Tag: livethelife

AdventureNotes #20: Cambridge

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

Besides Oxford, another city famous for its smart students is Cambridge. Cambridge is one of the oldest universities in the UK, dating back to 1209. Wow! In my words, I think Indonesia was still in Ken Dedes and Ken Arok era when people in the UK began attending universities. Well, besides its long history, University of Cambridge is very famous for its high quality of education. People from all around the world dream of coming to Cambridge to study. Indeed, university life is the center of the city. From my observation, it almost seems that the city basically grows around the university. Personally, besides its education quality, Cambridge is a beautiful city to visit.

Getting to Cambridge is certainly easy. Like most cities in the UK, you can just hop on a train to reach this city. However, I think people need to beware because the train fare is quite expensive for Cambridge. To compare, a train ride from Birmingham to London costs around £10-20 return per person whereas the train ride from Birmingham to Cambridge costs around £50-60. It’s almost three times the cost, right? This is why I just visited Cambridge during the second time I live in the UK. I joined a university arranged trip, which can be quite cheap. At that time, I only paid around £15 for my return trip. If you are a student, you can search information about this kind of trip. It can be useful!

I didn’t stay overnight when I visited the city. It was a lovely daytrip because the weather was so nice that day. I won’t be able to suggest which one is better, to stay overnight or to have a daytrip because I am not so sure about how expensive the accommodation price there. However, I can tell that visiting the city just for a day surely not enough to explore the whole city one by one. I mean, there are lots of galleries and museums that you can come into. Indeed, exploring a museum for a day is never enough in the UK. They are massive!

So, what did I do when I visited Cambridge? Punting! What? It’s so mainstream and expensive! Actually… no, it isn’t. I booked my ticket online so I just had to pay £8 for around an hour punt ride. Of course, I chose the one with a punter. I’m not that confident to punt by myself. I’m not that good at swimming. Well, anyway, it was a good choice. During the trip, the punter told us about peculiar facts about Cambridge. We could see the back of Cambridge colleges and the view is simply beautiful. I love it! I think most of Cambridge biggest colleges are located near the river so we can see almost all of the famous attractions during our punt ride. Besides, it really helps us navigate our way later on when we explore the city by foot.

Just like Oxford, the main attraction of Cambridge is its university. And just like Oxford, we need to pay a small amount of admission ticket to enter the colleges. Well, not all, just the most beautiful and famous ones. The ticket price is slightly more expensive than Oxford, too. Therefore, I would suggest you to choose which college you want to visit. During my visit, I entered three colleges. One of them is free, which is Clare College. The other two, St. John’s College and King’s College are not free. However, it is worth it! The view was just beautiful. Moreover, at the time I visited the city, I think there was some kind of celebration or something. University of Cambridge students were walking around with their robes. Gosh, I really want to try wearing those robes. You know, each college has its own robes? I felt like I’m in a Harry Potter movie. You surely can visit some more colleges. A friend of mine said that Pembroke College certainly needs to be visited. I also wanted to go to Trinity College, but it was closed at the time I was in the city. Well, you can check them first before deciding to visit them.

So museums, colleges, punting… Cambridge also offers unique outdoor markets. I think it is occasional, but the open market in the center of the city is regularly opened. I went to an art pop up market and saw unique things. I also went to the outdoor market and see many distinct foods. It is interesting for me. Actually, I like to soak up the atmosphere there. Cambridge is also full of interesting small streets. You can explore them. I don’t really know about the shops, but I think it might be interesting to go into shops selling the University of Cambridge robes. I tried to enter one, but non-students cannot try on the robes.

As I said, a day in Cambridge only covers that much. I think another visit to Cambridge is necessary to find out more about the city. In my opinion, indeed, Cambridge is a very beautiful city.

Mar 26, 2016

AdventureNotes #19: Bath

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

When I first came to the UK, I didn’t know what Bath is. My friend, then, told me that it is a beautiful city and the home of one of the UNESCO World Heritage. I am not sure why I didn’t know about Bath because it is mentioned as one of the most beautiful cities in the UK and it is a must visit place. Therefore, I started to look into it, finding out information about the city, and finally decided to visit Bath.

I went to Bath during a summer break by train from London. As I was living in Hull at that time, the cheapest way to go to Bath is through London. However, it can still be quite expensive, around £30 for return ticket per person. Actually, Bath is easily accessible by train. However, if you want to get better deal on visiting this city, you can check day tours or Eventbrite because there are several day tours to Bath and Stonehenge, or other cities, from London. It can be a better choice if you want to visit more than just Bath.

Personally, I cannot find any city similar to Bath. I don’t know but I just don’t think it is comparable to any other cities. I think Brighton is the closest one, but Brighton is located on the seaside whereas Bath is mountainous. Moreover, there are actually so many attractions in Bath that I would suggest you to stay at least one night to really get to know the city. Therefore, I chose to make my own itinerary and spent a night in Bath.

Although it is advised to stay in Bath overnight, the accommodation price there is expensive. As it is a touristic place, like York, hiring a hotel room can be very expensive. I could not find any hotel offering a room priced less than £40. You are lucky if you are a solo traveler or you don’t mind to stay in hostels because YHA has a branch there. So far, it is the most affordable accommodation in Bath – well, except the AirBnB. However, I didn’t stay in YHA when I visited Bath. Instead, I slept in a university accommodation. How come? Every summer holiday, the University of Bath rents its student accommodation for visitors. The price is quite cheap, around £30 a night including breakfast. It is a dorm room, fully equipped. The only downside is that the bathroom is shared. I was quite happy to be able to spend a night there because then, I could also visit the university and feel how students live in dorms. The breakfast is quite good, too.

As I said, there are many tourist attractions in Bath. The most popular ones are the Roman Baths, Jane Austen Center, Fashion Museum, No.1 Royal Crescent, Bath Abbey, Pulteney Bridge, and the Circus, and the Royal Crescent. You can visit all of them, of course. However, at the time I visited the city, my constraint was money. Most of the attractions in Bath apply admission fee.

