May and Might

Hello, Everyone. How's the day going?
It's pretty gloomy here. Not much of sunlight lately and it's as cold as early winter. But, the scenery is certainly greener. Trees have their leaves back very fast. So nice.
Okay, what's the news?
It's a long holiday for this weekend, starting today untill Sunday. It's a christian holiday today, and on Friday it's actually working day, but since it's in between, it's decided to be free day too (even here there's Harpitnas - Hari Kejepit Nasional hahahaha..). Good for me, coz I can have a bit time to write new script. Before the schedule becomes crazier and exams approach, I'd better finish this one. Ganbatte..!!
Oh yeah, last Saturday, we had gathering for Indonesian people in Goettingen. The event was in Wilhemplatz 4 (Foyer International). The honoured guests were our Konjen in Hamburg and family and Education Attache in Berlin. Beside Indonesian food, local entertainment and the family chat, we had also a seminar about returning expert program. It's good information, indeed. And by the way, for the entertainment, one of the agenda was I danced. Hehehe..yup, Gambyong Pareanom, again. Since I couldn't do the make up and clothing, someone had to help me. If I did the make up alone, I would end up becoming Buto Cakil or his friends.
I ever tried to put a make up on and took pictures, then I showed to Koh Hun Bun. And you know what, he laughed out loud. Come on, man, I am learning. I know, I'm terrible in this.
But don't worry, I tortured him after that...hehe.
Anyway, this Saturday there will be a cultural event too, Mahatma Gandhi Hause Kulturnese. I think I might come. Some countries will perform their traditional music, dance and food. From Indonesia, some people will prepare peyek, klepon ect, plus Bali dance. We'll have another cultural event in June, maybe for this one I will join too. Saman dance, perhaps? Hope so.
Hey, another great news, in June there will be TIF excursion to Bavaria for couple days...yihaaa.. I love the name of Bavaria. Sounds cool. Somehow I imagine fairy tale in Mid Ages...
Can't wait to go...!
Flashnews. d i a has been reprinted and it is now the book of the month in GagasMedia.net. Thank you..thank you...

Smells Fishy

Hey hey, I cooked "pepes ikan" this morning. I asked my mom via sms, what the ingredients were. Then, I did an experiment. First thing, grinding the ingredients. You see I have brought wooden "cobek" and "uleg-uleg" the last time I went back here, but it turned out to be difficult to grind anything with those. So, I chopped the ingredients into very small pieces to make it easier. I put them in the plastic bag and smashed them more..hehe. The fish I used was raw sardines (not the one in can which is already seasoned or mixed with tomato/chili sauce), so I had to clean them up. The smell, I couldn't get rid it out of my hands eventhough I applied soap many times afterwards. Since there's no banana leaves, I used aluminium foil. But, anyway, the pepes was super. It tasted really good (I wonder if I could have the same thing for next cooking).
So, I brought one pack plus rice for lunch in campus. First, I had class at 2 - 4 p.m. After the class, I ate my food. I was worried if I ate where I sat (pretty much in the center of the classroom), my friends would be distracted to the smell (I opened the aluminium foil and poured the content in my lunch box, then threw it away in garbage bin near the classroom door). So, I went back on the last row, beside the opening window, and started enjoying my late lunch. I didn't finish it coz the next class has started. Then, I thought I would continue later, before Biometric tutorial at 6 p.m.
Story goes on. Second class I had was at 4 - 6 p.m. At 5 p.m, we had a break for 15 minutes. All of the people went outside to feel the sun shine or eat or whatever, while I was staying alone in the class, focusing with my cellphone, sending sms to Koh Hun Bun. When I was busy texting, suddenly I heard something.
Oh my dear God... There was a big black dog came in to the class. He took something from the garbage bin and stayed right on the door. Oh no! My heart was pounding so hard out of fear. I was so scared, imagining if the dog was coming toward me, what was I supposed to do? There was noone here to help me.
I was afraid to move, coz the sound of the sliding chair might attracked his attention, but if I didn't move, I would pass out if he came closer. I was in dilemma for quite a while. Time was like standing still. I would go crazy if I didn't do anything. So, I pushed myself to stand up and go to my left. I opened the window and sat on the table. Anytime the dog was coming toward me, I really would jump out of the window. I swore.
I thanked God that he didn't do it. But, somehow the sound he made, got me wondering. It seemed that he ate something. Would it be my aluminium foil which had "pepes" leftover in it? Sounded like it. And you know what, it was right! He's eating really that aluminium foil! I could see it was torn apart everywhere. He liked my "pepes" indeed!
Question: is he going to be okay after having such meal? He's my professor's dog, you know. If something happened...hm...
Till now I am still wondering...

