The Amazing Race

As promised, here are the groups! It’s not legitimate without the epic flag 😉

Despite their jetlag, we are ready to explore first city, Zug! #Not train. Find the church meaning you are in the middle of the Oldtown 🙂

Up from this day, we will always “Back to Nature” mode. We have free time to enjoy Zug’s beautiful lake. Sat on the bench while eating mother’s ransum 🙂 These whole Western food except ice cream are not interesting to me haha

Off to Lucerne, this city is beautiful! A combination from “Back to Nature, read: water and some city vibe. We walked inside the Wooden Chapel Bridge where they have story painted on the top of their Dach, jep don’t even bother to understand. Oh what do we do? another group photo in front of the Lion Monument! Take out the Flaggieeeeee.

Here is the paradise for my mother due to they have a 3 floor souvenir shop, she can use all of her time there. Since I won’t buy anything~ thanks God I have Dela~ we went to explore the surroundings together.

Do we have any sense of directions? none at all, just followed whatever looks good. Oh that big house above looks like a castle, let’s try to come closer. On the way up, we bumped into another group of white people, seems like walking tour per se so we know we were on the right location #It must leads to somewhere. That hike didn’t go to waste, we found some path to a nice view….. plus cat

Satisfied with the view, continue with the pathway ~albeit our cluelessness~ which surprisingly lead to the Tower Clock. Its pretty cool hey! We look from the top there is a kind of fort or wall thingy to walked on too. We were thinking on which exit to take, only to find this is the only way out. Fun fact! this bridge connect the full chain of towers.

Out from this Tower, “on” to the next one, except we took the wrong exit which leads us to their backyard. What did we entdeckt? There is a lift up to somewhere near a building called Gütsch, what is that? Me want to check it! We decided not to go to the second tower as the view might be more or less the same, only the other tower got closer to the river view or so. However, we were not sure what time we should be back, Dela called her mom, okay we have around 50 minutes. Let’s move!

Increase the speed!!! half ruuuunnnnnnnn. Crossed the bridge, red light, intersection without traffic light. I don’t want to get fined in Switzerland so I asked some guys who were waiting for the lift about where did he get the tickets. He showed me the ticket machine, I have no idea which to click, ask some lady for help. I know the ticket says Bus drive since there is no options for lift nor I know the name of the Stations we want to go…. lets just take that one. Tadam…. we arrived at another top!

The Gütsch is a Hotel, wow! why don’t we sleep here? maybe our tour doesn’t have budget, besides we have 1000000 Koffer + only one lift functioning haha this will takes ages. I wanted to get into the frame of Lucerne, not sure if its only for guest #I’m thinking…. we went this far, lets get in, worse thing they will just ask us to leave the property. Dela wants to read the announcement on the door, told her “don’t read, none of the hotel guest will do so, we have to pretend we are one of them” 😉

Succeed! Get off, hop on to any bus!

Not sure where to stop, looked at Google map, two stations from now there will be a church we can visit, hop off there! Walked to the first church, followed by the second church where they have a sermon only to know we are back to the Chapel bridge again. #Pro runner!

Arrived on time to the meeting point where both of my parents already sit down outside, tired, ready for Abendessen. Ofc Dela was gebrieft, we don’t want to make our parents feels left out~ we were everywhere whilst they weren’t…. so, we need to have the same story. Just in case we got asked where did we go? Standard answer, visited churches at the end of the road and saw some view 😉 Keep it simple!

What a nice race with you!!!

Glowing

Check out from my Capsule Hotel, parents are arriving Zürich Airport! Mother had a lot of Ransum of Indonesian food! Father took a selfie with the background that shows the same as if we are in Karawang -_- I had to ask Mother for Kerupuk in the bus #Haphap

We are in total 19 people (including me) + 1 Guide. First destination is St. Gallen. Walked around the city center, visited churches, had our “red carpet” moment haha. That whole Raiffeisenplatz was covered by red carpet, including the allegedly Porsche Car.

While some people are having Italian food for lunch, we were having rice at Mr. Rice! it can’t get more rice than that 🙂

We went to another country too, Liechtenstein! Yeay, my list of countries visited is growing. To be exact we were at the capital-Vaduz.

