Episode 42: HOME (for a day, anyway)

I arrived at around 6-7AM, and I only had to wait about 20 minutes until I found my mom wandering the lobby looking for me. :))) We went back to the hotel, and I took a quick nap. I was exhausted! We went to the mall (big surprise). I got a facial, had my hair done, and had a really good dinner with my family. Being away makes you realize how much you can miss you annoying big brother. =)))) The next day, they had to drop me off at the airport. Ahh, see you in a few weeks, family! <3

Episode 41: JAKARTAAA

I got up at around 8 to start getting ready. By 9ish, Cindy was at my house. A few minutes later, Iva and Tika came, but Tika had to run a quick errand. Then more of Cindy’s friends. Iva and I took a cab to the airport, and on the way, we picked up Kali.

We were already running a bit late, but I didn’t want to leave my friends yet. I was pretty surprised to see Tito there. It was pretty funny. =))) A little while later, Ryan shows up, hahaha! This guy. =))) I then went inside cause had to check in my bags real quick, but the line was super duper long. It was unfair because the officers were letting other people cut in line, gah. Once I got my boarding pass, I saw that I only had 15 minutes til boarding, so I ran out as fast as I could to say goodbye to my friends. Naufal and Tika had arrived too. It was very sweet. :’) Thanks to all my sweet friends. <3

Once I got to Jakarta, I spent about 30 minutes waiting for Elle. The temperature was blazing hot! When she finally found me, we grabbed some food from A&W, and then we got on her car to go to Monas to meet with Arrum. There was this big fair or something, so the place was packed. There were tons of booths set up – some sort of trade fair. It took us a while to meet up with Arrum, but when we finally did, <3 <3 I missed this girl. =))) She was an EP in our LC a few months back, and we bonded because a) one of her OC members was Ruod, and b) she’s Indonesian just like Elle. We toured the place and bought some souvenirs before heading over to this fancy mall, where we just walked around and finally had dinner at the really cool food court. I really liked this mall! :) A few hours later, Arrum’s mom comes, and they leave together. Later on, Elle and her driver bring me to the airport, and we have this not-at-all emotionally farewell. =)))))

Indonesia, thank you so so so much for everything. I left a piece of my heart in this beautiful country. I will come back. Maybe not any time soon, but someday, I will. <3

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xoxo C

Episode 40: Sidomukti Part 2 + Jonas Photo + Farewell Party at 7 Degrees

We woke up at around 8-9 AM for breakfast. The people left were Edo and Zaky, Iva and Kali, Seif and Kartik, Ryan, Fikri, Bahrom, and I. After breakfast, we headed to the pool! The water was freezing, and the air was nice. I loved it. <3 There were a few funny moments. Zaky’s swimsuit… HAHAHA Never mind. =))) Edo and Zaky had to leave earlier because they had class.

After that, we went to try the flying fox! SOBRANG FUNNY NITO, SWEAR. =)))) It was really sketchy because we didn’t use an actual harness, but some rope they tied around our waist. The fit was, uh, uncomfortable. Especially for the guys. =))))))) Oh, and Bahrom, being the giant that he is, got hit preeetty bad. =)))

After that, we just relaxed some more in the villa. Fikri took Kartik back to UNDIP because he had to meet with someone, and I had Ryan bring me back home. Iva, Kali, Seif, and Bahrom would be commuting. Good thing Bahrom was there. :)

When I got home, I packed my things. It was pretty sad actually. My last night there. Gah.

After taking a quick nap, I had to get ready because we were having a “photoshoot” at Jonas Photo, the place along Jalan Diponegoro, next to Giggle Box. Before going there, I decided to go to Paragon to look for earphones, because I broke mine on the trip to Sidomukti. We couldn’t find any good ones though – either they were cheap and would easily break, or they were super freakin’ expensive. In the end, Ryan just gave me his. What a sweetheart. :’)

Ryan dropped me off at the parking lot – he had to go to another place for dinner with the Greenagers people. Turns out I wasn’t late to Jonas Photo, because Iva and Kali, and some members of the OC still weren’t there.

The place was really nice. I think our photos turned out good, but the really shitty thing was that the pictures will be released on June 23. @__@ Oh well. They can just send me the softcopy, I guess. It was still pretty cool though. :)

After that, we went to 7 Degrees, this really really nice place also along Jalan Diponegoro. The whole OC was complete, except for Dini, who had to go home. The food wasn’t anything special, but I was fine with the company I had. We were talking for most of the dinner anyway – talking about the project, each other, final words, etc. What I found very sweet was the parting gift they gave me. Aside from the certificate, I received this really nice booklet with messages from the OC. Also, I got a wonderful gift from my Bulgarian sisters. <3 I kinda teared up in the end. =))))

A little while later, Ryan comes with Seif and Tito. I didn’t know that Ryan and Arkan were friends, and he seriously got mad when I jokingly called Ryan my slave… I was kidding, huhuhuhuhu. :((( Zaky kinda got mad too, cause I couldn’t give him back his shirt. Also, I wouldn’t let him have my @Week hoodie. :(((( Not really a nice way to end a great day, but whatever.

Later, Ryan took me home.

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xoxo C

Episode 39: FEB Cultural Show + Sidomukti Part 1

Today was the Faculty of Economics and Business’s Economics Traditional Dance Festival 2014, and the people who taught us the Saman Dance were  performing today. I met another EP there, Kartik from India. Seif was there too. Ryan brought me there, and a few minutes later, Fikri and Bahrom were there too.

