Episode 28: Goa Kreo

MONKEYS. I don't know what to say, except that I had a blast playing with some monkeys at Goa Kreo today! They were super funny. =))) AAHHH I wanna ho back there!! :)))) Thanks to Hara, Hara's sister, and Hara's sister's boyfriend for bringing me there. :) :) :) After that, we went to Tugumuda, and then had dinner somewhere kinda sketchy, hahaha! After that, Hara and I went to Cafe Coco Madeleine to meet up with some interns and AIESECers. I ordered All About Chocolate and now I'm probably an inch away from diabetes. =))) After that, Hara brought me to meet up with Tika, and now I'm in Tika's house. We have to wake up at 5am for the launch of the HEAL Project! :)

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xoxo C

Episode 27

I was supposed to go to Jogja with Willian today, but plans fell through. Gah. So I just stayed at home all day. Wow. Very exciting. =)))))

I SHOULD BE OUT THERE, EXPLORING!

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xoxo C

Episode 26: Solo

Today's my Solo trip with Mirza!

During the last day of the conference, I was asking people of they wanted to go to Solo or Jogja or wherever with me, to no avail. (Everyone was busy/had no money/simply uninterested hahahaha). So I tweeted "Anyone want to hang out" (or something like that) to the AIESEC UNDIP account, they retweeted me, and someone actually replied. The thing is, the person who replied wasn't an AIESECer -- she graduated last year, and she just happened to follow the account for some reason. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, so I took up her offer. (Which, in most cases is pretty dangerous. It's kinda sketchy, actually. Why would ypu volunteer to take a foreigner to a place three hours away? "Just because." ? Most people would have ill intent, tbh. I was lucky because Mirza was just bored and wanted to go to Solo hahahaha).

So I woke up at 5.30am, and by 6ish, Mirza and I were on our way to Banyumanik to get on a bus to Solo. The bus ride was surprisingly cheap! It took us about 3ish hours to get there. Once we got there, we met with Natasha, Mirza's friend, at this sketchy timlo place. (I use the word sketchy a lot, hahaha). Timlo is interesting, to say the least. Not exactly my favorite Indonesian dish. :))) 

Quick sharing/moment of clarity: when I was in high school, I was such a brat. I dreaded going to the mall's food court because it "wasn't cool", and I thought the food in the food courts weren't "good enough". I was super picky with my food. Now, a few years later, I'm eating in this sketchy hole in the wall timlo joint (which I'm not really sure is clean, but whatever). I've come a long way from the prissy little girl who wouldn't even eat at the food court. AIESEC (and life in general) has made me push myself out of my comfort zones. :)))

After that, we passed through Pasar Klewar, and ended up in this Serabi place. Serabi is this yummy snack made with coconut mik. (Anything coconut, yum).

After that, we took the becak to Keraton. The place was really cool because you could take a picture with these guardsmen (yes, selfies too) whonwere standing in front of this cool gate thingy. I went inside the museum, and spent the next few hours inside. Mirza acting as my personal photographer was funny. :))) I saw a lot of cool stuff!

Our next (and final) stop was Reina Cafe. It was hot, we were all tired, and I needed to charge my phone (which kept dying, gah), so it was perfect. We stayed there for about an hour before Mirza called for a taxi to go back to the bus station. We hopped on another bus back home. We were exhausted, hahaha!

When we finally got back to Semarang, I asked Mirza to help me buy a powerbank, because if I was gonna go on a trip with Willian, I would definitely need one. We went to Tlogosari, and bought one for about 200.000 IDR. (Which is cheap? Not sure). For dinner, I ate nasi goreng telor and Mirza ate bakmi jowo at another sketchy carinderia-type place. And then finally, she brought me home. AHHH EXHAUSTINGG DAYYY.

In preparation for my trip to Jogja tomorrow, I asked Tika to give me instructions. Looks like I'll have to face this one on my own, which is actually very scary for me. Scary but exciting! I'll be fine, hopefully =))))))

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xoxo C

Episode 25

Another lazy day at hoooome. =))) Today I cooked breakfast for myself. More teppe (I honestly don't know if this is even the actual name hahahaha) and fried food. I thought I'd become healthier here in Indonesia, but everything's fried! =)))

After noon, I decided to go bother -- I mean, spend time with Tika. =)) She told me to go to UNDIP, and in my resolve to learn how to commute, I used the angkots again today! I got one that passed by Java Mall. I was about to cross the street, but I couldn't find a pedestrian lane, so I just stood there for about five minutes until I saw people crossing the street too, so I tried to go with them... Until I nearly got run over. Twice. On both lanes. =))))))))) Indonesia needs more pedestrian lanes!!!

