Gogirl Pop Up Writing Class (Speaker: Gogirl Managing Editor)

Today I joined a pop up class presented by Gogirl magazine team and Dermatix which so far has been held in Jakarta, Bandung, and Malang. They held not only this writing class which I attend but also another interesting classes like fashion photography, photo editing, until brush lettering. But  such one kind of a thinker I am, I have no interest in another classes just as how my heart lit up as I heard the word "writing class". Moreover, the class will be coached by Esnoe Metha, Gogirl managing editor. Although nowdays I no longer read Gogirl regularly for I have moved on to magazines for older ladies, I still am a fan of Gogirl and its writings.  

I love the way Gogirl and its team and of course the Moran sisters, put a hint on self and women empowerment in almost each of its article and movement. Hence, once I read Gogirl's article not only that I got fresh information but also mostly I got my mind intrigued. 

Today, the class is about how to make a good feature. Here are some highlights I catch from what Mba Metha taught us today:

• Feature is a descriptive article which consist of facts, opinions, and have to be able to challenge one's mind. 
• Know who is your reader, it is important to set how you should do your writing. 
• Feature can be about anything, from something deep until one which is lighter, for example it can be about biography, how-to-do, until fashion. One thing which I would very like to highlight here is: it does not have to be a deep or hard one, a lighter one is always welcome. Because most of the time, I think too much about what to write, I forgot to have fun.
• For a web or digital content, a catchy title is a must, then we have to repeat our keyword so it will be easier for search engine to display our article, it has to be sweet, short and simple, and if it is too long it is better to make it partial. 

At the end of the class, we are all urge to make an interesting feature about Dermatix, our today's sponsor. We were given 20 minutes to finish and submit our writing by email to Mba Metha. I write it on Bahasa Indonesia hence it was sooo hard for me hehe. Since I start to regularly write in this blog from back then at 2009 with the intention to exercise my English, when it comes to speak up my opinion, the voice in my head has it on English. It is hard for me to express precisely the way I want it to, in Bahasa Indonesia. But I made it anyway, yay! And only for 20 mintutes where I didn't even had the time to recheck the facts I wrote. 

After our feature have been submitted, Mba Metha chose the top 3 writings and guess what? I made it to top 3! Hehe. It might be not much but oh I am so happy! 

With Mba Metha, Representative from Dermatix, and the other two "top 3" 

What is inside the goodie bag

Here is my writing, pardon me if there are some minor errors, will you? (Notes: If I am not mistaken in the era of Queen Victoria, the UK Parliament consist of all men, so my choosen word "majority" in the article below might be wrong, because not before 1918 does a woman allowed to stand as parliamentary candidates.)

Empower What is Outside as Well as What is Inside

Mungkin women empowerment mulai jadi isu yang panas akhir – akhir ini, dimulai dari Emma Watson dengan forum Our Shared Shelf-nya di Good Reads dimana dia berusaha menciptakan cara yang asik untuk menanamkan pemikiran dan memulai gerakan yang massal namun menarik untuk memperkuat peran perempuan hingga dukungan perempuan-perempuan dan tidak menutup laki-laki untuk calon presiden perempuan pertama Amerika, Hillary Clinton. 

Namun jika melihat lagi puluhan tahun atau hingga beberapa abad ke belakang, gerakan dan pemikiran mengenai women empowerment sebenarnya tidak terlalu asing. Mulai dari Queen Victoria yang bisa dengan hebatnya menangani UK Parliament yang mayoritasnya laki-laki hingga R.A. Kartini yang bisa mendirikan sekolah di jaman dimana untuk bersekolah saja merupakan hal yang sulit bagi perempuan. 

Ada satu hal yang tidak berubah mengenai women empowerment  dilihat dari beberapa abad yang lalu atau dari jaman millenial ini. Semua figur perempuan kuat tersebut pasti tidak jauh-jauh dari pemikiran hebatnya mengenai what is inside and outside. Selain kuat di bidang akademik tentu mereka juga perhatian dengan penampilan luarnya. Karena mereka percaya bahwa penampilan luar adalah apa yang dilihat orang pertama kali dan tentunya harus mewakili pemikiran hebat di dalamnya.

Tidak jarang, kita perempuan, tidak percaya diri karena hal sekecil bekas luka. Untungnya di jaman dimana science berkembang pesat seperti sekarang, banyak produk-produk hebat yang bisa membantu kita, salah satunya Dermatix. Diketahui sebagai scar guru, Dermatix mengandung CPX Technology dan vitamin C yang dapat membantu meratakan, menghaluskan, dan memudarkan bekas luka. Tidak perlu biaya mahal untuk operasi atau laser di klinik kecantikan, dengan Dermatix kita bisa mengatasi masalah penampilan yang membuat kita jadi tidak percaya diri!

