Lost in China

Starting from yesterday, I can turn on air conditioner in my room…how nice….now i can enjoy sleeping at night without mosquitos biting all over my body left the red dot remarks everywhere. I used to leave my windows wide open to let fresh air can goes easily into the room, make the room is not so hot. But then as the results, not only fresh air come in, along with that, the cruel mosquitos who never tired suck in your blood….Whole saturday I spent watching Korean movies, A story about a cook servant who then became a doctor in a palace, the setting is around 15 or 16th century, in the time when Ming Dynasty ruled China.

The interesting is, that this movie taught me the work ethics and lots of philosophy that I find it so useful in life…..I thought it is completely correct, that when you do a work, you should give all your heart and your effort trying to make the best of it……be serious in your work, always digging in things that you should learn….no one can reach success without hard works or rely on talent only……..this is also the morale I grasped when watching an interview of a (also) Korean singer who hits the world lately….It’s all about hard works that make him ‘big’ as he is now….his life story just burst me into tears. I thought we should learn from Korean people about giving out your best in everything you do…..I guess this morale which makes Korea steps ahead Indonesia. Come on my fellow Indonesian, we are blessed with rich natural resources, we have everything only lack of fighting spirits……so try your best in everything. AJA AJA FIGHTING.

What you give to life, life would bring it back to you…..

How long before I get in
Before it starts before I begin
How long before you decide or
Before I know what it feels like
Where to, where do i go?
If you never try then you’ll never know
How long do i have to climb
Up on the side of this mountain of mine

Look up, I look up at night
Planets are moving at the speed of light
Climb up, up in the trees
Every chance that you get is a chance you seize
How long am I gonna stand
With my head stuck under the sand
I start before I can stop or
Before I see things the right way up

All that noise and all that sound
All those places I got found
And birds go flying at the speed of sound
To show you how it all began
Birds came flying from the underground
If you could see it then you’d understand

Ideas that you’ll never find
All the inventors could never design
The buildings that you put up
Japan and China all lit up
A sign that I couldn’t read
or a light, that I couldn’t see
Some things you have to believe
When others are puzzles, puzzling me

All that noise and all that sound
All those places I got found
And birds go flying at the speed of sound
To show you how it all began
Birds came flying from the underground
If you could see it then you’d understand
Oh, when you see it then you’ll understand

All those signs I knew what they meant
Somethings you can’t invent
Some get made, and some get sent
And birds gone flying at the speed of sound
To show you how it all began
Birds came flying from the underground
If you could see it then you’d understand
Oh, when you see it then you’ll understand

by Coldplay

Some people may come and go, some will stay and leave footprints in our hearts and we’ll never be the same again -unknown-

It’s kinda a bit late to write this one but i guess it is still part of our journey in China—the final pieces to complete the puzzle. Our last trip in China was the trip to Tibet at the end of last September. As some of you might have known, that we planned this trip soon as we came to China but for my self even before i left Indonesia. I still remember vaguely I watched National Geographic on TV a couple years ago, it was all about Tibet, Lhasa, Dalai Lamas and since then i’ve became fascinated with Tibet and set my heart that one day I must go to see this place. So when the chance came to visit China, i didn’t think twice….it was one big step closer to Tibet. I searched high and low on the internet,summed up all the information including the cost and other technical things on how should i get there. But still, i need companion, this kinda hold me back….due to several reasons, some of them are because i’m a girl….a small one, which is physically impossible for me to defend my self if i get attacked by stranger and also this was my first trip abroad. It wasn’t China that we talked about….it was Tibet, sounded  a ‘no where’ place, far, isolated, off the beaten track and unaccessible. I didn’t even have any idea what’s the status of this country, is it a country, a state under China or??? but then I found out that Tibet is a special administrative region under China, it is called TAR, Tibet Autonomous Region. 

Lucky for me, i have friends who shared the same interests and passion, Edwin and Fitrix, Both of them were also excited about Tibet, so Fitrix arranged everything and contact the travel agent to take care of the trip and documents needed. We decided that we should try the new railway Qinghai - Tibet, which just been opened for 2 months and looks people rushing to take on this train. This raised up our excitement for the trip. It still several months to go but we already dream and imagining the trip, the train, Tibetan culture etc every day and the news about the train and Tibet were always on CCTV 9, driving us crazy…….counting time to time.

Oops, i need to work now…will continue the story later…..oh yeah, i remember one moment when we went to Ganden Monastery, 30 km outside Lhasa, by jeep and we passed along Lhasa river, it was extremely gorgeous…..very very beautiful, i could never can forget it….and the songs You’re Beautiful by James Blunt kept ringing in my mind.

You’re beautiful…You’re beautiful….You’re beautiful…It’s true….I saw your face in a crowded place and I don’t know what to do….’cause I’ll never be with you…..

for Mr. Sta*R*bucks, for all beautiful memories we had…

honey, I’m coming home…

I should knew this two months ago, when this link came up on the "incoming links" tags.

Today I just found out that one person read our story about Indonesia food in Beijing through that link. That’s mean our story has became the reference for Asia Travel weblog. Isn’t it great…hehehe…

August 17, 2006. 61th Indonesia’s Independence Day.

We celebrated our National Day at Indonesian Embassy in Beijing. There were flag ceremonial, BBQ, live music and games (& gifts) for kids. It’s quite lovely day cause we met some new friends and also we had a chance to made conversation with our Ambassador, Vice-Ambassador and other embassy’s persons.

Didn’t wanna leave when time showed 2.00pm, but still we had to go back to Yanjiao.

A couple days ago we went to Indonesian Embasssy which located in the diplomatic area close to bar streets Sanlitun. We never officially report our selves and last Wed eventually managed to have a visit to Indonesian embassy. A friend of Fitrix who works at the embassy set up our visit and also arrange a meeting with the Ministry of Economic to have a little talk with us. We talked about lots of things, our condition, weather, traffic to tsunami, earthquake which recently hit Indonesia. After that, following the standard procedure, we brought along passports, working permit and photos and report ourselves to the embassy officer. Having a look at our papers, she told us that our staying has been illegal in China. The officer said that we should report ourselves to the embassy within 30 days after the arrival otherwise it will be considered as an illegal stay and will be fined in case of overdue. We are late for two months and the fine will be 5000 RMB or equal to 5,7 million in Rupiah

How surprised we were with this, we thought that everything has been taken care by HR including residence and working permit. So far that i could recall that once i got here, the secretary asked for medical report, passport and visa to administer for all the permits. So when the secretary came up with working permit, i thought everything has been settled down. Apparently, HR here is not quite familiar with the procedure moreover our coming here is a new thing for them. Nevertheless, i still be grateful this problem was disclosed and solved soon. I can’t imagine so much troubles we run into, if by the time we should leave and not having residence permit. Course we can’t leave this country without it.

Another thing we should add from our last trip to Beijing, is that our cost of living (regardless of accomodation, since it’s all has been provided by company whereever we stay) in Beijing probably will be much cheaper compared to living in Yan Jiao. For example, with 10 Yuan you can have a quite nice meal in a mal in Sanlitun area compared to Yan Jiao where at least you need 25 Yuan. Sanlitun is a place where a lot of expats inhabited, just like Kemang in Jakarta. Lots of cafes, bars, mals to be found here. A place for nightlife and entertainment with relatively cheaper prices.   

photo by edwin 

Today the sky is so blue and it is a hot sunny day for sure…but is it the hottest day for summer in China…??? dunno…

According to this information, today we have 33 Celcius with 41% humidity…quite hot and clear but still mois I think…we’ll have hot sunny day until Sunday and turn to a little bit rainy on Monday…rain in summer…???