www.pennapapier.com

Hello! I've moved my portfolio content to :

www.pennapapier.com

See you there! Thankyou. 

Work's Been Great

I've been thinking to have a proper portfolio website done for sometime. I realized that blog posts are not exactly ideal since it is leaning more toward narrative style rather than category sort. The problem is with such limited time on hand for managing writing schedule and a full time job, I barely have any time to slow down and get to the making of it! 

Perhaps I should make a goal that 2017 is the year that a www.pennapapier.com will be launched and I can do decent work profile for myself and of course, clients. #notetoself

Anyway, I'll settle with blogger for now and please enjoy several of the writing work I've done during the past few months.

1. STC Indonesia

Videoscript for 2016 business greetings. 

Medan - Videoscript ( English)

2. Arto Pharmaceuticals

Arto Pharmaceuticals is a medicine company in Jakarta, Indonesia with the most notable product : Balpirik.  The website designer was a fellow creative from Kaze Interactive that is run by Erwin, one of the nicest people I've ever got to know online. The work that I did was reoptimizing and article writing, which is underway. 

Jakarta - Web content & article writing ( English & Bahasa)

3. Sutraco Nusantara Megah

Sutraco is based in Surabaya and deals with seaweed, spices and commodity products. I got the chance to work on their content on print company profile as well as website. 

Surabaya - Company Profile & Web Content ( English)

4. Primera Panko

I was scouted through Sribulancer for this work and it was a content review/ reoptimize. The work involves in reoptimizing goes beyond grammar and typo correction as I also actively try to give creative alternatives in terms of content that is far more appealing than the original ones. 

Jakarta - Web Content Reoptimize ( English & Bahasa)

5. Belsbee

Another Sribulancer client who was looking for product descriptions. It was fun churning out my brain writing dress descriptions while feasting my eyes on gorgeous gowns and stunning dresses. 

Jakarta - Product Description ( English)

As of now, I am still actively writing for Baby Royalty and Qlapa. Exhausted as I've been since I actively take in jobs, I'm always grateful for a chance to write and partner up with great people. 

There are some ongoing projects that I'll be sharing soon once finalized, so please watch this space! Thank you. 

The Online Apps Movement

It is very exciting to see the many creative sprouts through the online apps movements. Think Gojek and you will know what I mean. These apps reach users in such rapid speed and are extremely helpful to the community at the same time. 

In my opinion, mobile/ online apps can work to complement the traditional desktop website for a business in tremendous ways. Having worked with 2 recent clients who happened to use this online platform really helps me to further see the benefits of having an online app to gear up business potentials. 

Here are the recent work for 2 business based on online-app platform ;

PAX

Website content

Bilingual

Jakarta

Bantu2

English Version

Jakarta

Bantu2

Indonesian Version

Jakarta

Both Pax and Bantu2 will serve as a open-ended user experience and it's great to have been a part of the initial progress of these creative businesses. 

Overall, It has been an exciting first few months for Penna Papier, do watch this space for more updates!

Happy 2016

I will start off on a happy note by listing more work that I've managed to accomplish . Time for some portfolio update!

1. Cititrans

Bandung- English 

Proudly owned by a group of young entrepreneurs located in Bandung for shuttle services and one of whom happens to be my brother in law. The website originally was written in Indonesian version and has just currently been upgraded by installing bi-lingual feature in English, which I am very happy to be a part of. 

The content in Bahasa is still in its original form, without revision from Penna Papier. 

2. Bali Travelo

Bali - English

Bali Travelo provides car rental service with professional driver cum tourist guide. The website content is a combination of original writing and re-write from various sources. 

3. Baby Royalty

Jakarta- English

Parenting is definitely in the list of the things that I'm passionate about, so to be approached as the main writer for the parenting blog is sort of a huge deal to me. In essence, Baby Royalty is an SEO blog and is managed carefully by a team of people with the right hearts in it. Overall, I am looking forward to seeing it blossoms further.

