With UFM 947 Radio Host Arif Tirtosudiro.

I’ve always dreamed of being published, yes, but I haven’t had the chance to dream of being on air.

Nevertheless, the opportunity came along for me to talk about my book on UFM 947 radio, a Jakarta-based radio for mothers (yes, their target market is 25 to 35-year-old women, most of them moms), and I had so much fun talking on it.

Honestly, I prepared next to zero. My book’s publisher’s marketing department contacted me and asked whether I’d be in Jakarta on July 27th. I said yes. They said that they had a slot to talk on a radio, interested? I said yes. They told me the time and place, and that the topic would be ‘about the book and the author’.

Still, I have no idea who the host would be, what questions would be asked, nor the tone of the talkshow. Since I knew nothing, I decided it would be better to just do nothing. I reread some of my published articles in regards to the book, jotted down some points I’d possibly talk about, and went to sleep.

But when I walked into that studio the next day I realised that I didn’t need to prepare a thing.

The radio host has masterfully prepared the segment to be as smooth sailing as possible. If you listen to the talk, you’ll realise how much effort he has put into researching this book—he read the book from cover to cover, picked the juiciest bits to talk with me about, created a storyline for the 60-minute segment—complete with the jokes and filler, stalked my blog to get some more information, and was able to make me at ease throughout the talk.

Really, I couldn’t have asked for a better host.

(And I’ve learned a great deal of interviewing skills. Compared to him, my past interviews look like child’s play.)

Anyway, here’s a recording of the talkshow. Now that I’m listening back to the recording, it’s true that it’s always worse in your head than in reality. I remember stumbling for words and being a little incoherent, but it didn’t show that much on the recording. (I think.) (I hope.)

And I’m feeling very, very blessed. Being able to talk about my book, my family, and the lessons I’ve learned along the way to a totally different kind of audience, in a medium I’ve yet to venture on, really amazes me.

For my international readers: I’m sorry, but the talk is in Indonesian. I’ll let you know if there’s any international radio host that wants to invite me to talk with them. Ha.

But for my Indonesian friends (or those who understand Indonesians), you currently have the chance to tear apart my Indonesian. Aren’t you at least a little bit curious on how I sound talking in Indonesian? My last time talking (somewhat) formally in Indonesian was in high school, eight years back. I’m actually still amazed that I can pull this off.

Happy listening!

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Ps. This talk, apart from the introduction, is recorded from my phone in the studio. Thus, there’s no background music whatsoever (that actually exists if you listen the talk through the radio). But I quite like this version. It feels more like a podcast that way.