Starting today, on every Sunday, I’ll try my best to tweet five links to things posted on the internet with different themes and “feelings”. To welcome my favourite month of all time (because it’s my holiday time, and my birth month), I’d give some kind of “heartwarming” posts I have found all over the internet. Enjoy.

1. The founder of Tumblr talks to Guardian about realising his dreams;
2. Finally, a Valentine’s Day for her – a Field Notes: Red Blooded ad;
3. A bunch of Canada teens sent a lego man to space;
4. A desk toy trying to do a road trip to the Pacific;
5. Things that make Katie happy.

Share me your version of “heartwarming” posts too. x

Have you ever had a problem that keeps coming back to your life? I think we all have. At the beginning, I did not know why a problem should happen over and over again in someone’s life, but now I start to understand.

On the early weeks of 2012, I had been conversing a lot with a very dear friend. We met back in early 2009 when we started Indonesian Youth Conference together remotely as he is studying in Australia. We have gone through a lot of things during the short span of friendship. We frequently argue on tiny to big things and sometimes end up not talking to each other for awhile. Nevertheless, we stay friends until now, and we discuss a heap of things, especially about life, love, and most of all: the problems and lessons in both of them.

image source: weheartit.com

He taught me a very fascinating concept of “learning our lessons”, which I think should be shared. He told me, that whenever we are unable to solve a problem that comes in our lives and take the lessons we should learn out of it, the problem will keep coming back. Not to mention, when it comes back, the “size” would be much bigger than before. The problem will keep coming back because it forces us to learn the lessons it brings. For example, if we fail a course and did not learn the lesson on why we failed the course in school, someday we might fail on another course, big time. 

Sometimes some of us decide to run from a problem, instead of solving it. But, would not it make things even worse? I can not imagine having the same problem coming into my life twice, let alone a bigger one. Most of the time, we can run but we cannot hide – because problems come to our lives to be solved. Problems come to our lives to teach us a lesson. They might be our “teachers”. Yet, what’s the point of attending a course if we do not learn from it? The difference it, this “course” comes in our lives voluntarily yet it must be attended and completed well, unless we would like to retake the course over and over again in the future (which would not be pretty, really).

I have problems in my life. I am sure most of you too. The question is: are we ready to learn the lessons? Even better off, are we ready to share the lessons learned? :)

If you do not mind, kindly share your “lessons learned” from the problems you faced. It must be a hard time for us when it happened, but I am sure as now we look back, everything seems make sense and necessary. Everything will be beautiful in the right time and the right place, indeed. Have a lovely weekend!

Saya pertama kali “berkenalan” dengan benda yang bernama dreamcatcher ketika saya mengikuti program Study of the U.S. Institute di Missoula, Montana. Ada banyak suku Indian yang tinggal di Montana dan saya diberikan kesempatan untuk mempelajari budayanya dengan mengunjungi pusat budaya serta festival pow wow di salah satu daerah di Montana. Secara tradisional, kaum Sioux menggunakan dreamcatcher untuk menjaga anak-anak kecil dari mimpi buruk dengan menggantungkannya di dekat tempat mereka tertidur. (Untuk yang menonton film Twilight, kalau tidak salah, Jacob memberikan Bella sebuah dreamcatcher)

Namun, bagi saya, dreamcatcher memiliki sebuah arti baru. Kata yang sama akan menjadi judul dari buku non-fiksi pertama saya yang rencananya akan dirilis pada bulan Februari mendatang. Sejauh ini, buku DreamCatcher adalah buku favorit saya, karena akan penuh dengan ilustrasi dan halaman-halaman di mana pembaca bisa menuliskan impian-impian mereka. Alhamdulillah, ada satu impian lagi di dalam hidup saya yang akan menjadi kenyataan. :-)

Sebagai ucapan terima kasih atas dukungan teman-teman selama ini, saya mengajak teman-teman untuk menuliskan quote mengenai impian yang teman-teman ciptakan sendiri. Sebagian dari quote yang saya terima akan dicantumkan di buku tersebut. Caranya mudah, teman-teman bisa mention ke akun @AlandaKariza di Twitter dengan menyertakan tagar #DreamCatcher, berisi quote yang telah dibuat. Saya dan editor buku DreamCatcher akan memilih sejumlah quote yang paling inspiratif untuk dimuat. Quote paling lambat di-”kirim”-kan hari ini, 27 Januari 2012, pukul 24:00 WIB.