4. Motif8 

Medan - English

Another collaboration with maxciti, Motif8 is a solid surface & laminates providers based in Medan and Jakarta. Motif8 web content has been finished since July 2015 but there were some delays which pushed back the website launch date. Regardless, it is now up and running and looks extremely polished and detailed.

There are still several other ongoing projects that I hope to share soon. The second half of 2015 has been a tremendous leap for Penna Papier as it has seen quite a number of writing opportunity. I am quite hopeful of what the future holds for this humble copywriting service. While the deadlines can be very draining, I am more than ready to apply the hardworking spirit into every project that I'm involved in!

Last but not least, wishing everyone a happy 2016! Let's make it a year to remember :)

Updating Portfolio

Since my last portfolio post, I  have worked on Lesssaltdiet website content. It is a bilingual website content which revolves around healthy eating and mayo diet. 

www.lesssaltdiet.com

By chance, I stumbled upon this amazing freelance website called Sribulancer. You can find me there by searching for my ID : pennapapier. 

Since then I have received several writing jobs by direct offers or job applications. Here are some of the finished work :

http://www.viktori-profindo.com/

The challenge of writing for industrial website is the amount of research that has to be done. With hardly any existing information prior, diligence is key in understanding the real process that a company has to offer. This can be quite intimidating, but of course help from clients can make a lot of difference. Asking the right questions and show initiatives also work favorably in giving the most satisfactory results. 

http://bali.mehthesheep.com/

Speaking of challenge, writing travel articles for mehthesheep definitely poses some of its own. With certain standard of writing style, diction, level of research and developing the whole article, it has been quite a highlight of my entire writing experience.  

http://blog.qlapa.com/

Writing in Bahasa article is quite a task that I look forward to conquer. Qlapa is a promising website that will house numerous handmade suppliers and proud local brands, making it the staple of Indonesia homemade website for standard reference. I also learn a lot more about proper Bahasa structure, optimizing keywords and SEO system. 

There are several work that are yet to be published due to the pending launch date of the websites etc. In the mean time, I have also decided to get an Instagram account to display some previous work or those from printing media. Usually, it has minimal writing involved thus making Instagram a more appropriate platform to use. 

Please follow Pennapapier on Instagram. Thank you! 

Stop Mom Shaming

This is definitely one of the most viral pictures circling around the internet. I've seen it early last year, re-edited, shared, liked and etc.

 

Rough translation :

Child : Mom, would you let the maid watch your jewelries/ precious things while you are away?

Mom : Of course not, I don't trust her.

Child : But why would you let her watch me?

*Cue sad music*

*Commence likes/shares/comments, mostly in furious agreement*

While I shouldn't be bothered with "just another viral picture of internet", frankly, it annoys the hell out of me. It is not just because of the fact that I am a working mom, directly making me fall into the evil category of moms who leave their kids with the help, but also because there are too many refutable points in it.

I can understand how one can liken the value of a child to gold BUT there are so many wrong context in that logic that I just have to dissect it once and for all:

1. Logic fail #1 : Gold watching vs kid watching.

Do your piles of gold need to eat 3 times a day?

Do your jewels need polishing at least dozen times a day?

Do they make sound, whine, need comfort?

Do the jewels/gold lie out in the open frolicking on the kitchen floor?

I am pretty confident they don't, unless you're an obsessive person then you might need constant jewel polishing but I digress.

Fact #1 : Your gold/jewel will stay safe hidden under dungeon unsupervised. Your child won't.

A child needs constant care and I mean 24/7 legit watching, even when he/she sleeps, you need to know if that child is breathing okay ( not the entire time but you get the point). That kind of supervision needs to be done by a person, with the workload preferably shared. THUS, the need for extra help – aka nanny/servant/maid/ another actual breathing reliable person.

Conclusion: Don't insinuate your agreement because it is highly likely that you've relied on the help of others.