Transportation was a huuuge issue in our trip. We were supposed to leave at around 7ish but instead we left at almost 8. The planning really was bad. =))) Like, we couldn’t really have a solid plan because we didn’t know who exactly were going, how they’re getting there, and who would be staying. In the end, it was Bahrom with Ryan, I with Fikri, and Zaky with Edo on Motorcycle, and then Iva Kali Seif and Kartik with some other people in a car. It was all very stressful. =))) Also, while on the way up to the coffee shop, Fikri’s motorcycle died, so I had to walk uphill. Bahrom felt bad for me, so he decided to walk with me too. HAHAHAHA IT WAS  SUPER FUNNY. =))) The sign said it was only a kilometer away, but it was actually about 3-4 kms away. =))) So Ryan decided to bring me there, then just go back down for Bahrom. =)))))

Zaky and Edo were the first ones there, then Fikri, then I, Ryan and Bahrom. A little while later, the others came. AND THEN ANDI CAME <3 My super cute buddy. =))) And then Khresna and Alvin and Zaky’s other friends. It was pretty cool cause were just sitting and eating and drinking coffee, just like any other chill night. <3

A little while later, we left to look for a new villa to rent. We went down to the village center, and started looking for a new place. We spent about 30-45 minutes going around, which proved to be futile. In the end, we decided to go back to Sidomukti, but this time, we found a better place! Awesome, awesome.

After getting settled in, we decided to chill at the benches just outside our room. The sad thing was that people just divided into their own groups and had their own conversations. After that, people started to leave, and the management complained that we were being too loud, so we moved the party inside. Played some music, danced a bit, then eventually people fell asleep one by one.

Today was a fun day. =))))

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xoxo C

[To be honest, a lot of things happened this night – I just can’t remember much of what happened, hahahaha!]

Episode 38: SMA Sint Louis + Java Mall with Iva Kali Putri Evan and Ryo + Lawang Sewu + D’bims Kedungmundu

Today was another Bahasa Indonesia class with Miss Dani, but this time, she invited her former students (the kids who just graduated from 12^th grade) to practice with us. We spent about an hour and a half asking each other questions. I found it fun, surprisingly. Before all that though, we went to the kindergarten because Iva and Kali wanted to see the little kids… I’m not that good with little kids. =))) Debo and Jens were there, too, and we danced this dumb kangaroo dance with them and the kids hahahaha

After the Bahasa Indonesia lessons, we (Iva, Kali and I, along with Miss Dani’s former students, Putri, Evan, Dimas, and Ryo) went to Java Mall to have lunch at Solaria. Dimas had to leave earlier though. After lunch we took some photos. J)) Being in Indonesia really makes me feel like a celebrity hahahaha

We were at JCo planning for our farewell party, and Ryan came a few minutes later. After him, Edo came too. Iva and Kali were planning their trips with Edo, so they left to buy train tickets, and Ryan and I decided to go to Lawang Sewu.

Lawang Sewu reminded me a bit of my old high school. The architecture, I mean. There was this exhibit about the history of the railway system in one of the buildings, and it was fascinating. After Lawang Sewu, Ryan and I had dinner at D’bims Kedungmundu. I was supposed to meet up with Zaky’s friends after, but my phone died, so I couldn’t meet up with them. I just received their messages when I got home, but then it was too late to go back out again. Oh well.

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xoxo C

Episode 37: Dr. Eko Budihardjo’s birthday celebration + CL Mall > Marina Port > Tun Jang Cafe (with Kali Iva Seif Ryan Bahrom and Tito)

Today was the birthday of this really important professor in UNDIP, Dr. Eko Budihardjo. He also happened to be one of the Board of Advisers for AIESEC UNDIP, so we had to present something.

I was furious. I had to perform by myself in front of a ton of people who wouldn’t even understand my lyrics. Gah. Iva and Kali did some traditional Bulgarian dance, and when I thought my performance was gonna be cancelled, I got called up to perform. Fuck. =)))) I hated it, gah.

After that whole fiasco, we found ourselves at Ciputra Mall again. Iva needed to buy another battery (it was really funny cause she walked into the same store twice hahahaha). We went to the food court to kill time, and later, Ryan, Tito and Bahrom came to hang out with us. The conversations were very interesting. I love talking with people who come from different backgrounds, because their insights are always so diverse. It’s hard to find conversations like these, and I really thank AIESEC for giving me this. =))))

We were supposed to have dinner at the Beer Garden with Edo at 7pm, and to kill some more time, we decided to go to the Marina. While going to the parking lot, we found Edo, which was perfect, because we didn’t have enough motorcycles, and now we did. :)

We drove to the Marina – I with Ryan, Seif with Tito, Iva with Bahrom, and Kali with Edo. The place was pretty cool, even though it was really dark. You could see the dark waves crashing against some rocks. We stayed there for about 30 minutes, just chilling and listening to music.

After that, we left to have dinner. At the intersection, we just decided to go to the shisha place Iva and Kali went to a few weeks ago. We knew that it was along Kedungmundu, the road I follow when going home, but we didn’t know where it was exactly. We got a little lost, but we found it eventually. It was pretty chill, actually. There was a live band that was good and the food was alright. The shisha was cool too, hahaha! (Hello, mom, if you’re reading this… Hi =)))))))

At around 9.50, I asked Ryan to take me home, else I would be locked out of my house again. We were at my host family’s house in 10 minutes, and Ryan went home.

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xoxo C