(JP/Indah Setiawati)Nadine Alexandra Dewi Ames, the winner of the Puteri Indonesia 2010 beauty pageant, has just finished the shooting of her latest film Loe Gue End (You, Me, Finished), which is adapted from a novel of the same title by author Zara Zettira.

She is now enjoying living by herself in her house in South Jakarta.

The 21-year-old says she is glad to be back to a busy working life after being in a hiatus for a while to refresh from her hectic year as Puteri Indonesia.

Next year, she will go to the Philippines to study film in the International Academy of Film and Television at its campus on Mactan Island in Cebu, Philippines.

“I chose to study film in the Philippines because the one-year course gives many opportunities to practice. We will make a film in every assignment and get hands-on experience of all the tools.

My passion for filmmaking grew after I was involved in a group assignment to make an indie film when I was in high school in England. Even though I was involved as a cast member, most of the ideas, such as the setting, came from me.

I am grateful to be busy again after taking a break for some time. It was a real hiatus time for me.

I was like a polar bear that disappeared to get some hibernation. I call that a recovery and recharging time when I just did nothing and it was nice.

During my period as Puteri Indonesia, I was under a lot of mental pressure. I had to complete a schedule almost every day. If there was no event to attend, then I would prepare myself for the Miss Universe pageant competition.

After my duty was over, I decided not to open the next chapter in a hurry because I was still tired and I missed my parents.

During the hiatus, I just lived a normal life and got in touch with my friends again. Now, I am ready to follow my dream. I am excited to work and meet many people in my workplace. I think all of us need to find a balance. We need to take the time to find ourselves.

When I have some free time, I like to relax. I recently went to Bali for three days. It was a short time, but I had fun. When I am in Jakarta, I usually play with my dog. She’s a six-month-old pitbull and I love her. My friend gave her to me and I fell promptly in love with her. Some people stereotype pitbulls as mean dogs. That is not true. Dogs are like people, if we treat them badly, they will be bad.

I think my pitbull understands me. She will follow me when I get up to go to the kitchen. When I go to the bathroom, she will follow me, sit and watch me. She is my companion who is always by my side. When she was sick, I was beside her until 4 a.m. I was very worried about her condition.

When I was small, I had a cat. I like cats because they are independent. You know, they only come back to us when they need to eat. However, sometimes I need pets that need me too. I haven’t had a cat since I was 14 years old because my mom did not allow me due to health concerns.

I like reading too. I’ve just finished A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle. It is about human consciousness, the energy of our planet and the effect of what we are doing to our earth. I am really interested in that stuff.

The best free time for me is sitting on the beach with a book to read. It is the best way to get refreshed.”

— Indah Setiawati

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