 Jika kita sudah percaya diri dengan apa yang kita tampilkan di luar tentunya tidak sulit bagi kita untuk mengutarakan apa yang ada di pikiran kita. Begitu juga dengan lawan bicara kita pasti akan lebih mudah bagi mereka untuk memiliki respect terhadap kita jika we mind what is outside as well as what is inside. So, tidak ada alasan lagi untuk tidak percaya diri dan tidak berani menyuarakan ide-ide hebat kita di jaman women empowerment ini, kan?

Thank you Gogirl for today's experience and thank you Mba Metha for reminding me the core keys in writing, which I more often than not, usually forget.

Winter in South Korea (Day Two)

For a clearer information you could go to the previous post Winter in South Korea (Day One)

Here is my whereabouts at the second day of my trip in South Korea. Still in the outskirt of Seoul until day three, for your information. So if you are looking for information about Seoul, hang on a little bit longer! 

1. Oak Valley Ski Village Condominium, Gangwon Province. Rate: around 100,000 won

A Cafe on The Condo's Neighborhood

Entrance of The Room (The bed room is behind the left door just before

 the television, too bad I forgot to take a picture for we arrived there at 11 pm 

and already so exhausted)

Kitchen Area

Living Room

We were staying at Oak Valley Condominium on our first night in South Korea. Because the style is in condominium, they do not provide us full service, welcome drinks or amenities kit like what we usually find in a 3  and up star hotel. Clearly I never bring any soap, shampoo, toothbrush and another bath amenities while traveling, because simply it is unpractical if I stayed in a 3 & up stars hotel. I do not expect that this type of accomodation in South Korea do not provide us basic amenities. My bad, of course, for not research it carefully in advance. Thankfully there are nearby store which open until 12 am so that I can buy some shampoo and soap, which cost around 8,000 won each. 

But other than that, the room is very very spacious! The standard room include a living room, one bedroom, two bathroom, and a standard kitchen. And  I find a very beautiful surroundings around this condominium,what a relaxing resort this one!

Most people which stay in this hotel those time of the year, in winter, is the one who is about to do skiing in the morning. So when I enter the restaurant in the morning to have breakfast, most of people are already dressed in ski clothing. We only stay for a night in this hotel and in the morning  after having breakfast, off we go to the ski resort to enjoy some skiing experience!

2. Oak Valley Ski Slopes, Gangwon Province. Skiing rate (includes ski clothing and ski equipment rent): 500 USD/person (yes, in USD). 

To be honest, that was my first encounter with skiing. So that was also my first time getting to know all of the ski clothing and equipments which consist of a warm pants and jacket, a pair of skiing gloves, helmet, skiing goggles, skiing shoes, a pair of skis and bindings, and a pair of skiing poles. 

What shocked me the most is the shoes and skis & bindings, ones which we wear so that we can slide on the snow. I do not expect that they are so heavy, I barely can even move freely in my first minutes wearing them. But after my trainer teach me how to walk, how to move and how to stop I finally can manage it a little. Yes, a little, because I still find my self out of control most of the time, I slipped and fell three times on my attempts to slide on the beginner slope. 

But all was great though, despite all of the unfamiliar feelings for getting to know something for the very first time. The ski slopes itself have a very beautiful surrounding, a lot of parents stay in the cafe facing the ski slopes while waiting for their children getting the ski course. The beginner slopes tend to be a lot more crowded than the advance slopes, so if you are good at skiing I think you will be able to enjoy this place more. 

Tips: if you never try skiing before like me, although it is rather expensive, it is a fine experience you should try at least once in your life. Let go of the fear of trying something new and a little bit dangerous, push away that thought which tell you that you are too old to try something new. Life is all about a never ending learning, no?

3. Pyeongchang Trout Festival, Gangwon Province.

Egg Muffin Picture Taken from Here

After having enough time spent at the ski slope we moved onto the next schedule. Pyeongchang Trout Festival is a festival which is held at Jinbu-myeon in Pyeongchang province every winter. There are a lot of group activities in this festival, some of them are ice and lure fishing for trout, trout bare handed fishing and traditional folk games like sledding and top spinning or snow rafting. 

No I do not participate in the folk games or the trout fishing, I was only just a spectator for we only have an hour in this place. I saw the trout bare handed fishing and it was so exciting! A number of participant have to wear only a short and shirt, yes they have to take off their coat and warm clothes in a cold winter day, and catching trout in a cold water pool! What a challenge, no?

And of course like any other festival, it includes street snack vendors! I tried some muffin, a sweet hot muffin which consist of half boiled egg inside it. So it was sweet and also at the same time salty, I loove the taste! Too bad I do not have the picture for I busy eating them but above is a picture I get from this website. 

Tips: if you do not like traditional festivals or activities you can as well skip this festival. But it is worth to see this festival once you already in Pyeongchang, in my opinion, so you can see a deeper culture of the place you travel to, not to mention it is a good place to find traditional snacks! 

