2011 was awesome – one of the best years I’ve had in my life, ranked 2nd after 2008. In a nutshell, 2011 was a year of firsts: first time doing something that has never been done before, first time visiting other parts of the world, and many other firsts. After an emotionally exhausting 2010, 2011 came off as enjoyable, with some ups and downs going at constant pace. As an annual special post for my blog, this time I’m going to recap what has been there in this superb year. I hope you also had a wonderful 2011, and I sincerely hope 2012 will be even better :).
January
Kicked start the beginning of new year with ITB Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) Intensive Training. Missed the first caucus training with the alumnae because I had to have second-chance examination to fix my C grade for Material and Energy Balances course :( and in the end the grade didn’t change, pfftt. My semester break this month was full of training, both for HNMUN as Person in Charge, as well as adjudication training for 14th Indonesian Varsities English Debate Championship, the one I champed in previous year. At the end of this month I boarded a plane for the first time in my life: went to Makassar, earned A accreditation and adjudicated in Grand Final of IVED 2011, and had a great deal of fun in my first visit to the eastern part of Indonesia. Coming back to Bandung, I received a message telling that I had been selected as one of “Mahasiswa Berprestasi” in Proficio Awards 2011 – an award given to outstanding students from various major and batch. It was really unpredictable :P
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| With some of ITB team members for IVED UNHAS |
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| Proficio Awards 2011 |
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February
The highlight of this month is, of course, my journey to USA: Boston with its Harvard and MIT, New York, Washington DC, and Niagara Falls. Me and 17 other distinguished delegates left Indonesia on Valentine’s Day (haha). It was my first time going abroad, first time seeing snow, first time going to USA, first time visiting places that I previously only saw on TV and Internet. The conference loaded me with new insights about world’s decision making process, and the whole trip was simply a-m-a-z-i-n-g... I cried in Abu Dhabi when going back. I got full sponsorship and lots of donations I got through bloodsweatandtears so my parents didn’t have to pay for anything, I was magically blessed. The only thing that tainted this month was an icy relationship with someone I thought I could believe in.
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| Lincoln Memorial |
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| Statue of Liberty |
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| At Harvard University |
March
My 19th birthday came in the midst of jet lag and limbo-ish state of of mind. The thought of USA lingered in my mind throughout this month. Nothing really special happened actually, I had to catch up with college stuffs in Chemical Engineering major that I had abandoned for 3 weeks straight :P. In this month I learned to accept a bitter truth about that someone, again forgetting good things that happened between us. I was betrayed once more by a person I almost gave my heart to, the fragile part I knew he could break. I stayed off from getting in touch, only went out once again with him. Learned to accept that our promise wouldn’t happen, and we were not destined for each other. Heard rumors and gossips circling around, turned off my ear and concentrated to my study while ignoring the soap-bubble-that-bursts fact.
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| The Twins' 19th Birthday |
April
April 8th marked the unexpected failure in Schlumberger Vacation Trainee selection process, one of the selections I planned to succeed since I entered ITB. The fact that I failed even in the first stage interview felt like a sharp razorblade cutting my confidence to its last drop of blood. I remember crying and cursing throughout the whole day, but regained strength and hang on to hope once more. This month was the busiest of fourth semester, last chances of gaining good scores in between flooding assignments. My busy-ness was even added with HNMUN 2012 Selection Process phase one: back-and-forth with Elsa as the Head of Selection and fellow HNMUN 2011 delegates. Mushrooming ITB students who joined MUNs (often being irresponsible and blind about what it takes to be a real MUNers) raised bad issues at campus, and we had to have meetings with ITB Directorate of Student Affairs, converged to the idea of making a MUN regulatory body.
May
Super exhausting end of semester examination. Went through the last selection process for Chandra Asri Petrochemical Scholarship. I got the limited scholarship only offered to 10 ChemEng students. It was.. big :P but I have to work 2 years in their company. Fair enough, since after knowing deeper about SLB I thought I wouldn’t be ready to face highly-demanding environment in oil service company right after I graduate. The company promises good trainings in and out of the country, so after consulting with the big family of mine I did accept the deal. I wouldn’t earn very big income, but somehow I felt like it was going to be okay as a start. I aimed for thick training experiences after 2 years working there. At the end of the month, I had community service in Ciparay Village with fellow Chemical Engineering 2009 friends. 2 days 1 night in this village reminded me to always be grateful for everything Allah SWT had given to me, the endless blessing in every tiniest aspect of life. I learned to live with the poor, slept peacefully above solid ground, ate naturally grown, delicious vegetables and saw a true, genuine happiness stream from their simple life... a forgotten piece of monotonistic, fast-paced modern life we all had been living in.
