Merry Christmas 2015!

We started the celebration on Christmas eve each year, so the 24th of December is always a hectic day..
.. it wasn't always a good day though.


Yesterday morning as I was starting to prepare myself and everything I needed, things just went wrong.
I plan to go at 1 pm, I ended up leaving the house at 3:40. It was bad.
My laptop was acting up; it was a mess.

But nevertheless, once the first service began, everything just seemed fine :)
There was this peace that came, even though we had a real hectic first service, it felt like things went smoothly, and that we were getting through! :):)

Came the second service, I was a bit on the edge because there was a change in the service that I wasn't being told about! O.O
But things went quite smoothly, despite a bit of hiccup with the new sound monitor system...

Over all it was a good two-service day :)


But those were not the important things..

Here's what I really learn this Christmas:

1. It's all about JESUS, our wonderful Savior. He Who chose to came and be born as human, when He could just enjoy Himself as God. Him Whose arrival the angles proudly and joyfully proclaim to the shepherds. He Who, despite knowing the suffering He would have to bear, chose to be with us and love us, and 33 years later died for us on the Cross.
There is no other celebration in Christmas than a celebration of Jesus and His love for us.

2. It is truly a privilege to serve!
It's a joy to be around friends you'll have for life, play together but also work hard together to pull something as MEGA as this, AND at the same time sowing love for the people, opening opportunities for people to meet and feel the presence of Jesus Christ, TOGETHER :)
I was concerned a few weeks ago *Ha!*  about what I'll do on the Christmas services. Will I just sit down as a 'guest'? I was getting quite anxious actually :p Therefore I can truly say that it's a privilege for me to serve this Christmas :)


Merry Christmas to one and all!
May this Christmas we reflect back on what this season truly means :)

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Anniversary Party - Results day O.O

Yesterday was an exciting day for 2 reasons!

Number one: we are celebrating my grandparent's 50th Anniversary!
I'm very fortunate to have witnessed 4 my grandparents (paternal & maternal) reached their golden wedding anniversary. They are all happy, healthy, and very much in love! Such a blessing & an inspiration ^^

We had a party in one of the nicest hotel in Semarang, celebrating with food, family, friends, and good music. It was a very special night! :) We also get to wear lush make-up and pweety dresses ^^ Ha!

I kept thinking, I haven't even lived to my twenties, but they've been together for 50 years. Wow. One day, I want to be like them, too.


But also, yesterday was (supposed to be) my Trinity results day!
The day I finally learned what how marks were.
But of course, with almost a thousand people tried to get into the system, it crashed. Brilliant.
Endless trials of refreshing that page didn't help as well, from (probably) 8 am to 12 am!

Luckily, this morning the system was restored and I got my results :)
Yay! Pretty happy about it, although some can be improved... :):)

PTL!

These shall be 2 good days in a row :)

Cheers!
-*^^*-

December 08, 2015 - Day 5 at home :)

I'm loving this weather!! :D
It's hot and shiny, and it rains sometimes..
Oh tropical weather, I adore thee.

It's been approx. 5 days since I'm back,
and I'm making the most out of every second of it :)

Hanging out with the family, seeing friends, baking!
Thinking real hard about stuff...
.. and eating tons of good food! :D


There's also something real strange about my bed,
I can't seem to get out of it! :p

I'm loving the opportunity just to lay back, read some good books,
thinking deep without having to worry about anything...
Wait, I do have small anxiety attacks though when I remember that I'm still waiting for Uni offers.....
hoping for the best!

I love this time of the year!!
There are lots going on, but they're all really fun :):)
Also, my brain is working so much better in this condition. Thought of lots of interesting things that will need some work, but that's going to be fun! :)


I baked cinnamon rolls, we took fun family photos, me and my sister watched the movie we've always wanted to watch...

Yay to being home! :):)

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Finally Home 2015 :)

I'm so excited for this! As I'm writing this, I'm sitting in an airport Starbucks, waiting for my next plane that will take me home. 

Honestly, I could not believe I'm here yet. I'm still a bit concerned about my lil place that I'll have to leave behind for 2 or so months, yet I'm so happy to be here!

As I went out from the airport, I'm sweating straight away. But it's a good sign! It means I'm back in the a tropical climate :p

On the plane, I was reading a book by one of Indonesia's best (will talk more about that later), and in that book I found myself. I find a language like never before, and it encouraged me to just be me in my writing. 

Lately I've been thinking, and slightly concerned if my 'style of writing' is way too 'poetic' and makes it difficult to understand. Now I've found the answer! As long as I keep to my point and keep it clear, a little poetry can actually add humor, drama, or meaning to whatever it is I'm writing. 

I was also thinking about my Trinity journey, especially my tutors. I know, I've said this again and again, but truly I'm the luckiest! They are the best, every single one of them :)

I really hope I'll have just as amazing tutors next year in uni..

Which, by the way, is finally happening!!! Or, well, not yet. I'm still (nervously) waiting for the results & offers, which are due in the next couple of weeks. Yikkes! Nervous but believing for the best! :):)

But yeahh, I'm in a happy-scared position for uni! :) can't wait to learn all the new stuff in a new way, nervous about all the pressures, both in uni and in life, generally. 

