How to Survive Winter (for tropical people :D)

Yippieeee!! it's winter in Beijing!
...
brr.

Heheu, it's my first winter. Like i've told you before, i had my first snow. But, winter is not just about cute stuff like snow, it's also about 0 until -4 degree celcius of temperature, and yet they still haven't turn on the heater until this note is written.

(my school during winter)

For me, winter is also about survival heheu. For the first time of my life, i feel so damn cold. While writing this note, i sit under my blanket and coat. Actually, people's rate of tolerance to cold weather is really vary; depends on environment, health condition, (probably) body mass, etc.

But, i'm a petite girl with not so many flesh attached to my bones, plus, i spent almost all my last 4 years in Jatinangor, which daily average temperature is about 27 degree celcius. And now, i'm experiencing under 5, 0, until -4 degree celcius. Well, in Indonesia, i only find this kind of temperature inside my fridge.

But, i can tell you how to survive this freezing temperature, first, here are some fashion tips;

(my winter style)

1. Wear multiple clothes under your coat. I used to wear tank-top, t-shirt, long sleeve t-shirt, sweater, jacket/blazer, and finally winter coat. Only with this kind of combination, i can feel a bit warm. Ow yeah,, make sure you have really thick winter coat with you.
   
2. Wear double scarf. I recommend one of them made from wool. Just to make it fashionable, try to match both scarfs with your coat. They sell cute scarfs for only 10Y- 20Y in shopping places. Such a fun.
   
3. Wear tights/ legging under your jeans/ throusers. Believe me, it helps a lot.
   
4. Own a pair of glove. Choose ones with a layer inside, cause it'll be warmer.
   
5. Own a pair of boot. I suggest the material is from leather or any other hard material, because they won't absorb water. Mine is velvet and i still have some water inside my boots when it's really wet.
   
6. Own a hat. It's really cold when your ears are exposed. They sell various hats here, my favorite is beanie because it's warm and fashionable. If you don't like hat, you can use the hood in your coat.
   
7. Wear socks, anywhere, anytime, except for bathroom for sure.
   
8. Recommendation from my friends; head, hands, and feets are parts of your body that will lose the body temperature easiest. So, make sure all of them are covered.

(say BRRRR)

And any other tips...

1. Take subway; it will be a lot warmer inside the subway,, hehehe
   
2. Eat, eat a lot! especially carbs. Carbs produce energy and energy produce body heat
3. Drink a lot of water to hydrate yourself, because your skin will be really dry during this time
   
4. Don't take shower with cold water, u'll freeze at the time
   
5. Keep coffee, tea, or chocolate in your room. So, you always ready everytime you need hot drinks! :D
   
6. Avoid parks; it will be super freakin cold there
7. Be careful when you step on ice caps on the ground. I slipped once last week and i still have some bruises in my a** >.<

So, that's all from me! i enjoy this winter since it's a part of my adventure, and i'm glad that i'm given the opportunity to experience this :D

AIESEC GIP Testimony

I was asked to make a testimony about my internship in Beijing, China, as the part of AIESEC Global Internship Program's promotion. Momon, the current VP Comm of AIESEC LC Bandung said that they're gonna make a poster of me :D (yeah, i'm THAT famous lol)

So, here's my testimony:
"It was September 2009, when i took Development Traineeship and joined the "Education for Sustainable Development" Program also known as "Hello China" Project in Beijing, China, for two months. It was the biggest project in China, and i was so proud and happy to be part of it.

It was just great. Development Traineeship is a really good way to develop your creativity and proactiveness. I was working in Beijing no.9 Middle School, educated the students about sustainable development and arranged some English activities for them. Every week, me and my friends developed creative ways to campaign the issue in such fun way.

The whole team of this project consisted of 13 people from 8 countries. I was working in the same school with two girls from Russia and Poland. Working in such international environment helped me to develop my horizons and soft skills in communication; trained me to have broad international mind and to be tolerant and flexible.

