Happy New Year 2019!

Alright I know I'm like 5 days late but nevertheless,

Wishing you a Happy New Year 2019! May this year be a better year for all of us :D

I've been wanting to blog since the first day of the new year but well, I've been busy with stuff these past 5 days! On the first I was preparing for work as we reopen on the 2nd. On the 2nd I had delivery to do and some work at night, on the 3rd I was doing stocks, and last night I was doing work as well! So yes, I didn't have much free time the past 4 nights. Thankfully it's Saturday now and I'm free whew.

Well apart from being busy with work, I was also experimenting on something new actually... More on this on a separate new post haha. I think it should be dedicated on a special post on its own.

Anyway another new year is here! Hmm well it's been like 3 years I think since I don't feel excited for the new year. Not because I'm dreading it, but because I kinda have accepted that time just goes on and on. Especially when you are in the working world. A new year may come, but you are still going to carry on whatever you are doing the year before, in hope that you will do it better in the new year.

So year is just a concept of time. Like a checkpoint or something. I don't really feel excited for every new year because I know we are all just moving forward. Neither am I dreading it. I think in every new year, the right word for me to use is... Hoping? Anticipating? Hoping for better and brighter days ahead. Hoping for more wisdom and more guidance as we move forward. I'm also anticipating because we're all going to experience something new. Every new day coming is a mystery.

For instance my country is going to have a presidential election this year. Brexit seems to be coming too for the UK (which will definitely have an impact on the world), and so on and forth. Well I think we're all just hoping for the best in the coming new year. No one can predict the future really.

Alright that's all for now I guess. As usual I don't have any resolutions. And I'm just going to simply add them along the way. But I'm still going to definitely blog at least a 100 posts here! See you soon.

In 2018...

It's the last dawn of the year and as usual, here I am writing and reflecting about the year. To be honest, as I'm sitting down here on my chair, blogging, I don't really know how to describe 2018. I really can't put it into words. Because 2018 has officially become the weirdest year that I've went through. It is really weird. So yeah don't expect a lengthy reflection post for this year!

To put it simply, I felt a lot of different emotions, feelings and be visited with a lot of different thoughts that I've never felt before. It feels like I was caught in a whirlwind of many different emotions and thoughts that could feel overwhelming at time. If it's not for the 4 years of meditation that I've been doing, I think I'm not sure where I'll be now haha. So thankful for that.

I used to really befriend uncertainty. I used to just give in and let life take me wherever it wants to take me, trusting on the journey and the process that I am going through. Yet at the same time, I feel the opposite this year. I feel like I am thirsty for certainty. I wish I can know how will life unravel for me. I wish I can know what the future holds for me. And of course, all of these are impossible.

I no longer just give in, but I started to think more about myself. And it is hard, because when this happens, ego plays a part. You start to think if you deserve this love, or you're just being selfish.

But amidst all of these confusion, I did learn a huge lesson that the flowers have taught me.

"You can't stop a flower from blooming

as much as you can't stop life

from unraveling what it has in store for you.

So be brave, have faith and keep going

because you can't stop the flower from blooming"

This was what I told myself, after experiencing the flowers in the farm blooming much faster than they are supposed to bloom heh. Which brought me a bit of comfort, and remind me again to just be here in the moment, and stop being frightened by uncertainty, because it is the only certain thing in life!

I think I do understand that I am growing up. I am no longer that young kid, that poly graduate and so on. There is a life that I have to live, and I am going to live. And who doesn't love some certainty. Who doesn't love knowing the future. And who are able to do those? Nobody.

Well if I can sum up 2018 in 3 words, it would be: trust the process. And I think it will be one thing that will be in my mind for a long time now. A short and simple reminder that we just have to keep on going really. To keep on holding on, to just do what we can do in the amount of given time.

2018 has also made me question about a lot of things in life. The things I went through have definitely made me question about a lot of things. About money, about the purpose of life, about the meaning of life. And so on. They say life will get interesting and also tough at the same time when you begin to ask these kind of questions. So here's me wishing that I will find the fragments of answers to these really difficult questions that we will ask one day in our lives.