I got on an angkot to Banyumanik, and stopped at Patung Kuda, and walked until I was across the street from Coffee Toffee, the cafe where Tika was at. The thing is.... I couldn't cross the street. HAHAHA =)))) I stood there for another five minutes, until I had the guts to finally cross the street (and, uh, okay, there was the guard who helped me hahahahaha).

When I got there, I ordered some coffee and food, and Tika had to interview this Japanese guy, Yosuke (who was kinda cute btw) for her thesis. I was really bored. =))))) I just kept walking around their table, secretly taking selfies, etc etc. After her interview with Yosuke, Tika had another interview, this time on Skype, with an EP from Japan (who also happened to be very cute, too). =)))) Japanese guys ftw! =)))

After spending about three-four hours in the cafe (which was actually very nice/expensive), Tika brought me home. Tomorrow I'm going to Solo with Mirza, so I'm very excited! ... Except for the fact that she wants to pick me up at 5am. =))))) Yeaaaahh I should probably get some shut-eye. Yep. =)))

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xoxo C

Episode 24

Today I went to Taman Kabe with Cindy, Lia, and Yeni (and Lia's cat) to see Iqbal, who was at the skate park doing BMX tricks. We were playing at the kid's playground, and we ate at a nearby "carinderia" (how do you call it in Indonesian?). After that, we went to Lia's place to watch a movie. Today wasn't very exciting, but it was loads of fun cause my new friends aren't treating me like a buleh (spelling? Indonesian word fot foreigner), but as a friend. I felt like I was just hanging out with my college friends, which I really miss. Today was a nice day. :)))

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xoxo C

Episode 23

Another laundry day, hahaha! I woke up with no one at home except for Mbah Fani. Turns out, my entire host family went to Bali .... Without me =))))))))

I went out to go to the Bahasa Indonesia class at SMA St Louis with Iva, Kali, and the learning partner, Vrisco, but ... I got lost. HAHAHA Unintentionally, at first. I got on a random angkot, and just said to the driver "Johar", so I went there. Then I got on another angkot, and I went until the end of that route. And then another, and then another angkot! It was exciting and terrifying at the same time! :))) After a bit of walking around, I found myself in a familiar place, and I found Paragon Mall! I went to Starbucks, and I found it very familiar, not because I've been in a Starbucks a thousand times, but because the type of people there were familiar --- the same, rich-kid type. :))) After a while, I texted Cindy, and as luck would have it, she was there at Paragon too! Really lucky, yeah? So I hung out with her and her friends for a bit, and we're planning to go out this week! After a while, they took me home, and now I'm here. :)))) 

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xoxo C

Episode 22: CJLC Day 3

Today's the Global Village! I fell asleep at Room 612 with the guys after the football game, and I woke up really early to get back to my room and shower. However, by the time I got there, all my roommates were asleep. Even after I showered, they were still asleep! The people in this conference aren't time-conscious at all, hahaha! While the people were having their Amazing Race, I was with the OC preparing for the Global Village, which is basically me and some other people showing presentations about their cointry/the countries they visited when they went on exchange. After that, there was a Saman Dance performance. It was really cool! Then a few more quick sessions by the facis, and finally, we closed the conference. :) Good job, OC, facis, and Vip! :)

While going back to the hotel, I decided to try riding a Becak (or pecak? the pedicab) with Vitra! Hahaha it was really fun :)))) After preparing my things and taking a quick nap, I went to the lobby with my things, but I honestly didn't want to go yet, so I hung out with the OC for a bit. I told Andi, my new buddy, that I was just gonne get a taxi to get home, and he was so worried about me, which I found really sweet. :))) He was really torn about letting me take a taxi or him bringing me home himself (which he couldn't do, because they had a meeting). It was really cute! Hahaha I decided to go to Indomaret for some ciki (snacks), and after that, I asked for a taxi home. Such a cutie for worrying about me, that Andi is. :)))

Once I got home, I immediately fell asleep. Exhausted! Hahaha

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xoxo C

Episode 21: CJLC Day 2

Day twooooo! More sessions, more games, more lectures. Aaaahhh tiring =))) Not much happened today, aside from that hahahaha I kinda skipped a few sessions and hung out with Roy hahaha but other than that, I really listened!! Coming to the conference, I arrogantly thought I had nothing new to learn, because I've been to two national conferences, been part of a conference OC, etc etc. I came here to have fun and meet new people, and that's it. After hearing a few sessions about the current state of the world, what our role as the youth is, and other motivational things, I feel inspired again. I remembered why I joined AIESEC in the first place, why I believe in the programs so much, and why I'm always hopeful. :)

After that, we had the Gala Night, which was really nice. :))) Sosh, haha! There was a live band and some radio DJs, and some of the AIESEC UNDIP alumni. It was alright. :))

Now, I'm waiting for the football game with Hara, hahaha! 

