How did someone as academic as Didit meet someone who's as ambitious as Shinta? You guessed it, at the University ..and internship.

It's hard to tell which moments led to them being close. Maybe it was the time when Didit was the enthusiastic student who kept asking hard questions to Shinta, his Teaching Assistant? Or maybe, it was when they spent 3 months during an internship (with 37 other people)? Or when Shinta came to Didit's thesis presentation and took a note for him?

Regardless, these small moments cultivate Shinta and Didit's respect for one another.

Apparently, Shinta taking a note on Didit’s behalf left a big impression on Didit’s mind. So much so that six months later, out of nowhere, Didit mustered up the courage to confess his feelings about Shinta. On Twitter. Without even meeting each other since COVID began. It’s so impulsive that Shinta thought Didit’s Twitter account was hacked. But no, it was real. As real as it could be.

They then decided to meet up in Bandung. It was nice. They had sushi, donuts, and a two-hour long discussion on why God created humans and the essence of life. And finally, like his confession, Didit dropped another impulsive question: “Do you want to make it official?”

Shinta, just as impulsively, replied: “Ok.”

Unconventionally, Shinta and Didit PDKT’ed (approached? idk) after officially dating.

They spent their free time roaming the lovely city of Jakarta (on car, on foot, and on public transport) while getting to know each other again. They learned to adapt to this new relationship that they had. What was initially just fellow students sharing the same internship and student club, became a BF-GF couple overnight.

They started to see the true personality behind the facade. Shinta learned that Didit has hobbies other than programming all day, which was unimaginable to her. Also, Didit learned that Shinta is REALLY into ice cream. Seriously, like REALLY.

The more they know each other, the more they are convinced that they are tailored for one another.

Like any academically-inclined couple, Shinta and Didit had a dream of studying abroad. For Shinta, what’s important is to study in a top-tier global university in the same city as Didit. For Didit, anything is fine as long as it’s cyber security.

After a one-year process of finding the right University and applying for scholarships, they eventually departed for Melbourne. Same scholarship, same university, and same faculty.

Their life in Melbourne was fun and exciting. Except for when they were on vacation, Shinta was extremely anxious about encountering a real-life Australian snake. Or when they needed to have a takeaway but Shinta was too awkward to ask for a takeout box.

Fortunately, Didit was always on Shinta’s side. He was always on patrol 24/7 to look for the intimidating “VENOMOUS SNAKE” sign, and alerted Shinta if necessary. He also became Shinta’s personal Indonesian-to-Aussie-English translator to help her adjust to Melburnian life.

In return, Shinta became Didit’s personal chef; cooking delicious home-cooked meals for two so they can save up their allowance to explore the city.

2025 was the year of change for this couple. A year of happiness, sadness, excitement, and exhaustion.

In the early months, Shinta and Didit had to deal with the sadness of leaving Melbourne, a city they called home for the past two years. Not only that, but they had to say goodbye to their good friends, their dorms, and their scooters in which they roamed the city on.

Amidst that sadness, a few weeks away from boarding the final flight back to Indonesia, Didit prepared something special for Shinta. A proposal. Witnessed by a school of Melburnian fishes, Didit got down on one knee with a ring prepared on his hand, asking Shinta to marry him. It was a beautiful moment that alleviated some of their sadness.

Upon their return back to Indonesia, their routines changed drastically. They no longer live the life of a penniless international student, but rather a fully-functioning adult who hustled and bustled in a big city. Assignments, group works, and roaming the city in Teletubbies-like scooters were now going to the gym, commuting with Ojols, and inhaling the thick Jakartan smoke. Their free time became brainstorming sessions and meetings with wedding vendors.

It’s in those hectic moments they learned that everything, no matter how exhausting, is fun as long as they have each other’s company.

Didit’s intention to marry Shinta became solidified when he brought his family to Bali to meet with Shinta’s family.

In front of both Shinta’s and Didit’s families, but without the presence of the Melburnian fishes, Didit asked Shinta one of the most important questions in both their lives. Unimpulsively but nervously, he asked:

“So, do you wanna make it official?”

Shinta replied, using more than one word this time:

“Yes, I wanna make it official.”

Coming soon - 20 December 2025. You don't want to miss it.