Suka Duka Menjadi Penulis

Setiap tahun, saya selalu menulis resolusi tahunan, membuat sedikit kilas balik dan bersiap menyongsong tahun depan. Bukan introspeksi serius, memang, dan kadang kala, saya akui resolusi yang saya buat tidak selalu terlaksana seluruhnya. Dan akhir-akhir ini, saya justru mengabaikan resolusi, dan hanya fokus pada hal-hal yang saya antisipasi di masa depan.

Tahun ini, saya tidak akan membuat resolusi muluk-muluk. Sebaliknya, saya akan menapak balik pada gundukan masa lalu yang menciptakan jalan menuju masa kini. Ini terinspirasi oleh sebuah pesan singkat yang masuk dalam inbox Facebook saya semalam, dari seorang pembaca di Bali, yang bertanya apa suka duka saya sebagai seorang penulis selama ini.

Jujur, pertanyaan itu awalnya tidak terlalu saya renungkan, karena menjawab suka dan duka selama perjalanan ini tidak dapat dirangkum dengan mudah. Namun kemudian, saya kembali berpikir tentang awal saya menulis. Rupanya, saya telah mulai aktif menulis sejak 2007, dan tahun ini merupakan tahun ketujuh saya meminjam istilah 'penulis' dalam resume hidup saya.

Saya bukan seorang penulis full time. Sebelum menjadi penulis, saya memiliki banyak peran lain - seorang anak, seorang karyawan penuh waktu, seorang jurnalis paruh waktu, seorang wirausahawati. Tahun lalu, saya mengambil peran seorang istri, dan tahun depan, seorang ibu. Saya juga sempat menjajali proofreading, dan banyak peran-peran kecil lain di luar penulis. Tapi, entah kenapa menjelma menjadi penulis adalah salah satu hal yang paling mendarahdaging dalam perjalanan karir profesional saya sejauh ini. Ya, meskipun tidak menulis sepanjang hari. Meskipun dalam setahun kadang saya tidak menelurkan karya. Walau blog ini bisa saja kosong selama sebulan penuh.

Suka duka menulis, tentu banyak. Entah bagaimana saya harus mendeskripsikan rasa, karena rasa itu rumit dan subjektif. Yang saya tahu, saya menyukai perasaan pada kala kata-kata bagaikan muncul begitu saja lewat tarian jemari pada keyboard laptop. Saya menyukai bagaimana karakter-karakter saya dengan sabar menuntun saya menuju cerita mereka, masuk ke dalamnya dan bermain di sana, sampai saatnya saya pergi. Saya menyukai rasa lega sekaligus puas yang menyusup begitu hari berakhir dengan beberapa ribu kata terketik rapi dalam file di komputer. Dan ketika naskah berubah menjadi buku, ketika kerjasama dengan editor, penata layout, pembuat kover dan proofreader menghasilkan sesuatu yang fisik dan dapat dibaca oleh orang lain, rasa itu menjadi lebih sulit untuk diterjemahkan. Pada saat-saat seperti ini, kebahagiaan yang dirasakan rasanya lebih besar dari harta materi yang bersanding dengan keberhasilan sebuah buku.

Duka - tentu saja setiap penulis memiliki porsinya akan duka, begitu pula dengan saya. Duka sederhana seperti membaca resensi buruk dari seorang pembaca yang tidak menyukai karya saya, misalnya, meskipun dalam tahun-tahun ini, saya telah belajar bahwa karya dan selera adalah subjektif - either you like it or you don't, and either way it's alright. Surat-surat penolakan naskah yang saya kumpulkan dalam folder khusus. Berbagai kesalahpahaman dari orang-orang yang belum mengerti bahwa sebuah karya membutuhkan kerjasama dari berbagai pihak. Buku-buku yang flop di pasaran dan menghilang begitu saja.

Namun, duka-duka itu rasanya kecil jika dibandingkan dengan perasaan kosong saat berhadapan dengan kursor yang berkedip dan tak bergerak di layar komputer. Bulan-bulan tanpa inspirasi, sedangkan adrenalin untuk menulis sudah terpacu. Keinginan menulis yang tak terpenuhi karena waktu yang terbatas, atau ide yang tak kunjung datang. Bagi saya, duka terbesar sebagai seorang penulis adalah ketidakmampuan untuk menulis.

Di luar itu semua, dengan pertimbangan pro dan kontra dalam menulis, jika harus memilih, apakah saya akan membuat pilihan yang sama? Ya, without a second thought. Walaupun menulis mungkin memakan setiap detik yang tersisa dalam jatah istirahat saya, meskipun menulis mungkin membuat saya begitu lelah saat selesai melakukannya dan tanpa sadar telah menghabiskan sepanjang malam... I'd pick being a writer every day of my life.

Dan itulah resolusi saya tahun depan. Dan saya harap, untuk tahun-tahun selanjutnya juga.

Tentang Kesabaran Dalam Berputar-putar

Akhir-akhir ini saya disibukkan dengan beberapa hal - proyek menulis, urusan rumah tangga dan kantor, beberapa proyek akan datang, dan naskah novel baru.

Jujur, naskah yang sedang saya garap ini adalah salah satu yang terasa paling sulit dari naskah-naskah sulit sebelumnya. Beberapa naskah yang saya kerjakan terasa cukup alami saat ditulis, seperti Remember When, Ai, Tomodachi. Untuk naskah Unbelievable, riset bullying, peer pressure dan fashion cukup ngejelimet dan perlu pendalaman agar terasa wajar, untuk naskah Melbourne: Rewind meskipun terasa natural, saya tetap merasa perlu menggali lebih dalam hubungan antar karakter, terutama dari segi dialog dan chemistry. Untuk Unforgettable, sulit sekali mendalami proses dan deskripsi wine, juga interaksi kedua karakternya.

Sedangkan naskah ini membuat saya banyak berpikir; karena saya tidak memahami satu pun aspek baru yang ditulis. Musik. Hubungan kakak-adik perempuan. Cowok playboy yang misterius. Ah, rasanya sangat sulit dalam menuliskannya secara wajar. Namun, saya percaya proses tersebut dapat dijalankan secara bertahap.

Banyak orang berkata, menulis tidak perlu buru-buru. Saya setuju. Semakin terburu-buru, semakin tidak maksimal. Semakin tergesa, semakin kita terobsesi pada target tak kasat mata di hadapan kita. Dan hasilnya, kita fokus pada ending, bukan pada kenikmatan menulis, revisi yang optimal, bahkan bukan pada karakter.