I also do feel like a failure this year because well personally there isn't much things that I have achieved. I broke my promise of traveling somewhere I've never been before every year. I didn't achieve many goals but I know I don't have many either heh. But like I said I don't want to punish myself for not achieving them. I hope I can continue to make the new year a better one.

On the other hand, I did change my habits and even form new ones too! I think they are quite life-changing for this year. For instance I changed my chanting time to the morning when I wake up. I managed to meditate longer this year (15-20 minutes now, compared to the previous 10). I also managed to find my joy in journaling again, and I'm going to try something new in the new year.

Also I feel like I've become more of a spiritual hippie this year. I read up a lot about spiritual stuff this year and I feel like I've made a click to them. Or more like... I've re-built some connections I've lost with these stuffs. Because I think I was more of a spiritual person in the 2014-ish era. But somehow I've changed and now I feel like I'm going back again. And it feels good.

You know if 2017 was a year that taught me not to lose hope, and how it is a year where life had shown me the way (and that there will always be a way), I feel like 2018 was a year of test given by life. Where it doesn't show my anything, but it is trying to teach me of patience, hope and just perseverance. 

And I surely do hope that whatever I learn and went through this year, will give me a better energy and better footing for 2019. And well I think I kinda do.

As usual, I'm not going to write any goals or resolutions for the new year. I'm just going to enter the new year and slowly by slowly, I'm going to add new goals and resolutions and share it with you. I did have some plans already, and I can't wait to make it into a fruition!

Well well, 2018, what a year it has been. The weirdest year I've been through and it is a year where I can't explain much, and can't put much words into it. But whatever the case is, I hope you 2018 has been treating you well. I hope 2018 has made you into a better person. Even if you feel that you have changed, even if you have went through shitty times in this year, I hope you come out of this year as a stronger, better and more mindful person. That whatever you went through, had made you stronger! Yup, that's all for this year I guess. Here's me wishing you an adventurous and beautiful 2019 ahead.

Before I bid farewell to this year, I hope you will always remember this:

Be brave, have faith and keep going.

Trust the process

Somehow, somewhere, someday,

everything will make sense.

Beautiful Endings

Not sure why but I've been blessed with beautiful sunsets on the last few days of the year. Perhaps it's just a serendipitous reminder that everything will be beautiful in the end.

Somehow, somewhere, someday.

Streamy Spotify II

Featuring my favourite album of 2018: Community by Favela!

One of the most life changing things I've done this year... Is to actually switch to Spotify for my music listening experience haha. Well I would say it's quite an achievement because come to think of it I was actually quite against music streaming services haha. Well I just don't like the idea of requiring internet to listen to music, because I believe that music doesn't need internet to be played!

But alas everything changed when I discovered that you can download your music on Spotify Premium haha. So yes, do your research before hating something heh. And yup so far my experience in Spotify has been amazing. I think streaming music is truly a revolutionary thing to happen. It changes a lot of thing about music. How we enjoy them, how we listen and how we "interact" with it.

Although I did also read how streaming music doesn't really benefit the artist (or something along those line), and that purchasing an album/going to gigs is still the best way you can do to support an artist. But as the years go by, more and more artist are on the streaming wagon. Some of my favourite artists only put their music on digital formats, so yeah hopefully things will work out better!

One of the most life-changing moment for me, for Spotify, was when I get this new laptop of mine. So after getting a new laptop, I was downloading iTunes and also transferring the old datas from my external hard drive. It was also when I decided to try Spotify and I eventually come to a realisation that with digital streaming, I don't have to worry about my old data. All of my songs are already saved in my library. Booms! That was a very cool discovery to be made hah.

Anyway I'm going to continue to use Spotify. But I'm also considering to give Apple Music a try. Cause there are still some of my favourite music that are not available on Spotify. But I think I can play them on my iPod while still being connected to Apple Music. So we'll see.

And as always, I will never stop collecting physical formats!