Ride the Odong-Odong Car for 30 minutes surrounding Vaduz, which all it takes, this city is very not complicated. Some children’s are waving their hands to us. Very cute, I’m sure no Asian kids will do it, we don’t get raised like that. They have castle to which we can’t visit as the real Prince of Liechtenstein is there.

After we saw the grobe of Vaduz, me, mother and Aunty Lielie went to the end of the road to visit the church while father chose to sit down somewhere. The weather was very hot, Eka said I’m Glowing a.k.a Sweating haha yeap! wrong clothing!

Day 1 survived, didn’t have any group picture, owing to the glow we all are 😉 on the next days you will see the participants of this Mono Swiss group #Wink

$$witzerland

$$ is the perfect emoji to describe my experience in der Schweiz. Expensive is what I expected, how much expensive, that’s beyond my imagination O.O

I thought on where to stay as the reason I’m coming to die Schweiz is to meet my parents who book a tour from Indonesia with Golden Rama. Their or should I say our ~ yes I’m coming with them too hihihi ~ program called Mono Swiss, they will arrive early in the morning on Saturday. I have no Bock to go early to the airport, therefore I decided to sleep in a Capsule Hotel located inside Zürich Airport.

It is super clean + modern, every door need to be opened with your phone. The size of the capsule hotel is big enough for me, it’s bigger than every “capsule” hotel I tried in Japan, I had a claustrophobic moment there like I was inside a coffin #I’m not a celebrity get me out of here! Oh how much does it cost? 75 CHF per night haha, read the Plakat “Welcome to Zürich” 😉

I contacted Eric, the guy I met in Madrid, he was willing to show me the city where he grew up. Let’s reveal it one by one 😉

We went to allegedly high point in Zürich, Uetliburg where you can see Zürich from top, of course it’s not the top of Fernsehturm, but it’s high enough. I can see the lake, Alpen mountains, a very typical Schweiz.

This area is quiet big with many stops, yet we chose only 1 stop, we still have other program, moving on to Zürich City Center, destinations: Lindenhof, Zürich Lake, Rathaus, Churches. Everything are in the more compact size, I’d say 🙂 We had lunch in a very typical Schweizer, the restaurant used to be an ex-weapon storage.

What I have to unbedingt visit is the FIFA Museum! The locker to put our stuff are named with famous football player, I chose Cristiano Ronaldo, I didn’t find Lionel Messi #Hmmmm. Dont attack me CR7 fans, I like them both!

They had the replica of the world cup, of course, the real one is at Messi’s home. World Cup 2022 was really special, what a race, Argentina deserves to win. Since that moment, I fell in love with Messi, he has won in life!

I have to close today’s program by completed bestie’s Freitag’s bag order. I asked her to not sleep yet! The Freitag shop is really eccentric, if she was there, for sure she wants to buy everything, she would take a credit for it because… it’s… again… $$$$.

This day is finished, get some sleep to pick up my parents! Thanks Eric for showing me your city 🙂

On Duty

Still on Nilesh Episodes in Dortmund, this time I took him to the most proud place for every Dortmunder, our Signal Iduna Park a.k.a Dortmund Stadion! Who doesn’t want to feel FOMO about it? Andreas! he is a big BVB Fans. To our advantage, on that afternoon, he became our stadium guide 🙂

I went to see some match before, however to see it from inside while it’s empty, grasp how magnificent it is, getting input from Andreas, such a WOW Experience. For sure I’ll repeat it when my parents are here sometime soon.

There is a foot steps printed on the floor for us to follow, none of us paid attention to it as Andreas showed us everything.

We went to changing room of BVB where I met my long time boyfriend, Mats Hummels! Ogh! he looks so manly on the picture! We also met Emma, yeay! Held our Press session 🙂 Behind the press Bühne, there is stairs with different steps, 13 for other Team while 12 for BVB in the hope that BVB avoid the so called unlucky numbers to win each game.

Then we came into a tunnel where the real player will come out to the field. There was another group with real stadium guide, they put the songs out, all of us other than Andreas don’t know what is it so we looked inside the tunnel just to be hush out by the guide “please step away” pfffff biatch we also paid the entrance!