2. Logic fail #2 : Losing child = losing money

Hey parents, here's an easy question:

“ Would you rather lose your money/gold/jewel than a child?”

Assuming I will get an unanimous “ NOOO!”, then why would you even associate their (lack of) similarity in the first place? 

For example : “ if apple is a fruit and orange is a fruit, then is apple an orange?”. 

Fact #2 : There simply in no direct correlation between a child and gold.

I wouldn't want to lose my belongings, but if situations require it, I'd give it up in a heartbeat for the sake of my children's well being. No question asked.

Conclusion : Don't be so quickly to jump into conclusions.

3.Logic fail #3 : The mom's only answer must be “NO”

Why not “ yes” or “maybe” or why not pose a challenging flow of conversation “ Depends. Why are you asking?”

I am fully aware of the many cases of thieving helps in the house. The thing is, before you leave your child with another person, logically you would have trusted that person enough to do so.

Fact #3: Alternatives of answer from the mom.

Ideally we would all want to have trusted hired helps. Realistically though, sometimes we have to settle for less. However, the rule of the thumb still applies : If he/she is not to be trusted, they have to go. Let alone be entrusted with a kid!

In my case, when I first left Emma to her nanny, I spied on her lol. I sent my sister to watch her. We installed house cams and such. Over time and constant evaluation, I deemed her trustworthy enough to watch my kids, my house and basically everything in it.

Conclusion :Don't assume that all nannies are evil. 

4. Logic fail #4 : The kid had the last words.

Seriously, I would like to meet a mom who would let a kid have the last word lol.

That's right, you listen kid

 

In the convo, it is implied that the mom was not able to answer the kid's question due to, I don't know, shame? Or perhaps, being schooled? 

Moms with the right heart would retaliate, she would answer and get the facts straight. She would make a teaching moment out of it.

Fact #4: Moms always have the last words. Even if we're wrong lol.

Conclusion : Don't buy into the wrong moral of the story.

Okay, end of the list.

Overall, the image is a brainless mom bashing in its full glory. Stop liking or sharing it, because you are not helping anyone with your poor judgment skills. You are only promoting the endless prevalence of mom-judging in the world.

I am certain that all moms have experienced a classic case of guilt. Working moms guilt over lack of presence. SAHMs guilt over lack of certain contributions.

The truth is any mom should be entitled to any number of identity as long as she is responsible in the well being of her children.

You want to be ONLY staying at home moms, help or no help, kudos to you.

You want to be working providing basic necessities, no judgment here.

You want to be working for your own selfish pleasure, GO AHEAD!

Motherhood should be a supportive community, afterall, you are raising kids who might have to work one day and not be around their kids the entire time. So, keep it positive and be wise. 

Portfolio : 1st half of 2015 projects

January to June 2015

The first half of 2015 sees mostly writing maintenance for old clients as well as a few new ones. 

Work tends to be scarce as I am trying to keep a consistent pricing, but I suppose I would prefer Penna Papier to hold a certain standard pricing instead of charging extremely low just for the sake of getting a job. 

This year , I also try to take Penna Papier to branch out from the old system which is working with website designers to getting work from online opportunities. It has been quite a venture although many companies/ employers do not prefer to commission a freelancer. Location is also a huge problem as Penna Papier has always been limited to being an online service seeing that I am based in Medan. 

Regardless, I have high hopes that with good credibility and persistence, Penna Papier is just seeing the tip of online copywriting business.

Anyway, I'll get to it!

One of the first projects this year is writing a short script for STC Indonesia which serves a warm welcome greeting to its clients in the new year of 2015. 

The idea of it is to keep it short and enthusiastic, as displayed in below video.

I also had a pleasant opportunity to work with a website designer for the first time from Kuliner Medan in Sentra Grosir Medan website content writing

Sentra Grosir Medan - Medan - Bilingual

Another writing for an old client, invitation for an organized event as pictured below. ( Click to enlarge)

Adding a new client to the list is "Olagafood Industri".  For its international exhibition debut, client requested a short profile and product writings in brochure platform. 