Great Music of 2018

Some of the great music of 2018!

Right, supposed to do this on Christmas but I was pretty busy, end of month affair as usual. Things have wind down now and so it's time to do the yearly review of the great music I discovered in this year! Before that let me share with you great music of December, not many though.

Great Music of December:

- Clothed With Sky by Hammock

- Thirst by Hammock

- Close To You by Axel Flovent

- Jetty by Tycho

Great song of December: Clothed With Sky by Hammock

Hammock just released their new album Universalis back on 7th December! It's a 3-part album from last year's Mysterium and it is described as an upward movement, going up (something like that). And yes, it does feel like that, as compared to Mysterium. Hammock is such an incredible band. I enjoy every album that they have released since I discovered them back about 6 years ago. As usual, their songs are a good accompaniment to think about life and our existence here. I am very excited about their 3rd part of this series, cause Universalis is already sounding amazing.

I discovered Axel Flovent from Spotify! He was playing in one of the radios I played and wow it's another amazing discovery of 2018 weee. I did see his name on the Iceland Airwaves poster though. As for Tycho I just found out that he relased this song, even though it was released last month I think hah. It's such a great song and it reminds me of the Awake days. Looking forward to his new album!

Now time to get to business. Great Music of 2018

Let us begin with the new bands/artists I discovered this year! All list are in no particular order.

Great artists/bands I discovered in 2018

[] S. Carey [] Nick Mulvey [] Pale Waves [] Still Parade [] Young and Sick []

[] Rex Orange County [] Wet [] Anna of The North [] Craft Spells [] Sigrid []

[] Boy Pablo [] George Ogilvie [] Katz [] FM 84 [] Axel Flovent [] Wardruna []

Same as last year, I discovered most of these wonderful people from YouTube, and also the new addition for this year: Spotify! Also some of them are introduced by my friends/fellow favourite artists/bands that I love, who share some of the music by these wounderful artists on their social media. I am looking forward to more music from them and also to discover more next year! <3

Breakthrough artist of 2018 for me: Sigrid, S Carey and Nick Mulvey

Great Albums of 2018

[] Ruins by First Aid Kit [] Blood by Rhye [] Hundred Acres by S Carey [] Littleton by Mesita []

[] Wake Up Now by Nick Mulvey [] Cold Fire + Line by Line EP by PREP [] EP III by Yumi Zouma [] 

[] Loves Is Dead by Chvrches [] Community by Favela [] Palo Santo by Years and Years [] 

[] Wilderness by Snow Patrol [] High As Hope by Florence and The Machine [] 

[] re:member by Olafur Arnalds [] Bloom by Troye Sivan [] Young Romance by Roosevelt [] 

[] Chris by Christine and The Queens [] Superclean Vol II by The Marias [] Birthplace by Novo Amor []

[] Infection of A Different Kind (part 1) by Aurora [] Mantra Mantra by Kunto Aji [] 

[] Roy Pablo by Boy Pablo [] Universalis by Hammock [] 

And here are my top ten albums of 2018. Some of them are tied!

1. re:member by Olafur Arnalds

2. Chris by Christine and The Queens (or Chris?)

3. High As Hope by Florence and The Machine

4. Hundred Acres by S Carey

4. Wilderness by Snow Patrol (tied!)

5. Palo Santo by Years and Years

6. Love is Dead by Chvrches

7. Bloom by Troye Sivan

8. Cold Fire & Line by Line EP by PREP

Favourite album of 2018: Community by Favela

Okay I might be biased here but I've been a fan of Favela since 2015 when I discovered him through "Easy Yoke". It is still one of my favourite songs till today. When he released Nevermore My Temples Leave last year, which is also one of my favourite songs ever, I was feeling really eager to more music from him! Well he didn't announce any new album/EP after English Letters. But he did say that more music is on the way, and eventually he did announce the arrival of his debut.

