Go! Go! Go!

After two weeks of holiday (which didn't feel like one), I will "fight" back to school.
Facing with lectures, long hours, assignments, questions... and exams later on.
So, I need a little bit more spirit to go.

I ate snow yesterday.
Out of curiousity.
It tasted good...

This my December

Hellooooooooooooo...
Good afternon, Ladies and Gentlemen.

Such a white day here. I woke up last night coz the dripping sound on my window and it was snow! That was not my first snow though. My first snow was on 11th December 2009 in Goslar when I joined Cross-Culture Seminar. It was so fun. The snow and seminar. But, actually I didn't expect that I would have the snow. I didn't even wear boots or appropriate shoes to deal with the cold. You know what I wore? Crocs.

Yup. Crocs layered with some warm stuff (I don't know to say it). I also wear that crocs in campus. It's pretty tacky, right? I know, but I like wearing sandals! And people here can dress whatever they like and no one will make comment, how cool is that? Haha.
My German friend thought I was a tough girl coz I wore that crocs when it was snowy. It was so wrong! I was just not expecting any snow when I came out of my apartment and I didn't have time to change those sandals to shoes, so I just went to campus...with frozen toes! And God, those crocs were really slippery and I almost fell down when I walked on the snow. Since then I wear my shoes or boots.

Back to the first snow in Goslar. We (four of us - Indonesian, Vietnamese, Indian/Hindi, Philippino) shared taxi to go to that place - it was in the hill and surrounded by forest. When we went out of the taxi, I thought it was drizzling, but it wasn't. It's snowing, light one. I was like, amazed by it. And as usual, photo freak was on. But, dude, it was chilling! The temperature in the mountain area was certainly colder than in Goettingen.

The next morning the snow was not that much but on Monday morning, everything was white and beautiful. The mountain covered with spruce was covered with snow. The grass, garden chair, road, everything was white. I suddenly felt like in fairy tale. I should have thought about Snow White to make it wonderful, but somehow when I saw that mountain and forest I thought about Yeti...hmm...
During the seminar session I even took time to really look at between trees, whether there was snow creature or Big Foot or Gollum there. Weird, huh?

Anyway, Me and my crocs had some pictures outside and the cold was killing me! But unfortunately I forgot to bring syrup to make beverage out of snow like I always planned when I was home...

Okay.

Talking about snow, it is surely pretty when you see it when it's fresh. The snow flake is really like I see in cartoon movies. They have shape like stars - or whatever the name is. It's beautiful. When in sunny day, snow is just so bright, pure white and looks so soft and pillowy (is that a word??). It just wants to make you - I mean me - to run and lay on it. But, it's actually not like that all the time.

Couple weeks ago TIF students went to Harz mountain to have excursion. We went there by bus and some of us took a Harry Potter train (you know, the train with black and white smoke) while other hiked (nice...). It was about minus 14 or minus 15 celcius, so, no thank you for the hiking. The snow was thicker than Goslar and Goettingen, of course, and even with boots I still had trouble walking.

Anyway, the snow was good, but when it was hit to your face...it was not! Some of us had snow fight and luckily I got hit on my face and it burned my cheek, man! Yeah, when I touched my cheeks they felt so smooth due to the cold (I never have smooth cheeks), but it's really painful and red. I was like frozen tomato!

And do you know when the snow is not fresh again it becomes dirty (especially on the road, pavement or where people walk). I rode my bike one day in the snow and I was about to cry. The road was very slippery and it was so difficult to pedal. It's almost impossible to turn! So, I walked with my bike and repeatedly saying "Crazy, crazy, crazy!" until I reached my campus. And when I went back to my apartment (since the road was cleared so I could ride my bike), the snow was falling and hit my face over and over. Then again I said "Ouch, ouch, ouch!!" until I reached my apartment.

Such a lovely time.

Hm... I can't believe it's already the end of year 2009 (suddenly change subject). This year has been a great year for me. First time going abroad, first time fasting for 16 hours, first time using washing machine (yeah..), first time having snow, first time having crocs and boots, first time getting yelled at in Deutsch in the supermarket, first time doing traditional dancing in public since elementary school, first time doing presentation in English and second time getting confirmation that my novel will be published. Oh, almost forget, first time of anniversary. Miss you, Koh Hun Bun.

Hope things are going to get better next year. Thank you, Allah SWT for all the blessings.

Happy New Year 2010, my friends. Luv ya all.

Oh, Happy Day..!

Guten Abend,
How are you? I am getting better. Last few days I was not well. I lost my apetite (that's serious!). I didn't eat right, lack of sleep, feel tired...oh, what gloomy days (like the weather). But, fortunatelly I am okay now.
I have good news. First, I did my first presentation yesterday in Tropical Dendrology lecture. I was presenting about Moraceae family. It took a while to finish things up. I didn't get enough sleep probably because of that too... But, hey, the result turned out to be okay. I think I did fine in the presentation. You know, I was babbling around about this and that...talking about Gudeg, ficus in Alun-Alun Kidul, Trunyan village in Bali ect ect. It was fun.
Second good news is, last Tuesday, I got news that my novel would be published...yeaaaaaaaahhh! So happy......!! This is going to be my second book. Hope the process will be smooth and I could see what it looks like in couple of months. And of course, I hope the readers will like it, specially for those who have waited for my next novel.
Okay, now I will have to work again, preparing another presentation for 30th November. Wish me luck!

