amaliaayuningts - Tumblr blog

[amaliaayuningts]

A journey to be more aware of myself

I remember my birthday last year when I was turning 30 years old and experienced my first ever counseling. I cried a lot in the beginning of the session telling my therapist that my life was like running and at that point I felt very tired with everything.

She said that I was probably feeling very tired because my coping mechanism had been to busy myself with practical and solution-based things, but forgot to give myself time to grieve properly when I was sad or disappointed or tired. If it happens once or twice, it's fine, but if it accumulates over years, it will make us like a time bomb. So since then, I try to be more aware of my mental state.

This current study experience in Glasgow is like a healing journey for me. I know that there are many things in my life that still need to be improved but I believe that as long as I am aware of my self, I will be strong enough to face whatever happens in my life.

[amaliaayuningts]

I want to become a forever learner with my kids

I hope I will never compare my life to anyone else again. I will live my life to the fullest and be grateful for what I have from now on. I want to fully become a learner with my children. Learning about things that I haven't had time for.

Apart from learning, I also want to visit many places with my little family. Showing my children that the world is vast. It's so vast that they can be anything they want to be. I hope I can give more compassion to those around me. Become a better person by forgiving the things that have passed.

[amaliaayuningts]

2022 Year-End Reflection: Why Start Bicara Udara & Why More Parents Should Join the Conversation on the Issue

Hello, my name is Amalia. People used to know me as a political activist who fought for independent candidates in the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial election. Today, I am a mom with two sons aged 3 & 5. In November 2019, when my second child was born, I realized that my two children would grow up in the most polluted area in Indonesia. In mid-July 2019, when I was in my second trimester of pregnancy, Jakarta was named the city with the worst air pollution in the world based on the AirVisual air quality monitoring app. The air quality value (AQI) had even touched a score of 240 which is included in the red color category, aka very unhealthy. At this stage, people should be encouraged to reduce outdoor activities or use masks when traveling. Such news every year never bothered me until I realized that the air my children freely breathe every day is not safe. From then on I was determined to learn and find out about air pollution issues. Yes, my parenthood instinct made me more aware of the risks.

Yes, my parenthood instinct made me more aware of the risks.

When I was a kid, I lived in a village in Jogja close to rice fields. Playing outside and breathing in the fresh air seemed to be the norm. Twenty years later, I didn't think that such memories would be a luxury for my children who live in the city. It feels like the right to clean air is still considered unfamiliar compared to other basic human rights. Clean air is very important for humans. Humans cannot live without air. If we hold our breath for 2 minutes, we will immediately feel dizzy. If we hold our breath for 5 minutes, we will faint and it is dangerous for our vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, and brain. Even Dr. Agus from the Indonesian Lung Doctors Association (PDPI) emphasized that the human lungs actually only work for clean air. If left untouched, this air pollution problem will threaten the lives and development of our children.

Less than a year after my second child was born, the Covid-19 pandemic locked us all into staying at home. I didn't even send my first child to playgroup because there was no face-to-face learning. This condition is not easy for all parents. And again the problem is the virus in the air we breathe. These problems in the air make me want to do something. Because air pollution and covid-19 are not problems that I can solve alone and I believe protection against both needs to be voiced and fought for.

I read many journals and articles about air pollution that I found online and asked many friends who I considered to have expertise on air pollution issues in Indonesia. The more I read, the more difficult it was to understand the problem on my own because it is not only about science, health, and environment, but also about economics, public policy, and politics. To complicate matters further, the effects of air pollution are slow and often invisible. It's no wonder it's not a priority issue because many people don't know the dangers that lie ahead. Luckily, I met other mothers who were furious about this problem and did not want to remain silent. We then established Bicara Udara, a community of learning citizens and became active citizens to encourage and oversee the improvement of air quality in Jabodetabek.

The more I read, the more difficult it was to understand the problem on my own because it is not only about science, health, and environment, but also about economics, public policy, and politics.

Almost 3 years old, the air pollution problem in Jabodetabek is still like a puzzle that we have not finished solving. We still see the air pollution problem in our days. Although we have met our path with NGOs, think tanks, academics, and the government pushing for improvements, we still need more parents to find out about this problem and do something about it. As Mother's Day approaches, I wanted to write down my concerns and share them so that I can meet more parents who want to participate in the Bicara Udara community.

These past few months I have had the opportunity to continue my studies at the University of Glasgow, the clean air that I feel every day here should also be felt by residents in Jabodetabek. As much love as we pour into our children, as much pain as we endure for them, it is only natural that we should leave a good quality of life for them.

