Last week might be one of my highlight of the month, because I've been chosen as one of those 30 lucky drawers who deserve to join Dika Toolkit Sketch Workshop held by Urban Gigs in my hometown. I am a happy kid! From about 60+ submission, there were 30 pictures selected. I have been following Dika since I don't know (means since long time ago hehe). I melt with his artwork and his skills especially his ability to play with pencils.

This is my old artwork. I was intent to draw Raisa but it turned out not like anyone else and I don't know who it was :'D 

Well, the reason is definitely clear. Who doesn't want to join the workshop? with Dika Toolkit? C'mon! The normal registration fee to join this workshop is pretty expensive (at least for me). I remember around 2015 when I was in Bandung I saw his post on Instagram announced about his upcoming workshop and it was only available for less than 30 persons (if I am not mistaken). I was like "Oh crap! Kapan ya bisa ikutan workshop nya Dika Toolkit? Gak mungkin ada di Semarang" 

I was wondering in my mind, is it possible for me someday to take a chance to join his workshop, meet and learn from the master who will teach me tips and technic to draw? When? How? 

"Kak Dika aku foto nih! Pose dong!" - Dika Toolkit was only an inch away from me! That was crazy. 

And this is it! Dream do come true :p (lebay) - I thought the submission must be not more than 20 but so the opportunity must be big for me to be selected. But hell yeah they receive a lot and, people from urbangigs truly did a selection (I don't know based on what) as the seat was limited. The event start at 4 PM, but apparently it start bit late around 5 and not all of the winner came (Man! shame on them) AND I was literally the oldest participant among the others. They are soooo young like '95, '97, even '98 kid! :')

We learned a lot such as; basic drawing technic, how to draw eyes from different perspective, chin, nose, composition, hair, faces, and many more. Share about drawing media, how to hold your pencils, stuffs, eraser, everything related to sketching with pencils. At the end of the session was live sketch (and that was definitely my first time to do!) - if sketch using picture/photo as the reference is already challenging for me, then this one was the real person who always move her eyes, her head, right to left, change her position every minutes hahahaha so the challenge was even more. 

Final things to do; strike a pose for a group pictures. All the participants was verrrryyyy enthusiatic, friendly and also without a doubt they are all very talented and gifted. Dika is also veeeeery kind, humble, and humorist. I thought that he must be very silent, arrogant :p but turned out not at all! He even gave drawing stuff to one of the participants for free "Mau? ambil aja ngga apa apa"  - So lucky!

Doesn't look so old finally hahaha

Done at 12.30 am in the morning on the weekdays :p 

Well this is definitely good experience for me. Good one to keep me drawing, to keep my hoby live eventhough I cannot living in my hoby for life. I might have different interest every year,everytime, but my interest in drawing and art stayed the same since I was a kid. Not expert one indeed, but I like to do it in my spare time and thank God my Dad passes me down this talent. Thanks Urban Gigs for make it happen to me. Xx

..so I let you go. I love you.

The story continues.. 

I woke up at 10.30 pm when Mbak Annisa and Mbak Wahyu came back from Bugis Juction to buy some cosmetics. We planned the activity we would have for the next day. So, Mbak Wahyu and I will start the day earlier than Mbak Annisa and Mbak Elsy. We would like to visit The Henderson Waves Bridge. This bridge is located in Henderson Street. We took an MRT from Bugis to Harborfront then continue it by bus. We took number 131 or 145 and stopped at Henderson St. bus stop. I can see the bridge once I arrived at the bus stop.

The bridge can be reached by climbing some stairs (some like A LOT) and it was very steep. I was exhausted hahaha but the good things was the sun shines very shy that day. So it was not that hot, yet humid since there are a lot of tree and lush green land almost like a forest in the city. Handerson Waves is 0.30 km long and took only 10 minutes to passed through corner to corner. Why it called waves? Because when you see in the right side, you'll see the architecture is similar to the waves (but made from metal :p) This place apparently become the hype place in Singapore nowadays but I don't even know! Well, collected a lots of photo, check! 

