Squeeze

I got the opportunity to meet both planned + unplanned friends during my stay in Bali! Before I continue, needed to say: just because it’s planned, doesn’t mean it was lacking element of happiness.

Schieva. Obviously this is not her real name 😀 rather her character in one of computer game. I know her since we were still studying in Parahyangan University ~ in another word 13 years has passed by!

She picked me up at the airport, went for a Cafe near Sanur which brings back my teenage memory of reading Detective Conan, Ninja Hatori, Nakayoshi, hmmm where is Doraemon!!!

Back when I’m still on planning modus in Germany, told her I wanted to go to a Viral Doughnut Cart called “Lucky Donat”. Why it’s viral? the Mba is such a lovely lady, she met Isaiah Garza who pretended not to have any money, gave him 3 doughnuts for free. In return Isaiah came back, gave her house, open a Doughnut shop located in Tabanan. Why do I know where it is? Because Schieva turn into Detective, did her research, was so proud of it. I need to be there to take pictures with the viral lady, of course buy her doughnuts too.

She is my Alpha and Omega, welcomer and goodbyer haha if that’s even a word. Before I flew back to Germany, she came bringing Pempek! ~ craved out of nowhere, need to have it ASAP! she was my rescue! Two times, one for my stomach second for my bag! I need a carry on bag, mine wasn’t enough, Tokopedia it is, however I didn’t have an account, she searched for seller in Bali then send it to her. She also give me scarf plus notebook, so colorful, so me, love it 🙂 Thank you so much Sher! yep, that’s part of her real name haha I wish you success in you along with Oyke’s Bali Shisha Service business (IG: balishishaservice)

Rivi. She was involved in one of the “Aib” from my sister and me! We tend to cover it, nevertheless can’t runaway from it, we three formed a band when I was on my 5th grade whereas they were on their 6th grade haha She is the best friend of Sissy ~ in another word 22 years has passed by! She knows everyone including what is happening to my long time 阿姨 Mugi where she got hypnotized, sadly lost all her money during her mudik time or that her husband suddenly passed away however now she remarries haha. Her husband was amazed by all the updates.

I am Schnorren Nummer 1, stayed in their Villa for 1 night. Hey in that way I could meet her! not her children though 🙁 They were waiting for me to come home after my Uluwatu trip with Irina. I brought one of the key from the villa, it didn’t work as my sister put her key on the door, luckily I heard their voice, called Sissy! open the door, I’m outside.

Made. He was the element of surprise, he knew my coming to Bali but we didn’t fix the appointment. Made is also my Uni friends in Parahyangan ~ in another word 13 years has passed by! The timing was perfect, I was in Ubud when he was in Bali just for 1 business trip before he’s back to Bandung.

Oh Remember what Detektive Schieva done? Made is the executor of finding the Lucky Donat. After hearing the opening time is quiet weird, followed by a coincidence that Made was on the area, I asked him to check only to find out her place already became a Sushi shop 🙁 I don’t know what is happening with her nor her shop. Wrote a comment, tagged Isaiah Garza, hope he can check it someday.

Anyway, what I found out about Made is…. he is a fake Balinese haha he only got Balinese name yet was born in Bandung #Funny!

燕巧 Yian Chiow. The word of right place at the right time is happening to her! She posted her picture in Wechat diving + hiking in Kintamani area. What? what? what!!! As far as I know, she couldn’t swim….. fact checked: she still can’t swim yet do diving! Bravo!

On her last day in Bali, she stays at Kuta area, let’s go to Hard Rock Cafe. We talked about who is moving to KL, still in Shanghai, who is already became a mother ~ almost all, she still remember my 弟弟们, talk about our best teacher for 留学生 ever 何老师 without him we will not have hot water haha.

We met in 东华大学上海延安西路1882号 still remember the address by heart! She was the one who asked me to join Resident Advisor, encouraging me to not be afraid for blood test for applying for my Scholarship, still remember her phrase 你怕抽血还是怕拿不到奖学金呢? Without her, my stays in the dormitory would be a living hell. She was one of the person who bend over backwards to help someone. The word considerate, patient and kind are not enough to describe her. The only person who gave me flower on my master graduation, that was the last time we met in person ~ in another word 7 years has passed by!