Tentu saja, setiap penulis mungkin merasa ingin buru-buru mencapai garis akhir. Ingin rasanya cepat melipat laptop dan mengirimkan hasil jadi ke penerbit. Ingin segera melihat buku terbit. Tetapi, inilah rasa yang menurut saya perlu diredam.

So I'm going to take it easy. Saya akan mengikuti prosesnya.

Ada juga yang berkata, berjalan-jalanlah dalam kekosongan pikiranmu. Something will come. It will definitely come. Jadi, bagi teman-teman yang stuck dan mengalami writer's block, atau seperti saya sering berputar-putar dengan kanvas kosong yang tak kunjung berisi, bersabarlah. Kita pasti akan melaluinya.

A Highly Suggestible Mind

Lately I was made aware that the mind, also everything else, was highly suggestible. Not only that; it perhaps referenced to the fact that everything else was truly connected and affected by one another - this invisible law of the universe that I paid no close heed to until I did.

A few weeks ago I put some dried octopus inside an airtight container full of freshly dried peanuts. The nuts were very dry and crispy, and in contrast the octopus was a little wet, slightly exposed to air for quite some time. When I opened it a week later to eat the octopus, to my surprise it was so crispy I hardly believed it. The same thing happened to a few rice crispies I put inside a box of braised chicken. When I opened the box the crispies were shrivelled next to nothing.

That made me realize that the environment pretty much affected the minor population so that it conformed to the majority. Had the crispies doubled the amount of the chicken, or the octopus was more than the peanuts, the opposite would have happened - the minority would follow the exact condition of the majority.

Not everything could be defined this way, of course. But then it made me think - is everything really that easily suggestible, therefore manipulated?

As with the mind that affects the physical body and often vice versa, as a child's environment helps shape the way he or she grow up, every word and every thing that we've gone through pretty much affects the way we are. Memories, experiences, thoughts, incidents - all of these also shape us into what we're becoming, some unconsciously, some we let happen, and some we build a wall against so they don't get through (but in some ways I believe they do).

A few days ago I was talking to a professional in her area of expertise and she talked me down in a way that I thought was not very respectful. Everyone around me was saying how I should have been angrier than I was, and a highly suggestible mind like mine at that moment was swayed, even though in the end I chose a stand against it. Again, the fact made me think that we could choose to conform or not to, but then the environment around us will affect us to the extent that we allow it to.

Just musings I never really thought about and put into words now. Not sure if it makes sense now that I'm writing about it, but hey :-) a mind is indeed suggestible!

(book) Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt

Synopsis:

In this striking literary debut, Carol Rifka Brunt unfolds a moving story of love, grief, and renewal as two lonely people become the unlikeliest of friends and find that sometimes you don't know you've lost someone until you've found them.

1987. There's only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that's her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn's company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June's world is turned upside down. But Finn's death brings a surprise acquaintance into June's life--someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn's funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn's apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she's not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most. 

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, "Tell the Wolves I'm Home" is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.

Review:

I haven't had the pleasure of reading a book that's this emotional and raw for such a long time. After the pages closed, all I wanted to do was bask in silence and let the tears flow. It was expected that I'd encounter a sad story about death, what I did not expect was how much I'd love the story, and how heartbreaking it all was.

I love all the characters. I like being in June's shoes, seeing everything through her eyes, feel the raw emotions she does, and loves as much as she does. I get to know Finn through her understanding, grow fond of Toby just as she does, and never feels like I know more than she does, just flowing in her pace. I like that the feelings are all honestly told - the good, the bad, even those demons within our hearts that we often hide away just so people won't know how horrible we can be.

Even though some characters - Greta, Danni, are at first exasperating, I'm glad I get to know their stories, and that they react in a humane way, and that makes me understand.

There are pages that make me teary-eyed or smile, because they're that kind of stories; the wonderful, the bittersweet, a story about love in the purest sense of wanting the other to be happy, a story about family, getting lost, getting found, and the discoveries along the way. It's about secrets, but it's also about setting them free. It's about acceptance and friendship and memories and art and finding ourselves.

I love everything about this book. It can get slow and choppy at times but I accept that as how the author wanted to construct this book, and possibly how her style really is. It's definitely a beautiful debut, and I look forward to more of Carol Rifka Brunt's books.

Five stars out of five.

Beauty Stuffs from Luxola

It's been a while since I wrote fashion and beauty articles, or even lifestyle articles on and offline. I used to work as a part time journalist, filling columns for an in-house magazine and also a community called Fasity.com started by my good friend Vilia Ciputra.

I kinda miss it, actually.

Now that I have some new beauty products I just got from Luxola, I think this might be the perfect time to start doing so again.

Note: everything's purchased from Luxola.com, and images are taken from the website.

Zoeva Graphic Eyes + (Close to Heaven)

Rp. 87 000

This is one of my first purchases from Luxola, and having never heard of the brand Zoeva before, I was a little doubtful. But the price tag plus the flash sale discount eventually made me add this to my cart, and tried it as soon as it arrived.

The color is lilac - a little too bright for me, as when I wear it in daylight I look too made up and bright-eyed, like I'm going clubbing. With my fair skin, the shade pops out too much, so I don't think it's appropriate for everyday office-use. However, it'll look perfect for hangouts, parties and when I'm in the mood for a fun color.

The texture is super creamy and smooth, it glides so naturally on the eyelids and doesn't smudge when I blink too much or after a few hours use. Usually the waterproof liner I use disappears completely when I go back from work, even though I apply a generous amount in the morning.

Overall, an okay buy - but only because the color does not suit me too much. Everything else from quality to packaging is just lovely.

Crazy Rumors Bubblegum Lip Balm

Rp. 60 900

I'm a big fan of bubblegum flavor/scent, and I used to have this lip balm during my teenage years that smelled exactly like one, and I couldn't stop using it.

This one is vegan, and does not exactly taste like bubblegum, but indeed smells like one. The scent is not as strong as the one I used to have, but it was more natural-smelling. It helps hydrate my often dry lips, but has to be reapplied after some time.