Writing is kept to minimal and easy to grasp with attractive design ( courtesy of maxciti )

Note : Click to enlarge.

Will update soon for some undergoing work that is yet to be published!

More Birthdays Ensued

It seems like this space has becoming a place for birthdays recollection!

Since the last post, 2 more birthdays happened : mine and Avy's.

I'll skip mine and jot down straight to my favorite 1 year old in the whole wide world.

I have always wanted Avy to stay little, because it looks like she's it for us- as in she's the last child I am going to have, probably EVER.

But how she's grown!

I will never forget how she smiled SOCIALLY when she's around 5-6 weeks old. It WAS a big deal because of all the theories on how babies don't really show facial expression or interaction gesture unless it's above 7-8 weeks old ( It's just gas), but true to form she did smile to us haha.

I suppose all mothers boast on how great their babies are, but I try not to succumb to that thinking and put my realistic fronts on how basically average most babies are. However, I do think that Avy is a little smart girl in a making.

She's so quick to respond and to say she's a quick learner, would be an understatement! She's very equipped emotionally as well, showing off temper and flashing smiles here and there.

Physically, I guess she's on the average list - but verbally and mentally, she's shot off the roof haha. I should be embarrassed but she is a little advanced sweetheart , so I am not sorry afterall!

So I've said this and I'll say this again, please stay little Avy.

Welcome to the toddler club, love.  

Emma turns 3.

I know absolutely nothing about a 3 year old. 

True, I also didn't know a lot about a baby or a toddler aged 1-2 before, but somehow there's a notion that toddlers below 3 is a more familiar territory. They are basically little humans that need to be fed, cleaned after, taught and etc while they just go along.

But a 3 year old?  Their communication skills are better, as are their social skills. They can scheme, plot or form an opinion based on their logic. They have a sense of their identity. A 3 year old is basically a real human being now, lol.

As far as I can tell from Emma, she's more and more emotionally evolved as she exhibits her preferences, inquisitions and temperament. Physically, she's becoming more independent and needing less help now. She is also chattier than she was before and she can get a little mischievous too.

It's not like an overnight change though, but these past few weeks as she's approaching 3, Emma has indeed grown a lot. No longer a toddler. 

Personally, I don't feel saddened that she's not a little baby anymore. Probably because there is still her baby sister that I can play with and also because I have long accepted that it's inevitable, so why get all sentimental. 

The thing about kids growing up is that you lose sight of what matters. It has always been the case for me, especially when you deal with them daily and you begin to form a habit, unaware of its consequences.

Which is why, I am making a list of what I/ Emma should do now that she's 3:

For me :

- Offer her to dress herself. Maybe she has never been given the option to do it herself, it always seems that she's always waiting to be dressed.

- Reinforcing the importance of tidying up after an activity. You know, pick your pillow up, clean up after your toy, etc.

- Correct her mixed language when talking. I have to correct myself too!

- Establishes a healthy and loving relationship with her. She can be very testing sometimes, and I can be quite short-fused. The combination is not pretty.  

- Encourage her social skills. 

- Encourage kindness. 

 For Emma:

- Greet people when prompted. As opposed to being reluctant. 

- Compliance to schedule. 

- Just generally aware and cooperative to a simple sentence/request.

I hope it's not too ambitious a list as that is all I can think of. Fingers crossed!

Happy 3 year old Emma. We love you!

Random Notes

There is something almost condemnable in a person who talks too much about him/herself. But here's a random thought, what about a person who never talks about him/herself? Not that he/she is quiet, it's just that their personal matters are somehow never  become any topic of a conversation yet the other person has divulged of his/her stuff. 