AIESEC GIP has helped me to develop not only my professional skills but also my personal skills. I found more about my self during this internship and i thank AIESEC for that. To know more about my experience you can check my blog in www.meandmylittleadventure.blogspot.com"

Keep Holding On

"Keep Holding On"
by: Avril Lavigne

You're not alone
Together we stand
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand
When it gets cold
And it feels like the end
There's no place to go
You know I won't give in
No I won't give in

Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

So far away
I wish you were here
Before it's too late, this could all disappear
Before the doors close
And it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend
Yeah, yeah

Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

Hear me when I say, when I say I believe
Nothing's gonna change, nothing's gonna change destiny
Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

La da da da
La da da da
La da da da da da da da da

Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you, I'm here for you
There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

Keep holding on
Keep holding on

There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
So keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through, we'll make it through

My Trainee Friends

(ESD training)

This autumn, we have 13 trainees working for Sustainable Development issue. These 13 trainees come from 8 different countries. We attended the same training in the 4 first days in B&B Inn, Shaoyaouju District.

I really like all my trainee friends. I can simply say that we are so different, but we get along really well. We made friends, and really enjoyed spending the time together. For me, they are really inspiring people. I can just learn something for each of them, too bad that some of them have to go other city for internship and i can't meet them again.

But I can introduce you to my friends ^_^ here are they;

(le-ri: Frank, Slava, Fany, Ky, Putu, Dominic, Martyna, Mira, Me)

The picture was made in a restaurant near the Beijing Zoo. I don't know the name of the restaurant since it was written in Chinese, but the foods are great and pretty cheap.

Okay, start from left side...

• Frank Bosman: He's from Netherlands. He is working in Xi'an, that's why I don't see him a lot. But once he was coming to Beijing and we went to the zoo together.
• Slava: She's from Russia and she's working in the same school as me, Beijing no.9 Middle School. She's pretty, sexy, fashionable, really nice, and she's a great dancer... but sorry guys, she's married :D. She has Chinese grand-grand father and she really loves to shop.
  
• Fany: She's Indonesian. She's from Jakarta but she is now studying in Malang. She was working in Beijing Royal Camford School. She finished her internship earlier and now she has already returned to Indonesia.
  
• Ky: Her full name is Tu Manh Ky and she comes from Vietnam. She has really unique accent and she's pretty quiet. She is working in Beijing Royal Camford School.
  
• Putu: She also comes from Bandung Indonesia. We took the same flight and we're gossiping about everything :D. She's working in Beijing Royal Camford School. She's an accountant and this internship is actually a time for her to have fun before she start her job.
  
• Dominic: Or Ho Joon Jang. For me, it seems like he has 3 nationalities; Korean, American, and Japanese. He's studying in Waseda University, Japan, grown in US, but he's actually a Korean. Eventough he's Asian, his English is flawless. He works together with Putu.
  
• Martyna: She's my roomate in Beijing no.9 Middle School. She studies Philosophy and Politics, and she's really smart and nice. She has broad knowledge about world's important events and people. She's interested at Chinese culture and art. She also speaks Chinese.
  
• Mira: She comes from Germany, and she was working in Xi'an. She finished her internship earlier because she needs to take a test in her university. She had bad experience in Beijing when somebody exchange her 100Y money into fake one, poor Mira :(
• Well, that's me ;D
  

I have some other friends...

(le-ri: Aaron, Dom, Carey, Michelle, Me, Martyna, Chris)

The picture was taken in bar 9.9 in Sanlitun. Sanlitun is a bar street where you can find various bars, clubs, etc. It's the place where the foreigners gather and have fun.

Okay, start from the left side...

• Aaron: He lives in Australia, but he's actually Malaysian, so he can speak some words similar as Indonesian. He attended the training but actually he's doing the Education Traineeship, because he teachs English and he's paid for that. He's an AIESECer.
  
• Dom again
• Carey: She comes from Canada and she's working in the same school as Aaron. Carey is really pretty and sweet. She had pretty tight schedule with her school but finally she managed to arrange some payment with such schedule.
  
• Michelle: She's a funky mama :D Michelle comes from Canada and she's teaching in the same school with Aaron and Carey.
  
• Me again
• Martyna again
  
• Chris: He comes from US and he has already returned to US. Chris is really nice and friendly. He wanted to be called "Mr. Ganteng" but always ended up call himself "Mr. Gentong" wkwkwk >.<

(le-ri: me, Putu, Jarek, Viola)

• Jarek: He comes from Poland and i only meet him during the training because he was working in Da Lian. He's Viola's boyfriend.
  
