FLashBaCk [of GoiNg AbRoaD]

Japan, The Netherlands and Belgium. Three countries I've gone to. Each with different purposes. Well, backpacking to paris tomorrow has flashbacked my memories. So, why don't u type a few lines of them?

1] JAPAN [mid-June til mid-August 2001]
A country of ancient culture n high-end technology. Fabulous, breathtaking n wonderful. No more to say, besides feeling regret that I could only spend 2 months there. During that time, I went to Osaka, Nara, Kyoto and Hiroshima. Nara n Osaka were where I stayed each for a month respectively, n Kyoto n Hiroshima were where I witnessed by my own eyes a deep n engaging history of this beautiful country.

Lots'd happened there; good n bad things. Being a student of Ikejima Senior High School, Nara for a month was an unforgettable experience. As well as having four different host-families, having lectures in Japanese [world history, Ei-go, Calligraphy, tea ceremony, kompyuta etc] playing together with tomodachi n kazoku [hanabi, karaoke, clubbing, swimming, going to Universal City of Japan, museum, hundreds of beautiful temples, Hiroshima atomic bomb spot n mourning site, eating sushi as much as I wanted, Shinkansen de notta!!!! n lots...lots of things]. I'd not describe each of them cronologically here, since this is only a summary.

My thanx for:
Okuno Family [the first host-fam, my lecturer n one of those families who could understand me much!!!Toosan, Kaasan, Yuri-neechan, I never forget the last night that we had fun together!!!]

Nomiyama Family [Suguru-niichan had many cool friends n manga [same taste w/ me] n this fam'd given me a free ticket to go to the Universal City of Japan for one day!!!!COOLL!!!]

Umezawa Family [Though it's just a couple of days, but staying at your home was unforgettable. Watching Blood:the Last Vampire, going to Hiroshima n playing piano in front of all of you was exhilarating]

Iwasaki Family [My last n one of my dearest fams. I spent a lot of my time with Sachiko-mama [I never forget how I called you back there :)]to go to many beautiful places in this paradise [sorry that I made you worried 'that day'], watched Sen to Chihiro with all of you [exc.Daisuke-niichan], origamiing, lekkere dinner elkedag etc, til we said goodbye for each other at the Osaka train station a night before I left.

~THANX TO AFS FOR GIVING ME A CHANCE TO SEE THIS ANIMANGA N VIDGAME HAVEN [also AFS 3-Days Camp event with international students near the end of this trip!!!!]~

2] BELGIUM [January 2004]
This was an excursion to Brussels, the capital city of European Parliament; a study trip for communication students. And it was an obligation, so I had no chance on cancelling it [cuze then we had to pay the tickets n hostel by ourselves]. We departed on Wed the 21st n returned to A'dam on Sat the 24th.

But hey, this trip that I thought would be soooooo boring had turned out to be in reverse. It went well, better than I expected [with international students, of course]. It's a nice town IMHO; the streets there reminded me of my hometown in Indonesia. Wide, many cars, high buildings here n there, highroad, a bit messy but more exotic than A'dam in any ways. I felt like I was home.

Well, four days staying there was supposed to be a final acknowledgement of student's view about EU n its surroundings. But what I remembered, on top of all, a night after [...or, was it before?] the presentation of my group, I was playing Guilty Gear XX, House of the Dead etc at the Arcade Gaming Center!!! God, it'd been so long not to see these treasures [not in A'dam]. Lina, Dee, Bee, Dom, Silvi, Doreen were there too [instead of taking our times at the Irish pub, drinking with other guys]. Hahah, not much to say more than that. O yeah, FYI I visited: EU Parliament n other offices, Russian embassy [but not going inside :P], Chicken Cottage, Irish Pub, Arcade center, Shopping center etc. The point is: I visited almost all of main sites there. N kinda miss Brussels now. Do you?
~NO ZONE-PAID TICKETS TO TAKE TRAM, ONE HOUR FOR EVERY CORNER IN THIS FRANCE-NEDERLAND CITY!!! CURSE GVB!!!! LONG LIVE BRUSSELS!!!~

PoeAsa Oy!!!