Thank you for squeezeing your time to meet me! I really appreciate you all crossing my path. Wish you all happy, healthy, luck, money! #I’m Asian haha until we 再见 us again!

Keyboard: Piano icons created by Smashicons – Flaticon

Vitamin A

Australia, second home to so many Indonesian 🙂

How many? let’s see how many I can meet during my short stay in Sydney:

(P.S. one of them is not an Indonesian, you’ll know who #wink)

Betsy

First time I met her was really back then, on my 2nd year of primary school in Bandar Lampung, SD Xaverius Pahoman. Never will I ever miss that bloody school! So so so strict! Can’t remember how many hats I have because every Monday we had a ceremony where we must wear hat and I forget it from time to time so I need to buy it every damn time or else I’d go to detention.

Enough with that school, back to Betsy, she was my classmates, I remember she was the smart one 🙂 Last time I saw her was in year 2016, she was a newlywed. Now I met her again, she’s already have mini Betsy + mini Andy = Bethany!!!

Bethany wasn’t even chill, she can already run, thus she ran all the time. We, the grown up ones were the one who worried if she will hit something. While we had our Lemonade drink, when she’s not running, she’s eating her grape raisins and chocolate, she does have a job to keep us busy 😀

She was fast yet easily get distracted. Betsy said “this is what happened when you walk around with toddler, never really know when will you reach your destination”.

Let’s see what could Bethany do next time we meet again…. perhaps fly…. to Germany? haha you have one aunt here Bethany! Someday it’ll be your time to visit me 😉

Leyfa

Mamacita! Thank you for seeing my post on IG otherwise I wouldn’t know you’re in Sydney too! Brendan say nothing about your whereabout when I told him I’m going to Australia.

Archery has brought us together, I still keep all the clothes you gave me, both the <3 Leyfa Por Favor is Coming and Mamacita needs a Margaritha. I’ll keep wearing it, the only way I see I’m not wearing it, is if I frame it.

Her place is in Dee Why, this is the moment where I realized Sydney is big! Because Dee Why is one hour and ten minutes away from City Center and the whole time I’m in the bus, I kept asking myself, where the hell am I?? Say no more, it’s worth a travel to see you!

I’m so proud of what you’ve endured, achieved, became and will become. Wishing you and Charly a great life in Australia, you are welcome anytime in Dortmund. I know, tragic ehhh from Shanghai to Sydney then to Dortmund hahaha

Queen

My brain and beautiful influencer, Q! This girl is so damn busy you can’t really catch her, her schedule is like a jetsetter! I already texted her a long time ago that I will be from X date to Y date in AU, got not a reply from her until I’m already in Brisbane. AAAAAA need to meet her before she spread her wings elsewhere!

I thought I’ll meet her for lunch before I come to see Leyfa for dinner but I lost my glasses so I switch the plan. I met Leyfa on lunch time then her for dinner or else I can’t see the way for me to be back to City Center in the dark time without my glasses hahaha

I always a bit insecure with her because she’s so pretty, I told her to just be chill and don’t wash her hair hahaha #I know very important, anyway she violated my request. She’s appears gorgeous as always 🙂

We reserve a table, what I mean is we came and say to the waitress “a table for 3 please” so we didn’t even reserve nothing haha while waiting for her +1 to come, we went to Darling Harbour #Sydney mandatory place.

+1 came, it’s eating time at Bar Totti’s #nom nom

From all the places in the world, Shanghai’s Church Courtyard is the place that connected us. It is so weird to type it in one sentence, a church courtyard in Shanghai #yeap, still weird.

You have brain and beauty, you studied medical, you are officially a doctor for f#$k sake! entrepreneur too, what’s next? have some projects in Europe please!

Mario

My highschool friend Yoyo! Sophie need to thanks him, without him I wouldn’t find the Southern Wild Co. Candle she asked me about 😉

He showed me the highlight of Sydney other than Darling Harbour (as I went there with Q already) met in Town Hall, ate the famous cake, went to The Rock. Said to him “Yo, took pic of me that looks like I’m abroad” he understood the assignment very well.

Then went to Ibis to take my luggage thank you for carrying all my $h!t, took shower at his place, airport #tough schedule.