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xoxo C

Episode 20: CJLC Day 1

I arrived at the hotel at around 1:30pm, and I met Soffa and two other AIESECers at the registration desk. I checked into my room, and explored the hotel, until I ran to some familiar faces -- Agi, Erza, Andi, etc. A little while later, Naufal came. I also met this guy named Hara. Nice guys. :)) The conference was a bit late --- okay, we were delayed two hours. (which means they have to cancel the night's socials, bummer).

A little while later, I meet a ton of new people! I got grouped into Team Tokek (gecko) with some girls, and Cleo is our faci/mom. :))) We did expectation setting and everything. She's such a nice person. Like, the type you'd like to be around a lot. :)

When we finally entered the plenary hall, we started with some introductions, a few videos. The Chair turns out to be Vip,  an @er from the Thailand MC. He's really funny! The sessions were really good, and I befriended some more people, especially some more AIESECers. (I probably won't remember most of their names, but still). It was a great great experience! The day ended with a really touching story from Vip. I feel like with each conference I go to, mu belief in the programs, in the leadership training, and myself grow stronger. I'm really proud to be an AIESECer. :))

After evaluations, I took a quick shower, and headed to Naufal's room to charge my iPod. I also hung out with Roy, Hara, Rio, and Ryan. (Also, Adi and Erza are from this room).  A little while later, we go out to buy snacks. Roy's such a nice guy. ☺️ I was having fun and just hanging out, until Naufal ordered me to go back to my room. =)))

Tomorrow's gonna be more exhausting! I hope I can deal with it. =)))))

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xoxo C

Episode 19

Today, I went to SMA Saint Louis for our last roadshow for the month. The audience was huuge. There were about 250 senior high school students, and they were really friendly! During my presentation, Naufal had to translate a few things so that it would be easier to understand. I gave some treats to Zakky and Arkan, and to some of the students who were nice enough to try to learn Filipino hahahaha they were saying "maganda ka!" =))) That was really cute hahaha

After the show, we had an evaluation, but Naufal wasn't there because he had to go to UNDIP for his exam. We were supposed to go to McDonald's Javamall, but then Zakky, Arkan, and Fifi didn't show up --- turns out, they changed their minds, and Tika, Fauzan, and I were already too far away. Tika got really mad about that. =))) So I just ate at Pizza Hut, went around the mall for a bit, and then went home. As soon as I got home, I fell asleep.

At around 8ish, Fikri texted me and said that he and Marcella were gonna watch X-Men at EPlaza, so I decided to come with them! The movie was amazeballs. Really great, as expected of Marvel. =))))

Tomorrow's the first day of the conference, and I'm really excited! =)))

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xoxo C

Episode 18

Today, I woke up reall early to do more laundry! (I don't even know how this is happening --- that I've been having to do so much laundry hahaha)

At around 10ish, Tika came to pick me up, and we went to Terang Bangsa Entrepreneurship Academy. The school is amaaaazing. From primary to secondary, the facilities are top-notch. The academy has reaaally nice facilities. They even have this amazing football pitch! :)))

When I got there, I met Ririn and April, and some other students. We bought lunch from this curious cafeteria that looked kinda sketchy, and brought the food up to the cafeteria on the same floor as our presentation. I met this guy (whose name escapes me right now), and he was really friendly! I didn't understand much of what he said though, hahaha! But he was very friendly, and wanted to take a picture before we started the presentation. :)) 

Once Iva and Kali got there, we got dressed and began. The dean of the school came and gave a short speech about the importance of languages and partnerships with other countries. Then Naufal had his spiel (same old Tim Donner video, blah blah blah). After him, Iva and Kalina. Problem is, they took longer than usual, so I had to do mine real quick, which kinda sucked, cause then the period was over and some people left. At the end, some of the students came forward and I gave them some pastillas and Curly Tops, hahaha!

Oh, and today we finally saw Arkan again. His father passed away recently, so I was really worried about him, but today he was his usual self. I tried to cheer him up still. He's such a nice guy. =)))

After that, we were waiting at the parking lot for a while, looking for Vrisco, our learning partner. After about 30 minutes, we decided to part ways. Naufal, Zakky, Arkan, Iva and Kalina and Icha went to SMA St Louis, and then I, April, Ririn and Tika went to UNDIP because there was an OGIP orientation.

The girls and I had merienda at D'bims, and the food was really good! The thing is, today was the first time I decided to wear my cream MNG jeans, and I spilled chocolate ice cream on them, hahaha!

Once we got to the Faculty of Humanities, I met a lot of other AIESECers. I also had a chat with Cleo, their LCVP OGCDP, and I promoted AIESEC UPD's INSPIRE project to them! Things are looking good! :)))

It started raining, so... Gah, my pants! =))) Tika and I had dinner at the Kedungmundu branch of D'bims (mainly because they have fast internet, and I needed it for my presentation tomorro). The food was alright! :)) Aaand then Tika brought me home.