Hi! So if you are following my social media, you would see several post that uploaded during my visit to Singapore last weekend. Singapore visit was my-go-abroad-first-experience. It was Mbak Wahyu, co-worker at office that suddenly announce that there was a promo ticket to Singapore on the weekend. After long and galau discussion on skype group of another 2 co-worker that couldn't hold the tempting to take the ticket :p, We finally decided to go!

I'll tell the story as well as the tips for those who about to go to abroad for the first time, at the nearest country from Indonesia - like Singapore for example. So take a seat and read. This story is truly happened and would be nice if it can be your reference.

So, we booked the ticket for 4 of us - Mbak Wahyu, Mbak Annisa, Mbak Elsy and I. At that date, Mbak Wahyu and Mbak Elsy would sent to capital for job things, so we would depart from different city and different day. Since we would like to go together and had the same departure, Mbak Annisa and I decided to take a flight to Jakarta first, then off from Jakarta to Singapore together with Mbak Wahyu and Mbak Elsy on Thursday. So the flight from Jakarta - Singapore was around 800.000++ IDR on Friday, but we would like to depart together, we need to booked another fllight from Semarang to Jakarta that cost around 230.000 IDR - and THANKS GOD NO DELAY!

I know that it was finally not as cheap as the promo ticket offered, but I arrived at Singapore a day earlier and we had more time to explore our list :p besides, I have more saving and it quite enough to booked the  ticket from Semarang - Jakarta hehehehe

So after got the ticket, Passport! Mbak Wahyu and Mbak Annisa already have the passport, while Mbak Elsy and I need to create new one. So here we go! The process is quite fast (only take 3 days until you got the passport) and you need to pay 360.000 IDR in total. The terms, easy! googled it :p better not to take online because it took same procedure at the end. Just arrived at the immigration office as early as you can so you can line-up at the first numbers.

Next, the Itinerary. Mbak Wahyu create a folder on Google Drive and put there all files and documents we need, in case we need something urgent and it can be our shared folder to put all the information. Beside, the pdf of our tickets, passport scan, Singapore MAP, hostel voucher, Mbak Wahyu created The Itinerary. It's like a list of our activity during our visit. Day 1, day 2, day 3. What we do, where we go, if possible at what time, how much money we would spend (approximately), total, and so on. It help, really! It might change based on the real condition that we had but still we already have the reference.

Money! As we would like to trip in backpack-style (no pricey, keep the money, and consume as low as possible) we didn't take additional luggage. We bring 2 bags maximum; one small/medium bag to keep camera, passport, wallet and other important things AND big backpack to bring our shirts, pants, and another fabrics/toiletries. Keep it under 7kg, Changi Airport is very strict. Oh, money! we would like to talk about money. So, Mbak Annisa and I changed the money in the nearest and trusted money changer in town. It was Supit, but you can change it in another money changer that you think its trustable. I don't need to mention how much we have changed, its personal :p but you need to know the best time to change the money since the value quite high and change day by day. I forgot at which level the Singapore Dollar was, when I changed the money but I think it was quite stable and I got the good deal. Money, checked!

Stuffs. I was so proud of my prediction :p I mean the decision of how many shirts I need to brought was right! Usually I always run out of shirt or even overloaded and finally unused. Bring the right one. It's okay to use it two times as long as you don't use it all day long for the first wore :p Bring also small small volume of toiletries. Its better if you bring less than 100ml of fluid, but based on my experience, even if your bottle show 100 ml and the fluid is less than 100 ml, Changi Airport staff will keep throwing your toiletries :') happened to me haha except if you want to use luggage, so I think you can keep your 100ml toiletries on the suitcase, ya? CMMIW - International Departure is always strict.

