Things I'm Thankful For In The Last Few Days

First, for the fact that i got a chance to be one of the honor students from my department again this year. I didn't think that i would make it again this year. Anyway, being an honor student is not suppose to be the goal of studying. I see it more as a bonus reward for the hard work we've done. Don't you think so folks?

Second, for the chance to learn how to sing a Japanese song with a talented singing couch. I love listening to the music, i love singing, but i never really able to sing well. And today i learned to sing a Japanese song entitled "Pop Master" by Mizuki Nana. Well, i didn't practice for the whole song though, but for the parts that i practiced today, i would say i got better :)

Third, for the unbelievably amazing team work i had with three other people in preparing a presentation for bio-business case study course. All of us didn't really know each other before, we are all different in interests, passions, etc. But we could manage to be ready by the time we need to present it. And as for me, it's a real challenge to deliver a presentation in Japanese language. Blah. The hardest part was when the audiences started to ask questions, it's like they didn't care whether me, a foreigner who has limited proficiency in Japanese, understand the question or not (-__-). And guess what, i didn't understand many of the questions so i had my team mates to explain the questions in more understandable phrases. LOL. Otsukaresan, minna :)

So, those were three things i'm thankful for in the last few days. Well, of course there are a bunch of other things which i should be thankful for that i don't think those should be listed here. hehe.

Anyway, enjoy the remaining of the week by being productive friends! Bye :D  

Discussion Forum with Prof. Ginandjar Kartasasmita

I had a very nice opportunity to attend a discussion forum where Prof. Ginandjar Kartasasmita as the keynote speaker. Prof. Ginandjar Kartasasmita, who was ever been as Minister of Mining and Energy in Indonesia and also Head of Bappenas, was having a visit to Japan. He attended a seminar as the keynote speaker, too few days before the discussion forum.

This discussion forum was held by PPI Jepang at Indonesian Embassy, Meguro, Tokyo. It started on 3 pm and ended on 4.30 pm. Because of the limited space of the room, so the comittee also limited the participants. The registration was done a day before. So the participants were about 30 people which included Indonesian students from several universities and some staffs of Indonesian Embassy. Because we just had a short period of time, so during the discussion, Prof. Ginandjar prefered to have Q&A session than to have him given the presentation.

From that discussion, i got some new knowledge that i didn't know before. And i found out that we couldn't see one country's problems from a simple perspective. It's known that the problems of a country happened because some complex causes.

That's why, we, as Indonesian citizens, shouldn't have been complaining to the government all the time.  Yes, it's true that some parts of the government have done mistakes, but there're also some parts of the government who try as hard as possible to manage this country. Of course to make a better situation in our country, whether politically, economically, etc., we need some processes which will take much time. Don't just be a complainer, but be smart, be a thinker, do some acts, let's make a better future!

Homestay at Yugawara Machi

Hey, everyone! How's life been doing these days? I hope you guys had great days. I just got back home (well, not exactly home, but dormitory) after spending one-week-homestay in Yugawara yesterday. Never imagined that I would have such an experience like that before. It was great. The whole week during my homestay period.

Start from the very first day, it was started from Kyodo Station. We (me and the other three girls) took an express Odakyu Line to Odawara. Well, even it was an express one, but it didn't help at all on making short the trip. Yeah, it was a long long long trip. It took about 80 minutes from Kyodo to Odawara. After we reached Odawara Station, we transferred to JR Tokaido Line which was heading to Yugawara Station. It took about 15 minutes from Odawara to Yugawara.

When we arrived at Yugawara Station, I started to feel nervous. Wondering what kind of host family would be my new family. I was so happy when I easily found my host mom because she was holding on a welcome board with my name on it. She also put some greetings in Indonesian language on that board. I didn't talk so much that time. Well, just as usual, i'm not really good talking with 'new person'. But then, after the opening ceremony and brief explanation about the homestay program, my host mom took me to her sister's coffee shop. We started to chat general things that people might talk about at the first meeting. Yeah, it was a bit hard because i'm not used to talk in Japanese. While my host mom often talks with many 'strange' vocabularies that I haven't knew before. Then after spending about an hour there, finally we went to my host family's home. I should say it is a nice house. It is the collaboration between Japanese classic style and modern equipped house. And I also got a nice room with TV, CD player, and air conditioner. When it came to the time for dinner, I was a bit shocked because the family served so many foods. I was a kind of worry that I wouldn't able to eat them all (of course what I mean 'all' here are only those foods on my plate, my bowl, and many others). It took almost an hour for me to eat them all and I was so full after that. And every meal always be like that.

On the second day, I went to some places in Yugawara with the other students. We went to a museum and onsen for feet (maybe it almost like feet hot spring). After that we went to a park (too bad I can't remember the name of the park) and had barbeque there. We also played a 'hitting the watermelon” game. I got it. Yayy. I hit it. Hehehe.

On the third day, me, the other students, and all of the staff Yugawara International Exchange Association participated in Yassa Matsuri. The girls wore Yukata and the boys wore Happi. We were dancing Yassa odori and walking about 1-2 km around Yugawara. I was tired but it was fun though.

