Muhamad Fathurahman

Almost every day, I commute to work by train... the infamous KRL.  As many know, it's always crowded because countless people rely on trains for their daily commute.  I simply can't endure a total of two hours or more riding a motorcycle to and from work. Maybe I'm not built for it, or perhaps I've found better ways to use my commuting time. You might guess what I do: reading. Unlike riding a motorcycle or driving a car, where you need to focus entirely on the road, train commuting frees up mental space. Having a chauffeur or personal driver might offer similar benefits, but that's not an option for most of us. I can read many things during my commute: fiction or nonfiction books, documents, regulations, and yes, even social media!  Although scrolling isn't my preferred activity while commuting.  There's also the benefit of walking. Commuting by train naturally increases daily physical activity: taking stairs, moving between platforms, catching trains. These...

There's something I love about the rainy season, it's the vibe, the temperature that makes it perfect to stay indoors or take a nap, and the pleasant smell of rain... However, when you have to commute home on a motorcycle from the station, and there's flooding along the route, it becomes quite bummer  Or when you forget to bring your raincoat or umbrella, especially when carrying electronics that can't get wet. Recent research has also revealed that rainwater in Indonesian cities contains microplastics. Studies confirm that microplastics have been detected in various human organs and can cross the blood-brain barrier, which is concerning... We still need rain tho, and it's blessing from the Creator

When I see memes or posts from the US suggesting that people are expected to move out at 18, or that it's shameful to live with parents after college at 23, it makes me reflect on our different cultural norms. There's even an insulting term "living in mom's basement"—though ironically, not many houses here have basements except for what we'd consider luxurious homes. But that's a topic for another day. Regarding living with parents, it's generally acceptable here in Indonesia, especially if you're single and your work or studies don't require long-distance travel between islands or cities. If your workplace or campus is accessible from your parents' home, they usually encourage you to stay—it makes more economic sense. Even in cases of marriage, some people continue living with their parents due to various factors, such as saving up for their own home or having enough space in the family house. Again, it comes down to personal preference. I...

I prefer to sleep in a room that's as dark as possible. This preference existed even before I learned about the benefits of sleeping in darkness, like improved melatonin production. Bright light can be like noise—a disturbance to peaceful sleep. As a child, I was scared of ghosts, yet I still preferred sleeping in the dark. This wasn't the case for others, according to stories I've heard about children who fear darkness and need lights on. Some can manage with just a reading lamp, but sleeping in a completely dark room is out of the question for them. It's probably just a matter of preference—not a big deal—until you need to sleep with someone who has opposite sleeping preferences. I can make exceptions and compromise by creating darkness for myself, perhaps by using a piece of cloth or a sleep mask if one's available. Though sometimes when I wake up, the sleep mask has usually slipped away from my eyes.

When I'm at home, I prefer to sleep with my fan on because it keeps my body cooler and the sound acts as white noise that helps me fall asleep. Even now, when I have air conditioning available whenever I want to sleep, I still turn the fan on. Sometimes it faces me, but mostly it faces the wall or something like that. It's still beneficial for my sleep because, you know, the white noise. Well, in that matter, you could say that I'm a fan!

Have you ever felt cringe about something you did in the past? Me too, my friend—because I think that's normal. I usually try not to think about it too much and just accept that I'm a better person now. It was just a phase, what we would call here in Indonesia the "Alay Phase" or something like that. While deciding to start writing short essays about random topics and publishing them to my personal blog, I'm also thinking about their cringe potential. Will this backfire on me in the future? Will this be used against me? But I've come to the conclusion that it's okay. I'm not posting anything controversial for now, and if it becomes controversial later, well, I can't control that. People are subject to change. What I am right now and what I'm writing now may contribute to defining who I am in the future, but I'm not in the future—I live in the present, right now. And if people, if my friends ask what inspired me to write essays, to what end?...