At home, I suddenly had a crazy idea. I needed to wash my pants, right? So I wore them... While taking a bath.... HAHAHAHA DUMBEST IDEA EVER. Thank you, AIESEC, for giving me these opportunities to learn from my mistakes, for these opportunities to become self-sufficient/independent. =)))))))))

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xoxox C

Episode 17

... I don't know what happened, but I woke up at 1pm. =))) VERY PRODUCTIVE MORNING, EH? :)))

By 3pm, I was out the house and on my way to UNDIP for our Saman dance lessons from Icha and her friends. I arrived at 4pm, and I was just waiting at the parking lot, because Naufal told me that Dini and Fifi would be looking for me. After 40 minutes, I started walking. Turns out Naufal told the girls that I would be looking for them. -_-

When I got there, an OC member for the conference talked to me about having a presentation for the conference... Hahahaha sure =))) Zakky and Edo (Kali's buddy) was there too. 

The dance they taught us was really complicated, but really fun! I thought what we were doing was difficult, but then they showed us the more complex movements, and daaaang it's hard to follow. Still, it was very interesting! :))

After that, we (Kali Iva and I) went back to Desushi with Dini and Kali! It was a great meal again. :)) Tomorrow, I'm heading to Tika's house to prepare for the roadshow. Aaahhh gotta wake up early!

In unrelated news, I found out that I got into a dorm at university! Aahhh finally. Planning to apply for a scholarship too. Anything to help my mom with finances, hahaha! My going on exchange isn't cheap, mind you. I gotta pay my mom back for this. I'm forever grateful that she allowed me to go on this program. ❤️

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xoxo C

Episode 16

I cooked breakfast, washed the dishes, and did a looot of laundry today, haha! It's fun. I'm starting to like doing little chores. Look at me, learning to be domesticated, hahaha! :))

I went with Cindy to her Public Relations class at her school, Universitas Semarang (USM). I didn't understand anything, but I think her professor was funny. :))) After that, we went to CL Mall for burgers... Well, whatever they call a burger. It didn't really taste good. Aaahhh, I miss Filipino food. Filipino fast food, even. When I get home, I'm definitely get a Jollibee Champ. =)))) Afyer that, we went around the mall looking for a vest for Lia, one of Cindy'a friends. It was fun! I bought some stuff too. Since it's Semarang's anniversary, everything's on sale for the entire month! Amazing. =))))

After shopping, Cindy and I went to Cabe for dinner with some EPs and other AIESECers. It was fun! The food was spicy, but good. Great conversations too. Aaahhh, I love meeting new people (even if I forget their names sometime hahahaha).

When Cindy dropped me off at home, there wasn't any electricity. There was a blackout, and the light kept turning on and off... -_- Good thing it's back! (for now, hahaha)

Tomorrow we're gonna dance Saman, one of the traditional dances here. Excited!

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xoxo C

Episode 15

Not much happened today. Woke up to Tika making breakfast. =))) Spent most of the morning still having a "heart-to-heart" talk with the girls. After brunch, I went back home. Slept until 3ish, then started marathoning Awkward. (What an exciting life, I know :P). Had dinner with Jens and Debo, and then Jens made some pancake/crepes with ice cream! I supposed to go to a pub or something with Iva and Kali, but.... Mehhh =))) Maybe. Hahahaha

Oh, and two weeks have passed since I came here! A month more to go. :)

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xoxo C

Episode 14

TODAY IS PROBABLY THE MOST FUN I'VE HAD =))) (Maybe, I was just bored from the past two days).

8.30 -- Woke up, got ready for the day.
9.20 -- Went to Tika's house, waited for her to get ready.
10.50 -- Bahasa Indonesia lessons with the OC! We learned how to deal with money (how to ask for the price, how to buy things). Also, I got to play in the kid's playground with Zakky. That was funny. =)))
12ish -- Went to Tika's campus, UDINUS for the Japanese Festival.
2ish -- Went to eat Japanese at this place near the park.
4ish -- Went with Zakky to buy a new sim for my phone + waited for him to get ready + watched movies while waiting for him.
7ish -- HELLISH TRAFFIC going to Paragon, to meet up with the others.
8ish -- AMAZING FLOATING LANTERNS BY THE BRIDGE AAAHHHH It felt like a scene from the Disney movie, Tangled.
10ish -- MORE HELLISH TRAFFIC, GAAAHHH Plus, we got separated from the other a few times hahahahahaha that was funny =))
11ish -- Tika's friend's motorcycle ran out of gas in the middle of the road HAHAHAHA It was really stressful. =))) An adventure, I say. =))
12mn -- After an exhausting ride, we finally reached home. We're having a girls' sleepover tonight. Iva, Kalina and the others are in the kitchen, cooking something up, hahaha!