On the fourth day, the daughter of my host family came, then we went to Odawara castle and a shopping place. At night, me and my host sister went to see firework display. It was great.

On the fifth day, my host dad asked for a holiday from his office, so we (the whole family) went for a family trip to Hakone. Well, it was a great place. But since the road is a kind of mountainous road (more extreme than Puncak if you know) and I didn't feel well from the beginning of the day, so I vomited several times. Oh I was so sick that day and I couldn't really enjoy the trip. Anyway in Hakone we went to some places. One of them is Musee du petit prince de saint exupery a hakone, which is a museum with French style. My host dad bought me a souvenir from that museum :). We also got on Hakone-Ropeway. We could see a great view from the ropeway.

On the sixth day, we were learning a bit of Japanese culture like tea ceremony, ikebana, and zazen. Well, I enjoyed it even though I didn't really like the tea in tea ceremony. At the night, me, my host mom, and my host sister went to see firework display. Yes you may say 'Again?'. But this time we were gonna see the firework display from a fishermen boat in the sea. It was totally awesome! I was so happy that night.

On the seventh day, we had a farewell party. We should bring food that represent our countries and also we should show our countries' cultures. And I decided to dance and made Pisang Goreng (Fried Banana). That night, me and my host family stayed a bit late than usual. We had a long talk. Yeah, maybe because it's gonna be the last night for me in that house.

And finally on the last day, I felt like I didn't wanna leave. I wanted to stay there longer. But I had to leave. I was crying on the very last time. Yeahh. I had good times during a whole week.

又会いましょう！

Shopping at Shimokitazawa

Last Saturday, me and my friend went to an elementary school to be guest speakers in english club. Then me and my friend also did Cendrawasih dance and taught those elementary school students a basic pose of Bali dance. It was very interesting. I like Kumi-chan. She's so cute. She couldn't stop talking. But sometimes i couldn't understand because she spoke so fast.

On the way home, we dropped by at Shimokitazawa, and found out that there's sale! Finally i bought a pair of purple heels. Hehe.

Uhh yeaahh..
Today i went to Shimokiazawa again! Together with my senpai, Mba Rani, we went there at wednesday afternoon. What a perfect day! Hehehe..

Even now i'm in a condition of run out of money, but i can't hold my desire to buy a unique pants that i found at one store in Shimokitazawa. At the first time, i decided to leave the store without buying that pants. But after going around Shimokitazawa, finally i went back to that store and bought that pants. Hehe. Relief cuz finally i got that pants, but then a bit worried of how life would be some weeks later. Well, i hope i'm gonna be okay. Hehe.

Edo-Tokyo Museum

Last Sunday i went to Edo-Tokyo Museum with my english class' friends, Denny sensei, and Loida sensei. For those Japanese in my class, Edo-Tokyo Museum was boring. But for me, it was interesting. Because i could learn a lot about the history of Tokyo from the explanation of the tour guide. So, the begining of Tokyo was on Edo Era. The leader of Edo had a very strict regulation about the classification of the people who lived in Edo area. In the highest class were the samurai, in the second class were farmers, in the third class were ordinary people (citizens), and the lowest class were merchants.

After the Edo Era, then it changed to the mix era. When the foreigner started

to come to that area. And finally Japanese emperial moved from Kyoto to Tokyo (which means the east side of Kyoto).

And there are still many interesting stories there, so maybe when you're going around Tokyo, you can stop by there.

From Shinjuku Station, take JR Sobu line. Then get off at Ryogoku Station. It's about 3-7 minutes walk from the station to Edo-Tokyo Museum.

old ginza

kabuki

nihonbashi

Fake Real Texture Tutorial (by Vered)

I just googled a whole day, then finally i made myself feels so curious about how to create a texture page using photoshop. Then i found the tutorial. I'll learn to create some textures soon.

If you want to learn too, just click here for the tutorial. :)

Photo shots

These are my own photo shots. I borrowed the camera from Rama, click here to see his awesome photo shots.

a man was eating

it was someone's plate

I was curious about how to play with focus lens when taking photo using SLR. Those photos are not spectacular. But i'm just happy to see my first shots. hehe.

Nihongo no Tesuto

Yayy..
Just finished today's Japanese exam. I don't know did i do it perfectly or not. But i hope so :)

For Japanese people, maybe this test will be so much easy. But for me, i should do extra efforts to answer all the questions, thinking not only once but twice or even more before deciding what are the right answers.

It's been 2 months i stayed in Tokyo. But still, i feel like an alien each time i want to talk with Japanese people. Nihongo (Japanese Language) is totally hard for me. It's not only because of the grammar or vocabulary, but in speaking style, there are so much rules in order to stay polite. Last night i studied nihongo, then i read that when you want to talk about the topic with someone, you can't talk straight to the topic, but you should do some steps before it, maybe such opening speech. That's why it becomes harder.
But i'm happy though. I'm so spiritful to learn more the nihongo. I hope i can mastered it soon :)