Bagi teman-teman yang belum sempat berpartisipasi, jangan khawatir. Setelah ini masih ada kuis untuk mendapatkan buku DreamCatcher di halaman Facebook saya di bulan February mendatang. Tunggu informasi selanjutnya ya!

Last December, I was given the chance to travel to Lombok and the Gili Islands for a few days by BlackBerry Indonesia. I, Nicholas Saputra, Artasya Sudirman, and Kristupa Saragih visited a few (beautiful) places in the archipelago in the “Journey with Bold” programme. The travelogue will be released hopefully soon (so, stay tuned). As for now, do enjoy some snapshots I took with my phone and my friend’s camera. For more photos, you can go to this site and witness the journey. You can also watch the “teaser” here.

watch?v=y_OdV83Du0E

Perang Topat – An annual event in Lombok to celebrate diversity
Tanjung Aan, Kuta, Lombok
Being taught how to make gerabah handcrafts by local craftswomen
View from my room in our private villa
Dining at Square, Senggigi
Sunny days, orange and pineapple juice

In the past weeks, I have been dealing with somewhat tough days. I am aware they might not be as tough as yours, but well, I must say I had been having a hard time to undergo my days. By any means, I believe I am currently amid the adjusting phase in life. I am adjusting and adapting to a new environment with new activities, surrounded by new people. No one can deny the fact that dealing with change is usually difficult, but it is necessary. Nonetheless, I dare say that anyone should be able to get through such thing, including me.

We technically spend each second in our lives growing older. Although most of us do not realize so, growing older is inevitable and it keeps happening, including in my life. I think God has been finding ways to teach me plenty of lessons for me to be a stronger individual. Because change, breakdowns, disappointments, are inescapable but also indispensable. That way, the best way to confront them would be to take the embedded lessons. After all, problems are just vessels carrying lessons we should absorb and learn from.

Source

And to this moment, I have learned that:

In life, we can’t trust anyone, but we sure can believe in some, and have faith in all.

Most people are not like how they seem on the surface. People who are socially awkward or always challenge our ideas might be the truest friends we could have in our lives. On the other hand, people who keep calling us “dear” or “babe” might just say them as a lip-service, and probably say them to every single person they meet.

Some people are plastic. You know. And will forever be plastic. Nothing more.

We need to live a balanced life. It probably should be a “work hard, play hard” for us young people.

Although we could always draft resolutions and set goals for the future, the present is also important thing to be thought about and, of course, enjoyed.

It is always better to have few true friends than tons of fake ones.

One day, our best friend’s life might be hanging on a thread… On that moment, we just have to be with and for them, however difficult it might be or seem.

When somebody talks about us behind our back, it means we are significant to them, if not important.

I am sure of the fact that as we grow older, for every second in our lives, we are going to learn new things. These things are going to help us sail through the sweetness and bitterness of life. The challenges we face everyday. The feelings we would like to manifest. The dreams we would like to turn into plans and then history. Amidst of them all, some people are just going to step in and try to ruin everything, but we just have to keep on going. For this is our life and our journey. For everyone else is going to come and go; but the bests are going to definitely stay for as long as they could. For this life is meant to be wholly enjoyed.

I woke up this morning to the fact that today would be the last day in 2011. Some say NYE is overrated but I am still excited to welcome a new year in a few hours. Plenty of things have happened in 2011 – as I have guessed in the very beginning.

Concluding from the past years in my life, I believe every single year, God (or, if you don’t believe in one, The Universe) always gives us a handful of surprises. I have learned that life has many ups and downs. Sometimes we can be very happy about it; while on other points, it will feel like it is kicking us in the ass. Nonetheless, if there is one thing I could hold on to, it would be that every single thing will be beautiful when it is at the right time and the right place.