I won't go into detail much. Overall, it was a very very good day! EXHAUSTING, BUT GOOD. :))))

Episode 13

Again, no decent internet. Not enough for me to publish a "real" post. Not much happened today, anyway. =)))

Tomorrow we start Bahasa Indonesia classes! And there's a Japanese festival at Tika's campus. Also, I think Zaky will buy me a new sim tomorrow, so I can stay online more. Excited!

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xoxo C

Episode 12 (?)

No decent connection. Can't stay online for too long. Will write a post tomorrow (or whenever I can find stable internet) instead. =))))

Summary: Slept, went to a mall to withdraw money, walked around, went to a Japanese restaurant, went home. Really boring, actually.

To my very worried mother, don't worry --  I'm fine, really. =))))) 

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xoxo C

Episode 11

Today our roadshow was at Zakky's home college, Fakultas Teknik Perkapalan (Naval/Maritime Engineering/Architecture hahaha people kept giving me different translations). =)))

I woke up really early today, just so I could prepare everything. At around 9.30, my buddy Fauzan still hadn't replied, so I figured that I would just take a taxi to UNDIP. The taxi driver spoke some English, although we did get lost a couple of times because initially, I didn't know which faculty Zakky was from (all I knew was that he is from Teknik). The driver was still really nice, and we took a selfie after we got to the right place! (He was kinda creepy tho cause he asked for my BBM PIN HAHAHA).

I was texting Naufal, saying sorry for being late, and he just replies "but you're too early" ... What? Turns out, the presentation starts at 3pm. =)))) I didn't know this, so I texted Iva, and she tells me that she, too, didn't know that it was gonna start at 3, so she was already on her way to the campus, hahaha!  Naufal texted me to go to his faculty instead (Humanities), so I was walking around, and I wasn't sure where I was going, so I asked some random girl where the building is, and she was kind enough to offer me a lift! What a nice lady. <3 (But I forgot her name. All I remember is that she's from Psychology). When I finally met up with Naufal, he brought me to his Psycho-Linguistics class, and I just stayed there, chillin' (kasi malamig, okay :( hahahaha).

A little while later, Putri, Dini, Iva, and Kalina showed up, and we went to have lunch somewhere near the campus. (And by near, I mean at least 20-30 minutes away). As usual, fried food. Nasi Goreng Ayam! (So far my favorite Indonesian dish). Iva tried Godo Godo, which actually looks pretty good. After that, Dini and Putri dropped us off at the mini-mart in front of UNDIP's gate. I tried to withdraw money from the nearby bank, but there was a problem with it, I don't know why. :/ We walked back to the campus, and we just followed random routes, finally settling in some park inside one of the faculties. We waited there for a couple of minutes, waiting for Zakky's text. When he did finally text us, we walked to his building, and started getting ready for the presentation.

For that day, our audience was composed of members of the Naval English Club (i think), of which Zakky is part. After Naufal's introduction, we split up and talked about our respective countries. I had the smallest group (probably because no one wants to hear about his fellow southeast Asian as much as he wants to hear about someone more exotic), but that was alright. My group asked a lot of questions, and they were very nice. They were pretty loud, too, especially when I gave them ube pastillas and showed them the barrel man, hahaha! I also met some more AIESECers, and some of them were even EB elects. They were really nice. We took a few pictures to end the session, and then everyone left.

We had dinner inside the campus. (Honestly, I don't know how big the campus actually is, because the boundaries are confusing). We had evaluations, talked about the schedule for this week and next, and then just hung out. After wards, we tried to go to different ATMs to withdraw, but to no avail. I guess I'll have to survive with the money I still have on me. (Let's figure that out, shall we?) Iva, Kalina, and I took a taxi home -- I dropped them off at Kalina's host family, and I went back to my own. AAaaahhh today was exhausting, but in a good way.

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xoxo C

Episode 10

Today was a super fun day!

The night before, Iva texted me, telling me to go to her host family's house at noon because her buddy's picking her and Kali up to go on a trip somewhere. I got up at around 8ish, and started getting ready. I was there by 11ish. Kali arrived a few minutes later. But then Ivan (Iva's buddy) and his girlfriend came a bit late, at around 2ish.

We ate some McDonald's on the way to Bandungan, about 30-40 minutes away from Semarang. We went through this really cool village that actually reminded me of some places in my region (the Cordilleras in the Philippines). Very Bontoc-y or Mountain Province-y. :)) Except better maintained, hah. We ended up at this mountain resort (?) called Sidomukti (okay, to be honest, I can't remember most of the names of the places I visit). IT WAS REALLY PRETTY AND REALLY CHEAP. One thing I really like about Indonesia is how everything is really cheap hahahahaha =)))) Also, the highways with the tolls are really nice! (Although Ivan, the driver for today, is probably the scariest driver I've ever ridden with. Half of the time I was trying not to throw up; the other half was spent trying to stay in my seat.)