For the paid ones, I went to Roman Baths, Fashion Museum, and No.1 Royal Crescent. It was costly, but I think it worth the pay. In Roman Baths, I could see many Roman artefacts and get to know more about how Romans live in the UK at that time. Basically, it provides us with so many historical facts and stories. Besides that, we can also see the former Roman Baths, where people on that day take shower. It is very well preserved. This attraction is located in the middle of the city so it is hard to miss. Near the Roman Bath, there is a café called The Pump Room, where you can have tea afterwards. Well, I didn’t try it because I was in a low budget, but if you are interested you can absolutely try to have an afternoon tea here.

On my second day in Bath, I went to see the Royal Crescent and the No.1 Royal Crescent. They are located in the same area. The No.1 Royal Crescent is a show house, picturing how people in the Georgian era live. We can explore the different rooms of the house, including the furniture and else. There are guides there who will tell us stories and details about how people live back then. Unfortunately, most of the objects shown there are not really the original objects but loans from different museums and private collections. Well, it is good to know that people here really pay attention to history, saving meaningful objects, etc. But it will be good for the attraction to have collections on its own.

Although I didn’t plan to go to this museum, the Fashion Museum is certainly my highlight. The museum is rather dark, but the amount of the collection is imaginable. I could really see how fashion changes along time. The exhibition is enormous. I think, fashion lovers should visit this museum and will spend a whole day in this attraction. Again, despite its cost, it is very worth it.

Those are my picks, but you can explore Bath for more. If you are in a low budget, you don’t have to come into those paid attraction because strolling through Bath’s small alleys and streets is certainly charming. It is a city like no other.

Mar 19, 2016

AdventureNotes #18: Oxford

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A lot of people know that Oxford is a name of a university. Do you also know that this is the name of the city where the university is located in? Almost the same as Cambridge, Oxford tourism depends on its university. Therefore, traveling to Oxford means coming into the university colleges, museums, and libraries – well, at least most part of it. I visited Oxford twice, first by myself on a super tight budget and the second with my husband and his friends with an enough budget so that I can enter some of the colleges there.

Oxford is a city located in the south part of UK. The city is quite reachable by train and bus. For me, I went to Oxford by bus, both from London and Birmingham. The bus from London to Oxford can be as cheap as £1 for one way. The bus is called Oxford Tube, which everyone can take from the front of London Victoria Station. I don’t know how much it will cost if you just get on the bus and pay there, but I bought my ticket online and it was just £1. The journey from London to Oxford takes around 2 hours. The city is also around 2 hours journey from Birmingham, from which I took a MegaBus that costs only £7 return. Quite cheap, right?

As the city is quite small, if you don’t explore the whole museums there, most people visit Oxford for only a day trip. As I said, the main attraction is its university. As most cities in the UK, the city has more than one university, but the one that is the oldest university in the UK and the most popular one is called University of Oxford. Similar to Cambridge, the university is divided into many colleges. Each college has its own complex, with accommodation, classes, halls, and sometimes its own library, too. Some of the colleges are open for visitors because of its beauty. Some of them are free, and some requires visitors to pay a “small” amount of money. Well, the most expensive one in Oxford is Christ Church College. It is indeed, the most famous college of all because its hall is the inspiration of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts Great Hall. When I visited the college, I had to pay more than £5. At that time, the college also opens a Bed and Breakfast so that visitors can try living in the dorm and having breakfast in the Great Hall. I must say that the place is beautiful, starting from the meadow outside the main building up to the inner part of the college complex, which includes dorms, library, chapel, and halls. However, I think the hall is not as I expected. In reality, I think it is quite small. It is still functioning now, holding dinners and breakfasts for the students. When I went to see the hall, the university staffs were preparing dinner as they set up the tables there. I also saw the accommodation building, which is in direct opposite of the library of this college. There, I saw a student who just wears pajamas to visit the library. I think the students basically live in the library and just go to their accommodation when they need to eat or shower. Haha… Well, actually you can choose to not live in the colleges but rent an accommodation a bit far from the city. It is cheaper.

Other Oxford attractions are also related to the university, such as the All Soul’s College (we cannot get in here because it is closed for public), University Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Bodleian Camera, and Radcliffe Camera. Those places can be visited by paying an admission fee. If you are really interested in knowing what’s inside, maybe you can buy the tickets. However, I am not. So, although I’ve visited Oxford twice, I only see those places from the outside. I heard that it is quite useful to join walking tours around Oxford to get to know the city better. Some of the walking tours are free, but some are not. If the tour is not free, it is a good chance that the price includes the admission tickets to several places.

Is Oxford really that expensive? Well, no. If you are on a budget, you can always go inside the museums. There are several museums in Oxford, which most of them are managed by the university. I went inside one of them just to pass by, and I think if I have enough time, I’d love to explore the place. Again, as many other museums in the UK, the place is arranged interestingly so that the image of dark and gloomy museum vanishes from my mind.

Well, the last place that I visited on my latest visit to Oxford is the Covered Market. It is basically an indoor market full of different kinds of stalls. This place is so interesting because you can find anything, from cookies to uncooked chicken. Some of the small bag shops and accessories shops are unique, I don’t know if they have branch elsewhere. There is also a really interesting cake shop with different decorations on the cakes. I love the place! I think it’s worth the visit.

For me, Oxford is… yeah, Oxford. I cannot find an exact adjective to describe it. I think it is quite interesting, although the city center is so packed. My husband doesn’t really like it because he thinks it’s vague (I don’t know why), but if you’d like to see how ‘the bright’ students live, you can visit Oxford.

Mar 12, 2016

AdventureNotes #17: Mainstream London

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After a week off last week, this is the last AdventureNotes article about London. Yeay! This last article will explore about the mainstream London. London’s first visitors certainly must at least pass along these places to really prove to the world that they have visited this wonderful city! The whole passing along these locations can be done in a day and cheaply if you are not interested to go inside those places. However, the museums and galleries listed in my version of mainstream London can take up to one day visit. Therefore, allocate enough time if you really are interested in going into the museums and galleries.

Everyone’s list of mainstream London can be different from one to another. I make this list of mainstream London based on my experience and the Visit London website. So, here’s the list and brief explanation about each of them:

1.      British Museum – a must visit place in London. If you only have limited time, I would suggest you to pick one or two galleries to visit. The place can be very crowded during the peak season, so beware of not being comfortable inside this museum. It is a good photo spot, especially inside its famous center hall.

2.      National Gallery – if you are an artistic person and are interested in paintings, you can go inside. The place is huge and again, you have to allocate special time for you to visit. I like to sit around the Trafalgar Square, instead. It is located in front of the National Gallery. Sometimes there are celebrations or special occasions held there.

