Arigatou, Ni Sen Juu Go

It's that time of year all over again.
The end of year, welcoming a new one.
This might be a rough goodbye for me.

Because this year,
Has been too good to be true.

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The Year of  緊湊的樂趣

Now what the hell are those Chinese letters all about?
Last year's theme made sense and now, what are these?!

Okay, chill, dude.
So for 2015, I claimed it as

"The Year of Compact Fun"

Yes, those Chinese letters literally mean "Compact Fun" (well, not sure if it does literally mean that, because I was using Google Translate but, yea, at least it'll be somewhere around that phrase).

I made it in Chinese because by the time I was generating my new year's theme, the only plan I had for 2015 was my trip to Hong Kong and Macau. That's all. But I don't know, I had this sense that somehow in 2015 I'll visit somewhere else just near those two places, say like, Korea or, Japan maybe? So yea that's why I came up with the idea of using Chinese letters.

And by "Compact Fun", well, it was sort of a hope that in 2015, I'll have an unstoppable back-to-back kind of fun. Some endless fun. With no break. Eternal fun.

Which turned out, to come true.

Because since my trip to Menjangan for the new year, then went on to Hong Kong and Macau, then my second book project, then started working for SOGO and the side jobs, then all those local trips up to the ultimate two-month Japan adventure, until finally now, I'm in Bali again for another new year,

It was indeed, surprisingly compact.

Just like what I expected.

I didn't even, even know how.

It worked just the way I wanted.

Now.

2016 is ready to replace my favorite year.

And it seems like I need to find a new theme...

But you know what, I can't decide now. It's too early, maybe after a week or two I'll come up with something. And maybe after I know what I'm going to achieve for 2016, I'm not going to spoil it too much here and just let it flow for the whole year, see myself if it's going to be so much relevant like this year or not.

Although I'm pretty sure it will be.

And oh, I think I have a little sneak peek of what my theme will nearly be about. This is a mural quote my Japanese friend spotted in Harajuku for me, and I kinda like it.

Saucy.

Yea well,

Whatever I'm going to have for 2016.

I must give all the credits first for 2015.

Thank you, you crazy year.

I seriously didn't expect you to be this striking.

To be this great, to be this enchanting, to be this--

Oh fvck, I can't even find the best word for you.

Well just remember that you,

Have been the best year so far.

And all the things you've done to me up 'till now,

Will linger on me forever

I Don't Know How I Did It

2015 is reaching its end.

Never thought that this year will be the time of my life where I focused really big on,

Career.

Ugh, career. One thing the 2010 me had always avoided from. Because the word relates closely near to adulthood. A stage of life even the 2012 me had always denied about. But what could I do, as I grew up the 2015 me finally gave in and worked a lot on, career.

But it turned out to be a fantastic year.

As I got my very first permanent job. In fashion retail industry. Shite, what a new experience no? Although still, my part was revolving around writing — but fashion? I must give credit to myself because I survived nine months for this main job.

"Main job". Oh yeah, I had side jobs too. "Jobs". As in two side jobs. As a web and social media administrator in film industry, and copy and Twitter writer in a music event. Fvck, more new experiences? I mean, film? Music? Those were all so not me.

But then I got to do all those three jobs, for learning. Lol kidding. Of course, for the sake of money making. I had this big BIG plan I had never done before, that really needed big BIG money so, I took the risks of taking those three jobs.

So, it seemed like I was forced to put off my real passion, eh?

Yes, "seemed like". But no, I will never abandon this part of me.

Traveling.

I kept on pursuing this one. Having my second baby the Cheating Hong Kong & Macau, publishing another article for MyTrip magazine, and of course, going on real trips to Harapan, Pahawang, and Krakatau - and it was all Indonesian trip, for God's sake I'm so proud!

But ultimately, of course,
When it comes to traveling,
In the year 2015, it's undoubtedly

My internship to Japan.

It happened all of a sudden. The vacancy was open in January, right when I was working on my second book while searching for a new job after doing my trip to Hong Kong and Macau. Then I got that job in fashion. Yet two weeks after, the manager from Japan interviewed me via Skype, and then boom, I got the internship.

Then I started to prepare everything like, everything, to get me safe and sound to Japan, while I was also doing my job. Then I realized I needed more money for this project so I took the film job. Then I discovered that I could still bare a little more responsibility for more money, so I took the music job. Then for three crazy months, I had to do three crazy so-not-me jobs, all for the crazy trip I had been dreaming about since I was like, three years old?

And I kept surprising myself even after arriving in Japan. Six weeks of non-stop exploration, four weeks of which were assigned with one mandatory article per day. Other interns failed in meeting the requirements but I, with my crazy obsessed freak trait, eventually produced 28 posts and saved myself by earning the promised money for completing the task.

I don't know how I did it.

This year generally, and that internship specifically, really taught me more than all the things I ever done in my life, combined. It opened my mind about my true strength in pursuing my dream. About how I can get whatever I want, with my own power. About my actual potential.

And I'm sure it's not even half of it.

There's more of me I need to unveil.

There's more skill, more opportunity,

More and more things I can benefit

That for the time being, I still

Don't know how to do

Living Life

It’s been an unbelievable month.

I didn’t even get a chance to update my blog.

From my last post, it wasn’t clearly said why I resigned my position in SOGO, for what reason I was brave enough to jeopardize my growing career, and why so sudden.

Well, I’m going to tell you guys briefly, because at this moment I just realized that I have a spare time to write on my blog.

So.

I was accepted in an internship for a tourism website.

The name is JapanTravel.com, and I’m required to do it in,

Of course,

Japan.

This was really crazy. I mean, the day they interviewed me and obviously gave me this sign that I was accepted, the craze started there. I mean, this is like a mixture of everything I dreamed of. Writing, traveling, and, Japan.

Long story short, five days after I resigned from SOGO I flew to Japan right away to start the program. And that explains why I had no chance to update, eh? My main job in this internship, is to explore Japan and write about all its tourist attractions. Sounds too good to be true, yes?

Well, it is.

Even up ‘till now I still couldn’t believe that out of 1.000 applicants, they picked me. Invited me to Japan, in which I’ve always been dying to visit. Assigned me with writing tasks, in which I’ve always been improving at. And on top of all, gave me chance to cover topics of traveling—in which I’ve always been trying to put my life within.

And so far it’s been a job I’ve always dreamed about since I was a little. Got a pack of name cards titled ‘reporter’, earned privilege to take photos of something that regular visitors aren’t allowed to, living life as a true journalist.

I carried my small notepad everywhere I go. I brought my laptop to cafés so I could work while sipping a cup of hot chocolate –that’s what I’m doing like right now. I asked this and that, in limited Japanese, just to find out details to complete my articles—oh, my God. I’m living life of my dream.

But now I’m near to the end.

It’s been five weeks already I guess, and I have to remember that this journalist thingy is just an internship. And it's just temporary.

Say hi to my kitty notepad and the drink I've always ordered in COFFEE shops.

But I change my mind.

I'm gonna take back word ‘just’.
And put it somewhere else better.

Because in this 'just' internship,
In this 'just' one month traveling,
I learned a lot, too lot actually.

And at least soon in Indonesia

When I'm feeling down or something,
I could always say to myself that once,

I lived life other people
Could 'just' dream of