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| HIMATEK 2009 Community Service, Ciparay Village |
June
In this month I had to go through the most stressing 2 weeks of my life: 2-weeks+ Basics of Bioprocess (DAS BP) Laboratory. It was like hell. Seriously. 8 am to 3 pm nonstop (only for having meal and religious practice). I almost literally lost my sanity in doing the whole lab assignments, even unconsciously blabbering about fermentation when I did shalat and mom came, she was afraid that her daughter might lose her mind. Slept only 2 hours for 3 days in a row, only slept maximum 4-5 hours everyday in average. People were having the beginning of summer break so campus was completely silent. After the lab ended, 18 Bioprocess students had a crazy, after-stress karaoke and hanging out session before going back to the hometowns. Yaayy bioprocess rocks!
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| Lab DAS BP |
But in this month, I was forced to have one of the biggest decision in my life: to leave the house that built me. To stay away from debating. I was totally disappointed of what supposed to be the best last training camp ever, even the scars are still there. I expected fairness and transparency, yet people kept on throwing ugly gossips undermining my lab struggling after I decided to bailout. I was called worse than coward, worst of the worse was that they only brave enough to shout behind my back and put pretty faces upward, but I didn’t care. Seriously dude, you don’t know what it takes for me to stay alive so shut the f up.
July
Cheers for, finally, summer break! I had always been a home lover so I enjoyed staying at home doing whatever I wanted to do. First summer break completely free from debating practice, half sad half happy, tho. I had a lot of time to apply for many selections, organized HNMUN 2012 Selection Process phase two, had a family vacation to Cipanas Garut, also with my cousins and close relatives.
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| With my cousins and Grandma |
This month, I went to Gadjah Mada University Yogyakarta as invited adjudicator for JOVED 2011. A bunch of thank you-s to Gladys, Farah, and Marini who were there when I was pushed down by the world I had always loved since I was 15, the world that forever changed my direction. Your help was indispensable :).
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| Trio Macan, my best highschool teammates, reunited at JOVED 2011 |
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August
The highlight of this month is, of course, my second time going abroad for Japan-Asia Young Scientist and Engineers Study Visit (JAYSES) 2011 in Bangkok, Thailand organized by Tokyo Institute of Technology. The selection to be JAYSES participant was heart-pumping, and the after selection was, for the lack of better words, full of surprise. Again, all expenses paid, which made it even better :P because I used my extra money from USA trip and we got sponsorship from PT SKF Indonesia. Met Nana, Reinhardt, and Gamma for the first time as fellow ITB delegates..we looked like having blind date because we only knew each others’ faces from facebook :P, also met Dhanita, Citra, Alfan from UI as well as Sisil, Rysti from UGM.
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| An unexpected encounter with Mario Maurer at Siam Paragon |
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| Indonesian cultural performance @ King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi |
We had LOTS LOTS LOTS of FUN FUN FUN! Participants from Thailand, Japan, and Philippines were soooo awesome that I really can’t explain the degree of awesomeness hahaha. 5 out of 5! Our friendship lasts throughout the months until now, Thai/Indo/Phil people who went to Japan were always treated well by the Japanese and vice versa, makes me totally wanna go to Tokyo just to meet my amazing TokyoTech friends hehe.
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| With fellow delegates at Grand Palace, Bangkok |
September
After Idul Fitri which I enjoyed in my first day back in Indonesia again :), the real fifth semester had only just begun. Had a jolt of excitement (and relief) knowing that I was paired with Daniel Wahjudi for Laboratory Course I (Labtek I). We had known each other for quite long: group 96 in PROKM (orientation for freshmen), FTI-A in first year of college, majoring in Chemical Engineering, took Bioprocess as sub-major, but had never been working together. Went through our first labtek, Glucose-Fructose Conversion. It was emotionally draining, and we were completely mad but even at that time I knew our partnership grew closer and more solid.