After Sidomukti, we went to this really nice coffee shop with a great view of the place. There was a lot of fog, so I couldn't really see it, but you can make out the shape of Semarang. It was really breathtaking! In my quest to try everything Indonesia has to offer, I ordered one of their traditional coffees... And no nope nooo naahhh nooo I did not like it =))) Sorry, hahaha! I should've ordered hot chocolate or something. Then it started raining cats and dogs, gah. We were drenched as we got back into the car. After that, we went to this cow farm/restaurant called Cimory AND IT IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE PLACE NOW =))) It has a grocery/gift shop, a restaurant, a mini dairy farm, a playground, and some really cool birds and fish. AND THE RESTO WAS COW-THEMED. How cute is that? Hahaha!

After that we went back to Iva's place. It was too late to text my buddy or Tika to pick me up, and I didn't want to bother them, so I just took a taxi home. I WAS SO SCARED HAHAHA Anyway, I got home safe (obviously, because I'm able to write this). Tomorrow's another roadshow -- this time, at the Faculty of Engineering, Zakky's home college! Excited. And tired. Gahhh.

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xoxo C

Episode 9: The First Roadshow

I woke up late. Again. (Sorry, buddy. I told you to pick me up at 8.15, and I woke up at 8.30; came out of the house at 9ish). We rode to the UNDIP campus, but we kinda got lost looking for the Faculty of Humanities, hahaha! But when we did find our way, we headed to the third floor BEM room to wait for Naufal. After a while, we started setting up our booth at the lobby.

Some people dropped by my booth, and I had a chance to tell them about the Philippines -- the language, cuisine, culture, etc. Most of the people seemed genuinely interested. I made a few new friends, too, so that was nice. I was dressed in my national costume, and it was reaaally hot. A little while later, we moved to a room on the second floor, and we had a bigger audience. That was really cool, cause the OC had a chance to talk about the project in detail. They showed us this video of Tim Doner, a hyper-polyglot, and I was really impressed. Really inspiring stuff, kinda makes me want to learn more languages, too. Iva and Kalina went first, and they shared a ton of stuff about Bulgaria, which was really interesting, cause I honestly don't know much about their country. Then I talked some more about the Philippines. I need to work on speaking more slowly, I guess, cause I blazed through the presentation in 5 minutes, when I could've talked for about 10. =))) Practice makes perfect, hahaha.

After all of that, we went to this place to have late lunch/early dinner. It was really chill. I sat next to Zakky, and he's this really annoying (in a good way) guy. =))) After that, Fauzan had to drive me home. I really need to learn how to commute. -__-

Tomorrow, I think I'm going on a trip with Iva and Kalina, but I'm not sure where we're going yet, hahaha! We'll figure it out tomorrow. We're winging it. ;)

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xoxo C

Episode 8

I was in bed all morning because I was feeling ill, again. *sigh* On the plus side, I received some pretty good news from GG, and Ahmad told me about his plans to visit the Philippines, and I received the interns' guideline from Vietnam. (Which, by the way, LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF WORK). Also, it's Mothers' Day today, so I greeted my mom. <3

I did laundry again today. I think I'm getting better at it. One thing I really like about going on exchange is that it's not always about the big things, like going to some famous tourist spot, or visiting a museum -- it's also about the little things, like doing laundry by yourself, or taking a walk around the neighborhood, or trying to understand the news in another language. It's a totally new environment, and that's what going on exchange promises.

I guess I have to start working on my presentation now. I have to be at UNDIP by 9am, yikes!
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xoxo C

Episode 7

The night before, I unintentionally added Ahmad, the Egyptian EP for the 2nd batch, on Facebook, and we started chatting. He said he's coming here sometime mid-June, so I might be able to meet him before I head to Ho Chi Minh! Kalina and Iva are planning to go somewhere for next weekend, so we've been planning a trip, too. They really want to go to the beach, hahaha!

Today we went to Sam Poo Kong, one of the Chinese temples here. It was reaaaally beautiful! I felt like I was in a Kung Fu movie or something. BUT IT WAS BLAZING HOT. AS IN I COULD FEEL SWEAT TRICKLING DOWN MY BACK. D: Overall, it was very nice, haha!

After that, we went to the Museum. Apparently, one of the Museum halls is a multi-purpose hall, so... We crashed a wedding. HAHAHA It was a traditional Javanese/Indonesian wedding, and we even came up to the stage to shake hands with the couple, and the couple's parents. FUNNY =)))) We explored the different parts of the museum, and it was really beautiful. :D (I don't have many pictures -- Naufal and Kalina had their cameras anyway).

