Post script: This post is updated in December 3rd, 2009

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Hello,

Welcome to Finally Woken.

I am Finally Woken, the owner and administrator of this personal blog. Since November 27th, 2009, I have been living in Perth, Australia, which will be my home for the next 3 years. Before Perth, I had lived in Scotland for 2 years. Before Scotland, I spent almost a decade in Indonesia. Before Indonesia, I was in Sydney. And before Sydney, I was in Indonesia, born and bred in two different cities, and have worked for almost a decade in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia.

Although I have been writing on and off since forever, I never took it seriously, even though some of my short stories were published in local newspaper years a go. I started a blog in April 2005 in Friendster, before moving to Blogger in October 2007. After exactly a year, in October 2008 I have finally moved to my permanent address, http://finally-woken.com , and have settled here – virtually, of course – ever since.

I am Finally Woken, and I am an expat. Therefore this blog is focused on the expat issues, among other several topics. It is about seeing things in the adopted land from a foreigner’s eyes, from people, accent, weather, sport, food, and many other things which never fails to amuse me all the time. My culture shock moments in Scotland is compiled here: Scotland Shocking Moments, and I have been compiling my Australian Shocking Moments since the first day I set my foot here. Being thousands of miles away from home also makes me seeing my beloved country from different perspectives. Every time I go back home for holiday, I always could find something that shake me to my core, and all are compiled in Indonesian Behaving Badly. They might be naive, funny, daft, or beyond comprehension. You’d be the judge.

When landed in Scotland the first time, I found out that I had to start everything all over again. Without knowing where to go or to ask, I was thinking how convenient if we have a sort of forum where people can share their stories and experience living overseas. I then initiated a forum called Indonesian Expat website in early 2008 to share stories and to network globally. Later on, hopefully, this forum also can provide useful information and assist anyone who has the similar situation to embark a big step leaving Indonesia. If you are an Indonesian – students, professional, traveler, spouses, parents or volunteers, who are currently or about to living in a foreign country, please join the forum. If you are a seasoned or returned expat, your valuable experience can be shared there too.

I am Finally Woken, and here are 50 things you might don’t want to know about me:

1. I was born with two teeth peeking out of my gum already.
2. I cannot tell where I am from. Everyone in Indonesia seems to have a hometown and a village to go to back to during holiday seasons. I don’t. I was born in Surabaya, grew up in Makassar, back to Surabaya during college, went to Sydney for a few years, back to Indonesia and worked in Jakarta for nearly a decade, then off to Scotland and now I am living in Perth. If you say I am from Surabaya because I was born there, none of my family are from there, not even East Java. I don’t speak the language, I can barely speak the accent now. My mother’s parents bear royal titles from some Central Javanese palace. My dad’s parents are not Javanese and are rumoured to have Dutch and Arabic traits although no one seems want to explain this to me. So to make things easier, I would say I am from…. Indonesia.
3. My parents were famous in our little city, as mother was a TV anchor (mind you there was only one TV station in Indonesia back in the days!) and father managed a health Q&A column in Sunday newspaper. I got teased a lot in school. I asked to pretend to read the news in front of the class by my seniors. Not really an impression I wanted to make on the first day of high school!
4. My parents are still together after 30 years. Which means I am now in my 30s. I wouldn’t lie about my age, there’s too much wisdom revealed in my eyes. Haha.
5. I am a Sagittarius and a Tiger. Not that I believe in horoscope. But coincidentally, I really love cats! Can’t say the same thing about horse, though. Or archery.
6. I am very tiny – as tiny as Kylie Minogue. Or Danny De Vito.
7. I had short hair until high school and long hair afterwards. I went to perm it once. It was disastrous and traumatic, as none other than L’Oreal Indonesia’s Academy boss and the General Manager of Hair Division thought it was ugly. Huh! I would never ever do it again!
8. I have been wearing glasses since I was 10, and my vision is really bad. Now I wear contact lenses and plan to undergo a laser surgery…. soon…. as haven’t had any courage to do it yet. The idea about having something poking in my eyes freaks me out!
9. I went to all-girls Catholic school for since elementary school until junior high. We didn’t do anything naughty like what you imagine. Sorry.
10. There are lots of doctors in the family. Beside dad, 2 uncles (one has 2 of his children working as doctors too) and an auntie (who is a doctor herself, married to a doctor and her son is a doctor), it seems like my cousins are either doctors or are married to them. People thought I would become one too, but…
11. I have a degree in architecture, however…
12. Never practice as one.
13. After finishing my master’s degree in construction management in Sydney, I had no intention to go back to Indonesia. Until one day I was chatting to an alumni who suggested me to contact this lady – who turned out to be the Senior Associate Director of the company. In two weeks I flew back to Jakarta, got a job, and arranged my return to Indonesia.
14. After repatriating back in Indonesia, for the first two months in Jakarta I suffered from asthma and cough. I cried for the first 6 months, wanted to go back to Australia. Nevertheless…
15. I have finally fallen in love with the city. And never intended to leave, but hey, life has full of surprises.
16. I worked as a project manager for a property company before working for L’Oreal as purchasing manager.
17. People always think that because I worked for L’Oreal, I am good at applying make-up and know what to recommend for their skin/hair problems. No matter how many times I try to explain that I don’t know anything about it (see no.16). I probably know more about types of wood finishes than types of mascara.
18. I quit my high-profile job in L’Oreal and moved to Scotland in 2007. It’s a tough decision, but I do not regret it. I believe everything happens for a reason.
19. It’s very relaxing being a lady of leisure, however, after two years, I’d probably should go back to work.
20. I still hang out with ex-colleagues who become good friends, whenever I go back home for holiday.
21. My two ex-colleagues-cum-friends and I are dreaming about opening a noodle station. I believe it’s going to happen soon. Maybe in 2050.
22. I was with the same man for 10 years before realised it wasn’t right. Leaving a comfort zone and entering the unknown was scary. But I’ve survived. Funny that afterward, everybody starts saying that they never thought it would have lasted. Well thank you, but next time please speak up.
23. I met mr.mck in Bugil’s, a fact that Bart, the manager, would like to boast to everyone like it’s a big deal.
24. I didn’t really know where Scotland was, until I met mr.mck. I did remember guys in kilt, though. Especially the fact that they don’t wear anything underneath…
25. I have never had flat shoes until I moved to Scotland.
26. I don’t have a favourite color. Last time was purple. Now it’s lime green. It took me one and a half year to decide the colour of my bedroom.
27. I have a thing for Gucci. Little bit.
28. I play piano since 4, but was a drummer in a band. The band practiced for years, was only able to play one full song, and had only performed once in front of the neighbours. Yeah, I don’t think I’d pursue a career in music anytime soon.
29. I got a blue band in karate when I was 10. And just like ballet lesson I had been taking since 4, I suddenly decided I was bored with it and just quit. It’s a shame, really. Now I wish I didn’t.
30. I read really fast, like one novel in two hour. I started reading when I was 3, I read Tolkien’s, Verne’s, and Melville’s when I was 11. I read Rendra, Sutardji and Sapardi in junior high, and my friends thought I was weird. That before I found Agatha Christie, John Grisham and… chick-lits.
31. I write since I can remember. Blog is only one medium. Normally if I don’t blog, I make a list. About everything!
32. I take everything too seriously sometimes.
33. And I am control freak. I like to have plan A and plan B, plan C and plan D. It’s part of my character and my job as a project manager as someone who has to plan everything and manage the risk. My friends have to bear with me if I am in this mood, like planning for our trip, as I would send them with tables and lists, like I am reporting to a board of directors…
34. I don’t tolerate bad manners.
35. And I am impatient. I have changed a lot over the years though.
36. I am a perfectionist, an anal retentive. Not as bad as I used to be, where everything had to be perpendicular or level. Now I can live with imperfection. A little bit.
37. I am quietly dubbed as the most stubborn and feisty one in my big family. I didn’t understand how they decided to crown me with such title. Not really a compliment, don’t you think?
38. But I am stubborn and feisty. I won’t back down until I’m proven wrong.
39. It’s difficult because I’m usually right. Most of the time.
40. And I remember everything. Most of the time.
41. I used to work for an ice cream shop in Sydney and still remember how to make a good smoothies.
42. I am a coffee addict. I try to cut it down to 3 mugs a day.
43. I love to cook and I love trying out food. Nothing is off limits. Except cute creatures like rabbits, or dolphins.
44. I love traveling. I love it to the fact that I enjoy packing, planning the journey, even wandering around the airport to kill time until boarding.
45. I have a thing for Vietnamese food. I am a a Pho Bo addict.
46. But I still think Indonesia is the best heaven for food and indulgence.
47. What I enjoy the most is a quiet dinner in a nice restaurant with a bottle of nice wine and a good conversation.
48. As you might have suspected, I am an internet junkie. I could die if I don’t connect to the internet for a day.
49. I am not sure what else I should put here.
50. Can I stop now?

Some more information about Finally Woken in the virtual world:

An Indonesian Woman Survives in Northern Scotland: From Bugilsnews.com

Blogger Indonesia of the Week: From Blogger Indonesia

Top Ten Blogger Indonesia 2008: From Blogger Indonesia

Words from Afar: From The Jakarta Post

Blogs are A Global Forum For Homespun ideas: From The Jakarta Globe

Well I hope you know more a little bit lot about me by now. Hope you enjoy reading my posts, and if you have any suggestions, questions, or comments, do not hesitate to drop one here, or send an email to below address.

Regards from the most isolated city in the world, and happy reading!

Finally Woken