The packaging is this cute little tube with soft pink colors - which is the main thing I love about this product. Very affordable, too. I don't seem to be able to find Vaseline or Banana Boat lip balms (which are the best and most hydrating, in my opinion) anymore, so this stays on the pouch in my everyday carry-all bag for easy use. There are also other yummy flavors/scents to try!

Zoeva Graphic Eyes + (Nude Reflection)

Rp. 87 000

This is the happiest make up purchase I've had in a long time. Out of the five products I purchased from Luxola, this one's the best.

I've raved about the packaging and texture of Zoeva Graphic Eyes+ before, but the color is what makes me want to collect all shades Zoeva has, which unfortunately are not available in Luxola and have to be purchased online from Germany.

The creamy shade looks amazing - it's nude but shimmery, therefore it pops and brightens the eyes. I have relatively small eyes that look tired without eyeliners, but as soon as my eyes get reflected by the light, they look made up without being excessively so, which is a good thing in my dictionary.

From first sight, I thought it'd be darker than the nude shade it mentioned it would be. But on first swatch, it just looked wonderful!


Will repurchase when mine runs out.

Laqa & Qo - Lil Lip Duo: Wolfman and Fairy Blood

Rp. 234 900

I'm ambivalent about lip products. On one hand I love pink shades on the lips, but don't actually wear lipsticks/glosses often. But as these come in tiny tubes, I thought I'd give them a try.

Out of the two, Fairy Blood suits me better. Wolfman is a pale pink shade that makes fair skin looks sickly and paler than it actually is, although I've seen it look beautiful on models who opt for a nude look. Fairy Blood is coral pink, and it does make my whole face look more alive instead of pale like it usually is.

The packaging is cute and tiny, with little tube sticks that look like kid crayons and can be tucked in the pouch of your bag to carry everywhere. When applied, the lipstick looks slightly chalky, although very easy to use. The texture is not as smooth as your average lipstick. Despite that, I find it to be quite moist and not very dry at all.


Might not repurchase, but a nice fit to add to my pink lipstick collections. Travel friendly. The price, not so much.

Maybelline Color Show: Shiny Beige Eyeliner 

Rp. 78 300

My last purchase of the day.

I'm a big fan of eyeliners, and I use them more often than shadows to make my eyes look more pronounced. That being said, I don't love deep dark colors so much, and I'm curious about the new nude shades.

However, the nude does not show that much when I applied it several times. I know that's the whole point of nude shade, but I expect it to brighten my eyes or at least look glowy.

I might be able to use it for the corners of my eyes for a subtle look, but that's about it.

Amidst white lilies and roses

There were white roses everywhere. There were lilies too, exactly the kind I liked.

My aunt passed away last night, and I went to pay my respects for the last time this afternoon. She was the one who took care of me as a child, and as far as I remembered, the closest of all the aunts I had. She was bubbly and smiley, and the room was always full of jokes and laughter whenever she was around.

At first I thought it'd be okay. It's been so long since I last saw her, and felt guilty because I did not pay her a visit in years, even though I knew she was battling her disease. I thought I'd always have the time. But when I saw her photograph in the morgue today, and said my prayers and went to see her one final time, it surprised me that I felt choked up. It was a quiet grief, not the gut-wrenching, loud-sobs kind of grief, because it was reserved for closer family members. But just as I felt it I knew that pang, the emotion I felt when my aunt's mother - my grand aunt, passed away from the same disease a few years back. I remembered her kindness, her smile, the red envelopes she saved for me each Chinese New Year's day, and how I wrote a tribute for her in my blog too. It was more like regret, and sadness that I could not see her again, that I was not a better niece, and that I'd miss her from time to time, and remember this feeling when I think of her in the future.

I have no other words to express my feelings, other than my aunt was, and is a great person. She'd been there as I grew up, and I was sad not to see her at my own wedding, and that I would never get to be in hers. I would like to watch her grow old, see her during every Chinese New Year celebration, and be with her for a long time.

Farewell, and may you sit beside our Father, and be safe, and happy, watching all of us from above. Amen.

Image taken from bnbwebsites.com

Menemukan surat pembaca dalam inbox email

foto diambil dari sharppendullsword.blogspot.com

Saya masih ingat, pertama kali karya saya diterbitkan, saya seringkali mengetikkan nama sendiri pada mesin pencari Google, dan membaca setiap resensi yang dituliskan di sana. Pernah sekali, menemukan juga resensi tentang Kenangan Abu-Abu dan perdebatan mengenai cerita dan kovernya. Setiap kali buku baru terbit, saya juga rajin mengecek Goodreads, hanya untuk membaca resensi pembaca-pembaca pertama, dan bertegur sapa seandainya bisa. Kalau diingat-ingat, waktu-waktu itu rasanya sudah lama sekali.

Ngomong-ngomong tentang surat pembaca, surat pembaca pertama saya tiba di inbox akun email pribadi tahun 2009, persisnya setelah Ai terbit. Sejak saat itu, saya senang sekali jika menerima surat-surat pembaca, juga posting di Facebook. Kira-kira tahun 2010, saya aktif dalam Twitter, dan sejak saat itu bertekad membalas setiap email maupun mention yang masuk. Tidak ada alasan khusus, hanya saja saya gembira jika bisa berkomunikasi dengan para pembaca, dan saya ingat kenangan-kenangan lama, di mana saya seringkali mengirimkan email kepada penulis-penulis favorit, namun tidak dibalas. Di luar itu, saya mengerti kok, bahwa mereka mungkin menerima ratusan email sehari, dan tidak bisa membalasnya satu-persatu.

Tentu saja, email yang masuk tidak seluruhnya bersahabat, sama halnya dengan kritik yang membaur dengan hal-hal positif dalam resensi di Goodreads atau blog, misalnya. Ada juga yang menyinggung hal sensitif. Namun, bagi saya, setiap detik yang dihabiskan seseorang untuk menyampaikan sesuatu, bahkan jika hanya satu kalimat, adalah sebuah apresiasi tersendiri. Untuk mencari alamat email saya dari balik kover buku, atau mengetik pesan virtual untuk dikirim, itu saja sudah merupakan sesuatu yang berharga.