SMA Saint Aloysius Bandung met us up, Parahyangan Catholic University met us up again although he was in a different Fach than me, honestly even from high school we were already different, he chose science while I chose social. He and his wife are the smart couple, they met on a accounting competition, the hell was that?!?!

He visited me when I still in Shanghai I guess it was year 2017 then now I visited him, next…. you and your wife need to come to Germany!

Thank youuuu friends for all the time you spare with me, do remember to contact me if you ever go anywhere in Europe. It doesn’t have to be Germany or Dortmund precisely, I know there are much better options hahaha I can promise you that I will try my best to catch you up in any part in Europe.

Love you all and really wish you the best in each step of your life!

#Peace out

Until next time 🙂

*Btw I don’t like to show pictures of an underage children. Thanks to Flaticon, I got it covered. Grape raisins icon from Raisins icons created by Freepik – Flaticon

Double-double

What is this double-double, is it a shopping deal? double 11 double 12? double date? yes, it is! but the literal meaning of double date which is double the date, not the people, just the date and that happened few days ago 12.12.2020 see! how many double is that? double-double 😉 what is so special about that date anyway, not because it won’t happen again, more important is because that is the day that my best friend for 12+ years (and still counting) got married!

Whether I am in Germany or not I still cannot come because of Corona the church only limited guest to 30 people and Indonesian people are a lot! 30 people won’t enough to cover one side of the family, you’re missing one 0 behind yo! haha so in the wedding it was only family of bride (my besties) and groom. Family here was literally father-mother and siblings and that’s it! because the rest was pastor, people who works for church, cameraman etc and 30 people filled up pretty quickly. So how do we watch it? via live-streaming! you’re wedding is like a celebrity that being live-streamed so whole normal non-guess people could witness it haha

I was really happy and close to cry the moment I knew she’s getting married and once I got the message via WA it’s all getting real, people! What can I do from my part is set the alarm, put it on calendar and make sure I got the time difference right!

Since I got myself a new TV so I need to test it and what is the best way to test a TV other than by watching my bestfriend got married in a big screen! I tested it the day before to make sure the link works.

AAAAA! So nervous… eh? why should I?

But just like every technical things can go wrong, right on the day I mistyped some words and it said “the video was unavailable” and I was like wtf! I saw it myself it was working yesterday so for few minutes I watched it from my phone while I re-entered the link and just the moment where she entered the church I got it on TV 🙂

Novi told me that she wanted to get married and got blessed by her favorite Pastor and that is the Pastor? he’s so young yo! are you sure you’re qualified to be a Pastor at that young age? haha 😉 The Pastor was funny he told how both of them started from friends then in a relationship and got married, he’s such an up-to-date Pastor huh.

Of course the moment I waited in a whole wedding was when they have their wedding promise, I could hear Novi’s voice break out and me- being on the other side of the world- was touched by it. You’d better keep your promise to her, Ricky! Just remember she’s got a psychopath 8!tch- on the other side of the world- ready to come and get you if you don’t #devil’s laugh haha

The second most touching moment was when (I’d like to say both of them but nope, only Novi) she went to her parents and ask for a blessing. I like that they didn’t give Novi or Ricky a microphone while they were talking to both parents. Seriously, in some wedding I saw how bride talk to her parents thank you bla bla bla on a microphone and of course what do you expect, both of them cried lalala but this is such personal things, no need to let everyone hears and who wants to hear you sobbing voice anyway #dunno OMG I sounded like a crazy 8!tch haha

With the mask, I’m not sure which one is your mother but yeah here is both of the pictures 😉

Then, the ceremony was almost finished, I think it took about 1.5 to 2 hours.

Last and not least is the photo session but since you’re watching it online so you can’t really see them closely because there were always a photographer’s standing in front of your screen. Here you can see the Pastor on and off his duty.

It was really like watching a movie, they had a “thank you note” and an “extra” and what is on the “extra” ? it was their pre-wedding pictures. In my opinion, it was a beautiful wedding, really simple but organized very neatly 🙂

Novi, my best friend, I am very lucky to have met you back then when we were only 17+ years old through thick and thin of our University life and still besties till now maybe I should also say “till death do us apart” <3 you are a beautiful person and look so beautiful in white, love you!