Assalamualaikum Wr.Wb.,

MARHABAN YAA RAMADHAN, MOGA2 PUASA KALI INI LEBIH COOL DRPD TAHUN2 SEBELUMNYA. BUAT SEMUANYA YG NGEJALANIN, SEMOGA FULL YAH [BUAT YG COWOK, YG CEWEK PASTI NGGAK..HEHEHEHE]

Wassalamualaikum Wr.Wb.

--[School project's almost finished, so...next on cover: "Eiffel, I'm In a Fasting Month"]--

EvEniNg EvEnT

I forgot... really, I forgot... that today was the day when we had an evening event for the other group of our class. It's eleventh of October, right? Crap!! It's fortunate that I attended the group meeting so I could prepare a bit for the event.

Hmm..meeting? Well, a lot had happened during that time. Began at 11.30 inside fishbowl, we started to check each other's work. As u know, there are 8 of us: 4 Dutch, 2 Chinese, 1 German, 1 Indonesian...:P.

There were problems. Regarding individual contributions to the group. Some members had done much work for the bid-book, while others seemed as they didn't care about it. I'd like to address the passive members here, but it'd be rude by name. So, there were 3 members who seemed that they didn't submit their tasks to the group report on due date. One Dutch and two Chinese. The others:
- Ma: an archivist, responsible n had done much work for the bid-book [layout, structure, general concept of the Bijlmer event etc]
- AJ [me..:P]: responsible n had done his tasks for compiling the historical data of Bijlmer population, history n problems description, finding sponsors n reported the feedback from the companies [Coke n Heineken] n event promotion products.
- Es: responsible for marketing report of the event also for evening event, n many other thingies [many, really].
- Te: the head of our group, so he'd covered all of our missing parts, responsible for everything n also marketing analysis n evening event. He'd done his task, entirely.
- Je: responsible for keeping minutes, logbook n external documents used for searching n observation. He had done the task to plan extreme sports for the event n the sponsors etc.

I won't say much about this, so one main thing is that we've been struggling to keep our track in the right direction, as the deadline gets nearer. We almost had a personal...well, say it as 'hatred' due to some members who behaved such like idiots. Didn't try to say nothing, didn't justify what she's done etc. Moreover, tried to piss other members who had worked so hard for this group. N that was really a disgrace for a professional wannabe, IMHO.

After the meeting [don't wanna say more about it], we went to Heinz to talk about our progress, positive n negative aspects etc. He told that if we needed to kick out some members, then we should wait til Wednesday [the due date of final justification of those 3 slacking members]. After that, if they still didn't show their works, so... got your kick at their butts!!!!!

'Warm' situation for the group [others would think it hot].

And the evening event started.
We met at the central station at 16 hundred, n waited for the others to come. It took at least 15 minutes of waiting. Esther n Paris were still not there, so we decided to phone them that we would meet them at the Albert Kuyp Market. Others took Tram 16 to get there, while I went by biking with Je [a terrible cold weather while the sun was shining]. After meeting at the front of the market, we divided the group into two to make organizing easier.

Strolling...strolling...seeing such cute n cool cheap thingies was nice. But, personally it's a bit boring. Chinese were having a group of their own, while we, 5 Dutch, 1 Indonesian, 3 German, gathered together.

Next, we had a drink at the nearest café there. I didn't take any, since I wasn't thirsty [what? wasting such a couple of Euros for bullshitting in front of my pals by drinking?!?! Sorry, hoor.

Almost 6 o'clocks. I needed to go having a prayer right now, so...go praying!!!at home.

19 hundred it was, when I finally got my butt home. Relaxed a bit, dunched [supper'd be at 8 or 9 IMO], n have been onlining since 19 thirty til now..

Hmmm...looking forward to evening event tomorrow... [hope better than today].

[For Mr. Reeve]
Bye, Sir Hero, salute for your dedication for your country n fulfilling your fans' needs. U'll always be the real Superman.