In a healthy communication, I would say that people who tend to conceal/suppress their personal matter is just as bad, if not worse, than those who are self centered. It is not a matter of airing your dirty laundry, but rather a matter of sharing the mutual respect and having the same level of trust and comfort. 

That being said, relationship of any kind can only grow if there is a sense of reciprocation ( among many other things).

On another random note, I am becoming more and more aware of how certain medical terms that we so easily throw around in our daily life are actually considered a real offense to those who suffer from them. 

For example, we say "depressed" and I use the sentence " I'm gonna go have a suicide" a lot haha. While in reality, there are severely depressed people or real families battling suicide effects etc. I guess when there is no immediate effect, we just can't see how bad it is too actually say all those things. 

That being said though, I am so used to saying those terms that I am not very confident in turning things around lol. I will try to be more sensitive when it comes to a new peer though, cause you'll never know. 

Case in point is this book is shown in this book I am currently reading. It is about OCD and how life threatening it can be. 

I just think that people should really stop claiming that they have OCD because real OCD sufferers would rather people not know that they have such conditions rather than proudly saying that they do! 

It is really annoying and not cute when someone goes and says " OMG I have such a case of OCD, look at how I have to line up all my nail colors". Just no.

On a personal note, we have returned from our first family trip in 2015!

Traveling with a toddler and a baby really shouldn't be considered a leisure activity at all. The whatever small amount of energy I had before going was significantly depleted by the end of the trip. But for what it's worth, I do feel that it's a good distraction to my relatively dull and boring usual activity back home.

Well, that and seeing how the kids are having a great time actually can be well worth it after all!

2014

The year of Avy


This whole year has pretty much been about baby A, having her as a new addition means plenty of adjustments. Sleeping arrangements, an additional full time helper, financial changes and all kinds of differences that contribute to accommodating a new baby. 

It still baffles me to think about how she's grown from a wrinkly tiny human into a grumpy looking little boy and now, into a pretty looking little baby girl. Well, at least to us she's the prettiest baby - parent's prerogative.

She's 9 months old , super active and just MAJOR love :)

 

For 2015:
When you have a kid, you don't really wish for much. Just that they are well and happy!
 
Also, the year of Emma.

In retrospect, I think 2014 has been quite a drastic year for Emma. From taking a role of a big sister, sharing love and attention, getting a change of nanny and being slowly thrusted into a more academical studying at school, it is a wonder she's made the "terrible two" phase so easy for us.


The problem with all of it is probably that she's still very spoilt and is very "crybaby" about her needs and demands. Something that I definitely have to work on in the future!

Emma will be 3 years old in 2015. Is there such thing as "terrible three"?

For 2015:
Emma is looking ahead to a year of even heavier academic learning now that I've decided for her to skip nursery class and put her in Kindergarten. As I'm writing this I can already foresee the headache we BOTH are going to face. Aside from the well and happy wishes, I really hope she will cope well with school activities. Jia You Emma!

Writing. 

Set up this blog. Organized the portfolio. Took in a bit writing jobs here and there, but not as many as last year. 

For 2015:
Not much really. As much as I want a steady flow of writing jobs, I must admit that this kind of stuff is unavoidable in writing scenes, especially since I don't really put a lot of effort in putting myself out there. You got some or you don't and I guess it is fine with me as long as the outcome is satisfactory for the clients.

Lost Weight


I don't know why but second time around after the baby, losing weight seems to be so much easier!

Not saying that I'm already at my ideal weight, but this is the thinnest I've been for a while. It might seem unimportant but I'm very happy about it nonetheless haha.

One thing that I want to stress is, it is really one of time where I really do not care about what I eat and yet I don't feel as fat. It is very liberating and I'm loving it!



For 2015:
As always, 3 kgs off of current weight #mantra.

Lack of holidays

Not that we holidayed a lot in the past but there is a decrease in it now that we have a baby in her first year. Budget is definitely the main priority and many other issues such as the headache of it all- sort of making me a bit reluctant in taking holidays.