• Viola: She comes from Poland and she was also working in Da Lian with Jarek. Viola and Jarek have been together for 7 years and they're probably the cutest couple i ever met.
  

(le-ri: Me, Nguyet, Putu, Carey)

• Nguyet: She comes from Vietnam and she was an English teacher in Vietnam. She was working in Da Lian.
  

Owkay,, actually, i made quite a lot of friend here but i don't have their pictures. Maybe i will tell you about them in other note.

I really learn a lot from my friends here. My impression about them are; nice, open minded and educated. Really, most of my friends are really smart; they read a lot of book and have their own statements about world issues and so on. Also, i used to think that my English is pretty good, but my friends, they speak perfect English, eventough for some of them English is not native language. I'm encouraged to fix my English here. Now, I can use grammar better than before.

To work in such hetero environment like this train me to be open minded and flexible; as well as be strict to my own personal limit. The most obvious character of my friends is that they really have big curiosity, they dare themselves to learn and try new things, and they always try to find proper information about everything. That's awesome for me.

All i can say when you need to mingle in such international environment, you have to be extrovert, open minded but also culturally sensitive. Remember that each of you come from different places and have different culture. What's good and funny for you could be different for them. It's really a huge fun to be the part of this team, i learn a lot, and i really like them :D

The Miraculous Snow

Normally, snow falls in China in December.

So, i didn't really hope that i would see the snow in Beijing, even though now is atumn- winter season. But honestly, i really wanted to see the snow. I've seen it only in TV and it was always pretty and interesting. I've never seen real snow in my life.

It was the 29th on October when Slava said to me, "Hey you know? you will see the snow. It'll be snowy two days later". I was so excited, but some people told me that this is too early for snow, and probably there will be only a little bit snow, and it'll melt rapidly. So, still, i didn't really hope.

But in the 1st of November, after Halloween Party, i felt so cold. I check the yard from the window, and it was all white! yet the snow was falling quite hard. It was so beautiful, just amazing, as i always thought. From now on, snow is one of my favorite things.



When we were out for lunch (Me, Martyna, Slava, Putu, Ky, Michelle, Dom, Aaron and Dennis), there was a lot of snow on the street. We threw snow balls to each other, and i touched the snow; it was really delicate and nice. Snow is awesome.

I felt pretty bad the night before this "snowy day". I thought about some other things; my failed trial, how the world seems not working in a proper way for me, how i feel to be treated unfairly by fate, some bad things that i think i don't deserve... and so on.

I felt a message sent to me through this snow. It was like a present for me, not to be sad, not to lose the hope, because if God intend, anything, even something that you think impossible, will happen anyway. Because logically, i won't be able to see this snow, but suddenly it comes in the beginning of November in Beijing, it was kinda weird for everyone.


I felt like the snow was sent specially to me ;p. I'm having pretty bad time and i'm pretty sad, but i'm not gonna give up. If God able to send this snow miraculosly to Beijing while i'm here, God must also be able to grant my little simple wish. I shouldn't stop believing.

Trick or Treat!

(Creepy Jack O' Lantern)

I never had a Halloween Party before. It's not something popular in Indonesia. But we got the invitation to celebrate Halloween at Aaron's house. It was pretty interesting for me; because i haven't been in a Halloween party, or a House party. Again i say, both of them are not popular in my country.

It was October 31st evening when i finally decide my Halloween costume. I had a dress and black tights, then i found a mouse-ear headband. So, i would be Minnie Mouse. It was easy, simple, and obvious. Plus, this headband only cost me 8Y, i found it in Pingguoyuan.

(A widow, walking dead (?), 70s girl, and Minnie Mouse)

When we arrived at Aaron's there was a lot of people that i don't know. Most of them foreigners, they come from different countries, and they were in Beijing for internship as well. For my surprise, some people dressed really seriously; i met a SWAT guy, a really scary corpse bride, a hot mama, and so on. Our friend, Michelle, who stayed in the same house with Aaron, decorated the house pretty nicely. Well, at least they had some pumpkin lanterns, cute fake spiders, and so on.

(Bathroom party)

I'm not sure... but maybe there were more than 30 people attended the party. What i like from house party is that it's a really good way to know people. When you're mingling and having fun, it's really easy to open up and create relations. I also learned that some people would be really weird when they're drunk, or high. Thankfully, they had a lot of juice and soft drinks, so, it was still great for me.

