only hope was to follow a little stream of water nearby, trusting that it would eventually lead to a larger river and rescue. With no provisions, dressed in the miniskirt she had worn on the plane and wearing just one shoe, she set off through the jungle. She passed broken fragments from the plane -  a wheel, an engine. 'Initially, I saw planes circling above me, but after a few days I realised the search had been called off,' she said.

Surprisingly, she felt no hunger but as the days passed her health was deteriorating rapidly. The gash in her shoulder, where flies her had laid their eggs was now crawling with maggots. 'I knew I'd perish in the jungle so I stayed in the water.' Walking in the stream however presented one risk more serious than any others. Before each step she had to poke ahead in the sand with a stick, to avoid treading on poisonous sting rays, lying hidden on the bottom. As the stream grew into a river, swimming was the only option. However, here in deeper water, there were new threats. Crocodiles basking on the shores slipped silently into the water as she passed. Juliane trusted that they feared humans and were entering the water to hide. She swam on. On the tenth day, starving and barely conscious, she spotted a hut and canoe. They belonged to three woodcutters working nearby. Rescue was at hand.

For this 46 years old woman, re-living such a traumatic experience on film must have been a great challange. But she shows little emotion. Flying back into the jungle she sits in the same seat (19F) as on that fateful day. She's dispassionate, unemotional in describing the flight. On the ground, when they finally locate the crash site, in dense jungle, Juliane is scientific in her detachment, looking through the deribs, now buried under dense vegetation. She examines a girl's purse, the skeleton of a suitcase. Walking along the stream, she spots the engine which she remembers passing on the third day. Her arms and legs are covered with mosquitoes, but she seems to ignore all discomfort. Then, back in the town, standing in front of a monument erected in memory of the victims of the crash, entitled Alas de Esperanza (Wings of Hope), Juliane comments simply, 'I emerged, as the sole embodiment of hope from this disaster.'