Which is why, we chose Bandung this year for a mid year break. It's like we have a house there now that we have an extended family there haha.

As for end of year holiday, with everywhere being crazily expensive, crowded and so not baby friendly, we settled for Prapat Tuk-tuk and probably a quick night in for the new year's eve!

 

For 2015:
Had 3 itineraries lined up for now but I'm really looking forward for an extra trip for just the two of us ( me & Hai). If anyone deserves a break, it is him for being the superdad that he is and the most loving husband to a super difficult person that I am.

Well, 2014 has been okay. Here's to an even better 2015, may it be our best year yet :)

Over Exhausted Musics

Today I'm gonna write something that's a bit different from topics in the past, but is definitely not something new to me or anyone for that matter : MUSICS!

My musics habit would be :

- I heard a track I love, I will track down his/her whole album for a listen.

- If I like it, I would listen to probably 3-4 times max. 

- But, if I LOVE it, I would listen to it to a point of exhaustion. Over exhaustion. 

So, here's a list of the albums I have definitely exhausted during 2014 :

1.

 

A part time model, songwriter, lyrical genius and a controversy; her follow up album is a treat after a 2- year wait from Born to Die (2012). Unlike her 1st work that boasted a range of musics genre from hip hop to pop ballad, Ultraviolence persists of a certain aura of somberness that fits her vocal tone perfectly. 

Lyric-wise, I still prefer the previous album but any lyric from Lana still beat the vapid monotonous ones nowadays. Not ashamed to say, I definitely re-listened to her 1st album along with this one back to back for too many times. 

2.

Released in October 2013, this is their 1st album and I didn't get to listen to it until a year after. I loved Falling from radio, but dismissed them upon seeing their hippie eerie MV, not that there's anything wrong with hippie! My "better late than never" has bloomed into a full blown Haimsbians situation with an achingly major girl crush on the main girl.

There isn't an exact word to categorize their musics, even the Haims themselves struggle to pinpoint their genre, but let me just say falling in love with Haim consists of multiple levels. 

1st you can't get enough of their album, so you go to their Vevo page and repeat play all their MVs until you quickly stumble into clips of their live performances and you're a Haimsbian for life.

3.

 

Ah the Brits! Aluna and George, the electric pop duo made it big around 2013 with their album Body Music but I actually first listened to their current remixed version (2014). Soon as I begin on a hunt for the original version, comes enormous appreciation for their true sounds and this says a lot because remixed versions are supposed to elevate the original ones aren't they.

What struck out most from this album to me is the silky voice of Aluna and the detailed instrumental arrangement. Their work reminds me a lot of Late Night Almuni and I cannot get enough of them. There isn't a bad track, maybe one or two average one, but overall this album deserves to be on repeat for at least another dozen spins. 

4.

The realest - Iggy A- has just totally resurrected my love for R&B at the same time corrected all the bad things Nicky Minaj has done to it in the past lol. The distinct way she raps is probably the best thing about her imo. That and basically everything about her. 

5.

Well, because who hasn't listened to this at least 20 times.

6.

I don't know who these guys are but there were always an endless hype about how this is the best album of 2014, so I was pretty skeptical but it deserves every bit of the rave. This album draws heavily on rock blues, not something I used to and I won't begin to try to explain the heavenliness of  their musics. 

Right off the first track, you are treated with beautiful instrumentation intro followed with solid finish. This goes for all the tracks in the whole album.

7.

 

There is something about a band that grows along with you and this sentiment goes to explain how special Maliq & D'essentials is to me. I should have outgrown them by now if they have always opted for the same generic musics, but they are consistent and ever evolving making every refinement in each album impossible to miss. 

8. 

 

Beyonce fans rejoice, Self-titled Platinum edition adds remixes and new songs including a personal Ring Off  that is an instant love, along with her adorable 7/11 selfie MV. Looks like I have to re-listen to the whole thing again!