(She's creepy, isn't she?)

I had quite a lot of fun. They had pretty nice music to dance, i met a lot of new people, learned something, and finally found a couch and thick blanket to sleep when i already tired. I shared the couch and blanket with Martyna and Slava.

Sure there were stuffs that i like and dislike about partying, but as long as you're being open minded, and realizing your limit, you will survive and learn something anyway.

(me and my costume :D)

Silk Market

Well, my most important advice is; Don't go here if you're not ready to bargain like crazy.

Silk Market probably the most famous shopping spot in Beijing- for tourists. Because, if you join a holiday trip to Beijing, Silk Market will be on the list of destinations. I concluded that since i found a lot of tourism bus in front of Silk Market. Most customer in Silk Market are foreigners, they really come from all over the world; you can hear various language spoken here.

(it kinda reminds me of Pasar Baru though,,)

To get here, we can take Subway Line 1 to Yong An Li Station. Take Exit C, then you will reach the basement of Silk Market. The basement was for bags and shoes. There was a lot of cute bags, and every seller in every store would try to approach you and say, "Hey, hey... beautiful lady, Gucci... Lois Vuitton... Dolce and Gabbana?" yep, this Silk Market was really a heaven for fake branded stuffs. I'm not into fake branded stuffs, so i wasn't put so much attention. But despite that, you can find a lot of cute bag with really good material here. The seller could speak English pretty well, so it would make everything easier for you.

If you're obviously a foreigner, the seller will give you riddiculously high price. Martyna tried to buy a bag (it was indeed really cute, the leather was genuine, the model was so fashion, and they had various colors and brands-yep brands, awesome huh? XD) and the seller tried to sell it for 400Y. That was insane! they seriously thought that foreigners always have a ton of money, maybe own an IT company, and so on. They should have considered a foreigner like me, huh.

So, we bargained like crazy. She gave the price unshamefully, so we bargained the same way. A little act will do; put a face like you really want it, but say that it's too expensive for you ("Tai gui"= too expensive) and tell the seller that you're just a student and you don't have that much money with you ("Wo shi xuesheng,, mei you hen duo qian"= i'm a student, i don't have a lot of money). Actually, it's much better if you bargain in Chinese; they will be happier and give you the real price more easily. If it's getting hard, pretend that you don't want it anymore and leave, because the seller will chase you and give you lower price. (Indonesian bargaining tactics are really successful here. I'm so happy that i live with Kings, BTC and Pasar Baru my whole life hahaha).

Well, finally we got the bag for 65Y. Ha-ha. Yep, we're good at it.

(Be persistent then you will get it :D)

The ground floor was for clothes. If i'm not mistaken, there were 4 floors in Silk Market. Actually, i think that many clothes in Silk Market are better than other shopping areas in Beijing, especially if you need to buy clothes for old ladies. I managed to find some sweaters and cardigans for my grannies and my mom. Still, just bargain like crazy. If they tell you "100% cashmeer,, blah blah" well, you just need to bargain for the price that makes sense for you. Don't start to bargain from 1/2 of the starting price, try from 1/6. You might have a little quarrel with the seller, but that's the art of bargaining, rite? i strongly suggest you to come here in the evening, because the seller are already pretty tired and they don't have that much energy to quarrel with you. Again, they were really tricky, they made a price tag in every clothes, showing a really high price in dollar. These price tags might intimidate you, but we paid 35Y for a sweater that had 89$ on the price tag.

So, just bargain like crazy.

They have various stuffs in Silk Market. Any kinds of cloth, bags, shoes, and souvenirs. My favorite souvenir here are notebook and glasses case with really chinese clothing. If you want something with fixed price, since bargaining can be mentally tiring sometimes, you can go to a underground area in front of Silk Market, which aligned with the Yong An Li Subway Exit A. They sell many kinds of souvenir for 10Y each.

They also have some cafes and import stores here in Yong An Li. It's a kind of tourist center in Beijing, beside Sanlitun and Guamao. So, you can guess that the stuffs were overpriced here.

(The cafes)

But after all, it's a pretty cool place; for a bargainholic, not shopaholic.