Buds

I always thought that spring means all trees that shed leaves in winter, produce buds of leaves. I was wrong. Some of them produce flowers first, then the leaves. Hm...

Just Thinking...

Hey, that's new. I am thinking.
Hehehe..
Ah, this temperature shock gives me flu. And I miscalculate this. I thought spring is not cold. It is! Good thing I have this thick layer of fat, so I still can survive.
Oh yeah, about the thinking.
Lately I am just involved in my own world, and seeing this blog as a kind of diary, or chatty note - as I may say, that revolve around itself. Then I read others' blogs, and, Man, they're awesome! Many great postings, pictures, poems, stories and stuff. Like, so far away from what I have here...hehehe..
Dude, I am so amateur!
But, if we think I would somehow improve this blog to be shopisticated one, well, think again. I am not that good..hahaha. That's who I am, so be it.

Here's what I think. Not directly correlated with that fact above, but it's about something that maybe correlated with the fact above (now I am confusing myself).
Sometimes, I get this envious feeling towards others' accomplishments. I do. Horrible, isn't it?
I don't know. They seem already move to the next level, while I am still stuck in the ground. They have flown to the moon and I am still biking to the grocery store. They have this and that and these and those... and I don't. Oh, it's never ending.
It's irritating me sometimes. Not their accomplishment, but the envy I feel. I don't like it.
It's pretty tiring, no?
Like chasing the future. We will never catch the future, coz once we get there, it will be present, and there will be another future ahead.
So, that's why I constantly calm myself down (I have to, or I feel suffocated), that things have their own time. People have their own tracks. Some have economic train, some other have ICE or shinkanzen. And some even don't have train yet. So how do I handle this?
By moving.
If I move, I will reach to a point, to get to the next point. Instead of drowning myself to envy which consumes so much energy and peace, I'd better enjoy my move, right? Walk a little, jump a little, run once in a while. I'd get there.

Let's have a pit stop. This one has nothing to do with the previous topics. It should be in another posting, but I am too lazy to make it.
Anyway...
I was craving for sushi recently. I took a bite the first time when I had a trip to Bremen shortly before leaving to Indonesia. My friend, Ratna, bought sushi in Hannover train station. And she offered me to taste some. It was gooooood (or was it because I was hungry?). Since then I was always thinking about sushi.
So, back in Indonesia, I was looking for sushi too. We had it in Semarang, but the taste was not the same like I had before. Different sauce. It had no ginger in it. Made me more curious.
Then when I went back to Goettingen, I tried to look for it in the train station. I didn't find it. Yet, the thought of delicious sushi was still emerging.
Meanwhile, I am now in a "tight seat belt" program. Meaning that I will manage my expense better. Preparing for the future needs the green paper, you see. And I am not so good in saving, I am good in spending..hehe. So, with a good intention and strong will, I make a promise not to buy any clothes this semester to save some bucks (sob..sob..).
That move's supposed to give me extra saving right? Well, not really.
When I went to the grocery store with shopping list, I ended up with another shopping list. Who knows that in Real there would be a section with japanese spices rack in it?? And it had sushi stuffs! See my dilemma? (I exaggerated a little bit).
Anyway, my strong will moved to another will. I bought those sushi stuffs, and it cost me like one or two shirts.
But... at least I could make my own sushi..!
I did, actually. Once I got all the ingredients, I opened youtube and looked for "how to make sushi". I didn't buy any fish (I am still a bit reluctant eating raw fish), so I was looking for subtitution of fish for the sushi filling. Taking steps according to the sushi master, from preparing sushi rice to serving it, it took me a all afternoon. My first experiment was not satisfying. The rice was too wet and not well seasoned. But the look was not bad. I guessed.

I ate them all, with the sauce I made (soysauce, ginger, wasabi). The sauce was kind of different hot with sambal, and eating too much of it was not good idea... believe me.