Saya masih ingat, kala sedang down, saya sering membaca posting teman-teman semua di Facebook, dan hal itu membuat saya tersenyum kembali serta ingin buru-buru menulis. Ada teman-teman yang sharing tentang kisah persahabatan mereka, ada juga yang mengatakan bahwa buku-buku saya membuat mereka menangis. Ada yang mengirimkan kisah tentang kehidupan asmara yang mirip adegan buku-buku saya, bahkan bertukar dan meminta nasihat. Ada yang minta kisahnya dibukukan, ada juga yang mengajak saya bergabung dalam acara sekolah. Ada yang mengeluh kok ceritanya persahabatan jadi cinta melulu, ada juga yang mengirimkan foto mereka dengan kover buku favorit mereka. Kebanyakan, pembaca juga ingin menulis, dan meminta saran menulis.

Jadi, inilah surat balasan saya untuk kalian. Terima kasih untuk setiap kata, setiap dukungan. 

Mungkin, saya tidak terlalu baik dalam berkorespondensi. Mungkin, sepatah dua patah kata yang saya kirimkan sebagai balasan tidak cukup, atau mungkin saya belum bisa membalas semua email maupun ada beberapa yang tersangkut di spam folder saya. Namun begitu, terima kasih.

2014

taken from rockingwallpaper.com

Happy New Year, everybody!

Hope 2014 is a better year for each of you,

and 2013 remains a precious memory :-)

What's up 2013?

Things I'm loving in 2013:

from Wikipedia

- Drama: Answer Me 1994 - it's not about the love triangle, rather the story of relationships, friendships and family, and the essence of life itself. It's so real, and I now admire the writer.

- Cooking: been experimenting with recipes and ingredients. So far I'm still a novice, but I plan to venture more and use materials I'm unfamiliar with before just for the fun of it.

- Books from BookDepository. I plan to follow their 25 hours book sale(s) even though it means losing sleep.

Supermodel Me Femme Fatale, from Diva Universal website

- Model reality TV: ANTM, The Face, Supermodel Me. I'm not so keen on the Face, especially because Naomi Campbell is so nasty in that show, but I love ANTM and Supermodel Me proves to be an entertaining watch.

- iPhone apps: Snoopy's Candy Fair, Hay Day and Campus Life. Too bad I don't play the last two anymore.

- Crime TV series: Law and Order SVU (love Mariska Hargitay), and to a lesser extent, NCIS.

- Masterchef USA 4, which I devour to my heart's content, and a little of The Voice 5, and the Blacklist that I watched with hubby at home.

The year of 2013 in words

The rest of 2013 is counting down, are you looking forward to 2014? I certainly am, but 2013 as any other years has been especially memorable to me. It is not easy by any count, it has been a difficult year full of struggles, overloaded work, and failures, but it is also filled with little moments and big moments alike, lots of love, and successes.

Let's count back our blessings in 2013, and welcome 2014 with an open heart!

Image taken from social-stampede.com

The best of 2013

Walking down the aisle

Starting a family with my loved one

Refrain being adapted into a movie, and walking down the premiere with the actors

Ai being repackaged and relaunched

Being baptized - I'm now officially Catholic, and Alice is my Christening name

Melbourne: Rewind

Little moments

Learning to cook and learning so much more from my experiments and explorations

Writing a new draft, which is the hardest thing to do for me next to writing Unforgettable because of its subject and research materials

Celebrating little moments with my family before and after moving out, which always makes me miss home

Decorating a brand new Christmas tree in blue and silver at our new home

Celebrating first Christmas and New Year at our new home

The little arguments and hectic moments of wedding preps.

Attending a katekumen class with 30 other people, it's fun and enlightening.

Favorite dramas & movies of 2013

I love the second Hobbit installment, it was an adventure

White House Down - a fun ride through and through

Answer Me 1994 - can't get enough of it

Mr. Morgan's Last Love - melancholic with depth

Werewolf Boy - everything's perfect in this one, from casting to plot to ending

Favorite books & mangas of 2013

Cat Street - a bunch of misfits finding their places in the world

Lola and the Boy Next Door - wonderful, funny, poignant.

Me Before You - makes me cry in the best way

The Storyteller - Jodi's the best, and this book wins it for me

Gisele Alain - a new EMMA for me!

My Kind of Girl

Sister - Rosamund Lupton's my favorite author now

Most disappointing reads and movies of 2013

Pacific Rim - too loud, too epic

Allegiant - the ending makes me go whack

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour - wanted to like it, but it was too depressing instead of fun

Helga's Diary - really wanted to enjoy it, but too many details were missing

Just One Day - I was hoping for whirlwind romance and lots of heart. I got both, but they're a little bland.

Seraphina - just wanted it to be over soon

The Last Girlfriend on Earth - ditto

Things I missed out on

KPP 2013 by Gagas Media - so jealous of everyone who came!

Anugerah Pembaca Indonesia 2013 - will try to make it next year.

Favorite Christmas albums

Michael Buble - Christmas

Amy Grant's the Christmas collection

Favorite songs: Feliz Navidad, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, I'll Be Home for Christmas, and A Grown-up Christmas List.

Favorite breakthrough songs
Bruno Mars' Locked Out of Heaven
Fallout Boy - My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark
The Script ft Will.I.Am - Hall of Fame
Sia ft David Guetta - Titanium
Let Her Go

Wishlist
A long long holiday
Books: Eleanor & Park, New York Drawings, Wallbanger, Boy Toy
Celebrating my birthday, which is 2 weeks away

That about sums up my entire year. What about you?

Happy #unforgotTEN, Gagas Media!

Saya pertama kali mengenal Gagas Media sekitar tahun 2006-2007. Waktu itu, saya sedang keranjingan membaca novel-novel Indonesia, dan salah satunya adalah karya mbak Novita Estiti yang berjudul Subject: Re, diterbitkan juga oleh Gagas Media. Dan saat-saat itu, saya juga memasukkan menerbitkan sebuah novel dalam bucket list pribadi - hal-hal penting yang harus dilakukan dalam hidup, terinspirasi dari buku 100 Things to Do Before I Die. Mungkin karena itulah saya cukup menggebu-gebu menulis setiap hari dalam lembaran buku notes bekas, menuliskan kisah-kisah novel saya yang pertama.

