A Tulisan Woman: Amalla Vesta
Always arriving with a colorful burst of clothing, Amalla Vesta has a charm of her own. She is tall and lean and carries a clean cut jaw-length haircut, “Oh yes, I was once a model,” she affirmed as I ask, “During those days before I decided to do something noble and take engineering,” she continues to laugh it off knowing her work these days has nothing to do her previous college pursuits.
These days, Vesta, as she familiarly introduces herself, is never set in one place. She has a love for adventure and has established her own independent travel consultant she names Swanky Traveler to answer her calling to place traveling as one of her priorities. Her ideals of travel are not only for discovery, but to incorporate her other excitement for fashion. She ploughs her day with certainty and careful consideration of exploring while having options to always look proper.
The Tulisan team spent a day following the always prepared and avid Tulisan follower, Amalla Vesta.
11:30 – Meet up Mojo Restaurant Senopati
Our social media strategist Gabriela Bhaskar contacted Vesta, where she asked us to meet her at Mojo Restaurant. Being the active women she is, we arrived at the restaurant when she was still finalizing a meeting with executives of a Bali resort. As we waited at a table across her, we saw her in her casual attire and comfortable white sneakers, delivering the meeting with a burst of laughter every now and then. The encounter seemed casual while she seemed to present an air of authority as she sat between two men who gave her full attention of the meeting.
She took a quick glance at us, said her hello, and told us to wait a few minutes before we were off to our next location.
13.30 – Make-up at Laris Love Salon
As soon as she was done with her meeting, we joined her as she drove to Laris Love Salon to get her make-up done. “I have been going here for years, they do pretty good make-up, plus the price is reasonable compared to other Salons.” The place was crowded with guests and staff swarming around each corner. In fact you can see a row of awards on the shelves, which we weren’t sure whether it answered to the popularity of the place.
She sat down prepared to be glammed while exchanging a number of friendly conversations with the varying personalities prepared to dress for the interview.
15:00 – Interview with O Channel TV Station
As she drove us to Senayan towards the TV station, she wore a purple jumpsuit combined with a yellow stone necklaces and green heels. A colorful mix which was just enough to make her look pleasant and not over the top. She always has to have options of clothing style. Traveling by backpack will never be her option. “It probably is my weakness, but better be prepared with the right style than set with only three pieces of clothing,” she mentions as she answers her phone every now and then, preparing her rest of the day.
The staff at O Channel greeted us. While we waited we briefly talked about her traveling experience and how she always makes sure she tastes the food of the country she is – her guiltiest pleasure is to enjoy a fine dining experience. On set, Vesta is a natural, as soon as the camera starts to roll, she poises with ease explaining her best traveling experience in both inside and outside of Indonesia. When in Japan, she mentioned her choices of choosing to travel to smaller cities, where she can completely engulf in the foreign culture. In Indonesia, one of her favorite choice would be the lushness of Raja Ampat Island.
17:30 – Launching of Pandu.me at Kosenda Hotel
Before last scheduled event, she already changed to a white top and flared black pants, where we met her mother in Plaza Senayan to exchange the car and have a driver drive her to her next location which lies further away at the centre of the city.
At Kosenda hotel, we arrived to the launching of an app in relations to traveling. She briefly chatted with a few other travel bloggers, a few times, she talks with a few familiar personalities – she has established a rounded network for the work she enjoys doing – she has even maintained a good relationship with the director of the ministry of tourism. “In 2012, I worked closely with the ministry of tourism and creative economy to manage a tourism campaign by inviting renowned bloggers around the world to travel to key travel destinations in Indonesia.”
Before we bid her goodbye and run our own errands, I asked her what she expects to do next? “I wish to closely work with the ministry in hopes to be a country ambassador to Indonesia.”
– Athina Ibrahim
Photography Gabriela Bhaskar