Welcome to a compilation of reflections and writings — mine, my friends’, and perhaps yours too. If you’d like to contribute, email your work with the subject “For Sticks and Stones” to iyas@maknagroup.com.
Enjoy the read.
sticks and stones
The Biggest Regret on My Honeymoon
On our long-awaited honeymoon to Japan, my only true regret wasn’t the cold, the crowds, or even the costs.
The Urge of a Purpose
Pendidikan tinggi bukan sekadar jalan menuju kerja, melainkan latihan berpikir sistematis demi kontribusi yang membuat hidup sesama tak semakin sulit.
The Words I Could Never Say Out Loud
It took me 26 years to realize that the love I was trying so hard to earn was the one thing you had been giving me unconditionally all along.
Dua Belas Tahun, dan Kita Masih Bertanya: Untuk Apa?
Tentang dua belas tahun duduk di bangku sekolah. Tentang pagi yang selalu dimulai dengan tas di punggung, buku ditata rapi, pensil dirapikan, bukan karena cinta pada keteraturan, tetapi karena takut kehilangan.
Tor Monitor Ketua, Anggota mau lapor ketua.
Dalam kepemimpinan, kata-kata yang menyenangkan sering kali lebih berbahaya daripada kebenaran yang pahit.
Learning How to Live Again at 24
I was the one in the chair, but my mother carried the aftermath. Survival is never a solo act, even when the praise is.
Tahun yang hambar.
Menurutku 2025 Seperti nasi putih: murah, sederhana, sering diremehkan, tapi menyelamatkan
Doomscrolling Our Way to the Belle Époque
In an age of endless scrolling and constant dread, the past feels safer. Not because it was better, but because it’s already finished.
A Week Late, Three Weeks Lost, and Somehow Still Trying
Book update: I thought you’d be interested.
In Indonesia: Innocent until Proven Guilty ❎ Guilty until Proven Innocent ✅
On 18 November 2025, the DPR officially legalized the revised Criminal Procedure Code (KUHAP)
Pahlawan Soeharto: Militerisme, Close Friends dan Rekayasa Stabilitas
Satu perjalanan membaca enam buku untuk memahami bagaimana Soeharto menjadi simbol stabilitas sekaligus sumber trauma nasional.
Learnings From Bukele
Lately, I’ve been deeply interested in Nayib Bukele’s leadership, particularly his aggressive crackdown on gang violence in El Salvador.
You're not left behind, you’re going at your own pace.
Welcoming the new year with intrusive thoughts about self doubt.
