Hi! Now that you made your way here I think you already figured it out that I am the artist behind Amreta's Graphic Corner :o)

My name is Amreta ~ taken from the ancient Sanskrit meaning "the water of life".

I was born on 12 April 1973, a Thursday child and the eldest of three girls :o)

Here, I live and work in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia ~ 600 km away from my hometown Yogyakarta, which is a cultural and historical town, one of the most popular tourist destinations in Indonesia (where you can find the famous Borobudur temple).

My mom Samich, and my youngest sister Nataya live in our old house in Yogyakarta. While my other little sister Anindita and her husband Jimmy live in Stuttgart, Germany. My father Fadjar Sidik passed away on 18 January 2004. I still terribly miss him!

I first moved to Jakarta in 1992 to study at the University of Indonesia, faculty of cultural studies, majoring in French. I spoke the language after spending 1 year in France in 1990-1991, as an exchange student with AFS International. I was hosted by the Picots, and stayed for a year with the family in their lovely home in Lunéville, Eastern part of France, about 120 km from the German border. Now I've been back there twice. So many things changed, but they stay 'my French family'. It's nice to know that somehow whenever I'm in France, there's a place for me to 'go home' :o)

Another reason why I went to the University of Indonesia in Jakarta, it's that they have a university orchestra. In October 1992, I joined the orchestra. Now I still practice with some members of the orchestra every Saturday. I also went back to music school and played in another orchestra for awhile. My violin has been my 'best friend' for years :o) 

I had the chance to go to Sweden for the first time in 2002 and I love the country! :o) About one year before my trip to Sweden (which was also a trip 'home' to France), I stumbled upon travel & adventure books and internet sites, got myself in contact with inspiring traveling people, and suddenly I yearned for traveling and began to plan imaginary trips - adventures in the french vineyards, a walk and culinary trip in rustic villages of France... I was overwhelmed with joy when eventually all these dreams came true!

I got a computer as gift from my father and created my first personal site in 1999. Since that I have 'met' so many nice people over the internet, from many parts of the world. I also have met several of my internet friends in person, what a nice chance! I met Annette in Göteborg, went with Helena to Birka, and visited Nanne in Södertälje. In year 2000 I was tempted to make my own country graphics. It instantly became my favorite hobby! It wasn't easy at the beginning, but the fun with all the trials-and-errors continues until now :o)

Talking about my daily life, I live at my aunt's house, where also live my four cousins. My aunt has turned the terrace of the house into a small restaurant serving chicken noodle and rice, and I really love it in the morning when my aunt, her eldest son, and the cooks are busy preparing the food, and my other cousins and I are getting ready for work and school. Such a joyful 'chaos' :-) It's a long way to and from work every day, but I'm so glad that the new public transport in Jakarta (the busway, we call it) has made the commute easier, and they use hybrid busses, more environmentally friendly! Passing by some different parts of the city, I never thought it could be an adventure, but now I do...and going to and from work, with the busway and some walks in between stops, becomes an interesting experience, lots to see and lots to discover. Thanks to these travel books I read...the author Marcel Proust was right, the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new places, but in seeing with new eyes.

So I'm convinced that life is a trip, and I wish to have a wonderful journey! ;o)

Jakarta, January 2008