After that, we went to eat at some Bakso place, and the food was alright. I bought a few groceries and headed home with my buddy, Fauzan. When I got home, I did laundry BY MYSELF FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. I AM SO PROUD OF MYSELF. (Granted, there was a washing machine there, but still!!).

After dinner, Mas Eko (one of the housekeepers at my host family's) gave me a bowl of pomelo, my favorite fruit! Ahh, feels like home. <3 And just now, Bu Endar, my host mom, gave me some snacks. I feel like they're plotting to make me fat. Or maybe they just have a lot of food in this house. Either way, my tummy is happy and I have no complaints. :))

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xoxo C

Episode 6

I wasn't feeling well today, so I didn't go to the school with Debo and Jens. Instead, I slept all morning. =)))) At around 10ish, I got up to take a bath and get ready because Naufal said that he would be picking me up at 11. We went to this mall (CL Mall, I think?), and there was this Semarang Industry Expo where people were selling batik (batik dresses, shirts, cloth), some traditional teas, etc etc. The whole mall has a sale for the whole month (I think???) because it's Semarang's 467th anniversary (I think... HAHAHA SORRY, DETAILS).

Naufal and I were waiting at McDonald's for Iva and Kalina, my Bulgarian co-interns. After that, we (me, Kalina and Iva, and three other @ers) just went around the mall. At around 1ish, we went to the mall center (some sort of events place in the middle of the mall), and some kids played traditional songs with the Gamelan. Funny thing is that in high school, we talked about the Javanese Gamelan Performances in Music class, and today, I actually got to see it live. Amazing how far AIESEC has brought me. :')

After that, the host came up to us foreigners from AIESEC and the exchange students from UNNES (shet, kakaiba talaga isipin na "foreigner" ako dito hahahaha), and asked about us. Then we were asked to sit in the middle. There was a man who shared with us about the traditional puppet theater. (His English was very good. Better than most of the people I've met so far). We were asked to make a puppet too, and the best one would receive a prize. They gave us some paper, a pencil and eraser, and a guide to draw one of the famous puppet characters. I think I did an awful job in drawing him, and we were asked to paint the puppet, which made it look a lot worse. Funny thing is, I won the prize! =)))) It was a bag of goodies from this beauty company. =))) After that, we left the mall to go to the Welcome Party. :)

The party was held at some restaurant inside the UNDIP campus. We were driven there by Edu, Kalina's buddy. We had the orientation for the project, we met the organizing committee, and we ate food and played games. It was a fun night! Some of the OC I met just that evening, and some I've already hung out with (namely, Naufal, Dini, and Zakky). There were also other AIESECers and volunteers/learning partners there. It was fun meeting so many people! (Although I can't remember most of their names...) There was also this Brazilian EP there, Willian. He was funny. He looks like Jesus, to be honest. =)) He seems like a fun guy, except his project is in a city two hours away, so we can't really hang out that often. We played games after dinner. It was funny, because they call the game "Eat Bulaga" (since the TV show has an Indonesian version), but it's really what most people call "Pinoy Henyo". One of my teammates was kinda dull, and he couldn't guess "Britney Spears". He already asked if it was a male or female, but he kept saying "Timberlake??".... Ah, whatever. It was fun anyway. After that, we surprised Zakky! It was his birthday the other day, so we gave him cake! He fed us some (and by fed, I mean he literally gave me some cake with his fingers hahahaha it was special, I guess haha). And theeen, some AIESEC dances until we got tired. Before we left, we talked about the activities for tomorrow. First is "Explore Semarang", and I think we're going to a temple... Or some place, I don't know. I'll figure it out tomorrow, haha!

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xoxo C

Clang Adventures: Episode 5

... I honestly didn't do much today. =)))) Again, I went to SMA Sint Louis with the family, and I followed Debo to her classes. I introduced myself to her classes, and the students were generally receptive. They asked me how to say basic greetings in Filipino. In one of Debo's classes, she showed some pictures. I was trying to look for her and Jens in the photos, but I couldn't. Then she revealed that she used to have short hair, and Jens used to have dreadlocks. =))) Really funny, because if you look at them now, they kinda look like parents. (And I keep asking if they plan on getting married or anything, and they keep deflecting. Achso). After lunch, there was a conversation group with some 12th graders. We all talked about foreign countries -- which countries you'd like to visit, if you had a friend in a different country, which countries do you think are the most beautiful, etc.

After that, I went with Debo, Jens, Miss Dani, Dini, and (crap, I forgot his name) to Immigration, because the German couple was renewing their visas. When we finished, we went home.