But for now, I'll put those aside,

For it is 21 days before Christmas!

And,

For I'm finally home :)

CHEERS!! 

-*^^*-

November 2015

The month November could've been one of the hardest during the year :)
I have 7 exams during the month which could determine my next step...
But fortunately, that's pretty much it! :)


We celebrated an early Christmas here at church on the 22nd, and my mom came on the 29th :D

I had a lot and a lot of time off, which kind of good and bad,a bit boring at some point, but once I started reading Jane Eyre (one of the books I've wanted to read for a long time) I'm no longer in Melbourne! I was transported somewhere else :'D

The anticipation of going home was building..
Missing a few important events back home didn't help..


Oh, also, lots of 'goodbyes' between friends and tutors, which were bitter sweet :')
But uni life is waiting and I'm quite eager!


November had been a challenging, yet by His grace, it was doable :p

December will definitely be a bliss!
Started by the memorable valedictory, the long-awaited trip, family gathering, CHRISTMAS, New year celebrations.... I just can't wait! :D


Thanks November for not being super overwhelming :p
December, let's have the best time of the year!

3 days to home :) 

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

November 26, 2015: Books & food

Melbourne’s weather today is crazy! I guess there must be a storm or something that causes heavy rain to, literally!, come and go  within minutes, and makes the wind goes crazy.

I tried walking outside, and it was quite scary actually, so I went back home.

Luckily, at home, I have my fridge stocked! :p

During this holiday, I got to try some recipes at home. Well, not really ‘recipes’, more like recreating things I see on the internet that basically use the same ingredients over and over in different ways :)

Oaty pancakes, parfait, yogurt bowl, yum! And of course, the mandatory hot choccie helps keep myself happy and warm :)

I’ve been reading too! Finally!

Ed Sheeran’s A Visual Journey is soooo inspiring :’) Have so many respect for him, and I know he’s going to be a legend in the years to come :)

I’m also in the middle of reading Jane Eyre, except that I probably should’ve picked up the other edition… The one I have, has a font for giants! SUPER HUGE! But I’m powering through and quite enjoyed it actually. I’ve wanted to read it for quite a while, and I’m excited! :)

The local library is quite awesome ;)

I don’t know if I would want to come back after the holiday (bcs you know, you never want holidays to end!), but I think it’s safe to say that I’ll miss this neighborhood of mine when I’m back in Indo :) Lots of cool places to hang out and have treats :p

Still, I keep getting flashes of places I want to visit and the food I want to eat!! Urgh!

One week cannot feel any longer!

8 days to go!!!

CHEERS!

-*^^*-

P.S.: Some foodie pictures :)

Pancakes, charred banana & mango :)

Yogurt + fruits & oats!

Accounting Exam! :D 6 down, 1 to go!

WOHOO!!!

Accounting is done! :D

Honestly, I've never been so relieved about an exam.
Okay, well not that relieved cuz I have no confidence whatsoever on the result.
BUT!
I've been 'hungover' by accounting stuff & this exam for weeks, so finishing this exam is just so relieving :)
Don't think I'll do another accounting thing anytime soon (or ever..) :p


The next and FINAL exam is in a week's time, so I have a little time up my sleeve to relax :)

Have been passively sitting in front of the TV the whole day though x_x not good!
But I also took a super long walk to Carlton Gardens & Fitzroy and it's lovely :)

Gonna hang out tomorrow and try out some places and things,
Enjoying my last two weeks days in Melbourne :D


YES, YES, YES,
11 days to home!
I'm so ready for all my friends & food :p

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Expectations, expectations..

This week in iCare we talked about expectations that could lead to disappointment and bitterness.
It got me thinking for a long time about the things that happened  and that didn't happen in my life.

I have so many wants in my life, and when I didn't get them, I nudged God for sooo many times asking Him why.
Then I realized, could this be one of the reasons? To 'save' me, or at least prepare me, for all the disappointments that could follow?

A random example:
I want to make dish A. I've never made it nor tasted it before, but I've seen it done. Yet, when I want to make it, I cannot find this one important ingredient, so I couldn't even attempt to make it at all and have to change the plan. Will I be disappointed? Of course.

However, remembering that I've never tasted it, I only expect it to be super nice and delicious. I have a high expectation of that dish. But who knows? Maybe after I make and eat it, I won't be happy at all with the result. Maybe the effort of finding this one ingredient won't be worth it.

Maybe it's not worth it.


Although my mind still wants to resist the thought, it's a fact. High expectations don't always lead to superb results in the reality. Maybe this is why some of my wishes are not gonna come true --> because my expectations have been to high, and the 'fall' will be too much for me.



But do not fear!
One day, God is going to give all of us something that exceeds all our expectations!
You'll see!
And most importantly, the waiting time is worth it :)


12 days!!