[amaliaayuningts]

Tentang Bicara Udara

Sudah setahun belakangan saya terlibat dalam menyuarakan topik mengenai perbaikan kualitas udara. Saya dan beberapa rekan menginisiasi Bicara Udara, komunitas yang mewadahi concerned kami terhadap penurunan kualitas udara yang tidak aman bagi anak-anak kami. Lambat laun, komunitas ini menjadi komunitas belajar, kami menyelami lebih dalam masalah, dampak, dan dimensi lainnya melalui diskusi dan berkenalan dengan para ahli.

Hari ini, kami bersemangat sekali untuk mendemokratisasikan pengetahuan ini. Mendorong sebanyak mungkin pihak-pihak terlibat dengan topik ini. Melalui journalist class yang pertama kali diadakan, kami berharap bisa memicu pertanyaan-pertanyaan baru dan mendorong teman-teman jurnalis mengejar cerita. Banyak sekali topik yang dibicarakan hari ini, salah satu yang berkesan bagi saya adalah bagaimana agar kacamata dalam melihat masalah polusi udara bukan dari kacamata masalah lingkungan, namun masalah kesehatan publik, sehingga relevansi dan urgensinya akan lebih nyata dipahami publik.

Angka kualitas udara hari ini di sekitar Thamrin tidak sehat untuk kelompok sensitif, skor nya 28 kali di atas rata-rata tahunan dari anjuran WHO. Sungguh perjalanan yang masih akan panjang.

[amaliaayuningts]

Sekolah Pertama Gian

Selalu ada yang pertama untuk segala hal. Seperti hari ini mengantar Gian sekolah jadi pengalaman mengharukan sebagai orang tua.

Semoga pengalaman sekolahmu menghidupkan api keingintahuanmu agar semakin menyala-nyala. Selamat berproses dan belajar Gian sayang.

Ibu, Ayah, adek Gani, mbah uti, tante, akong akan selalu senantiasa mendampingi jatuh bangunmu.

[amaliaayuningts]

What I Wish I Knew When I was 20

Boleh dibilang saya pernah begitu menyukai membaca ketika saya tinggal di Jogja. Saya lahir dan besar di Jogja, kemudian setelah selesai SMA saya merantau ke Jakarta. Merantau pun juga sebetulnya output dari baca buku. Sejak tinggal di Jakarta yakni ketika kuliah, saya agak sulit merawat minat membaca itu. Sebetulnya ya tetap membaca, seperti buku kuliah atau beberapa novel, tapi rasanya kok tidak se ‘tenggelam’ seperti ketika di Jogja, bisa jadi juga karena ada faktor kesibukan. 

Buku yang ditulis Tina Seeling ini beberapa kali masuk dalam kategori ‘pengen dibaca’ kemudian sempat dibaca beberapa bab awal lalu belum sempat dilanjutkan lagi. Sejak merasa sedikit insecure karena sudah mau masuk usia 30 di tahun depan, saya merasa penting sekali menyempatkan untuk membaca buku ini. Karena buku ini mengenai self development, saya coba membaca summary buku ini, beruntung I find this review from this blog. It triggers me to read the whole book.  

I will repost it here : 

1. Every problem is an opportunity for a creative solution The bigger the problem, the bigger the opportunity. No one is going to pay you to solve something that doesn’t need to be solved. In other words, if it is not broken or cannot be improved upon, then don’t fix it. Many ideas are good but great ideas create value for others. Those are the ones that succeed.

2. The harder I work, the luckier I get Lucky people put themselves out-there at every available opportunity, therefore generating more opportunities to be lucky. For example, you can’t win the lottery if you never play in the first place; and furthermore your probably not going to win the lottery if you just play once.

3. Find an intersection between your passions, your skills, and the market Just because your passionate about something, does not mean it is profitable. Know your passions, polish your skills, and keep an eye out for opportunities in the market.

4. Try lots of things and keep what works If you always do things the same way you have no basis to say that there isn’t a better way. Things always can be improved so live a little, try something new.

5. You don’t have to wait to be anointed Entrepreneurs are generally very self-driven people. Do the work, then you get the title. Not the other way around.

6. Don’t burn bridges It is a small world. Karma comes back around. In business, your not expected to like everyone you come in contact with, and don’t expect that everyone will like you. However, if you treat everyone with respect, you are more likely to get it in return in the future.

7. You can do it all, just not at the same time Pick a few things in your life that you want to excel at and focus only on those things then reassess those things often. Also, try to balance your life on a longer term to keep from being bored.

8. It’s the little things that matter most Don’t take the little things for granted. Always say thank you and learn how to give a firm handshake.