3.      Natural History Museum – this place is huge! I think people can go again and again to this place because it is so interesting! The admission is free, another advantage for budget traveler.

4.      London Eye – this spot is one of the iconic places in London. Strolling near the London Eye in the Southbank is already satisfying. It is indeed worth it to pay the price for the London Eye ticket. It is quite expensive, but there are promotional options to get a better price. I love the view from the London Eye at night. It is so beautiful!

5.      Tower of London – The place is located near the Thames River and it is now a museum. There are galleries and tours for you to choose when you are visiting this place. You have to pay for the admission ticket, though.

6.      Tower Bridge – this iconic place is a must visit in London. You can just walk along the bridge, take pictures near it, or even come inside the towers of the Tower Bridge to see exhibitions. Again, you need to pay for the admission ticket in this attraction.

7.      Madame Tussauds – there are Madame Tussauds in other cities, indeed. I don’t really know the difference between those Madame Tussauds, but if you haven’t been to one, you surely can visit the one in London. The admission price is quite expensive and the queue can be very long, but you can take pictures, a lot of them, inside.

8.      221b Baker Street – Sherlock! For Sherlock Holmes fans, this is a must visit place. However, I was disappointed coming inside this place to see the exhibition because it is not that interesting for me. With the price and the queue, surely I wouldn’t recommend you to come except you really a hardcore fan of Sherlock Holmes. I think, taking picture in front of it and visiting the shop is quite enough.

9.      Buckingham Palace – an attraction that you can see when you visit this place is the changing guard. It happens daily or once in two days at 11.30. The procession lasts around 45 minutes. Quite interesting, but not that much. During the summer, the palace is open for public and you can see the inside of the building. Again, it is not free of charge.

10.  Parliament House – definitely cannot go inside, but taking picture in front of the Parliament House is a must. It really shows that you’ve visited London. The best place to take your picture in front of it is from the bridge just next to the building.

11.  Big Ben – attached to the Parliament House, this is also the icon of London. Take a picture of yourself in front of this place!

12.  Westminster Abbey – located just on the square of the Parliament House, Westminster Abbey is famous as a place for the Royal Family to do their religious activities. You can take a picture in front of it, and you can also come inside to see the place.

13.  St. Paul’s Church – I love this building! Walking across the Millennium Bridge and seeing this building is just magnificent! You can take pictures and come inside the church. All free of charge.

14.  Piccadilly Circus / Soho – it is not a building but an area. The place is so famous and is always crowded. I like to just walk along the streets in this area. It is nice!

15.  Oxford Street – shopping! That’s the word comes to my mind every time I hear Oxford Street. Lots and lots of shops here, where you can just have your retail therapy.

As I said, it only takes a day to visit all these places if you are not going inside and just take pictures of them from the outside. Most of the places are located along the Thames River, so it is not difficult to reach them. I would suggest people to go to the Buckingham Palace first, and then walk through the St. James Park to reach the Parliament Square, where the Parliament House, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey are located. You can walk across the bridge from the Big Ben and follow the pathway to the London Eye. Then, cross the bridge again to reach the National Gallery and Trafalgar Square. From there, I usually take the tube to the Tower of London, quite near to the Tower Bridge and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The other places left are the British Museum, Natural History Museum, Madame Tussauds, 221b Baker Street, Piccadilly Circus, and Oxford Street. I like to categorize the places into their location. For example, the British Museum is not too far from the Oxford Street, which is adjacent to Piccadilly Circus. Then, Madame Tussauds and 221b Baker Street are close to each other. Finally, the Natural History is located in the museum quarter of London, where there are also Science Museum and Victoria and Albert Museum.

It is very easy to visit the mainstream London points of interest. If you like to take the bus, you can take London Bus Route 4, which passes along the Waterloo, Houses of Parliament, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and Barbican. Another bus route, London Bus Route 88, passes along the Regent Street, Oxford Street, Piccadilly Circus, Trafalgar Square, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, and the House of Parliament. See? You can even just stay inside the bus to pass these iconic locations. The district and circle lines of London Underground are also the main route if you prefer to use the tube as your mode of transportation.

That’s all about London – well, up until now. I am sure that there will be loads and loads more after I visit the city more.

Mar 04, 2016

AdventureNotes #16: Harry Potter London

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

Who doesn’t know Harry Potter? The book, the movie, everything about Harry Potter is famous! Thinking about Harry Potter makes people think about the UK, too. Indeed, the movie set is also located in various places throughout the UK. However, the Warner Bros Studio is located near London. For you who are mad about the story, welcome to the magical world!

To visit the Warner Bros Studio, we have to buy tickets in advance. The place is very popular and in peak seasons, the ticket is likely to be sold out or limited. Therefore, I would suggest people to really consider the time they are going to visit. Besides the date, we should also pick the time of the day we want to enter the place. I’ve visited the place twice, once at night time and once during the day. For me, both times are perfectly fine. It has its own charm on different times of the day. Therefore, don’t worry if you get a slot at night to visit the studio. The official website to book the ticket to this studio ishttps://www.wbstudiotour.co.uk/. However, if you cannot find any ticket on your chosen date, you can also google other tours that may have the tickets, too. Usually, these tours also include the transportation price from central London to the studio location by bus. The price to enter this attraction is not cheap but it certainly worth it.

I wouldn’t say that the Warner Bros Studio is exactly in London. It is located near zone 7 London, which is called Watford Junction. From my city, Birmingham, it is almost half way to London. From central London, I think the journey can take up to 45 minutes by tube or probably 1 to 1.30 hours by bus depending on the traffic. From the Watford Junction station, we should take another designated Harry Potter Tour bus to the location. Minding the journey, I would suggest people who want to visit this attraction to start their journey around 1 to 2 hours before their allocated entry time. Sometimes you can enter a little bit before your allocated time. And don’t worry if you are late, too! You can still come to the place with your ticket!

Entering the studio is like entering a magical place, indeed! If you are a Harry Potter fan, you will love it! The entrance to the great hall, looking at the set of different places of Hogwarts, and taking pictures all around, all are unforgettable experience. There are indoor and outdoor areas of the studio with an additional area just opened last year. Nowadays, people can also see the Hogwarts Express that had just been exhibited there! OMG I SO want to go there again! I can spend hours and hours there. Don’t worry, you can spend as long as you want inside the studio.