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Time-Warping

Today was such a relaxing day out of my exam routine! :D

Woke up quite early for a Saturday morning, and rushed to the lovely bakery one block up the road to grab a takeaway lunch, then took the tram to Melbourne Central, before taking a tram to Mitcham station :)

Me and 2 other girls were volunteering in the Samaritan Purse's Operation Christmas Child box processing :)
It was so much fun! And (embarrassingly but fortunately!) we came a bit late, we started the day by watching an instruction video and morning tea & quick devotion! :D Lovely cakes and teas were served, then I helped with the dishes.

I said 'fortunately' not only because of the tea :p
BUT we arrived with another Indonesian church group!! :D
What are the odds? And a lovely vibrant group too!
So glad to have met you guys :)


Time just went so quickly, and we were having fun looking at all the love that went to all these shoe boxes :')
I'm hugely inspired! And even though at the beginning I was quite 'pessimistic' about it (bcs I didn't feel like I'm contributing much..) I was reminded that I can still do something! I can pray for the recipient of the boxes, and add something to the box that could (hopefully) extend the love of Christ through it :)
Definitely will be doing it again! :)

Now, we finished at around 12:30 - 1 pm, and it's a Saturday!
What to do?
Well, since it's a 'Girl's Day Out', why don't we go and shop? So we did just that!

We took the bus to Doncaster Shoppingtown :D:D
And it was HUGE!
It made me feel like I'm back in Indo, especially Jakarta, with all the shops lining up :)
We started by having a Greek feast!
Truth be told: I already had an 'entree' --> I ate half a pizza that I bought this morning, but those Greek food was just calling me. And I cannot regret it; it was superb and warming for a chilly day such as this! :)
One sweet potato chips with rosemary and salt,  beef and lamb moussaka (yum!!), and skewers with pita and tzatziki :)

Then we processed all these food by shopping :D
I didn't plan on buying anything, but as usual, I believe that the right pieces of clothing are hiding somewhere in the world and waiting to be found, and today I found one :) Not only for me, but for my sister too! :)
YAY :)

We walked and walked some more before returning to the restaurant area for a 6.15 pm dessert/dinner :p
GELARE. Yes, that yummo waffle place was there, so I couldn't resist! :p
We had one large waffle with caramel swirl ice cream. De-lish.

40 minutes of the bus ride to home really felt like nothing compared to the amazing day I've had :D

Thank you girls!
We really need to do more of this. Chatting. Food. Pictures.


13 days to home!!

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

HoI Exam down! 4 down, 2 to go!

YAY.
With no exclamation marks, because I still have 2 exams in the next 2 weeks,
but YAY because I have done 4 (or officially 5) exams! :):)

This HoI though...
I really have no confidence in it :')
It will really be God's grace -- no, it will ALL be only by God's grace -- if I get a really good mark.
Seriously, I have no idea what I wrote, I think it's incoherent and weird...
Hopefully my tutor will get what I'm saying? Ugh.


But, yeay!
Time to relax a bit? No.
Well, maybe just a tiny bit ^^
I slept in!! :D 11:45pm to 8:45am !!
Ohh how my body feels refreshed after weeks feeling the torture of early rising >.<
I'm ready for anything now! :)

First, though, the most important meal of the day, breakkie :)

I was planning to make like a yogurt bowl, but changed my mind and turned it into a parfait instead :)
same ingredients --> banana, yogurt, toasted oats, strawberry, a tiny pinch of cinnamon and chocolate and a squidge of honey :)
YUM & filling! :)


Now I'm ready to start revising (or, in my language, reviewing) Accounting & Media :')

What a loverly morning! :)

15 days to go!!!!

CHEERS!

-*^^*-

Now playing: "I Know It's Over" - Jeff Buckley

:p

EAP & Litt Exams! :D

YAY!
2 more exams are down, and I am ecstatic!

While I didn't have so much fun with Math, EAP and Litt were a bit better :)
I finished those two essays on time - in fact, I finished early for my Litt :D

I was soo lucky and blessed, my tutor gave our class a practice question that is very, very similar to today's exam question! :D
So it's just a bit of planning, and all writing today :D:D
Thank God!

It's similar to EAP - The reading was pretty easy, so we can quickly move on from reading & note taking to actually writing :D

YAY!!

Only 1 more exam this week, and then 2 more 'lighter' exams coming :p


I've been sleep deprived and my body is aching,
but still some time for fun!
Like watching the new Food Network on TV, and borrowing more DVDs from the local library :D:D


Okay,
I think I'm making myself a small snack for now.


17 days to home! 

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Maths Exam: 2 down, 5 to go!

It was hell-ish! >.<
sorry for the strong words, but WHAT THE ??
It was harder, much much harder than the past-papers we got!

Reading and doing the first 2 questions, I was like, whaaa??

I really don't know how well I've done.

But thank God I can finish all the questions
(at least I'll get some points for trying, right? Right??)


Now, back to preparing for HoI, Litt, and EAP, 3 back-to-back exams!

Maybe a cheeky yogurt & shopping later.
Ha!


20 days!

Cheers!
-*^^*-

Drama Exam is down!

Phew. Whilst October was running so slowly, November is flying!! :D:D

Today, I had my drama exam. I know it sounds weird, "How do you 'test' drama?" But it basically means I had my drama performance today.