We have a German sentence that is “zu jedem Topf gibt es einen Deckel” the literal translation is something like “every pot has its own lid” I know it’s not very sentimental but its very make sense, Germans… what can you expect 😉 bottom line is “everyone will find their own person” and on this double-double, I am very happy that you found your other half. I am excited that you embark on a new journey, I wish you a happy life going forward, you deserve it.

P.S Ricky: you’d better love her, she’s my besties, biatch! haha 😉 Congratz on you, you just hit a jackpot.

Cheers to the newly wed.

Full of love, Marlyn.

Once A Friend Will Always Be A Friend

Friends…many stories behind, many gossips around, many places visited together, a little bit of misunderstanding 😉 ,sometimes rather annoying XD but still, once a friend will always be and when we meet again no matter after how many years we were apart, we still laughing at the same joke 😀 , we still laughing at the same situation, at the same teacher, at the same people it’s like nothing has been changed but yeah we grow older *face palm*

Thanks to Cepi that drove 3 hours away from Bandung to Jakarta just to have lunch with me. Just spoiler so you know that we were talking about you while dinner with Eddy and Darren and me and Eddy didn’t really get it why Darren was laughing when he knew that you drove away against all traffic from Bandung to Jakarta 😀

We were again had lunch at the mall hahaha! Jakarta is always mall, and besides it’s easier to meet because Cepi drove from the highway and then get out of the highway and there is the mall 🙂 . We had “ayam penyet” and “iga penyet” as lunch, but the standard chili was 15 pcs of chili but I am not sure if I can handle 15pcs of chili so I reduced it to 5 at first I wanted to reduce it to 3 but then Cepi said than it won’t be called as a “penyet” haha And he also gave me a ghost, I don’t know why he gave me the ghost haha but it’s a cute ghost that was painting and maybe suddenly he’s dead haha!

Dinner time! Back again with Eddy and Darren, Darren chose the place and it’s not in a mall! haha it’s somewhere close to my home and it’s a restaurant semi cafe, a small one but very cute.

Me and Eddy arrived first so we ordered and when Darren arrived, I said “this is such a good place and the food is also good” he said “well, this is because I have a girlfriend so I know what the good restaurant is, if not I won’t go to this kind of place” and Eddy said “if you are single, you will only eat fried rice everyday” hahaha. Eddy and Darren always eat fried rice in Bandung, especially behind Bandung airport, I think Eddy was exaggerating when he said “When you eat the fried rice there, you will feel chills because it seems like the airplane will crash you, the noise was sooooo loud” is it??? 😮

Follow up by seeing the mothers! Erin! the beautiful mother 🙂 some people at UNPAR said that I really look like her, once there was someone that kept shouting Erin! Erin! while I walked so that I stopped and I turned around, and he said “hi Erin” I said “Marlyn?” he kept saying “Erin” and I was like…… “I’m not Erin” and he said “OMG you look like her, are you her twins?” …. hmmm people, do I really look like her?

Baby Nina, you’re a blessed child to have Erin as your mother, what a beautiful and smart mother and also! Nina, you have the “Angelina Jolie” type of lips 😉 look at your lips and your cheeks haha your cheeks already fell down soooo cute! and I don’t know why but baby smells really nice 🙂

Continues with mother Monique, but her kids already become a toddler but still very smart and sneaky kid, I bet it’s the genes from Alvin instead from you, well… that’s what you always said haha! maybe you also have a sneaky side 😉  We were having lunch, Indomie was one of the best instant noodles ever! and we had the modern indomie shop and I can’t leave without tasting it, but…. I choose the wrong Indomie so it wasn’t my favorite 🙁

I came to her home to see the kids, her second kid suddenly just grabbed my hand and took me over to see his brother’s tent ?! I mean…..it’s your brother’s tent…. haha why you didn’t show me something that belongs to you?! 😀

And Abraham, you grew up so fast! Smart boy, still more calm than Matthew but you talked a lot already 😉 good job boy!