What’s so amazing about the studio? Hmmm… not the Daniel Radcliffe or the Emma Watson part because they’re not there. For me, it’s the process of filmmaking. I can see how the people involved in the production were very dedicated to their work. I am amazed of the details, of the expensive tools and appliances they buy to make the movie ‘real’. I am amazed on the robot Buckbeak and the 2 meters tall Hogwarts miniature and the thousands of wand boxes hand-written by the crew. And surely, I am so fond of the butter beer! You should try the butter beer! It is non-alcoholic so as a Muslim it’s safe for me. It is rather expensive but for the sake of trying it!

I think coming out of the studio, I was left speechless. It is very amazing. But, you can also crave for more! Well, not many other Harry Potter setting is located in London, but there are some places you can visit to re-visit your experience watching the movie. You can join a walking tour or you can just visit them yourself.

The places in London that are used in Harry Potter movies include Kings Cross Station and St. Pancras Station. Both are next to each other. The famous 9 ¾ platform is located in the Kings Cross Station. If you can bear the queue, you can take pictures of yourself posing in front of it! Besides that, there are also Millennium Bridge, Charring Cross Road, and Leadenhall Market. The two mentioned last are the places that represent Diagon Alley. Gringot’s exterior is Australia House just near the Covent Garden. There are also Westminster Station, Piccadilly Circus, and London Zoo Reptile House that you can visit.

That’s not enough? There is another Harry Potter attraction coming up this June 2016. It’s Harry Potter theatre! It is actually an extended version of the Harry Potter story. Coming up in June, the ticket for the show is now sold out until March 2017. If you are planning to visit and want to see this, do make sure that you are coming after March to get the ticket.

I think there will be more and more additional attractions related to Harry Potter in London, considering how popular it is. Indeed, London is a good place to start feeling the real Harry Potter experience!

Feb 19, 2016

Life Balance

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Sekitar dua tahun yang lalu – Gosh, I’m old! – saya mengikuti sebuah pelatihan. Pada saat itu, semua peserta pelatihan diminta untuk menuliskan karakter diri masing-masing, baik yang bersifat positif maupun negatif. Setelah menuliskan karakter diri, saya baru menyadari bahwa kelebihan saya juga adalah kekurangan saya – to some extent. Kok bisa? Saya lupa seluruh jawaban saya pada saat itu, tapi beberapa karakter yang saya tulis adalah determined (positif), organized (positif), stubborn (negatif), dan over thinker (negatif). Tentunya, semua karakter tersebut tidak muncul dalam satu waktu yang sama. Kalau iya, aneh banget. Haha. In a way, karakter-karakter yang saya sebutkan saling berhubungan. Di satu sisi, saya adalah orang yang keukeuh kalau punya keinginan. Believe me, my parents know it well! Pada situasi yang baik, tentunya jadi karakter yang baik karena saya jadi berusaha untuk mencapai tujuan saya. Di situasi lain, hal tersebut menjadi suatu karakter negatif karena saya menjadi keras kepala, nggak mau dibilangin. Saya juga tipe orang yang organized. Saya suka merencanakan sesuatu, saya berpikir dan mengatur hidup saya. To some negative extent, saya bisa menjadi orang yang terlalu banyak berpikir sehingga keputusan yang saya buat lama, terlalu banyak pertimbangan, dan lain-lain. Saya lalu menyadari bagaimana cara saya meminimalisir kekurangan saya – hidup seimbang. Kalau saya bisa menjaga agar karakter saya tidak ekstrem maka seharusnya saya bisa menjadi manusia yang memiliki karakter lebih baik. Right?

Kejadiannya dua tahun lalu, tapi kenapa sekarang menulisnya? Mungkin karena paparan media sosial yang cukup besar saya terima akhir-akhir ini (ya, ini salah saya sendiri). Banyak sekali berita mengenai berbagai isu dan beberapa diantaranya menarik perhatian saya. Misalnya, mengenai gaya hidup para penerima beasiswa, mengenai orang tua yang memboikot televisi bagi anak-anak mereka, hingga mengenai jumlah jam tidur. Intinya, ada banyak perspektif dan komentar mengenai bagaimana seseorang harus mengatur hidupnya. Do we have the right to judge and to direct other people?

Membaca banyak artikel-artikel tersebut membuat saya melakukan refleksi diri (bukan pijat refleksi, OOT kangen banget pijet…). Mana yang benar? Mana yang harus saya ikuti? Hingga saya sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa kuncinya adalah keseimbangan dan niat. Life is short and death is sure. Sekarang, bagaimana memanfaatkan yang ada di dunia untuk akhirat. Toh, semua yang jadi perbincangan dan pro kontra akan balik-balik lagi ke tujuannya apa. Ya, kan?

Contoh, satu isu yang cukup menarik dan menggelitik adalah beberapa opini mengenai gaya hidup para penerima beasiswa. Sebagai orang yang terpapar langsung terhadap hal tersebut, saya mencoba menghayati apa sih yang mendasari pendapat yang berbeda-beda tersebut. Berdasarkan artikel-artikel yang saya baca, banyak yang mempertanyakan keseriusan para penerima beasiswa dalam belajar dan mempertanyakan aktivitas jalan-jalan mereka. Intinya, para penerima beasiswa seharusnya bisa serius belajar dan membalas budi beasiswa yang tidak sedikit jumlahnya tersebut ke rakyat Indonesia. Setuju!But are we not allowed to spend money?

Saya yakin, insyaAllah para penerima beasiswa pun amanah dan menepati janji mereka pada saat mendaftar beasiswa. Namun, bagi saya keseriusan dalam belajar dan berprestasi tidak 100% relevan dengan jumlah jalan-jalan dan aktivitas yang katanya foya-foya dengan uang rakyat. Apa tidak bisa, seseorang berprestasi baik, berkontribusi besar, dan tetap bisa menikmati hidup? Semua orang berpendapat berbeda, tapi apabila saya melihat dari kacamata keseimbangan dan niat, rasanya kegiatan beraktivitas non-akademis tidak bisa dieliminasi begitu saja semata-mata karena harus berprestasi dan berkontribusi. Kalau seseorang bisa mendapatkan nilai distinction di semua mata kuliah, aktif membantu masyarakat Indonesia dan berorganisasi tapi tetap jalan-jalan saat liburan untuk refreshing, apa itu salah? And again, it comes back to personal opinion. Dan lagi, uang negara adalah hal yang sensitif dan bukan untuk main-main.