Photo credit: askdavetaylor.com

Tetapi, perjalanan menulis maupun menerbitkan buku tidak semudah timbulnya semangat dalam menulis. Meskipun menulis setiap hari, saya benar-benar 'hijau' dalam memulai, tanpa persiapan maupun pengetahuan dalam dunia penulisan, apalagi penerbitan. Ketika karya berbahasa Indonesia pertama selesai, saya asal mengirimkannya ke setiap penerbit yang saya tahu, berbekal Yahoo! search, tinta printer yang terisi penuh, lembaran amplop dan surat perkenalan. Saya mengirim bundel-bundel itu ke setiap redaksi penerbitan, berharap suatu hari nanti saya akan mendapatkan surat balasan. Sayangnya, surat-surat tersebut tidak membawa kabar baik.

Lompat setahun dua tahun kemudian, saya menyelesaikan naskah untuk novel Ai. Lagi-lagi, saya pun mengirimkannya ke beberapa penerbit yang saya kenal, berharap naskah tersebut dapat diterima. Lagi-lagi, surat-surat yang saya temukan dalam kotak pos biasanya diawali dengan mohon maaf, kami belum bisa menerima naskah anda. Cukup lama waktu berlalu sampai akhirnya tiba akhir tahun 2008. Saya ingat waktu itu saya baru saja operasi gigi bungsu, di keempat tempat sekaligus, sehingga yang bisa saya lakukan adalah beristirahat dengan semangkuk es krim dan pipi super bengkak. Tiba-tiba masuk telepon dari mbak Alit, yang memperkenalkan diri sebagai redaksi Gagas Media, dan ia telah membaca naskah Ai, juga ingin menerbitkannya.

Sambil menelepon mbak Alit, saya antara ingin jejingkrakan girang, teriak kencang HOREEEEE, juga berusaha berbicara sejelas mungkin karena kondisi saat itu membuat saya agak sulit membuka mulut. Haha.. kalau ingat saat-saat itu rasanya lucu banget, karena saat itulah pertama kalinya saya mengenal Gagas Media secara resmi.

photo credit to sussexbooks.co.uk

Singkat kata, empat revisi pribadi dan beberapa bulan kemudian, naskah Ai akhirnya resmi dibukukan, menggunakan kover ciamik warna hijau telur asin ciptaan Jeffri Fernando yang saya suka setengah mati itu. Selanjutnya, naskah demi naskah, kembali saya kirimkan ke penerbit Gagas Media. Kalau dihitung-hitung, sudah 9 proyek yang kami kerjakan bersama - Ai, Refrain, Glam Girls Unbelievable, the Journeys, Remember When, Unforgettable, Truth or Dare, Draf 1, dan Melbourne: Rewind.

Launching the Journeys tahun 2011

Saya masih ingat kunjungan pertama ke headquarter Gagas Media di Jagakarsa. Itu tahun 2009, pra cetak Refrain, dan ketika saya datang, teman-teman Gagas Media sedang sibuk memilih kovernya. Di sanalah saya baru bertemu dengan kru dan redaksi Gagas Media, orang-orang yang selama ini hanya saya dengar saja suaranya di telepon. Saya bertemu dengan mbak Windy Ariestanty, yang dengan semangat memilih kover amplop biru (tanpa ragu mbak Windy memilih kover itu, sedangkan saya, walaupun jatuh cinta juga dengan kover tersebut, sempat tergoda dengan image trampolin di alternatif kedua). Saya juga bertemu dengan Christian Simamora, yang sampai sekarang ini menjadi teman terbaik saya dalam berdiskusi ide maupun plot novel, dan editor yang tanpa basa-basi akan mengkritik naskahmu, just as it is, because it is the way it is. Kemudian masih ada Jeffri Fernando, mbak Alit, Resita, mbak Gita, dan masih banyak lagi, teman mengobrol tentang naskah dan novel-novel seru. Belakangan, saya juga berkenalan dengan mas Emka, mbak Wulan dan mbak Echa, mbak Widyawati Oktavia, Annisa, Jia Effendi, Michan, mas Em, dan kawan-kawan. Bagi saya, mereka semua adalah wajah-wajah di balik Gagas Media, yang membentuk lem dan pondasinya.

Bersama Christian, mas Emka, Jeffri dan mas Riva selama Pesta Buku Jakarta 2010

Dulu, saya sempat menulis di buku Draf 1 mengenai tata cara menentukan penerbit yang baik. Saya menyinggung hal-hal seperti promosi, pembagian royalti yang adil, keterlibatan penulis dalam proses penerbitan, dan lain-lain. Kini saya sadari, hal-hal itu bersifat teknis, dan kalau ditanya lagi sekarang mengenai ciri-ciri penerbit yang baik, maka jawaban saya hanya satu. Temukanlah penerbit yang dapat menjadi keluargamu.

Hubungan antara penerbit dan penulis bukan hanya terpaku pada sekadar perwujudan naskahmu menjadi buku yang dicetak dan diedarkan di toko-toko buku. Bukan hanya persentase yang dibagikan setiap beberapa bulan sekali. Bukan percakapan pendek di telepon mengenai sisi-sisi teknis penerbitan dan deadline naskah. Bukan tentang untung rugi, siapa yang lebih menguntungkan, siapa yang lebih terkenal, siapa yang lebih unggul.

Bareng Haqi Achmad dan tim Gagas (Resita, mas Em, mbak Widyawati, Jeffri) di M&G film Refrain 2013

Saya tahu, saya hanyalah satu dari sekian banyak penulis-penulis yang bernaung di bawah nama penerbit Gagas Media, tapi buat saya, Gagas Media sudah menjadi teman, partner, juga keluarga kedua. Kami bertumbuh bersama, sama-sama berjalan dalam baby steps, working in tandem karena bagi saya, itulah yang paling penting dalam hubungan seorang penulis dengan penerbitnya. Segala sesuatu dilakukan bersama-sama.

Di luar itu semua, saya salut pada Gagas Media yang dalam sepuluh tahun ini telah berkembang luar biasa - terus melihat potensial dalam naskah penulis-penulis baru tanpa pandang bulu, menciptakan tren lewat kover-kover buku dan sinopsis yang sensasional, dan terus aktif dalam dunia buku Indonesia.

Launching Unforgettable dalam Unforgettable Moment bersama Gagas Media, 2012

Baru saja pagi ini sebuah pikiran terbersit dalam benak saya - buat sebagian orang, mungkin sebuah nama adalah merk, logo, penanda. Tapi, Gagas Media adalah orang-orang di baliknya. They're the ones who carry the name.

Begitulah sepenggal sejarah saya bertemu dengan Gagas Media.

photo credit to Glover Cupcakes

Jadi, saya ucapkan selamat hari jadi yang kesepuluh - hari ini, 4 Juli 2013.