I think Community speaks for itself. Lyrically, musically and emotionally. Favela is truly a talented songwriter and musician. His songs gave me feelings I've never felt before. And I have to agree that he's great in melancholia haha. Songs like Nevermore, English Letters, Slowly, Patience and of course, Medals, they all made me feel warm and fuzzy inside. To me songs that made me feel both happy and sad at the same time are great songs haha. So far there are only a few songs in my life that are able to make me feel this way. Favela's songs are definitely inside the list.

I am looking forward to more music from him in 2019 and please do check him out guys!

Great songs of 2018:

[] Should Have Known and Fields by Still Parade [] Ojai by Young and Sick [] Hollow by Katz []

[] Fireworks and Rebel Heart by First Aid Kit [] Count To Five and Waste by Rhye []

[] Ayahuasca by Vancouver Sleep Clinic [] Loving Is Easy and Happiness by Rex O.C []

[] More I See, True North and Yellowstone by S Carey [] Wander and Future by Mesita [] 

[] New Year's Eve by Pale Waves [] Don't Kill My Vibe, Strangers and Sucker Punch by Sigrid []

[] Graffiti, Miracle and Graves by Chvrches [] Medals, Patience and Slowly by Favela []

[] Mountains To Move and Cucurucu by Nick Mulvey [] Empress and Life on Earth by Snow Patrol []

[] Helvegen by Wardruna [] No Place by Rufus du Sol [] Komorebi by Craft Spells [] Dew by Pynkie [] 

[] Hunger, South London Forever and Sky Full of Songs by FATM [] Bloom and My my my by Troye []

[] Hypnotised, Up In Flames and If You're Over me by Years and Years [] Missing U by Robyn []

[] re:member, saman, nyepi and unfold by Olafur Arnalds [] Time In A Tree by Raleigh Ritchie [] 

[] Damn, dis-moi, 5 Dollars and Le Mercheuse by Chris [] Queendom and Soft Universe by Aurora []

[] Clueless and Ruthless by The Marias [] Powder Blue and In Camera by Yumi Zouma [] 

[] Don't Bring Me Down, Line by Line and Leaning on You by PREP [] Rehat by Kunto Aji []

[] Sick Feeling by Boy Pablo [] Stone by Stone by Arnor Dan [] Light On by Maggie Rogers []

[] I'm Still Here by Sia [] Give Me Fire, Give Me Rain by The Paper Kites [] Lovers by AOTN []

Okay too lazy to write out everything, but there's definitely more to this! Here are my top 10:

1. More I See by S Carey

2. Don't Bring Me Down // Line By Line by PREP

3. Loving Is Easy by Rex Orange County

4. Hunger by Florence and The Machine

5. Empress by Snow Patrol

6. re:member by Olafur Arnalds

7. Queendom by Aurora

8. Damn, dis-moi by Chris

9. Powder Blue by Yumi Zouma

Favourite song of 2018: Medals by Favela

To me it is pretty rare for a song to click with my heart right away after I listened to it for the first time. Medals is definitely one of those songs. I remember when I first heard it on BBC Radio One (where it premiered in Phil Taggart show), I saved the link for the show and couldn't stop listening to it, till the album is finally released! It is such a melancholic song, and it truly speaks volume about the world that we're living in today. How we seem to be caught in a chase for money and wealth.

Personally, I've faced a lot of encounters in life where I'm... Speechless and disgusted knowing the things that some people do for money. Also how recently I feel that we live in a world where we can never feel enough. All of these confusion and feelings are beautifully summarised and expressed in this amazing song by Favela. The line "I don't want golden medals, I don't want golden medals" truly ring in my mind and my heart. And how in the chorus where he sang "Help me see through eyes that only focus on medals" is like a silent prayer that I tell myself whenever I listen to it.

I am still listening to Medals almost every day ever since I discovered it. It's such a great song. Thank you Favela for this incredible song, and a beautiful album. I look forward to more music from him in 2019 and also ultimately, I hope I can see him live one day! That'll be a dream come true.