9. When in a team, the key is to make everyone else successful When you help others, chances are it will return to you many times fold.

10. Never miss an opportunity to be fabulous You never get a second chance to make a first impression. Work at 110% at everything you do.

Regarding of my situation that still trying to make a time to read. I will start not by the method of reading from the beginning, but I will start from the most suitable chapter with my condition. Wish me luck!

[amaliaayuningts]

two things define us : our patience when we have nothing and our attitude when we have everything

read somewhere

[amaliaayuningts]

Aim Higher

January always bring me some kind of excitement. It is a month to refresh everything. A month that gives another chance to your bad feeling or failure in the past into something good or better in the future. There are a lot of positive feelings in January. And of course, the hardest part is to keep it positive until the end of the year. To be more in control of my life, I feel like 25 years old stand out as an important time for me. It should be a significant age. I hope that this year, I can be a better person and make “something’ for the good of people again. 

[amaliaayuningts]

Saya dan Pilkada Jakarta

"Saya tidak pernah bermaksud menjadi seorang fanatik, tidak pernah" 

Saya suka politik. Sejak kuliah, saya menaruh minat dan perhatian pada proses demokrasi di Indonesia. Tidak banyak yang saya tahu, tapi saya suka, dan saya tidak keberatan belajar soal itu. Politik kerap dibilang orang sebagai area kotor. Sudah itu, orang banyak menghindarinya. Tidak sedikit yang mencibir orang-orang yang masuk ke dalam politik. Padahal hampir semua hajat hidup kita dipengaruhi oleh proses politik. Ya kita tahu itu, tapi tetap saja, apa yang terjadi pada proses politik di Indonesia amat menjijikan, penuh pencitraan, intrik, kebohongan, korupsi, dan lain sebagainya. 

Sampai suatu hari saya punya kesempatan untuk terjun ke dalamnya. Bukan sebagai politisi, tapi sebagai warga yang mau memperbaiki proses politik. Sebagai warga biasa yang melihat kompetensi seseorang dalam memperbaiki kota, layak dan patut untuk diberi kesempatan kembali. Saya dan teman-teman kemudian membentuk Teman Ahok, sebagai sebuah wadah, bagi sesama warga kota untuk mendukung petahana ini maju kembali. Di tahap ini, saya belajar banyak sekali tentang organisasi. Tentang sistem, pembagian kerja, target, mengorganisir sdm, mencari sumber daya, mengatur uang, dsb. Dari awal kami belajar membangun kredibilitas organisasi secara sungguh-sungguh.   

Ahok adalah kandidat yang kami perjuangkan. Kami tidak mengenal secara personal sosok ini. Hanya saja, kiprah ybs dan Jokowi di Jakarta layak diacungi jempol. Melihat sepak terjangnya, saya belajar lagi, bahwa politik tak hanya soal memenangkan kandidat tapi juga membangun kebijakan publiknya! Sejak itu kami banyak sekali belajar soal kebijakan publik di Jakarta. Tak hanya soal konsep, tapi bagaimana mengeksekusinya. Bagaimana menjalankan anggaran daerah untuk kebermanfaatan masyarakat. Bagaimana ternyata kita sebagai warga kota, memiliki banyak hak yang harus dipenuhi oleh pemerintah daerah kita, seperti kesehatan, pendidikan, transportasi, tata kota, sarana prasarana, dsb. Di tangan Ahok, informasi seputar itu bisa dengan mudah kita dapatkan. Seharusnya kota-kota lain pun akan memiliki standar pemerintahan yang sama, sehingga tergerak mendorong proses politik ke arah kebijakan publik yang bermanfaat bagi masyarakatnya! 

Sejujurnya, saya sangat patah hati ketika Ahok harus mengambil jalur partai politik, bukan jalur independen seperti yang kami inginkan. Di titik itu, kami menyadari ternyata proses politik belum bisa ideal seperti harapan kami. Tapi kami masih bisa mengawal kebijakan publiknya. Kami masih bisa mengusahakan agar masyarakat Jakarta menjadi pemilih yang rasional. Kami masih bisa mengusahakan yang terbaik bagi apa yang kami mulai. Saya dan Teman Ahok tidak pernah bermaksud menjadi seorang fanatik. Kalau boleh jujur, menjadi relawan Ahok tidak pernah mudah. Kami harus melakukan segala sesuatu sesuai aturan yang ada, walaupun luar biasa sulitnya. Pernah pula Ahok memarahi kami. Bila kami ketahuan mengakali aturan yang ada. Teman Ahok adalah wadah belajar kami. Kami bukan fanbase yang memperlihatkan dukungan secara membabi buta. 