The year began (and is ending) with a very hard time for me and my family. I had to make some decisions and tried my best to be the martyr to “save” everything, everyone that I love. I don’t know whether it would pay off or not but I am glad I had been able to do the best I could for my mother and my family. It was a quite scary time and, like it or not, it has pretty much changed the way I think and see a lot of things. I have realised that most “reality shows” (including news) are not that real; and I have learned that some people will ride on your misfortune to look good. On the other hand, I have also learned that no matter how “low” you are in your life, some people will always be there for you. :)

In 2011, I have also been asked to endorse a number of brands for a few months and I am very grateful about that. I have learned a lot from so many people, experts in the industry. So, thank you so much, Multiply, Coca-Cola, XL, and BlackBerry for asking me to board the ship and join the cruise with you guys. It has been a great, great journey!

My mid-of-year was celebrated with the second Indonesian Youth Conference. It was such a mesmerizing moment, because my dream finally came true once again. The visitors tripled from 2010 stats, and although I am no Program Director anymore, I still feel that we have made history once again.

I did get the chance to travel to Switzerland. I went to Geneva to speak on behalf of Asian youth as a panelist in “Global Youth: Leading Change” session, which became a part of the High Level Panels in 100th Session of the International Labour Conference. I shared the stage with Monique Coleman, UN Youth Champion. A few months later, thanks to Om Triawan Munaf & Euro RSCG Jakarta, I participated as a Delegate in One Young World Summit 2011 Zurich.

Another highlight would be on traveling. Before I arrived Geneva, I went to Nice for a few days on a backpacking trip. It was great – my first backpacking trip ever! :) In July, I went to Bali to attend Regional Entrepreneurship Summit, and for the first time drove a stick-shift outside Jakarta (and almost crashed a tree, oh well).

Academically, not much had happened. I had to launch a business for a class project, but it turned out that we really loved the idea so we have decided to take it beyond the assignment. With some friends, I joined business plan competitions and brought a couple of trophy back to campus, for the first time in my life. I also participated in the committee of Regional Youth Leaders Conference and BINUS International Debating Championship (I had never been a part of university events committee before).

In terms of social life, not much has changed. I am aware that I am still pretty much the same damsel. I have met a lot of new people but my closest friends remain the same. I have become more and more attached to my IYC mates, as well as my girlfriends since junior high school.

As for love life, I am glad that this year, I will be celebrating NYE with the same person. A few days before IYC, Ryan acquainted his turning point: the birth of Indonesia’s stand-up comedy community. Since then, he has secured an internship with his dream work place, Imaginary Friends Studios, joined the Stand Up Comedy Indonesia (Kompas TV) competition, and won first place. Ryan and I can’t predict the future, but I endearingly hope that we will stick together as long as we could.

I am pretty sure that my 2012 will be full of surprises as well. I already have a few plans coming up for the year, and I must say, I am tremendously excited about it.

My two-cents to face 2012 would be: Britney Spears said we have to live each day to the fullest; Bruce Lee said the first step to be immortal is to live a life worth remembering. And, yes, dreams come true, if we put much faith in them and tons of hard work to make them come true. ;)

Happy new year!

Sebagai generasi yang hidup di era yang seperti sekarang ini, kita tidak perlu bersusah payah untuk melakukan berbagai hal. Di zaman dahulu kala, belum ada sepeda, listrik, apalagi internet. Pergi ke luar kota harus berjalan kaki selama berhari-hari. Mau mengirim pesan, harus minta bantuan merpati pos. Mau mengumumkan sebuah berita penting ke seisi kampung, harus pakai kentongan. Ribet banget, ya? But now, thanks to technology, everything can be much easier.

Kita harus berterima kasih kepada para inovator yang telah membantu membuat hidup kita jauh lebih baik. Contohnya, Thomas Alva Edison yang telah menemukan lampu listrik, atau Wright Bersaudara yang telah menemukan pesawat terbang. Bukan hanya di luar negeri. Di Indonesia pun, kita bisa menyebut banyak nama yang telah sukses sebagai inovator. Ada nama Tirto Utomo, orang yang pertama kali memproduksi dan menjual air putih dalam kemasan. Ada nama Satya Witoelar, orang yang membangun layanan sosial media pertama di dunia yang berbasis lokasi.

