I’m writing this at 5 AM from Sydney Airport, with a full workday and a month-long to-do list waiting for me in Melbourne. — It might be a little early for a “describe your 2025 in one word” moment, but I already have mine: jam-packed.
Highlights
🥻 — I had the best time WFHJ (WFH from Jakarta)—quality time with my parents, home-cooked meals, street-food snacks every afternoon; cousins, kids, parties, hangouts, sleepovers; the whole chaotic, heart-warming package. One of my favourite days was taking dramatic photobooth pics with my niece, making matchy phone charms, and ending the day at Kumo-chan Onsen for hot pot dinner.
🛕 — Visiting the newly built Jakarta Murugan Temple.
🛕 — I also went to Laos with Amma, and the whole trip felt wonderfully spontaneous. Laos carries the vibes of the old days when we followed a Lonely Planet guide instead of the internet. The journey was bookended by stopovers in Singapore, where I ate a lot and worked just enough to justify it.
🚅 —The next weekend, my cousins and I took the Whoosh to Bandung for our annual cousin trip, celebrating cousin W’s birthday. Short but so fun—plans for next year already made.
🛫 — I went to the airport six hours early so I could beg my way onto an earlier flight to Singapore just to have one more peaceful plate of chicken rice before flying to Melbourne. It worked! The SQ staff let me switch flights, giving me extra time for chicken rice and general shenanigans at Changi Airport.
💍 — Last weekend I flew to Sydney for Jik’s bachelor party at Magic Men (yes, really) and her backyard wedding. I am so happy for them; they looked absolutely radiant as they started a new chapter in life.
Foodie Guide-Y
🍜 — My last meal in Jakarta this year was Bakmi GM. Is it the best bakmi in the city? Who knows. But it’s the OG comfort food—the taste of my childhood.
🍪 — I brought home a Kiki’s Delivery Service cookie box from Bandung and savoured those cookies one by one. Unexplainably joyful. Other food souvenirs from this Jakarta trip: Milo Dinosaurs and Gula Melaka cookies.
🥘 — The first thing I cooked here was Mangalorean meat baffat using spices that travelled 5,000 km to Jakarta before I smuggled them into Australia. Chef’s kiss.
🗝️ — We also had a farewell dinner for a colleague at a former prison turned restaurant. The food was not great, but the experience was memorable.
🌶️ — We landed in Sydney, metro-ed, got picked up by the bride and groom, and were immediately served freshly made calibriata pasta. Being cooked for is one of life’s greatest joys for me. Dinner the next night (pre Magic Men) was at MuMu—easily the best Asian food I’ve had in Sydney.
🍝 — At the wedding, the couple brought in the Modomio team to hand-make pasta and pizza; their clam gnocchi was really good. We ended the night with Indonesian takeout (spicy terasi nasi goreng for me), because of course.
Read, Watched & Browsed
❄️ — I’ve been saving Nigel Slater’s Winter Chronicle on my Kobo so I could begin it right on the 1st of November, in time for the first entry of his cookbook-meets-foodie-diary. It’s been me and Nigel’s daily entries throughout the month, and truly, it has been nothing short of delightful.
📺 — The in-flight entertainment had Ted Lasso, so I finally started it. Loved it. Told Aud, who replied, “I’m so happy for you—and jealous you get to watch it for the first time.” This month’s other great recs: the South Indian movie Lokah and Netflix’s The Beast in Me (I will watch anything with erratic Claire Danes).
👻 — Horror movies that were memorable enough to remember: Bring Her Back Afraid, Petaka Mount Gede, and Gates.
Meanwhile, on Kulture Kween:
This month, I wrote about how my Jakarta is slipping away.
Tiny Joys
A few soft, lovely moments that made the month better: a bus driver angling the bus so I could hop off safely ❤ Brandy Snap white chocolates ❤ a $10 burger Uber order during Black Friday ❤ Bon Maxie travel pouch ❤ Australian bush drops ❤ taking a nap in front of the TV ❤ Black Ganesha ❤ Appa gifting me his fancy pens ❤ a home massage ❤ The pillow at the Singapore Citadines hotel has the word “soft” embroidered on it to indicate that it is a soft pillow 🙂
Time Machine
🌴 ━ The happenings of this time last year and last decade.
Thank You, Next!
🔮 — The Knight of Wands shows up when December becomes a month of action, not reflection. It’s the energy of fast-moving events and travel. Oh well, it’s what my December is going to look like indeed, except I’m running out of gas.
🛁 — Body Shop’s festive soap of the season is Caramel Cuddle. I smelled and almost left without buying it; it’s a bit too sickly-sweet for summer, but one must keep up with a decades-long tradition. I am keeping them for the first day of December, so I can only report back next month.
🎄 — Our office Christmas party is this Friday. If last year was any indication, I’m in for a good time. And if today’s mental state is an indication… also a drunk time.
🥂 — The Social Marathon continues; the next day: a double date at Supernormal (we’d never been), followed by a colleague’s surprise birthday. Then the classic Aussie summer BBQ at our neighbour’s house. Followed by #GirlBossLunch, girls’ night out in North Melbourne, BWC Christmas gathering, Finance lunch, and a handful of other events I’ve probably forgotten. My social, mental, and physical batteries are all blinking red.
👶 — One thing I have been looking forward to this month: meeting baby Lulu for the first time. I hope she likes me.
Anyway — I hope your December is as chaotic or as calm as you want it to be. And if I don’t write again before then (spoiler: I won’t—eep), wishing you a very happy Christmas. Please take care of yourself this beautifully stressful holiday season.
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Aren’t we missing a big achievement ??
Some things are celebrated privately with my VIPs 🙂