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resenter Choky Sitohang and his wife Melissa Aryani are expecting their first baby, due in March, after tying the knot in June last year. Choky gained fame after hosting a TV show, Take Me out Indonesia, a spin-off from FremantleMedia’s Take Me Out. He currently hosts a musical quiz show, Happy Song, on the same television station, Indosiar.

When I was single, I had a lot of hobbies for whenever there was free time. Usually, I played basketball, but I got injured five years ago. That is why I am using a walking stick, because I just had a surgery on my right knee a month ago.

I like going to the gym, watching movies, listening to music and reading when I have leisure time.

My wife and I share common taste when it comes to eating and watching movies. We like watching action movies and trying to avoid horror movies because they don’t give much benefit to us.

Both of us are food lovers and we often look for the next delicious food together. We eat so many kinds of food, but sometimes we get stuck on the same one — sushi.

After getting married, I can still have the same hobbies, but I have to make some new priorities as a married man. There is no doubt that I have to cut down the time I spend on my hobbies, but that’s a consequence. It’s a price I am willing to pay for the precious time with my wife and the baby in her womb.

In addition, I want to have my wife involved in my activities as much as possible. I always discuss my work schedule with her, so we can still find time to be together. I expect feedback from her about my schedule because we believe we are a team.

My manager gives me a day off every week, but there are times when we are very busy. Despite the hectic schedule, I always try to spend time with my wife.

However, there were times when I worked on five different TV programs all together and I did not have any holiday for six months!

So, I brought her to the shooting locations. When I had a little time, we could chat. I sent her back home at the right time, usually before the shooting was over. Sometimes I stayed on location until 3 a.m., so it was impossible for her to stay that long.

We also try to arrange time if I have to work outside the city and leave her alone at home. If I have to visit two different cities in two consecutive days, I will try to commute between one of the cities and Jakarta. We hope the events finish in the afternoon, so I can be home on the same day.

Last time, I went to Medan in North Sumatra. I flew to Jakarta in the afternoon before going to Semarang (Central Java) the next day. I could still spend time with my wife although it was only one night.

My wife and I always pray together in the morning. That’s the key to our harmony. We put God as the first priority, then our family and work as the second and third. There is no way we will change the order.

— As told to Indah Setiawati