Jan 11, 2019

Welcoming 2019

Hello It’s been a while since I wrote here. My last blog post was in 2017. Yea, I kind of busy with things and forgot that I have blog for a year. But worry not, I will try to be more active to write blogs in 2019 (finger cross). Okay. So, first of all, HAPPY NEW YEAR! Yeah I know it’s been 2 weeks since the new year but it’s still the first 2 weeks in 2019 so just let the euphoria lingers. By welcoming 2019, I want to dedicate my blog post to recap what happened in 2018. There were so many things happened in a year. I even thought that 2018 was a long year. But, what happened in 2018 really changed me into a better person. I was pushed to face my worst nightmare, to stepped out from my comfort zone, to experience new things, everything was happened in 2018. So without further ado, let’s get to the recap.

  1. Job Promotion: New Job, New Team, New Responsibility
    I started the year with a promotion offer. Not really a position that I have eyed, but still very interesting one. So basically in the end of 2017, GOJEK finally has planned to expand the business to the SEA. To able to do that, all of the documents we have that still in Indonesian, need to be translated to English. So with some friends in content team (my current team that time), we picked some articles, SOP, issues, etc to be translated in English and used for the expansion. It continued until the early 2018, and then my manager asked me if I want to take this as my responsibility. To take care of the expansion plan (for content related). He said that I will still in his team but responsible on the expansion content area. So, I said why not. But it changed. Turned out there were some changes in the organisation and I moved to the Expansion Team and responsible as Content Expert. I was promoted. I was happy but in the same time I was sad… because I need to stepped out from my comfort zone, separated with my friend, my ohana (okay, it’s too much).
  2. Xin Chào Việt Nam!
    Because of my promotion to the Expansion Team, I have a lot of opportunities to meet new friends from the country that GO-JEK planned to expand. One of them was Vietnam. So just a week after the promotion, I was preparing the workshop for the Vietnam and Thailand team, the two countries that will be our first countries to expand (Philippines supposed to be included but since there’s some regulation issue so it was pending, until now). In that workshop, I met some people who will work in Go-Viet and Get Thai, and befriended them. It was so much fun. Also I was able to practice my english. And I was become a trainer! Oh my God that was such an unforgettable moment for me. One achievement unlocked. So after the workshop, we were preparing all of the checklist for Vietnam to be launched. On May, I went to Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, with the whole team. And that was so good! Vietnam was so… classic, if I must say. It’s like we went back on time to the 60’s but the technology was so advanced. Good thing, the currency was cheaper so I didn’t need to exchange a lot of money. Everything was cheap. Even a pint of Baskin Robbins and Haagen Dazs. But the traffic… hahaha, the traffic was a nightmare. Even worse than Jakarta or Medan. Scary. We tried pho, eat some local food (thanks for this, I knew that I hate coriander for life), took a lot of walk (the pedestrian was so wide and clean and comfy), went to the City Hall and experienced a good night there (by accident!), and many things! Even though some things were not going as planned (like the food was not as good as I thought for my taste), I still really enjoyed Ho Chi Minh. Hẹn gặp lại Việt Nam (see you again, Vietnam!)
  3. Fasting as a Minority
    It did not take long until I went to Vietnam again. This time, it happened during fasting month, Ramadhan. I kinda worried since it’s going to be my first time to fast in other country. Let alone, as a minority. It’s gonna be harder because we will still get lunch together, and working as usual, and seeing them eat… and I will be the only one fasting. That’s what I thought. When it’s time, I got my period. Ehehehe, so I didn’t get to experienced my first day there fasting. Thank God. On this second time, we stayed at a rent apartment. And because it’s fasting month, we kind of brought some food to prep like chicken nuggets, beef jerky, beef floss, noodles, even Teh Kotak. Hahaha, I know it was silly. But, after all, our tongues are really Indonesian tongues. On the last days there, I finally experienced fasting in the country. Ho Chi Minh might be as hot as Jakarta but it was more humid there. So I felt thirsty easier than usual. And since most of the team were not fasting, I found it hard to see them eat. I let them know that this was something I need to do as a Muslim. And they understood. But in the end, one day before I went back home, I decided to not fast and go around the city. Because I know it’s going to be very tiring and hot and hard day to fast. Hehehe, turned out my faith was not enough to keep me from doing things I should not.
  4. The (so) Unpredictable World Cup
    Yeah, 2018 means FIFA World Cup. I really could not wait for this moment. The moment I could support my favorite football team, Der Panzer, Germany. To people who did not know me, they might think that I was just like any other people who like soccer at the time like this, and just like the player based on their look. But no, people. I have watched soccer since I was in senior high. I used to like MU but now I root for Chelsea (London Pride!). And I started my World Cup journey on 2002. When it held at Korea-Japan. Germany was my first love and the rest is history. Anyway, just like any other year, I rooted for Germany. They won the Cup back at 2014, and I hoped they will win this too. However, some player has retired. Such name as Lahm, Klose, Schweinsteiger, and many new young players that I did not know before joined the team. I knew they must be good. So I have no worries. But luck was not on the Germany’s side. They have to withdraw from the cup in a group phase. Dang! I was so sad and disappointed. They played bad and I kinda foresee the result. But overall, this year’s World Cup really unpredictable. The big team like Netherlands and Italy did not qualified to even played in group phase. Germany, Argentina, Portugal and many big players lost to some underdogs. Russia as a host went until QF. Belgium could pass the QF and went to the SF. England got their glory again and went until SF. And the finalist… it was Croatia vs France. Although Croatia needed to admit that France was still that good, it was an achievement for the team to be the finalist and runner up this year.