Welcome to 81.365 Capacity Stadium! We sat in the seat Home Base complete with heater and Heimat Liebe while on the guest base not haha froze those ass!

We also visited the “jail”, saw some graffiti, full of stickers on the man’s toilet.

We still have the Borusseum ticket 🙂 here is where you can find out about the history of BVB club. We did it rather too quick as we spent so much time in the stadion #Not complaining.

Nilesh really can’t walk anymore, thanks God Abhi brought his E-Scooter so he can ride on it while we walked to my place. Why walked? Same reason, bus&bahn strike. I did the same room tour for Abhi, he also commented like those two guys. Abhi did some fortune teller by reading my palm, my future is bright! I’ll became a rich woman, be married, on top of that, doesn’t have a controlling behavior. Jackpot to whoever my husband is! Because of that, he earned the badge into the Secret Sessions 😉

I have no idea why I thought all Asian are able to eat with Chopsticks #Maybe very rasisct of me, of course I brought them to the newest ramen noodle, Takumi Dortmund. Only to find out that was the biggest Error so far. None of them know how to eat with Chopsticks, Nilesh adapt well while Abhi lost ~ his finger got cramped haha. Next day on Nilesh last day in Dortmund, we ate without Chopsticks.

Wait, so how long is Nilesh in Dortmund? That week was the worst week. It’s more or less one week strike, imagine all of these Asian suppliers are flying with Lufthansa etc yet they can’t go back home, including him. He kept prolong his stays, he still positives to believes he can fly whilst I’m a realist, I kept reminding him about one single fact that he’s not Taylor Swift, no airplane gonna fly for the sake of his necessity to go home. He should have listen to me 😉

Did Nilesh only see an empty Stadion? No no no, of course we have another guy who is a football fans too, he’s none other than our boss, Stefan who is a Leverkusen fans. We got the ticket to sit in the fan block. It is very very very Krass, the Ultra said “Handy weg” while looked + pointed on me. I was like Dude, I have nothing, later on I realized it wasn’t to me rather to Nilesh who stand behind me. Seeing the Ultras coming in with drum rolls, shouting etc, also a WOW Experience.

I found it always nice to be on duty while some guest are here, inform them what is going on. Imo, we did the best we can in the short time Nilesh’s here 🙂

The 2024 Secret Sessions

Approaching Taylor Swift Era’s Tour in Europe, my Instagram filled up with her new or old feeds. I am no more a rookie Swiftie, I know she held a secret sessions for her fans one month prior her album open for public. Well, here I tell you my own secret sessions, consist of secret people who all “failed” to keep it that way 😉

The first week of March was a busy week for someone who their works has something to do with importing tools from Asia as it was the Köln Fair meaning all Asian supplier will be there. In another word, our Agent from Far East are coming 🙂 We have a guest! Meet Nilesh, this was the first time I met him personally, all this time we only meet online. First few days he didn’t stay in Dortmund but once he stays here, time to turn the valve, let off steam.

Welcome to the 2024 Secret Session! The Errors Tour 😉

Remember when I told this secret is neither secret nor exclusive anymore? Who can’t keep it? First is Nilesh, he ask his friend Abhi to join, I don’t even know him. Second is me haha I told Esther about Amigo. He wasn’t sure if he can come as he live and work somewhere else but he will try his best to make it.

Me and Amigo texted few hours before on where to show Nilesh, options are Hörde or City Center. Unfortunately at that day there was a strike for Bus & Bahn. In the end we decided to just come to my place, do a home tour, have a drink nearby.

It was the first time Amigo step into my apartment, his real first one was only until stairs to handed me Rewe groceries as I was positive. I gave him my best slippers which to him the unmanliest ever. Hey this slippers has been travelled from Netherlands-Shanghai-Deutschland, very international!

I do the apartment room tour where these two kept commenting about how big my place is in contrast to how small I am, yo you don’t understand this apartment is generational!

We gave up the idea of waiting Abhi, decided to have a drink without him. It took him forever why? the real reason is not because there is no Bus or Bahn as my place is only 20 mins away from Hbf, rather a series of errors: Nilesh give him my address instead of Schmackes plus he carried a big luggage and two backpacks. Me and Amigo was shocked! O.O where is he going? what is his intention with those stuff? most important, what’s inside?

