#11-#27 --- Part 1

Well. I did a long absent from blogging. I feel guilty for not fulfilling my own word to write my journal everyday. But’s it’s been almost 2 weeks right? You must have missed some part of my story in here. But not that much actually, I tried to save my money because the first initial cost was a bit tricky to be faced so yeah while waiting my scholarship being transferred in this end of the month, let’s just be patient (still sneaking to steal any chance to visiting somewhere).

Well, that’s quite a long preambule. So here they are:

#11 (IT’S 14 DAYS AGO!)

(Took quite a long time to remember) This was my last time having my Indomie goreng telur. Since I got the cooking utensils from Salma I think I’d like to try to cook by myself doubtfully. But I think the pan doesn’t match the IH stove, so I think I have to buy one before start cooking my dinner. I rushed to the supermarket to find the pan. I doubt in Hakyuen Shop the pan was match to the stove, so it cost me a bit pricy but still I have to own it! I also bought some ingredients, because I think I’d like to start cooking the simple one, vegetable soup + bakwan. 

THX MICROWAVE!

I was back to the dorm and started making the dough for the bakwan, but unfortunately I guessed I took wrong flour, it’s not the wheat flour but the sago. Very bad start, but what a lesson for me because I ended up making Cireng! That I never ever tried to make even one in my life, but in here by accident I just can make it! (Even it’s still far from perfect than the cireng in Indonesia)

Vegetable Soup = Menu andalan. Cireng = Menu dadakan.

#12 MEET THE HOSTFAM IN IC HALL

In the morning, Fika had her Final Project presentation. I wished it to went good and finaly Tika & Fika both could make it to had their graduation on November this year.

Ini scrapbook dari mereka dan saya bawa sampai Jepang! Kawaii.
congrats FIKA & TIKA! Wisuda duluan aku ga bisa dateng :( 

So I was so excited because of the announcement that I could have a host family in Japan. That day, is the first meeting of the student and the host parents. But different from the common terms, this host family program could not allow us to stay in their house, so it’s just like doing the activities together and sharing the intercultural experiences.

So I met the mother who is going to host me for the half year. She is Keiko-san, and later on will be called Okaasan. What a coincidence, 3 years ago she also hosted one of my senior from my university, Mbak Andyan, so she knew a lot of things about Yogyakarta, Architecture and Muslim. Okaasan said they went to a lot of places to visit the famous architectural building in Japan with Mbak Andyan. Waw I felt so much relieved.

Okaasan! Saya masih terlalu hitam ternyata untuk ukuran Indonesia banding Jepang.

After that meeting I went back to the dorm to try another cooking skill. Still using the Sagoo, I made the cireng, plus scrambled egg and rice. Still the simple food that I can do so far.

HAHAHA Each meals I cooked should be uploaded.

#13 OUSSEP IT & Library Orientation at Tonoyaka Campus

For me walking to the Suita Campus took almost 40 minutes every day! If we would like to go to the Tonoyaka Campus you may face 2 option: Take the shuttle bus by free but you have to walk from your dorm to Suita campus first, or use the Monorail that will cost you 580 yen round trip. I’d like to choose the first option but whoops the shuttle bus won’t be working until the schools start on October 1st. 

And as you can guess I have to take the monorail. It’s really not an option but we have to go to Toyanaka campus. The orientation at that day went boring, I did the teary-sleepy-yawning things much time. Till there’s the lunch break, we went to eat in Sora cafeteria that I was not sure that I could eat over there. Afterall the guide told me that I could still buy a sushi or onigiri in the market next to the cafeteria. I would be commenting a lot of times about how much I’ve spent on that day that it was really pricy over pricy over here in Osaka. 

After the orientation, I asked Sam to take me to the sim card shop near that campus & his dorm. We went to the Bic Camera to buy the IIJmio sim card. As he used it for his phone, so I just followed his step. It costs 4093 yen for the simcard and the 2giga data plan. Wanna give another ‘WAW?’ right? Yeah maybe I should stop comparing Japan to Indonesia, it won’t ever be over. 

Back to the dorm I went to the supermarket first to buy Sardines and the real flour.

#14 Meet my Independent Study Supervisor

So because I couldn’t meet him in last orientation, I tried to contact him by email and eventually also by facebook (Sensei gave a fast response in Facebook better than email hahahaha). So it was like their Lab’s moving day from the old building due to the renewal, and moved to another newer building U1W 9th floor in Suita campus. Before I went there, I prepare my brunch. Sardines & fried eggs plus the carrots and onions. I was happy and didn’t expect that to be that yummy (at least for myself I could take the taste was delicious, objective judge hahaha)

Bad appearance, good taste!

Okay so the first time I met my supervisor was exactly the same scene I imagined before and with the Sensei’s face it seemed familiar. So Sensei’s lab was LABO3, the same Labo that Mas Bryan took last year. So we talked about my plan during this semester. And there would be a tutor to help me during my stay, she was Mai.

After meeting my supervisor, at last night I sent a reservation email to visit the Ibaraki Kasugaoka Church a.k.a Church of the Light by Tadao Ando in Ibaraki. It was really close to Osaka University, so I took a walk there relied on my GPS (huray I had the internet connection by now!)