Semoga dalam tahun-tahun mendatang, Gagas Media akan semakin sukses.

Dan tak lupa, terima kasih banyak.

I think I'm just lucky to work with all of you.

Mengapa menulis?

photo credit: mydharma.ca

Baru-baru ini, sebuah pesan masuk ke dalam inbox Goodreads saya. Seorang kenalan penulis bernama Aksara bertanya, mengapa menulis?

Pertanyaan itu terus-menerus muncul di benak, membuat saya tergugah untuk menulis ini di blog, yang terus terang mulai terabaikan karena kesibukan hehehe.

Mengapa menulis?

Saya bisa memberikan begitu banyak jawaban, tapi semuanya merupakan kamuflase bagi pertanyaan: mengapa menulis untuk diterbitkan? Yang pertama, karena idealisme pribadi yang awalnya bercita-cita untuk menerbitkan satu buku sebelum mati. Idealisme ini awalnya bermula dari mimpi, tapi dilandasi juga oleh keinginan kuat untuk membuktikan kalau saya bisa, kepada orang-orang yang pernah menentang keinginan ini. Bisa juga sebagai cara saya mengeksplorasi diri, karena saya ingin tahu apa saya benar-benar bisa menulis dan punya buku yang diterbitkan, atau memang hanya sekadar angan pungguk yang merindukan bulan. Idealisme yang ada semakin diperkuat saat saya bergabung dengan komunitas penulisan. Di sana, saya merasa 'terasah', berkomunikasi dengan sesama pencinta dunia penulisan, menerima berbagai kritik bertubi-tubi, juga pujian. Dari sana, begitu banyak yang saya pelajari dan rasakan, membuat saya semakin yakin bahwa ini dunia yang ingin saya geluti. Lalu, satu-persatu teman-teman komunitas mulai menerbitkan naskah mereka, kebanyakan lewat penerbit-penerbit terkenal. Jujur, walau saya merasa kagum, saya juga iri luar biasa. Akhirnya, rasa-rasa itu berkembang menjadi keinginan yang lebih lekat dan memacu saya untuk terus berusaha.

Idealisme kembali muncul saat beberapa naskah saya akhirnya berhasil diterima penerbit dan diterbitkan. Dari sana, terngiang ucapan beberapa orang, teruslah menulis! Ada deadline yang kasat mata, keharusan tak tertulis untuk terus berkarya karena saya tidak bisa membiarkan jeda yang terlalu lama dan karya selanjutnya perlu menyusul. Lalu, ada idealisme dalam diri yang mengeset target pribadi, padahal tidak ada yang menagih.Satu dua naskah setahun. Selama ini, saya berusaha menepati 'janji' itu kepada diri sendiri, meskipun sulit, terutama saat jadwal tidak memungkinkan, atau ide enggan menyangkut.

Akan bohong kalau saya tidak menyebutkan bahwa alasan materi pun berpengaruh sebagai jawaban: mengapa menulis untuk diterbitkan? Selama ini, saya menganggap royalti menulis adalah hasil jerih payah yang seluruhnya merupakan milik saya, hasil bergadang menulis, menyempatkan diri di setiap celah waktu, dan berbulan-bulan mengetik, menghapus dan mengedit. Alasan materi pun salah satu alasan signifikan yang melandasinya.

Tapi, kembali lagi ke pertanyaan: mengapa menulis? Mengapa menulis walau naskah hanya mengendap dan tidak diterbitkan, mengapa menulis walau tidak ada deadline atau proyek khusus, mengapa membuka laptop dan mengetik walau merasa lelah, mengapa menulis sungguh-sungguh walau ini kesannya 'hanya' pekerjaan?

Saya tercenung memikirkannya sejenak, dan hanya ada satu jawaban. Saya sungguh tidak tahu.

Yang saya tahu adalah, kata-kata ini mengendap di kepala, menunggu untuk dimuntahkan. Karakter-karakter hidup dalam diri saya, menunggu dengan sabar sampai kisah mereka diceritakan, walau kadang tak sabar juga sih karena saat waktu tak tepat pun mereka terus mendesak :) karena saat saya tidak menulis untuk beberapa waktu, saya merindukannya, tak sabar mencoret-coret buku catatan, atau sampai kata-kata muncul di layar laptop yang tadinya kosong. Karena saat menulis, saya memudar dari dunia saya dan muncul kembali dalam dunia yang saya kreasikan, seperti sebuah rahasia di mana hanya saya yang tahu.

Ah, saya suka menulis. Itu saja jawaban saya. Karena di suatu titik waktu, saya cukup beruntung untuk menemukan satu hal yang saya cintai, dan kebetulan saya diberkati dengan kemampuan untuk melatihnya dan menjadi lebih baik dalam bidang tersebut. Karena saya kemudian sangat beruntung sebab memiliki kesempatan untuk menerbitkan karya, agar dapat dibaca khalayak luas, dan mimpi saya menjadi nyata. Dari sekian banyak hal dalam hidup yang saya syukuri, ini adalah salah satu yang duduk dalam posisi teratas.

Jadi, saya bersyukur, dan tidak mau menyia-nyiakannya. Saya menyukai tulis-menulis, dan ingin melakukannya seumur hidup. Saya beruntung, memiliki pekerjaan yang merupakan passion saya, dan sebaliknya juga, bisa menjadikan hobi ini menjadi pekerjaan.

Mengapa menulis?

Karena saya ingin, dan saya suka. Sesederhana itu :) terima kasih Aksara karena membuat saya berkilas balik dan menyadari satu hal ini.

(film) From Up on Poppy Hill and Whisper of the Heart by Studio Ghibli

 

I'm a fan of young adult films done right, and these two are the perfect examples of why I love both YA movies and animation. I've been a huge fan of anime for years, but have just recently discovered the magic that is Studio Ghibli.

Their first film that I watched was Ponyo, and loved it despite the fantastical bits. When I felt a bit mellow and would like something heartwarming, simple without the supernatural elements, I went for either these two gems or Makoto Shinkai's 5 CM per second. I wouldn't compare Hayao Miyazaki with Makoto Shinkai, because they are as different as night and day, but that does not mean I don't enjoy their films equally.