Monique, you are a very dedicated mother, I really believe in you that you could open your home-school preschool, you have all the curriculum and gosh for sure I would not be able to teach my kid as patient as you *4 thumbs up! 🙂

Like all holidays, it needs to end and back to work…why? Because I have bills! I gotta to pay! so I work, work, work everyday! I got mouth, I gotta feed so I’ll make sure everybody eats! hahaha

Adios Amigos 😉

From UNPAR-ians Bandung to Jakarta

Friday nights, catching up with some of my university friends, the newly weds couple Evan and Susan- which btw I came to your wedding last year, the only reason why I went home is to attend your wedding and just a reminder that you promised me to come to my wedding wherever and whenever it will be 😉 and the one that always have idea to hang out every time while we were still in Bandung- Darren. What makes you so busy that you only able to meet us after 9 huh? haha 😉

Susan called me yesterday to asked where should we meet for dinner, she suggested Chinese food and I said “No, I came from China and I don’t want to eat any Chinese food here, I want to have bakso” So here we are! they brought me to the famous bakso place according to go-food app. Butttt! Because I’ve been away from home for quiet some time, I didn’t get use to how spicy the soup was so I’d had to ask for another clear soup to be able to kill the meatballs haha

And then she said there was another very happening snack called “Banana Nugget” there were many copy of it but we went to the authentic original one according to Susan and Evan haha! And it’s like a chicken nugget but instead of nugget it is a banana duhhh! We ordered Susan’s favorite Almond, Cheese and Chocolate. At first I want to order the Nutella and Milo but she said it will be giung which is too sweet so OK we went to her choice and the taste was surprisingly delicious!

And our busy Darren was still somewhere in Central Park, so we went to another Cafe called High Ground. When we arrived, there was some game tournament going on. We didn’t know what kind of game tournament but it was pretty serious one, and we found that there also have many many many board games. We don’t know how to play the board game but me and Susan just choose the one that was quiet funny from the boxes.

We picked up some board games and read the instructions but in the end we didnt play the board games. Susan picked up poopyhead, from all the game…she need to choose that and I read the instructions and still had no idea on how the games works, besides Evan was eating so we’d better respect him 😀

Instead we played some kind of detective to search where was Darren, it will only takes 20 minutes to go from Central Park to where we are but idk Darren took quiet some time and always said otw, and yeah otw since 40 minutes ago haha!

And finally Darren came! he came to us, he brought a paper bag and he gave to me saying “this is your independence cake, I can give you the lighter but you gotta light the candle yourself” pheww it’s very surprising that I will have to light my birthday cake by myself haha and he need to have additional sentence: it will be more independence if you chip in on the cake haha such Darren! I was like gezzz we met once a year yo! 😉 and he said “at first I wanted to give a surprise but it will be awkward if I just came by myself and sing a song by myself and my voice is so bad” haha

We were talking about our nostalgic time in our beloved university where all of us met which is UNPAR, we talked about our teacher that looks like a Korean boyband named Edward, the handsome computer teacher which Evan was so sure his name was Fernando while 3 of us doesn’t even know it, the hepatitis diseases that was spread suddenly and Evan was one of the victim that got hospitalized, the one that will get married soon. And by the time we realized these all happened like 10 years ago! We became……. experience haha not old, bitch please! we never grow old hahaha 😉

And then Darren sent me home but since we were so busy talking about the past time like how funny we were and by the time we reached my parent’s apartment, I’ve told him that I still have the same car that I drove on my university time, but he remember most about the previous car before this-my sister Honda City car’s. I was sooo sucked at driving car and every time I always asked Darren to help me park the car, one night it was a rainy day in Bandung but we were going to our accounting lessons and I couldn’t park it so I just parked randomly on the slightly middle of the street and I called Darren to help me parked the car, but the when he got in he said “your glass is covered by 80% film and I can see nothing, it’s just my feeling to park your car” and yes my father put the 80% glass film so it will be dark haha! Darren knew my ability of driving car, he once called me that I forgot to turn on the lights haha! how can I survive driving without you Darren 😉

The day was not over yet until I arrived home and realized I left the cake at his car! Arrghhhh I feel sooo bad that he bought it for me but then I left it but I was genuinely forget about it, it wasn’t my intention, so Darren need to come back again and bring the cake, lucky he was still close by 😀

Thanks for the “independence cake”, thanks for the time that you guys share with me, thanks for all the stories. For Susan and Evan, have fun in Russia I guess you will celebrate your 1st wedding anniversary there yeah? haha! and I will count the time if we will have an additional family member after your Russian trip * if you know what I mean haha 😉

See you when I see you friends!