It was exhilarating and nerve-wrecking at the same time. It was fun to work with these classmates of mine!
(Although, admittedly, the last drama group was somehow a bit more synchronized than this one.. but it works just as well ^^ )

BUT, as performer #12 out of 13, I was pretty nervous watching the other groups!
Most groups presented their poem in this really 'dark and abstract' form. They're bringing us into the poem, line by line.
One group has 4 'teams', and they form like a 'clock' on stage. As they told one story, they rotated so that the group who was in front would perform their story. GENIUS! 
Another group performed this piece where one of the character's mind could 'fly' out of his body. What did they do? The rest of the team carried this guy so that he 'flies'! So cool.
You see why I was nervous?

Our drama is much more 'subtle'; more of a 'musical', with a clear story line and real dialogues instead of using the poem as a dialogue.

HOWEVER, it was an absolutely fun time!
I think the audience laughed at the right times, and got the fun element that we really did want to bring into the piece.

I was dressed like a total nerd. Huge glasses, 2 braids on the side of my head, a tucked in t-shirt with a skirt, long socks and a pair of old-school shoes. It was really fun though !! :D:D
I think I might do this outfit once in a while ;)

To celebrate, I passed by my fav bakery and picked up a chocolate mud scone. Wasn't expecting much, thinking that it was just a small celebration, but BOY IT WAS SO GOOD!!
It has the crunch of chocolate chips, yet some melted as I warmed it up on the microwave. Crispy edges, but soft center. Not far off from the ones I had at Miss Marples ;)
I was really tempted to go back for seconds. Help.
I paired that with a cup of gingerbread mocha latte. YUM ^^
I'll write the recipe down if I have time; it needs to be perfected first, though.


It's 8 p.m., and I haven't had dinner. And I have a 9:30am Math exam tomorrow.
My last ever math exam, ever ever ever.
I have mixed feelings about this; I have a feeling I'm going to miss doing math.
I'm thinking of taking a math subject at uni.
Yes, I'm going crazy now.

Okay,
I'm gonna go and ace my tests.
Will report back asap!


21 days to go and actively thinking about home,

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Last Day @ Trinity

I remember my first day at Trinity. It was Monday, and I was thinking, "Why so early? This is only one of the many Monday morning classes!"
But then I discovered I had the best classmates and tutor!
One of my Indonesian classmates, I learned, share the same schedule with me the whole day! (Except for 1 period only!)

I remember playing this (weird) game at Litt with a guy who never showed up again :p
Then being quite happy having 2 other Indo in HoI tutorial, being pleased about my EAP class, and ending the day fascinated about Litt in the lecture.

The next week went with further interesting discoveries, but it wasn't until a few weeks afterwards that I realized, man, I'm so lucky.
Literally, I have the best tutors and classmates.

Weeks went by and we got to know each other more,
but now comes the time for it all to end :')

I was almost tearing up at our last EAP class last week, and almost did it again on my math tutorial, which was my last class ever ever ever @Trinity (i hope!)
my 2 favorite & most memorable classes!

I'm just so proud of myself for holding on this far.
I might have not have the best grades, but I have done the best I could, and that's all that matters. I pushed myself to my limits, almost going crazy and depressed at times, but I redeemed myself! (uu yeahh)



And actually, what better way to end the Trinity Journey, then to be rewarded the 'M&C Media Literacy Award 2015' ?? :p
It's not a real award, with no real competition. It was just words on a t-shirt. But I know my teacher is proud and appreciative of what I've done, as I am of her. Congratulations to other recipients as well!


Well..
I can't believe I'm saying it, but it's done! :):)

Next, the exams are waiting, and after I come back from the holiday, Uni is waiting!

I haven't realized how scary it's going to be,
but it's going to be heaps of fun as well. I can't wait!


Thank you to all my friends and my tutors! Thank you for making this year worthwhile :)


CHEERS TO ALL OF US!

& Good luck for our exams!


-*^^*-

S2T4W5 !!

Okay. This is EXCITING!
It's week 5 down already!! ^^ OOOHH YES!
I' m sooo counting down to the day I arrive back in my lovely home country.

Unfortunately, exams start next week, which makes this few weeks full of studying and trying to find time to decompress, just to make sure I don't lose my sanity and went totally mad >.< :p

For yesterday's iCare we ordered pizza. Should be enough for 12 people --> gone within 10 minutes with several people still feeling hungry & me (as a late comer) not getting anything. Yep.
Fortunately we were right across the Southern Cross station where they have food stalls! Including the famous Schnitz with its delicious, crispy, salty chips. What have we done with our lives?
Hehe.

Also, the Katherine Syme library is officially my new fav place around! ^^
I just returned a Heston Blumenthal DVD, and borrowed 3 movies today :p
My fav, The Adjustment Bureau, Invictus, and Burlesque. Don't comment on my movie selections! Those are good movies!! xD


Unfortunately, DVDs are all I can borrow for now --> I can let it play on the background while I study. Books, I will borrow you soon. I have a list already. :)

27 days to home, 7 days to exam..
Still alive but I'm barely breathing.


CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Mt. Dandenong Trip :)

Two days off just two weeks before the exam were MASSIVE.
You could study at your own pace, while taking a deep breath before diving deep again for the next month or so.

Therefore, whilst time is on our side, me and some friends took a day-trip to Mt. Dandenong! :)
Well, to be honest, entah itu beneran di gunung atau baru di kaki bukitnya aja. Yang jelas it was refreshing!


We gathered in Southbank at around 8:30is (a la  Indonesians), then by 2 cars we drove to Sky High lookout :)

It was beautiful up there, and very chilly as well! But thankfully it was also sunny, so there was still some warmth up there :)
We saw Melbourne skyline, and enjoy the beautiful flowers & trees on the garden.

Then, off to the famous Miss Marple Tearoom!
Now, at first I wasn't completely convinced that this place is great. I thought it was just another 'mainstream' place, 'famous' for its scones and jam.
We waited one and a half hour for a place! Luckily it was only one and a half hour, considering it was lunchtime :)
We spent this time walking to the little shop next door which sells lotions, body butter, perfumes, you get the idea. Lovely shop, and the saleslady happened to be an Indonesian too! ^^
The shop right next to this one is a little food shop, selling infused olive oil, jams, cheese, spreads, and marmalade of all sorts, and of course some baked goodies!
BUT I (successfully!) held myself from buying anything, because I want to enjoy lunch.
AND lunch was huge. Like, embarrassingly huge.

We ordered 2 main for 3 girls, 2 serves of scones (4 huge ones) for 5 people, one really yummy and sweet and soft toffee pudding, and garlic bread.
Needless to say, we were very full. Not only that though, I was blown away! This little place really does know how to serve food! It's quite generous, and although the scones are arguable, for me the jam was the main star of that day. Sweet, tangy, fresh. YUM!!
The quiche and cottage pie that we ordered were also yum ^^
It was a pleasant lunch, for a good price as well if I may say so.
Definitely going back here someday :)


After lunch, off we go to Kokoda Trail Memorial, or the 1000 steps!
I had no idea what this place was, and I doubt I will return......
Basically it was a hiking place! It was really pretty with the forest and all, but the hike was just terribly long! >.<
It did warn you that it's going to take at least 2 hours or so to get to the top.... no wonder!
We only got maybe 15-30 minutes in, before deciding to go back. Nonetheless it was fun! ^^

The mountains here and in Indo definitely are different. The serene, natural environment really made me feel like I was transported somewhere else.

We spent the rest of the afternoon enjoying the warm sun, cold air, and good company. We played card games before heading back to the city .... for a Thai dinner!

Another yum meal! I don't know how I'm going to redeem myself after those two meals HAHA.

I had such a fun time, and going back to studying had never felt so good :)


Still, I think the best trips I'll take are the ones that lead me home :)
Can't wait!!!
29 days TO GO?!?!!!!

CHEERS!!
-*^^*-

David Bowie is...

Yesterday, me and my M&C tutorial class went down to ACMI to visit the David Bowie Is exhibition!!!
It was such a great time and an awesome exhibition!

Okay, truth be told, at first I thought this guy is a freak.
Like, he has different eye colors! (Although it's a bit cool, it's a bit freaky as well :p)
And his voice is, you know...
But most of all, his "Space Odity" song! Like, why put up a song like that??

BUT!
Thankfully this exhibition explained all aspects of David Bowie.
We got to see his visions that were then translated into works of art. His costumes, video clips, stage designs..
Do you know that most of those were his own creations? Yes, he collaborated with various designers, but he actually did a lot in shaping his own image!
He's not just some Brits seeking sensation, he himself is sensational if I may say so myself.
He's not afraid to be outside of the box. He re-invented himself; he presented to the world real, living characters that we'll never see again.

I love how he was actually involved in everything. He wrote the songs, designed the  stage, looked for designers to collaborate in making his costumes, he even drew some of his own CD sleeves! WOW. An amazingly hard working artist.

Yeah, I still think he's a freak. But a really cool one.

I'm inspired to do what he does though: to give all that he got to make sure he truly says what he wants to say.

If this exhibition ever comes to your town, give it a go!
It's a well organized exhibition, (although you might got bored at the beginning, when you don't know who he is yet), and we were given this really cool devise with a headphone that could actually detect where you are standing at, and let you hear the appropriate information about that display you're looking at! Very cool.


This is why m&c is really cool. Although we learn lotsa theories for the exams, we get to go to awesome excursions :p

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

October 2015!