Why Abhi is not on the picture? Dude, we just get to know him, he didn’t earn his badge to be included on our secret sessions yet haha! We literally waited for him to arrived to take us that picture, why didn’t we ask the weiter? For whatever reason, it’s a no haha

Gracias Amigo for inviting us for drinks, just my two cents don’t do it often to the Alcoholic #You know who he is 😉

Wheels Keeps Turning – Part 2

Who would expect that the photos from my photo shooting session with Roland will still be swirling out there?

As Dortmund will become the host city for Euro cup 2024 from 14.06 – 14.07, it is obvious they need to show what we have for the potential Zuschauer. Who else can represent Dortmund better than 4 of us? 😉

Visit the website guys, it’s very useful 🙂 https://www.uefa.com/euro2024/event-guide/dortmund/host-city/

These are the photos they used:

Where would I see myself next? Spoiler:

Show me, Slovenia 😉

Happy to read his message, can’t wait to see it!

One Too Many

It is not about drinking, I have Histamine Intolerance remember? haha it is about what was happening on 10th of February? Three things: Indonesian Election Day, Karneval and CNY.

Felicia really want to have Hot Pot in Düsseldorf on CNY, even though it was on a Karneval day, translates too, it might be very full which was true! the RE Bahn was very very Klebig, however nothing could stop us!

Andrea joined the Hot Pot as I knew she always willing to try new food! I wore Cheongsam from Claudia, Feli wore something red #In the CNY mood!

It is an all you can eat hot pot & grill ~excluding drink~ for 29,80 Euro. I took FLEISCH!!!!! every damn time!!! They do have a range of collection though I kept taking the same type. For drink, I had Plum 酸梅汤, love it!

We went from 19:30 – 21:30 my suggestion probably it will be better to finish at around 19:30 which means starts 2 hours earlier. Why? Because at some point when we finished the dinner, they don’t refill the dessert anymore hahaha Other than that, all good! I can imagine, I’ll come this place again: Hot One ~ hot-one.eatbu.com

Don’t forget about fortune cookies! it is a must everytime you go to Asian / Chinese Restaurant. Mine says: Toll, dass Sie sich von Problemen nicht irritieren lassen!

Meanwhile, 龙年快乐!

Catch You If I Can

I was in Dilemma of where should I renew my Passport? I’ll go back home in May, theoretically I can do it there… unless of course, my current Passport validity is until September, meaning when I fly in May with it, it only have 4 months validity before it expires #Could be problematic. I know the world wide rule is you can’t get in to other countries with a 6 months valid Passport. However I’m not sure if it’s applies for a citizen who wants to go to their home country? obviously I will take Garuda Indonesia flight, how come they don’t let me fly? Consult with office colleague who often travel abroad Sveeennnnn. He said he would risk it haha I’m a slight supporter of his idea! 😀

Other option is to renew it in Indonesian General Consulate in Frankfurt, I feel reluctant because I will have the non-chip version. Exactly when we finally have a 10 year Passport validity (instead of 5) I would have the old version of it, in another words, within 10 years I would have to wait on the Kontrolle, can’t use the automatic gate pfffff….

One day I was so busy calling Garuda Indonesia + KLM Airlines + Customs in Amsterdam. They all are saying different things, it depends on the guy in Kontrolle or if KLM will let you leave Düsseldorf, from the make sense to less sense. Smartly, I consult Maggi, she said: “better no, what about if something really happen? you will be shooting another Terminal movie!” I have no intention being famous that way, decided to go with Maggi’s advice, just do it in Frankfurt. Let’s contact Ashley and Ongky bzw. Ocky again! 将错就错 hihi

Arrived around lunch time to meet with QQ Dite who brought me the printed version of my Lapor Diri which I need to submit together in KJRI. We had a Korean Bibimbap near Hbf. Then he continued his journey while I’m being picked up by Ashley and Ongky.

