Brigita's Here!

According to the Pew Research Center, it has been found that an enormous percentage of employed individuals in the United States, approximately 9.6 million workers aged between 16 and 64, experienced job losses. This analysis is based on the average statistics collected over the initial three quarters of both 2019 and 2020. I might say that I am one of the lucky ones because I am not included in that 9.6 million. In fact, in the last quarter of 2020, I received a new offer from a nonprofit organization known as FMCH Indonesia. In summary, the pandemic did not change my career trajectory. During that particular period, I got the opportunity to work from home since day one. For the initial three to four months, I was living in the moment. Furthermore, as I entered the fifth month, I started to burn out. This situation hit me for various reasons. First, I experienced a sense of boredom because every day I work by myself in my personal space. Second, I kind of lost my sense of teamwork due...

When individuals engage in discussions regarding networking, what typically springs to mind?  Benefit? Transactional? Essentials? Any final thoughts? Sometimes in life, we'll randomly know someone, but after a few minutes of talking, we'll realize that we share at least one name. This is the situation that Marissa King mentioned about what networks are. Networks are groups of interconnected people, some overlapping with one another and others having no members in common (2021:4). This network, in the next step, will bring any kind of benefit that might be transactional, but it is essential for human dynamics. However, speaking of networks, there is a meaningful finding from “Social Chemistry: Decoding the Patterns of Human Connection” by Marissa King. Marissa represents the networks’ maps, which may be useful for individuals when expanding networks purposefully. There are three types of people, as Marissa says: first the expansionist, second the broker, and third the convener (...

A statement I could not agree more with on the podcast Maintenance Phase titled “Oprah Winfrey & the Wagon of Fat” is when the hosts, Aubrey Gordon and Michael Hobbs, said a sentence against Oprah’s idea of diet. In 1988, there was an episode of The Oprah Show when she was rolling 67 lbs. of fat onstage. I remember vividly a statement of hers, which Gordon and Hobbs were against. She said, "... If you can believe in yourself and believe this is the most important thing in your life, … because I did it, if Scott did it, if Billy did it, and you can do it…” They argued the statement of Oprah was not one-to-one. According to Oprah’s statement, it seems like she waived the reality that at least she spent almost $1000/month just for the diet product, not to mention the doctor's consultation, treatment, etc. “That’s like people’s rent,” added Hobbs. I firmly resonate with the statement, particularly from last year, when I struggled with my diet. Many influencers I saw on socia...

16 Oktober 2023.  Pagi ini terbangun dengan perasaan kesal setelah membaca salah satu cuitan di X salah satu pejabat publik. Pejabat publik ini belakangan cukup menarik perhatian publik karena melontarkan pernyataan-pernyaatan aneh bin ajaib. Salah satunya yang terakhir--nggak terakhir amat karena pasti dia blunder juga cuma nggak kesebar aja kali!--adalah sola komentarnya tentang kurang kompetennya anak negeri. Cukup sakit hati, secara personal ketika mendengar itu seliweran di media sosial.  Pagi ini cuitannya soal meminta pendapat warganet terkait setelan mana yang sebaiknya ia pakai. Ada 4 pilihan, dengan takarir cringe (padanannya apa, ya? Menjijikan, bukan, ya?), "emang boleh sekeren ini?". AMPUN NANGIS GUE DI BALIK SELIMUT. Deskripsi lain yang membuat air mata di balik selimut semakin deras adalah narasi bahwa yang ia lakukan adalah guna mendengar suara hati teman-teman semua. Pak! Kalau mau benar-benar mendengarkan suara kami (ehem teman, ya, kita, Pak?); lebih konkr...

To this day, I remember vividly the color of my mom’s aerobic attire. I found it a few years ago when my mom and I decluttered some of our clothes. It was a combination of yellow, red, and blue. Before getting married, when she had leisure, my mom did her aerobics session a lot. Sometimes with her friend, sometimes she pursued it independently. Vicky Burky, a well-known aerobics instructor in Indonesia, was my mom's favorite! After getting married, particularly having four kids, including me, my mom stopped. “I was busy taking care of you and your siblings. It seems like I do not have enough time to do other things,” said mom to me while she folded the attire. Conversely, my father has a limited interest in sports. I have not observed him engaging in any athletic activities. However, as an exception, recently, he started to do some workouts since he was getting old! As far as I know, he does love watching sports. Every Sunday, he engages in the activity of watching box matches. It...

Carl Roger, as I cited from Kate Murphy (2020), once said that listening to opposing viewpoints is the only way to grow as an individual. A study that Murphy displayed in her book lends support to this statement. Research shows there is an inverse relationship between amygdala activity and activity in areas of the brain involved in careful listening (Murphy, 2020:84). This statement aligns with my experience when I see some communities that possess diverse cultural origins distinct from my own. One of them is the Batak community. In 2017, I was afforded the opportunity to engage in year-long professional work on Samosir Island, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia. I resided in a rural village known as Simbolon Purba. Almost 100% of the population is still speaking their local language, Hata Batak (Batak language). I had difficulties. I was stuck at first. The primary obstacle I encountered was the language barrier. I have difficulty listening to or communicating with them. Gradually, I embarked...

One aspect why I am a big fan of #negaramaju education system is its adeptness in effectively managing the academic enviroment in a dynamic manner. In 2022, the University of Texas introduced a course titled "The Taylor Swift Songbook." The objective of this course is to conduct an analysis of the songs produced by the artist under study as a form of literary expression. Additionally, the course intends to explore how this renowned and accomplished writer employs various literary techniques, figures of speech, and tropes commonly found in conventional poetry within her artistic creations. Separately, New York University provided a course focused on the singer, which was instructed by Britanny Spanos, a contributor to Rolling Stone magazine.  At the University of Washington , I found this unique, dynamic, course called "Wellness Narrative". The class' name has piqued my interest ever since. It was the reason why I chose it as one of my choices this quarter. An ad...

As the commencement of my first course approaches, I find myself overwhelmed with a sense of anxiety. What should I do in my first class? Is it possible for me to effectively digest all of the material? Will I have the courage to speak? At this moment, I could not agree more with Jo  Emerson. He said once, “Your mind can be your biggest enemy or your best friend". In the beginning, before I met the instructor, the graders, and my friends, my mind seemed to be an enemy. I was afraid . Following the initial ten minutes of the class, my mind started to be my friend. My anxiety flew up. I can think strategically, particularly on how to establish my objectives for the current quarter. I have up to three goals. However, one ultimate goal is to push myself gently during this learning and adapting process. The concept of “gentleness” does not imply a state of complete aimlessness. This entails actively engaging in the learning process, absorbing as much as I need, and seizing every favo...