2nd Dating Anniversary

I don’t know what is the exact translation of “pacaran” in english, i think it’s pretty much dating.

So, we celebrated our 1st anniversary at Luna Negra restaurant, Jakarta.

And now, we’re trying something different by celebrating it on an island! Well, actually it’s because the Krabi incident, so we booked a room at Nirwana Garden resort, Bintan.

Bintan is actually a part of Indonesia, but amazingly it’s not popular amongst Indonesian, yet we saw so many Korean, Japanese, Chinese, and Singaporean coming. The place itself only accept SGD. I will review the place in the next post!

So, because the foods are very expensive there, I planned to bring my own food for our anniversary dinner. I asked BF to bring the delicious pork satay from Jakarta.. and for the rest we bought it from hawker centre below my HDB. I already bought some candles, wine glasses, and wine opener from Daiso (2 dollar store).. not to forget to bring the rose wine which he bought from Paris last month.

The moment become even more perfect when we found a gazebo nearby our resort beach, so we don’t need to use my pashmina and getting sandy. But, unfortunately I didn’t aware that having a candle light dinner nearby the beach is impossible, because it’s very windy! Wind has turn off our light all the time, grrr… so we’re busy to turn it on again, because we don’t have anymore source of light to see what we’re eating!

It’s so funny when I was expecting to hear the same theme of words as our 1st anniversary (things like.. Thank God I found you, thanks for coming into my life…), yet what he said is.. “don’t go”. For these few months, we knew that we will face enormous challenge while I’m going to France. But, he never said that it’s bugging his mind. Well, in this very own moment, I think he just spill out everything.. include “I’m afraid I will have an affair…”. And to be honest, I’m not shocked nor mad. Because, I do think the same way.. I am afraid that the skin hunger will make me betray him.. and when I do apologize to him, our relationship will not be the same again.

So, in that very moment.. we’re just busy to talk what we have in mind and forget all the romantic stuffs.. even though, you know that I’m a romance junkie.. I’m still hoping he’s coming with a flower or sweet words. But, I don’t think I will get any of those from this unromantic man. I think I just need to bear that, if I want to accept him as one package.

I don’t know.. I just started to feel that my feeling has changed.. I don’t know if it’s towards the good or bad sign.

My weekend

My old friend, Elizabeth, is visiting from KL!
Saturday
Newest garden in Singapore: Garden by the bay!

Sunday
Went to my other college friend, Novie, at lakeshore condo. She has amazingly cute puppies!

Getting Married

When I was a small girl… I used to think that, how if I don’t have a soulmate (Indonesian: jodoh)?

How if I can’t find Mr. Right and never get married?

Then, I also wondering.. what would his name be.. what is his surname.. somewhat surname become so important to me, because I don’t like my surname.

For Indonesian (and probably, Asian), getting married somewhat the biggest achievement in someone’s life (esp. girl, i think).

So, when one’s failed to pursue that life’s goal, people will fell pity to him/ her.

Me myself always doubt that way of thinking, because I don’t think getting married is an achievement. It’s a choice in life. Choice to not be alone, but maybe spend more money and time for someone else (your spouse and children).

My choice of life is.. getting married, but when i feel that i’m ready financially, mentally, and meet the very right person. I experienced my parent’s bad marriage life, and I don’t want my children to experience it as well. I have to be careful.

So, when I reach 24, I started to feel afraid because I haven’t met anyone right. Some men passed by my life.. sometimes they’re jerk, or even more jerk. I have a crush with someone before that, and hoping that we can be soulmate.. but fortunately God found ways to make a distance between us, because he’s not a good man. I need more mature man.

When I met Jeffrey, I am in the condition where some guys trying to be closer to me.. and I don’t feel like being committed to something called “marriage”. I’m still young and I need to enjoy my freedom as long as I can.

But, time goes by.. I begin to miss him constantly.

I begin to see the quality inside him.

Not to mention he cleaned my toilet, fix the clogged pipes.. haha.. that what I called quality!

And I begin to feel comfort when he’s around, and feeling lost when he’s not.

Well, if I may say.. that is the moment when a girl can decide that she need to pursue another stage of life..

The journey is not easy, because at this moment we already pursue 8 months of LDR.. not to mention, further LDR between Jakarta-Paris for another year.

So, here we are..

I just met her mommy yesterday, and being interviewed for an hour!

And now, I’m trying to understand that his mommy wants to have a party in Jakarta, so all of her relatives can come.

Actually, it’s not a dream wedding as I imagined.

I want a private and warm party, where everybody can talk to each other and I don’t need to stand on the stage for 2 friggin’ hours.

And yeah.. party in Jakarta is not cheap (nor Bali, actually).

Now I’m trying to find outdoor venue in Jakarta, so at least I can get half of the things I wanted 🙂

Lampions, lots of fresh flowers, lights.. pinks.. ribbons.. white gazebo.. I wish I can have it all..

Anyway, I still wanted the bended knee.. sigh!

Heart this!

flowers!

France Student Visa (Carte long sejour)

I just went to the France embassy yesterday located at Botanics garden, Singapore.

This whole visa thing has given me a headache, started from the travel insurance, which is not implied from the letter. Then.. the admission letter from University hasn’t been arrived yet for more than a week!