I'm stoked.
This month finally ends :p:p:p
I know I'm kind of being ungrateful, but somehow this month feels dragging and unending.
But now that it's over, I can't believe it! :)

I spent the first 3 days of the month in my lovely Indo, 2 even in my second fav place, Bali! :)
It has had a beautiful beginning, and a lovely ending too!
Yesterday, our church members had an Appreciation Night Dinner @Sofia's in Burwood.
Far far away from the city, but we had such a lovely time with food and fellowship!
Lots and lots of food and laughter and photos!! :D:D

I'm very grateful for you guys. Thank you for your faithfulness & eagerness in ministry! :)


I started my revisions drill this month, readying myself for the exams that are merely 2 weeks away. Am I scared? To death. But I'm ready to go home already :p


This month I've been thinking about things I've never thought of before.
I think I hit my lowest point during my whole stay in Melbourne this month. I was homesick for no obvious reasons. I felt the pressure of exams like I never felt it before. I was desperate. But thank God! His Mercy is new every morning. I get up and enjoy His presence everyday, and I got through :)


Also! Another addition to my 'dream list' :) This overwhelms me a bit at first >.< Although also makes me excited like CRAZY!!!! :D:D
But I think this month I learn that I have to remember that my life is not over at 30 :)
See, when I dream of something new, I feel like I'm running out of time. Like I have to accomplish all my dreams before I reach late 20s - 30s.
But I don't :) My life is not over if I can't accomplish my dreams just yet by then. God may want to give me other dreams, or maybe He wants me to wait a bit longer so I can enjoy the fullest extent of what my dreams are. I'll just wait; everything is beautiful in His time :)


As my Trinity journey draws to an end, I'm remembering how I'm very grateful for each and every one of my tutors and lecturers. They're not perfect, but they're just right for me.
You guys help make this one year easier :)


Okay!
That's all for October! :)
Thank you for coming along, October. You've been kind.

November, let's end this on a high! :D

Cheers!!
-*^^*-

S2T4W4 :)

Cannot believe it's the second last (or, penultimate) week of my College life! ^^
In the next 2 weeks, I'm having the last classes of this year :')

You always have a mixed feeling coming to an end like this.
I'm so pumped for uni already, although I don't know if I'm ready :)
But at the same time, I know I'll be missing my friends BIG TIME.

BUT!
Coming home has never been this exciting ! Every day I got glimpses of places I want to visit, and food I want to eat once I'm back.
Ohh how I just love my little town :')

Revisions are happening 24/7.
Starting early, finishing late.
Students life; I know I'll be missing this lifestyle someday.
I'm actually enjoying this, (not the pressure of exam, though.)

Ooh! And did I tell  you already about the new library a block from my place? Mm'hm. Yes.
I've borrowed 4 DVDs in the past 1.5 weeks HAHA :p
all food related, to take my mind off studying, but they make me hungry all the time >.<

But I guess next week when I have the 2 days off for the Melbourne racing thing, I can spend a bit more time in the kitchen, although I've started today by making a yum breakfast! :D Toast filled with banana & strawberry YUUM ^^


I wonder what I'll do during my 2.5 holiday at home... ^^

Alright! Last  few weeks to go :')

CHEERS!
 -*^^*-

S2T4W3 Whaaa :')

Okay, so here's the deal. I can't wait to go home already. But, we only have 3 weeks before exam weeks start, and we have 1 week off for the racing-thing, so basically there are only 2 classes left of almost all of the subjects!!

WOW! :')

I'm reminded again how blessed I am to have the tutors that I'm taught by, and how funny & supportive my classmates are right now.
I definitely would be glad graduating from Trinity & advancing to Uni, but I'm definitely going to miss these guys :')
They've been there from day one, and I spent a good 9 months of my life with them :')
Awh well :')


BUT! Yeah! It's only 6 weeks left before everything is finished O.O
I'm (trying) to make the most of it, but of course exam requires us to study haarrder than ever.

Still! We have a bit of time to have fun with M&C excursion :)
Me & iCare friends also had some late night snack last night, even though we had the naughtiest dinner already --> oxtail soup (1st time eating oxtail, not bad...), Tiramisu --> then we have the creamiest soft served ice cream --> it literally tasted like cream. I felt guilty now. But I still have some chips this morning after my breakie smoothie HAHA. Naughty naught.

They're yum, though! :)


Today, I plan to just sprint & do lots and lots of revising & study,
and watch some videos here and there ;)
Hope today goes well & fun!

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

Green Tea

This morning I took a walk around the neighborhood.
In the porches, I see flowers of all sorts of colors, shape, sizes,..
..and smell!

Then I passed this one house, and when I took a deep breath, this subtle but sweet aroma just filled my lungs.
It smelled of Green Tea! Maybe it was the jasmine plant in front of the house, or the leaves, or maybe a real pot of green tea that was brewed inside.
Either way, I was taken back to a special place back home: my grandmother's house.

When we will younger, whenever mum&dad were away, me and my sister would stay at our grandparent's house. Every morning, she would prepare for themselves a cup of Chinese tea (you know, the one with the loose leaves in those little china.) BUT for me and my sister, she'd brought out two cute cups, and fill them with green tea ( I think :p).

The aroma was incredible. It was sweet and serene, and they did taste lovely! :)
She added a tiny teaspoon of sugar, just so it wouldn't be too bitter.
Perfect after breakfast, before rushing out to get ready for school.


Yep, I think when I come home,
I'll ask her to make pangsit (my FAV!) and the green tea :)

43 days to home!

Cheers!
-*^^*-

let me!