Last but not least, here are some of the artists/bands that I am excited for in 2019! Maggie Rogers with her debut album in January eeep. IOADK part 2 by Aurora, Sucker Punch by Sigrid and a new album from Yumi Zouma! Potential new albums from: Soak, Lapsley, Shura, Rex Orange County, Phum Viphurit, Asgeir, PREP, Oh Wonder, Tycho, Mesita and many many more! Also here's to discovering more new artists/bands in the new year, as always.

Also I'm gonna write another blog post about Spotify! Coming soon.

That's all for the great music of 2018! Thank you for adding colours to my life and as always,

for keeping me sane.

Of Wedding and Weekend

Congratulations Mel and Andry!

Unofficial photo taken with my phone haha

Hello! I just got back from Mel's Wedding reception yesterday! I only had like 1.5 hours of sleep before that so I got knocked out right away in the car. Then I had lots of work to do after I reached home so I couldn't blog about it. But anyway here I am! Anyway I just want to firstly congratulate the new couple on your wedding! May you both love each other more everyday and form a warm loving family <3

Anyway I left for Bandung at 7 AM on Sunday. Even though the reception only begins at 7 PM, I was told that the traffic to Bandung was really bad the day before on Saturday. So my cousin recommended me to leave earlier (was planning to leave on like 8-9 AM ish). Well yup there was a bit of jam here and there. Only reached Bandung at 1230 PM! That's like 5.5 hours whew.

My go to vegan place in Bandung!

Weird name I know but well veganism is very spiritual heh

Helped my brother to check in the hotel first and thankfully my sister (who booked the hotel) got the green light for early check in and yay we got 2 rooms before check in time mwahaha. One of the room was used for makeup first so some of the ladies decided to do their makeup first as my aunts have to attend the tea-ceremony at 2 PM. I went to get lunch first before heading back to my brother's hotel room to doze off for a good 2 hours! Went to see the tea ceremony after that.

Congratulations Mel and Andry!

We went earlier into the ballroom for family photos and then the reception started! Quite touched to see my cousin walked inside on the ballroom. We grew up together during my younger days until she left for university in Bandung. Also it also means that all of my late aunt's children are now married. She must be happy over there :') congratulations to the new couple once again! Then more photo sessions followed and yup, it was just a great Sunday spent in Bandung with my family! :)

With the cousins and some of their other-halfs :P

After that I went back home, while most of my relatives spent another night in Bandung. I got knocked out right away in the car, only waking up when I was near my hometown haha.

Alrighty that's all for yesterday's gathering with my family! It's Christmas eve now and it's a pretty silent night indeed right here in my hometown. Gonna spend the night reflecting and do some journaling. I will see you again tomorrow hopefully haha. Hope you have a good Christmas eve too! :)

Lamun Ombak

Rajakelana

Currently blogging while spinning the wonderful album from Mondo Gascaro, "Rajakelana"! Even though the album was released back in 2016, it is released on vinyl for Japan Record Store Day last month and thankfully Om Mondo brought some back for sale in Indonesia. Actually I asked him if there's plans to release the album in vinyl a year ago and he said yes! So I was very excited and I've been anticipating the vinyl release. Here it is now, and it's sounding real good.

Rajakelana is one of my top albums of 2016. And definitely one of my favourite Indonesian albums. It's rare to find a songwriter like Mondo these days here in Indonesia. The lyrics from this album is so eloquent, poetic and beautiful. Especially Lamun Ombak and Sanubari!

It's... 10 more days to the end of 2018. Couldn't have asked for a better album to chill to during this time of the year. Well not sure why I haven't gone into that "reflective" mood of the year. Perhaps I've been really busy with work the past week. Always have stuff to do at night.

And I'm going to have quite an exciting weekend too cause I'll be going to Bandung on Sunday for Mel's wedding! We're also going to have a long ass weekend heh. Monday is officially a public holiday and Tuesday is Christmas. Then next week will be New Year's day. Damn, time flies.

Well I've got a couple of posts to do so yes I will write again tomorrow night I guess.

See you soon, gonna go and enjoy some music now.