Plan on The Day! So, I flight to Jakarta on Thursday at 1 PM, which is a working day. My day-off on Thursday was half-day day-off type, but I still had BIG MEETING in the morning haha but Alhamdulillah it was a short meeting, and I can cameback to office around 9 AM in the morning, so I can prepare last thing of work before I left (I was off on Friday so I need to prepare everything and entrusted to Mas Putra :D) I left office at 11 and I already put my backpack in the morning before I had meeting on the customer's office, so shortly we off from office. Not really because we dropped by to Mbak Annisa's house the her father drove us to the Airport.

Already checked in by Mbak Annisa's sister and our flight to Jakarta off in the right time, no delay! Because it took different airlines, so it was quite annoying if the flight from to Jakarta delayed. Ambyar sudah hahaha Arrived smooth and safely in CGK - and we finally off to Singapore at 7.30 PM since the airlines delayed. Here we go!

So this trip was the first trip for me visiting Malang, East Java. Shame on me, but yes! I visited Malang several time actually but just for group vacation which for me was not really visitation. Since I only passed through, and straight to Batu instead of exploring Malang itself. Indeed, there's not many places to visit in Malang but this city is quite excites me. 

I actually went there to attend national reunion of high school, but it end up with Ghea instead. My friends told me that the reunion was postponed after Christmas, right after my day-off application has approved! -_- I directly contact Ghea who now living back in Malang. She was available and ready to bu a guide for me during my visit. 

I took a train from Yogyakarta to Malang and arrived there at 5 in the morning. There's nothing really special when I went there, except the moment when I finally meet up again with Ghea plus Nana! We just strolling around the city (and Oh I love the neighborhood, really!) there are sooooooo many ancient house along the main street. I distracted so many times when I was driving hahaha I just can't help myself. I just love how small the city and but so many places to go. But mostly like cafes, restaurant. I planned to visit Batu, Malang but my Mom suddenly catch me up directly to Malang haha so my Malang trip was shortened and I back home a day earlier than my plan. 

I was like a little kid when I visited Splendid - the flower market and found Brusless Sprout seed! I owe money to Ghea since I haven't take my cash hahahahaha 

That's quite short story indeed but so many experience. Can't wait to have another solo/group trip in another city in Indonesia. or abroad maybe? ;) 

See Malang Trip version by Ghea here! 

Picture taken from Ghea. The upcoming pictures from me will uploaded soon! :)

Sunday and perfect weather outside just to stay at home, take a rest, and maybe update the blog!? Yesterday, I visited Candi Gedong Songo for the second time with office fellas. We actually prepared a picnic activity, while embracing the cold and fresh air in the foothills of Ungaran Mountain, under the roof of clear and blue sky. 

The faces before hiking and exhausted and confidence to be able to reach the 9th temple :p

BUT! Plan was just a plan. It started to drizzle, and rain and we have no place to spread the carpet and chillin' under the clear sky hahaha but I think that's okay because I'm not the one who controlled the rain, tho :p Take a cover under the carpeeeeet!!

Charles be like "left..right..left...right...left...right"

Gedong Songo known as those 9 temples, placed separately around 1 km from one to another. Since it was rain and me and Pinky and another dudes were exhausted, so we only reached second temple then go back again hahaha we found an empty hunt on the way back and decided to stay there to rest and to eat the rest of the food we had. I made them a Banoffee Pie. Just so you know that it was my first Banoffee Pie and they are the first tester. Thank God it was good and I didn't screw up their tummy. Well, who doesn't love dessert? It was very sweet since I use condensed milk as the caramel (dulce de leche) but that's okay, that's why I called it sugar rush :p I don't have any picture of my sweet Banoffee Pie, and the last bite saved by Gaspard. Horay! No left-over. 

Well, no game at our outing activity but I feel pretty happy because we can hangout together. We spent the rest of the day by eating lunch together, making gossip :p, take A LOT of photos, and shopping for plants and traditional food market around Bandungan. Too bad for Jakarta and Bekasi team couldn't join us. Hope next time with well-planned, serious outing activity and destination. 

See you on Monday!!xx