Creating A New Flow

Hi everyone. Good evening. Adel’s here, back with her monthly update.

How’s May for you guys? I bet most of us are confused, worried and a bit “angry” towards the situation we’re in. Social distancing and “Work from Home” phenomenon that has been going for almost 2 months certainly bring some changes to our lives. I can’t speak for everyone but personally, I am not loving this new trend. Instead of being productive and “happy”, I get anxious, stress and stuffy. Before Corona hits, I am one of those who wishes for some day off in order to get some quality time with myself, my family and friends but I guess now… it’s different. I think at that time the idea appears to be so good because it’s not an “obligation” but a choice.

However, since time is a luxury now, let me give you some updates on my life.

First, my national examination is (again) TO BE ANNOUNCED and DECIDED. Once upon a time, which was around two weeks ago, it was already confirmed to be held on August but since Corona hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down and people started to really apply their “YOLO” thoughts in to actions, I could only hope for the best. Thankfully, sis had been kind enough to send the rest of my prep books to Batam so at least I can prepare for the test better. Fingers crossed it will still be held on August and things will go back on track, or at least some of the things. I believe life should continue and instead of waiting for everything to go back to its original settings (re:before Corona), we should adapt and try to find a way to live with it. One thing for sure, ignorance is not a bliss in this case and the standard safety regulations should not be taken lightly. Stay at home, wash your hands and keep your distance.

Second, I sort of am trying out for a new job. A friend of mine introduced me to his friend that needed help. At first it was just about writing background story for her wedding dresses but recently, I had a chance to design the whole website. I was very . . . honored because she believed in me enough to at least try and create her business website but on the other hand, I was actually very scared because I have only designed website for personal purposes before and don’t really have any proper basic of designing but we’ll see how it goes. So far, I have been enjoying the process of setting up a mood board and color palette on Pinterest while making sure everything goes in accordance with what the “boss” wants. I’ll show you guys once it’s ready. I have been loving what I have so far so I think I’m in good place for now. If you have any tips and/or tricks in making an awesome website, please let me know. Leave a comment or DM me through my Instagram (@genoadella). Super open for suggestion. Thank you in advance!

Third, being at home has given me LOTS of opportunity to cook and bake. I love mom’s kitchen. It might not be the prettiest nor the tidiest but it has everything I need to cook a decent “healthy” dish and a “healthier” baked goods (HE HE HE. You can’t take the sweet cravings out of me just yet) I have made my mom Puding Lumut, be it in a “healthy” and normal version, tons of unsweetened agar (which is a life safer during my stress and hangry times), (failed) banana cake, steamed buns, pork dumplings, fruit tarts and Bon Appetite’s simplest chocolate cake. On the making process, I found out substitutes for some ingredients such as sugar, sweet condensed milk and coconut milk. For the savory dish, I discovered a ready to eat corn crab soup which was absolutely delicious! I can’t believe till this very day that one big bowl is only 150 calories. Like how crazy is that?! I also tried some meat rubs. Results were satisfying so far. If I have to pick a favorite out of that all, I will go with traditional chicken soup. There’s something nostalgic about eating them. The warmth, the spices and the smell. Absolute perfection.

Last but not least, let’s talk about self-love. If you didn’t know, in the beginning of this year, I had finally found closure for my lingering past. I had ended my 7 years of “self-torture” which was an accomplishment. Since then, I have been focusing on rebuilding myself, trying to glue the scattered pieces back together and basically love myself for who I truly am, the good and (all) the bad. The self healing journey continues till today and if there's anything good during this crazy pandemic time, this is it.  

I got reconnected to a kind man that I happened to come across mid-August last year. Due to me being sick and buried with tons of assignments, we lost contact two months after we first talked (Amebiasis in the middle of Anesthesiology rotation remember?) We started to talk again via DM on Instagram. I just realized he got a job at Bali and were curious on his latest condition. Since then, we have been chatting and sharing perspectives on some issues in our lives.

And … what part does he take in your self-love journey?

I find him unique. I find him very fun to talk to. For someone who had spent his teenage years living outside Indonesia, he was nowhere closed to being obsessed with the word “fuck” (THANK GOD!) and cold. Instead, he is caring, sweet and very calm. He can be funny at times altho it takes him quite some time to reply chats. But hey, he’s still working while I slack off at my room so there’s really no complaining there (HA HA HA). I like how I can be honest around him and not be afraid of the reactions I get. I shared some of my more personal stuffs and instead of getting a typical reaction like “you should be grateful because you have the opportunity to do what others don’t” or “maybe try to not be so sensitive all the time”, he gave out neutral response that made me felt listened, understood and comforted. He made me felt it was okay to be vulnerable as long as I have the intentions of making myself better every single day. I also learnt something new -minimalism- which turns out is really interesting. I figure out that minimalism meant more than just decluttering stuffs. It is about mindset and sustainable lifestyle. On top of everything, having someone to talk to on daily basis is always nice, especially during this social distancing when it’s so easy to creep back inside the hole of negativity and feel alone, lonely and stress.

So, if you’re reading this, thank you. And . . I would really love to drink a glass of Rosé at La Brisa after I finish my exam. Looking forward to that 😉

Anyways, that’s the end of my update. I’ll greet you all with a new update very very soon.

Till then, stay safe, stay healthy and act wise.

God bless.

Love, always and forever,

Genoveva Verena Adella🥀