Satu pertanyaan yang perlu kita renungkan, “Bisakah saya menjadi seorang penemu juga?” Saya percaya nggak ada yang nggak mungkin, termasuk menjadi penemu atau inovator. Dengan menekuni passion kita, pasti kita bisa menemukan masalah di lingkungan kita dan mencari solusinya.

Tadi malam, saya menemukan sebuah program menarik yang bernama Lenovo DoNetworkID. Program ini diperuntukan untuk siapapun yang bisa membuat suatu inovasi untuk mengubah dunia, walau dimulai dari langkah kecil. Untuk mengikuti program ini, kita perlu melakukan pendaftaran (selambat-lambatnya tanggal 25 Januari 2012). Setelah itu, ada pemilihan finalis sampai tanggal 29 Februari 2012, dan pengumuman pemenang pada tanggal 1 Maret 2012. Setiap tim akan memiliki mentor, yaitu Budi Putra (konsultan teknologi), Nurdiansyah (peneliti dan pemerhati pendidikan), dan Onno W Purbo (independent IT writer).

Selain itu, kita juga bisa menunjukkan dukungan dengan memasang twibbon melalui http://t.co/Yae7e1Dt. Untuk informasi lebih lanjut, kunjungi situs ini ya: http://bit.ly/t5zUmm.

Semoga informasi ini bermanfaat ya. :)

Apabila sponsor belum melunasi “janji”-nya di hari yg ditentukan, kita berhak bawel. Bagaimanapun juga, itu adalah hak kita, sudah ada perjanjiannya, dan harus dilunasi. Tapi, jangan lupa untuk menuntaskan semua kewajiban kita juga. Misalnya, kita sudah berjanji mau mention akun sponsor di Twitter, jangan sampai kelupaan.

Banyak yang tidak mau berada di Divisi Sponsorship karena katanya “berat”. Padahal, ada begitu banyak ilmu yang bisa didapat, seperti network & negotiation skills. Selain itu, pas Hari H, Sponsorship adalah divisi yang paling nggak sibuk! Pas Hari H, tugas kita di Divisi Sponsorhip adalah menjaga perlengkapan sponsor (seperti banner, umbul-umbul, booth) supaya nggak rusak. Kita juga harus menemani perwakilan sponsor yang menghadiri acara kita.

But… What happens when we still don’t have any sponsor at all one month before the event? What should we do?

Di #IYC 2010, akhirnya SEMUA panitia mencari sponsor! Kami pernah menyelenggarakan garage sale, tapi hanya berhasil mendapatkan dana sebesar 0.007% yg dibutuhkan. Semua divisi juga berusaha untuk memotong pengeluaran. Jika kita kreatif, kita pasti bisa membuat acara yang keren tanpa budget besar. Waktu itu, pitching juga dititikberatkan pada in-kind sponsorship (karena relatif lebih mudah untuk didapatkan). In-kind artinya sponsorshipnya bukan dalam bentuk uang.

Untuk tempat pre-event (press conference, IYCPitstop), IYC tidak pernah mengeluarkan biaya. Kita bisa melakukan hal itu karena mendapatkan in kind sponsorship dari venue. Pemilik venuenya juga pasti senang kok kalau kita bisa membuat banyak orang datang ke sana melalui acara kita.

Nah, setelah acara selesai diselenggarakan, kita harus segera membuat LPJ (Laporan Pertanggungjawaban) bersama panitia yang lain untuk dikirimkan ke sponsor, termasuk foto-foto acara kita. Jika sponsor puas dengan profesionalisme kita dan acara kita tersebut, sangat mungkin tahun depan acara kita akan disponsori oleh mereka lagi.

Semoga apa yang saya bagi ini berguna ya. Selamat mencari sponsor!