Let’s move to another example. Kali ini mungkin lebih bisa dipahami oleh semua orang. Lagi-lagi masalah uang – kali ini uang pribadi. Beberapa minggu lalu, saya sedang mengobrol dengan salah satu teman mengenai keinginan saya untuk membeli sebuah tas. Komentarnya, “Tas X bukannya terjangkau ya, Za untuk orang seumuran kita, apalagi kalau suami istri bekerja?” Lalu kami berdiskusi dan sampai pada kesimpulan bahwa ya, mungkin saya punya uang untuk membeli tas tersebut tanpa harus menabung tapi saya punya hal-hal lain yang ingin saya lakukan sehingga tabungan saya harus direlakan untuk hal-hal lain tersebut. Saya harus membuat prioritas, saya harus mengerti mana yang didahulukan. Saya sendiri pernah mengalami masa-masa tidak mau membeli barang baru – sama sekali. Lalu saya ditegur oleh ibu saya. Ibu saya bilang, jangan membuat diri sendiri menderita kalau memang saya tidak harus menderita dan mampu. Indeed, money is not an easy thing to deal with.

Selain uang, ada juga waktu. Suatu hal yang harus digunakan dengan bermanfaat (at least bagi saya). Kenapa? Karena waktu tidak akan pernah kembali. What we’ve spent were spent, period. Setiap orang tentu memiliki cara berbeda untuk menghabiskan waktu. Ada yang banyak bekerja, ada yang banyak bersosialisasi, ada yang banyak beribadah, ada juga yang banyak tidur. Semua itu adalah pilihan pribadi. Dan pilihan, selalu memiliki konsekuensi. Ya, tinggal dipikirkan saja toh, niatnya apa? Tujuannya apa? Lagi-lagi, bagi saya kuncinya adalah seimbang. Terlalu banya bekerja, tidak baik juga. Terlalu banyak bersosialisasi, (bagi saya, sih) cape juga. So what? Berkacalah pada kebutuhan masing-masing, aturlah berdasarkan standar masing-masing.

Bagi saya, orang yang paling berpengaruh dalam membentuk pendapat saya mengenai keseimbangan dan niat adalah ibu saya. Melanjutkan cerita saya yang tidak mau membeli barang baru, ibu saya bertanya lima hal. Pertama, berapa uang yang saya miliki? Kedua, sudahkah saya membayar zakat dan bersedekah? Ketiga, apakah saya membutuhkan barang tersebut? Keempat, apakah saya mampu membeli barang tersebut? Kelima, apakah saya bisa menyisihkan uang saya untuk menabung? Kalau jawaban dari empat pertanyaan terakhir adalah ya, kenapa tidak saya menggunakan uang saya untuk membeli barang yang saya inginkan? Pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut merefleksikan sebuah prinsip:do your responsibility, help people in need, spend based on your needs and capabilities. Tentunya, prinsip tersebut tidak hanya bisa diaplikasikan dalam konteks finansial, tetapi juga dalam berbagai konteks lainnya.

Menulis artikel ini membuat saya banyak berpikir lagi, mengevaluasi diri lagi. Sepertinya, banyak area hidup saya yang masih belum seimbang. Saya belum mengatur waktu saya dengan baik, saya masih cukup boros dan ignorant terhadap spending saya, dan lain-lain. Anyway, realizing is the first step of change. Semoga saya bisa menjadi orang yang lebih seimbang dan diluruskan niatnya oleh Allah.

O children of Adam, take your adornment at every masjid, and eat and drink, but be not excessive. Indeed, He likes not those who commit excess. Say, “Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has produced for His servants and the good [lawful] things of provision?” Say, “They are for those who believe during the worldly life [but] exclusively for them on the Day of Resurrection.” Thus do We detail the verses for a people who know. (Quran, Chapter# 7, Verses#31-32)

Feb 12, 2016

For you who just want to give up because postgraduate study is so damn difficult

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

Entah kenapa tetiba ingin menulis tentang hal ini. Kenapa? Well, sepertinya memang pembahasan mengenai bagaimana kuliah S2 tidak akan habis-habis. Setiap individu punya cerita, setiap individu go through a different path. Setelah adik saya menulis tentang “Siapa bilang kuliah di luar negeri enak”, rasanya ini adalah sudut pandang saya tentang bagaimana kehidupan S2 saya diwarnai dengan minggu-minggu ‘mainan oven’ hingga lelahnya kerja pada saat puasa di musim panas. Memang, kehidupan S2 penuh dengan tantangan, seperti teman saya yang baru saja bercerita “Pernah nggak sih mau nyerah aja kok kuliah gini-gini amat”.

Pernah dengar bahwa individu bisa berkembang ketika keluar dari zona nyaman? Ini bukan sekedar kata-kata motivator jargon seminar pengembangan diri. I truly believe that. Saat belajar mengenai psikologi kognitif, saya mengenal sebuah kata yang selalu saya ingat hingga sekarang: disonansi kognitif. Istilah tersebut berarti adanya kesenjangan antara apa yang diketahui atau diyakini dengan apa yang terjadi, dilakukan, atau dengan informasi baru yang didapatkan. Hal ini menyebabkan ketidaknyamanan yang dialami oleh individu sehingga ia ‘dipaksa’ untuk melakukan sesuatu agar ketidaknyamanan tersebut berkurang atau hilang. Disonansi kognitif, meskipun mungkin baru-baru ini saja istilahnya Anda atau saya kenal, ternyata sudah terjadi sejak bayi. Disonansi kognitif adalah cara belajar, cara untuk memperbaiki lagi struktur pengetahuan yang dimiliki lagi, cara untuk menyesuaikan lagi sikap yang dimiliki, dan cara untuk mengubah perilaku. Namun, saya selalu ingat bahwa disonansi kognitif selalu menimbulkan ketidaknyamanan. Dari pengetahuan ini, saya menyimpulkan bahwa kita tidak belajar apabila tidak mengalami ketidaknyamanan yang berasal dari disonansi kognitif.