October
October was the pinnacle of fifth semester hecticness. Labtek occupied most of my times, assignments, quizzes, and tests came consecutively to the point that I had to come to campus 7 days a week. I couldn't have survived this month without my ChemEng ladies, especially Indy, Priska, Denissa, Rea, Tyas, Monce, Elsa, Bibil, Mbadita, and brozone duet Jimmy and David Bieber.
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| (some of) my ChemEng Ladies :) |
It was, again, a fortune that I had Daniel as my partner (I usually called him Jiang, after his family name :D). I just can’t say enough xie-xie to him, for he made labtek a lot easier and bearable. Well, he’s one of the brightest minds in my batch, enough said. Add to the cart his joyous personality and gentle attitude, just too bad we have different religion. Hahahahaha kidding :D
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| Meet my partner! :D |
October also marked the end of ITB HNMUN 2012 Selection Process. The Ganesha Model United Nations Club team consists of HNMUN and WMUN alumnae debated and exchanged views on what seemed to be the longest meeting ever for everyone: from 4.30 pm to 1 am straight! I had been appointed as Chief of Training at Ganesha MUN Club, so starting from that day I began organizing once a week training for the new delegates, which added another busy-ness in my already busy life, but it was a honorable responsibility so I tried my best :)
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| New delegates! ...and sleep-deprived committee |
In this month I also went to Jakarta for the last selection process of 11th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative. I was thankful that I could pass the ITB-stage selection, because 10 people who previously passed the phone interview were all superb.. might as well be said ITB most sparkling diamonds, CV-wise. It was the first ever I’m-completely-on-my-own trip to Jakarta, first ever entering a five star hotel (Shangri-La) by myself as well. At the end of the month, right after falling down from a stair -__-, Mbak Feby from Prisma Public Relations called me and said that I had been selected to represent ITB, and Indonesia, in the 11th HYLI in Vietnam. I was like, whaaatt?? Alhamdulillah...
November
What happened in November? Another month full of academic strikes (yea yea you know how my major could be really cruel). This month I applied in the selection for StudentsxCEOs core team, a platform where potential students coming from reputable university can have the chance to sit and share together with top Indonesian CEOs regularly. In this organization, students are expected to learn, share, and give impact in form of Microfinance Project. I had nothing to lose, to be honest. Went through document screening, FGD, and interview. On the announcement day, I was actually quite convinced that I might have a fair chance of not being selected. Scrolling through the website, I surprisingly found my name at the bottom of the page. I smiled to my pessimistic feeling afterwards :P.
December This is my December, this is my time of the year.
- Linkin Park, My December
The last month of 2011 was filled by end of semester examinations. For two weeks straight, I had my last attempt of fixing my tralala GPA, haha. In the middle of it all, again I went to Jakarta (paid by Hitachi :P) to attend HYLI Send-off Dinner and Reunion. I got the chance to meet fellow Indonesian delegates: Mega from UGM, Ijul from UI, and Tini from Atmajaya Jakarta. Nice to meet you all!
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| Indonesian delegates for 11th Hitachi Young Leaders Initiative Vietnam |
We got along very easily and almost effortlessly, and in the dinner we met previous Indonesian delegates for HYLI (some were graduated from university like 10 years ago). All of them are succesful people, and I pictured myself being in the same occasion years from now, telling the same or even greater success stories...I hope! Amiiin :). They were really inspiring. I also sat right in front of Hitachi Indonesia Executive Director. He was Japanese who spoke very fluent English and had travelled almost to all countries in the world. We had lively talks about Boston and Bangkok, kinda made me feeling nostalgic, haha.
In addition to all the exciting moments I’ve written above, 2011 was also a year full of “publicity” for me. Four times being displayed on the humongous (as Ikrar would put it, hahaha!) banner at the front gate of ITB campus so everyone could see it, and had my name written in several news both online and offline. I promise myself I’m not gonna stop there. I’m gonna be featured at the front gate again until all people memorize my face hahahaha *kiddy dancing with innocent smirk*
[Photos below are taken from my aunt Ema's photo album]
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| HNMUN 2011 - Mid February |
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| Proficio Awards - Early February |
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| Chandra Asri Scholarship - Mid August |
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| JAYSES - Mid October |
So basically that’s that, everything 2011 had treated me with. It was an unforgettable year, and will be treasured in my heart and mind forever. Thank you Allah SWT. Endless Alhamdulillahirabbilalamin to all the blessings You have bestowed upon me.