  5. Asian Games and Asian Para Games 2018: in Indonesia!
    The most awaited sport events in Asia was finally happened. Even though I need to be satisfied to just watching the event at home. The star of the event of course, Badminton. Through this event, finally, badminton got its glory again. Everyone was rooting for our badminton team. There were Nobar everywhere, even at the office. Hahahaha. Yeah, my coworkers even streamed in the big screen. It was really big. But in the contrary, the same excitements did not happened for the para games event. The streaming site were not as much as for the Asian Games one. But deep down, I was still rooting for our athletes who compete in the event. They were the true hero!
  6. Go-Viet is LAUNCHED!
    So after all this time, the hard work, the blood, sweat and tears, it’s LAUNCHED! Although my team was not invited to the event (yeah only the big bosses came, e.g. Nadiem), we’re so happy that it’s finally happened! The grand launch was held in Hanoi, since Go-Viet also launched in Hanoi at that time (they had already go live in Ho Chi Minh City few months before). The President of Indonesia came to see the event too. You might never know how it feels. All the stressed, the pressures, finally over. HAHAHA IT’S OFFICIAL. I’m happy. So much.
  7. SINGAPORE!
    YES! WE’RE GOING TO EXPAND TO SINGAPORE! I thought that I’m going to visit Thailand first but no. So after we launched at Vietnam, I thought Thailand will be launched not long after. But while Thailand was preparing, Singapore was coming. Actually, GO-JEK had an office in Singapore, but only for Data Science team. And by this, the plan for Singapore was different from what we have for Vietnam and Thailand. In Singapore, instead of built a new brand, we’re just going to expand GO-JEK brand and use it all together. So while we’re preparing for that, the whole Service Excellence Team from Singapore came to Indonesia. They’re having a session here. Like a workshop we were held for Thailand and Vietnam team. It’s so much fun. Even though it’s also tiring. Singapore team was colder than the Vietnam and Thailand team but they were good people, I know. Couldn’t wait to go to Singapore.
  8. Solo Traveling
    God really heard my prayer. So not long after, someone from the team asked me to go to Singapore to help the content team there. They were asking me to go alone. I was screaming inside. I am going to solo traveling! So I prepared my passport again, my trunk again. I was overwhelmed. What if my baggage is overload, what if I lost, and so many what ifs. Because it’s gonna be my first time go to other country all by myself. And I never went to Singapore before. It’s so daunting. I have planned everything. So I asked the ticketing team to set my flight on Sunday morning because I planned to go around the city. But me being the stupid myself, was ruined the plan by watching Crazy Rich Asian midnight show and ended up not sleeping before the flight. It made me sleep all the way to the Singapore and my body was aching the whole afternoon. So of course the plan to go around the city was failed. While I was in Singapore, I use the public transport, I was going local. Walking on the pedestrian, using the ez-link card, walking to the subway station, riding the train. I did not have many times to go around the city, but I make sure to utilize all the time I have there to enjoy the city. It’s too short. I will be back. Soon. Wait for me, Singapore.
  9. HAPPY 8TH ANNIVERSARY, GOJEK: My 3rd GOJEK Anniversary
    This year, GO-JEK turned 8th years old. Pretty much old as a startup company, don’t you think? And then I realised. It’s my 3rd GO-JEK anniversary. I was joined the family when GO-JEK celebrated its 6th anniversary. And now, it’s already 8th. Hope that GO-JEK could become a great company, always be the fast and fearless startups, dynamic and stay Indonesia. Success to conquer the SEA area and be head to head rival for Grab. Me love you, my second family.
  10. Attended 3 Concerts: BTOB, Golden Child, and DAY6!!!
    This was the best thing ever happened in the year! Starting from BTOB who finally came to Indonesia (even though Eunkwang couldn’t join them because he needs to go to the military, sad). The concert was superb. But I would not say that as a full concert. It was like mini concert + fanmeeting kind of event. They talked a lot, play a lot. Really entertaining. They were really good looking, funny, sweet and endearing. I would love to see them again in the future. Especially because I need to see Eunkwang in the real life! And then my friend told me that there will be a charity event and my favorite rookie idol is going to come as a guest. Golden Child is finally coming, that’s what I thought. Of course I went to that event! But since it’s going to be like a festival kind of event, with more than 1 artist, I was thinking hard to purchase the ticket. On the d-day, I was going to purchase it when my friend gave me the ticket freely! Happy. So yeah that night, I was having a very good night. The other artists also performed really good, especially 1 band named Kite Band. They were REALLY good. Of course Golden Child was become the last performer and I was blown away! They were that good. And Jangjun was talking in Indonesian (but his grammar was so bad but at least we understood). They were really good looking in real life I couldn’t even hold my scream back then. The last one, to close the year was, DAY6! You know, it was really impulsive decision. Since I just knew them from April, and they announced that they’re going to have world tour and will going to Jakarta on December, I impulsively bought the ticket on the first day of the sales. Though the short time, I really could say that I LOVE THEM SO MUCH! Their songs were really good. No bad song ever produced. To stan them was a blessing. My friend who introduced them to me, have attended their event for two times. The one time was including a high touch session. And the price for that at that time only half the price. I think I will talk about these three concert on different post. Or else, this is going to be a long post.
So, I think, that’s all. All the things I have experienced last year really made me think that I’ve done a lot. I achieved so many things. I made many new friends. I traveled to many places. I took new responsibility. So, I wonder, what will 2019 brings for me? I hope many good and even better things for me. Ciao. - Nifa

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