Intinya? Ya belajar itu tidak nyaman, ingin menjadi lebih baik dan mencapai mimpi itu memang harus keluar dari zona nyaman karena mahluk bernama disonansi kognitif ini. Lagipula, apa rasanya lulus tanpa perjuangan? Gitu-gitu aja lah pastinya… Justru yang terkenang adalah perjuangannya, kan?

Ketika ditanya, pernah nggak sih mau nyerah aja karena nggak kuat kuliah S2? Honestly, no. Entah kenapa saya tidak pernah merasa perkuliahan yang menyita waktu dan bikin pengen nangis itu nyaris membuat saya menyerah. Not at all. Tapi, saya juga tidak mengatakan bahwa masa perkuliahan saya mudah. Not at all. Jadi maunya apa, Za? I’d say… challenging.

Kuliah S2 itu sulit, Jenderal! Bagi saya yang berkuliah S2 di luar negeri, sulitnya bertambah-tambah karena harus juga beradaptasi dengan budaya sosial dan budaya akademis. Saya harus membangun hubungan baik dengan teman-teman yang berasal dari seluruh belahan dunia, yang tentunya tidak semua memiliki value yang sama dengan saya. Saya harus beradaptasi dengan cara berinteraksi orang-orang lokal, berusaha menjaga nama baik negara saya (ya, disini saya merasa nasionalis – hal yang kadang-kadang saja saya rasakan, hehehe…). Dalam hal budaya akademis, adaptasi yang dilakukan jauh lebih sulit dan jauh lebih banyak. Menggunakan bahasa Inggris dalam keseharian, dalam konteks akademis tentunya merupakan tantangan. Bahkan bagi orang-orang yang lancar berbahasa Inggris, hal ini bisa jadi cukup sulit. Belum lagi dengan materi-materi kuliah yang ada, bagaimana mahasiswa dituntut untuk berpikir kritis, dan bagaimana tugas beribu-ribu kata menunggu untuk dikerjakan.

Salah satu hal yang saya sangat rasakan pada saat berkuliah S2 adalah saya jadi rajin membaca. Bukan hanya reading list yang seabrek-abrek, individual research pun harus dilakukan untuk menambah wawasan. Mengapa? Karena kuliah disini mengharuskan mahasiswa untuk aktif berdiskusi. Masuk kelas dengan 0 pengetahuan? A big NO. Belum lagi membaca untuk mengerjakan tugas-tugas esai yang sungguh sangat banyak itu. Pastinya, seperti mungkin semua mahasiswa S2 disini, saya mau menangis saja. Trik saya adalah memanfaatkan waktu. Saya menempel sebuah post-it di meja belajar saya dengan tulisan ‘If you are not doing something great, do something useful’. Cukup berhasil untuk mengingatkan saya agar tidak menyia-nyiakan waktu. Dari waktu bangun saya, mungkin 70% saya habiskan untuk membaca.

Saya cukup beruntung (atau tidak beruntung, ya?) karena 100% nilai mata kuliah saya ditentukan oleh nilai esai saya. Setiap mata kuliah mengharuskan saya menulis esai 4000-6000 kata sebagai tugas akhir. Dalam satu semester, saya mengikuti 4-5 mata kuliah. Jadi, at the end of semester, saya harus mengumpulkan tulisan yang kalau ditotal jumlahnya adalah 25000 kata. Mau pingsan. Nggak kebayang sih bagaimana teman-teman yang masih ada pula tugas kelompok, presentasi, dan ujian. Lebih mau pingsan. Start early adalah kuncinya. Saya selalu berusaha memulai menulis esai right after the semester starts. Itu pun, biasanya 1-2 minggu sebelum pengumpulan tugas saya harus rela ‘mainan oven’ karena tidak sempat memasak. Beli frozen food yang tinggal di oven lah yang jadi solusi bagi saya. Nggak heran ya, sepanjang kuliah S2 berat badan saya turun drastis hingga 10-15kg. Lumayan, diet tanpa usaha. Saran saya sih, banyak-banyak konsultasi ke dosen mata kuliah agar dapat mengerjakan tugas sesuai dengan ekspektasi. Tidak sekali dua kali tugas saya yang sudah ditulis hingga 1000 kata lalu ditolak mentah-mentah oleh dosen dan saya harus menulis ulang lagi dari awal. Sedih, ya? But that’s life.

Di semester kedua, mahasiswa yang berkuliah S2 dalam waktu 1 tahun harus mulai memikirkan disertasi (disini disebut disertasi untuk S2, instead of tesis seperti di Indonesia). Tentu pusinya bertambah-tambah. Lagi-lagi, start early. Saya sendiri mulai berkonsultasi dengan dosen pembimbing saya sejak bulan Januari dan mulai menulis disertasi saya sejak bulan Februari. Penelitian saya berapa lama? 4 bulan, saudara-saudara. 4 bulan saya bolak-balik mengambil data di sebuah sekolah sambil berkuliah dan sambil bekerja (ya, sotoy nya saya adalah udah tau sibuk tetep aja mau kerja demi jalan-jalan). Pastinya ada saat-saat saya tidak mau bangun pagi karena lelah, maunya santai, maunya tidur aja, dan bertanya-tanya ‘kok hidup gue gini-gini amat?’. So little time so much to do. Trik saya? Hadapi saja! The whole thing will all pass. Fokus dengan tujuan, luruskan niat.

At the end, semua usaha yang dikeluarkan akan terbayar. Pada akhirnya, disonansi kognitif itu berakhir, ketidaknyamanan itu berkurang, dan tujuan tercapai. Equilibrium, keseimbangan antara apa yang diketahui dan apa yang terjadi. Keseimbangan antara tujuan dan hasil. Hopefully. Saya pun tidak sadar seberapa banyak hal yang sudah saya kerjakan, seberapa banyak hal yang sudah saya alami, dan seberapa berharganya pengalaman saya kalau saja teman serumah saya dulu baru-baru ini bercerita. Saat itu, saya sedang mengunjungi kota tempat saya berkuliah dulu dan bertemu dengan teman saya tersebut. ‘I don’t know how you’ve done all those things in a year! Studying, doing your dissertation, working, volunteering, and travelling. You’ve always been busy but you also always have time to hang around and chat. Dan sejujurnya, saya pun tidak tahu, saya pun tidak sadar bagaimana cara saya melakukan semua hal tersebut dulu. Ternyata bisa ya, melakukan itu semua walaupun dengan acara nangis-nangis di depan buku dan laptop.