Can I be honest?

These days feel like they are never going anywhere!
Weeks and weeks of assignments, exam prep, exams are just keep on coming.

This makes me put a lot of pressure on myself, and I'm driving myself crazy.


I just want to breakdown, and I just want to go home.
Be where everything is easy and lovely.


But that's why I'm here. To train myself and shape my character.
No one says it will be easy.


Maybe it's just the case that I shouldn't be too hard on myself.

Or something.



But, yeah.
I'm surviving and counting down.

44 days to home :)

Cheers!
-*^^*-

S2T4W2 ^^

Another super long week, but I made it to the end! ^^

This week's stress was sponsored by 2 EAP essays that requires high reading-writing language.
It made my brain go nuts.
Me and my teammates must've spent HOURS in front of our laptops just trying to figure out what sentence to put next.

BUT, even though we don't know the result yet, I'm quite happy that the teacher was happy with the structure of our essay when he took a quick glance. Hope we've done enough!
Nevertheless, it was a unique learning experience, one that proves that I can push myself harder & be better :)


Yesterday, to 'celebrate' the week that's coming to an end, I treated myself a small bags of chips.
OH. MY. It was sooooo good (plus the bar of choc that I had must've helped), my mood just went :D:D:D:D:D 100x better :p:p hahaa
I miss eating chips & munchin cookies >.<
But ain't got no time for that :')

BUT TODAY, just to relax my brain before entering yet another stressful week (as exam preps are becoming more imminent), I'm going to do all the things that I've been wanting to do for weeks.
I set my preps for later this afternoon when (hopefully) my brain will work better and use this morning to relax and enjoy myself :D


So, cheerio !
48 days to go ;)

CHEERS!
-*^^*-

S2T4W1 :')

Being back in Melbourne was not the worst thing ever.
The sun welcomed me warmly, and my lovely apartment building actually feels like new again ^^
I was re-introduced to the peculiar smell and the charm that led me to choosing this place :)

BUT
Being back also means I'm going back to school!!!! >.<
Urgh. I probably will miss this in the near future, but as of right now, I just want another 2 weeks of holiday. Please?
...
...
Nope. Think not.

There is a good side and a bad side to this term.
Good thing: This is a fairly short term! ^^ 6 weeks of teaching period!
It is much more relaxed with less assignments.

Bad thing: 2.5 weeks of exams come right after! >.<
So every spare second we have need to be allocated to revising and practicing for the exam.

My head hurts when I think about these for too long.

Anyway!
After weeks of craziness, slight torture, and madness, I will be coming back home!
But honestly, right now the prospect of going home feels too far away that I'm not thinking of it as often as I probably should. It keeps me sane; but exams & home works are just too scary.

Okay.
Now I gotta get back to re-writing a huge chunk of an exciting essay, hopefully I can get it done quickly!


To crazy week 2 and the 7 weeks that follows!
Cheers!
-*^^*-

Absent-mindedly

Today I seemed to not have done too much.
But what I noticed I did today, was I let my mind go free :)

When I'm in the 'study' mode, I'm very 'organized'.
I have a list of things I needed to do, and I do it all quite methodically.

But today, I just do whatever I like :)
I watched videos all day, sat in front of my laptop switching back and forth between my browser & the word documents I had been working on..

It's refreshing just to be somber and boring sometimes :)

Weird isn't it?
But I'm thankful for days like this, where I don't have much to do and I have all the time in the world to do it.


It was raining briefly this evening. But because my window is SUPER thick, I could not hear the rain :(
I miss that, you know. Listening to the rain. I could hear the thunders, though, and it is somewhat comforting. I miss curling up in my bed back home, sleeping to the rain...
soon!


It was a good day today :)

Cheers,
-*^^*-

HOME

Sooo, I just got back from Indo yesterday :D

I plan to do quite a bit there, and walaupun nggak semuanya akhirnya dilakukan, it was a much needed 2 weeks!

Laying low, hanging out with friends and family, males-malesan di rumah, and soaking on that warm sun!!! :D

I also went on a foodie tour :D Eating homey Indo food is just sooo comforting BUT as I’m eating this and that, I gained lots of weight :p

Not that I don’t gain weight in Melbourne à people told me I look ‘chubbier’ >.<

Oh now I miss home already. Good thing I only have 2 months left!

BUT these 2 months will be super nerve wrecking >.<

Have 1 major essay coming up, 1 assignment, and the all-important drama performance & exam :’(

At this point I’m SUPER FREAKED OUT about the exam. Like, to the point of just not wanting to do it at all.

But, those before me have done it well, and there’s no reason why I can’t :)

I have 6 weeks to prepare it, and I’ll do my best!!

But as for today, I’m going to rest some more.

This morning I had to wake up at 6.30am, which reads 3:30 Bali time, or 2:30 Semarang time. Of course I slept in a few of the classes (embarrassingly).

So now I’m going to shut everything down, put my thinking cap away, and enjoy a deep deep sleep ^^

Until next time!

Cheers!