I didn’t expect that day will be a lot of visitors! Waw, I see this Church of the light is really popular. But I wondered if anyone would pay a visit to Ibaraki, since it’s kind of far from the Osaka town. It was amazing! I can see it by my own, not only through the magazine or internet. 

Actually I have to give an architectural statement related my visit to this church but I think later I will share you my opinion about this building in an architectural way. So by now I was about to say that the building was awesome! Even it’s as old as me now, but the popularity didn’t seem decreasing. It was one of the great masterpiece by Ando. I wonder if someday I could meet Ando, because Ando was from Osaka so I guess there must be any small chance to meet him directly.

I didn’t know that I have to pay, so I was put my 300 yen in the box (it said the minimum you could give is 300yen). So I enjoyed the building for quite a long time. Experiencing from one angle to another, and I went back to the dorm after that.

#15 Hari BATIK & Dimulainya semester gugur 2014.

I had my morning class in Tonoyaka, and the shuttle bus is working! So I and my friend from the same floor, Chloe, went to Suita by foot. It seems like only the two of us who didn’t own a bike hahahha. So we left the dorm early than any other people. Actually, there is a lot of people who’d like to ride a bus to the tonoyaka campus that morning so it was a lot of people in the bus (almost in every morning).

I had my JA100, and was told to buy the book. So I went to the bookstore to get that. While waiting my next class (from 1st period to 4th period is a long gap time), I met my OUSSEP friend who will wait till that class I also planned to take. Then we ate at the cafeteria (again I bought the sushi and onigiri) while the other enjoying their bento. 

After that they said they’d like to do the homework (for the 1st time you had the homework already guys? Must be because this is Osaka Univ! The top 3 university in Japan) So they headed to the library while I’m waiting till 1 PM for gathering with PPI-ON based in Tonoyaka Campus to take a group photo because today was the Batik day! We all wore Batik at that day!

After that I followed them to eat in cafeteria. But I’ve eaten sushi & onigiri? Whatever, as long as I know where to eat any halal food I’d like to try! So in another cafeteria they provide the halal food as I ate the Halal Chicken Curry Rice. After that I followed the PPI girls who’d like to go to to Toyonaka Int’l House to see The Nurma. As I imagined the Tonoyaka Int’l House was so into me! But unfortunately I just couldn’t make it. So there we had a chit chat until I had to chase my next class.

My next class is about Media & Communication in Japan. I wasn’t into it. It’s boring and that subject didn’t attract me. So maybe if I want to change it I have to look after another class to take.

When I arrived at the dorm, I got the information there were be new Indonesian people in my dorm.  So in the evening one of them asked me to come to the lounge to see each other. I accompanied them to buy some stuffs and foods and eventually I ended up bought another sardines. And since there was 9 PM, as the supermarket gave a half price for the product, it began to be a war between them and the old people who also have been waited for the discount time.

#16 Suita – Mino – Suita

I was quite sure that today would be a tiring day. I was meant to take 3 course in a day. The 1st one was JA 100 in the first period that forced me to wake up early because I had to spent 40mins on walking to the Suita campus. The second one was in the 3rd period and it was on Mino! At first, I doubted to register in this course because I’ve asked a lot of people whether they took this class or no. And the last class was in Suita again in the 5th last period.

About the course I took in Mino, I convinced myself by asked Salma what course did she take and did she take this class as well. And surprisingly, Salma said this class would be the most fun among the other classes. So I had a positive energy while headed to Mino campus by the shuttle bus. I thought it would take a long time to Mino, but I was wrong. I think it’s better that the way from Suita to Tonoyaka. Fortunately, there were also some of the OUSSEP students who took this class as well, even we’re only 6 person at that time I guess.

Afterall, I still had my last class in the meantime, the others just headed to their home. But I was still in the positive mood because the last class was as fun as Salma said and the class I was going to enroll this time is Architectural related subject. But surprisingly, even this course had the ‘Intriduction to Global Architecture’ title that didn’t mean that you would just heard the design and planning thing, but also the naval architecture and structural engineering. I was shocked! But this one was the only one who related the most to my major so I thought I will enroll this class as well.

So I was back at dorm tired. But I had to buy some groceries to cook for daily. Double tired!

#17 Bedrest :P

So today I took a long nap after I woke up. I felt fresh again in about 3 PM. I just suddenly remembered that I should met Yayak’s friend who visited Osaka during this weekend. I promised her that I could accompany her for some walk and dinner. But I ruined it, yes because at this time she mustn’t had the internet connection as she said she only had the internet connection at the hostel. 

About 4.30 PM she replied my Line, and asked me for some dinner around Namba. I was really confused whether I should go or not at that time, because first Namba was quite far from my dorm 2nd it costs quite a lot of money to go on a round trip and 3rd is because it’s too late only for a dinner. So I decided that I couldn’t met her at that time and promised that we are going to meet up again someday in Osaka or Tokyo. A bit guilty and I blamed myself, but that was my principle in this initial months. Yeah I was stingy for spending money to travel things. That drives me crazy too.

(continued to part 2)