So, for you who just want to give up because postgraduate study is so damn difficult, you just have to push through. You are capable of what you are doing and this all shall pass. At the end, you won’t believe how much you’ve learned and how much you’ve gained. Good luck!

Feb 01, 2016

Super Woman Called Mom

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

Entah kenapa masih aja ya, perdebatan tentang working mom vs stay at home mom marak. Mulai dari cerita dan pendapat yang mendukung ibu rumah tangga dan mungkin yang agak nyinyir tentang ibu bekerja, hingga cerita tentang usaha keras ibu bekerja yang membela diri dari pandangan negatif yang ditujukan pada mereka. Susah memang, budaya di Indonesia yang cukup kental oleh konsep patriarki dan kemudian diterjang modernisasi kemudian membuat banyak orang bingung mengenai jati diri, termasuk wanita.

Rasanya tergelitik sekali ingin menulis ini, terlebih setelah diskusi di sebuah grup Whatsapp saya. Pastinya saya belum qualified ya, untuk bercerita tentang pengalaman saya karena saya belum menjadi seorang ibu. Tapi, saya punya dua orang wanita super yang memilih dua jalan berbeda, ibu saya dan mama mertua saya. Bagi saya, both are super women called moms.

Menarik sekali membaca artikel-artikel berisi pengalaman para ibu rumah tangga yang mendedikasikan waktu mereka untuk keluarga. Mereka mencurahkan tenaga dan pikiran dengan sepenuh hati untuk membangun keluarga yang baik. Bagi saya, cara para ibu rumah tangga mendidik anak-anak mereka harus diapresiasi. Dari banyak artikel yang saya baca, anak-anak dari para ibu rumah tangga tumbuh menjadi anak yang sukses. Mereka berkembang dengan baik, penuh dengan kasih sayang dan perhatian yang berlimpah dari para ibu. Melihat beberapa teman saya yang memilih untuk menjadi ibu rumah tangga, saya mengerti mereka sangat paham perkembangan anak mereka, pengetahuan terbaru tentang perkembangan anak, dan kreatif dalam memberikan yang terbaik bagi anak-anak mereka. Tentunya, disini saya mengkategorikan ibu rumah tangga sebagai ibu yang memang mengurus anak mereka sendiri, ya… Bukan ibu-ibu tidak bekerja yang memiliki pengasuh khusus bagi anak mereka.

Saya juga kagum terhadap para ibu bekerja yang sepertinya punya tenaga ekstra hingga sanggup melakukan banyak hal sendiri. Beberapa artikel mengenai ibu bekerja yang saya baca menceritakan perjuangan para ibu bekerja ini – yang mudah-mudahan bukan ‘tumpangan’ keluhan mereka ya… Semoga semua ibu bekerja ikhlas dalam menjalankan semua peran mereka. Membaca dan melihat sendiri pengalaman ibu bekerja kadang-kadang membuat saya membayangkan bagaimana rasanya harus ‘membelah diri’ agar bisa memenuhi semua tuntutan, bagaimana rasanya meninggalkan anak yang sakit karena sudah tidak ada cuti, atau bagaimana harus ‘kabur’ dari kantor agar bisa cepat pulang ke rumah dan mengurus keluarga. Pastinya bukan perjuangan yang mudah.

Selalu ada dua, atau lebih, perspektif yang harus dilihat ketika berargumen, bukan? Melihat kedua sisi tersebut, saya yakin sekali bahwa setiap ibu memiliki alasan masing-masing saat memilih untuk menjadi ibu rumah tangga atau menjadi ibu bekerja. Saya juga yakin, mereka pasti tahu konsekuensi atas pilihan mereka. We cannot judge because we are not on their shoes, right? Semua orang punya preferensi masing-masing, setiap orang punya alasan masing-masing. Jangan paksakan, jangan salahkan karena semua ibu pasti berjuang demi keluarga. Bagi saya, pilihannya bukan di bagian menjadi ibu rumah tangga atau menjadi ibu bekerja, tetapi di bagian keluarga seperti apa yang ingin dibangun, anak-anak seperti apa yang ingin dibesarkan. Bagaimana caranya, tentu akan tergantung pada kondisi masing-masing keluarga dan individu.

Siapa bilang anak-anak dengan ibu yang fokus mengurus mereka pasti berhasil? Tidak ada jaminan juga. Siapa bilang ibu rumah tangga tidak memiliki keterampilan dan kapabilitas untuk bermanfaat bagi komunitas yang lebih luas? Siapa bilang ibu rumah tangga kerjanya leha-leha di rumah tanpa pekerjaan berat? Mama mertua saya seorang ibu rumah tangga. Sejak menikah, ia memilih untuk tinggal di rumah mengurus anak-anak. Santai? Haha tentunya tidak. Dengan 4 orang anak yang sibuk luar biasa di tempat kursus, organisasi, dan sekolah, Mama sibuk mengurus semua kebutuhan anak-anaknya. Bangun super pagi untuk memasak bekal (ya, Mama memasak sendiri walaupun ada pembantu rumah tangga di rumah) bagi anak-anaknya, mencari informasi terbaru untuk pengembangan diri anak-anaknya, hingga ikut sibuk ketika anak-anaknya akan ujian. Melihat keseharian Mama, saya melihat bagaimana ibu rumah tangga pun update terhadap informasi yang ada dan selalu membangun hubungan baik dengan para ibu lain. Mengapa? Agar ia bisa mengobrol, berkomunikasi dengan anak-anak serta suaminya. Mama adalah seorang ibu yang cerdas, yang selalu memberikan masukan berarti bagi suami dan anak-anaknya. Jadi, siapa bilang menjadi ibu rumah tangga itu mudah?

