Page 4 - Inzist Special Edition

KICK

OFF

We arrived in Wellington on 12 April 2017 to a breezy and fairly chilled evening in this charming little
capital city. Unbeknownst to us at the time, this city and country will be our home for almost five
years during which memories are made, moments are cherished, and friends we have come to
know will be out of sight but definitely will never be out of mind.

In this windy city, we have been blown away by the warm embrace extended by the locals as well as
fellow Indonesians who have spent many years down here and call New Zealand their second home.
Their warmth, hospitality, and enthusiasm have propelled our spirits and lightened up our moods
especially during one of those gloomy winter days.

As a first time and a non-career ambassador, I was particularly honored and to some extent,
amazed, to be able to present a credential letter to the then Governor-General, Dame Patsy Reddy,
only a week following my arrival on 19 April 2017. The relatively immediate nature of that occasion to
take place was a major boost to get the ball rolling instantaneously.

I then had the absolute honor to present a credential letter to the O le Ao o le Malo of Samoa, H.E. Yul
Atua Tupua Tamase Efi, on 27 April 2017 in April and later that year to the King of Tonga, His Majesty
Tupou VI, on 16 November 2017 in Nuku’alofa. To be able to visit the two enchanting cities and meet
communities there is one for the ages for me.

In retrospect, kicking off my tenure was by no means an easy feat, just like every beginning when
you embark on a new undertaking in life. Fortunately, the process was made manageable thanks to
the generous support by the wonderful people around me for which I am profoundly grateful.