Jika teman-teman mengikuti sepak terjang Teman Ahok, kami harap usaha untuk tidak menjadi fanatik itu bisa dilihat.

[amaliaayuningts]

Hari ini, permohonan Judicial Review UU Pilkada yang Teman Ahok (bersama dg teman2 lain) ajukan ke MK kembali disidangkan. Agenda hari ini adalah mendengarkan keterangan dari pihak terkait yang tadi disampaikan oleh KPU, Yusril Ihza M, dan Habiburrahman.

UU tentang Pilkada adalah UU yang paling sering berubah di Indonesia. Wakil rakyat kita sangat produktif merevisi UU ini. Ketika Ahok akan dicalonkan melalui jalur independen pada pilkada serentak tahun 2017 mendatang, tiba-tiba persyaratan untuk jalur perseorangan dipersulit. Diantaranya soal KTP dukungan dan verifikasi faktual. UU tsb berpotensi mengeliminir dukungan dari pemilih pemula dan mempersulit proses verifikasi faktual.

Hari ini, ketika Pak Ahok telah menentukan melalui jalur partai politik, Teman Ahok tetap meneruskan JR ini. Agaknya, karena bukan lagi soal Ahok, proses JR berjalan sangat lancar. Hari ini pihak terkait dari KPU pun mengamini apa yang kami mohonkan. Angin segar yang membuat kami yakin bahwa gugatan akan kami menangkan.

Meski bukan untuk pilkada serentak 2017, (semoga) usaha ini bisa membantu memberi kepastian hukum pada masyarakat dan calon-calon pemimpin berkualitas lainnya, yang nanti akan bertarung lebih hebat melalui jalur independen. Semoga Tuhan terus menjaga demokrasi Indonesia.

[amaliaayuningts]

Buat saya, kehadiran Yudhis kerap membawa kebahagiaan yang sederhana. Sesederhana berboncengan motor sambil menangkap pokemon, menonton film dan membahasnya berhari-hari, atau berfoto selfie di tempat-tempat baru yang kami kunjungi. Saya percaya hidup itu dinamis. Definisi bahagia pun akan terus berubah sesuai dengan pengalaman yang kita alami. Tapi diantara saya dan Yudhis, ada satu komitmen untuk menjaga satu sama lain, memastikan bahwa kami selalu berjalan beriringan. Meski dunia kami sangat berbeda, komunikasi selalu kami jaga, agar kami tak sekedar cinta, tapi juga berkembang bersama. Selamat Hari Raya Idul Adha teman-teman!

Bogor, 2016

[amaliaayuningts]

The Most Important Resolution in My 2016 is To Write Things Down!

I believe that one of the simplest but most powerful habits in the world is to write things down. So I belive that writings in social media (like this tumblr) with an appropiate way can help me commit with my life goals. Someone said that written goals will bring us clarity and focus. You just can google it about How Writings Can Help People Commit with Their Goals.

So here I am (again), still figure out how to run my tumblr as a way to commit with my life goals and also to have happier life. Of course, I don’t want my life to be aimlessly, wondering why my life lacks of purpose and insignificance. So, I hope that in this 2016, I will be more productive in sharing my thoughts and my dreams in this tumblr. Wish me luck, and welcome 2016!

[amaliaayuningts]

Apa yg akan terjadi bila seorang pemimpin politik itu betul2 bs maju karena kekuatan masyarakat, bukan partai? Bagaimana kalau mahar politik dalam suatu kekuasaan itu betul2 hanya utk mengabdi pada kepentingan masyarakat, bukan elit? Dan bagaimana kalau menjadikan politik benderang dan bukan proses bawah tangan itu mungkin? "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope someday you'll join us. And the world will be much better" #dreams #civilsociety #youthandgovernment #politicalmovements #TemanAhok

[amaliaayuningts]

Saya memutuskan untuk kembali menekuni bidang politik. Berusaha menggenapkan pengalaman 2 tahun di bidang ini dengan portofolio yang lebih serius. Saat ini saya tengah mendirikan Teman Ahok. Organisasi yang akan menjadi motor penggerak utama Pak Ahok maju menjadi calon independen di Pilgub Jakarta 2017. Wish me luck! :)

[amaliaayuningts]

Commitment to be Happier

I am -in the middle of- reading a book-written by-Gretchen Rubin, The Happiness Project. That book made me realize that I should not wasting my life with doing something without direction. I should not let myself living a life without passion or without dreams. I knew that my life wasn't going to change unless I made it change. So, I decide to stop living my ordinary life and start to chase my dreams again! I dedicate this new tumblr as one of my happiness project, my first step to begin my fight.