The Presenter

Guten Tag,
Last weekend I was planning to start making presentation stuffs. Let's see, I have about 4 lecutres that need presentation for part of the exam. And up to now I was still in the stage of collecting materials (without reading them). Eeuuurrrgghh...! I really don't like "the Lazy Me". My ancient brain still says that weekend is for fun, leisure, relaxation, but if I continue doing that, I would end up as Deadliner...again! I want to change, Man. I have changed from hand-washed laundrying to machine-washed laundrying (that's not because I want to, it's because I have to! Whatever..it's still a change. And I don't create scary creatures anymore...yet...).
Okay, I really need to get things organized. Somehow lately my mind is distracted by "homesick fever". I never thought I could miss my family this much...especially Koh Hun Bun..hehehe.
But I have to fight! Here, in the land of foreigner, I am studying for the future. I have to be strong! (Imagine me holding flag on the top of the mountain, with wind and snow beating my face).
Hmm...

Yep yep yep!

Guten Tag, good afternoon, everybody.
How's your day? Fine? Great. I am now re-adapting of school hours. My lectures begin at 8.15 and end at 18.00..almost everyday. Yep yep yep... Then I am planning to continue my Deutsch course twice a week, from 18.15 to 19.45. Yep yep yep.
Go to the campus on the hill early in the morning...just feels like Ninja Hatori (mendaki gunung, lewati lembah...). This is going to be good for body building. I think my thighs are a little bit loosing weight, but somehow my stomach is still moving forward, not even close to six packs...
Yesterday we had to turn our watch one hour back, so time difference from here to my hometown is now 6 hours. When I wake up, my familiy sleep. Yep yep yep...

Electrified

Guten Abend, good evening...
Today is minus one Celcius degree...
I don't know it is officially winter or not, but, dude...the temperature is killing me! It will get worse - colder, starting on November. Brrrr...!!! My friend said last winter in Goettingen reached minus twenty. Okay, that's something even a bear should beware.
Back then in my sunny country, I hated blanket and socks. Now here, those two things are my everyday menu. I really have to adapt fast here.
People start wearing boots. I don't have ones yet, I am planning to buy. Actually I have visited some stores to try them on...but you know, my big calves make it difficult. They won't zip! They get stucked in the half way because the wide of the upper boots don't fit in my legs. Ahh! At this point somehow I envy the girls with slim legs...
But, I don't give up yet...I believe somewhere someplace, there's special boots for me... (means they're not expensive, best quality, great colour and look, anti slip and have wide and flexible body). Yeah...so happy.
I am also planning to buy jacket. I have already got "it" in my mind, but whenever I am thinking about the price, my stomach starts stirring. It's expensive, man! Especially when you convert the price in Rupiahs. You can buy lots, lots and lots of gorengan with it!
I really need to manage my income...or I will have empty piggy belly. Things are relatively expensive here.

By the way, I notice something new happening to me here. I experience many electric static events. My hair stands up when I comb with my hand, also when I stand close to the door or even when I fold my clothes or wearing ones. And my fingers often got "electric shot" when I touch things. Sometimes it really shocks me. You know, you are walking down the stair and suddenly zzrrrtttt!!!! You want to sit down, you pull the chair, and...zzzrrrttttt!!!! You want to ride and you get your bicycle and zzzrrrrtttt!!! What happened, Man...??? Do I have to many electrons or what?

Come to think of it, maybe this is my inner power... You see, when I was a kid, I ever played "the inner power master" with my friend (I was reading too many martial art comics/books). So we sat face to face and took a long deep breath the pushed our palms towards each other (I kind of shook a little bit of my palms so it was really like having the power...), and my friend shouted that she felt her hands burning because my palms created a hot wave!
I didn't know she was lying or not, I was just happy to hear that. Allright...I am Supergirl!

Well...even I am a Supergirl, I was about to cry this morning in the campus because I met dogs... This one I couldn't handle (yet). Maybe I should practice my hot wave again, so when the dogs come to get me I will point my finger and zzzrrrrtttt!!!

Worst After: 29.09.2009

Morgen.
Dude, I ate expired food yesterday, and I did it on purpose!!!!
I am now still waiting for weird symtomps that might come up. But I am okay until this minute... I guess.
The story was, I went shopping yesterday to Asia Laden in Zentrum (oh, it's an undirect advertisement...she should pay me. She indeed gave me her cards to be given to my Indonesian friends so they will go shopping to her store). It was raining, so I couldn't go around Zentrum. I decided to go back to ATW (Albrecht Thaer Weg) - my apartment. Hm...cold weather and drizzling...it would be really nice to cook something hot. I was thinking of cooking "Oseng kacang panjang, kecambah, wortel" and frying chicken, soya bean cake and krupuk! Drooling just thinking of it.
So, I reached home and started preparing the ingredients. Then I found out that my spiced-chicken is expired! It said on the label the expiration date was 29.09.2009. Man, yesterday was 01.10.2009! Aarrgghhh! Two days late. What should I do, what should I do??
I was thinking to throw it out, but, somehow I felt that maybe it would be okay trying to eat it. Jerry Seinfield got me to this! A few days before, I watched his stand up comedy in the internet talking about "expiration date". How could be the producer really sure that his product would be expired on certain date? The product could last longer than that...
And I thought the same thing. Who knew the chicken was still in good condition. Who knew? I wouldn't know if I didn't try it...
Yeah, yeah, I know I sound stupid. But, consider it as an experiment. One time experiment! Of course, I don't want to do that again.
Anyway, I fried the chicken - a little bit longer than it should be, to kill all the germs or stuffs. I tried the first bite and waited for couple of minutes. I didn't feel anything strange, so I decided that my chicken was okay.
So I had lunch...
After that, I waited...and waited...
Until dinner time. I re-fried my chicken (I was silly, huh?), to really make sure that the bacteria or evil things died twice. I had my dinner with the same menu as lunch.
And again, I waited and waited and waited...
My stomach was okay, my body was normal. I didn't puke, I didn't get icthy or bloating. So, I guess everything was fine.
Hopefully....