The plot (From Up on Poppy Hill): Umi is the caretaker of a boarding house overlooking the port, and she raises flags as messages to seamen to stay safe, as once taught by her sailor father who died at the sea. One day she meets Shun, a member of the school newspaper club, and together with their friends, they try to save their old clubhouse from being demolished by the school chairman.

The plot (Whisper of the Heart): Shizuku is a bookworm, and she's surprised to find that most of the books she checks out has already been read by another student named Seiji. Both of them meet and grow close, and she's left wondering about her dream when he has already gone to pursue his as a violin maker. She decides to test her talent in writing a story based on the Baron, a cat figurine she finds in Seiji's grandfather's antique shop.

From Up on Poppy Hill and Whisper of the Heart are so heartbreakingly honest and real they just tug at your heartstrings. Both have unusually unique family background and a little side story about family life, also a simple teen romance with signs of a budding first love. There are bits of Japanese traditions and lives everywhere, it's so wonderful to watch. The colors are bright and vivid, the artwork clean and lovely, the voices done right, with suitable accompanying music. Both are rather slow paced, but anime about everyday life usually does that - take things slowly, and you don't realize you've fallen in love with it until the credits roll.

Both also have strong, mature teen characters. Both Umi and Shizuku are your average teenager, but as Umi is reliable, sensible and responsible, and Shizuku are often sullen, sometimes lazy about homework and chores, they are at core the teenagers we all once were, or are. They have strong minds and express their opinions well, the communications with their peers, family members and loved ones are not one-sided that might express misunderstanding, but very much real and interactive. They say what they feel, and they fight for what they believe is important. I admire the relationships in both films, and am very pleasantly surprised when Shizuku's parents allow her to do what she thinks is right, even if that means temporarily abandoning her studies and possibly not continuing school.

I might have slightly a bit more fondness for From Up on Poppy Hill because of the school spirit and the strong characters I find in both Umi and Shun. Everything's just done in the right proportions, and I can't help but wish there are more films such as this one. The stories are meaningful, even though they were made decades earlier, they still carry relevance in today's era.

I'm currently marathoning my way through the rest of Studio Ghibli films, but these two are definitely top of my list.

(book) My Kind of Girl by Buddhadeva Bose

Synopsis

A modern-day Bengali Decameron, My Kind of Girl is a sensitive and vibrant novella containing four disarming accounts of unrequited love. In a railway station one bleak December night, four strangers from different walks of life - a contractor, a government bureaucrat, a writer, and a doctor - face an overnight delay. The sight of a young loving couple prompts them to reflect on and share with each other their own experiences of the vagaries of the human heart in a story cycle that is in turn melancholy, playful, wise and heart-wrenching. The tales reveal each traveler's inner landscape.

Review

I love this book. The premise is intriguing and after years of just putting it on my wishlist, I finally ordered and bought it.

With clean but sophisticated prose (I'm reading the translated version), the author manages to convey four people's love stories in such a simplistic way. I enjoy reading each story and the meaning in them, what love means to each person and how their love story begins, then ends. My favorite is the first and second stories, and my least favorite is the fourth but somehow the last one contains more sorrow and meaning than the rest.

There are tragic first loves, death, marriage, matchmaking, family, stolen glances, misunderstandings, and a happy love story as well. It gives insight into the lives of people in India in that era, as well as their customs, which is a pleasure to read about.

The ending is quiet, nothing dramatic but it gives us a long pause to think about the whole book. Somehow it is more perfect that way.

I'm not sure about the rest of the author's books, but I think I'll seek them out and give them a try.

(movie) Liberal Arts

I don't really know what I expected when I grabbed the DVD except knowing that this is a possible love story between two characters with a large age gap, both fond of classical music and literature. What I get is a surprisingly pleasant and meaningful movie about love, friendship and youth (also coping with age and time).

I have never really seen Josh Radnor in anything, but I did watch Elizabeth Olsen in Love, Peace and Misunderstanding and loved her subtle but strong performance there. This movie centers around a 35 year old man living a mundane life and wishing he could come back to his college years, and when he goes back to Ohio to see his college professor, he meets Zibby, a 19 year old student with a love for classical music (after this class changes her life), and books. They are attracted to each other but he is hesitant because of their age gap, but slowly warms to the idea and starts exchanging handwritten letters.

The movie deals with age, and the anecdotes in the movies from different characters are accurately portraying each dilemma with grace and meaning. The old college professor retiring, Peter, makes an anecdote about thinking he never thinks he's not 19 ever since he passes that age, but everybody else stops seeing him as 19 as he grows up. Then there's Nat, a grungy character, making an observation about a caterpillar not wanting to grow up and fighting the cells trying to turn it into a butterfly, but in the end everything is going to be alright, and there is no fighting it. There's also suicidal Dean, not wanting to live, wanting to end things as soon as possible because he's unhappy. The exchange between the characters are so realistic and thought-provoking, but in the end it shows that not every two people who are right for each other can be together. Life goes on, some days suck, some days we feel lucky we're alive. It's nice to know what others feel that sentiment as well, that we're not alone.

What a powerful message in this movie. It falls in the same category of my favorite movies such as It's Kind of a Funny Story, the Art of Getting By, the Descendants, Like Crazy, and other indie movies I come across and love.

Life is fleeting

Life is fleeting,
but love is everlasting.

Love transcends through generations,
lifetimes, built in the past, planted for the future.

Through one connection,
we collect moments.

Within those moments,
we create memories.

Memories shatter, memories break us, memories sustain us,
makes us who we are.

Therefore life is indeed short and fleeting,
but love is a different thing altogether.

*it's the first time in so many years that I've written a poem. It feels strangely good :)

New Year's Resolutions

this cute cartoon is taken from anansisweb.wordpress.com

Every year I make my own New Year's Resolutions, except for last year when I went que sera sera. I think this year I'll do the same, but I will also reflect on 2012 and its impact in my life.

2012 is a year of failures, disappointments, and success for me. I mean it quite literally - I've been through so much these years I feel like this is the year of sinking and bouncing back, both in the same year. The beginning of 2012 was particularly tough, and I remember working really hard during the first and second semesters of the year until I could hardly feel my sleep anymore.

Writing-wise, I did finish 1 novel draft for 2013 publication. I usually targeted myself to write two, but this year, with my schedule and a longer than intended break, it just wasn't possible. I'm really proud of my latest project, because it really took a long time to finish, and it was similar to Unforgettable, a project I considered my personal breakthrough. It took almost as long for it to brew and finally get written, just as its predecessor. We haven't had a title yet, but so far I'm calling it Rewind.