Siapa bilang anak-anak dengan ibu bekerja kurang perhatian? Belum tentu! Siapa bilang ibu bekerja hanya fokus pada karir mereka dan membiarkan anak-anak mereka diasuh oleh pembantu, pengasuh, atau nenek-kakek? Siapa bilang ibu bekerja pulang ke rumah tinggal beristirahat? Saya anak dari seorang ibu bekerja. Jawaban dari pertanyaan di atas adalah tidak. Sejak kecil, saya terbiasa di rumah tanpa Ibu, tapi saya ingat bahwa setiap siang Ibu selalu menelepon rumah untuk absen. Saya juga terbiasa mandiri dan belajar tanpa disuruh oleh Ibu, tapi setiap pulang kerja, ibu selalu ada untuk mengecek hasil belajar dan PR saya. Dan ibu bekerja, harus melawan stigma yang ada di masyarakat, yang semoga sekarang sudah mulai berkurang, bahwa anak-anak mereka tidak terurus dan tidak mungkin berprestasi. Saya ingat, Ibu saya pernah bercerita bahwa guru SD saya tidak percaya saya bisa mendapatkan nilai bagus dan curiga bahwa saya seringkali mencontek teman saya yang ibunya ada di rumah. Kalau jadi Ibu, saya sih akan marah luar biasa. Indeed, stok sabar dan tenaga ibu bekerja pun harus super banyak. Selain mengecek hasil belajar saya, Ibu tidak pernah absen membacakan dongeng atau cerita apa pun sebelum saya tidur, hingga saya duduk di kelas atas SD. Jadi, siapa bilang menjadi ibu bekerja berarti tidak perhatian pada anaknya?

Dua sisi dari satu koin. Mereka sama-sama ibu. Anak dan keluarga adalah dua hal yang menjadi fokus dari hidup mereka. At least pada kasus kedua ibu yang saya ceritakan, ya… Keduanya memiliki cara yang berbeda untuk memberikan yang terbaik bagi keluarga. Apa kesamaan dari kedua ibu tersebut? Doa. Mama dan Ibu selalu berdoa untuk anak-anak mereka. Saya tahu persis bahwa Ibu tidak pernah absen bangun tengah malam untuk mendoakan keluarganya. Saya pun tahu bahwa Mama akan bangun malam untuk mendoakan kemudahan urusan anak-anaknya.

Lalu, siapa kita yang berani menilai mana yang lebih baik? Mengapa tidak kita hargai semua ibu di dunia yang berdoa untuk keluarga mereka? Apa pun cara mereka, apa pun pilihan mereka, yakinlah semua ibu ingin memberikan yang terbaik bagi keluarga mereka, bagi anak-anak mereka.

Feb 02, 2016

AdventureNotes #14: Artsy London

Published on by Izza DinillahLeave a comment

As promised, this one, and the upcoming AdventureNotes will be about London. I think, London is a city in which art is a major part. Therefore, this first exploration about London will be on art. Artsy London. If you are an art person, London is heaven. The city offers many choices of activities for you, whether you are into visual arts, crafts, music, or theatre. For me, the best part of London is its theatres. I love it so much, especially the musical plays. I am not so much into visual arts, but I quite like seeing crafts and street music. Here’s my experience being an ‘artsy’ person in London.

Visual art is closely linked to art galleries. I may not be the best person to give you suggestion on this, but I should say that art galleries in London are fabulous. There are many art galleries in London, from those displaying more conventional type of paintings to those displaying more contemporary forms of visual art. Say, National Gallery, Tate Britain, and Tate Modern. Those are just the famous names. I can think that every corner of London (well, at least in zone 1) has a dedicated art display. Anyway, I haven’t been to Tate Britain and Tate Modern, but I’ve been to National Gallery. My first impression: the place is huge! You surely have to spare one day alone to explore the paintings inside. If you like looking at paintings from hundreds of years ago, maybe you can go to this place. When I visited the place, I also saw a group of children having a tour specifically made for them. They were given drawing tools and they can try to copy their chosen paintings. That is kind of interesting because art galleries can be boring for children. This way, they can learn to love the art and explore the art gallery without judging that it is such a boring place to go to.

I kind of like crafts – just to look at. Don’t bother to ask me to make one, I will run away. Exploring markets in London can make you stumble upon unique crafts. I especially like to go to Portobello Market because there are lots of small shops and street stalls selling unique crafts. You can find rugs, bags, jewelry, and household stuffs there. Not that I’ve bought anything there, but the stuffs there are quite interesting! I don’t know if there is any place offering some kind of workshop there, but surely it is a good place to explore crafts in London.

Music! This is what I love about strolling on London streets because I can see street musicians performing. I love it! I think the best places to go to if you like street performers are Piccadilly Garden and Southbank area, near the London Eye. I once saw this group of female street musicians who are just wonderful! I can stay and stay and stay until they finish their performance. Well, that’s enough for me who don’t want to spend too much money on concerts. However, there are many music events held in London each year. You can look at Royal Albert Hall websites, the O2 arena, and other places regularly held musical performance. Sometimes, there are also music festivals in Hyde Park. If this is your interest, I think you should at least once feel the experience of coming to a concert in London. Where else can you see famous musicians with relatively not too expensive tickets?

My most favorite part of the artsy London is theatre! God, I love watching musicals! And London is the center of it! Every single time I went to London, I always find time to visit the West End. The area covering Victoria up to Covent Garden is the heart of theatres. Each theatre allocates itself for one type of performance. Say, you want to watch Lion King the musicals, then you have to go to Lyceum theatre. There are tens of performance shown each night and believe me, it is mostly fully booked. If you are into this kind of thing, I would suggest you to buy the theatre tickets way in advance to get the best deal. They sell theatre tickets online and there are lots of websites claiming that they offer the best price. One website that I would recommend is: http://www.tkts.co.uk/. If you are in a hurry and cannot book the ticket online, the cheapest way to see a theatre performance is by going to the ticket office last minutes as sometimes they still have some seats left or as some people may return their tickets for that night. If it is not cheap enough, you can always wait in front of the theatre until the performance begin, and they will sell the tickets in way cheaper price – although you may miss the beginning part of the show. I’ve seen two musicals so far, Wicked and Matilda. Both are great! I wouldn’t mind if someone asks me to watch those again, really. However, I would really love to see Lion King. Indeed, the ticket price never goes down! Poor me. I’d have to save my money before I can watch that show. Fingers crossed, I want to watch the show before I left the UK this year!

Of course, art is not limited to the parts that I discussed. Those are just the big parts. There are many ways to explore London in artsy ways. Look at unique places, festivals, and local art groups to know about it deeper. Next on: Budget London! Stay tuned!

Feb 05, 2016