Yep, that's pretty much it. =)))
Tomorrow, there's gonna be an event, I think. And Naufal told me that I'm gonna meet my buddy. The funny thing is, all this time, I thought Tika was my buddy. =))) Ah, whatever. I think tomorrow's gonna be more interesting.

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xoxo C

Clang Adventures: Episode 4

My "work" doesn't start until Friday/next week, so today, I went to SMA Sint Louis, the school where the two German EPs, Debo and Jens, who were also living in the same house, work at. Their job is to teach English to the senior high school students.

I met a lot of people today, shook a lot of hands, explored the campus, had a talk with the campus parish priest (who was this really cool old guy who spoke Indonesian, Dutch, German, Italian, English and one other language I forgot), and even met the cafeteria/canteen ladies (they have a really interesting food system in the school, btw).

For most of the day, I accompanied the English teachers, acting as their assistant. I also taught basic introductions in Filipino, Italian, and German (shet, sobrang proud ko sa sarili ko dahil dito, swear). During the breaks, I spent my time in the Faculty Room. There was this really enthusiastic teacher sitting at the desk next to the one I was using. At  one point, I noticed that she was secretly taking pictures of me, which was really odd, but I just let it slide.

During the lunch break, I was hanging out with the other teachers, telling them things about the Philippines. Then the really enthusiastic teacher who was taking pictures of me earlier suddenly came up to me and gave me some milk tea. A little while later, she asked to take a picture with me. Well, not just one picture. Naka-ilang picture nga e. =))) Before we had to leave for home, the teacher confessed something. She said that I was very pretty and she thought I was a famous person, so that's why she was taking so many pictures. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA SOBRANG GV NIYA =)))))))

After that, we went back home. Debo and Jens are going to some tae kwon do class, and I’m just gonna take a nap. (And I started this blog hahahaha). Tomorrow, I plan to go to the school again. Might as well keep myself occupied.

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xoxo C

Clang Adventures: Episode 3

I slept. No, really, I slept the entire day.

Tika was sick, so she couldn’t bring me anywhere. And I didn’t have any other friends yet, so I couldn’t ask anyone to go out with me. So I just slept.

That is, until the evening. Maybe Debo and Jens felt sorry for me, or something, but they invited me out to the Italian EP’s farewell party. HAHAHA To be honest, I didn’t want to go because I thought it was rude to go to a farewell party of someone I’d never even met. But hey, I was bored out of my mind, so I went along anyway.

The dinner was at My Kopi, this nice place near the Police Academy (I think. The places were all very new to me, still). When I got there, there was an American guy, a Brazilian girl, the Italian girl who was leaving, a guy from Tajikistan, and some Indonesian people (duh). Then you add the two German EPs I was with, then me, the Filipina. Wow. I’ve never been to such a diverse dinner, ever. There was this curious Indonesian guy who, when speaking in English, had a British accent. The conversations from that night were some of the most interesting I’ve had in a really long time.

At that moment, it hit me. You don’t come across such a varied group of people this easily. The AIESEC network is amazing, really. I mean, come on, the Tajikistan guy? There are 8 million of them, out of the 7-ish billion people on this earth, and I meet one in Indonesia? What are the odds of that happening had I not gone on exchange with AIESEC?

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xoxo C

Clang Adventures: Episode 2

Today, Tika picked me up. Well, uh, okay, we didn’t leave right away. I was wearing a shirt and a skirt, and she made me change. Gah. What a prude. (HAHA KIDDING, TIKA). =))) It was really hot outside, so I definitely needed to cover up to avoid getting my skin burned.

We rode a motorcycle, which I quickly realized was the main type of transportation here in Indonesia. Funny thing is, I’ve never ridden a motorcycle before. I don’t even know how to ride a bike! It was scary. BUT THE WORST PART WAS THE HEAT. I MEAN, GAT DAMN, IT WAS HOT. LEGIT.

I went to UNDIP today, the host LC. Their campus was faaaar away, and it was huge, and there was wifi in all of the buildings, and there were tons of people. AND A LOT OF MOTORCYCLES, YET AGAIN. I still can’t get over the number of motorcycles here.

After that, we went to their AIESEC Office, which actually was a rented office space in a commercial building. I met some of the members, and they were dancing. After that, we decided to get a snack at some place within the campus. I was with Tika, (OC Exchange), Naufal (OCP), and Zaky (another OC Exchange), and we went to this place that had fruit soup. YES. FRUIT SOUP. NOT A SALAD, SOUP. It was weird and good and different and strange and yummy. I still don’t know how to feel about it.

After that, Tika and I went to the mall. We ate at this restaurant, bought a modem for me to be able to connect to the internet (after a loooong internal debate about whether or not this was a smart purchase), went to the grocery, and after that, went home. It was a tiring day, yet again.

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xoxo C