It’s a great honor for me to receieve an Inspiring Woman Award 2012 (Editor’s Choice) from Tabloid Nova with 15 other inspiring women from all over Indonesia.

For the awarding night, we were gathered for 2 days and following a lot of exciting events by Tabloid Nova and the sponsors. There’s business seminar, make-up tutorial, beauty and body care seminar, spa, makeover, and shopping!

But the most important thing is to be able to know personally, all these inspiring ladies, and take lessons from them.

One of the most inspiring must be Mrs. Saidah from Buton, southeast part of Sulawesi. She’s a seaweed farmer but also environment activist. She captured and bring to Police more than 15 people doing sea bombing (for fishing) in her village. You heard me right. Like a superhero, she would run to the sea to get her boat whenever she heard an explosion. Once, she found out that the bomber is her own family, and she punched him immediately. LOL. Girl power!!

I asked her, “How did you catch them??” I mean, she’s a petite lady. I can’t imagine her fighting or anything like that. “You row your boat towards them and you smile wide, to trick them. When you close enough, take all of their fish and go to Police station, giving out their name.”

She really did work smart!

All my friends in Nova really impressed me. They did various things they believe they should do. Their own cause. Mbak Lili teach me about teaching itself, about how art heals everything, about patient, about love (she teach art as a therapy for children with autism or down syndrome). Ina teach me about compassion and being brave (she helped children with cancer). Dinda teach me about the power of feeling good by looking good (she teach women with cancer to do makeup and be pretty).

I can’t name them one by one, but all these inspiring women have similarities: they know what they want to do and they act on it. They’re strong, they have their own opinion and they’re a woman. Who cried when parted with the new Nova family. Thanks a lot @TabloidNova  for everything.

Til we meet again ladies.