So it's already 2016! I know I wasn't the only one who felt the struggle to survive 2015 and the past few months were the hardest. But entering the new year surely brings new hope to us all for getting better luck, better life and better self. I gotta admit, finishing 2015 brought me a great relief for I would say the most difficult year for me to pass.

But to experience the new year eve in Bali was so much a better situation for me, and I am grateful that I (and we all) have survived such a challenging year. However 2015 did give me great stuff also. I will list down some of my blessings along 2015 here to remind me to always be thankful even in hard times (apart from having family who are always there for me through thick and thin):

1. I had a vacation in Bali by end of Jan 2015 and met this team of Tantraz Comics Bali who did the great Baladeva graphic novels and I have exchanged interests with Bli Ary, the creator/CEO, and his friends about our Nuswantara culture.
2. I had another holiday to Yogyakarta in Feb 2015 and met this "Jenderal Soedirman" movie team that had introduced me to the world of movie making, especially to the author/director Winaldo Artaraya Swastia and scriptwriter Tubagus Deddy.
3. I was introduced to some of great people who became great new friends, mentors, discussion partners, such as Bagjo Indrijanto, Mitu M. Prie, Tino Saroenggalo, Anto Udewo and many others.
4. I could publish my first novel, Gerbang Nuswantara with Penerbit Buku Kompas on Mar 23, 2015 and launched it on May 30, 2015. I got the honor to have Arswendo Atmowiloto, Dhea Seto and Danie Satrio to be my guest stars at the event, and had many great people came as guests there. And the media reviews and interviews that came after this (my special thanks to Tribun Jabar and Sekar Krisnauli T. from Jakarta Post for the articles about me).
5. My sister got married to Maruli Panggabean on Jun 20, which gave us an extended warm big Batak family. And I must say, this family is one of the best I've ever met because I feel so much like a family with all of them.
6. I got the opportunity to be involved in the "NurZahra: A Grateful Ode to Nature & Culture" book project with Afterhours Books.
7. I tried (and be quite good at) the Muay Thai--the sport/martial art I had never thought I'd ever do in life.
8. I met such a wonderful man who brought me many new and interesting things in life. It was quite a journey we had, John Boone (;
9. I got the chance to publish my English version "Gateway to Nuswantara" at Ubud Writers & Readers Festival 2015 on Oct 30 at Lamak Restaurant, Ubud. I had wonderful volunteer team who helped me and got to meet inspiring writers in the festival, especially a new book-discussion partner, Norman Ince. The experience really gave me new knowledge about writing world.
10. I could stay in Bali again since November by the help of kind people around me: Amanda Noor, Loepie Alexandra, Kei Miyamoto, Rina Ng, Elizabeth Carlyle-Clarke and other old friends who are still around. And although Bali is the same place I had lived in 2 years ago, I got many new experiences and friends here--I'm thankful especially to Christian Halim from Rasio Coffee, Melvine Amar, Athika Nasution, Bianca Timmerman and Christine Evans. There's always something new in Bali indeed!

I hope your 2015 was much better than mine, but even if you don't think so, I believe there must always be something to be grateful for--and I think it's easy to list down blessings in a year in just 10 points, right? So let's cheer up and greet 2016 with smile, hope and some faith!

Welcome, 2016!