On the social front, we had a middle school reunion that reminded me how much we all have changed. Someone who used to be my best friend was suddenly sprouting alien sentences, and the person who used to call me names now has more in common with me than the rest. My friends are getting married, being pregnant, having babies and building their little families. On the other hand, I keep writing, working, living in my own world. Some good friends I stopped seeing, losing more friendships than I've had in years, we go our separate ways. Some good friends I met again, finding that I miss them more than I thought I would.

Life goes on. So my resolutions for 2013 are simple. I wish to keep writing good things, and to be able to listen to my heart, to be able to live life courageously, to be able to barrel through hardships and not sweat the small stuffs so much. And I want to be content being me, because frankly I can't live this life twice.

And that is one hell of a resolution for me. Amen to that.

When you catch the flu...

1. Eat lots of comfort food: homemade chicken soup, a bar of Hershey's, fruits and vegetables.
2. Curl up in bed reading a hardback copy of your favorite book.
3. Play Hay Day all day waiting for your crops to be ready for harvest.
4. Listen to iPod.
5. Watch DVDs.
6. Read comic books.
7. Sleep all day.
8. Get a beauty regime - exfoliate, moisturize, homemade hair spa, manicure.
9. Drink vitamins and cold drops.
10. Go online shopping.
11. Write on your blog.
12. Catch up on magazines.
13. Tweet.
14. Drink lots of water.
15. Sleep early and get up late.

That's what I did :)

the Joy of Cooking

image taken from homemadelemoncake.blogspot.com

I love cooking. I rarely do so, and I've probably written about cooking more than I could remember... but I cook sometimes. I only cook for my family and the people I love, simple meals such as sandwiches, mostly homecooked meals like pasta, soup, veggies and such. I'm not big on presentation, and there are countless times of burnt things, overcooked onions, tasteless broth, lack of salt, and failed attempts.

Cooking is therapeutic. It also reminds me of people who cook for me are doing so out of love. My mom packs me lunch every day, and sometimes I forget how tiring it makes her and how I don't always appreciate it. The hours it takes me to cook up a meal or two makes me realize that it can be tedious and exhausting day after day. It becomes a routine, thinking up what to cook next, what fits with the ingredients on the fridge, what meals we'd like, what's healthy and what's a good occassional junk food, etc.

I've also had countless people criticize the meals I made. Some throw them away, when they do not realize how much love and time are thrown into the mix of what seems like inedible food. I've hold grudges against them, I've been sad, I've been angry, and I've expected to get something in return.

What I realize today is the simple joy of cooking. That I don't need compliments, I don't need to expect anything in return. I'm happy to see people eating the food I make and knowing that it makes them full, it makes them smile.

What I love the most is when my boyfriend, knowing how much effort I make into preparing him a packed meal, will eat every single grain without complaint, even though it might be too salty or lacking seasonings, and will thank me with a smile on his face when he finishes eating.

I gave out a batch of my first attempt at fried rice to someone else today. I've only seen my father do it, and he makes the best fried rice. It makes me feel proud, knowing that I've put my grudges behind me and that I've realized an important lesson.

Cooking is a lot like life. It's learning. It's giving. It's attempting to make things right by practicing. It requires balance, and knowing when to start, when to stop, when to add, and what to do next. It involves picking out the best ingredients you need, and throwing out the spoiled stuffs and the things that will ruin the taste of your food.

I might not be doing it often, but cooking is one thing I'll attempt from time to time, and learn from.

My Christmas Wishlist 2012

Christmas is less than eight weeks away and I'm here nitpicking what will be inside my Christmas stockings...

Our family is not big on celebrating Christmas. For me, Christmas is a little tradition I personally keep in my heart, usually by going to the morning service to pray and look at the beautiful decorations, listen to the beautiful choir, and play Christmas songs all day to myself. It also involves setting up a huge Christmas tree in our store, and think up wonderful gifts for our customers, sometimes also Christmas dining ideas. We do not exchange gifts underneath the tree or have the house decorated in lavish greens and reds, although when I have my own family I'm sure we will practice that tradition for our kids. For me, Christmas in something to look forward to, just because.

It makes me excited about the prospect of shopping for Christmas when I browse through BookDepository's early Christmas shopping gift offers, complete with recommended gifts for her, for him, for a Secret Santa and also a wishlist. I adore BookDepository a lot, it's my one stop shopping place for books and anything book/stationary related. I also joined their 24 hours offers last night and got 3 books: Wonderstruck, the Dead Room (I don't read murder mystery/thriller on paperback often but the synopsis is too juicy to pass up), and All About Me. The last one is a book on Santa, filled with personalized letters. I happen to have a little book about Santa, one of the remaining treasures from my childhood I could not bear to leave behind. I love everything about Santa.

That being said, I have a couple of things for my wishlist. It's just for fun, and I'll probably tick the things off the list one by one in time, as presents for myself whenever I need a cheering up.

All images below are taken from bookdepository.co.uk

A lace dress (or two)

My new fashion fetish is lace. I adore everything lace, from a lace cardigan, a brocade shrug, a salmon-colored tube dress, lace shoes, lace everythings.

A new hardback journal

I carry a leather-cover journal everyday, although it's mostly for work. Can't live without lists, and lists don't exist without the journal. However, I'd like to resume my days of journal-writing. I haven't found the perfect book yet, and I haven't found the words to write yet.

I love journals, diaries and notepads. I browse through them continuously on bookstores and gift stores, and probably buy one every time I visit a store. They're used for my fiction, articles, ideas, work, letters to a friend, etc.

I have never owned a Moleskine before and am eyeing the limited edition Peanuts or the Little Prince 2013 diaries.

These film and book-themed journals are also a fun way to jot down the tracks of my life based on what I watch and read.

Books!

I never tire of them. Here are a few most-wanted books of the moment. Will collect them soon.

Books about art

I love books about film, behind-the-scenes, art and the history of said art. I also love books about ideas and creativities, little fun philosophies.

A Charlie Brown Christmas Snow Globe

I love everything related to snow globes. I don't collect them, but I do love the tiny snowflakes or little glitters  upside down, filling the space inside the globe.

I also love Peanuts, so this one's a nice perk.