We went back to their place, inspecting all their new Gegenstände at their home, watch Jimmy Fallon vs Kevin Hart slap’s game etc. At 18:30 we went out for dinner, they brought me to eat Malatang! oh how I miss Shanghai. I really amazed of Indonesian people, every time I go to Frankfurt, they always know the best restaurant! Two ways to see it: is it because Frankfurt is more international so the options are vielfältigkeit than Dortmund as what I see here is either Döner or Würst or I just never go out? #Hmm…

The next day, is my first time in KJRI! She said it’s not so big, more like a Villa instead of an office, I can’t missed it since there is a very big Indonesian Flag. From the outside it looks promising but the inside is very duk dek #Indonesian will understand.

Got myself ready, kämme mich nochmal before entering the photo session. Sat down, I knew it right there and then that the Camera was too high for me, it will only take my eyes. Told the officer, he didn’t believe it, continue with saying “let’s try” until he realized there was nothing to try, he went to back office to take some pillow. I did him a favor here because the lady after me is even smaller hahaha

Fast forward 10 working days, got the Email that my Passport is on the way, been live following the truck, mit Absicht, I don’t go out until I receive it, I don’t have any Bock to go pick it up. Heard no bell, refresh my mail “it has been sent to a Filiale” whattt?!?! ran out of my apartment with the hope of finding the DHL guy or truck or whatsoever, he was still on his truck about to drive when he saw me running towards him. Stoooppppp!!! My run didn’t go to waste, catch him I can 🙂 #Managed

Look at my new non chip Passport, with the issuing office: KJRI Frankfurt #Back to Basic.

I got 10 years to fill this 48 pages books up! Travel, here I come 🙂

The Last Man Standing Crew

Last working day in year 2023, Friday the 29th of December. Rise and Shine, no-sunny-day in Germany.

Look at how empty the Bahn ist, were only 3 including me in the wagon O.O Arrived office at 08:18 greeted by an empty park place and a happy Gery 🙂

Set an alarm in 05:45:21 I shall leave the office. Until then, meet the last man standing crew from 2. Flügel 2 featuring Bernd, Christin, PV und meine neue Tasche, Marcel, last but not least Sebhil #Work work work work work

We are the fittest amongst the fittest or maybe the one that should’ve planned their holiday better haha #Always 2 ways to see it.

Alarm ring, packed up, see you all next week bzw. next year, Tschüsiiiii 😀

Second Round

What’s second round of? #Embrace My Second Covid.

Here are the chronologies: on Tuesday I had the same exact symptoms like my first Corona which is sore throat + coughing, let’s do the test, resulted negative. Suspicious but stay chill, it could be a normal sick. Wednesday morning, oh no, called in sick even though I was still negative.

Thursday a.k.a third test during the week, waited for the result, came a stripe on the T, my initiate reaction was “ah this is ungültig” I must open a second test pack… until I musn’t, another stripe appears on the C, oh neeee!! its all crystal clear now why I felt something off within me.

Weirdly, I felt Arbeitsfähig on that day, decided to do home office, after 1 day, realized I shouldn’t have done it. When your body telling you “you are sick” better believe it.

Nevertheless, I am more chill, as a saying: The Second One Is Not as Good as the First. I wasn’t so depressed, in fact I do a lot of productive things, namely:

  • Finished reading my first roman novel in German, wait…. doesn’t mean I understand a single things happening within the character, I just tacked it after God knows how long I started this book. Which leads me to start reading the second one
  • Booked my flight ticket home in May + make rough itinerary for Bali
  • Plan for attending Thomas’ wedding
  • Submitted my On-Schuhe complaint
  • Tried a red seems like Dracula peeling from The Ordinary #No Irritation fiuhhhh!

Bravo! What an accomplishment! Seems like I really need this Positive to kind of get my $h!t together.

FYI, I was negative again on Tuesday, make it only 5 days positive, total feeling off for 9 days.

What a top is to celebrate my Negativity with my Bestie, Bito who I caught right on time before she went to Airport bounding to UK.

Love you Bitoooo <3 … Benjot too #Somehow 😉

Sometimes talking to your best friend regardless being an ocean away is a really effective medicine.

Did I missed some things? Unfortunately yes: BVB Games with Andrea, as well as Christmas Market at Köln with Erin. I’m sorry girls 🙁

They said “Little Party Never Killed Nobody” hey? #Think Twice #Nordwest Weihnachtsfeier

Both Covid was caused by the similar root. Will I learn from my lesson next year?

Only times will tell, we shall see 😉