-*^^*-

Turning 19

I cannot believe I got to spend my 19^th birthday at home :)

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been wondering what it would feel like to celebrate my birthday not with my fams around, because esually we’d go out to dinner together and celebrate :’)

BUT some things worked out, and 2-week break, so I used it wisely!! :”D

And it was fun J

I did get to spend this birthday sitting around the dinner table with my family, looking over my lovely town Semarang :D

But that’s not all!

I was quite overwhelmed by the LOVE people; especially LOVE expressed in the form of cakes :p

Got 3 cakes this year!

One from my lovely Melbourne family (thanks guys!); another one is from my aunt (as always I got a pretty cake for my birthday :p); and one more from a family friend :)

Got LOVELY gifts as well!!!! :D

Received a new, sweeeett pair of shoes (!!!), a book (that even though I already had another copy of, I cherish a lot!! :D),  and just lots of wishes, from the unexpected friends as well :”)

This year I was quite hesitant turning 19. “Tahun terakhir kepala 1,” kata orang-orang. But live moves forward. With every year, more challenges and character-shaping ‘exercises’ will come BUT more wisdom, fun times with beautiful memories will also come :):)

So, this year, I promise to live my life to the fullest, and be 19!

CHEERS!

-*^^*-

The Sleeping Beauty

 Soo last Saturday, to celebrate the end of Term 3 & early celebration for my own birthday, I went and watched my very first Ballet performance! ^^

I arrived at the Arts Center just before 1pm to pick up my tickets.
At that time, the doors weren't opened yet, so people were just waiting outside the doors and on the hallways. I noticed that even though there were several families and groups of young people, most of the audiences were much older than me!!! O.O kind of felt out of place, but nevertheless!


When the doors were opened, I quickly got into line to enter. Upon entering, I received the casts list and explanation of the story --> Which proves helpful, because just then I realized that I don't know this story!! :p:p

State Theater is just simply amazing. It's grand, luxurious, it's magnificent! Loved being in a theatre again. 
A little after 1:30pm, the lights were dimmed, and the show started! For a moment i was transported to when i watched Phantom in Singapore :')
We welcomed the conductor of the beautiful orchestra, and the magic began :)



To be honest, I was a bit sleepy, as expected, especially during 'repetitive' scenes.
Nevertheless! I love the colors in Princess Aurora's 16th birthday bash! Pink & turquoise, fresh & pretty ^^

And at this point, I suddenly know why being a ballerina is hard. Yes, the dancing might be fun, but the precision is dead serious. Also they must stand for minutes only on the tip of their toes!! Yep, not only for seconds, for minutes! >.<

It was an amazing 1st Act!! :)

An hour later, we had the 1st intermission :) Each intermission was for 20 minutes.
When the show started again, I was sleepier!  >.< BUT the story continues beautifully :')
Now the focus moved from Princess Aurora to the Prince.
The corps de ballet were beautiful! And their vibrant costume was stunning.
This act ran for about  40 mins, before we had another intermission.





Before the third act unraveled, the orchestra receiving warm applause from the audience. They were doing a GREAT job!!
Third act started with a dim stage, with lit chandeliers mimicking a hall where Aurora&the Prince's wedding was held. 1st up, the masquerade ^^ what a BEAUTIFUL opening number!!! Lovely! Almost of all the casts were performing, and with such great precision, making the whole stage glows :') Again, it took me back to watching Phantom, with the chandeliers and all :):)

Then some pas de deux, and le Grand pas de deux!!! :')
(although had to admit' there were some 'awkward' moments)
The two main characters performed quite strongly & finished the performance beautifully :')
During the curtain call every one was clapping hard because it was such a good show!
From the chatters I could hear that everyone was having a good time.

Then the final curtain dropped: it was the same red curtain I saw during the BTS ! :)

Overall it was a fun experience, just me myself and I :)

Would definitely go to another ballet!
On the list is (obviously) Swan Lake, the Nutcracker, maybe even some contemporary-ballet shows?


Thanks to The Australian Ballet for this amazing show!

Cheers!
-*^^*-

S2T3W10 DONE!!! ^^

^^

Week 10 is done, Term 3 is OFFICIALLY DONE!!!! ^^

After 10 weeks of hard work, I finally have 2 weeks off ^^

Well, not totally off, bcs lots of catching up and revising to do, but it’s good! :)

To reward myself, today I went and watched The Sleeping Beauty ^^ (Another post coming up on that! ^^ ) But it was phenomenal !

It was my first ballet, my first solo theater-going, and it was fun ^^

The ‘solo’ theme will not end there.

Tomorrow, I will be going on my first ever solo trip!

Although I’m ‘only’ going home, it’s quite a big deal for me cuz I’ve never travelled alone!

BUT I’m excited for that, and even more because I’m finally going home :’)

I’m also very nervous though :’)

But yeah! Just gonna enjoy the next 2 weeks laying low before hitting the books hard for the final term :)

Excited about meeting all my friends and family during these 2 weeks, as well as eating all those food from home :p

I’m prepped and almost ready; hope it will be a quick night!

Will rise bright and early in the morning, and I’ll write from home tomorrow! ^^

-*^^*-