Spring is Coming

Helloooooo...
Oh, my dear friends, how I miss you!
Feeling great today? Good! Coz I am too. The spring is coming and the sun is shinning... (but, actually when I write this down, it's still early in the morning, 4.43 a.m). Flowers are not yet fully blooming, but some spots have already been colorful. Pretty!
Hey, you know why I haven't posted for a month? As you know, I went back to Indonesia and stayed mostly in my hometown. Internet access in my brother's notebook was like Royal Javanese Princess (slow motion), so it got me headache everytime I logged in. I was not even on line during that time. Going to internet cafe was just wasting money, so I was outside the internet world and just busy...eating.
Anyway, during the semester break at home was so much fun. I didn't use my brain a lot and the result was, the meal I had straight went to the stomach. So I gained 2 kilos...hehehe. Chubbier and darker, indeed. Moving directly from winter season to always summer in Blora created Zebra marks on my feet due to the sandals, just in a week. Man, the sun was so hot.
I had a long list of planned productive activities for the holiday (writing, visiting some places, going to the gym), but in reality, I was just eating, sleeping, playing with my niece, eating (again).
There were so much delicious food available at home, and it's cheap, even free (eating mom's cooking..haha). And you know, I got to eat "sand krupuk" as much as I wanted! For some people who don't know "sand krupuk", I'll tell you. It's krupuk which is fried using sand, not oil. It's said non colesterol, but of course, you'll find some sand sticks to it (hopefully not along with "other thing" that usually found on the sand...something related with cat...). My mom was a bit worried seeing me eating that stuff everyday. She said "How much sand do you think you have in your stomach for eating it all this time?" And I answered while eating it, "Much." Then she continued, "At least get rid of the sand before you eat it."
No way, that would not be fun...!
Intermezzo..
I went to GagasMedia before going to Blora, and met some nice people there. Then suddenly I was engaged to an appointment of "talk show", or something like that, for my second book.
It was in Rembang on 6th March 2010 in book bazaar in Balai Kartini. Hahaha..that was my first time and it was so....weird. I was weird, coz I was just bubbling...and just very few audience, people preferred going around looking for cheap books than seeing this stranger...hahaha. I was ashamed actually, the interviewer was Sundanese, and suddenly my speech tone was becoming a little bit sundanese too..huekekekekek... I was thinking "What did I do, why I sounded like that?"
At least some people asked question during the show...or they were forced to...haha.
Oh, what an experience.
Okay, to sum up, I enjoyed my staying in Blora, though I unexpectedly had to go to Jogja (my ATM card was missing, so I had to renew in the bank where I registered the first time). But it was nice, coz I got to see Nyonyo and stayed in her house for two days. Thank you, Nyonyo and family for having me. I also had a chance to see "Jati Denok", a 350 years teak tree in Randublatung (long bumpy journey for one fat tree) and of course, my favorite, being singing and dancing mentor for my 1.5 years old niece, Jibrut. Her favorite songs were Kupu Kupu Yang Lucu and Tik Tik Tik Bunyi Hujan (is it really the title?). We, I, would sing all day coz everytime I finished, she said "Again" all over again, plus the dancing.
I miss it now...
I went back to Goettingen on 7th April 2010. It was shorter flight, only 17 hours something, but the journey was okay. I saw Avatar in the plane, and some other new movies.
One thing that had me confused was the arrival place, which was different with the one I had the first time I came here. Good thing I met some nice people who showed me the way, so I could reach Goettingen right on time. Thank you.
Being here again, my mind was not yet set for the study, not for sleeping time too. I am still in my Indonesian hour. Hope I adapt soon. Lectures will be in two campus, central and north, so fast biking will be a requirement. Good, then I can lose some weight again, to fit into my pants.
Hm, second semester begin, I'd better fight hard again. Ganbatte ne!

By the way, d i a might be reprinted soon, hope it all goes well.
Ciao..!

Wind Wind Solution

Do you hear that?
That's the sound of the wind.
It's been hours and it's not stopping. Whistling so hard.
The trees outside my apartment are beaten up by it.
Mommy...!
It is said that beginning and ending of winter season marked by that crazy wind.
So, I guess spring will be coming soon, which is great.
But, the better the weather is, the more dogs are coming out, which is not great. Definitely not great.
Anyway, tomorrow I'll be going back to Indonesia for semester break...yipeeee..! I've been in Goettingen for 7 months already. Time really flies, right?
Wish me luck and safe journey, man.
See you soon.

Ice Age

This winter is ridiculous.
Seriously.
I am starting to feel bored with all this snow, cold temperature and no sunlight. The magic of the wonderland has gone..haha. People say that this is the "most snowy" winter in Goettingen in the past decade. Last winter at this time of month, the temperature was already plus, but now it's still minus. In some days of these couple months, the snow was already melting that we can see the green grass, but later on it's coming again. Just like today. Oh, when will it last?
Not many friendly faces during winter, man. How can you smile with the cold stabbing your face?
I can now understand why people who live in the pole are more depressed than people in any other places. They have all the snow and no sunshine for a half year or more. Man, that must be hard! I experience this snow thing for like what, 3 months, and I am really missing the hot sun which I hated back in my country..haha. People never get satisfied, huh?
Oh, March, please come soon so I can go back home for happy holiday... Getting lots and lots of vitamin D from the sun, snacking doubtfully hygienic food (such as sate penthol - ten balls for one thousand rupiahs and krupuk pasir), eating from natural plate - teak leaves, touring from village to village....oh happy day...
But, I have to finish this winter semester first with hard work. Examination! Oh God, help me!
Wish me luck..