Belakangan ini, saya sering menghadapi situasi di mana saya merasa membutuhkan sebuah “kantor”. Saya bekerja secara freelance; dan pekerjaan saya menuntut saya untuk bisa berpikir secara inovatif dan kreatif sepanjang waktu. Sayangnya, hal tersebut sulit untuk saya dapatkan di rumah (yang suasananya terlalu rileks), apalagi kampus (yang suaasananya menuntut saya untuk “belajar” terus :p). I want a new “office” for my birthday! 

Dulu, saya selalu bercita-cita untuk mendatangi (dan bekerja di) Googleplex, Twitter headquarters, atau kantornya Pixar — semata-mata karena kantor-kantor tersebut sepertinya merupakan tempat yang menyenangkan untuk bekerja. Since a few weeks ago, I have a new obsession, which would be KASKUS’ new office. :)

KASKUS, yang kita kenal sebagai salah satu situs terbesar di Indonesia, di mana siapapun bisa berinteraksi dalam hal apapun (mulai dari hobi, jual-beli, bertukar jokes, berita, dan lain-lain, baru saja menghadiahi dirinya sendiri dengan sebuah kantor baru! Ulangtahun KASKUS yang keduabelas jatuh pada tanggal 6 November lalu, dan beberapa orang dari berbagai komunitas diundang untuk melihat-lihat kantor barunya di Menara Palma, Kuningan.

Kantor KASKUS terbagi menjadi dua lantai. Di lantai P10, ada “batcave”, yang menjadi ruang tersembunyi pendukung keberadaan operasional KASKUS. Di sana ada kantin pribadi di mana karyawan bisa menyantap makan siang secara gratis, wall of ideas yang dipenuhi quote mengenai dunia digital, serta workspace yang terdiri dari server room serta dynamic space untuk KASKUS officers yang bergerak di bidang sales, finance, marketing, serta Board of Directors. Tidak hanya itu, di lantai ini juga ada Private Theatre, yang bisa dialihfungsikan menjadi bioskop mini, music lounge, atau tempat menyelenggarakan mini workshop.

Sementara itu, di lantai P11, terdapat KASKUS PLAYGROUND. Yang pertama ada Green Room di mana tamu bebas memainkan berbagai permainan, seperti mini golf. Selain itu, juga ada Secret Room, di mana staf KASKUS melakukan rapat dan presentasi. Untuk workspace yang ada di lantai ini, ada juga sebuah “catwalk” di mana KASKUS officers bisa menunjukkan potensi mereka. Catwalk ini menyambungkan ruangan lain dengan Game Room, yang merupakan sebuah ruang relaksasi di mana KASKUS officers bisa hang out bersama satu sama lain. Ada juga family section untuk meletakkan barang-barang favorit, dynamic space untuk divisi kreatif, promosi, konten, komunitas, dan programming, serta meeting room.

Really, this is something to be proud of! Saya percaya bahwa sudah saatnya masyarakat Indonesia mulai berani out of the box. Tidak hanya berpikir secara inovatif, tetapi juga melakukan berbagai hal secara inovatif, termasuk dalam desain interior dan arsitektur sebuah kantor. KASKUS, sebagai salah satu bisnis di bidang teknologi informasi yang paling membanggakan di Indonesia, telah menjadi salah satu pionir dalam hal ini. Sekali lagi, selamat ulang tahun, KASKUS!

(OK, now it’s the time to prepare for my resume and application letter to work in KASKUS…)

I remember when I was a kid, I used to spend time with my cousin, Didiet Maulana, and see him (who was still in high school) making fashion sketches. He then continued his endeavor studying Architecture in Universitas Padjadjaran, working for MTV and now PT GAP. However, now I am in university, Mas Didiet has finally reached his dream, to become a fashion designer and have his own fashion line. It is called, IKAT Indonesia.

Didiet and his muse, Izabel Jahja

IKAT Indonesia aims to re-introduce Indonesia’s traditional fabrics, especially tenun ikat, in a fresh, chic, modern way. Please have a look at IKAT Indonesia’s Facebook page to browse more of its collections. Or, visit the place and meet Didiet, at Jl. Dempo I No. 59, Mayestik, Kebayoran Baru, Jakarta.

To close the post, here’s me in IKAT Indonesia at the launch of its first collection. :)