I have been reaching the embassy proactively to ask about these requirements, and thankfully they can understand.

The process took around 30 minutes.

I came at 10.45 AM, and the security guard rejected me, because my appointment is at 11 AM. So, I waited in front of MRT like a stupid girl..

After 10.57 AM, I went back to the embassy and got inside.. A couple went out and the girl looked pissed off. She said, don’t go to the right.. the french girl. So, I began to be afraid, and fortunately I got the chinese girl on the left side.

Well, I don’t think she’s better off.. she just roll me the glue without saying anything.. (ask me to glued my picture on the paper).

But overall, the process went fine, and I was very relieved!

However, I have to wait for 10 days to check their decision through the embassy online website 😦

Crossing finger, May God help me! Amen!

Scholarship Hunt

My undergrad graduation day!

I am no expert to discuss this matter, but I will tell you my experience to get scholarship.. and the process you have to follow after that..

I started to interested to pursue master degree since I’m in my bachelor degree. I wanted to feel how.. studying overseas. Since then, I browsed all available scholarship.. but I’m still afraid to apply. First, because i need money to start applying.. because most scholarship would asked me to be admitted first in the respective’s country university.. And to get admitted, I have to send hard copy document to the university. It would cost me around Rp 200,000 – 400,000 (USD 25-45), and at that moment it’s quite big.

Then, I started working.. and start to encourage myself to break the barrier. I started to take TOEFL, as the first requirement.. trying to spank my butt to take GMAT, but i’m never willing to. Browsed all the scholarship in the world every night.. and trying my luck under my finger (online application) or through the envelopes..

List of scholarship I ever applied:

1. Huygens Scholarship (Netherland), they required fresh graduates from bachelor degree, which being top 5% in his/her class. But, some of my friend said it’s only given for people who wants to pursue M.Phil (Master of Philosophy). That’s why, I decided not to apply this one.

2. STUNED (Dutch), I have to get a letter from my employer, stated that I will be working there after I accomplished my study. Lots of private company won’t give us that privilege, although one of my friend work in BP (British Petroleum) and able to get that letter.

3. ENDEAVOUR (Australia), Actually Australian give large amount of scholarship quotas for Indonesian, around 300 students per year.. because both countries have good relationship and lots of Indonesian went to Australian college (mostly because it’s the nearest ‘western’ country from Indonesia, only 5-6 hours of direct flight). But…. the negative side is… you have HUGE competitors! I think the ratio would be 1:500.

4. CHEVENING (UK), I applied this scholarship online, right before X-Mas 2009, because they always open the application right before X-Mas. But, I never heard anything from them since then.

5. BGF (France), this scholarship used to require us to apply for program in French language. But, fortunately in 2011, they changed the rules. I got into the final round, I don’t know exactly why… but I think because I wrote the motivation letter from the heart.. I told them why I want to be educated, foremost because education open huge opportunities in front of me.. But, i didn’t passed the final round. I think because they want someone who will contribute more to “our country”, yet I’m studying business management and I can only contribute by being entrepreneur. I cried when I knew that I was rejected! I am very devastated and I ask God, why……..?

6. DAAD (Germany), sending documents to university plus a form to be admitted as DAAD scholars as well.. got reply by e-mail about 4 months after, that I am not suitable for the scholarship. Already give up… since I just started working in Google Singapore at that moment, so this e-mail didn’t bug me at all.

7. EIFFEL (France), I already trying to apply this scholarship since 2010, but I was told by Bordeaux University that I was late. Actually I was quite pissed, because they told me that after I got admitted into the university! Fortunately, I can use that letter to apply BGF scholarship. So, I tried again for the second year (2011), thanks to some advices from my friend to seek university in Rennes. Rennes is quite near to Paris, and I need a public university with low tuition, because this scholarship do not cover tuition. Actually I wanted to go to Grenoble business school, but I have to pay around EUR 15,000 – 18,000 for one year study! And I think applying for public university will help you to be selected, because it shows that you cannot afford the education (If you have money to go to private ecole, so why would they give you the scholarship?).

After getting rejection from DAAD, I didn’t expect to hear good news from Eiffel scholarship (I apply both in the same time). But, in March 2012, suddenly I got a very surprising e-mail from the person in charge in University of Rennes 1 (Where I got admitted to), Miss Odile Soulard.

She’s so nice from the beginning ’til now, helping me to get through with all the process.. I don’t know whether I can get this scholarship if I’m applying to other school (Since that bordeaux school didn’t help me much!).

And now, the next stage is to deal with France bureaucracy.. yeah, I just knew that not only Indonesian who has infamous bureaucracy.. Somewhat depressing, but eyes on the prize!! Bonjour, France!

Key to Happiness

When i was a kid, i was taught that achievement can shape my future.

When i was just graduated, i thought money can make me happier.

But now i realized that human inter relations is what life all about (even sometimes help our way to the top)

Singapore’s Pink Dot 2012

few Googlers (include me) join this fabulous activities to support gay in Singapore, last saturday (June 30).

It was so much fun! Things that I wont get in Indonesia (Because being gay is a great sin in moslem).

I always believe everyone has equal chance though, nor gay or other.. because sometimes it’s not their fault.. they’re just born with it.. so why do we judge them anyway?