4. Daegwallyeong Sheep Farm, Gangwon Province.

This is the only farm in Pyeongchang which raises sheep. Span in an area of 195 km2 if you walk along its path it will take around 40 minutes. The scenery along this farm is beautiful! In winter I may not be able to see a green farm covered in beautiful grasses but a vast area covered in snow with a comfortable walking path is also beautiful!

Here we can do a lot of outdoor as well as indoor activities. I tried to give foods and touch the sheep  until they were full and then move onto a cheese and chocolate making activities afterward. After our chocolate and cheese were ready to eat, they served us strawberry natural jam, natural chips, and wine to enjoy along with the cheese and chocolate. The perfect snack in the winter afternoon!

Tips: if you do not like a DIY program such as chocolate and cheese making, you can as well not signing up for the program, just enjoy the walking path along this beautiful place!

Joie d'un Livre

Castor Organic Carrier Oil (Organic Supply Co)

Book: French Women Don't Get Facelifts (Big Bad Wolf)

If I should say thank you for all the privileges and values which my parents have been giving me since I was a child, a post might be not enough. But if you asked me instantly to mention just one which I think is giving me the most benefit along me growing up, it is the way they introduce me to my encounter with books. 

My mom said that I have been introduced to book since I was born, but of course I could not remember that. As long as I can remember, it started with my dad buying me a series of international tales, some of them are The Sleeping Beauty, The Three Little Pig, and The Red Riding Hood, all books are beautifully wrapped in a castle like carton packaging. I read them everyday until I remember all of the stories from the series.

Then as I grew a little bit older, I started to be introduced to library and book stores so there I can pick the book I desired all by my self. Along my kindergarten my mom also bought me a children magazine once a month, which I waited impatiently because by the time I already finished the magazine, there were still so many days left before the next magazine would be delivered to our home. 

Along my elementary days, my parents taught me to save the money they give to me if I wanted to buy a book. So there I patiently saved half of my money which is given by my mom. Lately, when I rearrange my bookshelf to find some books to be donated, I found a bilingual book about Abunawas with my writing at the front page, stating the date I bought them and then I realized that I bought them when I was at the second grade of elementary school. A memory which is not very clear come to me then, I remember that it was a hard book to be understand because I just started learning english by that time.

Along my elementary days, I spent most of my break time in the school's library, reading fiction books, poetry books, and encyclopedia which I could not afford to buy at that time. So everytime I walk along the bookshelf in the library I feel so excited seeing so many books waiting to be read. 

Along my junior high school days, I started reading a more non fiction book, so then I knew a little bit about the world; the industrial revolution, the Hitler era, or exotic places along the globe like  Santorini until Maldives. I started reading a more non fiction book such as health book, so there I know that consuming too much carbohydrate is not really good to build a fit body shape and that eating the right protein, fiber, and healthy fats will help me having a more healthy body and thus, a more healthy brain. I lose my weight up to 15kgs after practicing those healthy diet and started to do excercise regularly, oh yes I was a fat fat girl back then. Nobody told me to have a better lifestyle, I learn and discover the best method by my self. And it all started from my love for reading.

Along my senior high school up to now, I started reading a more various kinds of book. From classic literatures such as Jane Austen's Emma or Thomas Hardy's Far From The Madding Crowd, fiction books with a touch of philosophy and reflection on life like Paulo Coelho's Like The Flowing River or Mitch Albom's Tuesday With Morrie, politic books like Nelson Mandela's Long Road to Freedom or Hywell Williams' The Speech of Our Times, quirky fiction books like Haruki Murakami's 1Q84, business books like Harvard's Business Review's Finance Basic for Managers, until woman and self empowerment books like Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Facelifts or Sophia Amoruso's Girl Boss. 

From book I know that I should have a better diet for the sake of my body and my brain. From book, today at the age of 24 I know that I should care for what is inside and what is outside as early as possible. Nothing worth having comes easy in this world, nothing that is instant give the best impact in this world. 

For what is outside: If I wanted to have a healthy face skin with a minimal aging appearance such as wrinkles or black spot, of course I should start the right treatment starting now, before those aging appearance are visible. And adding everything organic touch of course is a little bit better. So after reading Mireille Guiliano's French Women Don't Get Facelifts I started using oil as my routine skin care; argan oil and castor oil so far. Because from a lot of official research, it is found that they could trigger our skin to produce the right amount of elastin and collagen, thus the skin will have the ability to regenerate itself. 

For what is inside: From book I have been reminded that if I want to be happy and if I want my brain to be able to use its potential at its best, I have to be balance. Works, laugh, and love. Everything got to be in a balance state. From the way I have to still have something to pursue in work field, family and spouse which I should care of, social life with a positive and supportive friends, me time having a quality bubble bath every day or a spa every month, until an intimate routine conversation with God at the end of each day. I could fit the combination that works best for me in order to achieve a balance life. A book is always my saviour to remind me of those things once I stuck under stressful routines.

Then again, I could not say more gratitude toward my parents for introducing me to joie d'un livre, it really is helping my life and my mind, both are in order.