Assalamualaikum warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh..
A very good morning, everyone!
Are you ready to walk?
Let’s do it!
It was one fine morning, one fine day in Jakarta. October has always been nice and balmy, and that day, October 19th, was a perfect day for our PINKTOBER walk!
We gathered in our meeting point, Sampoerna Kayoe, starting at 8.30 AM Jakarta time. I was running a bit late, as I was joining Indonesia in Pink, also celebrating breast cancer awareness, which started earlier, at 6 AM. Yet I met our friends, Jakarta Local Guides and beyond, at around 8.45. We waited for some more people coming, and decided to start the program at 9 AM.
Together with my dear co-host, Radja @radjasitanggang we opened the walked by welcoming and thanking everyone for joining.
PINKTOBER is an annual event that I have been hosting for sometimes. No matter where I stay or live, October has been a special moment for me personally. After being diagnosed with breast cancer in July 2014, I joined the global movement to raise awareness about breast cancer Afterwards. Be it by joining a stride or a walk, sharing my journeys as breast cancer warrior and writing about my experiences in fighting breast cancer in my blog and my social media channels, and organize virtual, in-persons as well as hybrid meet-ups with Local Guides and more. I feel like this is something useful I can contribute to others pink warriors and those whose lives have been touched by cancer.
So we walked for a good 45 to 60 minutes in Sudirman area. We happened to have Car Free Day as well so the walk has been pleasant. A healthy exercise for a good cause, I say. I also invited my big family from Aotearoa New Zealand, those who share the time of my assignment there. Some of them are Local Guides already, some of them just joined the program. So this walk was quite a momentum to introduce Local Guides program and recruit new ones.
By the time we reached FX Sudirman, the final spot, we met more Jakarta Local Guides joining us. Then we got some food and drinks as we settled near the softball field in Senayan and had a little picnic.
While enjoying our food, we discussed about Google Maps, Local Guides and breast cancer awareness. I shared my list in Google Maps for places where we can get treatments, help and support as breast cancer patients. We can also put more details on our reviews related to the hospitals, clinics, labs, and foundations or places which support breast cancer patients and families.
As we also had Beatable Series meet-up just a couple days before the walk, hosted by Doc_Dells @doc_dells with me as one of the guest speakers, we also discussed some important information about breast cancer.
Then finally, the moment that we all had been waiting for. The announcement for the best dressed participants ,- a lady and a gentleman, as well as the quizzes. I have prepared ‘pink’ refreshment (cookies and drinks in pink & purple packagings) as well as pink gifts for the winners of our quizzes.
As Radja, the quiz king, started the session, we all had fun answering questions like who knows some of the symptoms of breast cancer; who can mention some names of the Googlers you usually see in Connect and more.
Hands were raising up, people were excitedly answering the questions and we got winners! Congratulations to Devi @ddimitra and Jenatan @jenatans for winning best - dressed participants and Rahmat @RahmatHarmanP , Dwi @dwiapril , @Doc_Dells , @RiaLyzara and more, for answering the quizzes correctly.
After photos and videos, thanks to Jenatan and his cool smart phones (many of the photos were taken by Jenatan!), we ended the gathering.
Thank you so much for those joining our walk. Hope we can see you on the next one. Meanwhile, stay happy and stay healthy wherever you are! And happy contributing..
Wassalammualaikum warrahmatullahi wabarakatuh.
